e2 #250

Editor: Imogen Palmer lifestyle@ epigram.org.uk

issues

In honor of our big, fat celebratory issue, Lifestyle decided to delve deep into the murky minds of Bristol students and conducted a survey to try and discover what mattered most to you. Here are the results.

Fashion

What’s On

Friends without benefits

Travel

Deputy: Imogen Rowley irowley@ epigram.org.uk

BIG

the

Lifestyle

@e2Lifestyle

Deputy: Mariah Hedges deputylifestyle@ epigram.org.uk

Most of us manage to perform quite a balancing act whilst at university. We somehow divvy up our time between all kinds of commitments and immerse ourselves quite effectively into a university bubble. It’s unsurprising therefore, but still doesn’t tend to go down too well when we forget to send a birthday card to a friend from home.

While nobody wants to be the friend that consistently sends drunken texts reading something along the lines of ‘i mhiss yotu’, you also don’t want to be the one who never gets round to replying to these texts, the one who has drifted from the group.

Is there a looming truth that as our lives get busier we unavoidably lose contact with those who at one point meant a lot to us? I don’t think it is as simple as this.

I struggle to believe that when we reach university, all former friends fall into the abyss that consumes anything that existed before. I would describe it more as a tension which arises between not only two groups of friends but two separate lives and in many cases two varied identities. University is raved about for introducing us to new people and experiences, it also however offers the benefit of providing us with a sense of appreciation for people who already held an important place in our lives.

It is only logical that people we have known since a young age will hold a special fondness. But by the same reasoning there is something rejuvenating about coming to university and gaining new friends who only know your most recent self. I might even go as far as saying they get a clearer picture of the type of person you are at present, as you will not forever be tarnished with recollections of your 15 year old self who loved nothing more than a Smirnoff Ice-fuelled fancy dress party.

Many people willingly lose contact with friends from home; they see university as a way to escape a life they were not completely content with. On the other end of the scale lie the people who have managed to carry their whole friendship group to Bristol with them. I am quite happy to sit somewhere between the two. I enjoy my time at Bristol. But at the end of an eleven week term I am always ready to return to the comfort of home for a few weeks to enjoy spending time with a group of people who quite frankly I probably wouldn’t be allowed to lose contact with even if I wanted to - loyal bloody friends!

We’ve said it before but this time we really mean it.

This e2 is bigger and better than ever. To celebrate the 250th issue of Epigram we’ve added a few extra pages to keep you occupied and we’re pretty pleased with how it’s turned out.

Our Big Issue starts with the first ever wrapround cover holding all our extra content together. The results are in from the Lifestyle online and street survey so you can see what your coursemates have been up to.

We’ve also got the biggest and brightest fashion shoot to date and some big news from around the world in Travel.

So yeah, that’s it I guess. You got lots to read, so we’ll leave you to it.

Sophie Padgett

& x e srelationships

10% of boys consider the main reason for going out is ‘to pull’, compared to 3% of girls.

Most people (28%) go out to socialise with friends.

12% only go out because everyone else is.

32% consider the people they spent Fresher’s week with to be their closest friends at uni. to Most people feel closer those their friends at uni than at home.

e2 is brought to you by Lifestyle : Imogen Palmer, Mariah Hedges and Imogen Rowley What’s On : Olivia Stephany Fashion : Francesca Clayton and Lizzy Bullock Travel : Verity Stockdale who will meet on Tuesday 1st May at 12.30pm in The White Bear

with e2 editor : Matthew McCrory illustrator : Sophie Sladen

cover illustration : Alex Norris

30.04.2012

let’s talk about sex, baby

17

efine How would you d your sexuality?

International Relations

3% of respond Gay 5% ents was the Bisexual 7% have ha most d common % 77 t h ig Stra an STI age to lose your believe in defining

I don’t sexuality 11%

virginity

Back in Canada I had a conversation with a friend recently returned from Oxford. ‘English guys are assholes,’ she said. ‘They think that “hi, how are you” counts as foreplay and that “you’re really pretty” automatically results in sex’. I didn’t think much of it at the time but now that I’m here, I’ve noticed that this opinion seems to be pretty common amongst foreign females.

Maybe it’s a cultural thing? In Canada we have a pretty clear system of chat, flirt, ask and go on a few dates, a few kisses. Then (and only then) comes the boinkity boink. It’s both logical and mutually understood. The English system seems like a clusterfuck of awkward in comparison.

Recently I went out on a few dates with a guy who wouldn’t touch me. First date, I got a handshake, at the end of the second, a quick hug. But at the end of the third date, he says ‘so.. I live over there’. I was shocked but delighted. Finally! And I had even worn my good underpants! I got back to his house all excited for some well-deserved makeouts.

But, once again, he sat down on the far side of the couch. After some awkward conversation I went home and haven’t heard from him since. What is that?

The Sex-files Boys worry about sex more than girls. 14% say they worry about it ‘often’, compared to 10% of girls.

were s t n e d u t s s Economic e their s o l o t t s e g the youn t age 15 a % 1 3 y it virgin

Chelsey Stuyt on dating perils

Drama students worry about sex the least

So, maybe I just needed to clarify the situation. Maybe if I put them into a more ‘structured’ environment things would go better. To prove this theory, I took the advice of the only male in my family who’s dating. I joined an online dating site. Thanks grandpa.

Law students worry about sex the most

9% of boys lost their virginity at the age of 15 or before, compared to 15% of girls.

Law students lost their virginity the latest – 29% at age 19.

More boys would be up for a one night stand than girls.

49% of girls said they wouldn’t vs 30% of boys. Only 6% of boys said they disapprove of one night stands.

38% of respondents owned up to having had a one night stand. But which celeb would you spend the night with if you had the chance?

After that latest disaster date I downed a bottle of wine and got down to writing a profile.

Before my hangover had lifted I had a dozen responses. They ranged from, ‘Within about 10 seconds of reading your profile I had the image of a Nazi Pied Piper leading school children Maybe th through Bristol’ to ’I rock the ey’ve ha d enough beat would you like to rock of exam the show? lol x’, and the ever ining bod popular, ‘Wanna *bleep*’. It was ies.

Medics h a treasure trove. I’ve been on ave the h three dates. The first was with ighest number a bisexual computer repairman of people who had just moved to Bristol who are with his girlfriend. We spoke still virg ins at 38 about attaching parachutes to %. guinea pigs. The second date was with an insurance salesman from Filton. It wasn’t great. The third was a charming German aerospace engineer who was a dead ringer for Christopher Gorham. Though he was lovely, there was, unfortunately, no spark.

In our street survey, popular answers included

included Megan Fox, Zooey Dechanel and Channing Tatum.

So what have I learned? Well, unlike my friends, I haven’t come to the conclusion that all English guys are assholes. They just don’t know how to play the game on an ‘international’ level. So here’s what I think. Date other foreigners, or roll with it. Chalk it up as another ‘cultural experience’ and learn to enjoy the ridiculous awkwardness that ensues.

Editor: Imogen Palmer lifestyle@ epigram.org.uk

Career & degree

Lifestyle

Extreme networking For those of you who in 2 months’ time will never again be able to say, ‘Meet me in the ASS,’ without people presuming ‘things’ about you, I’d advise you to think carefully about life after graduation. And also ask you all one question: would you shag your future boss to get a job?

Networking My Daddy knows blah-blahblah so I was offered a job in the City.

Grad schemes Brag schemes: ‘Did you know 2500 grads applied for my scheme, and I got it!?’

Fashion

What’s On

Internships I’m rich enough to work for free!

Well guess what folks, I’m not. But at least I’m blonde, slim and fairly tall so I can get creative with my approach to finding a job.

I truly believe that the massive list of achievements and amazingness that is my CV intimidates the hell out of would-be employers.

Why wouldn’t it?

Last year I cast aside my crippling fear of heights to climb a volcano in southern Chile. I went paragliding in Argentina. I speak Spanish, obviously.

‘Ooh! What can’t she do? Let’s interview her!’ The pound signs light up in their eyes quicker than Simon Cowell gets an erection when anything remotely pretty walks on the BGT stage. But those pound signs disappear as soon as I begin to speak, just as Simon is unable to maintain his erection after realising the girl is 14, and her bodybuilding dad is waiting for them both backstage…

I knew I had other credentials. I mean, it doesn’t take many (surprisingly-sober) one-night stands to teach you a few things about sex. I stopped talking, and started seducing the big-wigs with my eyes. Then my hands would get involved, and the rest sounds like 2012’s most talked about porno, i.e, too explicit to print here, so you’ll just have to use your imagination.

I haven’t had any job offers, but word seems to have got around about my networking technique and I regularly have calls from would-be bosses asking if I would like an interview for a job at their company.

