Wow! Okay, only a few days have passed in between blog updates, but I have lots to fill you in on! First, we went on our first expedition on Thursday to Brecon Beacon National Park to get a little stroll in.. you know, to break in our new boots, get our new hiking gear all dirty and whatnot. Was it ever fun and pretty much amazing! It was about a 45 minute drive, located not too far from Swansea. When we arrived, Graham, our instructor, gave us all detailed explorer maps and asked us to point out where we thought we were. Okay, I won't lie, he gave us a few hints, such as the section of the map where we were to look, and he also told us to take into consideration the shape of the road and the nearby fences and elevations (all these things were shown on the map). It took us awhile, but we finally managed to figure out where we were.. it helped that we knew we were going for a waterfall walk.. most of us just found where all the waterfalls were on the map and guessed from there. Ha ha ha!
Then we set off onto the trail. About 10 minutes in, we came to our first kinda big obstacle: a very steep and rocky hillside/cliff. A little bit of light climbing was needed here, so we got to sort of test our abilities right off the bat. We all made it down in once piece, thankfully, and at the bottom, we came across our first waterfall! Lemme tell you, these are not like the little, pathetic waterfalls at Turkey Run State Park.. we're talking actual waterfalls... that flow all the time, not just when there's a torrential downpour. We continued hiking from there. We all had to practice our navigation skills in order locate the footbridge we had to cross to get to the other side of the river. Because as a group, we're pretty much awesome, we didn't get lost once! So we crossed the river and set out to find a unique waterfall within the National Park. It's unique because it's one of the few that you can actually walk behind... like in Pocahontas, when she hides behind the waterfall.. know what I'm talking about? Probably not, but just trust me on this one. ANYHOW... after about 25 minutes of some intense hiking (these trails were on the edges of cliffs, and up and down steep hills.. it was incredible!), we found the waterfall we had set off to find! Boy, was it cool! To think of how much water spilled over that fall in a day was mind-blowing. We were about 50 feet out from it, and we were still getting wet from the spray. No, it wasn't Niagara Falls by any means, but it was one of the biggest waterfalls I have ever seen! After exploring the area, we had a bit of lunch and then headed back towards the footbridge. Once again, finding it without any trouble! Once there, our instructors left us to go get the van and showed us a point on the map where they were going to meet us. So now we really had to put those navigation skills to use! But again, seamlessly, we found our way and in great time too!
So our first expedition was great.. and judging by the schedule, that's probably one of the least interesting one planned. Not saying that it is uninteresting, because I definitely had a blast! But all the other days we're rock climbing or kayaking or coasteering! So look forward to the blogs that follow those activities!
But today, I did a 180 and headed into Wales' capitol city, Cardiff. Although I flew into Cardiff, I didn't get the chance to see too much from the windows of the plane or train. We first stopped at St. Fagan's open-air museum of Welsh history. Before today, I don't think I've ever been to an open-air museum, so I didn't know quite what to expect. Turns out, it was outdoors (duh, hence the name). My favorite part was probably the time-line sequence they had set up, where you walked through a row of houses, first starting with the typical house in the 1800s and progressing through the decades, all the way up to the mid-20th century. At first, I didn't understand what was going on. I thought the subsequent house was just an example of a higher-class lifestyle. But then I went into a house that had a television, and I was like, 'wait a minute.. they definitely did not have t.v.'s in the 1800s,' and I finally came to the realization that it was a sort of time-line... duh.
From the museum, we headed towards downtown Cardiff. We were dropped off by the castle in the center of the city (imagine that, ANOTHER castle? Those things are as common as Wal-Marts around here). From that point, the city kinda just opened up.. shops everywhere, a Starbucks every 100 ft., Burger King, McDonalds, and KFC one after another. But I was proud of myself. The only American place I visited was H&M, where surprisingly, I did not purchase anything. I actually came across a GREAT shop, or department store, I guess, called Primark. Bought a couple cute shirts and a pair of sunglasses, but boy, was that place CRAZY! Going into the store, I only had a half hour left before I had to be back at the bus. This gave me limited time to look around because the checkout line was probably just as long as Kohls' return line the day after Christmas! And believe it or not, the line for the dressing rooms was even worse! So I didn't try my stuff on but instead, just bought it, crossing my fingers that it'd fit! (It all does, for the record!) And my last stop before boarding the bus for home, was a little Welsh gift shop, where I bought my first charm for my charm bracelet! I am now the proud owner of a little Sterling silver Welsh dragon replica. It's pretty awesome, if I do say so myself!
