Today was a really good day. Slept in, watched an episode of Ouran, then talked to a friend on Skype for a couple of hours. Went to the coffeeshop after that, did some Japanese homework, then headed out to the old city for dinner. Discovered that Namaste, my favorite Indian place, had moved down the road and expanded to a new, larger space, enjoyed a very yummy dinner of chicken tikka masala. Went to a little pub in the square for a beer afterward, watched women's basketball on the TV there. It was tiny, only 8 tables, but really cute and cozy, a perfect place for beer and chilling out.
I need more days like this!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Exploring
I need to get out and randomly explore a bit more- I find interesting things that way!
A week ago, I had an appointment in a kind of new section of town- the office was between Marszałkowska and Jana Pawla II, but it was an area I'd never really been in before. I discovered that the fence along the street was covered with posters for upcoming concerts and learned that both Mudhoney and Alice in Chains will be playing soon- grunge revival? I discovered a couple neat new restaurants, as well as the Jewish quarter, which was *really* interesting, because the buildings that were left were all original- crumbling, run down, but the original buildings.
I walked through the quarter, then out to Świętokrzyska and turned right, heading toward the Palace of Culture and Science. As I came to the corner of Świętokrzyska and Emilii Plater, I was hit with a sense of deja-vu. On the corner was a sushi restaurant. But it hadn't always been there. Six months ago, after just landing and exploring through the city in search of a grocery store, Phil and I discovered this cute, warm cozy-looking restaurant called Carpe Diem. We were cold, tired and hungry, and figured this would be a good place for lunch. I don't remember what he had, but I ate the *best* duck I've ever had in Poland- perfectly baked with apples and peaches, and perfect, golden roast potatoes. And they had good dark beer. Altogether, that had been one of the best lunches I've ever had, and I've been looking for that restaurant ever since, so I could have another. No wonder I couldn't find it! In its place is now a new-ish sushi restaurant, an "omise club" offering "body sushi". I'm glad we discovered it when we did and seized the day!
Last night, I went out in search of dinner. I didn't know what I wanted, but I randomly got off downtown and headed up Nowy Świat, up Krakowskie Przedmieście. After about 10 minutes, I heard some fairly loud music. Ducking under the archway of Krakowskie Przedmieście 24, I followed the music and accidentally discovered... the local rockabilly hangout! There was a small stage, with a pretty good band playing, a good-sized area with tables, and a small beer stand. Everyone was totally decked out- slicked-back hair, pegged jeans, sneakers, leather jackets, leopard-print coats, bleached blonde hair, huge sideburns. It was great! A bunch of guys had leather jackets with "Warsaw Cool Cats" on the back- not sure what that is, but it looked good. I stayed for about 15 minutes and listened, then went back to my search for dinner. Will have to go back sometime!
A week ago, I had an appointment in a kind of new section of town- the office was between Marszałkowska and Jana Pawla II, but it was an area I'd never really been in before. I discovered that the fence along the street was covered with posters for upcoming concerts and learned that both Mudhoney and Alice in Chains will be playing soon- grunge revival? I discovered a couple neat new restaurants, as well as the Jewish quarter, which was *really* interesting, because the buildings that were left were all original- crumbling, run down, but the original buildings.
I walked through the quarter, then out to Świętokrzyska and turned right, heading toward the Palace of Culture and Science. As I came to the corner of Świętokrzyska and Emilii Plater, I was hit with a sense of deja-vu. On the corner was a sushi restaurant. But it hadn't always been there. Six months ago, after just landing and exploring through the city in search of a grocery store, Phil and I discovered this cute, warm cozy-looking restaurant called Carpe Diem. We were cold, tired and hungry, and figured this would be a good place for lunch. I don't remember what he had, but I ate the *best* duck I've ever had in Poland- perfectly baked with apples and peaches, and perfect, golden roast potatoes. And they had good dark beer. Altogether, that had been one of the best lunches I've ever had, and I've been looking for that restaurant ever since, so I could have another. No wonder I couldn't find it! In its place is now a new-ish sushi restaurant, an "omise club" offering "body sushi". I'm glad we discovered it when we did and seized the day!
