Hatifnats Live at Warsaw Basen 29-09-13

Went out to see The Raveonettes last night thinking that I was just going to see the headline act with possibly a nondescript support band, but how wrong I was. 

First, I never expected there to be three Polish support bands on before The Raveonettes.  The first two were okay but ended up playing to an almost empty audience, as most of the crowd had either not arrived yet or were just relaxing in the bar area.

However, when the third Polish band, Hatifnats, were about to start, the bar area suddenly emptied, and things started to seriously liven up.  It only took a couple of tracks to see that this was a band with a 'tight as hell' rhythm section and a seriously talented guitarist who also handled the vocals.  Yes, the whole mood and atmosphere of the night changed here, as the band's subtle kind of Gothic sound reminded me a bit of The Bolshoi (a massively underrated band from the late 1980s).  Must also say that I also interpreted the band's Gothic-type sound as a lighter version of The Chameleons.  But what two great bands to be compared to:  The Bolshoi and The Chameleons.

After Hatifnats, The Raveonettes just seemed a swirl of strobe lights and fuzz mixed in with some good melodies, although they were, admittedly, idolised by the crowd (I'm too old to idolise anybody these days).  Thus, for me, Hatifnats were the surprising band of the night, but what a nice surprise.

Moreover, throughout today, I've been having a good Youtube surf of Hatifnats tunes, and the subtle kind of gothic sound they have mixed in with the vocalist's high-pitched vocals makes them well worth a listen.  Currently, really enjoying listening to tunes like 'Before It's Too Late'; 'Mathematix'; and 'Horses from Shelville':

Yeah, I'm sure you'll agree that from these tracks, the band definitely has something, namely a beautiful sound.  Also really love the tune 'Iris':

A Small Catholic Shrine in Warsaw

While out walking in Wolska, Warsaw not yesterday but the previous Saturday, I came across this incredible old small Catholic shrine stuck on a corner of the modern metallic Expo (some kind of exhibition) building below:

Despite the fact that the small Catholic shrine was hidden round a corner, for me, it just seemed to be a symbol of an old treasured identity refusing to disappear in the midst of increasing waves of socio-cultural change.

My Favourite Business English Coursebook: Business Benchmark Advanced

If you ask most EFL teachers about what their favourite Business English coursebooks are there, nine times out of ten they will mention the 'Market Leader' series which certainly is a useful teaching-learning resource.

However, I would have to say that 'Business Benchmark Advanced' by Guy Brook-Hart is the most useful Business English coursebook that I've ever encountered.  First, I really like the fact that the book is self-contained with all the answers being readily available at the back of the book.  Second, there are 24 short but well-designed chapters in the book, perhaps offering a wider topic variety than the traditional 10-12 topic coursebooks.  Third, what I like most is the eclectic design of the individual chapters themselves which include concise sections on gambits for speaking; topic collocations; not excessively long reading tasks from which additional collocations can be extracted; and business writing models (e.g, reports) that are not excessively long.

Which is my favourite chapter from the book?  Well, that's probably 'Unit 4:  Chairing Meetings', as I've seen many materials on participating in meetings, but not that many on chairing them, and this unit gives a short but concise list of gambits for chairing meetings which can be easily added to with a bit of thought from the teacher.

So there you have it, just a quick concise appreciation of my favourite Business English coursebook:  'Business Benchmark Advanced'.

Warsaw Solidarity Building: The Workers Mural

On my walk through the Wolska district of Warsaw last Saturday, I was fascinated by this 'Workers Mural' which was in front of what looked like the main Solidarity Office in Warsaw.  My first impression was one of disbelief as more than of the faces in the 'Mural' seem to look more like Pakistanis rather than Poles.  Having said this, it might just be my eyes.

Warsaw: Postmodern(-Type) Roadside Art in Wolska

After visiting the Old Gas Works in the lower Wolska area of Warsaw on Saturday afternoon, I veered right and a little higher into Wolska, and initially came into contact with about 10-12 or so pieces of postmodern(-type) roadside art. 

