This Quote Gives Me Courage…

You are the right person, this is the right time, you’ve paid your dues, you’re thinking the right thoughts, you’re doing the right things, and this very moment, you are exactly where you’re supposed to be… poised for the happiest time of your life.

From,

The Universe

You see, I’m planning to give notice this week…

In the Backseat and Harvest Moon

I just can’t get enough of these today…

My Top 25 Albums…during 2008

I found something that I started 1.5 years ago, in October 2008. A list of my Top 25 Albums. Take a peek into what I loved in 2008…

A few months ago I posted my Desert Island Albums list.

At this moment in time, since I’ve been getting a lot of new music, these are my Top 25 albums in order…not much has changed in the past few months but I am putting them in order of ones I just love for whatever reason

At this moment in time, since I’ve been getting a lot of new music, these are my Top 25 albums in order…not much has changed in the past few months but I am putting them in order of ones I just love for whatever reason.

1. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys
2. Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan
3. Automatic for the People, R.E.M.
4. London Calling, The Clash
5. Parklife, Blur
6. OK Computer, Radiohead
7. Is This It?, The Strokes
8. Up the Bracket, The Libertines
9. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill
10. Odelay, Beck
11. Coming Up, Suede
12. Grace, Jeff Buckley
13. Unplugged in New York, Nirvana
14. Absolution, Muse
15. The Queen is Dead, The Smiths
16. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, Oasis
17. Debut, Björk
18. Definitely Maybe, Oasis
19. The Man Who, Travis
20. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac
21. Tapestry, Carole King
22. Rubber Soul, The Beatles
23. Hunky Dory, David Bowie
24. Different Class, Pulp
25. Lovelife, Lush

Here is what I’m listening to now in no particular order:

1. Ladyhawke, Ladyhawke
2. In Ghost Colours, Cut Copy
3. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill
4. You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into, Does It Offend You, Yeah?
5. Once Soundtrack, Glen Hansard
6. Tapestry, Carole King
7. Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords

I’m sure that this list wasn’t fully accurate, which is why it wasn’t published at that time but I loved this little time capsule.

#51 Go hold a Koala

(accomplished May 20, 2008)

Love it!  Prue smelled like eucalyptus.  Only 17 months old, she’s the sweetest thing!!!  I want a job where all I have to do is hold her all day.  One of the highlights of the trip.

#91 Go on a helicopter ride

(accomplished May 19, 2008)

Also done at the Great Barrier Reef.  Only 15 minutes long but I loved every second of it.  Great views of where we were Scuba diving and we say a manta ray from the heli flight!  Looks so different from the sky.

#93 Go scuba diving

(accomplished May 19, 2008)

Did it on a day trip out of Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef.  We went to Hastings and Norman Reefs.  3 introductory dives…somehow I managed to get 3 due to some research (most only offer 2 max) and so worth it!  Don’t hesitate…snokelling is not nearing good enough although the snokelers did see a reef shark and I didn’t. 

I have a souvenir scar courtesy of some coral so make sure to look out for that!

#53 Go to Uluru

(accomplished May 16, 2008)

Flew into Ayers Rock on Qantas.  Rented a car from Hertz (free upgrade!) and headed for the Outback Pioneer Lodge.  3 days exploring Uluru and Kata-Tjuga.  No way did we climb!  Bad, bad!  The Base Walk at Uluru is completly flat and easy but it takes a while.  We were told 3 hours but it only took us a little over 2 hours to circumvent it.  Kata-Tjuga is another matter.  We thought that since the distance was shorter, that it would take less time.  But there are lots of rocks and boulders as opposed to Uluru.  It was a bit strenuous at times for a non-hiker like me.  I think it took us 3 hours to hike the Valley of the Winds.  There were a few parts where we weren’t sure where the trail was and there was some scambling up rocks.  But still doable and worth it!

#52 Go to a show at the Sydney Opera House

(accomplished May 15, 2008)

As a birthday present, I took Mom to see Latin American Nights at the Sydney Opera House.  It was incredible!  I hardly ever go to the symphony but I’m looking forward to doing it again.  Kristjan Järvi is a rockstar!

