Marisol & I in Spain June/July 2008

Last week in June Marisol and I flew off to Spain for a short holiday and a couple of interesting experiences.
First - Noche de San Juan, 23 June, we dined with friends and I learnt how to jump backwards and forwards on a fire - an ancient tradition in Spain.
Then..Spain went and won the European Football Cup. What a night of noise, fireworks & celebrations.
Next, we happened to be discussing a future exhibition which Marisol is organising through the Santander Port Authority, with the Santander contacts, and we got invited to act as judges for a painting contest for the immigrant artists in Santander. So we went along and picked the winners at the building that houses the Cantabrian parliament. The following week we got invited to attend the prize giving ceremony, and I got interviewed by the TV Cantabria, and appeared on state television's all news bulletins the next day!
(This is the winning artist)

Later we flew to Barcelona, where I had some business to attend to, for a lovely weekend. One of the colleagues I was working with invited me to fly with him in his plane (alas Marisol could not come as it was just a two seater). And do you know, he let me fly that plane for a few minutes. That was exciting! but dont tell the authorities ;-)



Then Pirre showed up in Barcelona with his daily ferry boat from Mallorca and Menorca. How lucky we are that all the brothers and sisters can meet in different combinations in so many different places in the world every year. Shanghai, Delhi, London, Barcelona, Laredo and New Jersey. Next year we will attempt to make it to Sydney.
See more pictures from Spain by clicking here. (Ver mas fotos)

Sevillanas in Regent Street on 25th May

Alba, Marisol & I went to witness the breaking of the record for simultaneous Sevillanas dancing last Sunday 25th May, at Regent Street, London. We met Marisa Rueda there and look at the video below! The record was confirmed!

Click Here to see more picture from Shanghai

Marisol and I were in Shanghai again in April for a few days, and apart from a few flu and other ailments it was a very enjoyable trip. I had to work..but Marisol did everything. We were less adventurous then normal, however we entertained a lot, went to a few art exhibitions (with Marisol around that was to be expected), shopped till literally dropped and generally had a good time.
Having signed up for the Air Products Golf society's beginner's club, knowing their first outing would be the week following from our return, I decided to buy the whole golf kit in Shanghai, reasoning that it would be cheaper. I had seen Uppinder and his colleagues buying Golf equipment on previous occasions, so I headed straight for the same shop in the Clothing and Gifts market near the Technology Museum. We discussed makes, bags, shoes, gloves and everything about the clubs..made a list of my Golf set icluding all of the above..and negotiated a price. It all came to 1000 RMBs, which roughly translated is seventy pounds! remarkable. In London a pair of shoes could cost you that much!
Mike and Aimee, who were working with me..helped me get this stuff back to the Hotel, covered in a travel bag which came with my set..in the rain. It was quite a sight! Later Virgin Atlantic let me get the whole thing (in addition to our normal 100 Kilos or so of stuff) back to London, and in a big limousine back home.
However not before we had the scare of our lives getting to the Shanghai Airport.
We were picked up at 7.30am for a 10.40 flight. However we got stuck in a traffic jam about 30 kms from the Airport, and it took us two and a half hours to get through..arriving at the Airport after 10 we thought we had no chance to make the flight. Not understanding too much of the conversation we were checked in with hardly anyone in the new International terminal at the PuDong. Later someone explained that the crew of the flight were still further behind us in the jam, and had been sent back to Shanghai to get the fast Maglev train to the Airport. Flight was delayed and we even had time to swig a drink or two in the Lounge!
Now we are back and as a result of the flight and flu I totally lost my hearing. Now a few weeks later I can hear reasonably well again. Getting too old for this.
Oh..and the golf events..I have played in two, and the groups I have been in have won both the events. So far so good ;-)...a hundred percent record. I even won the nearest to hole in the last event!

Regards,
Arvinder.

NewYork March 29/30 2008

Sis, Birinder & I hit the Armory shows in New York at the end of March, and my connections to the London Art groups, gave us VIP passes to all the exhibitions we went to, which made the experience even more pleasurable! Birinder was the rich buyer, and Sis was an associate from the Organisation.
So we saved a lot of money and got to see the biggest Art fair in New York.


Later we went to a Mexican restaurant with Mabel who was visiting from London, and what Sis and Mabel were doing under the table is difficult to say but they had the whole restaurant in fits of laughter.

Garibaldi Exhibition reaches Montevideo

Garibaldi Exhibition in Montevideo

TITOLO: "Giuseppe Garibaldi...hombre de la libertad, hombre de la humanidad..."
CURATOR: Enzo Marino
LUOGO: Sala de Ceremonias de la Intendencia Municipal CITTA': Montevideo - URUGUAY
PERIODO: 26.27.28 marzo 2008


Garibaldi Lives On by Arvinder


Memento by Marisol

After the inauguration of the exhibition in Bergamo in Italy, Enzo Marino's exhibition with the participation of the International Free Artists about Garibaldi's 200th anniversary, is now going to show in Montevideo!
Both Marisol and I have one exhibit in this exhibition
And here are the images!

More Information at International Free Artists Garibaldi Exhibition website

Also more about the International Free Artists group here

Here is a ‘shair’ for Garibaldi in the Persian tradition.

From the Canadian mountain to a restaurant in Singapore, I tell you
A tree in Bedford, a whole city and sculptures galore, I tell you
G was a star of his time, Liberator of many, though hated by some
Even buiscuits and a colour! Garibaldi lives on evermore, I tell you.

BHB meets in Frankfurt

Click here to see more photos from Frankfurt and Rudesheim

Last weekend 1st March saw a reunion of the three friends who first worked together at Maraven in Venezuela more than 20 years ago. Rafael, Jerry and me! And we had all the ladies - Rosemary, Margarita and Marisol join us. Can you believe we all had a different country of birth and four different continents!!??
Wonderful - and a special thanks to Margarita and Jerry for putting us up at the Hotel Helmick!

India December 2007 - 3 Jan 2008

Click here to see more photos

Marisol & I spent 3 weeks in Delhi recently during the Xmas and New Year holiday season. As always we ate and shopped a lot. Had a lot of fun in the company of seniors in Delhi, and were well looked after by the facilities at home. Uppinder & Sangeeta happened to be over from Australia and we joined them on a short trip to Amritsar and Jullundhar, where we made some long overdue visits to family (Kaki Aunty) and friends (Gunit & Tara). The end to this short trip resulted in the hair raising taxi ride home at midnight which will be the subject of a forthcoming book! Paramjit and Chanda also played hosts for a short visit from us to Gurgaon and with only about ninety kilos of luggage to be brought back to London, Virgin Atlantic once again gave us a royal treatment.