Sunday 24 July 2011

Thanks for everything

Our trip to Lancaster is over.

We just want to say that we all had a great experience. We've met many new people, we've made really good friends and we've practised English a lot!

Silvia and I want to congratulate students for their good behaviour, they've made the most of all the activities and we feel proud of our Catalan group of students.

We also want to say thank you to all MLI staff in Lancaster: Tom for his help and good organization, Niall for his great effort to arrange groups and levels, Giuseppe for his sport activities at any time, Emil and Jon for making us laugh so much, Susan, Annie and Monika for their nice and friendly character and Mark for his music!

We'll have University of Cumbria in our heart forever!

It's over: time to say goodbye







Today we left University of Cumbria at 3.30 a.m. after a whole night with a bit of crying, laughing, exchanging email addresses and facebook names and saying goodbye to all the students and teachers...
The check-in went perfect and we could even have time to eat our pack-breakfast at the airport.
By 10.30 we got to Girona Airport where all the parents were waiting happily for their sons and daughters!
We are back home safe and happy after our great experience in Lancaster.

Last day: visit in Manchester

On Saturday we went to Manchester together with the Russians and the Spanish. Niall, the head of studies, and Risa took us for a tour in the city center.



We've seen China Town, the City hall where it was an sculpture of the Duke of Lancaster, the cathedral where we could listen to a choir that was rehearsing, the Eye, the main square and some nice streets.




After lunch, we went to Trafford Cente, one of the biggest shopping centers in Europe. There our students had their last opportunity to buy some presents and spend their pounds left. It was really amazing, so big, so crowded and with areas like a cinema, an enourmous food court and a mini golf!




Back to the campus we had our last dinner, but we didn't eat in the canteen because it was booked for a private celebration, so we had dinner at the snack zone! Then everybody went to their rooms to pack everything! Some of us had real trouble to fit all we've bought in the suitcase!

By 8 p.m. we went for our last evening activity: disco! Where we met with some students from another campus! That let us some more opportunity to take pictures together and exchange facebooks and email. After disco, we went to the Russian's flat to celebrate Natasha's birthday! Students played some games and had biscuits as well!

After the celebration, students finished packing and went up and down, in and out the flats to say goodbye to all the other students!
They tried to sleep, even we had to be awake by 3 a.m. to go to the airport!




What a busy day to finish our stay!

Saturday 23 July 2011

Last lessons and last activities!!!





























On Friday the students had the last lesson. They were very happy because they had the diploma that proves a good use of the summer course.

After lunch, sports activities as usual, but they missed Italians, who had went home early in the morning. Some of the students checked the facebook to contact with their friends.

Some of the students: Arnau, Adrià, Oriol and Xavi played Yu-gi-oh cards with Japanese students, who are very good players and we could see how their English had emproved.

In the evening, we had prepared a especial surprise: Bowling session in Morecambe, a city near Lancaster. It was really exciting, because everyone showed their skills with the bowling.

Friday 22 July 2011

The Beatles Story

Here you are a film with the visit we did last Saturday 16th to the Beatles museum. We would like to post it with the music of Beatles but it has being a bit difficult, so there's only a song. Actually, this museum is amazing, plenty of photos, objects and it reproduces the most important places of the Beatles life: the Cavern, Matthew Street,.... So, enjoy it!!

Learning about Japanese culture and MLI diplomas


Last evening we had a great time thanks to Japanese group. They had prepared a presentation about their country and culture. All the international students met at the theatre to listen to their explanations.



Two nice Japanese boys did a powerpoint presentation which included a description of Japan, the most important places and cities in Japan, a list of typical food. They also showed us a traditional way of playing drums, and a boy played for us using boards and cardboard instead of real drums. To finish their presentetion, they introcued us to origami, and we all tried to make a paper figure, what was quite difficult! But we could reach to make it with the Japanese students help.

After the Japanese presentation, we had the handing out diplomas ceremony. Teachers gave to students the certificate which proved they all passed their couses. Teacher handed a funny diploma about a special feature of each student. For example, some of our students got: the best basketball player, the super cool girl, the Juliet, etc.

After all, we still had some time to do some indoor sports and to say goodbye to the other Italian group who left last night!

