text:
Engage the World

Whether testing ideas in Buffalo or engaging the built landscape of Barcelona, the School of Architecture and Planning offers a global academic experience.

With the most extensive study abroad participation levels at the University at Buffalo, the School of Architecture and Planning offers diverse, life-changing travel opportunities for students.

Our exchange programs include three European universities, allowing students to complete a semester of coursework while immersed in the local culture and environment of Aarhus, Denmark or Weimar, Germany.

Similarly, global summer studios, led by faculty from the School of Architecture and Planning, engage buildings, cities, and countries with striking natural, constructed, and cultural landscapes. In 10 weeks of in-studio and on-site experiences, students build knowledge, deepen friendships, and expand their perspectives. In Spain, Costa Rica, Ireland, or Japan, summer abroad participants can graduate early and prepare for careers in an increasingly global field.

Students can also participate in short-term study-abroad trips. From exploring transportation in Estonia to experimenting with new construction methods in China, the School of Architecture and Planning offers a variety of focused, short-term international experiences. These programs allow students and faculty to engage pressing social, technological, economic, and environmental challenges in architecture and planning.

A group of 12 students are immersed in the landscape of Spain's historic capital of Madrid as part of a new study abroad program that combines intense production with daily "seeing and drawing" tours and cultural experiences.

Students are playing a central role in development of the school's Time Space Existence exhibit in Venice during the 2018 Architecture Biennale. Read more about the students and their work.

Imagine an apartment tower that expands – and downsizes – in response to rapidly changing lifestyles. This off-the-charts smart building design has won UB architecture professor Jin Young Song first place in an international competition to consider design in the “self-evolving city.”

An article on Archinect News reports on a new documentary at the Venice Architecture Biennale that showcases how students in the UB School of Architecture and Planning are learning from and rebuilding the City of Buffalo. The article notes that UB students and faculty are becoming an integral part of Buffalo’s renaissance, whether working with local refugee entrepreneurs or revitalizing local fabrication and industry, with students using the city itself as a laboratory, deeply embedding themselves in the community and the challenges it faces. The article includes a short video that was shown at the exhibition. The article also appeared on SeriouslyArchitecture.com

Domestic travel is an important element of the School of Architecture and Planning experience, as well. The United States is a vast and varied nation with remarkable buildings, exemplary cities and awe-inspiring landscapes. From day trips and short-distance, weekend excursions to multi-week, cross-country tours, domestic travel opportunities are offered every semester to students at all levels.

Twenty-one architecture students spent winter break traveling throughout the southern U.S. on a trip designed to expose students to architecture in their own country.

Additionally, our faculty practice and conduct research around the world, from Spain to India to South Korea, offering students one-of-a-kind opportunities for independent research. Through fellowships and a jam-packed lecture series offered every semester, the school brings in leading scholars and practitioners from around the world to teach, conduct research, participate in events and serve as critics.

The School of Architecture and Planning is a global community. In addition to an internationally-trained faculty, UB is one of the top universities in the nation for international enrollment. Our diverse student body brings the world into our programs and supports a culture of inclusiveness.


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The Asaba Disgrace …

What a big disgrace!!!!

N4 billion of the Nigerian taxpayers’ money to procure disgrace, and embarrassment for Nigeria?What a shame!!!!

“I think this is the first and last time I will come to Nigeria to compete. If you are not ready to organise something please don’t…It was three days of travel for some and two days for others; like you are travelling from Africa to Asia or America. I have been to four African Championships and it’s my first time to have that kind of bad organisation. No respect for the people.” – Marie Josee Ta Lou, Ivorian athlete.

Shame on all the local organisers of the just concluded 21st Africa Senior Athletics Championships held in Asaba, Delta state tagged #Asaba2018 for spending N4 billion of the Nigerian taxpayers’ money to procure disgrace, and embarrassment for Nigeria, bring odium unto the country, attract the contempt of other African countries and cause an international relations disaster. Sport is an important tool of diplomacy and global negotiation for power and identity. The branding opportunities involved in sports are vast and immeasurable. In the recently concluded 2018 World Cup in Russia, countries fought hard because they knew their national image was at stake. The host country received plaudits for giving the rest of the world a tournament to remember. We were told that smiling anyhow to strangers is considered strange in Russia, but for the World Cup, Russians were told that it is human and normal to smile in public.

A non-smiling population learnt to smile and even laugh! Russia wanted to make an impression it even relaxed visa application rules. But don’t forget that some of our brothers took advantage of that and “stormed Russia” only to be abandoned by those who took them there. They ended up sleeping on the doorsteps of the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow. If the Russians thought the Nigerians were odd, they didn’t complain openly. They wore our jerseys and embraced us. After Russia 2018, the stories have all been sweet and warm. It was a great moment for Russia and Putin, its President.

The contrast was the outcome when a few weeks later, Nigeria hosted a less grandiose event: the African Senior Athletics Championships in Asaba. We messed up the opportunity thoroughly and shamelessly. The comment above by Marie Josee Ta Lou, track star from Ivory Coast is fairly representative. When the athletes arrived, they met an unprepared country, indeed a country in disarray. Athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Eritrea, Morocco arrived the Murtala Muhammad Airport in Lagos on Sunday, over 200 of them (!). They couldn’t get connecting flights from Lagos to Asaba until three days later, the day the championship was meant to start. We were shown pictures of the visiting athletes sleeping on the floor at the airport. Twitter Kenya and its trolls carried the matter on their heads and abused Nigeria and Nigerians as if they were talking to their mates. Don’t forget that Nigeria is supposed to be “the giant of Africa” and we are also the biggest economy in the entire continent. But the Kenyans dragged us on the floor with negative comments. Kenya! Hmm.

We eventually managed to get the athletes to Asaba, but other problems surfaced. The local organisers could not provide accommodation. They could not manage accreditation. Foreign journalists could not have access to power outlets. Many of them sat on the floor. When they complained, some of them were labeled “hostile” and warned to behave themselves! The opening ceremony could not start as scheduled. Even athletes from Eritrea had to protest. One of them reportedly said: “We’ve not had a good experience since we arrived in Nigeria…” Hen hen… Erit-re-a!

The President of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) was also quoted as saying: “We didn’t have this kind of problem in previous championships. We have been to Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Marrakesh and Durban. The people there showed commitment and things went on well…” The Tanzanians also got so frustrated, by Thursday they decided to boycott the championship. They packed their things and left. “We are not angry, but we are disappointed”, the Secretary of the Tanzania Athletics Association said. Tanzania!

The other countries that stayed behind even had worse tales to tell. There were reports of the tracks being terrible: with bumps and potholes in a newly completed stadium. It is called the Stephen Keshi Stadium. The late star footballer and coach must have been turning in his grave, furious that some of his compatriots have used his name in vain, and so disrespectfully. Some of the athletes even pointed out that they were afraid of being injured so they had to run carefully. #Asaba2018 does not represent the true potential of African athletes. Kenya came first, South Africa second, Nigeria, third on the final medals table but perhaps the outcomes could have been different if the environment of competition had been enabling.

The athletes had no changing rooms, the toilets were dirty, water supply was a problem! On Thursday, last week, the stadium’s overhead water tank collapsed. It crashed. We have heard of collapsed buildings, but now in Asaba, a water tank collapsed and crushed two vehicles at an international event. The Kenyans said their athletes were almost crushed. To be fair, it is not only Kenyans that are protesting, even if they were the ones who carried the thing on their head. Nigerian athletes also lamented. They must have been ashamed of their country.

In typical Nigerian fashion, the local organisers, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) led by Solomon Ogba has been busy trying to blame others and dodge responsibility. One excuse that I have heard is that nobody should blame the Delta State Government because all it tried to do was to help Nigeria save face. How? We are told that the championship was meant to be hosted originally by Lagos State, but Lagos State changed its mind and rather than allow the championship to be taken to another country, Delta State stepped in. This is a very stupid excuse.

The Ivorian athlete quoted above is therefore right: “If you are not ready to organise something please don’t….” says Marie Josee Ta Lau. Governor Okowa promised everyone that Delta State will host a superlative event. He even visited the Stadium to assess constructions. He failed Nigeria. Sporting events are used to transform communities and build infrastructure, generate jobs and activity and leave footprints behind. In organising Asaba 2018, Nigeria squandered N4 billion and got insults in return. What a country!

But we won’t just echo Kunle Ajibade and say “what a country!”. Solomon Ogba and his team must stop telling us that things went wrong because the visitors paid their participation fees late or that they arrived late or that they did not submit certain documents early enough. Ogba and co must stop giving voice to their own incompetence. It is very silly to do so, if they have any shame, let them stop mouthing nonsense. This is what happened in the final analysis: both the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Delta State Government tried to save face by making arrangements for the departure of the visiting athletes. I guess they are all glad to be out of here, but many of them don’t ever hope to come back to Nigeria for any tournament. And that is N4 billion down the drain! This is what should now happen: the contractors who put Nigeria to shame: the contractor in charge of water supply, the contractor who laid the tracks, whoever created a shameful situation whereby athletes had to be fetching water with buckets in a brand new stadium, and every one who approved the shoddy management of #Asaba2018 should be made to account for their deeds. We often blame the President and the Presidency, what the Asaba disgrace has shown is that there are some lower level operatives in the system who do great damage to the country.

