Ceren Savaşer 27 years old, married and in her own words “a golden mother”. He is currently providing legal consultancy services as a lawyer in a law firm.. Although he was born in Istanbul, as a person who grew up in Antalya due to his father’s profession, he is both familiar and curious about foreign cultures and loves to travel.. We conducted an interview with Ceren about Brighton and England, where she lived for a while, which was a pleasure to read and personally satisfied all my curiosity.. They have such a candid expression that they want to pack up and go to Brighton.. For those who are interested, here’s how:
Why did you choose Brighton? Is it work or school related?
I went to Brighton first for language school and then for master’s. In the summer of 2010, when a friend of mine said “I’m going to England for language school, you should come too”, I said why not?. When I went to Brighton and fell under its spell, I thought I should do my master’s here.. When I came back, I applied for university directly.. I was now a master’s student in 2011. Brighton is actually a student city.. Just 55 minutes from London, it’s a summerhouse on the coast, so the British call Brighton “London by the Sea” (ie London by the sea).. It is a place where the marginalized types of England such as famous actors, theater actors, painters, the rich and of course students live.. It is a city where festivals, art, entertainment and nightlife are very intense.. Brighton is kind of England’s playground.. Hundreds of people come by train from London every Friday, go directly to pubs and clubs, enjoy the weekend at the beach and return to London on Sunday.
Which university did you study at? Do you think it is the right choice in education, has it contributed to you?
I did my master’s degree in International Business Law at the University of Sussex’. It is a school with very good education and teachers.. Being close to the city center is also a great advantage.. Although it is not well known in Turkey, it is one of the best universities in England.. For one thing, they force you to an education based on thinking and analysis, not memorization.. They challenge your presentation ability. You need to put forward an argument and present it to your teachers in the form of thesis, antithesis and synthesis.. During this time, my favorite library life at school has been. I know it sounds offensive when you say it like that, but for the British, the library has a very different meaning.. For example, the event called the public library does not only consist of books.. There are separate game rooms for Xbox. It has different compartments for watching movies, working on the computer, listening to music.. People see the library as a place to socialize, meet with their friends, even hang out in the school library until the morning, especially during exam times, eat in the library, drink a drink, study by chatting.. When this is the case, education becomes enjoyable, of course.
Do you think it is a suitable city to live in? Can you say I would do it again?
Brighton is the perfect city to live in.. No one goes to Brighton and misses where they came from. Once in the city there is no such thing as stress. Everyone is sensitive, understanding, respectful, no traffic, no need to rush. The buses are already timed.. It is a peaceful and green city, and besides, it is very close to London and not as expensive as London.. I would definitely do it again.
Is the living conditions expensive? How did you come up with a solution to issues such as food and beverage, rent, transportation, is there a big difference compared to Turkey?
If we make a comparison with Turkey, 1pound is over 3 TL today.. Therefore, even the cheapest things for the British become expensive for us.. When I went to language school, I stayed with a family.. It includes breakfast and dinner. Since the house I stayed in is the guest house of the family, I actually felt like I stayed in my own house.. Lunch is already out. This type of stay costs like 90 pounds a week. But there are people who rent the rooms of their houses, then the cost is even lower.. Leaving a house with a friend was not an option that I could choose, so I do not know about rental prices.. During the master’s time, I stayed in the dormitories of the school.. The dorms are designed as an aparthotel and there is a common kitchen, but the bathroom and toilet are inside the room.. This does not include food. City subway vs.. Transportation is provided by double-decker buses.. When you buy unlimited daily tickets, you can go anywhere as much as you want with 3.5 pounds.. There are also weekly and monthly tickets, which are a bit cheaper for those who stay longer.
As for living conditions, my favorite aspect of England is that even the most luxurious places do not exceed a certain price scale.. Because even wealthy Brits are very careful about what they put their money into and whether they get it’s full value, and they don’t pay exorbitant prices to show off.
Which area do you think makes more sense to live in Brighton in terms of security and being close to the centre?
