Songs that make me cry # 26

Wise Men say
only fools rush in
but I cant help falling in love with you..

Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin?
If I can't help falling in love with you...

Like a river flows, surely to the sea
Darlin so it goes, somethings are meant to be..

Take my hand, take my whole life too
for I can't help fallin in love with you...

***

I am a sucker for Elvis and UB40 alike - people just don't sing it like they used to.

Easy updates, Ea-sy

• I'm consumed at work and it's going well. I have dreams that my clients are in big trouble and I solve all their problems. They pronounce me their hero and have a parade with me on a float and confetti everywhere (it's a nice dream).
• I like work here, it's good quality stuff but I miss London. I miss the office and seeing so many people every day. I miss the bigger picture of it all and unfortunately there's not much I can do about it. Luckily everyone here has been very nice to me and has made me feel welcome - almost as if I've been here for months on end. There are still many things that I miss and wish I could go back to but I will try not to think about them too much and make the most of what I've got on my plate - which is quite a lot, Thanks Godness.
• I like to read aloud the stickers on people's cars.
• I like spending time with Mr. Seroo, it's nice being in the same country again. It makes me happy.
• I still don't understand how time here either gozza by so slowly or flies. I still haven't settled into a good regime and really want to get a good system going where I make the most of my time and spend every minute wisely. I need to fit reading, exercising and alone time back into my days.
• I had a problem with my cargo. The moving company in the UK picked my stuff up from my flat and promised to put it on the next day flight to Bahrain. I kept calling them from Bahrain and they lied for 10 days and said my stuff was "in transit". When I called a little exasperated they confessed my things still hadn't left the UK and were already damaged. After much shouting over the telephone and fist banging on my desk, I sorted everything out and got all my stuff. I'm still sifting through everything to assess the levels of damage, but so far, so good.
• I went to an art exhibition by high school students and I have to say I was very impressed. For real, these kids are really talented and so bold with their work, I was taken aback by the levels of creativity I was seeing. A lot of the work was very smart and it was so refreshing to see the kind of crazy angles that were taken - older generation art students would have never been able to create stuff like this, it was whacky cool. I'm telling you, things are changing in a cool way for kids nowadays.
• I still haven't had a Jan Burger. I know, I know, say what you want but I'm no traitor - I'll sort it out and be in Double Jan heaven soon enough.

For how long? Indefinitely...

That's a lie: I took the tube to the airport.

It took one decision and one week for me to pack up my life for the last seven years and leave London behind. The one decision was based on work, and of course, as if anyone could expect any different, I was back in the office the day after I arrived. Hardcore.

I've been busy at work, will be busier as I think I've been given some leeway on my first week back and have been able to go home at a reasonable hour to spend time with family and friends (and Fiance of course!). Being busier will be good, I hope that it helps my "transition" into being back here and give me some time to "adjust".

Coming back was a big surprise to many people, especially Fiance whose jaw dropped open when he saw me walk through the door - the look on his face was priceless. Many are more surprised this could be "for good". Hmmm. Let's see how that goes.

I already miss my old life behind that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to properly. Friends and favourite places still visit me in my few hours of sleep every night to tell me that they're carrying alright without me but if I need to come back they'll take me in. The Bridge misses me, or so it swears...

So now that I'm back, I will slowly give myself some time to put together my big plans and build things up for myself, maybe even to relax a little, if possible.

Here's to seeing a few of you around.

My life at the moment

Clearly since my life recently has just been about my work, I haven't had much to say, or perhaps a better way to put it is that I just haven't had the time to sit down and blag away here so I've had to resort to showing you some measley photos I've taken and hope that it will suffice as an explanation of what it is I am up to at the moment.

Which as you can see, isn't much.

My phone.

My afternoon snack.

My walk in the morning.

My view leaving the office.

Maybe I'll do a camera phone "day in the life" as inspired by Twix. That could do it for me.

Au Revoir

It's a sad day in my b'sphere. Today I have to say goodbye to the feeling of anticipation of reading new posts by someone I really admired, for many reasons, as he will no longer be writing in his blog. Your rants and raves will be missed, funny man.

Let's wave our farewell to our dear friend over here.

See you soon x

What Lyrics... # 5

Make You Cry?


Aude Lang Syne - The New Year's Song, every time.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
and there's a hand my trusty friend,
and gi'es a hand to mine,
we'll take a cup o' kindness yet
for auld lang syne"


Father and Son - Cat Stevens pre-Yousif Islam

The thought of struggles between a father and son, when the son won't take advice his father gives him - it makes me cry every time.. Why can't they just reach an agreement, damnit?

Wow, just typing out the lyrics made me teary eyed, moving right along...


Salam 3alaika - Kathim el Sahir

Singing the proposed Iraqi National Anthem, always gives me goosebumps. Preferrably the live version from Royal Albert Hall in 2006- even the memory of it makes me a little emotional.


What the Snowman Learnt About Love - Stars

The music here more than the lyrics, but "I am Sara and this is my heart "
*tears tears tears*


Tell Him - Lauryn Hill

Many disputes later, Ed & I stand by our words that this song is about God, which makes me cry even more when I hear it.

