Gold.

Watch Eye of the Tiger Kids on CollegeHumor

time for some soul.

I love the music of Al Green. This is a fantastic song, plenty of smooth groove and beautiful singing.

Let's stay together

I, I'm so in love with you
Whatever you want to do
Is all right with me
'Cause you make me feel so brand new
And I want to spend my life with you

Do you say the same baby
Since, since we've been together
Loving you forever
Is what I need
Let me be the one you come running to
I'll never be untrue

Ooh baby
Let's, let's stay together
Lovin' you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Wooooooo
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad

Why, somebody
Why people break up
Then turn around and make up
I just can't see
But you'd never do that to me (would you, baby)
Staying around you is all I see
Here's what I want us to do

Let's, we oughta stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Come on
Let's, let's stay together
Loving you whether, times are good or bad, happy or sad


Here's Guy Sebastian performing a cover:




And now, the original.. Al Green himself. There's something really sexy about guys who can sing like this.

words for thought

Found this in a really old email from a friend, who had this as a quote/signature at the end of their message:

The capacity to learn is a gift
The ability to learn is a skill
The willingness to learn is a choice

Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.
Watch your actions, they become your habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

Definitely something worth thinking about.

just a couple of things i've been thinking about

My dream life (or at least the aspects I've thought about so far):

- I will live in a moderately spacious apartment or town house, ie. somewhere in a complex, because it makes me feel safer than just being in a house;
- The house will let in a lot of natural light, especially the bedroom so I can wake up with the sun;
- I might have one or two pets - dogs and/or cats;
- The house will have a good sound system;
- I will be able to host occasional dinner parties or games nights at my place, so I can catch up with my friends on a regular basis;
- I will have a large comfortable sofa that is great for snuggling and cuddling :)

Things I appreciate in people, and also in a relationship (in no particular order):

- Musical & artistic creativity
- Sportiness
- Inner strength
- An appreciation of the natural world, the flora and fauna
- A willingness to listen to and learn from others
- A thirst for all kinds of knowledge
- A deep interest in world cultures
- Tact & awareness, generally being alert of one's surroundings
- The ability to laugh at yourself as well as others
- Openness, including a natural inclination to share, or "show and tell"
- Humility
- Patience
- Understanding
- Energy
- Gratitude
- Acceptance (being non-judgmental)
- A natural generosity towards others, friends and strangers alike
- The desire to self-improvement
- Level-headedness
- A good sense of humour
- Honesty

Even I don't have all of the above. But maybe I'll get there one day..

odd.

Something's strange
I don't know what it is
But it keeps coming and coming
Running through my head

Pulsing through my body like a heartbeat
The melodies they move me, they get me on my feet

Something's strange
I don't know what it is
But it won't stop flowing
Through me

I'm beyond this world now
Take me where you will
I will run and you will follow
Chase me to the end

Something's strange
And I don't know what it is
But it's fascinating me
I don't want to leave

That took me less than five minutes to write. The last time I tried to write a song was in Year 8 and it was embarrassing to perform, I hated it that much.

This song has no music yet.. but that will come to me when it's ready.

best exercise ever.

I love to dance.

Dancing to a groove-filled song in the comfortable privacy of my bedroom makes me sweat and puff like mad even though it's only for 10-15 minutes.

Well at least I think the people in the other apartment complex aren't watching me from their kitchen window.. they're a moderate distance away but they have a direct view of my bedroom so I do wonder whether they've ever seen me dancing, because I can certainly see them moving around occasionally.

I keep moving and I dance hard, and it makes me feel so good.

I also use it as an opportunity to stretch out my muscles, as they tend to get used to being in certain positions (read: sitting at the computer, standing in a golfing position) as time goes by.

Time for some water and then some more grooving!

jack johnson.

The first time I ever heard Jack Johnson was when the (pop-)world didn't know who he was. I think I was listening to Triple J, and there was a groovy song with odd lyrics. I listened to the end of the song, and discovered the title to be "The Horizon Has Been Defeated", by Jack Johnson. I thought it was the strangest song title at the time. Admittedly I still think it's strange, but now Jack Johnson is world famous.

