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NTIC MAGAZINE 1
FOREWORD The cultural multiplicity found at NTIC has made this issue possible for you to read. It is a result of all the different collaborations, from the editorial team, to everyone else who has been involved in the magazine’s production. Overcoming the challenge of being alone in a new country is certainly difficult, but we have all managed to do it and found ourselves having a remarkable experience as international students here in Nottingham. Featuring a whole range of articles regarding different interests, events and stories from people all over the world, we wanted to show how full of life and excitement this year has been for us. Furthermore, we wanted to make an issue that focused on how being different is not a reason to hate but to empathise with each other, no matter where we come from or what we believe in. Past and present students have come together to showcase the different contrasts that are found in our everyday lives, and, hopefully, to leave something for future ones to remember us by. - Maria Campuzano
Maria Roxana
Risham
Darwin
Nadia
gel
An
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CONTENTS 4 6 8 10 12 14
Student impressions of the first week
A singleton’s guide to Valentine’s Day
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Ending the drought
People’s stories
18 20 22
Banksy story
Feminist musicians
A Christmas morn
You better kiss me
A sunrise hot air balloon
Undertale review
26
10 films to see before you die
28 30
The Danish girl
“Weather” or not?
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STUDENT IMPRESSIONS OF THE FIRST WEEK DARWIN LI
Do you remember your first week at NTIC? Did you feel helpless? Was it a nightmare? Did you feel excited? As a fresher, I walked around and heard these voices from International students!
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Use one word to describe your first night in the UK. Ali: Nightmare. Flavia: Cool. Ishwaree: Scary.
Where is the best place for students to relax? Ali: Costa. Flavia: Global Point. Ishwaree: Old Market Square.
Use three words to describe Nottingham. Ali: Quiet, Convincing, Astonishing. Flavia: Peaceful, Beautiful, Harmonious. Ishwaree: Beautiful, Friendly, Perfect.
What are the advantages of the UK weather?
What are the advantages of studying in Nottingham?
Ali: It’s unpredictable. Flavia: No advantage. Ishwaree: It gives you good vibes and creates a friendly environment.
Ali: Using English at any time. Flavia: Good study environment and suitable for students’ study. Ishwaree: Exposure. GlobaI Experience
Tell us someone you met who was very interesting. Ali: Christian, he can move his eyebrow. Flavia: Student union staff. Ishwaree: No-one.
We are looking for new international students to interview, if you want to show off your personality to every students and make more friends, please contact us, we are lovely to meet you! E-mail:darwin.li1109@gmail.com 5
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A singleton’s guide to VALENTINES DAY By: Risham Bawa
When couples decide what to buy their partner on the 14th of February, we singles have a completely different plan. All thanks to Saint Valentine, we single woman sit in our bedrooms with our blinds down and binge watch TV instead. But, it doesn’t have to be that way! This article is dedicated to the single women who have no clue about what to do on Valentine’s Day and need help making plans. So, sit back, relax and check out these suggestions. CREATE A BUCKET LIST: Justin Bieber said “ Love Yourself “but loving yourself seems like a much better idea for us. Start by making a bucket list of the things you want to do on the day just like you would make if you had a boyfriend and wanted to plan the day with him. I’ll share my bucket list with you and I just want you to know that I wouldn’t have valentine’s day any other way!
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RISHAM’S VALENTINE’S DAY BUCKET LIST 1) Wake up super late 2) Get dressed (fave red dress!) 3) Buy yourself flowers Georgie Pauwels
4) Shopping!!! 5) Get an ice cream 6) Go for dinner and a movie with the girls!
TRAVEL or CHILL? So my valentine’s day was very eventful but it doesn’t have to be that way, you could totally take the day off and travel around or visit new places. You could even do what my best friend does and get a bottle of wine (only if you’re above 18) with a takeaway and chill at home. ENJOY BEING A SINGLE LADY! Being single is being free and not tied down by a man. No one tells you what to do or what you should be like. So, basically you can do whatever you want without having to explain yourself to anyone (unless you’re like me and you have to share everything with your mother, which does have its perks). Also, think of it this way, you can sleep peacefully at night without being worried that someone is cheating on you.
