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fashion and and lifestyle lifestyle tasting tasting menu menu aa fashion
the MANuary issue How to Get Rid of the Blehs Cleanse Your Body
This month we celebrate all things men!
Male Designers! Male Poets! Male Bouncers!
Namaste Bitches! Vytas Baskauskas of Survivor: Blood vs. Water on yoga, his brother, and New Age crap
HORS D’OEUVRE Masthead Contributors Letters On Set From the Desk of the Editor
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BEAUTY & WELLNESS I Quizzed My Boyfriend on Makeup Products: Do men know anything about makeup? Breana Powell shares the hilarious results of her one-man survey. The Skinny on Healthy: Want to get rid of the post-holiday blehs? Lisa Eberly reveals how. {Beauty} Tip to Try: Master a strong, masculine brow with these simple steps.
ARTS & LEISURE Good Eats: Celebrate the ultimate man party with these snacks to get you Superbowl-ready! Pages: We chat with former CNN journalist-turnednovelist Kitty Pilgrim about her latest novel. Made: This rustic bathroom shelf will complement the bathroom of even the manliest of men. A Few Words: Blake Davidson proves tough guys can also be poets with his musings on Italy.
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FASHION & FEATURES
Luminaries: A bouncer dishes on the ins and outs of Vegas life. You & Me: L’Wren Scott lends her quirky glamour to Banana Republic - we investigate. Share Your Where: Get manly this MANuary in Manchester! Share Your Wear: The Left Shoe Company is both classic and innovative in the men’s footwear field. Menswear for Women: We show you how to rock your masculine edge! Veritas Vytas: The Survivor: Blood vs Water castaway chats about blending the masculine and feminine in his yoga practice.
Always end with something sweet
CAROLINE A. WONG Editor-in-Chief
BRANDON GAMBLE Creative Director
FASHION AND FEATURES Fashion and Beauty Editor BREANA POWELL Features Editor AMANDA CHI Feature Writer LINDY TOLBERT
ARTS AND LEISURE Arts and Leisure Editor MOLLIE MCKENZIE Arts and Leisure Writers MARIA EUBANKS & DANIELLE ROBBINS
BEAUTY AND WELLNESS Beauty Editor COLETTE CHOI Wellness Editors LISA EBERLY & EMILY VAN GUILDER Assistant Wellness Editor BECCA KANTOR
ART Lead Photographer ALEXANDER HERMAN Assistant Photographer HAIL NOWAK West Coast Editor ROSIE RYAN UK Editor JENNA ANDERSON
Emily Van Guilder makes a guest appearance in the “Made” column this month to showcase a craft even the most rugged of men can enjoy. Perhaps it’s all inspired by the manly men of Texas, where she now resides!
CONTRIBUTORS
January 2014
Lisa Eberly is the founder of The Skinny on Health site, which uses science to celebrate everything skinny and healthy. To rid yourself of the post-holiday blehs, read this month’s The Skinny on Health column for the benefits of juice cleansing! Maria Eubanks is our resident foodie. For the Manuary issue, she helps prep some snacks for the ultimate man party: the Superbowl!
Amanda Chi is roaming England’s landscapes for the Tastevin team. This month, she was inspired by our Manuary theme and trekked to Manchester!
Mollie McKenzie is a Los Angeles-based writer and our Arts and Leisure Editor. She interviewed author Kitty Pilgrim, inspired by the former CNN journalist’s latest factbased fiction novel. Breana Powell is our fashion and beauty maven extraordinaire! She quizzed her boyfriend on makeup in a hilarious piece in the Beauty and Wellness section and, in honor of our Manuary issue, pulled together some menswear-inspired pieces for you fashionable ladies out there!
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Tastevin Magazine January 2014
Brandon Gamble mans Tastevin’s New York office. His extensive collection of blazers helps him to keep Manhattan looking fashionable. Alexander Herman is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and photographer as well as our celebrated male staff photographer! He shot both Vytas Baskauskas for the cover and the editor-in-chief for her “You & Me” column.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is there something you’d like to see in the pages of an upcoming issue of Tastevin? Are you an awesome fashion designer or an up and coming musician looking for exposure? We want to hear from you! Send your thoughts on the January issue (and any other thoughts you might have!) to letters@tastevinmag.com or go to www.TastevinMag.com and fill out the form on the Contact page. All submissions become the property of Tastevin Magazine and may be edited, published, or otherwise used in any medium. And if you think you have what it takes to write a column for our magazine, show us what you’ve got! Send your resume along with three column proposals and a writing sample to editor@tastevinmag.com for consideration.
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On Set
YOGAWORKS SANTA MONICA
Vytas Baskauskas is our MANuary cover guy! After his time on the latest season of CBS’s Survivor, Baskauskas returned to his life in Santa Monica, teaching Vinyasa Flow courses at YogaWorks (pictured below) and Power Yoga East. In December, the Tastevin crew met up with Baskauskas after his evening class before heading over to his home. He told us that Parvati Shallow, winner of Survivor: Micronesia, and his brother Aras, winner of Survivor: Panama, will sometimes drop in on one of the classes that he teaches. Maybe after all that scheming on the show, the contestants all needed some zen!
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Tastevin Magazine January 2014
PIXOMAR / FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET
Baskauskas played Christmas songs on his piano as the crew set up for the cover shoot in his living room and home yoga studio. Even his Rhodesian Ridgeback, Kaya, tried to help, sniffing around the lights and equipment. Check out what Baskauskas had to say about his time on the show and what it’s like being a male yoga practitioner on page 60.
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from the desk of the
EDITOR
Let’s hear it for our very first MANuary issue! This month, we celebrate all things men-related, from custom-designed shoes for men and menswear-inspired looks for women to typical men’s jobs and atypical men’s exercise. Tastevin loves men! (We love women too, so don’t worry. You’ll also get your own issue!) I got the chance to speak with the charismatic Vytas Baskauskas from the Survivor: Blood vs. Water season, which wrapped up just last month. He and his brother (Aras, winner of Survivor: Panama) were contestants on the show, and both made it to the final jury to decide the ultimate winner. Vytas talks bonding with his brother, breaking down emotionally, and using yoga to get through it all. Read about it on page 60.
