tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122408372024-03-12T22:04:15.899-07:00My life after SPHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-84394761366374511912009-07-16T07:14:00.000-07:002009-07-21T11:36:23.012-07:00Ecstatic Music by Catherine TranSleepless. Wake up from the bed to find some comforting music. Go around to find. Bump into Mr Synyster Shark's website: http://synystershark.wordpress.com and I found her.<br />Mr Shark mentioned Catherine Tran a few years back when I came to London for the concert. I barely paid any attention to her music at that time. This time I keep looping through her music on Myspace. Love "What you do" but can't find it on youtube. Love this track too so I post it instead. <br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3mH0du6fsH8&hl=en&fs=1&loop=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3mH0du6fsH8&hl=en&fs=1&loop=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Hiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-41833375302182992752009-04-30T07:48:00.000-07:002009-04-30T08:31:10.933-07:00Tilt-shift photographyAccording to wikipedia, tilt-shift photography refers to the use of tilt and a large aperture to achieve a very shallow depth of field.<br />It sounds complicated. Simply what I like about this technique is it can make your photo look like a miniature model.<br />I found a website which can transform your normal photo to a "tilt-shifted" photo:<br /><a href="http://tiltshiftmaker.com/">http://tiltshiftmaker.com/</a> .I tried it my own and the result is quite pleasing.<br /><br />This is my original photo taken during my "Norway in a nutshell" tour - a village on Sognefjord:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/Norway/Norway%20in%20a%20nutshell/DSC01934.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 254px;" src="http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/Norway/Norway%20in%20a%20nutshell/DSC01934.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />And this is the photo after being applied tilt-shift technique:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2706/235/77/541510701/n541510701_6392794_6377501.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 254px;" src="http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2706/235/77/541510701/n541510701_6392794_6377501.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />It's nice isn't it? ;)<br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-8322958182161066072008-12-23T05:24:00.000-08:002008-12-23T05:32:35.199-08:00Merry Christmas to my dear!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KB9_mULIug4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KB9_mULIug4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Love you :x<br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-11549227548577632172008-11-17T08:21:00.000-08:002008-11-17T08:27:43.869-08:00Quote of the Day<em>"So we need death to make us evolve. That’s what I think. Death is this huge, bright thing, and the bigger and brighter it is, the more we have to drive ourselves crazy thinking about things."</em><br /><br /><strong>May Kasahara (The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami)</strong><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-73838906417203270802008-09-30T20:46:00.000-07:002008-09-30T20:52:48.369-07:00Singapore F1 Grand Prix 2008A picture tells a thousand words. A video shows a thousand pictures :) Let's see the heat of the F1 race in Singapore: 1st lap<br /><br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i207.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/Singapore/F1%20Grand%20Prix%202008%20Singapore/MOV04674.flv"></embed><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-34250001884393523292008-08-28T08:08:00.000-07:002008-08-28T08:09:17.133-07:00A true classic ..<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nIoGOgqs_20&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nIoGOgqs_20&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-42432791739132545492008-07-19T06:22:00.000-07:002008-07-19T06:26:00.367-07:00<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B-A-4NQfFRs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B-A-4NQfFRs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />These wounds won't seem to heal<br />This pain is just too real<br />There's just too much that time cannot erase...<br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-61230324442253607022008-06-25T07:03:00.000-07:002008-06-25T07:09:13.914-07:00Quote of the DayA gentlement is someone who does not what he <strong><em>wants</em></strong> to do but what he <strong><em>should</em></strong> do - <em>Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood)</em><br /><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-71976770261807720642008-01-20T08:40:00.000-08:002008-01-20T08:42:22.679-08:00<strong><em>Advices that can't be more true for those who wish to travel to Vietnam</em></strong><br /><br />Dear Traveller,<br /><br />The first thing you have to realise is – nothing is what it seems.<br /><br />No one has sex outside of marriage here apparently. Yet the teenage abortion rate is horrifically high. Everyone seemingly has a mobile phone and a motorbike but the average wage is a dollar a day.