November Favorites

November has passed so fast that I almost haven't realized it was there. I am glad for that because if one do not make oneself very busy it is easy to get autumn blues.

MOVIE

I was waiting for this movie longer than sane people should wait for any movie... I saw it twice in theaters and I absolutely loved it!

I am of course talking about INTERSTELLAR.

Movie is full of physics, feelings and psychology.
It beautifully shows a sacrifice that great explorers must make to discover the unknown. Breathtaking.

And who cares that in the end they break a bit of laws of nature :p

BOOK

I was only reading science stuff this month... 
And I am not sure if I would recommend books I was reading to anyone...

Maybe let me put it that way:
if you ever would decide to get to know Supersymmetry (beautiful theory in physics, that tries to explain more than the Standard Model does) then do not start from "Supersymmetry and supergravity" by Wess and Bagger. It is a classic but unless you are math oriented it will be a nightmare to go through. 
I have decided to start from "Supersymmetry DeMYSTiFieD" by Patrick Labelle. It is much more useful that Quantum Field Theory from the same DeMYSTiFieD series, but I do not find it perfect...
Anyway...
Supersymmetry is worth the struggle but the struggle is definitely there ;P

MAKE-UP

Definitely a blush and eye-shadow from Body Shop that since I bought them I wear whenever I go out.
The Blush - 01 all-in-one cheek color shade: macaroon - my first blush in very long time and I like how it makes me look healthy and fresh. Not that I mind looking pale and sick but it is a nice change when going out :)
The Eyeshadow - 01 eye color shade: copper!
A very sweet shop assistant recommended it for my skin tone and I think he was right.
I wanted something that you can put on eye lids and it looks good without any effort.
My make up skills are very poor and making something like a smokey eye surpass them ...

Anyway, I think this eye shadow is very beautiful, it is easy to put on with basic brush and it adds a bit of glam to a natural look. Thank you Body Shop for releasing me from learning advanced make-up tricks that I would rarely use ;)

EVENT

I went with a surprise visit to my parents, because my mum had birthday!
I took a train.
I had a half a day in Berlin thanks to that trip. 

I took a long walk ... a bit longer than expected... to have a cup of coffee with a friend and then continued to my hometown Szczecin.

It was a perfect family time.
 It loaded my batteries with extra energy that still helps me to survive those grey, cold and windy fall days.

...

One day when I went out for a walk I smelled winter in the wind.
There is this bite in the air that one cannot ignore.
The winter has arrived!

Happy December everyone :)

make up or not to make up

We are surrounded by commercials, posters everywhere we go. People presented there are covered with make-up regardless their gender, age and beauty. No matter how much we are aware of photoshop, filters and other tricks of perfecting images, it can get into us.

It can make us think, that this is true beauty, ideal. Those images are made so that we will have a crush on people presented there. 

Commercials manipulate us to buy things, but what is worse they stuff us with images of "perfect" face, body, and life.
They make us think that what they represent is a true happiness.

I do not wear make-up on everyday basis.
I have never done that. I would do that only when going out, special occasions and so on.
Which means I do own some make-up and at least once a month when my hormones play with my mind I do question the way I look. It doesn't help that it is exactly the same time when I get the biggest amount of skin issues ;)

I do feel at those moments like the ugliest creature alive, but who doesn't?

The problem is if one feels bad about oneself everyday!

One just needs to STOP (easy to say hard to achieve)...
You beautiful, even without make up.
I do not think make-up is bad. I just think it is ok to look "bad", have dark circles under eyes, redness, pores, or a breakout. Everyone gets them.
The drive to look perfect is just not worth time and attention.
It is an unhealthy obsession that is out there waiting for our weak days just like a trap.

Our face is pretty just the way it is!

Instead of covering imperfections, it is better to try to find a source of bad skin in lifestyle.
Maybe too little water, too much stress, or too little sleep.
It is important to find what bothers your body, before it turns into something more serious than a breakout.

(If one suffers from severe acne then there is probably some health or lifestyle issue and I would recommend going to the doctor, changing diet for more clean food, and go to professional beauty salon for advice and treatment.)

It is not only our face that other people see.
There is also energy that comes out of us that makes people around like us.
If the energy is good no one worth your time will care about little imperfections.
What is more, there will one day come around someone that will find our bubbly face the most adorable on Earth.
It will be this positive energy that will attract that person and then who cares about the rest of the world.

We are billions of people and we are all different and that is phenomenal!
The diversity is a beauty of nature.
Our birthmarks or freckles make us unique.

