Dune Bashing

While in Dubai I went on a day trip out into the desert for a 'desert safari' which was pretty much just dune bashing in a 4x4. Great fun, except for the guy in the back seat throwing up half the time. :S I'm so glad the driver put me in the front, as I'm pretty sure I'd have been throwing up if I were put in the back.
This is the 1st of the series of videos I took. It is also the shortest. If you have time, watch them all. :) If not, maybe just the 5th one? (or maybe the 2nd one?? or 3rd?)... Well, actually, I love them all. They are all slightly different.

This one is the 2nd one. I love the combination of music and atmosphere, and it really shows the movement of the 4x4. While driving, I kept the camera horizontal, so if everything else isn't, that's the angle that the truck is at. Quite scary at times!!!

This one is the 3rd video. I love the music, Desert Rose, and at around 1:10 in the video you can see the sand going over the top of the truck. Love it.

Video #4, dune bashing to some Eminem. :)

Video #5, still to EMINEM. Actually, this one might show the most in terms of ups and downs and sideways.

Iran... music

Did you know dance, trance and house music are quite popular in Iran??

I love it!!!

12 Days of Christmas

A warm up to Christmas.
This is Jinny. She is in my 5 yr old after school class (meaning she is 4 years old western age). Her regular class is doing this song for their Christmas concert and she loves it. She often starts singing it at random times during the class. She is one of the sweetest and cutest kids ever, really!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I've been keeping myself quite busy, sort of.
There's work, of course. Then there are a couple of after work gigs. Add onto that an attempt to go to hot yoga, doctor appointments, dinners with friends and/or the boyfriend, weekend trips and evenings out, and I am BUSY!!! When I am home, I don't feel like doing anything. At home I've been downloading music (had to find some for work) and looking for Christmas movies to download - after the Christmas concert I'll bring my computer to work and my class will watch Christmas movies for the rest of the day (and maybe the following day as well!!).
Work is nuts these days, in preparation for the Christmas concert. Unlike last year's concert, which was only a month after I started, this one is a lot of work. Last year, they had already started teaching the songs and one of the songs the kids already knew because it was used in the Parent's Night show. Also, the concert was just upstairs in the gym, only 3 classes in a concert. This year, we can't use our Parent's Night song, because the moms all saw it. And the concert is in some hall or place with a stage, half of the school in concert at a time. My class is second last the second day, with 4 classes up before us. We were told we had to have them doing 3 songs (choreographed) and a poem. Well, I didn't like any of the poems and decided my kids would do a 4th song instead. I'm glad the school agreed. They thought it was a great idea as all of the other classes were doing poems, which can end up being a tad boring.
So, my kids are singing : I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas, Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys, All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, and Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon. Many of the kids already know the words to all of them (or most of them) and most of the dances as well (which I made up with a little help from my co-teacher). Our assistant teacher is now making the costumes that we decided on - a vest (red for boys, green for girls) with a reindeer face on the front and their names along the bottom. Very cute.
We had our first demo today with the supervisor watching. She was impressed with how much our kids knew. I think some of the other classes changed their songs or are just starting some of them. Our kids just have to practice. And we have to start practicing with the bells for All I Want for Christmas is You and glow sticks (glowing hearts and star wands) for Happy Christmas.
We have 2 weeks left before the concert. We'll be ready.
I'll post some videos of the kids practicing sometime in the next couple of weeks. They are so good!!!

Chori Chori

Do you remember Snow?? (No, not the white stuff that falls in winter.) I was listening to some Persian songs and came across this... It is a Bollywood/Persian mix of a song and had me nearly rolling on the floor!!! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!! Certainly not what I expected. I kinda like it, actually. Listen and you'll know what I mean.
Chori Chori by Aneela and Arash

And here's the original.
Informer by Snow

Lyrics [from A-Z Lyrics]:

"Informer"

[CHORUS:]
Informer
You know say daddy me snow me-a (gonna) blame

A licky boom-boom down

'Tective man he say, say Daddy Me Snow me stab someone down the lane

A licky boom-boom down

Police-a them-a they come and-a they blow down me door

One him come crawl through through my window

So they put me in the back the car at the station

From that point on I reach my destination

Well the destination reached in down-a East detention

Where they whip down me pants look up me bottom

[CHORUS]

