Category Archives: Culture

The Importance of Happiness by Andrew Stead

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Angelina Jolie has breasts removed. Our well-being is the most important thing in life but most of us neglect it – we can all do more to live well and make our lives happier. But the overload of knowledge and choice means that keeping up with ourselves, never mind the Joneses, has got a lot harder than it used to be. One step forward, two steps back. And we end up reacting to the world around us rather than designing a life that really matters. But the great news is that the latest scientific evidence is here to help.

 

And Your Daily Bread is a new organisation established to translate this new knowledge into tools and practical experience to help people maximise their life experience and happiness. They design healthy, positive and fulfilling lives, through practical, regular, bite-size chunks, or ‘Slices’.

 

These days most of us are well versed in the tools of our trade, but not in the tools of life. We are well educated at school and university and start our professional lives learning the skills and practices we need for our job. But we educate and develop ourselves in the techniques of our trade, at the expense of the techniques of life.

 

And the consequences of this disparity, this dislocation, this dis-ease, between our technical skills and our life skills are real and serious and heavily supported by scientific evidence.

 

We might start to feel isolated, lose our focus and concentration.  We suffer the irony of information overload while lacking certain knowledge that is truly valuable.  Physically we might feel tired, low-energy or just out of shape. Emotionally we get anxious, upset or even angry. Our relationships start to suffer – we have no time for our family or friends, no time for ourselves. And professionally, we’re working way too hard getting worn out, stressed out or even burned out. And we end up feeling disconnected, disheartened or desperate. Lacking any purpose or meaning, left wandering: “What’s it all about?” Our great hopes for the future, our legacy, our vision beyond our grave are broken dreams.

 

So Your Daily Bread provides people with new knowledge and techniques to get them re-energised, re-ignited, re-balanced. They’re on a mission to improve people’s daily life.

 

They run workshops, events and courses that demonstrate the science, tools and practical help they need to transform their life from imbalance to balance.

 

And people find the workshops and programmes are pretty impactful, talking of being more positive and productive, more energised and healthy, achieving greater balance and serenity, becoming a better communicator and being able to maximise those key life relationships; and of course, improving career prospects and earnings.

 

 

For more information of the June 16th ‘What Price Your Happiness’ event, showcasing 5 Global Experts sharing their best knowledge and techniques, visit www.your-daily-bread.co.uk/S4L

 

Cannes 2013 Pictures. How Did The Stars Get Great Hair?

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Cannes 2013 has been and gone and A-Listers from across the globe have taken to the red carpet looking finished and flawless, sequins sparkling and luscious locks swishing in the sunshine. Their secret? Sleep-In Rollers. A fabulous take on a classic hairstyling staple. normal

Who do you think looks the best? Have you used sleep in rollers?

Boris Johnson and Shane Warne play cricket

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Boris Johnson and cricket legend Shane Warne launch volunteering drive.

Boris Johnson and Shane Warne

30.05.13 Boris w SW 05 cJamesojenkins

© James O Jenkins www.jamesojenkins.co.uk 

The Mayor and Shane enjoyed a game of cricket with local school children this week at The Oval to launch the Mayor’s latest recruitment drive for his volunteering programme Team London.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “Our volunteers have had the chance to bowl with the ‘king of spin’ today”.

Shane Warne said: “It’s a true delight to be supporting the Mayor of London’s volunteering drive. Grassroots sports can’t survive without the support and dedication of good people of all ages and backgrounds.”

Jaywalking, loonies, bringing a plate and spondoolies – knowing the local lingo before immigrating is key

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sceneryIf you can’t tell your Australian pink lady from your Canadian loonie then you may need some assistance if you are planning on emigrating.

 

With The Organisation for Economic Co–operation and Development (OECD) revealing that Australia has topped the index of national wellbeing for the happiest countries in the world and the best places to live and work, followed closely by Sweden and Canada, and the latest Global Visas report highlighting Canada (27 per cent) and Australia (22 per cent) as the top two destinations people wish to move to, the demand for cultural information is on the increase.

