Doing things the French way
April 28, 2015
As silly as it sounds, one of the main challenges my fellow assistants and I have found is the different pace of life here in France. During the summer I experienced 5 weeks of living in a very traditional, French rural village and knew it was the norm for shops and café’s to have short …
Things that annoy me as a Brit abroad in France
How different can France be from the UK? We’re separated by only 20 miles of water, share a Western European identity and history, and can hop on a train to pass between the two! You would think that surely a Brit abroad in France cannot be facing as many cultural challenges as, say, a Brit …
“Dear Tourist, you are not in Spain. You are not in France. You are in the Basque Country”
This is what was emblazoned across a flag hung from a balcony on my street during my first couple of weeks here in San Sebastián (although if we’re to follow the train of thought of the above quote, we should be calling it uniquely Donostia, or its more familiar name of Donosti). While sounding very …
I’ve made friends for life
April 27, 2015
I am more British than I ever realised. My upper lip is stiff, I am as sarcastic as they come and I am missing a decent cup of tea. Brazilians are the opposite of the British. They are loud, they are emotional, they love physical contact and my attempts at sarcasm are completely lost on …
I was born to be a Varoise
The subject of this blog, Cultural Challenges, is problematic because me and the culture of the South of France rub along very nicely together. The main cultural aspect for France is, of course, the food. I have an Irish flatmate who desperately misses potatoes (honestly, I’m not making it up), but I on the other …
Integrating into French culture
My year abroad so far has not only opened my eyes to cultural differences with France and Spain, but also many other countries all over the world thanks to the people I have met. I can honestly say that, during the time I have spent in North West France, I have encountered few cultural challenges. …
German culture is very different
I was born in Ukraine, and moved to England when I was 7 years old. For me, comparing the German culture to the English and the Ukrainian, it is somewhere in between the two. Especially in the region where I study (Thuringia) as it is a former East German county, and has retained a lot …
Living like an Argentine
Living in a foreign country is exciting, adventurous and inspiring; pushing yourself and the boundaries to places and experiences previously unknown. But it can also scare the pants off you. Having chosen to relocate myself to Buenos Aires, Argentina, over 7391.32 km kilometers from England, I would be kidding myself into thinking that life would …
Religious diversity in my French village…a topic of conversation or not?
April 17, 2014
Just before returning to Spain after the Christmas holidays, a friend of mine told me that when I went back it would be a completely different experience to my first few months there. I didn’t believe her at the time, but it turned out to be completely true! Phrases or cultural quirks I had been …
Getting used to the Spanish rhythm of life
February 18, 2014
Extremadura was a region about which I knew very little. This was one of the main reasons I chose to come here. Being taught Spanish language and experiencing the country first-hand are obviously very different, but until arriving here I did not realise just how much. Firstly, there is the rhythm of life, especially in …
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