Lifestyle magazine

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Lifestyle
Magazine /January
20+ pages of
travel. musi c.
cui sine. sports.
International Collections Issue
YOUR PERFECT
GETAWAY
France. Portugal. Spain.
by Nicholas Avellaneda
tr avel
Biarritz, France
A
s a surfer living in Rotterdam
I feel that it is common to be
surrounded by work life and to be
overwhelmed with the same tasks
every day. My problem is that the closest
beach is quite a while away and with the current weather it feels impossible to get in the
water. My advice would be to think about going to new places whenever you have some
free time in order to keep contact with nature.
If routine is starting to become monotonous
and you feel a need to escape, to enjoy a few
days in order to renew your energy; get inspired by the beauties and adventures the following destinations have to offer:
Biarritz, France.
Travel time: 3-5 hours
A great option to enjoy some rest and meet new
people, take a ride to the south of France and
check out Biarritz. According to Trip Advisor
it is known for its luxurious and elegant resorts
with many different options for your stay. The
The little town of Biarritz in Basque Country has a contagious festive mood although
it is only 11.66 km2. It has become one of
the world’s most sought-out
destinations due to its beauty and traditional architecture which are model of
inspiration and admiration for many students and visitors. The busy nightlife and
the international surfing competition which
is held once per year by the WSL (World
Surf League) influences surfers from all
around the world to come and visit, the
fact that it is a very popular destination
makes way for state of the art facilities to assist you with any problems you may have.
Nazaré, Portugal.
Travel time: 3-6 hours
If you don’t mind the cold water
and
are
properly
equipped
you should definitely visit Nazaré.
This village was originally composed of fishermen and the atmosphere is of greatness
since it is the home of the biggest and scariest
waves in the world. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the tallest
wave ever surfed was recorded in Nazaré it was surfed by a 44-year-old Hawaiian
as stated by BBC in their report he mentions:
Even if you are not very experienced as a surfer you will surely have a great time if you want
to ride in its smaller days. There are many different things to do as well if it is flat, the many
villas and hotels allow for different ways to get
allocated, make new contacts and try some of
the traditional Portuguese dishes which are
served in the many restaurants and “tavernas”.
“I knew it was big, but I didn’t know how big”
– Garett McNamara
Mundaka, Spain
Mundaka, Spain
Travel time: 3-5h
Another option for the getaway of your
dreams could be Mundaka which contains many facilities and very friendly
locals; it is like Nazaré an original fishing village which has become modernized, yet it is quite virgin to surf oriented tourism in comparison. Its most
famous wave is a left-hand barrel which
may be mildly dangerous for beginners,
it is also a prime destination for different
types of activities including golfing, tennis,
and just generally hanging out; the harbor
is filled with bars that serve coffee in midday and famous sangria at night. The best
time to visit is in September to around late
march where the waves may arrive depending on the winds. The reputation of Mundaka’s waves are compared to one of a dormant
giant, at the right moment it will surprise you by showing its true potential.
Gentrification
in Berlin
- Berlin, baby -
by Ernest Thiesmeier
“I have been to Berlin five times already. And I will go again
around New Years” says Evy V., Arts and Culture student at
Erasmus University Rotterdam. And she is not the only visitor who drops in for a weekend by plane to enjoy the German
capitals well-known nightlife and easy-going atmosphere.
Tourism is on the rise in Berlin. So are the rents. And
while the governing parties of Berlin are congratulating
each other for the glorious recovery of the once divided
capital, one group of people seems to be largely excluded
from the public discourse surrounding Europe’s “place to
be”. You could call them the victims of the ongoing hype.
They are the long-term residents and native Berliners who
are getting priced out of the inner city districts and are now
forced to take up residence in the outskirts of the metropolis.
- Meet the residents “It’s getting tougher and tougher to find an
affordable flat in a somewhat central neighbourhood” tells Anton K. an old friend of mine and a
native Berliner. “Just go to any apartment viewing, especially in East Berlin and you can already
see the hordes waiting outside.”
