Sunday morning boot sale in Stoke Newington. Photo Credit: Anna Pitton

“What is that? A mousetrap?” my companion Chiara asks me, as we do our best to figure out what this tiny weird device is. Apparently, it’s a plate hanger, whatever that means. You can find all sorts of wacky gadgets at the car boot sale in Stoke Newington.

Second-hand books, clothes and shoes pile up in the boots of the sellers’ cars, alongside dusty household appliances, old toys and collectible records. I feel like I’m plunging back into the 1980s when I come to this market, but it’s a funny trip with plenty of the good old days’ memorabilia. And it’s also a pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning, if you manage to wake up at a decent hour.

Every once in a while you can also find a bargain—most of the goods cost 50p or a couple of pounds. But you could just as easily spend your time guessing why someone would sell a half-used bottle of foot lotion. I find second-hand books the most interesting of all the wares, but also jewelery cases and posters seem to be popular.

If you can’t endure the morning breeze, you can warm up with a hot tea or coffee and a pain au chocolat or a sausage at the food stall. And when you’re done with your purchases, you can always join the mass at the Church inside the school. A welcoming black woman will most likely invite you to come inside and have a sit while a preacher sings and passionately delivers his speech. “Everybody’s welcome,” she told us, “no matter what faith you believe in.”

Alternatively, you can put yourself in the sellers’ shoes, get your butt off the bed at 7 in the morning and sell your own old glories, while trying to make ends meet in this astonishingly expensive city. You will have to pay a fee of £8 if you come just with a sheet and your stuff. If you have a boot, and a car of course, it will be £10.

The market takes place every Saturday and Sunday morning in the courtyard of Princess May Primary School, just off Stoke Newington Road. The entrance is 50p after 9 a.m.

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Heading into Chinatown for a new culinary experience. Photo Credit: Niklas Fagerström

with Anna Pitton, Heng Lu and Niklas Fagerström

After taking a look at the city’s bright celebrations and the dilemmas of personally celebrating Chinese New Year, Anna and Heng decided to join forces for a fun cultural encounter over dim sum. From their meal, it would seem sharing a friend’s native cuisine really is its own cultural experience.

For more on Chinese New Year and Chinese culture, see Anna‘s look at the celebrations in London and Heng‘s personal take on the holiday’s traditions.

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When I first moved to London last September, I promised to myself that I would never ever miss New Year’s celebrations. And then, like most foreign students, I went back home for Christmas and New Year. Living in one of the most diverse city in the world, however, I was able to keep my promise. So, here I was, on 21 February, celebrating Chinese New Year in Trafalgar Square.

Despite a one week delay (yes, Cupid won over the Tiger) and the drizzling, grey, weather, the Chinese New Year’s celebrations were jubilant and radiant. Taking up an area spanning from Trafalgar Square to Leicester Square and Chinatown, people of all nationalities gathered to celebrate the year of the Tiger.

Chinese New Year gave me the chance to learn a bit more about Chinese folklore. The stage in Trafalgar Square featured a host of performances by artists and acrobats from all over China. After the traditional lion and dragon dances, contortionists, entertainers and dance groups followed, including the spectacular act of the speedy face-changing man.

As for Chinese entrepreneurial skills, a contest might be easily set up to assess what the most pointless gadget you can be convinced to buy is. Stalls sold all sorts of whacky goods: hats and knick-knacks, balloons and paper dragons, lanterns and snacks.

A parade wound it’s way through the streets of Chinatown. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re agoraphobic, though. Being caught in the middle of it might as well cause hysteria, with people pushing you from all sides. There, you could take a break from the Tiger Fever and relish a piece of Chinese cuisine at ridiculously cheap prices – stalls sold buns filled with pork, chicken, red beans or vegetables for just £1 or £1.50.

Fireworks in Leicester Square ended the celebrations. Loud and bright, as you would expect, but a bit short, to be honest.

Nevertheless, I’m already looking forward to next year’s celebrations which are expected to take place on 3 February, when the Year of the Rabbit begins.

The First Pint also delved into how Chinese expats celebrate the New Year with a personal account from Heng Lu. Anna and Heng also went on a culinary adventure, on camera, for some authentic Chinese food..

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From February 8 to 10, London hosted the first One Young World Summit, an event where hundreds of young leaders from all over the world discussed issues including global business, political leadership and interfaith dialogue.

