On Sunday evening I came back home from London. I had spent a week there together with 13 students and another teacher. The week was physically and, to a much lesser degree, mentally hard. But it was also full of excitement and fun.
One often wonders what makes one take a group of students to a big city and take responsibility of their lives and security. What makes one work 16 hours a day with very few breaks in between? Surely, one must be a little mad.
Well, I've been doing this regularly for the past 30 years. I can say that all the trips have been different. There have been difficult moments in each of them, but afterwards you always look back to them with joy.
One wants to give young people a chance to get to know the culture of the country that has taken one as its own. One wants to give them a chance to notice that they can manage with the language skills they have acquired at school. And one wants to give them a chance to experience exciting things together with other young people.
The moment we got on our coach at Heathrow Airport and started our trip to the hotel, you noticed that the cultural intake had started immediately. The students were reading aloud the names of shops, restaurants and shops. Later they had to use the language to buy their travel cards at an underground station. The next day there was a tube trip to the London Zoo and a bus ride back to the Underground station. You also learnt how to order your food at a restaurant and learned to use the magic words 'please', 'thank you' and 'excuse me'.
Later during the week you noticed in Liverpool that not all Englishmen speak their mother tongue in the same way. There are different dialects with Scouse being one of the most delightful ones. That's due to the fact that 38 years ago the first people I made friends with at a London camping site happened to come from Liverpool.
The week was full of music, history, zoology and shopping, of course. On our last night we went to watch William Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Many of the students found to their delight that they could follow the play with very little effort. The actors played their parts well and the play was full of laughter and fun. It was an unforgettable theatre experience.
I was lucky to stay a week in London with a group of students who were open and active, eager to notice and learn new things. You had a great sense of humour and never lost it, not even when buying an ice cream. You showed that you appreciated the English way of life. And that is something that makes my heart sing. I thank you all for it.
Matti
maanantai 13. toukokuuta 2013
torstai 9. toukokuuta 2013
DAY 3
DAY 3
The day was cold, windy and bloody long. Still we managed well, at least we had some shopping.
The morning went normally, the breakfast at 8:00 o'clock, 10 minutes walk to the Lancaster Gate and some subway-travelling once again. We arrived just in time at Euston, where some of us needed to buy some must-get body lotions. Luckily, Jyrki, one of our 'leaders' looked accidentally at the departure screen and we moved to the train. Journey to Liverpool was real.
After arriving, we were separated into two groups, in which the bigger one would travel to Anfield, and the smaller would visit the maritime museum at Albert dock. As for the smaller group, we ate first in a homely restaurant, then had a somewhat fascinating experience at the museum. However, due to prolonged eating we had to move our schedule a bit further, albeit no complications were caused from this.
After we had arrived in Liverpool, the rest of us took cabs to Anfield football stadium where we went to see the museum, had some refreshments in a very beautiful restaurant and then we had the chance of shopping all sorts of football stuff. Unfortunately, we couldn't go on a tour around the football stadium due to a private event. From Anfield we went to the Albert dock where we ate something and met the rest of our group.
The Beatles Story - a walk through the lives of the world's greatest musicians. Everything in the museum was perfectly planned and spotted. It was like a big book in small scale. Those four persons truly changed their lives but at the same time, they changed the whole world too - music was the key. Millions of people just pissed on their pants when they saw these gentlemen. They created the basis of today's music. Without The Beatles, there wouldn't be global music.
After a thrilling tour in the Beatles themed museum, it was time for our warm up for tomorrow's shopping day. This meant walking in pairs or larger groups, mainly in Liverpool One. Most of us really went all out and started spending the dough on clothes, food and other items. We had about two hours for this, and we managed to make the most of it by shopping, and eating somewhere whenever we liked. It was one of the highlights of the day, and we left Liverpool One in good spirits.
Once we were in the train it was time to start laughing on the things that happened. Back in Anfield restaurant, our entertainer noticed her wallet was missing. It was a bit epic situation but ended in laughs. In the end we finally came back to London, tired of course, and went back to the hotel.
Paavo, Mikko and Janne.
The day was cold, windy and bloody long. Still we managed well, at least we had some shopping.
The morning went normally, the breakfast at 8:00 o'clock, 10 minutes walk to the Lancaster Gate and some subway-travelling once again. We arrived just in time at Euston, where some of us needed to buy some must-get body lotions. Luckily, Jyrki, one of our 'leaders' looked accidentally at the departure screen and we moved to the train. Journey to Liverpool was real.
After arriving, we were separated into two groups, in which the bigger one would travel to Anfield, and the smaller would visit the maritime museum at Albert dock. As for the smaller group, we ate first in a homely restaurant, then had a somewhat fascinating experience at the museum. However, due to prolonged eating we had to move our schedule a bit further, albeit no complications were caused from this.