Last night, I went out in search of dinner. I didn't know what I wanted, but I randomly got off downtown and headed up Nowy Świat, up Krakowskie Przedmieście. After about 10 minutes, I heard some fairly loud music. Ducking under the archway of Krakowskie Przedmieście 24, I followed the music and accidentally discovered... the local rockabilly hangout! There was a small stage, with a pretty good band playing, a good-sized area with tables, and a small beer stand. Everyone was totally decked out- slicked-back hair, pegged jeans, sneakers, leather jackets, leopard-print coats, bleached blonde hair, huge sideburns. It was great! A bunch of guys had leather jackets with "Warsaw Cool Cats" on the back- not sure what that is, but it looked good. I stayed for about 15 minutes and listened, then went back to my search for dinner. Will have to go back sometime!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Had a really fun weekend! Went away for a couple days to Torun, a medieval city about 3 hours from Warsaw by train. The weather's been really nice, so I wanted to enjoy it while it lasts. Plus, October is going to be really busy for me with work, so I figured I should get away now.
Got up early on Saturday morning, picked up some coffee and breakfast, then found a spot on the train. The other guys in the compartment were pretty quiet, so it was a fairly uneventful ride there. Enjoyed music, the pretty scenery, and one guy offered me his newspaper to read when he had finished.
Got off at the main train station, found a bus to the old town, and had some lunch at a nice Italian place. The old town is just gorgeous! Fortunately, it was NOT destroyed in WWII, so all of the buildings are original. The town itself is one of the oldest- it received its city charter in 1233. The buildings are beautiful, a lot of pretty bricks. I walked past a nice park area with a great pond and fountains, up through the center of the town, past the Town Hall and post office, and found my hotel. I'd managed to reserve a room ahead of time, the night before, all in Polish, so I felt happy about that. The hotel was great, too- one of the oldest in the city, and in a great location. The interior had lovely dark wood furnishings and beautiful framed photos and postcards of Torun in older times. I dropped things off in my room, then came back down the stairs and noticed a fantastic panoramic photo of San Francisco hanging just above the stairs- the only photo of a non-Torun city in the hotel. What are the odds? ^_^
Spent the day walking around, enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, happy people. Torun smells good- like waffles, ice cream, coffee, pastries, maple trees. After lunch, I went to The Living Museum of Gingerbreads. Besides being the birthplace of Nicolas Copernicus, Torun is also famous for producing delicious gingerbread. It was a fun tour- two of the staff dressed up in 16th-century costumes and told us all about the history, ingredients, and process of making gingerbread. It was all in Polish, but I picked up a bit of it here and there, and learned the Polish names for cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. They had an interactive demonstration of preparing gingerbread dough, then each of us got a small ball of dough to roll out on the table and stamp with a mold. They baked these in the oven, and we each got to take ours home, as a souvenir! You can't eat them, they're just for decoration, but according to the docent, they'll last years and years in a dry place. Very cool! There were about 20 people on the tour, so it was a fun afternoon. And *man*, did that place smell heavenly!
After that, I headed back to the hotel for a little nap, then went out to find dinner. I had pear crepes at a cute restaurant on the old town square, admiring the beauty of the square. They had draped little white lights through the trees, giving it a peaceful, sparkly atmosphere. After dinner, I just sat on a bench for a bit and relaxed, feeling very happy and peaceful.
I dropped my book off in the hotel room, then headed back out to Pod Aniołem, a bar in the cellar of the town hall. I figured that sounded like a cool place to have a beer- the name means Under the Angels. There are a lot of "Pod" places in Poland. ^_^
It was a *great* place! All dark and brick, low arched ceilings, random furniture, comfy couches and big wooden tables, birdcages hanging from the ceiling, lots of little nooks to hide out in, old accordions on a bookshelf, really nifty. I got a beer and found a spot at an empty table and listened to the DJ- good mix of interesting club and electro stuff. I felt really happy and relaxed, glad to find a good place like this.
After a while, a really drunk guy came over and sat down and we had a little chat. He had very limited English, so we didn't say much, but he exchanged names, told me what music he liked, and I told him what I liked, and he said he liked to dance and drink vodka. This essentially repeated itself about five times, so after a while, I told him it had been nice to meet him, and went off for another beer. He went back to the dance floor, and I returned to my table, enjoying the current mix of R&B and club music.