Walk alone on the road at 4 am in Brighton and no one will even look at you. A ninety percent safe city is already watched by security cameras, which they call CCTV.. But since Hove is mostly made up of families, I can say that it is the safest and central area.
What are the cultural differences? “What am I doing here?” Have you had moments, strange memories?
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the British is their selfishness. What I mean by selfish is not actually bad.. There is a work-life balance they call work-life balance.. Their lives are very precious to them, and neither work nor anything else gets in the way of it.. Working hours are very reasonable. After 4 o’clock everyone pours into the streets; either jogging or tennis. They also pay attention to what they eat.. American fast food chains are not popular at all. Brits find it harmful. In fact, we can say that we are a nation full of contradictions.. Because the age for drug use in the UK is quite low, and the vast majority of them smoke weed instead of cigarettes.. Has an incredible alcohol consumption. All hell broke loose when the government tried to raise money to reduce alcohol consumption. On the other hand, their lives are so precious that they do not miss any security measures for them, even if they sit in the back seat when they get into the car, they fasten their belts.. Fire extinguisher tubes stand out in every place, an announcement is made on the subway in London called “mind the gap”, everyone who goes will not forget this sentence.. This announcement is made to pay attention to the gap between the subway and the station/stop floor, so that you don’t see the gap and your feet are stuck in between.
Also, like other European countries, they are a very comfortable nation, everything is normal for them, no one will turn to look at you if you walk around naked on the street.. Men are addicted to tattoos, most of them are tattooed.. Daughters, on the other hand, like to have what they call shabby and trashy look.. Their money is precious, they are careful when spending it on them, even the youngest do not like wastage, they will take even a penny that falls on the ground.. I’ve even seen him come home to avoid spending 5 pounds at the entrance of a nightclub.. They criticize astronomical spending by celebrities. They spend money on traveling the world instead of clothes, good cars, good things.. Family ties are strong.
There was nothing obvious that I found very strange actually, but when I first went, I had two roommates at home, a Japanese-English and an Irishman.. We all went out together. First we entered a pub. Someone went and got the drinks and came. When I tried to pay for it, he said this tour is on me. We sat down to chat, talk, and when the drinks were finished, they said let’s go.. We walked for a while and entered another pub.. This time the other one went and got the drinks and came.. At that moment, it occurred to them that their traditional way of hanging out is that when they go out at night, one of them goes and buys a drink for the whole group.. Of course, I took my turn in the third pub.
British have a notion that they are usually cold, insincere people. Is this really true? Did you have any problems with making friends?
When you go to England, you will witness how this prejudice is eroded.. Of course, it’s also about how you approach them, as long as you are like yourself, there is no problem.. But when some of the Turks go abroad, they start to look down on the people there and treat them accordingly, I think, the troubles and prejudices emerge at that point.. The British are very warm, very polite, very nationalistic.. Politeness is so important that if you don’t thank the waiter who took your order at the restaurant or the cashier at the grocery store, they’ll spoil you badly.. There is a respectful, understanding environment where everyone always says “thank you” to everyone.. Often, the very English-smelling “cheers” is used instead of the same meaning, thank you.. This word is like a brand of being in England and getting their culture.. They are not as prescriptive as the Germans, they are a bit like us in that respect, for example, if the car is not coming, they will pass the red light.. When you enter a foreign environment with English people, they do not exclude you, they want to get to know you, they ask a lot of questions and they want to make you talk.. Their conversations are sometimes on an intellectual level.. Culture, art, religion, philosophy, but of course, sometimes it takes the form of gossip and football.. I messed up the subject a bit, but the British are actually very friendly and warm, contrary to what is believed.. The degrees of coldness increase or decrease in direct proportion to your approach and reactions.. Since their ties such as friendship and family are very developed, it is not possible to hang out individually or not to interact with others.. As an Englishman, I did not have a very close friend, but there were many people with whom I had very deep conversations and when I met again, I caught the same sincerity.
