The Vibe: Issue 11 by The Vibe

T R A N S F O R M AT I O N S

I S S U E 11

HELLO & WELCOME

Welcome to the June issue of The Vibe! As we’re sure you’re aware, a lot has been happening here at St. Patrick’s over the last few months. The corridors are buzzing with the happy chatter of newly inducted students, workshops have been launched to help you improve your writing and IT skills, and we’ve bid farewell to a cohort of recent graduates, heading off to bright futures and illustrious careers. That’s why we decided to make this issue all about changes and transformations: our new Humans of St Patrick’s feature on page 25 aims to find out what students were up to before joining the college, and where they hope life will take them after. Turn to page 4 for interviews with the incoming Student Council, and page 19 for a oneto-one with a successful alumnus of the college, Robert Almonte. There are big changes coming to your classrooms from September, too, in the form of a new teaching methodology being rolled out across the college. Check out our interview with Vice Principal for Teaching Excellence and Student Success Rod Brazier on page 11 to get the low down on what to expect and how you will fit in. The Vibe itself is undergoing a period of transformation. The magazine has new editors (nice to meet you!) and our aim is to make sure that The Vibe is more representative of the student body at St Patrick’s. That means we want it to be written by students, about students, for students. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in helping us out with, flick to page 15 to find out more. It’s been a blast working on this issue: we hope you enjoy it and we look forward to collaborating with you on the next one! Keep on vibin’… Luke & Joe Copy Editors

IN THIS ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE T R A N S F O R M AT I O N S

p. 04 IN WITH THE NEW Student Council p. 06 ST PATRICK’S NEWSROOM College highlights / Graduation May’18

p. 14 MOVING ON Rabia Ahmed talks about her time at St Patrick’s p. 16 WHAT TO WEAR Summer in the city

p. 08 TRANSFORM YOUR MINDSET to go back to studying

p. 19 60 SECONDS with Robert Almonte, HND Information Systems Engineering (ISE)

p. 11 EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING St Patrick’s learners to be taught using new methods

p. 20 FROM THE NETHERLANDS, VIA ZAMBIA A transformative journey

p. 25 HUMANS OF ST PATRICK’S p. 27 THE MELTING POT Lecturer Regine Block takes us through her memories of and the recipe for a very traditional cake, the Gateau Breton. p. 29 WHAT TO WATCH / Ocean’s 8 / Incredibles 2 p. 30 DAILY WISDOMS Transformation

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IN WITH THE NEW

IN WITH THE NEW Following elections in March, students voted in a new Student Council

Tell us a little about yourselves. Justus: I’m a disabilities support officer in Enfield, studying at St. Patrick’s so I can open up doors to a managerial position. Football is my passion. I support Arsenal, as do all my family. When a baby’s born, the first thing I buy for them is an Arsenal T-shirt. Grace: I have my own catering company that provides food for weddings, parties, etc., so I have some experience of organising events. Outside of work, I sing in my church’s choir and also collect different currencies from all around the world. Iñigo: I was born in Peru, and grew up in Spain. I studied IT in Seville but had to interrupt my studies for personal reasons. I came to London to continue my education.

What do you hope to achieve during your time as the Student Council of St Patrick’s? Iñigo: Along with some of my course mates I’m hoping to develop an app for internal communication. It would give people access to schedules, information about events and news — all the information that St Patrick’s already has, but in one place. It could make things easier for students and staff. And I’m also talking to Emmanuel, the Academic Officer, about setting up a football team. Grace: I’m in my second year now, and one thing I’d like to see more of is events for students. I want the students to feel like they have more to do, attend, and take part in. For example, I would like to start a St Patrick’s talent show.

If you were Prime Minister of the UK , what would you do? Grace: I’d say stopping Brexit. It’s going to change so many things in ways we can’t predict. It’s true it may be beneficial for some, but many people are going to face difficulties, such as problems with funding. Justus: The UK is so inclusive. Even at an older age, people can receive funding for education. You cannot find that in many places — it’s a magnanimous country. What I would focus on is the NHS. The nurses need to be better catered for. There should be an increase in the minimum wage. When people aren’t paid well, unfortunately quality will suffer. One person dealing with ten vulnerable elderly people... If I was PM, that’s the first thing I would reconsider.

