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Africa News Today - A student's guide to ... University of the West of England With two universities, Bristol is full of students and with that comes a huge array of student entertainment

A student's guide to ... University of the West of England

With two universities, Bristol is full of students and with that comes a huge array of student entertainment

University guides written by students for students

Zoe Andrews, an English language and marketing third year student at University of West of England gives us a tour of her university.

Being a student in Bristol

Bristol is a lively and diverse place, so it's great to be a student here. With two universities in the city, Bristol is full of students, and with that comes a huge array of student entertainment.

There are plenty of buses around, so it's easy to get around the city. However, some buses can be a bit pricey, so getting a bus pass is useful. Alternatively, the university runs its own bus services around the city, at a lower cost than the privately owned bus companies. For more info go to www.uwe.ac.uk/hsv/transport/bus.shtml. There are also good train links with two main stations. Bristol Parkway, which is approximately two miles from UWE's main campus and Bristol Temple Meads, which is in the city centre. So home is never too far away when the washing needs doing.

UWE is a campus based university and has four campuses spread across Bristol, plus some associate faculties in Gloucester, Bath and Swindon. UWE's main campus, Frenchay, is located approximately five miles from the city centre, and this is where the majority of students are based.

Prices in Bristol tend are similar to the rest of the UK. The Student Union's two bars, Red and Escape are the cheapest places to drink but many bars and clubs in the city centre have student nights offering cheaper drinks. The cost of eating out in the city centre varies depending on the type of place you go to, but in the majority of restaurants a decent meal can be had for between £10 and £15. Nightclubs entry prices also vary, but it is possible to have a good night out for less than a fiver.

Study time

UWE has a wide range of resources to help students in their studies. There is a library at every campus, with the Bolland library at Frenchay being the largest, with the widest range of resources. The Bolland library holds a number of different books according to subject, plus many different journals (as well as online journals). The library tends to be well stocked so it's easy to find what you're looking for. There is a library catalogue which lists all the books in the library and says which are in stock, so you can see if the book you want is available before you go traipsing up to the top floor!

The division of exams and coursework for assessment varies from subject to subject, but for the most part you can expect to be assessed in both of these areas for each module you take. However, some subjects do place more emphasis on one or the other, so if either of those is a particular forte or weakness of yours, then it's best to check with the faculty before applying.

As with the issue of coursework vs. exams, the level of lecturer/tutor to student interaction varies. There are variations between subjects, depending on which lecturers you get teaching you, but the variation can also be dependant on how much you instigate contact with your lecturers. If you put more effort into making appointments to speak with your lecturers when there are issues, then you are likely to have more interaction than other students!

Amount of time spent in timetabled activity is, again, dependent on which subject you take. Time that students spend at UWE can be anything from 2 hours a week to more than 30! So, if you want a rough idea of what your timetable will look like, it's best to ask the faculty in charge of your subject.

Play time

The role of the Student Union at UWE is to make sure every student gets what they want out of their university life. This means that they deal with all the politics surrounding your degree, for example issues with assessment feedback, lecturer problems and so forth. Much of this is done through the course student reps, who put themselves forward to represent all the students on their course at two meetings a year (if you're interested, these are paid roles). The SU also facilitates a number of leisure activities. A popular event at UWE is the Friday night party termed "Crunchie", which has a different theme every week. The SU also has other events for example comedy nights and other music nights. These are all held in the SU's two bars.

The university has a number of activities and societies which are open for students to join. Some of these may be free, but others charge a small fee (many are £5 for the year) to cover costs. A variety of sports clubs exist - which can be competitive or recreational. Many non-sporting societies exist also, and if the society you want to join doesn't exist, you can always create one if you can get enough people interested.

Different sports are catered for at UWE; there is an all-weather pitch on campus which is used for hockey and football. Plus, there is a brand new sports centre, with squash courts, climbing walls and a fully-equipped gym. The uni also holds competitions in different sports. In the yearly varsity series which comprises rowing, rugby, and football matches there is a lot of rivalry between the city's two universities.

As Bristol is quite a large city, there is plenty to do to keep yourself amused. There is a wide choice of bars and clubs around, with different music most nights. If you're not into the club scene, there are plenty of other things to do. If music's your thing, the best place to check out for gigs is the Carling Academy, and occasionally there are bands at the Colston Hall. This is also host to a number of top comedy acts like Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais. There is also a bowling alley, ice rink and plenty of cinemas.

