Bonnie Blue in Wales

The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity. -- Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951)

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Spring forward

Except for when you are unaware of the pending time change and therefore are alarmed by the church bells ringing in the end point of the service pattern just as you are about to walk outside. So, you take your shoes off and make yourself a nice cuppa tea.

Tip of the day (thanks to Paul): a pint of Guinness a day is good for your heart! Thank goodness I'm going to Dublin next weekend!

********
Rainy afternoon:
In true Coen Brothers fashion, Romance and Cigarettes flaps about in an absolutely charmingly schitzophrenic manner, quite over the top, but reaches a heart-wrenching human depth that is unusual. Even people with strange aversions to musical infiltration into storylines would have to admit slight amusement at the mockery of 'traditional' musical style. I loved it. Hiroko needs to see it with subtitles as she was left a bit befuddled by the story. Beautiful colors, camera angles. Kate Winslet's underwater sequence is lovely and poignant. And Christopher Walken as a left-over Elvis fan is outrageously and hysterically unexpected.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Grandpa Ralph

Ralph F. Hoffmeyer
d. 23 March 2006, 95 years of age.

A true, generous and lovely man I feel fortunate to have had in my family. Finally at peace.

O Father of all,
We pray to thee for those we love,
But now no longer see.
Grant them thy peace;
Let light perpetual shine upon them;
And in thy loving wisdom and almighty power
Work in them the good purpose
Of thy perfect will.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Happy Birthday, Fabiana!

Just in case Judith should be concerned about behaviour (as she generally worries about ladylike appearances)... Edith Piaf was playing a significant part of the time -- really, it was all quite tame :)

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Cognition

OMLGIH -- I got it!!!!!

'The Relation of Field Independence to Grapho-phonemic Awareness and Spelling Ability'!

This is the preliminary title to my dissertation, which was selected by the Board of Studies from the two proposals we each had to submit. My other submission was 'An Investigation into National Stereotypes as Perpetuated by Selected UK and US Print Media: A Corpus-based Study.'

Excellent! Now, shall proceed to bore all of my friends with endless monologues on cognition and perception and dimensionality and M.C. Escher. Or continue to bore, as the case may be.

To demonstrate Hobbit Hole atmosphere and superlative attitudes of myself and Georgia the Greek, this (to R) is how excited we are about French's Mustard and Peter Pan PB on the same day we got topics we wanted. (G. has a thing for American mustard. Totally.)

Georgia's topic is: 'Comparison of Receptive and Productive Skills in Second Language Teaching.'

More good news:
Mimi has had her TRIPLETS!!!! (and they are quite precious and tiny!)
Eloise received her 'I'm figna VOMICK' bib in the post.
Paul's mum had her final radiation treatment.
Today is Fabiana's birthday!
(why is it always the boys you don't like who show up on your doorstep to surprise you the day before your birthday? well, i wouldn't know; but Fa is being slighty vexed by high Mediterranean passion. hee hee. Hiroko has also cunningly hidden chocolate for F. throughout the house and i keep finding them and know where several are that she hasn't found yet.)
Bus driver yesterday told me that since my reservation number was #1, i could be his #1 any time, love. (this did make me 'turn that frown upside down', i must admit)
Therese and Paul's sister shared fame over the weekend!

One proviso of this excessive jubilation that has been lurking on the sidelines of our minds, and which i do not think have mentioned already, is the question of whether we actually get to proceed to the Master's level if our work is not assessed. One of our professors is a major player in the strike action faculty are taking at the moment. The Independent has an article about the potential for problems, although it is not overly interesting. This means that none of the work we have turned in so far is being assessed, and if not resolved before the end of the semester, none of it will be. However, there is a rumor of 'someone on campus' who is paid to do emergency assessments should enough outcry of an uncertain type be heard after some indefinite date.

Could the postman possibly?

...BANG any harder on the door? Every time, it is like he is either attempting to be heard in the deepest depths of Middle Earth or launching a battering ram into the door.

But, these brief moments of heart-stopping alarm quickly turn to a flurry of Hobbit excitement because it means Pressies!

Sweet Ginger Clarke (my Rotary counselor from Shreveport) has sent me a lovely package of Louisiana food products AND (most importantly since the last jar was scraped on Thursday last) Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter! THANK YOU for a great cheering addition to day!!!

******
Note of Caution: if a large amount of cayenne pepper (from Tony Chachere's Shrimp and Crab Boil) has leaked into a box which one is opening, it makes you sneeze and cough.

