i'm back with...

... russian music.

Here is Polina Gagarina who likes to slap her make up on when she takes a bubble bath. She also likes to show her panties.

YA TVOYA


KOLYBELNAYA


Apart from that. Life's great. I found the two perfect first names that I will give my future children. Next step is: getting pregnant (I am not desperate, I am happily married, I just wanted to clear that up!!!!)

:: listening to Elodie Frégé "La ceinture"

my "Stuff on my cat" tribute

http://www.stuffonmycat.com
:: listening to Fefe Dobson "This is my life"

Kelis's new video...

Wait!!! Kelis's new video is kinda gross so instead here is GOOD STUFF (when Kelis was still young, fresh and new)



and, what the heck, YOUNG, FRESH AND NEW



(see the outfit, no panties in sight!!!)

it's been a while...

... since I posted Alsou stuff. So here is a video from 2003's concert in Olympiskii.

PERVII SNEG


:: listening to Kiley Dean "Gotta Clue"

I can't believe they did it ...

I can't believe they killed Rex in the season finale of Desperate Housewives. It's true I came to like him, he was the necessary flaw to Bree's obsession with perfection. I just liked him.

And another thing, for the anniversary of his town, the mayor of Moscow (M. Lushkov, remember the man who placed portable toilets all over town) decided he wanted to have good weather so he sent special planes up in the skies whose task for this memorable day was to disintegrate the clouds (!!!!). They were throwing special chemicals (what? I don't know!) which would break down all the clouds above the city. WTF? People are crazy!

:: listening to Nina Gordon "Don't let me down"

the black dahlia

I JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE...
Just watch the trailer, it's gonna be haunting.



James Ellroy + Scarlett Johannsson = Amazing Movie
I know I am a bit retarded today ;-)

:: listening to Christina Aguilera "Hurt"

LAUREN HOFFMAN (yes, in capitals)

This artist is amazing. You have to check her latest post on myspace. This girl is so true to herself and so uncompromising with her music that she is willing to stay away from the music business completely in order to protect herself.

She is unbelieveably talented and I admire her so much. Her latest album "Choreography" is amazing but still she can't find a label to support her in her own country (wtf???).

Luckily for us, she has one in France. Still, if you are interested, check her website: http://www.forlauren.com.

And here is SOLIPSIST:

obsessions, obsessions

I am totally obsessed (music-wise) with:

GIRLS ALOUD


KILEY DEAN

(I have over 30 tracks from her that are amazing and oddly were never ever released)

FRANK


KELIS


DANITY KANE


and also:
my Nintendo DSlite, shoes & clothes (I mean who isn't?), Desperate Housewives, Will and Grace season 8 and so on and so forth...

back from the ... holidead

Hey you guys,
I am so glad that I didn't brag about my going to Italy (I was supposed to leave Monday 14th) cuz that didn't happen. So holidays were a bit quiet, I basically slept the whole week.
I was off at my parents' so it means off the net as well and I guess I missed a whole lot of (irrelevant) events. Like K-Fed (yes, about this name, stealing ideas from JLo = not hot!!!) pretending to be a singer/rapper in front of a bunch of kids ordered by Britney to like her hubby (they didn't have a choice but cheer on at his utterly crap performance).
So much to catch on to, so little time...

:: listening to Kelis "Blindfold Me"

kelis will be here ...

sweet times

On my way back from work, I always pass by these little bars-tabac and the smell of them bring back memories from my childhood. Sometimes I followed my dad when he went to buy cigarettes or have a drink with his mates in the local bar. I remember that he would buy me and my sister sweets or even better PANINI STICKERS!!! You know these stickers that you collect and then put into an album (the album was given away and you had to buy the stickers at a rip-off price, we loved them!!!). Sweet sweet times!

:: listening to Christina Aguilera "F.U.S.S."

a little treat

Here's "O'Sailor" from Fiona Apple because it is gorgeous.

and another thing...