In the last year or so I went through a phase where I thought all his songs sounded the same, and so I didn't really pay attention to any albums after the release of Curious George. I haven't listened to his music in a long time.. until today.

I was playing guitar during my lunch break (today is meant to be a day full of study.. I'm trying to make it work), and having exhausted a couple of Bic Runga, Colbie Caillat and Priscilla Ahn songs, I decided to search Jack Johnson. I couldn't remember how some of the melodies went, so I searched the songs on YouTube.. and then I ended up watching the music videos for Taylor and Upside Down, as well as The Horizon Has Been Defeated. I was reminded of how I first discovered Jack Johnson, and I wanted to write about it, hence this post. :)

purgation.

Random fact:
Consciously or not, I seem to naturally maintain an element of detached-ness in my life.

As a result, I will periodically purge my sent/received messages folders on my phone, my Facebook sent/received messages, and my auto-saved Gmail chats.

In the rare event that I've stopped talking to somebody or had a falling out with them, I also eventually go through my email account and delete all related messages. That way, I'll forget whatever emotions I originally associated with that person, and I am able to move on completely. That doesn't mean I don't think about them occasionally (I don't often forget people who have entered my life at some stage), but the important part is that I don't recall what was said between us, which is usually the sparking factor for emotional attachment.

Out of sight, out of mind.

extremely excited / a quick reflection

Just then I ordered a super deluxe package of the new Dave Matthews Band album Big Whiskey & the Groogrux King (such a strange name, yet SO awesome), which means everything will arrive in a special box which includes the album itself, a 2nd CD with 4 extra tracks, a DVD, a 40-page Photo book, 14 lithographs featuring the drawings/artwork by Dave Matthews and a 24-page photo booklet.

I also recently purchased tickets to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo live at the State Theatre at the end of June. I've never seen them performing live before, so I'm looking forward to this concert. They've been around for such a long time now, i.e. over 20 years. It'll be unreal.

I'll be taking my boyfriend along, but I don't know how much he'll enjoy it. We've been to a number of concerts lately, and each performance was by artists that I really respect and adore, so he wasn't really as excited as I was. Fair enough - it's always harder to be equally excited as somebody else when it's not your thing. But as a result, I felt as though I wasn't able to fully enjoy the experience because he was either bothered by something/somebody there, or I'd look back at him and he'd have an unimpressed look on his face. But I can't blame him for his expression - I'm probably the same when I'm listening to music. Unless you're in an extended state of sheer excitement and happiness, it's hard to look happy while you're concentrating on something else, such as watching the performers.

Take for instance the Ben Harper concert we recently went to. I know I wasn't smiling for a lot of the show, and I kept looking at certain people around me, to see what their reactions were. Looking back, I feel like I wasted the experience a bit because I kept looking at other people. And then my brain would wake up and tell me "Ben Harper's right in front of you". with that thought, the excitement would begin to seep through my mind again, and a smile would spread itself across my face.

I can't believe I saw Ben Harper live.

Oh man.

:)

But back to my original reason for posting. The two recent musical purchases have each cost me over $100. And I don't like to spend a lot of money these days, so I don't know what compelled me to make those purchases. I can say with confidence though, when it comes to these kinds of things I am usually faced with two extreme opinions: Completely forget about the item altogether and be perfectly okay with not having bought it, or be fully committed to the item and buy it with little to no regard of the cost. When I'm fully committed, I am 100% sure about the purchase and I really enjoy the experience that the item provides, through and through.

I like the fact that I can do that - I cherish every [relatively expensive] item I purchase with a sense of love and gratefulness. I don't ever want to become a person who gets used to being able to buy expensive things, and fills their life with such goods. I doubt I'll ever have the capacity to do that anyway, but living life with lots of thankful thoughts makes everything feel much better and more positive.

I'm currently listening to the new Ben Harper album White Lies for Dark Times online. The whole album is being streamed on Myspace before its release in early May, and it is definitely a great set of tracks. One of the songs sounds A LOT like the Paul Winn Band which I think is kind of cool! I should probably do an album review later..

