Smoke Mag Issue 12

uwsu.com/mag

NOVEMBER 2016 · ISSUE 12 · FREE

TAKE A TRIP ON ME: 4 PAGES OF TRAVEL ADVICE PG.14-17

EASY AS PIE XMAS RECIPES PG.12-13

young & TalenteD PG.8-9

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TEAM

INSIDE

Amy Avent

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF amy.avent@smoke.media

IMANI LIVINGSTON

DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF imani.livingston@smoke.media

JOSHUA HACKETT

MANAGING Editor JOSHUa.hackett@smoke.media

cristian angloni

A word from the deputy editor

COMMENT Editor cristian.angeloni@smoke.media

LAREB NASEEM

MUSIC Editor LAREB.nASEEM@smoke.media

NOEMI MARTINI

ARTS Editor noemi.martini@smoke.media

CHINA TEBB

ARTS Editor China.tebb@smoke.media

omar balde

FASHION Editor omar.balde@smoke.media

HOLLY PATRICK

LIFESTYLE Editor HOLLY.PATRICK@smoke.media

kIEra chapman

LIFESTYLE Editor keira.chapman@smoke.media SMOKE MAG is produced monthly by a team of student volunteer editors and contributors.

SMOKE MAG is published by the University of Westminster Students’ Union, but views presented do not necessarily mirror those of UWSU or the editorial team. If you would like to make a complaint or comment about our journalism, please contact the managing editor, Joshua Hackett, in the first instance.

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W

ith the festive season coming up I’m sure that all of you are dreading the look of your bank accounts once you finally accept that the annual Christmas shop is coming around. This month the Smoke Mag team have found ways to try and make this the best Christmas yet. One of our arts editors China suggests some ‘Lowkey’ Christmas films on page 23 for those of you that just aren’t a huge fan of the Christmas buzz but still want to feel a part of it. We also have ‘How to do Xmas properly as a student” on page 25 written by Amy and myself which suggests a few ways that you can spend a little less and enjoy a little more.

As sad as it may sound the festive season is my favourite because it is a time when my huge family and I get together and make some wonderful memories. The Christmas dinner that should only take around 2 hours to cook ends up going cold because we are always waiting for that one family member that says they’re ‘just around the corner’, when really they haven’t even left the house yet.

For those of you who haven’t been winter coat shopping yet or are in need of a new one Teodora talks about the fashion of genderless coats on page 26 and how the boundaries of fashion are breaking.

Finally, our young and talented interviewee this month Aleksandra Blinova gives us an insight into her creative world telling our arts editor Noemi about some childhood memories and where her inspiration comes from.

As this is our last issue until the new year Merry Christmas from myself and the rest of the Smoke Mag team!

Imani

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INSIDE

m COMMENT PG. 4-7

FEATURES PG. 8-17

MUSIC PG. 18-21

ARTS PG. 22-23

LIFESTYLE PG. 24-25

FASHION PG. 26-27

Wonder Women not for un & instagrams new feature

JAY PARK APPRECIATION & A CHAT WITH ‘RATIONALE’

why xmas is better as an adult & where to ice skate

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traveling on a budget & easy xmas recipes

black miirror review & low key xmas films

say yes to the xmas knits & genderless coats

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COMMENT

is instagram’s NEW FEATURE A STEP TOO FAr? Cristian Angeloni ON tech and mental health coming together...

If someone was to ask you “Can We Help?” when you most needed it, but didn’t know who to reach out to, what would you do?

Well this is what Instagram is tackling. The new social network’s function is not there to help you get more likes or more followers, it’s there to help the wellbeing of yourself and others. But have we become so desensitised to need an online option to help someone?

This new tool allows you to report posts of people you are following if you feel like they’re struggling with mental health (depression, self-harm, eating disorders and so on).

“have we forgotten how to interact with actual people?”

Those people will receive a “Can We Help?” message from Instagram saying: “Someone saw your post and thinks you might be going through a difficult time. If you need support, we’d like to help”.

In a society that is becoming increasingly individualised, such a tool can really make a difference in people’s lives. It is about caring for the ones we love and reaching out for them, or as Instagram’s CEO, Marne Levine, said to Seventeen “These tools are designed to let you know that you are surrounded by a community that cares about you, at a moment when you might most need that reminder”.

Hopefully, this will be a step towards eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health. Opening up can be hard, so opening up through a phone or computer screen could be much easier.

“It will never be the same as asking “How are you?”

