FG is Charlie - November 2015

FRIENDS’ GAZETTEYour articles look at moral reasons for beingvegetarian or vegan which is a veryinteresting mix and unique . . .

NOVEMBER 2015 - ISSN 2053-4426 London and Avignon - e-mail: friendsgazette@gmail.com - Web: scribd.com

Tim Barford - founder VegFestUK

FRANCE ISCOOKING...

Top USspiritual

leadergrants FGinterview

WHEN THE BIGNAMES SPEAKTHEY SPEAK BIG- to the Friends’ GazetteSee Ishwar’s letter toour editorial team onpage 11. (There will beno FG in December.)

Kerry McCarthy

DOZENS of budding vegan cooks

flocked to Olympia in London

recently to see one of France's top

chefs in action and pick up some

exclusive tips.

Christophe Bolis chef de cuisine

and owner of Cafe de France near

Orange held his VegFestUK

audience in wrapt attention as he

put together a typical Provencal

dish before their very eyes.

Now his skills will be at the

centre of a unique course from

French language school La Cours

des Langues based in Avignon in

the south of France.

The course goes by the

enigmatic monika 'France is

cooking'.

School director Véronique Lané

Maby said: "We are proud to be

organising this course which

brings Cristophe's talent and skills

to those who want to learn French

vegan cooking.

"Those who want to can take

the opportunity to improve their

French at the same time."

Cristophe's restaurant is

situated in the picturesque village

of Caderousse in the Vaucluse a

stone’s throw from the Rhône, one

of France's major rivers.

The village is unspoilt, like most

French villages, with quiet winding

streets, open spaces and

architecture, some of which dates

back to the 13th century.

La Cours des Langues is a private

well-established and popular

language school, teaching a range of

courses to students from all over the

world. Continues on page 12

1

Ishwar Puri

u

Pin-drop silence asChris Bolis shows howto cook French vegan -

click to view video

French vegan course launched as crowds flock to demo

FG is Charlie - November 2015

2

INNER PAIN UNLOCKED

JJ’S CREATIVE TALENT

SALES MANAGERw a n t e d

Can you sell?

Are you friendly?

Can you think out-the-box?Then you may be just the person we are looking

for to bring Friends’ Gazette to more vegan and

veggie entrepreneurs.

The hunt is on for a consummate professional

to continue to build up this on-line publication’s

advertising sales department. It is envisaged

that the successful applicant will have a contacts

book crammed full of veggie/vegan business

contacts and will also be able to manage and help

recruit a small team of expert salespeople.

Salary is negotiable on a rewards basis with

excellent commission.

Send CV with covering letter and what you’d do

on your first day to friendsgazette@gmail.com

Informal interviews will be held in London early

next year.

FOR JEAN Jaques Sandras an ‘identity

crisis’ and ‘inner anguish’ lead to a life-

changing journey to mystical India where he

‘found the answer’.

Born in 1947 and having grown up in

apartheid South Africa he worked as a dish-

washer in 60s London where he underwent

a life-changing revelation.

Like hundreds at the time he travelled to

India and has now penned a ‘fantasy tale’ in

which he attempts to ‘describe his

understanding of the teachings’ he

happened upon in the sub-continent.

Here in his own words he shares his

personal story with FG readers.

At the age of 19 I travelled to Europe.

The nine months I spent there changed my

elementary vision of the world.

I worked in a factory for three months in the

Paris area before travelling around western

Europe and visiting the British Isles.

In London I found a job as a dish washer for

several weeks.

It was there that I discovered that apartheid

was inhuman. This shook the very foundations

of my vision of life including my religion.

Deeply perturbed by my new vision I went

through an identity crisis (apartheid, religion,

politics and society appeared to me to be a

bunch of lies).

Fortunately I was young, in good health, had

a good well-paid job and many friends. In spite

of my privileged situation, deep down inside I

was confused and went to India in February

1971. There I found the answer to my inner

anguish.

After returning to Johannesburg from India I

resumed my earlier life for three years beforeJean Jacques Sandras

u

FRIENDS’ GAZETTE

FG is Charlie - November 2015

Lucky Pandawins freebie

WHEN Spikey Panda signed up to receive Friends’

Gazette in London last month she never thought

she'd be lucky enough to scoop a free ticket to

another VegFest festival as well.

