About a week ago my brother and I went to town to do shopping for Thanksgiving. We stopped by Wal-Mart to get most of the groceries, but we needed to stop by a specific Oriental store to buy some of the Asian ingredients. While we were there we collected everything we needed and while we were checking out, something happened that I was not expecting nor was prepared for.

The lady working at the store that night recognized me, she barely recognized me from a birthmark over my left eye. She recognized me because I used to go to that store often with my mom many years ago, and she used to be in a bowling league with her as well. She and my mom had lost contact over the years, so she asked me a question that any old friend would ask.

“How is your mom doing?” Is the question she asked.

Anybody who has lost a family member, or even a close friend may know how it feels when asked that question. When she asked me, I couldn’t make eye contact with her. I found something else to look at as quickly as I could and tried to tell her that she has passed away, but when I did, nothing would come out. I continued to try but I just couldn’t, so I looked up at my brother, and he told her what had happened.

While he was telling her, I continued to try and just look at the various decorations around the store in in a failed attempt to avoid making eye contact with her. Of course, I had made eye contact with her, and I couldn’t take it away. I slowly began to cry while adding small details to what my brother was telling her. While I was looking at her, I could tell she felt bad for bringing it up unknowingly, and when we finished, she apologized. We told her there was no reason to apologize, as there was no way she would have known if she didn’t bring it up. She gave us some reassuring words, and then we left the store.

By the time we had left, I was fully crying, and I had realized how easily I could be brought to tears by the subject. On the ride home, my brother gave me reassuring words as well, he told me that over time, I would have an easier time talking about it. I told him though, that I could simply talk about it without too much difficulty, my problem is when I have to tell somebody who doesn’t already know about it. Before then, I had only told one other person, and she was also a great old friend of my mom’s.

I know why I have a harder time telling those who don’t know about it, it’s because I know what will happen when I do tell them. They get that look in their eyes as just pierces my heart. It’s a look of regret for not already knowing and bringing it up, it’s a look of grief for losing a friend, and it’s a look of pity, because they know how I must feel. Even right now, as I type this, I’m crying because I’m just picturing that look, and it really does just pierce my heart. After I told him, my brother said that would get easier with time as well, and I do believe him, I just sometimes wish that time would not be so slow.

That is the end of this short tale. I know I’m sharing it quite some time after it happened, but sharing it really does help make me feel better and relieve some stress. I don’t mean to sadden anybody with my stories, but I’m afraid that there’s really no way that I can express them in a cheerful way, and for that, I apologize.

About a week ago my brother and I went to town to do shopping for Thanksgiving. We stopped by Wal-Mart to get most of the groceries, but we needed to stop by a specific Oriental store to buy some of the Asian ingredients. While we were there we collected everything we needed and while we were checking out, something happened that I was not expecting nor was prepared for.

The lady working at the store that night recognized me, she barely recognized me from a birthmark over my left eye. She recognized me because I used to go to that store often with my mom many years ago, and she used to be in a bowling league with her as well. She and my mom had lost contact over the years, so she asked me a question that any old friend would ask.

“How is your mom doing?” Is the question she asked.

Anybody who has lost a family member, or even a close friend may know how it feels when asked that question. When she asked me, I couldn’t make eye contact with her. I found something else to look at as quickly as I could and tried to tell her that she has passed away, but when I did, nothing would come out. I continued to try but I just couldn’t, so I looked up at my brother, and he told her what had happened.

While he was telling her, I continued to try and just look at the various decorations around the store in in a failed attempt to avoid making eye contact with her. Of course, I had made eye contact with her, and I couldn’t take it away. I slowly began to cry while adding small details to what my brother was telling her. While I was looking at her, I could tell she felt bad for bringing it up unknowingly, and when we finished, she apologized. We told her there was no reason to apologize, as there was no way she would have known if she didn’t bring it up. She gave us some reassuring words, and then we left the store.

