Issue 38 - Festive Edition

Our 2020Team

Committee: Chair - Holl

Secretary treasurer publicity

Creativedesigner

Eleanor Smith

proofreaders:

Rachael Jones

Camille stevenson

editors team:

french- camille stevenson

German- harvey jones

spanish- megan lacey

Portuguese- emily petrie

catalan- emmavelho

italian- francafilipik

mandarin- becca snoad

lifeand style-

Georgia boote

current affairs-

elsie haldane

culture- emmavelho

foodand drink-

emma walker

travel- chloe brown

Sweeten

10 Russian section: "ПочемуялюблюМоскву!"bySashaEdwards, "Транссибирскаямагистраль"byMarisaPalko

11 Mandarin section: "冬

12 Current Affairs section: "AverysustainableChristmas"byElsieHaldane

13 Life and Style section: "QuintessentiallyChristmas:myfestiveGerman experience"byVictoriaJackson,"SustainableGiftGiving"byGeorgiaBoote

14 Culture section: "HowtheUNinspiredchangeinDutchfestivities"by JuliavanEgmond

15 Travel section: "Howtotravelfromhome;aSummerinquarantine"by FreyaRichold

16 Food and Drink section: "Lisbon'sBestBrunchSpots"byRachaelJones

17 Featured Language - Welsh: "BlwyddynNewyddDdagyda’rFariLwyd" HarveyJones

Hello! Olá! Здравствуйте!

Dec 2020 a Message from the Chair... Holly

WelcometoanotherissueoftheUoBLinguistMagazine.Lifein Birminghamhasbeenverydifferentthisyearforstudentsat UoB:withCovid-19restrictionsinplaceandalotofuniversity takingplacevirtually,ithasbeenachallengingtimeformanyand anunprecedenteduniversityexperience.However,theUoB LinguistMagazineisheretoprovideyouwithanescapefromstudyingintothe worldoftravelandculture.

This issue is our festive winter edition so it is jam-packed full of snowy-, festive-, and holiday-themed articles to keep you going through the winter months! Personally, I love this time of year as I am always in England where I enjoy wrapping up warm in winter coats, having hot drinks, going on frosty walks and celebrating the New Year with loved ones! My fondness of the winter season made this issue’s articles all the more enjoyable! If you too love all things winter and festive, check out Rebecca Snoad’s article on the Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi Festival) in our Chinese Section; Victoria Jackson’s article on a quintessentially German Christmas in our Life and Style Section; and Keeley Beeston’s German article on how to have your very own German Christmas at home. Also in this issue you can find a fascinating article on Dutch Christmas festivities by Julia Van Egmond; a deep dive into the stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway by Marisa Palko in our Russian Section; and a very special Welsh article on the Mari Lwyd New Year celebrations by Harvey Jones in our Featured LanguageSection!

Wealsohavesomebrilliantfestivephotosfromourreadersandmemberstoget youintheholidayspirit!WehopeyouenjoyreadingIssue38asmuchaswehave enjoyedwritingit.Iwouldliketofinishbysayingabigthankyoutoallthewriters, editorsandproofreadersforworkinghardtogetanotherfabulousissue together.Itisatestingtimeanditisagreatfeelingtoknowthatlike-minded languagelearnersandtravelloversarestayingpositivebywriting,readingand stayingconnectedtotheworldaroundthemthroughthesharingoflanguage andculture!

A bientôt! Tot ziens! A presto!

Cover Image: Christmas in Lisbon by Megan Lacey

Marchés deNoëld'Aix

Il existe beaucoup de grands marchés de Noël en Europe, cependant certaines petites villes offrent des perles de marchés. Aix-en-Provence est connue pour être « la ville de mille fontaines », mais elle a aussi des milliers de marchés – surtout à Noël. Chaque weekenddedécembreapporteunnouveaumarché. LegrandmarchédeNoëlàAixsetrouvedansleCours Mirabeau:uneénormeétenduedepetitschalets.Ilya desproduitsprovençauxetaixoistelsquelecalisson–une confiserie faite de fruits confits et d’amandes broyées–desvêtementsd’hiver,desbijouxartisanaux, des peintures du paysage aixois, des marrons au four. Autour de la fontaine de la Rotonde il y a la Foire des santons pour que chaque famille puisse créer leur propre crèche chez eux. Les week-ends, les enfants peuventaccéderàlafêteforaineetprofiterdespetites attractions. Ce marché arrive à Aix à la fin de novembreetyrestetoutaulongdudécembre.

Aix-en-Provence a beaucoup de villes jumelées autour du monde. Le premier week-end du décembre accueille un marché dans la place François Villon constitué d’étals de ces villes. Des produits fabriqués de bois olivier marocain, du thé anglais, du fromage végan japonais, des tapisseries italiennes : c’est un petit tour du monde. Un nouveau marché commence le deuxième week-end : le marché des 13 desserts. C’est une célébration de la cuisine provençale, où on trouve le calisson aixois, des confitures, des biscottes,duchocolat,dumiel.Leweek-endsuivantvientla fête de l’huile nouvelle. L’huile d’olive d’Aix-en-Provence est l’une des appellations d’origine protégée et chaque année il y a une cérémonie pour l’huile nouvelle. Beaucoup de producteurs d’huile viennent au marché pour vendre leur huile et on peut faire de multiples dégustations de toutes les huiles pendant ce marché. Il existe tant de producteurs et d’huiles différents que le matin de la fête, il n’y a plus de paindanslesboulangeries!

Zoe Willis

Critique littéraire: Uneseconde avant Noël

Les contes sont l’essence de Noël. Ici au RoyaumeUni aucun auteur n’incarne cette essence mieux que Charles Dickens, et son héritage survive dans ce roman de Romain Sardou, qui se déroule à Lancashire au 18 e siècle. Diplômée de français et de littérature anglaise, je connais très bien la tendance anglaise à idéaliser la France, et la chance de voir à l’inverse, un portrait fantastique demonpaysenfrançais,m’intriguait.

