e2 #253

shoestrin

Editor: Imogen Carter living@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Living

Deputy: Josephine Franks jfranks@ epigram.org.uk

Deputy: Mona Tabbara mtabbara@ epigram.org.uk

Travel

Style

Living

GET RICH QUICK or die tryin’ Last week, I decided that the student life of cold showers and scraping the mould off of bread wasn’t for me - especially after I had to write this article in bed simply because it was the only place in the house where I didn’t need to wear a coat. It followed from this that I began looking into minimumeffort schemes for the sloth-like student that promised me money to burn.

Gambling - or rather membership to an obscure online Poker tournament - seemed an obvious initial venture.

However, whilst winning a lot of money very quickly is possible, the much more common flipside to this is ending up much worse off than you were before you started. Buying a lottery ticket can’t do much harm, but statistics miserably remind us that we’re more likely to be killed by a vending machine than win the Euromillions Jackpot.

was any ambiguity - simply for filling in online surveys. I gladly signed up to see if this was the route to financial ambrosia, but unfortunately I didn’t read the small print. You don’t earn real money but online vouchers instead. This meant that after I had happily spent 15 minutes filling out my first survey, I was redirected to a website where I could exchange

.M.

C.R.E.A £££

said vouchers for things like DVDs and gardening tools.

Still unperturbed, I had a look to see what I could afford with my 25 hard-earned ‘credits.’

The cheapest item on the website cost 300 of these credits and was a ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ key ring. The irony wasn’t lost on me and I still get about five emails a day from the website as a constant reminder of my naivety.

“I soon came across a website promising £££!”

All ‘make-a-million-in-a-jiffy’ ideas exhausted – and although I hate to end on a cliché - I’m increasingly starting to think I might have to stop hiding under my duvet and do some good oldfashioned work to make my millions. If this plan results in me finding a stupidly rich husband, so much the better.

The limits of my imagination had dried up; I decided to continue my research, of course, with a quick Google. I soon came across a website offering money - as it exclaimed ‘£££!‘ just in case there

Rosie Quigley

If the first weeks of term have left your wallet feeling the pinch and your overdraft in the red, then e2 feels your pain.

e2 is brought to you by

But rather than wallowing in our post-Freshers gloom, we at e2 have compiled the perfect guide to living in Bristol on a shoestring budget.

Living : Imogen Carter, Josephine Franks and Mona Tabbara will meet at The White Bear at 1.15pm on the 23rd of October Style : Lizi Woolgar and Anisha Gupta will meet at The White Bear at 1.15 pm on the 24th of October

So wipe that kebab juice off your chin, ignore the strange stickiness on the bottom of your favourite shoes, and settle back with e2’s sage advice on how to get rich quick, forage for food on Brandon Hill, and stretch your student loan as far as it will go.

Travel : Alicia Queiro and Alex Bradbrook will meet at 1.15 pm at the Refectory on the 22nd of October with e2 editor : Ant Adeane e2 online editor: Nicola Reid Illustrators: Alex Norris Sara Daoud

www.e2blog.tumblr.com

22.10.12

madeinBRISTOL

THE OTHER TRIBE Bristol-bred boys The Other Tribe share Living’s love for Chris Morris, hummus and unicorns.

The band first came together in Bristol about three years ago. A few of us had been mates for years, some of us met out and about in clubs and two of us even met on stage at music college!

Most of our Sunday mornings are spent recovering from the gig the night before - or hopefully keeping the party going.

The club Dojo’s is without a doubt the Tribe’s spiritual home. It’s where we’ve spent the most time out together as a band, a couple of us met there and we still DJ there when they’ll have us.

The guy we’d most like to invite to a party is Chris Morris. He hasn’t made anything new in way too long and the only way to convey that message to him properly is face to face. He’s just that kind of guy.

The most important thing we’ve learned over the last few years is that it’s not all about playing loads of gigs, particularly when starting out. The main thing for us has been about evolving our sound into something unique, which takes time to get right.

We’ve had so many special gigs particularly at festivals, but our best ever was probably at Koko in Camden. The venue is a huge revamped theatre, so looking up at five tiers of people kicking off was absolutely unbelievable.

We’ve recently done our first UK tour supporting Man Like Me, which has been a lot of fun.

We don’t have any diva demands, although our guitarist Alex did complain that the hummus provided by a venue was too hummus-sy…

We’re looking to release our album next year and follow it up with a tour in Europe, which we’re really excited about! We’ve played 16 festivals this summer but can’t wait for it to start all over again.

Something we found out recently? Our bassist Miles is actually a unicorn.

‘Skirts’ was released on 30th September and is now available to buy on iTunes.

Imogen Carter

Editor: Imogen Carter living@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Living

Deputy: Josephine Franks jfranks@ epigram.org.uk

Deputy: Mona Tabbara mtabbara@ epigram.org.uk

Living

THE ANTI-BARGAIN HUNT It’s Freshers’ Week and lured by an increased student discount I find myself at Cabot Circus. I’ve yet to make a purchase but already I’m starting to feel guilty. Feeling flush from my student loan and in a hungover daze I willingly believe that my budget has been upgraded from shoestring to a piece of elastic with the customary ‘give.’

Student stereotyping suggests that I should probably be picking up the essentials in Primark or H & M, but I’m a self-confessed and unashamed snob when it comes to fashion. Although holes may appear in my budget, I don’t want my new clothes to fall apart in the same way – hence why I find myself browsing around Urban Outfitters going for the over-priced indie-hipster look instead. It’s a feeling familiar to most of us – I’d gone in just to try a skirt I’d lusted after online only to find myself in the fitting room 5 minutes later with over 8 items - thank God for the rare item limit of 10.

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Style

I can’t help it, I’m like a magpie drawn in by the edgy window displays, deceived into believing that I too can pull off the blouse/army jacket combo with the same panache as the mannequin, despite being a nerdy English student. By this point any idea of a budget is beginning to resemble Spanx; it’s desperately trying to pull everything in but I can’t breathe and my muffin top is starting to overhang. Surely that chiffon dress can squeeze into my wardrobe somewhere? With the

elasticity of my budget pulled to breaking point, I make my way to the till after bidding a sad farewell to those I just really, really can’t afford. As I make my exit my debit card is crying a puddle of tears inside its new home – a bag that I decided fulfilled my criteria of ‘practical’ because it could just about house my now depleted purse, along with phone and keys. My shopping bag is large enough to test the limits of social acceptability, yet the shopper’s guilt hasn’t fully kicked in yet and my retail appetite remains unsated; I return home only to continue the splurge online.

“I’ve morphed into a debit card junkie eager for my next swipe”

flickr Iori Furi

Any shopper can warn you about these perils but I’m not an ordinary shopper anymore; I’ve morphed into a debit card junkie eager for my next swipe. After the arrival of the order confirmation email I’m sat on my bedroom floor, Urban Outfitters purchases scattered around me and my previously elastic budget well and truly snapped to form a noose around the neck of my loyal debit card beside me.

