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Showing posts from February, 2016

Feed your friends for a fiver

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Now I have to admit, before I go any further.... i have borrowed these recipes from the UEA Union website www.ueastudent.com, but I had to share as there are some great ideas! Roasted Ratatouille pasta Ingredients Product Quantity Price @ UEA SU Shop (£) Large Fresh Aubergine Large Fresh Courgette 1 2 1.35 1.74 Large Red Onion Large Tomato Bag of Pasta 2 2 1 0.34 0.34 0.99 Total £4.76     Method Preparation Pre-heat the over to 200C on a Fan oven; 180C normal oven or Gas mark 6. Chop up the courgette, aubergine, tomato and onion. Chop them thickly and making sure the veg is chunky. Put a medium size pan of water onto boil. Place the courgette, aubergines and onions in a roasting tin. Cooking When the oven is heated, drizzle some olive oil and seasoning over the veg and roast for 20 minutes. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the pasta and cook until soft. When the veg is roasted, toss it, add the tomato a

Earthworms!

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Aporrectodea longa Earthworms are in the sub class Oligochaeta. Oli- (as with oligopoly) is from the Greek 'oligoi' meaning 'few' and chaeta- like 'saeta' is from the Latin for 'bristle'. Oligochaetes are from the Annelid phyla and comprise of segmented worm like organisms that are covered in small sparse bristles. They use these bristles to create increased friction and traction against the substrate in which they live to aid with movement. There are 27 native species to the UK with a few exotic species having been introduced by mistake. I think the one pictured above is called the black-headed worm Aporrectodea longa , because of its distinct dark colouration and relatively large size. You may know of earthworms as being a 'good' sight in gardens and allotments. This is because they aerate the soil through the tunnels they create, allowing plant root systems to penetrate and anchor into the soil well. The spaces can also fill with wa

How was my first year at UEA accommodation?

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It was wonderful! I am still very pleased that I stayed on campus during my first year and that I shared the flat with other 13 people. Yes, 13 people! My first loves at UEA <3>   My accommodation was the twin ziggurat, Suffolk Terrace, Block D, flat 3. As soon as I got the letter of offer and the link to the facebook page of people arranged for Suffolk Terrace, I quickly searched for people in my flat and apparently, we were all looking for each other. So before actually moving in, we had known each other or at least said a "Hi" on facebook ;) So, it was not stressful, was it?  At secret santa in December The first person I met on my arrival day was Abby, a medic student (we were all first year) and then my ROOMMATE ^^ from Romania. We had talked to each other quite frequently on facebook so despite the first face-to-face, it never occurred to me that she was a stranger. How wonderful it was that on my first day in the UK and at UEA, I immediately had

Chinese New Year Gathering 2016

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The Malaysian society in unison with the Singaporean society gathered to make this joint event. This year, Chinese New year fell on the 8th and 9th of February. As such, we decided to make the event on the 12th of February. Members of the Malaysian society and Singaporean society were welcome to usher in the lunar new year. Non members were also welcomed! We started off the event by briefly thanking everyone for coming and then it was the start of the incredible food buffet done by the committee members of both societies.  Ingredients for the Yusheng   Spring rolls, dumplings and herbal eggs Hainanese steamed chicken A cheeky photo of the committee members helping out with serving the food     And then it was time to give out mandarin oranges to all our guests. During Chinese New Year, mandarin oranges  are considered traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune. We even had one of our committee members dress up as a mascot to

Third Years and Dissertation Time!

Third year has caught up with me, and I rarely have a conversation without the big D coming up: Dissertation. The majority of us has to write one, and the solidarity you find among people is amazing. I was thinking about it the other day, how my life literally consist of Dissertation, food and sleep. Although it is slightly painful, It is also a good thing to do, and it is interesting to see how all my fellow dissertation writers are simultaneously passionate about and passionately hating the piece of work they are writing. I am pretty sure that in a few months we will all be glad and proud we did it, but until then: http://www.thedailytouch.com/sean/25-dissertation-problems-that-will-haunt-you-for-the-rest-of-your-student-life/ I also have friends who up until last week were still changing their dissertation topic an title. These things stress me out, as I am one of those people who need time to write 10 000 words, and not one of those who can write that in the course of

Asian Markets in Norwich

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Having come from an Island known as the food paradise, I occasionally crave Singaporean food. Sometimes I even have dreams slurping some Ba Chor Mee noodles or waking up craving some spicy Nasi Goreng ... I mean, look at the pictures below and you can understand why these food appear in my dreams. Although there are recipes online for me to recreate these dishes. Sourcing for these ingredients in Norwich become a challenge. Well, gone are the days of me searching high and low for these ingredients in Tescos or Sainsburys. Luckily for us Asian international students, there are some Asian Markets in Norwich to get all your Asian goods.   An Asian market situated near Campus is the SUNRISE CHINESE MARKET . Situated at 84 Colman Road, Norwich NR4 7EH, it is a short distance from Bluebell Road. They even have their own Facebook page and you can contact them via this number 01603 927952. They sell mostly Chinese goods and sauces at affordable prices.

Societies / International Student Society and International Assembly

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Societies at UEA    Living at UEA it is living in a special environment. The campus is very big and beautiful, with a lot of activities all around to keep our students entertain outside of a classroom. Some at the bar, others in the LCR or simply by the side of the lake. Societies are a major part of UEA, there is more than 200 club and societies. They are a great way for students to meet other students who may be studying something completely different to you but who share a hobby or outside interest. Through societies, campaign and peer support groups, the Union empowers students to make change in their communities. All of these groups are run by students alongside their studies, and provide students with a wide array of opportunities to learn new skills, meet new people and get the most out of their time at the UEA. Getting involve in a society is a very interesting and fulfilling experience for any students that tries it. You have the opportunity to become friends with all

10 things to avoid for the Lunar New Year

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HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR everyone!! As in every culture, there are certain things (habit, custom,..) that you should avoid in a specific time of the year. In Europe for example, one will lose his job or wife for things like “ seeing black cats “, “ walking under ladders ” or “ breaking a mirror “. In Asia, there are other things you should avoid, especially during the New year. Lets have a look at the top 10 things that can represent 'Bad Luck'. 1. DO NOT have porridge for breakfast  because it is considered that only poor people have porridge for breakfast, and people don't want to start the year “poor” as this is a bad omen. Therefore people must have cooked rice for the first meal of the year, in the hope that the family will be rich for the whole coming year. Besides, meat should not be eaten at this breakfast out of respect for the (Buddhist) gods (who are believed to be against killing of animals), as all gods are expected to be out meeting and wishing a

Ireland Exploration Day : Mount Brandon

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After a few days of data collection and habitat exploration we had some time to ourselves. This meant we could party and sleep in and laze on the beach, or read a book and eat massive amounts of junk food. I however, had a different idea. I had seen a few maps of the area and the mountains were way too gorgeous to ignore. With two friends we headed to Mount Brandon early in the morning. Here is a link of the mountain we had chosen: http://www.chooseireland.com/kerry/mount-brandon/ It was freezing cold and windy, but thankfully the rain had held back and we were lucky enough to have some sunny patches and clear views of the ocean! At some points it was a treacherous accent up steep, slippery, moss covered rock.   Once we were up on the ridge it was a beautiful walk with the cliff to one side and the ocean to the other. This was our mountain top selfie. We were so pleased to have made it that we managed to take a quick photo before hiding our hands in our warm g