Happy Holidays from Porto

I interrupt my unusual blog posts to wish my friends and readers Merry Christmas!

I leave you with this postcard from the best city in world. As you can see, even Santa Claus loves this! ;-)

USA tour - Seattle

Did you know Seattle has some islands very close to its coastline? Well, I didn't and it was the best surprise during my stay.

Of course there's always the city center, the fish market and the world famous Space Needle tower... but I enjoyed the wild nature more than anything else.

So I went by ferry boat to explore one of the islands, Bainbridge. On this island there's a nice community, with all the necessary services. Houses here have forests as neighbors, with tall trees and hiking paths. An SUV is the ideal vehicule to go around here. :-P

After my New York cupcakes, I had my first american breakfast on this island: eggs, mashed potatoes, spinach and all the coffee I could drink! :)

Even Hollywood already used this scenic landscape for some of its movies... like the "Twilight" saga movies. I didn't find any wolves or vampires... but there are many coyotes around! ;-)

On mainland, there are attractions like the Space Needle (if you want to see Seattle from above) and the funny fish market, where clients have always a show provided by its local merchants. They sing, they throw fish around, they put funny tags on fish and their fish stands... it's a special kind of show. ;)

And for those Starbucks fans (and I'm definitely NOT one) you can find in Seattle the first store ever. From the days when they were actually just selling coffee grains (now they are just another marketing company). The funny thing in this store is that you can smell coffee!! :D

USA Tour: Seattle Album

The great California state would be my next destination. My first stop was Los Angeles and Hollywood. The movie magic was about to begin...

USA tour - Milwaukee

Mostly known for the Harley Davidson and the Miller beer (popular for the price, not the quality), Milwaukee was my third stop during my american tour.

Away from the city lights, here I was able to enjoy the typical american neighborwoods, with the classic american flag on almost every porch. Calm and quiet.
I enjoyed a typical Sunday with beer and american football on TV... but the weather didn't invite for a barbecue.

Then there was the huge Lake Michigan. When you see it you'll never guess that's a lake, because it looks like a sea with all the waves. You can't see where it ends and even ships have sunk there during lake storms!!

USA Tour: Milwaukee Album

The day was short and I had to get ready to catch my early flight to Seattle! Coming soon...

USA tour - Chicago

After a couple of days in New York, I headed to Chicago. One day only, so I tried to make the best of it. It was going to be tough, considering I only slept 2 hours the night before (yes, NY is the city that never sleeps!)

The flight was interesting. I had the opportunity to try wireless internet access on my mobile. Yes, it sounds very geek, but during a flight you don't have many interesting things to do.

Gangsters! Mafia! Al Capone! It may sound like a cliché, but that's was my first thought when I saw the "old" skyscrappers in Chicago downtown. Amazing to see all those 1910's/1920's architecture, amazing lobbies in some hotels and public buildings! If it wasn't for the modern cars on the street and the typical fast-food / franchising stores, I would say my flight went back in time! :-)

At the same time I could imagine the movie "Metropolis" or the Daily Planet building from Superman comics.
A special note to the "Union Station" for trains. You will see some pictures in my album, but do you recognize the staircase from somewhere? Well, it's the staircase used in the climatic scene in the movie "The Untouchables", where a baby carriage is caught in a shootout between Elliott Ness' G-men and Al Capone's gang.

One thing is true about Chicago: when it's cold it's REALLY cold. And usually I handle cold easily, but Chicago was a challenge!
My one day stop at Chicago was on a rainny day, so I went to the "Museum of Science and Industry". Usually museums aren't my first choice during vacations, but there was a Muppet exhibition going on! :-P

One thing I missed was the typical Chicago-style pizza, which is a deep-dish pizza, a mix between an italian pizza and a french quiche. Yes, you need a big stomach for this one! :)

USA Tour: Chicago Album

Chicago also has a waterfront to the huge Lake Michigan... but that was something I was leaving to explore on my next stop: Milwaukee! :-)

My non-stop USA tour!

I'm finally back! 3 weeks ago I was packing my stuff before starting my latest adventure: going around United States by plane, car, train and on foot! Many many many miles were made, new friends met, around 3000 pictures taken and hours of video produced... I'm tired but very satisfied with this crazy idea.