Il est clair que l’auteur a été inspiré par Dickens et il y a beaucoup d’éléments dickensiens dans le livre, surtout l’intrigue. Un orphelin de neuf ans, Harold, s’est échappé de l’orphelinat cruel de Miss Parrott (encore autre signe caractéristique de Dickens, les noms ludiques) et essaie de devenir ramoneur, bien que, à cause de malnutrition, il est trop petit. Chaque jour avec son meilleur ami, Honnêt’Joe,ilregardelafabriquedejouetsdesa

citéetrêvedujouroùilaurasonproprejouetàlui.C’est bien que Harold connaisse les cheminées et la manufacture de jouets, parce que, bien qu’il ne le sache, ilvadevenirPèreNoël.

Sardou, dont la majorité des livres sont des thrillers, a écrit l’histoire pour ses enfants. Néanmoins, comme adulte j’ai apprécié le déroulement de l’intrigue, et comment tous les éléments de la légende de Père Noël sont rassemblés. Les aspects de fantaisie, comme les lutins et les rennes volants sont aussi charmants, et la passion pour l’innocence et le bonheur des enfants se révèle dans chaque page. Finalement, parce que c’est un roman pour enfants, le vocabulaire est assez facile à comprendrepourlesétudiantsdelalangue.

Alors, si tu cherches un roman français à lire pendant Noël…et si tu veux encore croire à notre ami dans le costume rouge…Une seconde avant Noël est le choix idéal.

Tiffany Williams

Las tradicionesnavideñas de Argentina

No cabe duda de que Argentina tiene una cultura muy rica, dinámica y fascinante. El año pasado, pasé tres meses allí y por eso quise escribir sobre las tradiciones navideñasquelosargentinosrealizancadaaño.

Cuando se celebra la Navidad en Argentina, es verano. Normalmente, olvidamos que Argentina experimenta las estaciones al revés (todo el hemisferio sur en realidad).

La mayoría de la población es católica, y por eso, es una celebración muy importante. Mientras que los religiosos critican que la Navidad se ha vuelto demasiado comercial y materialista, no cabe duda de que la Navidad tiene el poderparajuntaralafamilia.

Argentina es famosa por su “asado” en el que se cocina todo en la parrilla. Los platos populares de Navidad son asado de carne de vaca o cerdo y pavo al horno. Asimismo, incluyen platos típicos en Argentina, como pan de atún, Vitel toné son un tipo muy especial de entradas. Lo que le gusta a muchos, es la torre de panqueques: un plato que consiste en alternar entre capas de queso, jamón y lechuga entre panqueques. Turrónypanettonesonlospostresmáspreferidosdela festividad(gustosheredadosdelosancestroseuropeos).

Lasdecoracionesencasasonmuylujosas,concoronasde floresdecoloresmuyvivos(rojo,verdeydorado)colgadas de la puerta principal. Es más, el pesebre ocupa un lugar prioritarioalladodelárboldenavidad.Comoseesperaba, elárboldeNavidadgravitaconsiderablementeenunacasa argentina.

Una tradición muy bonita era lanzar todo tipo de fuegos artificiales y bombas de estruendo al cielo. Era hermoso ver como se iluminaba el cielo al sonido estruendoso de tanto artificio, pero también aprendieron que era muy dañino para las aves, las mascotas y los niños con discapacidad. Esta tradición era similar a "Las Fallas" en Valencia, España. Es más, es muy común que un adulto se disfracedePapáNoelparaencantaralosniños.

La diversión comienza la víspera de Navidad o Nochebuena. Se cena muy tarde en Argentina, a las 10 o 11delanocheporquealas12enpuntoselanzanalcielo los fuegos artificiales sin sonido y globos. La comida normalmente durante la Nochebuena es como un banquete. Si no conoces mucho sobre Argentina y su cultura,alosargentinosnadalesgustamásqueunafiesta y juntadas con los amigos. La comida forma una parte importante de la vida y la socialización. Eso se manifiesta másdurantelasvacacionesdeNavidad.

Cuandosedespidenfuegosartificialesamedianoche,es un fin muy agradable del día. Toda la gente brinda con sidra o champagne y se reúne para disfrutar toda la nochebailando.Losargentinossueleniraunafiestaoal boliche para celebrar con sus amigos y la familia. Se acuestan muy tarde y hay más celebraciones el día de Navidad. Eso consiste en reunirse con todos los parientes, y la parte más memorable es la de los dulces. Turrón,budín,panettoneo"PandeNavidad"yensalada defrutassonlospostresmáspreferidosdelafestividad. ElTurrónesunamezclademiel,azúcaryalmendras.

Sin duda, la celebración navideña en Argentina es una nochepararecordar.

Emma Gardner

Menjar català: peron comencem?

És impossible anar a Catalunya i tornar sense engreixar-se.CadavegadaquevaigaCatalunya, sempretornoambunsquilosmés.

El meu menjar preferit Català és el pa amb tomàquet. És un plat simple però deliciós. De fet, és molt fàcil fer-lo a casa també. Consisteix en cinc ingredientsprincipals:pa,tomàquets,all,oliisal. M’agradamoltmenjar-nepersopar.

Què més? Els calçots. Els calçots estan disponibles normalmentdurantelmesdefebrer.Sónunes cebes tendres fetes a la planxa. Mai he menjat calçotsperòm’agradariamenjar-neperquè m’agradenmoltcebestendres.

També hi ha l’escudella i la carn d’olla. És un plat famósquenormalmentesmenjadurantl’hiverni, en particular, per Nadal. És una sopa feta amb llegumsicarn,perexemplepilotaibotifarra.

