nano, nano

got this cute music video clip from a friend:



(again, everything embedded herein from youtube are copyright of their respective owners.)

right now (10:00 am, est), president o is flying to the city of o

from cbc's website:

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Obama's itinerary:

10:30 a.m.

• Arrives at the Ottawa International Airport.
• Greeted by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean.

11:40 a.m.

• Motorcade arrives on Parliament Hill.
• Short welcoming ceremony at the Centre Block rotunda with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
• Private meeting with Harper and staff.

12:05 p.m.

• Press photo opportunity with Obama and Harper in the prime minister's office.

12:10 p.m.

• Obama meets with Harper and officials.

12:55 p.m.

• Lunch in Senate Speaker's dining room.

2:40 p.m.

• Obama and Harper walk down Parliament's Hall of Honour to the reading room.
• Photo opportunity.

2:45 p.m.

• Joint Obama-Harper news conference; two questions from Canadian reporters (English and French), two questions from American reporters.
• After the news conference, the two leaders walk down the Hall of Honour to view the Library of Parliament.

3:40 p.m.

• Motorcade departs Centre Block for Ottawa International Airport.

4 p.m.

• Obama arrives at the airport.
• Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to meet with him for about 20 minutes.

4:30 p.m.

• Approximate departure time for Obama aboard Air Force One.

(Source: Prime Minister's Office)

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here are the most recommended comments on this event on cbc by 10:15 AM this morning:

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I think it's fantastic that the new United States President decided to make our country his first international visit, so shortly after being inaugurated.

True, it is costly, but the value of the trade and business that will be possible because of gains we, as a country, will make after this visit far exceed the costs of security, logistics, etc.

I am always surprised at the pettiness of my fellow citizens.

Welcome to Canada, Mr President.

~

I honestly don't see what all the hype about this guy is. He's American, we're Canadian.

~

How much will this cost us tax payers?????????

~

I don’t understand the “cult” mentality of these Obama supporters. It’s amazing to me that they are so in love with someone they don’t know. I mean these people are insane. They can’t think on their own, they don’t have any idea what he stands for, all these robots hear is that he’s “For Change”, what change, change for whom ? change of what? They just don’t know

~

I heard it is going to cost about 12 million to have Obama stay for 7 hours. Why don't we send Mr.Harper to Washinton instead... we could use the 12 mill with the recession and all.

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me? i'm totally surprised by how surly and negative canadians are about president o's visit. maybe due to the recession people are in bad moods? i don't know...

tan dun / 谭盾 and toronto symphony orchestra (tso)

yeah, i got the tickets booked online last week. this is the second concert of the new creations festival by tso, which is called eastern portraits.



here are the concert details from tso's website:

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Peter Oundjian, conductor/host
Tan Dun, conductor
Wu Man, pipa
Tokyo String Quartet

Tan Dun: Secret Land for Twelve Cellos
Tan Dun: Pipa Concerto (Canadian Première)
Alexina Louie: Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra (TSO/CBC Co-Commission/World Première)
---

you can see that massed cellos and pipa will be the featured. pipa / 琵琶 is a traditional chinese plucked string instrument, which has been played for nearly two thousand years in china

peter is the music director of tso and once was the first violin in tokyo string quartet.

educated at both the central conservatory of music in beijing and columbia university in new york city, tan dun / 谭盾 is a world-widely recognized chinese contemporary composer, although i do think his oscar-winning music in the movie crouching tiger, hidden dragon / 卧虎藏龙 shows very traceable imprint of that famous xinjiang folk song awariguli / 阿瓦尔古丽, and crouching tiger, hidden dragon itself is simply a piece of garbage. yes, i'm sorry, but the movie is the worst work of ang lee / 李安!

look forward to the concert...



