In the big rock candy mountains (of Scotland)

Hello from across the pond!

Quite a bit has happened since last week. I've gotten everything set up for classes, found a piano, and did a wee bit of traveling. Enjoy!

Scottish word of the week: Coo: n, a cow. Pronounced like the sound a pigeon makes.

While on Skye we saw some "coos" with very long, ginger hair. It turns out that they've got two layers of it, and one is shed during the spring.

Picture(s) of the week/Question of the week:

WITH OR WITHOUT THE HAT???































What I've been up to - in bullet points

MONDAY:

• Practicing the piano
• Enjoying fellowship at the Christian Union
• Relaxing with friends

TUESDAY:

• Registering for my classes: Molecular Biology of the Cell and Molecules, Membranes, and Cells
• Eating lunch and listening to a speaker at the Christian Union
• Signing up for sailing and rowing clubs at the Sports Fair. We'll see what I actually end up doing. (I also picked up a legit Raiders of the Lost Ark movie poster!)
  
• Practicing the piano
• Getting embarrassed in a Pub Quiz (Team America was dead last. Let's say that Scottish History isn't our forte)

WEDNESDAY

• Eating lunch again at the Christian Union.
• Sleeping through a Visa information meeting
  
• Practicing the piano
• Enjoying time with the flatmates (Connor, Sam, Steven, Ian)

THURSDAY

• Taking numerous trips back to Hillhead due to my forgetfulness
• Wandering around Aberdeen dropping off forms
• Taking the train to Edinburgh
• Realizing that I didn't write the address to the hostel in Edinburgh after arriving.
• Wandering around Edinburgh trying to find our hostel
• Actually finding the hostel
• Walking up and down the Royal Mile and finding a very nice Harris tweed hat
• Falling asleep to blaring rock music playing in the pub below the hostel
  

FRIDAY - THE BEGINNING OF THE 3 DAY MACBACKPACKERS BUS TOUR

• Meeting Ewan (more about him later)
• Enjoying the quaint small town of Dunkeld
• Feeling very small at the museum of Angus MacAskil, a Scottish Giant who was 7'9"
  
• Gazing up at the heather-covered mountains enshrouded in mist
• Paying respects at Culloden Battlefield
  
• Touring a Scottish whiskey distillery (the air smelled very, very, strong)
  
• Enjoying Ewan's commentary (again, more about this later)
  
• Getting my feet wet in Loch Ness
• Meeting some very nice Scots at dinner

SATURDAY

• Driving all around the bonnie Isle of Skye
• Immersing my face in a mountain stream for 7 seconds for good luck
  
• Climbing around on the Faerie Glen
• Eating a delicious meal of tacos back at the hostel

SUNDAY

• Standing on a cliff with the mist swirling all around
• Visiting Glen Coe - sight of a clan massacre
• Climbing up to the William Wallace Memorial in Scotland
• Hearing tales of treachery - and then seeing the place where it took place at the seven heads well (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flambard/3687660644/)
  
• Actually making our train back to Aberdeen (instead of buying the anytime ticket, I got the fixed time ticket. It worked out.)

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

The highlight for me was the tour of Skye. The group was quite an international bunch, with people hailing from Australia, London, China, Israel, California, and Michigan. It was wonderful to hear the stories and legends of the land while driving over it. Many places that I never would have thought of visiting (Angus MacAskil's museum, Dunkeld, Seven Heads Well) we got to see. The countryside itself was gorgeous; for instance, mountains covered with heather, sheep wandering about, highland cattle with their long ginger hair, mist rolling in from the sea - it was all absolutely fantastic.

RANDOM SECTION OF THE WEEK - EWAN MAC CLOUD

Ewan was our bus driver/commentator, and is quite the character, to say the least. He's a wiry six feet tall with long brown hair and a grizzly bear beard. His bright blue eyes jump out of his face and he has a ready laugh. In his self-introduction to the touring group he explained how to say his name: "Like Urine without the "r". As we drove throughout the countryside he told us stories of Scottish history. Bonnie Prince Charlie, the MacDonalds and MacClouds, William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Cullins, and many other characters came to life during the ride. He knew the date and names of every major player in every major event in Scottish history. Driving through the mountains he would tell us folk lore about how the five sisters mountains were raised or how the chieftan of MacLeod won a wager with the Edinburgh nobles. Interspersed throughout the historical facts were his opinions on politics, race, religion, etc. He has an enduring dislike of the English government for policies directed towards the Scots (Highland Clearances, etc). Through it all one could sense a deep love for his home - Scotland.