<br /><br />Befriend a local and they will spend their last few cents on a meal for you. They will refuse to take anything towards the cost (and you probably shouldn’t offer) and they will be genuinely honoured to eat with you. You can make a friend for life in seconds. At the same time, if someone collapses in the street, people will walk by. Or worse, stop to stare but do nothing.<br /><br />As a foreigner the Police will leave you alone. They know you bring money into this country. But that works both ways too. They may not help you when you need them either.<br /><br />Everywhere is manic with activity yet strangely serene. Eventually your ears will filter out the noise and you’ll fall in step with the traffic. You’ll wonder why it seemed so scary when you first arrived.<br /><br />I understand that when you think of Vietnam the chances are your first thought is of the American War (that’s what it’s called in these parts – and what else would they call it if you think about it for a second). By all means go to the museums, the tunnels and the rest if that is your thing. But Vietnam is much much more than that.<br /><br />Seventy percent of the population were born after the war. And the American war was a blip in amongst centuries of other wars. In my experience Vietnamese tend to look forward rather than back – understand the horrors of that war. Put it in context and move on. Vietnam has.<br /><br />Don’t get too tied down with that communism thing. Vietnam is communist in name only. In terms of the likes of education and healthcare the capitalist country you left is likely to provide more for its people. As for freedom, well don’t expect criticism of the government in the newspapers (or on this weblog for that matter) but you don’t suffer a nanny state here either.<br /><br />And yes.. the opening up to commerce has helped Vietnam prosper. But don’t forget this is on the back of a rare 30 years of peace. I would guess that this is the most significant factor in the upswing.<br /><br />Don’t worry about your personal safety. Or at least don’t panic about it. Vietnam is probably the safest place you will visit. But don’t be stupid. Hanoi isn’t too bad but by all account bag snatching is on the rise in Saigon. Just keep things close to you. Honestly money belts are not needed. Stick you wallet in your pocket, like you do at home.<br /><br />People will rip you off sometimes. They need the money. But that doesn’t mean that people will ALWAYS rip you off. Sometimes the price they say is THE price. There is no need for haggling. Other times you can haggle and haggle to get a couple of cents knocked off. Why bother?<br /><br />Find out what things cost. Don’t accept the rip off price but accept the reasonable price. And while we’re at it, westerners don’t always pay more than locals (transport aside). That’s a myth.<br /><br />And yes people are poor here. Ignore the TV shops, the motorbikes, the cars etc. It’s for a (growing) select few. Most people still live in a one room home and sleep on the floor. Remember that.<br /><br />Learn a couple of words of Vietnamese. Hello and thank-you will do it. It’ll make people smile at the very least. Smiling is important here. Smile when you’re haggling, smile when you’re arguing, smile when you’re asking for your money back. People will appreciate it and actually it’s a nicer way to live. If you’re being over charged make an “oh my god” face, but do it half smiling. They’ll realise they’ve been sussed but they’ll smile back in a “I’ve been caught” way and most likely offer you’re the real price.<br /><br />Relax…they can smell nervous tourists and it’s like a red rag to a bull. At least pretend you know what you’re doing without being arrogant.<br /><br />Learn to enjoy it even when things go wrong. They will go wrong. Vietnam is slapstick and bizarre and that is why so many of us love it. Vietnamese people know their country is bizarre. Get stuck in a traffic jam in a taxi and the driver will turn to you laughing, shrug and say: “Vietnam”. As if that is the reason for the madness. Remember, each c@ck-up is another experience and another good traveller’s tale. Learn to laugh at the problems and live with it.<br /><br />Oh and they will call you fat. They will ask how much you weigh, how old you are, how much you earn, how much your camera cost. Compared to them you probably are fat – and answer the questions truthfully – who cares?<br /><br />As Michael Caine says in The Quiet American: “"They say, whatever you are looking for, you can find here.".<br /><br />It’s true. On every level from beautiful beaches to amazing cities. From boiled dog to bangers and mash. From street food to the Sheraton. How much you submerge yourself in Vietnam is up to you. Eat at street stalls if you enjoy the experience but you don’t have to. Don’t feel guilty if you only eat in top restaurants. Your dollars will still pay for a wage here. Likewise don’t think you understand Vietnam and its people just because you’ve sat on plastic stools and eaten noodle soup.<br /><br />And there is a seedy underside, and there are drugs, and there is corruption and prostitution. But where doesn’t have these?