Bagpipes and Bridges

Remember how in a post a while back I mentioned meeting an elderly man who decided that I needed a Scottish grandfatherly type looking after me? Well good, because my other adoptive granddaughter and I have gone to lunch with him a few times now, and on one of them he decided that we should see a bagpipe band. So this Saturday, he got his driver to take the two of us and himself to the lovely town of Crieff. It was about an hour away, which meant an hours drive filled with fascinating anecdotes and history bits about anything and everything we drove past. When we arrived we were in the midst of a little farmers market in the adorable St James square. The pipe band was incredible with bagpipe harmonies and drummers of course as well. It was about 20 people, and happened to be a momentous occasion for the band because today was the final day of the old pipe master who was going to be retiring and allowing the new pipe master to take his place. Quite the festivity. We grabbed a spot of tea after and then made our way back to Glasgow with one stop. Somerville needed to check in on a bit of land that he owns and rents out because one of his tenants is having water issues in her shop. While we were there he took us into the Red Cross's store (a thrift store to benefit the British Red Cross). He proceeded to buy 4 books. Then when we left, he walked around back and started digging through what looked like a dumpster. However, in the car our driver for the day told us that he does this every time he comes here because it is a recycle bin that is entirely filled with the books that the store couldn't sell quickly enough. Apparently my Scottish grandfather takes any opportunity to get new books, even if it is digging around in a bin for them while trying to push himself up higher with his cane. Our driver Phillip even said, "I am not going out there or he would have me holding him by the ankles to get to more of them." But that was the last part of the excursion, and we got back to Glasgow in time for Phillip to go watch the Scotland v. Croatia football game so all was right with the world. It was a great way to see a new part of Scotland, and for once not feel in any way like a tourist while doing it.

Of course, the tourist thing is fun sometimes right?
On Sunday, I went on a trip to see the Harry Potter bridge. I definitely felt the stereotypical tourist shining through, but it was worth it. The whole area was gorgeous, and I can never get over how beautiful Scotland can be. When I was taking pictures it looked like they were fake even as I took them. The morning was extremely foggy and cloudy, but the sun poked through by lunch time. By the time we got to our ultimate destination we even had some blue skies. We spent 2 hours in Glenfinnan, home to the Harry Potter bridge (technically Glenfinnan viaduct) and the black lake from Harry Potter. But all Wizardly magic aside, the area was gorgeous and definitely worth a visit. Plus, I even got a free CD out of the deal because of my sunny disposition and "smiling at everyone" so it was definitely a day very well spent. Although it would have been better with a hippogriff around. 

With a look to the North

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to go see the Isle of Skye. This island of the Northern coast of Scotland had been on my to do list since before leaving the states because of its renowned beauty. It was recently voted by National Geographic as the 4th best island in the world. Needless to say, it still exceeded my high expectations.
The day we drove up was intermittently raining and sunny, giving a fabulous opportunity for a large amount of mud to accumulate on my boots amidst our various stops. We had the opportunity to hike a bit around Glencoe (most recently represented in Skyfall) and see a few Lochs on the way up. We even got to look at a castle, although I was more interested in the beautiful natural areas we got to see. But the real excitement was when we pulled into the Isle of Skye crossing a bridge and driving along the bay to our hostel. From the coach we could see a small ruin, which of course we all decided it would be our first mission to reach. The journey was arduous, but after squishing and sliding our way through mud and rocks, we made it up to see the lay of the land. The ruin was on enough of a hill that we could see fairly well around the area. Of course, being a group of college students, once we got up there the boys just wanted to climb onto the top of the ruin. That caused mild panic, but we all eventually had our fun and decided to climb back down for a little dinner. The sunset was gorgeous and made the perfect setting to our meal. With full bellies and not much to do on the island, we sat around for a bit in the hostel before decided to head out and stroll along the beach for a bit (only in part to accompany two of our group who decided to go for a frigid dip). However, before long the weather drove us back as the rain and wind began to pick up.
The next morning was just as stormy, and we had a quick breakfast before going back onto the bus. Today would be the day to really see the island, and while the weather was not particularly comfortable I loved it. The rain and fog made it really feel like Scotland. It had an ethereal beauty about it as the red and black Cuillins peeked through the mist. The first stop on the island was at a place called Kilt rock, with a folded basaltic lava flow which is reminiscent of a kilt. But to me the highlight of this stop was the wedding veil falls. It is a waterfall that empties directly into the ocean in such a thin stream that it looks like a wedding veil. With the wind that we had, it fanned out as it got closer to the sea. To say it was beautiful is insufficient, but I suppose without bringing people along it is the best I can do. We stopped at a few other places, each of which had sheep and wonderful Gabbro deposits before beginning our journey south again. The longer stop was one called the Old Man of Storr. It was about a 20 min hike up to the rock, and along the way we were battered by rain and absolutely treacherous wind. The best way to describe it is epic. The area had the large black lava rock above us, and a beautiful view below of the hills and ocean, and along the way we passed downed trees which had been cleared. Between the roughage on the ground and the gale force winds it felt like we were going on some kind of legendary adventure instead of a mild hike up a mountain. On the drive back, our bus driver missed a turn while we were all singing along to a Scottish jig, so we ended up making a bit of a detour to drive by Lochness before stopping to grab some dinner in Fort Williams. It made us a little late getting back to Glasgow, but I couldn't have cared less after the weekend I had. Isle of Skye is impossible to describe, but I hope this was close.