To get in touch with the Student Council, email studentexperience@st-patricks.ac.uk

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S T PAT R I C K ’ S N E W S R O O M

ST PATRICK’S NEWSROOM COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS

1– 4 — St Patrick ’s graduation, May 2018.

S T PAT R I C K ’ S N E W S R O O M

G R A D U AT I O N M AY ’ 18

St Patrick’s has a proud history of over 200 years offering an educational path to people from a variety of backgrounds, each with their individual challenges. We know that through your study at the college you achieved more than just knowledge and skills; you have grown as a person. With your educational success you can stand taller in society and face any other challenge that comes your way. When you entered the college, after overcoming the various selection hurdles, we believed you could get this far. Now upon your graduation, we are reinforced in our confidence that you shall use your education as a force for good in your professional life. Now you are becoming an alumnus of St Patrick’s, leaving us as a student, we shall continue valuing your connection with us. And we hope you will stay in touch, with your fellow alumni, classmates, lecturers and other St Patrick’s staff members, and hopefully even as a mentor with future generations of St Patrick’s students. Because you are their role model. They will appreciate your mentoring, your guidance and support. We at St Patrick’s are indeed very proud of you and we wish you well for your journey ahead. You will always stay part of the college.”

On 1st May, one hundred and ninety-seven St. Patrick’s students, along with staff, faculty and family members, attended the Graduation Ceremony at St. Mary’s Church, at Wyndam Place, London. The Principal of St. Patrick’s, Prof. Maurits Van Rooijen gave this address to the assembled students: “Dear graduate, Our warmest congratulations. All of us at St Patrick’s college are proud of your achievement. Entering into a course at St Patrick’s is accepting a big challenge and actually being able to complete the journey you selected is no mean feat. We are well aware that studying for a diploma, often in addition to the burden of a full and busy life deserves respect. Your achievement does not just show ability, it also shows guts and stamina.

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TR ANSFORM YOUR MINDSET

TRANSFORM YOUR MINDSET to go back to studying

We often judge other people’s lives by how they look on the surface, how glossy is their Instagram profile and how many selfies they take in a day. We also tend to classify people depending on their course of study, what school they opted for and how long it took them to finally graduate. We often forget that, of all factors, timing is possibly the most important in life. Not everyone is ready to do the same things at the same time. Some people decide to start university right after high school, while some people prefer to take a gap-year, start a new job or travel the world. We can all agree that, once you’ve taken a break from studying to enter the working life, it is difficult to go back to being a student. Difficult, but not impossible. If you are thinking of starting a course, after a long break, here’s a few tips you might take advantage of… PLAN YOUR DAY AND WEEK Get used to organising and prioritising your tasks, choose the most essential things you need to do and leave very little time to procrastination. Learn to schedule and make to-do lists. This is extremely important when it comes to creating your study plan and routine. Use a planner or online calendar like Outlook or Google Calendar — they will make your life a lot easier. If you are well-organised, getting back into the studying mindset will be a lot more fun, too.

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BE PATIENT. WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS. Do better today than you did yesterday. Be confident that you will succeed in everything you set your mind to do, but don’t push yourself to do anything you are not ready to do. Returning to study after a break can be challenging and exhausting. Don’t let other people’s judgements and opinions get to you. Some will criticize you. Some will approve your choice. No matter what, do what your heart tells you to do. LEAVE EARLY Waking up early in the morning might make you feel tired at first, but it will pay off in the long-run. Begin your study routine a little earlier and by midday, it will feel like you are ahead of the studying game. Everything you used to do at 10, bring it an hour forward. Don’t sleep till late, wake up at 9 and start your day with a nice and healthy breakfast. Your body and mind will thank you later. ASK FOR HELP Don’t feel like you are carrying the world on your shoulders. If you think you are dealing with too many things and the same time and your workload is too much, don’t be afraid to take a step back and ask for help if you need it. People have no idea what you are going through until you inform them about it. Once you let them know what you need, they will be able to help you. And your study adventure will feel a lot easier.

TR ANSFORM YOUR MINDSET

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING St Patrick ’s learners to be taught using exciting new methods

Big changes are planned for the way students are taught at St Patrick’s during the 2018/19 academic year and beyond. The Vibe caught up with Vice Principal for Teaching Excellence and Student Success Rod Brazier to hear about his plans for bringing Experiential Learning techniques into St. Patrick’s classrooms. So Rod, can you tell us what exactly Experiential Learning is?