While especially people from southern Germany
have in recent years been sometimes the target of
odd attacks as the cause of gentrification it is also
internationals who flock to the city. Not only as
tourists but with the prospect to stay, albeit it being difficult to find employment without a good
knowledge of German. Multinationals are mostly
absent from the city, so the chances go to people with IT knowledge, the ones with the willingness to do low-wage jobs or with just simply
enough cash to support themselves without the
necessity of full-time employment. Meanwhile
Berlin is breaking yearly records in the number
of visitors and in the increase of rent.
- Poor but Sexy Berlin had always had the reputation of being affordable. It is vibrant and surprisingly relaxed for a
city of its size. During the times of the wall, West Berlin had been a haven for pacifists, artists, students
and just generally everyone who sought a bit of freedom in the walled in city. All made possible by special regulations, which for example excluded residents from having to serve in the military.
This only accelerated after German reunification, when the GDR collapsed and suddenly a gigantic
vacuum appeared in East Berlin. Very cheap rents in the former east drew in young people and
artists from all over Germany, and to some extent from abroad, like a magnet does with iron. The
techno scene exploded with parties in abandoned basements and industrial buildings. All this was
owed to the unclear ownership situation of much property. Of course this could not stay the way it
was. At least not under the political and economic system from West Germany, which was now law.
Slowly but steadily gentrification set in.
- Berlin Boom Town In the year 2013 alone, the number of visitors to Berlin grew by 4.4 percent to
11.3 million from the previous year. In fact, the total number of visitors doubled between 2003 and 2013. A success story with no end in sight. But the amount of tourists
is not the only number, which is rising of late in the capital. Rents have literally exploded with a steep hike of 13.5% between 2005 and 2010 and continue to do so to this very day.
While Germany is admired as an economic miracle in foreign media, Berlin actually has the
second highest unemployment quota in all of Germany. While everything looks great and the
inner city is being taken over by tourists, people who have often lived there for decades and
made the city what it is are now being forced out by rising rents and the prospect for
profit. After all the costs of buying an apartment is still only a fourth of the price in London.
- What’s next ? Anton has found a flat after all. In a quite sought after neighbourhood actually. Mostly owing to his personal connections
as a native. “Man, I would never go flat hunting just like that.
It’s too much. Luckily I know people. But who knows what
happens if I have to move out at some point? Maybe I just
move to Spandau or Wedding. A bit off but at least you can
pay the rent if you are not someone having a big office job.”
There are still affordable corners in Berlin. Mostly in
lesser known parts of town. But who knows for how long? And
where will everybody go who does not have the money? Surely not into one of the numerous flat where residents have been
forced out to make way for more profitable holiday apartments.
A Journey through
P
eople have always had the urge and
desire for adventures, journeys and
explorations, the excitement of
learning and experiencing from the unknown
is what drives us to set out and discover the
many wonders of this world. As 2014 came to
an end, having always hoped to one day be able
to go and set foot on the Asian continent, as I
find the culture so different from my own and
from what I have so far experienced. Also, having a few Thai friends and hearing the many
positive stories from other friends who visited
Thailand, convinced me it was my time to go
an explore that corner of the world. I booked a
round ticket during the December holidays for
a 3-week stay in Thailand in the summer of 2015.
Booking at least 4 months earlier will give you
a better deal on flights; I paid a total of 580.00
Euros from Amsterdam to Bangkok round
trip. If possible I suggest flying with Thai Airways for a kick-start into your Thai experience.
T
Thailand
By Mateo Garcia
Pricing tips
Taxi ride
When finished with
immigration, there are
many options to get
to Bangkok city centre
and your hotel, these
include buses, taxis and
BTS, however I suggest
getting a 30 minute taxi
ride which will cost you
500 Thai baht (12 euro).
Exchange rates
Keep in mind that
some hotels, thanks to
the exchange rate and
other factors are very
affordable and offer
great value for money, around 3000.00
baht (€80.00) p/n.
