You can see this powerful feline in the Tiger Falls area of the zoo. Photo: Michelle Martinelli

First opened to the public in 1847, London Zoo is one of the world’s oldest and best-known zoological gardens. Located slap bang in the centre of Regent’s Park the institution boasts a multitude of animals and takes part in numerous conservation projects. With summer finally gracing the capital with some rays of sun it is the perfect time to visit this British institution.

Lions and tigers and bears, Oh my!….well almost; the zoo does not currently house any bears however most of the large animals you would expect to see are here. Lions, giraffes, gorillas and zebras all make an appearance during a visit as well as some more unusual animals such as pygmy hippos and the impressive African hunting dogs. The dog pack is kept in an enclosure bordering the nearby canal and vaguely resembles the raptor enclosure from the first Jurassic Park film. Lucky visitors will get the chance to see the pack devour chunks of meat as blissfully unaware joggers run just metres away along the canal.

It’s a Bugs Life

The highlight of the experience was the very well put together B.U.G.S (Biodiversity Underpinning Global Survival) building. This exhibit is home to more than 140 different species including leaf cutter ants, stick insects and moon jellyfish. Upon entry you follow a long corridor which takes you past a selection of insects such as the large Golden Silk Spider who has been known to catch small birds in its webs. You can only feel sorry for the group of flies which have been imprisoned with this fearsome roommate. The building itself is environmentally friendly and generates heat from the bodies of visitors and animals inside. B.U.G.S is also home to the Invertebrate Conservation Unit, a facility for the breeding of invertebrates

Chilling in the reptile house. Photo: Michelle Martinelli

The Reptile House

An essential element of any zoo, the Reptile House does exactly what it says on the tin. Here you will find snakes, lizards, Philippine crocodiles and brightly coloured poison dart frogs. The building is fairly small and unfortunately, despite ample notices to keep quiet, was filled with school children screaming at the top of their lungs and tapping on the glass. It is difficult to imagine that these animals are very happy with their current lifestyle. If you are lucky enough to get there at feeding time you can look forward to the spectacle of a Philippine Water Monitor asserting its authority over a mangled fish carcass. Also look out for the beautiful Emerald Tree Boa – a fine example of the incredible biodiversity which exists on our planet.

Giants and Dragons

Just behind the reptile house you will find some of the Zoo’s most impressive inhabitants. First you meet a group of Galapagos Tortoises, these gentle giants are found mainly on the islands they are named after and can live in excess of 100 years. Follow the path and you will end up face to face with one of the more fearsome residents; Raja the Komodo Dragon. This venomous reptile is capable of taking down prey such as water buffalo, infecting it first with poison and then waiting till the animal is too weak to stand before moving in. Awesome stuff.

They may look friendly but African hunting dogs are fierce predators. Photo: Michelle Martinelli

Conserving our Natural Heritage

The London Zoological Society has played an important role in tackling conservation issues for the past 180 years. The society has a strong focus on conserving ecosystems and corner stone species and their projects are visible throughout the Zoo. These include helping protect coral reefs, fresh water fish, amphibians, great apes and more. Although it can be disconcerting to see some animals in enclosures it is important to remember that the Zoo plays an active role in projects and studies which will hopefully help maintain the blue planet’s biodiversity.

High Entrance Fees

The biggest barrier to visiting the zoo is ticket pricing. Entry for adults starts at £17.60 (plus a £1.90 voluntary donation) during mid-season and £18.60 in peak season. There are of course concessions for children, groups, students and seniors but this still feels like a lot of money to shell out for an afternoon’s entertainment. However add to the animals mentioned above an aquarium, night life and rainforest centre, Penguin Beach and more and all in all London Zoo is a great way to spend a sunny day in central London.

Times and Directions

ZSL London Zoo is within walking distance of Camden Town and Regent’s Park stations and short bus ride from Baker Street station. The Zoo is open from 10 to 17.30 until 15 July when it closes at 18.00. More information is available here.

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The EC traineeship offers positions in London, as well as in the EU capital, Brussels. Photo credit: rockcohen/Flickr

Despite claims that the economic situation is improving the number of people unemployed in London at the end of 2010 stood at 373,000 – a rise of 3,000 from the previous quarter. The uncertain economic climate has made it difficult for graduates to find employment and many have had to accept unpaid internships in the hope of securing a paid position.

There is however another option for graduates looking for paid work experience abroad.  The European Commission traineeship programme has been running for 50 years and provides trainees with 5 months’ experience within the Commission as well as a grant of 1,071 euros per month.

