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December 19, 2015

Christmas around the world

A few examples of Christmas traditions from around the world!

ITALY
Unlike in any other country, Christmas presents are delivered by Befana, an old witch, who visits all Italian children in the night of 5th January, travelling the country on her broomstick. Being a good housekeeper, some say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. To some the sweeping meant sweeping away of the problems of the year. The child’s family usually leaves a small glass of wine and a plate of regional food for the Befana.
Another interesting tradition is Lancio dei Ciocci, which consists of throwing old crockery out the window at midnight on New Year’s Eve, symbolising the riddance of old negativity and evil. It is also common to leave doors and windows open in order to let good spirits in.

POLAND
Christmas in Poland, just like in many European countries, is celebrated on the 24th of December, known as Wigilia. It is a tradition to prepare twelve dishes, one for each of the apostles that accompanied Jesus during the Last Supper. As meat is banned on Christmas Eve, fish dishes are served instead, the most typical being karp. It is not uncommon to find one swimming in somebody’s bathtub in the days leading up to Christmas!
Before the dinner, families share Christmas wishes and opłatek (similar to a communion wafer), which is served on a small pile of hay, referring to the stables in which Jesus was born.

GERMANY
Germans are famous worldwide for their Christmas markets and advent calendars, but they also have some lesser known traditions. In some part of Germany, children write to the Christkind (‘the Christ child’), a traditional giver of gifts. In Nürnberg a young girl is chosen each year to participate in a parade as the Christkind. She wears a long white and gold dress, has blond hair and wears a gold crown and sometimes also wings, like an angel. She is responsible for the official opening of the Christmas market and visits old people’s homes and hospitals during the Advent.

FRANCE
The 6th of January is celebrated in France as Fête des Rois (Day of the Kings). A flat almond cake is eaten called Gallete des Rois in Northern France and Gâteu des Rois in the South of the country. A small charm is placed inside the cake and the person who finds it has to either buy a beverage for everyone around the table or offer to host the next king cake at theirs. This can extend the festivities through all of January!

SPAIN
Christmas celebrations in Spain start on the 22nd of December, with the launch of Sorteo de Navidad, a Christmas lottery, which takes place every year and is broadcasted on national television. There are long queues at the ticket selling points, even as early as a month before! After all, everybody is hoping to win the main price, El Gordo, literally ‘the fat one’.
On New Year’s Eve, during the countdown to midnight, twelve grapes are eaten, one for each stroke of the clock: that’s one grape per second! They represent the twelve months of the year and are meant to bring happiness in the upcoming year.

Winter 2015

On this note, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! No matter how and where you spend it, we hope that it will be a time of rest, spent with family and friends. We would also like to wish you all the best in the New Year, let it be a year filled with love and happiness.
See you in January 2016! 

Written by Alicja Zajdel

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December 2, 2015

Travelling Corner: Late Autumn in Wales

Late autumn in Wales is beautiful, it allows us to experience different weather conditions, from strong winds, pouring rain, unexpected morning storms to warm sunny spells. I was planning to travel around the Welsh coast and to have a very slow-paced, relaxing trip. But the reality was quite the opposite; I was rushing from one place to another soaking in the rain, fighting with strong winds and carrying too much of everything. But I could forget about all that within seconds when amazed by the calm steely sea or rough hazel-brown waves, mountains and hills covered in clouds, a whole pallet of colours on mountain slopes and astonishing architecture.
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And my travels would not be the same without John Winterson Richards’s brilliantly written  “Xenophobe’s Guide to the Welsh”. I have not climbed Snowdon yet, neither can I pronounce “Penrhyndeudraeth” correctly, so I will definitely come back to this magical land of contrasts and passion.

