Sao Paulo bar/restaurant Universidade da Cachaca more than lives up to its name. With 420 different cachacas to choose from (more than 300 of them from Minas Gerais state, acknowledged by most Brazilians as the home of the finest examples of the drink), it can satisfy the most demanding of students. And for neophytes such as myself, the knowledgeable bar staff will happily design a program that takes you from the mildest to the strongest cachaca in four increasingly drunken steps. Passing this exam was a pleasure, although my memories of the graduation ceremony are a little hazy.
Today's Ananova Quirkies included this story about a Belgian man being sentenced to six months in gaol for wearing a fake Rolex watch. Sounds like a case of what Loadsamoney used to call 'Bolex'. Unfortunately, this ridiculously harsh punishment is no laughing matter for Gunther R. His sentence may be excessive, but the struggle to maintain today's anachronistic copyright laws is becoming increasingly vicious, as filesharers are finding to their cost. And, what the judge failed to take into account was that if the perp knowingly bought a fake Rolex it was because of the strength of the brand, 'fake Rolex', a much more successful marque than Rolex itself.
Two issues making the news today - the future of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and how to meet our future energy needs - need to be considered alongside each other rather than in isolation. How can European farmers survive the dismantling of protectionist tariffs? By instead being rewarded for growing carbon neutal energy crops (grasses, trees) that can be burned as fuel in biomass boilers. Encouraging the widespread installation of combined heat and power (cogen) schemes for businesses and householders should be a matter of urgency, not just in Europe, but worldwide. By turning Western farmers into the providers of our future energy needs, while their counterparts in developing nations are allowed access to our markets for their crops is one increasingly attractive way to kill two birds with one stone. Let us hope our policymakers have the nous to see that.
In the nine years since my last visit, Prague has, unsurprisingly, changed a lot, and in many ways for the worse. Arriving in the Zizkov district with my fiancee last Saturday, we discovered that not only has this shabby district got even shabbier in the intervening period, but that it is now packed with casinos and strip clubs. (Don't bother staying at the Three Crowns Hotel by the way: it is decidedly mediocre and prison beds are probably more comfortable). For seediness though, Zizkov has nothing on the epicentre of Prague's "'Blue Velvet' Revolution", Wenceslas Square. The positive vibes of 1989 have been thoroughly eclipsed by a tacky neon paean to the lowest-common-denominator: Porn, pissed Brits and pickpockets (legal or otherwise). Especially sad for a country that began its democratic project by electing a playwright president. Of course, the old town and castle district are still beautiful and can make all the hassle seem worthwhile. Then again, even the reverie of a walk across Charles Bridge is likely to be short-lived thanks to the crowds, the hawkers and groups of stags and hens saying things like, "Now that's what I call muff diving!" Even though there are now far more dining options, the city's eateries remain very average for the most part, particularly in terms of service. At least the beer is still great and relatively cheap, so you can quickly wash the bad taste out of your mouth. And, despite the focus on booze-sozzled weekenders, more interesting nightlife options are now available. The excellent jazz club Agharta for instance, a mellow and well-ventilated cave where we saw first rate neo-post-boppers, Vit Svec Trio. Another change for the better is the recognition afforded to the city's literary, artistic and architectural heritage. Whether you love or loathe Cubism, Alfons Mucha and Franz Kafka, you can now appreciate their repsctive legacies in a way that was not really possible back in the mid-90s. Particularly impressive is "The City of K: Frank Kafka and Prague," a temporary exhibition at the Herget's Brickworks in Mala Strana that was first staged in Barcelona in 1999. It tells the story of the celebrated author's life and work in a clear and engaging manner, including nice little touches such as exhibits inside a wall of filing cabinets. In fact, the museum was so good, it almost made me want to read Kafka again. Almost, but not quite.
"After two days in Sao Paulo I now know why Brazilians like to party: the place is such hard work that you have to enjoy yourself when you can. Horrendous traffic jams, stinking pollution and a cityscape that is so indistinct that even local drivers cannot orientate themselves (one hill of mid-rise tower blocks looming over higgledy-piggledly shacks looking much like another). Caipirinhas and churrascarias are some compensation for this urban nightmare, but not enough for my taste. And, despite being a city of 20 million people (third largest in the world), Sao Paulo has precious few tourist attractions. Among them are the notorious love motels, where young couples can rent a room away from their parents for a couple of hours (and older lovers can do likewise). With fantastic names such as Alibi and Opium and kitsch themes (Ancient Egypt, Roman Empire), these temples of lust are one of the few SP sights that can alleviate the boredom and frustration of travelling around this enormous, unwieldy place.
"My best wishes to all taking part in next Thursday's John Peel Day. It's a fitting tribute to the man. I will be far away in Brazil, a country that has always taken its music seriously. Enjoy!
According to the Flemish news wire, Belga, The fourth Brussels 'Nuit Blanche' last night attracted around 150,000 visitors to the 150 or so cultural events taking place around the city. In Paris, which claims to have originated the concept (although both cities first put the event on at exactly the same time), more than 1 million people are reported to have taken part. Having missed the three previous Brussels 'White Nights', it was nice to finally experience the event. My trail began at Place de la Chappelle, where I joined Victor S and associates to check out La Nuit Maroxelloise - free concerts by local Rai and reggae bands including the excellent Septa and Univibes. Heading into the city centre, we stopped off at the info point at Place St. Gery (I don't think I have ever seen the square looking so busy - it was mobbed), before wandering down Rue Antoine Dansaert where a samba school had gathered quite a crowd. Personally, I can usually take or leave batucada, but it was a fun vibe. In nearby Place Saint Catherine, speakers boomed out hardcore techno to a youthful crowd. We decided to check out the Anspach Center instead, a cavernous 70s-style disco complete with glitterballs, where we were 'born, born, born, born to be alive'. For those of a more inttelectual bent, there was a series of talks at the European Parliament, while other highlights of the program included breakdancing demonstrations, short film and photographic exhibitions and a drag night at the Beursschouwburg. From memory, last year's events seemed more interesting, but it's a cool idea and long may it continue.
Scanner - aka Robin Rimbaud - first came to public attention in the mid-90s for his mix of ambient electronica and mobile phone conversations picked up from the ether using a scanning device. I recall going to see him live at Sam Fay's in Nottingham in '96 or '97 and being impressed by the music but slightly disappointed by how mundane the few conversations we were able to eavesdrop were. This, of course, was in the days when mobiles were analogue.The introduction of the GSM standard soon put a stop to Rimbaud's scanning, but not to his career, which seems to be going from strength to strength. One of his latest ventures is a digital art project in Wales, for which members of the public are invited to send photos of their favourite things. Rimbaud will also be making a series of recordings in rural North Wales to mix into his live recordings. More details can be found here.
