A visit to the Met

Today, after our pronunciation class, some of us decided to go to the Met since it was opened till 9:00 PM and it would give us an opportunity to walked along all its incredible galleries.  To be honest I could not see it all, the museum is so big and I wanted to read everything. 4 hours were not enough.
It was amazing to learn about the Egyptians,  Greeks and Romans; see all those paintings by artists such as Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh and admire the sculptures and the armors. I also enjoyed watching the British Interiors and the American Wing. The experience was so beautiful that I'm certain I will come back before I leave NYC.

Friday at the MET

On Friday afternoon, thirteen of us decided to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Shea. What a great decision!! Our visit started by walking around the Egyptian Wing, then we turned to the American Wing and after that we saw paintings, sculptures, armors and many other Works of Art. What an experience!! Although I stayed there until 7 pm, I know that a second visit to this wonderful place is in store for me.
I've decided to summarize my experience at the MET with this word cloud:

Letterman's Show!!

Last week I got the opportunity to be part of one the shows I have been watching and enjoying for a long time!! I was part of the audience of David`s letterman late night show!
It was amazing to be a part of it, I have watched the show many times, I have even used many of Letterman's intrerwievs to work on some lessons! I was there with a friend and we had a great time there, We could even listen to a rock band who performed on the show!!

A visit to the Public Library

Last Wednesday we were given a free day so Moira, Sabrina, Mariángeles and I decided to see some of the most remarking landmarks of  Manhattan: the Public Library and Grand Central Station.

Although it was a very cold day, the sun was shinning up our heads, it was really beautiful to see the hustle and bustle of the city through that beautiful lens.

When we arrived to the library we were just in time for one of the daily guided tours, which I absolutely recommend. The sights of the building and its architecture are delightful and majestic. The entire building is made out of marble and most of the ceilings are made of plaster.

The guide told us many interesting things, for example the public library holds one of the few copies of the Gutemberg's bible.

Inside the library there are three exhibitions, though we only visited two of them. The first one is a children's literature exhibition that includes the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals that inspired the writer and some Eric Carle's paintings. The second exhibition is related to AIDS activism, specially during the first years of the illness, it was very interesting too. All in all, I absolutely adore the public library, it is such a beautiful place to be!

NBA at the Madison Square Garden

The NBA (National Basketball Association) is the premier men's professional basketball league in the world, while the Madison Square Garden is the most important in-door arena in Manhattan. Being this so, sport and entertainment combine in what is one of the most exciting events to watch here in New York.

Some classmates and I decided to buy tickets for the Nicks vs Celtics match for Tuesday evening. We were very excited about the event from the moment we got the tickets and we were not disappointed at all. I believe it is a cultural aspect of Americans the way they experience these type of events: the cheerleaders, the music, the screens, the lights, the food... it was an on-going show! And fortunately, the Knicks won! So now, I am a fan!

Even if you are not much into sports (I am not), I highly recommend this event if you have the time and can afford the tickets (at least, the cheapest ones). It is something you can only experience here in the USA, and no-where else! ;-)

 

The day we arrived we wanted to go everywhere but we decided to visit Central Park. We started walking, we didn't know where we were and suddenly we came across the "Imagine Circle" at Strawberry Fields, this symbol that makes you feel that Lennon is still alive in his poetry, melody and message.....more than words.....more than sounds........more than thoughts.........remembering you to let it be......and to be what you want to be......

 

 

 

 

Great Expectactions...

 I must confess that visisting the Museum of Modern Art was not one of my first choices as regards free time activities. Now, that I have already been there, I must say that I couldn't have been more mistaken!!! I enjoyed great artists such as Picasso, Monet, Khalo, Rivera, Van Gogh among many others.

Nature Connection

Visiting Central Park

  

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.

William Shakespeare

 Walking around Manhattan and discovering the city I had the need to be in contact with nature and visiting Central Park was a great idea.

    I am amazed by that huge, magical place that is a time out from the hectic rhythm of the city. 

   As I walked the park I enjoyed the snow and discovered lagoons, monuments, lakes, sculptures and so many different ways that one can take a break and relax. 

   I was also surprised to see many people walking their dogs, playing with kids, sliding, running, skiing, riding bikes and many more activities that give life to a leafless park covered by snow.

