A British Obsession: The Weather

The British are fascinated by the weather.  It’s a typical feature of daily small talk for all.  Popular phrases peppering daily conversation include:

 “It’s breezy today!”, “There is a chill in the air”, “It’s just tipping it down”, “It’s blowing a gale”.

“Do you know what the weather will be like today?” is one of the most well-used weather phrases.  And indeed, the weather forecast plays a significant role in the UK.     Michael Fish MBE is one the UK’s best know British weather forecaster.  He became infamous in the wake of the Great Storm of 1987.  On 15 October 1987, a few hours before the storm hit, he infamously said during a forecast: “Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way... well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!”. That evening, the worst storm to hit South East England since 1703 caused record damage and killed 18 people.

The UK is often characterised as a damp and windy island with unusually changeable weather. Recent weather here has done little to dispel this impression.  This week heavy downpours and gale force winds caused flooding across the South West.  There are warnings that five inches worth of rain, the equivalent of one month's worth, would fall.  Scotland too is experiencing heavy rain and strong winds, causing flooding and transport disruption.

The Oxford Dictionaries blog have compiled a list of unusual meteorological terms to describe some very specific weather conditions. So, next time you want to join in weather small talk consider using one of the following words:

airish
Now chiefly Scottish and U.S. regional (south. and south Midland). Of weather: cool, fresh, breezy, chilly.

dreich
Scottish. (especially of weather) dreary; bleak.

letty
Now English regional (Somerset). That lets or hinders. Chiefly of weather: making outdoor work difficult; rainy.

maumy
Scottish and English regional (chiefly north.).  Mellow; soft and insipid; (of weather) mild, humid.

mizzle
Chiefly dialect. Light rain; drizzle.

mochy
Scottish and Irish English (north.).Damp, moist. Of weather: damp and misty; muggy.

An Insiders' guide to Oxford

The Guardian provides a very thorough insiders guide to Oxford from those who know it best, including the opinions of Philip Pullman, Colin Dexter and Richard Dawkins.  

The Guardian's guide selects 11 highlights from which OISE Oxford have chosen 5 which particularly receive our seal of approval.

1) OPEN-MIC NIGHTS AT THE CATWEAZLE CLUB...

take place along the kaleidoscopic Cowley Road, where there is an array of places to eat, drink and listen to music -  it has blues nights, jazz nights, reggae nights.  Brian Briggs, lead singer of indie band Stornoway recommends that "It's the ultimate open-mic night. Poets and mandolin players share the stage with beatboxers. You're not battling with people standing at the bar; people go there to listen. It's where we started as a band and we still try out new material there."

OISE Oxford recommends you arrive early to guarantee yourself a seat, otherwise you will have to sit on the floor sometimes with or without the benefit of a cushion - not ideal for those with bad backs or long legs.

2) CHORAL MUSIC IN CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL...

is a regular feature on OISE Oxford's cultural activities programme.  It is a chance to enjoy excellent choral music and to see inside the magnificent Christ Church Cathedral.  Colin Dexter points out that "Oxford is known everywhere for the excellence of its singing. Go to hear Christ Church choir. They are absolutely first class."

3) SAILING PAST PORT MEADOW...

has yet to feature on our cultural activities programme, but a leisurely walk around Port Meadow and taking in a drink at the excellent pub, The Perch, does.  Port Meadow, mentioned in the Domesday Book, is an expanse of common land that has great views of Oxford, and a place to relax and watch grazing cattle below vast spans of open sky.  It is a perfect picnic location.

4) PUNTING UPSTREAM FROM MAGDALEN BRIDGE...

is very popular during the summer with OISE Oxford's students.  It offers the chance to view Magdalen College Tower, the Botanic Gardens and the unspoilt Christ Church Meadows from inside a punt - often more relaxing for those sitting than those who are attempting to punt!

5) CYCLING AND COFFEE AT ZAPPI'S BIKE CAFE

Cycling is the preferred method of transportation for many in Oxford, it offers the chance to navigate Oxford with ease and speed.  Zappi's bike cafe is located in central Oxford, off Cornmarket Street.  It is great for bike and cafe enthusiasts.  Flavio Zappi, former Italian pro-cyclist, claims it serves the best coffee in town.  OISE Oxford claims it does a very good toastie.