This Asaba disgrace should be addressed, and in an intelligent manner too, for if care is not taken some of these dim-witted folks with access to the microphone could come forward to say that Nigeria failed with #Asaba2018 because it was hosted by a Governor who belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party! Hmm, please permit me to end this piece with feedback quotes from selected Kenyan twitter trolls.

Lord Abraham Mutai (@ItsMutai) says: “I have no business celebrating the Kenyan win at #Asaba2018. We need to call out Nigeria for who they really are. The most corrupt people in Africa. As Africans we need to tell each other the truth. We cant (sic) the West to do that for us. NIGERIA have embarrassed us on these games”(sic). You hear am? Mbiyu (mmbiyu) further observes: “I thought Kenya was broken, Nigeria is on another level. The water tank at the stadium hosting the senior athlectics championships in Asaba collapsed today and the stadium is still under construction.” And this one from a non-Kenyan, Wesley Botton (@wesbotton): “No hotel rooms available and no accreditation for us to get into the stadium, less than an hour before the start of the African Athletics Champs. This mess keeps getting messier. That’s my grumpy face.”

And the guy shows his face, contempt for Nigeria written all over him. That is what our N4 billion brought home to us. Deal with it.

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26 April 2014

Treat Your Palate With Local Wine And Cheese Tasting At Armada Terrace

The friends of Armada would know better: When it comes to cheeses and wines, we’ve always been a passionate and proud advocate for serving our guests only the local ones. Well, the reason for that, of course, is not that we don’t appreciate those produced outside of Turkey. However, our desire has always become to present our guests, much to their surprise, the level of quality and variety local wines and cheeses have to offer. Moreover, being an avid supporter of local producers has been and will always be an absolute pleasure.

The good news is, starting from next Tuesday, we will continue to keep this tradition alive as “Local Wine and Cheese Tasting” evenings at Armada Terrace every Tuesday. We’ve handpicked these special wines and cheeses that are sought after not only locally but internationally and we are inviting you to savor these delicacies alongside the magnificent Istanbul view of Armada Terrace.

Cheese and Wine Tasting Evening – Every Tuesday

”Anatolian Cheese Platter” and a Bottle of Local Red Wine (70 cl.)

Anatolian Cheese Platter (5 Different varieties)
Old Kasseri Cheese – Trakya, Tulum Cheese (encased in skin)– İzmir, Smoked Circassian Cheese, Gruyere Cheese
– Kars, Tulum Cheese – Erzincan

Grenache Noir / Suvla 2012 – 2013 Grenache / Çanakkale
95 TL / 32 €
(for 2 persons)

Syrah / Egeo / Kavaklıdere 2011 – 2012 Syrah / Manisa
125 TL / 42 €
(for 2 persons)

25 April 2014

International Dance Day 2014 Message by Mourad Merzouki: "Push your luck... never stop dancing!"

Mourad Merzouki

International Dance Day 2014 message author is Mourad Merzouki!

The International Theatre Institute announced that following the footsteps of Merce Cunningham, Maurice Béjart, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Mourad Merzouki - the French choreographer, dancer, director of the Centre chorégraphique de Créteil et du Val de Marne and of Käfig’s company, and above all, the famous face of hip hop in France with Accrorap and Pôle Pik companies- will be giving the 2014 International Dance Day Message.

Since its creation in 1982, the International Dance Day celebrated every year on the birthday of the creator of modern ballet Jean-Georges Noverre 29th April, is the occasion to give homage to dance and its universality, crossing all political, cultural and ethnic barriers.
The International Theatre Institute marks this global occasion each year by inviting an outstanding choreographer or dancer to write a message. This message is
2014 Program
translated into more than 20 languages and released throughout the ITI network (more than 70 ITI Centres and numerous Cooperating Members) and dance organizations worldwide.
ITI also seeks to promote national and worldwide activities celebrating International Dance Day. Special dance award ceremonies, charity performances for organizations, people or specific issues connected with dance, conferences, meetings with dancers, amongst others will be held and indexed on a worldwide map available on ITI’s website from 1st April onwards. ITI will celebrate International Dance Day at UNESCO in Paris on 29th April, with the presence of Mourad Merzouki.

Being an institution which fully supports the preservation of artistic and cultural events as an integral part of quintessential Istanbul lifestyle, such as "dance" performances, Armada Hotel sincerely stands behind this message…
Happy International Dance Day!

Here is the original text of the message:

Every artist takes pride in his art.
Every artist will always defend the art form whose encounter has changed his life.
For that which he has sought and lost and for that which he has the burning desire to share: be it the echo of a voice, the discovered word, the interpretation of a text for humanity, the music without which the universe will stop speaking to us, or the movement which opens the doors to grace.
I have, for dance, not only the pride of a dancer and choreographer, but profound gratitude. Dance gave me my lucky break. It has become my ethics by virtue of its discipline and provided the means through which I discover the world daily.
Closer to me than anything else, it gives me strength each day through the energy and generosity as only dance can. Its poetry comforts me.
Could I say that I wouldn’t exist without dance? Without the capacity for expression it has given me? Without the confidence I have found in it to overcome my fears, to avoid dead ends?
Thanks to dance, immersed in the beauty and complexity of the world, I have become a citizen. A peculiar citizen who reinvents the social codes in the course of his encounters, remaining true to the values of the hip-hop culture which transforms negative energy into a positive force.
I live and breathe dance daily as an honour. But I am living with this honour deeply concerned. I witness around me the loss of bearings and the inability of some of the youth from the working class, growing up in tension and frustration, to imagine their future. I am one of them; so are we all. I am driven, perhaps more than others, by setting an example, to help them fuel their lust for life.
For isn’t society richer with the richness of each of us?
Culture, more than any discourse, unites. So have courage and take risks despite the obstacles and the hatred with which you will no doubt be confronted; the beauty of the world will always be by your side. Like dance has been for me. With its singular force to eliminate social and ethnic distinctions, leaving but the movement of bodies in their essence, of human beings returning to their pure expression, unique and shared.
I would like to end by quoting René Char whose words remind me daily to not let anyone confine us to scripted roles.
Push your luck, hold on tight to your good fortune, and take your risk. Watching you, they will get used to it.”
So try, fail, start all over again but above all, dance, never stop dancing!

Translation: Petya Hristova and Charlene Lim
Programme of 29th April celebration:
-Reading of the international message 2014 by Mourad Merzouki ;
-Screening of video excerpts ;
-Dance performances: Company Käfig, Mourad Merzouki – excerpts from the company’s repertoire ; Company Massala, Fouad Boussouf – Transe ; Company XXe Tribu, François Lamargot – Akasha.

UNESCO, 125 av. de Suffren
Tuesday 29th april, 7.30 pm
Free entrance upon reservation
RSVP: +33 1 45 68 48 82 / info@iti-worldwide.org
Contact information: Zoé Simard, Events & Communication Manager, ITI, z.simard@iti-worldwide.org
With the support of the Permanent Delegation of France to UNESCO, and the Centre chorégraphique National de Créteil et du Val de Marne / Compagnie Käfig.


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Biz & IT —

MindTouch 2009 collaboration platform released

MindTouch has released a new version of its enterprise collaboration platform …

MindTouch has announced the official release of MindTouch 2009, a major new version of the company's Internet publishing and collaboration platform. The new version introduces a message bus system that can be used for push notifications and to integrate the software with external Web services and databases.

MindTouch 2009 is a commercial collaboration product which originally evolved from a wiki. The underlying core framework is open source and is distributed under the GPL.

In the new version, the developers have augmented the product's extensibility in an effort to make it easier to integrate MindTouch with workflows that involve external tools. The new messaging bus can serve as an interoperability bridge between various components in a company's publishing and collaboration ecosystem. One example cited by MindTouch is the ability to synchronize data between MindTouch 2009 and a WordPress blog.

The new system also offers a broad assortment of options for sending push notifications when content within the platform is changed. The notifications can be delivered through a number of channels, ranging from e-mail to Twitter.

The new version also provides a new plugin framework that allows developers to extend the functionality of the PHP-based MindTouch front-end. This can be used to implement specialized content views such as image galleries.

For more details, check out the official release notes and the demo video.

You must to comment.

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Sunday, 28 February 2016

Stitch tutorial - Single knotted cable chain stitch

This stitch has a wonderful texture which is what I like the most. If you want some texture then use this stitch instead of daisy or detached chain stitch.

Step 1 – Bring the needle and thread up at 'a' , go down at 'b' and come up at 'c'.

Step 2 – Make a twisted chain stitch as shown.

Step 3 – Pass the needle and thread under the stitch to your left without picking up the fabric and pull the needle.

Step 4 – Go down between 'a' and 'b' . Bring the needle and thread up slightly above 'c'.

Step 5 – Make a chain as shown.

Step 6 - Secure the chain with a tying stitch as shown.

The length of the chain stitch,both the number and length of the trying stitch can be varied to achieve a different effect.

                                                                  Hope y'all will have fun working different variations of this stitch!

Rachel said...

