cafebabel.com

‘Nos plusieurs’: autistic theatre stars meet Indian epic in French documentary

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:00:51 -0000

In filming a theatre production performed almost entirely by young people with learning difficulties, French director Fred Soupa blurs the boundaries of what we typically perceive as ‘normal’. His ensuing documentary ‘Many Of Us’ is released in national cinemas on 28 September

cafebabel.com boys speak: what makes Europe’s twentysomething men happy

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:00:00 -0000

We girls probably think that macho attitudes, making money and succeeding are what make boys happy. After all, why is it so hard to get them to share on ‘happiness’? Apparently not. Winning a game, doing nothing, a tipple, the latest gadget, friends, girls - a pan-European select number of lads share what makes them smile – and why we girls are different. Vox-pop

How an Italian boy became a ‘happiness coach’

('amare.ca',) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:16:45 -0000

Born in the land of ‘la dolce vita’, Bergamo-born Frank Ra, 32, travelled Europe before publishing a book on happiness. He offers his thoughts on spiritual scepticism, being a former erasmus student or ex-pat and how ‘no place is perfect unless we accept it with all its features’

Tips for taking a ‘laughter yoga class’ in Paris

('Katrina',) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:10:15 -0000

Laugh for the sheer pleasure of laughing. Laugh standing up, laugh sitting down, laugh lying on your back, laugh sprawled on your front, laugh during the day, laugh at night, and most importantly, laugh with someone else

Depression: ‘alcohol abuse is far more common in eastern and northern Europe’

('Annie Rutherford',) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:01:28 -0000

Is Europe more depressed than it used to be? Professor Frank Jacobi from Berlin’s psychology college (PHB) took part in a European neuropsychopharmacology magazine study from 30 countries, revealing that 38% of Europeans suffer from psychological illnesses. The figure is up from 27% in 2005. Interview

Brussels: Spanish expat on depression taboo

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:47:07 -0000

Brussels is home to over 25, 000 employees of the European institutions, some of whom are reputed to suffer from stress and drink addictions. One employee confirms the myth

One third of Europeans suffer from mental illness: really?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:59:49 -0000

On 6 September a controversial sounding report from the European college of neuropsychopharmacology revealed that 38.2% - of the EU population as well as people from Switzerland, Iceland and Norway - are not quite right up there. Four psychologists from Poland, Spain, France and Italy give cafebabel.com their verdict

Hungary introduces tax on crisps

('Annie Rutherford',) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:47:45 -0000

Prime minister Viktor Orban’s government has set itself the task of driving unhealthy eating habits out of Hungary. They are now trying to do this with the help of the so-called crisps tax which came into effect on 1 September

Cannabis legalisation: shopping for reality in Vienna

('Naomi R',) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:00:18 -0000

The Austrian capital has one 'head shop' for 100, 000 residents. It's perfect for cannabis amateurs, especially as the business is now commercial and legal, though smoking it in public is still not legal

Space cucumbers in battle against E. coli

('Tansy Larsen',) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:00 -0000

While European scientists still haven’t managed to identify the exact source of the E. coli epidemic that has struck Germany, a Japanese astronaut has decided to rise to the challenge. Taking off on the morning of 8 June, Satoshi Furukawa, a crew member of the latest mission to the International Space Station (ISS), intends to grow space cucumbers

Europe's suicide tourism

('Helen Bowden',) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:45:00 -0000

Al Pacino put a damper on the atmosphere at the 50th Monte-Carlo television festival. In 'You don't know Jack' he interprets a doctor who is convicted several times for his practice of euthanasia. Soon to be released in France, Barry Levinson's film threatens to revive a debate which divides Europe, beginning wih the Netherlands, where the supporters of the 'Out of Free Will' initiative are campaigning for a 'right to die' for everyone over 70

Chomutov, Czech Republic: fighting prostitution with posters

('Kimberly',) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:00:00 -0000

Women wave in short dresses on posters at the main roads, created by Simona Kmonickova, who lives near the red-light district. Cross bones represent sexually transmitted diseases. The border to Sachsen isn’t far; most sex clients come from there, but despite the warning publicity, the problem has localised

Preparing to die in Slovenia’s first hospice institution

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:31:44 -0000

For the first time in its 15 years of existence, the Žargi association will offer all-round care to nine dying and terminally ill patients in Ljubljana, with construction financed by the City of Ljubljana’s housing fund. Petra Mlakar explores

Aids: the HIV carrier criminals in Europe

('Hayley Worsley-Carter',) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 -0000

In Scotland and Guyana Mark Devereaux and Alain Prosper respectively get ten years imprisonment. In France another man gets a five-year sentence, spending at least eighteen months behind bars. What do these criminals have in common?

'Shooting galleries' in Europe: political jab or social cure-all?

('ruth gray',) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:45:00 -0000

Supervising the use of hard drugs or not is an issue that's cropping up across Europe, with some countries tackling it with a different intensity than others; the UK has three injecting clinics. While eight progressive governments have already established the centres, others wish to silence such crazy calls for change. All in the name of morality. Obviously...

