Kukuwa, my latest discovery

So, you've heard of zumba lessons and maybe even barre classes but what about Kukuwa?

Covid-19 had forced us to exercise indoors and I can't help but think back to the days when Jane Fonda instructed us how to grapevine on her VHS video tapes. Home fitness has been shaping our lives for longer than we think only now it has taken on a much more conscientious part of our daily routine. 

Clothing brands, apps, and trainers were all offering workouts for free on various digital platforms. Given the amount of chocolate being consumed in our household during confinement, I had decided to launch myself into the exercise offer online trying everything from Vinyasa yoga to Zumba and from mindfulness meditation to African dance. 

At the top of the list and by far the most fun discovery of my quarantine is Kukuwa! A dance workout blending African soukous, makossa, and soca rhythms into a low impact, high energy cardiovascular, fun-filled energetic class that challenges my fitness ability and my coordination. It feels like I'm on an exotic expedition through Cameroon, Zambia, Namibia, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Malawi all the while moving my boomsey!

The workout is great fun. The moves are sexy, fast and really get those muscles in shape and that heart rate up! The music is upbeat and the instructors a good giggle. 

Kukuwa is definitely the best discovery during my confinement. What 's yours?

Loving this fashion show...

Yes, I have always had a faible for African music and prints. Now that Expat Girl is in Namibia my focus has clearly honed in on that continent this month.

The sad news is that South African musician and anthropologist Johnny Clegg passed away this week. His song "Asimbonanga" had made it all the way to European charts back in the 90s. Wow, memories of African dance classes and sitting at an African hairdresser's in Geneva for hours having my hair pleated spring back to mind... along with a bunch of open air concerts in and around Montreux during the summers!

So, when I came across this videos showing a dance group called Gold Caviar Crew on a fashion runway that had gone viral it put a BIG smile on my face.

The female dance group gave the audience more than they envisaged at the show and received massive applaud for dancing on the runway while showcasing new designs for AMBA’s Colours of Africa collection.

The Gold Caviar Crew literally closed the show at Vienna Fashion Week 2018 with, walking, or should we say, dancing to “Khona” by Mafikizolo.

The Gold Caviar Crew is an Austrian based group of talented women specialized in Afro dances. Get a glimpse of their gift when they fused Shaku shake, Zanga, Gwara Gwara to entertainment fashion lovers, you’ll love it!

Le Freak c'est Chic!

Folies Bergère... it has been on my list of things to do in Paris for a very long time. Last night was finally the right moment and the perfect show!

When a show opens with the song "Le Freak c'est Chic" you just know you are about to embark on a great voyage even if you are squeezed into a tiny little theatre box sitting on wobbly chairs that have seen better times.

Eccentric, scandalous, provocative, exuberant and funny, the Fashion Freak show was a cocktail of revue and fashion, a musical spectacle of Mr. Gaultier’s 66-year-long life.

Starting with Nana - his beloved grandmother - and her elaborate corsetry that he constructed a conical bra for his teddy bear (his first fashion creation) to his great love, Francis Menuge, in a charming scene where they dance as one in a signature Gaultier navy and white matelot sweater big enough to embrace the two of them.

From Catherine Deneuve, one of the designer’s muses, announcing each passage as she slugs Champagne to a hilarious scene in which a power-suited Anna Wintour, editor of American Vogue, telecommunicates from the stage with an onscreen version of Karl Lagerfeld as reimagined by the Belgian-Congolese comedian Kody Kim. Madonna is, of course, omnipresent.

For this show, JP designed tens of new exclusive outfits to incorporate within an exuberant scenography without forgetting to invite his most iconic creations! He knew he wanted to stage this extravaganza at the Folies Bergère, the theater that has enchanted him since he first watched its television broadcasts as a boy.

It sure enchanted my hubby and I for a night...

Jean Paul Gaultier's life story at Folies Bergère

A quick "flûte de champagne" on a Parisian sidewalk bistro before the show...

... and off we go!

The decor feels like Disneyland for adults

Spectacular ceiling decor

Let the show begin...

Michael Jackson in Paris

Michael Jackson at the Grand Palais... is there any better way to lure your teenager to visit a museum? Expat daughter was made an offer she could not refuse; an evening guided tour through one of Paris' iconic buildings and my absolute favourite venue.

To mark the 10th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, the Grand Palais put on a major exhibition that examines the contribution of the world’s most famous pop singer to the creative arts over the past 30 years.

My 15-year old daughter who belongs to a complete different generation enjoyed retracing the evolution of the music and physique of the child star who went on to become a legend. Through "Michael Jackson, naissance d’une icône" we got to admire works on loan by a number of artists fascinated by Michael Jackson such as Jeff Koons, David LaChapelle, Klara Liden, Glenn Ligon, Paul McCarthy, Dexter Dalwood, Mark Flood, Isa Genzken, David Hammons and many more.

