No Madding Crowd

Check out music from Stencil H

2011-01-12T15:49:00.001-08:00

Only One Post in 2010...

2011-01-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

...and 2011 probably won't be much more profligate.

If you really want to follow me, keep in touch with me, or stalk me, Facebook is a (slightly) better bet. E-Mail works much better.

Most of the music is here, there's some more there and if you like covers there are some in this place.

For future music news, I'd recommend signing up to my mailing list.

Have a good 2011.

D°

Back to Basics...

2010-07-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

...with a Telecaster and a Mac.

Café Society -Puzzled and Amused

2009-06-03T01:14:00.000-07:00

An MGB is Not a Car, It's a Hobby

2009-06-03T00:55:00.000-07:00

To paraphrase another saying, "if an MGB is showing no symptoms, it's merely resting."

Rachel Owlglass looking better than she's ever looked in the 18 years of our acquaintance. Of course, we still have to put in a new carburetor heatshield and perhaps make her legal with French plates.

People Who Need People

2009-04-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

When I was last in the Great White North, a year ago, I noticed, passing by the Ottawa Art Gallery, that it was hosting an exhibition of works by Susan Kealey. I thought of dropping in to say hello, or at least to sign the book, but was in too much of a rush. Nonetheless, I was quite pleased to see that another old pal had persevered in her artistic career.

I knew Susan in the early eighties. She was a sensitive, gifted writer, who was very discreet, had a finely tuned sense of irony, and who always covered her head with a scarf. I knew what the scarf meant, but Susan was very skilled at indicating that the subject was irrelevant.

Thinking of looking up Susan, I searched in vain in Facebook, and then cruised the web. I was saddened to see that she had passed away in 2000. People Who Need People was one of her last works, after what I now realise was an even more difficult life than I had thought, that she lived thoroughly with quiet bravery.

More Fun with Garageband...

2009-04-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

...and with the Hong Kong-bought, Elvis Costello Jazzmaster. Enough effects and it actually sounds like a guitar.

Tap Tap Tap

Hotel Rooms - Part 15 - Villa Pitiana, Tuscany

2009-04-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

There was a time, when rejected job applicants were suing the referees who had been too honest about them, when referees took to damning applicants with irrelevant praise. For instance, a referee for a would-be professor of philosophy might say that the candidate was a superb billards player, with no comments made about the hapless applicant's philosophical or academic skills.

Having said that, the Villa Pitiana, east of Florence, is in a superb location, that we would probably not have found without cheating with GPS.

Speaking of cheating, the Villa's website doesn't make any blatantly false statements, but makes many which are, with 20/20 hindsight, somewhat subjective, if not downright subject to hyperbole. The website is a work of art, as are the many favourable evaluations of the hotel on Trip Advisor, that must have been made by people who have spent their last few vacations in North Korea. Du mouton habillé en agneau?

Café Society - Burning Down the House

2009-03-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

One hadn't imagined one would ever have the opportunity to see David Byrne in concert, with or without the Talking Heads, let alone in such a vibrant show. But there he was, all in white, Olympic White Stratocaster et al. Byrne being more of an artist than a rock star, this was his 30 year retrospective of his collaborations with Brian Eno. The select band of session sharks more than made up for the absence of the Heads, as the Olympia thumped and thudded with a thousand middle-aged white funk lovers.

More Songs About Buildings and Food

2009-03-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

Finally remember to sneak in a reference to Daphne & Victor, whoever they were...

Star Ferry

2009-03-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

The Star Ferry remains the most pleasant way to cross the bay separating Hong Kong Island from Kowloon.

More Adventures in Thermodynamics

2009-01-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

The old de Dietrich's life in the house is nearly over, as it now awaits removal from the hallway into the garage and ultimately into a lucky ebay bidder's home.The furnace has been replaced by a buffering tank and, to the right, something known as a washing machine.
The star attraction, 145 kg of CIAT heat pump, capable of generating 13.5 kWh.

The Ghosts of Xmas Past

2009-01-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

S & G unwittingly demonstrate why an Apple notebook is instantly recognisable. It was supposed to be a computer for the rest of us, but for some of us, it's merely an appliance -- and that's the beauty of it.

Winter Sports

2009-01-07T05:35:00.000-08:00

The heat pump that is supposed to replace the furnace, and cut our heating bill in half, was scheduled for delivery this week. Unfortunately, the suppliers forgot that the house is three stories above the street and that it has been known to be winter in January.

Bear Gone Good

2009-01-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

Maxime turned 18 last week. Everyone is proud of him and would continue to be so even were he to accomplish nothing more than he has already achieved at his tender age.
(Must not forget to take him to rue Blondel, for him to apprehend fully this Age of Consent question.)

Xmas Blues v3

2008-12-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

In which we continue to abuse the principle of noise-making as therapy.
Xmas Blues v3

Café Society - The Gones' Lights

2008-12-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Once a year Lyon becomes the City of Lights, for the length of a weekend, as the city becomes bathed in lights and the streets are flooded with the normally staid good burghers (as well as a few thousand Italian tourists.) The clip above was also a good excuse to mangle a Höfner Beatle Bass à la Stranglers.

Farewell to Stadium Rock - Titi Robin

2008-12-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

We were privileged this week to see Titi Robin - the real gypsy king - in concert with his band at les Folies Bergères, better known for Musichall shows. Once again we were delighted, with not very pricey tickets, to be seated no more than 10 metres from the action. Titi plays guitar, luth, arab luth and almost anything with strings that can be picked. His band includes three classical musicians (two violins and one cello) and it's perhaps the first time that I see and hear classical instruments used to their potential by a popular composer.
Sadly, the iPhone showed again that's it's not a very good camera.

The Café Society - Part 19 - 'tis the Season

2008-12-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

In a disin-genuous attempt to lift the neighbour-hood's prevailing doom and gloom (mind you, this may suit the customers of the four Goth shops around the corner) I have once again switched on my office Xmas lights, which reside year-round on a ficcus tree (that I have yet to manage to liquidate, despite one office move, one office fire, and many droughts.) Now, that was a long sentence...The LEDs consume a total of 5 Watts.

