April 2011
23 posts
Things I enjoyed about the Royal Wedding
1. Having the day off of class.
2. All of those marvelous hats.
3. The celebrations. Although it was difficult to tell what exactly they were actually celebrating in Scotland. I suspect it had more to do with number one than the wedding.
4. Hearing the wedding being piped over the speaker system at the grocery store.
5. This picture.
6. Knowing I had just been in London a few weeks...
Old Town
Old Town, as the brochures advertise, is the “historic heart of the city” of Stirling. As this is practically in my backyard, I took a day wandering around cobbled streets, peering into ancient churches and enjoying the sunshine. I even managed to find an art gallery and museum to look around in!
This is the inside of the Church of the Holy Rude, which has the distinction of...
Easter
Celebrating a holiday away from home isn’t always the easiest thing, but I had a lovely day thanks to the company of good friends. The day began when I opened my computer and was able to chat with my sister Charity before I was even out of my pajamas. I had a festive breakfast of pastel m&ms in oatmeal and headed off to church wearing my Easter hat. One of my favorite parts of the...
Scones and Tea
The secret they don’t tell you before you leave is that studying abroad isn’t always about the grand things. It’s not just about seeing famous cities. It’s not only a dissection of cultural differences. It’s certainly not having a life-changing experience daily (although that does seem to happen a lot).
Sometimes, it comes down to casual evenings, sharing stories...
“I have now attained the true art of letter-writing, which we are always told, is...”
– Jane Austen to her sister, as seen at the Jane Austen Centre.
Great and Small
I was audacious enough to cram a visit to England in just three days. While there, I saw some very awe-inspiring big things, like Westminster Abbey:
but also some very small, and no less beautiful things, like blossoms on a tree in a cemetery in Bath:
Knowing that there is no way I could manage to see everything in England, I’m glad I had the chance to see both great and small things...
Things I liked about visiting England
1. The London Underground.
2. Eating the best banana of my life from a street market in Bath.
3. An authentic English breakfast with bacon, eggs, tomatoes, sausage, mushrooms, toast, crumpets, and of course tea.
4. So many interesting people.
5. Unbelievable architecture.
6. Palm Sunday service in a very old and beautiful Church of England church. (found here)
7. Peering around the...
“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take...”
– Susan Heller
Unplugged
One of the first decisions I made when getting to Scotland is that I wouldn’t get a cell phone. I knew I wanted to take the opportunity while I could to try and shake that cell phone twitch I have at home. That one that makes me check my phone every minute, and text when I have nothing better to do. I thought it would be nice to get rid of those phantom cell phone vibrations, too.
In...
Piano
If you asked me what I miss most from home apart from family and friends, I would have an answer for you without hesitation. I miss the piano. I miss my piano at home, and I miss the abundance of pianos that comes from being on a campus with a conservatory of music.
So, it was on faith that I would find one of the rare pianos on campus here at Stirling when I bought these the other day.
...
Two Months
It’s been two months since I’ve been in Scotland. I was tempted to make another list outlining the things I haven’t done for these two months (drove, texted, watched Jeopardy, etc.), but my dear sister’s blog has inspired me to write a bit more.
Like the typical study abroad student, in some ways it feels like I have only just arrived in Scotland, but in other ways I...
Things that were good about today
1. The sunshine making everything greener than usual (something I didn’t think possible)
2. A package from home bringing my total mail count for the week up to five
3. Remembering to take pictures
4. Conversations with friends
5. Steak pies from a greasy little takeout place
6. A good book from the library, a collection of letters written by Simone Weil
7. Playgrounds
“Enjoy the spring, relish the air and the sun (if there is any), read some fine...”
– Simone Weil in a letter to a pupil, 1934
Walking
When I told people I was going to Skye for my spring break trip I often had to explain what I would be doing there. Sitting, I’d say. Or reading. Maybe walking. As it turns out, I did all three, but I especially enjoyed walking. Walking here is usually code for what I would consider hiking. It’s fantastic though because a quick internet search for any region in Scotland will pull...
Scottish Gaelic →
After spending some time in a place where I heard Gaelic spoken, I would really like to learn most of these. Especially the phrase “Who was that sheep I saw you with last night?”
