I want to fly

Good evening!

Hope you're well, dear readers and passers-by!

Very obvious subject today: it would be impossible to create a blog without talking about one of my biggest love, belly dance. I guess that everyone of you already knows that dancers use a lot of different props, from the well-known veil (of course) to the Shamadan (I'll certainly talk about this one later, but meanwhile have a look here if you don't remember what it is: *). Personally, those who know me don't ignore that I am totally obsessed with fans veils! Whatever they look like - a raging sandstorm, the dancing fire or the ocean waves-, they bring this particular feeling of freedom, just like the different natural elements that they remind.

© www.debbiescraftroom.com/

Discovering more about their origin and how they became used for belly dance is quite difficult. But the story often tells that they come from Chinese fans -also called koi fans, because of the koi fish's movements *, important accessories for classical Chinese dancers. These appears in China in about 1900 (even before, according to various authorities), but had a real rebirth in the seventies, thanks to folk dances. The veil became then longer and longer, simple matter of aesthetics.

Bozenka

At the beginning of the years 2000, fans began to be seen in belly dancing -especially in the USA, where more and more Chinese dancing performances took place-, via tribal and fusion belly dances. It was then added to the "traditional" style, to bring a brand new inspiration, and therefore, giving more possibilities to vary.

Here are different videos, feel free to watch some of my favourite performances:

http://youtu.be/JIy68-kPEMc
http://youtu.be/mY2Rwlt5Ud0
http://youtu.be/tvmfK9diZUw
http://youtu.be/GegqU1wz2xw

Have a good viewing!

Ofra Haza

Hi there!

Evening post, whoop whoop!

Once again, it was a suject that I had to talk about; I mean my favourite singer, the incredible Ofra Haza!


I was 8 years old when I heard about her for the very first time. Do you remember The Prince Of Egypt (1998) and its opening song "Deliver Us"? If you do, you have probably fallen in love as well with Yochebed's voice, brilliantly interpreted by this woman (in not less than 18 languages, just for the anecdote). Here is the link for the Hebrew version: * , and the English one: *
I had never heard such a pure tone, and, even many years later, my opinion is intact.

I had a great surprise when I began to listen her own songs, thanks to their variety... and the way Ofra always managed to use her timbre differently, in accordance with the style. From pop to pure middle eastern music, her tonal quality wasn't far from the perfection. Whatever she did, she kept her credibility safe!
Actually, mixing modern rythms with traditional Yemeni songs sounded quite weird, but it finally launched her international career (her success expanded from the Middle Eastern public to Europe and America) !

If you want to know more about her life, please click on the following link: *
On this post, I prefer to concentrate on my feelings rather than pure matters of facts :-) You can find that very easily, trust me!

So, let's continue.
As I told you before, Ofra is probably the best singer I have never heard! This flawless voice makes me literally fly and reach the seventh heaven every single time I am listening to it! In two days - 23d February 2012, she will have left us for 12 years, defeated by an AIDS-related pneumonia. Nevertheless she will never be forgotten: her memory remains.

Time to leave you, but not without inviting you to follow the links below:

Yerushalaim Shel Zahav
Kaddish
Chai

Mi Li Yiten
Im Nin'Alu





              You know there's one thing we can do
              We two can do today
              Today I'll pray for another day
              Today I'll pray for a day of love

Some common misconceptions about Hinduism

Vishnu

I came across a very interesting article on Aumnipresence's tumblr about some prejudgments that people can have about hinduism, a religion not so well-known actually. Here it is, enjoy the day's general knowledge moment ;-)

-Hinduism is a religion of many Gods. Hinduism is actually a monotheistic religion. There is one God, (BRAHMAN) who is manifested in many infinite forms and symbols, depending on time, characterization, and where needed. God is everywhere and therefore is everything, but still one. 
-Only Indians are Hindu. There are countless non-Indian Hindus in many countries throughout the globe. Calling all Indians Hindus or all Hindus Indians would be like saying all Christians are Arab (hence the birthplace of Christianity), or calling all Buddhists East Asian (Even though the birthplace of Buddhism is India).
-Hindus worship pictures and statues instead of God. This is completely wrong. We Hindus believe that hence God is in everything, an image of God can bare God’s spirit. This can be seen throughout many religions. The Christians bow to the cross, a symbol or image of their savior Jesus. Muslims gather and pray towards the Ka’ba, a stone structure in Makkah. Nearly everything in a Hindu’s life and prayer is symbolic, much as the teachings of life are. To us Hindus, everything is made of God, hence everything is sacred… so treat it with respect! 
-Hindus worship cows. Yes and no. We do not worship cows, but we revere them with upmost respect. Cows are our earthly mothers. They give us milk and cheese, cultivate the land, and remain calm in nearly all situations. Cows are a gift and a nurturing soul, so we respect them and abstain from killing them or hurting them. This is why cows are referred to as “Gau Mata”, mother cow. There are countless references to Gau Mata in the Vedas and sacred texts. Sri Krisna is a cowherd (Krisna Gopala), Mahadev Shiva’s cow, Nandi, is worshiped as a protecting and loving force, etc.