Grand Palace tickets
adult tickets costing
400.00 baht (€10.00)
Bangkok
During the 11-hour plane ride to Bangkok, I had the time to read over basic
research I had done of the essential do’s and don’ts of the Thai culture. One
aspect that really stood out was the strict avoidance of conversation about the
Thai Monarchy. This is because His Majesty the King of Thailand is respected
dearly by the Thai people from the many good things he has done for them.
Approaching Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, you will get the first glimpse
of Thailand. When arriving at your hotel I am certain you will be greeted
with a warm and friendly “sawasdee ka/krab”. One very pleasant aspect of
Thai people is how welcoming they are to you, always smiling and greeting
you with desire. From experience in staying in the Sukhumvit area, I can
truly say this is one of the most beautiful, modern and clean areas of the city.
Bus ticket to
Kanchanaburi
tickets for the air-conditioned buses are
cheap, 99.00 baht (€2.5)
one-way; luggage is
of course allowed.
Erwan National Park
tickets
300.00 baht (€7.70)
p/p, for a beautiful hike
up the mountains with
stunning views and
cool dips into the many
waterfalls up the trail.
<< Bangkok
Furthermore, for site seeing
around Bangkok, I recommend
visiting Kao San Road (backpackers heaven) full of bars
and hostels as well as agencies
selling trips around Thailand.
Additionally, it is a must to
visit the Grand Palace, beautiful structures and religious
shrines; it is essential you dress
appropriately according to the
rules; otherwise you will be denied entrance. For a day’s end
I suggest jumping on the riverboat-taxi which gets you from
one side of the city to the other; here you can sit down and
enjoy the breeze and scenery.
Lastly, the nightlife in Bangkok is cheap and very wild,
I suggest going to the Silom
bars to see the infamous Ladyboy shows while having a
nice cocktail (pun intended).
Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi is a town 2.5 hours bus ride to the west of
Bangkok.When you get there I recommend the Candela
River Resort; a small family owned hotel, lovely river views,
swimming pool and great food! Kanchanaburi itself has the
river Kwai and the Death Railway to visit; it’s a good place
to go for some history lessons. However, the main attractions I would say are a few hours bus ride. Another highlight is seeing and riding the elephants, it was such an incredible experience! The River Kwai Elephant Village is the
place to go, you get to swim, ride and feed the elephants, for
just 750 baht (€20.00), an opportunity not to miss out on.
Koh Samet
Finally, the Island of Samet is not
the most popular, but still has breath
taking views, beautiful beaches and
oceans with the picturesque shades
of blue. This Island is around 5 hours
bus ride from Bangkok, plus the
speedboat transfer. It will cost you
around 500.00 baht (€13.00) return.
Here there is not much to do apart
from relaxing in the many resorts,
hotels and beaches available, catering
to all budgets! Though, the newest
hotel with up-to-date facilities is the
Ao Prao resort, a bit on the pricy side
but worth the money! I do however
recommend renting out a golf cart for
200.00 baht (€5.00) p/d, and driving
around the island to discover the
many beautiful views it has.
Author’s last words:
All in all, Thailand is a magical and
beautiful country. Definitely worth
visiting! I hope you choose Thailand
for your next holiday. Happy and
safe travelling!
SPORTS
A wintry 15K run through Rotterdam
By Yvonne Goudriaan
Buckets full of rain, harsh and
cutting wind, or better said
a typically cold winter afternoon in the Netherlands. These
weather conditions, however,
did not discourage the record
number of 12.000 runners,
including my dad and me, to
run the 27th DSW Bruggenloop
Rotterdam on Sunday the 7th
of December.
