Oh yeh, I forgot to tell you what attracted me to Mika in the first place. I thought he sounded so like Freddy... check it out!
Posts
The Two Crazy Cats -Nick & Zack
3 years ago
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Goodnight Kiwi
From the days when TV didn't go all night and there was only one channel to choose from.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Tragic Romance
Seeing as we were going to see La Traviata in Venice soon, I thought it might be a good idea to understand the story line and found it is a tragic romance, in true passionate Italian style.
Here in lies the synopsis of Verdi's La Traviata ... I better take take a hanky!
ACT I. In her Paris salon, the courtesan Violetta Valéry greets party guests, including Flora Bervoix, the Marquis d'Obigny, Baron Douphol, and Gastone, who introduces a new admirer, Alfredo Germont. This young man, having adored Violetta from afar, joins her in a drinking song (Brindisi: "Libiamo"). An orchestra is heard in the next room, but as guests move there to dance, Violetta suffers a fainting spell, sends the guests on ahead, and goes to her parlor to recover. Alfredo comes in, and since they are alone, confesses his love ("Un dì felice"). At first Violetta protests that love means nothing to her. Something about the young man's sincerity touches her, however, and she promises to meet him the next day. After the guests have gone, Violetta wonders if Alfredo could actually be the man she could love ("Ah, fors'è lui"). But she decides she wants freedom ("Sempre libera"), though Alfredo's voice, heard outside, argues in favor of romance.
ACT II Some months later Alfredo and Violetta are living in a country house near Paris, where he praises their contentment ("De' miei bollenti spiriti"). But when the maid, Annina, reveals that Violetta has pawned her jewels to keep the house, Alfredo leaves for the city to settle matters at his own cost. Violetta comes looking for him and finds an invitation from Flora to a party that night. Violetta has no intention of going back to her old life, but trouble intrudes with the appearance of Alfredo's father. Though impressed by Violetta's ladylike manners, he demands she renounce his son: the scandal of Alfredo's affair with her has threatened his daughter's engagement ("Pura siccome un angelo"). Violetta says she cannot, but Germont eventually convinces her ("Dite alla giovine"). Alone, the desolate woman sends a message of acceptance to Flora and begins a farewell note to Alfredo. He enters suddenly, surprising her, and she can barely control herself as she reminds him of how deeply she loves him ("Amami, Alfredo") before rushing out. Now a servant hands Alfredo her farewell note as Germont returns to console his son with reminders of family life in Provence ("Di Provenza"). But Alfredo, seeing Flora's invitation, suspects Violetta has thrown him over for another lover. Furious, he determines to confront her at the party.
At her soirée that evening, Flora learns from the Marquis that Violetta and Alfredo have parted, then clears the floor for hired entertainers - a band of fortune-telling Gypsies and some matadors who sing of Piquillo and his coy sweetheart ("E Piquillo un bel gagliardo"). Soon Alfredo strides in, making bitter comments about love and gambling recklessly at cards. Violetta has arrived with Baron Douphol, who challenges Alfredo to a game and loses a small fortune to him. Everyone goes in to supper, but Violetta has asked Alfredo to see her. Fearful of the Baron's anger, she wants Alfredo to leave, but he misunderstands her apprehension and demands that she admit she loves Douphol. Crushed, she pretends she does. Now Alfredo calls in the others, denounces his former love and hurls his winnings at her feet ("Questa donna conoscete?"). Germont enters in time to see this and denounces his son's behavior. The guests rebuke Alfredo and Douphol challenges him to a duel.
ACT III. In Violetta's bedroom six months later, Dr. Grenvil tells Annina her mistress has not long to live: tuberculosis has claimed her. Alone, Violetta rereads a letter from Germont saying the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo, who knows all and is on his way to beg her pardon. But Violetta senses it is too late ("Addio del passato"). Paris is celebrating Mardi Gras and, after revelers pass outside, Annina rushes in to announce Alfredo. The lovers ecstatically plan to leave Paris forever ("Parigi, o cara"). Germont enters with the doctor before Violetta is seized with a last resurgence of strength. Feeling life return, she staggers and falls dead at her lover's feet.
Here in lies the synopsis of Verdi's La Traviata ... I better take take a hanky!
