New Blog Post!

Well, there are several events to recount, so I don't have to search hard for material.

With my return to the States fast approaching, the thought of sitting in my room in Paris for another three weeks was nauseating. With the lightest load of work for final exams, it seemed there was just enough to do in Paris to keep me bound to the ancient 750 grid. What a horror, thinking of all the places in Western Europe I would be unable to travel to from the far side of the Atlantic! 

And so, with little regard to my academic schedule, which I remind you, is quite light, I whipped together travel plans for three days and two nights of traveling in the lands North of Paris. Once again, I had caught scent of the northern, germanic winds. 

Still, I was timid, not willing to make any substantial leap in that direction. Taking small steps, I went from Paris to Lille, the capital of the Nord Pas de Calais region, not far from Dunkerque, where the British Expeditionary Forces took flight across the channel in the spring of 1940.

Like the American South, the North of France has a special reputation - namely for the homeliness of its people and the cold, windy North and the effect it takes on the people mentally. Close to the Walloon region of Belgium, the language takes a different tone. There is a Walloon language unique unto itself - never have I heard such gibberish! I wanted out almost as soon as I arrived! Then I had a delicious crêpe (chèvre and honey served with a delicate salad), and the uneasy feeling passed.

I took the 7:26 a.m. train to Brussels the next morning. My second visit to the city after a day-trip there with my father in the fall of 2007, I was destined to repeat a day-trip-length visit. I was excited to see the city in full bloom, but was rather disappointed as I walked around the city, poorly planned compared to other, more compact European capitals. Yes, the bruxellois architecture is nice, a blend of new and old. The new dominates the old in the Beglian city; it's a young nation, even compared to the United States. The sprawling Parc du Cinquantenaire was constructed in 1880 to celebrate independence from the Dutch in 1830. The French don't have a monopoly or patent on revolution.

The highlights of my day in Brussels were a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, a delicious fresh-squeezed orange and lemon juice drink, a waffle I bought from a guy in a truck, seeing the European Commission buildings, and viewing the Parc du Cinquantenaire with its magnificent arcade. The latter was stunning, a view that would have bowled me over had I not been so exhausted. I was disappointed to learn that the René Magritte Museum is not yet open! I took a picture of the entryway.

Holy Belgian waffle!

With no hotel or hostel booking in Brussels, I decided to catch the train to the Hague a day early that same afternoon. In the train station Bruxelles-Midi, I took this picture:

This foldable-style (term may be incorrect; I'm going from a direct translation from French) bicycle type seems to be catching on in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In London, however, the trend is fixed-gear bicycles. Stars such as Chloe Sevigny opt for the foldable-style:

It all goes to show the practicality and comprehensiveness of public transportation in these countries, with the Netherlands at the forefront. Travel by train is energy efficient and comfortable. I might as well tell you that one plus one equals two. Subway lines create a web of connectivity, and are sufficient for commuting to work. Trams, buses, and suburban subway lines enhance this web, connecting neighborhoods and suburban districts. Travel on foot remains a significant part of daily activity, but in fact, makes for less hassle. Image - a life free from parking, navigating poorly marked areas, highway on ramps and exit ramps, not to mention a more palatable atmosphere. 

Compare to : American rail system

It's important we remind ourselves from time to time of our own imprint on the planet. In some major metropolitan areas in the US, cars account for 70% of total carbon dioxide emissions. Eisenhower built America the greatest roadway system known to man, but he did so after we had already built the most expansive rail network. Thereafter, our cities were designed with the automobile in mind, which is to say they were built in a manner that is unfriendly to pedestrians. Bicycles do not solve the problem, but they help. As for the fate of the US, large scale legislation got us into this, and it will be large scale legislation that gets us out of it. 

I can't help but to imagine an America free from the big three and the bailout packages they've been given. Imagine if that money were invested in developing a better, faster, more affordable American train system? All this imagining caused me to momentarily forget that ours is a realist nation, no longer the land of dreams. 

Back to Europe!