Hotel Rooms - Part 14 - Pestana Palace Hotel - Lisbon

2008-11-30T14:35:00.001-08:00

The Pestana Palace Hotel certainly deserves its place in the association of "Leading Hotels in the World." The Palace was almost in ruins when it was rescued by private investors a few years ago and declared a national monument by the Portuguese government. However, the one major disappointment is that most of the rooms are in modern extensions, albeit with a view onto a tropical garden. Furthermore, unlike the modern extension at the very similar Galle Face Hotel, Sri Lanka, this extension is not quite up to palatial standards: carpet rather than hardwood or tiles, TV that has clearly seen better days. Time to go roughing it a bit... One is getting to be too difficult.

The Trader live at La Hacquinière

2008-11-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

The Trader v2

This time, with a real Ric 330.

Youth is Wasted on the Young

2008-10-07T07:33:00.001-07:00

When the source of archived Facebook entries becomes Unknown.

The Great Leap Forward Redux

2008-10-05T14:39:00.001-07:00

The Château de Fontainebleau is an interesting palace, built on a patchwork of styles, from the middle-ages to le Premier Empire. The Palais de Tokio is an interesting contemporary art gallery. Thus, placing Palais de Tokio pieces in the Château de Fontainebleau was a promising idea. Unfortunately, the road to hell is also paved with promises. Once one has seen the elephant one can go home.

One trusts Greasy appreciates.

Hotel Rooms - Part 13 - Residency Hotel - Andheri, Mumbai

2008-10-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hotels in Mumbai fall into two broad categories : expensive, or indigenous. Having experimented with both, ultimately one prefers indigenous. It's clearly affordable, and the service is probably better than in the big Western hotels, with little pretention. The Andheri Residency Hotel, the closest hotel to Mumbai international airport, has terrible reviews on Trip Advisor, which in itself was tantamount to a strong endorsement.
Having emerged into the Mumbai airport heat at 1:00 in the morning, I was tucking into (Hallal) Lamb Byriani at 2:00, with no beer but a Lassi. Indians may be taking over Route 66 motels, but Muslims are Mumbai's hostelers. The room had a double bed, a TV and a large bathroom, and at $40 a night one was surely a very profitable guest and was treated accordingly.

3 Vermont

2008-09-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

Bears Gone Bad now have a bad bass player (bad as in unskilled.) The first take of 3 Vermont was tolerable, but the MacBook ate it, so you'll have to settle for the much worse second take, which sounds like Radiohead doing Motown on a bad day.
3 Vermont

Elodie

2008-09-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Elodie arrived in January this year, while S was in Cambodia. This ES-339, a late Xmas present to myself, is supposed to combine the sound of an ES-335 and the size of a Les Paul. It's not a bad attempt. Calling her Lucille would have been pretentious (though she does nail BB's sound quite nicely) so we settled for Elodie.
Googling for Elodie and her friend Marshall revealed a troubling namesake, perhaps a French variant on cheesecake.

Café Society Public Service Announcement

2008-09-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

In a probably vain attempt to oust "Michelin Energy 3A Tyres" as the top Google search hit for this blog, here are the best substitutes for Cheesecake ingredients.
In effect, in the land of 350 cheeses, Philadelphia Cream Cheese is not for sale, except at extortionate prices in shops for homesick American expatriates. The same applies to Graham Cracker Crumbs and to sour cream.
These three base ingredients for cheesecake can be directly replaced by:

- St Moret (industrial cheese found in any supermarket)
- Bridelice 15% cream
- Speculoos biscuits

NB: Despite our best intentions, we now have a full set of Energy 3A tyres. They're OK.

Still More Big Drive Backfill & Fun with Garageband

2008-08-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

Mornings in New Mexico, but no Etruscan Ruins.

After Texas, New Mexico felt like the Promised Land, with the best fluorescent Motel signs, Mexican breakfast diners, and laid-back people... It's also the State with the most temptations to leave old 66: Sante Fe, Las Vegas NM, Mile High City, Indian Casino's...

It is, after all, the Land of Enchantment.

The Middle Imperial Peril

2008-08-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Miss Q providing empirical evidence of how we should beware of an army of merciless Lucy Liu-like warriors invading the tired West. (One sincerely hopes that the Chinese national firewall censors this, failing which one may face unpleasant consequences.)

July 31st was a Splendid Day

2008-08-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

Many thanks for all the good wishes.

The food was also quite good.

A Haven for the Intelligentsia

2008-08-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Max and Ms Q go to great lengths to demonstrate that life at La Hacquinière is not merely mindless merriment by pulling out books (it is not immediately apparent whether these are being held the right way up) and then computers (though Max seems puzzled by a non-black notebook.)

If they pursue this slippery slope they'll end up watching the WWII channel.

Farewell to Stadium Rock - Redux

2008-07-27T14:13:00.001-07:00

Tom Waits' current European tour is an indication of where things may have to go. Tom doesn't do large venues, nor does he tour very often (the last European tour was in 2004, and this year he's only doing a dozen dates.)

His gigs are obvious fodder for ticket scalpers. So his management came up with a complex scheme where only two (expensive) tickets were sold per person, and that person's name appeared on the ticket, for an ID check at the door. It certainly worked for Tom Waits, but I have doubts about it working for Madonna.

PS: Having got into the gig, one was pleasantly surprised to see that there were few, if any, restrictions on photography.

Omaha Beach Blues

2008-07-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend at Bernard the Watchmaker's (and Ornithologist's), in the Contentin, a few miles back from the Normandy Beaches, in the thick of the bocage.

A splendid time was had by all.

Web 2.0 Lexicology

2008-07-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

Almost as long as there have been leaders there have been followers.

The advent of espionnage gave rise to disinformation.

In the Web 2.0 era, what is the converse of stalking?

No prizes.

From Lima to Machu Pichu

2008-07-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

One cannot say that Lima is one's favourite city, but it does serve at least one purpose -- it makes the Valley of the Gods even more appealing. By the same token, Agua Calientes, a few thousand feet below Machu Pichu, makes rising at 4 AM very easy: one had so much rather be up at Machu Pichu at daybreak, than try to sleep in hot water ;-)

Farewell to Stadium Rock (for now at least)

2008-07-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

The two concerts we attended on the last weekend of June made future concert decisions relatively easy.

The first gig, at le Parc des Princes (total capacity circa 45 000), was the Spring Bosstime. Even in so-called Gold seats, the view was far from intimate and, to add insult to injury, the sound was, to put it gently, muddy. The real shame was that the band did, for all intents and purposes, put on a stupendous 3-hour show.

The next time we attend a Bruce concert we'll buy the cheap general admission tickets, and then queue up at dawn in hopes of getting into the stagefront pit.

