If she came to us...

November is a very important month for the polish people. We start that period with the day of commemorating our loved ones that have already passed away. But it is not only a sad, nostalgic day but also the time of hope for the christians and what is more, opportunity of gathering together with your family or friends. And exactly ten days later there comes another important holiday, which is a National Indipendence Day celebrated in Poland on the 11th of November. This year we were celebrating already 98th anniversary of reclaiming our indipendence after 123 years of occupation. That is why I would like to share with you a few patriotic songs, not related to the First World War, but talking about the reality of people who have experienced the war or occupation in general.

The first song, "Jeśli nie wrócę", is related to the Warsaw Uprising. It is a part of a CD "Morowe Panny" which is a story of the capital told by the young women with their problems, thoughts and observations about the event. The artists like Halina Młynkowa, Anita Lipnicka, Paulina Przybysz, Katarzyna Groniec and the others are singing their authorial lyrics. Responsible for the whole project is Darek Malejonek with a band Maleo Reggae Rockers. I recommend all the CD, and also it's continuation "Panny Wyklęte" which is also a perfect, musically diversified album.

And the other song that is pretty fresh not only because it is new but also because it is pretty original is "Wojenka" by Lao Che. That piece comes from the album "Dzieciom", which is also good but that song is the one that has really enchanted me. It is a real manifest against the war, with the appeals to the Second World War and to the popular polish TV series - "Czterej pancerni i pies". 

Vintage Edition, unlimited pleasure.

Today I'd like to dedicate a while to a friend of mine, who is a great artist. I was planning that for a very long time, maybe waiting for a proper moment. His song "Here and now" is the one I'm sinking in. Somehow it just makes you feel well. Maybe it's because it's author has the same influence on people. He's simply putting everyone he meets in a good mood, he makes you feel calm and happy, somehow. What is more, some sounds of this song brings on my mind Robbie Williams' "Angels", which is so beautiful too!

As I said, Grzegorz who is an author of Vintage Edition project, is not only a very gifted musician who is creating all his songs, including lyrics, on his own, but he's also very charismatic person. All the clips of his songs are just a perfect addition to his pieces. Created usually in the autumnal atmosphere, showing the beauty of the cities and of the nature they correspond very well to the nostalgic songs. I really like walking in park or in the old towns with the headphones on my ears sinking in the extremely beautiful composition of sounds of "Lies" for example.

Anyway, not all of his songs are so nostalgic and poetic. Listening to his songs you can see that creating music is for Grzegorz also a great fun. In general he's an enthusiastic person and his songs like "I'm from Poland" definetely show his character. It also shows his love for the place he lives in. If you're from Poznań you'll deffinetely enjoy watching in the clip places you know for sure.

There are a few more songs completely created by Vintage Edition you can find on YouTube and I must say, although each of them is totally different, they are all amazingly inspiring and catchy. I recommend you to listen to them, warning at the same time that you can assuredly fall in love! 

Lovesong's top 10.

How come am I writing a music blog without having ever created any toplist here?! Well, time to change this fact finaly. I would like to share with you the toplist of the most interresting or significant songs for me. There are ten songs because it's a tipical toplist's number, I guess, but it's order is quite casual. So let it begin! I nominate to my lovesong's toplist: 

1. Elton John with "Can you feel the love tonight?" - because everyone loves this song and knowns it since like forever.  Although I must say, I prefer the polish version of this song, it's just closer to me and it reminds me not only my childhood, but also the time spent in Bari on Erasmus.

2. Jem with "Falling for you" - because it's really beautiful but also sad and nostalgic. I also appreciate it for it's music's simpleness and for the complexity of the problems it concerns. 

3. Zach Sobiech and Sammy Brown with "Fix me up" - because it's beautiful when very young people love each other with such a mature love. And because it's really autobiografic - the author of the song knew that he was going to die soon, that she coudn't fix him up.

