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Showing posts from December, 2016
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Yes, I Would Love Another Glass of Tea !  Katharine Branning  wrote a book about `Turkish tea and how it is a part of Turkish Culture` in 2010. It could be the most interesting book on Turkish Tea.  Turkish tea can   perceive with the five sense. Firstly, Turkish people serve it in a special cup which is an attractive slim small glass. It is also clear because of the shaped `glass`. When they serve it very hot, you can see the vapor on it especially in cold weather. When you touch the glass this temperature can heat your heart. In addition that when you add sugar and mix it with your small spoon you can hear a specific resonance which you can not hear it anywhere else. There is not doubt on its taste and beautiful smell.  Turkish people growing their tea in the north of  Turkey and distributing to all country. Turkish tea is a part of Turkish culture. You can drink it every hour of the day for many different reason. When they invite you somewhere they are aski

It's The Most Stressful Time Of The Year

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We are now at the end of the semester; it is less than a week until the Christmas Holidays begins! However, the days leading up to the end of term are not so jolly… It is officially the time for exams and summative assignments! In my own case, that means a time of stress. I have two essays due on Thursday, and one short story due next Tuesday, and I am terrified. This is the first time I will be marked at university, and it is absolutely nerve-wracking. My desk is filled with essays and historiographies and notes, and all my thoughts revolve around deadlines. All I want for Christmas is for there to be 30 hours a week instead of 24! Current situation on my desk... Still, having the Holidays in sight, I am more motivated than ever to finish. I am going HOME for Christmas, home to Norway, to my friends, family and, of course, my cat. Being at UEA is absolutely wonderful, and I love it! However, it is far from home, and I miss everyone. My number one motivation to get thro

Christmas Traditions

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Christmas, according to my easily-excitable, pink-haired  housemate, is all about tradition. From the putting up of the Christmas baubles and decorations up on the tree, opening of mysterious presents (from Father Christmas, from your parents, who knows?) on Christmas morning and enjoying the feast that is the quintessentially British Christmas dinner. I own no such traditions. Christmas in Indonesia does not manifest in the same form as it does in Britain. We still have the Christmas trees, albeit plastic, and all the songs about White Christmas and mistletoe, although Indonesia, being on the equator and firmly in the region of 30 degrees Celsius all year long, have never and probably will never experience natural snow formation. It is a very foreign holiday, appropriated to suit the culture that we have, and so do not carry in the same way the values and connotations of a western Christmas. This is why I had never viewed Christmas to be the time when families congregate together

Norwich Weather: debunking the myth!

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Norwich Weather: debunking the myth As we all know, the UK is famous, or rather, infamous, for its weather. But lately, Norwich has been the exception to the rule: sunny, beautiful days have been the norm for the past weeks, and for everyone that has been here more than a few months, we all know how much of a blessing a few minutes of sun on your face can be! Back in South America, the weather goes through two stages in most places: rainy and warm, and dry and warm... So you can see why it would take some time to get used to anything that does not resemble this. But being here can be a blessing, as us international students that come from much warmer countries finally get to experience the weather that we’ve been seeing on pictures, films and postcards for years! In Norwich, a nice walk through Eaton Park or Chapelfield Gardens in autumn, with pretty leaves everywhere, can be one of the best study breaks for any UEA student. And when living on campus, it only ge

INTO University of East Anglia

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INTO UEA is a pathway to undergraduate and postgraduate courses for students from all around the world. The courses INTO UEA offers itself are A levels, International Foundation, International Diploma Year 1 and the International Graduate Diploma as well as English courses to assist your English speaking and writing skills. The INTO campus at UEA is located within the main campus, very close the Medical Centre. As a former student at INTO UEA, I'll be sharing my experience and highlighting some of their key facilities and benefits with you all. I started off my journey at UEA with an International Year 1 Diploma in Business Management and Economics. One of the best things about INTO UEA is that most of the students here are international students so you're never alone in feeling home sick! In fact, being at INTO made me feel less home sick due to so many reasons- other Pakistani students that I met there and I'm still friends with, the global cuisine and yummy food in