Written by Kinga Macalla

Edited by Alicja Zajdel

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November 24, 2015

Interview with Writer & Illustrator Ella Frances Sanders

As a linguist, I found your book particularly interesting. Was your work linguistically motivated in any way? Do you have an interest in translation?
That’s lovely to hear, thank you! I suppose in retrospect, the book was linguistically motivated without me necessarily realising—but I think Lost in Translation is often picked up by people with no experience in translation, or people who only speak one language, and it was important to me that the book crossed the boundaries and elusiveness that, for a lot of people, sometimes accompany faraway cultures or languages. It was important that people felt able to connect with ideas that came from a place other than the one they grew up in. My own interest in language and translation really grew alongside the book, because everything happened very back-to-front. I wasn’t planning on writing a book, but after a small blog post I wrote on the topic of untranslatable words went viral, it quickly became the plan—when the universe gives you an opportunity that seems far too good to be true, you take it.
ella
 Why did you choose those particular words and languages?
The 52 words in the book were ruthlessly culled from a list of over 200 possibles that I compiled during my frantic research phase (I researched, wrote, and illustrated all the content for the book in less than 3 months). The final words were chosen for various reasons, but most of the time they simply seemed to be universal feelings or emotions, and many had great illustration potential. At one point I wanted to have 52 different languages in the book but ach, German has far too many great ones.

 

 Do you have a favourite untranslatable word?
I think this depends, and changes. A favourite of mine from the book is the Japanese ‘boketto’, which is to stare vacantly into the distance and not really think of much—I find myself in this position far too frequently. A favourite that isn’t in the book is ‘ayün’, a word from the Mapuche language which literally means ‘dawn’ or ‘rising sun’. It equates to ‘love’ but carries all these nuances about illumination and beauty, and also invokes conscious speaking or action—it’s as complicated as it is beautiful.

 

 You call yourself a writer out of necessity and an illustrator by accident. Would you like to expand on that?
A long story cut short, my apparent career as an illustrator was not entirely planned, while on the other hand, I have always written things down on paper—stories, life, people. My need to write often feels much more severe than my need to draw, although over time I’ve found that they complement each other wonderfully… more than I had ever hoped. I feel incredibly lucky to be in this position, where I can practice and develop both my great loves together.

 

 What do you like most about your work? What’s the typical day like for you?
Most of all, I love the flexibility my work gives me in terms of time and location; during the last two years I have lived in Morocco and Switzerland, and have now settled for now in the UK, which is where I grew up. But inks do not travel well on airplanes, and I’ve found this out the hard way, so there are definitely some limitations when it comes to throwing yourself around the globe and keeping your work intact along the way. Sometimes coming and going from the same place is good—I try to note the beauty which lives in the monotony of everyday tasks. As for a typical day, I don’t think there is one. I certainly don’t keep a 9-5 schedule, because some days I want to work late, and other days I want to be up and working before the city has risen. But all days involve some illustration, some writing, some walking, and a lot of tea.

 

 Can you tell us anything about your second book that you’re currently working on?
Well. I can tell you that it will be a companion of sorts to Lost in Translation, and that they will look splendid together on a bookshelf. It’s different, but in a similar vein linguistically speaking. If things go to plan, the book will go to print at the end of March next year, and then will be out in mid-September. I think I’ll allow myself to start getting excited soon.
Thank you.

 

To follow Ella’s lovely work visit her website.
If you would like to purchase a copy of Lost in Translation, you can do so here.
Interviewed by Alicja Zajdel
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November 4, 2015

Event report: Language Show Live, London

Language Show Live is an annual language conference, considered one of the biggest and most important events in the linguistic circles, bringing together language learners, teachers and professionals. As I am currently in my final year of undergraduate studies and the pursuit of employment is fast approaching, I decided to visit this year’s show, which took place between the 16th and 18th of October. I was only able to attend on the Saturday, so I prepared myself for a busy day, with a long list of seminars to go to and stalls to visit (I even managed to squeeze in a 30 minute Welsh taster class!).
At first I was a little overwhelmed by the enormity of the event, there was so much going on I didn’t know where to start! However, I quickly found my way round and the areas I was interested in. The event was divided into different sections, such as Careers Zone, TEFL Fair, Technology Zone and Primary Languages Base among others. Each section had numerous stalls with representatives of the corresponding institutions, ranging from British Council and the European Commission, to TEFL courses abroad and language resources retailers. It felt like everyone and everything language related were all under the same roof.
I attended multiple seminars, which were divided into three categories based on the topic: Teaching, Translating/Interpreting and TEFL. It was very interesting to find out more about some possible careers such as Public Service Interpreting or translating for the European Union. Hearing from professionals and their personal experiences of the job was a lot more insightful and informative than a simple career profile online. It was also a great opportunity to ask more specific questions. Whatever doubt you had, there sure was someone to answer it!

