September 2020 Issue. 37
Meet your editors tips for Thailand living the valencian dream
Cover Image- Street Art in Madrid, "La Latina" - Roberta Wright
The UoB Linguist Magazine
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the Buda-best time in hungary
the UoB Linguist Magazine
Our 2020 Team Committee:
Chair - Holly Hunt Secretary- emily mercer treasurer- Roberta Wright publicity- Harvey JOnes Creative designerEleanor Smith
proofreaders:
Rachael Jones Camille stevenson
editors team:
french - camille stevenson German- harvey jones spanish- megan lacey Portuguese- emily petrie catalan- emma velho italian- franca filipik mandarin- becca snoad life and styleGeorgia boote current affairselsie haldane culture- emma velho food and drink emma walker travel- chloe brown
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04 Playing in an Orchestra Abroad - Holly Hunt 05 Living the Valencian Dream - Emily Mercer 06 Stammtisch: More than just Beer with Strangers! Roberta Wright 07 The Hotel on Wheels: the Night Train Experience - Harvey Jones 08 The Best Purchase of my Year Abroad - Eleanor Smith 09 Stranded in South America - Rachael Jones 10 The Buda-Best Time in Hungary's Capital - Camille Stevenson 11 My Year in Madrid - Megan Lacey 12 24 Hours in Barcelona Changed my Degree Structure Emma Bralic Velho 13 Discovering Portugal - Emily Petrie 14 A Day at the Carnival - Franca Filipik 15 The Time of my Life in St. Petersburg - Georgia Boote 16 Travel to Thailand? Phuket, why not! - Becca Snoad 17 Tips for Thailand - Chloe Brown 18 The Joys of being a Tourist at Home - Elsie Haldane 19 An 18th Birthday to Remember - Emma Walker 20 Get Involved with the Linguist!
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SEPT the Chair 2020 a message from
Hello and welcome to our first issue of 2020/21! This issue is a very special Meet the Team edition which welcomes our new team members and introduces you to our committee, section editors and proofreaders! This issue comes to you in a year that has felt turbulent and uncertain for many of us. As students, linguists and travel lovers, pandemic life has dealt us unexpected challenges and changes that have put a stop to many adventures. However, in a time when travelling to far away places and experiencing other cultures seems like a lavish luxury, we at the UoB Linguist Magazine are hoping to bring the adventure to you. Now in the 8th year of our magazine, our issues will continue to be jam-packed with inspiring travel stories, fascinating culture reports, foreign-language articles and an exciting range of English-language pieces. In this issue, all the articles are written by our very own team members about their own memorable travel-related, cultural and linguistic experiences. Check out exciting articles such as ‘A day at the Carnival’ by Franca Filipik, ‘Living the Valencian Dream’ by Emily Mercer and ‘Stranded in South America’ by Rachael Jones, as well as our Travel editor’s article about exploring Thailand! The UoB Linguist Magazine is written, edited, designed and managed by students. We are a community of travel enthusiasts and language learners. In our regular issues, articles are written by students across campus who take an interest in anything travel or language related! If this sounds like you, we would love for you to get involved! You can write in any language, including for our English-language sections. All of our articles are proofread by native speakers, so we encourage linguists at any level to write for us! Use any of our social media links or our email address to get in touch if you are interested in getting involved. After hearing about this magazine as a UoB fresher in 2017, then going on to be the French Editor for two years, including the year I studied abroad in France, I am delighted to now be the Chair of a magazine which stands for everything I love as a languages student and travel lover. I am very excited to work on the magazine this year and I can’t wait to read your articles! The final thing I would like to say is a big thank you to my fellow members of the wonderful 2020/21 committee who have worked so hard in unprecedented circumstances to overcome challenges presented to our society and to make sure the UoB Linguist Magazine continues to bring exciting issues to all of our readers. I really hope you enjoy the articles in this issue and I look forward to a fun year ahead! Bonne lecture ! ¡Disfruta leyendo!
Holly
Hunt
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Playing in an orchestra A Whole New Abroad World of Music.. I am Holly Hunt, the Chair of the UoB Linguist magazine. I am a fourth year Modern Languages and Music student and I spent my third year abroad in Grenoble, France. As a violinist, I was eager to use music as a way to make friends and experience something new while living abroad. I had taken my violin with me and heard word of a student orchestra within my first month at the university. Having played in the UoB orchestra for my first two years at uni, I was used to going to rehearsals where I knew most faces, had lots of friends and understood directions given by the conductor. It soon became very clear that this was going to be a very different experience! I faced several challenges... Firstly, I knew no one. After getting the tram to the evening rehearsal at a concert hall in the city centre, I walked into a room full of French people who all seemed to know each other. They were chatting and catching up after the summer break while getting their instruments out. Luckily, I recognised someone from my music history class at the university and she kindly helped me out. After a few weeks, I had spoken to my desk partner and I had found another non-French person who was also struggling with integrating. By bonding over our struggles to understand the conductor, we became good friends. That brings me to my second hurdle. The language barrier. As this was a student orchestra for a group of French campuses, most members spoke the ‘langage de jeunes’ (young people’s French) which included a lot of slang and was spoken very quickly. As my French improved little by little as the weeks went by,
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Holly playing in the Orchestre des Campus de Grenoble
