Alive Magazine by Petsa Kaffens

Alive April 2013

A healthy and sustainable lifestyle magazine

Ideas of eccentricity

Special Feature

WHAT DOES SPRING MEAN?

Green markets Hip & Holy: Jerusalem

Can long distance relationships survive ?

English hobbies

ÂŁ 3.25 $ 5.00

Editor’s Letter

Dear readers, Welcome to the first ever issue of Alive magazine. It has been a busy month. Gathering everything we needed to get here seemed to take a short lifetime, hopefully to lengthen yours! We all appreciate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle; it’s just often a lot harder to keep it up in practice. Hopefully reading this will make it all a little bit more interesting. We aim to offer you a read that gives you a curious new spin on your traditional range of lifestyle magazines. Trying to teach instead of preach. Inform without conforming. Reveal to you what makes life real to us. We have attempted to take a more philosophical angle to our pieces. Questioning why we want to write a piece and exploring ideas. Whether that be the significance of spring; or the importance of local food; or the role of the kooky character in the street that makes us look twice. We have aimed to forage ideas from where the eye doesn’t always fall, forging a style that will influence many many more to come. We have split the magazine into sections so you can jump to articles you feel like reading more easily, they are even colour coded. Flick to the blue tab to browse the Earth in our explore section. Or choose green to get to our feel section and find out how to liberate your senses. Why not try something new? There is a whole world to explore. Lets not stand still. I must mention that we had a great team working on this project, so well done guys we made it happen. Most importantly of course, we hope you get as much from reading Alive as we have from making it.

Contents 8

News feed

A summary of recent events

Discover 14

Review

Our staff review live music and art

Review Our team reviews their favourite books, films and music of the past month

What does spring mean We look at Spring symbolically, and its significance around the world

Feel

Medicine We look into alternative medicine and what it could do for us

Inner-city gardens

Communal gardens are the green lungs of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s congested cities

Vegetarianism Is switching to vegetarianism as easy as it sounds? We tried it for you

Live 29

Eccentric Pictures and tales from a close affinity we have with the great eccentrics

Food from the urban edge Find out how the grow your own revolution has begun on our streets

Grow your own veg

Our tips on how to grow your own vegetables this spring

Fashion Latest street styles from the London Fashion Weekend

Hobbies Museums, gardening and antiques English pastimes revisited

Relationships Can long-distance love survive these hectic times?

Alive 48

Social networking One might not have thought so but the internet does influence our afterlife

Find love 50 Online dating Finding love online is becoming more mainstream than most people think

Where to go Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best streetfood explored by our team

Green market Shopping on local green markets can be a great start to your week

April 2013

Editor Alex Gregory Assistant editor James Tremain Art director Liwen Xie Assistant art director Chenyun Zhang Features editors Christian Welisch Pooja Agarwal Section editors Christian Welisch Pooja Agarwal Production director Yanzheng Chang Assistant production director Tomoya Nishikawa Online editor Tomoya Nishikawa

Explore 57

Jerusalem One of the holiest cities in the world has finally become hip

Stockholm Visit one of the greenest and most beautiful cities in the world

Cornwall Why go abroad when you can explore the rural delights we have on home soil

www.alivemagazine.co.uk To subscribe to ALIVE, email us at alivemagazine@gmail.com or give us a call at (020) 7758 8632

News

Politics|Business|Social|Culture|Environment

80 billion

Air in the capital has been heavily polluted for the last couple of weeks. High levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fumes, microscopic particles, acids, chemicals and metals mix with diesel exhaust and make life difficult for the 5.4 million asthma sufferers in the UK. East London has always had the most heavily polluted air in the capital, as some of the busiest roads of the country lead through it. The fact that nowhere in the borough is further away from a major road than 500 meters adds to the alarming fact that respiratory diseases are on the rise in the area, especially among children, who develop smaller lungs as a result of growing up in these neighbourhoods, scientists have found. In the short term people suffer from irritation of the eyes, nose or throat or pneumonia; but in the long run it can result in bronchitis, cancers and lung diseases. Experts say that 29.000 people die prematurely due to air pollution in Britain every year. This figure is twice as many as road accident casualties, alcohol fatalities and obesity-related deaths combined. Further calculations show that it costs Britain £6-19 billion a year or up to 17% of the total NHS budget. The Government has long ignored the problem. Threatened by big fines for not reaching goals set in a EU law 13 years ago and being warned by the UN about the levels of air pollution in the country, one would think that the government had acted, but instead it is trying to stall international treaties and is working with other countries like the United States to weaken international treaties about air pollution. This results in the fact that EU emission standards will not be met in the UK before 2020. Many scientists say the problem is neglected due to the fact that modern pollution cannot be seen anymore, unlike decades ago when coal smoke polluted Britain’s air. Hope comes in the form of ClientEarth, a group of activist lawyers who took the government to the highest court over its failure to meet nitrogen levels in the air. The court case may take several years and it may take even longer for people with respiratory diseases in the country to get a respite. CW

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Twenty-nine thousand people die prematurely due to air pollution in Britain every year. Twice as many as from road accidents, alcohol and obesity combined.

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Air Pollution in the UK among worst in Europe

That is the number of disposable chopsticks that are produced in China every year. According to Beijing lawmaker Bo Guangxin this number means that 20 million trees are used to make chopsticks alone. Bo also says that the country has to cut back, as deforestation is one of China’s main problems since it adds to the poor air quality in many major cities. According to the central government it is not only China’s economy and its systematic evisceration of natural resources, which results in pollution but also the Chinese people themselves, who indulge in too many barbecues and their excessive use firework during new year’s... CW

Oxford Librarian A librarian in St Hilda’s College in Oxford was fired after a Harlem Shake took place in her library a month ago. Student from the school danced in hilarious costumes, waved “Free Pussy Riot”-signs and put the video on Youtube. Students are now trying to reinstate the librarian while the school itself takes a hard stand on the issue even though the dance took place at 11:30 pm and the librarian was not informed about the event taking place. CW

Politics

Fracking plans cause trans-Atlantic trouble in Lancashire

Fracking (Photo:Peter Byrne) Lord Browne, the most senior business adviser to the government, has vowed to do “whatever it takes” to secure fracking contracts in the UK. Browne, who is chairman for energy giant Cuadrilla, went on to say; “now this is the moment – this is where our future lies”. His statement was released the day after Yoko Ono and the Artists Against Fracking campaign released an online video aiming to discourage Governor Andrew Cuomo to oppose the controversial technique in his homestate of New York.

A song titled “Don’t Frack My Mother”, written by Sean Lennon, accompanies the video. They argue fracking causes chemicals to leak into water supplies and thus severely damages the environment. Residents in Pennsylvania complained of tap water becoming undrinkable and even flammable after fracking work commenced in their state. Long-term effects the method will have on the environment are relatively unknown as energy companies in this country compete in the “dash for gas”. AG

Politics

Chris Huhne and Cyprus crisis his ex-wife jailed affects Britain for 8 months Months of family drama finally came to an end as the former Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce were both jailed on 11 March for eight months after it was revealed that they swapped penalty speeding points in a driving incident ten years ago. Huhne had allegedly persuaded his then-wife to take his driving licence penalty points in 2003 to avoid a ban from driving, not to mention serious harm to his political career. Later Pryce added another allegation that her former husband had persuded her to have an abortion. Despite his initial denial, Huhne, 58, pleaded guilty to the offence on 4th February, though has denied the allegation concerning the abortion. Likewise, despite her initial motive, a jury found Pryce guilty of perverting the course of justice. “Order! Order! The right honourable member for Wandsworth North” was Huhne’s warm reception to Wandsworth Jail according to a tabloid newspaper. He will spend 8 months at the facility. It seems we may hear a lot less from the couple this year. TN

British individuals and companies have an estimated £1.7 billion savings held in Cypriot banks, the second highest amount of any EU country behind Greece. Cypriot banks tried to attack the debt problem by reducing the amount they owe to depos-

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Environment

People face losing 30% to 40% of their money

itors. Accounts under €100,000 are insured, but for customers with more than €100,000 deposited, they face losing 30% to 40% of their money above the set “guaranteed” amount. British-based savers with the Cypriot bank Laiki may face the same losses as their Cypriot counterparts, because Laiki Bank UK is not covered by Britain’s compensation scheme. Bank of Cyprus UK, which last year joined Britain’s savings protection system, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, should face fewer problems. CC

High street meets spring A new report shows that the number of high street shoppers has risen by 2.7% compared to last year. On the other hand, visitors to shopping centres have dropped by 1.6%. The British Retail Consortium and Springboard revealed the increase in high street shoppers, and they also said decreases in shoppers’ number shown in outof-town locations as well as shopping centre. Besides, the overall

footfall figure inched up by 0.8% on last year. Helen Dickinson, direct general at the BRC said, “Even though overall footfall is only marginally up on last year, the signs are that conversion rates were good. New ranges gave shoppers a spring in their step and end-ofseason promotions also proved very popular.” Diane Wehrle, research director at Springboard, said: “ These results might hint at the green shots of recovery, or at least some stabilisation in current environment.” CZ

Business

Social

Culture

IKEA cakes contained faecal matter

Free Cannabis cards distributed by charity

Trainspotting sequel planned by Danny Boyle

Facebook will soon change its layout again

Earlier in the month, ‘Ikea’ pulled out a batch of almond cakes from its restaurants after Chinese authorities said they contained coliform bacteria, normally found in faeces. The Swedish furniture giant confirmed that 1,800 Choklad-

In an attempt to lower crime rates, charity Crimestoppers last month sent out scratch cards scented like marijuana – so that people will be able to tell when others are growing the drug en masse. The cards do not contain any THC, the active, high-inducing ingredient found in marijuana. They were distributed with the help of police after it was found that there was a 15% growth in cannabis farms in 2011/12. Crimestoppers’ director of operations, Roger Critchell, said: “We are distributing free scratch and sniff cards because not many people know how to recognise the signs of cannabis cultivation happening in their own neighbourhood.” The hope is that with the aid of the scratch cards, the public will be able to idenitify where marijuana farms are being cultivated, and notify the police. JT

The cult British film Trainspotting braces for its sequel, with the original cast expected to be assembled. According to the director Danny Boyle, the film’s s c r e e nw r i t e r John Hodge is working on a script adapted from Porno, written by Irvine Welsh in 2002. The sequel is planned to find its way to the screen in 2016, which is the 20th anniversary of the movie. LX

Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the popular social networking site will redesign its newsfeed page, modelling it on its mobile app. As the most important revamp in years, this overhaul makes the pictures on the main page bigger, as well as adding a pop-out black bar to the left-hand side. Moreover, users could select a themed news feed as it is categorised, which is like a digital newspaper. So far some users have signed up for experiencing the new format, but it will be months before all users will be affected. LX

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They contained coliform bacteria, normally found in faeces.

kant Tarta cakes - described on their website as almond cakes, had been destroyed after the Chinese intervention and that the cakes never actually reached the stores. Ikea spokeswoman Ylva Magnussan said that the type of bacteria found in Shanghai did not pose any health risks, but its own quality controls required no coliform present at all. This latest setback comes just days after Ikea’s infamous meatballs were removed from Europe after being detected for containing horse meat. PA

Facebook’s new layout (Photo: Facebook)

2.52

UK unemployment rises to 2.52m In spite of the fact that the dark cloud of recession has passed over us, the number of people out of jobs has risen by 7,000 - to 2.52 million in UK since January. Yet the office for National statistics claims that the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance- fell by 1,500 to 1.54 million in February, the lowest level since June 2011. According to a Guardian report, there has been a host of evidence that suggests jobcen-

tres have targets for increasing the number of people whose jobseeker’s allowance is taken away. The report claims that a total of 680,000 sanctions were handed out in the ten months up to October 2012, more than in the whole of 2011. The benefit of a jobseeker

is reduced to zero for weeks or even months if it is thought that they are not trying hard enough to find a job. A shift in the culture in jobcentres is being blamed for this heightened level of unfair activity. It is said that the staff are being pressured by their

680,000 refused benefits

million jobless managers to halt claimants’ money even if they do not consider it appropriate. There are also suggestions that employees are also penalised for not implementing enough sanctions. Cards held by protesters read “Prisoner of ASDA. Prisoner of Tesco”, showing their anger. PA

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Discover

[ To gain knowledge or awareness of something not known before ]

Sigur Rós @ Brixton Academy

WORDS: JAMES TREMAIN

he Brixton Academy is completely hushed. Green lasers bounce from every visible surface, meeting in mid-air to create a digital sea which bobs above the heads of the audience. From the silence erupts a series of violins, accompanied by twin drummers and a chorus of ethereal female vocals singing in a seemingly myth-

ical tongue. Such moments are not rare at a Sigur Rós gig. If the Icelandic group’s ethereal postrock is not accompanied by a dazzling light show, a huge screen erected behind the band displays videos of the upcoming apocalypse, a diver plunging towards new depths, or thousands of distant people ascending untold mountaintops. The visuals soar and plummet with the music, one minute fragile and airy, the next devastatingly heavy. Theirs is music that is to be interpreted, bringing moods instead of instructions. The group’s decision to sing in their native Icelandic or non-literal ‘Hopelandic’ means

that the sentiments to each song are not immediately apparent. Instead it is left to the listener to attach their own meanings to the songs. Sigur Rós tracks are typically layered and complex, shifting in shape and form many times over their lengthy running times. One thing that all of these tracks have in common are lead singer Jónsi’s undeniably emotive vocals. Singing in falsetto, there are times this evening when he leaves the Academy stunned into silence with the beauty of his voice. On songs like Hoppípolla and Sæglópur, the music combines perfectly with the visuals to create bombastic, wonderful celebrations of live performance as a concept, the trumpets and golden hues segueing into real life-affirming moments. The choral vocals are at times gospel-like this evening, and Sigur Rós prove that they are capable of providing near-religious experiences to those in the audience who still believe in the power of live performance.

