The crisis abates...
Sep. 26th, 2005 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
castaliaOk, so things are looking up a bit, and the housing situation is looking a little better. I've joined forces with the two German guys from the hostel, and along with a girl from Spain we've been spending the past few days together hunting for a place and also just hanging out. It's been fun, and I think I'm going to like them all very much. Unfortunately they're only here for the semester as exchange students, but still, not bad. We're thinking of getting a house together until they leave at the end of February, so then I'd either find new roommates or move somewhere else. It seems to be the best option, b/c really, I didn't have a very good feeling about the Indian place. This way I'll be more comfortable for the first half of the year, I'll have plenty of time to secure another place for the second half, and all the places we're looking at are only a short bike ride away from my school.
One house was a little further away than any of us would have liked (it's that town with the longest name - yes, that one - which is usually shortened to Llanfair PG), but it was absolutely beautiful. Rent would be affordable once we split it b/w the 3 of us, and the kitchen was brand new; it's all very well kept up and the view is spectacular. Three bedrooms, a lovely living room, and fully furnished with appliances to boot. So if nothing else works out, we may take that one. We're viewing a place here in Bangor today that is cheaper and would be a better location, right in the middle of where we'll all be going. And a house just opened up in Menai Bridge for 4 people if we want to try that instead. So, yeah, we have options now, and I have good people to be with that I know I like. Much better than taking a chance with people I haven't met. We can all cook, too, and have been making group meals at the hostel which is fun.
I feel much better now that I've found a nice group of people. Johannes, Andi, Angels (there's an accent grave in there on the E but I can't figure out how to type that on these damn British keyboards) and I get along really well, and once I have my computer up and running I'll post some pictures of all of us. We took a trip to Beaumaris yesterday - one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It hasn't even rained that much.
One thing I don't think people realize about this area is just how much Welsh they really do speak here. I'm told a majority of the population is bilingual rather than just a small percentage as in other parts of the country, and all the welcome meetings so far have been conducted in both languages. A good number of the staff and higher-ups speak Welsh, all the signs are bilingual, and it's very easy to go into any cafe or pub and hear someone rattling away in Welsh. I'll have no trouble at all finding ways to improve my skills here.
There's an international student field trip type thing this Saturday to Mt Snowdon - optional, but it sounds like fun so we may do that this weekend if all goes well with the houses. Once we get settled I can see about getting a cell phone and broadband service; some of the shops here offer some good deals when you buy both together. Then I may be able to be on LJ a bit more frequently. Hope so, anyway.
One last interesting thing? Last night I met my first fellow American in this country, an older man from Oklahoma who's here on vacation and is staying at the hostel. I've honestly seen no one else yet from the US, so we may be a scarce breed around here.
One house was a little further away than any of us would have liked (it's that town with the longest name - yes, that one - which is usually shortened to Llanfair PG), but it was absolutely beautiful. Rent would be affordable once we split it b/w the 3 of us, and the kitchen was brand new; it's all very well kept up and the view is spectacular. Three bedrooms, a lovely living room, and fully furnished with appliances to boot. So if nothing else works out, we may take that one. We're viewing a place here in Bangor today that is cheaper and would be a better location, right in the middle of where we'll all be going. And a house just opened up in Menai Bridge for 4 people if we want to try that instead. So, yeah, we have options now, and I have good people to be with that I know I like. Much better than taking a chance with people I haven't met. We can all cook, too, and have been making group meals at the hostel which is fun.
I feel much better now that I've found a nice group of people. Johannes, Andi, Angels (there's an accent grave in there on the E but I can't figure out how to type that on these damn British keyboards) and I get along really well, and once I have my computer up and running I'll post some pictures of all of us. We took a trip to Beaumaris yesterday - one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. It hasn't even rained that much.
One thing I don't think people realize about this area is just how much Welsh they really do speak here. I'm told a majority of the population is bilingual rather than just a small percentage as in other parts of the country, and all the welcome meetings so far have been conducted in both languages. A good number of the staff and higher-ups speak Welsh, all the signs are bilingual, and it's very easy to go into any cafe or pub and hear someone rattling away in Welsh. I'll have no trouble at all finding ways to improve my skills here.
There's an international student field trip type thing this Saturday to Mt Snowdon - optional, but it sounds like fun so we may do that this weekend if all goes well with the houses. Once we get settled I can see about getting a cell phone and broadband service; some of the shops here offer some good deals when you buy both together. Then I may be able to be on LJ a bit more frequently. Hope so, anyway.
One last interesting thing? Last night I met my first fellow American in this country, an older man from Oklahoma who's here on vacation and is staying at the hostel. I've honestly seen no one else yet from the US, so we may be a scarce breed around here.