The goal was simple: during 3 weeks I wanted to visit as much as possible around the United States. Visit some of the usual places and try, really try, to visit and do different things.
To accomplish this I need to meet local people. In some cities I had friends waiting (thank you for your patience with me!), other times I met new people and made new friends through the CouchSurfing community (thank you all for accepting my challenge) and a special thank you to those who crossed my way, with a smile, always ready to help this guy who never stopped taking pictures... and never stopped talking :-)

I must confess I was positively surprised on how people were cheerful and nice. Thanks again for making this trip so great.
Lots of coffee and coke (Coca-Cola, to avoid misunderstandings) were drank to keep my engine going. And the engine never failed! :-P

New York
The Big Apple was my start and ending point. As soon as I arrived I spent two days visiting the best of the city that never sleeps. And I can garantee that I didn't sleep much :)
The astonishing Times Square, the busy Rockfeller Plaza and Wall Street, the calm and squirrels at Central Park, the Metropolitan and Natural History museums, the night view from the Empire State Building (but the view is far better from Top of The Rock Observation Deck, at Rockfeller center/GE Building), the Brooklyn Bridge and the morning cupcakes.
During my initial stay in New York I was lucky enough to see the Veteran's Day Parade... and I was even luckier by being able to walk in the parade to get the best pictures :-)
As a fan of the TV show "30 Rock" I had to visit the NBC Studios to learn more about the magic behind the small screen! ;-)

USA Tour: NY Album

My next stop was Chicago... but that's for another post... it's not easy to organize thousands of pictures :)

Live from the skies!

Hello boys and girls! This is a live broadcast coming from above your heads ;-)So behave...because I'm watching you all ;-) eheheh

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey! Turkey! Turkey! :P

Not a spooky Halloween

Wow! I've just realized this blog isn't update for more than a month! :-) Well, I'm alive and the delay isn't due to all those strikes you have all seen on TV!

Well, strikes become a routine if you live in France for a while. If there was such a thing as Strike Olympics, France would win all the medals: gold, silver and bronze! eheh And countries like China wouldn't be even qualified to participate :)

It was the same routine: public transportations crowded, students blocking schools (not during school vacations, of course), gasoline production stopped (stome stations were selling it at 52euros/l), protesters block road access to the airports (tourists must exit taxis and walk), others just like to break stuff and put fire on everything (as seen on TV!) eheh

The most positive thing was in fact Halloween. People disguised and partied for the fun, after all it's a marketing celebration ;-)
The strikes were "scarier", "darker" and definitely spookier! eheh

I'll be back with more... in a month or so! :)

The longest day

It was a sunny Sunday. The weather was nice and I didn't have special plans for that day. "What can I do today", I thought. "I know! I'm going to wait 7h in queue to visit a building".

It's sad, but it's true. I spent almost half-day just waiting to enter the official french presidential residency.
With the Europeans Heritage Days public can enjoy events and unusual visits, because many public and private sites are open to everyone.
These Heritage Days happen during a weekend, all over Europe. In France, the most popular visit is the official residence of the President of the French Republic: the Élysée Palace.
Here, people can visit the Presiden't office, the room where Council of Ministers meets and the big dinning room for galas and receptions.

But, as this visit is so so popular, usualy people have to wait several hours before passing security. So, thanks to my bright idea, I spent 7 hours (!!) just waiting to enter. It was my longest day... :-P

At least I've learned a good hint. If you want to visit a popular place and you want to avoid crowds, just go with a pregnant woman. They have priority... and almost a red carpet! ;-)

Live from the red carpet

The most popular movie festival in France is in Cannes, of course. Besides movies, people can enjoy sun and sea.

But there is another movie festival, on the other side of France, which is not that different. Only its size.

Recently I decided to visit Deauville, one nice and small coast city in north of France. Very popular during summer but also during its famous American Film Festival.
As you can imagine, at this festival you only have american productions, from movies to TV shows.

I had the opportunity to discover some premieres like "Waking Sleeping Beauty" (a documentary about Disney), "Charlie St. Cloud" (a cheesy movie for teenagers) and "Buried" (one of the best thrillers in recent years). More details in my Tweeter ;-)


The movie festival at Cannes is very elitist, not very open to the public audience. Deauville festival is the opposite, they try to catch general public attention by selling 1-day or 1-week passes. Still, some movies are invitation only.

