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Boris’ nightmare: It could happen to any of us

by: Gavin Sharpe
24/11/2021

The world watched aghast this week as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, blundered a crucial speech to the CBI. As if mixing up his papers in the glare of the world’s press was not enough, what appeared to happen next was excruciating to watch. The Prime Minister seemed to freeze. The silence was deafening.
To compound this Greek-like tragedy, it seems the Prime Minister attempted to unfreeze himself by sharing details of his recent trip to Peppa Pig World. The CBI attendees looked unimpressed.
As a psychotherapist, I am not interested in the politics of the situation but in the meaning. What happened to Boris Johnson this week and what can the rest of us learn from his experience?
The amygdala
In fancy terms, my best guess is that Boris Johnson suffered an “amygdala hijack”.  It is a term coined by the psychologist Daniel Goleman in the 1990s.  In less fancy terms, he was most likely overwhelmed with chronic stress.
The amygdala is part of the brain’s limbic system which regulates our emotional and behavioural responses.  As well as storing all our pleasurable emotions, it prepares us for danger by activating our fight or flight response.
Back in pre-historic days, we had to be alert for predators. We were someone else’s dinner! Hence our bodies automatically developed a survival mechanism to prepare us for danger. When under threat, our bodies assessed the situation and informed us to fight or flee the oncoming predator. (As someone who is neither strong nor fast, I would not have survived long.)
The lesser known, involuntary retort to being threatened or under extreme stress is the freeze response.  We might have played dead or hid from the predator chasing us.
In the Prime Minister’s case, it appears he involuntarily froze, presumably due to the stress of the situation or the accumulation of stress over recent times. In other words, he likely had a brain and body reaction to stress.
Peppa Pig?
So why the Peppa Pig ramblings? (No offence to the Peppa Pig fans out there). Boris Johnson is known for creative rhetoric, but this seemed out of character.
Here’s the crux.  Under extreme stress, all of us lose the capacity to think or act rationally. Back to my jargon – our pre-frontal cortex goes offline. This is the thinking part of our brain. As cortisol floods our brain, the only accessible part of our brain is the amygdala and specifically the fight, flight or freeze response. Whatever I do or say in the moment might not be logical or rational. Enter Peppa Pig, left stage.
In the work I do with addicts, the “amygdala hijack” is highly relevant. Addicts make decisions which they often come to regret. Sometimes those decisions have far-reaching consequences. So why do them? In the moments that they are high with their drug of choice, the only part of their brain that is functioning is the part which experiences pleasure. In their case, the dopamine rush has flooded the brain.
Have you ever wondered why certain public figures get caught in the most uncompromising situations? (Think of a former U.S. President or a famous world golfer or an iconic British 1980s pop star). The obvious question we ask ourselves when watching their jaw-dropping escapades on the nightly news is “what were they thinking?”  The answer is they were not thinking rationally.
Conclusion
The fight, flight or freeze response was handy when being chased by Barney the dinosaur but less useful in addressing a CBI conference. It turns out that our pre-historic brains were quite clever. We just don’t need to use them in the same way today. Hence therapists emphasise techniques such as slow breathing and mindfulness to combat stress and to avoid our bodies entering this default mode.
What happened to Boris Johnson can happen to any of us in a stressful situation. The key is to understand our stress triggers. That requires us to get better at recognising our emotions. Emotions are data. We need to stay attuned to our minds and bodies and avoid the fight, flight or freeze settings.
So, when you are next at the office and nervous about making that crucial presentation, or you are in a situation where you feel threatened or significantly stressed, acknowledge how your body feels.  Do some mindful breathing.  Slow down.
If you do find yourself rambling about the activities of Peppa Pig, at least you’ll know you are not the only one.
 
Gavin Sharpe is a UK qualified psychotherapist, relationship / psychosexual therapist and executive coach. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and not necessarily those of Monaco Life. Gavin Sharpe can be reached at www.rivierawellbeing.com.
 
