Driving to the Top

I have not yet attempted driving this one tract country lane in the driver's seat, however, I have been in the passenger seat many times. I have finally developed a sense of direction for my new surroundings and once I have a vehicle again I am ready to "give this a go." I feel confident that I can handle driving on the main roads at this point, even though I had one very brief driving lesson. I have paid careful attention to the rules of the road, the flow of the traffic, the navigation of the roundabouts and I am eager to get back behind the wheel of a car. '



I have attempted to videotape the drive from the Heads of the Valleys road up through Station Road and onto Station Terrace. I am not sure if the steepness of the drive is conveyed through this tape, but the narrowness of the lane certainly is. Those of you in the states will appreciate it because it really is not like any "road" most of us drive on a regular basis. Pay careful attention the the sound of the beeping horn as the "S" curve is navigated.



Bear in mind that Mr. Sheppard, an experienced UK driver, is behind the wheel and I will not be driving half as fast, in the beginning.

See Video Above

A Walk in the Neighborhood: Exposition continued.

It's been almost one week since Micaela and I arrived in Wales. Our home on Station Terrace is, in comparison to our home in Northbridge, very remote. The stillness of the surroundings is almost overwhelming. The beauty of the area surpasses my ability to describe it, so photos must speak for themselves. Indeed, living on top of this mountain, while not far from a very busy thoroughfare at its base, one feels very isolated and alone. Add to this the fact that the clutch in the vehicle at my disposal gave way after my first driving lesson, (which went smashingly well, I will add) and you have a very social butterfly with clipped wings! So the butterfly has been exploring the immediate neighborhood. If only I could fly....

I have met some of the family living next door; Debbie, Lucy and Katie. Lucy and Katie have taken to Micaela and are taking her on a shopping trip this week to the closest major city, Cardiff. They will take the train, and for Katie and Lucy this is "old hat", for my daughter it will be her first experience with major public transportation and I am somewhat nervous about her going to an unknown city without me in tow, but I will.

I have explored the tiny village of Gilwern at the base of the mountain, but I have yet to make it to the next largest town of Abergavenny. The walk to the village is much easier than the walk back. There are two choices, to return the same route one takes down, which is pretty much straight up...or to meander down along the canal and to take a gradual uphill route past sheep and horse farms, and continuing along the old railroad, now a bike path, where one meets many people riding bikes or walking dogs. While it is "gradual", it is the long way back and I did find myself huffing and puffing by the time I made it back to my little place. My goal is to take this walk a few times per week and to increase my cadiac stamina, while getting a good workout.

On one occasion I decided to walk up the lane. A stones throw from the house is an open field where the sheep quiety graze. I did this walk close to sunset, and it was a sunny afternoon, so the views across the valley and into the Brecon Beacons were phenomenal. Along the way I met dog owners and came across more grazing horses. The stroll across the top of the mountain was pleasant and quiet, although the high hedges that line the roads block the sight path of some amazing views.

The grit boxes and the classic British red phone box at the top of the hill brought chuckles to my lips. The grit box would hardly be accessible from my little car park area in icy conditions, and the phone box just seems out of place in this isolated remote area; it is almost like a piece of modern art that doesn't look like art at all. Why, I asked myself, is this here? I just don't get it at all.

My exchange partner's parents, Pat & John Sheppard, have been more than kind to both Micaela and myself. Unfortunately, they were also suffering from car troubles for a few days and were unable to get to us also. Thankfully, my new colleague, Mel, was able to fetch me for my scheduled lunch in Peterchurch, England with the ladies from Fairfield this past Friday. My first drive to Fairfield from Station Terrace was daunting to say the least. Keep in mind that I am very accustomed to a short 5 mile drive to NHS, which is pretty much a straightline. This drive is at least 40 minutes in one direction and the majority of it is through narrow, twisting, hedgelined English country roads. This alone will be an adjustment and I am sure to expend many pounds per week in petrol, as the prices of petrol are astronomical in comparison to our prices back home...yes, even at $2.25/gallon.

