XPLORE

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Table of content

Column, by Frances

Short story, by Laurens

Film review, by Mina

Background article, by Annetje

Column, by Mina

Horoscope

Interview, by Frances

Recipe

Column, by Dientje

Editor’s noteWelcome to Explore’s very first issue! In current global society, it is becoming more important to be multilingual and to be a citizen of the world. In addition, travelling also has endless personal benefits, as it enables you to learn a great deal about yourself. We believe travelling should be stimulated from a young age, which is why our magazine is dedicated to young travelers. In this magazine we will be covering travelling from different perspectives: from student travel interviews and language schools to travel tips and film reviews. Our magazine does not limit itself to a particular region, since we want to encourage young travellers to explore every continent and, as our motto says, to get out there!

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Could this be your new home?

We offer the best of both worlds!

Travel and education combined in one journey to Australia, it’s definitely possible.

We offer multifunctional summer schools that will unite an international recognized

certificate with the amazing “down under” experience.

During your 4 week summer school you will be able to study at one of the best universities in Australia, the University of Sydney. Here you can chose from a broad spectrum of courses that will accommodate a wide range of interests, from biomathematics to dramatic arts. At the end of the 4 week summer school, you will leave with a certificate recognized by over 5.000 colleges and universities. Sydney is also the very best location for your backpack adventure take-off. During the 4 week courses you will have every Friday-Saturday-Sunday off which gives you plenty of time to explore the beautiful Sydney area. Also, these days are meant for planning your individual experience and we will give you the best preparation possible. The weekend off allows for time to make a travel schedule, job orientation and networking that can come in handy when you are looking for some company during your travels!

In short, this experience allows you to enjoy the very best education Australia has to offer in combination with the chance to explore it to the fullest.

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For more information and enrolment, please visit us at www.educationtravel.au or give us a call at 0012345678.

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Flying with cavemen

By Frances Rugebregt

Holidays. Who doesn’t like going on vacation, but spending as little as possible on airline tickets? Low-cost airlines, such as Ryanair and Easyjet cater to the needs of us commoners who don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on airfare. These airlines are particularly popular among those who don’t want a lavish holiday and want to avoid having dry bread as their only source of nutrition for months to come. But cheap isn’t always better, or as my mom used to say: penny-wise and pound-foolish.

It’s understandable that you can’t expect first-class service when you’re only paying for second, but what truly makes the vein in my forehead throb is that the free-seating policy turns your whole journey into an exhausting and nerve-racking experience: passengers eyeing the announcement screen like a hawk eyes its prey, people in line trying to weasel their way in front of you, or even worse; passengers who shamelessly try to cut in line and pass off as priority boarders!

To tame this hidden caveman-attitude from passengers, all airlines should just opt for the ‘old school’ allocated seating method. Passengers will then no longer feel the need to forget they have manners and airport staff will have to deal with fewer irritated and difficult customers.

But why is it that we become so anxious before these flights when we know everyone will be seated anyway? It’s not as if the last passenger on board will be forced to sit in the aisle or join the baggage compartment below. Perhaps the free-seating policy compels us to behave more rudely, since we’re not constrained and told what to do as far as seating is concerned. In that case we also shouldn’t stand perplexed and wonder why flight attendants are being rude to us in return.

Game Annetje

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Short story Laurens (2 pages)

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Short story Laurens 2 pages

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Barking at the Stars (1998)

Genre: Comedy/Romance

Runtime: 95 min.

Cast: Dragan Mićanović (Dragan Micanovic), Nataša Tapušković (Natasa Tapuskovic) and Nikola Simić (Nikola Simic)

Writer: Milovan Vitezović (Milovan Vitezovic)

Director: Zdravko Šotra (Zdravko Sotra)

Rating: 10/10

Storyline: The heroes of the story are humorous students and their teachers in high-school from a small provincial town in Serbia. Mihajlo, the main character in the film, is trying to win the heart of beautiful Danica. However, his elder brother is also chasing her. Mihajlo is constantly trying to amuse Danica being amusingly clever in his perception and expression, charming, original and spontaneous. As soon as teachers and students go on their last high-school excursion to the Mediterranean Sea, they deal with unpredictable and funny situations. The teachers' ultimate desire to look authoritative and influential is over once when they start acting childishly, while the students' uncontrolled necessity to see and experience everything new leads to creativity and sometimes cheeky behavior.

