March 4, 2020

Learn a language: My new language challenge!

As I mentioned last week, I plan to challenge myself and to start learning a new language (!). I’ll use the blog to update you on my improvements, what resources I use and how I plan my study.

Group or 1-1

As a working mama, my free time is limited: I run the school, spend time with my family and with friends, travel and have some me-time (very important!). You may remember our blog posts, where we discuss which method of teaching may suit you better: whether to choose individual tuition or group lessons. Due to my irregular availability, I decided to choose individual tuition. I had thought about online lessons, which are usually slightly cheaper and you don’t have to commute to your lesson, but my work commitments allow me to be in Clifton, Bristol, regularly, so I have my 1-1 lessons with our wonderful language tutor, Patricia (who BTW speaks Brazilian and European Portuguese!).

Brazilian or European Portuguese

That’s another question to answer, before you embark on learning Portuguese. Personally, I love the sound of Brazilian Portuguese which is so melodic, so I was very tempted to choose Brazilian, but practicality won; I travel much more often to Portugal, so I’d like to be able to converse and understand European Portuguese.

Learning methods

I have decided to have my individual lessons weekly or bi-weekly. Between my lessons, I’ll try to learn every day (even for as little as 5 minutes), either to say out loud the phrases from the previous lesson(s), re-write them (yes, the power of hand-writing!), read aloud or actively listen to a video in Portuguese. I’m still working on a weekly learning schedule, but once it’s ready, I’ll share it here.

Resources

To learn some basics, I use these graphic YouTube videos and some real-life Portuguese. But, I’m still looking for more online resources to learn Portuguese, so if you have any recommendations, do let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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February 26, 2020

Learn a language: Can I learn Polish, Czech, French, Russian & Portuguese on YouTube?

Today, I’d like to see if we can improve our language skills via YouTube channels.  I hope to inspire you to use some free resources that are available online. I’ll first focus on the languages that I’m familiar with (Polish, Czech, French and Russian) or plan to learn (Portuguese). Yes, I’m giving myself a new language challenge for the coming 8-12 months: to learn some basic Portuguese. I’ll write a new blog post on my progress soon! Today, I’ll focus on YouTube channels and will provide one or two online resources per language to inspire you to practise your language skills more:

Czech: Basic greetings & Americans speaking Czech

Polish: A smiling intro to Polish greetings and Japanese uni students learning & speaking Polish

French: To listen and learn more street French

Portuguese: Students tend to have a preference whether they wish to study European Portuguese (that one that’s spoken in Portugal) or Brazilian Portuguese (spoken in Brazil).

European Portuguese: Basic Portuguese from the Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese: To start from scratch & for the joy of listening to the melodic Brazilian Portuguese

Russian: A short & fun intro to basic Russian

These are my findings. What YT channels / podcasts / online resources do you use to improve your language skills in Polish, Czech, French, Portuguese or Russian? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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February 19, 2020

Travelling corner: Winter in Exmoor

This winter I re-discovered Exmoor. The last time I went to this beautiful part of England was when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter, around 5 years ago! I remember being 7 months pregnant and climbing North Hill and, by mistake, taking the steep route up the hill… Oh yes, it was proper exercise and this winter, surprisingly (!), we avoided this steeper path 🙂 Below, you’ll find my favourite walks from Exmoor. BTW, if you can, please recommend some books/blogs on Exmoor, as I’m curious to learn more about this undiscovered (by me) land.

North Hill

Yes, we did it again, but this time we chose a more humane path. It was beautiful to walk among green ferns at the lowest point, among clouds in the middle and above the clouds and bathed in sunlight at the highest point. We had such amazing weather that day, which turned the whole walk into a magical experience.

Lynton

I had been planning to visit Lynton for a while and somehow it didn’t happen, but this winter I was determined to go there and explore its uniqueness. Lynton is located on a hill with a Cliff Railway train going down to Lynmouth, a picturesque sea village (unfortunately, the train doesn’t operate in winter). We went for a walk to Lee Bay following the coast. Even though we were wet as we walked in the clouds, the views of the rocks on the left and the sea on the right and the copper hills around the valley created a beautiful scenery.

Porlock Weir

I like analysing maps to see where it would be interesting to go and I had a feeling that this little harbour just outside Porlock might be an intriguing spot to visit and I was right! I also read a brochure that said that in the 18th and 19th centuries the place was famous for oysters and recently a community project was established and oyster farming returned to Porlock Weir! Truly intrigued, we went to explore it. We found a long stony beach, a small harbour, a tiny oyster warehouse (!), and a petite gallery with a café (it was true bliss to have a mug of tea there!). We took a long walk along the stony beach and beyond, to the marshland. It was quiet and peaceful, yet so uniquely beautiful.

We so enjoyed our short winter trip to Exmoor that we’d love to return there in Spring/Summer, to see it in its full colours and flavours. Have you been to Exmoor recently? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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February 12, 2020

Book review: Goodbye, things. On minimalist living by Fumio Sasaki

“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin;

what else does a man need to be happy?”

