Back In Town:

I just came back to Dubai from my vacation about a couple of days ago and I have to admit, I had such a great vacation. I had spent my summer travelling across the U.S (not everywhere, just to about 4 states). I had gone to Washington DC, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami, Florida. There were so many things to see around these places.
In Washington DC, there were so many historical landmarks to see such as the Washington Monument, The Whitehouse, The U.S Capital, The Lincoln Memorial and much much more. Then I saw the fireworks for the 4th of July. To tell you the truth it was pretty spectacular, the weather was great, the fireworks were so beautiful, the scenery was AWESOME :D :D :D :D :D


Then when I went to Las Vegas, I was pretty disappointed. There were so many buildings, big massive buildings but they were filled with people gambling, smoking and eating. I swear it was like a nightmare, I think those gamblers need to go and get lives because they kept smoking and drinking, it was smelling so bad as if someone had cremated a dead body (literally speaking).

Some good things that they had in Las Vegas were some of the shows (many of them consisted of people just stripping their brains out of each other. I think those strippers need to watch the movie "Penance" to shut them up ). Anyways, what I really liked was the David Copperfield show and the "Marriage Can Be Murder" Dinner and Show. Also I loved the helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon :D :D :D

The Charmed Manor

Is that Piper's room?

Look they even left the same curtains from the show :)

beautiful :)

1329 Prescott Street

Dan's House (from Season 2)

The rundown house next door to the Charmed Ones

The best view of the Charmed Manor

After that I went to Los Angeles and spent a few days there and went looking around. I saw the Kodak Theater, some celebrity homes, also managed to walk along Hollywood Blvd and then walked along Rodeo Drive. I also went and visited the Charmed Manor :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
The Charmed Manor was so beautiful, too bad I wasn't allowed to go inside the house because people were already living in it (No, not the Charmed Ones). I was only allowed to take pictures of the Houses around the neighborhood with the other fans. It was pretty crowded with a bunch of fans from around the world when it came to visiting the Charmed Manor (Hint: Go on Google and look up The Charmed Manor Location LA and it would be given to you).
The rundown house next to the manor is an actual house, I had always thought that it was a prop but it turns out to be a real thing. I met the owner of the rundown house and believe it or not, he has put up the rundown house for sale. Now as for the people living in the Charmed Manor, they were nice enough to leave a bunch of things from the show such as the  curtains, the flowers in the garden (not most of the shrubs or the hanging ivy). I also saw Dan's house as well (see pictures 2 paragraphs up)

Finally I went to Miami, Fort Lauder dale which was exciting because I had gone to see one of Rihanna's concerts. I'll post them after Ramadan due to the fact Rihanna was wearing inappropriate clothing.
I saw Both Rihanna and J.Cole performing. It was really nice. Rihanna was playing a bunch of songs from her new album "Loud" along with some various songs from previous albums including the song "Unfaithful".

Ramadan Kareem:

I would like to wish everyone Ramadan Kareem :D :D :D :D :D

Stress Free Email:

Here is an interesting article that I have gotten from one of my friends. It's an email on how to be Stress-Free, which is really helpful in some cases (mostly during the exams - midterms and finals).

This is what the email Says:


Folks,

I received this recently and I welcomed the wisdom and wanted to share it with you.  Enjoy.

The True Meaning of Stress and the Ways to Avoid it 

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'..... she fooled them all... "How heavy is this glass of water?", she inquired with a smile.

 

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

 

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

 

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... pick them up tomorrow.

 

Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"

 

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

 

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

 

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

 

4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..

 

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

 

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it..

 

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

 

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

 

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

 

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

 

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

 

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

 

13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

 

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

 

15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

 

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

 

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

 

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

 

19 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

 

20 * It was I, your friend!

 

New Dido Remix Found:

Hey everyone, how are all of you enjoying your summer vacation? I'm having such a blast this summer.
Well anyways getting to the point, I have recently found a peculiar remix of one of Dido's songs. It's an actual remix of Dido's song "Life For Rent". The last time I ever heard that remix was back in 2004 on her old site (www.dido.co.uk - which has been down for years). I remember hearing a short clip of that song on her site.
By the way in this song there are some extra lyrics added, it's after she says "While My Heart is A Shield..."


