Category Archives: Wales

The Last Day

Today’s my last day in Wales and this is exactly how I feel about it. (Or that could just be the expression of someone who’s been given a load of goodbye JD & Cokes by her friends and got way too close to the flash. You decide.)

Tomorrrow I’ll be hopping on the train to Gatwick where I’ll spend the night (not sleeping, I imagine) and then hop on a plane first thing on Thursday morning.

I always imagined writing this post with an air of nostalgia: Writing about the numerous things I’ve been up to over the last couple of days; Reminising about my homeland, my hometown and how leaving has made me quite patriotic inside and proud to be Welsh; Giving a little tribute to the friends and family I’ll leave behind and shedding a tear over how much I’ll miss them.

But the truth of that matter is, it’s 6.30pm and I’m already exhausted. Physically and mentally.

Continue reading →

The Big Goodbye in Aberystwyth

Last weekend, I hopped on a train (or two) to visit my best friend, Rhi, who’s currently studying for her Masters at Aberystwyth University.

Not only was it a special weekend because I’d discover where she’ll be living for the next year but this was the last time we’d be seeing each until December 2012. Having never really had more than a fortnight apart in the eight years we’ve known each other, we knew this was going to be an emotional time but decided to leave that stuff until the last moment and just make the most out of the weekeend to come.

If there’s one thing to be said about Aberystwyth, it’s a student town. It’s also a traditional seaside town. Non-UK based readers? Want to find out what British students are like? Want to find out what going to the seaside’s like for British families? Go to Aberystwyth. While it’s located on the coast of mid-Wales, I didn’t hear a single Welsh accent while I was there (other than mine and Rhi’s). The town is brimming with students and tourists clutching books, bags and cameras.

Continue reading →

Saying ‘Yes’

Today is a good day for Wales.

Yesterday, us Welshies went out to vote in the referendum and, today, it’s been announced that we’ve voted an all-out YES. :D

Let me translate that for those of you who have no clue what I’m talking about :P : Up until now, the Welsh Assembly Government had no power to make independent decisions in law. (Unlike the Scottish and UK ministers.) Every law they wanted to make for Wales had to be sent to the UK Parliament to be checked, viewed and transferred on a case-by-case basis.

Essentially, we’ve been England’s bitch boys.

The referendum wanted to change all that. Yesterday the people of Wales were asked whether they wanted to give the Welsh Assembly direct power to make those laws without having to gain consent from Westminster.

21 out of our 22 counties gave a majority ‘Yes’ vote which means, :D HUZZAAAHHHHHH!!! :D

This has given an overall boost to the standing of the – kind of crappy at times – Welsh Assembly so let’s hope that now we’ve given them the power, they’ll actually knuckle down and do what’s right for Wales. With more law-making power, they’re able to concentrate fully on what’s right for the country and the Welsh people in these difficult economic times.

There’s also been a lot of talk about this being the start of an independent movement for Wales; Breaking away from the UK and becoming it’s own country (like Ireland). Well, that’s not going to happen any time soon … Only an estimated 16% of the population would support the country’s independence so shaaaaadup and stop worrying.

We have to see what the Welsh Assembly does for us first. I’d like to say I have faith in them that they’ll do the right thing. I mean, some perks of being Welsh is that I don’t have to pay for my medical prescriptions. The Welsh Assembly Government have saved me close to £700 in Asthma medication thanks to that law they passeed in 2007. As a Welsh student, I was also awarded a Grant which meant that, after looking at my parents’ income, I had my full Tuition fees paid for … and I don’t have to pay it back! If I’d studied at an English university, the situation would also be the same. But, for my English friends, this doesn’t happen.

These all sound like great reasons to have faith in the Welsh Assembly but it’s also good to be wary. We don’t know what the Welsh Assembly’s going to do with this power … especially with the elections coming up in May (Because, let’s face it – Choosing between the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Lib Dems is like choosing which of Satan’s minions you want to shove a hot poker up your bum!) and the voting system referendum (Think I’ve just confused a bunch of non-UK readers :P ).

Essentially, our parties are pretty crap. I’m a Socialist. I’d vote for the Socialist Party if there was anyone in my area who’d run but we’re stuck with those four dopes instead. And, let’s face it, guys, the Conservatives have never been especially nice to Wales’ working classes so that’s the last party we need to be taking up the majority of seats in the Assembly.

But, yes, anyway …

Hurraaayyy for Wales’ vote on YES. :D Let’s hope the Welsh Assembly take full advantage of the power they’ve been given … and that we don’t all live to regret our vote. (Like when we naively ticked the box last year for that Clegg douche. Boy, we all really fell for that one, didn’t we?)