ACT I. In her Paris salon, the courtesan Violetta Valéry greets party guests, including Flora Bervoix, the Marquis d'Obigny, Baron Douphol, and Gastone, who introduces a new admirer, Alfredo Germont. This young man, having adored Violetta from afar, joins her in a drinking song (Brindisi: "Libiamo"). An orchestra is heard in the next room, but as guests move there to dance, Violetta suffers a fainting spell, sends the guests on ahead, and goes to her parlor to recover. Alfredo comes in, and since they are alone, confesses his love ("Un dì felice"). At first Violetta protests that love means nothing to her. Something about the young man's sincerity touches her, however, and she promises to meet him the next day. After the guests have gone, Violetta wonders if Alfredo could actually be the man she could love ("Ah, fors'è lui"). But she decides she wants freedom ("Sempre libera"), though Alfredo's voice, heard outside, argues in favor of romance.
ACT II Some months later Alfredo and Violetta are living in a country house near Paris, where he praises their contentment ("De' miei bollenti spiriti"). But when the maid, Annina, reveals that Violetta has pawned her jewels to keep the house, Alfredo leaves for the city to settle matters at his own cost. Violetta comes looking for him and finds an invitation from Flora to a party that night. Violetta has no intention of going back to her old life, but trouble intrudes with the appearance of Alfredo's father. Though impressed by Violetta's ladylike manners, he demands she renounce his son: the scandal of Alfredo's affair with her has threatened his daughter's engagement ("Pura siccome un angelo"). Violetta says she cannot, but Germont eventually convinces her ("Dite alla giovine"). Alone, the desolate woman sends a message of acceptance to Flora and begins a farewell note to Alfredo. He enters suddenly, surprising her, and she can barely control herself as she reminds him of how deeply she loves him ("Amami, Alfredo") before rushing out. Now a servant hands Alfredo her farewell note as Germont returns to console his son with reminders of family life in Provence ("Di Provenza"). But Alfredo, seeing Flora's invitation, suspects Violetta has thrown him over for another lover. Furious, he determines to confront her at the party.
At her soirée that evening, Flora learns from the Marquis that Violetta and Alfredo have parted, then clears the floor for hired entertainers - a band of fortune-telling Gypsies and some matadors who sing of Piquillo and his coy sweetheart ("E Piquillo un bel gagliardo"). Soon Alfredo strides in, making bitter comments about love and gambling recklessly at cards. Violetta has arrived with Baron Douphol, who challenges Alfredo to a game and loses a small fortune to him. Everyone goes in to supper, but Violetta has asked Alfredo to see her. Fearful of the Baron's anger, she wants Alfredo to leave, but he misunderstands her apprehension and demands that she admit she loves Douphol. Crushed, she pretends she does. Now Alfredo calls in the others, denounces his former love and hurls his winnings at her feet ("Questa donna conoscete?"). Germont enters in time to see this and denounces his son's behavior. The guests rebuke Alfredo and Douphol challenges him to a duel.
ACT III. In Violetta's bedroom six months later, Dr. Grenvil tells Annina her mistress has not long to live: tuberculosis has claimed her. Alone, Violetta rereads a letter from Germont saying the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo, who knows all and is on his way to beg her pardon. But Violetta senses it is too late ("Addio del passato"). Paris is celebrating Mardi Gras and, after revelers pass outside, Annina rushes in to announce Alfredo. The lovers ecstatically plan to leave Paris forever ("Parigi, o cara"). Germont enters with the doctor before Violetta is seized with a last resurgence of strength. Feeling life return, she staggers and falls dead at her lover's feet.
A Funny Friday
Well, sometimes so much happens it's difficult to decide what to write about ... so here goes...
It was a funny Friday yesterday. Not funny as in ha ha, but funny as in weird; odd; bizarre. The previous Friday, all of a sudden 50 other people decided to use my road to go to work! Not the road I take to work, but MY ROAD! Well Steven and My's road. I have another collegue who travels the same way to work. Luckily he had just lent me a double CD of Simon & G, so I was able to enjoy an extra 20minutes of the stuff while crawling through Hoeilaart. So, Steven tells me of another way which I decided to try yesterday .... errrrrngh bad idea Steven. Instead of a 20-30 minute drive it took me 50 minutes and when I got in the lift to go up to the office, who should be there, but - yep Steven ... who got stuck in the same traffic jam! And it's Friday so we turn up when everyone else is merrily enjoying breakfast (Friday ritual 9am communal breakfast).