It seems that Alsou is pregnant. Check out the baby bump:

smalltalk or not

I've never liked to meet acquaintances unexpectedly in the street or at work (I work in a clothes shop). Yes, i've never been really good at smalltalk.

I usually talk a lot about myself without caring about the other person. I never have any juicy stuff to talk about and I like to bragg a lot.

I should take lessons from my Mum, she always knows just what to say to keep people interested (ask about their children mostly, they go on and on). Even if she doesn't remember their name!

Note to myself: take more interest in people especially in my Mum's stories about people I know.

Yes, you can feel sorry for me folks!

:: listening to Kiley Dean "Who I Am"

nukular, Lisa... nukular

I was watching Fareinheit 9/11 yesterday night and I wonder why people would elect president a guy who keeps saying "nukular" instead of "nuclear". It's like voting for Homer Simpson and trust him to run the country.
I guess Americans were tired of the intellectual types, I can understand why. Snotty guys are pretty hard to swallow when they look down on you like you're nothing, especially if they consider that you are stupid, that your whole culture is worthless.
In that sense, it was easier to root for the cowboy with a drinking problem (an Andy Sipowicz if you will, Homer Simpson's idol) than a contemporary art and culture lover.
Still, "nukular" sounds bad (even for a cowboy).

:: listening to Pamela Spence "Kisik Ateste"

cute Courtney

Check it out. Courtney is so cute and funny in this interview. I love her!



(you can see part 2, 3, 4 & 5 of this ITW on YOUTUBE)

f***ing heat

It is so hot right now. I went to the beach today to get a little suntan and I could barely stand it. Fortunately, I've been able to go swimming before complete low-tide. Some other fellow beach goers weren't so lucky and cut their feet on the rocks. We could hear them swear as they tried to walk.

So, lately I've been confined to my flat. That's why I don't have anything interesting to say. My brain is boiling in my head. I can't function properly.

All I can say is GET THE LILY ALLEN ALBUM!!! SHE RULES!!! (out today)

So long ...

:: listening to Kiley dean "Who I Am"

the Materazzi theory(ies)

Judge for yourself:


Another theory is that Zidane said to Materazzi "If you want my shirt so much, I'll give it to you after the match" to what Materazzi answered "I'd rather take the shirt off your wife".

:: listening to Girls Aloud "Biology"

Materrazzi terroristi

I believe it is frog n°10 who headbutted spaghetto n°23 for an obviously mysterious insult baked by a professionnal (ie spaghetto n°23).

It was a really good match, there was tension, drama and a hint of regret (with no happy ending) like in all the good movies.

Zidane, it wasn't a good thing you did but I don't blame you. You must have your reasons and after all you're only human. Trezeguet you are a cutie so I can't be mad at you for screwing this penalty (after all it was exactly the same one as Zidane's except you didn't have his luck).

There had to be a winner and we already had our turn so the World Cup winners are the Italians. Although, Materazzi probably doesn't deserve it as much as the others (although we will never know what he said), the Italians did well. Congratulations to them!

:: listening to Girls Aloud "The Show"

birthday girl

I just wanted to say that it is my birthday today and I am really happy!!!

:: listening to Dillinger Girl & Babyface Nelson "Stranger"

world cup final

This is how a russian guy sees the final that'll take place this sunday:


pretty funny hey?

:: listening to Fefe Dobson "This is my life"

foxy lady

Here is a foxy performance of Alsou for AOMM. Check it out:



Could she be any cuter!

les barbapapas attack

:: listening to Dillinger Girl & Babyface Nelson "Changes"

russian state of mind

This is Tutsi, an all girls russian band, very cute!!!



and Lyubovnie Istorii, just as cute:

utada

This is my favorite song from her.



Exodus is a great album. I love it.

so like a rose

question

What's the weirdest thing you've seen on the internet? For me it's gotta be Jay Maynard, the guy is so out there that he is a kind of celebrity now. WEIRD!!!

:: listening to my husband (he's talking right now)

let's celebrate

yes celebrate the birth of Alsou who came into this world 23 years ago!

