My ‘Not-so-secret Garden’

After living in London for more than 10 years I have collected some favourite places, restaurants, streets, alleys.
Battersea Park, not such a secret place at all, but a park that I can almost consider like my own backyard. And that is a place I only discovered a few years ago, when I got my dog and where I often walk him. I consider it my ‘secret’ garden because, during the week and even on weekends, you meet locals with their dogs, children playing sports from local Chelsea schools, but on the whole, there are many corners where one can feel really peaceful, unlike most of the other parks in SW London.

At this time of the year, and especially this year when autumn came a bit later, the shades of yellow and orange are breathtaking! If it weren’t for the sound of the odd plane heading to Heathrow, one would feel like they are in the middle of the countryside, contemplating huge old trees.
My two favourite parts are the west side of the lake, close to the Tropical garden, where  it is very common to spot storks, cranes and other beautiful birds, just posing for you to take a picture. The second one is the café near the Victorian rose garden and fountains, not only for its history (look for the plaque and read about it) but because that is a meeting place for dog owners on Sunday mornings. Dogs of all sizes and colours love to run after each other on the lawn in front of the café which is left ungroomed to look a bit wilder for the furry ones.


Going back to ‘civilization’ by crossing the Albert Bridge is a bonus, especially on a clear day at sunset, which again, at this time of the year is amazing!






 


But before you leave through the small gate leading to the bridge, stop by the Pagoda, on the river bank. It was built by 50 volunteers, monks and nuns between 1984 and 1985, a gift to this beautiful peaceful park, which is by far one of my favourite places in this sometimes chaotic city!




Written by Valeria Fleury who is the Director of Membership at FOCUS.

For more information about FOCUS visit: www.focus-info.org

New Bus for London

Have you noticed something new in the London townscape recently? The new Routemaster aka “New Bus for London” buses are here!


The design is inspired by the old Routemaster and the new buses are specially made for the London streets.
Prototype buses have been running on the route 38 between Victoria and Hackney since February 2012.
One day I talked with the Conductor in the rear of the bus and I discovered that all London buses will be converted to the new Routemasters. In peak hours and on the busiest routes, there will be a Conductor on board providing travel advice and supervising the safety of passengers. The coolest thing is that you are allowed to hop on or off at the rear platform when the bus has stopped for a red light or in heavy traffic.

The new environmentally friendly bus which runs on a hybrid diesel-electric motor has three sets of doors, each with Oyster card readers, making it easier to get on and off. Inside, there are two staircases, one near the front and one at the back, for easy access to and from the upper deck.

The New Bus for London currently operates on routes 9, 11, 24 and 38 and Route 390 will convert by the end of the year. By 2016 more than 600 new buses will run in London.

If you are interested in riding one of the original heritage Routemaster buses the numbers 9 and 15 still have some of them running during the daytime.


The aery interior of the New Bus for London is designed by Heatherwick Studio together with the manufacturer and is made in stylish scheme of colours and has a retro feel.


According to the Greater London Authority, the design of the buses is intended to aid speedier and smoother boarding.

Let us hope these buses will help to ease the congested London traffic!


Written by Marianne Sloth, Social Media and Website Manager at FOCUS.

For more information about Focus visit: www.focus-info.org

Meet Santa's Helpers

Over the half term break, I went on a trip to Scotland with my exchange program and one of the coolest things we did while we were there was to visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre in Aviemore. If you’re an outdoorsman, an animal lover, or just looking for a fun weekend trip, definitely check this out.

The journey starts at the bottom of a hill where you are met by guides who are reindeer experts. Then begins a short hike through the woods. The paths are small and sometimes a little intimidating but the stunning views of the mountains and valleys all around more than make up for it. After crossing a beautiful stream,and walking a bit further, you finally arrive at the first reindeer enclosure. At this point the guides will go over some basic rules and then you go in!

This is a very interactive experience. The reindeer understand that when people show up, they are going to be fed, so don’t be alarmed if they start following you or coming right up onto the path with you. Once you have reach the designated spot within the enclosure, the guides start putting out the regular food. While the reindeer are away eating that, you have the chance to take a handful of different food to give them as a treat.


They say in Harry Potter that “The wand chooses the wizard,” well, in this case it is “The reindeer chooses the human.” You can try to pick a favourite and get them to come to you, but most of the time they won’t pay attention. All of the reindeer are very friendly, and since reindeer don’t have any top teeth they can't bite, so the only things you really must be mindful of are the antlers.





I went in mid-October when the leaves were just starting to change colour and it provided some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. But as reindeer tend to be associated with winter, and especially with Christmas, this trip would also be lovely for a family with children to go on together to help get into the holiday spirit. Really though, this is a trip for everyone. You’d have to be a real Scrooge to not enjoy it!

Written by Audi Craig. Audi is an American studying in London. She is working as a Intern at FOCUS.



For more information about FOCUS visit: www.focus-info.org

The value of the IB Diploma from the perspective of an IB - DP Alumni

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) is a really interesting curriculum; with the premise being that an IB student can change school and pick-up the programme right from where they left off, whilst simultaneously developing highly adaptive individuals.

Personally I'm not one of the "3rd Generation" kids that lived in multiple cities whilst growing up, but the benefits of the IB weren't lost on me. Due to the vastness of the cultures I had to interact with throughout the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme as well as the open-minded principles the IB ingrains in it's students, I developed a sense of cultural awareness that has incalculable value. At the age of 23 I've worked in Angola, Portugal, USA and the UK, and in all countries I felt prepared to interact with the local culture. Not that I knew everything about that particular culture, but I had the inter-personal skills required. Skills that I believe are only developed through experience, and the IB Programmes provided me with just that.

Reality has changed, and the idea of a 'single culture' individual is one that is quickly fading. The paradigm of success is continuously changing - faster than ever - and the most important thing for any student is to pick up the skills that allow them to adapt to this ever changing reality.

The other advantage I've felt, and one I can honestly say is a competitive advantage, is from a 'work ethic' perspective. Many students that go through the IB-DP complain about the workload, and rightfully so. No matter how much work I have to do for my day job, I can honestly say that in relative terms the IB-DP is the single hardest thing I've ever done. An opinion I'm sure is echoed by many IB students around the world. But it isn't all doom and gloom. This forces us to develop mechanisms to handle large workloads with short lead times, and to do so at a very high quality. Something which no doubt is valued by any industry. Combine this with the sense of curiosity that most IB students develop and you're left with highly effective and innovative individuals.

I guess by now you're all wondering why I'm sharing this or that 'surely the IB can't be that great?' You're right, it isn't all glamour. It is an extremely challenging programme that not all students benefit from as they find it overwhelming. However, even though as an alumni I'm biased towards the IB Diploma, I see daily the benefits that having gone through the programme bring me. As such, if writing this post can in any way help a parent or student decide whether (or not) to pursue an IB Diploma, then it was worth writing.

Author Bio: Francisco Moreira graduated from Hult International Business school with a Masters in International business and works as a Business Analyst in Offerings Management at CSC based in London, United Kingdom. Francisco is the author of Find Your Rhythm, (www.findyrhythm.com) a self-help guide for International Baccalaureate Diploma students.