That warm, NERDY feeling.

It is BLISTERING cold outside. It's overcast outside, and weather channel says its 30 degrees, but I'd say it's colder than that. I can't believe it's NOT snowing. I just got back to my place after a solid 4 hours at the library. It's only a ten minute walk from my apartment, but my left foot is still numb from the walk back, it's so cold, and it's hard to type because my hands are still freezing.

The library was packed as usual. I can't believe I used to think it could get crowded at the Redlands library, because it's insane over here. People are practically fighting for work space, and a working wall outlet is worth more than gold at this point. I managed to find myself a desk and an outlet, but the problem is that the library is already a little cold because there's construction going on (my excuse for THEM not having a properly working heating system) and being next to the wall is even colder. If I hadn't decided to print some things off from the computer lab in the library, it would have become unbearable. Luckily the computer lab was a little warmer so once I snagged a computer I just stayed there for another two hours doing my work. Despite the cold inside and out, it was a productive afternoon. I picked up this physiology book on reserve that had been recommended to me from a classmate, and I think I'm in love with it. I was lucky to find it in the first place because it's in high demand with only two copies on reserve, and then I got even more lucky when I found out the nifty rule that if you check out a reserve book (which you can usually only have for three hours) after four pm, you get to keep it until 10:30 am the next day! JACKPOT!

But seriously, the enjoyment from this textbook is the reason for my title on this post. It's a thin textbook full of summarizations on all the main physiological components of all the systems. I couldn't believe it when I caught myself smiling while reading about the nervous system. I usually hate learning about electrical and chemical gradients in the cells, but this book made an action potential feel like a roller coaster ride! I don't know what it was, probably the word choices, like "surge" and "plummet". Whatever it was, it was refreshing, and actually put me in a good mood to study. Thank goodness for that, because this week's going to be a rough road.

Can't wait to be home though! This time next week I'll be glued to my big beige couch watching The Grinch and drinking eggnog!

Lost in the Fog

Today has been the first full day of fog I've seen in Edinburgh. Actually I can't remember the last time I experienced an actual foggy day anywhere. Has an interesting effect on the landscape and the thoughts that you have throughout the day. Being this close to Christmas...I don't know... I kind of like it, in a cold and eerie sort of way.

I just got back from the store, and my hands are still thawing out. The temperature is just around freezing, and the fog seems to only make the cold stick. I tried to stack up on things so that I can stay alive without going out to eat or going to the store again while I'm here, so basically food for the rest of the week. I'm waiting for the oven to heat up so I can throw a frozen pizza in there for lunch. When I mention that the food I bought will keep me alive, I didn't exactly mean it'd be a healthy diet the rest of the week, but I'm comfortable with that because it was all cheap. I did indulge in a little high-quality cocoa mix which was probably the most expensive thing I bought...I don't mess around when it comes to cocoa, as my parents know all too well.

I had my economics final today. I went right to the store after finishing it. the test was all multiple choice. Wasn't easy, but it didn't blow me out of the water either, which I'm thankful for. I was actually a little surprised because all of the microeconomics questions were taken from previous exams that had been available to us, so that was obviously the easy part since I'd worked over all the past exams. Macro was a little more challenging, but we'll see how it panned out.

I'm amazed at how quickly the days fly by. I just spoke to one of my flat mates who told me that his sleeping pattern has flopped because of finals and his work so that he can't even remember when he last saw daylight. I mean its dark until 9 am and dark again by four, it's ridiculous. But at this point it seems like everything around me, even the obscenely shorter days, just means its closer to the holidays, and it doesn't bother me all that much. Christmas lights look better in the dark anyway.

I've been stressing out trying to keep my spending down but also trying to buy christmas presents for everyone before I leave. I have to remind myself every so often that it isn't about the gifts. I guess that's a good thing because I've always been terrible when it comes to christmas shopping. I never plan it right and it always takes forever because I can never find just what I want for the people I'm buying gifts for... though most of the time I don't even know what to get, just that I can't seem to find whatever it is. Having the thoughtful touch to buy the perfect gifts for the people I care about isn't my strong suit. I should hate christmas shopping, and most of the time I do, but there's just something about it that I love when I stop to look around me. The lights, the music, doing something with the family, watching other families...it's the part of the trip that isn't spent actually buying stuff that really makes christmas shopping an enjoyable experience.

For me at least, that experience helps me get over the fact that no matter how hard I try, most of the gifts I buy will be completely superficial and maybe never used. I mean think about it, how many christmas presents that you recieved over the years actually stick out in your memory? I used to get a pretty good amount of gifts when I was younger, being a spoiled only child (thanks mom and dad haha) but I hardly remember any of those. Most of it just ends up covered with dust, stuck under the bed or in storage and eventually sold at a garage sale or at goodwill. It ends up going from gift to just... stuff.

But every once in a while, you get lucky. Every once in a while you get that present that you didn't expect and end up loving, or something seemingly inconspicuous that you end up using over and over. Every once in a while you find the perfect gift for somebody and you know you hit the jackpot when you see the look on their faces as they tear away the wrapping. It makes the other stuff worth it, because you had to dig through all that worthless sand to find the buried treasure. And as I've gotten older, the gifts become fewer, you finally come to grips with your beliefs on Santa Claus, but the gifts you do recieve make more of an impact. I've remembered more Christmas gifts I've recieved in the last five years than in the previous 16 years, and I still charish a lot of them today.