All hail the Queen of russian Pop!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALSOU! I will always love you (as a fan of course). To mark this really special occasion what could be best than a video featuring the girl herself:



And another thing, what's up with your album "Inspired", release it already!!!!

:: listening to Alsou "Always on my mind"

today

yes today i've been eating cherries, scaring birds, cuddling cats, watching Cold Case, resting on a longchair, reading Marie-Antoinette: the journey, talking trash, winding my mom up, cuddling dogs, fighting with my sister, driving home, eating pasta, doing the laundry, sleeping, eating MagnumS, surfing the net.

well not really in that order.

It was a good day.

PS: the new Nelly Furtado is ace. I'm getting it tomorrow. (also Match Point)

:: listening to Nelly Furtado "Do it"

TOTP cancelled?

Has the BBC lost its mind? The big bosses have decided to cancel what is a great show (I repeat: the british version only, french version suxxxx). I will have to wear black for the end of my life, you know, to grieve.
It is a sad day folks...

shoe addict

I am officially a freak. Right now, I am taking a little break from taking photographs of my shoes so I can print them and stick them on the boxes. You know, to know what pair is in what box. It's 2am I must be crazy!!! When I told you I was obsessive, I wasn't lying!

:: listening to Christina Milian "Who's gonna ride"

drunken thoughts

I am a lost cause
I am a TV freak
I am a culture desert
I am a pop addict

:: listening to ???

cutie pie

Ok I'm cute. Will you stop staring?

:: listening to Huski "Easy Life"

looking weird

I'm talking about Ashlee Simpson with her new nose and lips (or maybe they're just bad pictures). Is she trying to pout? I thought they removed the bump she had on her nose but she still has it, looks like they just cut the tip off! Or is it Jessica? I am soooo confused!




:: listening to Lily Allen "Sunday morning"

from Russia with... well... love (sorry)

:: listening to Nelly Furtado

yesterday night

:: listening to Rihanna "We ride"

dream you say?

I have a recurrent dream. A plane crashes next to my parents' house. It isn't threatening, it never does any damage to the house or injure my family. It is a kinda spectacle for us all. Sometimes it's a big airline plane, sometimes it is a small fighter. But everytime it makes us happy that someting extraordinary happened in that quiet place. Must be because of my Dad's obsession with planes...

In fact I already witnessed a plane crash with my own eyes. We were in an air show with my parents and this really old plane was doing all these loops in the air. It plumetted to the ground. Everybody was expecting it to get back up but it didn't. It crashed. I was still a kid back then so I didn't really panick but I remember that the microphone speaker remained speechless. There was a complete silence. People were in shock. The pilot died that day.

:: listening to Lily Allen "Smile"

jealous

God I am so jealous!!! British people get to see the fabulous Lily Allen on their weekly TOTP and the french version of this show is sooooooooooo crap! (they replaced the top singles by a top album so we see the same people over and over, anyway I stopped watching)
Here's to you people of France:



:: listening to Nelly Furtado

a little video before bedtime

Before I go to bed, I thought it would be nice to share this Alsou song. Alsou has learnt a lot from her idol, Mariah Carey. Notice the moves, the tiny dress (not tiny enough though), the playback track and the faces. SO CUTE! I totally love her! I just hope that her album "Inspired" will be released soon.



I also wanted to say DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES is genius TV. I am totally hooked! (I know it's a bit late but to my defence, it's broadcast only now on french national TV) Another series to add to my long list of favorites.

my Russia

I haven't been able to digest my whole trip to Russia yet and it's a shame cuz I wanna share it on this page. At least I wanna put it down into words so I can remember it well. Even if nobody really reads...

First I wanna say that I LOVE Moscow. It's a great city and it's huge (as I already told you). I have also been to Saint-Petersbourg for 4 days and it is a really different city (still huge) but it has a special atmosphere. First, it kept all its historical buildings (especially churches). They were protected during soviet times unlike historical places in Moscow that were torn to pieces in the name of communism.