Getting a foot in the door

There are two five-month stages every year, one in summer and one in winter. In order to be eligible candidates must fill in several forms and submit them well before the actual start of the program. Potential trainees are required to have a degree and speak a second language. EU citizenship is not essential. 

Once the form is received candidates have to wait to see if they are accepted into the ‘Blue Book’. The Blue Book contains the names of all the candidates short listed for the stage and it is within this list that future ‘stagiaires’ are selected. With roughly 12, 000 applicants for approximately 600 positions there are no guarantees of selection.

The stage is set

The first week of the stage consists of a series of conferences, speeches and social events. During this time stagiaires from across the globe can meet and listen to previous trainees share their experiences of the Stage.

Work begins during week two of the traineeship which is when stagiaires meet their supervisors and settle down in their offices. The work load varies depending on the unit with some stagiaires complaining about having too little to do and others too much.

Emyr Williams, 29, described the experience as positive “in the sense that I got a real feel for what the European Commission does in practise, and how the institutions interact with each other and I got to make friends with people from all over Europe.”

“On the down side, a lot of the work was aimed at someone who was just entering the job market, not for someone a bit older like myself, who already had work experience.”

Erasmus Part 2

The EC stage has also acquired somewhat of a reputation for its frequent parties and social events. The Stagiaire Committee, which is made up of elected trainees, is charged with organising weekly clubbing events and frequent trips to nearby cities.

There are also weekly stagiaire meeting points such as Place du Luxembourg after work on Wednesdays or the numerous bars based near the Commission buildings in Schuman.

In addition various societies which meet up on a weekly basis to practice a sport or activity are also formed by the trainees. These are extremely varied and during the Winter 2010-11 Stage there were horse riding, drama, football, dancing and language societies.

A Brussels-free stage

The EC traineeship does not guarantee full-time employment but it is a great source of experience. Photo credit: BlatantWorld / Flickr

Not all stagiaires are based in Brussels and it is possible to carry out the traineeship in the various EC offices across the world. Alix Huchet, 25, who did her stage at the ECs London Representation, believes there are advantages and disadvantages to not being in Brussels.

“You miss the activities organised in Brussels and of course meeting all the other stagiaires but on the other hand because there was only one trainee I was given a fair amount of interesting things to do around the office.”

Leaving with experience

When the five months are up most stagieres seem happy with the experience but disappointed that it ends so abruptly. The European Commission very rarely keeps on stagieres and the Concours remains the best way to gain permanent employment within the institution.

Stefano Ramelli, 26, was also very happy with his stage; “I entered the Commission almost by chance, with little expectations, however, it turned out to be a more valuable experience than I expected.”

However he also would have appreciated the opportunity to stay on; “The worst thing about the stage was that it ended at the same time for everyone so hundreds of highly qualified young people flood Brussels looking for jobs.”

Five months well spent

The stage may not offer full time employment for graduates struggling to find a job but it does offer a unique chance to go abroad and gain five months experience in one the world’s largest organisations. Stagiaires are able to take what they learnt as well as the connections they have made and face the crisis better prepared and with more resources.

Additional information and how to apply for the EC traineeship can be found here.

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Photo credit: Thomas P. Peschak. Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine,Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

More than 100 jaw-dropping photographs of nature at its finest are on display at London’s Natural History Museum ‘Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010′ exhibit.

The images are shot in a variety of locations and range from situations such as lions devouring a bloody carcass to juvenile owls whispering in each other’s ears. The one thing that unites them all is their singular beauty.

The competition is made up of 18 different categories including Urban Wildlife, Underwater World and Animal Portraits.

The photos leave spectators amazed. “It’s not as big as I thought it would be but the photos are breathtaking”, said wide-eyed Alix Huchet, 25, as she gazed at two monkeys huddled together overlooking a city in India.

Patience, lighting and luck

Leaf cutter ants. Photo credit: Bence Mate. Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010:Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine

Chosen from amongst 31, 000 amateur and professional photographs, the Photographer of the Year winners are all unique and were captured thanks to a combination of luck and skill.

It becomes obvious upon seeing the images that someone, somewhere at some point put a lot of work and effort into being at the right place at the right time. Patrik Bartuška’s It came From the Gloom, an eerie photo of a sand-tiger shark and a shoal of fish, materialised out of nowhere just as the photographer was about to leave the depths of sea.

