Marlene - Chanteuse et maintenant peintre - Vernissage

Here are some pictures take at Marlene's vernissage held in the Avant Scene studio on the Nice University campus at Saint Jean D'Angely.  Not the most attractive campus it has to be said, a work in progress that hopefully will blossom.  Meanwhile back to the vernissage which was attended by the president of the university ..... on her blog the pictures are on post 4.9
 

New Photography & Video Meetup - It's me Folks!

I have finally bitten the bullet, taken the plunge .... yes, a Meetup all of my own.  I have based it on Chessie's wonderful Photo-Graph Meetup in London which does all sorts of stuff from simple street shoots to full studio set ups with models.  If I can get anywhere near that class of Meetup I will be very happy. Mine is at http://www.meetup.com/nice-photo 


The first get together will be at Ma Nolan's in the Port on 14 April.  Hopefully by then the word will have worked its way around and there will be even more subscribers.  Everyone has been very supportive which is great!

Astrology & the meaning of numbers - Flew straight past me ...

Another very pleasant night in great company at Beverley's usual bring a plate Wednesday .... some very interesting stories about those that crew super yachts, my lips are sealed!  Christine did her best, in a very entertaining manner, to explain the concepts behind early numbering and their relationship to astrology .... the photos!

Launch - Holistic Professionals Network

It was a standing room only event at the HI Hotel in Nice .... talk about a runaway success!

Social Media - International Club - Banque Populaire Nice

This was a new networking group.  The topic being Social Media with representatives from The Riviera Times,  Riviera Life TV and AngloInfo (actually one of the founders of that august site).   Once the panel were through their views on how social media is changing journalism it was time for food!  You know what, it was excellent.  There were two curries, one lentils and the other chicken, together with pilau rice so for someone starved of a decent curry this was mana from the gods.  The curries are thanks to George Kasiliyake who is from one of the original families who mass produced curries for consumption in the UK - no wonder it was good.

Not many people know that Banque Populaire is a mutual, told you you didn't know, well it is.  It also provides all manner of free advice as part of its service including full participation in its general assembly meetings.  A bank to consider methinks.

Falling Water & Reiki - The Old Chateau - Nice

The lovely waterfall at the old chateau in Nice. Beverley Holt talks about the benefits of Reiki.

Falling Water - Benefits of Reiki - Riviera Reiki, Nice, France from Mike Colquhoun on Vimeo.

Couscous aux Lardons suivi par un poulet roti!

Je suis allais a Comedie de Nice pour Couscous aux Lardons ! Bon histoire de clash des cultures - en ce cas un homme, arab, et une femme, Francaise ! Tres drole et tres visuel aussi.  L'histoire c'est tres normal toute le monde, il suffit de changer les nationalites.

Et le poulet roti???

Apres j'achete un poulet roti en Vielle Nice et deux poivre epice. Yum!

Watching Rugby again ...... !!

This time in the company of my friends Beverley & Brian, pictured, who kindly invited me along. Note the floppy hats - all free courtesy of Ma Nolans plus there were Magners badges later!  With Ireland playing England  and it being Paddy's Day it was a happy crowd even though the match I watched was Wales vs France.

There is a league table of Guiness pints sunk on Paddy's Day.  The total last year was over 1000 in the Old Town bar and 400 plus in the Port.  It looked very much like Port would beat their previous total by mid afternoon!  I wonder how that compares to pints downed in the UK or Ireland?  No way does anyone drink the same volume in France .... unless I am advised otherwise.

Wife beats husband caught in act & gets fined! Mon Dieu!

Yes, times have changed.  In the good old days being caught out by one's spouse was the green light for whatever came to mind!  Now it is not so.  Sadly the wife was fined for beating her husband in the sum of 500 euros!  There we were thinking Monaco was a boring place*.

I wonder if 'dementia americana' exists in the US as a defence? Men only. Where if one catches one's spouse in the act then anything is forgiven.

*Truthfully Monaco is ever so dull unless you like counting the zeros on your bank statements which is a pastime of locals there.

SM and Facebook .....

No, not Sado-Mascochism, rather Social Media with particular reference to getting up and running with with Facebook Pages for business. Sort of brings me back full circle to SM? Took me back, no not to SM but to SoMe, just thought I'd get that straight!


Jorgen Poulsen of The Catalyst Partnership took everyone through what could be done, how it could be and why it should be done.  Very entertaining.  There is no question that another event would be most welcome!

There is a huge interest in the subject.  A lot of people turned up to the Les Satellite offices, the creation of Nicolas Berge,  in Nice Riquier which provides quality office and networking space.  It is accessible and affordable for any entrepreneur.  

Wales plays Italy at Rugby - the Irish Choir sings!

What a fun time at Ma Nolan's in the Port.  Got to watch Wales beat Italy roundly.  Gaps before and after the game being filled by the dulcet tones of an Irish Choir.  Irish, not Welsh, as I rather think the Welsh stay in Welsh Wales, something to do with the fact the prettiest sheep are there or so I am told. In fairness the Irish  guys were limbering up their singing voices and gullets for the Ireland - Scotland match to come.  The bar was full of both fans without nary a bad word being said, nice that.

Not really sat through, rephrase that to never sat through, a rugby match before so it was a new experience.

 

Lousy Individual - Lousy Movie

I was really looking forward to Clint Eastwood's movie J Edgar based on the life J Edgar Hoover, if you can call what he had a life,  He did not even invent the vacuum cleaner.  There is a neat bit of forgotten history about the US when there were bombs, plots and politicians were being targeted for killing - dear old cuddly Bolsheviks on that occasion. Showed terrorism is not new at all to the US nor is the over reaction of the American political psyche that allows terrible people like Hoover to exist.  It is still happening folks.

As for the rest of the movie?  Dull and then some.