early risers

Getting up early is for me, like millions of others, a hard task. Especially if you're used to work at night, like me. I love being an early bird though, and when I do make the gruelling effort to get up early (when I mean early, it's usually 6am- anything before that is just cruel), I feel so good all day - well mostly. And here are 10 good reasons to make the switch from being a night owl to an early bird:

http://zenhabits.net/2007/05/10-benefits-of-rising-early-and-how-to-do-it/

critical mass 25/05

an update...
Ok, so the police was there in force -as usual- camera crews were around, toggers all over and hundreds of cyclists - more than I've ever seen on a ctitical mass ride. hum, ok, I've only done two so far so perhaps not the best comparison. Still, rumors were that the BBC feature triggered heaps of interest, and keen bikers came out to support free cycling in London and just have a fun ride around. It was mostly harmless, free spirited and light, just as it should be. The slow journey took us from waterloo to trafalgar square, down to buckingham palace to salute the queen and stop a limo and a 4/4 on the way, and piss off quite a few black cabs. The best thing about the critical mass rides is the traffic chaos caused throughout central London. Shouldn't that just make people think, reflect on how ridiculous traffic has become? Why drive when you can cycle or walk around?
Well for me it's always a scene of visual amazement, amusement - a display of bikes of all sorts, from cool to just weird, and just a few hours of fun, laughter and freedom in central london. Oh and the ride somehow ended with an improvised game of cricket in the middle of charing cross road! Wacky and cool. Brilliant.

We are a mass

wo-hooo... on my bike again later for the critical mass bike ride... This one promises to be quite memorable - and there might even be a few wrangles with the police along the way. These bike rides happen every last friday of the month, and take cyclists on an improvised journey around london. Reclaiming the streets, making way for a swarm of bikers - some cool, some with perhaps a little too much hair and leaflets, but hey, they're all sharing the same free spirit and all want to take over the streets for a few hours. How harmful can this be?
BBC News has just reported some possible activity with the police later, so should be a fun one.... Lets see what happens....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6690513.stm

Too much

God I can't bear it, there's just too much going on online - I can't keep up! Between msn, skype, my 4 (main) emails, my flickr page, my blog, youtube and now facebook, it's crazy. So many sites, so little time, so much time to waste. Or is it? What exactly are they for? Entertainment? Education? Work? Friendship? I am confused. As much as I love spending time online and find the internet truly fascinating, useful and amusing, I'm finding myself more and more drawn into the whole thing and I'm a little scared. I'm spending far too much time online, updating my profile, pictures, emailing friends, chatting to family, writing, editing - and is it all worth it? Can I manage without it? Probably. And then I'd be missing out on a lot, and probably wouldn't be half as efficient. It's a love-hate relationship. Me and my macbook.... And now, my facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=581020232

What's happening to our trees???

Yikes - where are me trees?
The news is out and it's not nice - and definitely not green. We're losing our street trees. Following an upcoming enquiry by the GLA (greater london authority) the media has massively picked up on the fact we're losing a huge number of our street trees. Up to 2% a year in London I hear: it may not seem like much, but if you think about how long a mature tree takes to grow, it's quite scary. And 2007 was meant to be a green year, I've read everywhere that 'green is the new black' etc. So why are they dissapearing? One of the main causes is building subsidence issues for insurers, roots damaging water pipes, CCTV operators and mobile phone companies arguing that branches obstruct vision etc.
At the same time, Ken Livingston is going on about making London greener, reducing traffic, pollution and noise, but what's the point if we have no trees? Plant a new one in the right place perhaps? Is it all about 'correct' urban planning? This is definitely a long term solution, but then it takes years, decades, to grow a sapling into a beautifully mature tree - which defeats the point of cutting it down in the first place. Can we not work around them, rather than chop them down when causing the slightest disturbance? Unbelievably, some people really dislike trees - hate them with a passion when they happen to be in front of their house, their sole presence being problematic. Arguments against trees range from shade, falling leaves, branches or unruly roots. Because trees are living and thus can't really be controlled in the way some would like it. Still, I don't see it as an excuse to cut down a tree which may be older than your own mother, or even your house. Pure selfishness and ignorance. I'll opt for a green city, not a bleak concrete mass.