Okay, so, I lied.

I have had one job offer. From Babestation. It seems one of the guys I interviewed with dabbles in the adult entertainment world for a little extra cash. And that’s fine, really, but I’m not looking for a career as a pornstar. Imagine filling out Bristol’s recent grad survey and writing that in ‘Other.’

is What gest big your ern for conc uture? f your

Getting a job

31%

What you want to do

23% Money matters

21%

‘Did you shag your future boss to get a job or was that just me?’

I don’t have a spitting problem, and yes, I know what toothpaste is (I can hear you all clapping – so condescending, guys).

‘Hi, ‘ow am ya? Noice to meet ya, arm Lucy, who am yow?’ BAM, and the regional

Travel

accent makes a devastating blow to the ears. It’s almost as if I introduced myself by saying ‘Hi, I’m Lucy, I got married at 16, had a baby at 17, a divorce at 18, and now I’m looking for Mr Number 2. Nice to meet you.’ I’ve had interviews at top-notch law firms, investment banks, consultancy firms…and nothing. My CV is redundant: the second I open my mouth, people just presume I’m thick. Fuck you, London.

Deputy: Imogen Rowley irowley@ epigram.org.uk

Deputy: Mariah Hedges deputylifestyle@ epigram.org.uk

Finding a partner

19%

Other- being bored, being unhappy

4%

The lesson I have learnt is this: sleeping with potential employers is a great way of networking. Why? If you’re any good, they’ll recommend you to their friends and before you know it, you’ll have a huge list of industry contacts, and you’ll have managed to keep the dry season away. Brilliant.

Lucy Hill

No coursework or exam be judged on your appe s - to arance

about g n i h t e n o ange If I could chstol it would be: The boy:girl ratio in computer science Bri hours. t c a t n o c r o t u More t ified library pass’

ore than a glor ts degree to be m

‘For an ar

A bigger ASS (I like them and I cannot lie)

Cheaper beer Cash machine on campus and in Stoke Bishop

The student union - aesthetics and location

30.04.2012

All work and no play Getting an interesting, well-paid job when you graduate from uni is a rare and much-coveted occurrence these days. Actually, stories of graduates finding any jobs at all are sufficiently scarce. Pretty much everyone seems to go to uni (thank you, Tony Blair and your spiel about getting 50% of school leavers into higher education), and apparently coming out of the process with a mere degree to your name isn’t enough. More and more often, students are going crazy doing absolutely anything they can for the purpose of improving their CVs (and thus their employability), and as one of those ambitious, obsessed freaks, I can tell you it can get a bit out of hand.

One way this has manifested itself is the fact that over the past two years or so I have done a casual 11 work experience placements. Holidays are over-rated, right? And I’m not alone, I’m sure there are many of you out there juggling three jobs during term-time whilst trying to simultaneously carve your niche in the blogosphere, learn a foreign language and become a vet. So many young people are pushing themselves to the limits to improve their employability, so why do we do this to ourselves? I blame society, of course. At the end of the day, everything comes down to the notion of success that is drilled into us from a young age: all my school extra-curricular activities led to being a team captain, then the school council, a prefect, getting into a good university, then hopefully coming out with a good degree, which should then lead to a great job, allowing me to live in a nice house, drive a snazzy car and have pretty handbags. Then I will be happy, right? Of course I will. Because that’s the image

of success.

At uni, I’m sure no-one will argue with me when I say a lot of students do nothing.

I mean literally nothing outside their course (and probably not very much of that, come to think of it), and that’s absolutely fine.

But on the flipside, there are a lot of students trying to do everything, who struggle to say ‘no’ to opportunities, and who suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out). This is all very well until you realise you haven’t left any time to do your degree work, and then that suffers accordingly. You just can’t win, can you? At uni there are just so many incredible things to do, new things to try and opportunities to seize, and with only a few precious years here, it’s unsurprising that we want to get involved with as much as we can. Older people never talk about their uni regrets saying ‘Oh, I wish I hadn’t got involved with so many activities’, do they? It’s always the other way round.

So my advice to you all is to seize this exciting time in your lives and get involved with some of the opportunities on offer. Chances are you’ll love it and so will future potential employers. But don’t try and do too much. Then you’ll fail your degree and employers definitely won’t love you. So, just get the balance right, yeah? Easy. Path to success: sorted.

Rachel Hosie

The third degree ‘I don’t expect to have a career (other than teaching) on the back of knowing that “Homer” is not Homer Simpson’

78% of respondents 61% picked their miss degree course . Or lie in because s e r u t c le . they enjoy surveys the subject ‘I’ve read every physics textbook in the library and I stalk Brian Cox’

c fi i t n e i c From ansdpoint sta ‘Is a science degree enough to get a decent science job?’

I’m talking mainly about the pure sciences: chemistry physics and biology (that’s right biology, you made the list!). The reason for this is that students of subjects such as the medical sciences and engineering don’t appear to be in the same situation when it comes to looking for jobs.

These subjects are more prescriptive of what job you can get, and as a result are taught with real-world applications directly in mind, making it easier to go from degree to job.

To me there seem to be two main types of people that do a science degree: the people that like science, and the accountants. The accountants (by which I mean people who end up getting a financial/business-type job and earn loads of money that I’m really not bitter about) go through their degree with the sole purpose to get a degree and then bugger off to one of the aforementioned moneyfactories. Of course most of them do enjoy science (what’s not to enjoy?) and are interested in what they’re being taught, but the end goal is clear – at least by the time they get to finals. Maybe it’s the ‘Bristol effect’, but these types of people seem to do pretty well in the job market. I know countless science grads that have got kick-ass jobs in massive firms and are really happy.

The people looking for science jobs (and are motivated by something other than money), however, don’t fare as well after graduation. Sure you can easily land a technician job looking after machines or doing repetitive work, but, for most, getting a real top-notch science job doing cuttingedge science is pretty tough. It’s becoming increasingly the case that you need a PhD to do proper science in industry.

75% say career is a top priority

68% of responde have started prep nts for life after unairing

51% think the services provided by Bristol for preparing you after uni are ‘good’ 27% of drama students think their degree is good value for money, whereas 90% of engineering students think that theirs is.

...but 55% don’t know what they want to do

So why is this extra qualification required? To me it’s clear that most undergraduate research projects don’t teach you how to do proper research.

There just isn’t enough time! What you need is 3-4 years to properly get your teeth into a subject and learn how to manage a long-term project. These days a lot of PhDs also give contextualisation and soft-skills training which can only be a good thing.

I think if you want a job in industry doing proper science you should be happy to do a PhD. Not only will it give you the opportunity to work at the cutting edge and actually advance understanding of something, but it’ll hopefully also give you the skills to get that awesome science job you deserve. That is if you’re not hooked enough to become an academic.

Tom Carvell

Editor: Imogen Palmer lifestyle@ epigram.org.uk

Deputy: Mariah Hedges deputylifestyle@ epigram.org.uk

Deputy: Imogen Rowley irowley@ epigram.org.uk

Travel

Fashion

What’s On

Lifestyle

The true and tragic tale of a chugger ‘I’m so broke I’ve spent the last three days crawling through Cabot Circus picking up pennies’. ‘Well I’VE had to eat all my furniture because I can’t afford food’. Etcetera. Just a typical student conversation regarding money.

Whether you’re as broke as the above examples, or as relatively well off as a housemate of mine, who doesn’t really understand the ‘I’m so broke’ game (‘I’m so broke I’m going to have to hold off buying that third motorbike I want’, is an actual sentence that came from his mouth while he was attempting to empathise with my sorry state of financial affairs), the chances are you feel that you have had to make some severe sacrifices in order not to blow your meagre student budget. But I can beat you.

Last summer my money situation became so dire I had to resort to the unthinkable.

I took to the streets.

I sacrificed what little dignity I had left after freshers and threw my selfrespect to the wind.

I became a chugger.

For those of you who know what a chugger is, you probably just recoiled in horror/ vomited a little bit inside your mouth. For those of you who don’t, allow me to enlighten you:

chugger stands for charity mugger, one of those nonces who prance around the streets in brightly coloured t-shirts and attempt to extract money from anyone and everyone in the name of some charity or other. In my case it was guide dogs, and the t-shirts were blue and orange.

I won’t lie, there were some good things about the job. My fellow fundraisers, for example, made an interesting antidote to your standard Bristol students.

Take Dave, whose family are Bristol’s answer to the mafia: he’s very butch, very West Country, and very gay. He also worked at Bristol Zoo and has a, perhaps unhealthy, obsession with animals (‘look at this picture of Declan the African sloth rat getting neutered’, he said to me at six o’clock one morning. ‘He was so brave!

