song of the week

LOVE STORY [Taylor Swift] meets VIVA LA VIDA [Coldplay] by Jon Schmidt

For more of his songs, go to his website:

www.jonschmidt.com

songs of the week

song of the week

The official music video for ‘Living Darfur’ filmed on the border of Chad and Darfur.

If you want to read more about the conflict in Darfur, go here.

Mattafix are a UK duo, made up of Marlon Roudette and Preetesh Hirji. Their sound is a fusion of Hip Hop/Rap, R&B, Reggae, Dancehall, Blues, Jazz, Soul and World. For more of their songs, check the official website or myspace.

into the wild – memorable quotes

For more info about this magic movie, check the official website. It has great music too.

http://www.intothewild.com/

Happiness only real when shared.

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods; / There is a rapture on the lonely shore; / There is society, where none intrudes, / By the deep sea, and music in its roar; / I love not man the less, but Nature more… / – Lord Byron

I read somewhere… how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong… but to feel strong.

I’m going to paraphrase Thoreau here… rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.

Some people feel like they don’t deserve love. They walk away quietly into empty spaces, trying to close the gaps of the past.

The core of mans’ spirit comes from new experiences.

You are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God’s place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.

When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God’s light shines through you.

I think careers are a 20th century invention and I don’t want one.

When you want something in life, you just gotta reach out and grab it.

The freedom and simple beauty is too good to pass up…

Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, ’cause “the West is the best.” And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild. – Alexander Supertramp May 1992

It should not be denied that being footloose has always exhilarated us. It is associated in our minds with escape from history and oppression and law and irksome obligations. Absolute freedom. And the road has always led west.

What if I were smiling and running into your arms? Would you see then what I see now?


any good book you have read recently?

Today, I got this message in my Inbox:

On this day of your life, dear friend, I believe God wants you to know…

….that there is a book, waiting for you to read. It carries a wonderful message for you.

This may be a book that you started, then set aside. Or it may be a text that you have just heard about and that is now calling out to you.

Whichever it is, listen to the calling. Follow the impulse. Read the book. Its time is now.

I believe I finished all the books I had; there are some that I heard about and want to read, but I am open to new suggestions.

Please, feel free to write a comment with your recommendation of a book you liked.

small survey

I’ve just added some new music to my Jewels box – the small music box in the right.
I would like to hear your opinions about it.

song and artist of the week

YIRUMA – Pianist, Composer, Producer [YIRUMA means accomplishment in Korean]

An accomplished 31 -year-old artist, YIRUMA was born in Korea and raised in England. YIRUMA began playing the piano at age 5 and moved to London, England at age 11 to study at The Purcell School of Music in London. He graduated as a composition major from Kings College of London University. During this time, he also performed a music tour throughout Europe and composed for musicals, film and theatre.

His albums were licensed for release across Europe and Asia. All 5 albums have been licensed in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

He is married to Miss Korea, Son Hye-im and lives in Korea at the moment.

Info taken from his official website: www.yiruma.com

prayer

‘May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.’

marturisire…

Pentru Fanny

…Astazi insa stiu si inteleg ca iubirea este facuta pentru cei umili, ca cei mandri nu vor putea iubi niciodata… Cei mandri isi inchipuiesc ca nu au trebuinta de inima; ei nu vreau decat sa cucereasca, mereu sa biruiasca; ei cred, in sfarsit, ca si in iubire succesul e tot.

Dorintele lor poate se vor implini, poftele lor poate vor fi multumite da… dar vai, iubirea n-au s-o cunoasca niciodata.

…Trebuie sa traiesti mult, trebuie sa suferi mult, trebuie sa pricepi mult pentru ca inima ta sa fie in stare a primi iubirea. Cei ambitiosi, cei mandri, cei obraznici si nerecunoscatori nu pot sti ce e iubirea si, asa, cei mai multi dintre noi de-abia la varsta de cincizeci de ani incepem sa intelegem iubirea, atunci, deci, cand e prea tarziu…

Pe mine viata m-a framantat, m-a umilit; mie viata mi-a mulcomit glasul. Astfel am ajuns sa nu mai spun ca ele nu merita sa fie iubite, ci sa strig pretutindeni; stiu sa iubesc, fiindca am invatat a plange, a suspina si a ma resemna!