GO OUT Going out with your girlfriends for a drink or two sounds like a great idea on Valentine’s Day. My friends and I went to the club one Valentine’s Day night and we got really drunk but the club wasn’t so great so we decided to go somewhere else. While we were collecting our coats, this old man came out of nowhere and started flirting with me! Me, being the awkward person that I am, and under the influence of alcohol yelled “ I dont speak English! “. My friends and I looked at each other with dead stares for two seconds and then burst out laughing and ran out of there as fast as we could. So, going out with your girlfriends could be fun because sometimes you might have amazing experiences that you’ll never forget!
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ENDING THE DROUGHT By: Chukwuebuka Onwunali
All sports fans know how difficult it is to endure both the pain of defeat and hope of victory but 2014 was a special year, not because Brazil got thrashed 7-1 by Germany (although that was absolutely spectacular), but because Arsenal finally ended their trophy drought. It had been nine years since Patrick Viera scored the winning penalty that won The Gunners the FA Cup against Manchester United but since then it has been a very long, dry road for Wenger’s men. The season started off like every other one since 2005 – bland. Arsenal had been forced to sell the likes of Nasri and Clichy and finally, Robin van Persie. These players were all sold to rival clubs. It was a catastrophe that had become the norm at The Emirates. What was worse was the fact that Arsene Wenger spent the big money he received for our players on the stadium rather than on his team. There have been many people and even fans who have criticized Wenger but one thing he does manage to do is to get his makeshift teams to the UEFA Champions League - although actually winning the prize for Arsenal would be like trying to herd cats. Anyway, the 2013/14 season kicked off with Arsenal losing to Aston Villa from behind. It’s sad because it wasn’t really much of a shock. However, after the insult of a loss, The Gunners picked themselves up and their French striker began to score
for his team. A win against their arch rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, was just what the doctor ordered and Arsenal were top of the table on deadline day.
Now, there had been a list of players linked to The Gunners but Mesut Ozil was arguably the most eye-catching. His talent and absolute brilliance was the engine at Madrid and his glorious assists were probably the main reason Cristiano Ronaldo had been on the Ballon D’or finalists list more than any other player who had worn a number 7 shirt, or any other player who had worn a Los Blancos shirt for that matter. Ozil was our chance at a trophy again. Wenger, who has a masters degree in accountancy, knew that he could use a talent like Mesut so he waited for the move of Bale from Spurs to Madrid. This, of course meant that Ozil would become superfluous and the former Monaco manager went in for the kill. One hour before deadline day was over, Mesut became a gunner while United were left with David Moyes and Marouane Fellaini. By the end of November 2013, Arsenal were cruising at the top of the league and it was no fluke. The mercurial Players celebrating in the stadium.
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passes and overall brilliance of Mesut Ozil was seen by everyone. Wenger had placed him in the No. 10 position and he was certainly a square peg in a square hole. Ravaging through defenses and bamboozling players with trickery became the only way Arsenal could express themselves. The FA Cup rounds came along and The Gunners ran through the first rounds of fixtures, obliterating teams from League 1 and 2 in England. The potential biggest test for Wenger’s men, though, was Liverpool. After Arsenal had slumped to a defeat to them a week earlier, The Gunners knew they had something to prove to Brendon Roger’s side. The dangerous duo of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were kept quiet by impeccable goalkeeping from Lukas Fabianski while Podolski and Oxlade Chamberlain brought home the goods. Another test was Everton, who Arsenal played in the quarter final of the FA Cup and could not afford any slip-ups. It was a fantastic 4-1 result as the Gunners tore the Toffees apart and left Roberto Martinez’s men speechless from a master class performance by Ozil. The German’s quick thinking and accurate passes ensured that the Arsenal were going to Wembley!
Lucasz Fabianski, Arsenal’s goalkeeper
with tired legs and determination but could not breakdown a disciplined Wigan defense. After the allocated 30 minutes had elapsed, the shadow of the dreaded penalty shootout had fully eclipsed. It all came down to mental strength as well as physical endurance; things that were fortunately lacking for Wigan as Fabianski produced two concurrent saves to secure a place in the final for The Arsenal.
