First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
"Michelle, this party sucks."
"Yeah ... let's go for a walk."
"Where?"
"The beach? We'll get Shanu & Raza to go with us."
"OK! Can we play in the ocean???"
"Um ... sure?"
So off we go. Michelle, Shanu, Raza, & me. The international student party was certainly not the happening place tonight when we were there, so we opted out & went for a walk ... along the ocean ... at 10pm.
It's probably the coldest night we've had in Swansea - I was in a jacket over my tank top (Michelle made me get dressed up) & I was wearing the furry boots I bought the other day. Once we stumbled our way through the trees & on to the beach, I convinced Michelle to rid ourselves of shoes & socks, roll up the pants, & run into the ocean. It was COLD! But it was SO much fun. Raza even took his shoes off & played. Shanu just shook his head. Granted, he had seen our childish antics all day today because we found a park with an awesome playground & most certainly played like 6-year-olds. So yeah ... I got to play in the ocean finally. And see the lights at night, which were gorgeous ... & listen to the waves crash on the beach.
Then we came back & had tea because we were so cold & Raza cooked a midnight snack!
Oh & for those of you wondering about the House Meeting - I had to lead it because I was the "diplomatic American" of the group. But I think everything has been solved, though I need to talk to the superintendent about our crappy fridge that is currently at 12 degrees C, which is too hot for a fridge we think!
Anyway, it's really late & I need to clean off my bed. I'm sure I will have more stories later!
27 October 2006
25 October 2006
East versus West
Am I re-living the American Civil War? Or maybe I'm in West Side Story? Better yet! The Real World! Regardless, house division has occurred and a mandatory "House Meeting" has been set for tomorrow evening.
What happened?!, you ask. Well ... let me tell you!
This has all been brewing for quite some time now. Freddy (German) & I have mentioned on numerous occasions that we needed to call a House Meeting just to establish some general rules, but we were lazy & never got around to it. Nothing "bad" had happened that constituted getting all 8 of us together until this evening.
Jordan (Canadian) & I were in the kitchen, happily eating our supper, when Freddy & his girlfriend Barbara (also German) came in to fix dinner. Jordan & I were enjoying our "delicious" meals, while Freddy & Barbara prepared their own. Ayan (Chinese) bustled in, shoved Freddy out of her way, & did whatever. (This is comical as Freddy is 6'7 & Ayan is shorter than me!) Freddy nicely told her that had she asked him to move, he would have - our kitchen is very small & even when Freddy & I are the only ones in it, we still bump into one another. Out of nowhere, Ayan goes off. Now, her English, I must say, is not very good & can often times be difficult to understand. Well, the words we all needed to really understand was "I hate you. I hate you. (door opening, slamming, opening, slamming, locking)" Yup, I think I'm living in "The Real World."
Ravi (Canadian/Indian) comes out of his room, which is next to Ayan's, & just looks puzzled. We explain that the "uncivilzed one," which is what he calls her, was throwing a temper tantrum. Matt (CA) comes out of his room & just rolls his eyes.
Ayan eventually comes out while we are all in the kitchen cooking, talking, doing whatever. She bangs in, picks up a chair that she bangs against the wall, sets roughly down on the floor in the kitchen to get to the plates, takes her plate out (which someone had put there by mistakes), shoves it in her drawer, slams the drawer, picks chair up again, brusquely moves it back, & stomps to her room. Yes, she may have just turned 23, but our only child from a wealthy Chinese family has a temper & certainly acts the part of a pampered 2-year-old. (And you all thought I was spoiled!)
That all occurs ... we are all sitting around the dinner table, chatting. We decide we need a House Meeting tomorrow night to address various issues (i.e. General House Rules, Cleaning, Kitchen/Bathroom Maintenance). These, sadly enough, will be addressed towards Ayan as she has been the worst about not shutting the fridge/freezer doors completely (why we had to throw out 95% of our food the other day because it had spoiled), does not clean up after herself, does her laundry in the bathtub & gets water everywhere, & never cleans the shower drain of her hair.