Daca as sti canta din syrinx te-as duce intr-o poiana scaldata in lumina de lunca, intr-o poiana unde inca nu s-a incuibat mandria omeneasca si ti-as sopti la ureche cantecul celor iubiti. Atunci poate ai pricepe si tu ca iubirea nu cunoaste ceea ce lumea numeste “a fi iubit”.

Te iubesc pentru ca ma iubesti: acesta e un schimb, dar nu e iubire. Te iubesc pentru ca te iubesc, si nimic mai mult; te iubesc numai pentru ca te iubesc; aici incepe iubirea. Iti multumesc din suflet ca te iubesc: acesta e cantecul iubirii.

Omul indragostit nu zice: te iubesc pentru ca esti oachesa, nici: te iubesc pentru ca esti buna. Omul indragostit zice: te iubesc cu toate ca esti oachesa, cu toate ca esti buna, si te-as iubi chiar daca ai fi blonda sau daca ai fi rea…

Eu insa zic ca nu exista poet, muzicant, pictor sau sculptor mai mare ca un indragostit. Pentru ca artistul sa inteleaga poezia cea mare a suferintei trebuie mai intai sa fi fost indragostit. Nu poetii au facut iubirea, ci iubirea a facut pe poeti! Iar eu, care citesc bucuros in stele si-mi fac o placere dintru a asterne pe hartie slova langa slova, pot sa jur ca in slovele noastre umile sunt scrise toate tainele de amor ale cerului instelat.

Cel ce pricepe viata stelelor pricepe si iubirea omeneasca!

Iubirea nu cunoaste cuvintele credincios si necredincios.

Iubesti pe altul, va sa zica eu nu te iubesc: acesta nu e cantecul iubirii. Omul indragostit nu zice niciodata: m-ai inselat.

Iubirea nu-ti cere socoteala de sarutarile ce ai dat sau nu ai dat altora. Iubirea nu-ti scormoneste trecutul si nu-ti cerceteaza prezentul. Viitorul este nadejdea ei; viitorul este egoismul ei. Nadejdea cea deznadajduita, mangaierea cea nemangaiata sunt balsamul ei, care e tot atat de dulce ca si suferinta, ca si iubirea.

Iubesti, suferi, traiesti: iata troita iubirii.

Sarutarile iti alina setea, dar lacrimile iti trezesc in suflet doruri mari, istovitoare si dragi, pe care nu ti le pot alina nici sarutarile. Din ochi picura lacrimi, izvorul cel vesnic al iubirii, din iubire picura cantecul, poezia, frumosul, izvorul cel vesnic al lacrimilor.

O bobita de lacrima ce tremura sfioasa pe geana iubitei e o comoara mai mare si mai pretioasa decat sarutarile si imbratisarile tuturor femeilor din lume.

O, vanitas vanitatum vanitas! [desertaciune, desertaciunea desertaciunilor] zice poetul.

Toate suferintele sunt desarte! iti sopteste un glas dinlauntru.

Sarutarile, lacrimi, iubire: toate sunt desertaciuni mari, nimicuri pline de dureri.

Si totusi, pentru aceste nimicuri desarte, pentru aceste desertaciuni nepatrunse as fi in stare acum sa-mi dau tot ce am mai scump pe lume, as fi in stare sa-mi dau chiar viata…

Nu stiu daca e bine ceea ce fac sau e rau, dar simt ca din toate desertaciunile lumesti am ales pe cea mai frumoasa, care e cea mai frumoasa, fiindca e cea mai desarta din toate.

de Liviu Rebreanu

song of the week

Vanessa Hudgens- Whatever Will Be

Sometimes I feel like I’m a bird with broken wings
At times I dread my now and envy where I’ve been
But that’s when quiet wisdom takes control
At least I’ve got a story no one’s told

I finally learned to say
Whatever will be will be
I’ve learned to take
The good, the bad and breathe

‘Cause although we like
To know what life’s got planned
No one knows if shooting stars will land

These days it feels naive to put your faith in hope
To imitate a child, fall backwards on the snow
‘Cause that’s when fears will usually lead you blind
But now I try to under-analyse

Is the rope I walk wearing thin?
Is the life I love caving in?
Is the weight on your mind
A heavy black bird caged inside?

