Bristol Blue Glass Factory - photos from Ahmad

On Sunday 2 December a small group of students visited the Bristol Blue Glass Factory.

After hearing a short talk about the history of Bristol Blue glass, we all got a chance to blow a glass bubble. Here we are with James, who at 22 is the most experienced glass blower there.

Maria learns how to blow a good bubble... The trick is to blow continuously, soft and steady - like a balloon, at first nothing happens...

And here she goes...! James is turning the tube to ensure the bubble stays round.

Here you can see Rayan demonstrating his technique - see the white-hot glass...

Cooling to red-blue as he goes on blowing...

However, if you blow too hard, like Mohammad did, the bubble sags towards the floor.

Finally and sadly our bubbles were smashed and the glass recycled - Shige shields his eyes.

Ice Karting - photos from Ahmad

On Sunday 25 November we were really lucky to be able to go Ice Karting at Bristol Ice Rink.

Here you can see the whole Karting gang, the ENAC: Benjamin, William, Nicolas et al. then Rayan, Shigehiro, Ancor, Shin Ho, Ibrahim, Ahmad, Mohammad, Abdulaziz, Khalifa, Maria, Park Jong-Hyeok and Alexey.

We were divided into 4 teams: (red, yellow, green and blue) and took it in turns to relay race around the rink. The team with the most laps won.

A related video promoting our favorite social program venue:

Report: Ivato International Airport, by Rafanambinantsoa Valohery

You have probably already heard or seen documentary about Madagascar. Madagascar is a wonderful island which appears on a lot of documentaries about the Indian Ocean. This island offers a lot of activities and leisure pursuits. It has Ivato as the International Airport which is located in the capital: Antananarivo Indeed, Ivato is not the only one, but there are still around eight smaller airports located in the other provinces.

The first point is about traffic in navigation which defines the number of flights in the FIR (Flight Information Region) on average for a precise time which is always a day. Especially for Ivato, it controls all the flights inside the Indian Ocean space. It means, task is difficult for Ivato Air Traffic Controllers to manage all the aircraft inside the FIR which is almost the whole Indian Ocean. In 2005 all the terminals were re-developed and nowadays the airport has around ten terminals and it also provides stands for 20 aeroplanes.

Secondly, as we can see inside the famous airports as Foissy Charles de Gaulles for Paris and Heathrow for London, modestly, Malagasy people must be proud of their Duty Free shop and their Customer Service and above all safety service. Before boarding, foreign passengers are invited to discover or to buy Malagasy products for souvenirs. After that, there are three companies which provide all kinds of flights (international or domestic), these is Air France for international flights, Air Madagascar for international and domestic flights and ATTR for only domestic flights.

The final part is focussed on technology used in navigation. Even if this airport is not among the biggest in the world, it uses the main technology required by ICAO rules, for example, x-ray scanner, Instruments Landing System and VOR. The government has incl.uded in hits development plan the rehabilitation of all airports and especially making Ivato a reference to Indian Ocean Islands.
To sum up, time and paper are not enough to describe all the beauty of Madagascar International Airport. But, it represents or reflects the first symbol of Madagascar when foreign people arrive for the first time in this country. The most important is that one of the main subjects of government plan is the redevelopment of Ivato Airport. So, imagine our airport after 5 years!!


[and in a similar vein... - Ed]


My Airport, by Benj

On the north-wst of Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar is Ivato. With its three kilometres runway, many companies such as Airmad, Air Mauritius, South Africa Airlines, Air France link Antananarivo to other local, regional and international towns. 15 aircraft can stand there.

The airport opens seven days a week and many controllers and technicians work every day and every night to guarantee a safe and secure flow traffic with many kinds of equipment, giving information used in air navigation control such as meteo (wind direction, wind speed, visibility), navigation equipment (VOR, DME, radar), landing system (ILS, NDB), phones, VHF transmitter and receiver, microphones and clocks.

In departure, it has two terminals: one for national and one for international in which twenty check-in desks are available serving passengers for all destinations. The luggage weight doesn’t exceed the authorised weight described on your ticket and 12 kg for your hand luggage. There are four passport control desks and two x-ray scanners with two metal detectors. Before the departure gates, duty free shops are available for souvenirs and gifts.

In arrival, four passport control desks are available and one caroussel for the luggage. It doesn’t have an x-ray scanner, but four tables are used by customers to check passenger luggage and two big screens show permanently, in the real time, the arrival or departure information.

Number of flights in Madagascar doesn’t stop rising every year and the number of passengers to be served follow the traffic frequency. That why our government take in their account to extend the airport, in arrival and in departure and Malagasy people hope that this extension will happen as soon as possible.

Report: Cotonou International Airport, by Charbel Serge Quenum

Located in Cadjehoun, about 5 kilometers from the town centre, Cotonou International Airport is the main airport of Benin. The Civil Aviation provides the transport sector with enough financial resources and this was possible because of the airport facilities. To, I will point out, the characteristics of the runway and the terminal.

Without the adequate facilities, at least, Cotonou International Airport cannot provide the transport sector with such financial resources. Then due to its runway which is 2.4 kilometers in length and the radio-electrical, meteorological pieces of equipment well maintained by ASECNA’s technicians, Cotonou International Airport provides aircraft with a good level of security. To fire rescue, police, security guards (who take care of the pieces of equipment) excel themselves to be efficient and air traffic controllers really respect ICAO’s rules.

Unfortunately, the stands are not big enough, with only one taxiway and one runway. After that, one part of one side of the runway possesses aquifers and the other part is like a forest. Therefore it attracts snakes and other reptiles. So what about the terminal?

