In cockroach-infested Tokyo, a trip out to the nether reaches of town to watch 10,000 assorted insects creep and crawl around glass tanks may not be everyone’s cup of ocha. One group of punters it’s sure to pull in, though, are those young males with squeamish girlfriends who delight in being a strong shoulder to squirm on when one of the 2,000 species on display starts to show a bit too much leg. The highlight of the exhibition is a full-scale 70cm replica of a prehistoric dragonfly; You wouldn’t want that in your soup.
Duke Ellington Orchestra
A feast of nostalgia for classic jazz buffs is on offer at this venue in north-west Tokyo. The Duke himself may be long gone, but his original backing band ploughs on, playing such jazz standards as ‘Take The A Train’, ‘I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)’ and ‘Black and Tan Fantasy’. The jazz boom of the 1970s is well and truly over, but there’s still a huge market in Tokyo for this sort of music, as evinced by the number of jazz coffeeshops that still dot the streets.
Zimbabwe Food
‘Farm Fresh’ is, without a doubt, the best place to shop for fresh fruit and vegetables in Bulawayo. It is on Robert Mugabe Way, between 12th and 13th avenue. The shop has a deli-like section which provides freshly made rolls on a daily basis and a wide selection of locally produced hams and cheeses. They also do portions of fresh salads and homemade pasta to take away. Best of all are the individual-sized homemade cakes, biscuits and minature cheesecakes.
Caffè Ristretto
This new high-style Italian spot has a slick Milanese design that makes an appealingly clean break from the murals-of-the-Bay-of-Naples décors of so many transalpine tables in Paris. The excellent food of Chef Walter Losano comes from Piedmont, the mountainous region that is known for some of the best eating in Italy. The area’s gastonomic finesse shows up in delicious dishes like his risotto with prawns and mousse of ricotta cheese with chives. There’s a nice wine list with some pleasant and fairly priced bottles, including a Barbaresco that makes for good summer drinking. Ideal for a relaxed, casual meal.
Bryan Adams
One of the finest lines in last year’s hit ‘South Park’ movie was ‘But Canada’s already apologised for Bryan Adams’. Sadly, neither the apology nor the film has made it to Tokyo and, so, a resolutely unapologetic Mr Adams will brave the appalling acoustics of the Budokan to belt out ‘Everything I Do’ and all the other unmentionable drivel for which he is so rightly globally reviled. Perhaps ‘South Park’ got it right. Maybe we should blame Canada after all.
You II
Amsterdam’s first official woman’s disco has just opened its doors. No longer destined to hop from one location to another, lesbians of all persuasions now have one dancing hot spot, where they can go to enjoy long cosy social evenings to a house and disco beat. Boys are also allowed, but only if accompanied by a woman.
Monnipan
This little shop opened a year or so ago, but the owners are continually expanding their carefully-sourced stock of beautiful Indian goodies. Highest-quality pashminas come in every colour imaginable as do the beautiful loose-woven, hand-dyed silk shawls from Benares. Woodblock-printed table cloths and bed covers, Kashmir rugs and cushion covers, fabulous patterned Kashmir shawls and a huge range well-priced of silver jewellery provide a great choice of presents.
