Before the fog overtakes me....

Day 4 -- Friday.

Gasoline protests on the main highways -- small herd of lorries (i think this means big trucks....maybe 18-wheelers?) and other cars drove 15 mph all day in protest of high prices. Regular gasoline is 93-ish pence per litre -- my calculation is that this is nearly $8.00 a gallon! eek! Yet another reason not to be overeager to drive backwards anytime soon.

Since Susan went to Oxford for the day, I toodled about and found all sorts of lovely second-hand shops to look for necessary house items. Bought four books. oops :) Tried to open bank account without success -- apparently they don't believe me that I actually live here. Must figure out way to prove this.

Went on huge sanitation spree in room before discovering a small biosystem in the filter area of vacuum. ick. Cleaner (noun) is now cleaner (adjective)!

Met landlord, who was rather alarmed that I was painting a lampshade blue in the kitchen. Until I explained that it was actually mine from an earlier purchase :)

Susan returned just in time to leave with Omar, Maurizio and me for a dinner party with some friends of theirs! This turned out to be quite international -- 2 Chinese (Tommy and Clare), 2 Italians (Omar and Maurizio), 3 Americans (Jeff, Susan, moi), and 1 Brit (Andrew -- from Cornwall). Lateness was blamed on the Americans, since it is usually apparently blamed on the Italians. But lateness was nothing to the fact that the proper food wasn't ready until 10.30! Gnawing hand off!

Group insistence that Susan and I not flake out at 12.30, when dinner party through. Walked downtown for short outing, which turned into long outing. Our leaders, who have been here longer, were quite disappointed that we didn't get to see any fights -- this is apparently a regular Cardiff occurrence. hmmmm. :) Don't worry, y'all -- won't be fighting with random Welsh people.