Issue 40

Our 2020/21 Team

Committee:

Chair - Holly Hunt

Secretary- emily mercer

treasurer- Roberta Wright

Creative designer-

Eleanor 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 style-

Georgia boote

current affairs-

elsie haldane

culture- emma velho

food and drink-

emma walker

travel- chloe brown

04 French S "Assistons-no

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: "中国的⻛筝" 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!

May 2021 a Message from the Chair...

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 !

Cover Image: Eis at the Erfurter Dom, Roberta Wright

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 chezlesHSH.

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(lapériodedel’abstinenceestactuellement4mois pourlesHSH).

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 nominaleonpourraitsuggérerquedesHSHpeuvent

transmettre plus souvent le VIH par transfusion sanguine quedeshétérosexuels.

Néanmoins,ilfautsouvenirquelesangesttesté,pourleVIH et des autres ISTs. Santé Publique France a trouvé qu’il n’y avait pas d’augmentation dans la transmission du VIH par transfusionsanguineaprèslaFranceametfinàl’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 significativesurl’épidémieduVIH.

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 perturbationscauséesparlaCOVID-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 sérieuxdurantlesélectionsde2022?

Émergent de gauche, Macron a fondé ‘La République en Marche’, un parti centriste et progressif qui a remporté une victoireécrasanteen2017.Toutefois,unsondagerécentde l’IFOP indique que 60% des Français sont mécontents de Macron.Pourquoi?

Donc,onnepeutéviterlamanièredontMacronaabordéla 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.Ayantpromisdeprotégerl’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 duvaccinpluslentequecellesdesautrespaysdel’UE.

J’estime que cette condamnation est l’aboutissement d’une insatisfactionplusgénéraleduPrésident,vuquesapolitique

afaitvirerdeplusenplusàdroite.Parexemple,ilaparléde 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 seportaientsurlesgrandesentreprises,paslepeuple.

Unechoseestsûre:siMacronempruntelemêmetrajetde droite qu’actuellement, il perdrait la confiance de non seulementsescollèguespolitiques,maisaussid’unegrande partiedesespartisansoriginaux.

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 Lasstmicheuchetwasempfehlen!

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

Typisches deutsches Essen – EsgibtnatürlichÄhnlichkeiten 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 WennmantypischesDeutschesEssenprobierenwill,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 sverfügbar

Stände – FeiertagesindinDeutschlandsehrwichtig,undes bedeutet,dassVolksfesteauchpopulärsind Wennmanein begrenztesBudgethat,sinddieseMärkteeineguteArtund 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 KartoffelpuffermitApfelmus

Döner-Kebab – Obwohl Döner im Prinzip aus der Türkei kommt, haben die Deutschen sich diesem Gericht zu eigen gemacht ManwirdkaumirgendwoinDeutschlandgehen,

erweiseFrankreich,die och ist es üblich in statt eines herzhaften esserts ist Strudel mit h,dassdieKuchenaus ft sind Eines meiner chen aus Mohnfüllung

Sache, die mich in Auslandsaufenthalt at: In Deutschland ist Zeit für Eis. Es ist mit einem Freund*in m ein Eis zu genießen, ffee zu trinken! Und gutem Grund so: sschmecktundistmit Gelato vergleichbar empfehlen würde, ist rhierinEnglandnicht

finden können… Spaghetti-Eis! Doch, es ist, wonach es klingt. Eis in Form von Spaghetti! Egal, wie das Wetter wird: die DeutschenliebenihrEis

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, deutschesEssenauszuprobieren!

Eleanor Smith

Mohnkuchen, Apfelstrudel, und Pflaumkuchen

CurrywurstundKrapfenauseinemStand

Einen Beispiel für deutsches Essen

subtítulos de primera calidad La importancia de los

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 autenticidadylasvocesdelrepartooriginal.

