GEOS English Academy, San Francisco

GEOS Holiday Party

2011-12-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

On Friday December 23rd, we celebrated a GEOS tradition: our annual holiday party! This time of year is so much fun. We had plenty of cookies, chocolates, chips, dips, soda and hot chocolate. After snacking on all the good food, we gathered around the Christmas tree. Each student brought a wrapped gift for our White Elephant party. White Elephant is a silly holiday gift exchange game, commonly played during Christmastime. Each student draws a number from a bowl, to determine when it's their turn to pick a present. The student who goes first gets to unwrap a present. Then the student who goes second can choose to steal student 1's present, or unwrap a new present. The pattern continues, giving each student the chance to steal from someone else. The competition gets fierce! This year our most popular (most stolen) presents were: 1. A Mickey Mouse Doll 2. An electric coin counting change jar 3. A snuggieOur most creative present was a homemade picture frame which said, "GEOS Certificate."The Thai student who made it surprised his Korean friend (who received it) by taking his picture with a Polaroid camera, to put inside. What a cool idea!It was another great day at GEOS filled with laughter, friends and food. Here's to a wonderful 2011! We hope to see you again in 2012

Gingerbread House making with GEOS

2011-12-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

Christmastime is full of fun traditions and a wonderful season to enjoy at GEOS! This year, we got into the holiday spirit by decorating the school together. We started with our Christmas Tree, covering it with lights and ornaments. Some of our level four students goofed around and decorated Quentin, a student from France. Perhaps ornaments as earrings will become a new fashion? :)

After we finished decorating, we set the table to build gingerbread houses! This activity was so much fun and required a team effort. We had house making kits from Trader Joe's, but the icing was not prepared. Together we mixed powdered sugar with egg whites and lemon juice, and stirred until the substance became sticky. Then it was time to build! With the frosting as "snow" we attached the walls of the house and the roof. We added a tree and people to the front lawn, and decorated with M&M's, gummy candy and sprinkles.

The next day, we put our houses on display in the GEOS lunch room. But our creations were too tempting and we ate them!! Mmmmmm gingerbread.

World Tree of Hope Lighting Ceremony and Party

2011-12-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a group of our GEOS students went to San Francisco City Hall for a special tree lighting ceremony. Inside the rotunda, the World Tree of Hope is decorated with thousands of white origami cranes. Each crane is written with a note of hope and peace from children around the world. The Tree is meant to inspire, hope, peace and humanitarianism.

The San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee began the ceremony with a speech, which was followed by performances from the Grammy winning San Francisco boy's choir and singers Veronica Klaus and Josh Clipp. The ceremony lasted from 5:30-8:00 pm and afterwards there was free sushi, hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and sweets.

Our students enjoyed participating in a special San Francisco event! Happy Holidays :)

Ice Skating with Meredith

2011-11-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

On Friday last week, I took a group of our GEOS students ice skating at Yerba Buena center. For some, it was their very first time! Our students from Thailand and Brazil had never tried ice skating before. Our French, Turkish and Swiss students felt more confident out on the rink, and they extended their help to the newbies. But after some practice, everyone got the hang of it. We had so much fun, listening to music and trying not to fall. Also, ice skating is a great form of exercise.!It was the perfect way to spend a rainy Friday afternoon, indoors.

GEOS Halloween Party 2011!

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday October 28th, I took a group of our GEOS students shopping for Halloween costumes. Because Halloween is a popular American holiday, it was great to share the spirit of fun with our international students. First we visited the Spirit Halloween superstore on Van Ness, and joked around with some creepy props, like demon babies! Then we continued down Polk Street, visiting a few thrift stores for inspiration. Our final stop was the party store on Post Street where our students bought wigs for our party on Monday.

On Halloween day October 31st, we had a GEOS pizza party and costume contest! Our student Hall won the contest for his pirate costume. Stuffed with pizza, we laughed, danced and ate too much candy- overall an amazing day in San Francisco.

Halloween in San Francisco

2011-10-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

In the United States, Halloween is a popular holiday, not just for children but for adults too. While children dress up in costume and visit the neighbors 'trick or treating' for candy, there are several activities adults can take part in. For those aged 21 and over, San Francisco's nightclubs have many costume themed parties, with prizes for the best dressed.

Check out all San Francisco's 21 and up parties here

But anyone looking for a quieter night can take part in either of these creepy activities! They are both free!

1. Grand Guignol Haunted House

At Appel and Dietrich market on 6001 California Street, the building will be transformed into a haunted house. The haunted house will begin at sundown and have eerie visions of bloody courtrooms, dungeons, guillotines and ghosts!

2. Halloween Ghost Walk at City Hall

Explore more than the architecture at San Francisco's City Hall on this special ghost walk that happens only once a year. Meet at South Light Court through the Polk Street entrance. City Hall guide Rob Spoor spent many years hosting regular city hall tours. But after hearing ghost stories from scared maintenance staff, he decided to tell these spooky tales of regular people experiencing supernatural things. Arrive at 6:30PM for the tour!

Fleet Week

2011-10-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Fleet week took place here in San Francisco last week, beginning with a flight of the Blue Angels Navy flight team, their planes roaring past the skyscrapers downtown. More than 9,000 servicemen and 11 ships docked in San Francisco for this year's celebrations. Our GEOS students joined in the spirit of fleet week by visiting the Marina Green to watch the Blue Angels choreographed acrobatics, which never cease to amaze. One of our current students from Russia is interested in flight school, and he was very excited to watch the air show. The San Francisco muni F- line, which follows the Embarcadero, was free all week for everyone to get to and from the fun!

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival

2011-09-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park! Friday September 30th, Saturday October 1st and Sunday October 2nd

September 30th through October 2nd one of the largest music festivals in the country is celebrated in Golden Gate Park. And did I mention it's free? Yeah!

San Francisco's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is beloved by many. No tickets are required. Come listen to the flurry of banjos and other instruments with musicians such as Chris Isaak, Bob Mould, Kris Kristofferson, Bella Fleck, Emmylou Harris and Robert Plant.

There will be six stages of music, hundreds of bands and performers and over 750,000 people in attendance. So grab a blanket, a picnic and some friends, and head over to Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park!

September 2011 student activities

2011-09-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

The trees are beginning to change color and the month of September brings us the beauty of fall. The weather is getting cooler, and Starbucks is selling their signature Pumpkin Spice latte, a delicious way to warm up! This month our GEOS students have enjoyed beautiful, clear sky Friday's and explored the city with our staff. On Friday September 2nd, a group of GEOS SF students walked all the way through the historic Italian neighborhood of North Beach up to Coit Tower. Despite the intens
e incline of the hill, our students worked their muscles and made it to the top to see the breathtaking view. On Friday September 9th, Ali took our GEO

S students on a bus ride to Ghirardelli Square, a chocolate factory that is a true S

an Francisco institution. Students shared ice cream sunda

es while looking out at the ocean and Golden Gate Bridge. What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon!

Holiday Groups in San Francisco!

2011-08-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

This summer we have had the pleasure of hosting holiday groups from all over the world! We had an amazing time with L and Z from China and Nacel, SILC and Horizons Du Monde from France. Our August activities included ice skating, bowling and visiting San Francisco's famous sites such as Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and Twin Peaks. We hope all of our visiting students had a great time, and we would love to see them again next summer.

Overseas Education in San Francisco

2011-07-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

From June 27th to July 9th, we had a holiday group from Vietnam here at GEOS! These were our youngest students yet, and they had lots of fun exploring San Francisco with their group leader SeaAnna. They went to Coit Tower in North Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, the California Academy of Sciences , the Exploratorium and Golden Gate Park. We celebrated their last day at GEOS with a pizza party to say goodbye, and we will miss them all!

Fourth of July Fireworks!

2011-07-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

This month has gotten off to a wonderful start. Over the 4th of July weekend, our students enjoyed beautiful, sunny weather. We had clear skies for the 4th of July fireworks show at Pier 39. Many GEOS students went to the pier early, to get a great view of the awesome fireworks display. They participated in the American tradition of barbecuing during the day, and wearing red, white and blue.

We are also celebrating the arrival of our holiday groups, as GEOS enters its busiest month. This month we have Overseas Ed from Vietnam, Nacel from France, SILC from France and Horizons from France! Our holiday groups join our regular students from all over the world as GEOS opens its doors to summer. Everyone is very excited to explore San Francisco!

57th Annual North Beach Festival

2011-06-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Summer in San Francisco has begun! With beautiful weather, June is the perfect month for San Francisco's many outdoor festivals. This weekend on both Saturday and Sunday, the neighborhood of North Beach celebrates its Italian heritage with the 57th annual North Beach Festival! This is one of America's original outdoor festivals, and the festival site includes the beautiful, quaint streets surrounding Washington Square Park in the heart of North Beach.

