2. February 2010

Passed My Diploma in Journalism

“Is that all it takes?”, my sister asked me, when I told her I’d passed my diploma in Journalism (BA-level) on Friday 29 January, 2010. I guess that’s what you get for sweating three months over a project and being grilled by to professionally sceptical media experts …

My final project was to develop concept and and content for a blog for Danish boutique hotel Avenue Hotel. Avenue Hotel told me they were happy with my work, and the censors can’t have been too unhappy either as they marked the project ‘10′.

So now it’s time for new, interesting projects. Anyone ..?

21. January 2010

Capturing the Moment in Paris

Claudia Bhimra captures the moment in a self portrait at Île Saint-Louis in Paris

 “Taking a great picture is all about capturing the moment,” says American photographer Meredith Mullins.
Danish teenagers Claudia and Lucas Bhimra have met up with Meredith Mullins in her studio-slash-apartment on the picturesque Île Saint-Louis on the river Seine in the historic centre of Paris.
The siblings spend an hour with their brows furrowed in deep concentration as the photographer shares her professional tips on choosing your motive, working with light and getting to know your camera better.
In high spirits she then leads them down the cobblestoned streets of the island in order for them to capture their very own versions of the moment.

For more information about the teenagers’ amazing afternoon ‘capturing the moment’ send me an email at walther_g(a)yahoo.dk.
To learn more about Meredith Mullins’ work, and the photographic work shops she runs, visit her website.

20. January 2010

Nationalitet, religion og seksualitet i kampzonen

Arabiske Mai og israelske Udi Nir fortæller om livet som LGBT'er i et samfund med væbnet kamp mellem nationaliteter, religioner og seksualiteter

Israelske Udi Nir kom i fængsel, fordi han nægtede at aftjene værnepligt. Arabiske Mai kæmper for lesbiskes rettigheder med risiko for sit eget liv.

“Den, der bygger galgen, har ligeså meget ansvar, som den, der lægger løkken om ofrets hals,” siger den 19-årige israelske bøsse Udi Nir, når han skal begrunde, hvorfor han blev militærnægter, og ikke bare aftjente sin værnepligt med kontorarbejde.
Out & About mødte Udi Nir og den arabiske lebbe Mai, da Amnesty havde inviteret dem til at tale ved visningen af dokumentarfilmen ‘City of Borders’ på Århus Filmfestival. Filmen fortæller om en række unge LGBT’er og deres problemer med nationalitet, religion og seksualitet i Jerusalem, de besatte palæstinensiske områder og Tel Aviv.

Udi Nir var fjorten år gammel, da han startede i den israelske LGBT-organisation, og …

Læs resten af artiklen i januar-nummeret af Out & About.

Foto: Amnesty/Kaare Viemose

29. October 2009

Østeuropæere har også ret til at elske

Amnesty samler underskrifter ind til Copenhagen Pride 2009.Foto Jacob Crawfurd

Amnesty samler underskrifter ind mod diskrimination i Østeuropa til Copenhagen Pride 2009

Amnesty kæmper mod homofobiske love i Litauen, organisationen er en vigtig del af Baltic Pride, og de sørger for politisk indhold til Prides i Vesteuropa.
Out & About har talt med kampagnekoordinator Helle Jacobsen for at høre mere om Amnestys kamp for LGBT-rettigheder i 2010.

“Det er en skandale, hvis der bliver vedtaget sådan en lov i et EU-land”, udbryder Helle Jacobsen, kampagnekoordinator hos Amnesty. Det er det seneste lovforslag i Litauen, der får Helle Jacobsen til at hæve stemmen, og hun fortsætter …

Læs hele artiklen i decembernummeret af Out & About.

Foto: Amnesty/Jakob Crawfurd

27. September 2009

På vintur i Melbournes baghave

Yarra Valley, Melbourne. Foto Tourism VictoriaVinområdet Yarra Valley byder på rustikke familieejede vingårde, arkitekttegnede flagskibe for internationale vinproducenter og restauranter, der tryller med råvarerne fra den frodige dal.
Den billedskønne dal lokker med over 100 vingårde tre kvarters kørsel fra centrum af Australiens næststørste by, Melbourne. Mere end 85 af vingårdene sælger vin ‘fra kælderdøren’, hvilket gør området ideelt for en dagsudflugt både for vinkendere og for nybegyndere.

“Vores vinture er det bedste show i Melbourne for under hundrede dollars”, smiler Orson Koch. Han har arbejdet i restaurationsbranchen i over tyve år, og derefter to år som ‘kælderrotte’, den laveste og hårdeste position på en vingård. Nu guider han besøgende rundt i vinområdet Yarra Valley tre kvarters kørsel fra centrum af Melbourne.
Han tilføjer: “Vores firma har fem guider, og vi har hver vores stil, men vores gæster bliver altid fint underholdt, smager lækker mad og vin og kommer hjem med ny viden”.

