Half & Half

There has been a steady rain today, but it's not bad. I kinda like it when I don't have to walk around a city in sopping wet shoes, haha. It seems as if every Thursday it has to rain! But I hope it doesn't on the last Thursday I'm here - that's when we go to visit the Whitelee Windfarm in Glasgow as my excursion for Green Politics. I'm excited to see a turbine in person! (And I've wanted to see a windmill ever since "Wishbone" did that episode on Don Quixote when I was little, but that's an entirely different thing.)

Yesterday we went to Glasgow for a visit to the city. I knew that this was the largest city in Scotland, but I was totally unprepared for the size. I was expecting something a little bigger than St. Andrews, and a little more modernized. Hah! If you compare population sizes, Glasgow has 581,320 while St. Andrews has 16,680.

Right...

But even Edinburgh has 454,280 - the second largest by population - and it seemed so much more manageable! (If you want to see more cities/towns by population size, here is the credible source of Wikipedia.) Mind you, I've never been to any really big cities where I had to maneuver around, so I don't know what that makes my chances of survival in a place like New York City or Chicago...

George Square. First look at the city.

Back to Thursday: Glasgow is a really a neat place! There are so many places to look around and shops to go in (yes, plenty of shops to go in). We were dropped off in George Square and given free range over the map of the city. Now Glasgow (pronounced "Gläz-ghɒ" .. I looked up the little letter things and the ä is a short 'a' like in "father" while the ɒ is an open back rounded vowel. If you want to hear a sample, just click here. Note that this is my interpretation of how people are pronouncing things - this is by no means legitimate. Disclaimer.) is known for it's architecture, and I can definitely see why. All of the buildings are so interesting to look at!

Sophie's tea strainer.
We ordered loose-leaf tea!

Also, in walking around in different places in Scotland, I have noticed a great many Costa Coffee Shops. I guess they're really popular around here. Sophie and I went into one the other day and it was really good! I got some Raspberry Iced Tea and a Raspberry Almond Bake. Yum. I think I was in a raspberry mood. But speaking of tea and yummy things, while in Glasgow, my friends (Sophie and Teran) and I went to The Willow Tea Room for afternoon tea. It's situated above a store with very breakable things down below...so don't knock off a sugar cube or you might be paying for more than the tea and biscuits!

Blurry picture of "treelings".

Another thing I've noticed over here is the great care that they take in planting trees. Forestry is a big industry in Scotland, especially considering how much open land that there is in the Highlands that no one lives on, but I have never seen so many trees planted all around the country. We saw areas that had been cleared on our tour last Saturday, but for every area that had been cleared, there was another full of little saplings. They put a plastic tube covering around them so that they have a chance to survive before they are eaten by little critters or eroded away by the rain. Yesterday, on the way back from Glasgow, there were hundreds of little trees planted on the sides of the highway.

And to conclude, for all of you runners/cyclists out there, try this one out:

Find more Bike Ride in Stirling, United Kingdom

That's a tiny bit over 118 miles! And someone mapped this route! I can't even imagine.

15 and 2/4 (plus 2)

I cannot believe that I only have 17 more days here. In two days, I will have been here for 15 with 15 more to go! Everything speeds up once you get used to it. But to update...

Neat guttering system, huh?

Friday:

We went to Doune Castle as one of my Scotland on the Screen's excursions, and it was really neat! It's in Doune, which is only about 15 minutes away by bus, and it's been pretty well preserved. The tour was one of those walking-with-a-headset ones, where you enter the number corresponding to your location and you are given information. What was especially neat, though, was that if we wanted to hear extra information about which scenes of Monty Python were filmed in those spots, we could push another button and hear excerpts from the movie! I appreciated that. And you know what? Directors and film crews are so sneaky! They can make a small room look like three different places and at least four times the size!

Scary stairs.

Oh - and for those of you who prefer 'live tours' .. that would not have been possible at this castle. At least, I wouldn't want to walk down those tiny, winding stairs trying decide which was more important: hearing what the guide was saying or managing to not topple to my death (taking everyone with me in a domino effect). Yep. The headsets were a good call.

Necessary picture with our
amazing tour guide, Patrick Douglas

Saturday:

Visit to the Highlands! We were gone nearly half the day on this trip. And I can't tell you how may hours we spent on that bus, but man, it was beautiful out there. It was a day trip, however, so we couldn't stay in one place too long, but we got to see the southern portion of Loch Ness (the farthest point up on the map that we went) and Inveraray Castle and all sorts of neat places! The only unfortunate thing about the tour was that during our Nessie hunting, Mother Nature rained on our parade. And yes, she waited until we were the farthest away from the tour bus to commence. How considerate. Needless to say, since it was raining and Nessie didn't want to get wet, there were no sightings. (; Oh well.