The day of the final came and it was a chance to end years of hurt. The Gunners had one more mountain to overcome in Hull City and they had already beaten them Next were Wigan and although they weren’t even a team 3-0 in the league in a match labelled ‘the dress rehearsal’ in the Premier League, they were no walk in the park. of the FA Cup final. Arsenal, however, had lost the plot They were in fact defending the FA Cup after beating Man- completely at Wembley. Wenger’s men were two goals chester City in the 2013 final. It later transpired that they down before the 20 minute mark and every gunner beat the Citizens again during the course of the 2014 FA couldn’t help the feeling that this was going to be another Cup campaign. Arsenal knew they couldn’t afford to throw let down and yet another trophy-less year. It was somecaution to the wind but they also forgot the best form of thing of a miracle, but after a beautiful Santi Cazorla free defense is attack. Hope was in short supply when Wigan kick goal and an equalizer by Koscielny, The Arsenal had were up by 2-1 at Wembley but Per Mertesacker was able turned the tide and were sending the contest to extra to rescue his teammates in the dying moments of the time again. Ozil delivered passes left, right, front and game and send the match to extra time. Arsenal played center but Hull were resolute. It was almost poignant to watch for an Arsenal fan but as chance would have it, The Gunners went one goal up through a stunner from Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman had been a thing of a midfield goal scoring Juggernaut all season since the inclusion of Ozil and it was practically written in the stars that he would lead his teammates to their first trophy in almost 10 years. Arsenal won the FA Cup in dramatic fashion by beating Hull City 3-2 in the final in Wembley and at long last ended the drought. Arsenal players on top of a bus on the Open Top Bus Parade.
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A Christmas Morn Pictures and words by: Zulaikha Abiri
H
i people, this is an extract from my short story A Christmas Morn. A Christmas Morn centres on a wealthy family who reside in Lagos, the biggest city in Nigeria, and how the couple in question’s marriage turns sour over the years. The extract is the beginning of the story that gives a glimpse of the wealthy Lagos life and the less flamboyant Lagos life. I hope you enjoy this short extract. The glossary is found below to help you understand the meaning of Nigerian slangs and words. Thanks so much for reading. Glossary Agbero- Street boys Harmattan- A dry and cold weather in Nigeria, usually comes towards the end of the year Galalgala- common Nigerian snack, hawked on the streets Pyo ota or pure water- Water sachet, commonly hawked on Nigeria streets Tuke tuke- Commercial bus 1988- CHRISTMAS EVE Dust fills the air; there’s dust everywhere. The trees dry up, needing just a drop of moisture to come alive. They have even been dumped by the chirping birds for the not so dry ones. The grounds are reddish, dry, hard and caked. The dust has painted the roofs, painted them brick-red brown. The wind is blowing angrily carrying a fog of dust along with it joyfully, a combination not too pleasant to the people. It is a season of boom for Vaseline and balm sellers - the sellers of essentials for cracked lips and cold goose-pimpled chests, the annoying effects of the harmattan. It is a chilly morning. It is now almost noon, the sun is gradually finding its way excitedly through the grey clouds like it escaped or something, it 10
creates some warmth. Christmas is in the air. The impoverished streets of Lagos; unlevelled some areas without tar, the streets are nourished by the hustle and bustle of the people; agbero boys with heavy chests and tuke tuke drivers with pot bellies brawling here and there, street sellers shouting “buy pyo ota” or “gala! gala!”. Street hawkers hawking one item or the other, everything and anything even bed sheets. Naked children with flat chests and protruding bellies running up and down, some running along the streets rolling old tyres and
carols playing gloriously from mansion to mansion, the sounds of Fela Kuti and Michael Jackson’s music interrupting the seasonal tunes, people in their homes on their soft cosy sofas singing joyful Christmas songs laced with elegance, finesse and silliness, heartfelt laughters and happy cries of reunion, fat chickens, turkeys and cows yet to be slaughtered, sisters and cousins admiring each other’s expensive Christmas hair-dos, like the mullet and afros, brothers showing each other their designer shirts, fathers chattering excitedly in the sitting room with their wealthy colleagues and friends, biting into large chunks of meat and singing along cheerfully to Fela Kuti’s music. Mothers have their outfits set even for their young laughing children. Joy fills the parent’s heart as their older children arrived from school days ago, most of them, abroad. The neighbourhoods are full of adolescents and young adults sharing one fancy experience or the other, never daring for their parents to hear about their campus misbehaviours. Conversations of how shopping is more fun than hours in the library because of the dreaded deadlines and examinations, about how cute caucasian boys are cute or how caucasian girls are more exposed and have long, silky hair - caucasian hair was a major contrast to their short, tight-curled afros. Ikenna was one of such privileged children.