This year there will be over 125 arts and crafts booths, 20 gourmet food booths, three stages with live entertainment and beverage gardens. The festival will take place Saturday June 18th from 10:00am-6:00pm and Sunday June 19th from 10:00am-6:00pm. The festival is free, and I encourage all GEOS students to go and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere. Last year I bought a beautiful silver ring at one of the craft booths. Go to look at the original artwork, clothing and jewelry, and bring back a unique piece of San Francisco.

Bay to Breakers 2011!

2011-05-17T10:33:00.001-07:00

A beloved San Francisco tradition took place over the weekend on Sunday, May 16th. Though it was predicted to rain, 100,000 participants came to the streets of San Francisco to celebrate the 100th annual Bay to Breakers foot race. The creative costumes at Bay to Breakers are the reason so many spectators are drawn to the race course. People in tutus, gnome outfits, fairy wings, robot suits (or nothing at all) are a completely normal sight on this special Sunday in San Francisco. This year I saw schools of Jelly Fish, women who had adorned clear umbrellas with shiny streamers to look like the majestic creatures of the sea. The name "Bay to Breakers" reflects the race course itself: starting from Embarcadero (the bay) and continuing through the city for 7.46 miles to where the breakers crash on Ocean Beach. There were sprinkles in the morning and grey clouds, but these cleared up by noon, bringing blue skies and sunshine to Golden Gate Park. A few GEOS students went to watch the race from the best vantage points, such as Alamo Square, with a view of the thousands of racers coming up the hill. Hundreds of parties take place throughout the racecourse, and people are in boisterous good spirits as they cheer the runners on. For any student in San Francisco, Bay to Breakers is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a tradition not to be missed!

Goodbye Party for Lisa

2011-05-04T15:28:00.001-07:00

On Friday we said goodbye to our temporary teacher Lisa, who was filling in for Kensho during his absence. Lisa's students surprised her with a beautiful cake, candy and other goodies. Each student gave a heartfelt testimonial of how much they enjoyed being in her class and what they learned. Then we turned up the music and had lots of laughter as we toasted to Lisa with cups of soda. We wish Lisa luck in her next endeavor!

Easter Egg painting with GEOS!

2011-04-19T11:45:00.001-07:00

On Friday, we celebrated an American tradition by decorating hard boiled eggs for easter. At GEOS, we converted the TOEFL classroom into an art space! We covered the tables in plastic cloth and provided cups of dye (in every color of the rainbow) glitter, glue, sequins and acrylic paint. Students showed us their creativity and artistic talent by using the eggs as their canvass. The designs were all very unique. Some eggs were covered in bright colors and glitter, while others had images of eyes, cityscapes, butterflies and flowers. One egg was a representation of our teacher Matt, complete with a bald head and a beard! Matt was a fan of his effigy. Students voted on their favorite egg. The egg with the most votes received a prize: a personalized Easter basket with a chocolate bunny! Our student Peter from Vietnam won, for his colorful egg design. We all had an amazing time, listening to music and putting our art skills to the test.

Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

2011-04-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend, on April 9th and 10th, the 2011 Northern California Cherry Blossom festival is in its 44th year. Japantown draws over 200,000 visitors to this celebration of Japanese culture. Everyone is welcome to join in the festivities! The festival is held on Post Street between Laguna and Fillmore streets. There will be food booths, cultural performances, martial arts, live bands and the annual Queen program, a pageant where the 2011 Queen and court are chosen.

This is the largest festival of its kind outside of Washington DC, to celebrate the blossoming trees and the arrival of spring. Japantown will be filled with costumed performers and echo with the sounds of taiko drums. Boards will be splintered by martial artists.Experts in karate, kendo, aikido and judo will demonstrate their skills. Collectors of samurai swords and armor will display their treasures.

Their will be exhibits on calligraphy, bonsai, origami and doll making. The cherry blossom queen will be chosen at a gala on Saturday April 10th. Most events are free, and the activities will start at 11am each day. We hope that our GEOS students will take advantage of these cultural activities and visit Japantown this weekend!

Saint Patrick's Day in San Francisco

2011-03-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

March is a month for wearing green! No matter what your nationality is, everyone is welcome to join in the fun of Saint Patrick's Day. In San Francisco, this Irish holiday is widely celebrated with parties and parades throughout the city. On Saturday, March 12th, The 160th annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and festival was celebrated at Civic Center Plaza . The merry making fun began at 10:00 AM and lasted until 5:00 pm with traditional Irish music, food, performances, children’s rides, a petting zoo, arts and crafts, and dancing. The Parade began at 11:30 AM on the corner of Second Street and Market Street. Over 100,000 people joined in the fun and celebration!

On Thursday March 17th, Saint Patrick's day was celebrated in the Financial District near GEOS with a series of parties. Between Sacramento Street and Front Street, the block was closed to cars. Live music began at 5pm and lasted for several hours. The Irish Bank and restaurant on Bush Street had Irish Bagpipers performing traditional music. From 3pm onwards, the radio station Live 105 broadcast from the Irish Bank with DJ No Name. A few of our GEOS students went to join in the fun, but they were surprised by how crowded the bar had become! It was a very fun and lively Thursday afternoon in San Francisco

Get to know the GEOS staff: Lisa

2011-03-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

“My name is Lisa I'm from Concord, CA. I was born and raised in the Bay Area! I've also lived in Santa Cruz, Berkeley, Oakland, London and Berlin. I've been working at GEOS since April, 2008. I taught ESL at a preschool in Berlin, Germany where I worked with a group of about 15 children who were 2 and 3 years old. As you can probably imagine that-this was a completely different experience from teaching adults! At times it was a little overwhelming, but (most of the time) the children were really sweet and adorable. In my free time, I like to read, cook, go to farmers' markets, go thrift shopping, sing karaoke, see live music, and (when it's nice out) go to the beach or the park. Some of my favorite places in or near San Francisco are the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, Dolores Park, Muir Beach, Burma Superstar, Green Apple Books, Philz Coffee, Thrift Town and Amoeba Music.”

Lisa Snider, English Teacher

Ghirardelli Square

2011-02-14T10:56:00.001-08:00

This February began with unseasonably warm weather. Over Super Bowl weekend, the temperatures in San Francisco reached 77 degrees! Our GEOS students took advantage of a beautiful Friday afternoon by traveling with Ali to Ghirardelli square. The Ghirardelli chocolate factory opened in 1852 and has been in continuous operation since then. During the California Gold Rush, founder Domingo Ghirardelli realized the miners were willing to spend their gold dust on chocolate luxuries! For the past 150 years, Ghirardelli has continued to create chocolate delicacies that are enjoyed by people from all over the world. Our student's enjoyed ice cream sundaes and chocolate. What a perfect way to start the weekend!

House of Air Trampoline Park!

2011-01-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

On Friday we had an incredibly fun activity...we visited a giant trampoline park! House of Air is located in an old airport hangar in Crissy Field. The structure is made of 42 conjoined trampolines. The enormous trampoline floor is surrounded on all sides by trampoline walls, creating an awesome environment for flying! 5 brave GEOS students signed up to accompany me to the trampoline park, even though the majority of them had never been on a trampoline before. When we arrived, we had stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge to admire. But we were eager to go inside and to start jumping! We were each given a pair of special shoes and told that we had 1 hour to enjoy the massive trampoline park. At first, we were worried that one hour would not be enough time. But after only twenty minutes, we realized that jumping is strenuous exercise! It was wonderfully freeing to fly into the air and to be weightless, but it was also surprisingly exhausting. We found ourselves laughing hysterically as we experienced the euphoria of feeling so free. At the end of the hour we were sweaty, tired and sore, but the sheer enjoyment of acting like a kid for an afternoon was totally worth it.

Ukrainian Holiday Group

2011-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

January has been off to a great start! The weather is beautiful with sunny skies and mild temperatures. Even some of the trees have started to blossom already! It's almost Spring. =) January is a wonderful month to visit San Francisco because it is the low season for tourism. This means it is easier to access famous tourist attractions without the crowds. It was the perfect month for our Holiday Group from the Ukraine to explore San Francisco's sights and attractions. I had the pleasure of taking six lovely girls to some of my favorite places: Ghiradelli Square, North Beach, Coit Tower, Alcatraz, Haight Ashbury, Golden Gate Park and Chinatown. The girls were thrilled that they could walk around wearing T-shirts, because the temperature in Kiev was 20 degrees below zero! We had clear blue skies when we visited the Golden Gate Bridge, allowing us to take great photos and to enjoy the stunning view of San Francisco. We took some time to relax in the sunshine outside the Conservatory of Flowers as we meandered through Golden Gate Park towards Haight Street. Though the girls were only here for 2 weeks, we made sure they were action packed with activities and lessons. I will miss my new friends and I hope that they visit San Francisco again in the future.

