Mazda Opera in the Domain, Sydney, Australia presents Carmen on 29 January 2011: Free

Carmen based on the novel by Merimee is one of the world's favourite operas by Georges Bizet in four acts.
The Setting of CarmenThe scene of Carmen takes place in Seville, Spain during the mid 19th century
Main Characters of Carmen

• Carmen (soprano)
• Don Jose (tenor)
• El Dancairo (baritone)
• El Remendado (tenor)
• Escamillo (baritone)
• Frasquita (mezzo-soprano)
• Mercedes (mezzo-soprano)
• Micaela (soprano)
• Morales (bass)
• Zuniga (bass)

The Story of Carmen, Act IIn a town square in Seville, soldiers and townspeople are gathered chatting and moving about, when a young peasant girl name Micaela questions the soldiers about her love, Don Jose. The soldiers try to persuade the young girl to stay with them until Don Jose returns, but she declines and leaves. Soon, Don Jose arrives moments before the cigarette factory bell rings and a group of women, including the beautiful gypsy, Carmen, exit the building. The soldiers flirt with the girls and asks Carmen when when she will love them. Her reply is given in the famous aria, "L'amour est un oiseau rebella" a.k.a. the Habanera. When Carmen sees Don Jose she tosses a flower in front of him in order to seduce him. Don Jose picks up the flower and becomes enchanted by the beautiful Carmen. Shortly thereafter, Micaela returns with a letter and a kiss sent to Don Jose by his mother. In the letter, Don Jose's mother has asked him to marry Micaela. Don Jose promises his fidelity and love to Micaela. Moments later, a fight breaks out at the cigarette factory between Carmen and another woman. Carmen injures the woman before she is captured by Officer Zuniga. Zuniga commands Don Jose to escort Carmen to prison. However, Carmen charms Don Jose into letting her escape. When Don Jose is discovered for letting Carmen escape, he is thrown into jail for one month's time.

The Story of Carmen, Act II
At Lilas Pastia's Inn, Carmen and her friends, Mercedes and Frasquita, are socializing with several soldiers including Officer Zuniga, when the victorious bullfighter, Escamillo, arrives with a celebrating entourage. During the Toreador song, "Votre toast, je peux vos le rendre", Escamilo attempts to capture Carmen's heart. However, his attempts are unsuccessful, as are Officer Zuniga's, who tells Carmen that he will return to the inn later to meet with her - Carmen's heart waits for Don Jose's release from prison. A while later, once the crowd has dispersed, the smugglers Dancairo and Remendado ask for help from Carmen and her two friends. Mercedes and Frasquita agree to help, but Carmen refuses as she knows that Don Jose will be released from prison that day and meet her at the inn. When he finally arrives, Carmen dances for him. Her dance is cut short when a bugle sounds in the distance, signaling Don Jose to return home. Carmen mocks his obedience and tries to persuade him to remain with her and live the gypsy life. Don Jose does not give in until Zuniga arrives at the inn searching for Carmen. Zuniga orders Don Jose to leave, but in a fit of jealousy, he defies his commanders orders. Dancairo and Remendado tackle Zuniga and take him away from the inn. After all of this, Don Jose, feeling as if he has no other choice, stays at the inn with Carmen.

