A week in Wales!

So I got up on Wednesday and was most annoyed with what I saw out of the window. Now bearing in mind I'm Welsh and until the age of 8 I didn't realise that a cagoule was something you actually took off, I was pretty acquainted with what I was looking at; and I wasn't too impressed! RAIN! That's no good I thought, no good at all. I didn't fly all this way to sit in torrential downpours, if it doesn't stop in the next hour - I'm off!

Torrential Zambian Rainfall!

    It didn't! I think the rainy season's in for at least another month, so I packed my bags and headed off to the airport. I reckoned there was bound to be better weather in Wales! So after a 15 hour (total) flight via Nairobi - which incidentally was pretty pleasant - a three seater to myself on the second leg. And I have to say, Nairobi airport was not as bad as what I was expecting. In fact, it was in a far better state of repair than I had assumed. Considering when I flew out to Zambia 18 months ago the airport was ablaze it was in fantastic nick and in fact had some pretty groovy murals made by kids on display.

So I arrived in to London early on Thursday morning, swapped my mobile sim cards over and headed for Paddington. I felt a bit like I was leading a double life! I killed some time with a coffee and a newspaper (desperately dissappointed that WH Smiths did not have a copy of the Western Mail in - it usually does and so I had to make do with The Times!). Anyway there I was waiting for the much cheaper 'off peak' train. Seriously, how on earth is it possible to charge almost a third of the price more to travel on a train (that goes the following hour and offers exactly the same service) at 7am versus 8am..... Anyway, there I was waiting for the train when I was approached by John - a friend's husband. It was great to see him but a pretty wierd thing to think I had flown from Zambia and seen somebody (well he spotted me to be fair as I was engrossed in the sports section of the Times!) that I knew in London - one of the busiest cities in the world! Wow! Bang goes my aspirations of being a spy with a double life- spotted straight away! Anyway he wasn't the only person I knew that morning at the station, I ran into a slightly hairier person from my childhood too....

Paddington bear at the station

So I got on the train and headed excitedly home to Wales. I was in my own flat by about 10.30am - a very surreal feeling indeed having left Zambia at 17.30 the day before. So what better way to spend the morning than to pitch up at the hairdressers to get a haircut. I shamefully fell asleep at one point. It's probably how I resulted in getting the scalping that I am now left with! Still at least it looked tidy! Soon it was time to trundle down to Sophia Gardens and pull on the lycra blue netball dress and make a last minute appearance for the Llandaff netball side.

I'd had an SOS call from the captain and couldn't say no. Well, who am I kidding, of course I didn't say no! I love playing netball, and I love playing for Llandaff. As fate would have it we were playing against an old club of mine - Dinas and unfortunately we got beaten, but it was a good game (despite the referee's being blind!) Still it made me realise how much I enjoy hanging out with the girls on court and that I am really lucky to play with such a great group of people. We've had some pretty tough breaks and luck this year but I'm sure next year will certainly be better for Llandaff!

  But anyway, it was ok losing the netball because Friday was 'The match".  Which meant that it would restore the status quo of feeling happy again..... If I have to explain further - then I suggest you skip the next passage as its not worth explaining. In fact to be honest if you're Welsh then I'd skip the next passage until after the pictures as it isn't pleasant recalling these events!

And what better way to prepare for a match than to have my flat filled with daffodils - quite frankly at this time of year (6Nations) the greatest flowers there are! Amazing gift from a great mentor, supervisor and friend - Aida!

The wildfowl were pretty impressed with the daffodils but the giraffe was still a little dubious...

So off I marched to 'The Game" against the "Old enemy". It was all pretty positive to begin with, a sea of red in the streets of St Mary's. The queues outside the pubs to rival anything outside the Apple shop during thanksgiving.... met up with Dad and his pals at the usual spot in the stadium. Even had a beer with an obligatory swig of Penderryn out of the hip flask before heading to my seats in the stand. Though I think Adam (who came with me) would have been better off if he'd polished off the bottle - such was his terror of heights, he barely managed to get up for the anthems or the first try. In fact I have never seen/heard him quite so quiet EVER! A rare event indeed and actually considering what didn't happen on the pitch, a welcome distraction!!!

