Year Round Showers Bring March Flowers?

So a lot has been happening lately. First of all, Thursday the 17th of March was another outdoor pursuits day. We went canoeing in the Menai Strait, between the island of Anglesey and mainland Wales, and learned some camping skills. Canoeing was really nice and peaceful and a lot of fun.  We started off just practicing in the dock and throwing balls at each other but then we went up the strait for a while. Somewhere not too far up the strait we pulled our boats in a bit up the strait and got out for lunch. We pitched a shelter because it was sprinkling and let me just say that the process was far more entertaining than it should have been. Our group never does anything the easy way. For one of the corners of the tarp we wanted to get it higher so Woody decided it was a good idea to  take this giant branch, tie the string to it, and try to poke it between two branches on the tree. Obviously that did not work out too well but Llion's, our instructor, face was hilarious as he watched Woody try this. Eventually we tied the string to a stick and threw it through the branches. It worked well.. but then... rather than tying the string around the tree they tie it to the giant branch they had tried to use earlier and used it as a weight. It worked but it was just really funny.

Our Awesome Shelter!

Riley and Amy balancing on the edges of the canoe

So after our shelter was pitched Llion taught us how to carve wood pieces so that they'll catch fire easier and let's just say that my knuckles were incredibly ungrateful and I do not see wood whittling in my future and leave it at that. We also got to play with flint and steel and light cotton balls on fire which, again, was far more entertaining than it should have been. After that we started our camp fire and ate lunch and roasted marshmallows. The marshmallows here do not taste the same.. they almost taste fruity. They also don't catch fire which worries me a little bit. Anyway, after our fun with marshmallows we were off through the woods to start our next activity: abseiling. Abseiling is that thing when people repel themselves down a wall on a rope by themselves. It was fun. One girl even decided to climb back up the cliff (in a safety harness, of course) and it was pretty impressive, especially since that cliff was slippery. Then after our abseiling adventures it was back to the dock in the canoes. On the way back we stood up in the canoes and rowed. Some of us even stood on the edges of the boat. I did it and it was terrifying and I think I sat down just in time to avoid falling in the wintery waters. And then it was back to the dorms. It was a very good day.

Tintern Abbey

The next day we set off for our weekend in Cardiff, the capital of Wales at the complete opposite side of the country. The bus ride was completely silent for the first half because one, we left at 8AM and two, it was the day after St. Patrick's day. Not everybody was in the best of shape. On the way down we rode along the border of Wales and England, stopping at a cathedral and Tintern Abbey. Tintern Abbey was absolutely gorgeous. It was a Cisterian abbey founded in 1131 with continuous additions until 1536. There is no roof and no floor, just walls. I loved it. Then an hour after that we arrived at our hostile in Cardiff. I was pleasantly surprised by our hostile. I had never been in one and I had not heard good things about them, but this one was was very nice. They gave us breakfast in the morning, they had a garden, a movie room, and 6 beds to a room, and very close to the center of the city. It really was not bad at all. We had the night to ourselves so a group of us went to go find dinner. After walking around the city for two hours trying to find Chinese food we finally gave up and ate at an Italian restaurant. It was back to the hostile after that for some chill time with the group.

We saw this tower on the way to the restaurant. It says "Brains" and is part of a brewery. It made me laugh.

Cardiff Castle

The next day we started with a tour of Cardiff Castle. There were so many different types of architecture due to the many different owners and restorations over the years. The construction began in 1081 by William the Conqueror. The most impressive renovation, however, did not happen until the middle of the 19th century. The third marquis of Bute turned part of the castle into a palace with his extravagant renovations. The are rooms painted with 24k gold, precious stones embedded in the walls, multiple different types of marble. There is a room in the palace portion of the castle that is insured for half a million pounds. It was insane! Gorgeous, but insane. After the tour of the palace we had some time to wander around the castle grounds and go into the keep. Spring is definitely here because everywhere you look you can see daffodils and they make me smile.

After our tour of the castle it was off to Millennium Stadium, the national stadium of Wales and home to the Wales national rugby union team. It is the third largest sports stadium in the UK and has a retractable roof which I thought was pretty cool. We got to see the locker rooms, the boxes, the press room, and go up into the seats. It was pretty cool. I didn't think I was going to like it too much because I don't really care for sports but it was actually kind of fun.

Garden at the Museum of Welsh Life

New Art

Then after the stadium was a visit to the Museum of Welsh Life. It had a lot of old buildings and houses from different areas of Wales and exhibitions over traditional crafts. It even had sheep! There were newborn lambs and they were adorable. And there was a really beautiful garden in front of a castle they had on the property. They also had an old supply shop that they had moved there that sold all sorts of jams, cheeses, and fudge. It was just fun to look around the place. After the museum we were dropped off in the city center to wander around for the rest of the night. I went into a couple of gift shops and then it was off to find dinner. We did end up finding a Chinese restaurant but oh, British Chinese food does not compare to American Chinese food. I think it's funny that there are differentiations between different types of Chinese food, but there you go! They are vastly different and a Chinese food restaurant will definitely be one of my first visits upon arriving back in the states. Anyways, we got our food and went back to the hostile where a lot of us played games. It was a nice night.