New Year's Eve in San Francisco

2010-12-29T12:37:00.001-08:00

It's almost 2011! That's right, time to look forward to a new year full of possibilities. Last week, I spoke with GEOS students about New Year's Eve celebrations and traditions in different cultures. In Korea and Japan, some students celebrate the New Year by going to temple and ringing a giant gong at the stroke of midnight. Others stay up to watch the sunrise, or celebrate at home with their families. In countries that observe the Islamic New Year, the date varies according to the Islamic calendar. For some students, the new year has already started.

In San Francisco, the New Year is celebrated downtown with a giant fireworks display along the Embarcadero. As the clock approaches midnight, people gathered in the street count backwards from 10. When the clock strikes twelve, fireworks erupt over the Bay, their colorful reflections dancing on the surface of the water. People wish each other Happy New Year and continue the celebration.

Another common New Year's tradition is to make resolutions. A resolution is a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

New Year's resolutions give people the opportunity to set goals for themselves. Common goals are to lose weight, quit smoking and to spend more time doing enjoyable activities. But New Year's resolutions can be very personal. Will 2011 be the year to pursue your dream career, find romance or become proficient in English? Only you can make it happen! Please have a fun and safe New Year's Eve and may 2011 bring you much joy.

GEOS Holiday Party 2010

2010-12-21T12:16:00.001-08:00

On Friday December 17th, we celebrated our annual GEOS Holiday Party! The atmosphere was relaxed as we chatted and enjoyed snacks in the lunch room. We had apple cider, hot chocolate, rice krispy treats, chocolates, cookies, chips, dip, muffins and other goodies to munch on. After everyone had eaten their fill, we began our White Elephant gift exchange. This game is common in many American workplaces and is meant to be light-hearted and silly! GEOS students and staff each purchased a present for 20$ or less, wrapped it and put it under our GEOS holiday tree in the student lounge. Each student then picked a number, to determine who would unwrap their present first. Janie pulled out number 1 and unwrapped a beautiful black and grey scarf. But in the game of white elephant, another player can steal your present! Janie's scarf was stolen by Marta, and Janie was able to unwrap a new present. The game continued with lots of laughter as popular presents were stolen. A calendar of 100 places to visit was another coveted gift- it was stolen twice! In the end each student ended up with a present to enjoy, and many were generous enough to share their gifts with others. Overall it was a very successful and fun filled holiday party!

Ice skating with Ali!!!

2010-12-13T12:52:00.001-08:00

One of the best things about the holidays is the opportunity to try out winter sports. San Francisco does not usually get any snow fall, so skiing and snowboarding aficionados seek their thrills in Lake Tahoe. But during the holidays San Francisco does have a number of ice skating rinks open to the public! Because the weather was a little rainy, our GEOS group decided to skip the outdoor rink in Union Square and to head to Yerba Buena Gardens. Not only is this ice skating rink open all year, but it's the largest indoor rink in San Francisco. A group of brave GEOS students decided to try ice skating, even though for many of them, it was the first time! They were a bit wobbly at first, but with some coaching, they were able to let go of the wall and stand freely on their skates. The excursion had everyone bursting into laughter as they tried desperately to keep their balance. Not only is ice skating a fun activity, but it is also a great work out. Skating is a wonderful form of calorie burning exercise! When the group was exhausted, they took a break to unlace their skates and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate from the snack bar. It was an awesome way to start the weekend!

GEOS Thanksgiving Party!

2010-12-06T10:28:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is a wonderful American holiday tradition. The end of November brings families together to share food, stories and good company. At GEOS, every year we have created our own Thanksgiving memories by sharing good food and laughter. This year, we decided to have a Thanksgiving potluck. Each student was asked to bring a home cooked dish from his or her own culture. This diversity of flavor was added to the traditional American dishes of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin and apple pie. For some of our students, it was the first time that they had eaten turkey! =) Everyone filled their plates until they were satisfied and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at GEOS. There was so much food, that students were able to take home left-overs and re-create their own Thanksgiving meal.

Lombard Street and Cable Cars

2010-11-30T09:15:00.000-08:00

Even though it was a rainy day, many students braved the chilly weather to visit Lombard street with Ali. For some students, it was their first time enjoying a cable car ride. Bundled up in scarves and coats, GEOS students took the cable car up Powell street, through Chinatown and up Hyde street. They disembarked at the top of Lombard street, enjoying the view of San Francisco's most crooked road! Everyone walked the winding path along Lombard down towards the bottom, until they reached Columbus street. It was a great way to enjoy a misty San Francisco afternoon!

San Francisco Giants win the World Series!!!

2010-11-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

For the past several days, the city of San Francisco has transformed into a joyous festival atmosphere, with public buildings lit up in orange hues and black and orange balloons hanging on the lamp posts. For decades, Giants fans dreamed of the victory which took place on Monday, November 1st. Elated fans took to the streets of San Francisco, chanting, shouting, cheering and even climbing on top of city buses. GEOS San Francisco students witnessed a part of history: the first Giants win since 1954. Many tearful life- long fans stated that they could die happy, now that their dream of being world champions had been achieved. The celebration only grew bigger after Monday's win. A parade was organized through the streets of downtown San Francisco, for the Giants to display their trophy and wave at the fans who have supported them through the years. GEOS was a part of the action, with the orange and black crowds swarming past our building on their way up Sutter st. On lunch break, GEOS students were able to walk to the parade route on Montgomery and Sutter, to be a part of the cheering masses. People pressed against every window of the tallest office buildings, many employees with their children, who had been brought to work to witness this special occasion. Office workers shredded orange and white paper, so that a beautiful snow fall of confetti fluttered from the skyscrapers down onto the cheering crowd below. Then the Giants players arrived in motor powered cable cars, smiling and waving at the fans. One million people attended the massive celebration, the most in San Francisco's history. Crowds gathered at Civic Center, at the end of the parade route, to watch Mayor Gavin Newsom present the Giants with a key to the city. It was an amazing moment to be a part of, and a wonderful sunny day in San Francisco!

GEOS Halloween Party

2010-11-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Friday October 29th was a wonderful day at GEOS! Everyone got in the Halloween spirit and donned costumes after class. The day was relaxed, with each level carving pumpkins, to compete for the title of best design! Even though pumpkin carving can get messy, it is a fun tradition. Once the Jack O Lanterns were completed, we turned off the lights and lit candles inside of them for the full effect. They turned out fabulous! Sam, our building security guard, was called upstairs to judge the contest and choose his favorite pumpkin. The award went to the GEOS Advanced class, who will celebrate with bagels, donuts and coffee! The festivities continued, with a delicious potluck lunch, music and a costume contest. Our potluck was a mouth watering selection of sushi, pizza, cheesy potatoes, a Spanish tortilla, dates, cookies, brownies, cake, chips, dips and home-made goodies. After we had finished stuffing ourselves with food, it was time to do the costume contest. It was difficult to choose the best costume, because there were several favorites. In the end, the male winner was Robert from Germany for his scary Vampire attire, complete with fangs! The female winner was Marta from Spain, for her Native American outfit, embellished with feathers and other details. GEOS was transformed from a language school into a spooky haunted house, complete with cobwebs, ghosts, spiders, scary skeletons and horror movies! It was the perfect setting for a party and a great way to end the month of October.

Another San Francisco Neighborhood: Pacific Heights

2010-10-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Ali to a group of eager students out to lunch in one of San Francisco's swankiest neighborhoods- Pacific Heights! This elegant area is home to many beautiful, large Victorian mansions that were built during the late 1800's. The construction of a new cable car line during that time made this steep, hilly land accessible for residents, offering stunning 180 degree views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay.

The extravagant mansions that were built over a hundred years ago stand proudly side by side, and Pacific Heights is still a neighborhood for those with expensive taste. Fillmore street is dotted with high end restaurants, boutiques and outdoor cafes. This is an excellent location for getting a latte and window shopping, or splurging on a high quality item of clothing.

GEOS students enjoyed the views and stopped for lunch at the delicious Pizza Orgasmica.
For more information on shopping and restaurants in the neighborhood of Pacific Heights, read this excerpt from the SFGate newspaper:

Sights & Culture

Steps at Broadway and Lyon: For a quintessential Pacific Heights moment, descend these steps set between sumptuous houses and the Presidio. From the hedge garden you can glimpse of the Palace of the Fine Arts and the Bay below.

