That Friday Feeling: Dirty Dancing

So guess where I’m off to this weekend….yep Dirty Dancing the musical. One of my favourite movies from the 80s….they don’t make movies like they used to. Loved how they recreated that classic move in Stupid, Crazy, Love. So here’s hoping you dance your way through the weekend and remember nobody puts baby in a corner!

Happy Flyday!

“That was the summer of 1963 – when everybody called me Baby, and it didn’t occur to me to mind. That was before President Kennedy was shot, before the Beatles came, when I couldn’t wait to join the Peace Corps, and I thought I’d never find a guy as great as my dad. That was the summer we went to Kellerman’s.”

“Look, spaghetti arms. This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don’t go into yours, you don’t go into mine. You gotta hold the frame.”

“Oh, come on, ladies. God wouldn’t have given you maracas if He didn’t want you to shake ‘em.”

“I carried a watermelon.”

“It’s not on the one, it’s not the mambo. It’s a feeling; a heartbeat.”

Musical Interlude: To Be With You by The Honey Trees

But up on this height, a majestic sight Flooded the skies

What a beautiful dreamy video from The Honey Trees, an indie pop band from San Luis Obispo, California consisting of members Becky Filip and Jacob Wick.

Snowpatrol @ The O2

Snowpatrol kicked off their world tour in Dublin last Friday night in the o2 with two sold out nights. I went on the Saturday night and was treated to an excellent show, one of the best I’ve seen in the o2 which can be a hard venue to fill but Snowpatrol had no problem connecting with the audience and their songs were perfect for the venue. We were seated but had a great view from Block B. We arrived in time for the second support band ‘Everything Everything’ which reminded me of Friendly Fire even down to their cowbell! From the off it was clear that Snowpatrol were there to entertain with just the right mix of old songs and new songs. Gary Lightbody was obviously delighted to be there and was quite emotional dedicating songs to his mum and dad. They had family members and friends in the audience. I think the new album was showcased to perfection and the songs fit in well with their set. Of course they played the old favourites like Chasing Cars and Run (Light Up) and Shauna Tohill from Rams Pocket Radio joined him on stage to sing a beautiful version of Set Fire to the Third Bar. The only thing I think that took from the gig was the lighting at the beginning was a bit distracting but this was only for the first few songs. For all the old songs, the audience joined in with gusto and even for some of the new ones. They finished the encore with Just Say Yes and people went home singing. They have moved on to Belfast for another three sold out shows and they certainly deserve the success.

Little Women @ The Gate

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was one of those books that every little girl has read and wanted to be Jo with her wild, carefree nature so the chance to see it on stage was one not to be missed. I think the hopeful writer in me saw a little of myself in Jo. It was so popular playing to sold out audiences night after night that the Gate extended the run. I went on a Friday night with my mum who I had pre-warned that the play was sad – bring tissues but I think I may have overdone it with the “one of them dies” so much so that neither of us found that particular scene emotional! This is in my view where the play fell down Beth was so much in the background that the audience never really grew attached. The story was well thought out and flowed well and the scene changes were handled well. I did find the main character Jo a little irritating and it was a little hard to get used to the American accents. We are introduced to the four March sisters – the beautiful Meg, the good Beth, the writer Jo and the precocious Amy and we follow them as time passes and they grow up and grow apart in the process. Of course, the story ends happily ever after for all and it really was the perfect play for Christmas time and to lift the January blues.

Happy Monday

Things to make you smile…

Get It Right!

A really simple guide for people who get confused about Britain and Ireland. Hilarious but totally understand…how can you not get confused over Great Britain, the British Isles, United Kingdom, U.K., Northern Ireland, Ireland, Republic of Ireland….how can two little Islands have so many different names!

Say it with photos

Waiting

Waiting // Engagement Time Lapse from Kien Lam on Vimeo.

Garry and Steph met and fell in love in SF. For their engagement video, Kien Lam metaphorically recreated their meeting and first date using Time Lapse photography. Good things happen to those that wait. For those of us still waiting, never lose hope!

That Friday Feeling: Downton Abbey

Currently I reside at Downton Abbey – Carson fetch me some tea! Ah a girl can dream….discovered this series over Christmas and have been addicted ever since. Even the music makes me giddy. And of course my favourite character is Maggie Smith….her one-liners and her facial expressions are excellent. And Maggie, for us lowly working folk weekends rule!

Happy Flyday!

“I couldn’t have electricity in the house, I wouldn’t sleep a wink. All those vapors floating about.”

“Last night! He looked so well. Of course it would happen to a foreigner. No Englishman would dream of dying in someone else’s house.”

“I’m a woman, Mary. I can be as contrary as I choose.”

“But if there are relapses. What then? Amputation in the dining room? Rescuscitation in the pantry?”

“The world was in a dream before the war, but now its woken up and said goodbye to it. And so must we.”

“You’ll find there’s never a dull moment in this house.”

“I forbid it. To have strange men prodding and prying around the house. To say nothing of pocketing the spoons. It’s out of the question.”

“Sometimes, it feels as if all the men I have ever danced with are dead. I just feel so useless, wasting my life while they sacrifice theirs.”

“Oh that’s a relief. I hate Greek drama. When everything happens off stage.”

Year of the Dragon: 20th January – 3rd February

Check out the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2012 on www.cny.ie. Fifth in the Twelve Year Cycle and the most regal of the signs, the Dragon is self-assured, brave, passionate, conceited, and quick-tempered. Dragons are the free spirits of the Chinese Zodiac and are born monarchs. There’s a nice variety of cultural events including a film festival, an opera, a photography exhibition of China in the mid-1800s, a photography exhibition about traditional Peking Opera, lectures and the highlight of the festival, a Chinese New Year carnival on Sunday 22nd January in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar.

Musical Interlude: If I Had a Gun by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

If I had a gun, I’d shoot a hole into the sun, and love would burn this City down for you.

The latest offering from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Reminiscent of the good old Wonderwall days!

Happy Monday

Things to make you smile

Shite Irish Girls Say

In fairness! Penneys Finest! State of yer wan!

Say it with photos