The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 6 #2 by Consultancy Market Media

vol. 6 #2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 13 November 2012

The Sentinel Amsterdam

Integrity, heart, humour

feature

culture

liĂ&#x2C6;ge museum days

amsterdam museum night

in this issue

feature - p.04

culture - p. 22

travel - p. 56

Liège museum days

Amsterdam museum night

Spain - Valencia

‘Names that appeal for no obvious reason other than that they sound exotic’

‘You get the impression that everyone is enjoying themselves and that you should join in’

sport - p. 100

sport - p. 104

Get stoned

White out

The Gold Room

‘The tiniest things we sometimes take for granted have beautiful and yet unknown stories to tell’

‘Just another girl from a country with no mountains’

health & well-being - p. 90

more art- p. 72

music - p. 78

star beer guidel - p. 80

De Veiling (The Auction)

CD Review: The Royal Kings

La Curtius

amsterdam city life- p. 83

spotted- p. 86

film review - p. 87

Bring back

Where is this in Amsterdam?

Room 2c

trends - p. 71

technology - p. 92

sport - p. 96

Just say cheesy

TechBit: Sio-Bytes

On the Volley

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The Sentinel Amsterdam

E-mail: sentinelpost@gmail.com Website: www.thesentinel.eu Contributors: Sam van Dam, David King, Dirkje Bakker-Pierre, Evelina Kvartunaite, Simon Owusu, Simon Joseph and Ananda Welij

Editors: Gary Rudland & Denson Pierre Design, realisation and form: Andrei Barburas & No-Office.nl Webmaster: www.sio-bytes.tumblr.com Webhost: Amsterjammin.com

The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photos/illustrations that are subject to copyright. If you consider your copyright to have been infringed, please contact us at sentinelpost@gmail.com.

feature

‘I was sure I was experiencing what it must have felt like to travel this short route in 1981’

By Denson Pierre

There are places with names that appeal for no obvious reason other than that they sound exotic. Wallonie Bruxelles Tourisme made sure that I closed the 2012 travels with a weekend trip to one of their little gems, not far south of Maastricht: Liège. This is a major city within the French speaking region of Belgium which seems to have benefitted positively from both cultural and geographical complexities to become a particularly welcoming place for visitors.

Liège museum days

feature

‘This station is a fantastically beautiful piece of modern architecture and many argue that it is the most impressive of its kind anywhere’

and many argue that it is the most impressive of its kind anywhere. Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava created an amazing structure, best described as a large cloud-like and smooth wave with shards of lightrefracting adamantium claws positioned at angles, interconnected with glass and unimposing concrete elements, supporting and receiving trains and people, while itself appearing to float on air. The building truly takes your breath away with its glorious design. It is just about up there with the most spectacular entrance portals you can imagine to any city anywhere. Liège is an extremely handily sized modern city. This means that, even without a metro train service, it is very easy to get around the city by bus and once in the old city, walking is an extremely appealing option. It actually takes some getting used to, these days in Europe, seeing people walking along streets and in hospitality establishments smiling at you in a receptive manner. It put us at ease with the entire feel of the city and set us up for a truly pleasant and educational time in this city with so many stories to tell.

Nothing about arriving in Liège-Guillemins station bears comparison to the state of the carriages that get With a history dating back to pre-Roman times, you are you there from the Netherlands, however. This station encouraged to take a guide*, as provided by the tourism is a fantastically beautiful piece of modern architecture authority, to go deeper into what is actually around

‘Even without a metro train service, it is very easy to get around the city by bus and once in the old city, walking is an extremely appealing option’

A journey by train from Amsterdam to Liège (3.5 hrs) is one of these remarkable features. The first leg takes place in roomy comfort on one of NS’s fast, Intercity, double-decker trains. When you eventually arrive at the historic border city of Maastricht, with its largely 19thcentury train station, modern trains start to appear distinctly out of place, as this is where you connect with the Belgian regional train service on to Liège. Once you have followed the signage to the appropriate platform, you could be forgiven for thinking that a vintage train rally was being held nearby and that part of it had been accidentally left standing on the track in front of you. After a moment of slight confusion, I realised that the rickety and rather small train before me was, in fact, the means by which we were to complete the final leg of our ‘high-speed’ trip to Liège. I will say no more about the rolling stock of the Belgian regional rail company, except that when it rattled its way up to the top speed permitted on given stretches between stops, I was sure I was experiencing what it must have felt like to travel this short route in 1981.

feature

‘Liège is not overstated in its presentation, so you need to be pointed to the vast wealth of its historical and cultural detail’

you in this city, hemmed in and dissected by a river and a hilly wood; a combination that lends it a storybook quality. Liège is not overstated in its presentation, so you need to be pointed to the vast wealth of its historical and cultural detail.

