As you drive towards inland Algarve, if the serpentines take you to Salir, you will find on one of the highest mounts of the area, the Ogyen Kunzang Chöling Buddhist center. We were given the chance to meet Tseten Khenpo, born in Thimpu (Bhutan) Master of studies and of monastic discipline. We were excited and curious to know how an eminent Buddhist Monk would react to our questionnaires. A moment of learning and simplicity.

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He came specially to meet with TGIF. Yago de Quay blinded us with science, his art mixes music and technology and only a power cut could stop him. A fine melodist and arranger, the wired boy takes us on a roller-coaster of rhythms, sounds and concepts.

Yago de Quay

No coraçao da cidade velha de Loulé esiste um jardim onde a tradiçao e a modernidade juntam-se numa dança irresistivel. Venham conhecer Paula e Marco, os afritiões, e aproveitem o toque dum lugar unico, onde a inspiração celebra a vida simples e verdadeira.

In the heart of old town Loulé is a garden bar where tradition and modernity join in an irresistible dance. Meet Paula and Marco, our hosts, and enjoy a touch of this unique place, an inspiration for the mind and a celebration of life´s true and simple things.

O Quintal on Facebook

Colonic Irrigation is a cleansing process that consists in removing feces and nonspecific toxins from the colon and intestinal tract. As TGIF supports alternative medical practice and prevention, we decided to meet hydrotherapist Shirley Emilio who made light for us on this method. An episode that we made as easy to digest as we could.

Contact SHIRLEY or call her on 917 568 851

On the 25th of June 2011 Hilton Hotel Vilamoura will host the final round of the Miss Mundo Algarve contest, a selection of the candidates is taking place all over the region to choose the girls that will be elected to go to Lisbon and might end up at the international competition in China. Adela is following the event for TGIF and tells us all there is to know about it.

Take a look at Miss Mundo Algarve on Facebook for the latest updates……Enjoy!

Imagine a world without money, where working wouldn’t be a necessity but a choice, where you would do what you are best at, what you love doing and what has a real meaning for you. Where it wouldn’t be society feeding on what it needs, dictating what it requires and turning artists into bar tenders, students into permanent trainees, great potential entrepreneurs and creators into bank assistants, pensioners into a sterile and unused force, and so on…

Imagine a world without money, where the world’s resources would be considered Humanity’s legacy, available to all, regardless of nations, religious or political views, where the mere fact of being born would give you the right to be fed, live a comfortable life and be nothing else than what you want to be. In a world like this,what would you do with your life?

In their essay “The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World”, American sociologist Paul Ray and psychologist Sherry Anderson, as a result of a long and in-depth study, point out an emerging group of individuals in modern society. Today, new ideas from inspired cultural creatives are just a click away on your internet browser. Amongst them, today’s show brings you the Zeitgeist movement and the TED conferences. The future is calling us. Enjoy…..Enjoy!

The beautiful Algarve with its flourishing diversity shelters a great amount of cultures now routed in its grounds. Sunny skies and dancing seas have attracted people from all over the world who have elected home here engaging into a marriage with the Portuguese people and the rest of the world, a marriage that we wish will always be more fruitful and always happier. TGIF is the voice of all these cultures.More than ten countries we are going to visit in tonite’s show and this without having to get on any train, plane or automobile. This is the Algarve. This is thank god it’s Friday….Enjoy!

Sao quatro rapazes , dezoito anos.Venceram o quiz night do Quintal em Loulé, e fazem o próprio TGIF. E nunca durante a nossa conversa gozaram do meu portugues ridiculo. Uma juventude Rock, mas educada…talvez.

The winners of the Wednesday quiz at O quintal in Loulé were offered to make their own TGIF episode, an occasion to meet 4 young Portuguese lads 18 giving their views on the world they live in.

Raparigas do Algarve, em este programa, as organisadoras do miss Algarve Mundo 2011, Sara e Gem, dizem tudo sobre o concurso que já esta a comencar no Algarve em este momento. Preparam-se!

A good heart can be very useful. It can help you get through two strokes like it did with Sarah, also it can generate a joyful relation to life in general and be useful to others. A reflection on death… and life.Enjoy!

Read on the net this week : “I think part of a best friend’s job is to clear your computer history when one dies.” There might be a lot of things we don’t or can’t say to each other, but every time we talk, we say something about ourselves. What makes a difference is not what we say, but what we hear. Every one is the hero of their own legend. Let the music take us to the stars of this episode, a real life comedy show. Enjoy!

