As February draws to an end, I’m getting excited with a feel for spring in the air. The days are also getting longer, and there are signs of budding blooms in small doses. In the mean time, with the French 6 Nations campaign going smoothly, there are lots to look forward to in March.

Weather Notice

• Despite the arrival of spring, a weather alert is in place for this Sunday 28 February, for a significant storm/tempest in Île-de-France, with strength of up to 120km/h! Be safe.

Events

• Musée du Quai Branly is hosting a series of Brazilian themed events this week, including workshops of capoeira and barbatuques. Check the listing here, and please note that some has limited places.
• Chopin made Paris his home for 18 years, and for the bicentenary celebration of the birth of this great composer, a number of events have been organised, including free concerts, exhibition and walking tour of Chopin’s Paris.
• Children Everyone should be taught all above food and healthy eating. For the curious, heads over to the exhibition of Bon Appétit at Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie – La Villette.

Browse The Web

• Think you’re having a bad day? Reconsider after you read the snippets from Vie de Merde.
• If you’re a student working on your thesis, you’re not alone. Things go wrong all the time, and Thèse de Merde is your alternative venting space.
• English song lyrics translated word by word into French? Check out Pardon My French which will keep you amuse for a bit.

Miscellaneous

• Finally, a decision is made over the currently closed Paris Zoo. It’s going to be another 4 years before it reopens though…
• Do you know that 2010 is the year of France-Russia in both countries, and there are tons of events hosted countrywide that put emphasis on Franco-Russian relationship.
• Are you aware of Hidden Kitchen? It’s currently on my wishlist, but it’s not stopping me from wanting to share it with you either!

As we enter the period of Lent this week, many of my friends over in UK/Ireland are giving up things as penance. They range from chocolates to sweets to, gasp, internet usage off-work hours! Once, for a completely different reason, I stopped eating chocolates for 2 years. I know, crazy talk, but I persevered…

Exhibitions

• Musée du Quai Branly is currently hosting The Making of Images which explores the ontologies of living and imagery to represent the anthropology of human societies. Runs until 17 July 2011.
• Meanwhile, the Pinacothèque de Paris is showing Edvard Munch ou l’Anti-Cri (unfortunately the official website is currently not available) until 18 July 2010, and the exhibition brings you a different side of Munch from the infamous The Scream.
• Another highly anticipated exhibition will open next Thursday 24 February at the Grand Palais – Turner and the Masters. This 3-months showcase enables visitors to see some of his best works alongside with masterpieces which inspired him. Definitely not to be missed!
• Across the street at the Petit Palais, Eloge du Négatif takes a look into print photography in Italy when it all first started back in mid-19th century. Exhibition runs until 2 May 2010.

Faits Divers

• Arguably this would be the biggest among the different Chinese New Year parades in the city, organised in the main “Chinatown” of Paris – the 13th arrondissement – on the Sunday 21 February from 1.30pm onwards.
• Adam over the Invisible Blog recommends heading to French K-Wa for an afternoon of Sunday Tea Dance. It sounds intriguing and I would have tried to make it except I’m away at the moment.
• The beautiful and talented Corinne Bailey Rae is back with a new album and in it, the song Paris Nights/New York Mornings. Check out the video music which was filmed in Paris.

Other News

• The daughter of the mayor of Kiev was robbed en route to Paris from CDG airport earlier this week. What’s mind boggling is, who carry that much jewellery with them? And were the doors of the car not locked?
• Parisian taxi drivers are planning on a go-slow protest next week on Thursday 25 Feb?
• The bouquinistes along the river Seine has been ordered to sell at least 75% books and less of souvenir items. How will this affect the livelihood of the sellers in this increasingly tough operating economic climate?

We apologise for this slightly late edition of Metlinks due to travelling commitment. And without further ado, here are links to things that caught our eyes, and we hope they’ll pique your interest too.