Similarly, Marcelo Krause set out to photograph piranhas when his The Piranha Eater photograph, a caiman surrounded by the predatory fish, appeared unexpectedly and bit his camera.

Man-made mess

There is of course a message behind all these images and that is that we are destroying the most beautiful life forms on our planet. Whereas the collection of photographs as a whole hints at this grim reality, a section of the exhibit focuses exclusively on the human destruction of wildlife.

Images of sharks drowning having had their fins ripped from their bodies as part of a practice known as ‘fining’ and snakes being skinned to make handbags show the darker side of human-animal interaction.

All in all the exhibit is well worth your time and the images are truly exceptional. Head to Natural History Museum today and leave with a poster-size version of a spider crab pyramid or a penguin dance.  Alternatively, if you can’t be bothered, just head to the photography exhibition’s website – but it’s not as cool.

How to get there: Take the tube to South Kensington station (District, Circle and Piccadilly lines) and follow the signs.

Exhibition times: The exhibit is open from 10.00 – 17.50 daily between 22 October 2010 and 11 March 2011.

Prices: Adults £9, Concessions (including students!) £4.50 and children under three and members Free.

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The greenhouses are full of surprises. Photo: Kathrine Anker

Lost touch with nature? Can’t tell a pine from a palm? Forgotten what a conker looks like? Then grab your umbrella and head just 10 miles outside of central London to Kew Gardens to discover one of the planet’s largest collections of living plants.

Located between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, Kew Gardens, or the Royal Botanic Gardens, is a 121 hectare collection of plants from across the globe. With competition from the likes of Thorpe Park, a steep entrance fee and advertisements boasting about the variety of pine trees on display, Kew Gardens has a tough time drawing the crowds. But it tries.

Hot fun in the royal greenhouses

The highlight of the Garden’s is the Treetop Walkway. This is essentially an 18 metre high walkway which takes you through a small section of the woodland canopy. Not all that impressive to look at, but more so once you reach the top. The structure is made of perforated metal which allows you to see through the floor and adds a much needed element of danger to the experience. Apparently the structure also sways in the wind, although I had no such luck.

The colourful, exotic plants can be found in the Palm and Temperate Houses. Photo: Kathrine Anker

Kew also contains several glass houses and conservatories which are strewn across the park. The largest are the impressive Palm and Temperate Houses, which host a variety of plants from different climates. The most interesting by far, though, is the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

Opened in 1987 by Diana, Princess of Wales, the Conservatory is home to ten computer-controlled micro-climatic zones and contains a collection of cacti and carnivorous plants (do not touch the flytraps, they will tell you off). There are also some interesting aquariums which contain, amongst other things, tiny but deadly poison dart frogs.

Other attractions include the Pagoda, an imitation of a Chinese tower, a replica of Japanese karamon gates complete with garden and the self explanatory compost heap.

Behind the green scene

The Chinese Pagoda at Kew Gardens. Photo: Michele Martinelli

There is of course much more to the Royal Botanic Gardens and the organisation is an important contributor to the scientific field. With more than 650 scientists, 7 million preserved plant specimens and 30,000 different kinds of plants, it stands out as one of the premier centres for plant research.

The site also includes four Grade I listed buildings and 36 Grade II listed structures as well as an obligatory shopping area complete with £40 dandelion paper weights (made with real dandelions!!!). There are also a small number of stalls selling bonsais and other plants, and a book shop filled with information on how to water flowers.

So if you fancy a day out and don’t mind the incessant noise of low flying planes, then swing to Kew Gardens to check out greenery from every continent. Just don’t forget an umbrella!

How to get there: Take the tube to Kew Gardens station (District Line, London Overground).
From here Victoria Gate entrance is a five minute walk.

Opening Hours: Kew opens at 9.30am every day, except 24/25 December. Most buildings shut
by 5.50pm.

Prices: Adults £13.50, Concessions (including students) £11.50, Children Free.

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Avenue Q is at Wyndham's Theatre in Charing Cross. Photo credit: AndyRob/Flickr

“If you have to watch a musical you might as well watch Avenue Q”. Praise indeed from a theatre hating friend of mine who had recently seen the musical comedy at West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre. The show, which first hit the stage in 2003, tells the story of Princeton, a newly graduated twenty-something puppet who embarks on his new life away from home.

I had been promised the production would include plenty of lewd jokes and I had not been lied to. The show starts with the protagonist’s amusing but rather tame rendition of “What do you do with a BA in English” before coming into its stride with “It sucks to be me”. During the song the characters all moan about why their lives are terrible before they are all trumped by former child actor Gary Coleman and all agree that it does suck to be him.

