Edinburgh Castle for £2! [10/02]

Our "bargain" trip is back - how far can £2 take you in Edinburgh? Not even there and back again [although some of us recall the days when buses cost a mere pound]...

So how about you join us for a visit to "a fortress perched on a volcanic rock offering impressive vistas across the city and the home to the Scottish Crown Jewels" - for *only* £2 [concession tickets cost £10, so you are getting 80% off]?

100 tickets go on sale on Monday [01/02] @ 12 [noon] - please try your best to *bring exact change* - it is not that difficult and makes our lives much easier.

We can take two groups (50 people per group), leaving the ISC either at 11.30am or 1.30pm.

For more information visit Wikipedia or the castle's official website.

Facebook event here.

Do not forget that you can upload your photos on to our Picasa account - click here to learn how.

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.

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

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! 

Scottish Night - Haggis & Ceilidh

On November the 2nd the ISC will host Scottish Night. Originally scheduled earlier, Swiss Night now takes its place on the 26th, Scottish Night has been moved in order to change it into an absolutely unforgettable night of Scottishness!

Scottish Night will be held at Teviot. Initially we will meet in the Dining Room at 7pm, where we will dine on, what is for many, the archetype of Scottish food: Haggis, Neeps & Tatties!

Afterwards we will move up to the Debating Hall, where we have booked a Ceilidh Band so that we can all have a night of fun filled traditional dancing! The Ceilidh will start at 9pm and end when Teviot closes. Should you happen to be thirsty and in need of refreshments, we will have the entire Loft Bar in Teviot reserved especially for us!

Picture from Wikicommons: Kilt

So find forth your kilt, ready your dancing shoes and get a cultural experience! Go to Scottish Night, 2nd of November!

Tickets will be priced at 10£ (including both the Ceilidh & a main course meal of Haggis, Neeps & Tatties) and will go on sale Thursday the 22nd of October at 4pm in the back room of the ISC (where the Foosball table is). We have 100 tickets, so invite your friends! But remember, max 2 tickets per person.

Swiss Night

On the 26th of October the ISC will host an extra bonus nationality night, this time Swiss!

While listening to Swiss folk music and Swiss pop, we will gather around pots and eat cheese fondue. Afterwards there will be hot Ovomaltine and sweets and salty snacks and Swiss herbal tea.

We will tell you some (of the many:) interesting facts about Switzerland and ask funny quiz-questions from time to time. The team that gets most right answers will win a bar of swiss chocolate.

The quiz is followed by the movie Beresina or the last days of Switzerland and those who want, can taste herbal liquor, a common drink in the Alps which is playing a role in the film as well.

Tickets go on sale Monday 19th of October at 12pm and are £3 each.

Sources of cheese fondue & chocolate pictures: 

http://www.boyex.com/wallpaper/chocolate.jpg

http://www.raclette-fondue.com/assets/images/FondueGlamour.jpg

French Night Photos & Video [28/09]

For the entire gallery please click here!

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

Scotland v. Australia - Rugby @ Murrayfield [21/11]

Have you ever been to a game of rugby?

Regardless of your answer, you simply cannot afford to miss out on the spectacle that Scotland's encounter with Australia promises to be!

Australia
A real rugby powerhouse, having won the World Cup on in 1991, 1999 and narrowly losing to England in 2003 in the very last game after Jonny Wilkinson's legendary drop goal in extra time. Don't you know what a drop goal is? No worries, we are going to explain all the rugby rules so you know when to start cheering [or booing]!

Scotland
One word - tradition. The Scottish Rugby Union is the second oldest in the whole world and Edinburgh University was one of its founders! Scotland might not have been as successful as Australia, but hey, it is a small country and does rather well in  curling [that is an Olympic sport] and cycling [Chris Hoy] instead.

 

Scottish fans

Scotland has the most loyal and loving fans in the world - the Tartan Army. Never short of kilts, Jimmy hats, saltires & face paints, never feeling too down to stop banging their drums & playing their bagpipes, never too tired to abandon cheering & Mexican waves - and always smiling... A real must-see while in Scotland and one of the best Scottish exports!

Murrayfield

Scotland's home of rugby - capable of taking 64,700 spectators on board! Most big games tend to sell out, promising an unforgettable atmosphere before and throughout [and maybe even after] the match! Seeing the fire show & fireworks as well as singing "Flower of Scotland" just before the game kicks off is a real treat...

Would you like to go?

The word on the street is that tickets are selling out fast - so we decided to step in and buy some. Our "rugby package" will get you some proper [Scottish] food & drinks [whisky too - "When in Rome..."] before the game as well as enough war paint for everyone - regardless of which side you support! We will then head off just in time to see the action unfold...

