What historical event in your country has had a major effect on your country? Give reasons and examples to support your response.
Out of the many important historical events in my home country, Germany, I think the Berlin Wall was one of the most important, because we can still feel the consequences. It divided not only Berlin, but the whole nation.
After Germany had lost the 2nd World War, it was divided into four parts ruled by England, France, the United States and the Sowjet-Union. While the first three powers wanted to rebuilt Germany and help it becoming a democratic nation again, the Sowjet-Union wanted it to be part of their communistic regime. So the east part of Germany had been cut off from the west part. After a while, thousands people started to flee the east part to live with their families or friends. As a result, the Sowjets built the Berlin Wall, so nobody could flee the country any more. Nevertheless, people tried to escape. Some of them were killed by Sowjet soldiers in the attempt, others were smarter and build secret tunnels under the Wall.
Over the years, the two parts of Germany developed differently, as they were ruled by completely opposite regimes. When the Wall fell in 1989, the country was whole again and everybody, not just reunited families, couples or friends, was happy. But the economy and the standard of living in the east were completely different form the wests, thus the government started to invest in the east. Consequently, billions of Euros were transferred and still are transferred to cities and factories in the east. Despite all the effort, there are still major problems in the east, such as unemployment, poverty and no perspective for especially young people. So many of these young people leave the eastern part to live and work in the western part, therefore the situation doesn’t improve.
In the last few years, polls showed that many people want the Wall back. Almost 20 years after the Wall was broken down, it is still a current issue for our country, which won’t be solved in the near future.
by Elisa Alber, an Advanced student at Languages International
24 December 2008
Essays from our Students: Part 4
23 December 2008
Essays from our Students: Part 3
Most people think that being famous is heaven, but in fact it’s more like hell. What do you think?
For many people, being famous seems to be heaven for several reasons. I think the biggest attraction is the money, as famous people naturally seem to have lots of it. As a result, you have all the things that come with the money, for instance a big mansion, a fancy car, expensive dresses or jewelry. Then there are all the exclusive parties where you meet all these apparently interesting people, and, last but not least, everybody knows you, seems to be interested in you and wants to be friends with you.
I don’t quite agree with that, I personally think the shady sides to being famous, which I will discuss in the next paragraph, outnumber the good things.
Now I will discuss some reasons why being famous is more like hell than heaven. Firstly, the fact that everybody knows you could soon get on your nerves, since everybody knows everything about you, every time you go out on the streets you are followed by paparazzi or fans and you have no private life at all. Moreover, you might have a stalker and need bodyguards all the time. In addition to that, I think it is hard to cope with the people in show business, as most of them are ruthless and fake and you can’t trust anyone. If you want to see the effect of that, just have a look at Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse.
As I was saying earlier, in my opinion being famous is more like hell than heaven. It is way more important to me to have a private life than having a 100m yacht or a ridiculously big house with 10 bathrooms and a waterfall in the living room. I prefer walking through the streets without anybody noticing me, not being constantly surrounded by a bunch of people. In conclusion I can say that I don’t think you need loads of money or fame to have fun and live a good life.
by Elisa Alber, an Advanced student at Languages International
22 December 2008
Essays from our Students: Part 2
“Most people think that being famous is heaven, but in fact it’s more like hell”
No doubt everyone is trying to catch up to their idols and, so to speak, is trying to be famous. Normally you work hard to achieve your goals and do all the social offerings to prove yourself and live out your personality but all in all you just want to be recognized and, quite honestly, to be a little bit famous. People imagine themselves sitting on a lovely private beach with a hot guy next to them bathing in the sun and caring about anything. To tell the truth they think that’s the life of a celebrity.
Maybe that’s heaven. Actually even I would enjoy myself on a yacht and doing nothing or spending my holidays in one of the most expensive hotels in town wearing glittering and sparkling brand clothes. But is being famous really like that? Surely you can imagine yourself eating a cookie and everybody else in the world would see how the crumbs are sticking to your lips in a high definition photograph of a gossip magazine? Do you think you just have to do one little thing to get into the Olympus of the beauties and riches and you’ll stay there forever? In my opinion staying in heaven is hard work.
