Ayelen said `Today we had an awesome day!!! The whales
were jumping like crazy. We were blessed to see 3 male whales and 1 female
whale. Unfortunately we missed Migaloo the white whale! But it was such as
beautiful day and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Big up to Angela for
organising such a wonderful trip.'
Sophie said "Wow, what a morning in Manly! Clear blue
skies and a beautiful ocean view made the perfect setting for our Maewill
students as they began rollerblading towards Queenscliff. There were mixed
levels of ability, but that didn't matter as everyone had a big smile on their
face. Our instructor, Tom, was very helpful and gave the more advanced people
some extra challenges, such as jumping." Ana from Brazil said "I've had a lot of fun and I can't believe how
quickly time passed doing this. I haven't tried rollerblading since I was a
little kid." Maria from China said "I went really fast and I didn't fall once. It was
very exciting when Tom pulled us in a line like a train. I think everyone could
hear me scream, ha ha."
Bonnie said `Today we went over to Hoyts at Warringah
Mall to see the new instalment of the Transformers movie series: "Transformers:
Revenge of the Fallen". It was a really good movie, with lots of action!
The lead character Sam must save the world from the evil Decepticons, with the
help of the Primes and his girlfriend Michaela. The special effects were amazing
and must have been very expensive!' Maureen said `I think it was a really good movie. I like the fact the
good people won.' Robert said `It had really amazing special effects. It looked very real
and very exciting!'
RAINFOREST WALK and WINE TASTING - Friday 19th June
2009
Bonnie from Australia said `Tonight we went to the Vivid
Festival, a series of light installations scattered around Sydney Harbour. They
were absolutely beautiful! The Opera House was illuminated with different
patterns, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art. Some of the students took
part in a display where the energy from riding a bike was transformed into
light. We visited a show in the Opera House called "77 Million Paintings" by
Brian Eno, it was "interesting" to say the least! Afterwards we visited two
historic pubs in the Rocks, "The Hero of Waterloo" and the "Lowenbrau". We
listened to Irish and German music while we enjoyed a beer...or two.' Maira from Brazil said `Everything is so beautiful, I love Australia!'
IMAX CINEMA at DARLING HARBOUR - Friday 12th June 2009
Yvonne from Australia said `Off to the centre of Sydney on a perfect winter's day, with clear blue skies and a fresh, gentle breeze. Arriving at Darling Harbour, we took time to look at the boats, bridges and buildings and their reflections in the calm water. It was tempting to just sit by the waterside and enjoy the sunshine but the hundreds of greedy seagulls circling above dropped constant "messages", urging us to move on.
Into the IMAX theatre, which claims to have the largest screen in the world, and many clever students bought survival food---giant subway sandwiches---before settling down for the"Dinosaurs 3D: Giants of Patagonia" movie. Those of us without food had to tell our stomachs to ignore the wonderful aroma of hot cheese and salami wafting around us.
We all put on our huge, very fashionable 3D glasses and screen came alive with comets hurtling straight at us from space or giant dinosaurs thundering towards us and then stomping overhead, somehow without squashing us. The special effects were amazing, especially when a tiny baby dinosaur climbed into its mother's mouth and swung around between her monstrous teeth. Who would have thought dinosaurs could be so cute!
As well as being entertaining, the movie talked about the earth's climate during the time of the dinosaurs---how much hotter and wetter it was then, no ice-caps, no separation of continents and how there was only one ocean. This gave us many ideas to think about in regard to the present day and how our climate might change in years to come.'
Claude from China said `The movie talked about dinosaurs 600 million years ago, in South America. A professor had just found many bones of dinosaurs. Scientists think that dinosaurs probably died by comets from space. So now, birds that we can see are the only dinosaurs left.'
