Baile Beag

Back from holidays.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:18:00 +0000

Long time no post... Maybe it will change but I have been busy lately and have not been much into blogging. Now it may be a more relaxed time of the year with Christmas and family time coming.
By the way, I am just back from Tenerife. They definitely are in the Christmas mood over there but somehow the strong sun and Christmas lights are a strange combination to me! It is so, so cold now in Ireland - about 3 degrees.

treasures, treasures

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:39:00 +0000

walking on a lovely Sunday afternoon with the our baby boy, we saw this rainbow just over our hill. apparently, there is a pot of gold hidden somewhere there but we didn't look for it... we had 5 kgs of our little precious to carry.

new arrival

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:08:00 +0000

oh, it has been a long time since my last post and a lot has changed with the arrival of our tiny bundle of joy ... well, maybe not so tiny at 9 lbs 1 oz (4120 g) ... but all went well and our little baby boy has been with us since Sept 13th

so now he is in the centre of attention

other news ... hmmm ... IMI exams were passed and I am waiting for my diploma to arrive ... application for the work as a Garda successful but the thing must be postponed for some time ... obviously i am no longer commuting to M to see my M as we live together now ... on the literature scene, Olga Tokarczuk, the author of "Bieguni", has won the NIKE prize ... at the moment I am trying to finish Pawel Huelle's "Ostatnia Wieczerza" ... altogether I have little or no time to browse the Internet or do some other things at the moment but more updates may follow soon ... now it is time to go again though ...

Sunday for study

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:39:00 +0000

Spathiphyllium, the daughter, has recently moved to M. This is her new corner, nice and cosy. I hear she is well looked after by M :)
The mother is still staying here for the moment but is to change her whereabouts pretty soon.
She may get a new pot on this occassion too!
***
It is a sunny, warm and lazy Sunday here and I am trying to study for my final exams. I remember studying in April and May last year and it was not easy. It is not easy now either but then my exams are this Tue and Wed and then there will be no more. Hopefully it will go well. I am going on holidays soon after to recuperate from all the brain damage caused by "excessive studying" ;)

And now all you've been waiting for ...

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:04:00 +0000

Hmmm I was asked for an update by my faithful (two) readers so here it goes...
Just a quick thing for now as it is late and later there will be more posts (hopefully).

Anyway, a long time has passed since I put away Asne Seierstad's "The Bookseller of Kabul". Since then, I have started reading a few books and now they are queuing on the shelves and waiting to be finished.

1. "Bieguni" by Olga Tokarczuk. Her newest, long-awaited novel on journey and people who travel. Here is the link to some short summary in English.
I must stay I like those stories; some are short and some long, there are a lot of references to various cultures and different people. Now I wonder though: when am I going to finish it?

The same goes for:

2. Asne Seierstad's "With their backs to the world: Portraits from Serbia"
I read a few chapters but I have lost my heart after a while. I don't find this book as compelling as "The Bookseller of Kabul" and I suppose this book must wait for a better moment now.
3. Then I don't even want to mention Steve Jones' "Y: The Descent of Men" (here goes one review) I feel ashamed now; I know I mentioned this book before in my blog but I don't even remember when.

So that is it. My college book gathers dust as well and waits to be opened. This must happen soon as I have my two final exams coming and looming large...

In the meantime, I work as usual (though shorter hours), I sleep more than usual !!! and am starting yoga classes this Monday.

The bookseller of Kabul.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:46:00 +0000

Over the Christmas time I read the book by Asne Seierstad - The Bookseller of Kabul. I read it on my way back from PL and unfortunately left it on the plane (with the Christmas card from M. as a bookmark :-( While I got a new copy of the book soon after I landed , I could not get the card back. M gave me then a post-Christmas card with the same image but I am still sorry I lost the first one I had got. Painting is by Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi))
... to go back to the book, I did enjoy it because it was about a culture different to ours and also because it was about the women and their life. The portrait drawn by Anne is both intimate and moving. You can read a short review of the book here.

Then I found an interesting article on this book by Ann Marlow. I recommend reading it as it explains more of the culture behind the book and pinpoints inconsistencies in the novel itself.

The bookseller himself, ShahMuhammad Rais, took action against Anne Seierstad for libelling his family.

"Shah Muhammad Rais, owner of the bookshop at the Intercontinental Hotel and another near the Mustafa Hotel, is taking legal action against Norwegian journalist and author Asne Seierstad for her best selling book “The Bookseller of Kabul.” [source]

A bit more on the book can be found here.