Cute, right?’).

Or Rose, who had just got back from South America and had not yet got round to buying shoes.

One stressful day, she gave me an imaginary orange tree frog called Shishi who sat on my shoulder, blowing bubbles of calm. I didn’t have the heart to tell Rose that I have a severe phobia of frogs.

Interesting as my new colleagues were,

nancial fi e v a h s t n e d 81% of respon ents at uni par support from 35% of you have a job at uni and the majority (56%) don’t think this affects your studies money on r u o y t n e p s Most of you y socialising and b food, followed drinking istol

k Br 68% of youpethnin e than iv s x e e r o m is other cities

y e n Mo

however, they were not the biggest perk of the job. Nor are they particularly relevant to the topic of money. Which, incidentally, WAS the biggest perk. In my three weeks of chugging I made £1000, three dinners, a load of sandwiches and half a slushy. I have never felt so well off in my life. I even spontaneously bought one of my friends a Kit Kat. So it’s all good right? Is this a casual, light hearted piece intended to defend, even promote, chugging? How I wish I could say that were the case, but the truth is much darker - much, much darker. In fact, the very thought of chugging makes me want to curl up in a corner and listen to ‘Hurt’ by Johnny Cash on repeat while drowning my sorrows in tea. The truth is that chugging quite literally destroys your soul. It is the real life equivalent of a dementor’s kiss. If you think I’m joking, try spending ten hours bounding up to people and trying to make friends by showing them pictures of puppies, while wearing a t-shirt which reads ‘I don’t actually give a fuck about you/ your hobbies/ your favourite colour. I want your money’.

Then, in a wild attempt to justify this to yourself, try thinking about the fact that this could, possibly, help a blind person somewhere. Then realise that you don’t actually care that much about blind people and if someone asked you to donate some of your own hard earned student loan you would probably laugh in their face/ piss on their stupid puppy pictures.

Eventually, you will come to the conclusion that all the abuse being hurled your way is in fact true. You, along with entire rest of the world, are a bad person. Cue hysterical crying followed by an emotional vacuum.

Only beings on a higher plain of insanity (beings such as Dave and Rose, perhaps) can withstand the torment. If you fall under this category, then chugging is a pretty sweet deal at £7.50 an hour. If however, you have a soul or a degree of sanity, I advise you to do literally anything to escape impending poverty, other than fundraising. Perhaps you could shave off all your body hair and sell it for wigs?

Annie Bell

Street survey

What would you do with 30 grand?

Travelling was a close second. This went from the travelling the world, Europe, to hiring a mountain to ski.

Bristol students are terribly practical. The most popular answer was ‘invest it’.

Other responses included:

3 Get a new (!) S Get som clothes aned nice buy eve on incense, e I kno presentsry o a play awnd give som,edto charity.

, cut Buy Thekdlatu rn it it loose an y boat rt a p into a

Put a deposit on a house or flat.

Buy advertisin space in Epigram for my g face

30.04.2012

De-stress with Mindfulness

Wellbeing Only 18% of you said ‘ew’ to exercise.

Mindfulness is simply ‘present state awareness’ - simple, but not easy. Often, the mind gets pulled away from the present moment into the past or the future and into a ‘virtual reality’ of habitual loops of ideas, imaginings, memories, day dreams and plans.

These have their uses, but they can also often get in the way of what matters most in the here and now.

We are often hardly even aware that the mind has run away with itself. You meant to start the essay at 9am, but suddenly thought ‘I must check…’ and it’s now 12; you have done a hundred and one other things and still not begun what you really meant to do. A bit of panic arises – ‘I’m not going to have enough time’, ‘Why do I always leave it to the last minute?’, ‘I’m going to need to stay up really late’, ‘I’m going to be too tired to think straight’, and so

Most said you exercise 2 to 3 times a week.

53% of you have tried drugs - the most common drug is weed

mmm.

.. joggin g

on. Suddenly you notice that its 2pm and you are still looking at the laptop screen with no words on it and you are feeling really down on yourself. Any of this sound true? If it does, it’s because it’s really common human behavior, so be kind to yourself.

Mindfulness practices provide ‘breathing spaces’ that very gently pull the mind out of the virtual loops that create stress. By focusing, even for 2 or 3 minutes on the direct experience of bodily sensations, they bring us back into the here and now. And if the mind drifts off again, it can be very gently brought back again.

If it drifts off a hundred times, it can be very gently brought back a hundred times with no harmful side effects, and a positive effect on wellbeing and stress.

56% of girls say they worry about their body compared to 40% of boys.

36% of respondents say they have have suffered from depression.

27% of people keep stress to themselves. Most of you go to your friends and 3% turn to religion.

Most people think the pressure to look good comes from themselves, with ‘friends and other people’ coming in second.

Girls say they feel stressed more often than boys but more boys said they kept stress to themselves.

Dr Eileen Palmer

Street sur vey

Top Revision Tips:

The most popular answers we received were: Drink tea, take regular breaks, sleep lots, time management and exercise.

Other had some more ‘alternative’ ideas: Masturbate Don’t do Aeronautical engineering Do English Take ritalin

Things you only know when... you’re a Bristol student On the last, emotional day at school, most people listened to a semi-heartwarming speech about how mature they would become at university and how much they would learn.

However, so much of what we learn is not from a lecturer, but from the Bristol student lifestyle. Now almost two thirds of the way through my degree, I thought I would share what my friends and I think we have learnt from this interesting and inebriated experience.

Triangle you are guaranteed to get greeted and asked if you’re having a lovely day. This is

by Jeff Knight - who sells The Big Issue, smiles like you’re his oldest friend and probably doesn’t even know your name. Everyone says the same thing about Jeff; his constant optimism is infectious and leaves you smiling at strangers on the street too.

1. Jason Donervan is the saviour of Bristol His happy approach and huge popularity sparked a Facebook There is currently controversy in our lovely city over whether campaign in 2011 for him to Bristol should have its own mayor. This is meant to be a become the city’s Olympic torch bearer this May. Unfortunately, person who can represent the needs of the people, and who knows the people. When it comes to the students of Bristol, despite having over 13,000 fans who sees the true side of more people than the lovely, tolerant on Facebook, Jeff was not made employees of Jason Donervan? Between 10pm and around a torch bearer... But he keeps on 4am every night they are there to provide something greasy to smiling. soak up the alcohol in your stomach, and are more reasonably priced than other late night pit stops down Park Street.

3. Going to a club in plimsoles is totally acceptable Situated on the Triangle, they give you plenty to distract yourself with on the hilly walk home. To top it all off, you can I know a girl from school at sit on the benches and slur to your new acquaintances, or to the other 20 friends you inevitably bumped into whilst there.

Reading University. Before each night out she goes to the gym for three days, gets a spray tan, 2. Some people smile and sell The Big Issue simultaneously goes on a crash diet and spends hours getting ready. When I came When walking between Sainsbury’s and Browns on the

to Bristol I was thrilled to find that it is a city where this is not the status quo. Particularly in clubs like Motion that specialise in underground music, the girls are happy to swap their heels for hightops and fake hair for a flatpeak. It’s only a few weeks into uni that freshers realise that fancy dress is common and being comfortable is key. Bristol students must be street smart as well as book smart because we’ve all realised that no matter how gorgeous you look at 9pm, you do not look that way by the time you’re holding your cheesy chips in the early hours of the morning.

‘Some people smile and sell The Big Issue simultaneously’

There are many other things that we’ve learnt off the syllabus in Bristol: you’re always walking up a hill, cider only served in half pints is the best kind, and you really do need to arrive at the library at 7am to get a space. Overall, I think that once you’ve got these things figured out, it’s a pretty awesome city to live in.

Katy Radcliffe

Editor: Olivia Stephany whatson@epigram.org.uk

@e2WhatsOn

Best of Bristol Lifestyle

Alfresco dining

Summer’s all about frolicking outdoors, and working on that base tan for post-exam celebrations. Whatever kind of alfresco dining you’re after, be it on a terrace, out on deck or under the stars, Bristol has something to offer.

1. The White Lion, Sion Hill

Summer’s top watering hole has got to be the White Lion, a solid Bristolian institution from start to finish. The large terrace overlooks the city’s best-known landmark, the Suspension Bridge, and is optimum for catching the rays. On cooler nights, linger under the heated lamps with a Pieminister pie to feast on and a cider in each hand, and you’ll soon feel perpetually drunk on the good life.

What’s On

2. The Grain Barge, Hotwell Road First port of call if you’re down by the river? The Grain Barge, of course, a floating bar serving award-winning ales and a lively restaurant that updates its menu daily depending on the fresh produce at hand. Monday is quiz nights and on Friday there’s live music in the downstairs bar, but if you want to come up for air, you can chill under the stars on the top deck.