Her absolute favourite was one work, filling a whole room, focusing not on Jackson but on his fans. South African artist Candice Breitz filmed 16 German-speaking Jackson fans of myriad ages and races, singing "Thriller" and other songs of his. It's was an engaging and moving work that showed just how much Jackson means to those who love his music...no matter what age!

Grand Palais here we come!

Kehinde Wiley - who has also painted Barack Obama's official portrait - depicts Jackson in armor on horseback, in a painting modeled on Peter Paul Rubens' portrait of King Philip II of Spain. The portrait was the last one Jackson commissioned, and was completed after his death.

An intense looking Michael

 A little creativity goes a long way

The small print are the lyrics to the record.

Andy Warhol's interpretation

Keith Haring's image

Who owned this LP?

Those were the days...

The exhibition included works that reflect on what Jackson meant to his fans, his place in African-American culture, the way he manipulated fame - and the way fame manipulated him.

I actually remember that issue of Rolling Stone... 

a magazine that was not available in Switzerland in those days!

Which mike would you like to be?

Todd Gray's reinterpretation of "Man in the mirror"?

A picture of Elizabeth Taylor's night table

Dangerous!

Gary Hume: One of my personal favourite!

Anything goes.

Ebony Magazine from 2008

Scottish artist Donald Urquhart, who created an illustrated Michael Jackson alphabet for the exhibition, thinks Jackson's "manipulation of fame" has inspired many artists. 

Unmistakably LaChapelle

Paris Playlist

I love Paris in the springtime, I love Paris in the fall, I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles, I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles. I love Paris every moment, every moment of the year. I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris, because my love is near!

Well, getting back into the swing of things after a long summer abroad what better way to kick off "la rentrée" than with some Paris vibes?

Ever wished for a Paris playlist? Et voilà... from movie soundtracks to French vintage and from rap to raggae music, without forgetting the great dames Ella and Edith. Enjoy!

Paris T'es Belle - Mickey 3D

I Love Paris - Ella Fitzgerald

Métro - Java

Revoir Paris - Charles Trenet

Grands boulevards (j'aime flâner sur les ...) - Yves Montand

Il Est Cinq Heures, Paris S'Eveille - Jacques Dutronc

J'Ai Deux Amours - Madeleine Peyroux

La Seine - Vanessa Paradis / M

J'ai deux amours - Joséphine Baker

Ménilmontant - Charles Trenet

Mon Métro - Anis

Domino - Jessie J

My Moon My Man - Feist

La vie en rose - Edith Piaf

Paris sera toujours Paris - ZAZ

Happy Hour in Ibiza

Happy hour in Ibiza is very straight forward with four simple ingredients:

music, a beach, a cocktail and a sunset!

Chiringuito = beach bar = chilling

The simpler the better

Decision of the day: Mojito or Sangria

Makes me smile every time

What was your question?!?

Exotic limoncello seems like sunset in a glass

This is for my girls

The following video is just too cool not to share on my blog. It is not about Paris or Expats but should get you smiling or even moving to the groove. It is linked to an initiative I feel very passionate about: Education.

In March 2015, the First Lady Michelle Obama launched Let Girls Learn to address the range of challenges preventing adolescent girls across the globe from attaining a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential.

But Michelle Obama did not stop there, this spring she enlisted a major girl squad to sing the power anthem "This Is For My Girls." The song, which was inspired by the Let Girls Learn initiative and the 62 million girls around the world who do not have access to education, features Kelly Clarkson, Missy Elliott, Jangle Monáe, Kelly Rowland, Zendaya, Lea Michele, Chloe x Halle, and Jadagrace.

While the First Lady is not featured on "This Is For My Girls," it was a natural fit for her to join James Corden for a Carpool Karaoke segment to sing the song and celebrate the power of musical activism.

Now, I don't know about you, but my vote definitely goes to the current first lady!

An African experience at school

Coming down with a bad cold I was about skip the invitation by the kids' school to attend a concert given by a Ghanian high school choir who was visiting Paris. However, leading by example I told my daughter that we would go together.... I had an inkling this might be worth the extra effort.

The minute the Winneba choir started clapping their hands you could tell the groove would go down at the school gym tonight. This Youth Choir was founded in May 1989 and has progressed steadily to the extent that it is now recognized as the most outstanding youth choir of Ghana.

Thirty youngsters dressed in their school colours' polo shirts of green, purple and blue had arrived from Accra that morning invited by the Ghanian Embassy in Paris for the occasion of the celebration of the 59th anniversary of the independence of Ghana.

They were now at our school performing a mix of traditional French tunes, local folk songs and national hymns pursuing their vision of projecting a positive image of the African youth and African choral music.

The girls had the most intricate braided hair and they all boosted a huge grin. Their singing was fun, uplifting and full of rhythm and life. I watched some of them shuffle their feet to the songs unable to stop keeping their bodies from moving to the music but then neither could Expat girl and her mummy.

I might be biased but tonight gave me another example of how cool the children's school is.