---

So far, I think my life can be summed up like this:

1988-1992: The Hazy Years or The Photographic Years (because I hardly remember anything from this period, and my memory is stimulated by the plethora of photo albums)

1993-1999: The Primary School Years

2000-2005: The High School Years

2006: the Year of Work & Uni

2007: the Year of Much Doubt

2008: the Year of Life-Changing Relationship Mistakes

And so far, 2009 has been the Year of New Friends and Musical Experiences.

---

Life's crazy. It's too short, but there's so much time that gets wasted too.

But you know what the best thing about life is?

Music.

a music-infused lifestyle.

I've been listening to so much music these days. It's as though my brain has suddenly undergone some kind of neuron(?) reconstruction. In the last week or so I have cycled through a ridiculous number of different genres. I feel like I wrote about this not too long ago, but today I listened to R&B tunes, then Duffy's album, some of Jehro's album, then some John Coltrane jazz, and now I'm onto soul music.

I originally had a plan of study tonight, and I was also going to sleep early (around 9.30 or 10pm). Unfortunately this all went out the window when I decided that I should spend some time catching up on a couple of mp3blogs that I follow.

Music is just fantastic. I've yet to meet somebody with similar tastes to mine, but if I ever do.. well I don't know what would happen. But I'd hope for the development of a musically rich friendship.

Ben Harper and the Dave Matthews Band are my two most favourite artists. I have a big poster of Ben Harper on my wall; if there were decent DMB posters around I'd consider having them on my wall too.

I do adore a great many other musicians, but if anybody were to ask me "Who is/are your favourite musician/s?", I would always answer with BH & DMB. I don't know why though. Maybe it's the combination of good music with mildly offbeat lyrics. They manage to sing about love and relationships and the rest, but with a kind of musical poetry that doesn't exist in anybody else's music. The following lyrics always spring to mind when I consider the aforementioned point:

Like Marie Antoinette said to Louis XVI,
"Man, I think we're going down.
Our chances are slim and none,
and I'm afraid slim just left town."
- "Say You Will", Ben Harper [Lifeline (2007)]

I'm running on about 4 hours sleep, and I have to work tomorrow so I think I'll end it here. I'll leave you with a quote that was quoted on Souled On, the mp3blog that I've been catching up with all night:

"Among the different arts, the art of music has been especially considered divine, because it is the exact miniature of the law working within the whole universe. For instance if we study ourselves we shall find that in the beats of the pulse and the heart, in the inhaling and exhaling of the breath, all is the work of rhythm."

--Hazrat Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

today's angel cards

- Astara: "You deserve the best! Reach for the stars with your dreams and desires, and don't compromise!"

- Maat: Fairness. "This situation will be handled in a fair and just manner."

- Feeling Safe

- Abundance


What does this all mean? Perhaps I should believe in myself more, and have faith that things will right themselves. Who knows.

Today I was listening to John Legend's first album "Get Lifted". It is definitely a fantastic album full of good beats and melodies. I used to be obsessed about the album, and having not heard the album for a long time now, today I remembered why. His second album "Once Again" is quite good too, but it has a completely different feel. I haven't really listened properly to his third album "Evolver", but from what I recall it's a lot clubbier. Nowhere near as impressive as the first record.

fascinating stuff

Anteaters are fascinating creatures. I don't know why this person owns one, and I don't think they should. But the little critter is still damn cute.

today's angel cards

I haven't done angel cards in ages. Admittedly I haven't worked at ISIS for a long time either.

Today I picked out the following cards:

- Intention

- Stand Your Ground

- Green Tara: Start Delegating. "Ask others (including me) to help you, instead of trying to do everything by yourself."

- Crystal: "Have faith and hope, because there is something positive and new on the horizon that you can't yet see."

I always find it bizarre how the cards seem to feel accurate for my current position in life.

Currently listening to: His Eye is on the Sparrow, performed by Tanya Blount & Lauryn Hill in Sister Act 2. Such an uplifting rendition.

today is officially music heaven.

Everything I listen to today seems to be extra specially awesome.

What have I been listening to?

- Ayo's latest album, Gravity at Last (which reminds me of the concert I went to on Sunday night);

- Two of Ben Harper's old albums, The Will to Live and Burn to Shine (I haven't some of these songs in ages and they're so different to his more recent material); and

- The soundtrack to Sister Act 2 (some great Motown-y gospel and 90s pop R&B tunes).

