Bristol, more than an English City

Sandra Gil Cueco

Sandra finds that Bristol is bigger than it first appears.

Further Info

This story was made at a workshop for students studying English as a Foreign Language at City of Bristol College. It was led by Harriet Brennan, Aikaterini Gegisian and Paddy Uglow and was supported by Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.

Transcript

Bristol, more than an English city.

One year ago my husband and I took the plunge and came to Bristol, we left everything in our little town, our family, our jobs and our friends to improve our English, to work and to enjoy England.

After the first months, I soon realized that Bristol is more than an English city. Behind this vibrant and big city you can see an amazing mix of people, races, beliefs and cultures. That new experience of meeting people from around the world is something I’d never expected. Now, I’m working and studying with people from Poland, India, Japan, Latvia, Somalia, Argentina, Kurdistan and some other nationalities that make an endless list.

Being able to learn English from free at Monarch House it’s a proof of how the U.K. welcomes us, foreign people.

Maybe because I’m from a little town on the Mediterranean Coast of Spain, the multicultural diversity of Bristol was a big surprise for me. Now in Spain we are starting to welcome people from other countries and Bristol sets a good example of how to treat its foreign citizens. I believe this is the right way.

I feel proud of myself because one year ago I took the right decision to come here to Bristol, and when I go back home I really will have a lot of unforgettable memories around all the world.

Credits

My Kasbah (music) created by freeplaymusic.com, used under copyright licence.

Dauses created by Foura council, used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 licence.