Issue 40

May 2021 issue 40

Из России с любовью 6 Reasons to Visit Poland Respecte-t-on la science?

Empowering women through skateboarding

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The UoB Linguist Magazine

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Our 2020/21 Team Committee: Chair - Holly Hunt Secretary- emily mercer treasurer- Roberta Wright Creative designerEleanor Smith proofreaders: Rachael Jones Camille stevenson editors team: french- camille stevenson German- harvey jones spanish- megan lacey Portuguese- emily petrie catalan- emma velho italian- franca filipik mandarin- becca snoad Russian- Georgia Boote life and styleGeorgia boote current affairselsie haldane culture- emma velho food and drinkemma walker travel- chloe brown

04 French Section: "Respecte-t-on la science?" by Cameron Smith, "Assistons-nous à la chute de Macron ?" by Caitlin Gaul 05 German Section: "Deutsches Essen ist überrraschend gut!" by Eleanor Smith 06 Spanish Section: "La importancia de los subtítulos de primera calidad"

by Beth Caygill 07 Italian Section: "Come si può superare il livello medio nell’apprendimento delle lingue?" by Matthew Cassidy 08 Portuguese Section: "Praxe: uma tradição académica portuguesa" by Sara Saraiva 09 Catalan Section: "No només una recomanació de pel·lícula, però també una anàlisi en profunditat de identitat catalana" by Emma Velho 10 Russian Section: "Из России с любовью" by Svetlana Glazunova 12 Mandarin Section: " " by Siyu Chen 13 Culture Section: "Learning a Language in a pandemic" by Freya Richold, "The Greek Easter Egg Game" by Costantina Constantinou 14 Current Affairs Section: "Empowering women through skateboarding"

by Mara Schwarz 15 Life and Style Section: "Turn Up The Dean Martin Please, I’m Trying To Live Il Dolce Far Niente" by Eva Lovejoy 16 Food and Drink Section: "The best cuisine in the world, change my mind.", by Chris Crowson 17 Travel Section: "6 Reasons to Visit Poland" by Alex Lancaster-Lennox 18 Get Involved!

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2

a Message

May from the Chair.. 2021 Hello, hola,

你好!

Welcome to Issue 40 of the UoB Linguist Magazine, the last issue of the academic year 2020/21! Having recently held our online AGM in March 2021, we at the UoB Linguist feel well and truly accustomed to all things online and virtual after over a year of unexpected times during this pandemic. However, now that things seem to be opening up bit by bit here in the UK, we are looking forward to when we can start to hold in person socials so that our community of readers and writers can come out of hiding! For now, we hope that the new committee and team for 2021/22 are excited to get going and to join our multilingual community. A big congratulations to you all!

In our spring issue, I am thrilled to present more new writers and a great range of topics… There is something for everyone in this issue! If you are a keen foodie or love trying new dishes, we have plenty of articles for you to get your teeth into. The Food and Drink section sees Christopher Crowson talk us through the delights of South African cuisine, the traditional delicacies of Russian culture are discussed by Svetlana Glazunova in the Russian section, and Eleanor Smith gives us a whistle stop tour of her favourite German foods in the German section. For those of you craving travel and adventure again (me too), you will find inspiration in Alex Lancaster-Lennox’s travel article on some of the exciting reasons to visit Poland, and Eva Lovejoy’s fascinating piece on the famous Italian Il Dolce Far Niente in the Life and Style section. Other great articles in this issue include a Portuguese piece on university traditions, a Mandarin article on Chinese Kites, and an empowering piece on women in skateboarding in our Current Affairs section.

A final farewell…

It has been a pleasure to be the Editor of the UoB Linguist Magazine this year. I have met some amazingly interesting, inspired, and motivated linguists and I look forward to seeing how the magazine continues to grow and thrive as we emerge from a difficult but fruitful academic year. I would like to say a huge thank you to the 2020/21 committee for all their support and hard work throughout the year, and a big congratulations to them, to the Editor Team, and to all of our writers this year on four brilliant issues. We hope that you enjoy reading them as much as we have enjoyed creating them.

A bientôt !

Holly

Cover Image: Eis at the Erfurter Dom, Roberta Wright

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Respecte-t-on la science?

On parle souvent des gouvernements qui essaient de respecter la science face à la pandémie mondiale. Pourtant, il y a un autre sujet qui fait toujours polémique concernant les recherches scientifiques et les croyances du public : le don du sang des hommes ayant des relations sexuelles avec les autres hommes (HSH), qui n’est pas uniquement pertinent chez les HSH. Pourquoi fait-on des dons du sang? Le sang est un médicament irremplaçable et les nouveaux dons sont toujours indispensables puisque le sang ne conserve que pendant une durée limitée. L’Assemblée nationale a voté mettre fin un amendement qui ne permettra plus les critères du don du sang d’être fondé sur les partenaires du donneur (la période de l’abstinence est actuellement 4 mois pour les HSH).

C’est vrai que les HSH sont surreprésentés (40% des nouveaux cas chaque année sont les homosexuels) parmi ceux qui sont séropositives alors en fonction de la valeur nominale on pourrait suggérer que des HSH peuvent

transmettre plus souvent le VIH par transfusion sanguine que des hétérosexuels.

Néanmoins, il faut souvenir que le sang est testé, pour le VIH et des autres ISTs. Santé Publique France a trouvé qu’il n’y avait pas d’augmentation dans la transmission du VIH par transfusion sanguine après la France a met fin à l’interdiction pour vie des HSH. En plus, l’Italie a retiré des restrictions basées sur la sexualité en 2001 et leur institut de la santé a trouvé que le changement n’a fait aucune différence significative sur l’épidémie du VIH. Globalement il y a de plus en plus une tendance de concentrer sur ‘la mode de vie’ des donneurs au lieu de leur sexualité. Outre la polémique c’est toujours vrai que le besoin des donneurs ne disparaîtra pas, surtout après les perturbations causées par la COVID-19.

