cafebabel.com

Five tips on how not to get lost in Utrecht (8 images)

begumagca — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:50:58 -0000

Bike, student, canal. These three words can summarise the Netherland’s fourth biggest city: Utrecht. With a population of 300, 000, you might think we were joking about losing our way in the city. The vibrant city has so much to offer that you will forgive us for getting lost whilst discovering its unique landscape

Brand new 'cafébabel' site - coming soon!

English language version of cafebabel.com — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:10:00 -0000

It's happening, it's about time, watch this space, mind the gap, and all that palaver - cafébabel is proud to announce it will be relaunching a new website very shortly, with a fresh design, innovative new format and even more opportunities to collaborate on a participatory journalistic platform. Stay tuned!

Raki: calling time on Turkey's national drink?

Lucy Knight — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:30:00 -0000

The Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is leading a fierce campaign against alcoholic drinks by discouraging consumption and increasing taxes. So where does this leave raki - a pleasant spirit flavoured with anise - and what do those who consider it Turkey's national drink make of the measures?

Karin Park: 'Moving to Japan from a Swedish village makes you grow up fast'

Lisa Braamt — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:09:50 -0000

Her dark and mystical music is influenced by her native Sweden and childhood in Japan. After having her first success in Norway the 34-year-old from Djura is still pretty unknown elsewhere in Europe

Greek-German erasmus student on Istanbul’s Gezi Park protests

cafebabel.com — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:32:38 -0000

Whether you are a political activist in your home country or not, every erasmus student exchange programme participant who came to Istanbul this semester is a part of the 'gezipark hell', as it was first called in the social media. Protesters trying to stop a small park being turned into an Ottoman-era shopping centre has turned into a Turkey-wide movement of protest against the government, says Hlektra

Documentary review: ‘Stone Games’ on German-Czech relations

Craggy — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:15:59 -0000

‘Hra o kámen’, Jan Gebert's debut film, looks at the attitudes towards the 'collective guilt' of Germans following the second world war. Based in the small Czech town of Nový Bor, a memorial to eight murdered Germans has inflamed local anger over the issue which goes all the way to the town hall

Five films to watch before you visit Naples

Mario Paciolla — Tue, 28 May 2013 08:09:01 -0000

Italy's third largest city was an early filmic setting for the Lumiere brothers' short movies, before movie theatres were gradually introduced in around 1905. From war-time liberation to corrupt underworlds via commedia dell'arte and Sophia Loren, here's five of the best from Naples' cinematic heritage

The Bicycle Supremacy: Dutch icons from Slavic viewpoint

jasnarajnarpetrovic — Mon, 27 May 2013 12:44:20 -0000

It is an extraordinary experience for Slavic people walking around a city like Utrecht. In most of the countries from the former eastern bloc we see the Netherlands as small country full of ridiculous stereotypes - their passion for orange, windmills, wooden boots, canals, caramel waffles...

Suffocation of Roma and Sinti camps in Italy

Lucy Knight — Mon, 27 May 2013 10:45:00 -0000

The latest chapter in the decade-long history of housing segregation of Roma groups in Italy occurred in Rome, where the city authorities have enacted measures that prevent the Roma from accessing social housing

Student societies in Utrecht, where 'puking only beer foam doesn't count'

Sonjanik — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:39:22 -0000

One student says she does not need an excuse to drink to join a union, whilst another is busy vomiting into a bucket in a deserted building in the centre on a sunny weekend afternoon... Initiation into the specifics of student traditions in the Dutch city

Christophe Chassol: 'My flat burnt down; life goes on!'

English language version of cafebabel.com — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:30:13 -0000

The French pop singer is king of a new genre of ‘ultrascore’ . On 1 April the 36-year-old released his second solo album, the fruit of a two-week trip across India. We talk inspirations and Bertrand Burgalat

Tomas Šileika: 'We sing about what hurts in Lithuania'

Daiva Repečkaitė — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:07:50 -0000

The young generation of Lithuanians is slowly getting rid of the fears and prejudices of the older generations: if they find something relevant in the work of Marx or if they decide that glorification of private initiative and enterprise is not the only way, they will pursue it. Yet the path of creative expression is not easy for critically thinking artists, says the singer in the first Lithuanian left-wing rock band, Skyders

HMV, Virgin closures: get thee to live music festivals

Hayley — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:28:58 -0000

Both Virgin in France and HMV in the UK going into administration is bad news for the music industry. Yet the live music industry is still going strong, with artists continuing to draw in large audiences to concerts

Ageing stars are hip

Hannah Mosford — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:27:43 -0000

The Rolling Stones, My Bloody Valentine, Depeche Mode, David Bowie…with so many surprise comebacks, the first half of 2013 has been marked by famous veterans returning in force. They reflect a very real culture of nostalgia. But does experience always win the day?

