MKP: The Pictish Chronicles

An unexpected prince arrives: South Africa, ‘when we’re married…’, and an unanticipated first date.

2010-05-10T01:05:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post well after this unexpected prince has made an appearance in my life. I have fallen in love with a South African man named Craig Campbell. He’s unexpected in every way: in no way was I looking for a mate—more or less one with his description—and alas! He has shown up at my doorstep (or rather the hallway outside of CH620) and completely captured my heart. I will digress briefly on this.

I met Craig in the beginning of the year, although he didn’t make much of a first impression being that I thought him to be pretentious, arrogant, and somewhat of a womanizer. Never—and this word should be italicized—have I been more wrong about a first impression (perhaps this is a sign I should be more vigilant about not making judgments about people???) For the record though, I always found him quite attractive, despite the fact I would have rather auctioned off my right arm than admitted that 6 months ago.

Craig originally came to Edinburgh from South Africa to do his PhD in Politics (specifically to examine why post-Rawlsian Anglo-American liberal thought and concepts of justice and freedom, do not speak to post-colonial African liberation movements...I promise you he's brilliant) – but arrived in Scotland to find out his supervisor has unexpectedly gone on sabbatical and let’s say he and the newly assigned supervisor did not see ‘eye-to-eye’ on various matters (and any Masters or PhD degree holder can attest to the importance of a good relationship with your supervisor!) He thus decided not to move forward with the degree and resolved to get a job instead. This was about October.

I saw Craig frequently, as we shared mutual friends, but I never spent much time with him outside of our group. As I saw him more often, however, I began to reconsider my first impressions of him. The most prominent trait that began to change my mind was his manners. What a well-mannered chap! He never once went through a door before a lady, held the door for her, and always offered to carry her bags, something I find rare in today's society. I remember walking back from the Meadowlands Stadium after watching Guy Fawkes fireworks in November and Craig offering to carry my bags for me. It was things like this that stood out in my mind about him.

I really began to get to know Craig though through studying in Rebecca’s room. Rebecca (SA Becks hereon out) is another dear friend from South Africa. She is studying Law at the University and one of the kindest (and fun) people I have met in the past 8 months. (I will return to SA Becks in the SA chapters of this blog to come in April.) I started studying in SA Beck’s room up on the 8th floor, hidden away from distractions (or so I thought), working away with her daily from 8am most mornings to mid-afternoon second semester. Yet an unforeseen distraction was Craig. Craig and SA Becks had become fast friends first semester and while Becks worked away on Medical Jurisprudence, International Human Rights, and other agonizing subjects, Craig would sit at her desk, searching for jobs or reading Coetzee (a [depressing] South African author).

As the three of us spent time together each day, I became increasingly fond of Craig, although these feelings were FAR from romantic. That is not to say I didn’t flirt, however, and one day I was so frustrated with my work I flippantly suggested why doesn’t he just marry me, whisk me away to South Africa, and let me be his trophy wife while he runs off to work to make millions? Craig apparently found my (then) joke humorous and added his stipulations to the story (that he would buy me as many dresses as I liked, as long as I staying in shape...) From there on out our marriage joke only became more grandiose and exaggerated.

Yet, all the while, I couldn’t help but realize perhaps I was falling for this young South African. After spending 6+ hours with him 3-4 days a week, I saw a kindness and gentleness I haven’t seen in a man that age other than my brother. I saw an element of wisdom and steadiness that reminded me of my father. I saw manners and polish I thought to be extinct in 20-30 year-old men. Not to mention, I saw THE MOST well-dressed young man I have seen, perhaps ever (bar the rich boys on Gossip Girl).

This relationship continued until Feb 16th when I opened my email to a message from Craig asking if I fancied dinner with him the following evening…just the two of us. I wrote back saying I would love to – and Wednesday Feb 17th was our first date at Le Monde.

The rest is history so they say!! This is the ‘Introduction and Chapter 1’ to my relationship with Craig and the rest is still to come… ;-)

SA Day #3: Robben Island

2010-04-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

This morning Becks and I were up bright and early to catch the 9am ferry to Robben Island, a prison off of the V&A Harbor in Cape Town. For the fist two centuries after Dias first rounded the Cape of Storms in 1488, Robben Island was used to feed the sailors on passing ships. It was also used as a postbox for their letters and occasionally as a prison for miscreant sailors. During the period of Dutch rule at the Cape (1652 - 1806), the Island continued to be used as a pantry, but also became increasingly important as a prison, mainly for Cape criminals, black and white and political prisoners from the East Indies. It was during this period that the commercial exploitation of the Island's natural resources began. Limestone and shells were used for lime burning and stone and slate were collected for buildings.

In 1806, the island was used as a prison, under the British Government. Prisoners were made up of those awaiting banishment, dangerous Cape criminals and political prisoners from the frontiers of the growing colony. Then, in 1846, the prison on Robben Island was closed. The prisoners were sent to do hard labour in mainland convict stations. They were especially used in roadbuilding. In the old prison buildings the colonial government set up a hospital. It housed chronically sick patients, lunatics and lepers. All but the lepers did hard labour. The men collected rocks to build a new jetty; the women sewed for the government. Robben Island acted mainly as a hospital in the nineteenth century. It had become quite thriving communities, with its own newspaper, the Robben Island Times. The island had also a couple of teachers, priests, medical staff and storekeepers.

Then, in 1961 (until 1991), the island once more became a maximum-security prison, housing political prisoners considered most threatening to the stability of the apartheid government. The most famous of these was arguably Nelson Mandela, the first black president of SA, who was incarcerated on the island from 1964-1982. During his years in prison, Mandela's reputation grew steadily and he became accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement. The pictures included are of his cell. It's incredible to think that such a globally influential man was kept in a space no larger most NYC walk-in closets for over 27 years. While Robben Island has been characterized as 'South Africa's Alcatraz' and an impregnable place of banishment for those opposing the status quo, I think it also it has also can symbolize the great spirit of resistance against colonialism, injustice, and oppression.

I left the island with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the meaning of freedom--politically and socially--and also with a greater respect and admiration for those who have not had that freedom that I was born into and have subsequently had to fight for it. It is places like Robben Island that open our perspectives to broader meanings of simple concepts like freedom that perhaps many of us take for granted...