"Let me be patient, let me be kind
Make me unselfish, without being blind
Though I may suffer, I'll envy it not
And endure what comes
Cause he's all that I got
and tell him...
Tell him I need him...
Tell him I love him...
And it'll be alright..."


Transatlantacism - Death Cab For Cutie

This one hits a sore spot:

"The Atlantic was born today and I'll tell you how...
The clouds above opened up and let it out.
I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere
When the water filled every hole.
And thousands upon thousands made an ocean,
Making islands where no island should go.
Oh no.
Those people were overjoyed; they took to their boats.
I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat.
The rhythm of my footsteps crossing flatlands to your door
have been silenced forever more.
The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row
It seems farther than ever before.
Oh no.
I need you so much closer

I need you so much closer
So come on, come on "

***********************************

This one was easy as I am a crybaby anyway. I could probably think of another dozen or so songs that make me bawl so I'll leave it up to you guys.

Your turn to shed some tears...

Concert Review: DMB is back again and heavy on my mind

Els sent me a forwarded email early yesterday morning from one of her colleagues advertising extra Dave Matthews Band concert tickets and my reply of YES YES PLEASE ME!!! probably scared the living daylights out of her (and the score of trainees copied on the email!). After sending my over enthusiastic written out yell, I quickly spoke to heron the phone and she said I had sent the most promising reply, as a lot of people just went "errrr alright then". We decided that even though we didn't know any of the new music they'd be playing to promote the new album, we should go as old time fans together, a flatmate bonding thing with some good music we both knew...



I've been a fan of Dave (and the rest of the band, of course) for just over 10 years now (which is a little scary) and I've never seen them live... When I say "fan" I mean I'm still listening to all the live versions of his older songs on my iPod which have been downloaded over the years, and since I have "all the good stuff" on my playlists, I guess that constitutes me as one... I was speaking to the Mr. last week when he told me his friends were going to see DMB in Dublin and I was a little jealous. "Maybe we can go when they come to London? I heard they're going to Wembley?" he suggested at the time and I dismissed it as one of those things that just never happens - I guess I was wrong - thanks to my over enthusiasm and a genius stroke of luck credited by a colleague of my flatmate who bought 4 tickets instead of 2, I was going to see DMB.



We got to Wembley with the rest of the late-20s/30-something crowds... Basically, anyone who went to college in the noughties was there ready to hear some music that reminded them of that one time in their dorm room when they were hungover some girl or guy and Dave was playing on the radio... I thought we'd look silly in our suits but as it was a mid-week concert geared to an older audience, a lot of people showed up after work and hung outside the arena chatting away. It almost felt as if everyone knew eachother in a strange way and were all retelling stories of "this song reminds me of when..." It was pretty cool and Dave did not let us down...



They were spectacular to say the least... They started off slow but not too slow, with Dreamgirl and warmed the audience up with some of their new stuff. Tom Morello came on and Dave busted out # 41 and Satellite and the crowd went crazy - they were excellent and picked two great songs to play live with an awesome guitarist. Dave also did a bit of acoustics and played new songs called Sisters and the Idea of You which were both beautiful and got the suckers in the audience, yours truly, welling up with emotion. Of course sole credit doesn't go to Dave's rusty voice and squeaky guitar - the instrumental solos were fantastic, I've never seen a violinist go that crazy on a stage before... The pianist, brass players, drummer, the band was incredible... As on all their live shows they would go off on long and beautiful riffs and the crowd loved it, we danced away with the silhouettes of the other hundreds of fans in the arena and we ate it all up...



They ended the show with Ants Marching which got the whole arena up on their feet dancing... It was magical and when they said their goodbyes we stomped our feet for more until they came out to an encore of Two Step, my favourite ever DMB song... Of course I was chanting along the words and waving my arms as the music pumped my blood into my body - it was an amazing feeling that made me fall in love with Dave all over again, time and time again.



A lot of credit has to go to the lights & sound technicians - the way the band glowed of pinks and blues made them stand out as the glowing crowd of yellow and orange moved with the music... I am a sucker, I will always be a sucker, and the whole collaboration of sound, lights and atmosphere kicked me in my spine and made me choke up with a couple of tears... It was special, call me whatever you want but it was pretty damn special...



I am a sucker and I will say it: There was magic in that arena last night and I'm so glad I got to see them live... There was a lad infront of us who was at his 7th DMB concert and was telling us that this was the best he's ever seen... As we took the train home late last night I didn't doubt it - I think everyone was in awe of the performance. Rather than your usual rowdy post-gig crowd, there was happy nostalgic buzz in the tiny compartments of the tube on our way home and it was a nice feeling. His voice was still in my ears and around my neck this morning when I woke up - the live show will never compare to my measly playlist so I will commit to my memory for how great they still are.

Dave Matthews Band ended their European Tour in London last night at the Wembley Arena. Their new album will be out this summer.

What Lyrics... # 4

Remind You Of Your Best Friend?

