Strange visitors

While walking the streets of London, one can notice curious elephant statues sitting in various positions and sporting different colours. I thought at first that it was an exhibition of some special kind and I really like the concept. It reminded me of the statues of Anthony Gormley in New York put up for the Event Horizon, previously talked about here. I, personally, cannot remember seeing a lot of these exhibitions showcased. I could recall La Terre vue du Ciel, a photography exhibition in Paris inspired by the eponymous book, about Yann Arthus-Bertrand's pictures taken from an helicopter all around the world.

However, these exhibitions do not match the sheer size of this one.  Indeed, 250 pachyderms, painted in unique colors and schemes by the same number of artists and designers, are scattered over various inner borough of London, sometimes sitting lonely, sometimes sitting in group.  It is not either an exhibition per se as these sculptures are being auctioned and the street is their showcase. The charity Elephant Family, created in 2002, is responsible for such an original initiative. It aims to protect as its name indicate elephants and more precisely the Asian variant, pointing that in 100 years its population decreased by 90% from 250000 to 25000 beasts. To do so, the foundation has been create a natural reserve for them and other “services” susceptible to help them in their task.

This public auction is not their first time as they did it already in 2007 in Rotterdam, 2008 in Antwerp, in 2009 in Amsterdam, this year in London and Emmen Bergen and next year Copenhagen. Given the amount of parades that happen in Netherland and around, but it appears that the main organisation is based in there. Nevertheless, wherever this charity is from is not really the important point. London's auction ends on the 4th of July. Prices start at around £5000 which is to me not that expensive, although right now working in an auction house does not really help to keep a decent vision of the world as it is an environment where prices are crazy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this concept as it makes people enjoy the city in which they are if they want to see these elephants. I liked the fact to randomly see these sculptures in the street and the discrepancy between their own nature as exotic animal painted in various schemes and colour and the urban environment; I found the concept really good. I also like the fact that it is a charity rather than a regular exhibition probably because as a charity it is always heart-warming to see such an innovative idea in the hand of a non-for-profit organisation. It seems to be a win-win situation for the charity as it does not need to rent some space in a museum to exhibit the statues and for the city it is a good PR campaign. I hope that in the future more of these will be possible, however not to the extent of becoming hype so that it does not lose its charm and here is the fine line not to cross.

-C

San Francisco, 2nd Part

The second part of my article on San Francisco focuses more on its museums and POIs. As I said earlier, the city is quite large and as a result a lot of the museums and other interesting parts of the city are located miles away from each other; indeed, unlike Washington where everything is nearly concentrated around the Mall, San Francisco requires that the tourist, or visitor, to benefit from a certain endurance.

During my long treks in the city, I came across the Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific exhibition and reconverted later into a theatre. I thought that given its name, it would be one of the arts museums of San Francisco and, curious, I instead entered in the Exploratorium: a museum dedicated to the kids and explaining different laws about nature. I was a tad disappointed at first but it is a lot of fun for the kids and I found myself watching for minutes a video of a marble guiding games.

The DeYoung was the first “big” museum I went in, and with big museum comes the big crowd. It was even bigger as it was one of the first of an exhibition about the masterpieces from the musée d’Orsay in Paris.  long queue was to be passed and bearing with the manners of a lot of old ladies that pretended to be heavily involved in the art world was another worry. The rooms allocated to the exhibition did not leave a lot of space for a true appreciation of the works and it was even reduced by the sheer amount of people that were cramping them. On the other hand its restaurant offered a menu à la carte and in French (s’il vous plait!) which was really fitting to the eyes of any Americans going to a museum. The park, nearby, were exhibiting some sculpture that were abstract and thus open to any interpretation. The museum is located in a national park, the Golden Gate Park, and as a result in a green environment which is rather pleasant.