Alta Plaza Park: This small hilltop park to the west of Fillmore Street has tennis courts, a playground and panoramic city views.

Lafayette Park: On warm days, the green grass of this two-square-block park is full of sunbathers and dog walkers. The tennis courts have a bit more wind protection than those at Alta Plaza.

Haas-Lilienthal House: Go back in time with a visit to this fully furnished and preserved 1886 Queen Anne Victorian, replete with turrets and gables. The house, which serves as headquarters for San Francisco Architectural Heritage, is open for tours -- see the Web site for times and price info. 2007 Franklin St., (415) 441-3004. (Web site)

Spreckels Mansion: Romance novelist Danielle Steele and family reside in this ornate pre-WWI home fronting Lafayette Park. 2080 Washington St.

Restaurants

Bittersweet - A Chocolate Cafe: A sister to the Bittersweet in Oakland's Rockridge district, this location offers all the same decadent treats: rich hot chocolates, the cinnamon hot chocolate cake (their specialty), a wall of premium chocolate bars and the legendary Blue Bottle coffee, which is brewed by the cup. 2123 Fillmore St., (415) 346-8715.

Fillmore Grill: Opened by the original owners of Hyde Street Bistro, Fillmore Grill attracts old-time Hyde Street fans as well as neighborhood folk. The setup is warm and inviting, with regulars sitting in private booths or sallying up to the bar for a lunch of soup and chardonnay. Featuring a chef who hails from Salzburg, it's no wonder one of the specialties is Wiener Schnitzel. 2298 Fillmore St., (415) 776-7600.

Elite Cafe: The updated Elite still focuses on New Orleans flavors. Fans of the sweet, flaky biscuits from Joanna Karlinsky's closed Meetinghouse Restaurant can celebrate now that she's brought them here. Designer Charles a'Court updated the interior, with glossy mahogany boothsm a refinished bar, chocolate-plum walls and elegant chandeliers. (-SF Chronicle) 2049 Fillmore St., (415) 346-8400.

Jackson Fillmore: Moderately priced Italian food includes zucchini carpaccio, sea bass fra diavolo, tiramisu and hot zabaglione. (SF Chronicle) 2506 Fillmore St., (415) 346-5288.

La Mediterranee: Savory food, reasonable prices and consistently friendly service make this narrow strip of a restaurant a neighborhood favorite. Don't miss the hummus, baba ghanoush and tabuleh appetizer combo. 2210 Fillmore St.

Solstice: Young hipsters flock to Solstice for its social dining and live DJs. The menus consists mainly of a variety of small plates, such as halibut ceviche, gorgonzola macaroni and cheese and chicken pot pie, as well as shared plates in the line of wild mushroom pizza, baked brie fondue and pan roasted coconut curry mussels. The bar scene gets packed with singles on weekends. DJs spin Thursday through Saturday, while there is live music, usually acoustic sets, on Sundays. 2801 California St., (415) 359-1222.

Shopping

Betsey Johnson: The Cyndi-Lauper-in-Hollywood fashions of this women's-clothing designer blend ruffles and leopard spots in a fetching fusion of schoolgirl-meets-strumpet. 2033 Fillmore St., (415) 567-2726.

Blu: The classic couture at Blu stems from a core 15 European designers, including Kenzo and Martin Margiela, who create pieces from cashmere, silk and mohair blends with prices befitting high-end apparel. Accessories like Barbara Bui shoes and Alex & Lee jewelry complete the looks. The owners also run Cielo down the street. 2259 Fillmore St.,

Flicka: This chic, clean and spare Scandinavian-inspired boutique carries a handful of Scandinavian clothing labels as well as a small line of pillows, photo albums and lamps. On the racks, the clothes are black or white, gray, taupe, dusty rose or chocolate brown, and the majority of fashions are by Filippa K. On the floor, Lego sets are tucked underneath the coffee table for the kids, and big overstuffed white chairs and World Soccer magazines wait for the guys. On their sound system during the week are Swedish groups like Kent and the Cardigans. The weekends? ABBA, of course. (-SF Chronicle/SF Gate) 1932 Fillmore St., (415) 292-2315.

HeidiSays: Known for its whimsical window displays, HeidiSays targets young professionals with its classic, yet edgy style. Designers like Nanette Lepore, Trina Turk, and Rebecca Taylor are all favorites. Casual lines such as True Religion jeans and James Perse sexy tees sit alongside other staples like hoodies and cashmere sweaters. Thyme lotions, Tocca candles, Hollywould shoes all round out the collection. Prices are mid-to upscale for the neighborhood. 2426 Fillmore St., (415) 749-0655.

Halloween Costume Ideas

2010-10-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner! It has always been one of my one of my favorite holidays. I love seeing creatively carved pumpkins sitting on front porches, the glow from their candlelight flickering in the darkness. I love it when the air smells like wood smoke and I can hear the crunch of fallen leaves underneath my boots. But most of all, I love dressing up in costume on the only day of the year when it is acceptable to commute to work wearing fairy wings, fangs or a sparkly tutu!

When I spoke with some of our GEOS students, many of them said that they didn't know what to wear for our GEOS Halloween party. With so many costume options available, I can see how it could feel overwhelming to choose something. Halloween in American culture is an exciting holiday, not just for children, but for adults. It is the opportunity to play dress-up, to create a fantasy costume that is so scary, funny or cool that everyone wants to take pictures with you! My advice is to give your costume 100% effort! Don't be afraid to use face-paint, accessories and a wig to make your costume stand out. I have made a list of common costumes by category, to give some ideas of what to wear on the night of October 31st.

Cute: Lots of people enjoy this category! Think of storybook characters, animals, insects, fairies and elves. Examples of cute costumes: bunny rabbit, bumble-bee, lady-bug, Little Red Riding Hood, Dorothy, Goldilocks, Cinderella, Fairy, Angel, black cat, Tinkerbell....ect

Scary: Dressing scary is always a popular costume option! Examples of Scary costumes: devil, witch, zombie, alien, vampire, Frankenstein, ghost, monster, werewolf, dead-person...ect

Famous people: Dress as your favorite celebrity! Singers, pop-stars, actresses and sports players make good costumes. Examples: Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Tina Turner, President Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Einstein, Amelia Earheart, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis...ect.

Food: A funny costume is to dress like your favorite food! Examples: Ketchup, Mustard, Hot-dog, Burrito, Taco, Sushi, Hot sauce, Soy sauce,

Video Game Characters: Some people like to dress as the characters in their favorite video games. Example: Street Fighter characters, Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Zelda, Pac Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....ect.

People from another time: It is fun to wear clothing from past eras. You may even be able to borrow something from your mom or grandmother! Examples: A hippie from the 196o's, a flapper from the 1920's, a girl in a poodle-skirt from the 195o's, 198o's neon clothing!

Remember, second-hand clothing shops like Goodwill are a great way to buy cheap clothing that you can use to make your costume. Have fun!!!

Crissy field GEOS trip!

2010-10-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday October 1st, I took a group of GEOS students to Crissy field. It was a beautiful day, even though it was a bit windy. We took the 30 bus from GEOS through Chinatown, until we reached the very last stop. We arrived in the Marina district, a lovely quiet and clean San Francisco neighborhood with gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge. After stepping off the bus, we walked to the Palace of Fine Arts, the only remaining structure from the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. The rotunda and its columns are surrounded by a peaceful lagoon, with swans gliding along the water. Many forms of wildlife such as turtles, ducks, frogs and raccoons make their home in this area. We walked through the Presidio, a large park on the peninsula protected by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We passed people on bicycles, families walking their dogs and children playing near the ocean. We arrived at Baker Beach, a popular area for sun tanning and swimming. It also has amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge. This is the perfect place to spend a hot October day! We continued walking along the ocean until we reached a store near Fort Point, where we bought refreshments after our long trek. We passed people having picnics and barbecuing meat, while playing outdoor games. Their food smelled so good, we wished that we could join the party! It was the perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Bay Area Slang!

2010-09-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday many GEOS students were excited to participate in a slang workshop at school. Learning slang is a great way to communicate with locals and to learn more about San Francisco's unique urban culture! As someone who was born and raised in the Bay Area, I would like to share some common local slang in this post. Why? Because the Bay Area is hella cool!

Slang terms:

Hella: Supposedly "Hella" originated in the San Francisco neighborhood Hunter's point. Hella can be used in place of "really" or "very" to emphasize a point. Ex: "I'm hella tired." Or, "I'm hella excited for the Giants game tonight!"

