High School

June July August

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Editor-in-chief Graphic editor Hania Sagan Writers Gosia Duluk Gabrysia P łażalska Wiktoria Buniowska Kuba Orl iński Kasia Skoneczna Hania Sagan Marcin Nalepa Supervisors Justyna Deja Artur Nowaczyk Sponsored and printed by Ready Made http://www.readymade.pl

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Table of contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Study in the UK

6 Welcome to Berlin

8 Fall in love with Paris

10 Cali fornia dreamin’

12 Headed to the Far East

14 A day of Japan

15 The Fault in Our

Stars

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Our generation lives in the reali ty of multiple options, hard choices and chal lenges. Some of us would like to take upon themselves the chal lenge of studying abroad, and since our high school offers an English-or iented profile, my guess would be that many of you are interested in studying in the United Kingdom. What are the pros and cons? Well, this article is not about that. I’m sure each of you has your own reasons for taking (or not) such a step. However, if you’re one of the people who would like to do so, but you’re terrified, don’t know how to apply or you simply think it’s not possible... read this. This piece is created especially for you and it ’s a short guide through the UK’s educat ional system.

1. Pick your universit ies That’s the first and the most important step. The UK has a big variety of universities and each specializes in a different course of study. For example, if you would like to study law, one of the best universities is University College London or King’s Collage London. However, if you’re interested in economics, pick London School of Economics. Also, it’s always good to look at the UK’s rankings – that way you can easily establish if the university you’re interested in is commonly known as a good one (and you get a hint of how hard it is to get in). How wi ll you know which Universi ty is good for your studies? I only know two ways to find out. One of them is Google and the second one are college fairs. If you follow the British Council website, you’ll be informed when it takes place in Warsaw and what schools will be presented there.

2. Study requirements Each study course has its own entry requirements to fulfill. However, it also largely depends on the university you choose. You can find out the specific conditions on the website of each school. Usually, it’s just the predicted score from the Polish Matura exam, though sometimes they also tell you which subjects you should take. Most universities take students with AT LEAST three extensions on their Matura exam. Additionally, some schools may ask you to take supplementary exams (e.g. LNAT for law, BMAT for medicine or language aptitude test for linguistics). If you don’t find the information you need on your university’s website, you have to write to the Admission Office. They usually email you back within the same week. Good news : Preferred subjects on Matura exam in the UK are not as specif ic as in Poland. In most cases YOU can decide which subjects you want to take on your Matura exam ! *Language As you’re an international student, the university will ask you for the proof of your language skills. First Certificate in English is definitely not enough anymore. You need another certificate, on a higher level. In Poland, we usually take Cambridge Advance Certificate in English or Cambridge Proficiency. However, UK universities usually ask for either TOFEL or IELTS, and they don’t have to accept the Cambridge one. They may, but they don’t have to – keep that in mind, because every exam you take costs money.

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3. Application The UK has its own online system responsible for your application – UCAS. You have to sign up on UCAS website, choose the list of universities to which you want to apply (five tops) and send them your application, which should consist of: - Two recommendation letters from your teachers - Personal Statement (there’s a guide on how to write your personal statement on UCAS) - Form which you fill in on UCAS website (basic data)

You have to send them your Matura exam results as soon as you get them. (Time for application is always before the exams – you need to check the applications deadline on your university’s website. (Oxford and Cambridge applications deadlines are much sooner than in other universities!) The university may ask for your grades (from the last school year – 3d grade), however your Matura exam results are much more important. Generally, the university shouldn’t take your grades into account – only Matura. However, there is another thing which counts heavily when it comes to application – extracurr icular activ i ties. You have to tell them about every contest you won, skills you have (e.g. playing the piano) and voluntary work you’ve done. The more activities, the better. If you don’t have achievements like that, it may be the right time to enroll in some activities outside of the school. Your Personal Statement is all about them and, as they say, it’s the part of your application which may decide whether you get in or not.

And yes, it’s true – fees are incredibly high as they amount to £9,000 per year.