   Central park is a unique place in the city, I am fortunate I have found my quiet spot.

Tales from the Unexpected...

Being in a hectic place like New York City can give you the chance to experience things you would not expect to see round the corner.
On our first day here we came across a celebrity shooting scenes for his TV programme.

Then on our second day, we made quite a discovery!! Not only did Edgar Allan Poe live round the corner from our residence but he wrote The Raven there... Unbelievable!                                          

"With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion."   

                                                                           Edgar Allan Poe

                     
                                                                          

Visiting the MOMA

Last week I visited the MOMA.
The experience was overwhelming. Personally, I prefer smaller museums, like the Guggenheim, which allow me to walk around calmly and enjoy every artwork.
I loved the top floor, where all the most important artists of the beginning of the 20th Century were displayed (Picasso, the Surrealists, etc).
But what I liked the most was the exhibition "From Hopper to Georgia O' Keefe" because it showed some pictures by Edward Hopper, who, to me, is one of the finest painters of all times. I love the narration in the scenes, the images that keep you wandering what's happening, what's going to happen next, who this woman is, why  she's standing there, etc. Everything is so mysterious and sinister, yet ordinary at the same time.
I took some selfies with the Ipad they lent me for the audio-guide, but they are terrible, so I'm going to upload the most Picasso-esque of them all!

My second week in New York

This is my second week in New York City, I visited The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It's wonderful. When I teach simple past, I sometimes use biographies of celebrities such as Andy Warhol and I could see one of his famous jobs, the Campbell's Soup at this important Museum of Art.

My first self guided tour plus more!

Hi folks!  One of the suggested places for a self guided tour was St Paul 's Chapel on 209 Broadway, just acroos the street from the site of the World Trade Centrer
http://wwwtrinitywallstreet.org/about/st-pauls
My interest in visiting the Chapel was twofold , first because I 'm a religious sort of person and second because  of the history and meaning  behind this chapel.

 This is a picture of the inside of the chapel.

                                                                 The chapel looks SO pretty from the outside with the

                                                           snow covering the grounds and tombs around!

This visit inspired me to visit other churches so I went to St John 's The Baptist as he is the Father of the university! It is a beautiful church too! The church is located near the Highline so next time you are in the area you may want to stop by !

 

 It was nice too to see a statue of St John at the campus in Queens and of course to visit the Church in campus was like the perfect wrap up for this trilogy of church visiting!

 

Week 2 - still amazed!

It’s hard to summarize a week of new experiences in a few lines.
 

In these past few days, I have visited the 9/11 Memorial, Rockefeller Center, the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art and Times Square, among others. But it’s also the little things that make this experience unforgettable. Discovering the house where Edgar Allan Poe wrote “The Raven”, having a hot chocolate after a long day of walking in the snow and chatting with the waiter about his experience as an immigrant, or sharing meals at the residence with my classmates.
 

This trip, the city and its people have, by far, exceeded my expectations. I hope it keeps on surprising me!

An evening at the Metropolitan Museum

Last Monday me and Candela decided to stay warm and safe from the blizzard by visiting the Met museum. First of all, the building itself is quite impressive, I was amazed at the beautiful great hall
We decided to start our tour on the Egyptian art wing. The collection of Egyptian objects and sculptures is incredibly wide and interesting. I liked the Egyptian art wing a LOT.
After that we visited the modern and contemporary art galleries in which the Magritte, Picasso, Pollock and Warhol pieced took our breath away.
Finally, we visited the Asian art wing which, I think, is incredibly beautiful and delighting, many of the scupltures are quite interesting. All in all I think that I definitely have to go back to the Met Museum before heading back to Buenos Aires, there are many are still many more beautiful things to take a look at!

On Saturday I went for a walk around Central Park. It was freezing, yet lots of people didn't seem to care about the cold. This is one of the things that shocked me most at first in this city: people can adapt and get used to any weather. Provided they have good clothes and technology to put up with whatever Mother Nature has in store for them, people will do what they have to do: work, fun, study, etc.
I made a stop at Strawberry fields, were I could enjoy the silence, and when I hit the spot were John Lennon is honored, I had an emotional moment.
Then, I went to the Reservoir, which was frozen. The lake was white and beautiful, runners jogged around it, I wished I liked running so I could enjoy doing sports outdoors in the winter like them.
It is amazing that a city has a park like this. I'm willing to visit Brooklyn and check Prospect Park, which I heard is also breathtaking.