Just as I seem to have sped to this point, so too did our weekend run away from us, as we were absorbed into the warmth of the city on the first cold days and nights of winter. It happened also to be my wife’s birthday weekend and she accompanied me on this trip. We missed the chance to visit www.expo-goldensixties. be because, even if we had planned to do so on the way back on Sunday, the train timetable did not fully cooperate, as we needed to get back at the station to catch

Some of the places we visited and enjoyed are listed below. They all come highly recommended as places that might easily make your time in Liège as enjoyable as we found it. If you are lucky enough to stay at the same lodgings as us, you will be ideally situated to reach all of them within minutes: Hotel - Hors Chateau (www.hors-chateau.be) Restaurant - Le Danieli (www.ledanieli.be) Tavern - A Pilori (www.pilori-Liège.be) Museum View Wallone - (www.viewwallonne.be) Museum Grand Curtius - (www.grandcurtiusLiège.be) Celtic Irish Cafe/Restaurant - (www.celtic-Liège.be) Cafe Le Sénégal Rue Hors-Chateau, 18 Sunshine (Pakistani/Indian) Snacks & meals 1, Féronstrée Friterie du perron 1, Rue de Bex *Special thanks to our local guide, Guy Leurquin.

‘Service levels are charmingly what you would wish to expect while out consuming’

Shopping and recreation comes particularly easy in this invitingly well laid out city, with just about enough quality restaurants alongside the more snacky outlets typical of the Burgundian lifestyle, which the locals tend to live. Bars and cafés abound, too, and it is another great compliment to Liège that most cafés appear to have their own particular ambiance and style, rather than suffering from the uniformity the larger tourist cafés in Amsterdam have settled upon. Service levels are charmingly what you would wish to expect while out consuming and the politeness of the staff we met throughout was a stellar example of what it should be in the ‘hospitality’ industry.

our vintage train, then back to the old, Dutch border station to catch the Intercity back to Amsterdam before evening.

feature

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We were absorbed into the warmth of the city on the first cold days and nights of winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

feature

classifieds

culture

Amsterdam: Museum Night (N8)

During the 13th edition of what has to rank as the coolest, most culturally significant, engaging, educational and fun, long evening-night-morning festivities to occur annually in Amsterdam, The Sentinel crew were out and about capturing some of its stimulating variety just for you. Denson Pierre, Sam van Dam and Dirkje Bakker-Pierre took to their bicycles,

grabbed their cameras and went about their own modified routes to show you some of what you missed or probably venues you did not get to on the best Museum Night Amsterdam (N8) yet! Congratulations to our host Stichting Museum Nacht Amsterdam, on putting together and having run a truly exceptional programme (www.n8.nl) on 3 November.

culture

Route 01 by Denson Pierre

EYE (Film Institute Netherlands) Opening

Het Grachtenhuis

De Oude Kerk (The Old Church)

Rijksakademie Allard Pierson Museum

Verzetsmuseum (Resistance Museum) De Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Garden)

culture

Route 02 by Sam van Dam

EYE (Film Institute Netherlands) Opening

Stedelijk Museum (Metropolitan Museum)

Anne Frank House

Arti et Amicitiae

Rijksmuseum (Empire Museum)

Stadsarchief (City Archives)

culture

Route 03 by Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

Hermitage (temporary Van Gogh Museum)

Diamant Museum (Diamond Museum)

Scheepvaartmuseum (Maritime Museum)

FOAM

Natura Artis Magistra (Aquarium)

Museum Van Loon

Tropen Museum (Tropical Museum)

culture

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travel

– ‘The feel of the place is open; both in the way the city is built and the ways of the people who live there’ –

Valencia in a day:

a city within a city By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

Having left the highland plateau, the press group was now about to check out the urban face of the region. First off, the city of Valencia is well worth a visit for longer than one day; it is laid-back, warm, colourful and overflowing with history and palm trees, making you feel welcome right away. It has an abundance of

cafés, restaurants, bars and terraces, and the atmosphere is extremely lively and friendly. People are out and about, and you get the impression that everyone is enjoying themselves and that you should join in. The feel of the place is open; both in the way the city is built and the ways of the people who live there.

travel

– ‘The city of Valencia has been given an incredible gift, in the form of lots and lots of space’ –

To me, it feels as if the city of Valencia has been given an incredible gift, in the form of lots and lots of space to fill with everything the city might ever need, without damaging the original old city. There are playgrounds, tennis courts, football pitches, cafés, artworks, climbing walls, an athletics track, a Zen garden and much more. The many bridges overhead carry traffic across the park and they offer a great place to shelter on a rainy day. The modern world and gorge become completely integrated at the point where it reaches the ancient city centre. At the eastern end of the park is the architectural marvel, The City of Arts and Sciences. The stunning, bold choices they made for spectacular futuristic architecture on such a gigantic scale make it an adventure to visit this new city within a city. The awe-inspiring works of Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela make you wish you had become an architect yourself. It is really as if you have landed in the future, or in the realm of the clones from the Star Wars films; it kind of makes you believe in aliens and heaven at the same time. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (as it is called in Spanish) exists within an expansive, white and watery