Læs resten af artiklen – send mig en mail på walther_g (a) yahoo.dk.

Foto: Tourism Victoria

15. August 2009

Freedom to Love in Copenhagen

Copenhagen Pride Parade 2009.Photo Magnus Arrevad

“Love of Freedom – Freedom to Love” was the theme, when World Outgames 2009 and Copenhagen Pride took over the Danish capital of Copenhagen with sports, human rights, culture, pride parade and lots of parties from 25 July to 2 August 2009.

More than 5,000 smiling and cheering participants paraded over the Copenhagen City Hall Square on one of the world’s longest catwalks when Ritt Bjerregaard, the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, inaugurated the World Outgames 2009 on Saturday 25 July. The catwalking was followed by a breathtaking show, lead by musical star Peter Jorde, with acrobats against the midnight blue sky and Danish diva Anisette performing “Freedom to Love”, the theme song of the games, backed by a live choir of 100 people.
A thundershower broke the spell and the line-up of international DJs never succeeded in turning the untraditional opening ceremony into the street party it could have become, but fortunately the crowd moved on to parties elsewhere in the city.

Possibly based on the success
Read the rest of the article and enjoy the great pictures by photographers Christian Liliendahl and Magnus Arrevad in the October edition of Australian DNA Magazine.

Photograph: Magnus Arrevad

15. August 2009

‘Celebrate the Right to Love’ (interview)

Audrey Castañeda and Dan Rachlin at Copenhagen Pride 2009. Photo Magnus Arrevad

On behalf of Copenhagen Pride 2009, Audrey Castañeda and Dan Rachlin invite you to celebrate the right to love with them at Copenhagen City Hall Square on 1 August. The two entertainers aim to create a party for all ages – and, at the same time, send an important message about tolerance.

“I look forward to showing all our vistors from abroad how we can party at the City Hall Square, without any problems – a true party of love,” says popular Danish stand-up comedian Audrey Castanñeda as she invites you to celebrate the right to love on 1 August.
“We want to show that we have an open-minded and tolerant country,” adds her co-host, the experienced television personality Dan Rachlin, “especially as these days, this is not always the image we have internationally.”

“Remember to go to the toilet, and have plenty to drink next to you when the show starts,” says Audrey Castañeda, “it will be one endless rollercoaster ride and you won’t want to miss a beat”.
Read the rest of the interview in the August edition of Danish magazine Out-and-About.

Photograph: Magnus Arrevad

14. July 2009

Greg Malouf Seduces Melbourne with Middle Eastern Cuisine

Greg Malouf_drawing by Virginia HodgkinsonGreg Malouf is of Lebanese heritage but was born and raised in the Australian City of Melbourne. He has co-written several best-sellers about Middle Eastern cuisine, most recently ‘Turquoise’ about Turkish food and culture, and is the celebrated head chef of the restaurant Momo in Melbourne.

“Through all my travels I have not seen another city embrace Middle Eastern food like we have in Melbourne”, says chef and author Greg Malouf. He has just reopened the popular restaurant Momo in a new and beautifully outfitted space next door to Melbourne’s brand new hot-spot Spicemarket, where he oversees some of the most interesting bar food the city has to offer.

The master of Middle Eastern cuisine
“I hate the word fusion food”, he exclaims. “My food is based on my childhood memories and travels. The essence, the flavours and the spices are the same as…

For the entire article and Greg Malouf’s recipes read the July issue of the Turkish travel magazine New Focus.

Illustration: Virginia Hodgkinson

Keep reading →

5. May 2009

Melbourne – Australiens kulturella huvudstad

2-alphavilletourism-victoria

Australiens näst största stad betraktas av månge som landets hemliga huvudstad när det gäller mat, mode och kultur. Staden är en multikulturell smältdegel som lockar till normbrytande uttryck och individualitet.

Melbourne har under många år arbetat med att locka Australiens kulturella och kreativa talanger, berättar Fiona Shaw. Det gör stan bland annat genom att uplåta …

 

Læs hele artiklen på svenske QX.se

Foto: Alphaville – Tourism Victoria

27. April 2009

En nybegynder sætter alt på et surfbræt

surferne-i-byron-bay-far-det-til-at-se-ud-som-en-leg-foto-tourism-nswSurfere og livsnydere fra hele verden valfarter til den australske by Byron Bay lokket af de smukke strande, de gode bølger og driverlivet under palmerne. Byens surfskoler påstår, at de kan få enhver nybegynder op at stå på brættet, den første dag de prøver. Vi tester påstanden.

Solen skinner fra en skyfri himmel, men det har været tropestorm de foregående to dage, og jeg synes stadig, at havet ligner en blender, der kører på højeste hastighed.

Læs hele artiklen i BT (den 24. april 2009) eller på rejseliv.dk.

Foto: Tourism NSW