None other than Nelli Cooman,
former top athlete and world
champion on the 60 meters
indoor, had the honor to release
the starting shot. At 15:30 the
shawls and beanies in front of De
-
the city. After waiting for more
‘Together we beat the bridges’,
and Christmas dances in the rain,
Barely 800 meters on the way,
band ‘Brass society’.
the real sprinters, was ready
After 4000 meters the third
-
“Together we beat the bridges”
-
We descended the bridge as if
-
-
“Quitting or even
walking was not
an option”
the real climb started my dad
-
my legs started to resist and my
ing, what beforehand seemed
-
-
a bridge. While reaching the 10K
point the feeling of satisfaction
-
despite the rigid wind, reached
the biggest part based on mental
and together we crossed the
was almost blowing away my
The Bikini Body Guide Journey
By Lynnsie van Gils
Kayla Itsines is an international health guru,
who has transformed the lives of many
women. She quickly gained recognition and
success with her Bikini Body Guides, which
consists of a 12-week exercise plan of
28-minute workouts. I was highly motivated
to become healthier, leaner and stronger.
I decided to join the BBG community and
share my experiences with the Bikini Body
Guide 1.0 and its effectiveness.
When you begin the Bikini Body Guide 1.0, the
most important thing is to set your mind to it. To
nally committed to the transformation. That’s why
I knew I would have that lean bikini body right before summer. As I had something to look forward
to, I was ready to begin as soon as possible.
Before I dive into my process, I’m not going
always the hardest to get into because you
start to question whether the guides are actubecause I had a workout buddy who motivated
me to push my limits.
nothing
really ch
a
The wo
rkouts f nged.
o
c
tra ining
us on
dif
cles eve ferent musry day,
wh
left me
sore for ich
a
I also ke
while.
pt
my prog comparing
ress pic
tu
and did
n’t notic res
e any
three w
eeks.
And alth
ou
workout gh the
s are on
ly
minutes
, it feels 28
like
forever!
B
28 min ut once those
ute
you feel s are over,
re
and acc ally strong
omplishe
d.
As the weeks went by, I started
seeing progress. I began to feel
stronger and energized. I had some
not-so-great days. Sometimes I
didn’t feel like going to the gym for
an entire week. But after a while,
working out became an addiction
my chocolate addiction
Upon completing Kayla’s Bikini Body Guide
1.0, I knew my journey wasn’t over. The
around that you can’t just immediately stop
working out afterwards and go back to your
important to keep pushing yourself, remain
positive and to be patient, because progress
comes slowly.
Blood,
Sweat
&Tears
person of course. I lost a total of 6 kilos in the process. This
may not seem like much but the difference is unreal. Not only do
lenge and wants to see real results. As both guides cost $120
altogether, I can honestly say it was worth it.
-
MUSIC
ROTTERDAM
WHY THE CITY IS BECOMING HOLLAND’S HEAVIEST
by Jack Parker
walk around the centre to see how many
to your mind isn’t exactly a heavy music scene. In fact, you’re more inclined to think
Our main focal point during the four
days we spent investigating Rotterdam is
the Baroeg, a 400-capacity underground
venue in the heart of the South. The pintsized blue rectangle is the only venue in
the city dedicated solely to heavy music,
describing itself on Twitter as specializing
in “Underground, Metal, Rock, Industrial,
Gothic, Punk, Hardcore and Drum ‘n
Bass”. Being the only heavy venue in the
city doesn’t mean that metal is an isolated
genre in town, though. On the contrary
– wherever you look, you’re bound to
see something to do with metal (and the
Baroeg) in Rotterdam. Once a year, some
7,500 people descend on the Zuiderpark
for Baroeg Open Air, a celebration of all
things loud in the city. What started off as
a small event, has now grown into one of
Rotterdam’s biggest alternative musical
gatherings, settling in nicely alongside
Metropolis Festival in July, Motel
Mozaique in April and the much-famed
North Sea Jazz Festival.
another example, with frontman Dave von
also the reason that 60s beat music has
made a comeback in Holland. All in all,
Rotterdam probably has a musical history
richer than Amsterdam, The Hague and
Groningen combined.