And there hell begins. Obviously being on an A-list isn’t that much fun as most people think. Imagine every step you take or even just consider doing, is watched, discussed and even judged. You won’t be able to go anywhere without people screaming at you and losing consciousness. Of course every failing will be shown in every dumb TV show around the world and still, after a certain time you’ll just be another nobody in a huge crowd of once-were-famous people, which is even worse I guess. I think the sacrifice for a glamorous lifestyle is too big to be made. If you’re not borne up there in “heaven” you have to work hard and it’s difficult to cope with the daily expectations and tasks. Naturally it is not you who decides who is famous: you’ll be depending on the media.
Presumably you still think it’s heaven, mind you it is the fittest who will survive and very quickly you can fall the long way down to hell. And believe me, it’s hard to get out of there.
by Aline Giger, an Advanced student at Languages International
19 December 2008
Essays from our Students: Part 1
“Most people think that being famous is heaven, but in fact it is more like hell”
Why do people want to be famous? You look at all those glossy magazines featuring some people in their drunk state or just during a “bad hair” day saying terrible, and more than often, insulting things. Isn`t it ironic? They wanted to be famous, so people would read about them. They wanted to be rich, so they could go to clubs and buy big yachts. They wanted to “rock the world”. But all we, “ordinary people”, see are drunk or drug parties, “big boy toys”, tones of make-up to cover “oh-not-so-beautifully-idealistic” faces, and designed labeled clothes (each day a new outfit) covering the lack of identity, taste and even more: Talent.
Who are celebrities? How does modern society define them? More than often, it`s a person who did or said something outrageous. Something that evoked discussion and divided the society(and here I must point out, that when I use a term “society” in present context – I mean people who interest themselves in this kind of “entertainment”) into two debating parts. Or, it is a persona who did a film or a song, which due to it`s controversial content or well organized marketing and promotion campaign, became known worldwide, recognized and talked about during “five o`clock” tea-parties.
But what about real artists? I mean actors, musicians, artists, authors and so on, who have THE TALENT, but not recognized or just underestimated for some reason. I can name a dozen of them straight away! The reasons for ignorance towards them are vast, different and not dependent on each other. For example: talented people are more interested in independent works, because Hollywood these days has became such a cliché, or they do not have good agents, or they are from “non-popular” countries, or because they do not speak English, or because they are more than happy where they already are. Nowadays, interest in theaters is slipping. More and more plays are set in adaptation, the majority of which are not “very socially” accepted, though there are still wonderful Actors and Authors. Unfortunately, now every aspect of Art is commercialized, i.e. the only way to keep the audience`s attention – is to SHOCK them…
For me, there lies the Grand Canyon between celebrities and Artists. They have different life-goals, expectations, ambitions, life-priorities and the ways of fulfilling their lives. Celebrities want, NO, desire Fame and Money and those “little” attributes, which come inside the package. The problem is they do not really know: what for? What to do with it when they got it? How to spent those enormous sums of money? So they are buying mansions and castles, cars and the latest computer gadgets, clothes and cosmetics. The list is endless. Artists do not usually have as much money as celebrities, so instead of indulging themselves, they try to invest in another project or simply to support their families.
…Then there is a matter of attention, which includes the need of hiring 24/7 bodyguards, and leads to issue of trust and therefore the whole process of “making new friends” or simply staying in touch it old ones…That’s not hard. It’s simple matter of mature and activation of grey-matter.
There is a “bigger” matter, and it is about ambition. We all want to find our own niche and place in life, so our years on Mother-Earth would not be spent in vain. How does one do it? We try to express ourselves as best we can and, at the same time, to “make the world a better place”. Unfortunately, the majority keep in their mind only self-indulgence and self-pleasuring. The other, naturally lesser, part is desperately struggling with global problems and concerns, trying to chase two rabbits at the same time: to cure and to raise awareness to the majority. Yes, here we are speaking about charities…There are celebrities, who yes, donate thousands and millions, or simply become a “face” of a charity…To me it sounds very much like one of those cosmetic campaigns…
That is a very good example for explaining terms “do-er” and “say-er”. The latter one would be just babbling non-stop about the issue, but would not do a thing about it. The interesting part here is that he/she would actually believe that he is doing something. The most funny thing about it, though, is that society reacts! Fans of celebrities always support the charities their “stars” are “presenting”.
