Latest news with #Esprit
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The books I loved as a teen have dated, but they got one thing right
Before I discovered teen romance novels in the early 1980s, I wrote my own version of unrequited love in my red vinyl-covered diary about an older boy who went to the private school up the road. While I was still wearing skinny jeans and a pale pink Esprit jumper to primary school, he had graduated to grey flannel shorts, a pale grey shirt and a grey blazer with the arms pushed up. You'd think dressing entirely in grey would have dampened his look, but somehow it didn't. With golden curls and a flashing smile that I'd only witnessed from a distance, he was perfect teen magazine material. He never spoke to me directly, but his brother and I had been friends when we were little, and his mother had named her prize cow after me, a fact I found both strangely flattering and deeply embarrassing. Around the time I developed my crush, I discovered the Sweet Dreams book series. If it was the sealed monthly Dolly Doctor column that taught me all I needed to know about sex, it was Sweet Dreams and later, Sweet Valley High that taught me all I needed to know about love. Sure, it was the sort of love that only 16-year-old American girls with flawless skin, perfect hair and eyes that sparkled ever experienced, but I was happy to pretend. And pretend I did. Writing about all the ways my crush would save me when the horse I was riding in the bush bucked me off. The fact that I didn't own a horse, or ever ride alone in the bush, didn't deter my fantasy life. The first Sweet Dreams book was published in 1981, and I found it a year or so later in the mobile library van. Called P.S. I Love You, it's the only title in the 233-book series without a happy ending, making it my favourite. Romance was one thing, but sobbing over the impossibility of romance was even better. The story of 16-year-old Mariah, who is dragged unwillingly to Palm Springs for the summer with her single mother and younger sister, was a heady read for a 12-year-old. Mariah is openly scathing of the rich families in Palm Springs until she meets the boy next door, who happens to be loaded, lovely and dying. This book cemented my obsession with romance, while also making me terrified that the boy of my dreams would discover a cancerous lump in his neck, too. The Sweet Dreams books were mostly standalone romances, written by different American authors. The covers used portrait photographs of teenage girls who I wanted to look like but never did, including Courteney Cox on the cover of The Last Word. The protagonists were always beautiful, and the teenage boys they fell for equally so. And if the girls didn't start out that way, then they quickly transformed, losing any necessary weight and overcoming their shyness. These worlds excluded anyone who wasn't the right size, race or look. By the time the Sweet Valley High series appeared two years later, I'd moved onto another crush. One who actually knew my name. We were in the same class and I used his library card when I wanted to borrow more romance books than I was allowed. We didn't really talk, but I did practise writing his name over and over again in my best bubble writing. Written by Francine Pascal and her army of ghostwriters, the Sweet Valley High series became a sort of bible for my generation. Sure, the protagonists were 'perfect size six' identical twins with 'sun-streaked blonde hair' and 'blue-green eyes the colour of the ocean' who shared a Jeep and lived in a mansion, but we still managed to see ourselves in Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. Jessica was the impulsive and reckless twin, who frequently made questionable choices, while Elizabeth was older (by four minutes) wiser, more reserved and born with a conscience. Where the Sweet Dreams series was almost entirely focused on finding love, Sweet Valley High attempted something slightly different. Crushes, boys and romance were still at the centre, but the books also delved into the minutiae of high school life. And while Sweet Valley High School was nothing like my outer-suburban school, we did share many of the same concerns. We gossiped over break-ups, traded crushes, drank underage at parties, fought and made up with friends and talked about love like there was nothing else to talk about. Nothing was out of bounds for the writers of Sweet Valley High. Conceived like a soap opera, the books tackled everything from kidnapping to cults, cocaine deaths to comas, paralysis to underage drinking, and I loved it all. Sadly, none of the boys I had crushes on while I was reading Sweet Dreams or Sweet Valley High seemed to feel the same. Or if they did, their feelings remained as buried as mine. But the books gave me company while I was trying to work out how to behave and how to feel, at a time when hormones were wreaking havoc. Remembering what reading romance books meant to me when I was 12 and 13, I decided to write my own version of a romantic comedy for younger readers. I've published many books for readers aged 11-plus, but mostly they have been stories tinged with sadness, and I wanted to write something hopeful and gentle. For research, I reread some of the titles in both series. P.S. I Love You no longer made me cry, but the horror of Elizabeth's diary being stolen by a boy at school and used against her in The Stolen Diary did make me check my teenage diary was still hidden away. The books haven't aged particularly well – it was the height of diet culture in the 1980s, after all. But what they did do, and what I suspect I, and millions of others responded to, was to centre the importance of taking a teenager's emotions seriously. So often we dismiss the young as having foolish crushes or feelings that aren't worthy of conversation, but I still remember how I felt about that boy in his grey school uniform and how I longed for him to see me. Loading My new book is not angst-ridden like a Sweet Dream s romance, or soapie like a Sweet Valley High. It is the story of dual protagonists, Sonny and Tess, both nearly 14, who meet outside a fish and chip shop, and develop a mutual crush. It was important to me to write both perspectives, in a way to counter the absence of a boy's voice in the books that educated me as a teen. I want my young readers to see that we all have messy and confusing feelings when love strikes, and that it's not up to a boy to rescue a girl when her horse bucks her off in the bush, but that the girl can do rescuing too.
