Our last day together

Here we are already, facing the last post to finish off our California adventure. Today, the students have a few hours of free time to shop and explore the city. We will reconvene after lunch for a classic cable car ride, past the famously twisty Lombard Street, up to Coit Tower. From there, students should have good views of the Golden Gate Bridge, baring the fog that partially obscured the bridge yesterday. We will visit the North Beach area of San Francisco on our way to Chinatown. Upon our return to the hotel, students will have a bit of time to freshen up before we go to Mel’s Diner for our last dinner together. The students are feeling a mix of emotion, sadness to be leaving this experience behind, happiness to be returning to family and friends and we are sure there will be plenty of laughter and tears tonight and tomorrow at the airport.

Goodbye to Isla Vista, hello San Francisco

Sorry for the delay! Our internet connection has not been reliable of late and my posts keep getting cut off. To catch you up…

Friday: Our last day in Isla Vista. We were all a little sad on Friday morning as it was our last day in our “home”. To lift our mood, we went in to Santa Barbara and celebrated Fiesta with the locals. I think we would all agree that breaking the confetti filled eggs over each others heads was our favorite part of the festival.

Saturday: Bags packed, we were on the bus by 9 a.m., heading first to Santa Cruz’s famous boardwalk and then on to Stanford University before reaching our final destination: San Francisco. It had already been a long day so we opted for a quick dinner as a group in Union Square followed by ice cream and some time to relax in the hotels.

Sunday: Up early, we packed so much into one day; I am not sure how we managed it all! We started with a short walking tour of the areas around our hotels: Union Square, Market Street and the Embarcadero. There was a marathon in San Francisco Sunday morning and the streets were filled with runners, local merchants, music and more. We paused for a visit to the Ferry Building to pick up sandwiches for the day and then headed on to the ferry for Alcatraz.
The prison tour was powerful and, despite the frigid winds, the views of the city from the island were breathtaking. Disembarking from the ferry, we headed over to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf for a true tourist experience. As a special surprise for the students, Isabelle arranged for a limo to return us all to the hotels. Our tired feet were extremely grateful!
The students had dinner stipends and a couple of hours for downtime before we reconvened to head to the movies together. Some students saw the new Mummy movie while others watched Mama Mia. Both groups were extremely happy with their choice. Now, we are all back at the hotel, exhausted and ready for sleep before we get up and start another packed day, our last together, in San Francisco.

Sailing the beautiful California coast

Getting in character for our Abbey Road Film Festival

Earthquake

Just a quick note this morning. I am sure some of you heard that there was an earthquake in California on Tuesday. While it was felt in Santa Barbara, we were in the middle of a dance class and did not feel the earthquake. We were all surprised to learn that one had even occurred. Everyone is safe and well!

Nearing the end

Wow! I can’t believe we have so little time left on our trip! As always, we have been keeping busy this week. Monday, we went to the Ty Warner Sea Center in Santa Barbara for the afternoon. They have a “touching pool” and the students were able to handle different forms of sea life including a shark! Of course, it was a small shark but still…! Today, our lessons were in Santa Barbara instead of Isla Vista. A planned lesson on commands segued into an awesome activity on bad American dance moves. If the moves the students showed us were any indication, I think countries other than America might have some silly dances too! After we finished the lessons, Isabelle taught an amazing hip-hop class for us at a local dance studio. The students are amazing dancers and picked up the choreography very quickly. The routine looked FABULOUS when we put all the steps together to great music. Our dance theme continued tonight after our activity when the fashion show spontaneously turned into a wild dance party with lots of loud music, laughter and fun. Three more days in Isla Vista and then on to San Francisco!

Visiting the Ty Warner Sea Center on Stearn's Wharf

Birthday bowling bash

Evening free time in Santa Barbara

Hollywood

Yesterday, we went together to Hollywood. Students visited the Chinese Theater (with the famous hand and footprints of the stars), strolled the Walk of Fame, explored a Wax Museum and the Guinness Book of World Record’s museum and shopped in the Hollywood and Highland center, all before heading of to see a baseball game! The LA Dodgers game was a highlight for us all! The energy of the crowd was electric and we all got caught up, cheering on the team, singing songs and doing the wave. Of course, the Dodgers winning 6-0 and hitting a few home runs also added to the fun! We were ready for bed when we got home last night and are all looking forward to some quality time at the pool and beach this afternoon to relax and get ready for classes on Monday. More pictures will be posted soon!

Universal Studios

Welcome to the entertainment capital of the world.







It was a day filled with adventure, comedy, and suspense. From the Jurassic Park water ride and the underground Mummy roller coaster, to the four dimensional Shrek show and the explosive Waterworld performance. Everyone was all smiles as we ran from one attraction to the next, snacking on futuristic ice cream and taking breaks under the water jets to keep cool.

The Santa Barbara Old Mission

We're going to the zoo, zoo zoo...