About the film: Mihajlo is an eager beaver student, enthusiastic and original strong-minded person. Mihajlo's approach to schooling and the society is indeed admirable. In his approach to Danica he is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, believing that she won't be able to refuse him. But his commitment causes a stir in Danica's world, even though she's constantly pretending she doesn't care. Since Mihajlo's brother is his biggest rival while he equally tries to entertain her, the honeymoon between them is over. This love story, mixed with an excitement of everyday high-school events presents true enjoyment for all generations. The story about the eternal confrontation between the authorities and youth seeking freedom, while trying to make important decisions in their lives may sound like a well-known plot. However, what makes this comedy unique is the well-developed story, with a palette of wide variety characters, equally inspiring and comical, colored with a highly bright and perspicacious humor. “Barking at the Stars“ contains an element of satire. Milovan Vitezovic is a rare example of a writer who can consolidate two elements in the same story: a sharply ironical taunt “dressed“ in the witty dialogs and twists as the essential part in almost every scene. It is commendable that a climax of the film is not based on cursing, which is the essential part for the most comedies. The screenplay combined with the marvelous acting of the Serbian actors and actresses from different generations, with Zdravko Sotra as dynamic and inventive director, this “no-special-effects“ film is one of the most valuable in the Serbian cinematography. Followed by the catchy music, this is a true relief in the comedy genre.

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Study Italian in Florence: the city of art!

“It is important to work with small groups of students in order to cater to their individual needs.” - Marco Verdi, advanced level tutor.

About the school

Scuola Italiana Dante Alighieri is the first Italian language school in Florence. It was named after literary writer and “father of the Italian language” Dante Alighieri. The school’s certified teachers have years of experience and truly know how to make teaching fun by means of an interactive teaching method. Thus, students are encouraged to participate actively, instead of merely being the recipients of information. Additionally, the tutors are all native speakers of Italian, which enables students to experience Italian culture first-hand. The school offers language courses from beginner (A1 level) to advanced (C1 level) and the small classes of approximately 10 students allow tutors to closely monitor the individual student. At Scuola Dante, teaching extends beyond the classroom, as there are plenty of after school excursions to choose from. On Wednesdays, for example, there is an afternoon cooking class where you will be able to make your very own authentic Italian pizzas and pastas.

Why Florence

Situated in central Italy, Florence is the capital of the historic region of Tuscany. This magnificent city is the birthplace of the Renaissance and splendid artists and masters, such as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Dante. Not only are there dozens of museums to visit for a fraction of the cost as a student, but the city itself is also buzzing day and night with plenty of recreational and educational activities to choose from. From the annual ice cream festival to wine tasting and even relaxing on the beach. If you want to practise your Italian, while exploring this monumental city, then pack your bags and join us at Scuola Dante Alighieri! Ci speriamo presto!

Please visit our website for detailed information on each course:

www.scuoladante.com

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Titel: Privacy and travelling

By Annetje Bosch

The ubiquitous threat of terrorism has lead to travelling being not quite what it used to be, particularly as passport information is no longer the only requirement for air travel passengers. Not only does our passport contain more information than it used to; through high-tech innovation it manages to file an eye-scan and even utilize fingerprint information. Traditional methods of airport security such as: x-rays, taking shoes off and body-searching are transformed by the addition of the full-body scan which has become a crucial tool in the arsenal of airport security staff. We need to analyze what these machines show, and more importantly, how have they affected our privacy?

The full body scan is operated from a large blue box that passengers stand in through which the scan is able to search an entire person for anything illegal concealed underneath clothing. Within just 7 seconds the scan produces a ghostly naked image with curves and genitals eerily visible.

The idea of our personal body images subject to a human operator’s view is not the most comfortable of ideas, at the same time, it is for our own personal safety as any anomalies are shown as well. Consequently, it is easier to trace the new ‘underpants’ terrorists and hence increasing the overall safety. Ever since the bombing incident on the 25th December 2009, where one passenger attempted to set plastic explosives off which were sewn into his underwear, airport security has tightened.1

Passengers are not obliged to go through the full-body scan. Alternatively, passengers can choose the selective screening process, which basically involves a thorough frisking procedure, which is by no means comfortable, and is both more time consuming and stressful.

For privacy reasons, individual’s faces on the scans are blurred out so even the customs employees are not able to associate an individual person with a particular scan. The body scans are actually viewed in a separate room with a special devise so the person screening the passenger hasn’t actually had prior contact with that passenger. Also, this ensures that the files are not printed or retained but crucially are destroyed after the scan is approved.

Perhaps the security of this kind is not an option, but something that is forced upon us, however, it is an effective method of keeping air travel safe. In the short term future, this form of airport security is likely to become a fairly standard in airports all over the world.2

1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jan/07/full-body-scan-uk-airport?INTCMP=SRCH2 http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/full-body-scanners-airports-good-bad-and-ugly

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Bus traffic

By Mina Žebeljan

The galling sound of my alarm clock is irksomely announcing the beginning of a new bad hair day. I feel like a bear with a sore head. Sister’s entering the room and biting my head off: ”Hey, lazybones! You have to go to school!”

