Staff at Embassy

Embassy CES Aukland - Piha Friday

Susan Blick, from Embassy Aukland, writes:

Our excursion was planned for Piha, a west coast beach 45kms north of Auckland.  The beach has been made famous in the television programme ‘Piha Rescue’ a take on the Australian equivalent ‘Bondi Rescue’.  Piha, with its shimmering black sand and weathered rock formations is very picturesque and a great place to have a picnic or BBQ.

 

Two large buses pulled up outside the school and as teachers, Susan and Ferooz, checked the lists, the students piled onto the buses ready for a day beyond the city-limits.  As BUM the buses pulled away from the curb, five more students were noted running frantically to catch up to the bus.  They hadn’t pre-booked and instead were able to pay on the bus, so now we had a total of 63!

On the way to Piha we stopped at a lovely vantage point known as Arataki which affords stupendous views down the river, across the dam and out into the sea, with a faint hint of Auckland City in the far distance.  Arataki is also home to the visitor’s centre for the area and they have very informative displays of the local bird- and plant-life and also some Maori art.

Once at Piha the students were instructed that they were not allowed to swim.  At first sight it became obvious why a surf beach with an outgoing tide should not be taken lightly.  Indeed, the beach can be hazardous especially for swimmers without boards and fins.  Thankfully the students were ok with not swimming and set about picking teams for playing beach volleyball and soccer.  Others decided to climb Lion Rock and go off on little walking trails in the vicinity.

 

Sometime later, teachers Susan, Siva and Ferooz ensured the bbq lunch was ready and made certain everyone got their share.  Many were noted going back for second-helpings, for which there was food aplenty (thanks to our supplier New Zealand Discovery); all the beach sport had really worked up an appetite.  Devouring burgers as some sat under trees in the shade, others chose the sun catching-rays and boosting their vitamin D levels. 

Unfortunately the day passed too quickly and we all piled back on the buses for the hour-long ride back to school.  The trip was thoroughly enjoyed by students and teachers alike.

 

Fundraising at Embassy London

Lisa Evripidou, from Embassy London, writes:

Students sold St. Valentine's cards and flowers last month, and I can now report that we raised £211.52.  This will be doubled by Embassy to £423.04. This is a fantastic achievement for the charity committee and great for the students who volunteered their time. See photos on our Facebook page.

Secondly, the money raised from the Football Tournament has not yet been counted yet but is over £400, which will be doubled to £800 by Embassy. Another fantastic achievement!

On Friday 18th March it was Wear Jeans Day which meant staff were allowed to wear jeans for the day.

On the same day, we held International Food Night in the canteen for staff and students. 18 countries took part. Students could come and buy food typical of these countries. The students who cooked the food were very excited about sharing their favourite dishes with everyone. All money raised will be going to charity.

That brings our running total to £16,570.19 raised for Building Futures, the dedicated Embassy charity.

 

Trip to Rangitoto Island

Robin Hale & Ferooz Afshar write from Embassy Auckland. TIP: double-click on any word to see its meaning.

It was a glorious Friday morning that only Auckland could produce. About 45 students, Brazilians, Colombians, Chinese, Argentineans, Japanese, Koreans, a Kiwi (Robin Hale) who organized the programme and me, an Iranian, met outside school around 9.00 am. We were to take the ferry across to the island at 10.00am, so we had plenty of time to be a bit casual about when we actually gathered.

 

Rangitoto is Maori for ‘Bloody Sky’. Its emergence from the sea was witnessed by local Maori iwi (tribes) about 600 to 700 years ago. The volcano is not expected to become active again. It is covered, in main, by black lava stones known as scoria; there is not much water on the island so the plants and trees depend on  rainfall for their growth.

It sustains the largest forest of pohutukawa trees in the world. There is a programme underway to eradicate all the remaining animals such as, stoats, rabbits, rats and mice in the next few years. (You can find out more on Wikipedia).

