On Tuesday I have watched a programme called Faking It. The episode I saw was about a girl called Eliza Dolittle from Yorkshire when she agreed to leave her job in a local shop and join to group of posh society. Eliza had a month to try and convince the group that she is a posh. The general behaviour, when she in her home was really good because she was being herself   and social well with people in pub. However, when she got into the posh group she was more quite and must talk about one topic. The accent of the girl wasn’t that clear for me as I couldn’t understand most of what she was saying, but when she was taught by Benny Dyer the accent has been clear. Her appearance was quite ok when she was in her town, but being posh he had to take care of her look, walking and changes her attitude.

Tim walker was Eliza guide to London scene.

Benny dyer was Eliza voice coach.

Jane broke smith was Eliza posture tutor.

 http://www.channel4.com/programmes/faking-it/4oD#2922253

The meaning of the word POSH is elegant, swanky, rich. It is sometimes said to be an acronym of the phrase ‘port out, starboard home’.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/port%20out%20starboard%20home.html

Crimes and Punishment.

 It may be argued that people who commit a terrorism crime deserve to die because committing this type of crime means killing peaceful, innocent people. Prisons should be for punishment and rehabilitation: punishment for people who commit many crimes without showing any kind of regret, rehabilitation for whom under-age in order to discipline them.

It is not right when political activists break the Law because as it was founded for a reason; anyone breaking the Law should face the consequences accordingly to the crime committed. The Law should be very strict on drinking and driving because accidents happen suddenly and the violation of those rules is causing many victims nowadays.

Smoking cannabis shouldn’t be a criminal offence but should be discouraged like cigarettes for hygienic reason and health. The law should help homeless people to find a house or putting them in acceptable places for a living. It may be stated that the police must have the right to search anyone that could be in position of doubt for serious crimes or for some terroristic activities.

http://criminal.lawyers.com/Criminal-Law-Basics/Punishment-of-Crime.html

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/legal_system/police_powers.htm

Sports in the UK: Wimbledon

  

Wimbledon is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, started in 1877.

It is one of the most popular tournaments, attracting many spectators from the UK and around the world.  The competition is held annually for two weeks, commencing towards the end of June, at the All England Club in Wimbledon, a London suburb.

Famous players have included Pete Sampras and Venus Williams, both from USA, but British winners include Fred Perry (1936) and Virginia Wade (1977).

There is a strict dress code for players at the Club, requiring them to wear white.

This year’s championship started on 20 June and lasts until 3 July 2011.

http://aeltc2011.wimbledon.com/125th-championships/history/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis

Sports in the UK.

In the UK there are a large number of sporting events held in various locations around the country.

Some of the most important venues include tennis, at Wimbledon, golf at St Andrew's in Scotland, rugby at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, while Wembley, London and Old Trafford, Manchester are famous football grounds.

Horse racing is also popular, and some of the classic races include the Grand National, at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool. This race has been held annually since 1839. Royal Ascot dates back to 1711, and is a major event in the racing calendar, while another prestigious race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, was first held in 1819.

http://www.standrews.org.uk/
http://www.wembleystadium.com/
http://www.millenniumstadium.com/home.php
http://www.lccc.co.uk/

NHS

Aneurin Bevan

This extract will describe the National Health Services (NHS).

National Health Service 

It was started in 1948 by the Health Secretary, Aneurin Bevan. His ambition was to provide health services to all people, irrespective of their standing or financial status. The NHS is funded by general taxation, so that the contributions made by tax payers are commensurate with their incomes.  There are many services which are provided by the NHS: emergency and urgent care, hospital services, pharmacies, GP, dental and ophthalmic services. Problems that have dogged the NHS for a number of years include lack of funding and staff shortages. Both these have resulted in long waiting lists for various services.








