The one place where crisps (chips) would be considered dinner

Prawn Cocktail, Pickled onion,Worcester Sauce, Steak and Onion,Cheese and Onion, Steak and Ale, Roast Chicken, Chili and Lemon, and Fish and Chips are only a few of the many many many unusual kinds on crisps they have here. It's a national staple. CRISPS ARE EVERYWHERE, and not just any old crisps, but the most unusual combinations. There are rows of grocery stores dedicated to crisps. Don't believe me? Read "The Crisp List" a website dedicated to all the crisps you can find in the UK and a "wish list" that you can add too of all the different kinds of crisps you wish there were. I have never really been a crisp eater so I unfortunately have not ventured too far from the kettle chips original or Doritos but i really feel like trying all these crisps will be my national acceptance. I'm surprised that as part of the VISA application there isn't a box asking what crisps you enjoy most- I probably would have been rejected if that were the case. Anyway-with the rest of your procrastination time I suggest you take a look at the following link and think about what you want in your dream crisp.

http://crisplist.co.uk/index.php?id=the_list#hotpick

Coffeeholic Hell

So it's that time of year when students all over the world start studying and writing papers late into the night; turning what was a 11 o'clock bedtime into a 3 o'clock bedtime. We try and push every ounce of energy into staying awake to write those last 3 paragraphs for the mornings due date. Whether you are organised or not November is a time when all students unravel and turn to caffeine as the answer. Sweet sweet caffeine, how you have saved the lives of many students. Here's the problem, in wales you can't get that night cap! I walked around for 45 minutes the other night doing my own little coffee shop research. My results? Most shops close a 6pm, some at 7, the ones in the mall are open until 8 (thank goodness!), but after 8 o'clock you switch to beer. Coming from a world of 24/7 Tim Horton's this is such a strange concept. I asked several friends why they don't serve coffee after 8 and they all thought it was a very simple answer "because it's almost bedtime. Why would you want caffeine that late at night?" The truth is this country isn't built around coffee like we were/are. As I mentioned earlier, they drink hot beverages as a social event not for the pick-me-up the caffeine gives them. If they want caffeine they reach for an energy drink, which is something that is now highly discouraged against in North America.  I guess the point of this message is that I will be making my warm beverages at home before I go to the library for a late night rendezvous with my textbooks.

Not too hot, Not to cold, Just right.

Its funny how you miss the simple things when you are travelling (or living) in another country. For example, I miss North American water taps. Wales (and I believe many other parts of the UK too) have decided that it is more suitable to have one hot tap and one cold tap; you either burn your hands or your freeze them. There have been many times that I see females leap in front of the bathroom sinks because the surprise of the hot water has hit them hard. From what I have been told, the theory behind these sinks is that it shouldn't make a difference because you are supposed to fill the sink and mix the water, which sort of makes sense with washing the dishes but not as much when you are washing your hands in a public bathroom. Plus there are always little sections of hot and cold water pooling in the sink waiting for a sneak attack on your nerves. I know what you are probably thinking... first world problems. True, but I will never take a medium tap temperature for granted ever again.

Little Black Leggings are the new Little Black Dress

I have yet to find a female in Wales that does not own a pair of black leggings. This trend makes sense to me. As previously mentioned the weather here is odd. Its cold enough that you can't just wear a skirt but warm enough that jeans are to warm (you would think I am lying because its pretty well winter back home but I am not!) Thus, the introduction to the little black leggings, a suitable choice to wear with a long sweater, or under a skirt. I bought a pair my first week here and haven't looked back since!
Another trend here is wearing tights under shorts. This is a trend that I always thought looked ridiculous on the streets of Halifax but again, it suits the whether here. People can pull it off here. It is still not acceptable in Canada.... ever.

Wellies are for farmers

As I left Canada the big joke of all my friends and family was "well you better get some wellies (rainboots) as soon as you arrive," a statement that makes much sense when it rains at least 1/3 of the year (maybe this is an incorrect fact but thus far it has been proven true). As soon as I got here I learned other wise. It is VERY rare to see people wearing wellies on the streets of Cardiff. When i told my flatmates that I was looking for a good place to buy them, they all gave me strange faces and asked "why do you want wellies?" I thought the response was obvious but I told them anyway "to keep my feet dry" and the response I got back "if you walk down the streets wearing wellies then you will look crazy. Wellies are for people that live on farms or work on farms, they are NOT meant to be worn in the city..." It took me a while to comprehend that based on the weather that I had already experienced here but I still didn't understand, so I asked " what do you do to keep your feet dry?" My flatmates response started with an unknowing shrug and ended with "we don't."..... and I'm the crazy one.....
Since then, I have learned the rules or appropriate footwear.
1) Buy shoes with high soles (It makes a difference, trust me)
2) You are allowed to wear rainboots but only when it is REALLY raining and if they are "cute" or have the Hunter label
3) You are not allowed to wear them to a bar unless it is a "fancy dress" (costume or themed nights) theme, then you just need to justify them as part of a costume.

I have also learned that the weather can change almost instantaniously. It can be patio weather one minute and then downpour the next so ALWAYS bring an umbrella (this is a new concept for me because if you open an umbrella in windy Nova Scotia then it will be broken in a dumpster 10 minutes later.

I arrived Sept 18, so that brings me to a total of 45 days of having lived in Cardiff, Wales. I picked up and moved away from my family and friends to a country that I knew nothing about but the fact that it rained a lot. I have been to the United Kingdom before on vacation and I understood some of the cultural difference but I didnt think there would be as many small differences between the 2 countires. This blog is meant to highlight some of the things that I have found to be strikingly different between Canada and Wales. Its a collboration of the things that make me chuckle in everyday living, and sometimes the things that make me wish I was back in Canada.

I named this blog "drinking tea with the locals" because quite simply that is what I do. Ever since I stepped off the bus on my first day with all the other international students I was offered tea and biscuits. After a night out with the girls, we will come back have have a glass of tea and discuss the shinanigains of the evening. Sitting in my room on a cold wet night, listening to the rain while I do my homework, I drink tea to warm me up. I have always enjoyed a cup of tea, but here it has become a part of my life. The welsh have this part of life figured out; tea isnt just a drink, its a way of socializing, getting together with friends and family and really communicating with each other OR It can also just be a way to sit and unwind, go to a cafe to read a book and people watch.
I can't promise my blog will be interesting but I will certianly try, so maybe if you come to Wales you can experience it in all it glory. Cheers.