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
The books I loved as a teen have dated, but they got one thing right
Before I discovered teen romance novels in the early 1980s, I wrote my own version of unrequited love in my red vinyl-covered diary about an older boy who went to the private school up the road. While I was still wearing skinny jeans and a pale pink Esprit jumper to primary school, he had graduated to grey flannel shorts, a pale grey shirt and a grey blazer with the arms pushed up. You'd think dressing entirely in grey would have dampened his look, but somehow it didn't. With golden curls and a flashing smile that I'd only witnessed from a distance, he was perfect teen magazine material. He never spoke to me directly, but his brother and I had been friends when we were little, and his mother had named her prize cow after me, a fact I found both strangely flattering and deeply embarrassing. Around the time I developed my crush, I discovered the Sweet Dreams book series. If it was the sealed monthly Dolly Doctor column that taught me all I needed to know about sex, it was Sweet Dreams and later, Sweet Valley High that taught me all I needed to know about love. Sure, it was the sort of love that only 16-year-old American girls with flawless skin, perfect hair and eyes that sparkled ever experienced, but I was happy to pretend. And pretend I did. Writing about all the ways my crush would save me when the horse I was riding in the bush bucked me off. The fact that I didn't own a horse, or ever ride alone in the bush, didn't deter my fantasy life. The first Sweet Dreams book was published in 1981, and I found it a year or so later in the mobile library van. Called P.S. I Love You, it's the only title in the 233-book series without a happy ending, making it my favourite. Romance was one thing, but sobbing over the impossibility of romance was even better. The story of 16-year-old Mariah, who is dragged unwillingly to Palm Springs for the summer with her single mother and younger sister, was a heady read for a 12-year-old. Mariah is openly scathing of the rich families in Palm Springs until she meets the boy next door, who happens to be loaded, lovely and dying. This book cemented my obsession with romance, while also making me terrified that the boy of my dreams would discover a cancerous lump in his neck, too. The Sweet Dreams books were mostly standalone romances, written by different American authors. The covers used portrait photographs of teenage girls who I wanted to look like but never did, including Courteney Cox on the cover of The Last Word. The protagonists were always beautiful, and the teenage boys they fell for equally so. And if the girls didn't start out that way, then they quickly transformed, losing any necessary weight and overcoming their shyness. These worlds excluded anyone who wasn't the right size, race or look. By the time the Sweet Valley High series appeared two years later, I'd moved onto another crush. One who actually knew my name. We were in the same class and I used his library card when I wanted to borrow more romance books than I was allowed. We didn't really talk, but I did practise writing his name over and over again in my best bubble writing. Written by Francine Pascal and her army of ghostwriters, the Sweet Valley High series became a sort of bible for my generation. Sure, the protagonists were 'perfect size six' identical twins with 'sun-streaked blonde hair' and 'blue-green eyes the colour of the ocean' who shared a Jeep and lived in a mansion, but we still managed to see ourselves in Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. Jessica was the impulsive and reckless twin, who frequently made questionable choices, while Elizabeth was older (by four minutes) wiser, more reserved and born with a conscience. Where the Sweet Dreams series was almost entirely focused on finding love, Sweet Valley High attempted something slightly different. Crushes, boys and romance were still at the centre, but the books also delved into the minutiae of high school life. And while Sweet Valley High School was nothing like my outer-suburban school, we did share many of the same concerns. We gossiped over break-ups, traded crushes, drank underage at parties, fought and made up with friends and talked about love like there was nothing else to talk about. Nothing was out of bounds for the writers of Sweet Valley High. Conceived like a soap opera, the books tackled everything from kidnapping to cults, cocaine deaths to comas, paralysis to underage drinking, and I loved it all. Sadly, none of the boys I had crushes on while I was reading Sweet Dreams or Sweet Valley High seemed to feel the same. Or if they did, their feelings remained