3rd of the 3 countries visited - Northern Cyprus

I went on Holiday to cyprus with my family for around 4 weeks and we stayed in a private villa with an outdoor swimming pool and lots of beaches and restaurants to visit within 10-20 minutes drive. It was a great place. The night-life is great also, with many turkish clubs and bars. This is me suffering from sunburn. Turkey is a hot place and prices are moderately high. Its agood family holiday spot because it is relaxing and there are also some nice sites to check out. On the downside foe me on this place is that it can be a little boring simply becuase I do not speack turkish and I do not know anyone there. It is also very hot. 30 Degrees of heat for me can be a little too much for my liking.

2nd of 3 Countries - England

I came here in England when I was 12. At first, I found it extremely cold in comparison to the weather I was used to in the Philippines, which is very hot and humid. I got used to the British weather in England with its many changes in rain, sun and sometimes, piercing cold winds which I hate the most. On another note, I find it really nice on summers where there are many outdoor activities to check out, among them is the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew (Kew Gardens).

I found many magnificent scenery, exotic plants, works of art within buildings and museums and beautiful landscapes in Kew Gardens. In here you can find many varieties of plants kept in different garden museums as well as exotic architechture like the Japanesse pagoda and shrine. It also has an ice-rink for ice skating in the winter. This place is very wide and spaceous and you can find many beautiful areas to relax and enjoy the beauty of the many unique surroundings.

The good thing in England is the NHS. However, you can expect a long waiting list even in the accident and emergency area, where at one point, I have been recommended to see my GP to further refer me to an orthopedic after my accident, when the hospital could have easily sorted it there and then. I was then made to wait 2 months to see the orthopedic. I also had to wait 9 hours in the accident and emergency department with a severe knee damage.

Prices are nearly always very high in England compared to the Philippines, although prices for most branded electrical goods are the same. Overall, England is a great country to live when you have great family and friends with you. Otherwise, it can get lonely.

The millenium dome - airplane view

1 of 3 Countries - The Philippines

I was born and brought up in Quezon City, Philippines until I was 12, which was when I first came to England to live with my mother. The Philippines is a country rich in culture and tourism. It has many islands and beautiful beaches. Amongst the beaches I have visited are Puerto Galera and Boracay. The views are relaxing and magnificent where beautiful sands and sea can be overlooked just a few metres by the villas.

I grew up in a poor area on the outskirts of Metro Manila with my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins living in the same area. I was lucky enough to migrate to England at the age of 12 and get to study in university as well as see other places in the world. Amongst the many things I like about the Philippines apart from its slums are the fun things to do and many places to go; especially now (11 years later) that I am currently here, I would say that the country itself has gone through major development compared to what it was like many years before. Some areas now have improved housing and property developments as well as road structures. Vehicular and other types of pollution are still very much present however. Food and other basic expenses are easily affordable. The Philippines is also a great holiday destination and tourist attraction as it is made up of over 7,000 islands many of which have been improved for holiday destinations. Here are pictures of me and my girlfriend Grace in Mall of Asia, which is the 3rd LARGEST MALL IN THE WORLD.

-----------------------STATISTICS ------------------------ From the website

http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com/travel_philippines.html THE PHILIPPINES

Pearl of the Orient

Background

The Philippines were ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. They attained their independence in 1946 after being occupied by the Japanese in World War II. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986 when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile. In 1992, the US closed down its last military bases on the islands. The Philippines has had two electoral presidential transitions since Marcos' removal by "people power." In January 2001, the Supreme Court declared Joseph ESTRADA unable to rule in view of mass resignations from his government and administered the oath of office to Vice President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO as his constitutional successor. The government continues to struggle with ongoing Muslim insurgencies in the south.

THE PHILIPPINES stands at the crossroads of the developed western world and the Orient. It lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, stretching more than 1,840 kilometers. Composed of 7,107 islands, the Philippines is readily accessible to the different capitals of the world. Its three main islands are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The South China Sea washes its western shores. Taiwan, China and Hong Kong are northern neighbors and further north is Japan. To the west lie Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. An arm of the archipelago reaches out towards Borneo and at its feet stands the chain of Indonesian islands. To the east and south, the waters of the Pacific Ocean sweep its headlands, looking out towards Micronesia and Polynesia. Its unique location has made the Philippines the commercial, cultural and intellectual hub of Asia from the dawn of history.

Economy

In 1998 the Philippine economy - a mixture of agriculture, light industry, and supporting services - deteriorated as a result of spillover from the Asian financial crisis and poor weather conditions. Growth fell to about -0.5% in 1998 from 5% in 1997, but recovered to about 3% in 1999 and 3.6% in 2000. The government has promised to continue its economic reforms to help the Philippines match the pace of development in the newly industrialized countries of East Asia. The strategy includes improving infrastructure, overhauling the tax system to bolster government revenues, moving toward further deregulation and privatization of the economy, and increasing trade integration with the region.

