"Alas"

There are a lot of things in the world, and I quite like most of them. Some of the other things are not so good, but I certainly admit that they are part of the world too, so I don't rule out learning something from them - though I would like to make them better. But there is one thing that still rather annoys me. I suppose you could deduce something more general from what I'm about to tell you, but, at any rate, here is the thing that annoys me:

It annoys me when I read a review (I don't read reviews much, maybe because of this...) of some recording of Rachmaninov's Second Piano Sonata (B Flat Minor) and it says "which, alas, he performs here in the mutilated second version", or "unfortunately foregoing the far more interesting first version" (brackets, alas, close brackets) and so on and so on. I have never read a review of this work that didn't say something like that.

I have just decided to learn this piece, and I can tell you, each version has got some things going for it. But there is one person I care about in this matter, only one, and his name is Sergei Vassilievitch Rachmaninov. It was his idea to make the changes, so I am going to work on the assumption that he did have at least some tiny clue about how to do his job. I am prepared to consider the first version too, since I have it. But I don't at all think that I know better than S. V. R. If these people who say the above about this work think differently, they are welcome to produce recordings that match their lofty ideals. If they can...

Colour

A nice bit of colouring-in, that's what I recommend for you.

You enjoyed it once, so have another go!

Maybe now you're old it's not serious enough to use colours. Is it all black and grey now? Try out some colour and see if it makes you feel any different.

Colour works for nature, so why not for us too?

A black or grey person doesn't want to stand out, but if a healthy person is looking at this grey smudge on the beautiful green horizon, then it is rather obvious. And not too nice, either! The sky is blue, so why not you. The trees are seen so often wearing green. I never said I don't like red. Never let me hear you say that yesterday was black or grey.

OK, pick up your pencils now!

Stomatologia

I won...nothing at all! But I will be back. I think I know what to do.

I know I said that no news from here means good news from Kraków. Well, that wasn't true any more, in the way I originally meant it. The only real news apart from the above was that my feet were very busy going all around the town. That is what kept me away from you, dear readers. Actually it is not such a big town after all. I saw everyone at least twice, and some people I saw three times!

And I was lying about the lack of technology too (it's all lies, here). There will be pictures. If they are of any interest, I mean. Otherwise it's a case of "me looking at my shoes by a castle", "really interesting picture, if that lorry hadn't driven past", etc. These I will not bother you with!

There was one thing I wanted to say. STOMATOLOGIA. This word is everywhere. It is not such a nice word, and I objected to seeing it every five seconds as I made my way from tram to tram in Kraków. OK, I will look it up now and tell you what it means. My guess is "surgery".

I can't find it. One place says "dentistry". But it's not in my dictionary. Any ideas?

Don't be disappointed about the competition, folks! It's just one event among many! I was satisfied with my performance, so...I was the winner! Of my own particular event.

I can let you have a listen to my performance. Just give me a minute to get sorted out. I only came through the door recently. Back soon - and I mean soon. I am here, for now at least!