as buried as mine. But the books gave me company while I was trying to work out how to behave and how to feel, at a time when hormones were wreaking havoc. Remembering what reading romance books meant to me when I was 12 and 13, I decided to write my own version of a romantic comedy for younger readers. I've published many books for readers aged 11-plus, but mostly they have been stories tinged with sadness, and I wanted to write something hopeful and gentle. For research, I reread some of the titles in both series. P.S. I Love You no longer made me cry, but the horror of Elizabeth's diary being stolen by a boy at school and used against her in The Stolen Diary did make me check my teenage diary was still hidden away. The books haven't aged particularly well – it was the height of diet culture in the 1980s, after all. But what they did do, and what I suspect I, and millions of others responded to, was to centre the importance of taking a teenager's emotions seriously. So often we dismiss the young as having foolish crushes or feelings that aren't worthy of conversation, but I still remember how I felt about that boy in his grey school uniform and how I longed for him to see me. Loading My new book is not angst-ridden like a Sweet Dream s romance, or soapie like a Sweet Valley High. It is the story of dual protagonists, Sonny and Tess, both nearly 14, who meet outside a fish and chip shop, and develop a mutual crush. It was important to me to write both perspectives, in a way to counter the absence of a boy's voice in the books that educated me as a teen. I want my young readers to see that we all have messy and confusing feelings when love strikes, and that it's not up to a boy to rescue a girl when her horse bucks her off in the bush, but that the girl can do rescuing too.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
The Big Question: Is Amazon good for Europe's economy?
Amazon is often accused of causing the decline of high street retail, but is it really that simple? 2024 saw fashion brand Esprit close 56 stores in Germany, Ted Baker shut all of its 46 stores in the UK and Ireland, and Casino Group in France (owners of Casino, Monoprix, Naturalia and Franprix) shed 768 non-profitable outlets. Is this a sign of further closures to come? Vice President of EU stores at Amazon Mariangela Marseglia doesn't think so. In fact, she predicts 'a future where e-commerce and traditional commerce will coexist.' 'Customers are not either highstreet or e-commerce, they do both.' In this episode of The Big Question, Marseglia joins Euronews' Stefan Grobe to discuss the state of retail in Europe and Amazon's impact on the industry. Can e-commerce and high street retail coexist? Marseglia insisted that consumers still want both online and brick-and-mortar retail options, and the industry needs to continue catering to both. She credited online stores, like Amazon, as being a great way to source specialist or rare items which high street stores simply don't have the space to stock. 'When I started working at Amazon, I was managing the book business,' Marseglia recalled. 'And we offered, on our infinite shelves, millions and millions of books, including foreign language books and books hard to find. And normally, these items don't find a space in a regular bookstore, so it is really complementary to traditional retail.' Marseglia also cited UK supermarket Morrisons, who offer delivery through Amazon, and has seen it successfully coexist alongside both their physical shops and their own online delivery service. And Marseglia seems to live by her philosophy too. When asked where she chooses to shop on her days off, she admitted to buying many items from Amazon when she's busy, but delights in visiting her local market in Luxembourg to buy cooking ingredients from the region of Puglia in her home country, Italy. How are consumer shopping habits changing? Unsurprisingly, the cost of living crisis has had an enormous impact on the way Amazon's customers spend their money. 'What we are noticing is people being a little bit more conscious with their spending: buying more of everyday essentials, and maybe [taking their time with purchases] for goods that are more durable.' 'So instead of changing their washing machine every 10 years, it takes them a little longer. So they are postponing those types of purchases,' Marseglia added. 'They're much more interested in deals, for example. Deals events are becoming very popular, like our Prime Day or Black Friday. They tend to wait for those moments to kind of get great deals and save some money.' Is Amazon good for Europe's economy? 'Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the European economy" is the age-old phrase we hear again and again. According to Marseglia, there are over 127,000 European SMEs thriving on Amazon. 