http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Pages/NHSServices.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/thenhs/nhshistory/Pages/NHShistory1948.aspx

welfare

The social security is run by the Department of Work and Pensions Agencies, and it’s the most single expensive programme. The government finances it from taxation, contributions by employers and workers over 16 to the national insurance fund. The official age of retirement in United Kingdom is 65 for men and 60 for women, but it will change to 68 for men by 2024 and 66 for women by 2020. Groups of people who can benefit from the social security system include pregnant women they can get maternity benefits, it is paid for pregnant working women, unemployed people can get benefit called job seeker’s allowance, people over 65 get pensions  and the young unemployed  people between the age of 16-18 can now be eligible for benefits. It is estimated that quarter of the population is in poverty (including 4.5million children). The future problems for state and private can be solved by reducing benefits, attacking fraud, increasing taxation and targeting those people with the greatest needs. However, in U.A.E. the retirement age for men 60 and women 55. There are many benefits people in the U.A.E. can get from the state such as Widows benefits, Divorcees benefits, Disabled benefits, Elderly benefits, Married students benefits, Families of prisoners benefits, Abandoned women benefits. The benefits system is run by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

http://www.abudhabi.ae/egovPoolPortal_WAR/appmanager/ADeGP/Citizen?

_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=p20172&lang=en

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DisabilityLivingAllowance/index.htm

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Employedorlookingforwork/DG_10014402

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869

http://www.prudentminds.com/state-pension.html

Media /TV

UK channels 

Dubai channels

The TV has become one the essential things in our lives, but of course there plenty of differences in what is being broadcast to the public. Here are some differences between British and the U.A.E. broadcasting. Firstly the British broadcasts are famous. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is well known as non commercial broadcaster and it gets funded by the TV licenses, while in U.A.E. broadcasts are funded by commercials as well as by the government. The BBC has freedom of speech; in U.A.E. broadcasters has some freedom of speech, but not as much the BBC. The most famous soaps in the UK are EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and  they are being broadcast for many years now .However, in the U.A.E. broadcasts  there are no soaps, but they have  series which have maximum 30 episodes . Both countries show some types of programmes such as international and local news, sports programmes and events.  Both countries broadcast for twenty four hours a day and have channels
which only broadcast news and sport.


http://www.freeview.co.uk/Channels
http://www.dmi.ae/default.asp?lang=en

comment on EastEnders

On Sunday I have watched EastEnders on BBC iplayer, it was pretty good episode to watch but I couldn’t cope well with the accent they used in EastEnders.  Although, listening to the rest made me understand what they were saying before when I didn’t understand. Interesting events happened in EastEnders that made me wonder what is next and what it will happen later. The programme in general shows what is going on in most British houses, and how people live in the UK. For me, it was interesting because I am new to the UK, and watching this kind of soaps would help me to have an Idea about people lives here






http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/

programs were being broadcast at 7pm

these are the programs were bing broadcast at 7pm 

       

   

    

BBC 1 , the one show and it is chat show.

  

       

            

BBC2 , coast , and it is documentary.

                                                                       

  

ITV1 , emmerdale , and it is sopas.

    

Channel 5 , channel 5 news.

             

       

Channel 4 , channel 4 news.








http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007tcw7
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mvlc
http://www.itv.com/Soaps/emmerdale/
http://www.channel5.com/shows/5-news-2
http://www.channel4.com/news/

education in the UK and the U.A.E

All UK children have to go to school at the age of 4 years old, although some children go to nursery school where they learn things by playing. This is followed by primary school which children attend between the ages 4 and 11 years old. Primary school education is very broad and gives children basics skills in reading writing and arithmetic. Children then progress to secondary school where for the first few years the education is also broad. Then, at the age of 14 children begin to choose subjects for their GCSE [1]exams. These courses include languages and sciences and children sit exams for these at the age of 16. Before university, students choose around 3 subjects to study for A-level and they specialise in those subjects. After a-level students can choose to go on to university. However, in the United Arab Emirates the education system is quite different than the UK. Children start to go to nursery school at the age 3 to 5 years. Then at the age of 6 children get through different level of education, primary school, secondary school and high school, each level takes 3 years to go to another, while the students who are in the high school have the chose to choose which section they want to study, art section or science section. Students who go through these stages should finish at the age of 18 years old. then at the age of 18 and on student who wants to go university must do an entry exam called IELTS[2]  or TOEFL[3] and the student must get 5.0 or 500 and above to enter the university.