Light show WORDS: LIWEN XIE

tower of scavenged light boxes, a massive amount of plug extensions and many fluorescent lights—these are the tools for bringing the dusk of Las Vegas to London. As David Batchelor makes use of the artificial lights to recreate the colours of sunset mixed with the neon of the gambling city through this back-to-front light installation, we can get a chance to marvel at how light can actually reflect and form the world around us. But there are more surprises related to light in the art world, since the Hayward Gallery has assembled they have featured light arts by 22 artists, work which spans from the 1960s to the present time. The exhibition starts with a dazzling column of light rods arranged in concentric rings by Leo Villareal, which is like a giant disco light controlling the whole atmosphere on the ground floor, shimmering, glowing, and becoming dim and bright in endlessly changing patterns. On the contrast, Ceal Floyer’s theatre light

12 / DISCOVER

Photo: Linda Nylind ( photo from Southbank Centre) of it. on a tripod projects a shape of cartoonThe Light Show is a visual feast, which illuish split milk on the floor, and beyond, is minates the light effect in many forms. From Cerith Wyn Evan’s three electrifying light Bill Culbert’s magical trick of an unlit light sculptures, which glow mildly and radiate bulb, whose reflection on the mirror lights the heat, making people feel warm when apup, to Olafur Eliasson’s sparkling fountains proaching them. in a night garden controlled by the strobe The most interactive art work might be one lights, which is like hundreds of thousands of Anthony Mccall’s, who tries to emphasise of films playing in front of us, stimulating the density and weight of the light. In a dark our eyeballs. space, which seems to be blanketed with But only when you are standing still to feel mist, Anthony McCall’s cone of light hits the either the heat from the installation, or the wall, growing from a spot into a beam. But glow of it can you really sense how our presthe most thrilling part is that you could acence is affected by the light. Thus, this exhitually touch the light. Some spectators start bition is worth a try and it really gives your to walk through the light, cautiously lifting world a glistening experience. their hands and playing with the solid sense

Reviews

Album

In Ben Harper’s 12th album ‘Get Up!’ he nailed a collaboration with legendary harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite into the finest collection of roots-rooted blues in recent years. Ben’s enchanting lines of blues on acoustic and electric sounds topped with Charlie’s soothing harmonica weaving in and out make a perfect throwback to the days of the delta blues.

With a string of well-received EPs the debut full length from London’s Bastille has been much-anticipated for a while now. Their keyboard-based electronic indie sound isn’t anything groundbreaking, but there is enough quality here to make it an album to be checked out. Songs like “Flaws” and “Bad Blood” are laid-back and catchy without ever being too insistent.

After a period vividly resembling a retirement from music, David Bowie has returned to the top of the album charts for the first time in 20 years. ‘The Next Day’ is his first original work in a decade. It is very reflective and much more grounded than his earlier work. It sounds accomplished and comfortable. This could quite easily be a career-defining album for Bowie.

First published in 1988, this allegorical novel is brilliantly written, telling the enchanting story of how a young shepherd figures out the real treasure of life during a journey to the Egyptian Pyramids. After struggling with the problem of whether he should abandon everything he owns to unearth the treasure that a gypsy predicts. This book teaches us that the real treasure lies in our souls once you follow your heart.

A philosophy book could be attractive. Kierkegaard chooses an attractive topic, and uses familiar examples: the one whom you thought perfect at the beginning constantly disappoints you as time goes by. Never take the book as a love guide, Kierkegaard attributes the departure to your self-love. Profound analyses of your love are everywhere in the book. You could do better only if you know how to love.

Katherine Boo spent three years in the Annawadi slum in Mumbai. The gripping result is this “National Book Award” winning piece of documentary that lets you delve deep into everyday life in Annawadi. You follow the everyday life of garbage collectors, prostitutes and learn about the inner working and infrastructure of a slum, and how the people in it are fueling India’s economic uprising.

Known as the final contribution of director Steven Soderbergh, ‘Side Effects’ is without doubt a dark and mysterious psychological thriller. It lures us into believing one thing and then suddenly pulls out the rug from beneath us. Soderbergh manages to create a mood of isolation and tension. With the lead actors playing multiple character types within their roles, the characters are the deepest factor of this production. Disconcerting though it may be, ‘Side Effects’ is a captivating watch and comes highly recommended.

During the 2013 Academy Awards ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ was nominated for all acting categories and was the first movie in years to achieve a “Big-5”, meaning to be nominated in the five prestigious categories. And indeed the movie is superbly acted. While the performances were flawless, it lost the plot which seems like a miscalculation, offering too many loose ends along with a number of anti-climaxes to really satisfy the viewer. It leaves you clueless as to what the intention of the whole thing once it is over.

Book

Film

After the super success of ‘The Notebook’ and ‘Dear John’, it seems like it has become mandatory for every novel by Nicholas Sparks be adapted into a movie, no matter how terrible the story might be. The new film ‘Safe Haven’ comes into the latter category. Director Lasse Hallstrom seems confused as to whether he is making a thriller or a love story. Julianne Hough as the protagonist is disappointing and so is the male lead. Josh Duhamel looks better accompanying wife Fergie on the Grammys’ red carpet.

DISCOVER / 13

Fresh season, fresh start

Photo: Guy Edwardes of the National Trust

As we enter spring, Alive looks at the many changes that the new season brings with it, and the origins of the celebrations

A WORDS: JAMES TREMAIN

At the end of Britain’s seemingly everlengthening winters, we are rewarded for our persistence through the cold with spring. This year, the spring equinox (or Vernal equinox, to those in the Northern hemisphere) fell on March 20th. The equinox marks the day exactly between the shortest and longest days in the calendar, and is seen by many as the official beginning of the spring season. Unfortunately, in 2013 Britain and much of the rest of the world has experienced what has been the coldest March in 50 years. We may have had to wait a little longer for spring this year, but we can still rely on its arrival and the positive changes it bring with it. To the everyday Brit, spring brings with it a fresh optimism. The sun graces us with its presence for longer each day until its peak in June, thawing out the last of the remaining

14 / DISCOVER

snow. On these brighter, warmer days, the Earth begins to renew itself, to repair the damage done by the cold winter months. Trees that have stood stark and bare since before Christmas grow fresh green leaves. Early-season flowers bud and bloom as they finally receive the sunlight necessary for their birth and survival.

A national shift in mood is almost palpable... people can finally look forward to the summer months The lamb, too, is a traditional symbol of spring. Late February to early April is birthing season for the majority of the UKs ewes, and their offspring have long been seen as something of a figurehead for the countries’ natural refresh and rebirth. As a result, spring is one of the most beautiful seasons. Where before everything has stood dead, unable to survive in the

cold, all is replaced with blossoming. A national shift in mood is almost palpable – instead of enduring more months of the cold people can finally look forward to the longer, warmer days that the summer months will bring with them. The heralding of spring does not just bring a change of landscape, but also the everyday atmosphere of life within it. The world becomes a much more pleasant place to be almost overnight. The noticeable changes that occur around us mean that people often make personal changes at this time of year. Many religions celebrate significant religious ceremonies against the background of spring’s new life. In the UK, the largest is the Christian celebration of Easter. Perhaps in reflection of the changes occurring in the earth, Christians believe that Easter – the exact date of which varies year by year, but always falls within the spring – is when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was resurrected following his crucifixion three days earlier. Much like the natural renewal occurring at the time, Jesus returned to life.

Christian viewpoints are so prominent that the UK holds a Bank Holiday over the Easter weekend which no-one works. The focus of the entire country is upon the Easter celebration. Recently, new, non-religious traditions have been observed over Easter. Chocolate eggs are given and received (the egg represents Jesus’ empty tomb). Children are told that these eggs are brought by the mythical Easter Bunny, and are often hidden around for them to find. Similar to the Christian ceremony is the Jewish tradition of Passover. Whilst both Easter and Passover occur at roughly the same time each year, they celebrate new beginnings in different senses. While Easter commemorates Jesus’ rising from the dead, Passover remembers the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery and the creation of a new nation under the leadership of Moses. The festival is known as Passover as the Torah, the Jewish holy book, describes how God sent an angel of death to kill the first born of every household in Egypt as one of the ten great plagues he inflicted upon the country. He instructed the Jews that the only way to save their sons was to mark the doors of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb. In doing so, the angel passed over their houses, leaving their children alive. The story of Passover again displays the significance of the lamb to the spring season. It is however, traditionally believed

the origins of many of these current ceremonies are based upon Paganism. Many of the Christian traditions have been adopted from Pagan traditions.

March 20 - the date of the Vernal Equinox in 2013

Origins of spring festival Jason Slowe is the head of a group of Pagans based in Kent. “Paganism in general is an umbrella term coveringwhat we call the ‘Pre-Christian religions,” says Slowe. “Pagans on the whole worship nature and the cycle of seasons. Lots of pagans, not all, but lots, follow what is known as the Wheel of the Year. This is a cycle of eight festivals based around the turning of the seasons.”

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Pagans on the whole worship nature and the cycle of the seasons. Spring is the time of new birth...

”

Three of these eight fall within the traditional season of spring. The first of these is Imbolc, celebrated on the 1st February. Imbolc marks the beginning of springtime: “The first buds and snowdrops show themselves around here and it is the midway point between winter Solstice and spring Equinox,” explains Slowe. Imbolc

Painted Easter eggs photo: www.livinginseason.com

90m Easter eggs are sold in the UK each year

>>> Daffodils bloom in London

DISCOVER / 15

<<<

The start of spring 2013 has been a cold one - photo: Richard Hemingway

is a fairly low-key festival and is not celebrated by all Pagans, yet others believe that without it, spring would not occur. Next is the spring Equinox, known as Ostara or Eostre. This is when day and night are equal length: “It is when we really move into spring and summer times,” says Slowe. “It’s the time of new birth and lambs in the fields. “Ostara is the well known festival, as it was appropriated into Easter, and the symbols of hare (bunny) and eggs are taken from the symbols of Ostara. Hares abound at this time and are a symbol of the Goddess Eostre, and eggs are a symbol of the burgeoning new life that is seen. Eggs are often painted and given as gifts, though many pagans obviously enjoy the modern tradition of chocolate eggs!” Finally, Pagans celebrate Beltane on May 1st, marking the start of summer. The festival is usually seen as one of fertility. Other Pagan traditions include the eating of hot cross buns, the four sections either representing the four phases of the moon or the four seasons, depending “on who you ask,” according to Slowe.

With Britain becoming increasingly multi-cultural, more and more varied celebrations are seen. As well as Christian, Jewish and Pagan spring festivals, amongst others, Hinduism acknowledges the new life with the Holi Festival, celebrated to herald the beginning of the new spring season.

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The Holi festival can be regarded as a celebration of the colours of unity and brotherhood... Shivani Chudasama is a practicing Hindu based in London. “Originally, Holi was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring’s abundant colours and saying farewell to Winter.” To reflect the colour that spring brings with it, Hindus celebrate by lighting a huge bonfire at midnight

on the first night of the festival. Perhaps the main custom of Holi is the throwing of vividly coloured powder (‘gulal’) at each other (and indeed, everything). The explosion of colour is reflective of the colour that can be seen in nature. Holi marks an opportunity to cut loose and is often the most wildly celebrated festival in the Hindu calendar. The powder creates a striking visual as every surface is covered in the brightest shades imaginable – a very obvious reminder of the joyous celebration of life that Holi represents. It is for this reason that the festival has been named “The Festival of Colours”. “The festival of Holi can be regarded as a celebration of the colours of unity and brotherhood,” says Chudasama. “It is an opportunity to forget all differences and indulge in pure fun. The throwing of the coloured powder on each other breaks all barriers of discrimination so that everyone looks the same and universal brotherhood is restored.” It is fitting that a festival that effectively destroys the caste-based discrimination inherent in Indian culture should mark the time of year that brings new life. Holi enables all Hindus to celebrate equally, regardless of creed, race, status or sex – it is a re-birth of Hindu values in keeping with the blossoming of the Earth. Spring is a beautiful, bright season which enables people to say goodbye to the old and celebrate the arrival of the fresh and new. As well as religious and natural significance, the season often involves more practical changes. ‘spring cleaning’ refers to the huge clean-outs many people undertake at home. Others create lists - much like new year’s resolutions - of changes they would like to make to their lives. This is another example of a spring fresh start.