Read the full Guardian article here.

Threat to Views of Oxford's Dreaming Spires

Oxford is a city beloved by tourists from all over the world. It's fun to wander through the ancient colleges, to visit the world famous Bodleian Library and to stroll around Christ Church Meadow and the University Parks. Or if you go further afield, you can admire the ancient university with its spires and towers from Boar's Hill or many other rural vantage points, uncluttered by endless suburbs blocking the view. The impression is one of quiet grandeur, and of scenery largely unchanged since students first came here in around the 11th century. 

Why bring all this to your attention just now? Unfortunately none of the appeal of Oxford to generations of tourists (and residents and students of course) comes without constant monitoring by local citizens ensuring that developers don't breach the planning rules These include limits to building heights and no building in the Green Belt which surrounds the city. Several projects which threatened the historic views of the city have been defeated in the past, such as the plan by the Bodleian to put an enormous bookstore in Osney. Now here is another one.....

You may have noticed the leading article in a recent Oxford Times which revealed that at last, after large public protests, an independent enquiry is to be held into the controversial decision by the City Council to allow Oxford University to build a row of very large blocks of flats near the train station. These buildings, which are to house the ever increasing numbers of graduate students, are now nearing completion. They are enormous and dominate the skyline on the west of the city. Not only are they blocking the views of the dreaming spires from Port Meadow, they are also making the rural walk around the Meadow, e.g. to the Trout, distinctly less pleasant: instead of unspoilt countryside:  you look back on large blocks more at home in the former Eastern Europe than in the English speaking world's oldest university.

The story won't go away - it's the lead once again in this week's Oxford  Times under the heading 'Action on Castle Mill'. Both the university and the Council now seem to admit that a terrible mistake has been made...so what can we do about it? Well, firstly you can join thousands who have already done so and sign the form 'Campaign to save Port Meadow', or secondly click on the image below and vote for Castle Mill as the worst development of the year. (It's already leading!) Go to it!

This is the official 10,000th port meadow sunset picture on flickr.

Date: 4 November 2006, 14:31

Source: Yet another port meadow sunset

Author: OxOx from Oxford, UK

The British and their Pigs

Do you like pigs? It seems that the British public absolutely love them. Let's not forget how many different types of pig there are, including the Gloucester Old Spot, the Berkshire and the Tamworth. Then there's the Middle white, the Large Black and the Large White.

The British are not the only ones with a penchant for pigs. American celebs such as George Clooney and Paris Hilton keep pigs at home. Click on the picture below to read more:

Travelling to Oxford could be about to get a whole lot easier!

Some of our readers may be unaware that there is an airport in Kidlington, about 7 miles from the centre of Oxford. Flights go to/from Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast and the Guernsey Islands.

But it doesn't stop there. 'More plans have been unveiled for a new four-runway airport in south Oxfordshire, too! The airport includes a terminal for 125 million passengers a year, a hotel and an eight-platform train station.

An estimated 720,000 flights could operate from the airport annually which is expected to cost about £18.2bn to develop.

The proposal is one of 50 put forward, with a shortlist due to be compiled later in the year.'

Watch this space..

 



Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news

 

Takashi, OISE Oxford's Tennis Supremo!

The word around the OISE Oxford block was that we had a pro tennis player in town. His name: Takashi Kawamura. Takashi first started playing at high school, following a 5 year bout of severe illness. He was introduced to the game by his mother and brother, both of which were and continue to be keen players.

After playing for his high school, he then entered St. Pauls University, Tokyo, where he was made 1st team captain. While in those days baseball was the most popular sport (closely followed by football), St Paul's prided itself on the tennis team, which started over 95 years ago. We thought it would be interesting to ask Takashi a little more about his tennis career:

Q. When did you start playing professionally?
A. I started playing professionally when I left university. I started working for a big IT company, and was soon asked to play for the company tennis team. In Japan, some employees are hired only to play for the company team. The company pay you a basic salary, and then on top of that they give you money for playing, travelling, event registration, coaching etc. Of course, at the tournaments, the company's name and logo are sprawled across your shirt. Many of the players stay with a company for two years and then move on. Fortunately I was hired for my academic achievements, and so the tennis was just an added bonus for them.