I wandered Rotterdam for a couple of hours in search of Hostel ROOM Rotterdam. The Netherlands is the first country I have ever traveled to without any speaking ability in the native language, family vacation to France in 1998 excluded. German is closely related to the Dutch language, and while I can make sense of the language in written form, the spoken form is entirely different! Check out this website, there are several recordings available that can give you a better idea of what I'm talking about. 

The hostel was great - the staff was nice and beautiful, and I had an entire room to myself - no repeat of the smelly Scottish trio with poor eating habits experience in Berlin. One of the two tall, blond, Dutch girls on the evening shift invited the guests to the rooftop to view a light show commemorating the Nazi bombing of Rotterdam in May of 1940. This gave us a chance to discuss current political and social world affairs. Nations represented were AMERICA, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, and France. Afterwards, I enjoyed a beer with said Dutch girl, who has similar taste in music, and is therefore good. In conclusion, for every bad experience staying in hostels, there is a good one to cloud out the bad one!

The next day I had a nice (buffet!) breakfast with the Canadians. Then, exercising great caution to avoid being struck by a big, Dutch bicycle, I went the Rotterdam Kunsthal and Boijmans museums. The Kunsthal is a temporary exhibition space. I paid €4.50 to see Japanese Kimonos and Prix de Rome architectural, painted, and sculpted works. Check this out:

The Boijmans Museum collection was, simply put, extraordinary.

Adriaen Brouwer (1605, Oudenaarde - 1638, Antwerp)

I hustled back to the Centraal Station to catch a train bound for The Hague. I went directly to the Maritshuis, the Museum in possession of Vermeer's The Girl with the Pearl Earring. It was nice! I stayed until close, and had very little time before my train to Paris to explore the city. What else does one do in the city that is home to Vermeer's greatest work? 

The next day I went to Givery, West of Paris, with the Americans to see Claude Monet's home and gardens. Have you been to the Orangerie, where his large format paintings of water lilies? They were realized here.

It was more a tourist traffic jam than it was an educational visit. This woman has impressionist art printed on her clothing!

For me, the day in Giverny was a last chance to see some of the friends I've made this year, as well as to eat a really big, four-course meal. I hadn't eaten so well in weeks! 

If you're interested in seeing more of my photos from my trip, check them out here on my Flickr page. 

NYTimes article of interest

So I'm studying the French Revolution. When one studies Modern (post 1500) European History, the topic of la révolution almost always surfaces. That's right, France. We'll never stop talking about you in the modern world.

The French Revolution is, I agree, one of the finest examples of change in the modern world. But one thing we can learn from it is that change is gradual and often slow. President Obama put it best last month while fielding questions from Turkish students in Istanbul. "States are like big tankers, they're not like speedboats. You can't just whip them around and go in a new direction. Instead, you've got to slowly move it and then eventually you end up in a very different place." Yes, Napoleon's ten year reign was glorious, but where were the French back in 1830? Revolution, chaos. 1848? The same thing. The Bastille was stormed in 1789, but didn't burn until 1830. Life in France during that period was - difficult, unpleasant. 

It is very French, everything mentioned in this article. Michael Johnson's perspective on the matter is a rare one, and not even for a minute do I envy his responsibilities. He really lays in on the French. Towards the end, I found myself wondering, "Can he do that?" Good thing the French don't read the New York Times, let alone their own newspapers.

Here's a link to the article. It isn't long, but I've copied the highlights below.

I gained some insight into workers’ attitudes when I moved from London to Paris to manage part of a French publishing company a few years ago. This was not a workplace I recognized.

The standoff between French labor and management is accepted as normal, hardened through decades of mutual suspicion. The two parties tend to consider their interests to be mutually exclusive. 

I was surprised how often my staff spoke of “revolution,” seemingly nostalgic for their 1789 upheaval when the guillotine cleared the way for change. Even today, television pundits and trade union leaders talk earnestly of revolution brewing. Hyperbole? Probably, but indicative of the cultural conditioning.

