Ha! You think YOU had it bad? I'm still here! (Have been for 30 years- mind you I was here when England won the 2003 World Cup...that was sweet).
A Welsh girl actually asked me if I wished I was Welsh!! Er...no. Another one said that she felt waves of hate whenever she crossed into England....paranoid or what! Haven't been back for 42 years mind...perhaps things have changed. Cardiff is a nice City....perhaps I should give it a go.
I did point out that the English didn't hate them as we scarcely gave them a thought. (Rude, but she was asking for it).
I think it's an old tradition that is dying out with older people and communities. One of the more acceptable things to disappear, in my view. I was in St Davids sometime back in the 1990's, and while walking down the street there were two women in their 70's [ I would guess] just chatting about this and that. As I passed them by they changed from English to Welsh, and then back again when they thought I couldn't hear. I happened to come back that way and they were still there chatting. I commented, it's OK ladies, I wasn't the least interested, and carried on.
Not during the 6 Nations, they haven't. It's a bit different during the rest of the year. They aren't so anti-English when they're supporting Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal..etc. I also spent an enjoyable day at the Ashes Test in Cardiff in 2009 - very fervent support! (Yes, I know it's the English and Welsh Cricket Board, but all the team were English...except for the Saffers ) Cardiff centre is OK. I prefer Swansea overall. The Gower is superb, as indeed are the Brecon Beacons
I was sitting in a Common Room alone watching TV when 2 Welsh girls walked in (it was an all female Hall of Residence). One said something in Welsh and then changed the TV to a Welsh speaking channel! She had obviously asked if she could, but in Welsh knowing I wouldn't understand. I made a comment about her shocking manners and left. I actually have sympathy with people trying to save languages, but that was just outrageous. Glad to hear that that racism is dying out (because after all it was racism...but we just didn't use such terms then).
Can't let this pass by. If Stephen Fry's adorable luvviness occasionally becomes too much, there's always one of the Python's to reset the balance. Here, John Cleese tells everybody what they've always known about Football:
I hope that's not how you react when you get a scrabble invite.... ..."message from God"..."Next" Because I am assuming that's how his scrabble invites come through
There you go. My eldest brother was dumped by his business partner and then his wife over the course of about two years. It left him devastated and scared for several years. Finally, when he was emotionally a bit more stabilised he realised he needed [and could cope with] the company and love of a partner again, and he went for computer dating [before online] and was very successful indeed. He's been married to his wife for 25 years now and she's a really nice person. As I said, there you go. You proved it works and so did he. And people don't have to marry. They can just find a soul mate.
Cardiff is a beautiful city and apart from when they have rugby or football internationals there, seems to be a bit embarrassed about being in Wales. Cricket's fine, they are part of England for that so they can relax. Many years ago I was on a course at Cyncoed College to do with work, and one of the evening entertainments organised was a comedian/singer called Frank Connolly, who despite his name was a native of Cardiff. He sang a song he had written about his home town called "I wish the bloody Welsh would go away". Anyway, I am off to the Gower, or "Gower" as we are supposed to call it, on Sunday for a few days walking, so I hope they'll have all got over the rugby by then.
Hahaha, it's funny actually - he plays Scrabble like he played football. Occasionally there are flashes of absolute genius, and the general standard is high, but every so often he just gives up in a game.
I walked the Offa's Dyke path (stop sniggering at the back) when I was younger for charity. Absolutely stunning scenery (apart from getting charged by a bull in one field. Fortunately one of the lads on the walk was Paraguayan and pulled off some top bull fighting style moves to distract the raging beast!)
Cardiff...a lovely City and not in Welsh Wales. When I was there Wales was dry on Sundays (not the weather, Wales is never dry in that sense), but Cardiff wasn't, so people came streaming over the hills on Sunday to visit pubs. As I said, not very Welsh, but the University was filled with people from outside Cardiff.