Q. What are you best at? Serving, forehand, backhand?
A. You would be surprised. Of course the very best players have everything, but the main thing at all levels, I would say, is to be fit, mentally and physically. For the two years that I played for my company I was extremely fit. It took a lot out of me. Training during the weekends and then games and tourments during the week, as well as work!

Q. Who is the best player you have ever played against?
A. It has to be Mitsuru Takada, at the time one of Japan's top 10 players. Yes, he was very good, an ATP player.

Q. What was the score?
A. 0-6, 1-6, he laughs.

Q. How do you see the future of Japanese tennis?
A. Well, I think tennis is certainly becoming more popular. This is partly thanks to Kei Nishikori,
Japan's current number one and #11 in the world seedings. He is doing very well at getting the youth of our country engaged in the sport. I think Japanese tennis has a bright future. Who knows, it may overtake baseball soon!

*Note: OISE Oxford's Academic Assistant, Karol Bucky, and fellow student Mikhail thought they would challenge Takashi and another student to a doubles match at the grass courts in North Oxford. It was clear that Takashi was of a different calibre. "He was strong and played very elegantly," said Karol.

Big Black Cat Alert

Snakes, piranhas, deadly spiders, crocodiles and killer bees are all animals that you would not find in the UK. In fact, there aren't really any wild animals that we need to worry about. Instead our green pastures are filled with sheep, cows and horses. Or are they?

 

In Somerset, a county west of England, there have been 'a “substantial” number of reported sightings of big cats in the past year,' thought to be either lynx or pumas. Sir Benjamin, a man living in the area, owns a large estate where these big cats have been roaming around. Allegedly they have also left the remains of chickens and foxes scattered over his lawn.

He said: “They don’t exactly stand still and pose, which is the problem. It’s got a long tail and seemed to be quite big.

“Apparently these things will do 30 to 40 miles in a night. We are next to the Somerset Levels, which are 250 miles of fields and bogs where nobody lives.

“There is a possibility that this thing is bigger than a puma – it is probably quite frightening.

“We have put signs up telling people to keep their dogs in the car because there is a big cat about.

“We need this thing out of the way before it eats somebody. I’ve got a wedding business here and we are very worried about our guests – they might wander off-piste and get gobbled up.”

 

So, next time you decide to do some hiking through the Somerset Levels at night, don't say we didn't warn you!

 

 

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/10202296/Aristocrat-warns-visitors-after-big-cat-photographed-on-his-estate.html

Student Spotlight with Luis 'El Torero' Oloriz

At OISE Oxford we are fortunate enough to meet students from all around the world, many of them with very interesting stories to tell. The Student Spotlight sessions that we post on this blog allow us to share these stories with you. So far we have had a Florist from Italy and a famous actor.

Today's Student Spotlight session was with 37 year old Luis Oloriz, a bullfighter from Ondarreta, a small Spanish pueblo near San Sebastian. At first sight you wouldn't think that Luis was a bullfighter. He has a slight build, soft calm voice, and not a hint of bravado about him. His bullfighting name was, rather appropriately, 'The Slim One from Ondarreta  (El Finito de Ondarreta . It's hard to imagine him in the ring with a 300-400kg charging bull. So here is the interview:

Q: When did you start getting into bullfighting?
A: I started about 10 years ago, just as a hobby. A local farmer friend of the family had a field and some bulls and said I could give it a go, and so I thought why not try it. It was soon apparent that I was actually quite good and I was encouraged to partake in a proper bullfighting event.

I should add that in Spain there are two types of professional bullfighters, a Torero and a Matador. Toreros fight more on a local level with slightly smaller bulls and the Matadors are, if you like, the equivalent of the football Premier League footballers, with only 12 Matadors in the whole of Spain.

Q: Do you still fight?

