Bournemouth Weeks 9 & 10

(We went to Bridesmaids together, Allegra, Rebecca, me, and George to kick off the week before we  discussed the activities).

Sunday, August 7th, 2011

There are a lot of things that I need to accomplish before coming home in these next two weeks. For example, when I arrive home I need to get my phone reactivated and I need to talk to my university. Today there was a tour with the students but since I took some people in a taxi to the Capital Residence early in the morning and had to pack all of my things it took awhile to get over to the house. That day I cleaned my room and packed and just tried to keep myself together through organizing everything.

(Me and Rebecca at Swanage.)

(Me and George at Swanage.)

Monday, August 8th, 2011

Today we went to Swanage by bus and it took about an hour one way to get there. Some students at the back of the bus were gleefully singing songs in English such as "Hey baby, I wanna know if you'll be my girl..."along with "Baby, baby, Ohh," by Justin Bieber, and a 90s song AllStar by Smashmouth, "She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb in the shape of an L on her forehead." It was pretty fun as Swanage is an older town with buildings that have been around for hundreds of years. It turned out to be a wonderful sunny day as all of us had the chance to explore the hills and to explore the cliffsides surrounded by water. It is a beautiful scene to view and the ocean was quite bedazzling from the view that we were at.

(Swanage, with it's chalky white cliffsides, stark waters, and colorful boats)

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

We took the kids to mini golf today and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the different green slopes. Us group leaders also had the chance to play golf out on the fields as we had enough spaces for our team. Mini golf was rather fun as the students all were in the spirit of comradery together because they were competing on a small level with each other. Later today we are going to a movie because the V Club isn't going on today as the schedule has changed. The movie we are going to is called Mr. Popper and His Penguins with Jim Carey and it looks pretty funny from the advertisements. Tomorrow we are going to Laser Games with the students but since the weather has been sunny and nice I have been wanting to be outside lately.

(Group of kids pretty pumped for Laser Games)

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

We are going to Laser Games with the students today and we are also going to have them go to V Club since the schedule was different this week for disco. Even though yesterday we told the students that they would be going to V Club tonight instead I hope they weren't too disappointed. My family has been missing me and even though I miss them as well there is only about a week and a half left before we meet up again which is somethings that helps to think about when I get a bit down every once in awhile. When I went to V Club last night after the morning activities were finished with my colleagues I started thinking about how I went from Missoula, MT two months ago thinking about doing an internship abroad to being almost finished with this one. The summer has almost ended and two of my cousins are already married--Karinda and Chelsea (well Chelsea in a matter of days will be married but soon). Then my sisters are also going through their own experiences with boys, school, and the pressures of being a teenager one at age 19 and the other at age 16. They have taught me a lot about life even as they are far away, as well as the teenagers here. Working with teens this summer has helped me in a way to heal from my teenage years that were filled with the regular angst mixed with a lot of family conflicts. Being here this summer has been a wonderful experience as I have been able to stay organized, and communicate in a way that I've never been challenged to before. There is still a lot to do, and laser games are a favorite activity for students so it should go rather smoothly and perhaps even us Group Leaders will have the opportunity to play.

(Klarissa, George, Allegra, Ann-Catherine, and Rebecca, us Group Leaders this week at the Oceanarium)

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

We are headed to the Oceanarium this gray cloudy afternoon and for the evening time we will be at the theatre watching Mr. Popper and His Penguins. Since everything seems to be winding down to the last few days here I have been trying to think about everything at I need to do at home soon. I almost forgot that I have a cell phone and what the weather and everything is like in Missoula. I also almost forgot that I am going home in less than two weeks now and that I will be doing another internship shortly after this one is over. Last night the students had the chance to enjoy V Club and us Group Leaders went to this place where you can have three courses for only 12 pounds on Wednesdays and Friday nights. After this we went out and explored the town a little bit and we had a great time together. Even though the week is almost over there is still a lot to complete. Tonight there will be more people arriving and staying over at the house along with more Group Leaders and kids arriving soon. It will be a busy weekend as well!!

Friday, August 12th, 2011

Today we took two buses to Splashdown and it took a total of one hour to get there but the kids seemed to enjoy it. Us Group Leaders went to Burger King as the students went swimming and then we returned to check on the kids and catch up with each other. Tomorrow I will be going to Oxford for a second time since being in England but Oxford is a rather nice college town. Last time that I was in Oxford though it rained a lot but since the riots are primarily going on in London, it seems rather safe to travel there by comparison. As of today I only have ten days before I head back to the United States and it seems that this summer is closing in quickly. We went to ASDA today which is like a smaller version of WalMart for Europe, but we bought a lot of food for this weekend.

Saturday, August 13th, 2011

Yesterday another Group Leader and I, George, took 22  students to Oxford by bus along with the students that were from ETC. There were two other Spanish Group Leaders, Carmen and Jose that helped to guide their 31 students. We had the kids do an 1 1/2 walking tour of the town and then we had them take a group photo before allowing them some free time to explore. After they were to explore they had to meet us up at Carfax Car Park area to walk over and take the bus back over to Bournemouth.

(This is the grop of students that went to Oxford on Saturday).

(This sandwiches were delicious. The sandwich in front is George's, and it is a brie, bacon, and cranberry panini with coleslaw, and salad on the side. Mine was a sandwich with salami, black olives, spinach pesto sauce :), mozzarella, and poppy seeds on top of the bread with coleslaw and salad on the side as well. It is too bad that I cannot remember the sandwich shop but it was an all organic one in Oxford a little down the road from Crab Tree and Evelyn and yet quite close to the mall.)

Sunday, August 14th, 2011

We all had the chance to sleep  in this morning which was nice because all of us had to wake up at either 6 am or 7 am the day before and went on day long journies. All in all it was nice and we are going to do a tour today of the area. The tour went well today as George and I led the group as the native English speakers. It is weird to think that it is going to be the last week of my internship soon. My family and friends are all really excited to see me as I am excited to see them after being away for two months. There are some kids from last week that I have been able to build some good bonds with but a lot of them are new. After returning home we caught up on our projects for the week and we also watched a movie together. It has been a rather relaxing raining day. The air show is supposed to be going on in Bournemouth soon with planes from all different countries flying and doing stunts. I hope that we can see them take flight on the 18th-21st before I head back to Brussels and return to the United States.