Katie Seaman

22.10.12

B)

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out

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IMOGEN PALMER

NETWORKING AND BABOONS ‘Networking’ is a horrible word. It reminds me of sweaty palms, over-drinking and laughing too long and too loudly at a joke I don’t fully understand.

Long have I strived to discover the secret to successful networking and long did I suffer through work experience agonising over how quickly I was photocopying and whether they would notice the broken guillotine and the bloody bits of paper crumpled up in the bin. But according to my slightly older and more hired friends, the trick to effective networking turns out to be being a nice person. To quote a recent study on baboons: ‘By being a nice baboon, you increase the likelihood of having strong social bonds, which in turn translates to a better chance of passing on your genes.’ We can all learn a lot from our tree-dwelling friends.

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F) ‘gra milk te’ o from n pi zza cows,

ANGUS, THONGS AND FIFTY SHADES I read Fifty Shades of Grey. I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t going to buy it or anything but over the summer I unfortunately stumbled across it on my parents’ bookshelves. Aside from delving into how disturbing it is, I found that, when I began reading, I initially thought this was a strange cross between The Princess Diaries and a Georgia Nicholson teenage girl sob story: ‘OMG I’m like such a clumsy yet kooky and endearing girl, wow this amazing guy has walked in to transform my life, oh no I’ve got a spot/nothing to wear, aw rats he has a sex chamber - how will I ever get over this AND make it to prom?’ Of course you will Ana Steele. Everyone makes it to prom in the end. Interestingly, the series is now also getting their very own range of accessories from none other than our local Bath-based sex toy supplier Love Honey.

‘Inner Goddess Silver Pleasure Balls,’ anyone?

MATCH THE TAGLINES to these tasty

Sainsbury’s Basics

TREATS

G) add cleans, ed p n rom ises o

THE EXORICISM OF JUSTIN LEE COLLINS Once lord of the West Country, Justin Lee Collins has undergone a tragic fall from power and has now been sentanced for the harassment of an ex-partner.

What happened JLC? You were so cuddly! You were the guy who brought the A-team back together!

Apparently during the trial a recording of him emerged in which he was telling his ex-partner she brings out the ‘demon’ in him. He defended himself by saying the ‘rant’ was completely out of character and it sounded ‘like someone else.’ Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen enough horror films to know that nothing short of a couple of Catholic nuns and some holy water will sort this palaver out.

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Kate Samuelson

a) brown sauce b)prawns c) tomatos d) red wine e)baked beans f)mozarella g) sponge scourers

flickr x-ray delta

BORDERLINE NEWS

t e k r a m r p e e p S u Swe

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Editor: Imogen Carter living@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Living

Deputy: Josephine Franks jfranks@ epigram.org.uk

Deputy: Mona Tabbara mtabbara@ epigram.org.uk

Living

Blumenthal After flicking through various recipe websites and menus, I have decided to attempt ‘Nettle Porridge with roasted palette of cod, fennel, smoked beetroot parsley and garlic,’ which is suitably weird but mildly achievable. The first task, of course, is to obtain nettles.

Hence why, with a housemate for moral support, I venture to Brandon Hill as darkness falls, armed with an oven glove and some scissors, trying not to seem shifty but looking decidedly homicidal. ‘Dock leaves!’ comes the triumphant cry. Apparently nettles and dock leaves enjoy each other’s company, a fact with which I was previously unfamiliar but turned out to be correct.

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INGREDIENTS Nettles Eggs Garam masala Plain flour Onion Paprika Garlic Fennel Smoked beetroot Parsley Cod

green gunge,’ to quote the lovely Colin Firth in Bridget Jones’ Diary. Two eggs, whisked with seasoning, are added to this mess, and it genuinely looks like dog sick.

Currently feeling pretty dubious and considering ordering Domino’s, the stewed nettles are chopped and stirred through, along with some garam masala and paprika, which make it smell a lot more normal - but it still looks like dog sick.

Now to the cod. Presumably ‘palette’ means a rectangular block of cod, so I cut two and put them on to fry, along with some curves of fennel. Once they are cooked, everything is arranged in a dish with a garnish of parsley and thinly sliced beetroot.

Lacking as I am in smoking apparatus, the beetroot was technically just plain beetroot, although I did get someone to hold it whilst having a cigarette. Not sure if that counts.

Comments from friends, upon seeing the meal, were generally along the lines of ‘mmm, interesting.’ That pretty much sums it up. Upon tasting, it’s not actually that bad. Wouldn’t choose it again, but not that bad. All the ingredients came to much under a fiver, as some I already had, like onion and flour, and nettles are free for all to enjoy. Nettle bread, nettle soup, nettle porridge; the choices are endless. Perhaps this is an untapped resource for students in Bristol to ward off gangrene. Or perhaps not. Jenny Garbutt

Travel

After returning home with our stinging booty, I set them to stew with a bit of water. The onions and garlic are chopped and fried, plain flour sprinkled over and fried a bit more and then the water from the nettles is added to give a ‘congealed

ON A BUDGET ROOM 101 #2: CLUB CASHPOINTS

Barclays. Natwest. Lloyds. Picture the scene on any week night on the Triangle. Invariably it’s raining, drunken students are running across Queen’s Road tormenting taxi drivers and there’s a queue as big as Lounge’s for all the cashpoints. It is these cashpoints, which are constantly surrounded by persistent, unnervingly pleasant tramps and, of course, vomit which ought to be banished to Room 101.

Admittedly they do serve a purpose as it is advisable to have cash when clubbing as opposed to being forced to buy three times more drinks than you had planned to, simply because of the minimum ten pound card spend.

However, after waiting patiently to eventually be told that there are no £10 notes left is frustrating to say the least. On finally reaching the grail that is the hole in the wall, it is not unlikely that some idiot will come running up from inside Pam Pam and poke their stubby finger onto ‘withdraw £200,’ leaving you with too much cash to keep in your clutch.

“You’ll spend the majoity of the next morning weeping into your online bank statement”

Joel Jefferies

Alternatively, you’ll become the richest and most generous student between Redland and Stoke Bishop, choosing to withdraw your student loan in one bitter-sweet withdrawal and then bond with your fellow club-goers over extravagant rounds of double vodka Red Bulls.

Even if you were the prepared and forwardthinking soul who withdrew cash during the day to avoid the entirely unpleasant experience of late night cash machine-ing, you will probably be forced to wait with your friend who didn’t.

There are also those ‘thrifty’ savers who never bring a card out with them and end up forcing you to lend them a few extra pounds for a Donervan’s cheesy chips and garlic mayonnaise extravaganza at the end of the night.

