Fashion > Give me a break… July 16, 2006
Posted by grhomeboy in Fashion & Style.add a comment
If Protaras is not big enough for you to pose in, try Mykonos.
My travel agenda so far this summer has been pretty eventful. Having just come back from a socialite wedding in Mykonos and a wet, hot and humid London where I combined my work with a charity concert (I’m afraid I was also at the Live Aid concert 20 years ago, ahem!), Frida Kahlo at the Tate Modern and lots of food and wine with old friends… just my idea of relaxing.
Mykonos was as usual a clubbing season, so I was surprised to spot quite a few the Nicosia nouveu riche, strutting their oh ‘so-obvious-that-it-took-me-all-winter-to-get-rid-of-my-cellulite’ bums on the impeccably crystal clear waters of one of the island’s exclusive beaches. The label-loving women of our capital do not stop at the delight of posing in Protaras (Navsika beach, being the place to show their Victoria Secrets’ mono-kinis if they cannot hit the Greek Islands) or the high-street cafés.
Mykonos’ beaches were dotted with paparazzi type shots (they wished) of women and their partners (male and female, gay and lesbian or straight) going way over-board with their over-the-top ensembles, which would have been more suited to a Beyoncé music video than to hanging out in the sun. I discovered in one week that most Greek girls, whether Greek from Greece or Greek from Cyprus, suffer from an acute case of styling fever. When a girl can’t settle for a bikini and shades, but has to accessorise with a shark-tooth pendant and an ankle bracelet and belly-button jewellery and a slash-front mini kaftan, armfuls of bracelets and more necklaces and a cowboy hat to top the whole look – then that’s when you know you are dealing with an obsessive disorder known in the fashion industry as ‘fashionorexia’. As from now, that is…
Fashionorexics are women who shop obsessively, style obsessively and are constantly adapting and updating their look. They can easily miss a party because they can’t quite choose between five pairs of shoes. Typically, sufferers are insecure about their fashion credentials as well as being perfectionists (they think). They know they aren’t going to set any trends a la Kate Moss, but they are damn well going to get them down, detail for detail, as soon as they hit the catwalk. (I spotted one girl in a nightclub that didn’t just wear Dolce and Gabbana, she wore look no. 14 from the summer show, right down to the hoop earrings and nail polish). Fashionorexics won’t make do with flip-flops from the corner shop; they have to have Havianas (and yes we do have them here too). They can’t settle for one cowboy hat, but have to have all four because the hatbands are different. And, because every time they step out in the world they believe that their look is being judged, right down to the toe ring, their self-esteem is directly linked to the response they get to an outfit. In the celebrity world a clear example is Victoria Beckham, who definitely suffers with an extreme case.
It is possible, having said that, to have a mild form of fashionorexia without really knowing it. You might find yourself in the next few weeks (the fact that the sales are on does not help matters any less) bulk-buying Jesus sandals in all colours (why?), or rushing out and investing in a sequin capelet for rock-concert situations because it’s what Kate Moss wore to the Isle of Wight festival.
We civilians don’t get the quick-change photo opportunities, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have the same impulse to keep working on the perfect outfit for every situation – including the ones we’ll never experience. So come on girls, stop reading and trying to copy all the celebrities and their fashion mistakes. When you next flick through the pages of Vogue, stop daydreaming that you will look like a model if you wear what she wears, and try and develop your own style… that way you won’t get people like me writing columns about how bad you look. I people watch even I’m not on this island…
Talking of Posers…
If you still insist on trying to look like a supermodel, here’s how to step off a plane looking like Elle Macpherson (well maybe)…
Five minutes and five products are all you need to arrive with supermodel-style glamour.
5 minutes to landing: Freshen up your hot ‘n’ bothered body with multi-purpose St Ives Energising Cleansing Wipes (available at Alpha Mega) – an instant plane grime zapper. Then slip on a fresh T-shirt and feel heaps better.
4 minutes to landing: Bring your dehydrated, sallow face back to life with a blob of Darphin Instant Lumiere brightening cream (available at all good pharmacies). It moisturises, gives a glow and immediately calms down stress-induced blotchiness.
3 minutes to landing: Rub Stila Color Push-up in Pink Flash, onto eyelids and the apples of your cheeks. The subtle flesh-pink shade will make you look healthy, not haggard after zero sleep. (Only available on the net for the moment, try www.theskinstore.com)
2 minutes to landing: Blitz crow’s feet with everyone-who’s-in-the-know favourite concealer, YSL Touché Éclat in two shades (available at all Beauty Line stores). Instantly gets rid of dark circles and brightens your eyes. Apply sparingly if you are dark or olive skinned or you will look silly, trust me!