We also chat with the founder of an innovative shoe company using new-age technology and old-world craftsmanship to forge the perfect men’s shoe. Get the real pair that every man needs and check out The Left Shoe Company on page 51. And if you’re looking for some insight on what it’s like to be a macho male bouncer at a hot Las Vegas club, our TAO Group bouncer friend gives us the scoop—but with the insider industry secrets he divulges, he has to stay anonymous lest he risk his job! That’s on page 40. I’d also like to take a moment to thank the men on our staff, Brandon Gamble and Alexander Herman. You guys are the pillars of Tastevin, and each month truly wouldn’t happen without you. Thanks a million bajillion! As always, we’re all ears, so take a moment to drop us a line at letters@tastevinmag.com and let us know about the men in your life!
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Tastevin Magazine January 2014
Matthew (the boyfriend)
“Red lipstick. The most annoying thing ever.”
by Breana Powell 10 Tastevin Magazine January 2014
COURTESY OF BREANA POWELL
Here are the hilarious results
SCENE: We’re in my living room. A sin-
gle make-up bag sits on the table in front of us. I place each item in front of him.
RULES: He must first examine the product and then guess what it is and/or what it is used for. If he has no idea what it is, he can read the product’s label and then guess. Liquid Foundation (in a bottle)
Matthew: “It looks like foundation. And it covers your face? It matches the person’s skin tone? It covers blemishes?”
Blush (This one by our friends at Rain Cosmetics. There is an imprinted “Rain” in the pressed powder.) Matthew struggles to open it. Matthew: “Why is this so tough to open? What is this? Is that an R? Why is there an R in there? Is that the brand? Finally, he guesses. Matthew: “It’s a mirror case. It’s also powder to get rid of the glow on your face when you sweat? I don’t know what it’s called though—powder glow. It’s got pink colors in it to make your face rosy.”
Concealer Stick
Matthew: “Oh, come on. This is easy. This is lipstick. Oh, it does say concealer on here. It conceals things. On your lips. How do you turn it?” He twists it and takes a sniff. He says it smells weird. Matthew: “It conceals blemishes on your lips.”
Eyeshadow Quad
Matthew: “Oh, geez. Oh, you put this on your eyes, huh? This isn’t mascara.”
He studies it more carefully. Matthew: “This isn’t eyeliner because you use a pencil for that. This is eyeshadow maybe. I don’t know.”
Mascara
Matthew: “This is mascara. Uh, this is eyelash grower stuff. No, let’s go with mascara. Makes them look fuller, right?”
2-in-1 Eye Pencil
Matthew: “This is eyeliner. Maybe.”
Eyeshadow Primer
Matthew: “Lipgloss for sure. Oh, wait. Nope. Is it lipgloss? It’s eyeshadow primer. What the hell is that? So primer like when you paint. Like you’re painting a house. Like you’re painting your face.”
Brow Shadow
Again, struggles to open the product. Matthew: “This is dry eyeshadow. It’s like powdery. OH, I THOUGHT IT SAID ‘BROWN’ COLOR. It says ‘brow’ color. So this is for your brows.”
Foundation Brush
Matthew: “You spread the stuff after you put foundation. Blush! Yeah! You spread blush with this.”
Eyeshadow Brush
Matthew: “You spread eyeshadow with it.”
Lipstick
Matthew: “Duh. Red lipstick. The most annoying thing ever.” 11
ditor? New make-up e
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by Lisa Eberly
14 Tastevin Magazine January 2014
The Post-Holiday Bleh I get it. You get it. Everyone knows what it is. It’s that sluggish post-holiday bleh. It’s that extra couple pounds. The added effort to get out of bed in the morning. The something that keeps you craving Christmas cookies and comfy couches even after January 1st. The real question is: how do you get rid of it?
n order to cleanse your body from all the bleh, you have to know what bleh actually is. Bleh is what accumulates when you consume excess calories. It’s not fat (though it makes fat), but rather, it’s free radicals that build up with excess food consumption. Processed foods, like the packaged cookies and sweets we all love in December, are the biggest culprit. Alcohol (remember NYE?) is up there too.
How to you flush your body of the bleh? You cleanse it.
No matter how healthy you are, your body takes in a lot of crap, especially during the holidays. Everyone eats junk now and then, healthy packaged foods are still packaged foods, and even if you are 100% clean eating natural foods, you’re still breathing. As long as you’re breathing, you’re building up yucky free radicals in the body.
Oxygen causes the buildup of free radicals. This is a wholeee long process that takes place in the mitochondria (oh yeah, remember high school bio?). In the meantime, oxygen, free radicals, aging, cancer, and other diseases, slow your metabolism…the list goes on. If the human body were a bicycle, oxygen is rust. So, before I get too off-track, let’s answer this: What does this have to do with cleanses? Well, antioxidants are pretty much free radical killers. You all know berries and other foods have antioxidants, but I bet you didn’t know that your body naturally makes antioxidants without food, called superoxide dismutases. But, the process of eating and metabolizing food turns off these little guys, which further adds to the free radicals running wild. When you are on a cleanse, a juice one or a calorie restricted one, you give your body the chance to not only cleanse the liver and other
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metabolic organs of the holiday cookies and cakes, but more importantly, your body has the time to build up its natural antioxidants (primarily SOD2) to alleviate the buildup of free radicals. These natural antioxidants prevent aging, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and so many other diseases. But, in the meantime, they get rid of the bleh feeling. Antioxidants can give you energy and get you back on track, ready to start the year off right. I personally don’t like the idea of starvation and strict juice cleanses. That’s one thing I (and my clients) love about the cleanse I designed: They are never hungry, and you don’t have to give up eating food. If you don’t calorie restrict, I highly recommend a cleanse every month or few months. Not to lose weight, not to look thin, not to avoid dieting, but rather to build up the body’s natural defenses to fight disease and encourage healthy aging, preventing the bleh. You’ll thank me when you’re a healthy, active old lady, even days after New Years!