Yes, that looks like fun!

margaret said...

this looks interesting, have saved the link to this tutorial so I can have a go later, thanks for sharing it with us

letslearnembroidery said...

Pretty stitch.

Anitha said...

Nice stitch. should try it.

Anneliese said...

I will try it at once and note it down in my stitch diary book which I started lately - because I do not always have internet at hand.
I specially love the last picture, the stitch with the three "arms".


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Food & Lifestyle · Guide · Home

What makes revision easier?

I spent the last 2 weeks revising for the midterms only to realize I have another 5 days after the last lecture before the exams free for revising.

2 hours everyday, 2-3 chapters outline/summary. I tried to stretch it to 4 but then I started to learn slower than usual which doesn’t make it helpful at all.

Revision has always been a trial and error for study methods. Finding the best alternative. The best way that I find effective is to vary your methods.

There isn’t really a UNIVERSAL method for learning ALL your subjects because there are different approaches that best suit learning for it.

My top 3 methods:
1. Use questions instead of titles for topics and practice answering them as you would an exam. When I was still doing the IB, I was using past papers like crazy and haven’t kicked the habit.

IB Business and Management

2. Brainstorm/Group study: completely advantageous because you bounce off ideas that could either help you to better understand the topic or even to use some ideas for your exam.

3. Video assist: You know that feeling when you can’t understand a theory or a problem on your own? Khan is ready to help and many others. I can’t just record every class I have just so I can go back to it. Usually it makes it easier to find tutorials of what exactly it is you need to learn.

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Artsy Events is your premier local team of artist-entertainers, specializing in both small and large-scale parties and events. To serve our clients in the best way possible, we focus solely on face painting, balloon twisting, caricature drawings, henna tattoos and airbrush tattoos. For other great party services for your upcoming event, check out our list of trusted local partners below.

Artsy began in 1995 when, at the ripe young age of 15, our founder Sean Hyatt performed custom caricature artwork at a local theme park. He began doing his fun caricature drawings at local events all over and picked up the skills of face painting and balloon twisting a couple of short years later. Over the years his fun team has expanded more and more through countless successful appearances all over the city and has become the premier place for artistic entertainment party bookings. From small in-home birthday parties to larger corporate events and festivals, we have just the right combination of services and artists to add the perfect artistic touch to any special gathering.

Our stellar team is made up of four central booking specialists, a growing group of newer talented “Pro Basic” face painter / balloon twister artists, and a solid crew of long-time “Pro Plus” artist-entertainers who have been at it for years and years doing what they do best. We work hard at constant collaboration, mutual support, integrity and generosity – both in business and in life. Peruse our site, sign up for our special e-coupon list, check out our party ideas blog, and book us today to bring the fun to your next party and event!

Artsy Events donates $5 from every artist booked to help stand up for kids.

Our donations are split between Operation Underground Railroad – fighting to eradicate child sex trafficking, and No Kid Hungry – ending childhood hunger in America.

Read more about them here and join us in standing up for children everywhere!

Need additional services for your upcoming party or event?

Check out our trusted partners below…

Best Santas – Best Santa Claus appearances in Denver

InFUNity Events – Event rentals for mid-to-large sized events

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Mathematics > History and Overview

Title: Perturbation theory of dynamical systems

Authors: Nils Berglund
Abstract: This text is a slightly edited version of lecture notes for a course I gave at ETH, during the Summer term 2001, to undergraduate Mathematics and Physics students. It covers a few selected topics from perturbation theory at an introductory level. Only certain results are proved, and for some of the most important theorems, sketches of the proofs are provided.
Chapter 1 - Introduction and Examples
Chapter 2 - Bifurcations and Unfolding
Chapter 3 - Regular Perturbation Theory
Chapter 4 - Singular Perturbation Theory
Comments: 105 pages, 32 figures
Subjects: History and Overview (math.HO); Chaotic Dynamics (nlin.CD)
MSC classes: 37-01
Cite as: arXiv:math/0111178 [math.HO]
  (or arXiv:math/0111178v1 [math.HO] for this version)

Submission history

From: Nils Berglund [view email]
[v1] Thu, 15 Nov 2001 11:13:50 GMT (544kb)


text:
8 top security, technology and industry predictions for 2018

Posted on March 2, 2018

According to a recent survey by Accenture, banks experience 85 attempted breaches on average each year. More than a third are successful in stealing sensitive information. Each successful attack made headlines each time hackers successfully targeted large institutions and their customers.

Here are 8 top security, technology and industry experts who shared their predictions for 2018, along with their thoughts on the technologies of choice critical to building digital trust and long-term loyalty.

Mobile App Security

Frederik Mennes, Senior Manager Market & Security Strategy, Security Competence CenterFrederik Mennes, Senior Manager Market & Security Strategy, Security Competence Center
“In 2018, mobile platforms will be the biggest attack platform. We will see an increase in mobile banking attacks next year — because more banks are providing mobile banking apps, and there is a shift by users from PC online banking to mobile banking. One of the biggest threats against mobile are overlay attacks, especially in the U.S. and Europe. In the past, these attacks were only spotted in Russia, but we’ve seen the first examples in Europe and the U.S. and we expect there will be more next year. Overlay attacks are a type of malware that also takes advantage of the user, who has to enter their credentials into the overlay window. The combination of malware detection and Runtime-Application Self Protection is the strongest way to protect mobile applications today.”

Will LaSala, Director, Security Solutions, Security EvangelistWill LaSala, Director, Security Solutions, Security Evangelist
“In 2018, the mobile platform will be hit hard. The recent news of the WiFi WPA vulnerability and the potential for attacks is greatest on the fractured versioning system of the Android device space. Along with this attack, the rise in social engineering with mobile application repackaging and app distribution is on the verge of explosion.  Combine these monster holes with where the mobile app industry is headed, businesses should be aware and take extra precautions this year to secure their mobile offerings.”

Fraud Prevention — Banking

John Gunn, CMOJohn Gunn, CMO
“2018 will be an exciting time as we will see new defenses and technologies paving the way to mitigate fraud and risk. However, research is finding banks are still falling further behind as they try to keep pace with today’s fraud schemes. It’s time to turn to new solutions based on AI and machine learning that speed up the ability to detect fraud, enabling banks to not only keep up but get ahead on reducing the losses to fraud and defending against attacks.”

David Vergara, Director of Security Product MarketingDavid Vergara, Director of Security Product Marketing
“The banking world is facing increasingly intricate fraud schemes. As a result, banks will deploy more sophisticated solutions that combine risk analysis with machine learning, authentication, mobile security and orchestration to dynamically and in real time, apply the proper level of security for each unique transaction based on a risk score. Banks will also demand that these solutions provide simple integrations with a variety of fraud tools/platforms to ensure future requirements are easily incorporated. ”

Matthias Valcke, Director Business Solution & Market DevelopmentMatthias Valcke, Director Business Solution & Market Development
“Last year’s increase in overlay attacks in mobile banking applications coupled with the upcoming PSD2 regulation will this year force banks to add further security functionality to their apps. Additional security measures like Runtime Application Self-Protection and other frictionless methods of protection like behavioral biometrics will likely be the solutions of choice.”

Rahim Kaba, Director of Product Marketing, E-SignatureRahim Kaba, Director of Product Marketing, E-Signature
“Whether you are signing a contract or agreement or opening a new account, the underlying digital transaction (including data, documents and signatures) needs to be trusted and secure across every channel. As a result, enterprises are looking to more advanced authentication options to validate the identity of participants in a digital transaction. They want to ensure there are adequate security features built-in, particularly for their higher volume, B2C online and mobile channels. The key is to take a balanced approach — inspiring consumer confidence without adding inconvenience.”

Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence

Romans Bonbinkovs, Business Consultant Fraud DetectionRomans Bonbinkovs, Business Consultant Fraud Detection
“We’ve entered the age of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. In 2018, we will see malicious software with AI capabilities, more automated attacks and more intelligent (spear) phishing campaigns. With the help of machine learning, fraudsters will be able to scan the web in an automated way, requiring little or no human intervention and fewer resources to create more devastating attacks.”

Giovanni Verhaeghe, Director Market & Product StrategyGiovanni Verhaeghe, Director Market & Product Strategy
“Blockchain is changing the game in the financial services industry by adding transparency, speeding up and simplifying processes, while also reducing costs significantly. Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies will be an important new technology implementation and will continue to have a big impact as people demand more control of their identities and access to their personal information. A ledger doesn’t have any notion of how an identity is stored, but adding identity and credentials to the distributed ledger makes something anonymous when it previously was not.”

To learn how leaders in the banking and security industries are safeguarding against fraud in 2018, download the Faces of Fraud Survey by ISMG here.

Change your tomorrow, today.
Get in touch.


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Pure Joy of Washi Tape

You already know that we are silly for stamps, passionate for papercrafting, and mad for memory keeping, but do you know that we are wild for washi tape?

With eight (YES, 8) different colors and fun patterns like stripes, polka dots, chevron, and houndstooth, how could we resist?

You won’t be able to resist this latest craze, either! Watch the video to discover tips, tricks, and the pure joy of washi tape.

Items featured in this video are available from my store at:

Thanks for watching!

