Theater Review

Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of being Earnest"

Last year I had the opportunity to see the farcical comedy “The importance of being Earnst” in the so called Literature House of Graz. Although it has some funny and also interesting scenes, it is not for everyone because it tends to drag on at length. However, I was very fascinated by the play. As I was sitting in the first row, directly in front of the stage, I felt like being a part of the play. The curtain opens without making any noise, as though it is moving on its own; the actors appear on stage and start to speak in a loud voice.



“The importance of being Earnst” is based on a screenplay by Oscar Wilde who was born in Dublin in 1854 and died in Paris in 1900. This play is about Jack Worthing, who was found as a little baby in a traveller’s handbag on a train station called Victoria Station. He grows up on the countryside and decides to move into the city as Earnest Worthing where he gets to know Algernon Moncrieff. After Jack becomes Algernon’s best friend he falls in love with Algernon’s cousin Gwendolyn Fairfax, and wants to propose to her. A certain time later Algernon finds a cigarette case bearing the inscription, "From little Cecily, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack”. Jack is forced to admit that he’s living a double life and proposes to Gwendolyn in the absence of her mother, Lady Bracknell, and her cousin. Then Algernon leaves to visit his sick friend, Bunburry. He meets Cecily who is Jack’s ward and introduces himself as “Earnest”. After a while he falls in love with her, and they get engaged. Meanwhile Gwendolyn and her mother arrive. Gwendolyn meets Cecily realizing they were both lied to. Soon they confront their fiancées and discover that they lied about their names. Lady Bracknell recognizes Miss Prism, the governess, and it turns out that twenty-eight years earlier, as a family nursemaid, she took a baby boy for a walk and never returned. Miss Prism explains that she had absentmindedly put the manuscript of a novel in the buggy and the baby in a handbag, which she had left at Victoria Station. Jack, the elder son of Lady Bracknell's sister (thus indeed Algernon's older brother), shows the very same handbag, clarifying that he is the lost baby. Gwendolyn remains certain that she can only love a man named Earnest. Eventually, Lady Bracknell informs Jack that as the first-born, he would have been named after his father, General Moncrieff. Jack examines army lists and discovers that his father's name was in fact Earnest. In the End, the couples hug each other and the curtain closes.


This play was supposed to be a comedy but the people did not really laugh much (I suppose because they didn’t understand the play). Unfortunately the actors were not playing their roles convincingly and some had a really bad Austrian accent. Yet the most disturbing aspect was the actresses playing the roles of men, this seemed very unprofessional to me. Additionally, the play was indeed long, which led numerous people from the audience to boredom and disinterest (the wife of my teacher fell asleep). Though I really liked the story of the play and I would definitely recommend it to others BUT with a different cast and another stage. ;)For those who don't like the theater and would like to see it, there is also a movie about the story with Colin Firth in the main cast. I haven't seen the movie yet so I can't promise that it is good but hey, you have nothing to lose.

How dieting REALLY works :D

Hey everyone :)

As I am taking a break from my Culture Project I though I'm gonna use this time wisely and I figured out that a free post would be a great method to clear my head a little bit. I am pretty sure that at the moment everyone's working on their Culture Topic and no one has really time for writing free posts. As the Culture Topic takes a considerable amount of time you probably also won't have any to read my post or watch this videos and you should not procrastinate but if you are searching for a little distraction and if you want to laugh and be entertained for a while, make sure to continue reading ;) 

I am sure that everyone has at least heard from the talented comedian and entertainer Jenna Mourey, better known as Jenna Marbels, but for those who haven't, you absolutely have to check out her Youtube channel! She is so funny and if you end up on her homepage or Youtube channel be sure you will not stop watching her videos until you finish watching them all. :D
She posts videos about the daily life in interesting different and hilarious ways. When watching the various videos you will find yourself in them and you will probably realize how often you come across such situations and behave the exact same way.

If you are wondering how dieting really works and then watch this amusing video:

Jenna's most famous video is probably "How To Trick People Into Thinking You Are Good Looking" relating to the clicks which were 5.3 million in just a week. (Now it has already 52.019.391 views!!) 

Another video is "How To Avoid Talking To People You Don't Want To Talk To" which has approximately 31 million views. This is incredible! This video is spoken about on the whole world and was even featured in one of the most-read newspapers, the New York Times.

