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!

What do I know in Welsh?

Just a quick little post for funsies. In the months leading up Cardiff, as well as my time here, I have picked up bits and pieces of Welsh. I might not be able to say them all correctly, but I can recognise them and sometimes hear them when they're spoken. If I have anything incorrect, feel free to tell me. I want to learn!

Saesneg- English language
Shwmae (Southern) / Sut mae (Northern) - Hello
Nos Da - Good Night
Pawb - Everyone
Diolch - Thanks
Dioloch yn fawr - Thank you very much
Cymraeg - Welsh language
Rygbi - Rugby
Croeso i Gymru - Welcome to Wales
Cwtch - Hug/Cuddle
Tŷ - House
Bont - Bridge
Caer - Castle
Nain - Grandmother (North Welsh)
Taid - Grandfather (North Welsh)
Gogledd - North
Coch - Red
Dewi Sant - Saint David
Bendigedig - Fantastic/Wonderful
Bryn- Hill
Pen - Head
Cymru am byth - Wales forever
Daearyddiaeth - Geography
Trydan - Electricity
Prifysgol - University
Caerdydd - Cardiff
Tân - Fire
Ffôn Symudol - Cell Phone
Clwb - Club
Beth i'w ddweud - What to say...
Popty ping - Microwave (slang)
Ffordd Allan - Way Out
Hwyl Fawr - Goodbye
Llan - Church
Heddlu - Police
Ambiwlans- Ambulance
Tacsi - Taxi
Albwm - Album
Bach - Small
Ffonia fi - Call Me
Siop - Shop
Arian - Money
Ych i fi! - Yuck!

Wow, over 40 different words and phrases! I actually picked up quite a bit of Welsh!
I also continue to improve on my knowledge of "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" (The Welsh National Anthem).

Don't fret, I'll be updating with more of my Easter break soon. There's a lot of pictures to sift through.

Cheers!

A bit of humo(u)r at my expense

In lieu of a recap of consisting of "Today in class, I...", I will give you a brief rundown of the quirks of British-ness (as I have experienced them). They are in no particular order.

Erin's Big, Grand List of Weird Things From Her Time Studying Those Peculiar Folk, The British

1. THE WORDS. Perhaps the largest and most obvious category. Yes, I speak English and they speak English, but there are times where I come to question that. I have pretty much resigned myself to either ask someone what something is or restate what I am saying, at least once a day. A week ago, I asked someone where the bathroom is. He told me "We don't have a bathroom here, but the toilets are that way." Awkward. Their "mince" is my "ground beef". When I told my flatmates this, they burst out laughing. Today, I wanted to find out how to drop a class. The man I asked was under the impression that I wanted the abstract concept of a "class" to reach terminal velocity. I have been able to get away with saying "Pants" (UK Trousers) and they haven't called me on it... yet. I'm sure I will have countless more examples to add to this section, but those are the freshest in my memory.
2. THE MONEY. There are £1 and £2 coins. Also a 20p piece. The coins are all different shapes and colors and thicknesses, I suspect, to confuse me when I'm at the till (US register).
3. THE CREDIT CARDS. An addendum to item two. UK credit cards have a golden chip embedded in them about as big as my thumbprint. They punch in their PIN to pay for things after using the chip-reader thingy. I, meanwhile, have to have my card swiped and held for ransom. The price? My signature. I always feel like I'm inconveniencing someone when I display my chip-less card. The swipe function on some of the card readers can be temperamental, so it's always a good idea to carry a second card and/or cash.
4. NUMBERING THE FLOORS. The British floor system works like this: the Ground Floor, One, Two, Three etc. Ground Floor is the zero-eth floor. Imagine my surprise when I saw that one of my classes was on floor -1. What is this? Answer: it's the first floor of the basement.
5. CROSSING THE ROAD. The UK drives on the left side of the road. They also use stick-shift cars, but that's not my point. It always confuses me when I get to a crosswalk. I just end up looking in all the directions, just to be safe.
6. METRIC SYSTEM. The British use the metric system. I, as someone with an interest in the sciences, have a rough idea of some of the metric things. However, drinks are sold in centilitres. I've been taught to think in milliliters. Pints and half-pints manage to hang on in this environment. I had to relearn that a pint is 2 cups. When did I last need to know this? Yards and Miles/Hour also are still a thing here. The time is 24hr time, for the most part. Some people still write 4pm instead of 1600. I can think in 24 hr time and I can think in am/pm time, but not at the same time! Dates are written as day/month/year. My program told me about a girl who had an exam on June 5th, turns out it was on May 6th and she read the date wrong. Yikes.
7. CLASSES. The in-class hours are not that long. We are expected to do most of the learning outside the classroom. We have recommended reading lists. We do not have weekly tests. The British believe that any simpleton can memorise and parrot back info. What really proves that you've learned something is by defending, explaining and exploring ideas (read: essays). For example, my first assignment is about comparing and contrasting the roles of oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes, then incorporating a recent primary article about them (I chose the topic from a list of three). One essay, 1000 words, 20% of my grade. No pressure. Grades are also different. A passing grade is about a 40% and that's what your baseline is. The prof will add or subtract points from there. A and B+ grades are rare, and require dedication (possibly asceticism).  Luckily, IFSA has a handy UK to US grade conversion system.

Take Note: Just because you read Harry Potter, watch Monty Python/Sherlock/Doctor Who/BBC nature documentaries/whathaveyou, have a love of British humour and accents, and listen to the BBC correspondents on NPR does not mean that you are completely immune to culture shocks and know all there is to know about the UK. The culture shocks will just be smaller things that everyone else kinda takes for granted while you struggle to reconcile the familiar and unfamiliar. And then you start noticing the heimlich inside the unheimlich and then this blogpost goes into meta-Freud territory. A little deep for a fluff-piece. But, it's the weekend! I'll toast to that!

Cheers!