I ara, la millor part: les postres! A Catalunya, podeu provarunespostresfantàstiques.Lacrema catalana és com la creme brulée, però millor, en la mevaopinió.Perferlacremacatalanas’utilitza llet en comptes de de crema, i s’utilitza farina de blatdemorotambé.Amés,noesfaalbanymaria, com la creme brulée. La crema catalana és una de lesmevespostrespreferides!

Per acabar, volia dir-vos que la gastronomia catalanaésunadelícia,iquehihamoltsmesplats famosos per descobrir, per exemple els torrons, els canelons,lafideuadavalenciana,lesfavesala catalana,imés!

Si aneu als Països Catalans no patiu que no passareufam!

Emma Velho

É possível achar um paraíso tropical...naEuropa?

Descubra esta ilha muito subestimada no Oceano Atlântico!

Todo o mundo conhece as Ilhas Canárias que constituem uma parte da Espanha, mas um pouco a norte daquelas ilhas há a Ilha da Madeira, que é uma região autônoma de Portugal muito pouco conhecida. Ela foi ‘descoberta’ e reivindicada pelo Navegador Infante Henrique em 1419, e é talvez conhecida pelo vinho fortificado, mas há tantas outrascoisasaencontrar.

Quando chegares à Ilha da Madeira, poderás ver imediatamente a paisagem maravilhosa: a Ilha fica localizada no topo de um antigo vulcão e tem um clima subtropical que favorece as temperaturas amenas durante oano inteiro. No centro da ilha, onde está o seu ponto mais alto, é possível ver a neve no inverno, enquanto durante o verão em Funchal, a capital, estará mais quente. Além disso, há fluxos de lava endurecidos e muitas falésias impressionantes.

O que fazer na ilha? Para descansar, há muitas praias no lado sul, mas também há piscinas naturais numas grandes rochas ao norte que propiciam as vistas magníficas, rodeadas pelo verde da natureza. Se quiseres aproveitar os miradouros mais impressionantes, podes fazer as caminhadas nas montanhas no centro da ilha e subir o Pico Ruivo (1862 m) para chegar ao miradouro com uma visãode360grausdailha.

Depois de todo o exercício é necessário comer as especialidades da ilha: é claro, muitos pratos incluem bacalhau e outros peixes, mas há também a espetada madeirense e o bolo de caco que tem origem na ilha e é preparadocomfarinhadetrigoebatatadoceassada.

Se, como eu, quiseres visitar o Cristo Redentor no Rio de Janeiro, mas não tens dinheiro suficiente, a Ilha da Madeira tem uma estátua, o Cristo Rei, que é semelhante ao Cristo Redentor em Rio de Janeiro (apesar de ter menos de metadedasuaaltura).Acombinaçãodanatureza,acordo mar e o litoral deslumbrante faz-me pensar no Brasil, ou ao menos demonstra que a Ilha da Madeira é uma parte daEuropaúnicaecompletamentealheiaaoPortugal.

Cameron Smith

Porto da Cruz

O miradouro do Cabo Girão Skywalk

A estátua do Cristo Rei

As Piscinas Naturais do Seixal no lado norte

Il Raduno della Mongolfiera

Ogni anno a Mondovì, ‘la Capitale italiana del volo in mongolfiera’,haluogoilradunonazionaledellaMongolfiera.

Pur essendo sulle Alpi italiane, per più di trenta anni ogni gennaio i piloti vengono da tutto il mondo al piccolo paese piemontesepergareggiaredurantetregiorni.

Sapevate che le mongolfiere si chiamano così perché gli inventori della mongolfiera erano i fratelli francesi Michel e Jacques Etienne Montgolfier che sono riusciti nel 1783 a far volare una pecora, un’anatra e un gallo con la prima mongolfiera?

L’anno scorso passavo il mio anno all’estero a Mondovì e dopo Natale ci sono ritornata di corsa per non mancare all’evento, e non sono stata delusa! Dal primo giorno mi avevano informato di questo incontro e ogni tanto durante l’anno intravedevo delle mongolfiere che si esercitavano, quindi con grande attesa ho aspettato il trentaduesimo radunodellaMongolfieradiMondovì.

Le squadre arrivarono al campo di lancio e cominciarono a gonfiare le mongolfiere, guardate dalla più grande folla di gentecheavevomaivistonellacosìpiccolacittàtranquilladi Mondovì! C’erano delle mongolfiere di ogni forma in tanti colori! Si dice che i koala, rinoceronti e pinguini non si trovanoinItalia,maquelgiornolihovisti,evolavano!

La mongolfiera più attesa era quella nella forma di Van Gogh! Era un po’ strano vedere la sua testa fluttuando nel cielo! Ma il mio ricordo preferito è della seconda mattina della festa quando una volta sveglia potei ammirare tutte le mongolfiere intorno alla torre belvedere della parte storica diMondovì.

Ella Powell

La mia vacan sciarea Pasqua

L’annoscorsosonoandatoaCerviniapersciare,perilquale sono stato molto fortunato! Abbiamo preso l’aereo per Milano, e poi abbiamo preso un autobus verso la località sciistica. Appena arrivati abbiamo ricevuto bevande e spuntini italiani gratuiti: la vacanza era ufficialmente iniziata! La sera, c’era ancora più cibo gratuito (ora si può dedurre che mi piace tanto la cucina italiana). Pasta fatta in casa, pizza (senza ananas, grazie a Dio) e formaggio aostana, la sola cosa che mi mancava per quella stagione era la Colomba;sonomortoeandatoincielo!Pertuttoquelloche hoscrittodellacucinaitaliana,penserestichesonoandatoa Cervinia solo per mangiare, ma di fatto, il giorno dopo mi sono ritrovato con degli sci, un casco, e le bacchette che avevo ottenuto il giorno prima. Tante cose sono successe il primo giorno di sciate. Sono dovuto salire sulla montagna senzamiasorella,cheavevapersoiguanti,hoquasipersoil mio cellulare sul fondo della funivia, e ho avuto un pranzo fantastico con i miei nuovi compagni che avevo conosciuto durantelanostralezione,concuisonoancoraincontatto.