4. Fees In many cases the cost of study is the decisive factor that prevents prospective students from studying in the UK. However, it doesn’t have to stop you! There are ways to so lve this problem:

Scholarships They are foundations which offer scholarships to very good students. Some of them offer scholarships specially for Polish people. However, you’re probably more likely to get the scholarships offered by the university. Each university has its page for “fees and founding”. Most of them offer money for good grades and achievements but there are also scholarships for students who cannot afford the studies. It won’t cover the entire cost, but it will help you. For details you have to go to your university’s website. Tuit ion Fee Loan This is the loan offered by the UK’s government. It will cover the entire cost of your studies, books and accommodation, as well as public transport tickets. However, after you finish your studies, you’re obliged to return the money to the UK’s government in installments. Some people say it’s a loan you’ll be paying off till the end of your life. I don’t know about that, but since we have to work almost till 70…does it really make such a difference? Ok, being serious – it will probably take you ages to pay off this loan. However, the conditions are bearable. You have to decide on your own whether you’re ready to make a sacrifice like that or not. For more details go on the UK’s government’s website. * You won’t qual ify for Tuition Fee Loan i f you start your higher s tudies on Polish University!  

Kasia Skoneczna

Study in the UK

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Ber lin – a mekka for young people – especially

those that enjoy art and are kind of hipster-like. Okay,

let's be real here – Berlin is a city of hipsters. It's

actually a great thing, which you can only benefit

from. Imagine this – you're walking down the street,

seeing loads of wonderfully dressed people. You're

passing coffee shops, bistros, art galleries, museums,

which are literally everywhere. I'm certain that if you

look carefully enough, you can find this sort of places

in every big city. But in Berlin – it 's al l there, just

at your f ingertips .

The first thing I want to talk about is culture,

museums and art galleries. If you like history and

want to see some museums with rich collections,

Berlin is a great place for that.

Just in the city center, where you are surely going to

go if you're there, is The Museum Island. That’s

where you’ll find the huge Deutches Historisches

Museum (The German Historica l Museum). If

you're not so keen on museums, just go there to see

the venue. The place itself is really nice and the

Berlin Cathedral is right there. It's not very

'alternative', but it's interesting. As you can see,

Berlin is not just a city for hipsters; it's diverse in every

way you can imagine, so everyone can find

something for themselves.

Another museum which I’d like to recommend to you

is the Jewish Museum. One tip – reserve a lot of

time for it. Trust me, it's not a waste of time – I can

promise you, you'll enjoy it. It's just so different from

all the museums I've seen in my life – it's very Berlin-

like. And also, there's a lot, a lot to see. Leaves a hell

of an impression.

As for art galleries, I'd say Ber linische Galler ie is

undoubtedly worth your time. It's a museum of

modern art, photography and architecture. Again, it

is a place you may come across in guidebooks, but

it's awesome and not crowded whatsoever. And,

another thing that may convince you to go there– the

admission is free if you're underage. It's right next to

the Jewish Museum, so go ahead youngsters, make

sure to enjoy some free art!

Another artsy place absolutely worth checking out is

Hamburger Bahnhof. If you are learning German,

you're probably looking at the name like - 'what the

heck is that? How is that art?' Yes, bahnhof means ‘a

railway station’ in German and this place actually

used to be that. Nowadays it's called Museum für

Gegenwart, which means Museum for the present

and it's a contemporary art museum, also a part of

the National Gallery (which, as a matter of fact, is

situated on the Museum Island).

Now, let's talk about the best of all things – food. If

you'll find my recommendations useful and decide to

visit the Jewish Museum and Berlinische Gallerie

you'll find yourself in Kreuzberg. If you want to grab a

bite, do not hesitate – pay a visit to Mahlzeit

Kreuzberg. There you'll find green food, which is

obviously better for you than McDonald's, it is really

tasty and very “in” right now.

Another place, this time situated in Mitte (not far

away from the center) is Spreegold. There you can

get breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner – anything

you desire! You can have pasta or a sandwich, a

burger or even a steak if you're more of a meat

lover... :).

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The next interesting place to get food is Markthal le

IX, again in Kreuzberg. It's a food market, where you

can obviously also get fresh, tasty and healthy food.