SA day #1: Moyo’s, Goldfish, and Spier.

2010-04-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Arrived in SA yesterday. 12. Long. Hours. On. Plane! But I arrived to a welcoming Ritchie and Becks, mocha in hand for me ☺ First day was incredible. As we drove from Cape Town airport to Camps Bay (the suburb where Beck’s family lives), I could see all of the scenery I had heard so much about prior to arriving—imposing mountains overlooking sharp blue-green water, a mixture of palm trees and pine trees, and sunny (a word you don’t often say in Edinburgh) piercing blue skies. Rebecca’s house sits overlooking the water, with a picturesque patio on the back overlooking the ocean. Her patio is one of those rare places you could sit for hours, staring off into the ocean—or gazing over the mountains—contemplating life, beauty, and time. Her house reminds me of a gorgeous beach get-away home you might about in an edition of ‘Coastal Living’ magazine. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, oozing of ‘family’ – another element I have missed very much in Edinburgh. We arrive, relax for a bit, have lunch and are off again quite quickly for an afternoon and evening at Moyo’s restaurant at Spier wine estates near Stellenbosch for dinner, live African dancing for entertainment, and a Goldfish concert.

Moyo’s was truly a dining experience! Upon first arriving, we went to the cheetah sanctuary located next to the restaurant. We got to see several different breeds of wild cheetahs, rare owls, and the ugliest/scariest (and only) black eagle I have ever seen—only to be informed by Beck’s boyfriend, Ritchie, that that one was merely ‘a juvenile!!!!!’ When you arrive into the actual restaurant, there are ladies waiting to paint your face and you are escorted to a table under a massive tent, with a stage on one end and a seemingly never-ending buffet along the side. During dinner, there is authentic African dancing (I have NEVER seen women move their hips and bums the way these women could!!! I was really tempted to ask for lessons…) and you have your choice of about 100 different foods from the buffet. I had been told prior to arriving that South African food was the best in the world—and even the food that’s not unique to SA (chicken, etc) just tastes better. I was skeptical, but after my first starter from Moyo’s I was convinced. The mussels were the BIGGEST mussels I have ever seen—and remember, I’m from the East Coast of the US, have eaten at the best restaurants in NYC, and am studying in Edinburgh—so I have eaten a lot of mussels. Then I was told that these mussels were comparatively ‘small’ for SA—that I might go to the trans-Skye to see ‘real’ SA mussels. And not only were the mussels massive, but they were the most succulent mussel meat I have ever tasted. The calamari was perfectly grilled. The varieties of breads made me want to forget the rest of the week in Cape Town and instead offer to volunteer in Moyo’s kitchen for free food for a week. I ate Ox Tail, Springbok, and Potjie. All fabulous!!!! The dinner was only made better by the company—Becks and Ritchie, and Beck’s friends Steve and Christine, who were lovely.

After dinner, we danced the night away (or at least till midnight when I thought I was going to fall asleep on the ground—I only had 2 hours of sleep and was really jet-lagged) to Goldfish. You must check out Goldfish’s music—for lack of ability to give a description that would do the band justice, I am just going to include their website on this post:

http://www.goldfishlive.com/

Hope you enjoy it!

‘Grow old with me, the best is yet to come’ –Robert Browning

2010-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Another year has gone by and I have reached the ripe old age of 24. Although, in my mild immaturity, 24 years seems like a lifetime (after all, it is my lifetime!), I know that the best is indeed yet to come. This birthday, which I thought would be rather anti-climactic, has turned out to be quite the celebration and several days of joy, laughter, and fun with precious friends. Birthdays are a unique time to make a friend feel cherished, special, and valued and my friends in Edinburgh have gone far above and beyond what was necessary to make me feel that way and more.

Friday, April 16th, the Canadian next door (BB) that I’ve mentioned so many times before throughout this blog, organized a big dinner at The Bon Vivant on Thistle Street in New Town. The dinner was a surprise and many of our close friends came to celebrate. The menu was right up my alley – especially the seared pigeon breast (considering everyone knows I feel like searing all of the pigeons outside of my room every morning at Churchill House). The espresso complimented with a shot of Kahlua was a perfect balance of earthy, bold, and rich (most of you know my minor obsession with good coffee!) and the sticky toffee pudding melted in your mouth as a delicious mixture of spice, gooey toffee, and cool icing, satisfying the way a good dessert should.

The rest of the weekend was littered with all of my favorite things and surprises, such as Jess’ incredible brownie-cake with fudge icing and white chocolate chunks and Mini Beck’s famous pink and yellow-icing cupcakes.

Monday, my actually birthday, however, was the day of days. It began with a late morning visit from Britt and Jared, hands overflowing with gifts, flowers, and candy. My darling Craig had sent two dozen yellow tulips, several pounds of pick-n-mix candy, and the blue zip Edinburgh hoodie I had been eyeing. Jared and Britt bought me a beautiful print from a local artist in Edinburgh and an (‘easy’) chicken cookbook (I love chicken more than anyone else in the world, bar perhaps Rebecca Jansch.) I was then whisked away to a surprise brunch with more close friends at a tea room on Hanover Street. Lunch lasted all afternoon, followed by some shopping with Laura and Mini Becks. There were even more surprises to follow later in the evening, with Laura posting about 15 hand-cut-out sheep (I love sheep) on my door with a main sheep bleeting ‘Why I love ewe’ and a massive tray of homemade cupcakes, topped with marzipan icing (my favorite!)

Being made such a fuss over was completely unnecessary, but made this birthday the most special one to date. Perhaps they always get better as time goes on, but this is one I will certainly not forget. It is these times, in my opinion, with dear friends and family that remind us how loved we are, that life is at its best--and knowing that so many more of these kinds of memories lie ahead, I can say with much assurance that the best indeed is yet to come.

South Africa!!!!!

2010-04-22T02:27:00.000-07:00

I AM GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA!!!!!!! SA Becks invited me down to Cape Town to visit her while she was home for Easter holiday and my mother booked me a surprise ticket with her air miles for my birthday present to go. I have never been to the African continent before—and now I am heading towards the southern-most tip of it! I leave April 25th and am staying until May 4th.

