Indivisibilities Wiki - User contributions [en]

Nerd Olympics

2006-07-14T20:13:58Z

62.253.32.6: /* Venue */

== Nerd Olympic Board ==

As many of you will know, we have decided to form an executive committee to decide the nature, content and venue of the Nerd Olympics, known as the Nerd Olympic Board, or NOB for short.

What we haven't discussed yet is a leader and forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, but I would like to nominate Marc as the head of this board. Would other nerd members please indicate if you think Marc is a NOB-head as well.

<center>
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
! Marc should be the NOB-head !! Marc should not be the NOB-head
|-
| Marc ||
|-
| Abi ||
|-
| Neil (Marc is a natural) ||
|-
|Lee||
|-
|}
</center>

== Venue ==

Is any-one interested in having round 1 of the nerd olympics this weekend? At our flat (Neil & Abi)? It'd just be a good excuse to play SingStar. Abi's working on Saturday but people could come round Saturday evening and have some events on Sunday morning? I'll have to hunt out a good pool pub. We could formulate a final list of events for round 1 in the meantime via the Wiki.

'''Note''': Tim can't make this weekend, and doubtless other people won't be able to too, so we'd have to think of another date. Any ideas?

'''Note''': Lee also can't make this weekend as she is moving house!!!!! Her room is now a moving mess, but it is all very exciting.

Next weekend is proms in the park

Maybe the weekend after that (22nd & 23rd) or in six weekends time?

22nd & 23rd is good for me - ''Neil''

'''Note''': Please don't have it without Lee. She really wants to play too...

'''Note''': Can I play? - ''Elín''

Yeah, of course! - Neil

'''Note''': ^_^ - ''Elín''

== Round 1 ==

; Specialist round : We could have a short quiz where everybody answers questions on somebody else's special chosen subject. We could agree the subjects beforehand to prevent people from picking stupid topics. We'd have to think of someway to stop people picking impossible to answer questions that nobody would ever know though.

; Pool : Standard knock-out tournament, à la the world cup? I think the hotel across the road has pool but I'd have to investigate prices.

; Death-tank : Simple - depending on number of players, everyone can just play at once

Neil, do you have Death Tank available at your house? How many players max? -- Marc

Yup, despite Abi's protesting my Saturn is still cluttering up the flat. I've got six controllers but I think it can do it up to 7 if anyone knows a place to get cheap Saturn controllers. Ooh, actually there's one on [http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEGA-SATURN-OFFICIAL-CONTROLE-PAD-CONTROLLER-UK-PAL_W0QQitemZ110006400435QQihZ001QQcategoryZ3654QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem ebay] -- Neil

; Singstar : Some kind of complicated system where you have home and away matches so that you get to choose the song on home matches or something

BTW - Abi is obsessed with SingStar and she's bought the Rocks! disc again despite taking two of them back for not working. This one seems ok for now though so with we've now got all of them. -- Neil

; Typing : Take it in turns typing up a letter and deduct marks "according to the level of" accuracy?

Deduct marks for accuracy? How ironic -- Marc

Is that ok? -- Neil

; Tetris : The original GameBoy version, most lines in 10 minutes or something? - how about some sort of tournament involving head-to-head matches, as we did in A-levels?

I think we could do both types - a knock out tournament and most lines in x minutes -- Marc

We could collect points for each round with points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Let's give everyone who participates points wherever possible. It'll encourage everyone to join in everything. -- Marc

Is this too anal to bother with? No. It'll be fun.

Matt's gonna win this one- I have an original gameboy with Tetris and Matt was obsessed with it for months! Thought I'd never get it back! --Elín

Tim and Lee are pretty good at tetris too though, it's a tough call. Hrmm... I wonder if we should take bets or have a sweepstake on the side? - Neil

== Rough Event Ideas ==

* Typing
* Arm wrestling
* Pin the tail on the donkey
* Swerve (fun, four-player computer, high-paced game)
* Variety of runs
* Long jump (Long jump????????? - you what?)
* Tetris
* Spelin'
* IQ (or something like Raven's Matricies)- I must be very thick, what are raven matricies?
* Downing a pint - draught
* Not downing a pint and liking your ale in little sips test
* Dancing game
* Bop it
* Lung capacity
* General grammmar and punctuation test (with extra points for the vehemency of your convinctions)
* Pool competiton
* Taste test
* Curry taste test (if you can handle a vindaloo test)
* Count to 100 (one, two, miss a few, ninety-nine, a hundred)
* Middle C
* Specialist round (like on Mastermind)
* Pictionary
* Table tennis
* Table football
* Darts
* Spot the dots
* Sudoku
* Calculator speed relay
* The biscuit game
* Internet fact search
* Mallet's Mallet
* Name game
* Stop watch
* Banzai
* Guess the song
* Death Tank
* Skimming (boing boing boing - not with my phone)
* Staring
* Eating doughnuts (no licking lips)
* Eating crackers (no liquid allowed)
* Classing game, e.g. Street Firhget 2
* Lighting a fire
* Classic nerdy rock song lyric test
* The calcultor game
* ASAP
* Synonym game for rude body parts
* Super Mario Brothers on the Gameboy Color (remember that?)
* Scrabble! (so Abi can get some points..) - oi! I can get points! Maybe not in the biscuit game...
* Make a rocket like they did on Beauty and the Geek
* Complete the Red Dwarf quote
* Weight to height ratios (skinniest wins)
* Worst eyesight
* 'Success with the ladies' test
* Odd habits / phobias / general anti-social behaviour test
* Testo de povo kompreni esperantajn frazojn
* Geocaching time trial!
* The great "can you taste the difference between bottled water, tap water and filtered water?" test - wot like they did on BBC Breakfast News?
* Singstar
* The guitar game
*: ''What is the guitar game? Does that mean Tim is going to bring his guitar? Yay'' - Neil
*: ''The guitar game is on the PS2, it is so so so much fun! Like dance mat style, but with a guitar (Tim should bring his guitar anyway though)'' - Lee
* Krypton Factor style game

== Singstar song list ==

In case anybody wants to practice, here's the list of songs in Singstar.

