FEAST OR FAMINE

In 2014 would you put your money in a Chinese bank, an American bank, a European bank, or just put it under your mattress? Where would your money be safest next year? That was the question The Economist Intelligence Unit asked global executives (The Economist, The World in 2014). The EIU asked it survey panel of executives around the world where they thought was the safest place to put their money – given the choices above. Of the 1,876 people who replied to the survey, more than 20% said that they would rather keep their money under their mattress.   While the article in The Economist did not specify the breakdown of respondents’ nationalities, nevertheless 37% of respondents thought their money would be safest in an American bank, while 31% said a European bank, and 9% said a Chinese bank. Half of the respondents thought America’s Federal Reserve would ease back it program of bond-buying at about the right pace. If the Fed errs, 36% said it would err du...

With many countries holding elections in 2014 – Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Malawi, South Africa, American mid-terms, and Scotland’s referendum on whether to remain part of the United Kingdom – power is up for grabs. But that’s not the power I was referring to. Electricity = Power. Without power, businesses and economies can’t develop. More than half of African business leaders identified a lack of power as a large constraint on growth (The Economist, The World in 2014). Therefore, a high priority for the international aid agenda will be “energy poverty.” In 2014 the United Nations will kick-off a “decade of sustainable energy for all” campaign. Countries will develop plans to provide their citizens with energy access by 2030. In addition, the American Government will extend its development policy, the “Power Africa Initiative” that commenced in Tanzania in 2013. Up for consideration soon, by the American Congress, is the Electrify Africa Act. The...

On Thursday 12 December it snowed in Tbilisi, Georgia. Tbilisi doesn’t typically get much snow with average temperatures in December of 4C (39F) during the day and 1.5C (34F) in January. However, December has ranged from the coldest recorded temperature of -22C to the warmest at 17C. The morning humidity averaged 86% and the evening humidity averages 63%. There are on average 9 wet days in December with an average rainfall (including snowfall) of 45mm. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the  author of:-  Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

At 122 Rue de Rennes in Saint Germain des Pres near the Boulevard du Montparnasse is a friendly cocktail bar and restaurant called Le Trait d’Union. On an autumnal and wintry day in Paris, the bar is warm and cozy with filling fare, such as duck, pasta, fish, grills, and wok-cooked noodles. The décor is plush and lush in reds, oranges, black and tan. Round and square wooden tables are interspersed with the occasional tables of transparent acrylic filled with rose-petals that match the wallpaper behind the bar. Along one wall is a row of tables with barely a centimetre between them in front of wallpaper that looks like a patched quilt. The ceiling has an eclectic collection of lights – strobe lamps with a myriad of mirrows, chandeliers, and metallic lanterns.   Part retro-burlesque and part Klimt-ish décor, but not quite, it nevertheless oozes cordiality and warmth. My favourite corner is by the window, where two well-worn leather seats form a nook with a str...

As a regular patron of the arts in all its forms, from sculptures to lithographs, large installations to decorative thimble, Thornton’s work ensures that I’ll never view art in the same way again. Seven Days in the Art World (2008) has a simple first person narrative style that provides an easy-to-read guided tour of the art scene in all its planning, problems, prizes, and perspectives. Thornton writes from the perspective of seven standpoints: (1) The Auction, (2) The Crit [i.e. critique], (3) The Fair, (4) The Prize, (5) The Magazine, (6) The Studio Visit, and (7) The Biennale. She opens the door to the mysterious and temperamental world of the artist, lecturer, student, buyer, curator, installer, auctioneer, critic, collector, promoter, and historian. But does she answer the critical questions: Does art really start with the artist? Is art really about creativity or is it about money? Who matters most – the poor artist or the wealthy collector, or the wealt...

As I woke to the news of Nelson Mandela’s death at the age of 95 on 6 December, 2013, I remembered my visit in July to the Nelson Mandela exhibition in Paris. To commemorate Nelson Rolihlhla Mandela’s life, an exhibition of his images appeared in Paris from 29 May to 6 July 2013 as part of the France-South Africa Seasons 2012 and 2013, in association with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The free exhibition in the Hotel de Ville celebrated Mandela’s relationship with the people of France. The “Nelson Mandela – from Prisoner to President” exhibit displayed Mandela in photographs, 10 film screens, cartoons, sculptures, paintings, news reels, and posters. It began with his rural upbringing and schooling in Transkei and moved to Johannesburg where he studied law. The exhibit also showed his arrest in 1962 and his imprisonment on Robben Island in 1963. There was also a recreation of his prison cell, measuring 2 metres by 2.5 metres....

In the 4 th arrondissement in Paris is situated the iconic Hotel De Ville. Built in 1533 and completed in 1628 as the Town Hall, the Italian architect Boccador, had grand plans for the “House on the Pillars.”   Over time, the hotel has undergone several renovations. Fire in May 1871 completely destroyed the magnificent building. It was rebuilt between 1874 and 1882, designed by architects Theodore Ballu and Edouard Deperthes to include a neo-renaissance façade. The City Hall has large alcoves with 230 statues of artists, scientists, politicians, and renowned residents of Paris, in perhaps the greatest collection in one location. These include Moliere, Voltaire, Boccador, and Rousseau. Another 108 citizens are represented on medallions and other architectural features on the building. The central doors under the clock are flanded by allegorical figures of “Art” by Laurent Marqueste, and “Science” by Jules Blanchard. The photograph in this blog is the bronze “La Scie...