So you're thinking about Study Abroad in Cardiff...

As the title says, here is some of my advice for anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps and stay in Cardiff, whether it be for a semester or longer. I imagine that this will be a multi-part series on what I've learned. Starting things off, here are some essentials of what to bring or buy.

What to pack:

1. Get raincoat and some sturdy rainboots, preferably the brightest-coloured ones you can find. You'll be getting a lot of use out of them (insert jokes about British Weather here). The rain is grey and rather dreary, so having some bright colours will be a nice remedy. Cardiff is also very windy, so if you can't get a lined raincoat, get one that you can layer under. I brought a black raincoat with a furry lining and UGG Adirondack boots in Obsidian (they transitioned nicely from slush to puddles, plus they kept my feet toasty warm). Would I have preferred some jewel-tones or cute little prints? Well... yeah, probably. Most importantly, make sure your boots are water-proof up to a certain height on the boot. The puddles can get deep.
2. Walking Shoes! In my time as a student, a 20 minute walk was the minimum. That was about how long it took to get to my lectures, depending on the traffic. I ended up wearing out some shoes that I brought over. And all that travel advice that people give you about how you can pick out the Americans because they wear trainers/sneakers all the time? Nonsense. They'll pick you out by the accent long before they can look at your feet. So wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, just maybe steer clear of mesh shoes. The weather changes quickly.
3. Outlet converters/surge protector. Pretty self-explanatory, but if you pack a little surge protector, you can still use your American electronics without the outlet converters. Mine also had a USB charging port.
4. School supplies. I brought a large backpack (it could easily hold a textbook) and a 5-subject notebook. This is what I used at my Uni at home, but it didn't work so well for lectures here. Firstly, giant backpacks are a very American thing. Everyone else had messenger bags or little backpacks. Second, the lecturers usually give handouts of their Powerpoints. If I were to redo this, I'd get five separate folders with some spare paper in them. I'd keep the backpack though, it has a laptop sleeve! 
5. Clothing you can layer. I've heard a saying, "There's no such thing as bad weather, you just dressed for it incorrectly" (of course, it was probably a lot snappier). If you live in Talybont North (like me), you will have quite the walk to get to lectures. As mentioned before, the weather can turn on a dime (or... a 5 pence piece? That would be similar, right?). The lecture venues also tend towards the colder side, so prepare for that too. I also got used to bringing an umbrella and hairbrush in my bag because of the weather variation.
6. Trenchcoat. They're stylish, first of all. As for practicality, I'd recommend getting one that has a removable liner in it. My black trench was my constant companion for the first few weeks.

Here are some things you should pick up while you're there:

1. Spices! Yes, there is the stereotype of British cuisine, "We take our ingredients, throw them in the largest pot we can find, and cook for as long as possible until everything is a uniform grey colour". While it might not be that bad, there is a sort of blandness endemic to the food here (at least to my palate). I ended up stocking part of my kitchen cabinet with a bunch of spices. I let my flatmates experiment with them too. 
2. Doorstop. If you're in student flats like me, propping the door open is a nice way to let your flatmates know that you're available.
3. Extra kitchen supplies. I was provided with a mug, a bowl, a dinner plate and two pots. I bought another mug, a glass (for water and such), and a pan for oven use. If I needed anything else, I could borrow it from my flatmates.
4. Bedding and towels. Again, I was provided with some stuff, but I was a little sketched out by it. I bought myself a light comforter/duvet, bath towels, fitted sheet, pillowcases and a fleecy blanket (My room got really cold during the night). One interesting thing to note is that the Brits don't have top-sheets. It's just fitted sheet then duvet.
5. Hairdryer/miscellaneous hair electronics. The voltage as well as the outlets in the UK differ from the ones in the US. Spare yourself the trouble of having it short out and just pick up a cheapy one when you get there.
6. Cleaning/laundry supplies. If the place you're staying has an ensuite, like mine, then you'll need to keep it clean. Laundry supplies are self-explanatory. You'll need a laundry card in order to access the machines, but those can be picked up at a couple different sites.

Well, that pretty much covers it. Any other pieces of advice will be added in at some point.

Cheers!

One week after Cardiff...

I finally got a picture of a grey squirrel!