On arrival at Fairfield I was greeted with a strong odor of goats... it is, afterall a school where farm animals are kept. The classrooms are pleasant and spacious with much natural light from the large windows. The views are spectacular and the animals are all unique. It seems to be a relaxed and friendly environment, with an ecclectic group of staff and students alike. The campus and building itself is completely different from the modern,comprehensive, expansive, suburban high school that defines Northbridge, but I am looking forward to spending more time there and meeting more people. Fairfield is an "arts" school with emphasis on fine arts, music and performing arts, while Northbridge is much more defined by its athletics, so that also will be a change for me...Miss Northbridge Super Ram Fan. Miceala finds it different that she will have to "go outside" to change classes, as most classrooms are "mobile" structures that are annexed to the main building, where the English classes are housed on the top floor. Yes, she most certainly will get wet on any given day. It has rained for a portion of the day - everyday.

I will be teaching years 7 to 11 (ages 11 - 16) so that too will be a challenge, as I am entrenched in my upper class curriculum back home. Teaching little ones will be a change for me; but I will rise to the challenge. Teaching drama classes will also be a change for me, although I think there is a bit of a drama queen in every teacher, as we perform each day for our students, so I am sure it will be an enjoyable experience. I will do my best to teach the curriculum here, although I am most certainly bound to make mistakes, as my counterpart is most certainly bound to do also. Reaching out and asking for help at those times is the thing one must do and all will go smoothly. In the end, it is an opportunity of a lifetime for all involved, students and colleagues alike.

After a wonderful "ladies luncheon" at a quaint restaurant in Peterchurch called "Food for Thought" with my coworkers, Jayne, Jo, and Mel, as well as Mel's daughter Penny and my Micaela, we were treated to a drive through the countryside to see Mel's farmhouse, which about 700 years old. Mel and her husband, Ian, raise beef cattle and this farmland has been in Ian's family for many years. It sits beside mountains that offer spectacular views...again.

On Saturday I met Sam's friend Sian and Sam's boyfriend Ryan as we visited Cyfarthfa Castle in the town of Merthyr Tydfil. This visit provided a good history lesson on the iron industry in the region and also a great day of shopping in the nearest shopping center. Micaela and l learned about the stores which would provide the best value for our dollar. Sian was an excellent tour guide and we got along quite well, so I look forward to spending more time with her in the next few months.

When finally Mr & Mrs. Sheppard were mobile again, having their vehicle back on the road, they were kind enough to take Miceala and I to an old countryhouse manor on the outskirts of Newport, Wales called Tredegar House, where we recieved a guided tour. This again was a rich history lesson and we both enjoyed the day very much. We then took a drive through the city of Cardiff to explore the coastline in Penarth. The contrasts of the the hillsides, mountains and sheep-filled pastures near Abergavenny, with the the rugged cliff-lined coastline near Penarth did not go unnoticed. I completely understand why we live in "New England"...this area of the world has the fields of Connecticut, the harbors and green trees of Massachusetts, the mountains and hills of Vermont and New Hampshire and the coastline of Maine. Also famous for its apples and ciders! Perhaps our region should be called "New Wales", as Wales is a complete entity unto its own, with a unique history, culture and language, as I am slowly learning.

We had a wonderful dinner, at a restaurant called Harvester, which reminded me a bit of home, and is only 10 miles from my Welsh home, where I did sample a cider called Bulmers...and it was ice cold! No warm cider or ale here! I will probably find myself here a bit more often. Their signature dishes include rotisserie half chickens and popular jacket potatoes.