What a glorious feeling!...

Hi there!

Sometimes, I feel like I won't have enough to tell to bring my blog up to date. Sometimes, it is the contrary: I don't know where I can begin! But today, it was completely obvious!
I just finished to watch my favorite movie of all time, I named Singin' In The Rain!

Can I guess that the name sounds familiar? I think so! Everybody should already have heard about this masterpiece, starring Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor and last but not least, my dear, dear, dear Gene Kelly!
The script is very simple: this is the story of two movie stars, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), at the end of the silent films. Due to the success of the talking pictures, the couple -sweethearts in their movies, haters in the real life- records its first talking movie, The Dueling Cavalier. It turns to a total mess, and to cup it all, Lina is equipped with a shrill voice! Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) suggests to dub this unbearable voice with the one of Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), a novice stage actress.

Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds & Gene Kelly in "Good Morning"

To be honest, this movie is the one par excellence which will always make me smile and laugh, which will always make me sing along at the rate of the numerous and memorable songs! Three particularly deserve to be mentioned : "Good Morning", the lucky day, when hope comes back, when ideas flood in; "Make 'Em Laugh", thanks to Donald O'Connor who made the best of this moment (I am used to tell that it would have been the best moment of the movie without the title track); and of course "Singin' In The Rain"! Who could watch Don Lockwood singing his happiness, under the pouring rain, with this touching innocence, without suddenly feeling the need to smile? This is a pure hymn of joy, nothing else, trust me! No need to wonder why this performance became iconic. Just watch Gene Kelly dancing, and let your feelings guide you how they guided the loving Don Lockwood!

Gene Kelly in "Singin' In The Rain"

Between the fabulous tap-dancing, the colourful spectacles, a matchless energy and the hilarious scenes, it is difficult to select a scene rather than another.  98 minutes which are always going by too quickly for the spectator!

Brilliant, my friends!

Smuggle hope into Syria

This morning, I received a mail from Alice Jay, an active member of Avaaz ("Voice" in several languages from Europe, Asia and Midde East. Please read the "About Us" section on the website for further information). It was disturbing, shoking, deeply sad, something that nobody could ignore. That's why I absolutely had to share it with you:

"Dear friends,

This urgent video appeal just came in from one of Avaaz's brave citizen journalists in Syria -- our community may be the only one that can help Danny and his friends before the next massacre.

Right now, the regime is murdering men, women and children and tearing cities apart. China and Russia just handcuffed international action at the UN and gave Assad license to unleash his murder machine to crush the Syrian Spring once and for all. But Danny and the democracy movement are more determined than ever and are urgently asking for our continued international solidarity and support.

Let’s be clear -- as embassies close, medical agencies withdraw and journalists pull out, Avaaz has the only network that is both smuggling medical equipment and journalists in and images and information out. The UN has failed, but we can help peaceful democracy heroes like Danny loosen the dictator's grip on their country. Click here to see Danny's appeal and chip in now so we can continue our Arab spring campaigning and support for citizen journalists -- if 20,000 of us donate now, we can get aid to the most besieged cities and towns before the next attack:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/smuggle_hope_into_syria_q/?vl


Activists like Danny are risking their lives for freedom and counting on our global support. On Saturday, Syria’s brutal forces killed another one of Avaaz's citizen journalists, a 23-year-old named Omar who was a leader of our 400-strong network of activists as he pulled people from the rubble after a deadly massacre in Homs. Omar died as he lived, photographing the regime’s crimes, helping others and sacrificing for freedom. After the regime kicked the international media out, brave civilians like Danny and Omar have risked their lives to break the news blackout and help 18 of the world’s leading journalists from foreign news outlets into the locked-down country. It’s likely that the images you have seen on your TV or photographs in your newspaper came from this courageous team.

