The Weekend on a Shoestring.

It's the end of the month and after buying an iPhone, paying out nearly 5000 for scooter repairs and the continuing saga of my eye infection, I have had to pay a lot this month. So it was a quiet weekend for us. We got some food Friday night and relaxed at home. The theme was continued throughout the entire weekend. It was mainly eating and watching movies. We watched some great movies; The White Ribbon, Still Standing, Thirst and Fish Tank. The big change of the weekend was that George got to stay home on Sunday night, for almost the first time this year. The end of the army is coming into sight fantastic!

4) Antony and the Johnsons: 'I Am A Bird'

There aren’t many albums that can make me people overcome with emotion; Antony and the Johnson’s second release ‘I am a Bird’ is one that will affect you one way or another, there is no sitting on the fence with this album.

Antony is unique in more ways than one. His big, bulky frame suggest anything but the octave-straddling voice that comes from him. It is a majestic soaring vibrato reminiscent of Nina Simone, Billie Holiday or even Jeff Buckley. His warbling tenor can range from falsetto highs to rumbling soulful lows. He has the uncanny ability to take a standard blues progression and give it authority, making you empathize with every single syllable that he sings.


The music itself, is a mixture of chamber pop and bluesy parlor room music. Much has been said of the ‘gender-bending’ topics contained on this album but the themes dealt with are universal, ranging from gender issues, abuse, loneliness, death, a sense of belonging, companionship, love, and loss. His lyrics range from the profoundly personal to the somewhat ambiguous. You feel extreme sympathy for him with these lyrics but at the same time great appreciation for the music as well.

Antony’s band, the Johnsons, are a talented group of musicians who do excellent work backing up their amazing leading man. However we are also treated to a stellar line up of special guests such as Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, Boy George and Devendra Banhart. When one combines all of these aspects together , the result is nothing short of exhilarating albeit disquieting at times.
The album takes us on a journey. Antony’s voice is like a caged bird held prisoner and its hard to be effected by the feeling of his trappings within his own body. However this album is about one of transformation and metamorphosis. That bird is set free by the end of the album and serves as a metaphor for Antony himself.

The opening track ‘Hope There’s Someone’ is nothing short of mesmerizing. The trembling voice is haunting and heartbroken accompanied by a simple piano line. The layered vocals are ghastly and beautiful in equal measures before the song ends with a chaotic crashing of spiraling piano crescendos and operatic chorus harmonies. Next is ‘My Lady’s Story’ which is a soft, smooth flavored waltz with added viola. This leads nicely into ‘For Today I Am A Boy’ yet another ambiguous song in nature but quite simply amazing. The emotion one man can impose purely from singing accompanied to a piano is truly awesome. ‘Man Is The Baby’ continues the cabaret offering before we are hurled into the astonishing duet between Antony and Boy George, ‘You Are My Sister’. Both put in amazing performances and is even more profound when one realizes that the man singing with Antony was the inspiration to live the way he does and to do what he does so well, sing. ‘What Can I Do?’ is one of my favorite tracks of all time, Rufus is a stunning choice of lead vocals, a languid meditation of death which sounds like it’s being sung from a smoke filled room. It’s all to brief, but stunning! ‘A Fistful of love’ is the gospel-tinged number featuring Lou Reed. We are treated to a horn section as well in this ode to domestic abuse. ‘Spiraling’ features Devendra Banhart with her disturbing incantations at the start of this staggering effort. Finally Antony is set free with ‘Free At Last’ and ‘Bird Girl’ marking the end of this stunning album, the songbird finally gets to fly, free at last.

I can understand this album not being to everyone’s taste however, for anyone who truly appreciates music this is quite literally one fo the most amazing albums made of any given time period, it’s different, it’s timeless and it will be regarded as a classic for many years to come. Here at number four is Antony and the Johnsons, ‘I Am A Bird Now’

conjunctivitis returns yet again!!

My conjunctivitis is back for yet another terrorizing of my eyes!! After slowly introducing my eyes to contacts again, i thought, after 3 days of no problems, that they were fine but unfortunately not. Last night when i took out my lenses they were as bad as ever and i am back to square one again. One more week of glasses and antibiotics! Unbelievable. On top of that my side is really hurting from last weeks accident although its beginning to feel a bit better today. This week is all about just getting through!