Dym and dozhd: useful vocabulary for a smog summer in Moscow

('Natasha Doff',) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 16:17:11 -0000

Two words have been used more than any others in Moscow this summer. The smoke that has been periodically engulfing Moscow from over 500 wildfires burning across Central Russia for the past few weeks, and the long-awaited rain. Today, the city resembles a scene from a zombie film; it'll be like this until mid-August, forecasters say

Highest European HIV rate Ukraine: threat of Lavra clinic closure

('Annie Rutherford',) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:00:00 -0000

1.6% of Ukraine's population are infected with HIV, though people ignore or remain silent about the problem. In Kiev one of the most important treatment centres for Aids patients is to be closed - in order to make place for a luxury hotel. The decision gave rise to protests and demonstrations across the country

Polish your smile in Poland: medical tourism in Warsaw

('Sarah Gray',) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:30:00 -0000

Frenchman Fabrice lives and works in Dublin but gets his teeth checked in his partner's home country, Poland. The idea is practical what with the ease of mobility within Europe - but would you be prepared to fly to your dental surgery instead of taking the bus?

(Non-)smoker's summer guide to Europe's bans

('Emilie Prattico',) — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:29:37 -0000

While you’re carefully planning your summer holidays, it might be worth considering what destinations will best suit your needs - be thee a lover of those tobacco-filled thin paper cylinders or not

Recap: 'Brigitte', Germany's approach to 'normal' models

('Ellie Banks',) — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:00:00 -0000

No-one wants to see big girls, according to fashion tsar Karl Lagerfeld, a vehement defender of the Size Zero Model. While all of Europe discusses the dress sizes of the fashion world, the German women’s magazine Brigitte has turned the whole question on its head with their new ‘Initiative Ohne Models’ (Initiative: No Models), where its the readers who get to try on the haute couture

'Eco hippies' on carbon-neutral weekend in the Vosges, France

('Lindsey Evans',) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:00:00 -0000

Four months on from the Copenhagen summit, the failure of a global climate change policy hasn't crushed or reinvigorated the motivation of environmental activists. In the Vosges region of France, Elise's carbon-neutral weekends indicate that changing our way of life may be key to saving the planet

Truth? There's no-one to vote for in 6 May UK elections

('james whyte',) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:13:58 -0000

For the first time in decades, the very real possibility of a hung parliament allows the political landscape to be shaken up in the UK's general election on 6 May. But the opposition leader David Cameron, who launches his election campaign on 13 April, appears windswept, PM Gordon Brown imperious and Nick Clegg just wants to be recognised

Who gives a cabbage?

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:22:22 -0000

Cabbage is the prince of warming winter dishes. It's the main ingredient of choucroute, Milanese cassœula (stew), German sauerkraut and Polish bigos, chomped down with pork, sausages and/ or potatoes. Plus a cassœula recipe for six

Generation(s) AIDS

('Helen Swain',) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:00:00 -0000

As World Aids day is marked on 1 December, it's an opportunity to think of the human immunodeficiency virus, aka HIV, an illness that has killed more than 25 million individuals in less than thirty years

Babelblogs on bureaucracy: a Lithuanian looks for medical help in Tel Aviv

('Daiva Repe\xc4\x8dkait\xc4\x97',) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:16:21 -0000

Health insurance is not institutionally universal here in Israel. My advice? Don't go to live in Israel unless you're perfectly healthy and have no inclination towards extreme sports, and so on. And don't wear high-heels, just in case

Catchy songs

('Andrew Christie',) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Creepy-crawly expressions for the irritating musical attacks of the ear-worm in Europe. Expression of the week

Sweden and Norway are anti-junk food leaders

('Araceli Turmo',) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0000

Whilst the rest of Europe only catches up now. Our waist circumference is suffocating us, and the battle against obesity remains a major issue in the early 21st century. Junk food: tastes so good, but is so wrong...

NHS, EHIC, mutuel: young expats get to grips with healthcare abroad

('Hayley Worsley-Carter',) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Three expats discuss their healthcare adventures, with or without travel insurance, in Spain, England and the Czech Republic. It makes for useful reading in the times of a swine flu pandemic

Pulling a sickie

("naomi o'leary",) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0000

Whether through dishonesty, laziness or a touch of hypochondria, hoards of the European workforce take undeserved days off each year. Our vocabulary for the practice comes from French literature and ancient Greece

Fighting swine flu with garlic in Latvia

('Aatish Pattni',) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0000

Worry about swine flu is gripping Latvia. As the public health service suffers in the wake of the financial crisis, folk medicine is booming. A look at what the quacks are offering

Immunologist Norbert Gualde: don't throw a swine flu party just yet

('Martyn Hawkins',) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Rumours of a new way to deal with 2009's global epidemic broke out in the UK in July. The idea is crazy; catch the Influenza A (H1N1) virus and make antibodies before it becomes more virulent. A note of warning

Love story: a German teacher deals with an autistic child in Wales

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:28:43 -0000

German language assistant Alissa tells the story of a separation in the Welsh valleys in Glamorgan. This article was second runner-up of the 2009 German Youthreporter award, ‘Verliebt in Europa’ (‘In Love With Europe’)

Brussels: did you know that 20% of EU workers work at night?

