All posts by roger

Daleks are scary again – review of Doctor Who Asylum of the Daleks

Entertainment, , , , , , , , ,

Doctor Who came blazing back on TV screens on Saturday 1 September and nearly 49 years after they first terrified the nation the Daleks returned to send kids scurrying for safety behind the sofa. <Click here to Tweet this

Review of Doctor Who Asylum of the Daleks
Movie Style Poster for Asylum of the Daleks

In nearly half a century successive production teams have treated the Daleks differently. What used to be a scary monster was often reduced to a figure of fun. Especially when exploiting the fact that all you need to do to escape from one is to run up the stairs.

When Russell T Davies revived the show in 2005 he had the metal maniacs flying and they became frightening again. Stairs were no longer a source of salvation from their exterminating excesses. But as the modern programme continued the Daleks became dull again. Too easily defeated. Always wiped out. Instead of fearing them children want to cuddle them. It’s okay to go to sleep with a toy Dalek in your bedroom.

With Asylum of the Daleks, current show runner Steven Moffat, has delivered a genuinely scary script. Humans infected by Dalek nanobots sprout eye stalks from their foreheads and guns from their wrists. Even the rotting skeletal corpses of dead humans rise and deploy their sinister appendages.

Review of Doctor Who Asylum of the Daleks

Deep within the gloomy shadows of the asylum, dormant cobweb covered Daleks raise the heart rate simply because they are immobile. We know they are going to move but which one first. These scenes drag you to the edge of your seat with tension. Maybe children will be putting their toys outside the bedroom after this adventure.

Matt Smith is totally at ease in the role in his third series, a darker Doctor but still flitting effortlessly between humour, sadness, anger and happiness. He develops a strong bond with Oswin, the girl in the red dress who is hiding out deep in the asylum. She guides him through the maze, opening doors and hacking into systems. When the Doctor finally finds her his face is one of complete desolation as he realises that she is in fact a Dalek after all. A Dalek still dreaming of the time it was still a human. And in that sadness is still loathing. Loathing of what she has become. What a strong moment in a stand out script.

Review of Doctor Who Asylum of the Daleks are scary again

But of course the big surprise is Oswin herself. Played by Jenna-Louise Coleman the BBC has promoted her as the Doctor’s new companion replacing Amy and Rory and that they will introduce her in the Christmas episode. So what is she doing here in the first episode of the new series when Amy and Rory’s story is still incomplete? And if she is a Dalek how is she going to become a companion?

As usual Steven Moffat messes with our minds and sets up many questions that we may or may not find answers to as the weeks go by.

Over to you:  Do you agree with this review of Doctor Who Asylum of the Daleks that the show made the monsters scary again? How will Oswin become the new companion if she has been blown to bits as the asylum exploded? Leave a comment. Let me know your thoughts.

Seven styles of Yoga you’ll find in UK Clubs, Community Centres and Private Studios – which is right for you?

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , ,

If you are thinking of trying Yoga you might be a little confused about all the different styles. On timetables in clubs you’ll see titles like Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa. On posters in community centres and private studios there’ll be words like Bikram and Ivengar.

The good news is that all of them are good for you. Doing any form of yoga tones and strengthens your body and can refresh your mind. You may find that it helps lower stress levels and improves your flexibility.

Yoga is about 5,000 years old and even though there are many different styles, all based on the same poses, each style has a different focus. Here then is a description of seven styles of Yoga you’ll find in UK Clubs, community centres, church halls and private studios.

Hatha Yoga: In actual fact most styles of Yoga have developed from Hatha Yoga, but if you see this style on a class timetable you can expect a gentle pace and a focus on breathing and maybe a little mediation and relaxation. It’s not too strenuous or difficult and as such is a great style for beginners.

seven styles of yoga
photo credit: gbSk via photo pin cc

Vinyasa Yoga: Expect to be constantly on the move and flowing directly from one pose into the next. You match breath to the flow of poses so you will find yourself inhaling in one position and exhaling in another. There may be more of a focus on the “sun salutation” here – 12 or more poses linked together into one sequence. More strenuous than Hatha Yoga you might find that this increases your stamina.

Ashtanga Yoga: In this style you’ll explore more of the “8 elements of Yoga” than the pose and breathing elements of the previous two. The pace is quite fast and there are many push-ups (the fabulously named Chaturanga Dandasana). This is definitely for fitter people looking to strengthen their bodies and improve their flexibility, but it can also allow you to get in touch with your spiritual side if you so wish. Ashtanga usually follows the same set of moves in every practice so you will know what to expect every time.

Power Yoga: This style is a modernised form of Ashtanga and can be just as tough if not more so. The main difference is that the teacher will follow different sequences in each class which means that there will be more variety of exercise. There may also be less or no emphasis on the more spiritual elements of Yoga here as well.

seven styles of yoga
photo credit: gbSk via photo pin cc

Iyengar Yoga: The emphasis here is on bodily alignment and precision in the poses. Expect to use blocks, straps and even towels to help achieve the moves which are often held for long periods of time. This is another good style of Yoga for beginners precisely because of the focus on technique. And you’ll explore some of the other “8 elements” as well.