Bob Geldof brought reality crashing down on the One Young World summit, which united tomorrow’s leaders to attempt to steer the world in the right direction. The First Pint spoke to him in an exclusive interview.

Bob Geldof speaking at the One Young World conference. Photo Credit: Ines Ward

“One Young World. I mean, you know, it sounds like Disney!” he said, “I mean, what age are you—11? You are grown up, you know, and you could be politicians. Look at some of the captains and colonels of World War II—19, 21 you know. This is a proper grown-up age.”

Under the guidance of celebrity councillors such as Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the young delegates passed resolutions for the future. However, Geldof warned them not to treat resolutions the way the politicians tend to do: “They write, they sign these bloody things and their signatures are meaningless. They don’t seem to understand that they are signing the honour and the dignity and the pride of a country that they represent.”

When asked, Geldof had a bluntly honest opinion about what the next step will be for the resolutions. “Nothing,” he said, “that’s why you have got to pursue and pursue it. Resolutions are useless unless they are implemented and they will only be implemented if there is a constant force. You must stay on it, and you must have the stamina, the intellectual stamina to stay on it.”

The conference brought together delegates under the age of 25 from 192 countries who were chosen for their social work and their potential as future leaders.

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Getting down and dirty in "Pig Business." Photo Credit: London International Documentary Festival

The Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) film week opened with Worcester’s documentary on Tuesday night at City University. Six documentaries tackling different issues and raising a variety of questions will be screened during the week.

Making “Pig Business” was not an easy task for Worcester. It was hell, in fact! She travelled to Poland, the US and Brazil to investigate the effects of the industrialisation of pig-farming, only to find that the animals live in appalling conditions, the health of plant-workers is worsening, the improper dispose of waste has caused damage to the environment and small farmers have been forced to leave their land.

The film, which was supported by Channel 4, faced libel and lobotomisation. Worcester outlined the cuts she had to make to be able to show it. Still, the documentary is powerful and brings across the director’s message about the external costs of giant food companies policies.

“The pig business is like a microcosm of the general industry,” Worcester said after the screening.

The issue is political as well. Worcester has showed this documentary to 30 MPs last week and delivered 600 DVDs to the House of Commons. “In the end, though, it’s up to the people. We must change our eating habits,” she added.

If you’re still wondering why you should bother to change your food habits, just have a look at “Pig Business.” The un-lobotomised version is available on DVD for £5, whereas the edited one is available on YouTube.

On Wednesday, the CIJ showed pluri-awarded BBC Panorama: Undercover Nurse, a three-month investigation in an acute medical ward in a failing hospital.

On Thursday there will be the UK premiere of Afghanistan: On the Dollar Trail, a documentary by French investigative reporter Paul Moreira which will expose the corruption behind the managing of aid money in troubled Afghanistan. For an interview, click here.

On Friday it comes to another UK premiere and multi-award winner: Flip the Coin: The Bitter Taste of Tea, a documentary questioning the actual fairness of the Fairtrade brand.

And finally on Saturday a double treat: at 3 pm The Yes Men fix the World, featuring Igor Vamos, a.k.a. Mike Bonanno, a multimedia artist whose hobby is posing as multinational top executive. He will show how investigative reporting can be fun.

And at 6:30 pm another UK premiere: it’s Günter Wallraff: Black on White. The documentary features German investigative journalist Günter Wallraff travelling across Germany. Make-up covered, he will pose as a black immigrant to expose how they are treated. For an interview, click here.

All the screenings take place at the Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre, City University, at 6:30 pm. Tickets are £5 full price, £4 concessions.

Find out more about CIJ Film Week here.

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Beppe Grillo inspiring his audience. Photo Credit: Federico Gatti

People in Europe should beware of Italian political follies spreading over the Alps. But don’t worry: comedian and activist Beppe Grillo, Italian himself, will give you the necessary antibodies (and a fair amount of hilarity) to repel them.

His imposing figure and his greying beard make him look like an ordinary grandpa. But despite his age – 62 – he still oozes energy and enthusiasm. And that’s what Grillo brought to the 02 Shepherds Bush Empire in London last Wednesday, when he performed ‘Incredible Italy’ abroad for the first time.

In his two-hour-long monologue Grillo had jokes to expose everyone, from Italian ministers and members of the Parliament to European politicians. He spared neither journalists nor entrepreneurs.