C’era perfino una discoteca, che decisi di provare per la prima volta nonostante il rumore, ma credo che quello fosse un po’ meglio che un’altra puntata di ‘Grande Fratello.’ Tuttavia io avrei preferito passare del tempo fuori, con una bevanda, apprezzando l’aria montanara. Anche se le mie vacanze erano in aprile, mi sembrava un’esperienza invernale per via della neve abbondante, il tempo passato conlepersonesimpaticheelacucinadeliziosacondivisacon loro. Era come se fosse di nuovo Natale, un’esperienza indimenticabilechenonvedol’oradifareancora!

Matthew Cassidy

Kein Weihnachtsmarkt? Kein Problem!

2020 werden die meisten Weihnachtsmärkte wahrscheinlich geschlossen. Was kann man jetzt tun? Wurde Weihnachten abgesagt? Nein! Man muss ein deutsches Weihnachten nach Hause bringen. Ich weiß ja, was Sie denken. Wie machen wir das? Wir können beginnen, indem man Einkaufen geht. Hier werde ich Ihnen helfen, ein perfektes deutsches Weihnachten zuschaffen.

Erstens braucht man einen deutschen Adventskalender. Der Adventskalender hat in Deutschland seinen Ursprung, als die deutschen Protestanten jeden Tag bis Weihnachten Kerzen verbrannt haben. Gerhard Lang (1881-1974) hat zuerst einen Adventskalender im Jahr 1903 gedruckt. Der berühmte Illustrator Ernst Kepler hat das Adventskalenderbilder „Im Lande des Christkinds“ gezeichnet. Die Kinder konnten die Zeichnungen ausschneiden und die Bilder auf eine Pappseite kleben. Wo kann man einen bekommen? Man bekommt einen aus dem Internet, oder Sie können auch einen BonbonKalenderausTKMaxxkaufen,der£10-£20kostet.

Zweitens sollte man keine Liste der Geschenke machen. In DeutschlandistmeinLieblingswort„dieÜberraschung“,dadie

Geschenke normalerweise eine Überraschung sind! Fragen Sie Ihre Familie dieses Jahr nicht danach. Vergessen Sie also nicht die Überraschung, und lassen Sie ihre Familie etwas für sich einkaufen!

Letztlich,dasEssen!DasEssenistsehrwichtigundganzanders als bei einem britischen Weihnachtsfest. Es gibt kein Huhn, keinen Truthahn und keine Pastinaken! In Deutschland sind Rouladen sehr beliebt. Was sind Rouladen, fragen Sie? Rouladen sind Rindfleisch mit Senf überzogen und gefüllt mit Speck, Zwiebeln und Gurken (nicht Britisches „Gurkin“, aber Britisches pickle). Dann kocht man es in Soße. Vielleicht ist es nichts für Vegetarier, aber es gibt nur acht Millionen Vegetarier in Deutschland, bei einer Bevölkerung von zwei-und-achtzig Millionen. Man kann Rouladen mit Knödel oder Spätzle essen. Außerdem sollte man am Heiligabend zuerst essen und dann kannmandieGeschenkeöffnen. Das ist Ihre Einsteigeranleitung für ein großartiges deutsches Weihnachten!

Keeley Beeston

Langfristige Auswirkungender Wiedervereinigung

30 Jahre nach der Wiedervereinigung sind die Unterschiede zwischen dem ehemaligen Ost- und Westdeutschland noch klar. Es gibt heute die zwei gleichen großen Unterschiede zwischen Ost (auch DDR genannt) und West (kurz auch BRD), wie damals, nämlich die gegensätzliche Wirtschaftsmacht der beiden Teile und die Vorurteile gegenüber den Ostdeutschen.NachderSpaltungDeutschlandsamEndedesII. WeltkriegeswurdeWestdeutschlandreicheralsOstdeutschland –diesgiltauchheute.InderkapitalistischenGesellschaftgibtes einfach mehr Möglichkeiten für Bürger, eine höhere Lebensqualität und bessere Arbeitsmöglichkeiten zu genießen. Die DDR wurde auch immer von Armut und Depression gekennzeichnet, und trotz massiver staatlicher Interventionen im Laufe der Jahre, gab es keinen wirtschaftlichen Erfolg. Die ehemalige DDR bleibt ärmer als Westdeutschland, tatsächlich ist das wirtschaftlich mächtigste ostdeutsche Bundesland immer noch ärmer als das ärmste Westdeutschbundesland, Saarland.Es gibt jedoch nicht nur ökonomische Barrieren zur Integration,sondernauchSozialeinderFormvon

Diskriminierung gegen die Ostdeutschen. Laut manchen Westdeutschen sind Ostdeutsche bei ihren alten kommunistischen Denkweisen geblieben, und wegen der umfassenden Armut des Ostens denken Westdeutsche, die Ostdeutschen seien faul. Hinzu kommt, dass unter dem kommunistischen Regime Religion im Osten vernachlässigt wurde, sie mittlerweile aber immer noch ein wichtiger Teil der westlichen Gesellschaft (z.B. die deutsche Verfassung) ist. Was auch als sozialer Unterschied erwähnt werden muss, sind Einstellungen zur Rasse im Osten, die direkt zu der Beliebtheit der AfD geführt haben sollen. Als Folge des mangelnden Kontakts mit Ausländern im Osten – genauer gesagt, dass die demographischeGruppedesOstenshauptsächlichausWeißen bestand – sollen Ostdeutsche heutzutage allgemein rassistischer sein als Westdeutsche. Zudem haben so viele Ostdeutsche vielleicht für die AfD gewählt, weil sie sich von der westlich vorherrschenden Gesellschaft ausgegrenzt fühlen. Deshalb könnte die AfD in der nächsten Wahl an die Macht gewählt werden – ein Ergebnis, welches Deutschland auf ewig verändernwürde.

