Life at Bellerbys College

Big Steps!

Posted by Sebastian, studying Law Foundation at Bellerbys Oxford

Hello dear readers!

I have just decided that it is time to give a little update on what has happened recently.  There was quite a lot going on.  Time is really passing quickly these days and so is the Law Foundation course.

Our teacher Ian always knows perfectly well how to keep us going and busy, also over the weekend – even if we claim we need a little break to recover he insists on giving us our weekly research homework in Politics.  But if I think about it we should thank him for doing so as he is not only testing our stamina and how much pressure we may take but also it is an excellent preparation for University life.  So the sooner we learn how to deal with such situations the sooner we will get used to it and the easier we may find it later or at least we will not experience any evil surprise.

Surely I will never forget how he described Foundation as a three stage course.

In the first term, everybody sits on his lap. In other words, he is going to tell us everything.  In the second term, he is holding our hands which means that he will tell us most but some things are left to ourselves and in the final term he will more or less wave us good-bye because, especially in Politics we are bound to conduct our own research and find out things ourselves and then compare it in class.

Speaking of research, I am really happy to say that I finished my first draft of the extended research Essay everybody has to do in Foundation English Skills 3.  As I said it was not easy to convince myself to do some extra work and go to the library and read books about the Industrial Revolution and trying to understand them as some were written in a very sophisticated way but somehow I did that and it makes me a little bit proud now that I was able to be so disciplined.

I struggled in the beginning, first finding a title – it changed I think three times but then I became better.  Well it is not finished yet completely but the basement, the foundation exists and basically editing and improvement is required now.  In addition it means a relief of stress to me because it had been flying somewhere in my head all the time and I can now focus on other things, for example writing the blog or learning my cases for law.

Studying cases in Law in the third term is also taken to a new dimension compared to the second though they might stick to your mind easier because the situations are more likely to imagine.  However it is possible that the number of cases so far is more than all the cases added together in contract law and there are three more topics to study.  It is another hurdle that has to be taken.  And it might help to think in smaller steps and not to try to see all at once as it sometimes happens to me.  If I do so I sometimes begin to struggle and think I will never be able to finish and I feel unconscious.  Then I always remember what my mother used to tell me: “Think in small steps, do one thing after another!  Then you will see, things will become much easier and after you finished some of your tasks, the mountain you thought you could never beat, is almost climbed!”

In addition I just remember that the course will finish in about a month, so I like to describe this last bit as the grand finale in which we should mobilise all our energy to bring it to a memorable end and we can say that we gave our best and we deserve our break before we are heading to the next stage which will be University.

As I said before much was going on in the last weeks and something rather stupid happened to me the last time we went out to play football at Oxford Brookes University.  Either I lost my wallet or it got stolen.  When I realised that I was quite shocked cause it felt like I lost everything, identification and the way to receive money. As it was an emergency, a good friend borrowed me some money for the bus. 

By the time I reached my home it was nearly midnight and so I had to try to wake up my parents to explain and let them block my card.  I felt a bit disturbed and confused and I also called the police the as well as the bus company because I thought, maybe I left on the bus but they did not have it nor did anybody hand it over to the police.  So during the last week I was rather limited but luckily for every problem there is a solution and so during the coming week I should be able to continue my normal routine.  I never expected that something like that would ever happen to me but it seems that it can happen to everybody and the timing when it happens is always wrong, for instance in that turbulent time when there is a lot to do and you do not need such obstacles in your way.

So, finally everything is now more or less sorted out and things are getting more positive, also because I received a new letter from Brookes, my firm choice, about applying for living in a student hall.  For me it is another big step towards University and a sign that soon it is not only a dream but it will become reality.  But for now, although it can get quite stressful at the college with all that endless tasks, I try to enjoy the last month as much as possible.  Like the saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” suggests that it is not only about hard work but also about having a good time with friends you make and enjoy the international experience.