3. Arch House Deli, Boyce’s Avenue One part deli, one part café, many parts hamper heaven, this charming ‘Deli of the Year 2011’ is an Aladdin’s cave of gourmet goodies to enjoy in store and to take away. Jam-packed with a cornucopia of cheese, charcuterie, wine and much more, quality is their mantra. Take your pick from slow-cooked lasagna to chorizo stew, Tiffin to Stollen – the goods are all displayed out front. Hidden round the back is the quaint café that promises outdoor seating in the summer.

4. Lido, Oakfield Place If you want some serious R&R after exams, treat yourself to a day of splashing and pampering at the Lido. Spa treatments include black sand exfoliations and rainforest rejuvenation facials. If you just fancy a simple, straightforward dip without the oils, make use of the outdoor pool followed by a sauna sweat-out and nutritious nosh in the alfresco poolside restaurant.

Travel

Fashion

5. Hope and Anchor, Jacob’s Wells Road Hope and Anchor prides itself on being a pub that’s still a pub. No fuss, no gimmicks, just good old pub grub. The exterior isn’t exactly a big beer garden (head for Channings instead), but more delicate Secret Garden meets Friday night merrymakers wading through a few pints – they’re particularly proud of their ales. Come back on Sunday though for the mouth-watering, American-size serving roasts.

Ainhoa Barcelona

Bristol’s great outdoors

It’s getting to that time of year again. Whatever the weather’s doing outside, you’re likely to be stuck inside the ASS library trying to find a seat for the umpteenth day running, attempting to fill in blank lectures notes from the first semester and wondering whether anyone is really ever going to return that book you need before those fast approaching exams. However much revision and work you are (or aren’t) going to be doing, there’s definitely no excuse to shut yourself inside forever so this issue, What’s On encourages you to take a break and explore the green spaces in Bristol.

Easily accessible for those who really feel confined to the limits of the University precinct, Royal Fort Gardens and Brandon Hill are two little bits of green where you can take half an hour off for lunch and take in some fresh air: perfect for picnics, a quick meet with friends and an ice cream. At the top of Brandon Hill is the relatively recently-opened Cabot Tower which is open at 8am daily and closes half an hour before dusk; visitors can climb up and look out over the city. As summer is well on its way, this is likely to get a bit touristy so perhaps worth avoiding if you’re looking for somewhere with a bit of peace and quiet, but otherwise definitely worth a visit.

Closer to home for first years is the Downs; an obvious choice but still beautiful on a nice day with

a fair amount of things to do during the week and at weekends. Get out of halls and take a walk or a cycle round Circular Road and look right down into the Avon Gorge, or get active with the University’s Ultimate Frisbee Club. Practice is on Wednesdays and Sundays between 2 and 4pm in Durdham Park. Even closer to the Stoke Bishop halls are the Botanic Gardens; free for students; the entrance is just opposite Churchill.

For those living in Redland, check out Redland Green or Cotham Park. Whip up some homemade Mojitos or Pimms and spend an evening relaxing after a day of revision, lab work or lectures. Redland Green also has pedestrian and cycle routes connecting with Westbury Park if you’re feeling energetic enough to tackle the hill.

The area around Clifton Suspension bridge is ever-popular with visitors and residents alike; so, take a break and relax out here, or wander up to the observatory for a better view. Usually buzzing on a sunny day, this is a perfect spot for a barbecue and

not far from the Clifton halls and Hillside/Woodside.

If you fancy exploring a little further afield, cross the bridge and head to Ashton Court for a wander. This is a massive expanse of parkland with loads of space to explore and gorgeous views out across Bristol. There’s free parking too if you drive. The park hosts a deer herd, with plenty of other wildlife in the woodland areas. If you’re feeling active, go for a cycle; there are a range of mountain biking trails in the woods suited to people of all abilities. Equally, across the road and behind Hillside Woodside lies Leigh Woods, another mountain biking haven with better signposted trails, single track and gravel routes.

Wherever in Bristol you are, you’re never far from somewhere to relax or explore, so get outside and let off some steam.

Lucy de Greeff

30.04.2012 ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Better known as Dobby in Channel 4’s Peep Show, Isy Suttie performs an extraordinary new onewoman comedy show.

Bursting with hilarity and genuinely touching, this beautifully nuanced show flits between stand-up, music and character comedy.

Fall down the rabbit hole this summer! Goldney Hall invites you to a theatre production with a twist. A magical openair performance of Simon Reade’s Alice in Wonderland, set in the grounds of Goldney House.

Picnic recommended!

This promises to be an illresearched lesson in crossdressing Tudor history that you’ll never forget. ‘Some brilliant comic acting, beautifully written and performed by a superbly matched double act.’

(Venue)

8-10 May Goldney Gardens £12.50

Until 12 May Bristol Old Vic £7 concessions

8 May Tobacco Factory £3

BLANK CITY

THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII

MARLEY

Stage

ISY SUTTIE

DAMSELS IN DISTRESS

Oscar winning director Kevin Macdonald (Touching The Void) makes a triumphant return to documentary with Marley: the definitive life story of reggae legend Bob Marley. Much more than a simple biography, it examines his religious convictions, political ideals and his relationships as well as his music.

Whit Stillman (Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco) makes his long awaited return to filmmaking with this wonderfully offbeat campus comedy. It’s great to have Stillman’s brilliant brand of satire back on our screens.

30 April – 2 May The Cube £3 concessions

Until 3 May Watershed £4 concessions

Until 10 May Watershed £4 concessions

Screen

This film tells the longoverdue tale of the motley crew of renegade filmmakers.

It’s a fascinating look at the way that misfit cinema used the deserted, bombedout NYC Lower East Side landscapes to craft daring works that would go on to profoundly influence independent film today.

BRISTOL FOLK FESTIVAL

SIMPLE THINGS FESTIVAL

Head down to the Trinity Centre for an intimate gig with this velvet-voiced Londoner. Lianne La Havas has emerged as one of the UK’s most exciting new talents, after the release of her two critically acclaimed EP’s ‘Lost and Found’ and ‘Forget’. I know I’ll be there!

The Bristol Folk Festival returns to Colston Hall bringing with it some of the biggest names in folk music. Headliners include 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards double winners Show of Hands, Cara Dillon and the legendary Afro Celt Sound System.

Simple Things Festival is a unique one-day music and visual festival situated in the heart of Bristol, spread across a cross section of top secret city centre venues and interesting and intriguing creative spaces. Headlining acts include Squarepusher, Simian Mobile Disco and Death in Vegas live.

4 May Trinity Centre £11

5 – 7 May Colston Hall Varied prices

6 May Various locations £30 (early bird)

AFRICA IN SCIENCE FICTION EXHIBITION

LOVE WINE FESTIVAL

Five of the top cultural institutions in Bristol have coordinated their opening times and arranged for the Bristol Ferry Boat Company to transport visitors between them to kick off the May Bank Holiday weekend with an evening of new art.

This exhibition surveys the recent tendency for artists and filmmakers to create science-fiction narratives situated in the African continent.

It considers the undercurrents for this tendency occurring in visual art today, and posits other and possible realities existing simultaneously.

The much anticipated wine event will provide wine lovers in the South West with the opportunity to discover and enjoy some superb wines and also food matches. Following the ethos of Love Food, the event will showcase local merchants, and will have a focus on natural wines and English producers.

4 May Various locations Free

From 5 May Arnolfini Free

13 May Paintworks £5

Extras

HARBOURSIDE ARTS NIGHT

Sound

LIANNE LA HAVAS

Editor: Francesca Clayton fashion@ epigram.org.uk

Green pieces I

n a recent feature for Vogue, Alexa Chung admitted that ‘the task of hunting down ethical, sustainable, fair trade clothing that won’t make you look like a medieval farmer seems daunting’, however, with British designer Stella McCartney flying the flag for sustainable materials and highstreet favourite H&M launching their latest ethically produced Conscious Collection, there are now more options than ever for the ecologically minded consumer.

Of course, Chung isn’t the only celebrity to have recently extolled the virtues of going green. Colin Firth’s wife Livia made fashion headlines in 2009 when she was challenged by environmental journalist Lucy Siegle to take sustainable style to all of the film industry’s biggest award ceremonies.

Since then, international stars such as Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore have joined in with Livia’s Green Carpet Challenge, with Streep wearing a custom made eco gown by Lanvin to collect her Oscar for The Iron Lady and Moore choosing a Tom Ford design for a recent premier.

