Back from Pandaland

I'm back from the China SARs! I have over 500 photos to comb through and exams to study for, so the forthcoming blog post will have to wait a bit. That, and I'm beat. This happy panda needs a nap, pronto.

Oh, and contrary to what this post implies, I saw no pandas in China. Only Disney characters and a really big Buddha.

photo by Christopher Allison Photography

Music Monday: Smells like Jazz

Today's post is pre-scheduled and posted by a robot, 'cause I'm either in Macau or Hong Kong. Or on a boat between the two. On a side note, that cover art sort of looks like a robot, no? Or at least a strange refrigerator with an ice dispenser. Call me crazy, whatever. Weigh in in the comments below!

Back to Music Monday. Today's pick that I made a few days ago is due to my rediscovered love of jazz. I blame Jamie Cullum, and possibly the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack (hey, it's November, which therefore allows me to listen to Christmas music without guilt). Anyway, I've been looking around for modern and contemporary jazz (please leave a comment if you have suggestions!), and in the process I came across the trio The Bad Plus. In addition to original compositions, they also cover pop and rock songs. The pick I have for you is their jazz interpretation of Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit." I already like the original, and the jazz version is just as appealing.

As usual, the video is below. I know of a few download links, but they're somewhat less than legal, so I won't promote them here. That's all I've got, so enjoy the song! And remember to comment if you've got musical suggestions or a retort to my robot/fridge assertion.

the Rain in S'pore

video by me, music by Melody Gardot (c) Verve Records 2009

Airplanes

So many flights in the next six weeks. A few nights ago I went on a booking frenzy, adding something like five flights to my travel itinerary. It took me a long time to figure out where I would be going over the holiday, what with the flooding in Thailand making my original plans potentially infeasible. Eventually I narrowed down my options to either India or the Philippines. I chose the Philippines in the end, which means I'll be getting a beach vacation before I head back home (I hear it's been snowing in the Okanagan? Yay?). So, here's what my next six weeks look like:

• November 13th, fly to Macau
• November 14th, ferry to Hong Kong
• November 18th, fly to Singapore
• November 23rd, first exam
• November 24th, second exam
• November 30th, third and fourth exams
• December 4th, fly to Cebu
• December 5th, fly to Puerto Princesa, bus to El Nido
• December 12th, bus to Puerto Princesa, fly to Kuala Lumpur via Manila
• December 13th, fly to Siem Reap
• December 15th, fly to Kuala Lumpur, fly to Singapore
• December 17th, fly to Vancouver via Shanghai

AIEAH.


image by √oхέƒx™

Music Monday: for the Soldiers

Today isn't November 11th. In fact, Remembrance Day isn't until the end of the week. But that doesn't matter. We've set aside that day to remember our fallen, but our memories and silence are just as potent any other day of the week or year.

A brief introduction to the artist, Shawn Hlookoff. He's a rising British Columbian talent who came to international attention with the release of this song. I remember discovering him as an artist through the local newspaper, and then watching him perform on the Legislature lawn for BC Day celebrations.

It's strange not being in Canada right now, not only because of the seasonal lack I rambled about earlier, but because I have yet to see one of those ubiquitous red poppy pins. Those are another mark of the autumn season, one that, though welcome, is always bittersweet to see.

I don't really want to say much in this post, so I'll leave you with the video below. I hope everyone's celebrations this week go well, and that this song is made meaningful.