The idea of street food is also growing nowadays in

Poland. More and more people want to get food

from trusted traders, where they can see it, touch it,

and ask questions. Some even go to this kind of

places to socialize with others, to make buying food -

which can be a tiring chore – fun.

If you're not so keen on green food, give Hashi

Izakaya a shot! You'll also find it in Mitte, so you can

pop in there after sightseeing. They serve Japanese

cuisine there, so you can get amazing sushi of course.

The place itself, decorated in a really lovely way, is

definitely worth stopping by!

If you're not that hungry and just want to unwind in a

nice café, there's also loads of places worth trying.

What I would like to recommend to you is 'west

berlin' situated on Friedrichstraße, very near to

Checkpoint Charlie – the best-known Berlin Wall

crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin

during the Cold War. This really cute coffee bar with

great coffee, cakes and sandwiches compares

favourably with crowded Starbucks or McDonald's

right next to the Checkpoint. Another place worth

trying is Kafeemitte, a really nice place just to relax

and get coffee or even something nice to eat.

Last, but definitely not least – other amazing places

to check out. More summery, open-air stuff. If you

just want to walk around, you cannot obviously

forget about Friedrichstraße, Under den Linden

and of course the one famous for shopping Ku'damm

- Kurfürstendamm. If you want to go out after it gets

dark, maybe party a little, there are of course some

great summery places, for instance – Open Airs .

Like in Warsaw, there's a lot of happening by the river,

especially when the days get warmer. If you like that

idea, definitely check out Arena Badeschiff and

Strandbar Mitte (strand bar = beach bar).

If you're going to Berlin, have a nice time! If not, I hope

I inspired you in some way to do that. It's a great city,

with so much to do. I could go on like this forever,

there's so many amazing places to visit.

Like I said at the beginning – this city is very diverse, it

really has so much to offer. We can’t pinpoint WHAT

that city really is, but maybe we can call it a city of

hipsters. Paris is romantic, Berlin – hipstery. Which one

are you?

I'm still waiting for such a thing to start in Warsaw, a

characteristic feature. I guess we just have to wait. But

for now – just go to there. Experience. Decide for

yourself what kind of city Berlin is.

One last tip: when you’re seeing Brandenburg Gate

(you probably will...), there's Dunkin' Donuts right

next to it. Just grab an armful of donut boxes, take U-

Bahn (underground train) and go to Tiergarten for a

walk by the Spree . Believe me – you won’t forget that

city for a long time.

Wiktoria Buniowska

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Vintage Finds

How do you feel about some shopping? Sounds

good, doesn’t it? But I’m not going to bore you

with places like Champs-Élysées (yes, that’s the

avenue that Joe Dassin was singing about).

Instead of that I would like to invite you to the

magical and old Paris. The flea markets by

the Porte de Clignancourt in Paris are this

type of location. You will get completely lost in

between the vintage Louis Vuitton trunks, pretty

china with flower patterns around or age-old

photos, postcards and posters.

Paris’ Best Cold-Press Juice Bars

When you get tired after wandering around with fully filled bags, here are a few spots where you can get a cold-pressed juice in Paris. All are 100% organic and 100% made in Paris by locals. But keep your guard up; because once you try it, you are hooked!

1. The P ioneer: Bob’s Cold Press

Bob’s Juice Bar (15 Rue Lucien Sampaix) and

Bob’s Kitchen (74 Rue des Gravilliers) have

one-off green juices to buy throughout the

week at their locations.

2. The Grab & Go: Juice It

Juice It (8 rue de la Vrillière) has the most

consistent variety, and is the top choice for a

juice break at any time during the day. For

something with more substance, check out an

almond-milk drink with bee pollen.

3. The Cleanse: NuBio & BoJus

Along with offering different cleanse options,

NuBio and BoJus strongly try to make it easy

for busy Parisians to get their fresh cold-press

juices, by offering home-delivery services,

which are pretty much the only way to get the

drink.

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The classic: Café de Flore.

This is a must-see kind of a place. A historic

landmark in Paris since 1890, this café was a

favorite of many great 19th-century writers and

artists, but don’t be surprised to bump into certain

intellectuals or famous celebrities even now.

