This posting is dedicated to my fandoms

Shwmae pawb!

I finished with my courses on the 3rd. Now all I have to do is revise (US: study) for my exams. Of course, not everything is wall-to-wall highlighting and notes...

I had a meet-up with a friend from one of my courses. We went to get coffee together. It was very nice to be able to talk with this boy one-on-one. And, predictably, my friends gave me a bit of stick for it ("Oooh, you and that Welsh boy! Get it, girl!"). I've come to expect that sort of stuff by now. Haha.

The show Doctor Who had been filming in the Cardiff-area as of late. Based on some very convincing tweets, we were able to determine that a film crew would be on Cwmdare street. Kirsten W. and I headed up that way. We were joined by Laura B. and her friend Lieselot (from Belgium). The day was gorgeous. I think we all ended up getting sunburns! Sadly, they were just filming a sequence with a stunt driver. No sign of any of the stars (although I'm told the Jenna Louise Coleman showed up a couple hours later).

Cwmdare Street, note the "Filming in Progress" signs

Was it worthwhile? I think so, especially when Laura B. asked the security guy about who was going to be there. He told her no stars were showing (he was sad about that too), and that David Tennant's wife had just had a baby! We were holders of privileged information, before the Tumblr-sphere could get ahold of it!

Also, perhaps my best culinary creation to date. I impulsively bought a can of coconut milk and wondered what I should do with it. My friend Sasha suggested green curry, so here is my attempt! For the record, it was delicious.

Why was this not in my life before?!

I finally broke down and bought new shoes. The black heeled clogs I brought with me and have been wearing non-stop gave out. They were so thin! I ended up getting some flats and some heeled little ankle-boot type shoes.

Fun Fact #29: I've heard from other study abroad students that everyone eventually wears out a pair of shoes in their time abroad.

Friday was my friend Laura L.'s birthday. We went to eat at a buffet near the bay. Funny story though, we got into a nice conversation with the taxi driver (he told me I "couldn't go wrong with a Welsh boy" because my friends brought up my coffee-thing. Awkward!). He was very interested in learning what was different between America and the UK, so we were more than happy to oblige. At the end, I decided to thank him in Welsh, since he'd been so full of Welsh Pride during our chat. He said that he didn't speak Welsh, and not only that, but hardly anyone in Cardiff speaks it. Well, I certainly have heard it around, but I imagine that the Welsh-speakers probably have their own little enclave. We went to Glam (a nightclub) later that evening. Poor Kirsten W. got held up for a while because her driver's license looked fake (It was not fake, it's just that her state makes flexible driver's licenses).

Kirsten W, myself and the birthday girl herself, Laura L!  

On Cinco de Mayo, I met with the flatmate of one of my friends back home. The friend studied at Cardiff Uni the semester before me, and she really helped to set me at ease about the transition. The flatmate (Laura K.) was really cool. When she greeted me at the door in a Pikachu onesie, I knew that I'd found a friend for life. We had some coffee and talked about student life, Vermont and other things.

My friends (Lieselot, Laura B., Caitlyn and Kirsten B.) and I went to a Doctor Who pub quiz on Monday! It was at Buffalo Bar. Apparently, this used to be the favourite haunt of Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan. They'd hang out there after filming for Doctor Who.

Before we went to the bar, we went outside of Bunker, a nightclub in Cardiff, because there was filming for the BBC's Sherlock inside. To our dismay, they were clearing equipment out and Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were at a bar somewhere (which the security guard conveniently didn't name).

The pub quiz was challenging! I was not up to date on my Doctor Who watching, but we managed to have a great time! Categories included: All 5th Doctor Episodes, Recent Episodes from this past season, and a music matching game. The music they played was number one on the billboard when a regeneration was shown on TV. We had to name the episode. Pub quizzes usually come with a picture game too. The one tonight was of Game of Thrones cast-members and we had to name who they were in Doctor Who. It was really tricky. One of the guys asking questions had a Scottish accent, which was just delightful to listen to.

Sadly, we placed last. But everyone got a kick out of our team name (Team Ten-Inch). The bar was out of food (they couldn't even make milkshakes for us!), so I got some ridiculously fruity drink called a Solero (non-alcoholic, of course). It was actually really nice. The description of it being "an ice lolly in a glass" was accurate. For dinner, we ended up at Burger King. We all had a good laugh about that.

Tuesday was a big day. Laura B. and I went to an event at Cardiff Arms Park. We got to meet the members of the Blues who were selected for the Lions squad (Leigh Halfpenny, Jamie Roberts, Alex Cuthbert and Sam Warburton).

There were around 250 people all crowded into the Gareth Edwards lounge. It was sweltering in there. We stood right behind the last row of chairs. There few a couple generic-sorta questions in the beginning, then they turned to the audience. There were a fair number of kids there from U-11 rugby groups, so they got to ask some questions. It was incredibly adorable. The Boys had words of advice and inspiration to the kids, like how there was a point in time when Leigh was told that he was too small to play. Sam told the kids to always wear a gumshield (mouth-guard) because he met this one kid who had to get 14 stitches due to getting hit in his lip.