However, is society clued up enough on mental health problems to spot them over instagram? Some vital clues could be missed due to a lack of understanding.

Are we really showing that we care through a button?

I guess that probably this is the price to pay for the ever evolving technology surrounding us, but are we willing to pay that price?

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COMMENT

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IS BIG BUSINESS KILLING THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS?

By Elizaveta Kolesnikova It might seem too early to think about Christmas, but the world shouts at us with festive ads, window displays and street decorations. Selfridges revealed its Christmas window display for this season in early October, as well as on Oxford Street being erected around the same time. Year by year these decorations appear earlier, and in stores the small corners dedicated to Halloween seem to be under threat from Christmas stuff.

What’s happening to this world?

My answer is c o m m e r c i a l i s a ti o n .

Businesses aim to sell people as much Christmas related

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items as possible before sales start, so they have to inspire you to buy presents before December even begins.

“Businesses make us hate Christmas, even better than the Grinch ever could” Shops will fake the Christmas atmosphere and stimulate your emotions through holiday songs and beautiful displays with artificial snow and glitter.

And does it work? Yes..

The point is, more and more people every year struggle to appreciate this holiday. By the time Christmas actually comes we are already tired of it. Businesses make us hate Christmas, even better than the Grinch ever could.

I feel like it is time for us stop thinking about presents, sales, and prices and try to remember what Christmas is really about. “Miracle on 34th Street” covers the exact same issue: how to stop commercialising Christmas and just enjoy the holiday.

The film’s answer was easy: just remember, that Christmas is about joy and sharing love with your loved ones. So let’s try and go back to that!

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COMMENT

is online abuse STOPPING feminism in its tracks?

Jennifer Scherer discusses the pandora’s box of feminism The ‘F’ word sparks controversy at every turn.

People are becoming increasingly fearful of posting about feminism online due to the insistent backlash they receive. It seems we are creating a social media culture of ‘fight or flight’ instead of civil debate.

With heated ‘feminist wars’ generating surges of abuse towards online authors, research by Demos suggests that women are the worst for trolling on the internet when it comes to topics such as motherhood and body shaming.

It has almost become a subliminal belief, that to be able to comment about

feminism, you need to be an expert and not just have an opinion or make a stand.

Instead of educating each other, many comments aim to provoke personal anxieties or break another person’s interpretation, in the name of being politically correct.

“the worst trolls on the internet are in fact women” Prominent feminists like Guardian columnist, Jessica Valenti, have admitted that if they could start their feminist movement over, they might prefer to remain anonymous

due to the online abuse they have received.

This was also evident following Emma Watson’s ‘HeforShe’ movement, where she was attacked for promoting feminism from a stance of white privilege.

Watson has not experienced the same level of inequality that other women are subjected to around the world – but why should she not contribute to the dialogue?

To achieve change and a world where every person is treated equally, feels safe and is free from sexualisation we need open discussion.

Perhaps, feminism is not about finding a definition - it is a patchwork quilt of experience.

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COMMENT

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THE UN IS HARDLY DOING WONDERS FOR WOMEN...

By Asya Gadzheva

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Is Wonder Woman being appointed as a UN Ambassador for women a positive thing?

The DC comic character is unrealistically feminine, stereotypically portrayed and above all, fictional. The fight for gender equality and female empowerment needs an embodiment of the universal ideals of real women, facing real challenges, fighting to make a change in the real world.

The world has no shortage of brave and inspirational women: Emma Watson and Malala Yousafzai are just some of the ones dedicated to the cause. And yet, the “artificial product of popular culture” with a lasso

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outwitted them all. Following the debates around her nomination,

“Wonder Woman caused more problems than she intended to solve” And with very good reason. Her whole image is controversial. Yes, she is a woman fighting for what she believes in but she is neither realistic nor physically proportioned.

Women empowerment should eradicate unattainable beauty standards not

reinforce them. Especially, when the issue of female objectification is more relevant than ever. We are not pretty things and most importantly, we are more than sexuality. That is why deciding on an intentionally sexualized image, symbolising justified usage of female sexuality as a method to exercise control and gain influence, troubles me. It is wrong. It is pulling us back.

Is that what we want girls to look up to? Is that the vision of the modern, independent and empowered woman the UN is trying to give across?

I certainly hope not. It would undo the work of thousands. Then we will need a real wonder.