Monday, August 15th, 2011

We are starting off the week by going to Compton Acres with fifty students and six of us Group Leaders: Wietske, Snez, George, Stef, Allegra, and I. Compton Acres is an outstanding place with different style gardens. My favorite garden though is the Japanese garden with the steping stones across the still waters where you can look at the coy fish. The Japanese gardens are very relaxing even though all of the garden is very beautiful.
Despite the fact that I have been rather sick today I ended up really enjoying Compton Acres. The gardens were sooo beautiful especially the Japanese gardens and the Italian gardens. The favorite gardens by the students and us Group Leaders were the Japanese gardens and the Italian gardens as well. We took some fun pictures today and so did one of the students who loved to pose, Wolfgang. Even though the bus was predictably late and we had to wait a long time to take it back and split up the groups of students the day was rather successful.

(Group Leaders: George, Snez, Stef, Wietske, Allegra, and Me-Klarissa at Compton Acres, posing like the Beatles with 6 of us :)

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

We are going to the BIC today (Bournemouth Center) to take the kids to thhe Sea Monsters Exhibition and go to the Celebrity Exhibition as well. It is rather rainy and cold today so it is good that we have an indoor activity planned for this afternoon. It is a new activity that seems pretty fun and we will probably split the groups up into two groups of 28.

After going to the Sea Monsters and the Celebrity Exhibitions today it seems that we were excited to see these shows for nothing. It really is too bad that we got the kids so excited for it but despite it being a minor disappointment we all had a fun day together. Us Group Leaders had a barbeque altogether and we shared stories about our lives and were able to bond through our adventures. The Sea Monster Exhibition was about dinosaurs and animals that were (of course) thought to have lived under the sea millions of years ago due to fossil records. The Celebrity Exhibition had the shoes of Fred Astaire, and a tour jacket and hat of Michael Jackson's. Even though the exhibitions were interesting they were very short walk through areas and they also seemed as though they could have had some falsified information. For example, how do we know for sure that any of those clothes actually were worn by the said celebrities? Those clothes could have come from anyone claiming to have a connection with those actors, or celebrities to begin with. There isn't any proof it seems that those artifacts were real.

(Such a beautiful garden!!)

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Laser games went well today as Stef, George and I had the chance to play with the kids. Laser games is often considered a favorite activity by the students as they love the music and running around in the game room. I had the chance to talk with two girls as well, Clarisse and Natacha both from Belgium today and they had interesting things to say about England, one being that people are a lot more polite here but also that they are patient. Clarisse loves the fact that we have the same name but it is spelled differently, which I think is rather sweet. It feels like this week as I am finally accustomed to being a Group Leader and getting the whole routine of Bournemouth down my summer here is soon ending.

(This kid was like the model attraction for the other students as he loved to pose for pictures. Wolfgang has a pretty charismatic personality!)

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

The two activities that we did today were ice skating and bowling which is rather ironic because it ended up raining so much that is was flooding in Bournemouth. Literally the mini golf field was covered in rain and there were certain sections which were barred off by construction workers because the waters had become so terribly high that you could probably call what used to be a small man made creek and river that you could kyiak on. Despite having wet socks all day, I was able to take loads of pictures of the students enjoying their summers together before they head back home. As school is approaching for them I think about when I was in high school and what an impressionable time it is for every person. These are the kinds of activities that I wish I could have done as a child, but somehow helping out with these activities for other students now that I am older has been a lot more rewarding. At bowling today I was able to take pictures of each group of students altogether as they sat in various spots at Bowlplex. Despite the students feeling somewhat cold from ice skating and also a bit worn out, they were all smiling at bowling today which made me realize it had been quite successful.

(Here is me at Compton Acres by the totem pole. It was a lovely garden.)

Friday, August 19th, 2011

It is a rather blustery day and we are taking the kids out to do beach games. Hopefully no one will be too cold as today the weather hasn't faired too well. Tomorrow will be my last day I Bournemouth and even though I am feeling kind of sad I am also kind of happy to be going back soon.

Today we ended up playing beach games and volleyball was quite fun for everyone as all of the students got together to play games. We had a great time playing with the students as they were all excited to be out on the beach. All we had to do was get them together to play volleyball and eventually everyone went out onto the field.

Saturday, August 20th, 2011

This is the last day of my internship as tomorrow all of us Group Leaders head back to Brussels with the students who are returning home on the bus. Last night I went out to a few clubs with Wietske and George after we were done with activities for the day and taking care of some students who needed to be placed in the right host families. We had a wonderful night dancing but it was this morning when I woke up that I realized this would be my last blog post and my last weekend in Bournemouth. I did not start out knowing that I would feel this way at the end--almost reluctant to head home. It isn't because I dislike being back in the United States, rather the contrary, it's just that this internship has done something positive for me which wouldn't have been possible without going abroad. For starters, even though I am 22-years-old, this internship was the first experience for me where I was not only in the working world in an office for the first time but also on my own in a foreign country. When my sister Karalee and I went to France two years ago, a small door had been opened into a world which I didn't know I could dare be a part of. It seemed to me that only select students could travel, or that only the rich kids could afford such experiences. After being here and working a year towards this internship, I have found that my illusions were simply illusions to begin with about foreign travel. If you want something bad enough, no one can stop you from reaching your goals.
Even if you are intimidated to work in this kind of environment it is important to never be afraid to step beyond your limits into the unknown. The unknown here has become familiar and this familiarity is not only unexpected but surprisingly I am welcomed by it. When I first came to work for Easy Languages (Langues Vivantes) in June, I felt like a child playing dress up. I was trying on an outfit of adulthood, but it wasn't really me. Now that I am accustomed to the routine, the people, and even the language (although I am only at French beginner level A22 :) ) it is going to be strange being back home for a few days.
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me, such as all of my family and friends who knew that I could do this despite my fears. I would like to thank everyone not only at my university such as staff members, my boss, and professors, but also the staff of IE3 in Oregon who have provided me with the advice I needed to travel this far. It has been a life changing experience for me here in a way that is difficult to describe but nonetheless, an experience.

(This is the balloon in the park called the Bournemouth Eye, as it is in the center of town by the square).

-The majority of these pictures are from Compton Acres as we went there last Monday, August 14th, but that is because I love those gardens (and also because my camera is broken...)

