The first, though late post...

In all the fervour of creating this blog (I was so absorbed that I started posting things straight away) I totally forgot to publish my First Official Post… So let’s do it now, shall we?
I wasn’t actually planning to set it up now. So what happened? For those who don’t know how my blog came into existence --> it was a school assignment. Yep, that’s true. Thanks to Mr. Raf, whose blog address you can find on this website, I’ve got MY own blog now and can share my thoughts with you ;)
I used to think that the idea of blogging is a complete waste of time… but maybe I was wrong…? Time will show ;)

Brits, do we like them?

I was so eager to go to Britain that I finally managed to do it this summer. Mission accomplished, so to speak. I came back much more experienced and with better knowledge of English culture. But what stroke me most was the exaggerated politeness of English people (or maybe it only seems to be so coz in Poland it's 'a little bit' different, if you know what I mean...). Let me give you an example. A bus. People who want to get on the bus patiently wait till everybody gets off. Nobody shoulders and even elderly people let the young first. Can you imagine the same situation in Poland? Never!

I've also noticed that they thank for everything, literally. And to express it they mostly use: 'cheers (mate)!' or 'ta!' Oh, I just love these two phrases! Whenever I hear it, it reminds me of the wonderful holidays I had

I'd even risk calling it "a business language." Why? Because of its politeness. It makes it very diplomatic...

At first you think: 'wow, they're so polite and cheerful!' Unfortunately, it's often only "a cover." I know from experience that they can call you darling, love etc. and then gossip behind your back. Of course not everyone does it, but I think it's quite common.

But then again, how can I not love English people, their culture, and their b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l (sometimes even sexy ) accent!


Cheers!

Haven't got a clue where to go for your summer holidays?

How about Edinburgh, Scotland? I'm planning to go there myself next summer. I'm really fascinated with Edinburgh, and generally Scotland.
Edinburgh is one of the most picturesque cities of the northern part of Great Britain. Magnificent castles and ruins, breath-taking views. But that's just a very general description of what you can see and 'what your eyes can experience' in Scotland. If you want to find out more I recommend these websites: http://www.edinburgh.org/ and http://www.visitscotland.com/.

But what fascinates me most and makes me just dying to go there is the annual Edinburgh Festival. It's just amazing! Artists from all around the world (!), starting with Europeans and ending with Asians, Americans or Indians, come to Edinburgh to perform their shows. There're several major festivals, e.g. Book, Art Festivals, Jazz & Blues Festival and many other. However, the most spectacular event is the Fringe Festival. Believe it or not, it's thought to be the largest showcase on earth!

You can check it out here: http://www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk/.

So what you recon? Don't know how about you but I fancy going there

[picture: Military Tattoo]

Logical games & quizzes

I’m keen on puzzling out quizzes and mathematical tasks, really. I’ve always loved maths and I like to test myself in various logical games. About two years ago I came across SUDOKU. You’ve probably heard about it. When I first saw it, I thought: Stupid. Why’s everybody so crazy about it?! But when I tried, I got involved very quickly

So if you want to test your skills then here u go!
www.sudoku.com

The Chinese Terracotta Army

In Blue City shopping mall in Warsaw we can admire the world’s greatest discovery of the 20th century, namely the exhibition of Chinese Terracotta Army.

Few facts... It’s a replica of emperor Qin Shi Huang’s army that was discovered in China in 1974 and inscribed by UNESCO to the list of world’s heritage objects as 8th wonder of the world. There’re about 8000 (!) life-sized terracotta warrior and horse figures equipped with chariots and bronze weapons. It's believed that the army was created as an imperial guard to serve the emperor Qin in his afterlife. Amazing, however, is the fact that every single figure is different! They differ even in shape of muscles! Incredible accuracy!

The replica includes over 100 figures. The exhibition has already visited Barcelona, Bonn, Stuttgart, and now it came to Poland.

It’s only a replica but, hey, better this than nothing

Books

If you're keen on reading thought-provoking books, then you have to read this one!

1421 The Year China Discovered The World by Gavin Menzies

About the book...
Gavin Menzies, retired Royal Navy Submarine Commanding Officer, claims that the Chinese navigator Zheng He discovered the Americas, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand some 71 years before Columbus! Yes, that’s exactly what he claims! He presents a lot of evidence to support his thesis. He also argues that Colombus, Da Gama, Magellan, and Cook all used Chinese maps and based their journeys on the Chinese discoveries.
After reading the book you’d probably either like it and find it fascinating or won’t believe it and say that what Menzies says is crap. But no matter what readers think, this book rewrites history! He presented his claims to 250 world-recognized professionals and they didn’t reject it!

Here’s the official webpage of the book, where you can find some more info: http://www.1421.tv/evidence.asp