Anyway, we strolled down Queen Street to the Ferry building and re-gathered there; with Robin checking the name list to ensure that nobody was left behind. If memory serves me right, only two students did not make it. Their tickets were held for them to use at a later date.

The ferry ride, as always, was very pleasant. The students had scattered all over the boat; some on the outer decks photographing the receding Auckland scene, others sitting inside away from the sunshine and the spray. There was a buzz of anticipation and excitement in the air. The ferry stopped briefly at Devonport to disembark some passengers and to take on further visitors to the island. The sun and the wind promised a very pleasant day, in spite of the weather warning the day before.

At the island Robin informed the students of the departing times of the ferry, emphasizing the last boat out! We then formed different groups and began the ascent up to the crest of the island. Different groups chose different paths up. Some stopped to enter the lava tubes (tunnels), the longest of which is about 50 metres. For the keen photographers there was a lot of plant and insect life to catch their eye.

 

At the summit Auckland city, across the waters, presented itself as a wonderful backdrop photo opportunity for students who climbed onto the rails and stood in various precarious poses to be filmed and photographed against the spotless blue sky with the Sky Tower poking out behind them. I held my breath!

 

This was the point at which sandwiches and drinks came out, rest and chatter; students exchanged the wonders of Rangitoto and made suggestions on what to see on the way down.

Most of us, if not all, caught the 12.45 pm ferry back to Auckland; the buzz on the ferry, the flushed and suntanned faces gave evidence to a well-spent day. Surely, a memorable day!
Robin & Ferooz

Find out more about studying English in Auckland with Embassy.

Skating video

Linda Walsh, head of Embassy Boston, says:

Here’s a really nice video made by a student, Alexander. The class went on an ice skating trip to the Boston Common. The teacher is Stuart, and he’s featured several times.

Find out more about studying English in Boston with Embassy.

A whistle-stop trip to Scotland

 
Embassy Oxford student Madeleine took a weekend trip... all the way to Soctland. Was the long journey worth it? Read on.

Apart from studying English at Embassy, which is rewarding in itself, you also get the opportunity to explore the U.K. and the rest of Europe during your weekends.

Ever since I saw the film "Braveheart" I´ve always wanted to visit Scotland and through Embassy I got the opportunity. So on a late Friday evening in September I, together with my newly found friends, went by coach on a tour to Scotland,"Edinburgh and the Highlands in two days".

The next morning after having a heavy breakfast in the Scottish countryside we arrived in Edinburgh about 10 o`clock a.m.

A local guide met up and we made a citytour which ended up in front of Edinburgh castle. Once there we were shown around in the castle and were told anecdotes about famous Scottish kings and queens.

After the visit to the castle we were free to explore the city and shopping districts ourselves. We chose to go shopping on the famous Prince's Street. From everywhere I heard the bagpipes playing Scottish marches which really enhanced the feeling of being in Scotland...

Late in the afternoon it was time to go back to our Youth Hostel where we spent the whole evening learning and dancing Scottish dances which was real fun actually. Later on you could visit a pub and mingle with the Scots.

The next day we were heading for the Highlands. This trip wasn`t compulsory but I strongly recommend it. Scotland is not all about the Highlands but you haven`t seen Scotland if you haven`t seen both the Lowlands and the Highlands.

I must admit that without our local guide the trip wouldn't have been half as interesting. He normally worked as a university teacher and had a great knowledge about both the Geography and the History of Scotland as well as a special kind of Scottish humour that I liked.

After being driven around in the mountains we went to a whisky distillery where we learnt how barley was turned into whisky. We also a visited Weaving Mill  and had the opprtunity to buy the famous Scottish wool and cashmere goods (mainly clothes such as sweaters, cardigans and scarves).

Late on the Sunday afternoon we climbed the William Wallace (read Braveheart) monument and this was absolutely the peak experience for me on this tour. Just standing on the hill and overlooking the town of Stirling, and Stirling castle where he won his famous battle, was thrilling. The guide told us some facts about William Wallace (he was not actually as in the film).