A slice of eco-heaven

Munch munch.... I've just been treated to a fabulously satisfying and ethically correct dinner - nowhere else than the hyped Konstam restaurant in King's Cross, made famous by the BBC series, Urban Chef. The place s modern, stylish and yet feels incredibly cosy - the jars of homemade jams and preserves stacked on the sheves give the place a homely touch. So what about the food? I'm not a restaurant critic or expert, but the dishes were delightfully presented, so seasonal, and very satisfying. A simple starter of leek, potato and dill soup was so creamy I could have easily slurped a second bowlful. Having spent ages to make my mind up, I then opted for seabass with cauliflower puree and greens. Seabass from the Thames perhaps? That's where I get confused... In theory -according to the TV series and PR blurb- all the food served in the restaurant should be sourced locally - and when you're based in Kings Cross, this means withing the M25. So I slyly interrogated our charming waiter on whether my seabass had been lingering near the Houses of Parliament for long: "well, not quite" he answered. "It comes from further east, close to the Thames estuary, and I can assure you it was caught last night". So not quite from London, but close enough. Besides, how would I know - it was delicious, melted in the mouth and was probably fresher than fish from Borough market.
The owner, Ollie Rowe's ethos is to source all (or at least a majority) of his produce locally. Sounds like a crazy idea, but it's definitely the way forward for ethical, seasonal and healthy food. Why bother eating anything out of season? Food will inevitably taste far better when it's fresh, seasonal and local (less food miles also means pollution and encourages more sustainable farming). The 'made in London' etiquette may seem to be a bit of a crazy idea -and a clever pr stunt- but it works well, fronts a real trend for good, seasonal produce, which just makes sense. Throw in some creative recipes, top chefs, cool interior design and you're got a winning combination. Yum, my stomach's rumbling again...
http://www.konstam.co.uk

A whole load of greenwash?

So we've heard all about it - this year, everyone should be green, ethical and environmentally aware. Our 'eco-consciousness' seems to have hit a new height and everyone wants to be seen as being green. Green is the new black and so on... Aren't we all already bored and blase by this? Of course, it's only right that we should become ever more aware of our own environment, we should be thankful for living in what is a relativel clean, healthy, moderate climate and surrounding and need to do what we can to protect it. The fact celebrities and high profile personalities are supporting these issues seems however, to make it verge on the border of a 'fad'. Making something trendy or cool, only dooms it to one day becoming out of trend and out of the public agenda. Although most, including myself, see green issues as here to stay and become engrained in our psyche -in the same way as being organic or vegetarian have- there is always a little corner of my mind which says that maybe something better, cooler, trendier, might turn up, grabbing and diverting the public's attention to this something else. Of course, all genuine and real greenies out there aren't as fickle as trends and will carry on campaigning for all that is green. Thos mere trend folowers (who incidentally, loved the carbon offsetting, conscience clearing, buying the 'I am not a plastic bag' bag - those who simply love buying), may just latch onto a new trend and ditch their compost bin as easily as they bought it. Well, it was smelly and somewhat unpractical wasn't it?
Let's hope this doesn't happen. Although all the bad press carbon offsetts have been getting lately aren't doing the cause any favours. It makes it just too easy to dismiss green issues and switch back to our high carb diet - carbon that is. So I'm all up for ignoring any greenwash paranoia and keep doing my bit to help - and that'll hopefully go beyond my weekly recycling bag...

Fixie mania

East London's become the kingdom of fixie heaven - for ones 'in the know', this means fixed wheel racing type bikes. It's always been a trend for bike enthusiasts, but in the last year it seems to have somewhat grown into a fad. Right, so sales of ordinary bikes in London have doubled, if not tripled, in the last couple of years (some say it was related to the tube terror attacks, others argue it's the rise of tube fares and the sheer convenience and freedom of riding a bike in town). No matter what, general awareness and interest in bicycles has hugely grown in London, and supposedly cool hoxtonites and east londoners haven't missed out on that one. Ok, so who am I to comment - being both an east londoner and a newly fixed wheel convert? What I have been witnessing, much to my amusement, a development of what I call 'bike porn'. Like car show offs, bike show offs like exposing, touring their newly purchased 2 wheel drive, flashy, shiny, expensive and of course, fixed. "I'm cool, I can afford to live in a cool part of town, so therefore I adhere to the coolness of owning a fixed wheel bike". Well nearly. Why have they become so popular? Is courier chic the new trend? When is biker chic going to grace the pages of Vogue or Elle? Soon perhaps; sporty is in, so why not? So couriers ooze coolness, confidence, power and freedom - they own the streets, swerve between traffic, avoiding cars, bendy buses and flirting with danger. It's the beauty of relying on nothing else but your legs - and alert mind. Then there's the coolness of being fit, though slightly scruffy - being on the streets all day doesn't help... So yes, many couriers live in east london. Many couriers ride fixies. Many artists and trend following/setting designers also live in the same part of town (it's cheap, arty and of course, cool). So inevitably, fixies have become part of the uniform. In the same way as drinking organic lager at the foundry or doing your vintage shopping down bricklane has. There's nothing wrong with that, but somehow, it seems to have lost - or at least seems to be losing- part of its unique, special charm. As Sheldon Brown's website beautifully describes: "When you ride a fixed gear, you feel a closer communion with your bike and with the road. There is a purity and simplicity to the fixed-gear bicycle that can be quite seductive." So true. wow.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