The 14th February Non-Valentine Specials

• If you can make it to the Carnaval in Rio, let the Carnaval comes to you in Paris. Sort of. Carnaval de Paris will be samba-ing their way from Place Gambetta, reaching Belleville at estimated 4pm, followed by Place de la République at 5.15pm, before winding up at the Hôtel de Ville at 7pm.
• For Chinese New Year festivity nearby, Cérémonie de l’Oeil et Défilé du Dragon of the 3rd arrondissement begins at Hôtel de Ville at 2pm, and follow the route towards rue du Temple, rue Turbigo, place des Arts et Métiers, rue Beaubourg, rue du Renard and finally back at place de l’Hôtel de Ville.
• To add on to the confusion of street parties and parades, the quarter of Belleville will see another Chinese New Year procession, leaving place Fréhel at 2pm, going along rue de Belleville until rue Jules Romain, then rue Rébeval until boulevard de la Villette before turning into boulevard de Belleville. At around 4pm, the party will be meeting the Carnaval de Paris!

Love and Passion

• If you’re wondering why there are locks at bridges of Paris, here’s a video to tell you their origin and the reason why they’re there.
• Declare your love, in 160 characters (that’s 20 more than Twitter!) across the city via 173 electronic public information board.
• Romanticism is often linked to the exotic and unusual, so why not drop over to the Senate’s orangerie at the Luxembourg Garden? The orchid exhibition is a special event that runs only until this Sunday!
• Everything food related gets a love of love from the Paris Metbloggers, and we have a decent collection of cookbooks between us. Still, if we want more, there’s one place for it this weekend – the Paris Cookbook Festival at Le 104.

Little Things To Read (And Enjoy)

• Out of the mouth of babe! Kids do make most wonderful art historians, and here’s American mom MJ to tell you of the adventure of Loosh at the Louvre.
• Pecan mudslide cookies. Miam miam!

Final Sad News

• We are no fashionistas around here but even we recognise the genius of Alexander McQueen. His work shown in Paris last autumn for Spring 2010, entitled Plato’s Atlantis, was a beautiful collection that brings fashion, nature and evolution together, even if the shoes were more precarious than practical for wear. So it is sad to read his obituary…

Another week, oh how time flies. January went by in no time, and there are signs of spring in the air. Maybe a tad too much red and pink for the upcoming Valentine’s Day, maybe a combination of red from the festivities of upcoming Chinese New Year. Do you know, this year, both these days are on 14 February?

February’s Special

• Dana Boulé pays hommage to Paris in February.
• Chinese New Year festivities in Paris begins today with an exhibition at the Centre Culturel de Chine until the end of the month. There will also be other events including parades to look out for. We’ll also keep you posted.
• The Freemasons Museum is reopening next week on Thursday 11 February. This museum is bound to be fascinating, if my visit to a Masonic Lodge in Dublin was any indication.

Events in Paris

• Daniel Rose has got everyone – well, at least the foodies – excited with the opening of Spring Boutique and according to their blog, happy hour Little Saturday runs every Thursday from 5.00pm to 9.00pm. And as a bonus, there’s free event Voyage en Saveurs this Saturday 6 February, from 11.30am to 8.00pm.
• Something fun, especially for kids, and a chance to get to know the sharks better. Dans le sillage de requins is running at the Porte Dorée Aquarium until 6 March 2011, so plenty of chance to get there.
• Big into manga? Here’s a trade show that’s just for you this weekend!

Other Interesting Tit-Bits

• TEDx Paris 2010 took place at the end of last month but you can catch the videos online now.
• Do you know there is a fish spa in the city now? You know, where you sit there and let little fish gnom their way through dead skin. I was told it’d be a wee bit ticklish.
• Oh, there’s also brand new Brunch Bazar which seems fun-packed, with food, lessons and workshops.
• Ann Mah‘s first novel, Kitchen Chinese, will be released next week on Tuesday 9 February and this honorary Parisian is embarking on a book tour which will come along to Paris by Wednesday 10 March 2010.