landscape, featuring the most dreamlike structures I have ever seen. Among others, it houses an Imax Cinema, an interactive science museum, a floating landscape garden and an outdoor art gallery, an opera house that seems to be hovering in the air (even though your brain tells you it’s impossible) and the mindblowing L’Agora, a space for events and concerts, and the only shiny, dark-blue building right in the middle of the blinding bright white. Its surface is covered in deep-blue ceramic tiles in the tradition of the Valencia region, where ceramics are an important part of the cultural heritage. The last building, the only one by Candela, is L’Oceanografic. It is the grandest and most spectacular aquarium in Europe, featuring a great selection of aquatic creatures, from large to small and from all over the planet, in another fantastic architectural setting. This modern dream makes Valencia a compelling place to visit, in which you can find the ‘real Spain’: an authentic, old, city centre with marvellous architecture, historic buildings, statues, fountains, palm trees, a great, wide beach, busy streets and picturesque squares right next to a conglomeration of bright, new, other-worldly buildings in a green gorge. I would have stayed for longer if I could. I walked through the rain in my flip-flops, drank the local specialty Horchata (no, not an alcoholic drink!), cycled through the great park in the river bed, marvelled at the moonfish, wandered the streets, smelled the market, tasted the paella, enjoyed the local wine and was left with the feeling that I was only just getting started. Imagine what you could do with a few more days…

This press trip through the region of Valencia was hosted by Oficina Española de Turismo and its local partners.

A magnificent feat of architecture and city planning traverses the historic city in such a way that it makes this place completely unique. The Turia River, which previously flowed through the city, has been drained and rerouted since the disastrous flooding of 1957. They re-channelled the water by building a canal, taking it around the city and leaving behind a lush, fertile gorge meandering through the centre. The river bed is nine kilometres long and a cycle path runs along its complete length, enabling people to cross the city without using roads. The ‘Garden of the Turia’, a luxuriant park, fills the former river bed, which now ‘flows’ green instead of brown.

travel

– ‘A cycle path runs along its complete length, enabling people to cross the city without using roads’ –

travel

– ‘The awe-inspiring works of Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela make you wish you had become an architect yourself’ –

travel

– ‘An opera house that seems to be hovering in the air (even though your brain tells you it’s impossible)’ –

travel

– ‘This modern dream makes Valencia a compelling place to visit, in which you can find the ‘real Spain’’ –

travel

classifieds

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JC Tours

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art

De Veiling (The Auction) An Amsterdam initiative to support the performing arts in a time of crisis

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

The current political climate in our now cold and wet country has resulted in the unfortunate trend of cutting funding for arts and culture. It’s a short-sighted policy that has had disastrous consequences for many a museum, arts institute, theatre company and cultural foundation. Ideally, the bigwigs who decide these things would realise their fatal error and redress the situation post haste but, unfortunately, that’s not the way the wind is blowing at the moment, so people have started to look at alternatives. Inspired by the way the arts are sponsored in countries like the UK, the creators of De Veiling, Helena Verhagen and Margreet Huizing, decided it was time to take matters into their own hands. They dreamt up a way to create a new source of funding for the arts, by creatively using things from the world of the arts that had, until then, remained unused. In her role as director of the well-known theatre company mugmetdegoudentand, Margreet began to ponder all the photographs owned by all the theatre companies; photographs made for posters, behind the scenes and during the plays themselves, photographs by well-known photographers kept in archives and storage rooms, great works of art that were not being used for anything at all. The idea emerged to create an auction in which a selection of 150 photographs would be put up for sale, attracting as many ‘affluent’ people with a passion for

theatre and the arts to come along and help raise as much money as possible. The money would be put into a newly created fund and could be used to subsidise the performing arts. On Saturday 3 November, the alluring catalogue was presented at the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam by Hedy d’Ancona. It contains 150 photographic works that take you on a wondrous, visual trip through a century of Dutch theatre history. The catalogue itself is a desirable publication and is available for only €10 from the De Veiling website (deveiling.org). A nice bonus is that there are 11 vouchers hidden randomly in the catalogues; five for an original photograph of the famous photographic duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Mathadin and six others, each offering €100 discount at the auction itself. The festive presentation was a suitable launch for a truly impressive project; a great step in taking control out of the hands of the politicians and hopefully an inspiring one! Viewings Wednesday 12 – Saturday 15 December 12.00 – 18.00 hrs De Veiling (The Auction) Sunday 16 December Open: 15.00 hrs (auction begins at 16.00 hrs) Both at: Arti et Amicitiae, Rokin 112, Amsterdam website: deveiling.org

art

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Authentic and full of surprises. That’s Mechelen. Hospitable and honourable. That’s the people of Mechelen. Come and experience the city’s urban charms for yourself.

photography © Milo Profi

Mechelen Mechelen

music

The Regal Kings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dancefloor Diamonds Vol. 1 By Denson Pierre

In a time and city that are awash with music of no meaning or discernible direction, unless you are indulging in designer drugs that make it interesting to youngsters and those who cannot dance, it was an absolute pleasure to receive this bass-led workout of an album for review. Ska/reggae and bass culture dance music, which does not run away at 172 beats per minute, or more, can put many off immediately. This type of music does not necessarily suit those unable to keep time and follow a beat into a dance routine or a dancefloor show, or even those singularly tuned to the screech of electric guitars and hollow lyrics, to whom dancing (not just head banging or flicking your finger in the air while you aimlessly, simply and irregularly move your hips and shake your head from sideto-side) never came naturally or was ever taught.