Becks has planned out a while itinerary of things for us to do while I am there. I cannot wait!!!! It’s funny because I honestly don’t recall ever meeting a South African prior to coming to Edinburgh. Yet, arriving here, I have met many! In my group of friends at the University alone, there are 5—coming from Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, and suburbs of Johannesburg. From these friends, I am becoming increasingly educated on the politics of South Africa—from apartheid and its legacy to the AIDs epidemic there (it has the highest AIDs rate of any country in the world). It is also an incredibly interesting place historically and culturally. The country has 11 official languages! I am looking forward to learning even more while I am there – and seeing all of the beauty landscapes I have heard about and seen in pictures.

International Night at my favorite club!

2010-03-02T00:19:00.000-08:00

Last night was 'International Night' at the Dunbar Rotary club. The purpose of the night is to invite several of the local Ambassadorial scholars in the District and to have them come and give their speeches. William, Robin, and Aki all attended (in addition to myself).

First, I have to say how much I am enjoying getting to know the members in my host club. Dunbar is quite a large group, with an eclectic mix of personalities. I have never felt more welcome within a group my whole life. I think that is one of the neatest things about Rotary--you go overseas and automatically have an entire contingent of people who are excited to meet you, support you, and see you succeed--and they certainly show it!! When you speak with them, they make you feel like you are the most important person in that moment. They listen intently, give great advice, and can always make you laugh ;-) Rotarians are a rare and wonderful group of people and I am proud to have the opportunity to be a small part of their organization.

For dinner, I chose the roast chicken (are you surprised???) and had the Banoffee pudding for dessert (yum!) I even brought along my own dessert for the evening as well. I figured since it was 'International Night', I would bake something 'American'--so I made a peach cobbler! I know what you're thinking...that an apple cobbler is more traditionally 'American'--but the apples at Tesco's weren't looking so appealing. It wasn't the best cobbler I've made, but the members of the club seemed to enjoy it nonetheless (and I get an 'A' for effort, right???)

I was given a tape of David Laird's bagpiping music (he is one of the members of the Dunbar club--he piped in the Haggis at the Burn's Night Supper at the end of January). I had told him that I loved bagpipe music, so he offered to make me a mixed tape--and actually remembered and did it!! What a sweet man.

I am beginning to think I fit in quite well as a Scot though--I love haggis, bagpipe music, and red tartan. I love ceilidhs, castles, and sheep too! I'm even loving the public transport--it gets annoying at times not having a car, but I appreciate the convenience of the buses and trains and am getting along quite well without a car (surprisingly!) Though if anyone reading this wants to give me a ride to the closest Costco's, I would be eternally grateful!!!

Chinese New Year

2010-02-15T23:20:00.000-08:00

'On the Eve of Chinese New Year, supper is a feast with families. Food will include such items as pigs, ducks, chicken and sweet delicacies.' (Wikipedia, 'Chinese New Year', 2010)

Focus on the word 'feast' in this Wikipedia entry for 'Chinese New Year' in Wikipedia. This is exactly what my 6th floor Churchill House Kitchen had last night. Today is the Chinese New Year, the most important of traditional Chinese holidays. It is also referred to as the 'Lunar New Year' because it is based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar. The importance of this holiday was reflected in the magnitude that it was celebrated at Richmond place yesterday and today. The kitchens all throughout Res are plastered in a vast array of flashy bright red and yellow paper decorations, coupled with endless steamers full of dumplings and dishes of sweet meats.

Geng, a Chinese Phd student living across the hall from me suggested that the hall celebrate Chinese New Year together (I think Geng was beginning to worry about the fact that he has never seen me use the stove or oven to prepare a meal...the sad truth is that the microwave, Tesco roast chickens, and take-out Beetlejuice and Kilmanjaro are my usual meal options). There are 3 other Chinese students on the hall, so they offered to cook while Becks, Jess, and I offered our services to provide an American dessert. The food was incredible. Ling made homeade turkey dumplings. I was offered to roll out a few, but remembering back to my tortilla making abilities (or rather lack thereof) in Guatemala two years ago, I politely declined, stating that I was doing everyone a favor by just watching...! Geng was the master chef of the event, preparing a roast leg of lamb (Note: Geng prepared for this day at LEAST a month in advance. He made 3 full roast legs of lamb in the preceding month to make sure he would get it right for the actual feast day), a delectable fish dish, and mussels. Yin-Hu made what to me tasted like sweet BBQ chicken and Jacqueline (a welcome guest from the other 6th fl kitch) brought Asian lettuce wraps. As you can probably imagine, we ate for hours. And hours. And then continued to eat. I strategically wore a jumper-dress so as my stomach expanded, it would not be confined by tight waistbands :-)

The best part about the evening though was getting to know the Chinese students on the hall and learning about such a significant tradition in their culture. I loved hearing stories about how Chinese New Year is celebrated within each of my friend's families and getting the opportunity to replicate some of those halfway across the world in Edinburgh.

Burn's Night

2010-02-13T02:45:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the extreme gap in my writing...for some reason, time seems to go by faster than usual here in Edinburgh. I find myself waking up Monday morning to start the week and I barely blink and it's Friday. I suppose that's indicative of me enjoying myself ;-)

Two major happenings have occurred since my last post: I tried the infamous Scottish national dish, Haggis-and I went to my first real Burn's supper-both experiences which I very much enjoyed.

First, I shall digress a bit on the Haggis. It is certainly not a dish for the squeamish--as it is a dish containing sheep's heart, liver, and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, spices, and salt, traditionally simmered in the sheep's stomach for several hours. It is a description not immediately appealing to one's appetite, but I must say I found the first taste surprisingly flavorful, with a hint of nutty-ness and bite, along with a delightfully oat-y texture. Many of my American friends were not quite as fond of the Haggis--but in its defense (as I do feel oddly obliged to defend the dear Haggis)--in my opinion, it tastes very similar to American-style Thanksgiving stuffing made with sausage! Now mind you, stuffing contains things called giblets, which are essentially the little organs leftover from the Turkey when you buy it--it could be the kidneys, heart, neck, etc. So to me, it is rather odd that an American who eats stuffing on Thanksgiving, cannot stomach Haggis.

