Cambridge Trip

It was a very early start when we set off for Cambridge on the 12th May. But some of us dozed on the coach while others tested our knowledge of the university town on the BISC quiz. When we arrived it was time to try our hand at punting – there are plenty of pictures for you to look at and see how it’s done (or not how it’s done, as the case maybe; some of us had more success than others…It’s harder than it looks!). As you may be able to tell, the heavens opened at one point and a heavy shower drenched us to the skin! Lots of umbrellas shot up, but the unfortunate people who were punting at the time definitely got it worst!

We then had some free time for lunch and people wandered round the market, or found a café to dry off in.

Our guided walking tours after that were very informative, the guides were good, and it gave us a good chance to get an overview of the town and learn a lot about the history. We heard about the ghost that lived in The Eagle pub, how Henry VIII was involved in building the colleges and enjoyed a tour around Trinity College, which was very impressive.

In our free time after the tours, some climbed up Great St Mary’s Church tower to get a good view of the town, some continued to walk around enjoying the beautiful architecture and interesting markets, while some had a look at one of the many famous museums in Cambridge.

Although it did keep raining throughout the day, at least it also kept stopping, so we had some chances to partially dry out at least! Our day in Cambridge was good fun, and though it was a long journey, it was worth it!

Click here to view photos from a wet Saturday BISC trip. Please do click on 'comments' below and leave us your feedback.

Brunel Trail

A small and select group of students from such diverse places as Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Japan met at 9:30am on Saturday by the Clifton Suspension Bridge for a guided walk led by the famous Elvyn Griffiths with Isambard Kingdom Brunel as the theme. We discovered how Brunel's father was a clever French engineer, and many other interesting facts throughout the day. To start with, we had a good look at the Bridge and walked across it to the exhibition centre and back. The Bridge was designed by Brunel for a competition, which he won. Therefore his design was built, although unfortunately not finished until after his death. Then we walked down through the Clifton and Hotwells areas of Bristol, learning much more about each other as we chatted, and about Bristol's history from Elvyn. Having arrived at the SS. Great Britain, we took a nice lunchbreak, then proceeded on board the ship which has been turned into an award-winning museum. She was the world's first ocean-going, propeller-driven iron ship, and we could see what life was like for the passengers, as well as how the whole ship worked. I think we will certainly be going back to the Museum, as there was such a lot to take in!
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International Feast and Games night

About three people had booked in advance for the International Feast and Games night, so we were rather surprised, but very pleased, when more than twenty arrived bearing home-made food from around the world (as well as some cakes from Sainsbury’s…!). There was a lovely atmosphere as we all sat round the table passing Japanese rice, English cottage pie, Austrian chocolate cake and Belarussian cheese balls up and down to each other. After we’d all eaten as much as we could, Becky led us in a game involving drawing maps of Europe and the world from memory. We now know that Japanese geography lessons must be the best in the world, as Haruna and Yukari won this competition hands down! After this, we played Hannah’s “name game” where we had to describe famous people to each other without saying their names, then using only three words, then using no words at all. Our highlight from this game had to be Josh’s impression of Nelson Mandela in prison (hiding behind a stack of chairs), closely followed by Naved’s pirate impression, representing actor Jonny Depp! Maybe he will demonstrate for you one day…