1 minute to landing: Well travelled style queens think about getting off the plane before getting on it. How? By drenching their hair with leave-in conditioner and putting it in a bun then, last minute, taking out the hair clip to release soft, glossy waves. Try TIGI Ego Boost leave-in conditioner (available at any Tony and Guy salon). And just before landing, spritz hair and face with Evian Moisture Mist, to look refreshed (Alpha Mega again).
On landing: Perch the baby charmingly on one hip, drape cashmere wrap casually over shoulder, don dark glasses…and, deep breath, smile for the paparazzi…Yeah right!
Happy landing! Carefull though, don’t break an ankle 
Aiming high July 16, 2006
Posted by grhomeboy in Athletics.add a comment
Medal-winning Cypriot high jumper says there is a lot more to come.
Kyriakos Ioannou loves heights. And so he should. The Cypriot high jump champion recently won the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Almeria, Spain, with a winning jump of 2.24 metres in the men’s high jump.
“I felt so proud that I was able to elevate the rank of Cypriot athletes and felt even prouder when I heard my national anthem,” he said.
Ioannou, who stands 1.93 metres in height, celebrated his 22nd birthday recently. He feels there is a lot more to come and that he is capable of leaping even higher.
“My personal best is 2.28 metres but I think I am capable of very high jumps, over 2.30 metres. My future plans are to jump as high as possible and to be a big success in Europe and the world. Of course, how I think I can perform doesn’t actually count for much until I go out there and actually do it.”
Ioannou also represented Cyprus at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where he came 17th in the men’s high jump.
Ioannou took up the high jump when he was 12 years old as “I liked it as a sport and in the end started to take the training more seriously. Before I started jumping, I used to play basketball and football when I was younger and used to play sports just to pass my free time.”
He explained that his parents had to sacrifice a lot in order for their son to become an athlete. “They had to take a lot of time off work over the years so they could take me to and from various stadiums. I really didn’t have to do much as I looked upon training as a fun activity.”
Ioannou was born in Limassol and lived there his entire life before doing his national service for two years and then moving to Athens. “I had to make the move so I could train properly at the highest level with top-quality facilities. My coach, Demetris Efthymiou, used to be a Cypriot triple jump champion and is now a professor at the University of Sports in Athens. My training routine consists of four hours of exercises every day, made up of special activities to help me jump higher, such as practising jumping over hurdles.”
When asked how difficult it is for an athlete from a small country like Cyprus to be successful, Ioannou replied, “it doesn’t matter how small a country is. What is important is for the athlete to receive the support of his athletics association and his state. I believe that if there is the right support, then an athlete can be successful, regardless of his nationality.”
Ioannou’s idol is Cuban world record holder, Javier Sotomayor, but the young Cypriot still has a long way to go if he is to match the achievements of his sporting hero, whose world record of 2.45 metres was set 12 years ago.
The history of Cyprus in wax July 16, 2006
Posted by grhomeboy in Cyprus Larnaca.add a comment
If you can’t stand the heat and are taking refuge in the mountains, why not visit the waxwork museum while you are there?
Face to face meetings with the folk who made Cyprus history await visitors to the Fatsa Wax Museum in the famous lace making village of Lefkara.
The Museum, which opened earlier this year, contains more than 150 finely-sculpted wax models, covering 3,000 years of Cyprus life, from the Neolithic period to the present day.
Upon entering the main exhibition hall I was greeted by a parade of Cypriot politicians led by the first President, Archbishop Makarios, and his successors Spyros Kyprianou, George Vassiliou, Glafcos Clerides, and today’s holder of the post, Tassos Papadopoulos.
Alongside them, in a series of tableaux depicting golden or dramatic moments of Hellenic life, are St Helen, mother of Constantine the Great, and her husband the Emperor Constantinos Chlorus, Archbishop Kyprianos, legendary hero of the Greek resistance against the Ottoman empire who was hanged in 1821, the formidable General Grivas, leader of the independence fight against the British in the 1950s, modern day checkpoints with UN soldiers in blue helmets, a traditional Cyprus country wedding and depictions of village life of days gone by, such as backgammon, embroidery, pottery, winemaking and loukoumades frying.
General Manager and owner, Pambos Nicolaides said that “the museum is a family project as we are all passionate about our history and wanted to show it off to youngsters who don’t know much about it. I see the museum as a shining pearl of Cyprus’ cultural inheritance and a valid point of reference and remembrance of the intricacies of Cyprus’ history.”
There are eight themed segments, marking a chronological review of the island’s historical, cultural and political past.