Dancefloor Diamonds is an album put together simply to make you dance to the adrenaline rush brought on by fine musicians showing a wholesome and tight grip on melodies and rhythmic surges. As far as the production goes, it also says a great deal about the dedication of the artists that this was an album a long time in the making, and one that continues the trend of high impact, alternative music re-emerging from Yorkshire, UK, in tremendously vibrant and multicultural form over the past decade. The Royal Kings â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dancehall Diamonds Vol. 1 had me dancing from beginning to end. If a better recommendation were possible, I would be happy to discuss it with you while seeing them perform live. But for now, get your hands on the CD, grab a dance partner and polish a dancefloor with your dancing feet.

music

CD available for download from the beginning of 2013. Buy now from: www.theregalkings.com. Read more and join them at: The Regal kings facebook page Additional information available here: www.reverbnation.com Mail: theregalkings@gmail.com

star beer guide

The Sentinel Star beer guide By Denson Pierre

La Curtius

(7.0% A.B.V.)

This is a beer to caress your taste buds with its lightness of feel prefacing a thoroughness of flavours. You are likely to be drawn in by the beautifully angular glass in which it is served or the colours used in the design and glass composition of the champagne-styled bottle in which it is stored, ready to be chilled to its ideal serving temperature (6-8˚C). Also available on tap from a growing number of establishments, Curtius is an ideal beer to have before and during a meal, for those not partial to wine. Its wheatiness and presentation also mean

that it will be an even more visible hit when outdoor cafe and terrace life resumes in the warmth of spring. La Curtius is brewed by Microbrasserie de la Principauté, Liège, Belgium.

‘You are likely to be drawn in by the beautifully angular glass in which it is served or the colours used in the design and glass composition of the champagnestyled bottle’

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amsterdam city life

: K C a B g n Bri FREE SALTY, SAVOURY OR SWEET SNACKS WITH HOT AND COLD DRINKS 83

By Denson Pierre

It feels like a vague remembrance of a forgotten time, when a little pot of peanuts, cheese blocks, pretzels, a piece of chocolate or a cookie/biscuit (not the ultra-thin and now popular speculaas flake) would be placed in front of you as a free accompaniment to your cold or hot beverage. In traditional Amsterdam cafés, until relatively recently, it was also not unusual to be offered a room-temperature boiled egg to help soak up the alcohol you had just bought and keep you attuned to the café for future reference. Free snacks are still provided at almost every level of café/brasserie in Belgium and France but gradually, over the past ten years, all of these savoury and sweet treats have somehow found their way on to the price list of Amsterdam establishments. The provision of free snacks has an obvious dual purpose: it not only makes punters feel special but is also likely to prompt them to stay on for at least another drink. At what point did snacks become so expensive as to force Amsterdam’s ‘hospitality’ establishments into abandoning all grace and style by

no longer serving value-added gimmicks to encourage additional business? It helps folk to drink longer by staving off hunger pangs induced by prolonged and profitable alcohol intake, and it offers a few grains of conversation enhancement at moments when date chats inexplicably dry up. And for café/restaurants, it acts as an appetiser, increasing the chance of people being enticed into exploring the full menu card. With so many complaints about the ever-escalating prices of drinks and snacks in the city, The Sentinel says bring back free mini-finger snacks as a classy re-addition to the overall hospitality experience. It is an easy trade-off for the extra business it encourages and counteracts the intelligence shown by tourists and locals alike, who prefer the affordable price of snacks (of all sizes) in the many, many, nearby supermarkets. And the snack menu can remain a fixture for those prepared to spend money on something more substantial.

recommended

ended Recomm

We find the best, most fun, most typical, exciting, or local favourite restaurants etcetera in Amsterdam and bring them to you; an easy way to feel like a local.

Proeflokaal De Prael, Amsterdam, November 03, 2012

g 9 3812 SZ Amersfoort

recommended

35 75To- Be Fax 033 - 454 35 79Connoisseurs Delight Seen and Tasted filmproef@eurogifts.nl te: www.eurogifts.nl

Fun, Drinking & Music

ORDERNUMMER: 6 ARTIKELNUMMER: 6

Opera Prima Patisserie Bistro Traiteur The best place in town for lunch, exquisite high teas or brunches and all of your luxury catering, both private and corporate!

Mulligans Irish Music Bar Amsterdam’s best address for live Irish music: Five (5) nights a week! Check our agenda for upcoming sessions.