it became easier to understand people and ask a few questions to my peers if I got lost. Although it was difficult at first, my progress was encouraging and I would say that being a part of a club or group is a great way to practise speaking and listening regularly while living abroad. The most challenging part of being in an orchestra abroad was getting used to a completely different set of musical vocabulary. I was shocked initially as, perhaps naively, I didn’t expect to find it so hard to play music with French people as we didn’t have to talk! I could just read the music and that bit would be the same as in England, right? Unfortunately not. A whole new world of music terminology was revealed to me as I had to get used to different words for note names (using ‘Do, Ré, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si’ instead of ‘CDEFGAB’), different instrument names and different technical names (‘bar,’ ‘sharp’ and ‘flat’ were among some words that confused me a lot). However, after a handful of rehearsals, I started to see that this challenge was not ‘unfortunate’ for me at all. This was a great opportunity to learn about a cultural difference between my country and the one into which I am trying to integrate; I had an insight into how the French learnt, read and talked about music. In fact, it was a fascinating aspect of language learning that I would be unlikely to encounter otherwise. Connecting with musicians from a different part of the world and performing with a foreign orchestra in a city miles away from home was an experience I will never forget, despite its challenges! - Holly Hunt
Living the Valencian dream Hi I'm Emily, I'm the secretary and i'm going into my second year of studying Spanish and Italian. Someone once asked me if I could relive any day in my life, what day would it be? I thought back to the day of the Santa María Magdalena festival I went to in Spain and I remembered what an unforgettable experience that was. I had been staying at my friend Elena’s hometown of Castellón de la Plana, near Valencia. At some point during the festival, in the evening, one of Elena’s friends taught me a saying they have in Valencia: ‘Estar en la luna de Valencia’, which means ‘to have one’s head in the clouds’. It is something that has always stuck with me, mostly because of how surreal the whole day felt, but I also think it summarised how I struggled to navigate my way through an intense week of speaking Spanish to Elena’s family and friends 24/7, which my Spanish A-level could never have prepared me for. One afternoon we boarded my friend’s boat at the port of Burriana. At the same port, a group of men dressed in sailor suits got onboard a bigger boat, carrying the statue of María Magdalena, and began their journey down the east coast with our boat following at a distance. It was a beautiful moment. There was a gorgeous sunset which illuminated the figure of the saint as our boat continued to tail behind. An hour or so later we arrived at Moncofa beach, where the saint was lowered into the water by the sailors and carried across to the shore, where literally thousands of spectators gathered. I had
"I had no idea how important this festival was for Spanish communities... we only discovered later we had been broadcast live on TV!"
Emily enjoying the Santa María Magdelena festival in Valencia, Spain
no idea how symbolic this act was, and only discovered later that we had been broadcast live on TV! Elena introduced me to a few of her friends as the celebrations continued into the evening. I had been in Spain for five days, and I wanted to join in with the conversation without feeling too nervous. Luckily, Elena’s friends were very welcoming, and I just about managed to keep up with their pace by stringing together a few sentences as we wandered past the vibrant food and clothes stalls. The festival culminated in fireworks on the beach and I could not believe how unreal the whole day had been. Strangely, at times I felt like I was on a night out with friends at home; we roamed around the dark streets because Elena’s friend had forgotten where she parked the car, to which another friend responded, ‘está en la luna de Valencia’ (she’s got her head in the clouds). That day certainly did feel dreamlike, and I can only say in hindsight how important religious festivals are to Spanish communities; how they are fundamental to uniting the spirit of the people and celebrating their faith. I vividly remember feeling as though I had become part of Elena’s circle of friends, who helped me to grow in confidence with my Spanish, which I will forever be thankful for.
- Emily Mercer
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Stammtisch: More than just a beer with strangers! Hi I’m Roberta, a fourth year French, German and Russian student, returning from my year (ish) abroad in Erfurt and Moscow. This year I will be undertaking the role of Treasurer for the Linguist Magazine. As an avid networker, I am eager to get involved with such a cultural and international community in Birmingham, especially after my participation in the ‘Internationaler Stammtisch’ in Erfurt. Before going to Germany, I was excited to immerse myself into the German culture by attending a traditional Stammtisch. For those who don’t know, Stammtisch is essentially a group of people that meet in a bar (I was lucky enough to attend one at the Town Hall!), who drink (normally beer), talk and often eat together. Like most German words, Stammtisch is a compound noun. The prefix ‘Stamm’ has a plethora of meanings, such as a point of origin, a trunk (as in, tree trunk) and tribe/clan- whereas ‘Tisch’ simply means table. Stammtisch was originally reserved for the higher classes of people such as the Mayor, Doctors and Merchants as it was a place for informal political and philosophical discussions. Over time, however, Stammtisch has become an accessible event for all- whether you’re staying for a single drink or even if you intend on staying for the duration. With this in mind, I was extremely excited to be attending my first Stammtisch- luckily there was one monthly in Erfurt, meaning that this opportunity was literally on my doorstep! (Especially given that Erfurt is one of the smallest capital cities in Germany). I was also working in a small company during my time in
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Roberta (pictured right) with friends at International Stammtisch in Erfurt, Germany
Germany, which meant that it was difficult to find friends. Upon arrival at the Stammtisch, I found out that it was an ‘international’ Stammtisch. Being the keen polyglot that I am, I couldn’t wait to speak all four of my languages- what a year abroad triumph that would be! At this Stammtisch, I befriended an elderly German lady, a young Iranian couple, a Russian man and also a Columbian lady. As I was so new to Erfurt, this group of people took me under their wing for my first few months, showing me new places in my region and also introducing me to the ‘Tandem’ scheme run by the Universität Erfurt. Progressively, more and more students also attended the Stammtisch once the University courses had resumed from summer. Thanks to the Internationaler Stammtisch, I was not only able to improve my spoken German, but also do this through meeting a variety of different people from different places. The beauty of Stammtisch is that you can talk about everything and anything- it’s amazing how many questions foreign people have for Brits! Even though it was initially daunting to be surrounded by so many German speakers, it was fascinating and invaluable to have the experience of being able to do so. The final takeaway from this is that you can’t underestimate the power of immersion on your year abroad. Take every opportunity to further your connections and language skills- the beer was a plus too! - Roberta Wright