January is the perfect time of the year to cleanse. It is an optimal time to flush your body and start anew. You can find my cleanse on www.theskinnyonhealth.com or by emailing me at lisa@theskinnyonhealth.com. Let this be your motivation. Let’s kill the bleh, together! xx,
LISA EBERLY
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{Beauty} Trick to Try
By Colette Choi
The Thick Brow
Many women fill in brows with brow pencils, but I’d highly recommend against this because you don’t want to look like you’ve had your brows drawn on with a Sharpie! For that same reason, do not use black on your brows, even if you have black hair. Instead, opt for a really dark brown. In lieu of the pencil, use an angled brush and eye shadow to fill in sparse brows, following your natural shape. If you need to, use a concealer brush dipped in concealer to tidy up. Thick, natural-looking brows are yours for the making!
STUART MILES / FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET
While most women don’t necessarily do their makeup to look like men, a thick masculine brow is actually quite a hot commodity in the beauty world. To avoid looking too masculine, the key is to keep brows groomed. To prep brows, tweeze around the natural shape but don’t overdo it or you’ll lose thickness. If your eyebrows tend to be particular untidy, trim with small scissors and use eyebrow gel if you have to (makeup artists also swear by clear mascara).
blackmilkclothing.com
Good Eats
by Maria Eubanks
This is just an example of the many unique items you can find at a flea market. Who wouldn’t want this Tim Burton-esque statue?
MARIA EUBANKS
Superbowl Sunday is just around the corner. This year, on February 2, millions upon millions of people will attend parties and go out to bars, gathering around televisions to watch the much-anticipated Superbowl XLVIII game. But what else are these 111.3 million people—the estimated number of people who watched last year’s game—also doing? Eating! Some people are true die hard football fans, while others, if we’re being honest, really just show up to enjoy the great snacks. From chicken wings to chips and dip to football shaped desserts, Superbowl Sunday is the second highest day of food consumption in the United States after Thanksgiving, according to the USDA. At your Superbowl party this year, I’m sure there will be a variety of people with different types of palettes to satisfy. The best way to ensure all of your party guests are satisfied with your food selections is to keep it simple, keep it classic. Here, I share some great recipes for everything from sliders to wings to that perfect guacamole. Be careful though—your party guests might snatch up these snacks before kick off!
Cheeseburger Slider What You Need: 1 ½ pounds ground beef 1 ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt ½ teaspoon pepper 4 slices of cheese (of your choice) 4 rolls or mini burger buns
What to Do:
1. Divide meat into 4 equal portions, molding each portion into a round mound 2. Lightly flatten the top and bottom of the mounds until they are to your desired thickness (thinner patties cook more quickly). Insider tip: When shaping, be sure to leave a small indentation in the center to ensure the burger cooks through out and stays flat 3. Heat grill or skillet to medium-high fire 4. Season the patties on one side and place that side down on the grill or skillet, cooking until slightly charred on the bottom 5. Season the top, uncooked side and grill until slightly charred as well 6. Add cheese of your choice and continue cooking to your desired doneness 7. Cut rolls if needed, add patty, and serve!
Buffalo Wings
What You Need: 2 pounds chicken wings 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons butter 2 ½ tablespoons hot sauce (choose your favorite!)
What to Do:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees 2. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with plenty of vegetable oil to prevent sticking 3. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl
4. Add the chicken and toss it around until it is fully coated. Insider tip: Instead of using a bowl, you can throw everything in a Ziploc bag, seal carefully, and shake! 5. Lay the coated chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet 6. Bake the chicken for about 45 minutes, turning it a few times until it has browned 7. Melt the butter and mix it with the hot sauce in a bowl 8. Toss the chicken wings in the bowl of hot sauce & butter (or use the shake-method again—always be careful to seal the bag tightly!) 9. Serve. Eat. Lick Fingers!
Guacamole
What You Need: 3 avocados 2 tomatoes 2 limes, squeezed for juice ½ jalapeño pepper 1 tablespoon cilantro ½ onion ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or three cloves fresh garlic, minced)
What to Do:
1. Halve, seed, and peel the avocados 2. Place in a large bowl and coat with lime juice from one lime 3. Add the salt, cumin, cayenne, and garlic and mash with a potato masher or with a mortar and pestle 4. Dice the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro and fold into the previous mix 5. Add the juice from the second lime, mix, and serve with chips! 23
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Tastevin Magazine
You’ve had a fascinating career path. How did your career as an awardwinning international journalist turn into one as a romantic thriller novelist? Kitty Pilgrim In my 24 years as a journalist, I had the great privilege of being able to travel constantly and report about different places in the world. Because I was covering news for so many decades, there were many details about locations that never went into the broadcast. I always felt that was a shame that so much was left out because the essence of a location is in the culture: food, customs, climate, and lifestyle details. As a novelist, I am now able to include those elements in my story. In many ways, I feel the job of reporter and novelist is the same. I still travel and write about the places I visit, but now the final product is a fictitious romantic mystery instead of a newscast. TM Why fiction? KP Journalists spend a lot of time on airplanes, and I was always a great consumer of fiction during the hours spent in travel. I would usually grab a paperback in the airport on the way to my flight. At the end of a tiring day, escapist thrillers, mysteries, and light romances were a wonderful way to unwind and forget the cares of the world. I particularly
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like novels that put the reader in an exotic locale with lots of atmosphere. So when I started writing my novels, I wanted to include all the elements that I enjoyed the most: glamour, food, music, art, fashion, and exploration. TM What was the most surprising difference between journalism and fiction writing? KP As a journalist, I often had to cover difficult, disturbing, and upsetting events. It certainly was important work, but it took an emotional toll. I often felt that some of the fatigue at the end of the day was due to the stress of seeing hardship and tragedy on a global scale. The great joy of being a novelist is now I can pick my own subjects and locations—and I often select happy, positive themes. This career switch is almost too perfect to describe. If I want to go to a beautiful, charming place like Monaco or the South of France, I can put that location in the next novel. Or if I want to explore a topic like Egyptology—as I did in The Stolen Chalice—I have the perfect excuse to fly to Cairo. In addition, my characters often give me permission to try new things. For example, I recently got certified for SCUBA in order to write more underwater scenes for my marine scientist character, Cordelia. TM Reading the pages of your two novels is
COURTESY OF NANCY SELTZER & ASSOCIATES, INC.
ormer CNN news anchor turned acclaimed author Kitty Pilgrim leads the life of the adventurer. From visiting all-time favorite cities like Venice to venturing to within the remote Arctic Circle, Pilgrim certainly does live up to her name. In her two page-turning novels, The Explorer’s Code and The Stolen Chalice, one just needs to cozy up in an armchair to escape to the deserts of Egypt or the glamorous coastline of Monaco. Arts and Leisure Editor Mollie McKenzie sits down with Pilgrim to chat about her passion for travel, history, and culture—as well as the next installation for the series’ beloved characters, Cordelia Stapleton and John Sinclair.
