mandag, oktober 06, 2008

Hello from Wales!

To be honest – my English is still the same after five weeks in Wales … BUT with all the Norwegian and German in between it is not surprising (even though I’m a woman and therefore multi tasking, three languages DO in fact create a big mess in my mind!)

Wales is absolutely stunning !!! Have a look at my hotel and the landscape at one of the posts below … I live and work in Llanelli which is only 20mins from Swansea and an hour from Cardiff in the southern part of Wales next to the coast. I’m working at the INA plant of Schaeffler UK writing my final thesis about potential use of Renewable Energy in UK. The work is really exciting and I travel arround in the whole UK (London, Sheffield, Plymouth, Birmingham ….). My working colleagues are really kind (some of them a bit mad – but that’s what I like ;-)) and I’m really enjoying myself.

I live in a 5 star B&B paid by my employer which looks like a castle and I really don’t know how to deserve it ;-) www.llwynhall.co.uk It has only 5 rooms and two of them are engaged by myself and another German girl who does some working experience in the same company I work. Her name is Ella and she is a lovely fellow, always confused and amused about my madness.

The biggest problem to start with was the left-hand driving … even worse with my German Golf that I brought over here! It happened more than once, that I was driving on the wrong side of the road and suddenly facing a car coming towards me! Also the roundabouts: going around clockwise while watching all the mental Welsh car drivers (and they ARE mental!) and the road signs isn’t the easiest thing to do …

The second biggest problem: none.

The third biggest problem: Drinking! If Welsh people are going out at night, they get drunk. And if I write drunk, I mean REALLY drunk! As you probably know, I’m not a lightweight ;-) but the problem is the speed: one pint in one pub, then over to the next bar and a gin&tonic, a couple of cocktails in the next club and all this in rounds (everybody is paying a round for everyone – if you’re not fast enough, it can happen that you have to drink 3 cocktails in a row!). Every night out ends up in a nightclub that is closing at three o’clock. The Germans are very drunk and go to bed – the Welsh are even more drunk and go home to have some bottles of wine …

So far, best wishes from Wales! Helena

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