UK charity the Environmental Justice Foundation have also teamed up with a host of well known fashion faces to promote their exclusive range of 100%

One brand steadfastly avoiding the medieval farmer aesthetic is British label Chinti and Parker. Set up in 2009 by Rachael Wood and Anna Singh, Chinti and Parker specialises in ‘luxury basics made in an ethical way’, offering simple, chic garments typically adorned with prim peter pan collars, oversized polka dots and Breton stripes. It’s no surprise that it counts Queen of Cool Miss Chung amongst its celebrity fans.

Fashion

Chinti and Parker also boasts some impressive eco-credentials: the entire company is carbon neutral and all of the cotton and cashmere used is 100% organic. Even the packaging is made of organic cotton produced by a fair trade cooperative from the Tamil Nadu region of Southern India. ‘To us, ethical is not an extra, but a given’ say the pair, ‘it is something that runs right to the core of every garment we make.’

If you’re a fan of this season’s obsession with all things athletic, contemporary fashion label Goodone delivers a range of sporty separates comprised of silk bomber jackets, sleek pencil skirts and cropped shirts. Committed to combining locally-sourced, sustainable materials with recycled fabrics, Goodone’s environmentally-friendly ethos has been showcased in collaborations with everyone from Topshop to Asos.

Melissa for Asos

Wishlist News in Briefs

Even Calum Best has got in on the eco act by launching his own range of environmentally friendly underwear.

Entitled ‘Best’, the range was launched at Manchester Fashion Week earlier this month and features designs made out of 100% sustainable bamboo.

Jumper, Mango, £34.99 In fact, Asos have a particularly good track record for providing ethical options at acceptable prices. The online retailer have recently added a new section to their site entitled ‘The Green Room’, which features ‘pioneer brands with a social and environmental ethos’. Flagged by Vogue as the high-street destination for any eco-conscious shopper, The Green Room includes collections from fair trade company People Tree and shoe label Melissa, which uses 100% recyclable materials and created the iconic Vivienne Westwood Lady Dragon shoes. Asos also have their own eco-collection ‘Asos Africa’ and for every item sold they donate £5 to the charity SOKO to promote sustainable, fair employment in Kenya.

It is inevitably going to be difficult to fill your entire wardrobe with ethical clothes, but with more and more designers debuting ecologicallyminded collections, and the high-street quickly following suit, it is definitely easier than ever before to source sustainable items without sacrificing style.

Camisole, H&M, £9.99

Bag, Zara, £39.99

After all, no one wants to look like a medieval farmer do they?

Shorts, Topshop, £34

Best of Bristol: 71 Queens

Situated on the Triangle, 71 Queens is Bristol’s one stop shop for ethical and vintage clothing. As well as second hand designerwear ranging from Karen Millen to Diane Von Furstenberg, 71 Queens also stocks ethical brand Kuyichi- the first ever label to produce organic jeans.

Page: Francesca Clayton

Chinti and Parker S/S12

Travel

organic, fair trade t-shirts. Designed by the likes of Katherine Hamnett and Eley Kishimoto, the t-shirts feature slogans like ‘No More Fashion Victims’ to highlight the EJF’s mission to protect the rights of vulnerable workers. Pixie Geldof and Lily Cole have both modelled in the charity’s campaign, the profits of which go towards funding the the foundation’s work across the world.

Goodone S/S12

What’s On

Lifestyle

@e2Fashion

Deputy: Lizzy Bullock deputyfashion@ epigram.org.uk

Heels, Zara, £29.99

30.04.2012

H&M gets fashion conscious O

n 12th April high street mega-brand H&M launched the Spring/Summer collection of their sustainably produced Conscious Collection.

I first fell in love with the last season’s range after walking in to H&M in Knightsbridge and finding a sea of Erdem-inspired deep purples, vibrant oranges and luxe silk floral prints just right for banishing winter blues. Versace for H&M looked beyond brash in comparison.

This is really the crux of why H&M’s Conscious Collection appears so groundbreaking – it offers the possibility of adopting an ethical approach to fashion for those not wishing to look like they have been yarn-bombed. Too many eco-ranges that have appeared previously have equated having a conscience with a penchant for sandals made out of hemp, and even the relatively wearable ones seem only to offer an oudated form of boho chic.

H&M

The expansion of the line to include an Exclusive Glamour Collection alongside the usual daywear and casual eveningwear has sent the blogosphere into overdrive with dedicated fashionistas across the globe becoming widely excited at the prospect of looking beautiful whilst dressing ecologically.

“looking beautiful while dressing ecologically”

H&M

So the news that H&M has taken up Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge and produced clothes that not only would you and I want to wear, but that have been spotted on the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Viola Davis and even Michelle Williams sounds almost too good to be true. And perhaps it is, but before summarising the criticisms of the range, let’s looks first at its desirable qualities of the H&M Conscious Collection.

This season, the amethyst and tiger’s eye have made way for rose quartz and pale gold in a collection which embraces the best of the Louis Vuitton pretty pastel trend whilst carefully avoiding the saccharine. A 100% organic cotton dress rose-hued with tie straps looks Provence-ready, and immediately evokes memories of Clemence Poésy’s cameo in Gossip Girl a few seasons back, whilst a raspberry lace pencil skirt (with 100% recycled polyester lining) offers a more chic Carine Roitfeld-esque look.

Moving away from France and into the Glamour Collection, a slightly longer take on a skater dress with cut out back in neon green will appeal to Christopher Kane fans and answer any Great Gatsby-longings with its Art Deco embroidered piping on the top section.

It is, however, the dizzying digital print of the figure-defining floral dress which has received most attention. Bringing to mind the luscious late artworks of Rossetti, this dress makes flowers look borderline obscene and combines a vintage glamour with the supremely modern methods of digital printing (oh, and it just so happens to be 75% recycled polyester too).

So what exactly are the aforementioned criticisms? Lucy Siegle, author of ‘To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World?’ has posited that the entire idea of Fast Fashion is essentially incompatible with being ecofriendly. Additionally, she states that massive companies like H&M who do not actually own any of the factories their clothes are produced in can sidestep issues around workers’ rights, such as the right to unionise and fire safety, because they are not directly in their remit. This means that whilst the fabrics may be changing, there may still be big issues around the actual production of the garment.

Siegle’s point on the strange marriage of fast fashion and eco-fashion cannot be ignored, however, without wanting to be defeatist, it is a much harder job to change the entire face of the retail sector than it is to work within the existing structure and implement changes. Furthermore, unlike ethical food movements where the organic alternative is often out of the majority’s price range, H&M is allowing those who care about the environment, but cannot always afford to show it, the chance to register their support and it is this that makes the difference.

The fact that items from the collection sell out on the first day they hit stores sends a great message to the companies: we care and we want things to change.

Rosemary Wagg

Street style special: meet the team

Francesca Clayton

Francesca Clayton

Francesca Clayton

Francesca Clayton

Epigram’s very own Music Editor Nathan Comer wears his Dad’s shirt, a Gap Kids leather jacket, FCUK jeans and Vans.

Mayna is one of the models in this issue’s shoot, ‘Hot Right Now’. She’s wearing all vintage clothing with a Barbour jacket.

e2 editor Matt McCrory is wearing a jacket by Adidas, jumper and jeans from Topman, rucksack by Eastpak and Vans.

English student Yasmin also models in our latest shoot. She wears a Barbour jacket, Topshop jumper, Diesel jeans, ASOS bag and Converse.

Editor: Francesca Clayton fashion@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Fashion

Style Jury

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to fully commit to the look, Zara have some great shift dresses with just the right amount detailing to prevent things from becoming too fussy.

H&M are also offering some tribal creations in their forthcoming Fashion Against AIDS collection – great for putting on over your bikini and 25% of the proceeds go to HIV and AIDS prevention.

The undercurrent of this trend is pattern and Topshop have a plethora of Aztec inspired leggings – cheap and comfortable, they’re great festival wear. Opt for an ethnic clutch or a pair of shoes that will stand out against a more understated outfit. Beads, fringing and tassels on belts and earrings also work well for accessories.

Arabella Noortman

Maiyet S/S 12

Lifestyle

Where the wild things are This season designers showcased a sophisticated take on the tribal trend that was characterised by an exotic elegance evoking warmer climes.

Burberry juxtaposed bold colours against muted backgrounds for a distinctly West African feel while Missoni captured the vibe with models strutting down the runway like birds of paradise in sumptuous shades of cocoa and turquoise.

Deputy: Lizzy Bullock deputyfashion@ epigram.org.uk

What’s On

We asked a selection of Bristol students what they thought of this midriff-baring outfit by ethical brand Maiyet.

‘I really like the high-waisted shorts with the cropped top but the fabric doesn’t look great. Is it wrong that I love the socks and sandals?’

