Author: Steve Evans

En Cataluña, la Navidad está marcada por una tradición única y encantadora: el Cagatió. Esta costumbre caprichosa transforma un simple tronco en el protagonista de la celebración navideña de los peques.

El Cagatió, quien también se conoce como el “Tió de Nadal”, es un tronco de madera al que se le pinta una cara sonriente y se le pone una barretina (el tradicional gorro catalán). A partir del 8 de diciembre, Día de la Inmaculada Concepción, los niños empiezan a “alimentar” el tió con frutas, dulces y otros alimentos, como si fuera mascota. A través de este gesto, simboliza la preparación para la llegada de los regalos.

A la llegada de la Nochebuena, los adultos cubren el Cagatió con una manta para protegerle del frío y comienza la parte más esperada: hacerle “cagar” los regalos. Todos comienzan a cantar una canción típica, mientras tanto los niños, emocionados, toman palos y golpean suavemente el tronco. La letra de la canción varía según la región, pero siempre incluye un llamado al tió, alentando que “cague” dulces, juguetes y regalos, y que no traiga cosas no deseadas.

Después de cantar y golpear, los niños levantan la manta con ilusión para descubrir los regalos que el Cagatió les ha dejado. Es un momento lleno de risas y emoción, que refuerza los lazos familiares y mantiene viva una tradición transmitida de generación en generación.

El Cagatió no solo es una expresión de la rica cultura catalana, sino también un símbolo de compartir y disfrutar en comunidad. Por medio de esta tradición, se enseña a los niños valores como la paciencia, la generosidad y la alegría de celebrar juntos.

Adicionalmente, las celebraciones no se dejan en la caca del Cagatío, sino también se celebra la Navidad con Santa Claus (como nosotros) y el Día de Los Reyes Magos el 6 de enero. En este día festivo espectacular, los Reyes emprenden un recorrido en cada región de España, denominado “La Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos”. La cabalgata de Barcelona dura todo el día y finaliza en la Font Màgica de Montjuïc a las 21h, con varios carrozas llenas de disfraces, colores y magia festiva.

Así que, si tienes la oportunidad de pasar una Navidad en Cataluña, ¡no te pierdas la magia del Cagatió o Los Reyes Magos! Es una experiencia inolvidable que demuestra cómo las tradiciones locales enriquecen las festividades con un toque único y especial. ¡Nadie más lo hace cómo España!

English:

In Catalonia, Christmas is marked by a rather unique tradition: the “Cagatió”. This quirky idea transforms a simple wooden log into the star of children’s holiday celebrations.

The Cagatió, also known as the “Tió de Nadal”, is a wooden log painted with a smiling face and dressed in a traditional Catalan hat called a *barretina*. Starting on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, children “feed” the tió with fruit, sweets, and other treats as if it were a beloved pet. This ritual symbolizes the preparation for the arrival of gifts.

On Christmas Eve, the tió is covered with a blanket to keep it warm, and the most exciting part begins: making it “poop” the presents. Families gather around the Cagatió, singing traditional songs, while children enthusiastically take sticks and gently hit the log. The lyrics of the song may vary depending on the region, but they always involve some encouragement to get the tió to kindly “poop” sweets, toys, and gifts – and not to bring anything unwanted.

After the singing and tapping, the children eagerly lift the blanket to discover the presents left by the Cagatió. This joyful moment, filled with laughter and excitement, strengthens family bonds and keeps alive a tradition passed down through generations.

The Cagatió is not only an expression of Catalan culture but also a symbol of sharing and community. Through this tradition, children learn values like patience, generosity, and the joy of celebrating together.

But the Christmas magic in Catalonia doesn’t stop with the Cagatió. Families also celebrate with Santa Claus and the Day of the Three Kings on January 6th. On this spectacular holiday, the Three Wise Men parade through cities across Spain in a grand event known as *La Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos*. Barcelona’s parade lasts all day and ends at the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc at 9 PM, with colorful floats (wagons), dazzling costumes, and festive cheer.

So, if you ever get the chance to spend Christmas in Catalonia, don’t miss the magic of the Cagatió and the Three Kings! It’s an unforgettable experience that shows how local traditions enrich the holidays with a uniquely special touch. No one else does it like the Spanish!

