More La Tortura, SARS in China and the World Cup

The Spanish-speaking people indeed speak fast. I'm having a hard time following Shakira's enunciation of the lines

No sólo de pan vive el hombre
Y no de excusas vivo yo

 from her song La Tortura. Yep, that's my LSS for the past few days already and it's a song I just heard two days ago. Talk about obsession. And yes, those two lines are kinda like my favorites; they're the ones I sing too when it's time to sing them. I've almost memorized the first two lines of the song since I've played it many times these three days. I like the beat of the song, danceable, but still full of emotion from the vocals of Alejandro Sanz who's hot in an alternate version of the video for the song (unfortunately, my source has been taken down). I don't know why they just didn't use it for the official video release.

I love the concept, of the video, and even if you can't understand every bit or even a teeny tiny bit of Spanish in the song, you'll get an idea from watching the body language between the two. The video is just so sexy. Though I don't get why Shakira had to go smear black paint all over her body and go dancing. This video puts much more perspective into the story than the original version which uses the Shaketon remix. Okay, so we all know they're both hot in this video.

I already thought Shakira was amazing as a dancer in Hips Don't Lie, one of the very few videos I've watched of her, or in Beautiful Liar where she showcased those patented grinding belly moves. It seems it's been years since she's perfected them, since La Tortura was way back in 2005 (the years fly by so fast sometimes I no longer know where I've been all those times). Seeing her perform live is more amazing, she just does the whole thing without breaking a sweat, all the time showing the right expressions, and showing that she's enjoying everything that she's doing. I think there's something going on between her and Alejandro since they work perfectly onstage (well, in this performance particularly), or they may just be very good actors. More of Shakira in the Oral Fijacion Tour with none other than my new favorite Spanish male musician/singer (I just love how his voice soars as he sings Yo sé que no he sido un santo / Pero lo puedo arreglar, amor).





Listening to her has revived my drive to learn Spanish. I've downloaded a few of her songs, okay, almost a whole discography, and explored other current artists to brush up on Spanish.

This is part two of my La Tortura fixation. I wrote the first one only yesterday and you can read it here :D

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In between sneaking peaks at Shakira grinding her belly and admiring Alejandro Sanz as long as he's not dyed blond, I've managed to pick up China Syndrome by Karl Taro Greenfeld and continue reading where I left off. This hardbound book was a steal, having bought it atNational Bookstore in Shangri-la Mall for only Php200.00. The former Time Asia editor chronicles the beginnings and eventual spread of SARS back in late 2002. I'm not yet halfway through the book, but the retelling of the events as they unfold do make me shiver. The disease probably didn't mean much to me back then, although a few of our countrymen were affected by this disease. But it was far from reality to me since I wasn't exposed to the disease firsthand nor secondhand. Greenfeld talks about the people who have been infected, what their lives were, how China was at that time, the economic boom and how everybody wanted to be a part of it, Hong Kong and its team of medical professionals who sought to keep its poultry supply disease-free, the different specialists in different Chinese hospitals, the information hierarchy in pseudo-Communist China and why no information regarding the disease was disseminated to help control it. SARS was still unidentified in the part I'm reading, but it has already gone into a hospital and community outbreak.

The attitude of the Chinese government towards possible outbreaks is horrible to say the least. Anything that would damage the image of order, prosperity and peace that they've been trying to maintain at the expense of hundreds or thousands of lives shouldn't be reported. They'll remain as rumors; the only useful information will be known at the top. There's hardly information going down the hierarchy. And since the local doctors and hospital directors don't want to be the receiving end of reprimands front heir higher-ups, they just go about their own without reporting alarming things such as what's been happening to immunohealthy thirty-something year olds who suddenly develop fevers, difficulty in breathing and spots in the lungs. Even the press has been barred from publishing anything about it for a time, and Hong Kong which is just south of Guangdong where the disease started has been left clueless (the one nation, two systems policy failed at this).

I'm quite excited to read this through the end, as long as I get myself extricated from the computer for a reasonable enough amount of time. I'm quite curious whether the Chinese government has changed from then, and how they managed the AH1N1 influenza outbreak, which if I haven't forgotten also started somewhere in China.

All of a sudden, I feel like we're all so vulnerable, especially those who live in the cities with its polluted air and close, cramped spaces. At least there's no winter here to promote communicable diseases such as the flu, but then we have our own problems when the rainy days come.

So now I've said my bit. Glad to be writing again. Hopefully tomorrow again.

postscript...
- Italy lost 2-3 to Slovakia. What happened my dear Italians, 2006 World Cup champions? Not even advancing to the Round of 16, and doing too little too late, finishing last in what seemed to be the weakest  group of the tournament. But yay! Germany and Spain have advanced, and so has Brazil. Hooray also for Korea Republic (South Korea), the first Asian team to qualify. Korea DPR has performed well, even though this is their first World Cup. Even though you were trashed by Portugal, still kudos to North Korea and its players. France... well, there's been lots of analyses. I guess attitude begets bad fortune. I wonder though how Japan is doing. Do they have any chance? South Africa seems to be roaring. Hooray for the hosts and the vuvuzela! Although I could do away with that while watching. I wonder when I can watch the next match. Hmm, alright till next time guys. Football later.