Second NoC: cayenne pepper is not so easy to get rid of... therefore, even if one has washed one's hands, it is best to avoid rubbing one's eyes. (big shock, i know)

******
It is a sunny Winds-day in Cardiff.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Kobenhavn

It is super-fabulous to find a book of Colinette knitting patterns awaiting one upon arrival home from a trip. Esp. when one has some yarn from said trip! (see below for thrilling details.)

Now, Paul. And Lisa. Don't be ridiculous. Of course, I have not disappeared due to the fading of the last freckle. (And, I did NOT eat an entire jar of marshmallow fluff. yeeuuuggg.) Can't a person go toodling off to find some interesting cemetaries? I miiiiiiiiissssss you all, too! (sort of) (mostly)
"Well, it had been 987 years in outer space time when I got back, Couldn't seem to find any of my friends to tell all of my interesting stories to..."

Yes, it is I, Mo-Dean.


Anyhoo, made my first venture out of the UK this weekend! They do not serve green beverages in Denmark even if it is an Irish saint's day. Alas, and alack. But their beverages are tasty nonetheless.

After many months of 'fruitless' searching, the Cardiff Elf reappeared for St. Patrick's Day in apparent jubilation for my having turned in two dissertation proposals AND my paper one whole day early! Then...

Journey began with two cancelled trains from Cardiff Central (which put me in a lovely calm and collected mood; this after I had decided to forego the already purchased bus ticket out of concern for making my plane from Stansted, because the train would be quicker and more dependable.). Train was delayed in Reading for a while while police apprehended some bothersome person from another carriage. By this point, was in state of consternation. But fortune smiled upon me (and common sense) and even my bamboo knitting needles made it through security in plenty of time for me to eat the dullest sandwich ever made by Pret a Manger (generally, i like their food, especially those shortbread/caramel/chocolate manna from heaven. quite nutritious.). One would not believe -- well, perhaps they would -- how many Irish folk were flying to Dublin on St. Patrick's Day....

On the flight, I saw for the first time a lighthouse doing it's thing over the water (it was nighttime). Very cool.

There was snow in Sweden when we landed. At first, I had thought it was water with small patches of ground that must be islands, but, no. It was snow! The only sign in Swedish that I remember upon leaving the airport said "Utfart". Snow was not so plentiful in Copenhagen, but it was still rawther chilly when Karsten and Jeppe met me at 23.45. (I really liked the cold as it was exotic, but think that it made my eyes puffy. Or that could have been the fact that packing light, neglected to bring eyedrops.)

Copenhagen is a really cool city -- definitely the most bicycle-friendly place have experienced thusfar. Everyone rides bikes. It is very tidy-looking because the skyline is low; the buildings just aren't very tall. Havn means 'harbour'. Karsten has an excellent apartment, which I thought was all the more fabulous as it is right down the street from the largest cemetary in the city. The three of us walked around and looked at tourist stuff... and there are buses that are boats! Visited Christiania -- which was rather like being in a movie, esp. when the police came on their inspection rounds through the coffee shop.

Yesterday, toodled around by myself. Got self lost (which is what I like most, because then can use cognitive puzzle solving skills to locate self again. Hopefully in three dimensions.). Located THREE yarn shops! And YES.... of course I did. The most disconcerting thing was absolute cluelessness as to what 90% of signs said. So for lunch, I got a 'tunsalat' on a bagel because was fairly confident in that :)

Naturally, went to at least one church briefly... I love the light beam shining. But apparently it will have to be viewed on flickr as it appears the photo limit has been reached on this entry... blast! This is from Frederiks Kirke -- the foundation stone was laid by King Frederik V in 1749, but soon the structure was abandoned for 100 years. Fortunately, sun had come out and was shining beautifully through the clerestory.

Definitely not enough time, since did not make it to Amalienborg Castle, Den lille Havfrue, the Round Tower or the National Museum.

Tired now.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Marshmallow Fluff?


Yes, indeedy. And this appears to be an American food product, although i am quite suspicious of the Canadians on this one. Props to Katharine for being co-Queen of Cardiff sloth (along with me) and finding this nifty tidbit for us all to enjoy (click on the lovely raspberry jar to proceed with the Candy-licious journey). Or not, as the case may be. Be sure to check out the lollipops with the REAL, edible scorpion in them. The item that follows that though is really a bit much (although had i been clever enough to come up with such an idea that people will pay 17.95 GBP a bag for, well, we wouldn't be writing an essay on 'What is a Word?', now would we?). There is also Coca-Cola Blak, produced in France and tastes like coffee.