Now the important bit - tickets [£10/person] go on sale in the back room [where the foosball table is] of the ISC Lounge on Thursday [15/10] @ 4pm. We have [hopefully] ordered enough tickets - although these are yet to be printed out. 

The following will therefore happen - each person will receive a ticket voucher and we will contact you by phone or email once your ticket[/s] have arrived. This system worked perfectly well last year and there is no reason why it should not work this year.

Each ticket holder has to be a matriculated student - Murrayfield security checks student IDs before allowing people into the house of fun...

Any questions? Use the "Post a Comment" feature below...

Facebook Event here!

ISC Rugby Poster

Wanted [Dead Or Alive] - Photos from French Night, Culzean Castle Trip & Danish Night!

If any of you happens to have some photos from:

• the French Night
• the Culzean Castle trip
• the Danish Night

please do not hesitate and share them with others via our blog/photo sharing service!

It is very simple - just click here to learn how!

ISC Blog Poster - Photos

Irish Night

On Monday the 12th of October 7pm the ISC will host Irish Night, the third of our five nationality themed nights.

Our Irish hosts, Sarah & Mary, will give you the opportunity to sample some traditional Irish soda bread, smoked salmon, a selection of sweet treats, Irish whiskey, cream based liquer and of course some Guinness, which no Irish night would be complete without. All this will be accompanied by the sound of traditional Irish music.

Afterwards you’ll learn some interesting facts about all things Irish. We’ll also show some short video clips and a sample of the finest Irish comedy. To finish the night in true Irish style you’ll have the option of accompanying our hosts to some of the best Irish pubs in Edinburgh.

Tickets go on sale Monday 5th of October at 12pm, price £3.

Danish Night

On monday the 5th of October, the second of our five nationality themed nights will be held at the ISC.

This time, it is Danish Night. So get ready for a night in the company of "The World's Happiest Country" (in numerous surveys, here a few:1, 2 & 3)



You will be treated to a traditional Danish meal (which is likely to fill you up), after the food you will have the opportunity to learn a bit more about Denmark, and maybe learn a bit of the language. During this you will be treated to some Coffee (which a Dane will drink at any time of the day), Danish Buttercookies and if you are lucky: Some of that Danish pastry.

You will also have the opportunity to sample a real Viking drink, namely mead.



At the end of the Night, we will show a movie from the Danish 'dogme' tradition "Italian For Beginners".

All this will happen in a candlelit ISC in order to promote an atmosphere of what in Danish is called "hygge" (a rough translations to English is the non-word cosiness).

Tickets are 2£ and is sold at the ISC.

Hope to see you there!

Events at the ISC

Hi all

The French Night on Monday has been sold out!

But if you did not get a ticket, do not despair. I can happily announce that at the ISC we are now starting a cavalcade of nationality themed nights!

French night is just the first in a series of five nights in Semester 1 where you will have the opportunity to be introduced to different countries, their food and their culture. All done by natives to ensure that you get the 'true' story.

Here are the dates and nations:

28th of September: French Night - Sold Out!
5th of October: Danish Night
12th of October: Irish Night
19th of October: Chinese Night
26th of October: Scottish Night

The tickets for the nights will go on sale a week before the event and will generally be priced at around 2£. So come down on Monday the 28th and buy tickets for the Danish Night!

Do you feel your country has been left out, and would you like to rectify that error? In semester 2 we will run another series of Nationality themed nights - please mail: Rasmus@dall.dk if you wish to present your country.

What other events will come to the ISC in the course of semester 1?

Well, I cannot disclose to much, but things which are brewing is the amazing opportunity to go watch the Rugby match Scotland vs. Australia on Murrayfield stadium on the 21st of November, watch this space for more events!

Pub Night - Bannermans 2.0 [every Tuesday from 9pm onwards]

We just met up with the manager of our favourite Tuesday night venue and prepared many *new* & *fresh* changes to our regular Tuesday [Pub] Nights in Bannermans Bar [212 Cowgate or see our GoogleMap].

To name a few:

• the back bar in its entirety - just for the ISC
  
• special discount cards & special Tuesday night drinks - exclusively for the ISC
• and many more - TBC - watch this blog for more info!
  

 

Come and experience it yourselves - every Tuesday from 9pm onwards! 
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French Night [Monday 28/09 @ 7pm]

Come to the ISC and get a real French experience!

With crépes, cheese & wine as well as our French hostesses Cécile & Violette, who will present their country and test your knowledge of all things French [in a quiz]!

Enjoy yourselves and learn a bit about France, taste some nice food & wine!