Fire-related deaths in neglected Russia

PeasantPedant — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:24:17 -0000

There was no time. In the space of just a few minutes, early in the morning of 26 April, a psychiatric hospital in the province of Moscow was reduced to ashes - and it's not the first tragedy to make ash out of Russia's people and institutions

Pull the (Franco-German) wool over your eyes

Sarah Truesdale — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:41 -0000

Sometimes, all it takes is for a politician to let slip one comment about another country for Europe to be plunged once again into a new war of words. Who has taken their oath too far - and how do you express that sentiment in other European languages? Idiom of the week

Nina Degele: ‘For me, same-sex marriage is not progress’

English language version of cafebabel.com — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:21:17 -0000

The professor of gender studies at the university of Freiburg, 49, says her mission statement is to ‘overcome the evidence and focus on the really social elements (not the biological ones, or the ones defined by god), which are behind social phenomena. Over a skype phone call, we talk LGBT, women’s football and conservate stead

Mehmet: 'Being gay is easier in Turkey's metropoles'

Alise — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:00:00 -0000

Halfway between east and west, between the 'European dream' and the 'Caucasian way of life', Turkey still doesn't seem like a country for gay people. The 29-year-old explains that far from the great metropolises of the country, sexual freedom is still reserved for the cultural elite - or for the world of cyber-dating

Poland, land of ‘IT’ girls, home of 'she-geeks'

Natali Lekka — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:14:17 -0000

More than 40% of Generation Yers intend to set up a company within the next three years, the result of a rigid and suffocating marketplace that has rendered 14% of Poles unemployed. And it doesn’t stop there. Within the staggering youth unemployment rate (26%), the numbers are a lot more unforgiving (30%) for young women under 25

Swedish, Italian, Portuguese and local media on Britain-EU exit debate

euro topics — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:21:37 -0000

On 14 May David Cameron presented a draft bill for a referendum on EU membership to be held by 2017 in a bid to appease the EU opponents in his conservative party. Commentators say the draft will only lead to an anti-European rebellion among the tories, and call on the prime minister to campaign for a comprehensive reform of the EU instead

'Nobody knows that I am a member of Femen in Paris'

Sarah Truesdale — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:03 -0000

Taking back the female body, crushing male domination, fighting prostitution - these are the battles of Femen, the off-the-wall feminists from the Ukraine. Since establishing an 'office' in Paris, the members are staging bare-breasted protests in all four corners of Europe. Their message is that they can can strike where they want, when they want

Quinoa cool

Ruth Woodrow — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:20:24 -0000

Raspberries are no longer hip enough, it has to be Brazilian acai berries. A light green spirulina smoothie is so nineties, according to many health fanatics, when you can now sip on green kale. And who still cooks millet when it’s all about exotic quinoa? It’s enough to make natural food philistines dizzy, but what can and should you eat without being revealed to be 'uncool'?

Vox-pop: Three Catalan journalists analyse EU as it turns 63

Marta Roqueta Fernàndez — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:40:59 -0000

Despite the efforts of institutions from all over Spain, only a few Spaniards know when and why Europe Day is celebrated. According to the last eurobarometer polls in autumn 2012, 51% of the Spanish people don’t know anything about the rights that they have as Europeans, says Marta Roqueta

European Union - similar to Soviet Union?

HeadIO — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:49:22 -0000

On 9 May the EU celebrates Europe Day. What do we have to celebrate? The EU is a bold and unique project. It's hard to find historic models. Its approach resembles less that of the United States of America and more that of the Soviet Union, says Andreas Kiener

Rant at Spain's young technology addicts

Alise — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:30:00 -0000

Have we been consumed by technology? Do we only have time for our virtual avatars? These could become the problems of our time if we don't learn how to separate the intangible world of the internet from that which surrounds us

'9 May is my ex-girlfriend's birthday' - it's also Europe Day

Stefanie Brüning — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:28:42 -0000

9 May 2013 will be a great day in Germany. People will go out on the street and celebrate together all the fathers of their nation, as it is ascension day and therefore the traditional Father’s Day. But will they think about Robert Schuman, the architect of the European Union, too?

