Catalan rock band from Barcelona releases record in Chinese

From http://lhdigital.cat/web/digital-h/noticia/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_txR0/11023/7430181 (in Catalan)

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="288"] GAS rock band (image from GAS website)[/caption]

GAS, a rock band based in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona province), has just released their first EP, "Chinese Works" that includes seven original songs sung in Mandarin Chinese. The band members are Salvador Mas (guitar and vocals), Pepe Zamora (bass), Jordi Riba (guitar and lead vocals), Israel Vela (keyboards) and Jaime López (drums) and their unique project started when Jordi Riba, a Chinese teacher, translated one of his songs into Mandarin and the rest of the band were amazed with the result. This made them consider the possibility of recording more songs in Chinese and the result is the release of this surprising album, Chinese Works. Their first performance for a Chinese audience happened in Barcelona on February 2013, during the celebrations of the Chinese New Year, and they were the only non-Chinese artists to perform. The song that the band is currently promoting is "Everlasting freshman" (永远的初学者).

To discover GAS's music, you can listen to the album on http://gasmusica.com/chinese-works/ and watch their videos in their own Youtube and on Youku GAS channels. The video on Youku includes lyrics in Chinese and English.



 

FC Barcelona will play friendly games in Thailand and Malaysia in summer 2013

From http://www.fcbarcelona.com/asia-tour-2013 (in English)

FC Barcelona has announced that the professional team will play two friendly games in East Asia during summer 2013. These games will take place in Bangkok (Thailand) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) on August 7th and 10th, 2013. In Thailand, Barça will play against Thai's national team, being its second game in the country after the first one in 2002. In Malaysia, Barça will play against a Malaysian XI in the Bukit Jalil national stadium of Kuala Lumpur, which can hold up to 100,000 attendants.

The tickets for the game in Thailand can be bought at Thaiticketmajor, whereas those for the training session and the game in Kuala Lumpur can be bought at Ilasso Tickets.

[caption id="attachment_2394" align="aligncenter" width="219"] Screen capture of the promotion for the FC Barcelona Asian Tour game in Thailand 2013
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[caption id="attachment_2395" align="aligncenter" width="508"] Screen capture of the promotion for the FC Barcelona Asian Tour game in Malaysia 2013[/caption]

 

Barcelona's Asia Choir celebrates its 10th concert at a Stage Arts Fair

From http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=211003 (in English)

 

[caption id="attachment_2390" align="alignleft" width="300"] Barcelona's Fort Pienc Quarter[/caption]

Barcelona's Asia Choir (Coral Àsia), a joint project of Casa Àsia and the Direction of Immigration and Interculturality of Barcelona City Council, presents its 10th concert organised by Eix Fort Pienc and Barcelona City Council within the framework of the 1st Fair of Stage Arts of Fort Pienc in Barcelona. to be held on 9th June 2013 at 6:30 pm. Fort Pienc is a quarter in the city of Barcelona where there is a growing Chinese population.

Coral Àsia is made up of around 50 people from 24 different nationalities (out of which 60% are Asian origin) and its repertoire includes songs in Chinese, Japanese, Tagalog, Hindi, Farsi, Korean, Bengali, Urdu, Catalan, Spanish and English, under the direction of Carles-Josep Comalada, also Singing Director of the Municipal Conservatory of Barcelona. Its purpose is to promote the intercultural exchange among young people from different origins through singing and music, as well as reflecting the cultural diversity of the city.

