Wednesday 8 June 2016

My SES Experience by Lisa, 24, from Italy



Last year in February, I had the chance to change my life. I decided to go to England to learn another language: English. English has become one of the most important languages in the world if not the most important. Everywhere you go you can find someone who speaks English and in one way or another you can communicate. English is a very simple language because it is a mix of a lot of different western languages.
That being said, I bought all the tickets I needed and I arrived in England at the beginning of June. My host mom came and she picked me up from the train station and before going home she took me around the town for the first time. It seemed like a Disney film: 101 Dalmatians. You could see Pongo standing at the window and looking for his soul mate. The style of English towns is amazing. I was feeling good just walking around the streets.
On the evening of the first day I met my host family. There were 10 of us for the whole summer and sometimes more because during the summer some guys from different countries came and went for shorter times than me.
All the people were very friendly and some people give me help without me asking , especially on the trains.

On the following Monday I arrived at the SES school. The first impact was fantastic, the building is very old but with an incredible old fashioned English style. It is made from wood and you feel at home. SES is a big “family”: Steve, Sue, Adam, patty, Dermont, Gavin, all the people who work in SES are like friends.
The atmosphere in the school is the main stimulus to work hard. There was not a day I got bored. Everyday there were some different activities and lessons. Everyday started with a presentation, because everybody needed to know all their classmates in the school. I met many different people and I am still in touch with some of them.
During my stay in Folkestone I had some different experiences thank to the people who stayed with me. Gav is the best social organizer ever. We went bowling, drinking beer (only for +18 years) and we ate many different kinds of junk food (onion rings are the best!). He was very kind to me and organised a trip to Warner Bros Studios to visit Hogwartz so that I didn’t have to go on my own.
How can I forget Patty and the delicious dinners she organized and which were cooked by the students from lots of different countries. I tried many different kinds of English cheese and my favourites were those with fruit.
I will never forget the typical English tea at 5 o’clock at the Grand. I loved the scones with double cream. In England there are the biggest selection of cakes and desserts so it is a paradise for the people like me who have a sweet tooth.
I stayed in Folkestone for 3 months and then I decided to stay longer. I did not want to go home immediately and in the end I stayed for a total of 4 months. Every weekend I visited as many places as I could. In the end I had visited more places in England than in Italy. My advice is go and travel as much as you can, it is the best chance you have to check what you have learned and to learn more.
During my 4 months in Folkestone I joined the local waterpolo team. I played for them all summer. They were friendly and helpful to me. I am still in touch with some of them. I have just organised a long weekend next September to go surfing in Wales the same as last September.
From that experience, I have learned a lot. First, I have learned another language, but not only this. Meeting and exchanging different points of view is the best way to understand the life style and culture of other countries and this is very interesting.
I would like to say thank you very much to everyone who contributed to make this experience possible . Furthermore, I would advise anyone who has the chance to go and discover the world, please do go! It is an incomparable experience!
Lisa Mossi

From Italy

Wednesday 25 May 2016

Big Plans for Folkestone



Two weeks ago the students of SES learned about Folkestone and we focused on regeneration.


Folkestone was a popular summer town to visit in summer but the world changed and Folkestone too.

Now things are changing again and you can visit the Harbour Arm - a lovely part of the harbour with bars and restaurants selling local food. But alone this place is not enough.


SES students learning about the local council



Roger De Haan has big plans. He is a multimillionaire who wants Folkestone to become the new Barcelona. To achieve his objective he invest millions of pounds in different constructions, such as the multi storey skate park and the regenaration of the seafront.

Folkestone seafront in the future

the seafront today


Nowadays the seafront is changing, because it has the Lower Leas Coastal Park, with trees and grass and play zones. The site of the old Rotunda is empty but there is one project to revive the place. In summer they will start to construct a project which will take many years, building luxury and affordable houses and many new shops and restaurants.



The new place will create 300 temporary jobs and 300 permanent jobs.

The total area is 23 hectares and the total investemnt will be 189 millions pounds. The plan is catch the atention and make an atractive place for the people, with 1000 outstanding houses and sides for jobs.

Monday 23 May 2016

My Story in Folkestone


The View from the Leas, my favourite view in Folkestne
In this post Ahmed tells us about the time he arrived in Folkestone and his time at the school...

