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Top restaurant and chef awards in 2012 Posted: 01 Jan 2012 06:52 AM PST NEW YORK, Jan 1 — When it comes to awards season in the culinary world, the first half of the year is one of the busiest. In addition to regional Bocuse d'Or competitions in Europe and the US, Restaurant magazine celebrates the 10th anniversary of its World's 50 Best Restaurants list, a competition that has swiftly climbed the culinary ranks to be considered one of the most influential, career-making lists in the industry, rivalling that of the old guard, the Michelin guide. Danish Chef Rasmus Kofoed (2ndL) holds his trophy as he poses with his team after winning the Bocuse d'Or (Golden Bocuse), on January 26, 2011. — AFP pic Here's a look at some of the most important awards shows in the world of gastronomy for 2012. Bocuse d'Or USA January 28-29 Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, NY, USA Considered the Olympics of the culinary world, the Bocuse d'Or USA will choose the American chef-team to represent the nation at the biennial Bocuse d'Or World Cuisine Contest in 2013. Finalists this year include Bill Bradley, Danny Cerqueda, Jeffrey Lizotte and Richard Rosendale. On January 28 and 29, the chefs will compete for the chance to carry the American flag into the international competition in Lyon, France, where they will have 51/2 hours to cook the meal of their lives: two platter presentations around seafood and meat, each accompanied by three original garnishes that will be presented to a panel of 24 judges. Dishes will be evaluated for overall harmony of flavours, presentation and techniques. Bocuse d'Or France March 4 and 6 Paris, France For 51/2 hours, eight French chefs will cook their hearts out in front of a panel of judges that includes Joël Robuchon, holder of the most Michelin stars in the world, each hoping for a turn at the final Bocuse d'Or championships in Lyon next year. Each chef will be tasked with preparing a chicken dish to be presented family style on one platter, enough for 10 people. In the seafood category, they will have five sole filets to prepare, which is also to serve 10 guests and presented family style. So far, France has won six Bocuse d'Or titles. Gourmand World Cookbook Awards March 6 Folies Bergere Paris, France This year's edition of the Paris Cookbook Fair, which is an international gathering of some of the most powerful publishing houses in the business, has been extended an extra day. Winners of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards will be announced at a red-tie affair on March 6, at Folies Bergere. Last year saw more than 8,000 entries in wine and food from 154 countries, and organisers say they expect more this year. Categories include regional and national titles, as well as the best of ethnic cuisines such as Asian, French, Indian and Arab. Bocuse d'Or Europe March 20-21 Brussels, Belgium Finalists from across Europe will compete in the 2012 Bocuse d'Or Europe, which crowns the best chef on the continent and sets the tone for the grand finale in Lyon, which is set to take place January 29-30, 2013. New to the competition this year is Bulgaria. Countries include: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Chefs will compete for one of 12 places to take part at the final round in Lyon next year. 26th annual International Association of Culinary Professional Cookbook Awards March 29-April 2 New York, NY, USA Unlike the Gourmand World Cookbook Award, which accepts cookbook submissions around the world, the IACP is a members-only club that counts 3,000 people in its group from 32 countries. In cookbooks this year, the IACP has added Culinary Travels as a new category, while the online awards have added New Media and Broadcast awards to nine other categories. Last year, the IACP received more than 500 cookbook entries in 18 categories. Top honours for Cookbook of the Year went to Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes From My Home To Yours. 10th annual World's 50 Best Restaurants April 30 Guildhall, London, UK In one decade, Restaurant magazine's World's 50 Best Restaurants list has become an international benchmark in the world of gastronomy, single-handedly catapulting restaurants to astronomical fame and stretching waiting lists out to months with just one listing. Ferran Adria's now-shuttered El Bulli restaurant in Spain owes much of its international fame to the ranking, as it topped the list five times in the past 10 years. The award has been both praised and panned by critics. Some say it provides a refreshing change to the Michelin guide, which has been charged with being stuffy and its process excessively secretive, while others have panned it for excluding many old-school stalwarts in the cooking world. This year's 10th anniversary is expected to be a big event. James Beard Foundation Awards May 4 and May 7 Lincoln Centre, New York, NY, USA The James Beard awards are often described as the "Oscars" of the US food scene, crowning the best of the best. The awards cover publishing, restaurants and chefs, naming the best in categories such as cookbooks, food writing, outstanding chef, outstanding restaurant and talent spots with Rising Star Chef of the Year. Last year's winners included José Andrés, chef-owner of minibar in Washington DC, who took home the medal for Outstanding Chef while New York's Eleven Madison Park took home the title of Outstanding Restaurant. The Book, Broadcast and Journalism Awards winners will be announced on May 4, while the restaurant and chef awards will be announced on May 7. Bocuse d'Or Asia June 12-14 Sirha Shanghai, Pudong Expo, China At the qualifying Asian rounds, countries will put their best chef forward and vie for a place at the big Lyon competition in 2013. Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka will compete against one another for a chance at just four spots at the final competition on January 29-30, 2013. Restaurant & Bar Design Awards September, 2012, TBA London, England Unlike restaurant awards that honour the food and its chefs, these British awards recognise the designers responsible for creating atmosphere and providing first impressions. The awards are independent, and establishments are judged by a panel of personalities from the design, lifestyle and hospitality industries. Entries come from all types of environments including hotels, transport, business, industry, fine dining, education, government, aviation, cruise and retail. Other key dates in the competition include: January 9 — call for entries; April 13 — closing date; June 20 — shortlist announced. National Restaurant Awards UK October 8 Venue: TBA The James Beard equivalent for the UK, the National Restaurant Awards can vault a restaurant's reputation and stretch out reservation lists weeks in advance. The 2011 winner was London eatery The Ledbury for the second year running, helmed by Aussie chef Brett Graham. The award is hosted by Restaurant magazine, which also created The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Winners are voted by the National Restaurant Awards Academy, which is made up of chefs, restaurateurs and food critics, and represents the 12 regions of the UK. — Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Dessert trends for 2012: Donuts and canelés Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:38 AM PST WASHINGTON, Jan 1 — They're not covered in chocolate, or studded with pretty berries, nor are they slathered in a caramel or toffee sauce. But editors of a prestigious US culinary foundation are betting that a simple, plain-looking French pastry will be the next big dessert trend after cupcakes, pies and macarons. According to editors of the latest food trend report from the James Beard Foundation in New York, canelés (also spelled cannelés), a pastry native to Bordeaux, France, are poised to be the new new cupcake in 2012. Made with a crepe-like batter of flour, egg yolks and sugar, canelés are known for their chewy, dense texture and their thick, dark, caramelised crust. Some recipes call for a splash of rum, others call for a dash of orange flower water. Meanwhile, the same trendspotting report predicts that donuts will enjoy a revival in 2012, but as regional interpretations. For instance, expect to see more Central European style kolaches — large pastries with a fruit filing centre, Turkish lokmas — deep-fried dough covered in simple syrup, or malasadas — Portuguese versions of sugar doughnuts. In a report out of the Centre for Culinary Development last month, trend tracker Kara Nielsen drew readers' attention to the Kouign-amann, a buttery, caramelised pastry from the northwest region of Brittany, France. Nielsen traces the rising popularity of the pastry back to acclaimed bakeries in the US like Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery in Los Angeles and French baker Dominique Ansel, who imported the sweet treat to New York. Ansel is also cited in the James Beard report for driving the canelé (picture) trend. Popular Paris-based food blog Chocolate & Zucchini offers a canelé recipe at http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2005/10/caneles.php. — AFP/Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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US Nasyid group, Muslim country singer to perform in KL Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:29 AM PST Native Deen's music also highlights the issues confronting Muslims in the US. — blog.shukrattire.com pic KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Nasyid group Native Deen and Muslim country music singer Kareem Salama from the United States will be performing here next month, Bernama Online reported today. Both acts hope to share the message of peace with Malaysian audiences through their faith-based music. Native Deen, comprising Joshua Salaam, Abdul Malik Ahmad and Naeem Muhammad, is one of the leading Nasyid groups in the US and their music is a fusion of hip-hop and R&B. Kareem, on the other hand, is the first Muslim country singer whose music is a hybrid of the country, pop and rock genres. Event organiser Nizal.Com Sdn Bhd told the news portal that concert details will be announced at a later date. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Lana Del Rey, music buzz of 2011 — but is she ‘real’? Posted: 31 Dec 2011 06:41 PM PST Lana Del Rey performs on stage in Cologne, Germany. — AFP pic PARIS, Jan 1 — Honeyed vocals, a cinematic pout and a haunting, David Lynch-inspired video clip posted on YouTube was all it took to propel Lana Del Rey to global stardom, hailed as the musical revelation of 2011.  But a just-as-swift backlash has threatened to bring down the New York singer before her first album even hits the shelves next month, after bloggers attacked the 25-year-old as an industry-backed "fake", posing as self-made artist.  Lana Del Rey's story began early this year when, like thousands of would-be singers, the unknown American posted a track called "Video Games" on YouTube, an edgy, melancholy tale of unrequited love delivered in slow, sultry tones.  A collage of vintage footage, cartoons and contemporary images, the clip evokes the gauzy, nostalgia-tinted worlds of filmmakers like Lynch or Sofia Coppola.  "We fell in love with its fragile, surreal, 50s-soap opera beauty," wrote the British music magazine NME of "Video Games", which went viral clocking up 15 million online views.  A second clip, "Blue Jeans", was posted a few weeks later as Lana Del Rey wowed music critics worldwide, hailed as much as a musical revelation as a style icon, with spots in Vogue and Rolling Stone.  The singer's world is an artful blend of modernity — hip hop tinged lyrics, jewellery and bling false nails — and retro-tinged Hollywood glamour, in the spirit of the cult TV series "Mad Men". "Somewhere between Hollywood icon and postmodern 'It Girl', she is perfectly in tune with the Zeitgeist," wrote the French rock magazine Les Inrockuptibles.  "The gangsta Nancy Sinatra," is how she has summed up her persona, leaving critics struggling to find a neater turn of phrase. — 'A failed mainstream artist' — But her stellar rise soon enough gave way to a backlash, after some digging by indie bloggers unearthed a past life as plain old Elizabeth Grant, the author of two earlier, unsuccessful albums.  "She was basically a failed mainstream artist who is being 'rebranded' behind major label dollars," read a scathing piece on the Hipster Runoff blog in September, claiming to "expose" the singer's past.  As much as her background story as DIY artist, who may or may not once have lived in a trailer park, the controversy has zeroed in on the authenticity of her generous lips: a fake in both looks and substance, runs the argument.  Widely echoed in the music press, the backlash, wrote the Globe and Mail, "is threatening to bring down the It Girl before she has even has time to 'break'."  The Del Rey controversy has also left music critics red-faced, since many pride themselves on their flair for original new talent.  "People wailing about the 'inauthenticity' of Lana Del Rey," wrote Alexis Petridis in The Guardian, "would presumably, have recoiled from David Bowie in the 1970s, horrified that he wasn't actually a gay Nazi demagogue from outer space."  But another critic in the paper pointed out that "it matters a great deal whose idea 'Lana Del Rey' was," considering the languid, submissive feminine type she embodies through her looks and lyrics alike.  "Pop is a feminist issue, especially since it is stuffed with women who seem to be the playthings of overwhelmingly male creative and label execs," argued the writer, Kitty Empire.  The bottom line, critics agree, has to be the music. In October, a record deal with the label Interscope, a subsidiary of Universal, was made public, and a late January release date set for her first album "Born to Die".  The video of its title track was "leaked" online this month. Shot by Woodkid, a hot French director, the clip confirmed that — however Del Rey's story began — industry muscle is now firmly behind her.  Last month Lizzy Grant aka Lana Del Rey gave a string of concerts in Europe and the United States, drawing hordes of critics, but the forty-minute sets failed to settle the debate.  "On stage," wrote The Guardian, "the woman who inspires such analysis was a blank canvas" who barely spoke.  "There is something, real, and rather special here," but "you wonder how much of the real Lizzy Grant inhabits her songs."  So the jury remains out, the mystery intact, and Lana Del Rey's album one of the most eagerly awaited of 2012. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Doctors look to treat sick children in virtual worlds Posted: 31 Dec 2011 05:55 PM PST Photo dated July 2, 2011 courtesy of Societe des Arts technologiques (SAT) shows a child following the movements on screen of an avatar during a demonstration of a new therapy in Montreal, Canada. — AFP pic MONTREAL, Jan 1 — Doctors in a domed laboratory in Canada are designing a virtual world where they hope to one day treat traumatized children with colourful avatars using toy-like medical gadgets.  Sensory stimulation could be used to make a burn victim feel she is encased in a block of ice. Three-dimensional images of a child's bedroom at home could make him forget he is in a hospital.  "You could take a child suffering from burns and put him in a polar environment, crossing the threshold of reality, to dull his pain," said Patrick Dube, who is leading a team of medics from Montreal's Sainte-Justine hospital and software engineers at the Society for Arts and Technology.  "We know that cognitive illusions have an effect on the perception of pain," he said. At the Satosphere, an 18-meter-wide dome originally designed to provide spectators with a 360-degree view of art projections, the team has set up a hospital room, or "living lab", to try out new treatment ideas.  The dome, touted by Satosphere president Monique Savoie as a "cinema for the 21st century," is a scion of the Circle-Vision theatre unveiled at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition's Bell Pavilion in Montreal.  "We can, through multiple projectors, create immersive environments that integrate not only walls, but also the furniture in a room," Dube said.  Another tool being tested by the doctors would allow them to give medical gadgets the appearance of fantastical, non-threatening toys. Children would in theory be able to familiarise themselves with "scary" medical instruments, like syringes, easing common fears over medical tests and treatments.  In the hands of a little girl, a syringe is transformed into a storybook rocket. "I'm no longer scared of injections," said Maxime, 11, the daughter of one of the researchers.  The researchers are also looking into avatars that could one day allow doctors and nurses to communicate with children traumatised by sickness or a crippling accident, who may not be comfortable opening up to an adult.  Such high-tech puppetry might be used to build a child's confidence or help re-socialise them.  The person controlling the avatar from another room could ask a child to mimic its movements as part of physical rehabilitation.  The ultimate aim is to apply the technology to help the children "overcome their fears and discover things about themselves," said Patricia Garel, head of Sainte-Justine's psychiatry department.  "There's enormous potential in our discipline, but we're still at a very early exploratory stage." Virtual communication and video games are known to sometimes have a negative impact on the socialisation of children, particularly the most emotionally fragile, who might shut themselves in.  But Garel insists that if the tools are used correctly they could carve a virtual path back to normal life. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Electricity sparks new life into Indonesia’s corals Posted: 31 Dec 2011 05:45 PM PST In this handout photograph young corals grow on metal frame in the shape of a flower attached to a stone figure in the seabed of Pemuteran in Indonesian island of Bali. — AFP pic PEMUTERAN, Indonesia, Jan 1 — Cyanide fishing and rising water temperatures had decimated corals off Bali until a diver inspired by a German scientist's pioneering work on organic architecture helped develop a project now replicated worldwide. Based on "Biorock" technology it is implemented in 20 countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific. In the turquoise waters of Pemuteran off the north coast of Bali where the project was launched in 2000, a metal frame known as "the crab" is covered with huge corals in shimmering colours where hundreds of fish have made their homes. "It's amazing, isn't it ?" Rani Morrow-Wuigk says proudly. The 60-year-old German-born Australian first dived in Pemuteran bay back in 1992, to see its beautiful reefs. But at the end of the nineties rising water temperatures had led to the near-disappearance of the reef, already badly affected by cyanide and dynamite fishing in the area. "I was devastated. Basically, all the corals were dead. It was gravel and sand," Rani recalled. But when German architect and marine scientist Wolf Hilbertz told her about a discovery he had made in the 1970s, the diver's ears pricked up. Hilbertz had sought to "grow" construction materials in the sea, and had done so by submerging a metallic structure and connecting it to an electric current with a weak and thus harmless voltage. The ensuing electrolysis had provoked a build-up of limestone, in a kind of spontaneous building work. When he tested out his invention in Louisiana in the United States, Hilbertz saw that after a few months oysters progressively covered the whole structure, and colonised the collected limestone. More experiments were carried out and the same phenomenon was confirmed for corals. "Corals grow 2-6 times faster. We are able to grow back reefs in a few years," Thomas J. Goreau, a Jamaican marine biologist and biogeochemist, told AFP. Goreau began working with Hilbertz in the mid-1980s to develop Biorock technology, and he has continued their work since Hilbertz's death four years ago. When Rani saw the discovery, it gave her an idea for how she might save "her" bay. She decided to expand the project to 22 structures using her own money with the help of Taman Sari, the holiday resort in front of the coral restoration project. Today there are around sixty of these "cages" in Pemuteran bay, across a surface of two hectares, and the reef has not only been saved from near-death, it is flourishing better than ever before. "Now we've got a better coral garden than we used to have," said Rani. Biorock not only revives the corals but it makes them more resistant, in particular against bleaching and global warming. "Biorock is the only method known that protects corals from dying from high temperatures. We get from 16-50 times higher survival of corals from severe bleaching," Goreau said. The evidence of this has been on show in Pemuteran, said Rani. "We had coral bleaching happening in the last two years. The water temperature was 34 degrees (93 Fahrenheit), instead of 30. Only 10 per cent of the corals were affected and two percent died. Whereas, in 1998, they basically all died". The local community in Pemuteran has also been won over after early reticence on the merits of the project. "At first, I thought he was a crazy 'bule' (white guy) putting iron in the water," Komang Astika said, recalling his first meeting with Goreau, but in 2000, Komang joined the project when he left college. Today he is the diving instructor and manager in charge of the Biorock information centre, located on Pemuteran beach and set up with funds from the sponsorship programme, "Adopt a baby coral" The tourists have also cottoned-on. "It was a poor village when I arrived," Rani said, "since 2000, the number of dive shops doubled." And the local fishermen have also seen the merits of the project they initially regarded as a threat to their livelihoods. "At the beginning, the fishermen didn't want Biorock because we were trying to stop them fishing. They were saying 'It's my ocean,' but now they see the fish coming back and the tourists coming," said Astika. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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‘Game of Thrones’ author posts excerpt from new book Posted: 01 Jan 2012 05:43 AM PST LOS ANGELES, Jan 1 — Fans of novelist George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series are melting. The "Game of Thrones" author just released a previously unpublished sample chapter from the upcoming sixth instalment, "The Winds of Winter," on his Website. At 6,100 words in length, the excerpt is substantial. "The chronology, as usual, is tricky," Martin said on his LiveJournal page. "This chapter will be found eventually at the beginning of 'Winds,' but as you will be able to tell from context, it actually takes place before some of the chapters at the end of" Martin also said another "Winds of Winter" sample chapter will be included in the paperback edition of "A Dance with Dragons," which is due in July. "A Dance With Dragons" was released in July 2011, 15 years after the first volume — "A Game of Thrones" — came out. In an interview published in October, Martin said he had written 100 pages of "Winds," which will be published by Bantam Books. A release date has not been set for that book or its successor, "A Dream of Spring," which Martin plans to be the final instalment in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. In the meantime, Martin fans will bide their time with the second season of HBO's series adaptation "A Game of Thrones," which starts in April. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Top international book fairs of 2012 Posted: 31 Dec 2011 08:51 PM PST A visitor walks past lit panels at the China stand at the 61st Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt am Main on October 14, 2009 where China is this year's guest of honour. — Afp pic NEW YORK, Jan 1 — The digital age of reading will be in the spotlight at 2012's major international book fairs, as publishing and reading become increasingly multimedia pursuits. Among highlights: the New Delhi World Book Fair includes a focus on books about Indian cinema, BookExpo America offers live streaming of select programs, and the Beijing Book Fair expands its Digital Publishing Zone.  20th New Delhi World Book Fair, February 25 - March 4 New Delhi, India  The biannual New Delhi World Book Fair skipped a year in 2011 but is back in early 2012. India is the third largest publisher of English-language books after the US and UK, and the biannual New Delhi World Book Fair is the country's largest international event for English-language books. In 2010, more than 1,200 exhibitors were represented at the event, which attracts more than one million visitors. The year 2012 will see an international rights exhibition on books on Indian cinema. http://www.nbtindia.org.in  22nd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, March 28 - April 2 Abu Dhabi, UAE  The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, a leading book fair for the Middle Eastern market organized in part by the Frankfurt Book Fair, welcomed 850 publishers from nearly 60 countries in 2011. In 2012, the UK will be the Country of Focus. Visitors, who number around 200,000, can look forward to daily author lectures, book signings, poetry performances, and live cooking shows. http://www.adbookfair.com  41st London Book Fair, April 16-18 London, UK  The London Book Fair is the leading spring book event in Europe, with the Frankfurt Fair dominating the second half of the year. While the event spotlights the UK publishing industry — the second-largest in the world for English-language books — it also attracts up to 23,000 industry professionals from more than 100 countries around the world. China will be the Market Focus at the 2012 fair. http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk  111th BookExpo America, June 4-7 New York  NY BookExpo America is the premier book fair in North America and the largest English-language book fair in the world. More than 1,500 exhibitors and 500 authors attended the 2011 event, as well as an estimated 30,000 visitors. The 2012 edition will include live streaming of select events. The fair began in 1902 with Mark Twain as the featured author; the 2011 program featured Jeffery Eugenides, Jane Fonda, Charlaine Harris, and Roger Ebert. http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/  6th Cape Town Book Fair June 15-17 Cape Town, South Africa  The Cape Town Book Fair is the largest book event in sub-Saharan Africa, notable especially for its strong public attendance — the 2010 edition drew 45,000 visitors. While its industry component is smaller than leading international fairs, the fair earns clout as one of only two joint ventures (with the Abu Dhabi Book Fair) managed by the organizers of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest book fair worldwide. More than 200 exhibitors from 31 countries attended in 2010; the fair skipped a year in 2011. http://www.capetownbookfair.com  19th Tokyo International Book Fair, July 5-8 Tokyo, Japan  TIBF is the leading book event focusing on the colossal Japanese publishing industry, which is estimated to be the second largest woldwide. Focuses include general fiction, business titles, and manga, as well as Japan's growing e-book market. In 2011 Spain was the featured country, and the fair welcomed a record-breaking 88,767 visitors plus participants from 23 countries. http://www.bookfair.jp/en/  23rd Hong Kong Book Fair ,July 18-24 Hong Kong China Asia's biggest book fair in terms of visitor numbers, the Hong Kong Book Fair is a cultural phenomenom, attracting huge numbers of visitors with its author autographs, book bargains, and cultural events. The 2011 fair, which featured an expanded section dedicated to the growth of e-books and e-learning resources, hosted 520 exhibitors from 16 countries and regions and attracted nearly one million visitors. http://hkbookfair.com/en  19th Beijing International Book Fair, August 29 - September 2 Beijing, China  The Beijing Book Fair is among the largest industry fairs in Asia and has been gaining in importance as publishers set their sights on the huge Chinese market with its growing demand for English-language titles. An estimated 200,000 industry members and visitors attend the event, which is historically open to the public on the fourth day. The 2012 edition will see an expanded Digital Publishing Zone and welcome the Netherlands as the country of honor. http://www.bibf.net/WebSiteEn/home/Default.aspx  64th Frankfurt Book Fair, October 10-14 Frankfurt, Germany  The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's biggest gathering of publishers and authors. The 2011 fair hosted 7,384 exhibitors from 106 countries and more than 3,200 events, attracting 280,194 visitors. Celebrities from the fields of books, video gaming, TV and film are frequently in attendance. While e-books remain a hot topic, conversation in 2011 shifted to ensuring a future for the traditional bound book and other challenges associated with the digital age. http://www.buchmesse.de/en/fbf/  26th Guadalajara International Book Fair, November 24 - December 2 Guadalajara, Mexico  The "FIL" (Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara) is the principal event for Spanish-language publishing worldwide, attracting more than half a million visitors as well as nearly 2,000 publishing houses from the Spanish-speaking world and beyond. Digital issues were at the forefront at the 2011 fair, which also featured long-form journalism projects from Mexican publishing houses and hosted a debate between Nobel Prize winners Herta Müller and Mario Vargas Llosa. Chile is guest of honor in 2012. http://www.fil.com.mx/ingles/i_default.asp. — Afp-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Happy Holidays in New York City Posted: 31 Dec 2011 04:28 PM PST The most intriguing Christmas shop window displays where no expense is spared has to be Bergdof Goodmans on Fifth Avenue, but Lady Gaga's Boudoir in Barneys, Madison Avenue was worth a detour. JAN 1 — If I hear one more "Happy Holidays" I shall look the jolly greeter hard in the eye and blurt out: "It's Merry bloody Christmas...okay?"  