The inclusion of the recently deceased Gary Coleman in the play has been a source of controversy. The creator’s of Avenue Q claim the former child star is the personification of the show’s themes, namely children being led to believe they are special and growing up to find life is not that simple. Coleman, who died in 2010, once said of the production; “I wish there was a lawyer on earth that would sue them for me”.

Original, amusing humour

The comedy goes from strength to strength in the first hour peeking with the amusing “The Internet is for Porn” and the downright hilarious sex scene between Princeton and Kate Monster. A 15 minute intermission gives you the chance to grab a very small, very expensive bottle of beer before Act Two kicks off.

Although not as good as the first half, the second act does have its highlights including the “Schadenfreude” song and “I Wish I Could Go Back to College”. In the later the characters fantasise about going back to university but imagine what losers they would be on account of being older than everyone else. Themes touched on include racism (“Everyone’s a little bit racist”), homosexuality (“If you were gay”) and coming of age (“Purpose”). Each is tackled in an original and often eyebrow raising way.

All in all the production is great fun although at two hours long it does tend to run out of steam towards the end. The cast is brilliant, particularly porn-addict and recluse Trekkie Monster, whose love of the internet provides a running joke. Not for the squeamish or the very young as full-puppet nudity and swearing are very much part and parcel of the Avenue Q experience.

Tickets range from £10, which will get you a seat on the 3^rd floor balcony, to £26 which grants you access to the stalls directly in front of the scene.  Avenue Q is currently being staged at Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London.

Tickets can be purchased here or at the box office if you get there early enough.

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Many visitors to Marylebone High Street wonder why, with so many good restaurants to choose from, there are always people willing to queue outside Le Relais de Venise. There are two possible reasons for this: it is either one of the few restaurants in London which does not take reservations, or it is just very good.

The concept is simple and there is only one menu–salad followed by entrecote steak and chips. The only choice diners have to make is how they want their meat cooked. This system allows Le Relais de Venise to ensure that everyone is served quickly and efficiently before being handed the bill and replaced by the next person in line.

One menu will set you back £20 (not including dessert or wine) which is not bad for this area of London. The food itself is good. The green salad is sprinkled with walnuts and garnished with a mustard sauce which tastes more English than French. The main course, ‘steak frites’ comes rare, medium or well-done as the restaurant refuses to entertain the notion of medium-rare or any other combination of the above. The delicious sauce, which has a buttery, salty taste complemented by a variety of herbs, is one of the reasons behind the restaurant chain’s success in France. The plentiful portion allows you to mop it up with your baguette, chips and steak.

The major gripe people seem to have with the restaurant is the customer service, or lack thereof. The restaurant is fairly small and crammed with a maximum number of tables which makes the work of the tireless servers quite difficult. The waitresses, all female and all suspiciously dressed as French maids, do not have the time or patience to humour customers demanding extra bread or sauce. In this sense the service is not rude but ruthlessly efficient; you will be served within minutes of your arrival and will leave having spent more time queuing in the cold than enjoying your meal.

The desserts are surprisingly varied and prices range from £7.50 for a cheese platter to £4.50 for a Cassis Sorbet. Though the desserts were generally good, there was nothing special. The usual array of espressos, teas and digestives are also available.

In short Le Relais offers a fine steak and chips meal to those willing to wait for up to half an hour in the cold. The food is good, the service is brisk and the bill is reasonable. Those who complain about the staff’s coldness have obviously never crossed the channel as this represents the most authentic part of the experience.

Le Relais de Venise is located at 120 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 4NS. Lunch and dinner are served daily with a set menu costing £20, not including desserts and drinks.

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Is it worth putting up with discrimination to see this? Photo credit: mkm photography

London is a city synonymous with football. The British capital contains 13 professional teams, five of which play in the Premier League. Sadly, as I’ve learned, watching the raw spectacle of English football comes at a price – especially for international fans.

When I first moved to the city I was looking forward to frequent trips to stadiums such as the Emirates, Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane. However upon arrival I found this to be difficult. The prices are atrocious.

Not only do you have to pay for the ticket (ranging from £35 to your mortgage) but many clubs only sell tickets to members. So imagine my delight when my team came to London to play Fulham in the relatively inexpensive Europa League Group stages. I called up the ticket office and was told I could buy up to four tickets, with no membership charge. I gave the operator my name and he told me to hold the line.