The Hotel on Wheels Experience the Night Train I’m Harvey, I’m a Final Year German student, and I’m also the Publicity Officer and German Editor! This time last year, I was en route to the wonderful little town of Tübingen, around 40 minutes away from Stuttgart, to start my year abroad. I decided to take the easy option and fly out in September, and as Germany was gripped by Fridays for Future then, I decided to try out something greener than flying when the time came to leave – the NightJet – a sleeper train service managed by the Austrian Government with has routes right across Europe. A new route from the city of Innsbruck to Brussels, stopping in German cities like Munich and Cologne was announced in January, and as there was also a direct bus from Tübingen to Munich, I decided to try out this way of travelling for my journey back to Wales! Night trains are a handy way of travelling long distances without losing a day of your holiday in an airport or coach. Lasting almost 22 hours – including a coach to Munich, then and a short stopover in Brussels to connect to the Eurostar service to London – it was certainly not the fastest way to get around, but definitely an interesting experience! So, what’s it like on board? You can choose from a variety of sleeping options – a seat in a shared cabin, a bed in a shared cabin, a single cabin and some have deluxe cabins with a small en-suite. I picked a single cabin so I could have my own space (though this can be up to 100€ more than a seat!). I was greeted on board by my wagon’s attendant, who spoke at least four languages, and took me to my room. There’s not much space for a lot of luggage, so be careful what you bring – my suitcase didn’t fit under the bed, and the rooms are narrow to make sure the capacity is high, so it was quite a squeeze! I was greeted welcome bag, included
with a which
Hospitality on the Night train
earplugs, an eye mask, sweets, water, a towel, slippers and wine – a welcome gift after a long trip!. The room also had a small washbasin with mirrors, a range of nightlights at different levels, and a secure key card system, which the crew explain to you fully, so you can use the clean and accessible shared facilities without worrying about your belongings. The ‘hotel-on-wheels’ experience continues with breakfast – up to 6 items, delivered around 90 minutes before your scheduled stop. There’s a wide variety of continental options, and unlimited hot drinks – I picked some bread, jam & Nutella, tea, orange juice and yoghurt. It came on time, everything was clean, and the staff were always happy to refill drinks, and solve any problems. The main event is of course the sleep! The beds were comfortable, if a little small, and as they’re movable, some may be tilted slightly. I also found the noise was a bit of an issue at times – the bed was quite low, so it was noisy at times as you were close to the track (This would be better in a higher bunk). 500 miles later, I rolled into Brussels station, refreshed and ready for the next leg of the journey. I’d say the unusual experience was worth it and would absolutely recommend trying out a sleeper train if you’re travelling around Europe but don’t want to lose your days to travel! -Harvey Jones
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The best purchase of my year abroad My name is Eleanor, and I’m the Creative designer for the Linguist Magazine 2020/21. I’m a fourth year French and German student, and I had the pleasure of working in Germany as an English Language Assistant on my Year Abroad. When people find out you’re going to live abroad, you’re naturally met with a lot of European stereotypes. When asked about Germany, people probably think of three things: cars, Lederhosen, and beer. Whilst there is much more to
studying abroad than pure clichés, at least some of these stereotypes will ring true for many… For those that don’t know what a Dirndl is, don’t worry, I didn’t either before I studied abroad! A Dirndl is the female equivalent of the Bavarian traditional dress, its male counterpart being Lederhosen. It originated as an alpine folk outfit in the 18th century and was generally considered a peasant’s outfit across Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and even some Northern areas of Italy. These days, however, the Dirndl is more often associated with the national holiday Oktoberfest. Originally, the folk festival started in Munich, although you can generally find a celebration in most cities in Germany during the month of October. Locals come together to ride fairground rides, play games, and drink specially brewed Oktoberfest Bier. I was lucky enough to experience a traditional Oktoberfest in Erfurt whilst I was on my Year Abroad, and I was surprised to find out that, at least for a couple of weeks in October, the stereotype of Germans wearing a Dirndl or Lederhosen is actually true! Despite the bitter East-German Winter being well on its way, men and women of all ages gather to celebrate
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wearing the traditional Bavarian dress. In fact, we stood out more by wearing our thick winter coats and jeans... Though it started out as a bit of a joke between friends, I was really starting to crave the ultimate souvenir from Germany, but with traditional Lederhosen and Dirndls from Bavaria setting you back up to 500€, it was starting to look like a pipe dream. Traditional outfits produced in Munich are a work of art, and as much as I envied my German friends’ beautiful silk and lace creations, I simply could not justify the cost, especially when Oktoberfest had already been and gone! One afternoon exploring my city after work, however, I got lucky. Tucked away in the back of a second-hand shop was a rack of Dirndls; it was out of season, so the remaining dresses were pretty garish, in unflattering colours and still quite expensive. At the back of the rack was a single, pale blue silk Dirndl with a pink apron. It was made by a recognised Bavarian company and to my amazement, it was only 10€!
It was the only one in the store that was both in a colour I liked, and in my size. It was surely meant to be. Unfortunately, my time living in Germany has come to an end, so I really have no opportunity to showcase my bargain find. I can already imagine the reactions of most of my friends to my clichéd purchase, but to me my Dirndl will forever be a souvenir of the wonderful times I had living abroad. Who knows, maybe I’ll make it to Oktoberfest next year! - Eleanor Smith
Stranded in South America My name is Rachael, I study Modern Languages and this year I’ll be an English Proofreader for the Linguist Magazine. Last year I spent a semester studying in Uruguay, a lovely little country in South America nestled between Brazil and Argentina.