Seriously, apart from the wishy-washy political correctness of the all-encompassing Happy Holidays theme (I know, I get it, there's a host of Yuletide celebrations besides my "Merry Christmas" like Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday, and Jewish Hanukkah), we are having a jolly good time.  New York City is "the best" at Christmas, locals say. It's true. It comes alive with hoards of must-dos; we'll never do them all, not in a lifetime of Decembers and unfettered access to Carlos Slim's bank account.  Here's a potted version of the outings we've managed (to afford) during our first Christmas in the glittery Big Apple:  Ice skating with film stars at the oh-so-trendy "The Standard" hotel, in  West Village. Ok. So the evil zookeeper (Clark Gregg) from "Mr Popper's Penguins" movie was ice skating with his daughter at the Standard's outdoor ice rink. It qualifies. Children's hot chocolates topped with marshmallows and sugary crepes served from twee alpine huts by handsome ski bum types (one for the mums). Warming cheese fondues enjoyed from comfy seats furnished with fluffy red blankets to stave off the chilly late December air. All with a view of Mr Zookeeper artfully completing circuits of the small rink. And after a few glühweins... us parents joined the children on the ice, like regular Torvill and Deans, or was it Thumper and Bambi?  FAO Schwarz, Fifth Avenue. NYC's toy nirvana as advertised on the backseat TV screens of every single yellow cab journey I've made this month. My children waited a whole year for their visit. They weren't disappointed, except for my youngest who asked where the "real toy car" was. I think he was referring to the one in the advert driven by a precocious-looking toddler (dressed like an adult — such an Upper East trait) dodging a "live" monkey scurrying across a steamy jungle-clad aisle (what? are we back in Bukit Tunku?).  Fortunately, this $24,999.99 Barbie doll foosball table wasn't going to fit into the girl''s Christmas stockings... The hot pink Barbie doll foosball table with a price tag of $24,999.99 (RM79,224.97), one of 10 made worldwide, caught my girls' attention. But first prize for the ridiculous was awarded to two overly excited twenty-somethings giving a "live" performance of Chopsticks on what must be the largest piano on the planet—they were jigging erratically across the top of it, pressing the keys with their feet (and hands following a forward flip). Hard to explain; got to be there.  A visit to Radio City's Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes (dressed as Santa's reindeer below), has been a New York Christmas tradition since 1933. Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Rockefeller Centre. Not a peep from the marvelled audience during the one-and-half-hour show consisting of close to 40 dancing girls called The Rockettes dressed as leggy showgirls (one for the dads), Santas, or as part of a Christmas Nativity and joined by three "live" camels, a flock of sheep and a donkey.  Lady Gaga's hairy shop window display at Barneys, Madison Avenue. Lady Gaga was there too, well, a mannequin of, and literally everything in her boudoir was covered in hair: a frizzy blonde chaise longue, black braided stiletto and a ginger-lock framed mirror. Very weird. But in keeping I guess with NY's most provocative lady of fame.  The New York Botanical Gardens annual holiday train. Following a NY tradition for the past 20 years, we made our first trip to the Bronx area to see model trains merrily winding their way around a miniature Manhattan.  The twist to this exhibit, housed in a giant greenhouse, was that buildings—including Lady Liberty herself, the wedding cake shaped Chrysler Building, Metropolitan Museum and hundreds more—were painstakingly made from plants, nutshells and fungus.  "I just saw the Polar Express train mummy!" my seven-year-old cried as we walked under George Washington Bridge constructed from pine bark, twigs and magnolia leaves.  Tiffany's at Christmas, very theatrical, and if you leaned into the Fifth Avenue displays to see the moving carousels you can smell the strong pine scent of the surrounding foliage. And for New Year's Eve my friend — a fellow Brit and a relative "newbie" like ourselves recently emailed certain options for the big night:  "Well, after some research I managed to find:  a "Gala Night" at the Mandarin Oriental for $1,500 per head which clearly Jason [hubby] blew out of the water straightaway,  an over 35s night at the Bryant Park Grill followed by ice skating and broken legs!  got laughed at loudly when I called the Standard to see if they had any tickets left for the Debbie Harry concert at the rooftop bar!"  Ahem, none of the above I don't think.  Times Square is the big draw here. Only I have heard you have to be there at 3pm to save your spot of concrete — and with four children under nine — maybe not.  My hubby wishes to wander the streets of NYC, maybe nipping via the Rockefeller Center to see the famed Christmas tree. The 75-year-old Norway Spruce from Pennsylvania reaches a heady 74 feet and is topped with a 25,000 Swarovski crystal studded star.  Me? Well, I've a dreamy idea of finally taking that ride through Central Park on a horse-drawn carriage, children too — after all they are old enough now to remember what we did on New Year's Eve 2011 in NYC. And, please, finally, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Perihal kritikan pedas Chef Wan, kesediaan kita menerima kritikan dengan hati terbuka Posted: 31 Dec 2011 04:21 PM PST Perihal kritikan pedas Chef Wan, kesediaan kita menerima kritikan dengan hati terbuka 1 JAN — Tiada siapa daripada kita yang suka dikritik oleh orang lain. Baik dari kalangan pemimpin atasan mahupun rakyat marhaen seperti penulis, semuanya sependapat dengan hakikat berkenaan.  