Un-ethical Coke

Another reason to give up coke...
Not that I drink any coca cola, but here's yet another reason to really NOT buy it. Of course, it rots your teeth (or arguably damages your brain if you opt for the sugar free version) makes you hyper, bloats you and just generally doesn't have any health benefits, but it's also totally unethical. Nothing new perhaps but I picked up a leaflet the other day, explaining and condemning Coca Cola's actions in India. Coke Justice claims that Coca-Cola is destroying lives, livelihoods and communities, by highlighting a 'pattern of abuse' emerging from their factories in India - water scarcity, pollution of land and water and pesticides in drinks. Their global campaign has already put much pressure on Coca-Cola, and has led them to lose money from sales and legal fees in India. Hardly anything compared to what they earn globally, but it's a start and definitely another dent into their somewhat frail reputation. I really like this campaign and think more should be done to support it - www.cokejustice.org

East versus west

I've always been a big fan of the east London, of EC1, the City and beyond. Some friends swear otherwise. 'West is best'... A half hour cycle trip to the other side of town only reinforced my sense of belonging to the east side. Although people make their niche wherever they are, the polished, clean west part of town just isn't my thing. I've been there on quite a few occasions, admired the charming, well kept, terraced houses, cool cafes and shops, but the hoards of tourists and visitors -like me!- are just a real turn off, which was perhaps made worse by two close shaves on the road with typically pretentious, disrespectful drivers.
So back to the east side... As soon as I hit Clerkenwell road, I had the strange sensation of feeling at home again - as if I'd left town for the afternoon. Whizzing past the quiet, empty Guardian offices, overpriced loft spaces and studios, a wave of peace and happiness took over. Then past down the ever busy Old street, the concrete maze which is the Barbican, the superimposition of modernity and a few old landmarks (the jellied eel van off Aldgate doesn't count). The real grey, gritty, dirty stuff. Go further east it gets worse, but that's the London I love - both transient and present, filthy and fascinating, dirty and yet arty. I hear it's one of the most 'rooted' and historic place in town. Home sweet home, east London.

Sugar Rush

Easter eggs, warm weather and bank holidays - it all seems too good to be true. First day off and I already feel I've overdosed on sugar, drinks and general merriness. Three more days to go, god knows how (un) rested I'll be after a supposedly long break. A trip to Borough Market this morning - for an overpriced tea session-seems to have topped it off. A sugar laden cupcake and macaroon, washed down with mild coffee, seemed at the time like a great late morning boost, but less than two hours later - and a few cycling miles away- my artifically, sugar induced high, had worn off, leaving me even lower than at the start. This seems to be a regular pattern for me and for those who often succomb to sweet treats - and Easter is just one other excuse to unleash the sugar.
It's a widely known fact that sugar is a great boost - it's immediately absorbed into the bloodstream- which is why all the branded energy bars, are full of it. Fine when you're physically active, but it's a simple fact that most of us would rather simply sit around and scoff leftover easter eggs. And the more sugar we ingurgitate, the worse we feel in the long run.
So ditch the sugar, don't polish off all the easter eggs (in one sitting) - go for a walk in the sun or on an egg hunt instead!
On the delights of sugar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar#Sugar_and_hyperactivity

Urban ramblers

A day of urban loitering in east london.