The following night we saw Lou Reed perform Berlin at la Salle Pleyel, the Paris equivalent of Carnegie Hall. We sat ten rows back from the stage, the sound was HiFi impeccable (the cameraphone recording one made during the encore doesn't do it justice) and the tickets were about the same price as for the E Street Band.

Late July we're seeing Tom Waits at le Grand Rex (total capacity approximately 1 000) for a touch of glitter and doom. Tickets were almost impossible to acquire, but hope springs eternal.

Return to the Big Smoke

2008-06-04T05:25:00.000-07:00

The visit to T.O. was also timed to coincide with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' passage through town. I once again experimented with cheap seats, this time above the side of the stage (TPATH's stage has no seats behind) and was rewarded with excellent sound, a decent view and...White Trash. In the 20 or so years since I lost touch with Tom Petty, his constituency has clearly evolved from college kids to Wayne's World. Nevermind, Dude.

Return to the Big Smoke

2008-06-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

A trip to Toronto the Good was a golden opportunity to visit Donald, and to get to know a little Alix, Donald & M's daughter. Alix is pretty creative in front of a camera...

Rocky & Silvia - Redux

2008-05-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

With the exception of mobile phones, consumers seem to have an insatiable appetite for things that get bigger -- for example, the current VW Polo is significantly bigger than the original Golf, or even the Golf Mk 2.
This occurred to me again when I chanced upon a photo of our first real espresso machine, a Delonghi, next to a Moulinex coffee grinder. To compare, you can see this year's models, Silvia and Rocky, here. The one part of the triptych that remains is the B&W photo of our favourite waiter at la Cerveza Alemana, Hemingway's old haunt in Madrid.

Google Hits - Redux

2008-05-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

The algorithms used by Google tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies: hits generate more hits. So, to help along the process, and to simplify things, here's a summary of what one has to say regarding the top search topics in this modest endeavour.

Michelin Energy 3A Tyres: boring, overpriced rubber, that people (well actually men) buy for the same set of reasons they used to buy Levi's or Dell. If you need new, performance tyres take a look at Kumho K11s, that you can buy here. Mercedes OEMs them on the Class A, they're half the price of Michelins, and after almost a year they've performed beautifully on my Alfa 156 SW.
Fender Highway One Telecaster: the entry-level US-made Tele. My favourite guitar and also the cheapest. However, mine is pre-2006 'upgrade' which brought in Jumbo frets, extra-hot pick-ups and horrible CBS-era logo.
Tel Aviv Moriah Sheraton: you get what you pay for and pay for what you get. Like many of the big name hotels on the Tel Aviv beachfront, the Moriah Sheraton is a sheep in wolf's clothing, a mundane, run-down family-orientated 2.5 star masquerading as a 4-star. The WiFi works intermittently, and even the family part is poorly done: Russian hospitality workers roam freely from floor to floor (though presumably not using the Sabbath lift.)

Keep those cards and letters coming, and please don't call again -- Laurie Anderson

More Fun with Garageband - Part 6 - Facebook Périphérique

2008-05-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Return to the Sheep

2008-05-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

I'd neglected crossing the field on my way home all winter, due to a combination of bad weather, a twisted ankle, and sheer laziness. I knew the sheep were there -- on some evenings the wind carries their baaing and bleating all the way home -- but I hadn't seen them. So it was with some trepidation that I set off across the field this Friday evening. The farmer appears to be doing colza this year, which looks gorgeous in any light. Then I saw the sheep, including a dozen lambs. They were shy as usual, probably recognising the meat eater in me.

Go West, Young Lady!

2008-05-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

Honorary filleule Emma returns from the Big Apple at the end of the weekend. Just in case she doesn't see this ad in the subway (along with its associated object lesson), here it is. T'as bien compris, ma puce ?!

Ne'er a Drop to Drink - Part 8 - Sarah Bernhardt's Fort

2008-05-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Whilst strolling along Belle Ile's Pointe aux Poulains, the Divine Sarah came across an old fort that was "uncomfortable, inhospitable, in short, for me." Having purchased the fort, she continued to visit every year for the following thirty years, with coffin in tow.

The Café Society - Part 17 - Rocky & Silvia Come Home

2008-05-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

Strictly speaking, the foregoing bears little relation to the Café Society, in that the typical French café does not serve very palatable espresso. This said...

It was with heavy heart that we threw out our last espresso machine, a Krups M4020, I believe. That having been our third machine to blow its pump in 7 years, I began to investigate more serious options. I discovered a world of espresso aficionados hitherto unknown to me, best embodied by the Coffee Geek site. After much research, I finally settled on a Rancilio Silvia and its grinder companion, the Rancilio Rocky. The Silvia bears more resemblance to a tank than a feminine persona, but that's the whole point: it's made of commercial grade components.

I won't add to the plethora of web postings concerning the Silvia, except to say that making espresso ristreto with it is much easier than many of the posters let on. It's harder than making American filter coffee, but what isn't?

Hotel Rooms - Part 12 - Nan Hai Hotel

2008-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Nan Hai Hotel in Shenzhen is not a great moment in hosteler history. The first moments are pleasant enough, as the hotel is literally a stone's throw from the ferry pier connecting Shenzhen to Macau and Hong Kong airport. The extremely long check-in is a clue that something is amiss, as is the fact that the door key card does not work. The polyfilla stuck between broken tiles in the bathroom are not reassuring. The buffet dinner looks delightful, until one realises that the same buffet is laid out for breakfast and lunch. On the food front, there is a row of "chicken bars" just outside the hotel gates. The Nan Hai is clearly a 2-star in 5-star clothing. The breakfast garden is quite nice, though, on days when the smog is not too thick.

More Big Drive Backfill & Fun with Garageband

2008-02-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

Texas comprises the midpoint of Route 66, as well as one of the longest stretches of uninterrupted original 66, where one doesn't need to tarnish one's tyres (I have no idea whether they were Michelin, Goodyear or Kumho) on the Interstate. However, perhaps it was the fact that it was a Sunday, or perhaps it was W Bush's spectre, or perhaps even it was memories of Thelma & Louise...in any case, we drove through Texas in a day, with just a few brief stops to admire Cadillac Ranch or the Gator biker bar in Amarillo. All along the road, a 12-string lick was reverberating in my head, but the Rickenbacker 360 12-string (I've noticed that guitar or tyre model names make for big Google hits) only found me in San Francisco. However, my use of the freshly acquired Gibson ES-339 (Google redux) is embarrassing...I plead the beginning of the learning curve.