Vale, acabas de ver Friends quisieras ver una película o una serie original extranjera.LomásprobableesquerecurrasaNetflix, quesiguesiendoelsitioquedominaenelmundodel 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,necesitassubtítulos.

Pero,¿porquésontanvariadosencalidad?

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 enerode2019.

Más recientemente, no tuve en gran estima los subtítulos de Casa de Papel. Al ver la serie embriagadora,protagonizadaporTokio,ElProfesory Lisboa,notéquenoseveladiversidadculturalentre 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 términoneutroparaunhijo.Poreso,entodalaserie , se traduce la palabra niños sin género específico, ‘hijo’ como varones, ‘son’. Los subtítulos del episodio finalestabancompletamenteausentes.

Lasserieseuropeas,ylasdemásallá,brindanmucho valor a nuestra experiencia de consumidores. Puede serque,enestemomentodeturbulenciamundial,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

Beth Caygill

Comesipuòsuperareillivello medionell’apprendimento dellelingue?

Per cominciare, cosa si intende per ‘livello medio?’ È un livelloincuisièabbastanzasicuriinogniaspettodiuna 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 consiglielemiesperienzepersonalepossanoaiutarvia raggiungereunlivelloavanzato.

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 mihaaiutatomoltoèstatoseguiredeicanaliitalianisu Instagram che postano ricette. Questo mi ha aiutato allargareilmiovocabolarioculinario.

Un’altramanierapermigliorarel’italianogratuitamente èattraversodegliarticoli.Cisonotantigiornaligratuiti, peresempiolaRepubblica,CorrieredellaSeraecc.Il vantaggiodiquestisitièchegliarticolisonogià condivisiincategoriedistinte,equindirisultapiùfacile trovareciòdicuisièinteressati...

Viaggiare/lavorareinunpaesedilinguaitaliana(forse piùfaciledadirecherealizzaresoprattuttodurante questoperiodo)sarebbeunabuonamanieraper abituarsiall’Italianoedessereobbligatiaparlare Italiano.Altrimenti,sipotrebbesoltantofareamicizia condegliitaliani.Comunqueviavvertodinontrattarli comedeivocabolari.

Comefinire?Sperocheilmioconsigliovisiautile,eper chitradivoichestaperabbandonareisuoistudi, ricordate;nonsietesoli.Esisteunmondodipersone conglistessiproblemi,edellepersoneprontiper aiutarvi.Insiemipossiamosuperareillivellomedio,e continuareagoderelagioiachelalinguaitalianacidà.

MatthewCassidy

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 nossasfériasdeverão. ÉinevitávelquePortugalsejaum dos meus primeiros destinos, com as praias magníficas,ascidadescheiasdehistória,eastradições que os portugueses tanto adoram. Uma das tradições que passa despercebida por muitos estrangeiros é a praxe.Apraxeéumatradiçãouniversitáriademasiado complexaparadefinirempoucaspalavras—nelaestão escondidas anos de rituais, costumes e um sentido de comunidadeincomparávelaoutros.

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.Emgeral,asatividadeseregrasdapraxe 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 semanaedemarcaofimdoanoletivoantesdaúltima fasedeexames.Osfinalistascelebramasualiberdade — adquirida por terem acabado o curso— enquanto queoscaloirosganhamodireitodetrajareganhamo 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.Napraxe,oatodetrajaréacompanhado

pelos‘padrinhosdapraxe'queajudamocaloiroausar ouniforme 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,entreoutrasinúmerasregras.

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,eisarazãopelaqualesteartigoémaisbaseado em factos do que fofocas. Contudo, vou dar-vos três dicas se alguma vez se forem estudar para Portugal e decidiremparticiparnapraxe:

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 parecerengraçado,masasconsequênciasnãosão. Não participem se não estiverem prontos para obedecer a ordens, ouvir sermões ou se ficarem facilmente ofendidos. Isto constitui basicamente 90%dasatividadespraxísticas.

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 jovenscomatestanochãoeasmãosentrelaçadaspor trásdascostasacantar.Étudopartedapraxe!