It was a weekend of sun, wind (a very windy region) and movies. There were other highlights, but I leave that for another post. :-P

My twin sister's visit

Recently I had this surprise visit from my twin sister. She lives very far away and she came here to present her latest movie ;-)

In case you don't know, I'm talking about Angelina Jolie, of course. She was in Paris to present "Salt" and I was lucky enough to see her.
We can't neglect family, right? ;-)

My movie reviews are now in Twitter mode, but in case you want to know "Salt" is a good action movie, with a twisting plot until the very end. I recommend you to watch it. Although the ending could be smarter.

One thing I've noticed: my sister is very very thin, almost anorexic! I think I should be cooking for her, with more pepper and less salt! eheh So she could be in "Tomb Raider" shape! Go, go Lara Croft! ;-)

Cocktails for everyone

Summer is here, the weather is warm, people prefer drinking rather than eating... so let's make people happy.
I enjoy cooking, but I decided to learn something different this year, and the winner was cocktail preparation. For starter, digestive or just fun, cocktails are as diverse as meals. Combining ingredients to get tasteful, rich and colorful results.

As I didn't have any proper "tools" and acessories, I bought the basic to start. Then some beverages and ingredients. As some people don't drink alcoholic cocktails, I've also learned how to prepare some soft ones. :-P

So, for the last weeks I've been preparing (rather than drinking) all kinds of cocktails, inviting friends over... and get their feedback. Well, the feedback from those who survive the experience! eheh

The bar is open...

Me Tarzan!

If people say it's hard to live on this earth, I say... climb up a tree! :-) My quest for different adventures brought me to what french call "accrobranche", which can be translated into something like "hooked to branches" (tree branches).

This sport and fun activity is placed well above ground, on top of trees, from 3 meters to 15 meters high... it depends on your guts! eheh

Recently I convinced a group of friends to try this activity and it was awesome. At the beginning the questions and fear were there, but soon as the adrenaline started to pump... no one wanted to stop.

This accrobranche is a set of paths between treetops, which can be a normal rope bridge, a zipline to glide or a real Tarzan rope where you have to swing to the other side and grab a rope net! Amazing!

Jump to the pictures!

São João all night!

The tradition says: sardines and vinho verde! So the tradition for Saint John's (São João) was kept for another year!

The night from 23rd to 24th of June is celebrated in some cities around the world, but I have to confess the best celebration is held at Porto (of course, where else?) eheh

This year new victims were found to experience one part of this celebration: the gastronomy!

So I add some colour to the living room, the table opened to its fullest and then everyone enjoyed. Themed music included! eheh

This year it was Korea, Morocco, Japan, Tunisia, Poland and Brazil the special guest stars! eheh

So the word will carry on... :)

Maybe next time you'll be my guest, who knows? ;-)

Viva o São João!

Cheers!

Food fest!

I know the "F" word shouldn't be said, but I don't care: FOOD YOU! eheheh This time was more "feed you"! Recently I had to celebrate a special date, one of those who arrive each year around the same time!

The best thing about food, for me, is to be able to share with other. Specially when it comes to show the typical dishes and cuisine in general.

So the day was divided in two: pastry during the day and a full table at night. Everyone had a blast... almost a stomach blast. But quality above all! At then end everyone was satisfied and wanted to repeat some other time! eheheh

I didn't cook this time, so we all went to one authentic portuguese restaurant... where the portions are above average (and some times above reasonable!). Better than the food, it's the service. The typical and genuine warm and smiley welcome (something very rare around here).

That's the best gift, to see everyone happy around a table... while eating, of course! :-P Drinking too... wisely, of course! eheh

Enough talking, here are some pictures of the "food festival"!

"Lost" is over! Amen!

You can read this, because I'm not going to spoil you any surprise (?). "Lost" is one of the most (or maybe the most) popular TV shows in the last 6 years. The final episode was broadcasted this week... and I'm disappointed with the end... very!

There was a mysterious island, a crashed plane, a group of survivors that try to survive a rollercoaster of events, monsters, enemies and unexplained phenomena. And this was exactly the "problem" of the show, each new season brought more characters and stories... maybe without thinking how to tie all the loose ends.