Welcome to the old apartment

Hello from across the pond!

Since they're staunch believers in tradition over here, I'm going to keep the same form as last week - short and sweet. Enjoy!

Scottish word of the week: Kettle: n, A hot water heater, plugged into the wall
(in my flat ours made the electricity short. I asked about the "hot water heater" to the porter, and he said, "We call that a kettle over here")

Picture(s) of the week:
















I decided to go polar bearing in the North Sea on Friday. Yes, it was frigid.

















This was a signaling station in Arbroath converted into a local museum on the mainland for a lighthouse that was built 11 miles offshore on a shallow shoal to warn ships. The building of the lighthouse off shore was a feat of engineering, as all materials were shipped to the site and unloaded onto the rock. Construction only occurred at low tide when the rock wasn't submerged. The three girls in the picture are Jess, Ella, and Julie, three member of the Scotland Program.

















The view of the north sea from a hill in Arbroath.

What I've been up to - in bullet points

MONDAY:

• Traveling on my first National Express train from Oxford to York
• Meandering along the cobblestone streets of York
• Gazing awestruck at the stained glass and vaulted ceilings of the York Minster
• Savoring curry at the Hole in the Wall Pub (yes, I've eaten at an actual hole in the wall...)

TUESDAY:

• Walking along the centuries old city walls of York
• Enjoying the views of the countryside and North Sea on my second train ride - York to Aberdeen
• Discovering that looking at the scale of a map is essential while lugging our bags 35 minutes from the train station to the hostel
• Hearing bagpipes by the King's College Chapel

WEDNESDAY:

• Dropping Mom off at the airport/meeting up with Edith, the amazing director of the Scotland program
• Savoring the taste of Haggis (sheep "parts"- heart, liver, lungs with spices and mash) and an extended lunch with the members of the program
  
• Taking a mini-tour of the city lead by Edith
• Unpacking the semester's supplies in ten minutes in my Spartan accommodations - Hillhead Halls of Residence
• Sleeping on a bare mattress with my dirty laundry bag as a pillow, as I failed to purchase bedding when we were downtown...

THURSDAY:

• Strolling through Seaton Park, which surrounds Hillhead while listening to Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor. I'm listening to the 32 Sonatas in 32 days, each one of them on a walk around Hillhead or the city
• Laughing at the dry jokes of our tour guide while walking around the university
• Buying bedding so that I didn't have to suffer yet another sleepless night
• Enjoying time with the other kids in the program at night

FRIDAY:

• Having the air sucked out my lungs after an early morning dip in the North Sea
• Driving the scenic route south to Arbroath
• Touring the 12th century Abbey - the site associated with of the Declaration of Arbroath and Scottish independence, which declared Scottish independence form England in 1320: "as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom -- for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."
• Devouring the Viking Platter at a local restaurant - the largest quantity of fish that I've eaten in one sitting
• Playing Bananagrams and Egyptian ratrace with friends until the wee hours of the morning

SATURDAY:

• Practicing the piano
• Discovering hidden methods by which restaurants extract money from patrons at a Thai food restaurant (2.50 pounds for a sparkling water with lemon!)
• Earl Grey and cards with friends

SUNDAY:

• Finding a wonderful, welcoming church community
• Updating this blog!

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:

Not living out of a suitcase/putting down roots. It is wonderful to finally be settled and making new friends here in Scotland. All of the members from the program are great, and all of my flatmates are moved. There's five of them, and it's going to be fun getting to know them.

RANDOM SECTION OF THE WEEK: IMPRESSIONS OF SCOTLAND

My first views of Scotland were on the train from York to Aberdeen. The eastern express took us right up through yellow, rolling hills dotted with bales of hay, through valleys, and beside the great North Sea. It was a beautiful ride.

Aberdeen is a city unlike any inside the United States. It has the claim of being the most radioactive city in the United Kingdom, as it is made entirely of granite. (Don't worry, it's not dangerous.) The city itself is very hilly - I'm going to be in the shape of my life after living here for three months. There is a bus system that runs from our dorms into town (costing 3 pounds/day) but we mostly walk to save money. When the weather gets cloudy it is truly going to be a gray city, which I am going to enjoy thoroughly.

