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!
Any comfort you once took in the familiarity will be ripped to shreds as you learn to stand on your own, to delve into who you truly are and re-invent yourself into who you want to be. - Erin Stephany
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pics and Vids of St. Andrews
A beautiful, brisk morning in Edinburgh and obviously still waking up!
There's just something about waking up from a nap on the bus ride to the Scottish sun warming your face.
One of the many gems I found at the museum. Gotta follow the rules!
Couple of chaps celebrating after a day at the links. You used to get fined if you DIDN'T eat and drink after playing. Wouldn't have to ask me twice.
Old time club makers.
West Port. One of the last city gates still standing in Scotland. Like something out of another
world.
Volker and I after some excellent small town food!
The bay right outside the research facility where Volker works. If you look close you can see the ramp where they launch their ONE boat haha.
View of the Cathedral from the pathway (the water was right behind me)
Awesome Ivy House
A parting shot overlooking one end of the Old Course.Dreaming
I'll go ahead and say it....my trip to St. Andrews was probably one of the best ideas I've had since I've been here. The moment I stepped off that bus and saw the big white letters marking that I was indeed in the home town of golf, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. For only eleven pounds, I was able to take a quiet, sunny, and relaxing 2 hour bus ride to a freezing cold paradise. I admit I got some shut eye on the bus ride (I had to get up at seven to make the bus I wanted) but the surprising cold sure woke me up. I got there a few hours before my scheduled lunch date, and I had pre-arranged trying to find the Old Course and taking a look around the museum early. The problem was that I never bothered to look up where the course was in relation to the bus stop, the reason being that when I spoke to a friend of mine who had traveled to St. Andrews before, she claimed that "I wouldn't be able to miss it". I don't remember ever being so lost with such a wide grin on my face. The sun was shining and I was in St. Andrews, Scotland. Nothing could go wrong. I walked to the corner, and there, right in front of me was a big sign with an arrow pointing in the direction of "Old Course", so I just followed the street until I got to a round-about. Once again, there was another sign pointing me which way to go. It was as if they knew I was coming. Although, even if they hadn't had a sign, I would have known I was getting close because that whole street corner was covered with golf shops. I went to the nearest one, trying to find a way in. The door on my side of the street appeared boarded up, but it was 10:30 am so I knew they had to be open. I walked around the corner and almost fell over. Right in front of me was what I had been looking for. The cafes and shops went on for a short ways and then opened up to nothing but grass and ocean, and I knew this was where I was meant to go. I then knew what my friend had meant when she said I wouldn't be able to miss it, and right then I thought to myself, "why didn't I come to school HERE?!"
I haven't been so close to the ocean since I left home for Scotland. Edinburgh goes right up to the water, but I've never taken the time to actually go to it, and I hear it isn't that great. So like I said, it was the first time I'd been actually CLOSE to the beach in months. It was clear and cold and exactly what I had been hoping for. The course is RIGHT on the water, and let me point out that seeing this place on television during the British Open is not even CLOSE to the real thing. The grass goes on for miles, and it was so dead and deserted (I think I saw one person running with a bag of clubs across the empty fairway) that I almost couldn't believe I was at the same course where my idols have played, where Tiger Woods proved his domination of the game, and where golf started. If it had been a little warmer, I may have mistaken the place for Heaven.
When I regained my senses, I noticed a rather inconspicuous building hiding behind a hill that I probably would have missed completely if there weren't big letters on the side of it that grabbed me like a fish on a hook, "British Golf Museum". I won't go into much detail here, it would take far too long, but I will say that my golf nerd came out a little bit because I was in the place for three hours. I also got to putt around a little bit using a pure wodden putter and a gutta-percha golf ball from like the 19th century. It was a lot of fun, and I have to say that I got pretty excited and grossed out at the same time when I saw the sweat-lined hat Tiger Woods wore when he won the 2005 British open just behind a thin pane of glass. As I was walking around, I got hit with another wave of amazement at where I was. I wasn't just in a random golf museum. I was in a golf museum in the place where it all started! I couldn't get my head around it. There was this section on the construction of early golf balls in like the 18th and 19th centuries, and a voice that kept repeating a short little bio on it. It got annoying after a while, because it echoed through the whole museum, but at one point it said that the first golf-ball maker lived and worked just a few hundred yards from where I was standing. For any avid golfer or lover of the game, you can imagine how cool that must feel, and that's how I was feeling. I ate it all up, and I was almost sad to leave to go and find my professor for our lunch date at 1:30.