{| border=1
! Artist !! Song !! Game
|-
|A-Ha
|Take On Me
|Singstar
|-
|Alice Cooper
|Poison
|80s
|-
|Alicia Keys
|Fallin'
|Party
|-
|Annie
|Heartbeat
|Pop
|-
|Ashford & Simpson
|Solid
|Party
|-
|Ashlee Simpson
|Pieces of Me
|Pop
|-
|Atomic Kitten
|Eternal Flame
|Singstar
|-
|Avril Lavigne
|Complicated
|Singstar
|-
|Avril Lavigne
|Sk8er Boi
|Pop
|-
|Belinda Carlisle
|Heaven Is A Place On Earth
|80s
|-
|Beyonce
|Crazy in Love
|Pop
|-
|Bill Withers
|Ain't No Sunshine
|Party
|-
|Billy Joel
|Uptown Girl
|80s
|-
|Black Eyed Peas
|Shut Up
|Pop
|-
|Blink-182
|What's My Age Again
|Pop
|-
|Bloc Party
|Banquet
|Rocks
|-
|Blondie
|Atomic
|80s
|-
|Blondie
|Heart of Glass
|Singstar
|-
|Blu Cantrell
|Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)
|Party
|-
|Blue
|One Love
|Singstar
|-
|Blur
|Song 2
|Rocks
|-
|Bob Marley
|No Woman No Cry
|Party
|-
|Bowling for Soup
|1985
|Rocks
|-
|Buggles
|Video Killed The Radio Star
|Party
|-
|Busted
|Crashed the Wedding
|Singstar
|-
|Busted
|Year 3000
|Party
|-
|Carl Douglas
|Kung Fu Fighting
|Singstar
|-
|Coldplay
|Speed of Sound
|Rocks
|-
|Culture Club
|Karma Chameleon
|80s
|-
|Cyndi Lauper
|Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
|Party
|-
|Dandy Warhols
|Bohemian Like You
|Pop
|-
|Daniel Bedingfield
|If You're Not the One
|Singstar
|-
|Deee-Lite
|Groove is in the Heart
|Singstar
|-
|Deep Purple
|Smoke On The Water
|Rocks
|-
|Destiny's Child
|Survivor
|Party
|-
|Dexy's Midnight Runners
|Come On Eileen
|80s
|-
|Dido
|Thank You
|Singstar
|-
|Dido
|White Flag
|Party
|-
|Dolly Parton
|Nine To Five
|80s
|-
|Duran Duran
|Hungry Like The Wolf
|Party
|-
|Duran Duran
|Rio
|80s
|-
|Elton John & Kiki Dee
|Don't Go Breaking My Heart
|Party
|-
|Elvis
|Suspicious Minds
|Singstar
|-
|Elvis
|Way Down
|Party
|-
|Erasure
|A Little Respect
|80s
|-
|Erik B. and Rakim
|Paid in Full
|Pop
|-
|Europe
|The Final Countdown
|80s
|-
|Fairground Attraction
|Perfect
|80s
|-
|Foreigner
|I Want To Know What Love Is
|80s
|-
|Fountains of Wayne
|Stacy's Mom
|Pop
|-
|Frankie Goes to Hollywood
|The Power of Love
|80s
|-
|Franz Ferdinand
|Do You Want To
|Rocks
|-
|Franz Ferdinand
|Take Me Out
|Party
|-
|George Michael
|Careless Whisper
|Singstar
|-
|George Michael
|Faith
|Party
|-
|Girls Aloud
|Love Machine
|Pop
|-
|Good Charlotte
|Girls and Boys
|Singstar
|-
|Good Charlotte
|I Just Wanna Live
|Pop
|-
|Gwen Stefani
|What You Waiting For?
|Rocks
|-
|Hard-Fi
|Hard To Beat
|Rocks
|-
|Hole
|Celebrity Skin
|Rocks
|-
|Hoobastank
|The Reason
|Pop
|-
|Jamelia
|Stop
|Pop
|-
|Jamelia
|Superstar
|Singstar
|-
|Jamiroquai
|Cosmic Girl
|Party
|-
|Javine
|Real Things
|Party
|-
|Jay Sean
|Eyes on You
|Pop
|-
|Jet
|Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
|Rocks
|-
|Joss Stone
|Super Duper Love (Are You Digging On Me?)
|Pop
|-
|Kasabian
|Club Foot
|Rocks
|-
|Kate Bush
|Running Up That Hill
|80s
|-
|Katrina And The Waves
|Walking on Sunshine
|80s
|-
|Keane
|Everybody's Changing
|Rocks
|-
|Keane
|Somewhere Only We Know
|Pop
|-
|Kings of Leon
|The Bucket
|Rocks
|-
|KT Tunstall
|Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
|Rocks
|-
|Kylie Minogue
|I Should Be So Lucky
|Party
|-
|Kylie Minogue
|In Your Eyes
|Pop
|-
|Lemar
|50:50
|Singstar
|-
|Liberty X
|Just A Little
|Singstar
|-
|Little Richard
|Tutti Frutti
|Party
|-
|Madness
|Our House
|80s
|-
|Madonna
|Like a Virgin
|Singstar
|-
|Madonna
|Material Girl
|80s
|-
|Manfred Mann
|Do Wah Diddy Diddy
|Pop
|-
|Marillion
|Kayleigh
|80s
|-
|Marilyn Manson
|Personal Jesus
|Pop
|-
|Maroon5
|This Love
|Party
|-
|Maximo Park
|Apply Some Pressure
|Rocks
|-
|McFly
|Obviously
|Pop
|-
|Mis-Teeq
|Scandalous
|Singstar
|-
|Motörhead
|Ace of Spades
|Singstar
|-
|Natasha Bedingfield
|Single
|Party
|-
|Natasha Bedingfield
|These Words
|Pop
|-
|Nena
|99 Red Balloons
|80s
|-
|Nirvana
|Come as You Are
|Rocks
|-
|Outkast
|Roses
|Pop
|-
|Petula Clark
|Downtown
|Singstar
|-
|Pink
|Get The Party Started
|Singstar
|-
|Pink
|Just Like A Pill
|Party
|-
|Queen
|Don't Stop Me Now
|Rocks
|-
|Queens Of The Stone Age
|Go With The Flow
|Rocks
|-
|Razorlight
|Somewhere Else
|Rocks
|-
|Rick Astley
|Never Gonna Give You Up
|Singstar
|-
|Ricky Martin
|Livin' La Vida Loca
|Singstar
|-
|Robbie Williams
|Let Me Entertain You
|Pop
|-
|Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue
|Kids
|Pop
|-
|Ronan Keating & Yusuf Islam
|Father and Son
|Pop
|-
|Roy Orbison
|Pretty Woman
|Singstar
|-
|Run DMC
|It's Tricky
|80s
|-
|S Club
|Don't Stop Movin'
|Singstar
|-
|Scissor Sisters
|Take Your Mama
|Party
|-
|Simple Minds
|Don't You (Forget About Me)
|80s
|-
|Sister Sledge
|We Are Family
|Pop
|-
|Snow Patrol
|Run
|Rocks
|-
|Soft Cell
|Tainted Love
|80s
|-
|Sonny & Cher
|I Got You Babe
|Party
|-
|Sophie Ellis-Bextor
|Murder on the Dancefloor
|Singstar
|-
|Spandau Ballet
|Gold
|Party
|-
|Spice Girls
|Who Do You Think You Are
|Party
|-
|Starship
|We Built This City
|80s
|-
|Steppenwolf
|Born to be Wild
|Pop
|-
|Stereophonics
|Dakota
|Rocks
|-
|Sugababes
|Round Round
|Singstar
|-
|Survivor
|Eye Of The Tiger
|80s
|-
|Tears For Fears
|Everybody Wants To Rule The World
|80s
|-
|The Beautiful South
|A Little Time
|Party
|-
|The Bravery
|An Honest Mistake
|Rocks
|-
|The Cardigans
|My Favorite Game
|Rocks
|-
|The Clash
|Should I Stay or Should I Go?
|Pop
|-
|The Cure
|Just Like Heaven
|80s
|-
|The Darkness
|I Believe in a Thing Called Love
|Singstar
|-
|The Foundations
|Build Me Up Buttercup
|Party
|-
|The Hives
|Hate To Say I Told You So
|Rocks
|-
|The Hives
|Main Offender
|Pop
|-
|The Killers
|Somebody Told Me
|Rocks
|-
|The Offspring
|Self-Esteem
|Rocks
|-
|The Police
|Every Breath You Take
|Party
|-
|The Pretenders
|Brass In Pocket
|80s
|-
|The Rolling Stones
|Paint It Black
|Rocks
|-
|The Scorpions
|Wind of Change
|Rocks
|-
|The Undertones
|Teenage Kicks
|Rocks
|-
|Thin Lizzy
|The Boys Are Back In Town
|Rocks
|-
|Tiffany
|I Think We're Alone Now
|Party
|-
|Tina Turner
|Simply The Best
|80s
|-
|Tom Jones
|It's Not Unusual
|Pop
|-
|Vanilla Ice
|Ice Ice Baby
|80s
|-
|Village People
|YMCA
|Singstar
|-
|Westlife
|World of Our Own
|Singstar
|-
|Wham!
|Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
|80s
|}

Nerd Olympics

2006-07-14T14:55:16Z

62.253.32.6: /* Venue */

== Nerd Olympic Board ==

As many of you will know, we have decided to form an executive committee to decide the nature, content and venue of the Nerd Olympics, known as the Nerd Olympic Board, or NOB for short.

What we haven't discussed yet is a leader and forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, but I would like to nominate Marc as the head of this board. Would other nerd members please indicate if you think Marc is a NOB-head as well.

<center>
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
! Marc should be the NOB-head !! Marc should not be the NOB-head
|-
| Marc ||
|-
| Abi ||
|-
| Neil (Marc is a natural) ||
|-
|Lee||
|-
|}
</center>

== Venue ==

Is any-one interested in having round 1 of the nerd olympics this weekend? At our flat (Neil & Abi)? It'd just be a good excuse to play SingStar. Abi's working on Saturday but people could come round Saturday evening and have some events on Sunday morning? I'll have to hunt out a good pool pub. We could formulate a final list of events for round 1 in the meantime via the Wiki.

'''Note''': Tim can't make this weekend, and doubtless other people won't be able to too, so we'd have to think of another date. Any ideas?

'''Note''': Lee also can't make this weekend as she is moving house!!!!! Her room is now a moving mess, but it is all very exciting.

Next weekend is proms in the park

Maybe the weekend after that (22nd & 23rd) or in six weekends time?

22nd & 23rd is good for me - ''Neil''

'''Note''': Please don't have it without Lee. She really wants to play too...

'''Note''': Can I play? - ''Elín''

== Round 1 ==

; Specialist round : We could have a short quiz where everybody answers questions on somebody else's special chosen subject. We could agree the subjects beforehand to prevent people from picking stupid topics. We'd have to think of someway to stop people picking impossible to answer questions that nobody would ever know though.

; Pool : Standard knock-out tournament, à la the world cup? I think the hotel across the road has pool but I'd have to investigate prices.