Life gets REAL

I guess in my case packing a bag for 4 months and being in a new country alone wasn't enough. It didn't really feel like study abroad. I have never been on this long of a vacation, but it still didn't feel like I would be here for that long. Everything seemed temporary. It seemed like at any moment I might be packing to head home, even though in my mind I knew that was wrong. Then classes started, and it finally started to sink in that this is just the beginning. I have known all along that I would be here for a semester, but now i KNOW it. I am only on my second day of classes, but just the slightest hint of a routine was enough to have it sink in. I am in Scotland for a whole semester (infinitely longer than a quarter) and it is just beginning. That thought made me energized, homesick, excited, nervous, eager, and hungry all at the same time. I didn't really have time to mentally prepare myself for coming over, and I am glad I didn't. When that whirlwind of thought and emotion hit me last night, it set the tone for the rest of my semester in a way that over analyzing it and planning would not have. I am ready now for a semester abroad full of adventure, tenacity, and change. When everything seemed temporary, it was hard to plan for anything. Something about starting classes legitimized study abroad. I think my life is about to get a lot busier.

My location remains as Scotland, UK

As most of the world knows, there was a recent vote to see if Scotland would remain a part of the UK. This referendum to secede failed several days ago, but I did not really know what to think about it immediately. Glasgow voted Yes on the referendum. As a result, Friday morning was eerily quiet walking through the streets. It was almost as if a mournful silence had fallen on the town. I have had the opportunity since then to speak to a number of people on both sides about their feelings on the past referendum. There was a range of opinions from disappointment to relief, but the most prominent feeling I found is that this is not over. The promises made in the 11th hour by the British have already faltered in some cases, and it would seem that the continued devolution of the country may or may not occur as said. This has renewed the fire in the Yes votes and some of the No as well. From the people I have spoken to, it would seem that even those who voted to keep Scotland as a part of the UK did so under the pretext that this is not the right time rather than that this is never a good idea. While I am sure the later exist, I have heard many voices discussing the future as one in which Scotland separates even from those who admit to voting No this time around. This may be in part from the bias inherent in living in a more liberal city, but I am not so sure. I traveled North this weekend to Lochness and Glencoe. Along the drive, we passed countless Yes signs. The referendum had failed, and yet people refuse to take down their signs. Sure in the US there are still people driving around with John Kerry bumper stickers, but this seems more purposeful. One woman told me that she was devastated by the result but was sure that "we will get it next time." I have thought about this for several days now, and I believe she is right. Maybe not about the next time, or the one after, but I believe eventually Scotland will secede. If there is one thing I have learned about the Scottish since I have been here, it is that they are proud. They are proud of their country, their successes, their failures, their history, and their future. I have known that ever since a Canadian was shut down quickly in a debate about which country can claim the invention of the phone. I have met so many kind and wonderful people in my time here, and each one of them is proud to their core of being Scottish. I don't know if I believe that now would have been a good time for the referendum to pass, but I do believe that a good time will present itself. I look forward to celebrating with them on that day.