OK , and what are the benefits of Experiential Learning over other teaching methods? With any form of teaching, the teacher’s job is to make sure that students are not only receiving the material they’re being taught, but that they’re actually understanding it. If a lesson is being given in the form of a lecture, the student might sometimes be passively receiving the material. It can therefore be difficult to check understanding and to ensure that the student is engaged in the lesson — in short, students find meaning in their own learning experiences when they are actually involved and engaged. The tutor becomes a facilitator of activities, as opposed to simply a broadcaster of information. It sounds good, but what are the drawbacks?

Experiential learning is all about learning through doing. It’s the way we learn how to walk — we realise we can stand up, we take a few steps, we fall over, and then we adjust our balance the next time we try. With this form of learning, we’re constantly tailoring what we do based on the experience that we’ve had. In a classroom where Experiential Learning is taking place, the teacher’s job is to set up opportunities for students to have these kinds of individual learning experiences. In this way, each student can have their own take on the experience, interpret it in their own way, and so learn more effectively.

With Experiential Learning, the teaching process is very open, and there is a lot of trust involved. The teacher trusts that the students will engage with the learning activities and the students must trust that the teacher is deliberately allowing them to work in a way that they might not be used to. The teachers are actually handing over ownership to the students and they have to trust that those students will do what they’re allowing them to do, by taking part and then by reflecting and learning through reflection and, crucially, by listening to the teacher’s feedback.

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Teachers understand that it is their role to create fun, dynamic and positive activities for students. read on

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

So feedback plays an important role in Experiential Learning? Absolutely. In the past I have known students who believe that feedback is only what is written on assignments once they’ve been submitted. However, in many instances the feedback is there too late. If a teacher is only giving the student feedback once they have handed in coursework, that’s not going to help them at all for that bit of coursework. So feedback needs to be something that happens in every classroom, for every group, for every unit, every day. Feedback should be given not just on assignments, but on whatever is happening in the classroom, even down to the way a student conducts themselves in the room and how they work within groups. In this way, students get more used to receiving feedback, and that’s vital, because neither the teacher nor the student should feel awkward about giving or receiving feedback. Hold on — students should also give feedback to their tutors? Yes! That’s an important part of the student’s role in the classroom, and the teachers should be asking for it — it’s all one piece of action research. We’re all just trying something, thinking about how it went, and then making it better for next time. This is how we all grow and develop in life. When will we be seeing Experiential Learning in St. Patrick’s classrooms? At the moment we’re working on some pilot projects and trialling different approaches in different classrooms. The short term plan is to get everyone at St Patrick’s up to speed on some innovative new approaches over the summer, where the teaching staff, DALE staff and coaches will be covering things like what Experiential Teaching is, body language and positioning within the classroom, the design of materials and assessments and relationship building with students. The aim is that by the new 2018/2019 academic year, most of our current staff and the new staff we’re recruiting will be ready to deliver in this way. So I foresee that from September or October onwards, everything in St. Patrick’s classrooms will have a different look and certainly a different feel to it. How can Experiential Learning benefit students outside of the classroom? With Experiential Learning, you’re constantly working on the skills that allow you to operate effectively in a workplace and work well with other people. Experiential Learning is about the big picture

