Ringing the Changes

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

Work in the BISC garden

Farewell BBQ 2009

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

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

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

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?