Visit to the 9/11 Memorial

Hi everyone!

Last week I visited the 9/11 Memorial with some of my colleagues. As this is my first time in NYC, I didn't have the chance to see the Twin Towers alive. However, I did witness the tragic moment when this symbol of all the Americans was attacked. I was sixteen, so I didn't get much of what was going on, or of what it truly meant for this nation and the whole world. But I do remember being shocked at what human beings are capable of doing. 

Once in the place, two things stroke my attention. On the one hand, the survivor tree, whose existence I didn't know about. And on the other hand, the fact that whenever it's one of the victim's birthday, someone leaves a white rose on its name. Both things moved me, especially the last one. As a mother, I can only hope for this kind of things never to happen again, so that we leave our children a safe and fair world to live in...

Who cares about the blizzard??? I'm in New York and that's so great!!!

Hi! I'm Ana and this is my very first time in the Big Apple. Who would have thought I would be in the United States? Definitely not me!!
When I was told that I was granted the scholarship I could not believe it. This is once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so happy about it.  So far the experience has been incredible and I'm excited about everything that is to come. My Fulbright mates are amazing and it is a pleasure to be part of such a wonderful group.
Even though it is so cold, I love walking around the city. The people is so polite that I feel comfortable whenever I need to ask someone about directions.
On Monday we started our classes and they were interesting, the teachers are great and I feel so proud to say that I am a student in a NY university. That's awesome.
There tons of places to visit that I am sure these six weeks would not be enough.

My first time in New York

Ene 22 a las 5:15 PM

This is my first time in New York city and I'm really glad to be here. My first impression was great, people in the street are very helpful when I ask for a direction or a store. New Yorkers are polite. I feel fine in this city. We arrived on Monday, witch was a holiday,  we could walk around the housing and we went also to Times Square, it is incredible, I really like it place. I usually watch TLC program and it shows this place and I couldn't believe that I was there. On Tuesday started  snowing and after coming back from University, some of us went to Central Park to see how beautiful it looked.This is our first week at University and on Tuesday we started talking about English Methodology to get more ideas and resources to use in Buenos Aires. Thanks so much for giving this oportunity!

My first week in NYC

This is my first time in New York and I must say it has by far exceeded my expectations. It is and incredibly dynamic city, with tons of surprises waiting for you round the corner. In the few days that I have been here, I have experienced my first blizzard, my first (short) shopping spree, I got lost in the subway and saw my first NY celebrity. I really couldn’t ask for more. This is definitely an experience I will always remember. I feel truly blessed.

NYC First Impression.
As it has been said during the Welcome Breakfast at St. John's, some of us though New Yorkers were a bit rude. However, as soon as we arrived at John F. Kennedy airport on Monday 19th,  I have personally changed my mind. We had to wait for the US Coachways driver to pick us up and take us to our residence. It was very early in the morning, it was really cold and we were quite tired after such a long trip. The bus was delayed and we were coming and going just wondering if we were waiting at the correct place. Suddenly, a very kind and funny woman who seemed to be a police officer appeared and suggested us to go and wait inside the airport so as not to get frozen. Her physical appearance and the way she laughed made me remember Whoopi Goldberg, the main Sister Act actrice. She kindly looked for our bus and thanks to her we could finally start our long-awaited experience at NYC.

NYC

Yesterday Eli suggested going to have some cheese cake! We went to Soho, to a cozy place where we had the most delicious piece of cheese cake! There were twenty of us in a small place, there was almost no room left but it was fun to share the afternooon in a different way.

New Yorkers

I like New Yorkers. Despite the hustle and bustle, the citizens move around in order and quietly. They are committed to the city, and to maintaining a social well being. I find a huge variety of products and services as well as all sorts of people. I hope to be able to socialize more and more, and grasp the essence of NYC!

I want to be part of it, New York New York!

Hi everyone!