The Hindu Holi festival is one of the brightest worldwide - photo: justthetravel.com

16 / DISCOVER

Feel

[ Be aware of a person or object through touching or being touched]

Restore and relax alternatively Alternative therapies speak more about preserving your health, not treating injuries or diseases... WORDS: ALEX GREGORY, TOMOYA NISHIKAWA, CORINNE CHANG

he passing of budget-tight months after Christmas brings the spring of clinics for complementary or alternative therapies. People visit them to refresh their body, and many times, to calm their troubled minds. Alternative medicines are the few things that make people accept before letting them understand. How dare one give their life to something whose mechanism is obscure? “People come when they become desperate of their health,” said Hal Andrews, manager of Westminster university polyclinic. Almost all patients to the clinic are self-referred; they find alternative ways when conventional ways do not work. In a place where conventional therapies dominate for centuries, alternatives stand out only when ‘competitors’ fail. While lacking mature marketing strategies of pharmaceutical industry, alternative therapies don’t have the control of their own fate. Another danger is the so-called ‘scientific’ challenge. Alternative therapies tend to treat different people differently, and ten doctors will give ten different prescriptions for a single symptom on a single

person. Thus, there isn’t enough evidence to form a conclusion. For the mainstream scientific world, evidence comes from certain types of random trial, particularly the random control double blind trial, which work on the basis of objects being all the same. Despite this, seldom do people receiving alternative therapies expect to understand it. It is estimated that over 90% of patients coming into clinics are from other people’s recommendation. Effectiveness is the way to measure the quality of alternative therapies. However, the effectiveness may not come as quickly as conventional medicine. Rather than treating diseases or injuries, the primary goal of western herbal medicine and other alternative therapies is to strengthen or stimulate the body’s normal functions and help the body heal itself. So they are not going to heal one part of the body quickly whilst bringing lots of side effects to other parts; alternative therapies tend to believe the entire harmony of the body is far more important than a single ailment. Alive brings you three alternative therapies. We try to explain how they work, for you to judge whether they work for you…

Chinese holistic therapy relieves pain When suffering from cold, insomnia, depression or tiredness, “ take it easy, you don’t need any medicine or treatment” is the response you could expect from NHS. Only when “take it easy” does not comfort you would some turn to Chinese medicine. Theoretically, there is hope to drive the annoying symptoms away. “We don’t deal with cold but we treat pneumonia ”concludes NHS’s idea of operating. The system is proficient in killing bacteria by using antibiotics, but when confronted with symptoms caused by viruses or the like, it becomes awkward. In contrast, Chinese medicine wouldn’t say it treats certain disease. Nevertheless, by treatment like herbal medicine and acupuncture, your body could regain a smooth running level, and unpleasant symptoms may be wiped out. Thus you are considered healed from the disease. Using NHS concepts to try understanding Chinese medicine would be futile. Medical knowledge isn’t from anatomy, but experience. For instance, Chinese ancestors pressed pain points when they felt wrong;

18 / FEEL

Shaohai point

Lingdao Tongli point Shenmen point Shaofu point Shaowei point Illustrated are six points in our forearms and hands, among 365 points in our body.

fingers are not hard and sharp enough so they used stones to press, and gradually the stone evolved into the skinny stainless needles, this is the acupuncture we do today. Acupuncture goes into 365 pain points in our body. An unseen line called Jinluo connects the points, and the unseen qi goes through it. If qi goes unobstructed, you are healthy and not painful at all. All that Chinese medicine does is holistic

treatment. It does not treat cancer, but to treat unpleasant symptoms caused by cancer cells and ensure your qi goes smoothly. “For a single disease on a same person, ten doctors could have ten different prescriptions whilst all effective,” said Wang Yisheng, head doctor of London’s Beijing Tong Ren Tang—almost 500-year-old, “we focus on WELL BEING, and ways that bring the body’s harmony to an acceptable level.” Obscure as it is, more and more Londoners could feel qi themselves. NermineHammam, an Egyptian photographer based in London, started to try Chinese holistic medicine after long time periods of insomnia. After four months: no periods. Nermine was grateful that after only one session of acupuncture, she could sleep two hours nonstop in the middle of the day. Before that, she had felt something obstructed when she was quiet at night, and it corresponds with the idea of qi. She said, “the problem is, we don’t listen to our bodies. We are running, running television, telephone… we are not quiet. If you are quiet, your body talks to you.”

Harness the power of Yoga Hindu philosophers were some of the first to acknowledge the benefits of ‘joining’, ‘adding’, ‘uniting’, the powers of the body and mind. Yoga’s definition derives from these ancient Sanskrit translations. Practicing Yogi aim to perfectly balance the material and the spirit in equal measures, promoting well-being and fortitude. It is an exercise that is believed to have been practiced as long ago as 2500 BC. Carvings depict humans in traditional Yoga positions that are still used in routines to this day. If you have yet to experience the (usually) easy pace, the focus on breathing, the break from the stresses, the woes and calamities of everyday life, you may be lavishly rewarded by giving it a try. This understanding of the body has been used as a strategy for treatment also. On Monday night’s, skills taught in weekly classes are used to treat the powerful grasp of addiction. HAGAM is a charity based in the London borough of Hillingdon and treats people with alcohol and substance dependency. Yoga classes are very popular and have attracted a regular following since they started

over a year ago. Tim Mahey works at the charity and attends the sessions every week. “At HAGAM we generally have around seven regular attendees for our yoga class, all whom report feeling better after the class than when they went in. It has been a popu-

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An activity that allows our clients to forget their troubles

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lar addition to the services we offer. “This results in an activity that allows our clients to forget their troubles for 90 minutes as well as enabling the production of endorphins to naturally enhance their mood.

Western ‘Hatha’ class. Photo: Stanmar

“There is also a growing evidence base for methodologies such as mindfulness meditation in the treatment of many psychological and physical conditions.” After joining HAGAM for one of their weekly classes, there was certainly a bounce in my step that you don’t get after a gruelling sentence in the gym. Much of that rewarding feeling you get from working out is there after Yoga too. But thankfully it’s just not overpowered by the crippling aches and pains; and the inevitable retrospective deliberation of whether it was actually all worth it. For many, Yoga offers a much more balanced workout.

Shiatsu, a tailored therapy Shiatsu may have been merely one of the East’s exotic healing operations, that was known only among health enthusiasts just a few decades back. In recent years, however, with an increasing interest towards oriental alternative treatments, Shiatsu has established itself in the UK as a widely recognised option for body therapy. Shiatsu is physical therapy originated in

Japan. In Japanese language “Shi” means fingers and “Atsu” means pressure. Literary Shiatsu practitioners use their finngers to press accupressure points on body and pathways of energy to influence its flow. In 1981 the UK’s first Shiatsu organisation Shiatsu Society was established by a few Shiatsu practitioiners to promote the Japanese massage for British people. This was a rather

Shiatsu Therapy. Photo: Ai Jing

recent event when compared to the history of Western medicine and development of its medical industry. Yet, now the society has about 1,300 members, a third of whom are registered professional practitioners. “Shiatsu is a more tailored therapy for each individual. It recognises that people have different patterns of energy flow and metabolism, while GPs here would just give you antibiotics,” Giuliana Perra, a Shiatsu practitioiner in Islingnton with nine years of professional practice, told me. “It is expensive. Average price per hour in London is £50. But in that time people can talk about their problems throughly and we can see their body to find out what the problem is too, it’s not like 10 minnutes with your GP,” she says. Patients who come to her clinic are mostly Western people. “Sadly there are some in the press that spread a negative image of oriental medicine and therapy.” She continues: “But people come to us when they want to make a change in their life, especially with their health. Shiatsu is not just about relieving pains from your body, it’s about realising how your body works,” she smiles with modest confidence.

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Inner-city gardens: a refuge from city life Inner-city gardens play an important part in recreation and education. Managed by the locals, the Culpeper Community Garden is a prime example of them

WORDS & PHOTOS: LIWEN XIE It is 10am in the morning and London finally braces for warm sunshine after a period of rainy days during March. Many families have taken their children out for the fresh air. At the Culpeper Park in Islington, a group of children are chasing pigeons, with their mothers chatting with each other to one side with their babies sleeping in the pushchairs. One of the cobblestone lanes in the park leads to a metal gate, which is the only entrance to a small open space—the Culpeper Community Garden. Standing in front of a wooden board hanging on a gate, which has hand paintings on it, a little boy is called by his mother to come into the garden, playing with his beloved frogs by the pond. Inside the Culpeper Community Garden, there are wooden benches scattering along the brick lanes, rose pergolas erecting around the corner, with pigeons lining on the rack. As some flowers have already blossomed, Spring is revealing its traces in London. Thus, these days are the peak time for the Culpeper Community Garden, as it is going to welcome its annual event—the spring plant sale—which is held on 12th May this year. The activity is a community event for local residents coming together to learn about nature. Home-made refreshments, arts, plants and crafts—with everything stuff needing to be prepared, the Culpeper is getting more and more people involved in making full use of this open space. Martha Orbach, one of the two part-time gardeners in the Culpeper, said that thousands of people took part in the activities of the garden

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every year, especially in summer when the family would have picnics on the lawn. “There are 75 volunteers that come every year,” she said. “Plus, there are about 56 people who have plots to plant in this garden and we have around 200 members.” In January, due to a very dry climate in Britain this year, the Culpeper has transformed a dilapidated part of the garden to a new drought resistant garden called the Dry Garden, in attempting to educate the public how to cope with the dry weather regarding gardening, which is also a part of Islington’s Climate Change Adaption Strategy. According to Martha, the Culpeper also has workshops about climate change for some schools, as well as activities about mental support for disabled people, which is run by a group in partnership with mental health organisations such as Islington Mind, and the NHS trust Southwood Smith Centre. However, in the past, the Culpeper Community Garden was abandoned land. It was named after a 17th-Century herbalist Nicolas Culpeper and started as a learning project for excluded children, the Culpeper was made derelict by the Blitz attack by Nazi Germany in 1940. In 1982, with a small grant from the Islington Council and a great effort from the local residents, this site was successfully transformed from a rubbish-filled land into a beautiful open space as it is today. As Islington has the lowest ratio of open spaces among all the London boroughs, which is subject to the increasingly dense population, it should feel fortunate to own this mini-green heaven. Although Islington has the Highbury Fields park, people still long for an open space which they could pop into at anytime, planting vegetables, as

also provide us with some helpful advices,” Martha said. “ We will well as experiencing a simple but healthy lifestyle with their families. collaborate with the council’s green space team, but the most difficult Joanna Richards, a mother who has a two-year old boy, said she would take her child to open spaces every day, regarding outdoor part for the maintenance of the garden is to strike a balance between activities as “really important” for the growing of children. all the needs of different people.” “However, what makes the Culpeper so special is also the demands “It is a chance for my boy to see the wildlife here that he could not of various people. Everybody is doing different things and you could see in other places,” she said. “As for me, it is also convenient as it is always find hidden creatures on the edge of the plots. There is always beside the supermarket. I always pop in here for half an hour after having done the jobs. It is a good place for recreation.” a sense of surprise.” As a lucky survivor among lots of the Today, the Culpeper Community Garden plays a role of refuge for people community gardens in London after escaping from the buzz of the city life, the Blitz, the Culpeper Community since it has a variety of ponds, plantGarden is taken good care of by the loOpen spaces are the place for the schemes and vegetable plots, which cals and is dubbed as Islington’s green community,which should work for ing oasis. Most of the garden’s land is dicontribute a lot to the biodiversity and a better environment. Moreover, vided into small plots for individual the health, peace and recovery. the Culpepper also offers a chance for households who don’t have gardens. people to build a relationship through Some grow flowers and some grow collaboration of managing the garden. food here. Besides, the Culpeper also holds a weekly session about the upkeep of this public space. With more and more people working in front of the computers all In recent years, the Islington Council has launched many projects day, outdoor activities are gradually put into priority in daily life. As a result, making full use of an open space has started raising to create more green spaces, including the community gardens. Acthe public’s awareness. In Martha’s mind, she holds “people’s involvecording to the technical officer Christine Weekes from the Islington ment” as the key to this issue. council, they have granted 50 years of lease to all gardens on Council “Open spaces are the place for the community, which should work land. Even though the on-going funding to maintain the activities of the community gardens is the biggest problem, the council still tries for the health, peace and recovery. It is a fundamental space where to support them. people could get together, creating a community and learn about the horticulture and nature.” “Sometimes we apply for funding from the local council and it will

