Foire de Paris

It's something that the Parisians do it, either every year or not at all. After my first encounter yesterday, I understand why. This yearly exposition is very popular actually because of the variety. It caters for almost everybody, from the young to the old and to any culture. At the "foire", you"ll find furnitures, multimedias, ethnic food, rare jewelleries, jacuzzi pool, etc. The most interesting part I find is the World Culture section, where you can find things that you don't normally get in France. For example, Indian saris, pre-Colombian jewelleries, traditional Chinese furnitures, spices from the far east, Afrikan masks and many more.

I also understand why some Parisians have never been to the exposition. The CROWD! You need to queue to get the tickets to go in and the car parks are usually full by the late morning. It's always crowded during the weekends and public holidays.

Big City Life

One of our favourite channels these days is the Voyage channel. We stumbled upon a programme called "Big City Life" yesterday and we found it very interesting. I think it is a weekly programme on the channel and each episode presents the life of 3 habitants of a city. Yesterday's episode was on the life in Stockholm. An interesting part, I found is that, at the end of the presentation by each "citadine", he/she is asked by the producer to recommend an address (of a restaurant, bar, shop, etc) to be discovered in the neighbourhood in which he/she lives in.

I find that question interesting and I started thinking on applying that question in the cities that I have lived in.

I know some places of charm and rather undiscovered.

In Singapore:

• Axis Lounge at The Oriental Hotel - where you get a great view of the Esplanade, Fullerton Hotel and the Central Business District, quiet, lounge music



• Azhang Restaurant at Mohammad Sultan Road - where you'll be warmly welcomed by the restaurant owners



• Chez La Mamie (it used to be at Ann Siang Hill but they have moved) - where you can get authentic French food

In Kuala Lumpur:

• Citron Café - its premise is a converted colonial bungalow, with an enormous private garden. food is good and original. quiet place but you'll be surprised to find yourself in the heart of the city. view of the twin towers from the terrace.



• The Curve - where it makes shopping with husband and children a manageable thing to do. spacious, mid-range brands for you, comfy cafés for husbands and a pet supermarketfor the children.



• Sky Bar at the Traders' Hotel - fantastic view of the twin towers at night

In Paris:

• Too many to list.... to start with, most of the cafés, shops and roads that I find most charming are in the 6th and 7th arrondissement.

Vlaminck Exposition

We went to the Musée du Luxembourg a couple of weeks ago to see the Vlaminck exposition. It is still running and will end in July. For those who enjoy the works of Cézanne and Van Gogh, I would recommend you to see Vlaminck's paintings as well. The style is essentially expressionist.

The exposition features the artist's masterpieces from 1900 to 1915 (a relatively short period). You will see that his early paintings are very colourful and projects a strong sense of "fauvisme".

Fauvism is the first of the major avant-garde movements in the European 20th century art; it is characterised by paintings that used intensely vivid, non-naturalistic and exuberant colours. The description fits perfectly with Vlaminck's paintings.

RESTAURANT - MONTPELLIER AND AREA

During our Easter week-end, we discovered some nice restaurant in Montpellier and around that we want to share with you.
As it’s more helpful for our friends in France, I will write the review in French (anyway, Meng Sun said that this kind of review is my job on this blog!).

MONTPELLIER

- L’acolyte: 1, rue des trésoriers de France - 04 67 66 03 43
Ce petit restaurant de charme, à deux pas de la Place de la Comédie, présente une carte originale, à base de produits frais, pour un prix raisonnable. Bonne carte des vins, que l’on peut commander au verre. Ambiance romantique, particulièrement dans la salle du haut. Accueil très chaleureux. Une très bonne adresse (ma préférée !). http://www.acolyte-restaurant.com/

- Roule ma poule : 20, Rue Candolle – 04 67 60 36 15
Petit resto sympa, un peu à l’écart sur une jolie petite place avec terrasse. Clientèle jeune et étudiante, carte intéressante, vins au verre, service sympathique. Un bon moment.

- Le vieux four : 59, Rue de l'Aiguillerie - 08 26 10 10 86
Ouvert uniquement le soir, un petit resto de caractère, l’un des plus vieux de Montpellier,
à la déco originale, très fréquenté. Il est donc conseillé de réserver, surtout le week-end. La carte est variée et assez originale la aussi. Les vins peuvent se commander au verre la aussi. Un endroit très agréable. http://www.levieuxfour.fr/

- Le Thé des Muses : 14 rue collège - 04 67 63 10 22‎
Petit salon de thé bien agréable pour reprendre ses forces autour d’une bonne pâtisserie maison, d’inspiration autrichienne, suisse ou allemande et d’un des nombreux thés disponibles. Les décors sont délicieusement « kitsch » et le patron très amical.


NIMES

- Dolce Italia : 1, Rue Corneille - 04 66 21 03 03
Restau italien assez « trendy » sur une petite place proche de la Maison Carrée. Carte assez large et inventive, décor sympa, un lieu agréable pour déjeuner.

An Easter weekend in the south

We were in the south during the coldest part of winter this year. The snow and rain storm that hit France was a surprise and we managed to escape it by chance as the trip was planned.



Montpellier, Nimes, Camargues, Aigues Mortes and so on....the medieval towns, Roman structures and natural landscapes are just magnificent.

Place de la Comedie, Montpellier

Les Arenes de Nimes

Le Pont du Gard

Agde

Palavas

La Camargue

Les Saintes Maries de la mer

Neighbours' Cats

The curious siamese cat looking out of the window to check out the passers-by. Bernard caught him looking at him while he was taking photos of the blooming plants outside our apartment.

This one is naughty. Once he came to our balcony and played with the fresh soil that we prepared for the spring plantation, leaving traces of its footprints and soil all over the balcony.

Real Copy

I'm referring to real copy of the works of grand masters such as Da Vinci, Cézanne, Monet Van Gogh, etc. Reproducing the masterpieces in oil on canvas is real physically. The only element copied is the imagination of the grand artists. In other words, real reproductions are painted by hand by authentic artists and its material, colour and odour resemble the original works.

We can find these reproductions easily and the prices are reasonable. But beware of print reproductions as the current technology allows high quality printing on textured paper to imitate the look and feel. Do ask the workshop whether the paintings are "fine art prints" or oil on canvas. You can also tell the difference by looking at the price.

You might be wondering also whether the reproduction of an oil painting breaches the laws of copyright. In France, the copyright laws do not restrict reproduction if the author is dead for more than 70 years. This should not pose a concern if you are interested to purchase (or even reproduce, if you have the gift of painting!) an impressionist work of the 19th century.