— you get the piece of paper that says you have a diploma or a degree, the token you need in order to get an interview and get a job, but experiential learning also puts you head and shoulders above everyone that has been subjected to a more traditional style of learning, because you will be more workplace-ready than them. In the classroom you’ll have been working in groups, and you’ll have sat opposite someone who you really don’t want to work with and who you totally disagree with, but that person is influential in the rest of the group and so you have to let them run with what they want to do. You have to learn how to deal with all of these things that we all deal with in the workplace. If your only experience in education is being lectured at, you don’t get that kind of workplace experience, do you? So what can a St. Patrick’s student expect when they walk into a classroom from next September? They’ll see lots of group work, lots of collaboration with their peers, tutors, businesses in the wider field, and with other groups, maybe even cross-collaboration with other schools. They’ll see a lot more feedback being given: it needs to be really deliberate feedback, with sections of the lesson dedicated purely to feedback and reflection. There will be gamification introduced into the classroom, where there will be elements of competition — short sharp competitive activities where they can see quick results, as well as things like mini-lectures, with perhaps about twenty minutes of lecturing or similar per class, maybe more if it’s a particularly advanced class or the material is delivered in an engaging way. In short, I want students that come here to consider themselves as different and lucky to be different, because they won’t be just turning up to a lecture, they’ll be part of a fun, engaging session with the learner placed right at the centre. How do you think students will react? For current students, the changes in the classroom will be very noticeable. There might be changes that may not fit in with students’ preconceived ideas of what a higher-education learning experience is. But, I’d like to take this opportunity to reassure them that their teachers may be working with them in different ways, but those ways will have a positive effect on the learning experience. The challenge being laid down to them as students is to come forward and be active and participate: it doesn’t work if students don’t get involved. Teachers understand that it is their role to create fun, dynamic and positive activities and students will, I’m sure, understand that it’s their responsibility to step forward and to create opportunities for themselves. The more everyone engages, the more positive benefits we will see!

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MOVING ON

MOVING ON Rabia Ahmed, the outgoing Student Council President, shares her thoughts about her time at t he head of t he bod y.

Could you tell us about your life before St Patrick’s and where you see yourself in the future? I was working for about 14 years before I started the course. Although I have a very corporate background, I’ve always wanted to help others -- it’s just things got in the way. I have three children who are a big part of my life (the eldest is now in college and studying Health and Social Care Management, too).

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When I was last on maternity leave from Santander, I reflected on the two years I’d spent working for the bank. Working in customer service, I was not making as much of an impact as I wanted. That was when I decided to study. At the same time, I also started working for the global humanitarian charity Muntada Aid. Whilst there, I’ve worked alongside local councils and the Mayor of London. Now I’m looking to top up my qualification to a degree so I can further my career with Muntada Aid.

What advice would you pass on to the next Student Council?

What would you say was your proudest achievement?

I would like more transparency and clarity. More effective communication. It’s a digital age, so I would like to see more of a social media presence. One of the best things about St Patrick’s is the unity among the students. There are a lot of mature students, people who have made the decision to study later on in life, and that provides an automatic bond. I see so much hope with the new Vice Principal [Rod Brazier]. It feels like he’s going to take St Patrick’s further.

Establishing the Council as a prominent student body. Every member took their role seriously and this was recognised by senior management at the school. I think we raised the standard for what the Student Council could be. We made decisions and had regular meetings with management to ensure our voice was heard.

Discuss things with the rest of the team. If there are issues, discuss them, don’t keep them in. By yourself, you can only go so far, but as a team, you can achieve much more than you might think. What have you enjoyed most about St Patrick’s, and what one thing would you change?

WE NEED YOU Interested in creating content for The Vibe? We’re looking for students to write, take photos, design ar t work , conduct inter views and create engaging content.

Writing: It could be an article, a paragraph, a recipe or a poem. If you don’t have an idea right now but want to get involved, please let us know and we’ll discuss ideas. Photographs: Love taking photographs? Got some interesting ones others should see? Get in touch. Videos/Music: If you’ve got music or video content that you’ve produced and like to share, contact us. Adverts: Want to advertise for free? Talk to us.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? Students who contribute toward the magazine will receive one-on-one help with writing articles and developing their content from DALE teachers Joe and Luke. Producing content for a student magazine will help to improve employable skills, and it will look amazing on your CV.

S T U D E N T E X P E R I E N C E @ S T- PAT R I C K S . A C . U K

GET IN TOUCH

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CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP Ever y Tuesday 12:30 -13:30 / Room 407B

Do you have a story to tell? Or a desire to share your experiences? Are you interested in filling your lunch break with something both productive and engaging? DALE teachers Joe and Luke run writing workshops that are free and open to writers of all abilities. Even if you feel unsure about your writing, come along â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we

can help you with your English language skills. You will have the chance to write your own stories, poems and pieces of life writing. You will be introduced to the work of writers from all over the globe, and different styles of writing. There will also be the opportunity to publish your work in the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magazine, The Vibe.

