Uplifting Music for a Rainy Morning

Here’s a list of musicians that will help refill your positive energy. Even if their style of music is not your cup of tea, their music is definitely positive and have successfully brought a smile to my face before I had my morning coffee.

1. Bushwalla
   He is multi talented and has a very unique style. He is silly and goofy and that’s part of his charm. I haven’t seen him live yet, but he is right there on top of my list. He is a true entertainer, circus master, rapper, comedian, juggler, a clown and a singer all in one = a true entertainer.
   
   
   
2. Mika
   Although some of Mika’s lyrics can be quiet dark, he still manages to make you feel good about any story he is telling. His tunes are festive and uplifting – almost like going to a funfair. His music is as colourful as the artwork he created on the cover of his CDs, the confetti he used in his shows and the glitter he sprayed on his pants. Even with an EP entitled “Songs for Sorrow”, he still managed to pull a positive tune with “Blue Eyes”. His latest single “We are Golden” reminds me of the 80’s pop tunes and I have a feeling it will be a hit in the UK this summer. It is because of this positive energy that he oozes that I have unashamedly attended 4 of his gigs throughout the world. – and I wasn’t disappointed.
   
   
3. Jason Mraz
   Although most people know him for his amazing in-its-simplicity song “I’m Yours”, Jason has a huge repertoire of songs that extend from funny to inspirational and in some cases erotic. His 3 studio albums are all filled with tunes that will brighten your day. His lyrics are in many ways motivational, happy, and borderline sexy. My best friend identifies me with “A Beautiful Mess” and I guess since then this song has been special. But there is a looong list of amazing songs such as “Life is Wonderful” and “Make it Mine” that are uplifting. others like “Plane” and “Mr Curiosity” has a touch of melancholy but still manage in a magical way to avoid being downers. And if you are in kinky mood in the morning I suggest “Butterfly” and “Conversation with Myself”
   
   
   
4. Eric Hutchinson
   Album “Sounds Like This” can be on random and repeat and I wouldn’t get bored. “Ok, It's Alright With Me” is one of my favourite songs. He has a beautiful natural voice..
   
   
5. Two Spot Gobi
   They have a mix of sounds combined beautifully... They don't have a record label released CD yet - but I have a feeling it will be just a matter of time before they become main stream. They have included a Celio and trumpted players in their band which makes their sound even more special. Can't wait to see those guys live when they are back in the UK.
   
   

"P" in the Park - From Kings to Mraz

Much to my friends' shock, I have decided to repeat my music festival adventure. I love music and to have an amazing line up line like this year's T in the Park and miss it - was almost sinful... So I called a friend who happened to be in town and we fixed our flights and schedule a week before the festival...

Landing in Edinburgh was nice, people were super friendly and the city was magical ... we were lucky to find a nice Spanish restaurant on George Street that had delicious food... and the Hotel room and the staff were nice too

Friday morning we head to the festival, we erected our tent and announced "beer o’clock" right after 2PM while waiting for the gate to open around 5.

First show was by James Morrison, one of my favourite singers/songwriters - right next to Jack Johnson and Eric Hutchinson. We was energetic, his voice as good live as it is on both of his CDs. The crowd around us was friendly and enjoying themselves and we were unintentionally close to the stage so we had a very nice view of the action..

we saw a couple of bands before it was time for the ultimate rock band - Kings of Leon - and man, those boys know how to rock... they left me speechless with their amazing tunes. This is the second time I see them live - an dthey never fail... I sat right at the back with my hot cup of tea enjoying every song and when they played Sex on Fire I danced with 3 strangers that were obviously as excited about the music as me.

We finished the day in the dance tent until it was time to go back to our cold tiny tent - The first day ended with beautiful music stuck in my head - music mixed by great Dj's and Franz Ferdinand...

that night we met at least 5 random people that were super drunk but also super funny..

The dilema started the next morning when it was time for my morning shower to discover that there was a looooooong Q.. and when I asked if there was another shower option I discovered that they had 8 cabinets that open from 7 am - 1 pm to serve all the female audience - which I assume were at least half of the people there - so that would make them almost 40,000 women. Now, am not good in math, but that sure did not sound like a good equation to me. If people want to be clean and are willing to pay for the service, then there should be enough cabinets.. at least a logical number or available facility during the day - knowing that it can get quiet dirty and muddy during the day = lots of BO :)

and so, I went to the "water pump" section of the camp and managed to wash without catching pneumonia .