Victim

Prominent lawyer, Melville Farr, goes after a blackmailer who threatens the exposure of gay men (homosexuality being illegal at this time). The thing is the lawyer, supposedly happily married, is gay himself. Farr has to deal with the collapse of his marriage and career to bring about justice. Although the film looks pretty dated, it was amazing, given the prevalent views at the time, that this movie was even made in the first place. It gives a great feel of what it was like to be gay at this time and how far, in some ways, we have come since then. A classic movie. 5/5 stars

L'épine dans le coeur

The Thorn In The Heart is a great documentary which follows the the directors aunt, Suzette, and her career as a teacher and her relationship with her son. It was a very interesting movie. The woman did not live an exceptional life, it was just an ordinary story, it could well have been about any old lady's recollection of life. However, because it is just an ordinary family, the themes touched upon are common to all and one can really empathize with the people in the documentary. A fabulous effort and exquisitely made. 4.5/5 stars

Life During Wartime

I loved this film. Despite the very serious topics it delves into it retained a lighter side with its dark humour throughout. It is the ultimate dysfunctional family story; the struggle for love, forgiveness, the hope for a 'normal' life to name a few. The acting is exceptional, in particular the mom, and although the story is slow at times, i think it fitted the overall feel of the movie very well. A great movie, 4.5/5 stars

35 Shots of Rum

Set in modern day Paris, the story revolves mainly around a single father and daughters close relationship and how that is complicated by the arrival of a new love. The movie is wonderfully paced and the story is very well told. People have raved about this movie, I wouldn't necessarily consider it a must see although it was full of emotion throughout and is certainly worth seeing.

Last Week of the Golden Horse

On Friday we headed to Ximen to watch 35 Shots of Rum. Then it was home to prepare for the movie marathon on Saturday. We got up fairly early and headed to Ximen to watch two movies back to back; 'Life During Wartime' and 'The Thorn in my Heart' both of which were pretty good. Then we headed back to XinYi for the last movie of the film festival, Victim. After that we headed home and chilled at home with some beers. On Sunday we had a lie in before getting up in the afternoon for lunch at the diner. Then i went to get my scooter fixed. Basically the whole damn thing had to be replaced at the cost of $4800!! However, it works perfectly again now, glad to have it back in good working order.

Mixed Week So Far

This week has proved both good and bad so far. Firstly it would appear my eye infection has finally gone and I'm able to wear my contacts again. My eyes still get a little sore and red but they no longer hurt.

Unfortunately that's the only good thing that happened this week. The weather has gotten really cold, even enough to think about getting out the heater! Hope it warms up a little bit as its only about 15oC at the moment.

Another bad story, I had a fall on my scooter today. Some idiot pulled out of nowhere on Civic Boulevard. Luckily, as it was raining, i was driving slowly and when i came off my scooter i just took a light fall on my left side. Although the asshole drove off i was able to sort myself out quickly and sustained no injury to myself or the scooter, so I was lucky!

So a mixed week so far, hope the remainder of the week is better than the first!

5) Radiohead 'In Rainbows'

Finally we come to my favorite band of all time. Initially when I thought of compiling this list my intentions were to include just one album for each band only. However, when it comes to Radiohead I find it next to impossible to comply with this rule. I really want to include Kid A as one of my all time favorite albums but if I were torn between making a choice I believe the release of their seventh studio album, In Rainbows, should be more highly regarded.

Amid speculation that the band were directionless, frustrated and on the verge of splitting up, they released this gem from nowhere and it was the release itself which got people talking before even a note of music was heard. Not only did they release In Rainbows as a download only, they also introduced the pay-any-price-you-will policy. It showed a realization of the inevitability of today’s means of acquiring music and appealing to people’s consciences to actually pay for music. If nothing else, it was a triumph of marketing.

Surely after five critically acclaimed albums they couldn’t repeat the same feat again and make it six? Yet again, they proved they are master musicians and did make it six. This album certainly doesn’t sound like a band contemplating their direction. Radiohead sound complete and confident, a band at the peak of their powers no less. Incoorporating both avant-garde electronics and more straightforward guitar rock with the usual political undertones throughout it feels the band have liberated themselves from their self-imposed pressure to innovate. Given the fact Thom Yorke was given the opportunity to vent his more experimental tendancies on his solo album, it showcases just how good the band are when they are actually doing what they do best, play music. A special mention to Phil Selway whose drumming which is firmly back.

