Everyone loves to witness a shooting star. And no, I don’t mean in the astronomy sense (though, who doesn’t get a thrill out of seeing one of those rare wonders?!) I mean a rising talent. Which is why I’m over the moon (‘scuse the astronomy pun) to be able to say I’ve observed the evolution of not just one star, but four. These stars go by the names, Tim Douglas, Will Lete, Terry Lake and Leigh Herbert, and together they make The Final Cut – a Mornington Peninsula bred, progressive Indie/Rock band that is ready to be propelled into the musical stratosphere. From humble backyard beginnings, to playing sets at renowned music venues around Melbourne, The Final Cut is
By Alexandra Oke
bound for spectacular things. In the lead up to their highly anticipated EP launch at famed music venue The HiFi, I had a chance to speak to drummer Will Lete – the talented ‘backbone’ of the group who was more than happy to share their journey to success. When asked what influences the boys’ signature sound, Will describes the diversity that resonates throughout the group. ‘All of us in the band tend to listen to a wide variety of music - from today’s stuff to 70’s classics, rock and dance. I think all those influences come through when we write our songs. Having such a broad influence gives our songs a bit of uniqueness about them.’ Their last record, Places, was well received throughout the industry and general public,
generating positive feedback on the Triple J Unearthed website, and attracting large crowds to the bands’ gigs. This time ‘round, the guys have been working tirelessly on their forthcoming EP, devoting nearly 12 months of pre-production and recording at various studios around Melbourne. ‘We started off recording drums and bass at Pony Music in Cranbourne. They have an awesome selection of instruments that we used use and were much better than our own!’ said Will. ‘After that, we went and recorded vocals, guitars and touched up the drums abduction bass at Soggy Dog Studios in Upwey - awesome name right?!’ +
The band also enlisted the help of some notable pros in the industry, namely Steve Vertigan, a well-known musician, engineer and author who has performed and recorded with many national and international artists.
a little bit nerve-racking as well. This is probably the biggest place we’ve ever played, so we’re hoping for a big turn out. Our booking agent keeps having dreams where no one turns up, so make sure to get down there!”
so a manager would make life a lot easier!” Will says. “An interstate tour would be good to get our name out there as well. But we’re just focusing on this launch at the moment. If this goes really well, who knows what the future may hold.”
“Steve has worked with a lot of high profile people in the past so it was a bit of an honour really. He’s a really nice guy as well”, says Will.
After receiving an overwhelming response from their social media invitation the boys had a great crowd for their gig at The HiFi and later wrote to their fans ‘To Everyone who came out last night we can’t thank you enough!’
I couldn’t agree more. Having witnessed the boys develop over the years, I’m eager to see what’s in store for the gifted foursome. The universe is their oyster.
After performing at venues such as Revolver, The Espy and the now defunct East Brunswick Club, the band were ecstatic about being able to debut their new tracks in front of an audience at The HiFi bar in Melbourne. “It was a bit of a shock actually”, Will says. “I can’t believe we actually got the venue! It’s
When asked what’s in store for the future of The Final Cut, Will explained their ambitious prospects. “We’re really hoping this new EP will secure us some management. We’ve basically done everything by ourselves so far,
For more info on the boys and any upcoming gigs head to their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ tfcmusic
My mom is clueless when it comes to new slang. She still says things like ‘coolio’ and ‘that’s the bomb’ with little to no understanding of what it actually means. Usually I find it amusing and let it slide, but when she called me and told me she ‘hooked up with Uncle Ronnie this weekend’ I was quick to correct her. ‘Mom, you did not ‘hook up’ with Uncle Ronnie.’ ‘No, but I did! We had lunch over the weekend when I was upstate.’ As I’m sure most of you are well aware, ‘hooking up’ means something very different from just getting together to hang out with someone (although that’s usually how it starts.) Hooking up, as defined on Urbandictionary.com is “Any form of getting some type of [sexual] action, such as making out, feeling things, oral pleasure, or sex. A ‘hook up’ is what’s referred to as doing those things when you’re not [formally dating] the person”
