Copy and paste

Not the Cinquantenaire
Originally uploaded by MonkeyGone2.

The aforementioned copy of the Arc de Triomphe de Cinquentenaire in Brussels, as seen in Nanchang, China.

Nanchang meets the West

Back in the saddle after a two-week blogging hiatus caused by a frantic trip through China (Beijing, Ningbo, Shanghai, Wuxi, Changshu, Nanchang, Guangzhou and Hong Kong in eight days). The country's pace of development continues to amaze, its pollution to apall (if you ever go to Changshu don't expect to see the other bank of the Yangtze).
The most interesting place on the itinerary (because the most provincial) was Nanchang, a small city (1.5 million-2 million people) that is the capital of Jiangxi province.
Nanchang is famous for the Tengwang Pavilion, one of the top three pagodas in the country, and the Bayi suspension bridge (over the Gan River) with its statues of a black and a white cat (erected in honour of Deng Xiaoping's famous statement that "it doesn't matter if it is a black cat or a white cat: if it catches mice it is a good cat.")
Today, Nanchang is also known for its baby trade. Our hotel was full of American couples and their adopted offspring. Although a little disconcerting to see at first, at least this baby trade is being properly monitored today: the adoptive parents are required to go through a number of bureaucratic hurdles. They also return to China to meet with other parents of Chinese babies and to ensure that their kids do not lose touch with their roots.
Another memorable feature of Nanchang is a full-size replica of the Arc de Triomphe at the Cinquantenaire in Brussels. This seems to be part of a new high-end housing estate called the European Resort. Whether it features any other notable European monuments, I cannot say.

K3 wafers - merchandising gorn mad!

K3 wafers up close
Originally uploaded by MonkeyGone2.

I found this multi-pack of wafers in a local supermarket. K3 is a Flemish girl-pop trio (their names all start with the letter 'K') that is very popular with tweenies. They also have their own TV show, 'Het Wereld van K3' ('K3's World') and made a feature film ('K3 and the magic medallion') in 2004. Now they have their own biscuits too: Smakelijk!

Random thought

Why does Microsoft call the trash the recycle bin? It's not as if the files are re-used once sent there - they are either retrieved or deleted. Perhaps they are aiming to sound eco-friendly? The 'file landfill' (landfile?) may not sound as wholesome but it would certainly be more accurate.

Human, all too human

Downloaded the great new single from The Rakes, 'All too human', yesterday, perhaps the first pop song to take its title from one of Nietzsche's works since The Pop Group's 'She is beyond good and evil' back in 1979. It's good to see that the band are still improving: the second album should be even better than the first; the third could be a classic.
There are four versions of the new single, including an EP featuring extra tracks 'Vitamin V' and an acoustic rendition of 'Terror', a version backed by 'Watford'; a remix by the Filthy Dukes Society; and my favourite, 'All too human' plus a remake of '22 grand job' featuring UK grime exponents, Lethal Bizzle. Following Bloc Party's collaboration with The Streets (check episode one of 'The Thousand Beer Show') and their tour with The Mitchell Brothers late last year, it's good to see that the burgeoning 'scene with no name'/Grime crossover movement is picking up pace. The Kaiser Chiefs/Dizzee Rascal soundclash must be only moments away.

In praise of the Senedd

Today being St. David's Day, it was the obvious occasion for the official opening of the Senedd (pronounced 'Seneth'), the new, Richard Rogers-designed home of the Welsh Assembly. The £67 million project in Cardiff Bay is one of the 'greenest' public buildings in the UK and came in at about 15% of the cost of the, frankly ugly, Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Of course, there are always some shortsighted people who think any landmark public building is a waste of 'their' money, even when, as Sydney, Barcelona and even Bilbao have shown, such buildings can generate far more in tourism-related revenues than they cost. Good schools and hospitals and cutting edge architecture are not mutually exclusive.

An Arctic Storm, or The Cosmic Rider

Tonight's rehearsal for 'The Rivals' meant I was unable to see Arctic Monkeys at Le Botanique, although I did spot their shiny double-decker tour bus as we drove by the venue. Fittingly, the band's arrival coincided with an evening of heavy snow showers. At their current level of hype and success, the Monkeys are probably beginning to feel like an Arctic storm should be part of their rider, rather than a piece of serendipity. Let's hope Alex Turner lucks upon a bargain bin copy of 'Be Here Now' while on the road; it's the perfect reminder of the necessity of keeping feet on the ground.
Comparisons with Oasis are frequent and inevitable for this latest northern rock sensation. But in one key area - the rhythm section - Arctic Monkeys are much the better band: they groove while Oasis have always sounded leaden-footed.

Treading the boards

Limited posting for the next couple of weeks because of an impending appearance onstage in the Brussels Shakepeare Society's production of Sheridan's 'The Rivals'. I shall be playing Captain Absolute's manservant, Fag, a man who likes to live large.