Accommodation

So you decided to move away from home, now you need to find a place to live. There are many different options available to students when it comes to university accommodation. Most universities provide accommodation for first years, and this is also true of UWE. The university has halls on or near to each of its campuses, so you're never far away from your lectures. The university also owns a number of houses around Bristol, for those who prefer to live somewhere smaller. Unite owns some larger halls of residence in the city centre, if you prefer to be where the action is. There are also a number of private landlords who let out properties especially for students.

In terms of the uni-owned accommodation, there are several options available. As mentioned, a number of students now live on campus. There are two different types of accommodation on the Frenchay campus. One is Carroll Court, which comprises a number of separate house-type buildings, which students share. In these each student has their own study bedroom, with communal kitchen /dining area and bathrooms. If you're prepared to pay a bit more, the new Student Village is a similar setup, but all rooms are en-suite, with six students in each flat. All accommodation at UWE is self-catered, so if you don't already know how to cook it's the perfect time to learn.

Support

There is a great deal of support available at UWE for anyone who needs it. The Student Union runs an advice centre with properly trained advisers to deal with any issues students may have – accommodation, health, money etc. The university itself also has a Centre for Student Affairs, which offers counseling and personal support.

The careers service at UWE is also based within the Centre for Student Affairs. This has a lot of resources to aid students with their career objectives. A number of careers advisers are on hand to discuss things over; however, sessions with careers advisers are only bookable by appointment, so you'll need to phone on the day. The careers service at UWE is not just for final years, so if you are looking for work and need some tips, or want to improve your CV, then this is where you want to go.

There is also help available in the way of financial support. Bursaries are available to students who submit an application to the Access to Learning Fund. This help is means tested so your income will be taken into account. There is also a Summer Fund available to students who are unable to work do to taking exam resits.

For students with disabilities, there is support available from the Disability Resource Centre. The centre caters for different disabilities, not simply physical, so students with dyslexia and related syndromes can get support from this service. The service provides help with things such as reading, or extra time for exams and so forth.

Opportunities for paid and voluntary work

Bristol being a large city, there are plenty of employment opportunities available. Many students like to find part-time work to fund their lifestyles. UWE has a JobShop, which is notified by employers of vacancies in and around Bristol, and then the JobShop sends out weekly emails to students who sign up. UWE also has the Community Volunteer Programme (CVP) which offers various different unpaid opportunities within the local community. These can be anything from one day to several weeks or months in length, and are a great addition to your CV.

Finally?

UWE may not be top of the league tables, but it beats redbrick universities in its community spirit. When you're sat in Red or Escape bar, or down on the waterfront cheering on the UWE guys in the boat race, you can really feel the sense of UWE community spirit. That beats 3rd place in a league table any day, doesn't it?

Places to check out

The Waterfront – full of bars and cafés to just go and sit with a nice cold beverage, especially in the summer, watching the world float by on the harbour.
Oceana – on the waterfront. One of Bristol's biggest nightclubs with different rooms according to music. Good on student nights for free entry before 10pm.
Hog's Head – good student-friendly pub in the very centre of town. Good deals on drinks makes for cheap drinking.
Carling Academy – a great place for live music or simply used for club nights when there aren't live acts on.

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Africa News Today - How to get into an American university - The Fulbright Comission's US educational advisory service also contains useful dates and advice.

(Mike Powell)

Kristopher Tapley

The best American universities have a spending power their British counterparts can only dream of and dominate the international league tables.

And the introduction of top-up fees and students' increasingly relaxed attitude to debt means that applicants are eyeing up university life across the Atlantic more than ever.

Selecting a school

Once you have nailed down the degree you would like to pursue, begin researching which universities offer it as a major. Do not rule out similar degrees in inter-disciplinary programs, however. One of the main differences between the US and here is that there is no central body that handles the admissions, as Ucas does in the UK. But all major universities in the US have their own websites for researching what courses are available.

Ideally, you will be able to visit the US and tour some of your prospective schools, but there is an open day held in London. Most universities offer frequent tours of the campus throughout the year, as well as open days during the autumn.

The Fulbright Comission's US educational advisory service also contains useful dates and advice.

Applying

Most universities accept both online and hard copy applications. In most cases, a mission statement or applicant essay will be required, so be prepared to detail why you are interested in the field you have chosen.

There is no limit on the number of universities you can apply to, but between five and eight is the norm, and it may prove difficult to apply to more while keeping an eye on quality control.

Work samples may also be a requirement – generally in arts-oriented fields. The samples would represent your level of experience and/or ability.

American universities also require an official copy of your academic records, sent directly from the school(s) you attended.

