The Topic of the Month: FIFA 2010 World Cup

So football is not everyone’s favourite thing, but everyone (nearly) is talking about the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. After what seems like an eternity, the World Cup is finally here. In South Africa, the party is already under way.

The competition will be the 19th FIFA World Cup and takes place between 11 June and 11 July 2010. There are 32 teams who have qualified for the tournament – so who is going to win?

Of the countries involved in the Comenius partnership, there is only Spain and England who have qualified. So it is probably fair to say that our Spanish students (and teachers) want Spain to win, and that students (and yes staff) in England want them to win. But what about the rest of you guys?

Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland and Poland– who do you want to win? Who do you think will win? And, why?

Spain, (lets say you cannot choose your own country) who do you want to win and who do you think will win? Why?

England, (again, you cannot choose your own country) if England don’t win, then who would you prefer to see win the World Cup? Why?

Both La Liga in Spain, and the Premiership in England are hugely popular with TV audiences across Europe, so finding out which teams the Comenius countries will be supporting should be an interesting exercise.

What do I think? Well, although it pains me to say it, I think Spain are one of the favourites. They are the reigning European champions, have some of the most gifted footballers in the world, play the game in a very attractive way and have got rid of the label “under achievers”.

I would love England to win, but with our record when it comes to penalties you just can’t trust the situation.

You cannot write-off the usual suspects either. There are some fantastic teams from South America, and Italy, Holland and Germany are always dangerous in tournaments. Whatever the outcome, it is sure to be an exciting few weeks, particularly if you are a football fan.

There are so many questions that need to be debated within our partnership – so get stuck into this blog and leave your opinions below. When contributing, please leave your opinion and state which country you are posting from.

James

My adventure in Varna

My adventure in Varna

From the 23th to the 29th of April my friends Patricia and Krzysztof, and I took part in the a trip to Varna. From the large number of people from our school, who wanted to take part in “Comenius” project it were three of us who were selected for that amazing trip.

Our adventure has already started at the Tegel airport in Berlin because it was my first time when I flew a plane. I was very excited and happy. When we landed we all wondered where the sea was? Because from the sky we only saw of fields and mountains and the sea was nowhere to find… We were very surprised that we could not find it anywhere.

At the airport we met Bulgarian families whose houses we were supposed to stay in. The girl with whom I lived with was called Ralica. At the beginning we were very shy and we didn’t know what to talk about. But when I found myself in her apartment and I saw her CDs and books I knew how to start because we had common interests. The girl’s family was very nice and loving and soon I felt like at home.

After unpacking and some refreshments Ralica and I met with Patricia and Anna. The girls showed us the beautiful city and we ate late dinner in a restaurant. We were constantly talking about everything: school, our city, hopes for the future, our friends, about our interests in English and we couldn’t stop. And so passed the first day.

Next day we met with Patricia, Krzysztof and their hosts and we met a girl from Finland and a boy from Spain. We visited Cape Kaliakra, where we spent nice time. This place was amazing and there were beautiful views. Obviously, we had to take a lot of commemorative photos. Next we drove to have dinner. Bulgarian food is composed of fresh fruit, seafood, cheese and everyday necessarily a special yogurt to drink. Talking with new friends was very interesting. I learnt a lot of interesting things about culture and their interests. We still talked with no problem. Once more we ate, started to fool around and laugh, tell jokes and spent a great time in our group. At the end of the day we drove over the long awaited sea.

The third day all day we were on a trip with our group, where we met the other members from on the project from Belgium and Great Britain, and we also met our teachers. Although the weather was changeable we all had fun and we didn’t lose our sense of humor.

On Monday morning Ralica and I were at her school and in Ralica’s class. I met her friends. It was an Art lesson and the teacher greeted me very warmly. The lesson lasted 45 minutes and was very interesting. The atmosphere was very nice there, and the children were happy and very noisy. Then we took part in a show concerning the presentation of the partner ship cities, where I learnt a lot of new information about these cities. This was also Patricia’s birthday so we spent time with girls. Of course it was women’s day so we went shopping, to the cinema and to the entertainment center. There had to be wishes, cake and gifts for Patricia. That day was one of the coolest.

On Tuesday I was also at school but this time at the lesson of the Bulgarian language, where everybody was silent. Then Krzysztof and I had PE lessons and played basketball with the boys, and after the game I got a commemorative T-shirt.

I was in the most beautiful place in Varna in The Sea Park. This place was amazing and I admired nature. And we were in Dolphinarium, where I saw dolphins for the first time. I spent the evening with Ralica and her family and friends in a restaurant, where I tried Bulgarian food and wine. Time passed quickly as we were having a pleasant conversation and nice moments.

The last day was sad because we had to leave but it was also fun- filled. And I returned to Poland. Oh and I forgot about one thing - I got fantastic souvenirs from my friend and I hope that we can meet on holidays because I invited Ralica to my place.

Generally, this was an unforgettable experience for me, because I could practise my English, meet new people and meet new culture and see new amazing places and admire great views. I hope that one day I will return there. And each of us should take part in such projects because if they weren’t organized, I wouldn’t have opportunity to experience this incredible adventure.