Table w/ attached stool.

Click on picture to be directed to website.

Turistas chatos

"Turistas chatos” means “annoying tourists” in Brazil. Yes on my list of place to go. This week was the finale of carnival and for those who did not get to be part of the taste and fun of it here's some local news to bud that tastebud.

The caipirinha, a cocktail of muddled lime, sugar, ice and the sugar cane liquor known as cachaça, has become a global bar standard. Try it on its home turf, at the Academia da Cachaça (Rua Conde Bernadotte 26; 55-21-2529-2680: http://www.academiadacachaca.com.br/) in the upscale neighborhood of Leblon. You can choose among hundreds of artisanal brands, including Lua Cheia, a fruity, intense cachaça aged for two years (4.20 reais). After a couple of caipirinhas, you might want to turn to the place's Brazilian dinner menu; an escondidinho (16.80 reais), a traditional dish of dried beef served under cheesy mashed yuca, makes for a good appetizer if you cannot wait for dinner.

~All-you-can-eat churrascarias, or steakhouses, are a dime a dozen, but lighter alternatives also appeal to the bikini-clad set, for obvious reasons. Doce Delícia (Rua Dias Ferreira 48; 55-21-2249-2970), a colorful and modern restaurant in Leblon (with another branch in Ipanema, at Rua Anibal de Mendonca 55) serves dishes like salmon in soy and ginger sauce (29.50 reais), design-your-own salads (15.50 reais with ingredients like palm hearts and papaya) and tempting desserts like a chocolate mousse cake (7 reais).

I LOVE THIS PIC!

Drink

A reminder to try this:

three parts vodka
one part Southern Comfort
one part banana liqueur
and one part Baileys

hmmmmm.......

Parzania

Rahul Dholakia, an Indian filmmaker and a native of the western Indian state of Gujarat, set out five years ago to make a movie about a friend who lost his son during the Gujarat riots of 2002. Rahul Dholakia’s film “Parzania,” which isn’t being shown in Gujarat, the Indian state where the action is set.

This film, “Parzania,” is based on the true story of Azhar Mody, or Parzan, as he is called in the film, a 13-year-old boy who disappeared during the riots, which began after 59 Hindus died in a train fire for which a Muslim mob was initially blamed. The cause of the train fire is still unknown, though a number of politically competing investigations are looking into it. But there is little mystery in what it inspired: a Hindu-led pogrom against the Muslims of Gujarat, in which 1,100 people were killed, some by immolation, and many women were raped.

The film is now being shown in nine Indian cities, and it has received a fair amount of critical acclaim, particularly for the performance of its two leading actors, Naseeruddin Shah, who plays the father, and Sarika, who plays the mother. Time Out Mumbai credited Mr. Dholakia for having managed to “remind viewers of what really happened in 2002, and why it’s important not to forget.”

Amy Winehouse

This rockin chic is an English jazz, soul singer and songwriter born into a family with a history of jazz musicians.










Her new DVD: "Back to Black" is produced by Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi-who is also associated with Nas and help produced Ms. Dynamite's album entitled "A Little Deeper" which had moderate crossover success in the U.S. market.

Fact: She attended school in Croydon, England (shoutout to Dappa)!
Another Fact: Amy Winehouse punches fan then boyfriend in drunken rage
Singer Amy Winehouse has admitted she is a nasty drunk after confessing to hitting a woman fan at one of her gigs.

Winehouse has a number of "old skool" tattoos of naked women about her person. When asked about them, she was quoted as saying “I like pin-up girls. I’m more of a boy than a girl. I’m not a lesbian, though — not before a sambuca anyway.”

Get her CD!

The Cost of Eating Too Much Sugar

Mom was right: Sugar does ruin your teeth. But she never said anything about your cash flow. If you're like the average American, you consume about 156 pounds of the stuff a year. At that rate, it's going to take more than a filling to undo the damage. Here's what satisfying your sweet tooth will cost you over the course of 12 months.

You get: Anti-wrinkle finishing serum to boost collagen production Because: Excess sugar attaches to blood proteins to form a collagen-killing substance that's aptly called "advanced glycation end-product," or AGE.
You pay: $56

You get: A cardio bike with heart rate monitor Because: Your mojo's a no-go, since those extra pounds are stalling blood flow to that magic button--your clitoris. This fat melter will get your pelvic blood pumping again.
You pay: $499

You get: A year's worth of cranberry juice (no sugar added, of course) Because: Studies show this potent potable shields your teeth the same way it does your urinary tract: by repelling bacteria that feed on residual sugar and cause cavities.
You pay: $176

You get: Snazzy designer specs Because: You might be going blind, but at least you'll look trendy. Stocking up on sweets has been linked with the early onset of age-related macular degeneration.
You pay: $354

You get: Therapeutic massages Because: People with high-sugar diets are more anxious than others. And weekly massages--not to mention that buff, blue-eyed masseur--are just what you need to keep your calm.
You pay: $3,900

You get: A super automatic espresso center Because: You're more likely to crash after a sugar rush than a caffeine fix. And you want to keep your head from bobbing during that bored, er, board meeting.
You pay: $660

You get: Continuing education courses Because: Lately, your neurons have been lazier than Paris's left eye. Researchers have found that high blood sugar may contribute to gradual mental decline.
You pay: $826Total: $6,471

Public Bathroom in Switzerland

Hmmmm.....

Valentine's Day!

Getting ready for V Day-making some home-made cookies and carrot halva-HEART SHAPED!!!

Spring Couture 2007

Fashion Week in NY for Spring 2007 begins today! So far I like the look from Valentino. Sleek, chic and classic.