Cameron Smith

Assistons-nous à la chute de Macron ?

Emmanuel Macron : le plus jeune Président français depuis Napoléon et un homme une fois décrit comme le prodige de la politique occidentale. Mais pourrait-il faire face aux défis sérieux durant les élections de 2022 ? Émergent de gauche, Macron a fondé ‘La République en Marche’, un parti centriste et progressif qui a remporté une victoire écrasante en 2017. Toutefois, un sondage récent de l’IFOP indique que 60% des Français sont mécontents de Macron. Pourquoi ?

Donc, on ne peut éviter la manière dont Macron a abordé la pandémie. Au début de l’année, il a rejeté la décision des fonctionnaires de la santé de mettre le pays dans un état d’urgence, malgré l’émergence de la nouvelle variante du Royaume-Uni. Ayant promis de protéger l’économie, Macron a été critiqué pour avoir priorisé les finances sur les vies humaines. En outre, ses accusations que le vaccin d’AstraZeneca le qualifiant ‘quasi-inefficace’ pour les personnes âgées de plus de 65 ans ne reposaient sur aucune donnée tangible. Cela a engendré une distribution du vaccin plus lente que celles des autres pays de l’UE.

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J’estime que cette condamnation est l’aboutissement d’une insatisfaction plus générale du Président, vu que sa politique

a fait virer de plus en plus à droite. Par exemple, il a parlé de lutter contre le ‘séparatisme islamiste’ en renforçant le contrôle des groupes musulmans en France sans aucun effort pour les protéger de discrimination. Il a aussi réprimé les manifestations en augmentant la présence policière et en réduisant le financement des certaines services publiques, comme les universités. Clairement, ses intérêts se portaient sur les grandes entreprises, pas le peuple.

Une chose est sûre : si Macron emprunte le même trajet de droite qu’actuellement, il perdrait la confiance de non seulement ses collègues politiques, mais aussi d’une grande partie de ses partisans originaux.

Caitlin Gaul

Deutsches Essen ist überraschend gut!

Wenn man an Deutschland denkt, denkt man vielleicht nicht zuerst an gutes Essen. Die offensichtliche Wahl ist wahrscheinlich Autos, Politik, oder Technik. Dennoch fand ich während meines Auslandsaufenthaltes, dass Deutschland viele leckere Optionen in Bezug auf Essen hat.

Lasst mich euch etwas empfehlen!

ohne einen Dönerladen zu sehen. Wenn man Fast Food benötigt, ist Döner nicht nur lecker, sondern auch preisgünstig.

Mohnkuchen, Apfelstrudel, und Pflaumkuchen

Einen Beispiel für deutsches Essen

Typisches deutsches Essen – Es gibt natürlich Ähnlichkeiten zwischen typisches deutsches und englisches Essen, aber es gibt (auch) einen zentralen Unterschied: deutsches Essen ist leckerer! Die Mehrheit der deutschen Gerichte basieren auf Kartoffeln, Fleisch, und Kohl. Jedoch gibt es auch vegetarische Gerichte wie Spätzle oder Grünkohl.

Wenn man typisches Deutsches Essen probieren will, wurde ich Haxe mit Kartoffeln, Klößen oder Königsberger Klopse empfehlen. Ein Gericht, das auch sehr populär in Deutschland ist, wäre Wiener Schnitzel. Tatsächlich kommt es aus Österreich, aber dieses Essen aus Kalbfleisch ist oft in deutschen Restaurants verfügbar

.

Currywurst und Krapfen aus einem Stand Stände – Feiertage sind in Deutschland sehr wichtig, und es bedeutet, dass Volksfeste auch populär sind. Wenn man ein begrenztes Budget hat, sind diese Märkte eine gute Art und Weise, deutsches essen auszuprobieren. Hier kann man viele leckere Stände auf dem Markt finden, die kostengünstig sind. Meine Lieblingsgerichte sind Bratwurst, Schmalzkuchen, die ähnlich wie kleine Krapfen sind, und Kartoffelpuffer mit Apfelmus.

Döner-Kebab – Obwohl Döner im Prinzip aus der Türkei kommt, haben die Deutschen sich diesem Gericht zu eigen gemacht. Man wird kaum irgendwo in Deutschland gehen,

Die Deutsche Bäckerei – Es ist normalerweise Frankreich, die man mit Süßigkeiten verbindet. Jedoch ist es üblich in Deutschland, eine Nachspeise mittags statt eines herzhaften Gerichtes zu essen. Eines der besten Desserts ist Strudel mit Vanillesoße oder Sahne. Jedoch fand ich, dass die Kuchen aus den Backereien auch sehr schmackhaft sind. Eines meiner Lieblingsdesserts war Mohnkuchen: Kuchen aus Mohnfüllung mit Streuseln dazu.

Eis – Eine Sache, die mich in meinem Auslandsaufenthalt überrascht hat: In Deutschland ist es immer Zeit für Eis. Es ist üblicher, sich mit einem Freund*in zu treffen, um ein Eis zu genießen, als einen Kaffee zu trinken! Und das ist mit gutem Grund so: Deutsches Eis schmeckt und ist mit italienischem Gelato vergleichbar.

Was ich euch empfehlen würde, ist etwas, was wir hier in England nicht finden können… Spaghetti-Eis! Doch, es ist, wonach es klingt.

Eis in Form von Spaghetti! Egal, wie das Wetter wird: die Deutschen lieben ihr Eis. Zum Trinken – Nach all diesen leckeren Sachen braucht man natürlich auch etwas zu trinken!

Deutschland ist bekannt für sein Bier, aber wenn es für dich nicht schmeckt, könntest du ein Radler ausprobieren, was eine erfrischende Mischung aus Bier und Limonade ist.

Für diejenigen, die kein Alkohol trinken, würde ich ein kaltes Schorle empfehlen, was karbonisierter Saft ist.

