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Prošlog vikenda, putovao sam do Bosne i Hercegovine s prijateljima posjetiti Sarajevo i Mostar. Sarajevo je glavni grad Bosne i Mostar je glavni grad Hercegovine ali oba se nalaze u istoj državi: Bosni i Hercegovini. U ovoj reportaži, opisat ću kako mi je bilo u Sarajevu, kako mi je bilo u Mostaru i što sam naučio o jezicima kroz ovi putovanje.

Sarajevo je divan grad, pun kulture. Vrlo zanimljiva stvar u vezi sa Sarajevom je da se centar sastoji od dva dijela: jedan dio sa istočnim utjecajima, a drugi sa zapadnim. Išli smo u šetnju starim gradom i otkrili da  ima dva djelova jer u jednom periodu, Bosna i Hercegovina je bila pod Osmanskim Carstvom a u narednom periodu, pod Austro-Ugarskom. Zbog toga postoji različite vrste arhitekture po gradom, fakat mi je zanimljivo.

Također, prije devetdesetih, Bosna i Hercegovina je bila dio Jugoslavije. U Jugoslaviji postajali su šest republike: Hrvatska, Slovenija, Srbija, Bosna i Hercegovina, Macedonija i Crna Gora. Nažalost, bilo je rat i ova država je raspala. Što me stvarno zanima je kako svaka zemlja koja je ila dio Jugoslavije prikazaje svoju povijest. U Sarajevo, otvoreni su o ratu i što se sve deselo.

Posjetili smo muzej se zove Galerija 11/07/95, u tome smo učili o genocidu u Srebrenici tijekom rata. Bilo mi je jako teško i tužno naučiti o tome ali mislim da je baš bitno da ne zaboravimo kako izgleda genocida – svi znamo da Oni koji ne pamte prošlost osuđeni su da je ponavljaju.

U svjetlijoj noti, Sarajevo ima prekrasan zalazak sunca. Išli smo gledati sa žute tvrđave, ako se ikad nađete u Sarajevu, podsjećam da gledate zalazak sunca!

Nakon dva dana u Sarajevu, išli smo autobusom do Mostara samo dva i pol sata putovanja. Mostar je također divan grad, manje je od Sarajeva ali ima svoj čar. Samo smo bili jedan dan u Mostaru ali se šetali smo starim gradom s vodićem koji je nas dao odlične priče o Mostaru.

Nisam znao da stari grad je takav novi, vodič nam je rekao da je stari grad star samo 20 godina jer je obnovljen nakon rata, UNESCO je platio za sve i što je fakat zanimljivo je da izvan starog grada, postoje stare, napuštene zgrade iz rata koje nisu obnovljene jer nisu dio UNESCO zone.

Mislim da je najpoznatija ikona mostara stari most. Vodič nam je rekao da predstavlja jedinstvo Bosne i Hercegovine u multietničkom smislu, to mi je jako drago.

Što se tiče jezik, bosanski jezik je stvarno sličan hrvatskom. Zapravo, većina ljuda koje smo upoznali su zvali jezik ‘naš jezik’ umjesto ‘bosanski’ ili ‘hrvatski’. Razlog tome je jer da tijekom vremena jugoslavije, svi su pričali isti jezik se zove sprskohrvatski i sad nakon rata, svaka država koja je bila dio jugoslavije ima svoj jezik iako su srpski, bosanski, crnogorski i hrvatski jako slični. Zbog toga, nitko ne zna u kojim jezik ljudi govore pa zovu ‘naš jezik’.

Dakle, baš sam sretan da sam posjetio Bosnu i Hercegovinu jer sam otkrio koliko su jezici u balkanskoj regiji slični. Mislim da razlika izmedu amerikanskog engleskog i britanskog engleskog je dobar primjer opisati razlika izmedu bosanskog i hrvatskog.

Last weekend, I traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina with my friends to visit Sarajevo and Mostar. Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia, and Mostar is the main city of Herzegovina, but both are part of the same country—Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this report, I will describe my experience in Sarajevo, my experience in Mostar, and what I learned about languages through this trip.