This is where things went awry. It turns out Martinelli is an Italian name and Italians are all ultras – therefore they are not allowed into the stadium. I complained and was put through to customer relations who told me that Roma fans, i.e. Italians, were not permitted as they wanted to limit the risk of violence within the stadium. I complained and was put through to someone else.

I changed my approach and told them I was Argentinean, had never been to Italy, could not place Rome on a map and thought Totti was a type of pesto but to no avail. I was an Italian, a Roma fan and therefore one of the few idiots who stabbed Man U fans in 2007. Surely with most football clubs millions in the red this was not the time to nitpick clients.

I did figure out a way to go to the match; I got a friend to buy the tickets and when Roma scored in the 92nd minute and I celebrated in the Fulham fan sector with 20 other Roma fans, I wondered why they had bothered.

The point to take out of all this is there is a cheap way for internationals to watch football in London; go to cup games, pointless Europa league fixtures and friendlies.

Just avoid Fulham – they’re crap.

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Lee Hurst - aims to entertain

Tired of over-priced London pubs? Sick of paying £30 to get into Muppet themed ‘we love the 80s’ club night? Try something new and head down to Lee Hurst’s East London comedy club.

The FymFygBar does not look like it hosts successful comedy nights, in fact it looks like a run-down East London club. The sort of place where you would keep two eyes on your drink at all times and avoid at closing hours. However, once you venture inside, the reassuring sound of laughter lets you know you are in the right place.

The comedy club, which opened in 2007, has been going strong ever since. With ticket prices starting at £10, a friendly, mixed crowd and cheap drinks the FymFyg Bar offers a great value night out. Audience member, Avainash Seretum, 24, thoroughly enjoyed his evening; “It was a great show and it was nice to do something different” adding “beer jugs are £12 – bargain!”

Lee Hurst, best-known for being a panelist on BBC’s popular ‘They Think It’s All Over’ programme, has been performing at the club since it first opened its doors. Hurst introduces the acts most Saturday evenings and also occasionally puts on a one-man show.

His set includes the notorious ‘Leebay Auction’ in which he auctions off items brought by the audience. The comedian offers a warning to those who do turn up to his set; “It is a very interactive show and I will drag up members of the audience so don’t show up if you’re a nervous person because I could well have you up there for a while”.

The only downside is the lack of tables available in the performance room which means you may well end up balancing your pint on your knee. Not a good thing when you spend your evening shaking with laughter.

FymFyg Comedy Club is located at 231 Cambridge Heath Road next to Bethnal Green Tube station.

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In any other country, this would act as a deterrent

If you have ever gone to an English pub and been offered a brown, flat, and lukewarm beverage then you are familiar with the phenomenon that is ale.

To give you an idea of what ale, or ‘English beer’, tastes like imagine a pint of Fosters which has been left in the sun for a few days mixed with stout.

In the past ale referred to fermented beverages produced without hops however this distinction no longer applies. Nowadays ale is differentiated from lager due to its production process, namely the temperature and type of yeast used whilst brewing.

What this does not tell you is that ale, along with mint jelly, Christmas pudding and ‘brown sauce’, is one of the culinary delights enjoyed exclusively by Brits.

Local ale enthusiast, Andrew Snook, reacted badly to my claims that his favourite drink was nauseating. “I like ale because of the traditional method used to make it means that each type has a strong regional character,” he said.

I pointed out that whereas most lagers available at pubs lack the history, they taste much better. At this point Snook launched into a tirade about mainstream beers being full of chemicals, preservatives and brewed abroad, before adding that “any man with a real sense of taste and class would love ale.”

Most ale fans will tell you that part of the beverages’ charm is that there are many different local brews across Britain. This is true; the water used in the brewing process must have a certain pH level to counteract the acidity of the soil.

This means that traditional breweries must use water from local wells which results in a distinct flavour. The term ‘getting plastered’ comes from the plaster content found in well water.

But does any of this justify the foul taste? Londoner Avainash Smith thinks it does: “I prefer ale to mass produced beers because they lack flavour and are too fizzy, ale isn’t so cold and bubbly that you can’t taste it”. He added that ale was a much better winter drink. “Who wants to sip a freezing pint of Carling on a cold winter’s day like today – that’s got to be close to torture!”

I remain unconvinced, quantity and tradition do not mean quality and I have yet to come across ale I would willingly drink. However if you feel that lager is not tasty, too cold, lacks identity and has too many bubbles by all means order an ale and never take lager for granted again.

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