Blogs from Wales, United Kingdom, Europe - page 152

I got a letter from my Dad and Marilyn yesterday, and his note at the end saying "We're assuming no news is good news" reminded me that I hadn't written in a while. See Dad? You really do have an influence on me. It's been terribly rainy and foggy lately. The winter rains have started and I woke up one morning about 3 days ago to a very thick fog (depicted in the picked picture). I had a terrible cold for about a week, with no voice for about 5 days of it. You almost forget what you sound like after that long. I was the last one of my flat to get sick so hopefully that will get rid of the illness around here for a while. I fell a bit behind on my coursework ... read more

Some say that the mountain I climbed in the Brecon Beacons National Park, carrying CAVRA's entire water supply for six hours on my back, in the sleet and the mist and the mud and the wind and the sheep, is not the highest mountain in Wales. But it sure felt like it. Luckily CAVRA's emergency rations (which I also had to carry - the curse of being the only person in the group who voluntarily runs in their spare time) include Mars Bars and custard cream biscuits, so I was rather easily appeased at the summit. There was so much mist and fog the whole time that we could barely see the ridges we were walking on, which gave the whole hike this surreally beautiful, mystical quality (even the sheep). Being the only CAVRAn in my ... read more

Well, my performance for the Dutch royal family yesterday was completely worth the effort, if only for the looks of shock and horror that crossed their faces as soon as I began to speak in my groggy, I-took-three-Strepacils-but-I-still-sound-like-a-12-year-old-boy voice. My equally nervous accompanist (who I had never actually practiced with before the performance) also gave me a five-minute long disclaimer, which was sort of daunting as I only ended up singing the one song anyway. The music department, thank goodness, had a Plan B,filling the 45 minutes with other (in my opinion, far more interesting and cultural) musical acts with me at the end singing Someone To Watch Over Me. Apparently I still impressed them, however, so I'm officially singing a full concert for the next royal and/or fundraising visit. I've also been chosen for Madrigals, ... read more

Unfortunately, when you live in a house with 47 other people the common cold travels, and decimates, like the bubonic plague. Today was my first day ever on Sick List, which I could have really enjoyed if I hadn't actually been sick. In a savage stroke of irony, I have completely lost my voice and must now either croak or half-sing a la Julia Child, or the gingerbread man from Shrek (I cannot TELL you how many times people have come up to me today just to say with a cruel little smile "Do you know the muffin man?"). The common response, of course, is "Oh, screaming too loud at the football match, were you?" But the truth is I really wasn't. At the football - soccer, that is - match yesterday, I was already aware ... read more

Dear Lynfielders, It hurts to send this, but here goes. It was a slightly overcast Saturday morning. Paul, Timmy P, Deebo, Josmar & Aaron left Auckland Hill to meet up with Stephen Hart, Jac & Fi to go to Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to watch the All Blacks destroy France. We left excited, but came back devastated. It also didn't help that we had to wait for over an hour for Timmy P after the game cos he got lost on his way back to the van...(even though there is only one main street in Cardiff). Haha. Here are some pics... Enjoy, Aaron... read more