Due to the fact that BENIN is an under-developing country, Cotonou International Airport has got only one terminal. Therefore some days it is so full of people that it is quite impossible to move. Luckily, for passengers and everybody’s security and safety, Cotonou International Airport has got metal detectors, x-ray scanner, camcorders and enough security guards and custom officers. It also has check in desk and immigration respectively the staff and the officer of which are kind and helpful with someone who has a lot of luggage. After that information about all the flights is displayed on the flight information screen.

For your health there are pharmacies and for other needs there is a wonderful duty-free shop.

It is very important to notice that even though it has some wonderful facilities, Cotonou International Airport is very small (nowadays a lot of people travel).

Finally Cotonou International Airport had some of wonderful facilities in spite of the fact that Benin was an underdeveloping country. Cotonou International Airport is sometimes full of people so it is very small. Therefore it does not respond to the needs of the passengers.

With the project of building of the new GLODJIGBE International Airport which will well respond to the rules of ICAO we will have a wonderful development of transport sector.

Report: Leopold Sedor Senghor International Airport, by Oumar Diallo

Leopold Sedor Senghor International Airport is one of the biggest airports in West Africa and it has an important role for the management of the Flight Information Regions (FIR’s) trusted to ASECNA by ICAO. For this reason, many devices are installed in this airport.

However, LSS Airport does not have all the modern devices we could find in the most developed airports in the world, but it is deemed by FAA/ICAO like one of the safe airport in Africa. All the departure gates have metal detectors and x-ray scanners and also a lot of security agents. Sometimes it could be frightening but heartening because the travellers can trust in a safe flight. So, lots of airplanes companies are established in Senegal like Delta Airlines, America Airlines, Egypt Airlines and even Air France, Royal Air Maroc and South African Airlines have a representative in our country.

It does not have many terminals like in Heathrow or in Roissy Charles Degaulle, only two terminals (A and B), but very pleasant by this simplicity and the diversity of the control positions makes the management of travellers not so easy.

In the arrival/departure hall we have some pleasant places like the duty free shop or restaurants where the travellers can relax. It also have free luggage trolleys, a lot parked in row for travellers. The baggage carousel is maybe deemed not so long and can make busy the arrival hall.

With regard to flight information screens, they are present everywhere inside the airport.

The airport has big hangars for Air France, SAA and military hangars, but more than six aircrafts can be on stand. Furthermore, the runway, three kilometres long, is often controlled by specialists from the aeronautical regulation department of Senegal (ANACS) which allows better security lift to aircraft.

However, meanwhile, LSS Airport needs to be extended and to have modern devices. At the moment, the government is building a new one (called Blaise Diagne Airport) in Diass (a department of Dakar) with two runways and probably a new infrastructure, because in the future, it will be difficult to manage a small airport in a big passengers and aircrafts traffic.

Report: Abidjan International Airport, by Coulibaly Sionhagnigui

Abidjan International Airport is in the east of the city with a new terminal since 2000. It about 20 mins. from the city centre by car. The runway is 3 km long. The air traffic is managed by ASECNA and AERIA manages all the formalities for travelling.

Abidjan Airport is the most important in the country and many airlines such as Air Ivoire, Air Burkino, Air France, Royal Air Maroc operate there.

The security at the airport has been improved the last few years with a new property demarcation since 2005. The runway previously about 2.7 km long has been extended about 3 km and the radar had been replaced by a new one in order to make easy the traffic management.

The terminal has a main hall where people can stay before going to the departure hall, there they can get information about any flight from or to Abidjan. Before going to the departure hall a security agent check the passport and then they go to the check-in desk. Once luggage is checked in with the x-ray scanner, they make their way to the duty-free shop or the departure lounge after their passport have been checked in by immigration officer. The last control with a metal detector happen when they are boarding.

The traffic increase at Abidjan Airport, but the certification is on issue unsolved. The authorities have to provide strict services according to ICAO conventions in order to make more safe the airport and get the certification.

[and more on this airport... - Ed]


Abidjan Airport, by Kouassi

Abidjan International Airport is situated bordering the Atlantic sea, in Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa.

It is the biggest airport in the country and one of the most important in West Africa.

The runway is 3000 m in length, with 25 aircraft stands. It has all the equipment used by pilots to communicate and fly their aircraft. In the Control Tower, the Air Traffic Controllers are always giving all the information for the safety of flights, such as meteorology. The electronical equipment is completed, by night, with an airfield lighting system which makes landing easy and safe. The Air Traffic Controllers use also RADAR systems to manage the traffic.

Abidjan airport has a new modern terminal. It has been renewed and extended in 1998. In 1999 and only for this year, the traffic had reached 1.2 million of passengers. The arrival lounge is equipped with the usual systems, like metal detectors and x-ray scanners. In the departure lounge, you have the same equipment on which you add a duty-free shop and a restaurant.

The airport authorities have an extension plan of the terminal. They think that in the future, Abidjan will become the hub of West Africa. It will be the biggest airport of this area of the continent.

SS Great Britain day

"who are these gentlemen ?? "

A well-prepared crew

Hi everybody,

here are some photos of our last visit to the SSGB.





Enjoy.



on behalf of a spanish student

HEY GUYS FROM ASECNA ...A Funny Story by Mayaba TCHALLA

It was the 7th October 2007, a sunny Sunday. It was the first really sunny day since we came to Bristol two weeks ago. I decided that spending this colourful day at home would be a scandalous sin, so I thought it would be good to go and see this circus on the Downs: The Moscow State Circus.
I spent 3 hours doing my homework and I left home at 12 am. I took a bus to the centre and I walked to the school on Lower Park Row. I didn’t know where the Downs was but I was told that from the school I had to walk straight and I would reach my attraction for the day. So I walked, and walked, and walked, asking from time to time to pedestrians if I was going the right way to the Downs. It took 1 hour and a half to reach the place and enjoy the Circus.
It was great; the performers were skilful. I saw acrobats, magicians, clowns, a tightrope walker and ballet dancers…. After the two hour show I left the Downs, my head full of dreams. It was 4 o’clock and the sun was shining in a cloudless sky. I was happy and grateful to God for giving me such a beautiful day.
I started walking to the school from where I would have to reach my bus stop in the city centre, near the Bristol Hippodrome. I was confident that I had taken the right way and I was thinking of my evening activities and the coming week’s courses. I was pleased to walk but I began to feel tired and I was in a real hurry to reach the school. You can imagine my happiness when I saw the fish and chip shop that I seemingly recognised because I thought I was not far from a good seat and a moment of rest. It was 5.30 pm and once again I raised my eyes, confident that I would see the Red Lodge which is near the school but to my surprise I saw… the beautiful lights of the Moscow State Circus. So after 1 hour and a half of walking, I was lost.

