2009 is the year England celebrates the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne. A host of special events will be held in and around London to explore the King’s life and reign. The Tower of London is gearing for the launch of its Henry VIII: Dressed to kill exhibition, which profiles Henry’s role as warrior, sportsman and king. The display features some of the world’s rarest arms and armour, selected from the treasures of the Royal Armouries and international collections. Forget the glamour and romanticism of Jonathan Rhys-Myers in The Tudors – although Henry has been described as “handsome and fit” in his youth, the immense King stood 6 feet 4 and weighed about 200 pounds in his prime. Henry fell of a horse in 1536 – the year he ordered the beheading of his second wife Anne Boleyn (poetic justice is a beautiful thing) – and damaged his leg, which never healed properly. Henry was unable to exercise and packed on the kilos at a rapid rate. The size of his armour grew to the size of his infamous temper. (more…)

Thanks to a cheap-ass bus deal by National Express, husband and I abandoned the mania of London to make pilgrimage to Canterbury this Saturday past. It is beautiful. And true to the nature of most English towns, the High Street reflects an invasion of chain stores on the prevailing historic architecture, which dates back to prehistoric times. We hung out at Canterbury Cathedral – St Augustine’s pad back in 602 AD. It is one of the oldest Christian structures in the country – a true marvel. The ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey are nostalgically tranquil, although my ‘zenness’ was rudely interrupted by a sudden hysterical rant that I could not help but launch against that wanker Henry VIII for initiating the dissolution of all monasteries in a rampage against Catholicism…wanker! (more…)

I have a dream…that one day I will earn more than peanuts so that I’ll be able to afford a trip to Japan – to hang out with the harajuku girls in Tokyo and the Geisha in Kyoto.

The art, mystery and beauty of the Geisha culture is spellbinding and the sacrifice and discipline involved in a Geisha’s pursuit and perfection of art is awe-inspiring. It is a great pity that the ancient practices of the Geisha are undermined by the Western perception that Geisha are merely prostitutes. The most direct translation of the word Geisha, which was coined in 1688, is “artist” or “performing artist” – (gei) meaning “art” and (sha) meaning “person” or “doer”. By definition, a Geisha is art personified. Her purpose is to entertain. (more…)