Good Taste, Society and Quality of Life

Think about it

2010-02-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the post below, where I had to write a response to a "blogger" who made false allegations based on ignorance and wrong assumptions, to mislead and deceive uninformed readers, I recalled a nice sentence for our "Think about it" section:

"Ignorance is daring".

Think about it.

Uneducated opinions: how to deal with them

2010-02-16T12:24:00.001-08:00

The internet is a resourceful way to obtain information and learn about virtually anything. However, as it happens with any other tool, the net cannot be used irresponsibly or dishonestly nor should it become a dangerous way to mislead and deceive uninformed readers. Tendential news (published due to plain ignorance or promoted behind a political agenda) can be found everyday in the virtual world. Before believing their contents, please ask somebody who is versed in that specific subject, so misleading emails like the one you will read below will not deceive you so easily.

Today I got the following email from a friend, explaining something apparently "horrible" that happened recently:
QUOTE:
"OIL DRILLING IN BRAZIL
This is for real. Check out link to Wall Street Journal at bottom.
Obama underwrites off shore oil drilling in BRAZIL. This is a perfect example why I refrain from watching the news on ABC, NBC, CBS, or MSNBC. Today on a segment of the "Glen Beck Show" on FOX (Fox Cable News) was the following:
"Today, even though President Obama is against off shore drilling for our country, he signed an executive order to loan 2 Billion of our taxpayers dollars to a Brazilian Oil Exploration Company (which is the 8th largest company in the entire world) to drill for oil off the coast of Brazil! The oil that comes from this operation is for the sole purpose and use of China and NOT THE USA!
Now, here is the real clincher, the Chinese government is under contract to purchase all the oil that this oil field will produce, which is hundreds of millions of barrels.
We have absolutely no gain from this transaction whatsoever!
Wait, it gets more interesting.
Guess, who is the largest individual stockholder of this Brazilian Oil Company and who would benefit most from this? It is American BILLIONAIRE, George Soros, one of President Obama's most generous financial supporters during his campaign.
If you are able to connect the dots and follow the money, you are probably as upset as I am. Not a word of this transaction was broadcasted on any of the other news networks!
Forward this factual e-mail to others who care about this country and where it is going. Also, let all of your Government representatives know how you feel about this.
This is the link to the Wall street Journal article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574346610120524166.html
" END OF QUOTE.

And now I am posting my response to this incomplete, partial, tendentious and uneducated post, which I sent to the people who were included in that irresponsible internet chain:

The person who sent this email said that “facts” like the ones shown in the article below are what makes him/her refrain from reading the news…
Well, if this person had taken time to read the news… and books and magazines and specialized texts, he/she would be more informed, less ignorant about the subject he/she wrote about and would spare us from showing his/her lack of knowledge on international trade/business.

He/she would know that:
1) The loan is being approved through the American Eximbank bank (American Export Import bank), WHOSE PURPOSE is lending money to FOREIGN COUNTRIES to buy American goods and services.
2) Since that’s the main reason why the bank exists, it’s merely doing what’s supposed to be doing. The main requirements for a foreign company to request a loan in that bank is a LEGAL COMMITMENT that the foreign company will buy goods and services produced/provided by AMERICAN WORKERS AND BUSINESSES, increasing the nation’s exports and creating jobs and benefits IN THE UNITED STATES.
3) This is a mixture and dangerous combination of ignorance and political agenda to mislead uninformed people.
4) See what the EXIMBANK spokeman informed about this VERY COMMON AND NORMAL DEAL:

” A spokesman for the [U.S. Export Import] bank, Phil Cogan, noted to POLITICO that the bank does not rely on tax money and that Palin's statement ignores the bank's central function: To lend money to foreign companies for the purchase of American goods and services.

"It has to be produced by U.S. workers," Cogan said. Palin's statement refers to "creat[ing] jobs and health benefits in the U.S."

"That's exactly what a purchase financed by the U.S. government would do," Cogan said.

In this case, Cogan said, the proposed loan would likely finance engineering services, sales of ships to service oil platforms, or drilling equipment.

"This is the government doing what it's supposed to do: Create jobs and make sure that Americans get a fair shot at selling goods and services — not the British or the French or anyone else — and to help American workers compete on a level playing field," Cogan said, noting that most developed countries have similar credit-export agencies.

This is the way most successful countries do in the world arena to increase the competitiveness of their products…. In case you have doubts, read about the AMERICAN EXPORT IMPORT BANK or about the many other import/export or development banks in the world, like the BNDES in Brazil.

Can "faux" be the solution for expensive items?

2010-01-19T18:34:00.001-08:00

A reader sent me a message with comments on the blog and some of the subjects we discuss here. While she appreciates my efforts and keeps track of the posts, she also thinks that some of my ideas and recommendations at times end up conveying the message that "good taste" tends to be expensive. That comment was followed by a question: She wants to buy a garden fountain made of concrete. Actually, her initial intention was buying a handcarved fountain made of marble, but once she began to research prices and quality, it became clear that the garden fountains made in marble were out of her financial means. She then remembered what she had read had read in our blog. She was then under the impression that I strictly "recommended" the real fountain made of marble. Therefore, my reader wanted to know if people should avoid enjoying something "nice" just because they don't have the money to buy a certain item made with noble/expensive materials.
After all, she still wanted to have a fountain in her garden...

My response: As long as the cement fountain you intend to buy does not "try" to look like something more expensive or a false material, you can buy whatever you please for your garden. My eternal (and sometimes inglorious) fight is only against "faux" and mainly when faux means "attemp to deceive people by showing a noble material that is not original."

So, in my reader's case, for example, I would always try to buy a fountain carved in natural stone (more affordable than marble), which would still be a unique piece and would not look as cheap as concrete looks. I believe that can be a reasonable solution to your dilemma. If your economic resources do not allow you to buy a garden fountain made of stone, then "downgrade" your ambitions to concrete, but it's very important that such fountain would exhibit the natural appearance of concrete, not those "faux" fountains that are painted to "almost look" like stone or marble.

As you can see, my initial recommendations about faux have more to do with "showing what you could buy for your home (the real deal), and less to do with "being expensive or exclusive". Any water fountain would look right if it's not trying to be something it's not. The educated taste is confident, honest and works with the real material. People with good taste does not try to convey a false image of elitism using faux finishes to deceive the visitors' eyes (which actually backfire in most of the cases, as very few faux finishes manage to look acceptably convincing).

A good and simple wood table will ALWAYS be more honest and look better and that very same wood painted to look like "marble". A beautiful iron cast sculpture will always look better if it's not covered by a painting that will try to show it as brass or bronze. It is what it is because you are who you are. Not having the financial means to buy expensive items does not say anything negative about you. Trying to show off buying items looking like what you do not genuinely own does.

Antiques as an investment - Part 3 - Time to buy!

2009-12-31T18:22:00.000-08:00

If you have been visiting antique stores and reading about a certain (specific) type of furniture or artwork, time has arrived for you to make your first purchase. Take the following ideas into consideration and good luck!
1 - Prepare a mental list of objects or pieces of furniture that you really need or intend to use. Do that before you visit any antique stores, as that apparently simple step will prevent you from buying useless objects just because you found them "surprisingly cheap". Don't buy anything driven exclusively by impulse.
2 - Antiqueing is for everybody. Buying antiques isn't. So relax and do not leave your house with the "moral obligation" of bringing something home... you will end up realizing that you might spend hours antiqueing and, at the end of the day, you might not find anything that was really worth buying. That's quite common and normal. Actually, that tends to be the norm, rather than the exception. Remember: this is about A FEW good items that will retain or increase their value. This is not about buying many ordinary pieces to clutter your house.
3 - Once you find something appealing or attractive, read whatever pieces of information the dealer wrote on the price tag. See if the information tag contains data about the period, style, nature of the piece (antique? old replica? modern reproduction?) and about the item's history. Compare those pieces of information to the knowledge you already possess about that particular style... do they match? Are the data coherent to the descriptions of other pieces you have seen in books, magazines and other antique stores? AFTER that, always ask the dealer: "What can you tell me about this?" You will be surprised about how much you can learn about the world of antiques by talking to the business owner or dealer... they tend to be talkative people who know their stuff and are proud to show it.
4 - Despite the fact a dealer is a wonderful source of information, remember that even a professional in the world of antiques DOES NOT KNOW a lot about everything... it's a vast and complex subject and most dealers actually specialize in 3 or 4 broad areas (which is already impressive) and try to work with pieces related to their fields of expertise. As a result, learn with them as much as you can, but do not take their words as sacred official knowledge. Occasionally, you might find yourself more informed or knowledgeable about a certain historic style or period than the dealer him(her)self.
I remember a very curious example of a case like that, that happened a few years ago: I was looking into buying a very nice antique world globe, which rested on a gorgeous wood stand. The label on one of the arms read "1927" and the dealer gave me some info about how he found it and what the general conditions of the globe were. I took a quick look at the globe, looking for more details and, politely, told him:
- "This is a nice wood stand and it's in pretty good shape for its age. However, the world map mounted on it is not from the same period... it's from the 60's or later"
He looked at me with an inquisitive air, and asked me how could I be so sure that the world globe was not the original map that came with the wood stand.
- "It's easy... take a look at Brazil... right in the geographical center of the country, you can find the name of the capital "Brasilia" in bold letters... but the city of Brasilia was entirely built in 5 years as an artificial city to be the capital, from 1955 to 1960, when it was officially inaugurated. Prior to april 1955, nobody knew that the city would be built nor its exact location. Yet this map clearly indicates Brasilia as the capital of Brazil and shows its perfect location. As a result, this map has to have been printed after 1960".
He then understood that I was not trying to "reduce the value" of his item or making up excuses to get a nice discount. He actually thanked me for letting him know that the globe itself was not as old as the wood frame. I ended up not buying the "antique globe stand", but that is still a valid example of how careful you have to be when investing on buying antiques and collectibles.
5 - Time has now come for you to study the price... have you ever seen similar items for sale in other antique stores? Are the prices comparable somehow? This is a tricky task... it's hard to judge quality of an antique, based only on a visual inspection. There are too many variables to take into account to judge the value of an antique. Some real antiques are worth several thousands of dollars and they might still show some signs of physical deterioration. Since you are trying to combine investment with something that will be "forever" decorating your house, you also have to see if the piece will have a place in your house. Only experience and education will give you the tools to evaluate antiques.
Yet, once you analyze all that, price will finally begin to look good or bad for you. If the price is too "bad", don't even try to negotiate. The dealers are already stablished and have a reputation. You aren't. So don't waste their time with price negotiations if you are not REALLY interested in buying... they can spend hours talking about details and the history of an antique and will still love you... but don't make them spend hours talking about price and then say "I will think about it!" at the end. That's not serious.
6 - Keep all the info (information tags, origin, price paid, dealer's name) in your files at home. Don't leave everything to your memory alone. As years pass and you begin to accumulate chairs, lamps, tables and other pieces of furniture, the specific information that can add interest to the item might get lost.

Think about it

2009-12-18T16:19:00.001-08:00

This is a new section of the blog. I will be posting sentences and ideas, naming the author if known, and you should devote a couple of minutes thinking about it. It does not necessarily express my point of view about that particular subject, nor do I automatically endorse it just because it's being published. What I propose by showing them is a moment or two of meditation...

So let's see our first sentence:

"Modesty is the virtue of the one who doesn't have any other"
(I don't recall where I found this one)

As the tittle suggests: "Think about it".

Antiques as an investment: Part 2 - Taking your time

2009-12-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

If your interest in antiques as an investment has risen solely as a result of my first post on the subject, it's very likely you are a beginner.

The following ideas will certainly be useful for those who want to decorate their homes with charming antiques and still benefit from their investment from the financial point of view.

It might sound contradictory, but my first piece of advice is:

1) DON'T BUY ANYTHING!
Why is that? Why shouldn't I begin to buy my first pieces now, after you provided so many reasons to believe collecting antiques is a valid and sound investment? Because enthusiasm and lack of knowledge/experience can be the worst combination for your pocket and your long term plans.
First, you will have to learn a lot about how the market works, which items truly hold or increase their value as time passes and how to prove they are genuine and authentic, so it can be marketable and more "liquid", should you ever want to sell.

2) Many factors should be taken into account before you can acquire your first piece. The most relevant are:
2a) Antique furniture and art are not items that can be sold easily. They are not "liquid" items in the market, nor are their resale channels easy to find and use.
As a result, consider antiques as an investment only as a relatively small part of your portfolio, a way to preserve the value of your furniture while enjoying the activities involved. Very few people (basically, dealers) live mainly on the antique fluctuations of values or the short term resale gains.
2b) As in any other investment adventures, collecting antiques is an activity where frauds can happen... and as in any other investment market, your experience is your main ally to avoid being deceived or defrauded. Take your time studying the particularities of the items you intend to collect, in such a way you become an "expert" in those very few items.
2c) I said "very few items". The world of antiques is extremely wide and complex. It's very difficult to learn a lot about a certain subject (say, chippendale style furniture), let alone several fields and periods. Therefore, to minimize your risks, select VERY few types of furniture or arts and stick to them for the long run, adding more if you feel confidence enough or if you find yourself, as I did a long time ago, obsessed with that fascinating world.

3) Antiques are not for the "desperate housewives". If due to a personal financial crisis, you are forced to "get rid of your antiques" to make some urgent cash, you will NOT get optimum prices for your items. Make sure you take that into account when you evaluate your antiques for the future and for your strategic investment plans.

4) Once you begin to learn about a certain type of furniture (which hopefully and logically should be one that you LIKE), create different categories for them, in such a way you KNOW what you are buying and can clearly explain and identify the item in the future. You have to know which category the piece you own belong to. Is it a reproduction? Is is an authentic item? Is it a real antique or simply "old"? For an initial explanation on the differences between the terms "antiques", "reproductions", "antique-styles", "collectibles", "vintage" and "simply old", please read my post about it:

http://improveyourtaste.blogspot.com/2008/06/antiques-and-collectibles.html

http://improveyourtaste.blogspot.com/2008/07/faux-elements-and-debate-on-antique.html

Once you get yourself educated on the antiques "market", then you will be able to make smart choices and still decorate your home with the "good stuff" we all deserve.

TO BE CONTINUED... I will publish a "Part 3 - post"

House Communities: Socializing your Personal Hell

2009-12-03T19:23:00.000-08:00

Oh those lovely House Communities... the magic beauty of living in a social group whose members share management, responsibilities and often have common cultural and social interests... the joy and pleasure of joint possession, democratic decisions and consensual administration based on rules and services, all with the payment of only one small and convenient community fee. Isn't that truly fascinating?

WELL, STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!!!!!!!!

There's nothing magic, beautiful or pleasant about belonging to a group that will be entitled to determine the way you live, how you build, expand or remodel your home and force you to be in touch with people you would not have to face otherwise!

If you already made the dreary mistake of buying your house in one of them, you understand what I mean... the endless set of rules controling what you can do and what you cannot (this last list being one hundred times longer), the numerous restrictions on what you can modify in what is supposed to be YOUR property, the absurd and evergrowing fees and payments for the "administration" of the community, (whose inefficiency, incompetence and skyrocketing costs are generally blamed on you anyway), fees which, by the way, are always voted and decided in that one meeting you missed last month... all adding to provide a nightmarish long term experience.

If you have not made such a mistake, make sure you will NOT, EVER, look for your new home in one of those places, NO MATTER how fancy they look or upscale they are said to be. They all say they are anyway. Don't trust them! It sounds desperate and it IS, because once you sign that contract, your house, your money and your life is theirs. If you have an utter and urgent need to surrender your life to somebody, sell your soul to the devil instead... at least you can try to negotiate some benefits in return.

In a residential community, you will get none.

I already mentioned that subject and my dramatic appeal in one of my previous posts, which was the one dealing with the challenging experience of having to look for one's new home. There, I reinforced the fact that, if you have the economic conditions and means, you should always try to buy a single home, with some land around and in an independent section of the city or town (not a house community). That way, you will never have to share your neighbors' passion for football or parties, you won't have to listen to somebody else's fights nor will you have to pay 400 dollars every month for somebody to cut your 10 x 10 front lawn and still be unable to replace one single window of your house without having to fill out hundreds of forms and get 16 signatures of authorization from neighbors, managers and other community associates.

I know some community supporters might come here and meticulously repel and neutralize my arguments, one by one and using very convincing terms... they will probably defend the advantages of a beautiful and worry-free life in a residential community, where you can get all the "work around the house" done for you with the simple payment of a very convenient fee. They will also lead us to tears by giving us the examples and testimonies of those elderly people who can't thank them enough for taking care of all their house chores and needs, while they can enjoy their retirement, live a peaceful life and still have that marvelous sense of "belonging to a community".

And then, with a sweet smile on their faces, they will conclude that this post is probably overreacting to an eventual problem that somebody I know had in a house community, which would be unfair to connect, invariably and as a matter of divine fate, to any single community in the country.

I will then read those well written opinions, will dry my teary face, deeply touched by such beautiful and compellling arguments, look into my readers' eyes, and gently remark:

AS I SAID... STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!!!!!

Antiques as an investment - Part 1: Convincing the crowds

2009-11-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

Investing in antiques may sound like an elitist pastime or an activity for the sophisticated layer of the Bourgeosie. My intention today is showing that it's a valid investment option for nearly everybody who would like to diversify their portfolio and learn about History and Art at the same time.

As a way to explain (and proselytise) the aforementioned idea, let's compare the hypothetical patterns of behaviour of two people:

Person A - Common middle class who has little interest in art and history and live in a cookie cutter home in the suburbs.

Person B - You, educated person who reads this blog religiously and with endless devotion.

Situation 1

Person A spends US$2500.00 on a nice set of sofa, loveseat and armchair. Five years later, once the set looks dated and old, the person decides to resell it to recover some money and buy a new set.... good luck with that!!!
Used furniture, even if kept in good shape, will only get a small fraction of its iniital value, once it's back on the market. The person ends up selling the set for 300 dollars and spending another US$2500 on a nice new set of sofa, loveseat and armchair.

Person B, in turn, decides to buy antiques (see our articles about antiques to understand the difference between antiques, collectibles, vintage, old furniture etc). He/She takes a bit longer looking for different kinds of armchairs and settees, which is actually a very pleasant activity on the weekend. Since they have been antique hunting for quite some time, they had the chance to find a wonderful couple of Chippendale style armchairs from the early 20th century for a very good price (US$500, a miracle) and a comfortable settee with handcarved wood from the 1920's for US$1000.00 (in good shape, it's another miracle). Total expense: US$1500.00
But hold! The person invested in antiques. It does not have to be six-figure items from the 17th century, nor it has to be much more expensive than modern high-end furniture. But that Chippendale style chair will HOLD OR INCREASE its value, as time passes, while the modern counterpart will be worth less everyday.

Person A : Due to unexplained impulses (common in those types of people), person A tends to feel the irresistible need to change their furniture at every number of years... over 15 years, the average Person A spent approx. US$10,000.00 on pieces of furniture whose reselling prices are on a falling curve.

Person B : Due to his/her higher level of education and good taste, person B understands that the wonderful antique pieces he/she bought are so special and unique that they don't need to be changing or replacing them at every couple of years. Actually, a good antique can be passed to descendants for generations... and their price will only increase!

Person A makes several purchases for the same item over his/her lifetime, under the spell of that urge to "renovate" the room or because their furniture looks "old, dated or cheap" after a certain number of years.

Person B invests the money less often, buying only very good pieces, and his/her house looks like a million dollar home, due to the beautiful details of a handmade piece of old furniture. If they ever have or need to resell their items, they can expect similar or higher prices to what they had to pay initially.

Both person A and B need to buy furniture to their house, so that expense (for person A) or investment (for person B) would have to be made anyway.

Well, have I already convinced you to at least CONSIDER antiques as a valid investment move?

If I have, don't miss the second part of this subject, where I will discuss the best way to begin your antiques collection.

Brazil with an European accent

2009-11-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

It's different, but it's still Brazil, so nature is as exuberant as in the rest of the country.

Canela's neogothic cathedral.

Southern Brazil: cool weather, European architecture, warm people: a different way to experience the "Brazilian way of life".

No, it's not a postcard. But it could very well be.

NOTE: All pictures belong to a good friend (Gerson) and I was authorized to publish them. All rights reserved.

Brazil is hosting both the 2014 FIFA Soccer World Cup (in 12 cities) and the 2016 Olympic Games (in Rio de Janeiro). With such a busy agenda for the next decade, the world is now rediscovering the Tropical Giant of the South ... visiting and loving it!

Despite being one of the largest countries on earth, with an incredible varieties of human groups and landscapes, most travelers still tend to connect the term "Brazil" to the country's most obvious features, such as its tropical beaches, the Amazon, or Rio's worldwide famous Carnival parade. Or, as a friend of mine rigthteously puts it, the South American country is seen by many as "an exuberant tropical place, where the sun is always shining and the warm seas are welcoming us for a dip".

Yet as poetic as those words sound, Brazil is now present in many businessmen and world leaders' minds for a much more prosaic and material reason: with a booming economy and a stable democracy, the largest Latin American nation has emerged, in recent years, as a major global powerhouse.

Those who have accompanied this blog know that I defend traveling as an important way to learn about other cultures and countries, not only as a way to improve our ability to understand and analyze the world we live in, but also as a way to go beyond the stereotypes and preconceived ideas we have about different cultures.

Southern Brazil represents a wonderful change to "go beyond the stereotypes".

Next time you have travel to Brazil, I recommend a visit to the not very publicized South of the country, where you will be able to learn a bit more about this vibrant and continental nation and see much more than what is conventionally linked to that country's image.

Granado and Canela.

Many people ignore that our tropical South American neighbor has areas where it snows in winter. Most travelers still look surprised when they see German or Italian architecture in little towns on the mountains that could very well be located in Austrian villages. But most of the population (immigrants from countries as diverse as Ukraine, Germany, Polland, Russia, Spain, Japan, Korea, other Latin american countries, Lebanon, Portugal and Italy) speak Portuguese and their original country's language. Visiting the South of Brazil will give you a better idea on how diverse and multiethnical the country is, with large numbers of immigrants from virtually every single human group. The region is also extremely beautiful and charming, so it's worth a trip.

Going south.

Located in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, Gramado and Canela are picture perfect towns, with beautiful parks, scenery, food and cultural attractions. There are many beautiful towns in Southern Brazil, but they should give you a good idea of that part of the country.

From there, you can explore nearby cities to visit Brazilian wineries or drive to one of the other states of the region: Parana (don't forget the visit the worldwide famous "Iguaçu Falls", the largest show of nature) and Santa Catarina (a small state with an incredibly diversified array of natural sceneries and towns).

Since Brazil is one of the largest countries on earth, visiting one region at a time is also a practical piece of advice. For the suggested trip, the name of the states are:
1 - Parana - Capital city: Curitiba.
2 - Santa Catarina - Capital city: Florianopolis.
3 - Rio Grande do Sul - Capital city: Porto Alegre.

Good old wine, bad old wine

2009-10-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

If you happen to drink one or two daily glasses of wine, as I do, for pleasure, health or both, you might have realized that the wine does not taste as good after a few days as it did the first time you opened the bottle.

Since wine, as any other alcoholic beverage, should be enjoyed in moderation, it's very likely that you will always end up having some wine in the bottle once it's been opened. The question is then inevitable: how to preserve an open bottle of wine?

First of all, let's identify the period after which the wine is no good for daily consumption.

Technically, oxidation begins to occur at the very same moment we open the bottle, but the point at which this chemical process REALLY begins to affect the taste and quality of the wine is not a consensus by any means.

Some purists (and most wine snobs) won't touch a bottle that has been open for more than 6 or 8 hours. That's a radical position that magnifies the problem. I think this belief is exaggerated and too extreme.

Even though it's correct to assume that most not-so-good wine do begin to die within a few hours after the bottle has been opened, it's also true that good wine could be kept "alive" for a longer period. Most wineries keep their bottles available for tasting for 3 or even 4 days, and that does not mean they are serving a bad product.

Some tricks will help you to preserve your daily wine as tasty as it is healthy.

1) Drink one bottle at a time. You can still try different types of wine every month, without having to open them all at once. By keeping only one bottle open at a time, you will certainly finish the bottle relatively soon, thus minimizing the risk of a strong oxidation.

2) If the type of wine requests cooling (generally, white and light red wines), the refrigerator will become a good ally, as cooling slows the oxidation process. Re-cork the bottle and put in the fridge. More complex reds should not be chilled, regardless of your desperation to preserve it.

3) If you sense you will not be able to finish your bottle of wine within 6 or 7 days, buy a smaller bottle and fill it up to the very top with the remaining wine, so there will be no headroom. It might not be the most practical way to deal with your open bottle, but it's still better than just leaving the wine exposed to oxidation.

4) Do not waste money on magic vaccum pump or hand vaccum devices... the negligible amount of air it pulls doesn't create vaccum and does little good in preserving the liquid. It's more a marketing trick than the real benefit.

5) Ignore the wine snobs around you who will swear the wine is "undrinkable" the day after you open the bottle. With some precautions like the ones mentioned above, you can still enjoy a good glass of wine for 4 or 5 days, and a "toughie" (and chancier) glass, after 6 or 7 days after the bottle is open.

6) In drastic or lost cases, check if the wine is still good for consumption and use it for cooking.

7) Tricks are useful, but keep in mind oxidation is essentially unevitable once the bottle is open. Therefore, if you need a winey "orgasm" everytime you open a bottle, drink the whole thing at once.

And NO, I am not suggesting you should consume an entire bottle on your own. If the bottle is too good to be true, invite some nice friends over (I am usually free on Friday nights!) and share this orgasm with them.

Extra Virgin AVOCADO oil

2009-10-21T09:18:00.001-07:00

For those who love Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but want to try something slightly different (and equally healthy), take note of what I "discovered" in one of my trips to Chile: Extra Virgin AVOCADO oil.

I have been using it as dressing for salads and pizza (yes, I pour colossal amounts of olive oil on my pizza) and it could not get any better.

It's cold-pressed oil extracted from avocado, which is been proved to assist in lowering cholesterol levels and has powerful antioxidants. You can either find it in Natural Health stores or order it online.

The cultural "gap"

2009-10-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

The magic of traveling and visiting other countries goes far beyond the obvious pleasures of sightseeing and postcard-quality pictures of you in front of a famous monument. Seeing different ways of life, surprising cultural practices and habits or peculiar social relations will certainly increase your awareness of the world, while improving your ability to judge, with a more educated level of scrutiny, your own society.

Even apparently simple details of your daily life can change, and the old views you had about them can suddenly become more acute or critical.

I still remember a conversation I had with some close friends a few years ago, when they were asking me to enlist the things I liked or disliked the most about living in 4 different countries. I then began to enumerate details that I liked about each country and also elaborated a short list of things I did not appreciate. Many "items" were new for them, as some countries have customs, habits or even laws that can be or sound very "weird", exotic or even surprising, for visitor or foreigners.

When debating my life in the United States, however, one particular item of my list became the central subject of discussion, as among the few things I don't particularly like here, I mentioned the following item:

"The common practice of allowing wide gaps between the door and the door frame in public restrooms, like the ones in airports, malls and other businesses, which allows incoming people to clearly see if there's somebody in a certain bathroom stall".

I always thought this very common practice in the United States is invasive, insulting, dictatorial and against the most elementary principles of individual privacy. Why can't all the doors have the strictly minimum necessary gap to open and close, thus blocking the view from the outside world and vice verse? Who decided that somebody else has the power, right or authority to see the person in a bathroom stall? The gaps are so wide that I would be able to recognize my high school friends if they were there! It would not be the most appropriate moment to say "hi", but that gives you an idea of how intrusive that gap is.

My friends were mostly surprised... they had never considered or evaluated the subject, since they "did not know any better" or how this "gap between the door and door frame in public restrooms" was dealt with in other countries. Why was I so keen to see that level of invasion? And why were my friends so "surprised"?

Probably because I have been in many other countries, and therefore have realized that it's socially unacceptable, in most of them, to have a bathroom with such a wide gap between the door and the door frame...

My friends began to give possible explanations for this practice: that the airports and businesses' supervisors might need to inspect bathrooms for drug use or other illegal acts, or that the gaps I saw were probably a construction defect, not an intentional feature (they were not, I have seen them in virtually any airport and mall in the US, and I travel a lot). They would sound convincing at first, but the truth is none of these explanations would justify such an invasion of a very basic individual right... the right to do our business in a bathroom without putting up a public show!

Well, this ended up being more than a cultural "gap". It became a discussion about the ways authorities and managers can eventually create a social pattern. You will fit, comply, obey and implicitly accept it, especially if you have never lived or experienced something different, or seen an alternative approach a social situation. Why isn't there a public discussion in the United States about this very clear invasion of our individual privacy? Why is this practice so widespread?

The main message here still validates the importance of traveling as a way to learn more about the "outside" world. But it can also be useful to discover new things about your own natural and social environment. It gives you a more educated view, a more resourceful power to judge and analyze, a more informed basis on which you can make your life decisions. And that's what educated taste is all about.

I am back

2009-10-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

I had to take a business trip to Brazil. I am back. Don't despair =)

Wine Night

2009-09-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

For those who want to learn more about wine but do not have the time for long theoretical dissertations, here is a hint on how to use your friends' knowledge to your favor.

Invite them to go to your house. Organize a Wine Night!

First, you choose a day and time and invite 3 or 4 of your friends to show up. A good day and time would be Friday or Saturday, at 6 PM or 7 PM (you should start this relatively early).

Every friend/couple that will attend the event must bring one bottle of their favorite wine. The maximum number of invitees is important, as they all should have the chance to try at leat a glass of all the bottles of wine. Therefore, too many people would imply having too many bottles and the main purpose of the event is learning more about good wine, not getting totally drunk and putting on a show.

When inviting your friends, explain CLEARLY that the main subject of conversation is ***NOT*** necessarily their particular knowledge about wine and the wine culture. You certainly want to learn more about the wine world, but that diplomatic warning will keep those boring "PHDs in Wine" from monopolizing the conversation. The idea is talking about the subject as PART of a social event. You don't need to get your Masters degree in wine culture in just one night.

Prepare LIGHT appetizers to eat during the event, dividing them into 2 rounds. A first round would come with the first round of drinks, where everybody will try the available types of wine, so they can begin to identify their favorite bottles. Then conversation should flow espontaneously for a couple of hours, after which a second and final round of appetizers will create the perfect moment to close the night. A light dessert would do it just fine.

Since it's wine night, not a formal dinner, you have to provide several options of appetizers, but no main course is mandatory or necessary. You can even request your attendees to bring something to eat as well, in addition to the bottle of wine.

Finally, 2 important considerations:

1) Plan the initial round of wine tasting for the very beginning of the event. For most people, those first 2 or 3 glasses are more than enough for a pleasant evening.
For the rest of the night, offer several non alcoholic alternative drinks, in such a way your guests have the chance, time and opportunity to enjoy the visit without drinking too much.
2) Be ready or willing to allow a few of your friends to sleep in your house, especially if they drank too much and no one is available to drive them home. DO NOT ALLOW your friends to leave your house if they are visibly or clearly drunk and/or select somebody in your family who DID NOT DRINK to drive them home, if necessary. They should not have drunk that much to begin with, but those cases happen sometimes.

Tacky Neighbors

2009-08-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine recently revealed a dilemma that is likely to afflict many of this blog's readers: what should you do when you have tacky neighbors? Should you let them know or keep it for yourself?

