Stepping into the Dragon's Lair

Hello again!

Representing the United States in one of the most Welsh things ever!

I haven't really been up to too much as of late, but that all changed this past Monday...
I toured the Millennium Stadium with my friend Kirsten W.
The tour was scheduled to start at 2pm, but we needed to check in by 1:45pm. I was a little worried about Kirsten showing up on time (the bank holiday was playing havoc with the buses). While I waited, I chatted with the guy working at the counter in the WRU store. He was very excited to meet an American (I'm sensing a theme here). He was a Cardiff native. I talked about being an international student at Cardiff University (Also shared that Dr. Jamie Roberts and I talked about being bioscience students, yay connections!).

Fun Fact #31: I swear, as soon as someone brings up that they're Welsh, it's only a matter of time that the topic of the rugby will be breached. Call it: Erin's First Law of Welsh Conversation.

Luckily, Kirsten showed up in time for the tour to start! We started off by watching a 4-minute movie that gave an overview of the stadium. Then we walked out of the WRU store into the stadium proper.

What lovely weather we're blessed with on this bank holiday! 

Symbol of the WRU: the Prince of Wales feathers

Our first stop was the Ray Gravell Press Area.

Where the captains and coaches would sit to be grilled by the press! 

Grav at the eisteddfod 

Our guide engaged in a little banter about how the losing side traditionally is first to meet the press. "So the English are first in the room usually". It was cute to see the kids on the tour sitting up at the desk and give a pretend press-conference.

In the hallway, we heard about the early days of Welsh rugby. Edward Treharne was called to play from out of the crowd during a Wales vs. England match because the Welsh side only had 13 players instead of 15! This was back in 1881.

Next up was the Home Dressing Room.

Some workout equipment 

Y Ddraig Goch! That's "The Red Dragon" in Welsh!

The guide told us the story of how the dressing room was cursed (because the footballers used to change there and they always lost!). A Feng-shui master was brought in. Apparently there were too many corners and the qi was stagnating or something. So he threw around some rocksalt, said some incantations and walked a horse and bird around outside. And after all that, they still lost! They had a local artist come in and paint a mural, and that seemed to do the trick!

Lucky Mural!

Our guide played us a "cleaned-up" version of a coach's speech. I do have to say, after hearing it, I was ready to step out onto the pitch and do Wales proud!

Numerical order: Gethin Jenkins, Richard Hibbard, Adam Jones,  Alun Wyn Jones (and I can't read or remember number five, sorry!), but I think number 6 is Sam Warburton... 

Justin Tipuric, Toby Faletau, Mike Phillips and Dan Biggar

Alex Cuthbert, Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, and George North 

Oh, Leigh... 

Ken Owens, James Hook and Luke Charteris

Poor Ryan Jones. Omitted from the Lions, Barbarians, Wales' squad to play Japan, and now my photos. I'm so sorry!

Lloyd Williams, Paul James and Scott Williams.

The floor was slightly springy, apparently it's easier on the players' feet.

Massage tables? What does it take to be a masseuse for the team?!

Cap commemorating international appearances 

On our way out to the Stadium pitch, there was a photo taken of the 2012 Welsh squad in their regional kits.

Recognise anyone?

I wanted to enter the pitch with my American Flag Scarf streaming out behind me, but, alas, t'was not meant to be. Too many people in front clogging up the tunnel. They did have cheering playing while we walked out, so that was pretty cool.

The door for the Players' Tunnel! 

Lens Flair!!  

The pitch is palletised, meaning that it can be removed for other events. The grass is from Scunthorpe, so it's fair to say that the Welsh technically haven't lost on home turf. Cheeky.

The event they're preparing for is the FIM British Speedway GP 2013. Rhianna will be performing here on June 10th!

Who's directing this? J. J. Abrams?! 

Makes me wonder what it's like to run out here to a full-house! 

Assembling the race track!

After this was the football dressing room. Our guide poked fun at the footballers. Apparently, both the football and rugby teams used the same room. The rugby coach at the time, Warren Gatland, disliked the room immensely. When he went to speak to the team, his back was always to someone. I'm told that  Gatland, being a very persuasive man, arranged to get the rugby dressing room moved to its present location. The invitation was extended to the footballers, but they declined. Our guide guessed that it was because the mirrors were here!

Can you find me?

The Millennium Stadium hosted a couple Olympic events.

We were able to climb to the highest seats in the stadium! I have to tell you, the view was awesome. I think it would've been better to watch the Varsity match from there than from the seats closer to the pitch!