Here is the song:







Here are the lyrics as well :)

DIDO LIFE FOR RENT (SKINNY 4 RENT MIX) LYRICS:

I haven't really ever found a place that I call home
I never stick around quite long enough to make it
I apologize that once again I'm not in love
But it's not as if I mind
that your heart ain't exactly breaking

It's just a thought, only a thought

But if my life is for rent and I don't lean to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

I've always thought
that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone
and live my life more simply
I have no idea what's happened to that dream
Cos there's really nothing left here to stop me

It's just a thought, only a thought

But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

While my heart is a shield and I won't let it down
While I am so afraid to fail so I won't even try
While I'm so cold cos I'm scared to show my weaker side
Well how can I say I'm alive

If my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy.....

Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

Well if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine

Cos nothin I have is truly mine
Cos nothin I have is truly mine
Cos nothin I have is truly mine

Summer Vacation: Traveling at Long Last

So how is everyone doing? I hope all of you are enjoying your summer vacations, wherever you are. So I am now getting ready to travel, just getting some final things done before I leave. Such as getting my suitcase packed, make sure I get my cats some food before I leave (at least they wouldn't starve while I'm gone) and the list goes on. 

As of now, after this post, I will not be posting anything new at until I get to my destination. I will post one or two updates but that's about it. Also I would like to mention that as of August 1, I will add an update for the Holy Month Of Ramadan and of course I will also change the layout of my blog.

I hope everyone has a great summer vacation :D :D :D :D 

See You Soon :)

Q Magazine Article on Dido: July 2011

So I went to the bookstore and got a copy of the magazine and now I'm going to add the entire article that was posted from Q Magazine 300th Anniversary July 2011:



She's Cracked It!
Dido Florian Cloud De Bounevialle Armstrong left home at 15, reckons she's "worth 15 billion pounds", guzzles painkillers and measures hotel swimming pools before she checks in. "I'm just a normal North London girl", she insists to Adrian Deevoy

Dido

Slightly Crap On The Guitar

-How were you in 2001? In control, it seemed
Dido: Not dissimilar to how I am now. I didn't know what was going on then and I don't know now, but I've never stopped and looked at the bigger picture., I've not questioned things. Then and now, I see the world through songs and that excites me as much as ever.

-Were you happy?
Dido: Yes, because I'd discovered that music was utterly limitless and it would entertain me for the rest of my life. If they invented a drug that would make us live forever, I'd never get bored of music. Whatever happens, whatever comes my way, music is a rock of certainty. Whenever I'm on a plane and things get turbulent, I start humming for comfort. It really freaks people out.

-Did you enjoy being super famous?
Dido: I got the balance right. I don't feel people need to know me. I feel the same about other singers. I love Adele. She transports me somewhere special but I don't want to know anything about her. It would spoil things.

-Were you scared of playing Live?
Dido: At first definitely. I had such bad panic attacks - which isn't entirely a bad thing - but when I was up there I'd lose myself in it. I really don't like miming. I did it once on Italian Television for "Hunter". I had no idea how to do it. Never Again.
................................................................................................................................................................

"IF THEY INVENTED A DRUG THAT MADE US LIVE FOREVER I'D NEVER GET BORED."

.................................................................................................................................................................

-What happened with "Safe Trip Home": Artistic triumph but commercial disappointment?
Dido: Who knows? Maybe it was timing, maybe people didn't hear it. I love that record, it was a labor of love and I ripped my heart out on songs such as "Grafton Street". I feel it was there for the taking - I didn't want to ram it down anyone's throat - and people chose not to take it. After a few gigs, I realized these songs were too dark and emotional to bounce around on stage. It was the wrong album to tour heavily, so I didn't.

-And the new album?
Dido: Half is some stuff I did when I went around America with a keyboard (portable piano). I'd sing the vocals in my hotel room the moment I'd finished writing the song, with the microphone propped up on a pile of books. The other half is a big electronic extravaganza. Everything I love's there including my brother Rollo. I've massively over-written.