After about 10 minutes, a couple of girls asked if the other seats were free, and I said, sure, go ahead. They sat down, and we instantly fell into a great conversation. They were from the area and taught middle school- this was their fun night out for the weekend. They were really nice and fun to talk to- one was tall, blonde, very outgoing; the other was more petite, brunette, kind of quiet and shy. After names, professions and where we were from, their first question was, "are you here alone?" I said yes, and they immediately said "Oh! Do you have a husband back home?" I said no, and they looked worried. "Boyfriend?" "Did have, but we split up when I moved here." They looked more relieved then, to think that I wasn't *always* unattached, and we talked more about school, dancing, music, etc. I guess this really is a culture of pairs, couples, attachments... interesting!
After a while, a larger group joined ours, and soon, our table had about 10 people at it. It was nice, just being included in with a bunch of locals, not feeling like the isolated tourist. We talked, drank, danced, had a great time. Then one of the teachers suggested going to a different club- sounded good to me! So we went to Club Monaco, a more trendy kind of place, with a cover charge. Not my usual thing, and I was kinda under-dressed (having worn more practical travel clothes), but we had a great time. Also a good mix of club music, a bit more smooth and modern. We stayed there until the *wee* hours of the morning, just dancing, relaxing, having a great time. By the time I got back to the hotel, my feet hurt and my ears were ringing from about 6 hours of solid techno, but I was really happy- I'd made some new friends, learned more about the town (the cellar used to be a prison!), and basically spent the night hanging out with beautiful, friendly people. Life is good!
Slept in a bit on Sunday, then checked out and had some lunch. Listened to a family chat at the next table over and picked up quite a bit of the conversation. Admittedly, they *were* talking mostly to their two little kids, but still...
Went to the Regional Museum after lunch, in the Town Hall. Lots of great paintings, artifacts, church items, jewelry from the area. After looking at the galleries, I climbed a VERY tall and narrow set of stairs (reminding me a bit of the Tor House) to the top of the Town Hall's belfry. WOW! Totally worth all the exercise. The view was just marvelous- you could see the entire city, the Vistula River, absolutely everything. I stayed up there for a while, just *being*. After taking a picture for a nice couple, I headed back down, then walked out to the river banks.
The river has a nice path alongside where people can walk, and cement stairs for sitting and enjoying the area. I walked down to the end of the path, then came back and just sat for a while, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the breeze from the river. I watched a couple guys fish with their kids, baiting the hooks, casting the lines, then reeling them back in- repeat. I'd never thought much about fishing, figuring it'd be kind of boring, but this just seemed nice- pleasant, relaxing, something you could do with your family, low-maintenance. One of the kids caught a couple of medium-sized fish.
Eventually got up again, picked up a coffee from Green Way, then headed back to the train station to catch the 6:30 train home. Ended up in a compartment again with about 5 guys, and we all enjoyed a nice, peaceful train ride, reading magazines, sleeping, etc... until the hooligans started in. There was a group of guys in the hallway that started out just drinking beer and chatting, then got louder and louder, opening cupboards, taking pictures, yelling chants together. I didn't understand most of it, but the few words I did pick out were bad ones. At each stop, they'd get off and run around, being rowdy, until the conductor herded them back on. The eventually moved on from beer to juice, and then finally to vodka. By the time they got off at Warsaw, they were pretty loud. I could see the other guys in my compartment looking very relieved to be off the train at last!
Altogether, it was a really nice weekend- gorgeous town that I'll definitely need to visit again! Hope everyone else had a good weekend as well!
Got up early on Saturday morning, picked up some coffee and breakfast, then found a spot on the train. The other guys in the compartment were pretty quiet, so it was a fairly uneventful ride there. Enjoyed music, the pretty scenery, and one guy offered me his newspaper to read when he had finished.