The event in Glasgow next month is already

attracting unprecedented interest in the Scottish

press and is set to draw hundreds of visitors.

Now Panda and five other lucky Friends’ Gazette

readers will get in for nothing.

'Wooo.... hoooo..... How nice to win!' said Spikey.

“Glasgow - it’s a new vegan centre!"

The new readers will now join thousands of

established FG stalwarts many of whom have been

taking the independent on-line mag since it launched

around four-and-a-half years ago.

Friends’ Gazette is registered as an official

magazine with the British Library and comes out

monthly (apart from December) with its highly

informative and unique take on veggie life and

alternative lifestyles in the UK and worldwide.

"Congrats to Spikey," said editor and publisher

Steve Ward, "and welcome aboard to her and

everyone who signed up.”

Panda Gledhill scoops free ticket to VegFest Glasgow

3

Ten out of Ten forplay on traffickingHOME Secretary, Teresa May, has presented a play

about human trafficking with a prestigious award.

‘This is My Body’, by Catholic professional theatre

company Ten Ten tells the story of a woman from

Romania who seeks refuge in a safe house run by a

religious sister. The award, backed by the Human

Trafficking Foundation, falls into the category for

best stage production dealing with modern slavery.

marrying a French girl and settling down in

France.

Ever since my first visit to India I have

tried to follow the mystical path which

includes a strict lacto-vegetarian diet.

The master who taught me said that his

teachings were not his own.

He had received them from his own

master who had received them from his

and so on.

These teachings are valid for all human

beings regardless of their social status,

country, circumstances and epoch.

He also told me that the basic mystical

teachings were so simple they could be

explained in less than two minutes but that

most people were too complicated to

understand something that could be

explained in such a short time period.

In December 1984 upon a return trip

from India, my daughter, then eight years

old, asked me why I went there.

I tried to explain mysticism to her and

was surprised by her ability to grasp the

essentials.

In 1985, after 14 years of studying and

elementary practice, I finally was able to

explain the basic teachings to myself in

only two minutes.

Being able to summarise the basic

teachings, I decided to write a fantasy tale

for her describing my understanding of the

teachings.

I chose to write a story I would have

myself liked to have read when

discovering the teachings.

The teachings being the same for

everyone, everywhere at all times, I chose

to transpose what I had learnt in India in the

20th century as a computer engineer into

the context of knighthood of 14th-century

France.

I therefore undertook a year’s research, to

study the France of the Middle Ages.

While writing this trilogy, I respected the

four elementary rules of fairy tales. These

rules are that the main characters are

caricatures; the story is chronological; there

should be continuous action with

spectacular surprises; it can be taken at

face value while allowing the reader to dig

out the hidden message.

Even today what I had learnt 44 years

ago still resounds just as strongly as ever.

Find Jean Jacques’ latest novel, ‘The

Lord Magicians’, on Amazon.

INNER PAIN UNLOCKED . . . Continued from p2

VEGETARIAN LAUNCH FORNIGEL’S TASTY THRILLER

THERE may nothave been any

cherries on offer butthat didn’t stop Nigel

Lesmoir-Gordon’slatest novel going

down a treat inCambridge recently.

‘Life is Just (a bowl ofcherries)‘ is the latestsubmission from the

accomplished authorand film-maker.

The book is publishedby Eventispress and isavailable on Amazon.

Egg-free delights on offer as readers gather for a chat and a bite

Nigel is quizzed by his audience

FG is Charlie - November 2015

5

FG is Charlie - November 2015

5

ENGLISH THEATRE GROUP

SET FOR FRENCH DEBUTAN ENGLISH drama group

has cracked the French

market with a debut at a

prestigious French theatre.

Synaestheatre, headed

up by director/proprietor

Deborah Ward, will give

three performances of the

fantasy tale Raven at the

Théâtre des Carmes in

Avignon, Provence next

month.

The coup comes as a

result of ground breaking

talks with Sebastian

Benedetto, son of the late

André Benedetto, founder

of the world famous

Avignon Off Festival which

every July, along with its

conventional partner Avignon

ON, floods the city with high

quality performance art.

The English piece, already

a London hit at The Space,

Docklands in the summer,

could go on to feature in the

Avignon Off 2016.