Bigger they are they think they have more power

There on the phone me say that on hour

Me for want to use it once and-a me call me lover

Lover who me callin'-a the one Tammy

And me love her in my heart down to my belly-a

Yes say Daddy Me Snow me I feel cool and deadly

Yes the one MC Shan and the one Daddy Snow

Together we-a love 'em(?) as a tornado

[CHORUS]

Listen to me ya better listen for me now

Listen to me ya better listen for me now

When-a e rock-a the microphone, me rock on steady-a

Yes-a Daddy Me Snow me are the article don

But the in an a-out (?) a dance an they say, "Where ya come from?"

People them say I come from Jamaica

But me born and raised in Etobicoke I want ya to know-a

Pure black people man thats all I man know

Yeah me shoes are-a tear up an-a my toes used to show-a

Where me-a born in-a the one Toronto

[CHORUS]

Come with a nice young lady

Intelligent, yes she gentle and irie

Everywhere me go me never lef' her at all-ie

Yes-a Daddy Snow me are the roam dance man-a

Roam between-a dancin' in-a in-a nation-a

You never know say Daddy Me Snow me are the boom shakata

Me never lay-a down flat in-a one cardboard box-a

Yes-a Daddy Me Snow me-a go reachin' out da top

[CHORUS]

Why would he? [repeat]

[MC Shan:]

Me sittin round cool with my jiggy jiggy girl

Police knock my door, lick up my pal

Rough me up and I cant do a thing

Pick up my line when my telephone ring

Take me to the station, black up my hands

Trail me down 'cause I'm hanging with the Snowman

What an I gonna do, I'm backed and I'm trapped

Smack me in my face, took all of my gap

They have no clues and they wanna get warmer

But Shan won't turn informer

[CHORUS]

"I Like To Move It"

How I love my kids!!!!!! My co-teacher put on some music and on came the song "I Like To Move It". The kids loved it. Three of my kids started dancing. SOOOOOOOOOOOO Funny!!!!! Daniel is in the front doing to robot or what ever it is he is doing. Tony (back left in striped shirt) has quite the moves, and Ryan is back right.

Baby, One More Time

Random Korean version (with the help of a little soju) - this made me laugh so hard I fell off the bench.

Original Korean version by Jewelry (쥬얼리), a popular Korean girls group

Lyrics: (from Korean Song Lyrics blog)

I know I believed in you I think to me
we are over now all the times
we together yeah
let's go

Baby one more time
Let me blow your mind

Only Fantasy 시작하겠어 널위한 Showtime
달콤한 Chocolate 처럼 녹아든 내게 빠져봐

섹시한 눈빛과 뜨거운 몸짓에 좀 더 다가와
이밤을 지새울 한심한 늑대들 나를안아줘

Baby one more time
Let me blow your mind

Baby come to me 견딜 수 없어 널 향한 Toxic
핑크빛 Lipstick 처럼 스며든 내게 취해봐

화장을 고치고 Oh 목을 축이며 추는사람들
때론 Tight 하게 때론 Hot 하게 나를가져봐

Baby one more time
Let me blow your mind

멈출수가 없어 이 곳에서 나를 벗어버려
내 가슴속에 수갑을 채워 줄 미로속으로

(rap)We can take it show anyway you want go
I like this music Don't stop movin
dance in to the night
Hit me boy (boy)
baby don't be shy (shy)
Come by my side (side)
baby hold my tight
I wanna make you mind

Baby one more time
Let me blow your mind
Baby one more time

날 멈추지마
황홀한 이 시간들을 유혹하게
Let me blow your mind
다시 안아줘 끝낼 수 없게
Baby one more time

Apocalypse KOW Christmas Concert 2007

Unfortunately I missed out on the concert as I was obviously not in the country. Their concerts are always great fun, though.

[My bro's the one in the middle.]

