Monday, March 29, 2010
Nessie Trip
This weekend I went on a trip with the Scenic Club from school to Inverness. We had a hilarious tour guide that would laugh at her own joke, tell funny stories and play traditional Scottish music randomly on the bus. She also had a crush on the bus driver… haha. The trip was great except we stopped every five minutes… so it took all day to get there when it should have only taken 3 hours! Each stop was at least 15 minutes and sometimes people didn’t even get out. We stayed in a youth hostel that was not the greatest, but we were only there for a night. They gave us “sleeper sheets” that was like a sleeping bag with a pillow cover attached… so you know they didn’t wash the regular bedding much…ugg. On Sunday we saw Loch Ness and the Urquhart castle. It was beautiful and mysterious with the light rain and fog. We also got some great pics with the Loch Ness monster: Nessie.
Tonight
Tonight was a fun night. I went and got Chinese takeout with some friends then we came back to our flat and watched “Ps I love you,” which is filmed in Ireland. Then, my friend Kari was heading to The Links Bar for a karaoke night with some of her drama club friends and I joined them. We had fun singing the night away.
St. Patrick's Day
Went on a field trip to a distillery to see how wiskey is made. We also visited a couple small villages and went on a hike to a waterfall. It’s starting to look like spring around here. The crocuses are blooming purple, white and yellow in the meadows and birds are singing in the trees! Tonight I hung out with international students in “the golf” and had fun singing karaoke.
Primary Schools
Today I went to James Gillespies Primary School to help out and observe. The children were so cute in their uniforms and Scottish accents! They were very well behaved; I was impressed. It will be interesting to do more research and read up on the Scottish education system for the paper I am writing.
Football Game (the kind of football where they use their feet)
Went to a big Glasgow Rangers game! They played against Dundee United. It was fun to go to a big game like this. There were crazy fans cheering and tons of security in florescent vests. And we got cute little meat pies to complete the experience.
Aviemore Trip to the Mountain
This weekend I went up to Andy’s cabin to go snowboarding! It was a nice and cozy and his parents told us funny stories, with their heavy accents mainly about “granny.”
In the morning, we had a typical Scottish breakfast of poorage and bacon-rolls, then headed up to ‘the mountain’ (more like a hill). Now that it was daylight, we could enjoy the gorgeous views of the highlands and snow.
The main difference of the day was the tram/train thing that took up to the top of ‘the mountain.’ It was like a roller coaster because at times you couldn’t see where it was going next! It was a good system, except there were no seats. We all crammed in and held our boards and ski’s in front of us. I did not realize how nice chair lifts are because you get to sit down and get a break. I was even more exhausted than I usually am after a long day boarding!
On my way up I had mentioned how fun it would be to drive “on the other side of the road.”
Now, I got my chance to drive when we went from the cabin to the pub (because the guys just had to watch the rugby game, haha). It was quite the experience. You wouldn’t think it was that hard… just do everything opposite because they don’t drive on the right side of the road… they drive on the left! Overall it went fine. I didn’t smash the tiny little car or anything. It just felt weird driving on the left side of the road and being able to turn left on a red (instead of right on red).
In the morning, we had a typical Scottish breakfast of poorage and bacon-rolls, then headed up to ‘the mountain’ (more like a hill). Now that it was daylight, we could enjoy the gorgeous views of the highlands and snow.
The main difference of the day was the tram/train thing that took up to the top of ‘the mountain.’ It was like a roller coaster because at times you couldn’t see where it was going next! It was a good system, except there were no seats. We all crammed in and held our boards and ski’s in front of us. I did not realize how nice chair lifts are because you get to sit down and get a break. I was even more exhausted than I usually am after a long day boarding!
On my way up I had mentioned how fun it would be to drive “on the other side of the road.”
Now, I got my chance to drive when we went from the cabin to the pub (because the guys just had to watch the rugby game, haha). It was quite the experience. You wouldn’t think it was that hard… just do everything opposite because they don’t drive on the right side of the road… they drive on the left! Overall it went fine. I didn’t smash the tiny little car or anything. It just felt weird driving on the left side of the road and being able to turn left on a red (instead of right on red).
Dinner
I had a great time when Pastor Reese and wife invited me over to their house for dinner. We had a yummy fish pie, salad, potatoes, and bread. I didn’t realize that they have four children. It was fun to see some kids and see what a Scottish household is like. They welcomed me, but at the same time continued doing their own thing; a couple of the kids were doing homework, one was watching tv and the other running around. They are pretty Americanized because they have lived in Spokane the last 7 years (what a small world). But the kids still have adorable little Scottish accents.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Roma
*recommended listening: Bad Romance by Ladyy Gaga (because it was stuck in our head like the whole time... its a new catchy song that says Roma!)
Our flat mate trip to Rome was planned about the third week when we were here when Megan shouted “hey y’all, I just found these really cheap tickets to Rome for a weekend.” (Then we booked them and forgot about it because it was way in the future.) But then the future turned to present and we left at 4 am heading for Rome! We flew with Ryan Air, a very cheap airline that goes around Europe. We didn’t have assigned seating; we just got on the plane. No food was given to us either, but that’s ok because airplane food is gross anyways. They did try to sell us food though and other things like jewelry and perfume… pretty weird! Another reason why it was cheap was because the airport was 15 miles outside the city center. You wouldn’t think it was a big deal, right? But we don’t have a car! So… we took a shuttle bus to the train station, the train to the subway station, then a taxi to our hotel….then a bus and subway to get back to the city. Now it was about 1:00 (9 hours of travel)!!! By now we were a little exhausted, but super excited to be in Rome. When we came back into the daylight from the subway the first thing we saw was the coliseum: bam! It was amazing! Our next mission was to find some pizza… we shortly did and it was so good! We sat outside under umbrellas enjoying Rome…when it started to rain… and rain some more. Soon enough it was a torrential downpour! We couldn’t believe it! What happened? But this was not going to ruin our day! It was kinda fun walking around Roma with our bright umbrellas! Saw a few sights and got some gelato!
