So, are you smiling?

Do you have an inexplicable feeling of happiness and good will?

Are you walking around with a spring in your step and a song in your heart?

No?!

Well, you should be!

According to David Holmes, senior psychologist at Manchestor Metropolitan University, today is statistically the happiest day of the year; the day when the largest number of people in the UK report to be happy.

The month of January in the UK is traditionally a very depressing one: the holidays are over; the weather is awful; and having spent so much on Christmas, everyone is wondering how they will survive until the end of the month.  Then the end of the month comes and everyone breaths a sigh of relief when the first pay cheque arrives.

Interestingly, it is also the day when the largest number of people book their summer holidays.  With such little sunshine and a new found wealth, people flock in their thousands to online booking agencies and make sure they get their two or three week break in the summer.

Apparently, according to David Holmes, it is this combination of having money again and having a holiday to look forward to that makes people so happy today.

So when you go home on the tube, don’t be too worried if you see someone with a crazy smile on their face.  They just can’t help feeling happy today!

One of the most interesting phenomenon of recent times in London is the guerrilla restaurant. An article in the Standard last week reported on a restaurant which the reviewer believe serves the best burger in the world. The idea of guerilla restaurants is that restaurants spring up and are recommended by word of mouth – for example The Meat Wagon (a collective of mobile food traders including Gujaarati Rasoi, SouperStew and Choc Star). The owner of the MeatWagon says “Impromptu gatherings have quickly become the easiest way to sell restaurant food in London … taking advantage of unused spaces to put on a temporary event or a space where people can dine and enjoy good food” There are events coming up as a part of this movement – The Guerrilla Chef will host an event on 1 April this year (applications to onguerilladining.com) A famous food photographer has food festivals at the Towpath Cafe in N15 and one well known restaurateur organises secret dinners in his flat – you have to find out when! If you really want to try the best burger in the world then you’ll have to check the website and make sure you get there while you still can. Meateasy serves food from 6-11pm Tuesday to Saturday.

The Pope has given his blessing to Facebook and other social networks sites. He gave a speech titled, ‘Truth, proclamation and authenticity of life in the digital age’ at the Catholic Church’s World Day of Commissions.

Although the pope does not have a facebook page or any presence on a social network he views it as ‘a great opportunity’, however he was quick to warn of the risks as well. He was very keen to highlight the importance of having real friends and making sure to keep in contact with them and do not alienate or self-indulge with the virtual ones. When thinking about it he is right. The internet has brought us many good and exciting opportunities but it is always important to keep it all in perspective.

The Pope himself stated ‘Entering cyberspace can be a sign of an authentic search for personal encounters with others, provided that attention is paid to avoiding dangers such as enclosing oneself in a sort of parallel existence or excessive exposure to the virtual world’.

Here at UIC we like to think we have embraced social networking and the developments on the internet. We have our own facebook page and twitter account. But we would think we balance that by having members of staff at hand to help you when ever you need. So if you are thinking of studying English in London you can contact us online or on the phone (the old fashion way!)

Today – 25th January – is one of the great traditional celebrations in the UK. Its the birthday of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns, and although it’s traditionally a big day in Scotland the day is celebrated throughout the world – wherever there are Scots!

Robert Burns was born in1759 and is widely thought of as Scotland’s national Poet. He is the best known of poets to have written in the Scottish language although he did also write in English. In 2009 he was voted by the Scottish people as ‘The Greatest Scot’. As well as writing poems he also collected many folk songs from across Scotland. One of his most famous songs ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is often sung at the beginning of a new year – at midnight. You can hear the song played on the traditional Scottish bagpipes (you either love them or hate them …..) on several sites youtube. The dinner has a very organised and very traditional order of events:

1. Start of the evening

2. Hosts welcoming speech

3. Entrance of the Haggis (a kind of traditional food)

4. Supper

5. Immortal memory

6. Appreciation

7. Toast to the Lassies (The Ladies)

8. Reply to the Toast to the Lassies

9. Other toasts and speeches

10. Works by Burns

11. Closing

If you want to read more about the details, have a look at this link.

