Rest In Peace

Ted Talks with Ueli Gegenschatz a top BASE Jumper, Paraglider, Wingsuit Flyer and Aerialist, who spent his life realising the universal dream to fly.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ueli_gegenschatz_extreme_wingsuit_jumping.html

My heart

Chi

Fiske, Brød and Nutella

In Ilulissat... have plenty to post about... but might do so on a connection at home, if I ever get there!
You see... I have some food.. but not enough for a ticket home, so maybe I'll be staying in Disko Bay. Winnie

Dreamin'

Dreamin' Greenland

Via Iceland or Legoland? Iceland appeals more since Molly's from there and I never went when she invited me. Besides I'v been to Denmark so...

Been Investing a lot of time into research. Suddenly realised I could put my 50,000 pennies I'd saved into an air fare versus an overpriced phone or multiple other whatnots.

The call of the quiet. The untouched wilderness and time alone in nature. Walking. Walking.

SWAT Valley

Just returned from the frontline club where an avid audience watched a rescreening of BBC Panorama's doc on the Swat Valley in Pakistan.


Having travelled in Pakistan and having wished to spend more time amongst the very friendly and kind Pakistani's (one of my favourite top three countries) this struggle against the rocket bearing Taliban or 'miscreants' hiding out in previous paradise, needs sorting... So many mountain refugees now sweltering in summer-city-stan tent ville....

The Best Vegetarian Burger in London (that's also the World!)

The task has been long, the work has been round the clock, but I am very pleased to pronounce the winner!


Well done (literally) to Exeter Street's Joe Allens! I can't believe it, we have been going there since 1985! and they have only just entered the competition during the final draw...

So without further ado I will mention the proud winners of the 2nd and 3rd prize (and my unbiased choice of runner up!) before describing the burgers! (the fleshy part of the story... groooan!)


2nd place is awarded to Tom Conran's Lucky 7
3rd to the ever popular Lexington Street joint, Mildreds

and my undescriminated against runner up (think 'nuff said already) is to The Veggie Table. (Beware!) har har har...

.....

So in reverse order (though I will keep it brief, because you definietly will be wanting to eat the winner:

The Heavenly Halloumi and the Super Veg burgers at the Veggie Table are both good.

The HH is made predominantly of a greek cypriete cheese (that would be halloumi) with some carrot and other veg so goes nice n Melty.

And the Super Veg is, as they describe it, Nutty-Grainy-Spicy. Made from the grain Quinoa it is suprisingly nutritious although it is cooked from frozen, which is not ideal. But tasty (I was suprised) and full of protein.. its not bad for a runner up! Good with creamy houmous if you're really going to go! (£4 for one in a bun or for two to go)


Mildreds is Brilliant. A little too crowded, but behing located in the filmy part of Soho this is not suprising. Many other alternatives which are always super good, but we came to talk about the burger which seems not to fail! Made from different vegetables (it changes.. beetroot.. many things) It usually tastes of much more than the basics. Great Texture. Not sure about the price these days.. but it comes with very thick cut potatoes and basil mayo. Takeaways possible too.

Lucky 7, oh what a diner!
Let's find you a picture... (to the right)


Burger's.. very good, as with chips and the best milkshake made in a choice of three thicknesses with organic I Scream.


And Joe Allen's.. squeezed right at the VERY bottom... but the burger is the very best.

Super buzzy but relaxed atmosphere for those of you not yet acquainted. In the heart of theatre land, dimmed, brick interior filled with posters, candles, little alcoves.

And what better, than a moist, tasty, succulent warm burger, with wasabi mayo and little string fries... eaten with the best company.......

news from winnieworld

Yellow!

Is it the eclipse that has made everyone so friendly today?

Anyway I will continue in the spirit of appreciation that has been offered to me today whilst teaching yoga at the Mariott's club in County Hall.
Yes I'm in London, for those of you who asked, thank you all for writing :-) that was really nice.

So have decided that dance is cool, a way to flow and have taken up pole, belly and contemporary dance classes across London.

A short video from Elena of the pole dancing school I am going to:



Photographing a sweet band at the mo, promo shots and things like this.. maybe I should have rescheduled the shoot for today? thus bringing a charming smile, versus their hard core scowel.

