Rezar

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64718580096835125232011-09-28T16:31:09.039-07:00RezarAndreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-83052106262544833762009-09-30T23:16:00.000-07:002009-09-30T23:27:35.430-07:00Pizzicato 5 Is Still Good

Classic. All good each in different way. Last one brings back the most memories (no video... but listen - it's ridiculous!)

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-90578910154032926102009-09-21T10:33:00.000-07:002009-09-30T23:16:05.860-07:00Just Heard This On One Of The Mexican Radio Stations (Disregard Cat Image)

So jolly, sounds like church music (happy church music), but it's simply about love. Joan Sebastian, "Sembrador de Amor."

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-28854105516279554152009-09-15T22:14:00.001-07:002009-09-15T22:24:44.637-07:00Francis Cabrel

I like this 70s or so French guitar-based pop. It reminds me of my childhood and visiting Colombia, even though I don't think I have ever heard it before.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-53231185392111841282009-09-15T21:08:00.001-07:002009-09-15T21:09:55.050-07:00I Recommend Making YouTube Japan Your Starting Point

Every time I go to YouTube, I am blessed with recommended gems like these (every time!):

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-68476913499355889902009-08-26T19:45:00.000-07:002009-08-26T19:48:46.288-07:00African Music

Thanks to Alexis for this post and for pointing me in the direction of all this great music here, including this great video. See the post for everything, Nigerian disco and more.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-53670027903546962732009-08-26T12:23:00.000-07:002009-08-26T12:39:28.685-07:00DJ Playero - The Best Reggaeton

DJ Playero, one of reggaeton's pioneers. Enjoy these classic videos.You can download all his mixtapes at Masala here.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-13016425388118433342009-08-25T20:14:00.000-07:002009-08-25T20:21:10.232-07:00"Son Muy Buenos"

I was watching TV with my uncle here in Pasto, and he likes this channel called Euro Channel. In between showing films, they show videos by all sorts of artists ranging from DJ Mehdi (I saw this pretty entertaining video for "I Am Somebody") to random Italian pop to Late of the Pier.This video came on and he was like, "Conoces este grupo?" (Do you know this group?). I said yes. He said, "Son muy

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-8784836656147427992009-08-25T20:13:00.000-07:002009-08-25T20:14:41.462-07:00I Like The Dance Sequence at 1:15

But it's more enjoyable if you don't fast-forward. Don't.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-69567133194915265812009-08-25T17:16:00.000-07:002009-08-25T20:07:59.491-07:00Dharavi

Dharavi is the name of a "slum" in Mumbai, well-known to Mumbaikars (it is infamous to most people), and also famous for having appeared in Slumdog Millionaire. While in India this past July, we took a tour of Dharavi thanks to the little agency Reality Tours and Travel. They do not permit photographs so I have none, but the experience was eye-opening. We wandered all throughout industrial,

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-11491222786339019272009-08-25T12:38:00.000-07:002009-08-25T12:39:16.645-07:00Animals Dancing Indian Style

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-11296797090393168262009-08-25T12:23:00.001-07:002009-08-25T12:23:31.893-07:00Strange Indian Video Snippet

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-6809663417316058932009-08-25T09:01:00.000-07:002009-08-25T10:46:16.016-07:00Free Music Archive

WFMU has directed the creation of an incredible resource on the internet called the Free Music Archive, where the slogan is, "It's not just free music; it's good music."Are you a podcaster looking for pod-safe audio? A radio or video producer searching for instrumental bed music that won't put your audience to sleep? A remix artist looking for pre-cleared samples? Or are you simply looking for

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-27960114092150910412009-08-24T12:59:00.001-07:002009-08-24T12:59:52.212-07:00Louis Armstrong, "St. James Infirmary"

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-46663955493163174962009-08-24T12:00:00.000-07:002009-08-24T12:02:57.404-07:00Piero, "Mi Viejo"