Raven tells the story, in

mine/dance of a young girl

torn between two worlds.

One of nature; gentle,

organic, soft: the other of

man; technological, hard-

nosed and controlling, where

the unbridled profit motive is

king.

Which world will she

choose? Which world will

choose her?

u

Pan (Andrea Foà) andFaith (Maria Velazquez)meet in the woods.Click anywhere on thepic to view video.

FG is Charlie - November 2015

A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN who

has made billions as the head of a private

healthcare company is to turn his back on

the world of commerce and go to work full

time on his uncle’s spiritual ashram.

And the radical move could well be a

portent of things to come.

Shivinder Mohan Singh, executive

chairman of Fortis Healthcare who, with

his brother Malvinder, are together said to

be worth more than $4bn (£2.6bn), will

start voluntary work at the Radha Soami

Satsang Beas centre in January next year.

Singh, 40, known as the ‘wellness

moghul’ admitted in a statement that

Fortis was ‘part of his being’.

But he added: “Over time this has

inspired me to do more direct service.”

The centre in Beas in the Punjab, has

developed rapidly since uncle Gurinder

Singh took over in June 1990.

A businessman by training Gurinder

has propelled the centre from a quaint,

Indian village to thriving modern hub with

paved roads, modern computer centre

and extensive residential quarter.

The lacto-veggie group, ostensibly a

Sikh offshoot, has a following of millions

mostly among low caste Sikhs.

But there is a growing number of

extremely rich and influential Indian and

foreign followers whose lifestyles demand

all the modern-day facilities of home when

they visit.

Bollywood heartthrob Shahid Kapoor

and new bride Mira Rajput (See ‘If

Mohamed can’t go . . . ’ FG July/August )

are high-profile, upscale members.

Andy Berliner, ceo at US veggie food

giant, Amy’s Kitchen, is another

prominent, well-heeled follower (See

‘Want Mayo with that?’ FG July/August).

Gurinder Singh seems fully recovered

from a cancer scare two years ago but is

still quizzed about the state of his health.

There has been no official announcement

yet as to the part, if any, the new man will

play in the organisation; though it seems

highly unlikely his renowned business skills

will be allowed to go to waste.

It is also well within the realms of

possibility that he might succeed his uncle,

if and when that day ever dawns. One thing

is certain, such a move would be well within

the traditions of this fast-burgeoning sect.

Indian ashramgets ‘healthy’business boost

6

Shivinder Singh

CAMPAIGNERS hoping to halt the closure

of a 401-year-old Catholic college are

hoping their efforts to focus opposition to

the plan will bear fruit this month.

Jesuit-founded Heythrop College

specialises in theology and philosophy and

is part of the University of London. Closure

would be a ‘serious blow to theological,

religious and philosophical teaching and

research in the UK’, the campaigners say.

A petition aimed at showing the strength

of feeling against closure is set to wind up

on November 1st with a target of 1,000

signatures.

Hope for Heythrop aspetition draws to a close

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FG is Charlie - November 2015

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FG is Charlie - November 2015

MODELBEHAVIOUR

BEING photographed in a meat cold store

was enough to turn top model Caroline

Trentini vegetarian.

But there are a variety of reasons why

some of the most photographed people in

the world choose to reject meat and opt for

a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle.

Looking healthy is important for these

people whose flawless looks are as

necessary as wearing a suit is for a banker

or a uniform for a policeman.

Thing is, clothes can always be sent to

the cleaner.

Flawlessness has to be achieved from

the inside.

Some have been brought up as veggies.

But that doesn’t make sticking to their

principles any easier.

“[The photo shoot] was worth it but it left

me traumatized," Trentini told fashion

website The Front Row.

Photographer Steven Klein thanked her

for her work by sending her flowers and

chocolates as a thank you gift.

The experience ‘prompted her to

become vegetarian’ the site reports.

For Hilary Rhoda blowing family and

friends’ minds at Thanksgiving dinner when

she would have to snub the roast turkey

wasn’t enough to put her off eating meat.

“I will not be having a very traditional

Thanksgiving," she acknowledges.

Ethical fashion has come a long way

since David Bailey’s famous ad where fur

clad models dragged their expensive coats

along the catwalk leaving a trail of blood.

It sent shock waves through the fashion

industry and the fake fur industry was born,

or if not then, then at least given a

welcome boost.