Sarajevo is a wonderful city, full of culture. A very interesting thing about Sarajevo is that its center consists of two parts: one with Eastern influences and the other with Western influences. We walked through the old town and discovered that it has two sections because, at one point, Bosnia and Herzegovina was under the Ottoman Empire, and later, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Because of this, there are different types of architecture throughout the city, which I found fascinating.

Also, before the 1990s, Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of Yugoslavia. In Yugoslavia, there were six republics: Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Unfortunately, there was a war, and the country fell apart. What really interests me is how each country that was once part of Yugoslavia presents its history. In Sarajevo, people are open about the war and what happened.

We visited a museum called Gallery 11/07/95, where we learned about the genocide in Srebrenica during the war. It was very difficult and heartbreaking to learn about, but I think it is extremely important not to forget what genocide looks like—we all know that those who learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

On a brighter note, Sarajevo has a stunning sunset. We went to watch it from the Yellow Fortress. If you ever find yourself in Sarajevo, I highly recommend watching the sunset from there!

After two days in Sarajevo, we took a bus to Mostar, which was only a two-and-a-half-hour journey. Mostar is also a beautiful city—smaller than Sarajevo but with its own charm. We only spent one day in Mostar, but we walked around the old town with a guide who told us amazing stories about the city.

I didn’t know that the old town was so new—our guide told us that it is only about 20 years old because it was rebuilt after the war. UNESCO funded the reconstruction, and what is really interesting is that outside the old town, there are still abandoned buildings from the war that have not been rebuilt because they are not part of the UNESCO zone.

I think the most famous symbol of Mostar is the Stari Most (Old Bridge). Our guide told us that it represents the unity of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a multiethnic sense, which I found very moving.

When it comes to language, the Bosnian language is very similar to Croatian. In fact, most people we met referred to the language as “our language” instead of “Bosnian” or “Croatian.” The reason for this is that during the time of Yugoslavia, everyone spoke the same language, called Serbo-Croatian. Now, after the war, each country that was part of Yugoslavia has its own official language, even though Serbian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, and Croatian are very similar. Because of this, no one knows exactly which language people are speaking, so they simply call it “our language.”

I’m really happy that I visited Bosnia and Herzegovina because I discovered how similar the languages of the Balkan region are. I think the difference between American and British English is a good example to describe the difference between Bosnian and Croatian.

태국에서 서울까지: 겨울 여행

저는 태국에서 두 주 동안 따뜻한 날씨를 즐기고 한국에 돌아왔어요. 한국에 돌아왔을 때, 북극에서 불어온 차가운 바람이 한반도를 덮치고 있었어요. 서울의 거리, 카페, 건물들이 하얀 눈으로 덮였고, 기온은 -14°C까지 떨어졌어요. 태국에서 망고와 파인애플, 수박을 먹고 있었던 저는, 서울에서 하얀 눈에 덮인 차가운 도시에서 초콜릿을 마시고 여러 겹의 옷을 입으며 추위를 버티는 일이 너무 달랐어요. 그 순간, 태국과 서울의 날씨 차이가 정말 크게 느껴졌어요.

 그때 제 영국에서 온 사촌이 한국에 처음으로 방문했어요. 그녀는 저를 만나고, 한국을 보고 싶어 했어요. 한국에 익숙한 저는 사촌에게 한국의 궁궐도 보여주고, 한국 음식을 함께 먹으며 서울 거리를 걷는 것을 도와주었어요. 그녀는 처음 보는 한국의 아름다움에 매우 감동했어요. 우리는 서울에서 유명한 장소들을 많이 방문하며 즐거운 시간을 보냈어요.

첫날 저녁, 저는 사촌을 고급 소고기 BBQ 레스토랑에 데려갔어요. 고기와 사이드 디시를 고르는 방법, 고기를 굽는 방법, 그리고 고기를 자를 때 가위를 사용하는 법을 가르쳐줬어요. 사촌은 처음에는 조금 어려워했지만, 결국 고기를 상추에 싸서 먹는 방법을 익혔어요. 그녀는 정말 맛있다고 하면서 기뻐했어요. 배부르게 먹은 후에는, N서울타워로 가서 케이블카를 타고 눈 덮인 산을 올라갔어요. 정상에서 서울의 전경을 바라볼 수 있었고, 특히 많은 눈 덕분에 서울이 마치 얼음처럼 아름답게 보였어요.

