SEDA News, Issue 33, August 2014 Copyright: SEDA College | www.news.sedacollege.com

SEDA student wins European karting championship

Volunteering at the World Cup: Ana Cristina’s story

What’s it like working as a rickshaw driver in Dublin?

CHAMPION

WORLD CUP

RICKSHAW

Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke with SEDA College students and staff at SEDA’s 5-year anniversary party on August 1st.Photo by Patrícia Zeppellini

SEDA College gains Eaquals accreditationPrestigious European quality mark puts SEDA in the top league of language schools in Ireland and the EU.

SEDA College has become one of just nine schools in Ireland to gain EAQUALS accreditation – Europe’s most prestigious quality mark in language education. The stamp of approval was given after a rigorous inspection process which ensured that SEDA is fully committed to providing the best possible learning opportunities to each student who attends the college.

EAQUALS (Evaluation

& Accreditation of Quality Language Schools) is an international organisation comprising language schools in 31 countries whose aim is to promote high quality in language teaching. The body created a demanding set of criteria to verify the quality offered by its member schools. EAQUALS contributes to the Council of Europe projects, and is sometimes consulted by the European Commission on language education matters.

New members are accepted into EAQUALS following a thorough inspection which ensures that teaching, curriculum, accommodation and administration are of the highest standard. The inspection also checks if the information published on the school’s website and in print is accurate.

SEDA College was

inspected by EAQUALS in March 2014 and met the

high standards required for EAQUALS accreditation. The teaching, the course programmes, as well as the course organisation, the learning resources, testing and evaluation were all judged to be of high quality.

It was found that the institution takes great care to protect the welfare of its clients and staff, and all publicity materials produced by the institution are accurate and truthful.

In addition to being an EAQUALS member, SEDA is recognised by the Irish Department of Education and Skills through ACELS – the highest quality mark for English language schools in Ireland. The two quality marks ensure that students choosing SEDA can expect the highest standard of education.

For more infoabout Eaquals seewww.eaquals.org

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SEDA News: Ireland’s first newspaper for international students. Circulation: 1000 copies. Editor: Viktor Posudnevsky Design: Felipe MartinsSEDA College,68-72 Capel Street, Dublin 1.Ph: 01 473 4915; news@seda.ie; www.news.sedacollege.com; http://www.facebook.com/mySEDA.Ireland

Lord Mayor of Dublin surprise guest at SEDA’s anniversary party

AUGUST CALENDAR

On August 1 SEDA College

celebrated its 5-year anniversary

with two packed events.

The first one was an awards

ceremony where outstanding

students and members of staff

were recognised. The event

took place in SEDA’s student

lounge and it featured a live

performance by sax player

Etienne Curron, delicious food

and drinks and surprise visit

from the Lord Mayor of Dublin

himself – Christy Burke.

Mr Burke greeted all SEDA

staff and students, many of

whom took the opportunity

to pose for pictures with him.

The Lord Mayor then opened

the event by giving a speech

on the importance of foreign

students for Ireland. Mr Burke

pointed out that learners from

abroad were not only good for

the economy, but they also

brought diversity to Ireland

and enriched Dublin’s cultural

life. The Lord Mayor said that

major colleges like SEDA

were doing an important job

by accommodating

these foreign students

and promoting Ireland

abroad.

The awards

ceremony was

followed by a student

party in the Lost Society

nightclub where every

SEDA student was invited.

SEDA College was

established in 2009.

There are currently over

500 students enrolled

for courses, and thousands

of people from all over the

world have graduated from the

college so far.

In January 2013 SEDA

moved to new premises at 68-

72 Capel Street. The building

was previously home to DIT’s

(Dublin Institute of Technology)

Faculty of Engineering. The

new campus measures over 14

000 square feet and it allowed

Special Recognition Awards:

Saiful Islam, Director of Finance

Paul Brown, Principal

Carol Cregg, Director of Studies

Tiago Mascarenhas, Director of

Marketing

Years of Service Awards:

Andressa Karen

Ashleigh Langille

Carlos Hiran

Carol Cregg

Elaine Dalton

Netania Gomes

Paul Brown

Stephen Murphy

Teachers’ Awards:

Elaine Dalton

Teresa Nevin

Carmen Rodriguez

Stephen Cloak

John McGovern

Holly Wilson Byrne

Owen Connolly

Aoife Condit

Sibeal Turraoin

Alba Quinn

Marlene Smith

Danica Kubi

Siofra Nolan

Alan Doyle

Imelda Watson

Paul Staunton

Student Awards:

Beginner:

Carolina Barbara Cruz

Tuani Ferreira do Carmo

Elementary:

Saul Leandro Acevedo Molina

Leticia Rodrigues Padovesi

Pre Intermediate:

Gilson Gomes Junior

Intermediate:

Laura Coromoto Vivas Molina

Raúl Ernesto Barón Casanova

Upper Intermediate:

Leandro William Gallo

Advanced:

Meiry Helen da Cunha Costa

Fernando Dantas Castellar

Outstanding Attendance Awards:

Reina Cabrices

Javier Pedroza

Biggest Improvers Awards:

Antonio Jesús Guaramato,

Kevin Martínez

Daniel Baez

The SEDA Spirit Awards:

Ricardo Beltran

Anniela Barboza

Samuel García

Independent Work Awards:

Renato Goncalves

Daniela Lima da Silva

SEDA to develop a whole

range of extra courses and

extracurricular activities for the

benefit of its students.

The college is accredited

by ACELS – the highest quality

mark for English language

schools in Ireland. Last month

SEDA was awarded EAQUALS

accreditation, thus becoming

one of the most highly

certified language schools in

Ireland and the EU.

AWARD RECIPIENTS

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SEDA News: Ireland’s first newspaper for international students. Circulation: 1000 copies. Editor: Viktor Posudnevsky Design: Felipe MartinsSEDA College,68-72 Capel Street, Dublin 1.Ph: 01 473 4915; news@seda.ie; www.news.sedacollege.com; http://www.facebook.com/mySEDA.Ireland

European Deaf Karting Champion is a SEDA student!Eduardo Favilla who is doing a course at SEDA won the European Deaf Karting Championship last month. He also became

the first deaf driver to ever compete in the World Kart Championship, which took place in Brazil this July.

Eduardo Favilla drives a

kart since the age of seven, so

when he came to learn English

in SEDA this year he naturally

kept doing what he loves best:

racing. Eduardo entered several

Irish karting competitions with

excellent results and eventually

he was asked to represent

Ireland in Europe.

This year’s

European Deaf Karting

championship took place

in Vienna on July 20. Racing

under the Irish flag, Eduardo

beat 60 other drivers from 9

countries. It was the first time in

the history of the championship

that Ireland won.

“In this championship I

was an Irish Deaf Karting Club

driver,” Eduardo told SEDA

News. “I was proud to represent

the colours of Ireland. I really

want to say thank you to my

Irish teammates, especially

to Mr Pauraic Mc Auley, the

vice-president of the Irish Deaf

Karting Association, who invited

me to be part of the team.

However as a Brazilian I knew I

was also a Brazilian driver there:

I cannot forget where I am from.

For me it was a victory for both

Brazil and Ireland”.

After winning the

European trophy Eduardo

has plenty of plans. He

raced in the Kart World

Championship in Brazil

between July 20 and

27 – the first deaf driver

to do so in the history of the

sport. This month the talented

student is heading

to Spain for the

La-Mancha Karting

C h a m p i o n s h i p .

And in September

he will back in

Ireland for the Irish

Open Deaf Karting

Championship.

SEDA College is

one of the sponsors

supporting Eduardo on his

sporting adventures. “SEDA staff

are always asking me about

the races and I can feel they

are happy when I am talking

about the results and everything

involved,” the student said.

“Sometimes some students,

people who I do not even

know, come to me and ask

about karting… All this motivates

me to achieve more”.

“I also want to take the

opportunity to say thank you

to all the people who are

supporting me. A special thanks

to my sponsors: Mitsubishi

Motors, Santaconstancia, SEDA

College, Hard 8 and Hand

Talk. I am grateful to them for

believing in me, in my talent.

In the beginning it was just a

dream and now it is real. I am

doing what I love to

do. Now I can dream

more, achieve new

heights and that is

what motivates us:

to break our limits

and go forward. My

message to all of

you is: If you have

a dream, believe in

it. It will be hard, but

after achieving it you

will feel good and then you will

see that you can do more and

more”.

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By Tais Auler

There was an 81% pass rate at the PET (Preliminary English Test) exam last month. 11 students did the exam altogether and they sat the test at the English Academy on O’Connell Street on July 4. One of the students received a “Pass with merit” getting a score of 88% on the exam and 2 students received “Pass with distinction” for scores of over 90%.

“We are extremely happy with these results, the students did amazing!” said Ashleigh Langille, SEDA’s assistant director of studies.

Twenty-five SEDA students sat the FCE (First Certificate in English) exam in University College Dublin on July 25. The results are not available yet, but should be known at the end of August.