So tomorrow brings running, homework, and a bit more shopping. Gotta get going on buying a crock-pot and making good meals for a change! So until next time!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Week Thus Far
Brrr!!! The past few days have not been so warm! Dang. But I started classes Monday and it looks like I'm going to only have class three days a week: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (Thursday not really consisting of class at all, but instead, it is our expedition day for Outdoor Pursuits). My official schedule is Monday: Outdoor Pursuits, 10-12 and then Welsh History, 5:15-6:15. Tuesday: Welsh History, 5:15-7:15. Thursday, expedition day from 9-5, unless otherwise stated. So! It sure looks like I'm going to have an extended weekend to do any major traveling and I'm hoping to do abit more local traveling on Wednesdays, my day off. Tomorrow, Thursday, we are headed about 45 minutes away from town to get a little hiking and navigating in. Graham, our Outdoor Pursuits instructor, called it a "Waterfall Walk," so it sounds pretty interesting and wet, to say the least. In our first class on Monday, I got to meet the rest of the Outdoor Pursuits group! There's only six of us, but I think that will allow us to form a nice, tight-knit group. Let's see, there's Mareika, who is from Germany. Martina and Franz (not quite sure on the spelling), are both from Austria, and shortly, they'll be joined by another student from Austria. Then there's Rhea, she's super nice and is from Canada. And then, of course, me! So it's going to be a small, but fun group!
I went into town, yet again today. I had a few more vital things to pick up, such as a cell phone and room decorations. Yes, room decorations are vital. But I'm happy to say that I'm finally getting used to looking right before I cross the street. That will save me a ton of money in medical bills resulting from being hit by a car. So I'm still adjusting.. slowly, but surely. Since I've written last, I've acquired Wi-Fi in my flat, which is freaking fantastic. No more having to haul my computer into town to find free internet. Nor does it mean I have to make the brisk walk over to the computer lab 6 times a day (at the least) just to get online. And lucky for me, I get extremely good internet connection (knock on wood that it doesn't change). I've heard nothing but bad things about the wireless here on campus, but I sure can't complain!
So yes, I'm adjusting. Actually, believe it or not, I went back down to Tesco (the supermarket from hell) and it wasn't half bad, now that I'm not in that jet-lagged state any longer. The check out line was still absolutely ridiculous (it's not possible for me to NOT stand in the longest line EVER), but it didn't take me half as long to figure out where things were. I'm sure I'll get used to it sometime. AND! I woke up at 9:30 all on my own this morning.. so I'd say I'm finally adjusted to the time as well... which is always a plus! Let's see, and I've also settled into my room for the most part. I finished covering my dingy cork bulletin boards with a free duvet cover I found in the international's lounge (don't worry, they said I could take it). I was quite proud of myself for that! That's way outside the creative box for me! And I got my calendar my friend/old roommate, Watts, (who was here at Trinity last year and did the same program I'm doing) sent with me, all filled out and hung up. Now, the last few things I've really got to do is really clean my room, do some laundry, and make one last trip to the store for a crock pot and crock pot recipe necessities. Haha.. funny story about the crock pot. I was asking one of my flat mates whether or not we had one, and he had no idea what I was talking about and so he asked me to repeat the word again. When I did, he was like, "Hmm.. crock pot.. sounds like a drug addict or something." Quite funny. Probably a little more funny had you been in the situation, but still.
So, this weekend holds in store some major cleaning and a bit of traveling. We're headed to downtown Cardiff on Saturday to visit the Cardiff Centre (shopping area? Oh boy!) and St. Fagan's Museum. Hopefully, I learn a whole lot and have something interesting to write about soon! Keep an eye out for pictures to pop up on Facebook! This is Keltie, signing off!