(Again, everything embedded herein from youtube are copyright of their respective owners.)

wonton in chili oil / 红油抄手

久居海外，难免思念起家乡的食品来。

故乡乃天府之国，钟灵毓秀。加之天时地利，每每年丰廪实。虽蜗居盆地，蜀人却素以为甲於他邑。

蜀人好吃，蜀人亦善食。可食之物皆可入席，烹饪不拘一格，小菜亦可登大雅之堂。

尽管三斤所在之地，中华美食甚博各族食客欢心，提起szechuan food，很多人都知道，都会说spicy, hot, delicious。但三斤看来，离地道二字，尚存距离。于是乎，故乡街头巷尾那不起眼的食肆；令人眼花缭乱，目不暇接的小吃，非但没有淡忘，反而越发刻骨铭心。夜阑人静之时，各种佳肴细细道来，回味无穷，生津止渴。

昨天是长周末，桂花精心炮制了一碗红油抄手，聊解一时之馋。

记得看过一篇文章，大意是三岁以下，人的味蕾最敏感。每个人的胃自打出生便被父母编了码。以后无论走遍天涯海角，最好吃的还是家里的食物。文章的科学性三斤就不去推敲了，但三斤着实被感动了一把。唉，什么时候回趟国吧，为了那难忘的红油抄手，更为了家中白发的高堂。

又，图中抄手为盛碗时所拍，尚未加豆苗（蜀人谓之豌豆尖，抑或豌豆巅，为桂花三斤之最爱）。等桂花加入豆苗后，三斤不禁食旨大动，然后食指大动，可怜的相机早就扔爪哇国了。

PS,

by the way, i cannot agree to people calling 抄手 dumpling. dumpling is 水饺. they are totally different! i prefer to call 抄手 wonton, which, i guess, is transliterated from 馄饨 or 云吞.

in the mood for love / 花样年华 by wong kar wai / 王家卫

simply love the music in this movie. exquisite, nostalgic, sentimental, a little bit decadent... totally romantic!

here is the song Quizás, Quizás, Quizás


and the original in the movie:


(everything embedded herein from youtube are copyright of their respective owners.)

hi, bill, your little pumpkin is back in town

at her swearing in ceremony on feb. 02, madame secretary poked fun at herself and the former president bill clinton. "I am so grateful to him for a lifetime of all kinds of experiences," secretary clinton said. of course people burst into hearty laughters.

to be able to put the ceremony in such a informal but still gracious way, hillary clinton may be the first one, although i'm not 100% sure. meanwhile, i do think mr. and mrs. clinton showed great supports to each other in a husbandly and wifely way, or politician way.

all in all, i believe, clinton will do fine on this position and be a key role in obama administration...

无地自容(1991) by black leopard / 黑豹

roughly for two decades in last century, from the end of 1970's to the beginning of 1990's, china underwent seismic change for both the society structuring and people's common values. young men in that generation yelled out at the top of their lungs to show their perplexity, speculation, as well as rebellion.

无地自容(1991) is the climax of black leopard band. by this song, they set a precedent and benchmark for chinese heavy metal. an uproar cafe will be the right atmosphere for this song. that's what i imagined every time i heard it...



(everything embedded herein from youtube are copyright of their respective owners.)

don't break my heart (1991) by black leopard / 黑豹

happened to find this on youtube. one of my favorites. to me, it's one of the rock 'n' roll masterpieces and classics by black leopard/黑豹 in china in early 1990's.

here is the lyrics:

也许是我不懂的事太多
也许是我的错
也许一切已是慢慢的错过
也许不必再说

从未想过你我会这样结束
心中没有把握
只是记得你我彼此的承诺
一次次的冲动

don't break my heart
再次温柔
不愿看到你那保持的沉默
独自等待
默默承受
喜悦总是出现在我梦中

你所拥有的是你的身体
诱人的美丽
我所拥有的是我的记忆
美妙的感觉
my baby

don't break my heart
再次温柔
不愿看到你那保持的沉默
独自等待
默默承受
喜悦总是出现在我梦中

(everything embedded herein from youtube, as well as the lyrics, are copyright of their respective owners.)