Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now...

Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush - Don't give up

A song I have sung to myself... I find the video clip really moving with the long hugging scene.



In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight
Taught to win
I never thought I could fail

No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face
I've changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose

Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not beaten yet
Don't give up
I know you can make it good

Though I saw it all around
Never thought that I could be affected
Thought that we'd be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn

Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground

Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up
We don't need much of anything
Don't give up
'Cause somewhere there's a place where we belong

Rest your head
You worry too much
It's going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Don't give up
Please don't give up

Got to walk out of here
I can't take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river's flowing
That river's flowing

Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs

Don't give up
'Cause you have friends
Don't give up
You're not the only one
Don't give up
No reason to be ashamed
Don't give up
You still have us
Don't give up now
We're proud of who you are
Don't give up
You know it's never been easy
Don't give up
'Cause I believe there's a place
There's a place where we belong

Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer

Kiss me out of the bearded barley
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress.

[Chorus:]
Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me

Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map

[Chorus (repeat)]

Rolling Stones, She's A Rainbow (Lyrics and video clip)

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

Have you seen her dressed in blue
See the sky in front of you
And her face is like a sail
Speck of white so fair and pale
Have you seen the lady fairer

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

Have you seen her all in gold
Like a queen in days of old
She shoots colors all around
Like a sunset going down
Have you seen the lady fairer

She comes in colors everywhere;
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

She's like a rainbow
Coming colors in the air
Oh, everywhere
She comes in colors

Electric Dreams (movie and song by Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder)

A movie and a song I watched and heard when I was 15 and marks a time of innocence and pure love.




I only knew you for a while
I never saw your smile
Till it was time to go
Time to go away (time to go away)

Sometimes its hard to recognise
Love comes as a surprise
And its too late
It's just to late to stay (to late to stay)

[Chorus]
We'll always be together
However far it seems (love never ends)
We'll always be together
Together in electric dreams

Because the friendship that you gave
Has taught me to be brave
No matter where I go
I'll never find a better prize (find a better prize)

Though your miles and miles away
I see you everyday
I don't have to try
I just close my eyes
I close my eyes

[Chorus till fade]


Electric Dreams is a 1984 movie set in San Francisco, California that depicts a love triangle between a man, a woman, and a home computer. It stars Lenny Von Dohlen, Virginia Madsen and Bud Cort (voice) and was directed by Steve Barron. It was the first film released by the Virgin Films production company.
The soundtrack features music from prominent popular musicians of the time, being among the movies of this generation that actively explored the commercial link between a movie and its soundtrack.The soundtrack album Electric Dreams was re-issued on CD in 1998.
The VHS recording of this movie is rare. It was released in 1984 and again in 1991, but has not been manufactured since the mid-1990s. Warner Bros released a Video CD version for the Singapore market in 2001, but this too has proved difficult to get hold of.

Plot

The story opens with Miles Harding, an architect who envisions a brick shaped like a jigsaw puzzle piece that could withstand earthquakes. Seeking a way to get organized, he buys a home computer (made by the fictitious company Pinecone Computers) to help him develop his ideas. Although he is initially unsure that he will even be able to correctly operate the computer, he later buys numerous extra gadgets that were not necessary for his work, such as switches to control household appliances like the blender, a speech synthesizer, and a microphone. The computer addresses Miles as "Moles", because Miles mistyped his name during the initial set-up.
When Miles attempts to download data from a mainframe computer at work, the computer begins to overheat. In a state of panic, Miles pours a nearby bottle of champagne over the machine, but instead of destroying it, this has the effect of bringing the computer to life.
The remainder of the movie deals with a love triangle between Miles, his computer (which identifies its own name as "Edgar" at the end of the movie), and Miles' neighbor, an attractive cellist named Madeline (Virginia Madsen). Edgar increasingly invades Miles' affairs leading to several invasions into his life away from the house.
Eventually, Edgar accepts Madeline and Miles' love for each other, and appears to commit suicide by sending a large electric current through its modem, around the world, and back to itself. It is revealed in the final scene that Edgar has transferred himself away from his computer "body" into electronic systems in the world.

Sex without love is a meaningless experience

Sex without love is a meaningless experience, but as far as meaningless experiences go it’s pretty damn good.

—Woody Allen

Dancing rueda salsa in latin house in Maroussi

The last couple of Wednesdays I have been going to latin house cafe for rueda lessons (read below to find out in detail about what rueda is).

I must confess it is great fun as the list of moves we learn increases. I find their names also really funny, i.e. Principe bueno is when the man kisses the hand of the woman before going to the next one. Also Cucaracha (cockroach) is a sharp movement with the foot like stepping on a cockroach.