Shady: "Shady" is an adjective used to describe something that seems suspicious or untrustworthy. Ex: "I don't like Bob, he seems like a shady person." Or, "The tenderloin scares me. That neighborhood is shady!"

Homies: "Homies" is the plural of "Homie" (n), used to describe close friends. "Homies" are people whom you respect, who will stand up for you in any situation. Ex: " I was chillin' with my homies last night. It was hella fun." Or, "I got mad love for my homies."

Chillin: "Chillin"(v) means to relax. You can "chill" at home alone or with friends. Ex: Question: "Hey what are you doing?" Answer: "I'm just chillin tonight at home."

Ghetto: A poor, disadvantaged, residential urban area of a city, usually with a high crime rate and public housing. "Ghetto" can also be used to describe something of poor quality. Ex: "I'm too afraid to visit East Oakland, that's in the ghetto!" Or, "My car is so ghetto. It's a 1985 Toyota with a broken window."

For Sheezy: "For Sheezy" means, " for sure." It is used in agreement with someone. It can be used in the same way as "absolutely," or "no doubt." Ex: Question: "Do you want to go clubbing with me tonight?" Answer: " For Sheezy! You know I love to dance." Or "Oh my God, that guy was so creepy." Answer, "For sheezy!"

Japantown, San Francisco: A cool place to visit!

2010-09-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Friday last week, a group of Geos students went to eat lunch in Japantown with Matt. This exciting gateway to Japanese Culture is only 1 mile from Union Square and easily accessible by public transportation. Just catch the 38 bus on Market St. ( in front of the school) and it will take you straight to the Japan Center!

The Japan Center and the adjacent blocks of Japantown are filled with shops, restaurants and a variety of other businesses. Check out Japanese fashion at New People, or buy an adorable Hello Kitty purse at Sanrio! TryJapanese, and Hawaiian coffee shop favorites from hearty Japanese noodle soups and Hawaiian beef (marinated beef with vegetables over rice) at May's Coffee Shop, an indoor sidewalk cafe. Whatever you choose to do in Japan Town, it is a wonderful opportunityto explore and experience the customs and culture of Japan.

This week Japantown is hosting the J-POP SUMMIT WEEK. Today, Wednesday the 15th, 6%DOKIDOKI has the latest kawaii (cute) fashions from Harajuku! Listen to a lecture with the designer, Sebastian Masuda.

This Saturday is festival day! NEW PEOPLE willcelebrate its 1st birthday.
NEW PEOPLE is an advocate ofJapanese pop culture, artists and musicians. The store promotes cross cultural exchange and nurtures collaborative ideas. The festival incorporating fresh content from Japan and encourages involvement of local businesses and artists, making it a platform for a wonderful wave of hybrid culture in our new world community.

2010-09-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Mission has numerous alley ways covered in beautiful murals. The artwork spans decades and many of the murals depict political events in the Latin American community. Seeing the artwork in person can be a powerful experience. The stretch of 24th Street running from Mission Street to Potrero Street boasts a vast number of unique stores and restaurants, as well as the greatest concentration of murals in the city. Whether you've come to the Mission for a delicious meal, to shop for a unique piece of clothing, or to swig beer at a trendy bar while listening to a local band, the Mission is a great place to visit.

Another SF Neighborhood to explore: The Mission!

2010-09-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite neighborhoods in San Francisco is The Mission. Unfortunately, many students don't stray from the beaten path to explore this hidden gem. Unlike Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square and Golden Gate Bridge, The Mission is not a big tourist attraction. This is part of what makes the area special. Instead of tourist crowds, you'll find families shopping for fruit and vegetables, tattooed hipster kids riding their bicycles and young people sun tanning in Dolores Park ( which locals sometimes call Dolores Beach!)

What makes this neighborhood so special? Its food, diversity, nightlife and artistic expression. The neighborhood is rich in Latin American culture. Immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua have brought their authentic ethnic cuisine to San Francisco. In the Mission you can find the best burrito you'll ever eat for 4$. But other tasty options are available as well. High end tapas restaurants, falafel shops, Indian restaurants, sushi, famous sandwiches, burger joints and vegetarian cuisine can all be found here.

At the corner of 16th and Dolores streets is the oldest standing building in the city. It is Mission Dolores, one of the two original missions in San Francisco. The chapel ceiling is patterned after Costonoan basket weaving. Costonoans were the native inhabitants of the area. Also explore the mission's cemetery and gardens.

Take some time to visit the incredible mural on the Women's building on 18th Street, between Valencia and Guerrero streets.

Here are some brief reviews of (yummy!) restaurants in the Mission from the SF Chronicle website:

Andalu: The sky and cloud mural on the ceiling at Andalu invites a hip and youthful crowd for eccentric tapas. Crowd faves are Coca-Cola braised ribs, baby beet, blood orange and arugula salad, and Castillian hot chocolate and donut hole for dessert. Portions are small, even by tapas standards, and prices add up quickly, but the quirky combinations and careful preparation make it a nice treat. 3198 16th St. at Guerrero. (415) 621-2211.

Al Hamra: An unpretentious tandoori restaurant, where the meat is halal, or certified to fit Muslim dietary law. You order at a counter that wraps around two tandoor ovens. And then the amazing food arrives: naan with two squeeze bottles of house-made chutneys -- fiery mint and a fruity, true-to-flavor tamarind -- plus tandoori, curries and vegetarian specials. 3083 16th St. (near Mission), (415) 621-3935.

Arinell Pizza: Cheap NY-style pizza with an ultra-thin, crispy crust. Completely no-frills space and a punk rock attitude. 509 Valencia St. at 16th, (415) 255-1303.

Country Station Sushi: Owner Hiroko Tamano morphed what was once a tiny burger joint into a playful sushi joint. The tables are circa 1970, but the food is a mix of modern sushi and Japanese down-home cooking. The servers and chefs couldn't be more gracious. There are also seats on one of two platforms, if you'd rather eat cross-legged and sans shoes. 12140 Mission St. (at Sycamore), (415) 861-0972.

Levende: Dark red walls, a crystal chandelier and cushy leather ottomans sidling up to dark mahogany tables set a plush, cozy scene at this nightclub-restaurant hybrid. A mounted flat screen TV loops a movie of tropical fish while diners dig into small plates with Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian influences. (-SF Chronicle/SF Gate) 1710 Mission St. (at Duboce), (415) 864-5585.

Panchitas #2: This is a friendly place for Salvadoran food (including pupusas -- basically, corn pancakes with cheese) and delicious tropical fruit juices. 3091 16th St. (415) 431-4232.

Regalito Rosticeria: This colorful, Mexico City–style cafe serves regional Mexican with an eco-friendly ingredient twist: free-range chicken and Nieman Ranch beef. Standouts include the chile verde and pollo con mole negro, happily paired with a kicky agave margarita. 3481 18th St., at Valencia St., (415) 503-0650. Closed Mondays.

Ti Couz: Sweet or savory, this Breton-style creperie makes them thin and serves them fresh. Basic buckwheat (savory) or wheat (sweet) crepes with butter start at $2 and tick upward with each addition. Try a dessert in a glass: a crunchy crepe cone with choice of assorted gelatos, sorbets, mousses and fruit compotes. Cold seafood, charcuterie and cheese plates also available. 3108 16th St., near Valencia St., (415) 252-7273.

Boogaloos: This Caribbean-influenced eatery is best visited for weekend brunch, when local residents drift in early or brave late-morning lines to feast on eggs Benedict amid the lava lamps and the bright jumble of artwork. 3296 22nd St., at Valencia Street, (415) 824-3211.

Burger Joint: You can find burgers all over the city, but this Mission District spot serves them with Niman Ranch beef, which is free of growth-supporting antibiotics or hormones. The menu has only five items, but the burgers are juicy, the veggie burger better than most and the hand-cut fries are crisp and thick. To fit into its hip Valencia Street location, the colorful decor is a postmodern take on '50s diner style. 807 Valencia St., between 19th and 20th streets, (415) 824-3494.

September Festivals in San Francisco!

2010-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

September is San Francisco's warmest month, perfect for enjoying outdoor festivals. Grab your sunglasses, get your friends together and experience the music, food and relaxing atmosphere of San Francisco's many festivals! The first one this month is the 15th annual Ghiradelli Square Chocolate Festival. SEPTEMBER 11-12,from
12:00-5:00PM , festival goers will indulge in chocolate delicacies, sip wine and enjoy chocolate inspired family activities. Proceeds benefit Project Open Hand.

