I have an issue of falling asleep during any car ride that I have experienced with my uncle. I have spent the entire trip either yawning or sleeping it seems. My uncle has laughed at me a few times because I spend so much time yawning or complaining that I am sleeping. I suppose thats what I get for going to another country that is a completely different time zone as well as choosing to live with people that are night owls. If I want to call home I usually have to wait till 10:30pm my time if not later. And then I stay up late talking to my aunt and uncle. And then I get up at 8am so I can walk my elder cousin to school at quarter to 9am.
We eat dinner 2 to 3 hours later then I am used to, but we have tea around 5 so its not too bad. When I am caving I skip lunch altogether and only eat a granola bar until we are out of the caves. I eat a lot at tea those days.
I had one of those very tired, but I stayed up too late anyways, nights last night because my uncle and I got back around 6ish last night. We (my aunt, uncle, and I) started watching a movie at half past 9. I really liked it. I had never heard of the movie, A Fish Named Wanda, but it has Kevin Kline, John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis as well as some other people. It was hilarious. Then we stayed talking for a while, and then I wanted to finish checking my emails from being gone all weekend.
By the way, sorry for the occasional typos. I usually forget to give these posts a once over and the times that I do remember I catch a load of issues. Oops. This is why its a blog post and not a scholarly journal.
I had a lazy morning today to catch up on sleep and reading. The weather was really nice, sunny and only kinda really windy instead of really windy like usual. Of course, as this was a lazy morning I was not inclined to go outside, but I have a lovely view from my “room”, also known as the study.
I went to my younger cousin's school this afternoon and it was show and tell. Instead of my cousin doing all of the showing and telling, it was up to me to answer all of the millions of questions asked of me by a bunch of Year 4's. One boy kept asking question after question. His hand was up for the whole hour that I answered questions. The questions he asked were varied and covered topics like the weather, to whether I liked Obama, to what was the most deadly animal in the US.
The kids had a hard time grasping how big the US is and what that means in terms of culture, traveling, and seasons. When I said that we did not really have any poisonous animals in Minnesota, the boy exclaimed “But all of my American books say that snakes are the deadliest and most poisonous animals in America!”. It was difficult explaining to him that the part of the country that I live in is very different from another part. Here in the UK the weather and appearance is quite similar, and even the culture is not too different. Obviously there are differences, but the UK is 4 separate countries so that is understandable, but the differences are minor.
The teacher attempted to explain that a farm in Texas is as large as Wales, and that that farm is a small part of Texas, and Texas is only a small part of the US. The students looked a bit lost and confused, as they could not imagine anything that large. I never really thought about how small some countries are in comparison. I can imagine that the children never thought that their country was small either.
The Q&A was fun, and I am glad that I got to meet some of the kids because I will be going on a field trip with them tomorrow.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
A stroll
I had my first solo adventure today. I walked all the down to the center of town. First, I dropped my cousin off at school, and then continued on my way. Streets are strange here. They all curve, and are not marked all that well, and one long curving street may have more then one name half way through. One had three different names. I had a map where my uncle drew a path for me to take, but it was still a bit confusing because I am not used to my streets being shaped not like blocks. It was worse then Tangletown or St. Paul! Those areas look like they were drawn with straight edges and on grid paper when compared to the streets here.
Also, there are no stop signs, just million upon million of roundabouts. I hate roundabouts. The one by the Minnehaha falls always makes me nervous because most people do not seem to know what they are doing, so I can never know if they are going to do it right.
There was a nice area in the center of town that was pedestrian only and had shops lined up outdoors and an inside shop as well. There was a market connected to both. Got my self two shirts, (both on sale) and one is very colorful and bright. Hollis, you would like it. I also got my self a pair of shoes, (Also on sale) and they match a pair that my aunt just got.
My older cousin told my aunt that she could not wear those shoes because they are not sensible for someone her age. Other people can wear them, but not her. I wonder what he is going to say when he comes home from school and sees that I have a pair too.
One thing that I liked is that the shirts have more specific sizes then small, medium, and large and so on. They go from size 6 to 18. The shoe sizes are also a bit different. The ones I got were size 5, but I usually wear 6 1/2 or 7.