By the time we had left, I was fully crying, and I had realized how easily I could be brought to tears by the subject. On the ride home, my brother gave me reassuring words as well, he told me that over time, I would have an easier time talking about it. I told him though, that I could simply talk about it without too much difficulty, my problem is when I have to tell somebody who doesn’t already know about it. Before then, I had only told one other person, and she was also a great old friend of my mom’s.

I know why I have a harder time telling those who don’t know about it, it’s because I know what will happen when I do tell them. They get that look in their eyes as just pierces my heart. It’s a look of regret for not already knowing and bringing it up, it’s a look of grief for losing a friend, and it’s a look of pity, because they know how I must feel. Even right now, as I type this, I’m crying because I’m just picturing that look, and it really does just pierce my heart. After I told him, my brother said that would get easier with time as well, and I do believe him, I just sometimes wish that time would not be so slow.

That is the end of this short tale. I know I’m sharing it quite some time after it happened, but sharing it really does help make me feel better and relieve some stress. I don’t mean to sadden anybody with my stories, but I’m afraid that there’s really no way that I can express them in a cheerful way, and for that, I apologize.

¿Hasta que grado crees que podría llegar un amor “virtual” ? Primero pongamonos a pensar…¿qué significa un amor virtual? muchos pensarán: de esos que se conocen en internet…que hablan por msn, luego se conocen y se casan…y muchos lo consideran extremo, locura, etc, etc. Pero…¿de verdad ESE es un caso de locura?

Maldita sea ! cuando pensamos que el mundo ya no da para mas de loco aparece algo peor ! si no me creen vean esto…

En una capilla de Guan un oriental al parecer sin vida social alguna decidió que su novia del juego de citas Love Plus de NDS era todo lo que él buscaba en una mujer y no encontró mejor idea que casarse con ella… se realizó la boda y una recepción en donde fue gente (real) y prensa… y aún no se sabe como quedara el DS cuando se “consume” la union. La boda se llevó a cabo el pasado 22 de noviembre. Si creen que esto es mentira hay videos que lo comprueban.

La recepción:

El beso:

No sé que sigue .__. les juro que ya veo un perro casándose con un gato

Fuente: lo encontré mientras miraba los foros de NDS xd

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-9415079-tea.phprefnum=delihayat

glass of traditional turkish tea  http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-9415079-tea.phprefnum=delihayat

beverage,drink,breakfasts,glass,herbal,hot,istanbul,liquid,oriental,plate,saucer,spoon,tea,teatime,traditional,turkish,turkish culture,black tea,teaspoon,anatolian

The Shang Hi Chinese buffet has  a roomy, modern interior, a very relaxed atmosphere and very friendly owners – and a fully stocked bar!   It’s £6.50 per person from 11.45am until 5pm, and in the evenings it’s £9 (£10.50 Friday and Saturday).  After 5pm your meal will start with a plate of 3 mixed satay appetisers (times by the number of diners at your table), followed by crispy duck pancakes, brought to your table and shredded before you.  The buffet also has a choice of two soups and a variety of spring rolls which make a lovely starter before you attack the main buffet!

The buffet has a good selection, though it’s not the largest compared to other Chinese buffets in the area, but the quality makes up for the quantity.  There is a good range of vegetarian dishes and spring rolls, and all the take-away favourites are there; sweet and sour, beef and black bean sauce, special fried rice, plus some you may not have tried before.  The kitchen is just behind the buffet, so you can keep your eye open for when the fresh food comes out! Crucially, for allergy sufferers, the food is labelled, but there are no allergy warnings relating to the ingredients used.

The desserts are probably one of the best things about Shang Hi.  There is a freezer full of ice cream and a whippy machine to help yourself to, as well as some amazing home-made cakes and traditional Chinese desserts.

