15 Doping

It's obvious that doping is against the rules of sport. Nowadays many doping stories has finally become public. It's scandalous what has happened in Russia. Finally, an extensive report has shed light on the mecanism of sport management in many countries. The emergence of a doping culture is not a new phenomenon, but recently we have more evidence that entire countries are involved in providing doping to athletes.

1. Swimming
Have you ever heard of teenagers taking performance-enhancing drugs? My brother was a really good swimmer. When he was 14 he won Polish National Championship. He was one of the greatest, promising swimmers. A prestigious school offered him a place at the roll of students. My brother's trainer sent him a list of "supplementary vitamins" (strangely affecting the health of kids, especially the heart). My dad rejected the proposal.

2. Tennis
Maria Sharapova was banned from tennis for 15 months. She had been taking meldonium. It's a kind of medication that increases exercise capacity. Before the press conference, everybody suspected that she was pregnant. It was a real shock, totally unexpected news. Sugarpova, the sweetest tennis player could have done something so... unethical? After being suspended, she could be given a wild-card invitation to get into Roland Garros. She didn't get the card. Journalists said that Sharapova's fans could be disappointed. Seriously? She had been taking prohibited substances so she can't be treated as a tennis player who is returning to tennis after having an injury.

14

I'm a typical movie buff. I could spend every day watching movies. Things are getting more complicated when I want to watch a movie with my friend who is also a movie freak. She has seen everything, so we only watch the latest new movies. 

The Girl on the Train

I figured out immediately who was the killer with no effort. Fortunately, I haven't read the book. Surprisingly, recently every blockbuster book results a complete sh... trash. I read an academic article about the necessity of creating a new literary genre. Blockbuster books have some similarities in the narrative elements and in the emotional reaction that the book produces. As it achieves enormous sales, the plot has to be very simple. Nowadays, people prefer a light reading. Oh, wasn't the "50 shades of Grey" a page-turner? Another brilliant blockbuster book. Strangely, I flipped through that book. 

The script is also a complete trash, but The Girl on the Train has a stellar cast. Emily Blunt's acting is incredibly good. I was certain that Jennifer Lawrence (Megan) had botox injected into her cheeks or she just wanted to know what was the aesthetic medicine in practice. But... it wasn't her! The director featured Haley Bennett in that role! To my pure astonishment, she was quite good at imitating Lawrence. 

So... The script was terrible. Rachel takes the train to work in New York and the train passes near her house where she was living with her former husband. She was also watching a couple (o spying on them) who lives near: Megan and Scott. Ok, I got tired. The plot summary: murder, alcoholism, love affair, hangover.

Another unnecessary waste of time.

13. the cultural diversity

It's amazing to watch the cultural diversity. I have always been curious about other cultures and the ways in which they have adapted to live in our planet. When I was in Spain I had to use a pot to boil water. To my pure bewilderment, my Spanish friend told me that it would be great to invent something that could boil water without using a pot. SERIOUSLY?!

Yesterday I read an intriguing article about bizarre customs. Let's criticize one of them.

Scotland: When a woman finally decides to marry her boyfriend she's certain that they will withstand everything. In Scotland, marriage is not deified. I should check the divorce rate in Scotland. So, before getting married, the couple has to be pelted with rotten eggs and fish. The clanging of church bells won't be the most desirable sound, rather the sound of streaming water in the shower. If I were Scottish I would be my favourite pastime. It has to be fun to destroy the perfect wedding dress!