Paul has so kindly pointed out from yesterday's pictures that I am a Whiter Shade of Pale, thereby chipping away at my fragile self esteem. Perhaps if i consume some of above substance, i could at least regain some colour -- hahahahaha!

Also, in response to Paul's email, would like to point out that photos were taken after a Rotary meeting as you can see Rotary flags hanging above the bar... gaaaahhhhh! Am not faffing about in regular pubs all day...

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Newport and environs

Today spoke to Newport Rotary and had lovely time! A charming group who meets at Lodge Hotel and Bistro (the Bistro part, obviously) in Newport. To R is picture of me with Terry Underwood, who is author of 8 books, composer of 8 musicals, knew Mrs. Hopkins quite well (Anthony's mother, you know), is a fascinating character in general, and, oh by the way, owns a theatre company! His 2005 book is Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths around Newport (book is about halfway down the page in this link). His historical investigations have led him to the information that one of his relatives (a great- or great-great-uncle) was involved quite significantly in local Charter Riots during the 1830s and 1840s --this was a time of great poverty and workers were pursuing reformation of employment and pay practices. Some of the issues in the above linked page are quite sad and unimaginable.

David Hodson (to L), who invited me to the club in the first place, was quite amused to relate to the group the riveting news from the front page of the Shreveport Times online this morning -- the very relevant issue of local refuse disposal problems... nice. Mr. Hodson has done quite a bit of geneological research and I might get him to help me do some searching (in my spare time, i suppose. we can try being optimistic.) -- there is a local Mormon geneological center in Wales, Ponty-prydd, perhaps. He also gave me the answer for so many African-Americans having Welsh surnames -- the captains of slave trading ships were significantly Welsh in number and once docked, they (and the slaves) would refer to the slaves as 'Owens's' or 'Jones's', etc. Interesting. He seemed quite pleased that I come from a Jones lineage and told me that I look rather Welsh :)

After leaving the meeting, Steve Jenkins took me to the Transporter Bridge, which spans the River Usk and is quite a unique structure (actually 1 of 3 in the UK and 1 of only 7 in the world). Kind of like a ferry, except in the air, strung along by cables. This is its centenary year, in case anyone wants to come for any of the special events! It was a little rainy and misty, so the cables might be a little difficult to see (picture to R, you can see little Welsh flag waving). We did not ride across. There seems to be no point, except as a tourist attraction. As my mother knows, I think it would be fun to climb up to the top.

Then, on the way back to Cardiff, we stopped at Tredegar House and grounds. This was the ancestral home of the Morgans, which black sheep of the family, Henry, became pirate and governor of Jamaica and after whom the rum is named (contrary to popular belief that this beverage is named after certain Ira Lee, legendary modern pirate masquerading as esteemed English professor). A more promising young man of the family was in the Charge of the Light Bridgade during the Crimean War and returned a hero. Of 600 men who participated in the charge, only 180 made it out alive; Gerald Morgan was one of the highest ranking officers who lived. He credited his magnificent horse with saving him and when the horse died, it was given almost the equivalent of a state funeral. (To R is main gate to the house as seen from stable yard, picture taken cunningly through gate; the building on the R is the stable. I could live there. Yes, yes, i could.)

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Seafarers' Charity Concert

One thing I really love about the Welsh is how they love their music! Of course, at times, appreciation can be a trial at say, 11.30 pm when one is putting one's head on one's pillow and tuneless wonders are walking by sharing their joy, but it is cool to hear an audience begin softly singing along to great songs, like A Spoonful of Sugar, at a band concert. And it gets louder and louder... until it's like you're in the middle of a choir (especially during Rule Britannia).

Llandaff Rotary's President, Jack Ayles, and his wife invited me to a wonderful concert tonight. It was a fundraiser for Seafarers UK (or King George's Fund for Sailors as it was formerly called -- which name change appears to have caused some displeasure -- and performing were Her Majesty's Royal Marines, B.R.N.C. Dartmouth and The Pendyrus Male Choir. The Marine Band celebrated its centenary this year; the performance by the drum corps was amazing! How precise can you be? An 80 voice male choir is really lovely to hear -- my favorite song was a sea-shanty, What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor? This choir was founded during a period of poverty and mass unemployment in the 1920s by out-of-work coal miners. (Did not have camera with as was formal occasion and would have been foolish of me. Not to mention the fact that at the Christmas carol concert, I did not notice signage indicating the forbidden nature of film equipment of ANY SORT -- so, you are all lucky that i took my little flashless pictures inside St. David's Hall when i did.)

