JMR's blog

World taxi prices

Cost of a 3-kilometer ride in late 2010

*All prices converted into US dollars in November, 2010

The left price reflects little to no waiting in traffic, the right price reflects high-traffic situations.

$0.90 – $1.58 Delhi, India
$0.97 – $1.28 Mumbai, India
$1.04 – $1.73 Cairo, Egypt
$1.14 – $1.71 La Paz, Bolivia
$1.17 – $1.87 Manila, Philippines
$1.22 – $2.03 Mexico City, Mexico
$1.23 – $2.94 Panama City, Panama
$1.23 – $1.68 Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
$1.24 – $1.86 Fez, Morocco
$1.29 – $1.94 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
$1.50 – $2.99 Beijing, China
$1.54 – $2.05 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
$1.64 – $2.05 Hanoi, Vietnam
$1.68 – $2.35 Bangkok, Thailand
$1.69 – $3.38 Kathmandu, Nepal
$1.80 – $2.69 Shanghai, China
$1.86 – $3.10 Marrakech, Morocco
$2.00 – $4.00 Quito, Ecuador
$2.01 – $3.51 Montevideo, Uruguay
$2.14 – $3.21 Lima, Peru
$2.53 – $3.03 Buenos Aires, Argentina
$2.60 – $3.90 St. Petersburg, Russia
$2.72 – $3.27 Dubai, UAE
$2.82 – $4.23 Amman, Jordan
$2.86 – $5.37 Seoul, South Korea
$3.10 – $6.20 Singapore, Singapore
$3.35 – $5.16 Hong Kong, China
$3.53 – $5.88 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
$3.57 – $5.00 Sofia, Bulgaria
$3.68 – $6.25 Athens, Greece
$3.74 – $5.52 Moscow, Russia
$4.05 – $5.68 Santiago, Chile
$4.14 – $8.29 Tel Aviv, Israel
$4.93 – $7.04 Istanbul, Turkey
$5.28 – $8.80 Krakow, Poland
$5.33 – $7.99 Beirut, Lebanon
$5.35 – $8.92 Tallinn, Estonia
$5.45 – $7.92 Vancouver, Canada
$5.56 – $8.33 Lisbon, Portugal
$5.70 – $7.98 Prague, Czech Republic
$5.70 – $8.29 Budapest, Hungary
$5.75 – $7.90 Cape Town, South Africa
$5.91 – $7.88 Taipei, Taiwan
$6.25 – $9.72 Barcelona, Spain
$6.45 – $9.68 Edinburgh, Scotland
$6.94 – $9.72 Madrid, Spain
$7.00 – $12.00 New York City, USA
$7.50 – $10.00 Los Angeles, USA
$8.10 – $13.50 Reykjavik, Iceland
$8.33 – $13.89 Brussels, Belgium
$8.33 – $13.89 Paris, France
$8.91 – $11.88 Toronto, Canada
$8.91 – $11.88 Montreal, Canada
$9.00 – $12.00 Melbourne, Australia
$9.23 – $11.54 Auckland, New Zealand
$9.51 – $15.21 Zagreb, Croatia
$9.72 – $13.89 Vienna, Austria
$10.00 – $13.00 Sydney, Australia
$10.86 – $13.67 Copenhagen, Denmark
$11.11 – $16.67 Munich, Germany
$11.11 – $15.28 Berlin, Germany
$11.11 – $16.67 Dublin, Ireland
$11.11 – $13.89 Rome, Italy
$11.29 – $14.52 London, England
$12.05 – $15.06 Stockholm, Sweden
$12.50 – $16.67 Nice, France
$13.03 – $16.13 Tokyo, Japan
$13.47 – $13.47 Amsterdam, Netherlands
$13.89 – $19.44 Helsinki, Finland
$15.28 – $19.44 Monaco, Monaco
$17.12 – $22.26 Oslo, Norway
$18.18 – $24.24 Zurich, Switzerland

Notes about world taxi prices

• The prices above reflect metered prices, although in some cities each company charges its own rates.
• Generally, if you are obviously a tourist, the cheaper the normal price the greater chance that the meter will be “broken” or unavailable.
• These figures are for in-the-city rides, many airports add an additional surcharge in one or both directions.
• Typical airport-to-city price ranges can be found on each of the main city pages, along with public transportation prices.
• Some cities charge more at night or on weekends, so the overall range tends to be greater in those cases.
• Prices for waiting/standing still and typical traffic conditions vary from city to city, and this also increases the price range.

