Wedi blino dw i.
Good news of the month: I've been allowed to change my rooms to one that doesn't have an overpowering scent of stale cigarette smoke. Baby-poop-orange curtains, yes, but at least I can breathe again.
Another architectural oddity of this building (aside from the curtains) is the fact that there is only one shower--every entry but ours has a bath, which means that a great many people use our shower, including those employed to teach English to the legions of young Europeans at the International Summer School. Last night they decided that they really ought to get to know us if they were going to be keeping us from our bathroom, and invited us to meet them at the Cwmann Pub for live music and, of course, drinking (because you can't seem to do anything in this country without alcohol).
Well, we weren't so much listening to the music as talking and arguing with one another late into the evening. They were mostly British, although Sean (the "really hot one," according to Erin) was raised in Lampeter. One of them, David, was particularly beligerent.
Erin: I'm from California. I could totally kick your ass.
David: I don't have an ass!
(General laughter)
David: And the first person who kicks my donkey is going down!...That's how they took over the world! No-one can bloody understand what they're saying!
They closed the pub at 11:30 and we were asked to leave, so we made our way back to the University to the sounds of David and Kat loudly arguing about whether or not it's possible for an American girl (i.e. Erin) to be a good football player. I can't recount the details, because Sean and I were far less drunk ("Mae Alice yn chaperone," Erin said at one point) than everyone else and were discussing Barcelona, where he teaches English during the rest of the year. We did, however, take time during the morning tea break to ask the Aberystwyth boys if they had heard us when we walked by their house. "No," said James. "Oh, wait, were you with the group of loud English men around midnight? Yeah, I heard them."
"They were probably shouting loudly about how a girl couldn't be good at football," said Kat.
"I have to admit we were surprised," replied James.
"Yeah..." said Kat. "I haven't played since I was five."
"Oh," I said, "I played all the way through eighth grade, in gym class."
James was shocked.
"In America, girls play football in gym class?"
"Oh, yeah... usually girls against boys," I said. They found this almost as shocking as Erin's swearing.*
It may, however, have been a mistake to combine strong cider with a football game, as Erin and Kat were both a bit hung over**, and Erin and I are sore from the game. Oh well. We're singing in Welsh at the Castle Green*** tonight, and invited the English teachers. Another football game is planned for Monday.
Stop asking me if I want to come home. I love you all, but you know the answer is no.
___
*Another argument with David was over the d --> dd mutation in Welsh grammer, during which Erin called him "a dipshit-- with one d!"****
** blinder ddoe "the weariness of yesterday", as in Mae blinder ddoe arno i "The weariness of yesterday is on me." Don't say I never taught you anything.
*** Quote from Castle Green patron, on England's football team: "I have a teabag at home that spent more time in the cup than England!"
****They didn't know what that was. Nor do I, come to think of it. Don't enlighten me.
Another architectural oddity of this building (aside from the curtains) is the fact that there is only one shower--every entry but ours has a bath, which means that a great many people use our shower, including those employed to teach English to the legions of young Europeans at the International Summer School. Last night they decided that they really ought to get to know us if they were going to be keeping us from our bathroom, and invited us to meet them at the Cwmann Pub for live music and, of course, drinking (because you can't seem to do anything in this country without alcohol).
Well, we weren't so much listening to the music as talking and arguing with one another late into the evening. They were mostly British, although Sean (the "really hot one," according to Erin) was raised in Lampeter. One of them, David, was particularly beligerent.
Erin: I'm from California. I could totally kick your ass.
David: I don't have an ass!
(General laughter)
David: And the first person who kicks my donkey is going down!...That's how they took over the world! No-one can bloody understand what they're saying!
They closed the pub at 11:30 and we were asked to leave, so we made our way back to the University to the sounds of David and Kat loudly arguing about whether or not it's possible for an American girl (i.e. Erin) to be a good football player. I can't recount the details, because Sean and I were far less drunk ("Mae Alice yn chaperone," Erin said at one point) than everyone else and were discussing Barcelona, where he teaches English during the rest of the year. We did, however, take time during the morning tea break to ask the Aberystwyth boys if they had heard us when we walked by their house. "No," said James. "Oh, wait, were you with the group of loud English men around midnight? Yeah, I heard them."
"They were probably shouting loudly about how a girl couldn't be good at football," said Kat.
"I have to admit we were surprised," replied James.
"Yeah..." said Kat. "I haven't played since I was five."
"Oh," I said, "I played all the way through eighth grade, in gym class."
James was shocked.
"In America, girls play football in gym class?"
"Oh, yeah... usually girls against boys," I said. They found this almost as shocking as Erin's swearing.*
It may, however, have been a mistake to combine strong cider with a football game, as Erin and Kat were both a bit hung over**, and Erin and I are sore from the game. Oh well. We're singing in Welsh at the Castle Green*** tonight, and invited the English teachers. Another football game is planned for Monday.
Stop asking me if I want to come home. I love you all, but you know the answer is no.
___
*Another argument with David was over the d --> dd mutation in Welsh grammer, during which Erin called him "a dipshit-- with one d!"****
** blinder ddoe "the weariness of yesterday", as in Mae blinder ddoe arno i "The weariness of yesterday is on me." Don't say I never taught you anything.
*** Quote from Castle Green patron, on England's football team: "I have a teabag at home that spent more time in the cup than England!"
****They didn't know what that was. Nor do I, come to think of it. Don't enlighten me.
4 Comments:
Well, if you really are liking football (soccer) this much, I wouldn't be surprised if a few of us could get a game together regularly. Between you and D. W. and me, we should be able to get enough people. And I am still going to kick your ass at it!
By
Anonymous, at 5:12 PM
That pretty much goes without saying, Mr. L-E.
By
Alice Teresa, at 1:09 PM
Perhaps a picture post of Sean would be edifying for your readers?
By
Anonymous, at 2:45 PM
Actually, Larry, he was at the twmpath dance-- he's the gentleman in red shorts.
That's how he ended up sitting next to us. One of the women accused the men of being "too shy to sit next to pretty girls they don't know", after which he said, "oh, I know them," and sat down at the end of the table.
By
Alice Teresa, at 8:43 AM
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