First Week of Classes

My first week of classes went well! They seem interesting, and Sociology will definitely be challenging. It's so different being in big lecture halls. My two main classes each have over 100 people in them. When I'm sitting in the lectures I feel like a "real" college student, like the ones in the movies. It's pretty exciting.

I've met a couple of people in my classes. We only really introduced ourselves but hopefully this week and in future weeks we'll be able to become real friends. We'll see.

I had my first tutorial which is much more of what I'm used to, coming from Goucher. There are about 15 people sitting around a table being led in conversation by a graduate student. On Thursday she broke us into three groups and we discussed our first lecture and then shared what we talked about. For this coming Thursday we have to read Marx's Communist Manifesto (hence why I think this class will be difficult).

Friday I don't have any classes, which is awesome. Megan, Aldonza, Julia and I went to find the Hidden Lane Tea Room (which is definitely hidden) which is really cute and has good food. I had a mocha and a scone with cream and jam. Definitely worth another visit. That night I just hung around in my room, working on school stuff, figuring out trips, and watching some Gilmore Girls on DVD.

Saturday, Megan, Aldonza, and I went grocery shopping which took a few hours because we have to walk. We got all the fixings for lasagna and caramel shortbread. The lasagna came out pretty well, we should have cooked the noodles a bit before putting them in the pan, but the caramel shortbread made up for it. It is amazing. We didn't have any sort of measuring cups or spoons so we just estimated based on how much was in the bag and how much we needed in the bowl. It worked!

Today we had a cultural day and went to the Kelvingrove Museum. It is so interesting how the museum set up. It has art, but isn't an art museum. It has some dead animals, but isn't a science museum. It has some historic information about Scotland, but isn't a history museum. What is it!?

Tomorrow I have my first bagpiping class. I hope it goes well!

Oh Right....I'm Actually Here to Go to School...

Yesterday was my first day of class. Lectures here are so different from classes at Goucher. My class yesterday was definitely over 100 people. It's also strange because the lady that is in charge of the class is not teaching this semester. The class is broken into three blocks and each block is taught by a different lecturer. I'm glad the lady from yesterday won't be one of them because she was a little boring and would start rambling and then I would completely forget the first half of her sentence by the time she got to the second half. It was just not great. But oh well, from the enrollment session last week I know that the guy teaching today will be much better, at least I hope so.

A great thing about my schedule this semester is that I don't have any classes before noon. It is rather strange though. I wake up and I have a couple hours free before I have to go. I'm so used to having 8:30 classes every morning and coming back completely exhausted. Hopefully I'll be able to get stuff done during the mornings now.

I have two classes this afternoon. I have my first Archaeology class and my second Sociology class. I think they'll go well. Usually on Tuesdays I'll have my Archaeology tutorial, but those don't start until next week.

Okay, wish me luck!

Weekend in Edinburgh

Megan, Aldonza, and I spent the weekend in Edinburgh. We took the train in Friday morning and came back Saturday evening. We were exhausted by the end of the trip. We started out our time in Edinburgh with a trip to the Castle (which are hostel looked right out on, it was pretty awesome). We went on a guided tour for about 45 minutes and then explored and took in the sights. It was a clear day, so we had an amazing view.

After exploring the Castle we decided to have lunch at the Elephant House, where JK Rowling came up with Harry Potter. We sat in the back room, where she sat, and looked out the window at the Castle. We had a perfect view. So our question became, if JK Rowling was looking at that castle while writing Harry Potter, isn't it obvious that the Edinburgh Castle is really Hogwarts? (BTW, there is totally a correct answer to this question (YES!))

We finished lunch and then shopped. Correction, I shopped, Megan and Aldonza watched. Oh well, I got some cool stuff. We then stopped back by the Hostel to drop off our stuff and check in. It turns out that the view out of the window by my bed was right at the Castle. What a great sight to wake up to.

Then we wandered down to the Princes Street Gardens apparently at the perfect time because the sun was shining on the Castle and this fountain at the perfect amount and angle, great for some prime picture opportunities.

