Kdramas In 2011 That We Would Love To Recommend

There are many many awesome kdramas in 2011 that we would love to recommend, but if you absolutely don’t have the time to catch up on all, we definitely recommend the below five as your must-see dramas this winter break.
49 days
“49 Days” was a compelling melodrama that allowed viewers to reflect back to their lives. If you had the chance to look at your life after you died, would you be satisfied with the way you lived it? Are your friends truly someone you can trust and depend on or superficial acquaintances? “49 Days” started with death. Everyone at one point in their lives has probably wondered who will mourn for them after their dead. Well, this drama is a story about how a young woman, Shin Ji Hyun, looks through her life from someone else’s eyes and realizes the betrayal of her friends and fiancé.
The drama focuses on the fact that, instead of a switheroo between lovers, two compete strangers change souls. The plot that a person is possessed by another person’s soul and that three drops of tears can reincarnate the soul’s corpse is truly a fantasy. However, the central theme is still deeply rooted in reality – it’s a story about interpersonal relationships and life and death.
City Hunter
Based on a Japanese manga by Hojo Tsukasa, “City Hunter” was so much more than a simple vengeance drama. It had a complex web of stories – that were dark, thrilling, heart-wrenching, and romantic – that built Lee Yoon Sung into the City Hunter he is today. It also alluded to some of the society’s current issues like half-tuition for college students and industrial accidents all the while emphasizing the significance of our basic principles – faith and justice – and the importance of upholding them.
The show had it all – great actors, great plot, great cinematography, great score, the works. Not once was there ever a “boring” moment or scene where you wanted to press the fast-forward button. All the relationships between Yoon Sung and the characters, and not just the one between him and Nana (btw Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young liked the love line between their characters so much, they decided to become a real life couple ^^), were enthralling. Yoon Sung and daddy dearest Jin Pyo shared and realized that their bond was thicker than blood – once they were able to get pass the fact that Jin Pyo kidnapped, lied, and manipulated Yoon Sung.
Shik Joong ajusshi was more of a confidant/motherly/wife(?) figure to Yoon Sung. While they constantly, and quite amusingly, “fought” over all the home shopping like a married couple, Yoon Sung could always count on Shik Joong to be there when he needed him. Yoon Sung and Prosecutor Kim Young Joo had so much in common – both were victims of the previous generation’s actions, both tried to break free from their father’s shadows and control, and both had a strong sense of justice – albeit difference ideas as to achieve justice. Despite being “enemies,” the two genuinely respected each other, and had they met in any other circumstances, they could have shared a great bromance. Yoon Sung and Nana? What more is there to say.

Cha-Cha-Cha Is Usually Danced Informally To Cuban Music

The lively beat of the cha-cha-cha, sometimes shortened to cha-cha, is characteristic of Latin American ballroom dance styles. The dance was, in fact, named after the sound made by the dancer's shoes scraping the floor in rhythm to the beat. The cha-cha-cha is another of the Latin dances with origins in Cuba. The development of the dance into an international ballroom dancing event was achieved with the help of a European man known as Monsieur Pierre.
Latin dance costumes do much to add to the upbeat rhythm of the cha-cha-cha, especially when they feature fabric cuts such as fringe that can fly freely with movement and create a blur of bold color to catch the eye.
Cha-cha-cha is usually danced informally to Cuban music, or Latin pop and rock. Professional ballroom dancing of the cha-cha-cha usually features music that is more lively and maintains a steadier beat than Cuban-style cha-cha-cha, which has fun changing rhythms.
Cha-cha-cha dancers learn specific hip and leg movements that are easily recognized characteristics of Latin-style dances. Many ballroom dance costumes for Latin dances have hip-accentuating features that draw attention to this key part of the body, such as slits, ornate beading, or extra fabric.
A Latin dance costume worn while performing the cha-cha-cha is more likely to be short, as well, to allow for free leg movement and to add to the sensual appeal of the dance.
Traditional Spanish-styled cha-cha-cha Latin dance costumes feature multi-layered ruffles and often a bare midriff. The spiciness of Latin dancing does not escape the cha-cha-cha, even at the professional ballroom dancing level.
Men's ballroom dance costumes for the Latin dances such as a the cha-cha-cha are also more attention-grabbing than their more subdued counterparts, often featuring deep v-necks, interesting accents and pops of color to accentuate the female's Latin dance costume.
The cha-cha-cha is a beautiful dance form that is one of the most lively and energetic of the Latin ballroom dances. The music, the dance moves, and the style of its costumes work together to create an unforgettably appealing impression that radiates energy and enjoyment of life.

