Arrivederci England! Hello Milano!

Hey Guys,

As you may have read in my last post, I said that I have something exciting happening! Well now that I am finally getting all the final details together, I can announce that I have landed myself an opportunity to work in Italy! Eek! 

It's only for two months as a linguistic assistant in a local primary school. I'm quite excited about it, and extremely nervous too!  I have never done anything like this before, so it's quite a big step for me! After last year, I think I need to start doing different things! 
So when do I fly you wonder? Next Tuesday ahhhh. So soon you may say! I didn't want to say anything until I was sure of all the details myself. I wanted to get flights, insurance etc sorted first. As well as gathering the details of what I'll be doing, my schedule and what school I'll be working in. 
As for which Italian city? Well it's known as Italy's fashion capital (That's all I really know it for). That's right Milan baby! 

(Here is the current forecast/ temperature for Milan! So to those of you who think or have asked me if I'll come back nice and tanned, the answer is no. Oh how I wish that it will be warm and I can run around Italy in summer floral clothes! Nope, it seems the temperature is similar to the UK.) 

I have never done anything like this before, so it is quite exciting and scary as well! I mean it is quite daunting flying to a foreign country where they speak a completely different language. I am excited at the thought of learning a new language but I would also love it if they could speak English too! (Which I know they do ha!)

I don't really know much about Milan, other than the fact that it is Milan's fashion capital. So I am excited to explore and indulge myself in all the gelato I can get my hands on. Even if it winter! I love ice cream, especially Italian ice cream! So I am going to get fat on that! 

(Throwback to gelato in Rome! We had it everyday while we were there, so I am looking forward to having more!)

I am only going for two months so it's not long at all, but I will miss my family, my beautiful beanies. They turn one in the first month of my Italian adventures. I am really sad about missing their FIRST birthdays. I want to be there as they make such an important milestone! But I will be sending my love from Milan. Lots of facetiming with the beanies hopefully! The beanies have there presents all wrapped and ready to be opened, just without my presence :(. 

Along with missing them I will also miss my friends, though I am only leaving for two months, my friends have taken the time out of their busy schedules to see me before I fly. Love you all so much. 

I have been sent my schedule and I am mainly working with grade 5 children! Aka Year 6. Which I am a little worried about, since all my experience has been in Key Stage 1 and below. Though I have spent a few weeks with Year 3, and the odd history sessions with Year 4 children. I have little experience with a whole class of Year 6 pupils, working one - to - one yes, but a massive group of them? Er no. So I have had a little panic about what resources to bring. Since all I have is resources for Key Stage One. But I guess there is nothing like winging it! Not that I'll do that ha, but I am sure everything will fall to place when I'm there. (I hope.) 

I have spent all day making these resources! I am hoping they are useful in the year 2 classes I'll be in! Monkey Puzzle is one of my favourite Children's books, and my favourite Julia Donaldson book. 

(I drew the bat, hence why it looks horrendous compared to the others haha.) 

Just some of my birdie friends that will be accompanying me to my trip to Milan. I know reception and year 1 still love puppets...not so sure about year 2! Oscar the Penguin is great with looking after my stickers, and from my experiences in schools and tutoring, children are absolutely obsessed with stickers. Just as obsessed as me! (I have a terrible obsession with buying stickers and post cards.) 

(One of my best friends from school, got me these! As a going away present! She is so lovely, and she knows me well! Some of these stickers will coming with me too!) 

Finally! I just realised that one of my favourite authors Lindsey Kelk, wrote a book called 'What A Girl Wants' which is a second book to 'About A Girl'. It starts of from where we were left off in About A Girl with Tess in London, and she has to make a decision. Which involved her staying in London or taking a job in Milan. It's a great book! I am hoping my Milan adventures aren't as dramatic but still fun nonetheless. Tess had her BFF with her and I am flying solo! But I am sure I will make fast friends with the fellow tutors! That way we can walk around Milan as lost sheep together! 

(Here is what the cover looks like! Well here in the UK anyway, I love Lindsey's books and so far this is a great read! I still need to finish it ahh! Currently Team Nick! haha.) 

Hopefully my next post will be from Milan, but I can't promise anything at the moment. 

Oh and before I forget, here is a link of a fellow blogger and school friend. She is on a great big adventure down under! I am incredibly jealous of her and massively admire her for being so brave for moving to and having the time of her life in Australia! Go check out her blog!

Hana's Blog - Backpacking Hans - Solo

So Milan isn't quite New York, but it is still an adventure. 

Arrivederci!

Sam x

The Day I Became A True Hufflepuff

Hey Y'all,

So as I promised. Here it is! The blog about my visit to the Warner Bros Studio. 
( I could actually scream! Spent ages writing this blog and it didn't save! Despite the fact I pressed save a billion times, really annoyed! - So I apologise in advance, in the poor quality of this blog post, as I cannot remember what I wrote, or the order I wrote stuff. Stupid site! Makes me contemplate on changing blogging websites! This is the second time this has happened!)

Anyway...

(My excited snapchat/selfie haha.) 

It was on one sunny September day. My friend Alice, my sister & I headed onto the motorway towards Leavesden, Watford. We managed to get there without a Tom Tom, relied on the good old route planner print out. Made it there without getting lost. Spent the entire journey looking like a geek in my glasses. 

It cost us £31 each. Which is quite steep. I found it quite expensive when I booked the tickets online. This is just the cost of entering the studio, I didn't include all the extra stuff, such as the guide book etc. 

Upon arriving and collecting our tickets, which was a pretty cool ticket...if I can find it ( I will take a picture, bare in mind this was way back in September and I have shoved the tickets somewhere in my room haha.) We headed into a room at the scheduled time we booked and we were told that we could stay as long as we wanted, that the tour normally takes about two - three hours. We were told to take our time, but once we left one section we wouldn't be able to go back. Anyway, after hearing this I started to think, that it is worth the money. 