When all is said and done, no one ever has enough cash, paying by card is a pain, the queue for the club will always be longer after you’ve gone to withdraw and whatever you do, you’ll probably spend the majority of the next morning weeping into your online bank statement. Cashpoints on the Triangle should be banished to Room 101 where they can be left bleating and spewing out unwanted receipts to their heart’s content, without frustrating desperate students who wish money grew on trees anyway.

Lara Kottsieper

BRISTOL CITY

MAYORAL

HUSTINGS WHEN: 6pm, Friday 2nd November WHERE: Wills Memorial Building Please book in advance at: bristolmayoraldebatestudents.eventbrite.com Send your questions by 26th October to: mayoral-debate@bristol.ac.uk

UBU.ORG.UK/VOICE ubu-representation@bristol.ac.uk

UBU NEWS

Issue 2 22.10.2012

ubu.org.uk

UBU events welcome Freshers, Postgrads & returning students to Bristol From the Freshers Fair to paint ball adventures to comedy nights, the Students’ Union packed more events than ever into the first weeks of term - events aimed not just at new undergrads,but new postgrads and returning students as well.

The annual Freshers Party and Ball were incredibly successful with the Party on 2 October attracting over 1800 students; ticket sales were

so high that the event moved from the Students’ Union to the more spacious O2 Academy. The Ball at Motion was equally well attended: over 2000 Freshers (joined by the elected officer team) crushed the dance floor to the musical genius of Tinchy Stryder.

According to Events Coordinator Nicky Butcher, ‘We really upped our game for this year’s Freshers events and it all paid off! The Party was a great success at the Academy and Tinchy Stryder went down a storm during the Ball at Motion. We are already planning for next years events which we are very excited about’. Find photos from the Party and Ball on p.2 and online at facebook.com/ bristolfreshers2012.

The Freshers Fair took place over two days at two venues, the Richmond Building: Home of the Students’ Union and the Victoria Rooms. New and returning students came along to join clubs and societies (over 7000 new memberships), find out more about the Students’ Union and collect freebies. Fun fact: the top spot for memberships at the Fair goes to Wingardium LevioSoc (the Harry Potter Society) with 228!

Society. It began with a ‘speed meet’ followed by welcome speeches from Bristol City Councillor Guy Poultney, the University’s Director of Graduate Studies Professor Sally Heslop, Postgraduate Research Senate Representative Cerelia Athanassiou and Students’ Union Vice President Education Tom Flynn. Photos from the Postgrad Reception are up online at facebook.com/bristolpgs2012 and see p.3.

Freshers weren’t the only student group celebrating their arrival in Bristol: over 300 Postgraduate students turned up for the second annual Postgrad Welcome Reception on 12 October at the M Shed Museum located in the Bristol Harbourside.

Additional events including the International Tea Party, the Volunteering Fair, the BARMY bar crawl to raise funds for RAG (Raising & Giving) and the first Stand Up Bristol Comedy Night were also very successful.

The free event included an opportunity to visit the museum’s ‘Bristol Life’ gallery and live jazz from members of Bristol’s Big Band

Find out more about upcoming events, including the next Comedy Night on 30th October and BAR 100’s Hallowe’en Party, on p.4 or online at ubu.org.uk/events.

The queue to collect tickets outside the UBU Info Point stretched all the way down Tyndall Avenue.

For more info about UBU’s plans for the NUS Demo in London on 21 November see p.3.

The deadline for registering to vote in Bristol city has been extended until 31 October. Fill out a Registration Form at the Info Point TODAY in order to cast your vote for Mayor and Police & Crime Commissioner on 15 November.

UBU News | Issue 2 | 22.10.2012

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UBU hosts Bristol Drugs Project drop-in

Bristol city elections: make your voice heard

Bristol Drugs Project (BDP), an impartial and confidential drug advice service, is now running a weekly drop-in at the Richmond Building: Home of the Students’ Union.

On15 November 2012, the city of Bristol will vote to elect a Mayor to lead Bristol City Council. The elected Mayor is distinct from the ceremonial, non-political Lord Mayor, and will oversee the delivery of Council services and policy with power over areas such as employment, policing, transport, health and housing.

ter to vote by 31 October - forms are available at the UBU Info Point.

As part of the ‘Find Your Political Voice Campaign’, UBU is working with the University of Bristol and Voscur to organise a hustings on 2 November between all the candidates - your chance to question them on issues that will directly affect students. 50,000 students live in Bristol; a new Mayor will need to listen to their voices on issues such as:

As well as a Mayor, Bristol will elect a new Police & Crime Commissioner on the 15 November.

The PCC will set local policing priorities and decide how counciltax is spent on crime and policing issues in their police force areas.

The service is called POD and students can stop by for an informal chat or set up an appointment to meet with a worker privately.

BDP understands that not everyone who uses drugs has a problem with them, but they are here to help people that do. You don’t need to be at ‘rock bottom’ or using hardcore street drugs in order to access drugs services; it may be that weekend partying is getting a bit out of hand and you want to manage things better. Maybe your drug use has been recreational for years but something has shifted and

now your lifestyle feels out of balance. POD can help you think about the ‘bigger picture’ of drug use.

They specialise in working with people who use cannabis,cocaine, ketamine, mephedrone & MDMA, but BDP will work with any type of drug offering 6 sessions of one-toone support. Whether you want to stop using drugs entirely or just get things under control, POD can help you work out a plan and move towards your goals.

Come along to the 4th floor (in the Just Ask office) 6-8pm every Tuesday or get in touch with Bristol Drugs Project on 01179876000 and arrange a private meeting.

Freshers like to party - who knew?

What a fantastic night! From camouflage to Where’s Wally, students dressed to impress at the Freshers Party on 2 October. Photos from the night, and from the Freshers Ball, are now up online at facebook.com/bristolfreshers2012. Special thanks to Burst Radio for their DJ skills, Foodcycle for the lovely canapés, UBTV for some fabulous footage & PhotoSoc for catching it all on camera!

• How will a Mayor tackle rogue landlords and bad housing?

• How will a Mayor ensure public transport is affordable, regular and well routed?

The Mayor will be in post for four years so make sure that you regis-

Register for the hustings at bristolmayoraldebatestudents.eventbrite. com - the event is free but you must book in advance. Submit a question for the hustings to mayoral-debate@bristol.ac.uk by Friday 26 October.

Find out more about PCCs and keep up with the latest news at the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner website or the Home Office website.

Don’t forget to register to vote by the end of October or you will miss the chance to ensure that the Mayor and the PCC election takes account of your voice!

TOTAL: £3,879.00 Following the huge success of the BARMY bar crawl, which raised thousands of pounds for local charities, RAG is preparing for a big year of events like Jailbreak, Raids, and international trips to Cambodia, Morocco and Kilimanjaro!

Get involved by signing up at ubu.org.uk/activities/fundraising or drop RAG an email at rag-ubu@bristol.ac.uk for more information.

