I just came back from a week long business trip to Beijing, China. One of the most memorable events of the trip was a variety show at a Beijing teahouse called Lao Tse teahouse climaxing with an exceptional face changing routine typical of the Sichuan Opera. With remarkable slight of hand, the performer will change masks seven to ten times during an approximate 3 minute performance; often right in front of you. Some may consider it as an illusionist or magic trick, but more rightfully, it’s an art form developed in southern China that takes years and years to perfect. While not the actual Sichuan opera performance I watched, here’s an example clip of Sichuan opera. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category
The Amazing Sichuan Opera Face Changing Routine
Posted in China, Entertainment, Travel, tagged Amazing Face Changing, China, Face Changing, Lao Tse teahouse Beijing, Mask Changing, Sichuan Opera on August 23, 2009| 2 Comments »
Sonu Nigam, Desi Girl and the Moonwalk in the Bay Area
Posted in Entertainment, India, tagged Desi Girl, Moonwalk, Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan on August 23, 2009| Leave a Comment »
On Saturday evening August 8, I attended a concert called Explosion 2009 in Oakland, California which featured popular Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam. Also included in the show were rising female singer Sunidhi Chauhan, rap group Hard Kaur, and a bhangra competition featuring California bhangra teams (primarily teenagers and twenty-somethings). I thoroughly enjoyed the show—some of my highlights and lowlights were: (more…)
Daniel Silva’s The Defector- A Review
Posted in Book Review, Entertainment, tagged Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon, Moscow Rules, The Defector on August 12, 2009| 1 Comment »
I just finished reading the recently released book The Defector, by Daniel Silva. Silva is the best selling author of thriller and espionage books, having written 12 thriller novels, many of which have reached the New York Times best selling list. A fan of the thriller genre, I’ve read and enjoyed Silva’s previous 11 books and as usual, quickly purchased The Defector when it was released in July. The Defector continues the Gabriel Allon series, the Israeli intelligence hero that Silva has used in his last 8 books. Here are a couple of initial thoughts, without giving away the entire story. (more…)
Hands of a Tabla Player and the Brilliance of Sivamani
Posted in Entertainment, India, tagged Sivamani, Tabla on August 11, 2009| Leave a Comment »
I recently attended a local Indian dance program and really enjoyed the live music, mostly from musicians who had flown to California from India. Along with the violinst, I particularly enjoyed the tabla player. Being a very amateur (and I mean amateur) photographer, I took some video of the performance. Here is some brief video I call Hands of a Tabla Player. (more…)
How Lagaan resembles Lord of the Rings
Posted in Entertainment, India, tagged Bollywood, Lagaan, Lord of the Rings on May 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »
One side effect of the success of Slumdog Millionaire has been the new interest around the world in traditional Bollywood films. While Slumdog Millionaire was produced by a British team and it is debatable if it should be called a Bollywood movie, most movie watchers are unaware of that nuance and some have started to inquire about other Bollywood movies. I had a conversation with a colleague of mine at work who had never seen a Bollywood movie and was now expressing interest. I suggested that he watch one of my favorite movies Lagaan as his introduction to Bollywood and brought him the DVD to watch. Knowing that he’s a movie buff and very aware of most mainstream American movies, I used a comparison to the international mega-hit Lord of the Rings- The Fellowship of the Ring to describe the movie. (more…)
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