Nearby there was a playground which had what other than giant chess pieces. Giant chess pieces next to the castle that JK Rowling was looking at when she came up with the idea of Harry Potter? Sound familiar? Kind of like the first book in a wildly popular series of 7 books? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

After dinner at this bar/sports restaurant thing we headed to this highly recommended pub for live music. The musicians were an hour late and that night the music was what sounded like one guy on the violin. We could barely hear. So we teamed up with some people that were also waiting for this supposedly great music and went to find some actual good music. We ended up at this bar with a couple of people doing covers of America songs. We hung around, chatted for an hour or so, and then, exhausted, left for the hostel.

Yesterday we got up, had some breakfast, and went out to hike up Arthur's Seat (a mountain next to the Palace at Holyroodhouse). It was great, but very windy. We once again had a clear day so we could see out in pretty much all directions.

After lunch and some more shopping (again, done by me) the three of us headed over to the National Museum of Scotland, a history museum. There were exhibits of life in Scotland ranging from pre-human to the present day. It was really cool to see old coins, clothes, and jewels. However, we were exhausted, really, really, exhausted. So we got back on the train, and came back to school.

All in all, it was a fun few days, we got to see a lot, and I spent some money!

ps

I heard from a little bird (Granny Betty) that I should put more pictures in my blog. Hope this helps!

Horizontal Rain

They weren't kidding when they mention horizontal rain. Today the wind was so strong that the rain was actually blowing sideways. It's a good thing I made it to my room before the worst of it. It was much more fun to watch from my window than to be outside walking through it.

Because of the crummy weather, the majority of today was pretty low-key. After standing in lines for an hour and a half I finally got my student ID card. Yay! The first thing I did was go to the University store to get a holder and a lanyard. Now I'm a REAL student here. We decided to put our cards to good use an try to get into the library. Apparently they hadn't been fully activated yet, but we still made it inside and up to the 11th floor. One side of the library has a full view of the campus and the city. It's definitely a place I'd like to do my homework, but I bet you I'm not the only person with that thought.

Later tonight I went to get hot cocoa with Megan and Aldonza so we could start making some travel plans. We went through various pamphlets, booklets, and a tour book and hopefully we'll be able to put all our knowledge to good use this semester. After a quick facebook check we were on our way to this bar place called Nice n Sleazy. They have live music almost, if not every, night which is pretty awesome. Tonight was an open mic night so we heard all types of music, both good and bad. Around 11:30 though, I started fading very fast, so back I went!

Thank you to Skype for allowing me to have 4 hours of conversation last night. Thank you to pamphlets and tour books that help clueless Americans like myself. Thank you to hot chocolate for just being amazing.

This weekend was my first weekend as a student here! I did lots of student-y things. On Saturday we attempted to find some school supplies and ended up at staples being told that they don't sell 2-pocket folders. The guy at the store knew exactly what I was talking about, but apparently they just don't have them. Very strange. Then we got Aldonza a cell phone and went to a little coffee place for a bit.

After a bit of dinner on our own, we met up with a bunch of other international students for a.....wait for it.....haggis party. I had the vegetarian stuff which wasn't that bad.

After that party we went over to the University Union and explored there. We caught the end of a dance thing before we went to the club which is also part of the Union. It was loud, and there were a lot of people. Basically what I always imagined a club to be like.

Today Megan, Aldonza, and I went over to the Botanic Garden and walked up and down the river. It was really great and we took some fun/artsy pictures. It did start to get cold though so we went to dinner pretty early. Well, we got there early. The stuck us upstairs, pretty out-of-the-way (probably because we were walk-in, foreigner, students) and then forgot about us after messing up the order. The food was good though which definitely saved the meal.

Later last night the international student society planned a salsa dance lesson back in the Union so Megan and I attempted to give that a shot while Aldonza tore up the dance floor.

Then Megan and I came back and I just kinda hung out, watched some TV and skyped with some people.

It was definitely an eventful weekend. Productivity mixed with nature mixed with dancing. So far so good!

