Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Braving the Bus to the Sea & Around Town!
Well, today I touched the North Sea for the first time!! My friends and I decided to be brave enough to jump on a double-decker bus and ride up to the port! It was a blast! The bus was like riding a roller-coaster!
The sea was beautiful and what a perfect day! The sky was crystal-clear blue and super sunny (I seem to have bought the New Mexican sun with me)! The wind was pretty intense though. But hey! I'll take the sun anyway I can get it!
Then, we toured around town through Princes Street and along the Royal Mile. The architecture is so beautiful here and vastly different from the New Mexican pueblo style. I've included a couple of pics below.
A couple of nights ago, I had my first whisky tasting with the whisky society! We sampled (very generous samples I might add) five very different-tasting whisky, which on top of a couple of pints, found me very merry! ;) I even recited a poem about whisky in front of a hundred people! But I'm not going to go into that...
The whisky society is planning a whisky trail trip up to the Isle of Skye!!! Geez, this is my kinda club! Hopefully I can go... I'm on the waiting list.
Classes are going well. All of my lectures' accents are understandable (thank goodness!) My back-to-school ambition has kept me ahead of the reading, so this weekend is free for more exploration!!!
Love you all!
The sea was beautiful and what a perfect day! The sky was crystal-clear blue and super sunny (I seem to have bought the New Mexican sun with me)! The wind was pretty intense though. But hey! I'll take the sun anyway I can get it!
Then, we toured around town through Princes Street and along the Royal Mile. The architecture is so beautiful here and vastly different from the New Mexican pueblo style. I've included a couple of pics below.
A couple of nights ago, I had my first whisky tasting with the whisky society! We sampled (very generous samples I might add) five very different-tasting whisky, which on top of a couple of pints, found me very merry! ;) I even recited a poem about whisky in front of a hundred people! But I'm not going to go into that...
The whisky society is planning a whisky trail trip up to the Isle of Skye!!! Geez, this is my kinda club! Hopefully I can go... I'm on the waiting list.
Classes are going well. All of my lectures' accents are understandable (thank goodness!) My back-to-school ambition has kept me ahead of the reading, so this weekend is free for more exploration!!!
Love you all!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
More Adventures
The rest of my Freshers' Week was a blast! I dragged Megan and Sam up to the top of Arthur's Seat (a big hill that I have a gorgeous view of from my dorm window). As you can see in the pictures, it is not that big (about 250 meters) but it is steep! Going up was fine. A little exhausting but nothing we couldn't handle. The views from the top are outstanding. Coming down, however, was a different story....
I had the brilliant idea to try another trail down to we could see Edinburgh from a different view. The trail started out very modest and not very steep. Then, out of nowhere, it kinda dropped off.... It was still climbable, and we could see the stairs we climbed up below. So we decide to slide down to the stairs...
Well, I made it down no problem (luck mostly). Megan slipped and fell down on her butt, much to my amusement. And Sam, well, she didn't fall on her butt, she just sat down from the beginning and slid down. It took us over an hour to get down! But we had some good laughs!
Then we went back to the Museum again because it's just so fabulous. I have some pics from that as well!
For the weekend, Megan and I took a train up to Aberdeen to move her in. Her flat is decent and her flatmates seem very nice.
Aberdeen is a charming town, much more quiet than Edinburgh which will better suit Megan. As for me, I got rejected from a pub there, so that all I'm going to say about Aberdeen.
Today, I started class. I had my first lecture for my Medieval Scottish History class and loved it! I'm definitely a student at heart and look forward to my studies. I just hopes that my motivation lasts long! ;) One of my lecturers for my history class is named James Fraser which is just great! (Donna will understand my inner squeal!) I start my international business courses tomorrow, so I'll let you guys know how those are soon.
But overall, everything has been so much better than I could ever imagine it being, even with cold and deary weather. I could live here forever and want you all to visit me!!!!!
I had the brilliant idea to try another trail down to we could see Edinburgh from a different view. The trail started out very modest and not very steep. Then, out of nowhere, it kinda dropped off.... It was still climbable, and we could see the stairs we climbed up below. So we decide to slide down to the stairs...
Well, I made it down no problem (luck mostly). Megan slipped and fell down on her butt, much to my amusement. And Sam, well, she didn't fall on her butt, she just sat down from the beginning and slid down. It took us over an hour to get down! But we had some good laughs!
Then we went back to the Museum again because it's just so fabulous. I have some pics from that as well!
For the weekend, Megan and I took a train up to Aberdeen to move her in. Her flat is decent and her flatmates seem very nice.
Aberdeen is a charming town, much more quiet than Edinburgh which will better suit Megan. As for me, I got rejected from a pub there, so that all I'm going to say about Aberdeen.
Today, I started class. I had my first lecture for my Medieval Scottish History class and loved it! I'm definitely a student at heart and look forward to my studies. I just hopes that my motivation lasts long! ;) One of my lecturers for my history class is named James Fraser which is just great! (Donna will understand my inner squeal!) I start my international business courses tomorrow, so I'll let you guys know how those are soon.
