New York – Dec 31 2014

Join EuroCircle as we ring in 2014 in Style! Our main party for the evening will be Venue at 409!

Attire: Dress to Impress!

Highlights include:
– Premium Open Bar 9pm-2am
– Live DJ performance + Special DJ Performance
– Live DJ 2015 NYE countdown
– Midnight champagne toast
– NYE party favors
– Passed hors d’oeuvres.
Menu to be announced shortly.

This is a ticketed event – you must buy a ticket to attend! There are no refunds all sales are final!

Featured Hosts:
– Ingrid Gregus, Slovakia. Ingrid is a Health Coach and Model living in New York City.
– Alexandra Spirer, USA
– Mina Deutsch, USA Mina is the gifted designer behind the sumptuous Mina D Couture Jewelry collections. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she began her career in the New York City Diamond District, working for a high-end diamond firm for over 20 years. With her vast experience and first hand knowledge of both diamonds and semiprecious jewelry, creating her own line would come as a natural next step on her career path. http://minadjewelry.com

Celebrate this New Year’s Eve in style at The Venue at 409, New York City’s newest interpretation of upscale event space and trendy nightlife hotspot. Nestled in the heart of the Meatpacking District –epicenter of New York’s swanky nightlife – The Venue at 409 fuses Downtown Manhattan-chic and elegant exclusivity to bring you a New Year’s party brimming with fashionable partier’s and high-energy NYE revelry.

Best,
Alexandra and the EuroCircle NY Team
For any questions please email Alex at aspirer@eurocircle.com

Simon Chaput – Fine Art Photographer – France Meets New York

Simon is a very talented Photographer who lives and works in New York City – Soho.

Please introduce yourself Simon.

My name is Simon Chaput, I am a Fine Art Photographer. I am half French, half English and I was born in France. I come from Parthenay, a small medieval town located between the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. I was lucky to travel around Europe in my young years and that opened my mind to the world. I grew up spending a lot of my free time in the outdoors and became a hard core sailing instructor in southern Brittany at the age of 16.

I studied to become a veterinarian. These studies were interrupted when I was drafted to do my compulsory military service that I spent as a sailing instructor in Tahiti, (there are worst places to be sent I must admit)…. After my return and a two year interruption, I was not able to get back to my studies. I opened a gallery in my home town and thanks to a friend of mine who backed my first exhibition with works borrowed from the Maeght Gallery in Paris, my opening show in the mid seventies was with works by Miro, Calder, Pol Bury and more.

I came to New York in 1983 for a week to help one of my artists find a gallery, as he did not speak English. I immediately fell in love with the energy of the city and went back to France to close my gallery and have been living in Soho ever since.

Who in photography inspires you and why? What style of photography do you focus on? What specific genres?

When I was a young boy, I devoured photography publications and was first inspired by Bill Brandt, Jean Loup Sieff, and Heiko Hosoe. I have always been drawn to dark images and high contrast in black and white photography.

I had my first darkroom when I was 12 years old and still shoot film and develop and print myself today.

In all my work, I give huge importance to the negative space that is essential in anchoring it. The intense blacks make the whites sing and the contrast of the two brings a sacred quality to the photographs.

If you could work with any person living or not who would it be and why?

Salman Rushdie is one of my favorite writers and I would love to collaborate with him on a book with his writing and my photos.

I have also long admired the architect John Pawson’s work, his thoughtful minimal design style is very similar to mine and would love to find a way to work with him on a project.

What is your favorite place that you have traveled to?

I love traveling and have been fortunate to travel across many countries, but my favorite place would be Ireland. That is where my “Waterfall” series originated and from spending time exploring the whole island, I was able to experience the hospitable Irish way of life. The weather, the very special light and the landscape visually inspired me, and the Guinness paired with fish and chips were just amazing.

In your leisure time, what do you prefer doing – and where?

In New York, my wife and I enjoy having friends over for dinner, riding a bike in the city and playing tennis under the Williamsburg bridge.

You have done many things in your life. What is your best work or accomplishment in your opinion?

Having had the tenacity and obsession with photography that allowed me to be able to return to my first passion.

