Parallel programming tutorial [on hold]

I’m interested in parallel programming and high load system. But I'm real zero at it. I want to dive into these topics. So give me advice how I can achieve this goal. Advise me tutorials, how and where I can get the test environment (my PC has only two cores, I think it’s not enough to solve real problems). Mainly I have no idea about the subject of a real project, which I can do and add to my portfolio (to hell the portfolio, I would like an interesting project! I want to challenge, to break my head!). Please, advise me some idea for real project.

My background: pure C (about 5 years), strong knowledge (not guru, but confident to use) C++03 (about 3 years), knowledge C++11 (move semantics, multithreading, lambdas), noob in metaprogramming, some experience with boost. Basics C# and networks. If the preferred language for parallel programming is another language, not C++, I’m ready to study it.