Robbie Sweeten

Почемуя люблю Москву!

МожетбытьвыещёнерешилигдежитьвРоссиивтечение года. Или просто хотите побольше узнать о загадочной России?Влюбомслучае-этонепростойвопрос.Послесеми месяцевпребываниявэтойстранеяполностьюувериласьв том, что люблю Москву и хочу, чтобы вы тоже знали о "Лучшем городе Земли", как поëт в одноименной песне МуслимМагомаев.

Первая и чуть ли не главная причина,покоторойялюблю

Москву - это бешенный ритм

жизни! Каждый может

показать себя с лучшей

стороны и эффективно работать. Как в любой столице возникает

ощущение, что весь город

живой. Люди заняты всем, что только можно себе представить и даже Больше!

Я могла лететь по улицам , и

люди всё равно меня обгоняли! Москва - это город возможностей. Москвичи работают, создаютновыебары,организуютвыставкиитакдалее.У

каждогочеловекаестьшансразвиватьиулучшатьсебя.Я выбралакурсвМоскве,таккакязнала,чтоздесьнебудет скучно,дажеесливыоднивовремяканикул!

Центральная Москва - одно из самых красивых мест на Земле, а некоторые люди этого не знают! Я всегда буду вспоминать, как я гуляла по Никольской улице, и пурпурныеогнисверкаливхолоде,пряморядомсГУМом. Это было похоже на прогулку во сне, особенно, когда начал падать снег. Я сижу в своей комнате во время карантина и вспоминаю сколько развлечений было в Москве. В Москве можно найти всё, что Пожелаете, всё, о чём бы вы ни подумали - концерты, фестивали, ночные клубы,бары,рестораны,дачтоугодно!Длястудентов-это как мечта, жить в столице и всё попробовать , но без безумныхлондонскихцен!

Было бы неправильно писать о Москве и не сослаться на её метро. Это на другом уровне - доступно, быстро и станции обалденно красивые! Метро невероятно упрощает жизнь города. Вы даже можете рассчитать время на поездки с точностью до пары минут! Спасибо организаторамметро!

Круглосуточныйритм-эторитммоейМосквы!

Транссибирская магистраль

По Sasha Edwards Транссибирская железнодорожная магистраль - железная дорога через Евразию, соединяющая Москву с Дальним Востоком России. Длина магистрали 9288,2 км, это самая длинная железная дорога в мире. Транссиб соединяет Европейскую часть, Урал, Сибирь и Дальний Восток России, российские западные, северные и южные порты, а также железнодорожные выходы в Европу, с одной стороны, с тихоокеанскими портами и железнодорожными выходами в Азию. Начальный пункт — станция Москва-ПассажирскаяЯрославская. Конечный пункт — станция Владивосток. Время в пути на скором поезде составляет около 6 суток. Продолжается расширение железнодорожной линии, строятся соединения с Монголией, Китаем и Северной Кореей. Вот введение к некоторым остановкам на Транссибирскоймагистрали: Москва

Москва, начало железнодорожной линии, является столицей России. Это самый густонаселенный город в Европе, в котором проживает более 12,5 миллионов человек. В Москве находится множество известных достопримечательностей, в том числе Красная площадь, КремльиБольшойтеатр. Казань-718километров(446миль)отМосквы Казань-столица и крупнейший город Республики Татарстан, расположенный на слиянии рек Волги и Казанки. Он славится своим ярким смешением религий и культур. Популярными достопримечательностями Казани являются КазанскийКремльиХрамВсехРелигий.

Екатеринбург - 1816 километров (1128 миль) от Москвы Расположенный в центре евразийского континента, Екатеринбург находится на азиатской стороне границы между Европой и Азией, к востоку от Уральских гор. Город известен храмом на Крови, который стоит на месте Дома Ипатьевых, где в 1918 году были казнены Романовы (последняяцарскаясемьяРоссии). Новосибирск - 3303 километров (2052 миль) от Москвы Новосибирск-третий по численности населения город России (после Москвы и Санкт-Петербурга). Это крупный транспортный и промышленный центр, самый большой в Сибири. В Новосибирске также работают многие научные организации.

Иркутск-5153километров(3202миль)отМосквы Большой город в Восточной Сибири, Иркутск является популярной остановкой для туристов из-за его непосредственной близости к озеру Байкал. Озеро Байкалсамое глубокое, древнее и самое большое пресноводное озеро(пообъему)вмире.

Владивосток - 9289 километров (5772 миль) от Москвы Владивосток - портовый город на Дальнем Востоке России, последняя остановка на Транссибирской магистрали. Его часто называют "воротами России в Азию", и в последние годыонпереживаетогромноеразвитие.

По Marisa Palko

冬⾄，是⻤节吗？

A very sustainable Christmas

2020 has, to say the least, been full of ups and downs. However, one positive to come of 2020 is an increased awareness of how our choices affect our planet. Now, more than ever, consumers are conscious of what they buy, what they eat and where it all comes from - which is an incredible achievement!

Christmas has become a time for generosity and over-indulgence. Of course, we all deserve to be spoiled at least once a year, especially as this year has been particularly hard. However, even for the environmentally conscious among us, celebration through excess and extravagance presents many challenges. If sustainability is on your mind this year you may be left wondering: how can we celebrate Christmas sustainably and end this strangeyearonapositivenote?

Fortunately, there are lots of ways we can make our festivities more sustainable, and they aren’t too difficult. One tactic that has already proved popular recently has been to use brown parcel paper and string to wrap gifts: it contains no plastic, and is still so beautiful! You can add a sprig of holly or create prints to keep them looking wonderfullyaestheticunderthetree.Somepeople have also given past gifts in scarves or pieces of cloth which can be used again or donated to charity. Even if they aren’t reused, they are a lot kinder to the planet when thrown away than plasticwrappingpaper.

