Many will agree nothing is as exciting as London is right now, it’s the epitome of cool and London Fashion week clearly reflects this. For the girls it’s the clothes and for the men it’s the models. Though I’m sure many of us girls wouldn’t say no to men with dreamy eyes, chiseled features and statuesque rock hard bodies. But the beautiful specimens of men that flood our city twice a year are just a bonus. For us it’s undoubtedly the clothes and people watching. Having said that for some of my friends, it’s certainly a time to give Samantha a run for her money ,as all the good girls turn bad!!!

London really comes alive during Fashion week all the creative energy makes for wonderful parties, and drama darling I mean what shall I wear? For the fashion world it is the Oscars so you can imagine my delight upon hearing that London Fashion week will now be able to share these precious moments with us all. This means we can all get are glad rags on, toast one another in are Kirkwood’s, sit front row and all without having to bump heads with Anna Wintour. Only thing that’s left now is a Fedexed gift bag.

The British Fashion council is finally going digital,  I think we have Alexander McQueen to thank for that. A digital timetable will be released shortly alongside the regular catwalk and presentation schedule. With so many amazing British brands coming up and many already established it’s a great time to get some inspiration. Check out London Fashion week from the 19th to the 23rd live on the British Fashion Council website.

It ought to be noted that, ‘Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Coco Chanel.

Although I no longer live in London, it’s still home along with LA. I still try to keep up with what’s going on in the UK and the rest of the world by reading my favorite broadsheets online. I was speaking to one of my closest friends in London this morning, along with my normal pleas of why she ought to move to LA, we inevitably discussed the current situation in Haiti.

Why and how did this happen? What does the future hold for Haiti? Why are the disparities between the Dominican Republic and Haiti so great when in such close proximity?  The answers lie in history and the picture above tells a thousand words. The following articles by Jon Henley and Jared Diamond clearly answered these questions .

The Clinton Bush Haiti fund……….?

Without doubt both of us were surprised by the former American presidents (Clinton and Bush) setting up a fund to help those in Haiti with such alacrity . Immediately we questioned their intentions, many will say it’s complete hypocrisy when you consider history. Perhaps however, they have come to redeem themselves by ameliorating the calamities of Haitians, having learnt from past mistakes.

After all ‘History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.’ Maya Angelou. Time will tell.

Why did I decide to do this……… perhaps it’s because I couldn’t bear to see the lemons on our tree go to waste. The master cleanse is something which requires endless willpower…….. I’m not sure I have enough but having Batman certainly helps. We can do this lol.

Firstly just to let everyone know I didn’t eat a Brownie yesterday but on Friday I did. I can only dream of the taste now but quite possibly Fairytale Brownies are the most delectable thing I’ve eaten this year. Made from Beligian chocolate, the moist texture melts in your mouth, as the toffee gives it that kick.  The best or perhaps the worst thing is they can be shipped straight to your door. Can you believe we have a large box sitting in the Casa Mafia kitchen a gift from the band Age of Evil. Yep they were definetly evil giving them to us well actually Jen, the day before I started this delusional journey.

No honestly, maybe it’s because I’m British, but I really appreciate those who write thank you letters, send get well cards or guests who come to dinner with flowers or a bottle of wine, or bands that bring Brownies it’s not so much what they bring but the gesture that means so much.

I’m sure many of you will confess to this as well. I know better then to do this, but the day before I started this cleanse I found myself  having everything that I desired  because I knew the coming days would be torture. So I confess I had a Krispy Cream doughnut as well on Friday…….. Tannaz I blame you for taking me to the opening at Harrods. I couldn’t just drive past ‘HOT DOUGHNUTS’ in big flashing red lights, yes they got me. It’s been well over a year since I had one and it was worth the wait. This was supposed to be my only treat before starting, but then I got home and well the box was just sitting there!