All in all, the first chapter of this journey has been a good one. I have settled in nicely. Micaela is a bit more jetlagged than I, but most of that has to do with staying up late to chat with her friends on the internet, which is definitley going to change as we approach preparing for school. I have learned a lot about the history of the area and seen quite a bit of it, despite the troubles with the vehicles. I miss my pups and some familiar foods - also miss my tumble dryer, as this weather is not quite conducive to drying clothes on a line in a timely manner. It took two days for the last bit of laundry to completely dry. I will enjoy living here for the next four months, I wish it was a tad more metropolitan, but the quiet will do us good for a time and we may come back living a slower paced life with less intensity and more of an appreciation for what we see around us at home.

Entering Wales

It is a bit past 1 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon as I write this post. In the US it is only 8 a.m. and that,my friends, is the time schedule I am running on, as I have just sat outdoors in the back garden to have a cup of coffee, after a somewhat fit night's sleep, to be, ironically, awoken by a pack of barking dogs! Micaela...well she is sound asleep as I write. The weather is like New England fall and indeed I was somewhat chilled yesterday afternoon and had to put the heat on to get the chill out of the house, such is the body when you have just left a New England heat wave with all its oppressive humidity. Can you imagine...running the heater in August? Wearing a fleece in the evening? This morning, however, the windows are open, the sun is shining and the breeze is refreshing. In some ways I feel like I am in a very old part of New England and then in other respects I feel like I have just stepped into a movie set of a life I should have always been living - or it may be more fitting to say that I have just stepped into the pages of a novel and am the main character. In the paddock across the road horses are grazing and it is country living at its best.

I can clearly understand why the hustle and bustle of my New England town is somewhat disconcerting for Samantha. The pace of life is generally relaxed, I can tell that by being here for less than 24 hours. The sheep graze openly on the hills at the outskirts of Brecon Beacon National Park and its like they have there been for thousands of years. The shale caps and terraced houses are rather quaint and the architectural construction itself is something completely different, yet familiar.

The roads...well that's a different story. Most are three lanes, two in one direction, one in the opposite and those two/one configurations switch back and forth as you drive. I am craving a "t" intersection instead of all these "roundabouts" and I am deperately wishing I had stolen Michael's GPS off his kitchen counter as I left on Friday morning. I may have to buy one while I am here. I will have my first driving lesson today, and being a passenger on the left side of the car has actually given me confidence that I will be able to do it. Navigating the manual transmission car up this steep one tract country lane may be another story entirely, but I am going to make myself do it. Michael told me three things before I left. First, "Make it Happen." ; second "There is no such thing as 'can't'." and third, "The day has arrived for me to leave and the day will arrive for me to come home." So that's it. I can drive there so I can drive here. I will drive. I can teach there so I can teach here. I will teach here. I can live there so I can live here. I will live here. It's that simple.

Micaela and I departed Boston in a timely fashion, having navigated our way through the airport check in process with all our six pieces of luggage and were pleasantly surprised to find out that we could each check two bags for free. When the woman in front of us was forced to repack her bags because one was 54 pounds instead of 50 I began to sweat a tad bit. The cost for that bag was going to be $150! I packed and repacked, weighed and reweighed each piece of luggage several times over at home before heading out the door, so I was sure I had hit the mark, but if my scale at home was not correct I would be in trouble,. Thankfully each bag came in at just under 50 pounds or exactly on the mark in one case... the lady at the check-in made a comment praising my Fulbright status and that I deserved it for having packed this luggage properly!

A transatlantic flight is a daunting thought alone, never mind when it is your first one and you aren't seated anywhere near your mother...about 20 rows behind her in fact...and then you have to enter the plane before her also, but to her credit Micaela battled through her first bit of anxiety after I promised I would switch seats somehow. Each of us had aisle seats as bargaining chips so I was fairly confident it could be done. Sure enough, when I got to my seat I put out a blanket request to the others in my row if someone would be willing to switch seats for an aisle seat with my daughther 20 rows back and I got a volunteer, so I gave up my aisle seat to Micaela, moved her into my row, and off we went.

