Tag: events

Travel the World: Kenya

Discover new places and destinations with our Travel the World series, every Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm (during term time).

Experience different parts of the world as fellow student and staff volunteers share insightful stories about locations across the globe, from famous landmarks to local hotspots. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about new cultures, including local traditions, celebrations, etiquette, food and much more!

Join us for this virtual event.

On 1 December, we’ll be talking about Kenya!

 

Biology graduate Aneesh will be telling us about his life in Kenya. Currently working for the NHS, Aneesh is a keen scuba-diver and has a wide range of passions, from cooking to gardening. Since starting his degree, he’s been able to add travel to this list of passions, as he’s been learning more about different cultures, food and language from his trips around the world. This is what attracted him to present for Travel the World, as well as his patriotism and fondness for his Kenyan childhood.

Aneesh will be discussing the rich history of Kenya, from the hustle and bustle of Nairobi to the beautiful marine life off the coast. Moreover, he will be sharing with us the secret gems of Kenya, and how to see them; places to visit, food to taste and animals to see.

Come along just to listen on your lunchbreak, and if you want to know more, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have for our speaker at the end of the presentation.

This is a fantastic chance to broaden your cultural knowledge, learn something new and be inspired to visit new places in the future and engage with students from all over the world.

If you’re interested in volunteering and sharing your knowledge of a particular place; be it a country, county, city or region then please visit our volunteering page to find out more!

The information presented in this event represents the personal views, observations and experiences of the speaker. We welcome your diverse range of questions with cultural sensitivity in mind.

View all of our other upcoming Travel the World events
.

 

Travel the World: hiking in Romania

Discover new places and destinations with our Travel the World series, every Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm (during term time).

Experience different parts of the world as fellow student and staff volunteers share insightful stories about locations across the globe, from famous landmarks to local hotspots. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about new cultures, including local traditions, celebrations, etiquette, food and much more!

Join us for this virtual event.

On 24 November, we’ll be talking about hiking in Romania!

First year Neuroscience student, Lorena Preda, will be guiding us through one of her favourite outdoor activities – the hiking trails of Romania. She will be sharing some interesting facts about her country, including traveling advice, culture and hiking tips:

“I want to be part of this event because many people have never even heard about Romania, let alone its mountains. This is my chance to show the good and beautiful sides of Romania. For me, my country’s mountains offer an escape from my day to day life. It’s like stopping the time to enjoy the simplest things in life, like a breath of fresh air, the surrounding nature and the opportunity to take amazing photos”. 

Brought to you as an interactive presentation, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have for our speaker!

This is a fantastic chance to broaden your cultural knowledge, learn something new and be inspired to visit new places in the future and engage with students from all over the world.

If you’re interested in volunteering and sharing your knowledge of a particular place; be it a country, county, city or region then please visit our volunteering page to find out more!

The information presented in this event represents the personal views, observations and experiences of the speaker. We welcome your diverse range of questions with cultural sensitivity in mind.

View all of our other upcoming Travel the World events.

 

Travel the World: Taiwan

Discover new places and destinations with our Travel the World series, every Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm (during term time).

Experience different parts of the world as fellow student and staff volunteers share insightful stories about locations across the globe, from famous landmarks to local hotspots. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about new cultures, including local traditions, celebrations, etiquette, food and much more!

Join us for this virtual event.

On 17 November, we’ll be talking about Taiwan!

Student, Iris Ho, will be guiding us through a wide range of interesting facts about Taiwan, including popular food and drink, current affairs / important dates in Taiwanese history and things you can enjoy in the capital, Teipei. Brought to you as an interactive presentation, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have for our speaker!

This is a fantastic chance to broaden your cultural knowledge, learn something new and be inspired to visit new places in the future and engage with students from all over the world.

If you’re interested in volunteering and sharing your knowledge of a particular place; be it a country, county, city or region then please visit our volunteering page to find out more!

The information presented in this event represents the personal views, observations and experiences of the speaker. We welcome your diverse range of questions with cultural sensitivity in mind.

View all of our other upcoming Travel the World events.