Required Examinations

Universities in the US typically require SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or ACT (American College Testing) examination scores in order to apply. Therefore, it is important for you to take one (or both). There are testing dates throughout the year, with registration deadlines generally a month prior.

There are testing centres throughout the UK. Registering for the SAT through the College Board web site is swift and easy.

Keep in mind these tests examine your math skills, and therefore it may be best to take them before you get rusty if you've given up the subject.

Tutors

Studying for these examinations is important. As A-level deadlines loom, another set of tests – and unfamiliar ones at that – can seem daunting. But there are many American students in the UK throughout the year, a large number of them seeking extra money by way of tutoring local university applicants. Take advantage of this lingering resource.

Timing is also quite important during the university application process, so be sure you balance testing dates and deadlines and leave enough time for your A level examinations.

Deadlines

Most deadlines for undergraduate application are in the middle of January. January 15 is quite typical, just as it is in the UK. However, be sure to check your specific university. The dates could fall anywhere between mid-December and mid-February.

One thing to keep in mind is that US universities tend to offer early admission programs with earlier application deadlines. There are generally two examples of this.

"Early decision" is for students who wish to make a commitment at the time of application to attend if admitted. This is a binding application contract with the university.

"Early action" is a non-binding program adopted by some schools for students who wish simply to receive an early acceptance decision.

Be sure to take note of whether the university to which you are applying offers early admission. Some schools, such as Harvard University, have begun to phase out these programs.

Funding

University in the US is quite expensive compared with schools in the UK. Additionally, private school scholarships are quite competitive, while individual state schools do not often offer financial support to foreign nationals.

International students are not eligible for US federal or university need-based financial aid, or for federal work-study programs.

There are fellowships and scholarships available to international applicants from both the Soros Foundations Network and Rotary International. The International Student Loans Centre, meanwhile, is a good place to start for private loans. A co-signer who has lived in the States for at least two years is required, however.

Fulbright also offers a foreign student program, but it is limited to graduate students.

The International Education Financial Aid (IEFD) web site is a solid – and free – database that can help you search for a variety of aid sources. Cornell University also offers a fellowship search engine, but for graduates only.

There are alternatives for pulling money together beyond grants, scholarships and loans. Academic department fellowships are available in most cases, as are teaching and research assistant positions. On- and off-campus university-affiliated jobs are common as well.

It can be difficult, however, to support yourself through employment of any kind due to the full-time enrolment requirements of your student visa.

When you do secure funding, many universities will require evidence of financial support before issuing a formal letter of admission, or before the forms needed to obtain a visa can be issued. This support includes tuition fees and cost of living expenses. Generally, a bank-verified financial-guarantee letter is required, signed by an endorser with his or her accompanying address. This should be included with the general application in order to expedite the process.

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Africa News Today - Why do we hate some women celebrities? Do Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Victoria Beckham and others deserve the vitriol? And how do we decide who to hate?

Why do we hate some women celebrities?

Do Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Victoria Beckham and others deserve the vitriol? And how do we decide who to hate?

Shane Watson

Think of Keira Knightley. Now, what are you getting? Pretty in The Duchess? Ravishing in that green Atonement dress? Nope? Didn't think so. Because, if you are like 90% of the female population, you thought of Keira Knightley and went straight to irritation, even hate. "Ugh! I can't stand Keira," is the customary reaction. It's so common, in fact, that even Keira has spoken about her reputation for bringing women together in bonding bile-fests. "Well, I'm doing a good thing for women all over the country, then," she said this summer. "I think that's a very positive thing."

In modern life there is an official list of likes and dislikes, and Keira is somewhere near the top of the dislike list, along with seal-clubbing, bendy buses and . . . a heck of a lot of other women in the public eye. We loathe these women. And when I say "we", I don't just mean teenage girls flicking through Heat, but ordinary women, including mothers of girls Keira's age. I was busy blithely "hating" Keira the other day (though not nearly as much as I've been known to "hate" Minnie Driver), when it dawned on me that something is not right if it has become perfectly normal to call up a girlfriend and, at some point, have a good bitch about a totally blameless stranger.

Rewind a month, and pole position was occupied not by Keira but by her friend Sienna Miller. (Someone, and you know it definitely wasn't a man, even felt moved to sneak out in the night and spray-paint "slut" across the wall of her north London house. Before that, it was Victoria Beckham. Then there was Rebecca Loos, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ulrika and Kate Beckinsale. Sometimes we attempt to identify good reasons for all this hostility — Keira is too skinny and therefore a bad role model; Zeta-Jones too spoilt — but none of them ever rings true. "I think if you put yourself in the public forum, then that's what you put yourself up for, I guess," said Knightley. But why her, as opposed to, say, the ever-lovable Kylie? And how do you explain the level of vitriol?

