How to feast like a Bohemian in Prague! |
- How to feast like a Bohemian in Prague!
- Eurogroup wants Greece’s list of reforms by April 20
- Lee Chong Wei to know his fate within three weeks
- Discover coffee, good design and vintage collectibles at Battery Acid Club
- Movies make room for live shows at Tribeca film fest
- 10 things about: Nafir, the ‘faceless’ Iranian street artist
| How to feast like a Bohemian in Prague! Posted: 11 Apr 2015 05:49 PM PDT
When it comes to food, however, the menu can be despairing as tourists flock to the usual suspects; American fast food franchises line both sides of the Wenceslas Square boulevard like infestations. Yet to miss sampling authentic Czech cuisine is to have missed one of the cultural (and culinary) highlights of one's visit! In many of the alleys away from the main tourist track are weather-beaten Czech restaurants and taverns frequented by locals. (Stop and ask one for a recommendation if you're unsure.) A traditional Czech meal will comprise two or more courses; expect lots of dumplings and meat. You can't go wrong by ordering the soup as a starter. Nothing says "from the heart" (and hearth) like a steaming bowl of polévka, the Czech name for home-cooked broth. The most popular is bramboračka, a potato soup thickened with the addition of other vegetables such as onion, carrot, mushrooms and celeriac. Seasoned with garlic and marjoram, bramboračka is usually served in the crust of a hollow bread loaf. Another firm favourite is gulás, the Czech version of goulash. Not unlike its Hungarian cousin, this soup is still heavily spiced with paprika but uses more root vegetables than meat. Expect more onions than beef, for example. Some versions even substitute the meat with oyster mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
Time for the main course. If the menu comes with English translations, you may be amazed at how many dishes come accompanied with knedlíky, or dumplings. Czech dumplings aren't the petite and pillowy dim sum dumplings you may be used to. Instead, knedlíky are steamed rolls made from wheat or potato, which are then sliced into bread-like slices right before serving. To serious Bohemian diners, no meal is complete without dumplings and some may argue meat is the accompaniment to dumplings rather than the other way round! The most common type of knedlíky is the Karlovy Vary dumpling, a bread dumpling made with egg-whites and seasoned with herbs and lightened with egg-whites. Potato dumplings tend to be smaller in size, and made from a mix of flour and boiled potatoes. Many dishes come with both bread and potato dumplings, perfect for mopping up the gravy and sauces.
So the next time you find yourself in the heart of Bohemia, avoid the familiar fast food chains and feast like a real Czech! Dobrou chut'! ("Enjoy your meal!" in Czech.)   |
| Eurogroup wants Greece’s list of reforms by April 20 Posted: 11 Apr 2015 05:47 PM PDT
Eurogroup ministers have set the deadline in order to have sufficient time to examine Athens' proposal ahead of a meeting on April 24, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported, quoting unnamed representatives in the negotiations. Negotiators from Greece and the EU have struggled to make headway over the final payout of €7.2 billion (RM27.97b) as Athens has refused to consider cutting civil servants' pensions. Alexis Tsipras's government, which was elected on an anti-austerity ticket, is reticent about accepting further cuts in public spending. Rather, it is looking at raising national revenues through improving tax compliance. On Thursday, the Greek government also began examining a draft bill aimed at rehiring around 4,000 civil servants who were retrenched due to austerity reforms. In addition, the draft bill envisages the hiring of 6,000 people who passed public service examinations. Despite the discord between Athens and the EU over Greece's proposed reforms, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said Thursday he was very confident that a deal could be done by April 24. A government source in Athens also said that phone contacts were made Saturday with Greece's creditors, and that they were held "in a climate of cooperation" and aimed at defining the agenda for the coming days. — AFP  |
| Lee Chong Wei to know his fate within three weeks Posted: 11 Apr 2015 05:38 PM PDT
