The New Londoners

The new issue of the magazine and newspaper The New Londoners is out now!

Here is the link - keep an eye out for the article on child detention and black people and crime in London (they were both written by me):

http://www.thenewlondoners.co.uk

St. Margarets House Settlement in East London

This Autumn I have had a chance to do some work for St. Margarets House Settlement in East London. This settlement is very unique, as it offers over fifty office and meeting spaces for local community and voluntary organisations and groups who use the space as their base. In total, more than 30 organisations regularly use the services. Such groups include: the African Women's Welfare Association; Quaker Social Action; and Tower Hamlets Activity in Retirement Centre.

The settlement serves the local community and provides a key contact point for a number of residents. It hosts a cafe, a garden and a shop, all of which generate funds for the settlement and for the charities that it houses. The cafe is really lovely and they host art and music evenings in order to try to attract people and to raise more funds. The charity shop sells a wide range of clothes, books, CDs and other house stuff.

The settlement is well worth visiting! The settlement is also always looking for volunteers so keep this in mind if you are looking for valuable ways to spend your time.

Here is more information on it:

http://stmargaretshouse.org.uk/

'Eat, Pray, Love' at the Everyman Baker Street

I spent a rainy and cloudy Sunday afternoon at my local cinema, watching Julia Rovert's latest film called 'Eat, Pray, Love'. I had high expectations for the film and so, even though I enjoyed it and got much out of it, I still felt a little disappointed.

The film is essentially intended for westerners who in the search for balance in their lives, for some spirituality and lessons in life. The film is great in highlighting the dilemmas many westerners face in their daily lives of trying to balance their professional and personal lives and the film does offer sound advice for us as to how to lead our lives.

For me, the film came across as too American and 'Hollywoody'. I mostly enjoyed the sound track that consisted of traditional music from three countries that Julia Roberts travelled to, as well as the scenery of the various locations that feature in the film. The film was also a good reminder for of the importance of maintaining a balanced life style, yet not taking this importance duty too seriously.

I would really like to read the book that the film is based on in order to see how much the film deviates from it.

Moreover, I totally recommend my local cinema. It is a small, cozy arty-type cinema that has three small screen and a comfy lunge bar that plays blues and jazz and holds art exhibitions. The venue tries to live up to the theme of the films that they are showing - for example, for 'Sex and the City 2', they were selling cup cakes and cosmopolitans. They allow you to take drinks and food into the actual cinema where people can munch, drink and enjoy their film in soft sofa arm chairs.

Cinema:

http://www.everymancinema.com/cinemas/filmlisting.asp?cn=1&ci=3&ln=1&pi=1860

Film:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/

Book:

http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/eatpraylove.htm