Science of the EU: back to the big bang

Haluka Maier-Borst — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:54:18 -0000

As I stood on the plateau of Chajnantor in northern Chile, 5000 meters above sea level, I was not only reporting about the inauguration of the second biggest scientific project of mankind. I could also look back into Europe’s birth and see how powerful its idea has become

Europe Day, 9 May (guest list open)

lara_eck — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:04:25 -0000

I picture Europe as an elegant lady with grayish hair and fine clothes, a warm-hearted, literate old woman who likes to invite her friends to dinner parties. Her sons throw her a birthday party on 9 May - but who is on the guest list? Is there even a cause for celebration today?

Czech Republic vs. Chechnya

English language version of cafebabel.com — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:30:00 -0000

For us Spaniards, it’s easy to confuse the German for 'German' - 'Deutsch' - and the nationality of the 'Dutch', or the words ‘sueco’ (Swedish) and ‘suizo’ (Swiss). In a continent as rich as we live in, it’s easy to match its languages, identities and traditions with confusions (although football can help)

The business of Queensday mania in Netherlands

Jana Fischer — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:47:20 -0000

A trio of Spaniards and German journalists take to the streets of Utrecht to investigate the reasons for a very Dutch passion. In one of the world's most liberal countries, people are making the monarch's birthday, and historic abdication to her son after 33 years as regent on 30 April - the biggest event of the European monarchichal year

Olivier Heim of très.b on moving to Poland

Agathe Osinski — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:30:00 -0000

The band have a French-inspired name, and the trio behind it encompass five different nationalities. They met in Denmark and moved to the Netherlands before setting up base in Warsaw. The Dutch-American singer and guitarist says the band’s international aspect is not particularly surprising – it is simply a result of who he is

Penguin, Carambar, Cucciolone: sweets that come with jokes in Europe

Sarah Truesdale — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:50:46 -0000

When French sweet company Carambar indicated that it may put an end to its wrapper jokes on its soft caramel treats, there was a general outcry for nostalgia and traditions past. But it was a hoax, and the debate led us to find that there are many other places in Europe where jokes are fondly remembered on sweet wrappers

'Girlfriend in a Coma': Film censured by Italy opens in Berlin

ncampbell — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:00:00 -0000

Italy has been in a coma for far too long: this documentary wants to wake it up. Director Annalisa Piras herself was at the Babylon Mitte cinema where the audience, mostly made up of Italian expats, was critical yet keen to participate in the debate. One audience member admitted that what they saw on screen pained them

Art in Athens: LGBT weapon against homophobia

redhawk682 — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:17:23 -0000

A small crowd blows cigarette smoke skyward as a blaze of harsh fluorescent light spills from a towering doorway across the cobbled street in Athens’ slightly seedy Metaxourgio neighborhood. Unmarked by any sign, this is one of Athens’ most respected galleries – The Breeder. Tonight, 30 March, it plays host to a throng of about 100 artists, art lovers and gay rights activists who have gathered for the fifth annual Artists for Athens Pride auction, writes Austin Fast

‘Now.Here’: Hobby horse journey from mid-Wales to London

Annie Rutherford — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:15:00 -0000

In a tongue-in-cheek odyssey, Aimee Corbett and Vanessa Hammick journeyed on hobby horse from mid-Wales to London, collecting stories from everyone they encountered. In the guise of the theatre group Drawn to Stars, they later wove their adventures into a theatre piece. We chat with them and the group’s musician Ellen Jordan about isolation and collecting stories

‘Why is pissing in the sink so good?’: Rise of lads magazines in France

English language version of cafebabel.com — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:08:01 -0000

Countless magazines are targetted at men and women (and rarely both at the same time). Another trend is emerging: the irreverent return of the man, the real deal, the one who calls women ‘babes’ and downs pints. The French magazine Jooks,which was launched in April 2012, is a prime example

Inna Shevchenko: ‘I was against being topless for a long time’

Alexandra Kuderski — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:59:23 -0000

At the Lavoir Moderne, Femen's headquarters in the 18th district of Paris, the 22-year-old Ukrainian feminist has just finished Femen training – which also serves as a film set for a crew from the TV station France 2 - and allows me a few minutes for an interview. She is cold at first, but turns out to be cordial and passionate in her answers

LinkedIn Lithuania: Crisis is catastrotunity for creative entrepreneurs

Daiva Repečkaitė — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:20:10 -0000

Most European twentysomethings jump from internship to internship as they struggle to find their first real full-time job with a permanent contract. An emerging 'subculture' of their peers in Vilnius is already tired of such jobs and look to entrepreneurship for inspiration and self-fulfillment. Vox-pop of three out-of-the-0rdinary profiles