The final season was the worst, where the snowball of cross stories got bigger and bigger.

How to stop the rollercoaster? Well... the writers of the show were lost for real! They went for the easiest solution, which doesn't oblige them to explain anything.

"Lost" had a great potential, but there was never a planned ending since day 1. It reminds me the "Twin Peaks" TV show, which had a final episode to forget. Or even the last "Indiana Jones" movie... the last one is definitely to forget too! eheheh

I'm happy that the show is over, because I couldn't continue with torture and some insany from the writers. I enjoyed "Lost" as a whole... I just have to imagine the perfect ending! :-P

Luckily I didn't pay for it or else I would ask my money back! eheheh

Farewell to Oceanic 815...

I want my lemon ice tea!

In a big city like Paris we can think it's possible to have or get anything. Wines, spices, books, vegetables and general products from all over the world. Normally I don't bring stuff from abroad because I can find everything here... or almost.

There's one thing I like very much and it doesn't exist in France: lemon ice tea. Yes, and I repeat, there isn't bottled ice tea, lemon flavoured in France! :-P

You can find all other flavours like mango and peach everywhere. From the top brands to the budget ones, no one offers lemon as a choice.

However there's lemon flavoured... water!! So they don't use lemons for ice tea, but to add flavour to water! eheh

Italy, Spain, Portugal, England... in these countries you can have lemon ice tea everywhere!

Recently some friends visited me and they brought me lemon ice tea for a month... if they were caught by customs I think they could have been accused of smuggling! eheheh

I think I'm going to start a lemon revolution! eheh I want my icea tea! :-P

Who's playing with my voodoo doll?

It's very very very rare for me to get sick, ill or have any type of aches. However, last week it's was like a merry-go-round (or carousel if you prefer).

No, I'm not exaggerating... the only thing I didn't get was a pregnancy!! eheheh Aleluia!

The curious thing about each "problem" was they only appeared during a single day! As soon as I got rid of one, the next one arrived! The only explanation is a voodoo doll or a curse on me... well, basically they are the same!! eheh

Anyway, the list goes like this: nose blocking, flu symptons (no kidding!), toothaching (when was the last time I had teeth problems?) and now my knee! :-) Voilá! Take your pick!

Luckily I managed to fight all those in one week... and yes, I was still going to work! I wouldn't let those "small" things get me! Muahahah (read: evil laughter!) ;-)

Another explanation could be a "higher-entity" who wants me to avoid a certain catastrophe or natural disaster. Being 50% ill I wouldn't go anywhere. Like those "Final Destination" movies! eheh

So, whoever is sticking pins on me, stop now.... because I'm "Kick-Ass"! eheheh

Yes, you have to watch this movie to understand ;-)

Now I can eat while running! eheh

ps: only "Hit-Girl" is tougher than me! ;-)

Delicious Easter

Christmas, Carnaval, Easter and many others... for every season or holy day there's always something... typical on the table. This is one thing I really enjoy about my country, to have a dishes and desserts. But the most important is to share with others! :)

So to keep the tradition, I've prepared lamb and kid. It's weird to say I prepared kid or I had kid for lunch! eheheh But this is actually the english name for cabrito (in portuguese and spanish).

For dessert, there's nothing more typical than pão-de-ló (similiar to the sponge cake). Luckly in Paris you can find anything and everything related to portuguese products.

I'm lucky because I can prepare all the meals, show the wines and other products. No, I don't work for the Chamber of Tourism! eheheh

It was a long meal... and digestion will take some hours! :-P But it was delicious, nothing went wrong this time! ;-)

As a side note, although France is known for its cuisine, it's curious to see there aren't traditions regarding typical dishes for every occasion.

