Sweet ignorance

I was raised in communist Poland, I remember it quite well, I remember my childhood back then. It was hard, different. We didn't have Coca-Cola (we had Pepsi and at some point we had River Cola), nor we had bananas. Life was gray, and I mean colors of living, of the streets, shops, clothes, toys or sweets. Well, ok, I had LEGO. But as it comes to food - I am thinking that back then, vegetables and fruits were much more healthy. They were not stuffed with so many chemicals, emulgators or other stuff. I am not sentimental, not really. I remember also sweets we had - especially those lillipops, funny ones, sugar pure. That was perhaps chemistry, who knows?
So it was funny when I found that lillipop yesterday, exactly the same as we used to have then, in deep communist Poland. I found it in a turkish kiosk.

Anyway, our generation was stuffed (and still is) with chemicals either through food, shampoos or colorful drinks like lemonade. We are artificial from within. Of course back then I didn't think of all odd substances our food was full of. And when I found this "historical" lollipop I was thinking - was it already then so artificial? Definitely yes. The only difference was that it didn't have the list of ingredients written on the back of the package.

We really lived without that knowledge, in oblivious ignorance... and happiness in a way. But it was the same, same chemistry. We just didn't know. I didn't know - I was a child anyway.

(Bitter) Sweet Life

Life is bitter, or is it people who are bitter? The latter one, I guess. As you imagine, the year didn't start to too good for me. But in all that sadness I have found a bit of sweetness. Not a little bit, a big bite! One day I have received a package, big box, from Poland. A I opened it I was shocked. The whole box wall full of chocolate! Big, small, bitter (chocolate), sweet, marzipan, cherries... you name it. what a surprise! Who send it? Well, a young man, a polish guy, who worked here on the corner in a pizza bar, some time ago. Whenever I was ordering fast food there and he was there - we talked, sometimes he was visiting us in the gallery. After some time he left Berlin, went back to Poland to work, like I guess he got a "real" job, not a "berlin" job. So he works in a chocolate factory or somewhere, and he remembered us and sent us that sweet box. I not only needed that chocolate (endorphins) but I started to believe there actually are good and selfless people in the world. Isn't it a nice Christmas happening? Definately sweet.
p.s. I didn't eat the whole box, don't worry.

Being fired

The New Year has started. We will see how it goes, if it will be a better year than 2008. As for me - it started... half-half. Some good, some bad. But intensive. Did you ever get a formal letter by post, saying: "you are fired"? If yes, then you know how I felt (yesterday). If you didn't - I tell you what to do if you get one. Especially, when the job you lost was great, especially when you found about that (you being sucked) from a third party 2 days before Christmas, especially when you really liked the job, it was your only real job at the time and especially when you don't really WHY you lost it. Here is what you should do:

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

Playing (on) Christmas

As I was writing, we have spent this Christmas in a big family situation in Gdańsk. It was cool, better than I expected (although I didn't expect anything, as usual, ok, maybe I expected to relax and reset my brain after all what happened - and that worked). So new way for spending Christmas. We were like 11,5 people (0,5 is the daughter of my cousin). Family, food, presents, christmas tree - real Christmas. Apart from standard christmas activities we also played... scrabble (instead of watching TV)...

and we also played... instruments. As I got a Hawaii guitar from Jacek, we all got inspired and cousin Michał brought all his instruments - we did a "family session". It appeared however that 2 of the family members are musically educated (cousin Michał and uncle Wojtek), not like the rest of us.

Ha! We will see what happens when we record a "family album" in summer. If we do it Curators-like then the "professionals" will have to play instruments they don't know. Anyway, did you know that my Dad and his brothers had a band in the 1960'? It was the first polish beat band, called "Blue Jeans". They had self-made electric guitars, some percussion etc. Yes, yes, shame we don't have any recordings... but that was long time ago.
So - playful Christmas!