Barcelona Mardi Gras

2008-02-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

It was a glorious Sunday in Barcelonita as the local residents did their own Mardi Gras parade, complete with Samba drum schools and dancers.

In the backstreets removed from the beach, we happened upon a tiny bar-restaurant, with the freshest sardines and canelone (a Barcelona speciality similar to the Cosa Nostra's). With only three tables, soon there was a queue of masqueraded adults and children.

Airports (Part iv)

2008-02-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

SylVie left for her second Project Abroad today, this time from the relative luxury of CDG 2F. She's flying with Korean Air, via Incheon Airport in Seoul, for the simple reason that it was cheapest and yet gave her Air France airmiles. This despite the fact that the Seoul detour added a few hours and 2000 km to her trip.

How many extra miles are flown and extra barrels of kerosene consumed with such economics?

More Fun with Camera Phones

2008-02-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

For our latest Boss-time, last December, I decided to innovate by ordering tickets behind the stage. These were almost the cheapest in the house. All told:

The sound is better;
The view is closer; and
One gets to observe little details, like the fact that Bruce uses a karaoke-style teleprompter embedded in the stage, to remember the lyrics (with a 300+ song catalogue, who can blame him.)

One constant, however, is that cameraphones are yet to threaten concert IPR.

More Fun with Garageband - Part 4 - Berlin

2008-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

Berlin in January inspires Electronic Machine Music, speaking of which, we'll be seeing Lou Reed perform Berlin at the Salle Pleyel in June.

Adventures in Web 2.0 v2.0

2008-01-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

Decided that lack of a band shouldn't be an obstacle to having a virtual one, so created a band page on MySpace.

We are still without a record deal.

Adventures in Web 2.0

2008-01-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

Spoke to a friend in the Big Smoke, who told me that Facebook was now "it." I now have a page on Facebook, and am still puzzled as to the point of the whole mess.

Garageband - Part 3 - All Good Binmen Don't Wear Glasses

2007-10-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

I recorded this ditty in late July, shortly before embarking on the Big Drive. I trust my pal Grant will appreciate. ;-)

Airports - Part 3 - Back to the Future

2007-10-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

SylVie left for Sri Lanka today, via Terminal 1 at CDG. Terminal 1 looked very futuristic when it was buil t in the seventies -- it has been featured in countless movies -- but it has aged poorly, and the never-ending renovation works do nothing to enhance Paris' image in the eyes of the American, Asian and African travellers who are forced to favour the locale. The usual rules of engagement regarding home turf also apply at CDG : Air France wouldn't be caught dead in Terminal 1, so I am usually spared its idiosyncracies.

Still, as Ms B was swept up the plexiglass cylinder to the gates (known at T1 as satellites), a first step towards an orphanage in a Buddhist temple, I did have a sense of Back to the Future.

Big Drive Backfill - the End

2007-09-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

As we progressed across the MidWest, we shot increasing amounts of video and stills. This had the unexpected side-benefit of earning me my first "content rejected" notice from Daily Motion.

Uploading our 20-minute production to Blogger Video was unsuccessful, so I finally resorted to hosting the video myself, here.

The masterpiece includes:

shots of our arrival at night into California at Needles, "20 miles from nowhere, 2 feet from hell" -- nighttime temperature in the cool 40s...Celsius
crossing the Mojave desert
the original Bagdad Café (where the film was shot)
the Barstow Starbucks
the Barstow Bottle Tree Branch
the diner where a scene from Kill Bill was set (when Uma emerges from her coffin)
another Starbucks
the Denny's diner in Pasadena where the waitress had only mastered half of the MacDonald's creed: time to lean, time to clean
our last bits of true 66, going ka-chunk over the concrete slabs
our painfully slow last 200 metres of Route 66, tortured to the strains of Hotel California, as we had chosen a sunny Labour Day weekend to reach the Pacific
the three Valley Girls, one of whom snapped our pic next to the "End of 66" plaque.

This was actually back-filled on October 18th, 2007 at 21:38 CET

Big Drive Backfill - the Start

2007-08-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Café Society - Part 16 - The Ladies Who Lunch (Not)

2007-07-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

My pal and favourite adolescente Emma was inspired to drop by the office with her best buddy Mathilde, San Diego and Paris-based international chef and legal expert Kay Rae, along with daughter Isabelle and niece Leanna (not to mention canine friend Kyla.) As a result, I was able to rekindle an old tradition of secretly toasting my birthday in feminine company.

Ah, the joys of Paris Wonks.

The Great Leap Forward - Lin in London

2007-07-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

I hope Ms Q will forgive me for posting this pic from her first foray into London, which took her to Gerrard Street, AKA Chinatown.

Garageband - Part 2 - Cowboy Honky Tonk

2007-07-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

The Stones stole Honky Tonk Women from Ry Cooder, so I’m stealing it back, mangling it as I imagine the Cowboy Junkies might have covered it.

The pictures are supposed to keep one awake.

The Big Drive - Part 2 - When Rubber Meets the Road

2007-07-24T05:36:00.001-07:00

Much silliness has been written about the need for, or conversely, the uselessness of storefronts in the Web 2.0 age. While Michael Dell has finally had to admit to the need for a physical retail presence, I must confess that the vast majority of my internet purchases over the past ten years have been contemplated and executed without the benefit of the “mortar” part of the “clicks and mortar” equation.
However, there are some transactions that simply cannot be conducted without a brick building. One example is tyre purchases, indeed, many tyre merchants in this country, such as Speedy or Midas, refuse to post any indication of tyre prices on their commercial websites. One of these, Feu Vert, satisfies itself with announcing that by dialling their premium rate phone number, one will be assured of the best prices – Not! I dutifully rang FV’s magic number, and was quoted prices for Michelin and Pirelli that would make my Alfa dealer blush – car dealers not being particularly well known for their deep discounting.

So I decided to try the online approach, and came across pneusonline.com, which claims to be Europe’s biggest online tyre vendor and a pioneer in the field (to my untrained eye, their site is a replica of the tirerack.com’s, but who knows who was first.) One of the joys of online shopping is the presence of customer reviews. Unfortunately, the tyres I was considering, Michelin Energy 3A’s and Pirelli P6000s (why do tyres have such hopeless names?), featured very mixed reviews, not to mention discounted prices that remained high.