; Death-tank : Simple - depending on number of players, everyone can just play at once

Neil, do you have Death Tank available at your house? How many players max? -- Marc

Yup, despite Abi's protesting my Saturn is still cluttering up the flat. I've got six controllers but I think it can do it up to 7 if anyone knows a place to get cheap Saturn controllers. Ooh, actually there's one on [http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEGA-SATURN-OFFICIAL-CONTROLE-PAD-CONTROLLER-UK-PAL_W0QQitemZ110006400435QQihZ001QQcategoryZ3654QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem ebay] -- Neil

; Singstar : Some kind of complicated system where you have home and away matches so that you get to choose the song on home matches or something

BTW - Abi is obsessed with SingStar and she's bought the Rocks! disc again despite taking two of them back for not working. This one seems ok for now though so with we've now got all of them. -- Neil

; Typing : Take it in turns typing up a letter and deduct marks "according to the level of" accuracy?

Deduct marks for accuracy? How ironic -- Marc

Is that ok? -- Neil

; Tetris : The original GameBoy version, most lines in 10 minutes or something? - how about some sort of tournament involving head-to-head matches, as we did in A-levels?

I think we could do both types - a knock out tournament and most lines in x minutes -- Marc

We could collect points for each round with points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Let's give everyone who participates points wherever possible. It'll encourage everyone to join in everything. -- Marc

Is this too anal to bother with? No. It'll be fun.

Matt's gonna win this one- I have an original gameboy with Tetris and Matt was obsessed with it for months! Thought I'd never get it back! --Elín

== Rough Event Ideas ==

* Typing
* Arm wrestling
* Pin the tail on the donkey
* Swerve (fun, four-player computer, high-paced game)
* Variety of runs
* Long jump (Long jump????????? - you what?)
* Tetris
* Spelin'
* IQ (or something like Raven's Matricies)- I must be very thick, what are raven matricies?
* Downing a pint - draught
* Not downing a pint and liking your ale in little sips test
* Dancing game
* Bop it
* Lung capacity
* General grammmar and punctuation test (with extra points for the vehemency of your convinctions)
* Pool competiton
* Taste test
* Curry taste test (if you can handle a vindaloo test)
* Count to 100 (one, two, miss a few, ninety-nine, a hundred)
* Middle C
* Specialist round (like on Mastermind)
* Pictionary
* Table tennis
* Table football
* Darts
* Spot the dots
* Sudoku
* Calculator speed relay
* The biscuit game
* Internet fact search
* Mallet's Mallet
* Name game
* Stop watch
* Banzai
* Guess the song
* Death Tank
* Skimming (boing boing boing - not with my phone)
* Staring
* Eating doughnuts (no licking lips)
* Eating crackers (no liquid allowed)
* Classing game, e.g. Street Firhget 2
* Lighting a fire
* Classic nerdy rock song lyric test
* The calcultor game
* ASAP
* Synonym game for rude body parts
* Super Mario Brothers on the Gameboy Color (remember that?)
* Scrabble! (so Abi can get some points..) - oi! I can get points! Maybe not in the biscuit game...
* Make a rocket like they did on Beauty and the Geek
* Complete the Red Dwarf quote
* Weight to height ratios (skinniest wins)
* Worst eyesight
* 'Success with the ladies' test
* Odd habits / phobias / general anti-social behaviour test
* Testo de povo kompreni esperantajn frazojn
* Geocaching time trial!
* The great "can you taste the difference between bottled water, tap water and filtered water?" test - wot like they did on BBC Breakfast News?
* Singstar
* The guitar game
*: ''What is the guitar game? Does that mean Tim is going to bring his guitar? Yay'' - Neil
*: ''The guitar game is on the PS2, it is so so so much fun! Like dance mat style, but with a guitar (Tim should bring his guitar anyway though)'' - Lee
* Krypton Factor style game

== Singstar song list ==

In case anybody wants to practice, here's the list of songs in Singstar.

{| border=1
! Artist !! Song !! Game
|-
|A-Ha
|Take On Me
|Singstar
|-
|Alice Cooper
|Poison
|80s
|-
|Alicia Keys
|Fallin'
|Party
|-
|Annie
|Heartbeat
|Pop
|-
|Ashford & Simpson
|Solid
|Party
|-
|Ashlee Simpson
|Pieces of Me
|Pop
|-
|Atomic Kitten
|Eternal Flame
|Singstar
|-
|Avril Lavigne
|Complicated
|Singstar
|-
|Avril Lavigne
|Sk8er Boi
|Pop
|-
|Belinda Carlisle
|Heaven Is A Place On Earth
|80s
|-
|Beyonce
|Crazy in Love
|Pop
|-
|Bill Withers
|Ain't No Sunshine
|Party
|-
|Billy Joel
|Uptown Girl
|80s
|-
|Black Eyed Peas
|Shut Up
|Pop
|-
|Blink-182
|What's My Age Again
|Pop
|-
|Bloc Party
|Banquet
|Rocks
|-
|Blondie
|Atomic
|80s
|-
|Blondie
|Heart of Glass
|Singstar
|-
|Blu Cantrell
|Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)
|Party
|-
|Blue
|One Love
|Singstar
|-
|Blur
|Song 2
|Rocks
|-
|Bob Marley
|No Woman No Cry
|Party
|-
|Bowling for Soup
|1985
|Rocks
|-
|Buggles
|Video Killed The Radio Star
|Party
|-
|Busted
|Crashed the Wedding
|Singstar
|-
|Busted
|Year 3000
|Party
|-
|Carl Douglas
|Kung Fu Fighting
|Singstar
|-
|Coldplay
|Speed of Sound
|Rocks
|-
|Culture Club
|Karma Chameleon
|80s
|-
|Cyndi Lauper
|Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
|Party
|-
|Dandy Warhols
|Bohemian Like You
|Pop
|-
|Daniel Bedingfield
|If You're Not the One
|Singstar
|-
|Deee-Lite
|Groove is in the Heart
|Singstar
|-
|Deep Purple
|Smoke On The Water
|Rocks
|-
|Destiny's Child
|Survivor
|Party
|-
|Dexy's Midnight Runners
|Come On Eileen
|80s
|-
|Dido
|Thank You
|Singstar
|-
|Dido
|White Flag
|Party
|-
|Dolly Parton
|Nine To Five
|80s
|-
|Duran Duran
|Hungry Like The Wolf
|Party
|-
|Duran Duran
|Rio
|80s
|-
|Elton John & Kiki Dee
|Don't Go Breaking My Heart
|Party
|-
|Elvis
|Suspicious Minds
|Singstar
|-
|Elvis
|Way Down
|Party
|-
|Erasure
|A Little Respect
|80s
|-
|Erik B. and Rakim
|Paid in Full
|Pop
|-
|Europe
|The Final Countdown
|80s
|-
|Fairground Attraction
|Perfect
|80s
|-
|Foreigner
|I Want To Know What Love Is
|80s
|-
|Fountains of Wayne
|Stacy's Mom
|Pop
|-
|Frankie Goes to Hollywood
|The Power of Love
|80s
|-
|Franz Ferdinand
|Do You Want To
|Rocks
|-
|Franz Ferdinand
|Take Me Out
|Party
|-
|George Michael
|Careless Whisper
|Singstar
|-
|George Michael
|Faith
|Party
|-
|Girls Aloud
|Love Machine
|Pop
|-
|Good Charlotte
|Girls and Boys
|Singstar
|-
|Good Charlotte
|I Just Wanna Live
|Pop
|-
|Gwen Stefani
|What You Waiting For?
|Rocks
|-
|Hard-Fi
|Hard To Beat
|Rocks
|-
|Hole
|Celebrity Skin
|Rocks
|-
|Hoobastank
|The Reason
|Pop
|-
|Jamelia
|Stop
|Pop
|-
|Jamelia
|Superstar
|Singstar
|-
|Jamiroquai
|Cosmic Girl
|Party
|-
|Javine
|Real Things
|Party
|-
|Jay Sean
|Eyes on You
|Pop
|-
|Jet
|Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
|Rocks
|-
|Joss Stone
|Super Duper Love (Are You Digging On Me?)
|Pop
|-
|Kasabian
|Club Foot
|Rocks
|-
|Kate Bush
|Running Up That Hill
|80s
|-
|Katrina And The Waves
|Walking on Sunshine
|80s
|-
|Keane
|Everybody's Changing
|Rocks
|-
|Keane
|Somewhere Only We Know
|Pop
|-
|Kings of Leon
|The Bucket
|Rocks
|-
|KT Tunstall
|Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
|Rocks
|-
|Kylie Minogue
|I Should Be So Lucky
|Party
|-
|Kylie Minogue
|In Your Eyes
|Pop
|-
|Lemar
|50:50
|Singstar
|-
|Liberty X
|Just A Little
|Singstar
|-
|Little Richard
|Tutti Frutti
|Party
|-
|Madness
|Our House
|80s
|-
|Madonna
|Like a Virgin
|Singstar
|-
|Madonna
|Material Girl
|80s
|-
|Manfred Mann
|Do Wah Diddy Diddy
|Pop
|-
|Marillion
|Kayleigh
|80s
|-
|Marilyn Manson
|Personal Jesus
|Pop
|-
|Maroon5
|This Love
|Party
|-
|Maximo Park
|Apply Some Pressure
|Rocks
|-
|McFly
|Obviously
|Pop
|-
|Mis-Teeq
|Scandalous
|Singstar
|-
|Motörhead
|Ace of Spades
|Singstar
|-
|Natasha Bedingfield
|Single
|Party
|-
|Natasha Bedingfield
|These Words
|Pop
|-
|Nena
|99 Red Balloons
|80s
|-
|Nirvana
|Come as You Are
|Rocks
|-
|Outkast
|Roses
|Pop
|-
|Petula Clark
|Downtown
|Singstar
|-
|Pink
|Get The Party Started
|Singstar
|-
|Pink
|Just Like A Pill
|Party
|-
|Queen
|Don't Stop Me Now
|Rocks
|-
|Queens Of The Stone Age
|Go With The Flow
|Rocks
|-
|Razorlight
|Somewhere Else
|Rocks
|-
|Rick Astley
|Never Gonna Give You Up
|Singstar
|-
|Ricky Martin
|Livin' La Vida Loca
|Singstar
|-
|Robbie Williams
|Let Me Entertain You
|Pop
|-
|Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue
|Kids
|Pop
|-
|Ronan Keating & Yusuf Islam
|Father and Son
|Pop
|-
|Roy Orbison
|Pretty Woman
|Singstar
|-
|Run DMC
|It's Tricky
|80s
|-
|S Club
|Don't Stop Movin'
|Singstar
|-
|Scissor Sisters
|Take Your Mama
|Party
|-
|Simple Minds
|Don't You (Forget About Me)
|80s
|-
|Sister Sledge
|We Are Family
|Pop
|-
|Snow Patrol
|Run
|Rocks
|-
|Soft Cell
|Tainted Love
|80s
|-
|Sonny & Cher
|I Got You Babe
|Party
|-
|Sophie Ellis-Bextor
|Murder on the Dancefloor
|Singstar
|-
|Spandau Ballet
|Gold
|Party
|-
|Spice Girls
|Who Do You Think You Are
|Party
|-
|Starship
|We Built This City
|80s
|-
|Steppenwolf
|Born to be Wild
|Pop
|-
|Stereophonics
|Dakota
|Rocks
|-
|Sugababes
|Round Round
|Singstar
|-
|Survivor
|Eye Of The Tiger
|80s
|-
|Tears For Fears
|Everybody Wants To Rule The World
|80s
|-
|The Beautiful South
|A Little Time
|Party
|-
|The Bravery
|An Honest Mistake
|Rocks
|-
|The Cardigans
|My Favorite Game
|Rocks
|-
|The Clash
|Should I Stay or Should I Go?
|Pop
|-
|The Cure
|Just Like Heaven
|80s
|-
|The Darkness
|I Believe in a Thing Called Love
|Singstar
|-
|The Foundations
|Build Me Up Buttercup
|Party
|-
|The Hives
|Hate To Say I Told You So
|Rocks
|-
|The Hives
|Main Offender
|Pop
|-
|The Killers
|Somebody Told Me
|Rocks
|-
|The Offspring
|Self-Esteem
|Rocks
|-
|The Police
|Every Breath You Take
|Party
|-
|The Pretenders
|Brass In Pocket
|80s
|-
|The Rolling Stones
|Paint It Black
|Rocks
|-
|The Scorpions
|Wind of Change
|Rocks
|-
|The Undertones
|Teenage Kicks
|Rocks
|-
|Thin Lizzy
|The Boys Are Back In Town
|Rocks
|-
|Tiffany
|I Think We're Alone Now
|Party
|-
|Tina Turner
|Simply The Best
|80s
|-
|Tom Jones
|It's Not Unusual
|Pop
|-
|Vanilla Ice
|Ice Ice Baby
|80s
|-
|Village People
|YMCA
|Singstar
|-
|Westlife
|World of Our Own
|Singstar
|-
|Wham!
|Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
|80s
|}

