Welcome to Wales!

Welsh Word of the Day: Senedd (Seneth): the main governmental building

I feel like a diplomat! We met the First Minister (a.k.a the Welsh President) at the Senedd (pronounced Seneth) which is their main governmental building.

Inside the Senedd

The First Minister

 At the Ceremony we were serenaded by the Male Voice Choir of Wales! A little history lesson would include that the choirs were started during the Industrial Era where the coal miners would sing together in their off times and the sound was just beautiful. They sang some Welsh songs (in Welsh and about Wales) and then the well known Rhythm of life (I believe those who were in chorus with me will know what I mean) and a world favorite, Hey Jude.

I am so honored by the Welcome we received! This is the first time this program has ever been in Wales so the Universities, government, and people are beside themselves with joy, excitement and welcome.

So next we toured the Civic center which was full of huge rock buildings with amazing carvings and structure. The saying a picture speaks a thousand words is really the best bet in this situation so enjoy the photos I've chosen! (The rest can be seen in my Cardiff folder on Photobucket and again the password is Cardiff). So below are all the government buildings and University buildings in the Civic Center!

Cardiff Day 1

Welsh Word of the Day: Bore da, Good Morning

So we drove from London to Cardiff and it was all rolling hills, green shrub/tree fences, sheep, cows, and BEAUTIFUL English cottages like everything you could have ever hoped for. I saw the ocean over the bridge to Wales and it was grey but calm. I saw wind turbines (much to my pleasure).

When we got into Wales all the signs became bi-lingual as is the law here and one of our teachers (Bill Jones, very Welsh name) talks to us half in Welsh and half in English and its kind of awesome. I'm pretty stoked to start learning the language. 

What an amazing city! It's kind of the best of both worlds where you have beautiful, stone Victorian houses (and some new buidings) and a huge castle in the middle of the city, along with the ocean but also its a CITY so you have bars, public transportation, awesome shopping, a huge University and cheap housing and on and on and on.

So today was our first full day in Cardiff.  

We took a tour of the civic center (more pics to come) as well as looking at the city from above! I'm learning welsh as I go along and I already know a few words. I don't have much to say yet but check out the photos of Cardiff on Photobucket. The album is private except for the lucky few who read the blog so the password is: Cardiff.
Enjoy!

Fulbright participant off to Wales in June

DAWSON RASPUZZI


Tuesday May 31, 2011
BENNINGTON -- Weeks after completing her freshman year of college, Jordan Shapiro, of Bennington, will take on a rare opportunity to expand her knowledge of history at three of the most prestigious universities in Wales as part of the Fulbright Summer Institute partnership program this summer.
The US-UK Fulbright Commission scholarship will allow Shapiro, an 18-year-old history and psychology major at University of Rochester in New York, to spend six weeks in Wales where she will learn about the country's culture, history, economy, and politics at Cardiff University, Bangor University, and Aberystwyth University.
"One of the great things this program focuses on ... is the aspect of Welsh history and international relations and all the social sciences, which are my passions," said Shapiro, a 2010 graduate of Long Trail School in Dorset.
Prior to applying for the program, Shapiro said she wasn't very aware of Welsh history, but she has studied it in preparation for the trip and is anxious to learn more in the cities that shaped it.
"One of the things that I'm looking forward to is that Welsh history and English history is closely tied to American history, obviously, and I know in New England we have a lot of people with Welsh descent. The Granville (N.Y.) slate mines were started by the Welsh, so it will be very interesting for me to correlate the two histories as well as the people and to better understand Americans through the Welsh," she said.
Additionally, Shapiro said she is interested in gaining a better understanding of European government systems in her first time visiting the continent.
"Most of their democracies are parliament systems so I'm excited to see how their bureaucracy compares to ours and how that shapes the region," she said.
Shapiro said she expects the six weeks will include some instruction in classroom or seminar settings, but also hands-on learning and visits to Welsh history museums, parks, castles and islands.
The US-UK Fulbright Commission was created in 1948 and is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship program that offers awards and summer programs for study or research at accredited US or UK universities. The commission is part of the Fulbright program conceived by Senator J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange.
Fulbright scholarships are awarded to about 50 college students in the UK and US each year.
Shapiro said she learned of the opportunity, which begins during the last week of June, when the college sent emails to all freshmen and sophomores. At first she was skeptical about applying, but with advice from her mother she was persuaded. After filling out a self-evaluation style application and writing two essays, Shapiro then had to do a phone interview with UK representatives of the Fulbright Committee, who asked what she thought she could gain from the experience and future aspirations.
"I was pretty nervous because I'd never done a phone interview before," Shapiro said in what was at least her second interview by phone.
In selecting Fulbright scholars, the commission considers not only academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Program and a plan to give back to the recipient's home country upon returning.
Nearly 300,000 people worldwide have participated in the Fulbright Program. Of these alumni, approximately 15,000 UK nationals have studied in the US and nearly 12,000 Americans have studied in the UK through the educational exchange program.
The commission is funded partially by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills in the UK and the US Department of State, with additional support coming from a variety of individual and institutional partners.
Contact Dawson Raspuzzi at draspuzzi@benningtonbanner.com