Technology blues

Ahhh. where to begin? I arrived here in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, a week ago. I've been trying to think of positive things to write about the flat for which I'm swapping my nice, comfy house in Charlotte. Mama always said if you can't think of anything nice to say, just don't say anything at all. For once, I'm gonna follow Mama's advice.

On brighter notes, the weather has been quite cooperative -- in contrast with last summer's tragic string of cold, wet days up near the Lake District. That, and the fact that I have to climb no more stairs once I'm inside my third-floor apartment, have helped my adjustment enormously.

The first couple of days were devoted to setting up housekeeping. Funny, how we take things like kitchen utensils, telephones, soap in the bathroom and MAPS for granted...No, none of these things awaited me, so off to the store I set. Finding a grocery store without a map or any instructions is just one of those things one must be prepared to do when traveling. Around here, however, everybody seems to depend exclusively on satellite navigation devices. I, too, use a high-tech device: I call it My Brain. And eventually I always find my destination.

I don't know how to set a sat-nav. Maps help to a certain extent, of course, but only if the streets are marked with actual names. Even after I procured a map from the public library, I quickly discovered that Cardiff doesn't do that. Oh, they name the streets, but DON'T POST THE NAMES ANYWHERE. It's a real beast when trying to find one's way.

But as a cocky American, I believe that failure is simply not an option, so off I boldly go. My first significant outing was Saturday, where I attended a concert in the seaport town of Swansea by the mighty Morriston Orpheus Choir, one of the best-known male voice choirs in Wales. This 110-member ensemble has its roots, as do most male choirs hereabouts, in the coal mines. Its conductor is a gorgeous blonde babe who was wearing a sleeveless black evening gown with just enough cleavage to hold the attention of those old boys without ever having to wave her arms. But wave she did, and they responded lustily! This gaggle of geezers -- average age, at least 65! -- were in top form and sang their hearts out. A young choir called Ariosa joined them on the program, which was filled with everything from Broadway to classical. It was absolutely terrific, and I was moved to tears any number of times.

Sunday I drove two hours east to Newbury to spend the afternoon with Jane and Tom Martin, the couple with whom I exchanged in the fall of 2010. We ate lunch in their garden in the sunshine. It was so English, and so perfect! My friend Maureen came over for dessert -- fresh strawberries with cream -- to round out the delicious meal and visit. I couldn't have asked for a more pleasant visit. The Martins' hospitality has always been one of the stand-outs of my home-exchanging experiences.

I was also treated to lunch Friday at a little tearoom here in Cardiff by my home exchanger's mum. We were joined by a friend of hers. Lovely meal, followed by a wander through Cardiff Castle, which is smack-dab in the center of town. There has been a fort on this site since the days of the Romans. Today the main thing to see is a curious house built on the grounds during the Victorian era. Really interesting, even though it's an odd anachronism.

There'll be more later as I continue to process and get my bearings. At the moment I'm at the public library, given the fact that the iPad at the apartment -- my only link there to the internet -- is an instrument of the devil and I hate it with every fiber of my being. Is it possible that I've gotten too old to adapt to any additional technology? There's the new pay-as-you-go phone, the sat-nav and the iPad, all of which I'm expected to master in order to function properly here.  AAACK! Stop this technology before it makes my brain explode!!

Another concert awaits tomorrow night -- this one at the Royal Welsh Academy of Music -- which should further soothe my technologically-strained soul.