I was able to stop at the library and take some books out on my aunt's account. The librarians were very friendly. I was able to get the last two books in a trilogy that I had begun in the US, which was nice because none of the libraries at home had the 2nd or 3rd book.
I was getting thirsty, so I stopped at Aldi's. It looks quite similar to one at home but a bit cleaner and better service. Same low prices!
The walk back did not take as much time, maybe a half an hour because I was able to go straight back instead of walking the route to my cousin's school and then the way back home. The whole voyage took about three hours and I enjoyed every minute of it.
One entrance to the shopping area-
Another part of town-
Also, there are no stop signs, just million upon million of roundabouts. I hate roundabouts. The one by the Minnehaha falls always makes me nervous because most people do not seem to know what they are doing, so I can never know if they are going to do it right.
There was a nice area in the center of town that was pedestrian only and had shops lined up outdoors and an inside shop as well. There was a market connected to both. Got my self two shirts, (both on sale) and one is very colorful and bright. Hollis, you would like it. I also got my self a pair of shoes, (Also on sale) and they match a pair that my aunt just got.
My older cousin told my aunt that she could not wear those shoes because they are not sensible for someone her age. Other people can wear them, but not her. I wonder what he is going to say when he comes home from school and sees that I have a pair too.
One thing that I liked is that the shirts have more specific sizes then small, medium, and large and so on. They go from size 6 to 18. The shoe sizes are also a bit different. The ones I got were size 5, but I usually wear 6 1/2 or 7.
I was able to stop at the library and take some books out on my aunt's account. The librarians were very friendly. I was able to get the last two books in a trilogy that I had begun in the US, which was nice because none of the libraries at home had the 2nd or 3rd book.
I was getting thirsty, so I stopped at Aldi's. It looks quite similar to one at home but a bit cleaner and better service. Same low prices!
The walk back did not take as much time, maybe a half an hour because I was able to go straight back instead of walking the route to my cousin's school and then the way back home. The whole voyage took about three hours and I enjoyed every minute of it.
One entrance to the shopping area-
Another part of town-
Caving!
Mom, you should not read this post.
Okay. Caving is now my favorite crazy sport. I scrambled up large rocks, skirted around holes just big enough for my body, rappelled down a rack face, waded waist deep in a pool of cold water, and squeezed through areas where I had to keep my head sideways if I wanted to fit.
I do not have any pictures, but my uncle took some film ones, so when they are developed I will scan them or some similar thing to put them up.
I saw some beautiful rock formations. I learned a lot from my uncle who knows a lot about geology. I am glad that I did it with him as he was very supportive and helpful. Towards the end there was a bit of a scary moment as I tried to climb up the rocks. I got half way up, when I could not get up any higher. The place that I was supposed to put my foot was covered in mud, and my foot kept slipping off. The rest of the rock was either smooth or mud covered. My uncle came to the rescue with a rope and I was able to pull myself up.
I only fell once!! And that was at the very very end. I tripped and came away with a bruised and sore knee.
One of the worst parts was an area that you can only get through on your belly with your head close to the ground. That wouldn't have been too bad if it were not for the fact that that area was half filled with water. I had to get my face wet if I wanted to get through, not to mention getting my belly soaked. I survived.
The part that I still cannot believe that I did was a spot not too far from the end. A big flat rock blocked the entrance to a connecting cave, so to get through, you had to squeeze over the rock. You know that the area is tight when you can only get through when you exhale. The space was so narrow that I hat to take my helmet off and my cheek occasionally scrapped the rock. Not only is it hard to fit, but its hard to move. You cannot really use your legs, as their is nothing to push off of. And usually when you use your arms to pull yourself along, you can either grab something and pull from that, or you lift yourself up a bit. I could do neither. At least that area was not too long, maybe about 6 feet or a little less. It was longer then I was tall, but not a great deal longer.
We spent about 3 and a half hours in the caves. We are going caving with his friend and his friends stepdaughter who is in her mid twenties. We leave tonight, and cave tomorrow and possible Sunday as well.