The “do-er”, on the other (and better) hand, would not talk much, but try to change the present and oh-not-so-pleasant situation. Would you like an example? Easily: Jamie Oliver! For years parents and medics have been complaining about poor and unhealthy food in schools. Mr. Oliver went to schools and taught pupils how to prepare a healthy and balanced food easily. That is a difference, isn’t it?
I cannot say for sure whether the life of a celebrity is heaven or hell, not only because I do not know much about it, but because you cannot be so minimalistic about something. It is a Life after all. I cannot be good or bad. We all have our expectations and images. But it is pretty much like “neighbor’s grass is greener ”… We do want something when we do not have it, and the moment we become proud owners – we lose interest in it completely! That is a human nature – that is how our world spins. Everything has it`s own advantages and disadvantages, the real difference and significance, though, is the opportunities to make use of them.
by Anastasia Povazhnaya, an Advanced student at Languages International
12 December 2008
My Homestay Family
My name is Eva. This is my first time in New Zealand. I looked forward to my new life in New Zealand, though I felt uneasy about everything.
I am staying with a host family in Birkenhead. Before I came to Auckland I thought that if I wanted to go to the supermarket I would have to drive for a long time. In fact, Auckland is a convenient city. There is a shopping mall close to my home-stay.
My host family is very warm and friendly. They are good at cooking. Our dinner is always on time even though they are sometimes very busy with their work. They are kind and responsible. My host brother had his 21st birthday party. It was the first time I went to a birthday party in New Zealand. Before that I prepared a birthday present with my friends. It was a special experience for me.
In our free time we arrange roses in a vase, talk about women’s favourite - LV in shopping web-site. I enjoy my new life in New Zealand.
Eva is a Lower-Intermediate student at Languages International
“Russian Community” Leads the Way in IELTS
This month the Languages International IELTS results in Auckland were particularly impressive, as the average pass mark among the Russian students reached 7.5. Congratulations to our students and their teachers, who worked so hard towards these results! The IELTS certificate is one of the most highly-valued English language qualifications in the world and is often viewed as “the ticket” to the most prestigious degrees. Some of our IELTS students are now planning to go to universities in New Zealand while others are looking at doing their postgraduate courses in Europe.
Well done Vladimir, Mariya, Boris, Ilia, Roman, Alla and other IELTS students. Enjoy the rewards of your hard work and have a well deserved holiday break!
11 December 2008
New Zealand
My name is Ali. I am from Saudi Arabia. Before I came to New Zealand, I read and heard about this country from some friends who visited it. They said it's a beautiful country, and the people are lovely. And the kiwi bird lives only here! I was surprised that the population of New Zealand is 4 million people, while the number of sheep and cows is more than 70 million.
I chose New Zealand to learn English, because in my opinion, it's better for learning than other countries, such as Australia, Canada and America.
The most memorable experience I had in New Zealand is seeing the iceberg. It was the first time in my life, before that I had only seen snow on television.
I haven’t traveled to all the cities in New Zealand yet. I am living in Auckland and I have been to Rotorua and Taupo. There are many activities and tourist sites and a beautiful landscape there! I really liked the Maori village.
I am planning to travel to other cities of this beautiful country, where I will have guided tours to see the beautiful features of the country.
Ali is a Lower-Intermediate students at Languages International
10 December 2008
Sailing...and Swimming!
My name is Ji Hea. I am from Korea. Last Saturday I went sailing with my school friends and three teachers. We were relaxing on the boat, some people were swimming and some were fishing. I also wanted to swim so I jumped into the sea. Before I came to New Zealand I learnt to swim for four months, so I thought I could swim. But… I started to sink… Oh my god! I couldn’t swim at all! But I still wanted to play in the water, so I asked the Captain of the boat if I could have a life preserver. He let me have it and I stayed in water! I had a really great time!