After we had arrived in Liverpool, the rest of us took cabs to Anfield football stadium where we went to see the museum, had some refreshments in a very beautiful restaurant and then we had the chance of shopping all sorts of football stuff. Unfortunately, we couldn't go on a tour around the football stadium due to a private event. From Anfield we went to the Albert dock where we ate something and met the rest of our group.
The Beatles Story - a walk through the lives of the world's greatest musicians. Everything in the museum was perfectly planned and spotted. It was like a big book in small scale. Those four persons truly changed their lives but at the same time, they changed the whole world too - music was the key. Millions of people just pissed on their pants when they saw these gentlemen. They created the basis of today's music. Without The Beatles, there wouldn't be global music.
After a thrilling tour in the Beatles themed museum, it was time for our warm up for tomorrow's shopping day. This meant walking in pairs or larger groups, mainly in Liverpool One. Most of us really went all out and started spending the dough on clothes, food and other items. We had about two hours for this, and we managed to make the most of it by shopping, and eating somewhere whenever we liked. It was one of the highlights of the day, and we left Liverpool One in good spirits.
Once we were in the train it was time to start laughing on the things that happened. Back in Anfield restaurant, our entertainer noticed her wallet was missing. It was a bit epic situation but ended in laughs. In the end we finally came back to London, tired of course, and went back to the hotel.
Paavo, Mikko and Janne.
Day 2
After breakfast we went to the British Museum. There we saw many old interesting things, for example Rosetta stone and mummies. We spent there about two hours wandering around.
After that we took a metro train to the Natural History Museum which is full of different natural objects, for example fossil and dinosaurs and huge real size blue whale. We also ate lunch in museum's café. Even though both of the museums were interesting everybody were quite fed up with them after visiting there.
Then we went back to the hotel. Then some of us left to eat in to an Indian restaurant which was quite sophisticated place. The food was really tasty and service was great.
After eating we went to listening the Beatles musical. It was an amazing experience that we probably will remember for the rest of our lives. They played many good songs and famous hits. The audience really loved them. After the musical we went back to the hotel and we were tired but happy. Those who didn't attend to the musical were getting bored (at least this one behind my shoulder) and hanging out in the hotel.
Riikka & Hanna
After that we took a metro train to the Natural History Museum which is full of different natural objects, for example fossil and dinosaurs and huge real size blue whale. We also ate lunch in museum's café. Even though both of the museums were interesting everybody were quite fed up with them after visiting there.
Then we went back to the hotel. Then some of us left to eat in to an Indian restaurant which was quite sophisticated place. The food was really tasty and service was great.
After eating we went to listening the Beatles musical. It was an amazing experience that we probably will remember for the rest of our lives. They played many good songs and famous hits. The audience really loved them. After the musical we went back to the hotel and we were tired but happy. Those who didn't attend to the musical were getting bored (at least this one behind my shoulder) and hanging out in the hotel.
Riikka & Hanna
tiistai 7. toukokuuta 2013
Day 1.
Today we had a great day. After a long day of walking, now is the time to sit still and relax with friends.
Morning started with traditional English breakfast, bacon, eggs, toast and tea. After that we went to the London Zoo, which was a good start for our trip. Weather was even better than we had expected so it was really fun to be outside. At the Zoo there were many funny animals to see for example gorillas, giraffes, turtles and penguins (including this one, who had been put isolated, stole our hearts)
Then we went to Piccadilly Circus and had a little free time there. After that girls had an ice cream problem, which included a lot of swearing and desperate. After the girls found the ice cream, everything was okay again. Then we walked to Buckingham Palace and it started to rain a little. The last sight we went to see was Big Ben. On our way back to the hotel, one of our group member got lost. Luckily everything turned out to be fine.
After a quick visit at the hotel, we went back to London Eye and spent evening eating and having fun up in the air.
All in all the day was awesome and we can't wait the rest of the week.
Jenna Ahonen, Roosa Virranniemi and Anniina Kananen
Morning started with traditional English breakfast, bacon, eggs, toast and tea. After that we went to the London Zoo, which was a good start for our trip. Weather was even better than we had expected so it was really fun to be outside. At the Zoo there were many funny animals to see for example gorillas, giraffes, turtles and penguins (including this one, who had been put isolated, stole our hearts)
Then we went to Piccadilly Circus and had a little free time there. After that girls had an ice cream problem, which included a lot of swearing and desperate. After the girls found the ice cream, everything was okay again. Then we walked to Buckingham Palace and it started to rain a little. The last sight we went to see was Big Ben. On our way back to the hotel, one of our group member got lost. Luckily everything turned out to be fine.
After a quick visit at the hotel, we went back to London Eye and spent evening eating and having fun up in the air.
All in all the day was awesome and we can't wait the rest of the week.
Jenna Ahonen, Roosa Virranniemi and Anniina Kananen
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