Now we come to what’s inside the paper! If you want to steer clear of gifts this year that are likely tobethrownaway,youhavesomanyoptions:why not pay to give someone an experience rather than an object? Or give someone something they can keep for a long time such as a plant or reusable coffee cups? If you're crafty, homemade baking or a piece of art can make lovely gifts that really show that you care. To reduce general giftbuying, giving secret Santa gifts instead of buying a giftforeveryoneyouknowcanalsoreallyhelp.

For the rest of the day (and festive period) what you can do is perhaps more obvious. We should all try to only buy the food we will eat, or at least make sure we use up all of our leftovers. Choosing a real tree has many benefits and is generally less harmful than plastic ones when it comes to how theyaredisposedof.Thesameprincipleappliesto choosing natural ornaments when decorating the house,suchassprigsofholly.

Hopefully, this advice has been helpful and has perhaps inspired your own sustainably festive ideas. It is important to note, however, that while we can do our part to help reduce our personal impact on the planet, this responsibility cannot be ours alone. It is imperative that those who contribute the most to waste (we’re looking at you, big companies with unsustainable practices) cut down on their impact on the planet. Without their help,wecanonlydosomuch.

Above all, remember that small efforts add up to a big impact. Don’t think that you should spend Christmas anxiety-ridden that your wrapping paper might be thrown out, or that your family might have to throw food away. The important thing is to have an awareness of our impact on the planet, and to make small changes where we can. Lots of people making some change has a much bigger impact than a few people practicing perfect sustainability.

So please remember that even just by celebrating consciously, you’re already doing a fantastic job. Enjoyyourholidays!

Elsie Haldane

Quintessentially Christmas: my festive German experience

Growing up in England, I’ve spent every Christmas following the same English traditions: Santa stockings, Christmas crackers, carol singing and many others. That was until last December when I had the opportunity to experience Christmas a little differently. I spent the holiday season in perhaps the most quintessentially festive country there is: Germany!

When I think of winter in Germany, images of vibrant Christmas markets, snow-topped houses and quaint German towns come to mind, and the reality isn’t so different. In fact, I spent the afternoon of the 24 th December (the most importantdateontheGermanChristmascalendar)wondering throughthelocalChristmasmarketandenjoyingallthesights, smells and tastes it had to offer. We ate Mutzen (a little doughnut-like pastry served warm with a sprinkling of sugar) and drank Glühwein (mulled wine) out of little ceramic mugs. The Christmas celebrations properly started when we all sat downfordinnerintheevening.

What is considered a “traditional” Christmas dinner varies throughoutthecountry,butforusinthenorth,oursconsisted ofyellowpeppersouptostart,androastduck,vegetables,red cabbageandpotatocroquettesforthemaincourse.

After dinner, we moved into the living room to sit by the Christmas tree and exchange gifts. Many British households aredrawntoartificialtreesandplasticdecorations,butin

Germany,families typically opt for real trees over plastic ones anddecoratethemwithlitcandles.Icouldn’thelpbutthinkita bit of a fire hazard, but it did look wonderful and completely setthemoodforarelaxedChristmaseveningwiththefamily. While part of me missed the comforts of home, spending the holiday abroad in one of the most beautiful German cities is oneofmyfavouriteChristmasmemoriesyet,andIcannotwait togothereagaininyearstocome.

Sustainable Gift Giving

What should you give your environment and ethics-conscious friend for Christmas this year? Here’s a round-up of brands to shop from this season, all of which you can browse from the comfortofyoursofathislockdown!

Stocking Fillers: Therearelotsofthingsyoucanfillastocking with, even for someone who likes minimal waste and packaging… Bamboo toothbrush, anyone? Wearth London sell lots of sustainable gifts, such as the aforementioned toothbrush for only £2.90, but also for example beauty gift sets, zero waste ‘kits’ for lunch, shopping or cutlery, and even stylish dispenser bottles for those who buy bathroom products from zero-waste shops. There are many more reasonably priced gifts to choose from too! And with carbon neutralshippingtotopitoff.Ifyou’relookingformoreregular gifts simply to support smaller independent businesses, Bristol-based site Mon Pote sell homeware, gifts and stationery. My personal favourite brand on their site is Big Metal London, who sell amazing hypoallergenic earrings, with minimalrecyclablepackagingasabonus!

Books: IfyouwanttoavoidusingAmazon,therearetwogreat websites for finding books. Firstly, Abe Books UK, which gives youlotsofalternativesellersforabook,soyoucanchoosethe

best price, whether it’s new or used, and where the book is comingfrom.AnothergreatsiteisWorldOfBooks,aone-stop shopforsecond-handbooks,withfastandfreeshipping!

Clothes: Fashionisnotoriouslybadfortheenvironment,being responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions (worldbank.org).Sowherecanyoubuyclothesforyourplanetconsciousfriendwithoutbreakingthebank?

H&M Conscious and Join Life by Zara might be a good option, as they usually use organic cotton or recycled materials. But these brands still have an ethical question mark against them, andareperhapsnobetterthananyfastfashionwebsite. For something more sustainable, you can go for a fully transparent ethical brand such as Lucy and Yak, who detail exactly how they make clothes and care for their workers on theirwebsite.Andifyourfriendishappytoreceivesomething second hand, why not try Depop, where you can search for that great item you found at Zara, for a lower price and lower impact.Yourfriendmightevenbehappywithsomethingfrom a charity shop! While shops are closed, you could check out Oxfam’s online shop, or Blue Cross on Ebay, among other charityshopswhoselltheirstockonline.

Georgia Boote

Victoria Jackson

How the UNInspired Changein Dutch Festivities

The Dutch festival of Sinterklaas is my favourite festive occasion of the year, but in recent years Sinterklaas has received a lot of international criticism for the use of blackfacedcharacterscalled´ZwartePieten,’´BlackPetes´.I will explain how Sinterklaas is celebrated, what the debate surrounding the Zwarte Pieten entails, and what the NetherlandshasdonetomakeSinterklaasmoreinclusive.