I stepped out the taxi on a cold night in Folkestone and I didn't know what to expect . I came to Folkestone to learn English in SES but , first I needed to find my host family that I will live with . I asked the school how I could find my host family and they gave me some advice . I arrived at the house and knocked on the door but nobody answered. I waited in front of the house in the cold night in the dark for half an hour.Then suddenly the door was open and a woman said, that she was sorry she had been asleep and asked me to come in.

The Leas and the Grand Hotel, Folkestone

The first day at the school was good but  I had to do a presentation in front of the other students . It was my first presentation in English and I don't want  to lie, it was really bad .I got embarrassed but everybody was really friendly with me;l they didn't laugh at me they helped me to improve my English and my presentation skills . After a month I started to give some very good presentations with less mistakes thanks to the teachers , the director and also my friends in the class . After two months I got used to the school and the town. Folkestone is  a very wonderful small town with nice people . The thing I love the most in Folkestone is when I walk along the Leas at the top of the cliff looking out over the beach and the sea . It's  amazing and a breathtaking  view that I have never seen before .


Moreover, I MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THANKS TO THE SCHOOL. At the weekends some of my friends in the school go to visit our other friends who have gone back to their countries , for example , my friend Chiara . She is from Italy and she finished studying  in the school . Tetsu is one of our friends that I have had in the school and he visited Chiara at the weekend in Italy . Not only her but also other people from France , Germany , Russia , Switzerland and other European countries. This school gives you a lot of chances to travel.

in York



In my fifth month I made a trip with four of my friends -  from Italy Alvesa and Chiara, from Japan Tetsu, and  finally from South Africa Geromo around the whole of England. We visited a lot of good places in England. We started from Folkestone and we finished in Manchester . In the beginning of the journey we visited Cambridge , Oxford , Nottingham and York. We stayed in York for one night and we went around it. I loved York. At the end of the day we arrived in Manchester . Manchester is a very big and noisy and I didn't really like it .However, we took a different way back to Folkestone . On the return route we visited Birmingham and stayed there for one day. It was a really nice big town. At the end we arrived at Folkestone .


I enjoyed my time in Folkestone it was one of the best experiences I  have had and now I still have one month more lift I will finish in the beginning of June after that I will head back to Kuwait . In Septermber I will return to England  again to go to the university in Wales .





Honestly I will miss the teachers and the school and the feeling that I didn't have in it the other schools of being in a family. Thank you Steve , Sue , Gavin , Adam , Patty , Rodica and the other teachers that I met - you are not only my teachers, you are my friends . THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Thursday 19 May 2016

The Harbour arm

Image result for harbour arm

Breezy, fresh and cosy that’s the harbour arm in Folkestone and as that a perfect example of regeneration. Last year, they opened the harbour area for the public and since then every weekend hundreds of people stroll past the little cafes and bars.
The harbour offers a variety of local seafood and other goodies. Moreover, the big Greek bus serves Mediterranean food on Saturdays and on Sundays and also for the ice cream fancier there is a place with tasty Italian “gelatos”.


Image result for harbour arm



But the Harbour offers more than good food, the view of the “white cliffs” in Folkestone and on sunny days you can see France. For kids there is a small playground and if you are interested in the history of the area they have a nice short background information inside the arcade. So, making a visit to the Harbour is a lovely trip in any weather.


Image result for harbour arm





Obviously, the emblem of the Harbour arm is the old lighthouse but at the same time this lovely building operates as a champagne bar. If you don’t fancy a glass of best fizzy champagne, you can try several kinds of beers while listening to live music. On the Harbour, every weekend they present live gigs with all kind of music.
I recommend going to the Harbour arm in Folkestone for everyone, no matter what age. It’s a perfect place to go with your family or friends to have just a good time, relax and enjoy this breath-taking spot.



http://www.folkestoneharbourarm.co.uk

Wednesday 6 April 2016

Euro 2016: The Favourites



FAVOURITES TO WIN


Germany: Honor at stake! Germany, world champion is definitely the favorite for this final phase. First of their group in the qualifying round, the Maanschaft has exceeded its group with much comfort, winning 7 of the 10 games. Leaning against his great collective game and surrounded by great individuals such as Muller, Gotze and Ozil, Germany will try to win his fourth European Championship history after those achieved in 1972, 1980 and 1996.

France: Absent in the playoffs host France is also part favorite to win the championship. After a good World Cup in 2014 (eliminated in the quarterfinals against Germany), France comes to the appointment after a series of 16 friendly matches. The Didier Deschamps has been imposed in this period rivals such as Spain, Portugal and Germany recently. As in 1984 and 1998, the French team will be more dangerous than ever for the fact of playing at home, and try to win a competition they have not won since 2000.

