Living in a Whale....er Living in Wales, I mean

In the US, there are many differences between one state and the next. From how they say 'stop and go light' in Wisconsin, to how apparently no one wears shoes in Arkansas. In Texas everyone is a cowboy (tell me you believe otherwise) and  Iowa is thought by many- natives and outsiders alike- to be flat. And don't get me started one the differences of pop/soda/coke. The list goes on. My point is, you don't have to go very far to find cultural differences, and to meet people who assume things about your culture that just aren't true. As far as I know, shoes are quite popular in every state. And there are places in Iowa where you can climb down into ravines where the trees are so thick that you can't see more than a stones throw away. Some trees are covered in long black thorns that scream 'POISON!' and an unobservant traveler could run into them  just by looking the wrong way for a moment. (I know from firsthand experience to never grab onto a tree without looking at it first, no matter how steep the incline is.) I love places like that. The ravines are often old river beds that have dried up and been overtaken by a forest. The forests there are young, the oldest trees only a couple hundred at most. And those 'mother' trees are few in a land that was first prairie.

Now think, if one can find thousands of differences in just the continental US, how much more is there to find in the world beyond?

The first thing I noticed that was really strange was the sink. In my room. And its not just my room, but almost every bedroom in this house has one. Is that a Welsh thing or is this house just special? I don't know. The other thing that is weird about them is that all, apart from the kitchen, has two faucets. Why? A faucet that just has hot water will burn your hands, and one with just cold- well its Cold! The sinks themselves are quite deep, and all have plugs (not the push-pull kind I am used to, but a plug connected to a chain that you shove into the bottom of the sink) Anyway, if you wanted to take the time, you could plug the sink and fill it with the right temperature of water. I think that is a difficult thing for fast paced Americans to grasp.

The second thing, and you all must know this is coming, is the food. What surprised me most was:  they don't eat eggs for breakfast, beans are considered an every-meal item, and dessert is almost always called pudding. Even when it is far, far, far from the pudding that I know. It's most often bread. How is a mini-loaf that is covered in something sticky considered pudding? Then there is also biscuits, but thanks to the wonderful worlds of Harry Potter and The Secret Garden I knew full well to expect that. The funny thing is that they still use the word cookie (at least according to some Uni students I met) for nothing less than the must-have chocolate chip cookie.  

Thirdly, the most noticeable difference is speech. Just staying within Wrexham I have heard many different accents. Someone told me that to hear the 'real' Welsh accents one has to travel down to the south. And others were agreeing that the accent isn't as strong here as it is in other places. Which is okay with me. I like being able to understand the people I meet. I have noticed, in a flip of things, that some people don't seem to understand me. I am actually quite used to this, as at home I am soft-spoken and people often ask me to repeat myself. However, this was different. I don't know if it was the pronunciation of my words or if I was using words outside of their standard vocabulary, but several times it has occurred where people have no idea what I am talking about. Though it is usually easy to sort things out, it is interesting (and amusing) to see the difference in how our cultures operate.

Other things that I have noticed include the cars. Thought I should mention that I did notice they drive on the opposite side of the road. It just doesn't really bother me. The buildings are made out of bricks. Then there is the shopping centre. How do I describe it? From the place we enter it looks like an enormous mall. But after one steps through the entryway they find themselves....Outside. There are streets and cars and sidewalks. And alleys filled with shops. Yesterday I passed a bookstore in one such alleyway, and though I didn't have a chance to go in, the single glance I did put a grin on my face. Food vendors all have tables outside, with an awning or umbrellas to protect them. Even the local Subway does this. Yes, there is a Subway. And a KFC, and a Dominoes (though I think this is out of town) And I have heard rumors of a McDonald's. Can't recall if I have seen it. There are also plenty places to buy kebabs, fish and chips, donuts, tea, coffee, ice cream, pudding and other things that I haven't yet had time to notice.

I am very aware that I am no longer in the US. Whenever I hear a stranger speak, or look at the signs dotted through town and along the roads- many of them in Welsh and English- I am reminded of this fact. However, I feel at ease here. As others have put it, this is home. And though it won't be a permanent stop, it is where we are right now. I am so thankful to be here. Every day I am learning something about those I live with, and they are learning more about me. All of us come from different backgrounds, different cultures and worldviews. Yet, somehow, we will become family. It is my firm belief that God has blessed this time. I can't wait to see what this next week brings!

Things to think about:
Welsh is best when sung
Welsh changes the spelling and pronunciation to be the prettiest sound possible
Welsh sounds celtic and Germanic (to me) Does that mean German is a celtic language?

Welsh word for the day:
Ysgol   (any guesses?)

One Last Thought:
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving
Hope yours was a happy one. Mine was.

The sink....

And the cows (the first inhabitants of Wrexham I met, excluding those from the DTS)  

We just don't have churches with windows like these back home.... (more pictures of the church to come, I'm sure its the tallest building in Wrexham)