January 31, 2013

Book of the Day : 'East of Eden' John Steinbeck







today,  I would like to recommend you and say a few words about a novel East of Eden by John Steinbeck.




this book is just a classic novel with epic, timeless story. East of Eden, wrote by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck and published in September 1952, is one of the best his books, and is described as Steinbeck's most ambitious novel.

about what it is:

from one side the story is simple: life of people, their good and bad moments, their view of life, love, bad and good things. from the other side this story has many personal fights - for honour, family, for being oneself, for the respect, for finding own life's way in this world. but also the book explores themes of depravity, beneficence, love, vagabond, and the struggle for acceptance, greatness, and the capacity for self-destruction and especially of guilt and freedom. 

East of Eden is a story about Adam Trask, his relation with father and brother Charles, his mysterious wife, his sons and their not too clear relation; about Samuel Hamilton and his family, his great mind and ideas; and finally about life of people in Salinas valley. this book focuses on Adam's story and also his sons and is showing resemblance to the story of the Hamilton family. we can see the same relation between Adam and Charles, and then between Cal and Aron - comparing to the story of Cain and Abel.


why you should read it:

good question. I think I can show you many reasons why you should read it, to be honest. the most important is fact that this book is about free will, because we always can choose between good and bad and always it will be ur decision, not somebody else; free will because we always can choose will we be good or bad person, no matter of or genes or place where we live - we are creating oneself, our mind and character, our future. East of Eden is about attempt to find oneself also, because 'live' it's one thing, but 'be somebody' it's the second. 
questions about sin, conscience of guilty person and self-destruction, and also question 'what to do to be a better person, to think as a better person?' - another reason why to read it.
of course inside this book we can find religious allegory, Eden (obviously), but also the story of Cain and Abel - that's why title of book is East of Eden:
and Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the Land of Nod, on the east of Eden
                                                                                                                                Genesis

the next reason why you should read this book is just exceptional, unique and amazing style of Steinbeck. for me you can find between the lines questions and answers, happiness and tears, the beginning and the end, you can even find yourself there. as for me this book isn't just a normal story, it's something more: sincere, fascinating, surprising, giving questions, inducing for giving some thought to oneself and these characters - remarkable.

things to look out for:

I think it's a friendship, or relation as who likes, between Adam, Samuel Hamilton and Lee, Adam's manservant. all their conversations, ideas, problems and advices. I think it's a real base and real heart of the book. and I think Steinbeck wanted to show this thing, philosophy of it.

where / when you should read this:

everywhere! but I think that it would be really good if you had a little peace around yourselves to think about the story, about words inside the book.but you can read it everywhere and anytime, trust me. it's not important where or when but what will you feel when you will be reading it.
ok, East of Eden is, more or less, long (mine book has 848 pages) but it's nice to read. trust me, it's not so bad.East of Eden is worth it.

favourite quotes from the book:


* All great and precious things are lonely.
* Courage and fear were one thing too.
* An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much more than a lie.
* Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man.
* But you must give him some sign, some sign that you love him... or he'll never be a man. All his life he'll feel guilty and alone unless you release him.
* It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils, since we invented them.
* I wonder how many people I have looked at all my life and never really seen.
* A man without words is a man without thought.
* And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.
* Strong and brave and rather childlike.
* There’s more beauty in truth, even if it is dreadful beauty.
* A man so painfully in love is capable of self-torture beyond belief.
* My imagination will get me a passport to hell one day.
* Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.
* It’s awful not to be loved. It’s the worst thing in the world. It makes you mean, and violent, and cruel.
* No one who is young is ever going to be old.
* It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routine life, even if you hate it.
* Perhaps the less we have, the more we are required to brag.
* Maybe-- maybe love makes you suspicious and doubting. Is it true that when you love a woman you are never sure-- never sure of her because you aren't sure of yourself?
 * I think I love you, Cal. -Abra; I'm not good.-Cal ; Because you're not good. -Abra
* When you're a child you're the center of everything. Everything happens for you. Other people? They're only ghosts furnished for you to talk to.
* Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the slow, eating agony of a lie is never lost.
* In my own way I tell jokes because people come all the way to my place to laugh. I try to be funny for them even when the sadness is on me.
                                                                                       - Samuel Hamilton
 * I believe there are monsters born in the world to human parents.
* We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is.
 * Dear Lord,' he said. 'let me be like Aron. Don’t make me mean. I don’t want to be. If you will let everybody like me, why, I’ll give you anything in the world, and if I haven’t got it, why, I’ll go for to get it. I don’t want to be mean. I don’t want to be lonely. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
                                                                                            - Cal
yes, in my opinion East of Eden it's just a great book. to be honest, it's just 'must to read', even once in a lifetime.

this book can change your lives, your world view... and it'll happen when you read it - trust me.