Hello again! The students have been keeping really busy, as always. Monday, we visited the Mission, an old Spanish church in Santa Barbara before heading over to the Teen Center for a couple of hours. There, students were able to check email, play video games, foosball and air hockey among other things. The evening was spent at Signet playing charades and enjoying ice cream sundaes.
Today, after lessons and lunch, we took a bus and two trolleys to arrive at the zoo. The animals were wonderful! I think most people liked the Snow Leopard and Gorillas the most. Our trip back to the bus station took us through a Farmer’s Market full of beautiful fresh produce. Students bought many delicious fruits to share including yellow raspberries – something none of us had ever seen before. Back at Signet, we made candy covered caramel apples before heading out to listen to a jazz band play at a local café. Another full day that has left us all tired and ready for bed!

The best way to stay cool on a hot California day!

Santa Monica Pier

Home Sweet Home

Volleyball Game

Weekend Update

What a busy few days we have had! Friday, we were thrilled to be invited to watch cheerleading skits and performances at Tropicana. All of the students really enjoyed the energy and skill of the girls and we are trying to find a group to give us a cheerleading lesson next week! When the show was over, we came back to Signet and spent the evening playing pool, making s’mores – an American favorite made with toasted marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers – and just enjoying each other’s company.
Saturday, we headed into LA for the first time. Students were able to enjoy shopping at Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade where there are many nice shops and even a Farmer’s Market. From there, we went to the pier to go on rides and play games. Some students even won prizes! Our last stop in LA was Beverly Hills. A trolley took us on a tour of some of the beautiful homes in the area, the Rodeo Drive boutiques and famous Beverly Hills hotels. Our long day in the big city tired us out so we opted for a low key night in Isla Vista, dinner, free-time and a pajama party with movies and popcorn.
Sunday, after sleeping late, we headed into Santa Barbara. Some of us visited the Art Museum while others took advantage of the nice weather to explore State Street and the surrounding area. The afternoon was warm and we all enjoyed time at the pool or playing air hockey and ping-pong at Tropicana. And now, we are ready for a fabulous American tradition – a summer BBQ. Hamburgers and hot dogs are on the grill and chips, salsa and fruit salad are already being enjoyed. We will end our evening with charades and be ready for our lessons tomorrow morning!

Fun in the California Sun

Wow, what a great day!

We started with our first official language lesson; a review on asking questions and finding information, crucial skills when you are traveling in an English speaking country. The kids then had to practice their English skills by finding the answers to a list of questions about UCSB, simply by asking questions to university students on the campus. It was a great way for the group to practice their English and learn more about American university culture.

The afternoon was all fun in the sun! After a tasty hamburger lunch, the group was more than happy to head to the beach. A quick ride on the Santa Barbara trolly took us down State Street and to Santa Barbara's beautiful main beach. The kids played soccer, sunbathed, a few even braved the chilly waters and went for a quick swim. In the afternoon, the students opted to explore Stearn's wharf instead of the Maritime Museum, and were delighted with the sights and attractions and especially with the candy stores and ice cream parlors.

After checking out the local skate park, we walked to Chase Palm Park for an evening concert. It was a typical American outdoor summer concert; families with picnics, children hula-hooping, and everyone dancing and having a good time. Several of our students were serenaded by the Saxophone player, and Antoine taught some Santa Barbarans how to do the Hand Jive!

We finished the evening with large American Pizza's at Rusty's Restaurant on the beach, and spent some time exploring shops and sights in downtown Santa Barbara before heading home, happy and ready for a good night's sleep.

The first taste of life in California

Hello again!
All of the students arrived in the program yesterday, tired from all of their travel but excited to be in California. After finding their rooms and meeting their roommates for the next three weeks, we had a quick meeting with nice snacks provided by the General Manager at our cafeteria. The students were all happy to go to bed early before our first full day in the sun!

Today, the students were able to experience a true American breakfast – sausage, eggs and French toast. There was also toast, yogurt and fresh fruit for anyone just wanting a light meal. We then came back to the house for an orientation and debriefing on the rules of the program. To get to know each other better, we went to the UCSB campus and played ice breaker games. One of the games, human knot, had everyone laughing, even people walking past!
We spent in the city of Santa Barbara where students broke into groups and took pictures in a photo scavenger hunt. Among the photos were a picture of a surfboard, someone in UCSB clothing and their idea of a typical California look. Isabelle developed the pictures and the students shared them with the group after free time this evening.
Still tired from their flight, the students made an early night of it with plans to start classes tomorrow.

A special thank you again to Ellen from Abbey Road who visited us and brought special treats – chocolates and key chains – for each student. So sweet!!

The Countdown Begins

Just a few more days until we are all in beautiful Santa Barbara! I am heading up to the residence tomorrow and will have everything ready to go when you all arrive on Tuesday. I have heard great things about our dinner spot that night -- their carne asada burritos are legendary! Feel free to email me with any last minute questions and check the program pages for packing lists and travel tips.
See you soon!
Ariene