I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You

It's not at all new, but I love this song so much. When ever I hear it, I have to stop what ever I'm doing and listen. Simply beautiful. It is the theme song from the movie The Mask Of Zorro

I REALLY can't imagine it with any different singers. Apparently, Tina Arena was originally supposed to be singing with Ricky Martin. Then, because he became unavailable, Marc Anthony filled the spot. I'm glad he did.

The Surgents

Check it out. It is definitely worth a listen. The Surgents were Band of the Month for October on Edmonton's Sonic Radio.

One of the members, Dr. Octavo (a.k.a. Tomas - best friend's brother-in-law) is also the producer. Octavo Productions is an independent music studio based in Edmonton, Canada.
It is more than likely that you have heard some Dr. Octavo's work, as some of it has been on the charts, on the radio, in the movies and so on.

Youm Wara Youm

I love this song!
Samira Said (originally from Morocco, now living in Egypt) and Cheb Mami

temple food and traditional Korean entertainment

A couple of weeks ago, Sergeja and I went to Sanchon Restaurant in Insadong. We had been planning on going there for a couple of weeks and were really looking forward to it. We were not disappointed. It was so good. Worth the 35,000 per person. It is set menu of 20 vegetarian temple food dishes (I've added my comments in brackets):
1. porridge of the season (plain but sooooooo good)
2. watery plain kimchi (I always love water kimchi)
3. radish, mushrooms, peppers and other vegetables, wrapped in thin vermicelli pancake (Couldn't really taste or see what it says is in it. Tasted like a cinnamony paste in the wrap. yummy)
[#4 in center and #12 bottom right]
4. seven wild vegetables, each with its own seasonings (almost all greens of some sort, some okay, some I can't stand as they have very strong distinct tastes)
5. kimchi
[#7 top left, steamed and seasoned peanuts (#15?) center, #6 bottom right]
6. seasoned fresh lettuce (very good. vinegary with a bit of red pepper powder added)
7. cooked roots of ballom flowers and fernbraken (I really liked it. Apparently fernbraken is great for women's health but is bad for male stamina - say several Korean friends of mine)
8. fried kelp (yuck! so fishy. very dry)
9. steamed beancurd with burdock, mushrooms, carrot (tofu with sauce and such on top - I like tofu but not this sauce as it had some sort of mountain berry with a very strong anise/licorice taste)
10. jelly (fairly plain; always like it; I think acorn or millet jelly)
11. small potatoes glazed with soy sauce and millet jelly (soooo yummy, but only one small potato each)
12. seasoned wild mountain roots (I loved it, Sergeja didn't)
13. special chopsuey made with various vegetables and mushrooms (I always love japchae)
[#14 bottom left, #16 center, (#15?) right, #11 bottom right]
14. three kinds of fritters of fried seasonal vegetable (tuikim - battered and deep fried snacks - long green peppers, lotus root and eggplant. I loved all but the peppers.)
15. seasonal Buddhist monk's favorite vegetables
16. three kinds of pan fried seasonal vegetable pancakes (very good)
17. rice with beans, millet, etc (just a dish of sticky rice with a few things added)
[#8 bottom left, #18 center]
18. soybean stew with mushrooms, radish, red peppers, beancurd, etc (dwenjang chigae - one of my favorite Korean soups that is fairly simple to make- served with a cool bamboo scoop)
19. tea (some sort of grain tea - barley or millet or something like that - nice)
20. sticky rice pastry (yugwa, a puffy rice cake. I got a box of this for the Lunar New Year. I do really like it. light, slightly sweet, fluffy)The entertainment during our meal was great. It started out with a buddhist monk playing a jong (a giant bronze bell; a very deep resonating sound) and a traditional chinese calligraphy demonstration.
Then there was a variety of traditional Korean dance performances (for some other pictures of a variety of traditional Korean dances including some of the ones I'm listing, check out lifeinkorea.com):fan dancedrum dance "Sogo si a small drum used for farmers'music either with or without a handle. Also referred to as maegubuk, it is often used in creating farmers' music and folk dance music" (ureuk.or.kr)something like the Seungmu (?) - "With a strong Buddhist aspect, this dance is performed wearing a indigo skirt, white top, and white pointed hat" (tour2korea.com) followed by an awesome drum performance - Jwago (a barrel drum in a wooden frame)- A few times during this performance, he was drumming so fast you could barely see his hands; and he was not just drumming the center of the drum but was alternating hitting the top edge of the drum and the center of the drum and then the outside edges of the drum with the backs of the drumsticks."Hwagwan-mu was performed in the court for state-level visits or during a joyous national event. Ladies-in-waiting performed this dance for the King. The performers wore magnificent dresses with delicate embroidery and long sleeves that covered their hands and draped down almost to the ground. Originally, the dancers wore flower cornets, but they have been discarded in modern times. The dance has a sense of gravity in all of its movements." (lifeinkorea.com) another drum dance accompanied with another drum anda gong
The restaurant has been in the news and around the net several times (I'll only post a couple):