Since those days ethical fashion has

become a hot topic of conversation and

debate in the street, the shop and at high

profile celebrity discussion panels.

This summer in Los Angeles, People for

the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

hosted a panel discussion with vegan style-

pioneers to discuss how up-and-coming

designers can find their ethical fashion-

forward footing in today’s industry.

For Lily Cole, who’s been a veggie since

she was ten, the reason is 100% ethical and

she feels it’s the motive that counts and will

one day build a ‘chorus’ where everything,

everywhere will become ethical.

“My one measly decision not to eat it

[meat] is important. It's like a chorus.

“You're only ever responsible for yourself

– and anyway, it makes you feel good to

make choices you can be proud of, so

having the intention behind it is the key.

“Just having the intention.

“Then the more people have those

intentions, the bigger the chorus gets.

“And then hopefully eventually people

won't have to make good choices – it will just

be a given that when you buy something

someone somewhere won't have been

exploited.

“If we could get to that point it would be

amazing."

One way to make sure raw materials are

sourced ethically is to reject traditional

clothing altogether.

Bamboo tee shirts, dresses and skirts can

be found pretty much everywhere.

Also non-leather shoes, belts and coats

are easily found with pioneering

entrepreneurs establishing their alternative

businesses and building up regular private

and commercial customers both in the UK

and abroad.

Speaking on how modelling has changed

her diet, Ali Michael says she has learned

about keeping healthy with a vegan diet:

“Finding balance in my diet has definitely

been a process that I’m grateful for because

it provided me with the knowledge that I

Pictured: (above) Lily Cole; (below) Ali Michael;

next page (top) Caroline Trentini; (bottom left) Anna de

Rijk; (bottom right) Hilary Rhoda;

third page (top) Kat Henson; (below) Sasha Pivovarova.

ALL PICTURES COURTESY THE FRONT ROW

9

Report by Stephen Ward

Research by Bronwyn O’Leary

FG is Charlie - November 2015

10

‘IT LEFT METRAUMATISED’have about treating my body the right

way now,” she told The Front Row.

“After following vegan, raw vegan and

macrobiotic diets, I’ve found that the best

approach for me is to be aware of what

my body responds to as opposed to

following rules and regulations.

“I usually have oatmeal with

unsweetened coconut milk, walnuts,

almonds, figs and goji berries in the

morning. I like breakfast being my

heaviest meal because it gives me

energy for the rest of my day.

“Lunch and dinner are usually mostly

vegetables and a protein like salmon.

“I’ll usually have a beet, carrot and

apple juice at some point, too."

But sometimes it takes a while before

a model or anyone else makes the

decision to turn completely vegetarian.

It can take a step or two - first giving

up red meat, then chicken and turkey

and then, later on, fish and maybe eggs

and cheese. (See Friendly Comment on

page 12).

Anna de Rijk in the same article told

The Front Row that she'd been a

vegetarian for a year, way back in 2011.

She explained: "I was raised [mostly]

without meat — my parents mainly made

pasta without meat every night, so since I

didn’t really grow up with it, I didn’t really

like it so much.

“And then a year ago, it was really

strange - I was in a plane, and I got

chicken, and I looked at the chicken, and I

thought it just looked so gross.

“And then I felt like, well, I’m kind of half

vegetarian [already], so I decided I’m not

going to eat meat and chicken anymore,

period.

“I eat a bit of fish because otherwise I

feel really weak. I’m not vegan. I eat

cheese and eggs and yogurt."

FG is Charlie - November 2015

11

‘BE HEALTHY -BE BEAUTIFUL’

Kat Hessen found that following a

vegan diet gave her better energy and

improved her health problems: "I've been

a vegan for almost two years.

“When I started eating better, my

stomach problems, bad skin, and

achiness all went away. I also found that I

could run a lot faster and longer without

getting tired."

Sasha Pivovarova has been a

vegetarian since she was 12.

She comments on her diet: "My motto is

be healthy, be beautiful.

“I try to eat only organic food from local

farmers in upstate New York.

“For breakfast I'll have freshly squeezed

orange juice to boost my energy, granola,

fresh fruit or berries and a pure Chinese

tea. Lunch is a hot soup and a big salad

and dinner is fried potatoes with

mushrooms.

