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Listening to: Radio 1
So I've been at the new place a week now. All unpacked, photos up on the wall etc. - it's great! I'm actually liking chilling out at home, which is more than I can say for the previous place. I won't be getting internet until BT sorts out the phone line though, so there's been some heavy duty radio tunage going on. I usually listen to daytime radio and then switch off when it gets to the specialist shows, but I've listened to some of them in the past week and I'm actually enjoying the music they play! Yes I'm still more into the mainstream stuff, but the specialist shows do play some mainstream music, which is good for me. I've got a few new favourites, which I thought I'd share. I haven't included vids for all of them, for whatever reason, but feel free to snoop around on the internet if you fancy. Hope you enjoy!
No Sleep Tonight - Enter Shikari
So wikipedia says these guys are 'post-hardcore'. I'm like 'huh'? I don't usually like shouty songs, but there's something about this song that makes me wanna close my eyes and spin around in the rain with my arms stretched out...erm yeah.
If you like that, also check out Biffy Clyro's new track 'That Golden Rule' if you can find a decent-quality version.
UPDATE: here's the video to That Golden Rule
Rock It - Sub Focus
I appear to have developed a fondness for mainstream electronic drum n bass. This version takes a while to 'get going' compared to the radio edit, but I still like it :-)
If you like this, try anything by Pendulum or Chase and Status.
Blue Skies - Noah and the Whale
Total wind-down. I tweeted yesterday (I think) that this song makes me want to hug some one. They (evidently) haven't got a video for it yet, so here's a live version. You can listen to the studio version on their myspace page.
If you like this...hmm...Kings of Leon. Anything off 'Only By The Night'. I need to get me that album.
Oh and check out Muse's United States of Eurasia (with Collateral Damage, unless you don't like classical music).
Listening to: Radio 1
...what?! You mean you don't know the words to 'The Key The Secret' by Urban Cookie Collective? :O Clearly not 90s enough :P
Hehe yeah anyway, I've moved house :-). I got the keys on Friday (title makes sense now, eh?), with the intention of moving slowly but systematically over the next four days. As luck would have it, my hormones decided to play spoilsport (yet again), so I ended up doing most of the moving yesterday and this morning. The living area is currently cluttered with bags of various 'stuff'...it's gonna take me a while to get things in order. Just as well that I haven't got an internet connection at home (yet) to distract me!
Aside from the practical stuff, omg I hate moving with a passion. It's tiring, it's unsettling, it's dusty, it's just...wrong. And since I seem to have a natural aversion to asking people for help (even after they've offered), it results in me crying on the phone to the parents saying I can't take it any more. Anyway, it's over now, for another I-don't-know-how-long. I just need to make sure I don't collect more things that I can do without.
Sigh...right I should stop procrastinating on the internet at work, and go home and do some unpacking. It's a good thing I actually like my new place :-).
Listening to: 'Insomnia' by Faithless [Reverence]
So I finally got around to removing the 'Api Wenuwen Api' link on the blog...not that it's any less relevant now than it was before, but...I dunno, time for a change I guess. Problem is, I don't know what to replace it with. Ideally I want to link to a charity organisation that I trust and can easily donate to from the UK. The charities I trust tend to be the ones set up by Sri Lankans; their overheads tend to be less than average, and they tend to be pragmatic and sincerely empathetic, compared to the post-Imperial sympathy of 'rich' multinational charities. That's not an opinion I can back up with evidence by the way, it's just a gut feeling.
I had a brief look at a few local charities that are working in the IDP camps. All state that they're by Sri Lankans, for Sri Lankans etc. etc. Unfortunately, they seem to work on the notion that the only Sri Lankans who want to donate are either in Sri Lanka or USA. If you're in the UK, it's assumed that you're rich enough to pay the wire transfer fee every time you want to donate. Am I going to pay ~£20 extra every time I want to make a £5 donation? Don't think so. The only viable option at the moment seems to be using PayPal to donate to the US branch of Sarvodaya. Why can't they just set up a charity bank account in the UK?! I might as well coerce my father into going to the bank and donating money on my behalf every month.
