Steve's sandbox

Author: Steve Evans

  • Grace Dawson: Dezember in Hamburg – December 2024

    Das Ziel von meinem Jahr im Ausland ist mich vollkommen in der deutschen Sprache zu vertiefen und in der Kultur einzutauchen, obgleich meinte ich nicht, dass ich selbst tatsächlich in Wasser getaucht werden würde. Vor ein paar Wochen sind meine Zweier Partnerin und ich auf die Alster gekentert und ins Wasser gefallen, weil eine Dolle irgendwie versehentlich aufgegangen ist. Bei einer Temperatur von 6 Grad wirken die lebensbedrohlichen Kälteschockreaktionen sehr schnell, aber wir hatten viel Glück, denn ein Motorboot war nur ungefähr 10 Meter vor uns und holte uns fast sofort aus dem Wasser ab. Dennoch haben wir diese Erfahrung überlebt und ich bin deswegen der Meinung, dass ich mich komplett für die Eintauchung in deutscher Kultur verpflichte.


    Das Rudern fordert eine große technische Fähigkeit an, um das Boot schneller zu fahren. Umso intensiver man sich mit den Kleinigkeiten beschäftigt, desto besser das Boot ins Wasser läuft. Man kann nicht einfach auf den Ergo hinsitzen und hoffe, dass man sich davon aus einem verbesserten Bootsgefühl entwickelt. Letztens habe ich die Gelegenheit organisiert und dafür hart gekämpft, erlaubt zu sein, mit den U23 Frauen an dem regionalen Stützpunkt mitzufahren. Wegen der Regeln tauchten ein paar Schwierigkeiten auf, trotzdem bin ich schon zweimal im Doppelzweier und Zweier ohne Steuermann gefahren.


    Außerdem hatte ich dieses Wochenende die Chance, ein 5 Kilometre Ergotest mit einigen der deutschen U23 Frauen an dem Bundesstützpunkt in Ratzeburg zu fahren. Als Teil des GB Rowing Trials Systems muss ich ein Test unter dem Normwert von 18:40 schaffen, um weiter ins Prozess voranzuschreiten. Mit 18:34.8 bin ich gestern unter der Wert mit einem PB gefahren, deshalb darf ich nicht nur in Februar an der Langstrecke in Boston teilnehmen, sondern bin ich auch sehr stolz auf mich. Mein Sport und mein Studium sind für mich die wichtigsten Sachen in meinem Leben, auf denen ich viel Wert lege und ohne die könnte ich nie über die zahlreichen Geschichten und den Blödsinn erzählen, die ich täglich mache!

    The goal of my year abroad is to immerse myself fully in the German language and culture, although I didn’t think that I myself would actually be immersed in water. A few weeks ago my pair partner and I capsized on the Alster and fell into the water because the oarlock gate somehow came accidentally undone. The life-threatening cold water reactions take effect quite swiftly when the water temperature is 6 degrees Celsius but luckily a launch was about 10 metres in front of us and pulled us out of the water almost immediately. Nevertheless, we survived this experience and therefore I am of the opinion that I am completely committed to immersion in German culture.


    Rowing demands a large technical ability to be able to make the boat go faster. The more intensively you obsess about the small details, the better the boat runs. You can’t just sit on the ergo and hope that you develop a better boat feel from it. Recently I organised and fought hard for the opportunity to be able to train with the German U23 women at the regional performance centre. A few difficulties arose because of the rules but despite this I have already rowed in a double and pair twice.


    Furthermore, this weekend I had the chance to do a 5k erg test with some of the German U23 women at the national performance centre in Ratzeburg. As part of the GB Rowing Trials system I have to achieve a standard of under 18:40 to be able to carry on in the process. I went under the standard yesterday with 18:34.8 therefore I am not only allowed to take part in the water trials in February in Boston, but I am also very proud of myself. My sport and studies are the most important things for me in my life, upon which I place a lot of value and without which I would never be able to relate the stories and shenanigans that I generate on a daily basis.

  • Eve Hughes: L’hiver en France (Dec 2024)

    Une mer des nuages en haut de Moucherotte
    Le grand sapin de Noël à Strasbourg

    L’hiver est arrivé en France ! Je voulais profiter de la variété des opportunités qui sont offertes pendant cette saison, alors j’ai organisé des voyages dans les villes différentes à travers l’Hexagone.

    En commençant par Strasbourg, j’ai planifié un voyage pour le week-end avec ma coloc, Tati, qui vient de la région. Après être allé chercher son amie, nous sommes parties de Grenoble samedi matin pour conduire au nord. C’est incroyable qu’on peut apprendre autant du vocabulaire aléatoire en parlant avec les natives pendant cinq heures …! L’après-midi, on y est arrivé et on est allé directement aux marchés de Noël célèbres. Ils étaient formidables ! Même si c’était souvent difficile à marcher plus de deux metres avant de devenir piegé dans une foule énorme, l’ambiance était chouette et la variété de la nourriture était encore mieux. J’ai goûté ma première tarte flambée (dix sur dix), et j’ai bu une bonne quantité du vin chaud pendant notre court séjour là-bas.