S T U D E N T E X P E R I E N C E @ S T- PAT R I C K S . A C . U K

GET IN TOUCH

60 SECONDS

60 SECONDS with Robert Almonte, 26, HND Information Systems Engineering (ISE), Class’17

was the ability to have a one-to one session with your lecturer, which in other HE institutions and universities you just wouldn’t be able to. The classes weren’t big, so it encouraged students to discuss things with their lecturers during class, which made it more personal and informative.

Background: Moved from Madrid with family. Has lived in London for eleven years. Qualifications: GCSEs, BTEC National Diploma for IT, HND in Information Systems Engineering (ISE). Work experience: charity work, film production, freelance photographer. What did you most enjoy about studying at St. Patrick’s? The thing I really liked about St Patrick’s

What did you do after completing the HND?

Devise a revision schedule, and be very methodical about studying the course material. When I first started, I researched study skills, how to learn, the best way to retain information, how to structure study schedules, time management, things like that. All the material given by lecturers, I would put in my own words. I was very motivated, although I wouldn’t say I’m an ambitious person. I just like to do my best.

I received offers from UCL and Birkbeck and decided on Birkbeck because their computer science course was better suited to me.

Anything to tell students who might be thinking of going on to university following their HND?

Great! What do you see yourself doing after university ?

A HND qualification can really take you places. Universities are looking for people who are ready to study, and at the end of the day, the HND shows you have the ability to complete a higher level qualification, as well as the commitment to go through those two years of coursework, meeting deadlines, being on time, attending, all of that. That’s something that universities look very favourably on.

My idea is to get a job as analyst or application developer, which I already have experience with, and use the job to support the opening of my own photography studio. What advice do you have for current students?

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FROM THE NETHERLANDS, VIA ZAMBIA

FROM THE NETHERLANDS, VIA ZAMBIA A Tr a n s f o r m a t i v e J o u r n e y

We had a lot of people from outside the Netherlands, a lot of refugees who are still there. We also had a German army base, so it was a very international community, while still being a very rural place. I was actually the first one in my extended family who went to university.

Vice Principal & Chief Operations Officer Klaas Mierlo talked to us about his upbringing, working for the United Nations in Zambia, and commuting from the Netherlands. Could you tell us a little about where you’re from? I grew up in a very small village in the Netherlands called Budel. Despite its size, it was actually a very international village.

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So how did you get from that ambition to COO/ Vice Principal at St Patrick’s?

What did you study ?

I like to work with people. This is something I discovered during my education. My first job was actually a bit strange. I went to Zambia, to work for the United Nations. Coming from this little village and then

As a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I ended up studying public administration and international relations. I was pushed by my father to do that. He was a cattle trader. And I was very attracted to that. I liked the excitement, both the trading element and working with livestock. I was happy to stop my education at secondary school, but my father said: “Maybe just finish school and then you can see if you still want to join the family business”. Then he said: “It’s good these days to get a bit more education because you can use that. Why don’t you go to university and then see?” So in a very friendly way, he pushed me in that direction.

going to university in what was quite a small city, it was a big shift going out into what you might call the wider world. This was a time when there was no internet. The fax hod had only just then been introduced. To find out what was in the rest of the world you needed to go to the library. So Zambia will have a big place in my heart for ever. We have a few people over here from Zambia, for example one of the teachers in HSC. And so we greet each other in the Zambian way. People from Zambia are extremely friendly. They must have thought: “Who is this strange guy? Why is he here?” But I felt at home. My wife joined me out there after three months and I was there for two years in total.

Living in Zambia was a formative experience. It helped me gain a sense of understanding of other people. read on

FROM THE NETHERLANDS, VIA ZAMBIA

I like it here. I like the students. They challenge me every day. And I think, being a private college, the focus on wider participation, on helping people, is great. It is a very fulfilling job. So you’ve lived and worked in London, in the Netherlands, in Zambia. How do all these places compare? And in Geneva, too. When I was in Zambia, it was the end of the 80s. The situation was not very good, economically. So you had to learn to live with very modest resources. You couldn’t walk into a shop and expect to find what you needed, even basic things, like toilet paper, for example. Then I went to Switzerland. I remember the first day that I arrived, seeing toilet paper in a shop and thinking I had to buy it immediately until my wife assured me it would still be available tomorrow. Living in Zambia was a formative experience. It helped me gain a sense of understanding, of other people and of how well off we seem to be in our countries. I say “seem”, because I think in certain ways people in Zambia are better off. The closeness of families, for example. People are more ready to be there for each other. I think it’s not only out of necessity. It’s something in the hearts and minds of the people. Swiss people are completely different. Very businesslike. Are there other times in your past you have a feeling of nostalgia for? The first time that my eldest son became national champion of swimming. Three of our four sons were swimmers so, as a family, we still spend a lot of time in swimming pools. My eldest just missed out on the Olympics by a couple of hundredths of a second. He started swimming seriously when he was 8. He came to me and said, I think I’m a very good swimmer.