Obwohl es nicht so gut bekannt ist, hat Deutschland viele versteckte Perlen, wenn es um das Thema Essen geht! Ich hoffe, dass diese Empfehlungen euch inspiriert haben, deutsches Essen auszuprobieren!

Eleanor Smith

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La importancia de los subtítulos de primera calidad No se puede negar la importancia creciente de los subtítulos, que sirven de guardabarrera de nuestro conocimiento de culturas distintas. El doblaje, por supuesto, permanece como una opción válida, gracias a que preserva la emoción, pero el subtitulado garantiza que no se pierdan la autenticidad y las voces del reparto original.

Vale, acabas de ver Friends por la enésima vez, y quisieras ver una película o una serie original extranjera. Lo más probable es que recurras a Netflix, que sigue siendo el sitio que domina en el mundo del streaming. Tal vez la estás viendo para practicar una segunda lengua (o tercera, o la que sea), o para consumir nuevo contenido, o tal vez con un tipo monolingüe… bueno, necesitas subtítulos.

Más recientemente, no tuve en gran estima los subtítulos de Casa de Papel. Al ver la serie embriagadora, protagonizada por Tokio, El Profesor y Lisboa, noté que no se ve la diversidad cultural entre la banda. A menudo, parece que los inmigrantes serbios, Helsinki y Oslo, hablan perfectamente el español cuando, en realidad, su idiolecto representa a alguien cuya lengua materna es algo diferente. No hay un esfuerzo visible para mostrar esto. Además, en la primera serie, Mónica (conocida más tarde como Estocolmo) se encuentra en las primeras etapas del embarazo y no podía saber el sexo de su bebé. Sin embargo, en español, no aparece un término neutro para un hijo. Por eso, en toda la serie , se traduce la palabra niños sin género específico, ‘hijo’ como varones, ‘son’. Los subtítulos del episodio final estaban completamente ausentes.

Pero, ¿por qué son tan variados en calidad?

Netflix ha sido testigo de un par de escándalos con respecto al subtitulado en los últimos años. Lo que primero aparece en la mente es lo de la película de Alfonso Cuarón, Roma, en 2018, que provocó controversia al sustituir las expresiones del español mexicano, por otras más peninsulares. Aunque Netflix no pretendiera minar la variedad lingüística centroamericana, no obstante, causó indignación y finalmente se rechazaron los subtítulos ofensivos en enero de 2019.

Las series europeas, y las de más allá, brindan mucho valor a nuestra experiencia de consumidores. Puede ser que, en este momento de turbulencia mundial, lo mejor que podemos hacer es ampliar este valor y hacer que sea aún más accesible. A mi modo de ver, ya es hora de mejorar la calidad y consistencia para lograr un mejor entendimiento, y también para despedirse del estigma en contra de los inmigrantes para siempre.

Beth Caygill

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Come si può superare il livello medio nell’apprendimento delle lingue?

Per cominciare, cosa si intende per ‘livello medio?’ È un livello in cui si è abbastanza sicuri in ogni aspetto di una lingua, ma mancano vocabolario e facilità per poter capire dei temi complicati e profondi (per esempio la politica).

La mancanza di miglioramento è un motivo per cui molte persone lasciano perdere una lingua. Un'altra difficoltà per loro che si trovano in questa situazione è come migliorarsi nell’ apprendimento linguistico: parlare, ascoltare, leggere e scrivere. Spero che i miei consigli e le mie sperienze personale possano aiutarvi a raggiungere un livello avanzato.

Ascoltare/guardare dei podcast o delle trasmissioni sugli argomenti che vi piacciano, è molto utile per migliorare la comprensione. Si può fare questo online, per esempio su YouTube, o forse Spotify.

Personalmente, nei miei studi d’italiano, qualcosa che mi ha aiutato molto è stato seguire dei canali italiani su Instagram che postano ricette. Questo mi ha aiutato allargare il mio vocabolario culinario.

Un’ altra maniera per migliorare l’italiano gratuitamente è attraverso degli articoli. Ci sono tanti giornali gratuiti, per esempio la Repubblica, Corriere della Sera ecc. Il vantaggio di questi siti è che gli articoli sono già condivisi in categorie distinte, e quindi risulta più facile trovare ciò di cui si è interessati...

Viaggiare/lavorare in un paese di lingua italiana (forse più facile da dire che realizzare soprattutto durante questo periodo) sarebbe una buona maniera per abituarsi all’Italiano ed essere obbligati a parlare Italiano. Altrimenti, si potrebbe soltanto fare amicizia con degli italiani. Comunque vi avverto di non trattarli come dei vocabolari.

Come finire? Spero che il mio consiglio vi sia utile, e per chi tra di voi che sta per abbandonare i suoi studi, ricordate; non siete soli. Esiste un mondo di persone con gli stessi problemi, e delle persone pronti per aiutarvi. Insiemi possiamo superare il livello medio, e continuare a godere la gioia che la lingua italiana ci dà.

Matthew Cassidy

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Praxe: uma tradição académica portuguesa

Com o início da primavera aqui em Inglaterra e a possibilidade fugaz de podermos voltar à normalidade após dia 21 de junho, todos começamos a planear as nossas férias de verão. É inevitável que Portugal seja um dos meus primeiros destinos, com as praias magníficas, as cidades cheias de história, e as tradições que os portugueses tanto adoram. Uma das tradições que passa despercebida por muitos estrangeiros é a praxe. A praxe é uma tradição universitária demasiado complexa para definir em poucas palavras—nela estão escondidas anos de rituais, costumes e um sentido de comunidade incomparável a outros.