Photo source: Shutterstock
 
 

Vroom Monaco showcases revolutionary South Korean start-ups

by: Luke Entwistle
24/11/2021

This year’s Vroom summit welcomed innovative, global-minded South Korean start-ups and Monaco Life delved in deeper with two of them: L-Base and its novel treatment for lung cancer, and Prinker with its revolutionary temporary tattoos.
The organisers of this year’s Vroom summit partnered up with KISED (Korea Institute of Start-up and Entrepreneurship Development), bringing together innovative South Korean companies with local investors. The aim: to facilitate the insertion of these start-ups into the European market.
Prior to their investment pitches on the first day of the summit, L-Base sat down with Monaco Life to discuss its exciting new cancer drug, which has the potential to completely revolutionise the way that the disease is treated. For Joe Kim, the managing director of L-Base, the desire to pursue this potentially life-saving project was simple: “There are so many lung cancer patients around the world, and in Europe alone there are 320,000 people that suffer every year and 2.2 million globally. Despite this, there aren’t really any effective solutions.”
Lung cancer, and cancers more generally, are lacking in effective treatments. They are often treated with chemotherapy, which, as Mr Kim points out, isn’t necessarily the safest or the most effective treatment: “Chemo is so deadly, people die from it. The problem with the targeted solution is that it causes so many side effects.”
This is where L-Base’s treatment comes to the fore, positing a viable alternative to chemotherapy. It is based on a ground-breaking study by L-Base, which had discovered a cancer associated cell, thereafter known as ‘CAGE’. “It is inhibited in every cancer cell that exists and we found that in 2002,” says Mr Kim. “That was found by our team and it was a revolutionary finding, which later became known to the world.”
This incredible finding laid the groundwork for scientists to develop the drug, which as well as proving effective in in-vitro and animal trials, is also symptom-free. It is this element that renders L-Base’s peptide-based drug such a unique project. “The current, available anti-cancer drugs are very much target-driven solutions, whereas we are more looking into the root cause of the cancer problems…We have produced a drug which provides so few side effects relative to other treatments.”
L-Base has thus far experienced great success in their mission to create a safer, more efficient cancer treatment. However, their journey is about to reach a critical juncture as they prepare for human trials, and L-Base see the Vroom summit as crucial in allowing them to continue on their journey. “The initial stage of the first part of the clinical human study will be done through King’s College in the UK… That will put us into the real cycle of the human trial, which will be in 2022… All the preclinical tests so far indicate that it is going to work.”
To continue on their path, and to bring their life-saving product to the market, L-Base now seeks further financial backing, and they have identified the unique characteristics of local, Monegasque investors that would make them an ideal partner. “We are hoping to raise a fund to help us lead into the human clinical study of our product,” Mr Kim reveals. “We wish to find not just money. I believe that Monaco has very fine investors who can actually invest a good amount, however we are looking for investors who can share our vision, share our tears and our success. For that reason, we don’t believe that institutional investors will do that job at this stage, and we believe that there are more investors like that in Monaco, and Vroom and Whitecastle will help us to find that.”
Any investment would potentially be funding not only a revolutionary advancement in the treatment of lung cancer, but also, as Mr Kim revealed, a treatment for a range of other cancers. “We have other pipelines planned for example blood cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancers… This drug can also apply to colorectal cancer, which currently doesn’t have any remedies, so when we’ve finished with the lung cancer drug, we are going to get ready for preclinical trials for colorectal cancer.”
The Vroom summit could therefore help L-Base bring a whole dossier of life-saving products onto the market, highlighting the crucial relationship that exists between innovative, revolutionary start-ups and passionate investors. Also hoping to benefit from this crucial relationship is Prinker, who is seeking to bring its world-first, temporary tattoo printer into the European market.