I'm twenty-eight years old and I've been teaching English since I was fourteen. However, this is my very first time in an English-speaking country. Thus, I am as excited and thrilled as you can all imagine.

So far, NYC has been good to me. And it's all I had imagined, too. It's a lively, multi-cultural and ordered city, and I can't wait to know more about it.

I've left my family and friends back home, and I miss my daughter so much. And as the rest of us, I've sacrificed my holidays!  But I know this training course will be worth it. I feel so lucky to be part of it!

Apart from EFL, I'm really into ICT and education (in fact, I have a blog on that!), so I'd love to learn more on that field. And it's awesome to be able to do it with my Argentinian colleagues.

BFN!

Mel

First Impressions in NY and at St .John's

This is my second time in New York and I can't stop getting surprised! This city is amazing and the snow makes a totally different landscape. I am really grateful of having such an enrichment experience in this city and at St John's university. Today we had our first class and I found it not only interesting but also engaging. The teachers are really nice and prestigious professionals. I'm looking fordward to starting the grammar and phonetic classes.

First things first!

Thanks to my dear scholarship mate Anita I am now writing this! She has patiently helped me create an account and then guided me through the steps to reach this point. This said, I 'll move onto introducing myself as I was not in  the Find someone who....!!

My name is Lucia and , in terms of age, I am the oldest member of this group but I like to think of myself as a Benjamin Button type of person because I may look old but my spirit gets younger as time passes. So that is why I plucked up my courage when I learned about the Fulbright Scholarship and  applied  for it! When I learned  I was granted the scholarship I confess I chickened out a bit but not so much so as not to go along with it and here I am in NYC,  being a student at my age!! I'm once again learning and once again trying to do my very best. In this 3 days I have sometimes felt a bit scared of not being able to cope with everything but my scholarship mates have been helping me a lot . I just want to finish this first post by saying THANK YOU to everybody here and a special Thank you to my room mate Anahid who is always there for me!!

Love at second sight

Hello everyone!

I am very happy to be part of the TLC program and share this great experience with you all.

This is my second time in New York and I feel as excited and impressed as I did the first time I came here. I love walking around the city even if it is freezing cold.

Since I arrived I have walked and explored a number of places as Central Park, Times Square, The Metropolitan museum of art and even if it is only three days  I am very anxious to keep discovering the area.

See you around!

Watch out for the blizzard... it might get you interacting with Americans.

"How much snow would you say that is?" I asked the girl on the other side of the counter at Starbucks.
"Well, I'm from Connecticut, so... I would say that's a medium amount of snow, but apparently this is huge here in New York. Everybody is freaking out. It's kind of funny, actually," she answered, a smile on her face. I smiled back at her and sat at a huge table with Melina and Ani.
Two Americans were sitting in front of us. Talking to the girl from Connecticut had made my day, but I thought I could give it another try. When I was told I was traveling to New York, I thought I was going to talk to Americans all the time, but the fact is, we hang out with our people so much, there's little chance for interaction. I was feeling brave (bear in mind I had already faced the scary blizzard that was making Starbucks close early, something unheard of so far) so I addressed the boys and took a wild decision: let's keep talking about the weather: "It's snowing heavily... isn't? Are you from New York?" "I am, my friend isn't. I'm showing him around. Where are you guys from?" one of them answered. I've made it! We were talking! In English! With a real New Yorker!
Thank God it was snowing. I won't wait for a snow to get talking the next time.

I like the blizard in new York !

First Impressions of New York and The Language Connection Program

So far these days have been wonderful here in New York. ;)

I'm very happy to share this experience with many friendly and funny Argentinean English Teachers who are always willing to give you a hand when you need it and work collaboratively.

New York City is one of those places I will always feel like visiting again: Times Square is Amazing! Although the weather has been terrible so far, I must admit I really like this city since it's very exciting and it has lots of activities to do. I still have many places to visit and I'd like to learn more about this city.

In St. John's University, the organizers of the program  gave us a great welcome yesterday with a delicious American breakfast and useful information for your stay in NY.

 

We're already learning many things in our classes in this course: teachers are accessible and enthusiastic and  my colleages and me are already working on solutions to problems many of us have to face back home in Bs As schools. It sounds soothing and challenging at the same time.