My friend explained his current situation: a few months ago, a couple moved to their upper middle class neighborhood, where houses tend to have a decent size lot and gardens and flowers are more than welcome. However, just a few days after the move, the couple began to "decorate" their front yard, with the following exotic elements: plastic pink flamingos (good beginning!), plastic daisies and other types of equally tacky fake flowers, fake bunnies, leprechauns and other "fantastic" beings.

Suddenly and showing no mercy, reality was slapping him on the face. Now, in despair, his eyes could not believe the crude scene they were witnessing. It was inevitable, undeniable and official: his neighbors are totally and irremediably deprived of the most elementary notions of good taste.

Horrified by that dramatic picture and anticipating the pain and suffering of seeing those despicable toys every single day on one side of his house for the rest of his days, my friend began to ask other neighbors, in private conversations, if they had a particular position or opinion about his neighbor's "magical garden".

Not to his surprise, they also thought those displays were awfully shabby and tasteless. And, as per the description that my friend offered of his neighbors' frontyard, it would not be very difficult to build a consensus around it... yet they decided to remain silent.

My friend asked me to write about this subject here, and at the same time, give my opinion about what can be made in cases like this.

I could certainly suggest a couple of very effective ways to deal with such cases, but since they are technically illegal, we will have to disregard them.

Therefore, my formal response for what you could do to live with tacky neighbors can be summed up in one single word: Nothing.

First of all, it sounds like your community/condominium/local authority has no regulation about things that are allowed or not in the house's frontyard. As we all know, some condos or associations create and enforce restrictions to modifications that a family might want to make in the house's façade, backyard or other areas of the property. That would be helpful, even though, being more realistic, such restrictions tend to be enabled to prevent only permanent modifications or changes in the exterior aspect of the property. They hardly ever have any powers to dictate what can be used in the frontyard as decorations or beautifying elements of a garden.

Since there are no legal restrictions or regulatory measures that you could use to back your complaint, very little can be done to solve your dissatisfaction.

You could always try to address the issue with a very frank conversation with your neighbors, explaining why you think the front of their house looks like the central aisle of a dollar store, but experience has shown that tacky people not only truly believe that their yard decorations are extremely beautiful, but they also tend to take offense, if criticized or confronted, as they believe they were genuinely blessed with the touch of good taste and us, dissenting people, "just don't understand them".

If you have read my blog from its very beginning and seen comments of people vehemently defending fake brick or stone in their cookie cutter homes, you will understand what I mean.

With that said, it's also important to remark that, in principle, what your neighbors do with their house or the way they decorate their yard should not be of your concern... I know it's very easy for me to say that, since I have no plastic leprechauns or fake flowers at the reach of my eyesight, but that's still the way our civilized world works.

Try to live with that, and if the frontyard eyesores hunt you in your bedtime, turning your one day peaceful dreams into tormeting nightmares of dancing plastic daisies, consider the idea of moving out of your neighborhood. It's tough, but it would be the only realistic solution.

Inflight commercial catalogs, a challenge

2009-08-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Some weeks ago, I published a post about one of the products advertized in one of those inflight commercial catalogs (where a passenger can browse a free magazine, order a variety of items online or on the flight and receive them by mail later).

It wasn't very hard to infer, from the contents of that post, that I don't particularly like the items they sell, especially when promoters try too hard to portray objects that are undisputedly useless and tacky as if they were necessary, desirable or even indispensable!!

A reader, who is also a frequent customer of one of those catalogs, requested me to take a look at one and write about the "shopping experience", in case I had to buy something there. He would like me to explore and study a few products, read a few pages and see if I could provide useful information about what to buy (and what not to buy) in them.

I accepted the challenge, in part because I recently had one of those long boring flights where few options of entertainment are available. And, in part, because I wanted to write a post on the (few) good things you can buy through those inflight catalogs. With a hesitant move, I grabbed the free magazine in front of my seat and used the duration of the flight to read the products' descriptions. The following comments should help you to find something useful to buy, in case your wallet itches and it's absolutely impossible to resist the temptation... (even in those desperate cases, take a deep breath and resist the temptation... it worked very well with me)

1) Don't buy anything to "decorate" your house with. Nothing that truly decorates a house can be found in a inflight commercial magazine. Why not? Because they are mostly reproductions or copies, not truly unique works art.

2) Ignore those items that are said to "add drama" to your house. I know it sounds pathetic... maybe because it IS. Sincerely, who would like to add "drama" to a wall or room? What is that? "Drama" is the perfect word to describe literally nothing. It's that word that will finish a description that has very little to say, so they strive to create the false idea that what's being offered is valuable, for no objetive reason... And if you analyze all the items that are supposed to add "drama" to your room, you will see it's more likely they'll end up adding "tragedy" to it.

3)Don't buy sculptures, statues, "monuments" or any other element made of plastic resin (or any resin, for that matter). Why would you buy a "marble-like" sculpture, which is really a reproduction of a Greek god or legendary being? Do you want your house to look like the Disney castle? How ENDLESSLY cheap does a garden with fake sculpture look like? That's what you want for your house?

3) In general, avoid any item whose description contains the following terms:
- faux
- false
- fake
- looking like
- plastic resin
- drama
- conversation piece

4) This last one deserves a topic on its own... Why would a piece of PVC resin looking like a marble lion be a conversation piece? Is this "conversation" devoted to emphasizing the homeowner's absolute lack of taste? Because, sincerely, that would be the only topic of conversation such an abnormality would induce.

5) In general, look for items whose description contains the following terms:
- real (wood, stone, marble etc).
- save (energy, time, money). BUT MAKE SURE the statement is correct AND that it would save (energy, time, money) in your specific case.
- organize (documents, clothes, shoes). These items should make your life easier. But once again, MAKE SURE the item is really necessary for your particular life style and needs. If you live alone and happen to have only a couple of remote controls, why would you need an ugly box to organize 124 remote controls?
- handmade - which indicates that whatever you are buying is hand-crafted and truly unique.

6) Since you are up for the task, picture yourself using the object, device or machine that attracted your attention... is this unique electronic device one of those that you will REALLY use often or for a long time? Or it's one of those devices that will be used once and then be kept ad eternum in a basement? Is this "revolutionary-replica-of-a-famous-robot-that-can-say-hi-and-bye" something that will really provoke a radical change in your life?

Do NOT buy items driven merely by impulse. Do NOT buy items driven merely by the vague notion of an eventual need.

7) At this point, my flight was about to land... I closed my eyes, relaxed and began to laugh at the artwork that was supposed to add "drama" to my house. I don't know about drama, but it certainly provoked a good 5 minutes of inward laughter.

This one is not about Good Taste...

2009-07-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

It's about COMMON SENSE!

Please, restrain from recording those looooooooooooong call messages in your cell phone.

Leave those unbearably long messages for your home number (if you happen to keep one), so you can drive all those annoying telemarketers wild. (In my home phone I have obnoxiously lengthy messages in 3 languages... I love to imagine the face of those nasty telemarketers when they have to hear that).

Avoid those useless pieces of information that burn precious seconds of your friends and relatives's lives!

Let's see an horribly upsetting (and terribly common) message, so we can work on an ideal (and brief) counterpart:

"Hi. You have reached the cell phone of (say loooong full name here). I am not available at the moment. Please, leave your name, social security number, date of birth, your checking account number including the secret code, phone number and a brief message and I will return your call, as soon as I can. Thanks for calling and have a nice day."

Sigmund Freud, analyze this:

1) Hi.
-----> Totally useless word.

2) You have reached the cell phone of xxxxx
-----> Really? I am glad I managed to call you.... and I think I got it! Maybe it's because I intentionally dialed your number... maybe it's because the number you gave me to call you and the actual number of your cell phone coincide... or maybe it's because I know how to use a touch phone and actually decided to call you... who knows?

3) I am not available at the moment.
-----> Good to know! I was beginning to think you were looking at the screen of your cell phone when I called, toyed with the idea of answering it, but finally decided not to waste your time on me!

4) Please leave your name, phone, message, bla bla bla.
-----> NOPE!! I will never provide you with my name or phone number (despite the hideous fact that some cell phones record my number on your screen, totally against my will). I just wanted to dial your number, hang up and expect that, due to one of those paranormal talents you are famous for, you will guess who called and what the phone call is all about.

5)I will return your call, as soon as I can.
-----> Great! Another special massage on my ego. Can you imagine if I kept calling 5 or 6 times and never expected you to return my call??? I would be emotionally devastated! And I thought I needed a head shrinker!

6) Thanks for calling and have a nice day.
-----> Useless words whose absense would have saved 4 precious seconds of my life, multiplied by the number of (now, not many) times I would feel compelled to call you.

A more reasonable message would be.

It's Joao DaCosta. Please leave your message. Thanks.

That shows the number is correct and give the person a change to leave a message.
That's ALL you need!

Trying too hard to impress or "The shortest way to making a bad impression!"

2009-07-15T10:14:00.001-07:00

A reader sent a brief list of her concerns about a major social event in her city, to which she was invited for the first time. The formal dinner is supposed to gather prestigious and wealthy people from her area, so she asked me a few questions about how to behave/make a good impression and what attitudes/words/actions she should try to avoid. She wanted to be seen as a "part of the group" and keep being invited for future events.

There are so many details to discuss about how to behave in a social event, so it was a challenge for me to begin to write about it and elaborate a reply. Yet one of her questions gave me a hint on how I could approach this subject, because it touches the most important (and apparently underlying) aspect of her message's concerns: the ineffable need of social acceptance. The question that trigged this assumption was: "it's a fact they will serve caviar at the reception, and I tried it a few years ago and did not like the taste... should I eat very little of it and try to "pass it" with wine... or should I just be honest and refuse it?"

My general comment about your patterns of behavior should help you answer this question as well: The best way to make a positive impression on a certain group is ... resisting the temptation to make a positive impression!

It would be very easy and obvious to say "Just be yourself" or "believe in yourself" and all these other cheap pieces of advice any monthly magazine would provide, but that's just **not** the point!

It's not simply "Be yourself" because-you-have-been-"yourself"-all-these-years-and-still-managed-to-get-invited-to-this-major-event.

The message is a bit more complex than that. Let's address the issues, one by one:

1) First of all, about your specific question about caviar... there's nothing wrong with disliking a certain kind of food, and that includes caviar! Caviar is known for its unique and somehow pungent flavor... it's not exactly to everyone's taste. That's ONE of the reasons it's served as an hors d'oeuvre and in small quantities, not to overwhelm the taste of other ingredients/appetizers. (small quantities, as you can see, has nothing to do with caviar's very high price... if somebody has the resources to offer caviar in a social event, price (and therefore, quantity served) is expected to be the least of his/her concerns.

If you take that premise into account, you will realize that there are many people who have been "exposed" to caviar their entire lives and never particularly liked it. As a result, nothing could be more natural than refusing it as an appetizer with a very discreet "no, thanks!". Declining to eat caviar (or any other food, for that matter) has NO effect whatsoever on your potential ability to be a member of a group, simply because nobody who eats caviar on a regular basis care too much about it.
It's pretty much like the person who, in a social meeting and trying to gain attention, reinforces ten times that his flight to that city was in first class, just to hear a young (and very wealthy) boy to ask what were the other options on a flight, anyway... naturally, he had never known or gave too much importance to the fact he had flown first class his entire life because he never had to think about it. It wasn't "an issue of discussion" for him... and it's certainly not "an issue of discussion" for his parents, either... they would simply take it for granted, as that's their natural way to fly.

2) Now back to more substantial aspects of your concerns, the best way to behave as the "new member" of a social club is actually being virtually invisible in the first couple of meetings, so you can give the group some time for your presence to "blend in". That means you should avoid the "Lady Gaga syndrome", which consists of trying too hard to cause a social conmotion everywhere you go, just to show you exist or you "count".
Just relax and be "cool" about the whole thing (I mean jaded, not arrogant): avoid trying to be too funny and telling too many glitzy stories about how particular and spectacular you life/career/skills are. Restrain from showing large-scale displays of your professional life or pretentious (and long) lists of your several talents. They don't need to know (and won't be interested in knowing) "all about you" in one single meeting.

3) Circulate. If the meeting is a large scale reception, and little groups are being formed, devote some time to the first group you encounter once you arrive, and then, deliberately, find a second group to interact with. That avoids the "Lady Gaga syndrome", as you will not have time to explain in further details your whole successful, fulfilling and spectacular life to the group and also gives you the chance to get to know more people.

4) Do NOT distribute business cards to every single soul in the meeting, EVEN if other people (who certainly did not read this blog) do so. You are there to blend in, not to sell soap or encyclopedias! If, for any reason, somebody asks you to give him/her your business card (which is not precisely very common), then proceed.

5) Be one OF THE FIRST ONES the leave. It's not very difficult... once you sense some of the guests are gone, it's time to consider leaving the place. If you are a new "member" of this elitist group, you still don't have the level of intimacy to "help the owners to clean" (yep... I am exaggerating, but some people really don't understand that being the last ones to leave, when the hosts are already tired and willing to close the event, is the worst single reason why you might end up making a final bad impression, even though you had been behaving as a queen/king until some minutes ago.

Lost in Antofagasta: Teaching the Chileans how to make a (kick ass!) Caipirinha.

2009-07-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

Teaching my "new friends" in the Chilean city of Antofagasta: Making caipirinhas in the land of Pisco Sour. (And, before you ask: 'NO', this is not a Coca Cola ad.)

If you have read this blog since I began to publish it a while ago, you have probably noticed that the main message that it conveys is related to the importance of personal education, which will in turn improve your views, concepts, opinions and, ultimately, help you develop a more educated taste.

Study and Learn! Nearly all the posts in this blog remark these magic words, in one way or another.

Sometimes, however, you are the one who is called to teach something. It could be something as relevant as the legal advice you can give a friend who wants to open his/her own business (if, say, you are a lawyer), or it can be something as prosaic as I what I had to teach in Antofagasta, northern Chile, a couple of weeks ago.

Antofagasta is the capital of the Chilean mining industry. Located on what is called one of the "driest places on earth" (if not the driest!), the area has not seen a serious rainfall in several decades.

Looking for a nice place to have lunch one of these days, I went to this local restaurant on the city's pleasant coastal avenue. A Brazilian caipirinha - I thought - sounded like a very good beginning. A few minutes later, however, my dreams were shattered by the horrible vision of a bunch of pieces of lime swimming in a lava-like stream made of sugar... which, to top it all off, tasted as bad as it looked.

Terrified, I called the waiter's attention and expressed, calmly and in good terms, my dissatisfaction with that tragic version of "caipirinha". Not wanting the complaint to gain a negative tone, I also said that, as a Brazilian who prepares caipirinhas very often, I was formally voluteering to teach them how to make a good one, if they accepted.

The waiter smiled and asked us to wait for a few seconds, returning some minutes later with the not surprising statement that "they were not authorized to accept my offer". Naturally, I had my lunch as expected (with a soda) and left the premises without further complaints or comments.

A few days later, I ended up going back to our good old restaurant (needless to say caipirinhas were not part of my plans for that afternoon). This time, however, the manager of the restaurant saw me and came to talk to us. He thanked me for my polite complaint and informed the they would like me to visit the restaurant's bar and explain how to make a good caipirinha. I gladly accepted his invitation, and the final result of my cocktail adventure in Chile can be seen in the pic above.

Etiquette and Diplomacy

2009-07-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

It has been published that a minor diplomatic incident happened during Nuri al-Maliki (current Iraq's prime minister)'s official visit to France, last month (June/09)

According to the first version published in Italy, the Iraqi prime minister refused to take part in an official lunch, offered by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, once he realized wine was being served in the event.

After having his staff's request to have the "unholy alcohol" be kept off the table denied, Nuri al-Maliki, a practising Shia muslim, decided not to participate, and the lunch was finally cancelled.

The Iraqis acknowledged that they failed to inform the French protocol officials that no alcohol should be served in any of the official events. As reported, the minor incident had no relevant impact on the development of the rest of the visit and the meetings with the French president and other authorities occurred as planed.

I have read several comments on the internet (in general, made by people who have little or no knowledge or formal education in international affairs), who were essentially "celebrating the strength, firmness and courage" of the French government, "in a world where there's so much subservience to Islam's demands". Another person stated that, if "the visitors don't accept my conditions in my own home, they should leave". One of them was even making fun of the Iraqis, alleging they "were arrogant enough to believe that, by simply informing in advance their demands, the French government would have to comply with them".

These people got it all wrong, as usually happens when you give opinions on something you don't know anything about. Luckily for us, Foreign Relations are not for amateurs.

The Iraqis were correct by recognizing their mistake in not informing the French protocol officials about this religious request. But they were equally correct when they assumed that Iraq's government officials were entitled to having their requests diplomatically addressed, had they informed them in advance. Well, this minor incident can help us understand how etiquette and diplomacy are intimately related, and how professional international protocol offices operate, in nearly all well structured Foreign Relations Secretaries around the world.

First of all, if the French had kept the wine off the table, thus accepting the request of the Iraqi prime minister, that would not imply any level of subservience.

In the international protocol, prior to any visit of a foreign authority, the Foreign Relations officials of each country interchange a list of details that should be respected during all official ceremonies and events. As any person who reads a bit about the world knows, there are many religious, cultural, social and even gastronomical conditions/restrictions/requests that exist due to the enormous variety of cultures and societies around the globe.

When an official visit is prepared, the protocol officials analyze the lists and, in general, prepare the details to make sure the meetings and discussions will happen successfully and according to the restrictions and requirements informed.

IF, FOR ANY REASON, the other country cannot accept one or more of the requests informed by the other country, then diplomatic negotiations begin until a final arrangement is made. If no final arrangement can be attained, then the event can be cancelled or postponed.

Therefore, the Iraqis' only mistake was failing to inform the French protocol about this specific alcohol restriction. If they had done so, the French diplomats would then have the chance to either plan an official lunch without wine, or try to find common ground on this delicate issue.

According to international protocol (the world's etiquette set of rules for political and diplomatic relations), the French were given the chance to refuse and reject Nuri al-Maliki's demands ONLY (AND ONLY) because the Iraqis authorities failed to inform the French diplomats about this religious requirement prior to the meeting... otherwise, the French would have had to withdraw all wine from the dining table, so as to avoid a diplomatic issue due to a failure on THEIR part.

It seems clear now that this entire situation has NOTHING to do with subservience, courage, strength or the fact that "French were bravely holding their ground". People who speak on those terms could never be a diplomat and totally ignore how international relations work.

As we all know, French Foreign Relations authorities are no amateurs. I am sure that, had they received this "no-unholy-alcohol-on-the-dining-table" request in advance, they would have found a common ground or changed the nature of the first meeting (by not offering an official lunch, for instance), to avoid this unnecessary and unsavory incident.

And as we learned from the musical EVITA, in the famous diologue between the Argentinean leader and a local bourgeois:
"Statesmanship is more than entertaining peasants!"
After all, on occasions, you have to "entertain" a foreign king, prime minister or president, too!
=)
And while both groups deserve respect and attention, the expectable cultural, political and religious differences of foreign visitors demand the observation of some specific rules and conditions. The international protocol has become, over the years, a very useful resource to tackle such a noble task.

Expand your horizons: drink wine made in ... Brazil!

2009-07-01T09:50:00.001-07:00

Brazil has long been famous for soccer, the Girl from Ipanema, caipirinhas, the ethanol revolution and for being one of the emerging economic powerhouses of the world...
Despite being a sort of "agricultural superpower", with sizeable crops of nearly every single product on the horizon, few people would connect the South American giant to... wine!

Now, you should think twice and, just for a moment, forget the rain forest, the white sandy beaches and the bustling tropical cities.

Brazil's sheer size extends way down south on the continent, far from the ecuator, to a much more temperate climate, which allows the weather to be cooler and drier and provides the southern states of the country with very favorable conditions for the development of the grape/wine growing industry.

In what's being celebrated now as the industry's official international debut, many of the Brazilian producers participated in the most prestigious event in the world, the Vinexpo 2009, in France. Even though Brazilians have been producing wine for over a century (a legacy of the country's many Italian, Portuguese and Spanish immigrants), it's only now, with the dramatic improvement of its quality (and some much needed marketing), that the Brazilian wine is taking the world by storm. And what a storm!

Exports of Brazilian wine have been growing consistently, including some of the world's most demanding markets, such as the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States. At the same time, domestic consumption of Brazilian wine is expected to double in the next 3 years.

If you intend to expand the bounderies of your "wine world" or just feel like trying Brazilian wine for a change, pick a Cabernet Sauvigon, Malbec, Merlot or Gamay (for red), or a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc (for white) and make a toast in my honor!

Fine Art Photography

2009-06-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

A good option for those who want to have original artwork and do not have the time, desire or patience to explore the complex world of paitings or sculptures, Fine Art photography can very well be a valid way to study art and design. Collecting fine art photography not only provides a relatively affordable way to decorate your walls, but can also instigate your curiosity towards other forms of artistic expression.

Even though some photographs (those with exceptional esthetic qualities and taken by acclaimed and renowned photographers), can reach very high price tags, most of this artistic industry is more "democratic" when it comes to their market dynamics, and it's perfectly possible to start collecting great photography with a reasonable budget.

Here are some hints for those who want to begin to collect photographs.

1) You have two options when you are buying ORIGINAL photographic art. You can either have one-print originals (the print that YOU (and only you) will possess) or you can have a numbered print of an original protograph. You should always make sure which type of photograph you are acquiring.

1.1) If you happen to be purchasing a one-print original, the seller (the photographer himself, in most cases), would have to provide you with the (section of the) film containing the original image, or a brief statement declaring no copy will be ever made of that original film, or evidence that the original mean/surface was destroyed (deleted file or nullified film), so you can be sure you are the only collector to own that image. If you end up with the original film, do not destroy it... we never know what can happen to your first print, as years pass or accidents happen.

1.2) In case you are purchasing a numbered print of an original artistic photograph, request precise information about the total number of prints. The higher the number of prints, the lower the prices for a copy. I don't particularly favor this alternative, as I believe you should always be the sole owner of an existing artistic piece (regardless of the type or nature of the artistic expression), but in case you decide to begin your collection with good quality numbered copies of a fine original, make sure you don't accept more than 30 prints per original. If you accept more than that, you will be paying for an album of pictures, not for a valuable piece of art.

2) Frame your picture. It's the best way to properly care for photographs, photographic prints and other types of photography collections: insects, poor handling and storage, pollution, saliva, moisture, smog, sunlight and others are known as potential risks to the integrity of your print or photograph. Frames should be discreet and visually clean, not to compete with the artistic image itself.

3) The marketability of the fine art photograph industry is somehow more limited that other forms of art expression. Keep that in mind when buying artistic photographs: buy them because you were particularly touched by the images, not because you might sell it for a profit later. This last assumption is possible, but it's much more difficult.

4) Visit art galleries, auctions, openings, vernissages and other public events about the world of Photography. It's a wonderful way to educate yourself in artistic photographs (as it is to learn about other Liberal/Fine Arts). Also, visit and join local art institutions and museums.

5) Share your knowledge and interest with other collectors. They can provide valuable information for those who are begining and keep you informed of openings, exhibitions and other cultural events.

6) Once you buy your first artistic photographs, enjoy it, by hanging it on your walls. What's the point of collecting visual arts, if no one can actually see it?

The subtle elegance of a piece of junk

2009-06-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

It's amazing the eccentricities you can find when, bored on a long flight, you give up all your most intimate principles and decide to browse one of those insane in-flight commercial magazines...

It's understandable they write whatever it takes to sell totally useless, irrelevant, unnecessary (and very often pathetic) items... after all, who can possibly imagine the human race could exist or thrive without color-changing glazing balls or plastic rabbits to "beautify" your garden?

I can't.

I think I have developed a certain blasé attitude over the years, in such a way I became partially insensitive to the unbelievable texts they write, until I came across this real PEARL of nonsense:

"Add a touch of subtle elegance to the entrance of your property with these gorgeous muscular lions. Made of resin and made to resemble stone, these gracefully refined lions will embellish both sides of the door and create an imposing scenery to your house's entrance".

I had to stop right there, to avoid vomiting...

Where is the "elegance" of a fake plastic couple of lions at the entrance of a home? What's supposed to be gracefully refined in two piles of plastic trying to resemble stone?
Has the world become a cheaper version of the already dirty cheap Las Vegas hotels????
How imposing can a false, fake, visually disruptive couple of resin lions standing at your house's entrance be???

And the worst detail, the one that prompted my now inevitable vomit, is that there are people WHO REALLY BELIEVE their house will get more elegant by buying those cheap pieces of plastic!!!!!!

If you don't have:
a) the financial resources
b) the taste
c) none of the above
to buy REAL sculptures, hand carved and made with real stone or marble, DO NOT spend your hard earned money with those vulgar imitations of the real things.

By restraining yourself from buying those horrible plastic lions, you will:
a) save the money so you can use it in something more productive or really beautiful
b) avoid showing the rest of the world you don't have a clue of what good taste is.
c) help the environment, so less plastic resin will be necessary to manufacture those abject pieces of junk.

The world will definitely be a better place without them.

Learn about Gourmet Coffee in Colombia

2009-05-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

Parque Nacional del Cafe in Colombia... learning about some of the best coffee in the world!

Few countries can match the beauty and diversity of Colombia's geography, which combines the imposing mountains of the Andes, the biodiversity of the Amazon, the crystal clear waters of wonderful beaches (on the Pacific and the Atlantic) and the fascinating cultural scenery of historic cities and towns.

And yet very few nations have been so unfairly misjudged and disparaged by the press and the public opinion in the last couple of decades...

After years of political and social turmoil, Colombia has emerged as a growing, prosperous and much safer country, where business is thriving and investments from all over the world are being announced daily.

As tourists and businessmen alike explore Colombia's cities, regions and natural attractions, they certainly remember the country's new promotional ad: "Colombia... the only risk is wanting to stay".

If you happen to be planing your vacations in Cartagena, Cali, Bogota or Medellin, or just have to go to Colombia for business or pleasure, please consider a day or two visiting the Colombian "Axis of Cofee" (or Eje Cafetero, in Spanish). Comprised by 3 major cities (Armenia, Pereira and Manizales), which are majestically settled along the Andean range, the Axis has finally found its natural vocation for tourism: it attracts visitors who want to discover its charming cities and towns and satisfy their intelectual curiosity about Colombia's worldwide famous coffee culture.

A good place to begin (and to explore the delicious world of Gourmet Coffee) is the National Park of Coffee (Parque Nacional del Cafe). It's located outside the city of Armenia and is definitely worth a visit. There, you can attend very good shows of local traditions and national folklore, see coffee plants and beans from all over the world and even admire a replica of Armenia's old Train Station, on a plaza that resembles those of a real Colombian pueblo (Plaza de Bolivar).

The pics I am posting will give you a better idea of this magical place's beauty. Don't forget to visit one of the several historical fincas (coffee farms) in the area, to learn how Colombians grow, pick, roast and enjoy some of the most appreciated Gourmet Coffees on earth.

NOTE: I would like to thank my good friend Domingo Garcia for taking the pictures shown in this thread.

Useful Info:
Parque Nacional del Cafe
Municipio de Montenegro
Departamento del Quindio
Km. 6 via a Montenegro Pueblo Tapao
http://www.parquenacionaldelcafe.com/newpage/

I'm back

2009-05-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

For those desperate and anxious readers who were wondering why I am taking such a long time to post, good news: I am back from a 2-week business trip to Colombia. I will write about a very good place to learn about gourmet coffee that I visited there.

Shaker furniture: the elegance of simplicity

2009-04-22T13:46:00.001-07:00

A reader sent a question about furniture that is germane and central to the subjects we have been discussing here, especially the ones dealing with old homes and how to decorate them with some good taste and historic coherence.

He lives in an old stone farmhouse (like I do) and wants to know more about Shaker furniture, since, in his own words, he does not "want to spend a lot of money with real antiques".

Well, let me begin by clarifying a few ideas about his question:
1) Real shaker furniture can be extremely costly (up to five figures in some cases).
2) Not all real antiques (basically, items that are 100 years or older -see my posts about Antiques for more details) are necessarily very expensive.
3) Most of existing shaker furniture pieces are antiques.
Therefore, you can find expensive shakers, relatively inexpensive antiques, current shaker style pieces or any combination of those characteristics.

With that said, I think I understand what the reader means: he probably means shaker style furniture, which is undoubtely suitable for a historic farmhouse and can cost less than more formal antiques...

The Shakers were a religious group, originated in Manchester in the second half of the 18th century. They were, by then, known as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, and had many religious beliefs in common with the Quakers. They defended the idea that God could be found inside the individual, with no need to follow the artificial mandates of an organized clergy or formal rituals.

Despite these common ideas (and sharing that original belief), many religious groups created their own communities, evolving and spreading throughout Europe and the English colonies in the Americas in the 18th and 19th centuries. Some radical groups formed Utopian societies with their own very strict set of rules, including the Millerites, the Oneida Group and the Community we are discussing today, the Shakers.

Shaker furniture's main features are:
1) Simple and highly skilled craftsmanship/joinery.
2) Intentional lack of ornamental design in the woodwork.
3) Utility would dictate the main details of their furniture design.
4) Most of their furniture was made of pine, maple or other inexpensive woods, so shaker furniture tends to be light in color and weight.
5) Due to their high quality, the pieces are sturdy, durable and functional.

As a result of those principles, real shaker furniture pieces are highly valued and sought after in today's markets. They have inspired "shaker style" furniture makers all over the U.S. to produce their own versions of "Shaker" chairs, which created a design trend that is still valid and in vogue.

Few items can match the elegance and the pure ingenuity of a Shaker Ladder-Back Side Chair, or their beautiful rocking chairs, tables, cabinets and bedsteads. Fine examples of authentic shaker furniture are kept in Museums, galleries and private collections. Since they can reach extremely high prices, I am confident my reader is referring to shaker style furniture, when he asks about whether it would be suitable for an old farmhouse.

Shaker style furniture is actually one the most versatile kinds of furniture I know. It goes well with historic homes, as well as with cottages or vintage houses. Due to its simple lines, it can also be used in modern residences. The only detail you will have to take into account is the fact that their utmost simplicity requires a similar ambiance... nothing too crowded or ornamented, as shaker furniture needs space to shine.

Slow Food: The unsuspected pleasure of being sloooow

2009-04-20T12:13:00.001-07:00

The Slow Food Movement was born to reconquer the pleasure of eating. It's an organized and brave response to our culture of drive thrus, fast food icons, microwaved pieces of frozen pizza, chronometrically measured meals and artificial preservatives.

It's not only about taking your time to eat nor should you think you are already participating by simply eating slowly. The movement has a much more holistic approach. It's about eating (and living) well. Therefore, in addition to the time we devote to this very noble activity, the Slow Food Movement also promotes the quality of what we eat. In that sense, it engajes the support of local products and farmers and assumes part of the much older terroir culture, enhancing our distinctive ability to select the food we eat, prioritizing local, organic and natural ingredients and defending environmentally responsible practices.

The slow food phylosophy encourages people to experience the ultimate pleasure of actually enjoying your meal: flavors, textures, freshness, temperatures, aromas... all the details you normally ignore and disregard when you are watching TV and swallowing that good old macaroni and cheese that had been officially buried in your freezer from time immemorial.

By combining pleasure and health, this increasingly famous movement intends to have a broader social impact and to offer a cultural alternative to the modern mainstream western lifestyle, reacting to the very common idea that your daily meals are basically a physiological (undesirable and hopefully short) interruption of an otherwise totally productive workday. That "fast food culture" can be seen in the typical image of our competitive corporate life, where the "ideal" workaholic devours fast food and other fatty snacks WHILE typing a memo or preparing a quote. Following that pattern, even the deceivingly generous "coffee breaks" are on occasions so rigorously timed that can often end up being an additional source of stress and time management efforts, instead of a moment of pause, peace and relaxation. In that context, fat and sugar are the perfect mates to create that quick and intense energy boost these modern office slaves need to keep the work going.