May Ching, manager of Prinker at the Vroom summit

Founded in 2015, Prinker has already begun asserting itself on the international stage, having already gained popularity in the US market. Similar to L-Base, Prinker is revolutionary within its own field, providing a temporary option to the traditional tattoo.
The product itself consists of ink cartridges, a skin primer and, most importantly, the electronic device which makes the print itself. The device is linked to the Prinker application, which can be found on Android or IOS stores. From there, users can choose from over 8,000 different designs, which are then automatically downloaded onto the printing device, and by skimming the device over the skin, the tattoo is then printed, and can only be washed off by soap.
According to May Ching, manager of Prinker, the uniqueness of the product opens up the tattooing market to a huge, new demographic. “As a temporary tattoo, you don’t have to worry about the pain, you don’t have to worry about the long-term commitment. No worries, no issues, no pain… Our product is a great alternative for kids and there are also parents and adults, who have always wanted a tattoo, but have always been afraid because of the pain and because of the long-term commitment, and some of us just want to have a change of design every day.”
Indeed, not only does the uniqueness of Prinker’s product resolve the issue of long-term commitment, one of the main reasons which make adults reticent towards the idea of getting a tattoo, but their product also has applications in a business context. “Businesses like event agencies or marketing companies use our solution as a form of activation at their events,” says Mr Ching. “So if I am a company such as Channel and I want my attendees to have the Channel logo on their skin, I can upload my logo onto the app and then print it on users, so it has a lot of different uses and hence the target market is so wide.”
Although their global target market may be vast, this is not the case for their domestic market in South Korea, as one of their co-founders Luke Yun points out: “We are not actually a domestic company, we are based in South Korea, but we are carrying out our business in the US market. More specifically, the Korean market is very conservative about skin expression because getting a tattoo is illegal.”
Given the stringent control that the government still has over skin expression in South Korea, it is a wonder that Prinker’s novel idea was even conceived at all. Mr Yun and his other co-founders had to look globally for inspiration, and delve into the concept of tattooing in order to formulate their idea. “The idea comes from this complex situation because skin expression is very varied across the world, for example we looked at the Amazon tribes. But we really believe tattooing is related to human instinct. We wanted to find a way to serve this instinct.”
Having searched globally for inspiration, they are now hoping to grow globally. Having already penetrated the US market, Prinker is hoping that the Vroom summit is a springboard for growth in Europe. “Europe is somewhere that we are trying to break into. We are already available in European nations through our official online store at prinker.us and we are also available on Amazon, and there are lots of chances where we can expand further into the European region.”
The Vroom team with this year’s participants

Primed to help startups, such as Prinker and L-Base, to make the most of those ‘chances’ is Whitecastle Partners, the scouting department for the Vroom summit. Soyeh Kim, Whitecastle’s advisor for Asian finance, highlighted difficulties facing South Korean start-ups in Europe. “There are so many good innovative start-ups in Korea, they want to expand their market into Europe, but when it comes to Europe most of the start-ups are struggling.”
Mrs Kim says that technology, and its suitability to the European market, is a key issue facing South Korean start-ups on the continent, but also alludes to the importance of overcoming these issues: “The Korean government is thinking that the future of Korea is start-up, and they think that globalisation will be the key to their success.”
As a result, all start-ups looking to grow in Europe with Whitecastle Partners must exhibit one key characteristic according to Mrs Kim: “We always have to check that they have a global mind and global thinking, or at least planning to. That is our major criteria.”
 
 
 

Monaco readies itself for cycling festival

by: Luke Entwistle
24/11/2021

The build-up to the inaugural edition of the Beking cycling event, set to take place on Sunday 28th November, has hit full speed with a social media campaign involving professional cyclists encouraging everyone to get involved.
Peter Sagan, three-time world cycling champion and one of the 40 professional riders set to race at the event, is amongst a group of participants seeking to create a buzz around the event through a series of videos that can be found on the Beking Twitter account.
In his social media video, the Slovakian rider highlights the unique opportunity for fans to race alongside the professionals at the event. “We’re going to be riding with you guys. Come along, and I’ll be happy to see you on the 28th.”


Monaco resident, former European Road Race cycling champion and co-founder of the Beking event, Matteo Trentin launched a similar appeal through the event’s media channels. “Whoever you are, bring your bike and enjoy riding with us.”
Amateurs wishing to race alongside the professional riders at the pro / AM racing on the Sunday morning can register at www.bekingevents.com. Those selected will not only share the same track as European and Tour de France champions, but also some of the biggest stars from four-wheel racing, including Mercedes’ F1 driver Valterri Bottas and the Monegasque F3 driver Arthur Leclerc.


 
Despite the inclusion of amateur riders, which will give the average cycling fan a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride alongside Tour de France winners such as Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas, the event will in fact be part of the official UCI race calendar, providing a highly competitive element to the day.
Beking Monaco will therefore be a hybrid event – combining both competitive and amateur sport, but it also has the aim of raising funds, and awareness, for charitable foundations, including the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The event will be seeking to harness the unique power of sport into creating positive social change through donating to, and promoting, charitable foundations.
Following the professional event on the Sunday afternoon, there will also be a conference on ‘soft mobility’, which will focus on the environmental aspect of the event.
The first edition of Beking Monaco will therefore unite both professional and amatuer riders for a truly enjoyable festival of cycling, which will not only celebrate achievements on the track, but also contribute to a good cause.
 