Thisishowthestorygoes…SinterklaasandZwartePietenlive in Spain, but every November they travel to the Netherlands by boat. Sinterklaas is an old white man in red bishop attire who, like Santa, decides who has been good or bad, and ZwartePietisSinterklaas’helperwhobakesspicybiscuitsand packs presents. From November on, they visit every school, some shops and even some homes to give candy and presents to all children. And on ‘pakjesavond’ or ‘presentnight’ on the 5th of December, they bring presents to your house.Tome,theZwartePietenwerethebestpart:theyran and jumped around the classrooms and threw spicy biscuits everywhereandgavepresentstoeveryone!

However, there is more to the story of Zwarte Piet that must be addressed. The story goes that if you set your shoe next to the fireplace and sing Sinterklaas songs really loudly, Zwarte Piet will climb through your chimney and put a present in your shoe. The chimney makes all Zwarte Pieten look ‘as black as soot’. In reality, however, this means that whitepeoplepainttheirfacesblacktoplaytheZwartePieten.

The UN has been investigating Zwarte Piet for years, but it was only in 2015 that the UN urged the Netherlands to take an active stance against Zwarte Piet. It was only around this time that I, too, realised that a blackface caricature with bright red lipstick and a curly black wig was racist... I wonder howIdidnotseeitbefore.Unfortunately,itisunclearexactly wherethiscaricature originated from. However, none of the optionsrevealahappysideofhistory.

A large group of people are still in favour of painting their faces black to play Zwarte Piet. They argue that there is no racist intent, and that suddenly changing the skin colour of a Zwarte Piet is too hard to explain to their children. Or, if Zwarte Piet only has black stripes on his face, their children mightrecognisethepersonwhoisdressedupasZwartePiet and lose their belief in Sinterklaas altogether. If the worry is that children will be able to recognise the person in disguise more easily, I personally think that this won’t be an issue, given that, as a six-year-old I didn’t even recognise my dad dressedupasSinterklaasatschoolbecauseIwasnervousas achild.Ifoundoutyearslater!

Thanks to the UN, many black Dutch people have been comfortable enough to speak up about the racism they face because of Zwarte Piet and as a consequence of the debate overthisracism,therehavebeenanumberofchangesinthe portrayalofZwartePiet.Firstofall,theyarenowoftencalled Pieten, ‘Petes’. Many people, businesses and even city councils only accept rainbow-coloured Pieten or Pieten with onlysubtleblackstripesontheirfaces.FacebookandGoogle have banned all Zwarte Pieten content and the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao has replaced Sinterklaas with a nationalchildren'sday.Ipersonallythinktheseareincredibly positive changes and I hope that soon everyone can enjoy thefestivitiesinDecemberasmuchasIdo.

Julia Van Egmond

Sinterklaas

Julia celebrating Sinterklaas as a child

How totravelfromhome; A Summerinquarantine

On March 16 th 2020, Universities and schools across the UK announced that they were shutting down for quarantine. By the 21 st of the same month, almost all students had returned to their familyhomes,manyofuswithplanstowork,study or travel abroad suddenly cancelled. The six months at home stretched out like a long tunnel in front of us, with the hope of returning to university inSeptembertheoneshininglight.

But for us language lovers, one vital thing was missing, the ability to travel. With all current plans cancelled and no foreseeable hope of planning new trips, here is what I did during quarantine to makeupformycancelledtravelplans:

1.Films and TV:

The main thing which helped me feel like I was travelling from home was watching as many travel shows as I could find! Of course, experiencing it on TV was not nearly as good as the real thing, but it definitely helped. My favourites were Race Across the World, in which teams must race each other around the world on a limited budget; Travels with my Father, where Jack Whitehall takes his Father onmanyexciting(andhilarious)adventures;and finally all the many David Attenborough series. I watched these shows with my family, which made us feel like we were all enjoying the journey together.

2.Food:

Another thing I enjoyed over the summer was cooking with my family. Often, as all families do, we tend to get stuck in a cycle of having the same mealsonrepeat,butwithmoretimeintheday,we could enjoy cooking new meals a lot more often, which made us feel like it was a proper holiday. As well as this we tried to cook meals from around the world, testing out new curries, risottos and stir fries. Food is a wonderful thing which brings cultures together, and so trying many new foods distractedusfrombeingstuckathome.

3.Languages:

As language students, we are constantly told to read, listen to, and watch things in our target languages. Whilst this is very good advice, often it can feel like schoolwork, putting us off. But over the Summer I found that watching tv shows, reading books or listening to podcasts in my languages of study helped me feel like I was travelling and not just stuck at home. It was something new and different,andremindedmeofpreviousholidays.

Here were some of my favourites:

Fortunately for me, my family are all learning French, so we were quite happy to put the French subtitles on when we watched Netflix! However, we also watched ‘La Dernière Vague’, an innovative French paranormal thriller on BBC iPlayer. As it was set on the beautiful beaches of the Bordeaux area, itreallyfeltlikewecouldbethere.

We also watched Money Heist, a Spanish police drama on Netflix. This we watched with English subtitles, so that we could pick up the language without having to think too much about what was beingsaid.

As the Winter approaches, and we are still living withrestrictions,manypeoplearebecomingfedup. No longer can we fritter away the days on sunbeds. We now have heavy workloads, and harsher weather to contend with. So in Winter 2020, I offer to you my tips and tricks to feel like we’re not still stuck at home, I invite you to try these things, and feellikeyoutooaretravellingfromhome.