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Lake District Holiday

Waterproof coats and suntan lotion were at the top of the kit list as we headed up North for a week in England's notoriously unpredicatable outdoor climate. Setting off in glorious sunshine, the sky had turned a more traditional British merky grey as we approached Liverpool . However, our arrival at the Youth Hostel was greeted with picture postcard rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds. This stunning view of jagged hills and mountains above the waters of Lake Winderemere which was to be our constant backdrop for the next few days of physical exertion and cultural enquiry.
Steam trains, sheep, daffodils, gingerbread, otters, poetry, a lake cruise, an underwater aquarium, stuffed polar bears, high peaks and physical exertion, paddling in rivers and lakes, swinging from high ropes in the trees, wood peckers, starlit walks, rowing boats, icecreams, spectacular views and the stunning weather which allowed us to appreciate the hills reflected in chrystal clear waters. All these things and many more made up the holiday.
And yet there were a couple of factors which made the experience almost unique to BISC. The variety and breadth of interest of the group was a key to the success of the trip: Chinese Min Min who barely spoke any English but who was able to impress us all with his balance and fearlessness 30 foot up on the "Go Ape" Ropes course; a German assistant, Bernadette who knew nobody at the start of the trip and yet was the life and soul of the party by the end; another Chinese student, Helen who had lived in Oman before moving to England; Danish students with an interest in Chinese politics (and Danish pastries); A Taiwanese lady, Chara who had lived in Mongolia and who whistled and sang and joked her way through the trip; An English student who had lived in China; A Japanese student, Shiori who was studying Hungarian. And so many more fascingating people. It was a privelege to spend time getting to know these guys and to see friendships forming and developing.
Furthermore, the trip would not have been the same without the delightful Mr. Tony Carey who has entertanied, educated, driven, sung and played on many a BISC trip in the past. Tony ensured that folk songs such as "Wild Rover" or " My Grandfather's Clock" are now guaranteed to be heard from the karaoke bars of Kyoto to the coffee houses of Copenhagen. A huge thankyou to him and to every individual who came along. It would not have been the same without you.

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Oxford Trip

Oxford – the “City of Dreaming Spires” – is a beautiful place, as we all found out on Saturday when we took two coach-loads on a day trip. It was a lovely day again (we’re getting good at booking nice weather for our trips!) and the guided walking tours of the city with which we started our day were very informative and interesting. We got a good overview of the university town from the guides, and were able to look around pretty Brasenose College. Following that, people went their own separate ways and explored the market, the museums or climbed one of the towers to get a view of the whole town. We met up for tea and coffee together later in a church building which was a well-needed break from all the sight-seeing and a good chance to chat with new and old friends! We’re now looking forward to our trip to Cambridge in May so that we can compare the two famous university towns…
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Cotswolds Trip

The sun was shining (for once!) as we set off out into the Cotwolds to the north of Bristol. Our first stop was Chedworth Roman Villa which was a really impressive example of a Romano-British villa from the 4th Century AD. We could see the remains of beautiful mosaics that covered the floors, Roman bath houses with rooms for steaming yourself before jumping into cold water, Roman toilets and the very clever under-floor central heating that warmed the house in winter. The view down the valley must have been just as beautiful when this place was inhabited by an upper class family so long ago. We also enjoyed a very informative video presentation that really helped you to picture what it probably looked like originally.

We then drove on further to the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, with Elvyn giving us a very interesting commentary on the way about the scenery and history of the Cotswolds area. We had plenty of time to get some lunch and wander leisurely around the village and some people popped into some of the little tourist attractions there too.

When it was time to move on again, we all piled back in the coach and headed to Broadway, another typical, pretty, little English village where we enjoyed a generous cream tea together in the Horse and Hound pub before having a walk up and down the main street in the evening sunshine.

In all, it was a lovely day, as I think you can see from the smiles in the photographs!
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Japanese Evening

At the end of the evening, all that was left was the Japanese symbol for “heaven” marked onto the window panes of BISC. A few brightly coloured origami birds, boats and boxes were left scattered about on the floor and the distinctive smell of sushi and soy sauce in the air. All this could only hint at the fun and delights that had gone before.

The Japanese Society once again did BISC proud as the centre was filled with new and unusual sights and flavours. As guests were welcomed in, their names were written in Japanese script on their name badges, before being ushered into the lounge to be served special tea, by a beautiful and strangely familiar young lady, dressed in an elegant pink and grey kimono. Tiny pink, blue, white and green sweets, like flowers, were available as a starter, before generous bowls of beef and potato “Nikujaga” appeared. This was followed by “Okonomiyaki” or “as you like it” pancakes and “Miso” soup served with “Asazuke” vegetables.

Throughout the evening, guests had the opportunity to roll their own Sushi, filled with a selection of avocado, thinly sliced cumber, smoked salmon, fried egg and crab, all wrapped in Japanese seaweed. In the mean time, highly trained engineering students used all their concentration and skill to grapple with the delicate origami techniques to achieve aerodynamic planes, boats and delicate birds. And others were taken away like foreign princesses to be wrapped in bright floral fabrics and intricate bows in Japanese kimonos.

A truly vibrant and educational experience, which few of us are likely to forget in a hurry. Many thanks to the hard working Japanese team for an evening of Eastern delight. Arigato. Click here to view photos.