Author: Steve Evans
-
Royal Mosque, Lahore
Until recent years the largest Mosque in the World, the Badshahi Masjid (Royal Mosque) was constructed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1673. It is located in the Pakistani city of Lahore. -
Enero – un mes importante
Enero fue un mes muy memorable en mi aventura española – que marcó el aniversario de un año desde que me mudé a este país y cumplí 22. O los “dos patitos”, como lo llaman en español.
Tuve la oportunidad de celebrar mi cumpleaños en Salamanca durante un fin de semana con mis amigos. Para cualquier persona que no haya oído hablar de Salamanca antes, es una ciudad que está más o menos a 2 horas en coche al noreste de Madrid y es el hogar de la universidad más antigua de España (también una de las más antiguas de Europa). Es una de las ciudades más limpias, más cuidadas en las que haya estado – ¡todo está todo tan coordinado! Desde el color de la piedra arenisca de los edificios a la arquitectura, todo encaja perfectamente. Hay muchas joyas ocultas en Salamanca, pero hay 3 cosas en especial que son particularmente famosas para los turistas. El primero trata de encontrar la talla de una rana que se oculta en la pared de la Universidad… se cree si puedes encontrarla te traerá suerte. Los dos siguientes se añadieron realmente durante una restauración de la catedral, pero siguen siendo algo un poco “diferente” – una gárgola que está comiendo un helado y un astronauta. ¡Tanto tallado en la piedra! Nos tomó un tiempo, pero nos las arreglamos para encontrar los 3, espero que nos traiga suerte…!
Una cosa distinta de mis celebraciones cumpleaños es que hemos organizado a ir a Granada para esquiar. ¡Sí….Granada y sí…esquiar! Esquí en el sur de España e ir a la playa en el mismo día…me parece perfecto. ¡Nos vemos pronto Granada!English translation
January – an important month!
January was a land mark month in my Spanish adventure – it marked a year’s anniversary since I moved to this wonderful country and I turned 22! Or “dos patitos” as they call it in Spanish (2 ducks!).
I made the most of the opportunity to celebrate and went away to Salamanca for the weekend with some friends. For anyone that hasn’t heard of Salamanca before it’s a city roughly 2 hours North East of Madrid and is home to the oldest University in Spain and one of the oldest in Europe. It’s one of the cleanest cities I think I have ever been to and everything is all so coordinated! From the sandstone color of buildings to their architecture, everything fits perfectly. There are lots hidden gems in Salamanca but there are 3 things in particular that are particular famous to tourists. The first is to the find the carving of a frog which is hidden on the wall of the University…it is believed if you find this it will bring you luck! The next two were added during a restoration of the cathedral but are still something a little “different” which you don’t expect to find in a city like Salamanca among the carvings of a cathedral – a gargoyle eating an ice cream and an astronaut! Both carved into the stone! It took us a while but we managed to find all 3, let’s hope they bring us luck…
On a totally separate note, something I thought I would never say I did in Spain was go skiing. But with a famous resort in Sierra Nevada near Granada just a few hours away, it’s difficult to say no! Skiing in the south of Spain and being able to go to the beach on the same day….perfect! Granada here we come! -
Premiere Vision 2014
Premiere Vision is a textile fair just north of Paris. This is the second time I’ve visited with my school and its really a great experience, especially studying Fashion Design. Even though I’m not yet at the stage where I’m looking to buy, its a great opportunity to see whats out there and to also gather inspiration not only for fabric choices but also for my designs!
-
Decorative Arches in the Alhambra
Dear John Speak Trust,
This is just one of the many arches inside the Alhambra palaces, decorated in the typical Moorish style which can be found all over Andulusia. You may notice that the arches are horse-shoe shaped, which was also typical of the Moorish tradition. It may seem strange to send a photo of just an arch, but any photo taken from a distance simply does not do the fabulous decoration justice.
-
Plaza de España
Dear John Speak Trust,
After having visited the (enormous) cathedral, and the Alcázares Reales, the royal residences much in the same style as the Alhambra though with Christian and Jewish influences as well, we went to the Plaza de España. I hadn’t expected it to be quite so spectacular. The square is surrounded by a sort of moat, over which bridges with tiles decorated in blue, green and yellow, lead to the main building. Before you get to the building, there is a series of alcoves, each representing a province of Spain in ceramics. In the centre of the square is a fountain. I really is a beautiful place to come and sit and spend time, especially as it is right in the middle of a park.
-
Alhambra
Dear John Speak Trust,
Whilst in Spain, we spent a weekend in Granada. Other than the wonderful tapas and charming winding streets of the old town, the real treasure of the city is the Alhambra. Here it is on a beautiful sunny day with the Sierra Nevada mountain chain in the background. It’s no wonder the Muslim settlers decided to build a palace there- the views are just as breathtaking from the palace as they are towards it!
-
Cordoba Skyline at Night
Dear John Speak Trust,
Here’s the sight that I saw every time I went out for the evening in Cordoba- all of the buildings of the old town, including the Mezquita, beautifully lit up. I took many pictures of this view, at daytime, in sunshine, in clouds, at night, but this is perhaps the most beautiful!
-
Thank you John Speak Language Trust
The John Speak Language Trust helped me achieve my dreams! In the early 1990s I was awarded a grant by the John Speak Language Trust.
The grant was a turning point for me – I gained enormously in confidence as a result of getting support from an outside organisation who did not know me!
After graduation, I decided to return to China in an attempt to ‘give something back’. I got a two year contract (which I later extended for a further year) working with a Chinese NGO on education projects. I was based in a teacher training college in rural Jiangxi province teaching a range of courses (including business – not that I think China’s economic miracle has much to do with that!) and stayed there for three years before returning to the UK.
After a number of years working in UK for a large software company I was headhunted by a UK charity where I was asked to head up their Chinese department. I did this role for eight years and during this time got involved in a range of interesting programmes and projects, including being the external evaluator for a WHO-led HIV/Aids programme.
More recently I have completed a PhD in Chinese Studies and, in the past 6 months, begun work as a Lecturer in Chinese Studies at University of Leeds.
Over the years I have often thought of the help the John Speak Language Trust gave me all those years ago, and as I am now back in Yorkshire I thought that I would now formally write to thank the Trust Committee once again, and to provide an up-date on my own progress.
It is great to know that the Trust is still thriving and able to help students, like me, fulfil their dreams.
Thank you.
Caroline Fielder
-
Birthday Drinks
Celebrating my 20th birthday with some friends!
-
“Madrid through the eyes of an intern”
As a 21 year old University student studying International Business with Spanish, the opportunity to spend 18 months abroad perfecting my language skills was and is an amazing opportunity. The first half of 2013 found me in the north of Spain, studying at the University of Oviedo as part of an Erasmus semester. However I am now living and working in Madrid within the International Purchasing Department of the world famous NH Hotels for my placement year.
I started my “practicas” here at the NH head offices in June and since then I have become at one with the life of a “Madrileña”! And I look forward to giving you an insight into my Spanish adventure over the next 12 months.
As you can imagine my first few weeks in Madrid were spent exploring, tasting, walking, asking and ultimately getting lost. I quickly learnt that my Spanish guide book didn´t do the city justice and that the best way to fully experience Madrid is to stay for longer than a weekend, submerge yourself in their way of life and take advice from a true Madrileño – luckily I am able to do all of the above! Within the first few weeks my Spanish friends had taken me to see a controversial Bull Fight at the Plaza de Toros, experience the Gay Pride Festival, and watch a legends football match at the incredible Bernabeu stadium.
