Kayak Polo

Nos Da from Wales!

Today I was lucky enough to join the Cardiff Kayaking club in their weekly practice sessions at a local pool. I though that I would be just fooling around in whitewater boats as people learned how to roll and do other kayaking skills to prepare for their upcoming river trip. I was surprised to learn that this club is not your everyday kayaking club. Every thursday, they play kayak polo, which is exactly what you think it is; water polo, but in kayaks.

Jackie and I played in two matches, each of which I believe is 15 minutes long. Needless to say it was a bit overwhelming, but also really really fun. I felt like I was being constantly yelled at for not having any idea what I was doing, but everyone on the team is incredibly friendly and seem to appreciate our enthusiasm for their sport. It's pretty tiring too, and I think it will be great practice for paddling on the rivers this spring, because basically all you do is constantly paddle, trying to fend of your opponents.

I look forward to perfecting my kayak polo skills this semester, as well as get to know a pretty fun group of people!

I miss you all,

Caroline

The Hoard of Americans

Hello again,

This week has gone by surprisingly quick, but then again, I suppose its understandable. This was our first week of real classes, and we are all still figuring out how to maneuver around Cardiff. A potent example is our foray to physics class. 5 of us Colgatians are in physics, which is comforting because the physics building is a whopping 30-40 minute walk from where we live. And its not exactly easy to get there. We tested the waters on Sunday, and found the building just fine. There is a shortcut though, and this is where things get tricky. To get to class on Wednesday, we had to find a series of walkways that would lead us over the train tracks that run through the city. We got a little lost, but apparently since I am in Outdoor Education and know where I am going all the time (not true at all), we made it to class with 30 minutes to spare.

The point of this little story is that so far, all 15 of us have been practically glued at the hip. It is understandable that we take comfort in the knowledge that we are with people that also a) don't know where they are going, b) don't know how to so simple tasks like buy stamps, and c) don't know ANYONE else on this large campus. So we basically travel in hoards, sometimes the full 15 of us, other times just in groups of 5 or 6. This wouldnt be so much of a problem if we didn't stick out like a sore thumb and generally overwhelm the walkways and businesses of Cardiff. We walk into a pub and ask the people to seat all 10 of us, and we are always conferring in doorways or small hallways about where to go and what to do next.

We are slowly moving away from this mob mentality as we make friends with our flat mates and branch out in other ways. It is always nice to have a safety net of amazing Americans to fall back on, but it is also important that we branch out and explore the culture we have been plopped in to. After all, this place wouldn't be so different from Colgate if we all just saw each other everyday.

I had the good fortune of being able to sign up for the white water kayaking club here at Cardiff, and Jackie (fellow outdoors woman) went to a "river run" pub crawl. Not only was this my first ever pub crawl, I also got to make some new friends who love to paddle and play "kayak polo." I look forward to seeing what this club is all about, and it will be great doing it with just one other American!

Cheers,

Caroline

Learning for learning's sake

Hello again from Cardiff!

Today was our first day of classes, but it didn't feel like it, as I didn't have class until 5:10 pm, and it was the class that is taught by Prof. Geier from Colgate and is exclusively for us Colgate kids. My day was spent exploring the gigantic grocery store Tesco, as well as further exploring the city center. Class was interesting; it is about the history and future of technology, as well as its role in society, etc. etc.

The point of this post is actually about some of my other classes that I have only had a glimpse at. All of us Colgate kids are required to take three Welsh/ Wales related classes. So far, we have had two Welsh language classes where we are learning the basics of Welsh, like how to count to ten and, of course, talk about the weather. (maybe most importantly, say the name of the longest town name in the world (Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch)). Wow.

Though Welsh is certainly enjoyable to learn, we have been asking ourselves why we are taking the time learning to speak a language that is only spoken by 20% of people in Wales, much less the rest of the world ( there is also a small Welsh enclave in Patagonia). There are a lot of reasons for learning Welsh; its fun to tell people we can, it helps spread the word about a culture that people hardly know exists, and, for me, it is, simply, a challenging and interesting way to learn something new and completely foreign. Perhaps this is where the value lies in such a class. We may never use Welsh again, and may completely forget it within weeks of returning home, but we will remember what we put in to it. I plan to give it my all, even if I sound like a complete fool.

Sut maer twydd?

Greetings from Wales!

I have decided to write a blog about my adventures in Europe that will be based in Cardiff, Wales.

My study group of 15 students, one professor, and his wife and two kids, have ventured across the pond for a semester away from Colgate University. Now, the main question I have received since enrolling in the program has been "why Wales?" It has been asked with genuine curiosity in some cases and downright "are you crazy?" in other cases. Even current Cardiff students have asked why we would bother coming here of all places. This is an understandable question; the title of this post is a question asking "how is the weather?" in Welsh. Apparently, it is quite a common topic of conversation. With good reason. The weather is unpredictable, and, frankly, unpleasant most of the time. So why would I choose to come to a place where the sky is always gray and there is always something falling from the sky, be it rain, sleet, or snow? I couldn't answer this question myself at first.

I am the kind of person who lives for adventure, and would normally choose to go somewhere really foreign, like India or South America. For some reason, I am now in Wales, but I think I can definitely justify my decision after being here for several days. To be somewhat cheesy about it, the people here are incredibly friendly and helpful. More importantly though, the reason I really came here was to experience a place by my own self-motivation. If I went to India or other places with a program like this, I would be somewhat restricted in my independence; there is both a language and a safety barrier that would prevent me from being driven to explore alone.

In Cardiff, I have a unique opportunity to get to know a city really well, as well as a country and even a continent. I get to be more independent than ever before. I have to cook for myself, as well as maneuver around a massive university. I also have to plan and execute my own travel. Also, the education system is massively different than Colgate. We don't have many classes, so we have to work hard outside of class in a self-directed way. This could be either a blessing or a curse, depending on a lot of things. I am excited to see if I am motivated enough to really jump in a learn a subject on my own. I am also trying to extend this to other topics as well; I got a Kindle for Christmas, and have downloaded some books on various topics that interest me. With the 18 libraries on this campus, I hope I learn a lot.

Another thing that has truly justified this choice is my Colgate study group. We have all become instant friends, and I have enjoyed my initial exploration of Cardiff with them immensely. We are all nerdy (but cool (haha)) science majors, and we are all jumping into this experience head first. I look forward to getting to know everyone really well.

Thats all for now,

Nos da! (goodnight)

Caroline