Lunchtime Encounters

Because there is not much else to do on my lunch breaks in Archway, I often scour the local charity shops for new books to add to my growing collection. (A huge pile of to-reads, which I am slowly working through, is stacked neatly on my bottom bookshelf). Here, I buy books I wouldn't normally purchase in Foyles or Borders, books that have potential or promise a bit of browse-worthy amusement.

I picked one up today called 365 Ways to Change the World by Michael Norton for £1. It highlights, in a day-by-day, page-by-page collection, ways to make a difference. Their Web site is just as interesting, offering news and daily suggestions. Norton himself is a vibrant character. He blogs here.

From the book:

June 30. Theme: Love your neighbourhood. One suggestion: 25 Things. “Photograph the 25 things that most please you about your neighbourhood. Then prepare a virtual exhibition. Contact your local newspaper and offer to email your exhibition to anyone interested.”

December 14 suggests a sex strike and goes on to tell about how sex strikes have been used around the world, like in Columbia to protest against drug wars, in Poland to fight for legal abortion and in Amsterdam, Sudan and Turkey for various reasons.

Paging through, there are actually some really cool, human-rights-oriented suggestions I wouldn't have thought of otherwise and other general niceties to make people around you smile.

And so it was a bit ironic what happened next.

Just outside the shop, I was approached by a guy about my age, holding a compass. I avoid people with clipboards and people who look like they will beg for money, but the compass intrigued me. He said, “Excuse me. I was wondering if you could help me.”

When he held up the compass, I was sure he was going to ask for directions. Around these parts, people tend to carry their trusty A-Z instead, so I was intrigued.

He explained then that he was on a sort of mission. His two friends approached. One held a bottle of purplish-blue nail polish. The other held a Mars bar.

The mission? Start with a pen. Exchange pen with random stranger for another random object. Take random object and approach another stranger. Try for another random object. And so on. The purpose? I guess to make people smile and for a bit of amusement.

So this guy wanted to trade his compass for.... anything? I only carry my wallet when I go to lunch, so I didn't think I had anything to give him, though I liked the idea of it. I checked anyway and produced a card good for free flip flops from Victoria's Secret with any Pink purchase. Useless? It is now, since it's only good in America, but his friend snapped it up and gave me the bottle of nail polish.

We all walked away grinning at the ridiculousness of it all. Another random reason I love this city.

Now I'm really curious as to whose nail polish it once was...hmm. And who will end up with my useless card... and for what? Oh, the possibilities...

A Week in New York

For the first time in my life, I looked at America from a British perspective. I noticed what Americans probably don't usually notice and what I never really did so much growing up.

On the shuttle in Dulles International Airport, Washington D.C., I noticed chatter. Everyone was talking, laughing, making noise, most of them smiling. On public transport in London, people typically don't talk unless they are on the phone, and they generally keep to themselves.

Americans are more outgoing, louder, striking up conversations with strangers, greeting people in shops, smiling as they pass on the street. Londoners live in closer conditions and seem to value the little space and privacy they have. I don't think the English reserve has as much to do with overall friendliness as it does with having more privacy and space in America.

One very obvious difference is obesity and too much skin. Americans are much bigger on average and seem to show more skin than Londoners. It may be because of the larger portions, attitudes toward food, and the weather. I'm not analyzing, just observing.

Tax. Londoners pay more tax, but it's included in the price. In New York, the tax is tacked on as a little surprise at the register. I knew this, obviously, but just how annoying that is became a lot more apparent.

Granted Buffalo and London can not be compared side by side and I'm not in New York City, which could be compared more easily with London, but these are a few differences I never really would have thought twice about before moving to London and coming back with that point of view.

A Portrait of Poverty

To an artist, homelessness, like war and poverty, is a powerful subject. Every day, we pass people with no where to call home; some of us notice them, others pay no mind. But they are part of our world and their colourful stories are brush strokes on the portrait of our city.

