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The Team From Down Under – World Cup Soccer

May 272010

Group D – World Cup Soccer

They call themselves the Socceroos. Not the most intimidating of names but the Aussie’s are quite the athletic team and have showed that they are no pushovers in International competitions. Qualifying for the first time through the Asian Football Conference (as opposed to Oceania, which was won by New Zealand), Australia may have chosen to take a harder route to the World Cup finals. They came through qualification with flying colors ahead of perennial Asian powerhouses like Saudi Arabia, China and Iran showing just how tough they are going to be for the likes of Germany, Serbia and Ghana, their Group D competitors.

Led at the front by Tim Cahill, who plays for Everton FC from Liverpool England and Harry Kewell, who used to play for Everton’s bitter rivals Liverpool FC, Australia is considered an underdog but a potential sleeper who has a chance because of their sheer athleticism from the goalkeeper all the way up to their strikers.

Our Australian Outback and Australian Outback Plus Hawaii programs spends 22 days Down Under visiting some of its most amazing places – check it out!

The Westcoast Blogger

Australian Kangaroos Can Stop Global Warming

Australia plus Hawaii No Responses »

Mar 032010

On our official Facebook Fan Page, we posted a True or False fact: ”Kangaroos cannot walk backwards.” One of our Tour Directors sent me this link to a BBC article that I couldn’t resist blogging about.

Sheep, cattle and kangaroos all eat the same type of grass. Sheep and cattle produce methane (a greenhouse gas). Kangaroos do not. This has scientists wondering if the bacteria found in the stomach of kangaroos could be used to reduce the output of methane from cows and shape thus combating global warming.

Without getting too scientific, the lack of methane is caused by the bacteria in their stomach. It is all down to the bacteria in the stomach of the kangaroos. Researchers have isolated 40 different types of bacteria and are figuring out what each of them do. Kangaroos have evolved over years in Australia having time to adapt to eating those grasses. Sheep and cattle arrived within the past two centuries.

If you want to see Australia this summer AND cuddle with kangaroos and koala bears at the Crocodile Hunter’s Australian Zoo, our Australian Outback program is the way to go!

The Westcoast Blogger

The Hawaiian Alphabet

Australia plus Hawaii, Hawaii Community Service No Responses »

Feb 042010

So, first and foremost, what do you think of our new blog? We thought it was time for a snazzy redesign.

Today’s post is all about the Hawaiian Alphabet. Our alphabet has 26 letters with 5, and sometimes 6, vowels. So the question of the day is how many letters do the Hawaiian alphabet, piapa, have.

Before I revealing the answer, I’ll share my trick. Think of Hawaii cities and words – Honolulu, Kauai, Waikiki, Hanalei, Maui …

And you will figure out there are 12 letters. 5 vowels, a, e, i, o, and u (y is not one of those “sometimes!”) and 7 consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, and w).

When speaking, break up the word and pronounce consonants as you would in English.

Vowels have the following sounds: a – a in above; e – e in bet; i – ee in see; o – o in sole; u – oo in moon.

The 201 lesson will mention how to pronounce stressed vowels, vowels with an accent, and dipthongs!

Check back for another post tomorrow!

The Westcoast Blogger

So, first and foremost, what do you think of our new blog? We thought it was time for a snazzy redesign.

Today’s post is all about the Hawaiian Alphabet. Our alphabet has 26 letters with 5, and sometimes 6, vowels. So the question of the day is how many letters do the Hawaiian alphabet, piapa, have.

Before I revealing the answer, I’ll share my trick. Think of Hawaii cities and words – Honolulu, Kauai, Waikiki, Hanalei, Maui …

And you will figure out there are 12 letters. 5 vowels, a, e, i, o, and u (y is not one of those “sometimes!”) and 7 consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, and w).

When speaking, break up the word and pronounce consonants as you would in English.

Vowels have the following sounds: a – a in above; e – e in bet; i – ee in see; o – o in sole; u – oo in moon.

The 201 lesson will mention how to pronounce stressed vowels, vowels with an accent, and dipthongs!

Check back for another post tomorrow!

The Westcoast Blogger