Weeks 7 & 8/Brussels & Bournemouth

(This is me eating at one of my favorite pubs in Bournemouth--60 Million Postcards)

Sunday, July 24th, 2011

It has reached the month and a half mark and I only have four more weeks left of my internship before I head back to the United States. Hopefully I can try and take French classes this week while also doing office work. The trip with the students was quite long and I was really tired by the end of it especially. Lately I am not sure what to say about work and life here so far. It has been pretty good and everything the only thing is that I wish I could Skype more with family and friends.

(Here is a picture from Thursday. We all had fun ice skating. Inge, Me, and Allegra stopped to get a picture by Lorens.)

Monday, July 25th, 2011

So I am at the office for one week in Brussels and in about 5 days I will be heading back to Bournemouth. It is weird to be back here after being away for about a month. Surprisingly, as tired and directionally challenged as I am, I was able to find my way back home last night. I was really happy that I was able to get back without any problems. Right now it is difficult to tell exactly what my responsibilities are except for keeping up the company blog and then the scrapbook. There are some people that I won't ever see again after this week at the office. It is weird how quickly everything is going by and I want to make sure that I document everything despite the fact that my camera isn't working.

(Here is Inge, Allegra, me, and Lorens playing mini golf).

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

This is my last Tuesday in the office and today I feel a lot less homesick than yesterday. Yesterday I think being tired and everything was getting to me. This morning I found out that I scored A22 on the French exam that I took yesterday. This means that my level is better than zero knowledge or lower intermediate. If I do a bit better than I can be average with my French by the end of my stay here :) Sometimes I get a bit discouraged but in those moments I try to remember the words of friends or family who inspire me. Tonight I am going to see the movie the Tree of Life with Nieves. It looks like a good movie and the filming of it is quite beautiful.

We ended up not going to the movie after all because Nieve's friend Carla was too busy with different things that day, but it turned out to be okay because I was exhausted after work later that day.

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

Today I am at work and thinking about once again the passage of time and how being here has influenced the way that I think about the world. Being back in Brussels has been an interesting experience and as has navigating my way through the city. Not sure exactly what to work on but I think that it will be blogging, working on gap year information, and probably checking my e-mails.

There is a lot so far that I have discovered about Gap Years and the Langues Vivantes company that I didn't understand before. Today I learned that we provide the opportunity for students to take a Gap Year in Bournemouth. It is interesting to note that with our company students can go on a Gap Year as young as 16 years of age. For the most part, students are ages 16-19 when they complete a Gap Year.

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Tonight I am going to make something for Inge's good-bye lunch tomorrow at the office. It will be her last day at the office along with my last day at the office, but I haven't been here as long as she has been. In fact, I have been in Bournemouth already longer than the office and in only two days or less I should be headed back to Bournemouth with a few more colleagues. Lately, for some odd reason I have felt extremely tired and barely able to make it out of bed. Maybe it is simply the change of scenery that makes me a bit more tired than usual.

So today I worked on some PowerPoint presentations about Gap Years and it took me awhile to get all of the slides down to a smaller size for the texts. Being at my laptop all day has been a different experience for me because I am so used to running around Bournemouth by now :) Every once in awhile it can be a bit difficult to focus but lately I have been listening to some music as I type out documents which is nice.

Tonight I am going to try and come up with something typically American as the effort is what counts the most I think. Personally I hope that it turns out alright and doesn't turn into one massive pan of undercooked chicken.

Friday, July 29th, 2011

(This is a picture taken by Yusuke, one of the interns from Japan. It is a plate with dishes from each person from different countries in the office. Wietske-Holland-Meatballs/Yusuke-Japan-Sushi/Snezana-France-Camembert & Saucisson/Nieves-Spain-Spanish Omlet, Anne-France-Quiche Lorraine)

Today we are going to prepare to go back to Bournemouth tomorrow morning and have a good-bye office lunch for Inge. It is funny how the time has passed by here as it seems that a week has already gone by me again. I haven't ever been so good at good-byes. My grandmother used to say, "It's not good-bye, it's so long until we meet again, whether that be in another life or here on Earth." That is how I have tried to view my time here and if anyone would like a postcard in the near future I will be happy to send it to them. Sometimes I retreat when I know that the end of something is near because it makes me sad to leave. I am working on remaining open though especially to everyone who has helped me grow in this experience. Not everyone has the chance to travel in the way that I have this past month and half and work in two different countries. Somehow I will be forever grateful to everyone here and also to everyone who has helped me make it to this point.

(This is the cheesecake with Speculos crust that Inge made. Lorens wrote her name in whipped cream on it :)

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

So yesterday was one of the craziest days I have had in a long time. Everyone was pretty stressed out and it is a good thing no one completely lost their cool because we had 67 students on board plus four of us Group Leaders and in fact the word crazy doesn't even begin to describe the 'adventure' we had...

Here is what went wrong that Lorens, Tifany, Inge, and I compiled:

-Drunk guy in Brussels thought he could get on bus

-No trailer--suitcases were put on seats

-45 minute wait in Thieu for the trailer (some of us debated it might have been 1 1/2 hours)

-Accident 10 minutes away from Theiu

-Police won't let the bus go

-New bus with trailer from Belgium

-3 hours waiting on Frethain car park in Calais (4:30 for students coming from Paris)

-Klarissa (me) being held for her US Citzenship (20 min wait....)

-Klarissa has to take her luggage and will be asked more questions

-Guy from ferry refusing to let us go on 6:20 pm ferry, have to wait until 7:30 pm

-7:25 PM Klarissa is set FREE!

-Ferry departure delay altogether: 5 1/2 hours

-Stinky suitcase/suitcase in toilet

-Crying bus driver

-Not working toilets

-Tifany waited 4 hours in Moss

Positive:

No worries on the ferry ride over

We had an excellent group of students that had EVERY right to complain and they didn't

Klarissa (me) did make it to the bus 5 mins before everyone was leaving to board the ferry

All of our colleagues made a concerted effort to stay calm and worked together really well as a team

Our bus driver though she had a bit of a well deserved melt down, was competant in all respects and dealt with all of these situations quite well

When we finally arrived to Bournemouth all of the students were able to get to their proper destinations

When we arrived in Bournemouth at close to 2 am, all of the other Group Leaders were awake and helping us to the best of their abilities with such great attitudes and team work

There was food at the house from the other Group Leaders and enough beds for everyone

We can all laugh about this experience now

In the future I can tell this to my Grandchildren and to my Great Grandchildren :)