Project Inspiration: Hip Pics Album

Create a heartfelt gift for your mother using the My Creations™ Hip Pics album and the My Acrylix™ Mother’s Day stamp set. Decorate the pocket photo pages with sentimental photos, stylish embellishments, and memorable words of gratitude to show her how much she means to you.

Featured Items Used in this video:

C1557 – My Acrylic Mother’s Day Stamp Set

Z1956 – My Creations Hip Pics Album

This and all accessories are available at my website :  http://toniawilcox.ctmh.com

Saturday’s Expo in Denver, CO

HELLO!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

Did I meet you at the Expo on Saturday??  If I did, and you came here to visit me, PLEASE let me know, leave a comment or send me an email!!  I would love to make contact with you and chat some more!!  My contact info is at the bottom of this post and should be over on the side in one of the boxes too! :0)

I met so many lovely women on Saturday, but four in particular who left their information with me and it didn’t get back to me after the drawing for the free stamp set.

So, if I met you, and you would like to connect, please let me know!!

On another note, I will be posting another blog post this afternoon with a photo of the FOUR fabulous cards we will be doing at the workshop on April 12th!

Workshop cost is $5.00 unless you order $25 or more, and then the workshop is free!! 🙂

Thanks to everyone who came, and I hope to talk to you SOON!! 🙂

Email: toniawilcox@gmail.com

Cell Phone: 720-338-2536 (leave a message and I will call you back, I PROMISE!) 🙂

Studio J Creations

I’ve been working on scrapping our Disney trip last summer!  After getting my pictures printed (this seems like my biggest block sometimes!!), I decided that a mixture of medias will be happening in my album, traditional scrapbooking pages mixed with Picture My Life (available from CTMH Feb 1!!), and Studio J layouts.

For this post, I am focusing on the first two Studio J layouts.

Creating a layout in Studio J is soooo easy!!!

  1. You create an account,
  2. upload your pictures,
  3. pick your paper pack,
  4. your layout,
  5. drag and drop your pics,
  6. add any embellishments you want,
  7. color the auto ones that are already on the layout,
  8. and add your title and journaling!

First, the Garden Grill at Epcot.  We met Mickey, Chip and Dale.  We had amazing food and well, it was awesome! 🙂

Garden Grill in Epcot

Garden Grill in Epcot

Up next is the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.  Here, we met characters from the 100 acre woods.  Tigger, Eyeore, and Piglet.  🙂  This was a buffet, the food was ok, meeting TIGGER was the real reason for eating here!!! 😀 😀

Crystal Palace - Magic Kingdom

Crystal Palace – Magic Kingdom

If you would like to try your hand at Studio J, there is NO FEE to create the layout – the fee comes when you are ready to print and have them mailed to you.  Layouts are $6.95 per double paged layout.  For that cost, you get the layout and the jpg files.  You have to create 4 double paged layouts before you can print and mail.  But, it’s not hard to do once you are in there and creating!!!

To check it out, visit my website at: http://toniawilcox.ctmh.com and click on STUDIO J.

Ariana 2-page Scrapbook layout

Hello!!!  As I’ve been telling you, the new catalog goes LIVE on Feb 1, just four short days away!!!! 😀 😀

I have been playing with one of the new WORK SHOPS ON THE GO, Ariana.  It is very feminine and kind of earthy to me.

Here is a picture of what is included in the Ariana Workshop on the Go:

Ariana Workshop On the Go

Ariana Workshop On the Go

Included in the Workshop On The Go are:

Workshops on the Go™ Ariana Scrapbooking Kit Contents
Ariana Paper Packet
My Acrylix™ Ariana Workshop Stamp Set (D-size)
4 White Daisy Cardstock Sheets
Ariana Assortment  (these are the bows!)
Black & Grey Epoxy Bubbles
Instructional Brochure

The suggested layouts in the workshop on the go kit didn’t strike me as being “complete”, so I set out to change it to my own flavor.  The primary colors I used are Olive, Sorbet, Crystal Blue, and Denim Blue and White Daisy.  I used layout 8 from Make It From Your Heart (Volume 1).  I also used the CTMH Cricut Artbooking cartridge for the lattice and the vine.  The stamps are all from the workshop on the go kit as is the bling and the bow!

To make the flowers on the lattice, I used the little 3 flower with a ribbon stamp from the WSOTG stamp set and stamped it four times in a circle.  I think they kind of look like bachelor button flowers!  What do you think?

Ariana WSOTG with Artbooking

Ariana Workshop on the Go with Close to My Heart Cricut Artbooking Cartridge to supplement shapes.

List of Supplies Used:

  • G 1074 – Ariana Workshop on the Go
  • Z1906 – Artbooking Cricut Cartridge
  • 1245 Olive cardstock (1 sheet)
  • 1292 Crystal Blue cardstock (2 sheets)
  • Z2137 Olive Ink Pad
  • Z2140 Outdoor Denim Ink Pad
  • Z2117 Crystal Blue Ink Pad
  • Z2164 Sorbet Ink Pad
  • 9042 Make It From Your Heart, Volume 1

To order this product or to get other ideas on layouts or cards, visit my website at:

Sweet New Inking Techniques!!

Love making mini albums? Love the Cricut® Artbooking cartridge? Love learning chic techniques for papercrafting? You will love this episode of Artbooking Made Easy, where we show you how to create two trendy looks using re-inker, sponge daubers, and mini album pages cut from the Artbooking cartridge.

Christine uses a dauber and reinker to make paint splotches and to create the ombre effect in the second mini-album!

Want to try this out with me??  Send me an email and we’ll make a date to try it out together!

Email: toniawilcox@gmail.com

Want to purchase the supplies and try it on your own?  Visit my website and order, it will come right to your house!

Website: http://toniawilcox.ctmh.com

Artbooking Made Easy: Christmas Layouts

Pull out your Cricut® Artbooking cartridge for some holiday hullabaloo on your Christmas layouts! Its themed borders, overlays, photo mats, and more hold plenty of cheery possibilities to brighten your albums. Trim your trims, ornament your ornaments, and have a holly jolly time making Christmas layouts that last—all with just two keys! (Or if you have the Cricut Expression like I do, all with just a few taps of the screen!)

To purchase any of the items in the video, visit my online business address at:

Thanks and Happy Scrappin!


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Modern Windows on a Budget

Window coverings can add a lot to a space, and shouldn’t be overlooked just because you’re working with a small budget. Affordable drapery does not need to look cheap. Custom made drapery can be very pricey, so it is much easier to find ready-made options. Store bought drapery comes in many shapes and sizes, making it easy to find the appropriate style for your needs. Bed Bath & Beyond has a lot of great options at even better prices. One of our personal favorites is the Belmont Window Panels in faux suede. The soft material adds warmth and texture to a room, while providing a finishing touch to the over all style.

Belmont Window Panels in Coffeebean from Bed Bath & Beyond

The hardware for your window treatments are important to the detail. A fantastic option for modern design is the Modern Balance Rod from West Elm. This rod is simple but elegant; it’s clean lines adds to a modern space gracefully.

Don’t let your budget downsize your design. There are great ways to cut costs without having to cut corners.

Interior Design for Children

Kids’ rooms are becoming a major focus in the interior design world. The freedom of expression that this canvas leaves is exciting to design. Childrens’ creativity and imagination allows for a seemingly endless list of possibilities. Colors, shapes, and textures play a huge role in these designs, and embrace any space. Unique touches and detailed accents attract and entertain the eye of young children, while giving the space that extra bit of special creativity.

DucDuc brings the clean edges and lines from modern design with this Cabana Canopy Bed in white and pink. Contemporary colors and materials make for bright open spaces that grow with the child, as the space can be easily updated with evolving tastes. This canopy bed comes in a variety of colors, making it a great choice for any child.

Masongray has a much more traditional influence, as we can see with the inset colors and detailed carving in this Regency Crib. The high gloss deep blue contrasting with crisp white is pleasing to the eye, and accents the special details nicely. This piece is also available in white with green inset, and white with brown inset.

Designing a creative space is giving that unique child his/her own sanctuary to explore and grow with.


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ASIATEC has a team of highly trained and competent engineers that is able to
advise and service the requirements of our clients.

Commissioning Services

At ASIATEC, we believe in simplifying complex processes for our customers. Therefore, we supply engineers and technicians for a wide variety of services including cold and hot loop checking of systems and trouble shooting. Our team of engineers and technical experts are also well-trained with experience in supplying various testing equipment for commissioning packages and carrying out tasks like mechanical completion and punch list, as well as witness FAT and inspection.


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Free Audio Book Resources

Individuals with disabilities that affect their access to print have some free options  for obtaining audio and braille books, magazines and pod casts. The local public library is bound to have a collection of popular audio books that can borrowed at no cost, as long as you have a library card and return the books on time. In many libraries, books can be reserved in advance and/or brought in from another branch so you are not limited to what happens to be on the shelves of that branch on a particular day.  Public libraries often raise money by selling donated books and used ones that they have replaced. It’s a low-cost way to build your home library.