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CAROL SEITZ
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like stepping into a gilded museum. Your eyes just drink up the descriptions. What drew you to writing about art and history? KP I adore history, and art is the tangible manifestation of culture. Sometimes, art is the only visible thing we have of a great society that is no longer here, like the ancient Egyptians or the ancient Greeks. I live only a few blocks from the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, so art seeps into my writing because of proximity. I can stand up from my writing desk at any time and totally immerse myself in another era. I often wander through the Renaissance collections, or the Ancient Roman galleries. Room after room of gorgeous art is at my doorstep: period furniture, American paintings, Chinese porcelain, and French bronze sculpture… Art objects inspire me. I think my readers appreciate vivid descriptions and beauty. Not everyone can get to a museum often. Art helps to create a beautiful, escapist novel, and I like to bring that experience to my readers. After all, we read novels for pleasure. TM Do you have a favorite period of history or art? KP I go through phases. When I was eight years old, I loved the Edwardian era in London because I was reading Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries series. At fifteen, I was obsessed with the Middle Ages and the Unicorn Tapestries. At eighteen, I was intrigued with Tudor England and the rise of Elizabeth I. This history hopping still persists in my adult years. I dabble in different eras and societies. The Explorer’s Code talks about the great discoveries in polar exploration. The Stolen Chalice looks at the artifacts recovered during the first organized explorations of Egypt. My taste in art is always evolving. I seek out new interesting objects almost every day. Many of these things turn up in my novels. TM Destinations play a big part in your novels to the point that each chapter is titled a different location. How do you choose these places? KP This is pure self-indulgence. After many
years of being a reporter, I decided to put myself on assignment. So now I go wherever I want, instead of where I have been sent. I try to indulge my own fantasies when it comes to picking a location. The high arctic near the North Pole during polar night, Paris and the Luxembourg Garden, an opera at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the archaeological excavation at Ephesus. I try to give my readers a fivestar trip filled with luxury and beauty whenever they pick up one of my books. TM Out of all the places you’ve visited, which one is your favorite? KP It is impossible to pick a favorite destination. Certain activities in certain locales evoke great feelings of joy: sailing out on the ocean on a foggy day off the coast of Maine, driving along in the sunshine on the Côte d’Azur, dogsledding in the Norwegian Arctic, eating a hearty meat pie in historic Edinburgh, having a nice gin and tonic in a chic bar in London, riding a horse in Jackson Hole Wyoming on a beautiful fall day, taking a trans-Atlantic voyage on an ocean liner… The list is endless. TM The main characters in your novels live a life of luxury and indulgence, yet the profession of archaeology is often unglamorous and underpaid. What was your reason behind this? KP I think the pursuit of archaeology is incredibly romantic. I made John Sinclair an archaeologist because, as the hero of the novel, he has to have the vision and wisdom of the ages in order to defeat the bad guys. His character has a sense of history, and he has to be aware of the great ancient philosophies in order for him to succeed in his epic struggles. What other profession communes with history on a daily basis? In the opening scene of The Explorer’s Code, Sinclair is on his hands and knees, literally breathing in the dust of the past. I love the simplicity of that kind of life. With a small brush, we sweep away the passage of time and look back to another civilization. What could be more romantic than that! TM In your novels, how much is based on fact and how much is fiction?
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KP
My novels are unabashedly escapist. They are meant for a rainy afternoon, a cup of tea, and a box of chocolates. That said, I also strive to inform my readers and call my particular approach to writing novels “fact-based fiction.” I research my subjects assiduously for the highest possible accuracy. I travel to the locations in the books in order to describe them with vivid detail. I also interview experts and scientists for the latest information on topics in the books. So, for example, when I write about the decoding of the genome for the 1918 pandemic, I have talked to virologists about this subject. When I include the CAT scan of an ancient mummy, I have gone along with a team of Egyptologists to a hospital to view the procedure. At the end of the day I would like my novels to inform as well as entertain. TM The Stolen Chalice is the sequel to your first novel, The Explorer’s Code. What was the most rewarding facet in writing a series? KP I love Sinclair and Cordelia. Sinclair is an archaeologist—“Earth”—and Cordelia is an oceanographer—“Water.” By being diametric opposites of two essential elements, I open up a host of locations and settings. I honestly cannot wait to find new places for them to explore. The challenge of continuing the series is the relationship has to evolve. In that respect I have to let each character grow as a person—difficult terrain for any novelist. TM In The Stolen Chalice, terrorism plays a central role in the conflict, with Egypt as the setting of the climax. Did you encounter any difficulties when researching? KP I started researching Egypt just before the uprising in Tahrir Square and had to postpone my research trip three times, waiting for the political climate to calm. Finally I went to Cairo and found I could not have picked a more turbulent time—American NGO workers were detained and put on trial while I was there with my cameraman. It was an incredibly tense period, and I found conditions to be difficult. Nonetheless, we managed to
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visit many places of historic interest and photograph some of the beautiful tombs, which are now in my book-videos on my website—I often shoot videos of my locations to give my readers something visual to enjoy after they have read the book. In regard to terrorism, it was a subject that I often covered during my news career. I reported during the 9-11 attack in New York and covered quite a few domestic terrorism incidents. Random acts of terror are a scourge on our modern society. When selecting a villain for The Stolen Chalice, the anarchist-terrorist seemed an apt choice. TM Is there a third adventure in store for Sinclair and Cordelia? KP The third book in the series is completed and is with my agent. It involves Sinclair and Cordelia again, and the general exploration theme is volcanoes. I am currently researching the fourth book in the series, which involves the marine sciences, with the intention of developing Cordelia a bit more for my readership. Kitty Pilgrim’s second novel, The Stolen Chalice, is newly available as a paperback edition. Find her novels at Amazon.com.
e d a M 30 Tastevin Magazine January 2014
by Emily Van Guilder
D I Y Wooden Crate Hanging Shelf Having just moved to a new city and a relatively small apartment, I’d been struggling with finding ways to creatively store all of my bathroom products. Since my bathroom contains exactly one drawer and one very narrow medicine cabinet, I was hard pressed to find space for everything. As a result, I devised a way to utilize empty wall space and save money at the same time by making my own set of shelves. Note: you definitely do NOT need to be a master carpenter to do this craft – trust me.
