'Tis the (busy) season...

Kyrgyzstan trip 1 of 2 for the end of the year, with a irritating layover in Tashkent just to really throw my jet-lagged brain off course. ...a short seminar on stakeholder engagement with a new friend in a cold place.




Turkey always tastes best at 61 Exmouth Market.



And a screaming Lykke Li.


One more trip to practice my Kyrgyz and a report or two before a much-anticipated New Year holiday to the US of A.

Oh, what a night! - November 4, 2008

Miriam Makeba

Singing her heart out to the end. Miriam Makeba 1932 - 2008. A farewell tour that lasted three years!

I love this album.

All in one night?!?!

Independent review and one from the Guardian. Previous night sounded better, but I ain't complainin'!

Way too short of a performance by Amadou & Mariam!

Bassekou Kouyate and Toumani Diabate were extraordinary.

Finally, I got to see Oumou Sangare. Dying to see her again.

Wow.

Then Baaba Maal with Oumou.

And even more griots!

With a bit of Rachid Taha rockin' the casbah to end.

5 More Friends uncensored

Africa Now!

This could be the most exciting line up I have ever seen in my life! I will see this tomorrow!

Wow!

Long time, no blog...

The old lady and I were sittin' at home watching the old youtube the other night. We got all nostalgic watching this. We thought we would write to albeo to remind him what he missed, but then realized he had seen this on the third night of a dry Glastonbury. Sigh... Pondering the whole matter, we were comforted that we had both seen this while knee deep in mud. Good memories, but things got slightly odd at that point and we let our minds wander. We realized that the old lady's mother!!! had been at this and it was strangely similar to what we saw...38 years later.

This and That

This and that will tell you what I have been doing ever so productively. We were very happy to meet Santogold with Shelagh last night.

Little Bit

Hard to stop listening to this.

Why can't I think of these things?!?!

Genius!

Lovebox was happy, happy, happy!

London Under Attack?

I thought, catching this 16-plane formation of Tornado GR4 aircraft flying over me while sunning myself on a calm London morning. Terrorists? Euro 2008 hooligans? No, it was the Queen's Birthday. How silly of me not to know that!

On any given Sunday (in shoreditch)

Hmmm, salted beef and beigels the way the Brits spell it...


Pretty much everything for a fiver!


Hey, Japanese purses, just like in Japan.


Brick Lane's finest



P: I loved when she said, "Today I am standing with Senator Obama to say 'Yes we can'!"
P's new friend: That was a good part, but not as good as when she said: "The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States."


Previously undiscovered Spitalfields City Farm!


And with our luck, not only a sunny Sunday, but a FREE sheep sheering event!


And just when we thought our morning couldn't get any better...


Chiaki, we hope you visit again soon!

Holy Seun Kuti!!!

I have been officially introduced to Seun Kuti.


His rendition of Shuffering and Smiling is as close as I will get to his father. It was...very, very good!


Please come back to London!

Can you print "vulva" in Azerbaijan?

Apparently, you can.

Don't let the hullabaloo related to the word "bitter" make you think there is not other news in the world...

For example, the British nation is insulting Azerbaijan again. I am not sure if you know but...

A pub named Camel's toe which initially seems to mean what it means -"A toe of a camel" functions in the very center of Baku, several meters away from the passage, at 22. Mamedaliyev street.

But, in fact the name has a double meaning. The Camel's Toe has a meaning "the clear visible presence of a woman's vulva as a consequence of wearing overly right pants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel_toe).

While some of my seedier friends had alerted me to this insult, that isn't all! Brave journalists entered the establishment despite rumors of prostitutes.

It should be noted that we did not notice any prostitute in the pub. Yet there were several curious moments. The walls of the pub were decorated with different flags including the flags of Scotland, England, Great Britain and Russia. All, except Azerbaijan. The said fact proves the direct violation of the law "On rules of use of flags of other countries and international organization in the territory of Azerbaijan". Perhaps, the pubs owners have no idea of the law. But the fact that the pub does not bear the flag of the country, it functions in, says that the bar owners do not respect the attributes of Azerbaijan.

No idea of the law indeed! Those Brits are elitist and out of touch!

Recovering from Dengue Fever

It is rare that I like a band because of its name, but sometimes it happens and sometimes I like the music too! Dengue Fever is an enjoyable cross between Grace Jones, Cake, The Cowboy Junkies all playing in a dive Phnom Penh bar (or Addis Ababa on a few tracks).

Who to vote for?!?

Hillary in your dreams!

I haven't yet resorted to dreaming about Obama, but was entertained by the New Yorker comment on a website called The Metaphysical Poll (formerly I Dream of Hillary ... I Dream of Barack until McCain supporters complained that it was bias). Obama is winning in the subconscious as well. I like the idea that McCain and Billy Idol are the same person.

It is run by a Canadian!

Not a meat eater

February was an experiment in eating lamb, chicken and even pigs and cows. The hypothesis was that I might feel differently with a bit of flesh now and again. The conclusion was that it didn't feel any different. So, while my vegetarianism has never been too extreme, my flirtation with embracing omnivorism is over. Come out and play, my bovine friend. I won't eat you (very often)!

What can I experiment with in March?

Losing a Friend

When I first heard Andy Palacio last year, I instantly double underlined the track on my Songlines sample CD and went right out and bought it. I had the great fortune to see him play a fantastic set at Cargo last June and am deeply saddened by the news that he has died at 47.

He reminded me of what's important and I feel like I have lost a friend.