10080 Minutes

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I have exactly one week (10080 minutes) until I go home and honestly it feels a little strange.  Obviously I am beyond excited to see my family and especially my brother, but I have gotten so used to being here, that leaving will be weird.  Also the fact that it's going to take me about a million hours to fly home doesn't sound very appealing to me. I've been living in Norwich for a little over three months now, and this is my first time going home.  For a lot of people three months may not be very long, but I've always been super close to my family, so being  away for more than a few weeks is pretty long for me.  But, to be honest it actually hasn't been bad at all.  I was expecting that I would be a lot more homesick by now, but surprisingly, not so much.  I know that's not the case for everyone who studies internationally, because everyone has a different experience, but this has been amazing for me.  I love it here and I love UEA, so going back to Canada,

A Story of Japanese Student: Yuki studying Development and Environment 2

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Interview  1. Background of the student After finishing high school, I continued to study English in Japan for six months as well as  worked at an English school in order to improve my English skills. Then I took a Foundation  course at INTO UEA for nine. 2. Why did you choose UEA and your course? Being aware of the global food inequality, I became interested in studying environmental  science when I was in high school. In the process of researching into university  subjects, I  found Developmental studies which had been taught in the UK for and I decided to  go to the  UEA because it is the only university that teaches  International Development and  Environment as an Undergraduate degree in the UK. 3.   Tell me the differences in three years in Undergraduate  While my first year was not too busy, I got busier in my second year, especially in the first  semester, because I took four modules, had two different jobs and joined in several societies. Now th

A Story of Japanese Student: Yuki studying Development and Environment 1

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Hello, everyone! I am Yoko, doing the Japanese Ambassador at UEA :) As a part of my role, I have collected Japanese students' stories at UEA and this time I would like to introduce Yuki, a undergraduate student studying International Development and the Environment.  Hi, I’m Yuki Matoba, a 3rd-year student studying International Development and the Environment. The course contents include, for example, trade-off between economic development and the environmental degradation, conflict over natural resources, climate change and development of environmental laws in the EU. Apart from these environment-related modules I also have taken modules in other field of developmental studies such as education, wars and conflict and developmental economics. What I like about the DEV in UEA is that the modules are very practical rather than just theory-based throughout the three-year degree, which includes statistical study, field work in Scotland and the Development Work Experi

Thailand fathers day (December the 5th) and the new King

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In memory of the late father of Thailand for the past 70 years, happy birthday HRM Bhumipol Adulyadej (Rama IX), he will always be in our hearts on this day - the 5th of December. For Thais, today is not just another day. Over the past seven decades, today had been a day when the entire nation celebrated the birthday of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. This year is different, as the passing of King Bhumibol turns this ceremonial occasion into a collective reminiscence.   On the occasion of Thailand’s Father’s Day, Bhumibol Bridge played host to the grand-scale commemorative ceremony of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Bhumibol Bridge was constructed in recognition of the initiative by King Bhumibol towards urban development. It was also meant to address traffic congestion between Bangkok and Samut Prakan Province. His Majesty also called for the construction of Khlong Lat Pho for flood relief. Thailand's new monarch 'King Maha Vajiralongkorn' l

Brace yourself - Deadlines are coming!

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It's 3rd of December, 8 degrees outside, UEA campus and Norwich are covered in Christmas lights, all the societies in university hold Xmas parties literally every day and all you want is just to cover yourself in a blanket, grab a big mug of hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies all the day long (Even though we don't celebrate Christmas back in Azerbaijan, I'm kind of getting into the mood here in the UK). But instead of being a happy little child you have to face the reality of being a university student and work hard before enjoying Christmas. However, revision can be fun and motivating as well if you know where exactly on campus you should study for your exams. So here's a the list of quiet and peaceful spots on campus, from me to you. Merry Christmas ;)  1. Library silent areas  If you are considering spending a solid 4-5 hours revising for your exams, you should go straight to the library. The library provides you with a couple of choices on whe

UEA International Scholars Celebration

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Yesterday, at 5:00 PM on Thursday 1st December 2016, the UEA International Scholars Celebration took place in the Council Chamber.  This event is arranged every year, and it celebrates the recipients of UEA International Scholarships. This year there were awardees from 47 countries! When I arrived I was given a name badge and a folder, containing a diploma with my name on it, stating me as a ‘UEA International Scholarship Awardee’. I must admit, I allowed myself to be a bit proud in that moment. I then entered the main room, and it was full of my fellow students. Everyone was mingling, the staff were walking around serving delicious canapés, and we were also offered a selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. I managed to find some fellow Norwegians, and we spent some time chatting, enjoying the rare opportunity to speak Norwegian. Then the head of International Recruitment, Karen Blackney, said a few words, introducing the V