Maureen from China said `Today, I went to IMAX film to see a 3D movie. The movie is about dinosaurs. I was very delighted to see this, because I have never seen such a vivid movie. And a good lunch accompanied us. We wore the special glasses, so we saw the picture very distorted, and soon I was attracted to pretty huge dinosaurs - some are predators, very savage. We can`t imagine it. And the habitat is so spectacular that we couldn't believe our eyes - the vegetation is also very vast. But at the end the dinosaurs become extinct because of the meteor crashing into the earth, the condition is very chaotic and terrible, all the mysteries are ruined, I felt very disappointed. But today is an impressive day. I recommend you to see the 3D movie, its`s so fantasic!'
Putuoshan, an island south of Shanghai, is a traveller's dream
of China, with beautiful temples, Buddhist mantras wafting through the forests
of 1000 year-old ginkgo trees and a giant cliff-top statue of the goddess, Guanyin, watching over the passing fishing boats. I spent a week travelling with
Elan, my Shanghai friend, first to Putuoshan and then on to Ning Bo and Wu
Zhen....
- Read more of Teacher Yvonne's diary
here
Teacher Sophie said "Nick from Bulldog's Gym put all
the students through their paces today. He patiently showed us how to use our
knees, feet, fists and elbows. All the students had a go and partnered up to
practice the moves. It took a lot of energy and co-ordination, but everyone had
a great time." Vazira from Uzbekistan said "This is fantastic. I really love the feeling of
doing a good kick or punch. It's tiring, but it gives you energy too. I think
this is very good exercise and good fun too. Maybe I will come back here." Erkin from Uzbekistan said "I have done something like this before in
Uzbekistan. I think it is very good for your health and it gives you
discipline."
PREPARATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL BUSHRANGER SPEECHES - Thursday 4th June 2009
Maureen from China said `Commonly, I think people want to live a life of
serenity. But sometimes things happen in an extraordinary way. I did my
assignment to know about the Bushrangers. How they worked and what reason they
start bushranging. I saw a movie named `Ned Kelly' with Heath Ledger. It was so
fantastic. The vivid role attracted me. I like Ned Kelly. He is a folk hero. I
like his resolute and independent character. This gives me a deep impression
which I will never forget. I also went to library do some research about
bushrangers. This let me know a lot of interesting knowledge. I felt very happy.
Funny things is that we dress up as a bushrangers. Cool and exciting. We just
honour Ned Kelly and his famous last words: Such is life'.
Ines from Germany said "It was a great day at
the zoo. The students and also staff at a really good time together and saw
lots of gorgeous animals!"
Vazira from Uzbekistan said " Wow! My favourite animals
were the elephant seal and the tigers. I really enjoyed this excursion! It
was fun and exciting. We saw the elephant seal show - it was amazing! There
were Californian & New Zealand seals. I was surprised that seals are so
clever. They showed is a lot of things like how they can jump out of the
water and so on. For me it was interesting!"
Fernando from Argentina said "Taronga Zoo was very
interesting for me because it was the first time I'd seen some of the
animals. There was a beautiful view of nature and of the city."
EVENING CULTURAL EXCHANGE PARTY - Thursday 21st May 2009
Bonnie from Australia said "Tonight we celebrated the diversity of cultures we have here at Maewill with our Cultural Exchange Party. Everyone was encouraged to bring a plate of food from their country: some of the dishes we enjoyed were Argentinean pancakes made by Camila and Florencia (which were delicious!), chicken heart, pavlova & lamingtons from Australia, salads and many types of cakes! We were taught the Brazilian Forro dance and all learnt a little bit more about each other's cultures. It was a great party!!"
BASKETBALL, SQUASH AND TENNIS - Friday 22nd May 2009
Friday the 22nd of May we set off for "Courtsportz" at Cromer, where students grabbed tennis rackets, squash rackets, basketballs and headed off to their different courts. It was a lot of fun and we were lucky that the rain stopped for us. There was a very heated game of basketball inside between Jerry, Justin, Erkin, Kan and Leo. Leo from China said "This is very good. I like basketball very much, especially when I can beat my friends!" Maria from China said "I like tennis the best. I would like to come here again with my friends."