Got off at the main train station, found a bus to the old town, and had some lunch at a nice Italian place. The old town is just gorgeous! Fortunately, it was NOT destroyed in WWII, so all of the buildings are original. The town itself is one of the oldest- it received its city charter in 1233. The buildings are beautiful, a lot of pretty bricks. I walked past a nice park area with a great pond and fountains, up through the center of the town, past the Town Hall and post office, and found my hotel. I'd managed to reserve a room ahead of time, the night before, all in Polish, so I felt happy about that. The hotel was great, too- one of the oldest in the city, and in a great location. The interior had lovely dark wood furnishings and beautiful framed photos and postcards of Torun in older times. I dropped things off in my room, then came back down the stairs and noticed a fantastic panoramic photo of San Francisco hanging just above the stairs- the only photo of a non-Torun city in the hotel. What are the odds? ^_^
Spent the day walking around, enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, happy people. Torun smells good- like waffles, ice cream, coffee, pastries, maple trees. After lunch, I went to The Living Museum of Gingerbreads. Besides being the birthplace of Nicolas Copernicus, Torun is also famous for producing delicious gingerbread. It was a fun tour- two of the staff dressed up in 16th-century costumes and told us all about the history, ingredients, and process of making gingerbread. It was all in Polish, but I picked up a bit of it here and there, and learned the Polish names for cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. They had an interactive demonstration of preparing gingerbread dough, then each of us got a small ball of dough to roll out on the table and stamp with a mold. They baked these in the oven, and we each got to take ours home, as a souvenir! You can't eat them, they're just for decoration, but according to the docent, they'll last years and years in a dry place. Very cool! There were about 20 people on the tour, so it was a fun afternoon. And *man*, did that place smell heavenly!
After that, I headed back to the hotel for a little nap, then went out to find dinner. I had pear crepes at a cute restaurant on the old town square, admiring the beauty of the square. They had draped little white lights through the trees, giving it a peaceful, sparkly atmosphere. After dinner, I just sat on a bench for a bit and relaxed, feeling very happy and peaceful.
I dropped my book off in the hotel room, then headed back out to Pod Aniołem, a bar in the cellar of the town hall. I figured that sounded like a cool place to have a beer- the name means Under the Angels. There are a lot of "Pod" places in Poland. ^_^
It was a *great* place! All dark and brick, low arched ceilings, random furniture, comfy couches and big wooden tables, birdcages hanging from the ceiling, lots of little nooks to hide out in, old accordions on a bookshelf, really nifty. I got a beer and found a spot at an empty table and listened to the DJ- good mix of interesting club and electro stuff. I felt really happy and relaxed, glad to find a good place like this.
After a while, a really drunk guy came over and sat down and we had a little chat. He had very limited English, so we didn't say much, but he exchanged names, told me what music he liked, and I told him what I liked, and he said he liked to dance and drink vodka. This essentially repeated itself about five times, so after a while, I told him it had been nice to meet him, and went off for another beer. He went back to the dance floor, and I returned to my table, enjoying the current mix of R&B and club music.
After about 10 minutes, a couple of girls asked if the other seats were free, and I said, sure, go ahead. They sat down, and we instantly fell into a great conversation. They were from the area and taught middle school- this was their fun night out for the weekend. They were really nice and fun to talk to- one was tall, blonde, very outgoing; the other was more petite, brunette, kind of quiet and shy. After names, professions and where we were from, their first question was, "are you here alone?" I said yes, and they immediately said "Oh! Do you have a husband back home?" I said no, and they looked worried. "Boyfriend?" "Did have, but we split up when I moved here." They looked more relieved then, to think that I wasn't *always* unattached, and we talked more about school, dancing, music, etc. I guess this really is a culture of pairs, couples, attachments... interesting!
After a while, a larger group joined ours, and soon, our table had about 10 people at it. It was nice, just being included in with a bunch of locals, not feeling like the isolated tourist. We talked, drank, danced, had a great time. Then one of the teachers suggested going to a different club- sounded good to me! So we went to Club Monaco, a more trendy kind of place, with a cover charge. Not my usual thing, and I was kinda under-dressed (having worn more practical travel clothes), but we had a great time. Also a good mix of club music, a bit more smooth and modern. We stayed there until the *wee* hours of the morning, just dancing, relaxing, having a great time. By the time I got back to the hotel, my feet hurt and my ears were ringing from about 6 hours of solid techno, but I was really happy- I'd made some new friends, learned more about the town (the cellar used to be a prison!), and basically spent the night hanging out with beautiful, friendly people. Life is good!
Slept in a bit on Sunday, then checked out and had some lunch. Listened to a family chat at the next table over and picked up quite a bit of the conversation. Admittedly, they *were* talking mostly to their two little kids, but still...