Francesca, Fashion Editor, third year

Bralet, Miss Selfridge £25, Earrings, Mango, £14.99, Shorts, Topshop, £12

Jacket, £24.99, Necklace, £9.99, Bracelet, £6.99, all H&M

Bag, Zara, £59.99, Leggings, Topshop, £20, Shoes, River Island, £50

‘I thought socks and sandals were banned? I don’t think I could get away with wearing something like that.’

Nick, Medicine, second year

“

I’m a great believer in ‘something is better than nothing’” insists Stella McCartney, in response to a grilling on her ethical ties within the fashion industry. She admits herself that in such an industry, it is near-on impossible to be ‘perfect’ regarding the environment. But she does contribute to the safekeeping of our environment in a way most other designers don’t even consider; she tries.

she has released an all-new collection of ‘eco-friendly’ sunglasses composed of over 50% natural and renewable resources, including caster-oil seeds and citric acid. As you would expect from the Stella McCartney brand, the glasses do not forfeit style for sustainability; paying homage to her sophisticated, classically neutral colour palette.

Furthermore McCartney was sure to keep her eco-friendly beliefs in mind when designing the new Olympics kit; ensuring that as much of the specialist sportswear was made from sustainable, recycled synthetics as possible. The designs have recently been unveiled and feature a deconstructed Union Jack in varying shades of blue.

Having been raised a vegetarian on a farm in British countryside, for McCartney, it is simply in her blood to consider the environmental impact of her work. But McCartney has not just created a ‘vegetarian label’ and left it at that; she is an environmental activist through and through, employing a range of innovative environmentally-friendly schemes throughout her work. Her house runs on wind power, she has created a number of ‘eco collections’ and has a blog entitled ‘Green Me’ on her website, devoted to raising public awareness of sustainable initiatives.

Her ‘eco collections’ are made from fully sustainable sources and avoid wasteful processes such as the use of chemicals in the tanning and dying of leather.

McCartney also refuses to buy more organic material once the lot has run out, choosing instead to challenge the modern culture of mass consumption.

This year, two of McCartney’s exciting sustainable projects are available for our own greedy consumption. For S/S 2012,

Her eco-friendly motives have by no means held her back in the industry, having risen rapidly to global fashion status since her graduation from Central St Martins in 1995. In 1997 she was appointed the creative director of Chlöe in Paris and since then McCartney’s hard work and determination have continued to earn her well-deserved recognition over the years.

Stella McCartney S/S12

Travel

Fashion

The queen of green

Her collections are now distributed in over 50 countries, she has collaborated with the likes of international brands Adidas and H&M, and has even designed costumes for the New York City Ballet.

McCartney’s impressive list of accolades includes the Organic Style Woman of the Year award in 2005, the British

Fashion Awards’ Red Carpet Award in 2011 and the Brand of the Year award, which she received just last month at the 16th annual Luxury Briefing Awards in London.

However, a recent scandal involving McCartney’s GB Olympic uniform has led to claims that the kits were made in a highly unethical manor – by an exploited Indian workforce. These allegations stem from an investigation

by The Independent, which states that the kit is being manufactured in sweatshop conditions by workers who are severely underpaid, physically and verbally abused. Such accusations not only go against everything McCartney stands for but also undermine the claim that London 2012 will be the ‘most ethical games ever’.

Luckily, most of the criticism is being directed towards retailer Adidas, who have launched into a full investigation of the matter. There is no suggestion as yet that McCartney was even aware of the conditions under which her designs are being produced.

Recent turmoil aside, Stella McCartney not only produces consistently awardworthy designs, she also manages to do it in an ethically viable and sustainable way. Perhaps more people within the fashion industry should take an (organic) leaf out of McCartney’s book.

Lizi Woolgar

30.04.2012

hot right now step into summer with bright colours and statement prints

Deputy: Lizzy Bullock deputyfashion@ epigram.org.uk

Fashion

What’s On

Lifestyle

Editor: Francesca Clayton fashion@ epigram.org.uk

Photographer: Harriet Layhe Styling: Francesca Clayton and Lizzy Bullock Hair & Makeup: Anisha Gupta Models: Mayna Desai and Yasmin O’Neal

Clothes and jewellery, Shop Dutty

Travel

116 Cheltenham Road 0117 9249990 www.shopdutty.com

Shoes and denim shorts, stylist’s own Black hotpants and baseball cap, model’s own

30.04.2012

Beauty Cosm-ethics Saving our environment is the message being preached by the celebrity elite, so it’s no surprise that beauty companies are clamouring for a piece of the ethical action.

No longer does being eco-conscious mean you can’t be style conscious. From recycled packaging to tree-planting campaigns, beauty brands are proving that eco-friendly looks great on everyone.

The Body Shop Brush On Radiance, £13 All of The Body Shop’s ingredients are ethically sourced and cruelty free and their charity funds civil rights campaigns, animal protection and environmental conservation.

Lily Cole was revealed as their brand ambassador this month and her limited edition cruelty-free make-up collection should be the at the top of everyone’s wish list.

Lush Colour Supplements, £7.95 each Not only do Lush products smell amazing but they deliver over half of their products without any packaging. Plus, 90% of all packaging material the company does use is recycled, so you can try their new foray into make-up, ‘Colour Supplements’ for a gorgeous complexion without the guilt.

Mac Prep and Prime Eye, £12.50 Wonder-brand MAC have introduced a ‘Back to MAC’ program where you can return your old product containers for recycling and get the ‘Brucey Bonus’ of a free lipstick when you return 6 primary product containers.

Eco Tools 6 Piece Brush Set, £15.99 Eco Tools from Boots are all about “getting gorgeous, going green, and giving back” and are made from cruelty free recycled materials.

Amy-Louise Salter

Editor: Verity Stockdale travel@ epigram.org.uk

Fashion Travel

Only in Harajuku Where individuality reigns Few people can imagine a place where it’s totally normal to walk down the street with a teenage boy decked out in brooding gothic gear on your left and a young girl donning a dainty French maid costume embellished with lace on your right.

On Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Tokyo’s centre of fashion and peoplewatching, this is all commonplace.

The usually quiet shopping strip transforms into a miniature catwalk for teenagers to show off their wackiest attire on weekends, as they conform to this phenomenal subculture. Stepping out on Takeshita Street could be compared to exploring a pop culture exhibition with real life exhibits, showcasing the intricate detail of elaborate outfits worn fearlessly by the teenagers.

Here, you can witness teens, who are mere school students during the week, become celebrities on the weekend - just like a Sailor Moon transformation - as they are lavished attention by their own paparazzi, the tourists. It is a truly impressive form of creative expression.

Harajuku is home to a wide spectrum of subcultures you never even knew existed; for example, the Gothic Lolita girls wearing Victorianstyle outfits adorned with frilly, lace, black parasols in their

‘The phrase “Only in Harajuku” makes sense - it celebrates being unconventional and damn proud of it.’ hands, as if to shield their delicate, pale skin from the autumn sun’s nonexistent rays. They are surrounded by a myriad of other sub-cultures, from chain-smoking punks with mohawks that seemingly defy gravity, to “Decoras”, or girls who wear eyepopping candy brights and clutch teddy bears, reminiscent of childhood playfulness. Where tourists would whip out a camera in record time and get snap-happy at the sight of such craziness, the locals here don’t bat a single mascara-coated lash.

Do these teenagers just dress up in extravagant costumes for the hell of it? The underlying motivations go deeper than the seemingly shallow surface of aesthetic enjoyment.

Although the fashionistas of Harajuku appear to merely bask in the attention thrown at them by amazed onlookers, many are making a

statement against the social repression that they encounter in their everyday lives.

Often considered a country of stark contrasts between traditional and contemporary culture, the teenage inhabitants of Harajuku struggle with such contrast in the modest demeanour expected of the Japanese in public and their true inner self. Japanese society has largely rigid expectations of social behaviour firmly entrenched in their way of life.

As a native of Japan, I know of, and understand, the stressfulness of living amidst a culture where a certain degree of compliance with mainstream individualism is expected - and understand the consequent oppression of this.

Walking the Takeshita Street runway in whatever clothes you fancy is a form of escapism for these teenagers.

Many westerners imagine a typical escape to be an exotic holiday. For the Japanese, however, revealing your true self on a public platform where individuality can be blatantly expressed, and admired, is their way of escaping from the shackles of conformity which bind them everyday. The careful calculation of each outfit to perfection is representative of how seriously these teens take such creative expression of their personality, and their protest against social uniformity.

Who else could encapsulate this angst and rebellion against social order better than them?

Flickr : localjapantimes

What’s On

Lifestyle

@e2Travel

Harajuku” makes sense - it celebrates being unconventional and damn proud of it. The amateur catwalk display of outlandishly dressed members of these subcultures attracts the crowds, but the celebration of individuality is what makes me want to return to Takeshita Street again and again.