UBU News | Issue 2 | 22.10.2012

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UBU does #demo2012:

‘EDUCATE, EMPLOY, EMPOWER’ According to the National Union of Students (from their demo2012.org. uk website): ‘On 21 November, thousands of students will march through the streets of London to stand up for their future.

With a government that is consistently taking students’ futures from them, it is more important than ever that your voice is heard.

Jobs are hard to come by, students are saddled with unprecedented levels of debt, it’s a struggle to get onto the property ladder, and state pensions are being phased out – it’s easy to feel despondent.

But NUS members have decided to take action. At our National Conference in April, delegates voted to hold a national demonstration in the first term of 2012.We need your help to show the government how angry we are at their betrayals and broken promises.

We’re doing everything we can to make sure that #demo2012 is as effective and peaceful as possible. But we should also remember that the right to protest is a part of our democracy, and we shouldn’t be afraid to use it.’

During the next few weeks, UBU will be asking you about ways you want to be involved in this national

agenda from attending the demo itself to making banners and even using social media to promote #demo2012.

We’re holding a forum on 14 November to discuss why we are supporting the NUS Demo, why we want you to take a stand and any questions you may have about the day.

are running to the Demo will also be available soon.

For more information about your Students’ Union’s plans for the NUS Demo, please contact ubu-campaigns@bristol.ac.uk.

Look out for more information about how to get involved at ubu. org.uk/campaigns, demo2012.org.uk, Facebook and Twitter (#demo2012).

Information about how to book a place on one of the coaches that we

New: Just Ask support networks In addition to the weekly Bristol Drugs Project drop-in session (see p.2), the Students’ Union’s Just Ask Centre is working with several other groups to increase student support at Bristol.

Student Run Self-Help (SRSH) The University of Bristol’s Student Run Self-Help group (SRSH) for students with eating disorders is a group run BY students FOR students. It provides opportunities for students to talk about their experiences with eating disorders, their friends, their life and anything else they fancy whilst receiving support in a friendly, informal and understanding environment.

SRSH gives students the chance to talk to others whilst being completely supported and understood and without being judged - something that UBU believes is invaluable.

The sessions run fortnightly on Monday evenings at 6.30pm in the Just Ask Centre on the 4th floor of the Students’ Union. The next session is on 29 October.

As well as supporting students with eating disorders, we know that friends and housemates shoulder a huge burden, often without any form UBU News | Issue 2 | 22.10.2012

of support. On 6 November we are running a free workshop, How to Save a Life, to support friends and family members. We want to help equip supporters with the understanding they need to be there for their friends. For more information please visit our website: ubu.org.uk/ justask/eatingdisorders.

LGBT+ Support

An LGBT+ support group - a safe space for students to chat through questions or worries about sexuality/trans issues and help all students be happy and proud of who they are - will start on 1 November in the Just Ask Centre from 6.30-8.30pm.

Additional dates for this term are 1, 15, 29 November and 13 December.

Facebook Support Networks

We’ve also initiated several Facebook groups dedicated to Student Parents and Disabled Students. Join the networks at facebook.com/ groups/ubustudentparentsnetwork and facebook.com/groups/ ubudisabilitynetwork.

O:ther Advice & Support

As always, contact the Just Ask Advice service at ubu-justask@bristol. ac.uk or on 0117 331 3511 / 3541 with any query about any issue from academics to housing to support.

Postgrads ‘speed meet’ at Welcome Reception The second annual UBU Postgrad Welcome Reception at the M Shed Museum was a resounding success with over 300 students attending.

Find out more about support and opportunities for Postgrads at ubu.org. uk/postgrads or get in touch at ubu-postgrads@bristol.ac.uk.

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Monday 22nd ACS Nandos Buffet • 6:30pm, Cabot Circus Nandos (£6.50 members, £7.50 non-members) Tuesday 23rd Just Ask Critical Thinking Workshop • 10am, Brunel Suite (see ubu.org.uk/justask/workshops) Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU

Your What’s On Guide Oct - Dec 2012

Wednesday 24th PTO Nominations Close • 5pm, (details at ubu.org.uk/elections) Thursday 25th LiveSoc Gig Night • 7pm, Ar2 (£1 entry for non-members) Monday 29th SRSH Eating Disorders Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Tuesday 30th PTO Voting Opens • 9am, (cast your vote at ubu.org.uk/vote) Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Student Council • 6pm, Winston Theatre at UBU (see ubu.org.uk/democracy) Cycling Club Beginner Mechanic Session • 7:30pm (details at ubu.org.uk/activities) Stand Up Bristol Comedy Night • 7:30pm, Ar2 (tickets at ubu.org.uk/events) Wednesday 31st Hallowe’en in BAR 100 • 7pm (Live music, ghoulish cocktails, + £50 prize for best costume) Deadline for Bristol city voter registration • (Fill out a form at the Info Point to register)

Thursday 1st Just Ask Reading Skills Workshop • 10am, Brunel Suite (see ubu.org.uk/justask/workshops) Friday 2nd

Friday 16th SMUT Student Media United Bar Crawl • (details at ubu.org.uk/events) Tuesday 20th

Mayoral Elections Hustings • 6-7:30pm, Great Hall, Will Memorial Building

Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU

PTO Elections Results • 8:30pm, BAR 100

Student Council • 6pm (details at ubu.org.uk/representation)

Bat for Lashes • 7pm, Anson Rooms (SOLD OUT) Saturday 3rd Day Trip: Thorpe Park • 8am, pick up from UBU (tickets at studentdaycare.com) Beach House • 7pm, Anson Rooms (SOLD OUT) Tuesday 6th Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Friday 9th BRAG Oktoberfresh • 9-10th November, Anson Rooms (details at ubu.org.uk/events)

Wednesday 21st NUS Demo 2012 • All day, London (details at ubu.org.uk/campaigns) Monday 16th SRSH Eating Disorders Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Tuesday 27th Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Thursday 29th Butcombe Brewery Tour • 7pm, pick up from UBU (tickets at ubu.org.uk/postgrads)

Saturday 10th Bristol Social Enterprise Conference • 10am-5pm,Victoria Rooms Monday 12th SRSH Eating Disorders Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Tuesday 13th Just Ask Academic Writing Skills Workshop • 10am, Brunel Suite Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Student Volunteering Presents: Speed Dating • 7-10pm, Brunel Suite at UBU Wednesday 14th Forum: Why We’re Attending the NUS Demo 2012 • 6pm, Anson Rooms Thursday 15th Mayoral Elections Voting Day • All day, city of Bristol (details at TBC)

UBU News | Issue 2 | 22.10.2012

Tuesday 4th Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Wednesday 5th 12 Days of Christmas in BAR 100 • (Continues through 14th December) Saturday 8th Symphonia Winter Concert • 7:30pm, All Saints Church, Pembroke Road Monday 10th SRSH Eating Disorders Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU

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Editor: Lizi Woolgar style@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Style summer in Uganda, the travelling ‘style’ embodies originality and a quirky sense of individuality seldom found elsewhere.

