TheCity

Tag: Maira DeGois

  • Chocolate: a welcome gift for this Valentines Day

    Chocolate: a welcome gift for this Valentines Day

    Leonidas Chocolate Shop. Jervis Street,Dublin. Photo by Maria Degois
    Leonidas Chocolate Shop. Jervis Street,Dublin. Photo by Maria Degois

    By Maira DeGois

    Valentine’s Day is an occasion where most couples express their feelings, giving flowers, chocolates and romantic cards to their partner. By and large, we automatically think that February 14th is a girly day due to the scene created: pink balloons hanging up in shop windows, flowers selling in every corner of the streets and countless romantic boxes of chocolates on shelves of coffee shops. The biggest challenge is to find something different for them, which can be a difficult task.

    This year, some women seem not too impressed with receiving flowers or any kind of present for that matter because they consider that one day is not enough to show their feelings.

    For Christina McCauley (42), Saturday will be a normal day. She says: “I do not really expect anything on one day of the year because we treat every day as special.”

    Carolyn McCarrick (23) says: “For me, it is just another day, but if you are busy in life, it is a day that you can stop and appreciate each other.”

    However, Matt (27) gives a different opinion about it. He points out: “It is marketing, I think so. Because people expect things to be like what they see on movies or on TV. If it was not for TV or movies, I might get something because it is Valentine’s Day. But I would not get chocolates and flowers every single year, it is boring.”

    Although this day is not so sweet for some couples, it is promising for business and especially chocolates shops.

    Rafal Budny (30) works as a manager in Leonidas chocolate shop. He says this time of the year is important for his business. “This year, I did not expect to be so busy in the early days of this week, only Thursday and Friday,” he says.

    Because of this, most couples prefer giving chocolate to their partners. Rafal adds: “Most of them go for milk chocolate, but in general they want good chocolate wrapped in a fancy box.”

    Whether it is chocolate or flowers or just a kiss this year, remember to do something nice for your other half on the 14th February and every other day of the year.

  • Will 2015 be another year of intolerance?

    Freedom: The voice of silence Cartoon: by Ricardo CampusFreedom: The voice of silence. Illustration by Ricardo Campus

    By Maira DeGois

    Undoubtedly, the beginning of this year has been most unwelcome for media workers. Through the news, we saw events that made us think about the fate of humankind such as the Charlie Hedbo attack and the killing of the Japanese journalist, Kenji Goto and businessman, Haruna Yukawa. Although the cause of these events were vastly different, both have a common point: extremism and intolerance.

    On Saturday, not only was Japan in mourning, but many nations expressed sorrow. The 47-year-old Japanese journalist, Kenji Goto, was another victim who died in the name of democracy. Goto was seized in Syria by Islamic State (ISIL), trying to rescue Haruna Yukawa. The New York Times published the statement of the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe which shows his state of shock. He said, “[Japan] will cooperate with the international community and make the terrorists pay the price.” How would this be possible if it seems that the state is increasingly losing its control?

    To find a possible answer, we must understand that some changes have occurred over the years. Some intellectuals would say that the world has entered a new phase in which the state cannot play a central role in controlling political violence. Economic globalization can also have an influence on the loss of the authority of state. Perhaps we do not need to go that far, but if we look at what has happened to these people, many of which are journalists, maybe this theory has a point. Nowadays, we can see that the state rarely negotiates with other countries to release hostages in war time, as happened decades ago. However, it has to deal with militias that use extreme violence as mean of coercion.

    It seems that the Islamic militants want to give a message beyond the act of killing: to portray themselves as powerful and godlike. It seems like an endless world war in which we cannot stop. We see on the screen people losing their lives due to extremism of belief, faith or religion. However, to make the “terrorists” pay the price, as stated by Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe, could generate more problems than solutions.

    We feel under threat, we see every day the rising menace of intolerance. It would be interesting to know about our future: if we will be more disturbed by the attacks of terrorism or if we will prefer being apathetic in front of our TVs.

  • ‘Everybody loves moussakas’ says Demitris

    moussakaMoussakas: The typical Greek dish. Photo by Robert Kindermann

    For the young Greek, new politics should be as simple as a traditional dish.

    This Monday was an important day for many Greeks. Through the news, we could see that most of the population are looking forward to the possibility of a stable future for the country. As many people consider, politics and food are closely related. A French politician once said that the destiny of nations depended on the manner in which they feed themselves. So, is there any better place than a good restaurant to get a feel for Greek culture?

    Corfu is a cozy restaurant situated on Parliament Street. With Greek music on in the background, bit by bit, we relax into the pleasant atmosphere. The narrow room consists of wooden tables and rustic style walls with exposed brick. Simple was the word used by the waiter Dimitris. For him, the new government should be worrying about giving hope to their citizens such as, “a decent salary and a good education”. Because of the absence of these “simple things” and the severe recession, he left his home. The friendly, 21-year-old Greek came from Athens and has lived in Ireland for three years. During this time, he has been working as a waiter in Corfu. Apart from the weather, living in Ireland was easy for him because he was able to make a few friends, including some from his home country.

    If Dimitris had a chance to be in Greece today, he would like to serve his customers one of the most popular dishes: mousakas. This dish consists in layers of aubergine and mince topped with tomato sauce. The likeable waiter compares this dish with politics. “Everybody loves moussakas when they try it, because this is a simple dish.” He adds, “if politicians were more simple like this dish, all Greeks would love them.” The way the country has been ruled, Dimitris does not have high expectation for the future of his nation. He points outs, “It will not be a big deal for many Greeks, all they [politicians] do is promise a good future for us.”

    For most of the citizens, Dimitris says, the future in Greece is bleak. Giving a broad smile, he points out, “This new government does not mean anything.”

    By Maira DeGois