Highlights include the Age of Copper, the metal which got its name from the island, the classical era of ancient Greeks and Romans, the Ottoman and British occupations, the 1955-59 war of freedom, the 1974 coup, the Turkish invasion and contemporary history, which also includes a review of the traditional professions of Lefkara.
Nicolaides said “the wax models have been created by a team of Russian experts, who made a close study of Cyprus through the centuries in order to produce the essence of the island’s life. Each model took two months to create, using paraffin wax, beeswax and a hardener and cost between £4,000 to £6,000. The hair is real and the eyes are made of the same material used by hospitals to treat people who have lost the organ. The make-up needs to be reapplied every six months as the wax absorbs it.”
He added “anybody looking around can see they have done an excellent job, as their works carry us through the oceans of time. What you see here today is not the end, it is just the beginning, and we plan to continue to enrich the nature of the museum and create an electronic path for information gathering around the themes we present here.”
This will take the form of eight computer terminals at exhibits, which will also show short films in English, Greek, German and Russian.
Nicolaides said that he didn’t want to the museum to be “like Madame Tussauds, but wanted it to be only about Cyprus so that it can remind present and future generations of the problems that were faced and overcome by Cypriots throughout history, as they provided a series of ideals for their country.”
The museum has grown from a dream Nicolaides nurtured for such a museum, spurred on by a great love for his island and his firm belief that the political inheritance of each country defines the quality and identity of a nation.
When asked why Lefkara was chosen as the museum’s venue, Nicolaides said “I chose the village due to its famous historical background.”
During the Byzantine period, the art of weaving costly textiles for the European market, mainly for ecclesiastical use, was centred in Constantinople, but after the Crusades, when Cyprus became the only secular Latin stronghold in the eastern Mediterranean and a prosperous commercial centre, the tradition of making valuable textiles and embroideries became concentrated here.
It is, however, the period of the Venetian occupation (1489-1571), which produced ‘Lefkaritika’, a form of needlework which has survived and flourished in almost its original form to the present day. This type of drawn and counted thread embroidery, famous all over the world, is made by the women of Lefkara. The mountain village was the principal summer resort of wealthy Venetians and the local women would have come into close daily contact with their household linen.
It is even reputed that Leonardo da Vinci, on a visit to Cyprus, was very impressed by the Lefkara women’s adaptation of Venetian embroidery. He is said to have taken a piece of work with the ‘potamos’ design on it back to Italy to grace the altar in Milan Cathedral. In recognition of da Vinci’s visit, the man himself has his own exhibit in the museum’s foyer.
The other main handicraft industry in the village is silver crafting, with the speciality of the silversmiths being filigree work.
The museum also has a souvenir shop offering hand made objects related to the wax models, along with a gallery and small cafe. The whole environment of the museum is designed to accommodate disabled visitors.
Fatsa Wax Museum, Georgiou Papandreou Street, Pano Lefkara. Tel: +357 24 621048. Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday, November - April: 09:00 - 17:00, May - October: 09:00 - 19:00. Entrance: C£5.00 adults, C£3.00 children.
And while in Lefkara, why not visit another Museum?
Museum of Traditional Embroidery & Silver-Smithing (Patsalos Residence)
Pano Lefkara village, 40km (25 miles) from Larnaka, 8km (5 miles) from Skarinou, off the Lefkosia - Lemesos motorway. Telephone: +357 24 342326. Open all the year round. Monday-Thursday: 09:30-16:00, Friday-Saturday: 10:00-16:00, Sunday closed.
Entrance fees: C£0,75.
Journey of the senses July 16, 2006
Posted by grhomeboy in Hotels Cyprus.add a comment
The smells from Le Meridien’s signature treatment are almost as good as the feeling of total relaxation.
When faced with 120 treatments and 1,000 products it is hard to know where to start at Le Spa within Limassol’s Le Meridien; thalassotherapy in the outdoor pools? an algae wrap, facial? Shiatsu, Watsu, or any other of a host of different massages?
Fortunately the spa has come up with its own signature treatment that offers a range of different treatments within 55 minutes. The main aim is to get you to lie back and relax and be indulgently pampered. No problem there then…
What is it supposed to do?
According to Le Spa manager, Andri Ioannou, Journey of the Senses takes you on a journey with the exotic sensual textures of warm milk, honey and essence of frangipani. It was created specially for the hotel by Elemis’ director of product and treatment development and staff at the spa itself. It will leave you relaxed, smooth and fragrant.
What benefits does it claim?
Journey of the Senses is a deeply relaxing treatment that aims to condition dehydrated skin. However, as with all Elemis treatments, it is aimed at spiritual wellbeing rather than to help relieve any particular medical complaint, although it is excellent if you have indulged in too much sun bathing. It is also a treatment that is very popular with men as well as women.