On our way to Sausalito, we (your croissant and his peanut butter) stopped to admire the shape of one of the icon of the city: the Golden Gate Bridge. A parking has been built in order for the people to stop and enjoy the sight which is quite amazing. Indeed, all the dimensions involved are massive, from the bridge and its arches to the straight that it crosses. In addition, it provides a view on the Pacific which opens any possibility of travel on it. Nonetheless,  the best spot is located on the other side of this parking lot and is known of only few people as it is located in the former military base of Presidio. There, the view is even more grandiose and the travellers can observe the coast, the Golden Gate and a bit of the bay.

Sausalito is a little posh sea town nestled in the bay and close to the golden gate. It offer a stunning view on San Francisco and has the advantage of not being too far from it and yet at a reasonable distance to enjoy a quiet life. Indeed, from what I have seen of the city, the houses and the shops reminds of one of these charming towns on the Riviera: not too touristy but classy, not too pretentious and really pleasant. The atmosphere is nearly village like. We walked along the marina which is big an only filled with boats that could round the world and then went to a sea food restaurant built on a pier: the Spinnaker, the view is even more stunning as people eat directly on the sea and waiting a quarter of minutes to benefit from a table next to the windows would be a crime to avoid: in a word it is a gem.

The museum of the Legion of Honor is another museum of classic arts in San Francisco. It is far from the down town but it location is probably one of the best I have ever seen. It overlook the city, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay and the Pacific coast all at once. The museum is, unlike the modern building of the DeYoung, a reproduction to the ¾ of the musée de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris and is thus a classic building. It was built to honor the fallen Californian soldiers in the Great War. I was surprised to see a statue, amongst others, of Jeanne d’Arc at the entrance, although that was not the first I noticed in the country. The collections in the museum is classic like the building and does not bear anything special bar a lot of sculptures from Rodin, including the Thinker. However, I enjoyed the porcelain collection and its explanation about the diverse factories built in Europe. The good point about this museum is that there are less people around and everything is quieted which made my visit really enjoyable. The restaurant, also offering an a la carte menu and in French (aussi!), added to the charm of the museum. An exhibition about the Impresionnist (again!) was in preparation and I am pretty sure that when it will open the place will be bustling with people and it will not be as charming as it was when I went.

I, then, decided to walk on the trails on the coast as the weather was exceptional. The environment of San Francisco reminds me of the south of France with its pines and climate. So from the Legion of Honor, I went to Sutro baths via a trail which replaced an old tramway line. The view was needless to say beautiful and several bench were present in order to make the walk the more agreeable possible. Sutro Baths, built in 1896, used to be “an extravagant public bathhouse envisioned and developed by the eccentric one-time mayor of San Francisco, Adolph Sutro.” The place burned down in 1966 and now the ruins offer a picturesque point of view on the ocean. The Cliff House let people sip a glass of champagne while admiring the vista. From there, one can overlook Ocean Beach and its long strip of sand.

My last stop was the infamous prison of Alcatraz. I first went on a boat cruise around the bay and to Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the west. Indeed, it is the place where mainly Chinese immigrants were parked before entering or not the country. It was once hosting a Union base which was never under attack during the Secession war. It is now part of a natural park and a place of relaxation for city-dwellers. The boat then took me to the island of Alcatraz. The island in the middle of the bay offers a nice point of view. It used to be like Angel Island part of a defense system for San Francisco. The visit of the prison is quiet short and I believe that its reputation makes it more impressive when it was just a little prison in an old fortress based on a little rock. I believe that the prisoners incarcerated in the prison were its biggest “achievement” and apart from some quotes from Al Capone and others, not much is said about them. Their cells are presented as such with some little commentary but no real history is provided, it is rather anecdotic. To be fair though, an audio guide and movies were completing the visit, things that I did not have the luxury to  hear and watch..On the other hand, the trip on the boat and the islands themselves offered plenty of opportunity for any photograph.

My experiences in San Francisco tended to tell me that it is a quite complete city compared to the others I have visited. Not as urban as New York, but really enjoyable and much more outdoor activities orientated if less “intellectual”, I think that it is a fair trade-off and I believe it is an advantageous one compared to New York if it is smartly balanced.

