Olé!

Just back from Andalucia where we had amazing weather. First we stayed in a delighful B&B (Casa Rural El Olivar) in the countryside behind Malaga. Right in the middle of an olive grove with a view on a small lake, it was the perfect place to kick back and recharge our batteries.

Then we went through the cities: Granada and the Alhambra, Cordoba and the Mesquita, Sevilla and the Alhambra and the Cathedral. Amazing!

We ended our trip in the "Pueblos Blancos" between Jerez and Malaga. The impression from the bridge in Ronda is kind of mesmerizing! Best not to have vertigo!

Pictures of the trip should be coming up when my new PC will be configured (and no I will not buy a Mac despite all my problem with the windows world ;-)

SwissTransplant reports a serious shortage of organ donors in Switzerland!
Do the right thing and sign up today to become an organ donor.

Everyone can become a donor and it's an important decision. If you decide to go through with it, make sure you discuss it with your family and closed ones. To become a donor, simply fill in the card and keep it in your wallet. It is a legal document and shows intent. There is no directory of donors in Switzerland.

- download the donor card (JPEG - 60 KB)

R.E.M. forever!

Went to the R.E.M. concert last night. These guys rock. Great stage with live footage, very hypnotic lightshow and an always fascinating Michael Stipe.

Their website is pretty cool. Find the words of some of their most famous songs, access their own TV channel including interviews, videos and live performances.

By the way, what is your all time favourite R.E.M song?

It's absolutelly crucial to do something for the populations in South-East Asia. I list below the different entities which collect donations for relief aid. Don't wait, send you donation now!

Switzerland:
Chaîne du Bonheur
Caritas

France:
Secours populaire français
Secours Islamique français
Fondation de France
Care France
Croix-Rouge Française

United Kingdom:
Unicef
Oxfam
British Red Cross
Care International UK
Save the Children UK
Christian Aid
Islamic Relief

USA:
Agencies accepting aid dollars

Merry Christmas to all! Hope you joined for the radio show yesterday. It was great fun. Thanks to Hervé and Fred at Couleur 3 who helped me realize one of my *wildest* dreams. Below the playlist I selected for the show. If you missed it, you can listen to it here (click on "Archives" and then on 24.12). Let me know if you want a CD of it!

• Souad Massi: Ghir Enta
• Groove Armada: My Friend
• Sing-Sing: I'll Be
• Everything But the Girl: Single
• Cubanismo: Marie Laveaux
• Lobith: Fairytale
• Keren Ann: Le sable mouvant
• Ani DiFranco: Here For Now
• Tanita Tikaram: Amore Si
• Michelle Shocked: Anchorage (Acoustic)
• Texas: Place In My World