However, it also shows an exploration into an area which is never touched upon by Radiohead, that of emotions, romance, and love. It’s a gentle and even subtle affair using the full musical and emotional spectra to conjure breathtaking beauty.
The multifaceted opener, ‘15 steps’, is a great introduction and harks back to a more experimental sound we have become familiar with from the band; clattering beats, dub-style bass but also with a relaxed guitar based sound kicking in through. More importantly, it uses the much underused 5/8 time signature to create, overall, a rather interesting piece. ‘Bodysnatchers’ is a great rock number with aggressive outbursts from Yorke as a propulsive distorted bass riff. If there were any doubts Radiohead couldn’t rock anymore, this lays them firmly to rest. Next up is the long overdue ‘Nude’ which has been lingering around in their live shows for almost a decade and has finally been committed to an album. It’s simplicity is the key here, simple drums, undistorted guitars, a modest bassline reminiscent of an organ, and the well known Yorke warbling throughout. ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’ brandishes drums behind its drain-circling arpeggios and we are treated to some amazing Yorke metaphors which make the band so lyrically satisfying. Next is "All I Need", which dresses up what begins as a skeletal rhythm section in cavernous swaths of glockenspiel, synths, pianos, and white noise. ‘Faust Arp’ is a simple yet effective piece using just finger-picked guitar and strings throughout. Next up is the stunning ‘Reckoner’ with Yorke’s falsetto playing off brilliantly with clanging percussion and meandering guitar lines and ranks up there with some of the best work the band have created. ‘House of Cards’ pounds along with a rather unsettling pulse, chipped guitar chords and waves of reverbed feedback. ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’ rides a propulsive bass and drum part coupled with moaning from Yorke before we are lead into a great song but admittedly feels rather pedestrian at times. Finally, we are treated to the almost funeral march quality of ‘Videotape’ but it is more dreamy than dreary. Overall, a great album by a great band, here at number 5 is Radiohead with ‘In Rainbows’.

iPhone

I decided to buy a new phone last weekend and I thought why not splash out a bit and get an iphone! So here it is, the latest addition to my aresenal of gadgets. I'm having great fun playing around with this.

Darbareye Elly

Three Iranian families travel to the North of the country in order to introduce a teacher of one of the families’ children to a recently divorced member of the family. Everything looks to be going well until Elly suddenly disappears. Is she alive, is she dead? As the story unfolds details about the characters unravel as the truth lays itself bear for everyone to see. The movie is powerful and gripping throughout and the slow unraveling of the plot is fantastic. If this is a snippet of what Iranian movies are all about I will certainly be coming back for more. 5/5 stars

Monty Python's Holy Grail

The Monty Python classic is still as good now as it was when it was first released in the 1970s, an all time classic and a master class in what a good comedy should be. King Arthur sets out to find worthy knights to join him in the quest for the Holy Grail. This movie has everything; the history satires, coconuts instead of horses, killer rabbits, song and dance interludes, the dreaded knights who say ‘ni’, memorable characters and lines, as well as great versatile acting. I cannot fault it, amazing from beginning to end. 5/5 stars

Patrik 1.5

A Swedish gay couple, Goran and Sven, have been cleared to adopt a child. They can hardly contain their excitement at the news that they will adopt Patrik, a one and a half year old boy. However, due to a clerical error what they get is a homophobic teenager with a criminal record who throws their lives into chaos. The movie was actually very entertaining and retains a light hearted feel throughout despite many of the serious topics it tackles. My only criticism is that it tries to cover too many issues without ever exploring or developing the situation further. Also some of the parts are almost cringe worthy. When the husband drives away leaving the other heartbroken only to return two minutes later to declare his undying love for him is a clear example. However, taken for what it is, it was well acted, intelligent and entertaining, all-round a good movie. 4/5 stars

Film Festival Week 2

This weekend saw the continuation of the Film Festival. On Friday i grabbed a quick bite to eat at Burger King as George had already eaten after he left the base to join his colleagues for a birthday dinner. Then we saw Patrik 1,5. On Saturday we spent most of it relaxing at home as the weather was pretty bad. In the evening we headed to Ximen to watch The Holy Grail which was as fantastic as ever. On Sunday we headed back to Ximen to watch About Elly which was surprisingly good. Then I decided to get a new phone as my old one is on its way out. So I decided on the iPhone. I've been having lots of fun trying out all the applications!

