First week of School

Monday: We started walking to Craighouse campus and then realized that we wouldn’t be able to walk there when we saw it way up on a hill… but it was fine, we caught a bus. My first class was 19th Century Literature and Culture… and it was 2 hours long! But it was interesting and I didn’t realize that it was going to be British Literature! And not only am I taking Brit Lit in Britain… it’s on a beautiful campus that has great views and castles.

Tuesday: I was so thrilled when I found out that my Literature tutorial was in this castle! It’s a small group where we discuss the books we read. Then took a bus to Merchiston campus, had lunch and got my textbooks at the library. It’s so great that I can check my textbooks out, what a brilliant idea for a school to have! My Molecules and Cells module was on floor H… it was a lot of stairs, but I didn’t want to be late waiting for “the lift” as they call it.





Wednesday: I realized last minute that I have a second lecture for my science class that is on Wednesdays! Dang, I thought I only had class once a week. But I guess not having class Thursdays or Fridays is nothing to complain about. Then in the afternoon, I have my Scottish Culture and Society module. It was in the titanium “egg” classroom at Craiglockhart campus. There were a ton of students in that module and I knew a lot of them because they were all international students whom I have seen around for the past week!

The Castle

My Flat

I love where I live. I can walk to The Royal Mile in 10 minutes and Princes Street in 15. From the flat, there is a great view of Meadow Park and a hill called King Arthur’s Seat. There is also a famous Tavern called The Ye Olde Golf Tavern in between my flat and another one just like it. With the bright green lights at night from the Tavern and the huge church tower on the end of our street, it’s to find my way back to the flat. Inside the flat there are 5 single bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, shower room, a closet and a big room with the kitchen, table and couches. Edinburgh Napier University is the other direction and there are a few campuses. Each campus takes up about a block. Since I am taking a variety of modules, I will be at three different campuses.

The Walking Tour

Yesterday we went on a free walking tour of the old part of the city. It was great because we had a hilarious tour guide that made the history fun to learn about. He took us to a place where they used to publicly execute criminals and witches. (and the tour guide domonstrated nailing someone's ears to the wall with my flatmate Megan, haha). We walked down The Royal Mile (which is a little over a mile). It is the highest part of the city because the street is on the top of train of extinct volcanoes. There is a castle at each end of The Royal Mile. We also learned about Robert Burns, Maggie Dickson and Greyfrier’s dog Bobby. Robert Burns is very famous poet here, and there is even a holiday called Robert Burns day which is coming up on the 25th. Maggie Dickson was a criminal and came back to life in her bumpy coffin ride. And because she had died, she was now allowed to marry someone else. Bobby was a very small guard dog that kept Greyfrier company on his graveyard shift. When Greyfrier died, Bobby sat on his grave for 12 years.

Haggis... does that sound yummy :)

When I found Haggis on sale at the Scotmid Grocery store, I decided to buy it and cook it up for my flatmates and I to try! Since Haggis is one of the most famous Scottish foods, I figured I had to taiste it sometime! Haggis is sheep parts, oats and spices smashed up into a cylinder and usually stuffed into a sheep stomach (but the one I bought was in plastic). It didn’t taiste too bad. It was really strong, so I ate it with pasta.

January 16th

I have so much free time; I don’t know what to do with myself. I have been sleeping in, bumming around the flat, walking around the city and shopping, and eating, and getting to know my flatmates more. I am excited to start my modules (classes) Monday!

This is the first night everyone from the flat

was here, so we went out to Shakespears.

Then, we got into another school's club using

international student ID cards, haha.

My flatmates: Lea, Megan, Liz and Price ^

I am taking three classes: Molecules and Cells, 19th Century Literature and Culture 1, and Scottish Culture and Society. It should be a lot easier because I only have 3 classes to worry about and each class is only once a week. I do have tutorials sometimes too though… but I am not quite sure what those are.

A fun day

Yesterday we went shopping on Princes Street and to an underground mall. I get a couple things at H&M and had fun looking around. Then there was an international gathering at the Gold Tavern. It was great to meet more people from Napier. There were many US students, but many from all over Europe too!