Things that annoy me as a Brit abroad in France
April 28, 2015
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 …
Seeing noticeable differences in fluency and comprehension
April 24, 2015
After three months of living and working in France I’m currently back in the UK for a week or so to catch up with friends and family over the Christmas period. This has also allowed me some time to reflect on how much I’ve done and just how far I’ve come in terms of improving …
I realised how far I’ve come
I hate making mistakes and I am terrible at taking criticism and being on a year abroad in Brazil, having only studied two years of Portuguese, I make about 300 mistakes a day. Most people are nice about it or don’t try to correct me but my class of 6 year olds take great pleasure in pointing …
I can access a whole other culture
During my first few months in France I was happy enough just to make myself understood. I was massively pleased with the relative easiness of setting up my rent, bank account and social security and I surprised myself in being able to get what I wanted from teachers/shop staff/the CAF officers. After nine years of …
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