I went into town, yet again today. I had a few more vital things to pick up, such as a cell phone and room decorations. Yes, room decorations are vital. But I'm happy to say that I'm finally getting used to looking right before I cross the street. That will save me a ton of money in medical bills resulting from being hit by a car. So I'm still adjusting.. slowly, but surely. Since I've written last, I've acquired Wi-Fi in my flat, which is freaking fantastic. No more having to haul my computer into town to find free internet. Nor does it mean I have to make the brisk walk over to the computer lab 6 times a day (at the least) just to get online. And lucky for me, I get extremely good internet connection (knock on wood that it doesn't change). I've heard nothing but bad things about the wireless here on campus, but I sure can't complain!
So yes, I'm adjusting. Actually, believe it or not, I went back down to Tesco (the supermarket from hell) and it wasn't half bad, now that I'm not in that jet-lagged state any longer. The check out line was still absolutely ridiculous (it's not possible for me to NOT stand in the longest line EVER), but it didn't take me half as long to figure out where things were. I'm sure I'll get used to it sometime. AND! I woke up at 9:30 all on my own this morning.. so I'd say I'm finally adjusted to the time as well... which is always a plus! Let's see, and I've also settled into my room for the most part. I finished covering my dingy cork bulletin boards with a free duvet cover I found in the international's lounge (don't worry, they said I could take it). I was quite proud of myself for that! That's way outside the creative box for me! And I got my calendar my friend/old roommate, Watts, (who was here at Trinity last year and did the same program I'm doing) sent with me, all filled out and hung up. Now, the last few things I've really got to do is really clean my room, do some laundry, and make one last trip to the store for a crock pot and crock pot recipe necessities. Haha.. funny story about the crock pot. I was asking one of my flat mates whether or not we had one, and he had no idea what I was talking about and so he asked me to repeat the word again. When I did, he was like, "Hmm.. crock pot.. sounds like a drug addict or something." Quite funny. Probably a little more funny had you been in the situation, but still.
So, this weekend holds in store some major cleaning and a bit of traveling. We're headed to downtown Cardiff on Saturday to visit the Cardiff Centre (shopping area? Oh boy!) and St. Fagan's Museum. Hopefully, I learn a whole lot and have something interesting to write about soon! Keep an eye out for pictures to pop up on Facebook! This is Keltie, signing off!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Terrors of TESCO
Ahhhh.. it's amazing what a good, solid 10 hours of sleep can do for a person.. especially if that person is still suffering from a bit of jet lag. Yep, slept in until 11 or so this morning, then got up and went for a run! Didn't know quite where to go, because I was sure I didn't wanna run through town, so I took off in the opposite direction, careful to keep tabs on the way I was headed so I wouldn't get lost.. because we all know how easy that is for me! But I was quite proud of myself! Found my way down to one of the main roads that led into town and just stayed on that until I came into town. I walked through town, and then chugged up the last, giant hill to the school. Not too awful long, but still a workout with how hilly this place is! I've been checking out Google Earth and trying to plan a run out into the countryside. I'm just worried about being alone.. so I may wait until I can find a running buddy for that one.
So, today, I've just been in town all day, sitting at a pub not too far from my beloved coffee shop that also offers free wi-fi. Although, this place is open until 9pm (21:00) and on Sundays too! Now, the only other thing I absolutely need to find is a bar/pub that will have the Superbowl playing next Sunday! But for now, this little pub will suffice. I ordered a glass of wine when I arrived and just finished with a nice Bramley apple, pear, and raspberry crumble. Delicious! I'm sure I was quite the sight though. A). I've been in here for 4 straight hours. B). I'm sitting by myself. C). I've been skyping off and on, so I'm sitting here with my headphones in, talking to my computer, and making all these strange faces and wild hand gestures, I'm sure. But I have an accent.. people are fascinated with me, right? Ha Ha Ha..
I'm waiting here at least another hour until kick off. But I'm having trouble thinking of things I should update you on.. haven't really done a whole lot today. I guess I will fill you in on my little supermarket trip the other night to Tesco. It was a catastrophe. It was the first time I realized how different Wales was from the U.S.
Let's see. So I walk in and it looks normal enough. But as soon as I go to locate the first item on my list, notebooks and folders, I'm completely lost. I come across an end-cap with filler paper and binders and plastic file holders, but absolutely no regular sized, spiral bound notebooks or plain, cheap paper folders. So I compromised and bought a plastic file holder and two smaller notebooks.