Saturday was a big day and we had a HUGE line up to see, so we left early. We started with the music tents - getting a flavor of all the DJs, we enjoyed a new band in the BCC introducing tent with a female bass player that my friend found hot - so I volunteered to support them and him. But I can say that my day officially started when I saw Calvin Harris playing. Lady Gaga was "interesting". She seems to be enjoying herself.. vocally I nicknamed her "lady gag-her" but can not pretend it wasn't fun listening to her catchy tunes. Starsailor, Paolo Nutini, and friendly fires were nice too...

I have decided to move to King Tunt's tent a little early so I can have a decent place for Jason Mraz's gig, little did I know that the organizers decided to have some kind of an angry death metal band right before his act. The crowd was young, angry and very drunk/high - to say the least, definitely not my cup of tea. Their idea of fun was to headbutt each other and push strangers in the process - impersonate someone that is having seizures then laugh uncontrollably in the process. I think the band was called "Foals". And although I only saw probably half of their performance, it sure did feel like forever...

Then Mraz showed up with his effortless performance. I enjoyed it so much that the whole show felt like 10 minutes (well, it was more like 40 minutes, so I wouldn't call it a long performance). He brought his positive energy back to the stage. His band played great music and they all had great chemistry among each other on stage. It almost felt like he was performing in my all to familiar friend's garden , and I just happened to be there to witness a very casual sing along session. I have to admit, if it was in my friend's backward, I wouldn't have 3 teenage girls screaming marriage proposals at anyone - but hey beggars can’t be choosers and this is a festival after all - whatever makes them happy...

Right after Jason Mraz, we ran back to the DJ's tent to see a bit of Felix the housecat which was great, then off to see Nine Inch Nails who were fantastic.. The lead singer looked like he was steaming - literally - I guess he was simply sweating and the weather was a little cold.

I am going to spare you the toilet adventure details, but am sure you can imagine how unhygienic the whole experience must have been - though some company decided to help the ladies to join the men in marking the festival as their festival... again, although it is not the kind of thing I would explore, but to each his own...

That night the temperatures dropped so low - at least for someone who is not used to very cold weather and I experienced my first camping experience in torrential rain. I guess that was the beginning of the end for me - though after surviving the night, the next morning, I kept looking at the line up, then again at the Q to the showers, then at the line up again, then at the portable toilet seat that had so many DNA traces that I did not want to investigate... I thought maybe taking a shower will make me feel stronger and give me the strength to festival - maybe it will help me toughen up all in the name of good music...

And so I queued, and in return mother nature was generous enough and it started raining.. I queued for 3 hours to have less than 2 minutes hot shower. How did I feel after that - definitely not tough or motivated but very clean... it was more nostalgic to my bed a roof. And at that moment I felt gratitude to all the basics that we have in life that we take for granted.

And so I shared my feeling with my friends.. we decided to see The scripts and then head back to Edinburgh... to that lovely hotel.. and the lovely Spanish restaurant and friendly people...

I guess, as much as I loved T in the Park, I just couldn't take anymore P in the Park.

But looking now back at the whole experience, the music was worth every minute of standing in a Q, every bite of unhealthy food, every visit to the portable loo...

Too bad I couldn't see Lily Allen, Blur, Snow Petrol, Pet Shop Boys.. but hey, next time they are in London, I will be the first to see them live...

I am grateful for Scotland and its hospitality, for the lovely staff at T in the Park, for the lovely music of Kings of Leon and Jason Mraz's positive energy, for Ray the random guy I met in the music tent, for the three Scottish guys that taught me to sing "Here weh, here weh, here weh Fuk' go", my friend who fixed the tent, and those amazing 2 minutes of hot water...

I hope next year they will find a better solution for all the plastic waste that was all over the place - maybe come up with a better recycling program - I don't think many people were tempted by the 10p to return their plastic cup

How can you not Soho on a day like this?

I've been lucky so far as it has been sunny almost every day in London – and how can I stay at home on a lovely day like this. It was also great to have a friend in town to explore Soho with me.

I am sure there are many nice patisseries in London but Valerie has been my favourite so far. I am a little biased as this place brings back good memories of delicious after party breakfast. I find their selection easy to chose from and their staff are always attentive and friendly.

After we stuffed ourselves with the deliciousness of Valerie, we went for a walk around Soho – all the way to Covent Garden. Loved the unique T-shirt shops, small art galleries and a small patch of greenery – almost a tiny park in the middle of nowhere.

Rupert street bar is a great place to sit outside for a sunny day beer treat, Balans and their amazing lunch menu, and Costa's perfect location to sip your cafe late and simply watch people pass by...