He even claimed to have discovered the reason why English girls have one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy: “They go out wearing skimpy skirts, no pantyhose and it’s minus three…they become deadened from the waist under and don’t even realise what’s going on.”

After making fun of the British sense of humour and of the size of English bedrooms, he moved on to Italian business with engrossing satire of the issues that are currently afflicting the Bel Paese: justice (or lack of it), economy, showgirls entering politics and questionable political behaviour.

Grillo, who is also the most popular blogger in Italy, warned his audience of the chance Italian viruses might spread in Europe as well. “While people were mocking us,” he said, “we invented fascism and the banks and exported them.”

“The Germans laugh at us,” he added, “but they are also being colonised by the ‘ndrangheta’ as the mafia is called in the Southern region of Calabria, through control over real estate.”

The “pimp-strategy”, as he called the mixing of outlaw behaviour and politics, might well sweep Europe. “I soon expect Angela Merkel to have an affair with an underage [boy], Brown to go to dinner with a criminal and Sarkozy to see transvestites,” he forecast provocatively.

Grillo’s show was not just a bittersweet rant, however. He also presented a positive alternative to Italy’s outdated policies. “Our problem is that our ruling class is formed of 70 year-olds, who are not able to move with the times and fully understand the possibilities of new technologies,” he said. Thanks to the web people have now the power to participate directly in the decision-making process and control the work of politicians.

Grillo is the perfect example of a successful social networking manipulator. He started a blog in 2005 and used it to spread alternative information. He then launched popular initiatives such as the V-day (Fuck off-day) to protest against issues that concern Italian citizens, garnering a lot of support along the way.

Young people from his ‘Movimento 5 Stelle’ (‘Five Stars’ movement), which encourages the use of new technologies in local councils, have already won praises from European institutions for implementing energetic programmes which are environment friendly and cost-effective.

Time Magazine nominated Beppe Grillo ‘European Hero of 2005’ and in 2009 Forbes ranked Grillo seven in their most popular bloggers shortlist. For all our non pasta-eaters, don’t worry: his blog is available also in English and Japanese. Enjoy!

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Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday 5 December in Belgrave Square, near the Italian General Consulate in London, to demand that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi step down.

The demonstration, named “No Berlusconi day,” was the English counterpart of a bigger protest that simultaneously took place in Rome and was organised by a group of bloggers using social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

Italians living in London vented their anger at the current political situation in their home country and claimed they were not represented by Mr Berlusconi. The protest was not backed by any specific political party and encompassed people of different beliefs.

Purple was the colour chosen to express citizens’ disappointment with the current political mayhem in Italy. The participants chanted “Dimettiti! Dimettiti!” (“Resign! Resign!”), while some others screamed “Thief!” or “You’re a clown!” Others booed Mr Berlusconi as images of his reaction to the declaration of unconstitutionality of the so-called Alfano Law earlier in October, which granted impunity for the four main offices of the State during their mandate, were shown on a big screen.

The main points of the debate were the need of equality of all citizens before the law, the urge for freedom of information in Italy, and the call for the politics caring about the public instead of their personal interests in the management of the State.

First Pinters Daniele Fisichella, Paola Bonfanti and Anna Pitton spoke to several of the protesters. Watch the report at the bottom of this post.

Seeking Chances Abroad

Many students and young people at the demonstration expressed their views on Italian’s political situation. Not only were they dissatisfied with Mr Berlusconi, but they said the whole political class is not offering a valid alternative.

The disappointment of Italians living in London is sharpened by the image of their homeland abroad. A 20-year-old student at the Metropolitan College of London decided to come to England right after high-school because he felt that in Italy he didn’t have a chance to succeed.

“People here think that Italy is a fun-fair and mock Berlusconi,” he said. “Italians abroad struggle to show their real value when they’re ruled by a clown.”

Film director Giacomo Mantovani left Italy annoyed by what he called the “culture of acquaintances, so that if you don’t know the right people you won’t make it.” The lack of a merit system and defined career paths were major factors in Italians’ decision to leave their country.

This week’s issue of The Economist dedicated an editorial to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi by the headline “Time to say addio”, where “addio” means “goodbye for good”. In the past few months the Italian premier has been involved in several scandals, including most recent allegations of collusion with mafia in 1993 and involvement with call-girl Patrizia D’Addario.

Live from the protest, by Daniele Fisichella, Paola Bonfanti and Anna Pitton:

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