Scenario of good movie

Saga under the title "Imperium łez" (ang. The Empire of Tears) contains two volumes ("Wojna opiumowa" - La Guerre de l’Opium - and "Księżycowy Kamień" - Le sac du Palais d'été - by Jose Freches). These books are about completely unknown story for me of opium wars in mid-19th Century China. You will find many historical annotations here, which are very helpful. In the novel, the author shows how complicated relationships can be, not only in one cultural region (China), but also cross-cultural, in this case - the line between England and China.

We can see the bad side of people from France and Great Britain in 19th century. When they totally don't understand people from China and only want make fortune selling them opium.

Very colourful described characters from China, GB, France, Portugal, Russia and others have very fascinating threads. In this two books we meet a few characters. Initially their stories are described separately and only on further pages their fates  begin to cross, pass and connect... But in this book characters are not black-white, maybe only one... the title character from the second volume. They have to make many difficult decisions in very complicated times...
Very seldom I read a book in which the fate of many characters are described and actually there is not one main thread, but there are many. It is very interesting idea! Both the beginning and the ending relate to European journalist describing and drawing extraordinary facts, which used to happened in China.

For me, these books are good base for a film script. Any director think the same? Now I am waiting for a film... ;)

Friendship once again

 Have you ever tried to find a new friend? If so, you probably know, how difficult task it is.

Maybe you tried to keep friendship with a person with the opposite gender... did you succeed? If you want to read about this kind of relations I recommend you "Brand New Friend" by Mike Gayle (in Polish 2008). Rob, main character, moved in to a new city, where he did not have a family, friends or even work-mate. He tried to find a new friend for men talking-drinking, but it is not so easy for 32 years old guy, especially if he works alone at his home.
They say that friendship between men is very different than between women. Women meet very often, they talk each other just like that, no reason, etc. And men meet much more seldom, don't go shopping together or talk all the day. And it is a point how it is possible to combine such different points of view of friendship?

I don't know how, but I know IT IS POSSIBLE :) Sometimes it is the biggest advantage that my male friend is not a female and other times it is his the biggest disadvantage ;)

After reading this book I have read an interview with the author (you can find it here). It was surprising for me that men need that much time before they call someone a friend. It takes them so many years...
I know, friendship is something special and needs much time, needs years, but sometimes we know from the beginning that something special happened, that we like each-other and after years we recognize that it is a friendship. A few times in my life I met a man, and from the beginning I knew that we could be a close colleague and the time will check whether we can be friends or not.

Following Polish singers (Rafał Olbrychski and Maryla Rodowicz) I would like to sing now:

 

'When you find a new friend,
all your days in the whole year
are like Sunday.
When you find a new friend
Sunny shoots a ray from heaven
eyesight is gleaming
And a word is not afraid a word
Tablecloth is white, the bread is sliced

When dusk falls
The light of reason pierce the gloom
And you have someone to talk deeply
from heart
you can be silent together too.

And if yours roads are diverging
If it is friendship, nothing can destroy its
And at the end of the world you will get a sms
If this is true friendship
If it is
(...)'

/my translation/