Yesterday at lunch, Freddy, Barbara, & I decided thatwe should govern our house like Survivor - each week we can kick off those we do not like. Needless to say, it would become a Western Culture household of no more than 6 people.
But we aren't on Survivor & we can't kick people off. So Freddy, christianed the Dictator, will have to be diplomatic tomorrow night & we will all have to compromise. Let's hope it works -
What happened?!, you ask. Well ... let me tell you!
This has all been brewing for quite some time now. Freddy (German) & I have mentioned on numerous occasions that we needed to call a House Meeting just to establish some general rules, but we were lazy & never got around to it. Nothing "bad" had happened that constituted getting all 8 of us together until this evening.
Jordan (Canadian) & I were in the kitchen, happily eating our supper, when Freddy & his girlfriend Barbara (also German) came in to fix dinner. Jordan & I were enjoying our "delicious" meals, while Freddy & Barbara prepared their own. Ayan (Chinese) bustled in, shoved Freddy out of her way, & did whatever. (This is comical as Freddy is 6'7 & Ayan is shorter than me!) Freddy nicely told her that had she asked him to move, he would have - our kitchen is very small & even when Freddy & I are the only ones in it, we still bump into one another. Out of nowhere, Ayan goes off. Now, her English, I must say, is not very good & can often times be difficult to understand. Well, the words we all needed to really understand was "I hate you. I hate you. (door opening, slamming, opening, slamming, locking)" Yup, I think I'm living in "The Real World."
Ravi (Canadian/Indian) comes out of his room, which is next to Ayan's, & just looks puzzled. We explain that the "uncivilzed one," which is what he calls her, was throwing a temper tantrum. Matt (CA) comes out of his room & just rolls his eyes.
Ayan eventually comes out while we are all in the kitchen cooking, talking, doing whatever. She bangs in, picks up a chair that she bangs against the wall, sets roughly down on the floor in the kitchen to get to the plates, takes her plate out (which someone had put there by mistakes), shoves it in her drawer, slams the drawer, picks chair up again, brusquely moves it back, & stomps to her room. Yes, she may have just turned 23, but our only child from a wealthy Chinese family has a temper & certainly acts the part of a pampered 2-year-old. (And you all thought I was spoiled!)
That all occurs ... we are all sitting around the dinner table, chatting. We decide we need a House Meeting tomorrow night to address various issues (i.e. General House Rules, Cleaning, Kitchen/Bathroom Maintenance). These, sadly enough, will be addressed towards Ayan as she has been the worst about not shutting the fridge/freezer doors completely (why we had to throw out 95% of our food the other day because it had spoiled), does not clean up after herself, does her laundry in the bathtub & gets water everywhere, & never cleans the shower drain of her hair.
Yesterday at lunch, Freddy, Barbara, & I decided thatwe should govern our house like Survivor - each week we can kick off those we do not like. Needless to say, it would become a Western Culture household of no more than 6 people.
But we aren't on Survivor & we can't kick people off. So Freddy, christianed the Dictator, will have to be diplomatic tomorrow night & we will all have to compromise. Let's hope it works -
23 October 2006
Some Quotes
For those of you keeping up with my studies, you know that I have to read Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" by Tuesday's class. Well, I FINALLY finished the 242-page tract at midnight last night. It's a dry read - something I would not wish on anyone. But there were some comments she made that I had to share because I find them interesting and a little but true. :-)
On Fashion - "An air of fashion, which is but a badge of slavery, and proves that the soul has not a strong individual character, awes simple country people into an imitation of the vices, when they canot catch the slippery graces of politeness."
On Friendship - "Friendship is a serious affection; the most sublime of all affections because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time."
On Love - "The lively heated imagination ... draws the picture of love, as it draws every other picture, with those flowing colours ... ever pursuing what it acknowledges to be a fleeting dream."
On Fashion - "An air of fashion, which is but a badge of slavery, and proves that the soul has not a strong individual character, awes simple country people into an imitation of the vices, when they canot catch the slippery graces of politeness."
On Friendship - "Friendship is a serious affection; the most sublime of all affections because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time."
