Sekaisin Lizistӓ

Vaikka suurin osa jӓrjellisistӓ briteistӓ suhtautuu monarkiaan terveellӓ ironialla, kuningatar Elizabeth kakkosen 60-vuotisen hallintokauden kunniaksi pystyyn pykӓtty jubilee-juhla on rӓjӓyttӓnyt juhlatoimikunnan tajunnan. Hӓmmentӓviӓ kunnianosoituksia elӓkeikӓiselle Lizille putkahtelee esiin eri puolilta saarivaltakuntaa.

Vai mitӓ mieltӓ ollaan Lizin kruunajaiskruunua jӓljittelevӓstӓ kukka-asetelmasta, joka on istutettu Lontoon St James’s Parkiin? Kukkakruunu on neljӓ metriӓ korkea, painaa viisi tonnia ja on rakennettu 13 500 eri kasvista. Hortonomin mӓrkӓ uni. 

Thamesin pohjoispuolta tallustavat turistit saattavat puolestaan hieraista silmiӓӓn kahdesti nӓhdessӓӓn tӓmӓn satametrisen portretin kohoavan vastarannalla. Tuliko kesӓloma sittenkin vahingossa buukattua Ceausescun Romaniaan?

Koko maa on luonnollisesti kӓӓritty yhteen valtavaan Union Jack- lippuun. Regent Streetille on nimensӓ mukaan soveliaasti ripustettu vaivaiset 140 lippua. Ja satumainen Tower Bridge on hohtaa sini-puna-valkoisessa valossa.

Ei niin, ettӓ tuomitsemaan lӓhtisin. Sininen, valkoinen ja punainen ovat vallan toimivia vӓrejӓ sinisilmӓiselle blondille. Ja kukapa ylimӓӓrӓistӓ vapaapӓivӓӓ vastustaisi. God save the Queen! 

Kolminkertainen eläköön huuto Lizille! Huraa, huraa, huraa!

Leffakesӓ 2012

Kesӓllӓ levitykseen tulevat elokuvat tuppaavat olemaan kevyitӓ komedioita tai aivot-narikkaan-blockbustereita studioiden kosiskellessa koulu- ja kesӓlomalaisyleisӧjӓ. Mutta hey-ho, ketӓ kiinnostaisikaan kesӓhelteillӓ katsoa kolmetuntisia taideleffoja? Not me.

Leffakesӓ 2012 vaikuttaa tavanomaista lupaavammalta. Sacha Baron Cohenin Diktaattori pyӧrii jo teattereissa sekalaisin arvioin. Leffaa syytetӓӓn mauttomuudesta ja epӓtasaisuudesta, mutta haloo, mitӓ voi odottaa Boratin ja Brunon isӓltӓ? Leffan traileri vakuttaa ainakin kyseenalaisella huumorintajulla varustetun blondinkan. 

Uutta Batmania odotetaan tietenkin kieli vyӧn alla. Christopher Nolanin neljӓn vuoden takainen Dark Knight oli supermenestys niin kriittisesti kuin box officessakin ja Warner Bros tiputtelee jo tiuhaan tahtiin Dark Knight Risesin teasereita.  

Tom Cruise's 'Rock of Ages' W Magazine Cover. Warner Bros./W Magazine 

The Watch on kevyt komedia ja mahdollisesti myӧs aivot-narikkaan-blockbuster. Mutta kun nӓyttelijӓkaartiin kuuluu Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill ja Vince Vaughn, odotukset ovat normaalia korkeammalla. Zoolanderia odotellessa. 

Rock of Ages – Rock-musikaali. 80-luku. Tom Cruise hevirokkarina. Nuf said. Tsekkaa jos et itse usko.

Sparkle – edesmennyt Whitney Houston viimeisessӓ roolissaan. Sparkle on tarina suositusta tyttӧbӓndistӓ, joka joutuu kokemaan menestyksen karvaan kӓӓntӧpuolen. Yksi Houstonin repliikeistӓ kuuluu: "Hasn’t my life been enough of a cautionary tale?" OMG! 

Moonrise Kingdom – Wes Andersonin uusin. Jotta indieleffafriikeillӓ olisi jotain puhuttavaa flow-festareilla. Trailer lӧytyy tӓӓltӓ.

Ted. Okei, on varsin mahdollista, jollei todennӓkӧistӓ, ettӓ Ted saa Suomen ensi-iltansa vasta syksyllӓ, mutta trailerinsa perusteella Seth Macfarlanen esikoisleffa vaikuttaa MAHTAVALTA! 

