The best concert of 2007

I've been lucky with the concerts I've seen in 2007. I've got to see some big names this year and enjoyed almost all of them. The Rolling Stones, The Police, Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, Muse, Bjork, Macy Gray, Beastie Boys. It's very hard to chose the best concert as they all have good bits and memories.

• Seeing Keith Richards alive playing the blues while Mick Jagger bosses the band he's been with for 40 years is absolutely priceless.
• Watching the dynamic trio called The Police ripping the Stade de Geneve up with their amazing skills, as if they never fought and separated.
• Bjork's ethereal performance at Paleo which left me speechless most of the time and breathless some other times.
• Listening to Muse doing prog rock while big white balloons are flying over the crowd.
• Jumping and screaming to Sabotage as Beastie Boys took me back to the days.
• Alex Turner singing to his peers about current sub-culture.
  

But best of all must be Arcade Fire. There are not a lot of times in my life where I am in a concert where I felt that the performer was not just playing music but actually giving out their souls to the crowd and it all blends into one with music as the medium. That's how I felt watching Arcade Fire. I even got goosebumps. Not by how good their music is or how good they entertain me, but by how amazing their performance is as a whole package. I've seen a lot of concerts in my lifetime but Arcade Fire has shown me how to perform live. All of them switching instruments, running around like being high on E, but still combining together to create an amazing vibe so that the audience can feel their experience.

And for that, Arcade Fire's concert at Paleo 2007 is the best concert in 2007.

Christmas markets, christmas parties, etc

On the weekend of Dec 7th - 9th I went to Vienna to walk around the various Christmas markets with my girlfriend. It's quite amazing how many Christmas markets they have and also how many stand there are in each market selling punch. The turbo-punch really kicks ass and really makes you warm (it also makes you drunk). The Austrians seem to like hanging out in a Christmas market and drinking lots and lots of punches. I quite like it too.

We got back Sunday evening and I had Monday to rest a bit. Then Tuesday morning I hopped on my scooter to the airport where I had to ran to catch my flight to Heathrow. My name was already being called out while I was going through airport security. I got to Heathrow, took a cab to the office, then a coach to a restaurant, had a nice office Christmas lunch, drank lots, took a cab back to the airport and flew back home. All in a day's job.

Wednesday I was home and Thursday morning I flew out again, this time to Luxembourg. There I joined the office Christmas party held in a nice hotel in the middle of nowhere in Germany. I partied till I couldn't keep awake anymore and on Friday I was hungover. I had to wait a couple of hours at the airport as the flight was delayed. I got to Geneva and went straight to my girlfriend's office Christmas party. Again a couple of drinks followed.

Saturday had to rush around to do some errands and had a nice dinner and drinks with friends. Sunday woke up early to prepare a fry-up for some friends. Then went to the local Christmas market - although in this one they don't have turbo punch.

Now I need some sleep.

Escalade

Last weekend was the time of the year again where I challenge my endurance in the annuals "escalade" race. It's not a long race, just 7,25 km but it's still a long way for someone who has pretty much no endurance like me. It was also a bit cold and wet but that doesn't stop someone like me from running (hehehehehe).

The first time I did it in 2005, I ran it in 40.05 minutes and came 1591st. To put that in perspective, my mates all did it around 30 minutes. Last year I ran it in 39.07 and came 1573rd. One minute improvement but only 18 places better. This year I ran it in 37.52 and came in 835th.

If I keep this up in ten years time I will be able to compete with my mates.

btw, they have clips of everyone crossing over the finish line. You can download it here.