I've just been on the most amazing voyage of urban (self) discovery. Touching the urban space, the old paved streets, crumbling brick walls and smelly city farm animals. A beautifully sunny spring day, a feeling of absolute freedom, exploring some dark, filthy, litter strewn underpasses, paths, only to once again be reminded that beauty and art both lie in the most unexpected, ordinary places.
Encounters with the unexpected local street people, also improvised tour guides, alcohol induced ramblings, street explorations and learning more about the areas we think we know so well - but don't. How often have I walked past the old school of Weaver Street, without even stopping to think what it could hide behind its imposing brick walls. I discovered an oasis of calm, peace, art and wildlife. A mini eco-sphere with cactuses, animals, mediterranean plants and banana trees - in the midst of concrete-ville, Bricklane and the City. A home to wild animals and artists alike. A beautiful, enchanting, inspiring site.
The urban exploration walk led us to another urban oasis of the east end, spitalfields city farm, with its goats, sheep and single pig, and its genteel, genuine approach to enjoying the city. It acts as an alternative space for residents, children, families and volunteers, to escape concrete and see that deep green roots cane be laid wherever one chooses to.
We circled about 500 metres altogether and yet discovered, within such a small space, a vast world, land of diversity, knowledge, art and natural beauty.
A stone's throw away, Bricklane seems like a rather alien, bland and superficial world. A road of shopping, a fake pretense to 'alternative' consumerism and authentic east end experience....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/innac/sets/72157594582658746/

www.malinky.org

Feeling low...

It's a sunny day, spring blossoms and bulbs are out, trees are being planted as I write this, and yet I'm feeling low. Chocolate overdose or general lack of motivation, creativity? Perhaps the daunting prospect of chun's latest thesis chapter which I keep putting back?
I think I'll blame it on the building site outside my flat - waking me every morning at 8am,with a loud drilling and background builder's banter. Not that I have anything at all against builders but loud shouts and indelicate talk isn't the most attractive way to wake up every morning - and this has been an issue for the last 8 months. Yet I can't blame them for feeling down today, but what I definitely maintain, is my utter annoyance at having a crane staring at me every day, knowing I cannot walk around freely in my flat, without worrying if some dirty old builder may be watching. I am not biased or mean, that's the truth. My truth. How much longer will it last?

last week...

haha, nearly week 4 and where's the progress? I'm not usually a quitter but I must say this is getting really hard. As much as I loooovvvee chocolate, this stuff is sickly, rich, thick and not really kind on my overall health... Also, I admit that I've been consuming chocolate under other forms, and in perhaps slightly gentler versions - do cadburys dairy buttons count at all?

So I propose the following - I will dig into Montezumas until samurai chun returns and then the whole thing will be transformed into a big chocolate fest - brownies, fudge cake - you name it and I will make it. Any takers?

ps - the damage is much work - this was last week's photo- I am ashamed to upload this week's.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/chocolatefudge.html

choco diary - week 3

Nearly week 3 and the damage is getting quite bad - on both the bar and my health. Spots are out with a vengeance, I'm feeling a bit sickly and drawn into a whole cycle of chocolate addiction. Why is it I can't stop? What chemical substance or ingredient creates a need for more, yet more, even though I know I've eaten more than I should? The sensual, melting feeling, bittersweet taste and intense sensation make it highly addictive, but I know it goes beyond the purely sensual pleasure. Maybe the lack of sex or attention? Probably not. Now into the serious stuff. Research has shown that there are substances in chocolate (alongside polyphenols and some magnesium, which are undoubtedly good for you) -Phenylethylamine, Theobramine and Tryptophan, which all make it pleasurable and hence, addictive. In this case, I'm not having the sugar-laden variety, so the addiction lies -partly at least- in these somewhat magical substances. The other part, I reckon, would be emotional. How many ads, mostly aimed at women, draw onto the sensual pleasure of chocolate, something personal and selfish. Very true - I don't crave chocolate when I'm with people; it only happens on my own - and what a terribly selfish habit. Is it perhaps filling a gap in my mental state, a deep insatiable well? Whatever... Just shut up and eat the bloody thing.

on the 'psychological effects of chocolate':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate#Physiological_effects

choco diary - week 2

week two... and I'm doing pretty well. Ok, so I've nibbled well into the second square, but I'm quite impressed at my self discipline and my regular, but modest chipping into the kilogram chocolate bar. I will admit that I have other bars of chocolate open at the same time (did I say 'bars', oops, meant singular...), which may partly explain why I've been behaving. I doubt it'll last very long - the behaving that is.