Nerd Olympics

2006-07-14T14:54:43Z

62.253.32.6:

== Nerd Olympic Board ==

As many of you will know, we have decided to form an executive committee to decide the nature, content and venue of the Nerd Olympics, known as the Nerd Olympic Board, or NOB for short.

What we haven't discussed yet is a leader and forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, but I would like to nominate Marc as the head of this board. Would other nerd members please indicate if you think Marc is a NOB-head as well.

<center>
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
! Marc should be the NOB-head !! Marc should not be the NOB-head
|-
| Marc ||
|-
| Abi ||
|-
| Neil (Marc is a natural) ||
|-
|Lee||
|-
|}
</center>

== Venue ==

Is any-one interested in having round 1 of the nerd olympics this weekend? At our flat (Neil & Abi)? It'd just be a good excuse to play SingStar. Abi's working on Saturday but people could come round Saturday evening and have some events on Sunday morning? I'll have to hunt out a good pool pub. We could formulate a final list of events for round 1 in the meantime via the Wiki.

'''Note''': Tim can't make this weekend, and doubtless other people won't be able to too, so we'd have to think of another date. Any ideas?

'''Note''': Lee also can't make this weekend as she is moving house!!!!! Her room is now a moving mess, but it is all very exciting.

Next weekend is proms in the park

Maybe the weekend after that (22nd & 23rd) or in six weekends time?

22nd & 23rd is good for me - ''Neil''

'''Note''': Please don't have it without Lee. She really wants to play too...

'''Note''': Can I play? --Elín

== Round 1 ==

; Specialist round : We could have a short quiz where everybody answers questions on somebody else's special chosen subject. We could agree the subjects beforehand to prevent people from picking stupid topics. We'd have to think of someway to stop people picking impossible to answer questions that nobody would ever know though.

; Pool : Standard knock-out tournament, à la the world cup? I think the hotel across the road has pool but I'd have to investigate prices.

; Death-tank : Simple - depending on number of players, everyone can just play at once

Neil, do you have Death Tank available at your house? How many players max? -- Marc

Yup, despite Abi's protesting my Saturn is still cluttering up the flat. I've got six controllers but I think it can do it up to 7 if anyone knows a place to get cheap Saturn controllers. Ooh, actually there's one on [http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEGA-SATURN-OFFICIAL-CONTROLE-PAD-CONTROLLER-UK-PAL_W0QQitemZ110006400435QQihZ001QQcategoryZ3654QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem ebay] -- Neil

; Singstar : Some kind of complicated system where you have home and away matches so that you get to choose the song on home matches or something

BTW - Abi is obsessed with SingStar and she's bought the Rocks! disc again despite taking two of them back for not working. This one seems ok for now though so with we've now got all of them. -- Neil

; Typing : Take it in turns typing up a letter and deduct marks "according to the level of" accuracy?

Deduct marks for accuracy? How ironic -- Marc

Is that ok? -- Neil

; Tetris : The original GameBoy version, most lines in 10 minutes or something? - how about some sort of tournament involving head-to-head matches, as we did in A-levels?

I think we could do both types - a knock out tournament and most lines in x minutes -- Marc

We could collect points for each round with points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Let's give everyone who participates points wherever possible. It'll encourage everyone to join in everything. -- Marc

Is this too anal to bother with? No. It'll be fun.

Matt's gonna win this one- I have an original gameboy with Tetris and Matt was obsessed with it for months! Thought I'd never get it back! --Elín

== Rough Event Ideas ==

* Typing
* Arm wrestling
* Pin the tail on the donkey
* Swerve (fun, four-player computer, high-paced game)
* Variety of runs
* Long jump (Long jump????????? - you what?)
* Tetris
* Spelin'
* IQ (or something like Raven's Matricies)- I must be very thick, what are raven matricies?
* Downing a pint - draught
* Not downing a pint and liking your ale in little sips test
* Dancing game
* Bop it
* Lung capacity
* General grammmar and punctuation test (with extra points for the vehemency of your convinctions)
* Pool competiton
* Taste test
* Curry taste test (if you can handle a vindaloo test)
* Count to 100 (one, two, miss a few, ninety-nine, a hundred)
* Middle C
* Specialist round (like on Mastermind)
* Pictionary
* Table tennis
* Table football
* Darts
* Spot the dots
* Sudoku
* Calculator speed relay
* The biscuit game
* Internet fact search
* Mallet's Mallet
* Name game
* Stop watch
* Banzai
* Guess the song
* Death Tank
* Skimming (boing boing boing - not with my phone)
* Staring
* Eating doughnuts (no licking lips)
* Eating crackers (no liquid allowed)
* Classing game, e.g. Street Firhget 2
* Lighting a fire
* Classic nerdy rock song lyric test
* The calcultor game
* ASAP
* Synonym game for rude body parts
* Super Mario Brothers on the Gameboy Color (remember that?)
* Scrabble! (so Abi can get some points..) - oi! I can get points! Maybe not in the biscuit game...
* Make a rocket like they did on Beauty and the Geek
* Complete the Red Dwarf quote
* Weight to height ratios (skinniest wins)
* Worst eyesight
* 'Success with the ladies' test
* Odd habits / phobias / general anti-social behaviour test
* Testo de povo kompreni esperantajn frazojn
* Geocaching time trial!
* The great "can you taste the difference between bottled water, tap water and filtered water?" test - wot like they did on BBC Breakfast News?
* Singstar
* The guitar game
*: ''What is the guitar game? Does that mean Tim is going to bring his guitar? Yay'' - Neil
*: ''The guitar game is on the PS2, it is so so so much fun! Like dance mat style, but with a guitar (Tim should bring his guitar anyway though)'' - Lee
* Krypton Factor style game

== Singstar song list ==

In case anybody wants to practice, here's the list of songs in Singstar.