That was the beginning of my day and after work was even more eventful. I went to what I thought was going to be a farm to pick up some farm fresh beef, yes dead animal. It was kind of odd to see the "beefy" grazing in the field and knowing I was about to eat one of his mates. Not a connection I really wanted to make. If I had to do it myself I can defintely feel a vegatarian life coming on. But even more interesting was it was not a farm, but a castle - or more appropriately Le Chateau. Really interesting fella, who also provides us with fire wood, honey and now prime beef. So today we are cooking up "beefy" of the slow cooking variety and it smells great.
It was a funny Friday yesterday. Not funny as in ha ha, but funny as in weird; odd; bizarre. The previous Friday, all of a sudden 50 other people decided to use my road to go to work! Not the road I take to work, but MY ROAD! Well Steven and My's road. I have another collegue who travels the same way to work. Luckily he had just lent me a double CD of Simon & G, so I was able to enjoy an extra 20minutes of the stuff while crawling through Hoeilaart. So, Steven tells me of another way which I decided to try yesterday .... errrrrngh bad idea Steven. Instead of a 20-30 minute drive it took me 50 minutes and when I got in the lift to go up to the office, who should be there, but - yep Steven ... who got stuck in the same traffic jam! And it's Friday so we turn up when everyone else is merrily enjoying breakfast (Friday ritual 9am communal breakfast).
That was the beginning of my day and after work was even more eventful. I went to what I thought was going to be a farm to pick up some farm fresh beef, yes dead animal. It was kind of odd to see the "beefy" grazing in the field and knowing I was about to eat one of his mates. Not a connection I really wanted to make. If I had to do it myself I can defintely feel a vegatarian life coming on. But even more interesting was it was not a farm, but a castle - or more appropriately Le Chateau. Really interesting fella, who also provides us with fire wood, honey and now prime beef. So today we are cooking up "beefy" of the slow cooking variety and it smells great.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
A boy named Sue
And then a classic... I suddenly realised that I knew of but had never actually heard this one.
Mr Bean does Puccini's O mio babbino caro
A little bit of track, but I think brilliatly funny! This is a scene from Mr Bean's Holiday which we bought on DVD and have watched at least three times and love it. What I really liked about it was that he was travelling through France with a Russian boy and noone could understand each other, which is what is perfect about it, I think.
Off to Venice soon
Well we told you that we had decided to do something different for our 15th Wedding Anniversary and had previously settled on a trip to Lapland to drive Huskies through the wilderness - but that didn't work out. They were not running the trip the week we wanted to go, and it was horredously expensive too so we decided to dispose of less of our hard earned Euros elsewhere. So we are totally going to Venice...
This photo I just downloaded of the internet, but we will blog some stuff after we get back. Not going till early March though. The reason we settled on Venice is becuase we started looking for tickets to an Opera in Italy. We found that a troop are performing La Traviata by Guiseppe Verdi in Venice on the night that we celebrate our anniversary so we totally got tickets and built the rest of the holiday around that. The very massively groovy part of the deal is is that it is being performed in the same venue on the same night that it was first performed 155 years ago. The venue is apparently spectacular and we have booked an Apartment for the week right in the centre of Venice and a stones throw from the opera venue. Will let you know how it goes, currently brushing up on our Italiano.
This photo I just downloaded of the internet, but we will blog some stuff after we get back. Not going till early March though. The reason we settled on Venice is becuase we started looking for tickets to an Opera in Italy. We found that a troop are performing La Traviata by Guiseppe Verdi in Venice on the night that we celebrate our anniversary so we totally got tickets and built the rest of the holiday around that. The very massively groovy part of the deal is is that it is being performed in the same venue on the same night that it was first performed 155 years ago. The venue is apparently spectacular and we have booked an Apartment for the week right in the centre of Venice and a stones throw from the opera venue. Will let you know how it goes, currently brushing up on our Italiano.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
I am the Walrus - Jim Carrey
Just in case you hadn't heard it - here is Jim Carry singing I am the Walrus - pretty good actually. Very Johnny L.
My Dream on
I've never had a huge amount of respect for long haired bands - but usually when I actually listen to their ballads I have to say I like them. Aerosmith is no different - despite the size of that mush!