But be quick - only 30 tickets go up for sale, costing £2 per head!

On sale from Monday [21/09] 12 o'clock [noon] - when they are gone, they are gone, since our capacity is limited!

Facebook event here!

Eugène Delacroix - "La liberté guidant le peuple" from Wikimedia Commons.

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Monday's Event - ISC Poker Night

Come play Poker at the ISC on Monday!

If you do not know how to play Poker you will be taught, and if you're already a seasoned player you will be able to test your skills against others.

There will be a beginner's and a intermediate tournament, both of which will have prizes at stake.

It is absolutely free and everybody is welcome, also your friends!

See you there :-)

Some inspiring quotes:

"The commonest mistake in history is underestimating your opponent; it happens at the poker table all the time."

”Cards are war, in disguise of a sport."

"Most of the money you'll win at poker comes not from the brilliance of your own play, but from the ineptitude of your opponents."

How-to & strategy here!

Facebook event here!

Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

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Freshers Week with ISC!

We all know that feeling - some of us were freshers a while ago, some more recently. Yet hardly anyone forgets his or hers first days and weeks in Edinburgh - butterflies in the stomach before landing, meeting flatmates and housemates upon arrival, exploring the city, the country and even the continent during the day 'n' night. Making friends from all over the world, living life to its fullest, learning inside university lecture halls, tutorial rooms and libraries just as much as outside these. Realizing that university studies are not only a means to an end, but quite possibly one of the greatest moments in your life. Leaving the University of Edinburgh a semester, a year or four years later, looking back and thinking "this was one hell of a ride".

Our aim is to make sure that your ride is truly an enjoyable one and therefore we organize weekly pub nights, events, trips all over Scotland and run Lounge, which is located just off George Square.

We are kicking this year off with our Freshers Week events - please fasten you seat belts, we are taking off!

International Day [Sunday 13/09] "It all starts on Sunday..." Come to Bristo Square and find us in the oldest student union building in the world - Teviot. Come for a chat, see what, when and where we do - hear about our exciting events, magnificent trips and comfy lounge. We are looking forward to meeting you on Sunday in the Commitee Room in Teviot, 11AM-4PM!

Guided Tour of the university [George Sq.] [Monday 14th & Tuesday 15th] "If it snows, know where to run for cover" Meet in front of William Robertson Building [40 George Square] on: Monday @ 11AM, 2PM or 4PM Tuesday @ 11AM or 4PM Learn to navigate your way across the George Square ocean and its surrounding seas!

Pub night @ Bannermans [Tuesday 15th] "Slaandjivaa means cheers in Scots Gaelic" Meet @ 9PM outside the ISC Lounge [22b Buccleuch Place] or directly in B'mans [212 Cowgate, near Robertsons Close]. Our inaugural pub night with 3-4-2 on all drinks -  a must-attend...

Historical Tour of Edinburgh [Wednesday 16th & Friday 18th] "Athens of the North" Meet in front of William Robertson Building [40 George Square] on: Wednesday @ 2PM Friday @ 1PM or 4PM Come and see why is Edinburgh rightfully included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. We will guide you through its streets and closes, telling you a bit about its history and history of Scotland as such. Don't forget your cameras!

Arthur's Seat [Thursday 17th] "How many European cities have its very own vulcano?" Meet in front of William Robertson Building [40 George Square] @ 2PM. Walk up Arthur's Seat [251 m], Edinburgh's very own extinct volcano, for some stunning views of the city and its surroundings and go to the ISC's Coffee Evening afterwards. Be sure to wear shoes with good traction!

Volunteers meeting [Thursday 17th] "WE need YOU!" Meet at the ISC Lounge at 6PM. We are looking for three kinds of volunteers: - trips [if you know how to manage crowds & get things done] - events [if you are creative, fun-loving & know how to get things done] - lounge [if you are friendly & easy-going] Please join us and you will get a reward that no money can ever buy you - working experience & many transferable skills [whether you are a CV hunter or not], we can guarantee that you will meet legions of amazing people from Iceland all the way down to New Zealand and most importantly, get that warm feeling right next to your heart, knowing that you dedicated your time to something meaningful!

St. Andrews Trip [Saturday 19th] "Also known as Cill Rìmhinn" Home of golf, medieval cathedral, castle, Scotland's oldest university (Prince William studied there!), nice beaches - it has it all - bite-sized too! Tickets (£8) can be purchased at the ISC Lounge! Get yours soon as they always sold out very quickly indeed - and we cannot take all of you with us!

Our GoogleMap - with all those important locations...


View International Student Centre Edinburgh 2009/10 in a larger map

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