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Fashion Saturation: ‘Stockholm Style’ and the resurgence of Scandi-Minimalism Francesca Beaumont Friday 3 March 2023 Francesca offers a cultural analysis of the 'Scandinavian Capsule Wardrobe' and how it acts as a fissure in the foundations of Fast-Fashion With the post-pandemic cultural consciousness invariably speeding up the rate at which we navigate our way through ‘up to date’ attire, fast fashion is one of the most captivating aspects of contemporary culture. Yet, ‘Stockholm Style’ offers something different in this fast-paced frenzy of fashion cycles. Over the past months, there has been an interesting return to ‘the basics’ – an up-levelled basic. A basic that is timeless, luxurious, sustainable and synonymous with that of ‘Scandinavian Style’. The phrase ‘Scandinavian capsule wardrobe’ has been floating around fashion spaces for years, but it has recently incorporated itself into the mainstream cultural bias of what it takes to be effortlessly stylish. The Scandinavian capsule wardrobe consists of a simplistic colour wave; white, black and light-toned browns, with the occasional inclusion of navy and cream stripes. A pattern which, interestingly, has been mostly attributed to that quiet luxury aesthetic of old yachting money. Scandinavian menswear consists of tailored work pants, form-fitting shirts, cashmere or wool sweaters – usually draped over shoulders – and robust loafers. And the staples of the femme Scandi wardrobe include plain durable tank tops, a pair of mom jeans, high-neck woollen sweaters, usually paired with a black skirt, and Birkenstocks or plain black boots. As a trend, it is essentially the return of a high-quality basic. The Scandinavian style makes sure to ascertain a certain androgyny for the wearer and with its sleek, minimalist garment framings, it is not difficult to look important when adorned in a Scandinavian capsule wardrobe. However, every fashion trend eventually becomes saturated with the digital. And one of the most effective ways to ‘ruin’ a trend is by fast-fashion companies refining a trend and churning out cheap replicas. And thus, cheap consumer culture ingrains itself into every trend. But, because the message of sustainable minimalism is at the very epicentre of Scandinavian fashion, the capsule wardrobe interestingly manages to transcend this repackaging of consumerism and becomes one of the few fashion trends that can be considered genuinely sustainable. Scandinavian designer, Latimmier, in an interview at the 2023 Copenhagen Fashion Week argued that sustainable design is not enough: “ In the times of fast fashion and overconsumption, fashion needs a deeper purpose ”. This almost paradoxical emergence of a minimalist, sustainable fashion movement seems to be society's reaction to its own obsession with over-consumption. The trend itself is a rejection of TikTok maximalism. In an attempt to migrate ourselves away from the clunky Y2K revival, the 300-dollar Shein hauls and the bi-weekly pattern of microtrends, we will now see the world try to imitate the quiet, sustained luxury of Scandinavian style. For Latimmier, ecological sustainability goes along with social sustainability. So, the popularisation of the Scandi wardrobe will, most likely, act like a fissure in the fabric of the fashion system. This is not to say fashion-focused globalisation will halt, but it’s interesting, that in the age of fast fashion, this trend’s focal point is re-wearability and sustainability. About the Author Related Articles Fashion in Paris: Autumn Edition Aoife Grimes McTavish Foreign Film in the Face of Western Commercialism Francesca Beaumont Fashion Saturation: ‘Stockholm Style’ and the resurgence of Scandi-Minimalism Francesca Beaumont Copyright free images via Instagram. Header image sourced from Pinterest . For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Francesca Beaumont Fashion Scandi Nordic Fast Fashion Categories: Culture Analysis Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Culture Spotlight: Capoeira Society Aidan Cross Friday 5 April 2024 We sat down with Billy Nayani and Qaa’sim Uhuru, Capoeira Society’s President and Instructor, to find out more about one of the University of Nottingham’s newest societies and the incredible art of capoeira. Our newest print edition was inspired by the theme of rejuvenation and fostering community; on that theme, we’re revitalising our Culture Spotlight series! We sat down with Billy Nayani and Qaa’sim Uhuru, Capoeira Society’s President and Instructor, to find out more about one of the University of Nottingham’s newest societies and the incredible art of capoeira. What is the history and culture of capoeira? Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art with strong African roots that originated in Angola. Modern capoeira comes from north-eastern Brazil, particularly Bahia, due to the region’s involvement in the slave trade and over three hundred years of slavery. Capoeira developed amongst enslaved West African peoples and their descendants in Brazil as a way of maintaining their culture and traditions. In 2014, it was designated an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Describe capoeira for someone that has little to no knowledge of it Capoeira is a fusion of martial arts, acrobatics, dance, and music. It is typically performed in a roda – the circle in which the game is played. Everyone participates within the roda ,, whether as one of the two contestants, as a musician playing an instrument such as the pandeiro , a hand frame drum, or berimbau , a musical bow, to set the rhythm, or as a spectator, singing and clapping. There are three styles of capoeira: capoeira Angola – the traditional style; capoeira regional; and capoeira contemporânea. Traditional capoeira Angola leans more heavily into the playful game of capoeira (the dance and the music) whereas capoeira regional, which was founded in the 1930s by Mestre Bimba*, is more acrobatic and more of your typical martial art. The modern capoeira contemporânea is a combination of the two styles. *Mestre – a keen linguist might notice the similarity to Maestro or Master, a Mestre is a master practitioner of capoeira and Mestre Bimba, as you might guess, is a legend of the art. What do you enjoy most about capoeira? Qaa’sim: Capoeira maintains a strong link to African culture and is an active, holistic way to engage with and learn about Brazilian culture and history. Billy: The happiness of capoeira and the positive energy within the sessions. No matter how bad your day has been, capoeira is a way to bring positive energy back into the day. How can students get involved with capoeira? Capoeira Society run weekly one-hour sessions on Thursdays from 5-6pm in Monica Partridge, in room B02, which are taught by Qaa’sim. Aimed at beginners, the sessions don’t teach any specific style of capoeira. Instead they are focused on the music, movements and flow of capoeira, such as the ginga – the fundamental movement in capoeira, the sway, performed by placing both feet shoulder-width apart and moving one foot back and forth – as well as kicks, escapes, and sequences. Make sure to follow Capoeira Society on Instagram to find out more about the society and the art of capoeira and to keep up to date with their sessions! About the Author Related Articles Culture Spotlight: Capoeira Society Aidan Cross Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: culture spotlight capoeira brazil Aidan Cross interview Categories: Cultural Spotlight Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