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Maybe it is a bit late but after all we are only in the first week of 2008. HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone, may it bring whatever it is you are looking or waiting for.
All the best -
nightskyspy

Ride on ... See you

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:10:00 +0000

Tonight I had my usual Tuesday riding lesson. I do enjoy going there straight after work and relaxing during this fast -flying hour. I was on Blu this time again. He had a break last week and was back in shape tonight so I was happy to have him.
I feel I have made big progress since I rode on him in June (when the picture was taken). I canter better, I jump better, I sit better in the saddle, I am stronger on a horse and enjoying riding more and more. I also notice it all comes naturally to me, which is also a change.

While I was driving from work to my riding school, the following song was on the radio. I found it really suiting the moment! I liked it a lot too and I think the version by Christy Moore played then on the radio is better than the one by Cruachan. I liked it better anyway.

Ride On

True you ride the finest horse
I've ever seen;
Standing Sixteen one or two
with eyes wild and green.
And you ride the horse so well,
hands light to the touch,
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
[ http://www.rare-lyrics.com ]

When you ride into the night
without a trace behind,
run your claw along my gut, one last time.
I turn to face an empty space, where you use to lie,
and look for the spark
that lights the night
through a teardrop in my eye

Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

lyrics taken from here.

Spathiphylium II

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:57:00 +0000

small plant, small problem.
big plant, big problem.
Since I replanted my Spathiphylium in August, it has been growing like mad and had a second big flower bloom. It is really growing so quickly and is a beautiful plant now. I will have to get a very big pot for her next spring; way bigger than this one.

I am happy to see her grow like this though.

driving to M

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 14:01:00 +0000

so i am back ...

back from another interpreting job in a hospital, back from another horse riding lesson

[it was great today. i was on a horse i had never ridden before and oh isn't he fast and lovely, and strong. Thierry may be called a grumpy old man, but there is no better horse to canter and to jump; he is really soft and easy going]

and soon leaving for M, a little town in west Cork to see M :)

it is not necessary to drive to M all night but here it goes, maybe a good song to hum while driving.

her voice is so powerful, even more so in this acapella version.

friday night / saturday morning

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:08:00 +0000

i just got back from a pub where we were having some farewell drinks with the girl who left my company today. we had a good night, talking, laughing, enjoying ourselves.
well, i got back home with this song on my mind:

i am not sure why but i was just humming it on the way back so i listened to it on youtube.

i also found this video so hmmm i will post it here. to clear any doubts (if M is wondering), i am not dedicating this song to ted ;)

SLOW DOWN

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:40:00 +0000

Poll: Who do you think is most to blame for the current

high level of road deaths?

The Government

11%

Gardai

Road Safety Authority

Drivers

81%

[source: irishhealth.com]

If I was asked to take part in this poll, I would say: the drivers. They sit behind the wheel, they are focused (or not) on the road and they do know Irish roads are far from perfect.
The roads here are narrow, winding, and, simply, not safe. True, along most of those roads, there are signs displayed that maximum speed is 100 km/h. I tried this speed once and nearly lost control of my car. I usually travel at lesser speed and if if means there is a queue of some cars behind me, then... well... tough. I am not in a hurry for my own funeral.

I think we should remember about it every day - that we are responsible not only for our own lives but also for the lives of others.

Perhaps today we should remember it in particular. Today is All Saints' Day when we remember our dead and maybe ponder how fragile life is.

In Poland the beginning of November is a very busy time for the police. 10 thousand policemen and policewomen were deployed in the country last Wed and will work till Sunday night to make sure Polish roads are safer. They appeal to drivers to slow down as roads are slippery, to pedestrians to wear high-vis items of clothing, and to all to be very careful.

At the end of this post, I want to mention some statistics.

In 2007 from January till September:
on the Irish roads: 252 killed
on the Polish roads: 3971 killed

It means more than 4000 new graves so far and more than 4000 lives lost.

Slow down on your way wherever you are going.

Updated on 2007-11-02
According to the Polish police, the first days of November are most dangerous on Polish roads. On Wednesday Oct 31 and Thursday Nov 1, 35 persons were killed and 354 injured in 306 car accidents. 743 drink drivers were caught.

* In Poland the max concentration of alcohol in blood is 0.2 per cent while in Ireland it is o.8 per cent (when breath testing, the legal limit in Ireland is 0.35 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of breath).

some of my sources:
Citizens Information
Policja

Reading, writing, and other things.