Sara Saraiva

AEscoladasArtesdaUniversidade doPortoduranteaQueimadasFitas

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 unapel·lículafinsalfons,peròenaquestaocasióhovaigfer. Uspresento:LaTetaiLaLluna,BigasLuna,1994.

Sóc estudiant de català i trobo la identitat catalana molt interessantiaquestapel·lículam’hainteressatmolt.Estracta 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 enaquestapel·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 culturacatalana.Pelsquenosaben,paambtomàquetéspa (normalment torrat), amb tomàquet, oli i sal. Calçots son cebes tendres – es mengen escalivats. Tots dos plats son moltdeliciosos!

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, peròfinsaranovantenirèxit.També,quancau,elseupareli crida Això es pot veure com el poder que Espanya té sobre Catalunya,talcomelpoderqueelparedelTetetésobreell.

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 simplementcomdosnoisatretsperunadona,analitzar això em va portar a més conclusions. Bàsicament, el TeterepresentaCatalunyaiMiguelrepresentaEspanya. Lalluitaentreaquestsnoisés,unaaltrevegada,comla 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.Notrobeuaixòunamicacasualitat?Elfetque dos nois que representen dos països que lluiten sobre independència,lluitensobre

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. Aixòésmoltsignificatiuenlaidentitatcatalana.

Perúltim,hihaunaescenaenlapel·lículaonTeteparla 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 volerdeserunpaísindependent.

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 mésimés–ésmoltinteressant!Pertotsquetrobenla cultura catalana interessant, us recomano veure aquestapel·lícula!

Emma Velho

Из России с любовью

Всем нам иногда хочется попробовать что-то необычное,например,традиционноеблюдокакойнибудь страны. Русская кухня знаменита своими интересными и порою весьма необычными кулинарнымишедеврами.Вэтойстатьевыузнаете, что можно увидеть на обеденном столе обычного русского человека и как вообще эти блюда появились.Надеемся,выхорошопообедали?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

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 илиразогреватьвновьнакостре.

Холодец можно найти практически в любом супермаркете России, главные ингредиенты — мясо и мясной бульон в застывшем виде, дополнительно добавляютсяовощиилизелень.

Сейчас в России сырники можно увидеть практически в любой кофейне и с любыми начинками:отшоколададосвежихфруктов.Авотв Англии блюдо не особо распространено, да и творогможнонайтиневкаждоммагазине.Ноесли вам захочется попробовать этот русский десерт, обязательнопопробуйтеприготовитьего.

Холодец

Если сырники понравятся всем без исключения, то холодец — достаточно противоречивое блюдо русской кухни. Даже не всем русским он пришелся повкусу.Давайтеразберемся,чтожеснимнетак.

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 своегонасыщенногокрасногоцвета.Интересно,что изначально блюдо не пользовалось популярностью у русских царей, но затем стало одним из любимейшихблюдЕкатериныII.

Часто, говоря о борще, можно услышать название похожего блюда — “щи”. Щи варятся с добавлением большого количества капусты и имеют зеленый цвет.

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 точекстраны.

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 обедавлетнеевремя.

Чтобы лучше понять, что из себя представляют пельмени,можнопопробоватьитальянскиеравиоли —ихнайтивмагазинахАнглиигораздолегче.

Каша

Сейчас каша реже появляется на праздничных столах россиян, но несколько столетий назад она занимала важное место в культуре русского народа: кашу традиционно подавали на свадьбах, а в некоторых регионах каша вообще была единственнымблюдом,котороеможнобылоувидеть на свадьбе. В русском фольклоре существует множество пословиц и крылатых выражений с участием этого блюда: “Каша — мать наша”, “заварить кашу” и так далее. Даже враги в знак перемирия ели вместе кашу. Известные русские гаданиянаРождествотоженеобходилисьбезкаши.

Вот такое важное блюдо в истории и культуре России.