On Mange du Local Eleanor Curtis Friday 9 February 2024 French food culture benefits producers - how can we in Britain learn and start to back British farming once more. Having spent time in France as part of my degree, I was struck by one major difference between France and England. The French care about where their food comes from. I’m not talking about opinions I have heard on the echo-chamber that is my For You Page, or even about advertisements or opinion pieces in French news. The people around me cared about what they ate. Where I was living was in Limousin country , and anyone interested in commercial livestock knows what that means: beef. And the local people routinely bought beef from Limousin cattle raised within the old region that gave the breed its name. They even drank Limousin milk. Furthermore, the Saturday morning market was always bustling with locals wanting to buy fresh produce from local farmers that were known to the community. Every item was labelled with its town or commune of origin. Even in supermarkets eggs were labelled with the town in which they were laid – which was never more that 30km away. Growers and Éleveurs (livestock farmers) in France are afforded something very important – an engaged consumer. This leads to thriving rural communities where welfare and quality are prioritised. People are willing to pay what producers deserve – often aiming to buy directly from the farmer. This is in direct contrast with my general experience in the UK, where even in specialised greengrocers or ‘farm’ shops it is near impossible to work out where exactly your food comes from, or indeed if it’s even British. People here are trying; my social media feeds are full of producers aiming to sell locally and show people where their food comes from. But this is in face of a public conditioned to look for the cheapest produce possible – often at the detriment of quality, and always at the detriment of the rural economy. The market is flooded with cheaper imports – leaving British producers to fend for themselves, or take a price well below that which they deserve. But its not simply about locality or about money. The French eat with the seasons. They do not use summer veg all year round. Granted, France benefits from a warmer and drier climate than we have here, meaning food can have a longer season. However, recipes and food cultures are directly dictated by the time of year. This seasonality is missing from the way that we eat in the UK, which necessitates the import of ingredients that can’t be grown in the British winter, such as Peruvian mangetout or Spanish butternut squash. These are both items that can be grown here in the UK, but they are not year-round produce. One final aspect of the French Food Culture which requires examination is the importance of variety. The supermarkets even carried local delicacies which were different as I travelled around the country. Notably, local cheese varieties took pride of place on the shelves and were only available in the regions they were made. The diversity of food that existed across the country was fuelled by buyers looking for their local delicacy, allowing producers to sell for higher prices. My region was also famed for goat’s cheese – and producers of goat’s milk often sold direct to the consumer or cheesemaker at local markets. Contrastingly, here in the UK the market is dominated by cheddar types, which are mass produced and frankly not so good – leaving dairy producers no choice but to sell wholesale. We even import French cheese when we want something special, despite the UK being home to hundreds of delicious local varieties. Not only does the French food culture benefit health and reduce food miles, it also directly helps producers. The agriculteur (farmer) is an important figure in French society, whereas we have largely lost sight of the people who produce our food. Perhaps we should learn from the French and learn where our food comes from, back British farming, and start to love farmers again. About the Author Related Articles 48 Hours in Seville: Spain's Sunny City Niamh Woodhouse Hungry in St Petersburg? My Top 5 Restaurants for Visitors Jess Henrys A Taste of the Mediterranean in Nottingham: Review of Yamas Beth Walker Copyright free images via Unsplash . For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Agriculture Farming Food France French Categories: Cultural Guide Culture Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Recipe of the Week: Vegetable Soup Emily Dawson Thursday 24 November 2022 Recipe of the Week with @ems.homecooking will teach you a new dish from around the world. This week's recipe is a hearty vegetable soup, perfect to keep you warm and full as we enter winter. Serves: 4 Difficulty: 3/5 Time: 1 hour The use of ras el hanout in this recipe creates a plentiful and unique combination of flavours. This spice is a mixture of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper and cardamom, native to North Africa. This dish is a perfect lunch served on its own or as a dinner with garlic bread or salad. As the days get darker and colder, soup is a perfect tummy warmer to come home to or to take to university with you! Ingredients 1 onion 3 cloves of garlic 1 potato 2 carrots 1 courgette 1 pepper 1 cup of peas ½ cup of lentils 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato puree 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube in ¾ litre of water 2 tsp paprika 2 tsp ras el hanout 1 tsp cumin Salt and pepper Olive oil Method Chop all the vegetables into 1-inch cubes, place in bowls of water to keep them fresh. In a large pan on a medium heat, cook off the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Once the onions have softened, add in the paprika, ras el hanout and cumin and cook off for a couple of minutes. Add in the chicken stock, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir to combine everything together. After adding in the stock, chopped tomatoes and puree, add in the carrots and cook for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add in all the other vegetables, including the lentils which should be soaked in boiling water for 2 minutes prior. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Cook on a low heat for 40 minutes until everything is soft. Leave the lid off for a thicker soup or leave the lid on for a thinner soup – this is personal preference. You can blend the soup once it is cooled, however I like to leave mine chunky. Again, this is personal preference. Enjoy! For more savoury and tasty treat recipes, follow @ems.homecooking on Instagram. About the Author Related Articles Recipe of the Week: Shakshuka with Merguez Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Chicken Curry Emily Dawson Recipe of the Week: Vegan Pasta Bake Emily Dawson Images provided by Emily Dawson. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Emily Dawson Cuisine Cooking World Food Soup Categories: Culture Recipe of the Week Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Our top 5 tips for keeping on top of your Chinese Rosie Loyd Tuesday 22 March 2022 Whilst learning a language can often be rewarding and exciting, you will most likely find yourself struggling from time to time. They are a commitment, but the more you put in, the greater progress you’ll make. Our Current Affairs Editor, Rosie Loyd, a 3rd year Spanish and Mandarin Student, takes you through her top 5 tips for keeping on top of your Chinese knowledge – both the language and cultural-awareness. The Chairman’s Bao Launched in 2015 by three friends who all studied Chinese at UK universities, The Chairman’s Bao (TCB) is the perfect resource for students on the hunt for material to complement their Chinese language degree. Depending on your HSK level, you can adjust the difficulty to see what latest news stories have been hitting the headlines. Once on an article, you can listen, read, instantly learn new words with their in-article dictionary, and afterwards complete grammar and comprehension exercises. TCB also has an app, so it is great for studying on the go! They have also just begun a series called ‘Frank Talks’ in which articles are discussed in Mandarin and students can listen in to different opinions on certain topics. Most UK Universities should have a subscription, so check with them before you sign up. Coursera: Peking University Courses Looking for an online course to help you prepare for an upcoming HSK exam? Look no further than Coursera, a platform providing many courses covering a variety of topics. Peking University offers several brilliantly detailed and organised courses for a variety of different HSK levels. Split into several 10 minute videos targeting listening and reading skills, each week has a manageable work load for you to fit into your daily life. HSK 3: https://www.coursera.org/learn/hsk-3 HSK 4: https://www.coursera.org/learn/hsk-4 HSK 5: https://www.coursera.org/learn/chinese-for-hsk5 Chinese Ear Gym Whilst HSK exams can be tricky, they do not need to be! A huge part of passing these exams comes down to whether you know your vocab or not. A great way to get your ear in tune for the HSK 4 exam is with the podcast Chinese Ear Gym. Available on Spotify, host Zhini Zeng talks through 10 characters at a time and gives examples of sentences in which they might appear. Tandem Having discovered this during lockdown, it was useful to have some native Mandarin speakers with whom I could practise. Tandem is a language exchange platform, available in app and web app format. Begin chatting with language learners from all over the world, depending on where you search for, and soon enough you will find yourself deep in conversation with a new pen pal! Given there is a lot of freedom on this app to chat with whoever you want, it is a great way to make friends if you ever plan to travel and practice your language. Be warned, however, as you might find yourself bombarded with messages within minutes of opening an account – I certainly did! Chinese Whispers Hosted by The Spectator’s Broadcast Editor, Cindy Yu, Chinese Whispers is a brilliantly accessible podcast for anyone interested in the China of today. Focussing on a different topic each week that has recently reached the news, Cindy interviews specialists and professors, gaining different perspectives on current and interesting Chinese Affairs. I absolutely love how much she breaks down the issues into digestible and simple terms. From reviewing the history of China, to discussing why the Chinese like to drink so much, it is a brilliant and informative podcast that all students working towards a Chinese-related degree should access. Chinese Whispers is available on the Spectator website as well as on all the usual podcast providers. About the Author Related Articles 5 podcasts to help you improve your French Niamh Woodhouse The economic value to the UK of speaking other languages: realistic or idealistic? Rosie Loyd Our top 5 tips for keeping on top of your Chinese Rosie Loyd Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Rosie Loyd Chinese Tips Language Learning Podcasts Culture Categories: Language Tips Language and Linguistics Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Southern Spain’s Architectural Gems Vicki Mileson Tuesday 15 February 2022 Southern Spain is home to some of the world’s most enchanting architecture so we offered up some places to add to your travel bucket list. Andalucía is home to some of the most beautiful examples of Moorish architecture across the Iberian Peninsula... Between the 8th and 15th centuries, the Moors controlled most of Spain and their Islamic heritage is evident today across the southern regions of Spain. The Moorish buildings in Spain are some of the last few examples of Islamic architecture in Europe and although Moorish rule didn’t last forever, the monuments now attract tourists to Spain from across the globe. Here are just a few of southern Spain’s architectural gems to add to your travel bucket list. Granada Home to one of the most visited sites in Spain, La Alhambra in Granada has preserved its Moorish heritage. Meaning “the red” in Arabic , La Alhambra was used as a palace and fortress during the 14th century and its beautiful architecture has inspired other buildings all around the world. When Granada was later conquered in 1492, it was converted into the Royal Court of the Catholic Monarchs , Ferdinand and Isabella. The city has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and La Alhambra is one of the best-preserved Moorish structures in the world. Its walls are covered in Islamic carvings and mosaics and it overlooks the Albaicín quarter of Granada’s Moorish old city , with a backdrop of the Sierra Nevada. Albaicín, the origin city of Granada, boasts a rich heritage of Moorish town planning and architecture . With narrow streets and small plazas, the area is marked by its unique and well-preserved Andalusian heritage. Sevilla La Real Alcázar de Sevilla is a massive walled fortress with mosaic domes, beautiful green gardens, ancient baths, and complex stonework. Some of the same artists who worked on La Alhambra contributed to the ornate interiors of the Alcázar. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is used by the Spanish royal family as their official residence, making it the oldest European palace still in use. Sevilla is also home to La Giralda – a Moorish bell tower that is part of the Sevilla Cathedral. You can climb up to the top for beautiful views of the city by walking up a series of ramps – installed instead of stairs so that animals could walk up to the top with food and water too. The Cathedral is the largest in Spain and uses a Gothic style, brought to Spain from France . The Gothic style cemented itself in Andalusian architecture thanks to the Reconquista. Córdoba Córdoba was once the capital of Islamic Spain. In fact, the Cathedral of Córdoba was so influenced by Moorish culture that it is better known as Mezquita (mosque). Complete with red and white horseshoe arches, it was originally a Mosque and the centre of Islamic life for the city’s citizens. It has been used as a Christian place of worship since 1236, when Christian rule took over the city. Like many other examples of Moorish architecture, the architecture carries a spiritual meaning. For example, there are 365 arches which are said to mimic the expansive world around us . Also in Córdoba is the Medina Azahara, the ruins of a medieval Muslim fortress . Originally named ‘The Shining City’, the ruins feature classic Moorish geometric architecture, terraced gardens and evidence of a Roman aqueduct. Spain’s rich history has gifted it some of the world’s most beautiful and complex pieces of architecture and Andalucía is home to some of our favourites. About the Author Related Articles Barcelona’s Hidden Gems: Live like a local and escape the tourists Mhairi MacLeod 48 Hours in Seville: Spain's Sunny City Niamh Woodhouse Southern Spain’s Architectural Gems Vicki Mileson Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Architecture Spain Andalucia History Vicki Mileson Categories: Culture Cultural Guide Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

The Art of Fictional Languages: Deconstructing Dothraki and Klingon Kathrin Loithaler Monday 16 December 2024 Did you know that the act of creating fictional languages has its own name? Conlanging, short for the construction of languages, has become increasingly popular as the genres of science fiction and fantasy have taken TV and book audiences by storm. From Star Trek to Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, constructed languages, so-called conlangs, have found their way into popular culture. We will closely examine two of these languages, Dothraki and Klingon, to truly learn what goes into creating and speaking these conlangs. Dothraki Dothraki is one of the languages in the Game of Thrones fantasy universe. Spoken by the Dothraki people, a nomadic horse warrior tribe living in the desert across the narrow sea, the language largely draws on Arabic and Spanish sounds. To expand the language for the series, linguist David Peterson took on the project, creating its grammar and a dictionary with 4,000 words . But how does he balance creative conlanging with the effort of training English-speaking actors to actually speak the language? For instance, Dothraki is an intonation language like English, meaning that pitch doesn’t affect the meaning of individual words, but is instead used as a conversational tool, for example, to signify a question with a rise in pitch at the end of sentences. This contrasts with languages like Mandarin or Cherokee, which are tonal languages where pitch changes the meaning of each word. Words in tonal languages can be very hard to pronounce correctly for actors who natively speak English, so David Peterson deliberately made Dothraki an intonation language. He also crafted Dothraki with a lot of attention to detail that might be unknown to most viewers. For example, he included loan words and borrowings from High Valyrian (another conlang created for the show) to name concepts the Dothraki people may not have their own words for, such as the Dothraki word timvir (book), which is borrowed from the High Valyrian tembyr. So, the meticulously and intelligently crafted Dothraki language is definitely worth learning before your next Game of Thrones marathon! Me nem nesa —it is known. Klingon Developed by linguist Marc Okrand for the Star Trek universe, Klingon is a language spoken by humanoid alien characters, the Klingons. This language is—arguably—the most famous conlang, and according to the Guinness Book of Records , it is actually the most spoken fictional language in the world. Klingon has been so popular with fan and linguistic communities that a Klingon Language Institute (KLI) was founded in 1992 by North American Star Trek fans. The KLI, still active today as a non-profit organization, offers Klingon language courses, linguistic research on Klingon, translations or original stories and regularly hosts Klingon events. The language itself is designed to be very dissimilar to English in order to pass as an alien language. So, although all of the sounds and grammar exist in natural human languages, the unusual combinations and pronunciations of sounds make Klingon truly unique, causing it to sound harsh, guttural, and forceful. The sentence pattern is also particularly intriguing, as the conlang follows an object-verb-subject pattern, unlike nearly all natural languages, including English, which use a subject-verb-object pattern. This makes Klingon a truly alienesque language that sounds quite strange to human ears. Additionally, what is special about Klingon is that it doesn’t only exist as a spoken language, but also includes a writing system with custom characters. This has enabled numerous Klingon translations, for example of Shakespeare's plays, and many other pieces of world literature. Star Trek ’s Klingon is regarded as one of the most researched and beloved conlangs — by fans and linguists alike. It truly amazes me how much heart has gone into creating and maintaining the language, even over thirty years after its creation. tlhIngan Hol Dajatlh'a'? —Do you speak Klingon? About the Author Related Articles Copyright free images courtesy of Pexels For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here Tags: Language Categories: I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