But overall, everything has been so much better than I could ever imagine it being, even with cold and deary weather. I could live here forever and want you all to visit me!!!!!
Friday, September 18, 2009
New Skype Phone!
Hey Everyone! I just bought a new Skype phone, so all of you can call me on Skype anytime!... As long as I'm awake ;)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Just Keeps Getting Better!
Ok! It absolutely rocks here! I never want to leave! Sorry Mama.
I started today, another sunny day in Edinburgh, at the Societies Fair for the university and want to join every one! There are so many clubs for sustainability, fair trade, and international development. Plus, there is a Whisky Society, the Water of Life Club, that does tastings every two weeks and plans whisky trail trips in the Highlands! Sold! There are also many dancing and theatre groups, and the choices are just endless.
After, we went to the Elephant House for tea, which is famous because this is where JK Rowling sat and wrote Harry Potter. The front looks nice and modest and you think, "this is where she wrote Harry Potter... kinda lame." But then in the back room there is a beautiful view of Edinburgh Castle and the theme song to Harry Potter comes into play. It was the perfect setting. Hogwarts actual slightly resembles Edinburgh Castle and you can just see her sitting there staring at the castle creating the wonderful story of Harry Potter. Sigh.
Then we ventured over to the National Museum of Scotland (which is free by the way, and turning into one of my weekly hang-outs). This adorable old man, most hospitable, gave us a tour in a very thick brogue, in which I could understand maybe 75% of what he was saying at the end ;).
But it was a lot of fun, and the museum had an exhibit of the Jacobites (my favorite part) with actual letters from Bonnie Prince Charlie who you have to like even if he was a wishy-washy wimp.
Anyhoo, after the museum we trekked up Royal Mile (another overly exciting street) up to the top of the hill to the famous Edinburgh Castle. Megan and I purchased a year pass for entry into most castles in Scotland (hundreds) for just 30 pounds instead of the 13 pounds for one day. So now I can go to Edinburgh Castle any time I wish along with Sterling Castle and, as I said, hundreds of other castles. What a deal!
The castle was amazing! Word cannot describe so I included some pictures posted below so you can see for yourself!
Hope everything is going well for all of you! Miss you!
I started today, another sunny day in Edinburgh, at the Societies Fair for the university and want to join every one! There are so many clubs for sustainability, fair trade, and international development. Plus, there is a Whisky Society, the Water of Life Club, that does tastings every two weeks and plans whisky trail trips in the Highlands! Sold! There are also many dancing and theatre groups, and the choices are just endless.
After, we went to the Elephant House for tea, which is famous because this is where JK Rowling sat and wrote Harry Potter. The front looks nice and modest and you think, "this is where she wrote Harry Potter... kinda lame." But then in the back room there is a beautiful view of Edinburgh Castle and the theme song to Harry Potter comes into play. It was the perfect setting. Hogwarts actual slightly resembles Edinburgh Castle and you can just see her sitting there staring at the castle creating the wonderful story of Harry Potter. Sigh.
Then we ventured over to the National Museum of Scotland (which is free by the way, and turning into one of my weekly hang-outs). This adorable old man, most hospitable, gave us a tour in a very thick brogue, in which I could understand maybe 75% of what he was saying at the end ;).
But it was a lot of fun, and the museum had an exhibit of the Jacobites (my favorite part) with actual letters from Bonnie Prince Charlie who you have to like even if he was a wishy-washy wimp.
Anyhoo, after the museum we trekked up Royal Mile (another overly exciting street) up to the top of the hill to the famous Edinburgh Castle. Megan and I purchased a year pass for entry into most castles in Scotland (hundreds) for just 30 pounds instead of the 13 pounds for one day. So now I can go to Edinburgh Castle any time I wish along with Sterling Castle and, as I said, hundreds of other castles. What a deal!
The castle was amazing! Word cannot describe so I included some pictures posted below so you can see for yourself!
Hope everything is going well for all of you! Miss you!
Monday, September 14, 2009
And the Fun Continues!
So the Ceilidh was a blast! Drinks only cost around 1.80 pounds! Everyone is so so so nice! I meet people from Australia, Paris, Denmark, a few Americans and of course my friend from Sweden. Not to mention the many Scots have I met!
But my days have been full of orientation, registration and just figuring out what the heck is going on! Today Megan, Sam and I walked up to new town down Princes and Georges Street! It was fabulous, even though day was a typical dreary and gray day in Scotland. My hair sure springs up into perfect curls in the rain so I can't complain! But the city's architecture just makes you feel as if your in the 17th or 18th century!
Tonight Megan, Sam, and I explored the other side of town. My dorm room window outlooks Arthur's Seat and the countryside... So we headed that way to the oldest Scottish Pub called Sheep Heid and had some cider and whisky! It was charming. I have some pictures from the walk.
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