다음 날, 우리는 국립중앙박물관에 가서 동남아시아의 역사에 대해 배웠어요. 박물관은 정말 크고 인상적이었고, 도자기, 그림, 조각상, 책, 도구 등 많은 중요한 유물들이 전시되어 있었어요. 우리는 하루 종일 박물관을 돌아다니며 다양한 유물들을 보았지만, 너무 많아서 모든 것을 볼 수 없었어요. 제가 가장 좋아한 부분은 기증된 유물들이었어요. 각 유물에는 기증자와 기증한 이유, 그리고 그 유물에 담긴 역사적 의미에 관한 이야기가 담겨 있었어요. 유물들을 보며, 사람들이 역사에 대해 얼마나 깊은 관심을 가지고, 그 지식을 다른 사람들과 나누고 싶어 하는지 느낄 수 있었어요.

 

마지막 날, 우리는 한국의 궁궐을 방문했어요. 궁궐은 정말 아름다웠고, 마치 역사적인 K드라마의 한 장면 같았어요. 궁궐의 지붕에 하얀 눈이 덮여 있었고, 처마에 고드름이 매달려 있었어요. 바람이 불 때마다 눈이 공중에서 춤추듯 날아가며 궁궐의 뜰과 정원을 덮었어요. 제 사촌은 한국의 고풍스러운 아름다움에 정말 놀랐어요.

이번 달 날씨는 매우 추워졌어요. 한국의 많은 지역에 기상 경고가 발령되었고, 밤새 많은 눈이 내렸어요. 아이들은 눈사람을 만들며 겨울을 즐겼어요. 서울의 겨울은 정말 아름다웠지만, 그만큼 추워서 힘들기도 했어요. 그러나 그 추위 속에서 친구들이랑 따뜻한 음료를 마시며 이야기를 나누는 시간이 정말 소중했어요.

한국의 역사, 문화, 자연의 아름다움은 저와 제 사촌에게 정말 특별한 경험을 선사했어요. 태국의 따뜻한 날씨와 서울의 눈 덮인 겨울 풍경은 너무 다르지만, 둘 다 정말 기억에 남는 경험이었어요. 이 여행을 통해 한국에 대한 사랑과 자부심을 느꼈고, 제 사촌도 한국을 사랑하게 되었어요.

다음 달에 뵙겠습니다, 안녕히 가세요!

From Tropical Thailand to Snowy Seoul: A Winter Trip

I spent two weeks enjoying the warm weather in Thailand and returned to Korea. When I came back, cold winds from the Arctic were sweeping across the peninsula. The streets, cafes, and buildings in Seoul were covered in white snow, and the temperature dropped to -14°C. The warm climate in Thailand, where I had been eating mangoes, pineapples, and watermelons, felt so different from the cold city of Seoul, where I drank hot chocolate and wore many layers of clothing to endure the cold. The sudden change in temperature felt so dramatic, as if I had travelled between two completely different worlds.

During this sudden cold snap, my cousin from England visited Korea for the first time. She wanted to visit me and see this fascinating East Asian country. While I was already familiar with Korea, it was her first time seeing a Korean palace, trying Korean food, and walking the streets of Seoul. She was really impressed by the beauty of Korea, and we visited many famous places in the city, spending a great time together.

On the first evening, I invited my cousin to a high-quality beef BBQ restaurant. I taught her how to choose meat and side dishes, how to grill the meat, and how to use scissors to cut it. At first, she found it a little difficult, but she eventually learned how to wrap the meat in lettuce. She said it was really delicious and was excited to try everything. After eating our fill, we went to N Seoul Tower and took the cable car up the snowy mountain. From the top, we had an amazing view of Seoul. The city looked especially beautiful because of the snow, as if it was wrapped in ice.