So then off to my next item... that adapter I was looking for, that my life depended upon. Electronics were clearly marked.. check. Were there any adapters there? Nope. So I tried to ask the lady working at the counter. She needed to help a gentleman that had reached her first. Fine by me. I'd just wait and watch Ice Age, which was playing on the television displays. However, as soon as she stops helping that man, she completely ignored me and started helping someone else.. so much for any order. So I gave up on waiting after about 15 minutes and went to search for them on my own. Finally found them in the hardware section which composed approximately 1/5 of an aisle, not even clearly marked. But, they didn't carry the specific adapter I was looking for.
So onto food. Whoa boy. Was this an absolute mess, or what? I went into Tesco, craving Easy Mac.. simply delicious EASY MAC! Closest thing I found was mac and cheese in a can. Gross. Okay, so no Easy Mac.. Spaghetti O's? Nope. Ended up with some Spaghetti Rings, close enough I suppose. After, I realized Tesco was not, in fact, Wal-Mart, I began to calm myself down enough to find all the British junk food in the store. I came across some hot-pocket-like things, good ol' pizza, spaghetti and marinara, two kinds of crackers, some good looking cheese, minuscule containers of milk and juice, some chips (french fries), and soup. All the time thinking, surely this, at least, is the same internationally.. all college students eat junk food.
Turns out.. not so much. Every time I've come into the kitchen to prepare one of those stupendous meals of mine, my flatmates have been cooking full out dinners.. and they smell so good! I'll just have to take some cooking lessons, I guess. As for a return trip back to Tesco, I'm going to pass for the next four months. I'd rather try my luck at another supermarket. The checkout lines were ridiculous! While I do commend the United Kingdom for many differences from the U.S., they're supermarket layouts and processes, just don't make sense. Instead of the turny thing that makes bagging soooo simple, they pull out individual bags and bag things as they go.. And then, if you throw a bookbag up there, for them to fill up, it just throws them off completely! It took me a good 15 mins to wait in line and another 20 mins to check out my groceries.. (not including the 10 mins it took me to figure out how to count the money).
So I've definitely learned my lesson, there ARE places in existence that are crazier than Wal-Mart on a day before a natural disaster is predicted to occur. These places are called Tesco. Never going to visit again, if I can help it. Nope, I'll be sticking to Wilkinson's or the Pound Store.
But, I've gotta go now! I've got the Colts game streaming in (thanks Jake!).. can't miss kickoff!! G'night for now!
So, today, I've just been in town all day, sitting at a pub not too far from my beloved coffee shop that also offers free wi-fi. Although, this place is open until 9pm (21:00) and on Sundays too! Now, the only other thing I absolutely need to find is a bar/pub that will have the Superbowl playing next Sunday! But for now, this little pub will suffice. I ordered a glass of wine when I arrived and just finished with a nice Bramley apple, pear, and raspberry crumble. Delicious! I'm sure I was quite the sight though. A). I've been in here for 4 straight hours. B). I'm sitting by myself. C). I've been skyping off and on, so I'm sitting here with my headphones in, talking to my computer, and making all these strange faces and wild hand gestures, I'm sure. But I have an accent.. people are fascinated with me, right? Ha Ha Ha..
I'm waiting here at least another hour until kick off. But I'm having trouble thinking of things I should update you on.. haven't really done a whole lot today. I guess I will fill you in on my little supermarket trip the other night to Tesco. It was a catastrophe. It was the first time I realized how different Wales was from the U.S.
Let's see. So I walk in and it looks normal enough. But as soon as I go to locate the first item on my list, notebooks and folders, I'm completely lost. I come across an end-cap with filler paper and binders and plastic file holders, but absolutely no regular sized, spiral bound notebooks or plain, cheap paper folders. So I compromised and bought a plastic file holder and two smaller notebooks.