My first Burn's supper was experienced at the Dunbar Rotary club on the 1st of Feb. Burn's Night is traditionally held on 25 Jan (Robbie's birthday), but the suppers can generally be held within a week or two of the 25th. The dinner was held at the golf course in Dunbar and most of the Rotarians were in traditional dress (kilts and tartan galore). Everyone looked so Scottish!! The dinner began with David 'piping in the haggis' and Tom (the club president) addressing and stabbing the Haggis. Then my host Rotarian, Thelma, gave the Reply to the Toast to the Lassies--which she creatively re-worked to include aspects of the Dunbar club.

The dinner was a full course of Haggis, neeps (turnips), and tatties (mashed potatoes), followed by a dessert of raspberry cranachan and homeade shortbread cookies from Rona's sweet shoppe. After dinner, several members (including myself!) got up and recited a Burn's poem, in memory of the legendary poet. I read Castle Gordon. Unfortunately, I was not nearly as entertaining as most of the Rotarians who got up, but I was happy to do it and is it bizarre that I find I like reciting poetry??? One of the Rotarians did a rendition of McGonagall's (one of Scotland's notoriously terrible poets) Tay Bridge Disaster, which invoked much laughter from the crowd. It was honestly the best night I have had thus far in the semester.

Sadly, I do not have pictures to document this experience, as naturally, I forgot my camera! ;-( However, I found a nice picture of Haggis online that I shall include for your viewing pleasure.

London Town

2010-02-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I traveled to London with Laura and Greta. I took the train down on a Friday afternoon and arrived just in time for dinner. Laura has a friend from BYU who lives there and offered for us to be able to stay at his place for the weekend (which is fabulous because as I am sure you can guess, London is expensive!)

It was such a wonderful opportunity to get away from Edinburgh for a few days! Friday night we had a low-key evening and ate dinner at Nando's in Euston Square. I LOVE NANDOS. For those of you in the States, Nandos is basically a chicken restaurant, but you can have your chicken any way you like it - burger, pitta, wrap, salad, plan old roast chicken - with about 15 different sauces to choose from - mild, medium, and hot peri peri, tomato and basil, spicy garlic, lemon and herb just to name a few - with about 10 different sides available as well. Most of you who know me know I love love love to eat chicken (hence, why the roast chickens in the back of Tescos shudder when I walk through the door).

Saturday we began our exploring in the markets--I will upload pictures as soon as I can find the cord for my camera (yes, I lost it--no, it's not a regular USB that every other camera takes, of course!) The markets were huge, filled with every delightful food imaginable. The flowers were exceptional. The aroma of fresh baked bread, freshly cured meats, and mulled wine permeated the air. I even was able to find a Starbucks nestled right around the corner so I could have my 4-shot, extra hot, no foam, latte fix ;-)

From there, we moved on to the Millenium Bridge, visited St. Paul's, and found our way to Oxford Street. We had dinner at Wagamomma (not sure if I am spelling this right) in Leicester Square and went back to Jake's (Laura's friend's) at a reasonable hour.

Sunday we slept in and I spent the majority of the afternoon at the Imperial War Museum in Southwark. I never bore of that museum. I have been there several times now, but it is still my favorite. It is fascinating to me to think about how war can really shape lives, whole generations in fact. I really wanted to see the 'LIfe in the Trenches' exhibit, but it was only showing at certain times and I had to catch a 4pm train back to Edinburgh. Leaves something on the schedule for next time I suppose!!

Brussels Sprouts Grow on Trees!

2010-01-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

We all know money doesn't grow on trees...so what's the next best thing? Brussels sprouts on trees, obviously!! I was pleasantly surprised when Jacqueline and SA Rebecca bought me one of these fine trees back in November in Edinburgh. I was so shocked by the fact that brussels sprouts grew on trees (not that I had really thought about it...I suppose I thought maybe they grew underground??) that of course I told my mom about it (and NOT surprisingly, she already knew they grew on trees-the woman knows everything). When I arrived home from my aunt and uncle's house in MD last week, my mom had a big beautiful brussels sprout tree waiting for me in the fridge :) All smiles on this end!!

13th December 2009: Trekking back to Delaware and Rumination of the First Quarter of my Scottish Adventure

2009-12-13T22:44:00.000-08:00

What an adventure indeed these past three months have been!! I woke up about a week ago and truly realized how privileged I am to be in the position I am—I wake up every day and experience something new, whether it’s a completely new place (like Glasgow or St. Andrew’s) or something as simple as finding a new coffee shoppe. I am trying to soak this all in and really grasp every moment. It’s funny how you can take something for granted simply because you are experience it on a regular basis—but my life the past 3 months has been far from ordinary and I am so lucky to be living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, pursuing my Master’s at one of the world’s top universities, and meeting some of the most amazing people.

Edinburgh is gorgeous. It’s a city quite unlike any other I have ever visited—and the more time I spend in and around it, the more I fall in love with it. I love picking a new coffee shoppe to study in or going out to a new place to eat. Yet, I often find myself not taking advantage of this as much as I should…this sounds awful, but there are days (esp with Final Assessments in the past 2 weeks) where I hardly leave my room!! Next semester I am making a resolution to get out more!!! To study out more! To eat out more! And to travel more! As mentioned in previous entries, I find I don’t actually go somewhere unless I plan it out and mark it on the calendar indefinitely—so my plan is to put on the calendar where I want to go next semester and buy the tickets in advance—then I’ve strategically roped myself in!! ☺

As much as perhaps the programme I am enrolled in is not what I was anticipating, I am enjoying being back in school again. I am enjoying the opportunity to broaden my perspectives (which I am dramatically doing), while simultaneously strengthening and further shaping what I believe and why. Next semester I am taking three courses (and also continuing the French classes at the Applied Language School)
-Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law
-Economic Issues in Public Policy
-Global Politics of Public Health

I have made some of the greatest friends here. The first, which I have mentioned several times, is Laura Scott. Basically, we’re two peas in a pod, Shirley and Vern, peanut butter and jelly (you get the point!) She’s 23, from Texas, and enrolled in the Global Health and Public Policy programme. She is going to go to medical school after this year and then progress on to be a doctor! We both love working out, chai tea, hot chocolate, and candy more than any other humans I have ever met. I seriously don’t know what I would have done without her this semester! Laura knows what I’m thinking without me having to say it. She is a great advice-giver and possesses a gift of saying the right words of encouragement when I need it.

