Comment du Jour

South Korean President Recalls Germany's Reunification 

“This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.   But the Korean Peninsula remains stifled by a wall of division,” stated South Korean President Park Geun-hye.   In a landmark address to the UN General Assembly, President Park made the bold assertion, “I call on the international community to stand with us in tearing down the world’s last remaining wall of division.” 

Stirring words.  Stirring themes.  Especially, punctuating the diplomatic drone of many of the General debate speeches. 

Though Park recalled, “The two Koreas were separately admitted as member states to the UN in 1991. Having two separate seats despite a single language, culture and history is clearly not normal. ”  Since the end of WWII, the historic Korean nation has been divided by the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which has tragically become part of the national geography. 

The DMZ dividing South and North Korea is 4 km wide and 250 km long and while serving as the demarcation line, also has blocked the free flow of people for 60 years.

Visiting Germany earlier this year, Park Geun-hye  admired many of the places connected with that nation’s peaceful unification nearly a quarter century ago. 

Speaking hopefully, Park extolled, “Just as the unification of Germany laid the grounds for a new Europe by integrating Europe, a unified Korea will set in motion a new Northeast Asia.” 

Comment du Jour

Viennese Soft Power in New York

Vienna's Tourist Board and the city's famed Cafe Central recently sponsored a cultural expo in 

New York's Grand Central Terminal.  The exhibit  showcased the upcoming  150th anniversary of the Austrian capital's Ring Strasse boulevard; 1865-2015.  

The Expo in Grand Central featured a small but authentic version of Cafe Central, complete with special Viennese coffee, the Manner wafers, and current Austrian newspapers.   Equally there was a Skype computer hook up with Cafe Central which allowed Americans to chat live with Austrians.

The Ring Strasse is literally bejeweled with the State Opera, numerous world class Museums, the Imperial Palace/Neue Burg,  City Hall and the Austrian Parliament.  And there's more!

The Boulevard was opened by none other than Emperor Franz Josef in May 1865. 

But besides stately buildings and repositories of the fine arts, the Ring also boasts coffeehouses such as Cafe Schwartzenberg and Cafe Pruckel, both of which are along the green Park Ring section.  

According to Norbert Kettner, the Director of the Vienna Tourist Board, "The Ringstrasse is the world's largest open-air museum, typical Viennese style, lively and unique." 

Not surprisingly, the famed Vienna Ring trollies, rumble or actually now glide along this magnificent boulevard.  There's a special Vienna Ring Tram, with the old polished wood seats,

that makes the trip on a regular basis too.  Since the Tram started in 2009, over 300,000 passengers have enjoyed the sights and lights of Vienna.

                                            Chatting live with Cafe Central in Vienna!

Comment du Jour

French Bookstore Opens in New York

Literary Jewel on Upper Fifth Avenue Dazzles



A few years ago, the iconic French bookstore in Rockefeller Center closed.  To be sure the Librairie de France store which started in the 1930's and was part of the magnificent art deco complex near the skating rink could not compete either with the internet nor a fall off in reading habits.

Happily New York, and its large and growing French-speaking community, not to mention beaucoup de Francophiles have a new bookstore set in a jewel-like setting on Upper Fifth Avenue near the Metropolitan Museum of Art and across from Central Park.  Albertine prides itself as "a reading room and bookshop that brings to life French-American intellectual exchange."

The concept of this bookstore comes from Antonin Baudry, the cultural counsellor for the French Embassy, who is himself a celebrated author although under a nom de plume. Baudry wrote the
book Quai d'Orsay  (a serious comic) which was equally made into a  satirical film in France under the same name.  It offers a curious look at the French Foreign Ministry and the political personalities and foibles in the Quai D'Orsay. 

Voulez-vous entrer??

But I digress.  Albertine is situated in a townhouse which is home to the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.  Albertine is both a cultural offering to America and a business offering 14,000 contemporary French and English books, French children's books and art volumes.  Prices are comparable with the cost in France and don't have huge markups.

The vibe is a grand private library.  The setting evokes the superlative Parisian Franco/English bookstore, Gagliani.   The overall feel is a quiet and inviting class which is enhanced by the reading room.

Albertine's mission includes volumes "which were selected with passion and curated with care."

The  store was officially opened recently by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

But besides books, there is a forum for intellectual discussion and the Festival Albertine shall offer a series of lectures from "Women at Work/Mad Men" (yes the TV series) through topics, "Why to we still read Tocqueville?

Do check the extraordinary offering at  www.albertine.com

Bravo for this beautiful bookstore!