Semester 1 Feedback

We constantly strive to make your semester/year/four/five years at the University of Edinburgh as enjoyable as possible and are therefore greatly interested in what you think about our activities.

If there is anything you would like to comment on [positives and/or negatives of ISC Events, Lounge, Trips, activities that you would like us to organize, or general comments], please  voice your opinion by sending us an email to iscedi[at]gmail[dot]com [Subject - "Feedback"] or use the "Disqus" feature below.

Your remarks will be highly appreciated!

Merry Christmas at the ISC

Do the short days and the cold weather make you long for cosy activities?

Then this evening will fulfil your yearnings!

Monday the 30th of November, 6.30pm at the ISC you will find that in midst of the heavily decorated ISC lounge there will be typical English Christmas food and mulled wine waiting for you.

The entrance is free, but to make it a nice evening we encourage you to come dressed in the colours red, white and green (to look lovely, for example like Santa Claus or a Christmas tree) and bring a wrapped Christmas present that shouldn’t cost more than 2£. (suggestions: food, useful stuff, funny stuff, useless and boring stuff, stuff)

We will put all the presents under the Christmas tree and redistribute them.

Later in the evening, when everybody has happily opened his/her present we will screen the movie “The nightmare before Christmas”.

We hope this inspires you!

NOTE! The food is not enough to substitute for a dinner, so don’t come hungry. If you feel like it, you can bring more wine for yourself.

Christmas Shopping in Glasgow

Join the last ISC trip of this semester for some amazing Christmas shopping in Glasgow.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to get all your X-mas shopping done while seeing the city of Glasgow as well.

This time there will be no ticket sale as usual, instead, we'll all meet up at Waverley Train Station at 8.30 on Saturday the 28th of November.

We will provide you with some tips and maps of where to go shopping in Glasgow.

Ticket prices are £10.30 for an offpeak return ticket and can be purchased on the day.

Picture by mischiru : http://www.flickr.com/photos/mischiru/3214334045/

The ISC Weekend Trip - Photos & Video [07/11 - 08/11]

For the entire gallery please click here!

Do you want to upload your own photos? Please click here!

International Club Night

This Thursday we're gonna try something completely new to Edinburgh! In collaboration with the 3 other universities in Edinburgh, we're gonna have a massive club nights for all the international students in the city! Bring all your international friends along (it's ...not just for Erasmus students!) and come with us for a cracking good time!

The event will take place at City Nightclub in Market St, close to Waverly train station. Doors open at 11pm and the the party lasts until 3 in the morning!

*******Important!*******
Quote the 3 magic letters: "ISC" at the door to skip the queue and get £1 off the entrance fee!!! Normal prices are £4 before 12 and £5 after.

Drinks prices:
£1.50 Vodka + Mixer
£1.50 Bottle of Miller + Fosters
£2.00 Jaeger Bombs
£5.00 Pitcher

See you all there for an awesome time!

Trip to North Berwick!

Join the ISC for a trip to the lovely town of North Berwick, just 25 miles east of Edinburgh.

North Berwick is a small idyllic seaside town close to Edinburgh, ideal for a daytrip away from the city. Take a walk along the beach, visit the Scottish seabird centre, climb "mini-arthurs-seat" (North Berwich Law) or take a walk out to Tantallon Castle and see Bass Rock. North Berwick has indications of being inhabited for about 2000 years and has throughout time been an important harbour for people wishing to travel to Fife, especially pilgrims for St. Andrews.

The town is also known for its Witch Trials in 1590, which "... was the first major witchcraft persecution in Scotland, and began with a sensational case involving the royal houses of Denmark and Scotland. King James VI sailed to Copenhagen to marry Princess Anne, sister of Christian IV, King of Denmark. During their return to Scotland they experienced terrible storms and had to shelter in Norway for several weeks before continuing. The admiral of the escorting Danish fleet blamed the storm on the wife of a high official in Copenhagen whom he had insulted. Several nobles of the Scottish court were implicated, and witchcraft trials were held in both countries. Very soon more than a hundred suspected witches in North Berwick were arrested, and many confessed under torture to having met with the Devil in the church at night, and devoted themselves to doing evil, including poisoning the King and other members of his household, and attempting to sink the King's ship^."

(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Berwick_Witch_Trials)

There will be 100 tickets for sale at £6 per person from Monday 16/11 @ 12.15.