Two of the 'Three Sisters' on the Highland Tour.

But if you want to know about one of the many things that Mr. Douglas told us, here is a page on The Massacre of Glencoe. It's sad, but it's very real, and if you know anything about Scottish history, then you would know about this. We also learned about Scotland's National Anthem(s) and some other historical events. I wish I could remember everything that he told us! I tried to write things down.. but half the time he was talking too fast, and the other half I can't spell! Haha.

Sunday:

Recovered from the trip on Saturday. Whew. Who knew that riding on a bus all day and being waterlogged for half would tire you out that much?

And as for Monday and Tuesday, back to business, as usual. Classes went well, and I think if I can just get my sources together, I'll be able to write these essays! Yesterday my group did our presentation on "Critically Appraising Sustainable Development" in Green Politics (GP) class. It's strange to think that we did a presentation after one class, and now we are halfway done, with two classes to go. It is crammed into a three-hour block, yes, but numerically, it's odd to think about.

Today, I am going to work on some of my school stuff and Sophie and I are going to the store later for provisions. Also, just so everyone knows, this is my new goal:

See the hill in the background? I'm going to climb it.

"Luck never gives; it only lends"

Don't be deferred by the seemingly depressive title. Just keep reading.
My other class on Tuesday wasn't too bad; I think it's going to be pretty interesting! I'm just not looking forward to the work for the classes. I've been trying to get ahead in the reading so I can go on and research for my papers, but I have a conflict of interest. I need to go exploring, considering I'm in a different country, and all! But I also want to do well, and that takes me more time. Blahh. Anyway, I know it will work out, and I've had a great time so far! I just don't want to miss anything.

On a different note, here is a checklist of firsts while on my travels:

1. Experiencing a layover. (And flying for the first time since 3rd grade!)

2. Flying across an ocean/going out of the country.

3. Using an ATM. :)

4. Trying Irn-Bru.
(It's more popular than Coke here...like a sweeter Orange Cream Soda, but I wouldn't necessarily choose it.)

5. Maneuvering a city bus system!

6. Using multiple clocks that run on Military Time.
(They use them all over - buses, timetables, my cheap alarm clock...)

This is Sophie.
We were outside of St. Salvator's Tower.

Yesterday we had an ISS trip to St. Andrews. And here is where the title of post comes into play...it was miserably cold and wet yesterday. I think it was just a down in the weather, and since we were right on the coast, we got the winds from the North Sea. But we still managed to have a great time in town! Sophie, my exploring buddy, and I went into a lot of stores and found some great little souvenir shops. But the best/worst thing about the city center of St. Andrews is that on every street, there are at least two or three consignment-type stores! This is good in that they go to helpful foundations like Cancer Research or The Red Cross...but this is also bad because these are the types of stores that I love looking through. So, we went in at least six. But I showed a lot of restraint. My roommates back home would be proud.

And yes, St. Andrews, too, had one of these. This makes the third one so far!
(see picture below)

H & M on Market Street. St. Andrews, Fife.

We had to go in. Though, the interesting thing is that the original group of students which which I flew from Newark to Edinburgh somehow managed to reassemble in the H & M. The same store at the same time!  Funny how we keep finding one another.

Oh! And the smallest thing that absolutely made my day was that Starbucks' partner discounts are international! I wasn't sure if they would work over here, but they do! The discount wasn't the part that made me happy, however. I think it was more that I felt like I made a connection with the baristas because I worked for the same company.

I know it's silly, but it made me happy.

Today, it is still pretty damp and drizzly. We were spoiled on Tuesday and Wednesday with the sunny, sixty-degree weather. But I have another excursion for today! We are headed to Doune Castle this afternoon. (If you remember, this is the required field trip for my Scotland on the Screen class.)

Settling In

I am so glad that our group that flew into Edinburgh last Thursday got to move in a day early. It saved us the chaos of the big group that came on Saturday morning. That night, we were expected to come to Airthrey Castle (for picture, please see previous post) for a 'Welcome Reception.' Well, when I heard that, I thought it would be some sort of room where we would sit and listen to someone talk about the school and why we were there...you know, the usual thing.

Au contraire, Pierre.