The next day, we went to the National Museum of Korea to learn about the history of Southeast Asia. The museum was huge and impressive, and it displayed many important artifacts, including pottery, paintings, sculptures, books, and tools. We spent the entire day exploring the museum, but there were still so many things we didn’t have time to see. My favorite part was the donated artifacts. Each artifact had a story about its donor, how it was donated, and its historical significance. It was inspiring to see how passionate people were about history and how they wanted others, even foreigners like me, to learn from these objects.

On the last day, we visited the Korean palaces. The palaces were incredibly beautiful, almost like a scene from a historical K-drama. The roofs were covered in white snow, and icicles hung from the eaves. Whenever the wind blew, the powdery snow would swirl through the courtyards and gardens, creating a magical scene. My cousin was amazed by the old-fashioned beauty of Korea.

This month, the weather became very cold. A weather warning was issued for most areas of Korea, and heavy snow fell overnight. Children made snowmen and enjoyed the winter weather. The winter in Seoul was truly beautiful, but it was also so cold that it was tough to endure. However, the time spent with friends, drinking warm drinks and chatting, was really precious.

The history, culture, and natural beauty of Korea gave both my cousin and me a truly special experience. The warm weather of Thailand and the snowy winter landscape of Seoul were so different, but both were an unforgettable experiences. Through this trip, I felt a greater love and pride for Korea, and my cousin also came to love it.

Until next month, goodbye!

我不知不覺一個月就過去了！ 最近來一個月的進步令我很滿意。原因在於我不用再浪費時間申請工作了，可以專心致志地學習中文了。換句話說：我被錄取了！俗話說：找工作真是個全職工作。其實，與其說我被錄取了不如說我終於被錄取了來得更確切。 從開始申請工作的9月份到目前為止，連一個星期都沒停申請工作職位。我不要分享準確的數字為的是不要被老闆發現，要不然他可能會覺得我不欣賞這個職位。其實，這個遠不如事實。我縱使不能說這位工作是我唯一申請的，卻我至少得承認是在夢想的工作職位。因此我自己相信的是：凡是以前申請工作的經驗都是令我到達這裡，而且都對我的面試技術和行業知識有貢獻。我還是應該承認。

除此之外，最近一個月都挺正常的。我有一個在愛丁堡大學認識的中國朋友來到台灣拜訪她在中國高中認識的一些台灣朋友。她邀請我與他們一起吃晚飯，因此我們到了公館夜市去，首先在一個泰式餐廳吃點，其中我最喜歡的一向是木瓜沙拉，然後在路上逛逛試試台灣夜市裡常常有的食物。其實，雖然越南麵包並不算是台灣夜市的食物，不過只是要是你去公館夜市，這個算是一家非吃不可的越式餐廳，是台北的第一名。我到底是個很簡單的愛吃三明治的英國人。Ellie 吃了台灣炸的食物 – 它的名字我都不知道。即使我以前住在台灣一年了，我還是分辨不出來好多菜單上的食物。我之前以為重視認識菜單上的菜只是個瑣碎的可以忽視的分辨，我以為沒有努力記住的必要。我現在卻發現要是我在中國或台灣與同事一起吃晚飯，或是公司邀請我把重要客人吃晚飯，如果我掌握華人的基本菜單食物的話，不但可以表示我對他們的尊重，而且可以拉近我們之間的關係。再加上，一定會讓我日常生活容易得多！我希望能要吃什麼就吃什麼，不要再像目前拿出來手機查一下幾個字或是隨機地點菜然後後悔。

綜上所述，收到了好的工作通知後，我終於轉注意力到我的生活中其他剩下的缺憾，其中重要的包含：我還沒掌握好華人餐廳的菜單！

A month has passed without my realising it! I am very satisfied with my progress in the last month. The reason is that I don’t have to waste my time applying for jobs anymore and I can concentrate on my Chinese studies. In other words, I’ve been hired! As the saying goes, finding a job is a full-time job. In fact, saying ‘I have been hired’, isn’t as accurate as saying ‘I have finally been hired’.  From the time I started applying for jobs in September until now, I haven’t stopped applying for jobs for even a week. I don’t want to share the exact figures because I don’t want my boss to find out, otherwise he might think that I don’t appreciate the position. In fact, this is far from the truth. Even though I can’t say that this is the only job I applied for, I have to at least admit that it is my dream job.  So what I believe for myself is that all of my previous job applications have led me here and have contributed to my interviewing skills and knowledge of the industry.

