GET READY FOR LONDON

1. Locate our hostel  "Safestay Holland Park" in google.

Check out the facilities and regulations of the hotel. What you can do and what you mustn't do.

-Here is our hotel Sfestay Holland Park! newly renovated! There's a lounge room opened 24h, free wifi, a private big and precious garden, a computer room, etc. There are many things we can not do like smoke or drink alcohol drinkings, make noise after 23:00h.

In google maps:

It is near The British museum, the London eye, the Madame Tussauds and The Big Ben. If you want to go to Picadilly Circus, a big square of London in foot is around 1 hour and 4 minutes.

2. Look for 3 must-see landmarks in London you definitely would like to visit.

The Big Ben: How to go there: I'll walk to the High Street Kensington Station during 13 minutes and then I'll take the tube to the Westminister Station (this will be like 12 minutes). Later, in 2 minutes walking I'll arrive to the Big Ben. The Big Ben, officially named Elizabeth Tower, was completely built in 1858 by the architect Augustus Pugin. Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell of the clock, located in the Palace of Westminister.

The Piccadilly Circus: How to go there: Bus 94 from the Holland park (Stop HL) to the Piccadilly circus (Stop HL) in 28 minutes. Piccadilly Circus is a famous place and street intersection located in the West End of London, in the district of City of Westminster. Was built 1819 to connect Regent Street with the shop street.

The London Eye:I'll walk to the High Street Kensington Station during 13 minutes and then I'll take the tube to the Westminister Station (this will be like 12 minutes). Later, in 8 minutes walking I'll arrive to the Big Ben. The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. Is the Europe's tallest wheel. You can observe the whole city in a booth. I'm not coming back without going there!

3. The musical. Browse the theatre plays available in London at the time of our visit. Choose two shows you would like to see, state why and their cheapest ticket prices on Saturday night.

Billy Elliot: Session at 7:30 pm at the Victoria Palace Theatre £51.00. After seeing the movie (more than three times...) it would be nice to watch the musical.

The Lion King: The cheapest ticket is £90.00. It's such a pitty for the cost but it would have been really extraordinary to see it! It doesn't matter hwo old are you, The Lion King is a classic that no one can say no to it!

Sit exams early to fit in with Ramadan: Pupils taking GCSEs and A-levels face timetable shake-up to accommodate fasting Muslims

LINK
SUMMARY:

Thousands of students from England, specially in London, will do the key exams to enter to the university earlier than other years. Some exams will start before Ramadan, while others will be in the morning, not in the afternoon. The muslim holy month means that believers avoid food and drinks during hours, eating before daylight and after dusk.

This change means that all the students will have less days to revise, but this has been done to avoid muslims students present themselves in exams with low energy and have a disadvantage over their mates.

Bearing in mind that muslims in England represent almost the 5%, and they are minority, the timetable change recieved so many negative reviews. The secretary of the Muslim Council of Britan said that the decision “is fair and just, but this is no a privilefe and it is within the JCQ policy”. JCQ and Muslim groups met to discuss the calendar of the exams according to Ramadan.

There were also teachers who talked about going into exams without eating and drinking could affect their results. Mary Bousted, secretary of ATL, said that “as educators we want all children to be able to achieve their best in exams that are so crucial to their future”.

VOCABULARY:

JCQ: Joint Council for Qualifications is a council acting as a single voice for the six largest qualification providers in the UK.

Dusk: nightfall, vespre

PERSONAL OPINION:

From my point of view, this change timetable is extraordinary. That an european country changes the dates of examinations just because Ramadan will affect the capacity of relatively small amount of muslim students is something that I never would have thought.

This fact shows the attention that they pay in their students, no matter their religious. I agree with the fact of all the students going into their exams in the same conditions, it is logical. It has really surprised me, because as a muslim, I see myself preparing my PAU exams sleeping all day and studying all night. In my case, it affects me almost one week, (Ramadan starts 6th June and Selectivitat the 14th).

When I read this new, I thought if it could be possible in Spain. But after thinking about it, I realized that I can't compare and advanced country like England with the currently Spain. How will Spain change something related with religions if it can't even make up the needs of an important part of the country as Catalonia?