 
SEE ALSO:

Monaco charity race attracting top cycling stars

 
 
 

Incidence rate hits 198 in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/11/2021

For the second week running, the circulation of Covid-19 in Monaco has doubled. Meanwhile, the EU has just approved the first Covid treatment pill.
In its weekly communication of the Principality’s Covid screening campaign, the government on Monday revealed that 3.58% of the 3,487 PCR and antigen tests conducted over the previous seven days were positive.
The incidence rate therefore had increased significantly, jumping from 107 to 198. At the beginning of November, the incidence rate was 55.
On Tuesday, the number of confirmed Covid cases in Monaco had jumped to 45, the highest in months. There are now nine Covid patients being treated in the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, three of whom are residents of Monaco. In addition, two patients – both non resident – are in ICU.
In an effort to limit the effects of the virus, the Monaco government has made a third dose of the Covid vaccine available to any citizen or resident aged 18 years and over who was given their second dose more than six months ago.
In the neighbouring French department of the Alpes-Maritimes, there has also been a significant rise in circulation, and the incidence rate now sits at 224 compared to 60 at the beginning of November. Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi on Monday said that the situation was deteriorating rapidly and that from 1st December, a third dose of the vaccine will be made available to all over the age of 12, provided there is enough supply of the vaccine.
In Italy on the other side of the border, the health situation has also worsened, particularly in the north-east. Local governments are now pushing for new measures, primarily in the form of further restrictions on the unvaccinated under a so-called “super green pass” scheme. Meanwhile, the health minister has confirmed that the Covid-19 vaccine boosters will be available five months after the first vaccine cycle – one month earlier – for eligible groups.
The first anti-Covid pill available in the EU
As the number of contaminations and deaths continues to rise in Europe under the effect of the fifth wave, the European Union has just authorised the use of an anti-Covid pill. The emergency-use pill from Merck was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 19th November. The drug, which data shows reduces the risk of hospitalisation and death in at-risk patients, “can be used to treat vulnerable adults with Covid-19 who do not need supplemental oxygen”, detailed the EMA in a press release.
While the drug has not yet received full marketing authorisation, the European regulator has issued the opinion in order to “support the national authorities who may decide on a possible anticipated use of the drug before the marketing authorisation, for example in emergency situations.”
France has already ordered 50,000 doses, France’s Health Minister Olivier Véran told the Senate on 26th October.
 
 
Photo by Mark de Jong on Unsplash
 
 

Christmas in Monaco: SBM's 'Winter Fantasy'

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/11/2021

The Monte-Carlo Société des Bains Mer is looking to inject a “bit of magic” into Monaco this Christmas with the launch of their latest endeavour, Monte-Carlo Winter Fantasy.
The festive season is once again upon us and with it comes memories of years past, hopes for the future and, of course, the anticipation of what the season has in store.
The Société des Bains Mer (SBM), in this vein, is putting on a series of celebratory events intended to waken the Christmas spirit in even the most Scrooge-like of individuals, bringing magic and fun to the season with the Monte-Carlo Winter Fantasy.
The events, which run from early December to the middle of January, kick off on 2nd December at 5pm in Casino Square and on the Monte-Carlo shopping promenade with the lighting of an 18-metre-high Christmas tree adorned with 4,000 pearly white and gold baubles, as well as three “entertainment igloos” called the Giant Stars. Festive music will be playing and shops will be open until 9pm to get everyone in holiday mood.
The Giant Star igloos will be positioned around the tree and offer Christmas-themed events, based on history and poetry, for the whole family. The star dedicated to poetry invites visitors to hand in or write a poem for Father Christmas with the chance of winning a night in the Hermitage Hotel.
Casino Square will also be the location for a light projection show on the façade of the Casino from 26th to 31st December to add more sparkle to the long winter nights.
From 2nd December to 9th January, the Patio courtyard at the Hôtel de Paris will be covered in twinkling lights and filled with surprises. Exclusive offerings such as a new hot chocolate creation from Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse will be available, and guests can try their hands at creative or culinary workshops where they whip up Christmas treats, make their own decorations or arrange a gorgeous centrepiece-worthy flower display. For a complete list of all events, on the Patio, visit the website at https://www.montecarlosbm.com/fr/agenda/christmas-garden-in-the-patio