Música clásica argentina de los años 60

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-63994408964367319112009-08-24T11:51:00.000-07:002009-08-24T11:55:23.378-07:00Julio Jaramillo "Odiame"

Música ecuatoriana bella.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-80678571022361822402009-08-24T11:48:00.001-07:002009-08-24T11:48:52.059-07:00Jackie Wilson, "Higher and Higher"

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-51934173094979128882009-08-24T11:47:00.000-07:002009-08-24T11:48:04.235-07:00Nicola di Bari, "I Giorni dell'Arcobaleno"

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-26038809815868434402009-08-24T11:36:00.001-07:002009-08-24T11:37:33.515-07:00Los Panchos, "Perdida"

To see more of their videos, use Google Video, here.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-15343773790579442282009-08-24T10:34:00.000-07:002009-08-24T11:36:13.191-07:00Theme From "Man on Wire"

If you haven't seen it, watch it. It is the best movie I saw this year, so so good. The man is incredible. (Visit the movie's website here.) This song plays throughout.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-40714261100133217282009-08-24T10:30:00.000-07:002009-08-24T10:32:06.889-07:00崖の上のポニョ

Theme song from Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo"

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-90494312933884021032009-08-24T10:24:00.000-07:002009-08-24T10:30:31.984-07:00Babasónicos

If you like Latin American pop rock: their myspace page. If not, don't bother.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-75746087668511433422009-08-24T10:12:00.000-07:002009-08-24T10:25:29.610-07:0020 best: Colombian records ever made

Great article at FACT magazineClick here

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-88559525020083474392009-08-24T10:07:00.000-07:002009-08-24T10:11:59.422-07:00Grupo Soñador, "Cumbia de la Cerveza"

They always used to play this video at the restaurant where I was working in Tokyo, Junkadelic - the best Mexican in Tokyo city.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-1401317495446982282009-08-17T19:28:00.000-07:002009-08-17T19:51:36.648-07:00"La Pasión de Gabriel" & Colombian Film

The other day I went to see this very good film here in Bogotá called La Pasión de Gabriel. The Colombian film industry is on the rise.The film is about a priest who has been assigned to a small mountain village. He is having an affair with a beautiful woman. The town also has a problem with the FARC (the guerrillas). Many of the young men in town are recruited by the FARC, who live in the forest

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-11016300765334605172009-08-17T18:17:00.001-07:002009-08-17T19:27:33.040-07:00Michael Jackson Interview with Oprah

Thanks to Alexis for leading me to this. I remember it vaguely from childhood, but watching it now is a revelation. I will quote Alexis: The 1993 interview he did with Oprah. Really really intense and fascinating stuff. He seems so lucid, so terrified, so loving and forgiving, so on the brink. When he talks about his sprituality in part six 7:28, my heart breaks. Also, the beatboxing to Who Am I?

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-15046454003277064572009-04-30T21:35:00.000-07:002009-04-30T21:37:08.114-07:00Favorite Songs of March and April

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-82563848045678822122009-03-18T01:06:00.000-07:002009-03-18T01:10:52.726-07:00Martin Denny, "Quiet Village"

Don't really know Martin Denny yet. Apparently some classic 50s tropical-loving American composer/musician. This video is brilliant. Love the animal sounds, and the stoic faces of the musicians. A little more info from Wikipedia and The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny page.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-74439839157533035092009-03-17T10:02:00.000-07:002009-03-18T01:09:10.994-07:00Beyond the Golden Age of Latin American Cumbia

Depends on how you look at it, but many of these songs could easily be seen as being bad.Still...1. I love the first one2. The second one is bizarre (a song about an El Salvadorean dish)3. The third one looks like it takes place at a Peruvian high school dance for adults 4. The fourth one has no redeeming qualities besides the singer's hair 5. In the fifth one you see the girl from behind way

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-77881192444095250682009-03-14T04:12:00.000-07:002009-03-14T11:26:20.346-07:00Argentinean Murga!

