Sunny in Wales? It was this weekend! I must have brought the sunny California weather with me because it was perfect. My friends Kate and Scott (who I met in Sardinia!) were so sweet to invite me to visit them in Cardiff. Like much of the UK, I was impressed with the historic architecture. Life in Wales is nice and slow...with just the right amount of things to do.
With a combination of luck and Scott's sly tactics, on Saturday night we were able to see Othello, the opera, for free, in their re-built, beautiful national theater. Very cool opera if you haven't seen it.
The one thing many of you probably know about Wales, that I didn't, is it was a massive coal mining area, so of course we had to check out the Big Pit, the National Mining Museum of Wales.
This bit of my entry is sad but I must share it with you. Going to the Big Pit and learning more about the coal mining industry 1. immediately gave me a sense of appreciation for the men, women, children and animals who have worked and many died in mines and 2. gave me an overwhelming feeling of sadness...sadness for the original working practices and conditions in which people and animals worked.
We were lowered 300 feet below ground level into one of the largest working mines up until the 80's. All of our battery operated devises were taken from us as the dry packed batteries when mixed with ethanol cause explosions.
Before mine workers became unionized in the 40's, the way it worked was the men, women and children (from 5 years old!) would work in the mines 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and for no money. They were given tokens which could be traded for shelter, food, clothes and candles...all provided by the mine owners so it was priced to keep people in this vicious cycle of working. Miners would have to buy their own candles (before lanterns) for light. Today there are helmet lights, but if you didn't have light, it is literally PITCH DARK (the guide made us all turn off our lights and it is scary...no moon light, no stars, just dark). A 5 year old child's job was to open and close doors and if their parents couldn't afford to by them a candle they would work in the dark, pitch black darkness. They would tie a string to their wrist and the other end to the door so they could find their way. The horses that worked in the mines were taken from the mountain tops and put underground for 50 weeks a year, 24 hours a day, with absolutely no sunlight. If horses became blind, which may times they did after 5 years of work, the animals were destroyed. There were evacuation plans in case something went wrong, however many times the accidents were lethal and happened swiftly (ie. explosions). Also, if you got hurt, its not like there were medical staff there to give you aid. The comradery of the miners wouldn't heal wounds but would enable people to live and die with dignity.
After banning together and creating essentially a union, the conditions and practices improved greatly. Child labor laws were put in place, animal rights were implemented and fair wages were given. Experiences like this continually remind me that I am so fortunate. We are all human and we all live together so be mindful of consumption. Educate yourself so you aren't ignorantly buying products that support exploitation. And not to judge people, while many of us work hard, we are where we are because of people who sacrificed everything.
On a happy note, there is lots of fun to be had in Wales and I thank Kate and Scott for hosting me! Cant wait to see you soon!