'We are not a killer. We are actually an ally, a catalyst for their growth,' she told The Big Question. 'Thanks to a company like Amazon, their job is simplified because we allow them, for example, to export to foreign countries in a very easy way.' Marseglia also proudly declared that Amazon contributed €41 billion to the bloc's GDP. That's roughly equivalent to the entire economy of Latvia or Estonia. However, she was critical that Europe is a harder place for businesses to survive than the US. 'The US market is one big single market. In Europe, I think we should do much more to strengthen Europe as a single market because the reality is that there is a tendency towards that, but we are still operating a little bit like 27 different marketplaces,' Marseglia explained. 'We can cope with that because we are big grownup guys. But I'm much more worried for the small companies that sell on our marketplace. For them it's much more difficult to cope with complicated legislation and different regulations, et cetera.' The Big Questionis a series from Euronews Business where we sit down with industry leaders and experts to discuss some of the most important topics on today's agenda. Watch the video above to see the full discussion with Mariangela Marseglia.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
Lotus Emira Review: Electrified sports car with supercar appeal
From the posters of the beautiful Esprit on our walls as kids to the joy of driving the 'tossable' Elise in the Need for Speed games as teenagers, Lotus vehicles have, undoubtedly, been the less-professed but secretly loved machines of the sports car world. Now, with the arrival of electrified models, the good old days of petrol-powered tarmac munchers may soon be over — but there is hope. Building on the legacy of the Elise, Exige, and Evora comes the Lotus Emira: a classically proportioned sports car that promises a good time. DESIGN & AESTHETICS The Emira adopts the new design language first showcased on the award-winning Evija hypercar, bringing supercar appeal into the sports car segment. Like its direct forebears, it too has a low-slung body with a sharp nose and cascading bodywork, defined by a bubble-top roofline and pronounced humps over the wheel arches, giving it a sporty, muscular stance. Vertical LED headlamps with a twin-blade design are standard, as are the gaping air intakes up front and on the doors, which further add visual character. At the rear, C-shaped LED lights are linked by a slim brake light, and the two large round exhaust tips underline its performance intent. The Seneca Blue shade our test car wore helps it exude youthful energy, while the 10-spoke V-design forged wheels are both sporty and elegant. Overall, the Emira has a beautifully swoopy shape endowed with tasteful details that seduce your eyes the more you look at it. Befitting its sporty outlook is a modern cockpit that is, surprisingly, easy to enter and exit. The simplistic, no-nonsense design features black Alcantara and leather surfaces on the doors and dash, accented by high-contrast yellow stitching. But there are quirks too — like a flat-bottom steering wheel that also has a flat top, metallic speaker covers with perforations of laser precision, and knurled satin-finish A/C controls, all adding a distinctive luxury touch. But the real party piece is the fighter jet-style starter button, tucked under a red flap. More importantly, despite its size, occupants sit in comfort, and the driving position is nearly perfect, with all the controls close at hand. Also, no trim or piece feels like it would crack or peel anytime soon, which is essential for a satisfying ownership experience. The Emira is also technologically abreast with its 10.25-inch centrally mounted infotainment touchscreen, with menus that aren't a digital maze, and a 12.3-inch TFT driver's display behind the steering wheel. POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE The i4 First Edition came powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine. Though the displacement is small, the power output is certainly not. At 6,600 rpm, it sings to the tune of 365 metric horsepower, while delivering a healthy 430 Nm of torque between 3,000 and 5,500 rpm. From the moment you start the engine, you're greeted by a loud and visceral sound, but it's not exactly symphonic. Switch drive modes and slam the throttle, and the noise transforms into a high-pitched rhapsodic howl at the top of the rev range, begging you to wring out every gear. It is also playfully rapid. Smash the accelerator, and it will do the 0 to 100 kmph sprint in a brisk 4.4 seconds, but if you want