Another day in Cardiff

Yesterday started with sun (hurray!), became a torrential downpour of biblical proportions, and then stopped. Ah, fall is in the air...
Been hunkering down in the house, "nesting"... had a very exotic trip Thursday evening to - IKEA! So funny, I could have been in any city, except for the pound signs as opposed to dollars, and the inflated prices! Bought a few little things to help make the house more of my space while I'm here.
I miss Trader Joe's already! Oh, well. Dried fruit and nuts are incredibly expensive. A small (and I mean small) packet of almonds is something like $4-$5. Funny the things one misses...
Had a very social day yesterday. Tea at Margaret's house, one of the two deputy heads (translate: assistant principal) at my school. Went for a walk first in a really beautiful park very close to my house, around a lake teeming with ducks, geese, and swans (sorry, no photos - forgot the camera), sunshine after the rain (it does that often, I'm told - rain kind of comes and goes. Carrying an umbrella with me in my purse all the time now) then back to her house for tea and biscuits - how British! Her house is wonderful. Very green yard with a sunroom built on overlooking it made completely out of glass, even the roof. It was very peaceful and I think I'd live there all the time if it was my house.
Then in the afternoon, spent my first "girl day" downtown with my neighbor, Louise, checking out the shops, window shopping, etc. I was surprised to see many names that I knew - Gap, which seems to be everywhere, I remember seeing it open in Florence - Claire's, the cheap jewelery store in malls, Border's, and so on. It was fun. There are all of these arcades, long, narrow passageways with shops and glassed in ceilings, winding their way through the center of the city. If you walk a bit further, you can see the big castle and Bute Park, a large green space in the midst of City Center. We also went to the public library, of which I am now a proud card-carrying member, a brand-new, 5-story modern building. I was very happy to see it because books are ridiculously expensive here! And I'd already been to the local branch in Whitchurch to find a very sweet, very small space with very few books, most of them in Welsh, which will not help me much. I am pleased that I can rent at the big library and return the the local branch, just like at home. I immediately reserved the third Stieg Larssen Millenium Series book, coming out in the UK beginning of October - can't wait! - and took out 3 dvd's and a novel I'll begin teaching - gulp - next week! I haven't even seen my classroom yet because the school is ripped apart for construction. Ah, flexibility...
Stopped into a pub for a lager. It seemed to be for all of the down-and-outers in Cardiff because it was so cheap, only about $2.40 for both. After being gently (quite polite for someone you just know has been drinking all day) approached, chatting very briefly (of course, the usual "Where are you from?" as soon as I open my mouth), we made our way to the car, Louise's cute new Mini. Picked up Indian food, my first here, to bring home (we were both suspicious about being told that there were no tables, seeing many available, and watching others be seated, but decided that paranoia didn't help either of us) and ate at my house. Lots of talk.
This weekend is a bank holiday, 3-day weekend, so it's pretty quiet around here. I'm using the oven for the first time and I must admit that it took me a minute to figure it out. The things we take for granted... out for tapas later on with Amanda, my teaching partner, and Delores, a teaching aide. They said that they're up for "a good gossip". Believe it or not, I've been trying to do more listening as I feel my way around and get the social "rules".
Twmpathau, as some of you already found out, means "humps", as in road humps. It's pronounced tum-path-aye. Welsh, huh? You should see some of the really long words. I've learned to count to 5, say good morning, and now know the words for humps and road. A slow start...
Anyone wanting to comment... I'd love mail, of course, and if anyone feels like slipping in some stickers (something I forgot to bring and have been told the kids love), they'd be much appreciated!
Good weekend...