Soho by night is a great hangout, but Soho days are amazing. You feel like it is almost a village in the middle of the city. On a sunny day like last Wednesday, Soho, the staff that work in Soho restaurants and the people on the streets of Soho made it a very special day...

The Magic of Chelsea

Day one in London and I had a couple of errands that I had to do – the normal banking headache... by 12:00 noon everything was done and I had the whole day ahead of me to explore Chelsea.

Chelsea was home to King Charles II’s love nest where he visited his mistress using the farmer’s track hence the name “King’s Road”. So I walked around the royal lover’s street and couldn’t wipe that silly smirk off my face. The streets had a positive vibe with many shops decorated with tennis balls in support of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Right in the middle of the street was a sign for Chelsea Arts Festival – one more day to go for those who are interested.

But what caught my attention is my fascination with fire stations – which goes all the way back to my days in Paris and the lovely Sapeurs-Pompiers in the Cartier Latin district. Unfortunately, there were no firemen to be seen but it did add a little sparkle to my day.

On the way back home, I had to taste the local beer – there was absolutely nothing local about either pubs selection. In Trafalgar Bar http://ultimatepubguide.com/pubs/info.phtml?pub_id=82 I tried a blond beer from Belgium and have to say it was too sweet for my liking, but the location of the bar was central and gave me a great view of commuters and people walking by. Then Went to “The Cadogan Arms” Bar http://www.thecadoganarmschelsea.com/, where the staff where amazingly friendly – the French waitress was very pleasant in answering my question and the bartender cracked a couple of jokes and lent me his lighter. There is an upstairs pool area (as in billiard) which I chose not to explore, but the overall crowd was nice – though as a beer drinker I felt I had only the traditional boring choice of either Heineken or Amstel.

And of course there was nothing better to end a night after drinking two beers then a taste of Lebanese cuisine – so I indulged myself with some over priced dinner – though it was beyond delicious and the staff were very friendly. Maroush has a great selection of authentic Tabouleh (not the overly onioned ones that you get in the other so called Lebanese restaurants in London).

And with a filled stomach I walked back home ... Chelsea is a cosmopolitan area that has something for everyone who is not on a tight budget.

My Life in 3 Suitcases

In the past years I have travelled a lot and always managed to take with me at least one suitcase that had everything that I needed – no to so list before travelling... no pre-planning... always packed extra undies.. otherwise, I did not stress about forgetting my hairdryer, missing toothbrush , not packing extra black shoes, my favourite jeans, or any other item that might be seen important to many female travellers... my motto was, “if you forget it, you buy a new”.

To be fair, none of my trips were located in the middle of the Amazon jungles, everything was available... my main focus was to have as little luggage so that I can reduce the stress caused by airports.

But what do you do when you are moving your whole life to a new location. Where do you start and how do you prioritize.

After a lot of thinking... I decided not to change much... Instead of 1 suitcase I have upgraded the amount to 3. With the items that I NEED...

The rest will make some charity or less fortunate person happier... I will say farewell tonight to my favourite pair of Jeans, hope it will bring joy and great memories to someone else.... I on the other hand will have a new pair waiting for me on the shelf somewhere sometime in the future to accompany me in my new life...

Nothing is more liberating than shedding the weight... the materialistic one : ) a

When Karma Turns Against You

When I heard my friend chose me to puppy sit during his summer holiday I got really excited knowing that his puppy is one of the nicest dogs and his house is kind of relaxing to stay in - and it would be nice to use the pool, garden and enjoy the suburban lifestyle since I have lived mostly in city center which leaves little room to be in touch with "nature". Since this is my last couple of weeks before my major move to a new city, I was more than happy to offer my services - enjoy the last couple of weeks in true procrastination fashion... little did I know that Karma would not allow me to enjoy it...

To cut the story short, in 10 days I had to deal with a fleet of maintenance guys to fix two Air Conditioning units, a wine glass broke, a white towel turned pink in a freak laundry accident and the zipper broke in one of his "designer" pillows...

Why am I blaming Karma? Mostly because I am the most anal person when it comes to using other people's stuff. I am the one that turns red if I break a glass during a party .. am the one that fixes her bed covers in hotel rooms ....

Karma is funny, but did teach me a major lesson... to chill and enjoy.. cause if it's meant to happen, it will happen no matter how careful you are...

and here's a little reminder of what the kitchen looked like with 4 guys from the maintenance company trying to fix the AC unit along with a picture of the best puppy out there... she made it all worthwhile..