Another friend I have become really close with is Rebecca Manias (my St. Andrew’s buddy!) She lives next door to me and keeps me sane in Richmond! I cannot verbally describe how funny she is—my late-night YouTube buddy (check out Greg the Bunny on YouTube when you get a chance…just sayin’!), mid-afternoon study break entertainment, and garlic baguette-loving partner in crime.

I’m sad to leave Edinburgh at the moment, but thrilled at the thought of Christmas with my family! And catching up with my friends from home/New Jersey. It’s been too long without seeing them and I am ready for Gordon-Maggie morning workouts, baking with quality appliances, and Wal-Mart (yes, I miss Wal-Mart!! You all have NO IDEA how much you take this place for granted…in Europe, there doesn’t seem to be any stores where you can get groceries, craft supplies, and electronics ALL in the same place…) An hour left on the flight and I am back to enjoying Forrest Gump and perhaps another nap (I’ve already slept for 4 out of the 7 hours…which is good considering I went to bed at 4am and got up at 545am)

Dunbar Rotary Club

2009-12-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight I spoke at my 'host' Rotary club in Dunbar. What a fantastic group of people! Tonight was the monthly 'spouse' night, where members are allowed to bring their significant others, so there was quite a large group. In addition, Lindsey Fyfe accompanied me (the other Ambassadorial Scholar hosted by the Dunbar club). Lindsey is from Los Angeles and studying at the Edinburgh College of Art. She is indeed quite a talented young lady (but then again, I suppose most Rotary scholars are...or rather 'talented young persons', since all of us aren't ladies--sorry William!) She was just commissioned to design a Christmas postcard by the City of Edinburgh--for which she selected the 'Heart of Midlothian' as her subject. Lindsey gave a brief talk to the club before I went on about the project and why chose chose the subject she did. So impressive!

My talk went well (but then again, it's hard not to do well when you have a group of 30 people who are there to see you succeed and cheer you on no matter how awful of a speech you give!) Unfortunately, the projector was not compatible with a Mac, so I was not able to show my slide show. Thus, I improvised!! I discussed where I'm from, some of the projects my host Rotary district is involved in, how I became interested in the scholarship, and what I plan to do with it while in Edinburgh and after. The Rotarians couldn't have been more supportive of my ideas and thanked Lindsey and I both for our presentations.

What can I say, my host club is fabulous!!

Ceilidh!

2009-12-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

I went to my first Ceilidh! It was right down the street from Richmond Place (where I live)--which was convenient considering it was freezing outside and I had on a halter dress! The Ceilidh is a traditional Scottish dancing event, which can be an informal event or competitive. Some of the most popular Ceilidh dances are 'Strip the Willow' and 'The Gay Gordons'. Some of them are really complicated and some quite simple. Thankfully, at most informal Ceilidhs, there is someone up front (called a 'caller') with a mic explaining the dance steps to the crowd before the dance actually begins.

Monday, November 30th, 2009: Fat sheep, fatter seagulls, and a day of Little Mupp and Judd

2009-11-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

November 30th was St Andrew’s day, so Rebecca and I decided to take a train trip up to St. Andrew’s for a little ‘get-away’—it was honestly one of the best days I’ve had in weeks!

The majority of the reason for the trip was to visit a friend of a friend—one of my sorority sisters, Colleen Castle, sent me an email in the beginning of the year letting me know she had a good friend studying at St. Andrew’s University, Judd Kennedy, and gave me his contact information to get in touch with him. It took me about a month to contact him—and then another month to actually plan a trip to visit him. It was another one of those ‘pull out my calendar, pick a day, and officially pencil it in’ type trips—because otherwise I knew I wouldn’t do it!!

Rebecca Manias came with me—and I couldn’t have had a better traveling buddy!! We took the train from Edinburgh at 1130am and arrived roughly an hour later at St. Andrew’s. It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting…essentially, it’s a town with three streets!! Much MUCH smaller than Edinburgh (and this is still quite the understatement). We met Judd at the bus station (St. Andrew’s is so small they don’t have their own train station—we had to take the train into Leuchar’s—or as Rebecca calls it ‘Ludacris’—and then bus it in to the city centre). Then we embarked on our afternoon!

The weather was spectacular (minus the fact that it had to have been below freezing with a biting wind). We visited the ruins of the old cathedral and the castle. We went down in one of the mines under the castle ruins, which involved a 3 foot high tunnel, filled with creepy orange slugs and a dripping slimy liquid. Now, this is hard to navigate without touching the walls, especially if you’re almost 6 feet tall in 3-inch heeled knee boots. You will all be relieved to know I managed along well—but take a good look at the pictures and you’ll see I wasn’t exaggerating!

One thing I noticed that was a bit odd was the excessive amount of wells throughout the city…note the picture of me ‘falling into one’ ☺ All of them were covered, so I suppose one couldn’t literally fall in…but I wondered what it would have been like 300 years ago and if perhaps people fell in then every once and a while…or maybe thrown in for punishment?!

We had dinner at a little Indian restaurant in the heart of town and mini Becks and I caught the 830pm train back (by the grace of God might I add!!) We were running late—aka, we took a cab at 8:23pm from the city centre to catch the 830pm train—not a brilliant move on our part. When we go there, we were sure we had missed the train, until we were informed that train was running 14 minutes late!!! Conclusion: we caught the train right in the nick of time, picked up some M&S mousse upon arrival back at Waverly station, and called it a fantastic day!!

Middle of Mo'vember Reflections

2009-11-15T03:43:00.001-08:00

Time has passed quickly and I have found myself living in Edinburgh for 2 months now. In some ways it feels like I have been here forever and in others, it feels like I just arrived. I began new classes three weeks ago-ended Public Health and Health Inequalities and Economics of Health Policy and began Globalization and Public Health. I have turned in my first two assignments and am working on my Final Assessments due in December. I don't know where the time has gone! So many people told me that this year would fly and to be honest, I was skeptical upon first arrival. Yet, judging the way the past two months have flown, I can easily begin to see that the rest of this year will fly by as well, adding to my archive of memories.