The Rise of the Counter Culture
Why has metal become so popular in
Rotterdam, though? According to Kuiper,
the economic crisis is a big factor. Still
talking to Vers Beton, he said that times of
dire need breed an increase in the “counter
culture”, meaning that your average goths,
emo’s and punks all rise up and support
what needs supporting. Rotterdam has
always been a city centred on culture and
freedom; all you have to do is either a)
Lyceum, or b) go to the Rotown every
Thursday night. Music is everywhere,
and Rotterdam has always been important
for everyone who’s ever picked up an
instrument and seen themselves as part
of a counter culture. Amsterdam, as your
average ‘Rotterdammer’ will tell you, is
where the “normal” people go. They’ll
then tell you that Rotterdam is a city for
the outcasts, the creatives, the people with
nowhere left to go. Throw a bunch of these
people into one city, and what do you get?
You get venues like the Baroeg, where
true metal and hard rock still breed. You
get a cultural boom inspired by a youthful
generation, which sparked the creation
of both Motel Mozaique and Metropolis
Festival. Essentially, you get a city like no
other.
of when Rotterdam comes to your mind
Who knows, maybe we’ll have another
behemoth (pun unintended) on our hands.
It’s not exactly going to morph into some
sort of Beatlemania, but it’s a start.
@ Rotown
Rotterdam: a rich musical history
Although metal and Rotterdam aren’t
synonymous with one another just yet, the
city does already have an extremely rich
musical history. Away from the chugging
guitars and brutal screams, the likes of
soul, jazz, punk, and hip hop have all
had an impact on what gives Rotterdam
such a rich musical history. Sometimes,
these styles are even combined. Take De
Likt for example; this rap trio combine
punk, hip hop and a born-and-bred
Rotterdam accent to give off something
quintessential to this city. The Kik are
draftmag2.indd 2
29/12/2015 9:09 PM
If anyone embodies the spirit
of 21st century pop culture, it is
Justin Bieber. Since his early teenyears, he has been on the cover
girlfriends, loads of money, meeting the
coolest celebrities. But he was not your
typical masculine pop star. He was 16,
but he did not grow a beard, he was not
muscled, he had a voice like that of a little
girl. How could someone like that ever be
praised by so many girls? I guess it was
pure jealousy.’’
that call themselves ‘Beliebers’,
Justin Bieber has not particularly
been a much-loved personality.
And his looks were not the only things
that were pissing the public off. In 2014,
Bieber illegally drove a Can-Am vehicle
on the sidewalk, nearly hitting a disabled
woman. In Paris he hit a paparazzo in the
face, and in Florida he was arrested for
By Nadia Stam
After being a target of mocking, hatred &
criticism for many years, Bieber decided to
step it down a notch and remain in silence
for over a year. But after the release and
extreme success of his single ‘Where Are
You Now’ last summer, there seems to be
no return. The ‘Biebs’ is back.
The 21 year-old Canadian born singer
released his new album ‘Purpose’
November 13th of this year, and in just a
week it had broken several records & hit
charts. His song ‘What Do You Mean’
has earned him the most: it was just the
23rdsong ever to chart at #1 of Billboards
Hot 100 right after its release, and it makes
Bieber the youngest male to ever debut
this #1 position. Moreover, ‘What Do You
Mean’ was downloaded 337,000 times in
a week, a record previously held by Drake
and Taylor Swift. What makes the album
even more fascinating and admirable is that
Bieber co-wrote all and co-produced most
of the songs on the album, something that
cannot be said of many recording artists in
the current day and age.
So why is he suddenly so wanted & famed?