"It's all about insecurity," reckons the PR guru Max Clifford. "You get a pretty girl, and the women will say, 'Look at the size of her bum.' It's getting worse, because it's increasingly difficult to be a woman these days — there are so many more opportunities for self-improvement, and the more pressure women feel, the nastier it gets."

The media has to take some of the blame, with gossip magazines encouraging us to focus on women's looks, bodies and clothes, rather than on the attributes we should be celebrating, such as kindness and wit. "Feminism provided the culture to admire women for their qualities, not their visual appearance," says the psychologist Jacqui Marson. "Now the whole celebrity-magazine culture has given us permission to direct our gaze at women's minute physical flaws and choices, and to pick them apart. There has been a big shift, and the feeling of sisterhood we used to have doesn't exist any more."

So who are the sort of women who find themselves in the firing line? Maureen Rice, the editor of Psychologies magazine, whose recent cover stars include Marcia Cross, Julianne Moore and Jerry Hall (all women we love), claims there is a definite checklist of do's and don'ts. "We don't like it if women have success very easily. We like talent, tenacity, savvy, a woman who has earned it. And we like a journey — women who have been through the mill and back." This element of struggle is the key. We can celebrate beauty and success, but only if it has been hard won. "Look at Victoria Beckham. She has been hated, and recently won us back, because we love a woman who gets knocked down and keeps on getting back up. The problem with Keira is it all looks too easy. Where is the suffering? Where is the implicit recognition that she owes it to us?"

Rice's journey theory explains why few people can muster animosity towards Amy Winehouse, why Katie Price has such a monster following, and why the older woman is more likely to meet with our approval. Helen Mirren was not universally adored, but now she's our favourite sexy sixtysomething. Meryl Streep — how annoying was she circa The French Lieutenant's Woman? — is now Fabulous Meryl who gets to the core of what women are all about.

For Mary Portas, it is also to do with accessibility. "Deep down, women know that very few of us can be a Sienna or Keira, and if that is what men want, it is very scary for women, so if we knock it, we feel better. It's much easier to 'love' someone like Meryl Streep, because they are kind of accessible and much less of a threat."

Jennifer Aniston, according to Rice, typifies the kind of woman who gets it right: "We know her and her problems; she's pretty but she's also quite vulnerable, and she always looks to girls to help her out." Kate Moss — through bad boyfriends and terrible life decisions — continues to have our support, because she's a girl's girl. They are all women who, as Rice puts it, "never turn their back on women", and, in times when our sense of sisterhood is under threat, this is crucial.

Our loves and hates can quickly change. We hated Angelina for stealing Brad, but she redeemed herself through a combination of good works and sidestepping the LA rat race. We loved Debbie Harry, but now she's had surgery, we're suspending our approval until further notice. Lily Allen was cuteish, we thought; now we think she's a pain . . . and so on. The game for us is deciding who is in and who is out, because we like to think that we know these women and can read them the way we read our friends. "We are hypercritical of ourselves and of the women around us," says Portas. "We are interested in what makes other women tick, and criticising is what we like to do."

Rice reckons we use women in the public eye to sort out our own thoughts: "Very little of it is about the women themselves; it is a way to clarify our own shifting opinions." So, if we slag off Sienna for sleeping with a married man, it's a way of testing how we feel about this in our own minds. Would we? Could we? Plus, it allows us to work out where our peers stand in relation to us. From this perspective, "Oh, I hate Victoria Beckham too" isn't just idle banter, it establishes that you have a connection.

"I think women's lives are so diverse now that we need to make these connections," says Portas. "We want to find people who are PLU [people like us]."

Still, this doesn't quite explain the level of vitriol poured on these women. I may be bonding with my sisters when I tut-tut about Peaches Geldof's marriage, but what is happening when Fern Britten is vilified for not publicising her gastric band?

Fern's only crime, remember, was to lose weight by means of surgical intervention. But then Fern is not just any woman on TV: she is a woman whose appeal hinges on being normal, fun and, above all, herself. So while on one level the gastric band was just a dietary aid, on another it represented the heinous betrayal of all those women out there who were relying on Fern to keep it real and give them permission to be themselves. The response was extreme because her audience feels extremely uncertain of who they're meant to be.