 Albert Einstein

In a world so overloaded with information, things, promotions and a want-more philosophy, shall we all become minimalists? Is there happiness in having less?

Personally, I’m on a journey to declutter my belongings: I no longer have many clothes/cosmetics, I try to buy sustainable clothing/beauty products and only when I really need them (I do not wear make-up, though if an occasion requires it, I have a red lipstick ;)). And this all started before reading the book on minimalism by Fumio Sasaki. Let’s see what the next chapter will bring.

Fumio Sasaki is a Japanese minimalist who, throughout his journey to declutter his tiny apartment in Tokyo, learnt some valuable lessons on life and became a better person himself. I found the book a very interesting read, observing his from-maximalist-to-minimalist journey (Do objects make us more valuable? Certainly not!), learning about some practical minimalist tools (What do I really need to have a good life?, organising is not minimising, our homes are not museums, borrow/rent it, don’t buy it!, one in, one out) and seeing some profound benefits of having less (more time, enjoying life more, cleaning less, not comparing oneself with others, focusing better, being healthier, being present in the moment, feeling gratitude).

 “Happiness is actually all around us. We just need time to find it.” (p. 166)

“The very act of living brings me joy.” (p. 174)

“Minimalism is built around the idea that there’s nothing that you’re lacking.” (p. 160)

I truly recommend this book and suggest learning more about minimalism. It seems that via decluttering our houses, we also dust ourselves down and discover a more meaningful life.

Which item(s) would you like to have less of? Please let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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February 5, 2020

Book review: Slow by Jo Peters

“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.” Lily Tomlin

“Slow. Finding peace and purpose in a hectic world.” After a very intensive January, I wanted to slow down, hence was looking for some slow reading and came across this publication. It’s beautifully published with photographs and graphics that inspire readers to pause and slow down. The book gives some guidance into slow health and well-being, home, relationships, food, work and nature. It reminds us where the slow idea originated: Italy. Carlo Petrini created a slow food movement as an act of protest to fast food. The idea then influenced other parts of people’s lives, from slow parenting and slow cities to slow exercising. Then, in 1999, the World Institute of Slowness was formed by Geir Berthelsen in Norway.

The book is a beautiful introduction to slow life (not lazy life!), to a less-do, be-more-present and mindful life. It teaches you how to focus on single tasks (e.g. when working, learning languages, reading), how to create daily slow rituals and simplify your calendar (oh my absolutely favourites: JOMO-the joy of missing out and JONO-the joy of no), and how to enjoy nature (e.g. forest bathing, wild swimming, rainbow walking).

I’m glad I read it, as I feel more ready to live a better (and slower) life. What’s the book that greatly inspired your recently? Let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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January 29, 2020

Book review: Sea Journal by Lisa Woollett

It’s a beautiful read. Mindful, slow, inspirational, interesting, funny. And the photographs of the sea and of the sea life make the read so real and yet incredibly artistic. I started reading it when I was by the sea and couldn’t stop, just continued reading it every day. I was so amazed by it that I was telling some of the stories to my family and we had long discussions about how fascinating nature is and how incredible it is that a small fossil can lead us a hundred or even a million years back. It shows how everything is linked yet individual and how every little creation plays its important role in forming nature. It’s also a gentle reminder that plastic doesn’t belong in nature (!).

‘Sea Journal’ is written by Lisa Woollett, a photographer and writer currently living in Cornwall (my short review of her previous book you can find here). I know I’ll return to Lisa’s stories as the year goes by and I re-visit the sea. A pleasure of reading and discovering nature.

One of my absolute favourite stories is about a Lego dragon. Which story is your favourite? Do let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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January 22, 2020

Travelling corner: 5 Best of North-West Cornwall

We returned to Cornwall last summer to re-discover the beautiful area of St Ives Bay, located in North-West Cornwall. It’s a blissful location, if you wish to visit the famous gems of Cornwall, have long beach walks, do some hiking, go to family-friendly places and enjoy some beautiful scenery. Yes, this part of Cornwall has it all and below you’ll find my absolute favourites:

Beach

There are many of them, St Ives alone has several of them, so it’s a true heaven for beach lovers (like me)! My favourite is Godrevy, it stretches long, so walking is very pleasant, and so is the swimming (for surfers, Gwithian might be a better option). You can park at the far end NT parking and go for a walk (see below).

Walk

From Godrevy NT car park you can walk to see the seal colony (remember to be quiet, as seals can be easily distracted by loud voices) or enjoy the views of the lighthouse. Or, you can walk further, along the coast path. Scenic views guaranteed!

Tate

Visiting St Ives is a must if you’re in North-West Cornwall and this summer we went to the famous Tate St Ives art gallery. We started with a quick lunch at their top floor café, which has beautiful views of the town and the sea. The gallery has an activity room for children (with some very friendly staff members), so our pre-schooler was very happy to have some creative time there, while our baby girl had a very comfortable nap among the paintings, so I had chance to slowly go around the galleries and admire the art. I was especially fascinated by the gallery’s temporary exhibition devoted to the Lebanese artist, Huguette Caland.

