Students at Embassy

Let´s talk KIDS!

Some friend asked me to show my photos, but I think my best ones are back home in Venezuela. However these are a few of them.

Click to see them bigger:

Are you bored? Start a hobby! Take Pictures!

Many studies say that it’s helpful to have a hobby, not just to have something to do in your spare time, but also to keep you thinking in your mature age. Some add that having a hobby could prevent degenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's, and if we want to make it easy we could start it just for fun.

According to the Longman Dictionary of American Language, a hobby means “an activity that you enjoy doing in your free time”, so, it’s something that you like to do, but how many times have we begun doing something and after a time we failed to continue? So a hobby has to be an activity which captivates you in order that you'll spend time and money on it and still enjoy it.

What do I like? What am I good at? Those are some of the question that you should ask  yourselves. I’m going to tell you my story. Once, I decided that I needed my “me time”. I wanted to do something completely different and seperate from my work, house and family; something that I could do whenever and wherever I have time, without a very great amount of equipment. So, I started taking pictures as a serious hobby three years ago.

Another thing that I considered was my tastes, it sounds obvious, but sometimes, we are  so absorbed in our daily life that we don’t even take the time to think about what we like to do. So, if you are intending to start a hobby take your time and think about it.

Photography as a hobby. I used to take a lot of pictures in my teens; actually I was called “the photographer” by my friends. I love to keep photos and even now, my friends ask me for copies from those days. So, if you are someone who loves to take your camera wherever you go, keep the photos of your entire life and enjoy watching and sharing them, maybe you will have a good time with photography. It’s a hobby which you can do with or without company, it could be done indoors or outside, even underneath the sea. It’s an activity that you don’t need a huge amount of equipment for, but if you want it you can find it (actually that could be a drawback, there are a lot of things in the market that it make you feel lost or even worse, make you broke; so don’t be impulsive and go for help. Go to a serious store, a photography school or a friend who knows of photography and ask about it; there are some schools which offer short courses, enroll there).

For sure a real photographer is going to recommend you to use the camera that you already have, work a little more with it, using all the advantages that it has, and take your time if you want to improve your equipment. Which equipment you have in the end depends on your taste: digital, compact, Polaroid, SLR camera, even disposable ones; lights, lenses, etc.

In general, if you already have the disposition to start off by taking pictures, the only equipment you need is your camera and a film - that is, if you still have not succumbed to the enchantments of the digital world.

Graduation Ceremony

Hi everybody!

Today we had a Graduation Ceremony in the school. The students who are leaving receive a Diploma from the school. They also have the opportunity to talk about their experience in the school, in Fort Lauderdale....While seated in my chair I was listening to them.  All of them agreed  the same thing: they didn't imagine that they would make so many friends here!! Our teachers become our friends! They really care about the students!  This school has great staff!!

Do you remember when I told you that the school was like a big family? Then, I think I'm not the only one who thinks that. We share so many things together!! You never feel alone.  The more time I spend in the school, the more I think that I took one of the best decisions I have ever taken!!  I recommend eveyone to live that kind of experience!!

I wanted to share with you these words  because I was glad to know that we all have  the same feelings. Thanks to Embassy CES school and thanks to their students for making  me feel so happy here!!

More About New York

Ok. Let me tell you what I did in NY and why I chose the pictures which you could see in my last post. My mom and I used to visit NY many times for different reasons; you know there are a lot of good excuses for traveling. So anyway, we already had favorite places in Manhattan, and even though we could not visit them all we were able to go to most of them.

For example, we went to The Rockefeller Center, where you can skate in the wonderful ice-skating rink, at least until May and skates are available for rental; the monumental St. Patrick’s Cathedral which I could see from my room; the busy Times Square, an interesting Museum of Modern Art, we also enjoyed the bohemian atmosphere of Soho; and of course, we had to go to the world’s largest store, Macy’s.

[Click to see larger. Left to right: Rockefeller Centre and St Patrick's Cathedral]

If you go to NY you should see a Broadway show, this time we saw Hairspray and it was hilarious, we wanted to see BE which is off-Broadway and has had wonderful reviews, but we didn’t have enough time, well, now we have another excuse to come back.