Just as Living in the Dream was inspired by The Beatles - I am The Walrus, so my Dream On was inspired by Aerosmiths Dream on - en een kleine bijtje middenleven probleem // and a little bit of a midlife crisis ...
Dream On ...
Every time I look in the mirror
I’m reminded of the saint and the sinner
Telling me just how I am to go
Riding through the ebb and the fast flow
Dream on, dream on, riding through the waves in the mirror
Dream on, dream on, riding through the lines on the sinner
The progression of my life is the coming of my age
Letting the dust settle on the lines of the sage
And I know just where I mean to be
In the space where I am all of me
Dream on, dream on, sliding through and through every age
Dream on, dream on, sliding through the packets of the sage
Now I know that I can not read the prophecy
Even though it’s all about the new me
The mirror shows me just what have to I breathe
Not the humble worn out place I have to leave
Dream on, dream on, writing every word of the prophecy
Dream on, dream on, writing every cell and bone that is me
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dreaming, dreaming, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dreaming, dreaming, dream on
Just as Living in the Dream was inspired by The Beatles - I am The Walrus, so my Dream On was inspired by Aerosmiths Dream on - en een kleine bijtje middenleven probleem // and a little bit of a midlife crisis ...
Dream On ...
Every time I look in the mirror
I’m reminded of the saint and the sinner
Telling me just how I am to go
Riding through the ebb and the fast flow
Dream on, dream on, riding through the waves in the mirror
Dream on, dream on, riding through the lines on the sinner
The progression of my life is the coming of my age
Letting the dust settle on the lines of the sage
And I know just where I mean to be
In the space where I am all of me
Dream on, dream on, sliding through and through every age
Dream on, dream on, sliding through the packets of the sage
Now I know that I can not read the prophecy
Even though it’s all about the new me
The mirror shows me just what have to I breathe
Not the humble worn out place I have to leave
Dream on, dream on, writing every word of the prophecy
Dream on, dream on, writing every cell and bone that is me
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dreaming, dreaming, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dreaming, dreaming, dream on
Aerosmith Dream On
Inspired by a blog from MarkJ at http://absolutely100percent.blogspot.com/2008/02/miss-independant.html I then went on to take the first line of this song and ran with it ...
The Carnaval Goes On Just The Same
It's been a big week, we were wrecked right from the start as last Sunday we went to the Carnaval in Aalst and it was mad! We had a wonderful time though. F&F came with us, and they were absolutely wrecked and slept the whole way home on the train.
Here you can see Sue, Mik, Forrest, Frodo, Ronaye, Laurent, Laurent (yep, two Laurents), Celine, Florian and Florian's date enjoying the afternoon in Aalst.
This borrowed from Mikelangelo and The Black Sea Gentlemen - The Carnaval Goes on Just the Same ...
What is this thing that comes here so
And makes us laugh and shout and cry like the insane
Is it real or just a game
The carnaval goes on just the same ...
La, la, la,la,la,la,la,la,la ...
Here you can see Sue, Mik, Forrest, Frodo, Ronaye, Laurent, Laurent (yep, two Laurents), Celine, Florian and Florian's date enjoying the afternoon in Aalst.
This borrowed from Mikelangelo and The Black Sea Gentlemen - The Carnaval Goes on Just the Same ...
What is this thing that comes here so
And makes us laugh and shout and cry like the insane
Is it real or just a game
The carnaval goes on just the same ...
La, la, la,la,la,la,la,la,la ...
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The Haircut from Hell
Well the saga of the last few weeks has been because of the haircut. F&F got a haircut the day Sue decided to B off to Amsterdam for the day shopping. It was hightime the boys got a haircut so they got a MV special and now they look like little puppies again.
The only problem was that Frodo decided to move at the last cut and he accidently got sliced. Not thinking it was anything major we left it till Monday and then it started looking decidedly worse so we took him to the vet ... 6 stitches, a course of anitbiotics, 10 days with a conehead and 250 euros (500NZD's - yep still converting) down the gurgler - ouch for both parties! ... Frodo is back on form again. Although he never lost his appetite! OH REALLY???? WHAT A SURPRISE???
The bizarre thing was that we thought he was getting fat but it turned out to be all hair - check out how much hair we cut off one dog!!!
Friday, February 1, 2008
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