81% of students pass Cambridge exam

No Arthur’s Day this yearMy internship in Ireland: the first weeks

As I told you in the previous edition, about one month ago I got an internship role in my professional area: Social Communication. The internship is in a company called Muzu.tv – they have an office near Grafton Street. After starting the role I had to learn about my work duties, and that is what I will talk about in this article.

The website promotes and shares video clips and the company wanted to create a Brazilian version of the channel. So my first job was to translate the site into Portuguese and later start publishing all the content. It was these tasks that presented the first challenges

The person who helped me and who is still helping me with this is Maria. She is from Spain and works on the Spanish version of the site. We got a little lost when communicating with each other because there were a lot of words that we didn’t use day by day, but with patience she was able to explain everything to me. To make sure I understood her I always asked if what she had said was what I had understood.

After finishing the translations, the moment came to start filling

After five years Guinness have scrapped Arthur’s Day in favour of Guinness Amplify: a new music festival to support emerging Irish artists.

Arthur’s Day was established in 2009 to celebrate Guinness’s 250th anniversary and it was held every year since on the last Thursday of September. The festival became

notorious for binge drinking, and some people called it an excuse to drink as the event had no history or tradition behind it. Guinness denied they decided to ditch the festival because of the negative press about it. Instead, company representatives said, they wanted to move things forward and develop a new kind of event.

Amplify – the new festival that is being launched by Guinness - will see a variety of up-and-coming bands play in 500 pubs over five weekends, beginning on September 11. The scheme will include studio time for bands, and master-classes with industry experts including Snow Patrol’s Johnny Quinn and David Kitt.

“First, I would like to thank SEDA College and, especially, the teachers.

I would like to thank my parents for enrolling me in a language school when I was still a teenager and my husband and my brother for having adventured to

First of all, I would like to say that I can’t find enough words to

show my appreciation! Seriously, what you have done for me is incredible and I won’t forget it for the rest of my life!

I would like to show my gratitude to all the teachers and the college staff who taught me and helped me to improve my English skills with the highest standard of brilliance and professionalism. I will never forget all the support, tips, recommendations, and, most of all, the constructive reminders I received after making a mistake. Those were very important in my improvement.

Also, I would like to say a few words about the school. In this very world where the most important values are falling to pieces, I feel

delighted to see that there are open minded people who aim to help others to achieve their dreams. Ever since I was a child I dreamed of going abroad and discovering new cultures, new philosophies, new customs, new people, etc, In other words, I always wanted to see how the world really is.

SEDA gave me all the tools required so I could fulfill my desire. Since the first time a friend of mine recommended me the school, I was quite sure that I wouldn’t regret choosing SEDA. And, after 6 months of waking up early in the morning and walking to school under a great variety of weather conditions that only Ireland can provide, I realized that I made the right decision. In a world where people have similar aims and goals in life, the school has a important role in knocking some barriers down, and, therefore, helping and welcoming all the students, despite nationality, religion, philosophy, skin color and other irrelevant features.

Tais Auler is one of the many SEDA students who applied for an internship via SEDA’s internship programme. She recently got a placement in Muzu.tv – a global online music video site

with offices in Dublin and other parts of the world. Tais is sharing her experience with SEDA News readers.

come with me to Ireland. You have been awesome friends and really kind.

Many of us leave our homes, risking everything to come here. Some of you work with something you would prefer not to, but that’s only because we have dreams. Do not forget these dreams when the difficulties or the doubt come. Trust in yourselves and everything will be fine! Keep studying hard! Thank you!”

all the site sections with MUZU.tv content. I didn’t know right away which were the most important sections that should be filled first. I was afraid to spend too much time on just one section and tried to prioritize.

So, we sat together in front of the computer and she explained to me step by step what should be done first. She was and she is still a great tutor, she always reassures me when I think I don’t understanding anything saying: “Keep calm, when I started I also didn’t understand almost anything, but little by little you will find the way”.

Currently I already have more practice and I can better understand the website technical language, I know more about the content and I have the freedom to choose the videos and write blog posts, which motivates me. Another source of motivation is being able to work with something that I really like: music.

At the moment my expectation is to get to know the content better and make a great site that matches the taste of Brazilian public so that, as in Europe, the Muzu.tv website is successful in Brazil as well.

MEIRY HELEN DA CUNHA COSTA

FERNANDO DANTAS CASTELLAR

From the bottom of my heart, I hope you can accomplish 5, 10 or 50 years more, SEDA College!

