Annie Rhiannon

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Our Nation's Great Capital

Sometimes life takes you to places that are beyond your wildest dreams, and sometimes life takes you to Cardiff. This is my first time ever in our nation's great capital, and I am taking a taxi from the station to Emma's house with all my stuff, on my way back to Ireland.

"This is my first time ever in our nation's great capital," I tell the driver, peering out of the window at the hardware stores, the pound shops, the Millennium Stadium, and the Spar. Which looks a lot like the Spar in the village, only bigger.

"Really," he says, sounding genuinely surprised. "Where are you from then?"

"Dolwyddelan," I say. "In the north."

"You'll be out on the tiles tonight, then," he supposes.

No, not likely. I'm taking the boat from Fishguard in the morning; tonight I just plan to spend the evening with Emma on her sofa, catching up, having her husband teach me to play The Green Green Grass of Home, and drinking a lot of tea. I'm getting weary of moving from place to place and I am bored of drinking, and drinking, and getting up too late, and drinking. Next week I'll be back in Dublin with a job and a desk and a bed and an alarm-clock and I can't wait.

"No, I think I'll just be staying in tonight," I tell him. "Chillin', like."

"Oh yes," he nods. "One step at a time. Must be a big shock after Dolwyddelan."

22 comments:

  1. I remain insulted that I knew nothing of this visit until after you had left.

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  2. I was totally wrecked and I would have been No Fun whatsoever — it'll be much better to meet again in Ireland, believe.

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  3. I liked Dollllwwwwyyddddlllalaaallldddlaoellnnnaaannannn better than Cardiff. If you could just get the arcade fire to play in the pub there and get my mte dan from Barry town to wander around the place then I'd never need go to Cardiff again. Cardiff doesn't have Pablo or hoar-frost either.

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  4. He he! I think the taxi driver really thought that was the first time you'd EVER been out of Dolwyddelan.

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  5. Bloody hell, even I've been to Cardiff. And Swansea. And Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

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  6. Twice I have been in your nation's great capital, and twice we have taken the Heineken Cup home to Muinster.

    Cardiff has been good to us.

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  7. Dublin: A Great Place To Detox.

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  8. I'd rather go to Dolwydle...the other place. Nowhere's worth going to if Annie has only been there once is what I always say.

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  9. bored of drinking and you are heading back to Dublin? foolish child...

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  10. As it so happens, Jenny is at this very moment in Cardiff, attending a conference. She says it's a pretty hideous place, including her hotel (The Big Sleep!) which is a converted office block. Never been there myself.

    Goodness, all set up in Dublin, you sorted that out very secretly. And er, exactly what Conor said....

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  11. Hi Ann,

    My life.

    I can't wait to start moving from place to place and drinking, and drinking, and getting up too late, and drinking. I'm weary to be back in Dublin (limerick) with a job and a desk and a bed and an alarm-clock.

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  13. Anonymous17.4.09

    What's the job?!

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  14. I really enjoyed reading that out loud, trying my best at a Welsh accent. Which we all know is the hardest accent of all to imitate. You would've hated it. But I had fun.

    Good luck on your journey back to Dublin! I've been enjoying your travel updates a lot and look forward to reading more...

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  15. How does a Welsh person promounce their great, glorious capital?

    Take it you're back at the old gig for the last two Missuses?

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  16. Well, I'll be living in the extremely boring outskirts of Dublin, out near Wicklow even, working very long hours and having no fun whatsoever — so not drinking is a given really. Yes, the job is back on the Tudors, final season now. I'm really looking forward to getting back into it.

    Cardiff is "Caerdydd" in Welsh. I can't figure out how to write that phonetically at all. I'm going to go back later this year sometime I hope and look around it properly.

    Thank you Aoife :)

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  17. Wait a minute - boring? Outskirts? You must not be talking about the bustling and thrilling metropolis of BRAY then!

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  18. No! Bray is *extremely* exciting compared to where I'm looking for a pad – SHANKILL.

    Kerrshank.

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  19. Youre contributing to the Tudors? Fair play! Congrats et al.

    I never got how that show is able to do cliffhangers, surely every child learned how every episode is supposed to turn out in school?

    Also, condolensces on the suburbianess. Maybe life will get exciting like The 'Burbz!

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  20. あなたの精神年齢を占ってみよう！当サイトは、みんなの「精神年齢度」をチェックする性格診断のサイトです。精神年齢度には、期待以上の意外な結果があるかも？？興味がある方はぜひどうぞ

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  21. メル友募集3.7.09

    今まで同い年や年下としか付き合ったことなくて疲れてしまいました…優しくリードしてくれるような大人の男性に憧れます。　ayu-cha@docomo.ne.jpよかったらメールしてみてください。

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  22. Damn, i also drink too much :P Whan i start drinking than i can't stop. But last couple months i drink less, why? hehe , whan i dring more powerfull drinks than i drinking less :)) So, I drink wine :P

    Sorry and good day.

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