This is a compilation of things I like and think other people may find interesting:
Cinema
- I use Filmaffinity (profile) to keep track of the movies I watch, receive tailored recommendations, and find hidden gems.
- Here are some not so popular masterpieces (recommendations welcome):
- A moment to remember by John H. Lee (South Korea, 2004)
- Us and Them (China, 2018)
- 3 idiots by Rajkumar Hirani (India, 2009)
- To live (Ikiru) by Akira Kurosawa (Japan, 1952)
- Fiddler on the roof by Norman Jewison (US, 1971)
- More popular favorite movies include: Into the Wild, In the Heights, El hijo de la novia, Hamilton, La Grande Belleza, The imitation Game, Coco, Life of Pi. Have rated 1.1k+ movies here.
Music
- Songs: This is my Spotify profile. Recently, I have been listening a lot of Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, Hugh Laurie (House's actor), Norah Jones, James Morrison, John Mayer, and Hamilton. Chopin's Nocturnes before going to bed. Sacred music and Quran chants on contemplative walks or for a glimpse of the divine
- Broadening: I am interested in exploring new genres and types of music, particularly non-Western and non-commercial. Share your hidden gems! Here are some I enjoy:
- Korea: SoHyang's Arirang, Kim Bum Soo's I miss you, this playlist of auditions
- Middle East: نور العين and تملى معاك by Amr Diab, this is very commercial, but different
- Nepal - Asarai Mainama
- Chinese traditional music - Playlist
- Tone-deafness and playing music: I have always been utterly tone-deaf, relying on memorization rather than on understanding of music. I found the rate of improvement to be an accelerating function, proportional to current ability. Crossing the threshold of extreme tone-deafness takes deliberate practice. However, when addressed directly progress occurs surprinsingly quickly. I am still terrible, but this free Berklee course (Develop your Musicianship) was incredibly helpful
Random thoughts
- The quality of your breath is the quality of your life
- The key to understand music is to understand one note
- The present contains eternity