A Qualitative Analysis Though hooking up has existed on college campuses for as long as there’s been alcohol, it seems it has never been quite so prevalent, or at least not openly so. Some students even feel that hooking up has replaced the dating scene altogether. Recently Kathleen Bogle conducted a study on the col-
lege hook up culture, entitled, ‘Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus’ based on a qualitative analysis of data gathered from many interviews at both a small private university and a large public university in the United States. Her findings explain some surprising things that you probably already know, like defining ‘friends with benefits’ (friends who hook up but don’t have romantic feelings for one another), and ‘booty calls’ (when you call someone to hook up with). But perhaps one of the most interesting findings of the study is that a lot of college students themselves aren’t really clear on the parameters of this culture. It’s as if someone threw away a gigantic rule book and said, ‘Eh, let’s just play it by ear.’ Bogle writes, ‘When I asked students to explain how someone would end up hooking up with someone with whom they had no prior sexual interaction, they would often answer by saying, ‘alcohol’ or ‘I don’t know, it just happens.’ In fact, the answers to most of her questions were confused mumblings and explanations of how it depends on the situation. But the main problems Bogle identified were these:
Vague Vernacular The term ‘hooking up’ is vague. Students gage what is normal behavior based on stories from their peers, so when you’re not really sure if your peers are kissing or having sex every weekend, it makes a difference. People might choose to go further during a hookup than they would have otherwise based on what they assume their friends mean by ‘hooking up.’
Those Darn Emotions Additionally, many women in the study admitted to developing feelings for men with whom they were consistently hooking up. But much to their dismay, according to Bogle, ‘Too much sexual interaction in the early stages of meeting someone was seen as ruining any chance you might otherwise have to pursue a relationship with that person.’ This puts women with a sex drive in the unfortunate situation of having to sleep with people they don’t actually like if they want instant gratification, and hold out with the guys they’re attracted to the most.
Avoiding Being ‘The Slut’ The ‘passé’ dating scene was much more give-and-take. The man would take the woman out, and a relationship would develop before any sexual activity took place. It was almost as if sex was the motivating factor for dating. With casual random hookups becoming so common on college campuses, men are finding fewer reasons to commit to a relationship. So why do women seem to want relationships more than men do? The study has a few explanations for that too, and it’s not the evolutionary ‘Men want to spread their seed’ reasoning that you might expect. It’s the sexual double standard that men and women face. If a guy has a lot of sexual partners, he is perceived as being cool, whereas if a girl has many sexual partners, she is seen as a ‘whore’ and gets a bad reputation. We can talk all we want about women’s sexual liberation, but as long as that stigma is there, women are hardly sexually liberated. Sexually active women in the hook up culture usually opt to avoid that bad reputation by hooking up with the same person again and again, although that usually results in attachment and heartbreak over time. Many of the women in the study grew sick of the hook up culture, and toward the end of their college career were looking for more substantial relationships. However, with the dating scene growing increasingly rare, they felt obligated to hook up and leave the fate of the relationship in the hands of the guy. What that leads to is a male dominated relationship culture.
The female bargaining tool of sex becomes less persuasive when it can be easily found elsewhere, allowing the man in a multiplehook-up situation to dictate the entire future of the relationship. Many times these types of relationships have no definitive end. As one interview in the study explains: ‘Rebecca: …I think most girls want to try to find [or] stick with one guy so they can pretend they’re dating them. I do it all the time. I haven’t had a boyfriend yet, but I’ve had two fake boyfriends…You can kind of think that you’re together because you think you’re the only one in his
life and he seems to care about you, you know?...You can kind of just make believe that [you’re together], like whatever he says you can twist it around to make it seem like something else. And all your friends are telling you that he loves you and that you are bound to be married, but you’re never [truly] together. So, it’s kind of that whole fake relationship thing. Bogle: When do you figure out that you’re not really together? Rebecca: Umm, when there’s another girl.’