I was not at all scared while I was caving, which may have been because my uncle was explaining all of the things that we were about to do, and that he was calm and very able. But thinking back on all the things that I did makes me wonder how I could have possibly done all of that.
To see photos of other people who have done the cave (you can see the narrow bit over the rock), go to this link:
http://www.ogof.org.uk/ogof_foel_fawr.html
and the second cave that we did (they connected)
http://www.ogof.org.uk/ogof_pasg.html
View on the way there-
Okay. Caving is now my favorite crazy sport. I scrambled up large rocks, skirted around holes just big enough for my body, rappelled down a rack face, waded waist deep in a pool of cold water, and squeezed through areas where I had to keep my head sideways if I wanted to fit.
I do not have any pictures, but my uncle took some film ones, so when they are developed I will scan them or some similar thing to put them up.
I saw some beautiful rock formations. I learned a lot from my uncle who knows a lot about geology. I am glad that I did it with him as he was very supportive and helpful. Towards the end there was a bit of a scary moment as I tried to climb up the rocks. I got half way up, when I could not get up any higher. The place that I was supposed to put my foot was covered in mud, and my foot kept slipping off. The rest of the rock was either smooth or mud covered. My uncle came to the rescue with a rope and I was able to pull myself up.
I only fell once!! And that was at the very very end. I tripped and came away with a bruised and sore knee.
One of the worst parts was an area that you can only get through on your belly with your head close to the ground. That wouldn't have been too bad if it were not for the fact that that area was half filled with water. I had to get my face wet if I wanted to get through, not to mention getting my belly soaked. I survived.
The part that I still cannot believe that I did was a spot not too far from the end. A big flat rock blocked the entrance to a connecting cave, so to get through, you had to squeeze over the rock. You know that the area is tight when you can only get through when you exhale. The space was so narrow that I hat to take my helmet off and my cheek occasionally scrapped the rock. Not only is it hard to fit, but its hard to move. You cannot really use your legs, as their is nothing to push off of. And usually when you use your arms to pull yourself along, you can either grab something and pull from that, or you lift yourself up a bit. I could do neither. At least that area was not too long, maybe about 6 feet or a little less. It was longer then I was tall, but not a great deal longer.
We spent about 3 and a half hours in the caves. We are going caving with his friend and his friends stepdaughter who is in her mid twenties. We leave tonight, and cave tomorrow and possible Sunday as well.
I was not at all scared while I was caving, which may have been because my uncle was explaining all of the things that we were about to do, and that he was calm and very able. But thinking back on all the things that I did makes me wonder how I could have possibly done all of that.
To see photos of other people who have done the cave (you can see the narrow bit over the rock), go to this link:
http://www.ogof.org.uk/ogof_foel_fawr.html
and the second cave that we did (they connected)
http://www.ogof.org.uk/ogof_pasg.html
View on the way there-
Thursday, July 9, 2009
First Day
Yesterday felt very long. Which makes sense, because I was awake for a day and a half. I still managed to do quite a few things. I went shopping at Tesco with my aunt. It was quite large, kinda like a super target with clothes + other things and food, but with an emphasis on food. There was a large variety of everything, and most things were labeled "organic" or "local". The ethnic variety was also fairly diverse, with a focus on Indian. The different sorts of curries offered made my mouth water. As in most of Wales, all of the signs are bilingual.
I went to my younger cousin's school to pick him up at the end of the day. He was so excited that he kept hugging me. (I encouraged it.) His school is very old, welsh school. The structure reminds me of that of a church, with its pointed roof. I found out from my Uncle yesterday that schools are very rarely named after people. They are usually named for their location. Not like "South", but the name of the section of town or neighborhood, or the name of the land that it was built on.
I went abseiling (rappelling) from the large tree in their back yard. This meant I climbed a ladder way high up into the tree, attached my self to some ropes, and lowered my self down to the floor, all the while dangling from the rope. The boys had a go at it as well. I really enjoyed it. (Mom, its okay. Seriously) This was to get a feel for it when we went caving, which I did today. More about that in another post.