Climate

March to May is hot and dry, with temperatures ranging from 22° to 32°C. June to October is rainy. November to February is cool; temperatures range from 22° to 28°C. Average humidity year-round is 77%.

Ethnic Groups

91.5% Christian Malay, 4% Muslim Malay, 1.5% Chinese and 3% other.

Languages

The national language is Pilipino, which is based on the language of Tagalog, although there are at least one or two dialects spoken in every region. English is both spoken and understood throughout the country, especially in business negotiations and in the government. Hokkien, Cantonese and Mandarin are spoken by older members of the Filipino-Chinese community.

Religion

83% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist and other.

The Philippines in the World

THE PHILIPPINES is readily accessible from the travel capitals of the world. Traveling time

to Manila from Hong Kong is an hour and 50 minutes;

Singapore, 3 hours and 10 minutes;

Bangkok, 3 hours and 50 minutes;

Tokyo, 4 hours and 15 minutes;

Sydney, 10 hours and 20 minutes;

London, 20 hours and 45 minutes;

Paris, 21 hours and 15 minutes;

Frankfurt, 19 hours and 40 minutes;

San Francisco, 16 hours and 15 minutes;

Los Angeles, 15 hours and 20 minutes; and

New York, 25 hours and 20 minutes.

Wealth of Wonders

The Worlds Smallest Monkey

The Worlds Best Beaches

The Banaue Rice Terraces

The Worlds Smallest Bat

The Worlds Best Diving Destinations

THE BEGINNING...

THE BEGINNING...

I suppose ill start where it all began.. I was born in The Philippines located in south east Asia near Malaysia for the people that didn't know. I was born there on April in a suburb area of San Pablo City near the Capital Manila. I don't remember much of it but I remember it being a Less Developed Country and in Poverty. Luckily I was half Scottish and My Parents had very good careers in Bahrain.. ..This brings me to Bahrain where we moved as a Family when I was 2. Although we didn't stay long as my mother wanted me to have a Filipino upbringing close to family and friends. I'm afraid I cant explain more about Bahrain as I have no memories at all...

.. So when I was about 3/4 years old we returned to The Philippines where I went to school, spent most of my childhood climbing trees. I have some memories of it mainly of my family, aunts, uncles and cousins.

BIG DECISIONS.. My parents made a big decision for all of us to move to the UK and start a fresh. They felt we'll have a better standard of life and a better upbringing.. I had different thoughts about the UK, I couldn't speak much English although I could understand it a bit, so of course, I was scared and was upset leaving all my family and friends behind. We moved into London, South-West to be precise where I was to begin the next chapter of my life. So I went to school, grew up, had a few birthdays etc.. then .. I was old enough to go to University.

SW8

Living in the UK, one of the first country we visited was Scotland. This was the heritage of my father where his entire family lived. It was a long train journey to Scotland taking almost 8 hours. We used to visit once a year, during the summer and basically tour the northern Scotland including Inverness, Loch Ness and Elgin.

I found Scotland a very quiet place with plenty of open fields and fantastic scenery especially the mountains and pasture land. I also visited Scotland during the Christmas holidays and I was amazed by the amount of snow. It certainly was one of my best Christmas experience. After visiting Scotland after every summer of every year, it became unbearable to visit and almost like a task. My parents decided not to visit that often and we should visit other countries.

Salut!

Yep, you guessed right.. France was another country that was often visited seeing as it is just across the channel. Visiting the Champs Elysee in Paris felt almost like you were in Oxford Circus. It was so alike that all you could think about was buy, buy buy! The Eiffel Tower was an amazing feat but seeing it at night was just magical. France is truly a country worth visiting. The view from the top of the the Sacred Heart Church was also a site worth seeing providing a view of the whole of Paris.

Paris is a location in the world I would consider moving to permanently, despite the language barrier it is a city that will hold a place in my life.

Land Of The Free

The last country I visited was the U.S. It is one of my most memorable experiences. Travelling alone, I finally felt like an adult even though I would be staying with family members. I spent almost 2 months in eastern coast, living with my aunt in Newark, New Jersey. It was about an hours drive to New York. New York was everything I imagined plus more, with sky scraper buildings, including the Empire state building and the Chrysler building.

Everything they do over there is B.I.G. even the meals are so large i struggled to finish it. But for us Brits its a great place to shop, knowing that the Pound is than the Dollar allows us to buy things at almost a half price.

After plenty of shopping it was time for site seeing, one of the first sites we visited was "Ground Zero" It was so fascinating how big the two buildings actually were and the amount of space it left behind. It had an eerie atmosphere and felt unsettling.