One brand of tyre did catch my eye, Kumho, of Korea. Excellent reviews, OEM fitting to Mercedes A-Class, and an extraordinarily low price decided me to take the plunge. I had the rubber delivered to the nearest pneusonline partner garage, and then the fun began. For starters, locating the place proved to be an adventure. I finally located the garage, which had less to do with bricks and mortar than corrugated iron. A portable unit in the yard next door represented the ‘facilities’. I couldn’t find the equivalent to my Alfa dealer’s receptionist seemingly specialised in the brewing of espressos.

In the hangar, three mechanics gave a good object lesson as to why delicate jobs should be entrusted to a qualified dealer, as they tugged and hammered at a hapless Toyota’s timing belt assembly. Needless to say, I watched the tyre change with hawkish attention. 1 000 km later, the Kumho Ecsta K11’s (silly tyre names, redux) have yet to explode.

Celia - Part 7 - Raring to go...

2007-05-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Whilst on the topic of sports cars, young Celia's first experience in the driver's seat was a happy one, with the exception of the moment when she was coaxed away. She experimented with all the knobs and buttons, and found the horn to be particularly gratifying.

She's joining the driver's licence race shortly.

The Big Drive - Part 1

2007-05-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

As I was doing some very early planning for the Big Drive this August (I typically do most of my holiday travel planning on the flight over) the question of car-guitar compatibility became pressing.

The Big Drive will be much more fun with a convertible, and the most cost-effective ragtop available for hire is a Ford Mustang. At the same time, one of the minor objectives of this trip is to pick up an interesting guitar, maybe in Tucson Arizona. Now a Mustang, aside from having a superfluously big engine (4 litres is as small as they get) does not have a large boot. Ford’s online specifications do not mention trunk size (nor for that matter, do they provide CO2 emission levels) and 2007 Mustang convertibles are few and far between on this side of the Atlantic

The obvious solution was to turn to the good brethren of the Telecaster site with my question. The first truly useful answer came from Tdot, who actually went to a Ford dealership, tape measure in hand. Unfortunately, it was snowing, and so the salespeople wouldn’t let him open the trunk, for fear of dampness. Tdot, did however, brave the elements to make external trunk measurements.

Then, CharlieO, based in the less rigorous Florida climes, went to a Ford showroom, Rickenbacker case in hand, and convinced the salesperson to let him experiment, with this result:

The Web 2.0 is a many splendoured thing.

Garageband - Part 1 - Empowerment

2007-04-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

A guitar and a Mac is all that's needed

Granted, there's patent abuse of the bongos, the flanger and the auto-wah, but it was my first attempt.

Too bad MySpace is a Murdoch company.

The Café Society - Part 15 - Innocent When You Dream

2007-04-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Square of the Innocents was a communal grave for paupers up to the early 19th century, when cellars in surrounding houses began to collapse under the accumulated weight of corpses.

In the early 1990s my colleague and pal Malcolm G attempted to slum it by moving into a duplex above the Innocents' Fountain, with three female compatriots. He quickly retreated to the cossetted 16th District, not before throwing a smashing housewarming which I attended with Fab and her slinky black leather dress. We felt like the babysitters.

The duplex was recently on national news, as its two floors in a 16th century building were gutted by fire. Coincidentally, one of my best mates from the 1990s, David T, resurfaced with a telephone call from Tokyo.

The Café Society - Part 14 - The Writing's on...

2007-03-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

Chloé, the Café Etienne's erstwhile historian, art student, focus group recruiter and, once-a-day, scribe, penning the lunch specials for the last time this Friday. Custom will doubtlessly fall.

Airports - Part 2 - Ben Gurion

2007-03-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Security at Ben Gurion doesn't appreciate picture taking and nor do Hassidim, hence the blur. Or perhaps it was the fact that the picture was snapped at 5 AM.

Israeli airport security is probably the tightest in the world -- it's certainly the one that spends the most time asking intrusive questions -- so it's interesting to note that Ben Gurion does not apply the rules regarding liquids and ziplock bags. Equally interesting, in a different sense, is how much personal information there appeared to be to read in the computers at security and passport control.

Hotel Rooms - Part 11 - The Sheraton Moriah.

2007-03-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Sheraton Moriah is one of the countless soulless vertical dormitories dotting Tel Aviv's beachfront. It's not the newest of the beach hotels, but neither is it the most expensive.

All rooms are "sea-view," which means that one's view of the parking garage or highrise next door is slightly compromised by the Med. The Wifi is unreliable, and the lifts (including the Sabbath elevator) are frequently graced by Russian maidens free of most conventional virtues.

All in all, a typical Tel Aviv hotel.

Roma - Ne'er a Drop to Drink

2007-03-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

Or so might ruefully reflect the Olympique Lyonnais having been expedited out of the Champion's League 2-0 by AS Roma. Lyon are as consistently unfortunate in C1 competition as they are successful in the French league, w five titles in five seasons.

Rome gave us La Dolce Vita, Paparazzo and the scene at the Trevis Fountain, which no doubt prefigured Ursula Andress' Venus-like emergence from the water in Dr. No.. The Trevis Fountain marked the last time that Fellini shot outside the sets at Cine Citta, as he struggled to keep the crowds out of the picture during the midnight shoot. Italian clubs also play behind closed doors sometimes.

Dailymotion blogged video

The Café Society - Part 13 - Sentimental Lorient

2007-03-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

The largest building in Lorient that is older than fifty years is the old German submarine base. With a concrete roof that was several metres thick, the building was impervious to even the largest Allied bombs. The Allied response was to inflict on Lorient a scorched earth strategy, razing almost the entire city to the ground.
Lorient is now a pretty university town, with a modest telecoms industry specialised in mobile TV. Across from the harbour is the village of Locmicquelic, where former sailor turned artist Zeramo presides over his quirky empire, the Cargo Sentimental. Added bonus: the food is actually quite good.

Dailymotion blogged video

Waste Not Want Not

2007-03-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Whilst on the topic of appetising food...

Robin and Maxime have a very original (at least for teenagers) and effective eco-system to manage restaurant food.

Egg Beaters

2007-02-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

Watched Tampopo this evening for the first time in twenty years, courtesy of BitTorrent.

It remains the most sensual film about food, or perhaps the most gastronomical film about sensuality.

It remains a mystery that no egg marketing board has licenced this scene.