Slow Food has promoted several events and publications to divulge their ideas, including food and wine fairs, a fish festival in Genoa (Italy) called SlowFish, a number of meetings of food communities and institutions and even a University of Gastronomic Sciences in Europe.

The movement is still very young, but it's growing fast. It has a very active and promising US chapter already. If you are interested in improving your quality of life and adopting a healthier lifestyle, or if you want to learn more about the Slow Food Movement and the benefits it can bring to our community, feel free to access their website.

www.slowfoodusa.org

Surprise, surprise... This is not about what you like!

2009-04-01T07:37:00.001-07:00

Since I created this blog about Good Taste and Quality of Life a year ago, it's not unusual to find myself in (on occasions, involuntary and unsolicited) debates about the principles of this blog or the ideas I defend in one of the posts. It may happen when I meet my friends for a drink or when a reader sends me emails about the blog. Sometimes because a reader wants to add relevant information to a certain post. Sometimes because a reader wants to refute one of my arguments. And sometimes because a reader wants to show his/her dissatisfaction with something I wrote.

I have always encouraged this blog's readers to participate and leave their comments and opinions, without which "Improve your Taste" would be a monologue of social rules and impositions that would do very little to improve your quality of life. Nevertheless, the blog is based on the reasonable assumption that Good Taste comes from the notion of a personal Educated taste, whose grounds are certainly influenced by the changing patterns of our dynamic societies, but also by solid academic and formal knowledge from sciences and subjects as diverse as Art, History, Esthetics, Anthropology, Architecture, Phenomenology, Law and many others.

In resume, Good Taste, as Good Education, is not just a matter of personal preferences, inclinations, likes and dislikes. Therefore, a person should not believe that something is elegant or refined just because he/she happens to like it.

An average person in his/her right mind would never try to impose his/her views about bridge construction techniques to a specialized civil engineer. Nor would this uneducated person induce a B.A in Philosophy to believe that his/her Dissertation about Maurice Merleau-Ponty got it all wrong. Yet this very same person comes to my blog to defend, in categorical terms, his/her very personal ideas of why "faux marble table" or "faux brick walls" are refined and elegant, based on very little more than the fact that they "like them" and that "everybody is entitled to their own taste"...

Can we really be so subjective?

I know many ideas related to Good Taste are debatable and may sound elitist or groundless, but even that belief does not change one essential fact:

Good Taste is not about what YOU like!

And no, you were not born with overflowing streams of good taste running through your veins.

There's some knowledge and education behind the sometimes seemingly arbitraty etiquette and good taste principles... this is not merely a question of personal opinion or reading a couple of home decor magazines every month!

A very good example of this ideological trend is an article I was reading about Wine this week, a difficult subject to discuss, as we mortals tend to think wine specialists sound a bit too snobbish, patronizing or elitist about their expertise. It wasn't the case with this guy... In his desperate attempt to sound cool and blasé, the author finished his text by stating a very predictable and conceptually wrong sentence:

"After all, the best wine is the one you like"

Are you sure, paleface?

It's true that enjoying a glass of wine can be a very personal experience, but it's also a consensual fact that people tend to drink wine in an endless variety of social events and occasions. Wine is something you should always have ready to share with friends and visitors.

What if, due to one of those unfathomable mysteries, you happen to like the worst kind of wine on earth? What if you happen to fall in love with that outrageusly awful type of wine that would be disgraced in any respectable Wine Taste competition? Should the rest of humankind suffer because your personal taste, in that respect, is not educated?

To solve that dichotomy, you can either educate yourself in the culture of wine and wine tasting, or ask for professional help when you intend to build your own domestic wine cellar.

Instead of relying purely on your taste buds for such a complex task (like the author of that magazine article apparently suggests), begin by tasting recommended medium-priced wines or vintage suggestions from a wine connoisseur.

I am not saying the cheapest wines are all necessarily bad.. there has been a respectable number of unexpensive bottles that are quite acceptable. However, the remaining truth is that being very cheap increases the likelihood of being bad (a conceptual variation of the First Law of Joao (see previous post below)).

That will still give you a very comfortable level of freedom to select the bottles as per your likes and preferences, while reducing the risk of buying poor tasting wine that, miraculously and inexplicably, went smooth down your throat.

By the way, since we're talking about good wine, forget those old concepts about European wine. Good wine DOES NOT have to be European and buying European wine DOES NOT show or imply any special level of sophistication...

Being sophisticated is being able to offer your guests a few good options of honest quality wine. Period. Some types of American wines can be as superb and grand as their European counterparts. The same can be said about South American and Australian wine. Select your bottles based on quality and educated taste, not origin, and you will see that, even though the "best wine is NOT (necessarily) the one you like", you can still offer a good glass of wine that will satisfy both you and your visitors.

Happy Birthday to us!

2009-03-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

On March 31st, 2008, this blog was born. During the past year, we have studied and learnt together what (good) life is all about... because we deserve to have quality of life.

Happy birthday to us... and please continue to help me keep the posts coming!

Yard Sales - The First Law of Joao and his worldwide famous equation

2009-03-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

Spring is just around the corner! If you have been diligently reading this blog for the last year and have been doing your homework, you have already learnt a lot about antiques, houses, architecture, art, good taste and home decor. If that's the case, you might have suddenly realized that, to your (now) more educated eyes, your house seems overloaded with ornaments, pieces of furniture, ceramic, artwork, pots, china, pans, sculptures, glassware, pictures, lamps, candles and a looong etc of items that are simply too many to handle or just plain inadequate for the clutter-free lifestyle you decided to pursue.

Let's begin by facing the obvious: some of the items you keep in your house are unnecessary, some of them are excessive or unessential, some of them are just cheap and ugly, some of them should not exist...

I know, I know, the picture you see when you open your closet doors is not pretty... but don't despair! There is a silver lining on the horizon (yet partially covered by the pile of trash you managed to accumulate over the years).

Yes, I am talking about a Yard Sale!

Yard sales constitute a marvelous way to start up a clutter-free life!

Firstly, because you can always make some extra bucks by selling the items you don't want or need.

Secondly, because you can get rid of the excess of trash you have in your house, giving more room for the good items you own, so they can regain protagonism. Even though it sounds simply unbelievable to me, the fact is that some people might actually find use or pleasure in the stuff you want to sell. They may even want to spend some money on the horrible things you are offering! Isn't that bizarre? It sure is! Yet that's the essence of a yard sale!

I have always found intriguing that somebody with more than 2 or 3 brain cells would buy the stuff most people try to sell in their yard sales, but who are we to judge? As long as WE get rid of our personal purchase mistakes (or those horrible presents our friends insist on giving to us even though they know you don't like plastic cheap ornaments), everything is valid... and there's always the (slight) chance you can find something truly unique and wonderful for sale! That adds magic and charm to an otherwise boring way to get rid of your clutter.

A good third reason favoring yard sales is the fact you can always recycle those now undesirable items(by selling them to somebody who will actually find a "use" for them), instead of just adding trash to our city's garbage fields. Yard sales are, therefore, eco friendly events.

Yard Sale or Trash Sale?

The first thing you have to do is classifying and organizing the items you intend to sell. Divide them into 3 categories:
1) The "expensive" items - those objects and elements you paid a lot for or the items of greater-than-average quality. That includes nice (real wood or materials) pieces of furniture, real artwork (oil on canvas, acrylic, sculptures), lamps, frames and good china in very decent shape etc.

2) The "cheap" ones - those items that you simply do not want anymore, but are really common and ordinary, very cheap and/or in less than perfect condition. That includes old books and CDs, cheap china, pieces of furniture and ornaments, picture prints and painting reproductions, anonymous glassware, used electric appliances and tools, most collectibles, cheap and/or plastic ornaments, mirrors, dishes, plates, mugs, glasses, utensils and similar tableware, used clothes etc.

3) Trash - most of what you naively thought that would belong to category 2)
Please use my worldwide famous equation to decide whether a certain item belongs to category 2 or 3. The equation, based on the First Law of Joao, goes:
CHEAP + BROKEN + USELESS = TRASH
Another good variation of this formula is:
CHEAP + WRECKED = TRASH, where:
WRECKED = BROKEN + USELESS

For this formula purpose please consider UGLY + USELESS = TRASH, automatically.
So,
YARD SALE = STUFF - TRASH, where STUFF = CATEGORY 1 + CATEGORY 2

YARD SALE = CATEGORY 1 + CATEGORY 2
TRASH = CATEGORY 3
Therefore ----------> YARD SALE = (CAT 1 + CAT 2) - CAT 3

Now the event: once you decide to organize a yard sale, take the following steps:
1) Find out if your local authorities demand or require a formal authorization, permit or fee to organize yard sales. Since it's not a smart idea to call your city's offices and ask them if they want some money (chances are they will automatically say "YES!"), begin by inquiring your neighbors about their own past yard sales to see if they needed a permit or had to pay any fees.

2) Pick a day and a rain day. A rain day will be the alternative date for the yard sale to happen, should the weather be very bad on the original date. Saturdays, from 8 to 2 PM is a very common schedule. The rain day can be the day after or the following Saturday.

3) Advertise and promote your yard sale. Remember to mention your full address, date, time and also practical information, such as hints on how to get there and parking availability.

4) Group and arrange the items into price categories, so people can easily see how much you want for each item. Take into account you might have to "negotiate" some price tags, so be smart when deciding your asking prices, as they will probably end up being discounted.

5)Yard sale is a cash-friendly business (actually, you should only accept cash in yard sale transactions). Therefore, keep tons of coins and some cash available all the time, so you'll always have change for your sales.

6)Have fun! Yard sales are largely seen as a relaxed and relaxing social event. People who attend yard sales tend to be friendly and talkative. If you are not social at all, and have little patience to talk about your items or interact with strangers, restrain yourself from organizing a yard sale and simply get rid of your trash the traditional way.

Mother Nature helps and pathetic plastic pink flamingos fly to oblivion

2009-03-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Last year, on 11/18, I published a post about the UNBELIEVABLY tacky pink flamingos that somebody totally deprived of taste had "installed" at the entrance of the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton (ABE) airport in PA.

In that post, I was informing that "such artistic display of cheap "ornaments" welcomes visitors and residents with a strange exhibit of poor taste and visual pollution" and that the city didn't deserve such a pitiful show.

I then requested the city or the airport administration to "dismantle the pink gang", because we should not have to invest (?) money to show our municipal authorities' (or whomever is responsible for that artistic atrocity) absolute lack of common sense or esthetic taste.

Needless to say, the cheap (and cheap-looking) plastic "ornaments" remained right where they were, uglifying the entrance of the Lehigh Valley's main airport.

Months passed and desperation took hold, but my prayers were finally answered this week, when Mother Nature gave our community a helping hand by blowing those horrible pieces of pink plastic out of our sight and to well deserved oblivion!!

You guys had to see how cute the little destroyed pieces of pink plastic looked all over the grass, after a specially windy day, and how clean and civilized the area looks now, without them.

Thanks, Mother Nature!! This blog and the Lehigh Valley can't thank you enough for your support!

Nonsense Marketing or Disaster in High Heels

2009-03-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

Picture this: a glitzy model, wearing a spotless pair of white pants, walks three enormous dogs on a rainy day in New York city.... in stiletto heels!

And, despite all the mud and the dogs running in different directions, she still manages to look so natural, glamorous, confident and relaxed!!! Isn't she great?

Surrealism? Hallucination? Nonsense?

No, it's just a big ad on the front display window of a "trendy" clothing store in a shopping mall here in Whitehall, PA. The ad is believed to promote the modern, cool, sophisticated lifestyle of the (not very bright) person who buys that specific clothes' trade mark.

I know the whole situation sounds pathetic, and trust me, it really is, but since the ad tries to convey a false message of modernity using a totally alienated image, I felt compelled to analyze the exotic scene: By the end of that not very comfortable stroll, her ankles will have twisted a hundred times and the cute doggies will probably have her white pants totally covered with huge stains of brownish mud, which means... so much for her modern, cool, sophisticated look!

Isn't that surreal? I HAD to take a second look at the pic to make sure I was not hallucinating... that rather absurd situation would have been enough to ruin the day of any human being on earth....but nooooooooo! She's still there, striking a pose, smiling and looking radiant!

Maybe she lost the sense of ridiculous.

Or maybe that smile is dissimulating inquisitive thoughts that might be flying on her mind right now... thoughts like "Who was the pathetic idiot who imagined that a "fashionable and sophisticated girl" would walk 3 dogs, on a rainy day, wearing white pants and stiletto heels? Whooooo?"

Or perhaps she's more focused on the quality of the pic itself (good girl!), thinking: "Keep that pitiful and false smile on your face, honey! You are a professional model and need the money! We know that the scene you are playing is totally ridiculous and out of touch with the real world... but you are not getting paid to discuss this nonsense".

That real life (?) example shows how alienated from reality some commercial ads can be nowadays... and how people are induced to believe, by the arts of publicity, that glamour and sophistication can be adapted to virtually any set of circumstances and occasions.

A few months ago, while discussing why some people are so obsessed with fashion and clothes' trade marks, I remarked the fact that a person with educated taste is confident and cultured enough to realize that a certain dress, skirt or pair of shoes will not transform, improve or "create" a sophisticated or modern lifestyle. For those privileged people, who are not subject to the sometimes crazy ideas some marketing professionals strive to impose, clothes must be analyzed through the parameters of quality, comfort and personal style and, unlike what the fashion industry suggests, those parameters do not have any real connection to a particular trade mark, especially when it promotes the irrational behavior that the aforementioned ad promotes.

If anything else, this ad is perfect to remind us of a very relevant rule of good and educated taste: marketing is a fascinating commercial tool, but use your brain to buy your stuff, not your heart... marketing tends to stimulate emotions to incite you to spend, creating the (sometimes false) perception that a certain item is indispensable, fashionable or essential.

I am sure you can live a wonderful and productive life without the fashionable pleasures depicted in that not very smart ad.

Ball-and-Claw

2009-02-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

Ball-and-Claw - Detail showing the "natural" texture of a high quality carving.

A Chippendale style chair with wonderful craftsmanship... the ball-and-claw adds an "organic" look to the design. - Collection of the author of this blog

Ball-and-Claw feet have long been the object of passions, desires and other less noble (and not so amorous) emotions.

Seen by many as an unsightly detail of an otherwise perfect piece of furniture and revered by others as the most splendid example of elegant furniture craftsmanship, ball-and-claw feet have been used (with stylistic variations) for hundreds of years in different cultures.

In the United States, pieces of furniture with ball-and-claw (also claw-and-ball) have been crafted in as early as the mid 18th-century, inspired by the English coetaneous trend (the English themselves strongly influenced by the masterpieces designed by their French and Dutch neighbors). Even though the adoption of ball-and-claw by English craftsmen and designers had occurred during the Queen Anne period, in America it gained popularity with the Chippendale style, so it's no surprise ball-and-claw feet are generally associated with American Chippendale style.

The claw has varied widely throughout history, but it essentially represents a bird's claw gripping a ball, either carved entirely of wood or crafted in metal. In some rather rare pieces, the claw grips a glass ball. More specifically, the origin of the feature in Europe indicates the claw must represent an eagle's or a gryphon's claw (gryphon is a mythological creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion).

Many people I know believe that ball-and-claw is esthetically unpleasant, intimidating or at least difficult to get used to. While I don't agree with that idea, I understand that ball-and-claw feet are not exactly the most visually enticing feature on earth. If you are looking for antique furniture and happen to find a good piece with ball-and-claw feet, take a fresh look at the entire piece and see how the different features play together. That might change your mind.

I will give you an example with the Chippendale-style chair I am showing at the top of this post. See how the ball-and-claw feet add value to the organic appearance of the piece, by transforming wood into muscles and skin and creating a focal source of interest on the lower ends of the chair. That visual tension gives character to the composition and vitality to the design.

By analyzing various types of antique furniture, you will realize that, in most cases, the ball-and-claw is actually a very gracious feature.

Stepping out of your Comfort Zone

2009-02-17T09:52:00.001-08:00

Some weeks ago, I wrote about realistic (and implementable) personal resolutions for 2009. They not only had to be useful and relevant, but they also had to promote cultural, professional, financial or intellectual growth. One of these resolutions was exposing yourself to a different culture or human group, and see what you can learn and enjoy about it.

A friend of mine decided to learn more about Brazilian music, but he wanted to go beyond the obvious Bossa Nova, MPB or Samba (see my post about Brazilian music, in case you ignore those terms or want to read more about them).

He actually asked me to lend him some Brazilian Rock CDs, which I gladly did.
I selected a very good and appreciated Rock group from Brazil (soft rock, nothing very extreme), but failed to tell him what I am going to tell you now:

"Different cultures can look or sound overwhelmingly simple to us, or incredibly complex. Dealing with a different language, rhythm, musicality, art expression or customs can be a very challeging experience. And it's not because this new culture you are getting in touch with is particularly "complicated" or distant PER SE, but mainly because we tend to create our own likes and dislikes and our judgmental patterns based on variations of our own cultural mainstream. As a result, a different cultural expression or language is not only conceptually foreign. It's also "foreign" to our senses".

By saying that, I wanted to tell my friend that, despite his genuine interest in Brazilian rock, he would still have to get used to listening to somebody singing in Portuguese, as opposed to the monolingual (English) collection of rock he had listened to so far. He would also have to begin to appreciate eventual differences in musicality, in rhythms and other related issues. For him to be able to do that, he would have to give the CD "a chance", by listening to it more than once.

A few days later, my friend returned the CD and thanked me for lending it to him. I asked how he felt about it and he said the CD "was OK". I sensed he did not have a whole lot to say about his new "musical adventure" and asked him how many times he actually listened to a certain song and how many songs he managed to listen to. He then confessed he listened to "a couple of songs" and that it was quite strange for him not to be able to understand what the "guy was singing".

Welcome to the wonderful world that exists outside your comfort zone!

I told my friend he could love or dislike the CD, appreciate or despise the rhythm, increase or decrease his level of interest for Brazilian soft rock, but that he had to LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE CD FIRST... and a couple of times, if possible.

His reaction to my proposal was much less than enthusiastic, but he ended up accepting to give it a try.

As this happened very recently and I haven't heard from my friend, I still don't know whether he'll really do it, or whether his second attempt to listen to "different stuff" will cause him to enjoy that kind of music or just enhance his initial indifference. Yet the message of this post remains valid: if you are really interested in learning about a different culture, nation, language or artistic expression, you have to be more flexible and patient. It takes time, perseverance (and confidence) to step out of your cultural comfort zone, but the rewards and experiences can be life changing! There's a whole new world out there, and sometimes you can begin to explore it with somebody as close as your new immigrant neighbor, a foreign movie or a friend's CD!

The imperfections that only Perfection has

2009-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine wanted to accompany me in one of my visits to Antique Stores, which I do quite often, so she could learn more about antiques, old glassware, porcelain, vintage and other historic items. Since her home is rather totally modern and she had shown little interest for antiques or collectibles before, I was surprised, but glad, to take her in one of my antique hunting trips. We then headed to the axis Doylestown-New Hope-Lambertville in PA/NJ, an area where you can find both prominent antique stores and knowledgeable dealers. That's a very good way to begin to learn about history, art and interior decorating.

For people who trade or deal with antiques, arts and other handmade items on a regular basis, it's an assumed fact that old pieces of furniture, glassware or artwork might be in less-than-perfect condition, and that being "imperfect" does not imply, necessarily, that we should eliminate the item of our list of desirable purchases. Actually, for the proud owner of a historic home, the charm of a certain item can, on occasions, be enhanced by the little defects or imperfections that natural and expectable wear and tear created during decades (or centuries!) of use. In a world where industrial mass production and strict quality control have generated millions of repetitive and perfectly manufactured items (with their impeccably sharp angles and smooth surfaces) the natural stains of an old used marble table top or the little shape variations of a handblown glass flowervase might eventually look undesirable, faulty or unsightly for the uneducated eyes. For an antique collector, however, or for somebody who wants to decorate their homes with older items, the normal wear and tear of a magnificent wood table often increases the respect for the piece, by remarking its inherent qualities and the particularities of its existence.

That's an idea we must always keep mind when you are analyzing an antique. Yet that obviously does not mean you have to look for defects and imperfections when you are searching for furniture or artwork, nor it means you cannot find wonderful pristine very old pieces that look like they were never touched. In Museums, old homes and Antique stores, you can find cabinets, desks, tables, sculptures, paintings, chairs and many other desirable items that have been around for centuries, and still preserve their physical integrity. These masterpieces of durability will certainly add to a well planed interior decorating project and we should praise the care and upkeep of their owners. I just would not necessarily reject one of them, should I find a couple of little imperfections or other discreet signs of age.

My friend wanted to help me find an armchair for my living room and also a handblown crystal flowervase. I really did not find an armchair of my like that day, but my most intriguing experience with my friend was trying to find the flowervase. For my (now) perplexed friend, things were quite simple: no flowervase was ever good enough, since she would find (sometimes microscopic!) bubbles or imperfections on the glass, which for me were easily negligible in most cases. After all, they were so difficult to see that even holding the item close to my eyes, I could barely see them. Much to her despair, I bought one of those, not only because the beautiful handblown vase was a must, but also to prove my point that imperfections are part of daily life and are acceptable, specially if they are discreet and/or the result of a normal manufacturing technique or the history of the piece.

Time, on some occasions, turn imperfections into charm.

Netiquette: The civilized virtual world

2009-02-03T09:15:00.001-08:00

As internet gains importance as a virtual extension of your social interaction network, you might sometimes ask yourself if the etiquette principles our society embraces in our "real" life can be translated somehow into conventional and "comparable" patterns on the web.

If you use the internet for more than just reading your daily newspaper or checking the weather, you have certainly noticed that you often have to interact with "real" people in basically any "virtual" situation.

I would classify the level of interaction into 7 categories, which are based on both the intentions that generate the "trip to this virtual world" and the ultimate potenciality of intimacy. As per this broad classification, when you relate to other people on the internet via chat, forum or e-mail, you probably intend to:
1) Make new friends or keep in touch with existing friends and family.
2) Get to know somebody online with the ultimate goal of dating or building a long term relationship
3) Meeting people online for "short term sentimental, physical or sexual satisfation" (namely, hook ups).
4) Contact an institution, company or organization for professional, domestic or personal reasons, such as getting a job, contacting a company to file a complaint or requesting a new phone service.
5) Improve your professional skills, by training or studying a certain subject or trade, such as chatting with people from other countries to develop your communications skills in the foreign language you are currently studying, for example.
6) Promote ideas or opinions, participate in public online debates, blogs and forums, share information or intellectual and ideological positions.
7) Divulge, promote or offer services and products, in case you own a small business or intend to provide any type of service or professional help, be it remunerated or not.

Even though these categories can be related to an apparently endless diversity of intricate social situations, most of the etiquette rules you use in your "real" life can, and should, be applied to this virtual "new world". It's true that some new circumstances will demand a fresh approach to the way we should "behave", but that usually happens because these very circumstances were "created" or made possible by the existence of the net itself. Those new social rules and behavioral patterns for the civilized web society is what we call Netiquette.

Regardless of the type of social interaction you intend to keep in the virtual world, some valid rules will help you communicate and attain your professional, educational, sentimental or personal goals on the Web.

1) Don't lie. Sounds like an obvious piece of advice, but very few people follow it. If you publish your picture, make sure it's recent. If it's not, let people know. It's amazing how many people publish their pic of 9 or 10 years ago (when they were young and fit) and try to convey the idea the pics are current. BUY A MIRROR! Same is valid with other relevant personal information, such as age, professional activity or personal stats.

2) When chatting, don't assume people are or are not interested. On the web, chat rooms can be inadvertently closed, the system can sometimes collapse or be extremely slow, and people often have to leave the computer for brief or long periods of time. Don't get all angry or aggravated because somebody is taking longer than expected to reply to your questions or comments. The best way to realize how interested the other person is consists of analyzing the "contents" of his/her response, not its frequency.

3) Don't write in capital letters. On the web, that's the equivalent of shouting. The only valid exception is when you need to remark a phrase or expression in a certain context of a text (see my "BUY A MIRROR!" comment above, for example). In that case, the context makes clear that I am remarking an argumentative idea, not engaging in a verbal combat with the reader.

4) Don't provide sensitive personal information. Don't trust people just because they "look nice online". You should never inform your address, workplace or financial situation to somebody you have just met. Even if you have been chatting with him/her for a couple of times "already", avoid providing info that can expose your private life to unwanted scrutiny.
It sounds so logical, and yet the number of people providing their social security number and bank account info is relatively high.

5) Be respectful. The fact we are somehow "anonimous" online might encourage uneducated people to offend and attack whomever does not agree or accept their opinions, positions or beliefs. If you have to deal with that very common kind of human trash, be patient, respectful, try to get whatever you need to get done online (if you are trying to request a service or file a complaint) and end the communication. This person certainly does not deserve the time you would spend fighting him/her, and trying to "educate" this person in a chatroom is nothing short of a useless attempt of virtual proselytism. It isn't worth it.

6) Don't receive people you don't know in your house. No matter how "intimate" the online conversation has become and how interested you might eventually be, do not make this very dangerous mistake. Propose a public cafe or restaurant, so you have a chance to get to know the person better while preserving your personal safety. If you can't resist the temptation and decided to give it a try, let the visitor know that somebody ELSE knows he/she is coming to your house. That could be a friend, a neighbor or a common virtual acquaintance, who could be able to contact the police and identify him, in case something unusual happens. While this procedure tends to reduce risk, it's still something you should avoid if you have just met the "perfect" match.

7) Be clear, direct and coherent. If you want to find the love of your life and build a long term relationship, make it clear. If you want quick sex or a hot hook up, make it clear. If you are just looking for virtual friends and pals, make it public. That will help potential mates to identify your interests and act accordingly. If somebody opens or proposes a virtual conversation and you are not interested, INFORM HIM/HER of such disinterest and move on. That's how grown ups behave, on or out of the web. Silence is insensitive, impolite and not an option.

8) Reply to your friends and pals' emails. If the person took time to send you a personal message, devote a couple of minutes to reply. Even if there's little or no interest at all, write a very short and concise response, as a sign of respect. The other person will (hopefully) realize you are not particularly interested and life will go on for both of you.

The needs they create in you

2009-01-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

With half of the World (including us) stuck in deep recession and the other half on a quite similar path, I could try to cheer you up by emphasizing the "inner strengh we discover when facing moments of extreme hardships and the fact that the current economic turmoil, however deep, gives us the opportunity to revaluate our materialistic life style, go back to the basics and discover the beauty and magic of simple things in life" (soft and sentimental harp music playing on the back).

Well, I could.... but come on! Who am I kidding? Economic recessions were not supposed to be our source of phylosophical inspiration and we all know these pamphletary moral lectures are a bit more than rhetoric nonsense nowadays, especially when the bills are piling up and your last pay lasted just as long as a typical orgasm.

It's like playing the harp while the Titanic is sinking!

Instead, I will discuss a subject that should help us spend wisely instead of merely spending less. I will discuss the needs that marketing professionals create in us: useless or frivolous items that are suddenly turned into a primary necessity by the arts of publicity. There are hundreds of items to be named here, so I will limit my list to 5 particularly unnecessary implements, furnishings or utensils, so you can get the main idea and begin to ask yourself if they are really so imprescindible.

1) Breakfast table.
What's special about breakfast? Why can't you enjoy the most wonderful breakfast in the dining room, as any other meal? Why do you need a table for your breakfast in the kitchen and a table for your other meals in the dining room? Along with the hideous center island (next item on our list), the breakfast table ranks among the most unnecessary items in a modern kitchen. And as the center island, a breakfast table takes precious space of an otherwise clean and operational kitchen. If you live in a rush and don't have the extra 2 seconds that you would need to take your food to the dining room, simply DO NOT have your breakfast at home! Or get up 2 seconds earlier! What kind of quality of life you would expect, anyway, if you have to eat the first meal of the day like you were competing in a chicken wing contest?

2) Center island.
Probably invented by a construction company to add an "extra source of income" to the activity, the center island has to be the most disgusting piece of furniture created in the suburbia-medium-class-cut-and-paste-cookie-cutter American home. It disturbs free circulation in a kitchen and, like a fat elephant in the room, the center island creates the false notion that you have valuable extra cabinet space... or "working space" as the builders elegantly put it. That's certainly a hard sell, but that's what marketing is for... Frankly, who needs it? Who in sane consciousness would sacrifice free circulation for a heavy looking, useless and visually polluted piece of furniture? Oh, and I was almost forgeting it! Center islands are not for free! They cost too! Isn't that amazing?

3) One-hundred-pillow bed sets.
Have you seen the elaborate bed set arrangements in a common department store nowadays? If you have, you will probably recall the scene: there are so many pillows, throw pillows, comfort pillows, back pillows, support pillows, decorative pillows and whatever-pillows you can hardly imagine somebody will find enough empty room to actually sleep there!
And the worst, they look so utterly ugly! It looks like you are trying to build a mountain of rags on top of your bed and the whole structure suddenly collapsed. What are these people thinking? As smart as they are, they will end up creating a "center island" in the bedroom with some "extra cabinet space" so you can accomodate so many pillows while you are sleeping!!
Buy the couple of pillows you really need to sleep well (buy 3 if you don't have a significant other to snuggle with =) ) and their corresponding pillow cases. It'll give you a whole new meaning to the express "making your bed". Use the extra time you gain, by not having to accomodate the 35 pillows of your former bed set, to have a relaxed and glorious breakfast at your dining room table, so you don't feel inticed to buy that equally useless breakfast table.

4) Throw pillows in sofas and couches.
Have you realized how often you actually keep these pillows on your lap while you seat, because somebody else sat on the same sofa... if you did, you realized something revolutionary: throw pillows serve no purpose at all!
Unless your couch or sofa is covered with sharp-pointed metal spikes, throw pillows are essentially "decorative (??)" items... so if you don't have them yet, save your hardly earned money and/or buy real fresh flowers for your empty flower vases in the living room... they DO decorate!

5)Area rug underneath your dining room table.
If you like them because they will prevent your hardwood floor from getting scratched, answer this: What's the point of having wonderful hardwood flooring if you can't see it?
If you like them because they "decorate" the dining room, answer this: What's the point of having wonderful tapestry if:
1) you can't properly see it, since there's a (voila!) huge table and chairs sitting upon it.
2) you will probably destroy it in a couple of years with so many chair legs diligently ripping it apart on a daily basis.
As beautiful as hardwood floor is and as protected as it certainly should be, you can always refinish and recover it from time to time, or when a serious accident causes a remarkable scratch. We can't say the same about a gorgeous, hand-woven, piece of tapestry, damaged by an anonimous chair leg.
The dining room table should be placed on top of whatever original flooring you have... if you can't deal with that, change the flooring you currently have or consult your nearest pshychiatrist or... ignore what I say and be happy!

Generalize!!

2009-01-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a good friend of mine about Barack Obama's election and how George Bush's presidency was certainly the worst in decades (Is there anybody (other than G. Bush himself) that could dispute that fact?). George Bush was not prepared to manage a small bakery, yet he still got RE(!)elected to manage the United States! At a certain point of our debate, I said that ALL Republicans (and all those who voted for Bush's reelection, for that matter) are directly responsible for the tragedies that his "administration(?)" caused, from over 100,000 lives lost in Iraq (including American soldiers and Iraqi citizens) to the misfortunes of our enormous debt and deficit (misfortunes that were amplified by his incredibly poor management of our Economic and Fiscal Policies). It's very easy for the party and its supporters to "gain distance" from the disgraced ex-president now, but I was defending, in my debate with my friend, that people who voted for Bush and supported him are as responsible for this financial, moral, economical, diplomatic and political tragedy as he is!

