Tuesday 19 May 2015

Good Morning TV: Wake up and smell the coffee


I have a special morning routine. I have to get out of bed by 6:30 a.m. at the latest and I try my hardest to sit down on my sofa at 7:00 with a cup of coffee and sandwich watching a morning show. I truly love breakfast television, especially over the weekends when I can fully enjoy the whole programme. Why? Sometimes it's just good to see that someone had to wake up much earlier than you to get to work. I'm pretty sure that most of you, in a moment of utter boredom in the morning, reach for the remote to see what was going on in TV. 

The vast majority of the breakfast shows are hosted by a small team of hosts who are trying to convince you that you wake up with them for a reason. They are pretending that they are all in a great mood, full of enthusiasm, even at 6:00 a.m., asking with a broad smile: Who do you want to say 'Happy Monday' to? 

There are some common rules and some repetition across all the morning shows around the world. Most of the names start with a salutation and then they are followed by a country's name like: Good Morning Britain, Good Morning America, Good Morning Greece, Good Morning Asia or simple, Good Morning. All of them focus on providing mixture of news, sport, entertainment, current affairs and weather updates. Studio design has the same structure almost everywhere in the world, especially when it comes to fake background of a city view or any other outdoor view which is just pretending to be real. 

Here is my subjective opinion about the most popular shows

Good Morning Britain which is often abbreviated as GMB. As you can guess, it's a flagship UK breakfast television show. Nevertheless, for me it looks more as a news programme rather than morning show. Instead of a comfy breakfast sofa, there is a vast glass-topped desk taken straight from the news room. Actually, the most interesting part of the show are guest invited to the studio to talk about certain news stories. However, many seeing it as the first real competition from ITV for BBC Breakfast. 

The huge advantage of BBC Breakfast is the fact that the programme is broadcast seven days a week, every week of the year, including weekends and public holidays. Also, we have a sofa here which adds sort of warm atmosphere and enables the guests to feel more relaxed. 

Well, everything starts in the US. Most of the morning shows are being inspired by American version. The most popular one is obviously Good Morning America debuted in 1975! The show won the first three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program. As it's typical for American style, everything that happens here is on a large-scale. GMA studio is located in the heart of New York, Time Square, which might be regarded as the central of the world's entertainment industry. Expect from a glossy table in the studio why don't put there a large, comfy breakfast sofa too! Fun personalities, fast-paced stories, and great energy between presenters add a special value to the show.

Surprisingly, my favourite morning show is the one that I always watch when I'm back in my home town. It's called Good Morning TVN (Polish name: Dzień Dobry TVN). During the summer holidays it is replaced by Good Morning Vacations. TVN is one of the largest and most reputable Polish commercial television network. The structure of the show is slightly different from British and American versions.

First of all, each episode is hosted by a couple of presenters. The studio is quite large, there is a huge, comfy sofa and some of the discussions and interviews are conducted at a special table. Most importantly, the studio is located on the top floor of a building in the heart of Warsaw. The background behind the presenters is real. Another element that differentiates the show from the others above is a kitchen. This is a place where special guests (sometimes well-known TV personalities) are preparing their favourite dishes during the show. All the hosts are wearing a bit less formal clothes than those in British or American versions to add sort of casual style to the show. Good Morning TVN has also its own café - TVN Café. It's good to go there and drink a coffee, seating next to your favourite hosts!

Tuesday 5 May 2015

10 Ways to Stay Happy at Work



For decades, Monday has been considered the worst day of the week. It’s not always easy to stay motivated and even happy and smiley when you’re getting down on yourself about the deadlines, a fire-breathing boss, a huge pile of work you have on your desk or how you feel about the office as a whole. It's even harder when you are a young practitioner who actually just started a "real" career. You are getting nervous more often and giving up more quickly.

Here are a few ways to survive at work and remain happier at work (even on Mondays).
1. Start your day with you favourite coffee. Coffee is your wake-up call. It contains caffeine, a natural stimulant that gives your day an energetic start.

2. Don't forget about breakfast! Breakfast is the crucial meal of the day. Coffee and healthy breakfast is a perfect combination to kick-start your day.

3.Keep positive. Everything starts in our mind. I know it's hard to believe but happiness is largely a choice. I can hear you arguing with me now, but it's true. You can choose to be happy at work. Sound simple? Yes. So you are in control of how you feel about your work every day. Remind yourself why you got into your job in the first place and stay as positive as long as you can.

4. Stay organized. Spend some time to create your to do list every morning (while drinking a delicious coffee) and keep a restricted schedule to stay focused.

5, To much stress? Get walking—outside, if you can. Or at least close your eyes, hold you breath, count ot ten.

6. Keep your personal life at home. Try to not think about any personal problems and focus on work.

7.Take a Breather. You are not a machine, you are human. Take a lunch break. Even for 15 minutes. Sit down to eat your lunch and step away from your computer a bit.

8.Ask for feedback. Don't be afraid to ask. Find out what it is you can improve on and set your mind to improving it. Take some notes in your diary.

9.Reward yourself. Finish a horrible assignment? Grab a piece of chocolate or cake. You deserve it.


10. Make your work bestie. It’s so really essential to have that kind of person at work you can vent to. however it's not easy, you have to be very careful. Take time to get to your co-workers. Having a good people around you and enjoying working with them are hallmarks of a positive, happy work experience.

"Feelings, vibrations... It's all what music is about" Gentleman



SYMPHONICAL is an artistic project involving collaboration between classic music and reggae.It had its premiere. It had its premiere on the 30th of April 2015 in "Sala Ziemi" in Poznan. The main star was Tilmann Otto who is widely known by his stage name- Gentleman. He is the international reggae musician from Germany. More than 40 young musicians from Poznan performed with him and his band the best of hits of Gentleman with participation of orchestra and choir.

There is no doubt that performing with such a star like Tilmann Otto is an incredible experience not only for young musicians but also and for reggae fans. A devoted crowd of fans couldn't wait to welcome their idol. They had been waiting in a long queue since 7:00 A.M. to enter the building where the concert was taken place.

Is was a magical and memorable event. It was clearly noticeable that Gentleman felt great on the Polish stage and was in fantastic mood, especially when he tried to enunciate several words in Polish. He said that any time he visited Poland, he is surrounded by amazing people with incredibly positive attitude. It's important to stress that the concert wouldn't be such an unusual event without the participation of talented Poznan Boy's Choir under the direction of Jacek Sykulski.

I can't wait for another concert of Gentleman in Poland. Next stop- OSTRÓDA REGGAE FESTIVAL! Have a seat, put your headphones on and enjoy this music: