Zeng Fanzhi at the Museum of Modern Art, Paris

Zeng Fanzhi's first French retrospective is currently on at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris until this Sunday, 16 February.
It covers the painter's career in reverse-order presentation, from 2013 back to 1990 - arranged across themes in five rooms for Landscapes,  "The Form Chosen is of no Importance",  Masks,  The Individual and the Masses, and Hospitals.
Within each theme, and depending on the period of time the painter was working in, there is a pervasive image that you see over and over again until you move to the next room.
Zeng Fanzhi's work is influenced by both Chinese and Western contemporary art. I took my time with this one and really did enjoy it, before moving on to  another MAM exhibit of Serge Poliakoff's work - but that's for a whole other post.

Here's what I saw today.

Switzerland's 'stand-alone' vote

Source: Picture-Alliance/DPA

The Swiss voted in a referendum on Sunday  to curb immigration from the EU. Granted it was a close vote, with 50.3% voting for this move, it is however an Anti-EU stance by this quaint country of chocolate and snow-capped picturesque mountains. For the average non-EU traveller - it means no real change  - perhaps a more arduous  visa application process. The impact of this vote though is a lot more hard-hitting for future employment trends and foreign investment flows.

Books: BATTLE HYMN OF THE TIGER MOTHER by Amy Chua

Title: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Author: Amy Chua
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2011

When Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother was published two years ago; the furore and debates that followed over the methods used by Amy Chua in her pursuit to mould her daughters; Sophia and Lulu into the perfect little pianists and violinists piqued my interest.  Every other article on parenting seemed to link back to Chua's book and that controversial Wall Street Journal article on "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior".

Conversations: Anitra Michelle - Designer & Photographer

Photo Courtesy: Anitra Michelle

One of the many things I really enjoy about being an expat is the numerous encounters with people from the varied walks of life who have packed up their homes and families, moved across oceans, and settled in places foreign. It requires a great deal of resilience; an adventurous spirit; and an adaptability that does not often come naturally for some of us. So when I do meet people whose personalities marry all of those characteristics, I am intrigued.

Chasing dragons

The weather has been fairly mild in Paris for this time of the year, and an added bonus has been the sunshine we have had. The mild reference may just be a misnomer, as a friend in South Africa pointed out when I mentioned this. Today the sun was out and although it was fresh - read 9 degrees, we bundled up and headed for the Chinese New Year parade in the Marais.

Tastes from the Orient

In the interest of making the most the recommendations of the New Year, we started with the sampling of authentic cuisine . Orient Extrême in Neuilly-sur-Seine has two pros going for it - it's a walk from our apartment and to date - three visits later - the service and food have been consistently good. Make sure to call in the morning for lunch and dinner reservations because late reservations only start again from 7pm. It is and has always been busy since it opened, about 4 months ago.