 

Diwali celebration

Posted on by lizzie.feltham

The Hindu Society, with the Global Lounge, bring you a warm and welcoming virtual celebration of Diwali

Wednesday 11 November

Diwali, commonly known as the ‘Festival of Lights’, lasts between 4 to 5 days and, like Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, follows the ‘lunar calendar’ meaning that the date changes each year.

Namaste

‘Diwali, in itself, is a celebration of the idea of India. Everyone celebrates for different reasons.’

This year, the Bristol Hindu Society celebrated Diwali with a virtual event which was open to all, introducing the festival to those who may not know much about it, whilst allowing those who would normally celebrate with family and loved ones the opportunity to come together and celebrate online. Akash, president of the Bristol Hindu Society, introduced the event, kicking things off with a beautiful Aarti – a type of prayer which the society typically start their events off with.

Akash went onto explain that while there may be many possible origins of Diwali, the core essence remains the same: ‘the victory of good over evil, and of knowledge over ignorance,’ going on to say that it is also not a festival ‘limited only to Hinduism and Hindus’ but that ‘Diwali, in itself, is a celebration of the idea of India. Everyone celebrates for different reasons.’

Some typical features of celebrating Diwali include:

  • lighting diyas – an oil lamp usually made from clay
  • fireworks – to guide the spirits of ancestors
  • rangolis – patterns made of coloured sand or crushed flowers to beautify the house and a sign to welcome visitors

‘Who needs measuring spoons when you have your hands!’

After the introduction to Diwali students talked about how it’s felt not being able to celebrate with loved ones at home this year, and shared with each other how they were celebrating Diwali during lockdown, which included dinner with housemates, Bollywood music and movies, and eating / making homemade sweets!

Students also shared with each other how they would usually celebrate with family – with a large focus on food, including an insight into Indian cooking and a mother’s tip when it comes to recipes: “Who needs measuring spoons when you have hands!”

The community-feeling really shone through during these conversations and even for those who don’t celebrate Diwali, it was a wonderful insight into this annual celebration.

‘Wear Indian clothes just to get into the feel of it. At Christmas people wear Christmas jumpers, so in the same way, wear some Indian clothing to get in the mood.’

Students ended the event by giving tips on how you can celebrate Diwali at home, including:

  • watching popular Indian movies (Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gum is recommended!)
  • buying or making homemade sweets
  • lighting sparklers
  • celebrating virtually with family and loved-ones
  • having a go at cooking Indian food that you would normally have with family – or – treating yourself and ordering online
  • wearing some traditional Indian clothing to get you into the mood and playing some music
  • using candles or fairy lights to decorate your spaces at home

Check out the full event here, and be inspired to make Diwali just as special this year – where ever you are!

NHSF Bristol Hindu Society:

Check out their Freshers’ Guide 2020

Social media:

Faith Crawl

Join the Multifaith Chaplaincy for their hugely popular annual Faith Crawl!

Typically, the Chaplaincy takes students and staff on a guided tour around different local faith centres in Bristol however this year, with support from the Global Lounge, the faith crawl is going online!

Leaders from three different local faith centres will tune in to give a short talk about how faith is lived out in their community, with time to ask questions. This is a great opportunity to learn about different faith traditions in Bristol and meet new friends.

The full line-up will be announced closer to the time but until then you can mark the date in your diary and reserve a ticket on Eventbrite – places are limited! 

You can also mark your attendance on Facebook.

This event is open to all staff and students at the University of Bristol and will be run on Zoom.

Travel the World: Lebanon

Discover new places and destinations with our Travel the World series, every Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm (during term time).

Experience different parts of the world as fellow student and staff volunteers share insightful stories about locations across the globe, from famous landmarks to local hotspots. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about new cultures, including local traditions, celebrations, etiquette, food and much more!

Join us for this virtual event.

On 10 November, we’ll be talking about Lebanon!

Maria Chammas will be discussing tips on visiting Lebanon. Brought to you as an interactive presentation, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have for our speaker!

This is a fantastic chance to broaden your cultural knowledge, learn something new and be inspired to visit new places in the future and engage with students from all over the world.