Badminton Association of Malaysia council member Jadadish Chandra who accompanied the national ace told Bernama that the hearing before a three-man panel namely two from Europe and one from India took place in the Saturn room at Sheraton Hotel, Amsterdam Airport. It was believed that the hearing process was held for about eight hours which started from 9.25am yesterday (3.25pm local time). "Hearing ended today and the decision will be announced in three weeks. The hearing was made in front of a three member panel. Normally, the results can be known in three days, but I don't know why it takes three weeks for this case. "So far we didn't have any specific time when the results will be announced," he said. Jadadish said that the hearing yesterday would not likely be the end of the proceedings as either party (the BAM or Badminton World Federation) could appeal against the decision of the panel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Zurich. Besides Jadadish, BAM general manager Kenny Goh and prominent sports lawyer, Mike Morgan who was hired by BAM to handle the case also accompanied Chong Wei. Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also confirmed that the verdict will be known in three weeks' time. "Got an update from @LeeChongWei in Amsterdam. BWF disciplinary hearing finished. Verdict within 3 weeks. Now for the wait," he tweeted. Chong Wei, 32, was suspended by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) after testing positive for dexamethasone at the World Championships in Copenhagen, in Aug 2014. — Bernama  |
| Discover coffee, good design and vintage collectibles at Battery Acid Club Posted: 11 Apr 2015 05:37 PM PDT
A collective initiated by veteran designers Swiss Ooi, Hsien Foo, Sean Yeap and Sara Siow, Battery Acid Club and its retail arm, Objektobjectstore, pay homage to the mid-century modern design movement.
Whenever customers tip for their beverages, Battery Acid Club will use that money to buy Monocle magazines for the library. There is a bookcase filled with content-rich material, some of which are from the designers' personal collections, which anyone can browse through.
Hsien Foo also runs Outdated, the vintage store in Publika, hence some of the stuff are sourced from there. Currently, the look and feel of the place is dedicated to Dieter Rams, a German industrial designer famous for his creative contribution to Braun. Some of the world's greatest designers get their inspiration from Rams who designed many timeless products that are considered priceless today.
One of the conversations I had with him was very enlightening because I learned about the Bauhaus Dessau art movement in Germany, Dieter Rams as well as product design. So, what pushed this collective of designers to start Battery Acid Club and Objektobjectstore? "In Malaysia, there are many good designers but because of the brain drain, they rather find opportunities overseas because they see a potential to learn more there," said Tan. He found out that in Berlin, even the layman appreciates art. They recognise the design value to art. Whereas here in Malaysia, only a handful are willing to spend big money on design.
Tan did a stint at Artisan Roast Taman Tun Dr Ismail to learn how to make coffee. It was one of his interests which became part of Battery Acid Club. "Serving coffee and cakes makes sense because you cannot just have a space for people to talk without having something to drink. Also, we support home bakers by selling their cakes and tarts at Battery Acid Club," said the multidisciplinary designer.
They will be hiring kitchen staff to help out with the food preparation. Even now, they have their own collection of 'creative juice' stamped with their own logo. The juice comes from a supplier but the people at Battery Acid Club blend the flavours and come up with the packaging.
All co-founders of the collective have a passion for old-school memorabilia and a discerning eye for art. Combining their passion with career, each of them plays different but essential roles in setting up the place. Tan said it took them one whole year of planning and brainstorming to make sure everything is in place.
Ooi has been collecting vintage wear for a long time, and she was even approached by a shop in Singapore to run a vintage boutique there. At Objektobjectstore, she curates and collects vintage wear sourced from her mother's friends and aunties she knows. "I love prints and patterns from the mid-century modern era. Most of my personal collection comes from my mother and her friends. I don't buy from bundle shops because the quality is not up to par. Most of these clothes are from the 1950s and 1960s, and the aunties give them to me because they said they are either too old to wear them or they 'became fat'," said Ooi.
However, the vintage wear she collects is authentic so she treats them with care. Whenever she receives them, she fixes them and hand washes the item if needed because the fabric is fragile. Usually, she just keeps them as it is because washing might damage certain parts of the dresses.
However in the past two years, he finally found extra pieces that he is willing to sell and decided to invest in them. Tan also started to collect vintage furniture by picking up old items by the side of the road, which he would send to local craftsmen to refurbish to their former glory. Tan and Ooi met through mutual acquaintances and they are former colleagues. The design circle in Malaysia is small so everyone knows each other, hence it is easy to get connected to like-minded people who share the love for similar things. The team behind Battery Acid Club and Objektobjectstore share the same passion for mid-century modern design movement.