What A Girl Wants Ultimately, it seems the best solution is also one of the hardest: Deciding what you really want out of a situation. It sounds simple enough; if hooking up leaves you with that used, pit-in-your-stomach ‘I’ll hate myself if he doesn’t call’ feeling, it’s probably not what you’re actually after. While the hook up culture may seem dominant in the media and going out scene, that doesn’t mean there’s no other options available for meeting people. Simply giving out a number can go a long way, usually even further than immediately going home with someone, although it never really makes for quite as good a story at breakfast with your girlfriends the next day. And for the girls who aren’t ready to settle, don’t let chauvinist name-calling dictate your selfidentity. As my Mother always says, “Sweetie, you’ve been sitting around the house too much. Why don’t you go out and hook up with some of your friends?”
Have you experienced ‘hook up’ situations like this? Are you looking to settle, or just want to have fun? Do you think dating is out-dated? Write in to letterstovaleriemag@gmail. com and share your thoughts!
FASHION FACINATION Living in a city as magical as the Emerald City, it can be hard not to get caught up in the illusions and glamorous portrayal of Sydney. Close to the other great fashion capitals of the world (well, materially of course), Sydney has earned its glitzy reputation. People will argue that fashion is an expression of individuality, but what I have been discovering is that social compliance also has a major influence over what we wear and how we express ourselves. Parading down George Street with the likes of Prada and Chanel tempting me, I decided to test my temptation and walk through the enormous glass doors of Louis Vuitton. Of course, the doors were opened for me by the immaculately dressed doormen. I immediately felt a sense of intimidation as I waltzed around the stylish store. As a university student without the privilege of extremely wealthy parents, I knew that I couldn’t afford any of the price tags, but I still chose to torture myself, why? A part of me secretly wishes I could afford luxury designer labels but another part wanted other people to believe it also.
Individual or everywhere? Back at University, you can almost be sure that every second person is toting the iconic Louis Vuitton design. Not only is this handbag a statement of wealth and fashion, it’s also an expression of
individuality and an insight into who the person transporting the bag is. But if fashion is an expression of individuality, then why is the most common (designer) brand handbag being shown around campus on numerous students, the exact same make and pattern? It can’t truly be possible that every single one of those students like the same pattern and design and truly thinks it is a representation of their ‘individual’ style. If it’s everywhere how can it be individual? I think when it comes down to designer brands and popular fashion items, is it more what the bag means and represents that prompts people to carry it. So it is reasonable to question whether the bag and fashion is really an expression of individuality or if the design is really just obviously recognizable to the public eye, therefore making a social statement. Fashion is a means of self-expression that allows people to try on many roles in life. However, it can often be steered by social compliance. In order to be deemed as a fashionable person, an individual will adopt the latest trends. So in this sense, is fashion really influenced by an expression of individuality or rather social compliance?
What about the rest of us? I look down at what I’m wearing, jeans and dull coloured jumper. I
reflect on why I made the choice to wear what I did and realise that besides it being a uni day and the weather being quite cold, my outfit choice mirrored my mood; lazy and unmotivated to do anything but be back in bed. In that sense, my choice of clothing for the day was a means of self-expression. But in saying that, I had also made the effort to polish my look so I wouldn’t scare any of the students, so in a way social compliance also played a minor role.
Think before we dress
Work environments are another example of where social norms can influence your dress sense more so than your creative individuality. For every creative industry there are just as many industries that don’t allow their employees to wear whatever they feel like to the office. Some workplaces have strict rules about clothing, right down to the colour shade of your shoes. So it’s no wonder that some of us go on autopilot when it comes to getting dressed each morning. So next time you roll out of bed, stumble towards your wardrobe and decide on something to wear, ask yourself are you wearing what you picked because it’s an expression of you and how you’re feeling? Or is it to fit in with society’s expectations?