HEY GUYS FROM ASECNA: some advice about coming to BRISTOL, by Helinirina

Do you realise that you are going to spend four weeks in one of the biggest cities in England, BRISTOL?
It may seem a long time at the beginning, but in fact it is not enough to discover the numerous and wonderful sides of Bristol. Shops, museums, a zoo, there are a lot of places to visit…

Weather
I know we all come from a country which is hotter, so in Bristol you will surely feel cold. So wear warm clothes to be in good health, and never forget your umbrella because it may rain at anytime!!

Shopping
You may not be a fashion victim but you will soon discover BROADMEAD, the shopping center which is not far from the school and where you can find anything you want. If you are interested in Computer Science, in Music, in Sport, in shoes or in clothes, you are going to find something you like. Whatever you want for your wife or husband, family or friend, you will get something special there. Broadmead is rich in its numerous shops.
Also if you have an opportunity to go to The MALL in Cribbs Causeway, it is a real cavern of treasures! You should go just to see how huge the shopping center is! It is incredible with a lot of shops and of course a huge car park. You may need a new suitcase!! However, you will find there are lots of different places to go shopping in Bristol.

Places to visit in and around Bristol
Bristol is not only famous for its shopping centres, it has also many interesting museums such as the Red Lodge, which is free. Also along Park Row, not far from our school, you will see Bristol’s City Museum and Art Gallery. During our stay, there was an exhibition about the history of Benin, so it was interesting to find out how our history is told and shown abroad. There is also the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum at Temple Meads, and don’t forget the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the symbol of Bristol. Also you should visit the SS Great Britain, built by the engineer, Isambard Kingdom BRUNEL who came to Bristol in the 19th century. The zoo is also a good place for a day out. These are only some few ideas about Bristol’s culture but you can visit other Museums on the outskirts of the town.

The Social Programme
Before ending, I will suggest you take part in the social programme because you will discover more about British culture and it is a real opportunity to visit different places: Cardiff with its wonderful sports stadium and its beautiful castle, the great window of the Abbey and the Roman baths in Bath. The trip to London is the most exciting and impressive because you see Buckingham Palace, the famous Big Ben, the London Eye…

Hey guys! Three weekends are not sufficient to know enough about Bristol. By yourself you will discover lots of pubs and cafes when going out with other students.
Just few suggestions but I hope you find them quite useful.
So keep warm, enjoy your stay in Bristol and don’t forget to share your experience!

ASECNA group B present their top ten self study tips

Top Ten Self Study tips for the future ASECNA groups

1. Always use the dictionaries and preferably a mono-lingual one.

2. Improve your vocabulary by taking notes of new words learnt through the listening and reading exercises.

3. Use the computer programs available in the self access room to improve your listening and pronunciation.

4. Speak English as much as possible.

5. Always do your homework!

6. Do not hesitate to ask the teachers to help you.

7. Use the vocabulary and grammar books that are available.

8. Ask your tutor and self study teacher for help concerning your homework.

9. Don't miss the class. Be on time.

10. Share what you learn with your classmates.

Emeline Bac's House of Horror

That day was special. Emilie was getting married and all the family was present to celebrate this event. After a wonderful dinner and several hours dancing, Ben and I and my parents in law decided to leave the party. The night was cold, without any clouds. The moon was shining, therefore no lights were necessary to find our car. As we were driving back home, some thin patches of fog appeared on the road. The lines were moving like waves under the car lights. We crossed several woods. My mother in law and I were joking about the gloomy situation when we suddenly heard the car spluttering! Ben tried to restart it without any success so we decided to go to the nearest farm “Le Jaqueterie” to get some help or at least to phone somebody, as there wasn’t any cover. We weren’t joking any more. The song of some birds gave us goose pimples. We all left the car with only a torch to get your bearings. Every animal noise was multiplied by the silence of the night. The patches of fog weren’t improving the situation. We were so scared. But after 20 minutes s walk we could make out the farm and the shape of a person. We tried to call him thinking it was the owner. But our voice couldn’t reach him. We were heading for the farm. Once we arrived, we knocked at the door without getting any answer. The door was half-opened. The situation was scary. We entered the house. Some blood was on the ground, we found two bodies lying there. My father in law tried to resuscitate them. Then we heard a noise at our backs. We turned round and a man with an axe was in the door frame. We tried to escape, but it was too late. The men were trying to kill my mother in law. She was injured and was bleeding a lot. We went upstairs, but we were rapidly stuck. We were hidden in a closet, so the murderer went to the second floor. We took advantage of that to escape. We ran towards the woods. We didn’t have time to phone the police. We spent the rest of the night waiting in the forest. We were spying every noise. When the sun rose we walked to the next house. We saw police cars at “Le Jaqueterie”. A policeman had found the 2 bodies and was telling us that a psychopath had escaped from a hospital and was probably at the origin. A policeman drove us back home.

The night after, as everybody was in bed, we heard some strange noises coming from the front door. We got down to see what was happening when we saw …..