Other sites we visited in New York included the Statue Of Liberty which is a boat ride away, we also visited TRL in the hope of seeing some celebrities

On my last few days, we visited Washington. The monuments were amazing and the area was kept clean and protected with high security including the "White House."

Viva La France!!!

Well Hello visitors and welcome to our site! I'm Jermaine and today I believe I will be talking about one of the finest and cultured countries in Europe, France. I was fortunate enough to visit this great country roughly two years ago and to be perfectly honest it wasn't what I initially expected. When I first went I had many misconceptions of what the French were like and what the country was like. I had always believed the French were so very different to the culture and society I was accustomed to in the UK however, of course, I was wrong. France is a fair sized country made up of what I would call medium sized towns and a handful of large cities. However, my experience may be some what biased as I visited the rural part of France which was beautiful. I stayed in a town not too far from Paris called Châteauroux which is a fairly modern town that still had a side to it that was more traditional. There was one side of the town which seemed to want to hold onto its history and heritage. On this side the streets were narrow, the paving primitive and some buildings even looked tattered but amidst all of that, surprising it was pleasing to the eyes. It was because these were conditions that you would never see in the UK because although it all looked old, it was very clean and thankfully there was no litter or dog’s mess. It was all very traditional and historical. However the other side of the town was almost like a miniature Oxford Street, it was such a contrast. Now although I could very easy settle into the environment and my surroundings, the French cuisine did take some time getting used to. There were some French delicacies that were not too my liking like frogs legs or escargots (snails) because I would often find my self thinking "I'm eating a Snail" or "I'm actually eating part of a Frog". I do remember quite well when my French family would often make jokes and humour about the lengths I would go to avoid eating it. But after days of protest I gave into their requests, and I did try both dishes. I thought I would never hear myself say this but I would recommend the snails. At first the taste is a little too oily and rich and I actually thought I would have to swallow the whole snail without any sauce or seasoning but thankfully the snails were served with a lovely cheese and herbs sauce. So for any adventurous readers out there, try escargots and I’m sure the taste will surprise you!! The French language was probably one of the hardest things to get used to but then a French person could say the same about the English language. I found it most difficult because the French do talk very quickly, and with such an accent that it was often very hard communicating with them. At the time I could speak fluent French but in Châteauroux, they spoke so quickly that it really put my linguistic skills to the test! What I must say however is that the language can sound like music to the ears if spoken correctly. I have heard it is the language of love but whether that is true remains to be seen. Overall I would have to say that in the week I spent in France, was probably one of the most interesting and diverse experiences I have had in a long time. I was able to meet new people, try new foods and experience a new culture and considering how inexpensive it is to go to France, I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't been.

Introduction by James

James: Hey, I'm one of the members of the group for Computer Lab. I attend Kingston University studying Bsc (Hons) Business Information Technology. At the moment I am in contact with Issei through msn and email, while I am in contact with Jermaine through msn, email, phone and personal contact at university. We have yet to decide our chosen topic.. We will be discussing this in the upcoming days. I agree with Issei that it should be countries visited as we each have different backgrounds and individually will have some interesting things to write about.

Making a choice for the group log presentation.

Issei: BACKGROUND: I have established the group I will be in with James Maclaren. I will have electronic contact with James through MSN messenger and and he is to tell the others in our group about my part in the group. Having done so, we will have a discussion on what topic to choose for our group weblog. Hows it going group members? I'm Issei and I am also part of the group with Jamie, Jermain and James. I am abroad at the moment, but this does not mean I won't be contributing with the work. I will be contributing online for this group weblog. Soon, I hope to get the email address for Jermain and Jamie so that they too can have access as authors for this group weblog. The time difference where I am from is +8 hours to the UK time. Here are the choices for this assignment: -------- The weblog should be on one of the following topics: 1. Starting at university. This should include guidance for students coming to university next year, and a review of experiences which you have had so far. 2. Countries you have visited. 3. Your favourite music, books or art. 4. Activities, which could include sport, music, theatre etc. Individual article submission Your individual article should include 3-5 pages of description about your personal weblog. It should also include a 1 page description of how your group developed the group weblog and how you communicated within your group. This must be your own work, not a group submission. The URLs of both your personal weblog and your group weblog should be provided. Factors which may tend to indicate higher quality include: · Well written text entries, using good quality English text. · Substantial entries, rather than bare minimum entries. · More than the minimum number of entries. · Well thought out templates with good use of links and diagrams. · The use of diagrams within weblog entries. · The inclusion of a variety of tools and techniques appropriate to a weblog, such as blogrolls, links to other related web sites. · The use of more advanced techniques and tools, such as CSS and RDF/RSS. · Demonstration that archiving has been successfully applied to your weblog. · Imaginative use of the media. ------------ I reckon we should go for countries we have visited. Personally, I have only been to two other countries other than the UK, but I'm sure I could show some pictures and writings on them. Let me know what you guys think. Issei