Steve's sandbox

Tag: monthly report

  • First impressions of St Petersburg and what I love here: Mercedes Jaskolka, Russia – April 2017

    Первые чувства и эмоции о Петербурге и что я люблю.

    РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК:
    В конце концов я освоилась в Петербурге и я чувствую себя комфортно и счастливо здесь. До того, как я сюда приехала, я нервничала и волновалась. Однако, мне не о чем было волноваться. Случилось так, что люди в этом городе очень гостеприимные и отзывчивые. Я была потрясена, потому что у нас стереотип в Англии что все русские люди недружелюбные. Санкт Петербург – очень красивый город и мне повезла жить у учиться здесь. Я должна сказать, что когда я прилетела, первый день, повсюду было обилие снега. Я считала, что главный цвет города – белый! Мне было всегда холодно. Я думаю, что снег придает городу красивую атмосферу и делает город лёгким и изящным. Но, я видела людей, которые шли по реке у мне это кажется очень странным и опасным. Может быть это нормально для русских. Сейчас, погода лучше иногда светит солнце и небо ясное и лазурное без облаков. мне больше нравится, когда солнце упивается закатом солнцу. Потому что Санкт Петербург находиться в северном полушарии, его самый красивый заход солнца в мире.
    В основном, я предпочитаю вести ночной образ жизни, и смотреть на достопримечательностей ночью. Я обожаю гулять по городу с друзьями во время город спокойной и умиротворенный. В Петербург прекрасная архитектура. Зимний дворец – это моя самая любимая достопримечательность, потому что он прекрасен! Но это зависит от предпочтений. В Петербурге также много красивых храмов таких как: Спас-на-Крови и Казанский собор. Это прекрасные достопримечательности с большой историей.
    Недалеко от Невского проспекта – можно увидеть самую известную и очень старую пышечную на Большой Конюшенной, которая была открыта в 1958 году. Там можно попробовать очень вкусные Петербургские пышки.
    Есть еще масса интересных вещей, которыми я хотела бы поделиться, а еще больше, узнать много нового об этом чудесном городе. Итак, до следующего раза! Мерседес

    A beautiful Petersburg skyline

    If you look out from the Peter and Paul Fortress at sunset, this is all you can see for miles. So quiet and peaceful.

    ENGLISH:

    I’m finally settled here in St Petersburg and I’m feeling comfortable and happy in my surroundings. Before I arrived, I was nervous and anxious. However, I had nothing to worry about. It turned out that people in this city are really welcoming and happy to help you out. I was quite shocked, because there is a stereotype in England that all Russian people are unfriendly.
    I have to say that when I arrived, on the very first day, there was snow absolutely everywhere. I thought to myself that the only colour in this city is white! I was always so cold. I do think that the snow gives the city a beautiful atmosphere, making the city seem light and elegant. I did see people walking along on the (frozen) river, which seemed really weird and dangerous to me. Perhaps this is just everyday Russian life! These days the weather is much better and sometimes the sun is shining and the sky a clear azure colour, and not a cloud in sight.
    I much prefer watching the sunsets here. Because St Petersburg is in the northern hemisphere, we get some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.
    I actually prefer to do a lot of things at night, like going sightseeing. I adore walking around the city with friends during the calm and peaceful nights. St Petersburg has some beautiful architecture. The Winter Palace is my favourite sight to see, because it is just so stunning. But, it all depends on your preferences. In St Peterburg, there are also many beautiful churches such as The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, and the Kazan Cathedral. These are wonderful sights with a lot of history.
    Not too far from Nevskiy Prospekt* you can go and see the most famous and oldest piishki** shop on Bol’shoi Konushennoi street that has been open since 1958. There you can tuck into some delicious Petersburg piishki.
    There are so many more interesting things that I’d like to share with you so that you can learn more about this wonderful city. So, until the next time! Mercedes

    * Nevskiy Prospekt is the main street in the city centre. Everything you want you will find on Nevskiy.
    ** piishki/пышки translates to a donut.  However, they’re not any old donuts, they’re made from a traditional recipe and are a native delicacy to St Petersburg: a must-try! I wanted to emphasise how special and unique they are so I transliterated the original Russian word into English.

  • Day of the Defender of the Fatherland: A Russian holiday – Mercedes, March 2017

    День защитника Отечества : Праздник России

    В России праздники другие чем в Англии, и мне это очень нравятся. 23 февраля отмечается в России – День защитника Отечества. Но что это такое? Это мой первый вопрос. В День защитника Отечества традиционно поздравляют мужчин, которые воевали. Однако в 1919 году он именовался как «День Красной Армии и Флота». С 2002 года по решению Государственной Думы 23 февраля в России является праздником и нерабочим днём. Сейчас каждого мужчину отмечают как защитника Отечества даже, если он не был в армии.

    Сейчас вы узнали чуть-чуть об истории этого дня… Как российские люди его отмечают?

    В моей квартире мы покупали подарки для мужчин. Носки традиционно покупают, но можно дать шоколад, шапки или что-нибудь ещё. Всё, что угодно подойдёт! Смешно поэтому что некоторые мальчики сказали что очень странный праздник и это было неоправданно ! Однако все мальчики были рады что получали подарки, конечно. Каждому мужчине очень понравились свои подарки. Каждая девушка обняли мужчину.