{| border=1
! Artist !! Song !! Game
|-
|A-Ha
|Take On Me
|Singstar
|-
|Alice Cooper
|Poison
|80s
|-
|Alicia Keys
|Fallin'
|Party
|-
|Annie
|Heartbeat
|Pop
|-
|Ashford & Simpson
|Solid
|Party
|-
|Ashlee Simpson
|Pieces of Me
|Pop
|-
|Atomic Kitten
|Eternal Flame
|Singstar
|-
|Avril Lavigne
|Complicated
|Singstar
|-
|Avril Lavigne
|Sk8er Boi
|Pop
|-
|Belinda Carlisle
|Heaven Is A Place On Earth
|80s
|-
|Beyonce
|Crazy in Love
|Pop
|-
|Bill Withers
|Ain't No Sunshine
|Party
|-
|Billy Joel
|Uptown Girl
|80s
|-
|Black Eyed Peas
|Shut Up
|Pop
|-
|Blink-182
|What's My Age Again
|Pop
|-
|Bloc Party
|Banquet
|Rocks
|-
|Blondie
|Atomic
|80s
|-
|Blondie
|Heart of Glass
|Singstar
|-
|Blu Cantrell
|Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)
|Party
|-
|Blue
|One Love
|Singstar
|-
|Blur
|Song 2
|Rocks
|-
|Bob Marley
|No Woman No Cry
|Party
|-
|Bowling for Soup
|1985
|Rocks
|-
|Buggles
|Video Killed The Radio Star
|Party
|-
|Busted
|Crashed the Wedding
|Singstar
|-
|Busted
|Year 3000
|Party
|-
|Carl Douglas
|Kung Fu Fighting
|Singstar
|-
|Coldplay
|Speed of Sound
|Rocks
|-
|Culture Club
|Karma Chameleon
|80s
|-
|Cyndi Lauper
|Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
|Party
|-
|Dandy Warhols
|Bohemian Like You
|Pop
|-
|Daniel Bedingfield
|If You're Not the One
|Singstar
|-
|Deee-Lite
|Groove is in the Heart
|Singstar
|-
|Deep Purple
|Smoke On The Water
|Rocks
|-
|Destiny's Child
|Survivor
|Party
|-
|Dexy's Midnight Runners
|Come On Eileen
|80s
|-
|Dido
|Thank You
|Singstar
|-
|Dido
|White Flag
|Party
|-
|Dolly Parton
|Nine To Five
|80s
|-
|Duran Duran
|Hungry Like The Wolf
|Party
|-
|Duran Duran
|Rio
|80s
|-
|Elton John & Kiki Dee
|Don't Go Breaking My Heart
|Party
|-
|Elvis
|Suspicious Minds
|Singstar
|-
|Elvis
|Way Down
|Party
|-
|Erasure
|A Little Respect
|80s
|-
|Erik B. and Rakim
|Paid in Full
|Pop
|-
|Europe
|The Final Countdown
|80s
|-
|Fairground Attraction
|Perfect
|80s
|-
|Foreigner
|I Want To Know What Love Is
|80s
|-
|Fountains of Wayne
|Stacy's Mom
|Pop
|-
|Frankie Goes to Hollywood
|The Power of Love
|80s
|-
|Franz Ferdinand
|Do You Want To
|Rocks
|-
|Franz Ferdinand
|Take Me Out
|Party
|-
|George Michael
|Careless Whisper
|Singstar
|-
|George Michael
|Faith
|Party
|-
|Girls Aloud
|Love Machine
|Pop
|-
|Good Charlotte
|Girls and Boys
|Singstar
|-
|Good Charlotte
|I Just Wanna Live
|Pop
|-
|Gwen Stefani
|What You Waiting For?
|Rocks
|-
|Hard-Fi
|Hard To Beat
|Rocks
|-
|Hole
|Celebrity Skin
|Rocks
|-
|Hoobastank
|The Reason
|Pop
|-
|Jamelia
|Stop
|Pop
|-
|Jamelia
|Superstar
|Singstar
|-
|Jamiroquai
|Cosmic Girl
|Party
|-
|Javine
|Real Things
|Party
|-
|Jay Sean
|Eyes on You
|Pop
|-
|Jet
|Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
|Rocks
|-
|Joss Stone
|Super Duper Love (Are You Digging On Me?)
|Pop
|-
|Kasabian
|Club Foot
|Rocks
|-
|Kate Bush
|Running Up That Hill
|80s
|-
|Katrina And The Waves
|Walking on Sunshine
|80s
|-
|Keane
|Everybody's Changing
|Rocks
|-
|Keane
|Somewhere Only We Know
|Pop
|-
|Kings of Leon
|The Bucket
|Rocks
|-
|KT Tunstall
|Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
|Rocks
|-
|Kylie Minogue
|I Should Be So Lucky
|Party
|-
|Kylie Minogue
|In Your Eyes
|Pop
|-
|Lemar
|50:50
|Singstar
|-
|Liberty X
|Just A Little
|Singstar
|-
|Little Richard
|Tutti Frutti
|Party
|-
|Madness
|Our House
|80s
|-
|Madonna
|Like a Virgin
|Singstar
|-
|Madonna
|Material Girl
|80s
|-
|Manfred Mann
|Do Wah Diddy Diddy
|Pop
|-
|Marillion
|Kayleigh
|80s
|-
|Marilyn Manson
|Personal Jesus
|Pop
|-
|Maroon5
|This Love
|Party
|-
|Maximo Park
|Apply Some Pressure
|Rocks
|-
|McFly
|Obviously
|Pop
|-
|Mis-Teeq
|Scandalous
|Singstar
|-
|Motörhead
|Ace of Spades
|Singstar
|-
|Natasha Bedingfield
|Single
|Party
|-
|Natasha Bedingfield
|These Words
|Pop
|-
|Nena
|99 Red Balloons
|80s
|-
|Nirvana
|Come as You Are
|Rocks
|-
|Outkast
|Roses
|Pop
|-
|Petula Clark
|Downtown
|Singstar
|-
|Pink
|Get The Party Started
|Singstar
|-
|Pink
|Just Like A Pill
|Party
|-
|Queen
|Don't Stop Me Now
|Rocks
|-
|Queens Of The Stone Age
|Go With The Flow
|Rocks
|-
|Razorlight
|Somewhere Else
|Rocks
|-
|Rick Astley
|Never Gonna Give You Up
|Singstar
|-
|Ricky Martin
|Livin' La Vida Loca
|Singstar
|-
|Robbie Williams
|Let Me Entertain You
|Pop
|-
|Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue
|Kids
|Pop
|-
|Ronan Keating & Yusuf Islam
|Father and Son
|Pop
|-
|Roy Orbison
|Pretty Woman
|Singstar
|-
|Run DMC
|It's Tricky
|80s
|-
|S Club
|Don't Stop Movin'
|Singstar
|-
|Scissor Sisters
|Take Your Mama
|Party
|-
|Simple Minds
|Don't You (Forget About Me)
|80s
|-
|Sister Sledge
|We Are Family
|Pop
|-
|Snow Patrol
|Run
|Rocks
|-
|Soft Cell
|Tainted Love
|80s
|-
|Sonny & Cher
|I Got You Babe
|Party
|-
|Sophie Ellis-Bextor
|Murder on the Dancefloor
|Singstar
|-
|Spandau Ballet
|Gold
|Party
|-
|Spice Girls
|Who Do You Think You Are
|Party
|-
|Starship
|We Built This City
|80s
|-
|Steppenwolf
|Born to be Wild
|Pop
|-
|Stereophonics
|Dakota
|Rocks
|-
|Sugababes
|Round Round
|Singstar
|-
|Survivor
|Eye Of The Tiger
|80s
|-
|Tears For Fears
|Everybody Wants To Rule The World
|80s
|-
|The Beautiful South
|A Little Time
|Party
|-
|The Bravery
|An Honest Mistake
|Rocks
|-
|The Cardigans
|My Favorite Game
|Rocks
|-
|The Clash
|Should I Stay or Should I Go?
|Pop
|-
|The Cure
|Just Like Heaven
|80s
|-
|The Darkness
|I Believe in a Thing Called Love
|Singstar
|-
|The Foundations
|Build Me Up Buttercup
|Party
|-
|The Hives
|Hate To Say I Told You So
|Rocks
|-
|The Hives
|Main Offender
|Pop
|-
|The Killers
|Somebody Told Me
|Rocks
|-
|The Offspring
|Self-Esteem
|Rocks
|-
|The Police
|Every Breath You Take
|Party
|-
|The Pretenders
|Brass In Pocket
|80s
|-
|The Rolling Stones
|Paint It Black
|Rocks
|-
|The Scorpions
|Wind of Change
|Rocks
|-
|The Undertones
|Teenage Kicks
|Rocks
|-
|Thin Lizzy
|The Boys Are Back In Town
|Rocks
|-
|Tiffany
|I Think We're Alone Now
|Party
|-
|Tina Turner
|Simply The Best
|80s
|-
|Tom Jones
|It's Not Unusual
|Pop
|-
|Vanilla Ice
|Ice Ice Baby
|80s
|-
|Village People
|YMCA
|Singstar
|-
|Westlife
|World of Our Own
|Singstar
|-
|Wham!
|Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
|80s
|}