4. Poluzjanci with "Prosta piosenka" - for the magic and simpleness of it's text and tone, for Kuba Badach's warm voice and for the vast scale of his vocal capacity.

5. Chantal Kreviazuk with "Feels like home" - because since I have seen "The Notebook" I've been dreaming of finding the one I could sing these words to. 

6. Hey with "Mimo wszystko" - mostly because of the clip. In only 5 minutes it shows the reality, even the cruel reality of love, It makes the one who is listening to the song think, that you don't love somebody because of something but in spite of something. In spite of everything.

7. Voo Voo with "Gdybym"  -  because this song contrasts the reality of nowadays, showing that the real love is one in your life. Because I love...no, I ADORE mature men singing about the fact of being happy in their marriages. About the fact of falling in love with their wives again and again, everyday. Because these are the examples that young people really need nowadays. 

8. Luxtorpeda - "Tajne znaki" - for the same reasons I ascribed to the previous song.

9. Pidżama Porno - "Dzień dobry, kocham cię" - because like two days ago it helped me understand again how wise my father was. I'm still impressed of the way he explained it's chorus to me when we were listening to it driving a car. He told me that the man who sings the song is so in love, that he thinks of the woman he loves right from the start of the day. That the bread without anything becomes tasty when you think of the one you love. That when you're that poor that you have nothing to cover a slice of bread with, there is love that makes you rich. 

10. Joe Cocker - "You are so beautiful" - because every woman needs to realize that she is beautiful and worthy but also she needs to find the one who makes her feel the most beautiful in the world. And because I already did. 

How to survive a foul weather time...

The autumnal period might be very tough. For me it's already an everyday fight to get up from my warm and cosy bed. Even if my classes start after eleven it is almost mission impossible to get at the university on time. On the other hand there are a lot of things you can do during that rainy period. Well, most of them you can do also in the summer, but what for?

Let's start with the part I love the most, which is the autumnal and winter cuisine. Well, you must agree that there is no better way to warm up than cooking - or I'd rather say - baking. At first, the oven is getting warmer and warmer when you're preparing a cake. Then you put it into the oven and every 5 minuts you watch it growing up feeling that it also warms your heart up. And the best part is when the cake is ready, you take it off, you cut a proper piece and you eat it warming up your belly. Oh, I love that feeling! It's also necessary to remember about the spices. For me the smell and the taste of these days is the one of cinnamon. I could add it to anything I eat, I think: to a cake, of course, to coffee or tea, to an oatmeal and so on... 

And last but not least of the culinary hits for rainy or snowy days - hot chocolate. You must agree that the colder it is outside, the better it tastes. 

Last year I have also found a passion, that makes me accept the fact that the temperature is in the continous decline which is ice skating. Yesterday I went to the ice rink for the first time after a long, long break and I didn't break anything at all! :) I really like this sport and I recommend it to everyone, especially if you often get cold. Yesterday morning I was feeling pretty bad, I was sure I would be ill the next day. But after the ice skating I was feeling very well and so am I today. I believe that the sport in quite low temperature helps you build your selfresistance. 

I won't write about music today, although it's one of the best ways to sweeten you the long evenings spent at home, because it's just obvious. So the last thing I would recommend you, if you have some free time, is to find you a good book, a nice TV series or an animated movie and to get under the blanket with a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate and just enjoy the autumn or the winter. The one I associate with this period is the Life with Louie. I invite you to watch the first episode and I'm sure you're gonna love it. That's the cartoon I've watched since my childhood but I still think it's just awesome. I've tried to watch it in English today, but the Polish dubbing is incomparably better.

I will drive 500 miles!

It's really nice to come back here after such a long break with a pretty good news. But before going to the point, few words of an introduction. 

About three and a half mounths ago I started my holiday. But it wasn't a very relaxing time and I didn't spend it lasily at all. Right after the beginning of the holiday I called few driving schools to find the one where I could start my course as soon as possible. I still had to wait more than a week but finally I started to learn the theory. And again about a week after the first part I started my practice lessons. 