Style Abroad At the prospect of undertaking volunteer work, your primary concern is - probably - not what you will be wearing, nor do you envisage it as time in which you will look your most stylish. And if you did, then sorry but I’ll have to burst your bubble.

You think of clothing which will be durable and suitable for manual labour. Although this is by no means a misconception, it is safe to say that after spending a

Let’s face it, your initial thought wouldn’t be to consider Uganda as a forerunner in the style stakes; renowned for its garish prints and excessively large shoulder pads, it is certainly not the most flattering. However, Uganda is an unconventional competitor with a variety of traditional markets hidden down backstreets which offer a range of flamboyant local styles at great prices with further scope for negotiation. At the same time these unusual boutiques exert Africa’s diverse ethnic culture. With a variety of bold prints and styles it’s not for the shy, but the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture is an unmissable

part of the experience.

If you are contemplating volunteer work abroad then it is essential that you take cheap clothing that is easily disposable.

This is mainly because after undertaking manual work it is likely that your clothes will definitely have seen better days. Long skirts for girls in keeping with the more conservative styles of dress can easily be acquired in charity shops as well as shirts and long trousers for boys. Bear in mind that you will have to carry all your possessions so it makes sense to take the minimum amount of clothes and purchase items whilst away for both convenience and budgeting.

Cheap souvenir stalls can be found in Uganda on the corner of virtually every street in the less rural parts and it’s near on impossible to walk past without having a look! I managed to scope out a dye tie shirt, an Islamic hat and a fur wallet for my dad - perfect for the office! Stalls

Deputy: Anisha Gupta deputystyle@ epigram.org.uk

display a range of traditional handmade jewellery, bags and shoes at negligible prices.

If you fancy testing yourself on stylish budgeting, check out Bristol Volunteers for Development Abroad. The studentrun charity encourages self-development of a community by providing financial assistance, physical labour, education and training where appropriate. Detailed information about the current projects can be found at www.bristolvols.org/. Try out the ultimate shoestring budget and see if you can be inspired by pared-down travelling style.

Words:Chloe Milloy Illustration: Sara Daoud

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Sky High Heels As heels rocket skywards, it seems that this autumn we may be saying farewell to those chunky platforms, as the more classily dainty, heeled ankle boots take to the stage. This may seem a step down from the stand-out platforms of last year, but this latest trend is just as bold with a pointed toe, dangerously high heel and detailed, edgy embellishments.

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Embellishment The selection of shoe styles has been drawn together this season by the presence of intricate detailing scattered here and there. Think grungy studs, fierce spikes, shimmering sequins and bold buckles.

Having featured on ballet pumps, gothic boots, ankle boots and stilettos, these brave embellishments have narrowed the gap between different shoe styles and have become the pioneering theme this autumn.

On The High Street

WINNER

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These adornments give last year’s ankle boot a new, edgier look, with many designer collections creating their own distinctive and individual style. However, this trend isn’t just being seen upmarket, expensive ranges; ankle boots with similar detail have taken over most of the high street shops and can be purchased on a much lower, ’shoestring’ budget.

It is a similar story with the timeless ballet pump which has been updated with the addition of bows, ruffles and studs.

So it seems that this season there is no way that our footwear will go unnoticed and what’s more, those gorgeous heels are now higher than ever. So watch your step, ladies, and put your best foot forward.

Abbie Innes

Epigram

10.10.2011

18 22.10.12

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5 4 Illustration: Ottilie Wilford

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Seeing Double?

You might as well be. High street stores have managed to create budget replicas of designer brands so successfully this summer I bet you can’t tell the difference!

Find answers at the bottom of the page.

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As winter is slowly creeping back, so are those 80’s-esque geometric prints. This gorgeous coat sets the example for Next, as they’ve introduced their own range.

Prada coat: £1,839 Next dress: £65 Cool, quirky knits are this season’s

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as Paul Smith and Barbour have effortlessly demonstrated.

Paul Smith: £180 Barbour: £80 Chloe puts their best foot forward with these stunning studded beauties. New Look managed to jump on the bandwagon with their fabulous take on the perfect pair of ankle boots.

Chloe boots: £850 New Look boots: £69.99

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Street Style Left: Becca Down; Jacket: vintage; shoes: Underground Below: Georgia Graham; Hat, dress & waistcoat: all vintage; shoes: Office

Photography: Issy Croker

1. Next, 2. Prada 3. Paul Smith, 4. Barbour, 5. Chloe, 6. New Look

@e2Style

Living

Put Your BEST FOOT Forward Clockwise from right: Patent pastel pink ankle boots: £90, Dr. Martens Black zip wedges: Model’s own Floral Mary-Janes: £50, Urban Outfitters

Travel

Style

Lace-up spike heels: £25, eBay Ditsy ankle boots: £90, Dr. Martens Black flatforms: £30, Urban Outfiters

Photographer: Zoe Nash Stylists: Lizi Woolgar & Anisha Gupta Models: Alice Johnston & Maria Petrova

22.10.12

Men’s Style on a Shoestring Budget Okay, let’s pose a hypothetical situation: You are a male student. Your wardrobe consists mainly of faded Hollister t-shirts and jeans that aren’t even long enough to hide the rips in the ankles of those old Primark socks. One day, you pick up an issue of Epigram and you come across my first article on men’s style. In the hope of starting a new, mature, refined, wardrobe, you walk down to the local Co-op and grab an issue of GQ, or maybe Esquire. The first thing that catches your eye is a gorgeous cable-knit jumper in a

“I maintain a

wardrobe that incorporates a healthy number of designer pieces, without having to sacrifice necessities like toilet paper and cheap bottles of wine.” colour somewhere between rust and burgundy. It’s love at first sight. You need it. Then you see the small-print at the bottom of the page. It reads ‘Jumper by Gucci: £345.’

Now I’m not sure about you, but for me this is the sort of money that is reserved for bills and holidays, not designer

fidgeting and thinking about that Barbour jacket you bid on last night.

For great value without the risks to your mental and physical well-being, TK-Maxx and outlet shops are a great shout. I have unearthed some absolute steals there in the past, including a Holland Esquire linen blazer and a Calvin Klein roll-neck jumper, both for under a quarter of the original price. Granted, rummaging through thousands of shirts in search of a buy, while competing with dozens of other scavenging customers, is hardly the most relaxing of shopping experiences but who cares when the value is so good?