A: No, I gave up about a year ago. But I miss it and would like to start again. At my level, it's not really a profession that provides enough income to live from. Most Toreros, right down to the younger age groups will study and/or train at the same time, as well as having a day job.

Training takes a lot of dedication. It is great for teaching the young ones to stay focussed. To improve, not only do they have to keep fit, but they also have to read up on the sport and remain committed. All of these are useful qualities for later on in life. Furthermore, bullfighters usually come from the small rural villages where there's not much to do, so it's fantastic to keep them active.

Q: What's the scariest moment?
A: I would say right at the start. In any given day there will usually be around 5-6 fights, and only just before the start of the match do they tell you which bull you will be fighting. Obviously they vary, weight, size of horns, aggression etc. Once you've agreed to partake in the event, no matter how big and ugly that bull is, there's no turning back, otherwise no one will involve you in the next one.

If the bull charges through the red cape without stopping, you're OK. If it hesitates before, that's when you've got a problem, as he might turn his horns towards you. You have to keep the cape moving while keeping your body still.




Q: It must be quite a feeling to know that everyone is cheering you on?
A: Well, to be honest I am not really concentrating on the crowd, but the big bull in front of me. I do enjoy the adrenalin, though, and I particularly enjoy the personal challenge. While you are part of a team, out there in the ring you are alone, just you and the bull.



Q: How many spectators will attend a bullfight?
A: Well around 10,000 spectators come to watch the Matadors, and 3,000 to watch the Toledos.


Q: So people must recognise you in the street?
A: Yes, of course. While the Toreros may have a smaller number of spectators, people come from all across Spain to watch us in the ring.



Q: Bullfighting is quite a controversial topic in Spain. What are you views?
A:Well, in Spain I think it's less to do with animal cruelty and more to do with political reasons. Many see bullfighting as being a typically Spanish tradition, and they do not think of themselves as Spanish, rather Catalan, Basque, Galician etc.





 

Man in the Kitchen - by Kit Villiers

Phew! Give me teaching any day! Cooking? I never realised what hard work it is. Following a day's cookery course at Denman College last week, I crawled back to Oxford determined never to enter the kitchen again except perhaps to select 2 slices of Mother's Pride and casually flick down the lever of our old trusted toaster, spreading the result with thick butter and having no greater decision to make except whether to slap on Marmite or jam.

I had been enrolled on the course as a birthday present some months ago, and as the day got nearer I got more and more apprehensive.  Surely I wouldn't need all these freezer blocks, food bags and plastic boxes to take home the result of my efforts. It was more likely that anything I produced would immediately be binned or possibly put down as a new kind of rat-poison.

I was somewhat reassured by the olde world appearance of the college, and by the low-key coffee reception where I took the precaution of eating an extra cake in advance of my now imminent failures in the kitchen, and finally by the fairly unforbidding appearance of my 5 fellow "students"  - all of whom seem to have been dragooned into attending by their wives. Soon the cook/trainer/coach arrived and I marched off after the others through the lovely grounds to a large block, part of which was an enormous kitchen.

I thought I was fairly fit, but I found being on my feet all day, cutting, slicing, trying to figure out how to turn the gas on, not to mention endlessly washing up, totally exhausting. We all had our own cooking range, but I was constantly sneaking a look at my rivals trying to ensure I wasn't last or to see I was doing it right (mostly not). There was quite an incentive to get the stir-fry chicken right as we were going to eat our own concoctions for lunch. Actually despite everything even mine was pretty tasty. We must have been a pretty poor class though - the instructions said we were going for a nice walk around the grounds after lunch, but instead we found oursevelves slaving away over our respective hot stoves again almost immediately.

The day ended with cake in the lounge - fortunately not made by us - and a chance to get our breaths back.

For the record I took home: sausage and fennel seed ragu
coq au vin (with apologies to Delia Smith)
keralan prawn curry
one minor flesh wound

It's April Fools' don't you know?

April Fools' takes place on the first of April. While its origins are uncertain, some see it as an opportunity to celebrate the changing of seasons. Others simply see it as a day of jest. As we have not noted any physical evidence that we are entering a new season (the weather here in the UK has been pretty abysmal as of late!), perhaps we should just forget the season reason and focus on the more humorous aspects the day.