About six years ago, painter Jacqueline K Crofton sat in Camden's soup kitchen eating lunch with a group who shared their experiences. Afterwards, she was able to sketch and photograph some of them and, over the next year, developed a series of large charcoal and oil paintings on flax, which she called Street People. This controversial series is not for everyone.

Many of these people use shelters at night. Others are called “rough sleepers”, the ones you see in doorways and under bridges. You may have wondered how they got there and why they have not been able to escape that life.

In 2004, St. Mungo's conducted a survey on 1,534 people without homes. What they found helped explain the tangled web of problems that sends them to the streets. The most common reason has to do with broken relationships that were destroyed by or spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse, behavioural problems and both physical and mental illness. Their research found 40% of homeless people have a mental health problem and just over 1/3 have issues with substance abuse. 48% have been without permanent housing for two or more years, 17% for more than 10 years.

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London offers a number of support groups that help unemployed homeless men and women find jobs. Some sell The Big Issue from which 80p per sale goes into their own pocket. They are often stuck in unemployment because they have no permanent mailing address, poor hygiene, no money for interview clothes and educational problems.

But Jaq's reasoning behind painting this series was not for it to be a social commentary as much as to create a composition of a darker, yet inevitable, reality. The rate of homelessness in London is twice as high as the rest of England and far greater than Government statistics indicate, according to the charity Crisis who estimates approximately 400,000 homeless in Great Britain.

There is a stark contrast in London, even in this borough alone. Here, we have the up-market neighbourhood of Hampstead, and just around the corner, you find Camden soup kitchen.
Street People (below), on display now at Jiq Jaq Gallery in Hampstead, is a powerful collection, in both size and subject matter. http://www.jiqjaq.com/

Beating 7/7 and 9/11

New York and London both feel like home. I lived in New York most of my life, but having always been in love with London, felt more affected by 7/7 than 9/11.

I was in New York when London was struck by terrorists, 3,000 miles away. I remember refreshing the BBC Web site every few minutes while sitting in my air conditioned cubicle, my fingers shaking on the keyboard. On 9/11, I was in Dr. Lachut's AP Biology class.

Today is 7/7 and recent terrorist attempts in London have people on their toes again. It is no use thinking about “what ifs.” One of the best things happening today is Live Earth. People are stepping up and gathering in the new Wembley Stadium in London and other venues around the world on every continent for a great cause: saving the planet and raising awareness about climate change with 24 hours of music.

In London, Snow Patrol; in New York, Smashing Pumpkins; in Australia, Jack Johnson; in Germany, Snoop Dogg; in Japan, Rihanna; in South Africa, Joss Stone; in Brazil, Macy Gray; in China, Sarah Brightman.

Rock on.

For more on Live Earth, check their site at www.liveearth.org/

Get London Reading

Giant posters featuring novels and authors are plastered brightly against the grey cement walls of most London underground stations. A few heel clicks away, I usually find a WHSmith. Because the city is so reliant on public transportation, there's a bit of extra time to read. Every morning, well-suited Londoners sit quietly on the tube with their heads down in a book, flipping pages until it seems their 6th sense kicks when they've reached their stop. I know mine always does.

In 2006, the first Get London Reading Challenge was launched by Booktrust in an effort to encourage the city to read more. Browsing earlier, I happened upon their Web site. Here, I learned that Kensal Rise Library, of which I am a member and walk past every morning, was opened in September 1900 by the American author Mark Twain. Other interesting literary information is available on the site for each of London's boroughs.

Maybe even more interesting is that you can look up your borough and it will tell you which books were written in that setting and where your local bookshops can be found. The site lists a number of books based in London, as part of the campaign. And, a random tidbit, speed dating in libraries came about in the 2006 Challenge. Hm.

I dragged my friend Danny to the London Literature Festival 2007 last weekend. (It's still on until 12 July in and around the Southbank Centre near the permanent outdoor book fair and the skateboarders.) Here, we were given free books about London as part of a project to read and pass along. 1,000 books are to be given out.