Freya Richold

Lisbon'sbestbrunch spots

Like many millennials, I think of myself as somewhat of a brunch connoisseur and I love to start my day with an aesthetically pleasing table of brightly coloured juices and perfectly cooked eggs. At the beginning of the year I lived in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and hotspot for cracking brunch culture. In this article, I’ll be sharing my unofficial (but rather extensive)reviewofthecity’sbestbrunchspots…

Nicolau Lisboa - Despite the 15-minute wait to get a table, I would go back to Nicolau in an instant. This café offered the best menu I came across with the classiceggorpancakeoptionsalongsidemore innovativedishessuchas halloumitoast.Thedécor wasvery“instagrammable” andunlikelotsoftheother brunchspotsinLisbon,this oneisclosetothecentreso easytofindevenifyoudon’t knowthecity.

Ourfoodcameimpressively soonafterwe’dorderedand didnotdisappoint.Asyou can see, I opted for a classic maple-bacon pancake stack with a perfectly fried egg and a soy caramel latte on the side. It was all absolutely delicious and a good portion size, my only complaint is that there wasn’tenoughmaplesyrup,butisthereever?

was basically a full English breakfast but Italian style andletmetellyou…itdidnotdisappoint.Thisspotisan Italian restaurant that also does brunch so it’s the perfect place to go if you want something a bit different. Their ingredients were fresh, their flavours impressive and their bread was freshly baked in their stone pizza oven. My only regret was not going back a secondtime!

Seagull Method Café - This was my least favourite place for Brunch in Lisbon because of its rather limited menu but I put it on the list because of the excellent coffee and overall atmosphere. During the week this is the perfect study spot with big tables and relaxed jazz, but it makes a great place for a cheeky brunch too! If you choose to try this café, make sure to get one of the lovely tables by the window so you can watch the world gobyasyoutuckintoyourmeal.

Asyoucanseeinmypicture, theaestheticofSeagull Method’sfoodisincredible soifyou’relookingforagood Instagramstorythenthisisthe placetogo.Theonlyreason thiscafécomeslastonthelist isbecausetheirflavoursweren’t quitetomytaste–stillwortha visitthough!

Zappi - We came across this place on a busy Sunday morningwhenhalfofLisbon(andPortugalit

seemed) was out for brunch. They seated us really quickly at a lovely little blue table just across the street from the French embassy. The service at this place was excellent, they were super friendly, and our food came quicklytoo.

Speaking of the food, I orderedthe“DailyB”which

Unfortunately,Ihadtocutmy timeinLisbonshortinMarch but some other places I wanted to try were Heim café (sister of Seagull Method café) and the Drag Queen Brunch at LX factory (who knew brunch could get even better?).

Hopefully I’ll get to go back to Lisbon soon but as of now I’m not sure what the future may bring. However, there is one thing I can always be sure of…there will alwaysbebrunch.

Rachael Jones

BlwyddynNewydd

Dda gyda’r Fari Lwyd

Ar ddiwrnod olaf mis Rhagfyr, mae pobl ledled y byd yn dathlu dechrau’r flwyddyn newydd. Mae rhai dathliadau yn enwog iawn o gwmpas y byd, fel Hogmanay yn yr Alban, neu'r tân gwyllt yn Llundain ac Awstralia. Ond nid yw un traddodiad yng Nghymru yn adnabyddus y tu allan i dde Cymru nac ardaloeddtraddodiadolgydallawerosiaradwyrCymraeg.

Mae'r Fari Lwyd wedi bod yn Ddathliad Blwyddyn Newydd traddodiadol am yr ychydig ganrifoedd diwethaf, ac fe'i disgrifir yn aml fel un iasol. Mae wedi ei wneud o benglog ceffyl wedi'i osod ar ffon, sy'n cael ei gario gan ddyn sy'n gwisgo lliain â chwfl arno. Mae hyn yn creu'r ddelwedd o ysbryd ceffyl yn gwisgo clogyn. Yna cymerir y Mari Lwyd o amgylch pentref neu stryd leol, gyda grŵp o bentrefwyr, yn canu caneuon traddodiadol, yn adrodd cerddi, ac yn mynd o ddrws i ddrws, yn curo ac yn gofyn am gael siarad â phobl. Yn draddodiadol, rhaid i berchnogion tai wrthod mynediad i'r Mari Lwyd, ac yna maen nhw'n dadlau - ond mae'r sgwrs gyfan yn cael ei gwneud trwy gân Gymraeg draddodiadol. Os daw'r sgwrs i ben, a bod yr aelwyd yn caniatáu mynediad i'r Mari Lwyd a'r orymdaith, rhoddir bwydadiodi'rgrŵpfelgwobr.

TyfoddytraddodiadmewnpoblogrwyddledleddeCymruynystody19egGanrif.Roeddynarbennig o boblogaidd yn y cymoedd o amgylch tref Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, a ledled gorllewin Cymru, gan gynnwys Sir Gaerfyrddin. Oherwydd pwysau Cristnogol yn dilyn adfywiad mewn Cristnogaeth ar ddechrau'r 20fed ganrif, yn raddol daeth y traddodiad yn llai a llai poblogaidd. Ond arweiniodd cynnydd yn nysgeidiaeth y Gymraeg yn yr 20fed Ganrif at gariad adfywiedig at ddiwylliant Celtaidd, a gellir dod o hyd i'r traddodiad bellach mewn llawer o bentrefi mewn berfeddwlad Gymraeg bob blwyddyn newydd. Ond yn hytrach na mynd o dŷ i dŷ, yn aml mae perfformiadau canolog yn neuaddauneubarciauEglwys,llemaegrwpiaullaioboblyncymrydeutroiganu'rcaneuon.

Os rydych eisiau darganfod tipyn bach o ddiwylliant Cymreig, dewch i Gymru ar Nos Galan, ac ymunwchâ'rhwyl!

Harvey Jones

Mari Lwyd- Celtic New Year

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Image credits from top:

Christmas in Madrid by Megan Lacey, Magdeburg by Eleanor Smith, Weihnachtsmarkt by Victoria Jackson Christmas Party by Megan Lacey, Weihnachten in Quedlinburg by Eleanor Smith