Children's Day Birthday

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Feeling very blessed to enjoy my birthday on Children's Day. It's the first year that MOE decided to allow the 1st Friday of October to be Children's Day holiday and it falls on 7 Oct this year. I woke up much later and spent my day playing Facebook, thanking all well-wishes and completing a project report.
By evening, it was time to set out to meet Teddy Chua for my birthday dinner treat. It was pouring quite heavily and I was running late as I got carried away doing my report. Luckily, Teddy Chua was patient enough to wait for me (think i was abt 15min late). We went to Bugis, Hotel Intercontinental, where he treated me to Japanese food. We walked to Bras Brasah to check out a book store but it was already closed. The slight drizzle added a romantic feel to the after-dinner walk. We walked over to artichoke, at Sculpture Garden but it was a full-house.
We went back to the lounge area in Hotel Intercontinental where Teddy Chua insisted on getting a mini birthday cake for me. The pianist was very observant and when the cake was served with a single lit candle, he immediately played the birthday song before resuming his original piano piece. Though Teddy Chua is tired out from work, his efforts to make me happy on my birthday is much appreciated.
I got home and sis gave me a handmade letter with our photos and a red packet...Thank you all dearies...i feel very loved and blessed to have all of you in my life. =)

Tis' the season to be shopping...falalalalalalalala...

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Shopaholic Lai is back...miss the exhilaration and adrenalin rush from shopping...Previously, Shopaholic Lai restrained herself and went "cold turkey" to save $$$ for her wedding.

Now, when the Xmas season is here and Chinese New Year is round the corner, she decides to furnish her wardrobe with new clothes. The festive sales also helped to attract her to the stores...have spent 3 days this week shopping and counting...=P

Sunday: Shopping in Orchard with Teddy Chua
Tuesday: Shopping in Somerset with Mum & sis, Shopping with Teddy Chua in Orchard
Wednesday: Shopping in Tampines with Yifen
Thursday: Shopping in Tampines with Beryl, Grocery shopping in Marine Parade

Don't steal my hubby...

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Teddy Chua just got back from his UK work trip and his work requires him to fly off to Washington by Sunday! *sob sob* Initially, news was that they may post him to US for 1 month...when I heard it, I almost fainted...luckily, on Valentine's Day, it's confirmed that he has to go for 1 week.

Saturday: he is on duty for the Air show then he joins my family for dinner at Thai Village Restaurant (Goodwood Park Hotel) to celebrate my dad's birthday.
Sunday: he will bring me to the Air show before his late night flight to Tokyo->Chicago->Washington (as the air tickets were bought too late).

Teddy Chua's work is stealing my hubby! (X_X)*

Esdras Mariano (Lalão) - Violonista

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Sometimes you do discoveries you didn't expect. I had such an experience recently after listening to the great CD by Yamandú Costa and Rogério Caetano, which I recommended in the previous entry. Among contributors to the repertoire of the disc there is a composer who didn't ring a bell in my limited knowledge of Brazilian composers. The name of this composer is stated as Lalão, and only after some research and googling I found a MySpace profile of this mysterious person.


The MySpace profile does not give info about the person on the photo above, but you have the opportunity to listen to the composition that put me on the trail of research for info on Lalão, 'Choro para Yamandú', here in a version slightly different from the version by Yamandú and Rogério, but definitly just as enjoyable and well played. Judging from the photo(s) of Lalão I counted on the fact that it is Lalão's own version of this earcatching guitar choro that is uploaded at the profile and further that Lalão himself is a great guitar player. After some more googling I found out that the real name of Lalão is Esdras Mariano and that he is from Recife, Pernambuco, a self taught guitarist 'discovered' by Yamandú Costa during one of his visits to this region and moreover a great friend of his.Further info on Lalão/Esdras Mariano is only to be found in an appraisal (- in Portuguese) by journalist and bandolonista Luis Nassif, which tells that this almost anonymous genius of the violão has been playing and composing for the violão during more than 40 years while earning his living as a bricklayer and a parttime musician as a member of both rock and jazzinfluenced local bands. An interesting detail noted by Nassif is that Canhoto da Paraiba praised Lalão's skills and recommended him as the only other violonista around, who would be able to do his (Canhoto's) part of the show in a concert dedicated to his music after he himself was paralyzed and unable to play any longer. Another detail in Lassif's article mentions that Yamandú and Lalão will play together and record a selection of Lalão's compositions, and this info is confirmed in another short notice from the website of the Muzak recording studio. Here it tells that Yamandú and Lalão have recorded together and that the producers try to raise funds to issue the disc.
The disc has not been issued yet, but meanwhile we are looking forward to the recorded co-work between Yamandú and Lalão, you have the opportunity to listen to (- and even freely download) 15 brillant pices of choro and valsa by Lalão uploaded at a profile for Esdras Mariano in a Brazilian web, click here.


Among the 15 pieces you have Lalão's version of 'Choro para Yamandú', two guitars are heard - probably Yamandú on violão sete cordas, while Lalão plays the lead on the six-string violão. Several of the uploaded tracks have two guitars in interplay, while the remaining are solo pieces by Lalão/Esdras Mariano, everything excellently executed and probably the takes designated for the promissed cd-issue. - On YouTube you have the opportunity to watch Lalão/Esdras Mariano play some of his latest compositions, and there is also uploaded an interview with this great violonista. Below I'll insert some of the uploaded music videos to give you an impression of this great musician and composer in live performance. - Here is first Esdras Mariano playing his choro titled 'Renascando'



Here is a live performance of Esdras Mariano's 'Burguêsinha'



From another studio live recording, here is Esdras Mariano's valsa titled 'Clarice'



Finally, from the same recording session here is a performance of the choro 'Vagalume'



---

Jo

The Dark Knight Rises Soundtrack [2012]

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It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.

But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane.
Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar winner Christian Bale again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy as Bane; Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar winner Michael Caine plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman reprises the role of Lucius Fox.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

You are looking at the list of orinigal soundtrack with bonus tracks, Amazon enhanced bonus tracks and one more track from Movie Tickets.com Exclusive from Hans Zimmer.

1. "A Storm is Coming" 0:37
2. "On Thin Ice" 2:55
3. "Gotham’s Reckoning" 4:08
4. "Mind if I Cut in?" 3:27
5. "Underground Army" 3:12
6. "Born in Darkness" 1:57
7. "The Fire Rises" 5:33
8. "Nothing Out There" 2:51
9. "Despair" 3:14
10. "Fear Will Find You" 3:08
11. "Why Do We Fall?" 2:03
12. "Death By Exile" 0:23
13. "Imagine the Fire" 7:25
14. "Necessary Evil" 3:16
15. "Rise" 7:11
Total length:
51:20

Digital Bonus Tracks (AAC VBR 256 Kb/s)
16. "Bombers Over Ibiza" (Junkie XL Remix) 5:51
17. "The Shadows Betray You" 5:20
18. "The End" 6:13

Amazon enhanced CD bonus tracks (MP3 256 Kb/s)
19. "No Stone Unturned" 7:29
20. "Risen from Darkness" 4:27

Movie Tickets.com Exclusive Track (MP3 128 kb/s)
21. "All Out War" 3:17

Enjoy with FLAC if you like.