The Story of Carmen, Act III

Don Jose, now at the smuggler's hideout in the mountains, begins to reminisce about his former home and his mother and starts missing them dearly. Carmen, who has decided she no longer loves him, takes notice and starts taunting him to leave, but he does not. Mercedes and Frasquita tell their fortunes with a deck of cards. For the two girls, the cards reveal a life of wealth, love, and luxury. For Carmen and Don Jose, it reveals death. After discussing their plains, the smugglers and the girls leave, while Don Jose watches over the hideout. Soon, Micaela, assisted by a guide, comes to the mountain hideout and hides behind a mound of rocks when she hears a gunshot fired by Escamillo. Escamillo enters the hideout and begins telling Don Jose about his crush on Carmen. He also tells Don Jose about Carmen's relationship with a soldier, not knowing the story is about Don Jose. Don Jose becomes very angry and starts fighting Escamillo. The smugglers return before the fight gets worse. Escamillo invites Carmen and the others to his upcoming bullfight as he leaves the hideout. Micaela finally emerges from her hiding spot, and tries to convince Don Jose to return home during the aria "Je dis, que rien ne m'épouvante". After several unsuccessful attempts, she finally persuades him to leave by telling him his beloved mother is dying. Don Jose promises his return to Carmen and leaves with Micaela. In the distance, Escamillo can be heard singing, and Carmen begins heading in that direction.

The Story of Carmen, Act IV
During the procession of the toreadors, Carmen and Escamillo are seen arriving together. Mercedes and Frasquita warn Carmen that Don Jose is lurking around the crowd plotting to kill her. She tells them that she will speak to him to resolve the matter once and for all. While Escamillo enters the bullfighting ring, a desperate Don Jose meets Carmen outside the arena. He tells her she must commit her love and fidelity to him. She explains that she no longer loves him and throws the ring he gave her on the ground. Now completely mad, Don Jose stabs Carmen in the heart with a dagger. She dies simultaneously with Escamillo's bullfighting victory. When the arena empties, Don Jose confesses his crime to the crowd.

The top five and must-see movies of 2010: DVDs from NZD29.90 to NZD45.90

1 BRIGHT STAR

Director:  Jane Campion

The short and passionate love affair between poet John Keats and the girl next door Fanny Brawne graced the silver screen. Brilliant performances from Ben Whishaw and Abby Cornish were the emotional heart of the movies. Campion struck a perfect balance between the dramatic and the restrained composure and her film convincingly deserves to be seen as one of the best ever about love.

2. WHITE RIBBON

Director: Michael Haneke

The director of Hidden proved once again he is the master for making films concerning the violence that sustains bourgeois life.  This film looks back at a small German village in 1913 and gives a grim and insightfully bleak picture of the corruption of innocence. Haneke shot this film in colour but digitally altered it to make a deliberately rich black-and –white.

3. LEAVING

Director: Philippe Lioret

This year French cinema is all about the passionate and emotionally wounded. Kristin Scott Thomas gave her best performance yet as a woman driven wild by passion. Similarly plotted as the Italian melodrama I Am Love, this romantic thriller had all the recipe of a highly charged drama.

4. TOY STORY 3

Director: Lee Unkrich

The continuing saga and final instalment of Woody, Buzz and the rest of Pixar’s plastic fantastics is a strong contender for the Oscar for best animated movie. This movie was made with the study of the human condition in mind, from adolescence to mortality. Like Avatar, it deserves a Best Picture nomination too.

5. STILL WALKING

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

It’s a pleasure to watch the highs and lows of everyday life of this Yokoyama family. Through shared memories, unspoken words and a series of vignettes, they remember the death of the eldest son many years ago. An exquisitely calculated masterpiece.

2 scoops of Movenpick ice cream on waffle cone : NZD8.50

Movenpick ice creams are produced using only natural ingredients without colours or preservatives. A New Zealand Dairy called Southern Fresh Milk Company had been selected as Movenpick's Pacific partner back in 1999. Its selection was based on the high quality of milk produced by it, as well as the company's technical expertise. For the past 10 years, this company had produced and exported Movenpick ice creams to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Singapore.

Movenpick offers more than 300 varieties of its Swiss Premium Ice Cream. Here are just a dozen mouth-watering selections.

Australian Open Final : AUD650

All eyes will be on Melbourne Park's centre court on 30 January 2011 as the final of the 1st Grand Slam of the year will take place here.

Last year's Australian Open finalists were Roger Federer and Andy Murray. Watching them play was the most satisfying sporting moment of the entire 2010 for me. It would be a double bonus if they should meet again in 2011. I keep my fingers crossed.