That is why Saint-Petersbourg has a feel of authenticity (even though it has been created artificially in 1703) and the weight of history laying on its shoulders. The place is solemn and I believe it still looks a lot like Peter the Great wanted it.



For all these reasons, Saint-Petersbourg is one of the most beautiful cities in the World but that is also for all these reasons that I felt so out of place there. I felt that this wonderful town was a bit to clever for me. A bit too deep. A bit too serious. A bit too solemn.

I felt better in Moscow. I felt at ease. I didn't have to think too much, just appreciate the fast paced city and all the little things (good or bad) that it is willing to show you: a beautiful colorful church hidden behind a huge communist building, a bunch of city workers taking a cigarette break on the grass, the "Lushkov" toilets named after the Mayor with their little toilet ladies... Just everyday life. I have fond memories of Moscow where I could be free (but I guess you have to afford it).


:: listening to Nelly Furtado "Say it right"

this is heaven

nip/tuck

I watched the 1st episode of Nip/Tuck season 3 and I must say I am rather disappointed. The plot was a bit weak and especially one character: the english inspector from London who was supposed to catch the serial slasher who attacked Dr Troy. She was complete rubbish and she didn't look british at all. She looked like a common 'ho who had so much plastic surgery that she couldn't frown any more.Man, what were the writers thinking and the casting people. I mean come on!!!! I hope the next episodes will be better otherwise it'll be "bye,bye Nip/Tuck".

And this is just because Lily Allen is a little music genius. Enjoy!



:: listening to Lily Allen "Smile"

Moscow time

I am still on Moscow time even though I am back in France. And back to work... I still react the russian way so I'm pretty rude to my collegues and feel like a tourist at work. I quite enjoy myself actually. This is the right way to work. I don't give a f**k any more. I feel so relaxed it's cool. Russia has so much to teach us.
Back for more later...

:: listening to MakSim "Santimetry Dyhanja"

I heart Dima

He did a really bad thing for Russia though. Look at his haircut, this kind of "mini-mullet" can be found on guys all over Moscow (and even St-Petersbourg). And I mean even straight guys. I can't believe they picked up on that. It's declined in different forms: for some it's just a few hairs at the back of the neck with absolutely no purpose. Well, this is a thing you only see in Russia.

missing Moscow already

Hello people,

I am still in Moscow but not for long now. I am leaving tomorrow and I feel sad already. I spent the last 4 days in Saint-Petersbourg and I missed Moscow like crazy.

I have been so impressed by the city that I completely forgot to tell you what I've been doing these last 2 weeks, the places I've seen...

Well, I have visited all the monuments a good tourist should visit: the Red Square (which is more a rectangle than a square apparently, I didn't know!) with all its highlights: the cathedral of St-Basile, Lenin's mausoleum (I've never been so close to his embalmed corpse before, shame I couldn't see it though), Goum and so on. I saw lots of churches and monasteries (really beautiful places). We visited the Kremlin and the treasures museum where I saw the famous Orlov diamond (nice!!!!) and other unusual things like funny shaped gold nuggets that the russian emperor ordered to keep as a national treasure: so there's a chicken, a horse's head among other things. Funny ...

We have been to Arbat Street and new Arbat street for shopping. We have also walked on Tverskaia Street. We have seen the paleontology museum which was virtually untouched since soviet times. It's a bit old and left in a poor state of maintenance. It was full of kids, the only visitors still impressed by these old bones. And there was us too. I saw a mammoth for the first time.

In russian museums, it is full of old ladies watching the visitors. It is kinda creepy. It is the same in every museum we've been, small, big, still the same old women staring. They tell you off if you take pictures (sometimes you have to pay extra for taking pictures), if you touch the walls or if you speak on the phone. They scared me!

:: listening to Dima Bilan "Never let you go"

my Moscow chronicles - part 2

I know that when you travel around a city in a chauffeur-driven car, you don't really see real life. But I try as much as I can to take it all in, the good and the bad. I try to look beyond the golden domes into the huge towers that look kinda ravaged and imagine what life can be like. I observe people through the window as they walk passed me and try to guess where they're headed. For some, it's easy to know...