So then off to my next item... that adapter I was looking for, that my life depended upon. Electronics were clearly marked.. check. Were there any adapters there? Nope. So I tried to ask the lady working at the counter. She needed to help a gentleman that had reached her first. Fine by me. I'd just wait and watch Ice Age, which was playing on the television displays. However, as soon as she stops helping that man, she completely ignored me and started helping someone else.. so much for any order. So I gave up on waiting after about 15 minutes and went to search for them on my own. Finally found them in the hardware section which composed approximately 1/5 of an aisle, not even clearly marked. But, they didn't carry the specific adapter I was looking for.
So onto food. Whoa boy. Was this an absolute mess, or what? I went into Tesco, craving Easy Mac.. simply delicious EASY MAC! Closest thing I found was mac and cheese in a can. Gross. Okay, so no Easy Mac.. Spaghetti O's? Nope. Ended up with some Spaghetti Rings, close enough I suppose. After, I realized Tesco was not, in fact, Wal-Mart, I began to calm myself down enough to find all the British junk food in the store. I came across some hot-pocket-like things, good ol' pizza, spaghetti and marinara, two kinds of crackers, some good looking cheese, minuscule containers of milk and juice, some chips (french fries), and soup. All the time thinking, surely this, at least, is the same internationally.. all college students eat junk food.
Turns out.. not so much. Every time I've come into the kitchen to prepare one of those stupendous meals of mine, my flatmates have been cooking full out dinners.. and they smell so good! I'll just have to take some cooking lessons, I guess. As for a return trip back to Tesco, I'm going to pass for the next four months. I'd rather try my luck at another supermarket. The checkout lines were ridiculous! While I do commend the United Kingdom for many differences from the U.S., they're supermarket layouts and processes, just don't make sense. Instead of the turny thing that makes bagging soooo simple, they pull out individual bags and bag things as they go.. And then, if you throw a bookbag up there, for them to fill up, it just throws them off completely! It took me a good 15 mins to wait in line and another 20 mins to check out my groceries.. (not including the 10 mins it took me to figure out how to count the money).
So I've definitely learned my lesson, there ARE places in existence that are crazier than Wal-Mart on a day before a natural disaster is predicted to occur. These places are called Tesco. Never going to visit again, if I can help it. Nope, I'll be sticking to Wilkinson's or the Pound Store.
But, I've gotta go now! I've got the Colts game streaming in (thanks Jake!).. can't miss kickoff!! G'night for now!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Llansteffan Castle and Dylan Thomas' Boathouse
Hello there!
Currently, I am reeking of fried fish, but thought I should take them time to write a quick update on how my day went before showering and going to watch a movie! Today, we went to visit the Llansteffan Castle, located only 8 miles south of Carmarthen. And even better yet, it was on the sea! Absolutely beautiful! We pulled up in the parking lot, after making it through the tiny little streets in our giant tour bus, and out we went and started exploring for the next 2 hours or so. I headed straight for the water! It was freezing.. no swimming today. Dang. So then, being my observent self, I came across a staircase. Curious, I followed it up with a friend, Mareika, and we came across a trail that went left or right. We chose to go left, thinking it would take us to the castle. Nope, instead, it took us to the next beach over. So we backtracked a bit and ran into some people who told us where to go. We finally arrived, and was it ever neat! The lasttwo pictures on here are the best I took.. still not very good, but hopefully you catch the drift. A lot of it was still intact! And we were able to climb the stairs in the turret and I even climbed a few places I probably shouldn't.. but oh well.
We then headed for Dylan Thomas' Boathouse in the nearby town of Llan. In this town, there was yet another castle, but we headed straight past it, for the boathouse. It was pretty cool. Nothing too special I thought. But maybe because I don't know too much about Dylan Thomas. I'll have to do some reading on him and read some of his work. I've heard it's pretty good. And Bob Dylan liked it enough, I guess.
So then, we made it back to school around 3 or so and I headed into town again with friends. We later met up at a local fish and chips shop (yes, it's the second time in a row for me), and then walked back! This time, I didn't get lost! Hooray!
But now we're about to watch a movie, so I'll write again tomorrow!
Friday, January 22, 2010
AH!!! Today has been a GREAT day lemme tell you! Despite all the bad/boring things that happened, I managed to finally locate a three-pronged converter, which means I can now charge and access my computer! Now I just have to figure out this whole
Wi-Fi deal.