10 simple things that make men smile by Hugh Wilson : Priceless

10 simple things that make men smile

By Hugh Wilson

For most of us, the truly great moments in life are relatively few and far between. You know the ones. You meet the girl of your dreams, you get married, you get the dream job, you get the dream promotion, you buy a great house, your kids are born.

These are life-changing events, but they don't get you through the endless grind of everyday life. Do you know what does? Getting the last parking space in the car park.

Yep, call us trivial and small-minded if you like, but for many men it's the small everyday victories that really make us smile. These aren't the things that make life worth living, but they can make a mundane Monday a whole lot better.

The big things are great when they happen — but it's the small stuff that gets you through the day. Here's a list of the simple things that will put a smile on any man's face, at least until lunchtime.

Telling a great joke
It's not just the joke that will put a smile on your face, it's the fact that telling a good joke well raises you in the estimation of other men.

Joke telling is a skill and many men (and pretty much all women) can't master it. Even if your only audience is the guy in the next cubicle, telling a good joke is a day-brightening experience.

Finding money
It might only be a fiver, but it's a fiver out of the blue. Everything you buy with that fiver is a bonus, so you might as well spend it on the stuff you want rather than stuff you need — sweets, beer or a take-away meal to avoid the domestic drudgery of cooking and washing up.

Finding money is the easiest way to brighten your day. Eyes to the floor!

Delivering the perfect put-down
So the self-important idiot is mouthing off in the pub again. It's during one of his interminable self-serving anecdotes that you hope and pray for a perfect put down to arrive right now, this very second, and not in 10 minutes when the moment has passed.

It rarely happens, but when it does, and you deliver it to the admiration of everyone but the pompous victim, it's a beautiful, beautiful moment.

Winning something
The office Super Rugby sweepstake, a tenner on the dogs, a game of cards, a free burger, a single lap race on Gran Turismo....it can be anything, as long as you win.

We are competitive creatures, and victory is good for us, even if the free burger isn't.

Being right
She comes out with a 'fact'. You dispute it. She is adamant. You agree to refer the decision to a higher authority (usually Wikipedia). You are proved right. You run around the flat, arms aloft, like you've kicked the winning conversion.

Why is it that, as her pretty little face crumples, you are overcome with a feeling of smug satisfaction, and the wonderful realisation that you can bring up this mighty victory for the clear bright light of truth over the thick grey fog of error for at least the next 10 years? Because being right makes us happy.

Spotting a mistake
Making mistakes is horrible. Spotting somebody else's mistakes — and pointing them out of course — is just dandy.

The higher up the ladder of authority the mistake is made, the better it is when you spot it. Spotting a mistake by your boss is more satisfying than spotting one by a fellow pen pusher.

Of course, spotting a mistake by your wife or girlfriend provides the most satisfaction of all, especially in an area (housework, relationships, life, everything!) where she regularly claims perfection.

Bagging a great parking spot...
...or the last parking spot, or the spot that's right outside the office doors, or right next to a car that's far more nick-able than your own.

The public transport equivalent is getting a table to yourself in the carriage next to the buffet car.

Reaching something down from a high shelf...
Or opening a jar, or recovering her lost Word document. In other words, doing the small stuff that proves she needs you around, even if she claims she doesn't.

Spontaneous physicality
Whether it's a quick sprint across a busy road, a quick turn around the block on your housemate's new bike or that classic moment when the kid miskicks the ball in your direction and you control it deftly before volleying it back onto the pitch, proving you've still got it is one way to make your day.

Getting one up
So your annoying colleague's new laptop has three gigs of RAM? Well look at this, your laptop has four. So your mate got an A for his essay, but you got...hmmm, is that an A+?

So your best friend bought the jeans you wanted (and you can't possibly be seen to be copying), but would you believe it, you found a better pair, $10 cheaper, just round the corner.