There is no such an amount of "selfie" that one can take that will boost our self-confidence.
And no "likes" on facebook or instagram will gives us peace about the way we look.

Make-up will not cure real problems. 

It is not the look that in the end will make people love us and appreciate us. 

It will be all about who we are and how we look when we just woke up...

Breathe in and out...
 This covered up by superficial values world do not have to take over our life.

It is not make-up and perfect look what we admire about doctors that rescued our, or someones we love, life. It is their knowledge and skills.
It is not a pretty teacher but a passionate that will make the difference.

And if we want to then of course we should wear make-up but it should be worn for fun not as an armor.

Stay happy :) 

good book type of trouble

There is a reason why I do not read novels when I am busy with studies or work. 
I find good books addictive. 
It is just impossible for me to stop reading once I start. 
I do not sleep at nights, I do not talk to people, I lose track of time... My life stops, nothing that the world has to offer is interesting to me... The only thing that matters is to get to know the story.

And I have fallen into the trap again!
I have stumbled upon Jannifer Crusie name after I have finished "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes and I was searching for more romance stories that could just stand on my bookshelf and wait for me to grab it. I quickly looked through her books and found one that took place in Ohio! 
Not that I think life in Ohio is so exciting that I really want to read about it, but I lived there for two years and a little piece of my heart belongs to that state. One could say I have now a bit of midwest girl in me. Anyway...

"Welcome to Temptation" is a funny love story with a lot sex and a crazy crime plot. It is all about human 'temptations' - greed and lust especially (btw. it is not a book for prude ones). Two sisters Amy and Sophie come to this little town of two thousand inhabitants called Temptation to make a movie. They are not making any movie, it will be a ”vanilla porn" starring people from the town. In such a small community this becomes a big deal and because of a civic duty mayor Phin and police chief Wes get very involved. 
Lots of love and lots of laughter. 
Great book!

I have finished this novel and I am now fighting a huge temptation to reach for another Jannifer Crusie book ;)

October favorites

So far Fall in Denmark is beautiful. We have many sunny days and it is actually not so cold. I try to go out as much as I can to enjoy it before it is over. 
One needs to appreciate small good things! :)


Movie

My favorite movie from those I have seen in October was certainly 'Gone Girl', because it made me discuss it over and over. 
I've even had nightmares because of it!? 
Anyway, definitely one of the best movies Ben Affleck has been in. I am generally not a big fan of movies about complicated relationships but the couple in this movie has sort of problems that I cannot imagine myself ever have. 
However, regardless how far from my reality the plot was I found it very nerve-racking. 
I highly recommend this movie but I wouldn't call it entertaining. For some reason my definition of entertainment is a bit different from feeling deeply stressed for two and half hour (the movie is quite long, as most of movie those days).

Books

'1st year physics brick', since that is the only book I have read in October, haha ;) I was taking a tryout of GRE Physics and last month was definitely dedicated to studying to this exam. Nice it is over.

As for novels, just before I got totally swallowed by reading to the exam I cried my eyes out, from laughter or because of being deeply moved, on two awesome romantic books:
1) "Me before you" by Jojo Moyes - very moving story about meeting someone in your life that makes you grow as a person, makes you see the world around in a totally different way... I am not going to say more because I do not want to spoil it for anyone. Let me just say that I haven't slept three nights in a row during my intensive (lectures were form 8am to 8pm) Summer School in Germany to read most of it. Last pages I was finishing in a train back home weeping like crazy. Definitely fantastic read, and I have already bought it in danish to give it as a present to my mother-in-law. I have actually also considered buying it in polish to give it to my mum too... which will make me a crazy person that bought this book in 3 different languages ;)
2) "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion - more on laughing side. Anyone who ever had a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend or partner that is a science nerd will love this book! So funny. It is a story about feelings that no matter how smart you are you have to use your heart not brain to understand them. I love the way main character looks at the world and people around him, haha.

Music

I am not sure... but after checking 'recently added' to my Spotify it seems like: 

Vance Joy 'Riptide'

Jake Bugg 'Lightning Bolt'

Troye Sivan 'Fun'

Becky CJ 'If This Is Love'

Francoise Hardy 'J'suis d'accord' (I do not understand what she is singing about but this lovely song makes me happy:))

They probably old songs but they were new to me ;)

Food/Beverages

I have already started eating Christmas pepper-nuts cookies (they are a sign Denmark is getting into Christmas mood). Organic chocolate chip cookies - I have managed to find a delicious milk free version (since I am on dairy free diet). And most of all the wonderful milk free 'salsa burger' from Froggys Cafe in Odense - they make it with dark bread if one asks nicely :) As for hot beverages definitely Pumpkin Soya Latte from Starbucks has brightened some of my long days spent in a library. As for cold stuff I am very boring person, I drink mostly tap water and occasionally orange juice regardless the month of the year.