Year Abroad Tales: A glimpse into Corrientes, Argentina through journal entries Evie Dowding Tuesday 10 December 2024 Throughout my year abroad in France and Argentina I used journaling as a way of recording my thoughts and experiences. I am grateful I did this as now, when I read these entries back, I am able to connect with that time again. Rather than turn them into a traditional article I decided to exhibit some of my favourite memories just as they are: a jumble of scenes, observations and human connections. 6th April 2024 Perched on our bed in the city of Corrientes, capital of the province of Corrientes, North-East Argentina, witnessing our first sub-tropical storm. The rain started around 45 minutes ago, and already streams of water are flowing down either side of the road, taking any loose drabs or leaves with them. The air is sticky and humid, the thunder sudden and booming, and the smell earthy and pungent. It's definitely the perfect night to stay in and recover from our 24 hours of travel, but will we make it out tomorrow? Who knows? All I can say is that I’m certainly glad we went to the supermarket earlier… 3rd May 2024 We have a sort of Mother here now, María Cecilia Sanchez, a french teacher at the institute who randomly invited us over for lunch with her ex husband Juan Carlos, son Juan José (JuanJo for short) and his girlfriend Sofia. Cecilia and JuanJo live in the small but charming apartment with two cats. Cecilia prepared us a feast, shouting “Evie!”, “Arthur!” every five minutes, to come and see what she was preparing, while JuanJo and Sofia offered us ‘fernet and cola’, a popular combo in Argentina but perhaps not for me. We started with surubí, a river catfish, prepared milanesa style with a squirt of lemon and cassava fries. It was to die for. With no plates we all dug in, and it was clarified to me that it's not the custom here to wait for everyone to start eating. For main we had a wooden, ginormous bowl of Mbaipu, a stew of polenta, melted cheese, chicken and sweet potato. It was hearty, delicious and I finished the whole bowl. For dessert,Dulce de Mamón,a small citrus fruit cooked in sugar for many hours. The family were kind, and we spoke a mix of Spanish, French and English. Cecilia loved talking about her trip around France and to London. She snorted loudly when she laughed, mocked our spanish sounding gracias and wanted to lend me all of her books to take home. 15th May 2024 So what's the city of Corrientes really like? It’s in the middle of nowhere and you’ve probably never heard it, why would you? The humidity is tortuous in the summer months, with tropical storms bringing the only relief, but their own set of problems like flooding. The streets are lined with palm trees, lapachos and citrus trees, and it’s divided into blocks. If we want to go into the centre or to the coast we walk from our street to the dual carriageway, 5 de Abril. It’s strange how a motorway is also another street, lined with shops and cafes on each side. Yet there's no kind of pedestrian crossing. If we make it to the other side we can pick a street name: San Juan, La Rioja, Salta, Buenos Aires, Tucuman or San Luis. These streets will all take us to some part of the centre, and if we keep going, the coast. As someone with pitiful navigational skills, I do enjoy the simplicity of it. One must always be alert as they navigate the pavement. For it can change in an instant from colonial tiling to rubble and mud. The city centre hosts a shopping strip of cheap wholesale stores where you can find anything and everything. There are also friendly men with fruit carts swarmed by flies every four to five blocks. Between six and ten at night this area is animated by families, teenagers and couples, a thermos tucked under one arm and maté in the other. The coast is beautiful, the Paraná puts any kind of English river to shame. It is vast, always flowing and it glistens later on in the day. When the sun has set here but not yet in Chaco on the other side, the horizon is blood red and apocalyptic. We often see this when we visit Cumba Cua park on a sunday night, drawn out like other citizens by the artisan fair. Catholicism is everywhere you look, and from what I’ve gathered the people here are generally quite conservative. A lovely couple we stayed with in a village called Goya seemed surprised that we followed no religion. What gives this culture its charm is this mixture of catholic belief with customs and language from Gaurani. This is the indigenous group that lived in these lands before Jesuit Missionaries arrived. They lived off the paraná, eating mainly fish and land mammals. They grew corn, sweet potato, mandioca, and of course drank maté. While catholicism eventually prevailed over the Guarani religion, many wives tales and remedies are still used. For instance, if you’re suffering in the heat, put a towel over your head with a glass of water balanced on top. Or if you want good weather make a cross from flour in the corner of your house. 30th May 2024 - I trip to Caá Catí After regretfully shutting the dogs out, we took the time to recharge our social batteries until 10:30pm came. By this time the air was chilly and we walked out to find a group of students huddled inside the grilling area, while Mickey (the teacher’s husband) had a ton of chorizo sausages on the go. We sat on wooden chairs, making space as more and more people shuffled into the tiny area. A student called Jonatán had brought his guitar, and began to play ‘Can’t help falling in love with you’ by Elvis, then some local chamame songs in Spanish. The sausages were ready, bread was cut, lemon squeezed and mayo drizzled, not to mention copious amounts of beer and coca cola served in a welcoming chaos. Our first ever choripan was divine, and we ate three or four, but the asadador (barbecuer) was modest and shrugged our praise off with a smile. As the evening went on we all chatted and laughed while Pancho and his gang (the collective dogs of the village) shuffled around with their puppy dog eyes receiving strokes and bits of meat if they were lucky. Latin American hospitality is truly beyond comparison. 