Dailymotion blogged video

The Café Society - Part 12 - French Blogosphere

2007-02-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

Whilst trying to get a handle on the increasingly slippery topic of world blog statistics, one came across an article in the IHT that summarised most of what one suspected was the state of the French Blogosphere:

The French are the Western World's most enthusiastic bloggers (one estimates that close to 10% of the French population has an active blog);
French blogs are not about collaborative discussion, but rather about expressing the blogger's views (somewhat like the French approach to internal company meetings or, more generally, teamwork);
French blogs are typically narcissistic in nature; and
You can't run for elected office in France if you don't have a blog.

Given the nature of this blog, one can only conclude that it's based in France (even though one is not running for elected office, unless sporadic attendance at Council meetings counts as such.)

One would be interested in similar analyses of Japanese (5% of the population) South Korean (25%!) or Chinese (2%) blogs. Methinks they are diametrically opposed in more than one respect.

The Café Society - Part 11 - Savage Camping

2007-02-23T14:07:00.000-08:00

Several hundred tents line the Canal St Martin in the rapidly gentrifying 10th district. Most of these are occupied by the homeless, a few by local Bobos - Bourgeois Bohèmes - demonstrating their support, who get to go home in the morning for coffee, croissants and a shower.

Some of the homeless hold down jobs, but can't afford rent. Meanwhile, a new study released today regarding growing French obesity shows that whilst 5% of graduates are overweight, 15% of those without a degree have a weight problem.

What a wonderful world, nous vivons une époque formidable.

The Café Society - Part 10 - Sunday Afternoons in Barça

2007-02-22T01:43:00.000-08:00

Even after a Saturday night and Sunday morning's worth of clubbing, people in Barcelona are still feeling sociable. This bar is located behind Parallel, near the now-closed and soon-to-be re-opened Molinos theatre. The mature gentlemen in the backgound is one of the Molinos' retired singers, who now belts out torchsongs on Sunday afternoons, whilst his audience knocks back beer and tapas.

More evidence that Spain is not an ageist society, at least not on Sunday afternoons.

The Barbarian Invasions - Part 1 - Moto Mightier than Tauromachy

2007-02-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

Barcelona was invaded by 3GSM last week, the world's largest collection of suits and ties who, for a few blessed days, can delude themselves that they are not technerds and are in fact Masters of the Universe. The illusion is hard to maintain, however, when one attends a party where the male/female ratio is ten-to-one. (Note: the function is not, à priori, dedicated to the gay lifestyle.)

It was with heavy heart that one observed that Barcelona had not contented itself with banning bullfighting - it had emasculated its Plaza de Toros with advertising. Hemingway would have shuddered.

The Café Society - Part 9 - Vieux Port

2007-02-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

The old harbour in Marseilles is favoured by the local 'aristocracy,' swimming in water one wouldn't use for the WC, let alone fish from. In January the water is almost tolerably warm, no doubt due to a combination of global warming and exhaust fumes from the yachts.

The Car Park Story

2007-01-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

Dailymotion blogged video
One of the worst jokes ever uttered, but rendered in inimitable style by my colleague Sara.

Waiting for the Birdie

2007-01-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

Dailymotion blogged video

In the age of digital convergence, it is refreshing when savvy technoids don't realise that a digital camera is shooting video...

The Café Society - Part 8 - Le Cirque du Grand Céleste

2007-01-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

We had Emma's birthday outing this evening, at le Cirque du Grand Céleste, a modern circus which is more about theatre and music than trained animals.

This was the sixth time I saw the Grand Céleste, who have evolved from their humble 50 seat top to something holding about 200.

Unfortunately, art-theft is not permitted during the show, so most of our pictures were taken in the second Big Top, where the artists mingle with the spectators over a post-show drink.

The Highway 1 US Special Telecaster

2007-01-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

The Highway 1 Telecaster is Fender's entry-level American-made Telecaster. The first guitar I bought as an adult, in 2003, was a three-tone sunburst HWY1 Telecaster, so naturally it was the first guitar to be replaced after the break-in last summer. I wanted to make a clean break with the lost Telecaster (one gets sentimental about these pieces of wood) so I ordered this one in honey blonde from Thomann. It looks pretty much like a classic Telecaster (the classic electric guitar,) with the glaring exception of the rosewood fretboard: three-saddle bridge, "spaghetti" logo on the headstock, single-coil Alnico pick-ups. However, there are some subtle differences that make it much more playable than a vintage Tele: 22 frets rather than 21, faster neck, medium-jumbo frets...

When I ordered it Fender had just announced an "upgrade" to the HWY1 series, which meant they were actually downgrading the specs, in order to stop cannibalisation of sales of higher-end American Teles. I made sure that Thomann sent me an "original" HWY1 Tele. They did just that, and the only non-original features are the "Greasebucket" circuit (an improvement in tone control) and the pewter-coloured "Sixtieth Anniversary" inlay at the top of the back of the headstock.

By the time Fender produced this particular Telecaster, they must have mastered the process: by all accounts, it has one of the most playable necks ever encountered on a Fender. So much for upgrades.

Hotel Rooms - Part 10 - The English Promenade

2007-01-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

The SAS Radisson in Nice, where we will be holding our company meeting sometime this winter. The hotel is located along the Promenade des Anglais, though I doubt we'll have much time for promenading, particularly as, in the evening, the concourse should more appropriately be dubbed the Promenade des Roumaines.

Happy 2007! (but I've got to clean up 2006)

2007-01-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

So, 2007 is here and the last entry in this blog was nearly four months ago. (Note, with my resolution to update the past, the preceding statement may soon appear inaccurate.)

We ended 2006 in good taste, savouring multiple dishes by the fireplace, including:

Piper Heidseck champagne
Endive with Tartare cheese
Turnip soup
Shrimp Ceviche
Foie gras with toasted gingerbread
Lime Sherbet
1997 Château Pavie St Emilion
Veal roasted in Muscadet with sweet potatoes and chestnuts
Cheese
Mousse au Chococat

We also began 2007 with a bang, Jean-Luc and I treating the neighbourhood to an impromptu hour-long jam around 3:30 AM.

Max is 16

2006-12-29T23:18:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Maxime's 16th birthday with Max-like discretion and frugality: two games of bowling followed by Indian take-away.

Following Mathilde's example, Max and Emma were keen to achieve the lowest scores possible, thus preserving the pins from trauma.