Afterward, we went to put the ladder away in the garage and I went ahead and got out my aunt's bike--with drop handle bars. I do not know if you know this about me, but if you know me at all, you know that I am extremely clumsy. My balance reflects this, and so whenever I try to use a bike with drop handle bars I usually just wobble for a few feet and then topple over. This time was a bit better, but I was still very shaky.
My younger cousin wanted to race, him on his bike and me on foot. We did. I beat him both times. Yes! Tonight we are having a race from the bottom of a hilly street to the very top. We had a practice run last night which was fun. I felt kinda silly but that is normal state of being for me.
Dinner was AMAZING. The anti pasta was sun dried tomatoes, octopus, and olives. The meal was fish with seafood and covered in an Italian red sauce. Absolutely delicious. My stomach had yet to adjust to the new eating schedule, so I kept getting hungry at the oddest times.
New Words-- (British or Welsh/English)
Ysgol- School or Ladder
Foel Fawr- Bare hill Large
Moel- Bare hill
Mawr- Large
Ogof- Cave
Lorry- Big Truck
Van- Smaller truck
Tarmac- Asphalt
Biscuit- Cookie
Couregettes- Zucchini
Aubergine- Eggplant
Caving info later!
I went to my younger cousin's school to pick him up at the end of the day. He was so excited that he kept hugging me. (I encouraged it.) His school is very old, welsh school. The structure reminds me of that of a church, with its pointed roof. I found out from my Uncle yesterday that schools are very rarely named after people. They are usually named for their location. Not like "South", but the name of the section of town or neighborhood, or the name of the land that it was built on.
I went abseiling (rappelling) from the large tree in their back yard. This meant I climbed a ladder way high up into the tree, attached my self to some ropes, and lowered my self down to the floor, all the while dangling from the rope. The boys had a go at it as well. I really enjoyed it. (Mom, its okay. Seriously) This was to get a feel for it when we went caving, which I did today. More about that in another post.
Afterward, we went to put the ladder away in the garage and I went ahead and got out my aunt's bike--with drop handle bars. I do not know if you know this about me, but if you know me at all, you know that I am extremely clumsy. My balance reflects this, and so whenever I try to use a bike with drop handle bars I usually just wobble for a few feet and then topple over. This time was a bit better, but I was still very shaky.My younger cousin wanted to race, him on his bike and me on foot. We did. I beat him both times. Yes! Tonight we are having a race from the bottom of a hilly street to the very top. We had a practice run last night which was fun. I felt kinda silly but that is normal state of being for me.
Dinner was AMAZING. The anti pasta was sun dried tomatoes, octopus, and olives. The meal was fish with seafood and covered in an Italian red sauce. Absolutely delicious. My stomach had yet to adjust to the new eating schedule, so I kept getting hungry at the oddest times.
New Words-- (British or Welsh/English)
Ysgol- School or Ladder
Foel Fawr- Bare hill Large
Moel- Bare hill
Mawr- Large
Ogof- Cave
Lorry- Big Truck
Van- Smaller truck
Tarmac- Asphalt
Biscuit- Cookie
Couregettes- Zucchini
Aubergine- Eggplant
Caving info later!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Arrival/Departure
To be able to drop me off, my dad parked diagonally facing the curb. Times like these call for extreme measures. And then he kept trying to take pictures of me. My face most definently did not look anywhere near happy. So when he told me to relax, I promptly burst into tears.
I mean, really, I am leaving for 5 weeks and all he wants to do is take up out limited good bye time to take photos? Daddy, I love you.
After my tearful goodbyes, I realized exactly how heavy my carryon was. It just about made a trench in my shoulder. I spent the rest of the time waiting to go on the plane trying not to cry. Hollis, part of that is your fault. I have your sweater, so whenever I leaned close to it I could smell what I associate to comfort and would be ready to cry all over again. But I dealt.
The plane ride was not too bad. They have personal tv sets on each seat, so I was able to pick and choose my movies. I watched Milk and The Reader. I liked both, with Milk being different then I expected. The Reader was amazingly depressing. But I like those kind of movies. (It may have set off another round of tears).