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:00:00 +0000

After some break from reading, I started on another book by Orhan Pamuk - My Name Is Red. I must say it begins in an intriguing way and it is hard to put it away. It seems totally different than "Snow" too.
The covers of both books well reflect the contents . While "Snow" is about winter, cold, freezing times, "My Name Is Red" and its half red cover seem to accentuate the hidden passions, secrets and mysteries of the life in Istanbul in the times of Great Sultan.
I am now reading chapter 6 so later on I may add some more on the book.
I have to read my college book too (a chapter on HR) and then I got engrossed in Fantasy Football. Emotions run high on the pitch.

Plus I have been tagged with "when i become a famous rider..." by rough hands. Aagghhh I must think about something and write a post on it so. I had a riding lesson last night but I decided not to take part in the show jumping league that takes place every Friday. I fell during my first competition and well I must still practice before I can jump.
So I must think what will happen when I become a famous rider.

Bacio # 5

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:29:00 +0000

Treat your friends as you would your paintings and show them in their best light. J. J. Churchill

photographer's block...

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:17:00 +0000

ahhh it seems to be a strange period now. I have lived in a new place for more than a month now and I feel very good here. The transition between the old place and the new place was pretty seamless and now everything is just going fine. Now I need less time to get to work and I have it closer to Hop Island where I go horse riding. I have it easier to do some quick shopping on the way back too. To get to my college takes more time now though and I take a car to get there (before I would walk) and then it is so hard to find a parking space in the city. I must think of some solutions before my next classes (this Thursday) but it will be grand soon. On the whole it is good but it has gotten a bit of a routine too. It is not to say that routine is bad; some things need to be well organised and running smoothly. Still no day is the same and I move forward every day and it is nice to feel I am not stuck in a rut, as the saying goes.

I have noticed a bit of a photographer's block recently but hopefully it will pass... along with some kind of a writer's block too!

Peace Lily

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 17:13:00 +0000

My Spathiphylium or Peace Lily was kindly posing for a picture this quiet Saturday afternoon.
I got her when she was very small for my 2o odd birthday less than 3 years ago. She had a few white flowers then but once they faded, she did not bloom at all.
I did not give it much thought but just watered it regularly.
I decided to repot here before I would go on my holidays at the end of August. I split the plant into two because it was so big. One part ended up in the new flower pot with fresh earth; the other part remained in the old pot but with fresh earth too.
I moved to a new place and left for Eastern Europe. When I came back after the few days I found the plant in the new flower pot blooming! That was a great surprise. Now it has two white flowers and I hope it will have more soon. Apparently, it must like its new place here.
***
Some credit must go here to M too - for providing some items necessary for successful repotting, a few tips, and of course for this nice ceramic pot.

M like ,,, Myrtleville

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:32:00 +0000

hmmm ... how to say "hello" after almost two months of not blogging? a lot have happened and this has been quite a busy time. yet, it has also been a very relaxing, wonderful time. while those last few days Poland has been battered by rains, we have had a lovely spell of Indian summer here in Ireland. True, we were in Poland the first few days in September and we got cold so it was good to come back to this nice weather. Yesterday we spent the day here ..

and we had a nice swim too! Waves were coming - one warm and one cold alternatively, which I found unusual. It was the first time i swam in the ocean :)

***
On other things that happened:
I have moved to a different place now - with a garden and in a quiet area :) so I am happy
(with the change of address, there has been a change in my phone number too).
I am back to college next week ahhh ... back to studying.
It is time to go back to horse riding too.

***
Thank you and credit for the photo go to M. who has a good eye.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:54:00 +0000

Strawberries seem to be over this year. I do not mean there will be no more strawberries in the shops this year; most probably they will be. The nicest, sweetest strawberries are only in May and June though. This photo presents Polish strawberries [just in case someone was wondering what "nationality" they were ;) ]

Then, waiting for the exams results is too. I got the envelope on July the 6th and then I was a bit too busy to post. Late but here it goes. I passed all the three exams with distinction (70% +) :) and I know that my holidays from college will be over sometime in mid-September. So I am enjoying my free evenings now and I put the management books away for now. I should be back to "Lapidarium VI" now so till the next post and next updates ...

It's a waiting game ...

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 19:22:00 +0000

waiting
waiting
waiting
for some things that are yet to come; today is like an enormous waiting room and now the question is of striking that balance between instant and postponed fulfillment:
texts / emails from friends - varied times and not always predictable but it is nice to wait for those;
horse riding - closer and closer because tomorrow night, 7 pm;
the beginning of the weekend - close enough: Friday noon;
exams results - should be this week, should have been today but i found nothing under my door (it is getting annoying now; i want to know!);
second year in college - September 2007 if i have passed. i am looking forward to it because at the end of my course i will get my cert.
advancement in career - well, gradually getting there, slowly but surely; takes time and requires patience but seems like a sure investment.
Garda Reserve application results - "yes" or "no" later this year.