In the background I hear Bob Dylan, playing “When you gonna wake up?”

My subconscious: “You are late”. Furiously, I put some clothes on, and run to the bus station.

My sister: “See you later, alligator! Bring home the bacon!”

My subconscious: “Is she only quiet when she sleeps?”

Finally, the bus comes. Full of passengers.

“Hey! Hey!”, an all brawn and no brain “gentleman” wants to get in. “Move to the middle!”

“Eh… When I was younger, we lived better… With no phone and internet… And we respected each other!”

My subconscious: “O.k. grandpa…”

“I would arrest them all!”

“Can you get off my leg first?” And this woman… She poured half a litre of coconut oil on her hair. “Phew! What is her hair doing inside my mouth?”

Two scary full- of- themselves guys, wearing Air Sucks, with golden crosses around their necks and the Nike garishly-bright- colour-made-of-nylon tracksuits access the bus.

“Yo, bro! Did you see that chick? She waved on me!”

My subconscious: “Do you mean “a girl”? And “at me”! Yeah, right…”

On the other doors of the bus, a silver-tongued teenager is convincingly flirting with a young lady.

“There was a struggle in me whether to approach you or not. You won! I congratulate you!”

Just a few minutes afterwards:

“You are not that stupid so as not to fell in love with me, right? I mean… I know that I am not perfect, but I count on your imagination”.

My subconscious: “At least someone who does not use the head just for wearing a nice hair-cut!”

At last! The bus station! Just a few more meters and I am there! Semaphore displays red.

My subconscious: “3, 2, 1… 3, 2, 1…”

I am in front of the school. The doors are locked! I am calling our school keeper.

“Gojko! Gojko! Open the doors!”

“Sorry, kid! There is a strike today…”

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What do the stars have in mind for you?

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Aries travellers

The foundation date of a country gives it a unique zodiac sign. And Scotland is an Aries country — just think Braveheart and Billy Connolly and you're halfway there. Aries travellers often find they feel right at home in this country. As a fire sign they're also into flaming hot deals. Edinburgh has amazing bargains in autumn and winter and the blazing log fires in the local pubs (not to mention the scotch) should keep you warm.

Taurus travellers

Taureans always want more luxury for their dollar, and as this sign rules money, big business and shopping you enjoy a holiday even more when you can pick up a bargain. The current exchange rate's perfect for experimenting with different destinations. Try Taurean regions like Portugal or Japan, or even Monaco. Porto and Algarve in Portugal have last-minute rooms for big euro bargains. And if any traveller understands the complexities of the euro it's the Taurus.

Gemini travellers

Gemini travellers can't go without their internet access, daily paper and cable TV. They don't go overseas to relax and escape, they go to be stimulated and mentally switched on. Gemini places include Sri Lanka, Argentina and the Vatican City. They were all founded when the sun was in the sign of the twins. Geminis tend to travel in 'twin' packs, too, either with a partner or a best friend. Make sure your mobile access is organised before you go, or else!

Cancer travellers

You won't be surprised to hear that Italy was 'born' under your sign, as Cancer is associated with food, family and mothers — not to mention grandmothers. Cancerians love trawling the local food markets and cooking up a storm, so Vietnam is another Cancerian country to check out; Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi both have amazing deals at the mo.

Leo travellers

Leos are travel royalty, and when they can afford it will actually pay to sit at the pointy end of the plane. When they can't afford it, they'll fake it by nabbing the first row of vacant seats after take-off (but in a classy Leo way, of course). Leo rules Greece, Peru, Jamaica and Singapore.

Virgo travellers

The Virgo traveller needs to be fully immunised before s/he goes anywhere ... or else. This sensitive, special sign is funny about food and drink preferences, too — not to mention local insects. If Virgo pays attention to the body basics before packing, then the holiday will be a lot more fun and relaxing. Virgo destinations include regions founded under that sign like Poland, Malaysia and Brazil. Those beautiful Brazilian beach bodies tell you about the other Virgo preoccupation, which is sport and fitness. Keep fit while you're on the road, regardless of where you end up! Virgo

travellers

The Virgo traveller

Libra travellers

Librans travel in pairs, and if they must fly solo, do so with a romance in mind. This is the 'Noah's ark' (hence travelling two by two). Libran regions include New Zealand (which is often paired with Australia) and Belgium. Fantastic flight deals to Auckland are one good reason to take off for one of the world's most famous Libran countries.