She uploads a new video every wednesday on Youtube and has over eight million subscribers!
There are so many killing videos so if you are bored and don't know what to do take a couple of minutes and check out her channel. I would really recommend watching the videos because they are well worth it!

Jenna Marbels also has her own Blog where she regularly updates new and entertaining videos.

http://jennamarblesblog.com/

Switzerland

Lugano

The past few days I was in Lugano with my family for the long weekend. We enjoyed our time there as we went sightseeing a lot. Lugano is a city in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy. With a population of 60,815 it is the 9th largest city of Switzerland, the largest city in Ticino, and the largest Italian-speaking city outside of Italy. Lugano is not only Switzerland's third most important financial center, but also a town of parks and flowers. The city lies on Lake Lugano, surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Lugano Prealps. The landscape is picturesque and I love the breathtaking view of the mountains and the lake. I could stay there watching the scenery all day long because it looks so peaceful and makes me relax.

Graz, in comparison, is nowhere near as interesting as Lugano in terms of culture, nightlife and shopping. It is without a doubt a city steeped in history with a wealth of attractions to satisfy the most discerning visitor and it offers a wide variety of programs, museums and activities for everyone. Whether you are interested in its cultural heritage, or just want to experience a night out, Lugano is the right place to visit.  

First and foremost the city is well-known for a great number of museums; these go from art to historical museums, from temporary exhibitions to permanent collections all the way to truly particular exhibitions.

An important event is the opening of the Museum of Non-European Cultures at Villa Heleneum that houses the prestigious Serge Brignoni Primitive Art Collection, the important refurbishment of Villa Ciani. 

Apart from the beautiful landscape and the cultural heritage, there is also a great number of luxurious shops and it definitely offers a shopping experience like no other. ‘Shopaholics’ can enjoy the exclusive boutiques to the fullest. When it comes to romance, couples can, for instance, enjoy an afternoon on one of the mountains, just admiring the Lugano skyline. What I liked most about my journey was that we had motivated relatives who knew almost everything about Lugano and showed us the most beautiful sceneries. They took us off the beaten track so that we could admire the unspoilt charm of the outskirts of town. I was absolutely fascinated by this city and I would recommend visiting Lugano at least once because it is well worth it.

 

Benefits

The benefits of drinking enough water

Everyone knows that drinking a lot of water is essential for a healthy lifestyle but how much water should we drink every day? This is a question that is not easy to answer. It depends on many factors, including how old, how tall and how active you are. I am sure that everyone has heard about the advice "Drink eight glasses of water a day" but is this really the quantity of water an adult should consume?

The institute of medicine determined that an adequate intake for men is about three liters a day and for women approximately two point two liters of total beverages a day.

Why should we drink water?

Water helps to keep you hydrated, which is important because every single cell in your body needs it in order to absorb nutrients and expel waste products. Water is your body most important chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Even our tissues and organs are mainly made up of water, for instance, our brain consists of 90 percent of water, our muscles of 75 percent and our blood of 83 percent. Every day you lose water and if you want your body to function properly, you must take in enough fluid by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. Every cell in your body needs water from head to toe and if you don't supply enough of it to your body you might even get ill. Lack of water can lead to dehydrations, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can cause tiredness, migraine, constipation, muscle cramps, dry skin, kidney problems and much more.  

What are some of the benefits of drinking enough water?

• Helps you lose weight

The body finds it difficult to differentiate between hunger and thirst so if you mistake the signals it is giving when dehydrated, you might eat more than you actually need. If you drink one to two glasses before a meal you will feel less hungry, consume fewer calories and ultimately lose weight. Water reduces hunger by suppressing your appetite and removes the by-products of fat and keeps you fresh and healthy. Another crucial feature of water is that it literally contains no calories.

• Better productivity at work

Water is an essential component required for the effective working of our body parts (since many body parts including our brain and the various tissues are mostly composed of water). Considering this, water can significantly improve our ability to think, be more alert and more concentrated.

• Skin looks younger and healthier

The body releases sweat to cool and regulate the body temperature therefore you have to drink an adequate amount of water to keep your skin hydrated and moisturized. It is also necessary to prevent wrinkles and combat skin disorder and to give the skin a healthy color. 