They say the first day of a detox is hard but the second is by far the hardest. Quite evidently it is, as all i’ve written about so far is fooooooooooood. Doing a detox like this is quite possibly insane and different people will have very differing experiences depending upon their regular diet, lifestyle habits and overall health. Both Bruce and I eat pretty well although it could always be better. He’s vegetarian I’m not but I do try to always buy and eat happy meat. (More of that in another post). So although I’m dreaming about food I’m not actually starving, I feel very tried which is normal I’ve had no food! It becomes very apparent when fasting that this need for food is essentially a mental need to practice are habitual rhythm rather then a physical one.

So far I’ve had no headaches in fact any side effects of detoxing at all. Perhaps I’m not very toxic. I have to remind myself at this point why I decided to do this. The real reason is I felt my body needed to be reset. Fasting has been practiced for centuries and without doubt one of the greatest benefits is you really start to appreciate food, your body feels clean, as your mind becomes clearer. I’ve done only 2 fasts in my life this is my third one, once a year is quite enough.

Bruce bless him, is holding up but having watched his last blog he got things a little mixed up, when it came to the mixture so I’ll update you on that. Till then kisses.

I have no doubt this little girl could put many of us to shame or perhaps I should just include myself.  This video always makes me smile.  For those of you who are wondering, the song is by Jessy Matad’or  a musician from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is entitled Decale Gwanda.  It’s available for download on itunes.

I think African music has for many years, been overlooked by the international stage, each region has it’s own unique sound and culture. With music and dance  still remaining an intrinsic part of African life, serving both utilitarian and aesthetic functions, we still have much to explore. Early sources on African music are largely based on western theoretical frameworks, and show a complete bias, as African music was traditionally  passed down from generation to generation orally.

It was the transatlantic slave trade that exposed other nations to African music. The African diaspora were forced to adapt to western ideals, with little or no access to instruments their voices became their only saviour allowing them to preserve some of their African heritage. This plight created the basis for contemporary music as the rhythms and sounds of African music were modified. Without the influence of African music we may never have experienced the joys of Jazz, the Blues, Gospel, and indeed Hip Hop. Ironically things have gone full circle as modern African music is influenced by American pop culture.

You can explore African and world music by visiting some of the  following websites Mondomix, World Music Store ,  World Music National Geographic,  NPR, African Hip Hop ,Wayango.

BBC 1xtra also produces a radio show called Destination Africa which plays the latest underground African sounds.

Enjoy listening to something different!!

I was standing this evening in the kitchen at Casa Mafia watching the news as I do most nights whilst cooking or some might say experimenting .

Pictures can be so powerful; as they capture just a moment. I still have vivid images of the famine in Sudan, I was less then ten years old, but those images have continued to haunt me. The skeletal children, covered in flies as if corpses, all suffering from kwashiorkor, an illness which seems ironic when you think about its physical effects. Famine is a man-made disaster and that’s what makes it so infuriating. Once again this evening I felt perturbed by the images I saw, but what good is it to be moved in that moment, if you do nothing but stare blindly at the TV.

It became apparent that an earthquake which registered 7.o on the ricter scale has hit impoverished Haiti, devastating Port-au-Prince. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people may have died, the first pictures seen since the earthquake show incredibly moving scenes. An earthquake is devastating wherever it is but most counties have the means or indeed the infrastructure to recover.

Haiti has for decades experienced extreme poverty, violence environmental degradation, instability and dictatorship leaving it the poorest nation in the western hemisphere with the highest infant mortality rates. Half of the population survive on less then $1, which seems inconceivable to you or I.

I have to really praise Wyclef Jean for his humanitarian efforts, it’s easy to forget your roots, he has without doubt been instrumental in creating awareness about Haiti and its plight in recent years. Once again this evening he called upon our support. Haiti without it will not survive so please give generously to those who have little left, through his foundation Yele Haiti. Wyclef Jean is urging donors to text ‘Yele’ to 501501 and make a $5 contribution to the relief effort using your mobile phone.   Alternatively here’s some other charities you may consider donating to Oxfam, Save the Children.  UNICEF,  Doctors without boarders, World Vision and Red Cross.

Though Haiti has experienced devestation it is a nation who in the early 19th century overthrew French colonial control and slavery. It became the world’s first black-led republic and first independent Caribbean state, so no doubt the spirit of Haitains will rise up again but without basic resources they have little hope.