Chile

September 7th, 2009

The Republic of Chile or Chile rests on the bottom west coast of South America. Chile borders Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Being relatively close far south, Chile has also laid claim to a large section of Antartica. Chile was originally ruled by the Incas and then conquered by the Spanish, before claiming independence in 1818. The climate of Chile is wide ranging from humid at the coast, to dry in the desert regions.

Chile’s San Sebastien university offers many different courses to overseas students including medicine.

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South America

February 7th, 2010

South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere and predominantly part of the Southern Hemisphere. It is situated to the South of the continent of North America. It is the fourth largest continent on Earth with a total land mass of almost 18 million square kilometres.

South America is made up of 12 countries; Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. It also includes French Guiana which belongs to France and the Falkland Islands and South Georgia which belong to the United Kingdom. Brazil is the largest of these countries both in terms of population and physical size.

It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the West, the Atlantic Ocean to the East and the Southern Ocean to the South. South America boasts the longest mountain range on Earth by way of the Andes, the largest rainforest on Earth in the Amazon Rainforest, and the largest river on Earth (according to volume) by way of the Amazon.

The most commonly spoken language in South America is Portuguese, although this is mainly due to the fact that it is the national language of Brazil which is home to more than half of the total population of South America. Spanish is the official language of most of the other countries, although French is also spoken, as well as other languages from around the world.

Some of the most prominent historical figures to come from South America include the controversial military leader General Augusto Pinochet, who held an infamous leadership of Chile, and the Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara who was a major figure in the Cuban revolution.

South America has traditionally had a rich association with the game of football. Brazil has won the football World Cup a record 5 times, and both Argentina and Uruguay have won twice. South America has also seen truly great motor racing drivers with the likes of Juan Fangio of Argentina in the 1950s and Ayrton Senna of Brazil during the 1980s and 1990s.

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The benefits to schools of outside providers

January 14th, 2010

When a school books outside providers to run sessions with their pupils, what benefits are there?

There is of course the skill that the provider is bringing to the school. This may be an expertise such as maths workshops, creative writing or art to name a few. Although many teachers have skills, for many their skill is teaching throughout the year, whereas an outside provider generally will teach the same children for a day or maybe a small succession of days. The content that these providers therefore put forward is very concise as the sessions or school workshops are well rehearsed.

As well as the skill the outside provider brings a breath of fresh air and new eyes to the school environment. For many troubled children their name and reputation will be well known in their school and throughout the staffroom. Often when working with someone new these problem children can just fade into the rest of the class. Additionally when removed from their normal learning environment “the classroom” certain children can excel at the surprise of their regular teachers.

Another benefit is that when other people are teaching, engaging the pupils, it gives the regular teacher the chance to observe rather than teach. This is invaluable, as long as they can “let go” for the duration. Such observations often highlight class dynamics that can often be surprising.

These are a few benefits of using outside providers for workshops for schools and with a list that is increasing by the year, there is a world of learning and discovery at all schools fingertips.

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Travelling Light

November 26th, 2009

With Gap years all the rage and world travel so much more accessible than past decades, yet with jet fuel prices so high, is it long before long haul flight operators reduce the luggage weight and size allowance? If so many of us that travel are going to need to evaluate what items can be left at home.

So what do you really need to go travelling for six months? The hardened travellers among us may say two t-shirts, jumper, two trousers, a couple of sets of underwear and a pair of shoes. Of course more than half of this you would be wearing during the journey!

This may be unrealistic for some so we have decided to look at a few useful essentials that should be taken with your selection of clothes and shoes.

A sleep mask can really be useful whilst away travelling. So light that it hardly makes a difference to your load, but can be used to help you ease into a different time zone and block out the light in those badly curtained youth hostels but also when sharing those ghastly rooms, a sleep mask avoids having to look at other people at there most vulnerable!

Flip flops can be of massive benefit. Again, light and non-bulky yet can be used out and about but also in the showers where all of those communal delights lurk on the floor!

A travel towel can be of great benefit, quick to dry but also the size and weight benefits compared to a normal towel should not be ignored.

