What makes Great Britain GREAT – views from the kids

In today’s guest blog, my colleague in the communications section, Catalina Neagu, talks about the embassy’s involvement in the ‘Scoala altfel’ program.

Last week, we hosted the students from School 79, grade VI A, as part of the ‘Scoala altfel’ program. They had a chance to talk about what it means to be a diplomat, find out protocol tips & tricks and they impressed us with their knowledge about the UK in a quizz.  So we decided to share with our readers their enthusiasm and host the class magasine they wrote with their thoughts on the UK.

You can read the magasine’s highlights below or you can download it here– it even includes a quizz so you can test yourself on how much you know about the UK!

 Why I Love Great Britain

I visited the UK twice and I fell in love with its people, elegant and respectful, I fell in Love with London and all the wonderful  places I had a chance to see – the  Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Greenwich,  Madame Tussaud’s, the Big Ben, Arena O2. I love the pretty British houses, surrounded by so much green.I found the Windsor Castle to be extraordinary, and I enjoyed every second in Oxford as I did the visit to the Olympic Stadium  before the opening of the London 2012 Games.

The people are so polite and friendly! British, in general! And very helpful, too. You can ask someone  in the street for directions, and they kindly answer to you, addressing you with ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ I think that’s very nice of them!

 How to make tea according to Baron Herbert

“A quart of spring water just boiled, to which put a spoonful of tea and sweeten to the palate with candy sugar. As soon as the tea and sugar are in, the steam  must be kept in as much as it can be , and let it lie half or quarter of an hour  in the heat of the fire but not boil. The little cups must be held over the steam before the liquid is in”

 Ten things I’d ask the Queen of the United Kingdom:

• What is like to be a queen?
• If you had had the choice, would you have chosen to be anything but a Queen?
•  Is it true that you are a direct descendant from the royal bloodline?
• If there was anyone to succeed you, who would it be?
• What is it like to live in Buckingham Palace?
• Do you have a favourite city?
• Do you travel a lot?
• Do you have any hobbies?
• Do you agree with the uniforms they wear in the UK?
• If you had to visit a single museum in England, which one would you choose?

London’s  top attractions, according to the students

• Madame Tussaud’s
• Buckingham Palace
• London Bridge
• the London Eye

 Did you know that….

•  People in England  first began to have Christmas trees after Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert brough one from Germany to windsor Castle in 1841
• Traditional food in England includes fish & chips, sausages & mash and roast beef
• In Belfast, near the dockyard, you can see the set where the first season of the Game of Thrones was filmed.