What has made his performances so wellreceived, while before he was totally
unrecognized as an professional artist,
and his music was never applauded by
the general public? Robin Strand, DJ &
producer, says that a new type of music
is what is to blame for Bieber’s recent
success. ‘‘Before, he mainly targeted
teenage girls with catchy tunes and soft
lyrics. Now, Justin has gotten more into the
tropical/house sphere through his fellow
producers Jack Ü and Skrillex, producing
much more mature songs that everyone
can relate to.’’ Producers like Jack Ü and
draftmag2.indd 3
smoking marijuana. He pleaded guilty and
had to take an anger-management course
shortly after. 2014 was not the best year for
Justin Bieber, and it gave the public all the
more evidence to step on his ego.
JUSTIN
bieber
From Despised Teen
Heartthrob to
Future King of Pop
@ Google
Skrillex have unexpectedly taken Bieber
into their musical realm and both admitted
to being surprised by his talent, calling
him a true ‘virtuoso’.
Because the Justin Bieber that we speak
his former image of a spoiled baby-faced
teenage star with too much money, too
much fans, and too little hair on his face
and break in his voice. Especially the
male public was not too fond of him. A
Dutch 18 year-old former Bieber-critic,
Kevin, explains. ‘‘He had everything that
any guy of his age could want. Pretty
After all of that, came radio silence.
Nothing was heard from Bieber after
his announcement of a ‘brief break
from music’ in December of 2014. He
apologized for his bad behaviours on The
Ellen DeGeneres Show by saying that he
‘‘did things that might have not been the
greatest’’, and he endured a painfully funny
of his song ‘Where Are Ü Now’ set off
Biebers career with a new beginning. His
management took advantage of Justin’s
activity on social media to run a campaign
with countless celebrities promoting his
song ‘What Do You Mean’ until its release.
Now, with six of his songs in the 40 highest
charts of Billboard’s Hot 100, it seems like
there is no way back for Bieber.
Justin Bieber is going to be a name that
we will be hearing more from very soon.
His embrace of electronic dance music, in
combination with his extremely talented
in the future. And apparently, the public
feels the same way. ‘I never thought that I
would say this, but I guess I’m turning into
a Belieber’, Kevin admits. His songs, but
also his lifestyle seem to have left a good
impression on people who before despised
anything that Bieber stood for. From much
icon: we should look out for Justin, because
he might well be the new King of Pop.
29/12/2015 9:09 PM
My personal experience through
visionary mu s
and communication environment and in
the past years, thanks to the creation of
social networks, also relationships. The
agenda’s effect is the high limitation of the
consideration of all the possibilities that we
have while fronting different choices. All
this, shall not be saw neither as something
dangerous neither as something great,
therefore as really powerful instruments
(reason why they are to be used carefully),
that can bind people together towards the
creation of something wonderful, earth
and soul healing as a visionary music
festival.
My experience involving festival culture
started three years ago after 15 days
of backpacking through Europe. I was
@Google
decided all together to bail Amsterdam as
last “stop” on the map in favor of Poland’s
“Woodstock festival”: a national, free
and music three days long festival held
in Przystanek, one hour away from the
13th , and currently has to deal with one of the worst air pollution
International
committees
are
trying
national interests and differences, without
collaborating. I will than try to provide
any reader of this column with a general
picture of my personal experience through
visionary music festivals, with the point
of view of a Communication student
fronting his thesis. The main aim will be
showing that there is not just a way to
draftmag2.indd 4
be, but multiples possibilities of being,
consequentially, many other ways to build
a better and more peaceful society.