Supplies Needed:
EMILY VAN GUILDER
3 or more medium size wooden crates You can purchase them unfinished at most craft stores Craft paint of any color Wood specific or Martha Stewart brand recommended Sponge brush Smaller sized painter’s brush Sandpaper Optional: power sander Hammer Small-med sized nails At least 8 nails/3 crates Larger nails for hanging At least 6 nails/3 crates Level
If your crates are unfinished, as mine were, you’re going to have to thoroughly sand down all surfaces.
I
II Arrange crates into the shelf shape you desire. I went for a more asymmetrical look, as I wanted both horizontal and vertical shaped sections.
III
Carefully nail your crates together, one at a time. Try to slightly angle the nails into the wood and avoid nailing too close to edges as you might cause splitting
Paint at least two coats of desired color.
Note: be sure to cover all 4 sides of every slat and every nook and cranny. It will be noticeable if the undersides are unpainted since your crates are designed to hang.
Using your level, mark off where the wall nails will go. I advise using extra nails to support every section (just in case).
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Crafter’s Notes: If you’re tempted to try more advanced paint design techniques, my advice is to be very wary. Since there are a lot of little hard to reach surfaces everywhere, it’s difficult to universally apply a specialized technique to your shelves. The easiest customizable option would be to use stencils across the largest slats. 33
Italy By Blake Davidson
Ink blue calm as sound waves cleave the still afternoon air in two. And an absence of thought melts them away just as quickly as they appeared. The sun on my bare face is all that I can hope for on a day like today. But it is all that need. That cool Aegean breeze smells of onion rings and car alarms. And I’d dive right into the concrete sea if the sky weren’t a perfect shade of white. Today my body is beautiful with all its freckles. And my little brain is full of memories that are as glorious as a ’92 Honda Civic rolling slowly down the road.
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To Be a Bouncer Photo does not depict bouncer featured in article.
W
STOCKIMAGES / FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET
hat is it really like to be a bouncer at the hottest clubs in Las Vegas? We talked to a bouncer from the TAO Group to get the scoop. Our bouncer friend chose to remain anonymous, but he dishes on the parties, the men, and all those Vegas women! Most of the time my job is a lot of fun since we’re essentially paid to attend a great party every night. There are some definite perks to the job, like hundreds of beautiful women coming in and occasionally getting to meet and talk to our favorite celebrities or athletes. We also get to be right at the stage for a lot of live music performances with some of the world’s top DJs. All those things considered, it can still be a tough - and often thankless - job. Most of the times, when we have to kick someone out for being overly intoxicated, we’re doing it for their own safety to make sure they don’t injure themselves or get taken advantage of, but of course, they never see it that way. Also, it’s a pretty well-known fact that it is hard for groups of only guys to get into a club unless they pay for table service. Most of us don’t take joy in having to turn these guys away; we know they just want to have a good time like us when we go out with our own friends. The thing they don’t understand is that if we let in every group that wanted to get in, in addition to the groups of guys that pay for table service, there would be four or five guys for every one girl. And that’s no fun for anyone! Our jobs are dependent on customers coming back, so even when someone is causing problems - whether they’re intoxicated, in a group of all guys, or not wearing club attire - we have to deal with the problem tactfully. Some people don’t even realize they’re being obnoxious at times, so just pulling them aside for a quick chat can resolve the issue. Other times, we have to put the needs of the many
before the needs of the few, and even though we know we’re ruining a person’s night by kicking them out, it makes the atmosphere more enjoyable for the rest of the crowd. Believe it or not, every once in a while, someone we kick out one night will come back with a clear mind the next day and apologize for their behavior. Sometimes other guys can be intimidated by my job. You tell someone you’re a bouncer and they think that means you’re beating people up in the back alley or that you’re just some dumb meathead. The truth is, just like in any group, there are a lot of different personalities, and some of us are the nicest guys you’ll ever meet - as long as you don’t cross us! Then other times when you tell guys you’re a bouncer, you get the other end of the spectrum where guys see us as a chance to prove how tough they are and will look to start a fight with us. The main problem with that idea is that bouncers always have backup just a radio call away. As far as women go, some girls are impressed by my job, while others just pretend to be so they can take advantage of the perks they know we can get. Some guys who work in the industry take advantage of the easily impressed - or even trade off favors with women. It’s one of those things where it sometimes can be hard to develop real connections with people because the majority of the women we meet are here for just a few days. Every now and then, though, you do get to meet some quality girls that might be impressed by your job or might just really like how you present yourself at the job, and they’re worth getting to know better and you stay friends even after they leave Las Vegas. I first wanted to be a bouncer because I figured it would be a fun job, and I was right. Most of the time it doesn’t even feel like work. I know eventually I’ll need a more serious job, but for now I’m enjoying the bouncer’s life!
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While L’Wren Scott is paired with a rock star known for quintessential male sexuality (read as: Mick Jagger), Scott has a feminine energy that’s her very own. In Banana Republic’s latest collaboration, the designer showcases playful shapes to bring out the girlishness in even the most tomboyish of us all. Caroline A. Wong samples the collection and shares how to spin a simple—yet glamorous—L’Wren tee into something super versatile. Photos by Alexander Herman
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W
ith silver sequins and red beading peppered throughout, there’s no question that American designer L’Wren Scott had her female clientele in mind when designing her line for Banana Republic’s holiday collaboration. But the amazingly versatile pieces—all with Banana Republic’s high standards of quality—can be styled for work or for play. This is a collection worth checking out.