Thursday 21 July 2011

The beach with no sand but plenty of games and shops




Today was the penultimate day of class. We learned a lot of new words about jobs, weather, shops...
In the afternoon we went to Blackpool, it's a town near Lancaster. This town has beach, but a very different beach than ours because it hasn't got sand, it only has cement at the sides of the beach. Blackpool is famous for its gambling machines, some of the students have played a bit! We visited the center, we walked through the pier and we went shopping.

Today was an exepcional day because it wasn't rain!

The Italian people are going to leave this apparments tomorrow early in the morning and it's possible than we never see them again and this night we will wake up to say good bye at 6am.

We are very friends with the Spanish people and Russians too but the Japanese people are very different from us and they don't understand anything that we say.

Now we are going to see a show of the Japanese people and maybe we'll learn more about their culture.

See you on Sunday (:

Our MLI Staff

TOM, general manager












NAILL, head of studies












GIUSEPPE, activity coordinator and PE teacher















ANNIE, language teacher
















SUSAN, language teacher












JON, language teacher












EMIL, language teacher












MONIKA, language teacher

Viva Italia!!


Yesterday evening was so exciting. Clelia's group, one of the Italian group, has left this morning, so we had a farewell party yesterday: dance and diplomas first at the social bar with all the students, teachers and MLI staff and then we had a private dinner for teachers and all the Italians . It was Clelia, la mamma, who cooked pasta with tomato sauce for everyone and invited us to take it at her kitchen.

What a surprise!!
When we got in we saw a completely different kitchen than the one we have in our flats (when all are supposed to be the same).
There were flowers, posters on the walls, balloons, plenty of food, a laid table with tablecloth, napkins, laces on the corner, plates, forks, knives, glasses, everything needed and above all a warm and friendly atmophere around!!!! All the Italian people were welcoming us, cooking and smiling!

12 teachers were there and 4 Italian women were cooking for us! They offered us toasts with cheese, prosciutto, salame, speck, farfalle with tomato, spaghetti with basile and a home-made limoncello. Everything delicious!!
La mamma even gave some spices to a teacher to let him prepare his own sauce at home.
We could feel the great Italian hospitality and nice character!

The most incredible thing is that la mamma has been cooking every night since they arrived at the campus. So, most of our students went there some days to have their pasta dinner!!
Evenings won't be the same after this warm Italian dinner! Thanks to Clelia. We'll try to join you next summer wherever you'll go! ; )

POST BY SÍLVIA AND MONTSE

Badminton finals and farewell disco



On Wednesday 20th after lunch we went to the Williamson park to have a walk: we saw the longer and green enxtensions, the river and the important monument. But then... the English weather did us a trick, so it started raining. Then we had to race back to the university and we had dinner. After dinner we finished the batminton tournament, we were happy because Gemma was second. After the batminton tournament, we went to the social bar to do a disco and play pool and table tennis and we also said goodby the Italian people.

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Isa's wet birthday


Yesterday we had a special visit, it was the British Council, that came to control that all was in order and everything worked well. They talked with one person of each class and they asked some questions to them about the lessons, the trips, the teachers, the campus...

We had lunch very fast because we had to take the train to Windermere. There we saw some wild animals like ducks and swams, and we also saw a very beatiful lake.
We were only twelve because there were two boys (Oriol and Bern) that were sick, and Sílvia stayed with them at the campus. Today they were recovered and all has became normal. When we were staying at the village, it started to rain a lot and we had to return to the campus, but we got so wet. When we arrived at the campus, we put the clothes in the drier machine.

We went to have dinner and after we had the treasure hunt, which was something like a quiz, that we had to go arround the campus to find the answers of the questions.

After that we went to our kitchen and we celebrated Isa's birthday. There was everybody (Italians, Spanish and Russians), and we ate pizza all together and we had fun. Then we gave her the cake and she blew a 16-candle and we ate some cookies. After that we gave her a post card which contains our signatures, and we also gave her a funny ball.


Tuesday was a long and wet day!

POST BY ESTEL, MARTA AND ISA

Monday 18 July 2011

Badminton tournement


Here you are some pictures of the badminton tournement.



