The North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has a history that goes back to 1958.  With Federal, State and private funding, it eventually became part of a regional network of libraries operated by the the Library of Congress.  Even though the name of the library has not kept up with current preferred disability language, the library itself has continued to change with the times and now offers materials in a wide variety of accessible formats fr people of all ages.  Individuals must complete an application  and provide documentation of a disability that qualifies them to use the library.   Please visit the website to learn more . If you don’t live in North Carolina, ask for the branch that serves your area.

Bookshare is another great resource for people who have print disabilities.  Bookshare is free for qualified U.S. students and schools, thanks to funding from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education. Organizations  and non-students can apply for paid memberships that will give them access to accessible materials through Bookshare. Check out Bookshare at  to see if you or someone that you know can benefit from what it offers.

Whether you are reading for school, work or pleasure, it’s good to know that there are some free services available to make sure that people with print disabilities have access to the information, ideas and wonderful imagining that is contained in printed text. Read on!

Posted on November 8, 2014, in Disability, student development, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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On Gay Marriage, Drag Queens, and Attending Rallies

I went to a rally today. It was the Post Your Yes Marriage Equality rally and march, held in Belmore Park and ending at Victoria Park (right by my uni, so I felt particularly at home) and hot damn was it fun.

It wasn’t the first rally I’d been to – I’ve marched from the Trocadero in Paris before, protesting Trump’s presidency, but there, I was more timid, thanks to the language barrier. And it was a different kind of rally, with less love, less colour, less focus. The signs there promoted everything from environmentalism to communisum to abortion rights. Today, everything was about the same issue, and everyone was doing their best to wear their feelings as well as write them up in snappy one liners with pretty letters.

There were tonnes of great signs and costumes but this was the only one I saw being seconded by a puppy dog

I was, nonetheless, hesitant about attending. I would have to be alone, because none of my friends live close enough to easily accompany me, and my normally trustworthy boyfriend was also too far away. I hadn’t made any preparations; no signs, no rainbow capes, no facepaint. In fact, I came within moments of not going, when the bus supposed to carry me there failed to stop and let me on.

But I went. And I’m ever so glad.

Rallies can be solemn and terrifying, turning into riots, but this one was full of people wearing rainbow tutus and ended with a goddamn drag queen performance and dance party. That is, my kinda rally, even if I went empty-handed with nothing but my SMASH THE PATRIARCHY T-shirt to prove my activist nature.

There were glossy A3 sheets printed with the YES symbol of the Marriage Equality campaign and I picked one up to hold proudly above my head. We marched down a cordoned-off George Street and up Broadway, and the drivers of the cars stuck in snail’s pace traffic beeped their horns at us, shouted their support, waved sheets identical to mine that had been thrust through their open windows by eager marchers. Some had stickers; others rainbow flags they must have brought knowing they’d pass the parade of us even if they couldn’t be part of it. Or maybe they kept them in the car all the time – either way, it was supportive. We whooped and grinned and shook our banners in thanks, and passed on.

When we did eventually reach Victoria Park, I pressed up close to the small stage, and was fascinated to notice how many children, not just small kids dragged by parents but groups of avid, independent high-schoolers were there  at the front, waving the rainbow flags that matched their rainbow sparkled hair or faces or tutus. When the three drag queens who hit headlines last week for stepping in to stop gay-bashing performed for us, the crowd was ecstatic. After their performance, the DJ got to work and kids clambered happily onstage to join the drag queens (who were, incidentally. quite fabulous) and beam at the rest of us.

I’ve always been wary of discussing the sexuality of children because I hate the premature sexualisation we force upon them, but the ones in front of me yesterday were not being forced into anything. Some looked like the perfect stereotype of a seventh grader, in glasses and cheesy overalls, and some had blue hair and piercings. Some were nervous up on stage, grinning but hanging back, and some relished the attention, breakdancing in velvet flared trousers the first chance they got. But they looked, each and every one, so happy with that strange attractiveness that genuine gladness bestows on anyone lucky enough to claim it.

And that made me happy.

(Now go watch some of the drag queens’ performance. Go on. You’ll be glad you did.)

Free Things to do in Paris

Paris is the fifth most visited city in the world, and it’s not too difficult to see why when you think of the history, architecture, culture, cuisine and fashion that abounds there. Unfortunately, all those visitors and all those wonderful things that make it so worth visiting mean the prices can get pretty steep. But if you’re poor in Paris, like me, don’t worry! There’s still plenty to see and do, especially if you’re there in warmer months.

If you’re an EU resident under the age of 26 – and please note that if you hold a long-term visa, such as a student or working visa, you count as a resident – you’re especially in luck, thanks to the Parisian tourist board’s generous decision to grant free access to many of its monuments and museums, and there’s a whole new gamut of options available to you.

Monuments – to look at

To get an idea of why people rave about the monuments and architecture in Paris, it suffices to go glance at a few of the most impressive examples. Most of these can be entered upon paying a fee but you can admire them from the outside quite freely.

Opèra Garnier (Academie Nationale de la Musique) – Metro lines 3, 7 Opèra
Built between 1861 and 1875 by Charles Garnier, this magnificent Italian-style building is still used for performances as well as hosting a museum. Walk down the Avenue de l’Opèra to gaze at beautiful things you can’t afford and to get yourself an excellent view of the dome, which can’t be seen if you’re standing right in front of it.

The Panthèon – Metro line 10, Maubert-Mutualité or Cardinal Lemoine
Intended to be a church, this temple-like building in the Greek style is now an enormous state mausoleum, housing the remains of numerous important French citizens such as Balzac and Voltaire.

Arc de Triomphe – Metro line 2, Kleber or line 1, George V
Arguably one of the most well-known sights of the city, the Arc de Triomphe features an observation deck at its summit, a small collection focused on the Revolution, and many, many stairs. It’s visible the length of the Champs-Elysées, a street filled with big brand names, from Mango to Louis Vuitton. Hop off line 1 earlier, at George-Clemenceau, to peek at the Petit Palais and Grand Palais and approach the Arc from there.

The Eiffel Tower – Metro line 8, Ecole Militaire, line 6 or 9, Trocadéro, or line 6, Bir-Hakeim
It’s almost impossible to spend any time in Paris without catching a glimpse of its most iconic tower, but it’s worth seeing up close nonetheless. Originally a temporary installation for the World Fair of 188, held in Paris, this striking work of Gustav Eiffel is now the top most visited monument in the world.

Monuments – to go inside

Thankfully, there’s quite a number of famous things to visit which are free to enter – generally because they’re churches or cemeteries. Just because you might not be a fan of Christianity, though, don’t skip these fabulous examples of decoration and architecture, and let yourself be lost in imagining the history behind them.

Notre-Dame de Paris – Metro line 4, Cité
Generally considered the first major example of Gothic architecture, this astoundingly ornate cathedral was finished in 1250 after more than 100 years work and 3 different architects. It’s free to enter, but be prepared to queue – fortunately, the lines usually move quickly. To get away from the bustle of other tourists, walk round to the back to admire its buttresses and gargoyles in relative peace in the small park there.

Sacre-Coeur – Metro line 2, Anvers or line 12, Abbesses
Visible upon its hill from many vantage-points within the city, the pale white walls of the Sacre-Coeur look down upon the Square Louise-Michel, a grassy slope filled to bursting with tourists and locals soaking up sunshine when they get the chance. Consecrated in 1919, this surprisingly modern church is set apart from others in Paris both by its imposing location and Romano-Byzantine inspiration.

La Madeleine – Metro lines 12 or 14, Madeleine
Another demonstration of the mania for Greek-inspired architecture around in the 19th century, this huge church from 1842 is rarely crowded despite its gorgeous interior. Used today for religious services as well as musical performances, thanks to its excellent acoustics, the Madeleine has played host to the funeral of celebrated pianist Chopin.

Père Lachaise Cemetery – Metro line 2, Père Lachaise or line 3, Gambetta
Possibly the most famous of all the Parisian cemeteries, this burial-ground has been accepting bodies since 1804 but is now most known for its abundance of famous graves. Check out the final resting places of Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison, among others, or just appreciate the excessive ornamentation of some of the tombs.

If the sun’s out, so are the Parisians! Even if it’s a pale kind of light, and the air is yet chilly, they’ll be availing themselves of the multitude of public parks within in the city, and so should you be. There’s plenty of them to be discovered, but a few stand out from the rest.

Parc Monceau – Metro line 2, Monceau
This large park features a number of old-fashioned ‘follies’ – bizarre structures built purely for the sake of making the place more interesting – dating from the late 18th century. Unlike many of the kept parks in Paris, you can throw yourself down on the grass to picnic, read or sunbathe.

Jardins de Luxembourg – Metro line 4, Odèon or Saint-Sulplice
Probably the most well known of Paris’ public parks, the gardens surrounding the Palais de Luxembourg are ‘à la francaise’, which means your seating choice is limited to the ubiquitous green metal chairs laid out for that specific use, despite the strips of fresh green grass. Feel free, though, to move the chairs anywhere you want, whether that’s arranging a circle of your friends or dragging it close up to the large basin where children sail toy boats on the water in summertime.

The Jardins de Luxembourg are particularly worth visiting in the warmer months, when all kinds of flowers and potted trees are distributed round the grounds.