Bikram Yoga: Practiced in a very hot room heated to between 95 to 100 degrees F, expect to sweat buckets and flush toxins out of your body. The heat can help ease tight muscles. If you want to push yourself then this is a good class for beginners and experts. As with Ashtanga the sequence of exercises is always the same – in this case 26 poses over the course of 90 minutes.

Hot Yoga: Similar to Bikram expect that as in Power Yoga the teacher will vary the poses and the routine in each class.

Of course nothing is totally set in stone and some teachers might mix styles. You could see a class called Power Vinyasa Yoga for example.

Over to you: If you are thinking of trying Yoga which of these styles appeals. If you already practice, which do you prefer? Are there any styles that I have missed that you enjoy practicing? Please leave a comment or a link to your favourite.h

What is the difference between Yoga and Body Balance?

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , , ,

In a Yoga class you might do an pose (exercise) called Warrior 2. In Body Balance you could be asked to perform the same move. You may see Yoga classes and Body Balance classes appear on the timetable in the same fitness club. So what is the difference between Yoga and Body Balance?

Crucially Body Balance is an exercise to music class based upon moves from Yoga, T’ai Chi and Pilates. Les Mills, the New Zealand based fitness giant behind the programme describes Body Balance as follows:

BODYBALANCE™ is the yoga, t’ai chi and Pilates workout that builds flexibility and strength, and leaves you feeling centred and calm.

And the exercises are often modified from the originals to make them more achievable for people of all ages and abilities.

In a Yoga class your teacher may play music but it will be very much in the background rather than a focus for your attention. In Body Balance the exercises are specifically choreographed to the music. So you might perform the Warrior 2 move during the verse of a well known song and then move into a different pose during the chorus.

Les Mills launch a new class structure every 3 months with new moves and a whole new play list of great songs.

difference between yoga and body balance
Poster for Body Balance release 58 – launching September 2012

Depending upon the style of yoga the class might embrace more of the “8 Elements of Yoga” rather than simply the exercises and the breathing awareness you will focus on in Body Balance. In Yoga there is much more to explore and for some people it can become a way of life (although others will not consider these other elements).

Sometimes, unfortunately, people can be put off Yoga because they have heard it has religious overtones (it doesn’t), or that it is about chanting and spirituality (it can be but it doesn’t have to be). Body Balance focusses entirely on Yoga based exercises and leaves out all the rest.

As a teacher of both, I have found that that Body Balance has more general appeal initially but can provide a great introduction to Yoga. Both can provide similar physical and health benefits such as greater strength, more flexibility and muscle stretch.

Many people go on from Body Balance classes to find they enjoy the “full” Yoga experience even more.

Over to you: Which do you prefer, Yoga or Body Balance? What elements of each do you prefer? Please share your thoughts and leave a comment below.

Find out more about here – What is a Body Balance class?

Find answers beginner’s Yoga questions by clicking here..

A guaranteed way of avoiding airport baggage check-in queues

Travel, , , , , , ,

What’s the most tedious thing about travelling by plane?

Is it the security search? There are some mornings when I think I might as well go to the airport in my PJs and get dressed after the search. They seem to make me take everything off before letting me through anyway. But most airports are quite efficient at security and barring the odd power hungry individual barking orders it is usually tolerable.

No for me it is the baggage check-in queues. Doesn’t your heart just sink when you see those endless zig-zagging lines of miserable people pushing cases big enough to fit a kitchen sink inside?

avoiding airport baggage check-in queues

When I travel British Airways my Silver card means I get to use the Business Class desk which can be quicker than being stuck with the masses in the Economy line. But when flying Jet2 or whichever low cost airline there are no such perks.

For years we’ve put up with it. A hour to check-in a case (for which I had to pay an extra check-in fee of course) from Edinburgh to Palma. 70 minutes wait on the return flight in Palma’s chaotic sauna of a terminal. Even the “Bag Drop” lines (when you have already checked-in on-line) don’t seem to move any faster.

So this year required innovative thinking for our week in the sun. How could we avoid starting a relaxing week’s holiday with a stressful stew in the check-in sin bin?

The answer was obvious of course. There is one guaranteed, foolproof method of avoiding airport baggage check-in queues. It came to me when I was about to click the box on Jet2’s website asking how many items I wanted to bung in the hold. I stopped myself before parting with another forty quid for two of them.

My guaranteed method of avoiding airport baggage check I queues is……. not to check-in any bags. Go hand baggage only.

I know what you are thinking. It can’t be done. Where will I put my 20 pairs of shoes? There won’t be enough room for all my outfits.

avoiding airport baggage check-in queues

It is possible though. Yes you can get three day outfits and three evening outfits into a cabin bag and still have room for a couple of pairs of shoes. And most hotels and villas have laundry services don’t they?

What was the result of this approach?

  • Got to the airport only one hour, not three hours, before each flight
  • Walked straight past the thronging thousands in the endless zig-zag mazes in both directions
  • Didn’t have to wait an hour at baggage reclaim at the other end so we beat everyone to the car hire company. Similarly on the way back we were first out through customs (and quite telling that we were obviously the only 3 people from a plane load of 150 that hadn’t got bags to wait for)
  • Saved £40 on hold baggage fees

For a week in Europe this is the surely the modern way to travel.

Over to you: For many I guess the thought of going away without the comfort of several heavily laden bags is unthinkable. What do you think?