"I'll say "I think he likes you"
You'll say "I think he do, too"
I'll say "Go and get 'em girl -
before he gets you...
I'll be watching you from the window,
I'll come to your rescue,
if he tries anything..."

If He tries Anything - Ani Difranco

The Demise of the Cassette Tape

Take me back to 1994: I'm 11 years old and I'm going through a shoebox of cassette tapes my siblings have for me to rummage through in our play room. That was all I needed on an afternoon indoors, a box of tapes and a cassette player (our beloved Robo-Disco) and I was set. My fingers were imprinted with little square shapes from pressing the rewind-stop-play buttons so many times and I didn't mind - this was music to me. This was how it was supposed to be, you and your cassettes.

Tapes were all we had, stacked in neat little piles with their boxes and tiny pictures of the artists whose music they blared on our players - they were cool. As school kids, we'd hop into whatever car and pull out our tapes from our book bags and pass them to the front seat. "Side A, first song" - I laugh now when I remember how many times I must have said "press play press play! I'll miss the song!" Oh my...

Then there were the cherished Mix-Tapes. Mix tapes were the coolest - if you got a mix-tape from someone, well, we all knew what that meant... I remember sticking stickers on mine to my girlfriends, spending hours trying to make the perfect tape with the perfect pauses between songs and well timed to fill a whole tape and not over run (such amateurs, whoever overran with their mix-tapes). Telling someone you'd make them a tape was a commitment, hours dedicated to producing something the perfect tape for someone. There was no imaginary database filled with music and a cutesy little program let you click all your choices onto a list and ta da, it all happened... oh no Sir, there was a shoebox filled with cassettes that you had to rummage though. If you were organized (which you never were), you'd have them all laid out infront of you, with a list of songs... Then you'd go through them, listening to each whole song before pausing, putting in another tape, pressing record & play and then rummaging for another... Kids nowadays probably laugh at our ghetto ways, but ghetto is that who does not know the tape, I say... Ghet-to...

But Alas, no more... No more tapes, we then took on MD players and CDs... and from CDs we moved on to the electronic age where mp3s and iPods and compact nice BOSE speakers for our MP3 players came about... and now no one punches "stop" or "play" on a stubborn button, we all pull out our super flash, super small and super sexy gadgets and twirl our fingers around to play 18 hours of non-stop music. Sorry Maxwell, your 90 minutes mean nothing anymore...

When was the last time anyone bought a tape? I can shamelessly tell you now that the last tape I bought was Norah Jones in the summer of 2003 from Dubai for my car (which did not have a CD player, "Ghetto" I hear you kids taunting!)... I don't know if that's what's funny or that I had to explain to a friend why I was buying a tape and not a CD (not so shamelessly, I tell ya)...

The last mix-tape I received? Now this I know for a FACT: Summer of 2001 from my good friend Mai - a tape that had Side A filled with cool music at the time (whatever dance/R&B was big) and then Side B which was filled with more geeky acoustic stuff for me (shameless, I am shameless!). The tape was, again, for my car when I first got my licence and the only tape I not only took with me to college, but I listened to that Side B for 3 years... Thanks Mimi, that tape you made for the Opel was far more valued than you thought it was...!

Last Tape I heard? Funny enough, walking around my flat a couple of weeks ago, I stopped when I heard a familiar click I haven't heard in a while... I turned to look at my flatmate, who was lounging on the couch reading a book, and asked her what it was... She merely muttered "Music", nodding her head towards the stereo system.


"Are you listening to a Tape?" I asked, astonished, as the music continued (It's one of those "smart" systems, as my flatmate calls it... the type that has a car-style 6-CD changer and flips tapes when it gets to the end of the side). I stopped in my tracks and in my fluffy house socks.

"Yup" nose still buried in her book.

"Really??!?!!" She put her book down and turned to me

"Yeah, really? Why?" She was confused and so was I. I shook my head and walked away... Who still listens to tapes?

Find out how to revive your old tapes here.

What Lyrics... # 3

Make you think of your significant other?


"I'm writing you to catch you up on places I've been
and you have this letter probably got excited,
but there's nothing else inside it...

Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hopin' I would see the world through both my eyes
Maybe I would tell you all about it
when I'm in the mood to lose my way
but let me say

You should have seen that sunrise,
with your own eyes
It brought me back to life
You'll be with me next time
no more 3 x 5 's"

3 x 5 - John Mayer



"My life
You electrify my life
Let's conspire to re-ignite
All the souls that would die just to feel alive"

Starlight - Muse



"You're my foe and my brother and lover and friend."

Romantic Comedy - Stars



"And I know that the touch of you is hard to remember
but like that touch, I know no other
and for sure, we've danced in the risk of eachother
would you like to dance around the world with me?"

I'll Back You Up - Dave Matthews Band



"Maybe I just wanna fly,
wanna live I don't wanna die,
Maybe I just wanna breathe,
maybe I just don't believe
Maybe you're the same as me,
we see things they'll never see
you and I are gonna live forever..."

Life Forever - Oasis



"and you know, for you I'd bleed myself dry"

Yellow - Coldplay