Getting one up on your fellow man is petty, ridiculous and intensely satisfying.

Ferzan Ozpetek's Facing Windows : NZD29.90

Winner of 5 Italian Academy Awards David di Donatello 2003 for Best Film, Best Actor (Massimo Girotti), Best Actress (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), Best Score (Andrea Guerra) and the Premio David Scuola.



This film begins in 1943 in Italy. In its darkest days of war, the city reveals a haunting image of passion, rage and desperation. Having killed his employer, a young baker takes to the empty midnight streets, frantically searching for someone. Sixty years later, the heroine's husband brings home a confused elderly man and this has upset Giovanna, the heroine. Later, the mystery of the old man's identity has a profound effect on her. Her indulgence of gazing out her apartment window and a chance meeting at a bar have led her to a lover. From here on, the secrets of the old man's past are slowly revealed and Giovanna finds herself facing a series of choices about her life. This is certainly one of the best films of the past decade that I have seen.

Tom Ford Cologne by Tom Ford: £35

 

Tom Ford, the ex-Gucci designer launched this cologne in the design house under his own name back in 2008. Tom Ford Cologne combines both modern influences and traditional elements. This woody and classic fragrance is luxurious. refined and sensual.

 

FRAGRANCE NOTES - Violet, Lemon Leafs, Bergamot, Basil, Blossom, Cedar, Orange Blossom, Leather, Black Pepper, Cypriol, Tobacco, Grapefruit, Ginger, Amber, Patchouli, Vetiver, Moss, Mandarin Orange

Boxed Truffles from The Sweetest Little Chocolate Shop: NZD89.90

The Sweetest Little Chocolate Shop

Store G23 Midcity

239-249 Queen Street

Auckland CBD

Auckland

This small shop offers more than 25 brands of gourmet chocolate made in New Zealand. It was founded in 2009 by Stu Jordan. The secret to his success is based on quality products, loyal customers and extraordinary shop design to showcase the best chocolate produced locally. The most beautifully presented and delicious chocolate has to be this 35-piece boxed truffles. Bon appetit!

Dolce & Gabbana Uomini by Mariano Vivanco: USD65

Mariano Vivanco is a fashion photographer from Lima, Peru. He now lives in London and New York and shoots for renowned fashion magazines.

He was invited to shoot the French rugby team for the Dieux du Stade calender for 2007.

Mariano has published four books for the Dolce & Gabbana label. He is now back with a new book called Dolce & Gabbana Uomini due out in February 8, 2011. This is a perfect Christmas or birthday present. I was promised a complimentary copy but it's too late for Christmas. I'll have to wait a bit. Bummer!! However, you can pre-order it from http://www.amazon.com/Dolce-Gabbana-Uomini-Mariano-Vivanco/dp/0847837009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292740868&sr=1-1 for USD40.95. You save 37%.

Jérémy Amelin's single ''Imma Bitch'' @ itunes: Free

Before Jérémy Amelin was famous, he was just a newspaper boy in his hometown of Montcresson, France. At 19, he joined the French TV music show ‘’Star Academy 5’’ viewed by 8.7 million people each week. In 2005, he became the finalist of ‘’Star Academy 5’’.

Five years after the show, he has 5 singles under his belt and his own clothing label called “Elektrode by Jérémy Amelin’’.  ‘’Oh, Oh!’’ was released in January 2010.

 This single was also played on AX TV.

And now his latest single ‘’Imma  Bitch’’ debuts online on Friday, 17 December 2010.

 Jérémy has plans for 2 more singles to be released in 2011.

Return on Italia Rail Milan-Venice: Euro86, return airfare to Milan not included.

Take the first train out of Milan bound for Venice and arrive just in time for an early lunch.