最近我玩得很开心！我刚才从哈尔滨回来了。
哈尔滨是一座在中国的东北方特别城市。天气非常非常冷，宽阔江面都完全冰冻了。在哈尔滨的时候平均气温零下20左右！如果脱下手套几分钟，手就会疼好了。近年来，哈尔滨爆红了，这东北城市因冰雪大世界名而闻名。
第一天，我们去了夜市，品尝各种各样的特色小吃，比如糖葫芦和暖红薯。虽然天气那么冷，但是摊主都很热情，和他们聊天得很开心。尽管穿着很多衣服，一个小时之内，我们还冻成狗了。幸运的是，在中国，即使哈尔滨，奶茶店也随处可见。为了避寒，我们跑进了温暖的奶茶店。一边喝奶茶一边取暖。

第二天，我们去了冰雪大世界。冰雪大世界超于现象，如童话般的世界，美丽和壮观完全超出了我的预期。从故宫冰雕到摩天大楼的冰雕，巨大的冰雕数不胜数。 也有精致小巧的冰雕作品。每一件都充满了创意与艺术价值冰雕栩栩如生。令人叹为观止。夜幕降临时，彩灯照亮冰雕。美丽得很。两个小时之后，我们都很开心，但也冻得瑟瑟发抖。赶紧回到酒店吃一大碗暖麻辣烫。
第三天，我们继续探索哈尔滨。我们逛了逛室内的市场。这个是一个联系中文的好机会，还尝试和老板讲价。很有意思的是，因为哈尔滨在中国的东北部，有很大俄罗斯的影响。我们参观了俄罗斯式的大教堂，也去俄罗斯大饭店。
这次旅行中，给我印象最深的是，我发现中国是一个很多样化的国家。乘坐火车短短几个小时，不同地区的风景、食物和文化就会截然不同。比如，北京没有哈尔滨那么冷，也没有哈尔滨那么浓厚的俄罗斯文化影响。我觉得，当我们谈论中国时，不能一概而论。要真正理解“什么是中国”，需要时刻提醒自己，这个词不仅代表一个国家，还包含了许多独具特色的社区与文化。
I have had so much fun recently. I have just gotten back from Harbin.

Harbin is a special city in the north-east of China. The weather is so so cold, wide rivers are completely frozen. In Harbin the average temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius. If you took off your gloves for a few minutes they would really start to hurt. In recent years Harbin has blown up on the internet. This city is famous for its ice-festival.
On the first day, we went to a night market, we tried lots of local snacks such as Tanghulu (fruit on sticks and covered in sugar, like toffee apples) and sweet potatoes. Although the weather was so cold, the street vendors were all welcoming and warm-hearted and we had some good conversations. Even though we wore plenty of clothes, within an hour we were absolutely frozen. Luckily in China, even Harbin, milk tea shops are everywhere. In order to escape the cold, we ran inside a milk tea shop，sipping milk tea and warming up.

On the second day, we went to Harbin’s snow and ice festival. It was beyond my imagination, like a fairy-tale land. Its beauty and magnificence went beyond any expectation. From an ice sculpture of the Imperial Palace (found in Beijing) to ice skyscrapers, there many massive ice sculptures. And also smaller, more intricate sculptures. Each piece was full of creativeness and artistic value, coming alive. They were breathtaking. When it got dark the sculpture were lit up. They were so beautiful. Two hours later, we were all happy but at the same time shivering with cold. We hurried back to the hotel and ate a big warm bowl of spicy soup-noodles.
On the third day, we continued to explore Harbin. We walked around an indoor market, which was another good opportunity to practice Chinese and try haggling. Interestingly, because Harbin is in northeast China, it has a big Russian influence. We visited a Russian-style cathedral and went to a Russian restaurant.
From these travels, the thing that impacted me the most was seeing that China is such a diverse country. Taking the train only for a few hours, one can see that the scenery, food and culture is all so different. For example, Beijing is not as cold as Harbin, it also does not have as deep a Russian influence. I think, when talking about China, we should not generalize. To really understand ‘China’. We should remember that this word ‘China’ represents not only a country but also includes unique communities and cultures.