Latin House
Βασ. Σοφίας 20
Μαρούσι 15124
210 8060155

Rueda de Casino (Rueda, Casino Rueda, Salsa Rueda) is a particular type of round dancing of Salsa. It was developed in Havana, Cuba in the late 1950s and early 1960s by the famous group Guaracheros de Regla and one of its main choreographers and creators was Jorge Alfaro from San Miguel del Padron, a soloist of a comparsa.

Pairs of dancers form a circle, with dance moves called out by one person, a caller (or 'Líder' or 'cantante' in Spanish). Many moves have hand signs to complement the calls; these are useful in noisy venues, where spoken calls might not be easily heard. Many of the moves involve the swapping of partners.

The names of the moves are mostly in Spanish, some in English (or Spanglish; e.g., "un fly"). Some names are known in slightly different versions, easily recognisable by Spanish-speaking dancers, but may be confusing to the rest.

Rueda is not only popular in Cuba or U.S.A., but in many other countries around the world - there are many active groups in at least Hungary, Israel, Norway, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Spain, Australia, Switzerland and the UK. At least in Germany and Israel, some of the calls are in German and Hebrew respectively.

In Hungary most of the dance schools usually teach cuban style in a Rueda.

Although the names of the calls are presently the same across the board, the different towns in Cuba use their own calls. This was due to the fact that when the pioneers of Rueda de Casino started, they wanted to keep others from participating in their Rueda. Nowadays many local variations of the calls can be found. They can change from town to town or even from teacher to teacher. For example, if you learn rueda in London you will not normally be able to dance it with people who learned rueda from a different teacher.

Nowadays, Rueda tries to be more "inclusive" and not "exclusive" and, in at least Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, Callers are choosing calls to coincide more with the regular calls made in Miami, parts of U.S.A., and Europe. Also, when an instructor wants to keep classes fresh and fun, they often makes up new interesting calls. While this may decrease the fun of dancing rueda with people you just met, it makes for an expanding world of Rueda.

Casino Rueda scenes may be seen in the movie Dance with Me and in the music video clip No me dejes de querer by Gloria Estefan.

List of moves

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Rueda_de_Casino

Translations are in ( ), variants are in [ ], explanations are in <>.