The opulent neighbourhoods on the other hand are a different story. You find exotic Christmas lights, beautiful and classy Christmas decorations, neatly tarred roads, tall trees and flowers gracing the sides. There is little peace and quiet but a different kind of noise; Christmas
H. Hunting
pushing handmade toy cars, they frown at the dryness and coldness of the weather but they do not let the dry weather stop them. People are looking for one thing or the other to do, many are yet to buy their Christmas chicken, or Christmas fish or even Christmas rice!
Ebute Eros Street in Lagos. 1910s
Thanks for reading! You can find the full story on my blog www.zuleykhapeeblog.wordpress.com where you can comment and follow my blog. Thanks again. 11
YOU BETTER KISS ME BY
Abiri Zulaikha
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You better kiss me. The lights are dim.. The candles burn quickly, The quietness is so intense, So intense! It’s choking. The cold wind is in full speed, Moving nonchalantly. The sky is filled with numerous stars, Gathered to behold an even soon becoming, Silence runs through the streets. I only hear the stubborn crickets, The cacophony of sounds, They cannot help it. The candles, They are almost burned out, It is soon becoming. I can see your bright eyes clearly in the dark, Staring sheepishly into mine, Plaguing my naïve insecurities, Seducing me without any gliding or colliding. I can hear you breathing loudly. I can hear your heart beating. I can see your chest heaving. I can see you licking those lips. You better kiss me. 13
PEOPLE STORIES. By: Maria Campuzano
Nottingham Trent International College receives hundreds of new students each year, mainly looking to broaden their studies. However, there is more to NTIC students than the program they are in. Many of them hope to achieve different dreams and goals while being surrounded with great people. Here are some of their stories.
Addison Kane Hillman Country of origin: United States of America He came to Nottingham because he has always had a desire to travel and he was looking for a social place in which he could interact with international students. He is completing his Foundation Year in order to progress to study Microbiology at NTU as he enjoys analysing living things and understanding how they work from the cell, the most basic level of living organisms.
Nurzhan Yessimzhanov Country of origin: Kazakhstan Even though studying was his main reason to come to the United Kingdom, he has found an enjoyable way of living in Nottingham with people from all over the world. He says Nottingham is a nice city in which he can do a lot of different activities besides studying. He hopes to finish his Foundation Year in Petroleum Engineering and is still deciding where to go next.
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Hamad Al-Badr Country of origin: Qatar Out of all the places he has been to, Nottingham is the one where he feels most welcomed. It could be due to the fact that there are a lot of people here that come from Qatar, but he definitely feels safe and relaxed while living here. Inspired by his father, Hamad is hoping to achieve a degree in Business so he can learn how to manage a company by treating people right.
Wei Xinlin Country of origin: China She came here looking forward to getting an academic foundation in International Relations as she wants to change how women are seen in Chinese politics and do that little bit to change the world. She likes Nottingham but is not enjoying the weather that much.
Ma Ke En Country of origin: China She’s been drawing since she was a little girl, so it is expected that she would want to achieve a career in Fashion Design. Nottingham was her choice because NTU’s program has a really good reputation in China and is very complete. She is always looking for new inspiration and expects to be recognised as a sustainable designer.
Luwi Kappepa Country of origin: Zambia Looking for a higher quality of education, Luwi came to Nottingham hoping to broaden her knowledge and expand her studying opportunities. She wants to progress to study Economics at NTU, intending to combine it with other fields as well. Her dream is to work with the UN in order to help people and provide better solutions for those in need. 15
A Sunrise Hot Air Balloon
Global ballooning
Text and photographs by: Rubi (Sze Wah) Tang
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G l o b al b a l l o o n
Melbourne is one of the cities in the world that can be navigated by hot air balloon. In the early morning light, the air balloons will arise from parks and gardens. When you look down from your air balloon, some of the city’s iconic sporting venues can be spotted. If you are looking for romantic and exciting activities in Melbourne, a hot air balloon is a good choice that gives you the chance to see the city life from a different angle.
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Have you ever been to Melbourne and taken a hot air balloon?
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The journey starts when we meet at the hotel, around an hour before the sunrise. The flight will last about one hour. We need to be dressed as if we are going hiking, including sturdy shoes, warm socks and a cap, plus sunglasses because the hot air balloon burners sometimes drip water mixed with carbon. The flight is breath-taking, as you can see from the pictures. We eventually make our landing and help pack the balloon away.