Naomi Shimoda

Harajuku’s electric atmosphere and the showcase of cutting edge fashions entice the curious to a place where the bizarre is considered normal. Nothing is too weird.

Anyone can be who they want to be without being judged here. The phrase “Only in Flickr : f-l-e-x

Flickr : scion_cho

30.04.2012

Australia’s Big Things

Photo of the fortnight

Whilst this fantastically random collection of monuments is considered slightly tacky and annoyingly kitsch by some, they are fast obtaining a new sense

‘Have you been dying to see a lobster larger than a lorry?’

Big Pineapple on its heritage register in 2009, stating that the huge fruit is “important in demonstrating the development of agri-tourism and roadside attractions in the state”.

The ‘Big Things’ have even been likened to the Pyramids of Egypt, or the temples of Southeast Asia.

This idea stems from renowned Aussie artist Reg Mombassa, who says that as Australia was only settled by Europeans a few hundred years ago, the country’s culture lacks conventional historic buildings and ancient landmarks. In their place are the ‘Big Things’, which allow Aussies to say, according to Mombassa, “we are here, this is our place”.

Whilst some may wince at such a comparison, it’s fair to say that the likening is not totally inappropriate. Like the Pyramids and temples, the ‘Big Things’ also have a huge tourist following and are large physical landmarks in often barren landscapes.

However, they are not exclusively used to attract tourists, but also serve as a platform for protest, as the constructors of the Big Poo will attest to. This faecal wonder can be found in Kiama, New South Wales, and was built by environmentally-conscious residents angry at Sydney Water’s decision not to recycle waste water in the area. In spite of the Protest Poo, however, most ‘Big Things’ are tourist traps to put small towns on the map. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; Goulburn, New South Wales wouldn’t have half the tourists that it does were it not for its tasteful 15 metre tall sheep.

The reason for the ‘Big Things’’ success is hard to identify.

Perhaps it’s their quirkiness, maybe they are just entertaining.

Whatever it is, they are an absolute must-see on a road trip around Australia.

“ When people ask me what’s the big thing to do in Sweden, the answer is simple - go north!”

So there we were, 20 Erasmus students from all over the world listening to Icelandic music, sipping spirits - ‘purely’ to keep warm - in the -20°C, standing on a frozen lake and watching the mist pour out of our mouth with every word we muttered. Then silence.

Even the music seemed to fade away into the black of the night with the knowledge of what was about to befall us. Staring into the atmosphere, we started to see white streaks moving across the sky; was this IT or had we just drunk a bit too much? Within a few minutes, the sky was alive with the vibrant colours of the Northern Lights, dancing as if to a gentle melody. Once we emerged from our hallucagenic-like state, we wasted no time in taking pictures and celebrating with Hungarian ‘Champagne’ and Cuban cigars. This was truly Erasmus in Sweden!

Peter Selmeczy

The first documented Big Thing in Australia was the Big Scotsman, which came into being in 1963.

He can still be found proudly playing his bagpipes atop Scotty’s Motel in a suburb of Adelaide, and stands an impressive five metres tall. Having proved a brilliant marketing tactic for the motel, the owners of Yatala Pies Drive-Thru Shop in Yatala, Queensland, were probably thinking along the same lines when they built the Big Pie outside their shop. However, many towns have adopted their ‘Big Thing’ as something of a symbol of their identity. It’s no surprise that the Big Wine Bottle is found in Pokolbin, New South Wales - the centre of Australia’s Hunter Valley wine industry.

The Big Gumboot is located in Australia’s rainiest town (Tully, Queensland).

of admiration in other circles; so much so that they are now being heritage-listed and even considered as works of ‘folk art’.

The Queensland Government placed the aforementioned

Flickr : riana_dzasta

What do an avocado, an axe, a guitar, a mosquito, a tennis racquet and a wine crate all have in common? Nothing, I hear you cry? Incorrect; each one of these objects - plus 137 others - can be found in Australia in gigantic form. If you have never seen a pineapple the size of a house, get yourself to Woombye, Queensland. If you’ve been dying to see a lobster larger than a lorry, get to Kingston SE in South Australia. But what inspired this odd assortment of oversized objects to be created, in such random places across the country?

AIRMAIL

When people ask me what’s the big thing to do in Sweden the answer is simple - go north! Within two months of studying in Stockholm, we had already booked our trip up north. Staying in a village with a population of scarcely more than 100 would make you think that the Northern Lights are the only thing in the beautiful ‘emptiness’ of the north, but you would be greatly mistaken. The 16 hours on the train are definitely worth it.

During our 3-day stay - with a total of just 15 hours of sunlight - we managed to do so much more. We went on dog sled rides through the fresh crisp snow, having fed them breakfast; amazing for those brave enough to enter a cage filled with 100 huskies. We got to drive snowmobiles across the empty planes and go caving inside the mountains, climbing them and running down as fast as we could. If that’s not enough for you, and if you have the time and money, you can also go cross-country or helicopter skiing, visit the Sami people and stay at the Ice Hotel. Therefore, next time you’re considering a standard, beach holiday, reconsider; what about sitting in a sauna and running around in the snow naked while nomming on reindeer burgers in the evenings instead?

Peter Selmeczy Foreign Correspondent - Sweden

Alex Bradbrook

‘First Date’ Lucy Paterson The Park Güell in Barcelona, Spain

Two parrots rendez-vouz at Gaudi’s famous Park Güell in Barcelona. Members of this non-native species of parrot often congregate and build their nests here for love of the tiled terrace walls, which imitate the trees planted on them, making a cosy and colourful home for these birds. I loved this moment because they sat contemplating one another for a long while, snacking on the flowers of the tree, like two strangers drinking cocktails on their first date.

Editor: Verity Stockdale travel@ epigram.org.uk

Big in Barcelona Perusing the shop fronts in dark streets of the gothic quarter in Barcelona I stumbled upon a secret collection of boutiques.

There are autochthonous Barcelonan designers, small vintage shops and a growing series of retailers lending themselves to ‘Eco-Fashion’ - a phenomenon that has spread far and fast in this city. In Barcelona, green is the new black.

Take Carrer Asturiés in the alternative but gentrified Grácia, an area that boasts local designers, health food shops and some small tea houses. The street is home to Olokuti, which sells everything from ‘hippy Asian-made clothes’ to photo frames made out of recycled materials, fair-trade coffee, and ‘eco-gadgets’ – solar chargers for laptops or mobile phones and a radio for the shower, which uses water pressure as energy. Another shop, Home on Earth, professes ‘creativity, ecological consciousness and well-being’. They combine sustainable materials with Nordic designs to make clothes for babies, lamps made from coconut shells, and dragon-fly ornaments made of bamboo; en fin, dreamy.

However, is paying 30% more for something that is 100% handmade championing the importance of conservation, or is it just cool?

Websites like ecofashionispossible. com would argue the former. ‘Every day we are more concerned for the environment and its future. Why not apply this to our style?’, it asks. Even large-scale retailers

such as H&M have ‘cottoned on’, launching the Garden

Collection, whose clothes are made exclusively from organic cotton and linen. Nevertheless, some see eco-fashion as an oxymoron. Given that fashion is often associated with shortlived fads and consumerism, we might ask if it can ever be synonymous with a genuine concern for our planet?

‘Even the UN Conference on Trade and Development presented a fashion show called ‘Eco-Chic’.’

In spite of its surrounding controversy, eco-fashion is currently gaining prestige in Barcelona.

This month will see the 17th annual Dia de la Tierra or ‘Fair for the Earth’ take place in Barcelona to promote eco-friendly, artisan products and will include a fashion show in which the aforementioned Home on Earth will be participating. In May, another similar event – BioCultura – will attract a more diverse, environmentally conscious community from therapists, farmers and activists. Internationally there is a similar focus on eco-fashion.

The Ethical Fashion Forum, based in Bethnal Green, East London, campaigns to reduce the impact of textiles on the environment. The manufacturing of nylon, for example, releases nitrous oxide – a greenhouse gas 310 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

Eco-fashion activists also support garment workers and their wages. Almost three quarters of the world’s clothing exports are made in developing countries where hourly wages are often less than 50p; in Bangladesh, for example, where 80% of the economy depends on the fashion industry. Even the UN Conference on Trade and Development presented ‘Eco-Chic’, a fashion show aiming to harness the fickle nature of fashion to make use of traditional knowledge and promote bio-diversity.

If Madrid is saturated with Franco’s enduring legacy, then Barcelona is its antithesis. Proudly Catalonian and bursting at the seams with independent cafés and shops, crooked side streets and charming architecture, it is the cool little sister to the slightly austere capital.