Adding to the humorous feel good factor of April Fools', most businesses allow their employees to take the day off as it is also a bank holiday. Among some of the other European countries that have a public holiday today is France, Belgium, Ireland and Italy.

As many of you will already know, April Fools’ Day is about making other people look stupid with practical jokes. Rather than list some of the fabricated stories and pranks people play on each other, we thought it would be more interesting to read about ridiculous stories that are actually true.  Click on the image below to read more.

Next up on Google's Agenda - Project Glass

Google have recently unveiled information about their latest technological invention, Project Glass. From afar they look a bit like normal reading glasses, but the lenses are far from normal. When wearing the glasses you can see various commands hovering in front of  your eyes. 

The user can perform tasks commonly handled by smartphones, such as scheduling meetings, taking pictures, checking the weather, getting directions, and placing a video call. The information simply hovers in the user's field of view, and the interface is controlled by voice or other inputs.

While they are still in the process of gathering feedback from users, Google recently released a video of how it would look when wearing these glasses. Click on the image below to see this video.

Valentine's Day - How the British Celebrate this Romantic Day

The British are known for having stiff upper lips, but if you search deep enough, almost all of us have a loving, caring and romantic side. You may have to search for quite a long time in some cases, but do not lose faith, sooner or later you will find the oh so tender warmth beneath.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a day when the British public, of all ages, openly display their romantic side. Children write anonymous love letters to each other confessing their unrequited love, and adults buy their starry-eyed partners gifts and (depending on their budget) take them out for meals, too.

Some of the less romantic types see Valentine's Day as a perfect opportunity to earn some brownie points. Buy your partner a rose, take them out for a meal, and the chances of going out with your friends that weekend are significantly increased.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Why not make your loved one a romantic meal at home? Click on the image below to see some Valentine's Day recipes.

Foul Play by Oxford University - Local Oxford News

The Oxford Green Belt was established many years ago to protect the setting of the dreaming spires of Oxford, both looking in and out of Oxford.Its objective is to mark and protect the green areas of Oxford and the surrounding county by preventing it being built upon.

Port Meadow is a beautiful stretch of grassland, to the north and west of Oxford, through which the river Thames passes. This meadow is, of course, part of Oxford's Green Belt area. 

Early last year, Oxford University (rather embarrassingly) managed to obtain permission from the Oxford City Council to build high blocks of student housing right next to the meadow. While the housing was not built on the meadow itself, it has completely ruined the skyline. Before the meadow looked onto beautiful views of Oxford's dreaming spires, and now the views have been severely damaged by these ugly student digs.


Since and during the construction of these buildings, local residents, old and current, along with tourists who have grown to love and appreciate Oxford's beauty have been deeply upset by the situation. Various campaigns have taken place, including an online petition that has accumulated over 2200 signatures in an attempt to have the University take these buildings down.

Last week protesters seized the moment when Prince Charles visited the Said Business School to hand him a letter asking for his support. One can only hope that with mounting pressure from the public the University of Oxford will come to their senses, realise their mistake and take down these ghastly buildings.

Kip at my house, friend!

Fact: the internet is the most powerful tool in the world. ‘The first Google index in 1998 had 26 million pages’1 and now ‘the Indexed Web contains at least 12.72 billion pages (Wednesday, 06 February, 2013).’2  

You can do virtually anything with it and the list is increasing at a mind-boggling rate. 
Some of the more obvious things that we use the internet for are:

• Booking a flight
• Paying your bills
• Doing your Christmas shopping
• Finding quality English courses

Of course, it goes without saying that internet users must be careful and aware of the possible dangers involved when making payments online. Also, if you’re buying goods from a website, you can never guarantee that the quality will be as hoped for. 

However, with tighter internet controls and more access to customer reviews and feedback, things are improving. Now there is a noticeable power shift from the companies selling the goods to the consumers.

Ebay is a prime example. If a seller has a bad rating, a buyer will look elsewhere. Just like if a hotel has a bad review, people will choose to stay in another hotel. This review-driven generation (AKA the ‘Share Economy’) that we are born into has not only given power to the consumer but added fierce competition to many industries. 