Did it help you improve your English? Do you think it is the right place to learn languages? Can we have a great British accent?
I can say that England was my turning point in my English.. After a while you get used to British English, you become intolerant of American English, but. Learning a language is something that is actually inside of people.. The most common type I come across is the Turkish type who clings to the Turks they find, afraid of being alone, and wanders around as a colony.. They are not open to innovations, do not talk to strangers, are like a closed box.. While you’re there, you need to try everything, learn about the culture, observe and give yourself a new perspective.. For example, thanks to a tip given by an Indian friend, I was able to watch the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament live for as little as 15 pounds.. Therefore, one should not be one of those who consolidated their Turkish and returned to their country.. Find yourself a group of strangers and go after them. Since everyone is alone in the language school environment, they get along quickly.. England offers you all the possibilities to teach the language in schools they give you everything about their culture but you have to be assertive. It’s possible to have a great British accent, but there have been some people who have tried to confuse and talk, trying to make the accent I frequent.. I noticed that people in important positions in Turkey, especially in business life, speak English as if they were reading it from a piece of paper.. Just as our daily life speech in Turkish is not like a straight line, so is English.. It has its own highlights. Watching plenty of TV shows, movies, listening to people helps you catch those highlights.. It takes a long time for the accent to settle, so you can’t get it with a 1 month language course.. I would often listen to the speakers on the bus or train, then repeat their pronunciation to myself.. I found it very helpful. The English speaking habits can sometimes be useful in this way.. Also, you need to be careful about which region’s accent you take as an example.. I think the most beautiful accent is the southern accent, which includes London.. As you move north (Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh…) the accent changes and becomes harder to understand.. The British don’t pay much attention to your accent, in fact, the fact that you can even speak a language other than your mother tongue is impressive enough because the vast majority of British people don’t speak a second language.
Is Brighton an active city in terms of nightlife and activity? Or is life ending early, as in some parts of Europe?
Brighton’s nightlife is very active.. Every club has its own style and the music varies from club to club.. The British are fond of electronic music, especially the style they call drum and bass.. Since it is located in the coastal part of England, almost all the clubs are on the beach.. Lots of people come from London on weekends for Brighton nights.. The first year I went, I felt as if I had gone to Bodrum in Brighton.. But of course, the best time of clubs is summer.. Brighton has bad winds in winter, so summer season is highly recommended.
How is an ordinary day in Brighton? What are the activities during the day?
A free day in Brighton is usually spent on the beach, especially on the weekend.. There is an enormous ice cream shop in Churchill Square, as there is a chain of shops called Thorntons, you can find it everywhere, actually.. You take your chocolate ice cream called Chocolate Heaven and walk slowly towards the beach.. If the weather is sunny, the beach is already swarming with people.. People playing basketball, skiing on board, running, walking dogs, live music in pub gardens, all kinds of drinks, sunbathing… There is also a place called Brighton Pier on the beach.. There is a huge pier and an amusement park at the end of the pier.. Those with children prefer this type of place.. There are also those who go to play tennis as a family or go out of the city to the countryside for long walks.. (Devil’s Dyke is the most favorite place in this regard.) Young people usually sit on the beach and start drinking early.. In the evening, live music starts in almost all venues in the open air.. Then it goes to clubs.
They have a habit of spending the weekend as a family.. Especially Sunday morning breakfasts and dinners are eaten at large tables, including family and even friends, and dinner is usually roast beef.
Did you have any problems with eating and drinking? Is there such a thing as Fish n Chips until we die, or are there local flavors that we can try or even miss?
A country with quite a lot of alternatives compared to America or other European countries England. Although there are hardly any traditional dishes in their own kitchens, there are various restaurants where you can find dishes from all world cuisines at reasonable prices.