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

Today was a long day with the students as I woke up at about 8:30 am and took 4 kids to Oxford and then rode with them in a taxi to their host families. All of the students were cooperative and pretty quiet this morning as they didn't get a lot of sleep last night. It was a three hour bus ride to Oxford, and I made sure that they stopped at a grocery store to buy some food for the long journey before we headed to the bus. It took one hour in the taxi to take all of the students to their destinations but all of them had warm and welcoming host families awaiting them when they came in which made me smile. When I got back to the bus station I had an hour to myself before the bus ride back to Bournemouth so I bought a sandwich, Diet Coke, and an apple and sat down for awhile in the sun before heading over to the bus. On the bus I journaled more and thought about the events that have happened to me here in Europe along with everything in my life that has lead me to this place and to these wonderful people who are my teachers here. Tomorrow I will get the chance to wake up a little bit later because each day this week one of us will sleep in as we only need two group leaders a day at each of the two schools, ETC and Westbourne Academy. Luckily the weather is getting nicer here and tonight all of us Group Leaders for the week: Kate, Lorens, Inge, Tifany, and I went to the oldest pub in Bournemouth to get drinks and discuss the weekly activities and plans for the schools tomorrow and transportation for the students.  

(Kate, Tifany, and I in the Group Leader Navigator Boat. It was purple and sparkly too :) quite V.I.P. I would say :)

(Our silly faces at Christchurch)

(Students on this week :)

Monday, August 1st, 2011

So today I felt very confused about directions even though I have been here longer than the other Group Leaders in Bournemouth. We went to Christchurch today and I was the one that was being relied upon for the information on how to get there. Everything turned out okay in the end, but even though we took the right bus and everything we stopped at a different area and it took longer to walk to the church than expected because Mondays are market days and the street I was used to walking on was filled with people selling different items. Let's just say that even though climbing the rocks and riding in sail boats was fun it was a bit of an off day for me. Even though I tried to communicate pretty well I worried that my colleagues were a bit angry with me for not remembering exactly where to go and for having trouble telling the students how to behave as well. Even though I have grown a lot and I am a way better Group Leader than I was before it is still difficult because I barely know the same level of French as my colleagues and I don't speak Dutch at all either. So when students are confused about directions or they have a question that they need to ask me in French because they don't understand how to phrase it in English I don't know what they are talking about. When my colleagues speak in French I listen and sometimes still have to ask questions to understand them. Even though all of my colleagues are wonderful to work with and nice people there are days like today where I feel very left out and incompetent. It is in these moments that I take a break and try to tell myself that everything will be fine and that I just need to relax. Usually this stepping back from the situation works and at the end of the day after we all returned home and I took a nap I felt a bit better about the events of today.

(A kid named Jonas gave me the nickname Yankee earlier that day at beach games in the park, so when we went to bowling I posed for this picture like this with my Western-ish style hat).

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

After a long day of two activities I am sitting down to write about what we did today. Today Inge, Kate, Tifany, Lorens, and I went to play beach games with the students but the problem was that there want' enoug space on the beach so we had to take a different route up a long zig zag trail to the park above where we could all play games and have the students eat snacks and socialize. We organized a dodgeball game, played frisbee, and volleyball and had a great deal of fun with the students. Later in the evening we took the kids out to bowling at Bowlplex and one of the students actually scored 152, which is a pretty impressive bowling score! All of us Group Leaders were quite tired at the end of the day as we had about 50 students show up for the second activity today and about 30 for the first one. All in all we had a wonderful day and it was a lot better than yesterday as the sun was shining and we all got to know each other better by talking and competing and walking over to the park. By the time that we went to bowling the students were bonded even more with one another as they were talking together and posing for group photos.

(Beach of Bournemouth)

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

After going to do the Photo Treasure Hunt today we had the kids go to disco. We hardly had anyone show up to activities today and so it was a rather easy day. For the photo hunt we only had 9 kids show up out of 58 on our list so there must have been something going on in town today. We gave all of the kids nonalcoholic beverages and the winning team also had the chance to choose an ice cream. While the students were at the disco tonight (it was V Club this time) us Group Leaders (Inge, Lorens, Kate, Tifany, and I) went to a restaurant after getting drinks at 60 Million Post Cards (fun pub with of course, postcards) that was rather nice. Even though I had already eaten dinner at the Capital Residence at the Arts University, I still had a beets and parsnip soup. It wasn't really my taste but it was a rather lovely restaurant and it was a good time for all of us to sit down and relax.

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Yesterday we had a high turn out rate of 55 students plus us Group Leaders show up for Laser Games. It was a great day of competition and comradery with the students as they all wanted to win the game and it was rainy outside so no one went to the beach instead of showing up to activities. Yesterday all of us Group Leaders went to 60 Million Postcards again and I tried a Shroomhooloomi Burger which is a mushroom burger with grilled haloomi cheese in the middle. It is a wonderful vegetarian concoction and even though I am not a vegetarian I loved it. We also had the chance to do some shopping and make plans for the next day for ice skating and eating lunch in a pub with the sudents in The Moon in the Square.

(Here is the epic 60 Million Postcards :)

Friday, August 5th, 2011

We are going to ice skating and lunch in a pub today with the students. I am so excited to go ice skating as it was pretty fun two weeks ago when we went last. We took the kids to lunch in a pub today and they rather liked it as they had the chance to choose between fish and chips, chicken burgers, or beef burgers. We also had a lot of people show up to ice skating today which we didn't expect because there were many kids that said they might got ot the beach instead due to the unexpectedly nice weather we had.

Today was our colleague, Kate's birthday party as her birthday is technically tomorrow but pretty much all of us are going to go our separate ways pretty soon. Inge is going back to Holland to take her last exams to graduate on Monday, Lorens and Kate are done with their internships in a few weeks, Tifany will stay in Brussels at the office, and I am returning to the United States in about two weeks. Time has flown by here fast and it is neat to do something nice for Kate as she well deserves it.

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

Today Inge and I had to get up pretty early to go to London with 40 students and another Group Leader from ETC, Fabio with three of his students. There was another bus worth of other students as well but we weren't leading them through the city today. As it turned out most of the students wanted to go shopping and didn't do much of a tour but in the end they all showed up at the right meeting point by the Parliament Building so everything was okay. Originally Inge and I had planned during the free time period after the tour to go to Abercrombie & Fitch to take a picture with a half naked male model :) but the line was too long so we went to another store instead, I think that it was called Sting. Either way it was a pretty good day and we only had a little of rain. It was Inge's last day in Bournemouth and the last time I will get to see her before she heads off to Holland to finish her final exams so I said goodbye in my own way by talking with her and asking her about her future plans. It seems that people can have positive affects on each other in small ways sometimes and I am glad that I have met Inge along with everyone else here that I may or may not ever see again--Tifany, Kate, Lorens, Rebecca, and everyone at the office in Brussels.