I took the pictures that you can see in my last post because they portrayed something for me; let me explain it to you. The first one is a view of a Toys R Us store, which is gigantic, but the cutest thing is the giraffe that is projected outside the store with its funny faces; the second is in front of Central Park and Fifth Avenue where many horse carriages are waiting to give you a ride; number three is a view of the colorful Times Square; the fourth is in Soho, the statues just caught my attention; in the following one are NY Police; ohhh, the next one, a Hershey chocolate store, and just across the street, if you want more you have an M&Ms store (can you imagine how I could keep to my diet?); and finally the Apple Store, the interesting thing here is on the street you just see this crystal cube with an apple inside, then if you stay longer you will realize there's an elevator coming out the ground; it’s terrific.

So, my friends that is all for now. I hope these lines are useful.

Sun, Sea and.... Sushi!

Hi everybody!!

Last Saturday I went to the beach with some friends. The day was very sunny. We played beach volleyball and we sunbathed for two hours. Here it's important to wear sunscreen cream because you can easily be sunburnt. The beaches weren't very crowded. I remember during the spring break it wasn't easy to find a place to put our beach towels!!

That night I went out with my friends to have dinner.  We went to a Japanese Restaurant. We ate sushi and chicken with rice. The restaurant is great - they prepare your meal in front of you! After dinner we hung out at RiverFront. It's a place where there are a lot of restaurants and night clubs. They have also a cinema.

On Sunday, I rode a boat. It looks like the " Tom Sawyer" boat! The trip lasts  one and a half hours . You visit the canals.  It's a very nice ride.

New York, New York

I haven’t written for a while, so I'm going to tell you what I have been doing. I was visited by my mom, who came from Venezuela just to stay and spend time with us; actually she just left yesterday, so I have to confess that I have been busy for a while. 

Anyway, another reason for my delay is that we were out of town. My mom wanted to repeat a trip that we used to make before I got married: to visit New York!

So, we went, and this time it was especially great, not just because of my mom, but also because my sister, who lives in Indianapolis, joined us there. As thus, it was a girly time for us: my mom, my sister and I.

We didn't stay so long - just five days - but we enjoyed it a lot. I promise you that in my next entry I’m going to give you more details about my trip, but in the meantime I'll show you a few pictures of some of the things I like the most in New York.

Click to see bigger.

A great trip

Last week end I went to Sarasota with three of my friends. My friends had planned to spend the weekend there, and they asked me to go with them. To be honest, I had never heard of  Sarasota before going there!

It takes two and a half hours to get there. Sarasota is next to Tampa, and the place is known for its beautiful beaches. Last weekend the weather wasn't so good for going to the beach. It was very windy, so we decided to visit the Ringling Museum. We really enjoyed the museum. We visited the Circus Museum, the Art Museum and the house that the Ringling Family owned in Florida.

We couldn't go to the beach, but the detour to the Museum was worth it!

Read about the lives of current students here in their blogs. Share their thoughts and experiences as they study English in a foreign country. Leave a comment, start a conversation.
Are you an Embassy CES student? Would you like to keep a blog? Contact us now for details.

Our current blogger is:

Sonia from Spain I decided to come to USA to improve my English. I think it's the fastest way to learn. I chose Fort Lauderdale because of the nice weather. If you live abroad, you will learn much more than a language, you will learn a lot about yourself.

We have sadly said goodbye to Gaby now that she has finished her course with Embassy CES. We wish her all the very best in the future. Keep in touch, Gaby! Come back and tell us how you are getting on in the future!

We are always looking for other Embassy CES students to contribute to this blog. If you are interested, please contact the editor.

A bit of philosophy

Yes Gaby, it's sad to say goodbye. We have the opportunity to meet great people here. Sometimes I think: " If I hadn't been here, I would never have met these great people". Being here is not only a great opportunity to improve my English but also an opportunity to meet excellent people. In fact, my purpose to improve my English is turning out to be a VERY positive thing in a lot of ways!

After three months living here, I can say (with no pretension) that I have improved my English a lot. Now, in a conversation, I feel much more confident than before - and of course my understanding is much better!

I think that in some way, being abroad has changed something in me. I feel more confident and I can see my future projects with a lot of enthusiasm. Everyone has their goals, their dreams... I  feel much closer to them since coming here. Sharing your dreams with other people who also have dreams helps you to believe in them strongly.

Being less philosophical... on Monday I started my classes again. I'm happy to be with some of my old friends again and to have met new students!

Concerning the weather, if you are planning to come here, don't forget your sunscreen cream, your sunglasses and of course, your bathing suits!!

I feel philosophical today.. I hope you will feel the positive energy I feel! I'm really enjoying being here!!