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FEATURE

Young & talented introducing ba fashion design student aleksandra blinova... by noemi martini

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rts Editor Noemi sat down with BA fashion student Aleksandra Blinova to find out what goes into creating her extraordinary pieces.

“Transparency, magic and femininity” are three words that describe the atmosphere of Aleksandra Blinova’s creative world.

The second year BA Fashion Design student at the University of Westminster who was born and raised in the capital of Latvia is not someone who wears skinny jeans and crop tops. Instead you will find her in a rather fluffy leopard printed coat, paired with huge flower

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earrings and trainers with pink sequins on it. According to Aleksandra:

“There’s no such thing as bad style, just

‘lack of identity’ style”

Aleksandra is incredibly passionate about fashion, but has a very modest perspective on it; “Fashion is very fluid to me, because it always changes, and it always means different things to different people,

to one person it can be a business but for another person it can be a source of inspiration”. Aleksander explains how she always found it difficult to meet the expectations of people, especially in her hometown of Riga, where people were too “narrow minded”. “In high school people laughed at me for wearing bright colours, and lots of purple which I am currently obsessed with”.

“When I was little I was so weird, I had snails and used to smash their house with a hammer, for some reason I really loved that doing that.”

“When I was in high school my favourite subject

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FEATURE

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Dress designed by Aleksandra Blinova

was, surprisingly, biology and nature, I even wanted to be a microbiologist, so that I could explore flowers and bacteria, however, when playing hide and seek in high school, I accidently ran into an art class, where i immediately fell in love with drawing”.

“My grandparents didn’t like my love for art, because they told me that artists don’t earn enough money, they also made me feel as if they did not believe in me.

They made me feel scared for the future, so I looked for alternative options, if I couldn’t be an artist, than what else could I be?”

“In fashion you always have a muse”

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Art had become a part of me, so I proved to myself, and to my grandparents, that if you work hard you can achieve anything” explained Aleksandra as she told the story about how she found her passion for art and fashion.

“Asking myself that question made me realise that I can’t be anything else” Despite taking up her degree in fashion, Aleksandra explained

how she doesn’t find her inspiration in fashion. “It makes me narrow. You need to look deeper. I usually get inspired by a photo that I see in a book, or just nature is one of my biggest inspirations. I like the idea of reflections, transparency, femininity; I like the spiritual side of it”.

I never see my muse in this world, my inspiration is kind of like an alien, or a monster that I’m drawing, and it’s not possible to find this person in the real world” “I just need to accept my weirdness and work for it, and so should everyone” concludes the young designer.

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FEATURE

CELEBRATING 15 15 years ago the iPod killed the album , matthew smith

From the CLASSIC ,TO THE NANO, TO THE TOUCH

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ast week, Apple sent out cryptic invites to a glamorous launch in California, where they announced their latest MacBook Pro models.

The press was eager for an invite, as was the whole of Apple’s customer base, no one wanted to miss out on the spectacular show.

This is a huge contrast to 15 years ago where Steve Jobs- in his trademark black turtleneck and jeans combostood at the front of a small auditorium desperately trying to tell the public why he believed Apple had created a “quantum leap” with the introduction of an iPod. It may have been hyperbolic marketing talk, but it wasn’t far wrong.

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The iPod began to grow into one of the music industry’s biggest brands.

2005 marked the beginning of the click wheel revolution, with Apple launching four models of the device to try to cater for every potential market.

“The iPod began to grow into one of the music industry’s biggest brands.”

This was a launch of a staggering sales trend, peaking in 2008, when Apple sold a staggering 54 million units, and the following years ultimately signalled the

slowdown of sales of mp3 players.

Apple’s range of iPods today is limited to the Shuffle, Nano and Touch models, all relegated under the ‘Music’ tab on their website and none have seen significant upgrades since the Nano and Touch had a redesign in 2012. Apple seem to focus on the fitness market for their players, but with smartwatches beginning to offer more features than the iPod it’s likely sales will continue to fall.

Fifteen years on most important thing about the iPod generation, though, is something that is often little more than a footnote in a vast list of features the shuffle button.

If the ability to download 10,000 songs into a little

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Years OF THE IPOD

explores HOW THE IPOD HAS GONE FROM KILLING THE ALBUM TO SAVING IT.

FEATURE

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THE ipod HAS created a generation of “shufflers”

box killed the album as a physical medium, the shuffle button tried to kill it as an artistic one.

The most radical change in the iPod’s own lineup was the introduction of the Shufflemarketed as the entry-level iPod, lacking a screen and the ability to pick specific songs or playlists, listeners had little choice in what they heard.

