Helena Halme's Blog, page 39

Andy Murray and my citizenship status

A spurious connection? Let me explain.

I've mentioned on this blog a few times now that although I've lived in the UK for the best part of my adult life, I've never felt the need to apply for British citizenship. Also, when the children were young, the crazy pre-EU Finnish laws stated that my children, because they were born outside of Finland would lose their dual (British/Finnish) citizenship if I were to apply to become a British natural.

This has long since changed (when Finnish Expatriate Parliament pushed through the legislation in 2005), and nowadays it's quite possible to be a Finnish citizen while also being in possession of another country's passport.

But, I've never seen any reason to apply to become British. Why would I? I know I live here, but I still feel very Finnish. And more importantly, not very British.

Or so I thought.

It took a Scot to change all that…last year when Andy Murray lost in the final at Wimbledon, something snapped in me. I hadn't realised how much I wanted him to win; how much I felt that his winning would also mean that my nation would win. When I was struggling to hold back my tears, and Murray freely shed his on Centre Court in 2012, I suddenly thought, hold on a moment: why am I in tears - UK isn't my nation!

Roll on a few weeks, and Murray is in the Olympics Tennis Final and WINS! I cried like a baby. It was the day after Super Saturday when Team GB got so many medals, and I'd been joining in all the celebrations, laughing and crying, and feeling very patriotic towards a country I have rebuffed so long.

So I decided I would apply for British citizenship. Finally.

And then British winter happened, it rained, and rained and rained, and the citizenship application lay unattended to -  forgotten in a obscure folder on my computer.

Until Wimbledon comes along again, and I get the same feeling of pride in my nation: the UK. Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook know that from the very beginning of the two week marathon for Murray, I vowed to apply for British citizenship if Murray won.

AND ON SUNDAY MURRAY BECAME THE WIMBLEDON CHAMPION!
Picture: The TimesSo, I've just dug out the file again, and I will be sending the application on by the end of the week. Wish me luck with the citizenship test…will 30+ years in this country be enough to know the correct answers? And will Team GB want me? What if, after all these years, they turn me down?

*Makes a Munch Scream face*

Kindle Offer

I've got another quick Kindle HD Offer for you. If you get your device from the link below, you get £20 off the list price!

You can choose from the Kindle Fire HD 7" 16GB for £139 (usually £159) or the 32GB version for £159 (usually £179).

Click here for the offer now, but hurry, this offer is valid this week only (7-14 July 2012)

Home-made Elderflower Cordial

When we lived in the country, one of my early summer routines was to make a batch of elderflower cordial. We had elders growing everywhere on the paddock, so on a sunny June (or late May) day, I'd take a large canvas bag with me and go and harvest the young flower heads. 
Since we've moved to London, I haven't really been around during the short 1-2 week window when the flowers are at their best, but this year when I walked the terrier I kept spotting perfect elderflowers all around Shepherd's Cot and Queen's Wood.

Last weekend I decided to make some, and thought you'd like to have my recipe. I use a little less sugar and more lemon, which makes the cordial a little sharper in taste. I also use a little brown sugar for a more interesting colour and taste.

1.5 litres of water
1.5 kg white sugar (castor or granulated)
0.5 kg brown sugar
20 (or so) elderflower heads (choose ones which have just come into bloom)
3 unwaxed lemons
85 g citric acid

This makes about 5 litres of finished cordial.

Put the sugar and water into a large pan and heat up slowly until the sugar dissolves. Then boil the mixture up really quickly and turn off the heat.



Pare the rind off the lemons, and using a sharp knife remove as much of the white skin as possible. Slice the lemons and put the slices and the rind (not the white part of the skin) into the syrup, together with the citric acid.




Wash the elder flowers to remove any insects and add them to the syrup too. Give the mixture a gentle stir and leave for 24 hours.


\
The next day, using funnel and a muslin cloth, distil the syrup into clean bottles. I put the bottles through the dishwasher and use them when they are hot out of the machine.





I serve the cordial with slices of lemon and ice, or mixed sparkling water. You can also drizzle some over strawberries, or over a fruit salad. The elderflower cordial is also delicious with champagne or white wine, or to make any cocktail where you need a sugar syrup. Plus it makes the perfect non-alcoholic beverage at any party.


The cordial should keep for a few months, but to be safe, I keep mine in the fridge. Although in our house, the stuff disappears within weeks of it being made.

Gift of the Raven by Catriona Troth

I met Catriona by chance at London Book Fair in April, and as soon as we’d exchanged a few words, we found that we had much in common. Catriona is British but lived in Canada as a child. As you know, if you've read this blog before, my childhood was partly spent in Sweden. We also liked the same kind of books, and shared many opinions on writing and being an Indy writer. Had it not been for the madness that is LBF, I’m sure we would have spent hours talking about displacement, books and writing.
So, I was delighted to be invited to TriskeleBooks Summer Launch at Foyle’s Bookshop in London’s Soho, where Catriona’s debut novella, Gift of the Raven, was launched.