Our Trip to Mexico, by Caroline Dubois

Two years ago we went to Mexico for 2 weeks. It was supposed to be “the trip of a lifetime”, but it was definitely not. We had to take off from Brussels on the 10th August but the airport staff went on an unexpected strike so we weren’t able to take off until the 12th.
When we arrived in Mexico the weather was wonderful and everything seemed to be back to normal again, so we decided to forget about the problems of the journey. We took a taxi which was supposed to bring us to our hotel. The taxi driver dropped us in front of a waste ground! There was no “Luxurious Palace” and “the immense swimming pool with turquoise water” did not exist. Certainly we had a “wonderful view on the sea” but the hotel we were supposed to stay in only existed in the property developer’s mind!
As it was getting dark we tried to find somewhere to spend the night. Unfortunately all the hotels in the vicinity were full. We had no other choice: we would have to spend the night on the beach! With loads of difficulties I managed to get to sleep, but at 3 am I was roughly awakened by a police patrol. It was forbidden to sleep on the beach. After having suffered a forceful questioning by 2 surly policemen we were released.
At 11 am this day we found a small hotel in which there were some free rooms. The place was dirty and smelly but it was our only solution. It was a seedy spot and the clientele were of a bit of a dubious nature, we really “were in touch with local people and local customs”!
The day after we finally found a nice hotel to stay in. It was quite far from the beach, but at least it was clean! We were just starting to enjoy ourself when a terrible hurricane hit. There were heavy rains and strong winds for 3 days and it was impossible to leave the hotel. Thank goodness that “the Mexican weather is know for its sunshine”.
When the storm had calmed down we decided to go sight-seeing. There was a Mayan pyramid not far from the town where we stayed so we went to visit it. The archaeological sight was in the jungle, therefore there were loads of wild animals in the area. The ruins were majestic and we had a very good time till we came across a huge snake. We were so afraid that we run out of the place!
We spent the last days of our holiday enjoying the pool and sunbathing. At least there was no other catatrophies. We already had our share of bad surprises. It was to have been “the trip of my lifetime” but it was the most terrible holiday ever!

A Horror Story, by Amelie

Once upon a time a tall black greasy-haired, white-faced man won the National Lottery. He bought an old hotel in a dark forest and rebuilt it.
He had a very difficult childhood, he was an orphan. He lost his mother when he was 10, she’s been raped and stabbed. And he’d never knew his father.
He opened which was a very posh and luxurious hotel. All the jet set came in and they never came back.
During the first night, secret walls went out from the floor and all the guests were imprisoned.
The boss kept them in a tiny fenced room, they couldn’t get out. And when the man was hungry he choose one of the guest and cut an arm or leg even brain!
People cried and screamed in the cold night, they were scarried.
5 years later there was only one out of 255 guests left. He cold fight the man when he came to kill him. And the guest ate the dark man.
The story restarted there…

Difference Between The West And The East, by Natalia Concha Ocampo

The most outstanding difference is the general knowledge and the old traditions of the East compared to the West. Today the governments of Western countries protect the rights of women and their liberty. Today there are still a lot of women who depend on men. Another difference is respect for others and manners of the people in the East. In some countries like Japan or China, respect is the most representative image for the rest of the word.

In the West, contrary to the East, there are a lot of problems with the feeding of the young people (anorexia, bulimia). The young people are less polite than the young people of the East.

Thanks to the internet and globalization this two cultures have recently started to change. Now the young people of the East are as eccentric as the young people of the West. Eastern food is as international as Western food. And younger woman are more and more fulfilled in the East.

Good Luck Hotel, by Samuel Roldan

It was Friday. I was in my job tidying a lot of documents when my boss appeared and said to me: “Hey, Sam, the company has breakdown. Today is our last day. You do anything you want. I am going to go up to the terrace roof”. “Anything I want” I thought. Immediately I looked for a trip to Egypt on Internet, it’s a dream that I have always had: the pyramids, the river, the magic carpets … I found an irresistible offer, a flight charter supercheap, but I had to travel that night. So I booked it and I start to run. I didn’t have much time. On the parking of the company I saw to my boss stuck dangerously on the terrace roof.

“I’m going to Egypt, now!” I said, “Good luck” he replied. I think in that moment a doom fell over me. On the highway I took a short cut but I found a big traffic jam, in my neighbourhood didn’t have electricity and at home, in the darkness, my dog didn’t recognize me and he bit me several times. How there isn’t light I only could catch my toothbrush and the money. When I arrive at the airport I was exhausted and I was so hungry I could eat a horse. In Passport Control I had a lot of problems. You can’t imagine how strange is a sweaty tired man with bites and blood on his trousers without a suit case and trying to fly to a Arabian country. At last I passed to the Departure Lounge and went around in the duty-free. There I could buy toothpaste and cigarettes. I rested a little before take off on a silver scrap nightmare. When we landed I got my knees and crying I kissed the ground. I didn’t have problems with the suitcase, I didn’t have one. I took a taxi to my hotel, it was “Good Luck Hotel”.

The Tree of Language, by Stefano Schiaffi

Most linguists believe that all the different languages of the world have sprung from an ancient single language just like branches of a single tree.

The first to undergo this kind of research was Sir William Jones, who noticed in 1786 that Latin, Greek and Sanskrit had striking similarities that couldn’t merely put down to chance.

This being the first of many remarks, research has gone on to identify a protolanguage named proto-Indo-European, spoken perhaps 7000 years ago, the vocabulary of which gives extremely interesting hints about different aspects of ancient cultures, e.g. pointing out habits like farming or domesticating animals. This protolanguage is thought to have been spoken in the Transcaucasus, from whence it spread eastwards towards the far-east and westwards towards Europe.