Hmmm... I wonder what is the next special date. Saint John maybe? ;-)

I really would like to be the next Spielberg or Scorsese, but no, I'm not having directing classes ;-)

This was one of my several April Fools pranks I usually like to make! eheh Yes, it's stronger than me! But don't feel bad, many others felt.... but for different pranks! eheh

At work I spread the news that I was leaving, due to budget reasons. Most of my fellow workers were surprised but at the same time it was... plausible! eheh Luckly I warned everyone at the end of the day, because they were already collecting money for an office pool!! eheheh Can you imagine? My prank was being already lucrative! eheh

But then they got their revenge: they managed to put a sticker on my back with a fish on it. It's what french call "poisson d'Avril". If you want more info on this read my special report! eheh

Then, accordingly to my circle of friends, I had other pranks: canceling a meeting due to a flood in the kitchen, inviting people for lunch or saying I watched the Indiana Jones 3D movie ;-)
It was a very funny day! eheheh

Well, back to real life (well, it's fun too) and time to prepare the Easter Sunday lunch ;-)

A special thanks to those who fell for my pranks! :-)

A future director

I like to watch movies, I like to review them, I enjoy the small details from each movie and to see great performances.
It's easy to criticize, to say it could be better and blah blah blah. What's the best way to help? Instead of talking about, I will do my own movies.

I decided to join an amateur film school, wishing I could be the next Oscar winner! eheh It will take some time until I step behind the camera. For the moment I have to learn everything from scratch: storyboards, sets, framing, light, sound and editing.

I think I should have started as an actor, before trying directing... but I couldn't wait that long! eheh

So now, 3 times per week, after work, I join my new group of movie fans who want to discover cinema from the other point of view. And that doesn't mean in 3D! eheh

Headaches in 3D!

It started in 2009 the next "new" trend in movies: the 3rd dimension. The popularity became so big that TV manufacturers start to invest in this area.

I've visited recently the Sony showroom, where they have an interesting set of 3D-ready high definition TVs, which are going to be put on sale in June/July. I went there for the curiosity, of course, but it wasn't a totally positive experience.

One thing I must agree: 3D in high definition TV sets is very very good! Better than movie theathers but we still need to use 3D glasses. For me the big drawback is the movie and gaming experience.
I watched 3D TV with movie and video game trailers, but it's impossible to focus all subjects in an image. you have one car in a distant plan, then you have a person closer to you, then there's a moto coming in your direction.... ufff! What an headache trying to focus different objects with different depth fields in an action sequence or in an action game.

To make things worse, if you need to read subtitles, you also need to focus your eyes in a plan closer to you.
Honestly I don't see this technology with a big success. Just imagine watching movies, documentaries, sports and TV shows everyday or for long hours. And kids will get their eyes poped out with 3D animation movies and cartoons! eheh

I think after the influenza A virus, laboratories will get rich by selling eye drops and glasses to correct your vision! eheheh

If movie studios like Sony invest in 3D to put more people in movie theathers, why do they invest in TVs too? Well, I guess movie piracy will continue in 3D! :-P

Happy Saint Patrick!

To all the irish around the world: slainte! No, I'm not irish but I like to enjoy a special event with nice people!

So, let's grab a good pint of Guiness and celebrate the green day. Yes, specially now that everything is about being green, eco-friendly, nature respectful and blah blah blah.

I started the first round after work and now is time for the sequel!

The long Oscar night

Once again I kept my tradition: watch the Oscar ceremony live, sleep 2 hours and then go to work! eheh
After recovering from that "very difficult" experience, I'm back to post my last thoughts regarding the awards.

Some of my previous expectations were kept, but I believe there were a couple of surprises.

Avatar - a disappointment because it didn't get all the technical awards. And it didn't deserve the award Best Picture.

Inglorious Basterds - you have to watch the movie and enjoy the Nazi official played by Christoph Waltz.

The Princess and The Frog - it didn't get any Oscar but it was the BEST animation movie of the year. Period. Traditional handdrawn animation, with great jazz (!) songs and a very funny story.
"Up" is more of the same: computers, 3D and Pixar!

Sandra Bullock - for me it was the biggest surprise. I haven't watched the movie yet, but to get the Oscar for her first nomination is really a feature! Specially after winning the Razzie award for Worst Actress for the movie "All About Steve"! eheh

Nine - I watched this movie just before the Oscars and I regret it. It's a bad musical movie! Too many songs and no story! A waste of a great casting! Watching the movie is like watching the Broadway show: a camera filming a stage! "Moulin Rouge" is still the number one musical movie! Because we can can can

The ceremony was good, nothing extraordinary, without any special moments. The hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin were great. I hope they stay for next year.
Once again Ben Stiller managed to surprise and present himself... differently. ;-)

Well, now is time to watch more movies and to make a diet plan after a long night of coffee and junk food! eheh

It was 4 years ago!