 

When immigrating to a new country, it is helpful to become clued up on the local lingo, laws and cultural aspects of the country to which you are destined to feel at home more quickly.  For example, a very common mistake made by foreigners to Australia is being invited over for dinner and being asked to ‘bring a plate’ which doesn’t mean digging out your best Royal Doulton dinnerware but bringing a dish of food to share with your host and other guests. Or in Canada you could be fined $400 for simply crossing the road, as jaywalking, (crossing the road without using a pedestrian crossing) is tightly regulated and leads to on-the-spot fines.

 

Out of a total of 257,398 requests for immigration solutions (excluding tourist visas) in Q1 of 2013, Global Visas, a UK business that provides people worldwide with international visa, relocation and immigration services, found that a growing number of people were asking for country-specific information.  As a result, it is launching a series of ‘Global Visas Destination Guides’, launching with Canada, on everything clients need to know about moving to the country including visas and permits, working, budgeting, housing, studying, healthcare and laws.                                                                 …/

Gary Smith, global sales and marketing director at Global Visas, says, “There is a lot you need to know and be prepared for before emigrating to another country, and familiarising yourself with common phrases will certainly steer you away from embarrassing conversations or offending locals. However, first priorities will include setting up home and settling into a new job in your unfamiliar surroundings. Our new handy destination guides help prepare clients for the change in lifestyle, allocating your budget, understanding work arrangements and getting to know the country a little more. It is very important to be clued up on the laws and culture of your new home to ensure you know exactly what to expect.”

 

Victoria Blackman, a New Zealander who immigrated to the UK, comments: “When I first arrived I found it difficult as an English speaking foreigner to understand the British language. I couldn’t get my head around why people kept asking me if I was alright (‘you alright?’) I didn’t know how to reply. Was this a question? Did they think I looked sick? To my surprise they were saying ‘hello, how are you?’. I also found myself in embarrassing and awkward situations when I commented on people’s pants which are not underwear where I come from! I’m still learning daily and recently was informed that an ‘ice lolly’ is what I refer to as an ‘ice block’ or an ‘ice cream’ on a stick.”

HotelTonight, the app for last-minute hotel stays, launches new destinations

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hotelHotelTonight, the app for last-minute or spontaneous hotel stays,

launches new destinations in France, Italy, Spain and Mexico

 

HotelTonight, the first ever last-minute hotel booking app, has recently added more than fifteen new destinations to its roster of vibrant cities worldwide. This brings the total reach of the app to 12 countries and 100 destinations worldwide.

 

To tie in with the peak travel season in Europe, HotelTonight is adding popular European destinations, including Lille, Lyon, and Marseille in France; Barcelona, Madrid, and Malaga/Costa del Sol in Spain and Florence, Rome and Milan in Italy. The last minute hotel booking app is also offering its over five million global users new destinations in Ireland, Mexico and for those who prefer holidaying closer to home, HotelTonight has added Brighton to its list of best UK hotel deals.

 

This recent international expansion is part of its pledge to be ubiquitous and accessible to all last minute travellers and follows last week’s global announcement of new features including “Snap Your Stay” which allows customers to photograph and share images of their hotel with friends and other HotelTonight users, and the “HT Price Guarantee,” which guarantees its rates against competitors’ offerings.

 

HotelTonight is now partnering with almost 2500 hotels across the globe in the  ‘hip’, ‘luxe’, ‘charming’ and ‘solid’ categories. Hotels include the stunning 5 Star The First Luxury Hotel in Rome, and the charming Palazzo Vecchietti in Florence, the Kempinski Hotel Bahia Estepona on the Costa del Sol and the hip Music Hotel in Marseille. These hotels and others across Europe are perfect for an impromptu weekend break. There are also many more hotels more on the mid to basic level which are perfectly suited to business travellers’ needs.

 

At the same time as adding these new destinations, the company has also expanded its European operations, relocating to a new, larger office in London’s Covent Garden and building out the team with new Country Managers for Italy and Spain.