Apart from the language, this whole experience has been teaching me to grow up and become a man. This is the most important and invaluable lesson that I might carry with me for the rest of my life.

And last but not least, I would like to share this prize I just received not only with my friends, but with all the students who were brave enough to get away from the comfort zone in their countries and face the challenges involved in living abroad. I’m quite aware of how tough it is being away from your family and friends! You’ve got the guts, lads! We’re all winners here in this beloved country, and that is the only thing that matters and it will last forever!

Thank you very much and may the force be with you!

FErnAnDo’S SPEECh AT SEDA CollEgE’S 5-YEAr AnnIvErSArY PArTY

MEIrY’S SPEECh AT SEDA CollEgE’S 5-YEAr AnnIvErSArY PArTY

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Volunteer at the World Cup: Ana Cristina’s story

Back in 2013 Ana Cristina decided to work as a tourist guide at the World Cup, but felt that her English was not good enough to communicate with fans from all over the world. So she booked a

SEDA news: Where are you from?Anna Phelan: Leixlip, county Kildare

S: how long have you worked here?A.P: Around two months.

S: What is your role as a receptionist?A.P: My role as a receptionist has to do with students’ holidays, selling English text books, answering all sorts of questions, booking trips for students, organising certificates, providing information about extra activities and so on… I also prepare the post for the bank, the immigration service and PPS letters. There’s lots to do, and I have to do it while trying to be as friendly and helpful as possible!

S: What could the students do to make things easier at reception? A.P: They need to have their student number and their address ready because if you don’t have an address you can’t get a PPS letter or bank letter. If you live in a hostel we can’t give that because the letter won’t be accepted by the government or by the bank. If you have address you have to write it

course in SEDA and went over to Ireland for three months. Starting in the Intermediate class and finishing as an Upper Intermediate, the student says she had a great time and made lots of friends in Dublin.

“I had good teachers that helped me a lot,” she said. “It was an amazing experience in my life and after I finished I felt myself capable to make my dream real. Thanks SEDA College, Dublin and all my friends for making my time there so good!”

On her return to Brazil Ana Cristina was chosen to be a World

in full and please don’t forget the apartment number or the number of the house! A lot of the time people forget to write down their full address, but we are here to help.

S: Do you like to be in contact with foreign people?A.P: Definitely! It’s really cool. Everybody is so friendly and nice. It’s like you travel all over the world without moving away from your desk! I have spent lovely hours here at the reception. Everybody that I work with is also really nice. I like the atmosphere at SEDA College and I enjoy working with the people here. By the way, I want to shout out to “my girls” whom we call “The A Team” of the reception: Anna, Alicia and Alice. You are the best! If you or another student needs any help don’t hesitate to talk with us!

S: how many different nationalities have you encountered here?A.P: I have met a lot of people from Brazil, from South Korea, Venezuelans, some people from France, Spain, Russia, Mexico…

Cup tourist guide and her duty was to take fans from the harbour and to accompany them to the Castelão – a football stadium in Fortaleza, Ceará. She would also collect visitors from the airport and from the hotels and help bring them to the stadium. After the match it was her job to take the tourists back to the port, the airport or the hotels.

“A big ship was docked there with 3 000 Mexican tourists,” she recalls. “And just before the games many planes arrived with tourists from different countries. It was my job to provide them with all the information about Brazil and

S: have you learnt something working with foreign students? If so, what?A.P: I’m really impressed by how quickly everybody learns English! There are some people that become really confident and fluent speakers after a short course. And it is funny to see the differences between cultures, but I think fundamentally the people are all the same. Of course, I see different ways the people interact with one another and each one has their own personality. People from South Korea are very polite and sometimes they can be shy. On the other hand, people from South America generally seem to be just really happy, looking fun and chatting all the time. But I think everybody is the same as we’re humans anyway.

S: Would you like to learn another language? Which?A.P: I think this is an amazing thing that everybody does here at SEDA. It’s very brave to come to a different country and try learning another language. But at the moment it is not for me. Maybe I’ll try to become a teacher in the future…

Fortaleza. I supported fans in all the games that were played in Fortaleza: Uruguay vs Costa Rica, Brazil vs Mexico, Germany vs Ghana and Greece vs Côte D’Ivoire”.

So what is her best memory of the World Cup (no need to ask about the worst as we can all pretty much guess what it is – something to do with the number 7)?