It was on a quiet evening, on 3rd of Mars 2006... that I arrived in France. And guess what, I'm still alive!! eheh With 2 suitcases, lots of hope and always very optimistic!

It sounds like the Star Wars opening credits: "A long long time ago in a galaxy far away"! My adventure started in Nice, south of France, a small city on the coast, with lots of sun, beaches, mountains and a "quiet" life. 4 years later, now in Paris, a big metropolitan city, some grey skies and the crazy non-stop life.

I wonder where will I be 4 years from now... maybe in another planet! eheh Ok, let's forget the 2012 end of the world theory. After all we all survived other theories like the year 2000 bug, the H1N1 "pandemic" virus, global warming (or cooling, as you prefer), the economic crisis... until the next big news headline shows up!
I won't even mention Haiti, Chile or Japan! It's the earthquake season!

One thing is sure, I hope you are all there in 4 years (and more!) so we can share our crazy life experiences! eheh

A big salute to those who I came across during my french adventure and abroad!

See you all soon...

Kitchen Lab

My last post made me think about my cooking experiences. Sometimes this blog looks like a movie review web site, because I like to share my movie experiences with you! eheh But besides movies, one thing that I do a lot is cooking but for some weird reason (yes, I'm always about weird things!)

I never talked about my cooking experiences (with one rare exception almost two years ago). I always leave this "hard" task of updating the blog for a better day... and that day never arrives! eheh

But today I said "enough is enough" so I've uploaded some pictures from my last cooking experiences. Yes, because usually eyes eat first, and besides cooking I like to take pictures of it... but I have to improve this skill.

My kitchen lab photo album

Bon appetit!

Carnaval!

Samba, feijoada and caipirinha! All the ingredients required for a real Carnival (spelled "Carnaval in Portuguese) before Mardi Gras... well, I would still need sun and hot temperatures, but I'll manage with the cold and grey sky!

For those who don't know, feijoada is a stew of beans and pork meat, very typical in Portugal and Brazil. Although beans are the main ingredient, the portuguese feijoada (which uses white beans) is different from the brazilian one (which uses black turtle beans).
As we are celebrating Carnival, the brazilian feijoada is a must.

As for the caipirinha, I believe you've already heard (and maybe drunk) this brazillian cocktail made with cachaça, sugar and limes.

Enough of chit-chat, now it's time for some brazilian sounds to cheer up your Carnival: batucada percussion

And the nominees are...

Yes, the Oscars are coming and we always start with the nominees. As always there aren't many surprises, but two: this year we have 10 movies nominated for Best Picture and we have... two hosts! eheh

Still, is curious to see a Quentin Tarantino movie, "Inglourious Basterds", nominated for Best Picture, along with "District 9" which was for me the best surprise of 2009.
There's once again an animated Picture, "Up", nominated for this same category and the Cohen brothers couldn't miss it too! eheh

Well, I'm not going to exhaustively talk about each nominee, but I'll leave you with thoughts:

Avatar - it deserves all technical awards and the best director for James Cameron (for putting it all together), but it's not the best movie.

Inglorious Basterds - if you watched it you may remember Col. Hans Landa, the evil german officer, but it deserves a good Oscar for best actor in a supporting role.

Best actress - Meryl Streep kicks ass in "Julie and Julia", but I believe the award is going to Gabourey Sidibe for "Precious" a very very heavy drama.

Coraline - usualy the Oscar for best Animated Feature Film goes to a Pixar movie, but I would like to see Coraline get the award. Good story with a dark side and a great stop-motion animation.

The 2010 Oscars ceremony will be hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Is it a good choice? Well, usually I watch the ceremony live and it's a fact that audiences aren't the same anymore. I believe it will be a funny mix ;-)

And the Oscar goes to...

Orphan

What a good thriller-horror movie! Really! The first good horror film I've watched in 2010 is one of the best movies of 2009! Unfortunately this movie only opened in France late last year... but it was worth the wait.

At the beginning you may think "Orphan" turns around this little girl, who gets adopted and as soon she arrives at the new home... bad things happen. True. There's nothing new around the story... but, something caught by surprise: the actress who plays the main role! I was amazed how this 10 year old kid (at the time of filming) looked, behaved and talked like a killer! :-O Plus, this "little" american actress had to pretend this russian accent!