    Какой красывые фейерверки ! / Such beautiful fireworks !

    В Санкт-Петербурге (где я сейчас живу) можно посмотреть фейерверки на Дворцовой набережной. Я ходила туда с друзьями. Какой был там красивый спектакль ! Я всегда буду помнить этот день поэтому что первый праздник что я отметила здесь в России. У нас в Англии нет его и я думаю что, у нас некогда не будет его поэтому что у нас другая культура и история. Но я считаю День защитника Отечества очень интересный. Мне очень нравятся изучать русские праздники и культуру. Я рада что отмечала день защитника Отечества в России. Это уникальный и интересный праздник. Я хотела здесь узнать русские традиции и я сделала в конце концов!

    ENGLISH:

    Day of the Defender of the Fatherland: A Russian holiday

    In Russia, there are many different national holidays than in England, and that’s something I really like. On the 23rd of February “Day of the

    Constitutional Court of Russia

    Defender of the Fatherland” is celebrated in Russia. But what is it? That was my first question, too. The Day of the Defender of the Fatherland was traditionally to celebrate men who had fought in war. However, in 1919, it was called “Red Army and Navy Day”. In 2002, the State Duma decided that the 23 February would be celebrated as a state holiday and non-working day. Nowadays, each man is considered a “defender of the fatherland”, even if he has never been in the army.

    Now that we know a little bit about the history of this day… How do Russian people celebrate it?

    In my flat, we bought gifts for the boys. Socks are traditionally bought, but one can also buy chocolate, fluffy winter hats and anything else. Anything goes! It’s funny because some of the boys said that it was a very strange holiday to celebrate and it felt unjustified! However, every single boy was happy to have been bought a present, of course. Each boy really liked his present. Each girl hugged a boy.

    What I love about Russia is how beautiful all the official buildings are.

    The Horseman- Emperor Peter the 1st, founder and name-sake of Saint Petersburg.

     

    In Saint Petersburg (where I currently live), one can go to see some fireworks at the Palace Embankment. I went to see them with some friends. It was such a beautiful display! I will always remember this day because it was the first national holiday that I have celebrated here in Russia. We don’t have this holiday in England and I think that we never could, just because we have such a different culture and history. But I found the Day of the Defender of the Fatherland really interesting. I love learning about Russian holidays and culture. I’m happy to have celebrated this day in Russia. It’s a unique and interesting day. I really wanted to experience Russian traditions, and I’ve finally been able to do it!

  • 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.

     

  • Nikki White: Christmas in Madrid and Alcalá de Henares, December 2015

    ¡Buenas tardes!

    Ya he vuelto de las vacaciones (que pasé en Inglaterra) pero quiero mostraros un par de fotos del centro de Madrid y Alcalá de Henares en modo navideño…

    The roman aqueduct of Segovia

    Fue difícil imaginar que era navidad con tanto sol en diciembre, pero de noche ¡sí que hace frío!

    En diciembre también terminamos un módulo y tuvimos los exámenes antes de las vacaciones,  aquí estamos mis compañeros y yo celebrando el fin de unos meses bastante intensos.

    En mi último informe dije que quería visitar la ciudad de Segovia, y después de volver de las vacaciones de navidad ¡lo he conseguido! Segovia es una ciudad histórica al norte de Madrid en la región de Castilla la Mancha. La ciudad es famosa por el casco viejo, el alcázar y el acueducto romano, que son protegidos por Unesco.

    Fui a Segovia con mis compañeras de piso y lo pasamos muy bien explorando ese pueblo nuevo (que las dos son del norte de España). Cuando llegamos estaba lloviendo a cántaros y hacía mucho frío así que me gustaría volver algún día durante el verano para poder apreciarlo más.

    Estoy mejorando mucho mi español viviendo aquí y de hecho no hablo mucho inglés. Mi nueva palabra favorita de español es “matasuegras” lo que en inglés es “party horn”. No tengo ni idea de donde viene ese nombre, y he intentado encontrar la respuesta por preguntar a amigos y buscar en google, pero no me ha ayudado nada. Por lo tanto ¡si alguien sabe el origen de esta palabra me encantaría saberlo!

    Este mes se empiezan las clases de traducción e interpretación jurídica, y creo que voy a tener muchísimo que hacer, por lo tanto aun no tengo mucho planeado pero me gustaría ir a visitar otra ciudad de España y pasar un fin de semana allí explorando. He pensado en visitar Salamanca o Cuenca donde nunca he estado, ¡o igual los dos lugares!

    Ya os mantendré informados,

    Un saludo,

    Nikki

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

    Good Afternoon!

    I’ve just come back from holidays (That I spent with family back in the UK) but I would like to show you a few photos from Madrid and Alcalá de Henares before Christmas looking really Christmassy!

    It was difficult to feel the Christmas vibe with so much sun in December, but trust me at night time it definitely gets cold here! Luckily not much rain though!