KissFm Algarve has been asked many questions about what was going to change in Algarve´s first radio so it was only natural that TGIF quentched all curiosty. Part 1 : Interview with the new management of the radio in an open dialogue on their origins and perspectives : all questions asked!(see also English translation of our interview with David Santos in these pages) Part 2 : We will later join a group of ladies who were attending the opening of a hairdressing salon, the perfect place for some juicy girly talk. It appears that for many women, their hair is the most important part of their look… but not of their conversation! Enjoy!

Penetrate the gathering of business owners in the Algarve region of Portugal. Get the feel of their projections and moods and what is changing in their way to organize cooperation. With a touch of the TGIF “fly on the wall” effect and some great music, this episode brings you a welcome hint of how the spirit of togetherness is growing and does have immediate benefits. Welcome to the Business Club. Enjoy!

17 years after creating KissFm Algarve, and remembering its very first pirate broadcast, Paul Buick leaves his baby to new owners. We caught him the day he made his official goodbye to his team and for the first time he accepted to be on the other side of the microphone. Enjoy!

Special care for this episode’s Great Mix as a way to enter the new year. With the show’s usual pick of international music from south America, India, France and more. Enjoy!

We discovered that Father Christmas was staying in the Algarve before going on his Christmas marathon. After an amazing amount of research, we finally spotted him and begged an interview. Yes, he’s a terribly kind man and we are happy to bring him to you in this show. Merry Christmas to all. Enjoy!

The last episodes of the year will focus on the music of TGIF illustrated with memorable moments in the interviews we have collected. Each week, special attention is given to the craft of music selection, bringing you the result of an insatiable curiosity to discover or bring back an eclectic peak of our multi culture music planet. Enjoy!

Sequel to our Madness series, the channel brings you some of the most hilarious moments of the show. Special focus in the second half hour to the Scottish who have in their hearts and in their humour the sun sun they lack outside. Enjoy!

Considered one of the top 5 HR management gurus, Jac Fitz-Enz gave a conference in Lisbon on invitation of the Let’s talk group, leading European training institute. It was an unusual occasion for TGIF to penetrate the corporate world of top management and talk about resources and humans in general. Enjoy!

This week’s episode brings you a multitude of reactions to TGIF’s typical random questions. There are many memorable moments in the show’s history and we would like to bring them back regularly. Prepare for a variety of accents, some good lines and a stream of funny stories. Enjoy!

The Foundation KiKa is a Dutch Charity foundation that brings in fundings solely for research to childhood cancer. Very active, the foundation regularly organizes sports events for donators. This year a golf tournament took place in Quinta do Lago and TGIF mingled with the guests just before the final gala dinner. Enjoy!

The Algarve has a huge problem with unwanted stray cats and dogs. Fortunately the dog being a yes animal, he’s very popular with many who can’t afford a yes person. We have met numerous animal lovers along the episodes of TGIF so we dedicate this show to our friends the Dogs. Hoping that many of them will find a master during the winter as we know that properly trained, a person can be a dog’s best friend. Enjoy!

Flower and plants are our silent friends living in a different time measure and obeying mysterious rules and language of their own, yet they are sometimes the best way of expressing one´s feeling and some of us dedicate a great deal of time and passion cherishing them. Meet Rosie and gardner Burford who share their passion for plants with the TGIF team. We later have a talk with Zé on some aspects of Portuguese culture and some reflections on Facebook. Enjoy!

Meet Chantal who remembers every morning, every dream she’s had during the night. TGIF also speaks to Rebecca Ferrada who conducts workshops on “the power of dreams” and dutch artist Jeroen Buitenman and his surrealistic world. (Picture “Fashion victim” courtesy of J. Buitenman). Enjoy!

O Quintal, in the heart of old town Loulé, is a perfect image of the cultural rise and vivacity inland Algarve beholds. With a crowd of students, residents, artists of all horizons, there is always an atmosphere to inspire great conversations or get into an improvised jam. TGIF met with the team and their guests, amongst which Washington based vocal wonder Patrick de Santos. Enjoy!

