Eurovision 2013

So this is finally Eurovision week: 39 songs will battle to be Europe's song for the year 2013.

If you are not familiar with this Song Festival Contest, I may suggest you to look it up in the Wikipedia, it has a fascinating story... or you can browse my previous postings of other years.

Back to this year: as you may be aware, Eurovision this year will take place in Malmo, Sweden. This is because last year's winner (Loreen) is from this country.

So... 16 and 17 songs will compete in the Semi Finals, only 20 will join the Big 5 and Sweden for the Grand Final, which will be this Saturday 18 May. For a complete revision of the 1st and 2nd semifinal songs, you can watch these youtube lists:

Semi Final 1

Semin Final 2

And these are my predictions for the final performances, not necessarily all of them are my favorites but it is what I think Europe will kinda vote. Let's see how many countries I get right.

Semi Final 1

1. Estonia
2. Denmark
3. Russia
4. Ukraine
5. Netherlands
6. Lithuania
7. Belarus
8. Ireland
9. Belgium
10. Serbia

Semi Final 2

1. San Marino
2. Azerbaijan
3. Finland
4. Malta
5. Iceland
6. Greece
7. Hungary
8. Norway
9. Switzerland
10. Romania

Finally, these are the ones already in the Final: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden (the host) and the United Kingdom.

:: Shaken not stirren

My life according to U2

Back in 2007 I received this 'test' in my Facebook. Today, I found it and amused myself on these answers. Recapping them, I certainly made a few changes...

So, the thing's like this: all of your answers (all!) have to be the title of one song from one artist, only. And you should not repeat them. You can try it if you want, it's fun but a little harder/trickier than you think. Re-post as "My life according to [artist]" and share it.

Photo credit: SteBo - 360° tour in Gelsenkirchen, Germany (3 Aug 2009)

• Pick Your Artist: U2 
• Are you a male or female? "Fortunate Son" 
• Describe yourself: "Original of the Species" 
• How do you feel: "Discothèque" 
• Describe where you currently live: "City of Blinding Lights" 
• If you could go anywhere, where would you go: "Until the End of the World" 
• Your favorite form of transportation: "Running to Stand Still"
• Your best friend is: "Wake Up Dead Man" 
• You and your best friends are: "Magnificent" 
• If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: "Vertigo" 
• What is life to you: "Elevation" 
• Your current relationship: "Even Better Than the Real Thing" 
• Breaking up: "I Will Follow" 
• Looking for: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" 
• Wouldn’t mind: "Moment of Surrender" 
• Your fear: "Endless Deep" 
• What is the best advice you have to give: "Walk on" 
• If you could change your name, you would change it to: "The Wanderer" 
• Thought for the Day: "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" 
• How I would like to die: "Last Night on Earth" 
• My motto: "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"

:: Shaken not stirren

Something funny I found while on FB

Something funny I found in my Facebook timeline, worth "stealing and posting" for you all to enjoy, specially for my music fan friends and performers...

:: Shaken not stirren

¡Feliz día de la madre!

Madre: Dios te bendiga, porque nutriste
con savias de tu vida dulces y tiernas,
esta existencia mía, profunda y triste,
como el agua dormida de las cisternas.

Madre: Dios te bendiga, porque fuiste
el faro de mis noches de ansias eternas,
porque de tus ternuras, bálsamo hiciste
para ungir mis dolientes llagas internas.

Madre: Madre adorada de mis anhelos,
sólo tú en este mundo, tiene consuelos
para mi pobre pecho falto de calma;

sólo tú me comprendes, porque tú eres
la más buena y más santa de las mujeres,
Madre de mis amores, Madre del alma.

Poema "Madre" del poeta panameño (y chiricano) Santiago Anguizola Delgado.

:: Shaken not stirren

How is a baseball game in Korea

Recently, while in Korea, I got the chance to go to a baseball game in Jamsil. It was my 2nd time there, and of course I was wearing my team's jersey!
Baseball in Korea is brilliantly different from what you are used to -- that is if you are from the Western side of the world and you watch US MLB.
I am dear to say that my team is LG Twins (for the most obvious reasons), even though they are not having the best season at this moment... Anyhow, what makes the game night interesting is not the game itself (odd!) but the spirit from the bleachers, the fans, the cheerleaders!
This is a video from someone that went to a game 2 days after me, never-mind: the crowd is as energetic as you will expect.
Odd! But a lot of fun! Thanks Gary, we had a blast!
And of course, Gangnam Style was played :)

:: Shaken not stirren