---

[1] General Certificate of Secondary Education

[2] International English language Teaching System

[3] Test of English as Foreign Language 

senedd (welsh assembly) trip

I recently went on a tour of the welsh assembly building in Cardiff bay. The building is 5 years old and it is where the assembly members meet to discuss matters and to pass laws. From outside the Senedd looks very impressive with lots of glass and welsh slate. Inside it is also very modern and new with lots of wood and slate and glass, all from Wales. We passed through security and had a look around inside and then we were taken to a room called the chamber where all the assembly debates are held. This was very interesting and we heard a debate about the environment and the problem of litter in a South Wales town.  The debate was between several Assembly members. We were then taken on a tour of the building, which I enjoyed very much!

tour in the senedd ( welsh assembly )

Because of devolution, taking power from the central government and giving it to Wales, the assembly building or 
(senedd in welsh) was opened on March 1^st 2006. You can see from outside the senedd the bay, barrage, Saint David hotel and the pilot building. You can find the reception at the steps to the right of the hall. You see the funnel in the oriel and the purpose of the funnel is to air-condition the chamber. Inside the public gallery there is headphones are used for translating from welsh to English. Plenary meetings take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the term time. The glass in committee room is used to let the light in and make the government 
see -through (transparent). you can buy things from all over Wales like crafts , CD’s of welsh music and welsh books  , there is café where you can eat and drink.

St. David Day and Valentine’s Day

St David (or Dewi Sant in Welsh) is the patron saint of Wales, which means he has a special place in the hearts of Welsh people.  He was born in Wales sometime between the years 462 to 512. He became a teacher and a preacher in his early life…and became an important part of Welsh religious life and a symbol of Welshness.   It is said that he died on March 1^st and this day is celebrated as the most important day in the year for Welsh people. To celebrate this day many events are held in Wales such as concerts with traditional singing and dancing. People also wear daffodils and leeks to show their Welsh spirit on this day. There are special programmers on television and radio and some people also hope to make St David’s Day a national Bank Holiday in Wales.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_David

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14^th February and is named after the Christian Martyr, St Valentine, and is associated with romance and love. This idea of love and romance in connection with St Valentine began in the middle Ages.   In modern Britain we celebrate this day by sending Valentine cards to people we love. We also do other romantic things on this day like sending flowers or chocolates to the people we love.  Some couples also go out to eat for a special dinner on the evening of St Valentine’s Day.  It is also a very popular celebration in the USA and around the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

David Cameron

David Cameron is the prime minister of the United Kingdom. This is the highest job in the UK government. He has done this job since May 2010, when the conservatives won an extra 100 seats in the general election.He was born in 1966 in London but was brought up in Berkshire. He went to the famous Eton school and then Oxford University where he studied philosophy politics and economics. Since 2000 David Cameron has been the MP for Witney in Oxfordshire. He held many senior posts in the Conservative part and became a member of the shadow cabinet in 2004.  After a cabinet reshuffle he became the Shadow Education Secretary. He became Leader of the Opposition in 2005 and this meant that if the conservatives were elected he would become the Prime Minister.  At the age of 43, after the General Election in 2010 became Prime Minister, the youngest PM for almost two centuries.  His first aim was to cut the British debt which was very high. David Cameron married his wife Samantha in 1996 and they have 3 children. 

http://www.conservatives.com/People/David_Cameron.aspx

Women MPs

When Queen Victoria was alive, women did not even have the right to vote and there were many protests. One woman even died when she ran in front of a race horse in 1913. All women were given the vote at last in 1928. The first woman to be elected to the House of Commons in British Parliament was Nancy Astor in 1919. These days there are 144 female MPs and there are 504 male MPs, so we see that the majority of MPs are still men. In fact only 22 per cent of MPs are women.  The first woman Minister was Margaret Bond field in 1924, who was Under Secretary in the Ministry of Labour.  Nowadays there are more female Ministers than there used to be. In 1979 Margaret Thatcher made history by becoming the first female Prime Minister in the history of United Kingdom and she remained in office until 1990. Although she ran the country, there were still fewer women MPs than men, However women in Parliament is now an everyday part of life in Britain

http://www.parliament.uk/about/faqs/house-of-commons-faqs/members-faq-page2/

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/21cc/struggle/suffragettes1/derby1/derby.html

The UK Parliaments

 There are two Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom, which are the House of Commons and the House of the Lords. The House of Commons has more power than the House of Lords. There are 659 constituencies in the UK, England has 529 because of the density of the population, Scotland has 72, Wales has 40 and Northern Ireland has 18. Not all constituencies cover the same geographical area. The political party with most MPs forms the government and the leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister. There is an unusual voting system in the UK  called “ first past the post “ which means the person who wins the most votes is elected even if there is only 1 vote more than the next candidate .