Prices Per person - For all public 1 to 10 passengers Adult : $440 ($470 with breakfast) Child : $340 ($355 with breakfast)
Last Christmas, I went to Melbourne. On this trip, I had a very precious experience, I went to take a hot air balloon for the first time. Before the trip, I felt very nervous. But, after we were up on the sky, I was not nervous anymore because of the beautiful view.
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A
S T R E E T A R T , N E W A R T T O D E F I N E ?
Banksy Story
Have you ever stopped while walking to admire street art, trying to understand the situations and deeper meanings they carry? Well, this article investigates the phenomenon of street art. By: Gida Malafronte Street art, also known as the art of graffiti, is a form of visual art created in public places by artists. The origin of graffiti goes back to New York, where it achieved great popularity in the 1980s. The movement of street art has become much more widely renown and is found in different places around the world. For instance, in the 1990s, the West side of the Berlin Wall portrayed a message by street artists communicating with everyday people about political and social problems in the country. A controversial aspect of this liberal form of art criticised by many is that graffiti is considered a crime and hence different charges can be applied, but on the other hand, others define it as art. 18
Graffiti in Chicago
Graffiti in Berlin
In the UK, street art is mainly popular in the city of Bristol due to the graffiti artist Banksy who creates his art with colourful and lively images. Banksy is an English graffiti artist with an unknown identity who has gained popularity throughout the UK and around the world with his graffiti which represents the political situation and human condition in different countries. In order to create his graffiti Banksy implements the stencil or the pochoir technique where the images are made out of paper which overlaps the different surfaces and is then spray painted to create the final graffiti. The process is quick and easy in order to produce graffiti without being caught and can furthermore be used to replicate graffiti in other places.
Banksy Stop and Search graffiti
The location of Banksy’s graffiti can be found on different walls all around the globe. In Israel, on the West Bank barrier created between Palestine and Israel, one of his pieces of graffiti called Stop and Search (2007) can be found. This graffiti represents reversed roles where a little girl is frisking an armed soldier, reflecting the political situation in the two countries. The built wall affects people’s lives on the West bank where families are separated; the better services and jobs are found on the other side and as a consequence, in order to access the East, increasingly strict and humiliating checkpoints are being carried out where dehumanizing mechanisms are being applied. Throughout his graffiti Bansky expresses the human rights, conditions and the political issues created with the building of the wall in the West Bank and how this has affected the lives of Palestinians.
Many street art pieces by Bansky all around the world, and especially in the UK, have been removed by councils and although some are viewed as acts of vandalism to the public, some have been placed in galleries creating a profit out of them. In addition, Banksy is also the owner of ‘Dismaland’, a ‘bemusement’ theme park in the UK with attractions which reflect the political situations. Perhaps this is why it was only open for five weeks! The biggest question we have to ask is whether graffiti is considered art or vandalism? Or whether using graffiti to critically represent the political situation of countries should be considered offensive?
Dismaland Park
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FEMINIST By: Angel Parek
M
aya Angelo once said, “I’m a feminist,
I’ve been a female for a long time now, it would be stupid not to be on my own side”. Feminism
wasn’t very trendy back in the day and especially not as portrayed in early 1990s lyrics. However, there’s surely something to be said for the reversal of the gaze when it comes to such a traditionally masculine fetishisation. Did you know that Lady Gaga was denied a record label and refused a release of her album? Well that was just pathetic: to decline greatness because of someone’s lyrical freedom. Fortunately, now various female artists have got the hang of it and have started to embrace the messages tied to feminism in their lives and works. Through music a message can reach a large crowd and influence the fans to be empowered by equality, which is the purpose of musicians creating feminist songs. Over the page are the top 5 FLAWLESS artists who have claimed and adopted feminist ideals; this is by no means an exhaustive list, and it is in no particular order.
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MUSICIANS #1 Beyoncé
It seems like Queen Bey has been working on nothing else but incredible albums that mostly expose her power as a female icon. Do you remember how the song “Run The World” goes? Well OF COURSE you do! It almost drove the world crazy, followed by her.“Beyoncé” album. Vogue recently named Bey as a “modern-day feminist”. You go, girl. Mazel tov Queen Bey!!!!!!!!
