Steve's sandbox

Author: Steve Evans

  • Ashton Lily Woolley, Madrid, Spain – January 2015

    Ashton Lily Woolley – January 2015

     

    En realidad no he estado haciendo mucho desde que escribí mi último informe. Aunque, volví a mi casa de Inglaterra por Navidad para pasar tiempo con mi familia, amigos y con mi novio que no he sido muy aventurera en Madrid.

    Cumplí y celebré mi cumpleaños de 21 años en Inglaterra que era absolutamente increíble. Toda mi familia y familia distantes vinieron y también los que no les había visto desde que he estado en España y mis mejores amigos volvieron a casa también de la universidad, que era tan guay.

    La primera semana de trabajo era extremadamente dolorosa. Tenía que ponerse al día  con todos mis correos sin leídos, todos los días de vacaciones pendientes y los miles de incidencias pero estaba muy feliz de estar de vuelta. Decidí llevar una cosa de comida inglesa cada día para mis compañeras del departamento por toda la primera semana que me había traído en mi maleta; party rings, mini cheddars, Jaffa cakes y una barra de chocolate de Dairy Milk.

    La segunda semana no fue tan malo porque todas mis tareas estaban terminados y muchos de los empleados todavía estaban disfrutando sus vacaciones de Navidad, así la empresa estaba medio vacía. Justo antes que tomara mis vacaciones, estaba en un curso de recursos humanos para un nuevo programa que estamos poniendo para la empresa donde recibí dos certificados pero todavía tengo que practicar como utilizar el programa por todas las tardes.

    Otro de nuestro amigo terminó su período de Erasmus este fin de semana por lo tanto decidimos tener una fiesta durando toda la semana. El primer día nos fuimos a nuestro restaurante mexicano favorito: La Tierra, si vas por Happy Hour, se puede  comprar una jarra de litro de margarita de fresa con un enorme plato de nachos y solo cuesta catorce euros.

    El viernes fuimos a otro de nuestros restaurantes favoritos que se llama Alhambra y se ha convertido a una tradición semanal para nosotros. Cada semana, nuestros amigos traen más amigos y siempre nos terminamos la noche a conocer a alguien nuevo cada vez. Cuesta diez euros cada uno y siempre tenemos muchas cosas para comer y mucha cerveza a tomar por todo el fin de semana. La mayoría de nosotros vivimos cerca de Calle Fuencarral o en Malasaña así que siempre hay un nuevo bar para irnos después de cenar. Este fin de semana nos fuimos a Vacaciones para tomar unos cócteles.

    El domingo fuimos a La Bicicleta para el “Brunch.” Es una cafetería cerca de nuestros apartamentos y está lleno de estudiantes haciendo sus deberes y estudiando para los exámenes. Hay agua gratis encima de las mesas y tantas cosas para pedir. Para terminar  nuestro fin de semana, cenamos a 100 Montaditos. Creo que lo he mencionado esto en un informe anterior pero todas las cosas cuestan un euro todos los domingos.

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

    I haven’t really been up to much since I wrote my last report. Although, I did go home for Christmas to spend time with my family, friends and boyfriend I haven’t been very adventurous in Madrid.

    I celebrated my 21st birthday in England which was absolutely amazing. All of my family and distant relatives came along who I hadn’t seen since being in Spain and my best friends were home from university which was just as great.

     

    margarita cocktail

     

    The first week of work was extremely painful. I had to catch up on all of my unread emails, all the pending holidays and the thousands of untouched incidents but I was happy to be back. I decided to bring in one piece of food everyday that I had brought back in my suitcase; party rings, mini cheddars, jaffa cakes and dairy milk chocolate.

    The second week wasn’t as bad as all my work was caught up on and people were still enjoying their Christmas holidays so the company was half empty. Just before I took my holidays, I was in a HR course for a new programme that we are launching for the company where I received two certificates but I still have to practise using the programme every afternoon.

    Yet another friend finished their Erasmus period this weekend so we decided to have a week long leaving party for him. In the week we went to everyone’s favourite Mexican restaurant: La Tierra, if you go for happy hour, you can buy a litre jug of strawberry margarita with a huge plate of nachos for fourteen euros.

    On Friday we went to another of our favourite restaurants called Alhambra which has become a kind of weekly tradition. Every week, people bring more of their friends and we always end up meeting somebody new every single time. It costs around ten euros each and we always have heaps to eat and enough beer to last us all weekend.  Most of us live near Calle Fuencarral or in Malasaña so there is always a new bar to try afterwards. This weekend we went to Vacaciones for cocktails.

    On Sunday we went to La Bicicleta for brunch. It’s a café just round the corner from our apartments and is full of students doing their homework and studying for exams. There is free water on the tables and so many things to order. To end off our weekend, we had dinner at 100 Montaditos. I’ve probably mentioned this in a previous report but everything is one Euro on Sundays.

  • Jo Dawson – Case Study, France (1992)

    Looking back, I can probably say that the 3 month scholarship from the John Speak Trust was one of the key defining points of my life – something for which I am extremely grateful.

    One of the many memories that I have of my John Speak Scholarship time in France was talking to the lorry driver I was travelling with one day who was trying to explain to me that the workings of the braking system on his truck was based around magnets.  You can imagine the difficulty trying to work out what he was trying to tell me whilst driving around the country roads in the area around Rheims.  However we got there in the end and, 23 years later, I can still picture the moment that I worked out the key word ‘Aimant’ meant ‘Magnet’.  Such is the power of learning a language from the native speakers of a country and without any possibility of help from Google Translate or Phoning a Friend.

    My scholarship lead me to France in the summer of 1992.  I was still at UMIST University in Manchester, studying International Management  and French when I applied to the John Speak Trust having secured a place at the Ecole de Commerce de Grenoble where I was to study from September that year.  Having accepted the place,

    I was worried that the level of my French would not allow me to fully understand and participate in the lectures that would be held in the local language throughout that year.

    Through my father’s business I managed to secure a 3 month work placement with one of their French wool suppliers, Ets Vromant SA, run and owned by the very kind Jacques Vromant.  The scholarship from the John Speak Trust allowed me to cover my living costs which were meagre as I lived in a ‘Foyer de jeunes travailleurs’ – an eye-opening place to live which housed an eclectic group of young French people. My placement started in Lille where I worked in the Vromant foam factory, glueing foam together.  A strange start which improved my vocabulary of words such as ‘Baby changing mattresses’, ‘Double foam sofa’ and ‘glue guns’.  Words that I don’t use every day now (other than baby changing mattresses when my children were born – more of that later), but were exceptionally useful and intriguing during those first few weeks.

    Having mastered the French words for ‘foam bathmat shaped as a foot’, I moved onto the next location of my placement – Rheims, where I travelled around the French countryside helping the team collect wool from the local farmers.  I learned that this was the area where Champagne was grown in amongst a surprising number of sheep as well as the word ‘Pavot’ which describes a beautiful white poppy-like flower that lives in the French hedgerows.  To this day I don’t know the English translation for this flower, but to me it is a ‘Pavot’.  This was a short part of my learning journey as I moved the following week to spend the remainder of my time in Limoges from where I joined the wool collecting team, making forays into the Massif Central to buy wool from farmers.

    In amongst the farm visits where we would be welcomed at 10am at a farmers kitchen table with a glass of ‘Berger Blanc’ or similar (an aniseed-based 45% alcohol designed to descale the kettle) I learned the word ‘Andouillette’.  This is an offal-filled sausage, the smell of which to-this-day reminds me of that fateful lunch when the ‘Plat du Jour’ comprised what I thought of as an innocent looking sausage.  Oh how I was mistaken, yet some of my French friends today see it as a delicacy.  Much like the way my wife still struggles even now to understand the concept behind Pork crackling…

    When we were not out in the truck collecting wool, I spent time sorting that very wool with some really interesting characters – one of whom I remember was called Pascal.  He taught me the essential words such as ‘bale press’, ‘fleece’, ‘dags’ (the dung that we were removing from the back end of the fleece) and other very choice but essential words that I can’t repeat here.  However, once he got bored with this, he tried to teach me the local Patois, though with limited success.  Though they did laugh when I tried to speak in their local accent – great memories.  It was during my stay in Limoges that I remember starting to dream in French – a clear sign that all was starting to click into place.

    Massif Central, France

    Armed with this wide-ranging and essential vocabulary and a far greater ability to understand many of the people I met, I drove diagonally across France towards Grenoble to start my new academic year.  During this journey, after a frustrating time following caravans crawling their way through the windy mountainous terrain of the Massif Central, I was stopped by the French police for speeding down the hill the other side.  Having established the fact that I had no money in order to pay the fine, the Gendarme took me into the police van whilst he decided what to do with me.  I explained where I was going and why I had been frustrated going so slowly behind the caravans and awaited the verdict.  Having pondered this for a while he let me go with the words ‘seeing as you speak such good French and have no money to pay the fine I will let you off this time.  But don’t think that if you get caught later in the journey they will be so kind to you!’.  John Speak saved me from a fine that day.

    My scholarship story ends as my new year in Grenoble started.  I was able to speak French fluently – something I am sure helped me to complete a fulfilling year at Grenoble and not least meet my wife and start a new era of my life.  My wife and I now live in England where French is our home language (including ‘baby-changing mattresses’) and our bi-lingual children choose whichever word fits best into the sentence.

     I use my French language regularly in my business where I export wool around the world.

     

    I am convinced that the deep understanding of the French language and culture that I gained by being dropped into an intense learning situation at that time has lead me to better understand and appreciate the many different cultures that I deal with in my day to day business.  This cultural appreciation was one of the key aims of the visionary John Speak when he left the funds for our use so many years ago.

    Looking back, I can probably say that the 3 month scholarship from the John Speak Trust was one of the key defining points of my life – something for which I am extremely grateful.

    Jo Dawson 

    Jo Dawson, JST Committee member

     

     

  • Emily Martin, China – January 2015

    Emily Martin, China

    庆祝圣诞节在中国

     

    虽然中国是一个历史上有宗教迫害，名义上无神论的国家，圣诞节现在 很流行。在每个购物中心里你看见圣诞节树， 每个商店 充满趁圣诞节折的顾客。不过，圣诞节的庆典一定有阴暗面。

    中国政府强制各种各样的限制，从在北京城市里禁止基督教颂歌到禁止某种的圣诞节饰。我们看不见传统基督教饰装饰圣诞节树 – 红心和可爱的动物代替金星和牧羊人。最惊爆的例子是’SantaCon’ – 每年大学学生（大部分是西方人）穿着圣诞老人服装在北京旅行以让人分享圣诞节的喜悦。我们看见穿着制服以及穿着便衣警察从早到晚围观他们。

    限制庆祝圣诞节可能是政府试着牵制基督教不停地兴起的方法。基督教正在以空前的速率方兴未艾。因为许多基督会众暗中聚集，估计现在的中国基督者数目不等从六百万到一千万。有的人认为在中国，基督者数目比共产党员的多。政府围观政府管理的教堂，可是当局不干涉这些教堂的事情，以及当局视而不见非法的教堂。中国政府和基督教的矛盾一定让政府忧虑。的确，亘古通今宗教是专制国家的罩门。

    虽然当局镇压圣诞节的宗教方面，当局一定不镇压圣诞节的经济方面。挥霍无度的西式联欢以及给礼物一定繁荣经济。圣诞节的 经济价值一定对当局重要得不能完全禁止庆祝圣诞节。但是很严重，奇异的圣诞节限制表示宗教的权力受到中国政府的崇敬。

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

    Christmas in China

    Despite being a nominally atheist state with a dark history of religious persecution, particularly of Christians, Christmas is booming in China. Christmas trees appeared in every shopping mall and shops were filled with customers taking advantage of Christmas promotions. However, there is a darker side to the festivities.

    A multitude of prohibitions and restrictions on celebrations are enforced, from a ban on carol singing within the city of Beijing to restrictions on the type of decorations allowed. Traditional religious decorations were noticeably absent from public trees, with stars and shepherds replaced by hearts and cute animals. Perhaps the most striking example is that of SantaCon – when (mostly Western) students dress up in Santa costumes and travel round Beijing spreading Christmas cheer. Both uniformed and suspected plain-clothed police were watching them closely throughout the day.

    This careful control of Christmas is seemingly an attempt by the state to curb the seemingly unstoppable rise of Christianity. The religion is growing at an unprecedented rate in China. Due to the underground nature of many churches, estimates of the current number of Christians in China vary widely from 60 million to 100 million, with some claiming that there are now more practicing Christians in China than there are members of the Communist party. While the government carefully watches, but does not interfere too much with the state approved churches, and turns a blind eye to the underground ones for now, it is undoubtedly concerned by the rise of a potential rival ideology. Indeed, religion has been the Achilles heel of authoritarian states throughout history.

    While the religious aspect of Christmas may be discouraged by the state, the materialistic aspect is certainly not. Extravagant Western-style celebrations and gift giving give the Chinese people a chance to spend some of their growing wealth, undoubtedly giving the economy a boost.

    While the economic value of Christmas is undoubtedly valued by the state too much to completely ban celebrations, the strict, seemingly bizarre restrictions are perhaps testament to the healthy respect of the government for the power of religion.

  • Alexander Arch, France – January 2015

    Les 2 semaines depuis je suis retouré au Paris ont été différentes de tout ce que je ai jamais connu. Je peux rappeler les attaques de 9/11 et 7/7 0 Londres mais, heureusement, je n’ai connu personne impliqué et j’étais loin des événements.Les terribles événements à Charlie Hebdo, ont été faites plus pires en sachant que les terroristes étaient en fuite en centre-ville près de moi et encore plus proche de mes amis dans le centre de Paris.

    L’ambiance sur le train le 7 Janvier était très sombre, personne ne parlait et pas de sourires (encore moins que d’habitude).Le jour des sièges (9 janvier) était affreux, le supermarché Hyper-casher est proche de l’endroit où la femme de mon collègue travaille. Quand nous avons entendu le news- il a essayé de l’appeler, mais elle n’a pas décroché le téléphone. Il devenait très inquiet, mais environ 20 minutes plus tard- elle appelait et dit qu’elle était en sécurité. Heureusement, personne que je connais a été personnellement affecté par ces incidents terribles, mais je pense que la plupart des gens sont très choqué et bouleversé par ce qui est passé. Toute la situation est horrible et tout à fait effrayant de savoir que la situation est proche de moi mais je pense que la France a répondu brillamment (typiquement avec des manifestations), et le reste du monde a montré beaucoup de soutien à la France et les personnes innocentes qui ont perdu leur vie. Même aujourd’hui, deux semaines après les attaques, le RER en direction de la maison était couvert de graffitis, «je suis Charlie», «Nous n’avons pas peur» et«je peints Au nom de la liberté ». Ce sera vu dans toute la région et je pense qu’il montre la résilience de l’ensemble du pays.

     

    Alexander Arch – January 2015

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

    The 2 weeks since I returned in Paris have been different to anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. I remember seeing such tragedies such as 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings on TV but, fortunately, I never knew anybody involved and was far away from the events. The awful events at Charlie Hebdo, were made all the worse by knowing that the terrorist were on the run in close to where I am and even closer to many of my friends in the centre of Paris.

    The atmosphere on my train home on the 7th January was very somber, nobody was talking or smiling (even less that usual). The day that the sieges (9th January) ended was awful, the Hyper-casher supermarket is near to where my colleague’s wife works. When the news broke- he tried calling her, but she didn’t pick up the phone. He was getting quite stressed until, about 20 minutes later- she called him and said she was safe.

    Fortunately, nobody that I know was personally affected by these awful incidents, but I think that most people are quite shocked and upset at what happened. The whole situation is horrific and so scary knowing it is so close to home but I think France responded brilliantly (typically with protests), and the rest of the world has shown a lot of support to France and the innocent people who lost their lives. Even today, 2 weeks after the attacks, my RER home was covered in graffiti, ‘je suis Charlie’, ‘nous n’avons pas peur’ and ‘je peints au nom de la liberté’. This will be seen throughout the region and I think it shows the resilience of the whole country.

  • Congratulations Mark Green!

    Many congratulations to Mark Green (John Speak Trust  – Past Committee Chair) on being awarded the Order of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany

     

    Well done Mark, keep up the good work!
    Mark Green John Speak Trust Past Committee Chair

  • Nadia – Beijing, China – January 2015

    Nadia – January 2015

     

     

    一月的第一个星期我们考试了。考期飞快地过去了，到一月十日我很兴奋因为我有七个星期的假期！当然，我想离开很冷的北京，所以我决定去南方。

    我现在在中国东南的厦门，福建省。我对这个地方有兴趣因为我新加坡华裔妈妈的祖先原来是福建人。

    我很喜欢这个城市的花花绿绿。北京的冬天非常压抑：建筑、天空、街道、都是灰色的。从这个照片，你可以看到，厦门有非常漂亮的蓝天空，还有很多绿色公园。

    厦门最精彩的部分就是鼓浪屿。我很高兴因为现在是冬天，所以没有很多旅客。鼓浪屿是中国的第一个巷口被英国人迫开放更过。那时候大部分的外国人就住在鼓浪屿。有些殖民地建筑保存得很好，但是还有破旧的。

    我的当地朋友带我去厦门大学。很多中国电视剧是在厦大拍摄的。从我的照片你可以看得出来导演为什么喜欢这个地方。厦大校园是我见过最漂亮的中国大学！

    下个星期我会去云南。我觉得云南是我旅行的高潮。我会去全省，从缅甸和泰族影响的南方热带到藏族影响的北方山地。

    Xiamen University – Nadia Kaheil

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

     

    In the first week of January we had our end of term exams. The exams went by quickly and by 10th January I was able to look forward to a 7 week holiday. Of course, I planned to escape the harsh Beijing winter, and so I decided to travel south.

    I am currently in Xiamen, Fujian province in southeast China. This region is of particular interest to me because my ancestors on my mother’s Singaporean-Chinese side originally came from this region.

    My favourite thing about Xiamen is the amount of colour. Winter in Beijing is very grey: the buildings, the sky, the roads. From the pictures below, you can see that Xiamen has beautiful blue skies, lots of green parks.

    The highlight of Xiamen is Gulangyu island. I’m glad I came during winter, it meant there were far less tourists than usual. Gulangyu/Xiamen was one of the first ports that the British forced China to open, and Gulangyu was where all the foreigners lived. Some colonial mansions are very well-preserved, while others have fallen to ruin.

    Some local friends I made took me to Xiamen University which is where many local TV dramas have been filmed. From the picture below I think you can guess why. It has to be the most beautiful Chinese university campus I have ever seen!

    In a few days I will go onwards to Yunnan, which will really be the highlight of my long trip. I’ll be exploring the whole province from the Burmese-Thai influenced tropical south to the Tibetan-influenced mountainous north.

    Nadia Kaheil – January 2015

  • Amy Clark, Montpelier France – January 2015

     

    Les vacances noëls ont terminés et je suis rentrée en France le 5 janvier, après avoir passé un trop bon noël avec ma famille et mes amis. J’ai fait beaucoup des choses différentes pendant les vacances; j’ai fait du shopping avec ma sœur, je suis sortie avec toute ma famille pour un repas et j’ai visité une ville s’appelle Warwick avec mon fiancé pour le week-end. Pour la nouvelle année je suis sortie avec mon fiancé et quelques amis; nous sommes allés à Bawtry, une petite ville près de chez moi, mais il y a beaucoup des pubs et des bars chics.  J’ai profité bien du temps que j’ai passé chez moi, je suis reconnaissante que j’ai pu avoir deux semaines en congés.

    Bien sûr j’étais un peu triste de quitter l’Angleterre mais je suis impatiente de finir mon stage ici et d’organiser mon stage en Espagne qui va commencer en Mars. Actuellement je sollicite pour nombreuses emplois à Barcelone, à Madrid, à Palma et à Valence et j’attends pour des réponses. J’espère que j’obtienne un emploi à Barcelone; je l’ai visité l’année dernière quand j’ai passé six mois à Alicante et j’ai trouvé qu’elle était un endroit incroyable. Donc, en ce moment, je suis très occupé car j’envoie mon CV et mes candidatures aux entreprises ainsi que faire beaucoup de recherches afin de trouver un stage.  Je suis assez anxieuse de trouver un bon emploi pour mes 6 mois en Espagne; je terminerai mon stage en France le 25 février et j’ai besoin de commencer en Espagne la première semaine de mars, donc je suis un peu stressée, je n’ai pas beaucoup de temps pour décrocher un emploi et dès que je reçois une offre, j’ai besoin de trouver un logement.

    Depuis je suis revenu en France il y avait plusieurs événements que ont lieu à Paris. Bien sur tout le monde est conscient des attaques récentes à Charlie Hebdo et des prises otages dans le nord de Paris, ou un total de 12 gens ont été tues. Pendant les deux semaines dernières les attaques ont provoqués milliers des gens pour protester et démontrer leur appui pour les personnes tuées et de renforcer leurs croyances de la liberté d’expression. Dans le monde entier, il y avait des émeutes, des combats et des protestations concernant les récents événements et ils ont suscité la controverse parmi les nombreuses religions. D’ailleurs, une prise otage à lieu dans le centre de Montpellier aussi, il était pensé que la situation était liée aux événements à Paris, mais la police a confirmé qu’il n’y avait pas un lien.

     

    English translation

    The Christmas holidays have finished and I came back to France on January the 5th after spending such a good Christmas with my family and my friends. I did so many different things during the holidays; I went shopping with my sister, I went out with my family for a meal and I visited a city called Warwick with my fiancé for the weekend. For the New Year I went out with my fiancé and some friends; we went to Bawtry, a small town near where I live, but there are many pubs and posh bars. I really enjoyed the time that I spent at home, I’m grateful that I had two weeks off.

    Of course I was a little sad to leave England but I am eager to finish my internship here and organise my internship in Spain, which will start in March. Currently I’m applying for lots of jobs in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Palma and I am waiting for responses from them. I hope I get a job in Barcelona; I visited the city last year when I spent six months in Alicante and I thought it was an amazing place. So, at the moment I’m very busy with things like sending my CV and applications to companies and doing a lot of research to find an internship. I am quite anxious about finding a good job for my 6 months in Spain; I will finish my internship in France on February the 25th and I need to start in Spain the first week of March, so I’m a bit stressed, I don’t have a lot of time to get a job, and, as soon as I receive an offer I have to find a place to live.

    Since I came back to France there have been several events that have taken place in Paris. Of course everyone is aware of the recent attacks on Charlie Hebdo and the hostages in northern Paris, where a total of 12 people were killed. During the last two weeks the attacks have caused thousands of people to protest and show their support for those killed and to reinforce their beliefs of the freedom of expression. Worldwide, there have been riots, fights and protests about the recent events and they have sparked controversy amongst many religions. Moreover, a hostage situation occurred in the center of Montpellier, it was thought that the situation was linked to the events in Paris, but police confirmed that there was no connection.

     

    Protests in France

     

  • Imogen Page Jarrett, Beijing, China – January 2015

    Imogen Jan 2015

    在北京过圣诞节

    当中国朋友对我提出“你要怎么过春节？”这个问题，我回答他们说：在中国做个没有家可归的外国人，过一个注重家庭的节日其实很难。不过，我已经体验过这种困难，那就是去年12月25日的时候。

    圣诞节快要到了，好多同学已经正在坐回国的飞机上呢。留在中国的同学呢，有其他计划。对我们其中大部分同学来说，这一次是第一次在外地过圣诞节。随着圣诞节的来临，中国肯定缺乏英国的疯狂。在大量的公共场所、商店、酒吧、都安装了圣诞节的装饰，可是节日气氛还不如在国内的。给我带来最真正的家庭般感觉是去听我室友在胡同里唱圣诞颂歌。

    毫无疑问，在北京过一个传统的圣诞节是绝对不肯能的，所以我们就决定趁这个放纵自我的机会。因此，我们在北京瑞吉的圣诞节自助餐预订桌子。附近的一家超市突然开始卖圣诞树，所以我们好容易才把一棵拿回家，让彩色小灯光照着客厅，还装饰了金属丝。说实话，都看起来挺滑稽可笑的。但是，圣诞节那天亮了，我们认真的送礼物和遥远的家人给我们寄来的东西。

    参加大自助餐是一种果粉。服务员总是呼之即来，手里拿着凉香槟酒。在大堂里摆着一场盛宴。摆着传统的圣诞节烤火鸡、日本的寿司、大姜饼屋、各种奶酪、水果、面包类的、蛋糕、冰淇淋、沙拉、烤烧、甚至还有北京烤鸭。这场盛宴是对精神和肚子的双重挑战。我们慢慢地吃到喝到麻木了。

    不送礼物就不能算是圣诞节，我们送的小惊喜没让人失望，惊喜包括一件豹纹连体衣和两个生洋葱。后来，我们突然决定玩保龄球去，在外国过圣诞节，什么比保龄球好主意？保龄球馆的服务员却不太欢迎我们协调性较差的一群人。

    窝在床上跟准备圣诞节大餐的家人Skype那天就结束了。家里的距离感很强，可是看到亲戚在我眼前（即使是通过电脑）办哪些很熟的顺序，却让家里好像没有那么远似的。

     

    Imogen – Jan15

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

     

    When my Chinese friends ask me how I will celebrate New Year, I tell them that it is difficult to celebrate a family-orientated festival when you are a foreigner without any family to return to in China. However, I found myself in not too dissimilar a predicament when it came to the 25th of December last year.

    Christmas was almost upon us, and many classmates were already on flights destined for home. The few of us remaining in China, however, had to make other plans. For most of us, it was the first time ever to spend this time away from family. The run up to Christmas here was a far cry from what can almost be described as madness back in the UK. In most public places, shops and bars sprung up festive decorations and installations- but the festive spirit and present-buying-fervour was still left to be desired. The closest I felt to home was listening to my room-mate sing carols in the hutongs.

    Seeing as a traditional Christmas was seeming well out of the question, we decided the occasion best warranted a spell of self indulgence. Hence we booked a table at one of Beijing’s best Christmas day buffets at the St Regis hotel. The local supermarket suddenly appeared to be selling Christmas trees, so we trekked one home and set the apartment a-twinkling with fairy lights and tinsel. It all seemed rather comic and brash. Still, when the day itself dawned we earnestly swapped stockings, gifts, and parcels sent by family from afar.

    The buffet itself was an exercise in excess. Waiters and waitresses waited on our beck and call with bottles of chilled champagne; in the main hall was an impressive array of everything from traditional Christmas roast, including a whole turkey, to more fusion areas of sushi. A giant gingerbread house took place of honour over looking subsidiary spreads of cheese, fruits, breads, cakes, ice cream, salads, grilled delights and even Peking duck. It was not only a challenge for the stomach, but a metal test too, as we gradually fell deeper and deeper into a food stupor.

    It wouldn’t be a Christmas meal without an exchange of silly gifts of some sort- and seeing as we lacked crackers we fell back on secret santa, which did not fail to disappoint with people unwrapping such surprises as a leopard print leotard and two whole raw onions (don’t ask why). Afterwards, what better activity to do on Christmas day in a foreign city than go bowling? It’s safe to say the bowling staff did not seem to be amused by a rather raucous group of “old whiteys” (laowai) turning up with seemingly no coordination or aim left in them whatsoever.

    The day came to a close tucked up in bed on Skype to my family preparing Christmas dinner. Home felt a world away, and yet seeing the all too familiar processes, even over web-cam, bought it a little closer.

  • Calling all previous John Speak Trust scholars – tell us your story

    Have you received a John Speak Trust Scholarship or did/do you know someone who has?

    We would love to hear from you.

    Please contact the Trust and tell your story.

     

     

    Derek Platts

    Derek Platts received a Scholarship in 1954 and has very kindly provided his Case Study – read Derek’s story  

  • Happy New Year from the John Speak Language Trust

    Happy New Year World

     

    The John Speak Language Trust and the Trust Committee would like to wish you a wonderful and prosperous New Year.

    New Year Language Resolution – There is no better time to turn your dreams of learning a foreign language into a reality, new year, new start!

    Learn a foreign language

     

    Happy New Year                                                       Feliz año Nuevo                                          新年快乐

     

    Šťastný Nový Rok                                                        godt nytår                                                    bonne année

     

    glückliches neues jahr                                              ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος                                    buon anno

     

    明けましておめでとうございます                                                              Godt Nyttår                                                          с новым годом

     

    feliz año nuevo                                     mutlu yıllar                                      chúc mừng năm mới                          blwyddyn newydd dda

    Learn a new language in the new year