KOREAN TEMPLE COOKING WARMS THE BODY, SOOTHES THE SOUL
(August 6, 1986) By SUSAN CHIRA (NYT)
DURING his 18 years as a Buddhist monk, Kim Yon Shik grew into an ardent fan of temple cooking, the distinctive cuisine based upon fresh vegetables gathered in the country's woods and mountains. And when, at the age of 32, he left the monastery in which he had lived since he was 14, he decided taht this cuisine deserved a wider audience.
The result is Sanchon, an attractive restaurant offering temple fare for lunch and dinner with nightly samples of Korean dance and music.
Temple cuisine grew out of Korean religious history. Mr. Kim said. During the Yi Dynasty (from 1392 to 1910), Confusianism edged out Buddhism as the predominant religion in Korea, and Buddhist monks were ousted and forced to live in remote mountains. Without much money, Mr. Kim said, monks had to forage for their meals, and they discovered many wild, edible plants.
Temple cuisine's emphasis on fresh vegetables and herbs reflects a tradition in Korean cooking of closeness to nature. Many of the wild vegetables and herbs served at Sanchon are eaten for their medicinal qualities, or because they are supposed to warm or cool the body. Although Korean food is famous for its liberal use of garlic and red-hot chilies, supposedly introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century, much of the food served at Sanchon is comparatively mild, a reflection of an earlier tradition of indigenous Korean cooking. Many of the mountain vegetables served at Sanchon are parboiled and lightly seasoned with sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce and toasted and ground sesame seeds. Other dishes - particularly the thick soup, the spicy kimchee and a few of the vegetables and roots - include thick clumps of chilies.
His project has been a decided success. The main branch is tucked in a small alley in the center of Insadong, one of Seoul's antiques districts.
Guests enter Snachon by way of a courtyard filled with stones and large ceramic jars of Kimchee, the fiery pickled cabbage that is a Korean staple. After leaving shoes at the door, one enters a large room with wooden beams and several low tables with cushions. True to Korean custom, the floor is heated from below, a system known as ondol, and it feels toasty on chilly nights. Maps, carved chests, Korean flutes and painted doors decorate the restuarant. ...
[There is quite a bit more but it basically just describes the food and I dont' want to type it all. I've actually typed up most of this from the little copy of the article on the menu from the restaurant, as you can only access the full article on the net by paying for it.]

Sanchon as Asia's 10 Best Veggie Restaurants (September 2007)

2Pac and Elissa

an interesting mix

right here waiting for you

I love this song. It is old, but... It'll never get old.

old music video from India

Really, you have to watch the whole thing. ~Trust me!

Marwan Khory - kil al qasayid

This is such a beautiful song, whether you understand the language or not. I love it. But, it sort of makes me sad. I'm not sure why. I don't think the video is the greatest. If you want, watch the video and listen, or listen to the song with your eyes closed.

another of his songs, sung with Carole Samaha (a Lebanese singer) - Ya Rab (with English subtitles)

or go here for Ya Rab without English subtitles.