16th June 2024 Cecilia invited us to have Merienda with her on El Dia de la Cruz de Los Milagros (The Day of The Miracle Cross), a religious holiday in Corrientes. Then when the day came she offered us to come for lunch instead, she was making milanesas again, and I couldn’t say no. When we arrived it was just Cecilia. And she was excited like last time as she showed us what she was cooking while we set the table. It was Beef Milanesa, Mash, Salad and a special rice grown in the region. We discussed our weeks and future plans, then she insisted we do our washing there and gave me a special cream for my dry skin (that I later realised she’d bought especially). Then we set off for our walk and Cecilia explained the meaning behind the celebration. It goes something like this… On the banks of the Paraná river the Guarani people were defending their land from the Spanish. They started a great fire to stop them from coming ashore, and amidst the fire stood a cross placed by Jesuits. Astonishingly the wooden cross did not burn, and this was seen as a sign of peace and reconciliation between the groups. The church was packed with citizens of all ages who watched as towns and villages from the surrounding area brought idols of the Virgin Mary carried upon their shoulders. Cecilia had no hesitation in barging in and out of everyone as she led us to the front of the church so we could get a photo in front of the cross. I couldn’t help but get the giggles. She bought us a magnet each as a souvenir, before we went out to watch the procession in full swing. Scouts and other local groups formed hands to form a barrier, while we watched and clapped at the numerous idols and shouted “Arriba!”. Finally, they brought the famous cross and everyone joined the back of the procession which would go through the rest of the city. The question in our minds was ‘where is Cecilia taking us now?’ as we made our way through side streets until stopping outside a tiny local bakery. She bought a gigantic bag of chipás (a local cheesy bread) and we ended the day with a merienda (afternoon snack) of chipás and local tea, before Cecilia packed us a bag of tea bags and rice to take home. All we could think as we walked home, bellies full of cheesy bread, that for a woman that was not particularly well-off, Cecilia gave anything she could, and so much kindness to two foreigners she hardly knew. We would soon realise that this was not a one-off in Corrientes. About the Author Related Articles Images courtesy of Pexels For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: argentina Year Abroad Categories: I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! Barbara Dawson average rating is 3 out of 5 Lovely tasty dish. Try it you won’t be disappointed. Time Published Aunty Liz average rating is 3 out of 5 Very tasty and cheap. I often have this for tea! Time Published BETTS average rating is 3 out of 5 Being a bilingual family (French mother and British father,) living in France I thought your article was extremely interesting . Have you research on bilingualism ? It seems that when the mother is British and the father French and they both live in France their children seem to be more bilingual than when the mother is French and the father is British . This is what we called mother tongue , isn't it ? Time Published Niamh average rating is 3 out of 5 Such an interesting article! Time Published LOAD MORE

The Zone of Interest (2023) - the new film from director Jonathan Glazer Sarah Taylor Wednesday 22 May 2024 Film review of director Jonathan Glazer's 2023 film; 'The Zone of Interest' CW: mentions of the Holocaust and concentration camps The film centres around one family, and particularly their family home. For most of us the family home is a place of sanctuary. This is also true in this case but it is the complete acceptance that the location of the family home is within yards of Auschwitz the concentration camp, and all of its horrors, many of which can be heard throughout the film, acting as a reminder that certain people were in complete denial to the pain inflicted upon others. It portrays detachment and how dangerous that can be. The dialogue and particular scenes relay the ease planning to kill large groups of people in such a matter-of-fact way, and with the agreement that the process is very effective and beneficial to the German people. The film is full of scenes of idyllic family activities and the sheer delight the family take in playing in the garden with no acknowledgement or care of what is taking place just a few yards away from them. Against the backdrop of this idyllic family life shows the desperation and harsh living conditions of the camp. The film uses a negative exposure of a girl planting apples to convey the danger attached to it, the risk of eating one of them, and the desperation of trying to help where help is so needed. The film’s eerie soundtrack reminds me of Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, in the sense that it conveys the true horror of what life now had become; dark, terrifying sounds like a roaming Pterodactyl taking over, projecting violent intentions with only one outcome. As in Kubrick’s film, this music plays during scenes of foreboding horror as a kind of warning of what is about to happen. The juxtaposition is the most fascinating part of the film, life and death set side by side, joy over sadness and happiness against misery. This is intensified by the mise-en-scene: the colours of the flowers, green grass and fertile sole against the backdrop of grey high walls; unfeeling, sterile, cold, and still, where everything struggles to live or breath. The representation of dogs is another contrast, for the German family their dog is a loving pet but to the prisoners in the camp they are to be feared, an imminent threat and a source of potential pain. The film highlights how objects, animals, food, and shelter can have two different meanings depending on what situation you find yourself in. The necessities of life are all very present in the house and garden – food is prepared and eaten, and water is easily used in summertime activities, something that is all too absent over the wall and all too keenly felt with disastrous consequences. The haves and have-nots are essentially what this film portrays. The fact that the essential necessities were taken away from people and these people were completely dehumanised. The film conveys the dangers of this – when compassion and empathy are missing and what that can lead to. About the Author Related Articles Finding the Light: Reviewing a Beeston Film Festival Variety Pack Holly Cromwell Promises (African Voices): A Variety Pack Review from Beeston Film Festival Harriet Rothwell-Inch The Beeston Film Festival: Highlighting the Truths of Womanhood in Film Emma Burnett Copyright free images via Unsplash. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: film holocaust 1943 review Categories: Review Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Encanto: The Deeper Meaning Behind Disney's Award-winning Latino Film Mhairi MacLeod Tuesday 15 February 2022 Recent Disney film, Encanto, has been met with huge success and Mhairi investigates its deeper meaning and Hispanic roots. Lovers of Hispanic culture and language, this one is for you… Encanto , which translates to ‘spell’ or ‘enchantment’, has captivated audiences, both young and old, since its release in November 2021. From the catchy songs written by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda to the exotic Colombian landscape, Encanto is a refreshing break away from the stereotypical Disney narratives and a glimpse towards the future of Disney. Not only is this a new era for Disney but it is yet another celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture, which has been growing in the mainstream media over recent years with productions like Coco (2017) and In the Heights (2021). The film follows the incredible tale of ‘La Familia Madrigal’, a magical family in which each member has been given a special gift… well, everyone except Mirabel. Mirabel is the only family member who was not given a unique power at her gift ceremony, and we follow her as she desperately tries to fit in and impress her family. However, when Mirabel learns that the magic in her family and her home is dying, she sets out on a mission to save them. Without revealing any spoilers, the film concludes with the finale song ‘All of You’ in which Mirabel discovers that although she doesn’t have a tangible power, she has the power of love inside her. This is a story about finding the gift within yourself and accepting yourself as you are. Although this is a children’s film, there are several lessons to be taken away from this story including the power of believing in yourself and embracing your uniqueness. The film has been applauded greatly for representing the Latino community in such a beautiful manner, to which many communities can relate. This was highlighted with the viral online post captioned ‘Representation Matters’ of a two-year-old boy, who looks almost identical to one of the main characters. It is a well-known fact that there is power in growing up in a world where you can see your stories played out in front of you and this is exactly what Encanto achieves. Overall, this is a marvellous film with vibrant Colombian imagery, memorable songs and it’s a great opportunity to practice Spanish for those who are brave enough to watch it without subtitles! About the Author Related Articles Barcelona’s Hidden Gems: Live like a local and escape the tourists Mhairi MacLeod Encanto: The Deeper Meaning Behind Disney's Award-winning Latino Film Mhairi MacLeod The International Booker Prize 2022 Revealed: The Award that Celebrates Authors and their Equally Gifted Translators Mhairi MacLeod Images provided by Mhairi Macleod. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Film Disney Latinx Culture Representation Mhairi Macleod Categories: Culture Review Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Why you should visit Strasbourg Chloe Brewster Monday 23 May 2022 Chloe, who is studying abroad in Strasbourg, wants convince Lingo readers why this Alsatian city is the perfect study and work destination, as well as why la capitale européenne is a must-see in your travels of la belle France! For my year abroad, I decided to spend both semesters at the Université de Strasbourg. At first, I wondered if I had made the right decision because most French students have worked or studied in two different cities. But living in Strasbourg has been the best decision and I couldn’t be happier to have become an adopted Strasbourgeoise since beginning my study abroad adventure last September! The best of both worlds – France and Germany (and Switzerland etc…) Strasbourg is a distinctively unique French city by being situated a mere two miles away from the German border, specifically the German town of Kehl. Throughout the year, I have frequently travelled on the tram to Kehl, mostly because grocery shopping is significantly cheaper across the border and the food selection there is amazing, especially haferbrot , a seeded and oat-based bread which is literally soul food for me (one cannot only live off baguettes!). Crossing the bridge between Strasbourg and Kehl Strasbourg is also located close to other German cities and towns, such as Stuttgart, Baden-Baden (a gorgeous spa town with some fantastic museums) and even Munich. Back in February, I hopped on a coach from Strasbourg to spend a magical weekend in Munich which I didn’t even think would be possible until I arrived in Strasbourg and realised that it is truly la capitale européenne – you can even take coaches going all the way to Prague or Vienna from Strasbourg! Schloss Nymphenburg in Munich – a golden and sparkling feast for the eyes! Aside from Germany, you can also travel on the regional Grand Est TER train to Basel, the third biggest city in Switzerland. I have gone there twice, once to visit its Christmas market and a second time in March which truly showcased its beauty against the breath-taking backdrop of the Rhine. The river also runs through Strasbourg and perhaps explains why I can never resist taking pictures of the stunning rivers and lakes in Strasbourg itself! River Rhine, Basel, Switzerland And if you thought that Switzerland and Germany were enough, you can also reach Luxembourg (via Metz) and even Belgium (via Luxembourg) from Strasbourg without resorting to air travel. Strasbourg is therefore an eco-friendly but culturally diverse and rich city to live and study in! An important European city Strasbourg is home to one of the two European parliaments and is therefore politically important in international and indeed European-related affairs. Visiting the parliament is free and is easily accessible on the E tram. Although the creation of the parliament is relatively new, nonetheless the building itself feels steeped in so much history, particularly in relation to Simone Veil, the first president of the Parliament and indeed a much treasured and remembered female figure in la construction européenne . Petite France – an Alsatian delight If there is one part of Strasbourg that you visit, it must be Petite France – this UNESCO-listed region of the city truly showcases the magic of Alsace, whose people strongly celebrate their regional identities, identifying more as Alsatian following a turbulent socio-political history (Strasbourg has been repeatedly francisé et germanisé over the years, most recently being under Nazi-rule during WW2). The area is surrounded by gorgeous rivers and quaint, colourful houses and buildings that are unique to the Alsace region; even when the sun is not shining, Petite France is still stunning and is a joy to explore, and is conveniently located in the heart of the city and, dare we say it, the heart of Alsace, too. Modern art, Alsatian