Joke

A man in a hot air balloon realised he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”

The woman below replied, “You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude.”

“You must be a chief editor,” said the balloonist.

“I am,” replied the woman. “How did you know?”

“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help so far.”

The woman below responded, “You must be a writer.”

“I am,” replied the balloonist, “but how did you know?”

“Well,” said the woman, “you don’t know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it’s my fault.”

Happy times

Hi there,

Ok, a quick summary since I have not been an active blogger lately...

I've been in my home country, Brazil, since mid August. I'd to come in the last minute due to multiples visa rejections in London. Finally and thank God, I've got sorted it out here in Brazil and I don't need to worry when I'm back. They gave me 2 years settlement visa. Time enough to finish my studies and maybe do my post graduate course as well.

It's winter time over here, so temperatures are not as warm as you like to think it is...But surely warmer than London winter.

While over here I'm meeting with some old school friends - I haven't seen them in like... 10 years?? So yes, all its good. Family its great too. Oh! I love them and I think this time around will be even harder to leave.
I think getting old also includes having nostalgic moments more often. In the past few days, I want to spend more time with my family and loved ones. Maybe the idea of moving back to Curitiba for good is in the horizon... (just a thought!)

Also there are my lovely dogs. They are the cutest dog. You can't get cuter than this...


Monica

Maco

My time over here it's coming to an end and soon I have to be back in London and back to work, back to my student life. ahhhhh
Anyhoo, just want to write a quick note so you know what I've been up to.
Above are some friends of mine I love dearly.


Guta, Me and Camils

Desiree, Me and Guta

Me & Mariana

"Real friendship is a rare and precious gift, strong,
stable, yet fragile, and never to be taken for granted."

London is trying to tell me something...

Summer in London this year has reach the highest of temperatures. It's been the hottest in 10 years which is a good thing, don't get me wrong. But London is not used/prepared to have a such hot Summer.

For those poor people (including me) that MUST get the metro basically everyday of the week and have to deal with the hottest of temperatures underground is almost a sacrifice. Stinky beggars, people that haven't shower in the morning, expired deodorant, bad breath, sweat... urgh. The air down there its so dusty and warm that make us really think we are in a shelter from WW2.

Temperatures inside the tube can get really high and often people faint. Causing a number of delayed trains and tubes stuck between stations. One time a friend of mine got stuck like that for almost an hour!!!!! Thank you Jesus, THAT never happen to me, just listening to her made me feel claustrophobic.

Transport for London needs urgently do something about it. Can you imagine this city in the Summer of the Olympics in 2012? What a chaos that could turn into?!?

Now, I think London is trying to tell me something because it seems like everything I do to stay legally in this country is not really working...

I will go home earlier this year. I was only planning to go back for Christmas but that didn't go as planned. It's been 3 months now I'm trying to sort it out my situation (visa) from here, but the way things are going the best solution will be to go home and do it from there. At least it's safer. I will leave this country this time as if I'm a criminal. It's ridiculous.
But I will come back as a champion. Wait and see.

Facebook NOT Confidential

A lot of people out there use Facebook as a form of publicity either to promote themselves, to promote their company, fan pages or most common to keep updates with your mates from far away. Facebook is a tool for many people to COMMUNICATE! And let other people KNOW what is going on with your life.

So, in my opinion if you like things to be more private, simply just don't go and tell a whole network what you are abouts.

Don't publish anything that might get people interesting to know More of what you want to tell. And if someone do want to know be ready to answer questions or at least be polite and not an arse.

Anyway, that's my thought of it!!

Peace out!

Linda mensagem

Chat up by an older man

Hey folks, sorry for the laziness, it has been a while.
Don't worry, I've made plan and I do now have a couple of stories to tell. Hope you will enjoy them. Mostly is my day to day routine and situations I come across with, hope you find it funny and understandable.

I will begin by reporting the day I was chat up by an older man in the London underground. Argh! I felt so used.

It all started when I decided to go for that stupid casting in Hammersmith station it was for L'oreal. It's a long way to go if you are in Central London, also it was my last casting of the day. The weather was great, Sun was shining - I was happy.
People kept staring at me, maybe because I put more make up than usual, or was the black eyeliner I putted under my eyes?!? I have no idea.
So I'm on the Piccadilly line sitting and listening to my Ipod, enjoying my music (I do that on purpose sometimes, so to avoid this kind of situations) when he got up and sat next to me - I didn't even see it.
Once in a while I put my head up to check the station we are in and also to see how closed I'm from Hammersmith station. In one of these times, I see from the corner of my eye, this white haired man, bubbling something to me. Remember I'm with my Ipod on and I CAN'T hear him at all.
I put my earphones phones down and politely turn to him and said: "I'm sorry were you talking to me?" Ohhhhhh WHY? WHY? WHY? I should have kept my head down and pretend I didn't see him. He asked: "Oh do you know if I get down in Hammersmith station I will be closer to Hammersmith Road?" Ohhh common now! Are u kidding me? Again I politely answered: "I don't know! Maybe...?!" I see that he keeps staring at me and from that moment on I knew it, he was just trying to make a conversation. Aff. I'm so angry with myself now.
Next question: "Where are you from?" Are you serious? No way. Look at you old man, you are old enough to be my grandfather!!! Politely I answered: "I'm from Brazil!"
As he started talking about his life (observation: I didn't ask anything) I felt he had a bad breath as well. Great! That's all I asked for, having to deal with an old pervert man with a bad breath, just before I need to be in front of clients looking all happy and smiley. Yes!
Next step he gave me his card and said:"Anytime you want to go for a coffee just give me a call!" Gheez! Why on Earth would I go out for a coffee with you??? Tell meeeeee.
At this time we are almost reaching Hammersmith station and I thank God for that... As I get up, he start coming right next to me and we walk 'together' until we go our separate ways. Maaaannnnnn. During this time I told him I'm at university, so maybe he will realize how young I am??? Baff, I should have known better how to deal with these kind of maniacs!!!
I mean, I should have been 'short and sweet' and tell him straight away: "Look grandpa, I could be your granddaughter. Look at you! Just please stop acting like you are in your thirties, would you? I don't like to date old men and also I have a gorgeous and young boyfriend. Why don't you go and browse in some other department?"
I was completely stunned by his actions. Did I look like some golddigga perhaps? Oh maybe I looked like a stupid blond girl (note: I'm brunette) and he might have thought: "Oh this one, yes, she will come for a coffee with me." Did I look easy? Or maybe he was just so desperate for a conversation?? Oh I don't know!!! In the end he said: "Hopefully I see you again on my way back to the station." Are you kidding me?!? Lunatic!!
Anyway, if you are wondering what I did with his card. First, I searched on the web about him, then I threw away on the first trash bin I found it. If you are curious, he is the director of a research medical business.