My book is White Teeth by Zadie Smith and Danny got his hands on The London Pigeon Wars by Patrick Neate. Each book has a special tracking number than can be registered online so its journey can be followed. Granted my to-read pile comes up to my waist, but I'm always happy to add to the collection. I picture myself in the future living in a grand old English house with a rustic library that has a fireplace and shelves extending to the ceiling on every wall. All full. Today, I bought three novels at the Marie Curie charity shop on my lunch break for a grand total of £2.80. Glorious.

10 novels based in London:
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
A best seller that has had resounding praise and also caused a stir in the Bangladeshi community around Brick Lane.

Only in London by Hanan al-Shaykh
She “writes in Arabic and, although her novels were initially banned in many Arab countries for their sexual explicitness, her work has been translated into sixteen languages and is now published around the world.” - Bloomsbury

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
(Read online here) "A writer who can - and must - be rediscovered in every age" - Irish Times

Mr Phillips by John Lanchester

A Former Deputy Editor of the London Review of Books, "His writing has the clarity and zing of fine cut glass." - USA Today
Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller
This author is a London-born, Oxford and Columbia-educated journalist who now lives in New York. Her book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2003.

Londonstani by Gautam Malkani

“Laden with vernacular and violence, Gautam Malkani's debut novel Londonstani follows four South Asian teenage kids in London's rough-and-tumble Hounslow borough.” - NPR (Read an excerpt here.)
London Noir by Cathi Unsworth

"A-Z of everything that's evil but inescapably seductive about the city. Just don't go south after midnight.” - Dazed & Confused
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
A classic. Download the free ebook here.)
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young
This memoir got many mixed reviews, causing a commotion in both England and America, but I thought it was quite amusing.

A Special Relationship by Douglas Kennedy

“Kennedy really can tell a story... The twists in the plot are perfectly timed to keep the pages turning.” - The Times

Spotted Dick and Toad in the Hole

London might not be renowned for its decadent cuisine, but I do enjoy browsing the shelves at M&S and Sainsburys on occasion. My top ten favorite items to toss in my shopping trolley/cart? (in no particular order.)

Twiglets – These require an adventurous palate as many people are put off by them at first. They taste like Marmite and look like twigs, or really knobbly pretzels.
Squeezable Laughing Cow Cheese – The ultimate cheesy sandwich spread, not too tangy, but just right.
Maltloaf – One of my all time favorite foods, my brother and I used to fight over this raisin-spotted treat when they were shipped to the States as a gift.
Crumpets – Breakfast every morning, I have become especially fond of the Co-op version. These are like English Muffins, only smoother, doughier and better.
OXO – My dad drinks this stuff, but these little cubes are usually crushed up and mixed with water to make a gravy.
Chocolate Horlicks – Can't fall asleep? This stuff rocks. Just mix the with boiled water and take it to bed with you.
Turkish Delights – Some people say these taste like flowers, and they do sort of, but chocolate-covered flowers. Aha!
Rich Tea biscuits – With all the tea-drinking, these are the perfect complimentary dunking biscuits. They absorb just enough tea if you count to six, and even taste good alone.
Vodka Mudshakes – Chocolate alcohol that floats like an icy heaven down the throat on a hot day (not that we get many of those. Hot days, that is.)
Gu – More chocolate! But not just any chocolate, mind you. This is rich, creamy, thick, melt-in-to-fondue kind of chocolate. Dipping chocolate – whether it's a strawberry or your finger.

And five I miss from home:
Lucky Charms – too much sugar for the English. Apparently.
Mountain Dew Code Red – Erm, I think this was banned for the same reason.
Goldfish – My favorite drunk food. The closest I have found to these are round crackers called Chedders, but they in no way compare to the mini fish shaped cracker bursting with cheesy flavor that is a Goldfish.
Brisk Iced Tea – They have Lipton here, but it's not as sweet as my favorite Brisk. Are you sensing a pattern?
Graham Crackers – I need these for S'mores, which I must teach my British friends to make, but I have found no suitable alternative. Suggestions welcome.