I am making the adjustment to "academic life" better as time goes by, but there I still go through sporadic periods of "why the heck am I here?!" I have been frustrated by what I sometimes perceive as a rather close-minded outlook in my programme and courses. It seems that in many ways, the course curriculum is very geared towards one side of an issue and teaching is based from that particular standpoint, versus showing both sides of an argument equally and letting students formulate their own views and perspectives. On that note though, I have been challenged to be able to better defend my views and re-evaluate why I believe what I do.

Two months have gone by and I feel like I have fallen short of so many of the goals I had for the semester. Still on the to-do list is:
-Make it to a Toastmaster's Meeting
-Make a trip out of the country
-Get involved with volunteering: am working on getting involved with the British Red Cross
-Go to a Ceilidh: but I will be going to two on Nov 30th and Dec 5th!
-Find a church that I really like: have been to several, but none that fit quite like King of Kings (my home church in New Jersey)
-Buy a new flute and start playing again!

I may have found a new hobby. One of my bestfriends, Rebecca (my Canadian neighbor), is an avid rock-climber and she took me to the climbing wall at the gym two weeks ago. I LOVED it. I've never been before, but had a great time and thought I actually did well for a first-timer. Will have to get some pictures to post.

PS-This month is "Movmeber"-which is a charity event where men grow mustaches or beards to raise money for men's health. So show your support and grow a 'stache!

Glasgow with ARK and Nichole of NC

2009-11-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today I finally made it to Glasgow. Have been meaning to get there for some time now and figured if I didn't just put it on the calendar, I would never go! [This seems to be my tendency with many things: thus, please note that if you want to make plans with me, it is IMPERATIVE I actually write down the date in my day runner-or it may not happen. Unfortunately, some of you may know this side of me all too well...but this year I am resolving to work on this!!]

Andy and his friend from NC, Nichole, came with me. We caught the train from Edinburgh Waverly Station and got into Glasgow around 1130am. The day was filled with shopping, good food, and a visit to the Glasgow Cathedral. After we saw the cathedral, we explored the enormous necropolis behind it. The necropolis was set upon a large hill overlooking the city. We got up there right around 330pm, which was perfect for that eerie-almost-sun-down atmosphere.

PS- my camera battery was dead, so pictures are limited from this trip

Canadian Thanksgiving

2009-10-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

What's better than one Thanksgiving? Obviously two!!! And when you add in a bunch of Canadians and excessive amounts of food, it only gets progressively better, eh?

This past Monday, I celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with several of my flatmates in one of our communal kitchens. Now there were some minor deviations from what one would consider to be a "normal" Thanksgiving dinner-we couldn't find a big turkey, so we settled for a large chicken. But I must say, that chicken was pretty darn good (and kind of looks like a mini turkey in the pictures.)

The side dishes were delectable. I must say I was quite impressed with the cooking abilities of my friends-especially with the limited resources we have living in University housing. (Just to get a visual: our "oven" is about 1/2 the size of a little girls play kitchen oven.) However, somehow we managed to end up with cream cheese and chive mashed potatoes, maple syrup acorn squash, stuffing ix-ney meat, brussel sprouts, peas and carrots, and two apple pies. Yes, we all gained about 5kg.

Cooking all of this stuff was probably the funniest part. a) Having 7 people bumbling around in a kitchen fit for 3 is interesting enough in itself, but became even more hysterical once the heat started from the oven and stove started to make the temp in the room skyrocket--in addition to b) Having to improvise for almost every kitchen utensil necessary. We only had one baking pan, so we had to get pretty creative in what to use for other dishes.

At the end of the night: Canadian Thanksgiving was a success! And can I say I'm already looking forward to US Thanksgiving? :)

LINK Weekend

2009-09-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I took a trip down to Leicester for the Ambassadorial Scholar LINK weekend. The weekend is essentially an opportunity for all of the scholars in the UK to get together, meet one another, and get some practical tips for success during the scholarship year.

I traveled down to Leicester by train. The other scholars in Edinburgh chose to fly, but I enjoy trains and I figured maybe I'd be able to get some reading done (so I was kidding myself on that one...) However, I did get a nice view of the countryside before it got dark. I stayed with a host family and another scholar from Germany, Maria.

Saturday all of the scholars were given free admission to the Leicester Space Museum. Afterwards, we all went to the City Hall and Courthouse for a speech from the Lord Mayor of Leicester. Yes, I'm sure many of you are thinking "Lord Mayor, really? Is that a joke?!" But no! It is not a joke, that's what people call him. He is addressed as "Lord Mayor" when people speak to him. I am including a picture of him with me-I hope you can differentiate between the two of us. Apparently, I am the first person he has ever met from Delaware!

Saturday night we all had a big dinner at Leicester University and a night full of traditional English dancing. It was called a "Barn Dance," but in reality it was nothing like a Barn Dance as one would imagine in the States. It would really do me no use to try and explain the evening to you, so please see attached pictures for a better description!

The best part of the weekend was getting to meet so many fantastic people. All of the scholars have such a unique attitude about service and changing the world. And the scholars came from all over the world-I met people from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Georgia (the country, not the state!), Namibia, Greece, Germany, and many more countries. Having the chance to be introduced to so many different perspectives was great. (And now knowing friends all over the UK, I have more excuses to go do more traveling!)

Arthur's Seat: Maggie Turned Mountain Goat

2009-09-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

Climbed Arthur's Seat today (which is that giant hill/mountain thing pictured in one of my earlier posts.) I have not felt so out of shape in a long time! In my defense, the route we chose to take up was riddled with stones, dirt, giant rocks, and some VERY steep angles. It took a lot of concentration to try and hide the fact that I was out of breath over 90% of the time on the way up...was relatively sure I would suffer a mild myocardial infarc before reaching the top.

Needless to say, I made it to the top with minimal damage (and you can see in that I am still around to write!)