check out all the other good stuff at Montezuma's website.... yum.... http://www.montezumas.co.uk/

choco diary - week 1

Week one

Chun's left for a month - and has done so in style- he's left me with a big fat slab of 75% cocoa, organic fairtrade chocolate - one Kilo bar to last me for a month. Will it though? Having counted all the squares, my calculations are that I would have to consume over 200 grammes a week to finish it by the time he gets back - which equates to a daily, constant munch - nearly a standard bar a day. Quite ambitious isn't it? Shall I be selfish and stuff my face, delve into utter sensual pleasure, in order to finish the damn stuff, or shall I discipline myself and religiously section off a few squares a week? Such a tough question asks for an equally tough answer.
The next few weeks may very well end up being the most unhealthy, choci-fied ones in my whole life, but who knows, this could be a wonderful, life changing experience, in which I discover the benefits (or disatrous after-effects) of eating humungous amounts of chocolate.

I must note that this may not be my only source of consumption of chocolate ....

it's hot, let's switch off

yup, it's been a really hot month -mostly- we've had birds tweeting at night, early blooms and sprouting bulbs, so why are we still keeping heaters on, opening windows and walking around in T-shirts at home? I'm not complaining, but Christian Aid is claiming that if we all turned our thermostats down by one degree, it would help us combat drought in Africa (www.climatechanged.org ). Seems a little ambitious, but it does make my parents -whose central heating has broken down for now 2 years- seem like saints. Bless them...

biking the city

In the last few years, the city has seen a huge rise in bikers and cyclists. Swarms of peddlers have taken to the streets, multicoloured helmets brightening the dull morning commute like party candy. The streets of London also seem to be the breeding ground for new types of cyclists. Fashionistas and couriers alike are all on wheels. Whereas cycling was until fairly recently one of those things couriers or health & eco conscious people would do, it now seems that every social strata has taken on biking. The streets of London are still rife with bicycle couriers zooming past, avoiding angry taxi drivers and double deckers, making their way through exhaust fumes and central London congestion. With their super lightweight bikes, cool attitude, they can hardly be mistaken. What is new to the streets however, is a curious breed –or rather breeds- of people on bikes. People is used rather liberally, as it really points to quite a few different groups. Fashionistas on their newly acquired bicycle are to me the most fascinating. Obviously well aware of the fitness advantages of cycling (Alice Rawsthorn from the Design Museum, once said it has helped her maintain the body of a 20 year old), these women –and they are mostly women- seem to particularly enjoy their ride, their heads up in a co-ordinated, well studied outfit. Besides, isn’t messy, ‘bed hair’ in fashion right now? From personal experience, they are well-behaved, cautious cyclists, who won’t get too sweaty and will keep to a neat speed in fear of their manolos falling off…. Their ensemble has to be well thought out – suits or tight skirts are out, shorts are definitely in along with cropped trousers and flats. Surely there should be a guideline in Vogue as to what one should/could wear. Or perhaps the fashionista’s biking manifesto? Obviously, cycling isn’t that trendy yet. Well it’s not exactly easy to wear wedges or carry the latest chloe handbag whilst cycling, not yet anyway. Nevertheless, cycling has certainly been embraced by the coolest of the lot and this has definitely helped to bring it back in trend.

Another fairly intriguing type is what I call the hybrid – a fit, health conscious person with all the right gear –the professional ‘tour de france look’- who slips into his standardized work uniform once the destination reached. The tight lycra-clad creature somehow becomes magically transformed into a smart city worker ready for yet another productive day at work. Surely the fresh air and exercise must have some impact on efficiency; has it not been proven that exercise boosts blood circulation, thus pumping fresh blood to the brain and produces endorphins? This surely has to be investigated…

All this cycling can only be good for London –fitter people, lively streets and maybe one day, less traffic and pollution. One can also hope this trend will last. The sights are certainly a delight!

Islington's recycling bags

I'm really very impressed... Ever since the Islington council launched their recycling bags scheme a few months ago in my area, people really have been making an effort to sort out their rubbish. And it's amazing how much you can actually recycle. It leads you to think how much of a difference little individual efforts can make in the greater scheme of things. Every week, I see lovely green recycling bags, full of empty bottles, magazines, cans etc. left outside for collection.
Human beings are naturally lazy but they're not evil. We all care for our planet, and if we're given the opportunity to do our bit, most of us will. You can't expect old, busy, or just lazy people to seperate their rubbish and then take it to a recycle area miles away (and I haven't seen many in central London). Give them the bag and they'll do it. Put them in this green mindset and then you may very well see more changes. It takes time...