Fake Alcohol Poison in Paradise By Dr. Deborah Mills Methanol poisoning of travelers has recently been in the news. An Australian teenager has died from methanol poisoning after a New Year’s eve visit to a bar in Lombok, Bali. His father reported that his son was served what he thought was imported vodka, mixed with lime from genuine bottles behind the bar. There have been cases of poisoning in Indonesia, most notably in Bali and Lombok, from alcoholic drinks adulterated with harmful substances, particularly methanol. Locals and foreigners, have died or have become seriously ill. Cases have usually involved local spirits and spirit-based drinks, such as cocktails, but supposed brand name alcohol can also be adulterated. A number of deaths have also been reported after drinking adulterated arak – a traditional rice based spirit. Various substances can contaminate the drinks of unwary travelers. I received an email, from a patient who has now lived in Beijing for about 10 years. Below is a story of a likely poisoning with isopropyl alcohol. Dr Passanante had seen numerous of these cases from westerners going to popular bars frequented by foreigners. His symptoms were racing heart rate, weak pulse, tingling in arms and legs, tiredness and possible low blood pressure. The onset took place about 10 hours after his last drink. His condition improved rapidly after administration of a small amount of valium. I have known for many years that there is a lot of fake alcohol in Beijing but I tend not to drink much when I am out and usually when drinking, buy red wine. The target for the fake...
Jimi Hendrix’s Essaouira Castles In The Sand By Mackenzie Lowry Jimi Hendrix, arguably one of the greatest guitarists of all time, wrote a song called Castles Made of Sand, in 1967. In the song, all the castles were dragged out to sea, as their time was fleeting. The song’s metaphoric lyrics implied - enjoy the good life while you can. Hendrix’s inspiration for this song came from a visit to Essaouira, a white-stoned coastal city in Morocco, with unforgettable beaches and crystal seas. Supposedly, the song struck him while he was strolling past the half buried fort, Bordj El Berod, near the mouth of the Oued Ksob. The ruined structure still rises from the rippled sand, slowly being worn away by time and salted air. An English couple, Emma and Graham, have had their own inspiring experiences in Essaouira and now want to share the inspiration with passing travelers. After purchasing two gorgeous 18th century traditional Moroccan homes, the pair decided to redecorate and begin renting under the company name Castles in the Sand. Imagine walking under the warmth of the sun to explore the food market, or talk to locals in the main square of the exciting Moorish city. Walk in the opposite direction to feel the sand in your toes, and the waves lapping at your heels. At the two properties, named Dar Beida and Dar Emma, all of this is possible. What makes these traditional North African homes so interesting is their interior decor. Emma and Graham went flea market crazy when picking out decorations to display alongside the sandstone columns and wooden ceilings. Rather than...
Tour Asia’s Hot Art Market Art Basel Hong Kong By Ingrid Chen Art enthusiasts in Hong Kong had to wait until 2008 to quench their creative thirst. ART Hong Kong debuted that year and quickly rose to become the largest and arguably, the most important art event in Asia. Previously, many considered Hong Kong to be only a financial center, and a ‘cultural desert’. Within a few years after launching the art fair, Hong Kong was recognized as the art hub of Asia. In 2011, the art fair was acquired and rebranded as Art Basel Hong Kong (ART HK). Today, ART HK is the crown jewel of Asia’s art fairs and will take place March 24 – 26th. The 2016 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong, now in its fourth year, brings in 239 galleries. Half of the galleries are from the Asia Pacific region. Each year, after the New York Armory Show, the art world turns its eyes to Hong Kong in March. The Art Basel brand combined with the potential of the Asia market, pulls in top galleries from around the world. Each gallery brings their best, or most sellable artists, to attract collectors in the region. Many galleries use the fair to test the water, before setting up their branches in Hong Kong. But what makes Hong Kong the ideal location for such a fair? Some dealers praise the efficiency and convenience of Hong Kong’s infrastructure, logistics, and international connectivity. Fluency in English is another advantage. Hong Kong also boasts being the third largest art market by auction sales. International auction houses such as Sotheby’s, recently...