St. Antoniebreestraat 142 Amsterdam www.tisfris.nl

Kinkerstraat 228 Amsterdam www.operaprima.nl

Amstel 100 1017 AC Amsterdam www.mulligans.nl

To Be Seen and Tasted

Connoisseurs Delight

To Be Seen and Tasted

Cafe restaurant Edel Cafe restaurant Edel is the perfect place for lunch, dinner or to simply enjoy a drink. Edel is a unique place in Amsterdam.

Café Kostverloren Café Kostverloren is a contemporary cafe offering the cosiness of a saloon, an open kitchen and the intimacy of a living room. During summer there is a large, sunny terrace and during winter, an open ﬁreplace!

Postjesweg 1 1057 DT Amsterdam www.edelamsterdam.nl

Incanto Incanto is a restaurant with a classic Italian kitchen. Venetian chef Simone Ambrosin is known for his pure and simple style of cooking with feeling for nuance. The wine list contains over 150 Italian wines. Amstel 2 Amsterdam www.restaurant-incanto.nl

Fun, Drinking & Music

Connoisseurs Delight

Neighbourhood cosy

Café Oporto Café Oporto is a traditional Amsterdam ‘brown cafe’. Welcoming tourists and regular customers alike, they offer televised sports, wireless internet connection and a wide range of reasonably priced beers and spirits.

Planet Rose Planet Rose is the ﬁrst Caribbean restaurant in the Netherlands, which specializes in Jamaican cuisine. The menu features a daily changing selection of Jamaican/ Caribbean dishes and they ensure that you enjoy the whole experience while dining with them!

Vibes Vibes is a relaxing cafe/cocktail bar / art gallery with a large selection of coffees, herbal teas, homemade cakes and an amazing card of cocktails, made with fresh fruit, by a professional cocktail bartender. Enjoy our Italian kitchen in a cosy and friendly atmosphere.

Zoutsteeg 1 1012 LX Amsterdam www.cafeoporto.net/home

Nicolaas Beetsstraat 47 Amsterdam www.planetrose.info

Jan Pieter Heijestraat 137 Amsterdam www.wix.com/vibes137/vibes

2e Kostverlorenkade 70 Amsterdam www.cafekostverloren.nl

Cafe Tisfris Cafe Tisfris is recognisable for its landmarks, funky pillars and terrace. Tisfris offers a friendly service and is a great pit stop for “yummy” refreshments.

spotted

Where is this in Amsterdam?

Answer to: sentinelpost@gmail.com

room2c

Room 2c film Brainstorm (1983)

By David King

Natural Born Killers (1994) Oliver Stone had the foresight and daring to get the message out via this medium. Psychopathy, abuse, guns and violence overplay this spectacular art house film, made on a Hollywood A-movie budget. Watch again to realise that there is nothing at all shocking about any content here in the 21st century, where kids play much more violent video games, the media still utterly dictates, and incest and rape have not left us either. Allah, Mohammad, Char, Yaar.

A quirky, sci-fi treat that explores scientists’ ability to record people’s experiences and feelings on tape and then play them back inside another person’s brain, thus enabling them to see through someone else’s eyes. Once the military cotton on to the potential applications, it’s goodnight Vienna. Christopher Walken will frighten the hell out of you and, as always, the underrated Louise Fletcher brings this tiny scare-fest to life.

By dpmotions

trends

‘What is more frightening, a Frankenstorm or a Frankencoalition!’

Just say cheesy 89

By Dirkje Bakker-Pierre

With the US presidential election approaching its climax in a stormy way, the whole world is holding its breath to see how Obama handles Sandy. Romney seems to have dissolved into thin air, hoping, of course, that Obama will fail to inspire people with the idea that they are handling the disastrous situation as well as humanly possible, or better. But, of course, Obama scores notoriously highly with the ladies, so Mitt had better not be too laid back about it all. Barack, in the meantime, is wandering around from disaster zone to disaster zone with a panicky look in his eyes, trying to appear in control and speaking in a deep and assuring voice. My tip: just pick up some children from a puddle (preferably some very cute looking boys and girls) or bear hug some very muscular and broadly smiling firemen (it is important that they are dirty and look tired) and there you go, another four years! In the meantime, here in the Netherlands, our always underwater, forever cultivated puddles are being bombarded by pictures of broadly smiling politicians. It is as if the political news has turned into one big toothpaste

advertisement. All of a sudden, the two so-called enemies of right and left look like they have been friends since kindergarten (either that or new lovers). It reminds me of a Bob Marley song. What are they so happy about, anyway? Is it because the economy is in the shit? Is it the ‘failed integration’ policies? Is it that young people can’t find jobs? Is it the soaring cost of energy and healthcare? Is it the drying up of the property market? Are they on drugs? Did they win the lottery? Are they just happy that hurricanes never come here? Are their smiles even real? Are they being sponsored by Colgate? I mean, is it just me or, after a long day of fighting over how the country should be run, is it wise to appear as if you are emerging from a party (but wearing the wrong clothes)? Honestly, I don’t know what is more frightening, a Frankenstorm or a Frankencoalition! Article written and submitted on 01.11.12 just five days before Barack Obama faced off with Mitt Romney in the race to hold the nuclear codes. The result we now know.