6) Daft Punk: 'Discovery'

Consisting of two French musicians; Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, Daft Punk are musical geniuses of their genre, that of electronic music. They gained prominence in the late 90s French house scene and have released albums that are widely considered essential to the genre. Their debut release ‘Homework’ was stunning and introduced the world to their amazing talent via the single ‘Around the World’. They are not only famous for their music but also for their visual style and live performances. They never make appearances which reveal their faces, preferring to disguise themselves under layers of robot suits and masks. This air of illusion only serves to add to the overall affect.

Discovery was released in 2001 and is easily on of the greatest albums ever made. It is unbelievably beautiful from start to end and contains few flaws, if any. IT’s an album that can be listened to again and again and never get bored with. It is a towering tour de force covering many bases; catchy pop, driving trance, electro house and somber electronic.

The album begins with the irresistibly catchy ‘One More Time’. It’s addictive, its infectious and grows on you in such a way that every time you hear it you simply have to dance. ‘Aerodynamic’ is a great electro-metal piece with really amazing guitar effects which transform the instrument into a keyboard and ends in a crazy blend of stomping bass and hyped up harmonics. Next is ‘Digital Love’ which evokes images of 80’s synth pop, it’s a great fun song despite its monosyllabic lyrics throughout. ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’ is a gem of a song and a resounding standout. I can’t believe I am actually saying this given that Cher completely destroyed any credibility the Vocoder had, but Daft Punk’s use of the Vocoder is simply stunning; they are masters of their work! ‘Crescendolls’ is one of my favorite songs, I understand the repeated sampling of the same line again and again may be irritating for many, but Daft Punk are the only band that can do this and not bore me. Their gigantic beats and pinpoint precision always keep it interesting and is a highly sophisticated song despite its apparent simplicity ‘NightVision’ brings the tempo down to some somber mood, short but exceptionally put together under laid with the pounding heartbeat throughout the piece. ‘Superheroes’ is another upbeat genius g-beat songs. Again, minimal sampling but done in a way that is truly amazing. ‘High Life’ harks back to the disco era and is one of the most danceable songs I have heard in a long time. This leads us nicely into the next more down tempo song ‘Something about Us’ with its mellow groves and soothing vocals. ‘Voyager’ is an interesting piece and some great bass work to match. ‘Verdis Quo’ starts of slow but builds upon layer on layer to create something truly awe inspiring. It reminds me somewhat of Jean Michelle Jarre but is great nonetheless. ‘Short Circuit’ is the only let down on this album, the ‘what were you thinking’? moment if you will. It’s best to skip this track and pretend it was never on the track listing. ‘Face to Face’ is one of the best songs on the album, I cannot even begin to praise this song enough, my only criticism is that it’s only 3 minutes long when it should be some 8 minute epic. Finally we finish with ‘Too Long’ which at first appears a joke when the track clocks in at 10 minute precisely. It’s different to the other tracks on here but it, again, is terrifically made and really adds to make this album as great as it is.

This album is an essential for any music lover, you cannot even begin to start a record collection and omit this classic. One of my favorite albums of all time, here at number 6 is Daft Punk with ‘Discovery’

20 years since the Berlin Wall fell

Celebrations to mark the fall of Berlin Wall on November 9th 1989 have been held this week. As a climax to the celebrations a symbolic wall, built with dominoes from contributors all over the world, was toppled.

The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes is a restored classic from 1948. Centering on the authoritarian ballet company director, Boris Lermontov, we see the addition of two great talents to the company; composer, Julian Craster, and Victoria Page, a promising new dancer who has major potential. The success of their ballet, The Red Shoes, leads to more ballets and ever growing success until Lermontov finds out about the love interest between Craster and Page. Feeling Jealous, Lermontov dismisses Craster and the problems begin. After convincing her to dance one more time, tragic consequences are the result of this fantastic piece. 4/5 stars.