Just a reminder, this is the professor that's friends with people I know and respect from two aspects of my life. Volker Deecke is his name, and he knows my old pastor Lefty from my home town because he was a naturalist on a cruise that Lefty and his wife took. Volker also knows my very favorite professor at Redlands because they both earned their masters degrees from British Columbia. Anyway, it got a little stressful around the time we were aiming to meet up, because even though I found out where I needed to go, he wasn't answering his cell phone. Luckily he called me from his office phone just before he left for our meeting spot, so it all worked out. I think we were equally excited to meet each other, and in my opinion we hit it off right off the bat for no other reason than knowing the same two people, and that was enough. He took me to this nice restaurant and bar where I got a lamb and mint burger and he got a pork burger. Who gets a beef burger in St. Andrews? Not us! We talked for about an hour in the restaurant about how we knew Lefty and Lei Lani (my professor...another weird coinsidence that both their names start with L's, like straight of superman...Lex Luthor, Lois Lane...) and we discussed how I was enjoying Edinburgh and Scotland, what i thought of St. Andrews, and what I was studying. I found out some of his history, how he came to be in Scotland and how he came to do what he does. We discussed a few career paths, the pros and cons of research in this era of ever-improving technology, and what we would do the rest of the day. He bought lunch, and he told me about this bakery down the street with amazing fudge doughnuts, so I bought us a couple of those for dessert as we walked towards the main University of St. Andrews campus. It was small, mostly because it wasn't all in one location. Like Edinburgh and most other British universities I would assume, the buildings were spread out about the city. The size of the school is closer to that of Redlands though, only a few thousand students. Volker showed me the offices where had completed his PhD, and then took me to a small animal museum in the same building. At this point we were in a little bit of a rush because Volker had to get back to work soon, but the museum was covered wall to wall with various animal heads, glass casings with various wonders of taxonomy, even a couple whale skeletons that Volker had to (almost physically) pull me away from.
It was another fifteen minute walk to where his current office is in the Marine Mammal research facility. I've been to the Monterey Bay Research Institute, and this place where Volker worked reminded me a lot of it. Smaller than I had expected, it had a tiny garage with one speed boat in it, but a pretty sizable seal tank that was unfortunately empty for the winter. And best of all, it was right on the water.
Typical of scottish weather, the sky had become clouded over by the time we left the restaurant, began to sprinkle softly on our walk to the research buildings, and it was drizzling steadily around the time Volker had finished showing me his office with his stockpile of various scientific sound recording equipment that went completely over my head, and it was finally time for us to part ways. He gave me a route to take along the coastline that would take me past a cathedral ruin, a castle ruin, and back to the golf course all in a reasonable fourty minutes. It was only about 3:30 but it grew dark quickly. I managed to snap some pictures along the way, and managed to get back to the bus stop before the rain came down much harder. I loved the walk back, mostly because I DIDN'T get to see that much, and it reinforced my plan to go back as soon as I could. One of the best parts of this walk back, and one of the tiny bits that I'll remember most of this trip, was when I had to cross this bridge on my way to the cathedral. It was just a tiny little foot bridge that went over a little winding creek connecting the harbor where the boats were docked, and the rest of the bay. The unique thing about this foot bridge was that was able to part and lift up in order for boats to pass underneath it. I don't know why it caught my attention so much, maybe it was the size of it. I've seen similar bridges on a much larger scale that cars drive over, but never one this small, and it was so cute and funny that I couldn't help laughing out loud when I came near it. Lucky for me, there were a couple of girls around my age walking up to it at the same time, and when I laughed they gave me a couple of strange looks.
It was quite and adventure, all in all, and I can't wait to go back. Hopefully I'll have another chance before I leave in December, but if not, I know I'll be back someday. There's going to be only so much of me rubbing the trip in my Dad's face before he decides we all have to go back so as to shut me up and so that the whole family can see it. Don't get me wrong, I love Edinburgh, I enjoy the big city, and I've had a great time. But St. Andrews is a completely different kind of experience, and I got a feel for just how much living in a small town all my life has affected me. I can really see myself living in a place like that....
...Or maybe it was just because Volker told me that residents and students get big discounts at the golf course!