David Worrell and his wife Sonya collected me and we were invited to the VIP reception before the concert, which was hosted by the Lord Mayoress and Deputies, and in attendance was Lord-Lieutenant Norman Lloyd-Edwards (who I met at Llandaff International Evening earlier in the year). Our seats were VIP section as well and, along with welcomes to groups (like Rotary, etc.) was a special welcome to the guest from Louisiana! (blush).


Some crucial things I learned this evening:
The Indian was a more powerful & important motorcycle than Harley Davidson in early days. It's speed record on some salt flats somewhere has never been broken. Or maybe that was a person's record... anyhoo... when we start talking engines and 1800 ccs, I begin to glaze. Although, with polite and inquisitive smile on face.

Who knew that Heart and Oak had words? Why must we torment that poor composition at every graduation in the States? :) Why do we call it Pomp and Circumstance? I really hated that song until I heard it tonight.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

The Rugby

I love the rugby.

Wales v. Italy came to a draw -- such an outstandingly close game after the first 20 minutes! Could have gone to the game, but wasn't really ready to spring 45 GBP for the ticket.

Made some tea and made it back downstairs in time for the Irish National Anthem -- now Ireland v. Scotland has started! Can't get enough.

Tracie even commented last weekend how she has changed her opinion of American football after seeing her first rugby game :)

After only 2.20 minutes, Ireland is ahead 3-0.

(BTW, have been productive today... have finished paper due Monday and written one of dissertation props and emailed to brilliant prof for, ideally, commentary and suggestions. Just in case it is thought am wasting day.)

Items of interest in the news today:
Sad to learn Tom Fox has been confirmed murdered. (atrocious)
Drinking
Bordeaux is good for your dental health. (good)
Badger cull is imminent. (not good)
Seizures are afflicting Chechen women. (alarming)
Sorry for the majority negative news.

13.15 minutes, Ireland 6, Scotland 3.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Cutaneous Rabbit Illusion

If the wrist is tapped repeatedly and then the elbow is tappeda fraction of a second later, a series of progressive 'hopping' sensation up the forearm occurs.

Additionally, people who lie have more white matter than grey in their brains.

Herding cats

Thanks to the alertness of Paul, this has been in my inbox for several days now.

But today was the day that it was needed for my sanity... so it is just as well that am Slightly Delayed Reaction Girl.

Herding Cats -- this is what is happening in my head at the moment

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Cardiff East Rotary


International Night was quite a lot of fun and we even got to build a tent! Mari, Hiroko and I were roped into the demostration for the crowd before there was a timed contest for teams.

Sadly, one of my good friends, Gelar Mallet, who is a member of this club, had a heart attack last week and is in hospital, so he and his wife were not there.

After the three of us did our dog-and-pony shows (hee hee), we had dinner and a brief quiz. This included questions like "What capital means I see the mountain in the native language and what country is it in?", "Who was the director of Casablanca?" and "What term means twice cooked in French?". There was also a flag identification quiz that included the flags of Liechtenstein, Belgium and Ulster.

AND OUR TEAM WON!!!!! CHOCOLATE!!!!

(This is, from L to R, Steve Jenkins, his wife Felicity, Mari, Hiroko, and Anne Orren, wife of the President of Cardiff East Rotary)


Tonight had the purpose of raising enough money for purchase of two ShelterBoxes. These boxes go to victims of disasters -- earthquakes, floods, storms, war -- and have enough shelter for 10 people in one box. Each big plastic box includes a large tent, sleeping bags, a cooker and some other utensils. Each shelter box costs 490 GBP, and this evening raised exactly 980.30 GBP from two raffles and dinner.

Note that 55 people did this!

One lady donated a cake made in model of a ShelterBox -- pretty amazing.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Who knew?

It is really alarming, when you think you are fairly fit (just decent shape, not the obnoxiously slimy, 'She's fit!' descriptive) because you have moved away from your sedentary, auto-transported lifestyle and begun the healthful activity of actually using your own legs in a meaningful ambulatory way every day of the week, to be reading calmly and suddenly become aware of a pain in your abdomen. The shame comes when you realise that the cause of this pain would be the mere fact that you have ridden your bicycle, but only a little piddling distance really, over the past two days and that your abs seem to be connected to the moving of those two wheels. Who knew?