Overall, the Shang Hi has something many buffets don’t – it doesn’t feel like you’re back at the school canteen.  The meal is very good value, particularly if you’re a big eater and the welcome and the service are warm and friendly.  They also provide a take-away service, where you fill your bowl with whatever you fancy, and you can take a soup away for no extra cost.

61 Whitworth Street

Manchester

M1 3NY

(0161) 228 7868

Alright that was a lie (the title). This is because while some of my friends were watching these vids on youtube yesterday, I didn’t really react. Was holding most of it in because I was being stubborn!

But that’s the past now so let’s move on.

Anyway these are a few videos of some Japanese pranks. Makes my Orientalness shine a bit more.. don’t you think??!

The audience laughter in the above video is a bit confusing. When they sneak on unsuspecting people they do it very quietly. NINJAS!

The above video is really funny because they are situated in a library, hence their efforts to stay quiet. I know for a fact I would have had to leave the area if I was there because I got the snowball effect on my laughter!!

Zeami was the original practitioner of Japanese Noh theatre and wrote a classic book on dramatic theory called Kadensho. He uses images of nature as a constant metaphor, for example hana, or the flower. Kenneth Yasuda, in his book Masterworks of The Noh Theatre claims that ‘This flower is both an aesthetic principle and the soul of the actor or the character or the play, and it is, beyond that, a spiritual quest. Every element of the play, every gesture, must be devoted to the flower.’ Thus we can clearly see the weight of importance given to this one symbol, but why is he so interested in using it as a metaphor, in the context of Noh Theatre?

The title of his book Kadensho can be roughly translated as “Floral Message: How Does the Wind Look?”. Zeami is using the metaphor of a flower to imply that one must possess sophisticated or ‘flowery’ skills to achieve anything in Noh Theatre. Zeami saw the flower as a sophisticated and complicated thing. This is true [see below]. Zeami felt that learning theatrical skills is sophisticated and complex; just like flowers.

Zeami also sees the flower as a metaphor for viewing a performance. The flower sheds its petals and goes through many different stages in what it looks like, starting from a bud, to disappearing completely, and this is a visible process. Similarly, in front of an audience we see a theatrical event before hand as if it didn’t exist, it then bursts into life on the stage before once more disappearing. The flower is important to Zeami as he feels that this allows us to truly understand what the performance is.

Then we come to the concept of Yugen which he defines as ‘a profound, mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe… and the sad beauty of human suffering’. This can be simply related to the flower as a metaphor, the flower is so visually enticing when alive; yet Zeami believed that when a flower begins to die the process is all the more so. Zeami, perhaps somewhat controversially, saw human suffering in the same way. Noh Theatre portrayed human life as it is; so assuming that pain is a process all must undergo, some believe that human suffering in its own way, is beautiful.

Zeami has been known to compare the flower with the idea of omoskiroki or in English, ‘fascination’. Zeami sees the flower as something to be in awe of. In relation to its metaphor within Noh Theatre, we see his encouragement for the audience to be fascinated by the performance, thus he weighs importance on the concept in this case in order to amaze the spectator.

Another key word is mezurashiki which means ‘novelty’ implying that the flower can be something new and exciting. When this metaphor is replicated on stage through interaction actors have with each other and the audience, they see that there is now a certain thrill in experiencing this, just like the joy one finds in viewing a flower. So the metaphor is important in this context because it excites the audience, just like one might feel towards nature.

We can see that this points to another point Zeami makes about the similarity between the way one cultivates flowers and the way the performer seeks to harvest a relationship with his or her audience. Zeami wants to reinforce this link as actor/spectator relationships are central to understanding Theatre, especially Noh Theatre.

Finding beauty in nature is something unique to the human soul. No matter who the person is, there is a certainty that any person from any background will find the flower beautiful. In the same way Zeami seeks to reinforce this concept. If the Theatre is like the flower, it can be loved and appreciated by all.