Although fish & chips are considered traditional and indispensable for the British, in fact, their daily food preferences are many. healthier and different. For example, the British are very fond of Indian food.. So much so that we can say that there is no Englishman who does not like curry (the general name the British give to Indian dishes).. There are also Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean, Thai, Greek and Turkish restaurants.. But the best experience you have to experience when you come to England is the English tea with milk, which they call “English Cream Tea”, the typical English afternoon tea, and the wonderfully delicious “scone” served with it. given English muffins. The best place to do this is Mock Turtle on the Pool Valley road.. Another thing to experience in England is pubs.. Pubs are indispensable for the British. So much so that every day, starting from work hours, until midnight on weekdays and weekends, the places are filled to the brim.. The food served in the pub is extremely tasty and at reasonable prices, probably because the British attach great importance to pub life.. Pubs are particularly successful in meat and chicken dishes.. Another delicious flavor called meat pie, mince pie or chicken pie is one of the flavors you will seek even after you return.. These are savory pies and usually contain diced pieces of meat, ground beef or chicken.. During Christmas, roasted roast covered with honey is the most classic Christmas dish.
Leaving the food aside, sauces also have a big place in British cuisine.. First of all, gravy sauce is eaten with meat dishes and meat/mince pie, while tartar sauce is preferred for fish & chips.. Custard sauce is a flavor that should not be missed.. Custard, which has started to enter our country gradually, is actually a kind of vanilla flavored creamy sauce of the British.. Especially when it comes to the hot apple pie, cold custard sauce is indispensable.
As for the fish&chips issue, it is an extremely delicious but heavy meal as long as you don’t try the take away buffets they call “take away” in Brighton beach.. Fried Norwegian mackerel with tartar sauce and boiled peas is the most typical way of serving this dish.
Let’s leave the food aside and come to the drinks.. When it comes to the pub, the alcohol consumption of the British also diversifies and increases.. Beer and wine are favorite drinks. However, in addition to the beer known to us, they prefer either malt beers they call Guinness or their drinks that taste between cider and beer.. There is a place called Hobgoblin in Brighton, it produces its own beer and sells it in the markets, it has a different taste.. Sparkling wine is one of the best gifts to take with you to the British homes you are invited to.. Tea does not boil on the stove like we do.. Boiled water is poured over Earl Gray tea in a porcelain teapot and served with warm milk after waiting for a while.
Finally, while you’ve come this far, are there any things that you can say not to return without trying/seeing? Can you give us a few hints?
Must see things often have to do with one’s tastes, but still when you’ve been to Brighton Brighton Beach, Brighton Pier , Churchill Square, Lanes, North Lanes, Brighton Marina and the Seven Sisters must see just a short distance from Brighton. Summer is the best time to see Brighton. Although it is not possible to swim in the sea (because it is cold and dirty), the beach is very pleasant.. Especially those who go to language school are at the beach almost all their free time.. Groups gather there, barbecue parties, etc.. fires are made. The beach is a good meeting place before and after the club, as most nightclubs are located along the beach.. Brighton is a city with lots of festivals almost every season of the year.. Food festival, chocolate festival, beer festival and many more festivals take place. Gay Pride takes place in August. All gays and associations in the world gather in Brighton and march, but these marches are in a festive mood.. This is an event where lots of photos are taken by wearing pink tutu and many other accessories, where alcohol flows like water from 11 in the morning.. But if you are going to Brighton for a long time, the most important event that I can say is that you should definitely go is the Guy Fawkes commemoration night called Bonfire Night on November 5th.. For those who say who Guy Fawkes is, on November 5, 1605, the Conservative Protestant King I.. A Catholic Englishman caught plotting to blow up the British Parliament with powder kegs against James, the royal family, and all other aristocrats.. Much loved and respected for being an inspiring character, especially when the British should defend their rights against the state.. In the town of Lewes, a 15-minute train ride from Brighton, tonight is celebrated in its grandest form. On this night, tens of thousands of fireworks are thrown, groups called “Bonfire Society” march in different costumes.. Brighton is in a very convenient location. By train, London takes 55 minutes, and ticket prices are almost halved if you use them outside of the off-peak hours between 6-11 am and 4-7 pm, which is the busiest day of the day.