So let's enjoy this opportunity!

I like the blizard in New York !

If I can make it here...

Hi, there! This is Lina, one of your new classmates, as you are all new classmates to me! I hope we get on well, it's gonna be fun and work weeks in NY, I think.
I love languages, social studies, art, literature, cinema, history... I love all liberal arts in general, I wish I was better at scientific and technological things, but I'm curious so I try to learn a lot about all things in general. Even IT, which was always difficult to me, is making more sense since I've started trying on things.
 I think this is a great opportunity for us all, but I have to confess that I was pretty nervous before arriving here. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to share an experience like this with nineteen strangers. Would we hit it off? Would it be difficult to make decisions together? Would we like each other? And what about the courses? What would they be like? Well, I guess we have started to find out and so far all of us are pretty satisfied with have we have been doing and the experiences we have shared so far.
On Sunday we arrived in New York and the day was cold but sunny. I took a stroll around Central Park and then tried to get to know the area (Upper West Side) better. I was surprised to see that everyone was so friendly after all the bad things I'd heard about New yorkers. People were smiling at me on the street. When I was shopping, I established a conversation with several shoppers, all making comments on the weather, on each other's boots, recommending purchases and exchanging opinions on sizes, materials, etc. People smiled at me when I was walking, sometimes I was singing and even dancing because I was so happy to be here
Yesterday it was cold and snowy but it didn't stop me from walking around either. Despite the snow and the cold, the city looked beautiful to me.
Today, our classes have started. I can't believe I'm actually attending several workshops in a NY university, even if it's only for 6 weeks. I feel so proud that I think I'm going to take a picture of my ID and send it to all my friends so I can brag about being a student in NY! Besides, I really like the picture! Even my ID picture looks nice in NY city.

First impressions in NY

The flight was really long. Besides we had a long wait at hte JFK Airport. We arrived to the Amsterdam Residence really tired and hungry. The first thing we did was leaving our luggage in our rooms. So, we left the place to get some hot food and walk around. We ate at a Subway. I got surprised there because the attendant answered us back in Spanish. Then, after walking some blocks, we arrived to Fifth Avenue. An amazing avenue where everybody strides in different direction. I suddenly felt the urge to stop for a while. I looked at people's faces: Asians, African americans, blonde ones, latins. And I read the signs: a cart next to me offered shawarma, other pretzels, other one a little steps aside offered hot dogs. There, at that very instant, I had my epiphany. Yes, Oh my God, I was in New York.

First Impressions

We arrived in NY on a cold, cloudy day after a very long flight. The first impression I had of NY was that I had arrived in one of the biggest, most modern, chic and comsmopolitan cities in the world. I have to admit that I was not so much impressed about its tall, modern buildings but more about its more historical, cultural places.

People have been awfully kind to us when we have got lost or asked for directions, and we have discovered that every one person who speaks English there is another one that speaks perfect (or almost perfect) Spanish (and this was not expected!).

Last but not least, something magical happened on the following day (day 2 after arrival). Snow came down all over the city and it transformed it completely... Now, I have fallen in love with it. I know it is freezing cold (way below the temperature I am used to experiencing) but I simply do not care. I am just enjoying it all. It is a lovely city. I hope there IS more snow!!!

What an experience!!! Meeting colleagues, making friends and visiting wonderful places.  There is so much to see and do all around…

I have been having fun and laughing so much!!

First NYC impression

When I decided to apply for this Fulbright Scholarship I was absolutely uncertain of its outcome. I might say that the journey started from the very moment in which I was told that I was coming to NYC. Although I had already been in this city before every time you step into NYC, it is absolutely breathtaking and enthralling. I am really grateful for this amazing opportunity to learn, to become more proficient and to get to know all the amazing sights and people from NYC.

Our first days at St. John's!

Yesterday, we had an introduction about the course. We played a funny game that allowed us to know each other better. We learnt new things about us and our lives. My classmates are great and real fun!
Today, we had our first methodology lesson. We had to prepare a sort of thematic unit after taking a look to a couple of short stories. Besides, we were given interesting books on strategies to get better our teaching practice.We are really enjoying classes!