Walking backwards to the return of Madras check

Video of the week

What you should know this week

Madras check is back. This “old money" look is an imitation of a material from the former fishing town of Madras in southeast India. In the 1950s, the elite of America and England appropriated it and it became standard Ivy League and preppy attire.

Buy

1. The iced tea version of Two in a Bush rooibos cordial contains no sugar and is made from organic rooibos leaves and mineral water. Flavours range from raspberry to peach. R99 a bottle from Yuppiechef.

2. A cosmetics winner from the French cosmetics house Payot is Regard Glow, an under-eye brightening stick. Fab. An immediate healthy glow. No genetically modified organisms, no toxins, no parabens, not animal tested. R450 at selected Dis-Chems.

Give

1. Life in Pictures is an old-fashioned photo album in digital times: (R799 from Yuppiechef).

2. There are cookbooks for inspiration (and reading in the bath). And then there are cookbooks that really help you make supper. I Dream of Dinner (So You Don't Have To) by Ali Slagle is one of the latter. It's packed with low-effort, high-reward recipes. R431 from Loot.

3. Board games: Yuppiechef has old games with new designs just in time for the holidays, such as chess (R499), dominoes (R399) and backgammon (R499).

Trends

1. Coloured glass for your glasses, candle holders, flower pots, etc. Display en masse. Use with coloured candles and napkins for a jolly festive season.

2. Brown is the new black: coffee or chocolate colour nail polish is the hot trend for 2024. Start now, it looks good with dark or tanned skin.

Watch

Netflix released two popular films this week:

1. Nyad with Annette Bening and Jodie Foster: Diana Nyad, 60, tackles the swim of more than 160km from Cuba to Florida. Bening shows her mettle as an actress.

2. A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks. Otto is an unhappy old man who finds meaning in life again. The storyline is predictable, but Hanks's acting is excellent.

Listen 

1. The Rest is History (produced by the BBC): Historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the influence of world history on current events in about 400 five-star podcasts. 

2. Empire: How empires arise, how they fall and the influence they've had on our world. Five-star podcasts with historian William Dalrymple and journalist Anita Anand.

Make

A non-alcoholic drink with a kick (that looks pretty). Half grapefruit juice and half tonic water with ice and lemon. If you like, you can add a few drops of bitters.

Fitness

Retro walking (walking backwards) is an ancient Chinese practice to improve balance, general fitness and your daily walking speed, concentration and body strength. Start with five minutes every other day and slowly build up to longer times. Tip: Alternate your daily walking routine with retro walking sessions.

♦ VWB ♦

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