I haven't been so close to the ocean since I left home for Scotland. Edinburgh goes right up to the water, but I've never taken the time to actually go to it, and I hear it isn't that great. So like I said, it was the first time I'd been actually CLOSE to the beach in months. It was clear and cold and exactly what I had been hoping for. The course is RIGHT on the water, and let me point out that seeing this place on television during the British Open is not even CLOSE to the real thing. The grass goes on for miles, and it was so dead and deserted (I think I saw one person running with a bag of clubs across the empty fairway) that I almost couldn't believe I was at the same course where my idols have played, where Tiger Woods proved his domination of the game, and where golf started. If it had been a little warmer, I may have mistaken the place for Heaven.
When I regained my senses, I noticed a rather inconspicuous building hiding behind a hill that I probably would have missed completely if there weren't big letters on the side of it that grabbed me like a fish on a hook, "British Golf Museum". I won't go into much detail here, it would take far too long, but I will say that my golf nerd came out a little bit because I was in the place for three hours. I also got to putt around a little bit using a pure wodden putter and a gutta-percha golf ball from like the 19th century. It was a lot of fun, and I have to say that I got pretty excited and grossed out at the same time when I saw the sweat-lined hat Tiger Woods wore when he won the 2005 British open just behind a thin pane of glass. As I was walking around, I got hit with another wave of amazement at where I was. I wasn't just in a random golf museum. I was in a golf museum in the place where it all started! I couldn't get my head around it. There was this section on the construction of early golf balls in like the 18th and 19th centuries, and a voice that kept repeating a short little bio on it. It got annoying after a while, because it echoed through the whole museum, but at one point it said that the first golf-ball maker lived and worked just a few hundred yards from where I was standing. For any avid golfer or lover of the game, you can imagine how cool that must feel, and that's how I was feeling. I ate it all up, and I was almost sad to leave to go and find my professor for our lunch date at 1:30.
Just a reminder, this is the professor that's friends with people I know and respect from two aspects of my life. Volker Deecke is his name, and he knows my old pastor Lefty from my home town because he was a naturalist on a cruise that Lefty and his wife took. Volker also knows my very favorite professor at Redlands because they both earned their masters degrees from British Columbia. Anyway, it got a little stressful around the time we were aiming to meet up, because even though I found out where I needed to go, he wasn't answering his cell phone. Luckily he called me from his office phone just before he left for our meeting spot, so it all worked out. I think we were equally excited to meet each other, and in my opinion we hit it off right off the bat for no other reason than knowing the same two people, and that was enough. He took me to this nice restaurant and bar where I got a lamb and mint burger and he got a pork burger. Who gets a beef burger in St. Andrews? Not us! We talked for about an hour in the restaurant about how we knew Lefty and Lei Lani (my professor...another weird coinsidence that both their names start with L's, like straight of superman...Lex Luthor, Lois Lane...) and we discussed how I was enjoying Edinburgh and Scotland, what i thought of St. Andrews, and what I was studying. I found out some of his history, how he came to be in Scotland and how he came to do what he does. We discussed a few career paths, the pros and cons of research in this era of ever-improving technology, and what we would do the rest of the day. He bought lunch, and he told me about this bakery down the street with amazing fudge doughnuts, so I bought us a couple of those for dessert as we walked towards the main University of St. Andrews campus. It was small, mostly because it wasn't all in one location. Like Edinburgh and most other British universities I would assume, the buildings were spread out about the city. The size of the school is closer to that of Redlands though, only a few thousand students. Volker showed me the offices where had completed his PhD, and then took me to a small animal museum in the same building. At this point we were in a little bit of a rush because Volker had to get back to work soon, but the museum was covered wall to wall with various animal heads, glass casings with various wonders of taxonomy, even a couple whale skeletons that Volker had to (almost physically) pull me away from.
It was another fifteen minute walk to where his current office is in the Marine Mammal research facility. I've been to the Monterey Bay Research Institute, and this place where Volker worked reminded me a lot of it. Smaller than I had expected, it had a tiny garage with one speed boat in it, but a pretty sizable seal tank that was unfortunately empty for the winter. And best of all, it was right on the water.