Finally, don’t disregard the lower end of the high street. While notorious for the questionable quality of their clothing, Primark are bang ontrend this autumn, producing a range of heritage-inspired pieces, including cable-knit jumpers, tweed jackets and coloured chinos. The endless outfits you can create from such affordable pieces will ensure you stay looking dapper this fall.

knitwear. To a newbie in the fashion game, these prices are staggering but there’s no need to be disheartened; I actually manage to maintain a wardrobe that incorporates a healthy number of designer pieces, without having to sacrifice necessities like toilet paper and cheap bottles of wine. After all, as a student, alcohol and kebabs are still going to dictate the nature of any financial strategy I attempt.

eBay should definitely be your first port of call, although I have developed a love-hate relationship with the online auction site. On the one hand, I have picked up some great pieces on there, most notably an All Saints Pea coat which had originally retailed at £200 but I scored for under £20. However, there is a large element of risk involved. If I got a pound for every time I received a faulty item or did not receive anything at all, I’d, well, probably spend it on eBay. I’d do this because an eBay addiction is a proven and serious health condition.

The life of an eBay addict is a nightmarish affair.

The first tell-tale sign is the ‘thousand yard stare,’ acquired, not from a tour in Vietnam, but by endless nights spent staring intently at the current bidding price. Your grades will plummet while you spend lectures

While gluttony, greed and extravagance seem to be frowned upon throughout society, excessive consumerism within the fashion industry seems to have gotten off extremely lightly. Surely today’s fast-fashion, throw-away mentality is just another form of self-indulgence?

With trends forever evolving, careless consumerism could be seen as an inescapable aspect of the industry as a whole. But as much as we’re all dreading the crop top comeback yet again, discouraging this fastpaced turnaround could risk limiting the bounds of creativity; a fundamental aspect of the fashion industry.

Without an end to the constantly shifting styles, those who are concerned with keeping up with the fash-pack on a shoestring budget have a tendency to turn to With high-street retailers such as Primark and trends forForever 21. ever evolving, With their careless consumsky high stock turnover, these erism could be seen powerhouses play as an inescapable ason the human desire for the brand pect of the industry new and untouched.

After stepping foot as a whole. inside one of these stores,

Fast Fashion: Quantity vs. Quality

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Nathan Beesley

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a sparkly new, entire autumn wardrobe is right at your fingertips and can be acquired with little cost. To the target teenage demographic with little spare change rolling around, these rock bottom prices are irresistible.

At Forever 21, for example, fresh lines are added almost every day whilst existing stock is rarely replenished. It is this fast fashion tactic that is key to commercial success. With customers knowing there won’t be the same products available the following week, the retailers both rely upon and encourage impulse buying. Albeit highly convenient, buying cheap garments susceptible to wear and tear does, to a certain degree, support a throw away culture.

Quick stock turnover is, however, a double-edged sword.

For a retailer such as Forever 21, the entire design process takes a mere week – something short of a miracle when compared to other high street brands whose procedure averages three months. However, with just one week for production there is little room for creative design, leading to garments being not-so-loosely ‘inspired’ by the runway styles. Although it is difficult to find high street clothing which hasn’t to some extent been influenced by

catwalk trends, downright copying a designer’s work is another thing. Forever 21 has been caught crossing the inspiration boundary a fair few times, with more than 50 independent or established designers suing the brand for alleged infringement.

Powerhouses such as Primark, on the other hand, choose to sacrifice the welfare of their staff to sustain their cheap manufacturing process. Again, this production method has been fiercely criticised and the sweatshop conditions, along with the use of child labour have now been fully exposed, heavily impairing the brand’s reputation.

Overlooking the aforementioned issues, this fast fashion market doesn’t seem particularly sustainable in any event. With the diminishing resources and increased fuel prices, consistently shipping from abroad and daily stock delivery will, at some point, become unmanageable.

So, next time you buy a shirt you’re willing to chuck after one night, at the risk of endorsing fast fashion, ask yourself ‘Is it really worth it?’

Lucy McCallum

@e2Travel

Deputy: Alex Bradbrook deputytravel@ epigram.org.uk

Wanna go surfing...?

“Worn down by the stories of one of my more bohemian friends - the selfproclaimed ‘Gandalf of couch surfing’ - I decided to give it a go.” city, village or hamlet. The length of the stay can vary hugely and there is no cost involved. In return, it is understood that you will, from time to time, return the favour.

Accepting such open-ended hospitality is enough to make your typical Englishman choke on his morning

Got a holiday snap to share?

Send it to travel@ epigram. org.uk

cornflakes. Renowned as a nation of reserved worriers who dither obsessively over tipping, it is in our nature to feel ill at ease when confronted with such a ‘European’ concept that reeks of laissezfaire. Even after travelling extensively and living in France for a year, I was a little apprehensive about ‘couch surfing.’ What do hosts expect in return? What makes a good couch surfer? Is it the European equivalent of a bed and breakfast?

Nevertheless, worn down by the stories of one of my more bohemian friends - the self-proclaimed ‘Gandalf of couch surfing’ - I decided to give it a go.

The opportunity arose when my French housemate invited me to help her find a flat in Montpellier. A keen couch surfer, she had taken the initiative and found us a willing host, Salem. Kind enough to come and meet us at the tram station, his welcoming demeanour quickly dispelled any lingering doubts. I realised that the brilliance of couchsurfing is its very informality and spontaneity. Our hosts were extremely hospitable, but the onus was very much on us and how we wanted to spend our days.

Alex Bradbrook

let you stay, it is likely that he or she is interested in meeting different types of people. Adopt the same attitude, and it will soon become clear that the best part of couch surfing is getting to know your host and their home. My best memories of Montpellier do not involve me traipsing around the city in the sweltering heat – they are the evenings we spent eating, drinking and laughing with Salem and his friends. What’s more, couchsurfing allows you to bypass the tourist traps and get quickly to the heart of a city. Speaking to someone who really knows the place will help you discover those little gems off the beaten track that we all long to find.

Will Dyson

Why not try it for yourself? www.couchsurfing.org

Couchsurfers are not uptight people – given that your host has agreed to

Wish you were here !

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And remember, it’s free! Every couch surfing experience will be different, and there are undoubtedly some horror stories. However, this risk pales in comparison to the array of experiences, memories, and even lifelong friends that it can offer. If you have even a little taste for adventure, give it a go! After all…what’s the worst that could happen?

Flickr: photologue_np

For those of you not yet acquainted with this increasingly popular phenomenon, let me explain: Couchsurfing.com is a worldwide, web-based accommodation network that links up hospitable and outgoing travellers. Once you sign up, you can contact people you have never met before – whether they are in Manchester or Moscow – and ask them kindly if they will give you some floor space as you pass through their

Couchsurfing case study Picture the scene: after a month of lodging with friendly strangers, our anonymous couch surfer reaches Julia’s humble abode in windy Chicago. A long trip around North America is coming to a close .

Enthused from the kindness of their various hosts, our couch surfer and his sidekick spend an evening laughing and joking with Julia. After a few hours, our CS announces his need to use the facilities. ‘Sure ,’ says Julia . ‘Just remember to use the shit stick .’

