I love Singleton Park!

First I wanted to start out by sharing my good news that the UK has decided not to kick my out of the country the day my internship ends.  The embassy said they would amend my visa and issue a new end date!! Good news.  Now I don’t have to find a way to leave the country and come back within one day (although if I could have gotten a group to go with me to Dublin it could have been fun!).  A big thanks to Siew Oh in the International Student Advisory Service Office!! She was so wonderful to work with from the beginning.  So kind and helpful, and obviously very effective J 

Having interned in the International Students and Scholars Office at Iowa State, it was quite an interesting experience being on the other side of things.  I now understand how the international students feel at Iowa State, and why there is often a sense of urgency and even panic.  Luckily, my situation has worked out quite well!  That is, as long as I get my passport back in time :-/

My lesson for today was to remember to always take the time to explore.  I have walked through Singleton Park on my way from campus to the city centre almost daily but have never gone anywhere else in the park until today.  It was so nice out that I decided to go for a walk during lunch and started wondering around Singleton Park.  I didn’t really realize how big it is, and how beautiful it is, especially when the sun is shining!! 

Singleton Park

There was a cute little pond, some wood carvings of mushrooms, and a bunch of little walking paths.  I didn’t feel like I was in Swansea while I was walking around.  There was an old man feeding a bunch of squirrels, which I’m usually not a big fan of squirrels, but I found it amusing.  I always wonder how people decide to start doing things like that.  

Another view of Singleton Park

Another beautiful area I discovered the other day was the gardens on the side of the Abbey opposite the stable building that I work in.  There is a nice fountain and some well tended flowers overlooking a huge yard that takes you all the way to the road, across which is the beach.  These would all be great areas to study, or play sports (too bad I am athletically challenged). 

Fountain by the Abbey

Gardens by the Abbey

Things that are more difficult than they should be:

• Typing on the keyboard.  This isn't really that difficult, but the keyboard is unnecessarily different.  I don't know who changed it, but they shouldn't have.  The most annoying difference is that the " and the @ are in opposite positions on the keyboards, and every time I get used to the UK layout at work then I come home and type the wrong thing on my laptop. 

Fun Phrases:

“Shattered” or "Knackered" just means tired

“Pissed” if someone says they are pissed it does not mean they are angry, it means they have had too many alcoholic beverages

A fun, relaxing, British day!

Quick Note: I added a new picture to the The Jubilee Weekend (Part III) if you would like to see it :)

A couple Saturdays ago the weather was amazing!  It was somewhere in the mid-70's F/about 25º C (see new section "Things that are more difficult than they should be" below), so I went to the beach with a couple people I knew and a couple of their friends.  One of their friends was actually from America, but had been living in the UK for the past eight years, since she started her undergrad in Northern Ireland (Jealous!).

Oxwich Bay

It was actually at this point I realized I did not know any Americans in the country, and yet had a number of friends.  I think it's pretty cool that I am actually part of life in Swansea and not just living my own life on the side (much of which I owe to my friend Silas who introduced me to many of these people, so thanks Silas!!).
          While studying abroad during undergrad in Ireland, I was often with other American students since I was assigned an American roommate, lived in a building with almost all American students, traveled with American students, etc.  It's not that I didn't interact with Irish students, but more of my time was spent with Americans, and I think my experience would have been even better if I had developed deeper relationships with the Irish students.
          Based on this experience a piece of advice to those studying abroad: if you are going to study or intern abroad, try to chose a program (and a living situation) that will allow you to be fully immersed in the new country and culture, and not just partially participating in it.  Swansea is great for that with the living arrangements in the student village.

Anyway... back to my Saturday story.  So, they picked me up at the student village, and even the drive there was fun.  The the roads are a little windy and small, and people drive sort of in the middle of the road, but the views were great.  I also always love riding in cars in other countries.  It is such a normal, everyday thing for me in the States, but since I obviously don't have my car with me while I'm abroad I really enjoy being able to get in a car and go somewhere so easily, especially after taking the bus, walking, or paying a ton for taxis to get everywhere most of the time.