Cuba

2006-05-15T21:15:25Z

62.253.32.6:

<table border=1 align="right">
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> Cuba
<tr>
<td align="center">
 [[Image:CubaFlag_40_per_cent.jpg]] 
Flag
<td align="center">
[[Image:Cuba_coa_smaller.png]] 
Coat of Arms



<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> Motto: Spanish: Patria y Libertad 
(English: "Homeland and Freedom")
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> Anthem: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bayamesa La Bayamesa] (The Bayamo Song)
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> [[Image:LocationCuba.png]]

<tr>
<td> Capital <td>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana Havana] 
23°8′N 82°23′W
<tr>
<td>Largest City <td>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana Havana]
<tr>
<td>Official Language <td>Spanish
<tr>
<td>Government: 
President of the 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_State_of_Cuba Council of State of Cuba:]
<td>Republic 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro Fidel Castro]
<tr>
<td>Independence 
- Declared from Spain 
- Cuban Republic declared 
- Date recognised in Cuba
<td>
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years%27_War Ten Years' War] 
October 10, 1868 
May 20, 1902 
January 1, 1959
<tr>
<td>Area - Total - Water (%)
<td>110,860 km² ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_area 104th]) 
42,803 sq mi 
negligible
<tr>
<td>Population 
- 2005 est. 
- 2002 census 
- Density
<td> 11,345,670 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population 70th]) 
11,177,743 
102/km² ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density 73rd]) 
264/sq mi 

<tr>
<td>GDP 
- Total 
- Per Capita
<td> 2004 estimate 
$33.9 billion ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29 89th]) 
$3,000 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita 126th])
<tr>
<td>Human Development Index 
<td> 0.817 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index 52nd]) - high
<tr>
<td>Currency 
<td>Peso 
Convertible peso (see ~1~)
<tr>
<td>Time Zone 
- Summer (DST)
<td>EST 
(Starts April 1, end date varies)
<tr>
<td>Internet TLD
<td> .cu
<tr>
<td>Calling Code
<td> +53
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> ~1~ 1993–2004, the U.S. dollar was used in addition to the peso until the dollar was replaced by the convertible peso.
</table>

==Cuba==

 

====Overview====

Known as the "Pearl of the Antilles", Cuba offers picturesque colonial towns, an Afro-Cuban culture, almost 300 unblemished beaches, great countryside, potent rum and excellent beer. Cuba is great for scuba diving, yachting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and golf. Cuba has been described as a "fascinating smorgasbord [[http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=define%3A+smorgasbord&meta= (eh?)]] of nonstop discovery and experience".
 

====Timing====
November is the start of the dry season in cuba. Temperatures are normally around 27 Celsius. We will also miss the peak tourist season (mid Dec. to mid-March, & all of July & August). 

====About Cuba====

Cuba is the largest Caribbean island [16th largest island in the world :-) ]. In fact, it is bigger than all 3700 other Caribbean islands put together! Of its 11m inhabitants, 60% are of Spanish descent; there are also substantial African and mixed-race minorities. Spain colonised Cuba in 1512 and decimated its indigenous population of Arawak Indians. In 1898 the US occupied the country, but relations soured in 1959 when the charismatic Fidel Castro came to power. The ban on US tourism has its advantages: apart from the coastal resort of Varadero the island remains non-commercial, and the people genuinely friendly. Well known for its musical culture, the rumba, mambo, cha cha cha, son and salsa all originated in Cuba. The Capital, Havana, founded on its present site in 1519, is one of the oldest cities in the Americas. 
 

[[Image:Cubamap.gif]]

====Things to do, when in Cuba====

- smoke Cuban cigars

- take a ride in a Vintage american car

- stay in a 'casa particular' - a common phenomenon in Cuba - for locals to rent out a room or 2 of their houses for tourists, this is the best way to gain an insight into the country

- drink 'Mojitos' - 'just the ticket after a hard day on the beach, Cuba's quintessential cocktail, a refreshing concoction of rum, limes & mint'

==Havana==

The capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana Havana], with its colonial architecture and ostentatious 50s and 60s cars, is the biggest Caribbean city (pop. approx. 2.2 million) and the hub of Cuban nightlife.

We will spend a good 2 or 3 days in Havana.

Havana has four main areas: La Habana Vieja (Old Havana), a World Heritage Site; and La Habana Moderna (Modern Havana), no less attractive and full of life and visitors, Miramar, and Vedado.

====Old Havana====

"Old Havana has so much charm that only by visiting it can one capture fully the contrasts, sounds and colors that coexist there."
[[Image:delmorro.jpg|left|The Castillo Del Morro]]
Old Havana has all the appearance of a Spanish colonial city. Havana is ideally situated for trade and communications, and many of the defences built to protect it from pirates and corsairs still exist, which is why it is impossible to walk in Old Havana without encountering impressive fortresses like the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta, La Cabaña, and the most unique of them all, '''El Morro (Morro Castle)''', located at the entrance to the Bay. From here each night the lighthouse guides ships passing by Havana, and by day visitors come to admire the stunning views the capital has to offer.
[[Image:Viejaplaza.jpg|right|The Vieja Plaza]]

Old Havana also has spacious and beautiful cobbled plazas (squares) such as la Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, la Plaza de Armas, la Plaza Vieja and la Plaza de La Catedral (Cathedral Square), the latter a popular choice for photos and post cards of Cuba. Here you can try out some Cuban cocktails in an open air restaurant, while enjoying the view of the surrounding buildings and the sound of Cuban music in the air.

Havana has numerous museums: the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Palace of the Spanish Governors) which houses the Museum of the City of Havana, the Gabinete Arqueológico (Archaeological Bureau) and the Museo del Chocolate (hmm!!)

In nearby Morro Castle there is a permanent exhibition of the fort's construction process. Also located on that side of the Bay on a hillside is the giant statue of Christ of Casablanca, which is lit nightly.

'''La Guarida restaurant''' - where the excellent food is matched by Baroque surroundings, in the location where the film Strawberry and Chocolate was filmed. Note- La Guarida is a Paledar. Paledars are privately run small restaurants in homes. The operators pay a fee to the government for the right to have up to eight tables. The food is often better than the boring, bland food offered at most official restaurants, and the prices are much better. Service, however, is frequently painfully slow, and menu items at many paledars are limited.

====Modern Havana====
[[Image:cemetary.jpg|left|Christopher Columbus Cemetary]]
There is the state-subsidised '''Coppelia ice-cream parlour''' (you have to pay in pesos) where a dollar gets you 22 scoops. Apparently not bad ice cream.

There are several night clubs that offer music programs, among them El Gato Tuerto (The One-Eyed Cat), the Jazz Café, the Cocodrilo (The Crocodile), the Habana Café and Dos Gardenias (Two Gardenias).
[[Image:Malecon.jpg|right|The Malecón]]
'''Necrópolis de Colón (Columbus Graveyard)''' - Besides its tranquility there are some amazing stories there. There is a tomb shaped like a domino piece, one surrounded by women who wanted to get pregnant, a pyramid tomb built for the professor of the school of architecture...lots of interesting things to see.

It's along '''the Malecón''' that Havana's architecture really shines. From what I can gather, the Maelcón is a promenade much cherished by the people of Havana.

====Miramar and Vedado====

'''Fabrica de Tobaco Partagas''' -[[Image:bacardi.jpg|right|Edificio Bacardi]] A famous Havana cigar factory, offers a fascinating insight into the skills behind cigar making and lays bare some idiosyncratic Cuban working practices. Pricy, but good, apparently "more interesting and less touristy than expected".