As we all know, judging from Taylor’s old albums we all thought she was a mushy type of girl. However, she elevated herself from singing “You Belong With Me” to “Blank Space”, which was essentially a feminist critique of the media’s portrayal of her.
#3 Rihanna
#2 Taylor Swift
BadgalRiRi is a feminist virtuoso without any doubt (forget the part where she got back with ex Chris Brown after being
assaulted by him). Now she owns her sexuality and portrays her image in her music. However, others say she’s misogynistic from her recent song title called “B$tch Better Have My Money” . But, whateverrr! We all know she’s a real feminist icon, just look at her tattooes and speeches.
Lorde! Lorde! Lorde! Although she accepts the reality of not being “royal”, this young artist expresses her feelings in the
#4 Lorde
music she sings and speaks her mind within her lyrics. And despite her young age (19) she still has insightful things to say. She was only 17 years old when she claimed her feminine identity by saying “feminism is completely natural”. This shouldn’t be mildly surprising for a teenage girl in this century!
#5 Nicki Minaj
I don’t think there’s much to say about our ‘Queen of Rap’ as we are all aware of her music. Miss Nicki has always been representing the feminist icon in all kinds of ways, in her lyrics, interviews, awards speeches and even in the small parts she plays in movies. It’s refreshing to constantly see Nicki reject objectification and assert her status as a sexual subject (rather than an object). 21
Undertale - Review For gamers, by a gamer: Nuntuchporn Siwapinyoyos
What is this? S eeing that it’s already 2016, many people may or may not notice that the term Undertale has been plaguing the internet since the middle of 2015. So what IS Undertale, basically? Undertale, at first glance may look like a typical 16-bit RPG game, but with its own charm and wacky sense of humor oozing from the game.
The game is made and composed by Toby Fox, which for those of you who have heard of Homestuck, you know that you’re instantly promised to receive a game with great soundtracks. The music is the mixture of 16-bit sound and instrumental music which perfectly combine together.
About
T
he story takes place in the year of 201x on top of Mt. Ebott, where you, the player, take the role of a human child who climbed up that mountain and accidentally stumbles upon the entry of the Underground, where the monsters were sealed and eventually resided there after they lost in the war with the humans a long time ago. It is possible for something to enter the Underground, however the problem is...that there is almost no way to leave the Underground because of the barrier that humans used to lock away the monsters from coming up to the Surface. Even if there is a way to break the barrier, the method is so difficult. So it is up to you to venture through the Underground and (maybe) make many strange, new friends along your way through the journey. 22
True, the gameplay is a traditional turnbased Japanese RPG... but with the bullet hell shooter genre twisted into the mix. So, imagine the Earthbound/MOTHER series and Touhou series combined.The result? We get this precious gem over here.
However, this game’s main uniqueness comes across when you take a moment to look at the game’s tagline that clearly says; ‘The Friendly RPG Where Nobody Has To Die.’. And that phase takes itself very seriously. In this game, you can either FIGHT or ACT your way out of battles. Basically, there are two play styles for the players; you could be a saint and ACT your way out of most enemies and boss fights, basically your main goal is to meet and befriend many strange characters as much as possible. But that way you won’t gain any experience points, or become stronger by increasing your level, although you can still earn money, so worry not. Okay, ‘Tsunderplane’ is a thing in this game.
Or...you can just choose to kill everyone that you come across without any care and become stronger by gaining levels, even if some of those enemies do not wish to fight you. You Monster. This game, unlike many other Japanese RPGs, DOES NOT instantly paint you as the good guy or the hero. In fact, this game makes you have a second thought and makes you question what you did in many other Japanese RPG games that you have played before. Now with that said, the choice, the power to decide yours. But just like in real life, the consequences are real, the game will remember them, and it will So, be wise with what choices you make, and how you
fates, is all of your choices judge you on it. play the game. 23
O
Characters
ne of the factors that make this game such an enjoyable experience for me is the characters. I don’t know what it is, but I can picture those characters legitimately talking to one another in different voices, even if the entire game dialogue is ALL text. It could be how each character has their own fonts, writing style, and ‘noises’ when they talk. Or, how the dialogue captures each character’s identity so much, to the point you would almost think they’re real for a moment there. But for those who have played the game, they are real...inside our heart. Those characters with different unique See this ‘goat-mom‘ over? This character here, her name is personalities could go from; a warm Toriel. She’s the 2nd character you meet in the game and motherly figure, a sweet precious bascially she explains how the game works in the very beginning. cinnamon roll, a lazy pun-lover, a total hot-head badass, right down to gosh Wait, does this mean she is a ‘Tu‘-toriel?? dang fabulous! And this is just to name a few! Heck, even the normal enemies from random encounters have their own personality traits, personal story, and their own dreams if you choose to care and stay determined to deal with them and keep on dodging their bullets or pellets, instead of just FLEEING or FIGHTING them.