Despite research upon proto-Indo-European is now close to completion, or perhaps just because of that, some linguists have come up with the idea that proto-Indo-European is just a branch of a more ancient language which they’ve called Nostratic and which is supposed to have been spoken 15000 years ago. As a consequence, it shouldn’t make any distinctions between wild and domesticating animals, nor should it have any words for crop, thus reflecting an earlier stage of human civilisation.

Even if not all linguists agree with this theory, as stated above most admit that the monogenesis of language is plausible and that leads them to another amazing theory: perhaps it was thanks to the use of language that the homo sapiens was able to survive at the expenses of the Neanderthals.

A Poem, by Richard and Stefano

[I have no idea what this poem is about – so I guess it has been a successful effort! - Ed.]


Your armpits smell so nice
I want to eat you with some rice
You have my shoulder to cry on
And me you can rely on

First sight was so hair-raising
But then, I turned a blind eye to your friends
Once, and in the very, very end
Your groans and calls were heart-rending

When I see your thighs
I have butterflies in my tummy
I was all fingers and thumbs when you touch my temple
Or hit my shin, for example

Tried keeping a straight face
But I lost the wisdom teeth race
You win hands down
Your skin turns brown.

Invading advertising, by Clothilde Gonthier

Nowadays advertisements are really everywhere. We cannot escape them. Indeed they are on TV, on the radio, on billboards in the streets. It could be tolerable if the rate of advertisements was not increasing all the time, however this is the case. Managers try to find new advertising media, maybe because we pay less attention to adverts than we used to, precisely because they are everywhere. For example, in America, marketing executives gave free computers to different schools in exchange for advertising their brands on exercise book-covers. So advertisements are now coming into classrooms.
In France, we may see adverts in the sky near beaches. Indeed managers make advertising campaigns by means of planes. Plane tow advertising streamers, which is a good way to attract people’s attention. Additionally, we can imagine that in the future we will hear adverts when we are sleeping on the underground, in order to convince our subconscious minds to buy the product.

A (fictional) letter to The Times protesting the smoking ban, by Anne-Sophie

Dear Sir

I am writing to the Newspaper to complain about our “Nanny State” and more specifically against the smoking ban

I am a heavy smoker as I started when I was 18 and I never stopped. I smoke about 20 cigarettes a day.

For me, to smoke is a choice. I have enough money to buy cigarettes, I like smoking and I don’t think that smoking makes you die earlier. I know many old people who have smoking all their lives and are still in good health. If these people had to to stop smoking, I am sure they would become depressed.

I enjoy smoking when I am in a pub with friends who smoke or not, and if they don’t want me to smoke or if there is a baby near I don’t. But to make a law about it is completely stupid. Cigarette kill fewer people then cars so why don’t we pass a law against driving cars?

I think the government has to decide things for our country but you treat us like babies is not a good thing: liberties are being gradually taken away. To be able to choose your way of life is the more important freedom I think, and as I smoke I don’t want to be seen as a second class citizen which the government encourages non-smokers to see me as.

My last point is that the government will have less revenue from the taxes on cigarettes and we will be taxed in another way.

I respect people who don’t want to be passive smokers and I hope that you will respect my point of view.

Anne-Sophie

New Year’s Day in Korea, by Chung Young Hyun

In Korea we have a special day which is called Solnal. This holiday is on New Year’s Day which for countries with the solar calendar is on January 1st. However, in Korea, it is usually in February by the lunar system (we have 3 days holiday and the middle day of this is Solnal). Solnal is the biggest national holiday! Actually Solnal is based on the worship of our ancestors and is a very sacred time. Also we have a happy and comfortable time escaped from the strain of living in our industrial society. So Solnal is a very meaningful holiday in Korea. All the people go to the house of the oldest son of the family like hometown. All of the relatives come together in this house and celebrate an ancestor-memorial rite, play various games and eat food together. So in this situation we can think about being one race and having unity with relatives. So Solnal has a more important meaning than just holidays.

In this holiday there is a special food which we have to eat. This is a slice of rice-cake soup which is representative food in this holiday. (We make a thin rice-cake in an edible shape) so when we have this food, we get one year older. This is a tradition in Solnal and we also have various foods, fruits and alcoholic drinks with our family. After we do some rites, we eat food which is prepared for our ancestors on the table.

We have special clothes which we wear in Solnal. They are called New Year’s clothes and Hanbok. This is a Korean costume. It is gorgeous and has various colours. So it is beautiful, especially when children wear this costume. When we go to celebrate a rite and greet our relatives. We also wear these clothes.

We have a traditional rite which is called ancestor-worship ceremony. First, we put around a folding screen and then in front of this, we put the table which is prepared with a lot of food and alcohol. Then all the men bow to the table several times, however women can’t bow because of tradition, which is based on thought for preference of men. This ceremony is the greeting to our ancestors. So after the ceremony, talking with family, we eat this food together and after the meal we also bow to our grandparents, parents and our senior to greet them. If juniors bow to seniors, they give them fruit and well-wishing remarks which is some good advice and conversation. For children they give money. This is also a tradition in this holiday.

We can play various traditional games. For example, game of Yut, seesawing and spinning top games etc. First, game of Yut use four sticks and there are some checkers and if we throw sticks on the floor there is a number and we go to the finish point. Then seesawing is similar to the seesaw in England. However in Korea two women stand on the end of the side and one woman jumps then another jumps. This action is repeated. They can get very high so sometimes, it looks dangerous, but it is very funny. Finally the spinning top game, where we spin the spinning top with a whip, is interesting. So we can play a match with my relatives on the frozen river. And we fly a kite in the sky. There is a very interesting and enjoyable game with families like this traditional game.

After 3 days, although we again come back to our own homes and jobs, we don’t forget this time and feel happy so we will wait for another holiday and gathering with families. In Korea, there is another holiday like Solnal so Koreans can continue to meet with their families and relatives during the year and they spend their important times with their families. I think, our holiday is a very valuable and meaningful day.