Unfortunately this time I do not have any pictures to support my blog but I promise that the next time there will be some along the text.  I should have some good ones as the next bigger event featured by Bellerbys and Embassy will be the traditional spring ball to which I am really looking forward.  It should be fun and I am excited how everybody will dress up.  For me I decided to wear a black suit with a white shirt accompanied by a red patterned tie.  My only problem is that I have no idea how to tie a tie, so this will be my task until next weekend.  To give myself a crash course in how to tie a tie.

I think that this should be enough for now.  To, sum up, the course is progressing in big steps towards the end and sometimes it is good to take a break and reflect what was going on and to recall the past.  In that sense, I hope you enjoyed this entry and stay tuned for more!  Thanks for reading, you may also leave a comment.

Breaking Out

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

“Basketball tomorrow?" my friend asked me perkily.  Whilst trying to maintain a calm demeanour, I frantically searched for a polite excuse to get myself out of the invitation.

I was never keen on sports.  I mean, I do enjoy watching sports, especially tennis.

In fact, I am an ardent Federer fan and supportive towards the return of the two Belgium former No.1’s, Clijsters and Henin. Despite so, I usually hesitate in playing sports myself. I would much rather hit the gym than indulge in ball or racquet games. You see, I was the typical chubby kid during my childhood.  I resented moving to such an extent that I would cry when I was told to run for Sports Days (No kidding!  But that was when I was really young).

Growing up, certain sports did spark my interest, but as much as I wanted to try them, my low self esteem kept me questioned: “I absolutely have neither the talent or any experience compared to the others. I would just make a fool out of myself.” It certainly did not help that I have once smacked my badminton doubles partner right in the face while charging my racquet towards the shuttlecock (Yes, I am that bad).

This perception of mine went on and I eventually concluded that I was too old, to pick up a sport.

Yet somehow, I blurted out an affirmative reply (I was actually going to say that I sprained my toes.  Joking!). Surprisingly, I was not praying desperately for the next day to never arrive.  I dismissed all my pessimistic thoughts and told myself that it was just going to be quality time with my friends.

The day arrived.  My friends and I casually divided ourselves in teams, while being filled in with basic rules simultaneously.  Soon, the game officially commenced.  Initially, it was tough for me to get out of my shell. 

I constantly reminded myself to refrain from unnecessary clumsiness and awkward movements, most importantly not to injure any of my friends.  Obviously, my dire attempt failed miserably and my friends started teasing me playfully for my ‘dancing’ movements.  A clarification : I could not help it!  Dancing is the only experience I have in terms of movement and body coordination.  I subconsciously applied it.  (I partly blame my influence from the Glee cast who played rugby while dancing to Beyonce’s Single Ladies tune.)  Albeit my extremely sensitive self consciousness, I just laughed at myself, with my friends.

“This ain’t so bad!” I thought.  Why not just embrace my flaws and eccentricity?  Realising so, I let loose completely, hence immersing myself into the game.  I dribbled and passed the ball to the best of my ability, trying to minimise the occasional blunders and panic attacks when I have the ball. 

And guess what?  Halfway through the game, I actually scored a point for my team!  Although it was just a petty accomplishment, it meant so much to me.  I know clearly that I am an easily excited person, but I could tell that this is not a mere exhilaration.  It made me realise how wrong I was to think that I do not deserve to play sports.  

It is never too late to learn something and definitely does not require talent. Passion is the key as well as the simple desire to have fun!

From then on, we have made basketball a weekly routine and I could see myself learning new aspects of playing sports (we sometimes venture into football), thus improving slowly but steadily.  Besides, it can be a much better exercise compared to working out all by myself in the gym.  I must thank my dear friends for the words of encouragement and simply for being a part of this little enlightenment.  I feel so grateful to have made such great friends here in Bellerbys.  They are such genial and supportive people, despite their difference in cultural backgrounds.