egagheaidjerg and wet cheese

Before I left for Glasgow, I was told many times that I would not be able to understand anyone here for a while because Glasgow is supposed to have stronger Scottish accents than most towns. Even when I met people on the plane flying in, they warned me every time that I shouldn't worry if I can't understand people for a little while. So of course I felt extremely proud when during my first days, I understood everyone I talked to. Sure people had accents that forced me to pay attention, but I could always figure out what someone was trying to say. I was feeling pretty good about it. Then I went into the local Tesco (basically like a super target) to ask about getting a phone that would work in the UK. I literally only understood two words that the man I was talking to said, and those were "hello" when I walked up and "cheers" when I walked away. The rest of what he said was a garble. I mostly just looked at what he was pointing to, then panicked and said, "I will think about it, thanks" before walking away. He is still the only one that I couldn't understand any of what he said, but there have been a few moments that have made me pause since.
I was on a tour with number of other international students to see St Andrews and the Fife coast. Our tour guide was telling us an old story he had learned at a pub from an elderly man. The story was about witches and a husband and wife. However, it wasn't until the third or fourth time that he said witches that I knew what he was talking about. I thought the story was about how "wet cheese still exist." I got it eventually, and the story ended up being quite funny even without the wet cheese vs witches debate that myself and another girl had to have during the middle of it. That being said, even with the occasional confusion I love the accent. I think its charming and wonderful even if it is a bit hard for me to understand sometimes. But by now I can see why I had all of the warnings. Sometimes there is just no hope and you have to politely walk away.

A movie moment

In movies and stories it often seems like the writer doesn't know how to make two people meet, so it just happens casually at a restaurant or train station. But all of us normal humans know that doesn't happen in real life. This time it did.
I was out having lunch with a friend from school at a little coffee shop. We had finished our sandwiches and were looking at the pastries in the cabinet behind me. Between my friend and the pastries, there was an old man sitting directly in the way. She finally started to feel awkward about staring past him and explained to him that we were looking at the sweets not him. This led to a nice little conversation about what we wanted to eat, where we are from (the accent gives us away), and what we are studying at University of Glasgow. Turns out that we talked for about thirty minutes and by the end of it he had decided to take us under his wing. He gave us his phone number in case we had any problems during our time here, and he gave us the email of a friend of his who teaches at CU Boulder for when we get back to Colorado. Then as we were about to leave he told us he wanted to show us the best ice cream on the block. We followed him as he teetered down the street a ways with his cane. Once we reached the "best ice cream spot in town," he asked us when we would be free to meet him. We decided to meet the next afternoon for ice cream. When we showed up the following day, he was waiting for us. We sat for about an hour and chatted. He paid for our ice cream and gave us nice pens from his company. He has lived in Glasgow for almost all of his life with the exception of the war and a few months that he lived in California. He told us so much about the city and country that we would not have known about otherwise. And by the end of the ice cream he introduced us to a friend of his that walked in as his new American granddaughters. I am not quite sure how it happened, but I gained a Scottish grandfather just by eating a sandwich and having a sweet tooth.

Haggis

I knew at some point it would happen; I would have to try haggis. I wasn't looking forward to it. Turns out it came a lot sooner than I would have expected. I was handed a flyer on campus for a Haggis and Games night sponsored by one of the clubs on campus. Figuring I would just eat before hand and then play the games. Turns out it was a wonderful night for meeting people from all over the world. Around 100 people showed up. I was able to meet people from France, Italy, Germany, Nigeria, Australia, and of course Scotland. About thirty minutes into being crammed into a flat with all of us, the hosts began to pass out little bowls of haggis. It didn't look too bad. Everyone took their little bowl and poked at it a bit while we all looked around at each other. It was like no one wanted to try it first. I agreed to try a bite and share a bowl with one other person. It had the texture of refried beans mixed with ground beef, but it had a somewhat spicy additional flavor to it that didn't taste natural. It wasn't terrible. It wasn't great either. It got better though when a few minutes later the fire alarm went off. Trust me that burned haggis doesn't smell good, and I am sure it wouldn't taste good either. At least now for the rest of my time in the country, anytime I am offered haggis I can honestly say that I have tried it.