East, West - Which is Best?

Advantages: Interesting, dramatic, good characterisation, authentic feel for the GDR
Disadvantages: Rather unbelievable middle section

...I borrowed West of the Wall by Marcia Preston from our local library, after reading a review on Dooyoo, which inspired me to seek it out. I have always been fascinated by Eastern Europe and this novel is set in Berlin, just after the Wall divides the East and West. I spent three weeks in East Berlin in 1989, just a few months before the Wall came down, so I was looking forward to immersing myself in the 1960s and to get a feeling of life then in this city. The novel began really well. I was soon caught up in the absorbing story. It centres on a woman called Trudy Hulst, who is the wife of a political activist called Rolf and the mother of a young son called Stefan. Rolf soon has to escape to the West as he is in fear of his life, so Trudi is left in the East with her son and her ageing mother-in-law Gisela. It is not long before...

KarenUK 10.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of West of the Wall - Marcia Preston

East or west?

Advantages: Funny, well-written
Disadvantages: Some apparently find it anti-Islam and racist

......

sunmeilan 11.05.2008 · Read review
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Review of East Is East (DVD)

Far-East meets Mid-West

Advantages: Delicious Thai cuisine and traditional village pub all rolled into one
Disadvantages: Portions rather on the small side. Quite expensive.

...Thai ingredients and recipes are used. Evidently some British served Thai food leans towards dishes from China or South-east Asian, and cannot really be described as genuine Thai. Mudita is a founder member of the Thai Restaurant Association, which promotes authentic Thai food in Britain. She also teaches Thai cooking and has even produced a video called Simply Thai. As a side note, the pub is also the base for a charitable trust called The Mudita Trust, which helps prevent child prostitution and abuse in Thailand. Ten percent of all the pub profits are sent back to Thailand, so eating there is also doing your bit for charity too. THAI FOOD Thai food has become increasingly popular in the West in recent years. For those of you unfamiliar with Thai cookery, let me briefly explain what you can expect on a typical Thai menu...

Bollinger28 21.02.2009 (22.02.2009) · Read review
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Review of Nava Thai Restaurant, Stedham, West Sussex

East Is East

Advantages: Performance. Story.
Disadvantages: None

...East Is East was released in 1999, and its a comedy movie. It is based on a play by Ayub Khan & directed by Damien 0'Donnell. The movie revolves around a Pakistani British Family. Cast: Om Puri (As George Khan) Linda Bassett (As Ella Khan) Jordan Routledge (As Sajid Khan) Raji James (As Abdul Khan) Chris Bisson (As Saleem Khan) Emil Marwah (As Maneer Khan) Jimi Mistry (As Tariq Khan) Ian Aspinall (As Nazir Khan) Archie Panjabi (Meenah Khan) Lesley Nicol (Aunt Annie) Plot : The movie is set in 1970's, George Khan who is settled in Salford near Manchester and is married to a British Woman Ella, they have seven children (Six Boys & One Girl), George & Ella runs a Fish & Chips shop near their house. Annie also helps Ella as she is her friend. George is very dominating & wants everyone to live the life as he wants them...

majeedkazi 19.05.2008 (22.05.2008) · Read review
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Review of East Is East (DVD)

Go East!

Advantages: somewhere a bit different
Disadvantages: city boys & girls doing coke in the toilets

...Normally this section paragraph is where I write some witty (hopefully) mood setting babble, but this time, luckily for all of you review readers out there, there is no mood to set. So let's just get on with it, I am going to be reviewing Village East, it is where Snarf and I go when we can't be bothered to cook, or just want a quick drink, it is our closest drinking hole. Where is Village East? Village East is located on the fashionable Bermondsey Street, which is a very short walk from London Bridge Underground & Mainline station & about 5 mins from my front door. I have attached a map to help you all out. Why Should I go? There are plenty of reasons to be in this particular area of London, Village East is within a stones throw of many popular London attractions, such as Borough Market, The Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Tower...

tazzywazzy 24.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Village East, Bermondsey Street

  The Wilder West

Advantages: Unspoiled wilderness, fascinating sights and sites
Disadvantages: Persistent rainfall, persistent sandflies

