Patrzalek started romping the guitar at age 10 when he picked up classical one under the guidance of local teacher Jerzy Pikor. After two years he started studying flamenco styles, being mentored by Spanish guitarist Carlos Pinana. Later, at the age of 13, Patrzalek began playing fingerstyle on an acoustic guitar. It quickly became his principal instrument and after around a year of self-taught practice in 2015, he managed to nab the crown of the ninth edition of Polish talent-show ‘Must Be The Music.’
Zilver was good, though a bit of a queue to get in for yum cha. Now despite the well-deserved accolades, Chris T and I find Wollongong’s Ziggy’s House of Nomms actually has better dumplings.
Down to the Library, then to the Illawarra Leagues Club
In due course Col came in. At a table beside us were two old ladies some of whose chat we overheard. First it was a question about what nationality Nick Kyrgios is. I chipped in “He was born in Canberra.” Yes, said one, but where did he come from? “Canberra…” Yes, but…. “Well we all come from somewhere else eventually, don’t we?” We agreed Greek background and that the appearance of many Greeks reflected the long history of that part of the world….
“When I hear things like that I come over full-on SBS,” I said to Colin. The example from SBS I offer next becomes very relevant to what happened next with the old ladies.
As I reported subsequently on Facebook:
Great and warm-hearted conversation with two ladies in the club! One was born in 1936, the other was 92 years old. I was responding to overheard remarks about Aboriginal people. I opened up about my own family story and they both listened, as I did to them as they had so much to offer too about having lived through so much. They said in the end they were glad to have met me; without a word of a lie I could reciprocate and only wish we had had more time.
That is the way all our national conversations must go, not least on Reconciliation, the Constitution and the Voice. Plus it was a total delight!
This I try to make my own watchword, not always successfully:
‘Only connect! That was her whole sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Only connect, and the beast and the monk, robbed of the isolation that is life to either, will die.
#Strongwomen. "I write about the power of trying, because I want to be okay with failing. I write about generosity because I battle selfishness. I write about joy because I know sorrow. I write about faith because I almost lost mine, and I know what it is to be broken and in need of redemption. I write about gratitude because I am thankful - for all of it." Kristin Armstrong
All abandoned: Chernobyl / Pripyat, Nara Dreamland, Anti-Zombie Fortress, Japanese Sex Museum - and many, many more! Plus: North Korea Special - 2 trips, 16 days / 14 nights! As seen on CNN...
Neil's Commonplace Book 