Oh the things you can learn from a song!

On the 7th of July 2007, the world voted in response to UNESCO's call to select the 7 Modern Wonders. Back when I was in school, I'd have thought "Damn it! More things to study!" But I do remember them.

1. Chichen Itza, Mexico
2. The Great Wall, China
3. Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
4. Petra, Jordon
5. The Colosseum, Italy
6. Machu Picchu, Peru
7. The Taj Mahal, India

The first few seconds of this video is how I know I'll not forget them in a hurry; 

I was a preteen when I realized that I could pick up lots of things from just listening to popular music. But with luxuries such as YouTube and people who create music like the Piano Guys do, the visuals mean that you'll never forget what (in this instance) Chichen Itza is. 

There's more to this track than the location. 

This is a magical fusion of George Friedric Handel's "Sarabande" and "My Own Home" taken from Walt Disney's "The Jungle Book". Don't you just love how one thing can lead to another? The Jungle Book was based on the classic "Mowgli Stories" written by British author Rudyard Kipling. The story is based in India, where he lived at one time. This track also has Mayan influences. The Mayans were one of the world's oldest and greatest civilizations. Location? Present day Mexico. 

And that's not all. While the Piano and Cello are at the forefront of the music, check out the drums. The attire. Note the artwork on the Cello. 

Macaws are found in South America. 

The Boa, Bear and Panther are characters from the Jungle Book. Did you notice the elephant trumpeting at the start? There's your Colonel Hathi and the Jungle Patrol!!! The word "hathi" means "elephant" in Hindi, one of India's main languages. 

It's all so educational! And all so effortless. 

Interestingly, unlike listening to your social studies teacher, your music teacher, your english lit teacher and your history teacher, you'd be hard pressed to forget what you learn by just paying attention to this absolute treat of a video. 

I could go on and on about this. I could write about a hundred more songs. 

But you get the general idea :-) 

Enjoy! 

A little luxury, every day

I am busy.

My day starts at 4.30am. I drag myself off my bed and walk downstairs, zombie-like, to get started on breakfast and lunch. My day ends, if I'm lucky, at around 11.30pm when I'm finally in bed again, with my book and reading-light. More often than not, I fall asleep before I've got through 2 pages.

One reads a great deal about the importance of recharging ones' batteries. Resting. Taking time off each day to meditate, to exercise, to do something that makes you happy. But in reality, who has the time to put such sage advice in to play?

I love listening to music. Music has the power to uplift the spirit, and to change a mood. But music today runs in the background for me; whether I cook, or clean, or drive, or work, or iron, or play with my daughter....the music goes on. But I rarely get to focus on its nuances and accents as I once did.

But there is one luxury that I do indulge in. Every day, and in fact, several times a day too. It's called soap.

Ah the humble cake of soap! With it's roots going back to the Babylonian era in 2800BC, the soaps of today can do more than just clean (and self-clean too!). Soaps come in a myraid of shapes, sizes and colours. And oh the perfumes and the textures! **gushes**
It's aromatherapy, physical therapy and cleanliness therapy all rolled in to one delightful albeit slippery little block that fits right in to your hand.

And this is my daily luxury. My only luxury right now. But boy do I indulge in it!
On a recent trip overseas, I shamelessly busted close to USD 100 on soaps at just one shop that my nose lead me in to. I walked out with a small bag of L'Occitane soaps and a heart bubbling with joyful glee. Before that trip was over though, I had bought poppy seed soaps, edelweiss soaps, rock salt soaps, Hungarian rose soaps, whimsical soaps shaped like sea mammals and smelt of the ocean as well as the run of the mill, mass produced Palmolive soaps.

I'm happy.
I'm tired, but at the end of the day, the bubbles that wash over my skin leave me feeling alive and well again. Thank God for good soaps.

Did you know that soaps are mentioned in popular culture too? Take a looksee ->

This has got to be one of the better feel-good-indulgences out there.

 

One of the many messages of M*A*S*H

"I'll be seeing ya, Henry!"

M*A*S*H was an Amerian tv series that ran for ll years during the 1970s and early 1980s. I always held it in the highest regard for its humour, and for the sheer genius of its language. As I grew, I came to appreciate the many messages that lay within each episode.

The finale of the 3rd season ended with this scene. I still remember watching it for the first time, and feeling as stunned by it as I later learned that the M*A*S*H cast and crew had been on the day they had filmed it too.

Lt. Col. Henry Blake (played by McLean Stevenson) commanded the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, in Korea, in this exemplerary television series. He was portraited as a fine surgeon, a great friend and a questionable soldier. He was loved by all who worked with him, in one way or another.

Stevenson was set to leave the show for different pastures and they ended his stint at M*A*S*H by killing him off. He had been served his discharge papers, and was going home. His plane was shot down over the sea of Japan, and no one walked away from that tragedy.

Subsequently, the writers of M*A*S*H were assulted with thousands of angry fan mail. How could they do this to Blake?

And herein lies the beauty of this show.

The writers responded "Take your anger, and direct it at the war. We didn't kill Henry Blake. The war did".

The sheer power of this message still strikes a chord within. Wars are started for many reasons. But a few agonizing aspects remain common to them all. Death. Destruction. Panic. Anger. Loss. Pain.

Is there no better way to deal with our differences?

I think a lot; and I forget a lot

I think a lot, much like the Wombat (who also apparently digs a lot). I have a rotten memory, which leads me to think that I should write things down.

I write a lot. I have always enjoyed it, and I'd like to think that I've honed a skill over the years. Currently going through a very challenging period of my life, I have put my writing skills to work; and work gainfully for me. It has been good; it has also been bad. But at the end of the day, it has been rewarding. 

But then there the things I think about. I don't think they are worth publication. I don't think they are worth money. But perhaps, they would be worth someone's time. 

And here I am. Careerwise, I'm a confused person. But as a human, I think I have my priorities straight - but more on that another day. 

I hope you like what you read here. 
Cheers!