<br /><br />There is no where else like Vietnam. People who have been here longer than me, have told me that only five years ago it was all bicycles on the road. Now it’s mostly motorbikes but more and more cars are starting to appear. Vietnam is changing. And although I wish I had seen it then – now is also fascinating. The change is here but McDonalds and Starbucks haven’t arrived yet. Nothing is ruined. Not yet.<br /><br />You should realise that people either love or hate Vietnam. It is that type of place. But if you at least try to love it then it is more likely to work for you. Come here already smiling and with an open mind and it will be okay. Start to lose your temper over the traffic, the service, the roads or the food and it will only get worse. Nothing works here if you stop smiling.<br /><br />My final piece of advice is: play the idiot.<br /><br />Play the big western lump. Catch their eye when they’re laughing at you (you are funny) and laugh with them. Pull a face at the kids.<br /><br />Leave your ego and impatience behind and it’ll work out just fine. <br /><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-8171977383607621832007-11-01T07:29:00.000-07:002007-11-01T07:39:18.706-07:00Paul Smith Story<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/shares/3692821a.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Top notes:</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">Grapefruit, Bergamot, Green Ivy<br /></span><span style="font-weight:bold;">Middle notes:</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">Jasmine, Green Rose</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Base notes:</span> <span style="font-style:italic;">Modern Musks, Mineral Amber, Cedarwood</span><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-565149766744140032007-10-30T11:42:00.000-07:002007-10-30T11:44:52.989-07:00Skycrapers - Night shotsShanghai<br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/shares/bc13e9ea.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Singapore<br /><a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/shares/19c44b69.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-15282055539362941422007-10-27T13:40:00.000-07:002007-10-27T13:42:57.891-07:00Caroline Lavelle - Moorlough Shore<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tiCxI_oZplQ&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tiCxI_oZplQ&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A less known but original version of the song covered by The Coors. Beautiful!<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-39026975906230149552007-10-27T11:54:00.000-07:002007-10-27T12:21:40.775-07:00Bergen<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/shares/d8211526.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Only 1 day spent in Bergen and the city didn't disappoint me. Being situated by the sea, it's the main trading port in Norway and was the largest city in Europe in medieval times. This info is quite a surprise considering its small size by nowadays standard; I could easily stroll around the city in half-a-day! I didn't notice any local trains or buses at all. The only train in the city is the Floibanen which goes up the Ulriken mountain every half-an-hour from where you have a splendid view to the city below. So what is Bergen famous for? It is the rainiest place in Norway because the city is surrounded by 7 mountains! yes, SEVEN! (and the fact is it rained on the day i was exploring the city as well). But tourists don't come here to see the rain, most people come to Bergen as a starting point to explore the fjords, except me. I came after the fjords tour and wanted to see nothing in particular, just wanted to relax after 1 week of travelling. However, the city has a charm. Uncrowded, beautiful, narrow stone passages... you name it. It made me feel like visiting a small fishing village yet the houses are as charming as from fairy tales. One of the most (if not the most) beautiful cities in the world... <br /><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-73446361178740369002007-10-14T10:35:00.000-07:002007-10-14T11:33:18.183-07:00<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb89/hieple/shares/DSC01853.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Taken on my way from Oslo to Myrdal (Norway/07). The area is covered by glaciers and the inverse image together made a great shot.</span><br /><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-32198550285163867362007-07-27T18:49:00.000-07:002007-10-14T10:35:28.398-07:00ViennaI will try to write as much as I can about my travels, may not be everything but at least for now I want to write something. My writing could be incoherent as I will write anything come into my mind and I won't try to organize it. If I miss something, I will write it later. Start with my most recent trip...<br />...And so I packed my bag and left to Vienna, the city of imperial glories that are slowly fading away, this time only alone. Vienna welcome me with the heat of 36 Celsius degree that burn away anythings left from the rainy UK. Everything in Vienna is so German: big building, wide boulevards, people speak German and no crossing on the roads when the light shows red even when there's no a single car in sight. My hostel is at the end of the U4 metro, 30 minutes away from city centre, nothing could be worse, no places could be further... well, at least they do serve a good breakfast or else I would very much regret my choice. My first dinner was a take-way quarter of a pizza at only EUR 2.5, taste wasn't bad since I was too hungry. Sleep was a struggle with the heat and I couldn't get naked to sleep because there were 3 other Argentinians sharing the dorm with me and 2 of them are girls. As a compensate, Vienna has many things to offer, ranging from palaces, high-baroque to gothic churches. At the time I was hurry for the train to the airport leaving to Amsterdam, I still left Belvedere Palace behind undiscovered. Better luck next time.