Hampton Court Palace, UK

A buddy of mine went to see Josh Groban at Hampton Court Palace in the UK on 6/6/2007. I was at Hampton Court during the summer of 1999 while traveling in western europe. It was by far the most memorable place in th UK other than the Canterbury Cathedral just before we took the ferry to France. Our tour guide at Hampton Court was this English guy called Philip. He was fantastic.

I remember taking the train from London pass Wiembleton before we got to Hampton Court Palace.

NL, could you send me that picture of Groban's concert at the palace on your Dopod? hahaha. See you and Charles in India this October!

I got "GROBANed"

Just got back from the Josh Groban concert tonight with my mom. My sister and I got her tickets to the concert for her bday. My sister had to work, so I went to the concert with my mom. I didn’t know many songs by Josh Groban before going to see the concert. I only know the one song by him called “You Raise Me Up” and thought it was not bad, but still somewhat of an “old people” type of music. As much as I like the uptempo stuff, I do also enjoy the chilled out type of music. However, never in my wildest dream did I think that I’d actually enjoy the entire show. The opening act by this Angeles lady from Africa was quite good. A lot of energy and flavour.

The 25 men piece orchestra was quite impressive along with the special stage and lighting. I thought I was only going to watch a great vocalist, but the entire performance was very entertaining. I didn’t even need the 2 beers I crushed.

Throughout the show, there were solo performances by the pianist, guitarist, violinist, as well as the 26 year old girl on cello. Nearly the end of the show, the Joshster even got on the drum set and showed us that he’s not just a one-trick pony.

The entire band also did a piece of Led Zeppelin’s classic “Kashmir”, however, I can only think of Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page’s sample “Come With Me” on the Godzilla soundtrack in the late 90’s.

Groban was a pretty funny dude, too. He was joking around singing a couple lines from Bon Jovi’s song (……I’m a cowboy), Elton John, and even Rhihanna’s “Umbrella”. Can you say quite random?
He also sang a few songs in Italian I believe. I couldn’t understand anything, but I can tell you it wasn’t English or Mandarin.

At the end of the show, he came back for not 1 encore performance, but 3! Yes, that’s THREE times for about 4 songs in total.

I have been to 2 concerts this year and both of them have been beyond my expectations………The Roots and Josh Groban.

Here’s the first song he sang tonight – Don’t Give Up, You Are Loved

Life Lessons Asian Style - Spring 2007

I got this from "The Student Traveller" volume 30 No. 1

The article was written by Dana Kalakauskas, former marketing assistant at Travel CUTS Halifax who packed it in and took a Gap Year Abroad in Asia. Dana included 16 lessons learned he/she learned during his/her 8-months solo adventure through Asia.

#1 How to push the boundaries of your comfort zone
The idea is simple. Place 100+ tourists on a boat that would comfortably hold 50, supply them benches not quite wide enough to hold their generous Western bottoms, provide no food or water, add so blazing sun and howling rain, and hold them captive for 8 hours. Oh, and tell them they have to do it all over again tomorrow. Would you believe me if I told you that the 2-day boat journey from the Thai border to Luang Pragang, Laos is considered a traveller's must-do?

#8 How to learn a foreign language
While exploring a temple in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), I was approached by monks who wished to practiced their English. Little did I know how excited they would become upon discovering that I was Canadian - their English teacher had assigned them a song to learn by Bryan Adams. So, in the name of international relations, I was forced to sign Back To You at top volumein front of 5 monks and a group of laughing tourists.

#10 How to hold your tongue when needed
Take atrain anywhere in China. I spent 36 hours on a train from Guilin to Chengdu with not one foreigner in sight and endured the longest stretch of self-imposed silence since the day I first learned to speak!

#11 How to embrace cross-cultural exchanges
While chatting with a Burmese monk, he pointed at my face, wrinkled his nose in disdain and asked me why I had painted "dots" on my nose. 10 points for keeping my face straight as I explained that they were, in fact, freckles.