Amongst the first few pieces that I saw was the cube-type design above which quite nicely captures the photographer's shadow.  These pieces of art were roughly 50 metres or so between each other running upwards, then they suddenly stopped.  However, after veering further right to opposite the Eastern Orthodox cemetery, it came as a pleasant surprise to receconnect with this art trail, as there were another 10-12 pieces there, including the two below:

Now, these are not the greatest pieces of art that I'll ever see or run into, true, but they just made what would've been a short colourless walk that much more interesting. 

My Two Favourite EFL Coursebooks: Innovations Upper-Intermediate and Advanced

Why are 'Innovations Upper-Intermediate' by Hugh Dellar and Darryl Hocking (pictured above) and 'Innovations Advanced' by Hugh Dellar and Andrew Walkley (pictured below) my two favourite EFL coursebooks? 

Well, quite simply, both books seem to balance the teaching of gambits (natural speaking expressions); phrasal verbs; and idioms well against more traditional teaching items like grammar; vocabulary; and pronunciation.  Due to this, students notice that a genuine attempt is being made for them to learn/acquire a more natural kind of English rather than just some formal abstraction.

Moreover, 'Innovations Advanced' has the added attraction of containing some interesting topics that usually don't make it past politically 'correct' censorship.  Indeed, this coursebook contains chapters on War; Politics; and, wait for it, even Belief/Religion.  Thus, students often pick up on this as well, recognising that they're not being simply fobbed off with some moronic politically 'correct' dogma or diatribe. 

The Boxer Rebellion at Warsaw Hydrozagadka 22nd September 2013

Must say that I had a really pleasant evening watching The Boxer Rebellion at the Hydrozagadka in the Praga district of Warsaw last night.  I've only recently discovered The Boxer Rebellion, but very much like the kind of profound subtlety that they do. 

Last night, I was glad to see that the band did my two favourite tunes of theirs:  'Semi-Automatic', the second tune in, and not long afterwards, 'We Have This Place Surrounded'.  However, the song that they seemed to absolutely nail on the night was 'Diamonds'  (below from the Jay Leno Show in the US):

Was also really impressed with the Hydrozagadka itself, as you can get nicely chilled bottles of both Perła and Lomża (two of Poland's better beers) there.  Also, with the stage being set in a kind of small, almost triangular corner, it creates a kind of tight intimacy between band and audience, which was smilingly noted by The Boxer Rebellion vocalist, Nathan Nicholson, last night.

Also liked the decor and general atmosphere of the Hydrozagadka:

With the Hydrozagadka being next to the Skład Butelka, where I saw the Australian band Dandelion Wine a few weeks ago, it's interesting to see that these intimate concert places were once some kind of industrial units.

Dave Dealy's Irish Porridge Gift

This is my good friend Dave Dealy doing some kind of James Dean pose after eating an Argentinian steak in a Czech restaurant in Warsaw.  While Dave was over in Warsaw from Ireland for a week recently, I told him all about how much I enjoyed the Irish porridge at Cork Airport last August.

In response, Dave and his family very kindly posted me some Irish porridge over to Poland:

So what's so special about Irish porridge then?  Well, it just seems thicker but also softer than any other porridge.  Thus, if you ever fly into Cork Airport, make sure you that you go into the big eating place upstairs (where the traditional Irish breakfast is also very good), and have a big bowl of Irish porridge, as you won't be disappointed.

The Old Gas Works, Warsaw

Was out and about round the Wolska district of Warsaw today, and had to finally get a few shots of the old gas works.  Haven't been to see the old gas works for five years or so, but I love them, as they just remind me of the Coliseum in Rome, and that's not hyperbole.

For me, it's amazing that this building just lies empty and fenced off from people, but I guess the authorities just don't know what to do with it.  I also guess that it must be a (possibly historically) protected building, so thankfully it probably can't get pulled down.

Really love this shot below:

It just kind of evokes a dark Gothic-type atmosphere for me.  Yes, the Warsaw old gas works are massively underrated, as the beauty is clear to see.

