Lydia's Weekly Lifestyle blog is for today's African girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things that may interest today's African girl.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Pépé Pépinière, this week's subjects: Embracing the Future of Fashion, Bisphenols, The Red Michelin guide, and +233 Jazz evening and Grill Bar

Embracing the Future of Fashion. In the ever-evolving landscape of fashion, innovation knows no bounds. A revolution is underway, one where technology and style converge in a mesmerizing dance of creativity. Enter the realm of AI fashion, where algorithms dictate design and virtuality meets reality in a captivating fusion of avant-garde aesthetics. Striding boldly into this digital frontier, we uncover a world where pixels and patterns intertwine to redefine the very essence of couture. AI fashion, a concept that once seemed relegated to the distant future, now stands at the forefront of sartorial evolution. Gone are the days when designers meticulously sketched collections by hand or painstakingly sewed each stitch by hand. Today, artificial intelligence shapes the very fabric of fashion, offering a glimpse into a realm where creativity knows no borders. Imagine a world where garments are not just pieces of cloth draped over the body but intricate tapestries of code and color. AI algorithms analyze trends, consumer preferences, and even environmental factors to craft designs that resonate with the zeitgeist of the moment. From bold, geometric prints to fluid, ethereal silhouettes, AI fashion blurs the lines between the tangible and the intangible, inviting us to question what it truly means to wear art.

Bisphenols. These are additives used in “plastics” for various reasons. For example to make sure that the coke in the can does not corrode the can, a very thin plastic inner layer is put in the coke can, and Bisphenols are part of this “plastic”. Results? Miscarriages, low birth weight, sexual and reproductive disturbances, breast and prostate cancer, immunity changes, diabetes, cardio diseases, cognitive problems, and ADHD in children. Take your pick, there's something for everybody. Where? Children fop speens (pacifiers) and milk bottles, veggy, fruit and fish cans, soft drink cans like Coke, Fanta and Sprite. We indeed write on the packaging what is in it, but we are quiet on the container itself. Go for glass if you can.

The Red Michelin guide. (Le Guide Rouge, the Guide in short). Started in France in 1900 this is today the world's most respected restaurant evaluation guide, at least in Western Europe. If you have a restaurant that has been allocated 3 stars you have made it and are running a multi-million dollar business. Your meat will be of the best quality, and your vegetables and herbs are fresh, probably from your own garden. Your dishes are inventive and surprising taste combinations. Your tablecloth is made of linen, your glassware is made of crystal, your table is sufficiently far from the other tables that you can have a confidential conversation without being overheard, the waiter stands next to you the moment you raise your eyes, the wine cellar is full of grand crus (wines of an exceptionally good year) and so on and so forth. But already a 1-star restaurant is worth the trip. Unfortunately, all this costs a fortune, but the Guide also has non-starred but still good restaurants in it, with up to five forks and knives next to the name. This will at least guarantee that they have a decent choice of wine at the right temperature, textile napkins, and fresh food. So I indeed use the Guide when I travel in Europe. A nice signboard or good comments on the net are definitely no guarantees for a decent meal, but the Guide mostly is. From where is all this? The first cars that appeared were quite uncomfortable with the metal wheel with something soft, like maybe leather around it giving back all the potholes to the driver. Around 1888 the first air tyres were produced by Dunlop and Michelin with rubber as the main material. But petrol stations were not at every corner as today, and to promote driving (and selling its tyres) Michelin came out with a book showing where petrol was stored, which at that time was sold in cans. And since travelers got hungry they also started adding where one could eat, and later where one could sleep. Today, after 124 years, the Michelin guide does not indicate where you can buy petrol, but indeed where to find a decent restaurant and a decent mattress.

+233 Jazz Evening and Grill Bar (Dr. Isert Street, North Ridge, opposite GBC, Accra behind Alisa Hotel) on Tuesday evenings runs a quiet semi-experimental jazz band and the place is rather relaxed. Contrary to Wednesdays and weekends there is no entrance fee. The additional interesting part is that they often have guest players, like last week's Alina Abban on flute and alto saxophone. She definitely knew her trade and was a good match for Bernard Ayeesi on tenor sax. The sax was invented by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in the mid-19th century and comes in tone ranges. I mentioned earlier that +233 has a new menu. I took a chicken pizza which is definitely worth trying. They sell 28 different types of whisky ranging from a J&B for 35 GHS per shot, to a Glenfiddich 18 year at 200 GHS, or 5400 GHS a bottle if you want to impress (I'd rather say “make the wrong impression) or you can stick to vodka which starts at 25 GHS.

Lydia...

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