Lambs!

The next day we went to the National Museum of Wales where I spent most of my time in the art gallery. I discovered I really love marble statues and they just amaze me. I would love to know how people get them so smooth. Then it was back on the bus to start our journey back to Bangor. This time we drove through the middle of Wales and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was nothing but rolling green hills, some trees here and there, and, of course, sheep. I just listened to my music and looked out the window between naps on the 6 hour bus ride. All in all it was a really good trip.

Tree Outside the National Museum 

So then the next few days quickly became my least favorite days since I've been here. I had to write this dreadful paper worth half of my grade and let me just say I have never put so much effort into a paper. "For the sake of social cohesion, should material causing offense to religious adherents be suppressed?" It was awful! Thank you to all of you who helped me by reading over it and keeping me sane for the most part.

View from Holyhead Mountain

Rock Climbing

The day after I finished my paper was significantly better. We went outdoor rock climbing on Holyhead Mountain for outdoor pursuits and it was so much fun! It was really challenging but, in someways, it was also easier than indoor rock climbing. There were less things to grab but I didn't feel so weighted down and there were things you could do on the real wall that you can't do on the fake walls. There were four different sections of the wall that varied in difficulty and I got to the top of all but the second to hardest one. I felt pretty pro and I really like climbing. It was a gorgeous day in Wales, too. It was actually sunny and warm and I GOT A SUNBURN! Not one that lasted very long, it was gone by the end of the day, but still.. it was there! A sunburn in Wales, who would have thought. Then again, I am just a freckled albino so if was going to happen to anyone it here it would have been me. After we got back from class, some of the other girls and I cooked and watched movies. Sometime later in the night we also somehow got into a towel whipping fight with some of her flat mates and I don't think I have laughed so hard in a very long time. As Sheilagh and I were leaving her flat mate decided to chase us down the stairs and try and whip us again. I have a couple bruises from that night but I laughed so much it was worth it.

Belaying the climbers

And so finally we come to the end of this novel. I'm sorry this entry is so long, but so much has happened! Well, until next time!

<3 Melissa

Rockin' North Wales

So I am really enjoying my time in Wales and it has recently hit me how little time I have left here! You would think five months would feel like a long time but it is already half way over and it feels like I have only been here for a couple weeks. There is just so much left to do! But anyways... recap on the past two weeks.

Thursday, March 3rd was a trip to Mt. Tryfan with outdoor pursuits class for a little bit of mountain scrambling. That did not start off so well but it ended up being a really great day. In the beginning I felt really nauseous and really just did not want to be there. I had to stop a few times and then I felt bad for holding the group back. But I really wanted to do this activity so I pushed through it and I'm so glad I did. I felt better after about an hour and when we got to the rocky part of the mountain the fun really began. It was a blast scrambling up that mountain side and the further up we went the steeper, and more fun and dangerous, it became. There were parts that we probably should have used equipment for, but instead Llion just stood on the ledges helping us around making sure we wouldn't fall. I've always loved climbing things and I think that if I lived in a mountainous area I would definitely be doing this often. When we got to the summit of the mountain (3010 ft.) we took a break and ate our lunches. Then after lunch we had the option of jumping between the Adam and Eve rocks. These rocks at the top of the mountain are about 7-8 ft tall and 5 ft apart. Doesn't sound so scary, right? Well it wouldn't be if there wasn't sudden death/ maiming on 3 of the 4 sides surround the jump. Luckily the rocks are big and flat so it wasn't that hard. Then after that began my least favorite part of mountain hikes... going down. You would think that most people would hate going up and welcome coming down but I am completely the other way around. I am so clumsy, the mountains are steep, and gravity is not working in your favor. When I was coming down I took my sweet time and I am not ashamed. When we were coming down we saw a rescue helicopter but it was just going up in down in the same place over the mountain. Then our instructor told us that his friend was actually training Prince William in the helicopter so that was pretty cool. All in all awesome day.

Then that weekend was a double birthday weekend for two of the guys in the program. They got plastered for their 21st birthdays and then we all went out for karaoke and that was a riot. Screaming "Poker Face" and "All the Small Things" into a microphone is just pure entertainment in my opinion. Then we headed off to a pub and I called it a night soon after we got there.

That next week we had phenomenal weather and I took the sunshine-filled opportunity to do a lot of walking and jogging with Amy. More walking than jogging because of all of the different forms of exercise, running would have to be my least favorite. I like dancing, swimming, biking.. heck through me on the elliptical machine for a couple hours.. but I hate running. I really enjoy walking here, though, especially when the weather is nice.