Bemused , and with a faint touch of foreboding, our couch surfer finds the lavatory accompanied by a wooden stick with a browned end , alongside a sign stating: ‘OUR PLUMBING IS UNRELIABLE. WE KINDLY ASK OUR GUESTS TO USE THE SHIT STICK AFTER HAVING EXCRETED TO AVOID DISASTER .’

Well … no one wants to block someone else’s toilet, do they? So our couch surfer does, with wrinkled nose , as the sign asks.

Flickr: net_efekt

Living

Style

Travel

Editor: Alicia Queiro travel@ epigram.org.uk

As he leaves the loo, Julia points out that he was in there ‘quite a while . Did you use the shit stick?’

‘Well … yes. The sign told me to.’

A clearly delighted Julia tells our couch surfer that the shit stick sign is a test to ascertain the good nature of those passing through , and that he has just passed with flying colours.

Alicia Queiro

22.10.12

A hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy driven to Dover ferry port by a man who had previously been going in completely the other direction towards Reading; been given a lift to Luxembourg by a man who organised reconstructions of medieval banquets; hung off the back of a Kenyan cattle truck and, in my hometown, thumbed a ride to a job interview I had been walking to and would have otherwise been late for.

The idea of ‘shoestring’ travel usually conjures up images of budget hostels, InterRail passes and Lonely Planet guidebooks. People often forget – or worse, instantly dismiss – the original and ultimate version of shoestring travel: hitchhiking.

“Armed with no word of the local tongue, a dodgy ginger beard and a rather odorous vest, you would have thought that the odds were against me.”

Charlie Hammans

I, like many other hitchhikers, was introduced to the concept by Jack Kerouac’s seminal masterpiece On the Road. In the novel, Kerouac’s autobiographical protagonist Sal Paradise and the irrepressible Dean Moriarty roar across 1950s America in search of new experience, fuelled by drink, drugs and a quasi-religious commitment to finding the ‘it’ they believe lies on the next highway or jazz club. I read the book in a cheap hotel room in India and was entranced by the seemingly endless possibilities that hitchhiking offered. I resolved to embark on my own quest as soon as possible. At the tender age of nineteen, I stood outside a very dodgy looking filling station in Cadiz, holding aloft a rather measly sign with ‘SEVILLA POR FAVOR’ inscribed on it, as well as complying to the regulation apparently required of every white, middle class pseudobohemian by holding my battered acoustic guitar case in the other hand.

Armed with no word of the local tongue, a dodgy ginger beard and a rather odorous vest, you would have thought that the odds were against me. But I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to what I hope will be a long hitchhiking career. Within literally thirty seconds, a man called out to me, and before I knew it, I was in a car with two Spanish men who spoke no English. After a rather tiring combination of my (very) limited Spanish and crude mime, I deduced that the two ran an internet business selling clothes. Watching

the beautiful Andalusian scenery race by the back window, I realised something that I have never forgotten: life is infinitely generous and that given half the chance there are a hidden multitude of people who will move heaven and earth to help you if at all possible.

Since, I have sung Bob Dylan songs in a lorry cab with a slightly perverted but ultimately wonderful character called Carlos who bought me a three course meal in the Pyrenees; been

What appeals to me about hitchhiking? Above all, the utter freedom it affords coupled with its sheer unpredictability – the limitless capacity for the world to send some of the most bizarre and intriguing characters your way. I have been hitchhiking whenever possible for four years now, and I endorse its benefits almost without reservation – the people I’ve met, the places I’ve seen and the conversations I’ve had have been incredible. Next time you have a spare weekend, stick out your thumb and just head off somewhere. It might just be one of the best things you ever do.

Charlie Hammans

Just ‘stick out your thumb’? Surely not...

In the name of investigative journalism, Travel and Tom Wickstead went on a mission: to hitchhike from Stoke Bishop to Bunker.

A positive start to the night.

When I approached my editor with a proposal to hitchhike from Stoke Bishop campus to various student locations in and around Bristol, she was sceptical.

Concerned for my safety and worried for my health, she entreated me to stay inside and make something up – such as ‘How To Get To Za Za Bazaar’. [Editor’s note: Epigram never makes things up]. However, I eventually persuaded her not only to let me write the article but to actually come along, and so, after a couple of pints, Alicia Queiro and I headed off, with pockets full of sharpies and hands full of cardboard, to brave the long journey from the Downs bus stop to Bunker.

Every year, new students are taught to fear these plains due to persistent - and pernicious - rumours that it is a hotspot for

One wet hour later, Tom’s hope fades...

...And then - success!

non-gender-specific rape and ‘dogging.’ Our hitchhiking experience was less dramatic than these rumours might suggest. Frankly, the drunk female student who stared us down before asking if we knew where the ‘university shit is’ (sic.) and the lone fox that gazed forlornly into a dropped takeaway box made us feel more threatened than potential perverts and rapists – although perhaps this was the result of relentless patrols by both Yet, just as we were beginning to lose Avon police and Bristol University security. hope, two students pulled over in an In the end, we stood on the crossroads of uncanny retelling of the Good Samaritan Stoke and Saville Road for almost an hour in parable. As the current Conservative light rain and dim light before being picked Government makes the most drastic cuts up. Countless taxis, seedy Mercedes drivers to the education sector in however many and university security members passed us years, we students must look out for each by without so much as flashing their lights in other. Indeed, in contrast to the myth of sheepish apology. miserly students living off bread-toastbread sandwiches, Charlie and Benjy

‘In contrast to the myth of miserly students living off bread-toastbread sandwiches, Charlie and Benjy were prepared to waste precious petrol money on two strangers’

Faith in humanity: restored. were prepared to let us in their car and waste precious petrol money – in an age of spiralling oil prices – on two strangers.

‘Benjy wasn’t going to stop,’ explained the empathetic Charlie, a second year geologist. ‘But I said: imagine if that was me.’

Our courageous driver Benjy simply laughed as he skillfully manoeuvred his vehicle down treacherous Whiteladies Road. It was then that I began to realise what a special university Bristol is.

Stepping out of the car into Bunker’s warm embrace, it finally struck me: whatever Cameron may do to our universities, our hitchhiking laws and the city itself, Bristol students will stand as they always have: united.

Tom Wickstead

Editor: Alicia Queiro travel@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Travel

Flickr: mary.do

Breakfast like a king with sumptuous cinnamon white hot chocolate and petit fours at the New York Café on the Grand Boulevard; the excessively opulent interiors put the Ritz to shame, yet at a price that even Boston Tea Party would balk at. Afterwards, take a pleasant stroll along Váci utca, a shopaholic’s paradise, but beware of the exorbitant prices and be prepared to be snatched off the street by a predatory waiter.

