FG is Charlie - November 2015
FRIENDS’ GAZETTEYour articles look at moral reasons for beingvegetarian or vegan which is a veryinteresting mix and unique . . .
NOVEMBER 2015 - ISSN 2053-4426 London and Avignon - e-mail: [email protected] - Web: scribd.com
Tim Barford - founder VegFestUK
FRANCE ISCOOKING...
Top USspiritual
leadergrants FGinterview
WHEN THE BIGNAMES SPEAKTHEY SPEAK BIG- to the Friends’ GazetteSee Ishwar’s letter toour editorial team onpage 11. (There will beno FG in December.)
Kerry McCarthy
DOZENS of budding vegan cooks
flocked to Olympia in London
recently to see one of France's top
chefs in action and pick up some
exclusive tips.
Christophe Bolis chef de cuisine
and owner of Cafe de France near
Orange held his VegFestUK
audience in wrapt attention as he
put together a typical Provencal
dish before their very eyes.
Now his skills will be at the
centre of a unique course from
French language school La Cours
des Langues based in Avignon in
the south of France.
The course goes by the
enigmatic monika 'France is
cooking'.
School director Véronique Lané
Maby said: "We are proud to be
organising this course which
brings Cristophe's talent and skills
to those who want to learn French
vegan cooking.
"Those who want to can take
the opportunity to improve their
French at the same time."
Cristophe's restaurant is
situated in the picturesque village
of Caderousse in the Vaucluse a
stone’s throw from the Rhône, one
of France's major rivers.
The village is unspoilt, like most
French villages, with quiet winding
streets, open spaces and
architecture, some of which dates
back to the 13th century.
La Cours des Langues is a private
well-established and popular
language school, teaching a range of
courses to students from all over the
world. Continues on page 12
1
Ishwar Puri
u
Pin-drop silence asChris Bolis shows howto cook French vegan -
click to view video
French vegan course launched as crowds flock to demo
FG is Charlie - November 2015
2
INNER PAIN UNLOCKED
JJ’S CREATIVE TALENT
SALES MANAGERw a n t e d
Can you sell?
Are you friendly?
Can you think out-the-box?Then you may be just the person we are looking
for to bring Friends’ Gazette to more vegan and
veggie entrepreneurs.
The hunt is on for a consummate professional
to continue to build up this on-line publication’s
advertising sales department. It is envisaged
that the successful applicant will have a contacts
book crammed full of veggie/vegan business
contacts and will also be able to manage and help
recruit a small team of expert salespeople.
Salary is negotiable on a rewards basis with
excellent commission.
Send CV with covering letter and what you’d do
on your first day to [email protected]
Informal interviews will be held in London early
next year.
FOR JEAN Jaques Sandras an ‘identity
crisis’ and ‘inner anguish’ lead to a life-
changing journey to mystical India where he
‘found the answer’.
Born in 1947 and having grown up in
apartheid South Africa he worked as a dish-
washer in 60s London where he underwent
a life-changing revelation.
Like hundreds at the time he travelled to
India and has now penned a ‘fantasy tale’ in
which he attempts to ‘describe his
understanding of the teachings’ he
happened upon in the sub-continent.
Here in his own words he shares his
personal story with FG readers.
At the age of 19 I travelled to Europe.
The nine months I spent there changed my
elementary vision of the world.
I worked in a factory for three months in the
Paris area before travelling around western
Europe and visiting the British Isles.
In London I found a job as a dish washer for
several weeks.
It was there that I discovered that apartheid
was inhuman. This shook the very foundations
of my vision of life including my religion.
Deeply perturbed by my new vision I went
through an identity crisis (apartheid, religion,
politics and society appeared to me to be a
bunch of lies).
Fortunately I was young, in good health, had
a good well-paid job and many friends. In spite
of my privileged situation, deep down inside I
was confused and went to India in February
1971. There I found the answer to my inner
anguish.
After returning to Johannesburg from India I
resumed my earlier life for three years beforeJean Jacques Sandras
u
FRIENDS’ GAZETTE
FG is Charlie - November 2015
Lucky Pandawins freebie
WHEN Spikey Panda signed up to receive Friends’
Gazette in London last month she never thought
she'd be lucky enough to scoop a free ticket to
another VegFest festival as well.