If money was not an issue what would you like to do? Where/how would you live and why?

It would not change that much in my life, New York will always be my home, but it would allow me to travel more for my photography to capture these places that I have been wanting to shoot. I would also stock up on film and paper before they disappear to continue printing in the darkroom.

You currently live in Soho. When did you move there & what are your favorite cafes, restaurants, art galleries in NYC?

I have lived in Soho since moving to NYC in 1983. Back then there were very few lights on the streets, only a handful of shops and restaurants, mainly artists living here and a thriving Art Scene with hundreds of galleries. It was exciting to be a part of it.

I am still very attached to places in Soho that were here when I arrived like Raoul’s, Fanelli’s, and Omen. Since then many new places have opened up and become classics for me, Balthazar, Blue Ribbon, and Sant Ambroeus. I generally stay downtown for restaurants, but I will go uptown for Italian at “Antonucci’s”. Francesco has become a friend and also makes a superb foie gras.

The Rubin Museum is a wonderful place to see Asian themed art, it is an intimate museum and not overwhelming. Right now they have a great show with Marc Riboud’s photographs until March 2015.

One of my favorite musuems is the Isamu Noguchi Museum, a gem and a haven of piece where works of this great artist, who influenced me greatly, can be admired in the most perfect setting.

You worked with the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Please tell us about your experiences with them?

I met Jeanne-Claude and Christo my second week living in New York and started working with them on their projects the next day, it has been an ongoing life changing experience. Since 1983 I have worked in different capacities as needed on “The Pont Neuf Wrapped”, “The Umbrellas”, “Wrapped Reichstag”, “Wrapped Trees”, “The Gates”, and a work in progress “Over the river” and have collaborated on many installations of their exhibitions in museums around the world for the last 30 years. They became friends, mentors, family and a constant inspiration.

Any recommendations of things to do in your home country or NYC nobody should miss?

I would recommend enjoying a laidback day with friends and family in the summer on Governor’s Island. After a 10 minute ferry ride, you have great views of Downtown NYC and the Statue of Liberty. The Island is perfect for a picnic and a bike ride amongst nature and history.

Do you see yourself more European or American at this point?

I see myself as a New Yorker, which I think is a nice combination of both Europe and America.

Anything else you would like to share with us?

I would like to share this beautiful Elliott Erwitt’s quote: ”Photography is an art of observation, it has very little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them”.

Connect with Simon:
www.simonchaput.com
simonchaput.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simon-Chaput-Photography
http://www.howardgreenberg.com/#artists/19

Sonny Sarna – From London to LA doing high tech recruitment

We wanted to take a moment to get to know Sonny Sarna, who recently joined EuroCircle Los Angeles team. Sonny is from London – let’s get to know him in his own words.

Hi Sonny, who are you in your own words?

Born and bred in London, England. I moved to LA in the summer of 2013, having previously lived in Philadelphia for 2 years. I’ve been involved in the Recruitment/Sales industry for the past 10 years and was bought onto co manage 2 recruitment search firms, ViGjobs and Tech in a Haystack – both highly tech focused. We’re heading up the recruitment efforts for the amazing start-ups community on our doorstep – The Silicon Beach, as well as continuing working with clients worldwide.

What do you enjoy most about LA, now when you have more experience, how’s the quality of life compared to the UK?

London is an amazing place to grow up, live, have a business, HOWEVER… the weather is only good for a few days in the summer. Compare that to the life in London, ummmmm where do I start – “the weather, the opportunities, the people, the lifestyle, the food, the cars, did I mention the weather” in LA……Mama Mia! (that’s why I’m here and staying for good 🙂

Where is your family now?

I have family in the East Coast (Philly and Jersey) and in England. I miss all of my friends, but have definitely started to make more connections out here and building on my friends list. I’m a people person, so if you see me, come up and say hi!

What is important to you in life – money, food, family, hobbies, friends, travel — Why??

Money is very important to me, especially being in a Sales environment. My family, friends and career are extremely important to me and I am so happy to have them in my life. I’m an amazing cook, like really amazing. I’ve been cooking since I was 2 years old :-), just kidding, I couldn’t reach the gas till I was 4 🙂

Since I moved to LA, I’ve become an expert hiker, biker, liker of lots of new things. There’s not much I dislike.