-C

The longest day(s)

I just read about the match opposing the American John Isner (ATP rank 19) to the French Nicolas Mahut (ATP rank 149) at Wimbledon (). THIS is probably the match of the century: it is the longest match in the world and already lastest 10 hours on two days, Tuesday the 21th and Wednesday the 22th. The previous longest match lasted already for 6 hours 33 minutes in 2004 at Roland Garros between Frenchmen Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clément.

The score is now at 6/4 3/6 6/7 7/6 59/59, yes that’s right! In addition to this extraordinary feat, Isner made 98 aces while Mahut 95, as a result, the previous record of 51 aces by Ivo Karlovic in 2005 at Wimbledon has been shattered. Even the electronic scoreboard could not keep up with it! The game stopped in the fifth set at 59/59, hence a total of 163 games so far (another record), because of the lack of sunlight to the dismay of the audience singing “We want more” who gave them a standing ovation.

The fifth set is by itself already the longest match, and de facto the longest set, in the history of Wimbledon with 7 hours 06 minutes logged in already, without any toilet breaks till 58/58! Whoever wins this game tomorrow will also have to play the next match on the same day and it will leave the winner one of the shortest recovery time for it: a dubious honour. The video, at 58/59, shows the American exhausted, while the Frenchman looks surprisingly sharp.




 This avalanche of statistic is representative of the nerves and the endurance of the players. Watching a match showing a little less than 200 aces is probably not the most fascinating one but the sheer length is definitely what makes it exceptional, both men seem to be giving everything despite the fatigue: this is really a true example of courage and tenacity. Having read many comments about this match, the question of tweaking the fifth set at Wimbledon and in other Opens (such as Roland Garros and the Australian Open) might be pushed on after such a display. Indeed, unlike the four first sets, the fifth set cannot be ended with a tiebreaker. Players have to go through 15-30-40-point sequence for every point and they need a two points lead which can be a recipe for a very very long match as exposed in this article.  The US opens do not benefit from this rule and guarantee an end with no loophole. I, for one, believe that the Wimbledon fifth set makes for a great display of tenacity, spectacle and endurance.

I personally wish that somehow, Isner and Mahut would play for over and over; even if I know that this will get boring in the end. This match is inspiring and is a breath of fresh air in this moment dominated by the World Cup ( fair enough, France's elimination does not help). Just for the sake of it and perhaps because it will be heartbreaking for the loser..

-C

Comments from the players on the BBC after the second day:

 Mahut
“We're fighting like we have never done before. We'll come back tomorrow and see who is going to win this match. Everyone wants to see the end."

Isner
"He's serving fantastic, I'm serving fantastic. Nothing like this will ever happen again."

Is China buying up the world?

While the world cup started and is currently captivating the media, it appeared to me that another event seems to have passed quite unnoticed. Following the disaster of the Greek economic situation, China came in the form of a white knight. It might be a good deal for debt-ridden Greece but I wonder how this situation will turn out. China has already been strongly developing its ties in Africa and in the Middle East. It seems like China is trying to get a foothold in Europe so it could better protect its own interest. This deal would mostly concern maritim arrangements in the Piraeus port and some touristic contracts. Somehow, it reminds me of the way the EU soft power operates: investing heavily in developing countries and then forcing them to adopt positions more favourable to EU standards, most of the time they concern human rights and other subjects linked to freedom and lifestyle or simply business wise, it could be related to a sort of bullying. Same goes for China, unfortunately for Greece; the Chinese government does not have the same credentials as the EU governments of nowadays. In a parallel story, India is suspicious of Chinese exportations and its government is taking measures to ensure that Chinese equipments do not contain spywares, so Greece could provide the perfect foothold on Old Europe for the Chinese to install more spywares. Interestingly, I could not find a lot of articles in the western press on this event but I found a 2009 article, in French on this Chinese website, talking about a China-Greek deal in the Piraeus port but recently nothing bar an article concerning the rehearsal of a Greek tragedy at the Experimental Theatre of Beijing......


