My Sound Of The Day

It is a pity i never hear that song when i go into a club: Deadmau5 - I Remember Feat Kaskade.




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Guess Who's Back

I am back in La Reunion after spending a few days in Paris. It was really nice to be back when it was hot and to experience the extreme temperatures that can be found in the subway, I have to admit that I missed it. As planed I have spent my days riding a bike, sitting on terraces, going to the movies and all that in the company of my friends: life is good.



Now that I am back on the island I will resume my routine: scuba diving on Saturday morning, beach on Saturday afternoon and whatever physical activity I feel like doing on Sunday. Most of all I will spend more time discovering the island because this time we have rented a car that my wife will drive. This week-end we will go see "le piton de la fournaise" up close, we will stay in a guest house on Friday evening and wake early on Saturday to be able to see the sun rise on the volcano. This should make some pretty nice picture. There are so many beautiful places to see on this island that it will be tough to decide between practising a sport and going for a walk, the best way to bring both together will be to go for a hike.



This Sunday we went to "Cap Mechant" in the southern part of the island, it is a peaceful place where the locals come to spend the day during the week-end. The whole area is covered with very smooth grass you can literally walk barefoot on; the vacoa trees will protect you from the sun when it is too strong, they look a little bit like palm trees but are not really of the same species. You come to this place to watch the sea break on the sharp rocks made of molten lava, you come to this place to enjoy a family picnic under the vacoa trees and you come to this place to eat a palm salad and a palm gratin.



The first time we came to "Cap Mechant" two months ago we ate a palm gratin that was bafflingly light and the palm salad was melting in the mouth. This time the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed so we chose another one close thinking that the food would be as good. The palms in the salad were starting to get oxidized (they are supposed to be fresh) and the palm gratin was lukewarm and was probably coming out of the microwave oven. It was no need for me to get pissed of because they seemed so used to taking advantage of the gullible tourists that it wouldn’t make a difference, especially with a palm salad for 2 persons charged 24€.
For those who plan on coming one day to La Reunion, note somewhere to never eat at "L’etoile de mer" in "Cap Mechant" and go have lunch at "Cap Mechant" where the food is amazing.

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My Sound Of The Day

Today you have the choice between a funky version or a lounge version of the same song, i like both: Naked Music - Hurry.



Naked Music - Hurry (MC's Afterhours Acoustic Remix).




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My Sound Of The Day

A classic will always be a classic: Sister Sledge - Lost In Music (Special 1984 Nile Rodgers Remix).




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This Is A Job For

What happens when a company doesn't receive the parts that were ordered? The answer is in the videos below.





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My Sound Of The Day

Here is another lounge piece that used to be a dancefloor hit: Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme (Lola's Loungin' Mix).




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NY SAT

What if ad space was replaced with art? The Public Ad Campaign got the idea to replace commercial spots in New-York city with cultural spots.



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Le Grand Boucan

Le Grand Boucan is the biggest event in Saint Gilles, I have already written that the city is quiet (some would say dead) and everything changes for Le Grand Boucan.



We found a good spot on the balcony of a bar we were used to hanging out to be sure to get a good view when the parade would start. The sun was blazing hot and we were roasting while people where coming in the city. The main street of Saint Gilles was closed to cars after noon and you could only get in on foot or on a bike. There were stands everywhere where you could get something to eat (Chinese food, samosas, caris), have some sweets (pancakes, toffee apples, waffles), buy some clothes or jewellery and have something to drink, there is no party without a drink... One could fill its stomach and enjoy oneself while waiting for the parade to start, a kid playground had been set up on the marketplace for the pleasure of all the parents. A lot of people were disguised and it was very funny to see the disguises the kids had chosen.



The parade started two hours late and we were anxious to see it. We saw floats, bands, dancers; most of the people in the parade were part of a fellowship or a dance crew. There was a security team who was making sure that the parade was not blocked by all public. All of a sudden the dodo king appeared, this year the king was Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Don Quixote was mounted on a forklift truck that could lift the king above the crowd. You could take the time between the floats to take a look at the different disguises noticeable here and there, you could clearly see that the kids were not the only one to wear disguises a lot of parent were disguised too; in some cases a whole family was wearing the same thing.



Even if the mood was very festive you could still find some people who can never have fun. I guy seating next to me was holding one of those big squirt gun, he would use the height of the balcony to squirt some people at random. Most people wouldn’t mind and laugh it off but some zoreilles (natives from mainland France) would not like that game one bit. There was a terrace located just below the balcony we occupied and each time the guy would squirt someone in the street a few drops of water would fall on the head of someone seated on that terrace. First there were threats, then some name calling and finally the bar manager came up to scream at the guy holding the gun. As soon as the screaming was done and the manager was going to leave he received a squirt in the back of his neck. He went ballistic and tried to grab the culprit but he didn’t even see that there was a kid in the way and almost knocked him down. There were much less squirts once the manager was thrown out of the place but this didn’t stop another guy from coming up and striking the gun shooter twice in the back of his head. I think it amazing how someone can get pissed of because he would get a little bit wet but wouldn’t mind being sprayed with all the stuff you can find at a carnival; some people should just stay home.



Once all the floats had been through the main street, the dodo king was taken to the beach and burned in front of everyone. This signaled the beginning of the night activities, first there were fireworks then concerts and a DJ in the main street. This town which is usually dead around 8PM had its city centre transformed into an outdoor nightclub. There was music for everyone: rock on la plage des roches noires, hip-hop in the forum, ballads in the harbour and dance floor music to move your body in the main street. 2 go-go dancers and 2 strippers (a male and a female) were hired for the party; the strippers didn’t remove their clothes but they were really popular, I don’t know for how many pictures the girl posed. Almost anyone was asking to take her pictures: mothers, young girls, couples, groups of kids… Now one was looking at them weird, everybody wanted to take a picture of a truly beautiful woman. The guy was showing his amazing dance moves while she was striking the pose. This was the party the way it is supposed to be, nobody was looking for trouble, everybody was here to have fun, you would meet new people, laugh a lot and dance a lot. This is everything I like.



I spent 10 hours in Le Grand Boucan last Sunday and I would have stayed longer if I wasn’t tired because of the short night I had. I learned on Monday that this huge event was not even financed by the city. A non profit organization is planning and paying the bills for the whole thing because the city hall of Saint Paul (Saint Gilles is part of the town of Saint Paul) is refusing to pay for anything. The city hall considers that Saint Gilles is zoreille land thus there is not enough Creole population living there to warrant being financed. It is amazing that the biggest event in La Reunion is financed by an organization but at the same time it is sad that it is not financed by the municipality for a stupid reason. The mayor of Saint Paul is often complaining that his administration has a hard time using businesses and tourism to develop the city, that is rich. When one is stupid...

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