Being honest, even when all companies in a city use a fixed price scheme it can still be difficult to research them because many taxi drivers make a better living by the public not knowing what they should really expect to pay. 

www.priceoftravel.com/555/world-taxi-prices-what-a-3-kilometer-ride-costs-in-72-big-cities/ 

 

Voir Paris et défaillir, l'étrange mal japonais

Située près de la tour Eiffel, la Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris (MCJP) est le lieu de rencontre privilégié des Japonais amoureux de la France et des Parisiens "tatamisés", c'est-à-dire férus de culture nipponne. Samedi 27 mars, la MCJP a fait salle comble en consacrant ses travaux à un aspect très particulier de cette relation : le "syndrome de Paris".

Celui-ci a été défini il y a plus de vingt ans par le professeur Hiroaki Ota. Psychiatre à l'hôpital Sainte-Anne, il avait constaté que la proportion de Japonais qui nécessitent des soins psychiatriques lors de leur séjour dans la capitale est plus importante qu'ailleurs. Les symptômes sont toujours les mêmes : isolement, repli sur soi, dépression... Principales victimes : des jeunes filles japonaises de bonne famille. Le phénomène est assez important pour que le docteur Ota lui consacre un livre (non traduit en français) mais épuisé au Japon. Depuis, ce spleen inspire romanciers et cinéastes : Philippe Adam a acquis un début de notoriété internationale avec le court roman qu'il lui a consacré en 2005, porté à l'écran en 2008 par une cinéaste japonaise, Saé Shimai (sous le titre Le Syndrome de Paris). Avant de réaliser son film, celle-ci dit avoir rencontré plusieurs Japonaises qui restaient cloîtrées à Paris, incapables de la moindre vie sociale.

Si le retour au pays constitue le meilleur remède, les causes divisent les experts. Les uns expliquent ce syndrome par le décalage entre la vision idéalisée de la France qu'ont les Japonais et la réalité ô combien plus prosaïque. "Je suis honteuse de ne pas être heureuse dans un pays où tout est fait pour le bonheur", témoigne une jeune Japonaise dans un documentaire. D'autres mettent en avant le fossé culturel. Les Japonais, qui ne s'autorisent que très rarement l'emploi du "je", éprouveraient des difficultés particulières à s'intégrer dans une France si individualiste. Habitués à s'exprimer sans être interrompus - en japonais, le verbe est placé en fin de phrase -, certains ne supporteraient pas de l'être par leurs interlocuteurs français.

Mais une dernière catégorie d'experts (essentiellement français) s'interroge. Et si ce fameux syndrome n'existait pas ? "Pour moi, c'est un artefact", estime Jean-François Sabouret, chercheur au CNRS. Le psychiatre Régis Airault n'a-t-il pas montré que certains Français voyageant en Inde étaient pris d'un délire (Fous de l'Inde, Petite Bibliothèque Payot) ? Pour les tenants de cette thèse, l'exil peut se transformer en errance pour chacun, y compris à l'intérieur d'un même pays. Le syndrome de Paris n'est que l'une des conséquences de la conviction des Japonais d'être différents et incapables de s'adapter aux autres cultures.

Qu'il soit réel ou non, ce syndrome prouverait que la France et le Japon entretiennent un lien particulier. Face à la demande, le professeur Ota préparerait d'ailleurs une version française de son livre, comportant un chapitre supplémentaire sur les couples mixtes. Un autre best-seller en perspective.

Voir Paris et défaillir, l'étrange mal japonais, par Frédéric Lemaître - LeMonde.fr

Some Must see in Barcelona

Forget the guidebooks’ top ten. Here's how to prioritize some of Barcelona’s best. (Hint: Sagrada Familia does not top the list...)

