Film review: 2012

 

DIRECTED BY Roland Emmerich

STARRING John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt

US 2009                  158 mins

 

Film review: Taking Woodstock

DIRECTED BY Ang Lee

STARRING Demetri Martin, Henry Goodman, Imelda Staunton, Emile Hirsch

US 2009                               110 mins

 

Keeping their kit on for cancer

By rights, we should all now be suffering from a case of naked compassion fatigue; after another batch of calendars goes on sale displaying yet another motley collection of Brits posing with emblematic items to conceal their ‘private parts’.

Blame those Women’s Institute members from Yorkshire after they posed in 2000 wearing little more than a set of pearls and a smile with strategically positioned jam pots, watering cans and fairy cakes. Then, it was lauded as an original, well produced, witty concept calendar, with the result sales rocketed with a leukaemia charity being the sole beneficiary. Sadly it was also universally copied and long established ways of fund raising have now been replaced by an urge to show off one’s bum in public.

Problem that often remains hidden

With two per cent of people around the world suffering from psoriasis, the skin condition affects around 15,000 people in Cyprus. Although most people know of psoriasis, few realise it can turn deadly if left untreated as people with it tend to suffer other health risks such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes.

Restaurant review: Domus, Nicosia

Nicosians tend to complain that the capital isn’t properly equipped with restaurants bearing a winning combination of brilliant food, fabulous atmosphere, inviting music and hearty cocktails. Unfortunately they are right but with one exception: Domus, a spot favoured by those of all ages.

Plant of the week: Calabar Bean

Name: Calabar Bean (Physostigma venenosum)

Otherwise known as: Ordeal Nut, Chopnut

Habitat: A vigorous climbing perennial of the Leguminoseae family attaining a height of 15m in rich, moist soil in tropical West Africa. It closely resembles the scarlet runner with pinnately trifoliate leaves and pendulous racemes of purple flowers that produce a pod of about 16cm that contains three chocolate-coloured beans. The plant has no odour but the beans are fatal to mammals.

Panto’s alter ego

I’m greeted by the ever so polite Mike Baulch in his impressive down town office and I can’t help but feel a little shocked at the striking difference between his various stage personas and his real life character. The malevolent Shakespearean Malvolio is, after all, one of the favourite roles he has portrayed in his many years as a member of the Anglo Cypriot Theatre group ACT, poles away from his position as Chief Executive at the RIME Information Bureau.

“Ah yes, acting is a bit of fantasy. You just forget about your day and completely move away from your normal self,” Mike says. “But there’s also a lot of ego involved in it. I just love to hear an audience applaud or laugh, it gives you a real sense of satisfaction.”

Diary: There is no plan B

Back in London this week, enjoying autumnal weather and ogling supercars.

It always amazes me that there are so many ultra expensive cars parked on the streets of central London. Sitting on meters, I’ve seen a €1m Bugatti Veyron as well as countless Rolls Phantoms at a mere €500k a pop. I could show you a car park behind Selfridges that is permanently stuffed with Maybachs, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and Bentleys. I often pace its four stories in awed reverence pretending to fumble for my keys, and remember where I left the Aston, when occasionally I bump into a police foot patrol. All cars are good. These cars are, well, super.

Bar review: Jello, Ayia Napa

 

Jello is a type of futuristic café, restaurant, lounge bar fusion effort that is aimed at Ayia Napa’s growing population of beautiful people and hip young tourists.

The crowd here is young, sexy and stylish, making this the place to go for the young glitterati who know mobile phones and wifi are essential in every pub.

It’s just a stone’s throw from the harbour in Ayia Napa and seems to never close, offering everything from early breakfasts to late night snacks.

It’s bright and open, uses contemporary, almost space-age, furniture and simple interior design tricks to pull off a modern look.

Economy worse than expected

THE RECESSION being faced by Cyprus this year will possibly be worse than expected, the island’s top banker said yesterday as he called for major structural changes to the public sector.

In an unusual move, the normally low-profile Central Bank Governor Athanasios Orphanides made a statement before a meeting yesterday of the Economic Advisory Committee.

Earlier this month, the European Commission (EC) forecast that Cyprus’ gross domestic product (GDP) would decline this year by 0.7 per cent, reaching 0.1 per cent growth next year and 1.3 per cent in 2011.

“Of course, these forecasts … did not take into consideration the deterioration displayed by the latest figures of the Statistical Service [issued on November 13],” Orphanides said.