The Worst Date Ever

Who would have thought a book about human rights violations and government corruption in Northern Uganda could be so hilarious and 'unputdownable' (yeah it's a real word ..I know..I thought so too)? Jane Bussman's dry wit is outrageously British but I think everyone with a sense of humour can relate and will find themselves snorting with laughter inspite of their best efforts not to. I laughed so hard at this book which pulls no punches that I eventually had to confine my reading to indoors in case someone on the train  thought I'd lost the plot and decided to have me committed for acute insanity.

The main subject matter is the war in Northern Uganda but far from writing a typical book about an African tragedy that says 'these poor souls', Bussman mocks the situation and pokes fun at everyone from the international community read: donor governments like the UK and the USA to the NGO do-goders who she dubs ironically 'The Useful People' to the rebels themselves including their leader who she describes as a Rick James lookalike and lastly but by no means least the extremely corrupt Ugandan government. The situation is so shockingly tragic and the complicity of those involved so infuriating to the ordinary person that by telling the story in the farcical way she does, rather than feeling angry and helpless, we're propelled into wanting to do something. What's more she tells us that we can do something, we can ask questions of our local MP:  http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

This book is well worth a read, not only is it hilarious, it will teach you a great deal about humanitarian crises, bureaucracy and above all corruption that involves even those we think are there to help. There's also a good chunk on Hollywood where she worked as a showbiz writer and its bizarre stars and lifestyle. I will never look at Ashton Kutcher in the same way again.

By writing this book and raising our awareness of the plight of thousands of children in Northern Uganda, Jane Bussman has proven that she really is one of the useful people in the true sense of the word.
The Worst Date Ever: War Crimes, Hollywood Heart-Throbs and Other Abominations

Oh YAHOO why did you have to go there?

My first email account was with Yahoo mail….and without revealing too much about my age, I think it might have been about 14 years ago. I’ve been faithful to the internet email provider ever since and was grateful when they removed  the memory quota from email accounts. It means large attachments - from photos of loved ones scattered all over the globe to home videos can be emailed to me and it doesn’t cost me a penny or worse still a clogged up inbox to receive and open them.

Recently however I’ve been disappointed to find that Yahoo is trying to imitate Facebook with status updates. I mean really…aren’t Twitter and Facebook enough, must I really have to receive an update that some random bloke whose email address I happen to have is picking his nose as I'm having my breakfast and checking my email? Even more disturbing I received a recent update about my former boss – it said X has a new avatar - he is now wearing Grey Short Hair & High Forehead. Really? Really is this information of any use to me or any other human being on this planet apart from the owner of the stupid cartoon himself? FYI an avatar is a little cartoon image yahoo users can create of themselves - usually a lot more flattering than an actual owner but that's fair enough. We all like to embellish now and then. But to come back to my boss' new avatar, firstly I don’t know what his avatar looked like before in any event and my immediate reaction to this juicy 'news' read: dull yahoo update was of course it should have grey short hair and a high forehead because that is exactly what its owner looks like. How is this newsworthy?

What’s more people have taken to commenting on each other’s status updates. "'X' just had mushy peas and chips for dinner". Y will respond…"OMG, I love mushy peas, is it tasty?" Really people…really! Enough already with dissecting each minute detail of people and their dull lives. I have gotten used to Facebook – it serves its purpose, I get to keep in touch with my friends and get their support for things I’m doing and yes sometimes I do gloat about the latest holiday I'm going on or fab event I'm attending. As far as Twitter is concerned, the jury’s still out; I recognise that it can be useful for announcing breaking news although even this depends on you following interesting people with something to say but let’s face it if you wait a few seconds you’ll get the same news (this time verified) on most reliable networks anyway.
I draw the line at social networking on Yahoo however; I think it should be kept in its pure form – an email account. If you want me to know what is going on in your life then drop me a line. I don’t want to read your status update to find out you just had a baby. Let's all make it a goal to get a life by getting away from all these social networking tools and interacting with real people in real and meaningful ways.