Attached are pictures. View was spectacular. The wind was intense. It was incredible to experience the extreme changes in wind from the city area to the top of the Seat. Hence, the interesting hair and windburned face you will see in my pictures!

Loving life over here more and more every day!

The First Week

2009-09-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

I have only been here a week and it feels like I have lived here for years. The country has captivated me with her beauty, her people, and her capital city of Edinburgh.

And I am officially making the transition into UK spelling, so get ready for the "-our," "-e," and "s" in place of "z." Partially out of fear for lowered marks on my term papers, but mostly because I think it's fun (and makes me sound more proper!)

I have made many interesting experiences and observations:

1. Apparently I have an accent. (Do I really have an accent?) And even more, it was described as a "Jersey" accent, by other Americans. I do not know what else to say here. Please help me.
2. The treadmills are clocked in km/hr, versus mph. I tried about 5 of them and didn't understand why my normal speed felt so slow and thus convinced SURELY all of the treadmills were broken. Enquired to the guy next to me about this, who told me the speed is in km/hr, NOT mph. Needless to say I felt a bit stupid.
3. I LOVE how the Scottish speak. They say week-end (emphasizing the "end" part of the word) instead of weekend. They say de-tail in stead of detail. It kind of makes me feel the need to go to elocution school though (as apparently I speak like an American and a Jersey American at that.)
4. The men REALLY DO wear kilts. And wouldn't you like to know I find it strangely attractive?
5. They do not call University accommodation "dorms" here--they're called "flats." Elevators are called "lifts." Still learning the vocab differences.

Am adjusting to "dorm life" - or flat life, so to speak. Yet, there are two VERY interesting (to put it mildly) facts that stick out about my wee flat. One, as discussed previously is the bed. Attached is a picture of my arm spanning the bed's width. Yes, and my amazon-sized self is supposed to sleep on this. Interesting, indeed. Two, I MUST speak of the "WC" (aka-the bathroom): it is certainly the most odd thing I've ever seen. It's about the size of a closet, yet there is a toilet, shower, and sink all stuffed into one. Like a 3-for-1 deal I suppose. But the shower has no separation from the rest of the bathroom floor! It's really quite bizarre. I will take pictures and post for your viewing pleasure. And the sink has separate "hot" and "cold" faucets. So if you come visit and wash your hands, you have two choices: scalding hot and iceberg cold. Pick your poison, lads and lassies!

Luckily, the breathtaking scenery, fabulous new friends, and exciting course opportunities have more than made up for the issues I may have with my "WC." Thanks to Andy, my lanky 6'4" friend from NC, I am learning my way about the city quite quickly. We have traipsed up to Princes Street several times now, visited through the old city centre, and ventured to programme meetings together. I wear heels and I am still short compared to him. Most glorious, indeed!

Mom and Dad are still here, though their days are waning :( I feel like a bit childish saying so, but I am going to be sad when they leave Tuesday. I don't think there are two more generous kind people (perhaps Thelma and John, my host counselor and her husband tie...) We ate at Jenner's for lunch on Friday (the OLDEST running Department store in the UK, in operation in its original location since 1838), overlooking Princes Street. Then, Mom and I had a fiasco getting to IKEA to secure the rest of the storage items and shelving my mother insisted "I needed." In fact, I quote: "Maggie, I just fear that if you do not become more organized, you shall be swallowed up and simply disappear into the abyss known as your flat...just like at Grove City." Do you think she is alluding that I am not neat?

Met Thelma and John in Dunbar for dinner Saturday night-got to see the Dunbar Castle (where olde Mary Queen of Scots stayed before she learned the future would not bode well for her...or her head...as it was chopped off in the following year.)

All in all, I am enjoying taking this all in. I cannot fully explain in detail what life is like here. It is like living in a beautiful movie.

Oh! And a quick PS-It has not rained once since I have been here! I must bring good weather ;) Yet, I did wear my infamous red rainboots today (when the sun was shining fiercely) and I was questioned about why I was wearing them-to which I answered: because they're my fav boots (and I am on a SEVERE shoe shortage, as I thought it would be prudent to spend my shoes allocation in the suitcase on boots and warm shoes versus uber high stilettos!) Therefore, if you're looking to send me a gift, sexy shoes would be fantastic. Size 9 please!

Au revoir for now!

2009-09-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

So today is my first full day in Edinburgh—and also first time being on the University’s campus. What a fantastic city! Not having visited for so long, I had forgotten how much the city captivates me. The architecture on the old buildings is reminiscent of medieval times. I can only imagine the city minus all of the cars, streetlights, and other modern-day amenities—sitting in all her glory as the capital of ancient Scotland.

I checked into my accommodation this morning. After the strenuous traveling experience from Sunday-Monday (delayed flight from Philly, missed connection to Edinburgh, 6 hour layover in Heathrow, no sleep for 36 hours…), I was in no mood to move in last night. My room is more than adequate. Yet, I have to say that the bed is a bit small. In fact, it's really skinny and very short. I am not sure who exactly it is made for, but it's certainly not me. I am beginning to realize my height is an anomaly here though. When I was walking around campus today, people looked at me as if I had 6 heads. I could tell much of it was because of my height because they would look at me, look down to see if I was wearing heels, and look me up again. As I stood in the Matriculation line to register, I do admit I was the 4th tallest in a room of over 100.

I have also met my host counselors from Rotary. I don’t even know where to begin. What WONDERFUL WONDERFUL people! Their names are Thelma and John Band and they are both retired. Technically, Thelma is my host counselor and John is not a member of Rotary. However, he has been just as supportive as she, so I am making him my honorary host counselor. They remind me of people I know, but I cannot quite place my finger on who.

Interesting/horrifying experience this afternoon: went to a meeting for what I thought was a meeting for all postgrads in the School of Social and Political Science. The meeting immediately began covering different aspects of research expectations of a postgrad/PhD student and in essence translated to me as: "Your next few years (or year) is going to be terribly unfortunate, as you will probably live in the library and morph into a book before you make it out of here." Terror struck through me and I thought about calling one of you to come pick me up IMMEDIATELY, as I surely didn't want to die a long slow death in the library. After all, I'm doing a Taught PG programme! Not a degree by research! Right?! I began thinking that perhaps I accidentally ticked the wrong box on my application, declaring that I had full intentions to go on to a PhD-but quickly reminded myself I couldn't have been that stupid...could I have??!

