BISC events

New BISC Website

2010-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

New BISC website is now launched so please check it out - http://www.bisc.org.uk/.

Please note that the events blogsite is now integrated in the website and so this blogsite will no longer be updated!

Farewell BBQ - June 2010

2010-06-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

I always find this one just a little emotional! The Farewell Barbeque. Well, once again Dr Chill’s request to head office for good weather was truly answered, and we had an excellent summer’s evening. It was an evening marked by merriment, gaiety and some sadness.

Joe Bain, who is joining BISC as a team member for the next academic year, introduced some games and fun. This was held further up the lawn, whilst at the lower end were the more seriously minded discussing the attributes, (if there are any) of post modernism traits in English fish and chips! The barbequed food was exceedingly good and the catering was undertaken by the BISC staff and cooked by two stalwart volunteers from Yate Community Church. The barbequed sausages with the sauce were my favourite.

This year for Dr Chill has been one of his happiest yet, having just finished his second year as a BISC Team member, and staying on for a third year. I now know where the kitchen utensils live, and Jacqueline just loves the bespoke washing up and the clean toilets! Yet BISC could not have happened without your support. International students are important to us, and for those leaving or who have already left, we hope and trust that your stay in Bristol was a good experience and that BISC was part of that experience.

If you are staying on in Bristol over the summer recess, for example, postgraduate and doctoral students, we are still here. You can come in from 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm for a coffee, tea and a chat until the end of June. After that, it’s best to phone to check if we are open as we need to have our holidays too! Don’t forget, Dr Chill’s advice regarding proof reading and general academic advice is still available.

Perhaps think of your experiences of BISC as a new start to your life. Indeed perhaps you will view the British culture as having something positive about it. I have gained much experience over the past two years in working with international students from across the globe. Indeed the experience has taught me much about improving my own character and skills. Much has happened to me during my lifetime, not all of it pleasant. Two years ago I thought that I would never be able to use my academic and other skills. But the Boss at Head Office raised me up from my sickbed and directed me to BISC. This is the only organisation I have been involved in where there is no ‘backstabbing’ or ‘backbiting’. Also I now know a few words of German, French, Italian, and Spanish. I’m still trying to master a few Persian words though.

I will conclude now, the photographs speak for themselves.
Cheerio God bless and may your God go with you.
This is Dr Chill signing off until the start of next term.

River Cruise - JUNE 2010

2010-06-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hi there all of you lovely international students! This is Dr Chill reminiscing about the River Cruise. It was a beautiful summer’s evening (yes that’s right, England can have beautiful summer evenings: it’s the England football team that is dodgy!) Dr Chill had spoken to Head Office requesting favourable weather and his request seemed to have been heard.

The boat was built for fifty and we all boarded her on time except for one guest who was waiting at the other end of the Watershed, but she made it in the end!. The Bristol docks area is quite fascinating. As a young lad Dr Chill remembered Bristol docks as a fully functional working dock. The main cargo was bananas from the Caribbean islands. The company was called Fyffe’s and the banana boats were painted white. Cruising along the docks, we passed the artificial cut. This was constructed in the early 19th century by French prisoners of war captured during the Napoleonic Wars. The cruise took us past the back of Temple Meads and a derelict concrete 1960s office block; I remember it being built and opened. Then out into the suburbs, the fishermen and ducks. The ducks seemed to be interested in us when the food was served. There was much jollity and waving on board when we passed other boats coming in the opposite direction. One boat that we passed appeared to have had a champagne party on board.

We cruised along the rural part of the river, where we passed some wonderful houses that looked onto the river. Some people were having a bbq and watching the England World Cup match. The journey was three hours long, and I think we all enjoyed it and thought it was definitely worth the money. It was Hazel’s birthday and we sang happy birthday and applauded and gave her a present.

One of our guests was on another cruise the following day, from Bath to Bristol, so our River Cruise was used as a preliminary training ground for the big trip the next day. Well done E, I hope you made the Bath trip on time!

International Feast - May 2010

2010-06-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Yummy yums, it was the International Feast evening and what a spread of food representing varying cultures and dietary needs! The food ranged from Indian lamb curry to traditional British; yes someone brought fish and chips! Perhaps a tad too much vinegar on the chips! I digress, as there was Libyan rice, Iranian dishes and potato salad from Germany There was laughter and merriment, social interaction and fun. The food was absolutely delicious and Jamie Oliver was nowhere in sight! The overseer of the event was Ruth, and Dr Chill undertook the washing up!

The beauty of the International Feast and indeed BISC generally is the international guests who visit us from all over the Globe. It is part of the extra-curricula activity, where we learn more about nations, customs and traditions.

Between the main course and the sweet there was half an hour of fun and games, led by the CU. For instance there was a game that appeared to resemble the concept of ‘Chinese Whispers’ but involved miming. There was certainly a lot of laughter coming in through the kitchen windows from the BISC garden.

Once again you lovely people, another glorious success for BISC! There are two more functions this term the river cruise on Friday 12 June and the Farewell Garden Party on Wednesday 16 June. See you then. This is Dr Chill signing off until next time.

CAMBRIDGE – a town like no other

2010-05-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

On this trip my lovelies, Dr Chill’s contact with head office concerning the weather appeared to go unheeded! It was chilly and wet for most of the trip. Nevertheless we all set off in cheerful mood despite the hour of 7.30 on the morning of Saturday 8 May 2010.

Most of the journey was on motorways, and on leaving Bristol we skirted the slopes of the Cotswolds, and then Wessex Down, where there were hills close to the motorway and onward to Reading services for a 10-minute convenience stop. Then onward to the northern end of the M25, turning north to Cambridge. As we travelled near Cambridge you may have noticed that the landscape was now very flat. Many large fields were covered in yellow carpets of seed oil rape. We were now in the eastern part of England that is called East Anglia.

After about three and a half hours of travelling we arrived at Cambridge. The first part of the fun was queuing up outside a local public house in order to use their washroom facilities. Then we joined another queue for that most academic of English of leisure called punting. Most of you mastered the punting skill very quickly and enjoyed the River Cam sailing past the rear ends of the colleges. This stretch of Cambridge is called ‘The Backs’. Well done!! We were very proud of all our BISC students.

Following a short lunch break it was off for a guided tour of the old Cambridge town. We met outside the entrance to King’s College and were divided into groups of 16 to 17. The tour included a visit to St John’s College. The gatehouse is decorated with the coat of arms of the Duchess of Beaufort who was the financial founder of the College. There is a West Country connection here in that the present Duke and Duchess of Beaufort’s estate is just north of Bristol. For those on the previous Cotswolds trip we went passed the Beaufort estate. Every year during the Easter period famous horse trials take place!

Back to Cambridge, did you notice the round church? Why is it round? Was it to stop students in medieval times from hiding in the corners when the collection was being taken? The market was very interesting as this was the original medieval site of Cambridge, and close to the original bridge over the River Cam. ‘Cam bridge’ that is how Cambridge got its name. After the guided tour had finished Dr Chill with two international students made it to ‘Aunties Tea Rooms’ that was a pleasing experience. While it was raining and cold outside, we all slurped our hot chocolate, and were joined by Jacqueline.

Dr Chill was touched by the kindness of one of our students who insisted that I share her umbrella as we made our way back to the coach pickup point. We all made it on time, just! The sun began to shine as we left Cambridge and travelled back to Bristol. I think 18 nationalities were represented on the trip, which was livened up by a quiz – then sleep! We had a second convenience stop at Reading Services and we were home by 9.30pm.

All in all a wonderful trip despite the weather. It was a wonderful experience for Dr Chill who experienced the warm friendliness of all of you lovely people. The weather may have been wet and chilly, but your company compensated for this.

This is Dr Chill signing off until next time.

BRISTOL 10K RUN – BISC was there!

2010-05-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday 9 May 2010 was chilly but dry and probably the perfect setting to run 10k through the streets of Bristol. Dr Chill and the BISC supporters positioned themselves opposite the Hippodrome with a BISC banner for all to see, and waited for our 3 BISC runners to pass, hoping we could catch a glimpse of them to cheer them along.

The crowds were overwhelming and the runners seemed to be of all ages and abilities. There were experienced runners and amateur runners as well as part-time soldiers (Territorial Army) in their camouflage clothing, carrying large rucksacks and jogging in formation. Other runners were dressed in the most amazing costumes. Scooby Doo, Cinderella, Cowboys on their horses, Lobsters, and many other characters brought colour to the day.

At 10.30 am the BISC cheerleaders were joined by student A who had just left her church service and we stood in the cold cheering on the brave runners. Jacqueline was across the road, taking photographs of the event, some of which are included with this Blog. Big cheers and clapping occurred when three or four disabled runners went by, including one in a wheelchair.

After the race we strolled back to BISC where we had a small reception laid on for our runners, who were wearing medals to prove that they had completed the 10k run. All in all a good morning especially when you were a spectator rather than a runner! Yes! Despite the rumours circulating around BISC, Dr Chill did not participate in the race. Maybe next year! Hope to see you again at BISC in the not too distant future.

Don’t forget the BISC team will support you throughout the exams. Join us for exam lunches, starting Monday 17 May – Friday 4 June (excluding bank holiday, 31 May). Lunch will be served every day from 1-2pm. Come and put your feet up, chill out, have a chat, while enjoying lunch and a mug of tea or coffee. The BISC team have previously had examinations experience, so we understand how you feel!

Well this is Dr Chill signing off in order to start his training for next year’s 10k run.

Ice Skating – and a Meal to Boot

2010-05-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

The evening began with a meal at BISC that was excellent. The vegetarian dish was out of this world. There was also a superb chicken-honey dish and an ‘o so delicious’ pudding. BISC had a visitation from E, a doctoral student originally from Russia who had just arrived in Bristol that day. She simply followed the noise and the lovely atmosphere and landed up in the BISC lounge. We all made her welcome. E, even commented that she had never experienced such a friendly and warm place.

After the meal we all trekked down to the Ice Rink where we performed our varying displays of the art of ice-skating. It was great fun and a good break after constantly concentrating on our studies. Dr Chill and a few others, who stayed behind to clear up and make BISC ready for the following week, noticed no broken bones or dislocated joints after the ice-skating event, which was excellent as Dr Chill is also the BISC First Aid officer and he would not have enjoyed a night at the ER after such a lovely evening.

Well, we look forward to seeing you again at BISC during the next few weeks. Remember that as part of the Summer Program BISC will provide exam lunches (see the program or website for exact dates). BISC will be open to you during this time for lunch and reflection or advice if you require a friendly smiling face to talk to.

Regards and best wishes in this busy academic time.
Dr Chill

PHOTOS TO COME

A JAPANESE EVENING to remember

2010-05-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Personally I found the Japanese evening held on 28 April 2010 a very culturally stimulating event. The Bristol University Japanese Society excelled themselves. The range of experiences from Japanese food to a Japanese fashion show was outstanding. The lady arranging the women’s fashion display, where she assisted dressing women guests in traditional Japanese Kimono, was amazing! I saw Ruth of BISC transformed as she was adorned in a white Japanese Kimono.

The Japanese calligraphy being undertaken by all was very enjoyable but perhaps a bit messy! I got ink all over my hands. It was like being at school again! I preferred the kitchen and Japanese food and was shown how to cook noodles to perfection. It was perhaps the first time in the history of BISC that Dr Chill was seen wearing a hair net. Perhaps this should be seen as a complement as he has so little hair. A medical student who came from West Malaysia kindly supervised my cooking of noodles. Funny, I didn’t know that West Malaysia was in Japan!! However the noodles and the sushi (taught by an experienced sushi chef) were excellent. Dr Chill spent the remainder of the evening hanging around the kitchen in case there were some spare noodles going.

All in all this was an excellent evening and culturally pleasing. Let’s hear it for the Japanese Society and please visit us again.

Keep smiling, and remember BISC is there for you especially during the exam period.

Regards from your own Dr Chill

THE COTSWOLDS – England at its best

2010-04-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

To all our BISC Blogger - this is your own Dr. Chill reporting on the beautiful visit to the Cotswolds in the company of beautiful people. We set off on a very sunny and warm day and enjoyed excellent weather throughout. Soon we saw the characteristics of the Cotswolds, lemon coloured stone walls that were set without cement or mortar. The route took us through some picturesque villages and towns, including Tetbury. We even drove past Highgrove House where Prince Charles and Camilla live. I did not see anyone on the coach saluting though!!!

The first stop was at Cirencester, a funny name. It derives from Latin and the town was built 2000 years ago at the time of the Roman occupation of England. Evidence of this could be seen in the Museum. Did you find Jack’s Café in the Museum? Dr Chill sat there doing the crossword!!! The town market was also worth a visit, where you could taste locally produced cheese.

Then it was onward to Bourton-on-the Water to the north east of the Cotswolds. The countryside en route was extremely beautiful. This part of England is called the ‘chocolate box’ scene, as the rural photographs of stone walls and stone thatched cottages often appear on boxes of chocolate. I hope that you like chocolate; I do but am not allowed any for health reasons!!

Next in line was the Little Venice of England, ‘Bourton-on-the-Water’. The River Windrush flows through the village and there are numerous bridges where you can cross and re-cross. Dr Chill sat on a bench and continued to proof read A’s assignment. He started this on the coach and completed it in the Horse and Hounds at Broadway. There were noisy ducks that were being fed by a large number of tourists. Bourton on the Water is a small village with a population of about 4000, and tourism is the major industry of the village and surrounding area. What did you have for lunch? I found a quiet café and had a baked potato filled with tuna and mayonnaise.

Our journey continued to Moreton-in-the-Marsh, where we had a short break and Dr Chill was locked up in the stocks – and quite rightly too. About two/three hundred years ago people who committed anti-social behaviour and traders who undersold were locked in the stock, where the local population would throw rotten eggs, vegetable and fruit at the incarcerated offender! Moreton-in-the-Marsh is where the Headquarter of the UK Fire Service Staff College is located, most of it burnt down last May! Someone had to call the fire service so that they could put out a fire in the Fire Service College! The College lost 14 fire engines and a training block!

Just north of Moreton-in-the Marsh there is a crossroads called threeways, and this is the boundary of five English local government administrative districts called counties. Our coach took the left road and we descended down a steep hill that is called Hangman’s Hill, where at the bottom we arrived in the village of Broadway and into the Horse and Hounds for a pre-arranged cream tea! Very delicious!! A little stroll through the village was worth it, as I saw two horses and learned that the name called Broadway was due to the wide with of the road in the medieval period.

Then it was onward home, down the M5 with the sun setting in the horizon, arriving back in Bristol safe and sound. We hope you had a wonderful trip. Until next time then this is Dr Chill signing off so keep on rocking and rolling, and see you around BISC sometime soon. Do not forget to book for the River Cruise and the Farewell Garden Party!!

Oxford - March 2010

2010-03-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

Well it was a cold, dry and sunny start to our trip as we left the confines of Bristol to head for the dreamy spires of Oxford. However not all of Oxford can be described as the City of Dreaming Spires! These were the parts that were not included in the programme. Dr Chill had laid on the good weather through contacts he has with Head Office. We all went in one coach and our driver was Hugh.

The trip took us along the M4 to Swindon and we turned on to the road to Oxford. Swindon used to be a famous railway town where steam engines and carriages were built for the Great Western Railway. The last steam engine to be built in Britain was constructed at Swindon and was called ‘The Evening Star’. However I digress. The road took us through the Vale of the White Horse, and from a distance the horse was carved into the side of a chalk hill at a small village called Uffington. It is not the one we passed when going to Stonehenge. The horse in the vale is the oldest being prehistoric, probably around the time of the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age. You may not have noticed this but we went through a small village called Shrivenham, and here is located one of the two campuses of Cranfield University. The Shrivenham site is also called the Royal Military School of Science, and Dr Chill worked here part time for a year in 2002/03 as a research assistant.

So we arrived at Oxford where town and gown as a university and city were established about one thousand years ago. There was a walk with a Badge Guide in the morning looking at places of interest, as well as a visit to Trinity College, not the advertised Brasenose College! Trinity College was founded in 1555 some 40 years after Brasenose College. The monarch of England at this time was Mary (Tudor) the eldest daughter of Henry VIII, known for his gluttony, overweight stature and having 6 wives. Mary was married to King Philip II of Spain and this was at a time when your religion could lead to persecution. Mary was a Catholic and she imprisoned and executed many non Catholic Christians loosely termed Protestants.
You may have noticed that Trinity College is situated in the centre of Oxford, close to the University’s libraries, laboratories and lecture halls as well as the City’s amenities. The academic community consists of over 300 undergraduates and 100 graduates. Originally the Colleges at Oxford were founded by the Church and were seminaries for the training of priests. Until the mid 19th Century all of the academic staff of Oxford University, called dons, had to be celibate. Most of the curriculum focused on the studies of classics. Matters gradually changed over the latter part of the 19th century.

Some new colleges were formed but were styled ‘Halls’ rather than colleges, dons could now be married and the University curriculum was slowly widened to include modern studies as for example Politics, Philosophy and Economics, (the famous PPE degree)! Science and Technology were also slowly admitted to the Oxford curriculum but not without protest from the traditional dons and politicians, most of whom in the 19th century had been educated at Oxford. The classical tripos was still more popular than the modern tripos.

Well I hope that you enjoyed the trip and that these few notes in this Blog will give you additional information about Oxford. Don’t forget now on 8th May 2010 is the Cambridge trip; book on line early to reserve a place. Do not leave it until it is too late otherwise you will be disappointed.

photos to come

‘Stonehenge and Salisbury’ – a step back in time

2010-02-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday it was snowing, yet I promised Jacqueline that we would have dry weather with sunshine for the Saturday trip. There were two coaches waiting for us, and we came aboard at 08.30 just as the Sun began to peek through the greyness, and we were off. We drove through some spectacular English countryside on the southern edge of Bath. Shortly afterwards we could see the ridge of Salisbury Plain in the distance. Perhaps most of you missed it but there was a fleeting glimpse of the Westbury white horse calved into the hill. If you missed it don’t worry, Dr Chill has photographs of the seven white horses located in Wiltshire.

However I digress. We drove along the Nadder valley, the River Nadder being an example of a chalk river in southern England. The waters are clear and the River is popular with fly fishermen. The road lays between the ridge of Salisbury Plain and the River Nadder. We turned on to the road that proceeded upwards to Salisbury Plain. You may have noticed that there was a whitish tinge to the soil on the farmland; this is chalk. Also you may have noticed round bumps (small hills) scattered in the fields. These are burial mounds called round barrows and were placed there in the Bronze Age and were contemporary with the later stages of Stonehenge. I only saw one long barrow. This is also a burial mound, but relates to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age contemporary to the early stages of Stonehenge. Most long barrows are situated on the northern part of Salisbury Plain, a part of the Plain that was not included on the trip.

I won’t say too much about Stonehenge as you had previously received an email attachment giving an outline of the continuing archaeological exploration around Stonehenge called the Riverside Project.

After Stonehenge we moved southwards to Salisbury, a small city in Wiltshire. The Cathedral is spectacular and no doubt you had the guided tour. I was interested in the origins of the name cathedral meaning the bishop’s seat, and his subordinate, the Dean who is in charge of the cathedrals administration and the building. The chair and position of dean have been inherited by the English university system. For example, a professorial position is called a chair, and the head of a faculty is called a dean! Not surprising really, given that the origins of the English university system began with the church in the medieval period, notably Oxford and Cambridge.

There will be more on Oxford University next month, on 13 March, when we set off on another BISC trip. If you wish to come, please book early, as all places are competitive and places are likely to become very limited. By the way did you visit Salisbury market? I bought some bargains, socks and undies at a knockdown price. Well that’s all for now my lovelies. This is Dr Chill signing off for now as the washing up waits.

‘Pancakes, Pancakes and MORE Pancakes’ – Shrove Tuesday with a difference

2010-02-19T16:46:00.000-08:00

How many pancakes did you eat at the BISC Pancake Party on Tuesday 16 February 2010? Wonderful weren’t they. There were all manner of savoury delicacies that went into the first course. It included beef fillings, chicken fillings, a delicious mushroom filling and homemade bake beans with side salads to ‘encourage healthy living’. The sweet fillings for the second course were out of this world and we were encouraged to choose our own combination using apple mouse, chocolate sauce, bananas, caramel sauce and mush mallows. You could even make your own pancake under strict supervision. From my observations it looked like a lot of fun.

The team from Nailsea who provided the food for the evening were really wonderful and professional. If you remember from the talk, Pancake Tuesday is a tradition that goes back to medieval England or even before that. Pancake Day falls on the day before the beginning of what is known as Lent in the church calendar and Lent leads up to Easter.