The great thing about London, is that you can find any sort of international restaurants from Moroccan to Brazilian to Singaporean to Jamaican jerk chicken joints. Then there's the ever faithful British foods: fish & chips, steak and kidney pie, toad in the hole, spotted dick....*nods* Oh, and can't forget Nandos (the chicken restaurant with delicious sauces). Yum!

Glossy Recommendations

Print media, they say, is a dying art.

Not if I have anything to do with it.

I doled out at least £75 (nearly $150) on magazines and newspapers this month. Let’s not even talk about books. This is a bit higher than usual as I am on the prowl for new freelancing outlets, but not too much of an exaggeration from the norm.

My purchases:
The Purple Journal
American Cosmo
British Cosmo
Company
Elle
Seven
The Press Gazette
Smoke
Aesthetica
Amelia’s Magazine
The Big Issue
Glamour
Marie Claire
Marmalade
Mslexia
Scarlet
Adbusters
The Guardian
New Internationalist
Monocle
GQ

My mom also sent me a copy of American Jane and Graffiti was free.

All of these (besides Graffiti and The Big Issue) can be picked up at Borders on Oxford Street.

My name is Stephanie and I have a problem. I am a magazine addict. Clearly. And it’s nearly time for the August issues to hit the stands. Since I arrived in London, I have made a few marvelous discoveries, so I thought I would share 10 of my newfound favorites, in no particular order.

1. Smoke: A London Peculiar
Made up of words and images inspired by the city, it is described on the website as a “love letter to London, to the wet neon flicker of late-night pavements, electric with endless possibility...”. With a punchy personality, Smoke tells quirky tales of every day London life: art, history, comics, poetry… if it has to do with London, you’ll find it here in compact A5 form.
Don’t Miss: A regular article, complete with pictures, featuring “London’s Campest Statues,” captured by readers in all their camp glory. Editor: Matt Haynes
Web: http://www.smokelondon.co.uk/
Cost: £2.50
Published: “Aims to resurface every four months.”

2. Amelia’s Magazine
Run by Amelia and her work experience staff, this mag emerges twice a year from the spare room in her East London home. With detailed design and flashy colours, it exposes unknown bands and features drawings and photographs full of endless detail that could have your eyes rolling over the pages for hours.
Don’t Miss: Easily spotted in the racks, Amelia's Magazine is known for its unique covers. “Encrusted with Swarovski crystals, lazer-cut, made out of furry flock, scratch ‘n’ sniff in different flavours and glow-in-the-dark” varieties have previously sheathed the mag. The current issue is very shiny with yellow flowers.
Editor: Amelia Gregory
Web: http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/
Cost: £10.00
Published: Bi-Annually

3. Graffiti: London’s Art Magazine
A new A5 publication that is slightly more upscale than its name implies, Graffiti is distributed to selected homes in the posher areas of London: Belgravia, Kensington, Chelsea, Holland Park, Notting Hill and Hampstead. Image-packed, it is easy on the eye, providing information on both famous and amateur contemporary artists.
Don’t Miss: Fill in your little black book with loads of upcoming exhibitions and student art shows. There are plenty announced here.
Editor: Peter London
Web: http://www.graffitimagazine.co.uk/
Cost: Free, for now (Call 07795 074843 for a copy.)
Published: Quarterly

4. Marmalade Magazine
With a handmade, scrapbook-y sort of look, Marmalade appeals to its artsy readers, 23% of whom, according to the website, don’t read any other mag. The latest issue is built entirely from MySpace content, meaning the staff must have had a blast in the office last month.
Don’t Miss: The random tidbits of information, like this month’s enlightening fact that Playboy has been available in Braille since 1970.
Editor: Kristy Robinson
Web: http://www.marmalademag.com/
Cost: £4.25
Published: Bi-Monthly