<br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-40837700965984105962007-07-27T17:38:00.000-07:002007-07-27T18:13:25.558-07:00My Europe tripsIn the past 2 years in UK, I didn't just lazily sitting my butt in front of the computer but I did a little bit of traveling as well. Here are my journeys so far (in chronological order and excluding various trips in the UK and the trip to Morocco on Xmas 2006), I will love these free and joyful times: <br />Summer 2006: <span style="font-weight:bold;color:red;">Italia - Greece - Germany</span><br />Easter 2007: <span style="font-weight:bold;color:green;">France - Spain<br /></span>Summer 2007 (just finished): <span style="font-weight:bold;color:purple;">Austria - The Netherlands - Norway</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFtix3bvmAQnsC7DMRtel_9pNl5-qmo_Zox4O6F2Y4b-F1MYxBG6iBVrBYCeoYFbyZdtS7-1zugZ0OSDuxYYZTXJQ2vEFZqL96evz8CqiEb7f8s30h3ZhVHDMluKu2aDnvuTFtg/s1600-h/europe_trips.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFtix3bvmAQnsC7DMRtel_9pNl5-qmo_Zox4O6F2Y4b-F1MYxBG6iBVrBYCeoYFbyZdtS7-1zugZ0OSDuxYYZTXJQ2vEFZqL96evz8CqiEb7f8s30h3ZhVHDMluKu2aDnvuTFtg/s400/europe_trips.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092047792984195810" /></a><br /><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-14700072864372333902007-06-17T17:37:00.000-07:002007-06-17T17:40:19.696-07:00A quote from "How to stop worrying and start living"Vietnamese: <br />"Bất kỳ ai cũng có thể làm công việc hằng ngày của mình được, dù công việc đó nặng nhọc tới bực nào đi nữa. Bất kỳ ai cũng có thể sống một cách êm đềm, trong sạch, kiên nhẫn, đầy tình thương chan chứa trong lòng, từ lúc mặt trời mọc cho tới khi mặt trời lặn. Đó, ý nghĩa của cuộc đời như vậy".<br /><br />English: <br />"Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all that life really means."<br /><br />- Robert Louis Stevenson - <br /><br /><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-41695661337658652662007-06-17T17:16:00.000-07:002007-06-17T17:21:26.202-07:00Em luon la nguoi gay su. Luc nao em cung doi khi em muon gi day ma ko duoc, hay noi dung hon la muon ma ko noi ra. De roi em doi anh, ngoi nhin anh qua wc va neu anh ma ko nhan ra dieu do thi em se doi anh, lay li do la anh ko noi chuyen voi em! How could this last through 3 years if every single day will be like this? At a time when I can't just go and see you and calm you down? I don't wanna end up like Minh! <br />Anyway, I love you and hope you will change for the better :x<br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-28542548471498480272007-06-10T14:44:00.000-07:002007-06-10T14:46:28.750-07:00every time it ends up with us argueing with each other no matter how happy it starts...every single fucking time! i can't fucking believe it!!<br /><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-62739214427930564582007-06-08T19:12:00.000-07:002007-06-08T19:16:37.308-07:00fuck it all!!!!! fuck this world!!!!!!!! fuck everything that it stands for!!!!!!!!! everything is so unbearable!!! sick!! sick!!! sick!!!!!!!!! I wanna killllllllllllllllllllllllll my selffffffffffffffffffffff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! every day I die...........everytime i die..............Hiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-68743795738751185292007-06-04T00:14:00.000-07:002007-06-04T00:16:06.654-07:00Amorphis - Black Winter DayBest song! ... bad video! -_-<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bVLCHDw9vOk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bVLCHDw9vOk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-81622975735527311472007-05-23T15:14:00.000-07:002007-05-23T15:21:48.510-07:00New widgetThis site now has a built-in dictionary powered by answer.com. You can look up the meaning or description of any words, phrases or characters meantioned in my posts by double-clicking on them. Enjoy!<br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-28775623787879255632007-05-06T20:11:00.000-07:002007-05-06T20:26:55.288-07:00Amorphis & KalevalaThe lyrics on Amorphis' second album 'Tales From The Thousand Lakes' are based on the Finnish national pole book 'Kalevala'. This book is in fact a collection of ancient songs, combined and adapted by Elias Lonnrot (1802 - 1884). Most of these songs were found in Karelia, a part of Finland/Russia which is bordered in the east by the White Sea. The name of this area also served as the name for their first album 'The Karelian Isthmus'. The final version of Kalevala, which was released in 1849, has a total of 22,795 verses.