Clothes

Flower pattern on anything, especially on dresses is my favorite trend always. I have managed to find on discounts in h&m two dresses for this season and I love them both. I am generally getting more and more into skirts and dresses. Skirts as for me have to be high-waisted, I just love how much free mind they give me. I can easily eat a whole burger without getting aware that it all landed in my belly ;]

Beauty

I am on a big quest to make my skin acne/break-out free. I am trying many different tricks recently. But most importantly I have started to drink more water. Each day I aim to consume 3 liters but I haven't succeeded yet. However I did get to walk more since I need to go to restroom very frequently ;)

Make up

A shop assistant from Matas (Danish cosmetics chain-shop) has introduced me to some super eyebrows trick with an eye shadow from Nilens Jord and I loved it. I also heard from the same girl a scientific explanation of a technique of mineral powder application and that was cool too! Not that this powder was any special (I have no idea since I am not a big make-up user), but hearing about electrostatic forces from make-up artist made me liking this brand a lot!
I do not have money at the moment to spend on something that I would very rarely use, but the eyeshadow 626 and powder 331 are both on my Christmas 'wish list' :)

Happy November Everyone!

Water Taxi in NYC

Manhattan from water is a must see when you in NYC!



I took this trip two times now (spring 2013 and spring 2014) and probably if I am in NY again with someone that never tried it
- I will do it again! :D

Taxi costs $50, so not too cheap. Although, it is not unusual price for truistic attraction in US.

One can just sit at one boat and do the whole round trip - part of Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge, and Statue of Liberty. There is a guide but unless you sit down in a closed part of the boat you might not hear/understand everything especially if english is not your first language.

The first time I took this cute yellow boat taxi I took the round trip which takes about 1h30min.

There is also other option with this taxi-trip.

One can also hop out and hop in at different stops and enjoy the trip more or less whole day and do a lot of sightseeing.

That is not exactly what I did on my second ride, because I only used one stop, but it is definitely a nice option.

My main aim on the second trip was Brooklyn Bridge, since I have never walked it before.
And for some reason I really wanted, so I have terrorized my travel companions and we did it!

I think it was totally worth it.
It was a bit challenging to find where to enter the bridge but definitely not impossible.

I haven't walked it completely.
However, I saw and experienced what I wanted.

From one boat to another there was plenty of time to enjoy the bridge and grab some ice-cream before boarding again.

There is no option of hoping out at the Statue of Liberty at Liberty Island.
So this little island and museum that they have there still has to wait for me.

Well I plan to come back to NYC again, so no need to see everything at once ;)

relativity of wedding menu

I am sitting in my super little apartment. 

It is an unusually hot summer night here in Denmark. 

Lucky year, we have so much sun that it is hard to believe. 

I love it, because I rather sweat than freeze.

Anyway, I am trying to compose a menu for my wedding, that might happen one day... 

I mean it is going to happen but in a year (!) so I feel a bit crazy to go into such details...

However, I want to book a place soon. 

Prices are highly depended on menu so to estimate a cost of the wedding party I unfortunately need to go through this abstract task of trying to foresee what I would like to have for dinner in a year from now...

I have started my mission impossible with great enthusiasm and believe that it is a piece of cake.

Well, I was wrong...

I am already sitting for few hours and I am not done...

You see on the beginning of the process I was very critical towards potential wedding dishes.

But there were so many options... so many of them... that I started to suspect that the names of dishes are randomly picked just to confuse me.

First I became tired, and that slowed my decision abilities.

But eventually happened the worst, yes yes - I became hungry.

One by one I have began adding things to my list that I do not even know what they really are...

Luckily a blessed brilliant thought came to my mind: 

'better go to bed before hot dogs end as a main course'

- Good night :)

Central Park

New York is an amazing city. 

There is so much to see, so much to experience. 

This was my third visit in the City, and I still know nothing about it - I need to go there again! ;)

The first time I was lucky to see New York in winter time just before Christmas with all the lights and decorations.

And this time I was lucky to be there during Easter time (rockefeller-easter-eggs-exhibit) when most of the people had few days off and wore beautiful decorative Easter hats to show off during holiday parade.

I got my lunch at one of the street stands called the Halal Guys - cheap and delicious food - nicely spiced meat and rice. The Halal Guys are actually acclaimed best street food in NYC and they might be... I definitely recommend it.