In France, workers expect their companies to balance financial performance with the care and protection of their employees. If the company fails, the state is there to provide.

Here's where Johnson really digs in.

Despite the forces of globalization, the French worker does indeed give less than a 100 percent to the job. Individuality and personal life are prized above all, and friendships tend to be outside the workplace. This makes team-building difficult for the manager but allows the worker a richer outside existence.

Studies show that in the United States excessive devotion to work serves to limit one’s family life, cultural pursuits and personal development. Americans work longer hours, adding up to about two months more per year than the French.

This article confirms several suppositions I have been mulling over these past few weeks. I have little patience for French prudence in their professional and personal lives. It is still a very classist society, and in a nation that has experienced a great deal of immigration in the past fifty years, it's native French have become snobbish and racist. Thanks to this article, I can now say that these things date back to the First Empire, Second Empire and the Third Republic: the height of France's power. 

The 20th century has not been kind to France, that much is certain. The Third, Fourth and Fifth Republics are responsible for a great number of domestic and international follies, begging the question: is France deserving of the title of world power? These are the Dreyfus Affair, the military imprudence in the Great War of 1914, colonization in Southeast Asia, World War Two, Vichy France, and the French-Algerian War. The empirical state of mind was slow to leave the French. John F. Kennedy once wrote, "We must make [democracy] work right now. Any system of government will work when everything is going well. It is the system that functions in the pinches that survives." 

I don't know if I'll live to see the end to French snobbism, though I long to see that day come. Yes, their current system has its flaws, but they are not what has caused the global economic recession. Just because theirs is a socialist political system doesn't mean it should thrown out in response to these thin times. France didn't start feeling the economic crisis until late last year, nearly a year after personnel cuts began in the US. 

This may be due to the French economy, which bears little significance globally. One third of France works for France. Americans work longer hours, adding up to about two months more per year than the French. 

A woman in Paris once said to me, "I'd like to send my daughter to the US, but Americans play far too many sports." Perhaps she was also afraid her daughter might break a sweat, or worse, might think too hard.

enjoy these mp3 snacks with your coffee!

Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is the Move

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Been Listening to Music

It's been a good week - I've had the chance to attend several concerts since I last posted. Also, Easter vacation finally ended and I went back to school - joy! I'm auditing a class for lack of work to do. After a whole semester without it, now I can really say that I miss the Sorbonne. It's odd to say that weeks before my return to the States. I leave at the end of May. 

Last Monday I saw Frida Hyvönen at the Théâtre Marigny on the Champs-Elysées. As you can see, it's a magnificent venue, though I may not be accustomed to remaining seated for the duration of a concert. Frida is Swedish, and plays a sort of cabaret set with two other Swedish females, one on percussion and the other on bass guitar and cello. Their set was charming, opening with two of my Frida favorites, Birds and Enemy Within, more charming than it was strong.

The trio emanated a bird-like femininity, at one moment harmonizing in tones reminiscent of twittering sparrows. Their costumes, full body spandex jumpers with golden polyester decorations, contributed to their muse-like stage presence.

 

Though her lyrics may lack in poetics, the bizarre course and patterns of her melodies take hold of the listener, a kind of innocent seduction. She is two parts charmer, one part musician - but she's really charming, so let that speak to her talents as a musician. The songs are not moving, rather, they are alluring. It was a great performance. 

Songs from Silence Is Wild

Birds

Enemy Within

Pony

Hyvönen was followed by Clare and the Reasons, a five-person band out of New York playing songs I recognized, but did not know. Clare and her band were great, but I believe that none of their songs ever passed 100bpm. It all had a very hypnotic effect, and I'm embarrassed to admit I nodded off once or twice during their set! Can you blame me? I was seated, for goodness' sake! Clare's voice was more classically beautiful than the act preceding her, and her charisma would have made for great chemistry in a less formal venue setting.

Clare spoke some French, no doubt thanks to the French violin player. One of their songs was titled, Perdu à Paris, or "Lost in Paris". The American accent doesn't really do much for me, but I'm told it's nice. I would describe their performance as nice.