I hope that this confession may inspire some of you readers to get out of your comfort zones and challenge yourselves to do things you never thought you could do.  Not just sports, but anything at all.  And if you think you’re too dorky, clumsy or a plain oddball, I totally feel the same.  So, just build up the self esteem and do not bail on yourself before even trying.  To those who have absolutely no problem with these kinds of matter, thank you for your time reading my doodling.

Till we meet again! :)

Looking Forward

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

‘I’ve got your mail!' My college mate from Hong Kong said to me while handing me a violet shaded envelope stamped with a Malaysian mark.  I immediately recognised the penmanship, by the written address.  With a nod of gratitude, I took it and went straight to class.  Seeing that I had 5 minutes prior to starting the class, I wanted to peep what was inside.  Despite my agitation in viewing the content, I tried my best to open it without damaging the letter cover.  I discreetly peeked inside and saw, ‘Happy Birthday, from Mum & Daddy, your brothers’ just as my teacher asked whether it was my birthday.  Biting my lips to hold back my emotions, I told her that it was an early wish and that my birthday was a fortnight later.  Classes went on for the day.

I came back to my room and inspected the greeting card closely, reading every single word in the card.  It was rather simple, I must say. They wrote nothing, except that it was from them. Other birthday texts were printed alongside with the design. Devoid of actual words from my family, the card spoke a million sentences to me.  I just held this little gift, beaming with a recharge of strength and motivation.

It is indeed something extremely courageous to do: to study in a foreign country all by yourself.  A whole new experience, I must say.  At times, I do feel lonely, especially when I come back to my quiet room.  (Don’t get me wrong, I still do LOVE my room!).   I used to anticipate coming back from high school, returning to my vibrant home where my brothers would frequently tease and tempt me to play with them instead of doing work and my mum, shouting our names to get us down for dinner.  I also missed waiting for my dad to come home, picking up his office bag while he asked about my day in school.  Not to forget, my maid, who has been with me since birth, exuberantly offering me desserts which she never hesitated in making.

Of course, I was overcome with acute nostalgia in so many other aspects:

My Country (obviously)
Malaysia, my home country, a banana-shaped protrusion of the Asian region, directly under Thailand.  Well, that is just Peninsular Malaysia.  The other half of Malaysia is right beside the first half, comprising Sabah and Sarawak.  In general, my country is best known for the multicultural diversity and the Petronas Twin Towers, one of the tallest buildings in the world.  Besides that, who would not know that the Formula 1 racing championships take place in our very own Sepang Circuit.

Holidays, Festivals and Multiple Languages
Due to our rich cultural background, Malaysians are easily bilingual, having to speak at least the national language, which is Malay, and English. If we are not of the predominant race, we would be able to converse in an extra language (of our native tongue). Evidently, multicultural diversity also means more holidays! Due to countless cultural festivals, Malaysians are able to enjoy holidays from time to time. Contrasting with the limited but lengthy holiday periods in the UK, the holidays in Malaysia are quite brief, notwithstanding the higher frequency.        

Food
The aspect I find most wistful is the spicy Malaysian food!  You have no idea how much I crave for cuisines like nasi lemak, char kuay teow, jawa mee, roti canai, rendang, tandoori etc.  The list will never really stop.  I should have eaten more back home.  My tongue desperately needs some stimulation from the Malaysian spices.  It has been hibernating for too long.  

But, THANKFULLY, there are Oriental restaurants around Brighton which do serve some of these dishes.  They obviously could not match the orthodox taste produced in Malaysia, but they really are quite sufficient in appeasing my palate.  Moreover, some of the waiters are Malaysians, which is nice to know.  It makes me feel homely every time I visit these restaurants.

Weather?
No, I do not miss Malaysia’s weather at all.  At least not yet.  Maybe I did, during the frigid winter.  But, I am LOVING spring.  Sun and wind: altogether, it is the perfect weather combination.  I am really getting used to Britain’s weather compared to my hot and humid country.  If I were to go back there now, I could potentially melt from excessive perspiration.  Funny thing though, it is usually pleasant to enter a mall back in Malaysia because they are usually air-conditioned, therefore colder than the outside.  It is directly the opposite here in the UK.  I would rather stay outside of the mall.  Should I need to go shopping, I would have just sported a sweatshirt with bermudas.