When we arrived in Amsterdam we had to find our gate for KLM airlines and it was a good hike across the airport, thankfully everything was on time so it was not a mad dash to make to our gate. The funny thing about this flight was that we had to board the plane from the middle of the tarmac so we had to take a tram out to the plane and stand in the open air to board it...Micaela was just in shock about this. Thankfully it was rather hot in Amsterdam and not pouring rain or something. It was a quick "cityhopper" flight and we arrived in Cardiff to overcast skies and a chilly 69/70 degrees. Thankfully all our luggage arrived as well and the only glitch was the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Sheppard at the arrival gate. As our flight had arrived a bit early and they hit some traffic on the way to the airport they had found themselves a bit behind schedule to greet us, but as we made contact with Sam's friend Alyson in our panic at not having a ride, we spied them walking briskly hand in hand to greet us and simulataneously they saw us and we waved as if we were old friends. Seeing them holding hands instantly made me realize that we would get on quite well during our stay.

Loading our luggage into two separate vehicles I drove home with Mr. Sheppard paying close attention to the the traffic patterns and road signs, at the same time trying to decipher traffic rules while asking many questions about driving without being too much of a nuisance. I got a great history lesson about the area as well on this drive, and just as I was mentally telling myself that I could drive here with careful practice we turned onto the steep one tract country lane that I would now be having to navigate to get home for the next four months. My confidence took a plunge. It is not like anything I have ever had to drive on at home so it could be a tricky thing to do. Let's put it this way, there are "s" curves on this lane where you must beep your horn or blink your lights as you make the turns, and if there is another vehicle coming in the opposite direction there would be no choice but for one or the other to have to reverse direction for quite a bit of the lane. I will have to keep track of the number of times that happens to me. Learning to navigate this is not an option...it has to be done in order for me to get to school each day so I have to "make it happen."

Samantha's home is lovely. Quaint, small and typically Welsh. Exactly how I pictured it to be from the photos she had sent to me earlier on. It is a unit in an old Station Master's home, built with bricks and mortar, and there is a set of concrete steps that goes down to the old platform where the old train tracks have been converted to a bike path. The quiet surrounding this home at present is stark in contrast to the noise of trains running at the turn of the 19th century I am certain. The neighbors have a lovely wide open yard with beautiful flowers and grass and it is a lovely view from all around. If there was a view of the ocean from this little "cottage" it would be a perfect spot for me to spend the rest of my life.

Micaela has a room in the back overlooking the back garden where there is an outdoor fenced area with a green garden gate. The old coal storage units are still in place and the moss and ferns grow out of the brick walls surrounding this area; it truly is a nice area to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. There is a grassy area and beyond that there is an old chicken coop and a horse stall. It has great potential for a beautiful flower or vegetable garden and that is indeed in Sam's long range plan for her home. It really is quite beautiful and I can fully understand why she loves it here and is homesick.

The front garden is also surrounded by a low cottage fence with a swinging gate and crushed stone walkway. There are a variety of flowers and shrubs in colors of oranges, yellows and purples and they are entering that stage of autumn decline we see in late September or October. It is a welcoming place to be. The windows in this home are large four pane glass, trimmed in natural hard wood, decorated with simple window treatments that allow the light to pour through the glass. The floors are all the same natual hardwood with a beautiful antique fireplace trimmed in decorate tile and it reminds me somewhat of the administration building fireplaces, although not as large or ornate around the mantel. The design of the tiles includes a flower pot with some flowers, perhaps tulips, entwining and winding up the the tiles alternating colors of red and yellow. Just as my own fireplace in my own home, made of fieldstones from the hill above Rockdale, has its historical significance, so does this fireplace and indeed all of this home. Just as my home was built to house a foreman and his family from the factory down the street, an essential part of the industrial revolution in our own country, so does this home have its importance in housing a railroad worker, also a vital worker as part of the industrial revolution in this area of the world.

My journey is in progress, this is the exposition.

Photos above: A view of Brecon Beacons National Park; The view of the front garden from inside the living room window; The view of Cardiff from the airplane; A view of the famous jagged cliff lined Welsh coastline.