The time of Lent was a time of simplicity and reflection and most of society during medieval times ate bland basic food. Lent begins on the Wednesday after Pancake Tuesday, called Ash Wednesday. So in order to use up their remaining food stock and not let it go to waste, the medieval Christian society came up with the concept of a Pancake Party.

Well we certainly ate all our pancakes on Tuesday. BISC was a full house and the aroma from the kitchen was mouth watering. I was hoping for a second serving of the first course, unfortunately this did not materialise, so I went for the sweet that was pancake with an apple filling. I did notice that a number of New Year’s resolutions about trying to lose weight were broken on pancake night.

I hope you really enjoyed your Pancake Party particularly if it was your first one.
Keep rocking and rolling folks,this is Dr Chill signing off. I hope to see you at our creams teas and lunches. You will not be disappointed!!

‘Happy Chinese New Year’ – music, food and lots of fun activities

2010-02-16T07:21:00.001-08:00

I was at BISC most of the day on Friday 12 February 2010, when our colleagues from the University’s Chinese Chess and Calligraphy Society arrived to prepare for the evening. At about 4 pm a really savoury aroma came from the kitchen with the cooking of spring rolls, and I was invited to try one, yummy yums. I could not wait until the evening proceeding had begun so I could have another one, two or ten!

At 7pm BISC was transformed into a Chinese world of fun, laughter, music, food, Chinese chess, calligraphy and paper cutting. The Chinese chess looked very complicated but I noticed that some erstwhile members of the Christian Society had been practicing in the BISC lounge on Friday afternoon. Their practice paid off and they were well into the game by the early evening.

The Chinese calligraphy too was very skilled and entertaining, and certainly artistic. Dr Chill’s wife was there too learning some of the skills. Actually Mrs Chill is a well-practiced calligrapher and she has displayed her talent in this field at numerous local exhibitions.

I did like the making of Chinese decorations; I think there were fish, lanterns and quite a few other shapes and forms. Mine turned out like bits of red paper hanging from a string. I noticed that Ann’s fish were very well done except for the last one. This looked something like mine!

Then there were the nibbles including those wonderful spring rolls, prawn crackers and other savouries.

All in all everyone had a jolly evening, and may have learnt something from Chinese culture. We must all say a BIG BIG THANK YOU to the Chinese Chess and Calligraphy Society at Bristol University. When the proceedings finished at about 10 pm and the clearing up had been done, Dr and Mrs Chill went for a Chinese takeaway and I had another spring roll!

Until next time then, this is Dr Chill signing off. Keep rocking and rolling, and don’t forget to hand in your assignments on time.

‘Banksy’ – a criminal or an artist?

2010-02-16T07:20:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday 10 February, shortly after a delicious Soup Lunch, we continued with our explorations of what wonders Bristol has to offer for Internationals and Locals alike.

This time, our local guide John Rosewell treated us to his extensive knowledge on Banksy, the British street artist with an international reputation (amongst his client list counts, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) for thought-provoking art.

John discussed Banksy using a remarkable slideshow, showing both the recent Banksy show at the Bristol Museum and his work in and around Bristol and other cities. It was an afternoon of wonder and amazement at the hidden messages in his art and the mystery surrounding the identity of this famous Bristol born artist. If nothing else, at least his birthplace is known to the public.

As at all BISC events the afternoon could not be enjoyed without delicious snacks and drinks being provided. And in between us munching away, John invited us to share our own views and opinions on Banksy. We felt inspired and deeply encouraged to explore the idea of street art as an art form in itself.

Do join BISC for other similar events. Watch and discuss the films ‘Black Gold’ on Wednesday 24 February at 2.45pm and ‘Elizabeth I – the golden age’ on Wednesday 17 March at 2.30pm, at BISC.

‘Ice Skating Evening’ – Skating through the ice on the ice

2010-02-05T07:00:00.001-08:00

With the cold weather and snow that we have had, BISC could have had its ice-skating in house on Friday 22 January 2010!

The evening began with a meal at BISC that was excellent. The vegetarian dish (pasta with pesto, mushrooms, peppers and feta) was out of this world and the meet option (beef mince with lots of extra goodies on pasta) was perfect. Afterwards we all trekked down to the Bristol Ice Rink where our varying displays of the art of ice-skating were performed.

I did not notice any broken bones or dislocated joints after the ice-skating event, and I assume that we all had an enjoyable and safe time. Certainly the reports were that all had such a marvellous time, they want to organise another Ice Skating evening as soon as possible. Speak to Jo Bain about this if you are interested. We want to thank the Bristol University CU in particular for being so helpful in teaching all those more uncertain skaters a few tricks of the trade.

The ice rink in Bristol has been there for over forty years. Dr Chill, as a teenager, use to take his girlfriend ice-skating there. Later as a teacher in a Bristol secondary school he took students ice-skating on Thursday afternoons.

Well I trust that you had a jolly evening and unwound after a busy week with your studies. I look forward to seeing you again at BISC for our famous Cream Teas and Lunches or on another BISC trip.

Regards
Dr Chill

‘Stratford-Upon-Avon’ – The world of Shakespeare

2010-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hello there once again you lovely BISC rock and rollers! This Blog is about our trip to Stratford-On-Avon, the actual birthplace of the Bard himself, William Shakespeare.

With Tony as our driver we were well on our way by 8.30am on Saturday 30 January as we travelled through some beautiful countryside. Stratford-Upon-Avon is one of those picturesque English market towns, where the original Tudor buildings still stand. The Avon is the name of the river that flows through the town. And just to confuse you, there are three rivers called Avon in England. Avon derives from the Anglo-Saxon meaning water. The river that flows through Bristol, including the dock and Gorge area is also called the River Avon, and there is a third River Avon near Stonehenge. The Bristol Avon begins in the Cotswolds and flows through the countryside east of Bristol including through another ancient small market town called Bradford-Upon-Avon. Dr Chill lived around here when he was a teenager. It was not uncommon to see international tourists who had ended up in Bradford-Upon-Avon rather than Stratford-Upon-Avon some 100 miles away.

To start with, we visited ‘Shakespeare’s Birthplace’ where we were part of a famous lineage of people who had previously visited the place, notably English writers including Keats, Dickens and Hardy as well as Dr Chill! Nash’s House/Newplace and Hall’s Croft followed thereafter, both with very interesting connections to Shakespeare and amazing gardens to wader in. The guides at all three the venues were very entertaining and knowledgeable, even though they were slightly overwhelmed by the size of our group.

To end off the day we were treated with a Cream Tea out of this world served at both Henley Street Tea Rooms and at Benson’s. The creams teas were the crown of the trap which overall was a phenomenal success and gave us the time to catch up and share our experiences of the day.

Some related points of interest for you to note: On 30 January 1649, King Charles I was executed and England became a republic for 11 years until 1660. The execution of Charles I occurred some 33 years after Shakespeare’s death. Also: some years ago there was some controversy, questioning whether Shakespeare or Francis Bacon wrote his plays? Certainly there was intrigue with a number of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, including the dramatist Christopher Marlowe. Marlowe was murdered in Deptford London, then a naval port. It has subsequently been suggested that Marlowe was a spy and was killed on orders of the King! The opinions that Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare’s plays or that Marlowe was a spy have never been substantiated.

Well that’s enough history for today, and we at BISC hope that you enjoyed the trip. Don’t forget our activities for February, including Chinese Chess and Calligraphy night on Friday 12 February, and a Pancake Party on Tuesday 16 February, followed by a trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury. Please book early for all our events so not to be disappointed. Also don’t forget the our very own Cream Teas on Mondays from 3.30 - 5.00 pm at BISC.

Have a happy week and this is Dr Chill signing off, see you at BISC.

Christmas Dinner: Celebrated the British way

2009-12-08T05:54:00.000-08:00

Well it was that time again for the traditional Christmas dinner, this time celebrated on Saturday 5 December. Volunteers from Alma church and BISC spent most of the day setting up, changing the venue into something spectacular, and cooking the most delicious dinner anywhere in the UK. Before we go on, we must say a BIG THANK YOU!!

The was decorated beautifully with Christmas trees, fairy lights and tables laid out with candles, crackers, party poppers and all other bits and pieces to make it look so nice and cosy. The guest appeared at around 7pm and it was obvious to some that this was the first time they had witnessed a traditional British Christmas setting with all the trimmings. The meal was superb and there were plenty of second and third helpings. I think Dr Chill was the head-waiter with that white coat on. But his bow tie had a Christmassy touch even though it was worn upside down!!! For those who had never sampled a traditional Christmas dinner with crackers, I trust that the experience was to your liking. Did you find a hat, toy and joke in your cracker? I think you did as we were soon attired in paper hats of various colours. My cracker joke went something like this: ‘Who is the most famous lady in America? Answer: Mississippi!!!! Ha Ha. Don’t call us we’ll call you!!!

The mulled wine was excellent. It had a warm glow to it particularly if you drank it, and it tasted sanguine. I did notice that Dr Chill had two glasses of mulled wine. It was simply too delicious!!! If you have a special mulled wine recipe, add your comment and recipe to this blog.

During the dinner we enjoyed a short talk on the Christmas story and a live performance of Christmas carols. We all joined in and it created a very special atmosphere. But more was still to come when Father Christmas suddenly appeared!!! And what did Santa give you? His elf joke about sick elves and where they go for treatment, and a comment that Santa should be on the stage raised one or two laughs!! Oh well!! I didn’t see Dr Chill there with Santa; he missed a treat, and a present.

All in all some sixty guests took part in the traditional Christmas dinner and I trust the experience was uplifting and something you can share with your friends. Remember to show them the photographs.

This is the last blog for 2009 and the Autumn term. I personally would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Jacqueline in her first term as BISC Coordinator. Jacqueline has undertaken her task well. It is a role where you have to be multi skilled, have the patience of Job (Book in the Old Testament in the Bible), and she is always smiling!!!

And a BIG BIG thank you to YOU, lovely international students. Without you we could not run the centre. In conclusion may the BISC Team wish you a happy and safe holiday and may God be with you.

Christmas is Here: making cards the traditional way

2009-12-03T03:51:00.000-08:00

Hello once again you lovely blog readers. Well what can I say about Christmas card making, and why do we send cards at Christmas? The practice of sending Christmas cards began in Britain during the early 1840s, although the custom began in America some 20 years previously. The development of Christmas cards coincided with the development of the railway system and the penny post. Cards in unsealed envelopes cost less than a penny to post and proved very popular with early Victorian society that was beginning to enjoy the benefits of cheap rail travel and an efficient cheap postal service. The red post boxes in Britain began to appear in the early 1850’s and if you look at then you can see the monarch’s initials. There is one Victorian post box somewhere in Clifton, but around the BISC area there are some post boxes bearing the initials of Edward VIII (1902-10) George V (1910-1935) George VI (1937-52) as well as those from the present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Near where Dr Chill hangs out is a very rare post box erected in 1936 with Edward VIII crest on it. Edward VIII was never crowned as he abdicated after 10 months.

So Christmas cards developed with the cycle of the white heat technology of the 19th century. The Victorian post and telegraph system was perhaps the first form of email!

At BISC a happy bunch of about 20 sat down in the lounge making their own Christmas cards. I met a Russian lady who considered it most enjoyable and creative, and all this was organised by the Christian Union of Bristol University. The afternoon did in true BISC fashion include food, food and food. There was the traditional mince pies, cakes and something salty to break all the sweet – all very delicious with hot and cold drinks to keep us going. A BIG BIG thank you to the Christian Union for all they did to make this a most enjoyable afternoon.

Well that is another history lesson from Dr Chill folks. Keep rocking and rolling my lovelies until the next blog on the traditional Christmas dinner.

International Feast and Games – Eat, eat and eat some more

2009-12-03T03:48:00.000-08:00

What a feast, and what rain all on the same night! Well despite the weather some 47 guests arrived with their goodies (yummy) for the annual BISC International Feast and Games. Indeed the guests were very generous, and their cuisine delights must have taken a lot of time and effort to produce. For example there was potato salad from Germany, quiche from France, and a little number called ‘Numerical Pork’ from Hong Kong, cheese and freshly baked bread, also from France, a pasta dish from South Africa, shepherd’s pie from England, a variety of Persian delights and so much more. Personally I found it very hard to choose. I could however not resist the peach and mango crumble. I had two helpings, and a third on Monday for lunch!

When the time arrived to select our favourites from the heavy laden kitchen counter, we were transported back in time to a scene from the Titanic as the ladies went to collect their food first at the insistence of the gentlemen (although on the Titanic it was to book your seat in the lifeboat). This gallantry form the gentleman never the less caused long queues as people battled to decide between so many choices, but as Britain is the land of professional queuing we felt right at home.

Between the main course and the sweet, we took a break from all that eating with a ‘sign game’ and thereafter an ‘animal game’. The laughter and mirth emanating from the lounge was a clear indication that the guests were enjoying themselves! Then it was pudding time!

There was so much pudding that we simply could not manage it all. But as explained before, it was not a problem for Dr Chill that could then enjoy sampling a little more for Monday lunch. The pudding samples included English apple pie, Lithuanian cake, French apple tart and Persian rice pudding with letters of cinnamon indicating a great appreciation for BISC.

Finally the evening was rounded off with more fun and games and a lot more laughter. Departing guests commented on what an enjoyable evening it had been and promised to send recipes of all their delicious contributions.

Once again folks, another glorious evening at BISC! Don’t forget the traditional Christmas dinner at Alma Road church on Saturday (5 December). I have heard that Father Christmas will put in an appearance!

This is Dr Chill signing off until next time.

Cardiff Castle and the Big Pit – A world of contrasts

2009-11-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

Here we are again, Dr Chill and the trip to South Wales. Well you certainly witnessed the total spectrum of the British social class. The coal owners built and lived in Cardiff Castle and those who paid for it worked down the coal mines, which were very unhealthy, and the miners were only paid a pittance.

The castle was spectacular although ‘relatively modern’, but was built on the site of an earlier Norman castle. The mound in the middle of the castle grounds with the ruins of the original keep was a true gem. The keep was the most important part of the castle and had to be defended at all costs. This was all right in the days of bows and arrows. With the invention of gunpowder and cannon the days of the castles were numbered as they had big holes blown into them. Nevertheless the modern castle had many interesting facets that you must have seen, like the almost invisible lady in one of the bedrooms?

And now, for the Big Pit! Over twenty-five years ago there were many coal mines in South Wales; today there are none! Coal from South Wales was once a strategic commodity as it is good steaming coal and was sold to the old railway companies with their steam engines and to the British navy for coal burning battleships. Much later South Wales coal was sold to the Central Electricity Generating Board. The mines died in South Wales because they became unprofitable, and it was cheaper to import coal from abroad.

There always had been acrimonious industrial relations within the coal industry between the owners, the government and the miners’ union. I will not bore you with the history but it all came to a head during the early 1980s. The miners’ union lost the argument, and the government began to close the mines permanently. The Big Pit is now a museum. Did you see a Davey Lamp invented in 1812, just after Dr Chill was born! The flame is protected from the outside elements that in a coal mine could include explosive gases. If they were present, however, the flame in the Davey lamp changed colour, so everyone underground could get to safety. The miners also took a canary in a cage down with them. If there were poisonous gases present the canary suffocated and the miners could escape to safety. Bad luck for the canary though! At some point pit ponies were employed underground, pulling coal wagons from the cutting edge of the mine to the cage where it was lifted, to what is called the pithead. The coal was sorted by hand and many women were employed for this task. Would you fancy doing that day in and day out? No wonder the miners sang, music lightened up their difficult and strenuous lives!

Dr Chill did his master’s degree in ‘Industrial relations in the British coal industry, 1900 to 1990’. Did you contrast the two environments? A castle and a coal mine, not many miles apart but in two different worlds. I doubt whether the coal owner who lived in the castle ever went down a pit, and a coal miner would have never been invited into the coal owner’s castle. I bet the canary wished that he lived in the castle; there were no poisonous gases there!!!

Well there you have it you lovely BISC Blog readers. Don’t forget to comment on the blogs and keep rocking and rolling.

Remember Christmas dinner at Alma Church on 5th December. Book early at BISC to avoid disappointed.

Until next time, this is Dr Chill signing off!!!!

Polish Night – A night to remember

2009-11-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

Friday 13 November was a very wet and windy night as some 40 of us made our way to BISC for the Polish Night. The weather did not seem to deter our guests as one group after the other streamed through the BISC front door to enjoy a fabulous evening organised for us by Bristol University’s Polish Society. And very well organised they were too!!

The food was fantastic soup starters with bread and pretzel sticks - yummy yum!!! And more was to follow. Stuffed eggs, cabbage and sausage were presented as the main course. Who went for second helpings?

After the main course, we were treated to a very informative presentation about Poland. This was followed by a quiz on famous Polish people, places, food and random facts. The quiz was organised by grouping each table as a team, with a prize for the winning team. My team did unfortunately not win - not through any intellectual deficiency on my part off course (although some may question this!). Perhaps I should admit that my total lack of geographical knowledge might have contributed to our defeat.

This leads me to a little joke! What is the difference between geography and history? Geography is about maps and history is about chaps! Oh well, I never did get that job in a Christmas cracker joke factory!

Then it was back to yummy yums with cheesecake and biscuits, along with a little fame!!! Amongst our distinguished guests were two who help with the Polish radio show on GWR (Bristol Radio). Recordings were made to include informal interviews and bits and pieces of the fun and laughter enjoyed throughout the evening. We are not sure when it will be broadcasted but watch this space and tune in to the BISC Blog and Dr Chill for more information in the future!

Entertainment included live singing of Polish songs, accompanied by a young lad on a guitar. Dr Chill did not sing, as he didn’t want to spoil the evening. So all in all, a good time was had by all in the little lounge of the little house with a BIG heart for international students.

So tune in to all past, present and future blogs. Don’t forget the International Feast is on Friday 27 November 2009. Book in to the office either personally or on-line to avoid disappointment. The event is free. But please bring a culinary delight from your own country (savoury or sweet). Does anyone do a Hungarian goulash?

Keep rock and rolling my friends, this is Dr Chill signing off.

Bridgwater Carnival 2009

2009-11-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings, you wonderful Blog readers! On Friday 6 November 2009 Bridgewater Carnival arrived again and we were off down the motorway on a wet afternoon. To avoid traffic we needed to take a few detours and arrived slightly later than expected, but still in time to enjoy the beginning of the carnival. On arrival there was a mad rush for MacDonald’s healthy menu including the old favourite of burger and chips and off course to visit the ‘little ladies (or men’s) room’.

The floats, or carts as they are called in Bridgewater, were spectacular. The various carnival clubs spend nearly a year mapping out a scheme for their respective floats and setting it up. Thousands of flashing lights, loud music and costumes! Although some of the characters on the floats were only attired in scant clothing on a wet chilly November night, the carts with all those light bulbs actually generated a lot of heat. You may have felt the blast of hot air of each float as it passed by. This helped us to forget the cold and the somewhat wet weather during the later part of the evening.

The spectators gave wonderfully to the various charity collectors – all the money goes to various charities, for example, Cancer Research, Children in Need, the local Red Cross. In Britain a charity is a voluntary sector organisation that raises funds for a particular issue that is not totally funded by the state.

Now, shall we look at the origins of this spectacular tradition? The origin lies in celebrating the unsuccessful attempt to blow up the English parliament with King James I and all of his cronies. Guy Fawkes, a mercenary soldier who was half Italian and half Yorkshire (English), had been paid to prime the bomb and then leave very quickly. But treachery surrounded the plot and Guy Fawkes was betrayed. He was arrested, taken to the Tower of London and tortured to confessing his role in what is now called the Gunpowder plot. His sentence was execution by burning and he was stuck on top of a bonfire. The Bridgewater Carnival originally celebrated the failure of the Plot in 1605.

The current Bridgewater Carnival began just over 100 years ago. At the time England was caught in an agricultural and economic depression. This affected Somerset rather badly. Some townsfolk resurrected the Carnival to boost the morale of the local people and it has grown to the celebration we enjoy today. It is said that the light reflected by the Carnival can be seen from the Moon! Personally, I have not been to the Moon to check this out, but we will give the enthusiasts the benefit of the doubt.

We all arrived back in Bristol after being well taken care of by Tony, our enthusiastic coach driver for many a trip. Remember him? Tony was at ‘A Taste of the UK’ singing his heart out and treating us to traditional English folk songs.

Well that’s all for now folks, keep rocking and rolling until next time
Yours as ever
The Blogmaster
alias Dr Chill!

Food & Discussion: Eating, chatting and chatting more

2009-10-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

South-African Bobotie with Yellow Rice as main and Milk Tart for pudding was enjoyed by 40 odd guests this Wednesday 28th September, followed by food for thought with the interesting topic ‘Science (Art) and God’. The BISC team had been slavishly working all afternoon to get the food for the discussion forum ready. Don’t forget on the same day 12.00pm 2.00 pm the BISC kitchen and lounge was set up for the weekly soup lunch. I am always struck arriving on Wednesday morning about 10.00 a.m. of the wonderful savoury aroma that hits your nostrils as soon as you open the front door and walk in! I digress. The food prepared was yummy! Slightly more international students arrived than we expected, yet there was more than enough for all to enjoy!