Ji Hea is a Lower-Intermediate student at Languages International
09 December 2008
Unexpected and Surprising Things Can Happen on Social Programme Activities
I have been to a Social Programme event twice in 3 months, "BBQ party at St Heliers Bay" and "Pubs tour".
I enjoyed them because they gave me time to talk with students who I have never met, and shared our experiences and knowledge, so I spent most of the time on talking and drinking.
The best part of this Social Programme is getting to know everyone and hearing everyone's different perspectives and feelings, and we can get discounted price.
However, sometimes unexpected and surprising things can happen. When I went to the BBQ party and I was eating a sausage, many sea-gulls came to me, and wanted food, so I gave them it.
Most Social Programmes are difficult to do at my flat or without school, so it is pretty different.
By Jae Jun Ha, a student at Languages International
08 December 2008
Host Family House Feels a Bit Like Home
My name is Denise Chopard and I'm from Switzerland. Now my three months at Languages International are over and I've a lot to tell. The main reason I studied English here is the great landscape, the nature and it's also really close to Asia. Actually, the real reason is, I'm a traveller and this language is important.
For my stay here I've chosen a host family. It was a good opportunity for practicing English and you also have the chance to learn something about the culture from citizens.
Now I know, it has been a good idea. I'm staying with a really nice, funny and friendly family. We have a lot of fun and interesting conversations. You can talk about God and the world. Another advantage is a host family house feels a little bit like home. You don't have to stay alone and you can have a social life as well.
Of course it's not as independent as a flat, but there are a lot of comfortable things.
I've my own bedroom, the food is always delicious. The best thing is they found out what my favourite food was and then they cooked it especially for me on an extra big plate.
If you would like to live in an interesting place and discover Auckland, your homestay family can help you do such things.
Come, and enjoy yourself! It's a great chance!
Small World in Christchurch
Are you living in a homestay?
You must be kidding me!
We’re students from Languages International in Christchurch, we started living in a homestay but now we’re living in a flat.
Homestays are good, you don’t need to clean and you don’t have to cook your dinner, but in the homestay you don’t have so much freedom and you don’t have any choice about your meals and your times.
Homestays are full of rules and you might not get used to them, so we decided to move to a flat. Nowadays we know how good living by yourself is, sharing a house with people from different parts of the world.
In our house there are people from six countries, Brazil, South Korea, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, England and Ireland. In our house we usually eat different kinds of food from different countries, and everybody is increasing their cooking skills, learning how to prepare food from each country.
Today we’re going to decorate our house for Christmas and probably we’ll have Christmas in Swedish style, but before Christmas we’ll have a Brazilian barbecue.
Living in the flat we’re saving money and having a lot of fun, but without forgetting to study!
By Rafael Almeida and Myung Jun Jang from Languages International Christchurch.
Sailing Saturday.
New experiences in NZ!
Languages International students from Bryony's class share their new experiences in New Zealand:
Silvan:
One of my best experiences in New Zealand was visiting Hobbiton (Matamata), because I love the movie Lord of the Rings. I saw the beautiful landscapes in the tv. My girlfriend and I drove with Kiwiana Tours. We saw all the Hobbit holes included Bilbos home and the party tree of Hobbiton. I’ll never forget it.
We also went to Hot Water Beach near Coromandel. I loved digging my own holes at the beach. After the hard work we could relax swimming in our hot pool.
Ali:
Last holiday, my family went to Rotorua. It's five hours from Auckland. We rode small cars on the luge, went to a Maori village and watched the lions feeding at the zoo.
We went to a beautiful lake near Rotorua and swam in the Polynesian spa. After that we went rafting. It was a lovely day.
Min:
My great experience is to meet other country friends in New Zealand. They are very kind, friendly and funny. If they leave here, I'll miss them. Probably, when I finish school I'll start to travel in New Zealand and other countries. In the future I hope to meet them in their country.
Aerang:
I have an international driver’s license but it's valid for just one year. So I have to take a test in NZ. I'm scared because the driver’s side of the car in NZ is different from Korea.