On Love - "The lively heated imagination ... draws the picture of love, as it draws every other picture, with those flowing colours ... ever pursuing what it acknowledges to be a fleeting dream."
20 October 2006
Let's Talk About ...?
Love?
Yup, let's talk about love. Very strange coming from me, eh? Well, when you get around Michelle's housemates, you never know WHAT topic of conversation comes up & some how we got on the topic of love (probably because everyone in Michelle's house (& my own) has a significant other & Michelle & I don't.
So, we're sitting in the kitchen at Michelle's after a delicious dinner of spaghetti that we made for everyone. We'd just cleaned up & Raza (from Pakistan) tells Michelle he wants her to listen to a song he had on his phone. Now, first and foremost, you must all know that Michelle has a very romantic group of guys (5 of them actually) that she shares a house with and you never know what they are going to say or suggest (i.e. one suggested we go to the beach at midnight to listen to the waves crash against the rocks, but we never did make it). So these guys are hopeless romantics. Yes, for all of you American women reading this - there is hope for the guys! You just have to go to Europe & Asia to find them!
Continuing ... so we listen to the song and it is very romantic and beautiful (and I would love to get the sheet music for piano for it!). Then I turn to Michelle and say "Ya know? An American guy would NEVER in a million years ask a girl to listen to a romantic song that he had on his phone." Her reply - "You're right!" Well, of course I'm right because we've been discussing the lack of US male emotion for quite some time (her guys do not understand that our guys will not open up).
So Shanu (from India), Raza, Haras (Raza's brother), and Jemia (female, from Nigeria) are floored by my statement. They look at me as if I had just grown another head. Maybe I had, who knows? So Michelle and I had to explain how relationships, romance, and love worked in the US. Now, granted you are asking probably the 2 most cynical females to explain this and our view is very skewed, but that's what they got.
First Jemia had to ask if we had ever been in a relationship with a guy - now her conception of relationship is completely different than our conception. She means having dated for a long time (Michelle's longest was 3 months, clearly NOT an actual relationship) and you had to have told the guy you loved them. Well, Michelle and I do not utter that word unless we mean it. And Jemia could not even conceive of that. She told us that if you are in a relationship, then you love that person. We explained to her that, no, we like that person, and maybe we love that person ... but we had never gotten beyond the like stage. Maybe that's why Michelle's longest relationship only lasted 3 months?
We then told them that American women, at least in our experience with our friends, are not always open with their feelings. So we had to give an example and since I was sitting next to Shanu, I got to be the example. Essentially, we claimed, if I liked Shanu I probably would not tell him. I would go tell Michelle and my other friends and then I might tell him. Given my (and Michelle's) personality type, I would not walk up to Shanu and tell him that I wanted to date him. Shanu looked at us in horror! He could not believe it! He says that if he liked me, he would come tell me. Simple as that. Well, now it is the American's turn to look at him in horror!! Oh, you would never do that in the States! And very rarely does a guy do that!
So Michelle and I got the bright idea that some time next week, she is going to go knock on Shianu's door late at night and tell him that she has to be with him, that she has hidden her true feelings for him and that she loves him. We'll see what he has to say then ...
Her housemates could not believe that Americans are not really that romantic - we don't suggest going to the beach at midnight to hear the ocean. We don't SHARE our dream dates (which, by the way, are very interesting to hear! One wants a candlelit dinner on the beach followed by slowdancing at the house; another wants to go to dinner and then ride off on his motorcycle with the girl behind him) as openly as they do - girls do whenever they have a girls' night out maybe.
But really? How often do 4 guys (Moos from Turkey wasn't here the evening we discussed love) sit around a table with 3 girls and tell their dream dates? And how do you think the 2 Americans in the group felt?? Caught completely off guard!
So, American ladies - there is hope. If you want to find a guy willing to talk about romance and love, come visit Swansea and you can meet Michelle's housemates or just visit Europe. Apparently we've got some hopeless romantics out there.
