Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer, considered one of the best of the 20th Century. For Santiaguinos (people from Santiago), Thelonious is also the name of a restaurant and music venue that combines live jazz and…
As most of you probably already know, New Yorkers are very attached to their neighborhoods. I live in Harlem/ Central Park North exit, so I consider my hood to be Morningside, West and Central Harlem. The Frederick Douglas Boulevard (8th…
Reading local literature has been a great way for me to understand another country, but it takes valuable time, especially in a society where working a 10 hour day is making a comeback. Most days I come back from work…
Having a country like the United States as a next door neighbor has its upsides and its downsides, and I am sure many Mexicans would rather be far away from our friend in the north. But if there is one…
There are quite a few places in Sri Lanka, and Colombo in particular, where you could go to listen to some good live music, depending on your taste in music. However, if you are looking for a musical experience that…
Visitors to Thailand might easily get the impression that Thailand doesn’t have its own music scene. A lot of bands at bars play covers of western pop and rock classics. At the discos you’ll probably hear trance and hip-hop. The…
Music is like a magnet. When I hear some music, it attracts me in such a way that I begin singing silently along with its ebb and flow. When it’s the typical Nepali folk music of the Naumati Baajaa, I…
Given my warm-weather Filipino DNA, I tend to shy away from winter outdoor activities in Toronto. This year my partner Jeff finally convinced me, after a few years of pleading, to try ice skating. For those unfamiliar with this cold…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXvLYV9MZLI An often overlooked minority, the Kaffirs of Sri Lanka are African descendants who have been living on the island since the early 1500s. The word Kaffir literally means ‘non believer’ and unlike in most other parts of the world,…
“Diez pesos te vale, diez pesos te cuesta.” It’s a common phrase you’ll hear on your commute in Mexico City’s subway system, and it literally means that whatever the vagoneros (or “irregular” vendors) are trying to sell you not only costs…