Upcoming Concerts in Warsaw: Mum and Sin Fang at Warsaw Basen on October 2nd

Must say that I'm really looking forward to seeing the Icelandic experimental group, Mum, at Warsaw Basen on October 2nd.  My favourite Mum album is 'Finally We Are No One' from 2002, and my favourite track from this album is 'Green Grass of Tunnel':

Having said this, I've only quite recently discovered Mum, so I'm very much still in the process of exploring their music.  Generally find their music thoroughly pleasant and deeply relaxing, so it will be interesting to see how this comes across live.

Just had a quick look at the support band, Sin Fang, another Icelandic group, who also look very interesting.  The KEXP session, from which the track below 'Always Everything' is taken, gave me a nice quick introduction to Sin Fang,

Thus, on the evidence of this, I'll be getting down to the Basen early on 2nd October to catch Sin Fang as well as Mum.

Just watched the video below of Mum from the Loftas Fest in Lithuania this year, and just find the music subtly sublime or sublimely subtle, I guess this is the only way of describing it, it's that good:

Yes, how can you not be enamoured with such music?

A Warsaw Streetlight

Was walking home the other evening and couldn't help but notice the beauty of this streetlight in Warsaw.  Fortunately, I had my camera on me and could capture the thing properly with the zoom.  It's just good to be always on the lookout for a picture, as you never know what you might come across while just wandering about.

Finding Constantinople in Istanbul

Love this picture that I took in Istanbul when I was there last year.  If I remember rightly, this place was either an old Roman baths or water supply (probably the latter, but I can't be sure).  However, the place was just full of antiquity and enchantment:  in a nutshell, it was the place where I seemed to get a strong taste of ancient Constantinople in modern-day Istanbul.  The only problem was that it was pretty dark down there.

For me, the Fall of Constantinople was one of the biggest disasters in human history, so down there, in the darkness and the stillness, I felt some kind of pathos and deep respect for the vanquished of 1453:

Found the video above with accompanying music showing the Fall of Constantinople interesting, as it gave me some kind of (accurate or inaccurate) visual sense of how the great city must've fallen.  Still, the Great Siege of Vienna had a much happier ending, let's be grateful for that.

Mary's Interior Design Work

My uncle Gordon is my late mother's oldest brother, and this is his wife Mary's handiwork in their conservatory.  For me, the recently retired Mary is very adept at interior design, but the problem is that no sooner has she created something like this in the picture above than she is ready to redesign it again.  Still, for me, some of her colour schemes and interior design work are very homely-looking and well worthy of praise:

Blue Oyster Cult: Tracks Written (and Co-Written ) by Allen Lanier (RIP)

Just a few days ago, I heard about the sad passing away last month of (retired) Blue Oyster Cult keyboard player and guitarist, Allen Lanier (RIP).

Over the years, I've been blessed enough to catch Blue Oyster Cult live six times, four of which were with Lanier (1981 at Castle Donington; 1983 and 1988 at Manchester Apollo and about 2002 at London Astoria).  Really liked how Lanier balanced handling the keyboards in the background (or at the side) with playing guitar alongside Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom at the centre of the stage. 

As soon as I heard of Lanier's passing away, I started playing all my old BOC albums, and started looking at who'd written the various tracks over the years.  It was interesting to see which tracks had been written (or co-written with others) by Lanier.

For example, on the self-titled 'Blue Oyster Cult' album, Allen Lanier co-authored four of the tracks, my favourite of which is 'Workshop of the Telescopes':

For me, this track exemplifies the quirky, (almost) psychaedelic quality that BOC have pumped into some of their tracks over the years.

Next up, on BOC's most successful album, 'Agents of Fortune' in 1976, Lanier penned both 'True Confessions' and 'Tenderloin'.  These are not my favourite tracks on the album, but, somehow, 'True Confessions' has remained at the forefront of my mental jukebox over the years, so something subconscious must've been going on, I guess:

Yeah, for me, this is just a really cool track with some great piano work.

After this, Lanier wrote 'Searchin' for Celine' on the 1977 'Spectres' album, which, once again, wasn't my favourite track on the album.