My friend then came with that very torn mainstream argument: "Don't generalize! You are generalizing! How can you judge millions of Republican voters based on one single action?"
First of all, in a debate, you are entitled to judge and evaluate, especially if you are basing such evaluations and judgmental statements on factual reality, not on prejudice or subjective feelings. What's the point of debating an issue from the merely descriptive point of view?
Secondly, I AM generalizing. Proudly generalizing. Big time generalizing! Why couldn't I? When voters were asked to decide whether they should reelect Bush or vote for the other candidate in 2004, THEY ALREADY KNEW the invasion of Iraq was, by all means, a tragic mistake, no weapons of mass destruction had been found nor had Iraq's government any links to Al qaeda, the National Deficit was spiraling out of control, the United States was torturing prisioners like any Third World Banana Republic and that the Nation was violating nearly every single article of the Geneva Convention. They knew all that AND THEY STILL VOTED FOR HIM! So it's just natural that they should now accept the responsibility for those deaths, for the economic downturn, for the foreclosures, for the lack of respect that world has for the United States now. ALL OF THEM!!!

I dare to generalize because generalizing is not an argumentative crime per se. The "Intellectual mainstream" has always created the idea that all generalizations are bad, negative or overall simplistic. They make you feel guilty for generalizing, as you should feel inclined to see all the "complexities, details and nuances that all subjects intrinsecally possess and that would prevent any view from being genuinely generalized or totalitarian" and bla bla bla yada yada! People now tend to avoid admitting they are generalizing about a certain issue so they are not accused of being "argumentatively superficial or intellectually immature" and even when they do admit it, they have to face the very old argument that "Generalizing is always short sighted, utterly unfair and conceptually wrong" or then they come with that SICK moralistic advice that you "should not generalize! Don't generalize!" or also "I think you are generalizing"... as if generalizing was a sin!
But the world is actually built around thousands of generalizations... from the rules of a certain game to the empire of law, from solid and sound scientific assumptions to the study of natural phenomena and the laws of physics, you can find valid generalization in almost every aspect of our lives. Why does generalizing have to, necessarily, imply poor judgment? Why can't we say or use the word "ALL" when an exception, IF and when it appears, just confirms the existence of a factual pattern?
How would you feel if we decided to make exceptions to some very common generalizations, such as "All men (humans) are equal under the law" or "All humans are equal in the eyes of God" or "F=ma" (F=Force, m=mass, a=acceleration). Even the Theory of Relativity needed to consider the formula F=ma as a general and objective conceptual statement, before it could develop itself.
I am not defending generalization as the quintessential resource of any given debate nor am I saying that generalizations are the correct way to deal with a certain reality or discussion. What I do defend here is that it's reasonable to assume generalization is a VALID element in a debate. So, next time somebody comes with that superior moralistic tone and that sentimental intellectual blackmail saying "I think you are generalizing!!!" just respond with confidence, if that's the case:

YES, I am generalizing! Yes, big time! So what????

IMPORTANT NOTE: This blog is not about Political Issues. I just used this debate I had with a friend of mine about George Bush's disastrous legacy to discuss the use of generalizations as a valid argumentative resource. If you have anything to add to this discussion, feel free to comment. If you want to write about my political views, restrain yourself from commenting here and/or open your own blog about American Politics.

Modern, Modern Art, Modernism and Contemporary

2009-01-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

As I was somehow anticipating (since I wrote about both Modern and Modernist Homes in my last post), a reader sent an email requesting me to explain the difference between Modern and Modernism. It's a complex subject and I will write about it, but I will also add the word "contemporary" to the discussion, as many people identify everything that looks "modern" as being contemporary, and it sounds to me there's little interest in being more precise, rigorous and specific when using all these terms... some modern houses are neither modernist or contemporary... and the same can be said about the interconnection of these terms in any other order (even though a Modernist home is, essentially, a modern phenomenon).

Let's begin by discussing the word MODERN. Its general acception is "of present or very recent times". In that context, virtually everything that has been created, designed or built in the last several decades is somehow "modern", even if they attempt to revive a specific ancient historic period or culture that can go back to as far as the Greek, the Roman or the Egyptian empires (like in the Greek or Gothic Revival movements, for example). As you can see, the acception is so vague and wide that can hardly be used to define something.

Historically, however, Modern is the period that follows the Middle Ages (which is known as the Medieval Period). Therefore, the begining of Modern times is generally placed at the turn of the 15th century (which coincides with the Reformation in Europe and the discovery of the Americas, with the consequent expansion of the European presence overseas), and lasts until the 19th century, when Contemporary History emerges.

Consequently, if you take the historical conceptual frame as your guide, the general acception of "Modern" is not the most appropriate, as we tend to use to word modern to describe or identify items, objects or trends that often belong, historically, to our Contemporary world.

The very broad classification of our Historical Periods can help you understand the correct use of the term "Modern".
Ancient History - From the beginnig of written records to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century.
Medieval History - period that lasted for roughly a millenium, from the 5th century to the begining of the Modern Period in the 16th century.
Modern History - From the 16th century until the Industrial Revolution (late 18th and early 19th century)
Contemporary History - From late 19th century until today.

When discussing Paintings, Literature, Architecture or Music of the 20th century, the word "Modern" as a historical period is often confused with MODERN ART, which is a movement in art.

Modern Art refers to the artistic expressions and works that were created during the period that begins in the 1860s and ends in the 1970s. From a phylosophical perspective, Modern Art defines the creational experiences of a world where experimentation and innovation prevail, where the materials and the functions of traditional art should be revisited with a fresh view. Modern artists should go beyond the traditions of the past and against the rigid academic and historicist models of former artistic, political and social movements. Their work should reflect the spirit, variety and interests of an increasingly market driven consumer society. Not only should these new thinkers and artists revolutionize the existing art expressions... they should create new forms of art. In parallel, a more sensorial and abstract art gains more relevance.

Even though Modern Art, as a movement, is closely related to Modernism, and their differentiation is often seen as ambiguous or circumstantial, their artistic operational intentionality is of a close, but somewhat different, nature.

Like Modern Art, the Modernist movement reflects the changes in Western Society that took place as the Industrial Revolution consolidated, in the late 19th century and early 20th century. And like Modern Art, the Modernists promoted an array of reforming movements in architecture, music, literature and the arts, based on the re-examination of the artistic experience on the light of innovation, rejuvenation and experimentation.

But the Modernist artist wanted to celebrate the power of human beings to create artistic works that would go beyond the dominance of reason and science per se. While reason and science has created enormous material progress, the Modernist would still promote individual autonomy and the search of a conceptual purpose for all change and transformation. Modernist artists wanted their creation freedom to survive and strive, regardless of the consumer oriented Art Market that the Modern world has created. Modernists would often form small movements and groups, where their vanguardist views could prosper intellectually, despite the purchase power of an uncomprehending, and sometimes unnapreciative, public opinion.

Due to its ambiguous and diversified acceptions, the term Modern has become of little utility to specify most of the artistic fields. Nowadays, nearly everything is "modern"... but what is a modernist home? A contemporary home? An eclectic home? A brutalist home? Are they all modern? That question has generated a certain level of differentiation that an educated person should study and learn. In architecture, for instance, it's generally accepted that a Modernist home is essentially modern, but not all Modern houses are Modernist. And then we read, more and more, about the contemporary homes that actually define modern constructions.

Contemporary is another term that is frequently used to describe "modern constructions". Strictly, everything that is being built at this very moment is contemporary WITH US, as the word contemporary means, among other acceptions, "something that belongs to the same period of time" or even "something current, modern".

In architecture, however, the word contemporary tends to define those buildings that are related to innovative shapes, materials, contruction techniques and designs, as the technological progress has made some extremely radical and daring shapes and structures technically possible.

As I said in my previous post (2009 Resolutions), you can learn a lot about these terms and which of them better describes the house you live in. All you have to do is read more about each artistic and architectural movement of the late 19th and all of the 20th century. These terms and their acceptions might sound difficult to comprehend at first(which is not a surprise as they have been historically interconnected), but that's the reason I have defended the idea that you should pick ONE book at a time and hopefully devote the attention it deserves. You will then become increasingly strict about which word to use when you see or describe a house.

NOTE: You can read more about Modernism in one of my previous posts "A question about a Modernist house in California - June/08"

2009 Resolutions

2009-01-12T10:04:00.001-08:00

The beginning of a new year has always provided the "perfect excuse" to list resolutions that will probably sink into oblivion in the coming months.

As a result, I decided to write a list of "easy-to-understand, easy-to-implement" changes and concepts that will definetely improve your life, your home, your relationships or all of the above.

1) I will not buy stuff driven by impulse.
Before grabing your wallet to buy a certain item (clothing, furniture, decorating elements , etc), give it a second thought... do you really (I mean really) need that item? Or are you simply buying on impulse? With the current downturn in the economy, 50% off may sound like a nice deal, but what if you take that money and reduce your credit cards balance instead? I am not saying you should not buy anything. Just think twice before you do it, to avoid spending money unwisely.

2) I will get rid of unnecessary trash at home.
Go around the social areas of your home. Note how many little "ornaments" and little ribbons, painting reproductions, cheap porcelain and memorabilia you accumulated all these years... get rid of them! If you are not strong enough to do that for yourself, for your own benefit and comfort... DO IT FOR ME!!!

3) I will begin to get more involved with a different culture.
Select a country or ethnic group you might feel socially inclined to approach or learn about. Then see if you have neighbors or acquaintances from that area. Try to learn something about their contry, their language, their culture or their art. If your overall knowledge about Visual Arts is not precisely huge, try to listen to some international music... you might end up discovering something new and exciting.

4) I will buy FEWER items, LESS often, but with a HIGHER quality.
If you need some new pieces of furniture or need to renovate part of your house, take your time doing it. It's very expensive to buy very high quality pieces of furniture or good hardwood flooring when you are trying to do everything at once.
Give preference to buying just part of what you need now, but with a very demanding level of quality. A good solid wood table will last a lifetime. A cheap department store table will probably fade fast ... and look like what it is (cheap) very soon, if not immediately. That's valid with lamps, decorating items, paintings, construction material, clothes, appliances and nearly everything the money can buy.

5) I will read at least one book about "Houses"
Anything: home decor, historic houses, interior design, Modernist homes, Modern homes (remember that Modern and Modernism are different subjects), contemporary constructions, American architecture, stone farmhouses, Victorian Homes, renovations of old/historic houses, architecture and design... anything that might be of your personal interest or that might concern your current or next home project. Stick to your book, even if it seems difficult at the beginning. If reading is a sophisticated type of intellectual torture for you, buy or borrow a book with lots of pictures, so you can read the descriptions and explanations and get used to the specific technic terms. You don't have to get an Architecture degree, but you should at least understand where you live or where you intend to live.

6) I will respect the principle of "circulation" in my home.
Take a nice walk inside your house... go from room to room, from floor to floor, from area to area and see if there are physical "obstacles" blocking the circulation in your house... a little coffee table here, a big plant vase there, a sofa that is not supposed to be here... you can always find ways to improve circulation in your house... but remember, don't transfer the clutter to another part of the house... get rid of it!

7) I will keep a constant, professional, mature, respectful attitute in my workplace.
Well, it should be everywhere, not only in your workplace... but the office tends to be a place where people think they can manifest their personal misfortunes or emotional distress freely and widely.
It's not because your sexual life is miserable or nonexistent and your husband/wife wears heavy jeans when he/she goes to bed that we have to stand your bad mood. Remember, your coworkers are not your friends and therefore have no obligation or desire to eyewitness (or experience) your personal misery. Treat them with respect and in a positive way, unless, of course, they treat you in an unappropriate or aggressive manner... that leads us to the 8th resolution.

8)Do NOT accept bad attitute from anybody! Nobody! At all! You don't have to offend anybody, but do react to what the aggressor says or does, so he/she understands your level of tolerance to that kind of behavior is zero... you are not responsible for their lack of sex! Make no exceptions there!

And Happy 2009!

Açai: The Brazilian Elixir of Youth

2008-12-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

Brazilians have known Açai for decades... now, it's your turn to enjoy one of the most amazing fruits Mother Nature has created.

In Ipanema or Copacabana Beach, in Bahia or in Manaos, Açai (pronounced ah-saw-ee)is a common presence, specially as a delicious and refreshing fruit smoothie, in restaurants, delis, cafes and natural products stores.

What is Açai?

Found profusely in the Amazon, the purple-fleshed açai fruit has become part of daily life in Brazil due to its unmatched health benefits, which have been supported by an increasing volume of scientific research.

Not only Açai has shown the highest level of antioxidants on record, but it also contains a significant array of vitamins and minerals, including B-vitamins, Potassium, Beta-carotene, Iodine, Selenium, Boron, Iron, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Chromium, Manganese, Vitamin E, Copper, Molybdenum, Zinc and others.

I used to have my Açai smoothie on the way to the beach nearly everyday when I was living in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro. It's sweet and rich, and many of my friends would drink the juice (or eat the very thick smoothie, mixed with granola) before surfing or swimming on Ipanema beach. Now that I live in the United States, I always wanted my American friends to enjoy the health benefits of this "Elixir of Youth from the Amazon"... it was only a wish, until I realized the fruit and the smothie are already available in the American market, imported from Brazil.

So, if you want to give it a try, go ahead! You might not look stunningly gorgeous as the Girl from Ipanema or the Boy from Copacabana... but you will still feel (and look!) younger and healthier if you add antioxidants to your daily life.

That's what I call "GOOD TASTE".

Note: If interested in learnig more about recent research on Açai, visit the website of the National Institute of Aging: www.nia.nih.gov and/or United States Department of Agriculture: www.usda.gov

Organized trash: Dealing with space (and the lack of it)

2008-12-04T09:35:00.001-08:00

A reader asked me to comment on those metallic shelves that we can place above the toilet tank to use as "extra" space. This very specific question came also accompanied by a much broader request: He wanted me to explain what can be done to "create" more space in his bathroom, as he has several creams, towels, cleaning products, body lotions, hair products, shampoo bottles, medicines and personal hygiene items etc, and apparently can't find a place for all those products in the cabinets and shelves that the bathroom already possesses.

If we combine both inquiries, we can resume the question as: How can we create extra space in a bathroom to accomodate all my stuff and still have a beautiful place?

It's not a simple answer but I can begin by giving you the bad news: That "extra" space above the toilet tank is not "extra" and is not even "available space".

Many home decor magazines provide abundant "tips" on how to create more room and optimize the space you have. And they always teach them as if they were the best kept secret since Fatima and with that upbeat and modern tone for "a modern person who lives a modern life in a modern house"... wow!

Some of these "tips" include installing extra shelves on otherwise empty walls and building cabinets in strategic corners and surfaces. The famous metallic frame shelves above the toilet tank are a classic!

But...

Sincerely... have you ever seen the pictures of those shelves in their very same magazine articles? Even with all the glamourous words describing the sparkling clean scene, the perfectly arranged towels and the very bright atmosphere, those shelves will always look excessive, heavy looking, mediocre, ordinary and cheap.

You know why? Simple... because they don't belong there!

Leave the area above the toilet tank in peace, for Christ's sake!

First of all, before organizing your bathroom (or any other room, for that matter), remember our mantra:

1) Circulation, circulation, circulation, circulation .... (you are hypnotized!)
In a bathroom, that should not be a good deal, and yet I still find bathrooms where the weight scale has to be moved out of the way every morning because the homeowners could never find a specific place for it...

2) Undertstand you cannot create space. You have to find a balance between empty space and used space. Unlike the general misconception, both are useful... we need empty spaces in our bathroom, as we do in the rest of the house... empty areas are not there just waiting to be filled out with more shelves and cabinets! So, next time you begin to think about installing more shelves and building more cabinets, go back to bed, take a couple of aspirin and wait until this feeling is gone.

3)I know I am not helping my reader so far. I don't support extra cabinets and shelves and he still has his bathroom stuffed with cosmetic and other personal items. So, why don't we BEGIN by reorganizing the list of items? Most of it is necessary, but I am sure at least a part of it is trash you should discard: how many almost empty shampoo, cream and lotion bottles do you have? How many towels do you need at your reach at a given time? Why do you need all your medicine (even the ones you never use) in your bathroom? Why do you have that ugly plastic ornament on the shelf? How many items you bought ten years ago, will never be used again and are still there disturbing? Goal: This initial list of items must be reduced to HALF of what you had in advance.

4) Follow step 3 as indicated and you'll see you don't need those horrible extra shelves. Easy, right?

Christmas

2008-12-03T09:13:00.001-08:00

Christmas has NOTHING to do with Christmas shopping.
Christmas has NOTHING to do with tacky little lights and ornaments that make your house look pitifully ugly.
Christmas has NOTHING to do with being surrounded by one hundred folks and buddies you would never see otherwise, just so you can show them "all your love and share beautiful moments in this magic season" (oh, boy!).

Be happy! Joao DaCosta is now, officially and forever, setting you free from these superficial and primitive concerns and occupations.

Cook the best food you can possibly get and enjoy the day with a small group of friends, family members or totally alone, if you prefer so. Reserve a good bottle of wine and offer some other nice drink options, too.

No gift is necessary, not even one! Inform your friends you will not be giving any presents from now on and you don't expect any gifts, either.

From that moment on, an incredible source of stress will have vanished into the air. That's my immaterial gift to you: better quality of life.

Merry Christmas!

Avoiding the Next Credit Crunch

2008-12-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Yep, the economy is in shambles, the credit market is tight and Wall Street has been playing close to the abyss for quite a while now. It sounds like we have a lot to worry about at the moment. Yet the banks might be diligently working on a new strategy that might lead us to a new "Future credit crisis" very soon. It's being created right in front of our eyes. Guess whom will have to pay the bill...

Desperate to write off their financial losses and eager to recover and compensate part of the income that their irresponsible (and unsustainable) loans to people with not-so-good-credit no longer provide, the banks have now "discovered" a new (and apparently "safer") source of income... the wallets of those (fewer) people who have very good credit records and hardly ever miss a card payment. If you belong to that priviledged group, be ready to witness an increase in the "special credit card offers" this winter. They will either increase your current credit limit considerably or offer you a brand new card under irresistible conditions.

Don't fall into the temptation of accepting those offers, just so you have more "payment options" for your Christmas shopping. If our economy is in recession and jobs are being lost by the thousands every week, rethink your shopping list and be more strict with your expenses, as our new reality demands. While it's always good to enjoy "extra credit limits" (especially now, with a convulsed credit market and the shopping season right around the corner), remember that you kept your good records exactly BECAUSE you never spent beyond your optimum capacity to pay your debts. Don't count on the banks to determine that optimum capacity... do your own math!

By doing that, you will have a much better control on your limit to acquire debt and avoid the potential (and very real) risk of being a victim of the NEXT Credit Crunch.

Organizing tips that can improve your quality of life

2008-11-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

If the famous saying "time is money" is truly valid, then organizing tips will probably save you both. While the idea of saving time (and money!) sounds good, there's an equally relevant factor of the equation that should prompt us to get organized: more than just saving you time, being organized can ultimately improve your overall quality of life!

So forget the inevitable aggravation of having to look for your keys before going to work, leave those very-frustating-moments-you-lost-trying-to-find-your-passport behind, get rid of the I-don't-know-where-the-remote-control-batteries-are syndrome. Welcome to a world where the basic tools and devices can be found in seconds, a world where your keys, cell phone and wallet (or purse) are always handy and ready to go, a life where your searches and worries are more fascinating, intriguing and productive than the dispensable search for a measuring tape.

In that new world, you know where all these little things are because... (voila!)you created a place for them in advance!

Invest some hours getting organized and you will save entire days of aggravation. The process goes like this:

1) Create categories. Arrange the objects you use on a daily basis and the ones you might use occasionally.
A good example of these "groups of objects" could be:
GROUP 1 - The objects I need everyday to go to work: keys, wallet, glasses, cell phone etc
GROUP 2 - The objects I need often: measuring tape, batteries, lamp bulbs, tools, office paper, pens etc
GROUP 3 - The documents I need to use often or keep track continuously: bills, checks, service letters etc
GROUP 4 - The documents I must keep for a few years or forever: passports, diplomas, birth certificates, income tax and other tax-related papers, mortgage docs, insurance policies, personal documents etc.
GROUP 5 - Personal hygiene supplies: soaps, shaving cream and blades, deodorants, cosmetics, shampoos, toothpaste etc.
GROUP 6 - House cleaning supplies: have fun with that one...
GROUP 7 - very small items that are easy to get lost: paperclips, coins, little devices, erasers, buttons, stamps, keys etc
GROUP 8 - Storage for "everything else": stuff that does not fit in the aforementioned categories.

2) Once you are done creating those categories, find a CONVENIENT place to keep them. If you are always on the run and hate to waste time looking for your keys, cell phone and wallet, find a drawer, area or compartiment NEXT to the exit of your house: it's easier to pick your stuff up when you are leaving to work and makes it more likely for you to put them away once you return home. If you have to go "out of your natural way" to pick them up or put them away, IT WILL NEVER WORK. You will end up giving up and droping your keys and wallet wherever you find an empty spot. Remember: the easiest to reach, the better.

3)Give every item a "place to call their own". Back to the first example: the famous key-cell-phone-and-wallet thing. Don't pile them up in a narrow drawer. What if you just need to pick up the key? Or if you only need to retrieve your credit card from your wallet? If you pile them up in a small drawer, you will have to move the entire "pile" to pick it up. And how would you feel if you had to move everything on a shelf to reach a new light bulb? Isn't that unbearably aggravating? So, once you find the drawer, shelf, area, compartiment or file to put your stuff way, give them enough space so they can be reached properly and easily.

4)Don't accumulate trash. Learn the magic beauty of throwing useless things away! Show no mercy... JUST DUMP THEM!!!!! That will make more space for whatever is really necessary.

5) Go paperless! It's amazing the amount of monthly papers and bills you can avoid by going paperless. Nearly every single service company, bank institution and credit entity has this very useful (and environmentally friendly) resource. Call them today and go paperless. Less stuff to file and organize. Fewer envelops to open every month.

6)Accomodate "dynamic items". I call "dynamic items" those objects or documents that, due to their own ephemeral nature, will change categories during a very short period of time. I keep specific drawers for them. A good example: bills. I have one drawer for pending bills, so I am always checking to see if they are close to their due date (I also keep stamps and envelops there). Once they are paid, I put them in a "make-sure-everything-is-ok" drawer, so I can confirm the check was cashed or the automatic withdrawal happened. Finally, I file them for a couple of years.

7) Enjoy the extra time you conquered by being organized!

ABE airport and the odissey of the pink flamingos

2008-11-18T09:50:00.001-08:00

This is a public request (or a dramatic appeal, you choose)

While driving by Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton ABE airport this week, I realized the entrance to the airport complex shows a tacky, unnecessary and visually painful display of plastic pink flamingos. Such "artistic" display of cheap "ornaments" welcomes visitors and residents with a strange exhibit of poor taste and visual pollution.

Since I ignore the circumstances that led the airport to turn an otherwise pleasant entrance into a plastic nightmare, I am using this blog to make a public request: Please dismantle the "pink gang", so they can slowly and calmly sink into (well deserved) oblivion.

If they are a gift from a local company, return them. If the airport (incredibly!) invested money on them, try to recover the payment.

The Lehigh Valley does not deserve (nobody does!) to receive visitors with ugly foreign pink flamingos ... or any other plastic animals, for that matter.

Let the poor pink flamingos fly back to Florida!

Common Sense for Uncommon Scent

2008-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

I received a message from a reader who would like to know how to proceed in a very sensitive work-related situation: his coworker seems to be a good person, and is definetely an efficient professional, but few people at the office can stand the strong perfume she wears to go to work everyday. Not only the odor is excessively sweet and strong (or "smells cheap" - as he puts it), but it also seems that she pours an entire bottle over her large body frame every single morning.

The reader says this lady apparently does not realize that all other coworkers avoid to remain near her longer than what is strictly necessary for professional interaction. Unlike his lucky friends, though, he can't simply get away from that piercing smell, as his cubicle physically adjoins hers. As a consequence, this proximity to that "cloud of perfume stench" makes him feel like he's going through a unique case of "secondhand smoke".

He insists he does not want to hurt her feelings, so he sent me a message to see what would a "person with good taste" do in a case like this.

It sounds like you are dealing with a touchy diplomatic issue, but the best solution, in my opinion, is quite simple: since your friend's perfume disturbs all other people around, it's clear she's the one who has something to "change" or adjust. Just say the truth: a polite and professional way to deal with that is talking to her about this situation in a very frank and positive way. But...

1) Make sure there's nobody else around, as it's of your best interest to keep this conversation private.

2) Be ready to react calmly, but firmly, if she becomes self-defensive, aggressive or refuses to accept your comments positively. She should thank you for taking the time to discuss this with her in a civilized way, but people sometimes just don't get it.

3)For the person with good taste, the truth is always the most powerful resource you have to deal with other people. You just don't have to hurt other people's feelings with it, so strive to choose the correct words to clarify your position: avoid aggressive, despective or sarcastic terms.

4) Don't get personal. Explain the objective and professional reasons why her excess of perfume affects you and other coworkers. You can express how her strong perfume reduces your concentration, diverges your attention, worsens your allergies or even affects your breathing.

5)Give her an opportunity to express herself. Don't just say and leave. That might give her the chance to accept your position without sounding like you "imposed" a solution.

6)Understand that, no matter how nice or efficient your friend is, she's still affecting other people with her evident fragrance faux pas. If her response is negative or she clearly refuses to cooperate and the situation becomes difficult to bear, do not hesitate to request higher management support. Being a polite and educated person does NOT imply you have to accept abuse or offense from the people around you, especially in your work environment.

7) Regardless of the final outcome of this conversation or her reaction to your comments, do not talk about this subject with anybody else at the office. In extreme cases or when polite conversation fails, seek higher management to solve the issue. Don't turn an already distressing situation into an element of office gossip.

Feel free to ask or to give your opinion.

2008-11-06T09:02:00.001-08:00

This blog exists because people like you read it. I have been receiving emails from readers who are not registered in Blogger.com (and consequently can't make public comments here), and also from people who just want to ask questions or send opinions about Etiquette, home decor, art or any related subject. They then prefer to send me a personal email (jocclaudio@hotmail.com - shown in the "Notes Section", below my profile) and expect me to publish posts about their questions or comments.

That's fine.

Regardless of whether you intend to get registered, so you can write your comments on the posts of your interest, or just want to send specific questions or opinions to my personal email, please feel free to participate.

Don't hesitate to express your opinion, even if it clearly opposes what I defend here. You will always receive the most respectful attention and response, as different positions enrich the debate.

Educated Taste and your morning coffee

2008-11-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

For those who have followed this blog from its beginnings, it comes as no surprise that I constantly encourage the readers to study and learn more about the subjects, trends and products that can improve their quality of life. Educated taste and better living standards are noble goals and desirable interests, but their complexity goes way beyond the realm of a simple blog. From wine to Art, from ethnic food to home decor, from worldly social events to growth in your local community, an increasing level of information is the best resource to make better decisions, smarter elections and more effective life projects.

Take something apparently as "simple" as your morning coffee, for example. With the rise of the Gourmet Coffee Industry, which strives to create a social atmosphere of elegance, exclusivity and top quality, a number of concepts, nouns and categories that are commonly related to the coffee industry as a whole, suddenly began to become publicity "labels" that can eventually deceive a less informed customer (see my post on Gourmet Coffee: Gourmet coffee: the emergence of the Black Wine, in this blog).

A few days ago, I saw a TV commercial about one of those famous coffee labels, where the actor announces the company's "new" coffee with a very "especial" characteristic: "it is 100% arabica beans". Even though he tried to make it sound like he was merely providing descriptive information about their new product, it's undeniable that his comment had the clear intention of promoting that detail as something truly remarkable or uncommon, as added value.

Since most of the potential customers have little access to information about the specificities of the coffee industry, the fact the coffee is "100% arabica" sounds, in the context of that TV ad, like something exceptional... an element of quality differentiation... after all, being "100% something" in a TV commercial usually sounds like it's very good!

The real fact is that being "100% arabica" does not mean anything especial. The coffee beans can be either arabica or robusta, but the vast majority of what is sold as quality coffee (not necessarily gourmet coffee) in the United States is of the arabica variety... Moreover, the vast majority of them are either pure 100% arabica of a certain type or a blend with other arabica beans.

Over 75% of the coffee beans sold in the U.S. are arabica, and that ratio is even higher in the quality coffee industry.

Robusta beans are notorious for being bolder than their arabica counterparts and are also known as having a less subtle flavor differentiation, so it's sometimes blended with other milder types of coffee to add some "cup body" to them, but this trend is far from common here. As a consequence, it's fair to assume that being "100% arabica" does not make a coffee especial nor add any specific value to quality coffee in the United States...that TV ad said nothing exceptional about the new product they wanted to promote.

These marketing subterfuges are easier to see when you are informed or involved with a certain industry. I owned a gourmet coffee business for a couple of years, so I wasn't particularly surprised with this type of "artificial attempt to add sophistication to the product by using a "concept label", since the gourmet coffee industry is growing increasingly complex and its marketing has become truly aggressive... but it startled me that no other quality or value for that coffee product was promoted in the ad... it almost sounded like that useless piece of information was "enough" to sell ...

As I commented before, few things in life are more pleasant than reaching your morning cup of gourmet coffee (and who am I to interfere in the selection process!)... just make sure that you are informed enough, so as to make certain that your "freedom of choice" is an intellectual fact, not merely a self-assuring belief.

Note: For valuable information about arabica vs robusta, please visit: http://www.tradeforum.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/675/Bitter_or_Better_Future_for_Coffee_Producers_.html

Authentic Naïve art

2008-10-30T09:12:00.001-07:00

Some months ago, I wrote a post about Naïve art, while I was on a trip to Rio de Janeiro, where the world's largest and most prestigious Museum of Naïve art is located. This fascinating artistic movement, characterized by childlike simplicity and naturalness, has often been unfairly underestimated by some art collectors, who have somehow connected its "absense of commitment to strict painting techniques and methods" to the idea of a professionally "minor" manifestation of artistic expression. Adding to this common misconception, there's this mass-produced and widespread commerce of cheap, repetitive, wanna-be "Naive art paintings" (apparently motivated by the movement's supposed "simplicity"), that you can see in virtually any crafts or artisan fair in cities around the world.

These local artists create "patterns" of their cities' images, icons or daily scenes, and then add a certain "naive" appearance to them, so as to create "original" paintings that avid tourists will buy as souvenirs in those fairs (a positive fact here: despite they are repetitive and of limited inspiration, they are still handpainted and "unique" to a certain extent, in such a way they are always better than a meaningless painting reproduction).

A week ago, I was talking to a friend of mine about one of the authentic Naive paintings I keep in my house: a beautiful white lady with dark hair, standing on a visually elaborated carpet and having a black cat by her side (see picture below). We were discussing how beautiful and surprisingly intricate this childlike works of art can be, and also why some people still believe that Naïve art painters only paint that way because "they simply don't master the techniques". That assumption is narrow-minded and incorrect, as many "Naive artists" actually studied and know most of the painting techniques that would create a very realistic work, but sometimes decide to abandon such rules, during a certain period of their artistic lives or even altogether, to broaden their creative freedom.