Orientation and Forced Socialization

I am still in the process of signing up for my classes. I have officially enrolled in bagpiping and have been approved for archaeology, but I'm still waiting to hear if my two sociology classes are enough to get me into the second level here. Hopefully it works out cause I'd love to take the class. I've also signed up with the internation

al student society thing. They apparently plan events and trips and are very active, so I'm hoping that works out well.

On Thursday I went on a bus tour around Glasgow. It was great to see some new places and hear about the history of the statues and buildings. It was two hours though, so by the end we were starting to fade.

That night I went to a social event planned for international students that involved a fiddle, an accordion and traditional dances. I danced for a bit and was awful at it. Later that night Megan invited me to a pub with some girls she met the night before. There were also four students from Loyola Maryland which was exciting. We bonded over York Road, deep connection.

Today was probably the most exciting day though. I went on a bus with a bunch of the other international students to Stirling Castle and Glengoyne Distillery. Stirling Castle was a lot of fun. While we were eating lunch the rain stopped and the clouds went away and we were left with a beautiful view.

After a couple hours there we went on to take a tour of the distillery. At the beginning of the tour they passed out samplers of whisky. It was disgusting. I mean really, I'm sure it was great, but for me, not so much. It is a working distillery so we were smelling all the stuff being made. It's in a beautiful location with some great mountains around it.

After days of waking up early and walking almost constantly I am exhausted and fully plan to enjoy my weekend and sleep in tomorrow. Happy weekend everybody!

Have a Door Stop, Be My Friend....

Over the past few days some strange and amazing and awkward things have occurred. I have seen a clown chasing children, I have seen my new room, I have angrily dragged heavy bags down the street, I have hailed cabs, I have begun orientation, I have met new people, and I have taught my flat-mate from Mexico the "awkward turtle."

On Friday we went to the People's Palace (a museum). On the way there we passed by the tail end of a children's 2k race. At the very back we spotted it, a clown in full make-up. He was chasing after the children yelling "I'm gonna get you!" to make them run faster. Can you imagine being chased by a clown during a race. What is so many people's greatest fear came to life for those poor slow-pokes in the back. The People's Palace itself was fun. It was a look at Scottish life throughout the past couple of centuries. They had exhibits on the wars and their impact on Scotland, growing up in Scotland, different inventions from Scotland, etc. It was very interactive, but a lot of fun to look around. Attached to the museum is the Winter Garden. An enclosed garden that was beautiful.

On Saturday I got the key to my flat. My mom and I stopped in and looked around. It's nothing like American dorms, even the suites. It can be thought of as the hall of an apartment building, everyone has their own apartment. There is a common space, but it is a completely separate room with it's own door, so there is very little sense of community. Every door is a fire door so it is supposed to stay closed. I don't know how strict this rule is, but door stops anyone? (I haven't even seen one of my flat mates yet!) As exciting as it was to get my key, we decided against moving in that day and went back to the hotel to relax.

Sunday morning we decided to attend the service at the Glasgow Cathedral. The Church was so beautiful it was easy to ignore the fact that the sermon had a very strong "give-us-money" undertone. After the service and a quick visit to St. Mungo's Museum, we wandered back to the City Center to buy some necessities for my room and flat. What we didn't realize, however, was how absurdly heavy these "necessities" were. Has anyone tried to carry a pack of paper before along with groceries? Well my mom did, and let me tell you, she was not happy about it. Along with that, why does no one sell forks? We found a pack of four spoons at the dollar store and a bag of plastic knives at some little market, but where have all the forks gone? I guess I'll have to get take-out at some point and ask for extra cutlery.

So after a stressful and emotional moving in process, my mom was on her way, and I am on my own.

This morning I met up with Megan and we walked over to the orientation together. We were quickly separated as the 200-something of us were divided into smaller groups for some awesome group bonding. After our break for lunch, I of course got lost trying to find my way back to the orientation building. I thought I'd be clever and walk through the giant quad of the main building. I got into the quad, and then spent a fair amount of time trying to find my way out. I wandered into numerous departments and I'm pretty sure I opened the door to a wedding (music playing, chick in white dress, etc.). Eventually I found my way out of Hogwarts and onto the main street and to the orientation building.