UK in the EU

The United Kingdom joined the European Union in 1973 after much discussion. Some British people were worried that the British way of life would change forever.  There are some advantages and some disadvantage of belonging to the EU.

The most important advantage of belonging to the EU is that the countries that belong are less likely to go to war with each other, as they did twice in the last century. This is because the countries of the EU are tied together economically and politically. All the countries of the EU except for a few have the same currency which makes financial problems less likely. Being a member of the EU means that because it has many members it is more powerful in the world. The EU can make rules to prevent other countries from buying and selling freely from outside the European market. People can move and work freely within the union but this also can be seen as a disadvantage.

Some people think there is dangers that too much power is taken from the countries of Europe and that they are losing the ability too rule themselves. Countries like the UK have refused to use the euro as their currency because they want to keep the pound because it is part of the British way of life. It could be seen as a disadvantage to have all laws made in Brussels because each country in the European Union wants to keep its way of life and they all need different things. There are also those people who fear that the EU may lead each country to lose its own government and that everybody in Europe could be ruled from Brussels.

The European Union is known as a large world power and is important in world politics but are we losing the identity of the different countries inside it? We will see. 

http://econ.economicshelp.org/2007/03/costs-and-benefits-of-european-union.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Disadvantages-of-UK-Joining-the-Euro&id=472934

London trip

My friends and I are planning to spend a day in London on on Saturday . Train leaving from Cardiff Station to Victoria Station which would take us around 2 hours and 10 mins . We intend to visit many places . First,  after arriving at Victoria , we will go to visit the Victoria and Albert museum which we have to travel to by the tube , taking the tube would cost us 1.80p each way . Arriving at the museum will take 5 mins . Buying a tube a tube card ( pay as you go ) so we can use it all the day is the easiest and cheapest way of using the tube . After visiting the museum , we will head to Buckingham Palace, taking pictures of the palace . Afterwards ,we will go to the St. James Park to have our lunch there , as the park has a good view to the palace .  Then after having launch we will go to continue our trip to the next place we will go to which is London Eye . We are going to get on it to get best view of London . The ticket costs usually almost 19 pound so we will buy it online as its cheaper to buy it advance . Afterwards , we will go to Downing Street and walk around it to take closer look at the Primer Minster's house . After that visit to the Downing Street we will head for King's Road as its known as a very good road for shops . We are taking the tube as well , which will  cost us 1.80p each way . When arriving at King's Road we will do some shopping for clothes and accessories . Then we are going to travel back to Cardiff from Victoria Station , after a long day in London . So far my friends and I ,we are planning to do all these things in London , hoping everything goes well when we are there in London as we  planned to .  

The British People

The United Kingdom consists of 4 countries which are Wales Scotland England and Northern Ireland. Three of these countries  are Celtic countries , Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland and these are governed from London , the capital of England. However the three Celtic nations each have their own governments. English is by far the most used language in the UK but some people still speak  Welsh and Scottish Gaelic . Even in England there are many accents and customs which gives the UK a mixture of culture . 

One difference which i see as a foreign student living in Wales is that many names here are often different from England where i lived for a while . This is true of place names and people names because they come from the Welsh language .This also true in Scotland and Northern Ireland . Each country in the UK has its own flag as well as the British flag , Wales has a dragon flag . Each country has its own flower as a symbol , Wales has a daffodil England has a rose , Scotland has a thistle , Northern Ireland  has a shamrock . each country has their own national dress  and Scotland has its famous kilt . the four countries celebrate their own national days for their own saints . wales has St. David and Scotland has St. Andrew . These days are special days and celebrated in different ways .

Apart from English , Wales and Scotland both have their own language which are both Celtic  . Only around 60,000 people now speak Scottish Gaelic but welsh is by far the most spoken language and its used by around 700,000 speakers . Northern Ireland has a few Irish speakers but Cornish ( Cornwall ) and Manx (Isle of man ) are extinct but a few people are learning them. 

Some people from other nations also live in the UK and they come from all over the world . Many Indians and Pakistanis have lived here in recent times as well as other nationalities .