Friends
The people who had gone through childhood and adolescence with me, shared great memories and dilemma with me, and most importantly, become such a vital part of my life.  They are the toughest for me to leave, besides my family.  Nevertheless, it is pleasant that I am creating new bonds here, most of which have become quite dear to me too.  Thanks to the wonders of Twitter, Facebook and Skype,  I was able to keep in touch with my friends, albeit not as often.  They may be physically absent, but just hearing their voices or browsing through their pictures is adequate to keep me going.

At last,

I am finally growing up.

That is the conclusion which I have come up with, after much pondering about this occasional surge of emotions. It is the harsh reality.  There will be times when we would need to part from our loved ones, and mine is this very moment, right now.  I know that I have parted from my family and friends for good reasons and I have to make it worthwhile.  And the only way to make it worthy is to excel in all that I have committed myself into, more importantly to do my best.  To get accepted into prestigious universities.  To obtain top honours in my degree.  To make them feel proud of me instead of being let down.

Looking at the bright side, it is definitely a new beginning.  And I can foresee a good one, right here in Bellerbys.  Glad to have started my British experience in this college.

Thank you for reading!

Signing off!

Find out more about studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton.

This Is Not Goodbye, It's Just See You Later!

Posted by Maggie

Hello again readers!

I hope your Easter holiday went well! I definitely had some good fun and good rest.  The upcoming months are going to be pretty tough.  May and June are the two crucial months that will determine which university I will go to, come fall.  Exam period, we meet again.  Wish me luck guys!

Anyway, as for my Easter holiday, I hit up Paris (for the 3rd time over the past year and still not bored of it!) with my mother and family friends.  We had a fabulous time! I brought them to my favourite restaurant in the world - Allard - and they all loved it!  I adore French cuisine.  Escargots (snails), Grenouilles (frog thighs)... bring them on!  After spending four days in Paris, strolling the unique streets, people-watching from local cafes and shopping at Galerie Lafayette, my mom and I were set to go to Italy!

My spring Italian affair was a rather beautiful one. First stop: Rome.

This city is full of ancient monuments and buildings from the Roman times.  Everywhere you go, there are remnants of the fallen empire.  What I love most about Roma is the fact that there are piazzas everywhere!  Not to mention, the gorgeous fountains!  We visited Fontana di Trevi, the largest fountain in the city.  It was stunning, just like the St Peter's Basilica which has the largest interior of any church in the world, holding 60,000 people.  We booked tickets to see the Sistine Chapel and felt extremely relieved when we found out that we didn't have to queue up for admission as the queue was about the length of a football field.  Inside the Sistine Chapel, there was not a single spot on the wall or ceiling where it wasn't covered by paintings.  Nevertheless, the sight of the chapel was still breathtaking.

Vatican City somehow carries an air of holiness to it.  I can't put my finger on what it is - maybe it's because of the magnificent architecture of St Peter's or the presence of numerous priests dressed in black.  All I know is that the city possesses a kind of grandeur that only few places have.  I can only imagine how powerful it used to be. (maybe it still is)  Reminds me of the Illuminati and that one scene in "Angel and Demons" where the priest saved the world.

Another great thing about Italy is the fact that the cafes are dirt cheap.  When in Italy, I did not hesitate to overload myself with caffeine.  Espresso shots over a bar counter every morning and a glass of blood orange juice - that was our standard routine.  Then, we would hop onto the "hop on/off" buses (25 euros for 48 hours!) and visit famous sites.  I loved Piazza Navona.  The atmosphere was really peaceful and it was a rather huge square so when I walked along it, I felt so free and alive!  We also went to the Colosseum but we only saw it from the outside as it was already closed when we got there.  Still, it was astounding.