Thankfully, my fears were alleviated after a brief 45 minutes when I approached the SPS Director explaining I surely had to be in the wrong place. And I was. My vision slowly returned and I regained feeling in all of my extremities. I know this may sound a bit dramatic, but you must understand the HUGE difference between as Taught degree and a degree by research. Degrees by research require much MUCH more careful pre-planning, prep work, and preconceived ideas of what you want to research and write your dissertation/thesis on. Had I chosen this route (vs the Taught route), I would have needed to begin preparing MONTHS ago-and had a sponsor for my research and detailed intentions on what kind of research I was planning to do and how I was going to do it (funding, etc.)

Again, insert: MASSIVE SIGH of relief.

Random observations/questions I have made throughout my first day:

1. The UK seems to be slightly confused about how floors are ordered in a building: apparently they call what we call the first floor, the "ground" floor-which subsequently makes the 2nd floor the 1st floor, and so on. VERY confusing when trying to find your flat and you are not aware of this. I might have been relatively sure my room did not exist.

2. I wonder how my spelling in my papers will be assessed. Will I be required to write "programme" or will "program" do? Is it "color" or "colour?"

3. Drinking really IS a very very daily activity here. I saw drunk people out around town at 4pm. It must be the world renowned single malt scotch.

The Journey Suddenly Becomes Tangible!

2009-09-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

And the Scottish Chronicles are officially beginning. I am moving from simply thinking about my life in Europe to living it. Oddly enough, I feel somewhat numb. This week has been quite the whirlwind of emotions for me. I have waffled back and forth from brimming with anticipation to a nervous (okay terrified) trepidation. I spent about 2 days crying at almost anything and everything. Embarrassingly enough, this can be verified through almost anyone that came in contact with me during these two days. I think I perhaps freaked out even some of my closest friends. (See Megan Montgomery for details)

Fortunately, my family has seen me in action during these “Freak Out Frank” episodes, as I like to call them (times wherein I get really dramatic over something that isn’t worth losing a wink of sleep over). Thus, they took my Weepy Wanda moments in stride. IE: I came home from a friend’s Tuesday night crying (for no particular reason) and my brother laughed at me and told me to get a grip. Then he proceeded to say, “Well, if you fail out of Edinburgh, you can always transfer to Ethiopia and go run.” Oh good! I could be a professional Ethiopian runner! I’m sure Pfizer and Rotary both would be pleased with that accomplishment. I did laugh though.

Throughout this whole emotional roller coaster this past week, I've really come to ponder the idea of “faith.” What is “faith” anyway?

I would define it as believing that God is true to His Word, even when my feelings are screaming out something completely opposite – a belief in what I KNOW to be true, even if I cannot feel it or touch it at that precise moment – “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). When I consider these definitions, I realize how much of my life I live without faith.

Thankfully, life is not measured by who we are at a precise moment, but rather who we are becoming. I don't think any of us ever really "arrive." Instead, we are on a journey centered around continuous improvement and progress (pending we are malleable and can learn from our mistakes when we make them).

Packing: Continued

2009-09-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

Three guesses what wonderful activity is occupying my evening. If you guessed packing, you get a prize. The prize is the satisfaction of knowing that I'm stuck packing my life for an entire year tonight and you are off somewhere enjoying freedom.

On a positive note, I was able to recruit a friend for this round of packing (okay, so the friend is really my twin brother, Gordon...who is probably helping more out of obligation than friendship).

Good news is that the suitcases are packed. Slightly-not-as-good news is that the suitcases are what I would like to call obese, if suitcases can in fact be described by such an adjective. For example: Gordon (198 lbs) and I (130lbs) had to combine our weights and sit on the suitcase affectionately called "The Silver Bullet" to successfully shut it. (That probably should have indicated that ye olde Silver Bullet was quite over 50lbs.)

To accomplish the process of weighing, we confiscated Grandmom's scale. Gordon weighed himself and then proceeded to stand on the scale, holding each suitcase. I scurried underneath to capture the weight and then subtracted Gordon's weight.

After "Round #1": ALL three suitcases are over the weight limit. Big Blue and Old Green only by 5-8lbs. Silver Bullet by...well...20lbs.

Right as I was about to tackle the unappealing task of unpacking and re-arranging, my mom came in and saved the night. She offered me a 4th suitcase (I am technically only allowed 2, but mom and dad have now both offered one of their "2" towards my cause.)

INSERT HERE: GRANDIOSE sigh of relief.

Now, I must return to packing and do the re-arranging/transfer of items into the 4th suitcase, as I do NOT want to have to deal with this tomorrow.

Bonne nuit mes chers!

Packing: Chapter 1

2009-09-11T09:59:00.001-07:00

So this is my first official post! Unfortunately, for all of you, it happens to fall on the day in which I am ambitiously attempting to do a large portion of packing for Edinburgh. It is not going well. And "not going well" doesn't even accurately capture the situation.

For those of you who know me, I would not characterize myself as having tendencies to "travel light." In truth, that is a severe understatement. But it is surely a bit unrealistic that I am expected to fit all of my life's needs for a year into 3 50lb suitcases? Really?! (My parents have been gracious enough to travel with me and are giving me an extra suitcase.)

One of the primary problems here is the weather in Edinburgh. It's cold. And it is cold pretty much all year around (although, I admit my idea of cold may be slightly skewed.) This essentially translates into sweatshirts, sweaters, coats, and boots, all of which take up copious amount of room. Not to mention the sheets, duvet, towels, and other misc items I am required to bring.

All of this makes doing ANYTHING unrelated to packing VERY appealing. In fact, so appealing that I keep leaving the packing project to do laundry, scavenge the kitchen for something to eat (despite not being hungry), and primary example--posting a blog.

Of course, my solution for this whole situation would ideally be to have Mimi, Baby, Bright Eyes, and Mr. Stripes (my parent's cats) take on this daunting task for me, but apparently they're off today. Will see what I am able to accomplish as the day progresses.

Onward ho!