On Monday morning it was time for leaving Edinburgh and going back to our hometown Oxford. After a short guided tour by coach around the Scottish Parliament, the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote her novels about Harry Potter etc,  we  were going south back home.

On our way home we stopped at another Weaving Mill where we had a final possibilty to buy some Scottish souvenirs.

So what is my overall experience of the tour? If you want to go to Scotland it`s really worth the price. I`ve never experienced so much in so little time, and what I think Scotland was like - it`s magic in real life!

Find out more about Embassy Oxford.

 

Meet some students from Embassy Oxford

Students from Embassy Oxford have been writing about their experiences learning English! Read on to find out how they are getting on.

Javier Gonzalez

 
Hello, I’m going to tell you quickly about me. My name is Javier Gonzalez, I’m an 18 years old foreign student from Mexico, learning English in Oxford, specifically at Embassy.

I’m learning this language because nowadays it is absolutely necessary whether you want to be a successful man, or even if you just want to travel around the world you will need English in every new country because it is the global language. Now I’m going to tell you why I chose this city and why I’m so happy for having done it.

If you are looking for a place where you can find the perfect balance between having a great time and learning real English you should chose Oxford, which is the place you are looking for. But, why Oxford?

This is a small city with many things to do.If you are interested in culture and history, there is no better place in the world to learn about it as the university’s campus or the museums (most of them are free, everybody loves free things). The buildings are really amazing, most of them have got gorgeous gardens and you can go to spend an evening with your friends, or your partner if you are lucky.

On the other hand, if you like nightlife, in Oxford you can find busy nightclubs with good music for everyone and very good DJ’s from the typical European danceclub to the most latin “disco”. We can not forget the pubs, which are the perfect place to go with friends and have a chat or drink some beer, even eat traditional food. In a pub you won’t feel  time passing; it is really magical.

Believe it or not, people here are warm and nice, the ambience is student orientated, and you will find and be in touch with people from all over the entire globe, different cultures from yours which will teach you a lot of things and knowledge, and as I said you will find plenty of young people to talk with.

Another of Oxford’s advantages is the easy going way of life, you won’t get lost easily. The bus service is perfect. Oxford is really close to London and you can spend a weekend  there easily and cheaply.
It’s up to you, but trust me, if you choose Oxford you will have the best time in your life as I am doing now.

Eiko Kono

 

In September, 2010, I went to Belgium with my friends. The reason we went there was visiting my friend, Philippe. He was my classmate of afternoon class. We were lucky because he invited us to Belgium and provided his grandmother's house as an accommodation. It was... my first time to travel in Europe except the UK so everything was new. Getting on the Eurostar, speaking to people who speak French, eating Belgian traditional food etc. It was full of exciting experiences. Furthermore, he was as a local guide in Brussels, Brugge and Antwerp so I could know lots of things about Belgium, such as culture, traditional food and behaviour so on.

I think the scenery was totally different between Brussels and Tokyo but I could find a lots of similar things. For example, both senior citizen are vigorous. I saw some of the senior citizen were dancing in the Sunday market. I also met other senior citizen in front of a church. They were very friendly and cheerful. In addition, there were a lot of attractive shops, such as chocolate shops, tea shops and local markets. I enjoyed all of them during the trip. I had a great time with my friends, Philippe and his grandmother. I want to visit to Belgium again.

 

 

News from Embassy London

Lisa, the new Activities Leader at Embassy London, has these updates from the school. it certainly sounds like it's been an exciting few weeks.

New staff starting at Embassy

Four new members of staff join the school. Welcome to all of them!

Amanda Mackmurdie: Welfare Officer
 Sheila Clewley: Assistant to the Principal
Ian Claridge: Head of Security
and me, Lisa Evripidou: Activities Leader and Librarian

Celebrity Sightings at Embassy London!
Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, the new sequel to be released in Summer 2011, is currently being filmed at The University of Greenwich. It's a ten minute walk from Embassy London.

Some very lucky students have seen Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane. The filming has been going on for over a month and does not seem to be leaving any time soon!