Parc de Buttes-Chaumont – Metro line 7 bis, Buttes-Chaumont
A huge park incorporating several slopes and hills within its boundaries, Buttes-Chaumont is entirely artificial – used as a rubbish dump until halfway through the 19th century, major landscaping was required to form the ‘buttes’ (slopes), grottoes, lake and small mountain that today form such a delightful getaway from the busyness of city life. Even on nice days, the park doesn’t feel nearly as crowded as those closer to the city centre, due both to its location and superior size.

London: Land of Cadbury’s, stage shows and really great hummous

I went to London on the weekend and had a great time right up until I got mugged on my way to the bus home. Thankfully, I’d already gotten my photos backed up…

For me, there were three wonderful things about this city. One is hard to explain unless you know what I mean, in which case you’ll understand right away. As an Australian, and an Australian who happens to have a taste for 18th-20th century British literature in particular, not to mention a vivid interest in history, London is bursting with names and places that I recognise from my reading, be it novels or textbooks. England is already an odd enough place to visit as an Australian because of the intense combination of familiar things – look, it’s Cadbury’s! And jam doughnuts, and fish and chips, and they’ve got towns called Richmond and Newcastle just like we do back in New South Wales. Except that towns that are neighbours in Australia are nowhere near each in England, and amongst the familiar biscuits and chocolate bars there’s strange things called Angel Slice and Double Deckers. And what the hell is a Coronation Chicken sandwich?

It’s not a bus.

But when you add the misplaced nostalgia of seeing places you’ve read about, known about, but never seen before, it’s particularly poignant. Even just recognising all the properties from Monopoly makes you feel like you know the place even though you know you’re as lost as any other tourist, not to mention walking through Hyde Park, or seeing buses heading off to Piccadilly Circus. Hell, even the bridges you walk across are steeped in your culture, because I, like many schoolchildren, used to sing cheerfully along to ‘London Bridge is falling down’.

The second great thing about London is something many already know it for – the West End, and its abundance of shows in general. In my two days I managed to take in two shows, one being The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre and the other a very modern interpretation of Romeo and Juliet staged at the Globe Theatre (yes, Shakespeare’s own theatre…well, the rebuilt version, at least!).

Both of them were spectacular, though wildly unlike each other: The Woman in Black was performed by just two wonderfully convincing actors on a practically empty stage, using their minimal props and cast to transmit an amazingly rich narrative full of suspense and drama. I certainly practically jumped out of my seat enough times. The Shakespeare production, on the other hand, was a rousing, boisterous performance full of poppy beats, expertly chosen costumes (Including a lot of Doc Martens. They really seemed to like Doc Martens and patterned socks.), and perfect choreography. Not what one might normally expect from Shakespeare, but the cast conveyed the story and the emotion of the original story with grace and talent through the anachronistic, unlikely medium of nightclub music and plastic baseball bats.

What made the shows really great, of course, was the entirely reasonable cost of them. Most West-End shows seem to hover around 20-30 pounds a ticket, and the Globe offers tickets ranging from 5 to 45 pounds – which, in my opinion, isn’t a lot in exchange for being able to boast insufferably about that time you saw Shakespeare being performed in the actual Globe Theatre.

Finally, as with any foreign city I visit – or let’s be real, anywhere I go – there was the food to consider. Specifically, the food at the plentiful street markets. I only went to two, the lucky winners of my patronage being the Portobello Street Market and the Borough Markets, and both delivered exactly what I was looking for in terms of delectable street food from a wide range of cultures. I think what appeals to me most about street food is, the reduced price notwithstanding, the fact of being able to see the ingredients and the finished product there before your eyes. In restaurants you’re limited to the tantalising description of a menu, and can be disappointed by small serving sizes or unimpressive ingredients. But when you’re walking among the stalls, trying to decide whether you want to eat Polish, American, Portuguese or Turkish today, you can choose whatever looks best to you: whether it be the bowls of fresh hummous and tabouleh at the gozleme stall that tempted me, or the rolls heaped with spit-roasted pork that I saw being carried off triumphantly from the stall beside it.

Really, the only downside about street markets for me is that I’m always overwhelmed by choice and want to eat pretty much everything I walk past. This time, I was nonetheless inordinately pleased by my spinach and feta gozleme served with hummous and salads, from Portobello Street Market – just look at how fresh and vibrant that plate looks! I’m practically obsessed with this photo, thanks to the popping colour and the fact that it was truly delectable.

As a bonus, this beautiful, delicious plateful is entirely vegetarian and very nearly vegan. And pretty healthy. Basically joy on a paper plate.

My other street food adventures included a beautiful custard doughnut and a juicy pulled pork burger, but whilst tasty, they didn’t inspire the same awe at the wonder that is food as my gozleme did. Plus, the photos I took aren’t as pretty.

Of course, I know that if I were to live in London I wouldn’t be eating street food every day, nor going to see shows – after all, Sydney’s got its own thriving multicultural markets and plenty of shows and I rarely go to them, thanks to my lack of ready cash and other engagements. But it was terribly fun to spend a weekend here when I had nothing better to do than gaze at pretty food and talented actors, and I wholly recommend anyone visiting London does a little bit of the same.

What’s the minimum distance required to call it travelling, anyway?

The more I travel, the more at risk I am of becoming one of those terrible stereotypes who declares of every new city that this is the one they just LOVE above all the others. When I went to Venice in February, I adored it. When I went to Belgium in March, I thought it was great. Drinking with my friend in Barcelona in April was amazing. And now, London in June seemed utterly splendid – apparently I was too busy to go anywhere  foreign in May. What a shame. I’m sure I’d have loved wherever I’d gone.

It’s a pretty common phenomenon to feel like each new place you visit is, impossibly, the best place to be, and I suppose the apparent excellence of each new city is based on a few things – largely on the novelty, but also on the fact that each offers something different. Even in the cities where I did roughly the same thing, that is, tramp around sightseeing alone or with a friend, the sights and culture are always different enough that it’s a new experience. And really, in hindsight, I can’t necessarily say that drinking super-strong beer at 5pm in Belgium was better nor worse than the cheap sangria I was drinking at midnight in Barcelona, and similarly, I can’t compare either evening to eating fritelle by myself on the vaporetto taking me back to my hostel in Italy. They’re too different, and I can’t say which was better – it’s like being asked to choose whether you prefer hot chips or brownies. Both are delicious, but even when you have a sweet tooth like me, sometimes you’d much rather hot, chicken-salted chips to the rich, sugary chocolate.

This leads me on to an important point, being that no one place is inherently better than another. Of course, there may be particular things you want to visit – historical sites, certain climates, places you can ski or swim or hike through jungles – but everywhere you go will have its own charm, so that you can equally enjoy trekking through a rainforest in the tropics or spending all day round a crackling fire in the Alps. Because I’m headed back to  Australia in a matter of hours and know that I’ll be unlikely to be travelling abroad again in the too-near future, and will be sighing over everyone’s holidays photos of Greece, Croatia, India, wherever they may be, this is something I’m trying very hard to remember right now.

Thankfully, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all the time spent here in France, it’s that you can still enjoy yourself without travelling too far. It’s a cliché, but it’s true – sometimes hopping on a train for 2 hours will get you somewhere quite new and fascinating, and while you don’t get the social-media points for having gotten to a new country, that doesn’t mean you should enjoy yourself any less.

I can’t count the amount of people I’ve met who know Australia better than me because when they visit it, they go looking for the best parts to see, the best things to do  – whereas those of us who live there tend to stay in our neighbourhood, only venturing forth to select holiday destinations. But because I know my time in France is limited, in 6 months I’ve been to visit five nearby countries and half a dozen towns or palaces within 2 hours train ride of Paris, trying to fit as much in as possible. In Australia, in 6 months, the furthest afield I went was going to Canberra to visit my grandmother. No wonder I feel like Europe is more interesting, when it’s in Europe that I actually bother to get out and do things.

So, to make up for all the foreign cities I won’t be visiting for the next six months, year, or however long it takes for me to get myself on a plane again, I’ll be doing my darnedest to appreciate what I can find a bit closer to home. It might be daytripping somewhere an hour away, or trying to go to Melbourne for a weekend. Regardless of where I go, I’ll be doing my best to enjoy it – and that’ll make half the difference.

I wish I was vegan (but instead, I do my best)

Shouldn’t we all be vegans? If we really think about it? After all, the huge industry of livestock farming is wildly damaging to the environment, and of course, involves terrible cruelty to animals. We all know and lament this, but the majority of us continue to eat meat and animal products regardless. Even if you don’t think keeping livestock to eat or for its products is inherently cruel, and opt for only free-range, ‘cruelty-free’ options, we can’t deny that eating red meat in abundance can be harmful to our health. So why the hell do we all cling to our steaks and hamburgers? (Or, in my case, to my schnitzels and gulasch?)

Of course, the answer to that is complex. A lot can be attributed to nothing but a lack of willpower, with many of us wishing we could go vegetarian or vegan in the same way we know we should really cycle to work every day instead of driving, and be content with bananas for dessert instead of banana splits. But banana splits are delicious, and cars are damn convenient, so the effort versus payoff doesn’t seem worth it to us.