After dinner Dr Charl Faul, a Christian and a noted chemist and lecturer at the University of Bristol, gave a well prepared presentation. The presentation was neutral and did not argue for one side or another. Guest were invited to form their own opinions and encouraged to seek facts within different ‘schools of thought’ before forming these opinions. One ‘school of thought’ was that faith and science do not necessarily have to apose one another, and where there might be contention between the two it need not end up in a sort of academic slanging match, damaging the credibility of both sides! Perhaps there is a lesson to learn from this.

The Blogmaster when reading for a Master’ degree at Leicester University in 1918 compiled a dissertation on Science, Religion and Education in Victorian Britain. It is interesting to note that part of the problem why other nations overtook Britain in industrial supremacy was because the politics of education in the 19th century was inundated with internal religious in-fighting. Not something we are proud of, but certainly something we were able to learn from.

Well back to the discussion: some very interesting questions from the audience followed Dr Faul’s presentation. The questions came from a number of disciplines, including psychology, biology and the humanities. The discussion was lively and stimulating, but the respect shown by all for differences in opinion, struck me as truly remarkable. It was an absolute pleasure participating in a Forum like this where every individual is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions.

As the Blogmaster, I am being slightly naughty in taking the liberty of sharing a personal story with you. Two years ago I experienced healing (which I believe to be at the hand of God) from a life threatening condition. This and working as a BISC volunteer, which in itself was a miracle and not by my own design, gives me total peace and happiness – ask me sometime and I will tell you what happened to me. In no way would I like to diminish the important role that science played in my healing process, but throughout my healing process, I know that I had a big encounter with a very big God of love!

If you would like to investigate Christianity in a non-threatening and relaxed atmosphere, please do sign up for the Alpha course commencing next Wednesday 4th November. Come and enjoy another two course meal and then stay for the course itself. As in the case of the Food and Discussion Forum, the course is not intended to convert you to Christianity. It is a simple two way approach leading to enriched discussion whilst respecting the opinions and beliefs of all involved. As with all other BISC events, international students of all faith backgrounds and those with no faith are most welcome.

Well that’s all for now folks. The Blogmaster

The International Reception: Celebrating our multi-cultural world

2009-10-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

The International Reception: Celebrating our multi-cultural world

Saturday 24 October 2009 was United Nations Day, and Bristol had its own United Nations celebration at the International Reception held in Woodlands Church, commonly called Woodies!

About 450 guests attended and 53 nations were represented. The food was varied to suit all tastes and customs, and the entertainment superb. There was also this grey haired gentleman walking around in a white jacket and a red bow-tie. Was he selling ice cream or was he the head waiter?!

The jazz band was out of this world and they kept up a stream of traditional and modern jazz throughout the evening. The evening ended with ‘Amazing Grace’, a truly remarkable end to and amazing evening. I have never heard a jazz band play Amazing Grace before. I have heard it played on bagpipes though, but somehow the jazz version created gentleness deeply complimentary to this beautiful song.

Mingling around the reception and talking to a number of nationalities I was struck by the privilege of the BISC Team and other volunteers able to befriend international students at large. The love and friendliness of 50 odd nations represented at the International Reception was wonderful. The entertainment too was excellent, particularly the Chinese Lion Dancers and the Capoeira Dance Routine. The Chinese Lion was spectacular; I have never been so close to one before. It must have taken a lot of energy to be inside the Lion dancing away! Equally the energy and skill shown by the Capoeira Dance Routine was breathtaking. Perhaps if you wish to get fit and lose weight, join me and sign up for the Bristol University Chinese Lion Dance Society or the Capoeira Beribazu Bristol.

The BISC Team performed well, particularly in the animal game! I never heard so many animal accents before. The picture of the sheep was misleading. It could also be interpreted as a cow (moo) wearing a wig! I did notice that the BISC member behind the mask made a sound like bah humbug! It was more like Ebenezer Scrooge (read the blog for ‘A Taste of the UK’)! We must all thank the BISC team and other volunteers for their efforts and time organising the event with the minimum of disruption. In particular Jacqueline, Charl, Ruth, Ann, Phoebe, Dave and Xiaomei must take the most credit for the wonderful success of the evening.

Towards the end, that man in a white coat was with Ann saying good night in a number of languages, to the departing guests. Indeed John was complimented on his Spanish (adios amigo). However this is the only Spanish he knows! When the band was playing the last number, Ann, who had forgotten to take her pills, began dancing with a number of guests, particularly H from China. Yes it was all good fun, but the evening had a message as was evident from the Alpha video and Rob Scott-Cooke’s message (read more about this elsewhere on our website).

And the message from the BISC Team is this: Welcome to the whole world! Join us in all that we do. Make BISC your home away from home. Investigate new things, make new friends, share your own culture, learn about other cultures, practice your English, teach us your own language. There is so much to life in Bristol.

May we also take this opportunity to thank our two excellent photographers who captured the evening in all its brilliance! Thank you to professional photographer Dan Blueman and BISC photographer Daniel Benson. You have captured our memories of this evening in a truly superb way.

This is the Blogmaster now signing off and may you all have a rock and rolling time this week.

‘Knit One, Purl One’ – A knitting afternoon to remember

2009-10-30T08:13:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday 21st October fifteen brave souls arrived at BISC to share in the age old art of ‘knit one, purl one’. As with all other BISC events there was off course enough refreshments in the form of cake, tea, coffee and hot chocolate to give everyone the energy boost they needed.

BISC volunteer Pat Bennett, CU members Keith Upton and Emily Weston, and Anna Guyatt and Andy Bell as member of the Knitting Society (University of Bristol) took the lead in organising and teaching the rest of us.

Pat, Anna and Andy started the afternoon inspiring us with beautiful examples of both simpler versions of the knitting art and also slightly more challenging pieces. And then it was down to business as we seriously tried to get the hang of knitting in the modern age. Some tried ‘plain stitch’, some tried ‘pearl stitch’ and others were brave enough to try a combination. Plenty of mistakes were made, but this did not deter us in the slightest. We laughed, ate, chatted and kept on trying with much more success by the end of the afternoon.

In fact, we were so inspired that most of us signed up to become members of the Knitting Society – highly recommended!
Please see http://www.ubu.org.uk/societies/knitting and find out how to join.

And as you can see from the photographs, this is not only an art form to be enjoyed by the ladies. The gentlemen were quite excellent and figured out the mechanics of knitting in no time.

Until our next ‘knit one, purl one’ afternoon, I wish you farewell. The Blogmaster.

A Taste of the UK – English Culture at its best

2009-10-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

I trust you all enjoyed your evening out on Saturday to taste English culture and food at Ebenezer Church. The transport was brilliant, with so many volunteers from various churches driving us to Ebenezer and back again. Thank you for that, you were marvellous.

The cultural events were wide, ranging from a 1950’s film about the Royal Family, the World Cup of 1966 and the life and death of princess Diana 12 years ago. Mind you England has not achieved a World Cup final since 1966. In 1966 the Blogmaster was just 19 years young and in Germany!

Tony with his guitar and mouth organ was brilliant as usual. His first folk song about a street entertainer called Seth with his dancing dolls, who performed on the streets of Liverpool just over a hundred years ago, always makes me a little sad. During the same period, Bristol would have had its street entertainers in what is now the Centre and Park Street.

What about the food? Did you enjoy your sausage and mash, better known as ‘baggers and mash’, with peas and carrots and onion sauce? What does this menu say about the English? I enjoyed mine especially as I had three sausages! The apple pie and ice cream was also delicious. The post dinner entertainment was brilliant. The song ‘Amazing Grace’ was written by an Englishman called John Newton. He began life as a seafarer and became a captain of a slave ship plying between Bristol, the West Coast of Africa and the Caribbean. God intervened in his life and he saw that the slave trade was evil and abhorrent and gave up his sea life. He became a priest with the Church of England and was part of a pressure group led by William Wilberforce that eventually influenced the government to ban the slave trade.

I don’t know much about Ebenezer except that he was the main character in Charles Dickens novel, ‘A Christmas Carol’. Ebenezer Scrooge was a grumpy bad tempered man of business in mid Victorian England. His life’s aim was to make a worldly profit at the expense of others. Yet on Christmas Eve one year he had a visitation of the supernatural, which changed his life and he became happy and benevolent. In some ways both Newton (who was real) and Ebenezer Scrooge (who was not) reflected a change of life experience. We should ask Ebenezer Church whether their name relates to this powerful tale of a life changing experience.

How did you fare with the quizzes? I checked around a few tables and assisted where possible. No it wasn’t Worcester and cream! It was Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire and cream is a complete contrast. Worcestershire sauce is hot and savoury and with cream that is sweet and cool the blend would taste horrible. Cream goes with apple pie. The contrast of hot and savoury with cream in some ways reflect the lives of John Newton and Ebenezer Scrooge, where in life changing experiences, they threw off their image of hot and savoury and took on the characteristics that represent cream especially when poured on to apple pie, the apple pie representing the world.

Well, there you have it the taste of English culture blog. What were your experiences? Please respond, as I would like your views. Signing off until next week

Have a good week. See you at BISC or the Octagon at UWE and especially at the International Reception. Remember entry is free and you don’t have to book. Bring your friends and enjoy a spectacular multi-cultural evening with food and entertainment from across the world.

Yours, as ever, the Blogmaster.

Fancy that of London – Our BISC Trip on 10 October 2009

2009-10-12T06:31:00.000-07:00

What a time to get out of bed, 6ish in order to be at BISC for 7.20 at the latest, for our coach ride to London. Early in the morning the weather seemed ok as we boarded our coaches and proceeded to the various pick up points thence to the motorway. The M4 motorway took us towards a very enjoyable day in London. And what a day it turned out to be! September, being one of the warmest in decades extended itself into October and we had a lovely sunny day to enjoy with temperatures around 18 degrees in the early afternoon. The crowds on the streets of London seemed to join in our excitement.

The guided tour gave us an overview of the main attractions in London. Starting with the Victoria & Albert Museum we then cruised through the affluent Sloane Street. This is where the posh live, or so I’ve heard. They are commonly referred to as the Sloane Rangers by those who are not so posh, including me the Blogmaster.

We passed by Buckingham Palace and saw the crowds gathering there as well as the Queen’s guards. Did you note the red jackets and tall hats called bearskins? One day, if you wish, I will tell you the history of the Guards. Nearby we passed Hyde Park and Wellington Square. The Duke of Wellington was a famous British general, although he was born and brought up in Ireland. Wellington fought the Napoleonic French armies in Portugal and Spain between 1809 and 1814. This period in British history is known as the Peninsular War. One year later in 1815 Wellington defeated the Napoleonic French Army at Waterloo near Brussels in Belgium. The British guards as mentioned above took on napoleon’s Imperial Guards who were the best in Europe. The British Guards thereafter wore bearskins similar to those worn by the Imperial Guard.

Wellington later became Prime Minister, and believe it or not his policies were very civilized. For example, he gave British Catholics the vote. The London railways terminus of Waterloo is named after the battle. Some people think the battle was fought at Waterloo Station. Well it is fought over on weekdays with thousands of commuter travelling to and from work!

Our guided tour also included Tower Bridge that is just over 100 years old. I think it was completed in 1900. Then we bussed around Trafalgar Square known, amongst others, for the impressive National Gallery and Nelson’s Column. On top of the tall colonnade is the stature of Admiral Lord Nelson a contemporary of the Duke of Wellington. The name of Trafalgar is a small peninsular in Spain where nearby the battle, which was called Trafalgar, took place in October 1805. Nelson defeated the Spanish and French fleets but was himself killed in the battle. The British sailors stuffed his body in a barrel of rum to preserve in order that he could be buried at St Paul’s Cathedral. I wonder if the sailors drank the rum afterwards?!!

St Paul’s Cathedral was itself a sight to behold. We were given the opportunity to get off the coach and view this magnificent architectural art piece from all sides. Our guides were informative and very entertaining with an excellent sense of humour.

Other sights that could be viewed up close or from a distance was: The Royal Courts of Justice, The Theatre Royal, London City, London Bridge, Big Ben, the London Eye, and much more.

If you would like to respond to this blog and say what you did in your free time please feel free to contribute. Some BISC member enjoyed an excellent lunch in an authentic restaurant in ‘China Town’. Others strolled through St. James Park, visited Piccadilly Circus or shopped until they dropped at Harrods and Oxford Street.

Well that’s all for this blog folks. Tune in next week for the blog on ‘A taste of the UK’. Regards Blog master.

Ringing the Changes

2009-06-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hi there all you lovely BISC Blog Readers

This is short blog just to inform you about the changes taking place at BISC. Well most of you know that Hannah is leaving her post a coordinator at the end of July. Her successor is Jacqueline who begins on 1 July spending her first month with Hannah on a handover/takeover exercise. Also and for the first time a BISC a new part time coordinator will be working at BISC. This is Ruth Mo (nee Hutty), who got married to Mo on 27th June!

Jacqueline is the South African lady some of you may know already as she worked as a volunteer with BISC from November until February. She is a talented graphic designer and is married to Charl a lecturer in chemistry at Bristol University.
Ruth studied Russian at Bristol University, and was part of the volunteer BISC Team two or three years ago. From what I know Ruth is a talented gardener, and you may have seen her from time to time in the garden wearing her green wellies.

Xiaomei who you know as May is leaving the BISC team after her year as a volunteer. I am very happy to announce that she is remaining in Bristol for the next three years where she is studying for her PhD. Personally I found May a remarkable colleague to work with. She is never flustered, and in the heat of the kitchen would put on a big smile and a softly spoken voice and calmed everyone down.

John, I am happy to say (because I am John) is remaining at BISC. He is a talented toilet cleaner and proof reader. I am still available for proof reading your essays and assignments over the summer period and can be contacted at BISC. Ann is also staying and I think she has done a superb job with the local link scheme. However, Elvyn is moving on from BISC to pursue different activities, so we shall miss his jazz walks and walking tours of Bristol.

So, the new academic year has various changes in store, but I cannot sign off without saying what a big contribution Hannah has had on the progression of BISC during the past seven years. She has moved the vision of BISC forward, and the mantle is now passed to Jacqueline and the new BISC team.

This is Blogmaster John signing off now, but perhaps not for the last time. Wherever you go, whoever you meet, may your god go with you.

Lots of BISC love
From Hannah, Xiaomei, Ann, Josh, John & Elvyn

Axa Sunlife Community Team

2009-06-22T04:27:00.001-07:00

Work in the BISC garden

Farewell BBQ 2009

2009-06-19T12:35:00.001-07:00

Hi BISC Blog Fans

This blog is about the Farewell BBQ, and I don’t know about you but I found it somewhat emotional.

Unfortunately the weather was not too good, despite a really sunny on the day before, and on the day after the event, the BBQ night was for the most part held on a rainy day. Still as the old song goes, ‘Never mind the weather, so long as we’re together’. We had a professional chef who was hired to run the BBQ which left the BISC Team time to mingle and chat to you the international students. The food was wonderful, especially the pork and cider sausages and Cajun chicken. As most of the event occurred in the lounge, the smoke billowed inside, so it was as though we were outside! We, the BISC team, have got to know you over the past academic year, and we were with you in saying your goodbyes. The non alcoholic punch was very fruity. I had to eat mine with a spoon! As it was no alcoholic we called it Scrunch! There was lots of food for all tastes including vegetarian dishes. Pity though, there was no pudding! I had mine when I got home. I was talking to a French student M, who was impressed when I said that I am starting French lessons in September. She is coming back next summer to see how I get on!!

The farewell talk, given by Josh, was uplifting when he likened BISC to the Good Samaritan story in the Bible, love your neighbour as yourself. If you think of this story it has a profound meaning. Who is your neighbour? It would be like the man who was attacked being an orthodox Jew and the man who cared for him being a Palestinian! Makes you think doesn’t it!

No doubt you are looking forward to returning home with happy experiences of your time in Bristol and also hope that you had a wonderful experience of the BISC connection. Don’t forget that we live in a global village and only a phone call or email away. This was the last farewell BBQ with Hannah in charge. Indeed it is not only Hannah, who is leaving, but also Josh and Mei. This was the end of my first year at BISC, and I thank the Good Lord, I am returning next year. For me this past year has been a spiritual journey, and I know that a number of you have had a similar experience. I trust that the Farewell BBQ was the climax of your association with BISC and that you tell friends and colleagues who may be coming to Bristol in the future. Since the BBQ we now have a new pathway for the back of the kitchen to the back gate. So there you are the first change since your last visit to BISC. Next year which is only some few weeks away Jacqueline will be the new Coordinator and Ruth the Assistant Coordinator.

As you leave us to return home, perhaps via a holiday we the BISC Team would like wish you Bon Voyage and may your God go with you.

Happy rocking and rolling. The BISC Blogmaster.

Surprise Party

2009-06-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hello to all you lovely BISC Blog Readers. Last Thursday there was a surprise party at BISC. This was arranged by Iwona with help from other numerous international students who are BISC regulars for the BISC volunteer staff and their family and friends, and what a glorious sunny evening too. Iwona gave a short presentation and displayed photographs from the past BISC year, some of which were excellent, and others, well! For example did you notice the photograph of John in a Rupert the Bear sweater with a label on his forehead?

The compliments given by the students were very flattering, and it was a joy to see the BISC regular students giving back their thanks to us in the way of the surprise party. There was a well-presented buffet. My evening was made when Vera from the Czech Republic came with saucepan full of goulash – it was amazing. I had first tasted it last term and it was wonderful. This reminds me of a joke! ‘What do ghosts eat for breakfast? Answer goulash!!! Ha ha!! It’s about time the BISC master blogger was confined to a secure home!

I can only say that I was amazed at the organisation of the party and the wonderful wonderful students. A poem was read by Iwona based on the Lennon/McCartney song ‘Imagine’. It was wonderful. The BISC Team were presented with a laminated new world map that is now hanging proudly on the office wall, and a small globe. The team also received a card address to ‘The BISC Team’ or the Beautiful Incredible Super Characters, and the citation inside gave these words,

“Thank you so much for all of you for making the world so much better. BISC is a wonderful world full of wonderful and beautiful people. You’ve mad my stay here Bristol an amazing experience. What you’re doing here is great.”

This year has gone so very quick and has been a happy year throughout. I hope that it has been a happy year for all international students too. Indeed I hope that you found your time in Bristol a great experience and that BISC played some small part in your sojourn to our fair city. I think you did given the comments written in the card. If the BISC team have achieved what is reflected in messages written in the card, then we have done our job. Unfortunately I left the party early, as I felt somewhat emotional. I have to go now and write up the blog on the River cruise. I hope to see you all at the farewell barbeque on Wednesday evening. Please keep in touch. Wherever you are in the world you are only an email away.
May your God bless and keep you. From your friendly Blogmaster

River Cruise

2009-06-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Oggy Oggy Oggy – Oi Oi Oi! Greetings once again BISC readers! Are you still rocking and rolling over the last blog. If you are then wonderful!

Personally I considered the River Cruise on the Tower Belle a delightful evening out. One could say that it was a cool trip. It would appear that we were waiting the wrong side of the swing bridge for the boat and international students were guided to the wrong place by John’s white jacket. Still all we had to do was cross the road – that was a bit hairy given the traffic, particularly bicycles! Nevertheless we boarded the fair ship the Tower Belle that looked bright and Bristol fashion. Then we proceeded on our watery journey. The swing bridge had to be opened for us. I have been in Bristol since 1975, and this was the first time I had been in a boat where the swing bridge had to be opened! Travelling through the dock area you got an alternative impression of the docks that you would from the land. As we sailed further down the river you could see traces of Bristol’s mercantile past as a number of 19th century warehouses were still standing along with new development as luxury flats and office blocks. By Temple Meads we passed the 1960s concrete phenomenon, former the Royal Mail regional sorting office. The sooner they demolish this the better. It is a total distraction and an eyesore.