I practiced driving two weeks ago. My husband taught me. I drove very well and was good at roundabouts. Sometimes I enjoyed speeding up. I thought I was doing well, but accidentally I went reverse. It was terrible.
I must practice more. I mustn't forget to drive on the left in NZ!!
Abdulaziz:
I visited Waiheke Island by ferry and good view. I played sliding on the beach and swum. I like nature there and relaxing.
Student of L.I.:
I would like to talk about the PUB in Auckland. If you don't like to drink alcohol, it's not a problem! You can go with your friends to share a great moment of discussion and fun! You can discover a new culture, in Irish or Belgium pub for example! If you are alone, phone me, and I'll arrive! Daniel:
One day I went to free market in TAKAPUNA. The market is crowded. Some people singing songs, some people playing guitar. This is my first time to walk around in NZ.
Raina:
I went on a 4 day trip with friends. It was boring in the bus, but we saw many beautiful places with cows, horses and lambs. In Rotorua, we visited the lake, the museum, the geysers... and had a 'polynesian spa'. In Taupo I went skydiving. It was as if I was with angels but it was very cold 15,000 feet. If I could, I will repeat yet without hesitation. In Waitomo we visited some caves and German rabbits. It was so coool!!! It was an unforgettable experience!!!
Making Friends from Around the World
Two Languages International students from Scott's intermediate class share their experiences of making friends from around the world:
About my friends
When I came to Language International school, I didn’t know anything. I couldn’t see my Korean friends, and I couldn’t speak English as well. Actually, I hadn’t met foreigners before. I just met English teacher in Korea. Even first my class doesn’t have Korean for 5 weeks. But it was good for my English. I should speak English until break time. At that time, my class was a new class. Everyone started school on the same day. Nobody had friends, so we could make friends easily.
First when I came to New Zealand, I was so bored and lonely. I wanted to go back to Korea. But after I made friends, I really like here. Now I have many friends. Someone can wonder how can I make foreign friends. Actually English skill is not important to make friends. My English is also bad. But now I live with my foreign friends. Some other friends said me and my flat mate “Family” I think we are good friends and good family too. I don’t think I’m lonely anymore.
- Dami
Friends I made from different countries
My name is Yu Chi,came from Taiwan. I've been here about four weeks. It's easier to make friends who came from the same country, but I am trying to make some friends from different countries.
It was very unlucky that my first day at school was a labor holiday, and definitely nobody there. When I felt helpless and didn't know what to do, I saw another new student just stand there. He looked a little bit nervous just like me. So maybe it was fortunate that we all didn't know today was a holiday. Therefore, he was my first friend here. His name is Antonio. He's Spanish.
He is a very friendly person,and likes to make friends from everywhere. He taught me a lot of things about his country and culture. Sometimes, he shared his Spanish food with us, enjoyed our lunch time together. As a result, known how to cook some Spanish food,and if you want to join their dinner, the better time is after 8 pm.
Now, have some friends here, and definitely they were from different countries. It's not only a good way to meet different people here, but also you can learn their cultures and languages. Finally, the best thing is you will have friends all over the world.
- YuChi
Student Social Life
Three Languages International students from Scott's intermediate class write about student social life in Auckland:
Hey Dear,
We would like to tell you something about the social life in Auckland and the Language International school. Tatiana from Russia, 25 years old will give you some information about the social life in our free time, Jason from Taiwan, 25 years old can tell you something about the social life in the school and Regina from Switzerland, 22 years old will give you some impressions about the social life in the streets.
Social Life in the free time:
Studying in New Zealand is not only an opportunity to get high quality education, but also a unique chance to see and estimate the beauty and richness of this small country.
The students have loads of attractive alternatives spending their free time, because our school works together with Kiwiana Tour providing students exciting activities in Auckland and around New Zealand. There is so much choice allows each student to take the most interesting excursion.
For adventurous people will be incredibly interesting to take a walk around the peak of the famous Sky Tower, feel the thrill of bungee jumping and white-water or black water rafting.
If you are a calm person you can go to famous historical places, museums or art galleries where you will learn about ancient culture of Maori. Also you can rent a car and enjoy the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere of fantastic beaches and waterfalls which surround New Zealand.
