#135 – My Name is NOT Earl, Gail or Yale

“Lost in translation” is a fact of life. It’s true for jokes, morals, stories. . . and to names. Since my parents were careful not to give any of us horrible, begging for teasing names, I never thought much about it. I knew its meaning, where it comes from, the animal called this name, and that was it. As long as I lived in Israel.

Psalms 104:18 - The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the conies.

Imagine you, a native English speaker, moving to a country that speaks a language that has not “w”. Your name, BTW, is William, nickname Willie. Now everyone calls you Villie or Villiam. Or, further cutting it short, they call you Vill, but to your ears it sounds like Veal. Nice, ha? You are Veal from Vashington. How would you like your steak?

yael, Judean Desert

The English language, rich as it is, has its own limitation too. My name calls out one. “AE” put together are not a common sound, and I end up with listening to creative ways of pronouncing it or even more creative workarounds to avoid saying it. All in good intention, all much appreciated.

It’s important to note however, that a desert goat was not what my parents had on their mind.

And the Torah says:

Judges 4:15-23 (21st Century King James Version)

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.

15And the LORD discomfited Sisera and all his chariots and all his host with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera alighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet. 16But Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host unto Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, and there was not a man left.

17However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, “Turn in, my lord, turn in to me. Fear not.” And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 19And he said unto her, “Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20Again he said unto her, “Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee and say, `Is there any man here?’ that thou shalt say, `No.’”

Yael, delivering Sisera to a world of Goodness

21Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a nail of the tent and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

22And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said unto him, “Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest.” And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples. 23So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

A little on the gory side, but those were the days. Don’t know how “yael” became “Jael”; lost in translation, I guess.

My solution? A new ringtone that may help the listener practice. If only I figured out how to load an audio file.

#134 – I Love Rhapsody

Hard to recall life pre-Rhapsody. Watching an old episode of Criminal Minds [Hard to recall life pre-DVR], the finale scene’s soundtrack included a song I liked. Playback, picking up few sentences, Googling, get the song and singer’s name, click Rhapsody, type in, and. . . the song is playing over the speakers without Agent Gideon quoting William Shakespeare over the song.

In previous life: try to memorize the few lines of the song one could pick, try to sing or recite it to a friend who’s taste one thinks is close to that song. . . and hope. If one got lucky the song was played on the radio within the time span of one’s ability to remember the song. . . nothing too promising.

But this is not it. I love Rhapsody for the games it allows us to play. How about the “make a wish” game. Not too long ago, Francine was over. And we tried to bit Rhapsody. “Tell me your favorite song”, I asked. And there is was. This is how I learned that one of the bands I enjoy listening to is Journey, nameless until then.

And this is how Francine learned that one of my favorite songs is a James Brown song. Click below for a surprise performance, with non less than. . . just click, will you?

James Brown and Pavarotti, unbelievable performance. embarrassingly, while watching i was wondering how easy is the drumming for the song compared to, you know. . . i managed to get so far without saying the R word.

There’s more. I love Little Wing. so imagine that 11 clicks on the keyboard got me the list of all version, original and covers. Clapton, SRV and Jimi Hendrix were a given, but what about Ottmar Liebert, The Corrs and Elvis Schoenberg’s Orchestra? All of which are worth listening, BTW.

This experience would have been limited, if it wasn’t for the comfort or spoiling offered by Sonos. I mentioned it before, so what?! Let me just say that having the ability to play the same music in all rooms, control it from one interface [computer or heavy remote], and manage all music on one’s network is a lot. Spoiling indeed. Soon to be categorized under “Hard to recall life pre”.

When you consume music as I do, even if i don’t know the song or singer’s name or biography, this is a great solution. Enjoy.

#133 – Through the Fire and Flames

RockBand

Flame, Fire and Rock [from http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/puzzle/rockband/images.html]

And the fun continues.