I took the book away with me on my recent holiday to Provence, and read it in one afternoon by the pool.
Gift of the Raven delivers quite a powerful punch. From the very first page you are deep into the world of Terry, half-Indian, half-white boy whose short life in Canada has been tragic: Terry's father is dead or doesn’t care what happens to him, his mother has some mysterious illness, and his step-father is not what he at first seemed to be.
Life for Terry goes from bad to worse when he is forced to move to a new neighbourhood and a new school.  My heart was in my mouth for fear of what would next happen to Terry, and I couldn’t stop reading the story.
The novella is beautifully told and Terry’s voice is truly authentic.
The only criticism I have about this excellent book is that it’s a novella rather than a novel. I wish I could’ve read on to find out what happened next! So, Catriona, is there going to be a continuation to Gift of the Raven? 

A few words about The Alliance of Independent Authors

There's a strange discussion going on over at David Gaughran's site about an organisation I myself feel honoured to be a member of, Alliance of Independent Authors. David published an interview with Orna Ross, the founder of ALLi, which has (strangely) caused a bit of a stir on the site. The organisation was even accused of being a scam. You can read the post here.

Having read the many comments, I wanted to air my views on ALLi too.

I've spoken before about what a difference my membership of ALLi has made to me as an Indy author. Writing is a lonely business, so having a community of other Indy writers to call upon for advice, support and a laugh is invaluable.

I joined ALLi after I'd read about it in The Bookseller in the weeks following London Book Fair 2012. At the time there was no other organisation (that I could see) which would fight the corner of the Indy writer. What I didn't realise at the time was, what a forcefield of support for writers the organisation provides, especially through its Facebook group. You ask a question (any question) and not only is it answered incredibly quickly, it's also answered in a professional and friendly manner. There is no one-upmanship, no spamming with your own titles; at the same time a certain amount of self PR is allowed. All of this amounts to a lot of saved time, and as any writer knows, time most certainly is money.

On top of this ALLi also offers a range of other tangible financial benefits - you can read about them here.

I've been a member of many non-profit organisation in my time (I even work for a Finnish charity), but rarely have I found an association, which has such a straight-forward, honest and energetic approach to its cause.

Long Live ALLi!
 

Lenny Henry in Fences

On Tuesday when I saw Lenny Henry talk about his latest play, Fences, on BBC London News, I immediately wanted to go and see it. I love him and I also love the post-war era of the Great American Play, though I'd never seen any of August Wilson's plays.
Later that same afternoon something remarkable happened. The Travel Team at Finnish Guild Travel(where I work a couple of days a week) often get last minute offers to London plays and guess what, I was asked if I'd like to go and see Fences that very same night. 'Of course!' was my immediate reply.
Last time the Englishman and I saw Lenny Henry on stage was in Bath. I think it was his first comedy tour sometime towards the end of the 1980's and he was brilliant.
Picture: Lenny Henry. net In Fences, Henry doesn't play a very loveable character. He's in the role of a life-weary bin man called Troy Maxon. While Troy tries to appear strong and determined, he is also weak and duplicitous. He wants to stand up for what is right, but often ends up hurting the people he most loves.
The whole of the play is acted on a single set, in the backyard of Troy and his beloved Rose’s (Tanya Moodie) house in Pittsburgh, in 1957. Rose wants Troy to finish putting up the fence around the house, and this task of protecting the family from the dangers coming from the outside also becomes a metaphor for the main character.
But sadly, putting up a physical, or a metaphorical, fence doesn't stop the outside world from coming in, or anyone in the family being affected by outside events.
There are conflicts between Troy and his sporting son, Gabriel, played by Ako Mitchell. Troy doesn't want his son to suffer the same discrimination and disappointment he himself suffered and so denies Gabriel the chance to even try to succeed. His other son from a previous relationship, Lyons (Peter Bankole), wants to be a musician, but even this career is not safe enough in Troy’s eyes. At the same time as he disapproves of his off-springs’ career choices, he himself is getting involved in something he shouldn’t. Eventually Troy’s actions come to light and destroy his friendship with his Friday drinking partner, Jim Bono (played by the excellent Colin McFarlane).
But Fences is about so much more than just the life of the main character. It's about the changing social structure of America, it's about race, about justice and about fairness. And ultimately about love and forgiveness too; and about how life and the need for survival changes a person.
The performances in this serious play were outstanding. I came away thinking that I had not only seen a remarkable play, but also some extraordinary performances. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole time. (The brilliant seats we had in the stalls helped the experience too, thank you Encore Tickets). 
The audience at this play was a real mix, which was more than refreshing. It made me realise that the theatre we generally see is incredibly white and middle class. It's about time this changed.
I was the guest of Encore Tickets Fences is at DuchessTheatre until Saturday 14thSeptember 2013