I can't believe it. It's already been a week since I left Cardiff (well, with the 5 hour difference between Wales and Vermont... Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey). I had a very subdued final night, just some laughs and goodbyes with my flatmates. They were gearing up to go out clubbing, but I opted to stay in. I'd be needing all the sleep I could get!
Here are a couple shots of my room in various stages of packing:

View out my window

Here are a couple pictures of my ensuite:

My bathroom is a pod. Everything is within arms-reach and we'll just leave it at that.

To top it off, here are some pictures of the building my flat is in:

My window is on the British Second/American Third floor

Door leading out to the walkway we share with the neighbouring flat

On the 15th, I woke up promptly at 5am. I finished packing all my stuff, made some cheese-on-toast (British term for grilled cheese sandwich) plus a cup of tea and dropped off my room key. What a sad process! I gained another rolling suitcase (since I had some new stuff to fit in back at home), so it was a struggle going down those stairs one last time. My taxi almost left without me! I took the taxi to the Cardiff Bus Station and waited to be taken away. On the advice of a friend, I took the National Express, which dropped me off right by my terminal at Heathrow. No struggling with the Tube for this girl! The bus ride was really nice. The seats were roomy, it was air-conditioned and there was even an outlet for charging my gadgets.

My parting shot of Cardiff from a moving bus. It's of Cardiff Arms Park and that Alex Cuthbert sign advertising ticket prices. I'd have loved to get some silly pictures of myself and that sign, but I guess I'll save that for my return!

Even though we had to take an alternate route due to construction (some things remain constant, no matter which side of the Atlantic you're on!), I got to Heathrow with time to spare! I hydrated up, got some lunch and poked around the high-end shops. For fun, I walked into the Hermès Store because the jewel-tones caught my eye. The silk scarves didn't even have price-tags on them. I knew that this was a troubling sign, "If you have to ask, you can't afford". I did get some little things at the duty-free shop though (My bags were super full at this point). I also messaged my relatives and friends in the UK, letting them know that I was on my way back.

Asking the relatives for the best way to watch the rugby back at home. But would they approve of a hwntw like Leigh marrying into the family? That's what I should've been asking! Haha.

As soon as I got into Heathrow proper, I was surrounded by American accents. My ears cried out in protest, "Noooo! This is terrible! Why are you here, making us listen to these noises!?" I had to reacclimatise to my own accent, even though I was exposed to it in great quantities in Cardiff (maybe American friends you meet within the first month don't count? Further study is needed. If anyone wishes to fund my research into this phenomenon, the donations box is right next to the exit).

I settled in for the (seemingly) longest plane-ride ever.
Fun Fact #36: The plane-ride back from Beijing that I took three years ago (the one where I saw two sunsets and flew over the North Pole), felt shorter than this. Maybe it was because I was sitting next to friends and not two random ladies.
Fun Fact # 37: Virgin Airways, being the quintessential British company, observed Tea Time.

Heh-heh. Mile High Tea.

I watched Django and some TV shows that were available. I also slipped in and out of wakefulness.

Some light reading for the ride back. I traveled over the Atlantic whilst reading probably the only H P Lovecraft story where the Elder Evil is defeated and ends on a slightly up-beat note.

Finally, I touched down at JFK Airport. I waited in the queue for customs and immigration, American accents and slang grating on my eardrums. I had five hours to kill between my touching down in the USA until my flight into Burlington. Happily, there was free wifi, so this wasn't as much of a problem as it initially seemed. I got some dinner and set about letting everyone know that I was back in 'Merica.

Fun Fact #38: The signs in JFK were bilingual, which I was used to. However, they were English and Spanish, not English and Welsh. Come on, JFK! Don't make me go all Anglesey-extremist in order to get my beloved Brythonic language represented on the signage!

I looked really out of place in JFK. My black pleather jacket (which is trendy in Cardiff) made me stand out amidst the sundresses and short-sleeves of New York. I felt bold and a little dangerous.

Fun Fact #39: At the next table up from me was a young-looking sister in her habit. She and I caught ourselves looking at the other over dinner and we waved.

At 10:14 pm EST, I boarded the plane from JFK to Burlington. Here are some shots of Long Island that I took from the air.

The actual view was more spectacular 

So many lights!

At long last, I landed in Burlington. I gave little half-sobs of joy as I stepped off the plane. And it was wonderful beyond words to see my parents again. That should go without saying!