The Onepoundland



We want to share with you the amazing experience of Onepoundland, that it is very popular in cities of England. This morning, Montse, Maite, the teacher from Madrid and I have walked to the city center. We needed some things, that at the moment we can not explain, you will see. Maite has suggested us to buy in the Poundland. What we have seen it, it has been really incredible! All the things you can find in a supermarket, you can buy for only 1 pound. For example: silicon cake cases, soap, cookies, 100 strips, candles. Everything! The amazing thing is that the quality of these products is as good as everywhere. In our country we have the Chinese shops, but as you know, you can not trust in the quality of this shops. The downside is that encourages consumption for consumption and you have to know what do you really need!

New week, rain again

Today was like always: classes and sports. It was good but a little bit boring because we've been in the campus the whole day and it rained a lot. In the morning we had the English class with italians, Spanish and more people. We can't understand why they change some students from one class to the other, Catalan group has good students and they are in different classrooms, but the classes are good.

When we finished the class, all the students went to have lunch. The lunch was so-so but we ate a lot.

Then we played in a batminton tournament and Catalan people arrived to the finals, but the finals will be tomorrow. More people played basketball with Jon, Emil and Ivan. Bern, Carles, Pau and Lluís were doing hard tricks in tatami but they said that we had to go out... it's not fair!!!

POST BY CARLES, PAU AND BERN

Sunday 17 July 2011

A day in Chester!



Today we went to Chester, we have visited the Roman theater, the river, the cathedral and the shopping center.
In Chester it has been raining all day but we could visit all the buildings with no problem. the Roman theatre was smaller than the theatre of Tarragona but it was good. Tom, the teacher of MLI, has explained to us that in the theatre the gladiators fought and if they lost, they died. In the river, another teacher of MLI explained us that when the romans carried on the slaves, and they lost them, they said that a huge fish attacked them and they lost all the slaves, but this is only a myth. Then, we went to a shopping center, we ate there and the teachers gave us free time to walk into the shopping center. At half past two we went to the cathedral but we couldn't go in, so we went to take the bus and we returned to the university.

POST BY XAVI AND LLUÍS.

Here you are a video of Chester, the historic and nice city that left us so astonished. I'm sure you'd like to visit it someday...


Little funny stories!

In this post we woukd like to tell you some funny stories that happenend during this week.


Do you know who is the Tooth fairy? Arnau fold up a tooth, and next morning he got sweets from the Tooht Fairy. The funny thing is he didn't see the gift hanging on the door because he was so asleep. His collegues, Oriol and Adrià warned him.











Last friday we did laundry. Students were in their lessons and Montse and I went to the laundry to wash clothes for everyone. After dinner and before to do sports we call the students to feld and to distribute clothes. In this picture you can see people and clothes in a real mess!





























Saturday 16 July 2011

Manchester United Stadium film

We are trying to post some video, but it is really difficult, let's try agains. This is the video we have made during the visit of the Manchester United stadium.


We've known the English weather




Today as you have already read, it's been raining. We've left campus under light rain, we got in Liverpool with heavy rain, when we've been out of the museum was surprisingly sunny, but by the afternoon it was windy, cliudy and rainy again!
Just check some of these pictures!

Lancaster city

This is a short video about what we 've seen in our city so far!
You can see the castle, the Roman ruins, main streets and important buildings!
Enjoy it!

Great day under the rain



Today we went for a visit at the Beatles museum in Liverpool. When we have arrived there, it was raining a lot, so we had to take our umbrellas and our raincoats. The visit was good because we had audioguides in Spanish or English, so we could understand all the history of this famous group.
When we finished the visit, we had lunch at the bar of the museum, which was packed lunch, and it was good because the sandwiches were simple and tasted good.
Later, when we leaved the museum, it wasn't raining, so we have been shopping at the shopping centre. There we bought some clothes and snacks. This was good because it was the first day that we had some free time for shopping in a big city.

Also there
were two free museums in Liverpool, which were maritimum and slavery. It was an alterative thing to do in our free time, but only our teachers, Sílvia and Montse, and some students went there. The others decided to go to the shopping centre.

Now we are going to participate on a football tournament and we are going to win!

See you soon :)

Post by: Isa, Marta, Estel