• A Bayamo
  • A Bayamo por de bajo
  • A Bayomo complicado
• Abajo (down)
• Abrázala (hug her)
• Adiós (bye)
  • Adiós con la hermana (with the sister)
  • Adiós con la hermana complicado
  • Adiós con la familia (with the whole family)
  • Adiós con la prima
  • Adiós con (la) vuelta
  • Adiós largo
  • Festival de adiós [con una] [con dos] [con tres]
• Al medio [p'al medio] (to centre)
• A lo cortico
• Arriba al tiempo España
• Aspirina
• Avion
• Balsero (raftsman)
• Bikini
• Beso [El beso] (kiss)
• Besito (little kiss)
• Bola
  • Bola una
  • Bola dos
  • Bola tres
• Botella [La botella] ... -> con la tapa (con tapa)... -> trunca
• Bulla [Una bulla] [Suena]
• Cadeneta (chain)
• Candado (lock)
  • Candado de mentira
• Cero [El cero] (zero)
• Cien (one hundred)
• Coca-Cola
• Coco
• Coquita
• Consorte
• Croqueta [or Taxi]
• Cucaracha (cockroach)
• Dame (una) (Gimme one)
  • Dame otra (give me another)
  • Dame una/dos/tres... (gimme 1/2/3..)
  • Dame y arriba [also Dame dos arriba, tres arriba...]
  • Dame (una) con una (with clap(s))
    • (Dame) Dos con dos/una (dame dos with 2/1 claps)
    • Dame 1/2/3... con 1/2/3...
  • Dame... con las manos [pasa con los manos, pasala con los manos]
  • Otra (again)
• Danilo
  • Danilo y dame
• Dedo (finger)
  • Dedo saboreado (with flavor)
• Dedo, guarapo y bota(la)
• Dile que no (tell her "no")
• Dile que si (tell her "yes")
• Doble play
• Doble cero (double zero)
• Dos (two)[El Dos]
• Drácula
• Echevarria
• Enchufla (plug in)
  • Enchufla pa'fuera
  • Enchufla, Enchufla pero no dile que no (enchufla without "dile que no") <"Enchufla" by default includes Dame "5-7">
  • Enchufla doble (double)
  • Enchufla que no [Enchufla y no le llegas]
  • Enchufla con la pierna (with the feet)
  • Enchufla con vuelta (with turn)
  • Enchufla con la familia
  • Festival de enchufla [con una] [con dos] [con tres]
  • Enchufla p'al medio (to middle) [Enchufla p'al centro] (to center)
    • Con una/dos (with 1/2 claps)
    • Con vuelta (with turn)
    • Con las manos (with hands)
    • Sin manos (without hands)
    • Cadena [Tranca]
      • Cadena y Mujeres y Hombres ... Se Fue (get out / on your own)
    • Cero (0)
    • Seis (6)
    • Ocho (8)
    • Ocho se fue (one goes around in an "8" formation)
  • Enchufla y casate (get married)
  • ...la cunada,... la hermana,... su madre,... la tuya
  • Enchufla por detrás
• Evelyn
• Exhibe(la) (exhibit her / show her off)
• Fly [Un fly] [Fly dos]
• Frankenstein
• Gancho (hook)
• Guapea [guaperia] (prep / basic step)
• Havana
• Helicoptero
• Huracan (hurricane)
• Juana la cubana (the guy from Cuba)
• Kentucky
  • Kentucky complicado
• La rosa (rose)
• Mantecado
• Montaña (mountain)
• Hombres derecha (men to the right)
• Hombres izquierda (men to the left)
• Mosquito (everyone claps above their head on the next 1)
• Mujeres derecha (women to the right)
• Mujeres izquierda (women to the left)
• Noventa (ninety)
• Nueve (nine)
• Ochenta y quatro
  • Ochenta y quatro moderno
• Panqué
• Pasa con los manos (pasala con los manos, dame con los manos) (pass with hands)
• P'al medio [Al medio] (to centre)
  • Pa'Arriba (upstream)
  • Pa'Abajo (downstream)
• Pa'Tras (backward)
• Para Ti, Para Mi
• Para Ti, Para Mi
• Pelota (ball)
  • Pelota (con) dos (with 2 claps)
  • Pelota (con) quatro (with 4 claps and everyone turns to left)
  • Pelota (con) loca (crazy)
• Peluquería
• Photo [Una Foto]
• Play
  • Doble Play
  • Triple Play
• Prima
  • Prima doble
  • Prima con hermana
• Principe bueno
• Principe malo [Castigalo]
• Policía
  • Policia de Miami
• Ponle sabor (give it flavor)
• Puente (bridge)
• Rico pa el
• Rollo y Guaguanco
• Rompela
• Rubenada
• Sabia (wise person)
• Saboreado
• Sacar agua del pozo
• Seis (6)
• Serrucho (saw)
• Setenta (70)
  • Setenta complicado (complicated 70)
  • Setenta Miami
  • Setenta con las manos (with the hands)
  • Setenta por debajo largo
  • Setenta por debajo largo
  • Setenta nuevo (new)
  • Noventa (90)
  • Setenta y Uno (71)
  • Setenta y Dos (72)
  • Setenta y Tres (73)
• Sencillo
• Siete (7)
  • Siete loco
  • Siete moderno
  • Siete con Coca-Cola
  • Siete loco complicado
• Sin manos (without hands)
• Sombrero
  • Sombrero doble
  • Sombrero p'abajo [Sombrero por de bajo]
  • Sombrero doble
  • Sombrero doble complicate
  • Sombrero de Manny
• Suena [Bulla] (make sound)
• Tarro [Un tarro] (horn)
  • Hombres un tarro
  • Mujeres un tarro
  • ... de mentira (change your mind)
  • Dos tarros
  • Tarro, pero no la suerte
• Tarrito (cheat)
  • Tarrito de mentira (cheat... but change your mind)
  • Pegale Tarrito (cheat, hold hands) -> Se Fue (get out / on your own)
• Telefoto
• Talía
• Three-way stop
• Trenecito
• Twist
• Uno (one) [La una]
• Vacila(la) (check her out)
  • Vacila con vuelta (with turn)
  • Vacila y sienta {sienta la}
  • Vacilence los dos (together)
  • Vacilence los dos con vuelta
• Xemena
• Yogurt
  • Yogurt con tapa
  • Yogurt con todo el mundo
  • Yogurt con la vecina
  • Yogurt para siempre
  • Yogurt shake

External links

• Indianapolis Rueda (list of calls)
• Learn to Dance Rueda in the Nation's Capitol
• A Syllabus of Rueda Moves
• large selection of videoclips of Rueda de Casino commands - French site
• Rueda commands with description
• wikibook for rueda commands
• Various styles of Salsa
• list of Rueda de Casino steps
• Salsa Casino/Rueda Dance Pattern Descriptions
• Salsa Steps from "Salsa in Singapore" : Check out Christine Tan's awesome moves descriptions pdf/word document

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rueda_de_Casino