Photo of the Hôtel de Paris patio courtyard, by Monaco Life

The Hermitage Hotel will feature a Christmas Teatime from 21st to 24th December in the Salle Belle Epoque. Children and parents can meet Santa from 3pm to 6pm on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd, and at 5:30pm on the 24th, to tell him all their secret wishes. They can then take part in creative workshops for young chefs, with festive pastries and sweets prepared by pastry chef Nicolas Baygourry. For more info, go to https://www.montecarlosbm.com/fr/agenda/gouter-noel-hotel-hermitage-monte-carlo
L’Etoile des Neiges at the Blue Gin Bar at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort runs every Thursday from 26th November to 20th March 2022 from 6:30pm to 1:30am featuring a cozy apres-ski type feel. A fully heated terrace offering up stunning sea views, billiards and other games, and warm blankets to snuggle in, will make even the coldest night seem inviting. Visit the website for complete details on https://www.montecarlosbm.com/en/agenda/letoile-des-neiges-blue-gin
Meanwhile, keep your eyes open for Father Christmas Monte-Carlo as he tours the resort from 15th to 25thDecember and delivers presents from behind the wheel of his beautiful vintage car. https://www.montecarlosbm.com/fr/agenda/rencontre-avec-le-pere-noel-monte-carlo
Finally, to end 2021 in style and kick off 2022 with just right note, the legendary family group The Jacksons will be performing at the Salle des Etoiles. The singing sensations will be celebrating an astounding 55 years together at this New Year’s Eve bash with dinner and live show. For those who like to boogie through the night, the party goes on at the exceptionally opened Jimmy’z from 30th December to 1st January inclusive.
 
 
 

Roca team’s woes on the road continue

by: Luke Entwistle
22/11/2021

AS Monaco basketball were comprehensively beaten by reigning Euroleague champions Anadolu Efes in Istanbul on Friday to extend their winless away run in the competition to five games. The 98-77 loss also consigned Zvezdan Mitrovic’s men to their second loss in as many days after his side also succumbed to a defeat against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.
The reigning champions immediately exerted their control on the match, their intelligent movement creating space to register a series of two pointers. Donatas Motiejunas kept Monaco in the game with some accurate finishing, both inside and outside the arc, as the first quarter ended 20-24.
Anadolu Efes slowly grew their lead in the second quarter, their incisive passing setting up a variety of two-point scores, whilst Rodrigue Beaubois scored a sumptuous three-pointer for the Turkish side from the left touchline. The inexhaustible energy of Paris Lee, which created openings for himself as well as his teammates, wasn’t enough to keep the Roca boys in the match as Anadolu took the half 34-20.
Mitrovic’s words at half-time sparked a revival in the third quarter, and a more solid defence limited the Turkish side to only a handful of scoring opportunities. Lee continued to be Monaco’s primary source of creativity, and of points, as his movement on the edge of the arc created half a yard for him to accurately dispatch a three-pointer. A 21-15 triumph for Monaco in the third quarter meant that, going into the final quarter, the Turkish side’s lead was sizeable but not unassailable.
Mitovic’s men immediately got to work in their attempt to reduce the deficit further. ASM started well, with Mike James providing key passes for his teammates to convert. Mid-way through the quarter, Anadolu’s lead had been reduced to a mere six points, but that is as close as Monaco would get.
Chris Singleton immediately replied with a three-pointer, and what then ensued was a carbon-copy of Monaco’s collapse against Tel Aviv just 48 hours earlier. Anadolu took the final quarter 25-16 to secure a comfortable 98-77 victory.
Monaco’s loss against the current European champions was neither unforeseeable nor surprising, but it further highlights their poor away form as well as their inconsistency, which is ultimately preventing Mitrovic’s men from building any momentum.
Post-match, Mitrovic was left rueing his side’s slow start, saying, “We started poorly, and against the most talented team in Europe that can’t happen.”
The Roca team returns to the Salle Gaston Médecin on Friday to face Lyon in the Euroleague, and a win is sorely needed for Monaco if they are to keep in the hunt for the European play-offs.