Patrice Leconte’s latest film is a deeply stylish love story, which begins when a circus knife-thrower (Daniel Auteuil) saves a young girl (Vanessa Paradis) from a suicide attempt off a footbridge on the Seine. She falls for him, of course, but her trust in him is put to the test when she becomes a partner in his knife-throwing act. Beautifully shot in black and white, it’s an instant classic. (In French.)
February 28, 2009
February 22, 2009
February 21, 2009
Just be careful…
Be careful when arriving in Athens. I took a bus to Constitution Square and was approached by a very nice older gentleman who asked me the time and told me about a bar he owned just down the street. I went with him, but when I entered the bar I was struck by the lack of people; just two barflies, who immediately came over. Before I knew what was happening, there were drinks all around, and girls were asking me to buy them a drink. I refused, and was told I owed 5000 dr! I refused to pay for anything except my beer, and said they could have the 1000 dr they were extorting for that, but that I would be coming back with the tourist police. I then left. I heard of at least five people in Athens that this happened to in the two days I was there and two people I have since met also had this occur to them (one bloke being hit for around US$100!). The moral of this story is: do not enter a bar with a Greek person that you do not know extremely well.
Comments Off
February 20, 2009
Velvet Revolution: 10 Years After
The Czech Republic’s first decade of post-war democracy has been a mixed bag, with corruption in high places and a free market that’s been compared to that of Chicago in the 1930s. But the victory of humanism over Communism is being cherished at celebrations all over town today. The evening techno party that follows is tentatively set for the Veletrzni Palac Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art, at Dukelskych hrdinu 47 in Prague 7.
Comments Off
February 18, 2009
Hangawi
A little touch of Korea has arrived on the North Shore with Ilseon Baek’s Hangawi. Try the haemooljungal (spicy cow’s tripe with vegetable casserole) for bulking up or the samkeitang (chicken ginseng soup) to feel in ruddy good health just sitting there. But the essential ingredient of Korean cooking is kim chi – a fiery composition of fermented Chinese cabbage with cayenne pepper, chili and buckets of garlic and oh, some horseradish, cucumber and anything else the chef feels like adding on that particular day. Whatever form you find it, try it. Expect to pay around $20 (£8) and bring your own booze.
Comments Off
February 16, 2009
Ebel Coffee House
Powerhouse coffees, from custom blends designed for Prague afternoons to classic Kenyan, Sumatran and Bolivian roasts, are what have made Ebel Coffee House an immediate expat hit, just as they did Malgorzata Ebel’s over-the-counter coffeeshop around the corner, Vzpominky na Afriku (Memories of Africa). The difference is that now Ebel’s loyal customers can sit down at proper café tables, pick up an international newspaper and order a spinach quiche or cheesecake slice to go with their steamy latte.
Comments Off
February 14, 2009
University Festivals
Workshy layabouts the world over will be glad to know that for much of the year the energy of Japanese students is focused on the festival season rather than on their books. This is a chance for Tokyo’s many universities to show what they can do, and themes range from the praiseworthy to the downright bizarre. Highlights include Tokyo University of Foreign Studies’ series of foreign plays in their original languages, Keio University’s Mita Festival featuring stalls, wrestling and a beauty contest, and Tokyo University of Fisheries’ tuna-slicing event, carried out by students.
Comments Off
February 9, 2009
Mikulas
Christmas arrives early for Hungarian kids, as Mikulas – Santa Claus – comes down the chimney on the evening of Dec 6. Walking around town, visitors will see squeeky clean little shoes placed on window sills, waiting to be filled with chocolate, fruit and little presents. Consequently, shop windows will be filled with tack all week until the big day. Magyar children, however, do not sleep easy – a year of misdemeanours may result in the appearance of ‘krampusz’, the bogey-man, whose presence is usually a token gilded tree branch left on the window sill.
Comments Off
February 8, 2009
The American Century: Art and Culture 1900-1950
For its ambition alone, the Whitney’s attempt to create a visual record of American cultural history in the first half of the century is well worth at least a half-day visit. Of course, much of the America we know today was fashioned in the post-war years, but no matter. You’ll see everything from vacuum cleaners and cocktail shakers to the haunting Depression-era photographs of Walker Evans; you’ll revisit the pantheist prayers of Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keefe; go to war with photojournalist Robert Capa and end with American art’s best-loved bad boy, Jackson Pollock. It’s a comprehensive set of images, a kind of TIME-LIFE look at a young culture reaching its urban maturity, with all the attendant crises and complexity.
Comments Off