So teaching yoga, photography, juggling sausages, sassy spirals in glittery heels in dim lit basement clubs and high up in skylit studios barefoot for the release technique, the yoga of now.

Still hoping to study japanese, running in the meantime and yes.. some culture. Two operas last week at the ROH: Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Un ballo in Maschera.

Murder at the Market

Last Thursday, behind the mists of frying leek and pomegranate sausages, was a murder. Now it wasn't planned, this spineless so and so just finally flipped... but it happened on my shift. No Psychiatrist? I got fired!

There's always an impractical queue at the Veggie Table during lunch times. Punters arrive fresh from their sedentary life styles, thinking that buying this food will bringuy them health. Now it is a kinda bargain, you do get a lot, but it can be a little fetid and stale. Anyway last Thursday, it must have been positively noxious. Do you know that grace actually changes the structure of the food you eat?

Events can never be divorced from preceding ones and last week a staff girly, cracked her golden head open, an injury sustained at work, 5 stitches and the boss freaked because the concussion prevented her from coming to work the next day. Whack whack whack.. he started beating up the nearest cardboard box (the one pictured) yowling, "The English are constitutionally weak. What is wrong with them?" .. but he never paid her sick pay, nor to our manager who's back was in a brace, was actually on the books and whose turn transpired that thunderous Thursday.

So in the interest of mental health and safety we'll actually miss out the gory murder scene (disappointing though that is)and hop past the coagulated blood to a dry bit of swept ground.

fired. It didn't really matter. I knew too much, exactly what had transpired.
Adam mistakenly thought that if he fired the rest of the staff who had not resigned, no one would find out what a mean boss he was. 'But I buy you icecream' he yowled down the phone to his quitting manager, in an attempt to rationalise his abominable behaviour.

The next day he pleaded with me.. Talk to me, tell me. SO I did. And thus I got fired, spine intact and erect.

Will now be working at the Boston Sausage with the underastanding that ethical companies (with regard to the food industry) are not necessarily vegetarian nor even organic, but those who believe that human life is fundamentally the most important aspect of Life and thus that people are Indispensable.

Real Travel

When travel meant vastly more than lonely planets and package holidays,
Wilfred Thesiger was exploring the Empty Quarter in Arabia, one of the largest deserts in the world, spanning parts of Saudi, Oman, the Yemen and U.A.E.

Reading Arabian Sands, feels like an honour, a bounty from a waned world, the tome of adventure.

But where do we go next now this visible world has been explored? (Waterstones??) Or the internal cosmos where anything is possible including time travel?


And how do we realise all knowledge beyond the art of astral projection? Do traditional paths (Mystical and religious) hold the only key or are there other ways for us to journey.

Is there a lonely planet for enlightenment? And would we want one anyway?

Matcha Latte

Matcha is a powdered green tea that many monks in Japan drink.


It is both stimulating and calming (yes, extremes in one) and should you so desire, (a desireless state) aids meditation.


I'v created a cool, delicious-summer, enzyme rich, could be breakfast, libation. Read: Sprouted hemp and almond milk (made with loved up n imploded 'eau and fresh coconut)...
a Matcha latte!


Nutrient rich, without further ado, here's the recipe:


Need: (organic if possible)



Hemp seeds
Raw Almonds
Coconut
Matcha
Bananas
Imploded Water
Agave nectar


Ok.. How to?

1. Soak Hemp seeds and almonds in good water for 8 hours.
   
2. Peel bananas and break into chunks, put in a bag and freeze.
   
3. Drain your seeds n nuts.
   
4. Crack the coconut.
   
5. Put in a decent blender with imploded water and fresh coconut milk
   
6. Whizz, then strain through a hemp sack or muslin
7. Rinse out blender from left over hull and add coconut flesh and the other ingredients
8. Whizz again
9. Serve 'appy!
10. (Oh and the quantities thing... ya know, whatever feels right today, but probably just one banana pa nana will do.)
    

Pierced in Pakistan

So can YOU? tell me how piercing affects the Energetic body, our Pranamaya Kosha.


Its a question that has been blotted on my mind for over a year and although I have asked many people (piercer's to healers, yoga bums and masseurs to tattoo artists) I have still not found anyone who could give me a decent answer.