I went few streets up and sat down on a warm from sunlight stone.

Central park was a perfect place to enjoy my meal. 
Beautiful view on Manhattan and fantastic spring weather..

After food and small rest I took a long, slow stroll through the park.

The Central Park is wonderful oasis of peace in this noisy crazy city. 

During holiday it is teeming with life, joy, friendship and family atmosphere. 

I am looking forward to take a stroll there again.

Rockefeller Easter eggs exhibit

Rockefeller Center is filled with flags surrounding small ice-rink, and it is very beautiful.

It is mostly known to me for its Christmas Tree in movie "Home Alone". I saw this Christmas tree 2 years ago and it was disappointingly smaller than I have imagined it to be... or maybe it was bigger years back ?

Anyway, I actually had the same disappointment with all the Christmas trees I remembered from my childhood ;)

During Easter Break 2014 New York's Rockefeller Center showcased massive eggs.

I was very lucky to be there at that time and see it! :)

Arriving to USA

It was long trip... I had to leave my apartment around 11 to take a bus to the train station. Got tickets and had to wait 40min. Vagon at with I had seat reservation never arrived so I had to find another place. Train was filled with people but it was a pleasant trip. Weather was beautiful! Sunny day made views from windows very entertaining. 

My first flight was to London. Heathrow is a huge airport and even there was an hour and 20 min between flights I had be in a hurry. Long walking distances and also necessity of taking an airport train consumed a lot of time and once I reached the gate the plane was already boarding.

I was sitting next to my mom who I gave a window seat, since it was her first time flying to USA. It was great to sit next to her because she really enjoyed everything! It reminded me of myself first time in plane. Weather was great so until we got to Atlantic sea there was a lot to look at. It is very cool to look how temperature drops with altitude and once a plane reaches the height proper for a flight like this, you realize you fly with 500km/h 12000 meters above the sea and temperature behind the window is -49C... And you can see that the path is smoothly curved which make sence because our planet is a sphere not flat...! Small things that one learn in primary school but they always great once realized in practice :)

 I was flying first time to USA with British airlines and I have to say that plane was neat and tv screens were quite good, nice choice of new movies and actually microwaved food they always served at planes was nice enough which is not always a case on other airlines. Sandwiches they served were also good. All in all it was pleasant flight.

Customs service went very smooth. We took a taxi to our hotel on Manhattan - taxi driver was a nice guy but it was a very expensive ride.

We arrived at 11pm but remember there is 6 hour difference. The moment we got to our hotel from theater on the other side if the street we heard happy people screaming and it occurred that Danzel Washington just finished a show and was giving autographs :)) we haven't seen him though but still fun to realized that we are in New York the city that never sleeps and Hollywood stars are part of theater plays :))

We left luggage in our room, got free breakfast and free wifi too, because we got smaller room than we agreed on... And we gonna get proper one on Sunday :)

And then we went out to see Time Square lights ... And see this kitch and crazy huge commercials all over the place. It was midnight and streets were crowded... It is my third time in New York and I am always surprised how crowed it is and dirty too unfortunately. But it is a city that never sleeps mist of shops were open. 

After a short stroll we went back to hotel and slept very well :))

Good morning on Sunday! Good morning New York!

Sorry for all the typos but I am writing from my phone ;)

Thesis writing - sanity status

I was writing and writing and I got trapped...

My life, the real and beautiful world is just behind those thin walls around me, as thin as a cover of a comic Book but so impossible to get through them...

...life is so unrealistic and time passes in a mysterious way...

Even if I somehow manage to teleport myself to the real world I seem to not fit in... 

Because of isolation my social skills seem outdated and almost everything I say seem awkward and inappropriate...

I find myself standing there saying something to people and hearing myself making meaningless burr of aaa yyyy ooo uuu

Amount of coffee and chocolate (and I am actually allergic to chocolate) I eat is difficult to comprehend and I strongly believe my skin has changed color to a bit more chocolatish or lets admit it to a boring grayish shade.

And all those crazy sick things I dream... I could write a Sci-Fi book if I only remembered them longer than those few seconds after waking up.

Basically the moment my brain creates a thought that it was a crazy dream my memory about it is gone or back to apparently some part of my brain that for reasons probably of sanity I am not allowed to access unless I sleep.