Criada em Coimbra no século XIII, a Praxe é uma tradição estudantil que acolhe os novos alunos, ou ‘caloiros’, à universidade através de atividades engraçadas elaboradas pelos Doutores que têm o dever de desenvolver novas maneiras para praxar os alunos. Se tivesse que comparar a um costume inglês, seria comparável às ‘sports nights’ universitárias, mas com mais regras, hierarquias e mais exigência, sendo que esta dura desde a receção ao caloiro até à Serenata Monumental. Estas hierarquias de poder constituem-se em ordem dos alunos mais antigos, o Dux Veteranorum, até aos alunos mais novos, os caloiros, e respeitam um conjunto de regras que se encontram no código de praxe criado por cada universidade. Em geral, as atividades e regras da praxe são muito parecidas entre as universidades, mas cada uma incorpora as regras e tradições exclusivas à sua universidade ou curso, tornando a praxe única a cada estabelecimento.

Um dos rituais mais comuns envolve vestir o traje universitário pela primeira vez no dia da Serenata Monumental da Queima das Fitas. A Queima é um evento universitário que se prolonga ao longo de uma semana e demarca o fim do ano letivo antes da última fase de exames. Os finalistas celebram a sua liberdade — adquirida por terem acabado o curso— enquanto que os caloiros ganham o direito de trajar e ganham o título de ‘Doutores’, dando-lhes o direito de praxar futuros caloiros. O traje em si não é um elemento praxístico, mas é todavia uma grande parte da tradição. Na praxe, o ato de trajar é acompanhado

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A Escola das Artes da Universidade do Porto durante a Queima das Fitas pelos ‘padrinhos da praxe' que ajudam o caloiro a usar o uniforme pela.primeira vez. Esta tradição surgiu devido ao código do traje, onde está implícito como dobrar a capa e o comprimento da saia para as mulheres, entre outras inúmeras regras.

Como podem imaginar, não completei a minha praxe pois vim estudar para Inglaterra, mas até hoje não posso (ou não devo) descrever os detalhes da praxe a indivíduos que não tenham também passado pela praxe, eis a razão pela qual este artigo é mais baseado em factos do que fofocas. Contudo, vou dar-vos três dicas se alguma vez se forem estudar para Portugal e decidirem participar na praxe: Não usem roupa nova ou roupa que gostem: deixem para trás as saias e os crop tops fofinhos, estes não vão sobreviver à praxe e não são nada práticos.

Por favor, não olhem nos olhos dos Doutores enquanto estão a ser praxados... sei que pode parecer engraçado, mas as consequências não são.

Não participem se não estiverem prontos para obedecer a ordens, ouvir sermões ou se ficarem facilmente ofendidos. Isto constitui basicamente 90% das atividades praxísticas.

Enfim, se algum dia se encontrarem a passear pelas ruas de Portugal, não estranhem os jovens fardados com o traje universitário, muito menos se estes se encontrarem no meio de uma praça, rodeados de jovens com a testa no chão e as mãos entrelaçadas por trás das costas a cantar. É tudo parte da praxe!

Sara Saraiva

No només una recomanació de pel·lícula, però també una anàlisi en profunditat de identitat catalana Avui, la identitat catalana és molt present en les noticies, és a dir la independència catalana en particular. La independència catalana és una cosa que va afectar, i continua a afectar els catalans cada dia més. Normalment, no sóc algú qui analitza una pel·lícula fins al fons, però en aquesta ocasió ho vaig fer.

Us presento: La Teta i La Lluna, Bigas Luna, 1994.

Sóc estudiant de català i trobo la identitat catalana molt interessant i aquesta pel·lícula m’ha interessat molt. Es tracta d’un noi petit que es diu Tete. El Tete és fascinat per pits i durant la pel·lícula veiem la seva missió per trobar els pits perfectes. Una dona francesa que es diu Estrellita arriba al poble i molts homes s’enamoren d’ella – un adolescent que es diu Miguel és la amenaça principal de Tete. Ara que he acabat el petit resum, comencem amb la identitat catalana en aquesta pel·lícula.

Al principi de la pel·lícula, veiem el Tete i el seu avi menjant pa amb tomàquet i calçots – tots dos són significatius en la cultura catalana. Pels que no saben, pa amb tomàquet és pa (normalment torrat), amb tomàquet, oli i sal. Calçots son cebes tendres – es mengen escalivats. Tots dos plats son molt deliciosos!

A més, en la pel·lícula veiem els Castells que son torres humanes. Aquesta tradició catalana va començar fa molts anys. De fet, des del Novembre de 2010, els castells són Patrimoni Cultural Immaterial de la Humanitat per la UNESCO. En la pel·lícula el Tete és l’aixecador, el que ha de pujar al cim del torre, però moltes vegades cau. Algunes persones diuen que això és representatiu de la lluita per independència catalana – aquest país petit intenta i intenta, però fins ara no van tenir èxit. També, quan cau, el seu pare li crida Això es pot veure com el poder que Espanya té sobre Catalunya, tal com el poder que el pare del Tete té sobre ell.

Continuant amb la lluita com a símbol de la identitat catalana en la pel·lícula, veiem la lluita entre Tete i Miguel, un adolescent de Andalusia, Espanya. Tots dos lluiten per Estrellita. Mentre que això es pot veure simplement com dos nois atrets per una dona, analitzar això em va portar a més conclusions. Bàsicament, el Tete representa Catalunya i Miguel representa Espanya.

La lluita entre aquests nois és, una altre vegada, com la lluita política entre Catalunya i Espanya. Més enllà d’això, Catalunya vol ser un país independent conegut per la unió europea (UE) i labandera de la UE té estrelles. No trobeu això una mica casualitat? El fet que dos nois que representen dos països que lluiten sobre independència, lluiten sobre

Castells una dona que es diu Estrellita que representa la UE? És exactament això: el Tete representa el voler català de ser conegut com un país independent per la UE. Això és molt significatiu en la identitat catalana.