P.S.
to be honest I'm just like Cal. I'm sure of it.

January 27, 2013

sounds of summer #7








ok, I know that's strange a bit because we still have winter and I'm writing about summertime and summer sounds. but, to be honest, who's happy because of what we have outside - cold, snow, grey? I'm not. I'm not happy because of it and I think I can find a few persons who think so as I. I'm longing for the summer, the sun, nice sounds, warm and these amazing moments during summer days and nights ;)
and that's why I want to give you today a few songs, which are reminding me of summertime. maybe they're not only about summer and vacations but somehow I'm feeling that great mood, pure energy and the sun always when I'm listening them and then I just want to smile and just can't wait to scream: 'Summer, welcome!'.

enjoy :]




Kings Of Leon : Back Down South


Kid Rock : All Summer Long


Katrina And The Waves : Walking On Sunshine


Chris Rea : On The Beach


Inner Circle : Sweat (A La La La Long)


All Saints : Pure Shores


Bill Withers : Lovely Day


Eros Ramazzotti ft. Tina Turner : Cose Della Vita



Van Morrison : Brown Eyed Girl


Bob Dylan : I Want You



Scott McKenzie : San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)


Natasha Bedingfield : Pocketful Of Sunshine 


Cee Lo Green : Fuck You


Men At Work : Down Under


a-Ha : Take On Me


Blondie : Maria


Garbage : When I Grow Up


Ace Frehley : New York Groove


Iggy Pop & Kate Pierson : Candy


Jimmy Eat World : Always Be


Goo Goo Dolls : Iris




FM Static : Tonight


Blink-182 : All the Small Things


TEXAS : Summer Son


Neon Trees : Animal


You Me At Six : Liquid Confidence


The Kooks : Always where I need to be


Stereophonics : Have a Nice Day


Devendra Banhart : A Sight to Behold


Steppenwolf : Born To Be Wild


Smashing Pumpkins : Today


INXS : Pretty Vegas


Roxette : Joyride


Empire of the Sun : We Are the People


MGMT : Electric feel


Kaiser Chiefs : Ruby


Rooney : When did your heart go missing?


Journey : Don't Stop Believing


Boys Like Girls : The great escape


Queen : Don't Stop Me Now


No Doubt : Settle Down


Bruce Springsteen : Glory Days


Bryan Adams : Summer Of '69


Mint Royale : Blue Song


The Summer Obsession : Do you remember


The Drums : Let's Go Surfing


Foster The People : Pumped Up Kicks




***


music is my passion & inspiration
only music saves

January 25, 2013

January 20 2013 - my birthday







oh yes, it was so cool time but at first I must do something, ok - say something very important...



THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR ALL SO NICE B’DAY WISHES FOR ME.

VERY SPECIAL ‘HUGE THANK YOU’ FOR Nina FOR EVERYTHING: letter, gift, message and post - oh yes, especially because of this POST . YOU’RE JUST INCREDIBLE! I honestly can’t tell you how touching it was to see all these words :’)


 so as you know from me previous post this year's birthday I spent in Kraków [Cracow] at Andrzej Piaseczny concert. yes, his show was exactly on that day - January 20. crazy, isn't it? :]

a few days before my b'day I got gifts from my amazing friends: Nina and Isidora.

* first of them was from Isidora - thank you for it.








 isn’t it so cool - two cool t-shirts and wonderful card? crap, shirt with 30STM (who I love) and the second one with Coldplay (who are neutral for me)… oh my lord, I’m in heaven :’)


* second gift was from my lovely Nina and I got it on Friday, day before my travel to Cracow.... ok, I must say it - I fainted when I saw the box and later, what was inside huge box haha. Nina - you little cute Monster ♡




isn't it wonderful? oh yes, it is :')



so what I had in Cracow... only great time! as always hihi ;D  at first birthday breakfast at Coffee Heaven near our hotel, then touring the city and finally the show at 5PM.