The strangest thing is never experiencing night on a more then 12 hour voyage. Either the sun was extremely bright, or it was in the process of setting or rising. I have some beautiful pictures of said sunset/sunrises. I will upload my photos tomorrow. The problem with all of the sun and my time schedule being so off is that I did not get much sleep. I am extremely tired.
Amsterdam airport was a let down. It was hot, humid, and not as interesting as I expected. And with my heavy carryon, I did not feel much like wandering to all corners of the airport. I spent three hours waiting and trying to keep from falling asleep on the floor.
To get to my next flight, I boarded a bus that took us outside so we could walk up onto the plane. It reminded me of a private jet, or back in the day when they had that type of thing. This flight was really nice. I fell asleep before the plane even took off, and did not wake up till 45 minutes later in time to get some coffee.
Customs in Wales was ridiculously easy. I basically answered a few basic questions, and then I was free! My aunt was waiting for me right outside at the arrival area. She didn't recognize me at first, but as my uncle just pointed out, the last time she saw me was when I was 16. I think I look different from then. I no longer wear glasses which also makes a difference.
The weather was amazingly beautiful. Sunny with a light breeze. It was about 70, so chilly for me, but nice and warm for them. Its going to take a bit to get used to this weather. Also, apparently this weather will not last for too long. Since we are right off the ocean, the weather "changes every 10 minutes" according to my uncle.
The drive back to their house was a bit scary. More then a bit. I am not used to sitting in the drivers seat with no steering wheel or brakes, nor am I used to the concept of cars rushing towards me. Driving on the left is a concept that will take me a bit to get used to. And there were numerous roundabouts. I greatly dislike them. Another strange road difference is that there are some roads that are wide enough for just one and a half cars, so that while you are speeding away, if a car is coming towards you, you have to do some sort of awkard movement that lets either one of you pass. Scary.
I made it to their house in one piece around 11:30 am. A very tired, bewildered piece. I proceeded to have several adventures, which is for the next post.
I mean, really, I am leaving for 5 weeks and all he wants to do is take up out limited good bye time to take photos? Daddy, I love you.
After my tearful goodbyes, I realized exactly how heavy my carryon was. It just about made a trench in my shoulder. I spent the rest of the time waiting to go on the plane trying not to cry. Hollis, part of that is your fault. I have your sweater, so whenever I leaned close to it I could smell what I associate to comfort and would be ready to cry all over again. But I dealt.
The plane ride was not too bad. They have personal tv sets on each seat, so I was able to pick and choose my movies. I watched Milk and The Reader. I liked both, with Milk being different then I expected. The Reader was amazingly depressing. But I like those kind of movies. (It may have set off another round of tears).
The strangest thing is never experiencing night on a more then 12 hour voyage. Either the sun was extremely bright, or it was in the process of setting or rising. I have some beautiful pictures of said sunset/sunrises. I will upload my photos tomorrow. The problem with all of the sun and my time schedule being so off is that I did not get much sleep. I am extremely tired.
Amsterdam airport was a let down. It was hot, humid, and not as interesting as I expected. And with my heavy carryon, I did not feel much like wandering to all corners of the airport. I spent three hours waiting and trying to keep from falling asleep on the floor.
To get to my next flight, I boarded a bus that took us outside so we could walk up onto the plane. It reminded me of a private jet, or back in the day when they had that type of thing. This flight was really nice. I fell asleep before the plane even took off, and did not wake up till 45 minutes later in time to get some coffee.
Customs in Wales was ridiculously easy. I basically answered a few basic questions, and then I was free! My aunt was waiting for me right outside at the arrival area. She didn't recognize me at first, but as my uncle just pointed out, the last time she saw me was when I was 16. I think I look different from then. I no longer wear glasses which also makes a difference.
The weather was amazingly beautiful. Sunny with a light breeze. It was about 70, so chilly for me, but nice and warm for them. Its going to take a bit to get used to this weather. Also, apparently this weather will not last for too long. Since we are right off the ocean, the weather "changes every 10 minutes" according to my uncle.