“THE IPOD GREATED A GERNERATION OF SHUFFLERS” It was an undoubtedly bold move that got a lukewarm reception from experts, but one that the public loved.

Within a year of the first model being released in

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2005, 58% of all portable music players sold were iPod Shuffles.

This created a generation of listeners that grew up accustomed to shuffling music, rather than enjoying an album as a single piece.

That’s no slight on anyone; shuffling is the most practical way to listen to music. It means that fans are more deliberate when listening to albums in full and that makes it even more rewarding when finding new music.

It’s possibly the main driving force behind the vinyl-revival, where placing a record on a turntable and having to turn it over throughout means it forces the listener to pay attention.

It also allows collectors to own music in the physical form, as opposed to the

audio files.

In 2016, there isn’t anything the Nano - the most popular music player in the world- can do that an entry-level smartphone can’t.

Within 15 years the market has evolved from 10 songs on a CD, to 10,000 songs on an iPod before fans decided that was still player limited.

“it already seems too restrictive to have a single music device” Despite the small length of time, it already seems too restrictive to have a single music device as opposed to streaming your library over every device you own.

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FEATURE

EASY AS PIE FESTIVE RECIPEs

by Amy Avent mince pies and roast dinners seem hard, but follow these simple steps to impress your flatmates this christmas

HOMEMADE MINCE PIES Mince pies are the king of the festive treats, whether you eat them on their own or with cream, you can’t say no to one of these christmas filled pies.

Instead of purchasing a pack of 12 from Asda for a quid, why dont you try making your own this year?

The recipie is super easy, and they only take half an hour to throw together, plus they will certaintly impress your parents who still think you can’t cook anything but noodles. You could even try making your own mincemeat to fill your mincepies, this way you can make them extra boozy.

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INGREDIENTS A Pack of pre-made pastry A Jar of mincemeat Icing Sugar Butter or Oil EQUIPMENT Cupcake baking tray One large circular pastry cutter One small christmas tree pastry cutter A rolling pin (or an empty wine bottle will work too) METHOD 1. Grease your baking tray with butter or oil

2. Roll out your pastry Using your large circular pastry cutter, make circles 3. Place the cut out pastry into your baking tray, forming cups inside the tray 4. Spoon a tablespoon of mincemeat into each pie 5. Collect all of your remaining pastry and roll it out again 6. Cut out your lids for the pies and place them on top of the mincemeat 7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the mince is bubbling and the pastry has browned off 8. Once cooled, dust with icing sugar

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FEATURE

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GINGERBREAD MEN INGREDIENTS 350g plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground cinnamon 125g butter 175g light brown sugar 1 egg 4 tbsp golden syrup Decorations EQUIPMENT Mixing bowl

Wooden spoon Baking Tray Clingfilm Rolling pin (or again, an empty bottle) METHOD 1. Mix the flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Add the butter, followed by the egg and syrup.

2. Tip the dough out, knead

briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

3. Roll the dough out to a on a floured surface (this is the perfect chance to throw flour at your flatmate).

4. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread men shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown.

6. Decorate!

How to cook a christmas dinner without burning your flat down 1. Figure out exactly how many people you are feeding before buying the food.

write it down in time order, from the longest to the shortest time.

2. Always over extimate how much food you need, it is better to have left overs than hungry people.

6. As we are bless with small ovens, cook the turkey/chicken first, then everything else after to give you more space.

3. Make sure everyone chips in, no one an afford to do a food shop for 10 people 4. Write a list of how long things takes to cook 5. Once you know how long everything will take to cook,

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7. Follow that plan like it is he mos important thing in the entire world. Failure to do so will result in burnt food.

things to cook, start doing the washing up to save you having to do it all at the end of dinner when no one can be bothered to do it.

9. Keep a close eye on how things are cooking , no one wants to eat chargrilled carrots.

10. Stay calm, try having a few glasses of mulled wine, atleast that way if you ruin it you really wont give a crap.

8. While you are waiting for

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FEATURE

GO further with your money, try airbnb Yi Hu Huang explains why AIRBNB IS THE BEST OPTION WHEN TRAVELLING

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s you are booking to stay in someone’s home, there are a variety of places which you can pick from. You can book either rooms or the whole house/apartment.

The host then has the option to allow you access to the kitchen, living room, etc., or the entire residency — most of them allow full access though, don’t worry!

