So here it is. Easter Sunday,7.45pm. You reckon Bournemouth is sleeping, going to church and relaxing with a nice Sunday roast? You´re slightly mistaking there I fear…
Bass booms up to the reception of Glendevon Hotel, hard laughs and loud shouts are swinging alongside: It´s IP Karaoke Night! Some 30 kids have gathered in the IP Ocean to enjoy yet another night of fun and excitement – but here is what happened so far…
Saturday afternoon, it´s nice and sunny outside in Stuttgart, the first kids are checking in and put their bags into the baggage compartments of our big and comfortable bus. The bus drivers throw in some jokes and we are heading of, ready to drive through the night. After a trip without any problems at all the two buses reached Bournemouth within five minutes. Now that´s what you would call good timing!
The kids living in host-families were mostly picked up by their families, the kids could check into the hotel. At least in an ideal world: Some of the rooms were still getting cleaned, but after a short while of the kids could move in. The day passed by in an instance with the town wanting to be explored during a walk across town. Again we had the best weather possibly imagineable for this time of year, lucky us! Some great knowledge in the fields of music, celebrities, films and common knowledge was revealed later on during a pub-quiz in the  Ocean and with that we closed day number one. I assume everyone was sleeping like a baby that day after the bus-ride and the moving in.
With some smallish problems for some students to find the school the placement test was held on Monday – after all learning English should be the most valuable outcome of the trip. So classes were held for the first time before going for some lunch around the square – Bournemouth´s lively town centre. In the afternoon the beach was conquered: soccer, rugby and baseball with a bunch of motivated and talented kids made for good fun. The less sportive or just relaxed ones had a lovely walk across the beach promenade. Followed by a good dinner in the host-families or the hotel the crew was ready for outdoor adventures again: Capture the flag! The sun set an end to the games as darkness took over and the second day ended with the promise to repeat this activity.
Classes were all settled in and started properly on Tuesday, day number three. It was the day with the first half-day trip to the Jurassic Coast. So we bussed down and had to withstand some rain on our way there, fortunately it would only be during the bus ride and we could enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage Site in cloudy though dry weather. Climbing the cliffs and taking pictures while airborne, walking along the spectacular coast or just enjoying the view – opportunities were plentyful and everyone was tired but happy when we got to the point we were getting picked up by our bus to get back to Bournemouth.
(weiterlesen…)