Take airport parking as an example. One of the main reasons people chose to take the bus to the airport instead of driving is because airports charge an absolute fortune for parking. People have clocked on to this and a number of websites now advertise private parking at hotels nearby, driveways and garages for a fraction of the price (eg. www.parkatmyhouse.com, www.parkonmydrive.com). After using the site, users are asked to rate the parking space and overall service provided by owner.

There are also websites that are advertising rooms in people’s private homes, and even entire apartments and houses directly from the owner on a nightly and/or weekly basis. On Airbnb.com you can find private rooms in central London for as little as £10/night, and it also provides deluxe accommodation. Again, once people have stayed, they leave a review. If the review is not good, it deters others from staying there. While on the one hand, the concept of letting a stranger into your home goes against the old saying ‘don’t talk to strangers’, it also provides affordable accommodation for tourists and travelers alike.

Its effect on the local economy is supposed to be positive, too! ‘Airbnb commissioned a study of its economic impact on San Francisco last year and found a “spillover effect.” Because an Airbnb rental tends to be cheaper than a hotel, people stay longer and spent $1,100 in the city, compared with $840 for hotel guests; 14% of their customers said they would not have visited the city at all without Airbnb.’3

In today’s news, Airbnb are currently under fire by the authorities in Amsterdam and New York as they are accused of facilitating "illegal hotels". Click here to read more

What are your thoughts? Would you let a stranger into your house? Is this getting out of control or is this the way forward?

Jam, Joy and Traffic

Traffic jams come in all shapes sizes and are one of the most frustrating parts of life on earth. The average Brit spends an astonishing 8 months in traffic. There's only so much 'I spy with my little eye' one can play to quell this irritation. But alas, the OISE Oxford office have some great ideas to help ease the pain. Please note that these activities are strictly for non-drivers.

While away the time with a book - the Harry Potter series should keep you going for a while. Other top sellers at the moment include 'Bring up the Bodies' by Hilary Mantel, 'Sweet Tooth' by Ian McEwan, and Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi'!

Download Whatsapp and spend the spare minutes/hours being in touch with friends and family around the world at zero cost. Whatsapp also offers the opportunity to send photographs - you can keep your friends entertained with various traffic images!

Finally, log on to Itunes and get some decent music on your smart phone. There's all sorts you can listen to. Click here to read up on some of the up and coming Oxford acts!

The Six Nations 2013, Meat and Muscle

Great Britain takes its rugby mega seriously. For those of you that are not so familiar with the sport, think football, but instead of kicking the ball to your players, it is passed by throwing hand to hand. You can only pass to your players if they are behind you, and the points are scored by touching the ball down on or beyond the opponent's try line. For more information about the history of the game, and for a sweeping generalisation of the the type of people that play it, see this blog post.

So why are we talking about rugby? Well, this Saturday marks the start of the RBS Six Nations, a rugby tournament in which France, Italy, England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland all compete. England, who are currently ranked 5th in the world, will be playing against Scotland, who are currently ranked 12th. The excitement has no boundaries - the pubs are going to be brimming with big burly men with flags painted on their faces and Guinness - glory be!

Click on the image below to see some of the other fixtures that are taking place.

Video Games – A Gift Or A Curse?

Tick tock, tick… tock. Before you know it, the whole day has flown by. Dinner, brush teeth, bed.
According to recent statistics, 95% of teenagers play video games, many of them regularly, and for worryingly long stretches of time. If it’s not FIFA, it’s Call of Duty, and if it’s not Call of Duty, it’s Far Cry.

But it’s not just spotty teenagers that are slowing down the family internet connection. Meet Mrs Hilda Knott, 85 years old (86 next month), and massively into her gaming. With her 65 inch TV monitor hooked up to the XBOX, there’s nothing more Knott likes than a good old session on Grand Theft Auto.

For those of you that have never heard of Knott’s favourite game, Grand Theft Auto, ‘players must find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. The objective of such games is to complete a sequence of core missions involving driving and shooting’.1

Personally, I can’t stand video games, but that’s probably because I am awful at them. And watching other people play is even worse. No offense to Hilda, but I’m probably a bit old for them, too! Click on the image below to read more about Hilda.