A
Story
s for story matter, you will find out more as you began to process the game more and more? Oh, boy this game certainly has a huge tale to share with you all.
The anime is real strong in this game.
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There is an important message from the emotional parts of the story too (don’t get me wrong, there is still A LOT of comedy stuff in the game), but every great game needs to have a great storyline to engage the players, to make us care about what’s actually going on in the course of the events of the game, and the dilemma we and other characters are facing.
Depending on your choices throughout the course of the game, the themes/messages you get at the end can be heartwarming and life changing , or downright nightmarish fuel that will keep you awake, too terrified to sleep for days.
Overall
Bottom line: Undertale is one of those few games
that gave me such a breathtaking experience and successfully kept me engrossed with the story to the very end, and it’s rare for a game to make me feel that nowadays. I had newly arrived in the UK at the time when my cousin brought this game for me. I didn’t know anyone. My mother and my dogs were all in my home country. But this game made me feel less lonely, especially with all those colorful characters I have grown to care and love all of them. It’s a game that makes you have second thoughts on your morality, your outlook toward the world, how you act towards other people, how you could be a nicer person to your loved ones (even if you are already nice enough to them). The game is that meaningful to me. And to think that the developer of this game managed to do all this by using only a 16-bit game that was created in Game Maker.
Pros: • Uniqueness in gameplay and concept. • Colorful, lovable characters! • Kickass soundtracks. • 4th Wall breaking and comedy level: up to eleven! • Challenging (but with reasonable difficulty spike.) Cons: • Could be frustrating for those who are ‘new’ to JRPG/Bullet Hell genre. • Could be dull to those who don’t like a lot of reading. • Repetitive at times (e.g. random encounters.)
Undertale has easily become one of the best games I have ever played in the year 2015. Heck, I could say with a strong certainly that Undertale has to be on top of my list of ‘Top 5 Favorite Games of All Time’. I have to thank my cousin for introducing such a fantastic game to me. I can’t thank him enough for this. And lastly, thank you Toby Fox, for making this special game into a reality.
So? What are you waiting for? Give this game a chance, and you will be surprised at how good it is even if you play the game without much expectation at first. In fact, this game is only £6.99 on Steam! Try it, buy it now! The game won’t be disappoint you, it’s worthy of your money and you won’t regret buying it, mark 25
10 movies to see before you die. Limitless.
A True Story
By: Roxana Malfavon Garcia
A lame writer who was in a crisis gets into an external conflict and takes a pill which allows his brain to work 100 percent and his life changes completely. Director: Neil Burger Main Actors: • Bradly Cooper • Anna Friel • Abbie Cornish
A New York Times reporter met a serial killer because he used his name to be undercover. As a result the reporter gets into the killer’s game. Director: Rupert Goold Main Actors: • James Franco • Jonah Hill • Felicity Jones
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
12 Years A Slave
A child is left alone and has to be taken care of by a servant family. He suffers from a strange condition that makes him age backwards, affecting every aspect of his life. He falls in love, a fact that completely changes his perspective about life and himself. Director: David Fincher Main Actors: • Brad Pitt • Cate Blanchett • Tilda Swidswinton.
This movie is based on a true story and covers the life and conditions in 1853. It is about a man, recognized by his ability to play the violin, who gets kidnapped and sold as a slave. He pretends to be ignorant in order to survive, because it was not acceptable for slaves to be more intelligent than their masters. Director: Steve McQueen Main Actors: She’s The Man • Chiwetel Ejiofor A girl wants to play football, but her team gets cut for not being • Lupita Nyong’o “good enough”, so she goes on to pretend to be her brother and • Brad Pitt proves people wrong. She goes through a series of events that threat her to be discovered. Director: Andy Fickman Main Actors: • Amanda Bynes • Channing Tatum • Laura Ramsey 26
Snakes on a Plane.