• Natural remedy for headache

Headache is an often symbol of dehydration and therefore water is the first thing to be recommended when someone complains about a headache. Drinking water is a natural remedy with no side effects that eliminates the pain without the intake of tablets.

• Prevention of cancer

Dehydration can cause the buildup of toxin in the cells which can cause these to behave unpredictably and to multiply out of control. It is thought that drinking substantial amounts of water may reduce the risk of bladder cancer and colon cancer.

• Maintaining eye health 

The cornea is made 80 percent of water and as you might guess, drinking enough water is therefore necessary to maintain good eye health. If you are working on the computer or you are doing close work for a longer time, you should make sure to take regular breaks or focus on something in the distance; otherwise you might get dry eyes. Blinking can also facilitate moisture from the tear glands to hydrate the eye.

• The best known thirst quencher

As the weather gets warmer every day we need more fluids to satisfy our considerable thirst. Water is, as is generally known, the best thirst quencher especially in summer. 

These are just a few important facts about why you should drink more water but if you still have problems with drinking the healthy amount of water a day and you think you need to drink more here are some tips that might help you:

1. Have a glass of water before and after every snack or meal.

2. Choose beverages you enjoy; if you don't like pure water add a dash of lemon or orange juice. (Make sure that you use only freshly squeezed juice)

3. Always keep a bottle of water with you no matter where you are going.

4. Eat more fruits and vegetables as they are high in water content. 

Given all these facts that dehydration can be the major source of attacking humans health, it seems obvious that water is of great importance for a healthy lifestyle. Water determines the right functioning of our body and a healthier body means a happier life!

So, if you haven't already go to the nearest faucet and poor yourself a large cold glass of water and enjoy a happy and healthy life!

Clean eating

What is clean eating?

If you are wondering what I talked about in my previous post and you can't figure out what "clean eating" is, I'm going to explain the term as much as possible.

Clean eating is a term that’s found on blogs and posted on Instagram and Facebook but does anyone really know what it is?

Food that’s clean is food that’s for the most part real food and not processed with things that compromise health like artificial flavorings, artificial colorings or sugar substitutes. Don’t eat processed food that is full of chemicals and sodium levels that are off the charts. Eat real, whole and unprocessed food. There is a simple rule: Everything that grows outside is good for you and your body. Food that is processed and frozen is not good for you! In short words: The shorter the ingredient list, the better. In my opinion clean food is not about banishing any particular type of ingredient. You can eat everything as long as you eat it in a controlled way. Of course you can also eat candy and chocolate as your so called "cheat food" but only every now and then.

The simple truth is, you just cannot get healthy without eating healthy. You can exercise every day for three hours but if you eat fast food afterwards, you just are not going to get anywhere fast. Food is the big ticket to good health. If you eat 'garbage', your body will show it. If you eat whole, healthy and fresh foods, your body, skin and soul will glow with health that gives you endless energy. Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, espsecially if you have to make a lot of changes but once you get used to it you will never eat unhealthy again. Nevertheless my advice is to take baby steps and make little changes every day. Don't give up if you make mistakes because we all do. Just realize that with every healthy meal you are one step closer to your goal!

The greatest wealth is health!

One of the things that became very important to me is eating clean and cocking healthy food, not only to lose weight, but to live a happy and healthy life. I am trying to eat clean for a few weeks now and I feel so much more comfortable in my skin that I'm not thinking of stopping it.

A few months ago I didn't have any plan of what is healthy food and what I should avoid eating. As I started to go to the fitness center I felt motivated to try new things. I searched through the internet for healthy recipes and a healthy lifestyle. I found a great number of food blogs and web sites that represent "clean" recipes and I tried to cook them. I really found my passion for cooking and most importantly I took pleasure in cooking vegetables and clean dishes. One month ago I would never cook broccoli or asparagus, I mean iuuh, who would eat something like this? Actually I've tasted some dishes and it turned out that I love it! Vegetables taste great if you prepare and season them the right way. I mean there are really endless many recipes that taste incredibly good AND are healthy! And if you don't like cooking or you don't know how to cook, maybe you will find your "love for cooking" with this lifestyle.


So if you want to feel better in your skin and tone your body for the summer time I would definitely recommend trying out some of the "healthy recipes". You only have one body, so why give it harmful food and drinks? Take care of it and it will reward you with a toned body!