For example, the illegal immigrants (mostly tadjiks or kazakhs I think) will try to find a job for the day or longer. All they have to do is stand by the side of the motorway in the morning and wait for a car to stop. Some will be chosen but some won't and they will still be there at night.

Well, travelling by car really puts everything in perspective. You see the panoramas, you get a feel of the distance and the time it takes to get from one place to another. You see the crappy towers next to the brand new buildings. The funny thing is when in France we tend to build smaller buildings than before, here people seem to enjoy living in flats in huge complexes. I don't really know if they enjoy it but it seems to be the only choice for housing that you get in the city.

You also get stuck in traffic jams but it gave me a chance to see lots of crazy things I wouldn't see in my little town in France. There are absolutely no rules when you drive (well there are but nobody seems to care about them) so you see people drive on the sidewalks, do crazy u-turns in the streets, take one-way streets the wrong way. You also see bus drivers smoke at the wheel. When we have too many rules in France, it feels like total freedom.

I have seen a lot since I arrived and it is really difficult to report how I feel about things and give a clear feeling of what it's like to be here. I feel like an observer. I don't speak russian so I'm cut from spoken and written information. But it seems like I am just left with the essential, simply life.

When I come back, I will have a clearer mind and I'm sure I'll remember things better when I take a few steps back.

:: listening to russian radio

my Moscow chronicles - part 1

I have been in Moscow now for 3 days and I must say this city overwhelms me. It is huge, fast but slow at the same time. You can stay for hours in traffic jams but the city changes from day to day: new buildings, new people, new weather and new things.

The city is rich but a lot of people are poor and you can actually see it. It is not hidden like in most european towns.

I have witnessed so much and have so many anecdotes, most of them funny ones. All I see here is a yearning for individualism and wealth. People try to grab your every last rouble. At the same time, the communist way of life is still in the air.

The city itself is huge. Huge buidings and huge streets. It eats you up completely. It is shiny and new but old and crummy. All the monuments, especially religious buildings, have been rehabilitated or even simply destroyed and built again identically with new materials (it is the russian way). The traditional touches the modern, the new makes the old look out of place and everything clashes.

Moscow is definitely the city of contrast.


:: listening to russian talk radio in the car

Oh my God!!!

Brody is HUGE!!! And even scarier she's dressed in (cute) baby blue. I didn't recognize her at all (Her tatoo is the only thing left unchanged from her former non-pregnant self).


:: listening to Deftones "Be quiet and drive (Far away)"

and another thing

This is why I will always LOVE the magnificent Courtney!


"I'm the one with no soul, one above and one below"
:: listening to Hole "Violet"

nothing special

Well, nothing special today. I thought I'd dig in my old CDs and I found this close-to-perfect LUSH song taken from their album "Split".
Enjoy "Hypocrite"!


"You hypocrite, don'talk to me cuz you're not fit to know me"
:: listening to The Veronicas "Leave Me Alone"

is this the end?

Nooooooo!!!!!!! This can't be happening. What's to become of me? What am I gonna do? I guess buy the last season of Will and Grace in August and cry when I reach the season finale. I will miss you crazy characters and outrageously unreal storylines :-((

:: listening to Kelis "Bossy"

re-watch

I have recently re-watched "Mulholland drive". It is a really good movie. Loved it! I looked on the net to find out what actually are the theories behind the story. It helped me to understand the film. Also, I recently discovered "Casino". Really good as well, funny... Sharon Stone is brilliant in it as the wife of Sam Rothstein (jewish character surprinsingly played by Robert De Niro) also starring Joe Pesci as (super-violent) Nicky Santoro. I recommend it.

:: listening to Clea "The Lie"

Futurama-o-rama

Good news everyone! The (amazingly brilliant) people behind FUTURAMA have been given the thumbs up for a straight-to-DVD movie (even possibly 4).
I hope this is true! I miss Futurama so bad. I know all the episodes by heart from watching my DVDs. I want new material to pollute my brain.
Bye chumps and chumpettes...

