The Voice Box

More Troops for Afghanistan Wherever you go, you cannot escape the heated discussion about the war in Afghanistan. At the moment, the American President is under immense pressure to commit more American troops. And he, in turn, is pushing the Europeans to lend a helping hand. The problem is that most people do not believe that sending more troops will make any difference. Even in the US, public opinion is already questioning the undying support for the war. People are beginning to doubt that any victory is possible, and are getting exasperated by the continuing financial drain on the country. In many ways, the debate is beginning to sound like Iraq all over again. And sooner, not later, a decision will have to made that enough is enough, and that the time has come to end this aimless pursuit of war. Time to end the fighting. Time to start the withdrawal process, and let the Afghans sort out their future.

BARCELONA, SPAIN: Las Ramblas BARCELONA: Las Ramblas

EASYJET AIRLINES: One Bag Rule Last night I was on my way back from Barcelona on late flight to Stansted Airport. After an easy security check, I headed for the gate, in what I saw as uneventful journey back home. I usually up for the online check-in since these short breaks never involve a lot of luggage. I surrendered my boarding pass, and strolled towards the plane. I encountered another official who needed to see my passport. After checking my passport, he informed me that I was breaking Easyjet 'One bag rule'. I told him that I did not undersatand what he meant, because I had only one bag. He told me that I had two bags, as he pointed at the laptop around my neck. I commented that a laptop could never constitute a bag. He insisted that I had to get rid of one bag, and perhaps pay £22 to have it checked. Or that a simpler way, was to place all items in my other bag. I had to suffer the indignity of having to repack my travelling bag on the doorsteps of the plane, simply to

Nice: Southern France Last weekend I was in Nice for three days, and I was amazed about the impact that the new tram system has had. I also remember the two or three years of digging, disruption and difficulty which preceeded this change. But that is over now. Years ago, the Massena area would be overrun with traffic. Today, the downtown area seem almost empty and free. The tram system did not just drive the cars away, it also redirected the bus traffic, leaving the main streets unclogged and open to pedestrians. Late at night though, there is an unusual calm which is created mostly because the shops are all closed. And the night crowd rather selectively target their entertainment. Still, there is a nice feel about the city. And I would say, getting around is so much easier.

New York Botanical Garden

Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California Sculptures by Edgar Degas Norton Simon Museum is a very interesting space. Situated in Pasadena, in California, it combines a very exceptional studio museum with a superb sculpture garden. The museum masterpieces include European works from the 14th to the 20th century, and a South Asian collection which highlights the best examples of work of that region. I was very lucky when I visited some weeks ago to see comprehensive works by the French artist, Degas. Degas is the subject of this post, and in a later post I will present some of the Asian deities.

The Shinkansens of Japan Many experiences fascinated me on my recent visit to Japan, but I must single out the wonderful shinkansens. That is the Japanese word to describe what we call the bullet trains. And in more than one ways, they never disappoint. I was surprised to find that they were not all made from the same mould. In fact, there were at least half a dozen versions suggesting a different character from the facial design. My first encounter was a journey to Kyoto, and I was amazed not just by the speed, but also by the platform organisation. All the coach doors final stop were tactfully marked so there was no danger of you missing your entrance. The locals were always extremely polite, and timing was always perfect. Another thing was the frequency of these trains. This suggests that the Japanese public do need to travel, regularly, and across the country. And probably, this is one of the reasons for their economic miracle. One moment you are in Kyoto, and about tw

HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT LONDON UK Our Politicians Are Guilty The recent revelations by newspapers about the embellished claims made by our politicians to cover their expenses remind us how little accountability takes place in our parliamentary system. The public revulsion, and the total dismay by the electorate, only serves to remind us how little we understand about the democracy we often boast about. Claiming expenses have always being an easy option to fiddle in any form of business. But the length to which some politicians used the system to benefits themselves, was a great shock to the easy pleasing British general public. There are now shouts from everyone for change, and of course, a totally new and transparent system. We will see how quickly any new system will be put in place. In the last few days, several people have called for the resignation of the Speaker, as they accused him of dragging his feet instead of dealing effectively with the situation. Should he resign? Of course h

ABOUT COPYRIGHT The image, on the left, is very important to me. More than four years ago I took this photo of one of my favourite plants. This is a picture of a Pereskia bleo in bloom. The pereskias are not very well known plants, but they are definitely some of my favourite plants. More than a year ago I came across my photo being appropriated by someone else. It was quite a shock to me. Although I seldom plaster my name across every photo I take. I do, through publication, expect that my copyright be respected, and even to be protected. It was the surprise of seeing it being used by a plant company in the US to advertise on Ebay that got me. Trying to get Ebay to do something about it proved fruitless. In the end I had to sit back and watch someone infringe my copyright, and was unable to do anything about it. A friend of mine thinks that it is an issue worth pursuing in court. What do you think?

Mexico City Just back from a one week visit to Mexico City, and I truly enjoyed myself. It was a very long flight from London to Los Angeles, and then about five hours fooling around in LA before taking a Mexicana flight to Mexico city. The surprise how smoothly every aspect of my time in played out. Before leaving, the research I did about the city gave dire warnings about the do's and don't. I suppose their intention was to err on the side of caution. But after a week there, I am happy to report I had absolutely no hassle. Did I take the subway? Of course I took the subway, and sometimes in the evening time. But I was there to enjoy the best of the city. And I truly did. Living day to day was more than reasonable; most full course meals were less than a hundred pesos. and accommodation prices was way down because of the economic situation. The museums are fabulous , and as an art lover I had more than my fill. I would single out the National museum of Anthropology as absolute

Pictures From Morocco

Visiting Fez After reading about Fez about what seemed to be ages, I finally had a chance to make a visit. I was in Morocco for five days, and decided to make the journey. I was staying in Rabat, and after a couple days of sightseeing, took the ONCF train early one morning, and headed for Fez. The journey altogether, from Rabat, took less than three hours and on the way we stopped at a few places, including Sidi Kacem and Meknes. Soon we were at the Fez Station, and I proceeded to have a walk around the very modern downtown area. This was going to be a day visit, and therefore I had to take everything in small steps. The city proved to be much busier than I expected, and after a brief tour I took a Petit Taxi and headed for the Medina. The concept of the Medina for me represented quite an interest, since my initial interest in Morocco has always harboured a fascination in Medinas. I was not to be disappointed about the Medina. But I did go back on my original promise to be my own tour