George's view on Luxembourg

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George Penn, a Research Analyst from Mason Bower Luxembourg has been quite expressive on the thoughts of “his Luxembourg” and the vision that he sees for the city. For a man who has lived in the city, on and off, for about 19 years, he was undoubtedly one of the best resources to understand the place and its distinct attributes.

United Lux: What do you like about Luxembourg? There must be something that has always been getting you back here in the past years.

George: Though I’m half Welsh and half English, I grew up in Luxembourg. I love its multi-cultural, international make-up. It’s a place where in one bar you might have a dozen different nationalities speaking all sorts of different languages. I also love how quiet it is, it’s really easy to escape to the countryside away from the bustle of big cities.

United Lux: What’s your favourite pastime here? Your hobbies?

George: I’m a sucker for a nice walk, so walking the Petrusse Valley, hopping between nice bars and cafes have to be few of my pastimes. Also, I love sports; rugby, running and swimming to be specific. But I’m currently involved in a fantastic Europe-wide political movement called Volt. I’m also learning Luxembourgish now.

United Lux: If you had to choose any hangout places…

George: I would say, apart from the Petrusse I love chilling out on the grass at Pescatore.

United Lux: You mentioned your education was based in International relations. What would be your take on the aspect of diversity here in the light of the learning you have had?

George: As an undergraduate, I did History and Ancient History. It was my post-graduation in International Relations, both from Cardiff University. In a Luxembourg Context, diversity is an interesting one. It is a hugely diverse community but perhaps one criticism is that the diverse cultures don’t mix enough.

United Lux: You mean to say that integrating the diverse cultures could be a challenge?

George: Personally, Yes. I feel a big challenge here is integration. Many expats who have lived in Luxembourg for many years can count on one hand the amount of Luxembourgish friends they have and vice-versa. Despite its multiculturalism, I’d say the expat community needs to involve themselves with the Luxembourgish community more often and make an effort to celebrate local customs and learn Luxembourgish.

United Lux: For someone who has been a witness to the growing changes in Luxembourg, you would have some vision for the place?

George: Yes, personally I could see Luxembourg growing both in size and in opportunities. There are so many different events happening on a regular basis if you know where to look. I wish to see the expat community, like I mentioned before, involving more with the Luxembourgish community and the integration happening on a much bigger scale.

George Penn, who has chosen “open-minded” as a caption for himself, did indeed stand up to his claim by giving plenty of meaningful insights to United Lux while also being eloquent in the process. We are sure this could spark some positive interaction in the coming days and we invite your comments. United Lux also shares his vision of an essentially integrated but culturally rich and diverse environment in Luxembourg.

Let’s Stay United!

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