Global cool-ness! - RHUM events & media

RHUM events & media

TRAVEL: The red and orange people-rockets of Barcelona

Written by Zoe Barron

When Spain scored the goal against the Netherlands that won them the world cup, I was sitting in at the back of a pizza restaurant in Barcelona. It was the only goal of a game that had run first to a scoreless full time, then 25 minutes into overtime, and I don't think I've ever seen men jump so high with so little notice. First I'm half-watching little coloured player-dots chasing another little white ball-dot around a screen, and then suddenly I'm surrounded by red and orange people-rockets leaping so high out of their chairs and punching the air so hard I was surprised nobody broke their fist against the ceiling.

Written by Zoe Barron

I caught a lift from Berlin to Amsterdam with a 6 ft 10 German giant from Stuttgart. He had been living in The Netherlands for years and he really wasn't a big fan of the Dutch. To him, they were bad drivers, bad cooks, bad hosts and bad football players.

“They're very selfish. They take a box of cookies to a party and they offer it to you, like this, and after you take one they close the box, very quickly. You can only have one cookie! No more!”

The Dutch bring boxes of cookies to parties? I wondered.

ZOE'S TRAVEL COLUMN: Vienna Storm

Written by Zoe Barron

I really enjoy watching a well-ordered city get fucked up by a storm. Singapore is a good example. It's the tropics but the place is so clean and controlled that being inside is pretty much the same as out. A proper storm there is a nice reminder that not everything can be regulated by government. Vienna is another one of these places. It is very grown up – very comfortable and set in its ways. An upper-class, middle-aged British woman of a city. Its big beautiful buildings are clean and regularly painted. Its cars are expensive and well-engineered. Its people are polite and conservative and careful not to talk to strangers, although they will smile at them if required.

Written by Zoe Barron

I am at a gig at Vagon – a dingy, underground bar in the city centre. Most Bar activities in Prague tend to take place below ground level and the place is a cavern, all low-slung ceilings and great brick pillars. Behind me stands a wildly obnoxious Canadian, who has a name like Dave or Mike. I'm going to call him Mike. Mike buys two beers between sets and calls it being handcuffed. “Yeah, I've been handcuffed a few times now,” he says as casually as is possible while blatantly showing off one's incredible imperviousness to alcohol. He demonstrates how much he knows about music by using “Jazz” as a prefix.

Why I Can't Speak Czech Yet!

Written by Zoe Barron
Czech teachers here are very careful with us students. Classes are a slow, carefully moderated release of information. Confined in the present tense, we swap simple pleasantries and greetings. Practice our food vocabulary. Then we move onto a few of the easier verb endings. Then irregular verbs. Then, when they're sure we're ready, onto modal verbs. Fill in this crossword. Write a menu. Domácí úkol – homework. Write five sentences of things people from your country do every day.
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