Culture news
Known as one of Australia's leading international arts festivals, The 2008 Brisbane Festival kicks of on July 18. A bienniall event, this year's festival looks better than ever; placing emphasis on creating new work, accessibility and facilitating exchanges between local, national and international artists by creating a programme bursting with a world class selection of music, art, opera, lectures and much more. The 2008 Brisbane Festival will run from july 18 - August six, with events taking place throughout the city.
Move over Paris. Forget New York. London who? Buenos Aires does everything you do, and more (and at half the price).
A sophisticated metropolis of European architecture, Argentina’s capital city is unlike anything you’ve seen in South American travel brochures. Forget gaudy colours (well, excepting the suburb of La Boca), llamas and gauchos.
Think cupolas, wrought iron balconies and deciduous trees. Think bustling nightlife, first-class restaurants and serious cafe culture. Think cutting-edge art, fashion and music at every turn.
There’s a reason why this place is nicknamed “the Paris of the South”. Old theatres are restored to their former glory and turned into palatial bookstores. Old folks (and young) dance tango on cobblestone streets. Strangers discuss politics over morning coffee and medialunas (literally “half-moons”, i.e. croissants - standard breakfast fare). Street art adorns the walls of every laneway. Whole suburbs are dedicated to antique stores and vintage clothing.
It’s Melbourne - on steroids.
Until 2001, a whimsical visit to Argentina was prohibitively expensive for the average lackey - the peso was (farcically) pegged to the US dollar. Then came the devastating economic crash that saw almost half the population slip beneath the poverty line. Since then folks here have been picking up the pieces, and - touch wood - it appears they are making a miraculous recovery. In the meantime, the rest of the world - enticed by the kinder price tag, no doubt - has slowly discovered what the porteños (born-and-bred Buenos Aires-ians) have known all along: here is where it’s at.
So if you’re in dire need of a seachange (or ocean-change, as the case may be), quit wistfully surfing the Lonely Planet website, and follow these simple instructions:
(1) Enrol in a beginners’ Spanish course (many people here speak English, but let’s shuck the stereotype of the arrogant Western tourist who can’t even say please or thankyou in their host country’s language), (2) book your flights and (3) warn your parents you may never return.
There’s nothing quite like embracing your inner nana and
staying in with a doona, a nice warm cup of
Tickets available through Ticketek.
We’ve all been known to overstate and say the odd outlandish comment every now and then, but nothing comes close to the clanger dropped by Philippe Starck at a press conference back in March. One of the worlds most prolific and innovative designers stunned fans worldwide by claiming, “design is a dreadful form of expression" and with only the slightest hint of regret, stated he would quit design in 2 years time. Fast forward to July and design lives on with none other than Starck himself unveiling what can only be described as the worlds most beautiful wind turbine, dubbed the “Democratic Ecology”. To be manufactured by Pramac, a generator company, it is hoped the turbine will power between 20%-60% of an average household and cost a very eco-friendly $630 when it hits the production line some time in the future. He may disagree but with such innovative and revolutionary thinking, lets hope Philippe Starck can manage to squeeze out a few more designs like this before the next 2 years are up.
Come one come all! Come and play a Japanese flute bigger than your body. If you're under 1.8 metres, that is. The World Shakuhachi Festival 2008 starts tomorrow and will be the largest congregation of shakuhachi players ever. The festival ends Tuesday July 8 so you’ve got plenty of time to channel your musical talents and embrace the oriental at a range of venues across Sydney. And don’t be scared, there’s an absolute beginners workshop for those who have never seen or heard of the bamboo flute, and more advanced classes for Shakuhachi masters (I salute you!) More details at the website.
As my Melbourne counterparts have known smugly for years; there ain't nothing better than filling up on noodles and Tsingtao before simply skipping across the road to the next venue. The good folks behind Goodgod know this and starting this Friday they'll be flying in the face of Sydney's largely Oxford-centric club scene by holding their monthly clubnite at La Campana - a little ol' venue right next to China Town. Headed up by artist Hana Shimada and amazing DJ's Spruce Lee and Jimmy Sing, you can expect your Goodgod soundtrack to be so fresh you could snap it in half; so culturally eclectic you'll feel the jet-lag and so fun you know you'll stay all night. Goodgod premiers this Friday, July 4 with a strict dress code: white tee, blue jeans or white jeans, blue tee. Entry is $10.
Action packed classic tv series MacGyver ran for seven successful years. Mac is a genius when it comes to improvisation. Using his extensive knowledge of chemistry and physics, along with experience with machinery of all types and plenty of imagination, he is able to get himself and his companions out of any kind of danger. So next time you lock yourself out of your apartment do a Macgyver and tie a fire hose to the door handle and an elevator handrail, then send the elevator down. When the elevator goes down, it pulls off the door... More handy ideas here...