Just check before booking, obviously, the latter will cost more but it depends on the host and location. For example, rooms overlooking

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Central Park in New York may cost you around £400 per night, while an awesome ‘small’ villa by the beach in Bali is less than £100 per night.

provide you with all sorts of touristy information that you may need. Additionally, most places have complimentary food and drinks - free breakfast!

“Airbnb hosts can be your best friend during the trip”

Airbnb is a great concept, but it can become a little complicated and annoying as, some places you can book instantly, but others you must request to book. The latter might take one or two extra days, depending on how long the host takes to reply, which does mean you can’t be spontaneous.

Airbnb hosts can be your best friend during the trip as most of them live on location or nearby, so they can

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THIS MONTH, SMOKE MAG OFFERS FOUR PAGES OF TRAVEL ADVICE, INCLUDING PAYING FOR A PLACE TO STAY ON A STUDENT BUDGET, AND TIPS ONCE YOU ARRIVE.

FEATURE

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ESSENTIAL TIPS TO FIND YOUR PERFECT AIRBNB

1

Do make sure to check the reviews other people have left for that Airbnb. The website is really helpful, as it’ll provide you with a button to translate any review to your own language.

Try to book a place with 20 reviews or more.

2

Do read all of Airbnb’s information before you book a property.

You’ll find out if there will be complimentary food and drinks, plus the areas which you can use.

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3

Do book as early as possible — one or two months before you plan on travelling is ideal. Popular and affordable places will sell out fast. Airbnb will inform you that ‘this is a rare find. …’s place is usually booked.’

If you ever manage to come across one of Airbnb’s rare finds, book it! You won’t regret it.

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Don’t book a place just because it’s photogenic unless it has a bunch of positive reviews. See tip número uno.

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Don’t treat the host(s) badly or leave a mess behind after you’ve checked out. They leave reviews on your profile, providing other hosts with a deeper insight into you as a guest. Essentially, a host may not allow you to stay at their place because you’ve been a bad guest elsewhere.

Reviews work both ways!

You do not have to spend a huge amount of money on an okay-ish room in a mediocare hotel, when instead, you can easily book an incredible room in a wondeful place on Airbnb!

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FEATURE

take a trip on me: makin travelling on a student Katie Mitchell and Kia Mackie GIVE THEir advice on how to make the most of your time while travelling...

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ravelling around Europe can seem expensive and daunting.

As students we often can’t afford to splash out on fancy hotels, hence Yi’s advice on choosing an Airbnb over bankrupsy.

Next up on the list of travelling on a budget, yet still having the time of your life is advice from Katie

and Kia after they spent an entire month travelling across Italy.

Throughout this trip they learnt a lot about what you should and should not do when travelling. Whilst having the time of their lives, they encountered a few situations which were bizarre, baffling but overall beneficial. Here is their advice for you:

Image: Jennifer Scherer

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aking the most out of dent friendly budget.

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Look at the map correctly and thoroughly, don’t end up on the rough side of town.

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take your own food for on the go, you will save a lot of money and hassle when you are hungry looking for somewhere to eat.

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Wear a flat bumbag under your shirt to store money. It’s also a good shout to stash some money in your socks too.

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If you are visiting a place which offers FREE walking tours - take them! These are great opportunities to learn about the history of the country. They will also show you the best places to visit in the city and they will also talk about the nightlife, which you are going to want to check out.

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5

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Learn the language.

Or at least the basics. Even attempting it will get you further than you think.

Have a plan B if you can’t reach you destination.

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If you have the choice to either take a ten-minute bus journey, or a thirtyminute walk, choose to go by foot, as you will see so much more.

Wear a flat bum-bag under your shirt to store money. It’s also a good shout to stash some money in your socks too.

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Renting a bike for the day is great - you can cycle to nearby villages and towns and even beaches if there are some!

However, no matter how much of a Chris Froome aka Tour De France champion you are, don’t cycle back in the dark.

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MUSIC MUSIC

JAY PARK EVERYTHING YOU WANTED

BY LAURETA DOCI

L

aureta discusses her appreciation and love as an existing fan of Jay Park on his new album “Everything you Wanted”

“PARK IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER” Coming back with another full length album, Jay Park has gifted his International fans with more than one English track on the album this time.

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Finally, the bridge between Korean and English songs is here. One of the many things about this beautiful album, is that Cha Cha Malone (Park’s Producer) is featured in the track ‘Feature’- Park definitely has a winning team behind him.

