Cover Connections Spring issue 2008
All things Chinese: business and culture, during the exhibition of the terracotta army.
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Thursday 3 June 2010
What's Hot, What's Not! - Garlic (Allium sativum L.)
Seeing as in the last few issues of the Connections the
‘What’s hot what’s not’ section has only covered ‘what’s not’ hot, we thought
it was about time to include a ‘what’s hot’ article. So what about garlic? A
hot favourite and integral part of many a cuisine the world over. It is also
healthy, delicious and said to ward off evil spirits, what more could you wish
for?
Love it or hate it, garlic has been around for over
6,000 years and is native to Central Asia. The word garlic comes
from Old English garleac, meaning, "spear
leek." Both the Greeks and the Egyptians used it as an ingredient
in many a medicinal remedy. The Egyptians even worshipped it, clay models of
garlic bulbs having been found in the tombs of the Pharaohs. Garlic has even
been used as currency. The Vikings took garlic on their long voyages of
pillaging and destruction, whilst the French used it in the 1770’s in
Marseilles against the plague. Garlic has been known to stop dysentery and
according to Louis Pasteur garlic has antibacterial properties.
From the garlic plant it is not only the bulb, which
can be eaten, but also the leaves and the flowers. Health-wise garlic is
good for you because of its two sulphur-containing antioxidants, germanium and selenium,
which help to boost the immune system. Regular consumption of garlic
has been found to fight cholesterol and lower blood pressure by thinning the
blood. Included in a normal diet, garlic reduces the body’s production of fat
and helps to break it down.
The downside to many is the smell. A raw garlic clove is sharp and spicy and is guaranteed to make your breath smell. Cooking garlic will reduce the smell and the flavour becomes more mellow and sweet. The bad breath or halitosis is caused by the sulphurous compounds in the garlic that feed on the bacteria in your mouth. To get rid of garlic breath chewing on masses of fresh parsley helps (according to some cardamom seeds help too). If you are planning a night on the town, a serious flossing session is a must as parsley between your teeth is also a turn off. For the garlic wimps there are a variety of garlic supplements available on the market, one such supplement being Kyolic garlic.
Garlic may be delicious but there is such a thing as
overkill. Many years ago I met a man whose staple diet was sardines on toast, with
a layer of thinly sliced, raw garlic on top. The multiple cloves of garlic were
painstakingly sliced, very thinly as a topping for the small fish, until very
little of the toast remained visible. Unfortunately, parsley was not on the
agenda, and the resulting pungent aroma, which followed him everywhere, meant
that it was not only very difficult to stay in the same room with him for very
long, but one could always tell where he had already been.
And finally, although health and taste-wise the pros
far outweigh the cons, when it comes to eating garlic, if you don’t want to
smell of garlic (a large pot of parsley not being to hand), the answer is not
surprisingly, not to eat it!
For an interesting restaurant where they are totally
passionate about garlic: The Stinking Rose. Or, a restaurant nearer to home: Garlic Queen
Sources:
Summer Activities in the Netherlands
Bourtange
William of Orange ordered the fortified pentagon to
be constructed as a result of the ongoing Eighty Years’ War between the Dutch
and the Spanish. He wanted to suppress the Spanish who, at that time had
managed to acquire Groningen and much of the northern territories.
Most of the buildings in Bourtange were built
between 1645 and 1666, but by the 20 century not much remained.
Reconstruction in 1972, means that the fortress is reminiscent of Bourtange in
1742, at its biggest.
Apart from the fort at Bourtange there are a variety
of things to do and see. There is the village, with its restaurants, a
traditional old style hotel,
souvenir shops, museums and some enjoyable walks in
the surrounding area. Once a year there is a spectacular re-enactment of the
Napoleonic fights of 1814. With cannons booming, hundreds of participants all
dressed in the traditional dress of the day and carrying authentic weapons,
re-enact the fight as soldiers and civilians.
Bourtange is also open for groups, school groups
(for which they have numerous educative programmes available), and it is even
possible to get married there.
The fort can be visited the whole year round. For
more information the on site information centre is open weekdays from 09.00 –
17.00 and in the weekends (summer season) 11.00 – 17.00. Tel: (0599) 354
600.
Ballooning
Here’s another idea for the summer. Ever wanted to
get a bird’s eye view of the Benelux from the clouds, whilst sitting in a straw
basket. Well, for the brave at heart, how about taking a flight in a hot air
balloon with family or friends?