And now I'm currently listening to the Step Up soundtrack. I was clubbing and krumping in my room to the first track, and got so puffed out that I decided to sit down and try to study French again.

I've been cranking through the musical genres.. a bit of alternative/reggae, then some roots, and then some Motown/gospel, and then some hip-hop. I don't usually appreciate all styles in one day, like I have today. It's bizarre but it's fantastic!

because i feel like blogging.

Today I tried making curry rice for the first time. The curry wasn't as thick as I would have liked, but it was still yummy with rice. I'm glad I finally know how to make a dish that isn't baked!

I also tried making cookies using Belle's recipe (I now call them Belle's cookies, hehe), and they turned out to be very yummy! Soft on the inside, exactly like she said :) Although because I knew just how much butter and sugar had gone into the mix, I felt guilty to have eaten 3 or 4 of the 12 cookies that I made. I'm sure that most cakes and cookies have similar amounts of butter / sugar that go into their production, but mum always puts in less sugar or butter than the recommended amount "because you don't actually need that much and it's fattening / bad for you", so I've naturally adopted this attitude too.

It's really spooky, just how much of your parents' behaviour you adopt. I believe some of it is nature, and some of it is nurture. Especially if you've lived 20+ years with them.

I'm on a mission to obtain all the lyrics for Ben Harper's songs so I can learn them properly. I would also make this attempt with Dave Matthews Band songs, were it not for the fact that some of the words he sings are quite difficult to comprehend properly, and so I don't know how accurate the lyrics will be when I find them on the internet. In any case, by tackling Ben Harper's studio album discography I'm taking on around 100 songs so this will definitely be a gradual process.

I'd also like to learn more of Angelique Kidjo's songs. Shs sings in a variety of languages though, so tracking down the translations as well as the lyrics could be a bit difficult. I saw Angelique Kidjo in concert at the Opera House last night, as part of a double bill with Ayo (who was wonderful on stage with her band), and she was absolutely fantastic. She's got such a powerful spirit that it really seems indefatigable. The energy exuding from her singing and dancing was really uplifting to experience, and I feel so lucky to have seen her perform live.

To make up for my lack of posts these days..

..this is a brief recount of things that have happened lately.

- Saw Ben Harper at the Metro on Thursday night. It was unreal. Words cannot explain.

- Grace Woodroofe was the opening act for Ben Harper and she was really good too. Ben Harper produced her album. She is the second artist to be this lucky (the first being Tom Freund, who is good mates with Ben). Sooo lucky!

- I can't believe I missed out on the chance to meet Ben Harper at an afterparty show. I also waited outside the Metro for a while in the hope that I would meet him, but this was not to be either. I should have thought ahead and written him a letter or something, then I could have given it to the roadies.

- Mum is occasionally teaching me how to make things in the kitchen. And by this, I mean she tells me to come to the kitchen and I watch and take notes. So far I have written down the recipes for pancakes and curry rice.

- I was going to try and keep a handwritten recipe book, but I hate my handwriting when I write quickly so I've decided on the paper-free option instead. It's a lot easier and neater, and now I have an automated table of contents! I've also included Belle's recipe for cookies in my recipe book. Can't wait to try it out :D

- I've been getting back in touch with some of the Mingus Big Band musicians via FB. It's always a great experience to be talking to professional musicians, and learning more about their world and how they approach music.

- Learning French at uni is great fun. I just hope I can be diligent enough to practice speaking more, and then maybe I can actually hold small conversations with people without having notes in my hand!

- I am afraid that I will fail Taxation Law this semester. And possibly my marketing subject too. I need to get on top of my subjects ASAP.

- I'm really looking forward to the release of the new Dave Matthews Band album as well as the album being released by Ben Harper & Relentless 7. Both are shaping up to be hugely fantastic!

- One of my friends has been diagnosed with a rare cancer and is undergoing treatment at hospital. I still haven't seen him yet but I can't stop thinking about him. I'm also in denial that he's actually sick, and I'm hoping he gets better very soon.