While browsing this website I found an article describing how China was slamming US pressure on RMB exchange rate and another one, including a poll, trying to find some argument to explain this situation, as if this situation was only affecting the US. The low exchange rate of the Chinese currency is a major component in China’s economic growth as it favours its exportations. At the same time, China and its government want to have the respect of the world for their achievement and keep their currency at the level of a developing nation, in a word they want to have their cake and eat it. What stroke me was the rhetoric employed which is bare of any critical spirit: everything seems to between China and the US when it comes to troubles and otherwise China is a peaceful nation. It is not surprising, yet it is the first time I have ventured on these kind of “news” sites and it was a shock.

However the million dollar question is what would happen when China’s soft power on developed nations will not be enough; indeed, it is plausible to believe that developed nations should be more reluctant to be told what to do as they have more choices and power than developing nations, and what would then happen to China’s "harmonious world"?

-C

San Francisco, part I

This is my first article on San Francisco as I have done a few things there.  This was the last step of my short journey in America. Labelled as a liberal city compared to the rest of the country, I felt that I could some nice day there. In addition, it is in California and thus I could expect some sunshine. I was surprised by the wind force in the city even though it is not surprising at all given the nature of its location which is create wind streams. In addition, the temperature compared to Boston or New York was chilling especially at night. I was also surprised by the number of beggars that I came across right outside of the BART station (the metro there) on my first day; by the way, I found the commuting system quite neat. As a roommate at my hostel noticed, some of them are quite inventive; before reaching the airport I came across a group of them singing some gospel and it was not too bad. I wonder why they would stay in San Francisco and be freezing at night when they could try to reach a big city down in the south where weather would be more favourable to them.

San Francisco like any American cities that respect itself on the cultural scene boasts a Museum of Modern Arts. It managed to grow to its actual size thanks to the help of generous donations which expanded its post-war and contemporary arts collection with some works from Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko and other Robert Rauschenberg which thus increased its renown. This is nothing new in the growth of a museum though. It is nestled in a recent building which classically reflects its vocation of museum of modern arts. It also housed an exhibition about the evolution of California through pictures since the 19th century. Unfortunately, I ran out of time and could not see it, however I like the theme and I think that it is a refreshing theme to be explored as opposed to another exhibition about contemporary artists that people can barely get a grip on their works.

Being a liberal city means that San Francisco owns a certain cultural aura due to its ability to attract more people and let them do what they want. The number of art galleries that I came across was only to be match by New York. I also found that the city was much more Francophile than the others I visited, which was nice to me. The size of the city and the way museum were placed meant that a lot of walking had to be done. I could have taken the different bus lines that cover San Francisco but walking would also be a good occasion to see some different part of it. In addition with the beggars, I also noticed a lot of Asian people either living there or being tourists spending a week in the city, which is probably best explained with the “proximity” of Asia on the other side of the Pacific.

The location of San Francisco has been key in its history and development. Indeed, its port activities changed the face of its coast, at least in the city itself. Now that they are less used, they have been reconverted and constitute one of its charms. In fact, walking along its wharves and pier is probably one of the element I enjoyed the most there. Pier 39 is a good example of how it has changed and exploited. Even though, it is an expensive shopping mall for tourists, it somehow remains authentic thanks to its architecture. Amongst its shops, I stumbled on a nice photograhy shop which was quite inspiring when it comes to travel. Ghirardelli Square is another example of such a move: it was built next to the old chocolate factory of the locally famed brand and turned into a green space facing the Bay. Its topography is probably one of its most emblematic characteristic. If it can be tiring to walk to the top of the street, the view is very rewarding and allows access to such place such as Lombard Street and it turns and the Coit Tower  which let people admire a vista from San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge, another of its symbol.

Overall I found the city to be really enjoyable to live as far as I have been able to experience it. Walking around can be pretty tiresome especially with the hills around but the environment is well worth it. It is probably one of the most complete cities after New York in the USA as I do think that, from what I have heard, Los Angeles offers that kind of array of activities.

-C