See Africa Differently
Written by Claire Dikecoglu, Photographs by Chris Osburn
1000heads, Monday, November 14th, 2011
The aim of See Africa Differently is to change perceptions about Africa and help the world find out about all the great news coming from the continent, which is growing, both culturally and economically. With See Africa Differently, this is achieved by celebrating African fashion, music, food, sport, comedy and business.
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See Africa Differently
What’s for Lunch? ICN Gallery, Leonard Street
Londonist, November 15, 2011 at 11:30 am
Simple, to the point, tasty and cheap: a five quid bento box lunch with tagalong miso soup from ICN Gallery makes a lot of sense if you find yourself hungry and hanging around in the Shoreditch Triangle. And if you can spare a bit of time to check out what’s up on the walls in ICN’s gallery space, then so much the better.
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What’s for Lunch? ICN Gallery, Leonard Street
BlablaCar is a carpooling service that connects drivers with other folks looking for a lift in the same direction. It’s free to join at BlablaCar.com, and once you’ve registered (and it only takes about a minute to do so) you can publish your request for a carpool and get in touch with people who make the same trips as you.
If you’re a driver, you can publish your trip and contact other members who make the same trips as you by sending them a message or calling them directly on the phone. If you’re a passenger, you can search the site and contact drivers who have published trips that are of interest to you. If you don’t find a trip that interests you, you can always publish your trip and have other members contact you.
The service is totally free with recommended fixed prices per passenger. You can choose to pay via the online booking or directly in the car. Once you’re a member, you’ll have access to phone numbers of other members and the messaging service which allows you to contact them.
This sounds like a great way to save money, break up the monotony of a daily commute, and have the opportunity to make some new friends. It’s also a good feeling to know that by using BlablaCar, you’d be cutting carbon emissions by reducing road traffic and thus the pollution caused by it.
BlablaCar has just introduced a new annex of its site specifically designed to help students around the UK and in university towns make the most of their time and money. It’s called Campus and is completely free to use. Completely free to use, over 100 universities so far have created their own dedicated Campus pages, making it easy to go on student journeys and find both drivers and passengers headed in the same direction. Says Nicolas Brusson, co-founder of BlablaCar, “Campus is for savvy socials so they can make new friends and save money. Whether it’s a journey home to see family, a weekend visiting friends at other Universities, or a road trip to Cornwall, Blackpool or even Paris, BlablaCar takes the hassle out of students looking for a cheaper ride.”
To celebrate the launch of Campus, BlablaCar has created the BlablaCar Campus Challenge with £3000 in prize money going to the most active university on BlablaCar. To be eligible, all a university club has to do to register is email campus@blablacar.com.
I’d be keen to use BlablaCar next I need – or just want – to get out of town. With rides available from London to North West England, I’m sure it could come in handy and keep my costs down as well. I’m all for taking public transport, but there are times when it can be a big hassle or result in near disaster. Rail replacement services, stinky people eating stinky food … you know the score. Just last week, I was on a train sitting across from a woman clipping her fingernails (VILE!). With BlablaCar, there’s the chance to find a cheap and cheerful ride, do yourself and someone else a favour and also check out to see if you do indeed want to share a journey with a complete stranger.
Lots of good stuff going on here in the world of tikichris these days … and I hope y’all have had or will find the chance to peruse my online content for what I’ve been up to. Beyond everything I have been blogging, tweeting, photographing and such, here’s another list of things I’ve come across lately and have really enjoyed but for whatever reason they didn’t get much mention on this blog, my tikichris-to-go Tumblr blog or one of my client’s blogs.
Crazy Homies: The UK launch of El Jimador (Mexico’s best selling tequila) was held at Crazy Homies, a Westbourne Park resto “inspired by street vendors and local Taquerias found throughout Mexico and Southern California.” I was inspired at the launch by the food (nothing too fancy or wonderful but satisfying and simple), the kitsch and calaveras-rich décor and the more than decent cocktails coming from the bar.
Great British Chefs Site Re-Launch Party: I had a blast at the site re-launch party for GBC. Great British food (of course) and a really nice mix of friendly and interesting peeps! If you still haven’t checked out the site and it’s stellar (of the Michelin sort) line up of chefs, you’re missing something yummy.
See Africa Differently: See Africa Differently is an initiative from Comic Relief working to get people thinking about and recognizing “all the great stuff that comes out of Africa.” I’m not sure what they want folks to do once they’ve thought about and recognized Africa’s positivity and potential – I’m also not sure they meant to have a name that results in a S.A.D. anagram – but there was a nice vibe at the initiative’s launch I attended. Having lived in Mozambique and having travelled all over Africa, I can assure you it is indeed a place well worth seeing a lot differently that how you might already if you just rely on Western media as your source. And oh yeah … comedian Eddie Kadi’s stand up routine at the launch was hee-lar-ious!
Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree
CheapOair, November 11, 2011
Photo by Mike_fleming
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree is the name for the famous Christmas tree donated to the people of London by the city of Oslo each year since 1947. The tree is prominently displayed in Trafalgar Square during the Christmas season.
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Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree
Where to See Christmas Lights in London
CheapOair, November 10, 2011
Tis the season to shop, feast, catch up with old friends and family, travel home or to new destinations and to see pretty sparkly lights and fantastic seasonal displays. London is as festive as anywhere during this special time of year, and there are plenty of free opportunities to marvel at the winter glow.
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Where to See Christmas Lights in London
London Food & Drink News: 10 November 2011
Londonist, November 10 at 16:00 pm
It’s all supper clubs, VIP seafood bars, birthday bashes and baking labs this week.