    In December we also finished one of our modules and exams from university, so here are my classmates and I celebrating after a few very intense months.

    In my last report I said I wanted to visit Segovia, and after coming back from the Christmas Holidays I finally managed it! Segovia is a historic city just to the north of Madrid in the region of Castilla la Mancha. The city itself is famous for its old centre, the Alcázar (an old royal palace) and it’s Roman Aqueduct, which are all protected by Unesco.

    I went to Segovia with my flatmates and we had a great time exploring a new town (as they are both from the North of Spain and had never been before). When we arrived is was raining very heavily and was very cold so I would definitely like to go back one day during the summer to be able to appreciate the city more.

    Through living here I’m improving my Spanish a lot, and in fact I hardly ever speak English. But my new favourite Spanish word has got to be “matasuegras” literally, “mother-in-law killers” meaning a party horn. I have absolutely no idea where this word comes from and I’ve tried to find the answer out by asking friends and google but I’m still not exactly sure of its origin, so if you have any ideas let me know!

    This month legal translation and interpretation classes are beginning meaning i’m going to have a lot to concentrate on and study so as of yet I’ve not made many travelling plans although I would like to visit and explore another Spanish city one weekend. I’m thinking about visiting Salamanca or Cuenca as I’ve never been to either of them, so fingers crossed!

    I’ll keep you all posted,

    Until next month,

    Nikki

     

     

     

     

  • My first day in Japan – Andy Newton, October 2015

    日本で一日。

    ワー、やっと日本へ来ました。ついたちから今まで沢山が起りました！当初、飛行機で席に着いた後で、隣接した日本人と話し始めました。離陸から着陸まで日本語で喋りました。彼はＫＹＯＣＥＲＡのオーソぺデイック営業事業部で、４２歳です。

    The guy I met on the plane!

    彼は私の漢字本を見て、知識にびっくりされました。滞空時間はとても久しい時間が掛けました（十二時間ぐらい）。着陸のときに私は「又会う日まで」と言って、彼の名刺をもらいました。

    それで、羽田から福岡まで日航機の中では綺麗過ぎるエアホステスに会いました。本当に明眸皓歯がある娃鬟ですよ。

    福岡まで行き着いた後で、とてもジメジメ蒸し暑い天気を感じました。私と友達が別れた後で、一人でした。怖かった。おなかがペコペコで、疲れて、歯を磨きたかったから、近く旅館にチェクインしました。歯を磨いて、シャーワーを使って、昼ご飯を食べた後で、町へ遊覧しに出かけました。旅館の近くは条天時通りです。条天時通りはお寺公園です。その後歩いてとき、他人は私に親切な僧を知り合った。お寺の中はとても綺麗でした。でも少し部屋は立入禁止です。遊覧の終わった後で、僕の顔にお疲れが見えて、旅館へ寝に帰りました。

    My first day in Japan.

    Ah, I’ve finally made it to Japan, so much has happened from the day I arrived until now! Firstly, I took my seat on the plane at Heathrow and began chatting to the Japanese man sitting next to me, and we were talking away in Japanese pretty much from take-off to landing. He told me he works as an orthopaedic sales manager for Kyocera and was 42 years old. He saw my notebook and was surprised by my knowledge of kanji (a big ice-breaker). The flight took ages, about twelve hours in total. When we landed I said “until we meet again” and he gave me his business card in return. He suggested we meet for a beer if he comes to Fukuoka.

    After that, whilst on our JAL plane from Tokyo International Airport to Fukuoka, I met the most beautiful air hostess I had ever seen. As they say in Japanese, she had ‘starry eyes and beautiful white teeth’.  When we arrived at Fukuoka, we could feel the sticky humidity. When we left the airport, my friend and I went our separate ways, I was now on my own -scary.

    I was starving hungry and really tired, and I really needed to brush my teeth so I checked in at a hotel not too far away. Turns out it was a really fancy businessman hotel, but at the time I didn’t really care. After I had a shower, did my teeth and had something to eat, I went to do a bit of sightseeing. Not far from the hotel was a Buddhist park and temple called ‘Jyoutenjidori Avenue’, when I was walking along a stranger in the street stopped me and introduced me to the head monk in charge of the temple there. He was a real nice guy. The temple was beautiful inside but there were a few rooms which I could not enter. After I finished wandering around, I looked and felt extremely tired so I headed back to the hotel to sleep.

  • Samantha Fernandes, Japan – October 2015 monthly report

    日本に来たところです！

    はじめまして、私はサミーです。イギリスのリーズ大学で勉強していて、専攻科目はドイツ語と日本語です。今年は東京外国語大学という大学で勉強しています。東京外大と呼ばれます。この大学に１０月ぐらい勉強します.
    私は１年間ぐらいしか日本語を大学で勉強していませんから、日本に来る前に、ちょっと心配していました。

    私は２０１５年０９月２６日にやっと日本に着きました！成田空港に降り立って、イギリスの文化を後にしました。リーズで勉強していたところで、和花という日本から来た留学生と友達になって、この日には、和花はわざわざ私に迎えるために成田空港に来てくれました。和花は東京外大の学生で、今私のパーソナルチューターになってくれました。毎週何回も和花と遊んだり、日本語を勉強したりします。

    Eating Tonkatsu at a restaurant in Tokyo with Aika.