What would you like anyone know and appreciate about your country? (food, music, culture, people, history)

We are very straight forward – almost blunt about everything we say or do. Yes, we can be loud and sometime come across rude, but its just how the culture is in London. We are hardworking, very innovative and always get the job done. Food is amazing, I mean Fish and Chips, Sausage Rolls, Marmite, Rhubarb Crumble and Custard, how can I forget the most important Chocolate – OMG 🙂

Just to throw it out there, Tea has to be English, my favourite is PG Tips. Stay away from Lipton.

What is your favorite food?

I am a big foodie and love to check out the restaurants with friends and try new cuisines. (I probably should prefer Indian food since my heritage is Indian, but LA is struggling with a good Indian restaurant, certainly nothing like England) I like cooking all sorts, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian and sometime even I don’t know how to describe it, but it taste brilliant!

Could you share with us what are your plans for the Future?

Lots of plans for the future. I’m single – so find a girlfriend/wife, learn to surf, jump off a plane, become an IndyCar Driver and yeah – start a food truck!

Seriously though, I want to grow our Recruitment Business and build a name in the market for what we do. I want to be involved with new ventures, both local and international. I want to invest time, money and energy into things that I enjoy, things that I believe will better our lives and the lives of our future generations. And did I mention I wanna start a food truck 🙂

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

That’s a tough question. I love London and would immediately go back, but rather go to Barcelona or Venice. It oasis culture, fashion, food, friendly people and they love the Brits…

I love Europe in general, the culture, the people, the food BUT I wouldn’t be in Los Angeles if I had any thoughts of moving from here. I’m here to stay LA, you’ll definitely see me around.

If you were granted a wish – what would it be?

HAPPINESS… 🙂

Connect with Sonny via the EuroCircle membership forums OR

www.linkedin.com/in/sonnysarna
www.facebook.com/sonnysarna

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Los Angeles – Dec 18 2014

Let’s toast and say Goodbye 2014 and toast to a Healthy, Wealthy and Exciting 2015 full of Joy and Happiness!
Join us at the Ray’s & Stark Bar for a Mediterranean-inspired menu includes dishes from the restaurant’s wood-burning oven and grill, with an emphasis on farm-to-table and seasonal fare AND enjoy some seasonal cocktails, a California-centric wine list, and artisan beers and spirits.
We’re told that they’re going to do something special for us on the night… guess you’ll have to come and see for yourself. 🙂

See you ALL there.

Cheers,

Sonny Yo Yo Sarna and Tanya Stawski Shamtoub

PS: Parking available from 7pm until close | LACMA garage on 6th Street & Fairfax Avenue (Underground)

New York – Dec 19 2014


Photos credit to Frank Caprino

Celebrate the Holiday Season at our Annual Holiday Party at this hip hotspot!

NO COVER with online RSVP by 4 pm on December 19!
There will be  Eurotini’s and Holidaytini’s on special throughout the night. Food is available for purchase.

Attire: Dress to impress

Featured Hosts:

Malena Belafonte, Denmark – www.malenabelafonte.com

Ahmet Bodur, Turkey

Raylette Smith, USA

We hope you will join us for a fun night out!

Best,

Alexandra & EuroCircle NY TEAM
EuroCircle New York Facebook GROUP
Like Us at /www.facebook.com/eurocircle

Stay Tuned for our NYE Party – details to be posted on the site soon!

San Francisco – Dec 05 2014

EuroCircle and NLBorrels Present Dutch Saint Nicholas Party with a Euro PC Twist!

The Time of Judgement has come.
Are you good or bad, the Sint will determine.
This party is filled with gezelligheid.
No cover, just bring some Traditional Sint Candy
(Pepernoten, Marzepijn, Chocolade letters) If you eat all the lekkernij a little donation would be nice as the Sint is watching!!!