Whilst I was out there, I set myself the challenge to explore as much of the country (and continent) as I could, and I did just that! Here’s a little story of the weekend I went to an isolated village on the coast called Cabo Polonio and how I almost didn’t come back! To be able to explain this adventure there are some things I need to explain about Cabo Polonio: It is only accessible by foot or dune buggy. There is no electricity, running water or wifi (apart from in the few hostels with generators). As there is no electricity, credit cards are no more valuable than monopoly money and cash is the only way to pay.
By that point, we didn’t even have enough cash between the four of us to buy a single return fare, so we went to get on the dune buggy and hoped for the best. Naturally, they saw I didn’t have a ticket and wouldn’t let me on the buggy. That was it. There was nothing else to do than to beg in my gringo Spanish that they let me on to the bus because it was that or I’d stay there forever. I started to envision my life as a hermit living off the land in South America, confined to one small village for the rest of my days with no money and only the sea-lions as company. Luckily, after some serious por favors and looking hopeless they ended up letting me onto the modified 4x4 dune buggy. To this day I am thankful to the amused Uruguayan local who looked at this terrified foreign girl, smiled and granted me my pass back to civilisation. This is probably the kind of year abroad horror story best left untold, but I think it serves as a powerful message about the thrill of a good adventure, the kindness of strangers, and it’s a pretty compelling reminder to always take extra cash just in case.
- Rachael Jones
My friends and I arrived in Cabo Polonio in the dark and took an exhilarating ride over the sand dunes where we were met by locals with torches calling out the name of our hostel. We followed them through the darkness to the Lobo Hostel Bar where we found out we had to pay for our stay with cash. We had brought very few notes with us (what students carry cash nowadays?) and after paying for the accommodation and meals we quickly ran out of physical money. Left with a mere 80 pesos (or £1.50) between us we spent it on the classic student essentials: bread and chocolate (alcohol was out of our price range). At first, having no money wasn’t really a problem as we were in one of Uruguay’s most beautiful nature reserves. We went to the beach, visited the lighthouse and I saw a sky full of stars like I’d never seen before- an experience that will stay with me forever. We had a great time and got away with having very little cash to spend… or so we thought! Just before the sand buggies arrived to take us back to civilisation, I was looking for my return ticket that we had (oh so sensibly) bought at the beginning of the trip to avoid any problems. Unfortunately, our careful planning had not allowed for my scatter-brained, disorganised tendencies and the fact that I had lost my ticket!
A ride on a modified 4X4 dune buggy is the only way into Cabo Polonio
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The Buda-best time in Hungary’s capital I’m Camille, the French Editor and one of the proof-readers for the UoB Linguist Magazine. I am a third year Modern Languages student hoping to spend my year abroad in Strasbourg, France and Granada, Spain. As a French and Spanish student, I have spent the majority of my trips abroad in France or Spain. However, last summer I decided I wanted to venture further into Europe, and after hearing practically everyone I know gush about Hungary’s capital city, Budapest, my friend and I decided to visit for 10 days and find out why everyone was so in love with the city. The trip didn’t get off to the greatest start: our flight was delayed by nearly 2 hours and upon arrival in Hungary, whilst waiting outside Budapest airport for a taxi, we were mercilessly bitten by gnats, specifically on the face. This resulted in me having a swollen red eye for the next four days, which garnered some concerned looks from Budapest locals, as admittedly it looked like I’d been punched in the face. Despite this irritating start, I cannot remember a single other negative experience from the trip. In fact, I now regard it as my favourite holiday to date. I had initially been worried that we would run out of activities for 10 days in Budapest, but we easily could have stayed for two weeksthe city is overflowing with culture, sight-seeing opportunities and activities. During the day, we visited museums, galleries and historical monuments, some of my favourites being the Budapest Royal Palace and Margaret Island. This island is in the middle of the Danube river which runs through Budapest and is host to medieval ruins, parkland and beautiful cycling trails.
We spent the evenings in cosy, locally owned restaurants or atmospheric ‘ruin’ bars. The best way I can think to describe a ruin bar is as an indoor junkyard merged with a music festival: they are largely constructed from abandoned warehouses or historic buildings and are decorated with fairy
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Camille in the Budapest Metro
lights, neon signs and vintage furniture. Each bar is slightly different and there's a plethora of them around the city, all serving delicious, eclectic drinks (the cocktails are to die for). Although every place we visited was incredible, the one that I would compel everyone to visit is the Széchenyi Thermal Baths. Budapest is renowned for its thermal baths, but the Széchenyi Baths are amongst the most popular attractions in Budapest- and rightly so. The Baths feature hot, spring-water pools- both indoor and outdoorsauna cabins, ice baths and more. It was hands down the most relaxing experience of my life and I am eager to visit again. As a language enthusiast, I like to come back from another country having learnt some useful phrases in its language, but I’m afraid all I acquired from Hungarian was how to say thank you, which is köszönöm, pronounced ‘kew-sewnewm’. I’m doubtful that I pronounced it correctly, but it seemed to go a long way when speaking to Budapest’s locals, so I’d recommend learning a few simple phrases in Hungarian before visiting (as you should when travelling to any country!) Hopefully upon my next visit to Hungary I’ll pick up more than just one word of the language- and hopefully that visit will be soon! -Camille Stevenson
My year in Madrid:
the perfect Spanish Culture and Language Experience ¡Hola! I’m Megan, the current Spanish section editor of the Linguist. I am a final year International Relations student, having just completed my year abroad (well, most of it) in Madrid.
Despite being cut short by the Coronavirus pandemic, my year abroad in Madrid was eventful and exciting – even, at times, educational. I cannot
lemonade) on sunny roof terraces; strolls in El Retiro park; finding bargains at the Sunday market, El Rastro; Saturday brunch with friends; being surrounded by people from all over the globe – all chatting in different languages and laughing in cosy bars and coffee shops. Madrid is a beautiful city with a welcoming but electric atmosphere, where you can create amazing memories and stories that you will tell for years to come. My year abroad, as a story, does not disappoint. It is full of friendship, adventure, & joy - with just a splash of trauma and stress, for good measure. There was one stolen phone, one hospital visit, and many allnight essay writing sessions. Nevertheless, there were many more nights spent dancing the night away in discotecas, or eating tapas and drinking cañas (small Spanish beers), whilst putting the world to rights with friends.
wait to be able to return to Madrid, hopefully sometime soon, and I will always appreciate what the city has given me in terms of increased confidence, refined language skills, and another place to call home. As my Spanish fluency grew steadily over the months I studied at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, my confidence grew alongside it. I studied both International Law and Political Science modules, the majority of which were taught in Spanish. Before living in Madrid, I would never have imagined that I could be capable of doing a tenminute presentation in Spanish on International Human Rights Law but three months into my studies, that was exactly what I was doing! I really cannot recommend highly enough complete immersion when learning a language. I feel as though one week of struggling (but persisting) with difficult conversations in banks and police stations, whilst trying to gain my residency card, taught me
Palacio de Cibeles, Madrid
Puerta del Sol, Madrid
the most valuable lessons I have ever learnt in terms of Spanish grammar and spoken fluency. The Spanish way of life, the culture, and (perhaps most significantly) the food, have all become important parts of my everyday life. Since coming back to the UK in March, I have noticed many small changes in my habits and ways of thinking. From the times that I eat, to some of the everyday actions and expectations of others that I now notice as being distinctly British. I miss the afternoon glasses of tinto de Verano (red wine and gaseosa /
I always knew that culture and travel were important to me, but after being unexpectedly pulled away from Madrid, I will definitely appreciate future adventures, and existing memories, even more. I am extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to travel and live in different countries; experiencing different cultures and learning new languages. I will never take these experiences for granted, and I cannot wait to get back into the world, once it is safe to do so.
I miss Madrid, deeply, but I am also very excited to get back to Birmingham. I cannot wait to see what this year holds for the Linguist and my second, and unfortunately, final year as the editor of the Spanish section.
- Megan Lacey
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24 hours in Barcelona changed my degree Structure for the better! I'm Emma, and I'm the editor for both the Catalan and Culture sections for the UoB Linguist magazine 2020! I absolutely loved being the Chair for the magazine last year, and wanted to maintain my connection to the Linguist whilst on my Year abroad in Catalonia.
Barcelona, what a beautiful city. In fact, ‘beautiful’ is an understatement. I spent 24 hours here, and just could not get enough. I had to go back for another 72 hours a year later.
But, one thing you can’t beat, is the food. Pa amb tomàquet (soft tomato spread across crusty bread) as a starter, a paella for your main, and crema catalana for dessert, you just can’t go wrong! I strongly advise a trip to Barcelona. It’s pricey, but if you get plane tickets at the right time it’s a bargain! It’s a beautiful city, and well worth the visit. - Emma Velho
From la Sagrada Familia to Monjuïc, from the Gothic Quarter to Las Ramblas, there’s always something to do in Barcelona. I first visited Barcelona a couple of months prior to beginning university, consolidating my choice to study Catalan. Upon seeing the gorgeous architecture, which I later studied in a second-year module, I fell in love. Thank you, Ildefons Cerdà, for providing Barcelona with such gorgeous architecture. I couldn’t quite get enough of it. I just fell in love. As soon as I came out of the metro station at Urgell, I knew this was the place to be. Following this trip, I began my Catalan studies at university, falling more and more in love with Catalonia and its capital each day. I’m due to spend a year doing Erasmus there, beginning in September, too! Monjuïc is an absolutely gorgeous place. I spent some time there prior to heading to the airport – what a blissful morning that was. It was a sunny, quiet Thursday morning. There was a gorgeous breeze in the air. The greenery was looked after, and there was a wonderful view of the Barcelona skyline. The museum of Catalonia’s history was moving. It was really emotional to see the dark past of Catalonia’s history, but very informative too. It’s definitely worth a visit! Another thing is, of course, la Sagrada Familia. This iconic landmark built by Antoni Gaudí in the 1880s is simply astonishing. In fact, it was never finished, so they began reconstructing it in 2010! I’m really excited to see the finished result!
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Emma admiring a pro-independence mural at the museum of Catalan history
Discovering Portugal Hi, I’m Emily and I’m a final year Modern Languages student. For my first contribution as Portuguese section editor, it seems only fitting to go back to the place where my love for the Portuguese world began: the small and beautiful city of Faro. Having never been to Portugal before, visiting this area was a truly wonderful first experience of the country. The
stunning beaches, serene islands, and spectacular caves were a feast for the eyes!
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Unlike the typical sun-seeking tourists that I met along the way, the main factor that brought me to Faro was improving my language skills. I had started learning Portuguese that academic year - as if German and Spanish weren’t keeping me busy enough - and was in dire need of some practice before exams. Fortunately, one perk of a modern languages degree is that travelling can count as revision! So, after convincing my sister to come along and keep me company – not much persuasion needed there - we hopped on the plane to Faro, hoping to return a little more fluent in the language. This will definitely go down as one of my most relaxing holidays, with our days including an obligatory nap on the beach, basking in the Spring sunshine. We didn’t spend all our time lounging about though and made the most of the short time we had, beginning with a boat trip out to the islands of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. This involved a peaceful cruise across the calm waters of this languid lagoon, taking in the wildlife and the fresh sea air, before disembarking to explore the islands. Beware of changeable sea conditions, though! An oncoming storm resulted in a rocky boat trip back, presenting us with the unsolicited bonus of a healthy dose of sea spray. Another recommendable excursion from Faro is to the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail near Lagoa, offering a scenic coastal walk that looks down on exquisite cliffs, caves and rock formations, with the odd hidden beach to discover along the way. One of my proudest moments of this holiday was actually during the taxi journey to this trail, when I managed to sustain a lengthy conversation in Portuguese with the driver. While this may sound trivial, it’s these moments of connecting to people in a way that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible that I love about learning foreign languages. During my endeavours to practise the language, one of the most encouraging things that I noticed was that people really
Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, Portugal
Sunset at Praio do Faro, Portugal
appreciated the effort of simply trying to speak their language, be it popping into the tourist information for a chat, chatting to other hostel residents, or stumbling through my lunch order at a restaurant. That brings me to the food. How I lived 20 years of my life without trying the heavenly delicacy that is pastéis de nata (Portuguese custard tarts), I do not know. It was long overdue that is for sure. If you haven’t tried them yet, you are in for a treat! Although just a 4-day trip, my first adventure in Portugal didn’t disappoint. My language confidence improved considerably over the short period of time and my interest in Portugal was officially sparked. I have since been drawn back to this magical country to see other amazing cities like Porto, Aveiro and Coimbra. Hopefully soon enough I will be able to return, but in the meantime, I look forward to exploring more about the culture through your articles in this section of the magazine! - Emily Petrie
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A Day at the Carnival My name is Franca Filipik and I’m the current Italian section editor for the UoB Linguist Magazine. I study Italian and Translation and, before the global pandemic, I was studying abroad in Italy. Whilst on my Year Abroad I had lots of opportunities to travel, however one experience that really stands out for me was my trip to the Carnival.
Carnival is a major cultural event in Italy, with the most well-known one being in Venice. It occurs annually in February and involves street parties, parades, shows and dressing up. My friends and I were keen to experience Carnival whilst in Italy. We considered going to the Venice Carnival as it is very traditional and the city is beautiful, but we decided that it would be too packed with tourists to be able to enjoy it to the full. After much research we settled on going to the Carnival in Cento, a small town in EmiliaRomagna, which is in fact paired with the Rio Carnival in Brazil. Not really knowing what to expect, we caught the bus to Cento and arrived in what appeared to be an empty town. After wandering around for a while we found the entrance to the Carnival where we were told it was 16 euros to get in. As we couldn’t really see or hear anything from the inside of the Carnival we were a bit dubious about paying. We deliberated going to the Carnival in Ferrara, which was close by, but as we had come all the way to Cento we decided that we may as well pay the entry fee and it was a decision we did not regret! The inside of the Carnival was a stark contrast to the deserted streets outside the barriers. It was bustling with people and music was blaring from speakers. The streets
A typical Carnival float in Cento, Italy
were littered with confetti which was being thrown by children dressed up in their finest Carnival outfits. We had arrived just in time for the float parade which was the highlight of the day. The floats were huge, and actually pretty terrifying. The one that stood out the most was a large baby in striped pyjamas which appeared to be in a gas chamber. For a Carnival full of children this was a bit dark, and we did not really understand how it was relevant in the context we were in, but it seemed to be the showstopper. The rest of the floats were a bit more upbeat, and many had people dressed up and dancing on them which was enjoyable. One even had a DJ booth! The floats were special as people in the town spend the whole year constructing them specifically for this parade, and you can see the hard work and dedication that had gone into them. Once the floats had finished their parade, they were driven back to where they had come from, and much to our surprise there were people on top of them flinging free gifts into the crowd. What seemed like a fun experience soon turned into a free-for-all, with adult men literally fighting over a fluffy toy turtle. I even got scratched in the chaos. We did come away with a beach lilo and two inflatable donuts though, so I guess we had some success.
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An example of the kind of floats at Carnival celebrations in Italy
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to the Carnival. I would definitely recommend it to anyone on a Year Abroad in Italy as it’s a great way to feel part of the culture. - Franca Filipik
The time of my life in St.Petersburg My name’s Georgia, and I am going into third year as a French, Spanish and Russian student! I have continued my role as Russian editor at the Linguist this year, and I’ve also picked up the Life and Style section. I can’t wait to get stuck in! I find it hard to believe that it’s been a year since I went to Russia – it feels like yesterday! I was so lucky to have been sent to St Petersburg with all the other first year Russian beginners, for a month-long trip subsidised by the university. I wish every language offered it, as I know I will look back on it as a highlight of my degree! The trip was eventful to say the least – on arriving at the airport my suitcase had been lost (along with four others) and after queueing for hours, filling out forms and liaising with airport staff, I arrived at my host’s flat at 11pm with nothing but a rucksack! Thankfully I was greeted by the friendly face of my host, as well as some borscht to make it a truly Russian welcome. My host was absolutely incredible, plying me with multiple breakfasts every day and homemade snacks for my day trips. I definitely did not starve! She also gave me one St Petersburg postcard every morning, on which I had to write about my plans for the day in Russian. At the end of the month she gave me all of them in a little pack, which was the most lovely thing because I had my own little diary to remember my trip by (as well as remember how much better my Russian is now!). The whole family definitely did everything they could to make me feel welcome, and I would love to see them again one day. My friends and I saw every possible thing we could. After our daily Russian lessons at the Higher School of Economics, we would visit various tourist hotspots like St Isaac’s Cathedral or the Hermitage, but also lesser known
Georgia in St. Petersburg
places such as Sevcable Port, where we ate gyros overlooking the Gulf of Finland, or a karaoke bar where my friends and I sang Super Trooper to a crowd of emo fans (perhaps we should have catered to our audience, but who doesn’t love ABBA). At the end of the month we even watched Swan Lake performed at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, which was an incredible experience! We made the most of every single day, and it taught me how I want all my future travel experiences to be. Now I would much rather go to a country for a month or more, as you get to know every nook and cranny, and the entire experience challenges you. This was the most daunting trip of my life, but absolutely the best one! And now I am so looking forward to *what’s left of* my year abroad… - Georgia Boote
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Travel to Thailand? Phuket, why not! I’m Becca, a third-year music student, and I’m taking on the role of the Mandarin Editor this year. People are sometimes surprised that I can speak and understand the language, but I grew up in Singapore, so I thought it made more sense to learn Mandarin over French! One of the things I loved about living in Singapore was that it was a central hub of Southeast Asia, so I was lucky enough to be able to hop on a plane and explore many other countries. One country that I’ve found myself frequently drawn to is Thailand - each time I return I have a completely different, yet equally fun, experience. My favourite trip there involved visiting two locations Phuket and Khao Lak. It was my first time travelling with friends and planning out a trip myself, which definitely made things more spontaneous and unpredictable! For the first couple of days, we stayed in Phuket and volunteered at Soi Dog Foundation, a centre that rescues street dogs and provides vaccination services, medical treatment, shelter, and eventually adoption. We learnt a lot about the horrifying dog meat trade, which the sanctuary has helped to stop. I hadn’t always been entirely comfortable around big dogs, but spending a few days there walking and socialising with them turned me into a big dog lover!
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In Khao Lak, we also did a Thai cooking class at Pakinnaka, which involved tasting food at a local market in the hidden town of Takuapa, followed by some very messy spring roll making (I’m not particularly gifted in the culinary department). We also cooked a Thai cashew chicken dish, which is one of my favourite meals to date. In general, local restaurants in Thailand serve incredible food for very cheap prices. Thailand is a beautiful country and if you haven’t had the chance to visit yet, I would definitely add it to your list! If you’re looking for a more action-packed adventure holiday, I would also recommend travelling to Chiang Mai. - Becca Snoad
Thai cooking lesson in Takuapa, Thailand
We then made our way up to Khao Lak, which has some really stunning beaches and waterfalls. I tried surfing for the first time and, despite having been pretty terrified of the ocean for much of my life, I had an amazing time. The surf was pretty small when we went in May, so I would recommend going during Autumn if you want some bigger waves. Another thing is that we went in the wet season, which not only meant that there was a lot of rain, but also we came to discover that that was when Thailand’s mang mao insects (basically flying termites) took flight. One night, we made the mistake of leaving one of our lights on in the accommodation, and hundreds of them squeezed through the little gap underneath our door, swarming round our room. There were definitely a few screams and flip-flops involved! It looked a bit like a battle scene in the morning, with wings covering the floor. I would probably
recommend travelling there some time after May/June if you want to avoid the wet weather and the mang mao invasion!
Tips for Thailand I’m Chloe, a final year French and History student, and the Travel Editor for the Linguist this year. Last summer I travelled around Thailand for 5 weeks, so I consider myself clued-up on what to see, and how to get the best value for money! Therefore, I present my top 10 tips for travelling in Thailand... Indulge in some roti - this delicacy is on offer on almost every Thai street. It is essentially a rectangular pancake folded up, with banana inside. The best thing of all, it only cost around 30 Baht (74p)! Hop in a tuktuk – try not to be worried about how unsafe they appear! Make sure to barter, especially if you look like a clueless tourist, as I did. Often you can negotiate down to half their initial price. Under no circumstances forget insect repellent – when people say the insects are rife in northern Thailand, they mean it. Take a trip to Pai – Pai is a small town tucked away in the northern Thai mountains. The bus journey there was brutal, well known for its 762 twisting turns. Pai was my favourite destination throughout the whole trip, as I experienced the best street food I'd ever had. Our 'hostel’ was a huge tent – it was refreshing to sleep in the fresh air rather than an unairconditioned hostel room! Take a boat around the floating markets – the Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets were an incredible day trip. Beware, there is only one company running boats to the markets, so they can charge whatever they want. We paid around £75 between 4 people for the trip but overall it was worth the money. You take a boat trip around the maze of markets, and signal to the driver if you want to stop to have a look. I still wear the skirt I bought there and love that I have a physical ‘souvenir’ from the markets. Download Grab for taxis - Grab is essentially a better version of Uber in Thailand and is often much cheaper. Have a cocktail in a rooftop bar in Bangkok – the skyline of Bangkok boasts numerous rooftop bars, some of which have strict dress codes, but others are more relaxed. I went to the Redsquare Rooftop bar, the views from 75 floors up were incredible. Go to the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep at sunrise – this was the most stunning temple we visited, located in Chiang Mai. We went just after sunrise to avoid the crowds of tourists, and it was well worth it. The temple looks out onto the jungle, and the morning sun shines off the gold of the temple. There are 300 steps to climb before the temple, which are so ornately decorated that the temple feels rather palatial.
Buy a SIM card at the Thai airport! If you’re in a group, you only need one SIM card as you can hotspot your friends. I was pleasantly surprised to only pay £20 for 5 weeks of mobile data. Khao Sok National Park – the logistics of getting to Khao Sok were complicated, but often the least accessible places are the most beautiful. The views in Khao Sok were stunning, and we took an overnight trip offered by our hostel (Coco Hostel) to stay in huts on a lake, including a 6am safari boat trip and unlimited Thai buffets. I would strongly recommend a trip to Thailand – the scenery was incredible and the local Thai people were always friendly. I hope this was helpful for imagining post-covid travel plans! -Chloe Brown
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The joys of being a tourist at home
I’m Elsie the Current Affairs Editor, and I’m about to enter my final year of a Spanish and Music joint honours degree. I spent my year abroad in Salamanca and had some amazing experiences, although I’m really looking forward to starting a new year in Birmingham!
Chances are that your summer plans have changed, whether you planned to travel or not. In my case, being at home has given me a chance to rediscover my local area just the other day I took a walk through the ruins of a Roman fort about a 10 minute drive away from home, that I didn’t even know existed until this summer. Being able to ‘travel’ close to home has given me the opportunity to reflect on the country I live in, the beautiful places within it, and the places I’d like to learn more about. In 2018 I took a trip for a few days around the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. We went with a tour company that departed from Edinburgh and drove all the way up to the islands by bus. The fun thing about the trip was that it was designed for tourists (obviously) - I was the only Scot in the group and the company made sure to portray Scottish clichés as much as they could. We made sure to take part in typically Scottish
activities like whiskey tasting and spotting the Loch Ness Monster, all while our guide provided a running commentary on the ancient myths, legends and history of Scotland. Most importantly, he was always in a kilt while he did so. We travelled through the Highlands and then onto the Isle of Skye, stopping every so often to explore a castle, stop in a glen or visit a sleeping giant! We ate delicious seafood and enjoyed each other’s company while taking in arguably some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. As a child, every summer my family and I would spend the school holidays in the Highlands. My parents were really keen on us enjoying nature, walking and history, while my siblings and I loved seeing wildlife and being able to play on an empty beach. As the years went by, however, our trips became less and less frequent, as we all grew up and life simply changed with us. To be able to visit the Highlands again and travel around these places that I hadn’t seen since childhood was a really beautiful experience.
"We're often so quick to romanticise travelling abroad... during my trip I was struck by how much there is to explore in your own country"
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Views from Glencoe, Scotland
During my trip as an adult I was really struck by how much there is to explore in your own country, which I had forgotten. We’re often so quick to romanticise travelling abroad - I know I have always done it - and how can anyone really blame us? Films, books, music and society as a whole often encourages us to dream of far-off lands. Of course, this is a great thing in many ways as developing a global outlook can be so important to our development. However, it can come at the expense of overlooking the adventures we can have closer to home. My trip to the Highlands gave me the chance to re-discover a part of Scotland that is close to my heart, and learn more about my own home as a result. - Elsie Haldane
An 18 birthday to remember th
Hello! I am Emma W, the Linguist’s Food and Drink editor for the upcoming year. My love for food and drink has been lifelong, but my interest in languages largely blossomed because my local secondary school specialised in MFL! Whilst currently a thirdyear Spanish and Mandarin with Business Management student, I also spent six years studying Japanese. A GCSE, A-Level, homestay and school trip later, I no longer study it formally but try to keep it up in my own time (albeit infrequently). When asked to write about a particularly memorable travel experience for this introductory issue, a couple of holidays and school trips sprang to mind. Ultimately, however, I was hard-pressed to find another experience where I appreciated every aspect quite as much as with the Japan trip I mentioned above. I especially loved the contrasting elements of the culture - the tranquillity of Kyoto’s Arashiyama Bamboo Grove compared with the buzz of lights and people at Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing just under three hours away by bullet train.
Perhaps surprisingly, the true highlight of my trip was neither Kyoto nor Tokyo, but instead the less frequently visited Kagoshima. Situated on Kyushu, the most southerly of Japan’s four main islands, Kagoshima is famous for the Sakurajima volcano peninsula. Despite it erupting almost daily for over 60 years, thousands of people live at the foot, taking advantage of the fertile volcanic soil.
An early evening view of Sakurajima from the mainland.
As the Food and Drink editor, I feel obliged to write at least a couple of lines about what I ate whilst there, although truthfully it was difficult not to write a whole article on the food alone. Within Japan, Kagoshima is known for its ‘Shirokuma’ dessert – mochi and fruit served on top of crushed ice and condensed milk. It not only translates to English as ‘polar bear’ but is served to look like one too. As a massive Wagamama enthusiast it pains me to say that the pork broth ramen I tried whilst there was head and shoulders above any I have had elsewhere. So good in fact, that even after two years of being No picture could do justice to how delicious vegetarian, it is one of the ramen was, which is good because this only two things (the other one certainly doesn’t. being KFC popcorn chicken) that would make me consider eating meat again. Kagoshima’s semi-tropical climate means mild autumn weather, allowing for a public dance festival, Ohara Matsuri, to take place annually on 2nd and 3rd November. Not exactly renowned for my dancing ability, I was reluctant when my teacher first mentioned that we would be in Kagoshima during the event - the second day of which happened to fall on my 18th birthday. However, after seeing the central streets fill with thousands of people, in kimono of various styles and shades, I was eager to take part the following day. We danced in formation with students from the local high school we had visited on the 2nd (which again, I would love to dedicate whole paragraphs to if this article had no word limit!). During a water break, we were approached by a journalist, who, after briefly checking that we spoke Japanese, guided a microphone towards me so that I could explain my thoughts on the festival. Whilst the pressure of being interviewed on live TV may have caused me to forget how to string a sentence together in a language I had spent the previous six years studying, I certainly will not forget my 18th birthday spent in Kagoshima! - Emma Walker
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