Assuming you escape unscathed, cross the Chain Bridge to the imposing Castle District on the Buda side of the Danube. Climbing the Fishermen’s Bastion, which resembles a Disneyland castle and offers great views of Pest, particularly the exquisite spired Parliament building - remarkably evocative of our very own at Westminster.

Later, walk past the Opera House until you reach the House of Terror museum, which documents Hungary’s savage twentieth century oppression by the Nazis and Soviets. Though most of the exhibition requires a solid grasp of Hungarian – which obviously you will have acquired by now – the chilling sensation of death hanging in the air of the basement torture cells makes it a harrowing, yet worthwhile, experience for a tiny £1.50 student entrance fee.

on Touchdown.

Adrian, Spray Tan, Bloody Good Laugh and I, along with the two hundred or so other British holidaymakers with whom we have had the pleasure of spending the past two hours, troop down the aeroplane steps to feel the ground of suburban Marbella underfoot.

‘Alright, then, lads,’ says Adrian. ‘Let’s get to the house, dump our stuff, and get ready to throw some serious shapes.’

“Due to what I can only assume to be the Lynx effect, Adrian has already found a mate.”

To summarise, the Hungarian capital is a vivid hodgepodge of old and new, full of liveliness and a strangely-familiar-but-weird sensation. It is this mix which makes it such a unique place, and a city worthy of a visit.

Emily Brighton

! tour

We spend the next three hours playing games which reward success in much the same way as they punish failure – with the obligation to consume varying amounts of a dirty brown concoction of spirits and mixers, poured from a large vase that Adrian has placed in the middle of the table.

on the senses: hordes of young Britons roam the streets in brightly coloured shirts with upturned collars, shouting obscenities into the cool night air.

A girl is being manhandled out of a taxi by her friends, inviting, it would seem, all comers to accompany her in an act of gross public indecency.

‘Never,’ claims Spray Tan, ‘Have I ever cheated on my girlfriend.’

‘Ram it in!’ she shouts, as she is hoisted to her feet. ‘Just ram it in!’

None of us reaches for a glass.

Being, as we are, ‘plastered’, has increased our susceptibility to being enticed into the nearest club by buxom young women in tight-fitting clothing, paid to brandish flyers promising complimentary thimblefuls of fluorescent alcohol. We plump for one called ‘Aqwa Mist’ - so called, presumably, because of the dense fog of sweat you are greeted by as you enter the main room.

An obnoxious-sounding song in what sounds like Korean seems to be going down well with the club’s patrons. Due to what I can only assume to be the Lynx effect, Adrian has already found a mate.

‘Oi no, Adrian, you’ve got to drink,’ remonstrates Spray Tan. ‘What about that girl in Val do Lobo while you were with Ettie?’

‘No, mate,’ he says.

‘Firstly, I was drunk, and secondly, she didn’t even stay the night!’

s

lbatros

Marbella by night is an assault

AloneA

At half past ten, I am ready to go to bed. I fear that my suggesting this is unlikely to be well-received, so I force down two tablets of Pro Plus with a swig of Jägermeister, and prepare to inflict myself upon the town centre.

Flickr:

Our accommodation for the next four nights is to be a small two-bedroom apartment, advertised as being only a five minute walk from ‘the strip’. We have put down a substantial deposit for the apartment, which I am keen to lose as little of as possible, so I am hopeful that any and all shapes that the rest of my group see fit to throw before we reach the clubs are thrown well out of the way of any fragile fixtures and fittings.

‘Sack off unpacking, mate,’ he demands. ‘Let’s get on it.’

After a hard day pounding the cobbled streets, it’s time to strip off for a therapeutic soak in one of Budapest’s famous thermal public bathhouses. I would recommend the Széchenyi Baths located in the tranquil City Park, which boasts indoor and outdoor pools of various temperatures – provided you can contend with dubious hygiene levels and the stench of sulphur. On your return to the city centre, pass through impressive Heroes’ Square, reminiscent of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, which sports some statues that wouldn’t look out of place in a Lord of the Rings epic. Whatever your taste, Budapest has an awesome, diverse nightlife, meaning it is extremely easy to overindulge – though this is strongly recommended! Sophisticated wine bars Doblo and DiVino k offer sizeable, high-quality o o br tipples for only a few pounds in ad r B edgy surroundings. Other trendy ex Al hotspots can be found littered around the Jewish Quarter, including the ruin pub Szimpla Kert which is almost too cool for words.

Spray Tan, meanwhile, has taken off his T-shirt.

I brace myself for the hangover.

Anonymous

AIRMAIL Flickr: Stuck in Customs

A student guide to a city of tipples, terror and therapy

Living la vida loca in Buenos Aires On my first Saturday night out in Buenos Aires, I somehow ended up clubbing in a nursery school. We arrived at a building that looked like any identikit club – until we walked inside and saw a couple making out on the miniature desk of a kindergarten classroom. Drunk people were whizzing down tiny plastic slides and I saw one bloke, who was no doubt ‘chemically altered’, staring at a toddler’s scribbled painting and giggling to himself. That sort of sums the place up. It is city with a vein of pure, molten crazy at its core.

My first glimpse of the ‘loco’ was the subtly named Club 69, a weekly event in the funky neighbourhood of Palermo that features a dance show performed by a transsexual dance troupe. It was simultaneously filthy, bizarre and yet an undeniably good time, much like a Silvio Berlusconi birthday party. It went downhill from there. In the space of a few short days I got into a cab driven by the drunkest person in the history of the world; he started yelling about elephants while swerving erratically, witnessed a mass brawl at 7am between two Peruvian gangs literally outside my front door - politely sidestepped them to get home - and was stopped in the street by a guy who worked in a corner shop who had heard me speaking English and wanted me to check his poetry translations - he was a bit iffy with his metaphors.

A lot of Buenos Aires’ charm comes from its quirky side. Take the iconic neighbourhood of La Boca. It is famous for its brightly painted houses that were more or less accidental – the impoverished Italian immigrants who arrived on the shores of the Rio Plata couldn’t afford paint, so had to make do with splashing whatever strangely coloured paint was left in the local shipyard on their houses. As a result, the central ‘Caminito’ street is an amazing selection of yellow, blue, green and red houses that swell with tourists on the weekend in the normally tough, staunchly working-class neighbourhood.

The Buenos Aires I’ve seen so far has been full of fascination, madness and insanity. I can’t wait to see what kind of craziness this city will have presented to me over the next few months.

Flickr: Stuck in Customs

A day in ... Budapest Everyone who has been there will know Budapest’s charm.

A whole day could easily be spent wandering the grand boulevards, admiring the architecture and façades, but you need to visit the smaller gems to experience the amazingly vibrant collision of old and new on offer.

Deputy: Alex Bradbrook deputytravel@ epigram.org.uk

Miles Coleman Foreign Correspondant in Argentina