Ambient atmosphere, delicious chocolate, original

Art Deco dating back to World War II inside. You

can find it all on the corner of the Boulevard Saint-

Germain and the Rue St. Benoitand.

Read outside. Imagine you’ve just bought an out-of-date issue of Vogue, I’m pretty sure you would want to read it right away. The perfect arrangement for the moment of relaxation? I’d recommend the chairs around the fountain in the garden around Palais Royal or the benches in the middle of Pont des Arts with the view of the Eiffel Tower and Grand Palais. It’s overwhelmingly beautiful and peaceful in both places and believe me, once you get there, you’ll never want to leave.

Travel leisurely.

Paris is a city you must tour unhurriedly. The true

beauty of Paris is in its details. Attention to

details is a staple of Parisian culture, as the true

beauty of this city pumps out of them. It’s truly

refreshing to walk down a (stunningly beautiful)

street, ride a subway, even grab a coffee (as the

first thing to do in the morning), and be

surrounded by people who have clearly given

some thought to how they look.

Paris really does live up to the hype we’ve been

fed all our lives. I mean, it’s just as romantic, as

yummy, as photogenic — frankly everything you

imagined it would be. If you don’t trust my word,

go and discover it by yourself. It’s definitely

worth it.

Bisous…

Gabrysia Płażalska

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Imagine yourself sat on a massive warm rock with an ice-cold green tea by your side and a book you've always wanted to read, that you oh so luckily snatched for $1,5 in a cute local vintage books boutique by the beach run by the people who learned your name by your third visit. Imagine remembering that you ate lunch at a little local Mexican shop selling fresh fish tacos, which you could see and smell grilling in the hot Californian sun. Imagine the blue water merging with the pastel violet sunset being the background of beautifully tanned guys surfing into the most vivid shades of blue. No crowds, no beach sellers, no nothing. Laguna Beach everyone. Feel the love. The beauty of California lays in the variety of the coast, each part of it as different as human moods. When you feel like being alone and falling in love - hop onto 55 then change to 89 and you're in Laguna. If you feel like chilling by a bonfire with a

random group of friends who have literally just got out of water coz it got just a tad bit too dark to be hanging around surfing in the middle of the sea - Hunt ington Beach is the place. "You look like you're lost", shouted a guy from the crowd. The bus stop I was looking for was genuinely nowhere to be found. "Maybe I am”, I shouted back. "Maybe I can help". And that's how I joined a group of American slash Mexican friends on a Friday evening, drinking cold beer and listening to a live performance of a local Californian band till 11 pm. Californian living. It really doesn't disappoint. Bonus beach: If you feel like looking at amazing street art, listening to street artists or seeing some stoned people eating and enjoying themselves on a monthly Vegan Food Festival - the thug life lives in Venice Beach.

The Beaches Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach & Venice Beach

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California, the Kingdom of Taco Bell . If you're one of those people who have never had one Beefy 5-layer Burrito with double cheese in their lives, then from the bottom of my heart - I am so very sorry for you. Not to mention that it is cheap as hell so you can literally stuff yourself till you burst. They also have original sodas, like their incredible fruit punch, which I’m still on the hunt for in Poland, but still with no luck. Aside from Taco Bell, you definitely can't miss out on Popeye’s – serving THE very best fried chicken. Kentucky, go home! No exaggeration. The Popeye’s location I first went to was the one on Hollywood Blvd, and oh how amazed I was when I first tried it. What Popeye’s also prides itself upon is their impeccably seasoned and perfectly cut French fries, heavenly butter biscuits (always warm, soft and creamy) and their AMAZING original iced tea. Second to the previously mentioned is a Californian fast food chain called “In and Out”. It literally just sells three kinds of burgers, three kinds of shakes and French fries, but oh my god does the quality make up for the quantity.