Is there any science behind it?
There is science behind all of the small fragments of treatment that the Journey of the Senses includes, although this particular treatment is designed for relaxation and pampering. The hot stones give balance and energy and remove tension by attracting negative energy.
What is it like?
The treatment started with a foot cleansing ritual using warm, lime-infused mitts, which smelt and felt divine, getting me well on the way to becoming truly relaxed. I was then drenched in (very) warm milk and aromatic frangipani monoi oil, which again smelt fantastic. This mixture was absorbed with the help of a Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, which involved gentle, almost caressing movements, along the body. Hot stones to draw out negative energy were then placed along my sternum (on top of a towel so there was no burning sensation), which were bathed in rosewood essential oil.
I was then wrapped in a thin piece of cellophane, towels and what resembled a limp lilo when the bed became a floating chamber. Cocooned in all these layers I felt weightless and extremely comfortable. Despite being almost submerged in water, you don’t get wet. The feeling of relaxation was helped by my eyes and face being cleansed by more milk bath, followed by a neck and shoulder massage. It was also amazing how hard the soft comfortable bed felt when coming out of the float.
After a quick shower, Exotic Island Flower Body Balm was rubbed over my body and Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask applied to my face. I was left feeling smooth and smelling lovely for the rest of the day.
Journey of the Senses is aptly named as throughout the feelings of warmth and touch were complemented by the rich aromas of the products used.
Where and how much?
Le Spa at Le Meridien Limassol Spa and Resort. £85. The treatment lasts 55 minutes and is recommended every three weeks for best results.
For additional info log into > http://cyprus.lemeridien.com
Potty about his art July 16, 2006
Posted by grhomeboy in Cyprus Paphos.add a comment
Bowls, plates, cups take on a life of their own when they are created by a pottery in Lemba, Cyprus.
“The most exciting piece of pottery is the lump of clay sitting on my wheel,” says Lemba-based George Georgiades, and that sort of sums up this man.
Georgiades is a delightfully pragmatic man, gifted with a unique ability for turning clay into highly tactile, and exceedingly usable art forms. Both he, and his equally talented wife, Soteroulla, create some of the most delicious pieces of crafted work to be seen on the island.
I asked George if, after all these years, he is now recognised as a master potter, inundated with interesting commissions? “Sadly no. I do have a good deal of interest from clients in London who fly over regularly to add to their collection of my work, but it is the old story of never really being recognised in one’s own country”. One tale he told reflects the problem many artists have in Cyprus. “A friend went to see my work which was on show in a shop in Nicosia, when she turned over the pots to look for my ‘mark’ she found that the wording ‘Lemba Pottery’ had been painstakingly ground off”. The reason given for this by the owner of the establishment was that his well heeled customers would not buy the work unless they believed the pieces were imported from Europe.
“In an ideal world,” George continued “people would relish direct contact with the maker, want something that hasn’t got the impersonal perfection of the manufactured. It’s difficult to change people’s perceptions of art; most see a dinner service or a bowl as something purely mundane and baulk at paying for bespoke works”.
George was born to become a potter. As a child he would spend his free time watching his father as he made distinctive terracotta pots in his Kyrenia studio. The invasion of ’74 left the family as refugees and minds were focused on basic survival, so the family arrived in Paphos where Georgiades senior once again set up his pottery business. Soon George’s apprenticeship was completed and he took over the family business with his brother.
Business in the mid eighties was good, with plenty of gift hungry tourists happy to buy but the production line approach never fitted with George who had always dreamt of creating a new, totally innovative range of pottery that combined both aesthetic and functional appeal. Soon, he had conquered the complexity of subtle glazes, imported top quality clay from England and Lemba Style was born.
The pieces currently on show in his shop come studio would grace any fine town house in Knightsbridge and here the discerning collector can gaze upon beautiful glazed pots, edgy designed platters and minimalist bowls and plates, and of course there is a range of bright Mediterranean blue pieces which George calls his bread and butter. “This is work that is ideally suited to the gift market. As an artist, I am not in the position to devote my time totally to creating original pieces that will promote my work as an art form, we have to earn a living and like all creative people here in Cyprus we get zero support from the government with regard to promoting talents both home and abroad. We have to constantly make compromises in order to survive in this less than appreciative art conscious era.”
So, when is a plate, pot, or platter a work of art? When it’s created out of love and a good deal of passion by George and Soteroulla Georgiades.