Eating ethically is especially difficult because the results are so hard to see. Sure, you know logically that by not eating beef you’re saving the life of one cow, ten cows, a thousand – but you’re not actually seeing those cows escape the butcher’s knife. You just have to trust that your decisions changed what happened. To make things worse, in many cases, your choice might not make any difference – if you refuse the sausage offered to you at a BBQ, you’re not making any impact on the meat industry, because the cow’s already dead and the sausage already made.

One of the hardest parts of vegetarianism or veganism, though, is its absolutism. As Nell Frizzell explains, it’s ‘seen as a black-and-white deal. You either are or you aren’t.’ If you declare yourself a vegan, woe betide you if you eat a single Iced Vovo. Those contain milk, you know. A tiny, tiny amount of it, but milk from a cow nonetheless, and even if you didn’t realise, you’ve just broken the only rule of veganism and have lost your right to the title.

Obviously, most vegans wouldn’t actually judge you too harshly for such a tiny slip-up, but the idea that you are forever banned from so many different foods still remains. Being told we can’t have something usually only has the effect of making us want it more, and most diet plans are aware of this. Instead of forbidding all sugar and sweets, they suggest the less harmful options, or advise tiny portions, knowing that we are more likely to obey a plan that limits us to one square of chocolate a day than to ‘No chocolate again, ever.’

This is precisely why the Reducetarian movement, or specifically, the concept fuelling it, is so appealing. It suggests that instead of making the dramatic decision to become a vegan or vegetarian, you decide to simply reduce the amount of meat and animal products you’re eating – whether to the extent that you eat non-vegan fare only if it’s served to you at someone else’s place, or that you have one meat-free day a week. Perhaps you’ll go vegan, but still eat baked goods made with butter and eggs. There’s no rules about when it is or is not appropriate to ‘cheat’, because there’s no rules about what you’re forbidden from eating, which is what makes it so much more practical and easier to achieve than strict veganism or vegetarianism.

To me, food is important not just as a form of nourishment, but as part of culture and a form of enjoyment. When I travel, tasting the food of different cultures is one of my favourite parts of the holiday, and much of that would be impossible if I were vegan or vegetarian. How are you supposed to eat eclairs when you visit France, or traditional gelato in Italy, if you avoid all animal products? While it’s true that vegan or vegetarian versions exist of almost everything now, these alternatives lack one of the main things I seek in foreign food – authenticity. They may be delicious, but they’re not the traditional fare I’ve read about.

Strict veganism would forbid me from pretty much all French pastries like this and that would be make me extremely sad

Similarly, certain foods can hold nostalgic, cultural or even religious significance. I’m less likely to make a decision that in one fell swoop forbids me from my grandmother’s cake recipe, the schnitzel restaurant I’ve been going to since my childhood and the vast majority of the food cooked up for a Christmas feast with my extended family. Depriving myself of all these foods feels like depriving myself of part of my culture and personal history, and I am utterly loathe to commit myself to that.

But just as I moderate my consumption of my grandmother’s cake or Christmas gingerbread houses because I know that eating too much sugar isn’t good for my health, I can choose to moderate my consumption of these dishes and delicacies without giving them up entirely. Therein lies all of the appeal of a ‘reducetarian’ diet, as it allows you the flexibility to make your diet work to fit in what’s important in your life. You can make the changes that you find easiest, like having almond milk for your cereal but still taking coffee with cow’s milk because you don’t like plant-milk coffee. It’s less intimidating to make minor amendments like this than to suddenly radically change your diet, and thus a reducetarian movement is easier to promote and sustain than trying to go cold turkey on your Christmas turkey (and everything else). And as such, it’s more likely you’ll be able to convince other people to join you, rather than copping eye rolls or defensive explanations from your friends about why veganism totally isn’t that great. In the end, isn’t it better to spread the good word – albeit in diluted form – to as many people as possible rather than scaring off potential candidates with your absolutism?

So if you feel bad about supporting the livestock industry but can’t figure out how to practically introduce veganism into your life, don’t give up hope – just make the changes that you can, by reducing your animal product intake rather than eradicating it altogether, and trying to source only cruelty-free food when you do eat animal products, or swap beef for the lower-polluting alternatives of pork and poultry. It’s exactly the same as trying to be healthier by eating more fruit and less cake – you don’t have to hate yourself for having the cake occasionally, but having fruit instead is better in the long run. And as a bonus, fruit is always vegan-friendly!

Being informed will help you make more environmentally-friendly decisions without giving up on food you love. Cows and lambs are not as effective converters of grain to meat, and require much more energy and water to create the same volume of food, so just swapping beef mince for pork can make a difference to your carbon footprint.

The Gourmet Student’s Guide to Paris: A Weekend

 If you’re anything like me, visiting a foreign city is an excuse to gorge yourself on all the local favourites, in the name of ‘experiencing culture’. Sadly, when you’re travelling alone or on a budget, and in a limited time frame, it can be hard to find an obliging grandmother to cook you all the traditional meals you read about, and with the added barriers of language and not knowing the area, it’s hard to figure out how to sample local delicacies without paying too much or ending up in total tourist traps. Fortunately, I’ve spent enough time living in Paris whilst being simultaneously very poor and very interested in eating well to give you the low-down on what those Parisians are really eating, and how much you should be paying for it. Even if you’ve only got one weekend, you should be able to try most of these French favourites, without wincing too much at the state of your wallet afterwards.

Being perhaps what France is best known for, it only makes sense to start off a trip in Paris with viennoiseries – what you’d probably call pastries. The traditional croissant is a firm favourite, frequently eaten with nothing by way of accompaniment except perhaps some steaming espresso coffee. But if you’re seeking something a little sweeter, branch out and try a pain au chocolat (aka a chocolate croissant for us Anglospeakers), croissant aux amandes (a croissant filled with a sweet pastry cream made with almond meal and covered by finely sliced almonds), chausson aux pommes (rather like an apple turnover), or, if you’re game, a pain Suisse, which combines the sweet pastry cream of croissant aux amandes with small chunks of chocolate to give you plenty of sugary energy for your day.

Find these sweet treats and more at a boulangerie – most also sell coffee and hot drinks, and may offer mini-formules that let you buy one viennoiserie and one coffee at a reduced price. Try to avoid chains like Paul’s, La Croissanterie or Pomme de Pain, and if you’re staying outside of the actual city don’t hesitate to stop by the local boulangerie before heading to Paris for the day.

Prices: 90c (for a croissant or pain au chocolat) to 2 euros, 2-3 euros with espresso coffee

Croissant aux amandeé

Perfect for breakfast, lunch or just a snack, crêpes are a go-to food for many travellers and native Parisians alike. Generally available in a wide range of both sweet and savoury varieties, they’re a cheap and warming way to fill your stomach whilst on the move. For a savoury snack, opt for jambon-fromage (ham and cheese, usually either cheddar or Emmental) or swap out the ham for oeuf (egg), poulet (chicken) or thon (tuna). If you’ve got a sweet tooth, sucre (sugar) and Nutella crepes are probably the most commonly appreciated, but it’s worth trying crème de marron (chestnut cream) or caramel au beurre salé (salted butter caramel) for a really French taste. Personally, I can never resist a Speculoos crêpe if I see it on the menu!

Crêpe stands abound throughout the city, wherever you might be. They’re also sold in restaurants, but I find it more fun – and cheaper – to watch them make it in front of me at a stand or small specialised shop. Specialised restaurants called crêperies are also plentiful, and offer more choice plus warm interiors. They  often have formules which include one savoury crepe, called a galette, one sweet crepe, and a drink – be sure to try cider, if it’s on the menu, as it’s the most traditional accompaniment.

Prices: from 2 euros (crepe au sucre) to 8 euros (if you’re getting something with lots of fillings), 8 to 15 euros for a formule at a crêperie

Baguette Sandwich

Sometimes the thought of a crepe, dripping with melted cheese or oozing sugary spread, while delicious, sounds altogether a little too rich. Fortunately, if it’s still lunch on the go you’re looking for, Paris has a perfect alternative: the baguette sandwich. Made either on custom-baked rolls nearly a foot long, or simply on a baguette sawn neatly in half, they provide a convenient way to consume some good French bread and can be stowed in a bag to be eaten while queuing for a museum, or in one of the many public parks that throng the city. Fillings range from the simple, with just one star ingredient complimented by beurre (butter), to more complex concoctions. If you’re after something traditional, choose combinations including your favourites from below:

Jambon (ham)

fromage (cheese)

saucisse (salami)

chèvre (goat’s cheese)

tomates (tomatoes

crudites (fresh salad ingredients, usually lettuce and tomato)

poulet (chicken)

thon (tuna)

saumon (smoked salmon)

These satisfying sandwiches are sold in the same places as viennoiseries, the ubiquitous boulangerie, but in smaller shops are not always displayed, rather made fresh upon request. Look for the word ‘sandwich’ if you can’t see rows of them lined up in the glass window. Formules are frequently available, usually consisting of a sandwich, a drink and a sweet – listed as ‘dessert’, or sometimes ‘patisserie’.