Although at UIC London we do not have a uniform (well – what post 18 institution does?) visitors and students from Europe are frequently surprised to see that at almost every secondary school in the country there is a uniform, and not only is there a uniform but increasingly a uniform which is traditional – i.e. blazers and ties. It’s not a trend which is unique to this country either. In the US there is also a growing trend towards students wearing traditional uniforms. So why does it happen so commonly here and so rarely in Europe. The reasons for the uniform are clear enough – here and not anywhere in Europe?

An article in the Guardian reports “Supporters of uniform insist that it improves behaviour and builds community spirit” . They quote sop me research form Oxford Brookes University which concluded “Pupils enjoy the sense of pride they get from wearing a smart uniform, and the smarter the better.” This conclusion was well publicised but the fact that the research was sponsored by the Schoolwear Association was less so ! Do you smell a rat? What we might be looking at are political choices. The article quotes a couple of recent Education Ministers “Charles Clarke insisted that uniforms are good for discipline and school ethos, giving pupils a real sense of identity with their school”. And Ed Balls suggested that local authorities encourage schools to adopt “smart” uniforms and strengthen ties with “uniformed” organisations such as scouts and guides.

However a recent study in the US over 8 years came to very different conclusions. American academic David Brunsma concluded that: “The results, although surprising to many, simply cannot be ignored. Uniforms do not make our schools better. There seems to be no easy correlation in the UK – many failing schools have introduced rigid uniform policy while a significant number of very successful schools have completely done away with it.

2011 the year email died…. Well according to many technology experts the use of email has been in decline for the past couple of years and this could be the year where its use reaches an all time low. In an article in the Evening Standard, the use of email is under threat by our new found love of instant information, whether it be via Twitter, Facebook or instant messaging. As a society, we want information straight away and want the ability to tell a large number of people the same thing and it is things like Twitter and Facebook that can provide this, not email. Even the chairman of Twitter, Jack Dorsey says he rarely uses email.

 When you stop and think about how much you use email, you will probably find that your use has reduced over the years and you only use it in a formal setting e.g. at work. For their social life most people tend to use social networks. If you want to send a mass message to friends or set up an event you use Facebook. Or if you want to tell all of your friends something funny you use Twitter. And it is not only individuals that are using email less, a lot of companies and organisations are using Facebook and Twitter to get information out there. UIC has its own Facebook and Twitter page which is kept up to date with all that is happening at UIC.

 However even though the use of email has reduced over the years it is still very important in a business setting. With email you are able to keep a record of what has been sent and when and you can attach important documents that the other person may need. Also an email is much more formal and attractive for a work setting. When you send an email, all the other person gets is the message. Whereas if you send a message using Facebook or Twitter, the other person can see your pictures, personal information and things that may not be relevant to them.

 Those studying English in London or would like to, can always contact us here at UIC by email, Facebook or Twitter. The choice is yours.

Many years ago London had a reputation for serving some of the worst food. Students coming to London to study English would generally be worried about what they might be fed by their homestay families – rumours of potatoes with every meal, overcooked vegetables and plastic sliced bread. Well those days are over – even as a visitor to London you can now see hundreds and hundreds of restaurants serving food of every kind, and a great deal of it at a very high standard.

So, you might not have been too surprised last week to read a headline in the London Evening Standard ” Bon appétit! London named food capital of world … by French chef”. This story is that a world famous chef – Joel Robuchon (with 25 Michelin stars to his name) has announced that London is now a better place for restaurants than Paris – which has always been considered the home of the best cuisine. In an interview with the Standard, Robuchon said ” “would argue that London is very possibly the gastronomic capital of the world. Why? Because it’s only in London that you find every conceivable style of cooking. When it comes to what’s new in cooking, to innovative cuisine, it’s all happening in London. It’s the same in the agro-alimentary business. The epicentre is not Paris but London.”

Well that might be true at the fanciest restaurants but it it true in people’s homes? What do real Londoners actually eat at home. A quick survey of the staff at UIC London reveals that ‘non-traditional’ British food is the stable of what most people cook and eat. Pasta, salads, rice dishes,  and a huge range of international food – Mexican, Thai, Indian, Chinese and so on forms the bulk of most Londoner’s diets. Not too many bangers and mash, meat pies, fish and chips, roast beef or soggy sandwiches. You have to remember if you are coming to study English in London and choose to live with a British family you might well end up eating food from all around the world. And it almost certainly will be good, healthy and fresh.