I don't know much about murga yet, but I am intrigued. It first began when I heard this song, "Cumbia Murguera," by Chancha Via Circuito, the Argentinean musician:The sound reminded me of something, but I couldn't say what. Then I was reading an article/interview with him (I forgot where and I can't find it now) where he mentioned that having played the drums in the murgas of his hometown as a

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-9071470596664077812009-03-13T10:46:00.000-07:002009-03-13T10:49:32.395-07:00PLAYDOE - POP LIKE THIS

I rarely see things like this that blow me away. Or maybe it happens a lot? But this is crazy. Right? South African PLAYDOE. Found thanks to DJ/Rupture's listings in Mondomix.And this I like, too. Ghislain Poirier [watch in HD at YouTube!]

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-24625719892722222052009-03-12T06:35:00.000-07:002009-03-14T00:35:56.092-07:00TOKIO TROPICAL presents ELEC(TRO)PICAL ＊ Tokyo Cumbia Party 3/29

TOKIO TROPICAL presents ELEC(TRO)PICALSun. March 29th7 PM till last trainShibuya, bar QDogenzaka 2-25-14 B1 (around the corner from the McDonalds right down the hill from Don Quixote)東京トロピカル presents エレクトロピカル3月29日（日）19時〜終電まで渋谷、バー・キュー道玄坂2-25-14 B1Classic Cumbia and Cumbia Digital from Colombia, Peru, Argentina & moreCheck out Rezar's Mini-Guide to Cumbia and LISTEN to classic cumbia, cumbia

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-55964016212831268212009-03-08T08:24:00.000-07:002009-03-10T06:16:05.918-07:00ZZK Records in Tokyo

ZZK Records from Argentina had a rare weekend of Tokyo parties last weekend, with mini-events for cumbia lovers in Tokyo's Shimo-kitazawa and Koenji neighborhoods.The occasion? ZZK's art coordinator, Anna Brown, was on a long vacation spanning the globe. And they rightly decided that it would be a good idea to send her some music to share with the surprisingly enthusiastic cumbia-loving

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-185849023165780792009-03-06T05:01:00.000-08:002009-03-07T01:19:33.440-08:00"El Acordeón del Diablo"

"El Acordeón del Diablo" is a film by German director Stefan Schwietert about accordions and Colombian music. Accordions of course came from Germany, and the movie begins by explaning how the accordion came to be such an integral part of coastal Colombian music such as vallenato and cumbia, among others.The film tells the story of the 92 year old Francisco Pacha Rada, a literal living legend,

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-47200531947376760182009-03-03T06:22:00.000-08:002009-03-03T06:37:30.168-08:00"The Godfather" by El Afrocombo de Pete Vicentini

This is a fluff post dedicated to a cheesy theme, that being this song by El Afrocombo de Pete Vincentini which does the Godfather theme afro-Colombian justice.This is a distillation of brilliant Fabian's post/uploads at Africolombia which you should go see. Perhaps first listen to the song below and see what you think. The stuff over at Africolombia has more breadth and is not focused only on

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-58698919356429381352009-03-02T04:18:00.000-08:002009-03-03T15:14:40.477-08:00Música Antigua de Colombia

This is a mix of music I borrowed from my aunt in California last December. She had just brought it back from her trip to see my grandma, aunt and cousins in Pasto, Colombia. It's just a burned CD with the title "Música Antigua" written on it. I didn't know what it was, but when I put it on in the car driving back to the San Diego suburbs from LA one night during vacation, it almost floored my

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-70125214246320561932009-03-01T02:33:00.001-08:002009-03-01T02:36:49.541-08:00Best of February (and Best of January) 2009

Here are my Best of February and January iTunes playlists. Sorry no downloads here. Obsessed with disco, house, cumbia and more.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-33341264629400605632009-02-28T09:41:00.000-08:002009-02-28T09:50:22.033-08:00Amazing Repository of Colombian Music Online