Monday morning gave us the opportunity to see Charley Boorman and watch a huge mustering of motorbikes, great and small, take off for the series beginning of 'By Any Means 2'. Katy said "I first heard of 'By Any Means' when my brother sent me the DVDs for Christmas. It's a show about a man called Charley Boorman who travels from Ireland to Australia by any means of transport. In the first series he uses 112 different modes of transport including motorbikes, elephants, canoes, trains and camels! In the second series he is going to travel from Sydney to the northern tip of Japan along the Pacific Rim. On Monday we were lucky enough to meet Charley and wave goodbye to him as he set off on his journey from Freshwater Beach. Keep an eye on your TV screens next year. You might see a group of Maewill students waving in the background!" Maureen said "I will talk about the motorbikes I saw today. I saw about 500 motorbikes together and I think it was very grand-looking. I found the people so incredibly open and interested. It was everyone's interest and enthusiasm that really gave me a big surprise. I have never seen this in China. I could spend hours just watching how they ride. I wondered if Charlie was ever afraid of his travels and efforts to do some new things. Have you ever seen such a magnificent view? I think you don't know. I'm so lucky. I feel happy and think the world is so wonderful and I can't imagine that people wearing helmets and those clothes could be so cool. The clothes are different to what we normally wear. I think it was worth watching the motorbikes today." Jerry said "Today we visited a motorbike gathering. It was unbelievable! It was amazing to see hundreds of huge motorbikes at Freshwater, and a funny guy...Charley. He is always laughing. I heard screaming and roaring everywhere. It was a fantastic tour. I really enjoyed it. I saw many kinds of motorbikes that I have never seen before. At last, all of the motorbikes were following Charlie and left. It was a majestic vision."
A good Monday morning adventure!
MEET MAEWILL'S HELPFUL STAFF - Monday 18th May 2009
Say hello to the Mãewill staff - Cynthia, Bonnie, Ines, Katy and Fabiana. They are happy to answer any questions you have - about your class, your course, transport, finding a job, looking for accommodation, interesting activities, improving your English and much more! Hope you had a great weekend, see you soon everyone.
Teacher Sophie said "Friday's Masterchef showed some great creativity. The Pink Team led the way but our resident artist in the kitchen, Fernando, made the final winning move in round five, 'Vegetable Face'. That alfalfa hair and salami tongue sealed the deal for the Blue Team. However, everyone showed skills in healthy food preparation and the judge, Katy, enjoyed her job immensely. Hopefully some students gained a few important knife handling skills too." Jerry from China said of his own creation, "This is delicious. It's definitely the best so far." Fernando from Argentina said "I'm not sure if the banana and salami really works together".
It was a lot of fun!
'MAEWILL'S GOT TALENT' KARAOKE NIGHT - Friday 15th May 2009
Teacher Sophie said "Friday's excursion was blessed with beautiful sunshine, and everyone enjoyed the ferry ride over to the Basin from Palm Beach. As soon as we arrived, a group of students noticed a pair of wallabies sitting on the grass. Everybody was so surprised. We were lucky to get so close to them, and we noticed that one had a baby joey poking its head out of mum's pouch. After exploring the area and watching more wild wallabies hopping about, we returned to Palm Beach on the ferry again and had a 'fish and chips' lunch together. What a beautiful day." Helena from Brazil said "Everything here from the sea to the hills and the trees is breathtaking... really gorgeous. It was so wonderful to see the wallabies and the joey." Fabiana from Argentina said "This is my first time here and I can't believe how beautiful it is. It doesn't feel like we are in Sydney. Also I have never had fish and chips before. I liked that too."
Maewill Staff Bonnie said "Today we set off for bowling, but decided that since it was such a nice day, we would go to Dee Why beach instead! The sun was shining, the surfers were out in force (we saw a few Maewill students with their surfboards)and people were everywhere enjoying the warm weather. We sat on the stairs and bought some ice-creams (Jerry and Lin bought 2!). The students put their feet in the water, but Leo did one better and went across the road and bought some boardshorts, and went for a swim! It was a great day by the beach." - Bonnie Jerry from China said "The waves are so beautiful" Leo from China said "The water is very nice, it is not too cold"
WHO IS THIS?