Per últim, hi ha una escena en la pel·lícula on Tete parla amb la lluna i li diu: “algun dia et aniré a veure. Et portaré la bandera d'Europa que segur que t'agrada, perquè té moltes estrelles, i la catalana, que és la del meu país, que és molt petit però molt bonic”. Això reforça encara més que Tete representa Catalunya i el voler de ser un país independent.

Aquests aspectes de la identitat catalana en La Teta i La Lluna són només uns quants. Després de veure aquesta pel·lícula, vaig començar a analitzar pel·lícules més i més – és molt interessant! Per tots que troben la cultura catalana interessant, us recomano veure aquesta pel·lícula!

Emma Velho

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Из России с любовью Всем нам иногда хочется попробовать что-то необычное, например, традиционное блюдо какойнибудь страны. Русская кухня знаменита своими интересными и порою весьма необычными кулинарными шедеврами. В этой статье вы узнаете, что можно увидеть на обеденном столе обычного русского человека и как вообще эти блюда появились. Надеемся, вы хорошо пообедали? Тогда начинаем! Сырники Начнем с десерта! Большое разнообразие блюд из молочных продуктов можно встретить именно у славянских народов. По одной из версий, все началось с “открытия” творога — белого комочка, образующегося в скисшем молоке. Творог быстро понравился людям и стал неотъемлемой частью многих блюд. А добавив к творогу немного муки, получилось новое и очень вкусное блюдо — сырники.

По одной из версий, впервые блюдо появилось у кочевых племен, живших на севере России. Они заметили, что мясной бульон быстро застывает на холоде и превращается в желе. Его было удобно брать с собой в путешествия, есть в холодном виде или разогревать вновь на костре. Холодец можно найти практически в любом супермаркете России, главные ингредиенты — мясо и мясной бульон в застывшем виде, дополнительно добавляются овощи или зелень.

Борщ О борще наслышаны многие, но мало кто знает историю происхождения этого блюда. Приведем одну из самых известных версий: готовить борщ начали еще в 14 веке, используя борщевик, свеклу или капусту. Необычным блюдо считается из-за своего насыщенного красного цвета. Интересно, что изначально блюдо не пользовалось популярностью у русских царей, но затем стало одним из Сейчас в России сырники можно увидеть любимейших блюд Екатерины II. практически в любой кофейне и с любыми начинками: от шоколада до свежих фруктов. А вот в Часто, говоря о борще, можно услышать название Англии блюдо не особо распространено, да и похожего блюда — “щи”. Щи варятся с добавлением творог можно найти не в каждом магазине. Но если большого количества капусты и имеют зеленый вам захочется попробовать этот русский десерт, цвет. обязательно попробуйте приготовить его. Холодец Если сырники понравятся всем без исключения, то холодец — достаточно противоречивое блюдо русской кухни. Даже не всем русским он пришелся по вкусу. Давайте разберемся, что же с ним не так.

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Пельмени Появилось это блюдо не в России, но каждый русский человек точно пробовал или знает о существовании пельменей, так что не будем обделять их своим вниманием. Изначально пельмени были популярны на территории Урала и Сибири, но позже их полюбили россияне со всех точек страны.

Окрошка Окрошка — одно из традиционных летних русских блюд. В России не всегда снежно и холодно, летом во многих регионах стоит жаркая и сухая погода, поэтому холодная окрошка — отличный вариант обеда в летнее время.

Чтобы лучше понять, что из себя представляют пельмени, можно попробовать итальянские равиоли Когда речь идет о происхождении кулинарного блюда, сложно установить, как именно оно — их найти в магазинах Англии гораздо легче. появилось. Считается, что окрошка изначально была популярна у бурлаков на Волге, которым на Каша Сейчас каша реже появляется на праздничных обед выдавали квас и воблу. Измельчив рыбу, столах россиян, но несколько столетий назад она добавив нарезанные овощи и залив все квасом, занимала важное место в культуре русского народа: получали холодный суп — окрошку. кашу традиционно подавали на свадьбах, а в некоторых регионах каша вообще была единственным блюдом, которое можно было увидеть Теперь вы знаете немного больше о традиционных на свадьбе. В русском фольклоре существует блюдах русской кухни: от десертов и закусок до блюд. Рекомендуем не множество пословиц и крылатых выражений с полноценных ограничиваться прочтением этой статьи и участием этого блюда: “Каша — мать наша”, “заварить кашу” и так далее. Даже враги в знак попробовать приготовить одно из русских блюд перемирия ели вместе кашу. Известные русские самостоятельно. гадания на Рождество тоже не обходились без каши.

Svetlana Glazunova Вот такое важное блюдо в истории и культуре России.