Hania Sagan

"I'm gonna pop some tags, only got 20

dollars in my pocket. ." - ladies and gentlemen,

California and her Buffalo Exchanges. BE is basically

a shop in which young people exchange, sell and

buy clothes. Imagine a really huge, shared wardrobe

of really well-dressed people – that’s basically what

it is. What makes this place so cool is that the

selection of clothes you’ll find there is very strict -

tons and tons of people come to sell clothes here,

but only the best ones are accepted. They also pay

really little for them, which results in extremely low

prices for the buyers (us). The shop is run by fashion

students (e.g. from the Art Institute of California), so

we can additionally enjoy free professional

selection. It’s sort of a community of fashion lovers,

where everyone helps everyone and everyone wins.

If you’re in for a hunt for designer clothes, there’s a

huge probability will find some amazing things, but

even without them, those places are filled with

fashionable and unique stuff that would otherwise

cost a fortune if bought in any Hollywood boulevard

vintage shop.

The Food Taco Bell and In-N-Out

(everywhere), Popeye’s (6384

Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA)

 

The Shops The LAB Anti-Mall (2930 Bristol St,

Costa Mesa) with Buffalo Exchange,

Urban Outfitters and more

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Bei jing, China

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing" sang Katie

Melua. Definitely not true! Maybe it used to be like this

9 years ago, when the song came out, but since then a

lot things have changed. I expected to see the streets

full of Chinese faces rushing on their bikes. But instead

I had to breathe in the exhaust fumes of motor scooters

or Chinese cars.

Anyway, China is thought to be a global economic

power and its capital city has significantly expanded

and developed, especially in a last few years. Beijing is

now a real paradise for fresh and modern architecture.

For example, there's CCTV headquarters, the glass

skyscraper comprised of two combined, Z-shaped

towers. The Beijing airport, rebuilt in 1999, handles

over 80 million passengers a year. The place is so long

that we had to travel by internal railway, which

transported us to the airport's extremity. The

development of the city was affected by Summer

Olympic Games in 2008. When the communist

authorities took action to organize this sports event,

the diligent Chinese hands put up the new 4

underground lines just in a few years. How about that,

Warsaw?

The Chinese are very smart people. Well, you can

doubt in their English skills, but you have to believe me

- there's nothing they can't duplicate or falsify. While

traveling the Beijing underground, I noticed almost

every Chinese has an IPhone. Later I found out most of

them aren't original. If you like shopping, there's

something especially for you in Beijing. It's the silk

market. Despite the name, this is the large 4-floor

building where you can buy or bargain (to be precise)

almost every product of Chinese coping machine -

from Ray Bans to "original" Beats headphones.

The capital of China reveals to you numerous

monuments of Chinese medieval architecture

(Forbidden City, the Hutong district) or Buddhist

temples (Lama's temple Yonghegong). An hour-long

drive on the highway enables you to reach the Great

Wall of China. I believe I don't have to explain why it is

worth seeing.

Hanoi, Vietnam

When I told Hania, who is the proud editor of our

super-awesome school newspaper, I was going to write

about Vietnam, she claimed there was nothing

interesting to see there. I totally disagree! It's a great

place to explore. What struck me the most was the

kindness of Vietnamese people. The local guide, whose

real name I wouldn't be able to remember, but who

introduced himself as "Peter", showed us around the

Hanoi city. We managed to visit the Ho Chi Minh

Mausoleum and a lot of Vietnamese restaurants. Oh

God, how I love eating pho!

For those uninitiated: pho, considered to be the

national dish of Vietnam, is beef or chicken broth with

noodles. Theoretically, you may be served a similar dish

during dinner at your grandma's. But pho is flavored

with a lot various spices and topped with various herbs,

which gives very expressive taste. And every recipe is

different. Pho is not only a popular street food. It's a

lifestyle ! It's not even defined

Headed to the

Far East

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whether it's a breakfast, lunch or dinner dish. So they

gobble it all day long ! But the party starts just after

nightfall, when the Vietnamese gather by the table,

surrounded by friends or family, perching on child--

sized plastic chairs and having invigorating

conversations. Hanoi by night is absolutely fantastic!

Contrary to Beijing, where you can distinctly see some

influences of Western civilization, the capital of Vietnam

has remained 100 % Asian. The characteristic smell of

Vietnamese cuisine, noisy beeping of scooters still

lingers in my memory. But you need to be careful as

well, when crossing the street for instance. The driving

rules in the European sense do not exist there. The two

principles are "try not to hit anybody while going

forward" and "keep beeping so everybody can spot

your presence". What happens behind your back is

none of your concern.