The trip is on Saturday the 21st, but this time the meeting point is Waverly Train Station (the information point) at 8.30am.

If possible, please bring the exact amount of money for the ticket sales as this will speed up the process. Thank you.

Pictures by WikiCommons and Jonathan Riise

Potluck

LET'S POTLUCK!*

Dear All!

Sorry for the late FB message and Blog, although already announced in the newsletter... here are the details:

This tuesday at 7pm at the ISC, there is a fabulous chance to share some dishes prepared by you and your friends!
You can bring whatever you want: something traditional from your country, sweet or salty, something typical, something easy - the only condition is: eatable ;-)

It's gonna be fun:)

There will be prizes for the best dishes!

(* - A potluck is a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food to be shared among the group)

The Czecho-Slovak Night [17/11 @ 7pm]

We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and a country that once existed in the heart of Europe - its nature, culture, history & people about which you might not know too much topped with heaps of authentic food, Czech beer & Slovak spirits!

[£3 per person - 25 tickets go on sale on Monday 09/11 @ 12.15pm]

History + Nature

The Velvet Revolution - 17/11/1989 [from Wikimedia Commons]

Prague [by lg]

Orloj - Prague [by lg]

 

Český Krumlov [from Flickr by Franz St.]

 Vranov nad Dyjí [from Flick by jandudas]

 

Bratislavský hrad [by lg]

Spišský hrad [from spiskyhrad.com]

Ťatliak mountain lake - High Tatras [from Flickr by Marianna Koutna]

Food & drinks should be at least as good as these photos :)

Culture

Smetana - Vltava

Dvořák - Novosvětská

Trip to Newcastle

TRIP TO NEWCASTLE

Come along and visit the historic city of Newcastle next Saturday! Once a fort along Hadrians Wall, now a buzzing city of culture, business and spectacular nightlife. We will be going by bus, get dropped off at the central station and then you'll have the day to explore the city.
Try to decipher the Geordie accent, try a Newcastle Brown Ale in one of the many pubs, visit some of the museums or go shopping on Northumberland Street (Princes' street of Newcastle).

A few Geordie translations:

"gan" : go
"larn" : teach
"burn" : stream
"nowt": nothing
"Canny": good
"bait" : food
"hacky": dirty
"netty": toilet
"hoy": throw
"hockle" : spit




Tickets are £9 and go on sale next Monday (9/11) at 12.15.

There will be 68 tickets going on sale.
If possible, please bring the exact amount of money as this will help speed up the ticket sales.

We will be leaving the ISC @ 8.00am

Information from Wikipedia. Tyne Bridge picture from WikiCommons. Gateshead picture taken by Norman Foster

Guy Fawkes Night

Bonfire Night 5th of November

This is an open invitation to everybody of joining in walking up Arthurs Seat on Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night 5th of November, meeting at the ISC, 8pm.

So what's it all about?

In the UK, Bonfire Night is celebrated annually on the 5^th of November. It commemorates an event which occured 404 years ago in London.

Early in the morning of the 5^th of November 1605, a group of conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. They were angry about the persecution of English Catholics and hoped to kill the King and Members of Parliament.

However, some members of the group had second thoughts. One man actually wrote a letter to his friend who worked in the House of Commons, warning him not to go there on the 5^th of November.

The plot was discovered. The explosives were found in the cellar of the Houses of Parliament, and the members of the group were caught, tortured and killed. The man who is always remembered as the leader of the plot was called Guy Fawkes.

Later that day, Londoners lit bonfires to celebrate the failure of the plot to kill the king. The tradition has continued for centuries.

Nowadays, ‘Bonfire Night’ is celebrated with fireworks and sparklers. There is also a tradition of burning Guy Fawkes in effigy on the bonfires, although it was practised more often in the past. Children would make a ‘Guy’ and wheel it around the streets, asking for a ‘penny for the guy’. Some people cook on their bonfires, and eat foods such as jacket (or baked) potatoes and sausages.

A traditional rhyme for the occasion which many children still learn is:

Remember remember the fifth of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot...

This site has bonfire night food ideas.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/news_and_events/events_bonfirenight.shtml

This site has simple information about the history of Guy Fawkes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A199488

The Scottish Night - Photos & Video [02/11]

For the entire gallery please click here!

Do you want to upload your own photos? Please click here! 

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne Trip [31/10] - Photos & Video

For the entire gallery please click here!

Do you want to upload your own photos? Please click here!