    Le week-end suivant, j’ai réservé du transport pas cher et fiable pour aller à Lyon (Flixbus, je t’aime). J’avais jamais entendu parler de la Fête des Lumières, qui ont lieu chaque année partout dans la ville, donc j’étais impatiente de la découvrir un peu plus. Heuresement, mon amie habite à Lyon, alors j’ai pu avoir une visite guidée qui assuré que j’ai vu tous les spectacles ! On a commencé au Place Bellecour, où la statue de Louis XIV a été transformée en un globe de neige, et on a fini en haut de Fourvière, où un spectacle magnifique était projeté sur la Basilique. Après avoir fait vingt-cinq milles pas au cours de la ville, j’étais certainement prête à manger de la croziflette et (plus) du vin chaud.

    Ma dernière activité a eu lieu beaucoup plus proche de chez moi – c’était une randonnée de levé du soleil à Moucherotte. Elle était organisée par un mec du coin, qui s’appelle Bilel, qui est bien connu pour ses Tiktoks qui montrent les vues stupéfiantes qu’il voit pendant les randonnées dans la région. Après avoir reçu autant d’intérêt, il a commencé à organiser certaines qui étaient ouvertes à tout le monde. Un peu près de trente gens sont allés ce matin-là, qui était impressionant étant donné qu’on a dû se retrouver à 4h15. Dès le début, le paysage était incroyable. Grâce à la chute de neige récente, tous les arbres et les parcours étaient couverts par une mètre de neige. Même si cela a rendu la randonné très difficile, on pouvait le justifier avec la vue finale. J’ai vu mon première ‘mer des nuages’ au sommet de la montagne, ainsi qu’un beau levé du soleil orange.

    La Basilique de Fourvière pendant le spectacle

    English translation:
    Winter has arrived in France! I wanted to make the most of the various opportunities that are offered during this season, so I organised some trips to different cities across the country.

    Starting with Strasbourg, I planned a weekend trip with my flatmate, Tati, who comes from the region. After picking up her friend, we left Grenoble on Saturday morning to drive up north. It’s amazing how much random vocabulary you learn whilst gossiping with native French girls for five hours…! We arrived in the afternoon and went straight to the famous Christmas Markets. They were incredible! Whilst it was often difficult to walk more than two metres before getting stuck in a huge crowd, the atmosphere was great and the range of food was even better. I tried my first ‘tarte flambée’ (ten out of ten), and drank an impressive amount of mulled wine for the short time we were there.

    The following weekend, I booked some cheap and reliable transport to Lyon (I love you Flixbus). I had never heard of the Light Festival, which takes place every year across the city, so I was very excited to find out more. Luckily, my friend lives in Lyon, so I was able to have a guided tour which ensured that I saw all the shows! We started in Place Bellecour, where the statue of Louis XIV had been transformed into a snow globe, and ended at the top of Fourvière, where a wonderful light show was projected onto the Basilica. After walking twenty-five thousand steps across the city, I was certainly ready for some ‘croziflette’ and (more) mulled wine.

    My last activity was a lot closer to home – it was a sunrise hike up to Moucherotte. This was planned by a local guy, called Bilel, who is well-known for his Tiktoks which show the breath-taking views he encounters during hikes in the region. After receiving so much interest, he started to organise some which were open to everyone. Around thirty people attended on this morning, which was impressive given that we had to meet at 4:15am. From the start, the scenery was incredible. The recent snowfall had meant that all the trees and paths were covered in a metre of snow. Whilst this made the hike very difficult, the end view was definitely worth it. I saw my first ‘sea of clouds’ at the summit of the mountain, as well as a beautiful orange sunrise.

  • Un autre premier ministre

    Celebrations!

    Mon temps à Paris, où j’étudie un master en politique publique, a été pendant une crise politique. Le pays a eu trois premiers ministres pendant le petit temps où je suis ici. Le dernier a été nommé il y a quelques jours. Pour ce rapport mensuel, je pensais expliquer ce qui s’est passé – et quelle a été mon expérience.

    My time in Paris, studying for a master’s in public policy, has been during a political crisis. The country has had three prime ministers in the short time I have been here. The latest was appointed a few days ago. For this monthly report, I thought I would explain what has happened – and what my experience has been.

    La semaine après que je suis arrivé, des partis au parlement ont essayé de destituer le président Macron. Après que le parti de droite RN a eu un bon résultat aux dernières élections européennes, Macron a organisé une élection. Malgré ce que les gens attendaient, RN n’a pas gagné : ils sont arrivés troisièmes. À la place, la coalition de gauche NFP était le plus grand parti. Mais aucun groupe avait une majorité. Même s’ils étaient les plus grands, Macron a rejeté la candidate du NFP pour premier ministre, Lucie Castets. Donc, ils ont essayé de le destituer.

    Eating cheese on my birthday

    The week after I arrived, some parties in parliament tried to impeach President Macron. After the right-wing RN party had a strong result in the recent European elections, Macron held an election. Despite what people expected, RN did not win: they came third. Instead, the left-wing NFP coalition was the largest party. But no group had a majority. Even though they were the largest, Macron rejected the NFP’s candidate for prime minister, Lucie Castets. And so they tried to impeach him.

    Au lieu de ça, Macron a choisi Michel Barnier pour être premier ministre le 5 septembre. Les gens au Royaume-Uni pourraient se rappeler de lui comme le négociateur principal du Brexit pour l’UE. C’était bizarre, parce que Barnier vient du petit parti des Républicains, qui avait peu de sièges. Je me souviens que mes amis français à l’époque m’ont parlé d’une manifestation le samedi suivant, disant que l’élection était “volée”. Les manifestations ont continué pendant les trois mois et huit jours de Barnier comme premier ministre.

    Instead, Macron chose Michel Barnier to be prime minister on September 5. People in the UK might remember him as the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator. This was unusual, because Barnier is from the small Republicans party, which had few seats. I remember French friends at the time telling me about a protest on the Saturday after, saying the election was “stolen”. The protests continued during Barnier’s three months and eight days as prime minister.

    Au début de ce mois, le gouvernement de Barnier a tombé. Il a essayé de passer un budget sans laisser le parlement voter. Le RN et le NFP ont voté contre lui.

    The site of my final exams…

    At the start of his month, Barnier’s government collapsed. He tried to pass a budget without letting parliament vote. Both the RN and NFP voted him out.

    Depuis la fin de la semaine dernière, la France a un nouveau premier ministre : François Bayrou, du parti MoDem. Qui sait comment il va faire. Pendant ce temps, j’essaye de finir mes examens. J’ai aussi eu 23 ans.

    Since the end of last week, France has had a new prime minister: Francois Bayrou, from the MoDem party. Who knows how he will do. Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to finish my exams. I also turned 23.

  • Elodie Sparrow – Beijing, December 2024

    有时候我很难想象北京到底有多大。英国的总人口是60万千左右，而北京人口是24千万。另外，北京大学就像一个小镇一样。在校园上应有尽有。从理发师到便利店，一切都近在咫尺。虽然这样带来我的生活很多的方便，但同时也让我觉得离开校园比较难， 因为校园上的生活已经很方便。我每天起床就去上课。下课后在校园吃饭并见面朋友。在这里也参观社团并锻炼。有时候会忘记在北京墙外还有一座没深入探索的大城市。这就是为什么我每个周末安排城市的活动。


    上周末我跟一个中国朋友去了玉渊潭公园。 其实我觉得我们的认识是一种缘分。我们有许多共同朋友。自从第一次见面，我们见面很多次，也一起去各种各样的地方，比如首都博物馆和无数书店。我们有很多的共同兴趣，比如看书和学到关于新的文化。我的朋友的专业是哲学。这是非常有意思因为她喜欢教我中国哲学。一举两得。我不但可以理解中国更深度，而且可以联系中文。
    上周末很好玩儿。我们围绕湖边散步。一边走走一遍谈谈。那天天气特别好，风和日丽、 万里无云。其实，这如上所述的 ‘风和日丽‘四个词是朋友教我的新的说法。我在中国的时候，我新朋友耐心和热情地教我中文，给我留下了深刻印象。在中英关系方面，我希望能开启更多对话。我觉得我们两国之间有许多可以分享和讨论的话题。

    Sometimes I find it hard to comprehend that Beijing is this big. Beijing’s total population reaches approximately 60 million. Beijing alone has a population of 24 million. In fact, Beijing University is like a small town. On campus, you have everything that you need. From hairdressers to convenience stores, everything is close to hand. Although this makes my life convenient, at the same time I find it sometimes difficult to leave campus. Every day I wake up and go to class. After class, I eat in the canteen on campus and meet friends. I also attend university clubs on campus. Sometimes I forget that there is a world beyond PKU’s walls. This is exactly why I use the weekends to explore Beijing city.


    Last weekend I went to 玉渊潭 Park (yuyuantan park) lake with a friend. The way we met was fate. We met each other through a series of mutual friends. Since the first meeting, we have met multiple times to hang out and explore different places, such as the Capital Museum and countless bookstores. We have many things in common， such as reading or learning about new cultures. My friend studies philosophy. This is really brilliant because she likes to teach me more about Chinese philosophy in Chinese. This is like two birds with one stone. Not only can I get a deeper understanding of China, but I can also practice the language.
    Last weekend was really fun, we strolled around the lake, walking and talking. The weather was great, sunny and not a cloud in the sky. In fact this four-character word ‘风和日丽’ as I have just mentioned is a new four-word that this friend taught me. When in China, I am constantly moved by my friend’s patience and their enthusiasm towards teaching me Chinese. I hope that in light of UK-China relations, more dialogues can open up. I think our countries have a lot to say to each other and a lot to share.

  • Jules Chadderton: Japan, December 2024

                                                  

    日本にもう４ヶ月います、時間が本当に飛びました。今月のレポートは僕の色々なところに行った経験について物です。南山大学では水曜日以外授業があるので旅行時間が少なかったです。しかし、最近南山の生活に慣れてきたので、週末で旅行できるようになりました。名古屋は中部地方にあるから、主に中部の名所に行きました。最初に富士山に見に行きました。その日、事故が起こったそうで新幹線は３０分遅く走っていました。ちょっとびっくりさせました。新幹線はいつもちょうど時間に到着していると思ったけれども、遅れている場合もあると体験するのがびっくりしたものです。富士市に行った時、ちょっと雲だったので富士山綺麗に見えなかった。しかし、午後から晴れてきたのでいい写真を撮ることになりました。たくさん有名ないい富士山を撮ることができる場所に行きました。その日たくさん韓国からの観光客がいました、他の国からの観光客もいるけれども、特に韓国人。それから富士山がよく見える湖も行き、とてもリラックスすることができる場所だった、もし日本に行くならその場所が本当におすすめです。

    二週間前、友達と長野の白馬を訪れました。金曜日から日曜日まで泊まり、大きい家を借りました。白馬は有名なスキーリゾートしかし、私たちの行く時のはまだスキー活動が開いていなかった。しかし偶然にたくさんの雪を降って、僕の行った友達はインドネシア人だから雪を見たことがないし、その友達のために、本当に雪を降りたかったので降ってよかったと思いました。でも、白馬でなんか何も開いていなかったから、雪でしか遊ばなかった。いい旅行でした。最後に、先週、九州の福岡に行きました。長い間に会ってない友達と会うために行きました。しかし、旅行中に体調が急に悪くなり、胃腸炎になってしまいました。土曜日中吐きました、救急車で病院まで運ばれて本当に大変でした、今も少し体調が良くなったが、その経験は怖かった！！

    たくさんの旅行ができ、色々な所を見ました、また東北の地方を訪れたいので、冬休みで旅行しようと考えている。

    それで、また来月。

    I’ve already been in Japan for nearly 4 months, time really flies!

    This month’s report is about my experiences traveling around this month. At Nannan university we have lessons everyday other than Wednesday, so I didn’t have a lot of time to travel. However now I have gotten accustomed to the Nanzan university way of life, I’ve found the time to travel on the weekends. Nagoya is in the Chubu region of Japan, so I’ve mainly been traveling to the famous places in this region. First, I went to the mount fuji region. The day I went it looked like there was some accident because the shinkansen were running 30 minutes late. I was surprised by this actually; the bullet trains always leave on time so experiencing a time when they were late was surprising. When I went to Fuji it was a bit cloudy, so I couldn’t see the mountain clearly. However, from the afternoon onwards it started to become clear. So, I became I was able to take some good photos. I went to lots of places where you could take good photos of mount Fuji. That day there were loads of tourists from South Korea, there were some from other countries but mainly from South Koreans for some reason. After that I went to a lake where you can easily see mount Fuji. That place was really relaxing, and I really recommend anyone coming to Japan to go spend some time there. (It’s called Lake Tanuki).

    Two weeks ago, me and my friends visited Hakuba in Nagano prefecture. We stayed from Friday to Sunday and rented a large house. Hakuba is a famous ski resort however but the time we went the ski activities were not open yet. But fortunately, it snowed a lot, my Indonesian friend had never seen snow before so I really wanted it to snow so he could see it. So, I was glad that it was snowing. At Hakuba there was really nothing open, so we basically just had fun in the snow all weekend. It was a fun trip. Finally last week, I went to Fukuoka in Kyushu to see a friend I hadn’t seen in a long while. But during the trip I suddenly got very ill with gastroenteritis and ended up having to get an ambluence to hospital which was very tough! I’m feeling much better now but it was a scary experience!

    This month I’ve travelled a lot and I’ve seen many places. Next time I think I want to travel to Tohoku region (Northen Japan) so I was thinking about going there over the winter holidays.

    Until the next report!

  • Gabriel Anderson: Advent u Zagrebu – Advent in Zagreb – December 2024

    U ovoj reportaži govorit ću o adventu u Zagrebu, kakva je atmosfera i što mi se sviđa na njemu. Od 2017. do 2019. Zagreb Advent osvajao je nagradu Najbolji božićni sajm u europi ali tek sam ovo otkrio kad prijateljica mi je rekla. Ona je iz Zagreba, pitala me dok smo se šetali do fakulteta, “Jesi li uzbuđen zbog adventa?”. Odgovorio sam da sam uzbuđen zbog Božića zato što sam mislio da to je što je mene pitala. Nasmijala se i pokazala mi slike adventa u Zagrebu na što sam joj odgovorio da moramo ići.

    Advent u Zagrebu je predivan, nevjerovatan i čaroban. U centru ima kučice gdje možeš kupiti kuhano vino, toplu čokoladu ili fritule. Fritule su hrvatska delicija koje izgledaju kao krafne, ali se češće povezuju kao nešto slatko za jesti oko Božića. Išli smo na trg Bana Josipa Jelačića, atmosfera je bila prekrasna, svi su bili sretni, čuo sam hrvatsku glazbu dok sam pio kuhano vino. Na trgu je bio vrt s božićnim drvcima i posvuda su bili ukrasi.

    Ja i prijatelji smo napravili đir oko božicnih sajmova u različitim trgovima. Na jednom trgu, bio je besplatni koncert gdje smo slušali hravtsku glazbu – moje omljeno pjesmo što smo slušali je bilo ‘Sretan Božić Svakome’. Bilo mi je odlično vidjeti hrvatsku božićnu kulturu.

    Sljedeći dan odlučili smo ići na klizanje. Klizalište se nalazi blizu glavnog kolodvora pa lako nam je bilo ići tamo. Puno ljudi su bili tamo također pa nije bilo tako mirno ali uživali smo i pao sam samo jednom.

    Na klizalištu!
    On the ice rink

    Nakon toga smo opet išli vidjeti bezplatni koncert ali ovaj put nastupio je zbor. Nisam baš znao pjesme koje su pjevali ali bilo mi je lijepo slušati nešto vjersko, podsjetilo me da je Hrvatska katolička zemlja i da Božić je njihovi katolički praznik.

    Tijekom mojeg vremena ovdje u Zagrebu, učim ne samo jezik u nastavi ali kulturu i otkrio sam da advent je veliki dio hrvatske kulture posebno u Zagrebu. Nadam se da će opet osnoviti nagradu ove godine zbog svojeg adventa jer je, po mojem mišljenju, najbolji u svijetu.

     

    In this report, I will talk about advent in Zagreb, how the atmosphere is and what I enjoy about it. From 2017 to 2010, Zagreb Advent won an award for the best Christmas market in Europe but I only discovered this recently when my friend told me. She is from Zagreb, while walking to university together, she asked me “Are you excited for advent?”. I replied that I was excited for Christmas because that is what I thought she was asking me, she laughed and showed me pictures of advent in Zagreb to which I replied that we have to go.

    Advent in Zagreb is amazing, wonderful and magical. In the centre there are little stalls where you can buy mulled wine, hot chocolate or Fritule. Fritule is a Croatian delicacy that looks like doughnuts but are more commonly associated as something sweet to eat around Christmas time. We went to Ban Josip Jelačić square, the atmosphere was beautiful, everyone was happy, I could hear Croatian music while I drank my mulled wine. At the square there was a garden of Christmas trees and there were decorations everywhere. Me and my friends walked around the Christmas markets in different squares. At one square there was a free concert where we listened to Croatian music – my favourite song that we listened to was ‘Sretan Božić Svakome’ (Merry Christmas Everyone). It was amazing to see the Christmas culture of Croatia.

    The next day we decided to go ice skating. The ice rink is close to the main train station so it was easy for us to get there. Lots of people were there too so it wasn’t that peaceful but I still enjoyed myself and only fell over once. After that we went again to see a free concert but this time it was a choir performing. I didn’t really know the songs they were singing but it was nice for me to listen to something religious, it reminded me that Croatia is a catholic country and that Christmas is their catholic holiday.

    During my time here in Zagreb, I am learning not only the language in class but the culture and I have discovered that advent is a big part of Croatian culture, especially in Zagreb.I hope that they win an award again for their advent this year because it is, in my opinion, the best in the world.

    All the best,

    Gabriel

  • Lauren Maslin: 한국의 겨울이 드디어 왔어요! Winter has finally arrived in Korea! December 2024

    이번 겨울방학 동안 가족을 방문하기 위해 영국으로 돌아갈 겁니다. 가족을 정말 보고 싶어서 영국으로 돌아가는 것이 기대돼요. 하지만 영국에 가고 나면 한국으로 돌아가고 싶은 마음이 생길 것 같아요. 두 곳 모두 집처럼 느껴져요!
    한국의 겨울이 드디어 왔어요! 오늘은 눈이 많이 오고 있어요. 기숙사 방 창문 밖으로 눈이 내리는 모습을 보았을 때 정말 행복했어요. 그 장면은 마치 크리스마스 카드 같았어요! 눈은 순백의 솜처럼 보였고, 강풍 속에서 빠르게 흩날렸어요. 제주도에서 한국어를 공부하고 있는 친구가 겨울 폭풍이 불고 있다고 문자를 보내줬고, 서울에 사는 또 다른 친구는 겨울 도시 풍경 사진을 보내줬어요. 한국의 겨울은 춥지만 아름다운 계절이 될 것 같아요. 몇 달 전에는 날씨가 열대 기후처럼 무더워서 에어컨을 켜야 했던 것을 생각하면 정말 신기해요. 그런데 지금 날씨가 정말 추워서 얼어 죽을 것 같아요! 다행히 지난주에 가족을 위한 크리스마스 선물 쇼핑을 할 때 백화점에서 겨울 옷을 샀어요.

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    영국과 달리 한국에서는 크리스마스 선물을 주고받는 것이 전통이 아니에요. 한국에서는 크리스마스가 주로 가족보다는 연인들 중심으로 기념되는 날이에요. 그리고 영국에서는 크리스마스가 종교적 전통과 세속적 전통이 결합된 날이에요. 하지만 한국에서는 크리스마스가 기독교와 그리 깊은 관련이 없어요. 한국에서의 크리스마스는 영국에서의 전통과는 많이 다르지만, 그만큼 특별한 매력이 있어요. 보통 한국에서는 크리스마스가 연인들의 날로 여겨져요. 연인들은 고급 레스토랑을 예약하거나 서울에서 데이트를 즐겨요. 민스 파이나 캐롤은 없지만, 한국의 크리스마스 분위기는 여전히 신나고 즐겁답니다. 이렇게 다른 문화에서 크리스마스를 경험하면서, 축하하는 방식은 달라도 크리스마스 시즌에 즐길 수 있는 것들이 많다는 것을 다시 한 번 느꼈어요.

     

    한국은 반도에 위치해 있어서 스키에 적합한 산이 많이 있어요. 스키는 한국에서 특히 크리스마스 시즌에 가장 인기 있는 겨울 스포츠 중 하나예요. 저는 한국에 있는 동안 스키를 배울 수도 있을 것 같아요. 재미있을 것 같아요! 아이스 스케이팅도 인기가 많아요, 특히 서울광장 스케이트장에서요. 저도 아이스 스케이팅을 즐기고, 아름답고 화려한 크리스마스 조명 전시도 감상해요.

    그리고 영국에 돌아가면 한국의 크리스마스 전통도 그리워질 거예요. 두 나라가 각기 다른 방식으로 크리스마스를 기념하지만, 두 곳 모두 제게는 집처럼 느껴져요. 어디에 있든지, 저는 두 나라의 따뜻함을 항상 기억할 거예요. 유학은 새로운 경험을 만드는 것이고, 저는 사랑하는 두 곳에서 그 경험을 쌓을 수 있어서 정말 행운이에요.

    메리 크리스마스!

    I’m heading back to the UK this winter break to visit my family. I’m really looking forward to it because I’ve missed them so much. But, I know that once I’m in the UK, I’ll probably start to miss Korea and want to return. Both places feel like home to me!

    Winter has finally arrived in Korea! It’s snowing quite heavily today. I felt so happy when I looked out of my dorm room window and saw the snow falling. The scene looked just like a Christmas card! The snow looked like pure cotton, and it was swirling quickly in the strong wind. A friend of mine who’s studying Korean in Jeju sent me a text saying there’s a winter storm, and another friend in Seoul sent me a photo of the city’s winter landscape. Korean winters may be cold, but I think they’re going to be beautiful. It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago the weather was so hot, like a tropical climate, that I had to use the air conditioning. Now, it’s so cold I feel like I could freeze to death! Luckily, when I went shopping for Christmas presents for my family last week, I also bought some winter clothes at the department store.

     

    This marks the end of my first semester at university in Korea. Life here has been so new and challenging. At first, the cultural differences were tough, but I’ve gotten used to them a lot now.

    When I reflect on how Christmas is celebrated here in Korea, it honestly feels a bit foreign at first. I never thought I’d enjoy Christmas without my usual mince pies and carols, but here I am, absolutely loving it! The sparkling Christmas lights, the romantic atmosphere in Seoul, and ice skating—it’s all so different, but in a really good way. Sure, I miss home, but there’s something really special about celebrating Christmas here in Korea.

     

    Experiencing Christmas in a different way, I’ve discovered a new side to the holiday season. And when I return to the UK, I know I’ll miss the Korean Christmas traditions too. Both countries celebrate Christmas in their own ways, but both feel like home to me. No matter where I am, I’ll always carry the warmth of both places with me. Studying abroad is all about creating new experiences, and I’m so lucky to be making those memories in two places I love.

    Merry Christmas!

  • Elodie Sparrow: Bring on Beijing! December 2024

    Making new friends!

    时间飞逝，转眼间，已经十二月了。我渐渐习惯了在中国的生活。每天都学新的事情。除了新单词和语法以外，我每天都还学到很多关于中国和中国人的知识。自从来中国，我遇到各行各业的人。无论街上走路还是进入商店，中国人都很开心交谈。我不但可以联系我的中文，而且认识了中国当地的人。 一举两得！

    我发现最明显的事情之一是中国人都很大方。比如说，跟中国同学去吃饭的时候，他们常常带来一袋水果送给我。探索北京的时候，中国朋友倾向于陪着我，主动介绍并解释北京的历史和特点。有一次，我等着公共汽车。我不太确定怎么买票，好像App用不了。我问身边的女人帮我忙，但我们都尝试了几次买票。5到10分钟之后，我们都放弃了，我怎么回家呢？那个女人毫不犹豫地送给我现金说买票回家。虽然她是完全陌生人，但是她不犹豫帮我。对我来说，这样是很感动的。

    北京市非常好的城市, 北大也是很特别好的大学。在这里我已经交了很多朋友。从加入社团到打球，我每天有很多机会联系中文。我的中国朋友还喜欢教我口语。我还不能说流利的中文，但我慢慢学。一步一步来。

    Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it’s already December. I’m getting used to life in China. I learn new things every day. Other than new words and grammar, I am also learning a lot about China and the Chinese people every day. Since coming to China, I’ve met people from all walks of life. Whether walking on the street or entering a store, Chinese people are happy to chat along. Not only can I practice my Chinese, but I can also get to know local Chinese people, two birds with one stone!

    One of the most significant things that I have found is that Chinese people are very generous. For example, when I go out to eat with Chinese classmates, they often bring a bag of fruit and give it to me as a gift. When exploring Beijing, Chinese friends tend to accompany me and take the initiative to introduce and explain the history and characteristics of Beijing. One time, I was waiting for a bus. I wasn’t quite sure how to buy a ticket, and it seemed that the app didn’t work. I asked the woman next to me to help me, but we both tried to buy tickets several times without success. After 5 to 10 minutes, we both gave up. How was I going to get home? The woman handed me some money without any hesitation and said to buy a ticket home. Although she was a complete stranger, she didn’t hesitate to help me. For me, this was really moving.

    Beijing is a really great city and PKU is a fantastic University. I have already made loads of friends here. From joining clubs to playing sports, I have lots of opportunities to practice my Chinese. My Chinese friends also like to teach me Chinese slang. I do not speak fluent Chinese yet, but I am slowly learning! One step at a time!

     

  • Gabriel Anderson: Zagreb, Croatia Monthly Report – December 2024

    Dobar dan! Pozdrav iz Zagreba! Ja sam Gabriel, iz Liverpoola, i došao sam u Zagreb prije 2 mjeseci zbog stipendije hrvatskog jezika. Grad je lijep, glavni grad hrvatske, nisam nikad bio tu prije ali sad osjeća kao doma. Živim u studenskom domu s hrvatskim studentima, oni se uvijek izenenade kad pričam hravtski s njima zato što nije često da stranac priča njihov jezik. U mojoj nastavi, mi smo 15, većina je iz Latinske Amerike zato što tijekom drugog svijetskog rata, mnogo ljudi su se preselili tamo. Dakle, ovi studenti koji su iz latinske amerike imaju hravtske korijene i su ovdje učiti jezik. Jer oni ne znaju engleski, a ja ne govorim dobro španjolski, komuniciramo samo na hrvatskom, što je zanimljivo je da mogu čuti njihovi nasglasak i mogu otkriti da imaju španjolsko hrvatski naglasak. Nadam se da ovo znači  da moj hrvatski napreduje

    Naš program je super i baš svida mi se moj razred. U ovoj reportaži, želim govoriti o izletima u kojima sam uživao. Prvi je bio put s cijelim programom do Rijeke, grad udaljen dva sata od Zagreba. Drugi je bio izlet u Hvratsko Narodno Kazalište s razredom gdje smo imali turneju na hravtskom.U našem izletu do Rijeke, bili smo oko 150 ljudi iz cijeloga svijeta, jedino što nam je bilo zajedničko bio je hrvatski jezik pa to je bio jezik u kojem smo razgovarali. U autobusu od Zagreba do rijeke, imali smo simpatičnog vodiča koji nam je pričao na sporom hrvatskom kako bi uključio sve razine. Posjetili smo u vrlo zanimljiva mjesta kao Svetište Majke Božje Trsatske, Gradina Trsat i Pomorski i povijesni muzej Hrvatskog primorja Rijeka. U muzeju smo imali turneju na hravtskom jeziku i bilo mi je zanimljivo, ne samo zbog povijesti, nego i zato što turistički vodič je bio iz Rijeke i mogao sam čuti, identificirati i razumjeti njegov rijekanski naglasak. Mislim da najlepše mjesto gdje smo posjetili je bilo Gradina Trsat zato što je imao pogled gdje smo mogli vidjeti cijelu Rijeku.

    Ja u Rijeci!
    Me in Rijeka!

    Baš je divan grad s odličnim povijesti. Jeste li znali da je jedan dio rijeke bio dio italije i omeđen zidom poput berlinskog u 20. stoljeću?

    Hravtsko Narodno Kazalište je predivno, osnovano u 1895 kad Zagreb je bio dio Austro-Ugarskog carstva. Vodička pokazala nam je najbolja sjedala u kazalištu i pustila nas je da gledamo dio probe za predstavu ‘Šišmiš’.

    Predstava ‘Šišmiš’ i super pogled!
    Performance ‘the Bat’ and an awesome view!

    Takoder vidjeli smo gdje je sjedio car Austro-Ugarskog carstva. Njegov pogled nije bio tako dobar ali vodička nam je objasnila da to je bilo namjerno zato što njegovo sjedalo je bilo gdje svi su mogli ga vidjet. Unutrašnjost kazališta je prekrasna, ukrašena je slikama na stropu i veličanstvenošću.

     

    Sada počinje adventsko slavlje i vrlo sam uzbuđen što ću vam reći sve o tome u svom sljedećoj reportaži…

    Sve najbolje,

    Gabriel

    Hello! Greetings from Zagreb! I am Gabriel, from Liverpool and I came to Zagreb two months ago because of a Croatian language programme here. The city is beautiful, the capital of Croatia, I had never been here before but now it feels like home. I’m staying in a student dormitory with Croatian students who are always surprised when I speak with them in Croatian because it is very uncommon to hear a foreigner speak their language. In my language class, there are 15 of us and the majority are from Latin America because during the second world war, lots of people moved there from Croatia. Therefore, these Latin American students have Croatian roots and are here to learn the language. Since they don’t know english and I don’t speak very good Spanish, we communicate with each other only in Croatian. Something interesting to me about this is that I can hear that they have a Spanish accent when they speak Croatian. I hope this means that my Croatian is improving.

    Our programme is great and I really enjoy the my class. In this report, I want to talk about the trips we have enjoyed together. The first was to Rijeka, a city two hours from Zagreb, with the whole programme and the second was a trip to the Croatian National Theatre with the class where we had a tour in Croatian.

    In our trip to Rijeka, there were about 150 of us from all over the world, the one thing we had in common was Croatian language so, of course, that was the language we conversed in. On the bus from Zagreb to Rijeka, we had a very nice guide who spoke to us slowly in Croatian so as to include all levels. We visited some really interesting places such as the Church of Mary of God of Trsat, Trsat Castle and the maritime and historical museum of the Croatian coast. In the museum, we had a tour in Croatian language which was very interesting, not only because of the history, but also because the tour guide was from Rijeka and I was able to hear, identify and understand his Rijeka accent. I think that the most beautiful place we visited was the Trsat castle because it had a view where we could see the whole of Rijeka, a really wonderful city with an excellent history. Did you know that one part of Rijeka was a part of Italy and separated by a wall just like the Berlin Wall in the 20th century?

    The Croatian National Theatre is a marvellous museum founded in 1895 back when Zagreb was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The tour guide showed us the best seats in the theatre and let us watch a little bit of the rehearsal for the show “The Bat”. As well as that, we saw where the Austro-Hungarian emperor would sit. His view was not very good but the tour guide explained to us that this was on purpose and that his seat was positioned where everyone was able to see him. The interior of the theatre is beautiful, decorated with grandeur and  paintings of the ceilings.

    Now Advent celebrations are starting and i am very excited to tell you all about it in my next report…

    All the best,

    Gabriel

     

     

  • Eve Hughes : mon arrivée à Grenoble (Sep – Nov 2024)

    Après avoir profité d’un été plein de voyages, de repos et de stresse lié à l’obtention de mon visa, c’était enfin l’heure de quitter Leeds pour commencer mon année à l’étranger tant attendu à Grenoble. J’avais l’impression d’avoir planifier ce voyage depuis longtemps, alors j’étais extrêmement impatiente lorsque je me suis réveillée le 24 septembre 2024.

    Waiting at Manchester Airport

    En attendant au terminal 2 à l’aéroport de Manchester (Leeds Bradford aurait été beaucoup trop simple!), l’angoisse m’a frappée. Évidemment, j’avais déjà habité loin de ma maison familiale pour étudier à l’université, mais cela n’a jamais compris des aéroports ou des tableaux des départs ! Ce qui m’a rendu moins nerveuse, c’était quand j’ai vu au terminal une fille qui j’ai reconnue dans un groupe Facebook grenoblois. Je me suis approchée d’elle et, après quelques minutes de discussion, elle m’a invitée d’aller chez elle pour prendre une tasse de thé le jour suivant. Soudainement, l’idée de déménager loin de ma domicile ne semblait pas aussi effrayante.

    Grâce à « Le Boncoin » et les conseils précieux de ma hôtesse d’Airbnb, j’ai rapidement réussi à trouver un appartement pendant ma première semaine à Grenoble. Il était une colocation avec trois étudiants français qui avaient déménagé à la ville pour leurs études. Ainsi que me donne l’opportunité de parler français avec les natifs, j’ai trouvé que l’appartement est très idéal parce que je suis près des arrêts de tram, des supermarchés et d’un grand parc.

    Malgré le fait que je n’ai ni étudié l’enseignement à l’université ni reçu de formation officielle dans le domaine, j’avais vraiment hâte de commencer mon travail comme assistante de langue anglaise dans une école primaire locale. J’ai eu la chance d’avoir un assistant de langue pendant plusieurs années au collège, donc je me sentais un peu moins anxieuse à l’idée d’assumer le rôle.

    Durant les premières semaines, j’ai observé des classes différentes pour apprendre les dynamiques de la salle de classe et les normes de l’école. C’était trop fascinant de découvrir à la fois les similarités et les différences entre cette école primaire en France et ma propre école primaire en Angleterre. Mes premières séances se sont fArriving in Franceocalisées sur l’Halloween et j’ai bien aimé enseigner aux enfants, de l’âge de trois à dix ans, le vocabulaire pertinent, les verbes et les chansons de temps en temps. Il sera intéressant de voir comment ma confiance en soi et mon style d’enseignement se développeront au cours de cette année.

    After having enjoyed a summer full of travel, relaxation and visa-related stress, the time had finally come for me to leave Leeds and start my long-awaited year abroad in Grenoble. It felt like I had been planning this trip for ages, so I was extremely excited when I woke up on the 24th of September 2024.

    Whilst waiting at terminal 2 in Manchester airport (Leeds Bradford would have been far too simple!), the nerves hit me. Of course, I had already lived away from home to study at university, but that never involved airports or departure boards! What made me feel less nervous was when I saw a girl at the terminal who I recognised from a Grenoble Facebook group. I went over to her, and, after a few minutes of talking, she invited me for a cup of tea at her apartment the next day. Suddenly, the idea of moving far from home didn’t seem so scary.

    My new bedroom for the year!

    Thanks to ‘Le Boncoin’ and the invaluable advice from my Airbnb host, I was able to quickly find an apartment during my first week in Grenoble. It was a flat share with three French students who had all moved to the city for their studies. As well as giving me the opportunity to speak French with natives, I’ve found that the flat is very ideal as I’m close to tram stops, supermarkets and a big park.

    Despite the fact that I’ve neither studied teaching at university nor received official training in the field, I was really looking forward to starting my job as an English language assistant in a local primary school. I was lucky enough to have a language assistant for several years in high school, so I felt slightly less anxious about undertaking the role.

    For the first few weeks, I observed different classes in order to learn the classroom dynamics and school norms. It was so fascinating to discover both the similarities and differences between this primary school in France and my own primary school in England. My first sessions focused on Halloween, and I really enjoyed teaching the children, aged from three to ten, the relevant vocabulary, verbs, and occasional songs. It will be interesting to see how my confidence and teaching style develop over the course of this year.