Latin American Nights | Sydney Symphony

Written by Eliza Eggler

Saturday, 17 May 2008

Last Thursday evening in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra presented ‘Latin American Nights’ – a programme of exciting and captivating music by Argentinean composers Alberto Ginastera and Astor Piazzolla, and also Mexico’s Silvestre Revueltas.

‘Latin American Nights’ began with the four dances from Ginastera’s ‘Estancia’, a ballet suite which represents an entire day and a journey of young love. Under the direction of Estonian born conductor Kristjan Järvi, the orchestra convincingly captured the atmosphere of the Argentinean pampas and the vital spirit of the gauchos who wandered across that vast countryside.

Ginasteras wrote ‘Estancia’ in his period of ‘objective nationalism’ (1934-1947) and the piece, characterized by Argentine musical themes in a direct tonality, displays folk and popular influences. The orchestra splendidly executed ‘Estancia’ and apart from the thrilling music, a highlight of the performance was watching Järvi at work. This conductor is so energetic and in charge of his orchestra that at times he appears to be dancing on the podium. Dressed in black tails and with pop star good looks, I couldn’t help but imagine Mr. Järvi strutting his stuff on the dance floor of a nightclub or riding frantically on horseback with whip in hand across the Argentinean plains! It was refreshing indeed to see and hear such a lively performance.

Next up on the programme was Piazzolla’s ‘Aconcagua’, a concerto for bandoneon written in 1979. Invented by Heinrich Band, the bandoneon is a cross between a concertina and a button accordion and at ten kilos requires much strength and dexterity to play. Although invented in Germany, the first professional bandoneon players were also prolific writers of tango music and since the 1920’s, the melancholic and nasally quality of the instrument has been synonymous with tango.

Piazzolla, also known as the father of nuevo tango, a style of music combining tango, jazz and classical chamber music, cast ‘Aconcagua’ in the form of a Baroque concerto grosso. With a concertino grouping of bandoneon, piano, harp and percussion set against the main orchestra, bandoneon player Carel Kraayenhof played his instrument with such love and joy that he was a pleasure not only to hear but also to watch. He brought out beautifully the sensuous bandoneon melody of the slow second movement and flew effortlessly through the faster passages. The instrument positively sang with its sad sweet voice and the conductor frequently looked on with great admiration as this master spun out Piazzolla’s touching and memorable melodies.

The concert concluded with the orchestral suite of Silvestre Revueltas, a thrilling piece which brought the evening to an equally thrilling close.

Known as Mexico’s ‘famous unknown composer’, Revueltas’s suite was developed in 1960 by his fellow Mexican Jose Ives Limantour from the composer’s soundtrack for ‘La Noche de los Mayas’. Although the film itself was a flop, the score has remained one of Revueltas’s best known compositions, and Thursday evening’s performance captured beautifully the moody vitality and passionate nature of the piece. The highlight of ‘La noche de los Mayas’ and the absolute highlight of the evening’s performance was the extended section for solo percussion in the final movement. Energetic percussion playing and energetic conducting – Mr. Järvi almost fell off the podium at one stage – created some of the most exciting music making I have seen in the Sydney Opera House. The audience too were obviously impressed and burst into excited applause at the end of the percussion section, not to mention at the end of the evening!

‘Latin American Nights’ is definitely worth a look. This is not only an aurally pleasing evening of splendid music making from fine musicians; it is also a visually engaging performance and definitely worth a look to see this most engaging of conductors.  

#51 Go walk on the Sydney Harbour Bridge

(accomplished May 13, 2008)

Walked all the way across.  The Climb was way too expensive and not sure that it would be worth it.  The walk across and back took me 1.25 hours but I took a lot of photos.

#10 Go have happy hour drinks with Mom

(accomplished May 12, 2008)

We took a ferry into Manly and had sundowners at Manly Wharf Bar.