Watch This Space! The Social Programme over the next two weeks

Tuesday 9 October – Tea & Coffee at Brown’s

http://www.browns-restaurants.com/menu-bristol.php

Enjoy a relaxing break at Brown’s Café and Restaurant in the heart of the university district. A full English-style tea set will be provided.

Thursday 11 October – Cinema (tbc)


Saturday 13 October – Day Trip to London

London is very large and quite expensive, but you will never have a problem finding something you want to do. Check out http://www.visitlondon.com/ for some ideas.



Tuesday 16 October – Harbour Walk

See some of the sights of Bristol's harbourside area. Enjoy a drink at the Cottage Inn on Baltic Wharf.

1 Prince's Wharf, including the Bristol Harbour Railway and Industrial Museum, Pyronaut
2 Dry docks, SS Great Britain, The Matthew
3 St Augustine's Reach, Pero's Bridge
4 Bathurst Basin
5 Queen Square
6 Bristol Temple Meads railway station
7 Castle Park
8 Redcliffe Quay
9 Baltic Wharf marina
10 Cumberland Basin & Brunel Locks
11 The New Cut
12 Netham Lock, entrance to the Feeder Canal
13 Totterdown Basin
14 Temple Quay
15 St Augustine's Parade
16 Canons Marsh, including Millennium Square and At-Bristol
17 Underfall Yard
18 Bristol Bridge

Thursday 18 October – Cassandra the Storyteller

Listen to some exciting stories from Cassandra, a master of story-telling. Cassandra has presented stories to students of all ages all around the world and challanges the audience to question what they hear.

Saturday 20 October – Bristol Zoo

http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/

What’s on in Bristol In October and November?

SPORT
Well, finally the English football season has started, with the added excitement of the forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers. You can watch Premier League games in pubs on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays - it's the best way to mix with native speakers!

Follow these links to find out more about Bristol Teams:

Bristol Rovers http://www.bristolrovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Home/0,,10328,00.html

Bristol City http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/Home/

Bristol Rugby http://bristol.officialshop.net/home.php

If football’s not your cup of tea, join us in supporting England against Australia in the Rugby Quarter-final in Marseille on 6 October.

FASHION
As a change from sport, visit The Mall at Cribbs Causeway for Fashion Week, running until 7 October. Fashion expert Mark Heyes knows all there is to know about the latest trends and high street collections, so come along to one of the fashion shows and hear his tips on what's hot and what's not for this autumn.

ART
At the Royal West of England Academy of Arts from 21 October until Christmas you can see the 155 Autumn Exhibition, with over 500 works, including painting, printmaking, sculpture and architecture selected from open submission. This popular annual show comprises an eclectic mix of styles, media and subjects.

On 31 October we have Halloween! Traditional activities include trick-or-treating, costume parties, viewing horror films and visiting "haunted houses". Halloween originated under the name of Samhain as a Pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain. The term Halloween (and its older rendering Hallowe'en) is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows' Day".


NOVEMBER
On 3 November on the Downs, come to see the Great Bristol Fireworks Fiesta!

Prepare to be dazzled by this spectacular fireworks display, featuring live stage entertainment and a new children's fireworks display.
Gates open 4.30pm, with the main fireworks display at 7pm followed by the bonfire and closing show on the Star fm stage. £5 to enter.

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
The gunpowder, treason and plot,
I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

“November the Fifth” is also known variously as Bonfire Night, Fireworks Night, and Guy Fawkes Night – why is this celebrated in England? Guy Fawkes was a member of a group of English Roman Catholics who attempted to carry out "The Gunpowder Plot", an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I of England, to protest Protestant rule, on 5 November 1605.

For many reasons his conspiracy didn’t work, he was captured and tortured in order to find out the names of his co-conspirators. They were arrested and after being found guilty, they were taken to Old Palace Yard in Westminster, where they were hanged, drawn, and quartered. Since then, we have made life-size replicas of Guy, collect money for the festival, and build a big fire (a bonfire) where we burn “him” and let off fireworks to symbolise the planned explosion in Parliament. We have also burned in effigy other unpopular people too, including former PM Margaret Thatcher!

FILM
From 20 – 25 November at the Watershed Cinema on the Harbourside, we have the Encounters International Film Festival.
Combining the very best live action shorts with the cream of animation, the new 'Encounters' is a major celebration of the present and future of short film-making, and will feature industry forums, five days of the best international and British shorts around, plus masterclasses, workshops, networking events and a prestigious awards ceremony.

My Close Friend Ahmad, by Arslan Gadzhilova

Ahmad has been my close friend for four months. I met him at school. We started to speak in class and talked about “why he came to the UK”. We have been in same class. We study very well.

Ahmad is average height and slim, dark skin and black hair. He is an absolutely typical Arabic man.

Ahmad is very easy-going. He is always funny and very friendly. If somebody has problems, Ahmad can help how he can, also, he is a sympathetic man.

Ahmad is very crazy about motorcycles and likes listening to music such as R‘n’B, Hip-Hop, Rap…. He is not a lover of sport, however, he likes doing gymnastic sometimes.

I am happy to have Ahmad as my friend and I really enjoy spending free time with him and his company. I think we will be close friends for ever.

Tour of Bristol with Pirate Pete, by Marie-Fleur and Valentin

http://www.piratewalks.co.uk/ On a sunny Wednesday afternoon in August we met Pirate Pete in Millennium Square. Here you can see Ahmad holding the skull and crossbones flag, and next to him Ekaterina wearing a pirate hat borrowed from her host family. Pirate Pete is welcoming the group of about 25 students, and could often tell them a pirating story connected to their country!

"During our stay in Bristol, we visited some places of Bristol wearing pirate clothes so as to learn the past of the city. Even if we did not understand all the explanations (....) it was really interesting and our guide was so funny and managed to fascinate us with his anecdotes.

