castalia: (I heart sea creatures)
[personal profile] castalia
It's rained, at least a little bit, nearly every day this week. Oy. Am so glad I invested in that raincoat duster.

Not much time for computer stuff this weekend, what with all the welcome week stuff at Ocean Sciences. Finally got to meet the rest of my class - there's 10 of us in all, the biggest class of Marine Biology they've ever had. 7 girls and 3 guys, I think, and everyone seems pretty nice. We got a tour of the school and did some field trips as well. We hiked up part of a mountain in Snowdonia to see Cwm Idwal (a mountain lake), went to the Anglesey Sea Zoo, and went for a walk on the beach at Aberffraw; can't wait to show you those pictures.

After all the introductory talks, everyone was suitably terrified of how intensive these programs are going to be. I have to get used to modules and the way they do assignments here. I felt good after talking to the department head, though, and I think I won't have too much trouble narrowing down a research project, b/c there's a cuttlefish lab right here; a PhD student just finished a big project with them, and they breed them, too, so I could work with that and still be specializing in cephalopod mating behaviours (even if it's not squid just yet). Also, the MB supervisor did confirm that I'm the only American student in the School of Ocean Sciences. But I did get to meet several others who are undergrads at the main school.

I think we've found a house here in Bangor, but the landlord has a very busy job so we didn't get to view it today as planned. Probably in the morning instead. It's pretty new - red brick, nice space, good kitchen and living area, etc. The agency showed us the pictures and I think it'll be perfect, despite not being as close to Menai Bridge as I'd wanted. Rent is £50/week, so it's not as cheap as I'd prefer, but still manageable. There are four bedrooms, so a guy from Ireland is joining us. I have to wonder what my mother will think about me sharing a house with three guys, but they're all very nice and most importantly neat and tidy. Some of the other places I'd looked at were full of the messiest people in the world. All of us can cook, too, so that will be nice. Hopefully we can be moved in before the weekend is over, so cross your fingers that everything goes ok with that. I really want my stuff unpacked, oy! It's getting cold and I want my sweaters.

Already there's some food I miss. English food is good, and I'm thrilled about being able to buy my favorite teas so cheaply now, but I haven't been able to find some of the things I'm used to cooking with in the supermarkets here. Black beans, for one, seem to be scarce. The hardest thing to find is going to be my favorite drink, though. I want a Midori Sour like mad, but although Midori is quite easy to find, there's no sweet and sour mix to be had at all. No one even seems to know what I'm talking about, b/c evidently cocktails aren't a huge thing here and I don't think anyone does margaritas at all. *sad*

I can, however, get all the Woodpecker cider I want. There is much happiness in the world.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 07:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com
It's rained, at least a little bit, nearly every day this week.

I see you've hit a dry spell. I've known whole summers in Snowdownia when there was scarcely a day when one could do any climbing.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
It comes and goes. I'm certainly not leaving the hostel without rain gear. I'm more used to quick storms at home, not this type of rain where it just keeps pouring for hours on end.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com
Take one warm ocean current and prevailing westerlies. Add large mountain range immediately on shore... There are parts of Snowdonia that get 300 inches/year.

For a time, I used to drive to either Capel Curig or Llanberis from London most Fridays. It was a bit of a standing joke that it would start raining as soon as I crossed the Welsh border.

My partner, [livejournal.com profile] lemur_catta, is Californian. She finds the idea of rock climbing or even mountaineering in the rain quite ridiculous. I have to explain to her that I wouldn't have done much at all if I hadn't learned to cope with wet rock.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Mm, yes. Isn't coastal weather lovely?

For a time, I used to drive to either Capel Curig or Llanberis from London most Fridays. It was a bit of a standing joke that it would start raining as soon as I crossed the Welsh border.

*snicker* There must be a lot of rain gods living in Wales. We went to Llanberis on Thursday, but luckily the rain held off until after our hike. The view from up there is really quite spectacular.

I suppose I'll get used to the wet rock. Honestly, I don't think the rocks here ever get dry ;)

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com
Honestly, I don't think the rocks here ever get dry ;)

They do from time to time, especially the valley crags (Tremadoc and Gogarth are a good bet when much else is wet), but the high crags aren't often in good condition. I've certainly done plenty of wet weather routes in boots and raingear.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chrissie-m.livejournal.com
I loved Bangor when I was there for a visit last summer.

Hope you don't mind if I friend you, so I can keep getting these little flashes of happy memories when you post about being there.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Don't mind at all! Very nice to meet you :) Were you in Wales for vacation, then?

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] chrissie-m.livejournal.com
Kind of. I was in Liverpool for a conference, and decided to spend a week in Wales doing the tourist thing afterwards. I stayed at the residences at the university and spent a week taking various trains and buses to visit Caernarvon and Harlech and Conwy castles.

It's such a beautiful place, and I can't wait to go back for a longer visit.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-02 02:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Heh, I've seen those residences, so I applaud your bravery :) I've heard the Conwy castles are a must-see, so I hope to get up there at some point this year.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 08:20 pm (UTC)
ext_7845: (Default)
From: [identity profile] yunitsa.livejournal.com
I've been trying to get a margarita here in Edinburgh for the past three weeks, without success. The conversation tends to go: "Well, we could add some lime juice to the tequila if you'd like...?"

Don't know if you still remember who I am at all, but I'm glad you're enjoying Wales :)

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-02 02:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
*nods* I'm getting that, too. And I've tried to order ginger ale with almost the same response; people drink ginger beer, which I'm not as fond of, but they only use things like Canada Dry as a drinks mixer. I'm so not used to it.

Luckily I'm not too scatterbrained yet, so yeah, I remember you :) I've enjoyed reading your posts about Edinburgh, since we're almost in the same boat these days.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-01 11:36 pm (UTC)
ext_7608: (Default)
From: [identity profile] kitzen-kat.livejournal.com
I'm Australian and I have no idea what you mean by a sweet and sour mix. At home we tend to get the raw ingredients like lemonade and so on and make our own.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-02 02:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Ah, ok. Maybe it's a lazy American thing, then.

(no subject)

Date: 2005-10-03 12:25 am (UTC)
ext_7608: (Default)
From: [identity profile] kitzen-kat.livejournal.com
Pre-made stuff in a can or bottle would save time, though, particularly if you're in a hurry for a drink! I'll have to look more carefully in the liquor section at the mixers.

Here's the recipe for sweet and sour mix

Date: 2005-10-01 11:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cteare.livejournal.com
I hope you can find the ingredients, or reasonable substitutes.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Mix
A base used for making Margaritas

3 cups water
3 cups sugar
2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups fresh lime juice
Combine water and sugar in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Cool syrup.
Mix syrup, lemon juice and lime juice in pitcher. Chill until cold. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Makes 8 cups.

Re: Here's the recipe for sweet and sour mix

Date: 2005-10-02 02:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Ooh, thank you!! I can certainly find those things here, so I'll just have to try the recipe. I knew someone would have a solution :) *hugs*

Re: Here's the recipe for sweet and sour mix

Date: 2005-10-03 03:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cteare.livejournal.com
You're welcome. You'll probably have to convert the measurements to metric unless you brought along your own cooking supplies.

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