I would definitely recommend the event and I’m hoping to visit again next year. I believe it’s particularly beneficial for final year language students who are exploring different career options, but also for language professionals, for whom the event is a great networking opportunity.

Next year the Language Show Live will take place from 14th to 16th October 2016.

Written by Alicja Zajdel

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October 8, 2015

On Languages: Portuguese

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My adventure with the Portuguese language started almost three years ago, when after six long years of French at school I decided to try something new. Portuguese was definitely that. Even though I already speak Spanish, and was therefore expecting it to be quite similar, I was surprised by how different and well, foreign, it sounded to me at first. The Portuguese I was first introduced to was the European kind, which with its throaty Rs and fricative ʃ[1]and ʒ[2]sounds, can appear somewhat Slavic. It certainly does not resemble the Spanish or Italian pronunciation, perhaps more familiar to most people. However, I embraced this difference straight away, as after all I was after something new. Of course grammatically and lexically Portuguese resembles other Romance languages and having already had some knowledge of two other languages from that group, it was definitely easier to learn Portuguese. I cannot say what it’s like to learn it as your first foreign language.
But let’s backtrack a little. Why did I even start learning Portuguese? It doesn’t seem like the most popular language to learn in Europe, which is a shame, because it’s actually the 6th most spoken language in the world. Of course the biggest contribution to that number is Brazil, with over 200 million native speakers. And here comes another challenge: what’s the difference between the two dialects and which one do I choose?
Generally speaking, European Portuguese (EP) is the older, more traditional variant of the language. It’s characterised by more complex grammar and, of course, many lexical differences. Brazilian Portuguese (BP), having evolved differently with more influence of African and indigenous languages, such as Tupi, is the more exotic and grammar-free sibling. Of course the expression ‘grammar-free’ is used here as an exaggeration, but there are many cases of BP phrases that would be considered ungrammatical in EP. One of the biggest differences is the reduction of the personal pronoun system (I, you, he/she etc.) to just 3 verb forms, which makes learning verb tables a lot easier. The pronunciation is also quite different; BP favours more open vowels and the fricative ʃ and ʒ are reduced to the simple s and z, therefore reducing any resemblance to Slavic languages.
Which dialect is better?
This really is an impossible question as it’s all a matter of taste and individual preferences. I, personally, really like both for different reasons and I try to switch between them, depending on the interlocutor, but it’s not an easy thing to do. If you are considering learning Portuguese (and you should be!), I think you should ask yourself where you will be more likely to use it. If you travel frequently to Portugal and doubt you will venture out as far as Brazil, perhaps that’s something to consider. Of course the Brazilians and the Portuguese can understand each other, so it’s not like you won’t be able to use it in the other country, but misunderstandings do occur at times. Another thing to consider is that BP is a little easier to learn owing to its simpler and less strict grammar rules. So if you are up for a challenge or already have some linguistic experience, perhaps you will be more interested in EP. But if it’s your first attempt at foreign language learning, maybe you will find BP a bit less intimidating. This varies from person to person, so the best thing to do is to just try it and see for yourself. Regardless of which variant you choose, I recommend you learn Portuguese because it’s really fun and the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) countries make for some really great holiday destinations! And the satisfaction you will feel when you eventually do master it is totally worth all the work. Boa sorte! 

Written by Alicja Zajdel

Photos courtesy of Alicja Zajdel

[1] As in the words shop, sure or national.

