student blogger

One of the most exciting things about London is the night life. Like New York, London has a reputation as one of the best cities for cocktail bars. As a former bartender and a designer I always find it fascinating the feeling I get when I enter a bar.

Generally, many of the bars' features are the same; the music is the same, the beers are the same, and even the people are dressed the same. So why do we choose to go to a specific bar? And more importantly, why do we choose to go back to it? 

Let's think about a situation: you want to go out for a drink, you dress nice, you go online to worldsbestbars.com and choose a random cocktail bar that you think will make you feel as if you're in a movie. 

You enter the bar and the hostess leads you to your seat. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with the feeling that you have when you first see the bartender, let me describe it. 

It is like the feeling you get when you meet your blind date for the first time, after 1 second you know if it’s a go or no go. 

Now my point is: no matter who you are with, no matter what music is playing in the background, no matter what you will choose to drink, the bartender is the most important factor in your evening fun. 

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Each week he gives his view on the events of the last seven days. This week, he looks at migration policy, binge drinking and feminism.

The case of the British student Rebecca Meredith is the latest example of how women are still victims of sexism in Western societies. Rebecca faced rape threats during a debate at Glasgow University, earlier this month, and the episode shed light on the topics of feminism and sexism.

British Sexism

Women in the UK have many freedoms and their basic human rights are recognised. However, it's far from the truth to state that women are no longer victims of sexism. From wolf-whistles in the tube to denigrations of any type, especially at the workplace, sexism in the UK is still common and the path for equality is still long and hard.

Many countries are still plunged into chauvinism and the UK is not an exception: do you remember the decision of the Church of England according to which women cannot become bishops? This happened only a few months ago.

I agree with Rebecca's outrage when one of her peers pointed out that Western women do not really need a National Women’s Day.

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Each week he gives his view on the events of the last seven days. This week, he casts his eye over Hugo Chazez's death,  a Mother's Day daffodil shortage and international students' right to the NHS. 

Death of Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez died this week after a lengthy but secretive illness.

"Dictators usually live a long time, unless they are overthrown and executed. Hugo Chavez died at the comparatively young age of 58 which hints that he was not the traditional dictator, but a "21 century liberator"- a term he coined himself.

Recently, the president of Colombia said that Chavez was a model leader for the rest of South America. Many countries followed the Venezuelan process towards ‘21 century socialism' with a bit of democracy. However, Chavez‘s health has been debated for over a year. There are stories that he might have died long before the official announcement. The sudden cancelation of some public appearances only testifies to what could have been a political move playing for time.

A new investigation into animal cruelty has recently been conducted on Chinese fur farms exposing new information and spawning some extremely disturbing videos. In response, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has published a related video, narrated by actress Olivia Munn (link at bottom). Until a few days ago, I had been unfamiliar with this issue, until I saw the previously mentioned video. I had heard that the fur "industry" was being attacked constantly by animal rights activists but that was the extent of my knowledge on the topic.

The Video In Question

If you haven't watched the video yet or do not wish to view it at all, you should at least know its contents even if only through words.

Here is the scene:

The video starts by showing Raccoon dogs being slammed on the floor, beaten by steel rods, breaking their necks and heads all while very much alive. Some are tied and hanged on hooks then sliced through by knives, still alive and screaming. Afterwards, their skin is peeled off much like one would tear open a bag of crisps or peel off a tomato skin (if you don't believe me, watch the video). The soundtrack throughout the video of course is the terrified squeals and screams of both, the animals being skinned as well as those watching and waiting their turn.