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My wife and I said, well you are. He told me he wanted to train properly and we said, we will support you completely in every way we can. If you take it seriously. And he did just that for almost twenty years. My second son was also a swimmer, but not quite at the same level. The third went to one training session and said, this isn’t for me, because you can’t talk to people when you’re swimming. He’s very communicative. He has a big heart, like his mother. My youngest was a very talented swimmer, but when he was 13 or 14, he decided he didn’t want to do it anymore. He made up his mind, and we respected that. He was very good at school, too, but he hated it. He was out of education as soon as he could be. Now, he is in the cleaning business. And you know what he said to me the other day? I’ve never been so happy in my life.

you’re old, you’re wise. There are other names that pop into my head. For example, von Clausewitz, who wrote the book On War. I’m actually doing a course on military history and I read that book and researched his career path and thought, that’s a special guy. Not that I agree with his view on everything. And, of course, my wife inspires me. Just last week, I was having a drink with some old friends and they asked me, how is it possible that even after 30 years together you are still in love? I don’t know, I said. It just happens.

Name one person, living or dead, that has inspired you.

I don’t like dancing.

That’s a very simple question. I was one of the first people to see Nelson Mandela when he came out of prison. Because the first thing he did was visit Zambia. There was a parade, and my wife and I were watching just across the road. There were a lot of people in that parade, high level officials, whatever. Then I saw Nelson Mandela. There was only about a metre between us. And I just thought, whoa. Just his appearance… Of course, he did not have the physique he had before, in the old days he was quite strong. He was older – but he had the appearance of a great statesman, a wise person. One thing I like about Zambia is they appreciate grey hair. Because when

Which song gets you out on the dancefloor? None. Are you saying that so we don’t play the song?

What do you like about working in London and what challenges do you face working so far from home? It is actually only a forty minute flight back to the Netherlands. I’m here for four days, fly back and work at home on Friday. When the children were younger, it was different, but now, it’s not a problem. I initially came to St Patrick’s to work for a couple of months only, and that was a year ago. I like it here. I like the students. They challenge me every day. And I think that, despite being a private college, the focus on wider participation, on helping people, is great. It is a very fulfilling job.

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In this new regular feature we showcase your personalities, stories, and interests. read on

H U M A N S O F S T PAT R I C K ’ S

HUMANS OF ST PATRICK’S

Asha, Health & Social Care I have an eight-year-old sister who’s autistic, and I want to finish studying Health and Social Care and go on to become a social worker so I can help kids with disabilities. Having a child with disabilities is very hard, and some parents find it difficult to cope. A lot of people don’t understand the help you need when you’re disabled, and the child almost becomes an object instead of a human – it’s sad, they don’t get the same opportunities and it shouldn’t be like that.

Ken, Hospitality Management I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Living in England has made me see life in another way. It’s a new culture, there are different relations between children and parents. Here, parents let you decide what you want to be in life, they listen and encourage what you want to study or do. Education is different in this country too. You focus on developing your mind and realise that it’s never too late to be what you should have been a long time ago.

Hodan, Health & Social Care I was interested in the health and social care sector when I was in high school, but it wasn’t a course they offered in sixth form. I want to work in the mental health sector, as I have a relative with schizophrenia. After I get my diploma, I’d like to get my degree, maybe at Arden University, or another institution, then do the one year mental health course and qualify as a mental health nurse. It’d be a great career to have – I feel like I would be doing something worthwhile with my life.

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1 & 2 photo credit: moncarnetcafe.com

T H E M E LT I N G P O T

THE MELTING POT Lecturer Regine Block takes us through her memories of and the recipe for a very traditional cake, the Gateau Breton.