Student Spotlight - Luca Bizzarri

Italian actor, comedian and mainstream celebrity, Luca Bizzarri, arrived to OISE Oxford this week for some intensive English tuition. We thought that we would take this opportunity to involve him in one of our Student Spotlight sessions, and this is what we asked him:

Q. Hi Luca, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us today! Whereabouts in Italy are you from?

> Well, originally I come from the north of Italy, Genoa, but now I am living in Milan.

Q. And why do you want to improve your English and what is your end goal?

> Well, my goal is to be able to act in English. I aim to have acting roles in English speaking films and series. For me I see it like a fresh start. It will be a challenge for me to start from the beginning in another language.

Q. What kind of English programme are you taking?

> I am taking the Tutorial 20 programme (4 hours each day of individual tuition). I work on general English, but the tutor also adapts the class to my profession, acting. Today, for example, my tutor and I were pretending to act in our class.

Q. What kind of acting have you done in the past?

> I have been in theatre, movies (mainly comedy and drama) and I am also a stand up comedian.

Q. Obviously you are very well known, especially in Italy - do you enjoy being famous?

> Yes, I like it, but I also enjoying being here in Oxford where nobody knows who I am. I am more shy here as English is not my native language, but I am also shy in Italy.

Q. Has anybody recognised you in Oxford?

> Yes, two Italians.

Q. If you were talking to your friends back in Italy about your time in Oxford, how would you decribe your experience at OISE Oxford?

> Well, to be honest, I won't tell anyone because I want to be the only Italian!
In February I will come back to the school. In the summer I am also thinking to rent a house in Oxford for a month or so with my dog!

If you would like to hear more about Luca, he keeps half a million followers updated on his Twitter page: https://twitter.com/LucaBizzarri. Most of his tweets are in Italian, but hopefully we'll be seeing some English on there in the not too distant future.

Lets keep tip top with these snow tips

Ears, fingertips, bald heads, toes are all prone to the vicious bite of coldness. As the snow flakes fall all around Oxford City, one can't help but feel a desperation for warmth. The OISE Oxford team have decided to share four tips with their readers on how best to deal with the snowy weather that is affecting us at the moment.

Tip one:

Get jogging. If you have to walk somewhere, jog instead! Sounds like quite a bit of effort, but it's a great way to kill two birds with one stone - it's exercise and keeps you warm!

Tip two:
If people are going to travel they need to be well prepared. That means packing food and drink, a shovel, warm clothing and making sure their mobile phones are fully charged in case they break down.

Tip three:
If you are travelling by car, a top tip is take some old carpet. It can be useful in the event you get stuck in the snow. It can give you some traction.

Tip four:

Don’t try and fight it – embrace it! Whip out the sledge and run for the nearest hill. There’s no better stress remedy than a snow day.

Zip it! The mile-long zip wire, coming soon to the UK

The UK is soon to be home to the northern hemisphere’s longest zip wire when a mile-long zip line is erected in Snowdonia National Park in March. This well-known area of outstanding natural beauty in North Wales attracts around 12 million visitors to its stunning peaks and coastline each year. Why then, you might wonder, is there need for a 1,750m long zip wire as well?

According to Zip World’s owner, ex-marine commando Sean Taylor, the attraction at Penryn Quarry in Bethesda is not just about the adrenaline rush but also the educational benefits. “This is not just a zipline experience – it’s about diversifying the use of the quarry and teaching people about the local history.” The two hour adventure experience will also feature a guided tour of the quarry in a former military vehicle. But the incredible views will no doubt be the main attraction for many thrill-seeking visitors, which, on a clear day, are said to take in the Isle of Mann and Anglesey. 

Whilst it doesn’t quite reach the lengths of the world’s longest zip line in Sun City, South Africa at 2000 metres, it is sure to draw intrepid visitors from far and wide to experience the thrill of being transported in a horizontal position at speeds of up to 80mph and at heights of over 200 metres. 

I’m game. Are you?

Visit www.zipworld.co.uk for more info!