THE DAY WE FIGHT BACK

Just last week, I wrote about how Facebook is only as private as you make it. But what if this privacy actually means nothing? What if a ‘private message’ is also read by government agencies, as well as your best friend? The one word which defines a whole constitutional right also seems to be the only word which isn’t understood by the NSA and governments worldwide – privacy. These are governments who claim to lead free nations, but in fact are digging through thousands of private messages in order to control people. If you send an email instead of tweeting to 1000 followers, it is because there is something in the content of the message that you don’t want to share – so why should politicians or government agencies be allowed in on that private conversation, with no explanations given?

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DAYDREAMING ABOUT CAPE TOWN

I don’t know what it is about this city that is suddenly drawing me in with such force. Maybe it’s the muted colors or washed-out sunlight. Maybe it’s the egg-blue waters and matching sky. Whatever it is, it’s enough to make me want to share it here. Because while my umbrella might be breaking with the force of London wind, in my mind I’m walking along Boulders Beach, with penguins running around my ankles.

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GROWING UP WITH FACEBOOK

My opinion of Facebook is a love-hate dichotomy. A few years ago I personally experienced a brief (but no less hurtful) case of cyber-bullying. It’s not really worth rehashing the past, but let’s just say that it affected the way I thought about (and used) Facebook from then on. None of it was Facebook’s fault, but the event still would never have happened had the technology not been made available. In the website’s defense, they did react in only a few hours, once I reported the incident. In the wake of Facebook’s 10th anniversary, I began to think about the impact social media has had on me, and an entire generation that has grown up with it…

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MONDAY TUNES: #3


I’m into catchy melodies and dreamy rifs right now. But I like when these are mixed with a trembling baritone, or a Michael Jackson-like wail. There’s also been a lot of lazy, slow tunes in the mix lately, to come back down and unwind from the upbeat tempos. So here’s a mix for a – hopefully – sunny Monday.

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WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND TOWN: CHINESE NEW YEAR 2014

The streets won’t be looking anything like the photo above, this time tomorrow. London hosts the largest Chinese New Year festival in the world outside China, so there will be plenty to do over the next week if you want to reign in the year of the horse (this just so happens to be my year, too!). Last year I celebrated the new year in Paris, which didn’t disappoint; so I’m looking forward to London’s version. Parades, dim sum, films, and lion dances – read on to find out what’s going on for Chinese New Year…

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KAREN WALKER X KENYAN ARTISTS

Karen Walker is known for her statement eyewear and smile-inducing campaigns. So it’s not surprising that for her latest collection, Visible, the artisans themselves are the stars. Working with the UN’s ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, the Kiwi designer commissioned Kenyan artists to create the screen-printed and beaded pouches to accompany her Summer 2014 collection (available February 10, 2014 worldwide). But she’s taking the project one step further, and using the oversized shades to bring the focus on these Kenyan artisans at work.

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MONDAY TUNES: MY GRAMMYS GO TO…

So it probably goes without saying that awards like the Grammys are no longer a surprise or, for that matter, very rewarding to the worthy candidates. The mainstream, Top 40 hits that have been driving their way into your head all year long are always the winners; while the “fringe talent” are the ones making incredible music and who never make it onto the list of nominees.Feel free to disagree or comment on my suggestions below, but these are a few artists who I think really should have taken home one of those “gold sippy cups”:

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CUT PIECE: UNRAVELLING THE TRUTH

A few days ago I was at the launch of a new, local feminist magazine when I first experienced Yoko Ono’s performance-art, Cut Piece. I had never actually seen Ono’s original version and was intrigued as to how the reenactment would take place. A young woman, robed in deep green velvet, sat in the middle of a small stage and lay a pair of scissors in front of her. A pianist played Chopin in the backdrop, and we were told that the audience was welcome to come up at any time, take the scissors, and cut a piece from the performer’s dress to take with them. It was a quietly magical experience, with the classical music and stillness in the artist’s face casting something short of a spell on us. People approached the stage, one by one, in almost equal intervals to cut small pieces of the velvet dress, slowly shredding it and exposing the woman’s pale skin beneath.

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WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND TOWN: JANUARY

January is a rough month: resolutions, gloomy weather, post-holiday doldrums, and still months to go before you can ditch your coat. But it’s finally Friday, and all is not lost. The weekend lies ahead, full of opportunities to get out and forget about the worst month of the year. From an exhibit dedicated to the art of postcards, to ‘rocket’ yoga; there’s something for everyone to beat the January blues.

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9 HOURS IN FRANKFURT

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! It has been quiet around here for a while, and I think the long holiday has run its course… So we’re back and ready for what 2014 has in store.
I started off the new year with a little unexpected travelling. It turns out (despite years of irrational fears) that leaving the airport during a long layover is not as scary or unthinkable as I thought. Last week, on my way back to London from Madrid, I had a nine-hour layover in Frankfurt. I was lucky to have enough miles for a free ticket this holiday. But when I saw the time I had to wait at the airport, I was picturing a sequel to The Terminal. So instead I begged to be put on an earlier flight, and when that didn’t work, I decided to go into the city.

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