"If you line up behind someone and then they change the rules, people don't like it," says Rice. "Madonna's meant to be the feminist warrior, and then she has all this plastic surgery, and people are furious with her for looking desperate." The same confusion was behind the backlash against Kate Winslet when she dared to slim down. Nothing is guaranteed to irk us faster than a woman we thought was one of us turning out to be something completely different.

One thing is certain, whatever the motives, we do ourselves a disservice by attacking one another. We tell ourselves we have our reasons, yet the truth is that you can never guarantee who is going to win women over and who is going to wind them up. Sarah Palin, anti-abortionist and bear-killer — how has she ended up on the rave list? Where exactly did Gwyneth Paltrow slip up? Angelina Jolie is surely no friend to women, yet we'd rather save our sniping for the harmless toy-dog-owner Geri Halliwell.

There is no credible defence for the way we dislike. Even Max Clifford — a man rarely surprised by anything — is "astonished" by how the female mind works, and never more so than during the Beckham-Loos affair, back in 2004: "I thought, for once, Victoria Beckham would get sympathy. But what actually happened was nobody criticised David, everyone criticised Rebecca, and it was Victoria who ultimately got the blame. It was all her fault: if she had been over there, looking after him, it wouldn't have happened. I think that typifies how women are."

Maybe, in the end, there is no mystery: we just need to be nicer to each other.

Africa News Today - The 36 best travel ideas for 2009 Next year is jam-packed with wild and exotic events, but don’t freak out - we've picked the best of them

http://africanewstoday.blogspot.com/

Stephen Bleach

January

4 Mudbath in Essex

It's a gloopy start to the year. Take a wide, shallow river surrounded by acres of silty ooze, add a start line on one side, a finish line on the other and 200 slightly unhinged competitors. Bingo — you have the Maldon Mud Race (www.maldonmudrace.com ). No more room to take part, but it's a great (if slightly sadistic) spectator sport, so join the throng to watch from Promenade Park at 11.30am. Tip: wear old clothes.

8 Sounds of the Sahara

Mali has the most exciting music in Africa, and the Festival of the Desert is its showcase: hundreds of mainly local musicians play day and night in the remote dunes 40 miles outside Timbuktu, watched by thousands of locals, desert nomads and a smattering of western tourists. It runs until January 10. Wild Frontiers (020 7736 3968, www.wildfrontiers.co.uk ) has a 15-day trip, leaving on December 29, from £2,635pp; the operator can also arrange flights.

20 A new era in Washington

It's going to be huge. Up to 4m people are expected to turn out to watch Barack Obama being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States: it'll be a set-piece occasion like no other, with a hell of a party after the formal stuff. Hotels in DC are already booked solid, but you can still be part of it by commuting in for the big day: Jetset (0845 025 7757, www.jetset-holidays.co.uk ) has four nights from January 17 in Annapolis, Baltimore or Richmond (all less than an hour from DC) from £619pp, including flights and car hire.

26 New Year in Hong Kong

The year of the ox will be welcomed in with a colossal night-time parade around Tsim Sha Tsui East: there will be dozens of floats, thousands of musicians, dance troupes, clowns and a few zillion bangers. Travelmood (0800 840 8305, www.travelmood.com ) has a three-night short break covering the festivities for £599pp, including flights.

February

2 Butterflies in Mexico

One of the great wildlife migrations reaches its climax, with up to 600m monarch butterflies gathering in a few pockets of forest in the province of Michoacan. Tree branches have been known to break under the butterflies' weight. Naturetrek (01962 733051, www.naturetrek.co.uk ) has an expert-guided tour that reaches the El Rosario butterfly reserve on February 2. The nine-day trip costs £1,995pp, full-board, including flights.

24 Carnival in Salvador

It's Mardi Gras, and stuff will be shaken and bottles emptied from Rio to New Orleans to Venice. The most full-on event, though, will be at Salvador, in northeast Brazil, which lays claim to the biggest street party on earth: mile after mile of bloco bands, sound systems, outlandish costumes and feverish dancing. Journey Latin America (020 8747 8315, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk ) has a seven-day stay at carnival time from £1,768pp, including flights.

26 Cricket in the Caribbean

For the combination of a sunshine holiday and a sporting treat, there's nothing like a Caribbean Test tour. England v West Indies reads like a checklist of winter-sun favourites — Jamaica, Antigua, Trinidad... Our pick is the Third Test at the splendid new Kensington Oval, Barbados. ITC Sports (01244 355527, www.itcsports.co.uk ) has a nine-night trip from £1,965pp, including flights. Match tickets are extra, but guaranteed, and charged at face value.

