The Big Bang Theory

          I don't watch sitcoms very often because I prefere movies. However, once in a while I get sucked into one and I get curious about how the story develops. And so it was with "The Big Bang Theory".

        The story revolves around four guys: Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj and a girl Penny. 

       Leonard and Sheldon are roomates, who one day meet their new neighbour Penny. Leonard takes to her immediately. Later Penny is introduced to Howard (a sex maniac) and Raj (a very shy guy who cannot talk to women). All the guys are very smart scientists, who do research in various fields and work at the university.

       Penny becomes a friend of the boys and teaches them quite a lot about real life. They teach her about comic books,computer games and movies. In later episodes we meet Amy (who starts going out with Sheldon) and Bernadette (Howard's girlfriend and later wife).

       The sitcom is very funny and the subject (the scientists) is quite different from all other sitcoms there are.

The cast

Indian chai

               Tea is drunk in many countries. But nowhere in the world it is drunk like in India.

Let’s first say that Indians drink tea a few times a day. Especially when someone visits them or when they meet somebody new. "Before we drink it we may be strangers, but after drinking chai we become friends" one friend told me.

Making chai is quite simple. You take tea (usually leaf tea), water and milk. To make a glass of chai we take half glass of water, half glass of milk and for example two spoons of tea. You put all of this in a pot and boil it. After it boils we turn the gas of and let the tea stand and cool of a bit for around three minutes (an advice from my friend’s mother). During the cooking Indians usually add sugar. But if you don’t like sweet tea and you make chai at home you can omit that part. Or add sugar later.

Chai should be drunk hot. It always puzzled me since India is a very hot place even without drinking hot drinks. However, drinking it hot goes together well with the philosophy: we eat and drink according to our climate. When you drink something hot the temperature of your body rises and to cool it of you start to sweat. Thus, when you drink something hot – you get cooler. I have to admit that it makes sense to me now J

You can buy chai anywhere. In restaurants, tea shops, on street stands, bus or train stations or trains themselves. Drinking tea in a train is a great experience and I recommend it to everyone ;). You can have it in china cups, metal containers, tiny plastic cups or glasses.

There is something unique and beautiful in the way the tea is treated in India. It's such a special beverage drunk in a special way. If you ever travel to India try it or let someone invite you to it.

A metal cup with a saucer. Tea can be poured into the saucer to make it cooler

Tea in a usual, small glass

Homemade tea in a stylish cup

Tibetan chai with butter

Chai stand in Surat

Pictures by me :)

New Year again

          The New Year is comming again. Time flies like crazy lately. I am sure that it will be the same in 2014. Probably I will not even know when and it will be the middle of the year already.

          I decided not to make New Year's resolutions. I guess you can make a fresh start anytime you wants. New Year or Monday is not neccessary to do it.

         I only hope I will not waste my time :)

Morasko Meteorite Nature Reserve

             There is a very magical place in in the north part of the city Poznań. A place which came to be thousands of years ago. 

             On some point in the history of the world the meteorites were showering the earth and a few of them landed in the Morasko Meteorite Nature Reserve in Poznań, Poland. Over the years the scenery around the craters changed but they themselves stayed pretty much the same. Now there is a beautiful wood around it with all those meteorite lakes in them. 

              Quite a magical place to visit and walk around :)

On my way to the Reserve

Entering the Reserve

A parking along the way

The biggest lake (a bit obscure)

One of the little lakes (from Internet)

A deer met along the way

The way home

My city from the heel

Stars

         My next project were ... stars :)

       I decided to make a small decoration made up of little stars. I made the stars using baking utensils. After I made them I connected them all together using a little bit of water. I arranged them the way I wanted and later I added some color.

        I cannot wait for it to be fire. I will put it on the wall in my bedroom.

Before putting some colors

With some colors :) Next step ... firing

After firing

Misery

            I have always liked Stephen King's and his style of writing. He has this rare gift of comming inside people's heads and discovering their fears. That's why he writes great, scary books. Because he KNOWS what scares us and he uses it.

           My number one book is Dolores Claiborne (about which I wrote earlier) and my second favorite book is Misery. 

            The book tells a story of a famous writer (maybe King wanted to let some crazy fans of his know that he doesn't appreciate them that much) Paul Sheldon, who has a very serious car accident in the middle of nowhere in Winter. He would surely died if it wasn't for a good, kind and very strong Annie Wilkes, who rescues him and carries him to her house. Luckily she is a nurse and she tends to Paul most perfectly. Until ... (because there has to be the until) she turns out to be completly mad. The rest I will not reveal :)

               In that case also the movie was great, what doesn't often happen when the book and movie meet. Kathie Bates gave a magnificent performance and not surprisingly she reveived the Academy Award for it. The movie is scary and it makes you wonder what happens in such people heads.

Perfect Kathy Bates as Annie

Slaughterhouse Five

              I have read, or rather listened to, that book many times. Once in a while I simply have to come back to it. It is a book about coping with fear and bad situations in life. It is a bout our frail psyche and of how much we can stand.

Everytime I listen to the book I discover something new and I hope that I understand something more. This book is not easy, but beatiful. It is "Slaughterhouse-Five" by  Kurt Vonnegut. It is a must read.

P.S. I listed to the book read by Ethan Hawke. His read makes a second place on the best read books I have ever heard. First one belongs to Stephen Fry.