Photos from: Klarissa Meinholtz

Yusuke Asakura

Inge Brinkman

Weeks 5 & 6 (in Europe)/Weeks 3-4 (in Bournemouth)

(This is Big Ben. I had the chance to see this yesterday).

Sunday, July 10th, 2011

So today I was a bit exhausted but I helped to transport some kids in taxis early this morning to the bus station so that they could return to Calais and Brussels. Then I returned to my apartment and slept for a few hours before heading back to Bournemouth Square to buy some cleaning supplies and to meet the kids and other Group Leaders for the tour. After the tour I returned home and I slept after I quickly cleaned my room a bit. Allegra and I led the tour as Wietske, Marion, and Nieves were in the back making sure the students were going in the right direction. Even though the tour wasn't very long there was this girl Lynne who seemed a bit confused about her bus and since she looked a little nervous all of us group leaders gathered together and we tried to help her understand where she was supposed to be going. This week is going to be the busiest week for all of us as we have even more kids than we did the week before for the English language program and everything.

(This is a picture of a stone that I took today by my apartment at Arts-University section of Bournemouth University residence) :)

Monday, July 11th, 2011

We had the students do beach games today which was nice because the weather finally shaped up for us. It is a lot easier to have five group leaders instead of three or four this week even though three or four would have been enough as well. The kids really enjoyed the water and they were playing with beach balls and making sand castles and just running around with each other. I think everyone had a good time. Tonight was Nieves and my night to cook dinner and we did so by making beef burritoes with a lot of tasty vegetables. Nieves tried to make a Spanish omlet but it didn't turn out because of the potatoes so we are going to cook it tomorrow for dinner instead. All in all it was a pretty good day packed with much adventure and sunshine.

(The students made this cool looking sand castle today).

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

The students went to Christchurch today with us and we also had the chance to ride in small sail boats together. It was a lot of fun, even though two boys kept trying to run their boats into each other and be obnoxious. At Christchurch we were able to get some good photos of the students racing around and also all in front of Christchurch ruins area where there are some ancient ruins that have been standing for about a couple of hundred years. They ended up enjoying it thoroughly even though it was educational. :)

(This is the group that went to Christchurch this week. There were a lot more of them than my first week here in Bournemouth).

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Laser games were fun today with the kids and I think that they really enjoyed it. Since there were five grop leaders and I have already had the chance to play laser games, I decided that I wanted to sit with the purses and coats instead. Even though we didn't get the chance to take pictures today it was a great opportunity for the students to get in some team spirit.

Later tonight I went with the staff and group leaders from Capital School for English, and I met a lot of great people there. I was the only staff member invited from Langues Vivantes, but being there was a wonderful experience because there were diverse people from diverse backgrounds. The food was also excellent as it was fresh sea food and we took a ferry to get to the restaurant. I loved it!! :) Being an intern usually I only get sandwiches on the go or maybe a Group Leader dinner at the house with the other GLs :) 

(This is a picture that I saw about a week ago in London on a billboard. I really wish I could go to a concert or a music festival)

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

Tomorrow the Harry Potter movie comes out and everyone is gearing up for it. Some of the schools have already booked going to the movie in advance. Today we are going to Compton Acres and to Bowling but I don't think that a lot of students that went last week will be going this week because they prefer to party with all of their friends before leaving, which is understandable. It makes me sad sometimes when some students leave and the next ones come in because there are those which were so curious abour learning. On the otherhand there are a few which seemed less excited about learning and more about partying but our group has been quite nice for the most part I think.

We had a good attendance for Compton Acres today and for Bowling as well. The only problems that I have been having are involved with my camera as it flashes at me when I take pictures which is really annoying. Tomorrow there isn't any evening activity so we can all have the chance to relax and take it easy later on in the day after Splashdown. Everything is happening so quickly that I am not sure what else to say right now. Lately I haven't had as much time to reflect or have time to myself but maybe someday all of this will end up making sense.

(These are all of the kids paying attention all at the same time of course :) They had to try to be an animal in this photo to get a laugh out of them. They have been taking pictures for a long time now, especially the students from last week :)

Friday, July 15th, 2011

We are going to Splashdown today and this weekend some students are leaving to go back to their hometowns. It has been difficult to get ggood pictures because my camera has been having issues and I am not sure why. I am hoping that it isn't because it got sand in it at the beach on Monday. My fifth week in Europe is officially almost completed and I have five more weeks before I head back to the United States. It is weird to think about going home when there has been so much which has happened here already. Today will be a long bus ride and I am not sure that everyone would like to go to the water park but I think that the students who do show up will be quite happy.

Splashdown was a pretty good experience for the students as they all enjoyed the water and they got to say good-bye (at least the ones that are leaving) to us Group Leaders. A part of me is a bit sad that some of the students are leaving as I will miss them dearly. Another part of me knows that time is short, and I hope that they enjoyed their stay here. Tomorrow I have to wake up early in the morning to get the students together for Oxford. The group seems to be pretty well behaved in general so I am not anticipating any problems. There will only be twelve students that I will be in charge of for a few hours after the Oxford tour. I am rather excited so I hope that I can take pictures of the students and everything if my camera is working.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

This morning I woke up early to catch the bus to ETC so that I could take some students with another group leader to Oxford. It was a lot of fun going to Oxford and even though we lost one girl in our group who was 18, she eventually found her way back (much to my amazement.) It was a long bus ride (two hours one way back to Bournemouth) but the students were all on time to the meeting point and they were very well-behaved as well. On the bus I finally had the chance to journal about life and think about my family and friends who have helped me to be here now. It is to them that I am truly grateful along with all of the hard work that I have put into this to be here now.

Sunday, July 17th, 2011

We did a tour of Bournemouth today and it was my fourth tour here with the students. It is funny to be one of the Group Leaders helping to guide the tour now as if I were an expert. All of us Group Leaders also helped to take care of some students that were at the house this weekend. There wre three girls who we spent some time with as they needed help with getting to their host families. Inge and I went shopping for some food at the small place near by ecause ASDA was closed after 5 pm on Sunday. I cleaned up the kitchen area and washed dishes and put salad in a bowl while Inge diced the vegetables, boiled pasta, and put meat in the pan to fry. It was a pretty good dinner and afterwards all of us Group Leaders went to a pub and had the chance to bond over drinks and interestng converstaions.