Meredith LeVande’s Face Could Become A Familiar One To Fans

Meredith LeVande’s face could become a familiar one to fans of Sesame Street, Curious George and other children’s shows as WXXI-TV starts showing the University of Rochester grad’s Monkey Monkey Music videos in between shows or during breaks next year.
“I’m very excited about (the videos airing in Rochester),” LeVande says, “clearly because of my connection to Rochester, my history and pride and getting my degree at (University of) Rochester.”
LeVande has taken a winding road to her career as a well-known children’s singer.
Yet the music has been healing for her. LeVande grew up in an abusive household with a mother who suffered from mental illness who was permanently institutionalized when LeVande was 15. Her grandmother raised her.
She found that music helped her communicate with her mother at difficult times. That musical skill was honed at UR, not through formal classes but through learning to play the guitar.
“When I was graduating from (University of) Rochester, I applied to law school,” says LeVande, who graduated in 1995 with a degree in English and women’s studies. “In order apply to law school you have to get a letter of recommendation, and I asked my professor for a recommendation, but (he said), ‘I really don’t think you’re the type of person to go to law school. I’m still going to write you the recommendation, but you’re just so much more artistic and I don’t know if it’s the right career path for you.’”
LeVande got that law degree from Brooklyn Law School but also took the professor’s advice and started performing.
She is based in New York City, but early in her career she toured heavily locally, performing at Genesee Community College, Nazareth College and Rochester Institute of Technology.
“I was very happy when I would go back (to Rochester),” LeVande says. “It’s always a good feeling to go back to a place where you have roots.”
In 2000, LeVande found her musical niche when there were a lot of kids in the crowd at one of her concerts. Instead of playing her usual folk/pop genre, LeVande adjusted to the audience and opted to play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Wheels on the Bus,” which garnered positive feedback from the audience
As she continued her musical career, she focused more on children’s music.
“I started playing more traditional children’s songs,” LeVande says. “As I was working with children and seeing how they responded (to the music), I began writing my own children’s music.”
Her CD Monkey Monkey Music with Meredith LeVande debuted in 2004, and by word-of-mouth became a hit nationwide. LeVande’s songs include “Jump High,” “Hello” and “Opposites” and encourage children to get up and move to the music and sing along.

Jennifer Aniston Hairstyles Trends

Every year, celebrities set the trends of fashions and hairstyles. Everywhere you looked, you could see celebrities with many different and fashionable hairstyles from short and sweet to long and elegant, from curly or wavy to up-styles. No matter what the style these celebrities were wearing, they made a fashion statement that everyone else followed after. If a next-door girl won’t wear celebrity hairstyle to work or to school, the weddings is a perfect time for her to try celebrity hairstyles, and feel like a true celebrity.

Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez were two of the most popular celebrities that people were talking about when it comes to hair styles. Each of these celebrities had a hairstyle that no one else could touch and until recently, many of us only dreamed we could have a Jennifer Aniston Sedu hairstyle or a Jennifer Lopez Sedu hairstyle.
Creating beautiful wedding hairstyles is easy after browsing through the numerous bridal printed magazines or available on the Internet. Searching “hairstyles 2006″ in popular search engines, you’ll have a plenty of ideas.
Long hairstyles are still the favorites of most brides, because they add sophistication and elegance to a wedding ceremony and reception accordingly. Go for casual, romantic long hairstyles or practical, modern short styles if you feel that any of them match your own style. If you are wearing short hair but you want a fashionable long hairstyle or up-do, you can let you hair grow in plenty of time or opt using hair extensions.
If you decide to wear a Jennifer Aniston sedu hairstyle or a Jennifer Lopez sedu hairstyle for your wedding or your friends’ wedding, I‘ll reveal the secrets here. The secret behind their gorgeous hairstyle is of course partly due to the sedu flat iron, not to mention what they do prior to using this wonderful sedu flat iron. They both must use a conditioning shampoo and then dry well and again add more conditioning to assist in straightening their hair and making it very soft and flexible. The next step in the Jennifer Aniston sedu hairstyle is to add equal parts of shaping gel and calming serum massaged into the hair. Using a big round hairbrush and your blow dryer, you will be simulating how Jennifer Lopez sedu hairstyle is created. The next thing these two Celebrities have done is the flattening with the sedu flat iron.

Mr. Vegas Has Released His Latest Single, “You Make Me Happy"

News Americas, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Weds. Dec. 14, 2011: Internationally celebrated dancehall star, Mr. Vegas, has released his latest single, “You Make Me Happy.” The song is a remake of reggae pioneer Alton Ellis’ 1967 cover of Motown singer Brenda Holloway’s Top 100 hit, “You Make Me Happy.” It is one of the featured singles on Mr. Vegas’ first full reggae album, ‘Sweet Jamaica,’ due to be released on February 7th.
Vegas is honoring Ellis, and many of reggae’s foundation artists who crafted Jamaica’s signature sound, on Sweet Jamaica.“Alton Ellis is the ‘Godfather of Rocksteady’ and an important figure in Reggae music,” says Clifford ‘Mr. Vegas’ Smith. “I was watching a YouTube video of his last concert, he gave the audience his all, and called for a helper backstage to help him finish his show because he was unable to – I am answering his call and making ‘You Make Me Happy’ the first official release from this new album.”
Vegas, a MOBO award winner known for Billboard charting smash singles like “Heads High,” “Pull Up,” and urban radio bangers “Tek Weh Yuhself,” “Hot Wuk,” “I Am Blessed” and “Gallis,” has a dancehall single, “Bruk it Down,” in the Top 10 on local charts. “Certain Law” is #1 on the MTV Base Dancehall video charts.
Last week, Vegas, in collaboration with Shelliann McBayne, initiated the Save Foundation Reggae campaign with a petition appealing to radio disc jocks to include music of Reggae pioneers like Ellis, Bob Marley, Gregory Issacs, and Cynthia Schloss into their daily playlists. The petition also appeals to the island’s producers who have traded Jamaica’s bass-heavy rhythms for Hip Hop, R&B, and Techno sounding beats. To date, over 450 people from as far away as Kenya, Australia, and Qatar have signed the petition.Vegas is appealing to all radio disc jocks, and sound systems to honor the pioneers of Jamaican music by adding ‘foundation’ reggae music into their daily playlists.