A cat bandana, a metallic crop top and an Amy Winehouse wig: these three items may seem unrelated, but they are an example of some of the purchases I have made online in the last month. I admit I have a problem. I am an online shopping addict. However, with National Australia Bank research recently revealing the online retailing industry profits have increased by over 24% in the last year, it’s clear I’m not alone. Online shopping has exploded, not just in Australia but globally. I should know; I am a loyal devotee. I have been in a committed relationship with eBay and Amazon for as long as I can remember, and have recently welcomed clothing websites ASOS, boohoo and The ICONIC to my trusted group of online companions. I like to buy things, you see. Lots of things. Some because I need them, most because I want them; the majority just because I have an extra few dollars in my bank account that I didn’t spend on my daily decaf cappuccino. The appeal of the web is that I have the entire shopping world at the tips of my dangerously active fingers. While a small portion of my online purchases are a success,
many are failures. From Amazon I bought a witch outfit for Halloween that turned out to be some kind of erotic negligee. I have bought three dresses from ASOS in the last month, with only one of them actually fitting. An eBay seller led me to believe I had purchased women’s vintage shoes from an unclear photograph. They turned out to be men’s hard yakka style workman boots. So why, despite the often dubious results of my purchases, do I keep logging back in, and what is it about online shopping that is so alluring? According to PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia research, online shopping is expected to generate sales of $16 billion in 2012 alone and is set to reach up to $26.9 billion by 2016. One part of this shift from ‘real’ retail stores to those in cyber space can be attributed to smart phones, which the same study revealed are increasing online purchases even further. ‘Over a quarter (26 per cent) of online purchases are now made on mobile devices, compared with 21 per cent last year, and this is expected to drive continued growth in online shopping,’ they claim.
I for one have very much embraced this new technological addition to online shopping. Since my smart phone was first put in my credit card wielding hands, applications such as eBay, Amazon and ASOS have become a permanent fixture on my home screen. I have come to call ad breaks ‘eBay breaks’, utilising any spare time I have scrolling through pages looking for my next ‘must buy’- which is usually some kind of True Blood paraphernalia or cat shaped mug. What draws people into shopping online is the accessibility it gives the consumer to such a diverse range of shopping, all in privacy, away from judgement and second guessing. This is where I most often fall victim to impulse purchasing. A recent User Interface Engineering study on shopping habits, found that 40% of online sales were made on impulse. The research also revealed that: ‘All the impulse purchases were for different items, none of which were special promotions or products on sale. Instead, they were all just items that the shoppers thought of while shopping for other items.’
The nature of the online shopping world lends itself to a wider array of choices, especially if you are searching by category. Many a time I’ve been scrolling through the pages of Amazon for ‘Movies & TV ’ and ended up buying something I never thought of to begin with –entire series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, anyone? While nothing feeds my addiction like adding an item to my cart and not knowing exactly what will arrive at my door, I’m starting to think it may not be worth the price of the gamble. The money wasted on the trial and error of online might be better spent in a store, where I know exactly what my money is paying for. If I continue down this path who knows where I may end up. United States based organisation, the Addiction Help Centre, talks about the risks of
online shopping as a dangerous outlet where consumers can shop for never ending periods of time. Shopping online can often be misleading and financially hazardous. ‘Because people don’t cap their online experience by leaving with clothes or CDs or books, they find they need to make a larger number of buys to reach that shopping high,’ they state on their website. So while I will remain loyal to my old pals Amazon, eBay
and ASOS, perhaps next time before hitting the ‘Buy it Now’ button I should judge an item online as I would in a store. But then again, how can I be expected to log out when sparkly rainbow ski boots are only a mouse click away?