As the majority of people born in the
mid 90’, I have grown up in the uprising
years new media technologies. Something
that has changed and settled an “agenda”
on everybody’s work, school, house
to me when I arrived and will hardly ever
forget was a smiling, bare-feet portuguese
girl wearing a swimsuit and a colorful
sheet, running towards and imposing me
to drink, I assume sangria, from a carved
watermelon. After that I knew that there,
it was the place to be. Strangely the next
morning my other travel companions felt
somehow sick from what they have been
eating overnight and decided to leave
in the morning, letting me fronting the
decision whether to stay or not. I decided
to stay and luckily before leaving, one
friend of mine was asking information to
a polish guy, I joined the conversation and
after they were done I explained him my
situation. Like I was part of his family, this
guy offered me to stay over his campsite
and be hosted for the entire festival length,
by a company of other 10 polish guys and
girls, where, If I remember well, just 2 or
3 of them knew English. Despite that the
communication between me and them was
gap of expressing certain emotions; I could
29/12/2015 9:09 PM
u sic festivals
By Gianluca Tomasello
feel the warmth of a new, bigger, caring and miscellaneous family,
something that my parents still wouldn’t consider possible due to
distrusting socio-psychological concepts that avoid This happened
in the summer of 2012, when the event gathered around 550.000
people coming from all over the world that created a connection
network empowered only by music and love. I never saw so many
people living in an open air environment where everything, apart
differently from all modern cities, even with a smaller population,
which police departments are not able to see even one calm and
have a tangible proof that our society has a big potential to leave
peacefully and in sharing connection with each other, no matters
where the other person is from.
curiosity hasn’t, so I kept searching and asking for other similar
and visionary culture. This uprising community is part of what is
called, the electronic dance music culture (EDMC), characterized
by a religious/spiritual character, which is being studied by
scholars of religion, music and culture. After three years joining
this worldwide community, during overnight parties, summer
festivals (the one I did are: “Sun festival”, “Ozora” and
“Sonica”) I learnt many things about myself and the possible
way mankind would be able to peacefully coexist on this planet.
Visionary music festivals, based on psychedelic trance music,
are religiously based on Indian divinities and South American’s
rituals, whereas I personally think that are able to sum up all
the basic and common good teachings from religions over the
world: love every being, be generous and giving, take care of
your connection with nature, teachings that I can and did
see embedded in every being involved in this culture. Those
festivals through different workshops and discussion lectures,
as researcher St john state: “offer insight on ecstatic (self(conscious alternative) trajectories within psytrance music
culture”, in a way that a personal inner journey and analysis of
your place in the society will begin and awaken the necessary
self-awareness for starting the path towards acceptance and
transformation of today’s problematic reality.
Hoping to having offered a good glance upon how music and
connections can offer different realities, I wish everybody a
wonderful day.
@Google
@Google
draftmag2.indd 5
29/12/2015 9:09 PM
CUISINE
Veganism: The Disability of 2014
by Eline Metske
A
while back, my friends and
I were out shopping in the city.
As the sun set, we all got hungry
and decided to end our shopping
spree by having a nice meal together in a cosy restaurant. As
our feet were quite tired, we were
hoping to find something fairly quickly. However, we ended
up walking around for about an
hour before we found something
that suited us all, because we had
a vegan in our midst. Although
some of the others were annoyed
at the fact that she could only
eat vegan food, I was more annoyed that restaurants do not
include vegan options in their
menu as the norm. I have been
looking at vegan friendliness in
public places ever since, such as
restaurants and train stations,
and found that I keep asking
myself why the world is not yet
wholly adapted to veganism.
The number of vegans throughout
the world is growing rapidly. A
study by the Vegetarian Resource
Group showed that 2.5% of the
U.S. population was vegan in
2011, which had already doubled
since 2009. Although this seems
like only a tiny percentage of the
entire population, it already accounts for an amazing 7,500,000
people. In 2014, veganism has
become even more popular, with
new exclusively vegan stores opening up in more and more places,
celebrities announcing to be on a
vegan diets, and a growing public
interest in organic food. Many
people, including the senior advocacy and policy officer of the Vegan Society, consider veganism a
lifestyle choice and “an ethical way
of looking at the world”. However,
many others do not seem to realise
that for some, veganism is not simply a choice, but rather a necessity.
One of these people is 50 year
old pastor Anton Metske, who
turned vegan a little over a year ago.
His motivation is somewhat different from most traditional ones.