Instinctively I felt the effects would be adverse, but Jed is still funky

so the understand by experience way. Coincidentally on Eid. The autoclave is just around the corner, near that lighter for those of you concerned.

MACA or Macaz? The red or the blue pill.

Do we ever really want to feel that bad?


At New Years, I thought I would celebrate it with all the things I hadn't done in ages that I knew I didn't want to do again. In Buddhist practice they recommend that you spend the first four days doing the things you want to do for the rest of the year. Thus many monks choose not to clean their room and similarly I had a anti-new years resolution day by celebrating to do things I usually choose not to do just because I could. (The freedom of America)


For me this was having Japanese McDonald's fries (they're really better than elsewhere though I admit I'm not au courrant on the fry scene) and a milkshake AND some Krispy Kreme donuts that Nihon-jin just love queuing for (as they do for all their cakes).

I wanted to see what it was all about and yes I can understand your point of view. Quick, easy, cheap and addictive but do we really want to feel that bad- which we inevitably do- consuming greasy, carcinogenic, health decaying fat-sugar-not-food-mixes?


It is now no easier to grab a Maccaz than to drink up a smoothie with superfood ordered from the internet.


At the moment I'm fasting. I believe that even if you are a nihilist you can still benefit your body and thus your mind from a good old dose of eating nothing.


However I'm not just fasting on water, but mixing in fresh vegetable juices and superfood smoothies. Some of the best superfoods I have found include kiki, (a tad takai), lucuma,
and for a Theobromine kick: raw cocoa nibs not forgetting MACA (because thats how this whole post started).


But lets write about fasting later.


Bed time despite all this supafood.

EastStrikeWest

Out-n-About

Bit of Promo for the band I saw last night EastStrikeWest in trendy's Hoxton Square just opposite the White Cube Gallery.

Venue (the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen) has a bar and restaurant as well as a pretty decent gig area.

Been listening to the Beautiful vocals of Tom Clark, a nice change from my lyric-less, rhythm rangmatazz I usually enjoy. Free Demo CD too. Thank you

Mongolian Wedding

Drunk.. sweating across the nose they leaned forward inches from my face and tried to have a conversation with me one by one.


I go back in and the new ger has turned into a mad hot house- the three types of vodka has got the better (?) of everyone who has not already run out. People are smiling and raising their bowls... people are shouting-the fire is on- even though it's mid afternoon +sunny+warm outside. Something is cooking and the new strong bottles are twisted open with a spray of liquid as the old ones are shelved. Sunlight filters in from the top-the tono cover is half open and there is a mild light shining on some people's faces- the girl next to me is smiling but silent. They break into song... The place is bustling. The compulsory games are finished and people rush out whilst others crackle at the tops of their voices and the fire spits safely behind a closed door. It is steamy milk in the pot and Sara the bride is pouring tea with a new pink ladle type. (She is already at work!). It is truly lively-with people stumbling and spilling drink in a circle the diameter of ?


Suddenly everyone is gathering outside amidst shouting and song


The truck takes off with waving arms and struggling women. In the back amidst the fucking dust is a writhing drunk -tall and grinning -he seems possessed- a sexual, pent, snot tossed fury. He is trying to climb out and kicks me several times as he is pinned by 4 or 5 women. When we get back the pick up before us has just arrived +another literally falls out on the ground.


He is thrashing -more water than he uses in a week is doused over him... he is ripping off his clothes. He is restrained by 2 or 3 other men. He is skinny and all strong + filled with perhaps (they told me it was 3 bottles per person) 3 litres of strong vodka. Continual water -all the dead dried grass sticks to his muscles and...

AFGHANISTAN by Tricycle

At war so that we can live expensive lives back home. A reason for invasion, intrusion, need I say reckless devastation...

Sunday journeying in the dim interior of the the tricycle fringe theatre. 12 plays. 12 hours -but a half hour each.

Afghanistan past (1842) to present. The Great Game.

Wit, advice, history, stimulation. A bluebird day indoors. No solutions offered. What can we do ? maybe, what should we do.

Discuss who's getting married in Diane Von Furstenberg's new collection? The roses blooming in our garden?
Does it really matter what goes down in a country as dry as dust?


Brunch from Borough. No, that was Saturday.