Anyway... I have one more month of this craziness :)

Train stories

I am going for weekend to Copenhagen hanging out with my fiance's sister family. I haven't paid for seat but I was lucky to find what one can call a 'third class' seat by the entrance to train that cannot be reserved and are for saving money people like me ;) 

I have decided to write something because I have lost wifi connection once the train entered the tunnel connecting Funen (Fyn) and Zealand (Seeland) islands.

Next to me on a floor was sitting man with a daughter they easily could have found a seat there were two free next to me but they didn't care. Man was still on his working clothes dirty with mud I think. They made small picnic and he was showing a lot of love to his maybe 5 years old girl. And she didn't care they sit on the floor and that they eat some silly food set on a paper on a floor. Kids do not care about details they care about time spend with them love and attention.

A bag of candy with dad or mum that jokes a lot is all they need to call the trip an amazing time.

I love traveling :)

And here is my connection back, let's post this ...

getting ready for Valentine's date - part 4 (last one)

Unfortunately, my fiance is having a small cold so I am gonna jump in some cosy clothes instead and go to a movie theater...

Just before doing that I took off my curlers, my hair was still wet...

Instead of desired princess curls I ended up with "witch like hairstyle"...

Yes
my whole day project "get curls for Valentine's date" outcome
->
dirty and messy looking hair ;)

Lots of LOVE everyone!

getting ready for Valentine's date - part 3

Of course it took me forever to put my hair on those curlers...

and of course I didn't have enough of them...

 Of course I do not have a hairdryer so I am still with those curler on my head...

still miss some make-up but I feel quite ready... :)

getting ready for Valentine's date - part 2

All right...

I went for a quest of finding curlers and believe me or not it was super hard and time consuming adventure.

I have been everywhere supermarkets, drug stores, shops that sell everything...

I started to suspect that it is hairdresser conspiracy and on my way back with a guilt of waisting a lot of time for nothing...

... I've dropped by Body Shop...

They didn't have curlers but one of the ladies was from profession a hairdresser and she said she knows a place...

She has send me to www.beautycos.dk that actually have a boutique in Odense.

(if you need anything for hair and you live in Odense then Beautycos is on Klaregade they have a huge choice)

Now it is almost 3pm!!

I better get started because not only I haven't worked on my thesis, I haven't prepared any food, but I am also still in my sweatpants...

Here is my princess hair tool-kit...

...lets try to curl my straight busters!

getting ready for Valentine's date - part 1

To not waist time for biking (1 h in my case) I have decided to stay home. I am writing my thesis so at least in theory it should be possible to do some work from home.

I woke up half past 6 am.

Drunk tea with honey to please my aching throat.

Cleaned a bit my apartment (I mean my one room thing with a kitchen that is super cheap and that is great because saving money is the priority) and gave a second to plan my evening look...

My hair is super-straight and long, and I wanted to do something cute-girly with them for today.

I of course opened youtube and watched some videos how to braid hair.

I am not sure how those ultimate girly-girls do it, but it is not as easy to braid hair around your head as it might seem...

Anyway, I have tried twice (that is how patient and dedicated I am...) and I think that braiding should be recommended as a type of arm workout, my muscles were in pain... 

I've actually managed to made a braid... 

...but...

first of all it seems like my hair are not cut well enough to sweetly fade into cute thin braid and I of course haven't succeed completely 

and what most important I do not have any enthusiasm left for this hairstyle as for today so I need new not-braid like idea. 

(Of course some competitive part of me thinks that I will be back to try again this braid-challenge... I know myself long enough to know that it is true but it won't be anytime soon...)

It is 10:30 am I have an idea for my hair but it demands small shopping...

bus stories 3

At the bus stop.

I was sitting in a bus and people were coming in.

First came a boy.

He had a coffee in his hand, the bus driver said to him that he cannot have it (drinks are forbidden at Odense buses). But the boy explained that he didn't know and that he just bought it.

He was very polite and convincing enough because the driver lets him in with a coffee.

As a second person came someone (not important for the story).

As a third came a girl.

She also had a coffee, driver teased her a bit but let her in probably assuming she was together with the boy that convinced him to enter a bus and keep a coffee 'this time' (she was with that boy).

A minute later we still were waiting on a bus stop and...

Two girls came in.

Both of them had a coffee. Bus driver told them that it is forbidden and that when he breaks coffee will be on them or on the floor.
Girls looked at the signs on the bus door one one of them specifically forbids coffee... They said it is fair enough and they stepped out to finish their coffees.

After half a minute the bus left without girls...

bus stories 1

bus stories 2

LONDON mostly against the sun

 That was a lot of walking...

... but I am glad for all I saw that day because ...

... the other days weren't so pretty.