27 Butterfly in New York

Anyone who saw Anthony Minghella's production of Madam Butterfly will know he wasn't just a film director: he had a sublime way with opera, too. The production is being revived for the first time since his death, with Patricia Racette reprising the title role, at the Metropolitan Opera. Tickets cost £10 to £250; www.metoperafamily.org . Bon Voyage (0800 316 0194, www.bon-voyage. co.uk) has three nights in New York from £465pp, including flights.

March

16 Las Fallas in Valencia

The citizens of Valencia are a feisty bunch, but they're creative with it. You'll see the results during this festival based around 700 ninots, huge papier-mâché caricatures of public figures that are lampooned, ridiculed, stuffed with fireworks and ceremonially burnt on March 19. It's shockingly loud. Fly to Valencia with EasyJet (www.easyjet.com ) and stay at the smart Petit Palace Bristol (www.hotelpetitpalacebristol.com ; doubles from £256.)

29 Snowbombing in Austria

Mayrhofen's Snowbombing is the best bash in the Alps, a riotous dance and rock festival at 2,000ft, running until April 4. The bill speaks for itself: Dizzee Rascal headlines and Fatboy Slim plays a set deep in the forest. Six-night accommodation packages start at £249 on the organiser's website, www.snowbombing.com . That price includes entry into all events except the Arctic Disco, held in a custom-built igloo high on a glacier, and well worth the £22 extra. For flights, try Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ) to Salzburg.

April

5 Semana Santa in Granada

We all know that the Spanish can party, but they have a serene, reflective side, too, and you'll see it here during Holy Week. A succession of solemn but strangely uplifting torchlit processions fills the streets around the Alhambra, with hooded marchers, images of Christ strewn with jewels and flamenco devotional songs. Fly to Granada with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ) and stay at the intimate Hotel Carmen de Santa Ines (www.carmensantaines.com ; doubles from £75).

9 Swordplay in London

The Chinese State Circus is touring the UK all winter (visit www.chinesestatecircus.com for dates and venues), but the tumbling, contorting, sword-flashing finale will take place at Alexandra Palace, N22, until April 19 (from £10, children from £7; www.alexandrapalace.com ). If the martial-arts display by the Shaolin Wu-Shu warriors doesn't make you wince, you weren't watching properly.

18 Rockets in Greece

One for the pyromaniacs. The exact reason that two rival churches in Vrontados, on the island of Chios, bombard each other with rockets every Easter is lost in the mists of time, but they do it with gusto: they'll be firing off about 60,000 between 8pm on April 18 and midday the following day. Thousands turn out to join the party and watch the spectacular salvos. Greek Sun (01732 740317, www.greeksun.co.uk ) has a guide price of £800pp for a week's fly-drive, including accommodation, flights and car.

30 Go orange in Holland

Queen's Day isn't much known over here, but it's a huge shindig for the locals, especially in Amsterdam, where an all-ages crowd of 700,000 gather on the evening of April 29 to dance along with the passing party boats that tour the canals. Make an up-all-night flying break of it: nip over on EasyJet (www.easyjet.com ), stay until Thursday afternoon and sleep when you get home.

May

17 Run wild in San Francisco

It's not the most prestigious road race, but the Bay to Breakers, a citywide excuse to let loose, is surely the most fun. How many others have a dedicated troop who run the course in the nude every year? Or centipedes, who run tethered together, or salmon, who wear fishy hats while going the wrong way, against the flow? Virgin Holidays (0871 222 5825, www.virginholidays.co.uk ) has a week covering the Bay to Breakers event, staying at the boutique Hotel Adagio, from £841pp, including flights.

25 Art in Provence

The exhibition Picasso, Cézanne should be one of the art events of the year: about 100 works gathered from public and private collections in France, Britain, America and beyond, exploring the relationship between the two artists. It'll run until September 27 at the Musée Granet, in Aix-en-Provence (www.museegranet-aixenprovence.fr ; entry £9). Fly to Marseille with British Airways (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com ) or EasyJet (www.easyjet.co.uk ) and stay at the Hôtel des Quatre Dauphins (00 33-4 42 38 16 39, www.lesquatredauphins.fr ; doubles from £60).

26 Kids' theatre in Edinburgh

Britain's largest performing-arts festival for children gets going today. Imaginate stages more than a dozen productions: 10,000 people came in 2008 for what was often their first taste of live theatre, to see anything from endearingly daft toddler-pleasers to challenging murder-mysteries for teens. For details, visit www.imaginate.org.uk .