Next stop: Florence.

When we were in the heart of the Tuscan, we ate marvelous food.  In fact, we even went as far as attending a cooking lesson.  We learned how to make pasta (mixing normal flour, Semolina flour and eggs together), and manually put them through a pasta machine so that they came out in tagliatelle strands!  Afterwards, we managed to make some bow ties as well.  The greatest part was that we got to eat our own food after the lesson!  We had two types of sauces.  One was funghi (mushroom), the other one was tomato.  Mmm.  On our second day in Firenze, we visited the Palazzo Pitti, the palace where the Medici family once lived.  Then, we crossed the Ponte Vecchio, a Medieval bridge over the Arno River,

One of my favourite brands is called Patricia Pepe, which coincidentally is from Florence so we went to the original store and of course, I just couldn't resist these cute blue shorts and this whimsical white dress for special occasions!  Hey, I'm only a girl.

As our apartment was located next to the Uffizi Gallery, we wandered over to look at the original painting of "The Birth Of Venus" by Botticelli.  I stared at it for at least five minutes and wondered how he managed to paint this masterpiece.  Must have taken him years to paint it.  The most amazing part about Florence was that we met a delightful old man who owns a tiny produce store.  All products were from Chianti, a town just a little outside of Florence.  My mom and I suspected he owns a farm there.  He was so generous and kept giving us free samples of salami and whatnot.  In the end, we hauled about 10 extra kg of food back to England.  Extra virgin olive oil, salami, biscotti... you name it!

Last stop: Milan.

Our fantastic design hotel called Straf was located right in front of the Duomo.  When we were browsing in a bookstore, we found out that Straf was actually mentioned in Wallpaper Milan as one of the hippest places to stay at in Milan and I couldn't agree more!  Definitely recommended for the young and stylish ones.  And is it just me, or does everything look incredibly enticing in Milan?  I'm talking about the fashion and the drop-dead gorgeous Italians.  Now this is a city that I can picture myself living in five years from now.  Via Montenapoleone and the Golden Triangle are streets that you must visit if you're into fashion.

Last but not least, I experienced one of the best meals I've ever had in my life in a Milanese restaurant called Boeuc Antico Ristorante.  It's the oldest restaurant in town (been there for five centuries I believe) and the food was flawless!  The service was commendable and we even spoke to the owner of the restaurant!  An impeccably dressed man who walks around with such pride and dignity of his restaurant that even I was a little touched.  My favourite dish was the Milanese style Ossobucco.  Bellisima!

I am a little sad to announce that this is going to be my last post for Bellerbys' blog. My life here over the past two years (almost) has been absolutely amazing. I met tons of awesome people from all over the world and I am honoured to have gotten to know some of the staff at Bellerbys because they are truly wonderful people. I will certainly miss the good times I've had here. It seems like such an ordinary place yet it means so much to me. It marks a period of my life, a very precious one too where everyone is at a crossroad, deciding which path they would like to take next. But don't stress, because this is not goodbye, it's just see you later. I will still be in London for at least another three years. I'm sure when nostalgia strikes me, I can just as easily take the DLR and come back here to visit everyone.

Bellerbys College, I will miss you. You will forever remain as a part of me.

P.S. Grad ball is coming up in a few weeks and I'm pretty excited about that!  I can now put my new Patricia Pepe dress to good use.

Maggie is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College London.

My Daily Routine at Bellerbys

Posted by David, studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton

Aloha everyone!


I was a rather busy student back in Malaysia, being involved in various school activities.  Arriving here in this new environment simply seems like reconstructing my daily routine from scratch.  It really took quite a while for me to rustle up my courage and take part in activities either organised by Bellerbys or outside of the college.  I knew I had to do something during my leisure times to release my indefatigable energy.