“My best memory in the World Cup was to feel I was among people from different nations and I was capable of communicating with them,” Ana Cristina told SEDA News. “The day I was with Mexican people,

S: What do you like to do in Dublin? What places would you suggest for students?A.P: I like to go out with friends. Pygmalion in South William Street is good. I also like No Name Bar. I like going out for a coffee with my friends or going to the cinema. Leo Burdock’s is great for fish ‘n chips. P.J’s has the best Guinness in Dublin in my opinion: it’s near Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. In Savoy Cinema every Wednesday you can get a ticket, a drink plus popcorn for just 10 euro! Don’t miss Chester Beatty Library and Phoenix Park... I think everybody should go to Glendalough in Wicklow, it’s a beautiful place with lakes and hills.

S: Do you like travelling? Do you have some advice for students? A.P: I like travelling around Ireland and I recommend its many islands: my favorites are Cape Clear and Inishbofin. Bunratty

they were so nice and friendly to me. They gave me many souvenirs from their country. I met people from all over the world and every tourist here was happy, friendly and nice”.

Ana Cristina added that she still missed Dublin and occasionally kept in touch with some old friends from SEDA College: “I really miss Ireland’s friendly people, SEDA College, the parties we had there and the beautiful places that I visited. I also can’t forget the lovely weather in Ireland: it was so cold!”

Castle in county Clare is definitely worth a visit. They have traditional Medieval music, the staff meet you in Medieval clothes and they serve delicious meals there.

I’d say if you want to have a really Irish experience then go to any small village or town and go into the local pub to get to know genuine Irish people.

S: Thank you Ana! And see you around at the reception!

Do you know Anna Phelan?She is a member of the “A Team” that runs SEDA’s reception, helping students with everything from textbooks to trips around Ireland and from PPS letters to sorting out their course certificates. Ana Phelan was born in leixlip, where Arthur guinness brewed his first beers, and SEDA news chatted with her about her work and leisure.

Volunteering at the World Cup is a dream job for anyone who likes football and meeting new people. For Brazilian SEDA student Ana Cristina Hortencio Batista this dream became a reality last month. SEDA News caught up with her to find out what it was like to support thousands of fans from all over the world.

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Yann TiersenSeptember 23 @ vicar Street, Thomas St, D8

French musician will play a show at vicar Street

next month. Ticket price to be confirmed.

The Front Bottoms

August 19 @ Fibber Magees, Parnell St, D1

The American Indie Punk rockers play

Fibber Magees (Upstairs). Show at

7pm. Tickets are €13.

A Celebration of Red (DJ Mark Kavanagh & guests)

August 30 @ The Button Factory, Temple Bar, D2Ireland’s hardest DJ will play in the Button Factory

at 23.00. Tickets will cost €17.65

Gavin James August 16 @ Whelan’sThis talented musician

will play at 20.00 in Whelans, 25 Wexford St,

Dublin 2.

Paddy Casey September 12 @ Whelan’sThis talented Irish man will play in Whelans at 20.00.

Tickets: €15. 00

Festival Leopardstown Racecourse August 14 @ leopardstown, Dublin

Bulmers live at leopardstown - The Festival that lasts all Summer is back from June 12th with eight

great events running until August 15th and this year’s headliners, indie legends The Charlatans,

Peter hook and Johnny Marr ensure that the festival’s stellar reputation is firmly secured.

Tickets: €15 - €25

The MinutesAugust 9 @ Whelan’s,

Camden Street, D2The band will play in

Whelan’s, 25 Wexford St, Dublin 2. This rock

band will play at 20.00. Tickets cost €15.00

Amon AmarthAugust 12 @ The Academy, Abbey St, D1

Melodic Death Metal band from Tumba, Sweden, founded in 1992. The band will play in Academy. The tickets will cost €30.00 . Show starts at 19.00

The FlatlinersAugust 30 @ Fibber

Magees, Parnell St, D1Canadian punk

rockers, The Flatliners make their return

to Dublin at Fibber Magees. Show at 8pm.

Tickets are €12.

Agnostic Front August 12 @ Fibber Magees, Parnell St, D1

The nYC hardcore legends play Fibber Magees (upstairs) with local support. Show

is 7:30pm. Tickets are €22.

We Were Promised Jetpacks

September 14 @ Whelan’s, Wexford St, D2.

The Scottish Indie rockers play Whelan’s on the Irish leg of their tour. one of several intimate gigs in Ireland. Show at 8pm. Tickets are €15.

Tony Bennett September 12 @ Bord gais Energy

Theatre, grand Canal Dock, D4Music legend Tony Bennett stops by the Bord gais Energy Theater for one

night only. Tickets cost €65.45. no opening acts. Show begins at 8pm.