<br />The songs on 'Tales From The Thousand Lakes' follow two main storylines. The first story is about Vainamoinen, the singer-wizard from the old ages: <br /><br />Joukahainen, a young man from Lapland, leaves his parent's house to find and challenge Vainamoinen, who is said to be a better singer than he himself. When Joukahainen has found his opponent the two men start their (singing-) contest:<br /><br /><br />"I have a good mind, take into my head, <br />To start off singing, begin reciting..." <br />--- IN THE BEGINNING --- <br /><br />Vainamoinen is indeed the better singer and starts to sing magic songs, which almost kill the young man. Joukahainen can only elude a certain death by giving his sister Aino to the singer-wizard. Aino however is not too happy about the idea of living together with the old man and runs away from home, to become a water-nymph. But as she cannot swim, the young girl drowns and her voice can still be heard above the water: <br /><br />"I went to wash at the shore, <br />I went to bathe in the sea, <br />And there I, a hen, was lost..." <br />--- DROWNED MAID --- <br /><br />When Vainamoinen hears about Aino's death, he becomes extremely depressed, as he was really looking forward to living together with the young maid:<br /><br />"Once I had a mind and thoughts was given, but nowadays, <br />In this evil age, all my sense is somewhere else..." <br />--- FORGOTTEN SUNRISE --- <br /><br />Joukahainen, still angry because of his defeat, is determined to kill Vainamoinen, and he almost succeeds: the old man falls from his horse into the sea and almost drowns. But while the old Vainamoinen is fighting for his life:<br /><br />"A bird flew out of Lapland, an eagle from the North East", <br />which is so big that: <br />"One wing ruffled the water and the other swept the sky..." <br />--- THE CASTAWAY --- <br /><br />The eagle gets Vainamoinen out of the water, and brings him back savely to a beach near the village of Sariola. <br /><br /><br />The second story is about the wedding between Ilmarinen, the master of the anvil, and the daughter of the land of the North, whose name is never mentioned:<br /><br />The daughter of the land of the North is not so sure if she will be happy when living together with Ilmarinen. A few moments before the wedding she becomes depressed and wonders: <br /><br />"... how the lucky feel, how the blessed men think, <br />Like a daybreak in spring, the sun on spring morning...". <br />But at this moment she feels: <br /><br />"Like the flat brink of a cloud, <br />Like a dark night in autumn, a black winter day..." <br />--- BLACK WINTER DAY --- <br /><br />But the wedding continues, and all people from Kalevala and Pohjola are invited except one: Lemminkainen, the islander. He is not invited because he is always willing to start a fight.<br /><br />When Lemminkainen notices there is a wedding going on, he prepares to go there to take revenge. His mother tries to stop the angry man and tells him of the 3 dooms he will meet on his way. But Lemminkainen is not afraid and determined to<br /><br />"... wash my hands of the evil master's blood..." <br />--- FIRST DOOM --- <br /><br />When Lemminkainen, after some difficulties, arrives at the wedding, he wants to have a beer. As Lemminkainen is an unwanted guest, the least important serf is ordered to bring the worst beer:<br /><br />"Hey there, tiny wench, my perpetual serf, <br />Put stew in a pot, bring water for the guest" <br />Lemminkainen is not pleased to get beer of such a minor quality and challenges the father of the bride, ruler of the land of the North:<br /><br />"Before we part, before your neck is broken, <br />You strike first, son of the north" <br />--- MAGIC AND MAYHEM --- <br /><br />The father of the bride is killed (decapitated) by Lemminkainen, which makes the islander an even more unwanted guest. It's time for him to take to his heels. To be save from the other wedding-guests he changes his shape into an eagle and soars heavenward, and:<br /><br />"The sun burnt his cheeks, the moon lit his brows" <br />--- INTO HIDING --- <br /><br />High up in the sky, Lemminkainen prays to Ukko, the mightiest of the gods, to bring him home safely:<br /><br />"O old man, good god, careful man of heaven, <br />Keeper of the storm clouds, make misty weather, <br />And create a tiny cloud, in whose shelter I may go" <br />--- TO FATHERS CABIN --- <br /><br />Link: <a href="http://www.dse.nl/~inferno/issue3/amtales.html">http://www.dse.nl/~inferno/issue3/amtales.html</a><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-66991068485612812202007-05-05T19:02:00.000-07:002007-05-06T20:26:04.481-07:00Trivia 3Regional locations of IP addresses:<br /><br />Address 194.0.0.0 to 195.255.255.255 are in Europe<br />Address 198.0.0.0 to 199.255.255.255 are in North America<br />Address 200.0.0.0 to 201.255.255.255 are in Central and South America<br />Address 202.0.0.0 to 203.255.255.255 are in Asia and the Pacific<br /><br />Thought this might come in handy :P<br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12240837.post-63873741552580706152007-04-10T22:04:00.000-07:002007-05-06T20:21:45.135-07:00LIVING COLOUR - Jim Carey-Karate InstructorI saw it once before but can't help but laughed to death ^^ . What's a classic!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h_vvI26NnwE"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h_vvI26NnwE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Carpe diemHiep Lehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10518351545911746594noreply@blogger.com0