Then this past Thursday was another outdoor pursuits class. It was bad weather so we did indoor rock climbing which was fun. It was like a jungle gym for adults... with ropes and harnesses. It was probably the most chill of the the outdoor pursuits activities we've had so far but I enjoyed it. Lauren (another girl in the program) and I were being so incredibly goofy the entire time, bursting out into song (theme song of the day was "Free Fallin'"... you have to love the irony. It was a blast.

Saturday I revisited Llandudno with some of the girls and it was ok. There was not a whole bunch to do, just walking around. However, at the end of April the town apparently turns into a giant Victorian fair and I will definitely be going. It looks like so much fun from the pictures! I wonder if I can find a costume anywhere...

Chillin' on Llandudno Pier 

Sunday was another field trip. This time we went to Harlech Castle and ended up playing an epic game of hide and seek. Me and one of the guys found a hole in the wall that actually led to a tunnel and we hid in there. Pretty awesome hiding spot but we were found. After the castle we went to a town called Portmerion which is an Italian style village on the coast of North Wales. The architect had the idea that architecture could actually enhance the beauty of the natural landscape of done properly and I think he might have accomplished his goal because it was absolutely gorgeous and I am not one for buildings usually. The buildings were all different colors and there were a lot of arches. The buildings were very artfully placed too so that the village looked like it belonged there. It was beautiful and I took far too many pictures. On the way back to Bangor we stopped by the folk-tale site of Gelert's grave. Gelert was the dog of a Prince who was left to watch the baby. When the lord returned there was blood all over the house and he did not see his baby so he rushed to conclusions and slew the dog on site. Then he heard the baby cry and when he went to the baby he saw a dead wolf on the ground. The prince was filled with remorse and gave the dog an honored burial. Poor Gelert. Then after that we stopped by the Snowdon Horseshoe, which is the range surrounding Snowdon, just to see it and then it was back to Bangor.

Monday night I planned my Easter break trip with one of the other girls and we will be going to the Greek Island of Corfu! I can't believe the great deals I was able to find! The whole trip is going to cost around 230 pounds. Not bad for a week on a Greek Island if I say so myself. I can't wait! Our hostel is right on the beach and they give us breakfast and a traditional Greek dinner every day. We are going to have an amazing time and I might even get to wear shorts! The weather says it will be round 65 degrees Fahrenheit which is 20 degrees warmer than Wales so bring it! Shorts, the beach, sun shine! AHHH!

This weekend we are heading to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, for 3 days and it is sure to be fun. We will be staying in a hostile and I will be eating a lot of peanut butter sandwiches. There will also be shopping as souvenirs should be able to find in a big city and one of my best friend's birthday is coming up. So excited for real stores! Bangor is cute in its quaintness but the shopping is severely lacking so this is great! But this trip could not come at a worse time because I have a major assignment due next week. The one downside to the UK system is their assignments. Yes, you have no homework and very few tests but it also means that each of those things are weighted very heavily. I have an essay due next week worth half of my grade in the class. If you know me then you know that the fact I started this essay more than a week before it is due shows how much it scares me. But I will prevail if I have to live in this library for the next week! I actually quite like the library. The windows are huge so there is a lot of natural light which I absolutely love. Well, until next time!

<3 Melissa

Conquering the Elements

You can even see one of the guys standing on the board in the background!

It's been two weeks since my last post and I have a lot to share! First of all, Thursday February 17th I did something I never thought I would do. I went surfing! And when I say surfing I mean I got to my knees on a nice, non-threatening sized wave... but hey! Standing is next! And yes, the water is exactly how you expect it to be in the middle of February in North Wales. Lucky for me they have these things called winter wet suits that kept me from getting hypothermia. The way they work is that they actually trap water in the fabric of the suit and use your body heat to warm it up, so I was actually very comfortable in the icy ocean. Well, except for my feet and hands. The hands weren't covered and the boots were no help. I could not feel my feet for a good while after we were done and it took a 15 minute hot shower to regain full feeling. But I would do it all again in a heart beat. It was exhilarating! We were in the water for about two hours, took a break for lunch, and then attempted to head back out but the waves died so we left. Changing out of the wet suits on the side of the road was fun... or something. The girls ended up changing in the trailer taking turns holding towels over the opening and the guys changed in the van. Wet suits are tight and there was much clumsiness. I was sad to leave and believe you me, had we had more time I think I could have stood on the board! Two of the guys in my outdoor pursuits class actually managed to stand on the boards so kudos to them! It is definitely something I am going to try again some day because it was a blast.

Long Way Down...