On the vexing Pollyanna side of things, the fact that my abs are in pain is good, as it signals that at least some of the massive caloric intake of Tracie's visit has been negated.

So the visit began a little uncertainly. Tracie's train was 75 minutes late yesterday (drank gi-normous cup of tea and read two magazines in WH Smith and then perused their book selection, correcting incorrectly alphabetised books) and then I could not, not, not find her -- upstairs on the platform, downstairs to the lobby, upstairs to the platform, along the entire length of train peering through windows and frightening people, back downstairs to the lobby, give up and biked home... But then she called! She had been hunched over asleep on the train! Am quite glad that she didn't sleep through the boarding time and the trip back and awakened to find herself back in Paddington. That would have been vexing.
Will have to post pic after she emails one to me.

Would like to place a Call to Action against any sort of store loyalty card. Those things are the most annoying, clique-ish Shrinkers of Self-worth in a Public Venue and what real purpose do they serve? Yeah, the store might send you coupons or give you 6 pence off an item that they just upcharge for the poor souls who aren't in the Group, but really...

So if you are a member of their little club, you either don't have the silly thing with you 3/4 of the time, or are forced to dig for it while people in line purse their lips and sigh, or it is just one more thing to organise with your money and shoving everything back into your coin purse while trying to sack your groceries and get out of the way of the person with pursed lips and an obvious oxygen-depravation problem.

If you aren't a member of the club, then you feel a complete putz when the cashier raises her eyebrow at you after asking for your card, indicating her assessment of you as one who is obviously not bright enough to figure out that 'it is all for your own good, you know' to be in an in-group and you must join or one day, when they take over the world, you will not be included in their plans.

And the people behind sigh.

Today, I became a club member at Boots.
It's all for my own good and I'll get outstanding perks.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Busy, busy, busy

Give a girl some coffee and a pair of scissors and she will do great things!
(either that, or get out of her path)

Things accomplished today:
Read
Vaccuumed upstairs floorboards
Fixed kitchen sink (!)
Rode bike
Perused library
Visited local Lidl establishment (similar to BigLots, if you know me well)
Rode unbalanced bike home
Dusted
Talked to Tracie, who is coming to Cardiff from London tomorrow (!)
Cut hair
Cut Fabiana's hair (!) Hiroko laughed and took pictures
Interviewed Fabiana for profile of a language learner
Talked to parentals and they received cookies from Cousine Lindsey (such a good child)

Now to create nourishment of fried rice and return to regular duties.

Friday, March 03, 2006

EMO


A picture of EMO!
(of course, will be removed if parentals do not approve of blatant advertisement and international fame at such a tender age)

Friday night fun with Amrie:
writing paper on "What is a word?" (booooring)
imagining that am part of party going on in kitchen (have door open so as to give self illusion of inclusion)
speak to people periodically
going through previous class power point presentations and found quote of the day:
meglio un morte in casa che un pisano all'uscio
(You could attempt to use GoogleTranslator, but it appears not to be accurate.
'Better a dead person in the house than a Pisano on the doorstep.')
80s music is playing in Hiroko's room, which is quite refreshing
one of the girls in the kitchen just said, 'Madonna isn't from the 80s...'
Age, people; age is creeping up.

And my first sentence of Swedish is: En hast ar ett djur.
This means, 'the horse is an animal.'

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Daffy-dils

My attempt at contextual interpretation (It's ALL about context!) for the meaning of daffodils in everyone's lapels was a good attempt.

But not accurate.

My cock-and-bull story for Hiroko earlier (although i was honest and told her this was made up) was that the daffodils were for St. David's Day since they bloom at this time of year and their name sounds kind of like "David" if pronounced Welshy -- e.g., Daffydd.
The /ff/ is pronounced as an /f/ and the /dd/ is pronounced /th/, as in other.

The real reason for the daffodils' presence is because of St. David's Day, but, along with the leek, the daffodil is a symbol of Wales. In the days of pitched battles between the Welsh and various and sundry invaders (am taking this to mean the English), Welsh warriors would tie either a leek or a daffodil to their heads or attach it to their clothes so that they could identify each other and avoid killing off their own side. (info is slightly different on the site linked above, but my information came from a precious Welsh lady and who knows if the owners of this site are really Welsh?)

So there is your history lesson. I think we've all learned something here.

Eloise!

7.30ish p.m. last night!
5 lbs. - 15 oz.
19 inches.

Will await pictures of the Mardi Gras baby...