While we were admiring the painting, I actually revealed my preference for those Naïve paintings where the lack of knowledge about the techniques was authentic and spontaneous, not a deliberate or intentional decision (made to expand creativity limits). The painting of the "Girl and the black cat" is a very good example of the "authentic" charm, subtle intentionality and genuine accomplishment of an incipient Naive painter. There, you can see:

a) The vivatious disproportion of the lady's head and the rest of her body, naturally resulting from a vague or imprecise calculation of the relation between the anatomical dimensions of an adult human body. When you are creating the initial draft, it looks easy to correct, but without formal knowledge, the design of human proportions can become truly challenging.
b) The imaginative solution found by the painter to "hide the lady's hands behind the little flowers bouquet, which is a rather common resource used by incipient painters to avoid having to depict human hands (one of the most arduous parts to draw and paint).
c) The carefree evolution of the lines contouring the various elements of the painting, which virtually eliminates the stress of an unnecessary search for realistic visual perfection. The lines flow, without much hesitation or tension, and are strong enough to clearly outline and "define" the painting elements.
d) The beautiful, cheerful and intricate patterns of the carpet, adding color, life and visual balance to the scene.
e) The very clever presence of a black cat on the corner, to break both symmetry and obviousness. It's almost as if the painter wanted to add "something else" to the image, assuming that its central element (the girl) would not be "enough", by itself, to convey the complete message on the canvas.

All these characteristics add charm to the painting, turning it into a very refreshing scene. Since I live in a historic stone farmhouse, that image of a simple domestic moment could not have found a better home to be.

That specific painting looks great in my farmhouse, but it's important to remark that Naïve art is a very diversified movement and, despite its essential definition, should not be strictly categorized. You can find fantastic Naïve art paintings and sculptures that can be properly used in the decoration of virtually any home style. The concept of "simple, naive beauty" can be contemporary, historic, modern, traditional and even of very conservative elegance. Actually, that was what I found so bold about this artistic movement when I visited the Museum in Rio de Janeiro... you could very well add Naïve art to your collection, no matter how modern, old or contemporary your residence is.

The (now) famous: "The Girl and the Black Cat" - Personal collection.

My case against Carpet Flooring

2008-10-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Scene 1
A little girl spills some orange juice on the dining room floor. It was carpet flooring. Her enfuriated mother runs to the kitchen to grab rags, cleaning products and the vacuum cleaner, showing how obsessed she is with keeping the carpet spotless. Her anxiety, fury and neverending complaints destroy the pleasure of that meal. From that moment on, the little girl will live a stressful life, watching for every single drop of liquid, or any tiny crumbs that might fall, from bread to cakes, from cookies to pies... the miserable life of the ones who have to clean the "dirty-sensitive" carpet of the dining room...

Scene 2
A little girl's family visits one of her mother's friends. At the entrance, the lady's welcoming smile is overshadowed by a "futuristic" landscape. Like the interior of a spacecraft in a science fiction movie, long shining clear plastic pads are all over the floor, covering the "roads" that the corridors suggest, to prevent people from "stepping" on the "real" carpet flooring. Holding her mother's hand, she walks awkwardly to the living room, trying not to step outside her "plastic catwalk".

Scene 3
It's Sunday, a relaxing and enjoyable day for most families and households, but not for our poor little girl. She learned, as years passed, that Sunday is the day her mother has reserved for "the family" to clean the house and vacuum the carpet and the little girl's help was more than expected. The process is tedious and long: first, she dusts the furniture, then sweeps the floor with a broom of soft and delicate bristles, that does nothing than move the dust around and finally, the gran finale: at least one hour vaccuming each room, including those lovely difficult-to-reach spots. At night, exhausted (her tiny arms look now as toned as Madonna's), our modern Cinderela returns to her bedroom.

These examples show why I would never recommend carpet flooring: it's easy to get dirty and to stain, difficult to clean. It accumulates dust like no other flooring option and creates visible (and ugly) darker areas where circulation is more intense. It's cheaper, but it also looks cheap.

Since I began to write this blog, I have been receiving emails from people defending their option: they say nothing is more "comfortable" in winter than walking on a carpet floor, as it's not as cold as hardwood, stone or marble.

I also reply to that saying: "nothing is more comfortable in summer than walking on a hardwood, stone or marble floor".

This surprisingly popular argument to "favor" carpet flooring over wood or stone means, basically, three things: nothing, nothing and nada.

Sincerely, other than material and installation costs, carpet flooring shows no truly objective advantage over the other, more noble, types of flooring. But it shows tons of disavantages:

Have you ever tried to clean a dirty shoe stain on a carpet and contrast it to the "equivalent" effort to clean that very same stain on a hardwood floor?

Were you ever forced to demand all your visitors to take their shoes off (aarrgh!) because it's pouring outside and you don't want them to ruin your carpet? Can you compare that diplomatic and social tragedy to the very simple "Wipe-your-feet-before-you-enter" indication (which is more than enough to avoid dirty floors) when you have wood or stone?

If you happen to have a dog or any other pet, have you compared the cleaning process of a carpet floor to the simpler procedures in other types of floor when an "accident" happens?

Finally, can you imagine how happy and trauma-free would our sweet little girl of Scenes 1, 2 and 3 be if her family had installed hardwood or marble in her childhood residence, instead of that dreadful oversized piece of rag people call "carpet"?

I rest my case.

Dealing with Impoliteness or Lessons from a lost battle

2008-10-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Since this blog was created, a few months ago, I have emphasized the importance of both formal and informal education, and defended the conviction that Good Taste is far from being an arbitrary set of rules or an elitist mechanism to create artificial social differentiation.

As a natural consequence of this conviction and as a true believer that Educated Taste can always be improved, I have encouraged the readers to “get out of their social shell” and interact with people from other cultural, ethnical, professional or social backgrounds, in such a way they can develop a more illustrated, diversified and holistic view of the world.

It’s amazing how even aspects of our social life that we assume to be so simple and “down-to-earth” can eventually be affected by a partial, incomplete or poor view of the “other side”. Prejudice, ignorance and poor judgement thrive among those who fail to educate their views and diversify their experiences.

That’s what happened a few days ago, when I was talking to a friend of mine from England about cultural differences in his new life in the United States. As a good example of them, he mentioned a comment he overheard in a local restaurant in New Jersey, where his waitress complained, in the distance, (once she noticed his British accent) about having to deal with “those stingy Brits who always leave poor tips” (or something like that).

“In the U.K, waiters and waitresses have a decent salary and social benefits. They do not depend on tips to survive” – he pondered. “Why would I have to complement the waiters’ wages, just because the restaurant's owner pays miserable salaries here (in the US)? Appalled by her prejudiced comment, he left a virtually invisible tip (which certainly did not help to change her view!)

I told my friend that I could “understand” the waitresses’ ignorance and lack of international experience, since many of them are quite young, have never gone abroad and/or do not seem particularly interested in social, cultural or international interaction. But I also told him his unilateral way to deal with the subject was not very conciliatory either.

“What’s the point – I asked – in living in another country if you can’t understand its particular realities?”. Regardless of how good or bad the waiters’ salaries are in England, the relevant fact is that you are now in the United States. If you know the situation is different here, why didn’t you act accordingly, by leaving the customary 15% tip (or something similar)?

Needless to say that my friend became all self-defensive, reminding me her comment was impolite and inappropriate, and as much as I have to agree with him, it’s still the educated person’s moral duty to act in a civilized way, regardless of the cavemen you are (eventually) surrounded by. She did not offend him directly and he knows waiters in the US depend heavily on their tips to increase their pay. That's the reality here and he should have dealt with it in accordance. It might sound very difficult to be so "understanding", but that's what Good Taste is all about... it's always about the way you react to the people around you, even if they are offensive or impolite.

When Halloween becomes really scary

2008-10-02T09:56:00.001-07:00

A reader requested me to discuss Halloween decorations. I will:

It's beyond me why people actually spend their hard-earned money, every year, to show to the entire neighborhood that they are irremediably tacky and that their house, against all odds, can still look trashier and uglier than the average!

It's hard to believe those "US$300.00" that were spent in those deplorable and meaningless pieces of plastic trash (namely, junky little pumpkins, faux spiderwebs (!), ghosts, witches, skeletons, mummies and other equally pathetic characters) were not used to reduce the family's credit card debts or to make a real and permanent improvement to their homes.

I was told most people derive "pleasure" from "decorating" (!) their homes like that... It must be a rare case of esthetic sadomasochism. Or maybe it's not that rare...

Others defend their halloween decorations because they have kids and they "enjoy playing with those cute monsters". So now it happens that the poor little angels are responsible for their parents' total lack of taste! Isn't that indignant?

My advice is as simples as it gets: do not throw your money away with those halloween decorations. Save your money and your work for something more productive. After all, we don't really need skeletons, ghosts and witches to scare us! We already have George Bush for that!

The Unbearable Beauty of Emptiness

2008-09-30T10:11:00.001-07:00

Intensified by the very typical habit that my fellow Americans have to continuously accumulate trash (and name them "beautiful artwork, valuable family pieces or indispensable utensils"), and allied to their equally inherent inability to evaluate the real need or relevance of whatever they purchase (the compulsive buyer syndrome), most homeowners have created a permanent conceptual conflict to decorate their residence: furniture, floors, shelves, walls, tables, cabinets, refrigerators and all other flat surfaces tend to abound in little "ornaments", picture frames, party arrangements and favors, ash trays, reproductions, useless electronic devices, toys, cheap collectibles, knick knacks and a never-ending list of trashy objects that would look better if "deposited" in the local garbage landfill.

Proudly aligned with little elegance on every single shelf at sight, or simply piled together due to the obvious lack of space, it looks like there's never enough room for those horrible little "decorating pieces of junk".

And I am not even mentioning the basements!

It's a festival of visual pollution, that prospers in homes where people do not understand (or do not want to accept) the notion of getting rid of unnecessary things. In part because they truly believe those shelves full of little junky objects "look good". In part because they can never be convinced that those objects are plain ugly, excessive or unnecessary. In part because they still have that atavistic fear of empty spaces(which are still, especially in some lower social classes, mentally connected to economic misfortune). In part because they lack good (educated) taste.

People who grew up accumulating goods (and saving them indefinitely due to an irresistible belief that those things are or might be necessary some day), tend to live in more cluttered spaces and "naturally" end up finding them "beautiful". Since the concept of beauty is so particular and personal, it's very hard to convince a person whose house looks like an ongoing garage sale that their house would actually look "better" without so much trash.

When facing cases like those, instead of criticizing the contents of the house, I usually remark the "opposite" dimension of clutter: I invite the person, who has probably been surrounded by visual pollution all his/her life, to create a more favorable image of the "empty space". I encourage them to admire the "unbearable beauty of emptiness". The process often evolves like this:

A) First, I discuss the practical side of the empty spaces, such as circulation, simplicity and natural light. A place with fewer pieces of furniture, for instance, will offer more space to walk, will probably receive more natural light, and the best of all, will have fewer surfaces to get clean.

B) Then, I incite my friends to become more selective, by eliminating (and hopefully throwing away!) those cheap "pieces of artwork" or junky knick knacks that nobody deserves! I tell them to choose the "best" or more noble items they possess, reducing their number to a necessary minimum, in such a way they will look special in their new shelves.

C) While they select the items that they want to keep, I remind them of some places that are normally used as "shelves" or "useful spaces" but should be kept clear, such as: top of the kitchen cabinets, top of the refrigerator, top of bookshelves, top of microwave ovens and other kitchen appliances, corridors and areas close to doors and stairways, top of bathroom sinks, etc.

D) Finally, the most important step (without which all other steps will miserably fail!): I intentionally encourage the homeowner to "learn when and how to throw things away" or, if they are still recyclable or "useful" for somebody ELSE, to "get rid of them" by selling or donating them to charity. As a fanatic and proselytical preacher, I defend the radical idea that accumulating useless trash is the origin of all human sins and that salvation can only be attained through the virtues of emptiness.

Sounds desperate, and trust me, it is!

Nevertheless, if all goes well, another American home will have been rescued from the Dark Ages of Clutter. The Unbearable Beauty of Emptiness has found a new home after all!

50-50 or the Prodigious Math of the Loser

2008-09-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Are you half a person?

From the adventures of dating to the adversities of friendship, from business relations to family issues, from the performance-oriented workplace to the intimacy of a bed, most people tend to adopt a “50-50” approach to life, where relationships are expected to evolve based on a theoretical balance of a quite strict mathematic nature: if I do something good for you, you should always react accordingly . “Accordingly”, for those people, often means “by compensating the favor or action with a similar or comparable favor, action or gift, either right away, or when requested, or when their social interaction brings them together again.”.

The variety of circumstances are as wide as life: If I helped you to move in, then I expect you to help me when my sink breaks; if I translated a document for you, then you should give me a helping hand when I need to file my tax return; If I cooked dinner, then you should do the dishes, if I called you today, I can’t call you anymore until you call me back because now it’s your “turn” to do it... after all, “I have self-esteem, and can’t be calling you several times if you don’t call me back”. As exotic as these situations might sound to you, those realistic examples pale to express how many instances of your life can be conditioned by “what you expect from others, as the natural reaction to what you can or intend to do for them”: the so-called "50-50 Theory".

Once I heard of internet dating rules where the two potential “lovers”, living relatively far from each other, should not accept a first date in the other person’s city. They should “demand” the first meeting to happen somewhere between the two cities, in such a way “both people would have to drive 50% of the way”. Even though it’s a common “practice", I have always wondered why would somebody want to build a relationship with such a miserable person, who compares the magic of meeting somebody who can end up being an important person in his/her life to the number of miles he/she can drive in 1 hour.

After seeing how the process works and eyewitnessing its tetric implications, I have created a strong personal conviction that the widespread 50-50 approach is a rather obtuse and mediocre philosophy of life, perfect for losers. That happens because the resulting equation of this "social mathematics" is based on innacurate assumptions:

For the loser: a 50% person interacts with a 50% person and both create an incomplete, pitiful and dissatisfying 50% relationship (it’s not 50 + 50). It’s 50 interacting with 50.

For the winner: an integral, 100% person interacts with (hopefully) another integral person to create an honest, mature, mutually satisfactory 100% relationship. It’s 100% of who you are and 100% of what you do. Anything less than that is personal mediocrity.

All in all, when you decide that the sequence of actions of a relationship depends on an alternate succession of mutually compensating deeds and treats, you are actually transferring the control of this part of your life to the ‘other’ person.

Do and say what you need, want or have to do, without counting sentimental coins or collecting nice, bureaucratic words to massage your ego.

Our society has long been promoting the debatable notion that our self-esteem, personal pride or self-respect should prevent us from doing something uninterestedly (or on a continuous basis) for somebody who would not act in return. It’s a paradoxical situation where my perception about myself or my "value" as a person would ultimately depend on somebody else’s reactions and attitudes, not on my own convictions on what I needed or wanted to do in the first place.

As a social rule, I recommend everybody to sincerely thank a friend who has done you a favor, since showing appreciation for what somebody has done for you is a very noble and civilized feeling. However, even this prosaic case of verbal compensation remarks the difference between the attitude that a 50-50 partisan (loser) generally adopts and that of an integral, 100% person (hopefully YOU):
The loser does a favor or provides help in anticipation of that ephemeral moment of the other person’s gratitude.
The winner does the favor because he loves or appreciates the other person. PERIOD. Since the winner is an independent and integral person who does not count his/her actions as a piggy bank containing psychological coins or promissory notes to be charged later, he/she is equally free to determine how and if he/she wants to relate to the people around them. As a consequence, if a sincere, honest and real friend does not want to do you a certain favor, he will freely indicate so, and you should understand that without any personal hard feelings.
In sentimental relationships, the pusillanimous loser is constantly looking for his/her “other half”. Each side will theoretically provide “50%” and then will build a illusory “100%” relationship.
The winner is constantly looking for an integral person to live their already intense and satisfying lives together.

A successful person is a 100% individual, who intrisincally wants to do things well done, by combining intelligence and passion, education and intuition, personal values and growth ambition.

A loser wastes his life with a calculator.

Who are you?

Expensive Clutter

2008-09-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine once requested me to help him reorganize his house. More than just decorating or rearranging pieces of furniture, he wanted me to guide him through his respectable list of antiques and art (some of them quite expensive, as they are high quality, authentic items inherited from his grandparents), so he could put some of them away in his storage, or eventually sell them to art galleries and antique stores.

The range of items was considerably diversified: I would have to browse through highboys, bookshelves, parlor and end tables, sofas, side-by-sides, armoires, chests, chairs, cabinets and also several smaller items, such as sculptures, old wood trunks, paintings, glassware and china.

Since my friend's house was, by all means, cluttered, we both knew we would have to be extremely selective, so we could have more space to play with. I began by choosing the most noble, beautiful and distinct pieces of furniture, which would, of course, remain in the house after our reorganization. That first part of the process was rather easy and simple, as my friend would agree, almost automatically, with the list of items I was recommending him to keep at home. Then, after the main “obvious” pieces were selected and properly catalogued, I proceeded to do what, I was already sensing, would be a much harder task: determining which items should be taken away, sold or put in storage.

For every single item I would tell him to store or dispose of, he would come up with an impressive array of not very convincing arguments: "I can’t. It's a high end item" or "This costs thousands of dollars", or "it's an authentic 19th century wood and metal trunk". He apparently did not realize that some of the items I was "rejecting" were in less than perfect condition or were simply not doing any good, visually, to the place where they were located. I could understand his emphasis on how fancy every single item was, but to achieve success I had to be a bit blunt: after all, we were working on redecorating a home, not designing the new layout of an antique store. Most importantly, no matter how high their trade values were, those items were just adding clutter and visual pollution to the room. Yes, it's possible to have an unattractive space with expensive and high-end items and my friend’s house was a good example of that.

How could that happen?

First of all, my friend was paying very little attention to the relationship between the items he owned (their relevance, size and use) and the physical space he had to accommodate them. The otherwise ample circulation areas were blocked and reduced to uncomfortable narrow corridors. The walls were so heavily adorned that the paintings, pictures and maps could not be properly admired, as they were confusingly displayed and too close to each other. In short, he had way too many things for the available space.

Secondly, he would try to “integrate” different historic periods and styles in rooms that were less than appropriate for that "decorating syncretism". It’s fair to assume that combining different (sometimes potentially conflicting) styles is not necessarily a mistake, but it’s also a fact that integrating pieces of different historic periods is no easy task either. It demands some knowledge and education about the evolution of such historic periods and styles (for both art and antiques), so you can understand the room and create visual coherence. It's a real challenge for uneducated eyes.

Finally, even if he would finally recognize or admit the aforementioned problems, he was still hesitating to "get rid" of the clutter because he would consider they were "too good, fancy and expensive" to be left behind.

There we were, then: we had an “empty” house, some very necessary pieces of furniture, fine paintings and sculptures and other decorating articles. We also had some extra pieces that I had initially rejected, but could not convince my friend to store. We would have to work around that “detail”.

The first factor we had to consider was circulation. We no longer could block or obstruct the circulation areas of the house. Due to my friend’s natural inclination towards cluttered spaces, I informed that this would be a strict and radical rule. That restriction clearly reduced the usable space we had to work with, but I wasn’t really concerned about it. Why not? Because circulation areas ARE NOT supposed to be used for decorating purposes anyway.
My friend had a piano located right in front of the door that gives access to the laundry area… How smart is that? Can you imagine a person carrying his/her dirty clothes and having to evade a piano on the way to the washing machine? Me, neither!

Once we made sure the circulation areas were empty, we studied the rooms to see if their sizes allowed the creation of 2 or more ambiances, specially where I had too many items of different historic styles to work with. The large living room, for instance, would be “visually” divided into two spaces: a predominantly “Georgian” area (where the piano and a nice curio cabinet would be placed) and a more “Victorian” ambiance, for the seating area. In general terms, we can say that a Georgian room is less adorned, and of more simple, contained, straight lines. Conversely, a Victorian piece or ambiance tends to be more elaborate and ostentatious. Since we did not want any physical separation between these areas, we would still integrate pieces of both styles in their “opposed” spaces… after all, predominance does not mean ‘total exclusion’.

The fact we had fewer items to accommodate in the rooms gave them a much cleaner and more spacious look. We could now walk in the room and actually appreciate the beautiful collection of art and furniture my friend owns. Another victorious battle in our indefatigable war against clutter.

The dictadorship of symmetry and the Psycho-rigid mind

2008-09-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that our society has long adopted the supremacy (or virtual dictadorship) of symmetry, as the desirable approach for home decorating (and for basically everything else). On tables and window sills, on shelves and walls, for flower vases or for lamps and candle holders, everything has to be located in perfect symmetry (including the one item in the center, who would in turn create "symmetric" empty areas). Symmetry is intuitively (and even ontologically!) related to beautiful and harmonic spaces, as if the artificial balance was the "natural" way to attain aesthetic order and visual conformity.

It's understandable that the idea of chaos and the so called "unbalanced order" are not particularly attractive in home decorating affairs, as it's easier to misunderstand it for a disordered space, but a creative mind will find alternative ways to play with the location and arrangement of furniture, vases, plants, sculptures, ornaments and paitings, in such a way beauty and sophistication can be found without having to resort so heavily to such a "baroque" tendency.

The most recent of my personal adventures with the world of symmetry was the wood fireplace mantel of my "new" (historic) house. A friend had come over to help me move in, and I had to arrange an old clock and 2 candle holders on the top of the mantel "shelf". I placed the old clock in the center of the shelf, and the candle holders were then located on ONE side of the mantel, leaving the other end totally empty.

Surprised by my attitude, my friend totally freaked out! She just could not understand why I had not placed the candle holders in their logic and obvious position, one on each side of the shelf. She wanted to know why would I intentionally "destroy" the visual balance of the shelf, by placing candle holders in the "wrong", disordered, place!

I was really enjoying her passionate defense of the "obvious-location-for-the-candle-holders-since-anything-different-is-plain-irremediably-ugly", but it was my turn to freak out when she said that not seeing the candle holders in their natural place was physically affecting her! She was anxious, nervous and disturbed everytime she would stare at the fireplace. She confessed she would have to avoid looking at the fireplace for some time, just to complain about the candle holders again, a few minutes later. It was then when, in a moment of enlightenment, I was stricken by an internal sacred revelation: I had a psycho-rigid friend suffering from a serious case of ASS = Acute Symmetry Syndrome.

At that point, the location of the candle holders had taken over and monopolized our conversation. I tried to widen the subject, discussing our "absurd need of visual symmetry" and then, going beyond words, I proposed an exercise to study the phenomenon, that she (not without resistence) accepted to carry out: she would try to redecorate a room in her house, relocating all the items in asymetric, visually unbalanced and "less obvious" places, and, most importantly, she should KEEP THEM THERE for a couple of weeks, no matter how utter her need to place them back was.

Within two weeks, I thought, I will have either a "saved-from-ASS" soul or a hospitalized friend.

After this proposal (and intrigued by my friend's case), I began to pay more attention to my friends' houses and decorating styles, to find out whether, for them, symmetry was only a naturally prevailing trend in their lives or a merciless dictartorship that thrives in Psycho-rigid minds.

My friend confirmed she "changed everything" in the living room, confessed it has been an excruciating experience and that life as we know will never be the same if she survives this couple of week. I still don't know the final outcome, but I think you should try to do this exercise at home (I would do it in more than one room, just for the "fun" of it), and see what category you fall into. That will help you to see how daring, original and unique your decorating style can be. Ultimately, it can even help to improve your ASS.

The artist inside of you

2008-08-29T13:04:00.001-07:00

Learning about Art is a pleasant way to estimulate your cultural growth and develop your aesthetic sensibility and a more discriminating judgement.

As complex and vast as the artistic world can be, there's always a part of it that may attract your attention and allure your interest. You can begin by reading about History of Art, by selecting a period of your interest and analyzing the paintings of a certain artistic movement. You can also learn about Art by visiting Museums and Art galleries and by attending events related to paintings and other types of visual arts, music and dance, like vernissages, concerts, ballets, exhibitions and other expressions of fine arts.

In addition to interacting with the artistic world as an admirer, you might end up discovering an internal and daring desire to create your own esthetic expressions. If that happens, you will certainly do what I have been trying to do in the last few years: learn how to paint using your own inherent (and sometimes unsuspected) natural talent.

I know that learning how to paint (or to sculpt or to play a musical instrument, or ...?) can be a challenging and intellectually overwhelming experience, but even the frustration of the eventual initial failures and obstacles can help you become a more focused and skilled person. It can also strenghen your sense of perseverance (trust me, my first paintings were not precisely a Picasso... and even after a few years, my knowledge about painting techniques goes just a bit beyond rudimentary!). Despite the not very surprising difficulties of a beginner, learning how to paint can actually be fun and instructive, especially if you do it without the high expectations (and the pressure!) of a professional public career.

When I began to toy with the idea of painting, my first decision was also the most important one: I would learn how to paint without worrying excessively about the final result, so I could persevere enough to actually create something. It's not an easy decision to make, especially for a psycho-rigid obssessive perfectionist like me, but options are scarce when you have to face, on your own, the intimidating complexity of a blank canvas. I quickly realized I would have to get started with images and compositions that I had seen and liked (with which I was somehow familiar), and then beef up my ambitions by developing my first authentic creations, without a particular visual reference.

Using traditional oil on canvas, I decided to give my own visual reading to a scene that I saw a couple of times when I was still studying History in College: the very common death of children, due to the sadly famous Black Plague, in Medieval Europe. I wanted to give a personal touch to it, so I tried to paint the face of the boy as close as I could to my own face when I was a child. A few weeks passed between the initial drawing, the long sessions of silent work and the last touches. The final result was not exactly the one I was anticipating, but after a good dosis of self-tolerance (and several glasses of wine), even the most evident imperfections became charming: I was in love with what became my own reading of an old tragedy, which was now "real" through a personal esthetic experience.

The painting is now in my living room, exhibited with the pride that only the ones who tried to paint or create something can show.

Maybe you should give it a try, too. Even if you realize, after several attempts, that your artistic talent is not precisely the most remarkable trait of your personality, you might still end up with unique paintings or sculptures to decorate your own home! And when I say unique, I mean it!

The humble house of a servant in the Middle Ages: the mother is cooking some sort of medicine, which she believes can cure her son's mysterious disease. Suddenly, she realizes it's too late: death holds the boy's hand and gently carries him away from life... the boy looks back at his mother: his eyes seem to ask why he has to go away with that scary man... She wants to help, but despairs, sensing there's nothing else she can do now. Based on stories, paintings and historic drawings I read and saw about the Black Death in the Middle Ages.

Good Taste and Investment Properties

2008-08-29T06:10:00.001-07:00

I received a very pertinent question from a reader who would like to know whether the rules and principles I defend here for renovations, home remodelings and new constructions are valid and mandatory for investment properties. He asks that because, according to him, most of what I promote in the blog can be much more expensive than the "common" solutions people tend to adopt when they remodel or improve a home to be sold at a profit.

Good question!

Well, it's a fact that if you bought a fixer upper or a rundown house at a bargain price, you will certainly have quite a few improvements to do before you can resell it at a considerable profit. Even for the very handy man, the list of repairs and betterments can grow at a fast pace after settlement, and the wise investor needs to constantly reduce costs and find inexpensive solutions, whenever possible.

I have a few comments about how to deal with the economic constraints of real estate investments and still be consistent with the principles of good taste. The answer depends a lot on the type of property and expected improvements you desire to fund.

1) When you buy an investment property, you are not fixing it up for yourself. You are improving the home to bring it back to market conditions and accrue its value, not to adapt it to your lifestyle’s standards and preferences. As a consequence, there’s some room for flexibility when you are determining cost-effective alternatives for a certain step of the home remodeling project. You will definitely not want to install real slate roofs in a (not high end) investment property, no matter how elegant real slate is, unless you got the house for free. In extreme cases like this, you might end up investing more than what you can potentially obtain when you try to resell it. With that said, you should still stick to as many refined/high quality materials and architectural options as economically possible. You should still use the real material (wood, ceramic, stone, concrete, instead of their faux vinyl, resin, board or plastic counterparts) for less costly items. You should still try to repair the existing façade, instead of automatically covering it with that boring beige vinyl siding. You will still strive to create additions or modifications that will enhance its capital value and distinguish it from a simple, ordinary repair. Low investment does not necessarily have to imply "cheap look".

2) Not everything I promote in the blog is more expensive than the "common solutions people tend to adopt when they remodel or repair an investment property". Many examples can be found in previous posts of this blog where respecting the principles of good taste can actually save you money (or cost the same of a bad solution):

2.1) There's an (already) long list of items that many people without educated taste buy and that I suggest you should avoid. By avoiding them you are automatically saving some money and those tacky items, trust me, would not improve your home anyway. A good example: when I read about investment properties and they proudly inform that the home is receiving “brand new carpeting” I think that specific “betterment” actually makes the property less attractive. Carpeting is an undesirable flooring cover: it gets dirty easily and can never get really clean. If you are lucky and found old hardwood floors in the home you bought (sometimes hidden below despicable carpeting!), refinish it. It’s going to cost the same or less, and it will look and feel much more elegant. If you weren’t so lucky, explore other options, like ceramic tiles in some areas of the house, or the cheapest hardwood floor available (and install it yourself to make up for the extra cost). Anything is better than carpeting. If you need a desperately dirty cheap solution, and, as a consequence, carpet cannot be eliminated completely, have it installed on the second floor, where bedrooms tend to be, and stick to the other options in the social areas, like living rooms and dining rooms.
2.2) If you have a decent size kitchen, do not spend money adding those unbelievably useless and ackward center islands.
2.3) If you end up having to demolish an internal wall due to its poor condition, evaluate (or have an architect or engineer evaluate) the structure of the house to see if you really have to rebuild it. In social areas, you might try to adopt a more contemporary and open concept to the living/dining rooms. They tend to look more spacious and larger.
2.4) Buy conventional light bulbs and lamps, instead of those unpresentable ceiling fans. You will be saving money and helping to create a less tacky, better, world.
2.5) Reuse and recycle the items that you find in the old property, especially the ones that can add character and charm to the rooms, like old real wood doors and windows, trims, fixtures and architectural details. Why throwing old wood doors away just to install those cheap-looking vinyl (or particle board) doors that make the property look like Barbie’s dollhouse (yuck!)? If they are in bad shape, repaint and refinish them. In most cases, all they need is a fresh coat of paint: they will end up “costing” less than the “new vinyl doors or windows”... and they will look much more solid and elegant.

3) We might have different conceptions about what is a good investment. In my opinion, sometimes it’s better to spend a little more to purchase a certain item that will increase the final price of the property in a value proportionally higher than the cheapest choice. You have to consider the balance of the (few) high-end items that make sense from an investor’s point of view and their cheaper versions that are sometimes necessary, since an investment property has much stricter cost restraints than the constraints you would have building, remodeling or renovating the house of your dreams.

Building a unique home in a world of cookie-cutter houses.

2008-08-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

OK, so you are not particularly fond of old, historic homes and have very little patience to deal with the natural imperfections and potential problems that owning an old home implies...

Inspired by the desire of creating a unique and contemporary house with modern amenities, you decided to build a brand-new construction.

Awesome!

But how can you succeed in building a charming and distinct house in a world where boring cookie-cutters prevail? How can you go beyond the repetitive design and layout that constitute the undisputed norm in our "suburbia-oriented" society?