However, the social program is not just one chance, anytime you can easily go out with friends because there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, bars, cinemas, night clubs there.
- Tatiana
Social Life in the School:
Language International is a nice and beautiful language school. We have 5 buildings in Albert Park of the city center. We have a quiet and comfortable environment to learn English especially the “Learning Centre”. We could learn about the listening, reading, speaking and the writing by PC, DVD, CD and books. Also I study or do homework with my friends in there. And I can borrow books to read at home from learning centre. When I have some free time, I would like to have some drinks and chat with my friends in “Student Canteen” and many students eat lunch there.
Our school has many students from different countries. We are from Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Russia, Taiwan, and Thailand…etc. and we have “Social Program” everyday. If you want have some socials after school, you can join that or ask Regina & Tatiana.
- Jason
The social life in the streets:
The social lilfe in the streets is really "easy going". The people here are open and kind. When you're going out, it's so easy to find a good conversation.
But as swissmate you shouldn't say anything about Alinghi. Actually they're not really keen on our won of the Americas Cup. This conversation could be a little bit more aggressive :-).
The most confusing thing for me was, the Kiwis ask you everywhere "How are you?". It doesn't matter how or where you are. Always this question! That's quite nice but everyone ask you and first I didn't know what I should answer. Should I tell them my real feelings or aren't they interesting in me? Or should I just say anything? I think the most polite way is to say "I'm fine, thanks" and than you can replay the question. It's a friendly way to say "hello".
I think the most important thing for you is; be open too and don't be shy. The Kiwis don't care when your English isn't so perfect. But some Kiwi slang is good to know:
sweet as: Chill out, take it easy, anything goes
bro: short form from brother and means, hey friend, mate
primo: fantastic, awesome, sounds great
cheers: is like, Thanks see you
Kia Ora: Maori greeting, means hello
Enjoy your time here!
- Regina
New Students - Don't Worry Be Happy
Three students from Scott's intermediate class share their experiences of being a new student at Languages International:
Jack:
Hello our school new students. I’m jack from Korea. I’m going to tell you about our school social programme. When you feel a bit nervous and alone at first time, I’d like to recommend you to join our school social programme. Our school has a special activity programme. We call it ‘the social programme’. You are able to join our school social programme every weekday and on weekends. It has lots of activities. For example, going to the pub, watching a movie, having a party, going to the beach etc.
Lots of students like to join the social programme, so you are able to meet our school mates on the social programme. Our school teachers also go to social programme. I think it is a good chance to make a strong relationship with our school mates. If you want to join the social programme, you must go to reception and book the social programme.
I know you’re a lucky person because you’re a student at our school, which is the best school in Auckland. New students !!! Don’t worry about anything. Just open your mind and enjoy your school life. Good luck for you and I wish everything would be a success. Thanks !!!
Farah:
Hi everybody! My name is Farah. I’m an 18-year-old French student from New Caledonia. I would like to tell you how your first day in Languages international will be. It could be summed up in one sentence: “Don’t worry be happy!!!”
In fact, on the first day you are not alone; you are with others new students, and it’s your first opportunity to make new friends.
In the morning, teachers explain our school system to you, and you do a test (writing test in the computer and oral test with a teacher). Don’t worry about this test: it’s not an exam or a degree!!^^. It’s only to know your level.
After the test, you have your lunch time.
In the afternoon, a student advisor who can speak your language gives you precious information about Auckland (or Christchurch) like public transports, he or she gives you too a map and the most important thing your student ID. With this you can have discount in several shops and attractions, and on this card you can find an emergency number in case you have a problem: so your student advisor will become your translator.
After these “formalities” you visit the Learning Centre where you can find of course teachers who can help you, and all supports to study English too like DVD, books, audio books, newspaper, audio books, and teachers’ books.
After visiting all buildings, the student advisor shows you where you can open a bank account, where you can eat at lunch time around the school, where you can send your postcards…
After visiting the area you are free and your first day of courses will begin the next morning.
In conclusion I would like to say don’t forget this sentence during all your stay abroad … “Don’t worry be happy!!!”