Typical of scottish weather, the sky had become clouded over by the time we left the restaurant, began to sprinkle softly on our walk to the research buildings, and it was drizzling steadily around the time Volker had finished showing me his office with his stockpile of various scientific sound recording equipment that went completely over my head, and it was finally time for us to part ways. He gave me a route to take along the coastline that would take me past a cathedral ruin, a castle ruin, and back to the golf course all in a reasonable fourty minutes. It was only about 3:30 but it grew dark quickly. I managed to snap some pictures along the way, and managed to get back to the bus stop before the rain came down much harder. I loved the walk back, mostly because I DIDN'T get to see that much, and it reinforced my plan to go back as soon as I could. One of the best parts of this walk back, and one of the tiny bits that I'll remember most of this trip, was when I had to cross this bridge on my way to the cathedral. It was just a tiny little foot bridge that went over a little winding creek connecting the harbor where the boats were docked, and the rest of the bay. The unique thing about this foot bridge was that was able to part and lift up in order for boats to pass underneath it. I don't know why it caught my attention so much, maybe it was the size of it. I've seen similar bridges on a much larger scale that cars drive over, but never one this small, and it was so cute and funny that I couldn't help laughing out loud when I came near it. Lucky for me, there were a couple of girls around my age walking up to it at the same time, and when I laughed they gave me a couple of strange looks.
It was quite and adventure, all in all, and I can't wait to go back. Hopefully I'll have another chance before I leave in December, but if not, I know I'll be back someday. There's going to be only so much of me rubbing the trip in my Dad's face before he decides we all have to go back so as to shut me up and so that the whole family can see it. Don't get me wrong, I love Edinburgh, I enjoy the big city, and I've had a great time. But St. Andrews is a completely different kind of experience, and I got a feel for just how much living in a small town all my life has affected me. I can really see myself living in a place like that....
...Or maybe it was just because Volker told me that residents and students get big discounts at the golf course!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Weekly Routine
Wow this week....in a way, it's been no different from the last few weeks, but I think that fact that I realized it wasn't any different...made it different. I'm in Scotland, supposed to be having a great time, but I haven't been. I've been letting my school work stress me out, just going through the motions. I haven't made any new plans or done anything interesting or out of the ordinary, and I think that's been getting be down. I need to change things up a little bit, get out of this box that I've built around myself.
I'm going to go to St. Andrews next week. There's a professor there that I've been in contact with a little bit, and it's a funny thing about this guy, one of those things that makes you realize what a small world we live in. Before I left for Scotland last summer, I ran into my old pastor who lives just down the road. When I told him where I was going, he informed me that he knew a professor in Scotland who he had met on a cruise to Alaska, a Marine specialist. This in itself was an opportunity to make a connection that could possibly help my future, but that isn't all. When I was in e-mail correspondance with one of my biology professors back at Redlands, she told me of a professor SHE knew from previous research, who was currently working in St. Andrews. As it turns out, they are the EXACT SAME PERSON. I was so amazed at this discovery, I knew I had to go and see him, but as I said before, I got myself into this routine, bogged down by school and trying to keep a semi-healthy lifestyle, that I never got around to going. But that's going to change, because I'm buying tickets to go out there on Wednesday next week. I'm going to try and see him in the morning, spend part of the day with him, and if I have time left in the afternoon, I'm going to try to find the Old Course at St. Andrews where the British Open is hosted sometimes, and take a look around. In any case, it should be a fun day, and get me out of this not-so-fun FUNK that I'm in at the current moment. The only problem is I have a big Macroeconomics presentation on THURSDAY, so I'll have to get that done before I leave. Means a weekend of my nose at the grindstone, as my father puts it, but I think it'll be worth it.
In other news, the weather here has been AMAZING. if anything keeps me in a better mood, it's seeing the sun almost every day. Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and seeing it in the day time with the sun shining down on the castle, and the peaks of the cathedrals, even the ugly 1970's office buildings, definately makes me happy to be here. You get sunshine in Cali, but not these kinds of sights. I'm going to take my camera out on one of these cold, sunny days and just photograph my walks to class (which can be quite lengthy) so all of you can get an image of what I'm seeing, and so that I'll remember them. It's days like the ones lately that make me wish I had a better camera, but they'll be good enough. I really can't believe it's been so nice. From what I here from people who are from here, this is a complete phenomenon. Again, despite this lull, it makes me feel lucky to be here.
I think one of the things that's been stuck in my mind, maybe adding to the stress, I don't know, is my living situation when I get back. I've been trying to get off campus starting in January, but I'm a little nervous about it for a number of reasons. The place won't be furnished so we'll be buying stuff and borrowing stuff from Hailey's parents' garage (she's going to be my room mate). But there's a chance we'll only be there for like five months, since I'll be potentially going on another travel May term course, and it's too soon to tell what my summer holds. I've been debating with myself, with my friends, and with my parents on what I should do, and I need to make a decision soon since we're moving back in just over a month! Any ideas?