Every time I post a “chapter” that gets significantly more comments than usual, I gain an insight. Sometimes about myself; sometimes about us all. #131 was all about us, the hidden and not so hidden singers, the real players, the couch players, the armchair masters of guitars, the RockBand players, the GuitarHeroes and those waiting to come out of the, I guess, living room? The ways we find to express ourselves, openly or behind closed doors and with headsets.

And all the new songs I listen to and learn. Yesterday, over Skype, once we were done with work this and work that, and started talking music, I got this: “TtF&tF is the hardest thing on Guitar Hero 3, so I’m told…” to which I typed “Ha? Raising eyebrows”. So I got the TtF&tF for dummies version: “Through the fire and the flames”. Almost correct. It’s “Through the Fire and Flames” Wikipedia says. MTV, in a compilation they did, added to the song’s name an extra “the”.

That was yesterday.

Since then, I Rhapsody-ed the song, which I’ve never heard of. I’ll praise Rhapsody another time. Right now I’m pressing the [volume up] button and am happy that my apartment is a corner apt. and that the speakers are not next to any wall shared with the neighbors. I let it blast the whole 7:21 min. and then again. and again. and again.

Must see:

Israel, I was told, restricted access to the one above, so this one with subtitles should work with you, as it had been tested earlier today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DilAASI69Sc

The video, unlike the recorded song, is only 5 minutes long. Not that it should bother you. It’s overwhelming as it is. The things these hands can do. . .

YES / Tormato (1978)

I recall my excitement and joy in high school, when I got my first “Made in the UK” album. It was Tormato, by YES. As far as my dad was concerned, it was “No, No” and then again “NO!!!” When the sounds of Rejoice, the 1st song in the album, started filling the house, joy was not part of the parental behavior demonstrated.

I recall my excitement and joy in high school, when I got my first “Made in the UK” album. It was Tormato, by YES. As far as my dad was concerned, it was “No, No” and then again “NO!!!” When the sounds of Rejoice, the 1st song in the album, started filling the house, joy was not part of the parental behavior demonstrated.

Unfortunately, having the largest of the kids bedrooms in the house, had its price. it was also the bedroom sharing a wall with our dinning room/ open kitchen area. As time went by, my dad learned to recognize the sounds of the album. For someone who insisted that it’s not music, I think he did very well.

Not even “The WALL“, which i played much more often, got so much negative attention. So in our house Tormato was a success. It generated the right teenager-parent conflict of noise. Sadly, Yes didn’t share the same view. They never thought of the album in terms of success.

The only song with some success was “Don’t Kill the Whale”. If they’d only asked me. In a 2nd thought however, I’m kind of happy they didn’t. Almost 30 years later, in a music conversation, I was told that the album that I insisted to call TOMATO, is called, as a matter of fact, Tormato. Another great moment of ignorance.

My apologies, YES.

And how’s the RockBand doing? It’s all about practice. I still suck with the drums. In vocals however, I ventured today into Medium difficulty level. Did I mention it takes practice? But the Drums… dear damn drums…

As I sign off, going for my “witchcraft” book (see #131), here’s a drummer I won’t compete with:

#132- I vacation Part III [and last]

I Vacation, part III Originally uploaded by yaelol

Going on vacation as i did, means no camera, means i relay on friends and the web to provide the atmosphere. and these pictures indeed were taken by friends.

Friends however, cannot write my experiences for me. they can and do contribute to them; can be part of them, and therefore part of me.

So, with many months old perspective, here i am, ready to complete this amazing trip to Virgin Islands, only to clear the cue for Budapest and Paris, Puerto Rico and Israel, St. Petersburg, Russia and the many little things that collectively are called my life.

Virgin Island.

The islands, are anything but virgin. many races have been here and gone, many left some genetic cells behind. some left more. Food, music, cloths… Then the tourists came and took away the virginity.

I can’t help but recall the crazy book I recently read, that takes place on an island not far from St. John VIUS. “Crazy” doesn’t even come close to describing the wild rich imagination of the writer. Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore. What can bring cannibals, a talking bat and a drunk pilot together to one small island?

