As part of his visit to Turkmenistan, French travel writer Cédric Gras visited the Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after Dovletmammet Azady and the Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly.
Within the walls of universities, the writer gave presentations of his travels, talked about trips to the Far East and Antarctica, and also shared his impressions of sunny Ashgabat. Students studying a foreign language could communicate with a native French speaker and ask questions about the writer’s activities.
– This is my first time in Turkmenistan. Everything here is new to me, – shared Cédric Gras. – I will be happy to discover your country. During the two days of my stay in Turkmenistan, I have already noted to myself that the people here are very kind.
Cédric Gras traveled all over South America, studied geography at the French Institute in Pondicherry in India, climbed in the Himalayas, crossed Mongolia and Tibet on horseback. He carefully recorded all his knowledge and impressions in his travel notebook, so that later the picturesque landscapes could serve as the backdrop for his future books.
As the traveler himself said, some of the warmest memories are associated with a trip to Antarctica.
He was always amazed and delighted by the Arctic expanses and landscapes. As a mountaineer, Cédric Gras has a special love for mountains and mountainous terrain. An expedition to a mountain glacier in the Pamirs formed the basis of the author’s documentary film «The Forgotten Fedchenko Glacier». The film will be presented on the 5th of October at the French Institute in Ashgabat.
In parting, the students asked the foreign guest to give advice to the younger generation.
– I studied at the Faculty of Geography, but never worked in my specialty. However, all my knowledge was very useful to me in my writing. Geography has become for me the key to understanding the world. I think young people should study a lot, work on themselves, know their subject thoroughly in order to receive a well-deserved diploma. Learn! It is very important.