O.R.B. (The Original Rude Boys)September 5 @ The olympia, Dame St, D2

Dublin’s own orB play the olympia Theatre for a hometown concert. Show is at 7pm.

Tickets are €20-€22.50.

Gamper&DadoniAugust 13 @ The

Academy, Abbey St, D1This german group will

play in the Academy. Tickets cost €20.00.

Dublin Horse Show 2014

The Irish Craft Beer and Cider FestivalWhere: rDS, Dublin 4When: 4 – 7 September

Where: all over DublinWhen: 4 – 7 September

Where: rDS, Dublin 4When: 6 – 10 August

The 2014 Dublin Horse Show will feature live music and entertainment, art, fashion, shopping, food and the best in national and international equestrian competitions. For the ladies, the Blossom Hill Ladies Day on Thursday, 7 August, promises fantastic prizes for ‘best dressed lady’, ‘most colourful outfit’ and ‘most creative hat’. For the well dressed males, there is also a prize for ‘best dressed man’. With over €940,000 in prize money during the five days, visitors can enjoy top national and international show jumping competitions including the Longines International Grand Prix, the Land Rover Puissance and the Furusiyya FEI Nations’ Cup™ presented by Longines.

www.dublinhorseshow.com

The Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival 2014 is a fun-filled festival bringing Ireland’s favourite craft brewers, cider makers and whiskey distillers together all under one roof! Attracting over 40 Irish producers, this festival is the perfect opportunity to meet the makers and taste the wares. With live music and delectable cuisine - it is the ideal day out for anyone looking for a bit of craic agus ceol!www.irishcraftbeerfestival.com

Dublin Fashion Festival is an annual shopping event which takes place over four days each year. Over 250 retailers, restaurants, bars and hotels taking part, including Brown Thomas & BT2, Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Powerscourt Centre and Arnotts. Bringing fashion and beauty retailers in the city centre together, the festival offers a heady mix of special offers, live fashion events and in-store activities.

www.dff.ie

Terracota WarriorsWhere: Ambassador Theatre, Parnell Street, Dublin 1When: Until october

This world renowned exhibition has over 150 perfectly executed replications of The Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of China (who died in 210 BC). During his lifetime, Emperor Qin Shihuangdi ordered a spectacular tomb to be built in his honour. The tomb was forgotten, but it was discovered in 1974. People were astounded when they heard that a huge, life size army of naturally crafted terracotta warriors had been uncovered. In 1987 this incredible treasure was declared a world cultural heritage by the UNESCO. Visitors can expect to be utterly transported

on a journey through time through the use of mystical sounds, text and lightshows while the history of the first emperor of China and his army is narrated. Each figure is displayed under spotlight so one can expect to get a sense of the full magnitude of this important archaeological find.

www.terracottawarriors.ie

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In case you don´t know, Riverdance is an Irish dance show, famous all around the world for their precision m o v e m e n t s . When I heard that there would be a season of their shows here in Dublin, I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity.

First I fell in love with the

theatre where the show was held. The Gaiety Theatre was founded in 1871 and is really beautiful inside. With its red suede armchairs, and 3-storey cabins plus a wonderful buff it charms everyone. And the best part is that all the seats offer a great view of the stage.

You can find out more about the history of the theatre on its website: www.gaietytheatre.ie

Being in that beautiful theatre waiting for Riverdance to begin – that was an amazing feeling. I have always loved Irish culture, always liked seeing their videos on

I started my course at Seda College as a beginner in February 2013 and have recently started Advanced which is proof that if you put in the effort, you can learn English very fast. English is my third language. I am a native Portuguese speaker and my second language is Spanish. I lived for a few years in Madrid learning Spanish. This experience helped me a lot at school, but when I reached Upper Intermediate I decided to enhance my experience in a company in Dublin. So I sent my C.V. to SEDA’s internship programme. This programme allows students find

YouTube, and never imagined it would

be possible to see this world famous show live. I was like a kid waiting for a present!

When the

violin started playing and the

dancers came on stage, a shiver went

new professional challenges and improve their English.

Now I’m working for the Great Dublin Swim 2014. It is an open water swim with support of the ILDSA (Irish Long Distance Swim Association) and with the sponsorship of the JFD Insurance. I am very happy because I have improved my English a lot. In my internship I’m constantly in touch with an international team of French, Malaysian, Irish, Afghan, Lebanese, Chinese and English employees. This has given me new confidence and experience to use both spoken and written English.

This Swimming Event is held around the world but this is the inaugural event in Dublin. They expect up to 1000 swimmers to take part. The swim will be open to all swimmers over 12 years of age and is also open to wetsuit swimmers and skin (non wetsuit). For the competitive swimmers all waves will be time chipped so we will found out who is Ireland’s fastest 1.5km swimmer!