The event in Glasgow next month is already
attracting unprecedented interest in the Scottish
press and is set to draw hundreds of visitors.
Now Panda and five other lucky Friends’ Gazette
readers will get in for nothing.
'Wooo.... hoooo..... How nice to win!' said Spikey.
“Glasgow - it’s a new vegan centre!"
The new readers will now join thousands of
established FG stalwarts many of whom have been
taking the independent on-line mag since it launched
around four-and-a-half years ago.
Friends’ Gazette is registered as an official
magazine with the British Library and comes out
monthly (apart from December) with its highly
informative and unique take on veggie life and
alternative lifestyles in the UK and worldwide.
"Congrats to Spikey," said editor and publisher
Steve Ward, "and welcome aboard to her and
everyone who signed up.”
Panda Gledhill scoops free ticket to VegFest Glasgow
3
Ten out of Ten forplay on traffickingHOME Secretary, Teresa May, has presented a play
about human trafficking with a prestigious award.
‘This is My Body’, by Catholic professional theatre
company Ten Ten tells the story of a woman from
Romania who seeks refuge in a safe house run by a
religious sister. The award, backed by the Human
Trafficking Foundation, falls into the category for
best stage production dealing with modern slavery.
marrying a French girl and settling down in
France.
Ever since my first visit to India I have
tried to follow the mystical path which
includes a strict lacto-vegetarian diet.
The master who taught me said that his
teachings were not his own.
He had received them from his own
master who had received them from his
and so on.
These teachings are valid for all human
beings regardless of their social status,
country, circumstances and epoch.
He also told me that the basic mystical
teachings were so simple they could be
explained in less than two minutes but that
most people were too complicated to
understand something that could be
explained in such a short time period.
In December 1984 upon a return trip
from India, my daughter, then eight years
old, asked me why I went there.
I tried to explain mysticism to her and
was surprised by her ability to grasp the
essentials.
In 1985, after 14 years of studying and
elementary practice, I finally was able to
explain the basic teachings to myself in
only two minutes.
Being able to summarise the basic
teachings, I decided to write a fantasy tale
for her describing my understanding of the
teachings.
I chose to write a story I would have
myself liked to have read when
discovering the teachings.
The teachings being the same for
everyone, everywhere at all times, I chose
to transpose what I had learnt in India in the
20th century as a computer engineer into
the context of knighthood of 14th-century
France.
I therefore undertook a year’s research, to
study the France of the Middle Ages.
While writing this trilogy, I respected the
four elementary rules of fairy tales. These
rules are that the main characters are
caricatures; the story is chronological; there
should be continuous action with
spectacular surprises; it can be taken at
face value while allowing the reader to dig
out the hidden message.
Even today what I had learnt 44 years
ago still resounds just as strongly as ever.
Find Jean Jacques’ latest novel, ‘The
Lord Magicians’, on Amazon.
INNER PAIN UNLOCKED . . . Continued from p2
VEGETARIAN LAUNCH FORNIGEL’S TASTY THRILLER
THERE may nothave been any
cherries on offer butthat didn’t stop Nigel
Lesmoir-Gordon’slatest novel going
down a treat inCambridge recently.
‘Life is Just (a bowl ofcherries)‘ is the latestsubmission from the
accomplished authorand film-maker.
The book is publishedby Eventispress and isavailable on Amazon.
Egg-free delights on offer as readers gather for a chat and a bite
Nigel is quizzed by his audience
FG is Charlie - November 2015
5
ENGLISH THEATRE GROUP
SET FOR FRENCH DEBUTAN ENGLISH drama group
has cracked the French
market with a debut at a
prestigious French theatre.
Synaestheatre, headed
up by director/proprietor
Deborah Ward, will give
three performances of the
fantasy tale Raven at the
Théâtre des Carmes in
Avignon, Provence next
month.
The coup comes as a
result of ground breaking
talks with Sebastian
Benedetto, son of the late
André Benedetto, founder
of the world famous
Avignon Off Festival which
every July, along with its
conventional partner Avignon
ON, floods the city with high
quality performance art.
The English piece, already
a London hit at The Space,
Docklands in the summer,
could go on to feature in the
Avignon Off 2016.
Raven tells the story, in
mine/dance of a young girl
torn between two worlds.