Scorpio travellers

There are several intriguing destinations founded under the sign of Scorpio, starting with Turkey. It can be hard to tell what's really going on underneath a Scorpio's layers, and you're attracted to holiday destinations with mysterious stories to tell. You like sexy, steamy spas and saunas, tool the famous hamams of Turkey are right up your street.

Sagittarius travellers

Sagittarians were born to travel and if they could afford it would never go home. A beautiful destination founded under your zodiac sign is Sweden. The United Arab Emirates was also 'born' under your sign. Sagittarians love throwing themselves into other cultures, and prefer to go out and meet travellers from all over the world. Dubai is the ideal mix of old world and new world.

Capricorn travellers

Cautious, patient and slow to commit, Capricorns are the pre-holiday planners of the zodiac. They are always fully-insured and tend to avoid any region of the world with even the slightest risk factor — who reads government alerts for travellers? The Capricorn, of course! This sign rules Indonesia and China. In China you'll find the history you're looking for. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet associated with the past, and from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the beauty of old Shanghai, your starry-yearnings should be satisfied. Try Tai Chi while there; the slow, steady style is perfect for you.

Aquarius travellers

Aquarians either travel alone (and are perfectly happy to do so) or in a gaggle of friends. Even when they travel as a pair, they tend to join a larger group of other couples. They enjoy festivals and special events — sporting or cultural — which bring all the world's tribes together. It rules Sydney. Even if you live in the Emerald City, if you're born under the sign of Aquarius it's worth taking a stay-cation in the place you call homes.

Pisces travellers

Piscean travellers are after total escapes, and the less their destination resembles the real world back home, the better. They need to be near water in order to feel completely relaxed. Regions born under the sign of the fishes include beautiful St Lucia, the ultimate beach escape. Additionally, the isle of England is half-Piscean — head towards Oxford or Bath.

Taken from travel.ninemsn.com.au

Intervieuw

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Interview

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Xplore! Travel tips

As much as we love the excitement of sightseeing the entire day, roaming in an unfamiliar and often large city can be quite exhausting. In this article we provide you with some useful travel tips to make your journey even more enjoyable.

1. WaterAlways carry a bottle of water with you, since it’s essential to keep hydrated while you travel. Especially in warm weather. Some cities also have clean water fountains where you can refill your bottle. Make sure you ask if it’s drinkable first though!

2. Hearty breakfastHave a good and hearty breakfast before starting out the day. It will keep you energized for quite a while and prevents unnecessary unhealthy snacking!

3. Pack your own lunchWhile you should of course taste the local cuisine, it can be better to pack your own lunch and save those pennies for a wonderful dinner. By bringing your own lunch you also save time, as you can continue sightseeing while eating. Additionally, packing your own food is a wise decision in countries where it is not always safe to eat everything displayed on local markets.

4. Hand sanitizerWashing your hands while travelling can be quite difficult, but is actually really important. Luckily we have perfect small-sized hand sanitizers that kill those germs without any water or soap. Just pop them in your bag and enjoy clean, germ-free hands.

5. TissuesTissues are indispensable when on the go and can be used in all sorts of situations. We all know the uncomfortable feeling of having to go to the bathroom but not having any tissues available. That’s why some packs of tissues are a must!

6. PlastersWe are all familiar with those awful and painful blisters from walking too much. They can even appear while wearing the most comfortable shoes. Plasters help alleviate the pain and, thus, contribute to a more pleasant travel experience.

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Traffic, love and hate

By Dientje van Dongen

Thinking about traffic, the first image that springs to mind appears to always be clogged

up ways with too many cars stuck in traffic. My second thought therefore always is, how

to avoid this? Especially when taking a city trip, the last thing you want to be doing is

seeing one side of the Big Ben from the top of a windy tourist bus for 20 minutes long.

A first idea is of course is to take the tube. Every self-respecting city has one these days,

and it is without a doubt the easiest way to get from A to B quick and dry. I do hear my

friends complaining about the difficulty of deciphering a tube map, but honestly, the

main thing required is logical thinking and even my 7 year-old cousin had that

capability. I do however have one major downside to using the tube, and that is the view.

Because although you save a lot of time, its fair enough to say that I would indeed rather

look at sweet old Big Ben for 20 minutes than the several shades of grey of the

underground tunnels.

So, unless you are in a hurry or if you need to cover a bit of length in a short time, I am

an advocate for walking. You truly get to know a city by feet. The hassle and bustle on

the streets, small markets, random city people. If I would have taken the tube in New

York to simply get from the Met to Central Park and then back to Central Station again, I

would have missed out on the real New York City vibe, a vibe one can only truly

experience when one is with both feet on the ground.

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Laurens ad

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