Fantastic Sunday at Manor Gardens allotments

This was definately a great Sunday... lots of sun and the first time I felt some sense of community in London. It was like to be in the country side... something I realise today I completely forgot. The Manor Gardens Allotments is an heaven hidden at the outskirt of east London. It's a real shame that I just found out about that peaceful spot just when it is going to disappear because of the Olympic site development. Apparently people on the allotments got a bit more time before they will have to go away from their piece of paradise. The deadline has been postponed until August as I understand. I hope they will all find another piece of heaven to replace this one.

Sign the petition to save Manor Gardens allotments!

I just find out today about this petition to save Manor Gardens allotments. I just ended up reading a leaflet about that at the Pogo cafe in Hackney (I recommend strongly the fresh apple juice with ginger on a grey sunday morning! - cool logo too - see picture).

The allotments are going to disappear following the buidling of the Olympic site!! just read this messages below from people who have allotments there... it tells everything... Sign the petition now and visit the lifeisland.org site for more info about the campaign

Hasan Ali, 64
Grows Figs, peaches, grapes and olives.
‘I bring my grandchildren here and show them how to grow tomatoes and strawberries. On Sundays we get together and have a drink. We have so many different people of all ages and backgrounds who have been coming here for years. If they bulldoze over the allotments our stories are gone.’

Reg Hawkins, 75
Grows Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, lettuce.
‘I’ve been coming here since I was seven when I used to come with my father. It means I don’t have to buy vegetables contaminated by fertilisers from the supermarket. It will be devastating to lose the site.’

Blood Diamonds

I watched the film Blood Diamonds last week at a preview screening in London. To be honest I wasn't expecting much of that film, especially as the director did previously terrible things like the Last Samurai with Tom Cruise or even worse Legend of the Fall with Brad Pitt... Read more »

freespeech on the net

have you heard of the campaign for free speech irrepressible.info

I think it's worth checking this one out...

Free Palestine

This week I have been to a fantastic and very moving exhibition featuring art works inspired by Palestinian women. The exhibition is still on until 20 September at Amnesty International UK building. The artist is Paula Cox - a great woman who has been travelling around the world and decided to focus her work on Palestine. She has been there 5 times now and will go back soon to organise workshops in the Occupied Territories. That exhibition was also a time for me to say good luck to my colleague - Sophia - who is going there on a peace mission with the Quakers. Lots of emotions... lots of hope that one day Palestians will be free from oppression. That evening I also met people from Solidarity for Palestine Campaign. Go and check their site! www.palestinecampaign.org. They do an important work here, reminding us here that help is still needed over there. Peace.

Oh I nearly forgot to tell you about the Palestian Olive Oil... not to be missed. I had a chance to try some at the exhibition. You can get some here in London and help the locals in Palestine to live from their work. Visit www.zaytoun.org

Picking berries in Hackney Marshes

This weekend I went in the Hackney countryside... the Lee Valley Natural Reserve. Birds, ducks, wild wild lifes... and berries... lots of them. Me and Kemo decided to pick berries to make a tart on Sunday. I recommend this to everybody who needs some natural touch after a hard week at work. it's definately very miam miam creative and rewarding. Now we still have some tart left in the fridge for Monday... something to look forward:) So next time we will go to look for plums... apparently there are loads of them (but shhhhush it's a secret)

First posting - the Power of Sound

Voila, it's my first posting... how exciting!! blogblogblog... that's the question. Yes this blog is about everything... things that strike my imagination... people I am meeting... dreams... anger... and more.

Today I attend a seminar on IT and online communication for charities. It was a wonderful sunny afternoon and the seminar was N1 London Brigde in a huge strange old style futuristic building with a immense hall with a tiny reception desk. They promised cakes. So my expectations were high. Inside the actual seminar room, only a few cookies were waiting but the surprise was actually the content of the seminar : very interesting with an audience (people from various charities such as Christian Aid, MSF, TearFund,...) who were cool and not too nerdy (oufff). The best part of the seminar was really the one about The Power of Sound - or online audio presence. The speaker, a women called Jude Habib who used to work at BBC, was fantastic and deliver one of the best presentation I haven't heard for ages. Simple, inspiring and participative. It was all that. She definately convinces me that adding audio to a website was essential. It gives that human touch missing so much from most online products. Just through a voice you can sense / feel so much - no need for image or music - again, it's all there.