We were heralded into the castle by a piper (playing "Scotland the Brave," no less), and found ourselves in a large room with ornate carvings on the side panels and a fancy looking fire place. All of the students were milling around, talking to their new acquaintances (except for our little group, because we had somehow managed to find one another again). And then, everyone appeared to form a jumbled line, while still maintaining the same level of talking - it's been at least 15 minutes we've stood around talking, mind you - and we start to creep toward where the line is headed. When we reached the front of the line, there was a table with an extensive assortment of wines, juices, and other drinks. Then, we were to place our order and to present our IDs if we were under 25, to make sure that we passed the age requirement (18 here). I got apple juice. Kept it simple, and besides, I didn't know the names of anything except for the juices!

Blurry picture of the Welcome Reception.

Then, we proceeded to talk for 15 more minutes until Stirling's Summer School Manager, Sterling Yates (yes, it's like the "Meredith from Meredith" thing at my college), called for our attention. He talked about five minutes about safety and the Head of the School talked about five minutes about Scotland and Stirling, and then they were done. We were encouraged to "enjoy a good drink and a good chat" until we wanted to leave at the end of the hour. Very different from what I was expecting, but enjoyable, nonetheless.

View of city from Stirling Castle.

The next day, Sunday, we had a full day of information sessions and tours of both the campus and the city of Stirling. It was really neat and I learned a lot of history. We toured through places like Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Bannockburn, and Doune. We ended at the Stirling Castle esplanade where we had a beautiful view of the city.

Robert the Bruce with an ominous cloud.

We finished the exhaustive day by going for a quick shop in Thistle Center, the mall in Stirling's city center. There wasn't much time to look around, because most stores close by 5 or 6 here. Then we headed over to Tesco for some food shopping. Now, Tesco is like our Walmart. They are everywhere and carry similar things. There is even a Tesco Express on the outskirts of town that we can easily walk to from school. But I'm positive that we made someone's day when we trekked back to where the bus had parked. We trudged down the streets and between houses, encumbered with our grocery bags, in a two-by-two procession. We must have looked hilarious! But, we made it, much to everyone's relief.

Then, yesterday, classes started. I have two classses: Scotland on the Screen (Mon. 9-10, Tues. 11-1) and Green Politics: Theory and Practice (Tues. 3-6). My first class wasn't that bad. I had to find some books in the library to read, but the only reason it took me a while is because it takes me forever to take notes. I don't know how the Green Politics class will go today, however. But I can look forward to the fact that I only have class two days a week! Classes only run Monday through Wednesday. Thursdays are left open for optional, pre-planned excursions for all International Summer School (ISS) students (we're going to St. Andrews this Thursday). And Fridays are for class-specific excursions (my Scotland on the Screen excursion is this Friday - we're vising Doune Castle, where they filmed part of Monty Python, haha).

And although it is raining right now, it was beautiful yesterday! It got up to about 60, and we could wear t-shirts outside. I know a couple of people who would hang their heads in shame at all the picture-taking that I missed (sorry!). Also - for future reference, I signed up for a tour this Saturday through Timberbush Tours. It's the first one (Scottish Highlands: Lochs, Mountains, Castles and History). I'm excited!

Stirling: Gateway to the Highlands

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow are filled with orientative exercises, but we actually got to move into our flats (apartment/dorm style housing) yesterday!

All settled in my room: flat 45, room 2.

Our flat is comprised of about five or six bedrooms that come off of a single hallway, two W.C.s (bathrooms), two shower rooms, and a big common room at the end with a fully equipped kitchen. And yes, there is plaid on the duvet cover (comforter-esque) on my bed. The colors are almost like those in the Weir Tartan.

The Weir Tartan.

My Nana's maiden name is Weir, and I looked up some information about them today: Weir Clan Crest, Motto, and History. I really like the motto: Vero Nihil Verius ("Nothing truer than truth" or "Truth, nothing but the truth"). If you want some more information, this guy seems to have done a lot of research as well: Bill Weir.

But aside from that, today, our only scheduled event is a Welcome Reception for all of the International Summer School (ISS) Students at the University of Stirling from 5:00-6:00 this evening.

This is Airthrey Castle where we will have the reception later.
Yes, it's on campus.

The University of Stirling is really nice. There is a giant loch (lake) in the middle of campus that you must walk across a bridge to get over, and a lot of the community comes to the Macrobert Arts Centre to spend time together or to see the performances. Actually, there was one last night when we went to visit. A bunch of men in Highland dress (traditional Scottish attire) and some girls in pumps (dance shoes) came out from around the back of the theatre (yes, I suppose I must spell it that way, haha), so there must have been something exciting going on.

This is a map of campus. The X's in the top right are where I'm living.

We walked to the edge of town (it took about 30 minutes, leisurely walking) for supper last night and like I said previously, it doesn't get dark until nighttime here! Here is some proof:

A clock on the way back from supper.

As you can see, the clock says about 9:00, and it's still light out! Wouldn't that be nice at home?