I may sound like her agent, but I'm not. Besides this amazing performace, the film is very well paced, great suspense and a twister at the end. An original twist regarding the killer's reasons...
During the movie, I was enjoying the acting so much that I was on the killer side! eheheh Like we all do with "Dexter". :-P

I've seen some good horror movies in 2009 like Drag Me to Hell, Paranormal Activity or even the amusing Final Destination 4 - 3D. "Orphan" will be at the top.

I totally recommend this movie, but no need to watch on the big screen. Just watch it.

We still don't know this year's Oscar nominations... but the best killer-actress is definitely Isabelle Fuhrman! Amazing!

Modern art

If you think paintings and sculptures are the best example of fine art, well, think again. The trend today is called... installations. What's an installation? Well... let's just say you can do ANYTHING and call it... art!
Believe me, I've seen things that goes beyond common sense... but that's art. It's not supposed to be logic, beautiful, to have a meaning... you just throw anything and voilá, you have a master piece. :-P

I'm an open minded person, but to ask people money to visit these new art forms is too much.
One of these latest expositions shows a pile of clothes and then some more clothes scattered around! Unbelievable! eheh
If someone leaves clothes like that at home, everyone will says it's someone lazy, clumsy, unorganized... but, if someone does exactly the same thing in a museum... it's art!! eheh And people will pay to see your clothes on the floor!! :-P

But that's not all... this same artist requested the museum to turn off the electric heat, so people could feel his art! So people are actually paying to see a mess in the museum, with a good chance of catching a cold! Vive l'art moderne! eheheh

I recently found another type of art, urban art, when people give "life" to meaningless items. There are new public toilets around Paris but for the moment they don't have any graffitis... but I found one with a different door sign ;-)
Basically, someone assembled the body parts stickers in a different way! :-P

Art... imagination is the limit...

I want global warming

Everyone is claiming that the world temperature is increasing every year... so why are we in a global freezing? :-P I want to fill a complaint! eheheh

The temperature here, like almost around Europe, is at very low levels... never felt anything like this. Ok, maybe I already felt when skiing... but that's different! eheh

Walking in the streets is an adventure itself. People can ice skate involuntarily and for free! :-P
One advantage of this extreme cold is I can go out and there aren't the usual crowds of tourists. And, because it's the sale season, everyone goes to shopping centers! eheh
I looks like a ghost town... but with snow! ;-)

Yes, is great to walk with this weather, but I need to wear my ski clothes! :-P Then, I can enjoy a nice capuccino and crepe in a cosy cafe...

Congratulations! Your vaccine is ready!

In Europe, many countries have an excess of H1N1 swine flu vaccines and some of them already started selling them.
I don't know if this is the reason, because I received a notice in postal mailbox which invites me to take my vaccine.

It's weird because my french friends and collegues at work didn't receive any invitation. Everybody finds it curious... or maybe they just want to test the vaccine on me! eheh

I think I'll do business too... I'm going to sell my invitation. Anyone interested? eheheh

New year, new adventures

Here we are at day 1 from this New Year! I'm back in Paris, the city of light, but as always there's no such thing as fireworks to celebrate this special date. I think it's the only capital in the world which doesn't offer a spectacle to its citizens and tourists.

However, like all previous years we keep having cars burnt during the first night of the year! eheh It's curious because it's usually one of the first news being presentes at the TV news! eheh
Unfortunally this year the "car fire party" was impacted by the world crisis, because there were 10 less burnt cars comparing to last year! What a shame! :-P Still, the official counter for 2009/2010 is... 1137 cars! eheheh

But there were less people on the street this year, most of them foreigners. It was curious to hear "happy new year" or "bonne année" from american, english or spanish tourists. They were the most lively. Unfortunatelly I didn't hear many french wishing the same... a little bit disapointing.

I avoided the usual places/parties in clubs, hotels or restaurants... I prefer to go out, to cross people on the street and open a bottle of champagne at midnight. As there aren't fireworks, it's the Eiffel Tower which informs everyone when midnight arrives, by blinking all the lights.

Well.. a new year has started and I wish you all the best. More adventures to come...

Feliz Ano Novo!