Moon

Moon is the first movie by David Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones. Set in the near future, we follow the life of astronaut Sam Bell who has spent the past three years isolated, except for GERTY to talking computer, on the far side of the moon producing Helium-3 to return to Earth which apparently has become the main source of energy. However, just as it is time to leave the station and return to his beloved wife and daughter, his health drastically deteriorates and he finds himself crashing his lunar module. Things take an interesting turn when he is saved by a younger version of himself who is there to serve another three years after he has gone. As the harsh reality, that they are just clones, sinks in they set about trying to rectify the situation and find a way to get back to Earth. 5/5 stars, a must see of 2009.

Enter the Void

Based around a group of expats in Tokyo, the story follows Oscar and his sister Linda. One night Oscar, who is a small time drug dealer, gets caught up with the police and killed as a result. However, he is determined to keep his promise to his sister that he would never leave her. Therefore the film focuses upon the world through the spirit of Oscar and is told in a rather distorted and psychedelic fashion. We get to see how each character is affected by the death of Oscar all based around the underlining theme of life after death. A truly original piece and well worth seeing albeit at nearly three hours long it is a little long. It’s certainly not for everyone but I enjoyed it nonetheless. 4/5 stars.

Police, Adjective

Set in present day Romania this movie focuses around Cristi, a police detective, investigating youths suspected of smoking cannabis and the moral dilemma he faces over his conscience to convict them of something that appears very trivial to him. The premise sounds fine but the movie was tragic. It was just a self-indulgent bore fest. I could see what the director was trying to do as well as depict the dreariness of everyday Romanian life but I just couldn’t concentrate on this. Endless walking scenes, shots of houses where nothing happens for ten minutes, it was beyond frustrating. I found myself focusing more upon the small hole in the upholstery on the seat in front and trying to find a way to fix it rather than the movie itself. Shocking! 1/5 stars purely for two entertaining scenes involving a rather annoying song and what seemed a 30 minute sketch looking up words in a dictionary.

The Golden Horse Film Festival Begins.

The Golden Horse Film Festival started last Thursday, 5th November, so we are fully booked for movies for the remainder of November. We wasted no time getting started so, on Friday I drove straight to Ximen to meet George from work and we also met up with Maria as we were watching a Romanian movie, Police Adjective. We had some Japanese food and then relaxed in Starbucks for a while before heading to the movie. After the movie George realized he had lost his bad, fortunately it only contained dirty laundry from the army so it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. On Saturday we were up early to watch a morning movie at Vieshow, Enter the Void and then off to Ximen to try and locate the missing bag but to no avail. So we met up with George’s dad for Thai food and then headed home to rest for a while. Then we headed to Gordon Biersch for dinner with some of George’s old classmates. We then headed to Viewshow to see Moon. After that we went for Coldstone and then home to relax. Sunday saw yet another early start to see the movie The Red Shoes. Unfortunately my eye infection came back with a vengeance so I was suffering considerably. Therefore George went to Ximen to see the afternoon movie while I rested at home. I can’t believe my eyes are bad again; it’s been more than a month already! On Monday I went back to the hospital to get more eye drops. So I’ve started yet another weekly course of medication. This time it better work!

7) The Darkness: Permission to Land

Visit Lowestoft and you will see a plethora of sixty year old folks lying on the beach, or slowly shuffling along, where the hardest decision of the day appears to be which flavor ice cream to devour. Therefore a hard rock band hailing from these parts of the world are altogether very surprising. However, that is exactly what happened in 2003 with the formation of The Darkness and their debut album ‘Permission to Land’.

For a debut album the track listing reads like a greatest hits package, every single track is a highlight, there are no fillers on this album. However, there is no electronic experimentalism, garage rock, or pretentious acoustic efforts. All we have is screeching guitars, thumping bass, crashing drums; amps turned up to 11, over-the-top falsetto and a pyrotechnic display visible from space.