One of nature; gentle,
organic, soft: the other of
man; technological, hard-
nosed and controlling, where
the unbridled profit motive is
king.
Which world will she
choose? Which world will
choose her?
u
Pan (Andrea Foà) andFaith (Maria Velazquez)meet in the woods.Click anywhere on thepic to view video.
FG is Charlie - November 2015
A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN who
has made billions as the head of a private
healthcare company is to turn his back on
the world of commerce and go to work full
time on his uncle’s spiritual ashram.
And the radical move could well be a
portent of things to come.
Shivinder Mohan Singh, executive
chairman of Fortis Healthcare who, with
his brother Malvinder, are together said to
be worth more than $4bn (£2.6bn), will
start voluntary work at the Radha Soami
Satsang Beas centre in January next year.
Singh, 40, known as the ‘wellness
moghul’ admitted in a statement that
Fortis was ‘part of his being’.
But he added: “Over time this has
inspired me to do more direct service.”
The centre in Beas in the Punjab, has
developed rapidly since uncle Gurinder
Singh took over in June 1990.
A businessman by training Gurinder
has propelled the centre from a quaint,
Indian village to thriving modern hub with
paved roads, modern computer centre
and extensive residential quarter.
The lacto-veggie group, ostensibly a
Sikh offshoot, has a following of millions
mostly among low caste Sikhs.
But there is a growing number of
extremely rich and influential Indian and
foreign followers whose lifestyles demand
all the modern-day facilities of home when
they visit.
Bollywood heartthrob Shahid Kapoor
and new bride Mira Rajput (See ‘If
Mohamed can’t go . . . ’ FG July/August )
are high-profile, upscale members.
Andy Berliner, ceo at US veggie food
giant, Amy’s Kitchen, is another
prominent, well-heeled follower (See
‘Want Mayo with that?’ FG July/August).
Gurinder Singh seems fully recovered
from a cancer scare two years ago but is
still quizzed about the state of his health.
There has been no official announcement
yet as to the part, if any, the new man will
play in the organisation; though it seems
highly unlikely his renowned business skills
will be allowed to go to waste.
It is also well within the realms of
possibility that he might succeed his uncle,
if and when that day ever dawns. One thing
is certain, such a move would be well within
the traditions of this fast-burgeoning sect.
Indian ashramgets ‘healthy’business boost
6
Shivinder Singh
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to halt the closure
of a 401-year-old Catholic college are
hoping their efforts to focus opposition to
the plan will bear fruit this month.
Jesuit-founded Heythrop College
specialises in theology and philosophy and
is part of the University of London. Closure
would be a ‘serious blow to theological,
religious and philosophical teaching and
research in the UK’, the campaigners say.
A petition aimed at showing the strength
of feeling against closure is set to wind up
on November 1st with a target of 1,000
signatures.
Hope for Heythrop aspetition draws to a close
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FG is Charlie - November 2015
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8
FG is Charlie - November 2015
MODELBEHAVIOUR
BEING photographed in a meat cold store
was enough to turn top model Caroline
Trentini vegetarian.
But there are a variety of reasons why
some of the most photographed people in
the world choose to reject meat and opt for
a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle.
Looking healthy is important for these
people whose flawless looks are as
necessary as wearing a suit is for a banker
or a uniform for a policeman.
Thing is, clothes can always be sent to
the cleaner.
Flawlessness has to be achieved from
the inside.
Some have been brought up as veggies.
But that doesn’t make sticking to their
principles any easier.
“[The photo shoot] was worth it but it left
me traumatized," Trentini told fashion
website The Front Row.
Photographer Steven Klein thanked her
for her work by sending her flowers and
chocolates as a thank you gift.
The experience ‘prompted her to
become vegetarian’ the site reports.
For Hilary Rhoda blowing family and
friends’ minds at Thanksgiving dinner when
she would have to snub the roast turkey
wasn’t enough to put her off eating meat.
“I will not be having a very traditional
Thanksgiving," she acknowledges.
Ethical fashion has come a long way
since David Bailey’s famous ad where fur
clad models dragged their expensive coats
along the catwalk leaving a trail of blood.
It sent shock waves through the fashion
industry and the fake fur industry was born,
or if not then, then at least given a
welcome boost.