Monday, July 18th, 2011

If only my camera would start working again. It has been a week and no luck with the camera situation. Oh well.

The era of Harry Potter which started over 10 years ago when I was about 9-years-old has ended. I remember I was in the 4th grade (maybe 5th) when the first book came out and we were still living in California. Mom wouldn't let me read it, and I was so mad at her because the book was extremely popular. Even this usmmer though when one of my friends gave me the first (and easiest/shorest) book to read I still couldn't get into it all that much. Maybe it is a matter of preference, but Harry Potter just isn't my taste. At the same time I am excited to go with the students and the other Group Leaders to the movie today because it really is neat to go see this epic movie...

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

We went and had the kids do name game activities and also play the game telephone to get them all to talk with each other and to know each other. It helped us Group Leaders to get to know their names as well by having all of us go around in a circle. After that we did mini golf with the kids and later in the evening we went to play bowling with them. Surprisingly in the second round of bowling I ended up winning the game out of all of us Group Leaders. It is weird to think that this is already the sixth week of my internship. 

(Inge, Allegra, Me, and Lorens at mini golf)

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Today we did laser games with the students. It was a blast as all of them enjoyed the game :) Time is flying by here quicker than I thought that it would when I first began this internship. Going to two different countries for this internship along with working on different projects for the company has taught me a lot about learning a foreign language. Each day I am reminded the trials and tribulations of high school when I see the students struggle with some of the same things I did at their age.

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

We went ice skating with the students today and it has been seven years since I have been ice skating. The rink was rather small but all of the students seemed to enjoy it. Even though it was raining on our short walk over from the Tourist Information Center, the afternoon was quite enjoyable. All of the students helped each other on the ice and we got some great picture memories on various cameras. For our evening activity we had the kids go to Lava Ignite. After Lava Ignite we went to a place called Yates for drinks and then back to Lava Ignite after the 18 and under kids had left. For some reason the security guys at the door kept asking for my ID and no one elses'. It is funny because here the drinking age is 18 so they must have thought that I was 17 or something. My coworkers and I have had a wonderful week so far and it has been filled with many great memories so far.

(Inge, me, and Allegra at ice skating)

Friday, July 22nd. 2011

We are doing a photo scavenger hunt today with the students and they are going to be given prizes afterwards for what pictures they take. We will probably give the winning team candy or ice-cream and the rest of the students simply candy or something. We are saving money this week by not having the students take the bus and keeping them close to town. If the weather faired better we would be able to take the kids to the beach, mais C'est la vie! :D Maybe we can do that when I return a week or so later!

So the activitiy was really fun as the kids actually tried pretty hard to take good photos according to the clues on the Langues Vivantes sheets. We gave them extra points for creativity when grading the photos and we also gave them extra points for bonus questions. The prizes were non-alcoholic drinks and two bags of candy each for the winning team. We gave two bags of candy each to the second place team, and one bag of candy each to everyone. Some kids are leaving soon which is always a bit sad but it seems that they all had a good time here :)

Saturday, July 23rd, 2011

The first four weeks in Bournemouth have come to a close. We have all had a wonderful time here and now I must go back to Brussels for one week of office work. There are only four more weeks left before I return home. It is amazing that this much time has passed. This past week we had the chance to do bowling, ice skating, laser games, name games, mini golf, and a photo scavenger hunt. There was also an excursion to London but two ther group leaders went this time around.

(Me at 60 Million Postcards I think :) Sometime earlier this week or last week)

Bournemouth/First Two Weeks

(Students from Belgium and France on bus/ferry headed over to Bournemouth. First arrivals.)

Sunday, June 26th, 2011

Today was a very long journey from Brussels, Belgium to Bournemouth, England. Even though we took the bus to get to our destinations, we also had to take a long ferry ride and a few taxis to transport the students. Wietske is here with me for the first week, and this week is a small group of students, (six for the daily activities) but we had to transport 25 children from different areas today and keep up constant communication with everyone through the different schools and through the company Easy Languages to get them there.

The youngest child was about 11 or 12 and the oldest was about 18 I think. Getting through customs in the UK was a bit annoying but not too drastic. In some ways (sadly) the brashness of England reminds me a little of America, even though they drive completely bonkers here on the left side of the road which scares me to death. If I lived in England I wouldn't ever drive I would probably walk or ride the bus or my bike (risking my life here though). There is an English tea called Tetley's and it is pretty good here. I would consider it a bit of a stronger tea as it consists of more caffeine than most teas in America.

When Wietske and I finally arrived to the residence at Arts University, we were so tired we could barely focus on the activities and budget for the next day, yet it was a day of triumph as all the children made it to their host families and correct destinations on time. We met a woman named Claudia who introduced us into the residence and we also met Dom and Danny. Claudia, Dom, and Danny do similar activities with the students as Easy Languages but they work through the Capital school department. They were all really nice and made Wietske, the girls we transported here for Captial and I dinner. They will be making us dinner for the week, then next week I go over to the main house with the other Group Leaders to get started on next week.

It is comfortable and quiet here in Bournemouth and the area reminds me a bit of the west coast. The cliffsides look similar to Ireland but are less distinct, as they are smaller but still magestic. There is a beach side around this area called Jurassic Beach, but it is too expensive to go there by bus. There are many adventures waiting here for us I think as a new week begins.

(We would have taken a picture by the water if it weren't so foggy in Calais!!)

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Today was a whirlwind of events with it being my first day with the students in Bournemouth. Wietske has helped to keep me organized as it is her third summer with Easy Languages, but I keep asking so many questions I hope she isn't annoyed with me. It seems that through this company and through this experience I am learning a lot about communication and persistance, especially with my leadership skills. Each day has been pretty packed with organizing activities, actively communicating with each school about activities, checking the students off, helping them with touring Bournemouth, checking the bus schedules, and computing the weekly budget for the activities. The problem as well is that if students are ages 16 or older they can choose whether or not to join in on the activities. The activities are really fun, but perhaps it is because of their age level or something, most of the students don't want to go to museums or parks or those kinds of things. They for the most part (which is understandable to a degree as well) want to have their independence. The students are all at different levels with their language capabilities which makes it nice for generativity.