영국에서의 행복한 시간

여러분 안녕하세요! 크리스마스 잘 보냈습니까? 어떤 시간을 보내셨는지 궁금합니다. 저는 크리스마스 동안 제 부모님을 뵈러 영국에 다녀왔습니다. 크리스마스 이브에는 가족과 함께 리즈에 가서 크리스마스 라이트 쇼를 구경했고, 아름다운 불빛을 감상한 후 부모님께서 푸드 트럭에서 음식을 주문하셔서 함께 맛있게 먹었습니다. 크리스마스 날에는 가족과 함께 즐겁고 행복한 시간을 보냈습니다. 연말 전에 부모님을 뵙고 영국에 사는 친구 몇 명을 만난 뒤, 한국으로 돌아오려고 합니다. 그때까지 영국의 비 오는 날씨를 즐기려고 합니다.

영국과 한국의 시차가 9시간이라 적응하는 데 조금 힘들었어요. 새벽 5시에 깨고 저녁 6시만 되면 자고 싶었거든요. 그래도 다시 영국에 있는 시간이 참 행복했고, 영국의 매력을 다시 한 번 느끼게 되었습니다. 그렇다고 동시에 한국 문화의 매력도 느끼게 되었습니다. 어쩌면 여행의 결과일지도 모르겠어요. 세상 어디에 있든, 그곳에서의 경험을 즐기면서도 떠나온 사람들과 장소가 그리워지기 마련인 것 같아요. 그래서 시간이 지나면 여행 중에 만났던 사람들과의 추억과 여행에서 겪었던 경험들이 더 소중하게 느껴질 겁니다.

아이스케이팅

이영국에 오기 전에 친구와 함께 겨울 시즌을 맞이하여 한국에서 처음으로 아이스케이팅을 탔습니다. 마지막으로 아이스케이팅을 탄 지 2년이 되었습니다. 한국에서 아이스케이팅을 하고 싶다면, 저는 목동 아이스링크를 추천합니다. 링크가 넓고 가격도 합리적입니다. 처음에는 스케이팅이 조금 어려웠지만 연습을 하면서 점점 익숙해졌습니다. 정말 잘 맞았습니다! 아이스케이팅을 하고 나서 친구와 함께 맛있는 고기국밥을 먹었습니다. 정말 맛있었습니다.

계엄령 선포와 혼란

여러분이 뉴스에서 봤을 텐데 한국에서 큰 일이 일어났어요. 윤석열 대통령이 계엄령을 선포해서 큰 혼란이 일어났습니다. 뉴스를 보고 어떤 기분이었나요? 저는 무섭고 혼란스러웠어요. 하지만 다음 날, 사람들이 시위를 시작하자 대통령은 마음을 바꿔 계엄령을 철회했어요. 그 후, 많은 사람들이 대통령 탄핵을 요구하며 시위를 했습니다. 국회는 대통령의 탄핵을 가결했고, 대통령은 권한을 잃었어요. 한덕수 총리가 대통령 대행을 맡게 되었죠. 다행히 시위 중에 다친 사람은 없었습니다. 이번 일은 1980년 광주 민주화 운동과 2017년 박근혜 대통령 탄핵을 떠올리게 합니다. 그때처럼 많은 사람들이 민주주의와 자유를 지키기 위해 시위에 나섰어요. 이번에도 대통령은 탄핵되었고, 국민들은 자유를 향한 강한 의지를 다시 한 번 보여주었습니다.

저는 한국 국민들이 자신들의 권리를 지키기 위한 헌신을 진심으로 존경합니다. 하지만 한국의 미래에 대해 걱정도 됩니다. 저는 지도자가 현명하게 행동하고 한국 시민들에게 최선의 결정을 내리길 바랍니다. 확실히 지금은 한국에서 유학생으로 지내기 흥미로운 시기입니다!

새해 복 많이 받으세요! 기쁨과 성공, 의미 있는 순간들로 가득한 한 해 되시길 바랍니다.

A Christmas to Remember

Hello, everyone! Did you have a good Christmas? I’m curious about how you spent your time. During Christmas, I went to England to visit my parents. On Christmas Eve, I went to Leeds with my family to see the Christmas light show. After admiring the beautiful lights, my parents ordered food from a food truck, and we enjoyed it together. On Christmas Day, I had a joyful and happy time with my family. I plan to return to Korea after meeting my parents and seeing a few friends who live in England before the end of the year. Until then, I will try to enjoy England’s rainy weather.