LONDON Jazz _ Sir John Dankworth

Jazz Great, Sir John Dankworth
Sax.
Blast of Life, Life is Music.
Music is Love.
Played in smoky basements.

Now a cinema- no Charlie Parker.

At home

The cleaner got diagnosed with terminal cancer a year ago but is still alive. She carried on paying her her hourly wage bi-monthly, "What else can you do?"


But time hasn't expanded and she hasn't found time nor a new cleaner and consequently the place gradually became miserably dirty.


She said I'd been in Japan too long, but there was dust like settled snow and black cat hairs in balls. I started hoovering but, like two shampoos at the hairdresser, I needed to cover the area twice- giving time for the carpet to breathe once again and exhale another clingfilm of deeply ingrained dust.


The place is quiet and once again I am here in the country I remember where the rain tap is almost always left on. Not too much adjusting for me apart from for the sensors in my bum. 'Recoil' as they hit the cold porcelain, after months of warmed plastic, beeping plastic, plastic which creates a flushing sound when appraoched so that the pooper can poop in peace even if there are other listeners in the vicinity. But here it is just that temperature and there are no gadgets to play with to wash the bum, spray your bits or...


I begin reading the Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. 52 pages in; it is brilliant...

Tokyo Shoe Rescue

just another two days in tokyo.. but still every days at least a little adventure...


today was many things including what to do when you loose your shoe... or flip flop for that matter!

Omotesando, is just one of those places.. where you could find beautiful new treads.. a popular station as ever, and me, laden with baggage as officially moving out from lux Minami Aoyama Garden Court, I step off the train to let all those behind me escape to ?
and in the process of the moshpit push out I precariously loose my shoe..

Oh yes, oops! for its gone haphazardly right between (into that small deep chasm) the train and safe platform.

I stare and as the doors close I point to the outlooking passengers in pantomime.. my bare foot and then the whole, small and tight, right under their squashed-to-the glass. noses.

I wonder if my purple flip flop will be sliced, but the train slides out and as I go to peer over the platform (wow it's high!) it is still in tact. My fellow photographer friend runs up to the end to go inform the guard, I don't have much spare yen and I'm not prepared to return on one foot if a rescue attempt is indeed possible. Lights shine in the tunnel and its not a question to pop in, get dirty then try to work out how the hell to get out. I wait as more loads pop out of the, already in the station train.

And you can see what happens. Maybe he's been missing pachinko sessions for arcade claw practise.. but it is smoothly delivered.. and .. yes.. the day continues.. on two feet..


so, see you soon!

Tokyo Pirate

Rup rup rup, been sitting on this returning train covered in a bit of Chichibu mud. Not quite the 64k 4day-day hike I was planning as the sequel to last weeks trail 100, but am tired n totally dozy so pretty satisfied none the less.

ONE repetative event keeps opening my curious eyes.. the man opposite is fastidiously cleaning himself with Japan's wet wipes. He carefully opens one, rubs his face up and down and finally, using both his hands and all his concentration twists it into a long ring of a wipe and scrudles it neatly into his ear. Now, we're on the fast train and from his station (Tokorazawa) to Tokyo's Ikebukuro it takes 33 mins. But the whole journey is a pile of wipes neurotically opened, folded, unfolded, twisted, scrudled then left as a growing sculpture on the little window pane.

He Never even looked dirty (not only comparatively) and I wonder what he has been doing that makes him feel quite this dirty.

Taking a trip this Friday to Blighty. Torn, an interlude in my Japanese love affair, but ....

Let's make the whole world laugh

So... Life in Big Tokyo, eh? Well.. last night was the photographer Araki's birthday bash at the Gr
Grand Hyatt.
An arty crowd unsuprisingly and some shows to accompany the delicious buffet... Araki's work and him working... a girl stripping, knickerless under a twirling tutu.. Araki snapping polaroids in an accompanying funny dance.. the crowd standing by in the darkened room watching the great man work...


All unlike the frenzied crowd participation though at the Sumo on Saturday. A late liquid lunch had helped cause the seat cushions to rip recklessly through tipped fingers towards the purple lantern above the stage.. the fans of the fighters at the front hiding helplessly under a shield of fallen cushions... Cushions descending from all floors like spongey confetti...


Araki's polaroids...
http://www.assemblylanguage.com/images/Araki.html