Oo ee song from Instagram and Tiktok

If you've been watching short videos on social media, you've heard of this catchy tune. The artist is French and was raised in Dubai and Congo-Brazzaville. The song came out eight years ago!

Ugly American city flags

 

Havana, Day 4

Our last day in Havana.

We started with a presentation by a LGBT rights advocate who happens to be a cancer ICU physician. 

We then went to the Museum of Cuban Art. I was expecting a lot of propaganda art like in the Soviet Union and North Korea, but I saw something else entirely.

Wilfredo Lam was Cuba's greatest artist. He studied and worked with Picasso. This piece reminded me of Guernica.

This 1976 painting by a Chinese-Cuban artist reminded me of my parents' 1973 wedding photo. Identical!

I wanted to visit the Museum of the Revolution but it was being renovated. So I took these photos of vehicles involved in successful and attempted coups.

Lunch was at Al Carbon. Very protein heavy. The band got a couple of people from our group to join in.

The afternoon was free and I continued my search for a Chaika. I got a ride in a tuk-tuk.

I did get a photo of a Peugeot convertible taxi. Probably the only one in existence.

Having failed once again, I got a ride back to my B&B in a tired Lada.

Before dinner, we enjoyed a private performance by the Havana Youth Orchestra in an old church. The acoustics were awesome. The music was a mix of classical with a Cuban influence.

Our tour operator rented out a dozen classic American convertibles and had them drive us from the church to our dinner. We went along the Malecon, horns beeping, engines revving, and Yankees yelping the entire way. Very obnoxious but fun.

Our farewell dinner was at one of our tour guide's home. He splits his time between Havana and Miami and is an art enthusiast. We all had a great time.

The next day, I flew out. I highly encourage all of you to visit Cuba!

Havana, Day 2

We woke up to a surprise.

Our bus driver's ride to work broke down, so we didn't have our normal ride to the lecture venue. So our tour guide drove his own Daewoo Tico (and commandeered a Chinese taxi) to pick us up at the B&B.

I took a shot of this gas station along the way. My tour guide was apologetic, but I told him riding in his car was a great way to start the day.

Our morning lecture was by a historian and editor of a leading Cuban magazine. We then went to the suburbs and watched Habana Compas, a percussive dance troupe. They were very entertaining.

Next up, we went to Fusterlandia. An eccentric artist decorated his entire neighborhood with odd, bright, pieces of art.

I bought a few cheap souvenirs for the kids, including a wooden car and a pencil.

Lunch was at Vistamar in the Miramar neighborhood. I had the swordfish and it was delicious. We did have to wait an hour for the meal though.

My liquid intake alternated between mojitos and coffees.

Our afternoon lecture was by a journalist/political commentator. She was Cuba's Katie Couric/Megyn Kelly. Though she is a supporter of the government, she was very open about the problems and the government's failings.

Dinner was at Cocinero, an abandoned cooking oil factory. The meal was fantastic, of course. The staff simply did not understand capitalism. Our meals came with two drinks. We wanted more. They have an extensive bar. "Not possible." It was possible. We were willing to pay for the drinks. The staff did not understand why we would want to spend money to buy more drinks when we already received the two free drinks. And this was a fancy restaurant where they interacted with Americans, Canadians, and Europeans all the time.

Next door to the restaurant was Fabrica de Arte Cubano, the hippest art space in the country.

 

I was tragically unhip so I stepped out and just people watched at a nearby interaction for 30 minutes while I waited for the bus. Two black E-Class Mercedes and some kind of black Peugeot sedan waited outside for VIPs. Young people dressed for a night out waited in line. A taxi tout started a conversation with me. A lady sold strong coffee out of a cart, serving the drinks in tiny plastic cups. None of the cars had pollution control, so the air smelled awful. What a place!

The Old Man and the Sea

With Cuba three months away, I thought it would be a good idea to read some Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea won him the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prizes! This is a fun summary of the book.

My boy, the artist

Last year, during another power outage due to biblical rain, my son drew a couple of pictures and they caught the attention of a local artist/art teacher. Long story short, they're now on display at a Rotterdam art space for an exhibit about climate change and its catastrophic consequences. The program is called The Last Terminal: Reflections on the Coming Apocalypse.

The top drawing is of a downed electrical wire due to the rain storm. The bottom drawing is of a PG&E repair truck. After this, the drawings will be on exhibit in Belgium.

Inside the Nakagin Capsule Tower

The 1972 icon is being knocked down as we speak. :(

RIP Louie Anderson

Another comic legend passed away. I didn't follow Louie's career too closely until he co-starred in Baskets. He channeled all of his life's struggles-- a drunk father, ten dysfunctional but loving siblings, weight, repressed sexuality-- into that singular character. The show is not everyone's cup of tea, but I highly recommend watching a few to see if you like it. 

I just discovered Futurama

A friend just introduced me to the show. Better late than never! I am almost done with the first season. It's so creative, smart, and different.

ANA kabuki safety video

Beautiful and creative. H/t @rchen.

Tirana, Albania's pyramid

Old Friday Mosque in Maldives

 

More info here.

Quechua music video

Press CC for Spanish subtitles.

How to take car photos with your iPhone

Our Twitter friend Kevin M. (@kmccauley) has some excellent tips!

Lego omurice

 

Ice T

Marc Maron interviewed Ice T on his WTF podcast. What a life and career.

In the 1980s, he was a rapper with a penchant for AMGs:

In the 1990s, he was infamous for his very controversial Cop Killer album. My freshman year roommate would place it loudly every friggin' day. My favorite song was Freedom of Speech (very NSFW lyrics):

And then, he started acting, like in New Jack City:

Now, he's been on Law & Order: SUV for 20 years! That's 416 episodes. It's a joke:

Good thing he doesn't take himself too seriously:

Four seasons on a Finnish island

Source.