The time difference between England and Korea is 9 hours, so it was a bit difficult to adjust. I would wake up at 5 a.m. and want to sleep by 6 p.m.! Still, being in England again has been such a happy time for me, and I’ve come to appreciate its charms once again. At the same time, I also came to appreciate the charm of Korean culture Maybe that is the consequence of traveling: wherever you are in the world, you simultaneously enjoy the experience and miss the people and places left behind So that, as time passes, the memories with the people I meet during my travels and the experiences I have during those trips will become even more precious.

Ice skating
Before coming to England, I went ice skating for the first time in Korea with my friend to celebrate the winter season together. It’s been two years since I last skated. If you’re looking to ice skate in Korea, I highly recommend Mokdong Ice Rink. The rink is spacious and reasonably priced. At first, skating was a bit tricky, but after practicing, I got the hang of it. It was a perfect fit for me! After skating, my friend and I enjoyed a delicious bowl of meat soup (gogi-gukbap). It was really tasty!

Martial Law and National Unrest

You may have seen on the news that something big happened in Korea. President Yoon declared martial law, which caused a lot of chaos. How did you feel when you saw it? I felt scared and confused. But the next day, when people started protesting, the president changed his mind and lifted martial law. After that, many people protested for his impeachment. The National Assembly voted to impeach him, and he lost his powers. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became the acting president. Thankfully, no one got hurt during the protests. This reminds me of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and the 2017 impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Once again, many people protested to protect freedom and democracy. This time, the president was impeached, and the people showed their strong will for freedom.

I truly admire the Korean people’s dedication to defending their rights. However, I also worry about Korea’s future. I hope the leader acts wisely and makes the best decisions for the Korean citizens. It is certainly an interesting time to be a study abroad student in Korea!

I wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year! May it be filled with joy, success, and meaningful moments.

Zima je došla u Zagrebu i nema boljeg naćina da ga doživiti od posjeta Sljemenu. Sljeme je planina smještena sjeverno od zagreba, visoka je 1033 metra nadmorske visine i prekrasno je mjesto za provesti dan tijekom zime. Ima tri načina da se dođe do vrha planine: autom, pješice ili žičarom. Po mojem mišljenju, najlakše i najzabavnije je žičarom. Dakle s mojim prijateljima iz nastave, putovali smo do vrha od ove nevjerojatne planine žičarom, bilo nam je dan fantastičan.

Probudio sam se oko devet, bila je subota, skoro sam zaspao kad sam se sjetio da sam se dogovorio naći prijatelje u deset ispred studentskog doma. Vrijeme je bilo hladno ali ne nepodnošljivo, nosio sam šal i kapu. Našao sam se s prijateljima u 10:15 i išli smo tramvajem do žičare. Čuli smo da ima snijega na Sljeme pa smo bili jako uzbuđeni zato što jer smo dugo živjeli na hladnoći bez dara snijega.

Žicara nam je bila besplatno zato što živimo u Zagrebu, neznam ako to je jer smo studenti ili jer smo zagrepčani ali bilo mi je drago da nismo trebali platiti deset eura. Trajala je žicara 30 minuta i dok smo se dizali više, više smo snijega mogli vidjeti. Sljeme se nalazi iznad planine medvednice znači vidjel  friends from class,i smo prekrasnu medvednicu ispod nas dok smo išli bliže vrha. Međutim u jednom zastrašujućem trenutku, žicara je stala. Nismo znali zašto ali ja sam se bojio za svoj život! Nakon najduže minute koju sam ikad doživio, nastavila je žičara i uskoro došli smo na Sljeme.

Snijeg je bio svugdje, hladno nam je bilo ali bili smo tako sretan da smo došli da nije nas smetalo. Igrali smo se u snijegu kao djeca, gađali smo se snijegom i napravili smo snjegovića. Što mi je bilo jako lijepo na sljeme je kako divan je izgledao pogled, nevjerovatan! Djeca su se smijala i psi su trčali dok smo vježbali hrvatski, pitajući nekoga ako može nas slikati. Bio je dan da neću brzo zaboraviti, snijeg čini sve boljim!

Winter has arrived in Zagreb and there is no better way to experience it than a visit to Sljeme. Sljeme is a mountain located north of Zagreb, it is 1033 meters high above sea level and a beautiful place to spend a winter day. There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain: by car, foot or cable car. In my opinion, the easiest and most fun way is by cable car. So, with we travelled to this unbelievable mountain in the cable car and had a fantastic day.