health & well-being

– ‘Around three hundred minerals can be used in jewellery making’ –

Get stoned 90

By Evelina Kvartunaite

health & well-being

– ‘Anything and everything has as much meaning as you place on it’ –

It is said that all aspects of our world are interconnected and constantly influence each other. I believe so, too. I also believe that the tiniest things we sometimes take for granted have beautiful and yet unknown stories to tell. Being a big fan of gemstones and jewellery, I would like to take you on a journey through this fascinating world. In actual fact, around three hundred minerals can be used in jewellery making. However, only seventy of these are generally used and even fewer, around thirty, are well known. Folklore about precious stones has been revered and honoured for centuries in cultures throughout the world. The most common question people ask is how to choose a gemstone that is right for them. There are many possible deciding factors, such as a simple colour preference, birth stone or the desired effect on your body. The latter is difficult to measure (or not measured at all) but, then again, anything and everything has as much meaning as you place on it. Today, I would like to give you a sneak peek into the world of jade, mainly because it’s the stone I have been wearing most of late. Jade has been held in high esteem since Neolithic times, both for its pleasant colour and

toughness. The name ‘jade’ is derived from the Spanish pietra d’ijada or colic stone; it was once regarded as a potent medicine. In China, where jade has been venerated for thousands of years there are more than a hundred different names used for the different colour varieties. Imperial jade is transparent and is prized by the Chinese above all other gemstones. A good specimen is so clear that it is possible to read print easily through it. This emerald green gemstone is also the most valuable form of jade and is mined in Myanmar. Jades also appear in mottled green and white, and the rarer colours of yellow, pink, purple, and black. The range of the greens stretches from light to dark, creamy, greyish and also white. A leek-green variety, called ‘Russian Jade’, is found near Lake Baikal in Russia. Jade is an ancient symbol of love and virtue. It is also a ‘protective’ stone, guarding against accidents and misfortune. Place a piece of jade between two purple candles and let the candles burn for a short while. Then carry the jade with you as a protection amulet. Do you have a favourite gemstone? Let me know at: evelina.kvartunaite@consultancymarketmedia.com

technology

TechBit: Sio-Bytes

The word battery

‘It would appear that the technology world has become boring’

By Simon Owusu

Is innovation dead or have we become so used to its rapid pace and had our expectations raised so high, by previous leaps in technology, services and handheld products, that we have become inured to it? Or have we simply been misled by technology publications? Judging by recent publications, it would appear that the technology world has become boring and that we should no longer allow ourselves to become excited, as innovation no longer exists. This is what tech publications would have the lesser tech savvy among us believe, in any case. Once again, I refer to a trusted source of credible information, Wikipedia: Innovation (http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation). Over the past few months, the likes of Amazon, Apple and Samsung have all released devices, services or products that can be described as truly innovative. Amazon released a new version of its Kindle e-Book reader and a tablet device called the Kindle Fire HD. Apple released its sixthgeneration smartphone, the iPhone 5, and Samsung released the Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, plus a Samsung Galaxy Note tablet. In tech publications from all over the world reactions to these innovative

products have been mixed. In most cases, labels such as “downright boring” to “same old, same old” have been bandied about and it is interesting to analyse where these sentiments come from. The line between true innovation and far-reaching improvements is blurred. This thin line narrows as products or services mature. In the case of the latest releases from Amazon, Apple and Samsung, we are talking about very mature products and services, where innovation can easily be missed or dismissed. This is where most tech publications are at fault with their condemnation. The novelty of these devices wears off as the products mature, but this does not make them less innovative. Amazon and Apple can take credit for being revolutionary in the release of smartphones and e-readers that were so revolutionary that many companies followed their lead and the old titans of the industry which did not, such as Nokia, Motorola and Borders, crumbled into insignificance. In the real world, this happened just a decade ago but in the tech world, it seems like a millennium ago. Amazon’s Kindle was launched in 2007 and is in its fourth generation already. With each iteration of such a product, sales and consumer reaction have been totally opposite to tech publications’ pronouncements, which demonstrate a disconnection between the publications and the consumers to whom they cater. Each Amazon

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‘A fair split between consumers from the old market upgrading their devices and new consumers buying the product for the first time’

Kindle, Apple iPhone and Samsung tablet outsells the previous iteration, with a fair split between consumers from the old market upgrading their devices and new consumers buying the product for the first time. What the tech publications fail to see is the same correlation in other industries around us and how their consumers react to new generations of products. Cars, for example, have been around since the turn of the last century, yet if you compared an early model T Ford to a current BMW 5 Series, the differences cannot be dismissed as mere improvements to an original design. A present-day automobile has countless innovative features and technologies that make sure it stays on the road and is pleasurable to drive. Each new model is welcomed with much praise, even though the concept of the automobile is nothing new. Yet a mature technological device that packs in more innovative features is branded as boring. So, the question is, do these products really lack innovation and are they really boring? As previously mentioned, consumer reaction, in terms of anticipation and sales, prove that people either like really boring products or maybe they are able to cut through the ‘crap’ that tech publications spew out. Each of the devices I’ve mentioned is not only an improvement, but an innovation. An innovation in that it offers new ways to do old things and novel ways to do things not done before, thereby opening up new markets.