Then I saw a brief show just off the rue Oberkampf (not to be missed when visiting Paris) at a bar called Antirouille Café. Ultradig is a nifty Parisian/French Canadian trio with electronic, rock and folk influences. Left of YéYé, on their myspace page, is really good. The friend of a friend was acquainted with one the band-members. 

Last Thursday I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Le Bataclan on the Boulevard Voltaire in Paris' eleventh arrondissement. I had no ticket for the show, but for the second time this year, the scalpers roving the entrance came to my rescue. Actually, I never laid a hand on a ticket; instead, I paid a guy the rough equivalent of the price of a ticket to escort me directly to the VIP entrance (sneak me in through a fire exit, where his friend, working security at the venue, was waiting). I would have preferred that the money go to the band and the venue, as this is currently my sole means of supporting the music industry. In any case, I got in and saw a good rock show.

The YYYs have been around for quite some time (consult their wikipedia page for more on their history). WRNR, my preferred local, grass-roots radio station has successfully followed their rise to rock greatness. Another five years and they'll be ready for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (go C-town!). For those of you who aren't familiar with them, here is what you need to know about the band:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs = Karen O

And conversely,

Karen O = Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I was there for Karen O, not her band. The band may as well have not been present. No drummer, keyboard-playing bass-man, or guitar player could have been less exciting. 

I have read a good deal about the Karen O performance - mostly that she dominates the stage and the spotlight, as if doing so were unfair or selfish. 

When she took the stage and as the Parisians let forth a resounding oui, it all became clear. Karen O's performance was remarkable. Her composure surprised me. She was sober, her stage tricks were rehearsed to the letter, and she was beaming. Her voice always reminded me of a rubber band, and this rubber band voice is one of the best in contemporary rock and roll. Yes, it lacks in versatility, and performs more like a two-cylinder engine, being limited to roaring and off. 

Her physical performance, like I said earlier, was spectacular. The few rock and roll stage conventions she calls on are for fun - the costumes, the costume change, the sexy dance moves and poses. The fist-pump, however, became the fist-pump jump, more girly than riotous. The show was, in fact, family friendly, which still baffles me.

Such fun made for a quick show - one and a quarter hours passed by quickly. Unfortunately, the encore numbers, including Maps, were emotionless. Maps has become another Wonderwall, Creep, Clocks, or Mr. Jones. Their live rendition of Zero, the single from their their new album It's Blitz, was also missing something.

Nonetheless, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are at their best, with Karen O as the proof. Though her strength on stage is dominating, all the attention is rightfully merited. She is a modern wonder in rock music, and we can only hope she and her band will continue to blaze the way for modern rock and rocker-kids.

Look back a few posts - a link to the Zero mp3 is in here somewhere.  

This is not related:

I just stumbled upon this live clip of St. Vincent, one of the best new artists to arrive in 2009. Pitchfork Media's Susannah Young recently reviewed one of the best tracks on her album Actor (2009), titled Actor out of Work. The mp3 may be found at the end of this post. Her midwestern heritage means you've got to love her, and this live rendition of Marry Me is simply inspiring. It's a shame she had to play with the Polyphonic Spree, the most Mormon of bands to be aired on MTV. She's currently on tour and will be stopping in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and some town in Massachusetts. 

Here are some other mp3s - very good ones, as always!

Lead Belly - Goodnight Irene

Dusty Springfield - Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa

St. Vincent - Actor Out of Work

Fever Ray - Coconut

The Streets - Trust Me

Midlake - We Gathered in Spring

Shugo Tokumaru - Rum Hee

As this post demonstrates, a minimal amount of schoolwork awaits me these coming weeks. However, my forgotten work ethic will make success a less-easily achieved objective. Time to listen to some Ronald Reagan speeches. 

Please excuse any grammatical errors! 

For Laughing

Here's a funny image a friend sent me just a few days ago. I thought it would compliment this blog's theme nicely.

The Vandame's really enjoyed this one. I don't think they knew how, eh, tall Carla is.