Before getting really stuck in, first off here’s what to avoid where possible. Principally, creepy men and getting robbed (not necessarily mutually exclusive). Las Ramblas, once referred to by Lorca as ‘the only street in the world which I wish would never end’, is now the stomping ground of unsuspecting tourists, pickpockets and - potentially most irksome - those guys trying to sell whistles that sound like birds.

Yet Barcelona has much more to give than lecherous men and annoying street vendors. If, like me, you’re one of those nerds who like dragging your friends around art galleries, then you won’t be disappointed. The Fundació Antoni Tàpies and Museu Picasso both hoard some 20th century gems, whilst Gaudí’s one-of-a-kind works are part of the city’s very landscape. La Pedrera, Casa Battló, the Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell are the big players where modernist architecture is concerned.

Flickr: Moyan_Brenn

Fashion

Barcelona : A travel guide

Lucy Paterson

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Eco-Fashion

Lucy Paterson

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Stomach rumbling? If you’re a fan of brunch, ‘Picnic’ in El Born does a mean Eggs Benedict. ‘Caj Chai’ in the Gothic district normally has a queue of thirsty tea lovers pining outside the door.

For those wanting to feel a bit more Spanish, churros, paella and patatas bravas (a tapas staple) are abundant – though don’t get them by the beach, where your tastebuds will be disappointed and your wallet will feel the pinch.

‘Don’t get churros by the beach. Your tastebuds will be disappointed and your wallet will feel the pinch.’

Messages travel fast via word of fashion. We are met with getups and trends every day and what someone wears informs us a little of their character or attitude. Living sustainably doesn’t require a whole new form of personal expression, and it’s becoming easier to promote awareness of the benefits of buying responsibly in an unobtrusive and viral way.

Those who’ve only been elsewhere in Spain may be forgiven for thinking that one’s fashion choices are limited to Zara, Bershka, Desigual, or equally displeasing variations thereof. Happily, they’d be mistaken. In Barcelona, oneoff boutiques abound and vintage coves are in high supply – don’t miss Carrer Riera Baixa in Raval.

Lucy Paterson

Alicia Queiro

There’s a whole lot more to see and do in the city that keeps on giving. From the cosmopolitan Passeig de Gràcia to the green lawns of Parc de la Ciutadella, via a sandy sun-splashed beach, Barcelona has something for everyone.

Except maybe Franco.

30.04.2012

Whistle-stop tour 15 Days. 12 Towns. 2 Islands. 1 Bus. Let the whistle-stop tour of New Zealand begin. Armed with little more than the clothes on my back (my backpack was lost in transit somewhere between Singapore and Australia), I arrived in New Zealand with three friends in tow, looking forward to an adrenalin-fuelled fortnight.

A blast of cold air and the door shot open. If I hadn’t been nervous before, watching every inch of colour drain out of my friend’s face as she looked down was enough to turn any stomach.

The jump itself is not the difficult part; forcing yourself to shuffle out the plane, and hold yourself, bananashaped, around the side of a hurtling plane, at 16,000 feet, is. However, flipping backwards out of the plane, and watching it fly away above us, was more than worth the stress. Following a minute’s free-fall, the 15 minute parachute descent was a welcome respite; the tranquillity in deep contrast to the roar of the fall. Views of Mount Cook and Mount Tesman were the perfect backdrop to this amazing adventure.

(this was secretly a relief to me as I didn’t want to let my nerves waste £150) we boarded the miniscule plane. I was the last to jump out, and so whilst my friends were happily strapped to their tandem partners, my harness lay loose around my lap for the majority of the ascent. I am a fairly nervous flyer at the best times, and the nagging thought that he would forget to attach me was hard to shake. The stunning

The following day, we donned our crampons and lifted our pickaxes for a glacier hike. The axes, I might add, were not strictly necessary but they made for great Bear Grylls-esque photographs.

We trekked up steep steps carved out of the ice moments before and crawled through tunnels so small I honestly thought someone

would get wedged in. At the top of the glacier, we were afforded views of glorious snow-capped mountains. Whilst the steep ascent took us four and a half hours in total, the descent took just 18 minutes; a new record.

Stiff from the walk, we spent the evening in natural hot springs, reaching up to 40°C - bliss!

but I didn’t do the canyon swing either and I regret it; I suppose I will just have to go back!

That is just it; even after a jampacked fortnight, there is still so much more to do and explore, and that is why New Zealand is so magnificent.

Emma Brown

I have a confession. I didn’t manage a bungee jump on our way around. I just couldn’t, but Queenstown is the home of the infamous Nevis Bungee. At 134m above the Nevis River, it’s the largest in New Zealand. Whilst the thought of 8.5-second free-fall didn’t appeal, I was more tempted by the Shotover Canyon Swing.

A lesser-known cousin of the Bungee is the Canyon Swing. At 109m high, with a 60m freefall as well as a 200m swing, it differs in that whilst a bungee slows as you fall, the Canyon Swing gains momentum. From back-flipping off the platform to sitting backwards on a plastic chair and, essentially, falling off the platform, the starting methods range in fear factor. The most terrifying must be hanging upside down for a while before plummeting headfirst towards the canyon floor. I hate to admit it

Emma Brown

In Franz Josef, the adventure really began. Franz Josef is the location of the Fox Glacier skydive, voted the second most beautiful jump in the world,

views were a welcome distraction indeed.

Emma Brown

The Kiwi Experience, and their big green buses, was the perfect hop-on/hop-off system for our fast-paced road trip.

Each city was the site of a mini-adventure. In Wanaka, we saw dolphins swimming in the shallow waters near a beach, whilst in Kaikoura, we got so close to resting seals that I thought they were going to attack. In Nelson, we climbed to the ‘Centre of New Zealand’, whilst in Westport, both horse-riding and jet-boating were on offer. We visited the Huka Falls near Taupo, a waterfall with more than 200,000 litres of water flowing through a second, and saw the blowholes at Pancake Rocks.

second only to Mount Everest, minus the $35000 price tag. With the understanding that if I failed to jump, I would be pushed out

Releasing my inner adrenaline junkie in New Zealand

The world’s... Most dangerous sports Flickr : santimolina

When considering the world’s most dangerous sports, the first image to spring to mind would be Bolivia’s renowned, and aptly named, ‘Death Road’. No-one really knows how many people have died attempting to cycle Yungas Road. Facing vertical drops of almost 2000ft, cyclists must also endure poor visibility conditions and erratic lorry drivers if they want to make it out alive. It is top of the list for thrill-seekers travelling to Bolivia, and despite the impending risk of death, the views are stunning - definitely number one for adrenaline junkies.

For those who are partial to the simpler things in life, there is BASE jumping - simple, but no less dangerous. There are organised events in the States for you to rock your inner basejumper, or you can head to Romsdal in Norway, and hopefully live to tell the tale. If you’re feeling more adventurous than usual, why not try to break the record for the highest jump?

This was set in Dubai in 2010 by a pair of skydivers who jumped from the 160th floor of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Dubai tower.

Flickr : luis perez

Following this, consider the craze of heli-skiing; as if skiing wasn’t dangerous enough. For this sport you need a decent pair of skiis, a lot of nerve, oh, and a helicopter. You can do it throughout the world, but Canada offers the best snow and the widest range of specialist companies to do so with. The helicopter works like a ski lift, with the added advantage of taking you to the most remote of skiing locations. One can reasonably expect glaciers, alpine bowls, chutes, gladed trees, and - the biggest risk about it - avalanches.

The following, rather more, ahem, explosive sport takes place in Colombia. The sport, named Tejo, is a national sport involving steel discs, paper triangles filled with gunpowder and deafening explosions. To score maximum points, you need to successfully throw your 680g steel disc at a target, which triggers the gunpowder explosion. This pastime is fantastic, moderately dangerous fun for men, women and children; especially with a few Aguilas in hand (the national beer, obviously). You will find tejo all over Colombia, but, speaking from experience, the more rural you go, the more tejo fun you will have.

‘The sport involves steel discs and paper triangles filled with gunpowder.’

If hurling yourself through the air is not for you, then freediving just might be. The great thing about this sport is that it can be done anywhere in the world. If you’re feeling exotic (and rich), head to the Turks and Caicos Islands. It can also be done in the UK. Free-diving is the ultimate thrill for fans of very, very deep, water. The sport is all about endurance and kidding your lungs that they really don’t need that much oxygen, actually. World record holder, Tanya Streeter, can stay down under for 6 minutes 17 seconds. Even though this sounds simple enough, one must make sure to free-dive under the instruction of someone who knows what they’re talking about. See you down there!

Lucy Hill