The second half of the orientation program today was about signing up for classes. Now I thought Goucher used to have a bad system (waiting in line at 4 am in the rain), Glasgow's is worse. First we had to put down some classes on the application so we could have some pre-approved choices all lined up for us. After requesting these classes we got an email saying that we were approved for these classes. Tomorrow we have to go to an info session with representatives from the departments to double check that we can take the classes we want to take. Then the professors tell us how to actually enroll in these classes. Then depending on what we're told, we have to go back to another enrollment session and actually put our name down on the list. Then once we've done this we have to go onto a website and verify that the classes there match what we're planning on taking. Then we have to fill out this yellow form listing our class choices so that the international student office can double check this website and make sure the classes match up....So that should be fun.

Tonight for dinner I went to an Indian place with Megan and Aldonza. Megan is from Nebraska and Aldonza is from Mexico City. The waiter guy was super awkward, so I taught Aldonza the "awkward turtle" and other fun awkwardities.

I now know that I should update this more regularly so as to avoid 4 days of information. Pictures would have made this entry officially skim-worthy (if it's not already) so check my facebook at some point for more pictures.

Edinburgh and Taxi Drivers

I'm pretty awful at the whole blog thing. During the day I think of things I want to include, but by the time I get back in the evening, all I want to do is play and sleep, so I write crummy things if anything.

Yesterday we went to Edinburgh. We did the Royal Mile which was fun. Very touristy and well, old. We went to the Palace at Holyroodhouse and the Edinburgh Castle. We also found the "birthplace of Harry Potter." With a big swarm of tourists in front if it.

There were bunches of tartan stores and stores claiming to be the "official store of Scotland" or the "official store of clans." We looked around for Morrison paraphernalia, but were unsuccessful. Well, we got a little book. Maybe more next time.

We were quite a sight this morning. Mom's hip is hurting like the geezer that she is (kidding!) and I was so hungry I was about to pass out. We were trying to get up the stairs and were both frozen in our various pains. I'm glad Dad wasn't there for that. He would not have been amused (right Dad?)

Today we went to a different part of town than we've been exploring. We went to the Burrell Collection which was this guy's collection of stuff. He had a lot of it. He had a lot of money, I want the money, not so much the stuff. Oh he did have some Degas paintings that I wouldn't mind. Maybe when I win the lottery.

After that we took a cab to this house thing that used to be a school but now is a house and they're working on restoring it, but it's taking decades. No one around here seems to have heard of it, but it exists, and is pretty cool!

After dinner we looked up where to pick up the key to my "flat" tomorrow and wandered over. It turns out the office and my dorm are only 3 block from our hotel so I already have a good sense of the area!

Thank you to cab drivers who act as tour guides and remind you of simple things you really should already know (I'm a math major, I'm living in Kelvinhaugh Gate, Lord Kelvin was a mathematician......doh!)

There is nothing cuter than a little Scottish school-girl with an accent and a tie...

Today was another hard day, but they're getting better. It's late, so this'll be quick and simple.

Highlights of the day:

Getting a Scottish phone with free internet for the first 6 months (aka the whole time I'm here)

Being friended by my dog (aka my dad)

Understanding Scottish better than my mom (what time is it vs. where Tim is)

Sleeping through breakfast (don't be annoyed Dad, we needed it)

Being asked if I was vegan ('cause he actually knew what it meant)

Giving advice that I know I should take myself

Thank Yous:

To nice workers at phone stores who don't let jerk-y old men cut in front of me

To museums that sell postcards and show a lot of kilts and plaid

To nice waiters who have the knowledge to ask if you're vegan

To Amanda who is going through a similar transition to mine right now

To Katherine who reminded me that she was nervous too

To Dave for wanting to do enough community service to counter-act my insane lack of community service

To my mom for just being here