...Having crossed the Southern Alps and reached the coast at Greymouth, you may be tempted to head south straight away. This is, after all, the direction in which the highest mountains, the deepest rainforest and the remotest tracts of wilderness are to be found. And if you haven't come to see mountains, forest and wilderness, you've come to the wrong place. Resist the temptation. First, cross the Grey River and take a small diversion up the coast to the north, just an hour's drive to the Paparoa National Park. You will thereby ensure that your first taste of the west coast is not the relatively drab and developed stretch immediately south of Greymouth (only relatively, since nothing along this coast is drab or developed by European standards). North of the Grey River the country is hardly touched, and the drive takes you round...

torr 21.04.2005 (29.09.2008) · Read review
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Review of West Coast & Glaciers (New Zealand)

East Midlands Airport

Advantages: Easily accessed, not too busy
Disadvantages: Not a huge range of destinations

...East Midlands Airport is a regional airport located in Castle Donington in Derbyshire. There are flights available to many European destinations, as well as Egypt, USA (Florida) and the Caribbean with charter airlines. I have flown from this airport many times and it is my favourite airport mainly due to it's location, ease of access and relaxed atmosphere. It is easily accessed by car from the M1 (Junction 23 and 23A) or the A50 which is the road I use when travelling from Staffordshire. I live around 50 miles from the airport but the A50 is a relatively quiet road so it's a nice 40 minute drive and I can start my holiday. I find it's easiest to travel to by car but there are local rail links and the airport can be reached from Loughborough, Derby and Nottingham railway stations, depending on where in the country you are...

tor0908 01.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of East Midlands Airport (EMA)

EAST IS EAST

Advantages: Funny, good direction, excellent cast, good story
Disadvantages: Some may find some scenes disturbing

...Introduction ~~ East is East is another good recent British film. And like the majority of other good recent British films East is East was made by Filmfour. East is East is set in Salford, near Bradford in the 70's and it focuses around the antics of the Khan family. George Khan, the father was born in Pakistan and by marrying Ella who is English he moves to England. Then him and his English wife Ella have seven children in Salford. But that's where the problems start; his children. They simply want to be English and do what English people their age do and choose who they marry. And with a big difference in opinions between George and the children big problems arise? Story ~~ If you read the script for East is East you would think of it as quite a serious and dark film and with the scenes of domestic violence it is quite dark...

Disillusioned 03.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of East Is East (DVD)

East meets West

Advantages: delicious cuisine and friendly staff
Disadvantages: not very intimate

...of culinary delights that awaited us in the way he did. The menu is very East meets West - California/Pacific Rim-inspired, with a few acknowledgements to Japanese cuisine. I had a starter of Dungeness Crab Cakes in a lobster cream sauce with mozzarella cheese, onion and Konbu seaweed followed by Grilled Honmaguro Tuna with spicy green Thai peppers, curry,yellow and red bell peppers, bamboo shoots and spinach. Both were delicate, beautifully presented and I would have had no room left for dessert if it wasn't for the staff finding out that we were there celebrating the last night of our honeymoon. With in a matter of moments, we were presented with a bottle of champagne and a "congratulatory" dessert that the kitchen had specially whipped up for us! The over-friendly staff might annoy you if you're expecting a quiet meal, but that...

kollarosie 01.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Stellato Restaurant

Where East met West

Advantages: It IS Berlin
Disadvantages: None

...the Unter den Linden to herald in the 1000 year Reich. Any semblance to an Arch of Peace was well and truly 'up the lum'. Fast forward a mere 12 years, and the gate became the new frontier between East and West, a chink in the Iron Curtain. It was actually incorporated into the Berlin Wall, although the only traces of that concrete monstrosity are some markers in the surrounding cobbles which follow the line of the wall. These days, it's probably the best-known landmark in Berlin, if not Germany, and has gone some way to regaining its primary role as a symbol of peace with the re-unification of Germany. So what is there to do there? Apart from looking at it, walking through it and posing for photos, you mean? Well, nothing really. Wait, don't go, I'm not finished yet! The Brandenburg Gate, or to give it its proper name...

proxam 10.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of Brandenburger Tor