After a short 10-20 minute drive along the coast we arrived at the beach.  We parked and walked down to the beach, and it was beautiful!  There were kite surfers everywhere.  I don't know how they could surf that close together and not run into each other, but it was so cool to see all the kites in the air.

Kite surfers at Oxwich Bay

Now, as I said the weather was beautiful, and there was a slight breeze so it was not hot, like every other time I have gone to a beach.  I never even broke a sweat... however, that does not mean that I was not getting a lot of sun.  In fact, I ended up getting way too much sun, especially on my legs which hadn't seen daylight in a very long time.  Here is the proof:

Very sunburned legs!

Lesson learned!  Don't forget your sunblock, and even if it doesn't feel like you need it, put it on anyway.  


When we got back to Swansea from the beach, I made my way downtown because the Olympic torch was coming through town.  So I bought an ice cream bar and stood on the side of the road waiting for it.  By the time the torch came there were people lining both sides of the street for as far as I could see.  Everyone was waving the Union Jack and cheering.  It felt quite patriotic and was a neat thing to get to be a part of! 

People lining the street to see the Olympic torch.

Mel Davies with the torch.
(You can read more about Mel here)

After seeing the torch I was quite hungry, so I grabbed some fish and chips at the corner fish bar called Monni's.  The food was greasy and delicious!

             

         

  
I would highly recommend having fish and chips wrapped in paper at least once while in the UK!


After my dinner I walked back to campus to catch the bus back to the student village and saw a little bit of the crowds that were in Singleton Park for the torch celebration party.  Once home I just relaxed the rest of the night.  There isn't much that will make me more tired than a day in the sun! ... except maybe a day in the sun followed by a large greasy meal :)




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I have decided to create a new section, and I'm not sure what I want to call it, but for now I will just call it "Things that are more difficult than they should be."  Sorry I can't think of anything more catchy.  Let me know if you have any better ideas.  So here is my first installment.

Things that are more difficult than they should be:

• Converting temperature between celsius and fahrenheit (see explanation above).  

I realized I am very bad at converting between celsius and fahrenheit.  The actual conversion is C= (F-32) x 5/9 or F = (C x 9/5) + 32.  My dummy way of doing it, so that I can get a rough estimate is to take F-32 times one-half to figure out the degrees in celsius, or double the temperature in celsius and then add 32 to figure out the degrees in fahrenheit. 

The Jubilee Weekend (Part III: The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and my birthday!)

Tuesday was the last day of the long weekend and it was off because it was the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which meant she has been the ruling monarch for 60 years!  (conveniently it was also my birthday!)

The Queen's coronation in 1952 when she was 26 years old, same age as I am now :)
Photo: AP Wire at http://www.smh.com.au/

The Queen during the Diamond Jubilee
(Photo by: Reuters/Toby Melville from http://www.theatlantic.com)

She is less than four years away from becoming the longest reigning monarch, a privilege currently held by Queen Victoria.  The celebration had been going on all weekend.  If I would have known more about all the events, I think I would have gone to London for the weekend, especially for the huge concert they had Monday night in front of Buckingham Palace.  There were tons of British performers including Elton John and Paul McCartney!  Would have been fun to see.

Anyway, we celebrated by going to my supervisor’s beautiful home in a smaller town outside of Swansea called Llanelli (pronounced in a way that I have no idea how to describe).  It was so much fun to see another little town, and to be inside a local’s house.  This may sound funny, but if you think about it, it is very easy to study/intern abroad and never go inside someone’s house or apartment.  For students, even if they are friends with many Welsh students, those students may be living in student housing, or in my case I’ve always met people out.  So it was nice to be in a home and be able to just relax and watch TV. 

Celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee at Angela's house!

We had proper British party food which included sausages, sausage rolls, crisps (see fun phrases below), sandwich halves, cheddar and pineapple, blue cheese and grapes, and cakes provided by Ari, the nine-year-old guest at the party and the source of much entertainment.  

Photo of Duchess Kate by UK Press Association

They sang happy birthday for me and let me blow out some candles.  We drank champagne and watched the concert from the night before and part of the ceremony that took place that morning.  I loved seeing what all of the royalty wore to everything, especially the hats and fascinators (the little head pieces many of the women wear J). 