Who doesn’t love Seth Cohen? With his top button done, his quirky one liners and music taste, he’s a better alternative than that shell-necklace-wearing, water polo playing, pretty boy Luke. The OC is the television show that I believe started the transformation from geek to chic (pronounced ‘sheek’) in Australia. In case you don’t understand what I’m talking about you may want to look around and notice all the glasses, cardigans, skinny jeans (and for some reason the colour maroon?) that are becoming very popular amongst males and our ongoing agenda to be ‘cool’. If this were the ’90s we’d probably laugh at their ridiculous attire and tell them to go and kick a footy. Sure, fashion and trends change constantly over time but the transformation from geek to chic has been one of the biggest, with people who in the past would’ve been teased and ridiculed for being ‘nerdy’ and ‘weird’ are now becoming ‘indy’, ‘alternative’ and ‘cool’. Our love for all things nerdy has become more prominent of late with the new season of Big Brother and its popular housemate Bradley. Bradley is all things nerdy: glasses, extremely skinny, virgin, superhero fanatic and even a speech impediment. But everyone loves him. Within minutes of him entering the Big Brother
house, Facebook exploded with fan pages. Bradley has even made fun of fellow housemate Ryan who is a model by profession. When it comes to voting out a model or a nerd it’s easy to see which way the votes will swing due to Australia’s new found love for all things geeky. And Big Brother isn’t the only television show embracing the geek. Shows such as The Inbetweeners, The Big Bang Theory and Beauty and the Geek had already started taking over our screens with lovable, nerdy characters. Melbourne in particular has embraced the geek considerably through its culture and fashion. Labelled as the ‘culture capital’ of Australia, we are the first ones to catch on to a trend and embrace it wholeheartedly. I’ve observed this during my time living on campus at La Trobe University in Bundoora, with the arrivals of international students from the US. The American students are generally sporty, wear baggy jeans, a t-shirt and a cap. When compared to our Melbourne boys wearing tight jeans, buttoned up collared shirts and fringes that stick out at weird angles, it’s clear to see the transformation between what Australians used to think was ‘cool’ to our now completely different perception.
And it’s not only the boys who are getting into the spirit. Girls have ditched the hipster jeans and mini skirts for skinny jeans, blouses and cardigans. What used to be seen as boyish and geeky has now transformed into stylish and cute. But it doesn’t stop at the fashion. Melbourne’s nightlife, restaurants and cafés have also embraced the geek, bringing quirky themes and unusual delights into the limelight. Going out for coffee has become more of an act of ‘coolness’ than to simply settle the cravings for caffeine and if you Instagram a photo of your coffee, your coolness is automatically increased by 20 per cent. The transformation from geek to chic has been a slow but sure one, with all things quirky and alternative going full speed ahead in Melbourne. It’s now OK to wear glasses, especially if you don’t need them and everyone now knows what the colour maroon is. I love the geek, so let’s keep on being geeky. And for all you geek haters out there, you can blame Seth Cohen.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Well! I am a singer song-writer from the Sunshine Coast. I started writing songs about 3 years ago (around the age of 13) and have been singing from the moment I could talk. I moved up to Brisbane at the beginning of this year to start getting my music heard by anyone who might feel connected to such a sound. As cliché as it sounds, I love music and couldn’t think of anything better than making a living out of playing my music, which is what I love doing more than anything in the world!
You recently won a Queensland Music Award for your song “You Could Be Happy”. What is the song about? I wrote You Could Be Happy for a friend of mine who always found something bad in every situation and was therefore never happy with anything. I sang it to him hoping that maybe it would open his eyes and show him that there’s always something to smile about even if you can’t see it right now. I was so excited and couldn’t believe that I got nominated in the Queensland Music Awards! It’s an amazing feeling getting a response like that from such highly respected industry professionals.
Where do you get the inspiration for your songs? My songs are inspired by different situations, people and experiences that I (or someone I know) have gone through. Most of my songs are about finding the good in a bad situation and believing in who you are and not letting anyone convince you that you should be ashamed or any different than who you are.
You were recently announced on the line-up for the 2012 Caloundra Music Festival. Is there any performer in particular that you can’t wait to meet?
I’m so excited to play at Caloundra Music Festival! Ever since I was little my favourite band has been the Cat Empire and now I’m on the same line up as them. So as you can imagine if I do meet them at the festival it’s going to be hard to not act like a 16 year old fan girl.