It's been a busy week for me with not much time to mourn the loss of my second home. I have had some little things that need adjusting to (like getting to drive again, woohoo!). I have also been trying to find some stuff that reminds me of Cardiff. A couple days ago, I was in a larger Shaws and discovered that they had digestives in their "British and Irish" section in the International Aisle.

Dark Chocolate McVitie's! Yum yum yum.

So, expect a post from me about my adjustment, Cardiff travel advice and more!

Cheers!

BBQ's and Goodbyes

There've been a lot of end-of-the-term/my-time-here events going on, so I figured I'd just lump them together.

My friend Julia had a BBQ in Bute Park (which is a very short walk away from Talybont where I live) on May 29th. She was getting ready to leave (so early!) and wanted something to cap it off. I got to meet her friends from the hiking society and we all enjoyed the burgers, crisps and other finger-foods.

Nature!

Bridge over the River Taf

Those brave souls went through the icy water!

I went to another BBQ on June 1st, this time for CathSoc. We went to Bute Park as well, but we entered through a gate that was roughly across from the Uni.

River Taf 

Kebabs, burgers and sausages. Yum! 

Our lovely group!

We had a some sing-alongs after lunch

In early June, I walked up to Roath Park. Sadly, I didn't get to see the famous Scott Memorial Lighthouse (time constraints), but I did enjoy strolling through.

I found a secret area. No hidden treasures though.

On June 8th, I did a little exploring. I walked through Bute Park again, over the bridge that I'd visited previously with Julia's BBQ. The day was absolutely stunning. There were people of all ages (along with their dogs) there enjoying the sunshine.

Fun Fact #35: I think I've seen more children on leashes than dogs on leashes!

I ended up in this area called Pontcanna. This place looked on the posher end of things. The walkways were really clean, the gardens were full of delicate and fussy-looking flowers, there were some nice cars about and the people were stylishly dressed. I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb!

Roses outside a church

I ended up finding this place called the Fat Pig Deli. It was absolutely adorable. I got a pulled-pork sandwich and a Blood Orange San Pellegrino. As I was munching contentedly on my sandwich, I saw someone who seemed a bit familiar...

See the guy in the Doctor Who shirt from the Sherlock filming last month? I saw him again. I didn't get another picture though, that would've been creepy.

The way the owners greeted him made me think that this guy is a regular there! I was shocked. What are the chances of me seeing the really fit rigging guy from the Sherlock filming?

And before you ask:

1) There wasn't any Sherlock filming going on in the area. I think it's on a summer break right now.

2) I am 95% certain it's the same guy. I may be terrible with names, but I remember faces and let's just say that his is quite memorable...

3) Eerie coincidence: I was wearing the exact same dress I wore to the filming. 

I was almost tempted to go up to him, but honestly, what could I say? "Hey, pardon me, but you look familiar. Were you at the Glamorgan Building on May 16th when they were filming Sherlock?" I felt really nervous just thinking about it. Besides, he seemed to be in a rush and I just really wanted to finish my sandwich. You win this time, pulled-pork...

I did talk to the guys at the counter after I finished my sandwich. I asked if they made their own bread (they do) and we spoke about all sorts of stuff. Seriously, being an American is an instant conversation-starter. I'll miss having that when I go back home.

So, that's really about it. I'll be flying out of Heathrow before I know it.

Cheers!

Scouse-istan

Early Thursday morning, I embarked on a train for Liverpool with my friend Juani and her friend Lauranne. We were quite the little international cohort: Spain, France and USA all were represented.

Bore Da Talybont South!

St. Mary's Street in Cardiff at 4:30 am

There's something really Zen about being awake before the city is.

We arrived at the trainstation just in time for out train at around 5 am. Ahead of us was a four-hour ride.
We got to Liverpool around 9 am.

Liverpool has some of the weirdest combinations of architecture. Stay tuned, it's about to get weirder

We looked at the Church of St. Luke (aka the bombed-out church). It was bombed during the Liverpool Blitz of 1941 and today remains as a shell of a building with no roof.

It hosts a diverse range of events, including Tai Chi and concerts! 

Right down the road from this was the Liverpool Chinatown.

Fu Dog! I haven't seen one of these since Beijing (c. 2010) 

Even the lampposts are decorated!