In addition, the technologies packed into new devices are also innovative. Not just better screens or batteries, but high-resolution screens not featured in previous editions, with super technology to make them smaller, lighter and yet more durable and powerful with longerlasting battery life. These are not boring upgrades; they are innovative upgrades that make our lives better and more convenient. Don’t read too much into a tech publication’s opinion on what is good or bad, interesting or boring. The important thing is how it works for you. Other than that, The Sentinel is always the best word on the street.

‘It offers new ways to do old things and novel ways to do things not done before’

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On The Volley 96

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‘Hardly a day goes by without some kind of contact with the place I call home’

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‘Starved of football, communication with some of my closest friends and certain members of my family is becoming impossible’ By Simon Joseph

A Point of Contact I grew up in North London, not that far from White Hart Lane, but moved away several years ago. The amount of interaction I have with family and friends back in London varies. I’ve always managed a few trips across the water per year; some have visited me here, especially since I’ve had children. But the telephone is by far the main point of contact. Once, a reverse-charge call from a landline would’ve been enough to keep both parties happy for at least a month, or two. These days, however, hardly a day goes by without some kind of contact with the place I call home.

Not having the same kind of contact with home is one thing; what I didn’t realise was just how much of my social life over here would disappear along with it. There are some people I can no longer talk to at all, through fear of them giving the game away. I definitely can’t go into a certain Irish bar for a while. Since it’s where I used to watch nearly every Spurs game, it’s far too risky. Without that regular contact, I’ve lost more than a few friends. The place had become synonymous with my identity, and the people, to some extent, a surrogate family.

‘Instead of being in the pub or glued to the internet, I’m spending more and more time with my family in Amsterdam’

It’s the weekends, in particular, that have been changed most by abstaining from football. Instead of being in the pub or glued to the internet, I’m spending more and more time with my family in Amsterdam. The park playground has become our regular Saturday hangout. There are, of course, other dads there with their children, but I haven’t spoken to any yet. My Keeping in touch is important to me, even if it’s just partner is particularly happy that I’m around more a gesture as little as sending a text message now and at weekends because I’m there to carry the weekly then. But these exchanges aren’t just about feeling shopping upstairs. My daughters are not yet old enough closer to absent friends and family, they’re also about to appreciate the beautiful game; so, instead of trying remembering where you come from. When I realised to get them into watching MOTD, I spend Sunday I hadn’t been sending as many messages home lately, I began to wonder what it actually was that I’d previously mornings chasing them around our coffee table on all-fours, wondering all the while whether giving up been communicating. To be honest, three-quarters of all the text messages I used to send home were football football was the right decision. related. It appears that a by-product of giving up Ultimately, if I’m to survive this vow of football silence, football is that it has completely changed the contact I I’ll need to pay particular attention to those points of have with home. contact that are most likely to reveal to me the state of play. I’ll need to consider my levels of vulnerability and Starved of football, communication with some of my resilience, while at the mercy of my family and friends. closest friends and certain members of my family is becoming impossible. Let’s face it; most men are shamefully bad communicators at the best of times and Families can be anomalous at times and keeping in if you’re looking for one who can talk openly about the touch is more inconsistent than ever, but it’s within my things that matter in life, you’ll probably be looking for family and, to some extent, my friends in Amsterdam a long time. Talking to your average man is like talking that I recognise what I’m missing. Tottenham Hotspur is not just a football club I follow; it’s part of my family to a brick wall, and I’m no different. Perhaps this is and a perpetual reminder of who I am in a time when why football is so popular with men. Not only do we I’ve lost some of my identity. get a rare opportunity to express ourselves and release some of those pent-up feelings, but football provides the frame of reference for basic friendship. So, to hold a conversation that doesn’t involve football in some way leaves me feeling as though I’m pushing people away, rather than getting closer together. To make matters worse, there are some who have been tempted to drop hints and throw in suggestions, which only serve to cut the conversation even shorter. Contact with home has never been so reluctant, so infrequent.

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‘I’ll be taking you with me on my adventures this winter’

‘It took me until I was 16 for the snow bug to really bite’ By Ananda van Welij

Just another girl from a country with no mountains, addicted to snow. Yes, I’m a little weird but, the fact is, this pretty much sums me up. Since it looks like I’ll be taking you with me on my adventures this winter, it seems only fair to let you know how this description of my life came about.