Greetzz is a company that offers hot air balloon
flights with numerous different ‘take off’ locations throughout the Netherlands
and Belgium. Or should you wish it you could arrange your own flight
destination from start to finish. If you fancy seeing Groningen or any of the Northern
Provinces from a different angle, or to venture further afield, Greetzz are
happy to accommodate your wishes.
With experienced, certified, professional pilots you
can be assured of not only a safe but also an enjoyable flight. Each round trip
flight lasts around an hour and includes a Champagne toast whilst ‘on-board’.
Photos are always taken during the flight as a memento.
Tickets for a flight are all inclusive and prices
start from: 1-6 tickets for € 160,00 per ticket. There are discounts for
bigger groups. For a child’s flight a ticket costs € 99,00.
Should a balloon be a little on the slow side and
you are more of a speed freak; Greetzz also offers flights by helicopter. They
have a range of different helicopters, the sppeds of which vary from between
150km – 250km per hour, depending on which helicopter you choose. This will
guarantee to put a smile on your face!
For more information or to book a flight visit their
website: (Dutch).
Landal – Stroombroek
For a short break from the hustle and bustle a few
days at one of the Landal GreenParks is perfect especially if you have
children. We tried one at Stroombroek in Braamt not far from Arnhem.
The park has self-catering houses of varying sizes,
and in some even pets are allowed. The secure nature of the park means that it
is a children’s paradise. They can go off and enjoy themselves whilst you can
stretch out in the sun with a book. Mascot, Bollo the Bear is on site every day
and kids can make the use of go-carts, swim, play mini golf, go bowling or just
jump up and down on a large bouncy cushion. Every day there are also different
organized activities to choose from.
At Stroombroek there is a large lake with a small
beach and the possibility to water-ski. The staff at the Greek style
information centre, Palestra are very friendly and helpful. There is also a
little shop where you can buy essential items as well as warm bread rolls early
in the morning. Should you not feel like cooking there is a large restaurant
with a reasonably priced buffet on site. For adults there is the sauna and
beauty salon offering every form of relaxation and pampering you can imagine.
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Cultural differences in Health Care
Throughout my pregnancy with my son, I made regular
visits to the mid-wife for control and it was during the last visit, when I was
ten days overdue, that my blood pressure was found to be high. I was assured
that there was nothing to be worried about and sent home. But worry one does
and I decided to phone my doctor about it, just to put my mind at rest. Again
the same reaction, I was not to worry and just sit it out.
But what if there was something wrong how would I
know? High blood pressure is after all is a sign that something could be wrong.
I phoned my family in England for advice, as by this time a little scared. My
family felt that it was ridiculous that I wasn’t being checked out, just in
case and that I should do something about it. At this stage in pregnancy when
one resembles a large ball and is full of mind and body bending hormones it's
hard to be forceful and decisive. Demand attention, I just felt like having a
good cry instead. So, I phoned my (Dutch) partner, and filled him in on what had
happened, who more or less told me I should have demanded to be seen and
immediately took action. He phoned the doctor’s surgery and was referred to the
hospital.
Not so long after, with an appointment in the
hospital (UMCG), I found myself being told that I would have to remain in the
hospital and would be induced the next morning. Somewhat shocked by the idea of
it all and the sudden turn of events, I said I wanted to go home and pack a
bag. Well, that was what one did when going into hospital for an overnight
stay, didn’t one? That, I was told, was out of the question! My partner said he
would go home, pack an overnight bag and come back later.
After a sleepless night, due to the other heavily
pregnant woman in my room being a snorer, the likes of which I hadn’t heard
before nor since, I was led to a room where they would induce childbirth.
With no previous experience on which to base this
experience and receiving no advice, I decided to proceed without any aids for
pain. Bad move! With induction, there isn’t much of a gradual build-up of pain,
one goes from 0-60 in no time and by the end of two hours I was demanding anything they
would give me!
We started with a morphine substitute, which made me
extremely happy to be on this planet, but did absolutely nothing for the pain.
Next there came an epidural which numbed my right leg and nothing else. After
several hours with 5 cm dilation they discovered that my hips wouldn’t play the
game and I couldn’t give birth in the conventional manner. It was at this point
my body started a fever and I was told that an immediate C-section was the only
option. I told them that I didn’t care what they did as long as they got it out
of me!