It seems that if I write a lot of lists and take my tasks day by day they become less overwhelming and a bit easier for me. England in general is a bit like America in my opinion, but they are more proper and drive on the other side of the road with steering wheels on the right hand side. It is truly bizarre and yet frightening to see them drive because not only are the streets narrow here (like everywhere in Europe) but drivers in England are even more abrupt than they are in Belgium. It was kind of strange going through two countries as I have been using two different converters. In the UK I was asked more questions at customs when I entered Belgium two weeks before. Because I am an American instead of European I had to not only show my passport, but I also was asked a lot more questions when entering the UK than anyone else in the group that had to pass through customs.

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

It has been such an eventful day that I don't know where to begin. Wietske showed me where to get off the bus at one of the schools and I went there and put up posters, asked Russ about the London Tour on Saturday, printed out copies of papers we need for departure students this weekend, got a receipt for the disco tickets, asked the school about my SIM card, got a receipt for the SIM card, asked the students during their break if they had any questions for me, then rode the bus back to meet up with Wietske at Westbourne Academy. Today we had two activities to help with, Christchurch tour and the disco activity at Club V for the students.

We have had a small group so far and I am beginning to understand the bus schedule since the roads are so different here. I took a lot of pictures of the students and informed them today about their scrapbooks. The tour and everything went well as the kids were pretty well behaved and they also asked questions. Wietske and I were impressed that the students were engaged in the activity because they are all ages 15-16 and most of the time they want to go shopping or party. It was an eventful day, and they kids seemed to be happy about having a summer scrapbook with their pictures in it.

(Here are the students at Christchurch).

(Here is Wietske and I at Christchurch)

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

So, right now I don't really know what to say. Wietske and I took the students to the Oceanarium (which we were worried they would be bored with) but the students proved us wrong again. Not only did they love it, they also were more than happy to participate in photos and everything. It was a pleasant surprise they were so cooperative. There is still a lot of planning and things to figure out when we book activites and talk to the schools and everything. Yet, the group has been great as they are cooperative, nice, and ask questions. I can tell that though it is a bit of struggle that they all want to learn English. For at least two kids out of our seven kids they are going to Bournemouth for the second or third time. For the other half or more of this small group, it is their first time here.

(Here they are at the Oceanarium)

(All of them are smiling here).

(Here I am surfing it up)

(Here is Wietske, colleague from Netherlands).



Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Today was also quite eventful as we had two activities, Poole by bus, then a boat ride in Poole and also bowling in the evening with the kids at Bowlplex. The kids really enjoyed the activities and once again it was great to take them to each activity due to their enthusiasm even with the educational activities. They continually tried to take pictures and they even asked Wietske and I questions about ourselves which showed a maturity beyond their years. They are definitely teenagers though one moment acting almost grown up and then the next as if they are almost toddlers.

We feel almost like parents or older siblings to these kids as Group Leaders. The students picked out their English group name for this week, it is The Umbrella Kings or the UKs. It was quite a clever idea I think :) and even though Marguerite was the one who came up with UK part idea the whole group worked together on their group name. Wietske and I came back really tired again today and it is late but I am still working on my duties. Yet I love immersing myself here and getting to know everyone. It has been really rewarding to not only see the children grow as a group these past few days but have fun on all of these adventures.

(Here are the students looking at the sky, Poole, England)

(Me and Wietske, Poole Boat)

(The students on Poole Boat)

(Boys Bowling Team)

(Girls bowling team)

The boy's team which Wietske was on, won the bowling game at Bowlplex today. It was still a really good time though! I was on the girl's team and we started out ahead and then caught up a little near the end. Today Wietske and I also got to try a traditional English Breakfast at Mary Shelly's today in Bournemouth. We had it with PG Tips and some milk. It was really good, and I even took a picture!

(This consists of a fried egg, baked beans, one sausage, two pieces of bacon, half a tomato, and one portabello mushroom. It was only 2.99 pounds,  and tea was separate for 1.09 pounds. Essentially you can get this kind of breakfast for under 5 pounds at Mary Shelly's in Bournemouth any time from 7am-12pm. Pretty awesome I think!)

Friday, July 1st, 2011

So tomorrow I am nervous because I am going to supervise the students going to London with ETC school. Today was kind of quiet as Wietske and I completed tasks at both of the schools, added time to my phone, answered student questions, looked for Skype headphones, and took the kids to Splashdown. They had a good time there on the waterslides for about two hours before meeting Wietske and I at the cafe near by.

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

Today was a pretty packed excursion because we went with ETC to  London on a two hour tour. Even though I was only responsible for five students and for the most part I didn't have to handle them for longer than three hours by myself, I felt like I had accomplished a lot by the end of the excursion. Not only do I know how to return home from the station alone I am much more capable than I was before handling these kinds of situations. I am going to miss the students as I feel they have taught me a lot and I am so proud of them for practicing their English. They have adjusted quite well to this Bournemouth environment and worked so well together. Today I let the girls look at my Cosmopolitan magazines on the one and a half hour bus ride, since they are 16 and it was a fashion magazine in English :) a bit of bonding in a way for them I think. Marguerite and Cyprien are headed back home tomorrow and I may get to see some of the other kids from the activities as well, the Legendres (brother and sister) and Mathilde. On Monday we are getting a lot more students from all over and I hope that the group mentality will be just as good as this one was for this week!!

In London I was really frightened that the kids would get run over by cars and that they wouldn't be able to find their way back home when we returned. I called all of their host families to let them know that their kids would be arriving late. Everything turned out alright at the end and the kids complmented me and Wietske (though Wietske wasn't with the kids and I in London today) about how they thought we were good group leaders. Upon hearing this I smiled and felt so good knowing that I could help make their experience a nice one here. If this kind of opportunity had granted itself to me when I was their age what a wonderful thing it would have been. I am glad to be a part of this, despite the difficulties and despite all of the different modes of transportation because not only has it made me stronger it is also helping the future generations of kids to learn English. To me they are like brothers and sisters and someday in a few years they will make an impact on the world as adults.