My Survival Guide to Provence

When, back in rainy London, I was planning what to pack for our holiday here in Provence, my mind went blank. With the summer weather in the UK being more like that of a mild winter in my native Finland, it was impossible to imagine a place where the sun would shine all day and it would be too hot even to sit and read a book by a cool pool, in the shade.
So, as usual, I packed too much.
Another problem I had back in the UK was food – we were due to arrive in Marseilles at nine on a Saturday evening, and after we’d picked up the hire car, I knew we might not be in our rented villa near Vidauban until after all the shops had shut. Buying food & wine at Gatwick seemed so totally wrong, so instead we opted for a bottle of gin and hoped for the best…
Unfortunately, our flight was delayed and we had some fun and games with the complicated navigation (in the pitch black of a Provence night), which meant we didn’t get to our villa until well past midnight.
Since our only food & drink provision consisted a bottle of gin, we went to bed hungry and sober. The Englishman promised to get up at crack of dawn to do the first of our daily pain et croissant runs.
All was well since in Vidauban itself has several boulangeries, a fab local cheese shop, a Co-op as well as a supermarche.  And a few café’s where The Englishman and I have already after only half a week become regulars for our morning café au lait.


So, having now experienced some of the life here, I thought it might be useful to do a quick guide to how to prepare yourself for a villa holiday in Provence.
1. Pack lightly, remembering that if the forecast says it’ll be sunny and 30 degrees C , you will not need much more than a cover up and a few bikinis and or swimming costumes (especially if you have a pool or sea nearby).
2. Print out a map of where you are going (if you don’t know the way, obviously). The days of rental cars having a courtesy map in the car are well gone, and using the satnav in a language you don’t speak fluently can be a challenge (especially in the dark…).
3. If at all possible, ask for a ‘welcome pack’ for your villa. Unfortunately we were not able to get one, but in my view these are worth the weight in gold since you never know if your journey to the villa will be delayed (as ours was). It’s so nice to have the basics, like loo paper, water, milk, coffee and tea there when you arrive. 
4. In Provence there are markets almost every day in one of the nearby villages (see below), so it’s worth checking where and when the nearest one to you is open.  There are several stalls selling the perfect summer wear (including espadrilles for 6-7 Euros!) at reasonable prices. I had great difficulty in sourcing cover-ups etc. which didn’t cost the earth in London before I left, so I wish I’d waited until we got here to get mine.


5. Most supermarkets in Southern France are open until till quite late (the one in Vidauban closes at midnight), and they will not close for lunch unlike most of the other shops. So it’s worth remembering if you want you bread for breakfast, the boulangerie will close for lunch between 12.30 and 14.30.
6. Take mosquito etc insect repellents and creams with you. Most sunny resorts have these little blighters wanting to feed on your flesh, so it’s best to be prepared. I also find that taking anti-histamines for a few weeks before you go will help with the degree in which the bites affect you. (But that might just be me!)

My Survival Guide to Provance

When, back in rainy London, I was planning what to pack for our holiday here in Provence, my mind went blank. With the summer weather in the UK being more like that of a mild winter in my native Finland, it was impossible to imagine a place where the sun would shine all day and it would be too hot even to sit and read a book by a cool pool, in the shade.
So, as usual, I packed too much.
Another problem I had back in the UK was food – we were due to arrive in Marseilles at nine on a Saturday evening, and after we’d picked up the hire car, I knew we might not be in our rented villa near Vidauban until after all the shops had shut. Buying food & wine at Gatwick seemed so totally wrong, so instead we opted for a bottle of gin and hoped for the best…
Unfortunately, our flight was delayed and we had some fun and games with the complicated navigation (in the pitch black of a Provence night), which meant we didn’t get to our villa until well past midnight.
Since our only food & drink provision consisted a bottle of gin, we went to bed hungry and sober. The Englishman promised to get up at crack of dawn to do the first of our daily pain et croissant runs.
All was well since in Vidauban itself has several boulangeries, a fab local cheese shop, a Co-op as well as a supermarche.  And a few café’s where The Englishman and I have already after only half a week become regulars for our morning café au lait.