The next place we were taken to by Peter was Ha Long

Bay, located 150 km from Hanoi. According to legend,

when enemies invaded the country, the Vietnamese

called the Dragon for help. While the enemy ships were

moving closer towards the coast, the dragon spat out

pearls that turned into thousands of small islands

scattered around the bay. The enemy ships crashed on

the rocks. Visiting the picturesque Ha Long Bay with

floating-villages and kayaking there was an

unforgettable experience for me.

Colombo, Sri Lanka

I was satisfied with leaving Colombo as I couldn't stand

the sight of Dutch retirees sunbathing all day long by

the hotel's swimming pool. Sri Lanka has recently

become quite a popular destination for the people

who enjoy ‘supine holiday’. I don't. So when the

opportunity arose, I packed my things and set off for a

5-day trip through the southern part of the Ceylon

Island.

The first place we visited was Pinnawala Elephant

Orphanage. However, I doubt if it's the right name for

it, because those large animals are kept there only as a

tourist attraction. The majority of elephants in Sri Lanka

have been chained. The young are separated from

their mothers in order to pose whole day long for the

Japanese tours taking photos.

But if you're an animal lover, I highly recommend

visiting Yala National Park on the Southern coast.

Because we arrived there quite late in the evening,

we craved a place to sleep. So we spent the night

sleeping on the tree (literally). In the tree house, for

the record. It was the most uncomfortable bed I've

ever slept in. But lying there and listening to the

wildlife symphony all around was unforgettable

experience. We woke up at the crack of dawn and

instantly jumped into a jeep, heading toward the

safari. According to our guide- driver, the most

suitable time for spotting animals is 5 a.m. Yala

National Park is primarily a shrub jungle with rocky

out crops that dot the park, along with several salt

and freshwater lagoons. As we were admiring the sun

rising over the safari, we managed to spot elephants,

a sloth bear and wild buffaloes. Unfortunately, we

missed the leopard, although Yala National Park is

famously known for its highest concentration of the

leopard in the world.

If you like mountain hiking, you may be surprised to

find something for you in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya city

is located at an altitude of 1,868 m. The fertile

grounds, appropriate temperature and humidity

contributed to creating there the most important

location for tea production in Sri Lanka. The first tea

plantations were founded in Nuwara Eliya by British

colonizers in the middle of 19th century. Since then

Sri Lankan ladies have been picking leaves from 90

cm high tea bushes which overgrow the local hills.

Although they work hard from morning to night, they

are paid only 300 rupees a day, which equates

approximately 3 dollars.

Definitely such a low salary does not provide you with

the adequate living standard. I would lie if I said I

didn’t see poverty during my stay in Sri Lanka. But

the miserable situation doesn't make those people

lose their joy of life. There was a guy who used to be

a Sri Lankan soldier, but now he could hardly make

ends meet. He offered to show us around the

Nuwara Eliya and walked with us for 4 hours. When

the trip came to its end, he refused to take money we

decided to give him for his help and smiled widely

exposing his lacking teeth.

Well, I wish I could write more about my experiences. There're so many place to see there, like the Golden temple in Dumbala or the ancient palace in Sigiriya. I just hope you will be able to explore them by yourself one day.

Marcin Nalepa

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My God what a day Saturday was! I was so privi leged to attend an amazing event organized on

the Warsaw Torwar on the 7th of June, concentrating so lely on al l-th ing-Japan. I'd say it was

Heaven on Earth for every single person that is even remotely interested in Japan. As a

Japanese student and an otaku I can safely say it was one of the best experiences in my l ife!

Of course the biggest focus was on the main stage,

where people could enjoy nearly every aspect of

Japanese culture. Shows featuring martial arts drew

very big crowds and no one left disappointed.

Especially hilarious was the sumo part where one of

the volunteers from the crowd managed to throw an

experienced sumo fighter OVER HIS LEG, thus

winning the round. There was one particular show

that got everyone captivated - the yosakoi dance - a

very dynamic rendition of a very old Japanese

summer dance. It was just enthralling! Other

performances consisted of different aspects of

Eastern art, such as live painting, folk music concerts

and many more. There was even a J-pop star-to-be

who entertained us with her songs in Japanese! It

was utterly amazing!