Since those days ethical fashion has
become a hot topic of conversation and
debate in the street, the shop and at high
profile celebrity discussion panels.
This summer in Los Angeles, People for
the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
hosted a panel discussion with vegan style-
pioneers to discuss how up-and-coming
designers can find their ethical fashion-
forward footing in today’s industry.
For Lily Cole, who’s been a veggie since
she was ten, the reason is 100% ethical and
she feels it’s the motive that counts and will
one day build a ‘chorus’ where everything,
everywhere will become ethical.
“My one measly decision not to eat it
[meat] is important. It's like a chorus.
“You're only ever responsible for yourself
– and anyway, it makes you feel good to
make choices you can be proud of, so
having the intention behind it is the key.
“Just having the intention.
“Then the more people have those
intentions, the bigger the chorus gets.
“And then hopefully eventually people
won't have to make good choices – it will just
be a given that when you buy something
someone somewhere won't have been
exploited.
“If we could get to that point it would be
amazing."
One way to make sure raw materials are
sourced ethically is to reject traditional
clothing altogether.
Bamboo tee shirts, dresses and skirts can
be found pretty much everywhere.
Also non-leather shoes, belts and coats
are easily found with pioneering
entrepreneurs establishing their alternative
businesses and building up regular private
and commercial customers both in the UK
and abroad.
Speaking on how modelling has changed
her diet, Ali Michael says she has learned
about keeping healthy with a vegan diet:
“Finding balance in my diet has definitely
been a process that I’m grateful for because
it provided me with the knowledge that I
Pictured: (above) Lily Cole; (below) Ali Michael;
next page (top) Caroline Trentini; (bottom left) Anna de
Rijk; (bottom right) Hilary Rhoda;
third page (top) Kat Henson; (below) Sasha Pivovarova.
ALL PICTURES COURTESY THE FRONT ROW
9
Report by Stephen Ward
Research by Bronwyn O’Leary
FG is Charlie - November 2015
10
‘IT LEFT METRAUMATISED’have about treating my body the right
way now,” she told The Front Row.
“After following vegan, raw vegan and
macrobiotic diets, I’ve found that the best
approach for me is to be aware of what
my body responds to as opposed to
following rules and regulations.
“I usually have oatmeal with
unsweetened coconut milk, walnuts,
almonds, figs and goji berries in the
morning. I like breakfast being my
heaviest meal because it gives me
energy for the rest of my day.
“Lunch and dinner are usually mostly
vegetables and a protein like salmon.
“I’ll usually have a beet, carrot and
apple juice at some point, too."
But sometimes it takes a while before
a model or anyone else makes the
decision to turn completely vegetarian.
It can take a step or two - first giving
up red meat, then chicken and turkey
and then, later on, fish and maybe eggs
and cheese. (See Friendly Comment on
page 12).
Anna de Rijk in the same article told
The Front Row that she'd been a
vegetarian for a year, way back in 2011.
She explained: "I was raised [mostly]
without meat — my parents mainly made
pasta without meat every night, so since I
didn’t really grow up with it, I didn’t really
like it so much.
“And then a year ago, it was really
strange - I was in a plane, and I got
chicken, and I looked at the chicken, and I
thought it just looked so gross.
“And then I felt like, well, I’m kind of half
vegetarian [already], so I decided I’m not
going to eat meat and chicken anymore,
period.
“I eat a bit of fish because otherwise I
feel really weak. I’m not vegan. I eat
cheese and eggs and yogurt."
FG is Charlie - November 2015
11
‘BE HEALTHY -BE BEAUTIFUL’
Kat Hessen found that following a
vegan diet gave her better energy and
improved her health problems: "I've been
a vegan for almost two years.
“When I started eating better, my
stomach problems, bad skin, and
achiness all went away. I also found that I
could run a lot faster and longer without
getting tired."
Sasha Pivovarova has been a
vegetarian since she was 12.
She comments on her diet: "My motto is
be healthy, be beautiful.
“I try to eat only organic food from local
farmers in upstate New York.
“For breakfast I'll have freshly squeezed
orange juice to boost my energy, granola,
fresh fruit or berries and a pure Chinese
tea. Lunch is a hot soup and a big salad
and dinner is fried potatoes with
mushrooms.
“I love cauliflower cream soup."
