London

The World Cup comes to Regent’s Park
Now in its twelfth year, this tournament is for amateur teams drawn from London’s second and third generation immigrant communities. More than 70 nations have been represented so far, setting up fascinating showdowns like Iraq vs Vietnam and a host of unlikely scorelines – New Zealand thrashed Italy 9-0 last year. Ghana will be defending the title when this year’s tournament kicks off on June 3 as part of the Lovefootball festival in Regent’s Park.
Inner City World Cup (www.cup.uk.com).

Discover deadly Indonesian dance
The dance-like footwork of the Indonesian martial art of Silat Perisaidiri may look pretty, but the technique itself is meant for combat. It’s a deadly warrior art, and instructors work on movement, flexibility and speed through ‘attack/avoid’ routines. There are weekly classes in Primrose Hill, Edgware, Camden Town and at Danceworks off Bond Street.
Silat Perisai Diri (0845 900 5544/ www.silatpd.co.uk). Feature continues

Shake it up at a belly dancing class
Many fans of this pre-Islamic Egyptian dance style prefer the name ‘raqs sharqi’ to ‘belly dancing’ as it doesn’t carry any of the seedier connotations. Raqs began as a fertility dance and is about expressing d music through intricate movements of the hips, arms and hands. There’s lots of improvisation, and it can be really exciting to see musicians and experienced dancers sparking off each other. There are beginners classes, workshops and performances all over London.
The Raqs Sharqi Society (020 8980 6778/www.raqssharqisociety.org).

Eat authentic Ethiopian
The Food Hall is a well-stocked Ethiopian shop specialising in freshly milled flour – including rice, millet and maize flour – used for making Ethiopian breads, such as the soft, slightly sour flatbread, injera. Other typical items include Ethiopian coffee, aged spice butter (used for flavouring stews), tej (Ethiopian mead), native vegetables such as fresh foule beans and ‘false banana’, and herbs and spices like grains of paradise, strong imported mustard, and berbere paste (typically made from up to 18 different spices).
The Food Hall, 22-24 Turnpike Lane, N8 (020 8889 2264) Turnpike Lane tube. Open Mon-Sat 8.30am-7pm.

Great sausages at Polsmak deli

Stock up on proper Polish provisions
The shelves in this Polish deli are neatly stocked with sausages, packet soups, beans and pulses, pasta and rye breads. Chiller cabinets carry a range of Polish-style ravioli and tortellini and there’s a comforting array of toffee and fudge. One minor drawback: everything is labelled in Polish, and the staff don’t speak much English, so it may be wise to go armed with a phrase book.
Polsmak, 39 Balls Pond Rd, N1 (020 7275 7045/www.polsmak.co.uk) Dalston Kingsland rail or 30, 36, 56, 277 bus. Open Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sun 9am-6pm.

Get soaked by somersaulting Argentines
De La Guarda’s ‘Perioda Villa Villa’ has become part of the Roundhouse’s history, attracting a clubbing audience who thrilled at the company’s sweaty acrobatics and screamed as they were drenched in water. In a nod to its past, the new Roundhouse is being launched with the Argentinians’ new show ‘Fuerzabruto’. It, too, promises incredibly beautiful visuals plus astonishing stunts. These Argentinians are bound to score highly. See feature, p16.
‘Fuerzabruto’, Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Rd, NW1(0870 4000 717/www.roundhouse.org.uk) Chalk Farm tube. Show on Thur June 1-Sun July 30. See website for performance times. £25, £20 concs.

Hear Japan’s best beats
Spawned from the Japanese-influenced Mukatsuku club sessions that dominated in the late ’90s, Onward International has been bringing Japanese jocks to central London every month since 2003, and attracting a colourful mix of Japanese and local kids. They shimmy to the international jazz, bossa, broken beats, heads-down hip hop and funk flavours. Resident DJs are Koh Uemura of Nagoya and Nik Weston of, erm, Finsbury Park (but who tours Japan just about every other month).
Onward International, Ruby Lo, 23 Orchard St, W1 (020 7486 3671/ www.ruby.uk.com) Bond St tube. Next Onward International Thur June 22. Open 8pm-2am.

Relive a thousand years of Jewish history
Through its permanent displays and changing exhibitions, The Jewish Museum explores the diversity of Jewish life in Britain and beyond. In its Camden Town building, visitors can explore Jewish religious life and view the Museum’s stunning collection of Jewish ceremonial art – one of the finest in the world. The History Gallery traces Jewish history in Britain from the Norman conquest to recent times, while a temporary exhibitions gallery shows changing exhibitions on a wide range of themes. At the Finchley museum, you can explore the history of Jewish immigration and settlement in London. Step back in time to follow the footsteps of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe and learn about the experiences of refugees from Nazi Europe. You’ll also encounter Leon Greenman, a London-born Auschwitz survivor, whose moving story is told in the museum’s Holocaust Education Gallery.
The Jewish Museum, Camden Town, Raymond Burton House, 129-131 Albert St, NW1 (020 7284 1997/www.jewishmuseum.org.uk) Camden Town tube. Open Mon-Thur 10am-4pm, Sun 10am-5pm.
The Jewish Museum, Finchley, Sternberg Centre, 80 East End Rd, N3 (020 8349 1143) Finchley Central tube.Open Mon-Thur 10.30am-5pm, Sun 10.30am-4.30pm.

Experience a Japanese earthquake
No, not too many busloads of tourists all visiting the Natural History Museum at once – this exhibition is a clever (and sensitively done) simulation of what might have happened to a Kobe supermarket in the huge quake of 1995. Feel the rumbling and shaking yourself, as shelves of goods topple over and the scene is recorded on mocked-up security cameras. Meanwhile, another dramatic exhibition has molten lava and ash flowing from an imitation volcano.
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, SW7 (020 7942 5000/www.nhm.ac.uk) South Kensington tube. Open Mon-Sat 10am-5.50pm, Sun 11am-5.50pm (last adm 5.30pm). Adm free.