So, having now experienced some of the life here, I thought it might be useful to do a quick guide to how to prepare yourself for a villa holiday in Provence.
1. Pack lightly, remembering that if the forecast says it’ll be sunny and 30 degrees C , you will not need much more than a cover up and a few bikinis and or swimming costumes (especially if you have a pool or sea nearby).
2. Print out a map of where you are going (if you don’t know the way, obviously). The days of rental cars having a courtesy map in the car are well gone, and using the satnav in a language you don’t speak fluently can be a challenge (especially in the dark…).
3. If at all possible, ask for a ‘welcome pack’ for your villa. Unfortunately we were not able to get one, but in my view these are worth the weight in gold since you never know if your journey to the villa will be delayed (as ours was). It’s so nice to have the basics, like loo paper, water, milk, coffee and tea there when you arrive. 
4. In Provence there are markets almost every day in one of the nearby villages (see below), so it’s worth checking where and when the nearest one to you is open.  There are several stalls selling the perfect summer wear (including espadrilles for 6-7 Euros!) at reasonable prices. I had great difficulty in sourcing cover-ups etc. which didn’t cost the earth in London before I left, so I wish I’d waited until we got here to get mine.


5. Most supermarkets in Southern France are open until till quite late (the one in Vidauban closes at midnight), and they will not close for lunch unlike most of the other shops. So it’s worth remembering if you want you bread for breakfast, the boulangerie will close for lunch between 12.30 and 14.30.
6. Take mosquito etc insect repellents and creams with you. Most sunny resorts have these little blighters wanting to feed on your flesh, so it’s best to be prepared. I also find that taking anti-histamines for a few weeks before you go will help with the degree in which the bites affect you. (But that might just be me!)

French Market in Provence and a familiar vineyard

Yesterday we decided to take a little time out from sunning ourselves by the excellent pool of our villa near Vidauban, and drive up north to the little town of Lorgues for their weekly Tuesday market. 

Oh boy, what a French treat: there were clothes, excellent leather goods, fantastic veg, saucisson, mountains of dried lavender and other herbs, and cheeses to die for. Plus anything else you might ever think of needing (including vegetable cutters…) The place was very busy with hordes and hordes of both locals and tourists. 

With the sun beating down (it was 32C), after just a short stroll we were flagging and needed a cafe au lait and croissant in one of the many cafes lining the market.
Thus revived, we made our purchases: 


Son bought a much needed Panama hat (in the Mediterranean heat his black hair very quickly becomes a furnace on top of his head). 



Son's fiancée and I found a bargain in 5 Euro sarongs to wear around the pool (which also turn into shawls to wear around the shoulders in the evenings). I now wish I'd bought two; I've been wearing mine solidly since I got it, and I would really need one in a brighter colour.  Oh well…






Daughter got a ring and I got Son a Breton stripe t-shirt for his birthday today.

The Englishman brought the food….cherries, cheese, bread, fantastic tomatoes (not the same fruit we get back home in the UK!), 4 kinds of sausages.
If you’re ever around this area, the market is worth visit.
On the way back to Vidauban, we passed a sign for Chateau L'Arnaude and I realised it was a vineyard I visited with my mother five or six years ago. In fact we stayed in the house, as guests of the owners who have now sadly sold it on. I had no idea we were so close to the vineyard, and since I remember the wine being particularly excellent, we popped in to have a taste and ended up buying a box of white. (And very nearly a box of the rose and red too!)
It’s a small world.

Beauty: REN BB Cream

I don't usually (ever!) write about beauty products. That's basically because I use same products for years, only changing when I by accident stumble upon something new.

But recently, I found a product which I was so bowled over by that I thought I'd share it with you. A few weeks ago when I was getting a replacement for my REN day cream, the friendly lady at Liberty's gave me sample of their new BB cream. Now, don't ask me what BB cream does; the REN lady told me it's basically a tinted moisturiser which magically blends into your own skin tone.
Needless to say, I was sceptical. But this stuff was impressive. This cream wasn't at all greasy, it was easy to apply and it made my complexion look all silky and smooth. I loved the cream so much I tried to get some at Stockmann's in Helsinki, fully aware that I'd be paying a premium price for the product in Finland. Alas, it hadn't been launched Europe yet, so I was spared the extra cost.
When I came back to the UK one of the first things I did was to go to my local pharmacist here in Crouch End who stocks REN products (very handy that). They told me the product had been so successful that REN had run out of the cream nationwide. Typical! The ladies at Liberty's confirmed the story; there was a worldwide shortage of the new BB cream.
But today, while shopping with Daughter at John Lewis on Oxford Street, I had a cursory look at the REN counter and guess what, there it was, a whole row of BB creams. What's more there was an offer on - buy the cream and get a package of Radiance Renewal Cream and Micro Polish Cleanser for free!
The John Lewis web site also says it still has some stock. So if you, like me, have been hunting for this product, you can get it here.
Petter Pharmacy
49-51 The Broadway,
Crouch End,
Haringey,
London N8 8DT

This is not a sponsored post. All products mentioned were paid for by me.