6PM SINTERKLAAS & NL & Happy Hour Music

8PM 80’s, INTERNATIONAL DANCE, TOP HITS

9PM TIESTO, HARDWELL, MORENO, QUINTINO, DJ JEAN, PAUL ELSTAK, CHARLIE LOWNOISE, MENTAL THEO, ARMIN VAN BUUREN, SHOWTEK, 4 BROTHERS ON THE 4TH FLOOR, 2 MANY DJ’S, BEN LIEBRAND, FEDDE LE GRAND, SANDER VAN DOORN, FERRY CORSTEN, 2 UNLIMITED, VENGABOYS, MARTIN GARRIX, CHUCKIE, AFROJACK, SIDNEY SAMSON, 2 FACED LIARS, DIABLO, JORIS VOORN, PATRICK JUMPEN, PATRICK HAGENAAR, LEX VAN COEVORDEN, AND GUUS MEEUWISSEN, 🙂
That is an all Dutch Force Line up:)

Gezelligheid as you can drink beer and wine in the alley!
TERRASJE PIKKEN, JA TOCH!!!

Houston – Dec 09 2014

Let us welcome the Holly Jolly Holiday Season surrounded with the warmth and laughter of friends by joining the H-town Euro Circle @ True Food Kitchen.

For this occasion, let’s have a White Elephant activity where each one of us will bring a token (USD 10 cap) to be exchanged amongst ourselves. A fun idea is perhaps to bring something that will represent one’s culture/country/ or your heart’s desires!!!

Your hostesses Venere Vitiello, Shahla Hosseini, Mary Beth Snodgrass, and Juliana Moreira look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

We would like to thank all of you for the wonderful times that we have shared in 2014 and to be continued in 2015…… Wishing you and yours a safe and festive holiday season.

Austin – Dec 04 2014

Photos by Rafael Vela.  EuroCircle Austin group at FACEBOOK has more photos there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/35431344432/10152932602449433/

This is the season to celebrate love and friendships and to be jolly. Let those special to you known you appreciate them by coming out for a drink or two before we all go a thousand different ways. Let’s kick off the season right! So come join EuroCircle for the last event for the year at Whisler’s bar on East 6th and join old friends and make new ones. Happy holidays to all!!

***This is also an unofficial 4th anniversary celebration for EuroCircle AUSTIN (Nov 20 2010)

Whistler’s Happy Hour includes with a wide selection of White and Red wines in addition to $6 specialty cocktails like:
– Moscow Mule: vodka, lime, ginger beer
– Whistler’s Old Fashioned: rye whiskey, demerara syrup, angostura bitters
– Aviation: gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, lemon
– High Plains Drifter: tequila, campari, lime, honey syrup
– Hemingway Daquiri: rum, maraschino liqueur, grapefruit & lime
– Brown Derby: bourbon, grapefruit, honey syrup

Hope to see all of you there, hopefully in your cheesiest holiday sweater 🙂

Adnan & Szilvia

“The secret formula for Whisler’s? A thoughtful and unpretentious approach to cocktails, and a large space perfectly balanced between an intimate interior and a large, lively patio scene.” AustinEater

BRITISH CONSULATE IS PLEASED TO INVITE YOU
STEMFEST at Abercorn International School on the morning of 12 December from 9:00-10:30am. More info at our forums and EuroCircle Austin Facebook group. RSVP: haileigh.meyers@mobile.ukti.gov.uk by 5 December

EuroCircle Austin group at FACEBOOK (more photos there):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/35431344432/10152932602449433/

Shalini Komarla – From India to Austin with Diversity = AIN

We have tried our best to feature other ethnic groups, more the Europeans, in Austin. This time we wanted to feature AIN which sounds a bit Asian but stands for Austin Intercultural Network – and its current local leader Shalini Komarla from India.

Please introduce yourself ?

Hi! My name is Shalini Komarla and I was born and brought up in India. I came to Austin, Tx almost 20 years ago, with 2 bags, and an unfaltering determination to make a life for myself…and never looked back since!

I started my career in hi-tech as a programmer and worked my way up to various leadership positions in hi-tech companies including Rackspace, BMC Software and Allianz. I currently serve as the Executive Director of Austin Intercultural Network (a non-profit that aims to celebrate and promote diversity in the community) and am on the Board of Directors of AFSSA (formerly SAHELI), a non-profit organization that provides assistance to Asian and other immigrant families dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking issues. I live in beautiful West Austin with my wonderful husband, 2 amazing kids and my adorable dog.