:: listening to Kiley Dean "By your side"

in the sun

Finally, summer's here. I spent sunday afternoon laying in the sun doing nothing, just watching my cats roll in the ... sun. A bit like this:


In fact, exactly like this. I was a cat for an afternoon and I liked it. I'll definitely do it again.

Now, here's a little treat for everyone but first, for me!
I haven't told you but Alsou is my absolute favorite russian singer (even after a lavish and outrageous wedding where people were offered money for beating up paparazzi, she retains a special place in my heart)

I give you the top 20 UK single "Before you love me" performed at the World Music Awards 2001. It's cute because you can tell that she can't really dance. Bless her for trying though!



:: listening to Natalya Podolskaya "Pozdno"

about the word "chirping"

This is a word I find awfully cute. I don't know why but I do. I like it!

I am currently discovering a lot of new music. I have been looking into my russian source and there is a lot there. I am quite happy. It seems that I will be bringing lots of CDs from Moscow. If all goes as planned I'll be off next Sunday.

Here is, for your eyes (and ears) only, MakSim (a.k.a Maxi-M of "Zavedi" fame, for those of you who don't know this song, it was rumoured to be a t.A.T.u song but it's not!). The song is "Nezhnost" and I believe the video must be the place where dodgy hair extensions go to die...



:: listening to Pamela Spence "Tuhaf Sey" she's is turkish and a music genius!

Jasmin da!!!

That's why I love russian music. Completely free and without any complex. It's not trying to be clever, just mindless fun. I think Jasmin's husband was right when he bought her a career with his millions of dollars. ENJOY! (I mean look at all these special effects and fine dancers!)



:: listening to Jasmin "Indiiskoe Disko"

noooooooo not again!

I relay this disturbing news: Britney is pregnant again. I don't know why. She doesn't seem to care much for her first baby so why a second one? I guess this remains a mystery for us all.

:: listening to Siobhan Donaghy "Revolution in me"

newfound inspiration for Iva

I have finally decided to take matters in my own hands. Once upon a time I was the webaster of a cute little site, Iva-Online dedicated to an equally cute singer Iva Fruhlingova. I even had the thumbs up from Iva herself and some of her people were helping me big time. Then it all kinda disappeared. Iva found a career in Czech Republic (where she was born) and also a boyfriend. She decided to stay there when she realised nothing really happened for her in France (except for the odd article about "another model-turned singer").
A year passed without anything new on the site when I realised one day that it had been hacked and f***ed up by some nerd and that the best features (forum and message board) had been lost forever. That's when I nearly really gave up.
But I realised I want this site to live on. I want to support and promote Iva cuz, well, I like her. That's why I am currently creating her Myspace music profile and that fills me with hope that maybe she is not lost forever. There is still hope.

:: listening to Jasmin "Nye Poluchilas"

Ashlee Simpson's new nose

Just a few words to say how disappointed I am by this horrifying (yet irrelevant) news: Ashlee Simpson has had a nose job. I thought she was cute before, now she's gonna look like a clone of her sister being back to blond and everything. She always said she was above all that, and I quote one of her songs "I am me and I won't change for anyone". The only thing that physically set her apart from her peers, this little bump, this cute imperfection that made her special is gone for good. Now she's just another one of these blonds that we won't be able to differentiate in the distance.
Shame!!!

Check out: http://www.ashleesimpson.net for pictures.

:: listening to Fefe Dobson "We went for a ride"

my first message

Hi everyone,
This is my first shot at blogging so I'm a bit intimidated. Not that I don't like to talk about myself.
For now, I'll let you enjoy the pictures. Just know that I planned a trip to Moscow at the end of May and I hope to bring back lots of cool pictures to put online.
Bye.

:: listening to Lily Allen "LDN"

catlike

digitalis

concrete tulips

greek sunset

palm trees

brasil

uniglory