I miss you all, thanks for your support and continuing to put up with my spiratic entries.
I'm going to go to St. Andrews next week. There's a professor there that I've been in contact with a little bit, and it's a funny thing about this guy, one of those things that makes you realize what a small world we live in. Before I left for Scotland last summer, I ran into my old pastor who lives just down the road. When I told him where I was going, he informed me that he knew a professor in Scotland who he had met on a cruise to Alaska, a Marine specialist. This in itself was an opportunity to make a connection that could possibly help my future, but that isn't all. When I was in e-mail correspondance with one of my biology professors back at Redlands, she told me of a professor SHE knew from previous research, who was currently working in St. Andrews. As it turns out, they are the EXACT SAME PERSON. I was so amazed at this discovery, I knew I had to go and see him, but as I said before, I got myself into this routine, bogged down by school and trying to keep a semi-healthy lifestyle, that I never got around to going. But that's going to change, because I'm buying tickets to go out there on Wednesday next week. I'm going to try and see him in the morning, spend part of the day with him, and if I have time left in the afternoon, I'm going to try to find the Old Course at St. Andrews where the British Open is hosted sometimes, and take a look around. In any case, it should be a fun day, and get me out of this not-so-fun FUNK that I'm in at the current moment. The only problem is I have a big Macroeconomics presentation on THURSDAY, so I'll have to get that done before I leave. Means a weekend of my nose at the grindstone, as my father puts it, but I think it'll be worth it.
In other news, the weather here has been AMAZING. if anything keeps me in a better mood, it's seeing the sun almost every day. Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and seeing it in the day time with the sun shining down on the castle, and the peaks of the cathedrals, even the ugly 1970's office buildings, definately makes me happy to be here. You get sunshine in Cali, but not these kinds of sights. I'm going to take my camera out on one of these cold, sunny days and just photograph my walks to class (which can be quite lengthy) so all of you can get an image of what I'm seeing, and so that I'll remember them. It's days like the ones lately that make me wish I had a better camera, but they'll be good enough. I really can't believe it's been so nice. From what I here from people who are from here, this is a complete phenomenon. Again, despite this lull, it makes me feel lucky to be here.
I think one of the things that's been stuck in my mind, maybe adding to the stress, I don't know, is my living situation when I get back. I've been trying to get off campus starting in January, but I'm a little nervous about it for a number of reasons. The place won't be furnished so we'll be buying stuff and borrowing stuff from Hailey's parents' garage (she's going to be my room mate). But there's a chance we'll only be there for like five months, since I'll be potentially going on another travel May term course, and it's too soon to tell what my summer holds. I've been debating with myself, with my friends, and with my parents on what I should do, and I need to make a decision soon since we're moving back in just over a month! Any ideas?
I miss you all, thanks for your support and continuing to put up with my spiratic entries.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Birthday Week
I think that one big lesson in this life is that expectations are rarely met and best laid plans often go astray. And you know that you've spent a good amount of time in this crazy world if you understand that lesson. I had a lot of plans and expectations for my 21st birthday (I've been dreaming about since I was what, 10?) and just the fact that I'm in Scotland pretty much sent all my original dreams about the big day out the window. And even the plans I made here didn't go as I meant them. But having said that, it was a very great birthday, and I've been celebrating, and will celebrate, more as the week goes on. The people that wished me a happy birthday, went out of the way to at least write to me or leave a comment on my facebook page, made it very memorable. Yes, it was a Monday, and yes I was busy writing my paper at the time, but all of that worked out, because I finished my paper, I was able to resist the temptation to party too hard on a Monday night, and it paid off. And as sad as I felt for not being able to party on my actual birthday, it was still a special day. So thank you, everyone who wished me a happy birthday, you are all very special in my life. I'm honored to have acquired so many friends, so many people that care about me and encourage me on to achieve something great in my life. You believing in me helps me to believe in myself. I've never been much of a self-motivator, so having that motivation from the people that believe in me is something that is priceless in my life, something I'll never forget.
I'll have some Paris info and pictures up soon, it's just such a time consuming task. Bear with me.
Love,
Addison
I'll have some Paris info and pictures up soon, it's just such a time consuming task. Bear with me.
Love,
Addison
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