'''The Edificio Bacardi''' - A slice of dazzling art deco architecture, the former pre-revolution headquarters of Bacardí, the famous rum company, it is a fitting place for to enjoy a Cubre libre.

'''Maqueta de la Habana (Miniature Havana)''' - The realistic scale model of Havana takes up almost 88 sq. m (946 sq. ft.). You can walk around it on the ground level, or climb a narrow interior balcony that rings three walls. This is not to be confused with a similar (and much smaller) scale model of Old Havana, found in Old Havana, of course.

==Trinidad==

Trinidad - a world heritage site, the country's most perfectly preserved colonial city, and also close to the beach & mountains. tbc

[[image:trinidad.jpg]]

==Other potential places to visit==

Maria La Gorda - approx. 5 hrs drive from Havana - this seems to be the best place in Cuba for scuba diving. And also, you don't have to know how to scuba dive already!

Varadero - Fantastic beaches, and also good for scuba diving

Caves that can be explored:

Cueva del Cable, Cueva del Simón, de Paredones, del Indio, de los Tomates, de Quintanal, Astón, de Cagagüanes, de Palmarito, de Bitirí, Revuelta de los Chinos, de la Patana, Solapos de Jaruco and Caleta del Rosario

==Transport in Cuba==

There are two types of buses that run throughout Cuba, the dirt-cheap ones that are falling apart and stop at every roof they pass; and the more direct, fast and comfortable coaches with air con that cost in dollars but still not that much (eg. $60 for the whole length of the island). The fast ones sometimes leave from a different bus station, so look out for that.

"if you do take a cab, try to take one of the government ones. I can't remember what the visual difference is, but it's worth finding out - the price is a tenth of a private hire cab."

It's apparently relatively easy to catch a ride with a friendly local car-owner willing to act as a 'taxi'.

- prandial

==Tourist Tips==

Restaurants are reportedly relatively non-existent, because the economy won't support them. If you make sure to interact, it's seems that it's not hard to find a local who'll invite or direct you to a local house where they'll be willing to cook you a meal, for a small renumeration.

Eat from street vendors.

"A cheese sandwich is a cheese sandwich and the only time my friend and I got food poisoning was when we went to a dollar restaurant instead of a peso one." -prandial

==Tourist Traps==

A lot of the Cuban cigars sold even in Cuba are fake or inferior.

You will be hassled a lot on the streets, low grade begging, nothing dangerous.

You'll find it near impossible not to be fleeced if you don't speak any Spanish (and pretty hard not to be even if you do) - most people who speak English are those who've learnt it to work with tourists.

If you hook up with some locals, they may suggest going with you to a place that's really touristy, saying they like it. In fact it's because you'll be paying their cover charge and they'll collect their cut later. If somebody tells you to go to "Cabaret Tropicana", bear in mind that this place is expensive and you'll see a typical cabaret full of people trying to get money from you.

In Old Habana, you'll have to dodge a lot of peddlers hawking "Cohibas" , cigars, and 'herbal aphrodysiacs' and whatnot, but they aren't that pushy if you politely don't show interest. Just remember to NEVER EVER buy from these people. If these people are caught by the police selling to you they could get in serious trouble and you possibly as well. If you buy cigars make sure they have the government seal on the side of the box.

La Guarida don't bribe the taxi drivers- so if any of them tell you the restaurant is closed or has been closed for a while- don't believe them. Persist, and they will take you there.

The official money of Cuba is now the Cuban Convertible Peso, or CUC. They're called "chavitos." It's best to use the official money exchange venues as counterfeiting and theft is not unknown.
They're another type of money in circulation called "moneda nacional." If you do not have Cuban friends it's unlikely a tourist would have occasion to use the non-convertible peso, which is valued at about 20-1 to the CUC. A common scam is paying in chavitos and getting nacional in return.

Another common scam is to take a one CUC bank note and add a zero behind the one to make it look like a 10 CUC bank note. The scammer then looks for a tourist to help him (or her) to make change and the tourist gets stuck with the doctored note. ALWAYS make sure that any 10 CUC notes also say Diez on them and not UNO!!!

==Advice from Travellers==

Advice from prandial (someone on a forum) who's been to Cuba:

- V touristy but a great thing to do: go drink mojitos at night in the garden bar at hotel nacional. And then leave the tourists and hang out with the kids dancing to Cuban and American hip hop at the big outdoor parties just down the hill to one side (not in the hotel grounds, natch)

- try to get a ride in a cadillac. But they'll probably throw you out as they aren't licensed cabs.

- eating in Paladares can be fun, if you find a good one it's excellent. But it's a risk and a tricky one without speaking any Spanish.

Oh and Havana is amazing but really crappy and grey in the rain. Sad but true. But you'll have a great time.

==Suggested Itinerary==

TBC!
====Day One====



====Day Two====

====Day Three====
====Day Four====
====Day Five====

==Useful Links:==

For practicalities - health, visas, climate etc.
[http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/information/0,8766,420477,00.html The Guardian]

For geography, history & culture:
[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569844/Cuba.html Encarta]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba Wikipedia]

Cuba

2006-05-15T19:37:18Z

62.253.32.6:

<table border=1 align="right">
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> Cuba
<tr>
<td align="center">
 [[Image:CubaFlag_40_per_cent.jpg]] 
Flag
<td align="center">
[[Image:Cuba_coa_smaller.png]] 
Coat of Arms



<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> Motto: Spanish: Patria y Libertad 
(English: "Homeland and Freedom")
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> Anthem: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bayamesa La Bayamesa] (The Bayamo Song)
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> [[Image:LocationCuba.png]]

<tr>
<td> Capital <td>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana Havana] 
23°8′N 82°23′W
<tr>
<td>Largest City <td>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana Havana]
<tr>
<td>Official Language <td>Spanish
<tr>
<td>Government: 
President of the 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_State_of_Cuba Council of State of Cuba:]
<td>Republic 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro Fidel Castro]
<tr>
<td>Independence 
- Declared from Spain 
- Cuban Republic declared 
- Date recognised in Cuba
<td>
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years%27_War Ten Years' War] 
October 10, 1868 
May 20, 1902 
January 1, 1959
<tr>
<td>Area - Total - Water (%)
<td>110,860 km² ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_area 104th]) 
42,803 sq mi 
negligible
<tr>
<td>Population 
- 2005 est. 
- 2002 census 
- Density
<td> 11,345,670 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population 70th]) 
11,177,743 
102/km² ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density 73rd]) 
264/sq mi 

<tr>
<td>GDP 
- Total 
- Per Capita
<td> 2004 estimate 
$33.9 billion ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29 89th]) 
$3,000 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28PPP%29_per_capita 126th])
<tr>
<td>Human Development Index 
<td> 0.817 ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index 52nd]) - high
<tr>
<td>Currency 
<td>Peso 
Convertible peso (see ~1~)
<tr>
<td>Time Zone 
- Summer (DST)
<td>EST 
(Starts April 1, end date varies)
<tr>
<td>Internet TLD
<td> .cu
<tr>
<td>Calling Code
<td> +53
<tr>
<td colspan=2 align="center"> ~1~ 1993–2004, the U.S. dollar was used in addition to the peso until the dollar was replaced by the convertible peso.
</table>

==Cuba==

 

====Overview====

Known as the "Pearl of the Antilles", Cuba offers picturesque colonial towns, an Afro-Cuban culture, almost 300 unblemished beaches, great countryside, potent rum and excellent beer. Cuba is great for scuba diving, yachting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and golf. Cuba has been described as a "fascinating smorgasbord [[http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=define%3A+smorgasbord&meta= (eh?)]] of nonstop discovery and experience".
 

====Timing====
November is the start of the dry season in cuba. Temperatures are normally around 27 Celsius. We will also miss the peak tourist season (mid Dec. to mid-March, & all of July & August). 

====About Cuba====

Cuba is the largest Caribbean island [16th largest island in the world :-) ]. In fact, it is bigger than all 3700 other Caribbean islands put together! Of its 11m inhabitants, 60% are of Spanish descent; there are also substantial African and mixed-race minorities. Spain colonised Cuba in 1512 and decimated its indigenous population of Arawak Indians. In 1898 the US occupied the country, but relations soured in 1959 when the charismatic Fidel Castro came to power. The ban on US tourism has its advantages: apart from the coastal resort of Varadero the island remains non-commercial, and the people genuinely friendly. Well known for its musical culture, the rumba, mambo, cha cha cha, son and salsa all originated in Cuba. The Capital, Havana, founded on its present site in 1519, is one of the oldest cities in the Americas. 
 