    日本に着いて、新しいい異文化に出会って、ビックリされたものを様々気づきました。日本に行く前に、日本は安全な国だし、物価も安いし、それに日本の生活はとても便利だそうです。これは自分で経験しました、例えば、コンビニや自動販売機は道りごとにあるようです。値段はイギリスより安くて、売れ物の品質はイギリスよりいいと思います。日本の自動販売機は熱い飲み物や冷たい飲み物などだけではなく、インスタントラーメンやお菓子なども売れます。傘やネクタイも売れる自動販売機もありますが、まだ見つけていません。

    東京外大は小さくて、静かな所にあります。まだ落ち着いていませんから、いろいろな行きたい場所はまだ行っていません。今まで、東京のにぎやかな場所へ友達に会ったり、本物の料理を食べてみたり、カラオケをしに行ったりしまた。例えば、原宿、新宿、吉祥寺という所へ行ったことがあります。 日本の生活を全部経験してすごく楽しいです。日本の文化によく慣れると思います。時々、日本人と話すとき、分からないことがあって、間違えてしまいます。でも、毎日日本語の練習によって、いつかペラペラになれると思います。だから、今から、頑張ります！

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

    Hello, my name is Sammy. I study at Leeds University in England and my major is BA German and Japanese. This year, I am studying at Tokyo university of Foreign Studies (Also known as TUFS) for approximately 10 months. Because I have only been studying Japanese for approximately 1 year at university, I felt a bit anxious before coming to Japan.

    26th September 2015 was the day I finally arrived in Japan. After arriving at Narita Airport, I left behind my ties to British culture. When I was studying at Leeds university, I made friends with an exchange student called Aika and on this day, she went out of her way to come meet me at Narita Airport. She is not only a student at TUFS, but she also requested to become my personal tutor. I meet up with Aika numerous times every week to explore Japan and study Japanese.

    Harajuku

    Upon arriving in Japan, I was exposed to a new culture and there were a variety of things that I noticed which surprised me. Before arriving, I heard that Japan was a safe country where you can live cheaper and the lifestyle is very convenient. I experienced this for myself, as I noticed, for example, Convenience stores and vending machines on what seemed like every single street. Not only are the prices here cheaper than that of England, but also the quality of the products are, in my opinion, better than that of Britain. Japanese vending machines sell not only hot and cold drinks, but also instant ramen (Japanese instant noodles) and snacks and sweets. There are also vending machines that sell umbrellas and neckties and other interesting things but I have not come across any of these yet.

    TUFS is located in a small and peaceful part of Tokyo. I haven’t fully settled into Tokyo just yet, so there are many places that I want to visit but have not yet been to. Until now, I have been to livelier parts of Tokyo to meet friends, try authentic Japanese food and to sing at karaoke. Such places are Harajuku, Shinjuku and Kichijyouji. I really enjoy every aspect of living in Japan. I find myself adjusting to Japanese lifestyle quite well. Sometimes I have problems understanding what a Japanese person has said to me and as a result I make mistakes but I am sure that with plenty of everyday practice speaking Japanese then someday my Japanese can become fluent. So this year I will do my best!

  • Peter Horton, Cadiz, Spain – October monthly report

    Un Mes Listo!

    He estado aquí en Cádiz durante un mes ahorra y he aprendido entender su acento y costumbres únicos. La gente es muy simpático y me han dado la bienvenida, mi jefa me dijo que ella sería mi madre durante el año porque es difícil vivir muy lejos de mi casa. Los otros del mi piso ahorra les han asentido y nos hacíamos amigos sobre nuestro amor del futbol español, parece que flue en sus venas. Aunque hay algunas discusiones en el piso porque uno de mis compañeros es de Barcelona y el otro de Madrid y ambos piensan que tengan le mejor equipo del mundo.

     

    He empezado mi práctica y me gusta mucho hablar en un ambiente profesional. Hay cuatro otros en prácticas aquí todos de Letonia pero hablamos en español porque ellos quieren mejorar tan mucho cómo yo, aunque después de navidad saldrán tres a Letonia. He hecho muchas tareas de traducción, principalmente para el sitio web sino también para correos electrónicos, he hecho además otras cosas. He buscado y añadido muchos contactos a su red. Además he tenido que buscar actividades y excursiones los que puedo ofrecer a los estudiantes del colegio para mejorar su conciencia cultural, esa tarea me he gustado lo más porque he podido disfrutar algunas actividades por mi mismo. Visité el museo de Cadiz y paseé un paseo en la ciudad para aprender sobre la historia de esta ciudad bonita.

     

    Para seguir satisfaciendo a mi amor de rugby me he juntado con el equipo local, y he llegado a conocer algunos de mis amigos mejores. Tenía miedo porque no tenía ningún idea de su nivel o si podía encontrar amigos porque soy ingles; aunque, me di cuenta pronto que ese miedo no se necesitaba. Aunque no hay nadie allí que hable ingles, me han dado un buen bienvenido y siento un parte de su familia. Ahorra estoy en el equipo primero cómo el numero 10 y espero que tengamos una temporada larga y con éxito. Desafortunadamente llegaba tan tarde que yo no podía disfrutar la pretemporada entrenamiento en la paya; aunque, todo el equipo pasábamos un buen fin de semana juntos en “Los Caños de Meca” y me gustaba el entrenamiento y unos partidos pequeños allí. Ya hemos ganado nuestro primero partido de la liga contra Jerez y espero que tenemos mucha suerte en el futuro.

     

    Sobre todo me sigue gustando a vivir aquí en Cadiz. La gente son lo más simpática que ya he conocido y puedo ver el mejoramiento en mi español cada día, empiezo a entender cada vez más y estoy teniendo cada vez más confianza en mi mismo para hablar en las conversaciones.

     

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

    One month finished!

    I have been here in Cadiz for a little over a month now and have learnt to appreciate their unique accent and customs. The people here are incredibly friendly and welcoming; my manager told me that she would act as my mother for the year because it must be hard being away from home for so long. The rest of my flat has now moved in and we have bonded over our love for Spanish football, it seems to flow in their veins. There is some debate though as one of them is from Barcelona and the other from Madrid so both claim that they have the world’s best team!

     

    I have started my internship and am thoroughly enjoying using my language skills in a professional atmosphere. There are four other interns currently, all from Latvia, but we all communicate in Spanish because they desire to improve as much as I do, although by Christmas only one of them will still be working here.

     

    I have been doing a lot of translation tasks so far mainly for their website, but I have also been doing other tasks. I have been networking, hoping to expand our directory of contacts. In addition, I have had to search for local activities and excursions that I can offer to the students in the college to promote their cultural awareness, this task I have enjoyed the most because I have been able to enjoy some of the opportunities myself.

     

    I have visited the Cadiz Museum and went on a historical walk around the town learning about the history of this beautiful labyrinth. To continue satisfying my love of rugby I have joined the local team, and met some of my best friends here. I was scared at first as I had no idea how good they would be or whether I would fit in at all being English; but I soon realised that these fears were completely unnecessary. Although not one of them there speaks English, they have welcomed me nicely into their team and I feel part of their family. I have made the starting team as their fly half and look forward to a long and successful season with them. Unfortunately I arrived too late to enjoy the preseason beach rugby; however, we all went away together for a training weekend to “Los Caños de Meca” and I enjoyed some fitness and a few matches on the beach there. We have won our first friendly match against Rota, and the league starts this weekend so I look forward to getting off to a good start.  Overall I am still thoroughly enjoying living here in Cadiz. The people are some of the most friendly  I have ever met and I can see my Spanish improving every day, slowly I am beginning to understand more and more and I am becoming more and more confident in joining in the conversations.

     

     

  • Neue Erfahrungen – Eleanor Winstanley, September 2015

    Also bin ich seit drei Wochen in Berlin, und diese drei Wochen sind einige der ereignisreichen meines Lebens gewesen. Weil ich nich zur Zeit darüber schrieb, werde ich über den Sprachkurs schreiben, den ich in der ersten Woche besuchte.
    Einwöchig absolvierte ich einen Sprachkurs in der „Did-institut“ im Stadtzentrum Berlins. Dort verbrachte ich dreistündig intensive deutsche Unterrichten pro Tag. Ich blieb bei einer Gastfamilie. Vorher meldete ich mich bei meiner Gastfamilie, die mir die Wegbeschreibung nach ihrem Haus im Nordosten Berlins (Prenzlauer Berg) gab. Als ich in Berlin ankam, entschied ich mich mit einem Taxi hinzufahren, eher als öffentliche Verkehrsmittel, da ich verschwizt und verwirrt war, und einen schweren Koffer dabei hatte.
    Bei meiner Ankunft beim Haus, wurde ich vom „Gast-Vater“ begrüßt, der dafür sorgte, dass ich mich wohlfühlte, und mein Deutsch komplimentierte, was meinem Selbstvertrauen half. Später ging ich mit der Frau raus, mitder ich mein Zimmer teilte.
    Am Montag Morgen ging ich in die Schule, ohne zu erwarten, was passieren würde. Ich wurde in ein Klassenzimmer begleitete, in dem ich und mehrere andere neue Studenten eine Prüfung machen mußte, um unser Deutsches-Niveau herauszufinden. Nach zwei Tagen wurde ich von „B2“ zu „C1“ umgezogen, was mir sehr gefiel. Nicht nur konnte ich in der Klasse Deutsch üben, sondern auch mit den anderen Studenten, weil alle der Leute zusammen auf Deutsch redeten.
    Obwohl das Sozialleben beim Sprachkurs sehr gut war, konnte ich daran nicht immer teilnehmen, weil ich eine Wohnung finden mußte. Die ersten Wohnungen reichten nicht, meistens weil sie unmöbeliert waren, und ich bleibe nur 4 Monate, also wäre es sinnlos. Trotzdem waren die Besichtigungen echte gute Möglichkeiten, um Deutsch zu üben und unterschiedliche Vokabeln zu erfahren. Außerdem führte ich zum ersten Mal ein deutsches Telefongespräch, das immer mir abschreckend gewesen war.
    Am Mittwoch der ersten Woche besuchte ich den Kindergarten, beidem ich 4 Monate arbeiten werde. Dort war das Deutsch ganz überwältigend, weil ich zum ersten Mal in einem ausländischen Arbeitsumfeld war. Die Leitungun erzählten mir, dass ich bis zum folgenden Montag eine Wohnung finden musse. Zum Glück zog ich später in die Wohnung ein, die ich am jenen Tag besuchte. Die Wohnung ist klein aber schön, und befindet sich in Kreuzberg. Dort wohne ich mit einem Mann aus Berlin, einer Frau aus Hamburg und einer bilingualen Frau aus Frankreich (ihre Mutter ist Deutsch). Mit Muttersprachlern wohnen hat sich als sehr effektiv erwiesen.
    Zunächst war es sehr schwierig mit allem neuem Deutsch Schnitt zu halten, deshelb stelle ich jetzt eine Liste auf, darauf ich alle neue Vokabeln schreibe, die ich gelernt habe. Jetzt habe ich mehr als 150 Wörter. Außerdem ist mein Handy auf Deutsch erstellt, und ich höre jeden Tag deutsche Musik an. Diese Zeit in Berlin zeigte mir soweit, dass ich viel zu lernen habe, sondern auch dass ich es schaffen kann.


    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
    So, I’ve been in Berlin three weeks now, and these three weeks have been some of the most eventful of my life. As I didn’t write about it at the time, I’m going to write about the language course I did in my first week.
    In one week I completed a language course in the “Did-Institut” in the centre of Berlin. There I spent three hours each day doing intensive German lessons, and I stayed with a guest family. Beforehand I contacted the host family, who gave me the directions to their house in north-east Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg). When I arrived in Berlin, I decided to travel there by taxi rather than with public transport, because I was sweaty and confused and had a heavy suitcase with me.
    On my arrival at the house I was greeted by my “Guest-father”, who made me feel at home and complimented my German, which boosted my confidence. Later I went out with the girl with whom I was sharing a room.
    On Monday morning I went into the school, not knowing what would happen. I was lead into a classroom, where I and several other newcomers sat an exam to test our German level. After two days I was moved from “B2” to “c1”, which I liked. Not only could I practice German in class, but also all of the students spoke German to each other.
    Although the social life on the language course was good, I couldn’t always partake as I had to find a flat. The first few apartments didn’t suffice, mostly because they weren’t furnished, and I’m only staying for 4 months, so it would be pointless. Despite this, the viewings were opportunities to practice German and find out different vocabulary. Also I made a phone call for the first time in German, which had always been daunting to me.
    On Wednesday I visited the Nursery where I will be working for 4 months for the first time, The German there was very overwhelming because for the first time I was in a foreign working environment. The management team told me that I had to find a flat by the following Monday. Luckily I moved into the flat which I saw that same day. I live there with a man from Berlin, a girl from Hamburg and a bilingual girl from France (whose mother is German). Living with native speakers has proved very effective.
    Initially it was very difficult to grasp all the new German, so I starting keeping a list of all the new vocabulary I’ve learnt. I now have more than 150 words. Also my phone is set to German and I listen to German music every day. This time in Berlin has shown by that I have a lot to learn, but also that I can do it.

  • Imogen Page-Jarrett – Yunnan Part 1, Kunming and Dali, July 2015

    云南第一章-昆明到大理

    北京炎炎，家人就来了中国，赶紧逃跑到凉快的云南来了，我们都没见过的神秘的省。云南位于中国的西南部，与越南、老挝、缅甸接壤。云南也是印度与中国大陆之间的重要路径。因此，这里就是不同文化的大熔炉。另外，这里还是中国小数民族最多的地方。有15个少数民族为云南特有，这15个民族包括：白族、哈尼族、傣族。估计你之前不知道中国一个省会有这么多不同的民族呢！全省气候有热带的类型。目前雨季已经来到了。云南的热带水果不少，比如龙眼、荔枝、杨梅、甘蔗、石榴、菠萝、芒果等等。极为新鲜，极为甜蜜。还有一些名称我不清楚的奇怪特产，照片可以看看。

    我们来云南玩十天，从昆明游到大理、丽江、虎跳峡，最后参观香格里拉。没错，是香格里拉。但不是历史上的神秘城市。本来这个地方名为中甸，几年前当地政府为了发展旅游业而改成香格里拉这个名字。这个报告讲的是我们在昆明及大理的旅行。

    昆明是云南的省会，所以人口巨大，今年达到690万。我家人以为云南只有乡下，没想到有这么城市化呢！昆明对我们来说主要是中途站，只有一个地方特别想参观，那就是石林风景区。云南石是世界地址公园。大约在2亿多年以前，这里是一片汪洋大海，沉积了许多厚厚的大石灰岩。经过了后来的地壳构造运动，岩石露出了地面。约在200万年以前，由于石灰岩的溶解作用，石柱彼此分离，又经过常年的风雨剥蚀，形成了今天千姿百态的石林。

    据传说，云南有个彝族姑娘叫阿诗玛，她聪明美丽，与小伙阿黑相爱。头人的儿子阿支贪婪阿诗玛的姿色，到她家去逼婚，被拒绝了。阿支父亲趁啊黑去远方牧羊的机会，将阿诗玛劫走并强迫她与阿支成亲，阿诗玛誓死不从，被鞭打后关进了黑牢。阿黑闻讯，日夜兼程赶来救阿诗玛，他和阿支比赛对歌、砍树、撤种，全都赢了阿支。他父亲恼羞成怒，指使家丁放出三只猛虎扑向阿黑，被阿黑三箭射死了，并救出了阿诗玛。狠毒的父子不肯罢休，勾结崖神，乘阿诗玛和阿黑过河时，放洪水卷走了阿诗玛。十二崖子的应山歌姑娘，救出并使阿诗玛变成了石峰，变成了回声神。这是石林形成的民间传说。

    石林好气派，让我想到阳朔的岩溶地貌，真的独一无二。每次拐角一片新的风景出现，千姿百态的石峰，还有安静绿绿的水池。那里还可以穿穿阿诗玛的衣服！下面照片可以看看我穿着.

    与昆明不同的大理，其古城至今还保存下来。中国现在很少有小镇保存真正的古城，但大理的城墙、东西南北的城门、窄窄的老街道今天都能看得到。因大理举世闻名，游客不少，所以大道上当然出现了许多旅行商店，产品品质不好，大部分都是假的，但在不寻常的小街上，还能看到当地人很久没有改变的生活节奏。登上南门，能看到古城全景，矮矮小房的屋顶，远方有苍山和洱海，蓝天白云，令人难忘的情景。

    今天放弃了城市，则去了碧翠的洱海。湖水一望无际，真似海洋一般。我们全家租出自行车绕着洱海走。湖边长着多节疤的树，天空映出其轮廓，远方背景为黑黑的苍山，浮云遮盖着山顶。洱海环路上有几百个小村庄，向门口里看看就发现村民的生活：做饭、打麻将、盖楼、打扫。路边的稻田还有人种地，风景让我想起东南亚的田野。除了不少的游客，这一天真的感觉体验到中国农村的生活方式了。

    我们下一站是丽江，明天坐火车过去。全家人都勃勃期待云南的其他地点。我下个月要把云南之旅写完！

    Yunnan Part 1 – Kunming and Dali

    When Beijing was scorching hot my family arrived in China.

    Quickly we escaped the heat by travelling down to cool clear Yunnan Province, a place none of us had ever been before.

    Yunnan is in the South West of China, bordering Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. Yunnan is also an important route between India and China, so it can be considered a melting pot of different cultures here. Moreover, Yunnan is the capital of China’s ethnic minorities. There are fifteen here alone, including the Bai, Dai and Hani peoples. I bet you didnt know one province could be home to this many different ethnic groups! The climate here is tropical, and it’s currently rainy season. Due to this, there’s a lot of different tropical fruits around, including logan berries, lychees, bayberries, sugarcane, pomegranate, pineapples and mangos, all of which are incredibly fresh and sweet. There are also a few stranger kinds I still can’t name but you can look at pictures of.

    We’re staying in Yunnan for ten days, traveling around Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, the Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangrila. Yes, there is really a place called Shangrila here, but its not the place of myth and legend. It used to be called Zhongdian until a few years ago when the local government changed the name to encourage tourism. This is just chapter one of our journey, describing what we saw in Kunming and Dali.

    Kunming is the capital of Yunnan, so it has a pretty sizeable population. It’s Currently around 7 million. Prior to coming here, my family thought it was all going to be quite provincial, and were quite shocked by how urbanised it is! Kunming is really just a stop off location for us. The only place we really wanted to visit in the vicinity was the Stone Forest, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Roughly 2 billion years ago it was all ocean, where overtime thick limestone deposits were made. Following tectonic movements in the earth’s crust, the limestone revealed the earths surface underneath. Around 2 million years ago, the limestone divided into columns due to erosion by many years of wind and rain. These gradually became the Stone Forest we know today.

    According to local legend, there was once a girl called Ashima, a Yi minority girl from Yunnan. She was both intelligent and beautiful, and was in love with a boy named Ahei. The son of the local tribe Azhi coveted Ashima for her good looks, and went to her home to try and force marriage with the girl. He was rejected. Azhi’ father took advantage of when Ahei was away tending his sheep herd, and had someone kidnap her and forced her to marry Azhi. Ashima vowed to die rather than obey their orders. She was then beaten and thrown into prison. When Ahei heard of what had happened, he did not stop day and night in his rush to save his lover. He had a competition in singing, chopping down trees and sowing seeds with Azhi, all of which he won. His father was outraged, and ordered three terrible tigers to be unleashed on Ahei, all of which he shot down, before saving Ashima. The evil tribe chief would not give up, however, and teamed up with the cliff gods. When Ashima and Ahei were crossing a river, they let loose a flood which washed Ashima clean away. The songs of the twelve shored managed to save her and changed her into a stone peak and a goddess of echoes. This is the folk tale about the formation of the stone forest.

    The stone forest was really impressive. It made me think back to the karst landscape I saw in Yangshuo.

    Really unique. Every time you turned a corner you would find a new scene completely different to the one behind you. The stone pillars knotted and winded in a thousand different shapes. There were also peaceful lakes and ponds interspersed. There were also women who let you try on Ashima’s clothing. You can see me wearing it in the photo!

    Dali is very different to Kunming. Much of its old town is still preserved today, which is uncommon for most towns in China. You can still see the city walls, and all four city gates, in between being multiple narrow winding streets. Because Dali is well renowned as a tourist destination, it’s pretty busy at this time of year, and there are a lot of touristy shops selling knock off goods in the centre. However, if you get off the beaten track you can still catch a glimpse of the rhythm of old city life. We climbed up the south gate, where you could see the whole city laid out. The low rooftops, Mount Cang and lake Erhai in the distance, framed by blue sky and white clouds. It was unforgettable.

    Today we left the town and went to the emerald lake Erhai, which stretches as far as the eye can see. It really lives up to its Chinese name which means the Er sea! We rented bikes and set off around the shore, where lots of gnarly trees are growing, silhouetted against the sky. Black Mount Cang is behind the lake, its peak wreathed in cloud. There are around a hundred small villages lining the lake shore. In their doorways you catch a glimpse of village customs, with people cooking, playing Majiang, building and cleaning. There are also paddy fields along the way with people farming the land. The sight reminded me a lot of South East Asia. Apart from the tourists, today felt like quite an authentic experience.

    Our next stop is Lijiang, where we are getting the train tomorrow. Everyone is really excited for the rest of the trip. I shall be writing about that next month!

     

  • Amy Clark – Palma de Mallorca – June 2015

    friends

    Debido al hecho que este es la última vez que estaré escribiendo sobre mis experiencias extranjeros me gustaría expresar mi gratitud a John Speak Languages Trust para darme la ocasión para aprovechar de mis estancias en Francia y en España. Esta beca me ayudaba mucho durante esos diez meses, me ha permitido hacer cosas que no hubieran sido posibles si yo no fui elegido para recibir la beca.

    Tengo que decir que Mallorca es un lugar tan bonita y definitivamente yo recomendaría que organizar una visita. Durante mis tres meses aquí he tratado de viajar lo tanto que posible para descubrir toda la isla. Me aprovechaba mucho de visitando los lugares más bonitos y me parece que ahora, después de pasando todo este tiempo en el extranjero aprendí como apreciar más las cosas.  Creo que las experiencias que he disfrutado quedarán conmigo para todo mi vida; por ejemplo, toda la nueva gente que conocí de diferentes origines y países, las diferencias entre la cultura francesa y española y finalmente que he mejorado mucho mis conocimientos de la lengua francesa y española que estaba el objeto principal de este tiempo en el extranjero.

    Me siento que sobretodo mi confianza ha aumentado más, ahora puedo  ir a un lugar desconocido y hablar en francés o español a personas que no conozco, ya no tengo miedo. A mi parece que es esta experiencia que me ha ayudado de mejorar mucho estas competencias y me alegro mucho que he tenido estas ocasiones como parte de mi curso universitario.

    Sin duda, me gustaría continuar viajando en el futuro, creo que el mundo es tan grande para quedar en el mismo lugar y que viajando se ayuda a ver el mundo en una manera diferente. Después de mi ultimo ano de universitario espero que encuentre un trabajo que puedo realmente disfrutar y además uno que me permite de viajar en Francia o España para que pueda continuar aprender más de las culturas, los países y utilizar mis conocimientos de las dos lenguas.

    Calvía

    English Translation:

    Due to the fact that this is the last time that I will be writing about my  abroad experiences I would like to say a big thank you to John Speak Languages Trust for giving me the opportunity to make the most out of my time in France and Spain. This grant has helped me a lot during these 10 months, it has allowed me to do things that wouldn´t have been possible if I wasn´t chosen to receive the grant.

    I have to say that Mallorca is such a beautiful place and I would definitely recommend that you  organize a visit. During my 3 months here I have tried to travel as much as possible in order to see the rest of the island. I have made the most out of visiting the most beautiful places and I think now, after spending all this time abroad I have learnt how to appreciate things more. I believe that the experiences I have enjoyed will stay with me forever; for example, all the new people that I have met from different origins and countries, the differences between French and Spanish culture and finally that I have improved my knowledge of the French and Spanish language which was the main objective of my time abroad.

    Views

    I feel that above all my confidence has increased the most, now I can go somewhere new and speak French or Spanish to people that I don’t know, and I´m no longer scared. It seems to me that this experience has helped me to greatly improve these skills and I´m so glad that I have had these opportunities as part of my university course.

    Without a doubt, I would like to continue travelling in the future, I believe that the world is too big to stay in the same place and that travelling helps you to see the world differently. After my final year at of university I hope that I find a job that I can really enjoy and furthermore one that allows me to travel in France or Spain so I can continue to learn more about the cultures, the countries and to use my knowledge of the two languages.