Of course there are many tricks of travelling such as these above but there is always an amount of common sense involved. You just have to ask yourself, do I really need that? Hopefully when you are looking at the book War and Peace and your hairdryer the answer is obvious.

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Enjoy the Fun and Frivolity of the Carnival of Venice

November 4th, 2009

There are many countries and cities in the world where a Carnival is celebrated; Rio in Brazil is probably the best known of them all, but this is closely followed by the Carnival of Venice, famous for the beautifully made masks that are traditionally worn.

Now famous around the world, the Carnival of Venice has become the city’s top tourist attraction, with hundreds of thousands of visitors travelling internationally to experience this colourful event. The Carnival is a great time to come and visit this wonderful city and take part in a tradition that has been going on for hundreds of years!

Visiting the Carnival of Venice

The great thing about the Carnival of Venice is that you can visit the city and enjoy certain attractions without having to buy a ticket, though tickets may have to be purchased for specific events. Again, the official website is the best place to check this. In 2010, the Carnival of Venice will be held from Friday 5 February to Tuesday 16 February.

Venice has many excellent places to stay but with so many people visiting the city for the carnival, accommodation can get booked up very early. Make your plans well in advance if you’re planning on visiting the City of Bridges during the Carnival of Venice. You can find a large number of Venice Hotels, ranging from budget to five star accommodation. Try staying in a one of the many hotels near the Piazza San Marco or another popular tourist attactions.

What is the Carnival of Venice?

Like most carnivals around the world the Carnival of Venice was started as a religious celebration in the Christian calendar and the dates are determined by when Easter falls. The period called Lent was traditionally a time when rich foods such as meat, dairy, fat, and sugar should not be consumed and other celebrations could not take place. This meant that in the run up to Lent all these types of foods were consumed and the people generally had a good time, sometimes acting out of character and generally going over the top!

In the late 1200’s the now famous tradition of wearing a mask to the Carnival of Venice began. Mask makers did a roaring trade back then, and even now, whether during carnival time or not, masks are one of the top selling souvenirs from Venice!

As the years went by the Carnival of Venice earned the city quite a reputation and has been attracting tourists since the 17th century. There have been periods when the carnival didn’t take place but it was revived again in 1979 and has been happening annually since then.

What can you see at the Carnival of Venice?

For many visitors it’s the masks and very lavish costumes that are the main attraction at the Carnival of Venice. The whole city has things going on over the carnival period, so make sure you check out all quarters of the city to see what’s happening. St Mark’s Square is usually a major hub for events such as music concerts, and mask competitions, but you’ll find there are a great many arts events elsewhere too, such as ballet and theatre to enjoy.

The exact programme of events changes every year and is published nearer the time on the official Carnival of Venice website. Check that website before you head out to Venice so that you can plan which events and attractions you’re most interested in seeing.

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Chile Facts

October 3rd, 2009

Chile is a country in South America that shares borders with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. The capital of Chile is Santiago and their official language is Spanish.

It is a long and narrow coastal country that sits between the Andes Mountains on the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West. It is one of only two countries in South America that do not share a border with Brazil, along with Bolivia.

Chile is once of the most thriving Latin American nations and boasts a growing population and economy. With an estimate population of around 16 million in 2009, a median age of 31 years and a literacy rate of over 95%, Chile is perfectly positioned for further economic growth into the future.

Historically, Chile was under the rule of the Incas until the 16th Century when the Spanish conquistadores invaded and claimed the country as their own. Chile declared its independence from Spain in 1810, although fighting continued in the country until 1818 when the country truly became an independent republic.

More recently Chile has been under the rule of General Pinochet, who took control of the country after a military coup in 1973. A number of human rights violations stood out during the first years of Pinochet’s governance and he finally lost power in 1988.

The currency of Chile is the Chilean peso which has an exchange of approximately 540 Chilean pesos to 1 US dollar. Chile currently has a range of bank notes featuring famous historical figures and landmarks of the country.

Chile’s climate is a diverse one due to the combination of coastal regions and mountainous regions up and down the country. In general the climate is temperate, and being a country in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile experiences summer between December and February.

Easter Island lies just over 2000 miles off the coast of Chile and is under their governance. Easter Island is famous for its stone statues of heads.

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