Salomée Ornetti is a university student from France who is currently studying in Sheffield on the Erasmus scheme. She is also a talented photographer, and here she shares images and words about her experience of Sheffield and the UK.
Before I came to live in the UK I had been to London few times, and I had this vision of the country: the red buses, the monarchy, Piccadilly Circus by night, The Beatles… But now it’s different. Now I live in Sheffield, and I have discovered many landscapes and the mentality of Northern people: eccentric and so open-minded. It differs from France, where people in the street are mainly judgemental by their looks towards other people. They are focused on appearances, especially where I live in the South East, and it can be really oppressive. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to live in England, I have wanted this since I was a child. Moreover, in England, when you study a language, it is compulsory to go abroad, to learn properly. In France, it isn’t. For me, everyone should have that chance because it is the best experience of my life. I can share ideas with people from all around the world; I learn about new ways of life, people with other cultures and traditions, and I think it is the best way a human being can grow and open his mind. Thanks to the Erasmus exchange, I am a different person, and I’m becoming the person I have always wanted to be.
Diwali
Peak District
Tea
Botanic Gardens
Connie
Western Bank
To see more of Salomée’s photos, click here.
Click here to find out about the Erasmus scheme.
Photos and text © Salomée Ornetti.