Say
Whatever will be will be
Take
The good, the bad
Just breathe

‘Cause although we like
To know what life’s got planned
No one knows if shooting stars will land

Whatever will be will be
I learned to take
The good, the bad and breathe
‘Cause although we like
To know what life’s got planned
Thing like that are never in your hands
No one knows if shooting stars will land

my grown-up Christmas list

Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well, I’m all grown-up now
Can you still help somehow?
I’m not a child, but my heart still can dream

So here’s my lifelong wish
My grown-up Christmas list
Not for myself, but for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
Every man would have a friend
That right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown-up Christmas list

 

Grey’s wisdom

No one believes that their life will turn out just kind of okay.

We all think we’re going to be great and we feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met. But sometimes expectations sell us short. Sometimes the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected. You got to wonder why we cling to our expectations, because the expected is just what keeps us steady. Standing. Still, the expected’s just the beginning, the unexpected is what changes our lives.


crush…

Do you ever think
When you’re all alone
All that we can be
Where this thing could go…

A wonderful song by David Archuleta :)

You can listen to it here.

Boom De Ya Da!

Watch carefully the image at 0:20 seconds – that’s Hong Kong!!!

God wants you to know…

from Neale Donald Walsch daily newsletter

On this day of your life, dear friend, I believe God wants you to know…

…that this is not the end, but the beginning. All endings start something better. It is inevitable.

Here is God’s promise: Life proceeds, it never recedes. Life progresses, it never regresses. Not even death ends anything, so how much can this particular event matter?

It is true. When one door closes, another does open.

The movement of life is ever upward. Six months from today you will know this. For now, trust it.

Do you think God does not know what She is doing?


Love, Your Friend….

reflections

people come and go in life…but some people are meant to stay forever

almost one year in Hong Kong

real girl

But I don’t wanna think about what’s gonna come around for me
I’ll just take it day by day ’cause it’s the only way
To be the best that I can be

I never pretend to be something I’m not
You get what you see when you see what I’ve got
We live in the real world, I’m just a real girl
I know exactly where I stand
And all I can do is be true to myself
I don’t need permission from nobody else
‘Cause this is the real world, I’m not a little girl
I know exactly who I am

ultimul inorog.

When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning
And the future is past without even a last desperate warning
Then look into the sky where through the clouds a path is formed
Look and see her how she sparkles, it’s the last unicorn

“The Last Unicorn


Cand eram mica imi placea sa citesc povesti cu zane, Feti-Frumosi si Ilene Cosanzene. Mama inca mai pastreaza in biblioteca de acasa colectia mea de “Povesti nemuritoare”, “O mie si una de nopti”, ‘Povesti” de Ioan Slavici si multe altele pe care nu mi le mai amintesc acum. Am avut noroc ca mama lucra pe vremea aceea intr-o librarie si cartile ajungeau in mana mea imediat dupa ce erau aduse de la Centrul de Librarii. Plus ca mai gaseam carti de povesti si la biblioteca scolii sau biblioteca “oraseneasca”.

Datorita acestor lecturi, mi-am dezvoltat o imaginatie bogata, un optimism debordant si mi-am creat mica mea lume de cristal in care Binele invinge intotdeuna, o lume in care trebuie sa fii bun cu ceilalti,rabdator, modest si perseverent.

Si multa vreme am crezut ca asa este si lumea “reala”. Nu am avut mari dezamagiri in copilarie, iar parintii mei m-au protejat destul de mult de rautatile celorlalti, asa ca am continuat sa cred in povesti cu zane.