I woke up around nine, it was a Saturday, I almost fell back to sleep when I remembered I had arranged to meet my friends at ten o clock outside the student accommodation. The weather was cold but not unbearable, I was wearing a scarf and a hat. I met with my friends at 10:15 and we went by tram to the cable car.

We had heard that there would be snow on Sljeme so we were really excited because we had been living in the cold without the gift of snow.

The cable car for us was free because we live in Zagreb, I don’t know whether that is because we are students or because we are citizens of Zagrebs but it was really nice for me to not have to pay ten euros. The cable car took half an hour and as we got higher up, the more snow we could see. Sljeme is located above the mountain Medvednica meaning we saw the beautiful Medvednica below us as we got closer to the peak. However, in one terrifying moment, the cable car stopped. We did not know why it had stopped but I feared for my life! After the longest minute I had ever experienced, the cable car continued and soon we reached Sljeme.

There was snow was everywhere, it was cold but we were so happy that we had arrived that it didn’t bother us. We were playing in the snow like children, we threw snowballs at each other and made a snowman. What was really pretty on Sljeme was how wonderful the view looked, it was unbelievable! Children were laughing, dogs were running while we practiced croatian, asking someone if they could take a picture of us. It was a day I will not forget quickly, snow makes everything better!

Happy new year! The Christmas season in Madrid was definitely a sight to see, as Spaniards start decorating their homes and balconies with lights and Christmas trees. In Spain, the traditional Christmas day of the 25th of December is not the main event, as there is another festivity that is celebrated a couple of weeks later, «día de Los Reyes Magos» is essentially celebrating the Nativity and Jesus’ birth by bringing gifts that children will open on that night. I attended the parade that took place in the evening with my flatmates and the crowds were insane, there were people who brought chairs and their entire family, including young children with bags in hopes of receiving presents from the three Kings that would pass by on floats. There were various performers that evening and it was overall a very lively experience. I definitely wish I could have experienced a Spanish childhood because seeing this spectacle and the excitement on everyone’s faces after receiving a gift was very wholesome.

I spent the actual Christmas Day with my flatmates and some classmates who did not yet go back home to their families, and spent the entire day cooking and decorating the apartment. We organised a Christmas dinner potluck where people would bring dishes to share with the rest of us and I had turrón for the first time (I was not a fan because I disliked the texture and nuts) but it was nice to try regardless! It was nice to have a group event that commemorated the end of 2024 and I loved hearing their stories and learning about the culture and importance of family in their lives.

I find that sunsets in winter are a lot more intense and beautiful than in any other season, and so I went to Moncloa’s Lighthouse, which has an observation deck where you can see the entirety of Madrid from 92 metres up and it was an incredible viewpoint and there were information panels about various landmarks and the history of the city which were very insightful. For the New Year celebrations, I went out for dinner with some friends and then went home to do the 12 grapes tradition – eating 12 grapes at midnight within one minute and making wishes, it was quite difficult but we all managed to finish them in time, and then we watched the fireworks get launched from the balcony. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience this semester, and I cannot wait to see what the next one brings, but for now I still have exams until the end of the month so I have to continue studying until then.

˖ . ݁.୨୧ ݁₊

¡Feliz Año Nuevo a tod@s! La temporada navideña en Madrid fue definitivamente un espectáculo para ver, ya que los españoles comienzan a decorar sus casas y balcones con luces y árboles de Navidad. En España, el día tradicional de Navidad del 25 de diciembre no es el evento principal, porque hay otra festividad que se celebra un par de semanas después: el día de Los Reyes Magos, que esencialmente conmemora la Natividad y el nacimiento de Jesús con la entrega de regalos que los niños abrirán esa noche. Asistí a la cabalgata que tuvo lugar por la tarde con mis compañeros de piso y las multitudes eran impresionantes. Había personas que trajeron sillas y a toda su familia, incluidos niños pequeños con bolsas con la esperanza de recibir regalos de los Reyes Magos que pasaban en carrozas. Hubo varios obras esa noche y, en general, fue una experiencia muy animada. Ojalá hubiera podido tener la experiencia de una niñez española, porque ver este espectáculo y la emoción en las caras de todos después de recibir un regalo fue muy reconfortante.