Winneba choir sang the Ghanian National hymn as beautifully as the French National hymn and had us all on our feet by the end applauding these inspiring and talented high school kids.

It is yet another unforgettable experience we have shared thanks to the initiative and organization of some awesome kids of the International community of Paris.

An intriguing invitation

Just before Christmas we received a wonderful invitation from the Italian Ambassador to attend a performance by the Solisti Veneti, a small, world class Italian chamber orchestra with modern instruments. Not only did we enjoy an upbeat concert of the ensemble that has won numerous awards including a Grammy and a Grand Prix du Disque, we also got a glimpse of the magnificent Grand Amphithéâtre de la Sorbonne. True to the Sorbonne’s enduring reputation as a centre of studies and intellectual activities, the Grand Amphitheatre is a spectacular venue and a perfect setting to ring out the six-month Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Do you know which National government holds the incumbent presidency of the Council of the European Union?

Monsieur et Madame L'Ambassadeur d'Italie request our presence

Towering above the podium is Le Bois Sacré by Puvis de Chavannes, the most famous mounted canvas in the Sorbonne, evoking the living symbols of Literature, Science and the Arts gathered around the Sorbonne.

In six niches there are statues of Robert de Sorbon by Crauck, Descartes by Coutan, Lavoisier by Dalou, Rollin by Chaplain, Pascal by Barrias and Richelieu by Lanson.

In the dome there are five large monochrome medallions by Galland depicting Law, Medicine, Science, Arts and Theology, i.e. the five faculties which constituted the University of Paris in 1889.

Inaugurated on August 5, 1889, 

the Grand Amphitheatre has been listed as a historic building since 1975.

Speechless...

It was suppose to be a nice romantic dinner to celebrate my birthday. My hubby had reserved our favourite terrasse in the whole wide world. A restaurant full of history and past glamour, a little old-fashioned, a little decadent with ohh-so-many-secrets if the trees could only speak.

We were going with the flow until we reached a barricaded avenue ... and I'm thinking NOT again, this kind of thing happens to me all the time in Paris. However, driving in Madrid with a French license plate the police are quick to let us through once I start speaking French to them and a glint of panic crosses their eyes at the thought of having to speak a foreign language!

What is going on? Weird and wonderful people are crossing our path... until it hits me! In Madrid, summer begins on July 2nd with International Gay Pride Day. THAT's why the American embassy had the rainbow flag hissed below the Stars and Stripes!!!

Anyway, the festivities - where revelers dress in bright colors, catch a buzz, and get their dance on - reach their climax on the Saturday, when the parade vindicating the rights of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community attracts more than two million people from all over the world. And WE were stuck in the middle of it.

I am speechless. Now, THIS rarely happens, my husband can vouch for that! We both just stood there admiring the hundreds and thousands of people (mostly men) and my smile kept getting bigger and bigger. This was so much more than what I had bargained for tonight.

We watched the parade floats for over an hour before settling down to dinner where we gazed into each others eyes since - with the raving music hitting us from the floats - we could not hear a word. Thank you, honey, for this unforgettable evening!

Her first concert...

It's a surprise! A surprise for my little girl's 11th birthday.  We are off to the Stade de France for her first concert. One Direction here we come!

Not knowing quite what to expect we took off early. The RER were on strike but with a little patience we arrived half an hour before time, like thousands of other girls accompanied by their Mums.

An overpowering Stade de France with a capacity of 80'000 people is already packed when we find our way to our seats and I can't help but to wonder if Simon Cowell had any idea what he was on to when he put these five boys together on Britain's Got Talent four years ago.

Clearly the boys seem impressed when they finally get on to the stage. But wait, that didn't happen until three hours later.

First we waited an hour watching the six same video clips over and over again until an Australian boy group called 5SoS (5 Seconds of Summer) came on stage and all the Mummys thought they were 1D?!? Get your facts straight Mums. They look the same, they sing the same but there are only four of them, therefore NOT One Direction! The few Dads present, meanwhile had started watching the World Cup match France vs Switzerland on their smartphones! They were clearly not impressed with their daughters' infatuation!

Expat girl and I decided to head outside the stadium for a snack. We found ourselves a little spot in the evening sun and munched on a Snickers bar giggling wondering what to expect next.

After listening to the same videos for yet another hour from outside the stadium, the moment finally had come. We rushed back to our seats and sure enough: one by one, the boys bounced on stage and the stadium went down in screams. I'm thinking: this is what it must have been like when the Beatles debarked in America. WOW!

Teenage girls were screaming and crying all around me while holding up their smartphones to film the stage. The stadium was going berserk. This is fun. It's vibrating, it's emotional and there are happy vibes coming from all sides!

It was exhilarating to see the kids engaging in live music and reacting to these boys (whom by now are nearly men I might add) rather than having their faces stuck in their mobile devices.

So, there we were, Mummy and Daughter, dancing, singing and screaming along with all the rest of them having the time of our lives! And for one whole hour I felt like I was 16 again! ;)