Are your family supportive of your music? My family are the people who have believed in me from the very beginning. Ever since I was little they took me to shows to inspire me and told me that one day I could play on the big stage if I kept practicing and believing in my own music. They support every decision I make and I love them for it!
What is your guilty pleasure to listen to? I secretly listen to Nicki Minaj sometimes!
What was the first song you ever wrote? 3 years ago I stayed in Germany for three months with a family in Frieburg. It was early 2010 and it started snowing almost every second day. I wasn’t used to the cold so I just stayed inside and started writing songs most days. I remember the first one I wrote was about sending my love to home where the sun was shining and everyone was warm.
already written, try to write something new and different. Don’t write a song hoping that it will make you rich and famous. Write about what makes you think and what makes you happy,.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
What is your ultimate career goal?
Sahara will be playing at Café Envy on the 6th October
I would love to tour the world one day and make a living off my music.
Follow your heart and there is always a way- from my parents.
AND
If you could do a duet with any Camp Groove music party on the 13th October other musician who would it be? What advice would you give to For more information on Paolo Nutini! He’s got rhythm and someone wanting to write their her upcoming gigs head to: the sweetest voice I’ve heard from own songs? someone his age! http://www.saharabeck. Don’t try to copy a style or a song com/ that someone you admire has
When I think of the word detox, I imagine women starving themselves and drinking nothing but lemon water to stop them from passing out. So I was never really ‘keen’ on the idea of a detox. But as my birthday was getting closer and closer and I was just a few small kilos away from my goal weight, I decided to give it a shot. With the support of my housemate, we decided to embark on the Skinny Mini challenge, a five day detox plan.
The Skinny Mini product comes with fifteen sachets of detox drink and a five day eating plan, full of recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. The Skinny Mini drink is made by mixing 250ml of water with one sachet and drinking three a day; one before breakfast, one before lunch and one before bed.
The detox drink combines ‘natural active ingredients’ and ‘super foods’ including the The first thing that appealed to Kakadu plum. The drink is rich me straight away was that it was in antioxidants and fibre to help only five days long. The second speed up the metabolism and thing was that you can still eat improve health. food! And plenty of it!
What is Skinny Mini?
compare it to another drink I’d say it’s very much like Metamucil. The first day of my detox I drank the drink slowly, taking my time. But every day after that I would just get it over with and scull it. Despite the awkward texture, the drink is fairly drinkable and you shouldn’t have any trouble doing three a day for five days, although by the fifth day I was definitely glad to see the end of it.
The drink
The thing that scared me the The basic idea of the Skinny most was the drink. Skinny Mini program is that you drink Mini claims that ‘it really does three of the Skinny Mini sataste appetising’ and thankfully chets a day and combine this they’re not complete liars. The with healthy and balanced Skinny Mini taste is similar to Skinny Mini approved meals. a weak berry flavoured cordial. The program is made to be sim- The taste itself isn’t very worple and easy without causing rying, but the texture is. The any interference to your regular sachet power doesn’t quite day-to-day activity. It claims dissolve in the water, no matter that you will lose from 1-4 kilos how much you stir it. If I had to in just five days.
Day 1 Breakfast: Rolled oats, soy milk, berries and walnuts
The food The diet to accompany the detox drink was very much like what some of us would call ‘clean eating’. There was little to no sugar, dairy, red meat, chicken or white wheat. But despite cutting out most of my regular diet (which I guess is sort of the point), the recipes were easy, took little to no time to prepare and I never went hungry. • Breakfasts mostly consisted of oats, soy yoghurt, eggs, some vegetables, nuts and fruits. • For lunch you had a choice of salads, soup and a delicious frittata recipe. • Snacks were mainly vegies, fruit or tuna. • Dinners consisted of fish, tofu and lentils with a side of veg. AND
and I it cost us $36.00 each for five days worth of breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.
