Summer, the first time

Was browsing youtube today and found this song that takes me back to my teenage years.Bobby Goldsboro s 'summer the first time', a song of a boy comming of age with an older woman.In my case it was an older man ,well i was 17 and he was around 27.but if you are 17 you certainly regard someone of 27 as old.

The song is really nice and brings back memories of a hot summer s afternoon many years ago...

Indulgence

Yesterday my good friend F. and me went for dinner in La Rive at the Amstel hotel(a magnificent old hotel on banks of the Amstel river.This week is so called "restaurant week" in which u can experience fine dining at high end restaurants at discounted price.La Rive is listed in the Michelin restaurant guide and has been awarded with one star.Needless to say it was a heavenly experience.The food was delicious and innovative;

first 2 different "amuses"(of which one was a caramelized cherry tomate with herbs,fried and then slightly frozen again

appetizer was a roasted coquille, leaf lard,salsify,clam, savoy cabbage and smoked sausage

main course, sauteed cod, eel fritter, cauliflower,zucchini with verjus reduction

pre dessert
spoom of lime sherbet with vanilla foam

and dessert selection of traditional homemade ice cream and sherbets

The restaurant is decorated in a Ralph Lauren club style with waiters in Tails and white bow tie.You get an impacable service and once you have been to this class of restaurants you will never want to go anywhere else anymore(according to my experiences..).Its worth every penny, but i rather save up to go here and skip the cheaper restaurants for few months

Friday we will have lunch in a 2 star michelin restaurant,Ron Blaauw ,in a small village outside Amsterdam, so i really spoil myself this week(one has to indulge oneself now and then:-)

Racism and prejudice

In the sixties Katherine Hepburn together with Spencer Tracy starred in the movie 'Guess who is comming to dinner".This is a commedy in which liberal thinking parents are confronted with the new boyfriend of their daughter.The fact that he is black brings out is very self confronting to them and their way of thinking.....

In this scene from the movie we see how Hepburn deals with a nosy employee from her art gallery who is racial prejudiced.Its hilarious and shows the great talent of this unforgettable and remarkable actress

Indiana Jones opening scene

One of movies greatest opening scenes featuring the lovely Kate Capshaw singing "Anything goes"in mandarin( would luv to see this performed in a chinese drag show!)Enjoy!

Puccini and Brel

This video was made at the Silver Jubilee concert for H.M. the Queen in front of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam in April 2005.

I love this aria by Puccini 'O mio bambino caro (oh my dear child) sung by the talented Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu.A really wonderfull and intense aria

Second part is the song "La chanson de vieux amants "sung here by Angela Gheorghiu in duet with Jeroen Willems , partly in french and partly in dutch.A song that is so intense it really touches me over and over again

At the end of this clip you see HM the Queen and the royal princes and princesses leaving.Mind you, the Queen is a widow so the fellow sitting next to her and walking behind her is the Lord Mayor of Amsterdam

Last hommage to Yves Saint Laurent

Christie s in Paris is auctioning the entire Saint Laurent/Berge collection this week.Many wonderfull pieces of Art will change owner.For me the piece the resistance is the Mondriaan painting.But also the bronze statues from the chinese emperor s winter palace are magnificent.It s sad to see such a great collection of Art being sold but the good thing is all the revenue will go to AIDS research projects.Have a look yourself at Christie s website and see for yourself that things of beauty are a joy forever.

San Fransisco

Still jet lagged and feeling lazy i have returned home from a work trip to SFrisco.Just a few days lay over but enough time to experience the wonders of that magical city on the Bay.Gosh how i luv this city.It s totally un-american in its city plan and most of all the people,they are sooo relaxed.

I got on a cable car and went to Fishermen s warf.A bit touristic but i like to watch the Golden Gate bridge and the best view is around there.

In evening i went to Castro district with a fellow gay collegue.And we certainly had a good time overthere.I was waiting at the traffic lights and handsome light chocolate coloured guy crossed the street from opposite site.We exchanged glances but i couldnt help to ve a peak over my shoulder and he was doing the same lol!He gave me a big smile and kept on looking.But then my collegue urged me to hurry ..he didnt want us to be late for our dinner reservation ...mmmm...geeh...bad luck....Why this kind of thing always happens when its NOT convenient.
Anyway after a nice dinner we had a few drinks in the local gay scene.But we were sooo tired that we left for hotel at 9.30pm already

But for sure i slept like a baby but with a smile on my face thinking about mr.Chocolate....you made my day!