Spain: Two time champion Spain has done a great qualifying campaign with 27 points from 30 possible. In addition to their offensive potential  the Spaniards have shown a solid defense, conceding only 3 goals in 10 games. After a disastrous 2014 World Cup, Del Bosque's men come to the more complete than ever French event. Willing to demonstrate that players like Ramos, Iniesta and Fabregas are still here to stay, they are more than ever another candidate for the final victory.





LIKELY RUNNERS UP


Italy: Like the English, Antonio Conte's men have finished their qualifying group unbeaten (7 wins and 3 draws) after a disastrous World Cup. Its best asset is the renewal led by the coach, who has joined the Azzurri players like Pelle, Eder, Poli or Florenzi. Yes, the team's base remain Marchisio, Chiellini and Buffon and Pirlo mythical veterans.

Belgium: Current No. 1 ranking FIFA, Belgium will be the No. 1 Euro. Like the Germans and the Spanish, the Red Devils have finished their group leaders after 7 wins in 10 games, 24 goals made by just 5 embedded. The Belgians played a good World Cup and Euro see this as a great opportunity. Endowed with great talent with players like Hazard, De Bruyne or Courtois, coach Marc Wilmots will try to lead his country to victory in his first European Championship.

England: The best team in this qualifying campaign with 10 wins in 10 games, Roy Hodgson's England has impressed throughout the continent and has been postulated as a candidate for winning the title. After a pathetic Cup World (1 single point in Brazil), England have perfected the generational change with new stars like Sterling, Kane or Barkley. Yes, the backbone of the team's veterans continue to form Rooney, Carrick and goalkeeper Hart. With all this arsenal, the England team seeks to conquer their first European Cup.



Jaume is a Spanish student at SES for three months. He is a big football fan and is playing locally in Folkestone.

Monday 4 April 2016

A Local's Guide to Spain




Sunset in Mallorca



Spain actually is one of the most visited countries for tourism in the world. It is in South Europe between Portugal, Italy, France and Africa. There are beautifuls beaches, great old buildings, big and small cities, different traditions tan other places and a lot of shops for shopping.

Mountains in Canary Islands


Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Canary Islands and Balearic Islands are the most important sities to visit in Spain. All these sites have one thing in common, they have sun and are warm. In Madrid there aren’t any beaches because it is yhe centre of Spain but it is very warm and it has many attractions for example museums, big squares with shops, amusement parks and a shopping centre.


The other cities that I have mentioned before are characterized by their beaches. Sevilla doesn’t have a beach but is near the coast.


Caves in Canary Islands



In addition Spain has very big and popular parties, for example, the Carnival in the Canary Islands, the Fallas in Valencia, the Festival in Barcelona, Saint John in Menorca and the big and famous parties in Ibiza and Magaluf.

Friday 1 April 2016


Switzerland




The "Goms" valley

Introduction
Switzerland is one of the smallest but most worth-seeing countries in the world. You find huge mountains as well as cities with their own charm. Varied landscapes appear in different ways depending on the season. The public services are very good so you can easily travel to the whole country.





What to visit
The most famous mountain called “Matterhorn” is worthy of its reputation. Moreover, travel as often as you can with the train and you will discover more. Also the cities are connected to the national railway network. Visit the bears in the capital city Bern or go on a steam navigation in Luzern.
from my Home
In small and traditional restaurants (“Beizli”) you enjoy the special Swiss dishes like “Fondue” or “Racelette”. Do you prefer sweet food? Go for a look in one of the most famous chocolate factories around the world and find out which kind of chocolate is your favourite.
If you would like to know more about the history, development and technology go to the “Verkehrshaus” in Luzern where you can experience all.



Leisure attractions
Zürich is very popular for shopping and the “Bahnhofstrasse” offers all you want. Besides, Zürich and Luzern have several night clubs and bars which are open from 10 pm until the early hours. In smaller places you have the possibility to go to a traditional Swiss pub.


in the Swiss Alps


Special Events
More and more music festivals spread out in the whole of Switzerland. On 1 August Switzerland makes a big party for its birthday.
Moreover, go to a ski race in winter in the Swiss Alps.










Daria is a student from Switzerland. She is spending eleven weeks on the SES full Octorial programme.