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Vegetarianism: how Is changing your diet to vegetarian healthy, and how easy is it to change your habits? WORDS: JAMES TREMAIN

have never been a huge meat-eater. I grew up in an essentially vegetarian household since my sister, now 21, decided at the age of four that she no longer wanted to eat meat. An early viewing of Babe in which the duck - Ferdinand, if I remember correctly - laments the fact that the family are eating his friend was what started it. That early realisation that meat was indeed animals meant that almost every family meal I’ve eaten in the last 17 years has involved some form of meat substitute, where possible. Thanks, Ferdinand. As a result, the majority of my meaty consumption throughout my teenage years has normally been between two halves of a bun, or out of a cardboard box. There are obviously exceptions to the rule where a vegetarian option isn’t really an option at all - think BBQs and roast dinners (anyone that has ever tried a nut cutlet will agree that this does not represent a viable alternative to the more animal-based options). With this behind me, I thought it was probably something of a natural progression that I volunteer for this article and go vegetarian for Lent. Most people think of Lent as a month, myself included, so you can imagine my none-too-pleased reaction when I learnt that it in fact spans a whopping 46 days. As someone immediately coerced into any temptation, the prospect of not doing something, however difficult, for 46 days was fairly daunting. But I managed it. Not without difficulty, but I managed it. In preparation of becoming a vegetarian myself for over a month, I thought it might be a good idea to talk to other vegetarians to see what I might find difficult, and ways of getting around these problems. The main issue appeared to be the lack of options for vegetarians when eating out and about. Things such as fast food and takeaways had severely limited vegetarian options, I was warned, and that even popular chains like McDonald’s were found lacking when it came to meals without meat. I had some experience of meat substitutes from years of eating veggie at home, and until recently these have also been fairly awful. The people responsible for making them might have sampled meat themselves in the past few years though, as the quality has definitely improved. I also thought it might an good idea to

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discover why it is that some people choose to be vegetarian, since my reasoning was fairly devoid of morals in comparison to others - I was only writing an article! My sister’s argument, who as I mentioned before is a vegetarian of the won’t-eat-itbecause-it’s-an-animal variety, effectively wrote itself: “It’s the fact that what you are eating used to be alive, walking around. That’s enough to put me off ever eating it.” She was too young when she made her decision to really miss eating meat now. Although many people have zero qualms when it comes to the ex-lives of their steaks, I must admit that the idea of my meal once having breathed the same air as me is one that has always mildly repulsed me. My sister’s argument has some considerable weight as a result.

thers adopt vegetarianism for perhaps a more noble reason. Snehal Sharma, 26, is a practicing Hindu - vegetarianism for him is a religious choice. “Hinduism promotes ahimsa, or non-violence, and being vegetarian is part of that,” says Sharma. “However, I’ve personally faced a lot of difficulty finding economic vegetarian food in London, and I have friends who have succumbed as a result.” My final question concerning vegetarianism concerned its potential health effects. Laura Barber, a nutritionist, made some recommendations. “You need to eat at least three servings of grains a day. Also, because meat will probably have been your main source of protein in your diet beforehand, you need to make sure you replace that adequately. The easiest way to do this is by eating lentils, black beans and quinoa. All of these are good sources of vegetarian/vegan protein. Quinoa in particular is considered a ‘superfood’ - it is protein-rich and has high levels of fibre, magnesium and iron.” Whilst I confess that I didn’t heed all of Ms. Barber’s advice, I made a conscious effort to replace as many lost meat-proteins as I could, as well as sticking to many other well-worn dietary tips - three litres of water every day, five servings of fruit and veg etc. The results of my 46-day vegetarian experiment can be seen on the opposite page. I would consider it a success in that I didn’t eat meat, but the health benefits of my new diet were not quite so obvious.

easy is it to adopt a new diet? My Vegetarian Diary

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Live

[ To pursue a positive, satisfying existence ]

Eccentricity ideas of...

The notion of eccentricity is particularly associated with the English. It is celebrated in our culture, and so it should be. Alive looks at the idea of eccentricity and the place it has in hearts and minds

H WORDS: ALEX GREGORY

How we have developed the idea of the English and their eccentrics is hard to place a finger on. But around the world England is known for welcoming the unusual, accepting the oddities and celebrating the individualities that distinguish us from each other. Non-conformity gave the world great music, it gave birth to punk. It told us to question things and not to accept normal as the norm. This must be the only country that would allow us to celebrate someone as fantastically kooky and stirring as Dame Vivienne Westwood. A defining example of breaking out through the mould, then trampling all over it to make absolutely sure we make boring feel particularly unwelcome. If it wasn’t for the bloke with the feather in his hat, or the lady that refuses to be told what to do by instructional uniform ‘style’ magazine editors, then who would stir the senses of excitement and exoticism? Especially in a country known for granular gravy and predictably soggy weather forecasts. We need our own people to surprise us and keep us on our toes. It is these people that make the world go round a little bit easier than it would usually. Greasing the axis, freeing it from the grinding monotony of our routine. Let’s take a step backwards though. A large one; back to the definition of eccentricity. We all have our own idea of who or what behaviour constitutes an eccentric, which makes it particularly difficult for us to define.

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noun /eksentrisitē/ the quality of being eccentric: the eccentricity of his views. [count noun] an eccentric act or habit: her eccentricities were amusing rather than irritating.

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There is hardly a more polar opposite opinion than that of the meticulously rigid English dictionary. Yet they celebrate the ‘amusing’ acts or habits like we all do, acknowledging it as a ‘quality’ that some may have. This is what many of us see in the eccentrics we catch a glimpse of on the street from time to time. Even the most straight-laced academics can still appreciate the gentle subtleties of the eccentric that we all admire. Edith Sitwell was a popular poet famed for celebrating eccentricity in her work. She describes it as “often a kind of innocent pride,” but also that to label a genius or aristocrat an eccentric, they must be “entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd.” Sitwell had first hand experience, too, as she was often regarded as one of the great eccentrics of her time, as well as being a renowned poet. Descriptions styled her in the most unusual clothing, >>>

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often dressed head to foot in velvet, or wearing a gold turban and usually with two fists full of rings. London’s Victoria and Albert Museum still has many of her items on display. Standing six feet in height must have made her something of a spectacle too, towering above the average height for the time. In 1954 she also was recognised for her work and made a dame, despite being the subject of many dedicated attacks from critics. An eccentric is not by definiSitwell: original eccentric tion somebody who does not share the same culture as others, for example an Amazonian tribesman who has moved to Cambridge in search of work. In much the same way that your average RAF pilot who has crash landed in the Amazon is not to local inhabitants, despite their opinion of his ridiculous clothing and odd customs, such as insisting to shake everybody’s hand. It is more to do with having little regard for gaining approval from society. Habits and behaviour of eccentrics will not necessarily change to avoid giggles and curious looks. This was certainly true for the Austrian scientist who, despite worldwide recognition for his work, had a bad habit of collecting used cigarette ends to fill his pipe. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, this scientist was Albert Einstein. He ticked many of the eccentric boxes; not least this particular tactic that he employed after his doctors ordered a ban on him buying tobacco. Many eccentrics are often linked to higher levels of intelligence. A capacity to think outside the box (excuse the inability to do so) is often common among the great thinkers of our country.

Oscar Wilde was considered one of the finest writers in late Victorian London. Although he was of Irish descent, his quirky habits were fondly remembered in England. One recalled how he walked around his Oxford campus with a lobster on a lead. Another described how his bedroom was decorated with sunflowers and peacock feathers, particularly unorthodox for such a conserva-

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I was born into the most remarkable and eccentric family I could possibly have hoped for.

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Maureen O’Hara

tive period. He was clearly comfortable being himself and unphased if others were not. He was loved more so for his unsurpassable wit, up until his arrest in 1895 for an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas; laws of the times deemed this a step too far. Modern day eccentrics are few and far between, but they do exist. Often it is hard to distinguish between such a personailiy and that of an exhibitionist. I would certainly not consider somebody who flagrantly wears brightly coloured clothing eccentric. Nor would I consider a whole group of males dressed in drag as a group of eccentric

Dominic wearing his Pyradyne headset for the daily commute

Late great Albert Einstein. Photo taken 1947

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people. Certainly some of the group may consider themselves eccentric but the fact they come as part of a group immediately dismisses the notion of being an individual detached from society. These types of people are certainly a lot more common in our society today. Turn on any late evening reality television show and you are sure to stumble across a few. But they often fail to fit the characteristics of not caring what others think. It’s usually quite the opposite. They draw attention to themselves on these popular shows in a way that your traditional eccentric would either shy away from or simply not care for. On London’s tube system there is the opportunity to cross paths with all manner of people that fate would usually forbid in day to day

life. On the metropolitan line I found myself sat across from Dominic. He was wearing the type of headwear that was not typical of an attention seeker, but rather someone who may have quite an interesting story. I asked him about the device, a sort of brass pyramid structure, and the reasons behind wearing it. “It’s a Pyradyne!” he tells me. “It helps me focus the mind and protects me from pollution”. He tells me he has been wearing it for seven years now and swears by its effectiveness. He seems relatively unphased by the intrigued looks from other passengers, a look he is surely familiar with. Either that or he just ignores it. It seems he ignores traditional methods of time keeping too, as I ask him how old he is, he responds: “What year is it?”

The eccentrics’ club As strange as it sounds, there has been an eccentrics’ club running in London since 1781 under a number of guises including “The Illustrious Society of Eccentrics and “The Everlasting Society of Eccentrics”. The club had originally endeavoured to help the struggling writers of the time when they were attempting to break through to the mainstream of success. Today they settle on a more modest name, and extend their work for charity further afield to help existing charities such as Dame Vera Lynn’s Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy and maintaining the welfare of local wildlife. According to the guidelines that are set out, they invite their members to adhere to a loose code of conduct, as of course a good eccentric never truly plays by the ‘rules’:

Top: Oscar Wilde: A well loved Victorian playwright... and eccentric Below: Sketch of a man who was deemed a peer by the club itself

The Eccentric Club promotes “Good Fellowship” and “True Sociality”– “Virtues which are now getting rare and eccentric; but which it is the wish and intent of this Society to cherish within their narrow circle to the utmost of their power... in the occasional enjoyment of ‘The feast of reason and the flow of soul’” (The Eccentric Society Rules and Regulations, 1808). Our members are guided first and foremost by the club’s motto: “Nil Nisi Bonum” (“Nothing But Good”), demonstrating a high degree of consideration in their words and actions. They are also following three important rules (“worshipping three muses”, proposed by D.S. a member of the Committee) of the Club: 1. Non-conformist respect: our Members respect people’s individuality and don’t expect them to conform to all of modern society’s rules or political correctness, but they ask for a similar gentle respect from the guests and new candidates in return. 2. Active welcome: members are encouraged to make guests and new candidates welcome and comfortable. This is a club of friends, where one can find kindred spirits. 3. Open debate and dialogue: Our Members are inspired by stimulating conversation. Different views are welcome, as is cordial disagreement, however insults are unacceptable.

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The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour, and moral courage which it contained.

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John Stuart Mill

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Food from the

WORDS: TOMOYA NISHIKAWA PHOTOS: http://ttkensaltokilburn.ning.com/

London is turning into many local community- in spite of

In front of Plaistow tube station in East London, last year there was about 10 square metres of abandoned space being occupied by builders’ bags that were stuffed with manure and some fruits trees planted. It came as a surprise to me it was difficult to persuade the shops to participate as we that people were trying to grow food in this concrete jungle. had to ask for donation of £65 each!” But the public reI was not a rare witness to this unusual site of London. Earsponded with much gratitude and welcomed the project: lier this year, Capital Growth, a partnership initiative be“In the end, we have seen the smiles on people’s faces which tween London Food Link, Mayor of London Boris Johnson was overwhelmingly positive,” she recalls the excitement. and the Big Lottery’s Local Food Fund that supports comSome fruits trees used for this project were distributed to munities establishing food growing projects, announced local schools where kids can that the number of food growing spaces harvest them and learn how it has helped to establish since 2008 has the system of nature works. It was difficult to persuade reached 2012. In total involving more Such a success became an than 99,000 people across the capital. So the shops to participate at first inspiration for other commuwhat is it that brings these people to garnity groups in London and dens to dig? I talked to two successful inthose active groups reacted itiatives from this thriving food-growing rather quickly. A few miles North from Chiswick, Salusbury community in London. Road in Queens Park will make the second branch of the Last summer from May to June, Chiswick High Road in Edible High Street(s) this year, as a local group Transition West London was decorated into a river of edible trees with Town Kensal to Kilburn, has decided to continue the idea. fruits like apple, cherry and pear. The project was led by Taking the lead for follower groups, this year Chiswick a community project Abundance London, who deals with High Road will be turned into a mile-long nectar trail calllocal food waste and teaches local school kids about nature ing itself the “Herbal High Road”. The local schools are all and healthy eating. being given seeds and pots to grow beans, nasturtiums, “We wanted to help the High Road area by bringing more peas etc. Afterwards the plan is to plant the herbs out on the people in, and making a good community feeling”, says very manky and neglected public beds on the High Road. Abundance London’s organiser Karen Liebreich. “Though