Africolombia is run by a guy named Fabian in Colombia who scans and uploads cover art and records - painstakingly, one by one - of old Colombian (and Colombian-influenced African and pan-Latin American) imprints, creating an amazing, slowly but ever-increasing resource of Colombian music on the internet. It's quite a popular site, with each song being downloaded hundreds of times (at least) by

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-14277790211966294322009-02-27T07:34:00.001-08:002009-02-27T07:43:59.134-08:00Japanese Emoticons

As anyone who has ever done text messaging with Japanese people knows, Japanese emoticons are highly advanced, and make English ones (for example: ;) :( :) :p ) ... look insanely idiotic.I wanted to know how to say "sugoi" in emoticons in Japanese. So I looked it up and found the (a) goldmine of Japanese "e-moji", which means "picture letters" (絵文字）. This is the site, Kaomojiya.When

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-85434039901519861162009-02-27T07:24:00.001-08:002009-02-27T07:28:42.266-08:00El Gato Volador

This song was the first type of champeta/reggaeton beat I had ever heard when I went on family vacation to Colombia about 15 (?) years ago. I will never forget it. Driving around Pasto, blasting this - the lyrics seemed equally incredible/ridiculous to me at the time. Good memories!Thanks to Alexis for inadvertently leading me to this via Karaoke Crime.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-20701694520362961232009-02-17T04:09:00.000-08:002009-03-15T05:34:51.111-07:00Cumbiaaaaaa! クンビア〜！

A Guide to Cumbia / クンビア〜！への紹介Intro.In this basic guide to cumbia we’re going to check out cumbia from Colombia, Peru, Argentina and beyond! ＊この度はコロンビア、ペルー、アルゼンチン、全米のクンビアを紹介致します。Cumbia was born in Colombia in colonial times, and has since spread throughout Latin America. ＊クンビアは植民地時代のコロンビアで生まれ、全米中広がってきました。Lively, but more relaxed than, say, its cousin (?) salsa, Jace Clayton [DJ Rupture] - in

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-27244523886914031202008-09-29T06:01:00.001-07:002009-03-05T03:43:19.074-08:00Party on the Boat (FROM HERE ON DOWN no more music m(u_u)m)

These kids were on the way back to Japan from a week in Mongolia where they rode horses.College kids from all over Japan, it was their last chance to bond together, a la Japones. By getting completely plastered and making each other drink as much as possible.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-20273567621606679632008-08-30T11:46:00.001-07:002008-10-09T06:38:04.061-07:00The Grand Ship

I saw this sign no less than 100 times. It made me want to take a picture every time. Don't get excited! Our first day on the ship we got to do a catastrophe drill. Put on our life-vests (I put mine on pathetically at first. Felt like a child as the nice but tough ship guy adjusted my straps. i could've done it if he had given me a second). I don't get this guy's job. Like security with no

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-59442103983734518312008-08-30T11:41:00.000-07:002008-08-30T11:46:18.164-07:00Back on the ship...

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-60432040610223739332008-08-29T19:45:00.000-07:002008-08-29T19:59:08.124-07:00Beijing

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-66949085680313880082008-08-29T19:40:00.000-07:002008-08-29T19:44:30.485-07:00Afternoon before the Opening Ceremony

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-90867333795608888452008-08-29T19:18:00.000-07:002008-08-29T19:24:14.448-07:00Great Wall from Jinshanlang to Simatai

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-29047342585462826212008-08-29T19:13:00.000-07:002008-08-29T19:18:10.012-07:00A Great Wall

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-29904862642718406552008-08-29T19:09:00.001-07:002008-08-29T19:13:41.253-07:00A little Olympics

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-89476401953971423712008-08-29T19:06:00.000-07:002008-08-29T19:08:48.091-07:00Back to Beijing

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-42807314643547982262008-08-29T19:04:00.000-07:002008-08-29T19:06:02.930-07:00Goodbye Yunnan province

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-41641009888132924552008-08-29T07:04:00.001-07:002008-08-29T07:05:42.071-07:00Night bus to Kunming

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-66073199829221412212008-08-29T07:01:00.000-07:002008-08-29T07:03:51.450-07:00Lijiang three

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-3791233784984473652008-08-29T06:59:00.001-07:002008-08-29T07:01:47.071-07:00Lijiang two...

