Tag Archives: Third Year Abroad

First Impressions of Aussie Life

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Purple high-rise.jpg

It’s Durham Palatinate!

Despite an inauspicious arrival, in the first month that I have been here, I have already started to fall in love with the amorphous, evolving city that is Melbourne. From its striking architecture (my favourite so far is a palatinate purple high rise) and wide, American streets to its graffiti-filled laneways and edgy bars, the city is full to bursting with character, style and taste that is entirely its own. I won’t tell you too much about it just yet – I’ll save the city introduction until a time I can act as a true Melburnian guide – but these are a few impressions that stood out to remind me I was no longer in Britain, or even the northern hemisphere for that matter. Continue reading

Part 1: Bolivia

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La Paz

After showing my home-town bestie Alice around the city I’ve called home for the last five months, and a heavy-hearted final goodbye to Santiago, our true backpacking adventure began in La Paz. Due to extensive research on all the horror stories and scams that tourists get tricked into (fake policemans and tourist officials, street violence, kidnappings and the phlegm scam to name a few), it’s fair to say that we arrived in Bolivia’s chaotic capital with our money belts securely fastened and a distrusting attitude. To overcompensate, we stayed in the Wild Rover, the city’s self-proclaimed (and indeed well-deserving) party hostel for gringos. As soon as you set foot into the building, it feels more like a Durham college on the night of a big social or formal rather than cheap accommodation in the heart of La Paz. Whilst it’s far from an authentic Bolivian experience, it’s great fun to meet fellow llama-jumper-clad backpackers and make the most of the affordable British pub-grub served in its bar (I had long been craving a cottage pie!)

Sky high

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Guest Post: If you don’t speak Castellano you won’t truly understand Spain

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Jessica is a third year Modern Languages student coming to the end of her year abroad in Spain. This guest post considers the Spanish language and its relationship with Spanish national identity and culture…

It’s safe to say that my Spanish has undergone a profound transformation in the last 8 months. From my first day arriving in Madrid when I quite confidently thanked the taxi driver in impeccable Thai, ‘khob Khun kaa’, for taking us to the train station, I knew I had a long road ahead of me. After five weeks in Thailand I had unconsciously memorized a few local phrases, and I wondered how living in Spain would do the same on a much larger scale. Living in a foreign country is vital to truly surround yourself in the language, perfect the pronunciation of words, and obtain a variety of idiomatic expressions and fantastic swear words from first hand sources. But as you start to notice
the subtle nuances a language holds, you notice the hidden linguistic messages through which the Spaniards individually and collectively project their culture and identity. There are some things that just can’t be translated. Continue reading

1 month in already

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Hello everyone,

It’s a beautiful sunny Saturday here in Dunedin. Although the New Zealand winter is in full swing and the weather has been quite temperamental so far, I’ve almost been too hot in my coat as I’ve wandered around town today. Two years of chilly Durham winters has definitely taught me how to layer up. Continue reading

21 Things to Do in Santiago (Before My 21st)

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In honour of my birthday month, I’ve set myself a bucket list of things to do in Santiago before I turn 21 and leave this deceivingly underrated capital city. It’s easy to take it for granted when everyone’s so keen to escape the urban bubble to travel around the rest of Chile, but Santiago itself is a top tourist destination and has many hidden treasures, some of which I have yet to discover…

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