5. Mslexia: For Women Who Write
It claims to be the UK’s bestselling magazine for women writers. The title plays on the word ‘Dyslexia’, a condition in dealing with words that is more prevalent in men. Mslexia refers to the difficulty of female writers to find their place as writers/authors in a world where men still dominate the press.
Don’t Miss: The flow of concrete, practical advice for writers, including the useful and informative 'writer's kit' which can be found on their website at http://www.mslexia.co.uk/writerskit/writerskit.html. The site also has a handy resources page.
Editor: Daneet Steffens
Web: http://www.mslexia.co.uk/
Cost: £5.50
Published: Quarterly

6. Aesthetica: The Cultural Arts Magazine
Sleek and shiny, Aesthetica focuses on contemporary writing, art, music and film. In 2006, Cherie Federico, the founder and editor, won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year by The Press Business Awards. The year before that, her magazine was nominated by BBC Get Writing as one of the top four recommended literary publications in the UK.
Don’t Miss: Like many of these magazines, Aesthetica has all sorts of side projects going on. For something a bit different, check out their creative non- fiction writing project for the elderly community at http://www.aesthetica-online.com/virtualmemorybox.htm online.com/virtualmemorybox.htm. It is meant to be a “virtual time capsule to be captured by other generations.”
Editor: Cherie Federico
Web: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/
Cost: £4.50
Published: Quarterly

7. The Purple Journal
Expect a thick cultural collage of short stories and some artsy photographs, mainly black and white in this French publication. The summer 2007 issue boasts an impressive lineup of 47 contributors from 40 cities around the world from Berlin to Tokyo to Nashville, Tennessee. Most of the contributors are veteran published authors, photographers, filmmakers and musicians.
Don’t Miss: A cultural education at your fingertips while cozy’d up with this journal and a cup of tea on a lazy Saturday morning.
Editor: Elein Fleiss
Web: http://www.purple.fr/
Cost: £6.50
Published: Quarterly

8. Scarlet: The Magazine That Turns Women On
The “UK’s hottest women’s magazine” is burning up indeed with female-friendly erotica, a look into the complicated male brain, nude models who cover the bare minimum, and a bit of fashion to boot. A step up from the sex-driven Cosmo, this sex-splattered publication has been dubbed controversial by some. Read it in secret or share its powers. I’d choose the latter.
Don’t Miss: Cliterature, the free monthly insert of hot reading material, some pushing the boundaries, others a bit tame. Either way, it’s bound to get the imagination rolling and the rabbits buzzing.
Editor: Sarah Hedley
Web: http://www.scarletmagazine.co.uk/
Cost: £2.95
Published: Monthly

9. The Big Issue
Labeled ‘street trade, not street aid,’ 80p of the cover price goes directly to the homeless vendor who sells the £1.50 issue on the street. Not only is it for a good cause, but the content covers solid issues like the Uganda crises side by side with Hollywood’s latest gossip. It was set up as a business in 1991 to give homeless people a voice and a chance to help themselves by earning a bit of cash.
Don’t Miss: The opportunity to make someone smile when you purchase The Big Issue from them. It is a magazine that feeds the people who sell it and gives you some insight into their experiences at the same time. Editor: John Bird
Web: http://www.bigissue.com/
Cost: £1.50
Published: Weekly

10. Seven: Serious Issues from the Seven Continents
Another brand new magazine with high morals (check their website for more info). It was launched to push the boundaries of journalism, aiming to have a global impact by addressing key issues on every continent. Through culture, music, film, fashion and art, it hopes to expose injustice and crimes against humanity and try to offer solutions instead of just tossing around problems.
Don’t Miss: The cultural education and the chance to keep up with the major issues people are dealing with in other parts of the world. Some of the articles are truly eye-opening.
Editors (for this issue): Siradeth Seng and Lucy Stallworthy
Web: http://www.se7enmagazine.org/
Cost: £3.95
Published: Monthly

The Web may be taking the lead as people are becoming accustomed to receiving content the second it becomes available, but print media is still hanging on. All of these magazines have websites and most of them are used to foster the development of side projects sponsored by the publications and act as a supplement to the real magazine rather than a substitute.

It is my opinion that there will always be a market for print journalism. There is nothing like flipping the pages of a glossy between your fingertips.