The vocals throughout the album are soothing and borderline hypnotic as he carries the smooth contemporary R&B genre from beginning to end.

A handful of the songs in this album were pre-released throughout the year, which existing fans were grateful

for, as it kept the anticipation for his full album high.

“a SMOOTH R&B GENRE FROM BEGINNNG TO END” Jay Park fans are eagerly anticipating whatever is next on the list for the Korean artist as he truly does not disappoint.

Overall the album had great content and featured incredible artists and producers, be sure to give the album a listen!

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MUSIC

A Quick Fire interview with Rationale

BY SAL FASONE

R

ationale, is an acoustic punk-rock band which formed in 2015. After recently releasing their EP Confines, they have finally emerged from their shell and have blessed the world with their unique style and sound. Sal Fasone got the chance to have a quick chat with Joe from the band.

“WE ARE JUST NORMAL GUYS” Hi Guys, could you guys introduce yourselves?

Well, my name is Joe Taylor, but the band consists of Dan Lambton, Ryan Rumchaks, and myself.

Originally coming from

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different bands, how did you guys happen to form a new band on the side?

We already knew each other because Ryan and I play in a band called Knuckle Puck together (he also plays in a band called Homesafe) and Dan plays in a band called Real Friends. The whole thing was Dan’s idea. I was on board, of course, and we just asked Ryan to play the drums for us.

You have recently released a 4-track EP called Confines, what is it all about?

This is an open ended question, because the ep is about a lot of stuff. First and foremost, I think the whole concept of the band is just to give us an outlet to write songs where there are no “confinements”, so to speak,

on the sound we are going for. The EP itself is sort of about the way we may or may not feel in our respective bands and being plastered all over the Internet. It’s a double edged sword.

Your music suggests that you seem to prefer acoustic sounds, why is that?

Ha! Our respective bands are so rocking with heavy distorted and loud guitars, so rationale is kind of the opposite of that in a way.

That or the fact that we recorded Confines all by ourselves. That may be why it sounds more “raw”.

Will we ever see Rationale live?

Maybe one day!

Well we hope so, good luck guys!

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Smoke radio playlists from mid November

A List Bruno Mars – 24k Magic Calvin Harris – My Way Craig David – Ain’t Giving Up (feat. Sigala) Drake – Fake Love Galantis – Love On Me (feat. Hook & Sling) Hailee Steinfield – Starving (feat. Grey & Zedd) James Arthur – Say You Won’t Let Go Kideko & George Kwali – Crank It (Woah) (feat. Nadia Rose & Sweetie Irie) Little Mix – Shout Out To My Ex Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha – In The Name of Love NEIKED - Sexual Niall Horan – This Town Sia – The Greatest (feat. Kendrick Lamar) The Weeknd – Starboy (feat. Daft Punk) You Me At Six – Night People

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B List Ariana Grande – Side to Side (feat. Nicki Minaj) Biffy Clyro – Re-arrange Blossoms – Blown Rose D.R.A.M – Broccoli (feat. Lil Yachty) Dua Lipa – Blow Your Mind (Mwah) Gallant – Weight In Gold Jonas Blue – By Your Side (feat. RAYE) Louisa Johnson – So Good Maroon 5 – Don’t Wanna Know (feat. Kendrick Lamar) Offiah – Trouble The 1975 – She’s American The Japanese House – Face Like Thunder

C List Alesso – Take My Breath Away Bear’s Den – Dew On The Vine Blink-182 – Home Is Such A Lonely Place Catfish and The Bottlemen - Outside Charli XCX – After The Afterparty (feat. Lil Yachty) Clean Bandit – Rockabye (feat. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie) High Tyde - Speak JKAY – Danger (feat. Shola Ama) MO - Drum Off Bloom – Love To Hate It RAT BOY – Lovers Law Sunset Sons - VROL Zak Abel - Unstable

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ARTS

BLACK MIRROR

BY LUCIA FANTINI

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eason 3 of the Black Mirror series was released on Netflix on 21st October, and if you haven’t seen the show then you need to watch it now! Charlie Brooker is an absolute genius – “He creates a world that’s not of this world, and yet it feels so relevant,” says Bryce Dallas Howard.

Throughout the six episode anthology series, Brooker deconstructs our behavior and the world around us.

He covers almost every genre possible: from war and politics to surveillance and social media. This is part of what makes the episodes so gripping as each one is like a separate movie and follows a completely different storyline - you’re always left wanting more.