Когда речь идет о происхождении кулинарного блюда, сложно установить, как именно оно появилось. Считается, что окрошка изначально была популярна у бурлаков на Волге, которым на

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 lostallchancesofvisitingFranceorSpain,thatitdawned onmethatmyyearwasnowbehind.

Languagelearningisallaboutconversingwithpeople,an impossibility in the pandemic. Continuing to learn on zoom is therefore a struggle for many students. From poorinternetconnection,toshynessoncamera,I’msure 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 notevenknowingwhetherwewillgettogo,ourSummer oralswillbethefirstonesthataren’tjustrecordingssince Christmas last year, and we are constantly worrying that wearefallingbehind.

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 immerseyourself.

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 onouryearsabroadintheAutumn.

Freya Richold

The Greek Easter Egg Game

GreekEasterisfullofflowers,colour,family,andofcourse 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. OfcoursealargepartofalltheEastertraditionsrevolve aroundeggs.However,contrarytoEnglishtradition,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,ofcourse,buttheyhaveanotherroleinour Eastercelebrationsthatfeatureseveryyearwithoutfail.

At midnight on Easter Sunday, families sit down togethertoplaytheegggame.Theaimoftheegggame istokeepyoureggintact,withnocracksintheshellor brokenpieces.Eachpersonchoosesacolouredegg, usually based on careful inspection for weakness and fragility,andkeepsaholdofit.Thenthefirstperson,

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 symbolisetheendoflent.Thoughnotthemostappetising 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 readyforthecompetitiontobegin!

Costantina Constantinou

Language learning in 2018, French exchange to Quimper

Empowering women through skateboarding

Whilst we are all too familiar with the toilet paper shortage of early lockdown last year, most of us are unawareofamoreinterestingone–aworldwideshortage 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 ofskaters.

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.WhatbeganasasmallWhatsAppgroupchat 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 hopingtoholdtasterworkshopsinthefuture.

Its members, the majority of whom are beginners themselves, are representative of the newest generationofskateboarders-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.Alicedescribes,“asafemaleskater,muchof 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 exampleinthelabel‘poser’:“Thetermisimplemented tounderminethelearningexperienceofgirlsasaway tointimidate.”

Stella adds, “I wish more girls felt comfortable rocking uptoaparkbythemselves.It’sdauntingforeveryone, especially if you’re a beginner. But it’s a mental block that you have to push past and meet others to skate with”.BrumGirlSkateofferstheopportunityforjust

that.Alicesays,“Istillreceivetheodd‘you’regoodfor a girl’ comment but connecting with other female skaters has helped me establish more comfortability onaboardandenjoytheexperienceofskateboarding a lot more.” With concern over female safety at the forefrontofcurrentconversation,theroleofBrumGirl Skateinempoweringitsmembersseemsanimportant 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.ItisthisattitudewhichfirstinspiredAliceto 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, skateboardingmaynotbethefirstactivitythatsprings tomind,butmayinfactbetheperfectwaytonavigate them.

Mara Schwarz

Photo by @bymollylauren (instagram)

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.SooffItrot,likeanygoodGenZ-er,tohave a little Google of what exactly this would entail. But met by swathesof(predominantlyBritishorAmerican)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’vegotitallwrong.

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 inasunnypiazza,ortheleisurelypleasureofasunsetstroll andsippinganearlymorningmacchiatoatyourlocalbar.At this point in my research I’m nodding along in agreement –sofar,sogood.

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 MariaandconsumedexclusivelytothedulcettonesofDean 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 selectingfreshartichokesatasuitablypicturesquemarketis liable to transform into the woman to whom you try to give a rather wide berth as she screams down the phone in rapidItalian

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 incorporateIlDolceFar Niente as a lifestyle practice.