Guess you’ll have to read the book. However, as islands go, some things are true for both the fictional and the one I’ve been visiting.

Where it’s never cold, mostly too humid, and, as islands go, there’s water all around. I managed to avoid the water. Mostly. Months after the latest and last Harry Potter came out, Harry and I were finally together. Harry was with me by the pool, everyday, for hours at the time. Until almost the very end, at least Harry was virgin. and now they are making a movie.

Good as Potter is for a vacation companion, I had friends to meet. What are the chances that Rich and Pat, close friends from NJ, will end up here, at the same as me? I wonder which butterfly flapped its wings to make this happened. And then again, who cares. The best day of this first-in-a-long-time vacation was spent with them.

As it turned out, not all resorts were born equal. Ruti and I were staying @ the Westin Resort, and thought the place was almost OK, other than a bit too many honeymooners and kids. Until we joined Rich and Pat at Caneel Bay. No kids under 16, private beaches all around. . . Mr. Laurance Rockefeller, the original owner, loved the environment, loved to enjoy it too. However, being a Rockefeller, he had to make money too. So he developed few environmentally oriented resort hotels in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Vermont, serving as chairman of Rockresorts, Inc., a resort management company which he founded and chaired. [http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_3rd/Jul04_LRockefeller.html]

In addition, L. Rockefeller was key in the creation and development of several national parks including Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John (I’m here) and Marsh, Billings, Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont. Judging by the one visited – Caneel Bay, St. John – the guy knew what he was doing. Look at the photos from their website.

After the hugs and the laughs, we head to Breakfast. And it feels like I’m a guest in a plantation. The waiter who delivers great coffee has white gloves on. The Breakfast buffet is big on the eggs and meat side, and the cushioned rattan furniture all fit the image in my mind.

Breakfast done, it’s time for the beach. The 6 of us have a private beach all to ourselves. In comparison, the Westin suddenly is nothing but the public pool of the hood. Even the water looks better, and i can’t help but go in for a swim. More than once. In between our conversations cover world politics, recent development in the medical field – unavoidable when two of your friends are doctors-, getting me to rave about the wonders of Blackberry, and all of us have our books or magazines to fall back to.

I Vacation: Beach, Blackberry, friends

Hiking with Pat along the isolated trails, I’m impressed with the artful way of creating a resort which is well manicured yet are natural and a little wild, and offers the privacy level only a Rockefeller could afford.

Blue clear water, sun, short hike, what else is missing? A 4 O’Clock tea. The tea is wet, the scones are fresh and warm; i can’t remember if there were cucumber sandwiches or not. but if there were, they were fresh and perfect, like everything else. To remind me of reality, a laptop walk in a joins us. Stock and investments take wi-fi with their tea. Not sure is this was part of Laurance Rockefeller’s vision. Regardless, I love the place.

After our goodbyes, we head back to the Westin resort, and it feels so less cool than before. Ruti gets her book and I go back to Harry.

I take a day trip to Saint Tomas with Larry and Linda, only to find myself in a shopping hell. Everyone is nice, and polite and has something to sell. You name it, it’s there. I end up buying couple of magnets and this is it. The food is good, the company is great, and I’m happy.

We take the ferry back to St. John and Ruti who’d been studying all day. In a funny way, it makes the vacation even feel more like a vacation. Sorry Ruti.  I just a whole day off-line. This is a vacation.

This is our last night. Ruti is taking the morning ferry, and I take the afternoon one. She’ll fly east, and I’ll fly West.  Hugs, kisses, walking Ruti to the water. 3 hours later, Larry and Linda are walking me, and i hugs this amazing couple that from invading my boat seat became such good friends. who’s imagine that a month later we’d meet again in Puerto Rico?

And this was it. I did vacation. And Loved it.

Planning my next vacation, it’ll be all around packing, cleaning, unpacking, goodwilling a lot of extra stuff i could well do without. and a new address. yes, my next vacation is a moving vacation.