“I started my vegan diet
after reading about several people’s experiences
with constant pains in
their joints and/or muscles
who got rid of those complaints by adopting vegetarian or vegan diets”
Although it may be a bit over the top to
call veganism a disability, I would argue
that any vegan who has really adopted the vegan lifestyle does not truly
consider it a choice any longer. Once
you have truly gone vegan, there is no
going back. If more people were to also
recognise this idea and refrain from
thinking in clichés, it might help make
the world a more vegan friendly place.
Rotterdamers
Go Vegan
“Becoming a vegan is a choice, it simply means deciding to lead a
happy and healthy life”
says Svetoslava with a beaming smile on her face.
She is vegan for five months now and has never felt
better in her entire life. According to her, the vegan diet represents conscious eating. It includes the
consumption of only plant-based and dairy free products, with a rich palette of fruits, vegetables, nuts,
seeds and grains. Leading to a diverse diet with variety of power foods, which is separated from all the
negative connotations of meat intake and its negative effects on our health. “The truth is that the cow’s
milk is baby cow’s growth hormone and humans
should not be consuming it in any form”, shares Borislava shocked from this repulsive fact. Surprisingly
many people are unfamiliar with this information,
which is the base of the problem. If they knew I’m
sure that they would think twice before eating their
favorite cereal with cow milk for breakfast tomorrow morning. But first we need to find what actually drives people to become vegans and follow this
guilt free path. What can be so significant to provoke a person to change his mindset and to adjust
his lifelong established eating habits? Well for some
people health issues and concerns might be the reasons for this decision, for others is part of the green
lifestyle they have chosen or even more superficial
reasons, such as the simple desire to lose weight.
However, in reality moral concerns turn out to be
the most important reason why people decided to
take this journey. Dedicated vegans believe that
people have lost their humanity and connection to
the Earth, because of meat consumption. Scared for
the future of our Earth and people’s souls, they em-
braced the pursuit of a pure and sustainable lifestyle.
When asked to explain more about why he decided to
make this dietary transition Thomas puts it this way:
“Partly it was a movie I watched called “Earthlings”, it
was about animal cruelty and what animals go through
in the end to become food or clothes. After seeing these
horrifying images I just couldn’t look at meat the same
way as before. I believe that there is a better way and we
can survive, without having to kill innocent creatures”.
We need to change and take action, thus the vegan
diet is here to set that revolution. The vegan lifestyle
is based on coexisting and the necessity for us to lead
a peaceful life where animals and humans are equal.
No matter the difficulties and the lack of support or
understanding, many people are purposefully and
unflinchingly dedicated to this new vegan lifestyle,
creating a better physical and mental environment
for themselves. And who knows maybe in a few years
all of us will be persuaded by their moral beliefs and
we will follow their steps towards a better future.
by Nikol Nankova
Editors’
words
“Lifestyle” aims to attract people who would love to have
a chill-out moment in their
busy lives. With more than 20
pages of magazine features,
which introduce good places
to visit, delicious cuisine to
taste, great music to
appreciate and popular
types of sports to follow,
“Lifestyle” presents readers
different but coherent aspects of chill-out
moments in life. Through “Lifestyle”, we editors
would love to remind the readers that no matter how
hard life is, everyone deserves to enjoy some moments of
relaxation, joy and fun, as we are not merely existing, but we are living in this beautiful world. In addition, we would love to thank you
,our readers, for choosing “Lifestyle”, your support is really precious.
We sincerely hope that you enjoy reading “Lifestyle” and it would be
nice if you can read “Lifestyle” along with a piece of cake and a cup of
latte macchiatto during tea time (But of course a piece of scone and a
cup of cappuccino would be nice too)! All in all, we faithfully hope that
“Lifestyle” would give a relaxing reading experience for our readers.
Through the delicate design of the every single page in our magazine,
we hope that our readers would immerge themselves into the relaxing
atmosphere and feel the good side of their lives through their multitude
of senses.
Yours sincerely,
Tiffany Lai, Jessica van Wijgerden, Laetitia
Schreiber & Alexandra Denage (Tutorial A)