The Gate, seen from across the road

It felt a little bit like stepping back into the Forbidden City for a little bit!

I think this was the first bilingual sign I've seen that wasn't English/Welsh

So colourful!

After, we trekked up the hill to see the Liverpool Cathedral.

Wait, if you're a cathedral... Then why are you so modern?

Alright, Gothic Architecture, my camera. You know how this goes. Expect the artsy shots.

Interior of the cathedral to follow!

There was a photography competition going on 

We put magnets on our home regions (Vermont, Castilla-la-Mancha, and near Montpellier) 

I had a bit of trouble reconciling the architectural style with the uniformity and precision of the stones. I soon learned that the foundation stone was laid in 1904 and the cathedral was dedicated in 1978.

Fun Fact #34: The architect, Giles Gilbert Scott, was a Roman Catholic. Naturally, it caused a stir when this surfaced.

Quick, guess the Saint!
Your guess is as good as mine!

We also poked around the photography exhibit (I didn't take pictures of the displays there. I wasn't sure of the rules surrounding this).

Here, have this artsy photo instead

The vast majority of the touristy stuff in Liverpool is down on the Albert Dock. This entailed us walking back down the hill, probably through the side of the city a lot of tourists aren't shown...

Ooh, unintentional overlapping shot. I'm such an artiste! 

Another oddity of Liverpool are the Superlambananas. While most cities have statues of horses, cows or eggs that are decorated, Liverpool decided to invent their own creature and have it spread through the streets. Here are all the pictures I have of them:

This one used to have a red chef's hat 

Child-devouring specimen

"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die". 

We arrived at the Docks and did a circuit around.

Sailors' Gate

See what I meant about the architecture? It's all together, old and new!

Next on our list was the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Various floors were dedicated to various exhibits. We went into the Customs and Borderpatrol exhibit, the International Slavery Museum (about the Atlantic Slave Trade), and the Titanic Exhibit.

American Revolution!

A modern sculpture from Haiti 

West African-style house 

I didn't take any photos of the Titanic exhibit (I think they had some signs prohibiting it in certain sections). But they did have a roster of passengers. For fun, I checked to see if anyone matching my last name was onboard. Low and behold, there were two men in third class who perished at sea. I was shocked, my last name isn't very common. This definitely calls for some more research!

The Docks

More of the Docks 

We stopped for a lunchbreak nearby this park.

These look like the wind turbines from Halo: Reach

We then made our way to the Museum of Liverpool.

The fence along the path had some lovelocks on it (they're popping up everywhere! Juani said it's because they featured in an Italian romance novel or something!). 

Juani and the Draft Horse

In the museum, we saw a short movie on Liverpool's most famous sons, The Beatles. To be honest, I didn't grow up with The Beatles, so my first exposure to them was when I heard "Yellow Submarine" ad infinitum during commutes to summer camp with a bunch of children. Probably not the best introduction.

There were other exhibits, including a China one. I felt quite in my element there!
The museum was a bit overwhelming. There were a lot of exhibits all in one small area.
After this, we made our way to The Cavern Club, where The Beatles first performed after returning from Hamburg.

John Lennon statue

Bricks with the names of bands/people who've performed at the Cavern Club 

I suppose it would've meant more to me if I were a Beatles fan.

Our next stop was the Bluecoat Chambers, which had some art exhibits in it.

So lovely!

We saw one exhibit called I exist (in some way). It was about identity in the Middle East. Fascinating subject matter. I highly recommend it.

We finished up the day by sunbathing in a park. It was a lovely way to close out our trip.

The trainride was really long and exhausting. It didn't help that there was a rather verbose man in our car. He seemed to be talking on a mobile, but he was monologuing at the person on the other end of the phone. I couldn't place what language he was using.

Ok, as a postscript, Liverpool and its various stereotypes. I definitely saw some dodgy stuff going on. I also saw the infamous "Trackies and trainers" look being sported. Lastly, I had quite the earful of Scouse accents. Here are two choice incidents:

When we were walking down the street towards the Bluecoat Chambers, there was a man on his mobile behind us. He started off by saying he wanted "a fooking cider!". He then proceeded to relate a story alternating "fooking" and its variants with normal words.

During the wait for the train, we heard some guys getting into a heated arguement. I was worried that they were about to throw punches!

I think that's enough excitement for me.

Cheers!