Making a difference in Maceio, Brazil

In June last year, a photographer called Steven Loos attended a 16 week Portuguese course in Maceio.

Although he originally went only to study and improve his language skills, he took part in a couple of volunteer projects, helping in a boy’s orphanage and a girl’s orphanage.

Originally asked by other volunteers to simply go and take some pictures, he had so much fun in the few hours he was with the children that he had to go back! “They’re too fun” he enthusiastically writes…

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Adventures in Playa del Carmen!!!

My time in Playa del Carmen and the Yucatan peninsula was the biggest and best adventure ever! I had more amazing experiences in two weeks than I ever imagined possible. I spent my first few days at my Spanish school in Playa del Carmen being utterly dumbfounded by the incredible blue of the Caribbean Sea, the whiteness of the sand, the warmth, the sunshine… the just plain TROPICALNESS of everything! I felt like I was living on the best holiday postcard you have ever seen, or, better still, living on the exotic set of a James Bond film!

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San Giovanni Valdarno – a slice of Tuscan life

I was unsure what to expect of San Giovanni Valdarno. It had been described as a small medieval town located in the heart of Tuscany, but I’ve fallen for these descriptions before, only to arrive at a bustling industrial rail station that doesn’t quite meet my expectations! However, I’m pleased to confirm that my first impression of San Giovanni did not disappoint.

I travelled from Florence by train and enjoyed a journey of approximately one hour, taking in delightful countryside and stopping at many of the small towns en route. I was advised later that it is also possible to take a more direct train, which should take about 35 minutes, but I felt that my ambling journey had set me up for the relaxed lifestyle I was about to experience.

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Arriving in Costa Rica…school has started!

Hola!

I arrived in Costa Rica without any problems at all on Saturday evening and slept for over 10 hours at the B&B in San Joaqiun de Flores. On Sunday I and the other students staying at the B&B did get to enjoy a very bumpy bus ride to Monteverde.

I was really excited to meet my host family and was very pleased when I met them and found out that they were really nice people. They didn’t speak a word of English so I got to practice my Spanish immediately! 🙂

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Sun! Sea! Sand! &…..School!

Ok, so imagine attending a school in the heart of a beautiful historic city… that’s also home to ‘space age’ architectural design…and two magnificent beaches. It almost seems too good to be true, but hear it from me – in Valencia you have the best of everything!

I think that being a student in Valencia is perfect, as there is a really young feel to this city – full of life, laughter and at present the pride and thrills of being host to the 32nd Americas Cup.

I also think that studying in Valencia would appeal to anybody and everybody, as Valencia seems to break all the rules as it manages to perfectly cater to a whole range of different tastes.

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On the way to Costa Rica: waiting at Schipol Airport!

Hello everyone!

I thought that I could write my first post (it’s actually the first blog post I’ve ever written) while I’m waiting for my flight to San Jose in Costa Rica. I must admit that I’m feeling quite excited and I’m really looking forward to getting to Costa Rica. I’m very curious about who I’ll be living with and who my co-students will be!

I started my trip yesterday when I took the train from my hometown Vaasa to the Finnish capital Helsinki. I went out on a couple of beers with some friends and did manage to catch two hours of sleep before it was time to take a taxi to the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport! 🙂

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Taking it Nice’n’Easy…

There’s only one word to describe Nice – fabulous! Walking through the port, daydreaming that all those glitzy super yachts might one day be mine, supping café crème on promenade des Anglais and people watching from behind my en vogue oversized (and fake) Chanel sunglasses, day trips to chicest of the chic Monaco, palm trees swaying in the warm Mediterranean breeze… ahh yes, I could have gotten used to the good life on the French Riviera.

Sadly, my French course in Nice only lasted 3 weeks and when it was time to leave my lovely French host, I actually cried! 25 years old and I was blubbing like a baby! I had a great host, she was in her 40s and lived alone so it was just she and I in the apartment – we got on amazingly!

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Why I adored Munich!

Möchten Sie in Deutschland Deutsch lernen? Are you considering learning German in Germany? Whether you are a complete beginner or already very advanced, just listen to someone who has taken four language courses in Munich!

I started learning German in middle school, and my parents encouraged me to go on a language courses during holidays. I was lucky enough to have family friends who lived in Munich, and invited me. They recommended that I take a course in a local language school, and the result was I went back several times!

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Don’t miss the Moscow Metro!

Ever seen a tube station with crystal chandeliers hanging down from the roof? I have!

One of my favourite places in the world is Moscow. There are many reasons to love this fantastic city: the people on the busy Tverskaya shopping street, the small shops selling hot pirogs, the amazing Red Square and the delicious Borcsh you can eat late of an evening in one of the local restaurants.

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My time in Marvellous Madrid!!!

Honestly? Okay, as a dedicated Heat magazine  reader, my immediate thought when I planned my course in Madrid was… I wonder if I’ll bump into Posh  and Becks. I never did get to meet them, but fortunately I did find that there is sooo much more to Madrid than shopping (Posh) and football (Becks)!

If you love art you will go crazy in the Prado. If you are a foodie you will be in manchego and jamon paradise. If you love history you can trek museums ’til you drop. But for me, one of my biggest raves is the nightlife – absolutely incredible. With the largest number of bars per capita of any European city, it has to be among the best in the world! In fact, I found that one of the biggest problems with going out in Madrid was deciding where to start! Fortunately, I got on wonderfully with the other students that I shared my apartment with, one of whom had already been in Madrid 3 months and had managed to put together a shortlist of the most fabulous places in Madrid!

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