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中国的⻛筝

春天来了，⼜到了出⻔踏⻘赏花的时候了。在中国，⼈们会在春天去放⻛筝。因 为春天的⻛不⼤不⼩，天⽓也不会太冷或太热，所以⼈们说春天最适合放⻛筝。 在⼩的时候我的⽗⺟会在春⽇的周末带我去放⻛筝。我并不很擅⻓，因为放⻛筝 是⼀项需要耐⼼和⾼度集中的运动。⽽我⻢⻢⻁⻁的，总是不知道如何收放⻛筝 线，到最后常常不是⻛筝⻜不起来，就是和别⼈的⻛筝缠绕在⼀起。但我仍然很 喜欢放⻛筝，它使⼈情绪开朗，特别是在春天极⽬蓝天，令⼈⼼胸开阔。 中国的⻛筝有很多种类。最传统的是纸⻛筝，由纸张和⽵篾制成，通常被制成⾦ ⻥，沙燕，京剧脸谱等造型，⾮常有观赏价值。现在市⾯上更常⻅的是尼⻰布制 成的⻛筝，我⼩时候玩的就是这种，他们颜⾊鲜艳也不容易破损。除了业余爱好 者放的⼩⻛筝，在⻛筝节上也能⻅到更⼤型，更专业，也更酷炫的⻛筝。前年我 在潍坊国际⻛筝节上⻅到了⻰形和鲸⻥形状的⻛筝，真的太震撼了！ 中国⻛筝还有⼀些有趣的历史故事。⻛筝是在两千多年前的中国春秋时期被发明 的，他的发明者是中国著名的哲学家墨⼦。但你知道吗？发明⻛筝的的最初动机 主要⽤于军事，例如测量距离，沟通情报等等。⽽在历史的发展中，⻛筝逐渐⾛ 进平⺠百姓的⽣活，成为了中国传统艺术的重要组成部分。13世纪左右，著名 的意⼤利探险家⻢可·波罗将⻛筝传⼊了欧洲。得益于丝绸之路，中国⻛筝很快 在欧洲⼴为⼈知，后来也流传⾄美洲。到了近现代，⻛筝的制作与⻜⾏已经蜕变 为艺术表达的载体。 如果想专业地放⻛筝，需要多多练习。我在中国的公园⻅到很多中⽼年⼈将放⻛ 筝视为⼀项专业运动，花⼤量时间训练放⻜技巧。同时需要注意安全，透明的尼 ⻰线在⻛⼒的作⽤下会变得锋利，从⽽具有危险性，所以在放⻜时要注意观察地 形和周边⼈群，保证⾃⼰与他⼈的安全。 然⽽⾃从我来到英国，我还没有⻅到有⼈放⻛筝。或许英国的⼤⻛和阴⾬天对⻛ 筝不太友好吧！也可能是新冠病毒的⼤流⾏阻挡了⼈们春游的脚步。

Siyu Chen

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Learning a Language in a pandemic A year ago, the country went into lockdown, meaning no university and no travel, a disaster for language learners.

Having been in first year myself, I mainly felt for the older students, who had to do their year abroad or final year online. But it was only when my second year started in October, after first year exams were cancelled and I had lost all chances of visiting France or Spain, that it dawned on me that my year was now behind.

Language learning is all about conversing with people, an impossibility in the pandemic. Continuing to learn on zoom is therefore a struggle for many students. From poor internet connection, to shyness on camera, I’m sure many of us can agree that our learning experience this year has been disrupted. As second years, we are facing some new challenges. We are planning our years abroad not even knowing whether we will get to go, our Summer orals will be the first ones that aren’t just recordings since Christmas last year, and we are constantly worrying that we are falling behind.

Language learning in 2018, French exchange to Quimper

But these struggles pale in comparison to those experienced by the year above us. Many are doing their years abroad online; many may not even get to a country that speaks their target language at all. My heart goes out to them because we all know that the best way to learn a language is to go there, to speak to natives, and to immerse yourself.

But now, we have hope. The vaccine is being rolled out, international travel may be permitted this summer, and classes should resume on campus for the next academic year. As for my year group, we can only hope we get to go on our years abroad in the Autumn.

Freya Richold

The Greek Easter Egg Game Greek Easter is full of flowers, colour, family, and of course lots of food! Being the most important holiday in Greek culture, everything is very structured, from the exact day and time the fast is broken, to the traditional food that we make, bake and barbeque for Easter Sunday.

Of course a large part of all the Easter traditions revolve around eggs. However, contrary to English tradition, the eggs are not chocolate. The eggs that we have for Easter are hard boiled, and each dyed a different colour- blue, green, red and yellow! Symbolising new beginnings, of course, but they have another role in our Easter celebrations that features every year without fail.

At midnight on Easter Sunday, families sit down together to play the egg game. The aim of the egg game is to keep your egg in tact, with no cracks in the shell or broken pieces. Each person chooses a coloured egg, usually based on careful inspection for weakness and fragility, and keeps a hold of it. Then the first person,

usually the youngest or oldest in the family, will begin by holding their egg upside down and smashing it down on top of the next persons’ egg. If their egg cracks, they’ve lost and the person who won that round will do the same thing with the egg of the next person. This continues until all eggs are cracked aside from one- the winning egg! The person with the winning egg is believed to be blessed with good luck for the year. Of course, after the game is completed, everyone eats their eggs with some bread, soup, chicken and cheese pastries (called flounes) to symbolise the end of lent. Though not the most appetising of things to eat, especially when compared to the Greek cheese pastries, the egg game is a big tradition, practiced by every Greek family all over Europe. With Greek Easter just around the corner, every Greek household will be in the process of dying their eggs in all different colours ready for the competition to begin!

Costantina Constantinou

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Empowering women through skateboarding

Whilst we are all too familiar with the toilet paper shortage of early lockdown last year, most of us are unaware of a more interesting one – a worldwide shortage of skateboards. One of the few sectors to avoid the economic slump which has hit many industries, shops have seen an unprecedented surge in demand for skateboards as the sport undergoes a revival during the lockdown period. Indeed, our university campus, having emptied over the past year like most public spaces, is becoming increasingly populated by groups of skaters.

I spoke with Alice Smith and Stella Kiselyova, final year students and founders of Brum Girl Skate, a collective which aims to encourage and inspire women to take up or continue skating. Formed only recently, in July 2020, Brum Girl Skate has gone from strength to strength. What began as a small WhatsApp group chat has grown to almost 200 participants, whilst its Instagram page has a following of over 2000. Covidallowing, the collective runs fortnightly events at Creation and Just Ramps skate parks, and, having just received four skateboards from Girl Skate UK, are hoping to hold taster workshops in the future.

Its members, the majority of whom are beginners themselves, are representative of the newest generation of skateboarders - female.

The principle aim of Brum Girl Skate is to create a supportive environment for female skaters. Accessing the traditionally male-dominated sport can be daunting. Alice describes, “as a female skater, much of my younger years were characterised by experiencing sexist comments and a lot of anxiety regarding going to new skate parks”. In a recent Redbrick article, she discusses in more detail the barriers faced by newcomers to the skate scene, manifesting for example in the label ‘poser’: “The term is implemented to undermine the learning experience of girls as a way to intimidate.”