Lecturer Regine Block takes us through her memories of and the recipe for a very traditional cake, the Gateau Breton. Brittany is a region in the North-West of France and I will insist that this is not a French recipe, it is a Breton one! My Grandmother always has this cake in a cupboard, ready to have at ‘Coffee time’ or any other time. When I was little around 7-8 years old, I used to sneak in the cupboard, cut a slice then I would pretend going for a walk in the nearby woods with the three dogs (French bulldogs) we had at the time, to savour it to the last crumb. I thought I was very clever to never get caught red-handed, but she later told me that she always knew by the size of the remaining part of the cake that I had made a little tour in her cupboard! Some people fill the middle of the cake with prune or raspberry jam, but these are just variants. Others savour it with an ice cream scoop on the side of their slice.

“Bevet Breizh” (Brittonic Celtic language for “Long live Brittany”) Preparation: 20 min Cooking: 45 min Temperature: 180 degrees celsius Ingredients • 600g flour • 300g caster sugar • 300g of salted butter (If you don’t like salted butter, unsalted butter will do, but it will never taste the same as the original cake. My Grand-Mother used farmers’ brittany salted butter, an unmatched flavour) • 7 egg yolks (Use large eggs; in my memory, those yolks were so orange… also collected at the farm) • 2 spoons of Bergamot essence (If you do • not find this, orange blossom water can replace it) • 1 pinch of salt (Only if you are using unsalted butter)

Instructions • Before starting, take the butter out of the fridge. It must be at room temperature. • Preheat the oven to 180°. • Take a large bowl and add the flour, sugar, soft butter cubed, 6 egg yolks (this is where you add the bergamot essence or if not found, orange blossom). • Knead by hand until you obtain a homogeneous and sandy paste. • Butter lightly round a round cake tin and pour and tamp the dough (If you want a jam filling, put it half way through). • Using a brush or a tablespoon, smoothen the surface with an egg yolk beaten to have a nice colour on the top once cooked. • Finally, draw lines with a fork. • Place the cake tin in the oven for 45 min. • Check the cooking by planting the tip of a knife, it needs to come out dry. • Enjoy the cake warm or cold. It can stay edible for four weeks if stored in a tight container, but I don’t remember it ever staying for that long, as it was so delicious!

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W H AT T O WAT C H

WHAT TO WATCH

OCEAN’S 8

Coming out in mid-June, this heist comedy film promises to live up to the charm of the original in the fortunate franchise. After five years in prison, Debbie Ocean, sister of the infamous Danny from the Ocean’s 11 saga, is finally released. Far from looking to start a new life, she’d rather pick up where she left off and gathers a team of ‘colleagues’ for her next heist. The plan is to get their hands on a $150 million necklace during the annual Met Gala in New York. With an all female cast boasting three Academy Awards winners, the movie clearly aims to offer more than simple entertainment and lets its stars shine, giving depth to a story that might sound familiar. The natural glamour of the cast and the wit of the characters is supported by the costumes and fashion choices, so much so that they become, in a way, part of the story themselves.

INCREDIBLES 2

Released on 15 June, Pixar finally releases the long awaited sequel to one of its biggest success with The Incredibles 2. The 14-year gap doesn’t seem the facture in the plot, as the second instalment picks up pretty much from where we left the Parr family: fighting off the bank robber known as ‘The Underminer’. Despite their contribution to society, superheroes are still seen as a nuisance for the collateral damage of their action, but a hopeful tycoon seen in mother-of-three Helen (aka Elastigirl) has the publicity potential to make things right. The reverse of roles, Robert staying home with the children while his wife fights off crime, is only one of the reason to look forward to latest Pixar’s work. Championing animation as much as storyline and character development, the film is a must-see for children and adults alike.

Ocean’s 8 released on 18 June 2018 / Incredibles 2 released on 15 June 2018

D A I LY W I S D O M S

DAILY WISDOMS T R A N S F O R M AT I O N

“The key to our transformation is simply this: the better we know ourselves the better equipped we will be to make our choices wisely.”

“Real transformation requires real honesty. If you want to move forward — get real with yourself.” Bryant McGill

Gregg Braden

“If you wish to transform, pretend this day until it is so.”

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Carl Jung

T.F. Hodge

“It is our own thoughts that hold the key to transformation. ”

“The great solution to all human problems is individual inner transformation.”

Marianne Williamson

Vernon Howard

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