The cost of being a foreign student

The plight of foreign students: international fees support UK universities



Universities are turning to foreign students tuition fees to help in their finances. The relative amount of overseas students accepted in British universities has doubled in the recent years, states Universities UK. Overseas students produce the most income for universities in the UK with fees being up to ten times as much as undergraduates from Britain and the EU.

One of the latest publications from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) shows that there were 2,396,050 students in Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses in the UK between 2008/09. Of these 2,027,085 was UK home students, whereas only 117,660 were from other EU countries and 251,310 were from non-EU countries.

Most of UK international students come from China (47,035) and India (34,065) comprising almost one third of all non-EU students in the UK and this number keep rising. The majority of students from EU countries are from Ireland and Germany with 15,360 and 14,130 respectively.

A 2008/09 study showed that full-time UK students were 111,486 to only 15,717 non-UK students and part-time UK students were 55,879 to 28,415 non-UK students.

International students contribute far more to the UK culturally and financially. Rishi Pancholi, from Student Union in London Met, said: “One of the best things about University is that I have the opportunity to meet and make friends with people from all over the world.” He also reaffirms that: “International students (not EU) do pay at least 3 times more than home students” and are almost seen as a “Cash Cow.” In a survey made by Mike Reddin, shows these following figures for undergraduate fees from UK/EU and overseas students (non-EU) 2009/10. Note that these numbers are for arts based courses, science based course fees are slightly higher.

UK/EU non-EU
3,225 14,247 Cambridge
3,225 12,020 Kings College London
3,225 8,800 London Met
3,225 17,100 Oxford
3,225 12,280 UCL
3,225 9,830 Westminster

Theses numbers are a clear example that international fees are really high.
Universities in London have a significant number of places for overseas students. London Metropolitan has over 34,000 students in which nearly 8,000 students are foreign. Westminster University has more than 20,000 students where 5,000 are from overseas.

Marcela Fiuza, a third year student of Human Nutrition at Westminster claims that: “There is no financial support for international students and it would be nice if there was at least a sponsorship (anything from 20% of the fees) based on academic achievements, so it could benefit both students and the university.” Although her university doesn’t offer support for international students, some universities in the UK do, but it is almost impossible to get.

At London Met it is no different. Any full-time non-EU international student who achieves an average of 70% in year one or two will receive an automatic £1000 tuition fees reduction in next year’s tuition fee but mostly of scholarships are only available for new students.

Bhavesh Thakkar, who is 20 years old and a second year student of International Relations at London Met, states that: “I have an educational loan from my country of about £26,000 - in all with 12% interest to pay”. Bhavesh, who is from India, is also having bank difficulties and is trying to get £3000 on concession from London Met at the moment and up to now he has not been given any financial help and only an extension to pay for his fees.

England is well known for being a multi-cultural country, which is popular for young ones. Individuals from all over the world desire to come to England to get a better education. Despite the huge amount of money you need to invest in higher education in a foreign country, there are other factors that may conflict before you reach your target.

Besides the tuition fees there are costs of accommodation in which keep increasing. Landlords and homeowners are taking advantage of international students first because they believe that if you have enough money to pay for international fees you also might have extra money for your accommodation.

This is exactly what happened with Management and Marketing London Met student Anfisa Bulgokova, 24, where the estate agent asked her to pay in six months’ rent in advance. “When we paid the full amount (for 6 months) the agents from Atkinson McLeod did not respond to any of our problems regarding to our flat. They always found some reasons to not to deal with our issues”.

Victor DelVecchio, a journalism student, moved to London four years ago and had a similar situation: “…due to my thin knowledge of English, people have tried to do me in. I guess if your understanding of English civilization remains small, consequently some dodgy ones would make sure they get out of the deal without a fail.”

Although the idea of having an international degree does not always means quality. In the article written by Richard Garner in 2008 for the Independent newspaper, Peter Williams, head of the Quality Assurance Agency, states that international students believe that paying fees will get you a degree. Professor Geoffrey Alderman argued that some universities were turning a ‘blind eye’ on plagiarism and giving better grades just so they can show up well at league tables.