We sailed from the river into a man-made canal ‘The Feeder’. This was constructed by French prisoners of war who had been taken prisoner during the Napoleonic War – particularly the Peninsular (Portugal & Spain) campaign 1808-1814. Enough of the history lessons! You all learnt a traditional British call ‘Oggy Oggy Oggy – the response being ‘Oi Oi Oi’ from Hannah! This Anglo Saxon called was soon practiced on the people by the riverside who were walking cycling or just watching, and I think we all received the Oi Oi Oi bit! It’s a wonder that the river police did not come down on us! There were plenty of nibbles and soft drink as well as a buffet meal provided by BISC. However the Tower Belle had its own bar and a number of you took advantage of that. Music was provided by Josh and his band ‘Transition’. Their repertoire was a bit limited and repetitive, La la la la la. Most of us were joining though. Perhaps it was a good melody to encourage public participation.
The evening remained dry and warm despite the cloud cover. But we must be grateful for small mercies, for example thank goodness it did not rain, neither did we run into any icebergs! I don’t recall anyone being sea sick, or who didn’t enjoy the trip. We had a birthday girl on the trip, H who was presented with a card and allowed to go first when the pudding were being served! Hazel, who is John’s wife, and although is not directly involved with BISC, she has been available, particularly on the transport, and Christmas festivities front. Those of you who went to John and Hazel’s house on Christmas day may remember this. Another six months and it all happens again, only this time it will be much better with a new kitchen.

Well now that the examination season for 2009 is over and we can all relax a little. Some of you will be going home soon. I hope that you will be here for the farewell BBQ at BISC – we still have tickets.

Until the next time then and may your God go with you.

Noah's Ark Zoo Farm

2009-06-01T03:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings once again BISC Blog Readers! Are you enjoying the hot weather? It’s good rock ‘n roll weather! It was my first visit to Noah’s Ark Farm Zoo, and I was quite impressed. Though on this trip fewer students went on the visit, as the mode of transport was by mini bus and two cars, the day went well.

Once I arrived there I went to the café and had a cup of coffee on the veranda where you could survey the zoo. In the distance I could see a giraffe, a water buffalo and three camels. We watched a wonderful Animal Show -a display of animals that ranged from small rodents and reptiles, to a barn owl, a donkey, a sheep and a goat followed finally by a shire horse. The barn owl was much smaller than Oscar, but what detailed markings on his feathers. Barn owls used to be common in England but are now regarded by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) as being rare.

Inside the show pens you could see at close hand the animals, including Ernie the eagle owl. Later I saw the Harris Hawk – a native of North America – and Ernie the eagle owl flying and catching their prey from one of the Zoo’s keepers. I got very close to Ernie, closer that I had been to Oscar. The markings on the feathers were outstanding – such beauty. However these marking have a purpose –camouflage. When Oscar was around at BISC just after Christmas, he was perched on a ledge of the Biological Sciences tower. He blended in almost completely with the stonework of the tower, and it took some minutes to see him. In their native habitat which is in Northern Europe and pan Russia, the camouflage is also extremely effective. Looking at Ernie and touching his feathers was quite a privilege as we could never have got that near to Oscar.

The Saturday was a very hot one; perhaps the hottest day of the year up to that time, the BISC blogger was wearing a hat as he has very little hair on top. Nevertheless the arms (and legs), of many of us looked red by Monday. Walking round the Zoo I was impressed by all of the animals from the gibbons who looked a bit like BISC blogger to the Camels. When I walked past the water buffalo he was sheltering in a shed, and I don’t blame him! It was far too hot to be in the field. I remember seeing water buffalo in South East Asia, and was always impressed how hard they worked in the paddy fields. The animals that carry things for man are known as beasts of burden. This would include the shire horses, donkeys, camels as well as the water buffalo. All have provided an excellent service to mankind for generations, and mankind for most of the time have taken their contribution to the welfare of mankind for granted. Did you notice that the donkeys had markings the shape of the cross on their backs? Camels and donkeys feature in the Bible and Jesus when entering Jerusalem sat riding on a donkey. Donkeys featured at his birth in a manger too.

I hope that you enjoyed Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm as much as I did, and that you didn’t get too much sun. For me it was nice to sit down and have an ice cream or three, and consume a couple of cans of lemonade. I was also very close to Ann when she exposed her knees! It nearly put me off my second ice cream. Regards until next time blog readers, keep rock and rolling and catch up with you soon. Have a good week BISC blog readers and remember slip slop slap!

This is your BISC Blog writer signing off, tune in again for the next Blog the River Cruise-there are plenty of spaces left. Why don’t you invite your friends along too?

¡Spanish Fiesta! - May 09

2009-05-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hola and greeting fellow blog readers and welcome to the blog on the Spanish Fiesta -Olay! It was excellent to see so many people, including a Spanish contingent at BISC last Friday. The evening was a great way to start the Bank holiday weekend and what a way to wind down a bit from all of the pressures of the examination period. Actually I sat mine 30 years ago, but I digress, the Spanish Fiesta was fantastic. Amine Javier, the chef from Valencia was brilliant. He can speak five languages including Arabic. I don’t think our own Jamie Oliver can match that!! Those sliced carrots in a vinegar base were absolutely delicious. So too was the paella, tortilla de potata and other exotic foods from Spain. The cook team worked hard in the afternoon to prepare such a delicious feast for us all.

There was a great buzz about the whole evening and I noticed that our Spanish friends came from a wide area of Spain including the Canary Islands. There was the debate, of course as to whether or not David Beckham was the best Spanish footballer, and don’t forget tomorrow Manchester United play Barcelona. Actually Spain has some remarkable home grown footballers. Never fancied bullfighting myself, I have too much sympathy for the bull! Football however is a sport that is more evenly matched and the best team wins. More importantly its not the winning that counts but playing the game!

I was interested in the history of Spain and it is remarkable example of how as a country has developed and grown as a democracy over the past three decades. I did enjoy the Spanish humour on Friday night and the excellent standard of the food – although wine was not allowed!!! Our thanks to Jose-Luis and friends for making the evening such a great success with lots of laughter and a great atmosphere.

The Spanish Fiesta summed up for me at least how all the nations of the world meet up at BISC and share friendship and cultural exchanges. Such events, I believe, in the long term will make for a better world. Finally, if you are going back to examination pressures during the next two weeks remember the team at BISC have been there, so, if you want advice, comfort, relaxation or even prayer, do pop into BISC you will be welcome.

Quiz Aid Evening

2009-05-18T09:50:00.001-07:00

Hi there BISC Blog readers and here is another thrilling episode on the Quiz Aid event held at the Café Halo on the Gloucester Road on Friday last, 15 May 2009. There were five teams, and the ‘Wonderful BISCits’ as we called ourselves, were positioned on some nicely cushioned settees, whilst the other teams were sat on what were rather hard chairs. Blog master had been at the Café Halo before!!! So we refused to relocate! The team included K (Germany), F (Switzerland), I (France) and L (Slovakia), plus Blogmaster (England)

Although the Quiz Aid required Smart Alecs and Brainy Brenda’s there were few of these about. The questions were a bit out of my depth but we BISCits put up a good fight. The quiz teaser questions were a help despite some ‘fixed type questions. For example where is the flag of the USA flown 24 hours a day 7 days a week and is never lowered? Answer the Moon! Oh well we cannot win them all! One I did get right was about whose property was Arlington Military Cemetery located? Answer Robert E Lee. Well he could say that his property was in the dead centre of town!!!

The real questions represented a mixture of rounds and included ‘Guess the County, Maths, Sport, Geography, Guess Who and Food and Drink’! Personally I’m not very good at sport whether questions or playing! But we got one or two right after much teamwork. A lady trying to sell us raffle tickets kept disrupting our collective chain of thought. The organiser had spared no expense with the prizes, a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates and a £25 voucher for John Lewis.

I believe that the Wonderful BISCits came second from bottom, but there you are. It’s not the winning that counts but the taking part. All the proceeds from the evening went to Christian Aid a very good cause. In total we raised £148 –not bad considering there were only 25 people who took part.

Just before I sign off a little piece of English humour! What did one angel say to another angel? Answer, Halo! See you at the Spanish Fiesta on Friday and tune in to another existing Blog. Keep rock and rolling, and if you are suffering from examination blues, may your God be with you as you sit them.

Regards, BISC Blogmaster

Kite Making Madness - Wednesday 13th May, 2009

2009-05-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

“Let’s go fly a kite, up where they sky is bright, let’s go fly, fly a kite”. What better way to spend and afternoon than by making a kite! Despite the weather being cloudy and rainy, there were still 7 people who came to the Kite Making Madness afternoon –which was such an encouragement to May who was leading the session! Instructions on how to make a kite were provided in two ways. Firstly, each step was shown on a detailed PowerPoint presentation and secondly, May’s example of a sample kite aided the process and enjoyment of making kites. (The PowerPoint slides were put together by Kevin Yau –one of last year’s BISC team members –credit where credit is due! May was impressed by people’s creativity and diversity of the kites: they ranged from a totally black kite with bow tie on it to a French post-modernistic kite and a Hungary national kite, to name a few.

For most, it was their first experience of kite making! May was both surprised and relieved to see the kites actually fly. Despite the cloud, some of us still went to Brandon Hill to fly our kites. Not surprisingly, we attracted much attention with our loud laughs and child like behaviour. It was simple, yet profound.

It has been said that one of the best ways to understand science and maths is by making and flying a kite. So if you would like to know a bit more science and maths, please refer to this website: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/shortk.html. It was true to say a good time was had by all.

Cambridge Trip - May 2009

2009-05-11T04:39:00.000-07:00

The day started with a 7.30am departure from BISC - very early for a Saturday morning! But everybody was on time ready for the long journey to experience Cambridge! After non-stop driving, we finally arrived at 11.15am.

It was a lovely sunny day and our first experience was punting on the river Cam. It was great fun to watch people using the pole to direct their punt, some were better than others! Me (May) and with me in my punt were very fortunate to have an expert punter on board which allowed them to have a very smooth one-hour journey. We saw the Mathematical bridge, the King’s Chapel, spotted the ¾ ball in Clare’s Bridge. We imagined all the precious manuals in the Wren Library in Trinity College, and took many photos of the Bridge of Sighs in St. John’s college and of course, the willow along the river, the ducks on the water, etc. That reminds me of the one famous Chinese poems called “say good-bye to Cambridge, again” by Xu Zhimo, who is a poet who studied in Cambridge back in 1928. For others, it proved a challenge to park their punt back to dock. Some of them said the experience would be unforgettable!
At the corner of the Corpus Christi College, the 'hypnotically beautiful and deeply disturbing' clock attracted our attention. This mesmerising £1m clock with no hands and a time-eating beast perched on its summit was unveiled by Professor Stephen Hawking in 2008.

Hannah and I had a good pub lunch in The Eagle, and hopefully we might be inspired in the same way as Crick and Watson (who discovered the structure of DNA). After lunch, we were gathering in front of the Guild Hall in the open market. The interesting street performers and the group of street dancing boys attract so many viewers, as well as the variety of wares being sold in the open market attracts so many attention that it was a bit difficult to find everybody for the guided tours. It is just amazing to wander around the narrow streets or in the courts of the colleges which has not been changed over the hundreds years. Just to imagine all these big names in the history, once upon a time, were wandering the same street as you are doing now.

Our college tour of Trinity College changed to a college tour of St. John’s College due to Trinity deciding to close at 1pm that day, but St. Johns was a good alternative. However, we still got to see the famous Henry VIII statute with the chair leg in his hand, as well as the offspring of the apple tree in Newton’s hometown in front of where he lived. After passing through the distinctive Great Gate of St John's, we had a good tour around and learned how Cambridge students live and study. The Second Court of St. Johns, built from 1598 to 1602, has been described as 'the finest Tudor court in England' and it was fine indeed. A good time was had by all, and as always time flew by. At 5.30pm we waved goodbye to Cambridge, glad to have not fallen in the river whilst punting, and embarked upon our homeward journey, glad for a change to get some sleep on the coach.

Photos to come soon

Bristol 10K Run

2009-05-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious sunny morning and Hannah, Lukas and May went to city centre to cheer for the girls who were running the Bristol 10K to raise money for a new water boiler in BISC.

The race started at 9.30am and Kathrin, Franziska, Katherine and Tamela were already making good progress around the course by the time we arrived at 10.15am. According to the Bristol Evening Post, this year’s Bristol 10k, now in its second year attracts almost 8,000 people. There were a good number of people already gathered along the centre to cheer on the 8,000 runners, many of whom who were already near to the finishing line.

It was great to see so many people, all different shapes, sizes, ages and abilities joining in the event, all trying their best and pushing through the pain barrier in some cases, to reach the finishing line! It was so exciting to see our girls passing us and having the opportunity to cheer them on!!! They were easily identifiable by red t-shirts that were specially printed for the event. Well done, Kathrin, Franziska, Katherine and Tamela –you all deserve your medals!! All of the girls successfully finished the 10k and we are very proud of their achievements, individual and collectively!! All the hard work and training paid off as they tried hard to reach their limits.

Afterwards, we had a small celebration back at BISC with a big chocolate cake and some sparking grape juice. If you come to Cream tea this afternoon you can enjoy a piece of the cake to celebrate together, as there is still a little bit left, or just come and enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee with water from our new water boiler. Remember that if you have sponsored one of our runners, they will be keen to collect your sponsorship money from you soon. Thanks to all who have sponsored and thanks again to Kathrin, Franziska, Katherine and Tamela for running on behalf of BISC. :)

New Kitchen

2009-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

See how the new kitchen got installed at BISC :)

International Feast - April 2009

2009-05-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

Hi there Blog readers,

This is your master blogger writing once again, twice within a few days!
Wow! My English must be improving! Last Wednesday was the evening of the
International Feast yummy yums, with about twenty five of us gathered to
savour the food from all corners of the Globe. Thanks Joe for the chips,
bought just up the road. A little crisp this time Joe! There were flags
representing the different nationalities. I was personally taken aback with
the quality of the food presented. Chatting to the guests was a great
experience learning about their culinary skills and traditions. I adored
the raspberry pie from the USA and the crepes from France. Bad mannered
that I am I had the main course after dessert! It was a stupendous Czech
goulash prepared by a lovely student who arrived late. I had three
helpings! Well it assisted me in my hour of need because I don't have a
kitchen at home anymore! It has been turned into a building site and
hopefully will be rebuilt by the end of the month! The builder didn't say
which year though. Coming to BISC and eating three helping of goulash
chilled me down and gave me positive waves. It was a pity that the
International Feast was only for one night. I'm back living on a building
site now!

There was a dessert from Chile, which looking round at everyone scoffing,
appeared to be very popular as well as unusual. The chicken drumsticks
didn't last long. They came from a country called Somerfield just to the
north of BISC and to the North West of that strange medieval country call
The University Library.

If you had ordered what was prepared at the International Feast, in a
restaurant, it would have cost £220.00. But at BISC it was free. The
culinary talents were amazing. Such commitment and initiative coming from
our own International students and visitors was very encouraging, and they
are not even studying food technology at University. I just hope and pray
that you do equally as well if you are sitting exams this term. Remember
BISC is open lunchtime 1 to 2pm every week day from 18th May to 5th June,
when the BISC volunteers will be serving you. Finally a tip from the Blog
master who has considerable experience in sitting exams and as an examiner!
Before answering the question, read it full first, and read it a second and
third time, then only pick up your pen and answer the question set, not what
you may think it is! I trust that your God will be with you during the
examination period. Love, hugs and kisses, the Blog master.

Cotswolds Trip. Saturday 25th April 09

2009-04-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hi there BISC Blog readers; ni hoa, bonjour, guten tag. Here for your pleasure is another blog by the Blog master himself to remind you of Saturday’s trip the Cotswolds. So take a few minutes from your rocking and rolling and read on!

The weather could not have been more perfect. There was plenty of sun but no rain. Fifty one of us departed from BISC at 9am bound for the Cotswold areas. The first destination was the Corinium Museum at Cirencester. The Museum had some spectacular exhibits, including ‘Mrs Getty’ and her wealth. Some of you may have walked into the town. There was a farmers market in the town, where you could sample the delights from sweet beetroot, to mustard chutney that really made your eyes water! The names if the streets in Cirencester were named after medieval trades. There was Fish Street, Silver Street and Bank Street. The Parish Church at Cirencester conveniently situated in the centre of the town is a wonderful example of a wool church, for which the Cotswolds are famous. These churches were financed by rich benefactors who made their wealth from the wool trade. They believed that they would go to heaven through their benevolent and charitable actions. Was it tough luck if you were not rich?

Onward then to Bourton-on-the-Water, the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’. Did you notice the road we were driving on? It was very straight and was called the Cotswold Way. Originally it was an Iron Age sheep drovers track. The Romans constructed it as a road. The Cotswold Way joined the much larger Fosse Way just north of Moreton-in-Marsh. Bourton was a pretty place and has numerous awards including the most attractive village in England. Who crossed all six bridges? Who fed the ducks? I found duck feeding better than bridge walking. There were plenty of chicks, by that I mean baby ducks! Chick is also British slang language for an attractive lady!! Some baby ducks were bigger than others, as they probably hatched in late March or early April. There were some good examples of the Cotswold stone in the dry stone walls at Bourton-on-the-Water, where the builders did not use cement.

After Bourton-on-the-Water we headed for Stow-on-the-Wold and Moreton-in-Marsh, two other very attractive villages. Did you have your photo taken in the Stocks at Moreton-in-Marsh? I think that the authorities in this country should bring them back into use. It’s much cheaper that prison!

Then we journeyed onto Broadway for cream teas. I hope you noticed the stunning scenery as the coach travelled into Broadway. You can see about eight administrative districts called counties, and the hills of South Wales, the Malvern Hills and the Clun Hills. I hope that you enjoyed your cream tea! I’m off for mine now, because it’s Monday afternoon and cream teas are served at BISC.

Don’t forget to send us some of your photos for the blogsite –as the BISC camera was missing its memory card!

Oxford - Saturday 14th March

2009-03-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

What is the difference between Bristol University and Oxford University? That is one is in Bristol and the other in Oxford! Well of course Oxford is much older and is administered by the collegiate system. Indeed Oxford was founded in 1231, the oldest college being Balliol College. Balliol is one of 38 colleges. If you were asked which is the more intrinsic and aesthetic city, then the answer again is Oxford, ‘The City of Dreaming Spires’. Oxford was granted city status in 1542, when Henry VIII was King. He is remembered by school children in England as being the fattest king and having six wives. The problem he faced of course was that he had six mother-in laws!

The Museum of Science was very informative. It is worth noting that science as a discipline was only accepted by both Oxford and Cambridge as a subject worth of academic study later in the 19th century. The origins of Oxford were religious and the first academic staff were monks whose task was to train future monks. Thus the curriculum was based on the ancient religions, Latin and Ancient Greek and Classical Studies generally. This became the major discipline at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities that continued well into the 20th century. Indeed in the 21st century classical studies generally is perhaps the discipline that continues to dominate the curriculum. The visit to Trinity College was an example of this. Trinity in Christianity reflects the Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Indeed the full name of the College is ‘The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (knight)’. Even Trinity’s founder had a name that reflected religion!

Modern scientific and technological subjects only appeared of the reforms of both Oxford and Cambridge in the mid 19th Century. This is because the classical and tradition curriculum kept science out of Oxford and Cambridge until well into the 20th century. A visit to the Museum of the History of Science had a display of ‘The English Telescope from Newton to Herschel. ’ Your average ‘Brit’ has probably never heard of Herschel. He was a professional musician and lived in Bath. By night he was an amateur astronomer, and through his telescope (home built) he discovered what was then a new planet which is now known as Uranus. The planets from Mercury to Saturn were known to the classical scholars, so a planet discovery in the 18th century was a big hit. The king at the time George III (the 3rd), (who was also fat, but not as fat as Henry VIII (the 8th)) – George III only had one wife!) awarded Herschel a knighthood, but he still had to play the violin by day in order to finance his scanning of the sky at night.

Others visited the Oxford Museum of Natural History, known as the Pitt Rivers Museum. This Museum holds important collections of fossils although I did not see John there! The Museum was where Charles Darwin gave a lecture on evolutionary theory after the first publication of his ‘On the origins of Species’. This was a little bit dangerous as Oxford was a religious place. Indeed Darwin was challenged by the Bishop of Oxford who demanded to know on which side of the family was the monkey, his father’s side or his mother’s! Next door to the Pitt-Rivers Museum is the Oxford Forestry School that has an international origin. It was founded in 1906 and its first director was Sir William Schilch originally a German national who was a doctoral graduate from Giessen University. His tutor had been Baron von Augustus Liebig, the father of modern chemistry. Schilch began his professional career with the German Forestry Department and then was employed by the Indian Forestry Department. He became the Deputy Conservator of Forests in Burma. Schilch came to England to set up the Forestry School at Cooper’s Hill College near London that trained men for service with the Indian Public Works and Forestry Department. The College was closed in 1906 and Schilch transferred the Forestry School to Oxford. The undergraduates had to spend a year with the German or French Forestry Department because at that time there was no equivalent Forestry Department in Britain.