Feel the vertigo! Also, feel the burn climbing up all those steep steps! 

In the corner there, I think that's where commentators sit, but I could be wrong...

As the finale of the tour, we walked over to the President's Box. Hands-down, the best seats in the house, right by the centre line. You can't buy tickets here, you have to be invited by the WRU president. Quite a few celebrities have sat here over the years (including Will and Kate!).

The Royal Seats have extra arm-room! 

More seats in the President's Box, note the inferior arm-room. Peasants!

Our guide brought out a trophy for us to pose with (It was a Wales vs Argentina trophy from 2009, if I recall correctly). Not to brag too much, but I already have a trophy picture and it was with the Six Nations trophy. Kirsten and I felt like we could skip this part.

And that concludes our tour!

After the tour, Kirsten and I dodged the rain and got some stuff at Starbucks. I also went shopping a little bit by myself. I grabbed a quick late-lunch/early-dinner at Crepe Affaire. It was very much needed! As the rain continued to pour, I went to the Chaplaincy to dry off and take a break. People were still raving about the dinner Rosina and I made last Sunday (chicken drumsticks in a spicy tomato sauce with curry rice and veg). I love the people there, such a nice group. What a great way to spend a rather dreary day.

When I got back, I posted a photo to my Instagram account and tagged the WRU in it. They posted it on their Facebook page. Here are the current stats on it.

Impressive! I feel so loved.

Cheers!

I am SHERlocked

This week has been my week of doom. Three exams in the span of five days. Luckily, I've been able to de-stress in other ways...

On Thursday, my friend Laura B. messaged me "Supposed Sherlock filming at the Uni", right near the Law Building. A quick check of the #setlock tag on twitter confirmed the story. I charged out of bed and threw on my orange sundress. The weather was gorgeous, I couldn't blame them for filming on a day like today! As I walked up to the intersection at Corbett Road, I saw a sizeable group of Sherlock-watchers gathered.

Film Trailers too!

I talked to a girl about it as we crossed the street together. She seemed intrigued. I met up with my friends Laura B and Lieselot, as well as Laura's flatmate Bronwen. We saw Benedict Cumberbatch! He was walking to a trailer, but he took the opportunity to wave at us. The shrieking from the crowd was quite something. It was interesting seeing the behind-the-scenes crew working. I saw some costumes being ferried around. I'm not really one to speculate but they did seem pretty flashy...

Lines of trailers  

Benedict ended up hopping into a black Jaguar, but not before giving us another wave.

Creeper shot

Lieselot, Laura B. and I got in touch with Kirsten B. about meeting us (Bronwen had since gone to get lunch). She had been at a lecturer's office hours and she apparently walked through some film setup on her way out. We made the trek to the Glamorgan Building as quick as we could.

Seagulls are omnipresent on campus. This one found a perch on a filmcrew van!

Totally inconspicuous! 

That crewman is wearing a Doctor Who Crew shirt! We enjoyed admiring him while we waited. 

There weren't too many people hanging around at this point (exams were in full-swing I'm guessing). We just sat around and nicknamed some of the setcrew. One of them was really rude. He was carrying something and just said "In the way!" to a group of girls gathered at the foot of the stairs. There are nicer ways to ask, and they weren't blocking it on purpose...

Benedict popped back out again. He was actually really stealthy. I noticed him first (just by chance) and  the words "There he is!" escaped my lips. I said it a little louder than was probably appropriate. Everyone twirled their heads around so fast, I feared whiplash injuries. I waved at Benedict, and he waved back. Eat it, Tumblr.

The back of Benedict's head 

Laura B. ended up walking into the frame but it turned into a very artsy little shot. 

He looks shorter in real life, maybe that's just because I'm used to seeing 6ft 6" rugby players...

He returned inside and I introduced myself to some of the other girls nearby. They were both nursing students from Cardiff Uni, which was super cool! I told them my mom was a professor of nursing and they said "Yes, someone who understands our plight!". We bonded over all sorts of stuff like science stuff and fandoms. They told us about when they met Matt Smith in Live Lounge last year in Cardiff. It was after they shot Doctor Who. The girls I met were dressed up in togas for a theme party and they got a picture with him! He mentioned the encounter afterwards in a Graham Norton interview. Haha. They also talked about seeing Jamie Roberts because all their nursing and his medschool classes are on the same campus. They've seen him riding around on his Vespa (As a note, Jamie is 6' 4" and around 235 lb). The mental images, I just can't stop laughing...

I swear I talk about things other than Rugby. I promise!