How does it feel? When I started the detox I was concerned about feeling lethargic or sick whilst I was on it. Skinny Mini recommends if you start to feel ill, you should lower your intake of the drinks to only twice a day. They say that most people feel unwell on the second day of the detox, when the changes in the body start to occur. The first day of the detox I felt fine up until after my third drink at night, when I began to feel light headed, with blurred vision and an upset tummy. My housemate also felt the same and we decided we were getting our second day illness early. Luckily for us we started feeling ill right near bed time so were able to go straight to bed and sleep it off. I woke up the next morning feeling perfectly fine.
Day 2 Lunch: Prawn and strawberry salad me reach my goal weight and my entire body felt healthier and cleansed after it. My housemate and I were successful with our detox because we followed the diet religiously and never skipped a detox drink. I think in order for the detox to work you have to be completely committed and follow it all the way through.
I think the Skinny Mini diet would work best as a kick start• Water and green tea are er for weight loss and healthy the only approved drinks. eating, or for that extra push to reach your goal weight. The I didn’t have any problem folSkinny Mini detox is easy and lowing the diet set out for me you don’t starve, but if you want by Skinny Mini. The fact that to maintain the weight that you my housemate was doing it lost while on the detox, you do with me made it easier because have to continue to eat healthy we could shop, cook and eat and exercise. It shouldn’t be But does it work? together which motivated us looked at as a quick fix to loosboth to stick to it and keep goFor my housemate and I, it did ing weight. Because as we all ing. Doing the skinny mini detox work! I lost 2.6kg over the 5 day already know, there is no quick with someone else also means detox. I was already at a healthy fix, and the only way to loose that you can split the costs of weight naturally is through weight but the detox provided the food, which works out quite that little extra nudge to help healthy eating and exercise. cheap. Between my housemate The second day I felt great and really energised. This was the feeling that remained for the rest of the detox. I felt very healthy and it gave me the motivation to keep going and finish the detox.
The city of fiesta’s and a nightlife that begins at midnight, this town is worth the grueling 20hour plane ride for just a few days in paradise.
of the league, Barcelona VS Real Madrid. However, I was lucky enough to catch a tour of the soccer teams home ground Camp Nou.
Whether you immerse yourself in the culture of Gaudi’s amazing art, spend all your euros on the street markets or party into the early hours of the morning; Barca will meet your wildest expectations.
The grounds facilities were unreal with spas in the change rooms and a chapel inside the stadium. It was more like visiting a museum than a playing ground. While new camp is even impressive to the nonsporting fan, I must say Australia’s MCG holds it’s name hosting a larger capacity than Nou Camp by 700 people.
Visiting the European country of Barcelona in winter I was shocked that the sun was out and temperature was over 15 degrees. I was actually hot; a lot different to my next adventure in Germany where it reached a negative 16 degrees overnight. My first stop was Gaudi’s breathtaking Sagrada Famillia where huge was an understatement. This church is still under construction surrounded by cranes after 130 years in the process! I’m a soccer fanatic and follow Barcelona in the Spanish soccer league, La Liga. For me, visiting Barcelona was a dream come true. Unfortunately I was three days late for the biggest rivalry
Unfortunately I attended Barca in the wrong season to view bullfighting or partake in the running of the bulls and La tomatina (tomato throwing festival), which only takes place in their summer season. Visiting the bull-fighting rink from afar looks amazing and is on my bucket list for the next time I return. I did head to the local flamenco show El Tablao de Carmen compering various Spanish flamenco dancers and singers. A divine local meal and all the sangria you could drink accompanied this show leaving you in
awe of the physical abilities of these dancers. Spain’s nightlife is crazy. Beginning around 12 and heading into the early hours of the morning, no wonder a fiesta is necessary. Many bars along the beach sell very, very cheap drinks, including 50-cent beers and 1 euro shots! Show the bartender a little love and you won’t spend a cent. The shopping is also great as Spain is very cheap. Department stores like ZARA and H & M in comparison to Australia are like half price. Spain is definitely one of the cheaper European countries, but also one of the less safe, so watch your pocket and your drink and stick to the well-known areas. Spanish culture is grand. Tapas bars, fresh seafood paella, great beaches and bargain shopping, I urge you to put this on your bucket list immediately.