Chinese Wonton Noodling The Lunar New Year Story & Photos by Jo Yee As I sit here and write this I hear the clang of stainless steel bowls, pots and pans, vibrating through my mother’s hundred year old house in New England. I’m now thousands of miles away in London, but sometimes I swear her pitter-patter in the kitchen is still loud enough to stir me awake in the early dawn, as if my bedroom is still just three yards away. She is anything but predictable when it comes to most things but her penchant for noise pollution in the kitchen can be timed to cockcrow. Wonton noodle soup is not the most classic of lunar new year dishes, I cannot recall a time when it was made specifically for a new year in my mother’s household, but it is laden with symbolism of good fortune. In the length of noodles there is longevity; good tidings of abundance is wrapped up in a wonton, like presents. I don’t know who makes this stuff up, but whoever it is has great taste in food, so I do not protest. Wonton noodle soup is to my family what a full English Breakfast is to England. My maternal grandfather was the wonton noodle man, in the midst of Saigon streets filled with steaming pho bo pots. His product was handmade and homemade. He did just well enough to raise a hearty family of fourteen. While he never made it to the States, my aunts, and his youngest two daughters, brought with them a tradition of cooking up...
Norway’s Zen Retreat Juvet Landscape Hotel By Mackenzie Lowry Imagine being able to finally reach a zen state – a total connection of body, mind, and feeling one with the Earth. It’s hard to find zen on an average day, bustling through city streets. Yet, when one retreats to the Burtigarden Farm in Valldal, Norway to check into the Juvet Landscape Hotel, zen is almost an instant gratification. The architecture of the hotel is modern and sublime, while simultaneously appearing as a small detail in this grand natural vista. Seven individual “landscape rooms” have one or two walls, that are entirely made of glass. Each of these walls has its own peaceful view of the landscape, creating the feeling of literally being outside. The dark interiors may at first seem off‐putting, but they are purposely designed that way as to not draw away from the scenery. Minimalist Norwegian log houses or “Bird nesting houses,” are also an option for guests, who want a lighter interior and a more classic woodsy experience. The cabins also contain window frames designed by Norwegian artist Knut Wold. The Juvet facilities also include a spa area with hot tubs and fireplaces. For the wild at heart, Juvet offers a bounty of all year around activities. You can ski in the Spring sunshine, April ‐ June, while wearing shorts and a T‐shirt. Summer is the high season for rafting, climbing, fjord fishing, kayaking and canyoning. In the Fall, you can hit the bike trail for high risk mountain biking. Guests leave their...
Strike A Pose In Bogota Dancing In the Streets Interview by Lauri Lyons Take a walk on the wild side of Bogotá with film and video director Jacob Krupnick and the illustrious dancer Kia Labeija, as they explore Colombia’s alluring streets and hidden pathways. Where are you from? Jacob Krupnick: For starters, I’m from NY, and I’ve lived in Brooklyn for the last 12 years. I’ve explored the world pretty enthusiastically on my own, and work brings me around on all kinds of cool missions. Have you traveled to Latin America before? I spent a couple weeks in Ecuador in 2014 shooting documentaries for Intel, but aside from that, I’d never spent time further south than Mexico. How did your collaboration with Pillar Point come about? Two years before directing Dove, I made a dance film for the same musician, Pillar Point, called Dreamin. We filmed in New York City, my home town, on the coldest weekend of the year. The music video was, to our surprise, a huge success, so when Pillar Point had a new album coming out, I wanted to work in a similar style. But the music video was due in January, and I had the dream of filming in a huge, colorful fruit market. I’ve filmed a lot in public spaces around New York, so it was time for a change. Who is Kia Labeija? Kia is an artist and Vogue dancer from New York. She’s amazing, and a joy to work with. Her focus is incredibly high. Her performance is intense and consistent. She’s a true professional,...
Damascus Déjà vu Life In Syria Interview by Lauri Lyons There are people that choose a nomadic lifestyle for pleasure, there are people destined to become nomads because of their culture, and now in growing numbers, there are people that have become nomads because of war. Waref Abu Quba is a Syrian video director who is beautifully reframing the narrative of culture, memory, and migration. His award winning video In Damascus is an ethereal voyage into an ancient culture transforming in modern times. Where are you from? Waref Abu Quba: I am from Al-Tall a town in Damascus Suburb area, it’s only 14 km far from Damascus. I’ve studied and lived in Damascus for a number of years. When did you decide to leave Syria and why? Waref Abu Quba: As I graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus in 2007, I wanted to stay for a little longer in Syria and give it a try, starting my own business, so I started a small production company and things were going well for me at the beginning. Then comes a point in every Syrian male life, where we are offered two choices from the government: stay in the country and serve two horrible years in the military which is mandatory, or leave the country for five years to work and then pay a $5,000 fee, to be excused from the military service (which is a big amount of money for Syrians). I went with the second choice, and decided to leave Syria. I didn’t want to serve in Al-Assad army, so...