Other than this, the last month has been pretty normal. A Chinese friend of mine from Edinburgh University came to Taiwan to visit some Taiwanese friends she knew from her high school in China. She invited me to join them for dinner, so we went to the Gongguan night market. First we ate at a Thai restaurant, my favourite is, as always, the papaya salad, and then we wandered around trying some typical food from Taiwanese night markets. Actually, I had a Banh Mi.  Although Banh Mi is not really a Taiwanese night market food, you cannot go to Gongguan Night Market and not get the Banh Mi, it’s the best in Taipei. I’m a simple sandwich-loving Brit, and Ellie ate Taiwanese fried food – the name of which I don’t even know. Even though I lived in Taiwan for a year before, I still can’t tell a lot of the food on the menu. I used to think that the importance of knowing what’s on the menu was just a trivial, and I didn’t think there was any point in trying to memorise it, but now I’ve realised that if I’m having dinner with colleagues in China or Taiwan, or if my company invites me to take an important guest to dinner, if I have a good grasp of the basic Chinese menu, it’s not only a way to show them my respect, but also a way to bring them closer to me and to my colleagues. Plus, it would definitely make my daily life much easier! I would like to be able to eat whatever I want, instead of having to take out my mobile phone to look up a few words or order at any time and then regret it.

To summarise, after receiving a good job offer, I finally got to turn my attention to the other remaining imperfections in my life, including the important one: I still haven’t mastered the Chinese restaurant menu!

 

 

新春快乐

今年春节很特别。一月二十五号我跟一个同学上飞机。三个小时之后我们到了。今年我去重庆，成都和延安过年。

首先，重庆是一座在中国的西南方充满活力的山城。特色的地形造就了层叠的道路和错落的建筑。重庆最具特色的城市景观之一是轻轨穿楼而过。.

第二天，我们见了一个北大同学一起吃火锅（重庆以麻辣火锅而闻名）。她是重庆人。对于不了解的人来说， 火锅是一种中国传统的饮食方式。在锅中加热汤底，接着把各种食材放入锅中涮后食用，一边煮边吃。一般来说，热汤麻麻辣辣。幸运的是，两锅热汤中，第一锅是麻辣底料，第二锅是西红的。食材非常丰富，从蔬菜到鲜肉，老少皆宜。

除夕（一月二十八号）那天，我们坐火车去成都。成都市是四川的首都。从杜甫草堂到大熊猫研究基地，这座城市景点众多。第二天我们见了另一个北大同学，然后我们整天一起玩了一整天。因为她是一个成都人，她就像一个私人导游，她对成都了如指掌，对每条街都门儿清。

我们首先一起去一条传统购物街，那里遇到一种叫“三大炮“的传统成都小吃。三大炮是一种糯米制成的甜点，因制作过程中独特的“弹射”方式而得名。制作过程如下，轮流拿一个糯米团，用力往案板上摔，让它弹起来！！顾名思义，连续摔3次。最后裹上黄豆粉，淋糖浆，美味可口！除了吃小吃以外，我们在成都参观了杜甫草堂、大熊猫基地、还看了川剧变脸。成都太棒了！最后，三十一号我一个人晨早起床被送机，飞到延安(我的同学回北京)。

在延安，我跟另一个北大同学和她的中国家人一起过年。早上8点半我朋友的爸爸来接我。有意思的是，他不会说普通话或者英文，只说延安方言。幸运的是，延安方言和普通话差不多，但有时候难以听得懂! 那天我朋友的家人和亲戚一起吃午饭。因为春节，我们吃各种各样的延安小吃，大饱眼福！那天我朋友需要写完一张论文，所以她爸爸带我们游览了这座城市。晚上在停车场里我们点燃烟花，砰然炸响，五彩斑斓的光芒在夜空中绽放。