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urban fringe

an edible metropolis with -based activities blooming climate change

other local people walk around,” she recalls her motivation. Last year the allotment produced numerous runner beans, some of which they even had to give away to passers by. Building an ecosystem and soil contamination are the two major challenges in urban growing, defined by the Soil As“The reaction from the shops is really positive this year”, the sociation, but do not seem much of a problem here. “We get busy organiser says as she looks forward to this year’s event. good soil from the park management and Capital Growth A few miles away from Salusbury Road, the future edible has also provided us with about £250 to buy manure. For a high street, a small group of neighbours have been growing good ecosystem, we are planting fruit plants to attract wildfood in an allotment in Queens Park. Lying in the centre of life and we are building bee hotels to accommodate mason the park, their allotment has a monumental herb spiral that bees,” explains Miko. Mason bees are known as easy opthe group made last year, surrounded by smaller gardens tions for urban gardening as they requires no upkeep beside for food growing space. These gardens are elaborately sepabuilding houses for them. rated by wood plates to create more edges, which increases Besides reducing the environmental impact of the neighproductivity of gardens with limited space, a skill of urban bourhood, one of the most significant outcomes of these food growing. community activities is the “These are Miko’s work,” Maggie Turp, change to participants’ life It gives you a sort of sense of style. Fiona Werge, a particia founder of the allotment says. “He is very productive and enthusiastic about pant of Queens Park allotment community to work with gardening. The great thing about comsays: “I met different people munity activities is that you get all sorts whom I wouldn’t have known of different skills from local people.” if it wasn’t for this allotment.” Maggie started this allotment three years ago when she She continues: “It gives you a sort of sense of community found Transition Town Kensal to Kilburn’s website and was to work with your neighbours. And my day is spent workinspired by many groups in the neighbourhood that were ing outside rather than sitting in front of a computer.” Such growing food. This moved her into making one for her own pursuits may have long been scarce in the urban lifestyle, neighbourhood. “It was not only to grow foods, but I also and that could offer an explaination for the thriving comwanted to make the environment better where kids and munity that now enjoys gardening in the capital.

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Reasons to buy local and organic foods

Farmers’ markets constantly attract customers, especially in tough economic times. But what really brings people to these sites? WORD & PHOTO: TOMOYA NISHIKAWA

he recent crisis has hit the organic food industries severely, and caused a continuous decline of about 25% in organic sales in supermarket outlets since 2008. Nonetheless, we still see a lot of people showing up to farmers’ markets every weekend and pay a little more than they do in supermarkets to buy locally sourced organic foods. In fact, the number of farmers’ market in the UK has grown sharply in the last two decades from just a handful to more than 750. Around 70 percent of foods in the UK are purchased at the top three super markets, namely Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. This oligopolistic feature of the market has made it largely tough for organic supermarkets like Planet Organic and Whole Foods to expand. Even the UK’s leading organic supermarket Planet Organic could expand to only five branches as of 2012 since its opening in 1995. So the organic supermarkets were struggling to fight with the market’s giants while farmers’ foods stalls were bubbling up

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in every corner of the street in the UK. Why do people buy foods in farmers’ markets? I asked people who braved the rain and came to shop at Islington farmers’ market, the oldest farmers’ market in London, started in 1999, on a chilly Saturday in March. Magdalena Kot, 24, who lives in Angel, made a quite essential point to the market’s popularity: “I come to the church down the road every Sunday and I like to pass by here even if I’m not shopping. Just to see people chatting and negotiating the price with famers. I just like it and I join them from time to time.” These scenes have long been lost since the emergence of giant supermarkets where there is no need to obtain daily commodities, and people are more desperate than ever to talk to others on their laptops and mobile phones. Local housewife Deborah Moore has not shopped in commercial supermarkets for more than five years. She says: “supermarkets are too huge to trust.” She showed organic free-range-eggs and organic tomatoes that she bought from a Lincolnshire farmer moments ago. She continues: “People want

more ethically considered foods, in terms of environment as well as health. As I talk to these farmers, I know what they do and I want to support them.” Also, with increased media reports on foods in relation to environment and health, more people prefer to shop at famers’ markets. “Recently I had a friend telling me that she wants to change her life style and avoid foods in supermarkets. She said she watched a documentary on the food production business,” says Deborah. Jack Smallman of a busy meat stall is a founder of South Downs Venison and Game, a gamekeeping company in Guildford who has been selling organic meats in this market for three years. He explains the impact of recent horse meat scandal: “people are increasingly concerned about what they are eating. I see more people asking where my products come from, how I raise and process them,” he explains between busy conversations with customers. Soon he might need to hire an assistant, not to concentrate on chatting with customers but to deal with more people rushing to his quality meats.

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Grow your own veg in spring There is no better time to nurture the powers of nature than now. Here are our planting tips to make work for idle green fingers WORDS: ALEX GREGORY

ASPARAGUS: A tasty stem that tastes far better freshly picked. Keep an eye on their progress and snatch them from the ground after around four weeks. Lightly steamed they retain the sweetness that many have grown to savour the taste for in recent times. Young and old will enjoy alike. TIP: Try growing two batches of different varieties to maximise your output, one batch around two weeks after the original lot. This will spread out their optimum harvest time so you can continue to enjoy them for that little bit longer.

ROCKET: An expensive supermarket luxury that is often flown in from Kenya. Transporting it over six-thousand miles invariably loses a lot of the leaf â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Rocket proves itself as a unique ingredient in a whole range of salads and fresh dishes, with its peppery taste always contributing a surprising new angle. TIP: Rocket grows quickly in spring so keep it near the kitchen. A little pot on the windowsill would provide an ideal source of salad leaf or extra greenery to a pasta carbonara, or more texture and a bitter aftertaste to a roasted vegetable pizza.

GOLDEN BEETROOT: Try a twist on the classic with golden beetroot. Just as good for you as its traditional sister but with the added shock value it has on unsuspecting guests that come round for sandwiches. Wait until the threat of the frost has passed and begin to sow at five centimeter intervals, in rows 30 centimeters apart. TIP: Add a warm salad to a main course. Start by shaving three (home grown) golden beetroots to a pan with a drop of oil. Stir in a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of grainy french mustard when the beetroot is warmed. Finally, squeeze the juice of one lemon on top and mix through to compliment the sharp tastes to serve as a side.

PURPLE CARROT: Grow some classical carrots. Yes, believe it or not carrots

were originally purple, but arable farmers of the Netherlands had other ideas and decided to change them to the national colour, changing the appearance of the humble carrot forever. Served with the golden beetroot it may appear that some sort of colour swap has taken place. On their own, they certainly shed new light on a Sunday dinner, or just dunk them in Hummous through the week.

PARSLEY: A flat leaf parsley is favoured in meditteranean cuisine. Its flavour is a lot

stronger to that of its curly leafed cousin but requires much less to be cut over the top of a tomato soup to add a fragrant garnish. Parsley starts flowering in the second year of growth, so for the impatient, visit a garden centre for a more mature plant. If you can wait, make sure the seedling has plenty of light and water.

All vegetable seeds above available at www.sarahraven.com

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Spring styles We met some trendy people at the London Fashion Weekend who follow their own style mantra

>>>

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Spring fashion on the streets Name: Kim Allyson Age: 19 yrs

Hat: Topshop

Student: fashion photography Favourite designer: Vivienne Westwood Style: Upper edge and minimalist

Coat: flea market

Brand loyalty: Topshop Places to shop:

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I generally

like shopping at Topshop, but I mix them up with vintage clothes. So I would say, visit places like Brick Lane market in London. They have the best vintage stuff there

â&#x20AC;?

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Bag: vintage market

Fishnet socks & heels: Topshop

.............This spring, it’s all about bright colours, even more vintage styling and minimalist affordable fashion. Here are all the latest looks off the catwalk at London Fashion Weekend 2013 Name: Rory McNally Scarf: Zara

Age: 20 yrs Occupation: student blogger Favourite designer: Henry Holland Style: High street fashion Brand loyalty: Zara

Bag and blazer: Zara

Chinos: ASOS

Places to shop:

“I buy

everything from Zara, but recently I am going more high- end with places like AllSaints. Also, you can mix and match stuff from different places and custom design your own style

”

Shoes: ASOS

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English hobbies Have a look at English people’s hobbies and pastimes

WORDS: CHENYUN ZHANG

It’s hard to tell what a nation’s hobby is, since people all around the world are actually doing a similar thing: they work, study, do sports and play at leisure. People in each country have various hobbies and pastimes. But one typical English hobby you can find in Chinese textbooks is gardening.

Gardening

The textbook says that British people fancy gardening, they have their own garden, and some will put flowers in the corbeil and hang them on the wall. That’s a special way to display flowers until I came here and witnessed the passion of British people towards gardening. Due to a very mild climate, it is possible to enjoy gardening all the year round. My landlord Vara Rajan told me that I could plant flowers in the front garden: “ You won’t see much sunshine except in summer, why not grow some flowers to dispel the gloomy weather?” In China, residents live in their own flat, growing plants in the house or on a balcony, and only those who lodge on the ground or top floor will have extra space to have a garden. While in the UK, every household has their own gardens, even semi-detached and terraced houses. What’s more, most of the households not only grow flowers, but also grow vegetables for their own utilization. They do the gardening for pleasure as well as for beauty. “I like gardening,” said Johnson Becher, a retired gentleman, “Growing flowers and fruits make me feel peaceful and satisfied. When you see the growth, you’ll be proud, and it’s also the life course.” Actually living in the UK gives me the opportunity to probe into English culture, and get more, clearer knowledge about English hob-

bies. Following are some hobbies that I find English people are quite keen on.

Selling and buying old things

To some extent the UK is the right place for me, since I like old things. I am intrigued by British people’s vintage complex, which is reflected by dozens of vintage markets and various charity shops. I encountered some charity shops before I met the true features of this enormous market. I didn’t know the charity shops run the operations at scale until I found the green “traid” sign is everywhere, I saw Sue Ryder in Stow on the Wold, and I bought most of the secondhand books in Oxfam. Most of the people who work in these charity shops and second hand shops are volunteers. Ida Coles, one of the volunteers working in the British foundation, said, “I do this during my spare time, I know that doing this will benefit others and the planet.” Recycling is commonplace in the UK. Some people donate the goods such as clothes and books that they no longer need, many volunteers collect and clean them, and some others re-buy them. The process recycles the consuming and helps to save our planet. “They are cheap and in good quality,” said Rebecca Davey. “I’m not really a brand follower, and I find some really good clothes in charity shops, you just need some luck and a pair of good eyes.” If charity shops are ordinary second-hand markets, you may get antique and classic second-hand goods in vintage markets. You can buy old goods from flea markets to best vintage markets like Brick Lane market and Covent Garden. >>>

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“ ” I have also spent hours wandering through small, local art galleries that housed incredible artefacts of culture and history. Laura Lee

<<< Museums

Museums are everywhere in the UK, displaying the fact that Great Britain has a great history, and English people worship as well as preserve it. London alone has hundreds of museums to choose from, including The British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London and National History Museum. “I have also spent hours wandering through small, local art galleries that housed incredible artefacts of culture and history,” said Laura Lee, an art journalist, “These experiences were equally impactful upon me. I can learn a lot in museums.” Londoners are famed for appreciating arts and creative things. Besides, lots of museums are free to enter and visit. It is without doubt that London is a real treat for museum lovers. People like going to museums, but they won’t keep their wallet tightened on exhibits which need to be paid. “I’m willing to spend money on shows,” said David Bradshaw, a book publisher. “Some shows are not always on, they are rare and worth paying for.” It’s no surprise that thousands of visitors flock to the museums in London for a good day out. With hundreds to choose from, no dish suits all tastes, and it’s hard to say which one stands out. However, the figures published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) last year show that the British Museum had the highest number of visitors of any single museum on the list.

Eccentrics

If the above hobbies are called ‘traditional English hobbies’, then this one must be interesting. English people cultivate the idea of eccentricity as agreeable and even admirable, which makes them differ from the rest of the world. Many eccentrics are people who grow up to be painters, musicians, poets and fashion designers; in short, those who create culture. John Stuart Mill once sited: “Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character have abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigour, and courage which it contained.” English people have a special love for their eccentrics, which may explain why England has bred so many. Examples include William Buckland and John Churchill, who both had weird behaviour, but achieved success and fame as well. William Buckland was a famous geologist and English theologian, who became Dean of Westminster. He was keen on looking for new species to eat, and he ate mice and moles, crocodiles and crickets. What’s more, even animals are not enough. He could be the real version of Hannibal, and once he even boldly claimed that he had never eaten a king’s heart. Other hobbies like fitness clubs, dance schools and cooking classes are also very popular among English people. Interestingly, English people share some funny hobbies, such as tabloids and queuing. When probing into the hobbies of one nation, it also provides knowledge of their culture.

“

”

I have eaten many strange things, but have never eaten the heart of a king before.