Went to the Regional Museum after lunch, in the Town Hall. Lots of great paintings, artifacts, church items, jewelry from the area. After looking at the galleries, I climbed a VERY tall and narrow set of stairs (reminding me a bit of the Tor House) to the top of the Town Hall's belfry. WOW! Totally worth all the exercise. The view was just marvelous- you could see the entire city, the Vistula River, absolutely everything. I stayed up there for a while, just *being*. After taking a picture for a nice couple, I headed back down, then walked out to the river banks.
The river has a nice path alongside where people can walk, and cement stairs for sitting and enjoying the area. I walked down to the end of the path, then came back and just sat for a while, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the breeze from the river. I watched a couple guys fish with their kids, baiting the hooks, casting the lines, then reeling them back in- repeat. I'd never thought much about fishing, figuring it'd be kind of boring, but this just seemed nice- pleasant, relaxing, something you could do with your family, low-maintenance. One of the kids caught a couple of medium-sized fish.
Eventually got up again, picked up a coffee from Green Way, then headed back to the train station to catch the 6:30 train home. Ended up in a compartment again with about 5 guys, and we all enjoyed a nice, peaceful train ride, reading magazines, sleeping, etc... until the hooligans started in. There was a group of guys in the hallway that started out just drinking beer and chatting, then got louder and louder, opening cupboards, taking pictures, yelling chants together. I didn't understand most of it, but the few words I did pick out were bad ones. At each stop, they'd get off and run around, being rowdy, until the conductor herded them back on. The eventually moved on from beer to juice, and then finally to vodka. By the time they got off at Warsaw, they were pretty loud. I could see the other guys in my compartment looking very relieved to be off the train at last!
Altogether, it was a really nice weekend- gorgeous town that I'll definitely need to visit again! Hope everyone else had a good weekend as well!
Monday, September 14, 2009
So, a friend of mine went down to Prague over the weekend to visit his family. He went to one of the local hockey games (season just started), and who should be in goal for the visiting team but DOMINIK HASEK! I guess he wanted to keep playing hockey even after retirement, so he's on the Pardubice team in the Czech league. I was *so* envious! Needless to say, I *will* be going down there for Sparta's one other home game against Pardubice this season, in hopes that I can see him play. It's days like this that I wish I lived in Prague...
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Today was just great. Woke up semi-early, got directions from my friend, picked up some pastries at the bakery, then headed over to his house to watch the Notre Dame-Michigan game. He'd taped it off ESPN America last night so we could both watch it. He has a great apartment, perfect for watching sports, and we had a great time watching the game. His very sweet wife made delicious blueberry pancakes and coffee for us, so it was a nice way to start the day.
The game was great. Notre Dame lost, but it was still a fantastic game- great plays from both teams. ND kept the ball moving for the first half and managed to get past Michigan's defense in the 2nd, but Michigan had a great spread offense and this *amazing* quarterback named Tate Forcier. Not only could he make amazingly accurate passes while running with the ball, but he had a calm sense of purpose and poise, and thought quickly on his feet. We were both seriously impressed with him. It was a really close game, 38-34, and I had a fun time watching it with a friend. I also got to meet their three adorable cats- such soft kitties with fun personalities!
After the game, I took the bus up to Stare Miasto and met another friend to see an exhibit of contemporary Chinese art in the old castle. Interesting pieces, though not necessarily my thing. Afterward, we walked through a new part of the old town I'd never seen and had crepes and soup at a really cute little pierogi place. She knows all the best places to eat and hang out here!
Now I'm home, about to do some tidying up, then go to bed early. Been a long weekend! Hope everyone is doing well.
The game was great. Notre Dame lost, but it was still a fantastic game- great plays from both teams. ND kept the ball moving for the first half and managed to get past Michigan's defense in the 2nd, but Michigan had a great spread offense and this *amazing* quarterback named Tate Forcier. Not only could he make amazingly accurate passes while running with the ball, but he had a calm sense of purpose and poise, and thought quickly on his feet. We were both seriously impressed with him. It was a really close game, 38-34, and I had a fun time watching it with a friend. I also got to meet their three adorable cats- such soft kitties with fun personalities!
After the game, I took the bus up to Stare Miasto and met another friend to see an exhibit of contemporary Chinese art in the old castle. Interesting pieces, though not necessarily my thing. Afterward, we walked through a new part of the old town I'd never seen and had crepes and soup at a really cute little pierogi place. She knows all the best places to eat and hang out here!