Work
To make a casual printed tee work-appropriate, throw it under a blazer—as we all know. However, keep it 2014 by choosing a skirt with peekaboo cutouts (as shown) or a sheer underlay. Just make sure any sheer panels are cleverly placed (i.e. at the bottom of the hem, not where your undies can peek out). Heels are good for a formal office, but creative types can opt for chunky lace-up pumps for contrast.
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Tee, L’Wren Scott for Banana Republic, $40 (worn throughout). Blazer, Banana Republic, $200. Skirt, DailyLook, $45. Black pumps with gold accents, Christian Siriano for Payless, $40. Leather saddle bag, Coach, $300. Bar earring and rings, editor’s own (worn throughout).
Play
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Baroque bandage circle skirt, Endless Rose, $60. “Katrice” bandage booties, Beau+Ashe, $60. Black baTastevin Magazine January roque cuff, H&M, $15.
Holiday parties don’t end in December! Keep up the festive spirit this month by throwing a tee under a metallic skirt—extra points for playing off the shine of the tee’s print. The dramatic shape of a flared bottom ups the ante on what could be a boring shirt. Not a skirt kind of girl? If you really want to celebrate our MANuary issue, opt for black wideleg trousers instead of the skirt. Just add some extra sparkle up top with a crystal cocktail necklace! 2014
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Share Your Where Manchester
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By Amanda Chi
AMANDA CHI
n celebration of our Manuary issue, Amanda Chi takes the train to Manchester, England. I must admit that one of my favorite, go-to, feel good movies is Bend it Like Beckham. It’s about an Indian girl, Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra, whose passion for football— or soccer, for the American folks—clashes with her family’s traditional expectations for career and marriage. I may not be a die-hard football fan, but I love the movie enough to remember Jess’s line, “Anyone can cook aloo gobi, but who can bend a ball like Beckham?” Whether or not you’re a football fan, most have either heard of David Beckham, his underwear line for H&M, or his wife, formerSpice Girl Victoria Beckham. Watching Bend it Like Beckham was probably the first time I heard of Beckham, not being a huge soccer fan. But during my travels in the UK, I had to visit Manchester, where Beckham started his professional club football career with Manchester United. In the movie, if you look closely at Jess while she’s trying out for the Hounslow Harriers, she wears Beckham’s #7 Manchester United jersey. So, with only a preconceived knowledge of Beckham and basic American soccer, I decided to take a tour of Manchester not only to soak in its famed football culture, but also to explore the diverse quarters that makes it one of the UK’s most cosmopolitan cities. Getting around Manchester can be quite straightforward as long as you’ve got a handy map. I found the whole city to be extremely manageable on foot, but for those who feel that walking is a bit much, there are three Metroshuttles that run through the center free of charge and winding through several of Manchester’s districts, each having a personality and feel of its own. As any cosmopolitan city, Manchester embraces its
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diversity and history from the food of Chinatown to the art of the Northern Quarter to the nightlife of the Gay Village. Walking through each district, I stopped off at some of the most historic buildings and nipped into local cafes. The great thing about Manchester is that it has a little
“ If you love Beckham, Manchester is definitely a must see!“
bit of everything without the city being overwhelmingly big. My first stop after getting out of the Piccadilly rail station was Chinatown. Located near Piccadilly Gardens, it boasts itself as the third largest Chinatown in Europe. Aside from the blocks of restaurants and supermarkets, Chinatown also houses the Manchester Art Gallery, famous for its 19th century British art. Just a block down from the museum is the gothic-style Town Hall with its impressive clock tower. I was lucky enough to wander through the multiple Christmas markets that covered Albert Square. Stalls selling sausages, glühwein mulled wine, ornaments and fur wares are scattered throughout almost every square in Manchester. One of my favorite things about the city is the stark contrast between the old and the new. Many of Manchester’s Victorian Neogothic architecture survived the postindustrial period and remain standing as a functioning city hall, church, and library. The towering Town Hall gives the city a majestic
feeling, with gorgeous architecture both outside and in. Being a bit of a bookworm, I particularly enjoyed the John Rylands Library. Its dark brick façade may not look as impressive as the Town Hall, but this Neogothic style library houses antique collector’s books that are centuries old and can only be handled by setting up an appointment. The current 13th century Boccaccio display makes you appreciate the beautiful detail and care that went into producing books and may just compel you to read the Decameron. Just north of the library is the Manchester Cathedral, which visually differentiates itself from the Selfridges department store and the three-storied Zara located down and across the street. Such a historic 13th century structure located in the Central Retail District shows the city’s fascinating juxtaposition without the differences becoming too blurred. Feeling like popping out of the cold for a bit of shopping? Manchester’s Arndale shopping center has over 240 stores, not including the UK department stores. And if shopping on a weekend becomes a bit too crowded for your taste, definitely make your way over to the Northern Quarter. Walking through this district had a more post-industrial and local feel with its grim brick buildings and lack of skyscrapers. Known for its Craft & Design Centre, it houses many local artists who create anything from prints to ceramics to pewter to jewelry. As it’s definitely calmer than the bustling Retail Center, the Northern Quarter is a nice place to get away, enjoy art, check out the trendy cafes, and maybe stop by the Buddhist center for a yoga class. But if you’re in the mood for something more sport-filled and action-packed, Manchester is the place to be! Not only is it home to one of the most recognized football teams, Manchester United, but the city also houses the National Football Museum. This free museum contains football memorabilia throughout 125 years of the sport, not just in Manchester, but also throughout England.
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Here, I saw old jerseys, famous wins, and the evolution of the football itself. And if the museum isn’t enough to satisfy your football enthusiasm, you can take the tram to the Old Trafford stadium of the Manchester United team. It may cost you a little extra to visit the stadium, but if you’re like Jess and you love the sport or love Beckham, it’s definitely a must see! So if you’re looking to travel to more eclectic cities in the UK, catch one of the many trains to Manchester and don’t be afraid to ask for directions. Several Northerners were nice enough to ask if I needed help, as I must’ve looked puzzled, walking around aimlessly with a map in my hands. Manchester may not be as big as London, but it’s got everything for the shoppers, the foodies, the partygoers, and, especially, the diehard football fans.