-How's the rest of 2011 looking?
Dido: I'll finish the record. Then I'll have a baby. After that, I might be quite busy and tired, so the album won't appear until I'm ready. Then I want to go back on the road. I'm overjoyed to be pregnant, but I've really missed playing live. I'm always shell-shocked to discover people out there wanting to listen.

-Any regrets?
Dido: Not being better at the guitar. There's no excuse, but in a way it's better being slightly crap, because when I learn a new chord, I go off and write 5 songs to celebrate.

-What would the Dido of 2011 say to the Dido of 2001? Would she like her?
Dido: We'd definitely get on, seeing as we're the same person. I'd say "you're going to love this because it's going to be so great. Don't think about it, Enjoy it!!!"

Thanks to John Aizlewood from Q Magazine for doing this interview.


**For those of you wondering which page number it's from. It's on page 060 of Q Magazine. It's the July 2011 issue. There is a picture of Adele on it and I forgot to mention that it's Q Magazine's 300th Issue.**

Dido Update:

Dido-France had recently found an article on Dido. The magazine's name is Q Music Magazine. and this is what they had to say:
"...Dido finally gives us some new and it is through the magazine Q that we find. Thank you to Amber Bytheway (@ bythe95 on Twitter ) for providing the scan. Even if it lets out a few words on the edges, we get to read the basics.

At the beginning of the interview, the interviewer asks how she felt Dido in 2001 and if she was happy. Dido says it's not so different today. At the time, she discovered the music and she knew that she wanted to do in life.

He then asked if he likes being famous. As fans of Dido, you already know the answer but here it is anyway: "I do not think that people need to know more about me. I feel the same about other singers. I love Adele, for example. Her voice transports me but it does not mean I want to know more about it. It would only spoil things. "

If someone invented a product to live forever, I think I would not find time to get bored

Then the question: "Are you afraid to play live? " , Dido meets at the beginning, it really frightened her but she loves it. She was a little lost the first time she found herself alone on stage, she did not know where to go, how to move.

The reporter then engages in mixed commercial success of Safe Trip Home (while the press has praised).British singer does not know why the album took so little enthusiasm, but says she has really revealed through this album with songs like Grafton Street for example. After a few Live, she realized that the songs were too dark for the scene.

Safe Trip Home was not the right album to tour.

We learn (or rather relearned) then the songs from the new album are all written long ago. For 2011, Dido has plans to finish this album and take care of her baby. "After all that, I'm probably very busy and tired, the album will come out so that when I'm ready. Then I want to go back on the road. I am very happy to be pregnant but I really miss the stage. I'm pretty impressed to see all these people waiting for my return. "

The last lines of the article are a bit difficult to read but you learn that among the regrets of Dido, it would wish to have a higher level on the guitar.

So much for those few new ones. We learn in the end, not much except that the album will come out when Dido will be ready to leave. One can imagine an output for 2012 after the baby is born, the time Dido care a bit about him (or her). It will therefore almost certainly a tour as the scene is seriously lacking in the open.

..."

What's With UAE's Radio Station Advertisements?

I don't know if anyone has noticed but nowadays it seems that most of the radio stations in the U.A.E. seem to be putting a lot of advertisements based  on Alcohol. I can't understand what's going on with those crazy advertisements. What's all this commotion about having to advertise alcohol in a Muslim Country?
Sometimes this really pisses me off, especially when they put most of those annoying advertisements during the Prayers.
I feel that the radio stations in the U.A.E. need to quit putting ads on "Sports Bars" or certain types of lounges.
I heard an ad the other day about "Clair's Lounge" or "The Al Barsha Sports Bar" and they keep adding other information about buy one alcoholic drink and get God knows how many free. I just can't believe what I've been hearing on the radio stations.
You know sometimes I wish the U.A.E. would just follow most of Saudi Arabia's rules, especially what they put on the radio. In Saudi Arabia, they have a strict policy on alcohol. Now if Dubai could just add that rule here and make it happen, it would be perfect.
If Dubai ever does that, I think most of the people would leave town. Well good for them!