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William Buckland

Can long distance relationships survive?

When couples live apart - not only in different cities, but in different countries as well - it can make or break even the best partnerships. We ask if true love will wait out the distance

WORDS: CORINNE CHANG “I wish I could be beside you; a hug is enough.” Long distance lovers must have said or heard these words. Many times, arguments can be dissolved simply with a hug or a gentle touch. Long distance makes physical intimacy impossible, and makes relationships seemingly more ‘vulnerable’. No wonder some people render it as “the worst idea I’ve ever, ever known”, not even “one of ”. There are various reasons for breaking up in a long distance relationship (LDR for short), but it is likely that in the end people tend to attribute the failure to …long distance. “You know the secret why it does not work?” said Sam Marks, whose tried a LDR but failed and now has a happy proximal relationship, “at the beginning, you could say tiny, funny things to each other and there will be laughter; when times goes on, both of you have new friends and when you say tiny, funny things you have to explain why each tiny thing is funny.” Sam thinks that the explanation process is boring, and he could not afford the boring time. Every time he had to repeat, “oh, you had to be there”, it contributed to the end of his three-month long LDR. There should be quite a few people who identify with Sam. But Sams are not the absolute majority. The latest statistics provided by The

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Centre for the Study of Long Distance Relationships show that about one third of lovers break up during the first three months of LDRs. As time goes by, the number reduced a lot. There are only 8% break ups during the first year of LDRs, while for proximity relationships, there are a quarter of break ups - over three times more than LDRs. The figure shows lovers in LDRs aren’t necessarily a disadvantaged. From ancient times, the most beautiful love stories in Korean, Japanese, and some other cultures are LDR stories. The Chinese version is that the lovers can only see each other once every year, but people admire this unbearable LDR, which happened in the world of fairy tale: “if love between both sides can last for aye, why need they stay together night and day?” “If it is a committed relationship, distance can make it better,” said Viren Swami, a reader of psychology in Westminster University. Evidence shows that committed relationship can be stronger when there are obstacles to overcome. A significant sign of committed relationships is “long-term”, i.e. lovers should have enough time together before they are apart. In other words, when you fail to take the relationship seriously, you’re unable to manage a LDR. ‘Long distance’ is often misused as an excuse to hide people’s vulnerability towards temptation. True love needs to wait: anyone could tell you that he loves you, but not everyone is willing to wait for you.

Real life relationships Margherita Franceschi experienced three long distance relationships; the longest is between Italy and the UK I tried three long distance relationships, and never succeeded. Each time either my ex-boyfriends or I cannot

“

stand with various temptations. It is very important in a relationship for both sides to grow together, to share, to have a laugh, to cry, to be inspired or bound... in the moment you are sharing, you are making a step further in the path of life. Long distance relationships make it difficult to share: what makes you happy or sad cannot arouse the same emotion on the other. I admit that I did not try my best in the long distance relationships. If there is another chance, I won’t listen too much to my own need. In the past, I often confused my need or my problems with the need of my lover.

”

Long distance relationships make it difficult to share: what makes you happy or sad cannot arouse the same emotion on the other

Henry Fielding broke up after a 14-month long distance relationship between Luxembourg and Malaysia

Gradually, talking over the phone everyday felt more like a chore, and I was not sure whether the feeling was there anymore. When we were staying together, we saw each other everyday. I could

“

actually reach out and touch her. It’s not the same when I was just talking over Skype or the phone. When I was with her physically, I was actually getting something out of it. If not, it’s just aimless talk. If I was just at home and I wanted to be doing something, she expected me to take out three hours of my day to talk to her about stuff that didn’t really matter. Most of the time, I clearly had other things to do. It’s just not rewarding. And I was doing this to say that we had talked to each other that day. I would think twice before going into another long distance relationship. I would really consider breaking it off before I knew there is any sort of long distance. If I considered again, I would hope that long an LDR will go to the full distance - I would consider marrying a girl.

If I consider again, I hope that long distance will go to the full distance, i.e. I would really consider marrying a girl

Minh Le is in the 8th month of a long distance relationship between the UK and Vietnam; never been together in the same city for more than three weeks My boyfriend and I were together for 2 years before beginning a long distance relationship. We come from opposite geographical ends of Vietnam. And with me coming to the UK, I guess that distance has just widened. The biggest obstacles have always been communication and the lack of time actually spent in each other’s presence. And even though Skype, Imessage, Facetime, all of that help tremendously, you can’t help but feel a little tired every once in a while, when your boyfriend becomes more a face on a monitor than an actual person. But, every conversation comes with lots of excitement since when we met, we were both working in media, with a very hectic schedule. It meant we understood each other’s career challenges quite well, and when it did come time to talk, or better yet to meet, the rush of excitement to share or simply to get a hug is indescribable. And now

”

with me in school and him at work, the balance of time is still roughly the same. I can’t say it’s been easy, but because most of the time, we’re quite occupied with how busy life gets, the time away from one another seems to fly by more quickly. I wouldn’t say distance matters, at least so it has shown with us. Distance has taught us to cherish, to really value each and every time we do get to see each other face to face. It has helped me to become more patient, and to look at each obstacle we face in the relationship, with a calmer and more constructive state of mind. I don’t take for granted the time we spend together, on the phone, Skype or other wise.

“

Distance has taught us to cherish, to really value each and every time we do get to see each other face to face

”

It’s amazing we have the time together at all, considering my own parents who in the 80s were away from one another for 4 years, him in the US, her and me in Vietnam, no phones or of course anything remotely digital whatsoever and only a handful of letters whenever flow between 2 countries yet to be in diplomatic relations could take place. Whenever I think of that, I stop whining, and just take each day as it comes, getting more excited as the reunion draws nearer.

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Tweet from the grave WORDS: CHENYUN ZHANG

Social networking now plays an important role in most people’s lives, but how about in the afterlife? Alive looks at the newly established Liveson effect and discuss the influence of the internet

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After the broadcast of the new season of Black Mirror, LivesOn, a newly launched social network embraces an increasing popularity among netizens. Only two weeks after the release of Black Mirror season two’s episode, “Be Right Back”, the number of LivesOn’s registered users has soared to 5,000. Launching in March, LivesOn has clearly manifested its aim in their tagline: “When your heart stops beating, you’ll keep tweeting”. LivesOn uses one executor for each registered user, and utilizes artificial intelligence algorithms to analyse the users’ behaviours and their style of writing, so that it can continue scouring the Internet. As it self-claims as “a very good link aggregator tool for people”, LivesOn gets to know its users through their “Twitter feeds”, to learn their likes, tastes and syntax to keep on posting their kind of messages, updates and links to create a personal digital afterlife. Amanda Parker, the founder of Aha Moment Media, commented on the afterlife social network: “It’s an interesting way for some people to communicate their thoughts.” The dead person returning in Black Mirror is creepy to some, while interesting to others. But undoubtedly, it is thought provok-

“Whether you like it or not,” Case explained, “you’re starting to show up online, and people are interacting with your second self when you’re not there.” Since LivesOn is launched almost at the same time as the broadcast of Black Mirror, it is doubted as a stunt and questioned whether the idea was stolen from Charlie Brooker, the scriptwriter of Black Mirror. “Black Mirror was the catalyst for us to just get on and do it,” said Mr Bedwood. “We did have the idea in March 2011, but like most of these ‘silly’ ideas, we just parked it. “ LivesOn is now partnered with Queen Mary University, and claims it is not for commercial gain, only a real and probably flawed A.I. experiment. Although other social networks provide services after life, LivesOn is the first service to offer to automatically continue posting in the style of the dead user. If I Die, launched at the very beginning of 2012, and DeadSocial, launched last April, provide users with a service that allows them to send predetermined messages from beyond the grave to selected Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. LivesOn hasn’t announced the exact date of launch, but reassures the users that it will be launched shortly. The emergence of a variety forms of social media also shows that its important role in our life. Technology has already enabled us to transcend the boundaries of time and space to socialise, virtually, with people who aren’t with us, physically. However, in the meantime when we benefit from the convenience, especially when most of the ser-

“

ing. When this virtual imagination, drama thing becomes real, the growth of “digital legacies” is already throwing up legal and ethical issues. “It’s just plain wrong in my book,” said Anthony Carr, a mid-30s man, “Surely a line needs to be drawn sooner or later.” Also, among thousands of users who are waiting for the real launch of LivesOn, Garret Roden, an Internet lover, is eager to take an early experiment, “I like to learn new things, and this must be very interesting. “There seems to be a guttural instinct to the idea, before you even get to the philosophical and ethical arguments,” said Dave Bedwood, creative partner of Lean Mean Fighting Machine, the London-based ad agency that is developing it. “It offends some, and delights others,” he added, “Our job will be to see how good we can make a version of you out of relatively little information.” As cyborg anthropologist Amber Case argued in a TED Talk in 2010, while other technology enhanced our physical abilities, online social networks have allowed for the “extension of the mental self,” and endowed us each with a “second self.”

There seems to be a guttural instinct to the idea, before you even get to the philosophical and ethical arguments.

vices are seemingly free, have we paid our prices for those products? With the old adage goes: “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” And that’s the real cost of social media access: becoming a product. Advertising and sponsorships keep the lights on in your favourite social networks and what they pay for is access to you. The more we engage, the more the networks track and analyse. We’ve eagerly plugged our lives into the social net and have willingly accepted the costs. People are beginning to realize these costs - in many cases, only when it’s too late.

Privacy

Every social media activity creates a digital version of you, but not just for you. Every time you register or log in, even for some-

“

If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.

”

Andrew Lewis

thing as simple as performing a Google search, you’re establishing a personal profile about yourself within the data repositories of social networks like Facebook and Google+. What’s more, some companies even sell your data to other enterprises, which strongly violates our privacy. It’s creepy when a stranger rings you up and knows every detail of you. In the past, most of our social interactions were private and undocumented. That is increasingly not the case. When we interact with others through the Internet, we leave digital records behind. Companies like Facebook and Twitter have huge databases full of all kinds of information about our social behaviours. We are just starting to harness the power of that information, using online social network data. Many companies use the data about your social networks and behaviours to customize all kinds of experiences, from targeted marketing and advertising, to personalized web browsing, to healthcare informed by your social history.

Time

According to Nielsen and NM Incite’s The Social Media Report 2012, consumers continue to spend more time on social networks than on any other type of Internet site. 20% percentof the total time we spend online is on personal computers and 30 percent via mobile devices. The time we spent with social media and apps via cellphone increased 63 percent in 2012, Nielsen reports.

Emotion

Social media is often criticized for creating a culture of “over-sharing.” Opening ourselves up in this manner is an emotional investment. We put a bit of ourselves into every post and with each share we’re creating a digital version of ourselves, which isn’t necessarily a constructive outlet. Social media can take an emotional toll on all of us. Besides, it harms your self-esteem: a UK study from the autumn found that over 50 percent of social media users evaluated their participation in social networking as having an overall negative effect on their lives. It’s as unhealthy as you’d guess.

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Online Dating “It’s like a nightclub. Sometimes you’ll have a good night, sometimes you won’t”

WORDS: LIWEN XIE

ow did you guys know each other?”This question might usually come first when you see your friend has been in a new relationship. However, ‘knowing through friends’ is no longer the only answer to this question in this digital era. As the internet affects every aspect of our life, the field of love is also dominated by it. Thus, social media is gradually becoming the key to the world of love for single people. Dating sites, as one family member of the social media, make finding soul mates much easier than ever. Unlike blind dates, these sites boost the chance to catch someone that shares similar interests with you, simply by analysing the profiles you put online. Last month, around 500 single Londoners turned up at the London Eye, attempting to find their love through a night party organised by a dating site called ‘doingsomthing’. Even though not all of the singletons found their love, they still took this opportunity to know other potential partners by widening the circle of friends in the social situation. Due to limited time, many people are turning to apps with location-based search functions to find love. Guiyuan, 23, a girl from China, knew her boyfriend through a social media app called “Momo”, which relies on GPS to introduce you to people nearby. Af-

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ter one week of texting messages, they finally had a date and now they are still together one year on. Other dating sites like Blendr and OKCupid could also broadcast your availability to those who are maybe sitting just next to you. Online dating has boomed so quickly beyond our imagination, it is becoming a phenomenal success for business. The Guardian Online reports that the UK is leading the way in online dating, with 9 million of the British logging on to find their Mr or Mrs Right. According to YouGov, a British market research firm, one in five relationships in the UK starts online. With the tradition of online dating for nearly 10 years, which is the longest in Europe, the UK saw the value of online dating soar up by 6 percent to almost £170m last year. However, as this new industry blossoms, questions also pop up - is the online information genuine? For users, fraud profiles are the most worrying issue. Giving a false age, hiding marriage and targeting for money by using flattering photographs could all make online dating a daunting trap. A study by the Universities of Leicester and Westminster, discovered that around 200,000 people in the UK had been victims of online dating scam, with complaints rising from 739 to 987 last year.

