February 21, 2012
It has been two years and 5 months since I boarded the Jet Airways flight to UK and I cherish every second I lived in and toiled in the lovely city of Cardiff - a small city - the capital of Wales. United Kingdom comprises 4 countries - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and I had just touched down in the capital city of the second most scenic country of the UK.
A city with a population of about 4 to 5 lakhs, Cardiff was love at first sight for me. People advise to have a closer second look to negate the effects of the first sight, but this second look made me love her even more. Of course London tops the list for its sheer magnificence and royalty, but Cardiff is a place where one longs to come back. It’s a home.
I had enrolled into Cardiff Business School and was expecting a hectic schedule and the curriculum did not disappoint me. It was indeed hectic and yet so much fun. Faculty in this school is so knowledgeable that one can blindly believe in them without further thoughts or research, unlike in some of our schools and colleges in India. I remember very vividly one of my favorite lecturers, after reviewing an initial draft of my thesis just casually asked me to check on the wordings of the quotes again. I had picked it up from one of the journals and when I went back and checked there was a difference. I had mentioned some other author altogether. Such is the mastery in their respective subjects.
I have lived here for almost 2 and half years, grown as a person, made “to the grave” friends and to say the least “those times may never come back, but I so wish they do come”.
Cardiff is predominantly a student town. My hostel stood next to a huge park called Bute Park on the banks of Cardiff’s most beloved river Taff. I have taken numerous walks with friends when I was happy, alone when I was sad, have jogged when I thought I was developing a paunch, have played cricket and there is a photograph on my facebook profile which is one of my prized possessions, had barbeque parties and many more. One good thing about the UK cities and towns is that the government spends tax money on projects like parks, gyms and other leisure spots, where people can unwind and it also keeps the city green. Bangalore is called the garden city of India, but not even 5% green when compared to Cardiff. I may be a bit harsh in comparing Bangalore to Cardiff, but Bangalore is going the wrong line when it comes to greenery as opined by a few former residents.
There is a small coffee house in the park. An ideal routine would be an early morning walk round the park and end up at this café for a cup of caffeine with cream on top. Every time I walked by this café, I used to remember our very own Chandrayyas hotel, where we kids used to eat Uppit-Avlakki and drink a glass of malt after playing cricket in Gandhi Maidan or Nehru sports club, Kundapura. Similar experience, but different countries- a fact which sometimes keeps me thinking and wondering for ages. Strangely I miss them both now. Now that I am in Dubai, I have to find some spot soon.
Every city or town in UK has a town or city centre, where all the big brands of the world have an outlet or two. In my opinion, if you have seen one town or city centre in UK, you have seen them all. The most famous and sought after stores are Primark, Marks and Spencer’s, Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC etc. Vehicles are not permitted within the city centers and the atmosphere is that of a mela. Initially, I used to get the feeling of “Vodlen fest”, but gradually it became a part of my life. Weekends are crowded as people spend their time outdoors and a sunny day would attract more business. Sunny days are very rare and we were actually let off the lecture one day, to enjoy the sun. We Indians have plenty of sun around back home and this seemed a bit weird at first. As I understood the weather in due course, even I used to long for the sun and understand why foreigners just drop their clothes off when they find sand and sun. It is perfectly natural. For a human being who wears at least 3 layers of clothes for 11 months out of 12, places like India and other tropical destinations are a welcome break.
If any couple is planning for a UK visit, be sure to keep all your money back in your lodge, and gentlemen try to get into a pub and gulp down a pint or two as beer is cheaper than water. A little care should be taken before entering the pub/bar as there are numerous gay bars around. Homo sexuality is a bane in this country and elsewhere in the world, but again it’s a personal choice. Cardiff also has many and I can proudly say even I was hit upon. At least people have shown interest J
One of my personal favorites in Cardiff city centre is the Cardiff market and the Cardiff Council Library. City market welcomes people with fish on the left and fruits on the right. What more can a man from coastal Karnataka ask for? I could only afford window shopping in the fish stall as fish is pretty expensive and I do not know how to make fish curries. This market has a line of meat stalls, vegetable stalls, key repairers, pet shops and cheap eateries. There is a small shop crammed with books and by books I mean good books for dirt cheap rates. A little further down the same line there is a record shop called Spillers- world’s oldest record shop and down the same lane there is the council library- a six floor high building with books and it is free- walk in with your id card and become a member.
The most attractive attraction of Cardiff is its bay. Cardiff was once upon a time, the world s largest coal exporter and fittingly it had a bay, where ships from all around the world came in to buy coal. Coal mines are mere attractions now, most of them becoming heritage sites. There is a small museum in the heart of the city centre, which concentrates only on the city’s history and culture. It is equipped with modern technology which gives a feel and touch of the olden Cardiff. The bay is manmade and an awesome place to spend the morning, afternoon and even the evening. There are boat rides, speedboat rides and hundreds of places to eat and gamble. There is a bowling alley which has looted at least 100 pounds from me.
Personally I like Italian food and Cardiff offers plenty of good Italian joints. Bella Italia, Signor Valentino and the most famous Pizza hut. Second in the list is Chinese and again every street has a Chinese takeaway. Sitting in the college library, during exams, student cohort of our university might have turned over thousands of pounds for these small Chinese take ways. There are plenty of Indian restaurants like Ambala, Mirchi, Spice route and Chillies. There are also plenty of Spanish, Mexican, Japanese restaurants located in the city centre.
There is a beach; just miles away from Cardiff called Barry Island. It is the preferred destination during the short summers. But the water is icy chill during the peak of summers, or at least I think so. A group of friends had a mighty eventful outing and I am sure every one of them will be have a smile on their lips and some maybe on the floor.
Travel across Cardiff is easy and cheap. I was a proud owner of a bicycle. The cheapest mode of transport is bus, 3 pounds for a day pass. Trains are pretty cheap, but ticket rates depend on the destination you travel to. All across UK , there are Mega bus and National Express services which are cheap. All my travels to London, during my internship were in either of the services and did not cost me more than 10 pounds back and forth.
There are places like Cogan, from where a friend and I had an eventful cycle ride. Docks are located here and there is a bridge connecting it to the bay. A little rain during the walk, a nice Italian lunch at a restaurant overlooking the bay would be icing on the cake. There are places like Bath Spa, Swansea, London and many more located in close proximity of Cardiff. I believe I can narrate Cardiff in a series of articles, but the reader would get bored reading my ramblings. Well I wish and hope I end up in this city somehow and I seriously advise travelers to spend some time in this laidback-bustling capital of Wales. Many of the photographs in this article are captured through the efficient lenses of my very good friend Alex Thomas. You can visit his Facebook profile and enjoy the man’s handiwork.
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