With the appalling growth of suburban developments with houses that look like they were all built in a factory oven (I call them the "cut and paste" homes, others call them an "eyesore" or contemporary urban cancer), the challenge of creating a truly special home design has become a very difficult (yet desirable and legitimate) ambition. Despite its complex nature, I believe the following ideas should be taken into consideration whenever you decide to build a new home:

1) If you have not purchased the lot yet, think twice before buying it in one of those conventional "new developments". Firstly, because many of these suburban developments tend to "impose" some construction restrictions that will certainly limit your ability to go against the obvious pattern, in their attempt to guide the builders, architects, homeowners and construction companies towards their models of idealized uniformity for their particular investment. Secondly, because it would be paradoxical to create a home of unusual design, style or layout, just to realize afterwards that your house is surrounded by visually uninspiring cookie-cutters.

2) When you are looking for your lot, try to find it in consolidated areas or your city/town. A consolidated area, located out of a development, evolved spontaneously along the decades, in such a way it covered different construction styles and resulted in a more diverse, architecturally rich, social environment.

3) Forget the "fashion of the moment" and the marketing pressure to add rooms and new "features". A beautiful, distinct home is also functional and circulation-friendly, and it certainly welcomes architectural innovations and modern appliances, but the design (the "presence") of your house should trascend (not just reflect), the time when it was built. It's important to avoid a few of the "indispensable" items of today's design, construction and home decor trends. Most are, essentially, not very bright ideas that (God (or the marketing guy) knows why) became "mandatory" in a modern home:
Why do you need a center island in your brand new kitchen if you can design the spcace the size you want without having to add that annoying obstacle to the central area of the room?
Why would you have to install a 3-mile-long granite countertop when, even if you convoke the entire American Army to help you to cook, you would still have enough countertop area to rollerblade on?
If you already have plans for a dining room, why do you have to "add" those horrible breakfast nooks with those tall stools that have to be the most uncomfortable place on earth? Nobody deserves them!
Why would you have to make specific rooms for every single imaginable activity (many of which you will end up never doing), just to have a house with 20 little and labyrinth-like rooms, instead of 10-12 functional, versatile, more accomodating larger rooms for the same area?

4) A distinct house has FEWER larger rooms, instead of dozens of small cubicles. Take that into account when discussing the design with your architect or builder.

5) When designing the layout, try to find a balance between your particular lifestyle and activities and the marketability of your house in the future, should you want to sell it in the future.
Divide your house into social and private areas, and then distribute your intended square footage into those rooms, according to your needs and usage expectations.

6) The smart layout would follow most of these guidelines:
6.1) Living rooms should be the largest room on the first floor. It's the social area par excellence, always ready and comfortable to accomodate your friends and family, and should be designed as such.
6.2) In case you love to cook and entertain in the dining room, increase its size, sacrificing a bit of the space in the living room (or the kitchen - I would sacrifice the kitchen size, as the living room, for me, is "sacred").
6.3) If you intend to have 2 or more bathrooms, make sure at least one of them is on the first floor, to service eventual guests.
6.4) Social areas should be "open" spaces. They don't have to be separated, necessarily, by walls. Leave the heavy walls for the bedrooms and bathrooms, where families tend to require privacy and seclusion.

7) Do not "attach" the garage of your home to the main building (at least not directly) and do not build them "protuding" out of the home itself. A garage is not something to be particularly proud of, and should be placed in a secondary place. I see some homes where the garages are so disproportionally big that the house itself becomes visually understated:It's a big ugly garage attached to a home, not the opposite. When designing the position of your garage in your house, plan it around the concept of accessibility, not visibility. Design it in such a way it's easy and simple to park there, but nobody needs to see your garage from a 5-mile distance. Actually, the garage should be located in the most inconspicuous place you can find. In case you have little space in your lot to play with that concept, study the most discreet option for its location.

8) Find a place for a TV room (basements tend to be a good option for that). Do NOT use your living room as a TV area. Living rooms are social areas to relax with your family, entertain and/or enjoy company, good music or moments of silence. They should be designed to accomodate paitings, statues, seating areas, plants, a cozy fire place in cold states, and very little more. In case you have serious space restrictions, create a "TV room" with other related activities in the same place, such as an office or little personal gym... out of the living room.

9) Use real and natural materials as much as your budget (and the climate conditions in your area) allows you to use. They include wood, slate roof, glass, stone and brick. If you want the "look" of a certain material, use the real one. Don't cover the facade, flooring, wall or any other surface with tiles or panels "looking like" wood, marble, granite, brick or stone. Same is valid for architectural elements, such as chimneys, windows, doors, fixtures, porches and ornaments. Also, avoid vynil and aluminum siding.

10) The social areas should have plenty of natural light, so design those rooms with that in mind when you are planning the location of the windows. A very important detail that some people seem to forget is that a good living room should also provide enough wall space to hang paintings and accomodate larger pieces of furniture. That is applicable to virtually any other space in your house, but is particularly essential in social areas, which tend to be the place where the homeowner will locate their best artwork and most prominent pieces of furniture.

11) Avoid carpet. Dare to use marble (if you like it), hardwood floors or ceramic tiles, instead. If your budget is very limited or your need carpet in your bedroom (carpet is always the worst flooring solution... it's easy to get dirty, easy to look dirty and is visually unispiring), have hardwood floors or marble installed on the first floor (especially social areas), and save on the second floor, by installing ceramic tiles, a less expensive version of hardwood or the not very advisable carpet.

12) Forget the "Curse of Family Room". If you have a large, roomy and comfortable living room, with plenty of seating area, music and artwork for your peers to enjoy, why would you need a specific room for the "family"? What's that anyway? I have seen "Family Rooms" that are basically a sofa with a Home Theater... is that what a family is supposed to do together? Sit their sweet little butts on the sofa and watch TV???? Just build a nice living room, find a spot in the basement for a TV room and forget about adding this useless room to the new home design equation.

World Music: Brazilian Bossa Nova and MPB

2008-08-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

For those individuals of worldly interests, international music is a fascinating way to experience foreign cultures and discover unsuspected and vibrant rhythms.

Despite the natural language barrier for most of the rest of the World, Brazilian music has developed a notorious reputation as one of the most vital cultural manifestations of that singular South American country. Even though the Brazilian "electric" samba conquers hearts (and feet!) during their famous yearly Carnival, its more serene and charming cousin, Bossa Nova, will certainly bring you images of the Brazilian laid-back psyche: The Girl from Ipanema, the Christ in Rio, Copacabana Beach, the natural flair of the Brazilian lifestyle.

The Bossa Nova cultural movement began in the fifties, within the urban beach-culture of Rio de Janeiro, and consolidated its musical repertoire in the sixties, by receiving and assimilating influences from Samba, Jazz and Brazilian traditional marchs and songs. One of the movement's most successful singles, The Girl from Ipanema (Garota de Ipanema), rapidly became the most famous Brazilian song of all time, creating a generation of artists that would enrich the new style and relate it to the evolution of a more contemporary and diverse musical trend: the MPB (Popular Brazilian Music, for its abbreviation in Portuguese: Musica Popular Brasileira).

As renowned and revered as Bossa Nova has become, it's still a challenge for a foreigner to try to go beyond the obvious short list of very famous artists that constitute the "mandatory" musical guide of the movement.

I will mention here a good number of celebrated singers, so you can have a better chance to enjoy Brazilian Bossa Nova in different voices.

Antonio Carlos Jobim (also known as Tom Jobim, is one of the most notorious artists of the movement)
Astrud Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
Elis Regina
Gal Costa (I love her sweet voice - highly recommended)
João Gilberto (Bossa Nova's main exposer)
Nara Leão
Stan Getz
Toquinho (fantastic voice - highly recommended. Look for his emblematic song: Aquarela, and then go from there)
Vinicius de Moraes (with Joao Gilberto and Tom Jobim, the magic triangle of Bossa Nova)

As for MPB, since the movement is essentially more diversified and of a broader musical repertoire, I have more singers/artists to recommend. Therefore, for a more comprehensive understanding of the MPB (and of the Brazilian music in general), you would have to listen to at least 4 or 5 artists to understand how they transition from one style to another with amazing versatility, offering the country's interpretation of rhytms as diverse as Bossa Nova, Chorinho, Samba, Rock and Brazilian pop.

Adriana Calcanhotto
Caetano Veloso (impressive lyrics, wonderful music)
Chico Buarque
Djavan
Elis Regina
Gal Costa
Gilberto Gil
Ivan Lins
João Gilberto
Maria Bethânia (singular, powerful voice. Look for one of her great CDs: As cancoes que voce fez pra mim)
Marisa Monte (with Maria Bethania, my favorite singer, unique velvety voice. Look for: her two most recent CDs: Infinito Particular and Universo ao Meu Redor)
Milton Nascimento
Rita Lee
Roberto Carlos

Don't feel intimidated if you are not able to understand the lyrics. Enjoy the music and the rhythm without focusing on the meaning of each single. As you discover some songs you love, you can then study their lyrics and, if you are good at foreign languages, you might end up learning some Portuguese and also translate your favorite songs.

Michelada: The Mexican way to drink beer

2008-08-02T20:50:00.002-07:00

Mexicans are worldwide famous for their savory tequila, and while they certainly know how to prepare a wonderful Marguerita, I have fallen in love with the very particular way they have to drink beer: La Cerveza Michelada.

The "Michelada Beer" is essentially the result of mixing beer with different apparently conflicting elements, such as lime juice, salt, hot and teriyaki sauce or even tomate juice, but the most common (and "easier on your taste buds") is the Michelada made with lime juice.

In Mexico City, you do not have to specify the ingredients of your Michelada when you order it, as it's generally accepted that a Michelada is a beer with some lemon juice (as much as half of the glass in some yummy cases) and some salt on the glass rim. The result is a rather unique "short circuit" of flavors when you take your first sip, but after a certain time (and more sips), you truly begin to believe you have something intrinsically good going on in your mouth.

In other Mexican cities, requesting a Michelada can be interpreted as the aforementioned version, but I would still advise you to make clear what you expect to receive when you order a Michelada Beer out of the capital. In Guadalajara, for instance, I have seen Micheladas with more of the "exotic" extra ingredients I previously mentioned. Try the "traditional" Michelada first, and add those extra ingredients little by little (such as the so called "Michelada Cubana", with hot sauces), in such a way you can determine the "recipe of your own Michelada-style beer".

So basically, you need:
1) Beer of your preference (a bit more than half of a Pub glass)
2) Lime juice (a bit less than half of a Pub glass)
3) Pieces of ice (if you desire, as for Mexicans, iced beer is acceptable)
4) Salt (a pinch in the glass and a bit around the glass rim)

Mix all the ingredients, but beware when pouring the beer, as the pinch of salt you added will make the beer foam more than usual.

Enjoy!

Faux Elements and the debate about Antique Reproductions

2008-07-23T04:01:00.001-07:00

Two readers sent comments and questions about the debate about the adoption of faux elements and techniques.

One reader asked: "I plan to repaint my entire house, including a couple of new accent walls. I was thinking about using faux finish tecniques to add warmth and color, but after I read your post, I am not so sure. Should I ban faux finish altogether?

Response: (I would, as I personally don't like faux finishes, but the answer is:) No, you don't have to. You just have to avoid the faux finish procedures that try to simulate real (already existing) materials. Some faux finish techniques, for example, simulate the appearance of marble, others try to simulate the texture of wood or to look like natural stone. Those are the ones you should reject. If you love marble, install marble; if you like the texture of wood, buy wood; if natural stone delights you, contact a mason and use the real material for your building or renovation projects.
As you can see, the heart of the matter here is the intentionality: the aforementioned techniques strive to make the walls or surfaces look like something they are not.
If you are enticed to using faux finish effects on your walls, use the ones that are more artistic and innovative, the ones that, rather than copying the appearance of a certain material, create an unusual optical pattern or a surprising visual impact. Those original and keen textures will add the warmth and color you desire, without being "fake" in the strict sense of a faux element.
Just remember one detail: don't use faux paint techniques in small rooms or walls, so they don't look overwhelmingly cluttered and confused.

Another reader sent a question about buying Antique Furniture Reproductions: Basically, he asks if antique reproductions are acceptable to decorate an old or historic home, "since a real Queen Anne or Chippendale can easily have six-figure prices and are, therefore, out of reach for the vast majority of collectors."

Response: This question is a very complex one and its complexity relates to the historic evolution of furniture craftsmanship and design in the United States, which have been strongly influenced by the dominating British styles in the XVII, XVIII and XIX centuries.

As the American colony grew in importance (and after the independence, the United States developed as a Nation), the adoption of design styles from the British Empire became much more intellectually creative than the mere reproduction of pieces and features imported from Europe. Even though American furniture designers would still be inspired by the revered European Schools, the cabinetmakers of the New World began to use alternative types of wood, add new particular features to their creations and explore new forms of design and style. There were interaction and adaptation, instead of the automatic adoption of a foreign fashion.

This consolidation of an autonomous American furniture school became evident even before the formal Independence from London, and as early as the mid XVIII century, with American "Chippendale" style, where remarkable cabinetmakers, like the Goddards and the Townsends of Newport, Rhode Island, and William Savery, of Philadelphia, gained notoriety and eminence, due to the quality of their workmanship and design. The American furniture had then transitioned from simple reproduction to a stage of more unconstrained style and creation.

Due to this intricate and intertwined historic evolution in both Europe and the New World, we can say that antique furniture made in America is as "artistically authentic" as the European furniture of the same period. Some purists might state that early "American" furniture was simply "reproductions or copies" of what was being made in Europe, but this argument is quite disputable and essentially incomplete.

With that said (and since an original Queen Anne or an authentic Chippendale is out of reach for the average collector), the authentic American counterpart is the first option that comes to mind when you want to buy real antiques and genuine pieces of furniture. The only "problem" with that option is that American Queen Anne or Chippendale, especially if produced by revered cabinetmakers, can get almost as expensive as the authentic European piece.

A second and more affordable option would be old reproductions of these American jewels of fine workmanship. They were relatively common in America, notably after the independence, when a wealthier and more prosperous society began to emerge. The families would purchase an authentic piece of furniture and then make high quality reproductions of the items, to be used in other rooms of their homes. They were nicely hand carved and in general had an acceptable level of details and a very convincing appearance, which turns recognizing them into a rather difficult activity for the untrained eye. As a consequence, they are sometimes sold as a genuine piece in antique stores and auctions, and a collector should always gather enough information about a certain item to guarantee its authenticity before investing thousands of dollars in an apparently original masterpiece.

My tolerance for how "far" you can go to buy antiques stops here. I would not recommend modern furniture reproductions made by "specialized" manufacturers of "authentic antique reproductions", no matter what they say about adopting the construction and crafstmanship procedures and techniques of a specific historic period or style. The reason is simple: authentic, modern, antique and reproductions are terms that do not go together in the same item description. At least one of these words is in the wrong place.

In resume, my answer to the readers' question is:
1) Authentic historic antique furniture made in Europe by a prestigious cabinetmaker is the perfect item, but goes from 4 to 6 figures, so it's out of reach for the common person.
2) Authentic historic American pieces made by distinguished cabinetmakers would be the second option, but they still can be a 3-to-6-figure investment, so they are not very accessible either.
3) Authentic historic reproductions are a more economical option, but quality varies greatly among them, so you would have to train and educate your eyes to purchase high quality pieces for a reasonable price.
4) Furniture made under the Arts and Crafts Movement's principles (from mid XIX century to early XX century) - the Arts and Crafts Movement originated in England c. 1850, as a reaction against the post Industrial revolution trend to generate low-quality, mass-produced good. As a natural consequence of their propositions, they would privilege skilful craftsmanship, design and historical coherence, even for items that were expected to be made in larger quantities (for a broader public) and with fewer original variations than earlier standards of the antique cabinetmakers.
5) "Authentic" (?) modern reproductions of antique furniture - I don't recommend them, as they are neither authentic nor antiques.

If I want high quality furniture pieces and do not have the financial resources to buy the antiques described in 1, 2, 3 or 4, I think a good option is buying fine, solid and unpretentious pieces of traditional furniture, custom-made and/or with simple, honest design, made by a good local crafstman.

Faux Good Taste

2008-07-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

It's everywhere: faux finish, faux pearls, a faux Monet, faux fur, a faux château in the suburbs... the list is long and diverse. They all describe something that is an intentional copy, a fake version of something socially desirable or a reproduction of some sort.

Some of them have noble intentions: faux fur and synthetic alligator purse, for instance, intend to replace the despicable fashion trend of wearing clothing or purses that are produced with real animal fur or leather (wearing the fur or leather of animals that are killed only for that purpose is something unspeakably deplorable, and unlike what some people think, it does not show any level of glamour, luxury or elegance...).

Others intend to turn original expensive items into a "reachable dream" for the masses, who would otherwise be unable to "possess" or enjoy the real object or material, such as faux marble ceramic tiles, art reproductions or faux pearls.

As diverse as these faux products can be, they all have one not very surprising characteristic in common: they tend to be considerably cheaper than their authentic counterparts. As some advocates say, they have more democratic price tags.

Despite this supposed advantage, the fact remains that the increasing adoption of these faux objects constitutes the most perfect embodiment of bad taste and social faux pas (*)in present days.

As we know, faux means "false" or "fake" in French, and trust me, the term means "false" for a reason. The person with good taste does not need to show the special effect that a fake marble ceramic tile or a fake Fernando Botero will generate in their desirable social ambiance. After all, his/her house shows the way they truly relate to the world: their home scenery is authentic, the art, materials and lifestyle are real. This is not a low-budget Hollywood movie, you know...

A few weeks ago I saw a home decor consultant giving hints on "where to place a Faux Picasso" in a living room. She apparently did not take into consideration the essential debate about Real art and reproductions. It's a valid and relevant discussion when it comes to our quality of life, and unlike what most people might believe, it has very little to do with monetary affairs. Let's see why:

A real Picasso can cost millions of dollars, and very few people have a level of income that would allow them to invest so much money in one single painting or piece of art. That assumption is quite obvious, engenders little controversy and ultimately, adds very little to the debate about going "faux".

For that matter, the point that should really attract our attention is also its most logical consequence: not owning a real Picasso is not something particularly remarkable and does not say anything "negative" or reproachable about the artistic taste of a certain person. Most people who have some knowledge about History of Art would definetely love to hang a real Picasso on their walls, but for the vast majority of us, one of his authentic paintings and drawings is not a financially realistic goal.

On the other hand, hanging a "faux" Picasso on your walls (they even sell paper posters with reproductions of Picasso and other celebrated painters's artistic works nowadays!), as "nice" as they can look, only shows you do not have a real understanding of what the artistic movement nor the History of Art represent. It also indicates your inherent intellectual indolence, for not trying to build your own authentic (and, in many times, inexpensive!!) collection of art with real paintings, sculptures, photographs and drawings that would show who you are and portray your own sensorial and aesthetic experience and preferences.

When it comes to fake decorating materials, such as faux marble, fake "stone" fountains made with resin or faux finished walls, the lack of taste gets even more evident: it not only shows your intellectual indolence: it also points out a notable lack of social parameters to decorate your home, as you should always use the natural materials you can afford, not a tacky simulation of a French palace with fake materials and simulated textures. In those cases, "lack of social parameters" is an elegant way to say you DON'T HAVE A CLUE on what you are doing.

Next time you feel tempted to buy a "faux something" item, think about how beautiful and noble the REAL element is and how cheap the copy inevitably looks, if compared to it. That will probably help you to make the right decision.

After reading this post, you might be wondering if there is anything fake or faux that could be socially acceptable. Well, for the records, your fake boobs are not a copy of anything that existed previously. As a consequence, technically (and in a certain phylosophical sense), they can be considered "authentic": feel free to "install" them, if that makes you happy.

(*) Faux pas = literally, false step, in French. It's essentially a violation of the social rules of good manners or etiquette principles.

Olive Oil: The Golden Liquid

2008-07-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

The experience of eating olives constitute one of those very uncommon combinations of "good flavor and good health". While some people might find the olive fruit's taste too strong or even bitter in some cases, few would say the same about its most prestigious product: Olive Oil.

Revered for millennia as the delectable and often divine "liquid gold", olive oil should be the first choice of any person who wants to count on a versatile cooking and flavouring medium for a low cholesterol and healthy lifestyle.

Even though you can find olive oil from several origins and of various denominations (in addition to the entire Mediterranean region, other countries like Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, U.S.A, Australia also grow and export olives), the most prestigious and largest producer of olives and olive oil in the world is Spain.

Olive oil contains antioxidants (which help to deter the aging process, by neutralizing cell-damaging free radicals and have been proven to prevent some types of cancer) and is one of the best sources of alimentary fat, due to its high contents of monounsaturated fat -also known as "good fat"- since it reduces certain types of bad cholesterol.

As the long-known health benefits of olive oil (and the Mediterranean diet, in general) have become increasingly studied and scientifically established, the product has gained status as gourmet food. As a consequence, olive oil can now be found in several presentations and varieties in any modern city in the Western World. The most recommendable products are the Virgin type (basically, Extra-Virgin and Virgin) since they are cold pressed -heat alters the chemistry of the oil in a negative way- and do not undergo any chemical treatment, as opposed to Refined oils, which are chemically treated and are generally considered of inferior quality.

Extra-virgin and Virgin oils are not allowed to be mixed with any refined oil. These are the ones you should have in your house. Some of my friends have tried to replace all the cooking oil in their homes with extra-virgin oil, but they often complain about its prohibitive price. I remind them that they are improving their health, by changing to olive oil, and that they can buy hand-picked extra-virgin (the most expensive type) for their salads, dressings and daily cooking and save some money by buying virgin olive oil for frying purposes. In addition to that, we should take into consideration the fact that olive oil is a highly caloric item, so it must be consumed in very moderate quantities.

It's understandable that price can be a relevant issue, but avoid the temptation of buying "refined olive oil" to fry your food. It's thin, insipid and its low quality reduces the oil's potential benefits.

Store your precious golden liquid in a dark and cool place. Consume it as soon as possible (not later than 10-12 months after you open the bottle, never later than 2 years after harvest day) to prevent the oil from oxidizing. To make sure you know how old your olive oil is, give preference to the trade marks that inform the harvest day ("Harvested in" comment) and labels informing "first cold press" and "made from hand-picked olives", which will guarantee the oil did not undergo any undesirable chemical or mechanical treatment that will affect its quality.

Good Taste and Freedom of Speech

2008-07-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

A good old friend contacted me a few days ago, to inform that somebody had left an "offensive" note about the blog in the comments section of one of the posts. The reader, who apparently knows me very well, states that I am a very snob person.

This friend of mine knows that, as the "author" of the blog, I have some "editorial" privileges over its contents, which allow me to delete or moderate any of my readers' comments, if I find it necessary. Surprised by the "acrid tone" of the criticism, she suggested I should use such "powers" to delete or edit the comment, as it was, in her view, "little more than a personal offense", other than an opinion or critical idea about the original post.

I thank my friend for reporting the comment, but I would never delete or moderate what my readers say. Good Taste has always been surrounded by the mostly inaccurate ideas of arbitrary unanimity, undivided positions and imposed rules. I have been trying to defend the notion that good taste principles are based on holistic education and personal growth. Improving your taste and educating your views imply being able to listen to other people's opinions and learn with them, even when they are radically against yours. Why would I restrict my readers' right to consider a post, a principle, an idea or even the blogger "snob"?

Nothing could be farther from the principles of good taste than editorial censorship, and I simply don't see how limiting my reader's right to online freedom of speech will improve our quality of life.

Writing a blog about good taste and etiquette is a challenging responsibility: it includes showing the reader how to educate his/her views and taste, but it also implies helping them identify what is to be seen as tacky, undesirable or socially inadequate. This (sometimes pungent) classification may eventually sound snobbish or arrogant (and it may very well be!), but it's still vital and imprescindible in a blog about good taste.

Please feel always free to express your opinions and ideas here. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

The Garden of Eden, revisited

2008-07-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

A garden is a delightful place to find beauty, serenity and daily moments of genuine happiness. While any natural area with colorful flowers and plants can relax and refresh your soul, it's always preferable to enjoy a well planned and tastefully designed garden, which will also produce a sense of accomplishment and a desirable aesthetic flair.

It sounds very simple and uncomplicated to create a pleasant garden, and few people would disagree with that assumption, but that apparent simplicity can many times sound contradictory when you go around most neighborhoods in our cities. What you might end up seeing is a number of busy, unattractive and visually ominous gardens, "adorned" with cheap small little plastic figures and "ornaments", which actually pollutes the landscape, turning what could be a beautiful place to contemplate nature into a dreadful eyesore.

Ok, ok ... designing a beautiful garden is not exactly rocket science, but still most homeowners apparently ignore a few imprescindible details. Some of them are:

1) Project. Imagine where the elements of your garden will be located and their distribution in your "ideal landscape", before begining to throw flower seeds and little shrubs at random and all over the place. Even "intentionally natural-looking" gardens have a certain project and a visual design (they simply adopt a more flexible approach and less strict location patterns).

2) Plan. Relate yourself to the garden you intend to create and to what it means to you. Is taking care of plants and flowers supposed to be a relaxing therapy for you? Or it's only a new boring chore you will add to your already busy schedule, because, after all, everybody else has a garden?
Some people use gardening as a way to relieve their daily stress, be in touch with nature or simply do something useful outdoors. For other homeowners, however, gardening is not much more than a tedious source of physical work and tension.
Knowing to which group you belong will help you to determine how to design a garden that will grow (and look!) in accordance to your expectations and interests.

3) Create. If gardening is a delicious hobby for you, you will have more options to select flowers, seeds, bushes and trees. You don't have to buy exclusively perennials, as you might find attractive to change some of the colors and flower shapes every now and then. If you just want to have a "low maintenance" garden, stick to the perennial flowers and plants (tulips, for instance, are awesome!) and add a higher percentage of evergreen trees and shrubs to the equation.

4) Design. Give some space for the differences in color to show up. Don't plant too many different color patterns in a little area... some gardens look like a cheap and busy flower basket with so many strong colors conflicting with one another. If you love strong colors, enhance them with flowers of light, delicate colors between colorful areas. I particularly prefer the elegant simplicity of ONE single color per area in a garden (which would consist of 3 or 4 areas), so you can benefit from a purer visual effect. It's also a good idea to alternate dense vegetation and lawn areas with shrubs and flowers in bigger areas, to create a balanced landscape, with a glorious combination of colorful flowers, greenery and some "empty" spaces to provide contrast and a sense of proportions. To accomplish this effect, give some room between the elements, for them to "breath".

5) Bear in mind. Gardens should be reasonably far from swimming pools, gazebo entrances, doors and other circulation areas. Remember that flowers tend to attract bees and other insects, so locating your gardens at a certain distance from your pools will reduce the number of dead insects, leaves and branches falling into the water.

6) Avoid. Plastic or resin flowers, figures, little fans, fountains, thematic toys, characters, fairies and "estatues", baskets and similar "ornaments" (those resin little rabbits are particularly tacky!). Restrain from using those small slabs of concrete dividers if the area is not totally flat and even or if it does not allow them to be buried firmly on the ground. As time passes, they will give in, bend and move out of the line, so they end up looking messy and horrible. Don't place old garden carts with flowers in front of your garden! (they show little creativity and add no charm to the area: they simply look like you did not finish your gardening).

7) Avoid II (Pleeease). DON'T install gazing globes, like those useless garden balls on pedestals (yucky!) or anything remotely similar to them... they look, are, were and will ever be cheap, in the worst sense. If you installed one in your garden, go back there, remove it, put it away (very far from the human eye), and sell it in your next garage sale for 1 or 2 bucks (their "real" value)... shame on you!!

8) Enjoy.

Restoring, Renovating or Modernizing an Old House

2008-06-20T17:14:00.001-07:00

So, you intend to buy (or already own) an old, historic home, and decided you will invest some money to fix it up.

Congratulations!

Regardless of style or historic period, old homes hold an unmatchable charm and authentic elegance, and you should be proud to help a long standing residence to regain its former dignity and character.

The first issue you will have to face is determining what kind of remodelling intervention you intend to promote: are you going to restore, renovate or modernize the house? Even though you can combine elements of the three processes, it's important to understand their distinctive characteristics, in such a way your informed decisions will result in an updated and beautiful historic home, not an architectural version of Frankstein.

In terms of remodelling procedures and goals, you can restore, renovate or modernize a house. A brief comment on each type of intervention could be of your interest:

1) Restoring a house - it's a much more purist way to bring a house back to its original condition. Restoration is very historically precise and requires the professional knowledge that only a Historian, an educated Architect or a Specialist in Restoration practices can provide. It accepts the use of modern amenities, but demands total integration with the original atmosphere, materials and style of the home, so all modern amenities tend to be installed in discreet places, in order to minimize their visual impact on the overall pristine ambiance of the social areas. The restorer rebuilds architectural details as they are supposed to have existed originally, striving to find the same material, the exact color and the precise texture of every single surface and structural feature.
There are some isolated cases of extreme purism, where the owner demands the house or building to be restored in exact conformity and appearance to its original condition, allowing only materials, furniture and amenities of that historic period, and acepting no alternative interventions or solutions, other than the modifications/updates that are mandatory, as per local housing legislation. This very radical trend has become rather scarce nowadays, in a society that got used to living with central air, gigantic flat screen TVs and home theaters and do not want to have to keep them hidden in adapted armoires.

2) Renovating a house - the most common approach. You give the house a fresh coat of paint, fix all the functionalities, such as electric installations, plumbing, cooling and heating, instal or repair flooring, windows and frames and redesign the kitchen so it can hold our modern appliances. Unlike the strict restorer, the person who simply wants to renovate an old home does not need or require an absolute and rigid observance of historic patterns. This person still strives to keep the historical atmosphere of the house (and will think twice before demolishing a wall, replacing original fixtures or discarding an old door, in a deliberate effort to respect the history of the building), but his main concern is making the space to be attractive and in serviceable condition. The house will still be recognizable as a charming old home, but will be physically brought to the XXI century in terms of modern amenities and functionalities.

3) Modernizing a house - a particularly risky approach. The owner will basically use whatever is left of the old home as the physical platform of an entirely new residence, with a decidedly contemporary influence (or a combination of different historic moments without any transitional evolution or coherence) and little devotion to formal research or architectural constraints. Since the historic evolution of the building is not respected and no specialized knowlegde is required, this trend has become particularly popular among real estate investors, who can then resell the now soulless house for a quick profit.

Now that you know what your options are, it's easier to identify the category your remodelled house will belong to, as that will depend on the type of intervention you want your home to undergo. Each one of them has its own budget impact and time-related issues, but regardless of whether you intend to restore, renovate or modernize your old house, take the following comments into account:

a) A considerable part of an old home's charm is the fact that time and successive interventions/renovations have taken their toll along the centuries: most of them have imperfections, little defects, uneven walls and door frames. If you can't live with the natural imperfections of an old home, you will either have to invest large sums to modernize it or you will live a miserable life in the ungrateful attempt to correct them. If that's your case, buy a newer or recently built home and avoid a never-ending source of headache.

b)If you intend to restore a house respecting all the historical conditions and materials, you will definetely need professional help. There are companies who are specialized in restoring and renovating old homes and they will do all the necessary research to respect the original design of the house. You can also hire a professional Historian to do the job, if you just need concise theoretical information about how to proceed or for partial, limited interventions in rooms or structures.

c)Avoid revolutionary approaches, to prevent the "Las Vegas syndrome" from happening. If the house is historic, avoid strong colors or daring combinations on its façade. This is not Las Vegas (unless you live there). A good example of what not to do is a recently "modernized home" in the historic district of my city (I am sure the owners swear they restored it) that got so confusing and tacky (with columns that originally did not belong to the building, strong and incongruent tropical colors, extensive lack of historic context) that I actually miss the time when the house was totally deteriorated and abandoned. It actually looked better!

d) As with any other house, use original, real materials. No plastic resins or fake fountains, estatues, ornaments, architectural details or fixtures, even if the fake item will match an existing original that needs to be replaced. Try to buy the original fixture or item in antique galleries, old hardware stores, online or in flea markets. Using authentic and real materials is a fundamental principle of refined and educated taste and should remain in effect for every single aspect of your life, not only for remodelling or decorating purposes.

e) Even if you are restoring your house with the most strict compliance to the original features and want your house to look exactly like it did 2 or 3 hundred years ago, do not reject or bypass the use of modern safety and security instruments, devices and installations that are currently available. Fire alarms and sprinklers (if your local fire protection authority demands them or if you want to have them installed through your own (wise) decision), anti-rob alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, etc might all look a bit "strange or misplaced" in a purist historic home, but they still have to be there, to preserve and protect both the property and the lives of the residents.