Celia - Part 6 - Happy Xmas

2006-12-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

The French like to call it the "Merchants' Holiday" but Celia, age 16 months, does not entirely agree with that assessment.

Emma's 14th Birthday

2006-12-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

The future pj harvey, having now decided to be the next Annie Fratellini, conjured up two birthday parties this weekend, one for her pals of the 3rd and 15th arrondissements, and one for family and old and young fogies.

Emma was as gracious as always, and a splendid time was had by all.

More evidence here.

Speaking of Annie Fratellini, in January we'll be going with Emma to see the Grand Céleste.

Hotel Rooms - Part 9 - The Hammersmith Novotel

2006-12-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

Had intended to sleep there for three nights. However, thanks to Golden Girl's zealous efforts on behalf of esteemed Chinese client, managed also to work there for two days.

Cuisine and staff are 'international' and mangle diverse cultures with equal proficiency. Rooms are soulless. It's a Novotel.

Many rooms enjoy unobstructed view of London Ark.

Encounters with Musician's Fiend, FedEx and Canada Customs

2006-11-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Early in November I was summoned to Chicago for an impromptu meeting. Though all my stolen guitars had been replaced by then, I succumbed to an attack of GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.) Having briefly toyed with the idea of buying something from the Dark Side (i.e. a Gibson Les Paul) I settled on a Rickenbacker 330.

Now Rickenbackers, aside from being one of the world's most photogenic strain of guitars, are also one of the most esoteric. They are still handmade in California, feature two trussrods (instead of one) inside a baseball bat-like neck, as well as a small cavity which may be responsible for their jangly sound. The Beatles used Rickenbackers for their early hits (I Feel Fine, Hard Day's Night...) and, more recently, Peter Buck of REM uses Rickenbackers almost exclusively on stage.

So I placed my order with Musician's Fiend (MF) ten days ahead of my trip. Eight days before, they confirmed my order, and gave me a FedEx tracking number with 2-5 day delivery guaranteed... A week later, the guitar had still not arrived, and I was not planning to stay in the States for more than a couple of days. MF then offered to send out a second Ric 330 with free overnight delivery. Two days later, I left Boston for Ottawa in the Great White North and neither guitar had shown up.

Once in Canada, I carefully studied the options available for shipping a guitar overnight from Boston to Ottawa and dove into the on-line paperwork: customs declaration, commercial invoice, certificate of origin...I'm glad that NAFTA serves a purpose.

The day before I was scheduled to leave Ottawa to fly back to France, our friendly Boston office manager shipped the first guitar to arrive, via Fedex, overnight to Ottawa, guaranteed delivery by noon, which was fortuitous, as I was scheduled to leave Ottawa at 2 PM with the Air France bus.

That morning, FedEx rang me to announce that my package had arrived, was clearing customs and would be delivered shortly. At noon the guitar still hadn't arrived. So my parents and I drove out to the FedEx facility, where we were informed that the guitar had been impounded by Canada Customs. I went over to see the Customs officer, built like a lumberjack, who informed that that was an awfully pretty guitar. I could only agree. He thought the declared value was understated, and I had to show him my original invoice, which I had fortunately kept. When he learnt that I was leaving for France that afternoon, he graciously offered to waive all duties, and sprang the Ric free.

The next morning at CDG, the French customs officers barely glanced at me.

The Café Society - Part 7 - Miscue in Paris

2006-10-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Having grown up in the Middle Empire, before moving to Australia, this was my pal Ms Q's first trip to Europe. It's not the most flattering picture of her, for which I apologise, but I like the juxtaposition. (Dan Brown, eat your heart out.)
Taking visitors around Paris is always a treat, as one rediscovers the city through their eyes. Touring with Ms Q was was almost hallucinatory...and likely more cost-effective than LSD.

The '72 Custom

2006-09-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

The Telecaster was Leo Fender’s original electric guitar, designed for ease of production, maintenance and repair. From its original launch in 1951, its simple design survived nearly unchanged for 20 years. In what most guitarists view as Fender’s dark ages, the ‘seventies, when CBS owned the company, they did attempt to innovate, almost as if to compensate for the less than consistently good workmanship that characterised the era. The best-known innovation from that period was the 1972 Telecaster Custom, viewed by some as a work of genius, and by others as a mongrel.
The ’72 Custom was probably the closest thing ever to a Fender-Gibson hybrid (with the possible exception of the now-forgotten Gibson Marauder.) Gibson-like features included a front humbucker pickup, and individual volume and tone controls for each pickup. It was the only Telecaster to feature Fender’s controversial three-bolt neck assembly and micro-tilt mechanism.

In its day, the ’72 Custom was poorly received by most Telecaster aficionados, possibly because it was such a radical departure from Leo Fender’s original design, and more probably due to the poor quality image enjoyed by Fender under CBS management. One well known guitarist did make the Custom his primary go-to guitar for a while, not surprisingly, given his propensity for replacing Telecaster single-coil neck pickups with humbuckers, and that was Keef Richards.

In the late ‘80s Fender Japan began re-issuing the ’72 Custom, followed in the late ‘90s by Fender Mexico. The ’72 has become an Indie band icon; Thom Yorke uses one as his main guitar on the rare occasions that Radiohead gigs. Ironically, the Reissues are generally much better made than the originals ever were, and in fact many more Reissues have been crafted than original ’72 Customs.

I have a soft spot for my Custom. When the house was burgled this past summer, it was the only guitar to escape, as it was still on vacation in Brittany. Three days later at the Stade de France, Keef launched the Stones’ show with Jumping Jack Flash, playing his original black ’72 Custom. An omen, or what?

The Café Society - Part 6 - Coming Soon, to a Mall Near You

2006-09-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

On a lunchtime stroll recently, along rue de la Verrerie, I came across a new shop, strategically located at the border of the trendoid Halles area where I work and the very gay Marais.

The boutique had a rather chic look to it, and in fact at first glance I thought I was looking at a new Geox outlet, until I saw the prices, and the curious logo on the storefront, and on all the
labels. Geox now manufactures its famous Respira soles in China, but this was clearly an all Chinese brand, with China-like prices, and a personality cult to boot.

So I wandered in, and found a dazzling array of pretty fashionable shoes, nicely stitched, in cool colours.The two shop assistants, who barely spoke French, or English, explained that the shop had been open for two weeks, and was the first of many. I bought the urban strollers, for all of €38.

We'll be buying the rope next.