A witness from Honolulu has to go to a court in Los Angeles, but his enemy wants him dead before that happens. As a result dangerous snakes threat his life and the rest of the flight. Director: David R. Ellis Main Actors: • Neville Flynn • Eddie Kim • Cheng Leong
TRANSFORMERS 1-3
A teenage boy gets involved in a fight between autobots and decepticons that take place over the globe. Robots pretend to be normal cars or high technology machines so humans don’t notice their existence. However, their fight threatens humanity. Director: Matt Damon Main Actors: • Shia LaBeouf • Megan Fox
THE MATRIX TRILOGY
A programmer of computers knows the truth about the “matrix”, but he gets involved in the problem between them so he has to save them from the dystopian reality which was made to conquer the human population. Director: Lana (formerly Larry) and Andy Wachowski. Main Actors: • Keanu Reeves • Carrie Anne-Moss • Laurence Fishbume
Inception
The Butterfly Effect.
A professional thief of dreams has the opportunity to clear his criminal history by getting into an important CEO’s mind. He needs to form a special group of people who can design the perfect dream so they can get the information at the right time or they run the risk of staying in limbo for the rest of their life. Director: Christopher Nolan Main Actors: • Leonardo DiCaprio • Tom Hardy • Ellen Page
A man gets into trouble and tries to forget his bad memories, but he writes everything in his dairy. Later on when he grows up he discovers that he and his memories have a super natural effect. Director: Eric Bress Main Actors: • Ashton Kutcher • Amy Smart • Menora Walters 27
THE DANISH GIRL By Hannah ( Wing Hay Kwok), Sulli (Lineng Huang) and Angel (Jou-Yu Chen)
The movie, “The Danish Girl”, was released at the beginning of 2016 and immediately made an impact on the movie industry, through telling the touching story of Lily Wegener: the first transgender person who attempted sex reassignment surgery. It does not just provoke tears in the audience, but also raises awareness for the LGBT community. This article is going to tell you about the story behind this brave woman and introduce the stylish 1920 costumes inside the movie.
About the movie Greta Wegener, Einar Wegener’s wife, is a painter who really needs a female model. So, she asks Einar to dress up as a woman. Perhaps surprisingly, the look was convincing and her paintings were well liked; Einar’s portrait appeared everywhere in Copenhagen. Einar found that when he wore women’s clothes, he felt very comfortable and more happy than ever before. So, encouraged by Greta , Einar eventually became the world’s first person to have surgery to change their sex, and he changed his name to Lily. 28
The Danish Girl Style
In this scene, Lily is wearing a 1920s-style royal blue dress with a lace collar. It is very similar with the 1920s female dressing style, which is elegant and graceful.
In this picture, Lily is holding a “cloche hat�. Cloche is the French word for bell, as it is a fitted, bell-shaped hat for women. This hat was very popular from about 1922 to 1933. 29
David Harrison
‘Weather’ or Not! By Risham Bawa, Maria Campuzano, Wafa Shehab, Angel Parek and Miral Parekh.
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hen winter hits Nottingham it gets colder by the minute, and fashion plays an important role in every girls life. Quoting and tweaking the great Shakespeare’s famous line “ To wear or not to wear, that is the question”. Hence our stylists have picked out this seasons famous trends for you to follow. The most popular Winter 2015/16 trends outlined by our stylists are : • • • • •
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Leather Jackets Black Clothing Ripped Jeans Knit Wear Infinity Scarfs
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From goths to geeks and It girls to fleek’s, Black is the colour that is trending in everyone’s wardrobes. This is a recurring trend and this time it covers everything from leather jackets, coats, trousers, boots etc.
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Every fashion season sees a new accessory—the one bag you need to have, those boots that everyone seems to be wearing. This winter, however, designers have focussed on a surprisingly retro accessory: scarves! From skinny ‘70s styles seen at Chloé, to the sweet chiffon bow styles at Gucci, or Burberry’s blanket scarves, there’s a huge range of styles to choose from and
Michael Cordedda Follow Ashley Charles Sabrepulse
lots of ways to tie them. So, whether your goal is practical, like being warm. or you are just adding that finishing touch to your work outfit or weekend look, definitely get on wearing the checkered or infinity scarf!
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This is one of the most important parts of the fashion industry, I mean which girl doesn’t like shoes , right? They keep you warm and during the year there are a variation of boots that come along in the market that satisy their purpose of looking good.
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