The Great Dublin Swim 2014 is going to take place close to Grand Canal Dock where everyone is invited to go and enjoy a dynamic day with water, food, music and a lot of fun.

We are looking for volunteers. If you are interested please contact us at www.greatdublinswim.com.

A bite of Indian culture in Dublin

facebook/greatdublinswim | twitter/greatdublinswim

While walking back home from SEDA, I was looking for some fast and palatable food to eat. To my surprise I found it right around the corner!

The power of Riverdance Get wet on 9th August 2014

The Event

Govinda’s – an Indian, vegetarian restaurant, located within a 10-minute walk from SEDA, is a delightful place that offers good quality meals.

Situated at 83 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, the restaurant is full of tasty dishes, including freshly prepared vegetables with various sauces. Of course, any person who likes to try cream soups, will certainly find a floating smell of delicious, liquid specialties. A great advantage of this place is its homemade bread, that is always fresh and appetizing.

The décor is similar to the colors of India, slightly darkish, but adequate to the tone prevailing in

I have no words to describe this show: it was just incredible!

SEDA student Suehelen found a perfect internship by applying through the college and is now calling on other students to join a big swimming event that she helped organise. The great Dublin Swim will take place in grand Canal Dock on August 9.

through my body. I have never seen such precision in the formation stage. I didn’t see a single error!

This show really touched my

soul: the music, the dance, the precision.

After living in Ireland for some

time and after seeing a show of Irish dancing I was sure that I made the right choice in coming here. Now the next step is learning to dance too ... but that’s another story!

the restaurant.

Looking through the menu, you can find a whole range of vegetables, salads, and desserts that are prepared in a friendly atmosphere.

The food itself is far from standard, but all the dishes are served really fast, so being pressed for time is not excuse to skip a hot meal in this restaurant.

For the price that does not exceed 10 euro, you will be given a massive plate filled to the brim. So if you don’t like to wait long for food and at the same time you want to try flavors different from everyday life check Govinda’s!

By Fernanda Faustino

By Suehelen Cloak

By Karolina Mytych

Riverdance will is on in the Gaiety Theatre until the end of the August. You can book tickets at the theatre or at www.ticketmaster.ie

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WoRKING WITH A RICKSHAW

Saulo, why did you decide to become a rickshaw?I arrived in Ireland with a little money and the only work that I found was as a rickshaw.

Where do you get the rickshaw – do you rent it? Do you keep it at home?I work with a rented bike from a garage near Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

Is it a hard job? Do you have to be very fit to do it? Do you get very tired after work?It’s a tiring job. Formerly there were far fewer rickshaws in the streets, so it was possible to stay parked in just one place, waiting for clients. But nowadays rickshaws have to chase customers, which means we have to pedal around all night... I arrive at home very tired. This job changed all my routine and turned my biological clock around: working all night requires adaptation.

“I arrived in Dublin in August 2010 and stayed there for 7 months. I’m from Brazil, and before i went to Ireland I was in another exchange

Describe the guys that work with you – where are they from? Do they own the rickshaws? how long have they been doing this job for?Rickshaws in Dublin come from everywhere in the world, but still the biggest number is from Brazil and Venezuela. Today rickshaws don’t stay in the job for long due to the large number of the bikes on the streets. So it’s impossible to make much money as a rickshaw. It’s a job that pays the bills and that’s it. This is the reason why there aren’t many long-term rickshaws and why there are new people all the time. Some of my friends have their own bikes, but most of us rent them…

Are rickshaw drivers a friendly community or do you compete and fight for every client?Obviously, some people are more friendly than others, but the biggest problem in the rickshaw community are cheap lifts. Usually beginners tend to offer lifts for a much lower

program in Spain through my University in Brazil where I Studied Business Administration.

Once I got back home I joined a multinational c o m p a n y called Ernst & Young, where I stayed until I decided it was time to start my own business. I left the company with another peer in order

price than older rickshaws. The work of a rickshaw is similar to a taxi driver’s job, but it involves much more physical effort, therefore it should be valued. But once you do a cheap lift, that client will never want to pay a fair price and this is killing the rickshaw trade… This problem causes arguments between us sometimes.

Is it true that all the customers are drunk, or do you get some sober ones?It’s not true! Dublin receives a lot of tourists and there are many pubs here, so obviously people go out to have a beer. But rickshaws transport people of all types: men, women, the elderly, children. The job is traditional in Ireland. Late at night it is more common to get drunk customers, but it is also very common for an elderly couple to ask you for a tour of the Temple Bar area or something like that.