Christina, a 25-year-old student who does not want to reveal her surname, said one of her friends successfully asked a guy for an iPhone 5 by using other pretty girl’s photo. “Lots of people fake their profiles, but I just cannot believe that a guy would send an iPhone to a girl that he has never met,” Christina said. “He must be very rich, but meanwhile he is taking risks.” Henning Wiechers, the chief executive of Metaflake, which reviews some of the 1,500 dating sites in Britain, told the Guardian Online that he regarded the online dating as the new “nightclubs”. “They are the spaces where interactions can happen. You have to learn how to get past the doorman and how to talk to the people you meet,” he said. “Sometimes you will have a good night, sometimes you won’t. And there are some nightclubs you will never want to visit again.” While there is no answer for whether online dating is reliable or not, online dating could still end up with a happy ending for many, which establishes a relationship of the mind first without regarding one’s physical attraction. However, online dating itself could never be an ending. After all, everyone needs to log off and go back to the real world, talking to each other and ‘touching’ the love.

Street food to go More and more people like waiting for the fresh food, and more importantly, they have more choices on international cuisine WORDS: CHENYUN ZHANG

treet food has become increasingly popular in London. Not only has the quantity of food vans increased drastically, but also has the quality of the food they serve. More and more people like waiting for the fresh food, and more importantly, they have more choices on international cuisine. Let’s take a look at the best food stalls in London, why not have a go with palatable and international cuisine while also saving money?

Lamb jalfrezi burger Bánh mì

£6, At Eat St: King’s Boulevard, N1; 11am-2.30pm TueFri (07859 004628)

From £4.50, Banhmi11, Berwick Street Market, W1F 8TW (07775 029365) Bánh mì is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread, but in this case, it means Vietnamese baguettes. Since their emergence in London about four years ago, Vietnamese baguettes have become so mainstream that you can buy them even in EAT, but the best one comes from the original Vietnamese-run stalls. Having become a lunchtime fixture on Berwick Street Market during weekday, Banhmi11, the second street-food stall to have specialized in the Vietnamese fast food, offers a real bite of Bánh mì. Inside the crisp-shelled baguettes, you’ll have a variety of filling choices, from fish to freshly grilled meats, topped with carrot, daikon pickle, cucumber and coriander. One of the most popular dishes is the Imperial BBQ, mixing sweet caramelised barbecued pork with the fresh aromas of fish sauce, coriander and lemongrass, finished off with a kick of fiery chilli heat.

Som tam £4.90, Units 2 and 96, Brixton Village Market, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PR Som tam is a popular street food in Thailand. It’s actually green papaya salad, which is made from shredded unripe papaya. KaoSarn, the Thai café in Brixton Village Market, is just like the street vendors in Thailand would make it, combining the four main tastes of the local cuisine: sour lime, savory fish sauce, sweetness and hot chili. KaoSarn is definitely a good place to relive the backpacker experience.

London is awash with street food, as well as street food vans. No longer are street food vans associated with burnt-barbecued burgers. Instead many high-calibre chefs join in dishing up gourmet affordable cuisine on the go. The lamb burger of Bhangra Burger stands out, the lamb mince is marinated in spices, and served with sharp lime pickle, raita and mango chutney, then rolled in a Lebanese flatbread. People call it ‘crazy lamb jalfrezi burger’. You can find the van in StreetFeast off Brick Lane,and Eat St at King’s Cross.

Cochinita pibil taco £3 for one or £6 for three, Buen Provencho, Lower Marsh, SE1 7RG; open Monday to Friday 11am to 4pm only (07908 210311) Arturo Ortega Rodriguez’s tacos are one of the rare authentic Mexican tastes in London. The best of the lot is the juicy Yucatán-style puerco pibil, which involves marinating the pork in orange juice and with annatto red-coloured seed for that deep burnished colour, wrapped in a banana leaf to add a faint fruity aroma. Have a go on salsa and guacamole – the combination of the pork with tomatoes, sweet red onion, added chilli and roughly fragmentized avocado makes for an explosive mouthwatering meal.

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Fresh and fabulous food

Green markets are a great place to buy fresh, quality food grown by local farmers - plus it’s an amazing start to your weekend

WORDS & PHOTOS: POOJA AGARWAL

The recent horsemeat scandal raised various questions about our food habits. It has brought back into focus the importance of having fresh and unadulterated food. People have turned their attention back to green markets that pop-up all over London during the weekends. Everything that is sold at Green or Farmers’ markets, is grown, reared, baked, caught or produced by the sellers themselves. The products are as fresh as they can get, and cut and sold on the same day. These markets sell everything, from fruits and veggies to meat and poultry and even different kinds of cheese. There are some things like purple spring broccoli, rhubarb, Jerusalem artichokes, etc. that are difficult to find in the supermarkets but are quite common here. There are stalls selling homemade jams and jellies along with apple juice that has zero percent chemicals. In other words, Green markets are the place to be if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, doing the majority of your grocery shopping here is a more affordable option than the supermarkets. They also have some historical significance attached to them. For example, the Pimlico Road farmers’ market was where the young Mozart penned his first symphony in 1764 at the tender age of eight. Another one is the Notting Hill farmers’ market. It was featured in the famous film ‘Notting Hill” starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. The book shop in the movie is still at the same spot and has become a hotspot for fans of the movie coming from all over the world.

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The second reason to go to one of these markets is that the best street food in London is served in places like these. There are stalls serving finger food from different cuisines. Whether you like greasy burgers, pies or cakes and brownies, it’s all available here. The best part is that they are all homemade and hence not counted as fast food. The Marylebone market has a stall for macaroons as well. Who needs to go to Paris now! Another important aspect is the ambience of these pop up markets. It has an old world charm to it that is hard to resist. Don’t be surprised if you find people fluently conversing or rather, negotiating in French or old English. This just validates how these markets have survived the constant transformation that London has gone through. In recent years, farmers’ markets have grown so much that there now exists a website called “London Farmers’ Markets” where the buyers are able to contact the sellers directly to order products online or even just ask their queries. But you need to keep some things in mind if you are planning to visit one of these markets. They are not open every day. Even on the weekends, most are open on either Saturday or Sunday. If you go to the Broadway Market on a Sunday, you will find only a barren stretch of land with no signs of any of the stalls and you will find yourself utterly lost and spent due to the cold. Also it would be beneficial, if you contact the stall owners before hand to check for their availability. Not all stalls operate every week. So if you are going to a particular market for a particular product, it is better to contact the seller first. But if you are just going to have an experience, just pop up like the markets: you won’t be disappointed. All in all, the review for the markets is good. They are here to stay.

The best farmers’ markets in London... Islington market

This is the first farmers’ market to come into existence and is still going strong. The market was set up by food writer Nina Planck.It is currently held on the Western end of the historic market street, Chapel Market. When: Every Saturday 9am-2pm Where: Chestnut Grove Primary School, Junction of Chestnut

Marylebone Farmers’ Market

There is a good reason why the market attracts so many people. Situated right in the heart of London, this market has something for everyone. From fresh fruits and veggies to the best of meat is found here. Even the ice-cart sells ice-cream that is homemade. The surprise treat was this stall selling colourful macaroons and other French delicacies. When: Every Sunday 10am-2pm Where: Cramer Street Car Park, Marylebone, London W1U 4EW

Borough Market

Chorizo, rocket rolls and stalls of diver-caught scallops along with fresh roasted coffee beans is enough for anyone to go running to this Mecca for foodies. But it’s the delicious brownies that will make sure that you don’t feel hungry until breakfast the next day. Try the fresh cheeses on display here. When: Fri noon – 6 p.m , Sat 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Where: Southwark Street, SE1

Pimlico Road Market

This market takes place in an area known as Orange Square or Mozart Square, which is within walking distance of Sloane Square. It is known for its seafood from the East Anglian coast. Most sought after are Richard Haward’s Essex oysters (in season). When: Every Saturday 9am-1pm Where: Orange Square, corner of Pimlico Road and Ebury Street, SW1W 8UT

Notting Hill Farmers’ Market

Notting Hill Farmers’ Market has been running since September 1999. This is the famous market featured in the movie ‘Notting Hill’ and still looks the same. It has an old Italian market vibe to it. It is different from other farmers’ markets in the sense that it is just the noisiest place in the whole of London. When: Every Saturday 9am-1pm Where: Car park behind Waterstones, Kensington Church Street, Kensington, London W11 3LQ

Barnes Farmers’ Market

Fresh organic vegetables, tangy tomatoes from the Isle of Wight and sticky chocolate brownies are just some of the things available in plenty. Another product is the cheese that is so fresh that you can see the milk from some of it dropping down. Remember to contact the sellers before visiting the market. When: Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Where: Barnes Farmers’ Market, Essex House Surgery, Station Road, Barnes, London, SW13 0LW.

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Explore

[ To search into or travel in for the purpose of discovery ]

Hip & Holy

Between God and globalisation the Holy city of Jerusalem finds its very own worldly renewal and is worth a visit today more than ever

WORDS: CHRISTIAN WELISCH PHOTOS: ISRAELI TOURIST BOARD No prayer is longer than 140 signs. Alon is carrying more than 3,000 with him today. Little prayers sent to him via Twitter from places as far away as Australia. Help me finishing my classes, heal my mother from sickness, bring me back my beloved cat. Alon does not care what they are about. Once a week he prints out all the Tweets and brings them to the Kotel, the Western Wall, in Jerusalem’s Old City. For free. When asked if he is religious, the shy Tel Avivi shrugs it off: “It doesn’t matter.” For centuries people have left little papers in the cracks of the Western Wall. Alon made sure that this age-old tradition got a 21st century upgrade. Not everyone is so fond of it. Ultra-orthodox Jews write him, saying personal computers are evil things but he cannot be bothered: “I don’t care. It’s their wall as much as it is mine.” The holiest site of Jewry and Twitter. A strange alliance in a city where old and new

mix so seldom, where the past is present so heavily that it almost suffocates the living and where conflicts linger on almost every corner. At the same time, Jerusalem is a place with a lot of energy. Different parallel societies, a maze of different worlds and religions, which live and exist side by side but know so astonishingly little about each other. There are more than 1200 synagogues, 200 churches of different denominations and more than 100 mosques in an area the size of Edinburgh. And in general these worlds and religions remain among themselves. Until someone decided to built the new Jerusalem Light Rail. Even though a popular joke had it that the train would finally operate once the Messiah arrives, the project opened in 2011, ten years later than planned at first. The train, which runs from the Muslim East deep into the Jewish West to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, and Mount Herzl brings people together, if they want it or not. They also have to communicate, something that otherwise scarcely ever happens anymore. The train is

not very fast but like many other public transport systems it’s a mirror of its city, so hop on board and simply watch how the elderly Rabbi makes room for a Muslim woman with a baby or how an elderly Arab woman clad from head to toe in black is offered a seat by a young ultra-orthodox girl. It is nothing short of fascinating. There is so much craziness in the air that Jerusalem is actually lending its name to a mental illness. Close to one hundred visitors are befallen every year, thinking they are the Virgin Mary or the Messiah, speaking in tongues and running around the city in white clothes made of their hotel’s bedlinen. The best treatment? A quick departure. “Oh, this place can definitely drive you crazy. ake a look around: Who in his right mind would be living here?”, laughs Natalia Rosenthal. “I wanted to leave so many times but this is my hometown, what can I do?” Natalia owns a little shop in Jerusalem’s latest success story: The Mahane Yehuda market. While it was a simple neighbourhood

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pensive label shops like Apple or Prada, giving the area the somewhat pretentious nick name “Jerusalem’s Champs Elysées”. But not far from these exclusive shops lies another part of Jerusalem that is only part of the city since the 1967 Six-Day-War: East Jerusalem (Or Al Quds as it is called around here) and its Muslim quarters. Many people will not recommend a trip there, but despite it being cordoned off by the 9-metre wall which separates Jerusalem from the West Bank, this neighbourhood is still a part of the city and its reality. There is no danger to tourists in these areas and especially young

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fixture for decades, suicide attacks drove customers away to guarded supermarkets for good, which lead to a scarce selection of goods and a desastrous reputation. The renaissance started with the Café Mizrahi, a Paris-style café and family business very close to Natalia’s boutique today. Handmade cakes and cookies brought new customers to the market and new merchants and storeowners followed suit. Today Mahane Yehuda is one of the prime locations for food lovers. Kosher butchers, wine stores and vintage shops lined the ancient lanes inside, students from the nearby university moved into the area alongside young artists and Jerusalem had its first gentrified area. Slowly parts of Jerusalem are changing. The latest architectural attraction, the Jerusalem Chords Bridge by Santiago Calatrava is only the most visible sign of the change that this eternal city is undergoing these days. Underground bars called “Uganda” or “Cassette” are springing up like mushrooms around Hillel Street, where the alternative and gay scene are located. Gone are the times when the Holy City’s gay bars were firebombed and protested. The city even hosts a rather tame pride parade every summer now. Jerusalem may not be Tel Aviv but the nightlife scene is expanding and several clubs, bars and restaurants are now even open on Shabbat, something that would have been impossible only a decade ago. Recently the “Hotel Mamilla” opened, a boutique hotel you would rather expect in Paris or London. The rooftop terrace with its view of the Old City has become one of the hotspots of the city. The elegant building is integrated into a new mall, boasting ex-

This place can definitely drive you crazy. I mean take a look around: Who in his right mind would be living here?