Invisible woman in Paris, and image of the black female body in Europe

Dionne babelian.photographer-curator-film/doc producer — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:14:12 -0000

There is a starkness that is processed by the image of the invisible West African woman in the east of Paris that bothers me plenty

Church and homosexuality in Italy

ncampbell — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:30:00 -0000

One of the legacies of former prime minister Mario Monti was stating that a proper family 'is one made up of a man and a woman'. The relationship between Italian politics and homosexuality is rocky, from presidents of Italian regions to gay pride 2013, and the somewhat inevitable role of the Vatican. Gay pride will be held in Palermo in June 2013

'Drungli': Couchsurfers create travel business with a philosophy

Nabeelah Shabbir — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:43:07 -0000

Orsi Tóth, 29, from Hungary, is an economist graduate. Her partner Ereid Gjergji, 35, is an Albanian living in Italy, a graduate of engineering and maritime studies. The Albanian-Hungarian couple explain why they marketed their search engine business Drungli by appealing to adventure and spontaneity

Russian children in US: No-one wins in 'Kramer vs. Kramer'

Alise — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:00:00 -0000

In the customary trinity that is usually produced in most divorces, there is one element that is sometimes used, sometimes sought-after, and almost always victim: the children. The recent death of a Russian child adopted by an American couple adds to the list of numerous cases of kids from Russia that have been abandoned or mistreated by their foster families

Obituary: P183 aka 'Russian Banksy'

Diana Kulchitskaya — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:45:17 -0000

On 2 April the Russian internet exploded with the news that the street artist had passed away at the age of 29. Pasha183 was not that well-known in Russia, but became famous abroad when several British newspapers published his works and attracted attention to the young talented man, comparing him to Banksy - which he disliked

Mathias Cardet: 'A good rapper is a rapper who has quit already'

English language version of cafebabel.com — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:39:21 -0000

For some, rap was merely a way of legitimising marijuana consumption or tracksuit styles. For others, the genre has always represented an escape in an increasingly dissatisfied world. With his latest book ‘The Dreadful Masquerade of Rap’, the French author wants to give rap back to the all-assuming hip-hop genre which tried to claim it

Britain-EU: Is there a way past the desire for a way out?

Michael O'Neill — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:56:38 -0000

Britain and the EU have never quite seen eye-to-eye. As the political landscape changes for the worse and the financial crisis drags on,what lies at the root of the rift between the two sides and is there any hope for EU-UK reconciliation?

Bersani brings random (jaguar) metaphors to Italian politics

English language version of cafebabel.com — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:00:00 -0000

How do you define making the impossible possible? Italy’s centre-left leader is up for the rather incomprehensive idea of 'knocking the spots off a jaguar' to work hard, whilst the Poles are happy to 'bring trees to the forest'. Metaphors and idioms of futility of the week

Italy, Spain and Portugal's youth increasingly apply for EU traineeships

Georgia — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:07:57 -0000

Twice a year, the European commission offers recent graduates the opportunity to carry out a five-month internship (generously paid at 1, 000 euros per month) within its departments. Although the number of available posts for each recruitment drive has remained stable for several years (around 1, 300), the number of (southern) applicants has been consistently increasing

Velonotte, 'born in Moscow': philosophy of the night bike rider

Diana Kulchitskaya — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:21:12 -0000

From Rome, London and New York to St Petersburg, Sergey Nikitin’s project welcomes bike riders from Russia and abroad to enjoy night cycling from a different perspective. ‘Moscow at night looks very peculiar,’ he says of the Russian capital of 12 million people

Denisas Kolomyckis: 'Lithuanian society will be ready for LGBT rights in a few years'

sarahgmolloy — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:55:00 -0000

His shyness seems at odds with his achievements; already by the age of 20, the Vilnius-born ballet dancer has stacked up experience in the world of the arts, from the Lithuanian capital to New York via London and Paris, where we meet. Nor has he any qualms about speaking of his homosexuality: 'I am one of those rare people who talks about it in every interview'

Baptism, the ultimate career move in Germany

Mr Zee — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:49:33 -0000

In Germany the christian church and its institutions are important players in the social work system. To get jobs in organisations like Caritas you don’t just need to have the right qualifications; you also need to be in the right church. Lara R. spent a year working in youth services for 'Diakonisches Werk'. She swallowed her principles, took the plunge and got herself baptised so that she’d have more chance of getting a job