[[Image:Cubamap.gif]]

====Things to do, when in Cuba====

- smoke Cuban cigars

- take a ride in a Vintage american car

- stay in a 'casa particular' - a common phenomenon in Cuba - for locals to rent out a room or 2 of their houses for tourists, this is the best way to gain an insight into the country

- drink 'Mojitos' - 'just the ticket after a hard day on the beach, Cuba's quintessential cocktail, a refreshing concoction of rum, limes & mint'

==Havana==

The capital, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana Havana], with its colonial architecture and ostentatious 50s and 60s cars, is the biggest Caribbean city (pop. approx. 2.2 million) and the hub of Cuban nightlife.

We will spend a good 2 or 3 days in Havana.

Havana has four main areas: La Habana Vieja (Old Havana), a World Heritage Site; and La Habana Moderna (Modern Havana), no less attractive and full of life and visitors, Miramar, and Vedado.

====Old Havana====

"Old Havana has so much charm that only by visiting it can one capture fully the contrasts, sounds and colors that coexist there."
[[Image:delmorro.jpg|left|The Castillo Del Morro]]
Old Havana has all the appearance of a Spanish colonial city. Havana is ideally situated for trade and communications, and many of the defences built to protect it from pirates and corsairs still exist, which is why it is impossible to walk in Old Havana without encountering impressive fortresses like the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta, La Cabaña, and the most unique of them all, '''El Morro (Morro Castle)''', located at the entrance to the Bay. From here each night the lighthouse guides ships passing by Havana, and by day visitors come to admire the stunning views the capital has to offer.
[[Image:Viejaplaza.jpg|right|The Vieja Plaza]]

Old Havana also has spacious and beautiful cobbled plazas (squares) such as la Plaza de San Francisco de Asís, la Plaza de Armas, la Plaza Vieja and la Plaza de La Catedral (Cathedral Square), the latter a popular choice for photos and post cards of Cuba. Here you can try out some Cuban cocktails in an open air restaurant, while enjoying the view of the surrounding buildings and the sound of Cuban music in the air.

Havana has numerous museums: the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales (Palace of the Spanish Governors) which houses the Museum of the City of Havana, the Gabinete Arqueológico (Archaeological Bureau) and the Museo del Chocolate (hmm!!)

In nearby Morro Castle there is a permanent exhibition of the fort's construction process. Also located on that side of the Bay on a hillside is the giant statue of Christ of Casablanca, which is lit nightly.

'''La Guarida restaurant''' - where the excellent food is matched by Baroque surroundings, in the location where the film Strawberry and Chocolate was filmed. Note- La Guarida is a Paledar. Paledars are privately run small restaurants in homes. The operators pay a fee to the government for the right to have up to eight tables. The food is often better than the boring, bland food offered at most official restaurants, and the prices are much better. Service, however, is frequently painfully slow, and menu items at many paledars are limited.

====Modern Havana====
[[Image:cemetary.jpg|left|Christopher Columbus Cemetary]]
There is the state-subsidised '''Coppelia ice-cream parlour''' (you have to pay in pesos) where a dollar gets you 22 scoops. Apparently not bad ice cream.

There are several night clubs that offer music programs, among them El Gato Tuerto (The One-Eyed Cat), the Jazz Café, the Cocodrilo (The Crocodile), the Habana Café and Dos Gardenias (Two Gardenias).
[[Image:Malecon.jpg|right|The Malecón]]
'''Necrópolis de Colón (Columbus Graveyard)''' - Besides its tranquility there are some amazing stories there. There is a tomb shaped like a domino piece, one surrounded by women who wanted to get pregnant, a pyramid tomb built for the professor of the school of architecture...lots of interesting things to see.

It's along '''the Malecón''' that Havana's architecture really shines. From what I can gather, the Maelcón is a promenade much cherished by the people of Havana.

====Miramar and Vedado====

'''Fabrica de Tobaco Partagas''' -[[Image:bacardi.jpg|right|Edificio Bacardi]] A famous Havana cigar factory, offers a fascinating insight into the skills behind cigar making and lays bare some idiosyncratic Cuban working practices. Pricy, but good, apparently "more interesting and less touristy than expected".

'''The Edificio Bacardi''' - A slice of dazzling art deco architecture, the former pre-revolution headquarters of Bacardí, the famous rum company, it is a fitting place for to enjoy a Cubre libre.

'''Maqueta de la Habana (Miniature Havana)''' - The realistic scale model of Havana takes up almost 88 sq. m (946 sq. ft.). You can walk around it on the ground level, or climb a narrow interior balcony that rings three walls. This is not to be confused with a similar (and much smaller) scale model of Old Havana, found in Old Havana, of course.

==Trinidad==

Trinidad - a world heritage site, the country's most perfectly preserved colonial city, and also close to the beach & mountains. tbc

[[image:trinidad.jpg]]

==Other potential places to visit==

Maria La Gorda - approx. 5 hrs drive from Havana - this seems to be the best place in Cuba for scuba diving. And also, you don't have to know how to scuba dive already!

Varadero - Fantastic beaches, and also good for scuba diving

Caves that can be explored:

Cueva del Cable, Cueva del Simón, de Paredones, del Indio, de los Tomates, de Quintanal, Astón, de Cagagüanes, de Palmarito, de Bitirí, Revuelta de los Chinos, de la Patana, Solapos de Jaruco and Caleta del Rosario

==Transport in Cuba==

There are two types of buses that run throughout Cuba, the dirt-cheap ones that are falling apart and stop at every roof they pass; and the more direct, fast and comfortable coaches with air con that cost in dollars but still not that much (eg. $60 for the whole length of the island). The fast ones sometimes leave from a different bus station, so look out for that.

"if you do take a cab, try to take one of the government ones. I can't remember what the visual difference is, but it's worth finding out - the price is a tenth of a private hire cab."

It's apparently relatively easy to catch a ride with a friendly local car-owner willing to act as a 'taxi'.

- prandial

==Tourist Tips==

Restaurants are reportedly relatively non-existent, because the economy won't support them. If you make sure to interact, it's seems that it's not hard to find a local who'll invite or direct you to a local house where they'll be willing to cook you a meal, for a small renumeration.

Eat from street vendors.

"A cheese sandwich is a cheese sandwich and the only time my friend and I got food poisoning was when we went to a dollar restaurant instead of a peso one." -prandial

==Tourist Traps==

A lot of the Cuban cigars sold even in Cuba are fake or inferior.

You will be hassled a lot on the streets, low grade begging, nothing dangerous.

You'll find it near impossible not to be fleeced if you don't speak any Spanish (and pretty hard not to be even if you do) - most people who speak English are those who've learnt it to work with tourists.

If you hook up with some locals, they may suggest going with you to a place that's really touristy, saying they like it. In fact it's because you'll be paying their cover charge and they'll collect their cut later. If somebody tells you to go to "Cabaret Tropicana", bear in mind that this place is expensive and you'll see a typical cabaret full of people trying to get money from you.

In Old Habana, you'll have to dodge a lot of peddlers hawking "Cohibas" , cigars, and 'herbal aphrodysiacs' and whatnot, but they aren't that pushy if you politely don't show interest. Just remember to NEVER EVER buy from these people. If these people are caught by the police selling to you they could get in serious trouble and you possibly as well. If you buy cigars make sure they have the government seal on the side of the box.

La Guarida don't bribe the taxi drivers- so if any of them tell you the restaurant is closed or has been closed for a while- don't believe them. Persist, and they will take you there.

The official money of Cuba is now the Cuban Convertible Peso, or CUC. They're called "chavitos." It's best to use the official money exchange venues as counterfeiting and theft is not unknown.
They're another type of money in circulation called "moneda nacional." If you do not have Cuban friends it's unlikely a tourist would have occasion to use the non-convertible peso, which is valued at about 20-1 to the CUC. A common scam is paying in chavitos and getting nacional in return.

Another common scam is to take a one CUC bank note and add a zero behind the one to make it look like a 10 CUC bank note. The scammer then looks for a tourist to help him (or her) to make change and the tourist gets stuck with the doctored note. ALWAYS make sure that any 10 CUC notes also say Diez on them and not UNO!!!

==Advice from Travellers==

Advice from prandial (someone on a forum) who's been to Cuba:

- V touristy but a great thing to do: go drink mojitos at night in the garden bar at hotel nacional. And then leave the tourists and hang out with the kids dancing to Cuban and American hip hop at the big outdoor parties just down the hill to one side (not in the hotel grounds, natch)

- try to get a ride in a cadillac. But they'll probably throw you out as they aren't licensed cabs.

- eating in Paladares can be fun, if you find a good one it's excellent. But it's a risk and a tricky one without speaking any Spanish.

Oh and Havana is amazing but really crappy and grey in the rain. Sad but true. But you'll have a great time.

==Suggested Itinerary==

TBC!

==Useful Links:==

For practicalities - health, visas, climate etc.
[http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/information/0,8766,420477,00.html The Guardian]

For geography, history & culture:
[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569844/Cuba.html Encarta]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba Wikipedia]