('Darren Thompson',) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:39:02 -0000

The sun sets on the EU's epicentre. Thousands of workers leave their offices and an army of night time workers take their place. Many are young, and are unaware of the risks that this kind of work can bring. On the other hand, nights are considered to have a different and lively rhythm than the normal working day. We take to the streets to investigate

Swine flu: 'I stopped using the metro in Mexico'

('Aatish Pattni',) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:46:46 -0000

Thousands of people travel every day using the subway in Mexico City. I stopped using it a week ago for the first time since I started living here two and half years ago. You can’t be too careful…Testimony from a Spaniard living in Mexico - Spain has 57 confirmed cases after Canada and before Britain, which has 27. 30 have died since the outbreak in late April

34 swine flu cases in UK: is Europe prepared?

('Kate Robinson',) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:29:06 -0000

The highly contagious respiratory disease has infected hundreds of people and led to 29 deaths in Mexico alone. Cases have also been confirmed in a number of European countries, including France, Germany and Spain. Is Europe properly prepared to face a pandemic?

Austria’s ban on cultivating genetically modified sweetcorn

('Gemma Turner',) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

But is Europe's 'sweetcorn of discord' a great triumph with barely any consequences for Austria?

Only an Austrian man could have helped invent the pill

('Karis Eaglestone',) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0000

A new generation of young women who are fed up with ingesting a concoction of hormones every day are in search of an alternative to the oral contraceptive as a contraceptive method. Reflections on the occasion of international women’s day on 9 March. Testimony from a young female

Berlinale documentary: FOOD inc - what are you eating?

('Ole Skambraks',) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:03:13 -0000

Do producers deliberately hide information about the origins, ingredients or the production process? American director Robert Kenner investigates in the primary phase of the chain, right into the animal factories and agricultural fields

Italy: coma patient Eluana Englaro dies after Berlusconi row

('euro topics',) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:22:25 -0000

After more than 16 years in a persistent vegetative state, 38-year-old Eluana Englaro has died in the 'La Quiete' clinic in the northern Italian city of Udine after doctors removed her feeding tubes. The European press discusses the political intrigues surrounding her death

An apple a day

('Luciana Grosu',) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:55:17 -0000

Apples are used in European sayings to express everything from nasty people, looking healthy and causing chaos - weekly idioms with audio

Climate change, health, economy: three European tips for Obama

('Steven Hill',) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:18:09 -0000

The inauguration of the 44th president of the US on 20 January is starting to look like the most spectacularly dramatic debut since the Beatles arrived in New York. But soon the buildup and the hype will be over, and it will be time for Team Obama to produce

The pesticide blacklist

('Michelle Williams',) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:14:53 -0000

The European parliament will come to a decision about the burning issue during its first plenary session of the year. Latest titbit news from Brussels

18, 648 ‘legal’, industrial deaths in Europe

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0000

'Produce, consume, die’: the soundtrack for European industrial casualties is provided by eighties Italian punk group CCPP. For the third consecutive year, accidents and serious injuries are up by one quarter and a fifth respectively. Overview spanning Poland and Italy via the UK and India

Expresso: 'scandalous' use of asbestos-ridden EU parliament building

('Marios Matsakis',) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:47:09 -0000

The Cypriot environment and health MEP Marios Matsakis, a professional forensic pathologist, calls for transparency on the health risk to all MEPs in the ten-year old building

Mick Jagger advises the EU commission

('Hayley Worsley-Carter',) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:28:00 -0000

Regulating internet music sales and multimedia content on the web, counterfeit medicine and parliament television – the latest news from Brussels. Weekly edition

Senegal: paying for health as a community

('Andrew Burgess',) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:00:00 -0000

In the Thiès region of Western Senegal, three new community healthcare insurance services are created every single year and this system of reimbursement appears to be very successful.

Drinking trademark Budweiser beer in Bohemia

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Czech beer came to the world’s attention again in April after a century-old dispute with the US over the naming rights to its Budweiser beer was settled in a Luxembourg court

No more smoking in Paris' bistros

('Kate Martin',) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0000

On 1 January 2008, France followed Italy, Ireland, Great Britain and Spain by passing a law against smoking in public places. We went to see how things are coming along on the other side of the Alps. A report from the City of Lights

Hospitals in Europe: pain in the wallet

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0000

A guide to social security the French way (to help avoid a head-ache or heart attack when you check your bank balance)

Bribing doctors: a Lithuanian custom

('Erin Woycik',) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0000

In Lithuania people must pay for access to the public health system. Many medical specialists receive informal 'under-the-table' payments to give priority or better treatment to generous patients