Happy Birthday Mum!

2006-09-14T01:52:00.000-07:00

Today is my mother’s 47th birthday, or something like that. As my friend Michel Trébitsch said more than once, “Despite her gentle manner, your mother is the rock on which your family rests.”

In many ways, Michel was quite correct. In the unspoken division of labour that characterises most couples, my mother has kept the enterprise’s feet on the ground. When De Gaulle said that “l’intendance suivra,” he was no doubt referring to my mother. She has successfully and loyally shepherded many of my father’s visions to reality, such as the Big Move last year. She has been a Soccer Mom before the term existed, tennis instructor, or Chief Purchasing Officer of model aircraft.

Happy Birthday, Mummy!

Celia - Part 5 - Now we are 53...

2006-09-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

Dailymotion blogged video
MVI_0011

...weeks old. Celia has learned new ways to entertain her Cousin Roseline, come all the way from her birthplace, Mauritius, and her Auntie SylVie, straight from Scandinavia via Normandy.

The proud parents are still learning the word "No."

La Hacquinière - Part 13 - The New Alain Prost

2006-09-09T04:16:00.000-07:00

Dailymotion blogged video

Robin came by this morning with Claire, and honoured us with his first drive outside Paris.

I trust he shiftedd out of First Gear on the highway.

La Hacquinière - Part 12 - The Sheep Look Up

2006-09-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

The shadows are growing longer, and the sheep getting fatter. They didn't go back to school and neither did I. Our paths will keep on crossing all winter long.

I once took a colleague home with his luggage along this footpath, forgetting that it was less than ideal for his rollerbag. I don't know whether he's forgiven me yet. The sheep certainly found it very funny.

La Hacquinière - Part 11 - Z3025591 & Z4029215

2006-09-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

Fender US Special Telecaster N° Z3025591 & Fender American Series Stratocaster N° Z4029215 have left the building…unfortunately in the hands of burglars, late July. The Tele is three-tone sunburst, with a black pickguard (which replaced the white pickguard in the picture) and a rosewood fretboard. The Strat looks like Eric Clapton’s Blackie, with a black body, a white pickguard and a maple fretboard.

I had come back from vacation a couple of days before and had gone to work for the day. When I got home, the garage door was suspiciously ajar, and the bedroom windows wide open. I found that the thieves had attempted to hack the front door open using my axe (no more tools will be left in the wood shed) and had resorted to jimmying open a window using a screwdriver of mine (I repeat: no more tools will be left out.)

Fortunately, I’d taken the Alfa to the station that day, because the spare key disappeared, and the 156 was no doubt the reason the thieves partially forced open the garage door. Equally fortunately, the ’72 Custom Telecaster was still in Brittany and, in their haste, the thieves overlooked the Gibson Flying V. Indeed, the thieves were in such a rush that they took the guitars without their cases.

Since then, I’ve done the inventory and, given the photographic documentation and sales slips, most items stolen will be replaced by the insurers. There’s now a remote surveillance system in place, as well as motion-detecting floodlights in the garden. I’ve been restrained from installing landmines, out of deference towards the local wildlife.

So, if you come across Fender Telecaster N° Z3025591 or Fender Stratocaster N° Z4029215, my insurers and local gendarmes would love to hear from you.

The Café Society - Part 5 - The Limits of Camera Phones

2006-07-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

The gentlemen in the centre of the picture bearing a Gibson ES-335 (trust me, that's what he always plays for "It's Only Rock 'n Roll") is Keef Richards. The gentleman on the left, with the purple shirt, is Sir Mick, July 28th, at the Stade de France. The manufacturers of cameraphones have much to answer for.

By the way, if you must attend stadium concerts, I wholeheartedly recommend the cheap tickets standing in front of the stage. You might actually see something.

The Café Society - Part 4 - Captain Mercier

2006-06-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

Emma’s first jazz club experience at Le Baiser Salé, on jazz club row, rue des Lombards, near our new offices. She had been to arena shows, and has seen what it’s like to share Eric Clapton with 15 000 other fans and corporate guests. This was a much more intimate experience: 50 spectators and a 10-piece band.

Captain Mercier are made up of session musicians, studio sharks, who do about 20 gigs a year, more for fun than anything else. Their brand of funk sounds something like Bootsy Collins and Parliament. However 9 out of ten of them are white, and they are tight… Having discoverd them by accident, SylVie and I have now attended a half-dozen concerts, including the DVD recording.

Anyhow, Emma got to see them up close (having seen their DVD at home) talk to one of the two lead singers (the younger, good-looking one) and tell the bassist how much she enjoyed the soundtrack to Cabaret Paradis. If only it hadn’t been a school night...

The Café Society - Part 3 - Council Housing

2006-06-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Kids (Emma, Max & Robin) live in a council flat in the 15th District. Now Council Housing may conjure up images of squalor, abject poverty and rampant violence; unfortunately these images are often not far removed from the truth. However, thanks to Claire's determined lobbying efforts, the council flat in question is a penthouse on the 8th floor with an unobstructed view of an oversized model of the Crystal Palace radio tower.

The 8th floor terrace has already been the setting for several parties, sleepovers, or dinners. It is also the home of Claire's urban garden, where various herbs, flowers, fruit and vegetables provide proof that the Parisian remains a farmer at heart. Finally, the boys' intimidating looking telescope also takes root on the terrace, enabling lunar exploration.

I understand that the telescope could also be used for Parisian bedroom exploration.

The Café Society - Part 2 - The Great Leap Forward

2006-05-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

After nearly nine years in Gentilly, it was time for a change. Gentilly had been, at the time we moved there, quite a step up from our warehouse in the infamous "9-3." Here, we finally had real offices, with an elevator, a real phone exchange and ready access to the RER 'B' line. Within one week of moving in, we had enjoyed two burglaries.

With the installation of armoured doors, entry badges, and an alarm system, we did eventually get the burglary average down to one per year, but nothing we did was going to improve the local catering, nor would it make the juvenile delinquents hanging out at the tube station any less delinquent.

So, after a six month search, and two lease extensions, we decided to move to the heart of Paris, rue Pierre Lescot, in the First District. With the exodus to the suburbs, rents are now barely more than in Gentilly, there's the Movable Feast at the door, and the assorted Goths, Fashion Victims and Web Geeks wandering around downstairs don't look too threatening.

Added bonus, our Gentilly furniture looks better on hardwood.