June

1 Magic in St Petersburg

The White Nights arts festival officially runs from May to July, but June is the best month: the city is at its most romantic, bathed in a surreal twilight into the small hours, and while the streets glow, the performers shine. The full schedule will be announced next month, but opera at the Mariinsky Theatre should be a highlight. Exeter International (020 8956 2756, www.exeterinternational.co.uk ) has a four-night trip from £1,890pp, including two festival tickets, a backstage tour of the Mariinsky, flights and visas.

21 Music in Paris

The Fête de la Musique is celebrated across France, but the capital does it best. You can see some big names for free, but it's more in the spirit of the occasion to wander the backstreets and hear the locals doing it for themselves — anything from accordion-fuelled chanson to thrash metal. Go to Paris on Eurostar (0870 518 6186, www.eurostar.com ).

27 Lions in South Africa

The British and Irish Lions, that is. June sees the cream of the home nations take on the world champions on their own turf. England Rugby Travel (www.englandrugbytravel.com ) has a range of flight-plus-ticket packages — one covering the Tests in Pretoria on June 27 and Johannesburg on July 4 costs £2,049pp. Shame to see the Lions and not the lions too: an 11-night package, including both matches, flights and four nights in a Kruger National Park game lodge starts at £3,899pp.

July

3 Drama in Finland

If you fancy a refreshingly natural break in the Finnish lakeland — and it's worth it — base it around the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Held in the dramatic 15th-century St Olaf's Castle until August 1, it includes works by Puccini, Donizetti and Boito. Tickets start at £30; www.operafestival.fi . Crystal Lakes (0871 231 5661, www.crystallakes.co.uk ) has an eight-day fly-drive for £895pp, including flights, accommodation and car hire.

3 Divas in New Mexico

Our pick of the opera must-sees, however, is a little further afield — in Santa Fe, to be precise. Against a magical desert backdrop, this year's festival, running until August 29, has the French diva Natalie Dessay singing her first Traviata and the world premiere of The Letter, based on the Bette Davis film. Tickets cost £18-£127; www.santafeopera.org . BA (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com ) flies to nearby Albuquerque; from £788. The El Rey Inn (00 1 800-521-1349, www.elreysantafe.com ) has doubles from £66.

9 Rocking out in Serbia

So you reckon Glasto is a bit past it? Look east. The Exit festival just keeps getting better: held by the Danube at the Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, what started as a protest against Slobodan Milosevic is now the liveliest, most engaging bash in Europe, with 190,000 bright-eyed partygoers attending. Tickets cost £72 at www.exitfest.org , where you'll also find details of the camp site and of buses from Belgrade. Fly to the Serbian capital with BA (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com ); from £208.

August

1 Sharks in South Africa

All month, hundreds of ragged-tooth sharks congregate at Aliwal Shoal, off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. They look fearsome — 9ft of killing machine, with razor-sharp fangs all too evident at the business end — but they're docile at this time of year, and safe to swim with. Dive Worldwide (0845 130 6980, www.diveworldwide.com ) will take divers with nerve to meet them; from £1,579pp.

10 Puck Fair in Co Kerry

The oldest street fair in Ireland is also the best. The origins of the Puck Fair at Killorglin (www.puckfair.ie ) go back to an unwanted visit from Cromwell (the "puck" was a billy goat that warned villagers he was on his way), but these days Brits are more than welcome among the annual 100,000 visitors. The ceremonial crowning of the goat is followed by parties, parades, a cattle fair, rides, buskers, lots of Irish dancing and maybe a pint or 10. The fair runs until August 12. Fly to Kerry with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ) and stay at the lovely Ard na Sidhe (00 353 66 97 69 105, www.ardnasidhe.com ; doubles from £149).

11 Fireworks in Plymouth

Flash, bang, wallop, what a contest: the British Firework Championships set the evening sky ablaze above the Hoe. Expect pulsating pyrotechnics as professionals battle it out. For details, visit www.britishfireworks.co.uk — and leave the dog at home.

September

1 Gorging bears in Canada

All this month, the grizzlies of Knight Inlet, on Canada's Pacific coast, concentrate on one thing: eating. The annual pink-salmon run, when thousands of fish battle upriver to reach their spawning grounds, is a wildife phenomenon in its own right, full of desperate drama — but when groups of up to a dozen grizzlies are chasing them through the shallows amid showers of spray, it's spellbinding. On a 10-day trip with Wildlife Worldwide (0845 130 6982, www.wildlifeworldwide.com ), you may also see orcas, humpbacks and dolphins: prices start at £3,295pp, including flights.