Therefore, I have consistently been collecting those pieces of coloured notices listing out the weekly activities in Bellerbys, throughout the term.  I started attending yoga and fitness classes after the college hours.  And I must say that they really do make me sweat!  Apart from that, I go for guitar lessons on Fridays.  It was very considerate of them to organise two different guitar classes - beginners and intermediate for students of different levels of experience in the instrument.

There are so many other activities I would have loved to be involved in if not for the time restriction that I have.  For instance, the Debating Society, martial arts, violin, drumming, table tennis and the Poetry and Books Club.  What I anticipate the most is the dance club, which is going to be established soon.  I cannot wait for the first class!

Not only that, I have become a member of Fitness First (a ten minutes walk from the campus).  It was my first experience possessing a gym membership.  When I was given a tour of their facilities, I had to check and make sure that the equipments were safe enough for a clumsy user like myself.  Ever since watching Final Destination 3, I have never had a good impression of gyms.  (Watch the movie and you will know what I mean!)  Contrary to my beliefs, (or maybe it’s just Fitness First) going to the gym is actually safe and fun!  Not only the equipments have simple-to-follow instructions, the trainers there are very approachable, always more than glad to advise you on the right exercising method to prevent unnecessary injuries.

Nonetheless, what I am most fascinated about this membership is the group classes that they have offered, comprising of cardiovascular exercises, toning regimens, body balancing classes and lastly, DANCE classes!!!!  They organise Street/HipHop, Latin and Strictly Fit classes, where the dance genre would vary from time to time.  If only they have offered contemporary dance classes, this gym would have been perfect.  My personal favourite (besides the dance classes, of course) is the Spinning Classes.  We cycle for our lives during those sessions, pressing our feet against the pedal rapidly to synchronise our speed with the energetic upbeat music.  The pace of our rpm (revolution per minute), in other words, the speed of our feet’s movement is literally like rolling drumsticks.  I never thought that was possible until I actually did it myself.  I never knew the cycling methods could have been this versatile too.  A secret confession to make, I cannot cycle conventionally for nuts.  Thank goodness the gym ones are stable spinners.  Hence, I quote from Mr Bentham, just ‘throw yourself into deep water’.

Despite these self-indulgent ‘everything is good’ ramblings of mine, there is an initially negative aspect of my gym experience.  I would say that I come from a rather conservative country.  So, obviously, you could have imagined how stunned I was when I entered the gym toilet and all I see was exposed male body parts.  Culture shock really hit my brain at that instant.  I got used to it though, eventually.  It was sometimes not even about the awkwardness I felt, but the sheer intimidation from seeing their chiseled bodies.  Well, not all of them, but you get the idea.  The feeling of insecurity was soon channeled into a stronger sense of motivation to increase my fitness level and most importantly, my health.

Did I also tell you that the Fitness First in Brighton has a sauna and steam room?  Okay, enough of the gym, I have recently signed up to volunteer for this charity group called Moving Voices, but yet been able to assist them due to the clashing times with my classes.  I tried searching for other voluntary work too, especially charitable ones.  And I actually heard (vaguely) from my classmate that people can soon volunteer to contribute to the Olympics Games in 2012.  Will definitely post something about it if I have actually stumbled upon this once in a lifetime voluntary program.

Of course, aside from all these activities that I have been doing, my academic performance is still my top priority.  I limit myself to a maximum of three activities a day and study at night.  I firstly complete my homework, then proceed to recapping what I have learnt for the day, before mind-mapping everything during the weekend.  If I still have time, I would do some research about architecture to increase my depth of knowledge in the field.  Weekends are even better as I would be able to hang out with my friends.  I have to give credit to my personal diary designed with such an efficient layout for me to conveniently plan my daily routine.  In my opinion, this habit of scheduling your daily plans is extremely beneficial.  Do try it!

Stay tuned for more David!

Thank you once again for your time in reading this ‘little’ entry of mine.

Till we meet again!

Signing off!

Find out more about studying Engineering Foundation at Bellerbys Brighton.