The drive back to their house was a bit scary. More then a bit. I am not used to sitting in the drivers seat with no steering wheel or brakes, nor am I used to the concept of cars rushing towards me. Driving on the left is a concept that will take me a bit to get used to. And there were numerous roundabouts. I greatly dislike them. Another strange road difference is that there are some roads that are wide enough for just one and a half cars, so that while you are speeding away, if a car is coming towards you, you have to do some sort of awkard movement that lets either one of you pass. Scary.
I made it to their house in one piece around 11:30 am. A very tired, bewildered piece. I proceeded to have several adventures, which is for the next post.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Count Down Begins....
AGH. I have one full day left to be in this beautiful, wonderful city. People may not agree with my descriptions of said city, but really, I love it. When I grow up and actually have to think about things like housing beyond a dorm situation, I want to live here.
But here I am abandoning my (almost) hometown to explore a part of the UK. And how quick I am to abandon it when I am tantalized with the thought of being able to go caving, be part of a muster, and be able listen to funny accents for 5 weeks.
I do not know what I am the most excited for. Everything sounds so amazing. I switch planes in Amsterdam, which will probably be pretty interesting. I wish I had a longer layover there so that I could actually leave the airport, but I will have 4 hours.
My mind is so scrambled because I feel like there is so much to do to prepare myself for my journey. But most physical things are done, and I just have to breathe and think deep.
But here I am abandoning my (almost) hometown to explore a part of the UK. And how quick I am to abandon it when I am tantalized with the thought of being able to go caving, be part of a muster, and be able listen to funny accents for 5 weeks.
I do not know what I am the most excited for. Everything sounds so amazing. I switch planes in Amsterdam, which will probably be pretty interesting. I wish I had a longer layover there so that I could actually leave the airport, but I will have 4 hours.
My mind is so scrambled because I feel like there is so much to do to prepare myself for my journey. But most physical things are done, and I just have to breathe and think deep.
Monday, June 29, 2009
I know I must be excited if....
So I slept for three hours last night. From 2 ish to 2:45, and then 5:45 is to 7:30. It was ridiculous. At least it was not one of those times when I really really want to sleep and can't. This time, I was just super excited. I spent the whole night daydreaming about my time in Wales and then in Canada.
I thought about every part of my upcoming trip, from what I would do in the Amsterdam airport, to how many castles I would see. I contemplated the sandy beaches of Tenby, ready to bask in the sun. Then again, its hard to imagine that beach being warm considering the amount of sweaters I have so far packed.
I spent some time considering how much internet access I would have, and decided that I would have about 2 and a half weeks worth. Looks like some of the pictures/posts will have to wait until I return home. This us unfortunate, as the last two weeks are when I am going to Tenby and then Snowdonia.
This is how I spent my time into the wee hours of the morning. I tried listening to quiet music, counting and focusing my breaths, I even tried counting sheep. I gave up. I was enjoying my thoughts too much. But when I finally could not take the excitement, I read a book. There is nothing better then having a hungry growling stomach at 4 in the morning when you know that you can not get any food for fear of waking the rest of the household. When I walk, I am as graceful as an elephant.
Hopefully tonight I will get some sleep. Hopefully.
I thought about every part of my upcoming trip, from what I would do in the Amsterdam airport, to how many castles I would see. I contemplated the sandy beaches of Tenby, ready to bask in the sun. Then again, its hard to imagine that beach being warm considering the amount of sweaters I have so far packed.
I spent some time considering how much internet access I would have, and decided that I would have about 2 and a half weeks worth. Looks like some of the pictures/posts will have to wait until I return home. This us unfortunate, as the last two weeks are when I am going to Tenby and then Snowdonia.
This is how I spent my time into the wee hours of the morning. I tried listening to quiet music, counting and focusing my breaths, I even tried counting sheep. I gave up. I was enjoying my thoughts too much. But when I finally could not take the excitement, I read a book. There is nothing better then having a hungry growling stomach at 4 in the morning when you know that you can not get any food for fear of waking the rest of the household. When I walk, I am as graceful as an elephant.
Hopefully tonight I will get some sleep. Hopefully.
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