Happy Birthday Madiba

Today is a great man's birthday, one of the few men who truly deserve the title of great. Nelson Madiba Mandela is 92 years old and what an incredible and accomplished life it has been.
Inspite of the adversities he's faced, the suffering and hardship, this incredible man gives us all reason to hope in the good of people. He is universally respected because few of us have ever witnessed such humility and magnanimity from a living being. You get the sense that he is one person who believes 100% in the values that he teaches, he leads by example and inspires everyone regardless of colour or creed.
There are a few things in this world that unite us all, whether you are in a small village in Tanzania, a city in Eastern Europe or an island in the Caribbean, one of those things is the music of  Robert Nesta 'Bob' Marley, another is the universal admiration for Nelson Mandela. Regardless of the language you speak those are two things that will always transcend cultures.

It remains a mystery where Mandela finds his strength and resilience, but to hear him speak and reason, you can't help but think that he must be someone who spends time meditating or praying. How else is he able to be so calm, thoughtul and selfless even when the urge for anger, bitterness and revenge is so strong?
I may be alone in thinking this but I believe human beings are good at heart, in our core but our tendancy is to be selfish, there seems to be a natural urge to put ourselves before others. Perhaps this is part of our animal trait because ofcourse animals protect themselves first, before and sometimes at the expense of others. Mr Mandela however has time and again rejected the inward looking solution for one that helps and protects others including his people. Instead of feeling anger towards those who his people for decades and kept him imprisoned for 27 long years, he forgave them and agreed to share power with them. Rather than cling to power as so many leaders have done, he stepped down for the good of his country. Although Mandela was influenced by Mahatma Ghandi and his non-violent resistance methods, he was never afraid to speak out against those who supported the apartheid regime and call out the many who tried to hinder the peace process. Far from being a 'turn the other cheek' kind of leader, Mandela was never afraid to speak up and has done so on several occasions within and beyond South African politics.
What I find most inspirational about Nelson Mandela is his humility, he reminds us all that we are equally capable of greatness, simply by being good people who live by our values. His legacy is alive and will continue to resonate from one corner of the earth to the othe even after he has gone.

My Favourite Three P's

I really do like to eat and one of my favourite dishes has to be any combination of  my Three P's: Pork, Potatoes and Peas or Pork, Peas and Pasta.  Some lovely pork shoulders or chipolatas seasoned and sliced  with garlic and butter...yum.

Well, at a regular gathering recently for us women at re:view and our ever-growing base of friends, one friend walks in looking amazingly slim and trim (nearly back to pre-baby weight).  After a fun game of guessing how she did it--no, she wasn't with a tape worm, and she did't catch the ever-elusive-but-highly-sought-after tummy bug--she told us about her secret weapon...a book of all things! (and, for the record, she did not eat the book)

"Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight: The Harcombe Diet" by Zoe Harcombe teaches its followers to lose weight and keep it off by following three phases of eating designed to keep the hunger bug at bay and reduce your cravings.  Thus, one can stick to it and eventually lose weight. Phase 1 is just five days long and is similar to the popular Atkins Diet.  It kick starts your body to a new way of eating.  From what I've seen of friends who've done it, very short and effective.  Phase 2 brings in more variety of food and continues the war that started in phase1 of attacking the three food cravings which the book focuses on, namely Food Intolerance, Candida and Hypoglyceamia.  Phase 3 continues the work of phase 2 but with even more freedom of foods.  Harcombe calls it cheating without gaining weight (I'm still a bit fuzzy on this one, but I already like the sound of it).  By this point, I assume one will have already gotten used to a new way of eating and having seen the impressive results (weight loss, feeling great, lots of attention from the husband) know what works for their body.

I've seen the proof in others who have followed in our pioneering friends' footsteps and joined the Harcombe bandwagon.  What appeals to me is that, save the first phase, there are no restrictions (!) to what youcan eat, nor are there any quantity restrictions (!!).  Instead, this diet gets one to think of things like GI and how one mixes carbohydrates and fats and proteins...or rather how one doesn't mix the three-hence my goodbye speech to my favourite Three P's.