Lemba Pottery, Lemba Village. Tel 26 270822. email lembapot@spidernet.com.cy www.lembapottery.com
Travel > Suitcase Savvy July 16, 2006
Posted by grhomeboy in Tourism.add a comment
After years of traveling to and fro, I have learnt to treat packing as the first step to my journey; it should never be a chore, so remember these tips and stop moaning about having to sit on your suitcase to shut it!
Plan your outfits
Instead of just throwing clothes into your case, pick out a series of outfits. If it doesn’t travel don’t pack it. Could you do without that chiffon dress? That linen jacket? If so, do. You don’t go on holiday to spend every night ironing, so be realistic. It’s why fabrics like jersey, lycra and crinkled silk were invented! Duh…
Hang up your hangers
How many times have you taken a pile of clothes hangers in your suitcase ‘just in case’, only to find that there’s plenty in your hotel or apartment? The same will happen this time – and if there isn’t any, I’m sure the owners will be happy to help. One exception, please note, is the skirt hanger.
You’ve heard it before, but…
It’s true! If you put aside everything you are planning to pack, and then halve it, you’ll still have everything you need, minus the bad back from carrying all that extra load. The same goes for non-clothing items: will you really need six novels? Take three and swap with fellow travelers if you run out!
Stay smooth
Tissue paper is a fussy waste of time. To stop special outfits from creasing, wrap them up using plastic bags instead. Those supermarket carriers you have hundreds of in the kitchen drawer will do. Better still use dry-cleaning bags or bin liners. On the way home, when it doesn’t matter about creases, you can use the bags for keeping dirty clothes and shoes separate…voila!
Fashion > The bottom line is… July 16, 2006
Posted by grhomeboy in Fashion & Style.add a comment
How offensive are the over-50s in jeans?
In the fashion world at the moment (actually just a bunch of fashionistas in a wine bar, with a bottle of bubbly), the biggest debate is whether or not women of Camilla Parker Bowles’ age should be seen in jeans. I have to admit that, yes, she does look better in one of her A-line numbers than a pair of Levi’s, but it doesn’t mean that she can’t wear a decent pair of jeans if she wants to just because she’s 50 something. For a start, how you rate in jeans is all to do with body shape, not age - who can forget how good Joanna Lumley looked poured into her jeans for the Marilyn Manson concert in Absolutely Fabulous? (Am I the only one that still watches those DVD’s?).
Besides, making jeans the litmus test of a woman’s mutton rating is missing the point. It is well known that, when it comes to age-appropriate dressing, there are some high-risk items of clothing, but jeans are not among them. And if we are to talk serious fashion-talk here, let’s start by putting the record straight with the serious ‘fashion faux pas’ that occur every second of the day on this island (Cyprus). I am seriously thinking about opening a fashion consultancy service for those poor darlings that seriously need help…
The long skirt: you may have clocked on that the Jean-Paul Gaultier style tiered number, as worn by Joss Stone and Sienna Miller et al, is this summer’s answer to the frilled mini of last year. Ironically, given the right legs, the mini is actually less risky than this hobo item. Along with anything involving broderie anglaise, puffed sleeves and bare midriffs, the long skirt has such strong associations of youth, your first smoke and so on that anyone trying it later in life looks like a crone.
The very cropped trousers: what could be more demure, you may wonder. But it’s the principal-boy element, the hint of naval rating, that makes this a no-go look. You might just get away with them with boots again in winter, but in summer they are as inappropriate as sailor tops and bunchies. (Then again they do seem to have a weird liking for Aliki Vouyouklaki in Cyprus).
The bikini: there is only one rule of bikini-wearing: if you are young and firm, you can afford to be podgy in a two-piece; if you’re over 40, you need to be whippet-thin and not crapey. Note: we are happy to see Jerry Hall (for my young readers’ information: Mick Jagger’s first wife) in a spaghetti-strap top or a mini, but we do not want to see her tummy button under any circumstances.
Visible underwear: it might have done the trick for Kate Middleton (Prince William’s girlfriend, who is 19, and was modeling at a charity fashion show). But, as Guy Ritchie famously once told Madonna, visible bras on a forty-something are ill advised.
The above-the-knee denim skirt: Oooh… This one is a killer, especially if worn tight enough to create a pancake bottom that reaches down to just above the knees. Say no more.
Then again, there are plenty of non-clothing no-no’s that can make you look sadder than a Cher catsuit: those rubber message bracelets (please, leave the kids something of their own); banging on about loving Kasabian; boring your godchildren about your experiences with grass at university; ankle bracelets; henna tattoos; thinking you can still have hair like David Bowie/Rod Stewart circa 1974; privately grooving to your iPod… In fact, when you think about it carefully, the wearing of jeans is really pretty inoffensive.
grhomeboy