Furthermore, we won the contest for the best fancy dress (well we were the only ones dressed with pirate clothes!!): some chocolates !!!

Marie-Fleur and Valentin, two French students

Pirate Pete took us to points of pirating significance around Bristol, over Pero's Bridge (named after a slave who lived at the Georgian House just off Park Street), on to John Cabot's statue, then to the place they used to drown pirates, the White Slaves Wharf, and on to the Ostrich Quays with the paths from the pub through the Redcliffe Caves. We learnt so much about the secret history of Bristol! We ended up at the inpiration for Treasure Island's 'Spy Glass Inn' where we presented the best-dressed pirates with a box of chocs!

Photo opportunities

Some students enjoying a rare moment of sunshine in the garden, saying goodbye to some leavers.

Here we see (from the left) Shin, David, Yujin and Henry putting their skates on for Ice Skating at the Nike Ice Rink in Bristol as part of the social programme. Other activities enjoyed by the students this month include Laser Quest, guided tours, cinema trips and a day trip to Bath. Next week we go on a tour of the mysterious Wookey Hole caves!

New School Café

Dear Principal,
I think it’s a good idea to want to build a new student café in the school, students will probably be happy. I suggest that the café could open at 8.30am, students could come and have their breakfast, drinking some coffee and eating fruit or other. After lessons finish, the café could be open until 6.00pm, students could stay doing their homework together. For lunch I suggest Italian food which would be appreciated by a lot of people and you can propose some alcohol just for the lunch, like beer or wine. Also, have you thought about changing the décor? You could put some relaxing music on during lunch but I think not the afternoon if students want to work.

Yours sincerely,
Marjorie Patuec

‘It is much more important for women to be attractive than for men’, by Yujin Chong

Everybody wants to be beautiful since people have lived on earth. Standards of beauty have changed many times according to the time and place. Nowadays, it seems really extreme and severe because some people spend money on plastic surgery and cosmetics to be gorgeous. In the past, more women spend time and money on being beautiful but I do not agree with the statement because these days, there are so many men who have plastic surgery even though he is not an actor or model. They just want to look handsome and attractive like women. These kinds of people are called ‘metro sexual’ and the metro sexual people are increasing dramatically. In my opinion it has become much more important to be attractive for men as well recently.

Art Review, by Regina Hammer

Dame Barbara Hepworth 1093-1975
Concentration of Hands 1948 oil on panel

The picture attracted my attention because it reminded me at first sight of the drawing of a relief representing a procession on a classical Roman sarcophagus. The picture represents five people, surgeons and nurses during their work, after an operation. Their eyes are concentrated on an object lying in front of them which is not in the picture. I could well imagine that they are focussing their eyes on their patient who has died. Their eyes are vacant and they looked utterly exhausted. With the operation masks that cover more than half their faces they seem to have lost their individuality. They are only operators. Barbara Hepworth, as we learn from the caption, was a well known sculptor. She was allowed to take sketches during surgery. She worked out well and in a very plastic way the hands of the surgeons and their eyes. A certain scratching and scraping technique makes the figures look even more like sculptors. The dominating colour is ochre.

Tenerife Plane Crash Tragedy, by Maïga Idrissa Djibrilla

The worst disaster in civil aviation happened in Tenerife in 1979, 583 people were killed or injured. Two Boeing 474 jets collided on the runway. The Panaman Boeing 747 with 396 people on board was directed to Tenerife. A bomb exploded in the Las Palmas airport 2 hours before and the airport was closed. The KLM Boeing 747 had landed 45 minutes before in Tenerife airport with 248 people on board. Las Palmas airport was closed due to bomb alert. A few minutes before the crash, the controller of Tenerife tower informed all traffics that Las Palmas airport has just opened. Tenerife tower informed all traffics that Las Palmas airport has just opened. The controller told the Panaman Captain that he could speed up and takes off if he taxi just behind the KLM. There was a heavy fog covering the airport. The visibility decreased. Both aircrafts were still backtracking the runway but the Panaman 747 was lost because of the fog. The ControllerHad confirmed before that he should exist at the third taxiway. The Panaman Crew had just passed the third taxiway without seeing it. At the same time the KLM finished back-tracking and was performing the half-turn. When the Controller told the Panam pilot on runway to report runway clear, the KLM thought that he was clear for take-off. The Pilot forgot that another aircraft was still taxiing on the runway. The two planes collided on the runway. In the crash 583 people were killed, 64 people survived. The stressful situation is probably one of the causes.

Football—Saudi Arabia v Japan, by Hashim Al-Fawaz

First goal scored 34 minutes in, Japan’s first goal followed at 36 minutes in. Played at Hanoi.

In Hanoi, Saudi Arabia played against Japan. All people thought that Japan will win because Japan always won when they play against Saudi Arabia. Before this match, Saudi Arabia never won against Japan in the Asia club including the final matches which were in 1992 and 2000. However, the Saudi falcons broke the record and won yesterday 3-2 and went to the Final against Iraq next Sunday. Japan started to attack early and tried many times but no score. Saudi Arabia started to join the match in the 20th minute by the shoot which was from Yaser. Yaser came again and scored the first goal to the Saudi Arabia in the 34th minute but the Japanese players scored the equalizer after two minutes in the 36th minute by Yuji Nakazawas. After that the referee ended the first half. In the beginning of the second half the Saudi team scored the second goal which was a header by Malek Maath. Then Japan again scored the equalizer in the 53rd minute. However, Saudi Arabia refuses all the guesses and scored the third goal by Malek Maath in the last seven tournaments. And the match ended with a 3-2 to the Saudi Falcons and Saudi team will go to the final to play against Iraq next Sunday.