What did your parents do and where are they now?

My father was a Brigadier in the Indian Army where he served for 30+ years and he passed away in 1999. My mother was mostly a home maker and now spends her time between India and the USA, spending quality time with her grandkids.

When and why did you move to USA , where have you lived before that – how did you choose those cities/career?

I grew up in India and studied Computer Science. I moved to Austin in February of 1995, straight out of college and with a job offer to work as a consultant to IBM. At that time, the hi tech industry was booming and the dot com bubble was just starting to form. It’s been upward and onward from there!

What do you love about Austin?

There is so much to love about this city! I love the beautiful hills of West Austin and Zilker Park and Town Lake. Austin is a melting pot and you can find people from all around the world living here. It’s great to come across and learn about all the different cultures and how international our city is becoming. I also enjoy the live music scene and eclectic vibe of the SOCO district.

Usually there are some negatives, what are the ones for Austin that really stand out for you personally?

For me personally, I dislike the allergies and in more recent years, the congested roadways and traffic related issues during peak hours.

What is important to you in life — Why? Since you are more multicultural in my opinion you may have more varied likes/dislikes.

My family is very important to me and they are my priority! We love to go on vacations together and enjoy going on adventures. I love to sing and dance! I am a Bollywood dancer and keep my passion alive by performing occasionally in and around the Austin area. I also enjoy meeting new people and learning about other cultures and AIN provides me the perfect opportunity to do so.

Where is home for you outside US? And how often do you go back home? What do you miss the most – and the least?

Austin is home for me now, and my mother’s home in New Delhi, India is my home away from home. I try and visit every 2-3 years, though I wish I could go back every year! I miss my extended family, my cousins, but thanks to Facebook and Skype, the past few years I am able to see them and keep in touch with them more frequently, without having to visit them and deal with the pollution and traffic…it’s really bad!

What is your favorite food/s and drink?

I don’t have a favorite cuisine but generally I like spicy food (surprise! surprise!…LOL!). Oh and I love a cup of hot Chai Tea and am always up for grabbing some with a friend!

What would you like anyone know and appreciate about your country? (food, music, culture, people, history….)

India is an extremely diverse country. The people from the different parts of India speak different languages, follow different religions and customs, cook different kinds of food and wear different types of clothing. However the hospitality, friendliness and warmth of the Indian people resonates everywhere and is much appreciated by everyone, especially visitors.

Would you ever return to live there full-time?

Frankly, I have no idea.

Would you share with us what are your plans for the future?  

I want to continue to serve the community, bring people together and make a difference in their lives. At AIN, we are planning an International Fashion Show (March 2015) and an International Festival in Austin (November 2015), in collaboration with other local organizations. This festival is an opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of the Austin community by bringing different cultural groups together. At some point next year, I will launch my own business, but it’s a little too early to discuss that.

What is it in life that makes you happy or content – that means different stuff for all of us.

I look forward to my meditations each morning – they help me stay connected with my inner self and help me stay focused on what truly matters to me. I also enjoy walking my dog, which I find very therapeutic and relaxing. It makes me happy to spend time with my family, especially the weekends. I cherish the time I spend with my friends – we talk about anything and everything over a good glass of wine. I like to meet people and I love to dance and read when I can. I am so grateful for every new day and for the opportunity to live life and realize my dreams!

Anything else you would like to share with us?

I met Mother Teresa during my younger days back in school in India. She visited our school for an annual day celebration and was giving out awards, and I was lucky to receive an award from her and shake her hands. It was a profound moment that I will never forget…

Connect with Shalini Komarla:

Shalini at LinkedIn
AIN at Facebook
Shalini at Facebook
AIN website

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Atlanta – Dec 03 2014

Please mark your calendars – we will have EuroCircle’s Holiday Mixer on Wednesday, December 3rd at Cinebistro Town Brookhaven. We have had our event there a few times in the past and always had a great turnout.

We will have free appetizers on hand and free parking is plentiful all around the venue.

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving !

EuroCircle Atlanta  team