Monday 26 October 2015

My October break

Wowowowo good night dear readers,
I've just started my second term and this means that I've just finished my October break.
This break has been amazing and I am so sad that it's already finished.
BUT, as always, let's start from the beginning.
Here in Scotland I had two weeks of holidays (from the 10th of October to the 25th of October) to separate the autumn and the winter term. I was so glad to have that because I was really tired after 8 weeks in a school where they speak a language that is not yours.
The most important things that happened in these holidays are Kai coming up here, Inverness trip and Glasgow trip.
•As you know I'd have had to live with Kai as host brother but then the fate decided to divide us ahaha. He is so funny and kind and he is a really good friend; he came up here for two days and it's been so amazing and great and I spent such a wonderful time with him.
• around the beginning of October two scottish friends of mine and I decided to go on a trip to Inverness during the October break!
Inverness is 2 hours away from Perth and after a train journey (future exchange students in Scotland you really should get a Young Scot's card so that you have 30% less in the train fares) we arrived in the "capital city" of the Highlands. This city isn't really big, pretty much a bigger Perth, but it is really cute (and the shopping centre next to the train station too). We hung around Inverness and went up to the castle to see the city in all its magnificent. It was breathtaking and I am so glad to have such good Scottish friends with whom I can share this amazing experience.
•Glasgow trip
This has been the most exciting part of these two weeks; I had never been to Glasgow before that trip and I was so excited to explore and discover such an amazing and modern city.
A friend of mine, Francesca, an Italian exchange student, lives in Glasgow (actually in Paisley) and she is really kind and hosted me for three days! (I know I should never speak italian guys but don't worry it was only for three days).
After having left Perth on 23rd October I arrived in Glasgow around 3.10pm. I was so excited but pretty terrified to get lost because I had to change train station in Glasgow (from Glasgow Queen street's to Glasgow Central) to take the train to Paisley; you know Glasgow is not a tiny village and so I had to find my way in one of the biggest cities in UK. After that I was so smug and proud of myself because I felt so independent and grown up.
Arrived in Paisley, Francesca and I went to the city centre and hung around for a while. In the evening we went to an amazing shopping centre in the outskirts of Paisley and I had my first Nando's (it was amazing even if quite expensive).
The next day was the day of Glasgow university's open day! After having been to the Edinburgh university's one, the one in Glasgow was quite obvious.
As you might know I'm thinking to come back here after having finished my Italian school and study something (not sure yet) in the amazing Scotland.
Glasgow university is really beautiful, it seemed to be in Hogwarts, not joking. The event was so well organised and I went to some talks (one for the international students where there was a free buffet for us waaa) and also to a free BUS TOUR JOURNEY around Glasgow; yes guys, to show how Glagsow is to its future students, the university decided to hire some tour buses. I really think it was an intelligent choice and I appreciated so much this part of the day.
In the main building there was also a free photo booth that you could use to take funny pics in fancy dresses!
I really liked this university and I've found out that I can use the diploma I'll get here (if I obviously get high marks) to apply for university! I really hope so, so that my Italian diploma will only be something more that I don't have to use and put a lot of efforts to get a high mark.
The day after the open day we went sightseeing in Glasgow and I really understood that this is my city and I want to live here in the future. It's so urban and so multicultural (and full of amazing things to do/shops). We also visited Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and it was wonderful!

And for now it's everything; the school has begun and the teacher have started to explain the new topics of this term! They all said that this will be a really hard term because in the end of January/beginning of February I'll have prelims! (mock exams  about what you've done so far from August that you really have to pass to do your final exams; they are taken really seriously and most of the times the marks you get in them are the marks you get in your final exams).

See you soon with some news!
~Tommaso

Saturday 10 October 2015

Happiness and news!

Heyy guysss,
sorry for the absence but I'm always so busy and when I have some time I only want to relax. These last two weeks I had a lot of tests that I had to pass to do my final exams here (before your exams you have to pass some 3 unit assessment during the year!). I passed all with A so I'm really happy and proud of myself.
I have some news and I think I'll draw up my amazing list that seems so much like a shopping list.
• friends: everything is realllly good! THIS week I went out twice and they are all so kind with me (also because I'm italian so I'm cool).
•English: after two months I really feel improved a lot: I understand really everything, they tell me that my pronunciation has improved a lot and I feel more confident. I'm starting to be aware of the fact that I'm using a lot of new words/slang and also some phrasal verbs that in Italy I've heard about.
•School: today is the first day of the October break! I'm so tired and happy. I have an amazing news: I've changed French level because French higher was too easy and I was always bored so on 28th of October I'm starting Advanced Higher French! I'm pretty excited and I'm really looking forward to start it because they told me that the level you'll get with this course is like B2 (like during the lessons you read books and newspapers and you do a lot of speaking!); the final exam is pretty hard (like I'll have to speak for 20 minutes with the examiner) but who cares I love challenges and that's a good occasion to improve a lot another language. I'll have to go to another school to do it but I won't have to pay for the bus to go because it's a thing included in "Perth Campus".
• Host family: I love all of them! Two or three weeks ago we went out together and it was amazing! They really make me feel at home and I couldn't have asked for a better placement.

During the October break I'm gonna do a lot of things like Loch Ness or Glasgow (+ Open day Glasgow university) so I think I'll write a post after it!

See you soon!
~Tommaso