27/07/07

Poetry Corner

My heart is a sheet of paper
The teardrop fell into my heart
My heart is made crinkled
My heart remains stained
When will I fix my heart?
Who will fix my heart?
Shin Ho Kang

I had free days when I was with you,
Like clouds in the sky,
When I cry my eyes are like clouds,
Now I’m happy because today the sun is shining.
Ahmad Alkaifa

I get up very early,
I saw through the window,
That the weather was very lovely,
How I feel good,
I think I will have a lovely day.
Arslan Gadzhilova

Internal organ transplantation: informed consent or presumed consent? by Yujin Chong

With the progress of medical technology, there are a lot of people who are operated upon for the purposes of internal organ transplantation. So, many people can live longer and healthier than in the past. However, there is a dilemma between informed consent and presumed consent that is needed when people donate their internal organs.

Some people disagree with presumed consent because it can impair the dignity of a person. Sometimes it is abused without consent just because he or she is brain-dead. But in my opinion, if somebody dies suddenly and there are few possibilities to survive, then it is better to transplant another patient who is suffering from severe pain but who has a much higher likelihood of a donor. It can sound cruel but this is more worthwhile. However, it should always be treated cautiously because a human life is very important and precious and there is just one life per person. I am in favour of presumed consent but informed consent is also valuable to encourage because it is more ethical.

In conclusion, every health care system or government has to pay more attention to organ transplantation to make the world a better place to live in.

YUJIN CHONG 07/07

Do you agree? Post your comment!

Vegetarian or Carnivore? by Shin Ho

Today many people are changing types of food. They have a lot of reasons. Some people change in order to lose weight, others people change because they hate killing cows, pigs, chickens, sheep etc. Also there are many reasons. My teacher Sean is a vegetarian. He think Vegetarian is healthier than Carnivore and vegetables are safer than meat. However, are these reasons really reasonable? I will write down my opinions.

In the first place, really can weight be lost? Of course if you ate vegetables, you could be slim. But after you cut off dieting, if you will eat again, you put on weight. That is why if you have eaten during diet span, you don’t decrease muscles (These burn kcal, mainly). Of course, if you continue to eat just vegetables, that is OK. But if you eat vegetables for 3 or 4 months, you have to remember that.

Furthermore, really will vegetarianism decreases to killing animals? I am sure they never do that because mankind has eaten animals for a long time but vegetarians appeared less than 500
years ago. Moreover, if we don’t eat anymore, their number will decrease sharply because animals take up a lot of space, but we need space where we live. Lastly, really is the vegetable healthier than meat? I can speak confidently. NEVER!!! It is impossible. The most vital ingredient in meat is protein and fat but we don’t find them in vegetables. Some people think too easily that fat is bad. But it also is important for our bodies. Therefore I object to vegetarianism because of these reasons. I think that people have to eat everything except other people.

By Shin Ho Kang 07/07

London Trip, by Shin Ho

I visited London Saturday. We (students and teacher) met in Bristol bus station at 8 o’clock. But I had to go to the school building because Arslan, Ahmad and Benoit didn’t know where it is. So we promised to meet at the school Friday. After I met them, we went to the bus station. When we arrived there, the people had already got there. The teacher checked the people but she didn’t find Saud, Henry and Saudo. Fortunately, just saudo got on the bus before the bus departed. But I couldn’t reach him on the phone. Saud was called by Ahmad. Luckily Ahmad could reach Saud on the phone, but Saud didn’t come. Friday we drank alcohol and went to a night club. But I went to home early, but most people stayed late. I heard Henry got back home at 3 o’clock AM. So Saud was later than Henry. On going to London by the bus, I answered the phone to Henry. He wanted to go to London and to meet us there. I told the teacher’s mobile number to Henry. Then I felt more and more my eyes close. When I woke up, I had already been in London. After we got off the bus, the teacher asked us to think of places we wanted to visit. The teacher decided to go to Buckingham Palace. We headed there. We reached there on foot in about 15 minutes. I was surprised there because there were a lot of people. I felt that they didn’t just keen on visiting there because there weren’t only people but also too many policemen. I asked the reason teacher why there were lots of people. She didn’t know either. So she asked that the policemen for the reason. After she talked with them, she told us the reason. She said ‘today is the queen’s birthday!!!!’ I was so pleased! We were determined to wait for her. But although we waited for 30minuts, she didn’t appear. As we (Arslan, Ahmad and me, waited for her, we joked. For example, ‘what is her mobile number?’ next 1year will she come here?’ and etc. on joking, finally parade started. Fist coaches that were drawn the parade by horses passed by us. Next, horse troopers passed. They looked proud. Last the army band walked by us. Finally, the Queen passed by us. Then I could see the Queen, directly. Bur against my expectation, she was really small and didn’t have on long white dress. Also critically, she didn’t have on Queen of Crown. So I was disappointed with her. After I saw her, I thought everything was finished. But then suddenly, it rained and the Air Show started. One by one jet plane of parties flew over. Last it made perhaps a red, white and blue behind them. The teacher asked us which place where we wanted to next, but we didn’t have enough time because we spent a lot of time at Buckingham Palace. So we decided to go to London Bridge. After we went there but I went another restaurant which I had passed by. There were waffles!! It tempted me! So I bought one plain waffle and sandwich. I was very satisfied and happy because I had been very hungry for walking around London. After we filled up our stomachs, we headed to London Bridge. On going there I could see a lot of sight. We had free time for about 30 minutes. Ahmad took a picture of me. It was quite funny. It I have a chance, I can show you. My feet were so tired, as well as other people’s feet. I suggested we sit down on chairs. After I had rest time, I went to the meeting place in order to meet the teacher and the other students. After we met them, we returned to the bus station. When we reached it, we met Henry. He came to London in order to get his baggage. I got on the bus, so my trip around London was finished.