Train

As much as I enjoy being by the sea, I also like travelling by train! While in Cornwall this summer, we could see the little train going by the coast every day and we knew we wanted to experience it. So we travelled from St Erth to St Ives and the views were truly amazing. We also went from St Erth to Penzance (in both instances the train journey didn’t last longer than 10 minutes).

Sunsets

The sunsets in this part of Cornwall are epic (unless it’s very cloudy or rainy!). The colours of the sky slowly changing, wide landscape and the sparkly silver sea. You can stare at the sky and wonder how nature can be so generous with its amazingness.

Have you visited this part of Cornwall? What did you enjoy most? Do let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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January 8, 2020

Hello to you all in 2020!

Happy New Year, my wonderful readers!

I hope your Christmas was wonderful and so were the New Year’s celebrations.

I think January is a good time to reflect on the past year and dream about what the New Year will look like?! For me, personally, 2019 was a challenging year. With the arrival of our second daughter, life was flipped upside down and it brought us many new challenges, as well as many beautiful moments. In terms of business, I think we had our day-to-day usual challenges which fortunately were relatively quickly solved, thanks to the many wonderful people who work with us!

What will 2020 bring? Personally, I’d like to learn to manage my time better, travel to some beautiful places, and accomplish some personal goals (yes, language learning is one of them!). Business-wise, I think I’d like our school to continue having the rich choice of morning, afternoon and evening courses that we run, and to expand our individual tuition and corporate offers (details are available on request and are aimed at meeting your specific language needs).

BTW, do you know we’re starting our WINTER LANGUAGE COURSES very soon? On Monday 13th January 2020! You can join one of more than 60 language classes, study 11 different languages and join our evening, morning or afternoon courses (yes, we’re spoiling you with our winter course choice!).

If you haven’t enrolled yet, join our language courses now and register here!

Wishing you a wonderful New Year & hope to see you soon!

Lots of love,

Kinga

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December 25, 2019

What would be the perfect present this Christmas?

As the festive time approaches, we would like to thank you for this wonderful year and wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Veselé Vánoce! / Счастливого Рождества! (Schastlivogo Rozhdestva) / С рождеством Христовым!  (S rozhdyestvom Hristovym!) / Wesołych świąt Bożego Narodzenia! / Feliz Navidad! / Buon Natale! / Joyeux Noël! / Bon Nadal! / Feliz Natal! / Fröhliche Weihnachten! / Zalige Kerstdagen! / Merry Christmas! メリークリスマス (Merīkurisumasu) /圣诞快乐 (Shèngdàn kuàilè) / عيد ميلاد المسيح” (‘eed milaad al-maseeH).

We hope that you enjoy your festive break and we are hoping to see you back in January 2020!

Thank you for learning languages with us!

Lots of love,

BLS Team

PS. What would be the perfect present this Christmas? The answer is easy: to learn a new language!

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December 18, 2019

Travelling corner: My sentimental trip to Śląsk in Poland

I spent part of my childhood and youth in Śląsk (Silesia), it’s a province in the south of Poland. As I wasn’t born there, there were some aspects which always attracted my interest: the regional history, the industrial character of the region and their regional dialect (gwara śląska). I left this part of Poland in my early twenties to go study in the Czech Republic and then in the UK. These days, every time I re-visit this region, I’m more and more fascinated by the changes that have been made, in terms of new cultural establishments, improvements in the urban landscape and the rich cuisine on offer. I think I feel like my uni professor from Prague who, after living her whole life in architectonically diverse Prague, came to work in Śląsk, found an architectural relief and was fascinated by the industrial character of the region. So who knows, maybe I’ll inspire you to travel to this part of Poland!

Nikiszowiec 

Let’s start with the oldest part of Katowice (Katowice being the capital of Śląsk). It’s a more than one hundred years old settlement built originally for coal miners. The houses called familoki (in German Familien-Block), with red windows, were built for workers and their families. Even though this part of Katowice seems so beautiful, quiet and overall unreal, people actually still reside there. The perfect place for a slow walk to discover its uniqueness and beauty.

Café Byfyj 

If we’re in Nikiszowiec, we need to try some amazing food from Café Byfyj. I don’t go out so often and if I do, I try to visit places that respect our planet and choose sustainable, fresh and local products. The food here was delicious and what’s more, the service was amazing: kind and friendly.

Muzeum Śląskie (Silesian Museum)

Is there a better place to build a museum in industrial Śląsk than on the grounds of the former mine? Yes, in 2015 Muzeum Śląskie opened its new site which was built on the former Katowice mine. It’s now conveniently located in the centre of Katowice in Śląsk. It has art galleries, museum rooms, cafes and restaurants, and a library. I found the whole site beautifully rebuilt and was fascinated by the presentation of the history of Śląsk. I was impressed to see some paintings by well-known Polish artists.

That’s the story of my sentimental travel to Poland. Have you visited an important/inspiring place recently? Please let me know in the comments below.

Kinga Macalla

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