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-80975761435720002842008-08-29T06:56:00.000-07:002008-08-29T06:58:50.262-07:00Lijiang one

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-29425871770285331822008-08-29T06:48:00.000-07:002008-08-29T06:52:19.439-07:00Crazy town near Dali

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-44937548485566643782008-08-29T06:46:00.000-07:002008-08-29T06:48:31.229-07:00Welcome to Yunnan!

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-59993172465197031572008-08-29T06:39:00.000-07:002008-08-29T06:46:36.562-07:00Shanghai...

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-18606558608482438092008-08-16T05:34:00.000-07:002008-08-21T07:57:05.568-07:00Shanghai

Fat baby and friendly dad in antique town Shanghai. That area is bad, but the streets nearby it are really cool. If you just walk east -- or probably in any direction (actually west was good, too) -- there are tons of "real" streets, with real neighborhoods. We ended up walking down into this bird/animal and plant market, where they sold fighting crickets, and birds in 19th century wooden cages

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-27737081433295262562008-08-16T05:00:00.000-07:002008-08-16T05:34:22.865-07:00Shanghai

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-26875819453921427352008-08-16T04:56:00.000-07:002008-08-16T04:59:54.251-07:00Shanghai!

I love Shanghai. This was our first day. That morning we'd flown in from Beijing. The previous night we had stayed in Beijing at my friend Frank's house, after having made the bus trip from Tianjin to Beijing. We were a little worn out. But Shanghai was sunny with blue skies. Not that we were in the highest spirits. It was early afternoon, our first full day in China, and we hadn't sorted our

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-75621675691007443692008-08-16T03:47:00.000-07:002008-08-16T04:34:58.772-07:00Tianjin Port

After over 2 full days at sea, we arrived in China around 2 pm of the third day. You could sense the proximity to China when, even upon waking and going outside on the morning of the third day, the air and water quality seemed a bit worse. I don't think it was an illusion. The massive Tianjin Port was so crowded that our ship had to wait in a queue, it seemed. We stalled for a bit, then finally

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-85939435351775575632008-08-16T03:45:00.000-07:002008-08-16T03:47:47.803-07:00Japan to China by ship

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-60300091013429758952008-08-16T03:40:00.000-07:002008-08-16T03:45:38.035-07:00Our sleeping quarters

We each had a bunk. We shared a room with 2 young American girls. The accommodations were basic but sufficient. Very nice place to take a nap. No window in our central room, plus with the curtains, napping was extensive. The second day of the cruise, especially, when there was absolutely nothing that had to be done, but relax, eat, sleep, sit on the deck, watch the sea, take a bath (hit the sauna

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-71016774135888941132008-08-16T03:35:00.000-07:002008-08-16T03:39:43.425-07:00Dinner on the Yanjing

This is the view from our little table in the cafeteria on the Yanjing, which ferries between Japan and China. The food was not bad (we thought it was pretty good on the way to China, but on the way back to China, it seemed subpar). The prices, too, seemed amazing -- until after we'd spent time in China. The dishes didn't vary much. It was designed to be Chinese style. You'd get some dishes, your

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-48847100614595846502008-08-16T01:19:00.000-07:002008-08-21T07:50:43.863-07:00The slow boat to China