The people here have been kind and honest. They will tell you what they think about something, and are very nice. I met some wonderful people at the church that I went to this morning. Two weekends from now I'm actually going on a youth weekend with them where I will be hiking, biking, and kayaking. (Which I am very, very excited about!)

Anyways, that's all for now.

Cheers!

A foggy day (or five, rather) in London Town

Hello from across the pond!

Since you probably don't want to read long rambling accounts and every single minute detail of what I've been up to, I'm going to keep things interesting by giving a few bite sized sections that highlight what I've been up to.

British Word of the Week: Tube: n., The subway system in London.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:



The new guard marching up to Buckingham to relieve the old.

What I've been up to...in bullet points

TUESDAY:

• Arriving in London via Heathrow Airport
  
• Taking the tube for the first time en route to our hostel to check in
• Riding on an open air double decker bus tour of London
• Walking through the city on a tour leading up to the changing of the guard
  
• Actually touring Buckingham Palace
• Collapsing in our beds (jet lag, anyone?)
  

WEDNESDAY:

• Admiring the cultural treasures the Brits "acquired" from around the world in the British Museum (highlights: statues from the Parthenon, the Rosetta stone, countless Greek vases)
  
• Trying to appreciate art in the National Gallery
• Being chosen for a street performance in Trafalgar Square out of hundreds of people (most likely because I'm 6'6" and have red hair. I'm like a beacon. Mother was nervous because of my foot)
• Enjoying the highs (Beethoven Symphony #6) and enduring the lows (Reed-Thomas Violin Concerto #3) at the BBC Proms (a classical music concert series held at Royal Albert Hall)
  
• Taking a few wrong buses on the way back to our hostel late at night
  

THURSDAY

• Gaping at the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London
• A birds eye view from the top of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral (where Diana and Charles were were married)
  
• A Thames river cruise with borderline inappropriate jokes from our riverman tour guide
• Going to Herrod's and pondering who would spend 3000 pounds on a handbag
• Proms try two: Haydn and Schubert...a success!

FRIDAY

• Losing count of the tombs in Westminster Abbey after 100
• Taking pictures from the giant Ferris Wheel, the London Eye
• Sitting at Centre Court at Wimbledon
• Thoroughly enjoying the show Wicked from the far back

SATURDAY

• Seeing Beethoven's scribbles on the scores at the British Library
• Learning about the bombing of London during WWII
• Watching a play in Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
• Actually feeling confident about using the tube, right before leaving the city.

SUNDAY

• Missing our bus to Oxford - it turned out OK in the end
• Meandering around the cobblestone streets and quads of Oxford (most of the colleges were open due to a city-wide festival!)
  
• Enjoying a great meal at the pub

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:

There were a lot of different things that we did, but the "mountaintop experience" was the second time that we went to the Proms. The seats were in a box relatively close to the stage, and we had a great view of the players. One of the works was new to me (the Haydn) and the other was familiar (the Schubert), yet it was difficult to say which I enjoyed more.

RANDOM SECTION OF THE WEEK: OBSERVATIONS ABOUT LONDON AND ITS INHABITANTS

• Sandwiches are bought for lunch and eaten anywhere
• Taxis are dark colored (black mostly), and are never yellow
• Most buses are double deckers
• People love the royal family like they are a lifelong family friend
• People aren't in as much of a hurry as they are in New York
• There are cameras everywhere (1984...???)
• When the national team qualifies for the world cup suddenly everyone thinks that they're going to win it all

Well, that's enough for now. Cheers until next week!

Leaving on a jetplane...

"Make sure to prepare yourself for big days."

-Jonathan Hodge

I received this advice during Calculus II last Spring, and thought nothing of it - now it seems particularly relevant. When planning something big; when the day actually gets there, all that remains is to simply enjoy all of the hard work and planning. I'm not saying that being 6'6" and cramped on a plane is an enjoyable experience, but I'm excited all the same.

My mother and I (she's spending a week with me in the U.K.) will be flying directly from O'Hare to London at 4:10 (Central Time), and will be arriving at 6:25 a.m. (London time) . We're starting the trip off by spending 5 days in London, 1 day in Oxford, 1 in York, and are making our way up to Aberdeen on Tuesday.

It's going to be a wonderful time.