I was really hoping to pass all the exams before the new academic year but it wasn't that obvious with the two weeks pilgrimage at the beginning of August I was going to participate , with my brother's wedding on the 4th of September, with the resit of the History of Italian Cinema, with the weekends spent with my boyfriend. But there's nothing impossible to the one who believes.  2 weeks ago I passed the theory exam, unfortunatelly failing on the practice one. I moved back to Poznań to continue my studies, but on Friday I went to Gdańsk to retry the exam. I was a bit affraid and uncertain because there was no opportunity for me to take some extra lessons in the driving school. Fortunately, with my boyfriends and my friends support I made it out. So now, in 2 weeks from now I'll probably get my driving licence and I'll be able to make my little dream come true. I'll be able to drive a car listening and singing with Ted and Marshall:

So if you're a driver too, I recommend you to listen to The Proclaimerses hit and to 'invite' them to accompany your trips! Just the way I'm going to! :)

Enjoy your Sunday! 

Movespiration!

Even though I should be studying hard for the tommorow's test, I can't help the great will to share with you my today's little success. Some time ago I started to train jogging with my friend. We were both doing quite significant progresses, which made me really proud. Two days ago we run more than 7 km, which is for me an awesome result, especially that we got the speed of almost 10 km per hour. That's really not bad, I think. But today there was no possibility that I could have a company, so I had to motivate myself. Unfortunatelly I'm a great fan of sweets, I'd even say that I'm a chocaholic, trying to fight my addiction. It's not easy anyway, so I failed today, again. And that should probably motivate me even more, but it was exactly on the contrary. I felt weak and incapable and I was going to resign my today's training. But then I thought of a music piece that yesterday literally made me train at home. It was that one:

It's not exactly my favourit kind of music but it really makes you move! So listening to it today I thought: 'Oh, I just have to make a new playlist, and I'll run without any company with the same pleasure." And that's what I did. Another song that gave me a hand was shared on YouTube today, just like if it was especially for my bad mood. I just fell in love with it.

I found also the remix of a song you can hear in the background, which is "So cold" by Ben Cocks. I also felt like listening to the song I heard on the radio few times, which was "See you again" by Wiz Khalifa. Well, there were also few more songs on my running playlist today, but it's not the most important thing. The point is that with a very small inspiration I was able to run another 6 km today, fighting my lazyness and my unnecessary bad humor. And if I was able, you are able too! Doing sport is healthy, and you know it! It's hard at the beggining, but there is also nothing more satisfying then the moment when you're breaking your own barriers. So find you some good piece of music if you don't have any yet and have fun! :)

Music in adverts.

Last week passing the way from Gdańsk to Toruń with a car, me and my trip companion we have started to sing a song from the TP S.A. advertisment. This is one of the spots in which "Mr Heart" and "Mr Mind" are partecipating. They're singing a song about the new offer, which is a Funpack. This is the one I'm talking about:

I really, really, really like this song and all the "Serce i Rozum" advertisments, I think they are really brilliant. As you probably noticed this is something we could call a cover of the song "Susana" by Fausto. To be onest I have never heard this Spanish version before. I believe the most of you, just like me, knows only the version of the group "The Art Company". 

It is quite popular to use the popular songs, changing only it text to promote some products. The "Susanna case" made me think of the other advertisments in which the renowned songs are being used in the same way. The one presenting , one of my favourit sweets by the way, with the partecipation of raper Shaggy seams to me a great example. Thanks to this advert as if any of us hI was singing that song with a friend of mine for a very long time, even though I doubt if any of us has ever heard the full version of it. But there you go, here we have an opportunity to make up for it:

And the last one I would like to share with you is a very old Polish advertisment made by Bonduelle company, Everybody knows the song "Singing in the rain", which was sang by Gene Kelly. But if you haven't seen it in 1998, you have to see the dancing green peas of Bonduelle now. Enjoy!