Look, listen and shop with the Fomolistas

What you want to know this week

THIS year's Eurovision Song Contest final takes place tomorrow in Malmö, Sweden. There were 37 entries, with Luxembourg returning after 31 years and Romania opting not to participate. The inclusion of Israel among participants has been met with criticism and protests, and organisers had to strengthen security measures. Watch on YouTube.

Tyla at the Met Gala

Tyla, our own Grammy Award winner for best African music performance earlier this year, is making waves overseas. This week she stole the show at New York City's Met Gala in her jaw-dropping, form-fitting sculptural gown created entirely of sand by Olivier Rousteing of Balmain.

Amazing moves

And for a feel-good moment, watch this deaf little dancer from Ghana who stunned the Britain's Got Talent judges.

Louvre opens its galleries for pre-Olympic workouts

The prestigious Louvre Museum in Paris has been hosting yoga and exercise sessions in its iconic galleries as part of a city-wide cultural initiative leading up to the Olympics.

“Run in the Louvre" invites participants to engage in hour-long workout sessions featuring four 10-minute exercises in some of the museum's most famous areas.

“The Louvre is physically in the centre of Paris, it will be physically at the centre of the Olympic Games,” said museum chief Laurence des Cars.

Read more.

The world’s best movies

Rotten Tomatoes has compiled a list of the 300 highest-rated films, and the top 20 may surprise you. The list is based on reviews from critics and writers who are certified members of  writing guilds and film critic associations.

1. L.A. Confidential (1997)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Seven Samurai (1954)
5. Parasite (2019)
6. Schindler’s List (1993)
7. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
8. Toy Story 2 (1999)
9. Chinatown (1974)
10. On The Waterfront (1954)
11. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
12. Toy Story (1995)
13. Rear Window (1954)
14. Modern Times (1936)
15. How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
16. All About Eve (1950)
17. Spirited Away (2001)
18. Up (2009)
19. The Third Man (1949)
20. Spotlight (2015)

Finds

Laureen and Anneliese chose nine items they discovered at Mr Price Home this week.

Three small winners

#1 A retro candle holder with designer pretences for the throwaway price of R49.99.

#2 The Nile glaze ceramic collection is reminiscent of midcentury German pottery. Of course it comes from China, but looks and feels substantial. From R39.99 per item. We love the little oblong plates but they are not available online. Look for them at your nearest store.

#3 And if you love loose rugs as much as we do, then this non-slip rug tape is the answer. R199 for 4m. 

Three desirable furniture pieces

#4 The Kontini range of benches is handmade in South Africa from cottonwood, an alien invasive tree. Not only do you get a beautiful piece of furniture, you are also contributing to removing thirsty aliens from our waterways. The benches cost between R2,200 for the smaller ones and R2,900 for the 1.5m version.

#5 The U-leg tables reminded us of Isamu Noguchi's designs from Japan. The side table is R599 and the coffee table is R2 000.

# 6 The Hour Glass Side Table references Phillippe Starck's 80s Prince Aha stools. R999.

Three rugs we loved

#7 Jacquard Lines Rug (120x180cm). R499

#8 Shaggy Moroccan Rug (120x180cm). R1,300

#9 Faux Fur Animal Pelt (76x115cm). R499

They say...

How to treat your own gum infection

#1 Dissolve two tablespoons of coarse sea salt in a glass of water. Swish it around in your mouth for a few minutes every two hours to allow the salt water to absorb. The salt helps fight the infection and will reduce swelling in the gums.

#2 Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial agent. It works just as well, if not better, than salt to help prevent gum infection and tooth decay. Mix a few drops in water and swish it around in your mouth. It tastes awful, but it works!

Last word

Quote of the week

What is ‘unselfing’?

“Unselfing" is a current buzzword but it was coined in the 1970s by Iris Murdoch, the Irish and British writer, poet and moral philosopher.

She spoke of the “fat, relentless ego" that prevents us from seeing other people through the same lens as we see ourselves. The ego can be silenced through a process of “unselfing".

On one level, her concept is simple — turn your attention outward, away from yourself. And if done right, you allow yourself to look at the world and other people through a different lens that ignores your own selfish concerns, preferences and preconceived notions.

The experience of nature, Murdoch said, can play a special role in revealing the “quality of consciousness" to us.

Her famous example of unselfing comes from her masterful book The Sovereignty of Good.

“I am looking out of my window in an anxious and resentful state of mind, oblivious to my surroundings, brooding perhaps on some damage done to my prestige. Then suddenly, I observe a hovering kestrel. In a moment, everything is altered. The brooding self with its hurt vanity has disappeared. There is nothing now but kestrel. And when I return to thinking of the other matter, it seems less important.”

Video of the Week

♦ VWB ♦

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