httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8pJVJKk7PM
My Mandarin teacher is having me learn this song in Mandarin: 听海 – 张惠妹. I’ll let you know how it goes. Here’s a rough English translation:
Current Project
Current project folder. 🙂
Buck Owens – Somewhere Between
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk1l0Gr1lU0
Read more info on Buck Owens at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Owens
I was reading on that link about Buck Owens, the Bakersfield Sound, the death of his guitar wingman Don Rich, and the revival of his career with Dwight Yoakum. There are some great videos of Buck Owens and Don Rich on YouTube. Here’s a couple videos I enjoyed with Buck and “Dangerous” Don Rich. Hope they make you feel good too…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkNsqdGm0wo
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfSPneMXCgk
More Dwight Yoakum
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ieK7Lv9Rbg
Here’s some more Dwight Yoakum. Guess I’m feeling a little homesick and Dwight makes me feel good. I lived south of Bakersfield for almost twenty years playing country music there and across the US, so Dwight’s my homeboy.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHxSh-SvFVA
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy9EixCPPG4
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyajDA_Ywcw
Dwight Yoakum – Ain’t That Lonely Yet
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lUqvCQT3pk
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTiz3bK8M-o
Here’s two versions of Dwight Yoakum singing “Ain’t That Lonely Yet”. I love this song. I remember back when I played country music in Southern California I would sing this song, and well…..I like it, a lot.
Cirque Du Soleil 25th Anniversary
We celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Cirque Du Soleil on the morning of June 17, 2009 in Macau. It was a GREAT party which included artists doing stiltwalking at 4am to join with other Cirque artists worldwide in an attempt to break the current Guinness Book of World Records for the most people stiltwalking at one time.. I’m sure the party pics will show up on Facebook.
Mozart – Queen of the Night – Male vs. Female Soprano
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rVdqfgcGWY
I was looking into ideas for a project and ended up on Mozart’s Queen of the Night arias from the Magic Flute. Here is a female soprano with orchestra and a German boy soprano with piano. Which version do you like better?
FYI, I saw a live performance of the Magic Flute a few years ago and the soprano missed several of the highest notes in this aria. I think about that from time to time. I STILL feel bad for her…
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ODfuMMyss
Bollywood stars descend in Macau for IIFA 2009
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPl-R0nT3EQ
Indian movie stars at the “green carpet” outside the ZAIA Cirque Du Soleil Theater in Macau, China at the Sands Venetian June 11, 2009. The Bachchan family, as well as other dazzling stars, are greeted on the green carpet for the 10th Annual IIFA awards in Macau.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMpKaO5gQ5A
In this “part one” video you will also see some photo shots of Cirque Du Soleil “ZAIA” artists.
Continue reading “Bollywood stars descend in Macau for IIFA 2009”
Speaking Mandarin Saved Me 25 Cents
This is big news: Speaking Mandarin saved me 25 cents today.
I was at a well known food establishment today (I won’t say the name, but it rhymes with “McFonald’s”). I am practicing my Mandarin (week two of lessons, yeah!) and asked them “How much?”. Then said, “Lower price, is it ok?”. Of course I knew they would say no, after all, it was “McFonald’s”. They were so happy I was speaking Chinese that they actually gave me a free meal upgrade. An upgrade of two MOP, or 25 cents USD. I feel very rich today.
On a sidenote, someone is encouraging me to take a video each week as I study Mandarin to show what I can say. I’ve done one minute videos the first two weeks, and it’s very embarrassing. But you’ll probably see them posted here soon because I think it’s very funny to watch myself try and speak Mandarin. I’m learning to write Chinese too. Fun stuff! (Though I’m admittedly very bad at it).
Selling Tragedy vs. Comedy
I am bewildered on a seemingly simple decision that I believe is common to any writers or creators. Tragedy vs. Comedy; which to create? There was a related article I just read (http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/11/ew.movies.adults/index.html) that says it’s much more difficult to sell a movie aimed at adults vs. a fun kid’s movie. Here’s a quote from the article:
“Audiences don’t want to be reminded of the darkness in the world,” he says. “They want to laugh, get taken to space, watch things in a museum come to life.”