So, let's talk about life; let's talk about food (our favorite topic); but most of all, let's talk about love. Whatever guys. :-)
Yup, let's talk about love. Very strange coming from me, eh? Well, when you get around Michelle's housemates, you never know WHAT topic of conversation comes up & some how we got on the topic of love (probably because everyone in Michelle's house (& my own) has a significant other & Michelle & I don't.
So, we're sitting in the kitchen at Michelle's after a delicious dinner of spaghetti that we made for everyone. We'd just cleaned up & Raza (from Pakistan) tells Michelle he wants her to listen to a song he had on his phone. Now, first and foremost, you must all know that Michelle has a very romantic group of guys (5 of them actually) that she shares a house with and you never know what they are going to say or suggest (i.e. one suggested we go to the beach at midnight to listen to the waves crash against the rocks, but we never did make it). So these guys are hopeless romantics. Yes, for all of you American women reading this - there is hope for the guys! You just have to go to Europe & Asia to find them!
Continuing ... so we listen to the song and it is very romantic and beautiful (and I would love to get the sheet music for piano for it!). Then I turn to Michelle and say "Ya know? An American guy would NEVER in a million years ask a girl to listen to a romantic song that he had on his phone." Her reply - "You're right!" Well, of course I'm right because we've been discussing the lack of US male emotion for quite some time (her guys do not understand that our guys will not open up).
So Shanu (from India), Raza, Haras (Raza's brother), and Jemia (female, from Nigeria) are floored by my statement. They look at me as if I had just grown another head. Maybe I had, who knows? So Michelle and I had to explain how relationships, romance, and love worked in the US. Now, granted you are asking probably the 2 most cynical females to explain this and our view is very skewed, but that's what they got.
First Jemia had to ask if we had ever been in a relationship with a guy - now her conception of relationship is completely different than our conception. She means having dated for a long time (Michelle's longest was 3 months, clearly NOT an actual relationship) and you had to have told the guy you loved them. Well, Michelle and I do not utter that word unless we mean it. And Jemia could not even conceive of that. She told us that if you are in a relationship, then you love that person. We explained to her that, no, we like that person, and maybe we love that person ... but we had never gotten beyond the like stage. Maybe that's why Michelle's longest relationship only lasted 3 months?
We then told them that American women, at least in our experience with our friends, are not always open with their feelings. So we had to give an example and since I was sitting next to Shanu, I got to be the example. Essentially, we claimed, if I liked Shanu I probably would not tell him. I would go tell Michelle and my other friends and then I might tell him. Given my (and Michelle's) personality type, I would not walk up to Shanu and tell him that I wanted to date him. Shanu looked at us in horror! He could not believe it! He says that if he liked me, he would come tell me. Simple as that. Well, now it is the American's turn to look at him in horror!! Oh, you would never do that in the States! And very rarely does a guy do that!
So Michelle and I got the bright idea that some time next week, she is going to go knock on Shianu's door late at night and tell him that she has to be with him, that she has hidden her true feelings for him and that she loves him. We'll see what he has to say then ...
Her housemates could not believe that Americans are not really that romantic - we don't suggest going to the beach at midnight to hear the ocean. We don't SHARE our dream dates (which, by the way, are very interesting to hear! One wants a candlelit dinner on the beach followed by slowdancing at the house; another wants to go to dinner and then ride off on his motorcycle with the girl behind him) as openly as they do - girls do whenever they have a girls' night out maybe.
But really? How often do 4 guys (Moos from Turkey wasn't here the evening we discussed love) sit around a table with 3 girls and tell their dream dates? And how do you think the 2 Americans in the group felt?? Caught completely off guard!
So, American ladies - there is hope. If you want to find a guy willing to talk about romance and love, come visit Swansea and you can meet Michelle's housemates or just visit Europe. Apparently we've got some hopeless romantics out there.
So, let's talk about life; let's talk about food (our favorite topic); but most of all, let's talk about love. Whatever guys. :-)
17 October 2006
Mumbles
Went to the Mumbles Friday. Now don't ask me how it got its name. Rachel & Denise (from England) decided that when you say it in Welsh (don't ask 'cause I don't know) then it sounds like someone mumbling. Now how much truth is in that, I have no clue! But anyway, Rachel (MA in History), Denise (MA in Translation), Thomas (from Germany, MA in History I think), Michelle, & I headed off on our 4.4km walk to the Mumbles.