Let’s see.. what happened today? Had to get up again real early.. 8am. But it was a bit easier this time to wake up. So hopefully tomorrow, after a good night’s rest, I’ll be totally adjusted and ready to go by 10am to head on our little adventure! But anyhow, I was up at 8, had meetings and a luncheon spread throughout the day and then got my sweet library card for the campus library! Ha ha ha. But then I headed (walked) into town, which is only about a mile away from campus and if walked briskly, one is able to make it in under 15 minutes I would say. So headed in, determined to find the specific converter I was looking for. Stopped at a few stores, and no luck. But then I finally came across a locally owned hardware shop and the lady even opened the box for me to make sure my plug fit in it. And it did!! So then I walked around a bit more, looking for an cyber café I saw last night. Took me awhile, but finally found it. Carmarthen, while very cute, is SO confusing! Streets and alleys run every which way. And TRAFFIC! Whoa! I definitely cannot get used to the fact that they drive on the opposite side of the road. It makes me think when I go to cross the street. I’m pretty sure I’ve come close to being hit a few times. Ha ha ha. But anyhow. I finally found the coffee shop I was looking for and went in, expecting have to pay to use the Wi-Fi, but it was free. CHA-CHING! Second awesome thing to happen that day! So I ordered a caramel mocha and headed up to the second story and got some serious skyping/talking done. However, after that, my luck kinda changed. Unfortunately the shop closed at 18:00, and so I didn’t get a chance to stay that long. But I packed up my stuff and headed out. Started walking and kept walking and kept walking.. then passed a gas station I had never seen before. Hmm.. so I went in and asked which direction Trinity College was, and turns out, I was going in the complete opposite direction. WOOPS. So, I turned around and then walked all the way back into town and still didn’t know where I was going. Thankfully, I ran into a local and asked which way to continue. She pointed up a hill and told me that there’s a way to get through up there. So I headed up the hill. It was a dead end. So I turned around and asked yet another person. She told me to go back a ways and then there would be a path leading from that road to the main road, in which I would turn left on and it would take me straight to Trinity. Usually, I am very directionally oriented, however, it took me an entire hour to make it home. Absolutely ridiculous! But I made it. And stopped and got some classic fish and chips on the way.. so had a good dinner. Very greasy and unhealthy, but good.
Annnnnnnndddd.. I think that's about it for now. Don't worry the Tesco story will be coming soon enough!
Wi-Fi deal.
Let’s see.. what happened today? Had to get up again real early.. 8am. But it was a bit easier this time to wake up. So hopefully tomorrow, after a good night’s rest, I’ll be totally adjusted and ready to go by 10am to head on our little adventure! But anyhow, I was up at 8, had meetings and a luncheon spread throughout the day and then got my sweet library card for the campus library! Ha ha ha. But then I headed (walked) into town, which is only about a mile away from campus and if walked briskly, one is able to make it in under 15 minutes I would say. So headed in, determined to find the specific converter I was looking for. Stopped at a few stores, and no luck. But then I finally came across a locally owned hardware shop and the lady even opened the box for me to make sure my plug fit in it. And it did!! So then I walked around a bit more, looking for an cyber café I saw last night. Took me awhile, but finally found it. Carmarthen, while very cute, is SO confusing! Streets and alleys run every which way. And TRAFFIC! Whoa! I definitely cannot get used to the fact that they drive on the opposite side of the road. It makes me think when I go to cross the street. I’m pretty sure I’ve come close to being hit a few times. Ha ha ha. But anyhow. I finally found the coffee shop I was looking for and went in, expecting have to pay to use the Wi-Fi, but it was free. CHA-CHING! Second awesome thing to happen that day! So I ordered a caramel mocha and headed up to the second story and got some serious skyping/talking done. However, after that, my luck kinda changed. Unfortunately the shop closed at 18:00, and so I didn’t get a chance to stay that long. But I packed up my stuff and headed out. Started walking and kept walking and kept walking.. then passed a gas station I had never seen before. Hmm.. so I went in and asked which direction Trinity College was, and turns out, I was going in the complete opposite direction. WOOPS. So, I turned around and then walked all the way back into town and still didn’t know where I was going. Thankfully, I ran into a local and asked which way to continue. She pointed up a hill and told me that there’s a way to get through up there. So I headed up the hill. It was a dead end. So I turned around and asked yet another person. She told me to go back a ways and then there would be a path leading from that road to the main road, in which I would turn left on and it would take me straight to Trinity. Usually, I am very directionally oriented, however, it took me an entire hour to make it home. Absolutely ridiculous! But I made it. And stopped and got some classic fish and chips on the way.. so had a good dinner. Very greasy and unhealthy, but good.