At 11 pm that evening my son, Sam was born but due
to all the drugs and aesthetics I had received, they had problems in rousing
him, so the first two days of his life were spent in the children’s’ ward. As a
result, I wasn't able to see my new-born boy at all and when I finally did, he
was only used to being bottle-fed, so breast feeding became irrelevant.
Now, I don’t want to sow total doom and gloom with
this story, but I would like to stress that if you are worried with any health
issue, don’t be palmed you off with the ‘so on a scale of 1-10 how much does it
hurt scenario’. This invariably results in them giving you the impression that
you are just being a nuisance and whatever ailment you have will eventually go
away. If necessary, overplay the pain/fever, don’t wait until you are dropping
body parts all over the place and demand to be seen. One
doesn’t have to play the Prima Donna, but after all we do pay for health
insurance.
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
What's Hot, What's Not! - BMI – Travel the Bungling Mindless Idiots way!
Having notched up a fair few air miles
over the years, to a multitude of destinations around the world, I generally
assume that when I touch down again so will my luggage.
Oh, how
wrong can one be? This Christmas, what should have been a short jaunt from
Schipol airport Amsterdam to London Heathrow turned into a guess where your
luggage is marathon and an insight into what lying toads BMI are when they
claim: ‘yes, madam your bag will be with you within 24 hours.’
Two of us
were left standing helplessly at the carousel at Heathrow without our luggage.
The helpdesk assured us that our luggage would re-appear and be delivered to
wherever we were in the UK. At this point, I wasn’t that worried and was mildly
amused by the jokes from the BMI personnel, who said that two missing bags was nothing per flight and that one had to
experience everything in life at least once!
So, I continued
my onward journey to Oxford and in the interim time bought some new makeup and
borrowed underwear. But three days later, on Christmas Eve, when my luggage
still hadn’t turned up I was getting worried and disappointed as I hadn’t
planned on wearing the same outfit for three days.
After many
frustrating phone calls, to what turned out to be a call centre in India, of
all places, visits to the BMI website to track my luggage (totally useless, as
it never seemed to get updated), and the attempt to find a real person to talk to at BMI in England, instead of a computerized
voice, my luggage finally turned up.
The case was
delivered by a man in an unmarked, white van: ‘Which one is yours?’ he said, as
I peered into the back of the van, choc-a-block with lost cases. Ignoring the
bumper deluxe Chanel suitcase, relieved, I dove for my own black
suitcase, which incidentally was also full of my Christmas presents.
Cartoon: Matt, Daily Telegraph, GB
The story
doesn't end there. A friend of mine, Kim, was less fortunate. Going through the
same bungling procedure, her bag didn't turn up at all, even after 10
days. Yes, on Christmas Day she had no Christmas presents to give out
BMI! Finally, being pretty annoyed she phoned BMI and offered to come and pick
it up herself. At Heathrow she was ushered into what turned out to be an
enormous hall filled wall to wall with thousands of suitcases. Here she found
her luggage but what about the fate of the other bags? In a blonde moment BMI
had removed all the labels with the baggage numbers, so now their job of
re-uniting the lost bags with their owners was made even more hopeless.
In these
high tech days it doesn't really promote ‘peace and goodwill to all
men’, when one is unable to get an honest answer as to where ones luggage went
from a computerized telephone voice. Also, wearing the same clothes for longer
then two days and going out to buy interim underwear is a bore, when you know
your case is full of all those lovely clothes specially packed for the festive
season. So BMI, at the very least you owe me, Kim and all the other owners of
the mislaid bags an apology and if you were feeling really generous…the next
flight should be on you!
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
All Hail the Teabag!
Illustration: John Tenniel
After the melodrama of the alarm clock first thing
in the morning, I am someone who prefers the more gentle approach of a cup of
tea instead of the instant ‘bang on the head,’ provided by a cup of coffee.
Reaching for the kettle and the teabags is a daily ritual and makes juggling a
tin of cat food (for the screeching cat), and the contents of the fridge for
the wherewithal for my son’s packed lunch, a little more bearable with half
opened eyes.