Now I'm home, about to do some tidying up, then go to bed early. Been a long weekend! Hope everyone is doing well.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Uggh... discovered tonight that apparently, I can't just go watch sports and drink beer here in peace.
I don't get any of the American games on TV at home, so I headed down to the huge sports bar downtown to watch the Michigan-Notre Dame game. I ate some dinner and had a pint of Murphy's while watching the end of Fresno State-Wisconsin (34-31, Wisc.!) About 5 minutes into the first quarter of the ND-Mich game, some guy came over from the table next to mine and gestured at a chair and said something. I assumed he wanted to borrow the chair, so I said "sure" and turned back to the game. Instead, he sat down and faced me, staring intently. I looked at him quizzically, and he drunkenly launched into all these questions- how was I, what was I doing here, how long was I in Poland, etc. I tried to evade them and gave vague answers, trying to watch the game, but he hung on. He asked what I though of Poland. I said, "I like it; it's a nice country. "Oh, no, no....". No? Okay... He asked what I thought of Polish people. I thought, "Well, you're kind of a jerk, but otherwise..." I said, "They're very nice and welcoming." "No, no, no..." By this point, I was peeved- Notre Dame had apparently lost control of the ball and Michigan had scored a 94-yard touchdown, and I'd missed all the action leading up to that. He then told me I looked sad. "No, I'm not. I'm fine, really." "No, you look very sad." "Umm, if I did, it's because my team is losing. I'm fine, honestly- I have beer and football; I'm NOT sad."
He kept repeating these questions several times and finally I said, "Look- I'm fine, I like Poland and its people, I'm not sad, I just want to watch my game in peace okay??" and pointedly ignored him and went back to the game. He finally gave up and went back to his table.
Sheesh! Life here is hard enough, and watching college football makes me happy, which is a small thing. I hope this doesn't continue. I hate being rude to people, but I *really* hate it when they interrupt sports. And I noticed that he didn't go pester two guys who were sitting alone at tables watching soccer. *sigh*
Fortunately, I'll get to watch the rest of the game tomorrow at a friend's house, in good company, something to look forward to. I really should investigate the possibility of switching TV companies so I can get ESPN America at home.
I don't get any of the American games on TV at home, so I headed down to the huge sports bar downtown to watch the Michigan-Notre Dame game. I ate some dinner and had a pint of Murphy's while watching the end of Fresno State-Wisconsin (34-31, Wisc.!) About 5 minutes into the first quarter of the ND-Mich game, some guy came over from the table next to mine and gestured at a chair and said something. I assumed he wanted to borrow the chair, so I said "sure" and turned back to the game. Instead, he sat down and faced me, staring intently. I looked at him quizzically, and he drunkenly launched into all these questions- how was I, what was I doing here, how long was I in Poland, etc. I tried to evade them and gave vague answers, trying to watch the game, but he hung on. He asked what I though of Poland. I said, "I like it; it's a nice country. "Oh, no, no....". No? Okay... He asked what I thought of Polish people. I thought, "Well, you're kind of a jerk, but otherwise..." I said, "They're very nice and welcoming." "No, no, no..." By this point, I was peeved- Notre Dame had apparently lost control of the ball and Michigan had scored a 94-yard touchdown, and I'd missed all the action leading up to that. He then told me I looked sad. "No, I'm not. I'm fine, really." "No, you look very sad." "Umm, if I did, it's because my team is losing. I'm fine, honestly- I have beer and football; I'm NOT sad."
He kept repeating these questions several times and finally I said, "Look- I'm fine, I like Poland and its people, I'm not sad, I just want to watch my game in peace okay??" and pointedly ignored him and went back to the game. He finally gave up and went back to his table.
Sheesh! Life here is hard enough, and watching college football makes me happy, which is a small thing. I hope this doesn't continue. I hate being rude to people, but I *really* hate it when they interrupt sports. And I noticed that he didn't go pester two guys who were sitting alone at tables watching soccer. *sigh*
Fortunately, I'll get to watch the rest of the game tomorrow at a friend's house, in good company, something to look forward to. I really should investigate the possibility of switching TV companies so I can get ESPN America at home.