Annnnnnnndddd.. I think that's about it for now. Don't worry the Tesco story will be coming soon enough!
This One Was Supposed To Come First
Well, since airports have to be LAME and charge for internet connection, I’ve written this blog update in a Word document first, just to keep you updated on every aspect of my adventure thus far! I’ll be sure to post it with the rest. But, good news! Made it across the Atlantic to Amsterdam! Took a big ol’ airbus.. which was much more roomy and comfortable than the teeny tiny plane we took from Indy to Memphis. They loaded me up with decent food and complimentary wine.. so I can’t complain too much. And I even got sooooomme shut-eye.. about three disrupted hours or so, (perhaps because of the wine)? But I’m feeling pretty good right now! It’s currently about a quarter til 12 o’clock here in Amsterdam.. and about a quarter til 6 back home in Indiana.. I’m sure that time difference will catch up with me sooner or later.. hopefully just not before I make it to campus.
So.. Amsterdam.. it’s not as different as I expected.. but then again, I can’t really say a whole lot about it since I’ve only seen the inside of the airport. But Gwen Stefani’s “Sweet Escape” currently playing in the background.. can’t be too far from home. Ha ha. About half way across the ocean, I started and couldn’t stop thinking about pick-pocket-ers, the movie, “Taken,” and all that jazz.. got me a little concerned.. but I found a way to organize my stuff.. and I don’t think I really have to worry about it here.. but still can’t help but to worry.
But other than that, things have been going pretty smoothly. Found my gate in the Amsterdam airport.. just now sitting down to eat some lunch.. or is it breakfast? Technically, I had breakfast on the plane about 2 hours ago.. but I’ve got to adjust sometime.. Anyway.. the only thing I really regret now is packing two HUMONGOUS carry on bags. In each transfer stop, I’ve literally had to walk across the entire airport to get to my next gate. No fun when you have about 75 extra pounds of crap to haul around. But I guess I can’t complain too much. Now if I show up in Cardiff and I can’t find my checked bag.. then I’ll really have something to complain about.
For now though, I’m gonna finish up lunch and then head down to my gate and wait for an hour or two! I’ll be sure and letcha know when I get into Cardiff, depending on whether Wales is cool enough to have free Wi-Fi or not. If not, I’ll update again once I get to my dorm room!
Wish me luck!
So.. Amsterdam.. it’s not as different as I expected.. but then again, I can’t really say a whole lot about it since I’ve only seen the inside of the airport. But Gwen Stefani’s “Sweet Escape” currently playing in the background.. can’t be too far from home. Ha ha. About half way across the ocean, I started and couldn’t stop thinking about pick-pocket-ers, the movie, “Taken,” and all that jazz.. got me a little concerned.. but I found a way to organize my stuff.. and I don’t think I really have to worry about it here.. but still can’t help but to worry.
But other than that, things have been going pretty smoothly. Found my gate in the Amsterdam airport.. just now sitting down to eat some lunch.. or is it breakfast? Technically, I had breakfast on the plane about 2 hours ago.. but I’ve got to adjust sometime.. Anyway.. the only thing I really regret now is packing two HUMONGOUS carry on bags. In each transfer stop, I’ve literally had to walk across the entire airport to get to my next gate. No fun when you have about 75 extra pounds of crap to haul around. But I guess I can’t complain too much. Now if I show up in Cardiff and I can’t find my checked bag.. then I’ll really have something to complain about.
For now though, I’m gonna finish up lunch and then head down to my gate and wait for an hour or two! I’ll be sure and letcha know when I get into Cardiff, depending on whether Wales is cool enough to have free Wi-Fi or not. If not, I’ll update again once I get to my dorm room!
Wish me luck!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
I have finally arrived at my destination!