Sigh. I'm guessing there are practical and financial reasons for not making it easier for people in the UK to donate, and the PayPal option is probably not such a bad idea (although I wonder how much of my donation will be swallowed up by a 'currency conversion charge' somewhere along the line)...it is a bit annoying, though. And when I'm already stressed and in a bad mood, it just compounds the "I don't belong" feeling. Gah.
If you know of a Sri Lankan charity that doesn't make it difficult for people in the UK to donate, please let me know.
Listening to: 'Always Be My Baby' by Mariah Carey [Daydream]
So...my Wimbledon men's final prediction was pants. The 'other' Andy (i.e. Roddick, duh) made the final against the greatest tennis player of all time, but Federer needed two tie-breaks and a mega 16-14 fifth set to overcome the American. Words used to describe the final include 'epic', 'awesome' and 'boring'...I'm just stunned that Federer only managed to break Roddick's serve once in his 38 service games throughout the match, and even that only when Roddick was clearly showing the strain of his 5-set QF (v Hewitt) and 4-set SF (v Murray). I was also stunned that Roddick squandered 4 set points in the second set tie-break...in the words of possibly the most controversial (or entertaining, take your pick) tennis player of all time, you cannot be serious?! (Aside: how's this for attitude?!)
If last year's tournament was one of 'epic rivalry', this was one of 'epic 5-setters'. Cilic v Haas went on for so long that they had to come back the next day for the fifth set. Murray v Wawrinka was played under the brand spanking new (retractable) roof, complete with floodlights; the fifth set finished at 10.38pm. And then there was Roddick v Hewitt, in which I think the cameramen spent more time filming the two wives than the players! There were probably others but those were the matches that stuck in my mind. I have to say I got very excited when I saw the roof being brought on. And hey at least I was right about one thing...this was one of the driest Wimbledons we've had in a while!
I feel sorry for Andy Murray. The boy tries, he really does. The British press should shut the hell up about him being a 'surly Scotsman' and start concentrating on his tennis. So he's not the most charismatic, best looking, most stylish player on the circuit. Who cares?! There's a BBC article today about how Roddick's coach has said that his game needs to become less defensive. Now that's what we should be focusing on: his tennis. I can't say I'm surprised at Stefanki's comments though...'defensive gameplan' seems to run deep in British sport.
Hmm...I suppose I should talk a bit about the women's game *yawn*. I have to say I was quite impressed with Elena Dementieva. Her shrieking wasn't too annoying and she actually made Serena struggle! Now if only her game was a bit more consistent! Dinara Safina on the other hand, seems happy to be the most consistent loser on the women's circuit. Seriously, it's about time she tried to win something important for a change. And she's still No.1...what a joke. Maybe I'm being unduly harsh, but still. When are we going to see some real competition for the Williams sisters?! The Eastern Bloc is letting us down!
Anyway, as the Facebook group had posted, "there's a Wimbledon shaped hole in my life today". In fact, there's a sport-shaped hole in my life today! T20 WC: over. Wimbledon: over. Pak v SL: haven't been following too closely but it's not looking good. Hmm...oh wait, the first Ashes test starts on Wednesday! Excellent! And Brett Lee is out for at least two tests. Maybe England can capitalise? Hmm...nah I didn't think so either. And when I get sick of watching England get massacred, I can switch back to the tennis for the US Open. Will Rafa be fit? I hope so.
Summer of sport, why must you distract me so...*sigh*
Listening to: nothing
Last night I typed up a post about my battle with myself. I didn't publish it 'cos I wasn't sure if I could handle the "are you ok?" comments that would probably follow...I chose to sleep on it and decide today.
Today I felt an urge to pick up a book that's been lying untouched on my bookshelf for years - "Settling back into the moment: A meditator's inspirational guide" by Joseph Goldstein (you can find a pdf of the book here). While reading that, I thought I should check youtube for videos of Ajahn Brahmavamso - I've always wanted to take a proper look but never got round to it, until today. What immediately caught my eye was this - his talk on loneliness. It's almost an hour long, but well worth the time if you can spare it.
The talk provided many moments of revelation for me. I think now, I know what I need to do. Publishing last night's post is not one of them.
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