[2] As in the words pleasure or vision.
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September 24, 2015

Third Year Aboard: Olomouc, Czech Republic

The first time I went to Olomouc was as a university student and just like my peers, I became fascinated by this small Czech town. To this very day, I cannot say what its charm was exactly, whether it was the beautifully refurbished university library, the cobble stones surrounding the centre and the university or the atmospheric inns with delicious cuisine. Perhaps it was the possibility of experiencing them all at the same time.
I was understandably overjoyed when I found out that my third year abroad will be at Palacký University in Olomouc. I was thrilled with the idea of studying there for the whole year and not only practising foreign languages, but also getting to know the town and the country.
It was a very interesting year academically. As a Socrates-Erasmus student, apart from the compulsory subjects, I could choose seminars I wanted to attend across the department. Among my favourite ones were history of cinematography taught by a truly passionate tutor in the university cinema room, history of theatre in the old building with a theatre stage, political studies where all the stormy discussions happened and Czech literature with an amazing intellectualist-lecturer.
In my free time I travelled a lot, as the train system in the Czech Republic works amazingly well and it is also attractive price-wise. I went to Prague, Brno, Ostrava, but also abroad to Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest. When travelling I became much closer to the idea of Central Europe where everything is ‘centred’ enough that it becomes a new ‘local’. I was utterly amazed by the idea that you could almost bump into a well-known writer or poet in a local café, and that does not only happen in Prague. Localness is felt everywhere, in the form of travelling distance, city & town differentiation, closeness of high culture, ease in making friends. It is also visible in the Czech prose of Bohumil Hrabal, Josef Škvorecký or Jaroslav Hašek where with a pinch of humour you are told a story where the important and serious is greatly mixed with the trivial and silly. Or even the real and fictional, like the extremely popular Czech genius (also a playwright) Jára Cimrman who is a fictional persona created by Czech artists.
As you can see, my stay in Olomouc was a great journey, I see it as my first step into adulthood, but yet under the umbrella of being a university student. Many years later, it still brings a smile to my face and many happy memories. 
Written by Kinga Macalla
Edited by Alicja Zajdel

Photo courtesy of Kinga Macalla 

Olomouc
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September 10, 2015

Film Review: Santiago’s Path in “The Way”

Some weeks ago we were talking in class about the cities called Santiago in the world, such as Santiago de Cuba, Santiago de Chile and Santiago de Compostela (Spain). All of them have something in common: the Spanish language. For the sake of geographical proximity, although unknown to me, I will focus on the last one: Santiago de Compostela. The main reason why people know the city is because of Santiago’s pilgrimage route, known as Camino de Santiago, which runs along the north of Spain and has been walked for centuries. It takes between one and two months during which we can explore new places, enjoy the breathtaking landscapes, meet interesting people, discover new flavors and realize what we are capable. During the class conversation appeared the title of a film, The Way, an American and Spanish co-production, directed by Emilio Estévez and starring Martin Sheen.

The Way

The protagonist, Tom Avery, is a widowed ophthalmologist, who finds out that his son, Daniel, has died at the beginning of the route in the French Pyrenees. The relationship between the father and son wasn’t very close, because the first didn’t understand the lifestyle of his offspring. The last time they spoke on the phone, just before the journey, the son told him: “you don’t choose a life, you live one”. After the news of his son’s tragic death, Tom travels to France to collect the remains, and there he decides to walk the route with Daniel, each in a different world.

The film is not characterized by action scenes or sudden plot twists, but it concentrates on some Spanish topics, such as bulls, gypsies and typical foods like pinchos. The main characters are an Irishman who walks the way to lose weight, a Canadian woman who hides the fact that her husband was abusive and seems to have the purpose of quitting smoking and a writer looking for inspiration for his next book. At first, Tom shows no interest in making friends, not even engaging in conversations with fellow travelers. He only thinks of reaching the goal and scattering his son’s ashes along the way until they arrive to Galicia. There, having completed his journey, he releases the rest of the ashes into the Cantabrian Sea. He also puts his son’s name on the completion certificate awarded to each pilgrim in Santiago.

Besides the beautiful landscapes of northern Spain, several debates are presented in the film. What is the reason to begin the journey to Santiago de Compostela? Some people do it for religious reasons, others to find inspiration or as a means of meditation, others do it just for the challenge or to experience something different. Some even do the journey with a banal reason to quit smoking or to lose weight. Unlike the original travelers who used to make the journey with no help, nowadays many people choose to complete the pilgrimage on bike or use the help of modern technology. I think that the Camino should be a time to disconnect from everything to allow us to refocus on what it is important in life.