Wow! Where to start.. well.. after three flights, two trains, and a taxi cab later, I finally arrived at Trinity College. Let me tell you what.. Welsh people are probably some of the nicest people in the world! Just in my little jaunt over to Carmarthen from Cardiff, I had four people help me with my luggage and a nice cab driver on top of that! So very nice!
So I got onto campus around 7pm (2pm Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time or whatever it is we're on) and had the opportunity to meet my flat mates right away! They invited me out since Wednesdays are pretty much like their Fridays. And of course, I couldn't turn that down! So although I was really lacking the essentials to get ready, I did the best I could and met them in the kitchen for a quick drink and then we headed to the campus bar/club. Loads of fun.. but I was quite tired, so I turned in early.
Then, this morning, I was up bright and early for the international students orientation. It honestly wasn't too bad though. Although, today has probably been the longest day of my life. Things we did this morning seemed like weeks ago! But we went on a tour of campus and then of town. And what a cute little town it is! There are an endless amount of shops.. which could be very bad on one hand, but they offer quite the selection of items! I haven't taken too many pictures yet, and even if I had, I still wouldn't be able to upload them. Not at least, until I find a converter that fits a three-pronged american plug. The supermarket, Tesco,(like our Wal-Mart, but still different in very many ways.. that'll have to be a blog post all on its own), carries two pronged converters.. but no three-pronged ones. So that is my mission tomorrow, to find a three-pronged converter so I can finally charge my computer and get the information from it that I need to connect to the Wi-Fi here on campus, and countless of other great things.
Although I haven't seen much of it, the countryside seems to be absolutely breathtaking! Even though it's cold enough that I can see my breath, everything's still so green! We have a little hill right in front of campus with little sheep and whatnot. But it's so picturesque because it's got the little hedges outlining the ends of property, I'm assuming and so flying in, it looked like one big patched quilt of green. My descriptions are doing it no justice. Once I get my computer up and running I'll be sure to upload pictures!
Sadly, I think that's all for now. It's just about midnight and I feel like I'm gonna pass out if I don't get more sleep. I've got another couple of meetings tomorrow since I'm an international student, so I've got to be up and ready by 8:30. Oh joy! But I'll update again and more in detail tomorrow! G'night!
So I got onto campus around 7pm (2pm Eastern Standard Daylight Savings Time or whatever it is we're on) and had the opportunity to meet my flat mates right away! They invited me out since Wednesdays are pretty much like their Fridays. And of course, I couldn't turn that down! So although I was really lacking the essentials to get ready, I did the best I could and met them in the kitchen for a quick drink and then we headed to the campus bar/club. Loads of fun.. but I was quite tired, so I turned in early.
Then, this morning, I was up bright and early for the international students orientation. It honestly wasn't too bad though. Although, today has probably been the longest day of my life. Things we did this morning seemed like weeks ago! But we went on a tour of campus and then of town. And what a cute little town it is! There are an endless amount of shops.. which could be very bad on one hand, but they offer quite the selection of items! I haven't taken too many pictures yet, and even if I had, I still wouldn't be able to upload them. Not at least, until I find a converter that fits a three-pronged american plug. The supermarket, Tesco,(like our Wal-Mart, but still different in very many ways.. that'll have to be a blog post all on its own), carries two pronged converters.. but no three-pronged ones. So that is my mission tomorrow, to find a three-pronged converter so I can finally charge my computer and get the information from it that I need to connect to the Wi-Fi here on campus, and countless of other great things.
Although I haven't seen much of it, the countryside seems to be absolutely breathtaking! Even though it's cold enough that I can see my breath, everything's still so green! We have a little hill right in front of campus with little sheep and whatnot. But it's so picturesque because it's got the little hedges outlining the ends of property, I'm assuming and so flying in, it looked like one big patched quilt of green. My descriptions are doing it no justice. Once I get my computer up and running I'll be sure to upload pictures!
Sadly, I think that's all for now. It's just about midnight and I feel like I'm gonna pass out if I don't get more sleep. I've got another couple of meetings tomorrow since I'm an international student, so I've got to be up and ready by 8:30. Oh joy! But I'll update again and more in detail tomorrow! G'night!
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