Is it difficult to understand where your customers want to go because of their accent?Sometimes yes, especially if they have had a few drinks, it gets a little complicated, but I always manage to understand my clients. What do you do if you don’t know

to fully dedicate myself to the development of our business plan and the business itself.

It already seemed like a big project at the time, but we were quite confident and willing to make it work. With just over one year in operation, our Resto-Bar (a mix between a bar and a restaurant) was recently elected by the readers of one of the most popular magazines in Brazil (Revista Veja) the best happy hour in Salvador.

The time I spent in Dublin was definitely among the best days of my life, and SEDA played a big part

the way? Do you use gPS?Sometimes I take a look at Google Maps or I ask the customer if he/she can show me which way is best.

What are the typical routes that you take? What was the longest route that you did as a rickshaw driver?Generally I stay in the Temple Bar area, around Grafton Street and Harcourt Street. I do not usually do very long rides. The longest was for a Norwegian couple: they wanted to go to Phoenix Park by rickshaw. I have friends who have already taken people on rides of more than 15 kilometers!

how do the customers pay you? Is there a set fee or do you charge depending on distance? What is the usual fee for one ride?The price depends on the distance, and there is no fixed price. But as I said earlier, the price dropped a lot in the last number of months. Before we would charge up to five euro per person for somebody going down Grafton Street to Temple Bar, but today it is no longer possible.

What was the best and the worse day that you lived as rickshaw?For the rickshaws all days that you make some money are good. And

in it. The school is more than just academic, it builds relationships and helps in the overall adaptation of every student. With only 15 days in Dublin I was already employed and pretty much settled and ready to live my experience to the fullest.

The best memories were definitely the people I met and the trips we made. Favorite places would probably be the Cliffs of Moher and Wicklow Mountains.

I am definitely hoping to go back to Ireland one day, hopefully it won’t take long for that to happen!

What I liked the most about

the worst days are the rainy days…

how is the relationship of the rickshaws with the garda?It depends. There are days when they don’t say anything to us, but if the main streets are very crowded the guards ask us to leave the place. Some of them are polite, others not so much.

Do you have some advice to give to other students that want become rickshaws?Unfortunately, now being a rickshaw is not a good business. I think the experience is very good, you learn a lot, but I would advise students to go to classes, improve their English and look for something more stable.Nowadays a rickshaw’s job is like a lottery because there are so many of us, including guys who own their bikes. If you rent one you’re at a disadvantage because the owner guy can give somebody a ride for one euro if he wants to. And if you don’t have your own bike you become a hostage to weekly rent and have to ride a lot to get some profit.

Thank you Saulo, and best of luck tonight!

SEDA was the fact that everyone was ready to support me in all the aspects of my experience, to introduce me to the right people and supply me with all the tools I needed to tackle any obstacles I could’ve had.

My plans for the near future are related to increasing the size and number of units of my business and to developing new ones. I also mind a lot about the quality of my life and of others, so it is important to have fun on the way and dedicate some effort to community projects”.

An ex-student writes: time spent at SEDA was “the best of my life”

SEDA news caught up with Marcelo Conde - an ex SEDA student who was enrolled back in 2010. Marcelo finished a 7-month English course which set him up well in life. After going back home to Brazil he opened a resto-Bar which was recently voted the best happy hour in Salvador! Marcelo remembers the good old times in Dublin in a letter he wrote exclusively for SEDA news.

If you’ve been around Grafton Street in the evening you’ve seen these guys – rickshaws are there every night waiting for clients, a lot of them drunk revelers going from one pub to another. Almost all rickshaws working in Dublin are

actually foreign students and some of them go to classes at SEDA. We chatted to one such student – Saulo Conti – about what it’s like doing this crazy job.

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See if you can find at least 35 words in this word search box!Write the words you found here:

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Congratulations to rEnATA MITIE FUKUMA who won the previous month’s puzzle! You can pick up your prize in the Marketing office on 2nd floor. Send your answers to news@seda.ie, or cut this page out and give it to your teacher. If you get the answers

right you can win a prize!

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Across:4. Switzerland6. Poland7. French11. Indian14. norwegian15. russian16. Spain17. Japan

Down:1. Britain2. Italy3. Swedish5. holland8. Chinese9. greek10. germany12. Denmark13. Americans

Here are the answers to last month’s crossword puzzle:

For more puzzles log on to www.learn-english-today.com

Sudoku Solutions (July)

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