Maklumlah itu merupakan sikap semula jadi manusia yang sentiasa mahu dirinya dihargai apatah lagi dihormati. Apabila dihamburkan dengan pujian, secara tidak langsung ia boleh dianggap satu pengiktirafan kepada diri seseorang lantaran meningkatkan keyakinannya.  Bagi mereka, sebarang kritikan biar yang kecil sekalipun seolah-olah meletakkan diri mereka dalam keadaan yang negatif.  Lebih buruk lagi, kritikan itu turut dilihat sebagai mencabar wibawa dan maruah dirinya yang perlu ditebus.  Apabila wibawa dirinya tercabar, mereka melenting dan bermula dari peringkat inilah, mekanisme pertahanannya diaktifkan. Perihal mekanisme pertahanan yang dimaksudkan di sini ialah kecenderungan individu tertentu menggunakan bermacam cara untuk mempertahankan pendiriannya biarpun adakalanya tidak betul.  Pelbagai alasan terus diberikan dengan harapan orang lain akan termakan dengan pendiriannya. Kelazimannya, individu-individu sebegini gemar memanipulasikan situasi di hadapan mereka seolah-olah seluruh dunia sedang menentangnya.  Situasi tersebut tidak mungkin akan berlaku jika mereka berlapang dada dan menganggap kritikan yang dilontarkan sebagai sesuatu yang membina dan bukannya elemen desktruktif.  Akan tetapi bagi mereka yang ego, sombong dan hanya melihat dirinya sahaja yang betul, apa jua kritikan akan menyebabkan mereka cepat melatah malah tidak mungkin mampu merobah perangai buruknya itu.  Dan ini membawa penulis kepada kontroversi membabitkan juri Maharaja Lawak Mega (MLM), Datuk Redzuawan Ismail atau Chef Wan baru-baru ini yang mengeluarkan komen-komen pedas terhadap mutu persembahan peserta-peserta MLM yang disifatkannya belum mencapai lawak yang dimahukan.  Komen-komen pedas Chef Wan yang pada dasarnya cukup ikhlas itu bagaimanapun tidak begitu disenangi oleh segelintir individu yang menyifatkan komen beliau agak keterlaluan.  Apapun tabik kepada Chef Wan kerana ketika ditemuramah dalam program bual bicara Kerusi Panas terbitan Bernama Radio24  beliau dengan lantangnya menegaskan, tidak kisah dengan perkembangan terbaru itu sebaliknya percaya bahawa komen-komen pedas yang dilontarkan bukan bertujuan untuk mengaib mana-mana peserta tetapi untuk memperbaiki kelemahan mereka.  Katanya, peserta-peserta tidak boleh selalu mengharapkan pujian sepanjang masa daripada barisan juri  kerana jikalau persembahan mereka sememangnya tidak memuaskan, maka perkara sebenar perlu dinyatakan, bukan menyembunyikannya.  Dalam konteks ini, terserlah kejujuran Chef Wan dalam memberikan kenyataan mengenai prestasi peserta MLM.  Pendek kata, hitam tetap hitam dan putih tetap putih, bukan sebaliknya.  Penulis bukanlah berniat untuk memihak kepada Chef Wan tetapi sebagai seorang yang mementingkan prinsip dan kejujuran, kelantangan Chef Wan wajar dicontohi.  Perlu diakui bahawa nada suara Chef Wan dalam temuramah berkenaan sememangnya panas, tetapi di sebalik "kepanasan" emosinya itu, terselit mesej tersirat yang boleh dijadikan iktibar untuk kepentingan bersama.  Dengan suasana masyarakat yang semakin individualistik dan kepura-puraan, bukankah sikap berterus-terang dan jujur resipi terbaik dalam pengisian kehidupan seharian kita? Sampai bilakah kita harus membiarkan kehidupan seharian kita dibayangi dengan kepalsuan dan kepura-puraan?  Meskipun bilangan orang yang lantang memberikan pendapat secara kritis  tidaklah sebanyak mana, tetapi langkah pertama tetap menjadi langkah terpenting dalam memecahkan tembok kebuntuan itu.  Apalah sangat dengan kritikan jika ia berniat baik, ikhlas dan penting untuk masa depan negara tercinta kita? Apakah ada pihak berkepentingan yang takut dengan bayangannya sendiri? Mengapa kebanyakan daripada masyarakat melihat kritikan itu sebagai sesuatu yang negatif?  Kita mungkin telah diajar untuk menganggap kritikan sebagai sesuatu yang negatif sebelum ini, namun ia tidak bermakna pandangan terbabit harus kekal sedemikian hingga ke akhir hayat. Yang pasti, pandangan tersebut boleh diubah jika wujud kesungguhan daripada setiap individu. Daripada melihat kritikan sebagai elemen destruktif, ia seharusnya dipandang sebagai ejen perubahan.  Apabila takuk pemikiran ini tidak diubah, lama-kelamaan ia pasti menjadi ikutan ramai. Dan selagi takuk minda lama tidak berubah, maka selama itulah budaya ini akan membarah. Apa yang anda saksikan dalam dunia politik negara terutamanya percakaran sesama pemimpin politik yang gemar cabar-mencabar di khalayak adalah berpunca daripada keengganan mereka untuk menerima kritikan.  Masing-masing kiasu, kiasi dan begitu pentingkan maruah. Apakah begitu sukar untuk merendahkan ego mereka? Apakah mendengar kritikan daripada pihak lain mampu merendahkan martabatnya?  Untuk melangkah lebih jauh, sudah tiba masanya untuk mengubah tabiat buruk ini.  Umumnya, jangan menganggap kritikan yang dilontarkan oleh seseorang sebagai sesuatu yang tidak berguna. Adalah merupakan satu kesilapan besar jika kritikan sedemikian diketepikan begitu sahaja hanya disebabkan individu yang mengkritik itu adalah musuh ketat anda. Yang pentingnya, melalui kritikanlah, segala kepincangan diri dapat dikesan sekaligus diperbetulkan semula.  Apa yang pastinya, apabila ada orang yang mengkritik, ia bermakna ada pihak yang prihatin dan mahu melihat penambahbaikan. Jangan sampai tidak ada orang mengkritik nanti, segalanya mungkin sudah terlambat. Ubahlah sikap kita dalam menilai sesuatu kritikan.  Jangan menilai sesuatu hanya pada permukaan sahaja. Dengar baik-baik sebelum melatah. Elak daripada berfikiran bahawa hanya pandangan anda sahaja yang betul manakala selebihnya adalah salah.  Hari ini merupakan hari pertama dalam Tahun Baharu 2012.  Sesungguhnya, di awal tahun baharu, tertanam tekad dan azam untuk kehidupan yang lebih berjaya dan gemilang, lebih-lebih lagi dalam kerjaya masing-masing. Menyedari hakikat itu, beranikah, mampukah dan sanggupkah kita semua berubah ke landasan yang lebih baik sempena tahun baharu 2012 ini?  Hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih. * Segala pandangan yang diberikan di atas hanyalah pandangan peribadi penulis. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Juanda: ‘Polis patut bertindak dengan bijaksana bukan kemarahan’ Posted: 01 Jan 2012 03:16 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Jan — Mufti Perlis Dr Juanda Jaya menegaskan anggota polis perlu mengambil tindakan dengan bijak dan bukan bertindak di luar batasan sehingga menyebabkan kepada kecederaan orang awam. Menurut Juanda, insiden tindakan kasar polis semasa menghuraikan demonstrasi aman mahasiswa di Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) awal pagi tadi amat membingungkan. Beliau berkata sekiranya tindakan itu diambil dengan perasaan marah ia tidak akan menyelesaikan masalah sebaliknya akan bertambah teruk. Tambah Juanda, sepatutnya kedua-dua belah pihak berunding untuk mencari jalan penyelesaian terlebih dahulu bagi mengelakkan masalah lain seperti kecederaan. "Pembantaian mahasiswa di UPSI amat membingungkan. Kenapa sampai perlu menumpahkan darah sesama sendiri yang diharamkan oleh agama? Apakah pintu musyawarah (berunding) sudah tertutup? "Kemarahan tidak akan selesai dengan memarakkan kemarahan. Masing-masing ada hak untuk bertindak, maka jagalah batasan hak masing-masing," katanya dalam tulisannya di laman Facebook. Awal pagi tadi beberapa mahasiswa yang mengadakan demonstrasi aman menuntut kebebasan akademik di UPSI telah ditahan polis kerana ingkar arahan pihak berkuasa yang mengarahkan mereka bersurai. Kumpulan mahasiswa itu mendakwa polis telah bertindak kasar dengan "memukul, menendang dan menumbuk" mereka, yang menyaksikan Presiden Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademik (Bebas) Muhammad Safwan Anang dihantar ke  Hospital Slim River kerana tidak sedarkan diri. Difahamkan dianggarkan seramai 60 orang mahasiswa telah mengadakan demonstrasi di kampus itu bermula malam tadi bagi memprotes Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti (AUKU) dan menuntut solidariti untuk Adam Adli Abdul Halim, yang menjadi perhatian kerana menurunkan kain rentang Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak di luar ibu pejabat Umno di Kuala Lumpur bulan lalu. Pemimpin PKR dan DAP mengkritik tindakan kasar polis terhadap kumpulan mahasiswa itu. Bagaimanapun Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan menafikan anggotanya bertindak kasar semasa menghuraikan demonstrasi dengan menegaskan "tiada pergelutan" yang berlaku semasa tangkapan dibuat. Tambah Juanda, pihak polis sepatutnya bertindak secara bijaksana dalam menghuraikan demonstrasi itu. "Sewaktu api fitnah sedang mara menjulang, pihak berkuasa sewajarnya mencari sesuatu yang sudah semakin hilang pada hari ini, iaitu kebijaksanaan. "Ya, anda ada kuasa, tetapi biarlah orang hormat dan hargai kuasa anda, bukannya memarakkannya dengan fitnah kebencian," katanya. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Polis nafi pukul mahasiwa, kecederaan kerana diri sendiri Posted: 01 Jan 2012 02:27 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Jan — Polis menafikan dakwaan memukul beberapa aktivis mahasiswa semasa menghuraikan demonstrasi aman di Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), menegaskan "tiada pergelutan" berlaku apabila tangkapan dibuat. Mahasiswa dan ahli politik pembangkang telah mendakwa beberapa mahasiswa yang terlibat dalam demonstrasi aman menuntut kebebasan akademik telah dipukul dan ditangkap awal pagi selepas ingkar arahan agar bersurai. Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan berkata "tindakan perlu" diambil demi keselamatan awam dan salah seorang mahasiswa "tercedera sendiri". "Kumpulan mahasiswa tidak mendengar arahan polis supaya bersurai dan kami terpaksa bertindak dengan menangkap mereka. "Mereka melawan yang mana ia mungkin boleh membawa kepada berlakunya pergelutan," katanya dipetik The Star. Mohd Shukri berkata seorang mahasiswa telah merempuh dinding kaca di sebuah klinik berhampiran semasa demonstrasi dan telah tercedera. "Dia telah diberikan rawatan pesakit luar di Klinik Kesihatan Tanjung Malim. "Ada mahasiswa kata dia sedang dirawat di Hospital Slim River walaupun mengalami kecederaan ringan," katanya. Beliau berkata hanya dua mahasiswa iaitu Adam Adli Abdul Halim dan seorang mahasiswi menuntut di UPSI. Manakala yang lain merupakan mahasiswa dari Universiti Selangor (Unisel), Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) dan Universiti Pengurusan dan Sains (MSU). Adam Adli, 21, menjadi perhatian dan dikritik kerana bertindak menurunkan kain rentang Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak di luar ibu pejabat Umno di Kuala Lumpur bulan lalu. Mohd Shukri berkata semua mahasiswa itu dijangka akan dibebaskan hari ini. PKR dan DAP mengkritik tindakan polis terhadap mahasiswa, dianggarkan seramai 60 orang semasa demonstrasi aman untuk memberikan sokongan kepada aktivis mahasiswa dan menuntut kebebasan akademik di UPSI, Tanjung Malam selepas tengah malam. Parti pembangkang mendakwa polis termasuk dua anggota dari Unit Cawangan Khas mengambil tindakan kasar terhadap mahasiwa yang didakwa mereka seramai 100 orang berbanding 60 orang yang dikatakan peguam hak asasi Fadiah Najwa Fikri apabila kumpulan itu enggan bersurai. Seramai 17 aktivis mahasiswa telah ditahan dalam kejadian pada pukul 2.30 pagi dan kesemua mereka dibawa ke balai polis Tanjung Malim. Seorang mahasiswa, Muhammad Safwan Anang dikatakan dipukul, ditumbuk dan ditendang sehingga tidak sedarkan diri. Muhammad Safwan, Presiden Presiden Gerakan Menuntut Kebebasan Akademik (Bebas) berada di Hospital Slim River dengan tulang pipi patah," kata PKR dalam kenyataannya. Parti itu mendakwa Muhammad Safwan telah dipukul oleh lapan anggota polis dan anggota Unit Cawangan Khas. Polis Tanjung Malim mengesahkan mereka telah menahan 17 aktivis mahasiswa dalam kejadian itu tetapi enggan memberikan butiran lanjut kerana masih dalam siasatan. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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