TGIF reunited 4 women that are physically outside the “norm”, when tall, big, short and slim meet, it is a surprisingly joyful conversation that takes place. Perhaps because being freed from the dictates of the fashion magazines, which by the way show everything but the norm, made them develop other qualities. So if you are one of these, this show is for you (and your friends). Enjoy…

It is one of the oldest and largest countries in the world, it has originated Yoga, Ghandi and an explosion of colours, musics and cultures. “If there is one place where man began the dream of existence, it is India.” Discover the outstanding sound of the Land of Gods. Enjoy…

It was difficult to keep making a show based in and about the Algarve without dedicating an episode to one of its (female?) inhabitants’ favourite activities. Of course, our region hasn’t got a monopoly in this matter, and millions are made by the so called “people’s press”, however, it is remarkable how this multi-cultural melting pot becomes a tiny village when it comes to gossiping. We asked columnist and biographer Gaynor Morgan, event organizer Alisia Alao and Acca Kids president Wanda Crawford to engage in a reflection on what makes the Algarve go round: gossip! Enjoy…

It is said that the Egyptians used mud bricks to build their homes; that Pharaohs never let their hair be seen; that both men and women wore make up; that children wore no clothes until their teens; how much of this is true and why did Egyptians walk in such a stupid way? TGIF takes you on a voyage to Ancient Egypt with Algarve based Egyptologist Ros Oliveira. An occasion to discover the uncomparable scent of oriental music. Enjoy!

TGIF went on Memory Lane with British songwriter and entrepreneur Jeremy Knight and Scottish songwriter and publisher Bill Martin, amongst other guests. It was the occasion to discuss various matters like friendship, music and hear some great stories about artists and their songs. Enjoy!

One year ago TGIF met with Eileen and her friends and discussed her experience with the surgical fitting of a gastric balloon. She was to have it removed six months later. We met again with the same group and heard the sequel of one of the show’s funniest stories.Enjoy!

Considered by many a cult episode, ‘Women Aloud!’ is the first of three episodes that confronted women and men on the question of modern relationships between both sexes. What are women’s favourite conversations when no man is around, what are their opinions on men, husbands, and fathers, what are they truly most concerned about. Along with those subjects, we confronted our guests to the famous TGIF questionnaires and Laure’s sequences ‘good news bulletin’ and ‘we know something you don’t’. The result is this hilarious piece of conversation. Enjoy!

Indulging on a visit from world famous Buddha Bar resident Dj Ravin, TGIF takes us on a visit to Paris’ most extraordinary lounge club, the mythical emporium sheltering a giant Buddha facing the visitors as they walk down the stairway. The best DJs distill their musical selections to infuse this sanctuary with an indescribable sensuality and Dj Ravin, one of the craftsmen of the Buddha Bar compilations talks about his inspirations, his beliefs, life and the universe in general.

This week’s show brought together four names from the English television and sports industries, each of whom confronted with the typical TGIF questionnaire. English football icon, Alan Shearer, famous for being a ‘man of few words’ surprised everyone with his inspired and sometimes controversial answers. Actor, Tim Healy and wife, actress and TV presenter, Denise Welsh also joined us, where we have since learnt how refreshing they thought our interview was. And finally, but certainly not least, we were joined by football legendary winger, Willie Morgan who gave us an interesting look on today’s football industry.

Meet Corine Caplan, French born artist who travelled the world and now lives in the Algarve nursing close to 40 unwanted dogs in her Moncarapacho home, the loveliest French accent in the area! Amongst other stories, the man who managed to get the Express to O Porto stopping in the middle of the countryside because he had missed his station.

Charles and Silvano welcomed their guests whilst celebrating TGIF’s first anniversary at TClube in Quinta do Lago. After a lively dinner on the beautiful patio, David, Mary, Emily, Constanza and the inevitable Glynis were in the right mood for a good piece of conversation. Enjoy!

Episode 42 : Heaven’s Gate

Izzy’s in the Vale do Garao beach welcomed this week’s guests. The sea was roaring and the sun firing through giant white clouds. Regina, Ria and Joan, as if they were sitting at heaven’s gate and the nectar helping, let their spirits fly…

Episode 40 : A Distant Island

Philippos welcomes TGIF at O Grego in Loulé. As the guests Monica, Robert, James and Loris enjoy the many flavours of Greek cuisine, their conversation takes them on a distant island where they are each confronted to unexpected issues…

Episode 39 : The Soul Show

Iain welcomes TGIF at Fat Frog in Almancil. The show brings you Alicia, Nadine, Gaynor, Noreen, Jennie and Glynis. As the conversation starts on Martin Luther King, Atlanta and segregation, our Divas end up exchanging their ideas on black men…

For our very first show, Miss Bonnie Tyler accepted our invitation to support the first ‘alive’ talk show in the Algarve with an accent. Little she expected the questionnaires that were to become one of the signatures of TGIF algarve. According to Miss Tyler herself, it was one of the most surprising interviews of her career.