Set pieces in the trucks. I wonder what they're for? Also, Benedict's and Martin's cars await their passengers

That one horsehead really freaked me out when I noticed it

We saw the crew walking out of the building, carrying equipment and props. I saw some large snake-vases and spears. Don't ask what it means, because I couldn't tell you.

There were also extras dressed up in military garb. Some were also dressed in a costume I saw being carried around earlier! Then, the moment we all had been waiting for...

This was supposed to be a shot of Martin Freeman, but some other guy got in the way. 

He sees me! Maybe he's thinking "Oh, it's that crazy American with the orange sundress again".

While everyone was getting photos of Benedict getting into the car, I documented the fandom.

Martin Freeman seemed like he was in a bit of a rush, but Benedict waved again to us. Such a nice guy! I'd say that was the best revision break ever.

On a different note, My Word! This blog has been viewed over Two Thousand times! I'm flattered that everyone enjoys seeing my weird life so much.

Cheers!

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!

Happy May! (I'd advise you not to read this on an empty stomach)

Hello!

It is finally gorgeous in Cardiff. Here are a couple pictures I took in Cathays Park while I was waiting for my Cytogenetics lecture to start.

It looks like a promo shot for Cardiff University 

Yesterday, my friend Laura B. and I went to the Pettigrew Tea Rooms and had a light lunch out in the sunshine.

Lavender Earl Grey, because I'm posh like that. 

We both had the soup of the day (Parsnip. We had never tried parsnip before, so it was a culinary adventure for us both) and sandwiches. The portions were very generous, we were pleasantly surprised! Of course, we did have to save room for cakes...

Flour-less chocolate cake with almonds. Delish!

We did a little clothes-shopping after that. Laura had to leave to get to a lecture, so I continued browsing around for a little bit. The clothes I brought with me were picked with January weather in mind, so it was nice to find sundresses and skirts! I still don't really understand how UK sizing works, so I felt like a frequent-flier into the fitting rooms. Luckily, I found some cute things that work for me. Now all I need to do is get some sandals or something...

This image amuses me greatly.

I had a quick turn-around to get back to my flat and drop off my loot. I met up with my friend Kirsten B. (and Laura tagged along!). We went to O'Neill's for dinner. It was fantastic! I hadn't been there since  my first night in Cardiff. It was just as awesome as I remembered. Great atmosphere, tasty food, awesome friends. What more could I want? 

Dinner: Wild Boar and Chorizo burger and Club Orange

It was lovely to have some girl-time, share laughs and talk about absolutely outlandish things. We were totally eyeing up the cute Irish bartender while we were there too (I believe he was an Ulsterman, let the scandal commence!).

For those not in the know, I have small hands. When I saw that this espresso mug was in proportion, I had to get a picture of it!

My dessert: a frothy mixture of meringue chunks, whipped cream, strawberries and Bailey's. This marks the first time I've ever had to show my ID in order to purchase a dessert.

All the waitstaff who passed our table (including the aforementioned Irishman) told us that this dessert was their favourite. I was not let down. I highly recommend it.

There was a guy playing acoustic guitar in the pub towards the end of our desserts. After we finished up, we went to check it out. It got a little embarrassing when some drunk guy tried to impress us with his dancing, then asked the musician to dedicate a song to "the three ladies in the corner". Awkward...

As we left, we heard the sounds of jazz seeping out of another bar. We got really excited and promised ourselves that we'd come back and explore it another time.

Today, I went to my favourite coffee shop in the world, College House. I've been hearing about something called a "flat white" and I was intrigued. The staff were tickled that I was curious and open to trying something new.

Flat White and a Ham and Roquito Pepper flatbread.

It's like a latte, but there's a higher proportion of espresso to milk. It was surprisingly smooth. The bitterness of the espresso was balanced by the creamy milk. I might have a new fave...

I had a pretty extensive talk with Dan, one of the guys in charge, about coffee drinks. He was super informative. Now I kinda want an espresso machine for myself.

And incase you've been wondering how the cooking for myself is going, here are my latest and greatest creations:

Lentil Salad and Chicken. I made a dry-rub for the chicken out of what I had on hand (which turned out to be a Memphis rub, fancy that) and poured lime juice over it while it cooked. Probably one of the best meals I've made. 

Ginger Rice and Steak with lime and cracked black pepper. The rice was kinda bland, but the beef was awesome. My flatmate Hugh got to try some steak and he liked it too! 

Not bad for someone who was culinarily-challenged in the beginning of the year!