We were lead to a cinema type room, where we watched a video of the making of the films and about the studio. Once that finished, the screen lifted revealing the doors of the Great Hall. Which was pretty cool. There we followed the tour guide to the hall and took snaps of the things in the hall, here they told us that we would be able to wander the studio in our own time and soak up all the magic. 

After leaving the Great Hall, we slowly walked around, staring at the props, the sets including the Gryffindor common room and dorms. 

After walking past all the things photographed above we headed into the section where we could experience riding a broomstick and in the flying car. In this section you are not allowed to take photos. We decided against queueing for the flying car, instead just queued to have the broomstick experience. 

This was a pretty cool experience, sitting on a broomstick while it moves and pretend you are flying over London and Hogwarts. You also looked bit like a fool, because everyone can see you haha. But who care you are in Hogwarts right? (Well what I mean by everyone, I mean people in the queue haha.) 
I really wished I asked for the Hufflepuff robe instead of just taking the one they gave me. I know I am not a true Gryffindor. 

Anyway after learning to fly, we headed for the queue, to purchase the photos, which was pretty pricey, I can't remember how much it cost for one photo, but we got three, a photo of each of us on the broomstick. It cost us £21 in total. So £7 each, which is pretty pricey for one photo. 

We continued to walk around the studio, after our flying experience and then went through some doors to the outdoors, where other part of the set was located. 

Here in the outdoor section, there was a chance to try Butterbeer and eat (there were other refreshments available for the muggles). I am not overly fond of sweet drinks/food and had a feeling I wouldn't like Butterbeer, and that became apparent when I tried it. It tasted like really really sweet Cream Soda, so if you have a sweet tooth and you like Cream Soda, then Butterbeer is for you! I really didn't like it ha. 
I can't quite remember how much it cost, but we got the middle souvenir cup, which was almost £5 I think! There was an option to get the pint glass, which I am really glad we didn't do that! 

After we finished that disgusting drink, we explored the rest of the outdoors, (which was quite small) I started to regret wearing dark clothes. It was pretty warm for September, and I was wearing dark clothes and boots, though I do still love that outfit ha! 
For all those fashion fanatics, and are wondering what I wore. I wore a grey sleeveless top, with black leggings both from H&M. Teaming them up with Gold Chandelier earrings and black boots also from H&M. If you hadn't noticed by now...I love H&M. I also wore a belt...but I can't remember where it is from...the handbag I was carrying that day is also H&M. Like I said before I love that shop ha. 

 (The Bridge was pretty uneven, it looked ok to walk on but it wasn't! It was a bit weird actually ha.)

When we finished taking snaps of us in the vehicles we headed back inside. Here there were wax works of the characters that looked so real, it was borderline creepy. I was half expecting them to open the eyes and I'll scream and jump out of my skin ha. 

Once we past this section we headed to the life size set of Diagon Alley, which I found pretty impressive ha. 

Upon leaving Diagon Alley, we walked into a room filled with models of Hogwarts, drawings and lots of other artistic stuff. 

Leaving the arty room we walked into a very large dark room, here was large scale model of the Hogwarts grounds and that was pretty spectacular. In the winter the studio adds snow to it, and I bet it would look even more epic then it does without snow. I am not overly fond of snow, but I bet it will look amazing.
(I apologise for my bad photos! It was dark and I am an owner of an iPhone 4s. and well the picture quality is well...bad) 

After leaving this section I knew we were near the end of our tour as we had already spent almost 3 hours in the studio. The last section we walked into was filled with wand boxes, which was pretty cool, as I could pretend I was in Ollivander's buying my first wand! 

The best part of any attraction/ museum/ places, is the gift shop. Like all gift shops it is was stupidly expensive so I just posed with a few of the times and sad farewell to all the things I wanted to buy but couldn't justify spending the money on. Like the Hufflepuff Robe, Jumper and Scarf! I really wanted them so bad, but I refused to spend £70-80 on just robes and a jumper ha. The scarf itself was over £20. The wands were also over £20. 

(Stupefy!)

(Expelliarmus!) 

(Expecto Patronum!) 

It was so pricey in the gift shop all I got were postcards,  (which were a £1 each) and chocolate wands which were almost a fiver each. (I think!) 

There was a keyring that I really wanted to buy, but I couldn't bring myself to spend £8 on. Luckily I didn't! As my best friend, got it for me when she went to the studio!

(I love it! Thank you Soph! It was too heavy for my keys, so I have attached it to my handbag )

When we left the gift shop we headed straight for Starbucks inside the studio and waited for a bit before we left. So we could avoid as much rush hour traffic as possible. As most Brits know the M25 is a horrendous stretch of motorway, from whatever direction you come from. 

Before saying goodbye to the studio we took photos outside, with the giant chess pieces from Wizard chess. 

(Pooh Bear Polaroid outside the HP Studio.) 

So...yes I would recommend going to the studios if you are a huge HP fan. I really enjoyed it. It was pricey, but considering we spent over 3 hours there I would say it was worth your money. 

Here is the link to booking your tour. 

Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio

And here is the link to Pottermore, where you can find out the house you truly belong in. Also you can find out what type of wand you'll have and you can choose a pet too! I went for a cat ha. 

Pottermore

Here is one of my favourite photos from the day. A photo of me and my sister, we may look similar but we are completely different. We are in rival houses ha. 

I know I have only just gotten back into blogging, but I may not be able to blog for a couple of months as something exciting is happening! If I have the chance I will definitely blog about it! Watch this space!

Sam x