"Hotter than the real world me by far"

Today I found this music video tie in to the web series "The Guild" that I wrote about a few months ago. Here it is:

I enjoyed it thoroughly. It's an amusing song and the video really entertains me. It was directed by Zach Whedon of "Dr. Horrible" fame. SO today's favorite things is the song and video of "Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?".

I so thought I could dance....

Tonight, I watched most of "So you think you can dance". I don't watch it often for a variety of reasons, but since I was home tonight and they were finally through the awkward pre-top 20 stage, I decided to watch. Those dancers are amazing. After watching them and seeing performance of Flamenco and amazing tribal dancers in various places, it really puts my own dancing in perspective. Specifically, the fact that I will never be at that level. It is a fact that I am perfectly okay with but it is still humbling to watch. So today's favourite thing is watching incredible dance performances.

Tra-la-la

Today, I got to work for my shift at 2 but they asked if I could start at 3 instead. I said I would and than walked over to the drug store to kill some time. I only needed one thing but I saw some CD's in one of those cases where you can sample them. Anyway, one of them was of New Flamenco. I couldn't resist. New Flamenco is much easier to listen to than real Flamenco. Real Flamenco, while it is authentic and what Flamenco dancers dance to, is a bit harsher. I enjoy the authentic music as well, but I have to concentrate more on it because I am focused on finding the compas or rhythm. New Flamenco is basically only guitar and I don't think it follows the compas quite as rigidly - which does not make it good for flamenco dancing but it is excellent if you like listening to Spanish Guitar music.

"A life lived in fear is a life half lived"

If you know where the title quote comes from, you already know the topic of today's post. A couple of weeks ago, with new paycheque in the bank, I bought some of the things I had been wanting but couldn't afford seeing as how I was basically an unemployed bum. One of the things I bought was Baz Luhrman's Red Curtain trilogy. It contains the movies "Strictly Ballroom", "Romeo and Juliet", and "Moulin Rouge". Tonight I watched "Strictly Ballroom" for probably the 7th or 15th time and my sister partially watched it for the first time (she doesn't pay attention so good). I love that movie. It can been overly dramatic and melodramatic and cheesy at time but it is also very entertaining. I think it is where I got my first glimpse of flamenco before I knew what flamenco was. I hadn't seen the movie in a few years so it was nice to watch it again.

Here's one of my favourite scenes from the movie:

Absense makes the heart grow fonder.

Today, I went to the Monday Zumba class that I love for the first time in nearly two months. With the bus strike, going to that particular class just didn't work out in terms of car availability and other class my sister and I like. I've been to Zumba since the strike began but was never able to make that class. I don't know why I like the Monday class as opposed to the Thursday or Friday classes but I think it has a lot to do with the instructor. She is very energetic and really into and seems less inhibited than some of the other instructors. It helps that I am familiar with the songs now so have some idea of what I am doing and, also, that the class is only 45 minutes as opposed to an hour. I was just really happy to be back at that class. So today's favourite things is the Monday Zumba class at the Baseline Goodlife. (I know I have written about Zumba before but I really enjoyed today's class.)

Oh, you just got burned, phonics style

As I mentioned in a previous post, I really enjoy the show How I Met Your Mother. For Christmas this year, I received the DVDs for season 2 (see also my post on TV DVDs). As I was watching them over the last couple days, I realized how much I enjoyed the character of Marshall (played by Jason Segel). I then realized that I never mentioned Marshall as one of the reasons I like that show and only really mentioned him in relationship to his haircut. So I decided to use a whole post to rectify that situation. Marshall (and Jason Segel) crack me up. Marshall is a pretty lovable guy. He gets excited over odd things, loves to do the robot, has some of the best facial expressions (maybe not the absolute best. I am looking at you, Jim Halpert), has a sort of innocence about him, and loves Lily very much. As for Jason Segel, I first saw him in Freaks and Geeks about ten years ago, and I have definitely found a few of his recent projects very enjoyable. Much like I very much enjoy any movie where Hugh Grant dances, I think that things can be very much improved in so many ways by having Jason Segel sing:
(Freaks and Geeks)

(Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
I posted the following video in the post about How I Met Your Mother, but it applies here too.

(How I Met Your Mother)
His dancing also is a bit of a high point....

(about 2 minutes in, Freaks and Geeks)

(How I Met Your Mother)

"Listen to the rhythm, don't be scared"

Today was my last Flamenco class of the year. I really like flamenco, although lately I have been having trouble getting my feet, hands, head and torso coordinated so as not to look like I am having trouble getting my feet, hands, head and torso coordinated. The frustration with the moves was getting me down but today I was reminded why I like the class. I still had trouble with the moves but my teacher brought in a guitarist to accompany us. There is just something about dancing to live music that makes things so much better. There is just this energy that is involved that reminds me why I love dancing. The first belly dance show I saw after I started taking classes was one that only had live musicians and drumming. It continues to be one of the best shows I've seen. After the main show, the drummers continued drumming and audience members were allowed to dance. I remember doing the same move over and over and over because I didn't know many others but I was just so wrapped up in the music and the rhythms that it really didn't matter. I am more likely to dance if there are other people dancing as well, but once I am up there I have the best time and time flys.

Shaking it up

I started going to my current gym in September. It's a Canadian chain called Goodlife Fitness. I am generally not the sort of person that enjoys go to the gym just to on a machine or four for an hour. I really need motivation. So the group exercise classes that they offer there have really been an added incentive for me to go to the gym. One of my favourite exercise classes is called Zumba. It's a very energetic dance based workout. It's also a lot of fun. Once you've been to a few classes, it's quite easy to follow. The girl that leads my class changes it up quite a bit every week but she also keeps some of the same songs and routines so that you have that familiarity with it as well. I don't believe that Goodlife has the exclusive Canadian rights for Zumba like it does for some of the other group exercise classes it offers so you may be able to find it in other venues. The other dance exercise class I have gone to at GoodLife (BodyJam) is enjoyable as well but it requires you to remember sometimes lengthy routines for multiple songs. Zumba changes the routine with each song, so each song has it's own choreography. I also, personally, do not feel like I have 6 left feet when I do Zumba like I occasionally do when I do BodyJam. (Yes, I apparently gain 4 extra feet, thank you for asking.)

Love Actually is all around

So today the thing that I really like is the movie Love Actually. I realize it's a few years old now but I rewatched it today to get into the Christmas spirit and rediscovered how much I like it. It has a really sweet message and is very funny. I enjoy how so many of the people's lives intersect. It is definitely on my list of favourite movies from the last few years. If only for this scene...

In my view, any movie where Hugh Grant does an amusing dance is okay in my book.
Another one of my favourite scenes is from the beginning of the movie, specifically this one...

There are so many little moments in this movie that just amuse me that it just makes me feel good.