For the whole list of activities of the 1st Fair of Stage Arts of Fort Pienc, check the pdf document of the following link: http://www.casaasia.eu/media/asset_publics/resources/000/032/641/original/2013_1FiraArtesEscenicasCartelwebA3-A4F.pdf

 

Joan Miró's paintings travel to Taiwan

From http://culturacat.com/noticia/index.php/cinema/la-pintura-de-miro-viatja-a-taiwan- (in Catalan)

Fundació Joan Miró is sending 80 works by the Catalan artist from their collection to a moving exhibition entitled "Joan Miró. Dones, ocells, estrelles" (Joan Miró. Women, birds, stars") that will travel around Taiwan in summer 2013. The exhibition will start on June 7th in Taipei (台北) and later it will travel to Kaohsiung (高雄) and Taichung (台中). "Joan Miró. Dones, ocells, estrelles" is an exhibition that gathers paintings, sculptures, drawings and litographies of the artist, plus a group photographies that reflect the creative intensity of Joan Miró.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="446"] The Farm, by Joan Miró (1921-22). Image from Wikipedia.[/caption]

Laketània Tours ready to bring Chinese tourists to Catalonia

From http://www.laketaniatours.com/ca/blog/laketania-tours-preparada-per-portar-turisme-xines-a-catalunya/ (in Catalan)

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="144"] Laketània Tours' Chinese Tourist Welcoming Quality Host certification (image from Laketània Tours website)[/caption]

Girona-based travel agency Laketània Tours has recently been awarded with the certification "Chinese Tourist Welcoming Quality Host" (欢迎中国游客优质服务商), a label that guarantees that its staff has the adequate knowledge to deal with Chinese tourists, taking into account their preferences and cultural expectations as well as adapting their products to fit their specific requirements. Laketània Tours is the first Catalan travel agency and the second one in Europe to obtain this certification.

赫罗纳的Laketània Tours已经获得“欢迎中国游客优质服务商”的认证。这项认证代表其工作人员具备足够的知识来接待中国游客，且重视他们的喜好和文化取向，并有能力提供合适的旅行规划以符合他们的特殊需求。Laketània Tours是第一个在加泰隆尼亚地区，同时也是第二个在欧洲地区通过这项认证的旅行社。

 

Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board goes to China to look for luxury tourists

From http://www.diaridegirona.cat/comarques/2013/06/01/costa-brava-pirineu-sen-xina/619913.html (in Catalan)

Members of the Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board are travelling for the first time to Shanghai, China to attend the International Luxury Travel Market Asia, a fair that will take place between June 3rd and 6th, 2013. The goal is to promote the most touristic areas in the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees, as well as the PGA Golf Catalunya. The visiting delegation will be led by the Board's Chair, Joan Giraut, and by Taiwanese-Catalan entrepreneur Dídac Lee, who is also Director of the Technology Area (New Technologies) of the FC Barcelona, and that was interviewed by Sinalunya on June 2011. Both the Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board and the PGA Golf Catalunya have edited specific materials in Chinese to be displayed during this fair.

These are some pictures of some of the beautiful and interesting spots of the area:

[caption id="attachment_2366" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, El Port de la Selva[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2365" align="aligncenter" width="288"] Núria valley, Pyrenees[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2364" align="aligncenter" width="288"] Banyoles Lake[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2363" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Dalí Museum, Figueres[/caption]

 

Course on China's Global Trends in Barcelona

From http://www.upf.edu/estiu/cursos/2013/1542-2013/presentacio/ (in Catalan)

Between July 1st - 12th, 2013, the Barcelona-based Universitat Pompeu Fabra is organizing a summer course entitled "China Global Trends: Ten questions and ten answers about the coming China", with the professors Manel Ollé, Guillermo Martínez Taberner, Dani Madrid i Morales and Mireia Paulo.

The subjects of the program will be:

#Thinking: What do present day Chinese intellectuals think about today's China?

#History: Will there be a confrontation between China and Japan because of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands?

#Politics: To reform or not reform, is this the question for the new Chinese leaders?

#Economy: What is the level of internationalization achieved by Chinese companies?

#Innovation: Is it possible to transform the world's factory into a laboratory of ideas?

#Communication: Will internet bring democracy to China?

#Environment:  What is the strategy of the Chinese Communist Party in the environmental field?

#Society: What is the future of the "little emperors" in an aging China?

#Urbanism: Is green urban development the alternative to the Chinese urban development?

#Cinema: Which are the stories told by contemporary Chinese cinema directors?