1. PARC GUELL

#1 for its sheer uniqueness, striking mosaics and fascinating tour of the mind of Gaudi, the father of Barcelona’s modernist architecture. This wildly original, absurd yet sublimely beautiful park is Gaudi’s largest work to explore. High on a hill, with sweeping views of the city, Parc Guell features such grand-scale oddities as the longest continuous park bench in the world – a winding serpent covered entirely with mosaics created in the trencadis (broken tiles) style. These are infinitely varied, brightly-hued mosaics the likes of which can be stared at all day, and which tend to dazzle and impress the more one looks at them and thinks about the genius required to create them. An absolute must-see in Barcelona – a great place to spend a few hours, people watch, have a picnic and submerge yourself in artistry of a kind you won’t find anywhere else.

2. BARRI GOTIC

The heart of the old city since medieval times – a seductive maze of imposing stone walls, narrow streets, gothic motifs and an air of intrigue. Get lost in the twists, turns and alleys – getting lost is part of the fun – and you’ll stumble upon hundreds of funky shops, artsy boutiques, cafes, bars and restaurants. Not to mention hidden courtyards, shadowy corners, deadends and a panopoly of unnerving creatures and characters worked into the ironwork and masonry. In the center is the dramatic 15th century Cathedral, with its awe-inspiring gothic façade. An elevator ride to the roof provides a good view of the gothic quarter. Cross the Via Laietana while exploring Barri Gotic and you'll be lost in El Born before you know it. A thriving part of the old city since the 13th century, it neverthless has an intimate feel and has become the fashionable neighborhood in Barcelona.

3. ROOFTOP JAZZ AT CASA MILA

This is a sumptuous feast for the senses, starting with an inside view of one of Gaudi’s most startling and beautiful masterpieces. Casa Mila’s front hall is strangely moving with its mesmerizing wrought-iron gate, soaring pillars and fantasia of colors and rolling shapes – true to its designer’s concept of creating a building with no straight lines. But walk up the stairs and you’re also rewarded with live jazz, flamenco or tango in the warm night air, a view of the city with its twinkling lights, champagne, chocolate to savor and a festive party atmosphere amidst the rooftop’s bold and captivating sculptures.

4. MAGIC FOUNTAIN

This one often doesn’t make the guidebooks. Yet when I was in Barcelona, this was the place where everyone congregated, night after night. The music and light shows in the fountain never seem to get old, and serve as a backdrop for relaxing on warm summer nights. Shows are free, run every 30 minutes, and feature colorful displays of dancing lights, classical and popular music and changing shapes made of water shooting 50 feet in the air. I’ve read reviews that call the music cheesy, but that’s missing the point. This is entertainment of the most accessible variety – and the most enjoyable.

5. PASSEIG DE GRACIA

Here's another one the guidebooks skip over. Passeig de Gracia – a street so great Alan Parsons wrote a song about it. This broad thoroughfare is the "Magnificent Mile" of Barcelona, packed with the finest upscale stores, and two of Gaudi’s most show-stopping works, Casa Mila and Casa Battlo. Eight lanes wide, with busses and motos whizzing by, it has a bustling modern city feel. Yet it isn’t overwhelming, and it always seems clean, sun-drenched and airy. Expansive tree-lined sidewalks are ideal for strolling and people-watching, and there’s plenty to see. From the ornately designed benches and lamp posts to the interlocking design in the sidewalk tiles and the parade of modernist facades, Passeig de Gracia reflects Barcelona’s embrace of art in public places.

 

6. SAGRADA FAMILIA 

Sagrada Familia means “Sacred Family” and it’s probably sacrilege to discourage a visit. This 300-ft high unfinished monument was Gaudi’s grandest dream, mammoth in scale and ambition. It's maybe the best known symbol of the city, and for all those reasons, well worth a visit. Still, be aware that Sagrada Familia is a source of controversy. A clash of artistic styles dimishes its beauty, and construction cranes don’t help the eye appeal. The view is far better from other points in the city, and the descent through circular stone staircases is crowded and to many people claustrophobic.
 