- You can have a look at other students' profiles here.
Name: Bettina Spaeck
Age: 32
Country: Germany
When did you arrive in Australia? 07.11.2008
Where do you live in Sydney? Newport
Likes: Swimming, Walking, Reading, Siteseeing
Favourite Food: Thai, Pasta, Sausage
Favourite Music: Jazz, Blues, Chill out, Salsa
Favourite Movie: Ratatouille
What are your study objectives? Emprove my English
What are your future ambitions? I would like to stay in Australia
What's the meaning of life? Enjoy your life
Name: Rodolfo Espinoza Chavarria
Age: 26
Country: Peru
When did you arrive in Australia? 25 January 2009
Where do you live in Sydney? North Curl Curl
Likes: Sports, Music, Girls
Favourite Food: Peruvian Food
Favourite Music: Rock, Salsa
Favourite Movie: 300
What are your study objectives? Improve my English,
What are your future ambitions? I would like to do the IELTS Exam. I like to be an AUSSIE in the future.
What's the meaning of life?
Name: Amy Zhou Xinyi
Age: 17
Country: China
When did you arrive in Australia? 11.11.2008
Where do you live in Sydney? North Curl Curl
Likes: Arts, Dancing, Music, Design
Favourite Food: Salad
Favourite Music: pop music
Favourite Movie: high school music
What are your study objectives? go to high school
What are your future ambitions? I would like to go to the university and become an artist
What's the meaning of life? explore the world
Name: Pavol Kuba
Age: 31
Country: Slovakia
When did you arrive in Australia? June 2006
Where do you live in Sydney? Manly
Likes: money, sport, girls, food
Favourite Food: Steak fillets and salad
Favourite Music: Rock and Pop
Favourite Movie: James Bond 007
What are your study objectives? I will keep studying English to improve it.
What are your future ambitions? Personal Trainer in Australia
What's the meaning of life? enjoy your life
Name: Vazira Ibragimova
Age: 16
Country: Uzbekistan
When did you arrive in Australia? 04.01.2009
Where do you live in Sydney? Dee Why
Likes: swimming, dancing, learning French
Favourite Food: pilov (rice, carrot, meat)
Favourite Music: hip hop, classic music
Favourite Movie: Hancook, Wanted.
What are your study objectives? High School
What are your future ambitions? I would like to go to university and become an economist
What's the meaning of life? Family!!!
ASK A QUESTION
Do you have a question about studying in Australia, grammar or vocabulary? The Maewill English College staff and teachers are ready to help you.
TEST YOUR GRAMMAR ONLINE
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If you would like to put a message here please click here
or you can talk to Mae, Cynthia and Lyssa.
MESSAGE: Fully furnished room for rent in Dee Why (Oaks.Av.) close to everythyng. For couple $160 p/w + 2 weeks bond. From single $130p/w + 2 weeks bond. This is fully furnished 2 beroom unit, share with other students.
NAME: Paul
NUMBER: 0401051009
EMAIL: pavolp@mec.edu.au
- Photos here
ACCOMMODATION WANTED
If you would like to put a message here please click here or you can talk to Mae, Cynthia and
Tathiana.
FOR SALE
Furniture, bikes, cars, surfboards, books...
If you would like to sell something on this site please click here
or you can talk to Mae, Cynthia or Tathiana.
The Maewill Trust trading as Maewill English College
Telephone: 61 2 9939 4311 Fax: 61 2 9939 4960
Address: Level 2, 14 William Street, Brookvale, NSW 2100, Australia
Website: www.mec.edu.au
CRICOS provider code : 01558j
General Enquiries: principal@mec.edu.au
Enquiries in Portuguese: cynthiam@mec.edu.au
Enquiries in Spanish: ayelenc@mec.edu.au
Enquiries in Russian: mfreilikh@mec.edu.au
Enquiries in Japanese: yukon@mec.edu.au
Enquiries in Czech and Slovak: jarkaf@mec.edu.au
Enquiries in Hungarian: info@aiec.hu
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