Fun Fact #30: That kid was Alex Cuthbert.

Leigh was peer-pressured into singing Happy Birthday. That was cute. I don't think I'd really appreciated how thick his accent was. I had some difficulty understanding him at some points.

They talked about how much of an honour it was to be selected, where they were when they heard the news, that sort of stuff. Also, the tradition of the youngest Lion having to take care of the stuffed mascot. Last Lions tour, Leigh had that responsibility. Everytime the lion went missing (usually during practice or whatnot), it cost him 300 Rand (which was around £10). So it was an expensive tour for him!

The Boys had a lot of fun teasing each-other. Leigh, for being the one all the ladies swoon over. Jamie, for leaving the Blues for France. Sam, for his dad's constant tweeting. Alex got made fun of the most. According to Jamie, Alex is only in rugby for the women. Alex's background in showjumping was also mentioned. They also alluded to some events/inside jokes that just raised more questions than they answered...

Fielding questions from the audience 

I think Leigh Halfpenny saw my camera! 

The Boys 

I'd just like to call your attention to Sam Warburton's neck in this shot.

At the end of the question and answer session, we queued up to get autographs. I brought my Blues flag, Laura had her Blues jersey. While we waited, we befriended a second-year history student at Cardiff Uni. His name was Stefan. He was from Kent, but his dad was Welsh. Note to self: befriend people in the queue more often! People like talking with Americans.

Hard at work, signing things

Laura wanted a picture with him, so I obliged. Sam heard our accents and asked us where we were from. We proudly told him America. He responded "Oh, the good ol' US of A" and had this adorable smile going on. We were pretty flustered by that point (but in a good way). It was very cool to be singled out for our accents. I congratulated Sam on his captaincy and he said he was "so chuffed". Awww, so cute!

Laura and Sam Warburton! (Laura's Photo)

Leigh Halfpenny kept talking to Laura, asking her when she got here and how long she'd be in Wales. I, being such a great friend, took the mick. Girl, go for it! Leigh had a couple love letters in front of him, probably from some previous girls. He didn't seem quite as interested in me as he did with Laura, but that's ok. I had a nice conversation with Jamie Roberts though! I asked him how he was able to balance med school and a rugby career. He told me that he did med school part time. He was really happy that I was studying Bioscience at Cardiff Uni. It was precious.

I love my adoring look as Alex signs my flag (Laura's Photo)

Alex Cuthbert, we meet again! I told him that when last I saw him, it was at the WRU trophy thing. "I had glasses on, I was the American there who didn't really talk!" He kinda played along, which I applaud him for. I imagine that the other guys there would be giving him some stick for it later...

My Flag!

Now, whenever I'm feeling down, I'll remember this. Definitely a highlight of my time abroad! Also, can't go wrong with a Welsh boy!

Wednesday was an interesting day. My scarf that I ordered had arrived. Earlier, I won a drawing for a £10 Amazon giftcard (I only entered the contest because I'd get some welshcakes afterwards!). I figured that I should buy something American-ish. The American flag is really popular, it's bizarre. I've seen some artfully torn jean shorts that were Stars-and-Stripes patterned, for example. I also took it as a signal to the world that I have embraced being referred to as "The American". And it looks fantastic, let me tell you.

I met up with Kirsten W. and a friend of hers from back home. We had dinner and drinks at the Taf (in the Student Union). The friend had finished up study-abroad in Rome, so it was fun to discuss the various quirks of life as an American abroad. I also talked with the cute bartender. He's the first person to name the capital of Vermont for me. I was quite impressed (Based on further discussion, I think the naming State capitals is a party trick of his). Turns out he's from Swansea. Me and my Welsh boys...

I, being a true dork, went to the midnight premiere of Star Trek Into Darkness. I went with my friends Chase, Olivia and Kirsten B. We walked to the Red Dragon Centre, right near the Bay. It was quite the journey! We packed our own snacks, because we're resourceful in that way.

While they waited in the queue, I went over the the Ben and Jerry's counter. I was feeling a bit homesick for some reason and Ben and Jerry's has become my go-to Vermont fix. While I didn't buy any ice-cream, I did end up having an in-depth discussion with the guy at the counter. Turns out, he's from North Wales! I don't remember the name of the place he's from, but it was around 30 miles away from Llandudno (pretty sure it also had at least one "LL" in it). He was so happy I called him a Gog.

First time wearing the glasses, figured I'd commemorate the moment

I won't spoil the movie, but Benedict Cumberbatch is an awesome villain. Also, Spock gets to be a badass. The Klingons look freakin' spectacular too. It was definitely worth springing for the IMAX 3D experience. Since it was my first time ever seeing an IMAX, I think I flinched, jumped and held out my hands as if to catch something a couple times. The 3D didn't feel gimmicky, I think it actually enhanced scenes, like when they had to dodge a field of space-debris. I wouldn't say it was a very intellectually stimulating movie, but if you feel like watching a good popcorn flick, highly recommended!

Free Poster! The Sun and the Enterprise glow in the dark. And it's on my mattress because it's laundry day 

Ok, back to work. Send good thoughts my way as I embark on exams!

Cheers!