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‘Freeskiing is basically doing all the crazy stuff you can do on a snowboard, but on skis’

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‘Travelling the world opened up a new world for me and offered the opportunity to stay in touch with the sport I love’

Like many kids in the Netherlands, I started skiing when I was young, thanks to my parents. Every year we would have a traditional summer holiday, camping somewhere in France, Spain or Italy and visiting one of these same countries in winter, to throw snowballs at each other and see who could go the fastest on skis. Although I always loved our winter holidays, it took me until I was 16 for the snow bug to really bite. Having taken all possible classes and training courses for skiing, I became bored and decided to switch to snowboarding. Thanks to having too much spare time during high school and a well-paying job at my local indoor slope, which allowed me to snowboard for free, I managed to achieve a teacher’s degree within six months. Working and spending as much time as possible on my board paid off pretty quickly and I soon had a way bigger bank balance than is healthy for a 16 year old. I

found myself jumping on trains to the Alps by myself, to go snowboarding. This also meant I could visit that Austrian boy I came to really like from my snowboard teacher’s course. To say I drove my parents a bit crazy at the time might be a bit of an understatement. A dislocated shoulder, two surgeries and 22 months of recovery later, I found myself being really scared to get back on my snowboard and hit a jump, or even think about entering a competition. The solution? Switch back to skiing; freeskiing, that is! Freeskiing is basically doing all the crazy stuff you can do on a snowboard, but on skis. While I was injured, photography, writing articles on a freelance basis and travelling the world opened up a new world for me and offered the opportunity to stay in touch with the sport I love. I took on a marketing job for a freeskiing brand, in which I could incorporate things I learned during my studies in commercial

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sports economics, in Amsterdam. This also enabled me to fully transition to the business side of the industry. It might sound like I have a perfect life right now but, like with everything else, there is always a downside. Take living off less money than most students make with a side job, for example, and not being able to go out for drinks with friends, have my own place or buy new clothes. Does this mean I walk around like a dude and only have old clothes? No, I just choose quality over quantity and although I have sneakers in my closet, I still have many more high-heeled shoes. I just get to wear them less often than I’d like. It might sound strange, but these are all sacrifices I’m willing to make to be able to do what I do. You become creative with what you have and, once I’m on top of that mountain again, high-fiving my friends from all over the world before shooting down the hill with the biggest smile on my face, there is no doubt in my

mind that it’s all worth it. You might call me crazy or an addict and you know what? You’re absolutely right. I’m addicted to snow and skiing is my absolute passion, even though I was born in a country without mountains. Through The Sentinel, I plan on sharing my experiences during the upcoming winter months with you, while showing you around wonderful places, meeting inspirational people and reminding you why more than a million people from a country without mountains go skiing every year.

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‘I just choose quality over quantity and although I have sneakers in my closet, I still have many more high-heeled shoes. I just get to wear them less often than I’d like’

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The Gold Room 104

By Denson Pierre

After his exertions as part of his club’s Champions League-winning efforts, his enthusiastic substitute’s role during his country’s victory at the European Championships and leading Spain’s Olympic soccer team in their failed attempt at further glory, it took him a few weeks to get back up to his usual irresistible speed. It’s not that all this praise is anything new; he was voted the fans’ player of last season at Chelsea, in his first at the club. What did change was that, due to his stuttering start to the season, Chelsea had given bold run-outs to two of its new and outstanding attacking-midfield purchases (Oscar and Eden Hazard). Both players seized the opportunity to stake pretty impressive claims for a starting position in the Chelseablue, midfield tsunami. In recent matches, though, Mata has shown that he has grown to become Chelsea’s most potent attacking-midfield force. His all-round technical ability, speed of thought, excellent finishing and a growing proficiency from free-kicks have placed At time of writing, 27% of the season has passed and him ahead of the dribbles, flicks and tumbles of Hazard no-one has selected the player of the season, so far: Juan and the quickly flowering talents of Oscar. Chelsea and Mata! Roberto Di Matteo have, apart from allowing glimpses

Often during the FFG-CL competition, a manager makes a significant player transfer to which the other competitors fail to react. If the player brought in, usually due to outstanding form, continues in the same vein for another 45% of the season, the move can turn out to be decisive. Managers in the FFG-CL keep a very close eye on outstanding performers but sometimes none of them choose to pull the trigger, perhaps for fear of exposing a tactic based on hopes pinned to one of the Premier League teams, and miss the chance to harvest free-flowing points from that player’s feet.

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of Victor Moses, suggested that the other midfield squad players will have more defensive duties this season. Mata is the runaway points leader amongst midfielders in this competitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall scoring and it is curious to note that no-one has yet re-jigged their team to accommodate his extremely good form, so far. Surely no manager can treat Mata with the absurd, yet understandable, disdain as Vincente Del Bosque, manager of the Spanish national team. When recently asked about Mata and La Roja, he simply stated the truth; that there was no way to fit him into Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best starting XI. Should his fitness continue, however, Juan Mata will almost certainly be a key member of the team that wins this competition next May.

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CZECH REPUBLIC STUNNINGLY DIFFERENT!