Then that Saturday, February 19th, I climbed to the summit of two mountains (Pen yr Ole Wen & Carnedd Dafydd) with Bangor University's mountain walking club. How cool of a club is that?! Started off the day pretty light with just walking around the edge of the lake but if you're gonna climb to the top of the mountain you do eventually have to go up. So we started up the marshy mountain side. Walking up the marshy part was honestly more difficult than climbing up the steep, rocky part. Climbing up the rocky part was actually my favorite part of the climb! I was so glad I decided to go because it was just beautiful. There were small streams and waterfalls everywhere. As we got closer to the top we were actually in the clouds! It was amazing. I mean, obviously it blocked the view.. but we were INSIDE a cloud. I thought it was cool. Also as we climbed higher we came upon snow. Not so bad. I feel I dealt with the snow pretty well for a Texan... at least climbing up. We spent some time at the top of the mountain before beginning our descent which was.. interesting. If you ever want to work on your balance and reflexes just try to walk down the snowy side of a mountain. I think I fell a total of five times and slid down some of the way on my imaginary skate board. Note to self- wear gloves. My hands in the snow felt like daggers! But it was so worth it! As we walked along the river back to the bus the sun was setting and we were in this absolutely gorgeous field in the valley. Towards the end we even got close to some sheep and a really friendly horse who I took a few minutes to say hello to. I cannot imagine a more beautiful place. After we got back I and two of the other Central Abroad students, Molly and Shawn, made tacos and called it a night. It was an awesome day.

So as of late I've decided I should get out a bit more because I realized I did not actually know that many people outside of our American group so I decided to check out dance society. I used to do some dance in high school and loved it so I thought this would be fun. On Tuesday February 22nd I tried out the jazz class and was not too crazy about it. On Wednesday, however, I tried out the contemporary dance class and absolutely loved it and will definitely be doing it again. I also tried out street, just for giggles, and let's just say it's not my thing. It was fun to try though! We did not have Outdoor Pursuits that week because Anglesey, the island that the class is taught on, had some kind of school holiday.

Yes, it is possible to pronounce.

Speaking of Anglesey, this past Saturday (February 26th) was our tour of Anglesey field trip. We started out at the place with the longest name in the UK and one of the longest in the world. This town has nothing really special about it except it's name and it's name was in fact created to attract tourists in the 19th century.

Foyl and the lighthouse

Next was the Anglesey lighthouse. From the beach you can also see Puffin Island which used to be covered with puffins until rats were introduced to the island. But the rat population has been decreased and the puffins reintroduced so here's hoping they make their comeback! Tecwyn brought his dog Foyl on the trip and that made the trip so much more awesome. I absolutely love dogs and Foyl is adorable and so playful! Then we stopped by a Holy well and an old dove coup. There were some wild daffodils popping up all around and it made me smile. Spring is coming! And then after that was Beaumaris Castle. It has a moat! That was exciting. I had a lot of fun wandering around inside the castle. The way they built it is actually very clever in that you enter the courtyard on one end but you have to go all the way around the castle to actually get inside. Good protection strategy I think. So that was fun. We wandered around the town after that, heading down to the pier and into a souvenir shop and then it was back on the bus to the Marquess of Anglesey's Column. We climbed 115 spiral steps to get to the top and boy was the view worth the disorientation! Everything was so green and I could see the Menai straight. It was just gorgeous. But the best was yet to come.

View from the Marquess' Column

Wild Daffodils :-)

Llanddwyn Beach

Next was Llanddwyn beach and that place just simply filled my heart with joy. I had missed the beach so incredibly much and I was so happy to be there. We walked along the entire beach to see two light houses at the end and a giant Celtic cross. On the way we encountered some wild ponies! They were just standing there completely oblivious and apathetic towards our existence, but they still made me smile. When we reached the light houses I ended up climbing around on the rocks down by the beach and that was a lot of fun. I could feel the mist from the ocean and it was sheer bliss. I did not want to leave and fully intend on taking a bus back sometime soon. On the way back to the bus some of us picked up some sea shells. There were a ton of these really pretty blue ones and I grabbed a couple. Then when we were waiting for the rest of the group we saw this family making giant bubbles with two sticks and a piece of string called "dragon bubbles". I don't know if I was just really tired or something by then or if they were just that awesome but I thought it was incredibly cool and really wanted to try. Oh yay for the inner child and may mine never die. All in all it was one of my favorite days since I've been in Wales.

Wild Ponies!

Today (March 2nd) I had my first exam which marked the completion of my 5-week Brain and Mind course. The test was not as bad as I thought but leading up to it was a little terrifying as it is worth our entire grade for the class and I had no idea what to expect. But I survived and got free pizza from Domino's (yes we have a Domino's here. Weird, right?) with some of the other girls in the class. Woo hoo for free dinner! Tomorrow I am supposed to be climbing another mountain with my Outdoor Pursuits class and I'm super excited to get back into the mountains! Well, until next time!

<3 Melissa