On September 18th 11:00-6:00pm, the J-Pop Summit Festival takes place in Japan Town. After the huge success of last year's festival, September 18th will be another day packed with music, art, special guests, live performances, film screenings and a whole lot of creative energy! Don't miss the vendors, street performers, Harajuku fashionistas or the fun!

On September 25th, North Beach hosts the Festa Coloniale Italiana, celebrating the rich Italian and Italian-American heritage that has existed in San Francisco for generations. Enjoy continuous live Italian music, a pizza-tossing demonstration, costumed dancers, delicious calamari, sausages and peppers, cannoli, beer and wine. Specialty vendors will be selling Italian-related products. The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club's main ballroom will be transformed into an Italian piazza complete with a fountain. The festival runs from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Finally, there will be the first ever Polk Street Blues Festival on Sunday, September 26th. Enjoy a warm, friendly neighborhood atmosphere on Polk Street, which runs from Ghirardelli Square to Market Street near City Hall and Civic Center. The Festival will feature two main stages, a merchant marketplace, arts and crafts, gourmet food booths, a large family area, cafe seating areas, and much more. It is now the only free blues event in San Francisco, so stop by and relax!

Summer Fun with Geos Study Tour Groups!

2010-09-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

During the months of July and August, I had the pleasure of being a group leader for two wonderful study tour groups. SILC arrived from France and BTS came from Italy. Both groups were eager to explore San Francisco's quirky neighborhoods! Every morning we hopped on MUNI, ready to reach a new destination. On a sunny day in the Mission, I took the students to an authentic Mexican taqueria where we devoured a giant plate of nachos. We traversed alleyways covered in colorful murals, taking our time to appreciate the artwork.
We took Bart to my hometown of Berkeley and went shopping on Telegraph Avenue. In addition to being a hub of student activity, Telegraph Avenue has great vintage clothing stores, delicious ethnic food and an interesting history of student protests. We took pictures in front of the fraternity houses where crazy college parties are thrown every year during football season. Go Bears!
On a cloudy day we walked all the way across the Golden Gate Bridge, looking down at the choppy water below. We played soccer in Golden Gate Park, climbed the steeply arched 'Moon Bridge' in the Japanese Tea Garden and one brave student even went swimming at Ocean Beach!
Both groups enjoyed beautiful, sunny days in the quaint town of Sausalito. We window shopped, bought ice cream and took pictures of the stunning San Francisco skyline from across the water. For our final excursion we visited Alcatraz and listened to the fascinating audio tour as we walked the halls of the spooky former prison. Finally, we indulged ourselves with chocolate at Ghiradelli Square, relishing our sweet memories from the summer.

More GEOS Activities Pictures!

2010-04-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

I recently took a big and rowdy group of students to a fabulous San Francisco destination: Twin Peaks!

Twin Peaks is San Francisco's highest viewpoint and offers incredible views of our great city. The Peak is so high that you can see both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge from the viewpoint! This trip was also especially great because we were lucky enough to go on an unusually hot and sunny day, so the views were phenomenal!

The students were not too excited about the climb up to the Peak, it is a small hike up a grassy hill and along a dirt road...but we all agreed it was well worth it...and I thought they were all very cute in their line marching up the hill too!

I made the students take a few "artistic" poses for me...I amused myself and they were happy to oblige:).

Overall, the trip was a big success-- we had a lot of fun and got some great pictures. Plus it was such a beautiful day...in fact, it was actually quite HOT up there so I hope it was as special of a treat for the students as it was for me!

Spring is in the Air!

2010-04-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

Ahhh spring is officially upon us and though we are still getting some April showers here in San Francisco, we have had some lovely sunny days too and hopefully it will continue to warm up. For our monthly newsletter, we have an "Ask a Student" column, this month we asked "What's your favorite thing about spring?" So I thought it would be nice to share it:

The weather is nicer which allows me to be outside enjoying nature. -Evelin Witt -Bruurmijn, TOEFL

You don’t have to wear so many layers. People seem happier and it’s sunnier. -Nikos Zoldan. L3

The weather is very good. People are happy. -Alexandra Aguilar Del Valle, L3

Going outside and walking around in the nice weather. Nehal Talakey, L4

It's when we celebrate Song Kran Festival in Thailand. During this festival we throw water on each other. - Sirima [Apple] Likitthangthum, L4

My Favorite part of spring is the scent of flowers everywhere. -Sun Young Moon [Sunny]

GEOS Nightlife events

2010-03-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings and another Happy Friday from GEOS San Francisco.

Last night we had our first ever GEOS/JET alumni mixer. If you don't know what JET is it is a program for college graduates, they apply and if they are accepted they can teach in Japan. Since we have had a Study Tour from Japan with us at GEOS for the past 3 weeks, we thought it would be a nice treat for them to do some kind of language and culture exchange with a group of Americans and what better a group then some American's who are very interested in Japanese culture?

We all met at a restaurant/brewery called Gordon Biersch and over appetizers and drinks we all got to know each other and talk about Japan and the US. The students were a bit shy at first but by the end of the night everyone was hanging out and having a good time. Hopefully we can organize another event with this group soon!

In other fun evening activities, we went on a nightlife tour to Lower Haight recently. If you remeber, we blogged about Haight a few weeks ago-- Lower Haight really is a great neighborhood and one that international students rarely explore, so I think it was a unique expericence for the students. We started out at a place called Mad Dog and we played some fun American card games. After that we went to a cool place that is decorated like a cave inside and whose patrons are a mix of punks and artists called the Noc Noc and finally, our last stop was a place called Molotovs. Over all I highly recommed that neighborhood if you would like to have a relaxed, artsy San Francisco evening, and I think the students appreciated spending time in a neighborhood they may have otherwise not ever visited.

GEOS EXPLORES SILICON VALLEY

2010-02-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

Greetings and happy Friday from GEOS!

Last week we took the students on our first ever Silicon Valley tour. We currently have a group of young Japanese study tour students with us at GEOS and part of their tour requests was to visit some companies. What better place then the tech-heart of the world, Silicon Valley, which is just next door to us in San Francisco and the home of some of the world's most famous companies including Apple, Google, Intel, Yahoo, and more. We also decided to open up the tour to all GEOS students as well, so quite a large group of us went:).

First we went to the Google Headquarters and took some pictures and talked a bit about Google. Then we went to Apple and visited their Company Store...the only place in the world that you can buy official Apple company hats, T-shirts, mugs, etc...of course the students spent a lot of time there since they all love to shop!

Next, we were lucky enough to get a tour of the Ebay/Paypal headquarters, which was quite interesting. We learned about how Ebay's building is one of the "Greenest" in the US and we toured Paypals localization department, the international division where they must translate all of the companies content and where the staff is from all over the world.After lunch we headed to the Intel where we got a tour of their Museum and got to play with some cool technology and of course, shop at the company store.Last, we finished up at the San Jose Tech Museum, a fun interactive museum where your encouraged to "play" with the exhibits--interact with them, touch them, etc. Lots of fun. After a day of go-go-going though were were all exhausted and ready to head home!

The students had fun and I hope we can do another exploration of Silicon Valley in the future.

Another SF Neighborhood: The Haight

2010-02-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

Greetings from GEOS! It's been a while since we have posted another neighborhood profile so please enjoy some more info 0n another San Francisco favorite neighborhood...in this edition we are spotlighting:
THE HAIGHT.

Whenever people hear "The Haight" the first image that comes to mind is hippies, peace, love and the 60's. The neighborhood is famous for its role in the psychedelic era and "Summer of
Love" in the U.S. of the 1960's. Yes, some of that hippie vibe still does remain, but the Haight of today has actually changed quite a bit: exclusive boutiques, high-end vintage-clothing shops, second-hand stores, Internet cafés and hip international restaurants and bars now make up the former hippie hideaway and the Haight, in my opinion, has some of the best shopping in San Francisco! The Haight also has beautiful Victorian homes and many diverse residents.

However, The Haight, is not just the corner of Haight and Ashbury which spills into an entrance of Golden Gate Park, there are actually 2 distinct areas of the Haight. Upper Haight (from Masonic to Stanyon), is the more touristy area. On a warm Saturday the streets will be crowded with shoppers, tourists, street kids, and artists. This is where you'll find Amoeba Music Store and the city's famous Red Vic theater, where you can get a wooden bowl of popcorn and watch a good foreign or independent film. This is also where the most crowded collection of shops are, with lots of thrift stores and boutiques.