Also, as the good old metabolism slows down to snail pace and the love handles and back fat start to take prominence, the Harcombe Diet promises to be the one that will totally revolutionize the way I've been looking at food and provide me with a way of eating for life without completely missing out.  I'm not one to go on diets, but wish me luck as I embark on this one..many a friend have gone before me and I look forward to it.  Look out for a future post titled 'My Favourite Two P's'!

Table for One

It takes a certain amount of thick skin to walk into a restaurant, a proper one and book a table for One. Yes that's right, I'd like a table for one, no I'm not expecting a friend or a date or some other random companion, just planning to eat a nice meal, with a glass of wine on my own.
With an hour to kill before a play I decided to go and eat at a  restaurant and found my experience suprisingly comfortable. The waiter who welcomed me was very polite and showed me to my table, there was none of this removing the second chair or shouting to his colleagues that there was a loner in the house that we often find in films. Infact I found another lady also eating alone albeit with a newspaper for company. There was probably a slight unease on my part as I found it difficult to take my time and savour my food and wine alone. There are no conversation fillers to go with the slow and deliberate chewing, no comparing notes or eating off your companion's plate. I found myself eating much quicker and was quite eager to get the bill. The other diners were also completely oblivious or maybe even indifferent to my dining experience and I probably could have stayed there for much longer without any issues whatsoever.
Things have clearly moved on and eating out alone need not be a dreaded experience. Obviously its preferable to share a restaurant experience with friends or partners but should you find yourself alone and keen to enjoy proper food, then fear not, pop into any restaurant and book a table for one....as loudly as you please. Then sit down....take your time and enjoy!!

Carluccio's Penne Giadiniera

I love Italian food so admittedly I'm a little biased but the first time I tried the Penne Giadiniera at Carluccio's, I thought I was in heaven! This dish is simple but so incredibly tasty and satisfying, large penne pasta drizzled with olive oil, copious amounts of garlic and grated courgettes. Topped with little balls of crunchy spinach deliciousness. This dish is so satisfying and the beauty of it is that you can have it with a vegetarian friend as there's not morcel of meat or fish in sight.

And that's not all folks, Antonio Carluccio sets the charitable standard for other restaurants by donating 50p from every dish of Penne Giardiniera to Action Against Hunger, the humanitarian charity that works in over 40 countries helping families to feed their children and build a sustainable future.

A visit to Carluccio's is highly recommended, aside from yummy Italian dishes in the restaurant, each branch has an adjacent deli which serves up anything from fresh olives to huge scrumptious meringues to diving slices of carrot cake topped with a cream cheese icing. But if geography prevents you from visiting the restaurants located all over the UK and Dubai, then try making this dish yourself. The recipe can be found on their food blog. http://www.carluccios.com/our-food/blog/food/my-first-blog-item

If your creation makes your mouth water, you can just imagine how much better it will taste when you try the real thing made by the Italian master chefs and how much better you'll feel knowing that you're satisfyng your taste buds and your social conscience.

Who is Jimmy Choo?

I have read so much about the amazing Ms Tamara Mellon, the genius behind Jimmy Choo that I was convinced that Jimmy Choo was a made up name rather than infact the name of the Malaysian designer who should be credited for these amazingly sexy shoes that have helped many women rediscover their inner goddess.
Imagine my surprise after reading countless articles about Tamara Mellon and her unshakeable confidence and style, the former shopgirl who founded Jimmy Choo 14 years ago to come across an article in my local magazine, Le -Limited Edition about the real albeit small in size Mr Jimmy Choo.
I must have read dozens of article which give absolutely no credit to the man whose name we so love to wear. Jimmy Choo OBE is of Chinese descent, he made his first pair of shoes aged 11 and graduated from Cordwainers Technical College in London Borough of Hackney. He co-founded Jimmy Choo Ltd with Tamara Mellon in 1983 although we'd never know this reading the glossies. Apparently the two fell out in 2001 and he later sold his 50% share of the ready to wear company but still works on the couture range.
Whilst I appreciate the appeal of a sexy feisty businesswoman who seems to have been the brains and certainly finance behind the brand, we still have to give credit and kudos to the man whose creativity and name has left so many of us in awe of this smokingly sexy brand.
Here's to you Mr Choo and your fabulous shoes!