La liceu, in Regatul domnului Vitanos din Strada Rascoalei din 1907 din Constanta, am fost in aceeasi clasa cu alte 30 de zane, printese si sirene, una mai frumoasa ca alta, una mai mandra ca alta, in general toate fete cu inima buna. Ne-am inteles bine, am legat prietenii, ne-am luptat pentru note si atentia profesorilor, am invatat cum sa fim si sa ne purtam ca niste adevarate “domnisoare”, viitoare cadre didactice. Am unele din cele mai frumoase amintiri din vremea aceea.

Cand am dat la facultate, am avut primul meu esec si castelul de carti de joc al visului meu a fost luat de vant si purtat spre alte orizonturi ale altor fete cuminti. Asa ca m-am multumit cu ce am primit si am devenit studenta a Facultatii de Litere , specializarea Romana-Engleza din cadrul Universitatii ‘Ovidius” din Constanta. Aici am dat peste alte printese si alte obiceiuri. Toate bune si frumoase, numai ca plictiseala era mare, mult de invatat, mult de citit. Simteam ca “tineretea” mea se pierde intre peretii bibliotecii de la etajul 2 din Noul Campus. Asa ca in urmatorul an, cu dorinta de a aduce un element de inedit in viata mea, am intrat in AIESEC, cea mai mare organizatie studenteasca la nivel global. De fapt, habar nu aveam ce inseamna AIESEC sau cum as putea eu sa contribui, dar era singura organizatie din campusul nostru, asa ca am decis sa-mi incerc norocul.

Aici am gasit un grup de tineri entuziasti, care la fel ca mine, credeau in povesti cu zane si isi doreau sa schimbe lumea. Asta isi doreste AIESEC si acum. Am invatat multe lucruri bune in aceasta organizatie, am continuat sa visez, am calatorit, mi-am stabilit obiective, mi-am descoperit calitati pe care nu stiam ca le am sau mi-am dezvoltat abilitati care anterior erau intr-o stare latenta, am intalnit parteneri de calatorie initiatica. In AIESEC, ca in cartile mele cu povesti, marea majoritate a oamenilor sunt buni, sinceri, optimisti si cu sperante intr-un viitor mai bun, viitor pe care trebuie sa ni-l cream singuri.Datorita AIESEC-ului, am ajuns si unde sunt acum, in Hong Kong.

Nu pot sa neg ca in ultimii ani, pe langa bucurii si realizari, am avut si dezamagiri si esecuri, si nopti negre, si lupte cu zmei si vrajitoare; perioade grele, dar si momente memorabile. Am trecut prin multe incercari exact ca eroii si eroinele din povestile mele. Daca tineti minte, ei trebuiau sa treaca prin minim trei incercari sa dovedeasca de ce sunt capabili. Eu am avut mai mult de trei incercari sa-mi dovedesc mie ca sunt in stare sa fac multe lucruri bune. Si asa, putin cate putin, m-am slefuit si am devenit ceea ce sunt in prezent.

Mai cred si acum in povesti cu zane. Dar am hotarat sa sparg globul de cristal si sa traiesc in “lumea de-afara”. Si aici e tare greu sa fii bun si dragut si modest si altruist, atunci cand multi indivizi sunt ipocriti si meschini si isi urmaresc propriile interese, cand persoanele in care ai crezut ca poti avea incredere si in fata carora ti-ai deschis sufletul, se metamorfozeaza in creaturi ciudate si egoiste si te fac sa te intrebi daca ai cunoscut cu adevarat acea persoana sau tot ce ai vazut si experimentat in tot acest timp era doar o masca de convenienta sociala. Sa nu dramatizez totusi, ca nu e “dracul chiar asa de negru”. Sunt si multi oameni buni, care te ajuta atunci cand nici macar nu le-ai cerut ajutorul, straini care iti ofera un zambet, un sfat sau o incurajare.

Toti acesti oameni din “viata reala” imi ofera aproape gratuit lectii de viata, cerand in schimb sa sacrific farame de speranta, de vise, farame de naivitate, farame de inocenta, farame de copilarie, farame din povestile mele cu zane…

song of the day III


I’m surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know