Venice, a tantalizing blend of East and West, is a sumptuous city of buildings. It was named the jewel of the Adriatic in its heyday and it remains unsullied by modernity. To visit the city properly, you have to be prepared to walk the streets and to climb the many bridges. If walking becomes tiring, take the vaporetto from Euro 6 per person depending on destination. The Grand Canal is a good place to start and to orientate yourself.

The resting place of St Mark, the Basilica di San Marco is a must-see in Venice. Built in AD 830, it's an exquisite and sumptuous shrine with five low domes and 500 non-matching columns.

Lord Byron once wrote ''I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace and a prison on each hand.'' Its name seems to derive from romantic fiction rather than hard fact. It has two parallel passageways.

Along the waterfront ,where gondolas moored along the quay and the locals mixed with tourists, is still a place of trade though less exotic than its heyday.

A visit to venice would not be complete without a ride on a gondola.

Venice is small enough to be explored in one day. You can take a late train back to Milan and still be on time for dinner.

Paris Metro from Les Sablons to Rivoli - Euro 1.70.

After buying a baguette, camembert and some tomatoes for lunch at the Sunday Fresh Food Market in the affluent suburb of Neuilly-sûr-Seine, I boarded the metro at Les Sablons on line 1. I was on my way back to Rue Saint Honoré to meet up with John who flew in from London that day to spend the last leg of our holiday together.  I took the train from Barcelona the day before.

The metro was unusually packed that day and I was cramped at the door. At the Franklin-D-Roosevelt station 2 Frenchmen, one with an empty pushchair, entered. They carried on a conversation as if I wasn’t there.

‘’Tu pars quand?’’, asked one of them. (When are you leaving?)

‘’Dans un mois,’’ replied the other.  (In a month.)

‘’Comment va-t-elle, Amandine?’’ (How ‘s Amandine doing?)

‘’Elle l’a prise pas très bien. Elle est avec sa mère.’’ (She took it badly. She is with her mum.)

‘’Les enfants vont partir avec toi ?’’ (The kids are going with you?)

‘’Oui.’’ (Yes.)

At the next station a few passengers got on and off, we were separated and I could not hear what they were saying. My mind was wondering where and why is he going and what is Amandine looked like.  At Concorde, we were once again pushed within hearing distance.

‘’À Montréal, on paye beaucoup plus là-bas.’’ (In Montreal, they pay a lot more.)

‘’Pas mal, mais Il y a des soucis aussi.’’ (Not bad, but there are things to worry about.)

‘’Par exemple?’’ (Such as?)

“Plein de chose. Je ne veux pas y penser maintenant. L’école pour les enfants. La froideur.’’ (A lot of things. I don’t want to think about it now. Finding a school for the kids. Lack of sensibilities.)

“Je comprends.’’ (I get it.)

They got out at Tuileries. As the train rolled out of the Tuileries station I caught a glimpse of the handsome young man. I imagined that he would meet up with Amandine, her mother and his kids at the Jardin des Tuileries. They would spend a happy afternoon together. In four weeks, he would start his new position in Montreal but would Amandine be happy? I will never know but it was nice to know such a person exists.

I got off at Rivoli with my bag of goodies. As I approached the metro exit, I overheard a black woman on her mobile with her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend.

‘’Comment?’’ (What?)

Of course, I could not hear what the other was saying. She continued.

‘’Je m’en fous ce que tu penses. C’est moi qui décide, non ?’’ (I don’t give a damn what you think. I’m the one who decide, aren’t I?) She paused for a while, listening.

‘’C’est-à-dire, je t’ai arrangé.’’ (That means, I made up with you.) And then, abruptly.

‘’Connard!’’ (Asshole!)

The other hung up on her. There is always another story on Paris Metro.

Dinner for two: NZD175 plus wine

The French Cafe
210 Symonds St
Eden Terrace
Auckland

Chef Simon Wright set some pretty high standard for this state-of-the-art cafe. His dishes have a recognisable touch and are exceptionally delicious. The charming staff have a good answer to every question. All in all, it's an outstanding meeting place of culinary cool.