When walking around Oxford did you get the impression that the collegiate system environment reflected a dry and imposing atmosphere of classical religion particularly when visiting Trinity Hall. Well you are not alone. Jane Austin went to Oxford in the spring of 1783 to be taught by a private tutor called Mrs. Crawley. Women were not allowed to matriculate from Oxford University until 1948! Jane Austin described her Oxford experience as follows, ‘I never was but once at Oxford in my life and I am sure I never wish to go there again. They dragged me through so many dismal chapels, dusty libraries and greasy hall that it gave me the vapours for two days afterwards’. Perhaps the college authorities in the 18th century could not get the cleaning staff!!

All-in-all the trip to Oxford was a good day with good weather, and was very informative. Some feedback from students included this suggestion ‘Why cannot we have more interactive themes on the coach when taking us to and from our destination, for example singing songs?’ Well next time you are on a coach sing ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ a traditional English Ballard from the days of the Napoleonic Wars, and I will bet you that you will wake up fellow students who will throw missiles at you, especially if it is a 7.30am start.

Polish Night

2009-03-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hi there BISC Blog readers and here is another exciting instalment from the life of BISC that will keep you rock and rolling!

Yes it was Polish Night, when we certainly learnt about Polish cuisine (yummy yums –I had two helpings!) and Polish culture. The student members from the University’s Polish Society were Agnies2ka, Kira, Julia, Karolina, Marek, Antek and Michal. There were about forty guests. If we had any more guests we could have been entered in the Guinness Book of records with the highest numbers that crowded into a 1960s detached house lounge!

During the evening we had on arrival soft drinks and fizzy lemonade, and little brown sticks to eat. The starters were hard boiled eggs made Polish style – boy were they delicious, followed by the main course that tasted absolutely divine. Between the main course and sweet a presentation was given on contemporary Poland. This was very informative and revealing. I did not know Poland was such an attractive place.

Sweet followed and the cheesecake was minute sliced up because up to the beginning o f the week only some 15 had signed up to come. There was a surge of takers for tickets from Monday to Wednesday, but the cheesecake was prepared at the weekend for 15! Oh well not to worry, the chocolate things were very nice, and we were serenaded well into the night by some Polish folksongs. Well I think they were folk songs, and not the Rolling Stones in Polish!! Do you remember them and have you been singing these songs on the way to some boring lecture? Just to remind you the first one went like this, after three join in!

Myslovitz-dugosc dzwieku samotnosci
I nawet kiedy bede sam
przede mna droga ktora znam

So a big thank you to the Polish Society for such an entertaining and convivial evening, or as they say in Poland Dziekujemy Polskiemu Stowarztsleniu Na Uniwersytechie U Bristolu

I will contact you next time round BISC Blog readers. I am not scheduled for the Oxford trip, but will be on the Cambridge trip next term. Cambridge University is oh so much better than Oxford! As the Easter break in nearly upon us may I wish you a safe and joyous break and may your God go with you. John

Meal with a Message or Friday went Bananas! 6th March 2009

2009-03-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there BISC blog readers and welcome to this blog on Banana Friday, Xiang Jiau (Mandarin), bananes, (French), bananen, (German) bananels, (Bristol) banana (the rest of the UK!) For banana crazy Friday BISC once again featured on local TV and our slightly mad antics were flashed across the South West of England. Congratulations to those of you who featured on what was no more than a thirty second clip! If you missed it watch it here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/england/realmedia/pointswest/pointswest?size=16x9&bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1

The Friday banana day including ‘Meal with a Message’ was the climax of fair trade fortnight. The displays and items for sale had been professionally arranged by Mei. Incidentally during this fortnight Xiaomei graduated from Bristol University and celebrated a birthday. Her mum and dad from Shanghais are in Bristol at the moment – they must be proud parents!

For me (John) the Meal with a Message began at lunchtime with sandwiches etc delicately prepared by the Bristol University Christian Union. Thanks guys and God bless you all! During the lunchtime BISC participated in the nationwide banana eating contest and with the TV camera present most nationalities present shouted ‘banana’ very loudly in their own language.

During the evening meal there were about 15 people present where we sat down to a meal followed by an informative talk reinforced by a game by Adam Gardner from the Christian Aid organisation. I had teamed up with Petr from the Czech Republic, who being cleverer than me, was the buyer of cocoa beans and the seller of manufactured chocolate bars. Your truly the Blog master was the production line mass producing chocolate bars. The end result generally left most of us with something to think about and the reasons why organisations such as Fair Trade and Christian Aid exist.
Priye, originally from India, and who now lectures on Political Economy at the University brought some beautiful scarves and jewellery that had been made by refugee women from the Kashmir region of India/Pakistan. These exhibits were stunning and sold for around £15.00. Numerous items were sold during the evening. In London however, similar items retail for about £3.00. Although cheap to us in Britain the £3.00 did not reflect the true cost of their production and the primary producers/manufacturers probably gained nothing for their sale at £3.00. The large supply chain organisations cut out the original manufacturer as they know their powers to bargain are almost nil. Hence the reason for the Fair Trade movement as those items being sold at about £15.00 meant that about two thirds of the cost was returned to the primary producers, in our example these were the women refugees from Kashmir.

All in all, I thought that the Meal with a Message represented a fitting end to Fair Trade fortnight and may the Fair Trade movement continue to expand, and may many more big retail outlets in Britain and elsewhere in the developed world be converted to the principles of fair trade costing, supply chain management and marketing. I’m now off to eat my bananal! See you on the Polish night blog this Wednesday.

Friday sandwich lunch

2009-03-06T13:38:00.001-08:00

I have just had my sandwich lunch provided by the Bristol University Christian Union where I met three delightful American students who have just arrived in Bristol. What a professional and committed task the Christian Union perform. Don’t forget these guys and girls are students the same as you and face the same pressures and deadlines. We have big numbers on Fridays and the numbers are rising; and could beat Wednesday’s for numbers soon. I find that the carrot dips don’t hang around long and you have to get in there quick! I also like the crispy type things. Actually I’m not allowed to eat these as well, but don’t tell Xiaomei.

So there you have it a blog report on the three types of meal served each week at BISC during term time. As the weather improves (hopefully) and we enter spring and early summer, the trees are in blossom, the daffodils, tulips and wallflowers are in bloom, you can sit outside in the BISC garden with your cream tea or lunch. Having your meal outside can be fun as well as a bit of a challenge. You can admire the panoramic view of nature all in her beauty and share your selected meal with wasps and other creepy crawlies that also blossom in the warm spring and summer weather.

Finally, whether you go to Monday’s cream tea, or the Wednesday’s and Friday’s lunches why not say a big thank you to those who have prepared and served this meal to you. A BIG than you can go a long way.

Wednesday soup lunches

2009-03-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

As I write this, I am savouring the sweet aroma of soups in their various stages of preparation. In terms of BISC, Wednesday lunches are the busiest. On an average we get about 60 students coming through our doors. However recently we had over 70 students and other international visitors. This is the day when there is an aroma around BISC of mushrooms, tomatoes and onions all cooking together to make soups. My favourite is French onion soup. Due to health reason I have to avoid soups that contain cream, just as I have to avoid cream on Mondays! This would make life terribly dull if it wasn’t for the wonderful BISC team and students. Hannah and Xiaomei are usually busy in the kitchen on Wednesdays together with volunteers from the international student population and local volunteers namely Rhona, Jacqueline, Sue and not least, Pat. This BISC Wednesday lunches are probably the cheapest lunches in Bristol. Where would you pay £2.00 for as many bowls of soup you may care to eat? Don’t forget, you can get the ingredients for all the soups from the BISC office. Why not have a soup dinner at home and invite the BISC Team!

Monday cream teas

2009-03-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have noticed that some waist lines are expanding due to the sumptuous teas and lunches provided by BISC. I have also noticed the stuffing of mouths with scones covered with lashings of strawberry jam and cream. Despite this tempting tea break where you can leave the stresses of academia outside for a while, the Monday cream teas has attracted relatively low student numbers. However matters are improving as last week when we had over 30 customers. You can come in and for £1.00 stuff yourself with cream teas and other delights and forget your troubles. The ambiance of the BISC lounge the flow of tea, and the companionship of fellow students can give you just the excuse you have been looking for about the reason for your late submission of an essay. So the word is getting around the University campus and beyond of the noted and traditional English custom of afternoon tea. Indeed afternoon tea is perhaps the major English contribution to global culture! Nevertheless you may not be aware that this service is provided by unpaid volunteers. For example, there is Josh and his brother Si, Hyacinth and Pat. Also one international student from Switzerland has been working in the kitchen on Mondays since the beginning of the academic year. Josh is a talented musician. Hyacinth is a retired primary school head and has made a great impact on the City of Bristol through her voluntary activities. For these services Hyacinth was recently honoured by the Queen. Pat the lovely lady who helps out on Mondays and Wednesdays. Her energy, commitment and enthusiasm leave a lot of us standing still. When you are tired in the morning and it is difficult to get out of bed and submit that essay that was due in last week think of Pat and take note of her energy. Pat served God on the mission field in South Asia for many years. I won’t tell you Pat’s age, but she has the commitment and energy of someone 30 years younger.

Chinese Chess and Calligraphy Night

2009-03-02T03:27:00.001-08:00

On the evening of Friday, 27th February, our delayed Chinese Chess and Calligraphy evening kicked off at BISC. Due to the heavy snow in early spring, (one month after Chinese New Year). The lovely people from Chinese Chess and Calligraphy Society (CCC) brought us a lively in-person experience of Chinese 5000-year-old culture. Shirui, the leader from the CCC society told us the traditions of Chinese New Year and history about the Calligraphy. Tianyin dressed in beauty “qi-pao” (Chinese dress) was our Calligraphy tutor and showed us the amusement animations of Chinese Calligraphy and characters from YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imxXfC0Isk0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emXw0pgrrlY

Then we guessed the Chinese pictography characters. Finally, everyone had the chance to get the brush and learned how to hold the brush to write. Tianyin demonstrated clearly and carefully to the whole group. We could not wait to these new skills; however, we had to split into to 2 groups to take turns. We started from the easy character of “OX” (since this year is the year of ox) to the more difficult one of “LOVE”. While the first group of students were struggling with their brushes on the paper, other students were either playing the Chinese chess with Master Shao or following Lucy to attempt some paper cutting. Some of them made beautiful butterflies while Peter made a Halloween evil butterfly! Tina made a BISC logo for us. Some brilliant girls made the pattern of “double happiness”, which is typical sign usually used in wedding ceremony. Chinese Chess is something really beyond Xiaomei. Apparently, it seemed that there was a good game between the sophisticated participants playing Chinese Chess, because it took them a long long time for them to finish.

Xiaomei thought the evening gave us a good taste of Chinese cultural through the experiences of hands-on activities

Pancake Party. 24/2/09

2009-03-02T01:44:00.000-08:00

Traditionally on Shove Tuesday, otherwise known as ‘Pancake Day’, British people will cook and eat pancakes! The custom is to use up all the ‘rich’ foods in the cupboard before the period of Lent begins.

Therefore, on Shrove Tuesday, as is the tradition, we held our annual Pancake Party at BISC. A team of wonderful helpers from Holy Trinity Church in Nailsea, led by head chef Ian Knight, treated us to a feast of delights and flavours as they cooked fresh crepes before our eyes. There was a wonderful array of fresh savoury fillings to tantalise our taste buds –the veggie chilli filling certainly made my mouth tingle!

The crepes were huge in size and whilst we let our main course go down, we heard a short talk about Pancakes, Easter and Lent from John Watson. He informed us that Shrove Tuesday is part of the traditional Christian calendar and Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the beginning of Lent, which starts the day after -Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, the things that the Church encouraged people to give up were meat and fish, fats, eggs and milky foods. Because of this it became customary for people to use up their fats and eggs before Lent started by making pancakes. Shrove Tuesday is not just about using up food though. It has a special significance of its own. According to Christian beliefs, Lent commemorates Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, and observant Christians mark this period by fasting. So Shrove Tuesday was cleverly invented to use up the ingredients that were given up for Lent - milk, butter and, particularly, eggs - which may not be eaten again until Easter.

We also heard that Easter was an important part of the Christian calendar as it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest joy. The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity. On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion. His body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a tomb. The tomb was guarded and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body. On the following Sunday, some women visited the grave and found that the stone had been moved, and that the tomb was empty. Jesus himself was seen that day, and for days afterwards by many people. His followers realised that God had raised Jesus from the dead.

After the talk, we indulged some more in sweet pancakes with an endless choice of filling combinations. The banana and toffee sauce combination was a winner! At the end of the evening, we left with full tummies and the knowledge as to why pancakes are eaten at this time of year, as well as enjoying each other’s company, good conversation and another fun evening together at BISC.

Stonehenge & Salisbury Cathedral Trip

2009-02-23T03:47:00.000-08:00

It was an early start to the day as we gathered together at our meeting points for the coach. Once we arrived at UWE we were missing just two people –Nahaul and his brother who had accidently boarded the UWE bus bound for Wales! A quick phone call resolved the confusion and we were all aboard the BISC bus bound for Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral, with 20 regions/countries being represented amongst our group of 53.

En route, we drove through beautiful countryside and saw lots of rolling hills as well as sheep and cattle grazing in the fields. Tony, our wonderful coach driver gave us an interesting and detailed history about the Monmouth Rebellion, and as we drove through the pretty village of Philip St. Norton we stopped to see the George Inn, a grade one listed building where battle tactics of the rebellion were reputed to have been discussed. See http://www.thegeorgeinn-nsp.co.uk/history.htm for more of a detailed history.

The countryside led us onto Salisbury Plain where we arrived at Stonehenge –the most famous stone circle in Britain. There were mixed opinions about Stonehenge. Impressive as it might be, it is after all just a stone circle, and most certainly one of the most photographed ones at that! We all made our way around the circle at a leisurely pace. The Spanish girls even made an amateur video production whilst there, while others posed for their photo with the famous stones in the palm of their hand!

After buying postcards, mugs, guide books and other trinkets from the gift shop we headed back to the coach and drove to the city of Salisbury. The sun continued to shine all afternoon as we had free time to get some lunch before our guided tour of the cathedral. Hannah and May sat outside at The Mill for their lunch, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun whilst munching on a pub lunch. Others explored the Market Square and the pretty streets of Salisbury. Some were even inspired to buy some knitting needles and wool from the market, having just learned to knit at the BISC Knitting Afternoon earlier in the week!

At 2.20pm we gathered together at the Cathedral for our guided tours. The Cathedral attracts some 600,000 visitors each year and it is clear to see why so many people visit the building because it is truly spectacular. We saw the oldest Medieval clock without a face and the newly built font where you could see amazing reflections of the ceiling. The tour included a visit to the Chapter House and the Magna Carta –an English legal charter, written in Latin, originally issued in 1215. The cathedral had some quirky features, including being built on very shallow foundations, plus the central columns were not 100% straight when you looked up, because of the weight of the tower. The cloisters were filled with sunshine and the Cathedral cat was popular with the visitors. The guides were excellent, and particularly helpful with giving the correct answers for the quiz sheets issued in the morning!

Once back on the coach we watched the sun set as we headed back towards Bristol. There were a lot of correct quiz answers and 3 people scored 12 out of 12. The deciding question ‘What was the name of the pub in Philip St. Norton that we passed through in the morning?” was correctly answered by Anett from Hungary, who was the proud winner and owner of a special Salisbury Cathedral mug. A good day out was had by all, and we look forward to the next BISC trip to Oxford on 14th March.

Knitting Afternoon

2009-02-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

So it appears to be that time of the year again, "What time?" I hear you ask, well the BISC annual knitting afternoon of course! This year was a great success, starting shortly after 2:30 six brave international girls and a couple of foolish guys from the CU started knitting or rather didn’t! It took about 25 min to learn the first stitch called "casting on" though it wasn't our teachers Pat's fault that there was only one of her and eight of us.

After the first few mistakes and lots of snacks later we were all adept at casting on except me, I couldn’t seem to get it at all but then help arrived in the form of Camilla! Camilla taught me the Peruvian way of knitting (everyone else was learning the English way) and I must say I found it a lot easier! Not too long after Camilla's arrival everyone had learnt the next stitch "plain stitch" and later some were adept enough to learn "pearl stitch". I only progressed to plain stitch but got quite a bit of knitting done before I had to leave at 4:00. I was very pleased with what I had learnt, we all agreed that once a year was too long a time between knitting sessions and a monthly knitting session was proposed so watch this space!
Our thanks for Joe Bain for the blog blurb.

SCANDINAVIAN NIGHT 11/2/09

2009-02-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hei, Paivaa, (Finnish), Hei, God dag, (Norwegian), Hej, Goddag, (Danish), Bonjour, Salut (French), bzia, Jo’ nepot (Hungarian), Hola, Buen Dia’ (Spanish)., Hallo, Gutentag (German), Czesc’ Dzien’dobry (Polish), "Ahoj, Dobry den" (Dobrý deň), Have you had your meal yet/ (Mandarin), Hoot hoot or twit twoo (Oscar the eagle owl), and hello again you lovely blog readers.

Tune in to the wonderful Scandinavian night held on the evening of Wednesday 11th February 2009. The evening with its food, entertainment and gig were provided by the University of Bristol’s Scandinavian Society and what a wonderful job they did. The evening started with nibbles and socialising, serenaded by Oscar’s hooting. My wife though it was me hiding behind some bushes trying to scare her. I can do this anyway without hooting like Oscar!

It was my first taste of caviar! After tasting it I wondered what the big deal was about its value! However I did notice Xiaomei with a horrible expression on her face, rushing into the toilets. The black herring or what ever it was was apparently much too salty!

The food was fantastic, meatballs from Ikea. I thought Ikea was the capital of the Faroe Islands!! Or for that matter Nokia being the capital of Sweden. But there you go; I learnt something from last night. Yes BISC activities are good for your education. The only Scandinavian country I have visited is Norway. I cannot say that it was inspiring at the time. I saw Oslo, for 20,000 feet as we flew to the northern of Norway. This was 40 years ago whilst I was in the Army. We were there for winter warfare training. It was totally boring!! An afternoon visit to Tromso was good though. It was the only time that we met the local people.

The folk singing was extremely good with the story behind the song being interpreted as we went along. I liked the one about the man in Italy near San Remo I think, who took his clothes off and with a bottle of wine, met a young lady who had taken her clothes off! I didn’t hear the ending of the song though. Mind you, had a similar event happened in Bristol during the last week, both the man and women could have either been arrested or died of hypothermia! My original introduction to folk music was in an old inn over 40 years ago not for from Stonehenge Wiltshire, sawdust on the floor, an old bashed in piano being played by a bashed in old pianist, and two equally bashed in musicians one playing the violin, the other the clarinet. They became a well known British traditional jazz band led by ‘Akker’ Bilke, who still lives in this part of the world.

The quiz was something else. How did your group do? I was in the Oscar team and we got nine questions correct. Out of a total score of 15, I guess we scored a 2:2 in academic terms. I think that we miscalculated the ration of pigs to humans that reside in Denmark!

Looking around last night at happy smiling faces from many different nations engaged in talk, socialising and making merry, I could only reflect on what a marvellous place BISC is with the integration of all the beautiful international students. But above all let us hear it for the Scandinavian Society. They were brilliant. Thank you very much.

I am waiting in trepidation for the Stonehenge and Salisbury trip on the 21st February and Pancake Day.

See you all soon. The BISC Blogmaster

Windsor Trip - January 2009

2009-01-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

It was a chilly and slightly overcast morning when we left Bristol to
set out on our journey to the Royal Borough of Windsor for a visit to
Windsor Castle -the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world!
As we neared our destination we could see the silhouette of the castle
from motorway, looking majestic and mighty. Soon we were confronted
with many views of the outer walls and an impression of it's sheer
size as we drove through the town of Windsor. Upon arrival in the
coach park, with the castle in full view, we walked as a group through
the train station, through the shopping arcade, across the road and
into the groups entrance of the castle. Anticipation was rising! Here
we were in the grounds of Windsor Castle, one of the royal residenced
of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

While some collected audio guides and headed straight for the state
apartments, others joined a warden for a guided tour of the castle
precinct before proceeding inside. First to see was Queen Mary's
Doll's House - a 1:12 scale model of the Queen's house which included
running water, electricity and even a miniature version of the crown
jewels! Next was the Drawing Gallery, with a current display to mark
the 60th birthday of His Royal Highness Prince Charles: The Prince of
Wales. Thereafter we were led through room after room and saw ornate
decorations, fine furniture, artwork by Rembrandt and Van Dyke, fine
displays of swords and armour, including the suit of armour worn by
Henry VIII -nearly as wide as it was tall! (Apparently he was a large
man!). The castle interior was vast and extensive, it just seemed to
go on and on. No expense spared.

When outdoors again, some of us spotted the Queen's Corgi dogs being
taken for a walk, others watched the guards march up and down, others
still set off for some lunch outside the castle, having collected a
wrist band from the shop first. St. George's chapel was well worth a
visit where the tombs of King George VI and the Queen Mother could be
seen, and the grounds themselves were picturesque. Many a photo was
taken throughout the day.