The next day we got up bright and early so that we could make the most of Rome! We started off at the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. We were thrilled that there were gorgeous blue skies! Then we saw Castle St. Angelo and the bridge leading to it that is lined with statues. We then walked to Piazza do Popolo, which I hadn’t seen before. Then the Spanish Steps, shopping area, Trevi Fountain, ruins, coliseum, more pizza, more gelato, more shopping. It was a great day. I love Rome! This really brought me back to when I was 16 and on a tour with a group from high school. We had chaperones and guided tours. This was my first big trip and I was just learning how to drive, and I lived at home. Now, 4 years later things have changed a little. We planned a trip of our own, and did what we wanted to! Coming to Scotland is my 3rd big trip now, I have been driving for a few years now, and I live on my own! Crazy! I wonder what life will be like in 4 more years!? …I’ll be a teacher!
Our flat mate trip to Rome was planned about the third week when we were here when Megan shouted “hey y’all, I just found these really cheap tickets to Rome for a weekend.” (Then we booked them and forgot about it because it was way in the future.) But then the future turned to present and we left at 4 am heading for Rome! We flew with Ryan Air, a very cheap airline that goes around Europe. We didn’t have assigned seating; we just got on the plane. No food was given to us either, but that’s ok because airplane food is gross anyways. They did try to sell us food though and other things like jewelry and perfume… pretty weird! Another reason why it was cheap was because the airport was 15 miles outside the city center. You wouldn’t think it was a big deal, right? But we don’t have a car! So… we took a shuttle bus to the train station, the train to the subway station, then a taxi to our hotel….then a bus and subway to get back to the city. Now it was about 1:00 (9 hours of travel)!!! By now we were a little exhausted, but super excited to be in Rome. When we came back into the daylight from the subway the first thing we saw was the coliseum: bam! It was amazing! Our next mission was to find some pizza… we shortly did and it was so good! We sat outside under umbrellas enjoying Rome…when it started to rain… and rain some more. Soon enough it was a torrential downpour! We couldn’t believe it! What happened? But this was not going to ruin our day! It was kinda fun walking around Roma with our bright umbrellas! Saw a few sights and got some gelato!
The next day we got up bright and early so that we could make the most of Rome! We started off at the Vatican and Sistine Chapel. We were thrilled that there were gorgeous blue skies! Then we saw Castle St. Angelo and the bridge leading to it that is lined with statues. We then walked to Piazza do Popolo, which I hadn’t seen before. Then the Spanish Steps, shopping area, Trevi Fountain, ruins, coliseum, more pizza, more gelato, more shopping. It was a great day. I love Rome! This really brought me back to when I was 16 and on a tour with a group from high school. We had chaperones and guided tours. This was my first big trip and I was just learning how to drive, and I lived at home. Now, 4 years later things have changed a little. We planned a trip of our own, and did what we wanted to! Coming to Scotland is my 3rd big trip now, I have been driving for a few years now, and I live on my own! Crazy! I wonder what life will be like in 4 more years!? …I’ll be a teacher!
Culross Field Trip
Saw a cute small town with an old Abbey, garden, a ‘castle,’ a few houses and a pub. After we walked around for awhile and saw everything we stopped in the pub and got some chips. Pretty much our whole class was in there because it was the only place to eat in town. Then we see our professor come in and order a beer! I couldn’t get over it. It was so weird. This would never happen back home!
I need to get out
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien
After a few days of being sick, I needed to get out of the flat! It was a gorgeous day, so I went on a walk through the meadows (the city park) heading toward the city. I went to a couple museums and stores then stumbled upon the childhood museum, which was amazing! Tons of old toy trains, planes, dolls, dollhouses, puppets, and all the other classic toys. Then I ran into a friend and I joined her at a pub to watch the big Rugby game: Ireland vs. England. It was hilarious watching fans get so into the game and listen to their cheers and songs!
wow
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
This quote is very true. Just the other day on a field trip I was thinking: “wow, this waterfall and these evergreen trees are not any different from Oregon” but the cultural differences are what make Scotland different from home. I have really been enjoying getting to know and understand a new culture and see life from a new angle! There are more ways of doing some things than I ever would have thought! I am learning so much through this experience; every day I am amazed that I have learned so much. (and most of this happens outside Uni)
Differences:
Sense of time: professors are late, students are late… they get there when they can
I could get used to:
My 4 day weekends
Fresh food
This quote is very true. Just the other day on a field trip I was thinking: “wow, this waterfall and these evergreen trees are not any different from Oregon” but the cultural differences are what make Scotland different from home. I have really been enjoying getting to know and understand a new culture and see life from a new angle! There are more ways of doing some things than I ever would have thought! I am learning so much through this experience; every day I am amazed that I have learned so much. (and most of this happens outside Uni)
Differences:
Sense of time: professors are late, students are late… they get there when they can
I could get used to:
My 4 day weekends
Fresh food
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