Stella adds, “I wish more girls felt comfortable rocking up to a park by themselves. It’s daunting for everyone, especially if you’re a beginner. But it’s a mental block that you have to push past and meet others to skate with”. Brum Girl Skate offers the opportunity for just

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Photo by @bymollylauren (instagram)

that. Alice says, “I still receive the odd ‘you’re good for a girl’ comment but connecting with other female skaters has helped me establish more comfortability on a board and enjoy the experience of skateboarding a lot more.” With concern over female safety at the forefront of current conversation, the role of Brum Girl Skate in empowering its members seems an important one.

Skateboarding is a sport uniquely characterised by its attitude of resilience. The culture has continued to thrive despite opposition – legislation, bans, anti-skate architecture. There’s a certain creativity in the reimagining of urban space and innovative use of obstacles. It is this attitude which first inspired Alice to pick it up at the age of thirteen. Watching a video, ‘Quaked’, where a group skates around Christchurch following the earthquake in 2011, she “enjoyed how this group of skaters made the best out of a bad situation and used their surroundings in a different way.”

With all of the challenges we face at the moment, skateboarding may not be the first activity that springs to mind, but may in fact be the perfect way to navigate them.

Mara Schwarz

Turn Up The Dean Martin Please, I’m Trying To Live Il Dolce Far Niente The looming prospect of three long weeks in Zona Rossa, Italy’s strictest tier of lockdown, seemed an opportune time to wholeheartedly embrace the idea of Il Dolce Far Niente: The sweetness of doing nothing. So off I trot, like any good Gen Z-er, to have a little Google of what exactly this would entail. But met by swathes of (predominantly British or American) articles, blog posts and poorly edited video montages of Julia Roberts being told how to relax in that infamous scene of “Eat, Pray, Love” , the overwhelming impression I was left with was: They’ve got it all wrong.

According to these sources, Il Dolce Far Niente embodies all that springs to mind when you imagine postcard-perfect Italy – the idle enjoyment derived from pausing on a bench in a sunny piazza, or the leisurely pleasure of a sunset stroll and sipping an early morning macchiato at your local bar. At this point in my research I’m nodding along in agreement – so far, so good.

However, things soon take a turn for the worse as what I’m reading essentially morphs into Call Me By Your Nameesque Italy Porn – think lengthy descriptions of rustic vineyards and alfresco dining consisting exclusively of aesthetically pleasing platters of mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh pasta, undoubtedly hand rolled by a local Nonna Maria and consumed exclusively to the dulcet tones of Dean Martin’s That’s Amore. In many cases this idealistic evocation of Italian life is then coupled with what can only be described as the contents of every self-help book published in the past decade. Advice such as “take a digital detox”, “take heed of your inner child” and “make space for creativity” is doled out by the bucketload from blogs titled “Holistic Kate”, “Be More With Less” and “Minimalism Life”.

Reflecting on what I have witnessed of the general Italian populus these past seven months, it is safe to say that “holistic” and “minimalist” would not be my adjectives of choice. Within a span of thirty seconds, the woman you notice for the serene nature with which she is hand selecting fresh artichokes at a suitably picturesque market is liable to transform into the woman to whom you try to give a rather wide berth as she screams down the phone in rapid Italian rapid Italian, gesticulations galore.

She is a far cry from “Holistic Kate” and, I imagine, would openly scoff at the blogger’s suggestion of scheduling a daily meditation meeting with an online life coach in an effort to incorporate Il Dolce Far Niente as a lifestyle practice.

we quickly descend into the realms the ridiculous. I come to the horrifying realisation I’ve stumbled across an ad-campaign for Belmond hotel group’s package holiday for an “authentic” experience of Il Dolce Far Niente – complete with an infinity pool and jacuzzi overlooking the rolling Tuscan hills (seemingly essential components of Il Dolce Far Niente). Further investigation reveals that this deal even includes something reminiscent of a celebrity meet and greet, but replace your chosen idol with “local Italian artisans” – specifically “basket weavers, chefs, artists and gamekeepers”.

Stereotypes? Dare I say it, caricatures? No Sir! We are assured

by Belmond’s trusty marketing team that these artisans are indeed representatives of the Italian everyman and their ageold secrets of basket-weaving and mindfulness! No doubt they return home for dinner to their terracotta kitchens equipped only with a wood-fired pizza oven and a Bialetti Moka pot.

But despite such flagrant commercialisation of Il Dolce Far Niente, there is some base of legitimacy – finding moments to take a peaceful pause and appreciate where you are in that precise moment is naturally facilitated by the outstanding beauty of Italian architecture and landscapes, the comfortable climate and the quality cuisine; no one is immune to Italy’s charms and nobody would want to be.

However, such charm itself is not a mandatory aspect of Il Dolce Far Niente. Indeed I would venture so far as to say that the old men in the grimier, industrial, 1960’s suburbs of south Rome, who while away the hours sat out the front of their mechanics' workshops, observing the traffic of graffitied trams and rowdy, teenage Lazio supporters are in fact more adept at instinctively living Il Dolce Far Niente than the purveyors of #WellnessWednesdays and luxury Tuscan retreats.

It is a state of inaction without indolence, an accumulation of many small moments of doing nothing-in-particular, littered throughout every day. It is living comfortably with the knowledge that you can indeed take a pause as and when you choose, without need of justification to yourself or anyone else.

These are daily habits that are very much matters of the mundane. They are not arts to be cultivated or mastered, Yet from this point of whimsical but rituals to be celebrated or scheduled in, nor concepts to be philosophised or capitalised on. They are simply Il Dolce Far understandable Eva Lovejoy romanticisation of Italy, Niente.

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The best cuisine in the world, change my mind.