在延安，我们参加了街上的活动、参观了博物馆、吃了多美食，比如延安沾沾[1]、还欣赏了璀璨夺目的烟花。二月三号晚上，我累死了。终于坐上绿皮车回北京。坐车时，我一边听着火车在铁轨上哐当哐当地驶过，发出低沉的轰隆声，一边渐渐入睡。我感到十分满足。我不仅游历了三座中国城市，还和中国家庭一起过年。我觉得我对中国的理解更加深刻。

Happy New Year!

This year’s Chinese New Year was special. On the 25^th of January I took the plane with a classmate. Three hours later we had arrived. This year we were going to Chongqing, Chengdu and Yanan to celebrate new year.

First, Chongqing is a south-western lively mountainous city in China. The unique terrain creates layered roads and staggered buildings. One of Chongqing’s special city features is the metro that cuts through building blocks.

On the second day, we met up with a friend from Beijing University and ate hotpot (Chongqing is famous for its spicy hotpot). Our friend is from Chongqing. For those that do not already know, hotpot is a traditional style of Chinese cuisine. In a pot you brew a base soup and then briefly boil all types of ingredients, cooking and eating as you go. Typically, the soup is numbingly spicy. Luckily, of the two base soups, the first one was spicy, but the second one was tomato flavoured. There was a range of ingredients (to boil), from vegetables to fresh meet, something for everyone.

On New Year’s Eve (28^th January), we took the train to Chengdu. Chengdu is Sichuan province’s capital. From Dufu’s[1 ] thatched house to the national Panda Research Centre, the city has many attractions. On the second day in Chengdu, we met up with another friend from Beijing University. We spent the whole day out together. Because she is from Chengdu, she was like a private tour guide, she knew Chengdu like the back of her hand, and familiar with every single street.

We first went to a traditional shopping street, where we encountered a traditional Chengdu snack called ‘Three big explosions. Three big explosions is a type of sweet snack of glutinous rice. It is named after its unique ‘catapulting’ method in the making process. The process is as followed, you take turns taking a ball of glutinous rice and then thrown it hard onto a board, letting it bounce up. As the name suggests, you do this three times in a row. In the end you envelop it in soybean flower and drizzle syrup over them. It’s so delicious! Besides eating snacks, in Chengdu we also visited Dufu’s thatched cottage, the panda research institute and watched the Sichuanese opera’s traditional performance of face changing. Chengdu is great. Finally, on the 31^st I got up early in the morning to go to the airport and flew to Yanan (while my classmate returned to Beijing).

In Yanan, I stayed with another friend from Beijing university and her family. 8.30 in the morning her dad picked me up from the airport. Interestingly, he cannot speak Putonghua[2] or English. Luckily, the Yanan dialect and Putonghua is not too different, but sometimes I did find it hard to understand! That day we ate lunch with my friend’s family and her relatives. Because it was new years there were all types of Yanan delicacies, a feast full of food. My friend had to finish an essay that day, so her dad took us around Yanan to see the sights. That evening we sent off fireworks in a parking lot, with loud bangs, their colourful light lit up the sky.

In Yanan we participated in many street activities, went to museums, ate lots of delicacies including Yanan Zhan Zhan[3] and enjoyed more dazzling fireworks. On the 3^{rd of} February, I was so tired. I eventually got onto the night train. Taking the train, I listened to the clanking noise of the train on the tracks and gradually fell asleep. I feel really satisfied. Not only did I experience three Chinese cities, I also experienced spending new year with a Chinese family. I feel that I have come to understand China much better.

[1] Dufu is a famous Chinese poet from the Tang dynasty (7^th century).

 

[2] Standardised Mandarin. Because China is so big, often different regions use different dialects. The majority of people however also speak standardised Mandarin (the Beijing dialect) particularly the youth.

[3] Like hotpot but with skewers and cumin spice.