Piano Around The World Dotan Negrin’s Grand Tour Interview by Mackenzie Lowry During a visit to any big city in the world, you’ll find yourself being welcomed by street performers. There are acrobats that will pull you out of a crowd, and men with patched up pants tapping away on homemade drum sets. Once, I’ve even encountered a man with a small typewriter, typing poetry for whoever was willing to pass on a few bucks, in exchange for his melodic words. However, it’s a rare occasion that you’ll find yourself walking down gum-stuck streets to the sound of a piano. On an occasion like this, I searched for the source of the music and found myself face to face with Dotan Negrin, while he was making magic with his fingertips and the ivory keys. I did not realize I was part of the reason Dotan was out there, playing his music. It’s the people he meets on the road, who keep him going and inspire him every day. In 2010, after exploring seventeen jobs including acting, truck driving, being a DJ, and trading stocks, Dotan quit his job to play Piano Around the World. It is an idea and lifestyle that combines his love for music, travel, and meeting people. His new lifestyle required physically moving and playing the piano all over the world, for a living. From Long Island sunsets to the streets of Paris, and the rainforests of South America, Dotan Negrin has raised people’s spirits while sharing the message, “Follow your dreams”. Mackenzie Lowry: Where did you grow up? Dotan Negrin: I grew up in New York City and Jericho, Long Island. What’s your history with playing the piano? I started playing piano when I was 19 years old, in college. I got into it randomly. My roommates were musicians and they kept playing a lot of jazz music. I fell in love with jazz because I love the way it is able to create emotion without any words. I wanted to be able to recreate that. I started tinkering with the piano here and there and trying...
Theater of Life Jean-Paul Bourdier Interview by Mackenzie Lowry Modern day renaissance man Jean-Paul Bourdier creates photography, films, and books that are an ethereal dreamland just beyond plain sight. Mackenzie Lowry: You were born in France, how did you end up in California? Jean-Paul Bourdier: I studied in France, and received a scholarship to study in Versailles twice. Later I got my masters degree in Illinois, then I got a job with the University of Georgia Tech, in Atlanta. Afterwards, I got a job for three years in Africa. On return, I got a job with the University at California (Berkeley) where I’ve been a professor since 1982. Of all these places you’ve lived, do you have a favorite? Well every place is touching in different ways. Even if I do not like France, I can be touched by the old stones that are Paris. Even if work was very difficult in Africa, I was very touched by the friends I had in Africa and the social life. While I don’t enjoy the social life in America, I do enjoy my work. I do enjoy the view I have of San Francisco and the Golden Gates. Every place has it’s own advantage, flavor and particularities. It’s only my mind that wants to have things perfect. How did you get into photography? Coming from a family of photographers, I have denied photography for the longest time, although I have used it in many books on Africa, and in my artwork. Up until the last ten years, I have kept my work quite...
Utah’s Desert Oasis Amangiri Resorts by Mackenzie Lowry Imagine you’re wandering through the hot summer desert, exhausted from the heat, when suddenly an oasis appears in the distance. You know it must be your imagination, but yet, you keep moving towards it – you can’t help yourself. Once you approach you see there are beautiful lit stone buildings, a spa, and even other people! This is the feeling you get upon approaching the Amangiri, a high-end resort in the unexpected location of Canyon Point, Utah. Made of stone, Amangiri blends right in with the desert, becoming part of nature’s bare beauty. The resort is architecturally fabulous, while the defining simplicity creates the serene beauty. Open air lounges host unmatchable views of the ‘Great Staircase’, or ‘Escalante National Monumento.’ Inside, Amangiri has a comfortable library and a worldly wine cellar. The dining room has an open kitchen with a woodfired oven and glass doors leading out to the terrace. Tastebud popping food is perfectly paired with the peaceful mountain landscape. Although many may prefer to sit by the pool or spend the day at the spa, Amangiri also offers a wide variety of ways to step out and learn the lay of the land. Hiking trails keep guests within close proximity to the resort. Access to national parks is also easy from this location. For a stroke into the water, boating trips or fly-fishing on the Colorado River, is an event you don’t want to miss. For those who don’t want too much activity shaking up their peace of mind, hot air balloon rides offer the best bird’s-eye view of the desert’s true beauty. Amangiri’s lofty location makes guests truly feel like they’ve reached paradise in the middle of nowhere. It’s the perfect place...