Now the Mumbles is actually very gorgeous - much prettier than Swansea, but we would never tell that to a native! My favorite part of the Mumbles is the lighthouse at the end of the little spit. Oh yeah ... & Verdi's, the Italian restaurant that serves DELICIOUS ice cream. (I would know because I had the choclate & marshmallow creme sundae with hot chocolate. Yes, very tasty despite the small miniscule dent in the pocketbook.) To give you an idea of what Mumbles looks like, I took some photos.
Now, remember I am sitting down on the bench with Michelle 'cause my feet hurt from walking.
Here is what Swansea looks like from the Mumbles.
And this is looking out from the Mumbles at the boats. I was jealous 'cause they were on the water & I was not!
So yes, that was our exciting trip to the Mumbles. And you had better believe that we took the bus back to campus!
Sunday I went to an Anglican Church. Alice, from French housemate, sings in the choir there, so Michelle & I went along, thinking it was a Catholic Church & of course to support Alice. Well, we met an archeology professor in the Classics department. David was super nice & his wife Caroline was a pleasure as well. They actually gave us a ride to the university so we wouldn't have to walk! We insisted we could cut through Singleton Park if they just gave us directions, but they were more than pleased to give us a lift. And if we had wanted to come back to Hendrefoelan, another parishionner offered us a ride. And we met a lady who was 100-years-old & she looked like she was in her late 70s! It's crazy! Oh, AND the parrish gave us food! It was fabulous & now I feel bad because I don't plan on going back there since they aren't Catholic. Though I guess I could 'cause Anglican is Catholic with divorce. :-)
Nothing exciting planned this weekend. Freddy's birthday is Oct. 21, so maybe we'll do something for him. Or Michelle & I talked about getting everyone together to go to dinner & that's really cheap pizza buffet place & then go to a movie ... or maybe we'll go eat Mexican 'cause we found a really tasty looking Mexican restaurant in town & we've been craving some tacos! We'll see ... who knows!!
Now the Mumbles is actually very gorgeous - much prettier than Swansea, but we would never tell that to a native! My favorite part of the Mumbles is the lighthouse at the end of the little spit. Oh yeah ... & Verdi's, the Italian restaurant that serves DELICIOUS ice cream. (I would know because I had the choclate & marshmallow creme sundae with hot chocolate. Yes, very tasty despite the small miniscule dent in the pocketbook.) To give you an idea of what Mumbles looks like, I took some photos.
Now, remember I am sitting down on the bench with Michelle 'cause my feet hurt from walking.
Here is what Swansea looks like from the Mumbles.
And this is looking out from the Mumbles at the boats. I was jealous 'cause they were on the water & I was not!
So yes, that was our exciting trip to the Mumbles. And you had better believe that we took the bus back to campus!
Sunday I went to an Anglican Church. Alice, from French housemate, sings in the choir there, so Michelle & I went along, thinking it was a Catholic Church & of course to support Alice. Well, we met an archeology professor in the Classics department. David was super nice & his wife Caroline was a pleasure as well. They actually gave us a ride to the university so we wouldn't have to walk! We insisted we could cut through Singleton Park if they just gave us directions, but they were more than pleased to give us a lift. And if we had wanted to come back to Hendrefoelan, another parishionner offered us a ride. And we met a lady who was 100-years-old & she looked like she was in her late 70s! It's crazy! Oh, AND the parrish gave us food! It was fabulous & now I feel bad because I don't plan on going back there since they aren't Catholic. Though I guess I could 'cause Anglican is Catholic with divorce. :-)
Nothing exciting planned this weekend. Freddy's birthday is Oct. 21, so maybe we'll do something for him. Or Michelle & I talked about getting everyone together to go to dinner & that's really cheap pizza buffet place & then go to a movie ... or maybe we'll go eat Mexican 'cause we found a really tasty looking Mexican restaurant in town & we've been craving some tacos! We'll see ... who knows!!
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