On our journey home, our Windsor quiz was won by a Czech, one of the
17 nationalities represented on board, who was the first to answer the
tie-breaker question. It was a good day out and we trust was enjoyed
by all. We hope to see you again soon at BISC or on the next coach
trip on 21st February to Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge.

Christmas Dinner Celebration 2008

2008-12-07T09:31:00.001-08:00

Welcome once again BISC blog fans. What a fantastic night the British traditional Christmas Dinner Celebration was on Saturday night. Even the ‘Christmassy’ weather was laid on – cold, crisp and dry. Bristol has not had weather like this in early December for a number of years now. In fact it was so cold that we were running out of coat hanging space – I expect that you noticed this blip in the otherwise extraordinary organisation of Alma Church and BISC teams!

Father Christmas was outside to welcome us all. I would not let him in as it was a black tie event only! Mind you, John’s bow tie wasn’t exact black either, and neither was his dinner jacket. In fact he looked rather more like the head waiter! Otherwise everyone else turned up in smart dress. The lights were dimmed and a selection of Christmas music enhanced the ambience of the evening along with the appropriate Christmas decorations. Noddy Holder’s 1973 pop chart hit is still a hit every Christmas.

The kitchen and waiting staff were brilliant as were the carol singers. Indeed the traditional Christmas carols were beautifully sung, which emotionally moved me. So I sat next to a Danish guest who had never heard the carol ‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful’. Did you notice that John’s jokes were worse than those in the crackers! They must have been cheap crackers as all the jokes were based on ‘The witch and the clean sweep!’ John went for a job once as a Christmas cracker joke writer but failed due to a lack of humour! Later he became an apprenticed tap dancer but was fired as he kept falling into the sink!

Fortunately Hannah, Ann and Xiaomei kept us all in order as we tucked into roast turkey and Brussels sprouts, with cranberry sauce, followed by Christmas pudding and brandy butter, or if you didn’t like Christmas pudding there was fruit salad. Fruit salad was very tasty with brandy butter as one Taiwan guest found out.

The Very Reverend Josh gave the sermon, and very good it was too. His previous experiences of Christmas in New Zealand and Taiwan were good. I remember Christmas dinner on a beach in West Malaysia some 40 year ago, and a beautifully set Chinese Christmas meal in Hong Kong in 1969. One guest from Central Europe informed me that similar Christmas dinners were also a tradition in Hungary, except fish was served rather than turkey.

All in all the BISC team can say that the evening was, once again a resounding success! This was thanks to all the Alma and BISC staff who had prepared the event particularly Hannah Xiaomei and the Alma team. But the success came from you our international student guests who came. Thank you very much for this. You will be delighted to know that on this blog I am not going to give a history half hour rendering; hooray I hear you cry. I did say that yesterday when announcing the quiz answers and my congratulations once again to all those who got the 11 answers right, and to Katherine -the winner who won on a tie break question. The answer was to be found on the BISC front door and notice boards – we close on 19 December 2008 – two days before John’s birthday! By the way has anyone seen my wife? I lost her at the beginning of the dinner last night.

Finally on a personal note, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you who by your friendly and smiling personalities have given me a new life and understanding. I have never been so happy in my life. This is the Christmas I never thought I would see. God gave me a new life and a new meaning to life. I have to see the consultant cardiologist at Southmead Wednesday afternoon. On that note may I leave you with this joke?

“A man came out of the doctor’s clinic crying. His wife said, ‘What’s wrong?’ The man said, ‘The doctor said I have to take one pill a day for the rest of my life. But he only gave me one pill!”

May I wish you one and all wherever you may be over the festive season, a very happy season, and safe travel; and may your God go with you.
The BISC Blogmaster, Mrs. Blogmaster and Oscar the eagle owl and the rest of the BISC team, although not necessarily in that order.

Christmas Card Making - December 2008

2008-12-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hi, guys, we hold this Christmas Card Making after our popular soup lunch last Wednesday afternoon. BUCU kindly organize this event. Unfortunately, Hannah and I (May) was so busy preparing supper for Alpha Course afterwards that we miss this one. So we have a special guest as our blogger this time__ Joe Bain from BUCU. Here comes Joe's short account of the event:

I (Joe Bain) arrived at 14:55 very excited about making Christmas cards for my friends, I set out the materials we would be using- there was coloured paper, gold and silver card, glitter, coloured felt, coloured pipe cleaners, Christmas cards to cut up and lots of colouring pens! (plus scissors and glue etc).

We got started straight away and much fun was had with the glitter, after using it you would blow the excess glitter onto your neighbours clothes! I got covered in the stuff much to amusement of May! Halfway through the card making an Angel appeared! Well, not quite a real angel, Jenny in a shining white robe and accompanying wings came and gave a short talk about what Christmas celebrates, the birth of Jesus and why he was born. She did a very good job of painting a visual picture of how young Mary would of felt being visited by an angel as we were all a bit in awe of her costume!

After the talk it was back to card making, I managed to make 5 cards I cheekily asked Emily, who was sitting next to me, to write in my cards because I have terrible handwriting! I gave them out that evening and was very pleased with the impression they gave :) Merry Christmas!

PS, May did manage to peek in, taking some photos and taking some nibbles :P However, I have to confess that May does not like Christmas special: Ginger beer and Mince pie

Cardiff Castle and The Big Pit - November 2008

2008-11-22T15:01:00.001-08:00

Greeting BISC blog trekkers and associates! What a day and what a trip! Its 11.30 on Sunday morning and I have just got up! Yawn!!! I had a dream last night that I was alone in the Big Pit and there was no light, and that there was a big Welsh dragon coming towards me. When I woke up in a big sweat and I found that I was really in a dark big pit – my bedroom, and Bubbles my Russian Blue cat had just jumped on top of me!!!!! Actually I slept like a baby! Yes I awoke every two hours for a feed! Personally I find that Chinese dragons are extremely friendly and would be willing to be down the Big Pit with one or invite one home with me for tea!

The November day weather wise turned out to be quite nice, particularly as we had to walk some distance to catch up with our coaches, but more on that shortly. The trip into Wales took us over some famous features of geography particularly the River Severn. The Severn is over 200 miles long and its estuary has the second highest tidal mark in the world. We crossed over the second Severn Bridge that opened in 1996. You may have seen the first suspension bridge that was opened in 1966.

Cardiff Castle, yes, it was more of a nineteenth century stately home than a castle. The original Norman castle was the Keep or main tower on a small hillock. This hillock is man-made and was possibly first constructed by the Romans 2000 years ago, who built a wooden watch tower on the top in order to have a commanding view of the docks area. This type of hillock is called a Mott. The Normans built Motts and wooden castles when they occupied England after 1066. They were quick to complete and linked a chain of defences against any opposition that may have occurred. The stone castles took over 100 years to build.

Did you notice the ‘castle’ that the Earls of Bute used as their residence for only 6 weeks every year? Most of this was constructed in the 19th century on the ruins of the original castle. To construct and maintain such a luxurious house was very expensive. Even John’s house is not like this! The Bute family owned a lot of land that had coal reserves, and the profits the family received from coal allowed them to live in such style! The ladies and gentlemen had their own rooms for entertaining; I wonder what the servants living conditions were like? We were not shown these! The walls surrounding the Castle were not the original ones, but had been reconstructed with the Bute’s residence during the 1870s.

Cardiff was a busy place on Saturday. The local University had an open day and there was a Rugby international, where Wales were playing the ‘All Black’s’ from New Zealand. I think the ‘All Black’s’ won! This caused a bit of a problem as we could not pick up our coaches at the usual place. But it was a nice day for a walk! Excellent Welsh fresh air and we were walking away from the crowds. Did you notice John telling you on route that it was only 5 minutes further to go! Xiaomei told you the same thing five minutes (or was it ten minutes?) previously! You must always keep a sense of humour when on BISC trips. Did you notice Lou the driver of the second coach having a friendly chat to a motor cycle police officer whilst she was causing an obstruction at the pickup point? It’s nice to be diplomatic!

What a contrast, the Big Pit. This was an example of how real Welsh working people had to work for a pittance in order to keep the coals owners such as the Earl’s of Bute in their comfortable and extravagant castles. This topic is of interest to John. He completed a thesis on the British coal industry between 1913 and 1947 for a Warwick University Master degree in Business and Industrial History in 1990. If you want any more information including photographs of how the miner’s lived then see John. In the Pit I kept banging my head, thank goodness for the helmet and Xiaomei who came to my rescue on numerous occasions. But many years ago, miners did not wear helmets and had to work either with candles or in the dark. Children as young as 6 years old worked underground to along with their fathers and mothers. Their whole lives evolved around the coal owners, who owned the tools the miners needed for their work, their houses (which were extremely small and cramped). There were no inside toilets running fresh tap water or bathrooms, and the local shop was also owned by the coal owner. It was slavery in all but name!

The next valley to the Big Pit was another coal mine called Senghenydd. An underground explosion there in 1913 killed 439 men and boys. Apparently, the Earl of Bute was more interested in how many of his horses were saved, rather than the lives of his miners! These conditions from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries left a lasting legacy throughout the British coal industry until its wholesale closure during the 1980s. Industrial relations within the coal industry were always bitter.

Perhaps you may have noticed towards the end of our trip to the Big Pit the Davey Lamp invented in 1812 by Sir Humphrey Davey. The Davey lamp can detect methane gas and carbon monoxide through the colour and size of its flame, the flame is guarded so it does not come into contact with the air in the mine, otherwise !!!!BANG!!! and Guy Fawkes Night would have arrived underground early scaring the Welsh dragon! If you want to have a close look at a real Davey Lamp, ask John, he has one which is about 120 years old from the Durham coalfield in the North of England!

The trip home was uneventful, where the answers to the quiz were given. Congratulations Edina who won the quiz on coach no.1. There were 23 nationalities represented on coach one and 18 on coach two. Amazing! So there we are, we of the BISC team hope that you enjoyed your trip and found it rewarding and enriching. Now it’s Sunday afternoon and your Blogmaster has got to go back the ‘Big Pit’ and clean it! I am, of course, talking about my bedroom which looks like a mighty battle has just been fought in it! After that, I think I will go back to bed!
So farewell you beautiful blog trekkers and BISC team until the next event and history lesson when you can catch up on another enthralling episode in the life of BISC and the Blogmaster. In the meantime I am pondering the universal question of the day- I wonder what’s for tea tonight.

The Night of the International Feast and Games - Friday 14th November.

2008-11-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Hi there! BISC Blog followers

This is your BISC Blog master reporting once again on the activities staged at BISC on the night of Friday 14th November 2008. This was the same day as the national 'Children in Need' and the Prince of Wales 60th birthday. The BISC night was even better. It focused on the International feast and games, and what a night it was of food, flags, games and enjoyment, and by the hilarious laughter that echoed through the hallowed halls (that is the lounge, kitchen, toilet areas and the reception hall) of the BISC Centre, the Team can only assume that a good time was had by all!

Even Oscar the International Owl was ready to go! He was observed at 10am in his usual perch, looking cool and eyeing up the University girls walking by with a rat in his claws!

There were about 50 international students present at the function supported by a contingent from Bristol University CU and the BISC Team. The range of food was amazing. Oh! By the way Joe thanks for the English range of chips! Perhaps less salt next time though ok! The range and talent of our international guests is amazing as was evident from the flags that were produced. There were flags representing every part of the Globe and food to match! I didn't notice any Welsh food or flags though. Perhaps they had their own celebration for Prince Charles and his 60th!

The games were outstandingly fiendish and where could you go except to BISC to see all the academic potential from the universe walking around in a crowded BISC lounge with labels on their foreheads. Excuse my ignorance but who is Bart Simpson? Is he related to Tony Blair? However I did notice an attractive Pavarotti, and an over sized Marilyn Munroe. By the way, whatever happened to Bridget Bardot?

The second game of signs was a little too intellectual for John who was relegated to collecting the empties and returning them to the kitchen. Perhaps this is the time to say a big thank you to the unseen heroines of the night Jacqueline and Hannah who spent their time washing up, putting away and cleaning the kitchen whilst the rest of the party went on with the party as it were! Jacqueline had been at BISC for most of the day. Jacqueline is the lovely South African lady who is a real gem! Next time you see Hannah and Jacqueline just say thanks; they will appreciate it.

Finally on a historical note! Before his curiosity was drowned out by the high powered intellectual activity of the signs game, John's sign was twisting his nose with this hand. No that's right John cannot twist his nose without his hand!!! This was a sign used by Victorian criminals serving time in prisons in England over 100 years ago. You were not allowed to speak in prisons, and a silent regime was the order of the day. So to communicate the prisoners used signs to communicate to each other. Twisting the nose was a sign meaning 'have you any tobacco?' The criminal slang for tobacco was 'snout' which means nose. For this piece of information I must thank my old friend from school days way back in the olden days before the Beatles and Rolling Stones had made the big time! Tim worked for the British Prison Service for 30 years as a nursing officer. He too completed a doctorate late in life with the Open University, but his thesis was far more interesting than mine. His thesis was 'The Victorian Underworld and Silent Separate regime: A Study of 19th century British penal policy'. Thanks Tim and thank you all you wonderful beautiful people who come to BISC and revitalize our City and universities and make the BISC team very happy! The next trip on Saturday 22 November is to a castle and a pit. I cannot wait!!

Bridgwater Carnival - November 2008

2008-11-08T02:24:00.000-08:00

The greatest attribute about this year’s Bridgwater Carnival was the weather. After a sunny late autumnal day, the evening was fairly mild and dry with a slightly larger than a half moon shining down on the proceedings. Indeed the Bridgwater Carnival is the largest illuminated carnival in Europe and it is claimed that the Carnival procession can be seen from space. I hope therefore if there are little humanoids on the Moon that too enjoyed the spectacle too.

The BISC Team (Hannah, May and John) assembled the majority of international students on Woodland Road outside the entrance to BISC, and the coach duly arrived; the driver was Lee. We picked up students from Zetland Road Junction and UWE, and proceeded on to a crowded motorway. Beyond Weston-super-Mare the M5 motor way was very much clear and we arrived at Bridgwater at approximately 6.00pm. One problem was encountered with the coach was that it did not have a microphone. Therefore this meant some of the on board coach activities had to be abandoned or modified. Don’t forget to post your quiz competition answer in by email!

Once we had arrived in Bridgwater there was a mad rush to McDonald’s either for fries or the toilet or even both. The demand for the toilets, particularly the ladies toilets was particularly high and the queue was longer for these facilities than for the food! McDonald’s should have charged a £1.00 for these facilities!!!

The BISC team carried two identifying badges. These were bamboo branches with leaves that when raised could be seen over the vast crowds, which numbered over 100,000 according to the local news broadcasts on Saturday. Using the bamboo as umbrellas, the BISC team positioned themselves on the Bath Road and for three hours watched the glittering procession pass by. The carnival cart that won the prize was organised by the ‘Gremlins’. The system of bamboo appeared to work as at the end of the procession and arrival back at the coach park all but one of our party arrived back safely, there was a late comer who just made it!!!

The journey back was made on an almost clear motorway and John and Iwona had a great discussion on the history of the event and the place of the monarchy in British culture and politics. Bridgwater is only a small market town yet attracts much history that has shaped the British culture. The Carnival although begun in the late 19th century to commemorate the Gunpowder Plot some two hundred years earlier, commenced during a major agricultural depression which affected the economy of Somerset. So in order to boost up the local economy and the welfare of the local population the commencement of the Bridgwater Carnival revived local fortunes at the time. There is a lesson here for the economic difficulties faced today perhaps. After all without history there is no today and no future!

To conclude a good time was had by all, the weather was kind (given the weather some 24 hours later on Saturday evening), and we got back to Bristol as Friday disappeared into Saturday. For the BISC team this was our first organised trip for this academic year and Hannah, May and John deemed it to have been a resounding success. We hope that you think the same too.

International Reception 2008

2008-10-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

And what a wonderful evening it was! The autumn weather was fine and everything was prepared. In fact local volunteers had been working hard at Woodlands Centre for most of the day getting all ready. The night went by with jovial entertainment from Josh and his band, Transition. Do you remember Tony with his Union Flag waistcoat and guitar when he sang a traditional English folksong, ‘My grandfather’s clock’. John will be remembered for his dazzling white jacket and pink carnation, who was, on a number of occasions, mistaken for the head waiter despite there being no waiter service! May looked her beautiful self.

The animal game was amusing, but no-one imitated Oscar, the resident international eagle owl who’s taken up residence at BISC. The capital cities competition was won by Mevna de Silva (Sri Lanka) with 30 answers all correct, and the night proceeded by. All the papers handed in were marked by John. It was an easy task as only three papers were actually handed in. You might have not been aware but Hannah was not feeling well that day, but despite this she put on an excellent performance.
Here are some statistics from the night for your interest. Some 350 international students attended the International Reception representing 55 nationalities, countries or regions. However, there were one or two ‘international’ students from the UK and possibly one from Wales too!

Just to finalise, I certainly enjoyed it and wandering around during the course of the evening I am certain that you also enjoyed the evening. I trust that you made new friends and got into contact with fellow students from your own country. If you are happy then so are we at BISC and we can all say ‘job well-done’.

Globe Cafe - 'A Taste of the UK' evening

2008-10-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

I (John) arrived at BISC at 6.45 in the evening to be met by hordes of students and only three cars, and they were little cars! So May and I got things moving and phoned up local churches for more transport to get things moving faster, and by 7.40 all the students (about 80) had been safely transported from BISC to Ebenezer Church (Ebe). John even got his hard pressed wife (Hazel) involved! It was like the Berlin airlift mark 2! Meanwhile, at Ebe, the Globe Cafe team had decked out the church with flags and soft lighting creating a pleasant ambience and atmospshere.
The evening started with the National Anthem of the UK and all of the students stood up! This was followed by video shots from the UKs past, Churchill to Diana Princess of Wales. It’s funny but we were sure we saw John with Churchill in the 1945 clip! Tony with his banjo and guitar serenaded us all before food was served. This was an English delicacy who recipe is known only to a few in the Royal Household and English nobility; ‘bangers and mash’ with peas and carrots. May was taking photographs throughout this event. John was wearing a blue jacket, grey trousers and a culturally correct tie with his BISC badge but was mistaken on numerous occasions for a bus driver! One person though he had escaped from the local psychiatric hospital!!
After ‘bangers and mash’ it was back to the band! To great cheers they even sang one song in Mandarin! After the band had finished a Beatles tape was played, their early music early 1960s and Hazel (John’s wife) and Ann (from BISC) danced the twist!!! After twenty six years of marriage I never knew that Hazel could do this!!! John met a young lady called April from Taiwan and she was standing next to May, so I went looking for June and July! For us at BISC we would like to say on behalf of the students who attended a big thank you to the folks at Ebe who catered for all our needs in entertainment, food and song.
All in all it was an excellent evening, and all the students looked happy and were smiling, and so it was back to the Berlin airlift to get everyone home safely. All-in-all BISC can honestly say ‘Job well-done’ thanks to the folks of Ebe and the wider Christian community of Bristol.

Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony

2008-08-29T08:48:00.001-07:00

China hosted the Olympics 2008 at the massive Bird’s Nest Stadium that housed about 91,000 spectators. With millions of people watching around the world, BISC organised an afternoon event to watch the stunning opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Attended by a handful of international students, it was an afternoon of leisure with cheers on the exciting event – with the start of a whopping 20,000 fireworks that was let off during the event in China. The artists involved in the ceremony were impressive. More than 150,000 costumes were in the ceremony.

Homemade apple cake, voluntarily baked by international student Johan, added to the cheers and smiles enjoyed at BISC throughout the ceremony – another wonderful BISC summer event.

Night Glow – International Balloon Fiesta 2008

2008-08-29T08:47:00.001-07:00

The annual International Balloon Fiesta held at Ashton Court regularly attracts up to a million people from across the country. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the fiesta that took place from 7th August to 10th August 08. BISC organised a trip to watch the spectacular opening ceremony on a pleasant Thursday evening.

More than 40 international students met Elvyn and Shanthi in Broadmead and we made our way there together on a bus, which we nearly filled! On arrival at aShton Court we explored the displays and entertainment at the venue, with the opportunity to socialise with each other prior to the commencement of the Night Glow which combines illuminated balloons with music. As if that wasn’t exciting enough the evening ended with a spectacular display of fireworks which lit up the night sky. We all enjoyed the evening out especially those who are soon to leave the UK – this was a good memory to be packed into their suitcases.