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London Food & Drink News: 10 November 2011
Tourism New Zealand has a competition going on called Stories Beat Stuff which offers the chance to win a two week expenses paid “experience” in New Zealand. The idea behind Stories Beat Stuff is that you have to “trade to win” the trip. Think up what you suppose two weeks with a friend in New Zealand would be worth to you, then make a video explaining what you’d trade for the trip and upload it to YouTube. Would you give away some of your most prized and valued possessions? Donate your time to a noble cause? Shave your head?
I’ve been to New Zealand. It’s one of the most scenic places on the planet. Te Anau, the Milford Sound, Aoraki (Mount Cook) … I could go on and on about all the beauty spots I got to visit and would love to see again. And then of course there’s the traditional Maori culture, the fantastic wine, great food, amazing museums. I was there for three weeks – and made good mileage too – but really don’t feel that I saw nearly enough of the place. I would love to go back. And I reckon such a trip would be worth quite a lot.
The Stories Beat Stuff comp is open to everyone aged 18 or older, starts today (9 November) and runs until the end of this month. It’s real easy to enter. Heck, I even did it. Curious about what I’d trade for such a trip? Here’s my entry:
Creating and uploading my entry to YouTube took minutes, and it was kinda fun thinking about what a dream trip to New Zealand would be worth to me in non-monetary terms. The competition is also the first of a number of amazing New Zealand experiences, such as Summer Rhythm and Rhythm and Vines, to be offered. So visit and “like” the New Zealand Facebook page to find out more about the experiences as they’re launched.
A look inside Nigeria’s floating slum
CNN.com, November 9, 2011
Osburn says that it’s a dangerous place to go without a trusted guide. “This is not a place to explore alone, however street savvy you are,” he said.
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A look inside Nigeria’s floating slum
What’s for Lunch? Pilpel, Paternoster Square
Londonist, November 9, 2011 at 11:30 am
‘Sufficiently cruncy on the outside and fluffy on the inside’ falafel stuffed amply into a pita at a decent price: pleased we were to sample the chickpea creations on offer when Pilpel opened at Spitalfields. And pleased we are to know Pilpel’s simple and tasty food is now available at a second location near St Paul’s.
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What’s for Lunch? Pilpel, Paternoster Square
London is Your Oyster when You Know Your Transport Options
OneTravel, Nov 08, 2011
Using an Oyster Card is the fastest, most convenient and most cost effective way to pay for single journeys on London’s busses, DLR, trams, London Overground trains, Thames Clippers, a number of National Rail services and of course the Tube.
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London is Your Oyster when You Know Your Transport Options
Win a Free Bottle of Talisker Whisky at Boat-Naming Ceremony Tomorrow
Londonist, November 8, 2011 at 16:00 pm
Talisker 10-year-old giveaway at St Katharine Docks boat-naming ceremony for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, Wednesday 9 November, 1.15pm.
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Win a Free Bottle of Talisker Whisky at Boat-Naming Ceremony Tomorrow
A Visit to Innocent Drinks’ Fruit Towers
Locally Sourced, November 7, 2011
What does it mean when Innocent Drinks offers you an ‘exclusive Golden Ticket’ to their annual Innocent AGM (‘a grown-up meeting’)? Aside from spending a Saturday drinking lots and lots of smoothies and taking home even more, it’s an opportunity to catch an (albeit tidied up) glimpse into the working culture of this beloved British brand and find out firsthand about the fruits of their labour.
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A Visit to Innocent Drinks’ Fruit Towers
London Gallery Hop: 4 November 2011
Londonist, November 4, 2011 at 14:30 pm
This week’s round up of gallery offerings around town (although it’s especially East London-y this time round) …
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London Gallery Hop: 4 November 2011
London’s Marble Arch
OneTravel, Nov 04, 2011
The 269 feet tall Marble Arch is the impressive focal point of a large traffic island where three of London’s most iconic streets meet.
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London’s Marble Arch
Street Market Focus: Broadway Market
CheapOair, November 04, 2011
It’s hard to think of somewhere in London that’s more hip, happening and delicious than Broadway Market. There’s a great variety of vendors selling everything from German-style sausages to burgers right off the grill to home made Caribbean food and some of the best vegetarian Indian street food you’ll find outside of India.
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Street Market Focus: Broadway Market
London Food & Drink News: 3 November 2011
Londonist, November 3, 2011 at 15:30 pm
A strong contender for best breakfast in London, Beaujolais Cru with festive season lights, a re-vamp of an ancient feast in Dalston and a real bread campaign aimed at London area teachers and school cooks.
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London Food & Drink News: 3 November 2011
Understanding British Currency
CheapOair, November 03, 2011
Your first flight to London and the United Kingdom means you need to do some planning, it’s a really good idea to take a moment before you go to get familiar with the local currency and of what you can expect as far as prices and how to access and spend your money wisely.
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Understanding British Currency
Paddington Bear at London’s Paddington Station
OneTravel, Nov 01, 2011
Of course, the most logical place to look for London’s most beloved bear would be at Paddington Station, where the famous children’s book character was originally discovered with a note attached to his coat reading “please look after this bear, thank you.” And for visitors arriving on flights to London from abroad there’s a very good chance you will pass through this station, especially if you’re flying in or out of Heathrow International Airport. Paddington Station is the London terminal for the Heathrow Express, offering the quickest and easiest way to get to and from London and its busiest airport.
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Paddington Bear at London’s Paddington Station
What’s for Lunch? Buen Provecho, Lower Marsh Street Market
Londonist, November 1, 2011 at 11.30 am
No burritos here – just fresh and delicious Mexican street food actually made on the street by actual Mexicans.
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What’s for Lunch? Buen Provecho, Lower Marsh Street Market