We watched some shows about the queen for a while and talked about British history.  It was a perfect way to celebrate the Jubilee.  Thanks, Angela!! I’ve decided that if the royal family decides to throw a large celebration for either the Queen’s 64^th or 65^th Jubilee that I will definitely try to make it back to London!

Fun Phrases: (food edition J)

"Crisps" vs. "Chips" crisps are what Americans call chips, and chips are what Americans call fries.  This can get quite confusing when talking to another American in Britain!

"Biscuits" what Americans call cookies are what the British call biscuits.  Biscuits are not the doughy breakfast pastry that you pour gravy over. 

"Welshcakes" these are delicious pastries that are similar to scones, or sort of like an American biscuit/pancake/muffin combo type of pastry.  They are made primarily of flour, sugar, and butter with raisins or sultanas and often have cinnamon and nutmeg. Delicious!

The Jubilee Weekend (Part II: Rhossili Bay)

Monday was a Bank Holiday (see fun phrases below), so Brett and I decided to go to a beach for the day.  We were deciding between Mumbles and Rhossili, but decided we had to go see the iconic Rhossili Bay, and it was beautiful.  The Bay is found within an area designated as the first “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom.”

Rhossili Bay

The only small hiccup in the day was the bus ride there.  According to Google maps it should take 40 minutes to get there from the bus station... and somehow it took 2 hours on the incredibly full bus (luckily we had seats!).  At one point I heard an older Welsh lady explain to someone that we had gotten on the scenic bus route that took us around the countryside.  We did see quite a few beautiful landscapes, but it was quite a long ride nonetheless. Lesson: Ask around before getting on a bus!

Once we did arrive, we grabbed a quick pizza bread for lunch and then took a walk around the cliffs.  There were sheep grazing all around.  I am still surprised every time I see animals that are not fenced in whether it be on the sides of the road or on the cliffs at Rhossili. 

Sheep at Rhossili Bay

At the southern end of the Bay is the small island called the Worm's Head, which we did not walk out to.  I am told it takes quite a long time, and we were content seeing it from a close distance.  
Also, I have read that at low tide, it is possible to see the remains of a few shipwrecks. 

Cliffs at Rhossili Bay with Worm's Head in the distance

The weather was beautiful for us.  The sun came and went behind the clouds, but there was no rain, so it was quite enjoyable just walking around the area.  We grabbed some ice cream and sat overlooking the beach for quite a while before we left.  It was a simple and beautiful day!! I would highly recommend Rhossili to anyone, especially on a nice day!

Fun Phrases:

“Bank Holiday” British bank holidays are public holidays.  The name Bank Holiday comes from the time when banks were shut and so no trading could take place. There is currently a total of 8 permanent bank and public holidays in England, Wales and Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland. In Wales they include New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May), Summer Bank Holiday (last Monday in August), Christmas Day, and Boxing Day/St. Stephen's Day (December 26).  Even though banks are still closed on these days many shops today now remain open.

The Jubilee Weekend (Part I)

The timing of the Jubilee could not have worked out any better.  This last weekend was a four-day weekend because of the Jubilee, and it couldn’t have been better timing. 

SATURDAY: My husband, Brett, arrived on Saturday for a two-week visit, so it was very nice to have the extra time off.  Since I didn’t have anything to do on Saturday before he arrived at 6:45pm at the train station, I decided I would just walk there from my flat in the student village... in retrospect maybe not the best idea I’ve had here.  It was nice to see some new parts of Swansea.  There were some lovely houses, many decorated with Union Jack decorations, but it was a LONG walk and it doesn’t help that I have the worst sense of direction of anyone in the world, so my path ended up looking something like what is below, which according to Google Maps is about 4.5 miles.  I would suggest taking a walk some day, but maybe take a map with you!

My very long walk from the student village to the train station.

Luckily the weather was pretty good, and after killing a little time in the city center, I made it to the train station.  As I waited, I watched hundreds if not thousands of Swansea rugby fans get off the train after spending the day in Cardiff watching Wales beat the Barbarians 30-21.  I definitely would have been there if I could have.  