But which is my favourite Allen Lanier penned BOC track?  Well, that would have to be 'Lonely Teardrops' from the 1979 'Mirrors' album.  Now, this time, this is my favourite track on the album, as, for me, it just has a wonderful melodic quality magnified by the background female vocals.  Moreover, the track seems to stand the test of time, as, for me, it doesn't sound in any way dated. 

First heard 'Lonely Teardrops' as the B-side to the 'Mirrors' single on coloured vinyl, as I only got round to getting the 'Mirrors' album a few years later.  Of course, Allen Lanier also wrote 'In Thee' off 'Mirrors' which many people consider to be the seminal track off the album:

For many years, I just falsely assumed that because Buck Dharma sings the track, he must have written it, and it was only recently that I discovered that Allen Lanier, in fact, penned 'In Thee'.  Must mention here that despite 'Mirrors' not being my favourite BOC album, I don't think it deserves the slating it has sometimes received over the years, and may be justly considered a touch underrated.

Finally, Lanier co-authored both 'The Marshall Plan' on the 1980 'Cultusaurus Erectus' album and 'Don't Turn Your Back' from the 1981 'Fire of Unknown Origin' album:

Love 'Don't Turn Your Back' as, for me, it's another example of BOC turning on the quirky, (almost) psychaedelic style that I mentioned earlier on (of course, I could be just imagining this, but it takes a great song to get the imagination going).  Must also say that 'Fire of Unknown Origin' is my favourite album cover by any band (you just have to look at it to see what I mean, it's simply mesmeric).  Think I also recall Buck Dharma once saying that 'Don't Turn Your Back' was (one of) his favourite guitar solo(s).

Folk Band Playing in Krakow (Cracow) Old Town

Got to take my hat off to this Folk band that I saw playing on the main Old Town street that leads down to the Rynek from the train station.  On a Sunday afternoon, me and my friends, who were visiting from Ireland, passed the band playing at about two o'clock and the temperature seemed to be about 35 degrees Celsius.  Moreover, on our way back to the train station about four hours later, the band were still plugging away to an everchanging but still captivated audience.  Of course, the lads had quite wisely chosen a good place in the shade to play their set.

Great Albums: 'Tigerlily' by Natalie Merchant

Had always wondered what tiger lilies look like, but for some reason, had never got round to finding out until a recent trip to Wilanow Palace Gardens in Warsaw where some visiting friends from Ireland pointed out the beautiful flowers above to me. 

But why the curiosity with tiger lilies?  Where does this curiosity come from?  Well, I guess it goes back to Natalie Merchant's sumptuous album:  'Tigerlily'.  If I remember correctly, this was Natalie Merchant's first solo album after leaving 10,000 Maniacs and I got it on cassette shortly after I'd gone doing my first EFL teaching stint in Nowy Sącz in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains in Poland in 1997.

Absolutely love this album and fondly recall playing the cassette, which I still have, non-stop during my two-year stint in Nowy Sącz.  Which are my favourite tracks?  Well, I love the opening track:  'San Andreas Fault':

Just love the drifty meandering rhythm to this track, it just reminds me that life is a profound drift without a rhyme or reason, but still deeply meaningful and mysterious all the same.

Also really like 'Carnival', again, it just has that kind of profound drifty meandering rhythm:

Yeah, also love the video to this, it just seems to go with the music perfectly.

Finally, which is my favourite track on 'Tigerlily'?  Well, that would have to be 'My Beloved Wife':

For me, the theme of an old bereaved husband grieving for his recently deceased wife is deeply moving.  No more than that, it's just a really touching song.

Good Polish Food: Spicy Beetroot Soup with Cabbage Pasties

One common Polish meal (or snack) that I really like is spicy beetroot soup with spicy cabbage (plus sometimes mushroom) pasties, as in the picture above.  If anybody thinks that cabbage pasties sound a bit bland or unappetising, well think again, as the picture below gives a better sense of how delicious they actually are:

The cabbage pasties are also commonly sold in the small bakery shops that are still popular in Poland, so they are often very handy for if you feel a bit peckish between meals.