ISHWAR AGREES
An acknowledgement and some initial
questions have been sent to Mr Puri.
FRIENDLY COMMENT
GOT A STORY?
FRENCH COURSE LAUNCHED . . . cont. from p1
Climbed the
gangway?
Now take the flight!GO to a veggie or vegan restaurant,
have dinner with like-minded friends or
visit a veggie extravaganza where
thousands of all ages, sizes and
backgrounds flock to hundreds of stalls
selling or promoting everything from
clothes made from bamboo or the latest
thing in meatless burgers and you could
be forgiven for thinking ‘we're all
vegetarians now’.
But that's far from true.
Even though officially there are an
average of just under six million
vegetarians in the UK that still leaves 58
million carnivores tucking into plenty of
slaughtered cows, pigs, sheep, lamb etc.
or their byproducts.
That's a heck of a lot of people - and a
heck of a lot of animals!
Giving up eating dead animals is not
an easy choice.
It means swimming against the tide
with friends, relatives and colleagues.
‘No thanks. I'm a vegetarian,’
becomes a frequently-used refrain
especially on high days and holidays
when meat is de rigueur.
The reasons for setting out on or
maintaining this minority path are almost
as many as there are vegetarians or
vegans who choose it.
Compassion, health, environment,
disgust or a mixture of all three.
But make no mistake.
Whatever the reason it's a big move
and, subjectively speaking, a brave one.
For many, though, just the change
itself is the end of the story.
But vegetarianism and veganism can
be the basis for another whole journey.
Will Tuttle's well known World Peace
Diet hints at it when he says it's about
'eating for spiritual health and social
harmony'.
And Indian mystics and others
including from the West have long linked
vegetarianism with an inner journey.
An inner, meditative journey of light
and sound.
A non-violent lifestyle is, arguably, the
obvious first step to just such a journey.
After all, if we’ve climbed the gangway
why not take the flight!
Gone fishingI’VE recently read some nasty stuff
about pescetarians, or vegetarians who
eat fish!
Just Google ‘pescetarians’ and you’ll
find condemnation from every source
imaginable.
From societies and institutions
avowedely non-violent.
At the risk of sounding preachey can
we ask - is non-violence limited to
actions?
Or does it, possibly, extend to
thought?
More accurately, do non-violent
people think non-violent thoughts?
If they do, and there’s plenty who
believe they should, nay, must; then this
sort of violent condemnation of fish-
eating veggies must be left in the
‘poubelle’ (that’s French for rubbish bin -
by the way) where it belongs.
We only have to cast our minds back
a little way to remember our own journey
to a world of non-violence.
In that journey didn’t we all go through
many, many stages?
Couldn’t eschewing all forms of animal
life apart from ‘just a little fish-y on a little
dish-y’ be one of those stages?
Ask around at the next veggie
extravaganza in London or Liverpool or
Glasgow or Brighton and you’ll find
plenty of pescatarians checking out the
lay of the land.
Tasting the seaweed sushi and being
pleasantly surprised at its ‘fishy’ quality.
What’s the best thing to do with these
half-way-housers?
Slag off their choices and send them
running for the exit - never to be seen
again? Or welcome them aboard in the
hope they’ll one-day take that, surely
inevitable, next step?
12
It is based in quiet premises near Avignon
university and within the city 'ramparts'.
Tutors are all 'French for Foreigners' specialists
and are trained in imparting the subtle secrets of
speaking and writing French to foreigners.
Delegates on the week-long 'France is Cooking'
course get two days of haute cuisine instruction and
two days of French language.
Cooking-only is an option and all students get to
tuck into their own meals afterwards.
There is advice on a range of accommodation in
the area and free transport to and from the restaurant.
There is a train direct from Kings X St Pancras to
Avignon as well as regular flights to nearby Nîmes
and Marseille.
Course prices range from £155 (without French) to
£315 including language tuition (special offers).
These prices do not include accommodation or
travel to France.
To find out more click here.
Or phone the school direct on: 0033 (0)678393366.
IN MEMORIAM
To Brett Funnell formerly Fields. Thanks foryour encouragement, love and kindness at alltimes. Happy onward journey in our master'sloving embrace. “The real master is the shabdand the real disciple is the soul,” Charan Singh.
SW
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