I don't really know where I'm going with this, maybe I'm just rambling. It's sort of how my thoughtprocesses have been concerning christmas this year, all tangled up and lost in the fog. Maybe I'm just trying to reiterate the idea that Christmas is...just a little bit...about the presents, but only because of the heart and thought that are put into them. Even the gifts that become "stuff" can have special meaning if they light up your face for just one day.

Alright, I'm done, my pizza's getting cold. Can't wait to be home!

The Christmas Ceilidh!!

What is a Ceilidh, you ask? Good question. How do you even pronounce it? Even better question. I was wondering the same thing when I found out that this was the title of the last party that my study-abroad program would be hosting before we left to come back home, and by the length of this post, you know it's going to be as interesting as it's name.

Turns out that Ceilidh is a Scottish tradition (go figure) and it's pronounced, at least I think, just like the name Kailey (kay-lee). The "d" is silent, I guess it's a scottish thing. It's a traditional dance that's a mix between the old english dances straight out of Pride and Prejudice together with country line-dancing. Basically that equals a rockin' good time. Ceilidh is also (at least in Scotland) sort of it's own genre of music, with guitars and bass and drums and all that, but usually including an accordion, recorder, fiddle, or a combination of the three.

I almost didn't even attend this rockin' good time either. I signed up the DAY after the deadline and got put on the waiting list. Lucky for me, I was able to use my boyish charm to talk up one of our directors to bump my spot on the waiting list, and ended up getting a spot. Note that "getting a spot" at these kind of events is important, at least for me, because it always means a free meal, and if you know me, you KNOW how important a free meal is.

Anyway, this function was to be held at the world-famous Belmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. It looks like a miniature Parliament Building, when you're looking down on the city at night, it's so well lit that you can't possibly miss it, AND it's only a five-minute walk from my apartment. Needless to say I was more than a little excited to finally see the inside of the place after walking by it so many times. I was more than happy to put on for the first time the slacks that I had brought solely for this end-of-the-year event, and I even managed to get my tie on straight (with some minor help from my cultured room-mate Oli).

When all of us were outside, the big group of IFSA-Butler students living in my apartment block (let's see...6 girls and me...good odds) all walked down to the hotel together, and I with my trusty camcorder (which proved to be not so trust-worthy, more on that later). We walked through the atypical revolving doors into the foyer, and though it was not as enormous as I first imagined, it was definately a beautiful entrance, with christmas decorations spread out and a big lit-up white christmas tree smack in the center of it all. It was definately the type of place that could smack an embarassing smile on your face with one look. We took our coats off after taking a few snapshots and followed our ears to the next room dead ahead, which was a lounge complete with mini-bar, piano, more christmas decorations and even a crackling fire-place.

We were ushered into a waiting room with another mini bar and a coat hanger, and a couple young girls passing out drinks. The hot cider I recieved was some of the best I've ever had, with little chunks of apple and whole clove stalks stuck right in it. It was delicious.

Sorry, I've been talking poetically about my night before the actual bulk of the night even started. Well we had dinner (which was this chicken wrapped in bacon with garlic mashed potatoes, not bad) in this huge banquet hall that had a view of the whole city, and we were waiting in anticipation for the main event, me still not knowing exactly what kind of "dancing" was going to go on. I had a feeling it would be a type of line-dancing thing, but that was just from the rumors I'd heard. Turns out it was. The live band (brilliant, by the way), had an electric and acoustic guitar, bass, fiddle (which was electric blue) and drummer, and they gave us some music to finish our desserts by before the announcer asked everyone to the dance floor. After that, it gets a little difficult to explain. We essentially listened to what he told us, found our partners (which, depending on the dance, varied from 2-6 people!) and we'd learn the dance moves. I remember them a little, and Hailey wrote them all down, so if you want to know about them, let me know and I'll find out more. It was all extremely fast-paced, with only a couple reviews of the moves before they'd start the music. This was fine though, it made it more fun. Like I said, it's hard to explain, but that's why I recorded it. I'll let the video explain ;-)


All-in-all it was a wonderful evening, like a night at the ball. I had some good times with the people that I saw first when I made it to the country, and it was awkward saying good-bye to a few of them. It was sad that it was the last event as well (and not JUST because I wouldn't get any more free meals). I don't know, this whole trip to Scotland has been a whirlwind tour, and it's hard to believe that the big finale with my program is already over. It's even harder to believe that I'm going to be home in fifteen days. I remember my first two weeks like they were yesterday. I knew this would happen, but it doesn't make it easier. I'm still ready to be home and see everyone. But one of my friends that I met here who lives just downstairs from me is going home tomorrow. Her and I had some good times, and realizing that she's actually leaving made me also realize just how much I'll miss this place and all the people I've met.

Well, enough mushy stuff, I need to go to bed. It's like one in the morning right now! ARRGGH.

P.S. Don't make too much fun of me for the video. These dances were tricky! haha and I'm extremely sorry for the poor quality. Like I said, my camcorder was not being very trustworthy OR cooperative, it kept losing focus and the lighting is really poor. I still haven't found a FLASH on the stupid thing, but I still love it. Enjoy!