power on tap (on the go), you've got to keep the pot boiling — possible thanks to the quick-shifting 8-speed transmission. However, on throttle lift-off, the revs hang annoyingly. This is acceptable in Sport or Track mode, but less ideal for everyday driving. It's also slow to switch between Drive and Reverse, which makes parking a bit tedious. But the compact dimensions and the lack of an obstructing B-pillar make it easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces, while in high-speed maneuvers, the lithe chassis allows it to stay composed as you swing around corners or make quick directional changes at will. The hydraulic power-assisted steering also helps in keeping the driver connected with the tarmac. As for ride quality, it isn't plush but compliant, avoiding the exaggerated vibrations. FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY A proprietary sat-nav system isn't available, but with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you can seamlessly access music and navigation. The 10-channel KEF premium sound system offers high-fidelity audio, but it can only be fully enjoyed at higher decibels. The shelf behind the seats can accommodate a cabin bag or golf bag, amounting to 201 litres of space, while the trunk offers just 151 litres, which is enough for weekend groceries. Inside, it also features twin cup holders, a phone storage slot, door bins for 500ml bottles, a trinket tray, and an armrest with USB and 12V ports. For safety, the Emira comes with a full suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and the mandated reversing camera. VERDICT The 2025 Lotus Emira may be the automaker's entry-level product, but it is anything but a 'starter car' — especially considering its premium Dh385,000 starting price. What it is, is a fast, feisty, scaled-down version of the Evija supercar visually, equipped with AMG's potent M139 engine and the chassis of a true corner carver. Sure, the loud engine only hits its scintillating notes at high rpms, the gearbox holds onto revs, and there's no proprietary navigation system, but for those seeking a driver-centric machine, this may very well be the final call before the flame of ICE engines is finally put out. GOOD - Evija hypercar-inspired bodywork; build quality; playful power; driver engagement BAD - Loud motor only hits scintillating notes at top revs; transmission hold revs; slow switch between Drive and Reverse; no proprietary navigation SPECIFICATIONS Body type - 2-seater; 2-door high-performance hatchback Engine - Mid-engine; turbocharged 2.0-litre inline 4 cylinder; rear-wheel drive Transmission -8-speed DCT (automated manual) Peak output -365 PS @ 6,600 rpm - 430 Nm @ 3,000 - 5,500 rpm 0 to 100kmph - 4.4 seconds (claimed) Top speed -275 kmph (drag limited; claimed) KT Luxe
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Richmond American Announces Community Grand Opening in Valencia
Esprit at Valencia showcases beautiful new homes with open layouts and designer details VALENCIA, Calif., Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmond American Homes of Maryland, Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings, Inc., is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Esprit at Valencia ( an exciting addition to the popular Valencia masterplan. This inviting community will offer three inspired two-story floor plans with the open layouts and designer details today's homebuyers are seeking. Community and model tours ( Prospective homebuyers and area agents are encouraged to stop by Esprit at Valencia for community and model home tours on Saturday, March 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. More about Esprit at Valencia: New two-story homes with open layouts Three thoughtfully designed floor plans 3 to 4 bedrooms and approx. 1,630 to 1,950 sq. ft. Professionally curated finishes and fixtures Community clubhouse, pools, parks, trails, garden and more Close proximity to Los Angeles Three models open for tours Esprit at Valencia is located at 27312 Creekwood Lane in Valencia. For more information, call 661.885.0447 or visit About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1972. MDC's homebuilding subsidiaries, which operate under the name Richmond American Homes, have helped more than 250,000 homebuyers achieve the American Dream since 1977. One of the largest homebuilders in the nation, MDC is committed to quality and value that is reflected in each home its subsidiaries build. The Richmond American companies have operations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Mortgage lending, insurance and title services are offered by the following MDC subsidiaries, respectively: HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.