It is one of the great questions of human existence. It is up there with the likes of ‘what is the meaning of life?’, ‘who are we?’ and ‘did the moon landings really happen?’. This question, of course, is ‘which cuisine in the world is the best?’. Everybody knows and loves the classics – Chinese, Mexican, Italian… the list goes on, however, tucked away at the edge of the African continent is a land of braais, biltong and bobotie. I am talking, of course, about South African cuisine. Thanks to the melting pot of cultures that makes up South Africa’s population, its cuisine is a mix of unique flavours that is enough to make anyone lick their lips and say ‘lekker!’.

It would be rude not to start with the absolute bedrock of South African cuisine - the braai. A braai is the Afrikaans word for a barbecue. However, don’t be fooled, this isn’t just any old barbecue where your Dad pretends to know what he’s doing for the best part of an hour. No, braais in South Africa are a way of life and the skills necessary for executing a good braai are passed down from generation to generation. The meat-lovers dream. Steaks, pork chops, lamb you name it, it’ll go on the braai. However, I can’t mention a South African braai without telling you about boerewors. Literally translated this means ‘famer’s sausage’ (a fun fact I thought you should know) but again, this isn’t your ordinary wiener! The boerewors is a thick, coiled up sausage, a blend of beef and pork, full of different spices and most importantly bursting with flavour! Another absolute staple of South African cuisine is pap. Pap is ground maize and it can either be dry and crumbly or firm and moist. Often served with a thick tomato and onion gravy, you won’t be able to stop yourself from coming back for seconds! Combine these classics together and you have a formidable combo that is dear in the hearts of all South Africans – pap en wors. Finally, don’t forget to enjoy with Aromat seasoning and some famous Mrs. Balls Blatjang (Chutney).

Admittedly, if you’re not into meat, the braai may not be your scene. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, however, you’re in luck! Tuck into a delicious Cremora Tart, a cheesecake-like dessert made with a biscuit base, condensed milk, coffee creamer and a hint of lemon. Even after a hearty South African dinner, there is always room for some Cremora Tart!

Now for my personal favourite – koeksisters. They say you can never have too much of a good thing and when it comes to koeksisters, they’re not wrong! Koeksisters are made from dough that is then plaited, deep fried and wait for it…dipped in hot syrup. When you bite into it, you are met with a wave of euphoria and it all becomes so clear – South African cuisine is the best in the world.

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There is only one downside to a South African meal and that is, of course, when the meal is finished. There is nothing sadder than an empty plate and fighting for the final scraps is known all too well in the typical South African family.

Here is my Mom’s Cremora Tart recipe if you’d like to have a taste of South Africa from the comfort of your home.

Cremora Tart Recipe Ingredients Filling 1 cup Cremora powder (Coffee creamer powder) Half a cup of warm water 1 tin condensed milk Half a cup of lemon juice Base 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter One packet of crushed Digestive biscuits Method Melt the butter and mix with the crushed Digestive biscuits to make the base.

Line a pie dish with the biscuit mixture and refrigerate overnight.

Mix the Cremora powder and the warm water well and refrigerate overnight.

Refrigerate condensed milk overnight.

After refrigeration, mix condensed milk with the Cremora powder and water mixture.

Add the lemon juice to the mixture, which will thicken it.

Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and chill for a few hours.

Enjoy!

Chris Crowson

6 Reasons to Visit Poland An often-overlooked country, Poland is far more than it seems. I travelled through Poland whilst backpacking Europe, thinking I would only learn more about World War Two, but I could not have been more wrong. With its incredible history and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I am certain that Poland should be on the top of everyone’s post-lockdown travel wish list. This article will highlight some of the places that Poland has to offer...

1. The Old Town – Kraków Kraków was the standout place whilst I visited Poland.

Going with a tour guide will help you understand the significance of each area within the city. The city is beautiful with a combination of both new and old acting as a time capsule of what Poland once was in contrast to how it is now. The Nazi’s occupied Kraków during the War, keeping it intact, so it is one of the only areas in Poland still how it was before occupation.

2. Wawel Castle – Kraków As I journeyed through Poland, I thought it was important to gain a better understanding of the history, therefore whilst in Kraków I visited Wawel Castle. Going early in the day allows you to beat the queues and gives you time to explore the grounds. You will learn about the Polish royal family by visiting the minimalist state rooms, as well as having beautiful views from the top of the tower.

3. St Anne’s Church (Warsaw) and The Town Hall Tower (Kraków) If history isn’t your thing, do not worry, Poland has a plethora of brilliant activities. If you want a view in both Kraków and Warsaw the towers provide a great view of the cities and a great photo opportunity. Through a comparison of the views, you can see how history has shaped Poland due to Warsaw, with its now characteristically colourful landscape, being completely rebuilt after the war.

4. Barbican Milk Bar - Warsaw This traditional building in the heart of Warsaw is perfect for all foodies. At first, I didn’t realise the importance behind Milk Bars until I spoke to fellow travellers in my hostel. The

Barbican Milk Bar acted as my main source of food during my 72 hours in Warsaw, eating all kinds of different traditional Polish food, most notably Pierogis. This cheap and delicious snack is what I remember so distinctly and crave even now.

5. Auschwitz and Birkenau, and Schlinder’s Factory – Kraków The places most people think of when you mention that you have been to Poland: Auschwitz and Birkenau, were something I would recommend everyone to see. Prior to going I was apprehensive about seeing a Concentration Camp, but I felt that I had to see it in real life before I could grasp the horrific magnitude of the Holocaust. Along with Schlinder’s Factory in Kraków, these experiences opened my eyes to some of the amazing stories of those who fought against the Holocaust. Furthermore, by experiencing it alone without a guide I was able to take time to reflect and remember those that were lost.

6. The culture Both Kraków and Warsaw are brimming with culture. From the quirky street market in Praha on the outskirts of Warsaw, and Harris Piano Jazz Bar, which I discovered down a side street in Kraków, I was able to experience Poland’s lively and exciting culture. Poland tends to be too easily judged, however after experiencing only a small amount of what it has to offer, I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Alex Lancaster-Lennox

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