A few travels, books to be read, music to listen to, movies to watch - as i go.

A lot to wait for and to look forward to.

Yet, there are some other things I have been waiting for - for a long time. They are important and personal; they make me see the bigger pictures better and i could call them my gentle priorities even if that is an unusual metaphor.

A certain song has been coming back to me quite a few times over the past two months or so.
It seems kinda proper to post it here;

I will not write here though if I got my answer ... too personal.

Bacio # 4

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:15:00 +0000

Laughter makes you young. Love makes you beautiful.

Monday...

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:03:00 +0000

Another Monday almost over. It has not been a bad day. I overslept this morning but I was not late for work so that's good even if I was a bit annoyed by it. Being late for work has not happened to me since I started working there and usually I am a very punctual person. Yet, this morning my friends had to wait for me as we go to work together - in my car. They did not mind at all though.
Day at work pretty much flew. I was a bit angry still by my near-lateness and so got more easily annoyed by others today. I have worked in this company for 10 months and there are still some people who get my name wrong. It is not despite their best efforts. It is because they do not even try to get it right. I thought, it is my name for f**k's sake. I would just correct one lady today (she used the male version of my name!!!). I also corrected my boss today but it was okay with him; someone misled him a bit when he wanted to get it right. He just said I lost my temper too easily. Maybe I do; still some things make my blood boil (this one made my blood warmer by a few degrees ;))
***
One bit of news here:
I am expecting to get my exams results sometime in the middle of next week. I hope they will be a good reason to celebrate.
***
Anyway, I am going to sleep earlier tonight. Last night I watched American Beauty - I saw it a good few years ago and I wanted to get to it again and enjoy it. Enjoy the words they say (some of the quotes are so beautiful...)
Then I read some beautiful words in an email I got and I wanted to reply. I went to bed later than usual so.
Now I am reading Lapidarium VI by Ryszard Kapuscinski. It is not an easy book to read; yet it is simple at the same time. I may post something more on it later.

The photo is of a park in Douglas. I had a very relaxing time there. It was warm and I would just walk around and take some pictures, or just look around and enjoy the sun and watching the bird(s).Time for my magic potion now and for hitting the pillow. Good night.

Dead Can Dance - The Wind That Shakes The Barley

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 18:19:00 +0000

This Irish theme got stuck in my head today after I listened to this song at work. It reminded me of the movie too. So here it goes. I find this song moving but for reasons I cannot entirely grasp at this moment. Lyrics.

Architecture - Wroclaw a.k.a. Breslau

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:48:00 +0000

City Hall in one of my favourite cities. Right in the heart of the market square.
This city is a must-visit for more reasons than its architecture; today I will just name its lovely parks - great for cycling, walking, or lying on the grass. The parks there are so spacious you can get positively lost there :)

Bacio # 3

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:55:00 +0000

Friendship brings great happiness with little gestures.

Back in Cork

noreply@blogger.com (nightskyspy) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 19:44:00 +0000

Hello again after a few days' break from posting.
I am back, alive and well but getting back to Cork was a fairly easy thing. It is hard to be late for a flight that is delayed after all and it is not much one can do up there but think of ways to kill boredom. One can sleep, read, or converse with another passenger. I was lucky to meet a friend at the airport and we sat in the same row during the flight. We talked for some time but then I tried to sleep or well, I kept my eyes closed and got in a semi-dazed state. Before I did that, I exchanged a few words with the passenger on my right hand side. The guy was from Czech Republic and asked me something about milk served on the plane. MILK MLIKO MLEKO; well I did not chant it as a mantra while in my dazed state; I just remembered now the way he put an accent in the word "mliko". Of course it was different than the accent used by the Polish in "mleko". As you can see I had very "fascinating" thoughts when on this plane ... [German MILCH is way different again]
***
Anyway, I am back in my apartment now; I went back to work on Tuesday morning (half asleep as the plane arrived at c. midnight). I survived the four long days in the office, trying to do my best but it was tough. It is difficult to get back to reality, to the usual after long holidays. I could not muster up enough energy to do things in my usual fast and efficient manner. My brain put up a lot of resistance in face of some tasks.
So I wore this t-shirt today as this week I have been a very good bad example of slackening discipline. It is good then to have an understanding boss with some sense of humour too. He agreed with what my t-shirt said (I bet what he had in mind was that my Polish workmate and I speak Polish when it comes to small talk but it is a different matter).
There will be no mercy next week anyway but I am hoping to be back on the track by Monday.
On Monday, I will be wearing a different t-shirt ;)