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blackmilkclothing.com
Share Your Wear
COURTESY OF VINKMEDIA
The Perfect Pair from The Left Shoe Company
Shoes are one of the most important articles of clothing that you can put on. Not only can they take an outfit to the next level, but they’re also essential—even required—for living a functional life. After all, no shoes, no service! Just as no two people have the same fingerprint, every one has unique feet. So why purchase a mass produced pair, hoping it fits correctly, when you can have a pair that’s made specifically for you? That’s the question that The Left Shoe Company answers with their custom creations. Founded in Helsinki in 1998, The Left Shoe Company was brought stateside after Gordon
By Rosie Ryan
Clune became fascinated with the state-of-the-art technology used to create the perfect-fitting pair of high quality shoes. He learned their methods and opened the Los Angeles flagship location. Enter the LA location, and attentive shoe connoisseurs will do a digital foot scan, which takes a perfect 360-degree picture of your feet and captures hundreds of measurements to calculate volume as well other dimensions. Then, you can select your desired shoe style from a wide variety of options, from loafers to boat shoes. There’s also the choice to personalize your pair further with different leathers and suede color or even an in51
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scription in the heel. Once done selecting, master craftsmen in their European factories turn your shoe dream into your shoe reality.
We chatted with Clune to find out more about the inner workings of the company.
Tastevin Magazine Why should men—or anyone
for that matter—get customized shoes?
Clune You get incredible fit and the benGordon
efits that come with that, which [include] comfort and happier, healthier feet. There’s also the ability for customization in terms of style, color, material, and more. TM To what kind of men do you target your styles? GC Men with a sense of fashion, but who also want a beautifully made shoe from the finest materials. Men who appreciate quality and the advantages [provided by] technology wedded with fine craftsmanship. Men with style who know what they want and therefore [have] the ability to customize their shoes in terms of style, leather, stitching, sole, and the personal inscription. TM How long did it take to develop the technology behind the company? GC The technology began in 1998 and has been evolving since then. Improvements in scanning and on the software side are constantly evolving. The company continues to invest to keep on the forefront of technology. TM What was it like coming up with the scanner? GC It came in a series of steps: developing the hardware, the photo imaging technology, the software development—which has accelerated quite rapidly and enabled the ability to capture the imaging in real time—and integrating these advanced technology measurements into the supply chain. Feet are unique. Developing the technology to map the nuances of every foot to make made-tomeasure shoes for individuals has its difficulties. TM What qualities did you look for when choosing a shoe artisan? GC We selected a manufacturer with 75 years of building only leather men’s dress shoes—in the same family, third generation—with an eagerness
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to introduce new technology into the process to compliment their tradition of hand craftsmanship. TM With such great craftsmen building the shoes, we’re sure there must be a most popular style. Care to share? GC The Lapo. It’s made from a single piece of box calf leather, and it is a comfortable Italian designed shoe! For your own custom pair, visit LeftShoeCompany. com or visit the Los Angeles flagship at 8473D Melrose Avenue.
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FITNESS + FASHIO
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ON + FUNCTION
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Where to Buy 1 Forever 21 Menswear-Inspired Blazer: $30 on forever21.com 2 Women Brimmed Hat: $20 on uniqlo.com 3 Topshop Milla Lace Up Shoes: $50 on topshop.com 4 Darma Back Detail Flare Blouse With Leather: $198 on aliveandolivia.com 5 Aerosoles Finish Line Leather Ankle Boots: $99 on lordandtaylor.com 6 Fossil Watch (similar styles available): $90-$150 on macys.com 7 Smith Street Plain Bow Tie (comes with pocket hanky): $29 on theiconic.com.au 8 Vintage Inspired Classic Glasses: $4 on amazon.com 9 Leather City Bag With Pocket And Zips: $179 on zara.com 10 Monochrome Coat: $328 on missiny.com
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Veritas Vytas His time on the twenty-seventh season of CBS’s Survivor was dominated by host Jeff Probst’s inquiries about his relationship with his brother, but he’s out to show that his life is so much more than those few weeks in the Philippines. Caroline A. Wong gets down to the truth of Vytas Baskauskas. Photos by Alexander Herman
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Vytas Baskauskas emerges from a steamy yoga studio in Santa Monica amidst a milling crowd of his students soaked with sweat. He walks with the ease of one comfortable with himself and with his surroundings. Guess that’s what yoga can do for you. It’s later, though, when I sit down with Baskauskas, 33, in his home to talk about what it’s like being a male yogi and about that brother rivalry highlighted on Survivor: Blood vs. Water, that I realize that he maintains that same self-assured ease even outside of his yoga-studio element. Even when he commands his Rhodesian Ridgeback, Kaya, to back away from sniffing at our crew’s lighting equipment, it’s clear who’s the master of the house. But behind Baskauskas’s confidence lurks a raw candidness about the ways in which reality television does—and doesn’t—affect its participants. “It was an interesting experience,” Baskauskas says of the month and a half he spent in the Philippines for filming. “We’re on a remote island…completely cut off from the grid. It was fantastic. [But] as soon as [the show] went to the background of my mind, all of a sudden, then the premiere was happening. Millions of people were watching me every week. It’s almost like I got to experience Survivor twice—in person and on television.” The duality was not necessarily cathartic, however, and Baskauskas shares, “It’s not like I got famous from [being on the show], but I did get recognized a lot. And…all people really wanted to talk with me about was Survivor.” In an age where most people are looking to capitalize on their fame—for example, Snooki’s multiple book deals, Lauren Conrad’s fashion lines, and don’t even get me started on the Kardashian empire—Baskauskas is a refreshing opposite. “You know, I love my life. I’m not looking to parlay [my television appearance] into anything else. I love teaching yoga. I’m a math professor part time as well. I’m really just happy doing those things.” With such a zen-like attitude about