INTERNATIONAL FEAST & GAMES - FRIDAY, 30th MAY 2008

2008-06-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

This term’s International Feast was attended by some familiar faces as well as new comers. Some students had an early start by cooking their dishes at BISC. More than 10 International students brought in a variety of mouth watering dishes - French Quiches, Chinese Stir Fry Noodles, Chinese Vegetable Salad, Hungarian Goulash, German Sausage and Sauerkraut with potatoes, Brunei Fried Prawn, Vegetable Soup, Japanese Miso Soup, English Quiche as well as the delightful desserts.

After a delightful meal, we played a couple of games which was led by Kevin. Spontaneously addition of games were made and played. A good time was had by all. Leave us a comment on the website!

River Cruise - June 2008

2008-06-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

The evening was welcomed with sun shining while a group of about 70 people arriving at 6.00pm. Our journey began along the Prince Street Bridge where we boarded the boat before heading off towards Bath.

After being seated, the evening started with drinks and nibbles being served accompanied with happy chats / getting to know each other on board. This was followed by a welcome speech by Hannah Hedinger who enlightens us as to how the evening would enfold. We had the privilege to have Transition Band on board the cruise performing some songs and music for our enjoyment.

‘Transition’ Rock Band (www.transition.tk) from UK have been touring the UK extensively as well as playing in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. Their music is an audacious blend of passion, energy and finely crafted arrangements. The soaring melodies and rich harmonies are fused with the creative backbone of a surging rhythm section.

Dinner included a variety of delights being served, including rice with sausage, a range of pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, quiches, pizza puffs, salads as well as vegetarian and halal options. Dessert was served shortly after, with an irresistible choice of cheese cake, Black forest gateau, apple lattice, chocolate cake.

Following dessert, we were entertained with more music by the very talented band that included a Chinese song! It was a very pleasant evening enjoyed by everyone with laughter if not smiles. We came back to Bristol at 9.30pm docking by the Watershed where we say goodbye to each other. BISC Leavers’ packs were also being given out as some are sadly leaving Bristol.

Our final event for this term will be the Farewell Garden Party at BISC on Wednesday 18th June.

Knitting Afternoon

2008-06-12T12:05:00.001-07:00

Cathy Brodie led more than 10 students knitting on a Wednesday afternoon, after soup lunch. Some students were complete beginners while some had some previous experience in knitting. Colourful wool was knitted into handiwork.
Organised by Christian Union, the afternoon was a pleasant session accompanied with cakes and refreshments. While hands are busy with the knitting needle, friendly chats were exchanged.
At the end of the afternoon, some students were tempted for more. Cathy, from Christ Church Clifton, equipped with 30 years of knitting experience, generously let the students take them home to continue their work.
Due to popular demand, there may be another knitting session held the next term. Please check our website for the updates.

Picnic & cycle ride

2008-06-11T22:27:00.001-07:00

So, the hottest day of the year so far, someone wakes up and braves the blistering heat to meet up with a selection of people from around the globe to make a journey. To where? What for? One could say to Bath for some cookies and one would not be wrong but that would kind of miss the point. They go for the journey itself. Riding their bikes with the wind in their hair, under the midday sun, chatting to each other about life and other little things. To some it may seem a pointless venture, but to these, it’s what life is all about.

Lake District Holiday - Spring 2008

2008-05-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Eurovision Song Contest - Saturday 24th May

2008-05-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which was hosted by Serbia. The semi-finals were held on 20th May and 22nd May, and the final was held on 24th May 2008 in the capital, Belgrade. Russia was declared the winner, with Jim Beanz and Dima Bilan's song ‘Believe’ performed by Bilan. The Belgrade Arena, venue for the contest, is among the largest indoor arenas in Europe, with a total capacity of more than 20,000 seats. Serbia gained the right to host the Contest after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland.

With the BISC lounge decorated with flags the backdrop was set to create the atmosphere for viewing the Eurovision in its entirety, which some 30+ of us enjoyed, or should I say endured?! Pizza, ice-cream and popcorn were served while we enjoyed the live entertainment, some acts more than others. Opinion was divided as to who was the best, but Terry Wogan, the BBC commentator, whilst providing much amusing commentary, was of the opinion that the voting these days has become more about politics that musical talent. You can form your own opinion!

BRUNEL TRAIL - SATURDAY 17th MAY 2008

2008-05-19T11:40:00.001-07:00

It was a lovely Saturday morning that a group of more than 10 students gathered at 9.20 a.m. by the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Elvyn our guide shared his extensive knowledge on Brunel with insights on a competition that conceptualised the present day bridge. We were also given a glimpse of Brunel’s life.

It was through two design competitions that were held, and the great bridge designer Thomas Telford was the committee's expert. Brunel presented a total of four designs and won the competition. Unfortunately, he only got so far as to put up the end piers in his lifetime. The Clifton Suspension Bridge was completed in his honour by his engineering friends in 1864.

The walk continued to Clifton Village towards the docks. There are plenty of Brunel features around the docks. Brunel himself had a hand in their construction and there are capstans and swing bridges in the Cumberland Basin that can still be seen today. The Great Western Dockyard is commemorated with a plaque above the entrance to the industrial museum on Spike Island.

Our next stop was one of the best features of the day - the ss Great Britain. The world’s first propeller-driven, ocean going iron ship was salvaged from the icy waters around Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands in an operation made possible by the property tycoon Sir Jack Hayward. Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s ship almost ended her days as a rusting hulk but was rescued from decay by a dedicated team of salvage experts who oversaw the process of preparing the ship and sailing her back across the Atlantic to her homeport of Bristol. The ship came back to Bristol exactly 127 years after her launch (back in 1843) and was returned to the same dock where she started her ocean-going life.

We continued on towards Queens Square where Elvyn shared more interesting facts about Brunel before the walk ended at 3.00pm.

The BISC Lake District Holiday 2008

2008-05-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

The best way to measure the success of the Lake District Holiday was to experience the warmth of different greetings as friends were reunited to view photos and share stories for the reunion evening. Great friendships had been formed amidst the back- drop of some splendid scenery and some very enjoyable activities.

On our penultimate day, we crossed the lake at Derwent Water and saw a fabulous rainbow. It seemed a symbolic emblem for the trip. A rainbow signifies the presence of both sunshine and rain (we also had snow on the mountain tops). For many a rainbow is also the reminder that God keeps His promises and a symbol of peace. Despite the varied weather patterns the trip involved much laughter and many new experiences.

As we drove around the corner towards the Youth Hostel on the first day, there was a sharp intake of breath. This was the sound of thirty nine world citizens from fourteen different countries, simultaneously amazed by the view: majestic, snowy peaks above the still waters of the lakes, bathed in colourful rays of sunshine. It was enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.

Every day the students were treated to a traditional cooked breakfast: sausages, bacon, eggs, toast, cereal, fruit, yoghurt, tea, coffee and orange juice. In the evenings the portions were equally as generous.

The activities ranged from snow ball fights to gentle journeys on steam trains, river cruises and rowing to hill walking and visiting museums and an aquarium . In the evening there were a wonderful sing-songs provided by our very own “Wild Rover” Tony Carey whilst Jo Jo frequently entertained us with her exquisite voice and unusual Chinese songs. As there had not been many extreme sports, Hannah decided that mud sliding was also to be an essential part of the itinerary.

Just like Wordsworth, we hope that as you return to the library and to everyday tasks, you might make time to see a glimpse of the beautiful scenery that we experienced on the trip on your “inward eye” and to remember the smiles of new friendships formed:

For oft, when on my couch I lie,
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Kite Making Madness - May 2008

2008-05-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Plastic bags and bin bags, string and sweet wrappers, glue, scissors and sellotape. What could be done with such an array of apparently useless, cast off objects?

In the UK there is a popular children’s TV programme called Blue Peter with experts who make amazing objects from recycled materials. Our very own Mr. Kevin Yau was just as skilful as he demonstrated to the BISC students how to make a kite with the famous words
“..and here’s one I made earlier.”

Nobody could have imagined that from such plain and basic objects that such graceful and beautiful vessels could be created, far more vibrant and delicate than the sum of their parts.
Kevin ably demonstrated the step by step approach to making the kites and, amongst an atmosphere of steady concentration and jovial conversation, these simple creations came together in all their aero-dynamic glory.

After a test run in the BISC garden, with sweet wrapper tails flapping in the wind, the kite making troupe headed for Brandon Hill. There was glorious sunshine and a warm breeze that was perfect for the kites to take flight.

The kites came to life in the wind: some twisting and twirling energetically, darting about in an untamed manner, whilst others took to the air easily and soon reached extra-ordinary heights. Elena appeared to have perfected the art and it seemed that the real secret was to whisper to the kite as it took off. Her kite certainly won the award for flying the highest.

The BISC kite was also a success: it had a tail of many different flags and the BISC logo proudly flying high above the city. Whilst there were one or two kites which needed to go “back to the drawing board,”it was a truly unusual event which was touched by something magical. A reminder that in the midst of exam time, and the worries and cares of this world, it is still possible to take childish delight in simple pleasures.

Cambridge Trip in May 2008

2008-05-07T22:52:00.001-07:00

In the dreariness of the dawn, international students all over Bristol peeled themselves from their warm pillows. As they met the cool morning air they strayed toward the woodland (road, that is) soon, many found themselves drifting off again against the background of a gentle hum. Their hibernation soon came to an end and they found themselves beside a small field where just beyond lay the gently flowing river Cam. Half of the group went beyond the river to explore further, and the rest stayed to play and relax and punt along the river. On the river, some seemed to prefer movement laterally and in the spectrum of elegance, there was displayed, every degree. Being a lovely and warm spring morning, one even went for a swim!
The other half who had ventured past the river discovered an old and historic, bustling urban settlement. There were three who wore blue badges who led them through the city and spoke of its history, its culture and its fame. Some reputedly saw a certain Stephen Hawking as they wandered about the city. Later on the students all gathered back into the small field before being taken home and back to their warm pillows.

Oxford Trip - March 08

2008-04-18T13:21:00.001-07:00

Another day of fine British weather! BISC’s centuria of students invaded Oxford under the command of Shanthi and Kevin. Arriving a little past the hour we soon rendezvoused with our 5 highly informed professional Blue Badge tour guides who took us around and relayed to us the key points and history of the city. Part of the tour was a venture into Brasenose college, one of the colleges of Oxford University, where our guides transfixed our attention onto the history of the quadrangle and chapel. After the briefing was complete, our students were let loose on this poor city, some wandered into the world famous covered market, some climbed Carfax Tower, some saw the Sheldonian Theatre. At 3:30, the elusive Café BISC was opened for business and St Aldates church was soon bustling with students. Our return journey was swift and our minds enlightened by the city of dreaming spires.

Christmas Weekend Away (December 2007)

2008-03-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Apologies for delay report.

From Fire to Ice -BISC experiences a true winter celebration
Despite the icy weather, lips and logs were aflame with food and fire in a weekend which thrilled the senses and gave each person time to relax and escape the heady pace of studies to make time for life and friendship.

The minibus was filled with representatives from a wide variety of exotic and unusual destinations. Students from the larger nations on earth, China and India, some from Pakistan, Malaysia, France, Britain and yet others from Samoa to St Helena .People had literally travelled hundreds of thousands of miles to attend.

The cold December night was off-set by the heat from Shanthi’s extraordinary Malaysian curry. This was the first of many new experiences as the heat from liberal portions of red hot chilli peppers soon set our mouths on fire.

After an introductory talk about the peace that happened during the first world war at Christmas time, the two great cricketing nations of Britain and India battled it out to become world champions of the name game.

Next, the group wrapped up warm to strike out for a night walk with torches and warm coats. The stars were visible and the mud tangible as we strode off across the fields into the night. Thankfully the weather was kind and much laughter and conversation was sparked as a result. On our return there was evidence of those determined to continue the games and conversation late into the night.

An early start on Saturday with prayers followed by breakfast and more stories about Christmas. The weather was terrible. Thick grey clouds and drizzle greeted us that day. However, Kevin prayed to the God who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine and by lunch time the clouds had parted and blue sky appeared.

A fascinating discussion of cultural differences was sparked as students shared their experiences of life in their own country. From the most beautiful place they had ever visited, to cultural expectations with regards to marriage and money, each person listened attentively and learned much. Why is Western attitude to marriage so different to Eastern attitudes? What is it like to live on an island of three thousand people where everyone knows every one and the prison population is just five people?

After sitting down to a traditional BISC soup lunch, the group headed off for further out-door adventures. Ian, our skilful driver, took us to the dramatic Quantock coastal path where he left us to face the elements: crashing waves, bright blue sea and sunshine and gale force winds which left us battling and struggling through the wind. Even three abreast it was difficult to keep our feet on the ground. Amazingly everyone returned safely .

An impromptu stop-over found us in a beautiful local church and Cilla was soon conducting the choir with “Silent Night” and “Ding Dong Merrily.”

The bonfire blazed on our return with thanks to Kevin behind the scenes. At this point, melted pink marshmallows were on the menu along with charades and camp singing.

Later that night, the students discovered a proper Christmas feast prepared, with everything from Christmas crackers to turkey and stuffing, followed by silly games and forfeits. A new Olympic sport was invented: the Tea Tray Challenge, which involved some very elegant moves and dipping, twisting and diving with a newspaper sword, with the aim of removing the opponent’s skilfully balanced tea tray. Ballroom dancing and waitressing were useful skills to have mastered in this international event.

A later breakfast, with a final discussion about the true meaning of Christmas was followed by free time and a very muddy walk before lunch.

On our return home , we had a final blast of fresh air on Brean Down beach in the cold, wintry, light before Christmas carols at Christ Church. A splendid candlelit experience with mulled wine was a fitting way to end such a glorious weekend of friendship and fun.

MEAL WITH A MESSAGE (MARCH 08)

2008-03-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

In conjunction with Fairtrade Fortnight, BISC organised an evening with a home cooked meal using Fair-Trade products. More than 20 students attended. Tanushree – an Indian student volunteer skilfully spent the afternoon preparing an authentic Indian chicken curry as well as a vegetarian curry. The fruit juice drinks served on the evening were also Fair Traded.

William Blatherwick, a representative from Christian Aid, gave a presentation on poverty then facilitated a Trade Game which involved making paper bags. Everyone got their hands busy on the ‘production line’ making paper bags for their ‘livelihood’. The completed paper bags were then being traded to the banker. The message for the day was: ‘What it actually takes for people in poverty to live on’.

The evening was concluded with some interesting questions, including ‘how can I help / what can I do?’ as well as purchases on the Fair Trade goods in stock.

BISC actively promote Fair Trade during a nationwide held Fairtrade Fortnight held on 25th Feb to 9th March. As on-going support, all the teas and coffees served at BISC are Fairly traded. Come an enjoy a cuppa next time you are here at BISC.

SLAVE TRADE WALK (MARCH 08)

2008-03-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

A lovely afternoon walk at College Green with our usual well experienced guide, Elvyn.

From College Green, we went on to the harbour side, and then on to Arnolfini where we hear about Cabot’s discovery of the North America continent that led to the rise of ‘slavery business’. We crossed over to the river side where Elvyn told us gruesome tales on the condition and treatment of the slaves in the 16th century. People were not only chained worse than animals, but were stamped with hot iron metal to identify their owners. The ironmongers were located a stone throw away at Bedminster.

We were led on to Redcliffe and then on to ‘The Hole in the Wall’ pub. One can easily imagine the tales with the site being showed as such. The actual hole in the wall vividly existed till this day. We walked a few minutes more into Queen Square where the rich merchants used to live before ending the walk in the vicinity. This enlightening and challenging walk concludes our series of walks on the Slave Trade for this term.

FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

2008-03-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

BISC is taking a front line in promoting Fair-trade! The event commenced on 25th February for two weeks and ends on 9th March. In conjunction with the Fairtrade Fortnight, we held a talk / presentation on Wednesday 27th February over soup lunch. The talk highlighted the importance of fair-trading and the impact it brings top the life of the people being affected – the children, the artisan and the community at large: with a focus on India. Matthew Kent, who is a manager of Fair trade crafts chain – Shared Earth, shared through visual presentation on his experience in India, giving a first hand account of the positive influences of fair-trade to the community. The session ended with a quiz on Fairtrade with prizes sponsored by Shared Earth.

This Wednesday 5th March BISC will be holding a Fairtrade Fortnight dinner, serving authentic Indian cuisine, followed by a chocolate game! This is organised in a joint effort with William Blatherwick, a representative of Christian Aid and will look at how we act responsibly to those who grow and produce our food.

We also have opportunity to support Fairtrade – with two sections of items on display, one food section and the other jewellery and crafts with interesting items for sale throughout the two weeks.

Cotswolds Trip (March 08)

2008-03-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

A very popular BISC event – and we certainly know why...a trip to the beautiful English countryside! The journey was less than 2 hours away from Bristol. We visited 3 places for the day, starting with Chedworth Roman Villa on our first stop. Arriving just before 11.00am, we explored the place with some people who opted for the visual presentation while the others wandered off on the audio tour assisted by a handy device.

In Bourton-on-water, our second stop, we had time for lunch and to explore the beautiful village. Taking advantage of the lovely weather on the day, some of us lunched by the riverside. Photo taking kept everyone busy with cameras flashing throughout the afternoon.

We proceeded on to our last stop of the day to the quaint village of Broadway. Upon arriving, we were served traditional English cream tea with home made scones accompanied by fresh coffee/tea. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the beautiful yellow (Cotswolds) stone with more flashes for the album! At about 5.30pm, we headed back to Bristol. A truly wonderful day out was had by all.

BISC is organising a trip to Oxford on 15th March, while there are still spaces left – hurry, book online or pop into BISC office!!

Globe Cafe Unplugged

2008-02-27T12:59:00.001-08:00

The highly anticipated Globe Café Unplugged kicked off with Bristol’s very own rock band Transition. The trio captivated the audience with fresh songs from their brand new album, as well as some of the old classics. Transition did not fail to satisfy with a standing ovation and cries for “more” from the crowd. Always a tough act to follow, the BISC team stood up to the challenge with their renditions of “Lean on Me” and the delightful “Sounds of Freedom” by Jewel. The team, led by Rebecca Bruce, exceeded even their own expectations when every chord was reached, with the onlookers singing along (hoping to drown out the noise most probably). The first session was wonderfully wrapped up with Lilian’s elaborate dancing skills. Without putting a step wrong, Lilian took to the stage like a born natural, much to the crowd’s delight.

Always providing a good service, Globe Café supplied an array of delicious snacks which was consumed within minutes of laying the table. It was a much needed break in preparation for Djoaine Asis’ solo performance. With her dazzling pink wig and her pet mascot as an encouragement, Djoaine sang two meaningful songs on the keyboard. The audience was amazed at Djoaine’s slight “tongue in cheek” performance which could possibly have been the performance of the night! To keep the night alive Emmanuel Mathe offered his expertise by drumming a rather uplifting beat. So good was his performance that his new found fans demanded more! The only way to end such a phenomenal night was to recall Transition to the front stage. Their new song, “the sky”, was so well received that they had to replay it a second time.

Overall, the night was a huge success. A late entry from our very own Kylie & Jason and (Becky & Kevin) and their version of “Especially for You”, entertained students as they departed. The quick departure may have been caused by a further mournful performance by Kevin. Unfortunately the hills were not so alive with the sound of music, dampening future hopes of a job at the west end! The BISC team would like to thank all those who attended and took part in Globe Café Unplugged, especially those who prepared the event at Ebenezer Church.

Written by Carys Davis

Japanese Evening

2008-02-17T07:28:00.001-08:00

JAPANESE EVENING - FRIDAY, 15th FEBRUARY

Another popular BISC event!! Back again by popular demand, tickets were sold out well in advance. About 40 students came to another interesting cultural evening.

On arrival, besides the socialising, a range of origami kept us entertained. The menu for the evening included an amazing dish of ramen, carefully prepared and served with Japanese fried chicken bites. We also had opportunity to roll sushi in the kitchen followed by sweet rice balls dessert.

The evening included a presentation and a briefing / talk on Japanese culture and some film clips - which we all enjoyed, especially the Japanese tap dancing that mixed old and new traditions.

A big thank you to the University Japanese Society for another successful and entertaining evening! If you would like to find out more information about the Japanese Society, you may log on to http://www.bris.ac.uk/depts/union/JapSoc/

Coming up….BISC will be hosting Fairtrade Fortnight (25th Feb to 9th Mar). There will be a lunch time talk session on Wednesday, 27th March at 1.00pm by Matthew Kent from ‘Shared Earth’ giving us an insight and a first hand experience on Fair Trading. For further details, please log on to our website - www.bisc.org.uk or pop in to BISC!

Let’s Talk About Love and International Feast

2008-02-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

“ You don’t have to wait until Valentines Day to give flowers to your girlfriend who you really love…”

Romance, marriage, money, taxes, who pays? matriarchal societies, patriarchal societies, a marriage proposal after ten days, what’s your definition of love?