# 13 How to get in shape
Climb to one of the many temples precariously perched on mountaintops across Asia. My favourite was Emei Shan, one of the 4 sacred Buddhist mountains in China. Our 3-day trek was a gruelling 52 kms up and down a never ending staircase. The weather consisted solely of fog, rain and snow. I was attacked by monkeys and, once finished, I couldn't walk properly for a week. BUT - my pants were now too big.

# 15 How to make peace with the animal kingdom
More specifically, animals of the insect variety: spiders, scorpions, praying mantises and mosquitos. Pack the DEET, use a net, shake out your shoes in the morning and hope for the best. And good luck!

The Beach (Koh Pa Ngan)

I just watched "The Beach" for the 15th time since I bought the DVD in 2003 from A&B Sound in Surrey. It inspired me to put some of my fav quotes in the movie on my blog. Going to Thailand on 9/26th from China for 2 weeks. I am excited and nervous as hell at the same time. It's really a terrible and great feeling simultaneously. Here are some quotes I can relate right about now.

“My name is Steven (or insert name here). So what else do you need to know… stuff about my family or where I am from? None of that matters…not once you cross the ocean and cut yourself loose. Looking for something more beautiful. Something more exciting and yes, I admit something more dangers. So after 18 hours in the back of airplane, 3 dumb movies, 2 plastic meals, 6 beers and absolutely no sleep, I finally touched down…in Bangkok.”

“This is it. Bangkok: good time city, gateway to southeast Asia, where dollars and deutschmarks turn into counterfeit watches and genuine scars. Good time! This is where the hungry come to feed.”

"Like every tourist, you want everything to be safe, just like North America."

“So never refuse an invitation. Never resist the unfamiliar. Never fail to be polite. And never outstay your welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience, and if it hurts, it’s probably worth it.”

“And as for traveling alone, fuck it! If that’s the way it has to be, then that’s the way it is!”

“Spreading news is part of travelers’ nature, to be honest; I was just like everybody else. Shit scared of the great unknown. Desperate to take a piece home with me.”

“The only downer is everyone’s got the same idea. We all travel thousands of miles to watch TV and check into somewhere with all the comforts of home. And you gotta ask yourself: what’s the point of that?”

“It was a beach resort for people who didn’t like beach resorts.”

“I will not die today.”

“On the beach, it’s easy to turn your back, but not always so easy to forget.”

“He had suffered to death because we wouldn’t let anything spoil our fun. In the perfect beach resort, nothing is allowed to interrupt the pursuit of pleasure. Not even dying.”

“I still believe in paradise, but at least I know it’s not some place you can look for. Because it’s not where you go. It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you are a part of something. And if you find that moment, it lasts forever.”

Parallel Universe

1 Year Until 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

Today marks the 1 year countdown until the opening ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

The opening ceremony will take place on 8/8/2008 at 8pm. (Speaking of which, I know that a lot of Chinese people in Canada will be getting married on that day because the number 8 is associated with good fortune in Mandarin).

Here's a picture of my friend Ryan in front of the countdown clock at Tiananmen Square in November 2006 when I was visiting him.

This just in, watching the CBC Newsworld now: Environmentalist in China suspect that the rare River Dolphins have become extinct in the Yangtze River due to pollutions from the recent economical/industrial boom and the new dam in Hebei province. (I feel like I am doing the Weekend Update with Tina Faye and Jimmy Fallon on Saturday Night Live)

Team Zaq no longer, but the legend continues

My friend Zack doing this cross Estonia, Russia, Monglia, and China bike trip. They are keeping a blog about it

http://russiacrossing.org/

http://russiacrossing.org/?page_id=64 (Zack's profile)

They also made a cross Canada bike trip in 2005:

http://chamoischeddar.spaces.live.com/

Common Sense

“The Peple” off his “Finding Forever” album


“Go” off his 2005 “Be” album



This song “Be” embed function doesn’t work. Check out the beats though. You can’t describe it with words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cit7vcHsWWk

“A Dream” feat. Martin L. King