↑ cappuccino + raspberry muffin - I'm in heaven :]




↑  nice date: 20 STY 2013 / JAN 20 2013



so what with that show, mmm? good question. if you didn't see it yet, you can see and read everything about it here: http://xgosiax.blogspot.com/2013/01/andrzej-piaseczny-in-krakow-cracow.html



I can tell you one thing - that evening was just awesome. and it was really crazy to hear birthday wishes from Kuba, guitarist of the band, who said: 

 oh my, I really wish you all the best, only good days and moments, happiness, joy, smile and everything what you want. and I hope all your dreams came true, really.
 ok, isn't it so nice? :] 
 





also I met Tomasz and Marek after the show and they signed my pic - lucky me. ↓





***


and one thing: I REGRET NOTHING! really. I'm happy because of what I did and where I was. :)



and one more time - big THANK YOU for everything what YOU said, what you did, what you wished me. just thank you that YOU are. 

Andrzej Piaseczny in Kraków [Cracow]!







hello Ladies and Gents,

you should regret that you missed this concert in clod Cracow. why? because it was one of the super good show by Andrzej Piaseczny during this tour.

you know, it was really cool to be there, not because of AP's concert but because I had birthday then, Jan 20, and it was so awesome to spend this evening at the concert  :] 







his show was in amphitheatre at Auditorium Maximum Jagiellonian University in Cracow.
a few words about Auditorium Maximum Jagiellonian University. this is a building, where you can find a few lecture halls, from which biggest, is amphitheatre (where the show was) and it's for 1200 people.[more info: http://www.kampus.uj.edu.pl/auditorium.htm ].






ok, so let's talk about Andrzej Piaseczny and his concert now.
he went on stage a few minutes late, because of people who were late for his concert. pity but nobody nobody can do nothing with it. his show was from 5:35PM to 7:40PM.



and again we had music, concersations about everything, jokes and just good time... and even declarations of love. so yes, I'm sure it was really great show.

what about setlist? mmm, what new can I say about it? ok, setlist was the same like in Poznań and Warsaw and even earlier, but somehow I'm not mad on it, that another time I'm listetning the same, even in the same order. if you love music - music, not an artist or band - you don't care about songs, but you're pleased with this time at the show.

Setlist

To co dobre
Most na serca dnie
Wielkie lśnienie
Okruchy z jesieni
O wiolonczelach
Miłość nie chce czekać ani dnia
Śniadanie do łóżka
Rysowane tobie
Niecierpliwi


Nic nie przeszkodzi już nam [song by T. Rząd]

 Kochajmy się zimą *
Wielkie Świąteczne całowanie *
Wolność w nas
Z dwojga ciał
Wiart w skrzydła


1st encore

Chodź, przytul, przebacz
Pastorałka największych przyjaciół *
I jeszcze


2nd encore

To co dobre (acoustic version)


ok, I wrote it so many times yet, but I will write it again, for these people, who didn't saw it earlier. 
songs with '* ' in the setlist are from his new album, which he recorded with Seweryn Krajewski. album adn all songs are really nice and not only about Christmas but just about winter and I'm sure you'll like them too. [also you can read more about that album and listen to all songs from it here: http://xgosiax.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-time-andrzej-piaseczny.html ].


who were there too, knows that it was worthwhile. who missed it - should regret as hell.


photo, please...

THE SHOW
















AFTER

so, after the show I met Tomasz [guitarist], Marek [bass player] and Kuba [guitarist]. and they singned my pics from their last show in Bydgoszcz.





kc

↕ with Kuba [who said a nice birthday wishes to me :) ]

kc


BACKSTAGE




...music, please!






***



music is my passion & inspiration
only music saves



Postcard from: Kraków [Cracow], Poland



Kraków [Cracow] is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River [Wisła] in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland's most important economic hubs.
more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak%C3%B3w , http://cracow.travel , http://www.krakow-poland.com/ ].



The Kraków Nativity Scene Contest Exhibition

↓  operation! operation!

 

Kraków : Old Town





↕  Portobello - Pasta Panini e Caffe : the best place in the entire city with the best Italian food.







↑ I was so surprised when I saw that my horel room has number 221. and from the first second I had only one thing - 221B Baker Street. and I had to do it :D [please, only don't tell me you don't know about what I am talking here]






































thanks for attention :)



if you want to know what what I did there, in Kraków [Cracow]: