Issue 7

CURRENT AFFAIRS

EUROMAIDAN: A CRISIS UNFOLDING

CULTURE

THE DARK SIDE OF THE NORTH

ITALIANO

TRAGEDIE DEL

MARE: NAUFRAGI

E SPERANZE

日本語

COMING OF AGE DAY

YEAR ABROAD SPECIAL TIPS ON BEING A LANGUAGE ASSISTANT

WINNER OF OUTSTANDING

Issue 7

FEATURED ARTICLES .

TRAVELLING ALONE: COPENHAGE DENMARK

Read an account of a writer’s first time alone in Denmark’s capital city.

PAGE 10

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hello everyone! Very excited to introduce our second issue of this academic year, I am so happy with the amount of articles we received not only for this issue but also for our website. I am very happy to welcome a new section; Greek. One of our aims for this year has been to engage more students across campus and I really feel like we are growing and expanding so much that we are fulfilling our objective! (Although I would like more people to get involved!). I welcome both Greek co-editors and can’t wait to see some great articles being published.

by Julie Ledesma

speak to current editors and committee members, so please keep an eye out for more information. Being involved in a committee is one of the best things I have done whilst at University. I have met great friends and learnt so much and I am really glad I did it!

I am also very thrilled to announce we will be holding The Linguist Presents: Year Abroad Talks. Our editors have agreed to share their experiences whilst abroad, so for anyone interested in going to China, Russia or Germany, please make sure to get involved. It is a great opportunity to listen to someone who's actually been there and knows what it’s all about. There will be more information on our Facebook. A lot is going on this term, so make sure you get involved!

COMING-OF-AGE DAY

A guide to a special ceremony for those turning 20 in Japan.

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We have our AGM on the 26th of March in the Guild Council Chambers (15:30-16:30), so if you want to get more involved, become an editor or even run the magazine please make sure you attend! If you want more information on what positions will be available and what each of them involve then email linguist@guild.bham.ac.uk or get in contact through our Facebook page! We will be having an Editors workshop to give you a chance to

Things you should be looking out for in this issue are firstly “Coming of Age Day”, where our Japanese writer Asoko explains how special turning 20 is in the country and how she celebrated it! Our Culture writer Rebecca writes about “The Dark Side of the North” and how people cope living in the darkness for 40 days. So read on and see all the amazing articles written….

Committee

Chair: Julie Ledesma

Secretary: Jessica Brand

Creative Design: Adele May

Treasurer: Sam Lowe

Proof Reader: Sam Lowe

3 Current Affairs

5 Life & Style

7 Culture

9 Travel

11 Français

12

Español

13 РУССКИЙ

Other Roles

Deputy Proof Reader: Rachel Bliss

Design Team: Fariha Nawaz

3 Current Affairs

14 Deutsch

15 Nederlands

16 Polski

17 Italiano

18 Português

19 ελληνικά

20 Chinese

21

Editors

Arabic: Farina Kokab

Chinese: Chloe Saunders

Culture: Stephanie White

Current Affairs: Saul Shimmin

Dutch: Ed Vos

French: Phillippa Gent and Emily Deacock

German: Naomi Betteley

Greek: Susanna Georgiou and Myrto Bartatila

Italian: Chanika Hikkaduwage

Japanese: Arisa Lee

Life & Style: Hannah Cluley

Polish: Pawel Pokorski & Agnieszka Rzésniowiecka

Russian: Naomi Betteley

Portuguese: Matthew Norley

Spanish: Rachel Bliss

Travel: Robyn Adam

Front Cover Picture: taken by Joey Lee

CURRENT AFFAIRS

EUROMAIDAN: A CRISIS UNFOLDING by Sam Lowe

Since November 2013, Ukraine has been gripped in a struggle between tradition and reform. A nation which has continued to churn away internally since the collapse of Communism, now more than 20 years ago, is finally reaching a turbulent juncture in its existence. The issue is whether Ukraine should aspire to further integrate, along with many other former Communist allies, such as Poland, Bulgaria and the Baltic states, with the European Union. Protest and violence has spilled onto the streets, in response to this national hot button.

In 2012, the Ukrainian government began a process of developing greater ties to the EU through Association and Trade Agreements. In Western Ukraine and liberal political bastions such as Lviv and the national capital Kiev, such pro Europe behaviour has always been well received. In the East however, in the industrial and mining cities like Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk, a tendency to look to Russia as an economic and political anchor has always prevailed. President Viktor Yanukovych, who has been in office since 2010, and a prevalent political figure since 2004, hails from Donetsk, and has at times been accused of ballot rigging by opponents from the more liberal Western regions.

In November, Yanukovych decided to back away from the new relationships being formed with the European Union, after spending more than a year fostering their creation. The President believed that the Ukrainian economy would be better supported by a financial arrangement with Russia, and stated that he intended to restart the process when he was confident the Ukrainian economy would strengthen again. Due to this sudden and almost unannounced policy change, peaceful protest demonstrations, known collectively as Euromaidan, began in the capital.

The pro-Europe protestors first amassed on the evening of the 21st of November, battling freezing temperatures and heavy snow, and did not engage in any violent activities. The aim was to simply make the government aware of the upset they had caused through their new-found course of action. Certain polls had suggested that as many as 49% of Ukrainians thought that Ukraine should join the EU, and only 31% opposed, with the rest of the population undecided or uninterested. The protest movement was soon joined

by large numbers of Western Ukrainian residents and university students in their thousands, springing up supporting demos in a number of cities across the country.

Violence first erupted in Dnipropetrovsk and Odessa, as police forcefully started to end demonstrations at the order of local courts. Meanwhile in Kiev, a pro-Government rally sporting anti-EU and homophobic signs began facing off with the thousands of Euromaidan supporters already demonstrating there. The movement began to gain momentum rapidly, with a media blackout in Donetsk, where the pro-Government groups far outnumbered the pro-EU groups, and varied initial reports suggested that police were unable, maybe even unwilling, to prevent the huge “Save Ukraine” demonstration from acting violently towards those defending the Association Agreement.

In Lviv to the west, almost the polar opposite was happening. Large numbers of protestors encircled government and military buildings, stating demands that had by that point been drafted. On the 29th of November, the Euromaidan groups had begun demanding the Ukrainian government renew its relations with Europe, that oppression of their demonstrations cease, and that the government resign. By early December, both internal and external observers had started to discuss the possibility of the Euromaidan movement becoming a revolution.

There certainly are various hallmarks now present of the movement turning into a revolution. On Janurary 28th, the Prime Minister and Ministers resigned, after repeated demands to do so from the protestors and parliament. Yanukovych is facing opposition from his population in the form of ever increasing demands to integrate with the EU, and

THE AIM WAS TO SIMPLY MAKE THE GOVERNMENT AWARE OF THE UPSET

dwindling tangible support from his home regions to the East. Now three months on, the police services across Ukraine have become permanent paramilitary fixtures, facing off with protestors in riot gear, using stun and gas grenades, and have been involved in the assaults and arrests of journalists and medics. 6 people are known to have been killed, with dozens more unconfirmed deaths still being investigated. Several investigations are suggesting that the killings are results of riot police actions, but also some are results of violence between protestors. The streets are certainly becoming a battle ground, between not only police and protestors, but amongst different protesting factions. This element is what makes the scenes in Ukraine so markedly different from, for exam-

ple, the scenes of London in 2011. This is not a part of the population locking horns with the authorities; this is a deeply divided nation, erupting into warfare, expressing deep seated tensions.

The carnage continuing in Kiev, Donetsk, Lviv and across the country is not showing signs of subsiding. This observer feels that, with the power base gone, and mounting disapproval amongst the voters, the likely conclusion of this dark chapter in Ukraine’s history will be the end of Yanukovych’s presidency. An event such as that, should it happen, could have some very interesting repercussions for the governments of other divided nations, leaking into Bulgaria, Georgia, even perhaps Mother Russia herself.

THE PRESIDENT’S ESCAPADES by Jess Brand

President Francois Hollande has been exposed by French Press as engaging in an extra-marital affair with actress Julie Gayet. The President has been spotted travelling around Paris by motorcycle, wearing a helmet to disguise himself, accompanied by a single security guard, to meet the actress in what L’Express Magazine has described as Escapades Discretes. The President has been confronted about the affair, however, has remained focused on political matters in all statements made since the story has emerged. He is not playing to the celebrity press mentality of tabloid articles, and speaking about the economy and social changes has taken priority during his speeches to the press.

Like others in the public sphere, many may make the assumption that this could prove extremely destructive to his reputation and might spell the end of his career. This possibility is perhaps made more likely because of the precedent set by Nicholas Sarkozy, who had one of the most open personal lives of modern French politics; allow the press and public full access to his divorce, re-marriage and the birth of his daughter. Hollande, while not having denied anything as of yet, is equally not being entirely forthcoming. Julie Gayet is definitely facing career setbacks, with regards to the affair, having been banned by the

French government from partaking in a cultural board which selects talented young people for scholarships.

However, there is strong evidence to suggest that President Hollande will remain in office, mostly unscathed. A prime example is that of Bill Clinton, who remained not only popular with his electorate after his extra-marital discursion was made public, but also married to Hillary Clinton, who went on to have a successful state and national political career. Perhaps even more pertinent a comparison is former Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, who was elected three times between 1994 and 2008. Berlusconi who openly admitted to promiscuous behaviour, and has on numerous occasions been indicted on criminal charges, including bribery, abusing his position, soliciting underage girls for sex, and tax fraud, a case which started in 1988, six years before he first ran for office. Despite all of these obvious moral flaws, Berlusconi was a consistently popular politician during his time in office.

Moreover, it is suggested that every French president since 1975, excluding Nicholas Sarkozy, has had an affair of some kind. Because of this, the somewhat surprising revelations about Francois Hollande should not lead to any assumption that he may suffer serious setbacks. Political figures have certainly survived considerably more alarming scandals in the past, and the President is not revealing any obvious stress or panic about the affair.

THERE IS STRONG EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT PRESIDENT HOLLANDE WILL REMAIN IN OFFICE

LIFE & STYLE

MAKE-UP: A BETRAYAL OF YOUR TRUE SELF? by

Hannah Cluley

The Daily Mail recently published an article online showing the stark difference between a woman without and with makeup. The two photos apparently have sparked a lot of controversy, with people making comments involving words such as ‘betrayal’, a ‘disguise’ and stating that the makeup hides the woman’s true self. Are these words really appropriate when used to describe the use of makeup? This article made me question my own use of makeup. I am a pale, blonde haired, 22 year old. Without mascara, you cannot see my eyelashes, and without eyebrow pencil, I might as well have shaved my eyebrows. So by wearing makeup, does that mean that I am ‘hiding my true self’? Somehow I am not convinced. Sure, I look very different without makeup on, and once on holiday, a girl who had spoken to me whilst I was by the pool, sans any makeup, had no idea who I was when I saw her that evening, looking glam. But I find that more amusing than anything.

BY WEARING MAKEUP,

DOES THAT

MEAN I AM ‘HIDING MY TRUE SELF?

This notion that wearing makeup, and accentuating your features, is a betrayal, sort of goes against everything we’ve ever been taught. ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ and ‘don’t take things at face value’ have been drilled into us since primary school. Surely then, whether I am wearing makeup or not, whether I am making myself more ‘appealing’ to the masses, doesn’t really matter, because no matter how I look, it’s nothing to do with my personality. Why then, have people commented in fits of outrage, at how different this girl looks? If this girl wants to make herself look more attractive (in her opinion), and that makes herself feel more confident, why on earth can it be deemed as a betrayal? One commenter even compares her transformation to that of a guy wearing prosthetic muscles under a top (you can buy these apparently!), stating that if a woman found out, they would feel betrayed. Would you feel betrayed by this? I have given it some thought, and to be perfectly honest, betrayed is not a word I’d use. You can change the physical appearance of muscles, you can go to the gym, you can eat a healthy diet. I cannot however, miraculously make my ridiculously pale and invisible eyelashes grow thick and dark. I could dye them, but then that’s just the same as using makeup.

I have actually fallen victim to the mortified response from a guy, upon seeing my makeup free face. Okay, mortified is a bit of an exaggeration but his reaction was funny. However, it got less funny when he’d slyly make comments such as ‘oh are you not going to put mascara on?’ Should I put mascara on? So that he feels more comfortable? I think not. Another amusing tale is whenever my father sees me without concealer or foundation on, he makes comments like ‘are you feeling all right? You’re not ill are you? You look a bit tired’. Funnily enough Dad, I am tired! So is it acceptable for me to hide my fatigue from the world? I think so. I shouldn’t worry my father about how pasty I’m looking.

People may look drastically different with or without makeup, or with or without their hair dyed, but classing it as a betrayal, seems like a very shallow and quite preposterous thing to do. This is however, only my opinion, and (clearly) quite a few people seem to feel very differently!

RECIPE

SKINNY BAKED JALAPEÑO POPPERS by

With the new year, everyone’s new year’s resolutions are filled with ways to be healthier and fitter. Just because you want to be healthy, you don’t have to sacrifice your favourite foods too! Here’s a great healthy and easy recipe for jalapeño poppers.

Makes: 24

INGREDIENTS:

- 12 jalapeños (or green chillies)

- 120g light cream cheese

- 5 spring onions (green part only, sliced)

- 60g of light cheddar (grated)

- 1 egg (beaten)

- 70g of panko breadcrumbs

- 1/8 tsp of paprika

- 1/8 tsp of chilli powder

- 1/8 tsp of garlic powder

- salt and pepper

- oil spray

METHOD:

1. Halve the peppers and hollow out (deseeded and membranes removed)

2. In a bowl, mix the chopped spring onions, cream cheese and cheddar

3. Stuff the peppers with the cream cheese mixture

4. Dip the peppers in the egg

Jasmine Singh

5. In a separate bowl, mix the panko crumbs, garlic powder, paprika, chilli powder, salt and pepper together

6. Cover the egg washed peppers in the panko mixture

7. Place the peppers on grease-proof pepper and spray with oil

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 190C/Gas Mark 5 until golden brown and the cheese is oozing out

Enjoy (guilt free)!

CULTURE

THE DARK SIDE OF THE NORTH by Rébecca Abia

Have you ever heard of these countries where the sun doesn’t rise for days? I have and have been intrigued by it ever since! Not only did I find it extremely hard to believe, I also could not imagine how people could possibly work and have active lives during “night time”! My curiosity sparked, I set about finding out more, learning that this phenomena is called polar nights, and watching an RT documentary on the subject along the way. This documentary covered most of the questions that made up my fascination. Do people living under these circumstances find it difficult? How do they occupy their time? What ways to deal with these have been passed down between generations in their culture?

Murmansk, with about 307 000 inhabitants, is the most populous settlement in the Arctic Circle (region of these incredibly long nights) and faces “nights” of 40 days! As I thought, these long days may be difficult to adapt to for visitors, who are not used to it. The most popular local pastime is night fishing and in order to survive there, people have to move a lot and eat as well as possible. Eating the type of food traditionally eaten by Northern people may also help visitors to adapt. Of course, dark days cause tiredness but the locals are certainly accustomed to the night: schools are open for a shorter time, kindergarten children are given vitamins and made to do strengthening exercises and everyone in the area also seems to love winter sports and skiing. These activities produce an adrenaline rush that helps to get the energy necessary for work!

THE MOST POPULAR LOCAL PASTIME IS NIGHT FISHING

Ancestors of the Sami, the indigenous people of the Arctic area of Sápmi, developed their own way. To survive, they dedicated time to creativity after working. The practice of art has been carried on to preserve and observe the ancestors’ ways. What better way to ward off the depression of the darkness? Matalya, an interior designer explains how using as much light as possible inside means that this depression can also be pushed away from the home environment. In the documentary he encourages bright colours such as yellow, which evoke positive emotions that are reminiscent of summer time. Would you fancy a holiday by the Arctic Circle?

CROSSROADS OF EUROPE

by Maddie Kilminster

I was in the true crossroads of Europe – Strasbourg – a heart fed by French and German arteries which, like parasites, have traded her off between them back and forth for centuries; each competing for main blood supply. However, this Franco-German sibling rivalry has not rendered the city an undefined hermaphrodite struggling with an identity crisis but a region in her own right with her own personality. ‘Fed’ she may once have been but now she has become a swirling pool into which streams of foreign influence are seduced and kept beneath her siren clutches. She exploits her former suitors France and Germany; pits them off against each other, robbing them respectively of their most precious gems.

Indeed, it is not just the French and German who fall for the wiles of her Alsatian je ne sais quoi. Strasbourg is multi-nationally enriched her name itself, much like the genius that brought us ‘Esperanto’, sounds like a mélange cooked up by a novelist to fill the blank: [somewhere in Europe]. But rather than being generic, one saunters and drifts through her endearing alleys, and comes across a tantalising concoction of the very best features which define “European”. Beamed town houses are shipped in from Amsterdam, Parisian café-culture conquers street corners, Londonesque department stores reinvent Oxford Street, beer swims in from Bavaria, Venetian Gondolas command the river, Belgian chocolate shops and Croatian markets exchange their secrets for money or gawps; all over-looked by a distant cousin of York Minster who tucks himself in, spreading out around itself withered fingers of cobbles.

STRASBOURG REALLY IS “LA CAPITALE DE NOËL”

All these proud features are squeezed through a tight funnel into the town and sit together like ancient lovers who must now become colleagues in the Total Tourism game. Of course, as strings of LEDs boast high up above most main boulevards, Strasbourg really is “La Capitale de Noël”. She is in her element. You can feel her excitement. She knows just how to accent and embellish her features to please those who flock to her gates in anticipation for the embodiment of Christmas. She does not let up; no square is un-marketed, no building is un-bejewelled, no street is unadorned with lights. Christmas is hers.

For me, Strasbourg achieves a mighty thing. Not only does it succeed in providing a historical, cultural, romantic and all-round retail experience with about as much reliable transport links and variety of cuisine as you could ever conceive of, but it does all this and still manages to retain a provincial innocence on a modest human scale which is utterly disarming.

TRAVEL

A BAVARIAN

SUMMER by Robyn Adam

Matthew Foakes, 4th year German and Russian student, finished his year abroad in Moscow mid-June and headed straight for Germany, where he took up a job as rep for a cycling and walking tour company.

What did the job entail?

My responsibilities included maintaining the bikes and making sure they worked, driving a 12 seater minibus, which is more difficult than it sounds because it was 3 metres tall and very long, and picking the guests up from the airport with their luggage then taking them to their first hotel. They would arrive at the airport near the start point of their tour, wherever that was, then I would drive them and their luggage to their first hotel. The next day I would get them set up with their bikes, make sure everything was the right height, and make sure the brakes worked, things like that. Mostly the guests would spend two nights in each hotel, so I spent every other day driving their luggage down to their next hotel while they cycled there.

Did you need any specialist knowledge to get this job?

Surprisingly, no. I didn’t actually know a lot about bikes before I started and it was all covered in the first week, when there are no guests and you spend the whole week learning how to fix the bikes, which are left in Germany over winter and are a bit rusty and stiff at the start of the season. The brakes and the tyres needed looking at; I had to clean the bikes, make sure the brake pads didn’t need changing, check the gears and just make sure everything was in working order. The first bike I did took me all morning, but two or three weeks later one bike would take me 20 minutes.

Were there any language requirements?

Languages were not a requirement, but obviously studying German helped because I was based in Germany.

Which countries did you get to visit?

The bikes are kept in Lenggries, a small village in Bavaria. It

worked like this: if there was a tour in another country we had to stay in the area where the guests were, so we’d take all the bikes we needed from Bavaria to whatever country we were going to. It was difficult because sometimes you’d have one tour start and then 2 days later another tour start on the same route, so sometimes you’d have to take 14 or 15 bikes in the minibus. I personally worked in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Switzerland.

How long did you work for this company?

From mid-June, which meant I actually left my course in Russia a week early, until the start of September, when I went to my vacation course in Berlin.

What’s the funniest thing that happened to you while you were working?

I illegally entered Croatia! When I was on my way there I heard all about how on the day I was going to get there Croatia was supposed to become a fully-fledged member of the EU. So I confidently thought, oh that means they’re part of the Schengen agreement. So when I got to the border with Slovenia I drove straight through! Then the border guard comes running out of his little security hut, waving his arms at me to stop, which, of course, I did. I reversed, showed him my passport, tried to explain that I thought Croatia was part of Schengen and he very kindly let me carry on my way.

Would you work for the company again?

Yes, I would. It was a really good experience.

WHEN I GOT TO THE BORDER WITH SLOVENIA I DROVE STRAIGHT THROUGH

TRAVELLING ALONE: COPENHAGEN

by Joey Lee

I had the chance to visit Copenhagen, Denmark for a few days over the winter break. It was my first time planning an entire trip by (and for) myself, and it was definitely one of the best experiences I have ever had.

I decided to stay in Copenhagen from Thursday to Sunday, since I wanted to see what the Danish did on a typical weekend. I took a midnight coach from Birmingham to London, where my flight left at 7am. I booked an early flight so I would arrive early enough to spend a full day in the city.

Up until my trip, I didn’t have much exposure to Danish culture so I had no idea what to expect. Luckily, my cousin visited Copenhagen a few weeks before I did so she was able to recommend me some places to visit. I was on a tight budget, but I did find some free things to see and do, such as the Design Museum (free admission if you show your student card), the Nyhavn Harbour, Frederik’s Church, the Little Mermaid statue, the Gefion Fountain, the Christianshavn district, the Royal Danish Library (absolutely stunning) and the Rosenborg Castle gardens (probably much nicer in the spring and summer). The friend that I stayed with recommended that I visit the Frederiksberg Palace in Frederiksberg Park (which covered so much ground that I nearly got lost). The park is located next to the Copenhagen Zoo, so sometimes you might be able to see the elephants without having to pay to get inside. My friend also suggested I see the Assistens Cemetery. I was a bit surprised, but she informed me that the locals don’t see the cemetery as creepy and they often have picnics there when the weather is favourable.

A definite highlight of my trip was the Torvehallerne food market; it smelled incredible inside and the food tasted just as good. I also got to visit a part of the University of Copenhagen, the Round Tower (which has a spiral staircase), and the Christiansborg Palace. I was also lucky enough to happen upon the changing of the guards at the Amalienborg Castle and to watch a free Christmas concert in the Church of Our Lady.

One of Copenhagen’s most popular attractions is Tivoli Gardens, which is open for three seasons every year. Since I went in December, everything was Christmas themed. I found that I craved company there the most because most people there were with friends or family, but in general, I absolutely loved travelling alone and I definitely hope to do so again in the near future. There’s something so liberating about being anonymous in a city you’ve never been to before.

All the Danish people that I got to speak to during my trip were very friendly; many went out of their way to help me when I was lost. I also felt extremely safe in the city, even after dark. The only issue I had with Copenhagen was the weather there It’s similar to the weather in England in terms of the rain, but it’s also much windier there so the locals often don’t carry umbrellas. Even so, Copenhagen is now one of my favourite places in the world.

Based on this trip, some tips I would recommend for first-time travellers would be to leave your heavier devices (e.g. laptops) at home, bring clothes hangers (useful for air-drying towels), only bring carry-on luggage if possible (saves a lot of time at the airport), pack re-usable bags in case you buy too many souvenirs, make an effort to talk to other travellers if you are staying in a hostel (they may give you some travelling tips of their own), and speak to locals about what they would recommend to do, see, and eat.

Many people who I’ve spoken to about travelling tell me that it’s best to do so while you’re in university. Yes, when you’re older, you’ll have more money to spend on travelling, but you’re likely to have less time as well. I recently came across a quote that sums things up perfectly: “Travelling… the only thing people buy that makes them richer.”

FRANÇAIS

ALSACE by Emily Brickell

Arriving in Strasbourg, late on a September evening, I might’ve been in any other French town. The vast nineteenthcentury structure of the train station resembled that of so many that I have visited in France before, and the familiar sound of SNCF announcement tone was reminiscent of multiple complicated passages across France. That evening, I simply hauled my bags across the outside plaza to rest my weary head in the nearby Ibis budget hotel.

However, on venturing out of the unremarkable station quarter the next day, I realised that there is a unique identity in this region that sets it apart from other areas of France, immediately noticeable in the quaint Alsacien architecture of Strasbourg’s centre-ville. Nestled on Germany’s border, and several times a former German territory, Alsace has developed its own style. The combination of French and German tradition from throughout the centuries produces some interesting results. Here we eat not sauerkraut but choucroute, drink not sauvignon blanc but gewürztraminer, and hearing places such as ‘Schweighouse’ pronounced in a French accent is a constant source of amusement.

There is a fierce regional identity, especially in smaller towns removed from the internationalism of Strasbourg. One of my students said to me recently “We are not French. We are Alsacien.” This demonstrates the attitude of those whose families have lived in the region for generations, witnessing the changes in territory, and have learnt to be proud of their region before their country, even learning the Alsacien dialect as a first language.

Visiting a friend in Nice, her Niçoise roommate remarked that I must be disappointed to be in Alsace when I could’ve ended up there instead. I was certainly enjoying the 30 degree weather of late October, but I could not agree with him. Alsace has an unusual culture, a mélange of culture and nationalities. It is definitely a region worth seeing, both for the beautiful towns and villages and for the picturesque landscapes further out.

THE KOOPLES: L’INVASION PARISIENNE by Pierre Greenhalgh

Créée en 2008, la marque française a presque immédiatement commencé une folie dans la mode moderne. La marque de prêt-à-porter, qui est connue pour son style androgyne et “rock n’ roll”, a été créée par trois frères: Alexandre, Laurent et Raphaël Elicha. En seulement quelques années, la marque a remporté une réussite de 100 millions d'euros et a reçu un accueil très positif au Royaume-Uni, avec plus de magasins en ouverture qu’avant.

Mais qu’est-ce qui peut expliquer les succès toujours croissant de ‘The Kooples’ ? Ce qui est important de savoir c’est que cette marque n’est pas pour les jeunes qui manquent de richesse ; alors comment peut-on expliquer que cette grande marque est une des plus populaires en Angleterre ? Peut-être que c’est leur campagne de publicité charmante et simple. The Kooples met en scène des couples incroyablement beaux dans une ambiance sombre et rebelle avec une phrase en dessous qui nous dit leurs prénoms et combien de temps ils sont ensemble. En plus, ils nous montrent pas seulement les couples hétéros ; on peut voir deux femmes ou deux hommes dans une pub aussi- une vraie réflexion de la vision libérale que Paris a sur l’amour.

Bien sûr, la couture est encore plus importante pour ceux qui achètent les vêtements. Le style simple, sombre et chic avec les couleurs plutôt en noirs, gris et blancs est sans aucun doute, très cherché. Donc, on espère que le style ‘‘un peu Duke of Edinburgh et un peu Rolling Stones’’ continuera longtemps dans le futur.

ESPAÑOL

LAS OLAS PACEÑAS by Floren Villanueva Scrafton

La Paz es una ciudad rica en color y espíritu. Está situada topográficamente dentro de un bol literalmente, que tiene un gradiente de riqueza que empieza en lo más profundo y sigue hasta muy alto, unos 4 kilómetros sobre el nivel del mar. Estás llegando en avión y antes de aterrizar, experimentas una característica paceña fundamental: tu paquete de galletas ha explotado y ya estás preocupado por todo lo que tengas en tu maleta o lo que faltará en tu caja torácica cuando llegues. “La altura me mata” me dijo mi hermano deportivo de origen inglés, después de haber jugado al fútbol con unos bolivianos ‘viejos y gordos’. De hecho, en 2009 lo mismo paso con el equipo nacional de Argentina cuando perdió 6 -1 contra ‘La Verde’ en el estadio Hernando Siles. También, en este estadio cercano al cielo, se encuentra una atmosfera extática cuando juega ‘El Clásico’. Las hinchas fanáticas dominan cada curva del estadio: el norte está completamente vestido de azul para ‘Bolivia’, mientras que el sur lleva colores de avispas en apoyo de ‘The Strongest’. Hay algunos ‘ultras’, hinchas extremas y dedicadas, que no miran al partido sino sólo están ahí para animar a la multitud, mirándoles, cantando y dirigiéndoles con tanta convicción que se hace sentir una ‘Bolivarista’ o ‘Tigre’ verdadero.

El ambiente amplio y loco no sólo pertenece al futbol: esta electricidad se transmite por toda la cultura boliviana. Un día al año La Paz tiene la atención de todo el país cuando la gente viene a celebrar El Gran Poder, un carnaval colorido lleno de baile y celebraciones. La música rítmica y fuegos artificiales proporcionan un fondo a los gritos y aplausos de la gente abarrotada en sus sitios apretados pero preciosos. Hace dos meses, grupos de danza tradicionales estuvieron practicando duro para poder enseñar sus vestidos ricos y rutinas nuevas, típicas de cada zona. Si imaginas un país que tiene entre sus paisajes variedades (de selva, montañas, desiertos de arena y sal), un montón de civilizaciones igualmente individuales de creencias y costumbres, ya puedes imaginar la explosión de cultura que te pueda experimentar durante el día.

LOS BAILARINES NO PARAN DE

BAILAR. DURANTE DIEZ

HORAS LOS GRUPOS CRU-

ZAN LA CIUDAD COMO UNA

OLA DE ENERGÍA

Los bailarines no paran de bailar. Durante diez horas los grupos cruzan la ciudad como una ola de energía, bien alimentado por copas y comida gracias a la multitud. Todos están muy orgullosos. En estos días festivos – y hay muchos – se ven el espíritu fuerte y el amor por su país. Por supuesto, al final del día de Gran Poder las calles están totalmente mojadas en alcohol. Están así en parte por haber echado el primer trago al suelo para agradecer a Pachamama (‘Mother Earth’), una tradición andino respetuoso a la naturaleza. Esta característica boliviana me abrió los ojos. Los bolivianos tienen una relación íntima con su tierra y les confían mucho en ella.

En sólo un día paseando por La Paz, te darías cuenta rápidamente que tiene algo especial, su encanto es tan innegable que te despierta la intriga y te hace querer quedarte más. Es una ciudad contagiosa para las turistas porque les ofrece experiencias extraordinarias que tocan a todos los sentidos. Hay la gravedad y la injusticia, pero a proporcionar con todo, hay demasiados secretos buenos para descubrir: Bolivia es un país único, cariñoso y muy orgulloso de su cultura. La Paz personifica todo esto, donde los jóvenes disfrazan como cebras para dirigir al tráfico maníaco y las mujeres vestidos en ropa tradicional ‘las cholitas’ luchan cada domingo como fuera un capítulo paceño de ‘WWE’. Bolivia no tiene mar, lo perdió a Chile, pero ha creado sus propias olas de energía, y nunca son insignificantes.

© Mauro Scrafton

РУССКИЙ

ТОЛЬКО В РОССИИ... by Robyn Adam

Для тех, кто хорошо знает российский менталитет, не удивительно, что недавно в России услуги безопасности предложили новые меры, чтобы защищать государственных служащих от иностранных угроз, именно иностранных государств.

В свете последних событий, российские законодатели

требуют запрет смартфонов производимых за границей, например iPhone. Говорят, что иностранные смартфоны могут быть ненадёжными, и поэтому российским служащим надо будет использовать смартфоны производимых в России, например Yotaphone. По словам Сенатора Руслана Гаттарова, iPhone не подходит для использования российским служащим, потому что является уязвимым с точки зрения безопасности.

Следует, что многие россияне остаются подозрительными запада, даже много лет после распада СССР. ПремьерМинистр Дмитрий Медведев, который известен своей любовью гаджетов, сам заявил, что свой Yotaphone будет более защищенным, чем свой iPhone.

IN PETROZAVODSK

by Sebastian Barendt

‘Visiting Petrozavodsk is ultimately a rewarding linguistic experience as hardly anyone speaks English’ said the previous article on Petrozavodsk from the 2011 summer course and I wholeheartedly agree, in fact it could be argued that I learned more there in one month than I had in eight months in a stuffy classroom in Birmingham. However, you must remember how little we really spoke Russian at the time, I speak on behalf of my year when I say that we were all nervous at the prospect of having to talk to our hosts in nouns and hand gestures.

However my host, the lovely Tatiana, treated me as a long lost son, displaying all the affections that were not becoming of the Russian stereotype at all (a characteristic that was shared by most Russians I spoke to), never once did the language barrier effect our brief grandmother-grandson relationship, although it still maintained its challenge throughout and caused me the occasional frustration. For example one morning after a particularly good night out practicing the language with drunk and beautiful women (and subsequently apologizing to their drunk and not so beautiful boyfriends) I slept through breakfast. It really was a testament to the power of the hangover that would make me forgo one of those enormous and delicious breakfasts so dotingly prepared by Tatiana! I shuffled out of bed at about eleven o’clock having missed the morning’s lectures and attempted to explain myself. Feigning illness and creating excuses in a language that you are less than fluent in is a practice not advised by myself, but she seemed to take it very well, I think more annoyed that I hadn’t just said ‘I drank too much’.

A brief note here about the food that Tatiana prepared. It was excessive. I was suspicious at some points that she was fattening me up and made a point never to put my back to her around the oven. Now I love me some food, that’s for sure, but with a hangover… Adding the fact that the bus ride to town was a good 40 minutes through roadworks and badly paved roads, made for some very queasy mornings at university. Not to say that it wasn’t delicious but travel sickness plus a full stomach- well, I won’t embellish any further.

I don’t want to come across as some drunken lout who skips lectures, tells lies in various different languages, and complains about food so lovingly made, but it is easy to get swept along on nights out in Russia. For a guy who isn’t great at nights out the length of time spent drinking was alarming. Perhaps it is the welcoming environment and people, or maybe the sense of exploration provided by being in another culture that made those nights so unforgettable for me, but whatever the reason was I can tell you it definitely made for a ‘rewarding linguistic experience’.

DEUTSCH

DEUTSCHE WEIHNACHTSMÄRKTE: TRADITION ODER TOURISTENFALLE?

by Nick Lanigan

Wer in Birmingham studiert, ist schon daran gewöhnt: der Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt ist ein Höhepunkt des Winters in unserer Stadt. Sind Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland aber immer noch bedeutsam für das deutsche Volk?

Der Heidelberger Weihnachtsmarkt steht schon seit zwei Wochen in den Straßen und Plätzen der Stadt. Es ist kaum möglich einen Tag zu verbringen, ohne die fröhliche Musik des Karussells zu hören oder der köstliche Geruch von Zimt zu riechen. Alles ist zu kaufen – Süßigkeiten, Souvenirs, Geschenke und Glühwein. Eine lange deutsche Weihnachtstradition –heute auch unter die Tausende von Touristen aus den USA, Japan oder anderen Ländern bekannt, die vor allem aus diesem Grund im Dezember nach Deutschland kommen. Die meisten Schilder sind auch auf Englisch geschrieben, und man braucht nur kurz durch den Ständen spazieren zu gehen, um alle vorstellbare Fremdsprachen zu hören. In Baden-Baden, eine große Anteil der Touristen kommt nicht aus den USA, sondern aus Russland, und deswegen sind die Schilder auf Russisch geschrieben.

In Nürberg findet man einer der berühmtesten und schönsten deutsche Weihnachtsmärkte – und deshalb auch viele, viele Menschen. Ist es wirklich mit der Weihnachtsstimmung vereinbar, mit Anderen wettkämpfen zu müssen, nur um eine Tasse Glühwein ein bisschen schneller zu kaufen?

Deutsche Weihnachtsmärkte lohnen ohne Zweifel ein Besuch, und sind ein wichtiges Teil des Festes in Deutschland. Es ist aber zu fragen, ob sie heutzutage immer noch die Werte von Weihnachten respektieren, oder ob sie eine Methode sind, so viel Geld wie möglich durch Tourismus zu verdienen.

NEDERLANDS

RWANDA — 20 JAAREN TE HERINNEREN by Ed Vos

Het lijkt dat niemand weet waar Rwanda ligt. Iedereen denkt dat het een klein oerwoudland is in de duisternis en het midden van Afrika. Een land van avonturen boeken en films. Als dit alles is wat je weet over Rwanda, bijvoorbeeld uit de film ‘Hotel Rwanda’ , dan ben je zeker niet alleen.

Rwanda is een klein Frans-/Kinyarwanda-talig land met 12-miljoen inwoners in het centrum van Afrika. Het heeft grenzen met de Congo, Oeganda, Burundi en Tanzania. Zo’n klein land zou makkelijk zijn om doorheen te reizen, en om snel te vergeten.

Maar dit is het jaar, 2014, een speciaal jaar voor Rwanda. Twintig jaar geleden is er iets gebeurt dat op de voorpagine van kranten en tijdschriften over de hele wereld stond. Binnen 100 dagen werden bijna 1 miljoen Tutsis gedood door de Hutu populatie. Gewone mannen, vrouwen en kinderen werden gedood door hun buren, vrienden, en familie. De tegenzin van buitenland om Rwanda te helpen betekende dat 20% van de populatie dood ging.

BINNEN 100 DAGEN

WERDEN BIJNA 1 MILJOEN

TUTSIS GEDOOD DOOR DE HUTU POPULATIE

Het lijkt dat alle steden en dorpen een gedenkteken hebben. De ‘Genocide Memorial Centre’ is het grootste, in Kigali, de hoofdstad, waar in de tuin de lichamen van 250.000 mensen liggen. Videos en borden vertellen het verhaal van de genocide, er zijn ook kamers met botten, kleden, en speelgoed van gedoode Tutsis. Uiteindelijk loop je door de ‘Kinderkamer’, waar aan de wanden foto’s hangen van kinderen die nooit gevonden werden. De beschrijvingen van de kinderen zijn kort, maar schokkend.

Naam – Ariane UMUTONI; Leeftijd – 4; Favoriet Eten – Cake; Vindt Leuk – Zingen en Dansen; Persoonlijkheid – Een vriendelijk meisje; Gedood Door – Gestoken in haar ogen en hoofd.

Je ziet mannen en vrouwen huilen, binnen en in de tuin, terwijl ze ontdekken wat hier is gebeurd.

Hoe kan een land zoals dit verbeterd woorden? Paul Kagame, de leider van de opstand tegen de genocide, en President sindsdien, heeft een doeltreffende en effectieve regering. Rwanda is nu een Afrikaans leider in leef kwaliteit, er zijn niewe wegen, bedrijven en internet access door het hele land. Kigali (de hoofdstad) is een moderne stad die makkelijk in West-Europa zou kunnen zijn, met patisserie’s en internet cafe’s op elke hoek van de straat.

Maar wat zou er gebeuren als Kagame morgen dood gaat? “Oorlog”, zegt een burger van een West-Rwandees dorpje. Kagame heeft complete controle en hij wilt niets anders dan zijn land verbeteren. Hij volgt het voorbeeld van de EU en heeft visa-beperkingen opeheven, om meer investeringen aan te trekken; er is bijna geen corruptie; en het wildleven in het oerwoud is aan het terugkomen.

POLSKI

GENDER, CZYLI NIE TAKI DIABEL STRASZNY by Pawel Pokorski

Gdy jeszcze kilka lat temu dzięki mojej polonistce z liceum dowiedziałem się, co oznacza gender, należałem pewnie do bardzo wąskiego grona Polaków, którzy z tym terminem mieli kiedykolwiek do czynienia. Dziś, jako rezultat politycznego układu sił w Sejmie i wynikającej z niego niechęci prawicowych polityków (z Beatą Kempą na czele) do zmian proponowanych przez Rząd, słowo gender jest znane większości Polaków. Jawi się im jednak jako lewacka, postmodernistyczna ideologiczna faneberia, o której w dalekiej Warszawie debatują jakby nie było ważniejszych problemów –bezrobocie, masowa emigracja, mało wydajna gospodarka itp. itd.

Gender nie jest ideologiczną fanaberią.

Gender nie jest ideologią, bo niczego nie postuluje. W taki sam sposób jak heliocentryczny model budowy naszego układu planetarnego nie postuluje, że Słońce jest w jego centrum – ten model po prostu stwierdza (na podstawie empirycznych danych), że tak jest. Gender też po prostu empirycznie stwierdza: że ludzie uczą się swoich ról płciowych w drodze socjalizacji. Przykład: mama nosi sukienkę, a tata spodnie; jestem chłopcem, a więc też powinienem nosić spodnie. Przykład sukienki wybrałem nieprzypadkowo, bo jest on najczęściej używany przez Beatę Kempę w jej argumentach przeciwko ‘ideologii’ gender – według posłanki chłopcy będą teraz zmuszani do zakładania sukienek w przedszkolach. Być może, jednak będzie to jedynie rezultat spaczonego obrazu tego naukowego terminu. Gender bowiem do niczego nie zmusza. Gender, biorąc za punkt startowy dający sie zaobserwować fakt, że płeć to w dużej mierze społeczny konstrukt, tylko pyta – na przykład dlaczego rodzice uważają za stosowne kupienie swojej córeczce zestawu małej kucharki (historia prawdziwa).

Gender nie jest fanaberią – bo to naprawdę istotne, żeby ludzie mogli realizować swój pełen potencjał niezależnie od narzuconych społecznie uwarunkowań: żeby dziewczynki wiedziały, że to ok, jeśli nie lubią gotować; żeby chłopcy wiedzieli, że to ok, jeśli nie lubią dziewczynek, ale wolą innych chłopców. Być może wiele polskich problemów, także tych gospodarczych, można byłoby rozwiązać właśnie poprzez wysłanie do Polaków jasnego, radośnie genderowego sygnału: to ok być po prostu sobą.

5 FACTS ABOUT POLAND by Agnieszka Rzesniowiecka

1. Warner Brothers, the founders of Warner Bros. Entertainment, as well as the directors of The Matrix – the Wachowskis – were Polish-Americans.

2. Polish born Marie Curie was the first and only Nobel laureate in multiple sciences, first female to win a Nobel Prize and the first female professor at the University of Paris.

3. Some Polish beer contains 10% alcohol.

4. Astronomer Nicholas Copernicus, who formulated the heliocentric model of the universe with the Sun at the center of the Solar System, was Polish.

5. Polish is considered one of the hardest languages to learn. It has seven cases, seven genders and extremely difficult pronunciation. While the average English

speaker is fluent in English at the age of 12, the average Polish speaker is fluent in Polish at the age of 16. Here is an example of different forms of the word “two” depending on the tense, gender and other factors:

ITALIANO

TRAGEDIE DEL MARE: NAUFRAGI E SPERANZE by Chanika Hikkaduwage

Il naufragio a Lampedusa, in Sicilia, del 3 ottobre 2013, causò la morte di almeno 359 immigranti. Gli immigranti erano di origine eritrea, somala e ghanese e tra le vittime furono persino trovati bambini. Tra i 450-500 stimati passeggeri a bordo, ci furono solamente 155 superstiti. La causa del naufragio fu l’incendio e il rovesciamento dell’imbarcazione, e la maggior parte dei passeggeri non erano in grado di nuotare. Sono sopravissuti solo i più abili. Per ricordare ogni vittima, si effettuò una messa alla dimora di piante nel ‘Giardino della Memoria’ , organizzata dal comune di Lampedusa.

Questa vicenda fu seguita dall’ennesima tragedia dell’11 ottobre che provocò la morte di 34 persone di origine siriana e palestinese, e che avvenne nel territorio all’incirca di Lampedusa. Un paio di settimane dopo, altri 41 immigranti furoni salvati dopo essersi trovati in difficoltà a bordo di un gommone.

Malgrado il rischio a cui sono sottoposti, migliaia di immigranti continuano a intraprendere l’intrepido viaggio verso paesi come l’Italia e la Spagna, in cerca di una nuova vita piena di speranze ed opportunità. Nonostante il termine ‘cimiterio Mediterraneo’, per molti, il percorso in barca finisce per essere l’unica scelta per sfuggire da una vita perseguitata da povertà, guerra ed opressione.

L’UNICA SCELTA PER SFUGGIRE DA UNA VITA PERSEGUITATA DA POVERTÀ, GUERRA

E la colpa di queste tragedie di chi è? Ci sono vari colpevoli. Inanzitutto, generalmente e come ho menzionato prima, la colpa è degli individui nei paesi nativi che hanno creato le condizioni in cui si trovano questi immigranti, per esempio i membri del governo. Tuttavia, i veri colpevoli che hanno avuto a che fare con questi eventi direttamente sono i trafficanti. Queste reti criminali si approfittano della disperazione e magari dell’ingenuità dei loro ‘clienti’, fornendo mezzi inadeguati e obbligandoli a pagare somme assurde. Alcuni, inoltre, incolpano i governi dei paesi destinatari. Essi sottolineano il fatto che le rigorose leggi sull’immigrazione limitano l’accesso a numerosi richiedenti asilo e rifugiati. Queste leggi li condannano a cercare pericolose alternative.

Negli ultimi 20 anni ci sono stati più di 20.000 vittime di tragedie di questo tipo. Le discussioni sull’ampliamento delle operazioni di ricerca e salvataggio è un passo avanti per la prevenzione di queste vicende. Tuttavia, per quanto riguarda il controllo dell’immigrazione, è ancora un soggetto molto controverso, e una risoluzione non potrà essere raggiunta nè facilmente e nè in tempo per l’impedimento di un ennesimo naufragio.

POCHE E SEMPLICI REGOLE PER MANGIARE ALL’ITALIANA by

Roberta Patellaro

Come si fa a riconoscere un turista in Italia? Facilmente. Questi turisti sono di solito quelli che in pieno inverno italiano indossano magliette a maniche corte, quelli che si mettono i calzini sotto i sandali e quelli che purtroppo finiscono nelle trappole per turisti. Però non disperate! Ci sono delle piccole e semplici regole che basta saperle e potrete mischiarvi tranquillamente agli italiani senza che nessuno vi riconosca!

Ecco qui:

1. Non si accompagna mai un pasto con un cappuccino! Solo il caffè può concludere un pasto, mentre il cappuccino si beve a colazione con un buon cornetto.

2. Mai e poi mai mettere Ketchup su pasta o pizza (è considerato una vera blasfemia sullo stivale)

3. La pasta e il riso non sono contorni ma primi piatti. Si mangiano prima della carne o del pesce e mai insieme.

4. Quando bollite l’acqua per cucinare la pasta, non dovete aggiungere olio (e poi un po’ di chimica: se mettete il sale nell’acqua dopo che è bollita, bollirà prima!)

Per finire, mi dispiace smentire alcuni di questi falsi miti, ma:

 Le Fettuccine Alfredo non si sono mai sentite in Italia!

 Non troverete mai Spaghetti Bolognese in un ristorante italiano.

 Così come gli Spaghetti con Polpette appartengono solo a ‘Lilli e il Vagabondo’ e all’altra parte dell’oceano.

 La Ceasar Salad non è italiana e Giulio Cesare non c’entra molto con questo piatto.

Se seguirete queste poche e facili regole potrete mischiarvi tranquillamente agli italiani, perché come tutti sanno il modo migliore per distinguere gli italiani dagli stranieri non è solo in parlamento, ma soprattutto a tavola!

PORTUGUÊS

UM ENCONTRO COM UM ÍDOLO POLÍTICO: JOSÉ MANUEL DURRÃO BARROSO

by Matthew Norley

Durante as férias do natal fui à Suíça esquiar com a minha família, passei uma semana na neve, pela primeira vez a bastante tempo! Só que a parte mais interessante da viagem foi sem qualquer duvida o meu encontro com um dos meus maiores ídolos políticos. Para vos dar um bocado de contexto, eu estudo Ciências Politicas, e para mim conhecer qualquer político é “quite a big deal” como dizem os nossos amigos ingleses.

Mas pronto, continuando com a minha história... Após o embarque para o avião em Lisboa, notei a presença do o José Barroso, o ex-primeiro ministro Português, e o atual Presidente da Comissão Europeia. Ele estava sentado a minha frente no avião, fiquei em estado de choque! A única coisa que me dividia de um dos homens mais influentes em toda a Europa foi apenas um cortinado, que separava a classe executiva com o resto dos passageiros. Quando me apercebi quem era, não podia acreditar. Passado um bom bocado, decidi que eu devia aproxima-lo e pelo menos meter uma conversa com ele... Mas de que maneira é que eu me apresento, pensei eu?

Estávamos provavelmente algures por cima do sul de França quando levantei-me para ir a casa de banho... estava a espera na fila, a planear uma maneira de me apresentar a ele, quando de repente saiu o Barroso do cubículo! Ele passou-me, e eu instintivamente o agarrei e exclamei “Ola!”, ele virou-se com o sorriso e pergunto se ele me conhecia.... Eu respondi logo que não, mas que eu lhe conhecia muito bem! Passado cinco segundos bastante embaraçosos eu ganhei a confiança, e o expliquei tudo sobre a minha vida e os meus interesses políticos...

Não sei como nem porque, mas ele dever ter gostado de mim, porque ele continuou na conversa comigo até a nossa chegada em Genebra, até ofereceu me uma caneta da Comissão Europeia, e disse que o podia ligar a próxima vez que passar em Bruxelas. Foi um momento inesquecível.

Infelizmente a minha história acaba aí. Imagina... Estava tão animado que até me esqueci de tirar uma foto com ele! Enfim, pelo menos sei que já tenho planos marcados a próxima vez que tiver em Bruxelas!

ελληνικά

LIFE AS A BRUMMIE

by Susanna Georgiou and Myrto Bartatila

Our first day in England was a magnificent experience. We both arrived in England and cloudiness, a staple of English weather, was welcoming us. Everything seemed so foreign, but yet so familiar. We had been waiting and preparing for this moment since we can remember ourselves. After a long-hour journey we had finally arrived to our destination. Exhausted from the journey we could not wait to get to our new “home”.

Needless to say, life here is quite different from life in Greece and Cyprus. Even life in other parts of the UK, smaller towns like Bath for instance, is completely different from the Midlands and Birmingham. To start with, the first different thing, that continues to be a challenge, is the food! Different flavours everywhere. We do have a variety of foreign products sold as well, but the main shopping list comprises Greek and Cypriot products! Here that was no longer an option. The cheese, the meat, the bread, things that we usually eat in our countries almost every day, had a peculiar taste here, all completely different. This diversity in food is only expected, as people from every part of the world can be found in Birmingham.

Then there is the campus of our university, which contrasts with the Greek and Cypriot ones. We do believe that we got one of the best educations we could get anywhere else, but the surrounding buildings and location of the University of Birmingham is one that left us amazed. The campus, with its old and new buildings, the art that one can find around the campus, respecting nature and supporting it, made us feel happy that we were living and studying here.

A big part of a student’s life is nightlife. Cypriots and Greeks know how to have a good night out. There is something for everyone, no matter what your preferences are, but one thing is certain: wherever you go you know that you are going to have a great time and stay out until late. Bars and clubs here close at 2am whereas in the South east of Europe, people are actually partying until the first morning hours. Nightlife in Birmingham is mostly in Broad Street and beautifully decorated British pubs around the city centre, which we really love.

Another difference is the rapid rhythm of life in Birmingham that contrasts with the calm lifestyle in the small island of Cyprus (that has no rail system) and smaller towns in Greece. People here run and stress to take the bus and/or train. Living in a big city makes you realize that you have to adapt in order to be able to survive. Wake up early, as soon as the sun rises, have breakfast and that’s definitely porridge, get ready, run to the New Street Station, take the train and go to University.

Life in Birmingham is very interesting, always presenting you with new things to do. We are very happy to have had the chance to live and study here.

A BIG CITY MAKES YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO ADAPT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE

CHINESE 汉语

ENDING THE LIFE OF LUXURY?

by Robyn Adam

Authorities in Beijing have warned the two dozen most exclusive clubs that they will be closed down if they do not ‘downgrade’ their level of luxury to one deemed ‘acceptable’ by the government. The moves by the Beijing authorities come as part of a government drive to tackle corruption and extravagance amongst officials.

The Communist Party now requires all Beijing officials to sign a contract stating that they will not enter some of China’s most luxurious and exclusive clubs amid public sentiment that these clubs are not accessible - not surprising when a single dish in these clubs can cost two months wages for the average worker. Any government official caught in the Beijing clubs will be severely punished by the party.

The clubs have also been ordered to vacate the public parks that many are situated in as soon as their leases expire. This policy comes after public anger that many are based in historic places, such as in a hall in Beijing’s ancient Forbidden City.

by Chloe Saunders

新年快乐！ Happy Chinese New Year! It’s that time of year again where the Chinese come together and celebrate the New Year with copious amounts of delicious food. Here’s just some of the dishes which will be eaten over the celebratory period.

 On New Year’s Eve, the whole family shares a hearty dinner. One dish is a whole fish. The Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for abundance. It is important that the fish is served with the head and tail intact to ensure a good start and finish and to avoid bad luck throughout the year. It stands for togetherness and plentifulness.

 Long, uncut noodles are served, too. They stand for a long life. Some people think that cutting the noodles means cutting life short.

 Duck, chicken and goose are favourite festive meats. Meat and fish are also taken to shrines and offered to the gods and spirits.

 On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in northern China, sweet dumplings are shaped like the golden shoes that were used as money in ancient China. If you are extra lucky, you could find a coin in your dumpling. Whoever gets a dumpling with a coin will have a prosperous New Year!

 Spring Rolls get their name because they are traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year Celebration.



Nian Gao (Chinese New Year Cake)

In Chinese, Nian Gao sounds like "getting higher year by year". In Chinese people's mind, the higher you are, the more prosperous your business is. Nian gao means year cake, but gao sounds the same as the word for tall or high. Hence the cakes symbolize achieving new heights in the coming year.

新年快乐

JAPANESE 日本語

COMING-OF-AGE DAY by Asoko Onishi

'Coming-of-Age Day' or Seijin no Hi (成人の日)- The second Monday of January is considered to be one of the most important national holidays in Japan. On this day, those who have turned the age of 20 that year attend a variety of special ceremonies organised in their hometown. During the night, school reunions are held especially for those taking part in the ceremony. By becoming 20, you are considered to have entered adulthood as a more independent self with new responsibilities; it is the legal age for drinking alcohol and smoking as well as gaining the right to vote and marry without parental permission. This national holiday has been a significant tradition for Japanese people for several generations and this article will tell you why this day is such a special experience for Japanese people.

For me, the celebration started a few months before the actual Coming-of-Age day. One morning, my mother handed me her furisode (振袖- a special type of kimono) that her father had bought specially for her Coming-of-Age ceremony and asked me to wear it for my special day. Nowadays, many people do not consider buying their own set of furisode, as it is too expensive to wear just for one day, instead they often resort to renting the formal clothing, hence my initial surprise to find out that my mother had kept her furisode in its perfect shape for all those years. After I received this wonderful gift, I remember impatiently waiting for the actual day.

On the day of the celebration, I was sitting in my favourite hair salon at 6am, getting my hair styled professionally to suit the floral pattern on my furisode. It is common for many hair salons to open as early as 4am to cater for the huge numbers of girls who need appointments to look their best for the occasion. Immersed in the vast number of layers and the use of special belts, without the help from my mother it was almost impossible to put on afurisode. I still remember the proud expression on my parents’ and grandparents’ faces when I was finally ready to head out to my local town hall for the first part of the festivities.

The ceremony itself consisted of a lot of celebratory speeches given by the mayor and the school governors as well as catching up and taking lots of pictures with friends - it was a wonderful experience to see my old school friends for the first time in over 7 years. After the ceremony, a special school reunion was organised for us at a local restaurant where we could enjoy a variety of food and alcohol (legally for the first time!). This then signalled the end to our long day of unforgettable festivities.

If you look back a few decades ago, you would find the majority of the newly 20 year-old girls all perfectly dressed in a traditional furisode with appropriate Japanese printings, such as cranes and peonies, that emphasise the wearer’s elegance and delicacy. However, nowadays, most girls prefer more modern patterns of roses and vivid colours for their furisode, as well as having hairstyles as extravagant as their clothing – I was particularly surprised to see a girl in my ceremony wearing a rainbow-coloured furisode complete with 10 butterflies in her massively back-combed hair. Despite the gradual change in tradition; the Coming-of-Age day will always be a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. I know I will never forget mine.

THREE CHEERS FOR JAPANESE NEW YEAR by

Rosie Johnson

Every country in the world has its own personal highlight of the year, in the form of one massive, flagship holiday. For many of us here in the UK, our own occurs on the 25th of December, when the months of incredulous countdowns, panic-stricken shopping frenzies and emotionally-devastating advertisements finally culminate in one spectacular day of overeating, unwrapping and Uno. However, as we begin winding down from the excitement of Christmas by picking reluctantly at the Orange Cremes and Bounty Celebrations which are all that remain of the festivities, Japan is gearing up for its very own major holiday, which takes place every year on New Year’s Day.

Oshōgatsu (お正月), or Japanese New Year, is celebrated, shockingly enough, on the 1 st of January. The keen calendar enthusiasts among you may well have noticed that this is the same date as our very own New Year. However, whilst New Year in the UK consists primarily of consuming an abysmal amount of alcohol and finally having an excuse to wear sequins, the New Year as celebrated in Japan is, much as it pains me to say, slightly more profound than our own. The first stage of the celebration occurs at midnight of the 31st of December, when many Japanese families will dress up in traditional kimono and pay a visit to their nearest shrine. At the same time, Buddhist temples all over Japan will ring their bells 108 times in a ritual called joyanokane (除 夜の鐘), which is intended to cleanse the souls of the Japanese people and erase the sins of the previous year. It is, all in all, a decidedly more spiritual start to the new year than our own midnight traditions, which mostly entail drunkenly caterwauling along to Auld Lang Syne (despite the entire population of the UK collectively knowing no more than 20% of the lyrics), and in many cases considerably upping the total number of sins soiling our souls by the end of the night.

Whilst many Brits are consequently spending the first full day of the New Year face-down in a hungover stupor, the Japanese treat this auspicious day with a great deal more dignity. Given that, in Japan, the most important aspect of the New Year is the ‘first-ness’ of everything, many people will drive to the coast or climb a mountain (as you do), in order to witness the first sunrise of the New Year. Once the coastal drives and/or mountain climbing is done, Japanese families will then gather together to eat a magnificent feast called osechi-ryōri (御節料 理), which features many small, elaborate dishes served in ornate lacquered boxes, certainly putting even the finest mixed-meat kebab and chips to shame.

The rest of New Year’s Day in Japan will then continue to pan out in a similarly dignified fashion, with a variety of family games, poetry reading and the custom of otoshidama (お年玉), in which children are presented with envelopes of money from all their close relatives. All in all, the Japanese treatment of the first day of the new year paints a picture of spirituality, family bonding and general loveliness, which shines in comparison to our own shoddy (and often ultimately anticlimactic) attempts to celebrate it. It seems, therefore, that we here in the UK could learn a lot from the Japanese take on New Year. Particularly with regards to the envelopes full of money. Close relatives, see that you adopt this practice immediately. For Japan

BUDDHIST TEMPLES ALL OVER JAPAN WILL RING THEIR BELLS 108 TIMES IN A RITUAL CALLED JOYANOKANE (除夜の鐘)

YEAR ABROAD SPECIAL

TIPS ON BEING A LANGUAGE ASSISTANT by Emily Brickell.

A few months into the year abroad, I am feeling fairly comfortable in my job and my life in France. I will, however, impart three key pieces of advice to the future language assistants among you.

1) ALWAYS BE OVER-PREPARED When you are faced with a room full of reluctant students, you will find that your well-planned activities go far quicker than anticipated. Most of the assistants I know have at least one failsafe game up their sleeve for if they’re left with extra time. On the same note, arriving with some visual aids from home (magazines, menus, word games) can be really useful for those first weeks before you get into the swing of lesson planning.

2) MEETING NEW PEOPLE You will undoubtedly find, soon after getting your placement, a group on Facebook for the assistants in the same region as you. This is a convenient way to meet people with whom to explore when you arrive, and potentially to rent a place with until you find permanent housing. If you wish to branch out from fellow language assistants, I recommend searching on Facebook or Couch-surfing for events in your town designed for internationals. Take yourself back to the days of fresher’s and go to as many mingling events as possible – the only way to meet people is by making that extra effort!

3) BE AWARE OF PRACTICALITIES

A language assistant’s contract begins slightly after the school term; in France this was at the start of October. In other words, if you happen to be in a university town, weeks after students in their thousands have come flooding in. While I know assistants who found housing in days, there are some (such as myself) who were homeless for weeks, so if you are in a large town, take heed of university term times! Ask the teachers at your school if they know of anyone renting, and it is worth checking housing websites at the start of summer.

It may seem daunting at the beginning, but once you become comfortable in your role and get to know your students, being a language assistant is an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile job. What’s more, the 12-hour week certainly does not dominate your schedule, leaving plenty of time to make the most of your year abroad.

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