Photo from: WalesOnline.co.uk
(http://www.walesonline.co.uk/)

Since the Swansea train station is very small, I easily found my husband once his train arrived, and we grabbed a taxi back to my flat (there was no way I was walking any more).   We were going to go out for a little while that night, but after walking in the rain to the bus stop and waiting about 10 minutes we decided to just go across the street to the Toby Carvery for dinner (which was really good, and a LOT of food) and then call it a night.   

SUNDAY: Sunday was a rainy day, but we ventured out to the city center, and due to the rain on Saturday, Brett realized his shoes were not at all good for the rain. So we found some cheap shoes and a rugby jacket that he wanted, and enjoyed a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  Sunday evening we went back out for a pint at the Bryn Y Mor, so Brett could meet some of the wonderful people I’ve gotten to know over the past few weeks.

Fun phrases:

"Top" sort of like saying "great".

"Lush" and "Posh" means high quality, stylish, fancy.

Sunday in Swansea

I’m a little late with this entry, but better late than never, right?  So my second Sunday here I woke up and decided to go for a short “jog.”  I use that term very lightly.  You see, I tore my ACL the day before new year’s eve attempting to ski in Minnesota, and ended up having knee surgery in February.  I am supposed to be continuing my physical therapy (or physio as they say here), which I have not been doing the best job at.  So, as I was “jogging” I passed an older woman with a little dog and stopped to say hello.  She was probably about 85 years old and her name was Christine, but she said everyone called her Chris.  I thought the dog was a puppy because it was so small, but it was actually 14 years old.  It was a small Bichon named Pierre, but she said she just called it “dog.”  I had a brief conversation with Chris and she told me that she inherited “dog” was her brother who passed away.  I learned that she is from Swansea originally and lived in the neighborhood just next to the student village with her son and daughter in law.  We talked for about 20-30 minutes, and she said if I ever wanted to stop by her house I could.  As I walked away back to my flat I realized why Swansea is such a great place… the people. 

Almost every person I’ve met here is incredibly friendly.  Once people realize I’m not Welsh they all want to help me out and give me advice about what I should see.  In addition to Chris, I have also talked to a woman at the bus station while we waited for the bus.  She told me all the great places I should go to along the coast.  Even the taxi (not cab! I’ve been informed they say taxi here) drivers are friendly.  Another small friendly behavior I noticed is that everyone thanks the bus driver when getting off the bus. 

After my morning exercise, I got ready for the day and met up with some friends for “Sunday dinner” at The Woodman.  I’m not 100% sure about this yet, but from what I can tell Sunday dinner (which is actually lunch) is kind of like brunch, but no breakfast, so really just lunch (wow! that doesn’t actually make much sense, haha).  I guess I feel like it is similar to brunch because I believe restaurants often have a different menu for it.  Anyone out there able to help me out with this?

Anyway, we ate at the Woodman, which was just down the beach a little ways from the uni (see fun phrases below) and it was very good.  I actually split a seafood platter for two, and although it was good, I want to go back so that I can get the traditional Sunday dinner.  I’ll let you know how it is!  After “dinner” we walked back along the path right next to the beach to campus and had a pint at Pub On The Pond.  This is a great Pub located right next to campus.  It was beautiful out on Sunday, so we sat outside.  As the name suggests, the pub is on a little pond, and there are paddle boats shaped like dragons that I kind of want to ride in some time.  There is also a mini golf course right there as well.  Everything was packed with families since it was such a great day.

Next we went to a vintage “garage sale” which was in a bar called Whitez. It was a really cool sale and I got a nice vintage shirt (I’ll post a picture later) and ring for only £10.  Then we went upstairs and played pool for a while.  Well, the guys played pool, and I hung out with them.  We finished the day at Uplands Tavern, which is a really great old pub where Dylan Thomas, the famous poet and writer from the mid-20^th century, used to hang out and write.  We sat outside under the heat lamps and it was perfect.  Overall, a really fun Sunday!

Fun phrases:

"Uni"  First of all, college is called university, and everyone calls it “uni” for short.

"Ta" I mentioned tada, tata, and ta earlier, but I have learned that ta also means thanks.

Side note: if anyone has any corrections or additions to my fun phrases (or anything I say) please leave a comment about it below!  I’d love to hear from you :)