Palestinians or Israeli-Arabs are very open to guests from abroad. You may just have taken the Lightrail, but you feel transported into a different world. On the Al-Zahra Street Arab pop is blaring loudly from cars, young women in colourful veils are out shopping, while young boys play football in a side street. A true gem can be found here: Yabous, a culture centre and not-for-profit organisation. It opened a few years ago in this desolate part of East Jerusalem but soon young artists opened the Al Hoash Gallery next door and just recently a music school moved into the building across

the street. The project is fighting to survive, as it does not get government funding from either Israel or the Palestinian Authority. Yabous’ work is strictly non-political and seeing an exhibition here is worth the trip to get a little insight into the other side of the conflict, especially if one does not want to visit the West Bank. The non-political work helps the neighbourhood and brings locals hope for the future. The future is all but lost and even today is an impertinence if you ask people in Me’a Shearim, the ultra-orthodox or Haredi neighbourhood of Jerusalem, which is only a 15 minute ride on the Lightrail from East Jerusalem. There is something strangely tranquil about the place, where the Internet is unheard of, news is shared on posters on the wall and nobody – and I mean nobody – owns a TV. Huge posters remind the visitor upon entering that this is a religious neighbourhood and people - meaning women - should only enter in modest clothing, which indicates no trousers, only longsleeved shirts and long skirts. Me’a Shearim is only 40 kilometres from Tel Aviv’s hedonism and yet it is a million miles away. An entirely different universe altogether. Mazelike lanes, laundry drying in the wind, dark entrances, religious shops, somewhere a chicken cackles, men in black robes hurry through the streets, while women with wigs or covered hair shop, three or four kids in Above: Old and new Jerusalem side by side: Below left: The rooftop at the Mamilla Hotel: Below right: Yabous Community Center in East Jerusalem; Opposite: The Chords Bridge

tow. The reality of an 18th century Schtetl transported right into the Middle East with all its customs and beliefs, which are feverently defended and upheld by its inhabitants. National debates about gender segregated busses, Haredim attacking school girls for their outfits and the exemption of Haredi men from military service have widened the gap between the Religious and Secular in Israel even further recently. Visiting is a fascinating experience and gives a lot of food for thought but one has to be careful as to not upset the residents, who aren’t dubbed the “Jewish Taliban” by their secular Israeli compatriots for nothing. If the hustle and bustle of the busy streets is taking its toll on you, make your way to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial to get away from it all. Every politician visiting Israel comes here and so should every visitor. It is a riveting, gut-wrenching experience but helps you make sense of the craziness around you. After seeing the exhibition, take in the view from the terrace into the Galilean surroundings, rest a little while listening to the birds and enjoy the silence for a minute before making your way back into the city center again. Jerusalem in 2013 is a vibrant, multi-cultural city that will not leave you cold and will often challenge the visitor. And if everything becomes too overwhelming, and one is tired of the senseless debate who is allowed to pray to whom when and where - one can always walk into the Armenian Quarter and go up the staircase where Habab Street meets St Mark’s to get a bird’s eye view of the city: Everything looks easier and so much more peaceful from above.

Essentials Jerusalem HOW TO GET THERE

El Al and British Airways fly into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport directly for approx.. £350. GETTING AROUND A ticket for the new Jerusalem Light Rail is 6.60 NIS (£1.10). A 10-ride discount card is 52.80 NIS (£9).

SLEEP

Austrian Hospice Directly on the Via Dolorosa, this little gem brings a feeling of Austrian coffeehouses to Jerusalem’s Old City. Eat delicious Apple Strudel or Viennese Schnitzel before setting out to explore the city. Doubles from £100; Bed in dorm from £20. Austrianhospice.com Mamilla Hotel Minimalist and trendy, this is the new highlight on the Jerusalem hotel scene with majestic views over the Old City from the rooftop terrace. Doubles from £220. Minillahotel.com

EAT & DRINK

Borderline This bar, which is located in the former nomansland between Israel and Jordan is popular with expats, NGO-workers and Palestinians who enjoy their drinks underneath trees in the backyard. Sheikh Jarrah Street 13. Café Mizrahi The reason behind the rebirth of the Mahane Yehuda Market is located in the “Street of Prunes” in the market. Besides the outstanding French cakes and cookies, try smaller main dishes like Yoghurtsoup. Hashezif Street 12. Little Jerusalem Being part of the Israel Museum, this restaurant serves kosher food with an emphasis on pasta and fish. Live music in the evenings and a very tranquil backyard to enjoy your meal in. Harav Kuk Street 9 Uganda Every night after 10 pm Aristobulus Street

fills with the young and alternative. Their destination: Uganda with its live performances, theme nights and liberal atmosphere. It feels a little bit like a Berlin dive bar right in the middle of the Holy City. Aristobulus Street 4.

Yad Vashem The site on Mount Herzl is the world’s most important Holocaust Memorial. Try to come early to avoid the masses, which might affect your experience negatively. yadvashem.org Israel Museum You might get lost in its halls and rooms for days but it takes at least one full day to take in the most important works ranging from the oldest existing bible to popart. Ruppin Boulevard. Yabous & Al Hoash Gallery Visit the acclaimed community center and right across the street you can find one of only two contemporary art galleries in East Jerusalem, showcasing artworks by Arab artists. Al Zahra Street 7, yabous.org & alhoashgallery.org Armenian Quarter Viewpoint At the corner of Habab Street and St Marks in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City you will find a staircase. Be brave and go up to get an amazing view over the Old City. It’s completely free.

DON’T

Try to avoid religious holidays as the sites are flocked with pilgrims. Also try to not come between July and August when temperatures are high and it is completely unbearable to do any sightseeing outside. Avoid wearing inappropriate clothes when visiting religious neighbourhoods. Stay away from political demonstrations, especially in East Jerusalem. www.goisrael.com www.gojerusalem.com

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Beauty on water

The Swedish capital Stockholm is not only one of the greenest, but also one of the most beautiful cities in the world WORDS: CHRISTIAN WELISCH PHOTOS: SWEDISH TOURISM BOARD

weden’s capital, tucked between the Baltic Sea and the Malär Lake, is one of those rare places that can be breathtakingly beautiful. In every season. Winters are long and summers short, which means that Stockholmers are keen to make the best of both – they flock to cosy cafés in winter and to picturesque open-air places as soon as the temperatures hit 15 °C. Stockholmers love their city but most would also agree on the fact that it would be nice to trade in a little nature for a longer lasting summer in return. As this is not going to happen anytime soon, they make the most of every sunray. You will never see so many people sunbathing at 22°C. But don’t be fooled – Stockholm gets many warm summer days and that is when the city is at it’s best as you can take in its green surroundings and attractions. No visit to Stockholm is complete without a stroll in its medieval center Gamla Stan (Old City). Don’t think the old walls and doors are all there as a stage for tourists – people actually do work and live here, however they manage to cope with the never-ending throngs of visitors. Go to Stortorget for the ultimate Gamla Stan photo opportunity and move west towards the ancient walls of the Royal Palace. This is the place where millions of Swedes and international guests cheered for Princess Victoria when she married in 2010. Like every metropolitan city Stockholm also has a “go to area”, a “place to be”. It is called SoFo. A few years ago some bright people at the Stockholm trourism board coined this, meaning South of Folkungagatan, the area for the hip and trendy – and affluent. SoFo is located on Södermalm, yet

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another one of Stockholm’s fourteen islands. It is south of the old city and used to be a working class neighbourhood. But in the late 1990s the designers, hipsters and cool came and design shops, galleries and restaurants opened around Nytorget, SoFo’s main square. So if you want to impress friends at home with the handbag by an up and coming Swedish designer – this is the place to look for it. Design and fashion are big in Stockholm, and not only since IKEA and H&M took over the world. Wandering Stockholm’s streets you will hardly ever see a crowd more impeccably dressed according to the newest styles and trends. Trying to get your hands on the latest Swedish designs might be a little heavy on your wallet but second hand boutiques and flea markets are everywhere, especially in SoFo. Especially in summer, you should do as the Swedes do - hop on a steamboat that goes out into the archipelago. After a 20 minute ride the Swedish landscape, clean air and tranquillity will soon make you forget all about the bustle of the city while watching boats float by, laying in the sun and enjoying the natural beauty around you. The Swedes love their capital, which flawlessly combines metropolitan spirit with small-town charm. To get to know that beauty, a weekend trip might be the best way to start off. But beware: you might fall madly in love and have to come back often.

Getting there

Norwegian, SAS and British Airlines are flying directly to Stockholm from £120.

Sleep

The Story Hotel (Riddargatan 6, www. storyhotels.com) is very central and offers rooms from £80. A price-effective and special way to stay in the city is on one of the many boat hotels. The nicest one with astonishing views from the cabins is Malardrottningen (Riddarholmskajen, www.malardrottningen.se) from £65 a night.

Eat

SoFo’s Nytorget Urban Deli (Nytorget 4, www.urbandeli.org) offers healthy food with a perfect view of the busy square itself. Chokladkoppen (Stortorget 18, www. chokladkoppen.se) is set in Gamla Stan and serves delicious cakes. It can be crowded but the medieval walls and cozy atmosphere are well worth the possible wait.

Stockholm is home to many fantastic museums, but the ultimate experience is the Vasa Museum (www.vasamuseet.se/ en), which exhibits the Vasa, a warship that sunk in the Stockholm harbour in 1693. The salt water conserved the ship and after its recovery in the 1980s this award-winning museum was built. See the city from above Gamla Stan with a Rooftop Tour. For 595 SEK you will be geared up and ready to wander on the roofs of the medieval part of town. (www.upplevmer.se/en)

Relishing the coast

This summer, make a trip to Cornwall and experience the beauty of one of the country’s most dramatic and romantic places WORDS & PHOTOS: POOJA AGARWAL

he everlasting recession, along with economic crisis, have made sure that not all of us can afford a trip to a foreign land during summer. But why be disheartened when we can make a domestic getaway without straining the pockets. Wouldn’t it be just amazing to feel the cool breeze from the sea in our very own England? Cornwall is a place where all this is possible. It lies in the southwest of the UK and is one of the few places where you can be as close to the sea as is possible in a country like this. An approximately 6 hour train journey from London, will take you to this small, quiet oasis that is yet to be badly abused by commercialization. It still has an elegant primitive quality to it. The clear blue sea against the rough coast along with the green fields add to the drama of this countryside. Though it still is a part of the UK, Cornwall has its own flag and its own language called ‘Cornish’. Most of the signposts are in two languages, English and Cornish. This place is filled with historical marvels like Tintagel castle. The castle is located in North Cornwall and is said to be the birth place of King Arthur. You can still visit Merlin’s cave nearby. Another one is the Pendennis Castle. Located in Falmouth, it is one of the mightiest forts built by Henry the VIII. It was one of the last strongholds to fall during the English Civil War. One of the most exciting sights here is the Chysauster Ancient Village. This is a place which will take you to the old world. It is the remains of an ancient village that existed in the Iron Age and was occupied 2,000 years ago. There is also an underground passage known as ‘fogou’ that you can explore. The

rugged landscape hasn’t changed a bit over time. During spring, a long carpet of bluebells blossoms to welcome you just like it might have done all those centuries back. My favourite memory is of a house on water that I came across while wandering one morning. During that time of the day, with the sun at its brightest, the structure of the house reflects beautifully in the water below. The atmosphere just seems so serene and everything in the world perfect at that moment. Cornwall is full of such places. If you are a foodie, Cornwall is perfect to get to know proper English cuisine a bit better. It is most known for its seafood and Oysters in particular. The iconic Cornish pasty is something that no one can afford to miss out on when in Cornwall. Pasties are savoury baked dishes made from pastry. They contain various fillings and are found almost everywhere. They are referred to as ‘oggies’ locally. Then there are the beautiful beaches to rejuvenate yourself and get some colour on to your skin. The Atlantic ocean provides Cornwall with the best conditions for beach activities like surfing and soaking the sun in the whole of Europe. Cornwall is a contradiction in many ways. It is a coast as well as countryside and a place that considers itself independent but is not. There is something to occupy everyone here. On one hand it boasts of historical treasures and secret passageways and on the other it has a tranquility that will make you numb. A paradise where time flies, so you can stop and take a break.

In the bright morning of Cornwall, this house forms a perfect reflection in the water below

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Published on 10th May

Tickets £10 - £12 (limited number of ‘early bird’ tickets at £8!) For tickets and more information visit: www.uwsucopacabana.eventbrite.co.uk 11th, 12th and 13th April 2013, 7.30pm Portland Hall, 4-12 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW