Steve's sandbox

Tag: Christmas

  • Cosmo de Bono: February in Taiwan (Feb 2024)

    二月台北

    二月在台北過得很平靜。現在我已經非常習慣台灣的新生活，所以呢時間過得很快。在遊覽了許多著名景點以後，我也開始參觀台灣的一些小地方。

    Rainy day in the Yangmingshan mountains

    兩個星期以前，我去了陽明山國家公園。這是台北北部的一個山區。雖然從市到區不很遠，但由於山路崎嶇，坐公共汽車需要兩個小時才能到達。我去的那天天氣不是很好的，但還是值得一去。我們去的第一個地方是一個古老的養牛場。由於起霧，我看不到牛，但據農場主說，牛就在那裡！這兒的景色非常綠，非常美。走出城市，來到鄉間，感覺非常好。

    我參觀的下一個地方是蔣介石的度假故居。故居的內面是西式設計。這反映了蔣介石希望被當作更西方化，也吸引外國外交官的願望。官邸的花園也很美，儘管建築本身看起來像軍事大院。

    我參觀的下一個地方是蔣介石的度假故居。故居的內部是西式設計。這反映了蔣介石希望被視為更西方化並吸引外國外交官的願望。官邸的花園也很美，儘管建築本身看起來像軍事大院。

    我此行的最後一個目的地是美麗的陽明山花圃。那裡有很多櫻花樹和其他種類的植物。雖然天氣不是很好的，但是還非常漂亮！附上一張我在花圃旁小溪旁的照片。

    我寫這篇報告的時候，正因為值春節假期，所以我很享受學習之餘的休息時間。我打算在下次報告中介紹春節期間的慶祝活動！

    陳白宇


    February has been a calm month in Taipei. Now that I’m very used to my new life in Taiwan, time is going by quickly. I’ve also started to explore smaller places in Taiwan as I’ve visited lots of the most famous destinations.

    visiting the cherry blossom gardens of Yangmingshan National Park

    Two weeks ago I visited Yangmingshan national park. This is a mountainous area north of Taipei. Although it isn’t very far from the city, because of the mountains it takes 2 hour by bus to get there. The weather wasn’t amazing on the day I visited but it was still worth a visit. The first place we went to was an old cattle farm. I couldn’t see any cows because of the fog but according to the farmer they were there! The scenery was very green and beautiful. It was lovely to be outside the city and in the countryside.

    The next place I visited was the former holiday residence of Chiang Kaishek. The interior of the residence is western in design. This is meant to reflect Chiang’s desire to be seen as more western and to appeal to foreign diplomats. The gardens of the residence were also beautiful although the building itself looks like a military compound.

    The final destination on my trip were beautiful flower gardens in Yangminshan. There were lots of cherry blossom trees and other types of plants. Even though the weather wasn’t that good it was still really pretty! I’ve attached a photo of me near a stream by the flower gardens.

    As I write this report I’m currently in the middle of the Chinese New Year holiday so I’m enjoying my time resting from studying. I’ll explain more about the celebrations in my next report!

    Cosmo

  • Cosmo de Bono: 2024 in Taiwan – January 2024 年台灣

    I’ve been in Taiwan for over four months now so am nearly halfway through my time here. It’s taken me by surprise at how quickly the time is passing now. I’m planning to write a bit about my Christmas experiences in Taipei. The big annual holiday in Taiwan is Chinese New Year in February, however, the language centre gave us a one-week holiday for Christmas. It was also interesting to see Christmas celebrations in Taiwan.

    Shilin Christmas Market

    Christmas market:
    A few days before Christmas, I visited a German Christmas Market in Shilin district with one of my classmates. This was actually my first time going to a large Christmas market so I thought it was funny that my first experience of this was in Taiwan. The market only had vendors that sold German food as opposed to gifts or anything else. The food was delicious; it resembled a cross between Taiwanese street food and European dishes. Most of the vendors were Taiwanese however there were also many German expats.

    Christmas party:
    My language centre organised a Christmas party for us a few days before Christmas. We all had to bring food and snacks, including both Western and Taiwanese food. We also had the opportunity to make TangYuan – Glutinous rice balls served in syrup. They sound a bit strange when you explain them in English, but TangYuan is a really common dessert in Taiwan and quite tasty. This was a really fun experience and it was great to learn a lot of Christmas-related Chinese vocabulary.

    I spent Christmas Day with my university classmates in Taiwan. It was a quiet but lovely day and very different to my previous Christmas experiences. We also went to Raohe Night Market – our favourite – in the evening. Christmas felt less important this year because it’s not so important for Taiwanese people so I wasn’t always thinking about it.

    As it’s now 2024 and my time in Taiwan is going by so quickly, I’ve started to think about my goals and intentions for the rest of my time here. My Chinese, especially formal Chinese, has improved so much recently but I have now set three main goals for the next few months:

    1. Improve my tones and pronunciation
    2. Practice speaking more idiomatically
    3. Learn 5000 Chinese characters (I currently know about 3500)

    Thanks for reading my report!

    我來台灣已經四個多月了，在這裡的時間已經過了快近一半。時間過得真快，我完全沒想到這點。我打算寫一點我在台北過聖誕節的經歷。台灣一年一度的大節日是二月的春節，但是語言中心為我們放了一週的聖誕節假期。看到台灣的聖誕節慶祝活動也很有趣。

    聖誕市集：
    聖誕節前幾天，我和一個同學一起去看了士林區的德國聖誕市集。這其實是我第一次去大型聖誕市場，所以我覺得很有趣，因為這是我看聖誕市集的第一次體驗。市場裡只有賣德國食品的點心，沒有賣禮品或其他東西的。這些食物非常美味，就像台灣街頭小吃和歐洲菜餚的綜合。大多數商販都是台灣人，但是也有很多德國外籍人。

    Christmas Eve dumpling dinner!

    聖誕派對
    聖誕節前幾天，我所在的語言中心為我們舉辦了一個聖誕派對。我們都要帶食物和點心，包括西餐和台灣菜。我們還有機會做湯圓–糖漿做的糯米糰。用英語解釋聽起來有點奇怪，但湯圓在台灣是一種非常常見的甜點，而且相當美味。這是一次非常有趣的經歷，我學到了很多與聖誕節有關的中文詞彙。

    我和台灣的大學同學一起度過了聖誕節。這一天很安靜，但很放鬆，跟我過去的聖誕節經歷有點不同。晚上我們還去了我們最喜歡的饒河夜市。實際上，今年的聖誕節並不那麼重要，因為聖誕節對台灣人來說並不那麼重要，所以我並沒有總是想著聖誕節。

    現在是 2024 年，我在台灣的時間過得很快，因此我開始思考我在台灣餘下時間的目標和打算。我的中文，尤其是正式的中文，最近有了突飛猛進，但我現在為接下來的幾個月設定了三個主要目標：

    1. 改善我的語調和發音
    2. 練習說更多的成語
    3. 學會 5000 個漢字（我目前認識約 3500 個漢字）

    感謝您閱讀我的報告！

  • Rhoda Yaa Assah Manu: The Beginning of the End, Reunion Island – December 2019

    Bright red balls of sweetness have started growing from the thick branches. Everywhere you go there are fruits everyone is munching on. It’s lychees! Its summer and Lychees are in season! The first time I tasted a lychee was at the university, my friend just casually had it as a snack and asked if I wanted to taste one. Obviously, growing up and living in London, I had never seen lychee in fruit form before. I was so intrigued. I used my thumbs to peel back the burgundy bumpy skin and reveal a transparent squidgy flesh. I curiously bit into it. It tasted delicately sweet, it was amazing! That following Sunday I made sure I went straight to the market to buy myself some more of those delicious balls of sweetness. The season of lychees signifies the beginning of summer in Reunion. The beginning of summer means the end of exams! No more 7:30 am lectures! And more time to explore the beauty of Reunion Island. I can’t believe the semester has gone by so quickly. It’s cliche to say but it really does feel like we all just met each other yesterday. Everything was so new to me here, the landscape, the weather, the accent, the creole, the constant need to speak in French and now I’m so used to it and I can’t believe it’s actually ending. Many people said that the semester would fly by just like that but I actually didn’t realise that they weren’t joking at all. There are already ERASMUS students who have started flying home and it’s unbelievable that I am halfway through my year abroad.  

    Now that we no longer have the pressure of academia stressing us out, we have more time to explore the island and uncover the real beauty of Reunion Island. Here has so many beautiful waterfalls, beaches, bassins, I think it would be impossible to visit them all before we leave! However, I will definitely try my best. La Saline and Trou d’eau are beautiful beaches I have visited, the sand is white and the water is so clear and warm it’s majestical! I’ve been asking my friends what the tradition is here on the island during Christmas and I am so jealous hearing their responses! Typically families spend Christmas on the beach having a traditional picnic. The creole people love picnics, and I had the honour of experiencing one with a family whom I met on the beach. They have the traditional food I had spoken about in the last blog post, Rougail Saucisse, Cari Poulet, lentils and let’s not forget the staple drink here at Reunion Island – Rhum Charette. I really love observing how family oriented the culture is here and the fact that Christmas is spent here on the beach, in the sun, makes me envious!

    I will be leaving the island very soon but before going I wanted to make sure I did something spectacular. So I did! *drumroll please* I climbed the highest peak in the Indian Ocean! My legs and my knees hate me as I am writing this, and I have been hobbling around as a method of movement. It took me 6 hours to climb it and 6 hours to climb down the next day. It was a whopping 3,070 meters in altitude and I am so proud that I get to say that at the age of 20 years old I have climbed the highest mountain in the Indian Ocean. A lot of people don’t get to say that. It took a lot of encouragement and belief from myself as well as my friends whom I went with for me to be able to make it. I still am blown away that I completed such a thing and pushed my mind and body to limits I never thought I could. La Reunion has a very sombre history tied to slavery and colonialism, and it wasn’t until after I had finished the hardest hike I have ever done in my life I discovered a harrowing yet very intriguing fact. A lot of the hiking trails on the island date back to slavery and were first carved out by slaves who had escaped from their colonial masters into the mountains. Hearing this I was surprised that this wasn’t knowledge widely publicised to tourists. I had finished the hike and knowing how hard and cold it was at the Sommetreally made me think how much worse the conditions would have been for the enslaved. So there’s a thought-provoking fact about many hiking trails in La Reunion.

    The 20th of December will be the day of liberation on the island and I am looking forward to it! As I previously mentioned, La Reunion has a history deep-rooted in slavery and it was the 20th December 1948 that slavery was abolished, hence annually there is are massive celebrations all over the island. The day is called Fete Kaf. There is a huge parade where local associations dance, drum and perform. There are food stalls which sell Chinese food, creole food, fast food. I passed through town the other day and saw two massive stages erected near Barachois, which means there is going to be a huge concert. I have been practising how to dance Maloya via youtube! The Maloya is a dance style as well as a genre of music. It is quite sombre and speaks about slavery but the way the women dress up in flowy dresses with flowers in their hair and the way people dance to it at public events one would never guess. I think Maloya is beautiful and the way Reunion Island never fails to showcase its rich culture despite being a french territory is inspiring.

    I am extremely thankful to JohnSpeak for this amazing opportunity and I can’t express how much I enjoyed blogging my experience here at La Reunion. It is honestly a hidden gem and I’m glad I got the opportunity to visit here in my lifetime.

    Boules rouges brillantes de douceur ont commencé à pousser sur les branches épaisses. Partout où vous allez, il y a des fruits que tout le monde aime manger. C’est des litchis ! C’est l’été et les litchis sont en saison ! La première fois que j’ai goûté un litchi, c’était à l’université, mon ami l’a pris comme un casse-croûte et m’a demandé si je voulais en goûter un. Evidemment, ayant grandi et vivant à Londres, je n’avais jamais vu de litchi sous la forme de fruit. J’étais tellement intrigué. J’ai utilisé mes pouces pour peler la peau bosselée et bourgogne et révéler une fragile transparente pulpe. Je l’a mangé curieusement. Le goût était délicatement sucré, c’était incroyable ! Le dimanche suivant, je me suis assuré d’aller directement au marché pour m’acheter d’autres de ces délicieuses boules de douceur. La saison des litchis signifie le début de l’été à la Réunion. Le début de l’été signifie la fin des examens ! Plus de cours à 7h30 du matin ! Et plus de temps pour explorer la beauté de l’île de la Réunion. Je n’arrive pas à croire que le semestre soit passé si vite. C’est un cliché de le dire, mais j’ai l’impression qu’on s’est tous rencontrés hier. Tout le chose était si nouveau pour moi avant, le paysage, le temps, l’accent, le créole, le besoin constant de parler en français et maintenant je suis tellement habituée et je ne peux pas croire que ça se termine vraiment. Beaucoup de gens disaient que le semestre passerait comme ça, mais je ne me suis pas rendu compte qu’ils ne plaisantaient pas du tout. Il y a déjà des étudiants ERASMUS qui ont commencé à prendre l’avion pour rentrer chez eux et c’est incroyable que J’ai effectué la moitié de mon année à l’étranger. 

    Maintenant que nous n’avons plus la pression du milieu universitaire qui nous stresse, nous avons plus de temps pour explorer l’île et découvrir la vraie beauté de la Réunion. Ici, il y a tellement de belles cascades, de plages, de bassins, je pense qu’il serait impossible de les visiter tous avant notre départ ! Cependant, je vais certainement faire de mon mieux. La Saline et Trou d’eau sont de belles plages que j’ai visitées, le sable est blanc et l’eau est si claire et chaude qu’elle est majestueuse ! J’ai demandé à mes amis quelle est la tradition ici sur l’île pendant Noël et je suis tellement jalouse d’entendre leurs réponses ! Généralement, les familles passent Noël sur la plage en faisant un pique-nique traditionnel. Les créoles adorent les pique-niques et j’ai eu l’honneur d’en faire l’expérience avec une famille que j’ai rencontrée sur la plage. Ils ont la nourriture traditionnelle dont j’avais parlé dans le dernier billet de blog, la Saucisse Rougail, le Poulet Cari, les grains et n’oublions pas la boisson de base ici à la Réunion – le Rhum Charette. J’aime beaucoup observer à quel point la culture est orientée vers la famille ici et le fait que Noël se passe ici sur la plage, au soleil, me rend envieux !

    Je vais bientôt quitter l’île mais avant de partir, je voulais m’assurer de faire quelque chose de spectaculaire. Alors c’est ce que j’ai fait ! *roulement de tambour s’il vous plaît* J’ai monté le plus haut sommet de l’océan Indien ! Mes jambes et mes genoux me détestent au moment où j’écris ces lignes, et je boitillais comme une méthode de mouvement. Il m’a pris 6 heures pour l’escalader et 6 heures pour le redescendre le lendemain. C’était un énorme 3070 mètres d’altitude et je suis si fière que je peux dire qu’à l’âge de 20 ans, j’ai escaladé la plus haute montagne de l’océan Indien. Beaucoup de gens n’ont pas l’occasion de dire cela. Il m’a fallu beaucoup d’encouragement et de confiance de ma part et de celle de mes amis avec qui j’ai fait l’ascension pour que je puisse y arriver. Je suis toujours époustouflée d’avoir accompli une telle chose et d’avoir poussé mon esprit et mon corps à des limites que je n’aurais jamais cru pouvoir atteindre. La Réunion a une histoire très sombre liée à l’esclavage et au colonialisme, et ce n’est qu’après avoir terminé la randonnée la plus difficile que j’ai faite dans ma vie que j’ai découvert un fait déchirant mais très intrigant. Beaucoup de chemins de randonnée sur l’île remontent à l’esclavage et ont d’abord été taillés par des esclaves qui avaient échappé à leurs maîtres coloniaux dans les montagnes. En entendant cela, j’ai été surpris que cette connaissance ne soit pas largement diffusée auprès des touristes. J’avais terminé la randonnée et le fait de savoir à quel point il faisait froid et dur au Sommet m’a vraiment fait penser à quel point les conditions auraient été pires pour les esclaves. Il y a donc un fait qui fait réfléchir sur de nombreux sentiers de randonnée à La Réunion.

    Le 20 décembre sera le jour de la libération de l’île et je m’en réjouis ! Comme je l’ai déjà mentionné, la Réunion a une histoire profondément ancrée dans l’esclavage et c’est le 20 décembre 1948 que l’esclavage a été aboli, c’est pourquoi il y a chaque année des célébrations massives dans toute l’île. Ce jour est appelé Fête Kaf. Il y aura un grand défilé où les associations locales dansent, jouent du tambour et font des spectacles. Il y aura des stands de nourriture qui vendent de la nourriture chinoise, de la nourriture créole, du fast food. Je suis passé par la ville l’autre jour et j’ai vu deux scènes massives érigées près de Barachois, ce qui signifie qu’il va y avoir un énorme concert. Je me suis entraîné à danser le Maloya via youtube ! Le Maloya est un style de danse ainsi qu’un genre de musique. Il est assez sombre et parle de l’esclavage mais la façon dont les femmes s’habillent avec des robes et les fleurs dans leurs cheveux et la façon dont les gens dansent pendant les événements publics, on ne le devinerait jamais. Je pense que le Maloya est magnifique et la façon dont l’île de la Réunion ne manque jamais de mettre en valeur sa riche culture malgré le fait qu’elle soit un territoire français est inspirante. 

    Je suis extrêmement reconnaissante à JohnSpeak pour cette incroyable opportunité et je ne peux pas exprimer à quel point j’ai apprécié de bloguer mon expérience ici à La Réunion. C’est honnêtement un joyau caché et je suis heureuse d’avoir eu l’occasion de visiter ce pays dans ma vie.

  • عيد الملاد في الأردن – Christmas In Jordan: Joseph Brazier – Amman, December 2018

    الشتا في عمان برد! في شهري الأول كان بدي اموت من الحر، بس هلأ انا جاهز اموت من البرد. البيوت في عمان ما انبنت بنفس الطريقة زي في بريطانيا، وفي نقص العزل عشان يحمي من البرد. الحل في بيتي صوبة غاز، يلي ما بقدرش تشغلها في غرفة مسكرة لان هاد يؤدي لتسمم تاني أكسيد الكربون او أسوء، أول أكسيد الكربون. يعني كل صباح كتير برد وقايم من التخت جهد كبير

    الشي يلي فاجأني في عمان هو الحرص على لاحتفال بعيد الميلاد في بلد الاكترية فيها مسلمين. خاصة في المناطق الحديثة تعبي بالمولات والبنية التحتية الحديثة، احتفالات عيد الميلاد هي مبهرة، في نفس المستوي كشو يلي بنتوقعه ببريطانيا. في بلد فيه المسحيين بحسوا انهم مظلومين اجتماعيا، لقيت هاي العادة كان مثير من الاهتمام. أصحابي، مسلمين ومسحيين، بشوفوا انو هاد الاحتفال عشان رغبة الاردنيين في بنسخ الغرب، وعشان هيك هاي الاحتفالات بتصير عصرية ومحبوبة، خاصة في مناطق زي عبدون او العبدالي.

    وقتي في عمان عم بخلص، وانا كتير زعلان لاني رح اترك الاردن. التقيت بأشخاص رايعين وكسبت أصحاب لبقية العمر وكمان. الأردن كان أروع تجربة في حياتي، ورجعتي عبريطانيا، وبعدين اسافر عإسيرائيل مش متحمس الهم زيما فكرته. بس هيك الدنيا، وانا متأكد أني رح عندي اكتر المغامرات في إسرائيل. في هاي المرحلة انتقالية، انا متامل للمستقبل، حتى لو تركت الأردن، أصحابي والروتين تبعني رح يصعب.

    ENGLISH:

    Winter in Amman is cold! From my first month wanting to die from the heat, now I’m ready to die from the cold. Houses in Amman aren’t built in the same way as in Britain, and there’s a clear lack of insulation to protect from the cold. The solution in my house is a gas heater, which can’t be left on in a closed room because that would lead to carbon dioxide or worse, carbon monoxide poisoning. This means every morning is extremely cold and rising from bed is a big effort.

    Something which has surprised me in Amman is the eagerness to celebrate Christmas in what is a majority Muslim country. Especially in the modern areas populated with shopping malls and modern infrastructure, Christmas celebrations are extravagant, on the same level as what we would expect in Britain. In a country where Christians feel at times that they are social repressed, this display was very interesting. My friends, both Christian and Muslim, believe it is because of a Jordanian desire to emulate the west that these displays have become fashionable and popular, especially in commercial areas like Abdoun and Abdali.

    My time in Amman is ending, and I’m extremely sad to be leaving Jordan. I have met some amazing people and made friends for life and more. Being in Jordan has been the most amazing experience of my life in fact, and returning to the UK briefly, and then flying to Israel is not filling me with the excitement I thought it would. But this is life, and I’m sure I will have even more adventures in Israel.

     

    At this transitional phase I’m looking forward to the future, even though leaving Jordan, my friends and my routine will be hard.

  • Christmas in Beijing: Oliver Sale, China – January 2019

    ***圣诞节在北京***

     

    虽然这不是我在英国外面的第一个圣诞节，但是这是我没有家人的第一个圣诞节。也是我在一个不基督教国家第一个，所以我想发现有怎么样。虽然我们应该有课，但是那天老师许我们不上课。

    Exchanging presents

    圣诞节早上，起床以后，一些朋友过我的房间来给互相礼物。我收到一件白色的毛衣，一双黑色的皮鞋，还有很多小的东西（吃的和酒水）。我给我的女朋友一件非常漂亮和红色的裙子。

    Christmas Brunch

    然后我们去了鼓楼大街旁边的胡同，见面一些别的朋友，吃早午餐。有的人穿着圣诞的毛衣，有的人戴着圣诞的帽子，我都有！饭店的环境很安静，人不多。只有我们才过圣诞节，看来很奇怪。但是圣诞的音乐使环境更热闹也更喜庆。即食物又酒水特别好。

    Riding on ice

    然后我们去了北海公园，走一走，去滑冰。也有上冰可以骑的特别自行车。非常好玩儿。

    后来我们打车去了朝阳区为了吃英式圣诞晚饭：有烤火鸡，烤土豆，红菜头，欧洲防风，球芽甘蓝，香肠裹着培根，小红莓酱， 肉汁，还有面包酱！也有几杯热红酒，还有几瓶红酒。吃完了以后我吃饱了，不可以吃圣诞布丁。真的是一个很精彩的晚饭！晚饭以后我们玩一些游戏，然后回宿舍以前去了一家附近的小酒吧。

     

    是一天很长但是也特别好玩儿！

     

    ***Christmas in Beijing***

     

    Although this wasn’t my first Christmas away from England it was my first away from my family. It was also my first in a non-Christian country so I was interested to find out what it would be like. Although we were meant to have class, our teacher gave us permission to miss it for the day.

    English Christmas Dinner

    On Christmas morning, after waking up, some friends came to my room and we gave each other presents. I got a new white woollen jumper, a pair of black leather shoes and lots of small things (mainly food and drink). I gave my girlfriend a pretty red dress.

     

    We then met with some other friends for brunch in the Hutongs by Gulou Dajie. Some people were wearing Christmas jumpers, others were wearing Christmas hats, I had both! The restaurant was quiet and a little empty. We were the only ones celebrating Christmas which seemed strange, but we put on some Christmas music to make the atmosphere more lively and festive! The food and drinks were very good.

     

    Then we went to Beihai park, walked a little and went ice skating. They also had special bicycles that you could use on the ice, which were very fun!

    Christmas Dinner

    After that we took a taxi to Beijing’s Chaoyang District and had an English Christmas dinner. It had everything: roast turkey, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussels Sprouts, sausages wrapped in bacon, cranberry sauce, gravy and even bread sauce! We also had a few glasses of mulled wine and a few bottles of red wine. After eating, I was stuffed, and had no room for Christmas pudding. It really was a wonderful feast. Afterwards we played some fun games and then went to a small bar nearby for a few more drinks before returning to the dorms!

     

    A very long but very fun day!

  • Christmas In Paris: Adam Connolly, France – December 2016

    Pouvoir passer les fêtes de Noël à Paris est probablement la chose la plus excitante de mon séjour et cela rend Noël encore plus festif. En effet, Paris ne m’a pas déçu avec ses marchés festifs, ses lumières, ses patinoires éphémères et ses manèges.
    Dès début décembre, Paris est décoré magnifiquement pour la saison des fêtes. Les arbres sont drapés de lumières, les décorations sont tendues à travers la rue et les vitrines des magasins sont remplies de cadeaux. La plupart des lieux touristiques ont des décorations de Noël mais les plus impressionnantes sont celles de la Place Vendôme et à Montmartre, ainsi que toutes les lumières au-dessus des Champs Elysées, où les arbres sont couverts de lumières qui changent toutes les 30 minutes.
    Les grands magasins parisiens aussi sont décorés pour Noël avec des vitrines festives impressionnantes, notamment aux Galeries Lafayette, au Printemps et au BHV.
    Les marchés de Noël sont très populaires à Paris : les plus grands se trouvent à La Défense et le long des Champs Elysées. Il faut absolument y prendre une tasse de Gluh Wein en se promenant autour des étalages du marché. Les marchands se trouvent dans de petites maisons en bois et vendent de tout : des décorations artisanales à la raclette et des biscuits en forme de la Tour Eiffel.
    Le patinage à glace est un loisir très populaire pendant la période de Noël. Les plus connues se trouvent aux Champs Elysées et dans les Jardins du Trocadéro. Si vous souhaitez faire une grande balade et une séance photos, faites un tour dans la Grande Roue Place de la Concorde, qui à mon avis est le meilleur site touristique de Paris la nuit !

    parisien-christmas

    ENGLISH:

    Being able to spend Christmas time in Paris, is probably the most exciting thing to happen, and makes Christmas feel even more festive. This year Paris didn’t disappoint, with plenty of festive markets, light displays and ice rinks and funfair rides to keep busy:
    From the start of December, Paris is decorated beautifully for the festive season. Trees are draped with lights, decorations are strung across the street and shops windows are filled with gifts. Most areas have some sort of Christmas decorations, but the most impressive has to be Place Vendome and in Montmartre, as well as all the lights above the Champs Elysées, where the trees are covered in lights that change every 30 minutes.
    Paris’ big department stores go all out for Christmas with some impressive festive store window displays. The best ones can be found at Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and BHV.
    Christmas markets are another really popular thing in Paris. The biggest ones being in La Défense and along the Champs Elysees. Grab a cup of Gluh Wein, whilst you wander around the market stalls house in little wooden houses, selling everything from handmade tree decorations, to raclette and Eiffel tower shaped biscuits.
    Ice skating is also extremely popular during the Christmas period. The most popular ones in Paris being at the Champs Elysées and the Jardins du Trocadero. For another great ride and photo opportunity, take a ride in the Place de la Concorde’s Big wheel, which in my opinion offers the best sights of Paris at night!

  • Christmas in Hong Kong: Samantha Fernandes, January 2016

    クリスマスと香港

     

    日本では、クリスマスはイギリスでの方は祝われ、恋人との祝いと見なしている。クリスマスに、日本人は恋人とKFCのロマンチックな食事を一緒に食べるが、その代わりに、私は教室で試験を受けてしまった。

    去年私が一緒に住んでいたフラットメートは香港人で、この友だち「ジョアナという友だち」との約束どおりに、１２月２６日に、私はリーズ大学から来た友だちを二人に会い、ジョアナに会うために、私達が一緒に香港に行った。ジョアナのお母さんは私達に自分のマンションで泊ませてくれて、私達はジョアナのお母さんに対して本当に感謝した。私達は広東語が全然分からなく、ジョアナのお母さんは英語が全然分からなく、残念だった。

    ジョアナは前説明くれたとおり、香港はショッピングセンターや綺麗なイルミネーションや素晴らしいビルなどをはじめ、観光地がいっぱいあるが、香港で、最高の観光ことは食べ物である。私達の毎日は、朝、昼と晩ご飯の食べ物を真ん中において計画を立った。私の好きな香港で食べたものの例は、アイスクリームトーストとクリームまんと点心である。

    １２月３０日に、寶蓮修道院という場所と釣りの村というところを観光するために、大嶼島に行った。香港の高いビルから、青海を通り過ぎ, 高い崖までケーブルカーに乗り、長い階段の上に座っている３４メートルの大きさの天壇大仏が見えた。天壇大仏を観光する前に、釣りの村を船でライン下りをしたり、地域の人によってできたて本物の料理を食べてみたりした。お土産を買ったり、寶蓮修道院でお香を焚いたりした後で、夜の中にケーブルカーで帰った.

    私たちは、香港の旅行の後で自分の普通の日常に戻り、悲しくなったが、香港で色々な素晴らしい思い出を作り、いつも覚える。

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

     

    Christmas and Hong Kong

    Christmas is not as widely celebrated in Japan as it is in England. It is usually a celebration for lovers. Whist it is very common for Japanese lovers to enjoy sharing a ‘romantic’ meal at KFC on Christmas day, I was stuck in a classroom for a Japanese written exam.

    After promising our Hongkongese friend (whom I lived with during my first year at Leeds university) that we would visit her in Hong Kong during the Christmas holidays, on 26th December, I met up with 2 friends from Leeds University and together we travelled to Hong Kong. We were really grateful that our friend’s mum allowed us to stay in her flat, but it was a shame that we couldn’t speak Cantonese and she couldn’t speak much English.

    As Joanna, our Hongkongese friend, previously explained to us, whilst there are many tourist attractions in Hong Kong; including the stunning buildings and pretty lights and shopping centres, the main attraction is the food. We planned every day around what we were going to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of my favourite foods included Ice-Cream Toast, Cream buns and Dim sum.

    On 30th December, we went to Lantau Island to visit the Po Lin Monastery and the fisherman village. After a long cable cart journey stretching from the tall sky scrapers, across blue waters to massive cliffs, we could see the giant 34 metre tall Tian Tan Buddha, sat at the top of an incredibly long staircase. Before visiting the Tian Tan Buddha, we took a boat tour around the fisherman village and bought authentic food, which was made by the locals who live there.  After a long day of souvenir shopping, burning incenses at the monastery and picture taking, we took the cable cart back through the darkness.

    We were all sad to go our separate ways after Hong Kong, but my best friends and I have wonderful memories to keep forever.

     

  • Paige Ribchester: Germany – January 2016

    Das Wetter ist jetzt sehr kalt!

    Ich bin wieder in Bonn nachdem ich mit meiner Familie für Weihnachten zu Hause war. Es ist jetzt hier viel kälter als vor Weihnachten aber wir haben nur eine geringe Menge an Schneefall. Ich liebe Winter aber es freut mich nicht, wenn ich zur Arbeit in der eisigen Kälte gehen muss!

    Auch wenn mag ich nicht das Wetter, ist es schön, wieder zu kommen, um zu arbeiten und alle Leute sehen, die ich kennen. Jeder ist sehr freundlich und es ist schön, wieder zu kommen und ein Teil einer Gemeinschaft zu sein. Wir hatten letzte Woche unsere ‘Christmas Party’ (nach Weihnachten weiβ ich) und es gab brasilianische Musik und Tanz weil es die Paralympischen Spiele in Rio de Janeiro in diesem Jahr ist. Wir hatten ein schönes Abendessen und den ganzen Abend war ein groβer Erfolg.

    Trotz des kalten Wetters habe ich versucht, mehr Bonn zu erkunden. Ich wollte ein paar Bilder von historischen Objekten und Orten in Bonn zum Beispiel der Dom in Münsterplatz zu machen weil ich wenig Zeit habe bevor ich gehe nach Augsburg. Trotzdem möchte ich die verbleibende Zeit hier genieβen.

    Das Beste, was über das Leben in Bonn ist die Ruhe. Ich studiere an einer Universität in London und es ist sehr geschäftig und die Straβen sind immer sehr hektisch. In Bonn sind die Straβen aber viel ruhiger und es gibt keine Person, die in Eile ist. Ich liebe auch, dass jeder hier sehr freundlich ist; wenn ich nicht weiβ, wie man etwas auf Deutsch sagen, dann gibt es immer jemanden, der bereit zu helfen ist.

    Meine Eltern werden an diesem Wochenende nach Bonn kommen, um mich zu besuchen. Es wird sehr schön, um sie zu sehen und ich hoffe, dass wir nach Köln gehen kann weil ich ein bisschen mehr Köln zu erkunden will.

    Ich hoffe auch, dass in den nächsten Monaten, meine Sprache verbessern wird und hoffentlich werde ich es viel einfacher zu finden, Deutsch in Augsburg zu sprechen. Es ist jeden Tag eine Herausforderung, aufzuwachen und sprechen eine Sprache, die nicht Ihre Muttersprache ist aber ich denke, dass es gut ist, sich mit der Kultur eines anderen Landes zu erhalten.

    Christmas-Market-in-Bonn Dec15

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION

    January monthly report

    I am back in Bonn now after spending Christmas time at home in Leeds with my family. It is so much colder here now than it was before Christmas, but we have only had a small amount of snow. Even though I love winter, walking to and from work in the freezing cold is not very pleasant!

    Although I am not enjoying the weather very much, I have enjoyed coming back to work and seeing everybody I know. Everyone has always been very welcoming here and it is nice to come back after Christmas and be a part of the community here. We had our IPC Christmas party last week (after Christmas I know!) with Brazilian themed music and dancing as this year is the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. We also had a lovely dinner and the whole evening was a great success.

    Despite the cold weather, I have tried to explore a bit more around Bonn. I wanted to take some pictures of things such as the Cathedral in Bonn Münsterplatz because I have realised I only have a short amount of time left here in Bonn before I move to Augsburg. Nevertheless, I am just trying to enjoy my time here.

    My favourite thing about living in Bonn is how peaceful it is. I study at a University in London and living there is so busy and the streets are always so hectic whereas in Bonn, the streets are much quieter and nobody is ever rushing about. I also love how friendly people are; if ever I am struggling with how to say something in German, there is always someone who is eager to help me improve my language.

    My parents are coming to Bonn to visit me this weekend. It will be nice to see them and I am hoping that we can all go to Cologne together so that we can explore the city a bit more.

    I am also hoping that my language will improve further in the coming months so that I will find speaking German much easier when I go to Augsburg.

    Although it is a challenge every day to wake up and speak in a language that isn’t your own, it is nice to get involved with the culture of another country.

  • Happy New Year: Peter Horton, January 2016

     

    Feliz Año!

    Pues, todas las fiestas ya han pasado y estoy contento en mi horario otra vez! Aunque tengo que decir, navidad y el año nuevo en Cádiz era algo completamente diferente. Por tener amigos locales aquí no tenía que pasar navidad sólo y podía disfrutar una cena de navidad muy diferente, no hubo ningún pavo! Cómo es un país católico, hemos celebrado para los doce días de navidad; hemos comido nuestras doce uvas a medio noche del año nuevo y terminamos con un rincón de los reyes al 6 de enero (el día de los reyes)

    No todo estaba tan tranquilo, un poco antes de navidad estuve la elección española y el ambiente en la calle estaba eléctrico. Con todo el mundo tenía su propia opinión sobre algo, entre: corrupción política, la tase de desempleo, es estado de la economía. A mi me parecía cómo cada persona estuviera muy informada sobre los temas de actualidad y tengo que confesarme que a menudo me parecía muy difícil seguir la conversación. Lo que entiendo después de unas conversaciones con mi compañero, es que hay una división entre el norte y el sur en España; hay más conservadores en el norte así votan al Partido Popular y Mariano Rajoy, mientras en el sur hay más de la izquierda y por eso votan al Partido Socialista Obrero Español. Lo que sorpresó a mi compañero fue el éxito de Pablo Iglesias y su partido nuevo “Podemos”, fundada en 2014 ya ha ganado el tercero lugar después de Mariano Rajoy (1st) y Pedro Sánchez (2nd).

    Hasta ahora, Cádiz está más tranquilo, algunos dirían que es la calma precede a la tormenta porque la ciudad en entera y muchas otras personas alrededor de España van a celebrar Carnaval el mes que viene. Lo que entiendo después de conversaciones con mis amigos y mi jefa, es que eso es una de las fiestas más grandes en España y sera imposible trasladarse por las calles durante la semana. Estoy muy emocionante a estar un parte de Carnaval y espero a compartir mi historia con vosotros en mi próxima actualización!

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

    Happy New Year!

    Well, all the festivities have passed now and I am settling back into my routine again! Though I must say, Christmas and New Year in Cadiz was something completely different. Having local friends here meant that I didn’t have to spend Christmas alone and I was able to enjoy a very different Christmas dinner to the one I am used to, no turkey in sight! With it being a predominantly Catholic country as well, we celebrated right through the twelve days of Christmas; taking our 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve and finishing of with a traditional cake on the 6th January (or the day of the Kings).

    It wasn’t all relaxing and eating though, just before Christmas was the Spanish general election and the atmosphere in the streets was electric. Everyone I spoke to had their own opinion about something whether it be: political corruption, the rate of unemployment, the state of the economy. To me it seemed as though everyone was fully informed with the current issues and I must admit that I often found it difficult to follow all the points they were raising. From what I understand after talking with one of my flat mates, there is very much a North-South divide in Spain, the north of Spain tend to be very conservative and so lean towards Mariano Rajoy’s Partido Popular (PP), whereas the south tend to be a lot more left wing and vote for Pedro Sánchez’s Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE). What surprised my flat mate the most was the success of Pablo Iglesias and the new party Podemos, it was only founded in 2014 but managed to come in third place just behind Mariano Rajoy (1st) and Pedro Sánchez (2nd).

    For now, Cadiz has calmed down a lot, some would say we are in the calm before the storm as the whole city and many from around Spain get ready to celebrate Carnaval next month. From what my friends and boss has been telling me this is one of Spain’s largest celebrations and the streets are completely packed for the whole week. I am very excited to be a part of Carnaval and I look forward to telling you all about it in my next post.

  • Festive facts from around the world

     

    Paris, France

    France – France is widely known for its food and delicacies. People in the Provence region even go so far as to serve a sumptuous feast of seven main courses and 13 desserts at Christmas!  Among the most popular festive dishes are: Fougasse (pancakes), nougat with honey and pistachios, pumpkin pie and dried fruits.

     

    Italy

    Italy – In Italy many children get two sets of gifts – one on the 24th of December and a larger gift on the 6th of January. On this day, Italians celebrate Epiphany Day and according to popular belief, a witch called La Befana arrives in the night to fill good children’s stockings with sweets, while naughty ones get chunks of black coal.

     

    Japan

     

     

     

    Japan – In Japan, Christmas is considered the “Festival of Love”. It is not uncommon to see couples spending a romantic evening together, while singles will be out partying and looking for the love of their life.  Christmas is more of a time to spread happiness rather than a religious celebration. Christmas eve is often celebrated more than Christmas Day. Christmas eve is thought of as a romantic day, in which couples spend together and exchange presents.

     

     

    Madrid, Spain

     

    Spain – Christmas in Spain gets off to a rather peculiar and unofficial start on Dec. 22nd when children from San Ildefonso School can be heard calling out the numbers and prizes of theLotería de Navidad, which is likely the most followed Spanish lottery during the entire year. In Spain, when you hear the melodic sounds of the prize draw on the radio, you think: “Christmas time has arrived”.

     

     

     

     

    China

    China – Christmas is treated more like Saint Patrick’s Day or Valentine’s Day. That is, it’s a light-hearted day for going out and being with friends, not for staying in with family, as we do in the West. Typical ways to celebrate include seeing a movie, going to a karaoke bar, or shopping. China Daily says Christmas Eve is the biggest shopping day of the year. Young couples often treat it as a romantic day. Ice skating and amusement parks are popular destinations.

     

    Germany

     

     

    Germany – A big part of the Christmas celebrations in Germany is Advent. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. As well as the traditional ones, there are ones made out of a wreath of Fir tree branches with 24 decorated boxes or bags hanging from it. Each box or bag has a little present in it. One candle is lit at the beginning at each week of Advent.  Christmas Eve is the main day when Germans exchange presents with their families.

     

     

     

    Christmas traditions vary from country to country. Elements common to many nations include the installing and lighting of Christmas trees, the hanging of Advent wreaths, Christmas stockings, candy canes, and the creation of Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas carols may be sung and stories told about such figures as the Baby Jesus, St Nicholas, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Christkindl or Grandfather Frost. The sending of Christmas cards, the exchange of Christmastime greetings, observance of fasting and/or special religious observances such as a midnight Mass or Vespers on Christmas Eve, the burning of a Yule log, and the giving and receiving of presents. Along with Easter, Christmas time is one of the most important periods on the Christian calendar, and is often closely connected to other holidays at this time of year, such as Advent, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, St. Nicholas Day, St. Stephen’s Day, New Year’s, and the Feast of the Epiphany.

     

    Click here for more  Worldwide Christmas traditions

     

     Merry Christmas            Feliz Navidad              メリー

    クリスマス

                         聖誕節快樂                       Buon Natale

     vrolijk kerstfeest

    A very happy Christmas from the John Speak Language Trust