Since the whole event lasted 7 hours there was

always a big crowd around food stalls - and rightly so.

People could enjoy dishes from Japan that were

prepared by the Japanese themselves. And it wasn't

all sushi - there were 5 restaurants that each offered

different meals ranging from onigiri - very popular

rice snacks to makizushi and curry udon.

The biggest praise was for the samurai balls and

having tried it I am not surprised whatsoever.

The thing that I truly loved about that event was the

versatility and diversity of the attractions. There were

exhibitions from different eras. We could enjoy the

exhibition of real samurai armor as well as new

Japanese fashion shows. There was a stall with

Tamagotchi merchandise for the kids and a stall with

ikebana (an art of arranging flowers) for the older

ones. But there were also things that everybody

could enjoy equally, like the possibility to wear a

yukata or to play ancient games that proved both

challenging and fun for everyone. There were also

very beautiful exhibitions of bonsai trees and, a

favorite of mine, the kanzashi hairpins, which were

just magnificent. There was also much one could

learn - there was a lesson in Japanese, workshops on

calligraphy and even a tea ceremony conducted right

before our eyes.

All in all, it was an outstandingly splendid happening.

I am sure I won't miss the next edition and I hope you

won't either.

Kuba Orliński

今日は皆さん  (Hello everybody)  

Japan

15    

 

   

One of the most keenly antic ipated movies in 2014, based on the #1 bestseller – The Fault in Our

Stars had its premiere only a couple of days ago and is al ready considered a phenomenon among

romance f ilms! You can check i t on the American website imdb.com or on the Polish fi lmweb.pl –

it has been rated 8,6 s tars out of 10! There aren’t a lot of movies dedicated for teenagers that a re

rated so high. For example the popular Hunger Games has got 7,3 stars out of 10. The cri tics are

amazed and the publ ic is fascinated by the story of the young Hazel and Augustus.

The most important thing to point out is that this story

isn’t by all means banal. It’s not only about love, but

about life in general and about the constant struggle

of sick people who are showing great courage. Let me

give you a short synopsis - Hazel is a teenager

suffering from lung cancer. One day at the support

group, a new boy catches her eye. Well, to be

accurate, they catch one another's eyes. Soon enough,

she and Augustus are close friends and talk to each

other about everything, because they have so much in

common. The story’s about their fight for an amazing

life, their courage, their love and shows how happy

they can be, no matter what.

The Fault in Our Stars is the fifth novel by the author

John Green, published in 2012. It got famous the very

first day of its publication. In fact, 20th Century Fox

optioned the rights to adapt the novel into a film the

same month. This book was meant to be a success and

I believe it’s a book for everyone. Not only for

teenagers loving romances but also for adults or

people who know this illness from personal

experience. There’s no doubt that this story is sad and

heartbreaking but it’s also so realistic, touching,

philosophical and funny that after reading this book,

you’ll feel sad and happy at the same time. You will

laugh and you will cry, but you won’t be able to forget

it. Personally, I was afraid that the movie would

disappoint me, but it didn’t. However, I recommend

you read the book first and then watch the movie! But

if it happens that you don’t like reading books, then the

film is equally beautiful and stirring.

In my opinion, the cast was chosen perfectly and Ansel

Elgort is exactly how I imagined Augustus! Shailene

Woodley, who plays the main character, is pretty nearly

brilliant for this role. But let’s be honest, the ideal cast

exists only in our imagination. The second thing that I

believe was selected very carefully is the soundtrack,

which is just amazing! From the great Ed Sheeran and

Birdy to M83 and Swedish hip hop ;) – It suits the movie

perfectly and the songs have stunning lyrics.

Summer is coming and the grades are nearly approved,

so you know what to do! Head to the nearest cinema,

buy a ticket and enjoy two hours of great emotions or

go to a bookshopand buy this amazing book – you

have plenty of time to read it and no longer any

excuses ;).

Gosia Duluk

16