 

The Hotel Tonight app offers unbeatable deals on hand-picked hotels, with bookings opening at midday and closing at 2AM. Last minute travellers can book a hotel in less than ten seconds with three taps and a swipe, starting that day for one night or more.

Visit www.hoteltonight.com for more information and to download the free app.

 

For staycations, in the UK, cities include Birmingham, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester.

Famous People Who Didn’t Go To University

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Zac GoldsmithI have a confession to make. I find the whole snobbish going to university thing stupid. If you want to actually study something or be a doctor, then obviously go and reach your potential, but one of the things I find most stupid about social pressure is that everyone should go to university. At least if they want to be middle class.

Tuition fees are now appallingly expensive, and the most annoying thing I found about the recent BBC class calculator is that they still put going to university and owning a home as an indicator of class. Even though people buying homes they could not afford was one of the factors in the recession, and a recent study said that most students would never be able to pay of the debts they had incurred.

I recently saw an interesting meme on Facebook. It said, “Modern education: creating people who are smart enough to accurately repeat what they are told and follow orders.”

You don’t have to agree with me. I know it is a controversial thing to think. However, have a look at just a few of the famous people who did not go to university.

Apple founder Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College.

TV host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres dropped out of the University of New Orleans after one semester.

The creator of Tumblr David Karp never even graduated from high school.

Walt Disney left school at 16 to join the Army. He couldn’t get in because of his age so he joined the Red Cross and left for Europe.

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard but later got an honorary degree.

Paul Thomas Anderson dropped out of NYU film school.

Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston did not go to university, instead deciding to travel the world. He told the Financial Times: “I think university is hugely overrated for most people,” he says, insisting that a wide range of good apprenticeships is more useful than three years of light work and heavy drinking. “I would not encourage my children to go to university.”

Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to work full time on Facebook.

Yoko Ono dropped out of Sarah Lawrence College

Woody Allen was thrown out of New York University after one semester and later dropped out of the City College of New York.

James Cameron studied physics at Fullerton College. He dropped out to become a truck driver.

Thomas Edison left school to work on the railroad at the age of 12.

F. Scott Fitzgerald dropped out of Princeton.

Coco Chanel dropped out of school to become a cabaret singer when she was 18.

Whole Foods founder John Mackey dropped out of the University of Texas.

Pablo Picasso dropped out of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

The founder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg dropped out of the University of Houston in 2004.

What do you think? Is going to university important?

The Significant Other | Theatre Review

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Insignificant others theatre reviewThe Significant Other can be best described as flicking through the glossy pages of a real life-story magazine.

 

It portrays snippets of the relationship between two people in 10 different scenes played out within a strict 10minute window and each one is as far removed in terms of content as the previous story.

 

Performed at The Park Theatre in Finsbury, The Significant Other explores relationships from the hope, boundaries, friendship and passion experienced in every day life.

 

It expertly portrays the awkwardness experienced by two strangers, to the comforts of a long-term relationship and friendship and even tries its hand at the human interaction with an alien, guardian angel and ghost.

 

Each scene is influenced by a different genre from comedy, fantasy, crime and even a musical, spanning both the past and future ideas of the world.

 

The audience is kept guessing at each turn and the play certainly grips your attention.

 

Three scenes stood out for me:

 

Coyi – a fired up couple are watching their football team on the telly (they can’t be there as the boyfriend lost the game tickets).

 

She tells him that she went to the bookies and made a bet on their future if their team wins 2-1 and they get engaged to marry.

 

The audience feels each missed goal and penalty and enters the couple’s living room as they agonise the unpredictable nature of the football match and the hope they’ll win a fortune.

 

A Month and Five Days – Set in the past in a library, a visitor is attempting to study but keeps talking and distracting himself as he is told off and told to be quiet.

 

The librarian is actually in love with the visitor and in an aside, bursts into song calling herself ‘Julie Andrews’ after adopting his surname.

