If you’ve ever spent any significant amount of time abroad, you will know the feeling; maybe you’ve returned home to normal life, or perhaps you’ve become an expat or a constant traveller. Either way, there are some signals that show that you are addicted and that you will always be a traveller at heart: You […]Read More
One of the many joys of speaking a second language is being able to enjoy literature in its original language. Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” In the […]Read More
The process of language learning can sometimes resemble the stages of grief and despair. But battle on, soldiers! The final stages will make up for everything. The Take-Off It’s all excitement; all you can see is the novelty of the language and the culture; all you can see is yourself travelling and mingling with locals […]Read More
Homesickness Abroad Is Part Of The Process With all the excitement of moving abroad and the sheer volume of organisation involved, you were never given time to prepare yourself emotionally for the journey ahead. But honestly, nothing and no one prepares you for this part; you’ve been abroad for a while, maybe weeks or even […]Read More
Life can be difficult for us language students and polyglots; maybe because we’ve just studied languages too damn hard. But sometimes, just sometimes, television series and movies just seem to really get language students. 1. When Ross’s outburst satisfied your inner grammar-nazi 2. When 30 Rock said what we’ve all been thinking all along 3. […]Read More
Game of Thrones fans: it’s your time to go travelling. If you are a real Westeros / Essos enthusiast, it will not surprise you to hear that very few locations in the series have been shot outside of Europe. The Seven Kingdoms are actually right on our doorstep to visit and live the fantasy! The night […]Read More
The 20-somethings of today have the good fortune of being part of a generation that travels, seeking culture and self-discovery. And although we are appreciative of this luxury, one aspect of travel is vastly underrated; that of living and working abroad. So what makes it so different and so, so much better? : 1. You […]Read More
Europe is an ancient, wacky continent, and it is possible to discover a fresh insanity every day. Here are some that will make you go: All members of the Swedish monarchy must, by tradition, be blond. In extreme cases, they have been known to dye their hair if not. 2. Polish parents give a […]Read More
(…and other bad-ass Easter origin stories) Although every country has its own eccentricities and unusual traditions, each of us has grown up accustomed to these long-held rituals. It may surprise you to learn, therefore, that some of our traditions were even more baffling in the past, or have simply grown into something quite different from what they […]Read More
Living abroad; my enemy, my ally. Don’t believe what they tell you, it’s all a lie. Expectation: It’s all fun and games You’re abroad right? And as we all know, that means that life is oh-so-easy. Reality: You drown in paperwork You are officially an expat and have to trawl through the bureaucracy that goes with […]Read More