One of the most enthralling is episode one; Nosedive, which follows the story of

Lacie, who lives in a world where everyone constantly carries their phones in their hands, portraying a society which is obsessed with being popular.

The storyline suggests that the only way to have a good life and be happy is to receive high ratings on social media from those around you. Brooker explained it as, “A satire on acceptance and the image we like to portray of ourselves to others,” and this is exactly what it does- it highlights our obsession with social media.

Another favourite is the romantic coming of age episode called San Junipero, ostensibly set in California in 1987. The episode raises the idea of relationships and what it means to spend your life with someone.

Brooker touches on the sensitive subject of life after death, which is portrayed as

a utopian dystopia. Out of all the episodes this one had the most people talking, as it is such a huge departure from Black Mirror’s usual tone so it came as the most surprising.

“it will make you overthink everything” This series is definitely worth a watch, it will make you close down Netflix and still be thinking about what you just watched, encouraging you to question the world around you.

Everything Brooker produces has a message behind it and you can feel his passion through his work. His concepts are mind-blowing,

Bryce Dallas Howard in Nosedive. IMAGE: CHANNEL 4

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23

BOOK CORNER

LOW-KEY XMAS FILMS

A LOVER

BY ANNA RAVERAT This book focuses on love, marriage, work life and heartbreak. It delves into the life of Kate, a working mum of two with a husband of ten years, who works for a hotel corporation.

Things go smoothly for Kate, until both her home and work life start to fall apart. Her job gets more demanding and her marriage is crumbling at her feet, but she pulls it together as best as she can for her children.

Lover is heartwarming, funny and at times, numbingly painful. It is a detailed reflection of love and betrayal, which opens your eyes to the harsh realities of relationships and marriages.

The writing is beautiful and humorous. It makes you feel like you are with her through this journey, and that if you put the book down, you’ll miss out.

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s Christmas is approaching, you may want to get into the festive spirit without someone forcing you to watch the usual cheesy Christmas films that are repeated every year on TV during the festive period (Home Alone and Elf are two of the usual suspects). Here’s some low-key seasonal films to get you into the spirit without turning the cheesefactor up to the max:

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

Lucy Moderatz is a lonely public transport employee who pulls a man she has a crush on from the path of an oncoming train. When he is placed into a coma, she accidentally implies to his family that they’re engaged.

After failing to correct their assumptions, she is welcomed into the family and finds herself falling for her crush’s brother.

ARTS

BY CHINA TEBB

BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY Determined to better herself when the new year comes around, Bridget Jones keeps a diary detailing all of her escapades whilst she looks for love.

DIE HARD

On a visit to see his estranged wife and kids, a police officer has to step in to save his family from a Christmas party being held hostage by terrorists.

LOVE ACTUALLY Ten very

separate stories of individuals finding love and Christmas cheer become intertwined on the countdown to the festive holiday.

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24

LIFESTYLE

THE FESTIVE FUN HAS JUST BEGUN KIERA CHAPMAN’s 8 reasons Christmas gets better with adulthood

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upposedly, there comes a time where Christmas stops being fun. You hit a certain age and it loses its magic along with your youthful immunity to weight gain. However, this is simply not true. If anything, this joyful time of year becomes even more enchanting. Here are eight reasons why: 1. You can finally exchange a raucous range of gifts as opposed to predominantly PG rated ones. For example: willy warmers or vibrators.

It should be worth noting though that these types of presents should only be given to those who are unrelated to you. Your father does not need a gift that insulates his

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manhood.

2. At a more mature age, you’re now able to appreciate the bog standard gifts; the ones you used to neglect as they seemed a bit too suspiciously practical. A new pair of socks? JACKPOT! New underwear? Brilliant!

Lost the other pair last week!

3.) You can guzzle (sorry, I mean drink responsibly) mulled wine. Christmas over the age of 18 means that you can reach for the bottle of your family’s chosen alcoholic beverage at the table and NOT have your wrist slapped away because “you’re only allowed one.”

4. You don’t have to leave food out for Father Christmas anymore. You’ve sussed that the fluffy fella is a bit on the

fictional side and that he was just your parents alibi whilst they scoffed the festive delights. Not anymore - now we’ll see who gets the pies.

5. You have control over your Christmas outfit - gone are the sparkly tights and shirts that make five year old boys look like shrunken bankers.