7. CASA BATTLO 

Yet another example of Gaudi’s mind-blowing creativity – one many consider his finest. From the roof, with its undulating shingles and rich, shifting colors, to the interior – residential sculpture – a trip through this edifice will not be forgotten. Look for hidden symbolism in the walls, doors and windows, including this not-so-subtle reference to mortality.

 

 8. LA BOQUERIA

You can get a small taste of the famed Las Ramblas while trekking to La Boqueria, an open air (with a roof over it) market packed with eye-popping assortments of the city’s freshest fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, cheeses, bread, candy and more. A visceral, visual and fascinating experience, with meat butchered on the spot, endless produce stands filled with exotic and ordinary foods, and lots of opportunities to sample what intrigues you.

9. TIBIDABO

A church and an amusement park side by side? Somehow it works – that’s the strange alchemy of Barcelona. Tibidabo is reached by funicular train and sits at the top of a mountain overlooking Barcelona. With spectacular vistas of the city and surrounding coastline, it’s worth the trouble to get there (skip the trolley unless you’ve never ridden one – the bus is faster and cheaper). Inside the Temple de Sagrat Cor, an elevator ride and a circular staircase lead to stunning 360° open air views – the highest in the city. The amusement park is tame – ideal for families with kids – but enjoyably set into the side of the mountain and offering great views from most of the rides.

 10. MONTJUIC 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does it look scary? It isn't. These smooth-gliding, slow-paced cable cars take you from Barceloneta up onto Montjuic, the big hill at the southern edge of Barcelona where the 1992 Olympics were held. Up here, you can wander past the Olympic size swimming pool and see the site of the Olympic flame, but there's oh so much more on Montjuic to hold your interest: beautiful cliff-edge gardens ripe for wandering with a lover, spectacular vistas of the city and also the coastal area, full of industry and cruise ships. The Juan Miro museum full of his unique visual treats. The Parc de Jardins, yet more gardens and walks left over from earlier times. And the Castle, reached by yet another set of cable cars, offering still more panaromic views of the city.

11. LAS RAMBLAS  

 

Las Ramblas is listed at the top of Best of Barcelona guides every year, this bazaar-like thoroughfare is quite crowded. Not that it can't be beautiful, in the right light, with the trees in full bloom, especially in the early morning. Most of the time, it's filled with street performers, food, t-shirt stalls, bird dealers, caricature artists, kitschy gift shops and flower carts.
 

HONORABLE MENTIONS. Staying longer? Well, then you have time to check out thePicasso Museum, which is good as far as it goes, especially if you're a fan, but might not go far enough. The complaint I've heard voiced is that it is not extensive and does not display his biggest, best and most famous cubist works – which are in Madrid, Paris and private hands. Another interesting building is the Palau de la Musica Catalana, replete with mosaics not done by Gaudi. I have a feeling this building would be better enjoyed while hearing a concert though, not just the guided tour.Barceloneta is the beach in Barcelona – enough said.

Amazingly, under the streets of the old city lies another whole layer of old city – excavated Roman era ruins whose vaults you can explore via elevator down from theCity History Museum. Block after block of Roman era ruins are meticulously labeled according to use and purpose in ancient times. I found this exhibit interesting but dry; archaeology buffs might differ. Gracia is a less touristed but very cool, funky neighborhood with great little shops and restaurants. Under-rated as a hot spot all year round, Gracia is also host to Barcelona's biggest and best party every August. Barcelona has a worldclass Aquarium, Zoo, Football (soccer) Stadium Tours and aFootball History Museum that receives over a million visitors a year. If all this doesn't pique your interest, then nothing will! 

http://www.barcelonabeso.com/top-ten/ 

China now Australia's top source of immigrants

China has overtaken the UK and New Zealand as Australia's biggest source of immigrants.

 

Australia remains attractive to Chinese migrants

BBC: The latest figures show a record 6,350 people arrived from China in the four months to October. China's new primacy was due largely to a fall in migration from the UK and New Zealand, as people there opt to hold on to jobs instead of moving to Australia. Arrivals from the UK were down 28% to 5,800 and the number from New Zealand was down 47% to 4,740.