And, to close, the weather looks to be nice today. We haven't gotten any rain yet this morning, but it has been very windy. I think it's supposed to be about like this all weekend, which is fine with me! However, I may have to invest in some more long-sleeved shirts or some of those wooly socks. Goodness knows we saw enough sheep yesterday on the bus ride over to make thousands of pairs!

Fàilte gu Dùn Èideann! Welcome to Edinburgh!

Our flight arrived in Edinburgh at about 8:34ish this morning (although it was about 2:34 AM back home). I think I got some sleep on the plane because I don't remember some of it, but it was not restful at all. Whew.

Some good things, though:

1. Although bigger planes are louder and a little scarier, I do like the service! I didn't know we would get to choose movies or games and get two meals! What pleasant surprises.

2. Also, I found some fellow students before the flight boarded, so that calmed me down a little too. And since my family found this particularly amusing, I suppose I'll share - Since we all haven't really met one another and wouldn't be able to recognize faces, we Stirling Students have to identify based on luggage or specific items. Well, I can honestly say that I never expected to be guided by the Force to my new friend...but Yoda is very wise, and his "pillow pet-self" was waiting right beside Megan, just like she said he would be. Yes, a Yoda pillow pet. I didn't know they existed. But I should have known that someone would create one. Everything in due time, my young Padawan.

3. Now I came over here expecting rainrainrain, but it was beautiful today! There was sunshine and a nice breeze. I didn't even need my jacket for most of the day. I am so thankful for that.

4. We are staying in a bed and breakfast (B&B) tonight in Edinburgh and are heading over to Stirling tomorrow for orientation sessions and such. And this place is awesome! They have a library and a coffee machine that are available 24/7 (so much for my job at Starbucks, huh?) and these really neat rooms!

Here is The B&B Edinburgh where our IFSA-Butler Guide was waiting for us.

5. After we dropped our stuff off, we wandered around until the rooms were available. We are right near the city center (downtown) and there are lots of shops, of course. But there's also a castle! And yesterday the Olympic Torch was run down the streets of Edinburgh for the games this summer. It's too bad we were on the plane for that.

The Olympic Rings are still up from yesterday's festivities. That's the city in the background.

Now, you would think that being the first day, and all, I would have had something authentically Scottish to eat, but the funny thing is that my first two meals in Scotland have been Italian! It sounds like I've gotten sidetracked thinking about the study abroad trip to Italy my friend Laurie just took.

...but I think that a group of us have conceded to trying haggis at some point. Don't know how I feel about that, but I suppose it'll earn me some culture points.

My Scottish Italian food. Left: lunch; Right: supper.

Lastly, I wanted to share this, for my sister Emily, especially. When I mentioned earlier that there were shops in Edinburgh, there was one that I did not expect...and it is not particularly good news that I have access to it over here.

Yep. H&M. Not safe.

But other than that, I think I'm pretty much adjusted to the time change. Five hours ahead isn't too bad. I will admit, though, I was exhausted earlier. But I took a short nap before supper and I feel much better. I guess we'll see how I feel tomorrow!

P.S. It's been light out since around 5 AM this morning and it's still light out, now, around 10 PM!

The Final Checks

I leave today at 3:26, heading to Newark, NJ. I didn't sleep well last night because I kept thinking I was forgetting things. Hopefully I can make it to the airport without expiring. This morning has been a frenzy. But, on a positive note, my check bag weighs less than 30 lbs! Now that's impressive, especially for me (even more so, considering I'm allotted 50 lbs, ha!).

My sister's parting gift to me.

T-minus 24 Hours

By tomorrow at this time, my plane will be leaving the airport. I hope my bag is packed in time. Yeah, I keep looking at it, procrastinating. But hey - it can't be any more complicated than all of the other things we've had to do for this trip.

In planning to study abroad, you must:

1. Stay on top-Top-TOP of your forms and paperwork.

2. Start picking out your outfits after your room is clean.

3. Make sure to call your credit/debit card companies to tell them your travel plans. You don't want them shutting down your account for suspicious behavior thousands of miles away.

4. Oh yeah - and make a blog before you go...so you can work out the kinks prior to leaving the country.

P.S. Getting a haircut and going to the dentist are optional.

A shadowed version of my luggage. Bags courtesy of Laurie.

Time to check in with my flight!

Take One

Well, this is my first post. I can't believe that I'll be leaving for Scotland next week. This will be the first time that I've been out of the country before, and since there are a few people who want to keep up with me, I figured that this would be a good way for me to keep everyone updated. So...salutations and hopefully I'll have more interesting things to tell y'all soon!