6. You don’t have to go to bed early on Christmas Eve, because (see number four) the big guy isn’t coming! You can stay up late and indulge in every Christmas film under the sun, snow, or if you’re spending Christmas in the UK: rain.

7. Christmas wrapping becomes as exciting as unwrapping.

Colour coordinating your ribbons with tags is beyond aesthetically pleasing. .) You’re able to take the reins on your own advent calendar.

This means that if the urge to devour the entirety of chocolate it promises before the scheduled release date and no one can stop you. If you want the 1st to be the 24th, it can.

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On thin ice 5 of the best of London’s seasonal ice rinks

how to do xmas properly as a student

BY Amy AvenT AND Imani Livingston

Date dilemma or just a passionate skater - here are just a few of the famous ice skating rinks the capital has to offer this winter:

1

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Canary Wharf Ice Rink Open until 25th February

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National History Museum Ice Rink Open until 8th January

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25

Visit Winter Wonderland at least once a week, especially if you are on the Regent Street campus. Don’t buy single thing though as one drink will set you back a fiver.

Attempt to cook a roast dinner with your flat.

‘Attempt’ being the key word here because when there are five of you all doing your nan’s recipe, heads and roast potatoes may roll.

3

Get a mini Christmas tree of some sort, it is essential for any flat, if decorations are too pricey then some glitter glue and pom poms from poundland can still do the trick. It’s the thought that counts!

The ultimate Christmas playlist made up of both old and new (Michael Bublé is essential as this is his time of year).“Michael Bublé is essential as this is his time of year.”

Convince yourself that you will get your parents some lovely gifts this year after the number of times you have called them pleading for extra cash, but end up getting them some slippers because you spent all of your money on the final Messy’s of term.

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After spending your final pounds on sambuca shots, try making your gifts by hand.

What beats a picture in a home made photo frame?!

Skate at Somerset House Open until 15th January Tower of London Ice Rink Open until 3rd January Eyeskate at The London Eye Open until 3rd January

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26

FASHION

GENDERLESS COATS CAUSE A STORM THIS SEASON

By Teodora Baluta

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gender clothing has become a huge point of interest this past season in fashion as designers find inspiration in the changes in society. The LGBT movement is becoming more and more important and gender is losing its relevance.

As the cold season hits, the range of coats offered by brands is much more diverse and the styles are playing with the creativity limits, while at the same time tackling the boundaries that gender creates.

For many decades now, fashion has been gender restricted and therefore by not conforming to these limitations you were labeled as an outcast.

The situation is improving slowly but surely as the fashion industry selfproclaimed itself as the one to be ahead of the curve.

Having a huge impact on this matter as designers try to liberate their craft from the restraints. Ruth La Ferla, The New York Times journalist, picked up on this cultural shift that is becoming a

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massive trend in fashion and calling it “The great gender blur�.

This new interpretation of clothing and respect for the human body is going to change how people think about clothes, thus how they present and feel about themselves.

Agender clothing still represents a utopian concept as it has not yet been introduced in a number of stores, especially not on the mass-market. Even if the marketing of the merchandise continues to be the same by dividing men and women’s clothing there are some changes in styles, colours and shapes that are clearly a prologue to the new generation of genderless consumers. The mass-market retailers have started to catch up with this new way of seeing things as their offer is becoming more inclusive in all sections.

Genderless coats are the response to the agender trend for the cold season and many high-street stores have blurred the lines when it comes to their garments.

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FASHION

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SAY ‘YES’ TO THE CHRISTMAS JUMPER

By Alessandra Bertocco Festive Spirit comes with a price, and that price comes from a dark corner of your wardobe - the christmas jumper! We promise you there are some reasons why you should say “yes” to your knitted friend.

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According to the very true Christmas spirit, our hearts should be wide open: even the ugliest things deserve to be loved on Christmas.

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It can be a lot of fun: it is perfect to challenge your family and friends:

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whoever wears the most embarrassing jumper wins a prize.

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It is the perfect gift. who doesn’t love unwrapping a knitted bundle of itchy joy?

They bring some extra joy to Christmas, it is the only time of year that you are allowed to wear a flashing and singing knitted jumper.

when you pinch a snowman’s nose.

But if you aren’t convinced; sign up for the Save The Children initiative. Wear your Christmas Jumper on 16th December, get your family and involved to raise money for charity.

Be silly and festive, and say “yes” to the Christmas Jumper.

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It is the only time you can wear a jumper that flashes and sings songs

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