Eastern Orthodox Iconography in Kotor, Montenegro

Really like this iconostasis (a wall of religious paintings with a door that separates the altar from the rest of the church) in a small Orthodox church in Kotor, Montenegro.  When I was a lot younger, I read quite a bit about the Eastern Orthodox church including books on church history and the monks living on Mount Athos in Greece.

Have always thought that through its incredibly beautiful iconography and choral music, the Orthodox church understands a fundamental principle about the aesthetic function of religion:  if religious phenomena and imagery is attractive to the human senses, people will be more inclined to follow the religion:

Yes, I found myself captivated by the various religious images on the iconastasis inside the small Orthodox church.  The fact that Orthodox churches often seem to be somewhat dark inside only adds to a kind of mystical atmosphere. 

Must stress that through not being Orthodox, I'm only speaking as an outsider here.  I've often heard that Eastern Orthodoxy is difficult for a Western person to understand as he/she lacks the 'Slavic soul' to fully feel and digest the Orthodox experience, and, as a layman, I would go along with this.  For me, Orthodoxy represents high Eastern European cultural expression in a way that pre-Vatican II Catholicism represents high Western cultural expression.

Below, there is a much older icon from the small Eastern Orthodox church in Kotor:

Through its small labyrinthe of Orthodox (and Catholic) churches, Kotor is a magical place for me, symbolically hidden and perhaps protected from the encroachment of the Western politically 'correct' world by the incredible hills surrounding it:

A Brilliant Beer in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

This was a wonderful kebab that I had in Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  But such a fine kebab needed to be washed down with an equally worthy beer,and the one below was just perfect:

Yes, you could do a lot worse than this little beauty of a beer, and, once again, it was an honour to drink a lager that tasted (some might say subtly) like a bitter in the Balkans.

Krakow (Cracow), Poland: My Favourite Shot

Rather unexpectedly, my favourite shot from my recent trip to Krakow wasn't of one of the many beautiful buildings in the medieval Old Town centre, but of a balloon flying over the river Wisła.  It was about 35-37 degrees celsius on this Sunday afternoon in Krakow, and me and my friends (over from Ireland) sought refuge in some cold drinks and dreamily watching the balloon move over the river.  Yes, it was just one of those moments to take some time out from the world.

Krakow (Cracow) Train Station, Poland

Krakow train station will always hold a special affection for me, as this is where I landed after a long-haul Manchester-London, then London-Krakow coach journey in September 1997.  And that wasn't the end as I had another 2-3 hour journey to Nowy Sącz in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains where I would serve some kind of two-year 'apprenticeship' in the EFL trade.

Still remember a kind of zany American character called Dr. Nonewicz eulogising about the Krakow train station facade above:

          "Just take the trouble to have a look at that building from some distance away, and then just
            think that it's only a train station.  Yeah, it wouldn't be out of place in Vienna, would it?".

Yeah, I think the good doctor's eulogy sums up the place perfectly, and these wise words have echoed in my ears over the past 16 years or so (not all spent in Poland, as I had four interesting years in Canterbury, Kent, and eight disastrous months back in my hometown of Bury, Lancashire).

Was back in Krakow for the first time in seven years or so a couple of weekends ago on a frenetic daytrip with a friend from Ireland over in Poland with his family.  Upon entering the train station on the last leg of the Warsaw-Krakow trek, I immediately reacquainted myself with the Water Tower alongside the tracks:

For some reason, I've always viewed this as a massively underrated and somewhat beautiful building that can almost hold its own with the many incredible buildings scattered round the Rynek and labrynthine streets of Krakow Old Town.

Moreover, when in Krakow a couple of weekends ago, I also loved the black-and-white mural below which was on the wall of the massive shopping centre that now lies alongside the train station:

Love the way that the light in the foreground, inside the train station grounds, kind of blends in with the mural, outside the train station grounds, in the background.  Whether intended or not, this juxtaposition seems to work very well.