Prices: 3 euros (for single-ingredient) to 6 euros (unless you’ve gone somewhere very fancy), 5 to 11 euros for a formule

Pastries (Patisseries)

Now, what would Paris be without its famous patisseries? From the Paris-Brest to the macaron, from the sumptuous Royale to the humble éclair…it would almost be a sin to stop in Paris without sampling at least one of these delicate, rich treats. There’s an almost limitless variety to be found, whether glinting with gold-leaf in patisseries on Avenue de l’Opèra, or simply neatly arranged in a back-street local store, but a few crowd-pleasers are almost sure to be among the ranks in every display. The big sister of the éclair is the religieuse (this translates as ‘nun’, being what the little desserts are supposed to resemble), offering the same sweet custard encased by crisp choux pastry. Mille-feuille is a good option for the wary, but not the weak-hearted: layers of thick custard, pastry and sugar make it delicious but nothing that can be described as light. The Paris-Brest was named in honour of the race of the same name, and consists of delicate praline cream with a crunchy pastry exterior. To round off the Paris-centric cakes there’s the Royale (sometimes known as Trianon, being named after the miniature palace at Versailles), perfect for chocolate lovers with its layers of chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache and crisp dacquoise (a meringue-like substance made with almonds) while those preferring the rich flavour of coffee can opt for an opèra, named for the famous Opèra Garnier and involving multiple levels of coffee-soaked sponge cake and chocolate.

Patisseries, confusingly or conveniently enough, are found at patisseries, made by patissiers. Most boulangeries are combined boulangerie-patisseries and as such it’s child’s play to find one, but look out for a salon de thé if you seek the creature comforts of warmth, a table to eat your pastry at and perhaps a pot of tea. It may cost a little more to eat in, but the extra fraction is well worth it on wintry days!

Prices: usually 2.20 euros to 5 euros, though at the big names like Lenôtre or Angelina’s expect something in between 6 and 10 euros. Yes, for one pastry.

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Déjeuner Formule

If you’ve got the time, money and appetite for a full French meal, be sure to take advantage of the numerous formule déjeuner (lunch menus) available. Some, unfortunately, run only on weekdays, but many restaurants still offer them on weekends. Their form can vary slightly: the basic premise is that you pay a lower price for a fixed menu, choosing from combinations of entrée-plat (starter and main), plat-dessert (main and dessert) or all three (for a higher price, of course). Sometimes there are multiple options for each dish, and sometimes you get the plat du jour (meal of the day) with no choice about it. They’re a great way to sample some of the French classics, but if you’ve splashed out on three courses, take your time – the rich food, even when offset by the basket of complimentary bread, calls for tranquil, languid dining habits.

Look out for:

soupe à l’oignon (onion soup served with a crust of bread and melted Gruyere cheese)

escargots à la bourguignon (Burgundy style snails served with garlicky sauce)

salade au chèvre (salad served with goats cheese, generally drizzled with honey)

oeufs à la mayonnaise (devilled eggs)

cuisse de canard or confit de canard (duck thigh cooked in traditional style)

boeuf bourguignon  (traditional beef stew originating from Burgundy, like the snails)

crème brulée (super thick vanilla custard covered by a layer of caramelised sugar)

fromage blanc or fromage à la campagne (soft white cheese the consistency of thick yoghurt, often eaten with sugar or jam on top)

assiette de fromage (cheese plate)

mousse au chocolat (rather easy to guess, but very traditionally French)

Restaurants with formule-déjeuners are found all over Paris, but prices and quality will vary hugely according to your location. For budget travellers, go ahead and try Montmartre or the Latin Quarter for 10 euro menus aimed at tourists, but be aware that your servings will be small and the quality questoinable. Otherwise, venture out to less popular suburbs such as Belleville (19th/20th arrondissement) or anywhere outside the arrondissements of Paris.

Prices: starting at 10 euros for entrée-plat-dessert, but average prices hovering around 15 for two courses.

Oeufs à la mayonnaise

Planche fromage/charcuterie/mixte

Paris is host to an innumerable quantity of bars, brasseries and other drinking establishments, many of which provide food as well as endless aperol spritzers. When out for a drink, the best choice for something to nibble on alongside your wine is indubitably a planche (board). Generally found in three types – fromage (cheese), charcuterie (cold deli meats) or mixte (both cheese and meat), the servings are usually generous and the bread plentiful.

Consult almost any menu in a bar or brasserie serving meals – they’re often listed under its own heading, A Partager (to share).

Prices: 10 – 20 euros

Chocolat à l’ancienne et glace à l’italienne

Depending on the season, you may well have need to warm yourself up with a good hot drink or find something to refresh you after long treks down cobbled streets. Accordingly, grab yourself a chocolat chaud à l’ancienne (old-fashioned hot chocolate) to discover the real difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate: one’s chocolatey flavoured milk, the other feels like you’re drinking melted chocolate. Sometimes sold by chocolatiers (especially chains like Chocolat de Neuville), but also found in cafes and salons de thé, these can be a dessert all by themselves. Chocolat chaud onctueux is another name for the same thing – but just glance behind the counter: if you can see the whirling vat of warm chocolate, you know you’re in the right place.

Alternatively, if the weather’s warmer, cool down with glace à l’italienne (Italian-style ice cream). Soft serve ice cream is hugely popular in the warmer months, and available in far more flavours than boring old vanilla, such as salted caramel, strawberry and pistachio. Often, the machines will allow you to combine two flavours for a beautiful – and delicious – colour contrast. Seen only once the sun shows its face, the machines pop up in boulangeries and chocolatiers (chocolate makers) or can be found on the street, especially in busy areas.

Prices: for ice creams, 2.50 euros to 6 euros (for larger sizes). For chocolat chaud, 3 euros (takeaway) to 9 euros (check out Angelina’s for their famous African hot chocolate, coming in at a neat 8.20 euros)

Glace à l’italienne choco-vanille

Chocolat chaud à l’ancienne chez Angelina’s

A word of advice: if you want to profit from all that Paris has to offer in terms of gastronomic delights, you won’t be leaving the City of Lights feeling the least bit light – but I promise it’s worth it!

St-Germain-des-Prés (6th arrondissement)

This area is known for its connections to art and literature, as well as hosting some impressive architecture like the Palais de Luxembourg. It’s on the more expensive side, and appeals to those interested in culture.

Start at Metro stop St-Germain-des-Prés (line 4), and admire the church immediately beside you, Eglise de Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It dates from the 6th century, when it was erected by Childebert, the son of the first King of France, Clovis. The tomb of René Descartes, famous mathematician and logician, can be found in its side chapels.

If you’re in the mood for something sweet, pick up a traditional waffle or crêpe at the stand right outside the Metro entrance – it has a long established reputation for delivering cheap, sugary pleasure. If you’re looking for something more lux, head straight down rue Bonaparte towards Ladurée’s, a famous patisserie and tea salon that’s been around since 1861. It’s especially known for its macarons, though the cakes are delicious as well, but prices start at 2.50 for a mini-macaron and around 6 euros for the cheapest cake. That’s at take-away prices, too!

If money doesn’t concern you too much, and you want to relive the lives of famous authors, look across the street from the church to find the first of the three cafes patronised by long-gone intellectuals. Les Deux Magots is particularly known for playing host to Rimbaud, Picasso and Hemingway, while Café des Flores right next door was the favourite of luminaries such as Apollinaire, Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Trotsky. Each café lays claim to particular known names, but in fact the writers and thinkers generally frequented both businesses. They serve traditional French café fare, such as chocolat chaud a l’ancienne, but beware: a simple espresso starts at around 4 to 5 euros. Just across the road, the Lipp brasserie was also part of the handful of establishments beloved by the artists. Founded by an Alsatian couple, it was known for its food from that region – think sauerkraut, remoulade and beer – and now is famous for its excellent mille-feuille.

Moving eastwards along the Boulevard St Germain, you can take a left turn at Rue de l’Echaude to seek out the National Museum of Eugeune Delacroix, the famous painter. While it doesn’t have many of his famous works, it’s interesting to see his studio and house (and free for EU residents under 26), chosen specifically for its proximity to Eglise de Saint-Sulplice, where he painted one of the chapels. That’s worth a visit too, and is a short walk down the same rue Boneparte that leads to Laduree’s, but in the southerly direction.

Keep heading down the Boulevard if your stomach’s rumbling now, and just a few steps down Rue de l’Ancienne Comedie on your left, you can peek at the marvellous creations at Éclair de Genie, which features éclairs with fillings and toppings a little beyond the regular chocolate pastry cream. Le Procope, which holds the title of the oldest restaurant in Paris, is just before it.

The éclair au caramel, one of the specialities of Eclair du Genie

Alternatively, turn right at rue de l’Odeon and walk towards the imposing Odeon Theatre. Behind it, you’ll find the Palais de Luxembourg and its famous adjoining gardens, which feature large basins used for toy sailing boats in summer and plenty of people, both locals and tourists, whenever the sun is out. The palace was built by the Italian wife of King Henry IV, Marie de Medici, after her husband died and is modelled on a palace from Marie’s native Florence. Now, the building is the seat of the French Senate, and the former orangery has become the Musée de Luxembourg which holds regular art exhibitions. The Boulevard Saint-Michel, so named for the huge decorative fountain found at its northern end, marks the end of 6th arrondissement, and the beginning of the Latin Quarter.