It seems that teabags have been around since 1904,
when Thomas Sullivan a tea and coffee merchant from New York, decided to send
his customers samples of tea in hand-sewn silk muslin bags. This was instead of
sending the somewhat bulky and expensive to send tins, that were normally used
by merchants of the time. It is said that his customers being totally confused
by the new packaging threw the tea in hot water, bag and all. This
revolutionized making a cuppa and as a result the ‘teabag’ was born. Being an instant
hit this meant that after this Thomas Sullivan’s customers wouldn’t settle for
anything else, so he continued to ship tea in his new creation the ‘teabag’.
What could be better? A gloriously quick solution,
coupled with a simple design filled with your favourite brand or flavour on the
end of a piece of string! Also, adieu to the sewage found at the bottom of a
teapot.
But sad to say generic paper teabags, whether they
are oblong, round or square do not contain the best grade of tea possible. Due
to the limitations of size, teabags have for years contained only the inferior
dust remnants found at the bottom of the tea barrels. So, the brown beverage in
your cup although drinkable, is not the best quality that can be brewed from a tea leaf. The customer is definitely not getting the ‘full flavour’, as promised
by some bright spark in the marketing department of many a brand.
Enter the pyramid teabag…yes, the Egyptians were
onto a good design. Because of its shape, whole leaf and more exotic mixes of
tea can be used. Made of woven synthetic muslin the process of infusion is
improved resulting in tea with a superior flavour all the while still fitting
perfectly in a cup, and still not creating any problems when it comes to
packaging. These teabags have been around since the 1980’s originating in Japan
and its more modern cousins are even available in a biodegradable jacket.
Esoterically these charming teabags are a pleasure to the eye with the leaves
and blooms on show, and may finally be able to unite the divide between the
teabag in a cup drinker and those who prefer loose tea in a teapot. Both can
enjoy a decent cup of tea.
Sources:
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
Tuesday 1 June 2010
The Colourful World of Leona Leppers - Artist Interview
Hurtling
through the Dutch countryside on a particularly grey Monday morning and
travelling in a north-easterly direction away from Groningen, Kim and I headed
for the little village of Ee (pronounced ae) to interview our next artist,
Leona Leppers.
Both not
having an awfully good sense of direction, even with the electronic route
finder chatting merrily away on the dash board to itself, we wondered if this
time we hadn’t gone a little far in pursuit of an article. But perseverance
pays off and as we rounded the corner we were pleasantly surprised when we saw
the house. A jewel on the landscape, this little house could almost come
out of a fairy tale book with its garden filled with colourful objects,
candles, mosaic slabs and streamers fluttering in the wind.
Leona opened
the door with a welcoming smile, clothed and be-jewelled from head to toe
in her amazing Technicolor creations and invited us in for coffee. Inside,
the house comprises of two main rooms with an adjoining kitchen and Leona’s
work can be seen from floor to ceiling in every nook and cranny. Just when you
think you have seen it all, you discover another creation.
Creative
from an early age and having previously worked as a drama therapist the
dramatic change in her life came when her contract wasn’t renewed and she
decided to look for something else. She was asked to take part in a fashion show
entitled ‘Regal & Kitsch’ where for the finale she created a queen’s
costume using the materials, which have now become her trademark style. Later
she continued by making bags on request, which in turn has led to soft
jewellery, interior objects and workshops for women interested in learning how
to make her colourful designs.
The colours
she uses are bright and the materials sumptuous, fluffy and velvety making you
want to touch them and pick them up. Her designs are decorated with beads,
unusual bits and bobs, shells, felt, in fact anything she can lay her hands on
to decorate. All this she finds at markets and in curiosa shops, saying she has
a nose for finding what she wants. This makes her work always refreshingly
original. Influences in her designs come from music, and from travel books on
India and Africa as well as religious icons taken from Christianity and
Buddhism.
Leona doesn't live
in the house anymore; she lives a stone's throw away over a little bridge in a
larger house. There just isn’t enough room for her family any more, comprising
of two sons (aged 9 and 12) and her partner. The little house is used as a
gallery and studio for her work. She also has the intention of starting up a
Bed & Breakfast in it for those wishing to escape the pressures of city
life.
The house is
also very symbolic of her life and personal growth over the years. Having first
found the house when it was more or less condemned, with a mud floor, straw
walls and no electricity or running water, Leona has breathed life into it and
lovingly restored it to its present state. She has made it hers and filled it
with a riot of colour and life, it is a haven where she can be herself without
the need to explain herself in any way.
Find out
more about Leona’s colourful work on her website at: Leona Design
View all issues of Connections HERE (editor, designer, illustrator: 2006-2013)
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