From my perspective, I think every day there are fewer people who have faith and belief in God. I would like to travel these sandy paths, crossing the refreshing rivers, but mostly I would like to have a suitable environment for meditation to regain the faith I lost some time ago. It is incredible how as the years pass, the religious origins are lost, forgotten, yet we keep the traditions and festivities. In my opinion we should be more concerned with the origins and reasons of celebrations, to understand better our roots and direct the society toward fellowship, kindness, empathy and understanding.

I cannot comment about the experience yet, but I can say the film made me even more interested to arrive in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela having found my inner peace, sticking my victory flag in the Galician land.

Written by Mireya Sevillano
Edited by Alicja Zajdel

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March 31, 2015

Third Year Abroad: Study placement in Madrid

As part of my degree programme in languages, the third year is spent abroad, either on a work or study placement. It is undoubtedly the part of the course that students look forward to the most and often describe as ‘the best year of their life’. I have just started my second placement in Porto, but looking back on the first semester I had spent in Madrid, I’m not sure if those are the words I would use.

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So far, I think my experiences would be better described as an emotional rollercoaster. Moving to a different country all by yourself is both exciting and scary; I have been alternating between feeling like I’m on a neverending holiday to thinking I’ve been sent into exile. There are times when you’re on a trip, exploring a beautiful new place with the sun shining and sipping sangria in the shade of palm trees. But other times you are in your room, on Skype with friends and family, and all of the sudden the magical bubble bursts and you feel more alone than ever. How is it possible to keep falling from one extreme to another?

The truth is, that even though sometimes I feel like packing my suitcase and going home, I wouldn’t change my experience for anything else. Living abroad alone, although sometimes frustrating and confusing, teaches you so much about yourself. You become so much more independent and learn to cope with the strangest, most ridiculous situations life throws at you. I can guarantee that every person who has done the Year Abroad will come back with so many incredible stories. So far, my experiences have included arguing with a Spanish police officer, going on a trip with an old people’s home and having to explain what a kettle is, an invention the Spaniards apparently aren’t familiar with. These things would never happen at home and they really push you out of your comfort zone.

In terms of language practise, being forced to use a foreign language at a daily basis expands your linguistic abilities really quickly. I was really surprised, that although I already had a good level of Spanish, I found myself lacking all the basic vocabulary, such as names of kitchen utensils or other everyday objects. I guess it’s things you don’t usually learn in classes, but once you move abroad they become essential. You’re also forced to think and answer quicker, often being asked things on the spot. I have found that if you hesitate and don’t give the impression of being confident, often people will just speak to you in English or not at all.

Overall, I think it’s important to know that the Year Abroad can be hard, but on the whole it’s a really worthwhile experience. Just studying a foreign language and culture is never the same as actually experiencing it firsthand. I have learnt so much this year, but also realised that sometimes I know very little (I still don’t understand how to make the bed the Portuguese way!). But I think all the struggles of the Year Abroad are worth it in the end, when you get to come back home speaking a foreign language and feeling proud of everything you have achieved.

Written by Alicja Zajdel
Photos courtesy of Alicja Zajdel

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February 23, 2015

Film Review: WINGS OF DESIRE

Wings of desire (Der Himmel über Berlin) is the only film I have seen more than once and it is definitely my favourite. It was directed by Wim Wenders in 1987 and awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Wings of Desire

There are several reasons which make the film so special and lyrical. First of all, it is the romantic fantasy plot. The film tells the story of two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, who observe West Berlin’s life and listen to people’s thoughts while remaining invisible. The angels are immortal observers and can’t interact with people and their world. It changes when Damiel falls in love with Marion, a trapeze artist and decides to become human. With this decision the black and white film becomes colourful and Damiel is able to experience human sensory pleasures, such as food and the touch of his beloved woman.

One of my favourite scenes takes place in a library, where several angels sit by the readers while they immerse themselves in literature. There is an old man among them, named Homer, who dreams of an epic of peace. He expresses his disappointment that peace doesn’t inspire poets as much as war. His thoughts are illustrated with the real images of a ruined city and the victims of war.