  Anyway we watched the whole debacle (and no, I am not just alluding to the awful lights thing they put on.... I won't mince my words here. WHAT a load of rubbish. I have no doubts it looked good on the TV, but really? The rugby? 20.10 kick off was bad enough, but a flashing darlek-esque light in the middle of the pitch... I think we missed a trick. A good sing song with the choir and the Welsh guards band would have been just the ticket for most of us sat there. No, whoever is 'in charge' of all of this nonsense better sit up and take note that people who go and watch the rugby for the pure love of the game do not want gimmicks before kick off and certainly don't want the atmosphere of a great day out ruined by a production team sat remotely in a studio somewhere... Rant over. No further comments about "the match" apart from - we were terrible, we have no plan B and I am now desperately trying to sell 4 tickets for Wales v Fiji in the world cup next year so I can be elsewhere for the month and not have to watch (as I think will be lucky to make the group stages - and yes I know we are assured of a place in the group!) These next few pictures are when I still had hope that we might see a spectacle, or if not, at least two teams playing a bit of rugby...

So, am I Wales' number one fan? Or am I the biggest commuter to the Cardiff and Vale netball league or did I really return to Costa del Caerdydd for a suntan? 

Nope! Though its been a beautiful few days and really crisp, sunny days that wasn't the reason I flew back!

Ok, so I 'fess up. I was back for another reason. I was back as I was being interviewed. I have had an amazing 14.5 years as a trainee anaesthetist and I still have a further year in Great Ormond Street in May ahead of me (exciting). So that really was as far as I had really planned. Then out of the blue, up popped this job at UHW (University Hospital Wales) as a consultant in paediatric anaesthetics. So I there my hat in the ring for what seems to be my dream 'grown up' job though it felt like i was still way off that level yet. 

I guess even Peter Pan has to grow up sometime!

 Anyway yesterday saw me turn up for it - in my suit (yes I do have one!) and heels (yes, I did wear them, though I did change into trail shoes for any walking about!). The start involved a bit of a presentation... I can only thank my childhood and schooling for such a great grounding in Eisteddfodau and Cyd-Adrodd that helped me with that. Those that know me are aware of my intense dislike of the public speaking forum - even more so intimidating in a room with 14 eyes looking back at you... So it was relief to get through that and remember my lines and not forget any of the English words! I am told that it was 'enthusiastic'....

  Then came the barrage of questions. I am not sure that the use of "I'm a dinosaur", "down with the kids" or "I'm not bigging myself up here" were ever in the manual of what to say in an interview. I also recall being told that whatever you, do not appear opinionated.... I mean, me? Come on, opinionated?

  Clearly saying:  "basically they are going to have to like it or lump it" or "if you don't vote then you can't moan about the government" doesn't count as opinions, they are clearly statements....   After 45 minutes of definitely talking AT the panel they kicked me out (they'd allotted 20 mins I believe! Well I think thats a Carmarthen thing! So I went for a bit of a walk and on the way to the concourse I saw these awesome pairs of giraffes. Thankfully some old granny has knitted them a scarf and some leg warmers lest they catch a cold!

Home from home!

So, seeing some African stuff on my walk gave me a positive vibe whilst I sipped at my coffee and browsed for a birthday card for my Dad's great Aunty Vanna who is an PHENOMENAL 104years on friday. 104 years - now that is quite possibly one of the most amazing things I have ever heard in some time. To think that a day after Anti Vanna's birth Prince Edward VII opens parliment for the first time (his mother Queen Victoria had died sometime in January). So Anti Vanna has managed to outlive 3 English monarchs and is still sharper than a tack. In fact I would put money on her beating me at the Times crossword! Penblwydd Hapus Iawn! 

Anyway we had to return by about 17.00 and it come as a bit of a surprise to me that I somehow dodged a few bullets and got to the finish line and got offered a job. In fact it was so surreal that when they said they wanted to offer me the job, I asked if they were serious: Cue slight pause. It seems they were, so I said "thanks very much. Again - further pause from the panel... Until the chairman said - "well, are you going to accept?" Wps! 'of course', says I, doh!!!

So that means that's me mapped out now for the forseable future (yikes!). I'm hugely indebted though to so many people who've got me to this point though. Clearly my family and friends have been rocks throughout my entire career and there have been some amazing colleagues and bosses that have also made it such an easy ride for 14 and a half years! So I just wanted to say a huge Diolch yn Fawr to everybody - if I had to write down al the thank you's I think I'd need a larger webpage!

 So I have now, re-thrown my stuff in my bag, oh and leave out some dresses for my return a day before my cousin Rob's wedding to Kirsten in March.... in York! But for now I am ready to jet off to Zambia again! No rest for the wicked!! 

                            Hwyl Fawr Cymru! Welai chi cyn bo hir!