A necessary discussion: eructing in public

2008-06-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is certainly not the most glamorous and awe-inspiring issue, but the debate is still more than necessary.

In very diverse social circles, it's surprisingly common to see an intriguing habit that clearly defies the norms of civilized manners: eructing (also known as "burping") in public, in social events, restaurants, among friends or even in the work environment. As grotesque as it undoubtedly is, burping itself is not what I find "intriguing" about this act. What I truly find unusual about the whole situation surrounding it is the unconvincing expression that most people say right after eructing:

"Pardon me!" - they utter - as if those mereley bureaucratic words would automatically justify or neutralize the repugnance of the act.

Well, they don't.

Burping loudly in public only shows your education is as destitute as your social prospectives. If you take into consideration that the gases you are expelling from your stomach are formed by the food and gastric juices during digestion, you will realize that, to a certain extent, burping is like "flatulence through your mouth".

Many arguments and explanations have been created to justify this unacceptable and vulgar habit. None of them resists a more sagacious analysis.

Not long ago, when I reprehended a close friend of mine, I was informed that "in China, burping after the meal is a sign of appreciation for the meal" (which is, by the way, more of a myth and an urban legend than the strict truth).
I simply informed him that we were in a western country, not in China and remarked that, even if we were in China, you don't have to do something against your principles (in this case, not exposing the people around you to the smell of partially digested food) just because someone else does.

Another very common "explanation" is that eructing is a physiological, natural, involuntary act and therefore should not be limited or controlled. "It's impossible to contain a burp", I heard.
It's undeniable that eructing is a natural act, such as farting, blinking or yawning, and it's also a fact few people are able to curb it completely. Yet the discussion has very little to do with that. As an avoidable as a burp can be, there are several simple procedures you can adopt to spare us all the excitement of your noisy physiological melody.

The most important actions to be considered are:

1) While it's nearly impossible to totally contain an eruction, it's quite simple to control the airflow release to minimize its sound and intensity.

2) Once you sense that eructing is imminent, gently (I said gently!) turn your head to as far as you can from other people's seats/places, in such a way their air is kept clean and they do not have to try to guess what kind of food you had for dinner last night.

3) While doing step 2, cover your mouth discreetly (I said discreetly!), which will add elegance to your behavior and will show you respect the people around you, by abating both noise and airflow.

4)DON'T (I said DON'T) utter "Pardon me!", especially if it's said in that irritating "I-don't-really-care-but-I-was-told-to-say-so" tone ... it's innocuous.

5) If you are in a crowded place or in a social circle (round table, conversation circle, etc), just gently bow your head and release the airflow to minimize its sound and intensity.

6)Don't assume your close friends, partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, wives, husbands, etc are "OK" with your burps just because you think you guys "have enough mutual confidence for those "intimate" (!) things".

Unless your partner is a scientist, there's no reason why he/she would be particularly interested in the chemical composition of the food you had for breakfast.

The assumption that it would be "acceptable" to eruct in presence of your wife/husband actually remarks an important misconception about good taste and elegance: according to this "idea", you only need to learn etiquette rules to "look refined" in social environments and fancy places, while you can allow yourself all kinds of atrocities when you are at home alone, or with your significant other.

In my opinion, it does not work this way. You should learn the principles of educated taste for your own advantage and benefit, for your own personal and social development, and not for selective social moments. After all, what's the point in being self-conscious and "civilized" in public events, just to behave like a filthy pig as soon as you are far from the spotlight?

Antiques and Collectibles

2008-06-16T16:51:00.001-07:00

The social interest for antiques and collectibles is, in historic terms, quite recent: Prior to the XVIII Century, the general population in the western world(consisting mainly of proletariat and impoverished peasants), would not develop the pursuit of very old pieces of furniture, works of art or ancient artifacts as a communal ambition, nor would antiques have a structured market for avid final consumers, outside the virtually absolute control of the possession of such items by prestigious Museums, universities, religious organizations or the Noblesse. Before the rise of the Industrial Revolution and the consolidation of an incipient middle class in Europe (politically conceived by the democratic principles of the French Revolution), only the very few extremely wealthy individuals (mostly, members of the nobility) could afford to invest large sums and time in buying the elegant furnishings, refined coetaneous or old artifacts, or in collecting Fine Arts.

The emergence of a more prosperous and effervescent urban middle class in Europe and the Americas, in conjunction with the remarked scientific and cultural interest that followed Napoleon Bonaparte's campaigns in Egypt and the archeological discoveries about the Greco-Roman civilization in Europe, set the stage for the consolidation of an organized "Antiques market" for the Bourgeosie.

This historical development of what today is a widespread network of antique stores and galleries, explains why it's relatively easier to find antiques from the XVIII century and later, and also helps to understand why you can find more reproductions of pieces of this later period. That does not mean it's impossible to find older furniture and artifacts available in the market of any modern big city (from archaelogical items dating from thousands of years ago to elaborate pieces of furniture used in the Middle Ages), but their antiquity and scarcity turn them into prohibitively expensive items for the average collector.

If you own a historic house, an old farmhouse or simply would love to decorate your home with a coherent, harmonious and tasteful old charm, learning how to collect antiques is the first step to identify what to buy and how to invest in this very complex (and sometimes treacharous) market.

A good collector understands he/she needs to differentiate real antiques from old collectibles. Even though Historians and Antique experts do not have a conclusive, definitive concept of antique, I like to use the begining of the XX century as the historic mark which determines what is a real antique and what is just an old item or a collectible.

After World War I, the industrial revolution massified production of goods and appliances for the growing middle class. As a consequence, the human creative intervention behind the artifact lost, with few exceptions, its essence and artistic originality to favor a more industrial, automatic, standardized production pattern. Due to that tendency, most of what was made in terms of furniture, glassware, lamps, architectural details and domestic appliances after World War I are now considered by many to be only collectibles, not antiques.

This first parameter certainly helps, but the constant evolution of the artistic movement and the resilience of the artisan's creative craftsmanship demand a second approach to be taken into consideration by antique collectors: as a general (and arbitrary) rule, any original and handcrafted object that is older than 100 years can also be considered an antique. That reflects the dynamic notion of what our society sees as being old, as it evolves. A wise antique buyer will know how to combine those two paramaters to determine what to buy and how to estimate the object's value.

For those who would like to collect antiques, the following recommendations can be very useful:

1) Enlist the categories of antiques you are interested in buying and then identify the specific items you need for each group. That will restrain you from buying something based on impulse, (which in most cases, you don't really need), just because it's beautiful or unique.
You should organize your ideas using a model like this example:
GROUP...... LEVEL OF INTEREST ...... ITEMS I NEED
Furniture ............ High ......... 1 bed, 1 armoire, 1 office chair
Glassware ........... Low .......... I might buy a nice flowervase or bowl
Paintings ............ High ......... Old portraits, Art Naif, Modern Art
Sculptures ........... High ......... Old marble estatues, brass or similar
Watches ............. None ......... N/A
Porcelain/Pottery.... High ......... Antique coffee set and dinner service
and so on...

2) Visit all the antique stores, specialized museums, garage sales and flea markets you have a chance to visit. It's the best way to educate your eyes, ask questions and meet other collectors and dealers.

3) Remember that authentic and desirable antiques can be surrounded by piles of imitations, specious reproductions and fraudulent copies. Knowledge and experience are your best defense against deceitful deals, so avoid paying a lot for an item of unknown origin or about which little can be said. You can also request the antique dealer to provide documented information about the item, since they tend to be very knowledgeable on their areas of expertise. However, the fact remains that not even their words can give automatic authenticity or legitimacy to the objects they sell.

4) Be coherent: if you own a historic farmhouse with simple architectural details, or of Georgian inspiration, do not buy pretentious Victorian mirrors or out-of-place-and-time rococo furniture. If you are unable to recognize all the different historic periods and styles related to the world of antiques, begin by knowing your house first. When was it built? Is it a gracious farmhouse? A colonial cape cod? Or an ornated Victorian mansion? Once you determine the architectural style and the period in which the main section of your house was built, read more about that particular historical moment. That will help you to understand what is appropriate (and what would be extemporary) for your home, so you can begin your collection with a more educated view, and it can also be a good starting point to research other periods and styles.

5) If you intend to discover hidden treasures in garage and moving sales, or in local flea markets, get there early! Professional dealers tend to show up very early in the morning, before the event begins, so they can be the first ones to explore, select and purchase the best items.

6) Look for garage and moving sales in very old and affluent neighborhoods. That naturally increases the probability of finding high quality antiques and collectibles. Also, visit local Art and craft Fairs for good paintings and old frames. You can use your daily newspaper as a resourceful way to know when and where those events will take place in your community.

7) A magic rule: before buying an antique, always devote some extra time to analyze the object and evaluate if you really need it... as fascinating and gorgeous as a piece of furniture or estatue can be, it's always smart to think twice before being swayed by impulse.

Sangria: The ultimate summer punch

2008-06-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Sangria is a fruity and refreshing wine punch, very common in the Iberian Peninsula, but also highly appreciated all over the world. Its delicious mixture of wine, ice and fruits makes it the perfect cocktail for those summer afternoons by the pool or an informal gathering with good friends. The name, of Spanish origin, derives from the term sangría, or the act of bleeding, probably due to its vivid red color.

Even though you can prepare a sangria with either red or white wine (there are actually hundreds of variations!), I recommend a cool light sweet red wine for the traditional cocktail. All you need to make a luscious sangria is:

1) 1 bottle of red wine
2) 1 cup of brandy
3) 4 chopped peaches (or 3 chopped peaches and 1 chopped red apple)
4) honey (3 spoonfuls) or orange juice (1 small cup) or sugar (2 spoonfuls)
5) 1 cup of soda water
6) Lots of ice

First, cut the fruits in small cubes. In a pitcher (or another container large enough to hold all the ingredients) mix the pieces of fruits, the bottle of wine, the brandy and whatever you desire to use to sweeten the drink. Take it to the refrigerator for several hours, to make sure the added ingredients' flavors blend.
Once it's time to serve, add the soda water and the pieces of ice and... have fun!

When serving your sangria, don't forget to pour some peach/apple cubes into your glass. Eating them is part of the "adventure"!

I am confident you will enjoy this delighful cocktail, but before you finish an entire pitcher on your own, one final comment: as refreshing and light as this iced drink might appear to be, it can still have a considerable level of alcohol... Therefore, you must understand that sangria is and must be treated like an alcoholic beverage.

After your first glass, you will certainly realize why sangria is so highly praised in many countries around the world... Salud!

Clarification about "Ads by Google"

2008-06-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

As you might have seen in previous posts, some "Ads by Google" at times promote products or services that contradict the views and positions I defend in the blog.

I just would like to clarify I have no control or power over such ads, so please do not take them into consideration if their contents collide with the principles of educated taste.

Foie Gra: Haute Cuisine with Bad Taste.

2008-06-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

Foie Gra is basically the enlarged and fattened liver of a goose or a duck, and it's often considered an indispensable item on most Gourmet Food lists. Its rich and buttery flavor and its rather greasy texture are not naturally appreciated by many consumers, so foie gra has gained status as a product that, in most cases, requires the development of an acquired taste. In the Haute Cuisine, especially in France, it's been offered in many presentations, mainly as a table delicacy, such as pâté, mousse or parfait, even though it can also be sold whole to be used in a growing number of intricate recipes.

Surrounded by an aura of sophistication and seen by many as one of the quintessential items of the acclaimed French Cuisine, Foie Gra is nevertheless a very controversial kind of food. The widespread dissatisfaction with Foie Gra derives from the force feeding procedure to enlarge and fatten the liver, known as gavage, which consists of overfeeding the duck or goose (with abnormal amounts of corn-based food) through a tube inserted in the animal's esophagus.

In other words, if we stick to gavage as the only valid method to produce authentic foie gra, we can naturally assume that the very existence of this "delicacy" depends on a despicable and vile type of torture, imposed on the goose and ducts for as long as 20 days. Can you think of anything more intrinsically opposed to the elementary principles of good taste?

As a reaction to this detestable practice, many Animal Rights activists all over the world have targeted the industry, and a considerable number of countries and other jurisdictions have approved legislation against the sale of foie gra and the force feeding method used to produce it.

Yet you still find some Chefs and restaurants with an execrable blasé flair, proudly including the item in their Menus as a sign of "sophistication", which, for the educated person, generates the opposite impression.

The arguments of Foie Gra advocates are frequently as consistent as the pâté they sell. I have heard absurdities as exotic as:

"Foie Gra has been used since Ancient Times, by Egyptians and Romans."
Great! It sounds like doing something detestable and inhumane for thousands of years validates and justifies the act itself! Following that not very bright line of reasoning, let's reopen the Roman Colosseum and reinstate the gladiators combats then!

"There's no evidence that force feeding the animals through a tube inserted into their esophagus inflicts pain or agony"
No evidente, huh? Run a tube down your throat, so you can give us a more personal insight to this empiric statement. I am sure you will be able to express how comfortable and harmless this force feeding technique is.

"It's sad that after thousands of years of enjoyment, the foie gra opponents intend to limit the accessibility of a product in which so many find such a great pleasure".
This is a very good example of how selfish and inconsiderate with other living beings a person can be. That is sad! Can you, for a minute or two, forget about your own greasy and fatty liver and think about the agony and mistreatment the force feeding method inflicts on its victims?

"The cattle and poultry industry also overfeeds their animals for human consumption"
It's an intellectually poor way to generalize different situations with the aim of confusing the general public. The cattle and poultry industry do not defend the torture of animals (gavage is a way of torture and inhumane treatment) to conduct their business. When cases of mistreatment or inadequate handling arise among the cattle or poultry industries, the very same Animal Rights activists that are now defending the ducks and geese raise their voices to confront the irregularities.

"Everyone deserves the right to choose if they want to consume Foie Gra or not"
You still don't get it, do you? It's not a right. Your "right" ends when torture and mistreatment of animals begin. It's not like you want to choose whether you prefer to eat your salad with olive oil or vinagrette. Nobody has the right to cause prolonged pain or agony in another being (the definition of torture), just to give you more options of pâté for your toast or steak.

Swimming pools: Facts and Comments

2008-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by informing that, for the person with good taste, the commonly proclaimed classification of swimming pools, which divides them into inground and above ground, simply does not exist.

For the educated person, the only real swimming pool is inground. The other type is nothing else than an exotic oversized bathtub, and the only attention it deserves is the time devoted to its quick and definitive dismantlement.

As a consequence, everytime I mention the term "swimming pool", please assume I am naturally referring to an "inground swimming pool".

Swimming pools rank high among the most desirable domestic amenities in a modern home. It's the cool and refreshing place that almost every family would love to have, but it can also be the perfect scenery for a social gathering when summer days invite you outdoors and the temperature begins to rise.

As attractive as the idea of a swimming pool might sound, it's important to remark that not all spaces and backyards can accomodate a pool. A wise homeowner will evaluate pros and cons related to its contruction and maintenance before taking on the challenge.

First of all, evaluate whether you really have enough space for a swimming pool. A comfortable pool should always allow a spacious area around it, so you can have chairs, patio tables for snacks and other amenities to accomodate your family and friends, without disturbing circulation around it. That's specially relevant because, in addition to being annoying, the unfortunate combination of cramped pool tables and lack of space can also be very dangerous.

Another factor of concern should be the materials you use to cover the pools borders and surrounding areas... it's unconceivable to me that we still find pools with those very smooth ceramic tiles in the social areas around them... do you really need a PhD in architecture to understand that kind of flooring is extremely slippery when the tiles get wet? Is it really that difficult to select more porous and dependable types of stone or surfaces for that constantly wet area?

If you intend to add any decorating elements to the place where the pool is located, do not overload your imagination: choose simple original statues and water fountains made with natural materials (no plastic leprechauns, mermaids or lion heads, please!). For patio chairs and tables, give preference to wood or those with aluminum/metalic frames. Plastic pool furniture tends to be much cheaper than their wood or aluminum counterparts, the only problem is... they look cheap, too.

Most people like to have their outdoor barbecue area close to the swimming pool. I could never understand why. As a rule, barbecue grills should be installed relatively apart from the pool and the social areas around it: after all, nobody likes to be resting and enjoying a drink or conversation by the pool and be disturbed by smoke and the annoying smell of grilling meat in the process. By contrast, a well-suited outdoor bar can perfectly be placed close to the social areas of your pool. It's actually very easy to see why: imagine the convenience of having easily accessible drinks and cocktails when you have a social gathering by the pool. That also allows you to prepare the cocktails while talking to your friends: people tend to love talking or learning about new drinks or cocktails mixes... few people like to talk about smoke and burnt meat.

Select an inconspicuous area of your house to install the pumps and other devices related to the functioning and maintenance of your swimming pool. That includes natural unevennesses on the ground, rocks or bushes. If that's not possible, increase the vegetation around them to minimize the visual impact, but do not fall to the temptation of using fake resin hollow "rocks" to cover them (a practice that has become quite "popular" lately)... any pump, filter or machine, as unsightly as they can be, will always look "better" than a fake rock. Why? Because you know that rock is fake... can you sleep well knowing that? I can't.

Home Decor Magazines

2008-06-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

It seems that decorating your home with a more informed, elegant taste has never been easier, if you consider the impressive variety of magazines devoted to the subject in the editorial market: from articles about luxurious homes to the cute French cottage, from the perfectly designed kitchen to the cozy master bedroom plan, from renovating old homes to building ultramodern additions, everything seems to be covered by these "specialized" Home Decor publications.

While it does not hurt to read those magazines and learn their often useful recommendations and techniques, you should always impose a natural limit to the credibility of what you read... even though they tend to have a consistent editorial line, those magazines count on several writers, journalists, editors and contributors, and many of the articles they write and publish will inevitably be based on personal influences and concepts that might not necessarily be of good or educated taste. That happens because, unlike what many of us believe, not everything that looks "nice" or brand new (as most new rooms and homes shown in those magazines) is necessarily visually harmonious or of good taste per se.

There should be no surprise about the fact that many Home Decor articles are written in consonance with the writer's "personal opinions and preferences" about what "good taste" is. That can certainly become a very dangerous territory, because what is sometimes "consensually seen" as good taste in our society sometimes conflicts directly to what good and educated taste really is.

But if that's the case, you might be asking how can this guy be so sure of what good taste is? How can he so conclusively determine what is to be seen as socially acceptable, chic or aesthetically correct?

If you have been reading this blog, you will realize that the answer is quite simple: educated taste is based on knowledge and experience, and expressed through general, but theoretically dense and solid principles. It's not built on isolated sets of instinctive opinions plagued with nothing more than superficial good intentions and fancy looking materials. I have seen several examples of articles about home decor whose final examples and models are tacky or plain ugly, and many of them conflicts directly with the principles of good taste we have been discussing here.

One of these examples is an article I read this week about a self-proclaimed beautiful and tasteful (??) garden that a couple here in the U.S. designed for their backyard, duly illustrated with very nice pictures of the finished project. You read a descriptive text about the garden and then you see the couple proudly showing the new area recently remodelled: surrounded by pretty plants and flowers, there was a fountain with a protruding lion's head, the water falling from the little pipe in his mouth to create a bucolic atmosphere... an idyllic scene in deed, except for a tragic detail: the "gorgeous" fountain that the couple was proudly exhibiting was visibly made of a certain type of plastic resin that imitates stone. That visual element alone is enough to indicate that the people who decorated the garden (and the journalist who published the article) have no clue on what educated taste is... buying fake fountains or plastic ornaments does not go against "my opinion" about what should be in that garden... it goes against the very elementary principles of good taste.

Another good example in that very same magazine ended up leading me to write this post: a lady was "teaching" the reader how to "reuse" or recycle different kinds of materials you probably have laying around in your basement (meaning "trash") to create "decorating elements" for your home (you can only imagine what you can build with a fancy combination of pieces of trash... let me try to figure out: humm...trash?!)
The final result was a supposedly "useful" set of narrow shelves for your living room, which was made with an ugly wood box covered with old wallpaper... After hours looking at the picture of the "decorative shelf", all I could see is... a useless ugly wood box poorly covered with old wallpaper... the lady could have saved all the glue, time and money, by throwing the trash where it belongs: guess where...

Another article was recommending a repulsive center island for an otherwise lovely little kitchen... which ended up getting even "smaller" after such an "appropriate addition"... I could only hope the unfortunate home owners never gain weight...

Another section was showing a yellow faux painting effect that was so heavily ornated and baroque that staring at it for more than 2 minutes could cause either nausea or gastric ulcer (you pick!).

An article about a house on the beach informed that the owners, who "loved the idea of building a house on the shore", wanted their home to be filled with "sea and marine elements and motives, such as shells, starfish pictures, waves, fish and palm trees", which would "inspire" their decorating and architectural design...
Groundbreaking!! Revolutionary!!
Seriously, do we really need to read those obvious statements about obvious ideas under obvious circumstances for obvious situations?

I could go on forever...

Does that mean you should not read those home decor magazines? Nope, it doesn't. Many sections are well written and in accordance with the principles of good taste and quality of life. I appreciated an article showing how to make your heating and cooling more energy efficient and was delighted to read a useful text on how to select the best tables and chairs for your yard or garden, including ideas of very creative combinations.

Reading Home Decor Magazines can be inspiring and informative: enjoy them, but take the following details into consideration:

1) You should devote more time to learn the theoretical principles of educated taste, learn about art, culture, read more books, travel more, talk to people of different cultural backgrounds... use those home decor articles written at random about isolated cases as a more informal way to educate your taste.
2) Devote more attention to the brief biography (that some magazines publish) of the writers responsible for the article you intend to read, in such a way you can better judge their ability or expertise to write about that particular subject... no matter what a journalist or a magazine tells you, it's always better to read an article about renovating old homes written by a real, educated historian or somebody with similar professional background.
3) Read the magazine with authentic interest, if you are into decorating homes or improving your quality of life, but always keep a critic approach. Do not take the information you receive for granted. While most of what you read is pertinent, there's always a small fraction of those magazine sections that might be based on groundless "consensual" opinion. And they sometimes can sound as assertive as a religious dogma.
4) Try to separate the "new, artificially organized" look of the pictures of those magazine decorated rooms or environments from the real elements of good taste: does that sumptuous living room respect the elementary principles of free circulation? Does that "predominantly white modernist room" look clean, vanguard and stylish or it just looks like the cold operating room of a hospital instead?
That exercise can develop your ability to criticize and analyze spaces, furniture, colors and enviroments.
5) Read my blog.

Educated Views versus Groundless Opinions

2008-05-28T13:38:00.001-07:00

Recently, I received a copy of an official statement that would be sent to a very large group of potential readers. The document was providing information about a certain corporate issue and concluded by saying:

"It's never to late to start saving!"

While the main idea of the comment is certainly coherent, the adverb "too" had disappeared and the preposition "to" was taking its place, which is a flagrant mistake in English. Since I know the person who redacts those documents, I decided to contact her, to inform that there was probably a typo in the document, as the correct sentence should be:

It's never too late to start saving!

Her reaction to my polite comment, however, wasn't very receptive: "That's not correct. You can't write that with double o!" In a professorial tone, she explained why: "Too looks strange. Any person who can read would say that "too late" is wrong". Trying not to look very self-defensive, she smiled and said that the expression "too late" would be acceptable in "my" English, not in hers.

I smiled back and said: "I didn't even know English orthography and gramar rules depended on our personal preferences."

Well, I had thought it would be useful to inform the correct use of the adverb "too", but I definetely did not intend to slit my wrists over the issue. So I left the paper with the correct sentence on her desk: she would have to decide whether the communication would be printed with her mistake or not.

Even though that particular grammar error is rather harmless, this bizarre situation constitutes a valuable example of something much more fundamental than something as prosaic as the use of an adverb in English grammar: the natural trend we have to give opinions based on little more than thin air!

I was dismayed to notice that, despite the evident lack of formal knowledge on that specific grammar topic, my friend still felt "entitled" to express an "authoritative" opinion about it... more than that, she still believed she could create her own reality to justify a factual mistake.

Life is simple: if you do not have considerable knowledge or information about a certain topic or do not have solid arguments to support your opinion, why do you have to open your big mouth and say "something", just to fill in the blanks?

JUST SHUT UP!

Use the other person's qualified arguments to learn about the subject and reinforce your learning curve by educating yourself about it later, so you can begin to participate in the debate, if it truly interests you. A civilized and refined person has educated positions, based on solid principles and extensive knowledge. That naturally implies being open to listening and learning from people who are more educated or more informed about the subject being debated.

By the way... I saw the new official statement again this afternoon and the final sentence is now correctly written: I am glad it wasn't too late to reprint the communication...

Express Yourself: Criticizing Food

2008-05-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Prompted by a not very pleasant dinner experience in a local restaurant, a reader sent me a message asking whether criticizing the food in a restaurant is the appropriate procedure when you, for any reason, do not like it, and how can such sensitive comments be made in an elegant and constructive way.

Accidents happen: no matter how fancy, established or reputable a restaurant is, things can always go wrong eventually. An uninspired combination or substitution of ingredients (sometimes due to a lack of a certain vegetable or produce in the local market), a certain ingredient that is not fresh enough or mistakenly added to an otherwise perfect dish, or that fresh meat that was cooked too much (or not enough) can create an unpleasant flavor, a less-than-perfect savory experience or a poor aftertaste.

It's important to understand it is your right to express disatisfaction with the food (or with any other aspect of your visit, for that matter). The good Chef (and the wise restaurant Manager) always expects eventual criticism or complaints, and will certainly listen with authentic interest and receptive ears, when a customer is not particularly delighted by the meal or drink.

In the restaurant business, as in many other competitive services, courteous criticism is (or at least, should be) always welcome. With that said, more than just discussing whether it is acceptable or not to complain, I think it's more useful focus on how to do so without sounding pretentious, imprecise or impolite.

First of all, if the problem is directly connected to the taste or condition of the food itself, try to identify it as soon as possible. Don't eat the entire dish and then call the waiter or manager to talk about the "horrible taste" of the dish you voraciously devoured.

I understand there are situations where you might end up finding the "problem" when you are almost done (from the nasty hair you found in your soup to the sweet little bug you found crawling around and exploring the brave new world in your salad), but in those cases you will have the "body of evidence" right there on your plate, so it doesn't matter when you request the presence of a waiter to complain.

Once you know the reason of your dissatisfaction, call the waiter and give specific information about it. Try to explain the situation in a very illustrative, yet concise way: Do NOT lecture the waiter on your supposed knowledge about the culinary world and do not turn your explanation into a cooking class. Nobody deserves that (and the waiter did not cook your dish!). Tell her or him about what caused your discomfort. Was the chicken uncooked or not fresh? Was the meat poorly condimented? Did the fish leave a particularly nasty aftertaste? Is the bread less than perfectly crunchy and fresh? In case you are unable to express what you dislike in the taste, inform in a sincere tone that the food just does not taste right.

As in any other aspect of your social life, be discreet and speak in a moderate tone of voice. The other customers do not have to learn all the ugly details of your dinner's misfortune.

Any good restaurant will immediately receive the food back, offer alternative main courses so you don't leave the place hungry and, in most cases, they will not charge you for that particular dish or drink. Be ready to explain the situation twice, as sometimes the waiter will have to call the Manager or the Chef to clarify eventual doubts about your complaint or criticism.

An important principle that it's always good to remark: Regardless of how excentric, famous or revered the Chef is or how prestigious the restaurant believes to be, they should always be open to respectful criticism: after all, you are paying the check and you are the one eating the unsolicited caterpillar, the cook's curly hair (yuck!) or the mummified tomatoes... If they do not react in accordance with your expectations, let them know what you were expecting (so they compare that to their actual reaction), leave the place right away and erase that experience (and that restaurant!) of your life for good.

Focal walls: when and how to use them

2008-05-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine requested me to write about focal walls, also known as accent walls. He wants to know if any room can accomodate one and how to select the appropriate wall to receive such a "royal treatment". He also wants to know if any house (modern, old, contemporary, modernist) can have rooms with them.

Strictly, a focal wall is the one that receives a deliberate and particular change in color or texture on its surface, with the aim of creating a manifest contrast with the remaining walls of the room. That tends to generate an instinctive interest towards a certain area of your house, draw people's attention to the room and also neutralize the recurring "syndrome of the hospital room" that you can see in most houses and apartments nowadays: white rooms everywhere that can be easily mistaken for hospital premises.

You can have focal walls in virtually any kind of home, even though if you are a purist, you should avoid focal walls in historic homes, which intrinsically demand a much more conservative decorative approach.

While you can design a focal wall in any kind of house, you have to understand its principles, as it should not be used indiscriminately:

1) Unlike what many people say, DO NOT use faux painting techniques for a focal wall. You want it to attract a visitor's attention, not to monopolize it. I particularly dislike faux painting techniques of any kind and nature, as the visual effects they very often try to display can be obtained with the real material they attempt to copy, so why don't you use the real material instead? Faux is fake... literally!

2) Analyze the room before deciding whether it accomodates a focal wall:
2.1) Is the room spacious? Small rooms should NOT receive a focal wall, as they would rather need a more discrete, plain color treatment, to make it look more roomy and less visually polluted.

2.2) Are there too many architectural elements in the room already: fireplaces, many windows, too many corners (for rooms that are not perfectly square or rectangular), doors? If that's the case, turn one of these walls into a focal wall without having to paint it: remove curtains or drapes that might be hiding colorful views of the outside, or in case you need privacy (or the view is not particularly attractive), cover them with "more stylistically daring" curtains. If after your analysis you find at least a couple of walls that are really big, ample and plain, then you can select one to be the focal wall.

2.3) Bathrooms, kitchens and dining rooms should not have focal walls. Why not? Bathrooms tend to be too small and have already many functional elements that can be used to decorate the space. A kitchen is already packed with cabinets and shelves, so as a rule, you will need less visual pollution, not more. It's important to understand that a focal wall in the wrong place is not an element of decoration, it's simply visual pollution. As for the dining room, remember that it has a very particular situation: the esthetic "magnet" of the dining room should be the dining table, traditionally located in the center of the room. Anything deviating the attention or obscuring the protagonism of the dining table should be avoided.

3) Special consideration must be given to the color you will use to paint your focal wall. Take a vertical and horizontal look at the room before deciding... many people fail to pick the right color because they simply look the walls of the room to determine the desired contrast (horizontal look), without noticing the ceiling and the flooring you have and how they are going to play, visually, with the chosen focal color (vertical look). When you are choosing the color, be bold and audacious, but no matter how "inspired" you woke up today, avoid pink (of ANY type or tone), dark brown, black and gray. Any special reason? yes! Dark Brown, black and gray, in addition to being plain utterly ugly, do not distinctively mark any room (which is supposed to be the ultimate goal of a focal wall). Pink is just out of question: get over it!

4)Should you hang paintings or drawings on the focal walls? Sure! What you should not place there is that humongous china or crystal hutch or those 3-mile long bookshelves that will cover the whole area you have just painted... It's quite frustrating to work so hard to select, design, paint and decorate a focal wall to revitilize or improve a certain room and then locate an enormous piece of furniture to cover that (now) colorful and attractive space.