The other section...and in my opinion, the mellower section is Lower Haight. From Divisidaro street to Webster street, Lower Haight is a more diverse neighborhood with excellent nightlife to draw people as well as tasty restaurants and great electronic and hip-hop music stores.

NO matter which part of Haight you visit (and both Upper and Lower are well worth exploring) The Haight has a bit of something for everyone: there are very young kids who hang-out and twenty-somethings with a great mix of youth culture, families and professional singles and couples. Another highly recommended SF neighborhood.

Sights & Culture

Red Vic Movie House: A cozy movie house for rep, cult and premiere independent films at noninflated moviegoing prices. Sip some coffee or tea (drinks come in real mugs and glasses!), munch popcorn (with or without yeast) or other organic treats and sit snugly on one of the couches or theater seats.

Corner of Haight & Ashbury: Back in the mid-1960s, this was perhaps the most famous intersection in the world, a place where young people came to from all over the world in search of love and peace. Some found it and some didn't,but today it's worth a visit, if only to see the interesting people and beautiful victorians.

Buena Vista Park: Hike, jog, walk or just relax in these 36 acres of forested parkland with great views of surrounding Victorians and the city. It's one of the city's oldest parks in the city.

The Grateful Dead house: In the mid-'60s, the Grateful Dead lived together (with many other transients) in this 1890 Cranston-Keenan building (that's Cranston, as in former US Sen. Alan Cranston's grandfather). 710 Ashbury St.

Haight Street Fair: On the second Sunday of June, locals and tourists pack the Upper Haight for the Haight Street Fair, featuring local bands, food stalls from neighborhood restaurants and, of course, plenty of shopping.

Restaurants:

Cha! Cha! Cha!: Widely regarded as the best Caribbean restaurant in the city, this place is well-known for outstanding fish tapas, calamari, plantains and other dishes influenced by cuisine from Africa, Spain, Louisiana and Brazil. It's always crowded, so you'll want to put your name on the list early. 1801 Haight St

People's Café: Sandwiches and light meals prevail here at the People's Café. Eggs are served all day, the coffees are strong, and the salads are large. 1419 Haight

The Pork Store Cafe: The photos on the wall give its full history, but in short the Pork Store Cafe is a Haight Street relic. Large breakfast plates are the main attraction and vegetarian options include scrambled eggs with onions, spinach, Jack cheese and salsa. Closes by late afternoon. A second location is between Valencia and Guerrero in the Mission. 1451 Haight St.

Kate's Kitchen: Get here early, because on weekend mornings and afternoons, there's always a line for super-huge servings of food made with all-natural ingredients. The pancakes are giant, and the egg scrambles are savory; vegetarian and vegan options are also available. 471 Haight St.

Indian Oven: The plain white tablecloths here don't reflect the flavorful north Indian food. More exotic choices include fish tandoori with Chilean sea bass marinated in herbs and spices, and chicken Madras cooked in spicy coconut sauce with raisins and basic sabji-vegetable curry. Sides include a variety of breads like goat-cheese naan. 233 Fillmore St

The Citrus Club: Udon. Soba. Lo mein. There are plenty of choices to noodle over at this Haight pan-Asian spot. Grab a seat at the bar, or wait for a table to taste noodle soups that rival any pho house in the Tenderloin. Start with neatly wrapped spring rolls or innovative cold noodles such as orange-mint or spicy lime and coconut. And even if the wok-tossed noodles don't always hit the mark, ample portions and speedy service compensate at this bustling joint that seems straight from the set of "Tampopo." Vegan items, too.

For details on all of the best shopping, bars, more restaurants, record stores and more on Upper and Lower Haight check out this website:

http://www.sfgate.com/travel/neighborhoods/sf/haight/

Free things to do in San Francisco!

2010-02-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys

You guys might think San Francisco is an expensive city to live. Did you know that you can find some free stuffs to do?

Many of the city's Museum offer free admission day once a month. These include:

Free on first Tuesday of the month:

- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
Address: 151 Third Street (between Mission and Howard), San Francisco, CA 94103
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
General Admission: $15 (if not free day)
- De Young Museum
Address: located in Golden Gate park
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.
General Admission: $10 (if not free day)
- Legion of Honor
Address: Lincoln Park 34th Avenue & El Camino Del Mar, San Francisco, CA
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.
General Admission: $10 (if not free day)
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Address: 701 Mission Street (at Third Street), San Francisco, CA
Hours: 12:00-8:00 p.m.
General Admission: $7 (if not free day)
- Cartoon Art Museum
Address: 655 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
General Admission: $6 (first Tuesday of every month is "Pay what you wish day")
- Museum of craft and folk art
Address: 51 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
General Admission: $5 (if not free day)

Free on first Wednesday of the month

- Exploratorium
Address: 3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
General Admission: $15 (if not free day)
- San Francisco Zoo
Address: Sloat Boulevard at Great Highway
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
General Admission: $15 (if not free day)
**Free admission is for San Francisco residents only.

Free on first Sunday of the month
- Asian Art Museum
Address: 200 Larkin Street (between Fulton and McAllister Street) San Francisco
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
General admission: $12 (if not free day)

Free on third Wednesday of the month
- CA Academy of Sciences
Address: 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA
Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
General Admission: $27.50

Just yesterday Feb 3rd, GEOS arranged an activity to Exploratorium. There were 17 students joined the activity. It was a nice trip and especially it was Free!

We love free days!

New Website, Lots to Explore!

2010-01-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

Hey all! So some exciting news, we have finally finished updating our school website!! Check out the new and improved GEOS English Academy San Francisco at www.geossf.com. The new site is more user friendly, easy to navigate and has tons of info and pictures about our school, so please explore it!

We have also finished our 2010 Study Tour schedules for individual students! So if you have students that would like to come and study with us and would like GEOS to plan out a week or two of wonderful activities you should enroll in one of our study tours. What's so special about them is that you do not need to come in a group but you can come on your own and join the group. We have 4 tours to coordinate with the 4 sesons and you can find all the info you need at: www.geossf.com/programs/study-tours.html.

Since your on the site, you should also check out our Feburary 2010 Activities Calendar. This month we have tour of fabulous SF neighborhoods, movie screenings, our night life tour, ferry ride and more...so if your curious about all the exciting things we have going on inside and outside the classroom, check out the website and our activities calendar as well!

Have a great weekend!

GEOS Activity-Alcatraz Island

2010-01-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hello all

More updates from GEOS San Francisco's acitivity.

GEOS San Francisco organized Alcratraz Ferry tour on Friday January 15, 2010. We got good feedback from student and we had 11 students signed up!

We all had a good time and really enjoyed it.

Here's are some Alcatraz legend:

- Alcatraz was operated 28 years and eight months. Officially titled "U.S. Penitentiary, Alcatraz", the institution opened on July 1, 1934 and closed on March 21, 1963.

- There are 336 "main line" cells and 42 "solitary confinement" cells in the cellhouse. The prison was never filled, though, and the average population was about 260 men. The highest occupancy was 302 convicts.

- According to the government, nobody ever escape from Alcatraz. During the period the Federal penitentiary operated, 36 prisoners were involved in 14 separate escape attempts. 23 were caught, six were shot and killed, and two drowned. Five men disappeared and were never seen again, but the overwhelming odds are that they drowned and that their bodies were never recovered. One prisoner made it as far as the rocks beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, where he was found unconscious and near death. He was returned to the island within 24 hours.

However, when Alcatraz operated as a military prison between 1861 and 1933, an unknown number of men escaped directly from the island or from work parties on the mainland.

- Al Capone was not famous when he was at Alcatraz. He received no special privileges. He had several jobs on the island including sweeping the cellhouse and working in the laundry.

The Nutcracker

2010-01-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

Nutcracker is Christmas classic performance where a little girl dreams of Christmas fantasy. Her dream is filled with candy canes, dancing snow flakes, sugar plum fairies, a rat king, and a Nutcracker prince. The nutcracker is San Francisco traditional and a must see for all locals and visitors!

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the book called "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written by E.T.A. Hoffman.

The Nutcracker made its way to Western Europe in the 1930's and to America by 1940, performed by Ballet Russe. The first American full length Nutcracker was performed by the San Francisco Ballet. The Nutcracker has since become an annual Holiday tradition.

Xmas Party and other things....

2009-12-18T14:49:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Firstly we wanted to wish everyone HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Today we had our Christmas party and the students had a blast..especially playing the gift exchange game White Elephant:

How to play White Elephant:

1. Bring a Christmas gift

2. Put all the presents in a pile.

3. Pick a number

4. Number 1 picks a present from the pile

5. Number 2 can either pick a present from the pile OR steal the present from Number 1.

6. Number 3 can either pick a present OR steal from Number 1 or 2

7. and so on..until everyone has a gift! =)

In the beginning of the game the students tended to keep their presents..but as it wore on, they definitely began stealing from each other! Pics of the party to come next week, have YOU ever played White Elephant?