Linda:
The first day in school, you will attend the orientation. They’ll introduce our school surrounding、equipment、cafeteria、reception and courses. Also, on the same day, you have a placement test. Don’t worry about it. The test just shows what your level is. Through the test, you will be arranged to the class which is suitable for you.
For instance, my morning class teacher, Scott, he is a very good teacher. When I don’t realize the meaning or grammar, he always use other sentence or vocabulary to explain to me. Also, you can learn day life words or phrase different from the textbook. In addition, you have a lot of chance to practice your speaking in class by the conversation with your classmates. Not just routine teaching, you can learn English well from the happy atmosphere.
Different the morning class, my afternoon class is IELTS course. The IELTS course provide generally English and academic materials about reading and writing. You can learn it step by step. About the speaking , teacher will give you the similar topic to practice with other students . Also you can learn how is best way to answer and where you have to aware. The skill you learn from the IELTS course can be helpful and useful. If you want to improve your English or you intention to take part in the IELTS exam, come to join it.
Our school is near the Albert Park, a lot of the plants and trees around you. The best surrounding for you and the best teachers and students from different countries can help you. How can you refuse it. Just be a happy new student and enjoy your school life.
Students Learn about Maori Culture at Marae on Waiheke Island
Three Languages International students from Scott's intermediate class write about their experiences on a TIME Unlimited trip to a Marae on Waiheke Island.
Daniel Auer:
The first time I’ve heard about the Maori was at home, when I planed the trip to Aotearoa (New Zealand). The Maori came from Polynesia by Kayak to the Island and were the first settlers there. The Haka, a special war dance looks quite scary, but actually it is just a kind of culture to check out the meaning from the opposite. When James Cook and with him the Crone of England came to New Zealand, the Maori couldn’t as lives as before. The white human thought and sometime think as well, they are better then each other and the land is there own. Many wars happened and some places are absolutely religious since this time.
Last weekend, I was together with some other people in Waiheke Island to visit a Marae. The Maori came together in this place, to celebrate a wedding or to protect a people witch are in trouble. The traditional food called «Hangi » was delicious. We could also learn the « Haka » dance and other things, for the Maori absolutely important habits.
Ha GaYeon:
This weekend, I’m going to a Marae on Waiheke island! I heard Marae is the area of Maori people. I’ll learn Maori’s special way of greeting, their legend, dancing, food, song and their own life style. The most exciting thing is all tourists will sleep in one special historical place which has no rooms. I hope and I think, I could feel some special Maori spirit at there.
I’ve been to the Marae last weekend! It was awesome!! All food and Maori people were great! They were always so kind and warm. I met various nationality people and we did everything together and we every time laughed. First of all, We did Hongi (which is their special greeting that touch other’s nose by your nose) to all over 40 people!! painting Special Maori pattern on our own clothes, weaving some bracelet(or basket), peddling, making Maori bread(it was so simple and tasty!), dancing Haka (which is dance of war), making Hangi (which is very traditional food cooked by heat of the earth) etc. I also could feel Maori spirit when they prayed in Maori language, sang song and danced. Before something start, they always prayed and they really love to singing! Perhaps you might not feel enough from my writing. Just go and feel them!
Aikiko:
Maori people are the first people in New Zealand. I think they came from Samoa or some other island.
Anyway I went to Waiheke Island. I had a good experience. I was really looking forward to go to there. They had a lot of different things. I made some nice T-shirts that have a Maori design. Maori people are so fashionable. And then I went paddling, that was a little bit hard for me but the view was beautiful.
At the time I learned a lot. For example the Maori language (Kiaora means “Hello”) and a traditional dance that’s called the Haka. The Haka was so fun to dance. It was brilliant, and we went to one special place that was a meeting house. Everybody slept in there together. Also I learned a special way of greeting. When Maori meet people,they touch each others noses. When I touched noses , I felt more close to them. The Maori food that they called Hangi was so delicious. They made a hole under the sand and put in some hot river stones. It was very interesting. I made a bracelet from leaves. It was so difficult and complicated. But the Maori people helped me.
They are kind and helpful. I learned a lot from the Maori people.