Finally Zeami reminds the reader of ‘the beauty of the flower of youth, which passes with time.’ This is an important metaphor to him as it reminds his audience of the fragility and fleeting nature of life. Many would argue that this is the most accurate and profound part of Zeami’s thinking, though not all see it as a positive concept, as mankind is left without hope as to what happens after his decease. Christianity was not to reach Japan until 1549,  but Zeami’s sentiments are echoed in the following bible verse,

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.

When creating theatre as well as in life; Zeami held this view in mind, perhaps a view that more modern practitioners should ponder, knowing that soon, our petals will fall and we will perish. However Zeami’s flower metaphor shouldn’t necessarily discourage us, all is not swallowed up into the earth, the roots remain and buds appear once more, so nevertheless, if looked at from the right angle; there is hope for theatre, there is hope humanity.

En nuestro segundo “Miércoles Gastronómico” Luis y yo fuimos al Restaurante Thai Mös, situado en la Av. de Málaga nº6, concretamente en un edificio emblemático de Sevilla de 1929. Paseando por la zona nos había llamado la atención, así que decidimos que esa iba a ser nuestra visita de la semana.

Nada más entrar hay un pasillo alfombrado lleno de velas encendidas y plantas exóticas. La decoración es oriental, con unas paredes pintadas en tonos oscuros como el marrón chocolate y otras en fucsia.

Cuando llegamos únicamente había otra pareja , aunque luego llegó otra. Únicamente había una camarera, de la que debo decir que sonreir de vez en cuando no es malo…

La mesa estaba muy bien puesta, como bajoplato había una plancha roja sobre la que estaba el plato blanco. Los cubiertos eran muy bonitos, el mango era como una columna salomónica.

Para empezar Luis pidió una Cruzcampo y yo una copita de vino blanco. Mientras esperábamos los platos que habíamos seleccionado de la carta, la camarera nos trajo unas tortitas de harina de lentejas, acompañadas de 3 salsas: de pimiento, de soja y thai. Estaban muy buenas, sabían a “papadelta” un snack de Grefusa… Jajaja!

Como entrantes pedimos, Queso Yaang Phri, que es un queso a la plancha acompañado de especias y mango, debo decir que la combinación es buenísima. También pedimos Khanom Gib Thai, que son unos saquitos de pasta rellenos de carne de cerdo hechos al vapor, estaban buenos, pero la pasta estaba un poco seca…

De segundo pedimos para compartir, Phad Thai Jay, unos fideos con carne de ternera, langostinos, huevo y avellanas, tenían un punto picante pero no demasiado. Y por último Mou Himmapan, unos taquitos de carne de cerdo con berenjena y mango, que para mí fueron lo mejor de la cena. La carne estaba muy blandita, y el sabor exquisito!! Debo decir que a Luis le gustaron más los fideos, pero para gustos colores!!

No pudimos tomar postre, siempre nos pasa lo mismo… comemos demasiado!! Y eso que tenían buena pinta…

La verdad es que la cena fue muy agradable, con una ambientación musical muy oriental!! El total de la cena fueron 55€, advertiros de que cobran 2€ por persona en concepto de cubierto…

Recomendable si quereis daros un homenaje exótico!!

El pasado sábado, 20 de noviembre, fue el Día Mundial del Niño. Por eso me picó la curiosidad y busqué en internet información sobre niños y danza oriental. Encontré algunos vídeos muy buenos, pero me llamó la atención el caso de una  niña con un gran talento: la pequeña Fayrouze.

Es realmente buena. Bailaba, cantaba y actuaba, con tan sólo 5 años. Compartió películas con las leyendas Tahia Carioca y Naima Akef. En el vídeo de arriba la podéis verla bailando con velo, con crótalos y cantando. Es Marisol oriental.

Hay poca información sobre ella. Despareció sin previo aviso del panorama artístico y no se ha vuelto a saber nada de la niña.

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Here’s a sweet DJ mix for you (from the Globalibre blog): ORIENT@TION by Dj Badre