In high school I loved to play field hockey and it was always a dream of mine to play in the Olympics. That never happened but now I get to be in Beijing in what promises to be the most spectacular Olympics to date!

In just under two weeks, the Beijing Olympic Games begin! There is great excitement all over the city! I am impressed with the level of organization that has taken place and the natural beauty with all the newly planted trees, flowers and shrubs is evident as it spans across Beijing in preparation for August 8.

As the days draw closer to the commencement, my sense of anticipation also grows. I feel like this is a very historic time for China. It is the first time so many nations will be coming together in Beijing for such a grant event. What excites me is knowing that so many athletes are coming from all parts of the world and will be together for two weeks for one common goal.

The other fascinating element of the Olympics are the buildings that have been designed for some of the events. The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games on August 8 will be held at the Beijing Olympic National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest). The 91,000-seat stadium will host the Olympics’ opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletic events.

I haven’t actually bought tickets for any of the events. I figured it’ll actually be easier watching the athletes on TV like the rest of the world but it does excite me to know that I may bump into some of them while they’re in Beijing!

Thought of the Day: “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.” Baha’u'llah

Since I’m on the theme of guitars, I wanted to share with you a video that I came across today on youtube. Eric Harper is the lead guitarist (in the middle) and his brother, Kristian, is accompanying him. Kristian’s wife, Zinnia, has an enchanting voice and joins Eric on the vocals. Eric and Kristian lead a talented new ‘flamenco rock’ group called MimosA.

I love what Eric does with the guitar at 0:59 - it gives me such pleasure listening and watching his impressive skills. I feel inspired… Enjoy!

I learned to play the guitar when I took a year off from college in order to teach at a friend’s kindergarten in Nakuru, Kenya. That was one of the best years of my life as I so enjoyed my time staying with the Kassiri family! My dear spiritual sister, Shahnaz, taught me some of the basic chords and I was hooked. You see, being a piano player can be frustrating at times (usually when I’m on holiday and don’t have access to playing one)! That year in Nakuru was the perfect time to pick up the guitar as I didn’t have access to a piano. When my family first moved to Hong Kong, we didn’t have a piano for a whole month and I remember walking into a music store and as I started playing the piano, I was surprised that I was moved to tears - I felt like I was finally home!

So playing the guitar was a relief as I could practice and perform anywhere. I enjoyed it so much that I found I couldn’t put the guitar down. Since then I have composed several pieces on the guitar that were recorded on ‘Melodies of the Nightingale’ - ‘Be Thou Content with Me’, ‘Create in Me a Pure Heart’ and ‘Seize Thy Chance’. On ‘Fire and Gold‘, I only composed one piece on the guitar, ‘Prayer for the Departed‘.

In the last few years, I have played and composed much less on the guitar. I’m not really sure why - maybe because I found that I wasn’t improving and usually if one is not progressing, one is regressing! I finally decided to pick it up again and start playing. I look forward to taking some lessons and composing some new pieces on the guitar!

Thought of the Day: “Music, sung or played, is spiritual food for soul and heart”. -Abdul-Baha

One of my close friends, Martin Kerr, entered Canadian Idol this season. I am so proud of him as he reached the top 16 on the show which is a fantastic accomplishment! I am so excited for him as he is reaching thousands of fans now across Canada and the world.

I first got to know Martin when he was living in Beijing about 6 years ago. At that time he was teaching a kindergarten class where my daughter attended! As we both love to sing, we used to get together often to practise songs, come up with awesome harmonies and perform them.

I’m so thrilled that Martin’s beautiful voice was recorded on ‘Fire and Gold’: he accompanies me on ‘The Prison of Tihran’, the last and most intense piece on ‘Fire and Gold’. Martin will also be accompanying me on one of the songs on the marriage CD which i am working on now. I have sung this piece now at 4 weddings and will sing it once again tomorrow at a friend’s wedding in China! I look forward to the day I get to sing it live together with Martin at a wedding!

Martin is an independent singer-songwriter who performs across Canada and internationally. He recently released an incredible album called ‘I know you’re out there’ (you can check it out on his website). Martin’s music is catchy and melodious and his lyrics are witty, charming and thought-provoking. I hope you get a chance to see him play live. If you ever have the opportunity you won’t want to miss it!

Thought of the Day: (the prayer that will be on the marriage CD)

‘Wherefore, wed Thou in the heaven of Thy mercy these two birds of the nest of Thy love, and make them the means of attracting perpetual grace; that from the union of these two seas of love a wave of tenderness may surge and cast the pearls of pure and goodly issue on the shore of life.’ -Abdu’l-Baha

I came across this video that has an important message of peace. It is from the website Voices for Peace. Enjoy!

Last night I attended an incredible jazz concert in Chatham which was part of the Jazz Festival at Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. The band is called ‘The Dave Schnitter Quintet’. I seldom have the opportunity to see professional musicians perform in Beijing so this was a special treat! The band consisted of a jazz pianist, a double bass player, a jazz drummer and Dave Schnitter on the tenor sax. They were all such fantastic entertainers and were fully engaging their audience. What struck me most about the band was the drummer as he was so immersed in the music and played so many challenging rhythms. He was introduced as a rising star on the scene of jazz music, but in my opinion, he stole the show with his skills and his performance. His facial expressions were full of emotion when he was performing and one could tell that he was fully engaged in the music. It was definitely a night that won’t be forgotten!

I spent several days last week in Vancouver with my producer, Jarome, recording several songs for my upcoming CD on the theme of marriage. It will include a number of songs using quotations from various sources for the lyrics. I am excited about this project as I believe that the diversity of sources (which include Native American sayings, a Biblical passage and quotations from the Baha’i Writings) will help the CD reach a wider audience than my previous music.

The first day we recorded the vocals for one of the tracks which will be called ‘Blessing for Women’. One of the challenges for a singer is to be completely at ease in the studio in order to achieve optimal results when recording. As I have my own small studio in our house in Beijing, I had the luxury of recording most of the vocals for ‘Fire and Gold’ at home. For me it is easier to let go when I am by myself, so I was curious to see if I could attain the same vocal performance away from home in Jarome’s professional studio. Of course, the quality of his equipment is so much better than mine, so I was determined to get it right while I was there. I am happy to say that with Jarome’s encouragement, patience and guidance, I was not only able to fulfill the standards I had set for myself, but I was even able to surpass my expectations!

Has there ever been a time when you were challenged to achieve a lofty goal and surpassed your expectations? I would love to hear about it.