While travelling throughout Europe one destination that stuck in my mind was Prague. I found it to be a captivating city, where classical music rings throughout the streets almost as loud as the chimes from the old town bell tower. To describe Prague in one word it would have to be- enchanting. As the capital and the largest city in the Czech Republic, the city has over the past ten years cemented itself as one the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Known to some as the city of a hundred spires, Prague is renowned as a town filled with magical fairytale-like castles and gothic architecture. Giving birth to the rise of the bohemian revolution, it has a rich history and culture, and through exploring the stone paved narrow lanes and paths, I couldn’t help but completely immerse myself in the stunning city.
Charles bridge A trip to Prague would be incomplete without a walk along the beautiful Charles Bridge. The bridge connects the city from Old Town to Lesser Town and it is adorned with thirty
baroque style statues of saints. During the day the bridge is host to several performers and artists. I encourage travellers to spend plenty of time wandering the bridge, admiring the artists work and being treated to music and puppetry-some wonderful, some just weird. I found a performer with a skeleton puppet playing a piano particularly strange, yet enthralling.
Old town square and the astronomical clock My favourite part of Prague would have to be the Old Town Square. The beauty of the square is best captured at night, where you will be surrounded by illuminated castles and towers, in a vision that can only be described as simply magical. In part of the square you will also find the astronomical clock. Make sure you are in front of it when the clock hits the hour to witness the hourly puppet show moving through the windows.
John Lennon wall Hidden amongst the labyrinth
of pathways and corridors of the city you will find the John Lennon Wall. The wall acted as an outlet for the oppressed Czech people to write messages of peace and love during the communist regime. It is an ever changing exhibition of John Lennon’s ideals and The Beatles lyrics and I found it inspiring to spend time reading the messages, some dating back to Lennon’s assassination in 1980. If you so feel inclined you can, as I did, even add a message of your very own.
The tastes of bohemia Traditional Czech food While I didn’t eat a lot of Czech food, finding that Prague had a large range of multi-cultural cuisine on offer, I did try a dish known as svíčková na smetaně, translated to ‘beef sirloin with cream sauce’. It is the most popular dish in Prague and is made up of sliced beef , ‘bread dumplings’ which is really just very dense thick bread, and is finished with a dollop of whipped cream and jam. While the bread and beef were delicious, I did not embrace the sweet additions of cream and jam to +
the meal, finding it strange and confusing to my taste buds.
Absinth Along with beer as their national drink, the Czech Republic is the home of Absinth, an alcohol as well known for its potency as it is for its hullicinative qualities. While in Prague I even visited an ‘Absintherie’- a cafe only selling food and drinks made with absinth. Travellers should be warned though that absinth is a very strong alcoholic drink, usually around 80% alcohol. It will more often result in you not seeing the ‘green fairy’ but instead not remembering the night before at all, but when in Prague...
Shopping to czech out
stores that are hard to miss.
Crystal
Also...
The Czech Republic is one of the biggest producers of crystal throughout Europe. Once arriving to Prague I quickly noticed how many stores were just sparkling with crystals covering every wall. Needless to say, I quickly bought up big on exquisite crystal earrings and necklaces and don’t regret a penny spent.
Marionettes Before visiting Prague I was unaware that the marionette was of Czech origin. Yet, after being in the city for a minute or two, it became obvious from the lanes and lanes of puppet laden
For the history buffs out there (like me) the Museum of Communism is worth a look, along the Memorial to the Victims of Communism. I would definitely encourage a visit to give you a look at the sad past the country has only recently broken free from and how it has been reborn as the wonderfully bohemian city it is today.
Thankyou to everyone that made this issue possible.