If they just want to go and drink, just go back to your own country and drink over there and leave your sick disgusting drinking habits out of Dubai and the rest of the U.A.E. Also now that the Holy Month Of Ramadan is coming up, the U.A.E. should just hurry up and close up all those crazy clubs and bars. Now there are just too many cases relating to alcoholism. Hell, they even have Alcoholic's Anonymous here, which is quite odd but then again if you read the news, there is an increase in alcohol related crimes.

I believe if the U.A.E. doesn't do anything, sooner or later, the situation might get really bad. Thank God that it's illegal to drink in public places like outside homes and hotels and clubs, there is a 0 Tolerance policy on that and there is a 0 Tolerance policy on drunk driving. Foreigners, who do that might have to pay a hefty fine($$$$$), go to jail and then get deported out of the U.A.E.

The News In General:

So it has been quite sometime since I last updated my blog, and as you all know I have been doing an internship at the bank for the past couple of weeks. Now my internship is coming to an end and very soon I will post some more stuff on what else is going on.
XTR has also graduated recently from the university. He is an official graduate with his Bachelor's Degree (at Last ). I'm so proud of my best friend who has just graduated :D :D :D :D

In other news, Dido's website has been down for the past couple of days and there is a message on her site:
"...

System Offline

We're moving stuff. Back before too long.

...".
It looks as if Dido HQ is updating her site and it should be up and running soon. I have a feeling that they will be uploading some new info about Dido's new album soon and also add some news on her family along with the baby :)


Also The Sims 3: Generations has been Delayed in the U.A.E. For no obvious reasons. The whole world has their copy of the game except for us locals living in the U.A.E. I just hope they would just hurry up and get the game and also that they would quit their bitching about blocking cover art....I'm very disappointed with the U.A.E. and they're crazy "laws" :(

The Sims 3 has also announced a new Stuff Pack called "The Sims 3: Town Life", which would be released in late July and they have also announced another expansion pack called "The Sims 3: Pets". You should be able to find more info on these at Snooty Sims, Simprograms and The Sims 3

Other than that I will also be travelling soon for the summer vacation but I should be back on the end of July. I will add a Ramadan Update to my blog followed by changing the look of it soon.

Until next time, this is Retrotrut signing out :)

Congratulations XTR:

Congratulations XTR for finishing University :D :D :D :D 

Where Are The Updates?

I know it has been quite sometime since I last blogged (Probably around a week or so). Well I have been quite busy this summer. After I had turned 21 years old, I had decided to got an internship at some firms around the U.A.E.. It's pretty cool to try working from now. I just have about 2 more years to go till I graduate.
Why the sudden interest in working?
There are 2 reasons:

1. I need the Experience for my CV 
2. I also plan to change my major soon, (Management to BBA)

Now that I had started working during the summer vacation, I also had some family members from out of town visiting town recently, so I don't really have a lot of time to blog. Also XTR is finally GRADUATING in a couple of hours from now :D :D :D :D :D :D

My work timings are really long at times. It starts at around 8:00AM and ends about 2:00PM. I really enjoy working and now other than work and family, I also have to attend a few more graduations...^_____^

Then after I do that I also have to add going to the gym to my list of things to do. 

Oh I forgot to mention, Do all of you remember the last Poll that I had uploaded on to my blog about me deciding to give up cooking for quite sometime. Well It's not really working out. A bunch of people got pissed ever since I stopped cooking. Now I've just put all the time and energy in all the TV Shows and Movies that I have missed watching during the last year. Also I did put it with all the things that I previously mentioned, lol :P

Now I have decided to only cook, once every 8 months. So whoever wants me to cook anything for them, just leave a message On My Facebook Wall or just comment on this post :)

I'm only taking 1 recipe at a time. Plus I might upload a new recipe during The Holy Month of Ramadan :D

There will be very few recipes uploaded on my blog. Plus who reads my recipes? I doubt many people bother reading them.....but they should be reading the other posts :)

I forgot to mention that as of the 23rd of June, I will NOT be updating my blog that much until the 31st of July 2011 because I won't be in town. 

Next Update will be soon. Please be Patient!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!