life, a palace – museums galore! As one of France’s biggest cities, Strasbourg has numerous museums to offer its tourists and local people, which are free with your student card (and who can resist that?). Le Musée d’art contemporain is located next to Petite France and displays a mixture of sculptures, paintings and modern art displays which are bound to appeal to anybody’s tastes. My favourite art piece was a giant balloon-like cat (featured below) which definitely displays the diversity and playfulness of the art scene in Strasbourg. Additionally, the Palais Rohan (located next to the cathedral) boasts three museums: Beaux-Arts, archaeology, and the palace itself in which Napoleon (whom you might have heard Dr Smith talk about in first and second year!) slept. And if you thought that was enough, there is a museum devoted to Alsatian life, the statues of the cathedral, even a Voodoo museum… The cathedral – need I say more? An unmissable sight which is visible throughout most of the city, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg dates from the 12th century and demonstrates the very best of patrimoine strasbourgeois . There are no words to describe its splendour and the awe of standing in front of it! As I’m nearing the end of my study abroad, I can now proudly say that studying in Strasbourg was the best decision because there has always been something new and magical to discover here, and you won’t regret becoming a Strasbourgeoise too! About the Author Related Articles 7 Reasons to visit Santo Domingo Millie Adams 24 Hours as an English Student in Paris: A Survival Guide Kit Sinclair Saving your centimes: How to do Paris on a Budget Francesca Wren Images provided by Chloe Brewster. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Tags: Chloe Brewster France Culture Strasbourg Year Abroad Categories: City Guide Travel Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE

Banksy Cut and Run Exhibition: Review Emma Burnett Tuesday 7 November 2023 This Summer (2023), Banksy's first official exhibition in 14 years opened in Glasgow's GoMA. Just about as elusive as Banksy himself, the Cut and Run exhibition was truly enigmatic, forbidding any public photography. Fortunate enough to get her hands on tickets, Emma Burnett recounts her experience of possibly the most intimate exploration of the legendary Banksy ever seen before. Walking up to the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in Glasgow, you are first greeted by a longstanding Glaswegian inside joke. This is the statue of the Duke of Wellington, who has worn a traffic cone on his head for the best part of the last 40 years. Once you’ve nodded with bemusement, possibly snapped a couple of pictures of it, you enter the gallery, only to discover that it is this landmark that granted Glasgow the honour of hosting the exhibition. Banksy recounts that he has always found the tireless existence of the traffic cone hilarious - every time it is taken down, another one takes its place with immediate effect. One might say that the statue personifies the anti-establishment nature of Banksy’s artwork. The exhibition captured this perfectly. As Banksy stated on a wall of the exhibition: “Most artists have an obsession that defines their work, Monet had light, Hockney has colour, I’ve got police response time”. This obsession was certainly evident, as the GoMA was littered with references to law enforcement. Some were more explicit, such as a disturbingly life-like model of a police officer see-sawing on a children’s rocking horse, and some more subtle, such as first-edition of the Union Jack bulletproof vest Stormzy wore to headline Glastonbury in 2019. However boundary-pushing, or arguably offensive, it may be, the brilliance of Banksy’s artwork cannot be denied. Pieces such as ‘The Great British Spraycation’ and ‘Balloon Girl’ are simply beautiful in their raw depiction of humanity. The Cut and Run exhibition captures perfectly the contradiction of Banksy. Primarily, that despite the fact that hi s art is as public as it possibly can be, his identity has always been the artist’s greatest secret – his disguise (a beige trench coat and Groucho glasses) was also featured in the exhibition. Banksy’s artworks are often built upon juxtaposition; this is exemplified in his ‘Flower Bomber’ and ‘Punk’s Mum’ pieces, both of which have been recreated in the exhibition. The exquisite storytelling of the exhibition does not occur solely through art, but also through those easily ignored, small, white boxes of writing which line the walls of art galleries. Despite their usual forgettability, they housed satirical, yet poignant anecdotes from Banksy himself. Narrating the exhibition, these amusing reminiscences became a focal point of the exhibition, producing ruptures of laughter from the audience. ‘This guy should be a comedian!’, I overheard one audience member exclaim. The most valuable knowledge Banksy relays, however, is the unquantifiable power of art. Art can convey so much without words. It can be political, it can be influential, it can be revolutionary. Banksy’s Cut and Run exhibition may be the most revealing examination of Banksy and his work yet. He uses his artwork to lead us on a journey through the depths of his mind – the mind of one of the most innovative artists of our time. About the Author Related Articles I Went to a Naked Orchestra: A Review of Carta by Monica Calle Niamh Woodhouse Violeta by Isabel Allende: One Hundred Years on the South American Continent Mhairi MacLeod Holi on the Downs 2022 Beth Walker Images provided by Emma Burnett. Links to images below. For more content, follow us on Instagram , and like our Facebook page for more articles and information on how to join the Lingo Team. Have an article ready to send in? Submit it here . Image links (in order of appearance, including thumbnail): https://www.bigissue.com/culture/art/banksy-cut-run-is-the-closest-weve-come-to-seeing-behind-his-mask/ https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/4781238/nike-orange-trainer-glasgow-tributes-duke-of-wellington-statue/ https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/banksy-goes-on-a-mural-making-spree-in-england https://niblanconinegro.com.ar/un-banksy-se-vende-por-mas-de-12-9-millones-de-dolares-en-una-subasta-de-criptomonedas/ http://www.aliexpress.com/item/BANKSY-MOM-PUNK-CRASS-WALL-MURAL-TRANSFER-ART-STICKER-STENCIL-POSTER-DECAL-HOME-WALL-STICKERS-MODERN/32635029219.html Tags: Art Banksy Culture Events Emma Burnett Exhibition Categories: Culture Experience Review Share: Let us know what you think 3.0 150 Article ratings average rating is 3 out of 5, based on 150 votes, Article ratings WRITE A COMMENT Thanks for submitting a comment! LOAD MORE