Friday, September 11, 2009
It's been a good week so far. Spent all afternoon last Sunday reading a book in a comfy armchair in a local coffeeshop. Been a while since I did that, so it felt nice and relaxing. Have had a productive time at work. The NFL started yesterday, so I'll have that and college games to watch on TV. Hockey season has also started here, so I'm making plans to head to Prague for a couple games in mid-December.
Wednesday afternoon, a friend and I went down to one of the local hangouts and watched a few of the World Cup qualifiers. Sadly, Poland lost to Slovenia, 3-0. But Germany beat Azerbaijan 4-0, which put them in first. We ended up running into a friend of mine and his group, so we had a fun time watching soccer, drinking beer, eating nachos and chatting. Afterward, there was a pretty good live band that ended their set with a couple of songs by U2- singer had a great voice!
Last night, I heard the most amazing concert. The Chinese Radio-Film Symphonic Orchestra performed at the opera house, a mixture of Chinese traditional songs, pieces from films, and some Polish compositions. The sounds were just beautiful- there's something so evocative about this style of music, how it slides lazily from one note to another, but still manages to end up squarely on the pitch it was going for. As I listened to the flute, I could hear dawn breaking somewhere, birds waking up in the trees, a new day starting. The violins had a strong fragility to them, like a sturdy wooden porch that's existed on the mountaintop for hundreds of years but always looks like it'll crack any second. The slower sections of the pieces just felt so relaxing, like a nice summer day wandering through fields of grasses, playing, having fun, enjoying the world. The faster sections had a very rhythmic intensity- you could hear the warnings in the air, see the troops of horsemen in the distance, proudly carrying banners into battle. I've always admired scores like this that complement their films, but listening to them on their own is almost like *hearing* the film. The musicians were very talented, especially a young violin soloist, Li Chuanyun. His performance ranged from sweet and tender, to quirky and light, to frenzied, manic, insane. He returned for several encore pieces and concluded with Frederick Pope's solo from "The Red Violin". Preceded by a most delicious sushi dinner at Kiku, last night was simply fantastic.
Tonight has been mellow. Polish class, two loads of laundry, ate dinner, finished watching a video, chatted with friends. Not much on the agenda for the weekend. Going to try to watch the Notre Dame/Michigan game tomorrow night, then off to see art on Sunday with a friend.
Wednesday afternoon, a friend and I went down to one of the local hangouts and watched a few of the World Cup qualifiers. Sadly, Poland lost to Slovenia, 3-0. But Germany beat Azerbaijan 4-0, which put them in first. We ended up running into a friend of mine and his group, so we had a fun time watching soccer, drinking beer, eating nachos and chatting. Afterward, there was a pretty good live band that ended their set with a couple of songs by U2- singer had a great voice!
Last night, I heard the most amazing concert. The Chinese Radio-Film Symphonic Orchestra performed at the opera house, a mixture of Chinese traditional songs, pieces from films, and some Polish compositions. The sounds were just beautiful- there's something so evocative about this style of music, how it slides lazily from one note to another, but still manages to end up squarely on the pitch it was going for. As I listened to the flute, I could hear dawn breaking somewhere, birds waking up in the trees, a new day starting. The violins had a strong fragility to them, like a sturdy wooden porch that's existed on the mountaintop for hundreds of years but always looks like it'll crack any second. The slower sections of the pieces just felt so relaxing, like a nice summer day wandering through fields of grasses, playing, having fun, enjoying the world. The faster sections had a very rhythmic intensity- you could hear the warnings in the air, see the troops of horsemen in the distance, proudly carrying banners into battle. I've always admired scores like this that complement their films, but listening to them on their own is almost like *hearing* the film. The musicians were very talented, especially a young violin soloist, Li Chuanyun. His performance ranged from sweet and tender, to quirky and light, to frenzied, manic, insane. He returned for several encore pieces and concluded with Frederick Pope's solo from "The Red Violin". Preceded by a most delicious sushi dinner at Kiku, last night was simply fantastic.
Tonight has been mellow. Polish class, two loads of laundry, ate dinner, finished watching a video, chatted with friends. Not much on the agenda for the weekend. Going to try to watch the Notre Dame/Michigan game tomorrow night, then off to see art on Sunday with a friend.
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