The termly international feast took place on Wednesday with world class cookery available to share. There was a delicious and appetising array of different tastes and flavours from around the world: Polish “Bigos,” Indonesian Chinese omelette, delicious home made French quiche Lorraine, Pakistani curried potatoes served with Naan bread and yoghurt, English toad in the hole and Japanese sushi. From chocolate mousse to crepes and bread and butter pudding, all pointed to the universal language of good food, washed down with an interesting diet of discussion and conversation.

Ruth Johnson, a local author led an informal and interesting discussion on the meaning of romantic love. The discussion touched on a variety of different themes and topics from marriage to romance with a valuable contribution from students from varied cultural backgrounds. Many held different opinions about who is expected to pay in a relationship? A student from a very patriarchal Indian society in Mauritius felt that it was important for a woman to be able to pay to demonstrate her independence, whilst in Indonesia in certain matriarchal societies there is an expectation that women will pay. For the Chinese students represented however, there was a more traditional expectation that the man alone should pay.
We discussed marriage and arranged marriages, and even the tax benefits of being married.
In Taiwan there are churches which teach couples to hug and to express their feelings towards each other and there was an assertion that English people are reserved in their affections. Another student pointed out the fact sometimes British people use the word “love” too lightly to describe our feelings towards cars and other objects as well as towards people. Ruth shared her own personal experiences of love and how this related to her Christian beliefs, however there was a very open spirit of listening and sharing with a great deal of respect when opinions differed. The debate continues…

Would you like to win a cream tea? … Tell us in approximately 50 words or less your own definition of love and you could win a free cream tea at BISC…. (closing date 22nd Feb 2008)

Windsor Castle - February 2008

2008-02-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

On Saturday the 9th of February, Hannah, Kevin and Elvyn shepherded 102 international students across to Windsor Castle. Being larger than the average group, is was difficult to track everyone and there was a nervous moment when handing out the tickets wherein we were worried some random people might have infiltrated our group and helped themselves to a ticket, but God was watching over us and all was fine. After the ticket distribution, security check, and free audio guide pickup, the mass of students dissolved into the castle leaving a small group of us who waited around for the guided tour of the grounds which was very interesting and entertaining. We quickly discovered that sadly, the Queen was not in residence that day, as indicated by the Union Jack flying above Round Tower (which isn’t actually round!). Inside we gazed in amazement at Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House with fully functioning electricity and plumbing, we absorbed the history of the Royal Weddings exhibition and we marveled at the grandeur of the State Apartments. Although the Queen wasn’t in herself, many of England’s previous monarchs were lying around in St. George’s Chapel, though I suspect they couldn’t appreciate the magnificent Gothic architecture.
A great day out was had by all!

Special Event - Transition Live!!

2008-02-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

Hugely popular Bristol based band called 'Transition' who have appeared at many BISC and Globe Cafe events over the last 5 years, and featuring regular BISC volunteer - Josh, are launching their new album on Saturday 23rd February at Elim Centre in Bristol. Full details on their website - http://www.transition.tk/. Buy your tickets now!!
(Also appearing at Globe Cafe Unplugged on Friday 22nd February! See BISC website for details.)

Film Nights at BISC – January 2008

2008-02-08T14:26:00.001-08:00

An eclectic range of films, a handful of popcorn, a large projector screen and a room rearranged to create the special atmosphere of a mini-cinema. The BISC film nights have become a little known treasure in the BISC diary and greatly enhanced by the added insight provided by Elvyn Griffith’s extensive knowledge of film history.

The films chosen have been from a variety of different cultures and produced in response to changing historical circumstances. From the more recently produced “The Shawshank Redemption,” exploring themes of hope and fear in terrifying and unjust circumstances, to the moving and controversial film “Life is beautiful” by Roberto Benigni, set in a concentration camp where imagination serves to make life more bearable. The film “Chocolat” was served with real hot chocolate with vanilla and spices. Other films chosen might not naturally be a first choice for a modern audience, for example Orson Well’s classic film noire “The Third Man” set in post-war Vienna.

On the other hand, the films have not always been controversial or educational. To watch and delight in the infectious joy and exquisite art of a Nineteen Fifties Hollywood musical in “American in Paris” has in itself provoked a sense of awe and a surprisingly rich depth of conversation and reflection. Why is such glamour and entertainment less popular for an audience in the twenty first century Western Europe?

So whether you’re there to enjoy the pop corn or to improve your English in a relaxed atmosphere, the BISC film nights look as though they are here to stay.

“It’s better than going to the movies with a bunch of strangers” commented one Polish student. Films and discussion are a great way to build relationships, to really get to know how somebody views the world and what their passions and questions are in life. Future film nights will undoubtedly require exposure to film from other continents. If you could choose three films to provoke discussion and debate, what would you choose?

PANCAKE PARTY

2008-02-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, 5th February BISC was given a sumptuous treat by Ian Knight and his team (from Holy Trinity, Nailsea church) - “We are Crepe”. They just secured a Golden Spatula award for their signature Crepe Deluxe recipe at the Cannes International Pancake and Crepe Fiesta!! Back for the second year at BISC to organise a Pancake Party - the lounge was buzzing with about 50 students. The team prepared a superb mouth watering choice of home made pancake fillings, chicken and mushroom, honeydew English ham with Mendip Hills Cheddar Cheese, and slow roasted Mediterranean gourmet pepper and sun ripened tomato served with hot fried crepe!!

After the main course, Becky (BISC Team) gave us a talk on Pancake’s Easter and Lent with a clip from the movie ‘Chocolat’ that illustrates Lent and at the heart of the message: God’s kindness to mankind. Following the talk, we were treated to a sweet version of the crepes that includes honey lemon, apple cinnamon, marsh mallow or fruit to select from. A very difficult choice to make - they were all equally superb!

Another brilliant event! If you missed this one, be sure to sign up for another cultural evening: International Feast Wednesday on 13th Feb or Japanese Evening on Friday 15th February. For information, BISC sends out updates of events in our weekly mailing list, sent on Mondays. Sign up either online or at BISC!

SCANDINAVIAN EVENING - 30th JANUARY 2008

2008-01-31T14:37:00.000-08:00

Organised in conjunction with the Bristol University’s Scandinavian Society, BISC held a Scandinavian evening on Wednesday evening, where around 40 students attended.

It was a very interesting cultural evening; where guests were given an insight into the Scandinavian culture - which was led by Peter Ahlers, society’s president. Peter and co. provided us with a general overview with statistics and facts of Scandinavian countries i.e. Norway, Sweden, Finland and Demark.

We were treated to an interesting variety of dishes, starters including fish, caviar, sausages and lots of Swedish meatballs for the main meal while being entertained with Norwegian folk music. The evening ended with dessert being served, hand made waffles with cream and a choice of jams, following a quiz on Scandinavian. The winner walked away with a tray of Scandinavian goodies, courtesy of the society.

It was a lovely evening of socialising and stretching knowledge on Scandinavia! BISC is also organising a Pancake Party next Tuesday, 5th Feb & Japanese Evening on Friday 15th February - be sure not to miss these exciting evening - book online NOW!

SLAVE TRADE WALK 1 - 16th January 2008

2008-01-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

A good number of students participated in the Slave Trade Walk on Wednesday, 16th January led by Elvyn Griffiths. The walk started at Arnolfini where Elvyn explained Bristol’s involvement with the Slave Trade in the 14th Century. He also explained on the origins of Cabot and his involvement in the trade.

The walks highlight what life and living was like at the height of the slave trade in the 16th and 17th century in Bristol. It showed how the culture of slavery had been with Bristol since Saxon times. We visited the places where ships were built, where merchants lived and to Redcliffe caves, whose sand was used in the production of glass and where cargo coming into Bristol was stored. The sand of the cave was also used as ballast on ships going out to Africa. The walk itself started from Cabot statue whose discovery of North American Continent gave the opening of the increase of trade for Bristol.

St Mary Redcliffe Church was also referred to as many slaves’ captains were church wardens. It was the church that rang its bells in civic celebration when news reached Bristol of the defeat of the first bill to attempt to outlaw slavery.

Queen Square was visited, and it was here that a lot of merchants were dealt with - America, West Indies and Africa. And it was also in the square that had America’s first ever consulate established in 1792. The walk ended after visited Kings Street which is an old trading area and most of the buildings were put up by slave merchants including the Theatre Royal.

There are 2 more Slave Trade Walks to be enjoyed coming up in February and March…..why not join us? Our thanks also to Flo for the photos!

Weekend Away in Somerset

2007-12-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS DINNER 2007

2007-12-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, 1st Dec we held our Christmas dinner Celebration at Alma Church Hall. The evening started officially at 7.00pm with warm greetings by our very own Santa Claus!! Mulled wine and fruit punch was served as welcome drinks. Everyone was busy chatting while some took the opportunity to complete the Christmas Quiz that was placed on each table.

Hannah welcomed everyone and explained the evening, the menu, as well as what all the trimmings are – e.g. Christmas crackers, cranberry sauce, etc. Thereafter, Christmas dinner was served, made up of roast turkey or a vegetarian version.

After dinner, we were entertained by the Christian Union and BISC choir team with angelic voices filling the air to ears’ amazement!

Elvyn announced the Christmas quiz results and although we had several winners, he narrowed it down to one winner (in Elvyn’s good hands!!) Our choir then sang a few more carols before Christmas pudding and fruit salad was served.

After a lovely meal, Neil Grant, our guest speaker proceeded with a talk on ‘Why and how we celebrate Christmas?’- explaining the different variations of Christmas term and the true meaning of Christmas – that it is about Christ and his birth.

Tea and coffee was then served, and followed by a few more carols and drawing the evening to a close + ending with “We wish you a Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year”!!

Photos to come soon.

JAPANESE EVENING AUTUMN TERM 2007

2007-11-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

A very popular event! We had more than 50 people who registered and turned up for this evening.

Organised by the Japanese Society from Bristol University, the Japanese evening officially started at 7.00pm. The first item on the agenda for the evening was a hand at origami. A variety of colored paper, accompanied by instructions was given out. So, a volunteer team member from the Japanese Society went around sharing his expertise by going around the tables.

The menu for the evening include a variety of delights such as Nikujaga (Beef and Potatoes), Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes) and of course, sushi! The course was complemented by a dessert - Japanese rice dumplings.

Following dinner, we were given opportunity to roll our own sushi! In groups of 4 at a time, it was a friendly competition to race with time - the 3 minutes challenge set by Becky who was leading the evening!!

The evening ended with happy smiling faces!

Globe Cafe - South Korean Night

2007-11-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

More details of Globe Cafe can be found here.

STRATFORD TRIP 2007

2007-11-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, 17th November BISC organized another exciting trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon! More than 100 students join the trip - to the beautiful town of William Shakespeare’s birthplace, England’s most famous playwright.

The trip started at about 8.30am from BISC and took less than 2 hours to get there. Along the way, students were informed on what the day entails. Maps were distributed with highlights on places of interest including three houses: Nash House, Shakespeare Centre and Halls Croft. Tickets were issued on the bus.

Upon arrival, students went into their own groups to explore the beautiful town and the 3 Shakespeare’s houses. Lunch was at their own leisure with good choices of places to eat.

At 3.45pm, we gathered at the Baptist Church for tea/coffee and biscuits complimentary from BISC. Shortly before 5.00pm, we headed towards Bristol. On the way back, students were entertained by quiz on Shakespeare and the winner awarded with a prize!

Bridgwater Carnival 2007

2007-11-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

This year we had 2 coaches to Bridgwater! We gathered at BISC at 4.00pm to ‘hit the road’ down to Bridgwater. The journey was pleasant with interesting information being shared by the BISC Team. On the way, students were being entertained with quiz on Bridgwater Carnival and also given maps of the Carnival venue with useful information.

Although we arrived slightly later than expected due to the traffic i.e. at about 6.30pm….we had ample of free time to get dinner before the spectacular event started buzzing. Crowds of people gathered for the Carnival to start. A DJ entertained us before the carnival commencement. The weather was reasonably mild for us to be outside for this time of the year.

The extravaganza Carnival began at approximately 8.00pm….that mesmerized the crowd! As the carnival is also an annual charity event, people were joyfully throwing coins into the floats. The floats are spectacular and enormous, the atmosphere is fantastic! Everyone was enjoying the evening out, with their cameras handy – not to miss every opportunity for the photo album!
On the way back, more stories were then being shared on the history of Bridgwater Carnival by our very own experienced and knowledgeable story teller, Elvyn.

It was truly an unforgettable experience!

Photos to appear on here later in the week.

INTERNATIONAL FEAST

2007-11-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, 7th November here @ BISC – we hosted a ‘pot-luck session’ called the International feast.

Starting from 6.30pm, a variety of mouth watering dishes were brought by students. There were a range of savoury and desserts from countries such as Switzerland, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Tanzania, Spain and Mexico. It was certainly a delightful evening where everyone enjoyed the food – with second helpings before the desserts being served.

After a sumptuous meal, we continued the evening with an ‘International Opinion’ game led by Becky (BISC’s Team). Using 3 sets of cards, each set has a different theme being discussed the first being more informal ice-breakers. Subsequent sets from the cards are more in-depth questions, and final set focused more on spirituality questions. It was an interactive session where we were given opportunity to ask questions on life and faith quite openly and to share our opinions.

There will be another International Feast in the spring term. We hope you will join us then.

Photos to appear on here later in the week.

International Reception 2007

2007-10-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

A spectacular evening attended by more 300 students from 60 countries all across the globe!!

Held at Woodlands Christian Centre, the Reception started at 630pm with warm welcome by the BISC’s Team and the volunteers. People were ushered into the main hall, well decorated with flag bunting, 4 long tables filled with an assortment of mouth watering delights and finger food such as chicken nuggets, pizza, onion Bhajis, sushi, vegetarian dishes, spring rolls, prawn toast, and a variety of snacks spread over mini tables displayed on the four main pillars in the hall. At the welcome desk, capital cities quiz were handed out as well as students’ home countries list was established. At 730pm, the event officially began with a video: Welcome to BISC in various languages e.g. Czech, Japanese, German and Chinese.

Laughter is one of the best compliments to a happy belly! Along with Shanthi and Kevin from the BISC Team and 3 other students, the event was lightened up with cheers from the Animal Game where the participants representing their home-land mimicked a series of animals…

This exciting annual event was officiate by BISC’s Chairman, Rob-Scott-Cook who gave a speech and a warm welcome to the students. The event continued with a Mongolian Dance Performance by a Wang Lilian, a current Bristol University’s student. The second session of the DVD footage was then presented with a focus on senior students’ views on ‘The Best Thing’ they experience, advice to new students. This is valuable advice from experienced/senior international students’ to new international students.

We had another brilliant entertainment session with Tony Carey, who is BISC’s bus driver sang and played his guitar. Another DVD on ‘The Worst Things’ from the voice of students was shown before we were entertained once again by another student, Gai Zhikun – who performed a Chinese Local Drama using a traditional Chinese instrument.

After a short break, where the students freely mingled around and chatting to each other during which BISC’s Team announced the autumn term events as well as the capital city quiz winner! We then were finely entertained by Miss Soraya, a Malaysian student entertained the students with her sweet voice by singing a Malaysian song and an English song, while playing her guitar.
The results on country tally – presented with an on-screen visualized map of students’ home countries represented were then announced while students identified themselves by their home country that sends cheers roaring across the crowd.

At approximately 930pm the event rolled on with Brazilian drums and beats and an exciting Capoeira Dance session by the Capoeira Society. An extraordinary dance where the dancers uses martial arts as the base of their skillful dance!

The evening ended with smiles and happy faces from students, volunteers and all team members!

Below are photos and video clips from Saturday night. Please do click on 'comments' and leave your feedback from the evening. Thanks alot.

A Taste of the UK - Globe Cafe

2007-10-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

Photos from Globe Cafe event on Saturday night!

London Trip

2007-10-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

It was an early start, but over 100 of us managed to get up early on Saturday morning to journey to London –the capital city of England, for a day out. Coach 1 had 15 different nationalities on board, and coach 2 had 17 nationalities –a truly multi-cultural mix!. Our tour guides imparted lots of information to us about London throughout the coach guided tour. This ranged from the differences between the City of London, and the Greater London Boroughs, which was identifiable by statues of dragons, as to the newly erected statue of Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square!

The weather remained fine all throughout the day, which was great for the optional guided walking tour, as we didn’t need our umbrellas. Ruth & Elvyn conducted optional guided walking tours which were very thorough and provided photo opportunities throughout.

The quiz on the return journey tested our knowledge and we had worthy winners on each coach! There’s so much to see and do in London that a day trip can’t do it justice, so you’ll just have to visit again! We hope the BISC trip gave you a good introduction and overview of the place the Roman’s first called Londinium.

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

2007-08-27T14:47:00.001-07:00

Huge houses, fire extinguishers, multicoloured sweets and a tartan bagpipe player filled the skies, looking back over the Bristol harbour and the Steam Ship Great Britain. It was the return of the spectacular Bristol Balloon Fiesta. As we arrived at the green field sight of Ashdon Court Estate, a large dinosaur appeared in the sky, not unlike a larger than life model of our very own Mr. Elvyn Griffiths.

The typical fairground smells filled the air: ice cream and chips, noodle bars to curries and baked potatoes. The BISC team from Hong Kong to Kazakhstan, China, Guatemala, Japan and Bella Russe, set up camp on a hill above the main arena and spent the evening marvelling at the enormous glowing creations. As dusk appeared, rousing classical music and rock music played as the fires were stoked to light up the gigantic canopies creating a dazzling display. Fireworks burst out into the sky above the now darkened sky to signal the end of the event.

Thousands of people trekked back towards the numerous buses, jostling and laughing, chatting and joking, before their return to the city.

Farewell Barbecue 2007

2007-06-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Many farewells and some unexpected welcomes for the penultimate BISC event of the summer term.

The party had started in the early afternoon, when a team of international barbecue consultants arrived from near and far: representatives from Iran, Finland, Germany, Sheffield, Redland and Weston-Super-Mare were all present and ready to help out.

Students and friends were welcomed to a traditional summer garden party experience. Amazingly, the rain held off but the wind didn’t. A gazebo had been put up and the barbecue was already flaming away as the guests arrived.

Despite the sadness of saying goodbye to so many friends, there were still opportunities to meet new folk: some people from Iran and South Korea had never been to BISC before.

As the weather cooled, the warm atmosphere did not. Guests were invited inside for coffee and desert. The small living room was filled with over 50 people from the four corners of the globe: from Korea, Japan, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Kazakhstan, Iran, Mexico Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka and beyond.

Neil Edbrooke, a familiar friend at BISC, encouraged us to reflect on what we had learnt this year and what was important to us in our lives. As students return home and to new chapters in their lives, he spoke of returning to familiar surroundings with new eyes in the light of the love and friendship they had found here in Bristol.

The night ended with some singing. Hannah strummed along on her guitar, a hidden talent that a handful of us had the privilege of sharing accompanied by the BISC Team Harmony Singers. “Good bye sweetheart, well it’s time to go….I hate to leave you but I really must say, well goodnight sweetheart, goodbye.”

O.K ...so it’s not quite the last event of term: Ruth’s leaving party is on Saturday at 4.30pm at Alma church - all are welcome - and the final Jazz Walk of the term will be this Monday 25th June. We hope to see you there and wish you all the best for safe travels home for your next adventures.

Click here for photos.

River Cruise

2007-06-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

The BISC River Cruise was an excellent way to celebrate the end of exams with friends, flatmates and work colleagues.

The trip afforded many the opportunity to see a different side of Bristol and her surroundings. From the elegant ships in the docks and sophisticated warehouse conversions, we were soon out in the lush greenery of the waterways towards Bath. Herons were spotted overhead and we were able to breath in the fresh country air.

The band “El Gran Desorden” set the tone for the party atmosphere with their funky, Latino rhythms. Nibbles were nibbled and drinks began to flow.

Food was served in generous supply. Adopting the traditional British queuing system, over seventy students lined the ship, waiting patiently before piling their plates high with salad, sandwiches pasta and rice dishes. In the mean time we were entertained by some Dutch and Russian singing. Amazingly the ship did not capsize at the arrival of the puddings, despite some very eager surges forward to grab the best of the myriad cheesecakes in different flavours: blackcurrant, toffee, lemon and strawberry.

Despite ominous skies, the rain held back until the last twenty minutes when umbrellas were pulled out and there was the opportunity to practice dancing in the rain. (Did you know that the actor Gene Kelly, star of the musical film “Singing in the Rain” was born and raised in Bristol?)
All in all, a fitting celebration to mark the end of exams and for many, the end of their time here at BISC and in Bristol. We wish you all a fond farewell and encourage any new comers to stay in touch.

Click here for photos.