When someone presents a business card, the card sends a message. "It must have a design impact for business identity. A strong visual is like a language and it gives people an idea about what you do," said Tan. "It is like storytelling," added Ooi. For Battery Acid Club, their main customers would be creative people but they hope to draw more people who appreciate art as well. You do not need to be from a design background to love what they do. "I have casual conversations with my customers and I find out that they love collecting vintage memorabilia even though they are not from a creative background. I usually don't try to hard sell what we have. Sometimes when they ask, I will tell them the stories behind the product which can be very interesting," said Ooi.
Ideas can be found anywhere, anytime, according to Tan and hopefully, you can learn a thing or two or start your own vintage collection by visiting this space. Whether you meet a fellow designer or read a book about Dieter Rams, you will leave the place feeling more knowledgeable about art and vintage pieces.  |
| Movies make room for live shows at Tribeca film fest Posted: 11 Apr 2015 05:36 PM PDT
Since it started more than a decade ago, the festival has become a showcase for independent and documentary works, as well as a launching pad for new talent and a testing ground for innovative filmmaking. "We had no idea of the particular way it would go," said Robert De Niro, the Oscar winner and co-founder of the festival. "We're happy it has lasted this long, and my hope was always that it would become part of the New York tradition." "Live From New York!", a documentary about the NBC late-night comedy sketch show "Saturday Night Live," kicks off the festival on Wednesday. Nearly 100 feature-length films will be shown before the festival closes with a special screening and cast reunion of the gangster classic "Goodfellas" to mark the film's 25th anniversary. "A Ballerina's Tale," about American Ballet Theatre soloist Misty Copeland will be paired with a special dance performance, and the screening of "Mary J. Blige — The London Sessions" will be followed by a concert by the singer. "The idea is to extend the cinematic experience," said Genna Terranova, the director of the festival. Tribeca will mark the centenary of Frank Sinatra's birth with screenings of three of his films and live performances by Tony Bennett and others. The surviving members of British comedy troupe Monty Python will also reunite for the 40th anniversary of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." "We want to look forward because we are a festival that is about innovation," said Terranova, "but at the same time look back and are tipping our hats by creating these special events." The festival will feature 67 world film premieres, including "Maggie," with Arnold Schwarzenegger as a farmer whose daughter is infected with a zombie virus, and Oscar winner Patricia Arquette in "The Wannabe." "The Adderall Diaries," a thriller with James Franco and Amber Heard will debut at the festival, and Glenn Close, Sam Waterston and Kristen Stewart head an ensemble cast in "Anesthesia." De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal and investor Craig Hatkoff started the festival to revitalise the downtown neighbourhood following the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. — Reuters  |
| 10 things about: Nafir, the ‘faceless’ Iranian street artist Posted: 11 Apr 2015 05:33 PM PDT
The eloquent street artist admits to having a double life — one as a common Iranian with a normal day job and another, at night, as an illegal street artist who goes around showcasing his artistic masterpieces in public spaces. Barely a day goes by without him spray-painting a piece of art and these are not graffitti but pieces that express his feelings about certain incidents in Tehran. Even though his works are usually erased by the Iranian authorities within a 24-hour period, Nafir continues on with what he calls his fight against oppression. Nafir started a collaboration with Graffiti Prints about a year back where the England-based print house prints and sells some of his works online for him. The artist now has a huge online following so he is extremely careful about keeping his identity secret, he has never granted any interviews with any media nearer to home and his self portrait is a stencil man with a large X on the face. Through Graffiti Prints, Nafir travelled to Penang for the first time to participate in Different Strokes, a street art exhibition held by Graffiti Prints and Hin Bus Depot. It is his first time being part of an art exhibition outside his country with about 14 other street artists from all around the world. Here, Nafir shares on what it's like to be an illegal street artist in Iran, how he evaded the authorities and why he continued doing it despite the risks. In his own words:
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