Look Into My Eyes - Outlandish

It's not new, but it's a beautiful song sung by the Danish group Outlandish, based on a poem by Gihad Ali, a Palestinian woman, written when she was a young teenager. It expresses the struggles and suffering caused by America's Foreign Policy.
This is the music video:


Outlandish is a hip hop group based in Denmark. "Formed in 1997, they consist of Isam Bachiri Azouaoui (born in Denmark and of Moroccan background), Waqas Ali Qadri (born in Denmark and of Pakistani background), and Lenny Martinez (from Honduras). All three members are devoutly religious, with Isam and Waqas being Muslims, and Lenny being Catholic." [Wikipedia] This one is the same song, only in with images of war, and the words. Very touching.

Look into my eyes
Tell me what you see
You don't see a damn thing
'cause you can't relate to me
You're blinded by our differences
My life makes no sense to you
I'm the persecuted one
You're the red, white and blue

Each day you wake in tranquility
No fears to cross your eyes
Each day I wake in gratitude
Thanking God He let me rise
You worry about your education
And the bills you have to pay
I worry about my vulnerable life
And if I'll survive another day
Your biggest fear is getting a ticket
As you cruise your Cadillac
My fear is that the tank that has just left
Will turn around and come back

Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let the media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows?
Someone tell me ...

Ooohh, let's not cry tonight
I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters

See I've known terror for quite some time
57 years so cruel
Terror breathes the air I breathe
It's the checkpoint on my way to school
Terror is the robbery of my land
And the torture of my mother
The imprisonment of my innocent father
The bullet in my baby brother
The bulldozers and the tanks
The gases and the guns
The bombs that fall outside my door
All due to your funds
You blame me for defending myself
Against the ways of my enemies
I'm terrorized in my own land (what)
And I'm the terrorist?

Yet, do you know the truth of where your money goes?
Do you let the media deceive your mind?
Is this a truth nobody, nobody, nobody knows?
Someone tell me ...

Ooohh, let's not cry tonight, I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,

American , do you realize that the taxes that you pay
Feed the forces that traumatize my every living day
So if I won't be here tomorrow
It's written in my fate
May the future bring a brighter day
The end of our wait

(pause)

Ooohh, let's not cry tonight, I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,
Ooohh, shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers, Ohh my sisters,

[with kids]
Ohh let's not cry tonight I promise you one day it's through
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!
Ooh shine a light for every soul that ain't with us no more
Ohh my brothers! Ohh my sisters!

[lyrics from sing365.com]

Pepsi

A friend of mine was on the net looking for new (and old) Amr Diab songs the other day. He found this. I wasn't watching but could hear it all. Very interesting combination! Amr Diab, Beyonce, Britney Spears, and Pink! It is interesting that they change the stars depending on where the commercial is to be played - another version has Enrique Iglesias in it.

Then I had to look for more. Here is one with Amr Diab and Jennifer Lopez:

Here is another one, no less interesting: Amr Diab, JLo and Beyonce
This one is the western version with David Beckham instead of Amr Diab:

My kids doing a froggy dance

They are soooooooooooo cute. It is a song called Keemo Kymo that is on one of the Internet sites that I use. The kids love it and always try to imitate the frog in the song.

This is one of the sites that I use. It has songs and little videos. The little picture of the cat with the 'C A B' is games. The castle is little videos. The gramophone is songs. The picture of the flash cards (apple, etc) is other things including other songs, videos and games. My kids love the "Are you okay" video/song in that link. I haven't used the other little links much but they are all kinda cool with other such things.
The site that has the frog song (Little Fox) requires a password, which I don't remember (it is saved in all of the computers at work), so I can't link you to the actual song. If you want an idea as to what the site is like... the links at the top are - bubbles left to right: videos, songs, games, stuff I don't use.
Another site I sometimes use is the Yahoo Korea kids English site. It has a bunch of songs, videos and games as well.

Apocalypse Kow

Apocalypse Kow is an acapella group from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The guys are (left to right): Devin, Stan, Gil (my brother), Joel, Jago

Chris Isaac's Wicked Games with Gil in the lead

Under The Boardwalk

Life Could Be A Dream

Fat Bottomed Girl with Devin on lead