The view from the deck. Our first evening, sunrise, after dinner. The sea in Japan is beautiful, dotted with soft little islands rising gracefully above the surface, a friendly green. That's Amber and some mysterious teenage girl who spoke Japanese and silently wrote her diary in Chinese in the smoking section. a 16 year old smoking menthols on the boat to China. Isn't that everyone's dream

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-77541902856115770692008-08-16T01:07:00.000-07:002008-08-16T01:52:03.502-07:00Kobe, Japan --> Tianjin, China

We (I?) decided to take the ship from Japan to China. Lots of my friends have done it, and it seemed like it would be more interesting than flying. Plus, we weren't pressed for time at all, an it's affordable, so we did it. We took one that goes from Kobe to Tianjin weekly. It takes 48 hours. The ship accommodates about 400 passengers. It's pretty nice. You can get a private suite, for about

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-18001638724643142332008-08-16T01:04:00.000-07:002008-08-21T07:47:13.919-07:00One night in Osaka

This is Carp. We stayed with him in Osaka for a night before heading to China. Osaka is awesome. Tokyo people think Osaka people are loud. It's true, they are. Thank God. Tokyo people are often too quiet for me to handle. Sometimes it drives me crazy. Osaka people are far more outgoing. We stayed with Carp thanks to Couchsurfing.com. He was great. He took us to this festival, the Tenjin or

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-58509781898444385852008-08-16T00:36:00.000-07:002008-08-16T01:52:57.159-07:00Tokyo --> Osaka

You can take a bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka in 2 hours -- or you can take the slow train, like we did, which takes about 9 hours. What's the point? It only costs about $20. And you get to see a lot more scenery. This was taken near our destination, around Kyoto. Sometimes you get a seat, sometimes you don't. Usually it's not crowded, but when you pass through important stations or cities, it

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-543720966565913812008-08-16T00:17:00.001-07:002008-08-16T03:35:21.949-07:00Trip to China

This is the first (of various?) posts about my trip to China with Amber. First of all, let me tell you: it was amazing! I loved it there, we had such a good time, we saw so many things -- I hope that I can explain to you some of the things we experienced and learned in our 3 week trip. We started off from Tokyo in late July and took the train west to Osaka. From Kobe, near Osaka, we took a ship

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-26701204590851995392008-07-13T07:09:00.000-07:002008-07-15T07:52:42.336-07:00Google: Japan + Cumbia in Google =

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-17998433597476927552008-07-01T04:22:00.001-07:002008-12-08T14:05:11.447-08:00Cumbia master: Andres Landero

I finally stumbled upon this guy with his classic cumbia. This is the sound I am looking for! Andres Landero. Listen here. I am trying to start a classic cumbia and classic latin music party in Tokyo. If anybody has any leads, let me know!

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-92121307560451928242008-07-01T00:16:00.001-07:002008-12-08T14:05:11.622-08:00PingMag article on Parashell

I just had an article published at PingMag. Check it out!

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-64442486195374703662008-06-13T02:20:00.000-07:002008-12-08T14:05:12.215-08:00The future face of Bunraku

I went to see some puppet theater. I love Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the master playwright of 17th century Japanese pupper theater, and one of his plays was happening. It happened to be pretty boring, partly because I was sleepy, partly because I didn't think I would need the English interpretation via headphones (they would have helped), and partly because this barely surviving art form has lost its

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-18738208597755260192008-06-13T02:18:00.000-07:002008-12-08T14:05:12.403-08:00Bunraku puppet theater

Bunraku - Japanese puppet theater

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6471858009683512523.post-51299890007828018662008-05-14T19:41:00.001-07:002008-12-08T14:05:12.967-08:00I am moving here from Tumblr

(Click to visit Tumblr)Up until now I had been very happy with Tumblr - and still am - but people can't comment, which is too bad. So I am moving my little operation over here to another free space, which is conveniently aligned with my Google account. Check out my Tumblr page for all my zany links, and check out Tumblr, the easiest way to start becoming excited about blogging.

Andreshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11576556373083065930noreply@blogger.com2