Steve's sandbox

Tag: Travel

  • Bryony Heaviside: Le phare à la Renommée – July 2025

    Ce mois j’ai fait un voyage à la pointe à la Renommée, sur la côte de la Gaspésie. Ce phare est célèbre pour de nombreuses choses, principalement pour contribuer au développement de la communication marine. Quand j’ai fait ma visite, j’ai fait un tour en français pour découvrir l’histoire du phare. Le guide était incroyablement intéressant et m’a expliqué à quel point il avait été important à travers des années.

    Le phare
    La belle vue sur la mer

    J’ai appris que le phare a été l’un des premiers à intégrer ce système de communication de Morse. En transmettant des messages importants avec des signaux lumineux clignotants, ces signaux étaient reçus par les navires en mer grâce à un récepteur lumineux. De plus, le phare a fait  une grande avancée dans la technologie majeure qui a marqué un tournant dans la communication maritime. En utilisant une lentille de Fresnel, qui permettait aux phares de projeter une lumière plus concentrée (rendant les phares plus visibles), il permettait aux navires de communiquer même dans des conditions météorologiques difficiles. J’ai certainement appris beaucoup de faits intéressants et j’ai compris le rôle crucial que le phare a joué au cours de l’histoire.

    La lentille de Fresnil

    En outre, quand je rentrais dans ma ville, j’ai écouté un podcast québécois qui parle des films à venir. En tant que cinéphile, je me suis intéressée aux actualités récentes concernant Denis Villeneuve, cinéaste de la région de Trois-Rivières (une ville que j’ai visitée). Ça sera intéressant pour voir l’influence de son éducation québécoise sur son approche à une franchise emblématique comme James Bond. Avec ses films comme «Dune» je pense qu’il pourrait apporter une nouvelle profondeur au personnage de Bond. S’il inclut d’éléments culturels et visuels inspirés de sa ville de naissance, il pourrait revitaliser le film, attirant des nouveaux spectateurs. J’ai hâte de voir comment il aborde le film et j’aimerais vraiment qu’il tourne quelques scènes au Canada, notamment au phare. Je peux imaginer le prochain James Bond suspendu à une corde du haut du phare, puis disparaissant dans l’océan, pour ne plus jamais être revu. Ce serait vraiment cool!

    J’adore les road-trips!

    This month, I took a trip to the Lighthouse on the Gaspésie coast (known as Fame Point in English). This lighthouse is famous for many things, primarily for contributing to the development of maritime communication. During my visit, I took a tour in French to learn about the lighthouse’s history. The guide was interesting and explained how important the lighthouse had been over the years.

    I learned that the lighthouse was one of the first to incorporate the Morse code communication system. By transmitting important messages with flashing light signals, these signals were then received by ships at sea due to a light receiver. Furthermore, the lighthouse also made a major technological breakthrough that marked a turning point in maritime communication. By using a Fresnel lens, which allowed the lighthouses to project a more concentrated light (making them more visible), it allowed ships to communicate even in difficult weather conditions. I certainly learned a lot of interesting facts, and understand the crucial role the lighthouse played over the course history.

    Une plage sur la côte de Gaspé

    When I was returning to my town, I listened to a Quebecois podcast about upcoming films. As a film buff, I’ve been interested in the recent news about Denis Villeneuve, a filmmaker from the Trois-Rivières area (a city I visited). It will be interesting to see how his Quebecois upbringing influences his approach to an iconic franchise like James Bond. With his films like “Dune,” I think he could bring new depth to the Bond character. If he includes cultural and visual elements, inspired by his hometown, it could revitalize the film, attracting new viewers. I’m looking forward to seeing how he approaches the film and I really wish that he would shoot some scenes in Canada, especially at the lighthouse. I can imagine the next James Bond dangling from a rope, from the top of the lighthouse, and then disappearing into the ocean, never to be seen again…That would be so cool!!!

    St Flavie- Un petit arrêt pour la poutine. Poutine aux crevettes (À gauche) Guédille au homard (À droite)

  • Kelly Huynh: Disfrutando del clima haciendo excursiones – April 2025

    Aproveché un fin de semana libre haciendo un viaje a Barcelona, lo que significaba que tenía dos días y una noche para aprovechar al máximo el tiempo y aprender todo lo posible sobre Cataluña. Tomé el tren desde la estación de Atocha en Madrid y el trayecto duró algo menos de tres horas debido a un pequeño retraso en las vías, pero aún así tuve suficiente luz del día para explorar la ciudad cuando llegué. Personalmente, prefiero mucho más Madrid, por la cantidad de turistas que había en Barcelona y por tener que estar siempre alerta por los carteristas. Además, sentí que le faltaba ese sentido de comunidad, aunque quizás esto se deba a que estuve allí solo como turista y no viviendo realmente en la ciudad.

    Recuerdo haber estudiado a Gaudí en mis clases de cultura en los módulos de español en mi universidad, y poder ver su obra, especialmente la Sagrada Familia, en persona fue realmente un privilegio. Las fotos que tomé no le hacen justicia para nada, y definitivamente recomiendo pagar la entrada y disfrutar de la experiencia completa por dentro.

    También pasé un buen ratito en Parc Güell, y la cantidad de escaleras y la caminata para llegar hasta allí valieron totalmente la pena. Ver todos los colores y las increíbles estructuras de lo que originalmente iba a ser una zona residencial, transformada en un parque para que lo disfruten los locales, fue impresionante. Mi parte favorita fue observar todos los mosaicos y contemplar la vista de toda la ciudad. Pude captar la visión de Gaudí de incorporar la naturaleza en sus obras, y lo logró muy bien con la escalinata del dragón, aunque lamentablemente la fuente no estaba en funcionamiento, como muchas otras en la ciudad debido a la sequía. Me quedaron muchas cosas por ver por falta de tiempo y por el clima algo impredecible ¡pero sin duda me encantaría volver!

    Muchos de mis amigos y compañeros de piso tenían exámenes parciales antes de las vacaciones de Semana Santa, así que tuve un poco de tiempo libre y decidí hacer una pequeña excursión de un día a Aranjuez en tren. Me siento mucho más cómodo manejándome por la extensa red de transporte en Madrid, y siento que es algo en lo que el Reino Unido podría mejorar, especialmente en cuanto a la accesibilidad para estudiantes, ya que viajar allí es carísimo. Aunque puede que simplemente me haya malacostumbrado a la tarifa mensual tan económica que hay aquí. El pueblo es conocido por su palacio, que es Patrimonio de la Humanidad. La entrada es gratuita los domingos por la tarde, pero solo para ciudadanos de la UE y de América Latina. Aun así, diría que la experiencia no se la puede perder, aunque tuve que pagar, porque la cola era larguísima y además hacía bastante calor ese día. Fue un plan de fin de semana perfecto, pasear por la orilla del río Tajo y por los distintos parques que rodean el palacio. Incluso vi pavos reales presumiendo sus plumas.

    En Madrid siempre hay muchos planes y eventos nuevos, y como era el comienzo de la primavera, el jardín botánico ofrecía entrada gratuita un día a la semana por la mañana. Fui a dar un paseo con algunos amigos que hice y a ver el jardín de tulipanes y las plantas que ya habían florecido. El clima era perfecto para caminar, y además había una galería dentro del jardín para escapar un poco de las multitudes. Agradezco que haya tantos espacios bonitos y tanta naturaleza, que son el descanso perfecto de estar encerrado o enterrado entre los estudios (¡que será mi realidad el mes que viene preparando los exámenes!). Momentos así siempre me ayudan a reflexionar sobre lo lejos que he llegado y también sobre lo cerca que está el final de este intercambio, aunque será una experiencia inolvidable. Estoy seguro de que seguiré aprendiendo y apreciando la cultura española incluso después de volver.

    ˖ . ݁.୨୧ ݁₊

    Hello! I love that it finally feels like spring here in Madrid, and the change in vibe was definitely needed after months of gloom. It felt like a switch was flipped because the weather in the UK was a lot better somehow.

    I took the opportunity of a free weekend to take a trip to Barcelona, which meant I had 2 days and one night to make the most of my time and learn all about Catalonia. I took the train from Atocha station in Madrid and the journey lasted just under 3 hours because of a slight delay on the tracks, but I still had plenty of daylight to explore the city. Personally, I prefer Madrid a lot more because the amount of tourists there were and having to remain vigilant because of pickpockets in Barcelona and the overall community feel is lacking, but this might be due to the fact that I was only there as a tourist and not actually living there. I remember learning about Gaudí in my cultural modules in my degree back home, and being able to see his work, especially the Sagrada Familia in person was truly a privilege, the photos I took did not do it justice whatsoever, and I definitely recommend paying to go inside and getting the full experience. 

    I also spent a while in Parc Güell and the amount of stairs and walking up to the site was worth it. Seeing all the colours and amazing structures of what was supposed to be a residential area be turned into a park for locals to enjoy. My favourite part was looking at all the mosaic tiles and taking in the view of the entire city, I got the vision that Gaudí wanted to incorporate nature into his works and he did it really well with the dragon stairway but unfortunately the fountain was not in service, like much of the fountains in the city due to a drought. There was so much I was unable to see due to time constraints and unpredictable weather but I would definitely love to come back!

    A lot of my friends and flatmates had midterm exams before the Easter break so I had a bit of free time and decided to take a little day trip to Aranjuez by train, I feel a lot more comfortable navigating the extensive transport network in Madrid and it is something that I feel like the UK could improve on in terms of accessibility for students, because it is super expensive to travel, but it may just be because I am spoilt with the cheap monthly tariff over here. The town is known for its palace which is a World Heritage Site, and the entry is free on Sunday afternoons but only for EU and Latin American citizens, but I would say it was a good experience regardless even though I had to pay, because the queue was insanely long and the weather was really warm that day too. It was a perfect weekend plan strolling along the river Tagus and the various parks around the palace, and I even saw peacocks doing a courtship display out in the wild.

    In Madrid there are always a lot of plans and new events, and because it was the beginning of Spring the botanical garden had free entry one day of the week in the morning, so I went to walk around with some friends I made and see the tulip garden and the plants that have bloomed. The weather was perfect for a stroll around and there was even a gallery inside to escape the crowds. I am thankful that there are nice outlets and a lot of nature which is the perfect break from being stuck inside or being buried in studies (which will be my reality next month preparing for my exams!) Small moments like this always help me reflect on how far I have come and also the finality of this exchange abroad but it will be an unforgettable experience and I am sure that I will continue learning and appreciating the Spanish culture once I return.

  • Kelly Huynh: Aventuras de otoño en Madrid (Nov 2024)

    Ver las hojas se vuelven marrones en otoño es una de mis cosas favoritas y aproveché la tarjeta de transporte ‘abono joven’ para viajar dentro de la provincia de Madrid por solo 8 euros al mes. Hice amigos con estudiantes locales que nos recomendaron un lugar llamado El Castañar de El Tiemblo, e hicimos el viaje de 1 hora y 30 minutos desde Príncipe Pío y solo tuvimos que pagar €1,25 extra ya que viajábamos a Castilla y León. El ambiente en el pueblo se sentía como una pequeña comunidad donde todos conocían cada uno de ellos y fue muy agradable pasar un rato en la naturaleza.

    Los árboles en el bosque (El Castañar)
    Disfrutando del paseo por la naturaleza.

    Era difícil de navegar al principio porque el único punto de información estaba cerrado por la tarde, pero los habitantes nos ayudaron mucho. Cuando pedimos direcciones de un puesto de comida, el comerciante e incluso los clientes vinieron a nuestro rescate y nos dieron consejos sobre el autobús para subir al bosque. La ubicación es popular, ya que muchos padres llevan a sus hijos para ver los castaños y mi amiga solía ir allí muy a menudo antes de mudarse a la ciudad para la universidad. Por desgracia, estaba muy concurrida en ese día y el último autobús estaba completamente lleno, pero una pareja amable que también estaba haciendo su camino en coche se ofreció a llevarnos allí y de regreso. También eran de Madrid y a menudo disfrutaban conduciendo aquí durante los meses de otoño y tuve una conversación con ellos sobre el Reino Unido y cómo era uno de sus destinos favoritos para viajar. El paseo por el bosque era muy tranquilo y relajante, que era justo lo que necesitaba desde que vine aquí.

    Durante el mes de noviembre, hubo una Fiesta del Cine durante 3 días donde las entradas para las películas estaban al precio reducido de €3,50. Fui a ver “La habitación de al lado” de Pedro Almodóvar que fue lanzada el mes pasado. Me gustó mucho su otra película “Volver”, y vi muchas similitudes en la producción y cinematografía de su obra más reciente. También visité el Mercadillo de Motores que tiene lugar el segundo fin de semana de cada mes durante la mayor parte del año, y personalmente lo preferí mucho más que El Rastro, fue mucho más organizado y no demasiado concurrido. El mercado estaba situado dentro del Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid donde tenían en exhibición trenes y máquinas de vapor de diferentes periodos de tiempo, y también se podía entrar en algunos de ellos, que era muy chulo.

     

    El Mercadillo de Motores

    ˖ . ݁.୨୧ ݁₊

    Watching the leaves turn brown in autumn is one of my favourite things and I took advantage of the ‘abono joven’ transport card to travel within the community of Madrid for only 8 euros a month. I made some friends with local students who recommended a spot called El Castañar which is in the town of El Tiemblo, and we made the 1 hour and 30 minute journey from Principe Pio and only had to pay 1.25 extra since we were travelling to Castilla y Leon. The atmosphere in the town felt like a small community where everyone knew each other and it was very pleasant spending some time in nature. 

    El cine donde vi ‘La habitación de al lado’

    The town was hard to navigate at first because the only information booth was closed for the afternoon but the locals helped us out a lot. When we asked for directions from a food stall selling snacks, the owner and even the customers gave us tips about the shuttle bus. The location is popular as many parents take their children into the forest to see the chestnut trees and my friend used to go there very often before she moved into the city for university. Unfortunately, it was very busy on this day and the last bus was completely full but a kind couple who was also making their way up by car offered to take us there and back. They were also from Madrid and often enjoy driving here during the autumn months and I had a conversation with them about the United Kingdom and how it was one of their favourite destinations to travel to. The walk in the forest itself was very peaceful and relaxing which was just what I needed since coming here.

    During November, there was a Fiesta del Cine for 3 days where the tickets for movies were at the reduced price of 3.50 euros. I went to see Pedro Almodóvar’s “La habitación de al lado” which came out last month. I really liked his other film  “Volver”, and I saw a lot of similarities in the production and cinematography of his newer work. I also visited the Mercadillo de Motores which takes place on the second weekend of every month for most of the year, and personally I preferred it a lot more to El Rastro, it was a lot more organised and not too busy. The market was located inside the Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid where they had trains and steam engines from different periods of time on display, and it was possible to enter some of them too which was very cool.

  • Cosmo de Bono: Earthquakes in Taiwan – May 2024

    Visiting the Presidential palace with my classmate and language partner

    台灣地震
    現在是五月份，我來台灣已經 9 個月了。我大部分時間都在學習，但是也進行了一些旅行。不過，在這次報告中，我想跟大家分享我在台灣的地震經驗。
    花蓮（台灣東南部）最近發生了許多地震，但是大多數地震在台北還能感受到，而且有些地震規模相當大。跟日本一樣，台灣也有地震的歷史，但是大多數地震規模較小，幾乎感覺不到。我在台灣的頭幾個月，有時會感覺到非常輕微的搖晃，持續時間約 20 秒，但我意識到地面在搖晃的時侯，地震已經停止了。這類地震在台灣最常見，大家習以為常。
    4 月 3 日上午，台灣到處都發生了 7.4 級地震。里氏震級是對數。這意味著每個數字都是前一個數字的 10 倍。比如說，2.5 級地震的威力是 1.5 級地震的 10 倍。因此，7.4 級地震的威力是平常 4-5 級地震的 從100 到 1000 倍。
    這麼大的地震相當可怕。搖晃開始的時候很小，然後越來越大。你可以感覺到周圍的一切都在前後搖晃，周圍的物體開始倒下。最好的方法就是躲在床下或桌子下，遠離窗戶。
    幸運的是，台北的建築物大多具有抗震性能，因此建築物受到重大損壞的風險很小。不過，我的一些朋友的牆壁還是出現了裂縫，家具也被震壞了。我附上了一些朋友公寓的照片。幸運的是，我的公寓沒有受到任何損壞！
    在接下來的兩到三週裡，餘震不斷，大部分都發生在晚上。這些餘震大多在 5 級和 6 級之間。不過現在我已經習慣了，也知道如果發生更大的地震該怎麼辦。
    必須強調的是，我在台北是絕對安全的，但我認為解釋這些地震的經歷會很有趣，因為它們為我在台灣的經歷增添了意外的驚喜。
    陳白宇

    Language centre after the large earthquake

    Earthquakes in Taiwan
    It’s now May and I’ve been in Taiwan for 9 months now. I’ve been mostly studying but have done some travelling as well. However, for this report, I’d like to share my experience of earthquakes in Taiwan.
    There have been a lot of earthquakes recently in Hualien (southeast Taiwan) but most of them can still be felt from Taipei, and some have been quite large. Like Japan, Taiwan has a history of earthquakes, but most are small and can be hardly felt. In my first few months in Taiwan, I would sometimes feel very minor shaking for about 20 seconds, but by the time I realised the ground was shaking it had already stopped. These types of earthquakes are the most common in Taiwan and everyone is used to them.
    On the 3rd of April in the morning there was an earthquake in across Taiwan that measured magnitude 7.4. The Richter scale is logarithmic. This means that each number is 10 times greater than the previous number. For example, a magnitude 2.5 earthquake is 10 times more powerful than a 1.5 magnitude one. So the 7.4 earthquake was 100 to 1000 times more powerful than the usual earthquakes which are between 4 -5 on the Richter scale.

    My friend’s kitchen after the earthquake

    Earthquakes this large are quite scary. The shaking starts small and keeps getting bigger and bigger. You can feel everything surrounding you shaking back and forth, and objects around you start to fall over. The best thing to do is to hide under your bed or a table and stay away from windows.

    Luckily, the buildings in Taipei are mostly all earthquake-resistant, so there is little risk of major damage to a building. However some of my friends ended up with cracks in their walls and broken pieces of furniture. I’ve attached some photos of my friends’ appartments. Luckily mine wasn’t damaged at all!

    For the next two to three weeks there were many aftershocks, most of which happened at night. These were mostly between magnitude 5 and 6. By now though I’m pretty used to these and know what to do if there is a larger earthquake.

    It’s important to emphasise that I’m completely safe in Taipei, but I thought it would interesting to explain the experience of these earthquakes as they have been an unexpected addition to my experience in Taiwan.

    Cosmo

  • Cosmo de Bono: A Trip to the Alishan Mountains – March 2024

    阿里山之旅:

     
    我來台灣已經七個月了，雖然感覺沒那麼長。現在是國語中心的春季學期，我的語言學習進步順利。
    現在是三月，我決定去台灣南部的阿里山玩玩兒幾天。阿里山是台灣有名的自然風景區，茶葉和櫻花。
    不過，從台北到阿里山並不簡單。我需要從台北坐高鐵到嘉義市一個在與南部的城市。從嘉義出發以後，我又坐了阿里山森林鐵路，但是這個鐵路不到阿里山。坐完火車以後，還要坐一個小時的車才能到阿里山。雖然旅程非常長，但是火車上的景色太好了，而且還能穿越森林。
    阿里山有幾個道步。第一天，我散步上了阿里山的最高點-大塔山頂（海拔 2,666 公尺）。道步旅行很美，但是有很多台階…
    在阿里山的隔天，我早上 5 點起床，坐日出小火車了。這輛火車會到高山上的一個觀景點，然後你就可以觀賞日出了。然而，我去的時候是陰天，但日出的景色依然很美。然後散步下山，大約 90 分鐘。
    一般來說，每年的 3 月和 4 月是遊覽阿里山的最佳時節，因為這時候可以看到櫻花。我去的時候其實是櫻花盛開的季節，所以大部分樹都開了花，但花還沒完全綻放。
    阿里山最吸引我的地方是它的環境。我過去不認為台北是一個繁忙或緊張的城市，事實上，我還認為跟歐洲城市比，台北真的很平靜，但台灣南部更平靜。我現在明白為什麼台灣南部的人會開玩笑說台北人總是「匆匆忙忙」的了！
    我計劃不久以後去高雄旅行，我非常期待這次旅行。
    感謝您們閱讀我的報告，希望您們喜歡這些照片！

     

     

     

    A Trip to Alishan:
    I’ve been in Taiwan for seven months now, although it doesn’t feel that long. It’s now the spring term at the language centre and I’m making good progress with language learning.
    As it’s March I decided to go to Alishan in the south of Taiwan for a few days. Alishan is a famous area in Taiwan for its natural scenery, tea and cherry blossoms.
    It’s not easy to get from Taipei to Alishan though. I had to take the High-Speed Rail from Taipei to Chiayi – a city in the south. From Chiayi I then took the Alishan Forest Railway, but this doesn’t arrive in Alishan. After the train journey you still have to take a 1 hour bus journey to get to Alishan. Although the journey was really long, the train ride was amazing as there were amazing views and you travelled through the forest.


    In Alishan there are several hiking trails. On my first day I hiked to the top of Datashan, which is the highest point in Alishan (2,666m). The hike was beautiful but there were a lot of stairs…
    On my second day in Alishan I got up at 5am and took the sunrise train. This train arrives at a viewpoint high up on a mountain and you can then watch the sunrise. Unfortunately, it was quite cloudy when I was there but the views were still incredible. You then walk back down the mountain which takes about 90 minutes.
    March and April are generally considered the best time of year to visit Alishan as this is when you can see the cherry blossoms. I went early in cherry blossom season, so most of the trees had blossoms but the flowers hadn’t fully blossomed yet.
    My favourite part about Alishan was the quiet atmosphere. I never used to consider Taipei as a busy or stressful city, in fact, I still think that compared to European cities Taipei is really calm, but the south of Taiwan is even calmer. I now understand why people in the South of Taiwan joke that people from Taipei are always in a rush!
    I’m planning a trip to Kaohsiung soon which I’m really looking forward to.
    Thanks for reading my report and I hope you enjoy the photos!

  • Cosmo de Bono: April in Taiwan

    Visiting a Daosit Shrine at the Lotus Pond

    台灣四月

    自上次月度報告以來發生了很多事情，包括一場地震，但是我還是選擇在本報告中重點介紹我周末的高雄之行。像往常一樣，我附上了一些照片，希望它們能讓你們對我去過的地方有一些了解。我會在下一篇報告中討論地震問題！
    這個月我決定了去一趟高雄，因為我還沒去過。高雄是台灣南部最大的城市，以其美麗的建築很有名。這是我期待已久去的地方，所以終於可以去了。幸運的是，從台北到高雄乘坐高鐵只需要大約 2.5 個小時，所以我在周五上午上完課後就離開了台北，下午就到了高雄。我在那裡住了兩個晚上，週日晚上返回台北。
    高雄給人的感覺就像一個更小、更輕鬆的台北。那裡仍然有地鐵，但比台北的地鐵小很多。那裡的老人說話的台灣口音也比台北重，但是要聽懂他們在說什麼不太難。
    週五下午，我來到了高雄的蓮花池。這是一個位於城市中央的大型人工湖，周圍有許多寺廟和佛塔。我使用免費的公共自行車環湖騎行，然後在主要的寺廟和神社停留。美麗的建築和平靜的湖面對面輝映，使這裡成為我在台灣迄今為止最喜歡的地方之一。
    在參觀一座道教神廟時，一位名叫馬克（英文名茲）的當地年輕人向我走來，解釋說他是業餘導遊，很願意免費帶我參觀！馬克帶我參觀了神廟，並教我如何利用神廟來算命。他還幫我翻譯寺廟裡的文字和雕刻，練習我的古代漢語。這樣的小經驗讓我在台灣度過了美好的時光。
    第二天，我參觀了高雄郊外的佛光山寺。這是一座巨大的佛教寺院，也是世界上最大的寺院之一。寺院中央還有一尊巨大的金色佛像。我花了一整天的時間參觀了整個寺院和遊客中心，但這是值得的。
    總而言之，我在高雄度過了一段愉快的時光。如果有機會再來台灣，我還想在那裡多待一段時間。這裡平靜的氛圍和熱帶氣候是絕妙的組合。
    陳白宇

    April in Taiwan
    A lot has happened since my last monthly report, including an earthquake, but I have chosen to focus this report on my weekend trip to Kaohsiung. As always, I have attached some photos, so I hope that they give you a sense of the places that I’ve been visiting. I will discuss the earthquake properly in my next report!
    This month I decided to make a trip to Kaohsiung as I still hadn’t been yet. Kaohsiung is the largest city in the south of Taiwan and is famous for its beautiful architecture. It was somewhere I had wanted to visit for a long time, so it was lovely to finally go. Luckily it only takes about 2.5 hours on the high-speed rail to get from Taipei to Kaohsiung, so I left Taipei after my Friday morning classes and was in Kaohsiung by mid-afternoon. I stayed there for two nights and returned to Taipei on Sunday evening.


    Kaohsiung feels like a smaller and more relaxed version of Taipei. There is still a metro but it’s a lot smaller than the one in Taipei. Older people there also speak with stronger Taiwanese accents than in Taipei, but it wasn’t too difficult to understand what they were saying.
    I spent Friday afternoon visiting the Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung. This is a large man-made lake in the middle of the city, and it is surrounded by numerous temples and pagodas. I used the free public bikes to cycle around the lake and would then stop at the main temples and shrines. The combination of the beautiful buildings and the calm lake made this one of my favourite places I’ve been to so far in Taiwan.
    When visiting one Daoist shrine, a young local man – called Mark (English name) – approached me and explained that he was an amateur tour guide and would love to give me a free tour! Mark showed me around the temple and taught me how to use the shrine for fortune-telling. He also helped me practice my classical Chinese by translating the writing and engravings in the temple. Small experiences like this are what make my time in Taiwan great.
    The next day I visited the Fo Guang Shan monastery outside of Kaohsiung. This is an enormous Buddhist monastery and is one of the largest monasteries in the world. There is also a giant golden statue of Buddha in the middle of the site. It took me a whole day to visit the entire monastery and visitor centre, but it was worth it.
    Overall, I had a lovely time in Kaohsiung. If I ever come back to Taiwan, then I would love to spend more time there. Its calm atmosphere and tropical climate are a wonderful combination.
    Cosmo

  • Khalida Choudhury, March 2024, Omani Hospitality

    Currently, I am preparing myself for my return to Britain. The experience in Oman is nearly coming to an end. I have made lots of friends and memories.

    I have been thinking about what I learnt during my trip. Firstly, the trip reminded me that people are kind. And secondly to trust that everything will work out.

    I want to dedicate this report to the people I met during my time in Oman. The people of Oman are known for their hospitality to their guests and I saw this. In the Sultanate of Oman there are different nationalities from around the world as well as Omanis. During my visit, my colleague from Germany invited me to stay with her and her parents before the start of my course.
    On another occasion, I contacted a taxi driver late at night about a visit to Jebel Akhdar. He was busy so he called his cousin. In the morning his cousin came to take me and my colleagues to Jebel Akhdar.
    Another time, while I was walking in Birkat Al Mouz an Omani lady invited me to her house. And in Manah, the location of the language centre, a local girl invited me to drink coffee and have dates with her and her family.

    All the people I met in Oman spent time talking to me in Arabic.
    It reminded me of the difference between London and Oman in receiving guests. One thing I learnt from the trip is to be hospitable like the people of Oman. I will smile at strangers and invite my neighbours to my house.

    عم حضر نفسي للرجع الى بريطانيا. التجربة انتهيت تقريبا في عمان. عملت الاصدقاء الجدود و الذكريات كثيرة.

    كنت تفكير ماذا درست خلال الزيارة. الاول الزيارة تذكرتني الناس اللطيفين. و ثاني, ثقة كل شي سوف يعمل.

    أريد ان اهدى هذا التقرير للناس التقيت بهم خلال وقتي في عمان.
    اهل عمان معرفون بضيافة الضيوف و رأيت هذا.

    في سلطنة عمان يعيش جنسيات مختلفة من العالم مع اهل عمان.
    في عمان زميلتي من المانيا دعتني للعيش معها ومع والديها قبل بداية دورتي.
    في مناسبة واحدة, اتصلت في الليل بسائق التاكسي لكى يأخذني الى جبل الاخضر، لكن كان مشغول فأتصل بابن عمه لكي يأخذني الى الجبل الاخضر. وفي الصباح ابن عمه أخذني وزملائي الى الجبل الاخضر.

    وقت أخرى دعتني امرأة عمانية الى بيتها لما كنت امشى في بركة الموز.
    وفي منح, موقى المعهد ،كانت دعتني من بنت العماني لشرب القهوة واتناول التمر مع عائلتها.

    كل الناس في عمان يعطوني من وقتهم للتكلم معهم باللغة العربية.
    . تذكرت كيف الفرق بين الحياة من عمان ولندن في ضيافة واستقبال الناس
    الشيء الذى تعلمته من الزيارة الى سلطنة عمان ان اكون مضيافة, مثل اهل عمان. وان أبتسم دائما الى الأغراب ودعوة جارى الى بيتي.

  • Case Study – Marianne McCready, France 2023

    Admiring the view of Lyon

    I would first and foremost like to thank the John Speak Language Trust for supporting me during my experience in France.

    Thanks to your support not only have I been able to cover living costs, but I have also been able to explore more of the country and live new cultural experiences.

    Visiting a really cool Ancient Egyptian Exhibit!
    On a day trip to some islands off the coast of Cannes

    The opportunity to study abroad has opened my eyes to lots of new experiences such as education in France, French way of life and all the rich cultural experiences France has to offer. It has also been a fairly international experience as I have made friends with French people and with people from all over the world. Furthermore, with Paris being such an international city, I have got to try lots of new cuisines and inventive food such as an 100% vegetarian restaurant where they prepared your food for you on the table! I also visited many museums such as the Louvre, l’Orangerie and the Musée D’Orsay. I also had the chance to visit a once in a lifetime display of Ancient Egyptian artefacts, most of which had never left Egypt before, and learn about the connection Rameses II and how a Frenchman used his name to crack Hieroglyphs in the 1820s.

    When I embarked upon my study abroad adventure in Paris, I had no idea what challenges it would bring. Learning how the French university system works, making some mistakes (and getting lost!) and learning how to live in a big international city such as Paris. In recent months, there has also been many strikes in the French capital and, at times things have been very chaotic, but through speaking with locals I have come to see it as a quintessential cultural experience! Given all the French history that I have learned while here I really feel that I have a deep understanding of why strikes and workers’ rights are so important to the French People.

    While in France and with the support of the John Speak Language Trust, I was able to travel to lots of different places for the first time.

    Trying French Cuisine!
    In the beautiful village of Eze!

    I was able to visit a friend who was studying abroad in Lyon twice and she showed me round the beautiful city and let me practice my French with her Host Family which was very interesting as they spoke with a different accent to those from the Parisian region. I also visited Dijon and Versailles. At the end of my time in France I organised a trip to the south of France which was amazing! It was lovely to escape the city for a while and see where French people go on holiday. As I felt quite comfortable navigating the French rail system at this point, my friend and I travelled by train almost everywhere and took some buses in order to get to more hard-to-reach places, such as the medieval village of Èze which I absolutely loved.

    All of these experiences which have shaped me, and my knowledge of French and French culture would not have been possible if not for the John Speak Language Trust.

    France, particularly Paris, has a higher cost of living than that in the UK and with the help of the Trust I felt a weight off my shoulders which allowed me to make the absolute most of my time abroad.

  • Marianne McCready – France May 2023: Voilà!

    Sunset view of Sacre-Coeur from my kitchen window

    Voilà ! C’est mon dernier mois en France ! J’ai maintenant fini mes examens et je prends du temps pour voyager autour de la France et réfléchir sur mon temps ici ! Premièrement, c’était génial même si de temps en temps difficile d’assister à l’université française pendant ces derniers quelques mois ! Beaucoup du monde m’a dit que j’ai eu « une expérience française authentique » en surmonter toutes ces grèves, fermetures et chaos général à Paris. Mon progrès en français me fait plaisir et maintenant je connais beaucoup de vocabulaire très spécifique à propos des sujets comme des techniques filmiques, des concepts philosophales et amplement des termes très spécifiques d’analyse littéraire que je n’ai jamais rencontré avant. J’ai maintenant lu plusieurs grands œuvres de la littérature française et vu quelques des plus grands films du cinéma français, particulièrement de la Nouvelle Vague. Si vous êtes intéressés, personnellement, je vous recommanderais de regarder « Les Quatre Cents Coups » que j’ai bien aimé et il est tellement emblématique du genre. Deuxièmement, j’ai fait plusieurs relations avec des Français et j’ai appris beaucoup d’eux, à propos de la culture, la langue et l’argot française ! J’ai fait nombreuses erreurs en français quand j’ai parlé avec eux mais ils me corrigés doucement et m’ont donné des mieux façons de dire des phrases ou des questions afin de sembler plus naturelle. Finalement, j’ai aussi passé du temps en réfléchir à mon temps à Paris. J’estime que j’ai vu beaucoup que

    Gabi and I at the Arc de Triomphe

    je n’ai pas vu avant, et je connais certains quartiers assez bien et je ne consulte plus Google Maps constamment pour me déplacer ! J’ai aussi eu la chance de voyager un peu pendant que j’habite à Paris. J’ai passé ce weekend dans le beau sud de la France avec une amie et je voyage à Lyon cette semaine pour rendre visite à ma bonne amie avant que nous deux partons de la France à la fin de ce mois !

    Ta Dah! It’s my final month in France! I have now finished my exams and I am taking some time to travel around France and reflect on my time here! Firstly, it has been a great if sometimes difficult experience attending French university for the last few months! As many people have told me I have had “an authentic French experience” while coping with all of these strikes, closures and general chaos in Paris. I am pleased with my progress in French, and I now know lots of very specific vocabulary about topics like filming techniques, philosophical concepts and very specific literary analysis terms that I had never encountered before. I have now read many great works of French literature and seen some of the greatest films from French Cinema, particularly from La Nouvelle Vague. If you are interested, I personally would recommend watching “Les Quatre Cents Coups” I really liked that one and it is very much emblematic of the genre. Secondly, I have made many connections with French people, and I have learned so much from them, about French culture, language and slang! I have made many mistakes in my French when talking with them, but they do gently correct me and give me better ways to say sentences or questions in order to sound more natural. Finally, I have also been reflecting on my time in Paris. I feel that I have seen lots of parts of Paris that I had not seen before, and I know certain areas quite well and I am not constantly checking Google Maps to get around! I have also been very fortunate to travel a little while I have been living in Paris. I spent this weekend in the beautiful south of France with a friend and I am travelling to Lyon this week again to visit my good friend before we both leave France at the end of the month!

  • Marianne McCready: Des examens, de divertissement et des grèves !

    My friends and I on the hill that overlooks Lyon

    Le mois passé a été une combinaison des examens, de divertissement et des grèves ! Je ne sais pas à quel point il a été rapporter en Royaume-Uni mais ici en France il y avait des grèves et manifestations énormes sur les nouveaux reformes de la retraite du gouvernement. Le peuple français est très en colère autour de la décision et cela a amené moi à parler à beaucoup des différentes gens françaises autour de leurs pensées et de lire beaucoup des différents articles dans les journaux. A cause des grèves et manifestations il y avait quelques jours où l’université était fermée et nous avons fait des cours en ligne. Je suis contente que nous avons fait des cours en ligne parce que dans ce dernier mois j’ai eu un bon nombre des devoirs et des contrôles. Cela a fait un bon défi à moi et mon niveau de français de passer ces

    Bridge over the Rhone river with a view of Lyon

    examens écrits et évalués en français. Je peux sentir mon esprit dérouler dans des manières différentes, d’apprendre nouvelles façons de dire des choses et, bien sûr, d’oublier des choses de temps en temps. Récemment, dans un examen, j’ai décrit une scène d’un film et j’ai oublié le mot français pour « sledge » alors à sa place j’ai écrit « un jouet des enfants utilisé pour glisser dans la neige » à chaque fois que j’ai voulu écrire « Luge » ! Il va sans dire… je n’oublierai pas ce mot à nouveau ! J’ai aussi trouvé le temps de m’amuser ce mois, malgré les grèves, les manifestations violents et les examens. Je suis allée à Lyon à se retrouver avec mes colocataires de quand j’ai habité en la Jordanie. Par coïncidence, nous avons toutes eu l’intention d’étudier en France pour notre année d’étudier à l’étranger en même temps et nous avons décidé de se voir à Lyon puisqu’une de ces amies habite là-bas. Elle a nous fait visiter à la ville qui était tellement belle et le soir nous sommes allées à un club de jazz où nous avons écouté à un concert génial et bavardé avec des gens lyonnais.

    Me on a swing chair in a cool café we found in Lyon

    This past month has been a combination of exams, fun and strikes! I do not know how much has been reported in the news in the United Kingdom but here in France there has been massive strikes and protests over the government’s new retirement reforms. The French people are very angry about the decision, and this has led to me speaking to lots

    Moi et mon amie dans les rues de Lyon

    of different French people about their thoughts and reading lots of different articles in the newspapers. The strikes and protests have meant that I have had a few days where the university was closed, and we had class online. I am glad that we still had classes online as in the past month I have had quite a few assignments and tests. It has been a good challenge to me and my level of French to sit these tests that are written and assessed in French. I can feel my mind stretching in different ways, learning new ways to say things and, of course, forgetting things sometimes. In an exam recently, I was describing a scene from a film, and I forgot the French word for “Sledge” so instead I wrote, “a children’s toy used for sliding in the snow” every single time that I wanted to say “Sledge”! Needless to say, … I will not forget that word again. I have also found some time to have some fun this month, despite the strikes, violent protests and exams. I went to Lyon to meet up with my flatmates from when I lived in Jordan. Coincidentally, we all had planned to be in France studying abroad at the same time and decided to meet up in Lyon as one of these friends lives there. She showed us round the city, which was really lovely, and, in the evening, we went out to a jazz club where we listened to some great live music and chatted with some locals!