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!