If you’re interested in volunteering and sharing your knowledge of a particular place; be it a country, county, city or region then please visit our volunteering page to find out more!

The information presented in this event represents the personal views, observations and experiences of the speaker. We welcome your diverse range of questions with cultural sensitivity in mind.

View all of our other upcoming Travel the World events.

 

Travel the World: Dubai

Discover new places and destinations with our Travel the World series, every Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm during term time.

Join us for this virtual event.

On 3 November, we’ll be talking about Dubai!

First year Law student, Tala Youhana, will be sharing some interesting facts about Dubai, including popular landmarks, local hotspots and cultural differences between the United Arab Emirates and the UK. Tala is Iraqi, but has lived in Dubai since she was 4, and wanted to take the opportunity to share her experiences of different cultures:

“It was my interest in exploring different cultures that brought me here, and so I wanted to volunteer for this event to bring my culture to everyone else!

I’ll be sharing UAE culture, landmarks and popular activities that residents take part in during their time off, and will also be talking about the differences between being a student in England compared to the United Arab Emirates. As well as divulging some interesting facts about the country, I will be highlighting cultural sensitivities and laws unique to the region.”

All of this information will be brought to you in an interactive presentation, with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have for our presenter, Tala.

This is a fantastic chance to broaden your cultural knowledge, learn something new and be inspired to visit new places in the future and engage with students from all over the world.

The information presented in this event represents the personal views, observations and experiences of the speaker. We welcome your diverse range of questions with cultural sensitivity in mind.

If you’re interested in volunteering and sharing your knowledge of a particular place; be it a country, county, city or region then please visit our volunteering page to find out more!

View all of our other upcoming Travel the World events.

Travel the World: South India

Discover new places and destinations with our Travel the World series, every Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm during term time.

Experience different parts of the world as fellow student and staff volunteers share insightful stories about locations across the globe, from famous landmarks to local hotspots. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about new cultures, including local traditions, celebrations, etiquette, food and much more!

Join us for this virtual event.

On 27 October, we’ll be talking about South India!

Student Deepthi Nanduri will be guiding us through some interesting facts about the South of India, including things like local cuisine and travelling through the region. Brought to you as an interactive presentation, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have for our speaker!

This is a fantastic chance to broaden your cultural knowledge, learn something new and be inspired to visit new places in the future and engage with students from all over the world.

If you’re interested in volunteering and sharing your knowledge of a particular place; be it a country, county, city or region then please visit our volunteering page to find out more!

The information presented in this event represents the personal views, observations and experiences of the speaker. We welcome your diverse range of questions with cultural sensitivity in mind.

View all of our other upcoming Travel the World events.

 

Travel the World: Berlin

Discover new places and destinations with our Travel the World series, every Tuesday from 1 pm to 2 pm during term time.

Experience different parts of the world as fellow student and staff volunteers share insightful stories about locations across the globe, from famous landmarks to local hotspots. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about new cultures, including local traditions, celebrations, etiquette, food and much more!

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Our Music, Black Music

The Global Lounge has partnered with the BME Network to invite you to Our Music, Black Music, as part of Black History Month.

 

Join in with this virtual exploration of Black music, from rock to neo-soul to highlife. Hosted by students, in collaboration with Black cultural societies, they’ll take you on a musical journey – all you need to do is sit back, enjoy the music and cast your vote on which host you think has won each genre during this interactive live DJ set!

 

To join in with this event, simply head to @bristol_su on Instagram live at 6 pm.

 

This event is part of Black History Month. Check out the full programme of events on the SU website and follow the BME Network on Facebook and Instagram.

 

A statement from Khadija Meghrawi, Chair of the BME Network at Bristol University, about Black History Month:

 

“Black History is far too neglected and should be represented all year around. The purpose of this month is both to empower Black students and to refocus the energy on how to be an active ally, equipping non-Black students with the tools to educate themselves and question the structures around them. These discussions are particularly relevant in Bristol, which is facing the challenge of ensuring that Colston’s statue being taken down is not where the activism ends.”