 

This shy librarian has hopes of marriage and the couple realise they are perfectly suited to each other, as long as he can respect the rules to be quiet.

 

Icebergs – A somewhat ditzy brother and sister plot to steal from their employer but at the last minute, the sister pulls out and we see them reveal their thoughts and feelings of being stuck in a little village, missed opportunities and tattered dreams of the future.

 

By far one of the funniest scenes, the audience sees the protective older brother nature towards his sister, as well as his mocking and arrogant character.

 

But in the end, there is no doubt that sibling love reigns rather than sibling rivalry.

 

Performed as part as a festival of genres, the play is unlike any I have seen, and despite their short length, strangely the audience was still able to bond with the characters and the personal impact was not tarnished.

 

Produced by Neil Byden, Serena Haywood and Laura Kim on behalf of The Pensive Federation, it was a light and refreshing performance on a Friday evening and it felt as if we were sitting among friends in the compact loft studio.

 

Russell Kane, Paul Chowdhry, London Comedy Clubs unite as Foster’s brings 4 nights of live comedy

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comedyRussell Kane, Paul Chowdhry, London Comedy Clubs and more unite as Foster’s brings four nights of live comedy to Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park

Monday 8th to Thursday 11th July will see live comedy acts take over the 450-seater Barclaycard Unwind Theatre

Today AEG Live and The Royal Parks have unveiled a stellar billing of comedians for four nights of first-class comedy as part of the amazing line-up at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.  Boasting big names such as Russell Kane and Paul Chowdhry, Hyde Park Comedy presented by Foster’s, the UK’s leading sponsor of comedy, will run from Monday 8th to Thursday 11th July, bringing together acts from The Comedy Store, Laughing Boy Comedy Club and many more for a series of laugh-out-loud nights in the park.

The Comedy Store Players get the laughs going in the Barclaycard Unwind Theatre on Monday 8th July as they take centre stage.  Best known for their performances at The Comedy Store in London, the collection of renowned improvisational comedians will use their innovation and sheer brilliance to create a night of sketches and comical dramas that have garnered international critical acclaim.

“The best ad-lib ensemble in the UK” Evening Standard

“Brave performers who arrive with no script and not the faintest idea of what will happen.  Through improvisation they create whole sketches and comic dramas that are amazingly inventive and sometimes take off into flights of surreal brilliance” Daily Telegraph

“Some of the finest improvisers in the world” Eddie Izzard

Tuesday 9th July brings together Kevin Eldon And His Very Funny Friends, featuring BBC Radio 4 AND Gloucester’s Bridget Christie, the determinedly non-metric Paul Foot, One Direction fan Robin Ince, and children’s entertainer and red diesel salesman Jeremy Lion.   (Plus poetry from Paul Hamilton).

Wednesday 10th July welcomes Laughing Boy Comedy Club at Hyde Park starring Charlie Baker “a superior take on the modern showman” The Guardian, Neil Delamere “the rising star of Irish comedy, a wryly brilliant live performer” Sunday Times, Kerry Godliman “Brilliantly casual and unpretentious” The Guardian, and Paul Chowdhry ‘Revives distant memories of Richard Pryor at his relentless best’ The Times

Independently run, Laughing Boy Comedy Club has put on some of the most successful shows in London over the past ten years and helped launch the careers of some of the UK’s finest stand-ups. This night is no exception as these top British and Irish comedians take control of the stage.

The series draws to a close on Thursday 11th July as Russell Kane hosts award winning rising stars Lucy Beaumont and Jarlath Regan.  Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Russell Kane is a multi-talented writer and performer who has firmly established himself as one of the best comics in the UK today and in Hyde Park he presents a hugely talented lineup not to be missed.

James Russell, Head of Events, The Royal Parks said: “What a fantastic line-up for our midweek programme. We’ve said from the start that Barclaycard British Summer Time is a new era for events and these four nights of comedy along with all the other amazing acts and entertainment planned will make Hyde Park the place to be this summer.”