Diplomatic spats

British migration has also been affected by a cut in the number of skilled workers Australia allows to settle in the country. Chinese migration, however, is dominated by family reunions and grew by 15% over the same period last year. New Zealanders do not require visas to migrate to Australia and so the drop in migration from there is a direct response to economic conditions, demographer Graeme Hugo told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The upsurge in Chinese migration comes despite a series of spats this year between Beijing and Canberra. Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto spurned a bid from Chinese state-owned firm Chinalco in favour of an offer from another Anglo-Australian company - BHP Billiton. Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu and three Chinese staff were arrested in China on suspicion of industrial espionage.

Deepening the diplomatic chill, Australia allowed high-profile Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer to visit in August. Since then, both sides have worked to improve ties. A survey of Chinese attitudes to Australia released earlier this month indicated that a majority of respondents agreed Australia has attractive values and a good political system.

L’émission Spéciale Chine - Des racines et des ailes

L’émission Des Racines & des Ailes présente 4 reportages :

- Au cœur de la Cité Interdite
- Palais d’été, un jardin chinois
- L’héritage de Confucius
- Pékin, à l’heure des jeux

L’émission Spéciale Chine - Des racines et des ailes

Pompei now In Google Street View

Giving people a chance to take a virtual stroll through Pompeii will give an extraordinary boost to Italian tourism.

MARIO RESCA, director general of Italy's cultural heritage department, after the ancient city of Pompeii was added to Google Street View

Italian call to use less English

BBC: Italians are quite used to feeling "lo stress", looking forward to "il weekend" or trying to look "cool".

But now an influential cultural institute has asked Italians to protect the language and reject "Anglitaliano". The Dante Alighieri Society asked people for examples of over-used foreign words and "il weekend" emerged as the worst offender.

The society said the results showed that Italians want their language to receive more respect. For four months, the society asked visitors to its website, 70% of whom were Italians, for inappropriate examples of foreign words being used in everyday Italian, either written or spoken.

Who would have thought it - Italians protesting against 'il weekend'," said the institute, the Italian version of the French language protection body the Academie Francaise. The least popular word was found to be "weekend", receiving 11% of the votes."Too short? No, just not Italian enough," the society adds. They said it was pointless to use an English word, however elegant, when the Italian expression "fine settimana" means exactly the same thing.

The second least popular word was "OK", which respondents to the survey thought was too informal and unprofessional. Several unpopular terms came from business and politics, with "briefing" gaining 5% of the vote, "mission" 4% and "devolution" 3%.

LEAST POPULAR ENGLISH WORDS:

weekend 11%

OK 10%

welfare 8%

briefing 5%

mission 4%

location, bookshop, devolution 3%

computer, know-how, privacy, shopping 2%

Italians, however, are divided on whether they want to throw out English terms in favour of flawless Italian. Alessandra, a secretary at a travel agency in Rome, said she thought the change was a product of globalisation.

"I don't think it matters if we use English words," she told the UK's Telegraph newspaper. "Often it's faster, like using 'il weekend' instead of 'fine settimana'."

However her boss Maria disagreed, saying she would prefer to speak either Italian or English, not a mixture. "People think it's chic to use English words, but I don't like it at all. It's important to keep language clean," she said.

Spanish shopkeeper finds Homer Simpson euro

MADRID (Reuters) - A one euro coin has turned up in Spain bearing the face of couch potato Homer Simpson instead of that of the country's king, a sweetshop owner told Reuters on Friday.

 

Jose Martinez was counting the cash in his till in the city of Aviles, northern Spain, when he came across the coin where Homer's bald head, big eyes and big nose had replaced the serious features of King Juan Carlos.

"The coin must have been done by a professional, the work is impressive," he told Reuters.

The comical carver had not taken his tools to the other side of the coin displaying the map of Europe. So far, no other coins of the hapless, beer-swilling oaf have been found in circulation.

"I've been offered 20 euros for it," said Martinez.

Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony

 

The Seven Wonders of the World