(The students in London that I led today ! :)

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

Today was a day without a lot of pictures as it was a bit of a quiet day. Allegra, Rebecca, and Anne Catherine got in last night and we all did a tour with the kids together today. This morning I helped a girl named Nicky to get to Southhampton and took the train and taxi to her residence with her before heading home. I went for my first jog here today and I have been feeling a bit restless. Even though I have enjoyed my time so far in Bournemouth a part of me wonders what it will be like when I eventually do return home. This weekend will be a three day weekend with the 4th of July for my family and everyone. I haven't heard from some of my friends but I know that they are all probably busy like me. There is a part of me that doesn't want to ever return to the US and another part which yearns for it. Maybe it is because my family celebrates the 4th of July all together. It is difficult to say exactly why but I thoroughly enjoy being in Bournemouth as a part of me feels like I am on vacation even though it is also constant work.

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Today was different as I am still getting used to the new dynamics here in Bournemouth with a larger group size and with more group leaders. The activities don't seem as complicated as they did before, and the routine is getting a bit simpler. It is a lot more difficult to remember all of the kids names and we played a name game today to get to know everyone. Now that we have Allegra, Rebecca, Anne Catherine, and I working together it is a bit easier to stay organized. It is still difficult for me getting used to understanding the kids and understanding how to talk with them. I try to ask them questions and keep up a good attitude though and I think that is shows that I am trying.

We went to Swanage today by boat and we had a good time I think. It is a different dynamic because I am living in a different residence for a week before going over to the bigger house. It is a national holiday in the United States today and I kind of miss my family. Of course I haven't told anyone I miss my family though and I don't plan on telling anyone because it would be rude. Also I made a promise to myself to not complain about anything here or in the future as a New Year's Resolution. It is difficult to not complain about things sometimes, but since it is one of my goals I am working on it. The weather has been beautiful today and I really hope that it doesn't rain tomorrow. If it does rain tomorrow then I will be a little bit sad that we cannot do beach games. Yet at the same time even if we don't do beach games it would be alright with me because there is the cinema.

(Allegra, Me, Anne Catherine, and Rebecca)

Our group for the most part is in this photo as well:

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Today we were planning on having beach games with the kids but since it rained we decided to go to the cinema. We all saw that movie Bad Teacher together and the students seemed to enjoy it. After the movie we asked them if they understood the English in it for the most part and they said yes. Tonight we went to V Club and the students seemed to enjoy that as well. There is this guy at the front door who gives out all of the V Club flyers and he is generally quite enthusiastic. He has a colorful cap and speaks about 10 different languages it seems as he constantly speaks to different children. It is his enthusiasm that is contagious as the kids walk into the old church that has been transformed into a club. It is funny how something so traditional can be turned modern, but that is Europe for you right?

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

We took the kids to laser tag and it was a blast with all of them. They thoroughly enjoyed trying to get each other in the game and even two of us Group Leaders, Rebecca and I had the chance to play. It was difficult today as well to get pictures, but we were able to take a few with the students all together. Thus far, we have had a pretty good group of kids and all of them seem to get along quite well together. Today I bought my 20th postcard to send home to my family and I also bought groceries for the first time since I have been here. What was weird about the grocery store is that they don't have eggs in the refrigerated section of the store. I kept looking for the eggs, and even though everything is in English I still get confused here by these cultural differences. :)

(These aren't all of the students but the majority of one group I played laser tag with)

Yesterday night after the students went to V Club, us Group Leaders were able to go out for the night. We went into V Club after the under 18 party had ended and then we all had a chance to dance and socialize. V Club is a popular club here with two bars and a fantastic dance floor. What is unique about V Club is that it is a church which has been transformed into a night club. Here is a picture of the inside of the place.

Pretty cool, isn't it?

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

We are going to the pub The Moon in the Square today to do a pub quiz with the students. All together we came up with 50 questions for the students and there will be five prizes given out to the winners today! After this activity, the students will being going to bowling and we have seven lanes reserved as this is a popular activity. The students seem to enjoy this activity a lot and they have invited some of their new friends. Time has been flying by here a bit faster than I expected and even though my Skype has been having some issues for the most part everything is going alright. Allegra and I will be going to London this weekend with 39 students with Westbourne this Saturday. I am scared that there will be at least a student or two that will end up lost or something. It is my goal to make sure no one gets lost or hit by a car and that we take a lot of pictures. I think we can accomplish this though without any fatal injuries and I am looking forward to finding out what the students think about the city.

So there wasn't enough room in the pub even though we booked it in advance so we took the students to the park. They all enjoyed the quiz and got pretty competitive with it by asking questions even when they weren't supposed to :) Everyone ended up being given ice-cream and the winning team was given milk shakes. The team names were rather clever, we had these team names: Barbie (Ken and His Girlfriends), Arch, The Duchesses, The Happy Smurfs, The Cookies, TEMAC, The Indestructables, KIKOU LOL, and The Spanish Team. All of them did such a wonderful job I am really proud actually.

Here is the winning team (all of which head home in a few days)

Before going over there I took this picture:

There are lions like this one all over the park. I am not sure why either as it seems maybe it is for endangered species or something.

So after this activity we had a bowling activity at Bowlplex. It was quite fun and even though we only played one game it was neat to see  the kids getting along with each other. We all made it through the day pretty well and no one got hurt, lost, or felt left out from what I can tell.

(Allegra, Anne-Catherine, Rebecca, and Me)

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Today was super busy as I hardly had time to do anything. Even though Splashdown was a real hit with the kids I always must have my cell phone out to make sure that if anyone calls me I have it on and I am always worried about losing one of the students. Tomorrow Allegra and I go to London with 39 students and I am just hoping that all of them stick together, hold on to their maps, answer their phones, and don't get lost or hit by cars. That would be the ideal trip to London though :) we shall see what happens tomorrow. So far though the kids have been a real joy this week, as they have been a great group that has worked together and listened well to instructions. For the most part once again their English is probably better than my French, but we are all learning from each other here. The weather has been cold and rainy almost all week, but since the water slides were indoors the kids had a lot of fun still as us four group leaders held down the fort. :)

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

Today Allegra, a tour guide, 37 students, and I went to London together. It was a long excursion and by the end of the day we all could not wait to return home. It was good that all of the students were responsible as I am very proud of them almost like a mother would be with her children. They all showed up on time to the bus both in Bournemouth to leave to London and in London to return to Bournemouth. We let the students explore and go shopping in London for a few hours while Allegra and I went with three women from Colombia and the tour guide all around London taking pictures and seeing the sights. All in all the group was well behaved and this has been a wonderful and also exhausting week.

Here is me with a guard in London! It is a female guard as well which is different but it was fun to pose with the guard because they are so serious :)