This week in Student Services...
Student Services - Reading College
RIDDLE ME THIS...
Here's a few for you to guess at..When you give up, the answers are at the bottom of the issue :)
A. Thirty white horses, on a red hill. First they stamp, then they champ, then they stand quite still.
B. Alive without breath, as cold as death, never thirsty, ever drinking, dressed in mail, never clinking.
C. A white box, without hinge, key, or lid. Inside, golden treasure is hid.
D. What has roots as no-one sees, is taller than trees, up up up it goes, yet never grows?
E. What gets bigger the more you take away from it?
A 'Hey' from SA!
But ... you've only yourselves to blame for not giving us ought else! :P
Please read, or skip, at your leisure! :)
Week One - Cape Town
Robben Island Visit
Robben Island
Mandela's Cell
During Mandela's time on Robben Island, a typical day looked like this: 05:30: Get up and clean up the cell. 06:00: Breakfast - corn porridge and corn coffee. 07:00-11:00: Work at the limestone quarry. 14:30: Dinner - every second day old meat is on the table. 15:00-06:00: Back to the cell - study and sleep.
Meal Cards
Here is an example of a meal card. As you can see, the types of foods given to prisoners (and the amounts given thereof) were dependent on which racial group they fell into.
Winery Tour - Paarl, Stellenbosch & more!
More wine, anyone..?
We had a fantastic tour guide, Yaseen, who even fitted in a Champagne tasting for me at the House of JC Le Roux. I have a bottle on the top of the fridge at home just waiting for the right occasion. Yaseen packed so much into the day, taking us to some wonderful wine farms, including....
...the Anthonij Rupert wine Estate!
The Delaire Graff Restaurant & Wine Estate
Cape Peninsula Tour
Boulders Beach!
Cape of Good Hope
So...he named it The Cape of Storms – or Cabo das Tormentas – for the dangerous waters and inclement weather that had put paid to many an exploration.
However, although treacherous, the Cape of Storms also presented much hope and relief to the sailors who later arrived on its shores. Not only did it mean that fresh water and supplies would soon be available, but it also provided a valuable channel to India and the East. Thus, it was later renamed Cape of Good Hope – Cabo da Boa Esperança.
Week Two - Joburg
Lion Park!
Sleeping Lions!
Springbok spotting..
Montecasino
Orlando Towers - Soweto
...Never again, mind! As if the bungee wasn't enough, I got my hand caught in my harness and ripped the whole nail of my right pinky finger, being later told I was lucky to have kept it! :(
The jump is 100 metres, and you get your very own certificate of valour when you get back down. This is now taking pride of place on the fridge at home :)
Traditional African grub!
Hector Peterson Memorial
Mandela House
Mandela House
Student Services News: One-to-One Meetings all done!
Reading College Bollywood Night: Tuesday 27th January
Enjoy an evening of Indian cuisine and Bollywood dancing in The Kitchen on Tuesday 27th January from 7pm.
One of our ex-students, Amita Patel, will be cooking some delicious Indian food. Amita was at Reading College in 2012-2013 as an NVQ Level 2 Catering student. After college, she completed a master class in Indian cuisine. She is currently finishing her Teachers Award (PTTLS) and also runs a small catering business cooking Indian food for dinner parties.
The evening will start at 7pm and, as well as a full Indian meal, will include a performance of Bollywood dancing by Ashish Patel!
To see the full menu, please click on the link below. The cost for the evening which includes a three course dinner, plus tea is only £17.50! Book early to avoid disappointment on 0118 955 4444.
Language Corner
Jenny's Japanese Corner
カラオケ
Karaoke (Ka-ra-oh-keh)
This is an easy Japanese word that you probably already know the meaning of, even though we pronounce it differently here in England. The word itself comes from the Japanese word kara, meaning “empty” and oke, which is a contraction of the English word “orchestra”. (In fact, the kara in the word karate (ka-ra-teh) has exactly the same meaning, and the whole word means “empty fist”)
Culture note: Karaoke in Japan is slightly different than the way we usually do it in the West, however: Karaoke establishments consist of many small private rooms with comfortable seats clustered around a TV, two microphones and a number of tambourines for accompanying the singing. Groups of friends or workmates will hire a room for a set number of hours and all sing along together instead of individually. The songs range from traditional Japanese folk songs to popular modern Japanese and English pop songs (with the English pop songs transcribed phonetically in Japanese characters for those who can’t read English fluently) and even anime songs or tunes from films and TV shows. There is usually a menu in the room where you can order alcohol and hot food or ice cream, with vending machines selling hot drinks and fruit in the corridors that connect all the rooms. Karaoke rooms are fairly cheap to hire, with the result that groups of friends who miss the last train home after a boozy night out on the town will often hire a Karaoke room to sleep in until morning rather than hotel rooms which often cost considerably more!
And now..because not everything can make sense...
COURSE CANCELLATIONS!
Keep note of this so you can inform anyone enquiring on front desk or call centre:
5CWCTUF01R Basic Butchery
5CWCTUG01R Bread Making
5CWCTUH01R Cake Baking
5CWCTUJ01R Fish Preparation and Cooking
5CWCTUK01R Sausage Making
EMPLOYMENT & CAREERS
UCAS stats
This week Sian has provided us with her UCAS application stats, to show how we have done this year with our students.
Birdwatching with Vanessa!
Crane Fact File
Common Name: Crane
Latin Name: Grus grus
Brief Description:
These birds are able to grow quite big in size and mainly have grey plumage (feathers). Some can have a red patch of feathers on the top of their heads. They are similar to the grey heron, with a long neck, curved dropping feathers and long legs. These birds are as graceful on land as they are in the sky.
Habitat:
Cranes are wetland birds. Their long legs make wading through their homes easier than if they had short legs. They also like to live in areas with open areas of water, like shallow lakes, marshland or wide, slow-moving rivers. They are companionable birds and live in moderate sized flocks and communicate by using loud vocalizations.
Diet:
These wonderful birds live off of a diet of crops, seeds, snails, insects and worms.
They are opportunistic and will eat whatever is available during the different seasons.
Legal status:
These birds have an Amber status and although they do not usually live in England, cranes are at risk of being shot, drainage and disturbance of their nesting sites. Their numbers in Europe have been declining due to these unfortunate circumstances for the last 300 years. They usually pass through during spring and autumn. However they are kept in a secure location for conservational protection. Larger numbers of cranes exist in Africa than in the whole of Europe.
Random fact:
These birds are considered to be the national bird of China and when males fight for the right to breed it is considered to be like a type of dance.
Cute Puppy Corner!
Tut tut to the cheaters... :)
B. - A fish
C. - An egg
D. - A mountain
E. - A hole