“I love cauliflower cream soup."

ISHWAR AGREES

An acknowledgement and some initial

questions have been sent to Mr Puri.

FRIENDLY COMMENT

GOT A STORY?

FRENCH COURSE LAUNCHED . . . cont. from p1

Climbed the

gangway?

Now take the flight!GO to a veggie or vegan restaurant,

have dinner with like-minded friends or

visit a veggie extravaganza where

thousands of all ages, sizes and

backgrounds flock to hundreds of stalls

selling or promoting everything from

clothes made from bamboo or the latest

thing in meatless burgers and you could

be forgiven for thinking ‘we're all

vegetarians now’.

But that's far from true.

Even though officially there are an

average of just under six million

vegetarians in the UK that still leaves 58

million carnivores tucking into plenty of

slaughtered cows, pigs, sheep, lamb etc.

or their byproducts.

That's a heck of a lot of people - and a

heck of a lot of animals!

Giving up eating dead animals is not

an easy choice.

It means swimming against the tide

with friends, relatives and colleagues.

‘No thanks. I'm a vegetarian,’

becomes a frequently-used refrain

especially on high days and holidays

when meat is de rigueur.

The reasons for setting out on or

maintaining this minority path are almost

as many as there are vegetarians or

vegans who choose it.

Compassion, health, environment,

disgust or a mixture of all three.

But make no mistake.

Whatever the reason it's a big move

and, subjectively speaking, a brave one.

For many, though, just the change

itself is the end of the story.

But vegetarianism and veganism can

be the basis for another whole journey.

Will Tuttle's well known World Peace

Diet hints at it when he says it's about

'eating for spiritual health and social

harmony'.

And Indian mystics and others

including from the West have long linked

vegetarianism with an inner journey.

An inner, meditative journey of light

and sound.

A non-violent lifestyle is, arguably, the

obvious first step to just such a journey.

After all, if we’ve climbed the gangway

why not take the flight!

Gone fishingI’VE recently read some nasty stuff

about pescetarians, or vegetarians who

eat fish!

Just Google ‘pescetarians’ and you’ll

find condemnation from every source

imaginable.

From societies and institutions

avowedely non-violent.

At the risk of sounding preachey can

we ask - is non-violence limited to

actions?

Or does it, possibly, extend to

thought?

More accurately, do non-violent

people think non-violent thoughts?

If they do, and there’s plenty who

believe they should, nay, must; then this

sort of violent condemnation of fish-

eating veggies must be left in the

‘poubelle’ (that’s French for rubbish bin -

by the way) where it belongs.

We only have to cast our minds back

a little way to remember our own journey

to a world of non-violence.

In that journey didn’t we all go through

many, many stages?

Couldn’t eschewing all forms of animal

life apart from ‘just a little fish-y on a little

dish-y’ be one of those stages?

Ask around at the next veggie

extravaganza in London or Liverpool or

Glasgow or Brighton and you’ll find

plenty of pescatarians checking out the

lay of the land.

Tasting the seaweed sushi and being

pleasantly surprised at its ‘fishy’ quality.

What’s the best thing to do with these

half-way-housers?

Slag off their choices and send them

running for the exit - never to be seen

again? Or welcome them aboard in the

hope they’ll one-day take that, surely

inevitable, next step?

12

It is based in quiet premises near Avignon

university and within the city 'ramparts'.

Tutors are all 'French for Foreigners' specialists

and are trained in imparting the subtle secrets of

speaking and writing French to foreigners.

Delegates on the week-long 'France is Cooking'

course get two days of haute cuisine instruction and

two days of French language.

Cooking-only is an option and all students get to

tuck into their own meals afterwards.

There is advice on a range of accommodation in

the area and free transport to and from the restaurant.

There is a train direct from Kings X St Pancras to

Avignon as well as regular flights to nearby Nîmes

and Marseille.

Course prices range from £155 (without French) to

£315 including language tuition (special offers).

These prices do not include accommodation or

travel to France.

To find out more click here.

Or phone the school direct on: 0033 (0)678393366.

IN MEMORIAM

To Brett Funnell formerly Fields. Thanks foryour encouragement, love and kindness at alltimes. Happy onward journey in our master'sloving embrace. “The real master is the shabdand the real disciple is the soul,” Charan Singh.

SW

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