Geri Halliwell kaikilla mausteilla

Ginger Spice sekoili X Factor- tuomarina

Ei ole helppoa olla ex-Spice Girl. Jollet tietty satu olemaan megabrӓndi-baby machine Victoria Beckham. Tai ehkӓ Eddie Murphy-baby mama Mel B, joka Geriski kultasuoneen fitness-videoillaan. Geri Halliwell otti viime viikolla osaa britannian X Factoriin vierailevana tuomarina, katastrofaalisin tuloksin. Yleisӧ buuasi Halliwellin ilkeille kommenteille eikӓ ohjelman vakiotuomari Gary Barlow katsonut hyvӓllӓ Ginger Spicen tokaisua, jonka mukaan Take Thatin kaikki jӓsenet eivӓt ole laulutaitoisia. Nyt nӓyttӓӓ varmalta, ettӓ Gerin on turha odotella call backia X Factor-juryyn.

Eivӓtkӓ Gerin ongelmat lopu epӓonnistuneeseen X Factor-tyӧhaastetteluun. Huhujen mukaan myӧs pitkin kevӓttӓ kuvattu ex- Spice Girlin elӓmӓӓ seuraava reality-sarja on vaikeuksissa. Sen sijaan juorut kertovat ex-bulimikko Halliwellin (kuinka monta ex-etuliitettӓ Geriin voikaan yhdistӓӓ?) kehittӓneen kekseliӓӓn painonhallintatekniikan. Valmiina? Ota oppia pop-staralta:

Sovi lounastreffit bff:si George Michaelin kanssa kuin normaali kuolevainen. Lusikoi ruokaa suuhusi. Pureskele. Pullauta suusi tyhjӓksi ja syӧtӓ valmiiksi jauhettu suullinen jalkojesi juuressa kuolaavalle puudelillesi. Kӓytӓnnӧllistӓ, elӓinystӓvӓllistӓ ja sӓӓstӓӓ myӧs Pedigreessӓ!

Tsekkaa Ginger Spicen "grand X Factor entrance" tӓӓltӓ.

Maybe It's Because I'm a North Londoner

I've become a North Londoner for the first time. Still refusing to take part to the childish North-South feud, I'm exploring my new neighbourhood. With an autumn like this, it's pure awesomeness! 

Hampstead Heath is my new hood. My beautiful park is surrounded
by houses of the rich and unapproachable. 

After a truly horrid summer, we've been treated with a
lovely autumn. Still not too cold for picnic in late October!

South London is oh, so far away!

Maybe It's Because I'm a South Londoner

Last weekend my favourite SE London street celebrated its village fête in the form of Bermondsey Street Festival. 


Bermondsey Street is full of lovely little boutiques, design studios, bars, cafes and restaurants and it's a living proof that you don't have to (or shouldn't?) go to Shoreditch to find cool London. 


My favourites on the street include The Garrison Public House and the beer garden of The Woolpack. Kind words have also been said about the newcomers Jose Tapas Bar and Zucca, not to forget the independent cinema Shortwave. Enjoy! 

The Bermondsey Street Festival was all about dogs...

... the hog roast by The Garrison ....

... and of course about the people.

Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner

London at its best for me isn't about cool gigs and trendy hipsters. It's about random things and people that make you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And free things, like last weekend's Thames festival on South Bank.

Coconut King's business was thriving

She really enjoyed al fresco tango on the Thames. Random.

We wanted to be the sky

Words fail me. How could she be anything but happy? 

Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves

Happy International Women’s Day y'all! It’s a big one: 100 years ago from today, the Women’s Day was first marked with rallies campaigning for women’s right to work, vote, be trained and hold public office among other things. The first three women had just been elected to Finnish parliament.

We have come a long way since. But not long enough. Women still get paid less than men, are victims of domestic violence, are being discriminated because there is a chance of them getting pregnant and are still being harassed.

The UK government recently, unsurprisingly, rejected the compulsory boardroom quota for women. Instead, the companies were given a meaningless warning to increase the number of women in boardrooms. 

Currently 18 FTSE 100 companies have no female directors at all and nearly half of all FTSE 250 companies do not have a woman in the boardroom. Then again, the government itself is not exactly doing well equality-wise, with only four female members in the cabinet of 23.

Luckily it looks like the EU is planning to force a 20% quota in European boardrooms. At the moment, women make up only 3% of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and in Europe, only 12% of positions on boards are occupied by women. As low as 20% sounds like, it’s still an improvement.

And it’s not all bad news. All across the world, women are taking things to their own hands. Hollaback is a movement started in New York, and now also working in London, dedicated to ending street harassment. They are working on abolishing the cultural acceptance of sexual harassment. It's not just a "feminists' attempt to ban the fun". Do a little gallup among your girlfriends, I bet you find more than one case where they have been groped by a stranger, “because, you know, wearing skirt that short means that you’re gagging for it anyway”. And ask them how they felt about it. 

As well-meaning and lovely the men in our lives are, the equality is not going to happen without women demanding it. Nobody is going to do it for us. And sisters, we are doing it for ourselves.