5 Bargains in Lille

The city centre transforms into the biggest flea market in Europe for the Braderie, with literally miles of clothing, bric-a-brac and antique stalls, and upwards of a million visitors combing them. Start early on Saturday for the best finds and haggle for all you're worth. Make a day out of it with Eurostar (0870 518 6186, www.eurostar.com ); the first train leaves at 7.10am.

23 Turner in London

Tate Britain hosts our choice for the most intriguing exhibition of 2009. Turner and the Masters will place JMW's canvases alongside those of the painters he sought to emulate — and perhaps outshine. Works by Canaletto, Rubens, Constable, Rembrandt, Poussin and more will square up to those by England's favourite artist until January. Tickets cost £12.50, but get in early at www.tate.org.uk — it should be a sellout.

October

4 Wine in Lazio

A couple of months ago, something miraculous happened in Marino, in Italy's Alban Hills: water was turned into wine, as householders found the local white pouring from their taps. Closer inspection showed it wasn't divine intervention, but a plumbing error: by the time the 2009 Sagra dell'Uva takes place, the booze should have been redirected to its proper place, the Quattro Mori fountain. It flows free all day — drink your fill — and the decorated streets see parades, porchetta stalls, fireworks, dancing and frascati-fuelled revelry. Fly to Rome with Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com ) and make a day trip of it — it's just 15 miles from the city.

15 Arias in Wexford

Ireland's finest feast of music, the Wexford Festival Opera, made a bold move by demolishing its old Theatre Royal home — but this year's inaugural concerts at the new opera house were hailed as a triumph. This augurs well for the 2009 event, which will run until November 1. The bill will include a version of The Ghosts of Versailles specially revised by the composer, John Corigliano. For more details, visit www.wexfordopera.com , which also offers a comprehensive list of local hotels. Stena Line (0870 570 7070, www.stenaline.co.uk ) runs ferries from Fishguard to nearby Rosslare.

30 Camels in Rajasthan

Hundreds of thousands of tribesmen and animals gather for the camel fair in Pushkar. A vast tented city springs up in the desert for the biggest livestock trading event on the planet — strong adults usually cost about £700, if you're in the market — and all manner of jugglers, storytellers, magicians, musicians and mystics come along for the ride. The sheer energy of the event is astounding, and Bales Worldwide (0845 057 0600, www.balesworldwide.com ) has seven nights, with three at the fair, for about £2,100pp, including flights.

November

1 Classics in Brighton

Will your banger still be running in 100 years? Probably not — but then it wasn't made with the love and craftsmanship lavished on the pre-1905 models that take part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (www.lbvcr.com ). The 500-plus engines start chugging at Hyde Park in the chilly dawn: layabeds are better off watching en route or at the finish line on Madeira Drive, where they'll putter in from about 10am onwards.

9 History in Berlin

All of eastern Europe will be celebrating the anniversary of the fall of communism, but Berlin — where the wall fell 20 years ago today — will do it biggest. The centrepiece will be a huge multimedia show at the Brandenburg Gate, involving hundreds of decorated 5ft stones toppling domino-style, to symbolise. . . something. Yes, sounds odd to us too, but knowing the way Berliners party, the music, booze and sense of occasion should be unbeatable, whether the dominoes work or not. Fly there with Air Berlin (0871 500 0737, www.airberlin.com ). We'd stay a short walk away at the elegant mitArt Hotel (00 49 30 2839 0430, www.mitart.de ; doubles from £97, B&B).

December

10 Dervishes in Turkey

You won't find a greater contrast to the endless ho, ho, ho back home. Devotees descend on Konya for the eight-day Mevlana dervish festival, 100 miles inland from Turkey's Turquoise Coast, to witness hundreds of Sufi mystics perform one of the world's strangest religious ceremonies, whirling themselves into a trance under the city walls. Unlike the tourist shows in Istanbul, this is the real thing. Cox and Kings (020 7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk ) can tailor-make a seven-night trip to Istanbul and Konya, with three nights at the festival, from £1,295pp, including flights.

25 A Christmas swim

A Christmas Day dip makes a refreshing change from all that stuffing, and if you can't bear to plunge in, one of these events is great fun to watch — which must be why so many draw increasing crowds. They take place all around the British coast, but our picks are at Brighton (usually 11am), Porthcawl (11.30am), Lowestoft (10.30am) and Charmouth (11am — but turn up by 10.30am to see the fancy dress before it's ruined).

timesonline.co.uk/

Africa News Today - Tatoo of Robert Mugabe - From The Sunday Times Gerald Scarfe cartoon: December 14, 2008