But that is just a part of what the Avaaz project has done. Thanks to the generous support of members across the world, Avaaz is providing a rare lifeline of critical support to the democracy movement in Syria. When activists told us medicines were running out, we set up a smuggling network to deliver over $1.8 million worth of medical equipment into the country, saving thousands of lives. When the Syrian National Council was struggling to present a credible leadership alternative to the world, we organized meetings in the UN, Russia and across Europe to support their work.

Day after day, Danny and Omar and hundreds of other heroes have turned out to film and protest, facing down tanks with no support from international governments. But what happens in the next two weeks will be decisive. This is the pinnacle of the Arab Spring and the global struggle against brutal despots. Together we can secure a lifeblood to the resistance and walk with the brave Syrian people on their journey to freedom. Click to watch Danny's desperate appeal and make a life-saving donation now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/smuggle_hope_into_syria_q/?vl

This year people power in the Middle East has taught the world an important lesson -- together we are stronger than the fiercest dictator, and fiercer than the most ruthless army. On the streets of Syria, Avaaz is a beloved partner in the struggle for freedom. As one opposition leader put it, “the Syrian people have gained strength from knowing that the world, through the Avaaz community, stands with them.” Together, we have made the impossible possible and with our help Assad’s regime will come to end.

With hope and determination,

Alice, Ian, Antonia, Emma, Ricken, Mouhamad, Morgan, Wissam, Sam, Bissan, Will and the entire Avaaz team

More information:

A Doctor’s Cry for Help as Homs Victims Pour In to a Medical Center [Warning: This is a graphic video not suitable for sensitive viewers]
http://www.overstream.net/view.php?oid=r3tmevemrqn0

At Least 200 Reported Killed in Syrian City of Homs (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/protesters-turn-out-across-syria-but-capital-is-quiet/2012/02/03/gIQAQOqNnQ_story.html

Homs: Bloody Winter in Syria’s Revolution Capital (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/16/world/meast/syria-homs-profile/index.html

Anger After Russia, China Block UN Action on Syria (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/05/us-syria-idUSTRE80S08620120205?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=71

Syria Crackdown: Homs Bombarded, Dozens Killed (Huffington Post/Reuters)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/syria-crackdown-homs_n_1256699.html "

Even if you don't want to donate, help Syria by your non-ignorance of their suffering. You can behave well by a simple signature on some petitions, by many little gestures which would prove that you care. Syrians don't deserve this horror, nobody does! Please don't just close the window and forget what you read and saw!

Tu biShvat (ט"ו בִּשְׁבָט)

A man doesn't plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity. ~Alexander Smith

Good morning!

For my very first "real" post, I decided to talk a bit about a Jewish holiday, minor indeed, but equipped with a very nice meaning! I have been learning Hebrew since the end of October; in my opinion, you couldn't get implied in a -new- language if you don't try to know more about the culture. So, let's talk about Tu biShvat!  

Herman Yuchtman: Konigssee

 Tu biShvat (ט"ו בִּשְׁבָט) actually means "The New Year of the trees and the fruits", occuring on the 15th day of Shevat, the fifth month in the Jewish calendar: that's why it was previously called Hamisha Asar BiShvat (חמשה-עשר בשבט), in others words "Fifteenth of Shevat". In 2012, it will be celebrated the 8th of February, in the Occidental calendar.

As the Jewish law forbids the fact of eating fruits from a tree during the first three years after its planting, Tu biShvat is the ideal date to calculate the age of these trees: this is considered as their birthday.
We hear about this point of the celebration only in Israel, but everywhere in the world, Jews eat dried fruits from the Land, orange and carob as well as the Seven Species: olive, oil, wheat, barley, fig, date and pomegranate.Tu biShvat is a way to bless the fruits by reading verses from the Bible about their trees and their role in the human life.


Tu cut the story short, Tu biShvat is a joyful day, without fast and funeral oration; a day where Mother Earth is finally thanked for her gifts.
Happy Tu biShvat!

First step

Hello folk!

After several months of hesitation, I finally decided to create my own blog. Why? I already use some social networks, as facebook or tumblr, but I realized that none of them was a good way to express my feelings. That's why my blogspot was born. It will be a blog like another one, without the aim of following a line of conduct. In here you'll find my thought about everything which can interest me, which can hurt me, make me laugh, make me dream,... Whatever! Everything which is a part of my life, in one way or another.

I'll try to write in English the most of the time, but I'll certainly use my mother tongue -French- on some posts.

Happy reading! :)