The film not only praises peace but also music. Damiel meets Marion on the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds concert. It is the beginning of their relationship. Music is shown as one of the greatest human pleasures with a power to bring people together.

It is also the poetic language of the inner monologues that makes the film so special. One can find inspirations of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poetry. Wings of desire begins with the poem Song of Child written by Peter Handke, who also wrote much of the dialogue and poetic narrations. One of the most significant monologues are Damiel’s plans for the first day after his metamorphosis, which expresses his passion for life: First, I’ll have a bath. Then I’ll be shaved by a Turkish barber who will massage me down to the fingertips. Then I’ll buy a newspaper and read it from headlines to horoscope. On the first day, I’ll be waited upon… For requests, ask the neighbour. If someone stumbles over my legs, he’ll have to apologize. I’ll be pushed around, and I’ll push back. In the crowded bar, the bartender will find me a table. A service car will stop, and the mayor will take me aboard. I’ll be known to everyone, and suspect to no one. I won’t say a word, and will understand every language. That will be my first day.

Wings of desire encourages the viewer to appreciate every simple moment of life. It also gives them a feeling that people and animals are not the only inhabitants of the Earth. The film was an inspiration for the City of angels with Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan and it is also an inspiration for everyone who has watched it.
Quotations;

Written by Joanna Michta
Edited by Alicja Zajdel

 

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December 1, 2014

Travelling Corner: Orchid Island. Taiwan.

I stepped off the boat onto a land smothered with jade flora.  Our senses were immediately awaked by the shades of green sandwiched between the turquoise sea and the emerald sky.  My travelling companions and I looked up at the mountainous expanse before us.  Orchid Island lies about 30 kilometres off the south-east coast of Taiwan, and boasts eight mountains over 400 metres high, just three less than England does.  Quite impressive for an island that takes under three hours to circumnavigate on a 50cc scooter.

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We were picked up by our host family and taken to our basic lodgings, which consisted of six comfortable mattresses on a living room floor with all the standard mod-cons of air-conditioning, heated water and nearby barbecue meat, all of which are standard throughout the rest of Taiwan.  £9 per night was more than reasonable.

Taiwan 2The island itself is mostly inhabited by one of Taiwan’s nine remaining aboriginal people, the Yami or Tao people.  A recently as 30 years ago, it wouldn’t have been odd to have seen some people walking around in loin clothes and spending their days adhering to their ancient tradition of fishing for Orchid Island’s famous flying fish as the aquatic creatures made their way from the equator up to Japan.  This delicious source of protein was, and still is, eaten in abundance during the migration season from March to June, and eaten in dried form throughout the rest of the year.  Sweet potatoes are the next most common food on the menu, with most of the vegetables having to be sent over from the Taiwanese mainland.  The Pacific hadn’t been living up to its name before we arrived, so one of the weekly food boats had been delayed for over two weeks, leaving the island without ketchup, bread or coffee during our time there!  No great loss.

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The people themselves were such free spirits.  They had a good sense of humour and a beautiful way of looking at life.  When I mentioned the rainy weather (I’ve spent far to long in Britain, and have to include the whether in all conversations with people I’ve just met), she merely tutted and said that it’s like the heaven wants to cry but it couldn’t let it out.  The Yami had migrated from the northern-most island of The Philippines hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago, and shared some customs and language roots with other indigenous people form the archipelago to the south.

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The island is covered with goats, walking up the most unbelievable of cliffs and protuberances.  It wasn’t rare to see goats, pig and dogs playing together in the middle of the one road that went around the island.  Palm trees only found on Orchid Island were just one type of the many plants that covered over 98% of the island.  We spent our days snorkelling, hiking, scooting around, eating or talking with the local people.

It was with sadness that we departed this verdant land.  Our hearts lifted when we were back on Taiwan’s mainland, as we were back in Kenting, a surfing paradise with copious amounts of delicious food and great beer.  We spent an exciting three days in Kenting, but that, as they say, is another story.
Written by Weiman Sun
Edited by Alicja Zajdel
Photos courtesy of Weiman Sun

Taiwan 5

  

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