Therefore such high camp is quite unforgiving and therefore a lot of rock snobs will be truly offended by this venture. They are, however, missing the point entirely. The sub genre of flamboyant rock, or pomp rock, is so easy to spoof that it is almost a spoof genre in itself, Spinal Tap anyone? However, these guys are doing it with a straight face with plenty of passion and seriousness. It’s about turning this up loud and having fun, not to critically analyze. Just because it doesn’t have any profound meaning it doesn’t make it less of an album. The Darkness, unlike most other rock bands of the late 20th and early 21st century, are not depressed and ooze charisma in the same vain as AC/DC, Queen, Kiss and Thin Lizzy.

Lead singer Justin Hawkins, has vocals that could shatter steel and burst through your speakers with the force of an elephant stampede and use of falsetto that would make even the Bee Gees blush with stage swaggering bravado fully kitted out in spandex from head to toe. His brother, Dan, brings the guitar solo back into fashion and Frankie’s bass and Ed’s drumming complete this rock and roll fest with one killer moustache and leather to match.

The album starts off as it means to carry on; hard rocking and with intent, ‘Black Shuck’, a reference to their home county of Suffolk, rocks and there is nothing more to say. Turn it up and get the air guitars ready! Next is the genius ‘Get Your Hands Off My Woman’ and with lyrics like “octoped you have six arms too many, and you can’t keep them to yourselves” I have never gotten tired of listening to this now classic rock song. ‘Growing on Me’ is a grower, no pun intended, and is now one of my favorite songs from the album, not so much falsetto and a great song overall. ‘Love is Only a Feeling’ is a get-your-lighters-out moment, a monster of a ballad with stunning guitar solos. ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ will literally blow you away, probably their best song with a riff that is as memorable as any of the great rocks classics. ‘Givin Up’ is yet another great sing along effort from the band before leading into yet another genius song ‘Stuck in a Rut’. If you don’t get out your air guitar for this hard rocker then nothing will, awesome! ‘Friday Night’ is a great bit of fun before we are led into the fabulous ‘Love on the Rock with No Ice’ again, one of my favorites from the album. We finish with ‘Holding on my Own’ which is a great way to end of the best rock albums ever made.

Sadly, the band were short lived, shortly after their, less impressive follow up, they disbanded and remain only in our memories. Yet it has inspired others, namely Steel Panther who have carried the torch on into the late 200o’s. Here at number 7 is The Darkness with ‘Permission to Land’

Crazy Weekend!

This weekend turned out to be a really busy yet fun weekend! On Friday, although I finished class early (6:40) I was absolutely exhausted so I picked George up from the base and we headed to a Vietnames place for dinner. Then we just chilled at home for the rest of the evening.

I slept for about 12 hoursm then we got up about 12:00 and and lunch before heading to Ximen to catch the Gay Pride parade. We got there in good time to meet Eddie, Noah and Richard and catch some of the parade too. Then we went for coffee and parted ways. George and i went to check out the concert being held by the Presidential Palace but it was kind of slow, not really the kind of atmosphere it should have been. So around 6:00 we headed to Jack's new place, The White House where we met up with Maria and the others to have some great Oysters and wine. After that we headed to The Underworld in ShiDa to see David play with his band. It was actually pretty good. The drummer stood out and basically carried the band but David was a decent bass player and they took us on a tour de force of many rock bands of the past 20 years. Then we headed to DaLiDa for some drinks and finally to The Village Bar near Shand Dao temple before heading for something to eat at Swenson's at around 5:00. It was a busy yet fun day!

Sunday we got up late and headed to the International Travel Festival. Although there were some good deals we got there quite late and it was really hectic. Not the best thing to do with a hangover. It gave us some ideas about what to do for our holidays though which was good.

Halloween

Friday turned out to be a tiring yet fun day in a way, especially for the kids. In the morning it was up to me to organize a two hour lesson for all the students and keep them entertained with various Halloween games. They seemed to have good fun and got lots of candy so it kept them quiet, for a while anyway.

In the afternoon we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Here are some pics of the day. More can be found in the photo album.

The Return of the Eye Infection

Last week turned out to be extremely hectic. Getting things ready for Halloween on top of lesson plans for next month and a rather busy teaching schedule meant I was burning the candle at both ends for the whole week. By Friday I was exhausted! On top of that after wearing my contacts again my eyes reacted badly so i had to wear my glasses and keep on using the drops. Even now they are still delicate. Hope it fully heals pretty soon as it is getting rather annoying now, two weeks already!