The University of Greenwich is a popular filming location and has hosted feature films such as The Duchess (2007) starring Kiera Knightly, National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) starring Nicholas Cage, and Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix (2005).

 
Riz Ahmed, a British actor and musician who has starred in The Road to Guantanamo, Shifty and Four Lions was spotted at The Nikey Running Club in Shoreditch, London, where students had the chance to meet with the celebrity.

In 2008, Riz won Best Actor at the Geneva Cinema Tout Ecran and was nominated for Best Actor at the British Independent Film Award for his role in Shifty.

 

 

 

 

Upcoming events on the Social Programme:

Legally Blonde in the West End
London Eye visit
Halloween Party on a boat
Lion King in the West End
Phantom of the Opera in the West End
England vs France football game
Gorillaz (music band) perform live at the 02 arena
Chicago in the West End
Madame Tussauds visit
Wicked in the West End
39 Steps in the West End
Westlife (music band) perform live at the 02 arena
Maroon 5 (music band) perform live at the 02 arena
... and lots of visits to museums, sporting events, night clubs, galleries and exhibitions.

Aga's last cake sale

Peter Madams, ICT teacher at Embassy Oxford, writes:

A special mention must go to our departing Accomodation Manager, Aga Kaleka, who has been our most active fundraiser in her time at Embassy Oxford - her speciality has been fantastic cake sales.

Aga is leaving us to study to become a teacher, and so this was her last cake sale. She is pictured here, in the middle, flanked by summer student activity leaders Ruth Otiotio and Romas Sostakas.

£60.80 was raised, which will be doubled by the company, and this goes towards the charity Building Futures via Plan International.

We'll miss Aga, her cakes and her good spirit. Good luck.

International Students' Day at Embassy Brisbane

Anne Azano, the Student Activities Co-ordinator at Embassy Brisbane, writes:


Last Friday's International Student Day was a wonderful celebration of different nationalities and cultures. Students shared their cuisine, culture, dancing and information about their countries.

Some of the culinary highlights were: coffee and dates from Saudi Arabia, Turkish Delight, Brazilian Brigadeiros and Coxina, Venezulan desserts, Japanese sushi and traditional clothing, Korean kim chi and spicy octopus, delicacies from Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka,Taiwan and China, Vegemite sandwiches and homemade American choc chip cookies! 

The displays were great, as were the performances. The entertainment consisted of Russian dancing, Turkish belly dancing, French love messages, guitar music from Colombia and a chop stick competition!

So many students participated and it was a huge success! To quote one student "It was awesome!"

See more photos from this event in our Embassy Brisbane Facebook photo gallery.

Embassy Cambridge starts A Level taster courses this summer

In July and August, Embassy Cambridge and our sister college Bellerbys will be working together to provide a number of A Level taster courses in July and August. These taster sessions follow a successful trial of the programme in 2009, and will provide students with English tuition in the mornings, followed by sample A Level lessons in the afternoons.

Frank Pinner, the Centre Director for Embassy Cambridge explains more about the courses: ‘We have two A Level taster groups coming this summer. The students will do 20 50-minute lessons of English tuition and 10 hours of A level subjects per week. They will sample a wide range of A Level subjects including Politics, Art, Psychology, Physics, Business Studies, Sociology and Chemistry’.

The taster courses are based at our beautiful and historic Queens Campus, where the students’ lessons will be between 9am and 3:15pm. In addition to their English tuition and sample A Level lessons, the students will learn more about universities in the UK.

Moreover, the students will have plenty of things to do after class, as Frank Pinner explains: ‘After class, the students will be able to explore Cambridge and visit many different attractions including museums and the Cambridge Botanic Gardens. At the weekends, there will be organised excursions to other fun and exciting places in the UK such as London, Stratford and Warwick’.

Finally, at the end of the taster courses, the students will be able to enjoy a leaving ceremony and take photos with all of their new friends.

To find out more about Embassy Cambridge, visit the Embassy website to see our photos, read the local information and find out what our current students and staff think about the school. Also, you can join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for more news, photos and updates.