Bang out of order...

So tonight I made chili for my housemates and Adele's best friend, Rhian, who is like one of my new best friends too! I found it shocking that they had never had chili, the all-American dish of fall. I was actually really pleased at how it turned out, given the strange selection of ingredients at the local grocery store. Ground beef here is called "beef mince," which I had to ensure was the same thing. Last week I was walking through the grocery store with my cell phone unit conversion menu up, so that I could convert grams to ounces/pounds. I felt ridiculous! This chili was definitely better than the veggie version I made last year, and didn't take nearly as long to make!

We decided tonight we'll take turns in making American/Welsh dishes for everyone to enjoy. Next up, I'm going to make enchiladas, given that Mexican food is definitely not as prevalent here! Rhian agreed to make "faggots" and peas. Sounds horrible huh? I guess they're like meatballs though of sorts. I'll let you know how it goes when it happens! She also told me about other favorite dishes around here, such as "toad in the hole," which is sausages baked into a Yorkshire pudding, I believe, and "bubble & squeak," which from what I gather is a type of casserole made from traditional Sunday roast leftovers. It should be interesting for sure!

Rhian and I have also spent the last week discussing vocabulary differences between Wales and the US. It's been highly amusing! I'll give you a rundown of some new words/phrases I've learned as a result of this...

My personal favorite is "That's bang out of order," which essentially means that's totally unacceptable, but then there's also...

"fanny" here definitely does not equal bum
a "barney" = fight/argument, not a purple dinosaur!
"mingin" or "hangin" (pronounced "angin") = gross
"marvin" = hungry or starving
"shall we make a move?" = "should we go?"
"let's leg it" = "let's walk"
"bum-bag" = fanny pack
"dummy" = pacifier
"slag" = promiscuous woman
"barking" = crazy
"stroppy" = moody or bad tempered
"bollockin" = to have a stern talking to, to be scolded
"give it a bash" = give it a go, try it out
"it's/you're doin' my head in" = driving me crazy!

I'm sure I'm leaving out loads of others, but you get the idea!

In other news...I think I finally have my new camera working. I have still not found an adequate adaptor, just one that is sufficing for now. And, I'm ill right now. I've got a horrible cold and have slept a whole lot over the past few days. I'm hoping to feel better and get my school work finished soon, so I can begin my weekend travels again!

Oh and I finally figured out what the Welsh people are saying when they say goodbye...it's spelled "tara," but pronounced ta-raw, with the emphasis on the end syllable. I can finally fit in by using this phrase and sounding a tiny bit Welsh!

So, ta-raw for now!