Pasé el día de Navidad con mis compañeros de piso y algunos compañeros de clase que aún no habían regresado a sus casas. Pasamos todo el día cocinando y decorando el apartamento. Organizamos una cena navideña estilo potluck, donde cada persona trajo un plato para compartir con los demás, y probé turrón por primera vez (no me gustó porque no me agradó la textura ni los frutos secos), ¡pero fue bueno probarlo de todos modos! Además, fue agradable celebrar un evento grupal que conmemorara el fin de 2024 y me encantó escuchar sus historias y aprender sobre la cultura y la importancia de la familia en sus vidas.

Me parece que los atardeceres en invierno son mucho más intensos y hermosos que en cualquier otra estación, así que fui al Faro de Moncloa, que tiene una plataforma de observación desde donde se puede ver todo Madrid a 92 metros de altura. Fue un mirador increíble y había paneles informativos sobre varios puntos de referencia y la historia de la ciudad que fueron muy interesantes. Para las celebraciones de Año Nuevo, salí a cenar con algunos amigos y luego regresé a casa para hacer la tradición de las 12 uvas: comer 12 uvas a la medianoche en un minuto y pedir deseos. Fue bastante difícil, pero todos logramos terminarlas a tiempo, y luego vimos los fuegos artificiales desde el balcón. No podría haber pedido una mejor experiencia este semestre, y no puedo esperar a ver lo que trae el próximo, pero ahora todavía tengo exámenes hasta fin de mes así que debo seguir estudiando hasta entonces.

Un mois des spectacles

La musique me semblait le thème du mois récent, puisque j’ai joué deux concerts avec l’Orchestre des Grandes Écoles de Lyon, je suis allée dans plusieurs bars de jazz avec des amis, j’ai travaillé en tant qu’agent d’accueil pour l’Orchestre de Chambre de Lyon. Tout d’abord, les mercredis il y a deux bars de jazz qui font des ‘jam sessions’, qui sont toujours incroyables à regarder. De plus, travailler chez l’Orchestre de Chambre était une expérience géniale, mais également un peu stressante. J’étais chargée de placer les gens dans la section « Carré Or » de la salle, et il y avait beaucoup de pression ce soir-là car il y avait une personne célèbre présente. Avoir autant de personnes me posant des questions et exigeant un service de très haute qualité était un peu effrayant, mais j’ai quand même réussi à n’offenser personne, et j’ai eu l’occasion d’assister au magnifique concert par la suite. 

La fête des lumières s’est enfin passée. Dès le tout premier début de ma recherche avant d’emménager à Lyon, c’était l’événement que j’ai entendu le plus parlé, donc j’avais tellement hâte de le découvrir. Je n’étais pas déçu, et de plus, c’était le même weekend que mes deux concerts d’orchestre. Les rues étaient blindées, ce qui a donné une bonne ambiance, mais ce qui posait parfois des problèmes à chercher mes amis. Chaque dizaine de mètres, il y avait un stand vendant du vin chaud, du chocolat chaud, ou des crêpes. Tout le monde est venu voir les spectacles de lumière partout dans la presqu’île. L’histoire de la fête tire son origine au XVe siècle, quand Lyon aurait été protégée de la peste par la vierge marie lors de la fête religieuse de l’Immaculée Conception. Donc le dimanche (le 8 décembre) tout le monde a mis une bougie dans la fenêtre pour la remercier. Je n’ai jamais entendu parler de cette tradition, mais je l’ai trouvé très mignonne. 

Joindre un orchestre en France était également quelque chose que je souhaitais vraiment faire, et je suis très heureux d’y avoir bien participé. On a joué un programme de musique sud-américaine, avec des morceaux de styles, de rythmes et d’origines variés. La basilique dans laquelle on a joué, était parfaitement située à l’une des entrées de la Fête des Lumières, donc on a attiré un énorme public. Jouer dans un orchestre aussi nombreux, dans une église si grande, c’était magnifique. Entendre le son résonner à la fin d’un morceau, quand tout le monde retient son souffle avant de se met à applaudir, c’est un moment inexprimable.

Ce qu’on oublie souvent en regardant un spectacle ou un concert, c’est des mois de travail nécessaire pour arriver à une telle excellence. Même moi, j’ai déjà oublié la difficulté de ces premières répétitions. Quand je ne connaissais personne, quand je ne connaissais même pas les mots pour tous les instruments. De plus, je ne savais pas qu’en France on utilise la notation ‘Do, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La …’. Maintenant, presque quatre mois plus tard, j’ai quelques amis dans l’orchestre, et je me débrouille très bien dans les répétitions. 

Cette saison d’hiver m’a vraiment plu. Surtout parce qu’il n’était pas aussi sombre que l’hiver en Edimbourg. Noël approche, et j’ai décidé de le fêter en avance en cuisinant un repas de Noël typiquement anglais pour mes colocs françaises et leurs amis. Même si j’ai dû beaucoup expliquer à quoi servent les Yorkshire Puddings, ce fut un succès ! Ils ont tous apprécié le repas, même s’ils ont admis être trop rassasiés en suite. Ils n’étaient pas habitués à ce genre de nourriture ‘lourde’ je crois. Les adieux ont commencé, donc les repas aussi. J’ai tellement aimé ces repas, parce qu’ils m’avaient laissé avec le sentiment d’avoir bien intégré et d’avoir fait des vrais amis ici en France. Même si mon temps à l’ENS approche à sa fin, j’ai hâte pour le semestre prochain quand je vais faire un stage de marketing dans une entreprise qui a l’air géniale !

A month of shows

Music seems to be the theme of the recent month, since I’ve played two concerts with the Orchestre des Grandes Écoles de Lyon, I’ve been to multiple jazz bars with friends, and I worked as an usher for the Orchestre de Chambre de Lyon. Firstly, on Wednesdays there are two jazz bars that do jam sessions, which are always incredible to watch. Also, working with the chamber orchestra was a super experience, but at the same time a bit stressful. I was put in charge of placing people in the “VIP” section of the theatre, and there was a lot of pressure that evening because there was a famous person present. Having so many people asking me questions and demanding a very high quality service was a bit scary, but I managed in the end not to offend anyone, and I had a chance to watch the magnificent concert afterwards. 

La Fête des Lumières has finally happened. From the very beginning of my research before coming to Lyon, it was the event I heard the most about, so I was so excited to see it. I wasn’t disappointed, and what’s more, it was the same weekend as my two orchestra concerts. The streets were packed, which created a good atmosphere, yet made it sometimes tricky to find my friends. Every 10 metres or so, there was a stand selling mulled wine, hot chocolate, or crepes. So many people had come to see the light shows that were all over the peninsula. The history of the festival dates back to the 15th century, when Lyon was apparently saved from the plague by the Virgin Mary during the Immaculate Conception. Therefore on Sunday (the 8th of December) everyone put a candle in their window to thank her. I had never heard about the tradition before, but I thought it was really sweet.

Joining an orchestra in France was also something that I really wanted to do, and I am really happy to have got stuck in. We played a series of south-american music, with pieces of various styles, rhythms and origins. The basilica where we played was perfectly situated at one of the entrances to the Fête des Lumières, so we attracted a massive audience. To play in an orchestra so big, in a church so big, was magnificent. To hear the sound resonate at the end of a piece, when everyone holds their breath before bursting into applause, is indescribable. What we often forget when watching a show or a concert, is the months of work needed to get to such excellence. Even me, I’ve already forgotten how difficult it was in those first rehearsals. When I didn’t know anyone, when I didn’t even know the names of the instruments. What’s more, I didn’t know that in France they use the ‘Do, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La …’ notation. Now, almost four months later, I have a few friends in the orchestra, and I manage very well in the rehearsals. 

I have really enjoyed this winter season. Specifically because it hasn’t been as dark as winter in Edinburgh. Christmas is coming, and I decided to celebrate it early by cooking a typical British Christmas dinner. After a long explanation of what Yorkshire Puddings are, it was a success! They all really liked the meal, even though they admitted that they were too full afterwards. I think they weren’t used to this type of ‘heavy’ food. The goodbyes have started, and so have the meals. I have really liked these meals, because they have left me with the feeling that I have really integrated and that I have made some real friends here in France. Even if my time at ENS is coming to an end, I am looking forward to the next semester when I will be doing a marketing internship at a company that seems really great!