Yet from this point of whimsical but understandable romanticisationofItaly,

we quickly descend into the realms the ridiculous. I come to the horrifying realisation I’ve stumbled across an ad-campaignfor

Belmondhotelgroup’s packageholidayforan “authentic” experience ofIlDolceFarNiente–complete with an infinity pool and jacuzzioverlooking

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,butreplaceyourchosenidolwith“localItalianartisans”–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 onlywithawood-firedpizzaovenandaBialettiMokapot.

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 charmsandnobodywouldwanttobe.

However,suchcharmitselfisnotamandatoryaspectof 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, teenageLaziosupportersareinfactmoreadeptatinstinctively living Il Dolce Far Niente than the purveyors of #WellnessWednesdaysandluxuryTuscanretreats.

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,withoutneedofjustificationtoyourselforanyoneelse. These are daily habits that are very much matters of the mundane. They are not arts to be cultivated or mastered, rituals to be celebrated or scheduled in, nor concepts to be philosophised or capitalised on. They are simply Il Dolce Far Niente.

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‘whichcuisineintheworldisthebest?’.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 amtalking,ofcourse,aboutSouthAfricancuisine Thanksto the melting pot of cultures that makes up South Africa’s population, its cuisine is a mix enoughtomakeanyonelicktheir

It would be rude not to start wit South African cuisine - the braa wordforabarbecue.However,do any old barbecue where your Da he’s doing for the best part of an Africaareawayoflifeandtheski a good braai are passed do generation The meat-lovers dre lamb you name it, it’ll go on th mention a South African braai boerewors Literally translated th (a fun fact I thought you should your ordinary wiener! The boere sausage, a blend of beef and po and most importantly burstin absolute staple of South Africa ground maize and it can either b and moist. Often served with a gravy, you won’t be able to stop y for seconds! Combine these class a formidable combo that is dear Africans – pap en wors. Finally, Aromat seasoning and some fa (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 Africandinner,thereisalwaysroomforsomeCremoraTart! 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 –SouthAfricancuisineisthebestintheworld

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 finalscrapsisknownalltoowellinthetypicalSouthAfrican family

HereismyMom’sCremoraTartrecipeifyou’dliketohavea tasteofSouthAfricafromthecomfortofyourhome creamerpowder)

ebiscuits

with the crushed Digestive scuit mixture and refrigerate nd the warm water well and overnight condensed milk with the rmixture. mixture,whichwillthickenit biscuit base and chill for a

ChrisCrowson

6 Reasons to Visit Poland

An often-overlooked country, Poland is far more than it seems. I travelled through Poland whilst backpacking Europe, thinking IwouldonlylearnmoreaboutWorldWarTwo,butIcouldnot have been more wrong. With its incredible history and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I am certain that Poland shouldbeonthetopofeveryone’spost-lockdowntravelwish list. This article will highlight some of the places that Poland hastooffer...

TheOldTown–Kraków1.

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,keepingitintact,soitis one of the only areas in Poland still how it was beforeoccupation.

2. WawelCastle–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 thePolishroyalfamilyby visitingtheminimaliststaterooms,aswellashavingbeautiful viewsfromthetopofthetower.

3. St Anne’s Church (Warsaw) and The Town Hall Tower (Kraków)

Ifhistoryisn’tyourthing,donotworry,Polandhasaplethora 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 completelyrebuiltafterthewar.

4. BarbicanMilkBar-Warsaw

This traditional building in the heart of Warsaw is perfect for allfoodies.Atfirst,Ididn’trealisetheimportancebehindMilk BarsuntilIspoketofellowtravellersinmyhostel.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 craveevennow.

5. Auschwitz and Birkenau, and Schlinder’s Factory –Kraków

Theplacesmostpeoplethinkofwhenyoumentionthatyou 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’sFactoryinKraków,theseexperiencesopenedmy 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 rememberthosethatwerelost.

6. Theculture

Both Kraków and Warsaw are brimming with culture. From the quirky street market in Praha on the outskirts of Warsaw,andHarrisPianoJazzBar,whichIdiscovereddown 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.

AlexLancaster-Lennox

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