Red Nose Day/Rugby

This weekend was very exciting!

Let me just get this out of the way... YEAH WALES! WE DID IT! SIX NATIONS CHAMPS TWO YEARS RUNNING!!! ENGLAND CAN TAKE THEIR BROKEN CHARIOT BACK HOME! CYMRU AM BYTH!

Anyways, this Friday I went out for a proper shopping trip with Laura and Kirsten B. I wanted to get some British-style outfits. I sometimes feel like I stick out.

I got this at Primark, a reasonably-priced clothing shop. Pictures in the changing room mirror ahoy!

Dress and jacket 

Just the dress

I also tried out some other clothes (metallic leggings, mint-coloured button-ups, flowing rhinestoned tops and short-shorts, yikes!). I settled on the dress, jacket and a big, chunky statement necklace (the British like their costume jewelry).

Later, we went into the mall. I tried bubble tea! It was a little strange. I got black tea with pomegranate flavouring and plain tapioca bubbles. The bubbles added some interest, next time I'll branch out and try ones that actually have a taste!

I'm not sure how well-known this is outside of the UK, but March 15th is Red Nose Day. It's a biennial charity event where people are encouraged to put on a red nose and raise money, simply put. The comedy helps cheer you up from the sad footage of children in need. Here is an appeal featuring David Tennant aka the Tenth Doctor (Warning: Malaria-stricken children. Don't say I didn't prepare you).

Now that you have some background, this next part should make some more sense. There was a security guard sitting in a tub of Heinz beans. The other people inside the ring were collecting donations. For a fiver, you could pour beans on the security guard.

Just another Cardiff Day. 

Laura (in blue) dumps beans on the security guard.

After that bit of excitement, we made our way to the Cardiff Library.

In the distance, you can see the Millenium Stadium!

View from the fifth floor (6th floor for those in the States)

We just poked around, glanced at the books and admired the really cool-looking chairs.

St. Mary's Street, I believe? Anyways, they had all the Six Nations flags on display.

We looked around for a rugby jersey for me to wear, which we eventually found. They're really, really pricy. Maybe some other time then? Kirsten got a teddy wearing a daffodil. It was super cute. We returned to campus, and I hit the Social Science Library. Here's a picture I took outside of it

Psychology Building, aka "The Tower". Apparently, part of an episode of  Torchwood was filmed at the very top!

Saturday was rugby day! I met up with Meredith, Sherron, Laura L, Kirsten W., Emmett and Sasha (an Aussie). Everyone was decked out in red. I was wearing my new pleather jacket and my Wales/Cymru scarf. We wanted to catch the match in town. We met up with Chase (a guy from Mississippi) and Abzy (another Aussie) in Glam (nightclub). The ambiance was very interesting; watching at a nightclub wouldn't have been my first choice. We ended up standing in the very Welsh section. I belted out the anthem when the time came (still don't know all the words, but that didn't end up mattering). It was such a cool moment. I was also able to see the Welsh girls go crazy when Leigh Halfpenny was taking kicks (I might have joined in... maybe). By half-time, our feet were in pain due to all the standing. Laura, Sasha and I walked back to the Taf in the Student Union building, but the line there was insanely long. We eventually made our way to the Blackweir Tavern. Now that was what I'd been craving! Cozy, boisterous, and most of all, places to sit! When Wales won, the atmosphere was electric. What a beautiful match.

I snapped a picture once everything had died down.

We got dinner and I also got a half-pint of Brains to celebrate (I am still not a beer girl, but it was tasty). I expected a nice evening in, but my flatmates cowed me into going out dancing. Hey, it was an excuse to try out the new dress! That was very fun. Most of us ended up walking home because the taxis were passing by everyone, I guess to get to the City Centre. What an exhausting night!

Sunday was recovery day, probably a nation-wide event. The flat got Chinese food, and it passed my Chinese-food-snob test (going to China kinda does that to you). Something they do here is serve prawn crackers with take-out. Also, you have to order rice separately and they don't toss in free soy sauce, fortune cookies or green tea. However, the duckrolls and spicy chicken were both fantastic. I had a very lively conversation with my flatmates, covering UK/US schooling, neurotransmitters, gingers, lacrosse and more. 

This marks my last week of lectures before the Easter Break! I have been coordinating travels with various people, so keep your eyes peeled! Ventures and Adventures might be going international.

Cheers!