January 16, 2009
In addition to saving 155 lives, Thursday’s “Miracle on the Hudson” was extraordinary for another reason: it became one of the first events to pre-empt news coverage of our fledgling economy. From CNN to ESPN, headlines raved about pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger’s heroic maneuvering over Manhattan. And – at least for one short evening – we were spared from startling reports of another bank-gone-bust, rising unemployment figures or other catastrophic meltdowns.
Of course, their absence from media reports does not mean these unfortunate trends stopped, but it was certainly nice to feel – even in a false sense – that yesterday was a day unlike so many others… a good one.
To keep the good mojo afloat (no pun intended), The Hot Sheet has scoured the globe for the top five most positive – or just plain fun – stories of the week. Enjoy… Read More
December 18, 2008
The holiday season holds special traditions for different religious cultures across the globe, but perhaps Spain’s Catalunya region provides one of the world’s most unusual examples. For centuries, households in northeastern Spain displayed the Christmas Nativity scene (el pessebre) featuring the holy family, animals and wise men along with one fascinating little addition called ‘el caganer.’ At first glance, the caganer appears to be an innocent passerby, but on closer inspection he or she is actually in a bent position answering the call of nature. Why this particular brand of bathroom humor? Joan Amades, author of El Pessebre, says that placing a caganer in your nativity scene was believed to bring a rich and successful harvest the following year, and health and happiness to you and your loved ones. Additionally, the caganer (literally, “pooper”) is symbolic of equality – the grand equalizer.
“Jesus may be the most saintly figure of the nativity scene, but the caganer is the most popular,” says Josep Maria Joan Rosa, a long-time toy collector and director of the Museu del Joguet de Catalunya (Toy Museum of Catalunya) in Figueres. “When I was a kid,” he says, “we all clamored to hide the caganer in the nativity scene, and then see if our friends could find it. It was the best game at Christmas.”
The typical caganer wears a red hat and is often depicted smoking a pipe or reading a newspaper, although female versions called ‘caganeras’ have also become popular within the last 30 years. Today, the franchise extends to include renditions of sports figures and celebrities – even a squatting President Bush. Visitors may enjoy a plethora of bottoms “al aire libre” at La Fira de Santa Lucia, the annual Christmas nativity fair that takes place at Barcelona’s cathedral, La Seu or year-round at Museu del Joguet which houses Spain’s only permanent collection of caganers. Read More
November 25, 2008
Two major news organizations have taken note of a widening trend in real estate: American homebuyers flocking to Mexico. On November 13, the Los Angeles Times explored Mineral de Pozos, a village that reporter Christopher Reynolds describes as “a Mexican ghost town [that] lives on as an artist colony.”
“But Pozos isn’t dead,” says Reynolds. “It’s slowly growing, its ghosts joined by perhaps 3,500 residents who have begun filling the reclaimed ruins with contemporary art and pre-Hispanic music.”
And less than a week later, The New York Times examined San Miguel de Allende, calling it “a Spanish colonial town in Mexico [that] is luring a wave of American home buyers.” Read More
October 29, 2008
The Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in the world (of course!), combining shopping and theme-parkish entertainment, was scheduled to open tomorrow in Dubai. However, the debut has now been pushed to November 4. According to Emaar Properties, the mall’s developer, some 30 million customers are expected to visit the destination in its first year of operation. Dubai Mall features 12 million square feet of shopping and more than 14,000 parking spaces. Read More
October 16, 2008
Last week, more than 900 real estate professionals gathered for the Asian Real Estate Association of America’s (AREAA) 3rd annual gala and convention at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The Hot Sheet was there. The nation’s largest real estate organization representing the diverse Asian community convened leading economists and industry experts to examine where the real estate market is heading. The underlying theme? Optimism.
Read More
September 24, 2008
Upon his return this week from Italy, this Hot Sheet author did not expect his first new contribution to “trash” the country with which he had just fallen in love. (In fact, I wanted to write about the fascinating first-hand experience of watching foreigners gawk at our failing economy like a twisted pile-up on the 405).
But, alas, the following two contrasting stories – about, well, Italian garbage – are on the top of my mind. Read More
September 3, 2008
Next week, Dubai-based Cityscape, the world’s largest emerging markets real estate brand, will host its first U.S. conference, Cityscape USA, September 9-12 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The conference runs parallel to a large-scale networking exhibition at the same location on September 10-11. Bridging the gap between U.S. and emerging market investors and developers, Cityscape USA aims to give the U.S. real estate industry access to some of the biggest names in the emerging world markets. Read More
August 26, 2008
As the U.S. economy continues to stagger down an ambiguous path, many are left wondering where we’re at and where we’re going. From 7 a.m. to 12 noon on Wednesday, September 24, The UCLA Anderson Forecast will hold its September 2008 Economic Outlook Conference, offering a glimpse into globalization and its effects on the economy. Read More
August 7, 2008
Emirates Airlines debuted its A380 in San Francisco this week. Invited press admired a bubbling fountain, exceptionally quiet engines and a tailcam showing the plane soaring through clouds. But the real action was in the first class “suites”… really mini hotel rooms. They include burlwood trim, large screen video displays, a retractable beverage and goodie center (with the $10,000 ticket price, let’s hope this mini bar is complimentary), two showers, and gold-covered everything. Associates of Paolucci Communication Arts, which continues to ramp up its international outreach, may be traveling Emirates Airlines again soon… if not exactly in first class. We’ll sneak a peek for you.
Check out this article for more on the Emirates A380. Read More
July 24, 2008
Following China’s recent edict requiring public transportation use on certain days to improve Beijing Olympic air quality, residents are now subject to a new dictate regulating their conversations with foreign visitors. Posters positioned around Beijing list eight taboo topics such as age, income, personal experience, health and romantic life among others. Read More