5) If you pick a dark or "revolutionary" color (I am scared already!) for the focal wall, restore the visual balance of the room by using one discrete and light color for the remaining walls.

Vernissage: a perfect event to learn about Art

2008-05-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

Vernissage is a social and artistic event that can be the perfect occasion for you to learn more about art, attend local exhibitions or acquire that beautiful painting you have been wanting to add to your collection.

Among the various acceptions I have found for the term while I was living in Europe, Brazil and the United States, I can identify two essential variations:

Some vernissages are merely receptions at a gallery, museum or cultural center, to celebrate the opening of an artist's exhibition, especially if he/she is already established and prestigious. It's a wonderful opportunity for you to get to know people who are into Arts, interchange experiences with other collectors and maybe learn more about a certain artistic technique (or the source of inspiration) from the painter or sculptor him/herself.

The other "main variation" of vernissage adds a clear mercantile tone to the event, and while it's still a reception at a gallery or cultural center to exhibit an artist's show, its main goal, at the end of the period of exhibition (or in some extreme cases, at the end of the reception itself) is selling all or part of the artist's production. On those occasions, debates on technique and inspiration give way to a more commercial interaction, and in many vernissages, you are expected to inform the host the painting, sculpture or drawing you want, thus reserving the right to acquire it once the exhibition is over.

Regardless of the nature of the reception, it's always a pleasure to go to a vernissage. It tends to be a formal event, which requires the understanding of its very strict dress and etiquette code, but it can also be the perfect way to interact with the cultural and artistic elite of your city or area.

Some basic characteristics of a vernissage include:

1) If the price is clearly marked below the painting (which is of not very good taste, but happens), do not try to negotiate or get a discount. If you seriously intend to buy it, inform the organizer or host of the event.
The only "exception" to the rule is if you are a personal, close friend of the artist, but in that case, talk to him after the event is over, as he's probably busy attending other guests.
I personally would not request a discount in any case at all, as a vernissage is not a fresh market where you stop by to buy your daily groceries...

2) Sometimes, the prices are very conveniently informed in the reference book of the event, which should always be in possession (or at reach) of the host and the artist. It's much more elegant than just showing the price below the painting.

3)If you happen to find a painting or piece you cannot live without and decide to buy it, be discrete. Briefly inform the organizer or host the title of the piece or its reference number and keep circulating. Nothing can be more inappropriate than a buyer avidly informing half of the reception room that he or she bought this or that painting... Inform only if asked and if you wish to do so. Some collectors prefer not to divulge their acquisitions.

4) As in any other social event, move around... it can be intimidating to start a conversation with a person you have never seen or to participate in a conversation circle you are not familiar with, but that's the whole point of going to these places. You wil find all kinds of people there: from the snobish unbearable cultural freak to the distinguished poet who will delight you with a smart conversation. Smile opportunely (don't laugh out loud as if you had drunk too much!) and listen a lot to begin to feel comfortable and integrate more smoothly to a new conversation group and then add more of your ideas to the discussion as you and your new friends create a bond.

5) Take your time to decide what painting, sculpture or drawing you want to buy... I have seen so many cases where people inform the number or title of a certain painting or sculpture to the organizer, just to discover they would really prefer the other painting that somebody else is asking about. Don't rush to buy a painting based on the fear of losing it to another buyer. Art is much more than an investment. It's a way to show what you think, how you feel, who you are... devote some quality time to chosing the right piece of art and, if you have a chance, try to get some insights from the artist... they normally love to give long dissertations about their art, technique, motivation, inspiration or style.

6) Some vernissages provide Certificates of Authenticity, which hold the same reputation of the art gallery, museum or cultural center that organizes the reception. They tend to be unnecessary in that type of event, since the artist him/herself is there to show evidence the gallery is dealing with the original artwork, but many art collectors and investors demand Certificates of Authenticity as they consider them a normal, ordinary practice. It does not hurt to ask if you are entitled to one... in most cases, you will be. Keep them for your own reference or to prove authenticity, should you decide to sell it in the future.

7) Finally, if you do not have the money (or the interest) to buy anything in that particular vernissage, enjoy the evening and concentrate on learning about art, making new friends or simply having a good time!

A pertinent question about gourmet coffee

2008-05-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

A reader from Pennsylvania asked the following question about my post on Gourmet Coffee:

"Dear Joao, nice blog... I have a comment about your post on Gourmet Coffee: I have been buying Kona (Gourmet coffee from Hawaii -some varieties can cost over US$30.00/lb). I buy them because I like to know I am drinking one of the best coffees available, but I like it with skim milk and sugar. I was surprised to see that you discourage buying top gourmet coffee, if you are not going to have it pure. Why would I have to settle for a cheaper coffee?"

Response: You don't have to. You are free to spend your money as you please. If you have the economic resources to buy expensive gourmet coffee to drink with your milk and sugar, that's your prerogative. You just need to understand that the flavor of that very noble bean you are mixing with milk, vanilla or other essences is altered, disguised and that, as a result, it's virtually impossible to discern it from any other good gourmet coffee of similar characteristics and better price you might want to buy for that purpose. Many Gourmet Coffee types from Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Jamaica or El Salvador, for instance, are as good as Kona (and recognized as such by the Coffee connoisseurs), and they do not cost that much. It amazes me when the defenders of Kona say that their gourmet coffee is incomparable because it grows on volcanic soil... This is a very silly argument and my response (as a person who spent several years around the coffee culture in Antioquia, Colombia) is simple: Colombia has all the types of mountains and soil you can possibly imagine to plant coffee, including volcanoes and volcanic soil, different altitudes in the Andean Range, several microclimates and a wide range of levels of acidity in their endless farms!

What Kona and other prestigious coffee growers have, in addition to a very good coffee bean, is an extremely effective marketing strategy to induce you to pay more for their products.

So basically, my message is: If you love gourmet coffee and want to try it in different presentations (brewed pure some days and with milk, cinnamon or essences other days), reserve the most noble (and sometimes more expensive) beans for the pure coffee cup, and use other less expensive gourmet coffee varieties for your "coffee juice". It's also very smart to invest some of your time to taste a few specialty coffee varieties before you can begin to buy them periodically... you will probably realize that your favorite gourmet coffee does not have to be, necessarily, the most expensive one.

Gourmet coffee: the emergence of the "black wine"

2008-05-11T19:16:00.001-07:00

Just a few years ago, gourmet coffee was a rather distant concept, and most people would simply desire to have a good cup of the precious dark liquid in the morning, without particular attention to its label or atributes.

Nowadays, however, gourmet coffee has established itself as a sophisticated flavory experience, which ultimately turned knowing about coffee into a more recent version of the elitist pursuit of social differentiation. With a growing number of special publications about coffee beans, origin, roasting, griding and preparation, Gourmet coffee has become, in a cultural sense, the desirable black wine of our mornings.

Even though the available research indicates that the first coffee trees were grown in Africa (Etiophia), the emergence of this estimulating drink as the "oil that makes the human engine run" was based on the historic interaction between the Americas and Europe. Brazil, Colombia and other American nations proved to be the ideal place to grow coffee, and their enormous (and relatively steady) crops transformed the product's supply chain into the massive commodity empire it is today: initially in Europe, where coffee would gain status as the favorite drink of modern, industrialized times, and then rapidly spreading to the rest of the world.

There are two main kinds of coffee beans: arabica and robusta. Arabica coffee has been very successful in the Americas and has become the chief coffee tree of international commerce. In general, it has a more delicate, "softer" taste than the robusta variety, which can be found in most African countries and, as its name suggests, has a more robust taste. Either coffee can be very good or not particularly desirable. All will depend on whether the bean is gourmet and whether it has been correctly ground, toasted, stored, prepared and served. In addition to that, if you begin to try various kinds of gourmet coffee from different origins, you will certainly develop your own taste and personal preferences.

With so many varieties of "Gourmet coffee" in the market, people tend to compensate their lack of information by buying big chain gourmet trade marks, thus making sure they "get authentic gourmet coffee" and are experiencing top quality products. While that is generally true, you still need to understand the essential atributes of the gourmet coffee cup you have every morning, so you can enjoy it in the proper manner.

I used to own a small gourmet coffee business, and was always surprised by how many of my friends would spend lots of money buying the "good stuff" and then throw all their investment away, by preparing and serving it in the "wrong" way. In the US, for instance, I see a common trend of filling up a huge plastic cup of expensive gourmet coffee and then spoil the whole thing with every single natural or artificial flavor on the table (such as vanilla, cinnamon, essences, chocolate, sugar, honey etc) you can possibly imagine. I consider that so contradictory! After all, if you don't really want to feel the original taste of the most wonderful coffee bean you can get, why spend money on it?

Let me begin by explaining the concept of gourmet coffee: the general conditions of the soil have a considerable impact on the quality of the bean, and high altitude coffee tends to offer a better environment and acidity level for the gourmet coffee bean. The coffee bean must be handpicked (which increases the labor costs, but makes sure the coffee berry has similar color, texture and quality - no machine can match the scrutiny of the trained human eye for this task). This procedure also helps to control the size of the bean (which should have a minimum size screen code of 14 and up to 20 (screen patterns may vary, but this is a generally accepted reference) and with a very similar level of ripeness. Unlike what some coffee chains proudly announce, blends are not welcome and you should always try to get pure coffee of a single origin. If you already have gourmet coffee of a certain type, why would you want to mix it up with another gourmet bean?

The world of coffee can be complex and diversified, but marketing has a strong role in establishing some "elitist" atributes to coffee that, simply, do not exist. Marketing may also adapt the characteristics of gourmet coffee to induce you to consume more (or pay more) for good coffee, even when the "sophisticated social image" they want to promote might eventually conflict with the coffee flavor itself.

A good example of how we sometimes spoil the good coffee we bought due to "cultural" or "marketing" factors is the amount of coffee we serve. Many friends of mine serve big cups of gourmet coffee so they can "have it for a longer time" or sip that same cup all morning. It's your prerrogative to do that, but you must understand that, after 10 or 15 minutes, that specialty coffee you bought is anything but "gourmet": most of the flavor and delicious aroma will rapidly deteriorate after those precious 15 minutes. The natural consequence of this fact is: serve and enjoy gourmet coffee in smaller quantities. Use small cups for your fresh morning coffee.

Also, if you intend to spend money on expensive beans, do not mix them with essences, sugar, natural or artificial flavors or milk. If you can't resist the temptation to do so, buy good conventional coffee (or an inexpensive bag of gourmet coffee) for that and save some bucks. The result will still be good, but you will not be wasting your precious (and sometimes pricey!) top gourmet beans with this "coffee juice".

If you buy gourmet coffee with a one-way valve package, you do NOT have to consume the whole bag within 3 or 4 days (as some gourmet specialists say: "to make sure you will keep the gourmet flavor"). This is marketing terrorism to force you to drink everything fast and go back to the store to buy more. Gourmet coffee can perfectly be used within 2 or 3 weeks after is ground, if kept in its one-way valve bag, duly closed. Coffee actually begins to lose most of its flavor once it's already brewed, so focus your attention to the moment of consumption, not to the day you purchase a bag.

If possible, buy a grinder for your coffee, so you can grind it right before preparation and preserve the bean's flavor and smell. If you do not have time or the wish to do so, request the seller to grind your coffee at the store. Avoid those "gourmet coffee bags" that come already ground, or use them as a last resort.

You should also try robusta coffee for expressos and Capuccinos (or pure, as your morning coffee), for a change. Americans tend to prefer the softer flavor of arabica coffee, but you might end up having a pleasurable time with a bold, savory cup of robusta.

What you need to know about Wine

2008-05-05T12:31:00.001-07:00

The literature about wine is currently so copious and comprehensive, that trying to create a rational and comprehensible body of knowledge about it can be intimidating and quite complex.

With so many detailed publications on the origin, endroit and qualities of wine, it seems to most people that knowing about wine and food pairings has become one of those "ultimate indicators of culture and refinement": that special territory that would hold the bounderies between the "socially integrated" (the privileged few) and the "wannabes".

Yet you don't need to become an oenophile or a professional sommelier to be able to select a good wine for your meals, or to determine the most appropriate type of wine for the food you are offering in a given social event.

All you need is some pieces of info and a bit of common sense.

Despite all its specificities and variations, we could classify wine in 2 big categories: Dry and sweet.

Dry red and dry white: as a general rule, their content of sugar is relatively low. They are perfect for the main course of a certain dinner, as their subtle flavor will not overshadow the taste of the food itself. Some people insist on offering sweet wines as an entrance or with the main course, as if they are serving a soda: that sweet taste will not only conflict with the food being served: it will also diminish the appetite. As a consequence, the main course will lose its protagonism.

Sweet red and sweet white: They are much more suitable to desserts and to be had between meals. Some semidry wines, like semidry champagne, for example, would also fall into this category.

When to use red or white wines?

Traditionally, red wine will go well with red meat or food with darker colors and more consistency. Therefore, red wine should always be served with veal, lamb, duck, goose, steaks etc.
Naturally, this recommendation was not created out of invented convention. It's based on the very reasonable assumption that a good wine should accompany and highlight the taste of the food, not conflict with it. As a consequence, the full, still character of a red burgundy will be more suitable to the equally dense flavor of red meat.

White wine, in turn, should be used with white meat, such as fish, chicken (except with the chicken is coq au vin, which would require red wine) and seafood.

Red wines should always be served at room temperature, except for a light rose', which should be served cold, since it's not meant to be used for the main course.

The same rule applies to white wines, except for champagne or other similar light drinks, which should be served cold as well.

These elementary principles can help you to begin a very fascinating learning process, by studying more about wine, its vintage, endroit, origin. If you happen to live close to wineries, take tours and visit them, as most local wineries will give you the chance to develop a more educated taste on types and flavors.

Even though some countries have accumulated enormous prestige and solid reputation in the Wine World, don't assume a certain wine is good (or bad), just because they came from a traditional (or unknown) origin. I have tried wonderful wines from Southern Brazil or Australia (which cannot be considered mainstream countries, when it comes to good wine) and very poor wines from prestigious countries in the wine world's culture.

Finally, if you are an oenophile or a wine connoisseur, you should be elegant enough not to make snobbish remarks on the quality of the wine being served in a certain dinner. There's nothing more pretentious (and more potentially annoying!) than somebody lecturing the guests on the wine they are enjoying.

The art of receiving: How to organize a social event

2008-05-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Receiving people can be a difficult form of art... or a schizophrenic, self-imposed type of torture! When you open the doors of your home to your friends, or people you do not know very well, you expose more of yourself than in any other social interaction.

Yet receiving people implies thinking about other people (your guests), not about you. You must make sure their experience in your house is the most pleasant and comfortable, while creating a relaxing atmosphere for conversation, integration or, simply, to enjoy a nice afternoon or evening.

So, if you want to project a fresh and elegant image and create a welcoming environment, you have to understand some elementary principles. Don't invite people to your house or organize any social event there IF:

1) You intend to use plastic glasses/utensils or paper dishes/napkings.
2) You intend to have just one main course as the option for dinner.
3) You intend to invite more people than what your house (living room, dining room, yard, whatever) can accomodate comfortably.
4) The activities you will create or induce in your social event (music, party, conversation until very late, etc) are not agreeded and accepted by your adjacent neighbors in advance.
5) The social areas of your house will not be sparkling clean.

If you can make sure all of the aforementioned conditions are respected, you can begin to plan your party or gathering.

Several steps will lead you to social success, but the following conditions are specially important:

1) Use ceramic, porcelain or glass dishes and your best utensils and bowls for the special lunch or dinner you are planing. If your collection of a certain kind of dishes is not big enough, you can always use your second collection of dishes (if you want to have an active social life, keep more than one set of dishes). Another option, if you are inviting many people, is buying a simple and inexpensive set of dishes and glasses in large quantities for that kind of gathering, saving your very nice set of dishes and glasses for more intimate events. Anything will be better than paper or plastic dishes.
2) Select the correct appetizers and the appropriate options for the main course. That'll depend on the season of the year, whether it's brunch, lunch or dinner, the level of elegance and formality that the event must have, etc.
In general, avoid heavy greasy foods in summer, offer at least 2 options of main dishes for the principal course of the meal (such as fish and chicken, or goose and veal, or turkey and fish). When selecting the main dishes, take into account the (dry) wine(s) you will choose to accompany them.
3) The desserts should always be different from the main course, in color, texture, consistency... a friend of mine once wanted to serve Chicken in a white sauce (which would call for a dry white wine) and then offer a coconut flan for dessert. That would be totally inappropriate, because the main dish, its sauce and the dessert would have similar color and consistency. I explained why that flan would not be the most appropriate dessert and she endep up serving a very tasty strawberry cake.
4) If you intend to practice any activities after dinner (other than conversation), such as playing cards, dancing or watching a movie, please specify that in advance to the people you are inviting. Nobody likes to be "surprised" with after dinner plans that might not be of their interest.
5) The clue for a succesful event is information. Specify the time you expect your guests to arrive and be ready at that time. You should always allow a reasonable time (a bit over an hour (and never more than 2 hours)) to serve the main course.
6) Don't make a very common mistake, when preparing your appetizers: some hosts tend to serve too many options or too much food before the main course, which in addition to the cocktails, will definitely finish the hunger (and consequently the desire) for the main dishes of the dinner or lunch. You obviously cannot control how much your guests will eat, but you do have power to select the appetizers: select small, light, delicate options, which will temporarily satisfy your guests without overfeeding them.
7) For guests and hosts: Avoid comments on the food itself when you are begining to eat, even if it's to praise the meal... nobody deserves that very boring conversation about how the host cooked/prepared the meal or the useless list of ingredients nobody will remember anyway...
If you can't contain your joy (and your tongue!), express how delicious the food was after dinner, in such a way the conversation will soon (and naturally) flow towards more interesting subjects after your unnecessary comment.
8) Find out in advance if one or more of your guests will require special attention from you: if you have a vegetarian guest, a muslim who'll probably prefer having fruit juices instead of alcoholic drinks, or any other specific condition that would demand slight changes to the way you would plan your event.
9) If the event is formal, specify the dress code you expect. Take into account the weather, the nature of the event you are celebrating, the city, the absence or excess of sunlight and heat, etc.
10) Find out in advance if you are receiving children and make sure you have food and drinks for that very demanding kind of guest.
11) Put away personal documents, pictures, family photos, bills and objects that you sometimes "forget" in your living room and other social areas. Nobody wants to know how cute your greatgrandfather was or how much you paid for heat last month.
12) Specify if smoking is allowed or not (it should not), and in case it's not, let your guests know in advance, so that'll give them the chance to evaluate the invitation and eventually refuse it, if they can't live without it. Trust me: it's much better to receive a refusal in advance than having to deal with generalized discomfort because your guest could not contain his/her impetus to smoke.
In case you want to give your guests that possibility, clarify they can do that outdoors (otherwise they will affect the guests who don't smoke, and it's your responsibility to make sure that will never happen).
13) Finally, educated people normally realize instinctively the time to go home (which rarely surpasses a couple of hours after dessert is served), but some people will eventually fail to "get the hint". In such a case, give the person (or couple) some minutes for them to naturally realize it, and if that does not work, make sure the person understands it's time to go, by standing up and thanking the last guest "for attending dinner (or lunch)" and that you "look forward to having another dinner with them again". That often works.

When Time is of the essence

2008-05-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

The way we manage our time and scheduled appointments depends on two basic components.

The first one is your personal way to deal with time. Do you tend to be rigorously punctual? Do you prefer to get to your personal and professional appointment a bit earlier, just in case? Or you have a more flexible approach?

The other one is certainly cultural, as you might discover when traveling around the world and trying to make appointments with local people there. Much to your despair, you will realize that some human groups have a totally different way to deal with time schedules and commitments. Actually, some people's way to organize their appointments (and manage their time to be there "punctually") might in deed contradict the time management principles you have "learned" to adopt in your own culture. And what is more troublesome: as a visitor, you have to deal with the fact people with a certain cultural trend will not change their codes to accomodate your British punctuality.

With that said, I must leave the theoretical debate on those cultural differences aside and stick to a human principle that should be universal: regardless of cultural trends or habits, when you have an appointment with somebody, and schedule a specific timeframe for it, you must understand that using anything out of that timeframe is abusive.

I will put it as simple as it gets: a person with education and good taste cannot force anybody to adopt his or her own way to manage time, and it's your right to establish limits to the concept of punctuality, no matter where you are. Friendships and other affective or professional relationships should be built on those social standards.

Once I had a good friend who would schedule appointments at, say, 5 PM and then show up at 6 or 7 PM, as if nothing weird happened. For him, it was acceptable to proceed this way. The second time he arrived late, I was very polite and, with conviction, said the following: "Listen... I know it probably sounds "strange" to you, but next time you set up something at 5 PM, be here at 5 PM. If you intend to get here at 5:05 or later, don't even bother coming, because I will not be available."

He was surprised, but the message was clear: respect other people's time. He finally began to show up on time and our friendship survived this little obstacle... but remember, you are more important than any relationship... if a friend cannot learn to handle his/her time, this abusive friendship does not really need to exist.

If you are invited to attend a social event with your friends (or any other public appointment), it's always convenient to ask them what kind of time arrangement they normally have in mind... should you get there strictly on time? Sometimes, when the meeting involves many people, it could be appropriate to arrive 5 or 10 minutes "late", to avoid an overcrowded entrance at your friends' door at the exact time they scheduled and give your guests some reasonable "extra" time for their final arrangements before the reception begins.

If that's not the case, arrive there rigorously on time, never earlier (not even 1 minute earlier!). Being punctual is one of the most elegant signs of civilization and show you respect other people's time as much as you expect them to respect yours.

If, due to an unforgivable lack of planning (what's wrong with you?), you are forced to arrive late somewhere, please contact the other person immediately and let them know what's happening and what time you intend to arrive, apologizing for whatever incident (often, lack of planning!) prevented you from attending the appointment on time.

That'll lead to another important idea: DON'T do charity or favors with somebody else's time. If you are waiting in line and there's nobody behind you, you are allowed to give your turn to a sweet lady or guy you happened to fall instantly in love with or the friend you ran into in the store while waiting. However, if there's somebody else behind you waiting in line, put your Don Juan instincts in the regrigerator and, politely, send the person to the end of the line... he/she will (or will not... but that's not your problem!) understand.

Getting to know the most amazing school: The World

2008-04-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

Rio, Paris, Toronto, Moscow, New York, Madrid, Tokyo, Cape Town, Hong Kong

Take a pick and pack your bags!

Traveling is the most amazing (and also the most effective) way to experience different societies, enjoy a variety of new flavors, discover fascinating places and people, and it can also be a wonderful opportunity to learn or practice a new language.

But before you begin to pack, take some important notes into consideration:

1) If you think your country is the only good place on earth, or your city is the most fantastic or the food you eat everyday is the only 'civilized' one and if, as a consequence of those beliefs, you would not try any food, recognize anything authentically interesting in a foreign country or if you automatically refuse to get in touch with the locals in a foreign city, please stay at home.

You will save the money and the final result is the same: going or not going will not make a difference anyway... you will not be able to learn anything and, what's worse, you might end up more aggravated and frustrated than pleased... The magid of traveling is that it allows you to expose yourself to a new "comfort zone"... if you are unable or unwilling to try, keep living within the limits of your very small and limited world.

I particularly despise having to interact with people who complain all the time about everything and for whom "nothing is better than the food I eat at home" or "This beach is nice, but does not compare to the ones I have in my country" or "This bread is fresh, but the loaves in my neighborhood's bakery are fresher".

Egocentrism is a disease... if you can't see the good things around you when you visit another country, keep yourself at home or go to a cave and try collecting fruits and hunting to survive...

2) Some of my friends say they would love to visit more worldclass cities, travel abroad and see many countries and even try to learn a foreign language in situ. When trying to do so, however, they sometimes find that international trips can be prohibitively costly, specially when you live in a big continental country like the US, Russia or Brazil, where even domestic trips can be long and scratch your wallet very seriously.

Well, I normally tell them that's the perfect excuse to do something very important, before traveling abroad: visit the most important cities and places of your own country first!

If you live in the US, for instance, you can visit worldclass museums in New York, learn about American history in Philadelphia (or Washington) or practice your Spanish in Miami.

If you live in Brazil, you can visit worldclass museums in Sao Paulo, learn about Brazilian History in Salvador (or Rio) or practice your Spanish in Florianopolis (second home to many Argentineans)

That could be the first step to "leave your cultural comfort zone" for a while and learn more about regional customs and cultures in your own country. Try to visit local museums, talk to local people, browse antique stores and art galleries, taste new recipes and varieties of food, fruits, drinks... that will help you develop a more discriminating and diversified taste.

3) When you are finally ready to leave your country and travel to a foreign land, read and inform yourself about the country you are about to visit. You can even learn a few basic sentences and expressions in their native language, so you can express gratitude or other feelings and needs, ask for directions or order food and drinks.

4) In addition to that, gather practical information to solve practical issues and make the trip a pleasant experience: check the website of the country's embassy or consulate in your country or area, to learn about the eventual need of a visa, safety tips, weather, vaccination and other requirements/facts. Do that as soon as you decide your final destination, as some tourist visas and cards can take up to a month to process, once you apply (and you need time to plan the trip, book hotels and make flight reservations etc...)

5) My most important advice is: RESPECT the country and the people of the place you are visiting: no country is perfect (nope, not even yours!) , and when you are traveling around the world, you are like a little embassador of your own country abroad. Since people tend to generalize patterns of behavior for a certain country based on a combination of their own particular experience and some preconceived ideas about your country (a mistake you are smart enough not to make), your actions or words might end up gaining more importance to them than what you would consider rational. Restrain yourself from free criticism, irrelevant complaints or hideous comparisons between your city and the place you are beginning to learn about... the way the locals see you can impact the whole traveling experience, so it's worth it.

6) When you read about the country before visiting it, identify in advance some historic sites, cities, museums, art galleries, beaches or natural parks you intend to visit, so you can relax and learn at the same time. Remember that good taste develops easier when you have access to a bigger variety of cultural experiences and values. You begin to see what's authentic, real, vibrant, artistic, "beautiful" and essentially relevant in many different human groups... you defy your own parameters, your esthetic models, your social schemes and that naturally increases your comfort zone. Ultimately, those experiences and pieces of information will give you the power to decide and select for yourself... your taste will be more refined and educated.

7) If you are physically unable to go very far or do not have the resources to travel abroad, you can always learn a lot about different cultures by socially exposing yourself to foreigners in your own community. Most immigrants have lots of questions about their "new" country, and would certainly welcome a local friendship. Being open to interact with foreigners can also be mutually beneficial: you can learn from them as much as they can learn from you. Even some casual simple conversations can be very pleasant and instructive, if you show sincere curiosity about their culture, ideas, language or country.

Your Kitchen and the "Curse of the Center Island"

2008-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

A modern residential kitchen is a multitasking area where you can develop your culinary talents, prepare food for refrigeration or future consumption, make that much needed cup of coffee before rushing out of the house or just sit down and talk to your peers.

It's the perfect place to combine functionality and esthetic harmony. Its multitasking nature can be dangerous, though, as we might fall to the temptation of installing absurdly more shelves, cabinets and appliances that what would be really necessary. This is very common in most modern homes, where people tend to buy those "five-mile-long" granite countertops, just to realize they use only about 6 sq feet of countertop space in their daily lives...

With all the extra space that those new oversized kitchens provide (supposedly to accomodate your "freedom to cook!"), I can only be increasingly surprised to see that many homeowners insist on having the most disturbing, awkward, useless and visually unpleasant (literally "over the top"!) piece of furniture a kitchen can have: the center island.

There it is, like a UFO landed on the Pentagon, virtually useless, blocking free circulation and destroying the room's sense of amplitude. What could be a fresh, spacious, comfortable kitchen is now a garage with an old Chevy parked in the middle: the center island.

Trust me, you already have enough cabinet and working surface with the average kitchen countertops and cabinetry. If you already built your house with one, and do not intend to demolish it, your case is hopeless and I can only pray for your soul. If you are still building your house, eliminate it and save the money for something truly useful and elegant.

A really refined kitchen must take the following details into account:
1- No center island (sorry for insisting, but I needed to reinforce that).
2- Appliances, like stoves or refrigerators are not pieces of furniture and should not be used to hold vases, pots or any "decorative" items.
3- Your kitchen would be more appealing (and the comfortable place for a quick meal), if you have enough space for a table with a couple of chairs on a corner (the center of the kitchen should be totally free from clutter or pieces of furniture).
4- All over the house, avoid "golden" fixtures.
5- Give preference to stones (granite, marble..) over artificial materials for both your countertops and flooring.
6- As a general rule, avoid clutter. Select a special drawer to keep papers (letters, bills, that you will need to read or use in the short run (before filing) and another one with pending bills and notes (so you don't forget to pay them and you will not need ugly "reminders" or post-its on your refrigerator's door).
7- On the walls, only paintings or original drawings. No little cute pigs, penguins, copper jars or signs with "smart sentences and wise sayings" (Smart sentences can be found in books).
8- Try to buy your electric appliances of one single color, to avoid the carnival parade of blenders, mixers, toasters, etc with a different color each.
9- You can be "daring" (I am scared already!) with the color of your kitchen walls, in such a way there's some of "you" on them and we don't feel like we're entering the industrial kitchen of a hospital when we reach you there.
10- If you need curtains, don't buy sheer curtains. Buy opaque ones. If you love daylight (like I do) and don't need privacy in your kitchen (like I don't), don't cover your kitchen windows with anything.
11- Keep recycling cans for your trash.
12- Do not buy artificial (plastic or wax) flowers, fruits or vegetables. If you have a fruit bowl (you should have one), fill it up with fresh fruits or vegetables that do not evolve well in the refrigerator, so you have them always ready for consumption.
13- No kitchen or breakfast nooks with those high stools, even if you don't have a roomy kitchen (stick to the little conventional table, if you need it). Can you imagine something more uncomfortable to eat on than those torturing high counter stools? If you are sadomasochist, buy them, otherwise restrain from spending your money on pieces of furniture that will cause more pain than pleasure.

Learn about Naive Art... in Rio!

2008-04-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Source: Ricardo Zerrenner.

"God created the world in 6 days. The 7th, He devoted to Rio".

This is a very famous Brazilian saying, and after seeing Rio from the top of Corcovado mountain... who am I to disagree?!

Every year, millions of tourists from all over the world come to the "Wonderful City" to check for themselves (and corroborate!) this theory.

I am one of them today, enjoying a Caipirinha in Ipanema, seeing the night falling on Rio's incredible landscape from the top of the Sugar Loaf and walking on the worldwide famous sidewalks in Copacabana (oh, Copacabana!)...

Any minimumly informed tourist guide or hotel receptionist will give you all the instructions to get to these and other famous attractions in Rio, but there's a special place for those who love Naive Art, and it does not receive the publicity it deserves: The Museum of Art Naif in Rio de Janeiro is the largest Museum of its kind in the world. It's a wonderful opportunity, for those visiting the city, to learn more about this expressive artistic movement.

It's actually very close (walking distance) to the Train Station that takes you to the Corcovado Mountain (where the iconic statue of Christ is located) and once there, you can see hundreds of top quality artwork, and study more about the details and the beauty of their fascinating art collection.

Their official website is:
http://www.museunaif.com.br/

NOTE: I received a message from a reader informing that the official website of the Museum has been hacked and that you might have problems when trying to access their site. As a consequence, if you see anything weird or uncommon when checking their website, log out and try again later.