Jackson's Final Home Reach Auction

Some 500 lots of mostly paintings, furniture and ornaments are for sale from the Bel Air home Jackson rented while preparing for a series of comeback concerts in London. But only a handful of the items bear a poignant but personal connection to the singer, his three children and famous family."Even though these weren't items that belonged to him, they were items that surrounded him in the final months of his life. Anything associated with Michael Jackson is highly collectible," said auctioneer Darren Julien.The ornate headboard on the bed where Jackson's body was found on June 25, 2009 was removed from the December 17 sale last month at the request of Jackson's family.
But the "Thriller" singer did leave his mark on an ornate mirror in the bedroom, scrawling a message in felt pen that reads "Train, perfection March April Full out May" -- presumably a reference to rehearsals for London's "This Is It" concerts set to start that July. The mirror is part of an armoire and carries an estimated sales price of $6-8,000."The pieces that are really going to sell for a lot are the items that can be identified as having an association with Michael Jackson, like the armoire in his private bedroom where he handwrote on the mirror," Julien said.
A pottery rooster holding a chalkboard from the kitchen bears a poignant reminder of Jackson's children Prince, Paris and Blanket. A note from the children in chalk reads "I (heart) Daddy SMILE it's for free". The item is priced at $400-600 but is expected to fetch much more.Some rooms at the mansion in the wealthy Los Angeles community where Jackson spent his final days played a role in Murray's trial that ended in November, including the bedroom -- littered with medical paraphernalia -- where Jackson was found not breathing and Murray tried to revive him.Jackson was officially pronounced dead in a nearby hospital and ruled to have died of an overdose of the powerful surgical anesthetic propofol and sedatives.
Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, or gross negligence, and sentenced to four years behind bars after admitting he had given Jackson propofol at home to help the singer sleep.At Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on Sunday, where the company has re-created several of the mansion's rooms ahead of the sale, a handful of emotional fans left flowers, photos and messages on a plain white platform meant to symbolize the death bed, surrounded by other furniture.Fighting back tears, some decorated a Christmas tree with heart-shaped ornaments bearing the message "peace," the letters "M" and "J," and festive baubles with photos and lyrics from Jackson's best known songs.
"Christmas was one of Michael Jackson's favorite holidays so this was a way for fans to come together and honor him and memorialize him," said Julien, whose auction house also oversaw the sale of Jackson's Neverland Ranch in central California.

Celtic Thunder Will Bring A Show Of Original And Cassic Christmas Songs To The First Arena In Elmira

On Sunday, the singing ensemble Celtic Thunder will bring a show of original and classic Christmas songs to the First Arena in Elmira.The group, a collection of established folk, traditional and popular music singers who have performed and toured together since 2007, is well known from its PBS television specials and DVDs.
They've performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and at the White House for President Barrack Obama, and were named Top World Music Artists by Billboard in 2009.The current touring ensemble is made up of Irishmen Neil Byrne, Keith Harkin, Emmet Cahill and Ryan Kelly and Scotsman George Donaldson.Byrne started as lead guitar player for Celtic Thunder's live shows, and stepped forward as a lead vocalist.
Harkin is a singer/ songwriter who has recorded songs for the BBC and performed at numerous festivals.Cahill, at 20, already has had a long performing career and won several prestigious prizes for his tenor voice in 2010.Kelly has performed as a solo singer and in musical theater.Donaldson is a self-taught musician and a fixture in the Scottish folk scene. The group was organized by its musical director, Paul Coulter, an award-winning songwriter and composer.
The Christmas show includes classic seasonal fare such as "Silent Night," "Let It Snow" and "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," along with original songs composed for the group's 2010 CD "Christmas." The concert also will feature some of Celtic Thunder's non-holiday hits, including music from its upcoming eighth album, "Voyage."

The Legendary Career Of Barbra Streisand Is Well Known Aound The Globe

The legendary career of Barbra Streisand is well known around the globe. Paved with impressive achievements and memorable moments, Streisand became the first female actress to ever direct and star in a motion picture that was recognized with a Best Director nomination from the DGA (Director’s Guild of America). The film, The Prince of Tides, was also honored with seven Academy Award nominations.
In 1963, Barbara Streisand released her first album, which was fittingly titled ‘The Barbra Streisand Album,’ for which she received two Grammy Awards. At that time, she was the youngest artist to have ever received the Album of the Year award. As Barbra made her motion picture debut in 1968, her attempt paid off with an Academy Award for Best Actress, which would be the first of two Oscars for this outstanding performer.
The self-proclaimed “actress who sings,” Barbra Streisand has repeatedly found herself at the top of the record charts and the box office. Her music success is marked with albums that have been certified as both gold and platinum. Her film roles have earned her undeniable success at the Academy Awards but, through it all, Barbra Streisand has remained dedicated to the causes that mean so much to her.
The Streisand Foundation, which is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, contributes to an array of causes every year. Among them, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, the Institute for America’s Future, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the Center for Public Integrity and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Since it’s inception in 1986, The Streisand Foundation has provided grants totaling nearly 15 million dollars to national organizations dedicated to bettering a number of important issues. In 1993, The Streisand Foundation noted that it would prioritize projects that were geared toward the economically disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles, California.