Ice Skating at Embarcadero

2009-12-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I have some updates for you guys. Here we are on December, the month of holidays. One of famous activities for this festive season is Ice Skating and of course, GEOS wouldn't miss it. We went to ice skating at Embarcadero center. Even though, the weather wasn't that great, we all had a good time. Cheers!

Winter is Upon as at GEOS San Francisco

2009-12-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

Hello all on this lovely Friday!! Has anyone noticed how much colder it has gotten? Winter is definitely upon us here in San Francisco....our students have certainly noticed as they are saying they don't have winter coats! Good thing there's Christmas sales going on everywhere!

For some updates:

With so much student interest the GEOS San Francisco Introduction to TOEFL class has officially begun and ‘so far so good’ says our lovely AC Ethan and the students in the class. The class is being taught by a new teacher at GEOS SF, Mr. Justin Hughes and here is what he has to say about his new class:

“I am currently teaching a new class called "Intro to TOEFL". This intermediate level class prepares students for the advanced TOEFL preparation course, as well as to succeed in an academic environment in the United States. We cover many integrated skills including reading, writing, listening, as well as writing organization and structure and analytical thinking. In the Intro to TOEFL class we have been discussing techniques for organizing ideas for writing and speaking. We are also covering useful reading strategies, such as determining the meaning of vocabulary words based on context. So far, I am very impressed with the motivation of the students. If they continue to work hard I am confident that they will succeed on the TOEFL test and beyond! My class is fascinating because it is so diverse - I feel the whole world is represented in our classroom. The students are from Thailand, Korea, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Italy.

We also have another Photography contest going on:

Hey students, it’s time for another GEOS PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST, where you can show off your talent and skills to the school. The theme of this photo contests is: YOUR BEST PICTURE OF FISHERMANS WHARF. To submit, you can either gives us a copy at the front desk or send them via email to info@geossf.com. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE IN BY DECEMBER 1st. GEOS staff and students will vote on a winner……

The PRIZE is 2 FREE movie tickets!

In addition, here is our GRAMMAR NOTE OF THE WEEK:

ALL vs. WHOLE

These words often have the same meaning, but they are used differently.

With the definite article:

All comes before the definite article: All the time

Whole comes after the definite article: The whole time

With a possessive adjective:

All comes before a possessive adjective: All my life

Whole comes after a possessive adjective: My whole life

With a singular noun:

Whole can only be used after a definite article: The whole country (not 'Whole country')

With Plural Nouns:

They have different meanings:

All exams were affected. = Every exam was affected.
Whole exams were affected. = This doesn't mean that every exam was affected, but that some were affected completely.

With uncountable nouns:

We generally use all. We can say 'the whole of the' before an uncountable noun.

AAAAANNNND, Here's a list of all the awesome things that went on in San Francisco for the Month of November:

- Dia de Los Muertos in the

Mission: Nov 2

- San Francisco Ski and Snowboard Festival: Nov 7

- 27th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival: Oct 20-Nov 8

- Holiday Chocolate Show: Nov 14

- San Francisco International Animation Festival: Nov 15

- San Francisco Green Festival: Nov 15

- Thanksgiving weekend: Nov 26 - Nov 29

- San Francisco International Auto Show: Nov 26

As i say time and again, this city has SO MUCH to do all the time, from concerts to fairs, to professional sports, this is a very exciting and active city to be a part of....now if you don't mind, I'm going to enjoy my weekend. Cheers!

-A.M.

Good Morning America Live from Union Square, San Francisco!

2009-12-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

Good Morning America broadcasts live from Union Square on Thursday 3 Dec at 4 a.m. The live broadcast from Union Square coincided with the unveiling of San Francisco's holiday window at GMA's New York studio in Times Square. GMA's Holilday Window: Diane Sawyer revealed the second window which featured Golden Gate bridge.

Complimentary Ghirardelli hot chocolates were served, as well as cookies and brownies from Wolfgang Puck Express Restaurant; beignets from Chez Papa Resto; and pastries from Emporio Rulli il Caffe, which opened to the public at 3 a.m.

The city's donation to "GMA's" Warm hearts Warm coats benefits a local charity.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9237274

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=9237104

MORE UPDATES!

2009-11-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings all,

Well it's raining and a bit dark here in San Francisco today, however, it was bright and chipper inside GEOS today. We had wonderfully successful Thanksgiving potluck party and we all ate until we were stuffed (no pun intended!)...so pics of that to come soon!

In addition, our Introduction to TOEFL course has started this week and so far its proving to be a success. The students are enjoying it and we look forward to more enrollments into that program as the new year approaches.

In other news.....
Local Recommendation of the week:

Fusion: (of food or cooking) combining usually widely differing ethnic or regional ingredients, styles, or techniques

Perilla is a fusion Vietnamese cuisine. The portions are big so split a meal with your friend. Share the charbroiled beef with garlic noodle with your friend for only $10! Perilla is famous for its garlic noodles. The line during lunch time is usually long so it is faster to order take-out. Don’t forget to order the garlic noodles! Enjoy!

Perilla is located at 510 Mission St (between 1st St & Ecker Pl) San Francisco, CA 94105

News from GEOS San Francisco!

2009-11-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

New Course at GEOS beginning Monday November 16th: Introduction to TOEFL!

For students who are interested in preparing for the TOEFL test but you are NOT in a level 5 or 6 class. Now they and you have the opportunity to prepare for the TOEFL test if you are level 3 or 4. It is a full-time 12 week course and student interest has been so strong we are beginning the course ASAP and we are very excited to offer this alternative course for our students.

NEW at GEOS: Internship Program!

GEOS San Francisco is proud to announce a new internship program. For students already studying here with us or for those not yet in the US we can now offer a short term Internship for students on an F-1 visa, as well as long-term internships for those who would like to come on a J-1 visa.

In this global economy it's very useful to have work experience in the US and GEOS San Francisco is proud to provide this exciting opportunity for people. The program will provide both paid and unpaid positions. You can get work experience in industries such as: publishing, manufacturing, trade , retail, IT, restaurants, etc.

To apply you need to provide us with your resume and cover letter and pay the program fee. Then we will find the company and organize an interview for you. The higher level of English you have the better, BUT, don’t worry even if you don't have a high level of English skills, there are still positions available. You can also study with us longer until you are ready for your internship as well!

Please contact GEOS staff for more information.

SF FUN FACT!!

Did you know that the original United Nations Charter was written and signed here in San Francisco?

The United Nations Charter is the treaty that formed and established the U.N. The U.N. Charter was signed at the Herbst Theate

r inside San Francisco’s Civic Center on June 26th 1958 by 50 of the 51 original U.N. member countries. After it was approved or “ratified” by the 5 permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom) the U.N. Charter was entered into force. All nations that signed the Charter, to this

day, are bound by the rules in the Charter….so San Francisco is part of world history!

GRAMMAR NOTE OF THE WEEK: Bring vs Take

Both ESL students and native speakers alike often mix up these two words...the easy tip is: you ask people to bring things to the place you are now, and you take things to the place you are going. You bring things here and take things there. For example:

Cansu would ask Jack to bring Ryosuke to her party next week: “Hi Jack will you bring Ryosuke to my party on Friday?”

Then Jack would call Ryosuke and ask, “May I take you to Cansu’s party?”

Cansu is asking Jack to bring Ryosuke because Cansu is at the destination—from Cansu’s perspective or point of view, Jack is bringing someone to her. Jack is offering to take Ryosuke because he is transporting someone to a remote destination or to a far-away place— from Jack’s perspective, he is taking someone there.

How Flatiron Building got its name?

2009-11-12T16:02:00.000-08:00

Flatiron buildings are structures built between 1880 and 1926, generally in Beaux-Arts or Renaissance Revival architectural designs popular of the era. The buildings are identified as flatirons because they are shaped like a flat clothes iron and built on trapezoid-shaped lots common in the 19th and early 20th century city grids.

Halloween Party at GEOS

2009-11-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Hello from GEOS English Academy!
What did you do on Halloween?

We had a Halloween party on Oct.30, Fri. in our school.

From the left: Dee Dee, Chelsea, Hiroko(Me!), Helen.

Cute, hah?

Pumpkin curving competition!

We had a pumpkin curving contest, and each group designed and curved own pumpkin.

So..I had Halloween party twice this year, on the day of Halloween and the day before Halloween :)