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life, it’s hard to remember that Baskauskas appeared on one of the most quintessential backstabbing shows. How did his yoga practice help inform his game? “The style of yoga I practice is a lot about training the body, but it’s mostly about training my mind. Survivor’s a game that’s very mentally taxing. People get really paranoid. You constantly have to be aware, and that’s what yoga is—about creating awareness, creating mindfulness. So I was fortunate enough to have a strong mind going out there.” While Baskauskas might have received criticism for being a yoga instructor on a show celebrating the supposed opposite tenants of yoga peacefulness, he believes that yoga didn’t take away from his ability to manipulate and backstab on the show as much as the show didn’t take away from his ability to remain true to his practice. “I enjoy playing the game. I enjoy calculating all the time. I enjoy those facets when you’re constantly running numbers and thinking six moves ahead. I like that stuff. But I wasn’t a prisoner to it. When I just wanted to take a moment and just enjoy the paradise that I was in or enjoy a sunset or sunrise or a night by the fire with friends, I was able to do that.” He does concede that he wasn’t “perfect and Namaste the whole time out there.” One moment might be when he tricked his brother, Aras, 31, into showing him mercy at a wrestling-type competition, only to lunge at him when Aras’s back was turned. “I was actually surprised by how much raw emotion I expressed out there. I don’t really wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m not that kind of guy. All of a sudden, you don’t sleep a few nights, you don’t eat a few meals, and the emotion is just so raw. So for me, when I gave my brother a cheap shot in the competition, I was kind of shocked.” Baskauskas maintains that the sibling rivalry angle was organic. “Everything that happened between Aras and I was authentic. It was real. We didn’t play anything up for the cameras.” The tumultuous relationship between
the Baskauskas brothers is more deep-seated than their appearance on Survivor: Blood vs. Water. Baskauskas revealed on the show how his connection with Aras had been affected by Baskauskas’s heroin addiction and resultant stint in jail. After he got out of prison in 2000, Baskauskas did not seek out yoga on his own. “Some friends of mine from high school— these girls—kept bugging me to try yoga, and I was completely adamant. I [thought], ‘There’s no way I’m gonna do that tie-dyed hippie tofu friggin’ chakra bullshit.’ It was not for me. But I did hear that yoga was good for back pain, and my back hurt, so I was like, alright, I’m gonna try yoga.”
“Men don’t need any extra masculine energy at this point in our evolution as a society.”
Baskauskas describes his transition as a male into a female-dominated practice as a relatively easy one. “I was fortunate enough to be introduced to a teacher who was very down to earth. He wasn’t really new age-y, and I connected with him on that level. He was a guys’ guy. And he was a guys’ guy who taught yoga. [With him, yoga] didn’t have to be something that was so esoteric and ethereal that I didn’t connect with it.” But his dedication to the practice wasn’t purely innocent. “The first four years I was doing yoga, twice a week was my thing. Aras starting doing yoga because he saw me practicing...and when Aras started doing yoga, he started doing it every day. [There was] just something about how he was doing it so much—yoga was my thing. I wasn’t gonna let him one up [me] and start doing yoga more! Doing yoga more…wasn’t for that positive of a reason. It was more for a competitive reason, but it doesn’t matter the
reason—I just started doing yoga more. And I realized how it was much more than just a physical practice.” As a yoga instructor at YogaWorks and Power Yoga East, both in Santa Monica, Baskauskas can be seen as an expert of sorts in his field. I ask him to speculate why the practice is so female-dominant. “What came first, the chicken or the egg? Yoga really is…” He pauses, thinking. “The physical part of yoga— even in a class like mine, which is one of the most challenging classes in LA—is supposed to be non-competitive. Naturally, I think, men are drawn more to ways of exercise that are a little more aggressive. You know, if you think about Gold’s Gym, if you think about the weight room, if you think about guys working out together and competing with each other and working hard—I get it. It’s fun to compete. Having a healthy competition, like I have with my brother, is good sometimes. “But yoga wants us to avoid that competition, to cultivate more of an acceptance of where we’re at. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we can’t work on ourselves…but I think that, just some of the self-acceptance, taking away the competitive nature, the holistic part of the practice—I think those are more feminine ideals than masculine ideals…” Here, Baskauskas almost seems to struggle with answering the question, one of the first cracks in his near-perfect confidence. “I think when men have an hour and a half to take time aside, they’d much more be interested in—for the most part—playing sports or lifting weights or sort of getting to let some of that masculine energy out. When, in reality, I think that our society is already masculine enough. If you look at how our world is built, we already have so much [masculinity] in the corporate world and in politics. I think that men don’t need any extra masculine energy at this point in our evolution as a society and that we would all benefit from a little bit of softness and a little bit of acceptance.” Has the tenet of acceptance seeped
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“I don’t really wear my heart on my sleeve. I’m not that kind of guy. All of a sudden, you don’t sleep a few nights, you don’t eat a few meals, and the emotion is just so raw.”
into his relationship with Aras? “I mean, we’re brothers. We’re really close in age. We’re always going to be competitive. We’re always going to have that healthy rivalry.” Baskauskas admits, “I think what we learned from Survivor was that we can bring each other up and laugh about it when we lose, instead of making it a negative thing.” In the two weeks that the brothers shared in seclusion as jury members on Ponderosa, they were able to bond. “I will say that we left the Philippines closer than we’d ever been. We were so close when we left the Philippines. And then we got back to LA, and you know…we have our lives. He lives a block away from me, but we don’t see each other as much.” So the show didn’t completely revolutionize the brotherhood? “It’s been fourteen years of trying to get a good relationship. It [has been] baby steps, baby steps, baby steps. This was just, like, a nice big step forward.” So what’s next for Baskauskas? More yoga? More Survivor? “If I were to get asked back to play Survivor, I would go again in a heartbeat. If lightning strikes twice, I’ll take it.” But the reality-star life isn’t really something that Baskauskas craves. “I’m happy to go back to my life. I love teaching yoga every single day. I love my students. I connect with them. I get a lot out of what I do. I don’t need to create any sort of big change there. So, I mean, I’m happy. I got a great experience. Life moves on. But whatever change is going to come, I embrace it.”
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AVAILABLE NOW! Get it on the iTunes store or at www.jaydentonmusic.com
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Something Sweet The Bachelor may be indulgent, but in its most ideal state, it celebrates a man’s journey to find love. This month kicks off the eighteenth season, featuring fanfavorite Juan Pablo Galavis. Check it out Monday nights on ABC!
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