Gravy ship.
Hey! Remember LJ cuts?
Lots of stuff happened this week.
Sunshine on Leith
I knew I had to see this movie when I saw the trailer. Here it is:
a MUSICAL of PROCLAIMERS songs based in EDINBURGH? Sign me up! said I. The story was a little meh and a couple of the characters were frustrating, BUT... the music was great, it was super Edinburgh-y, and holy moly super thick delicious Scottish accents. That is why it gets my sure-it's-worth-watching-I-suppose seal of yeah-sure approval, especially if you don't mind people randomly bursting into song.
I went with the two Japanese girls from my course. Afterwards, we went to Nando's, which is apparently One Direction's favorite restaurant. It's a kind of higher-end alternative to fast food chain kind of thing like Noodles & Co, except for roast chicken. It was nice to have a night out with friends instead of bugging my roommates like I do normally.
Castles & Comicz
Went to Edinburgh Castle with the International Student Centre. It is normally 15lbs (can't be bothered to copy & paste a pound sign from somewhere... #s? Nah, lbs.), but they had tickets for 4. I made friends with a couple of the girls walking over there and we pretty much stuck together the whole time.
I like Edinburgh castle because it is just smack on a hill in the middle of the city. Sometimes you turn the corner and get a really nice view of it perfectly perched up there. There aren't so many fancy buildings to tour as there aren't really any original furniture or fittings, it is more like a museum with informative signage about battles and what kinds of weapons would have been used and all that.
I did learn a couple of things, though. For example, the Scottish crown jewels were around for hundreds of years, smuggled in and out a bit, and then someone was like, "hey, let's lock these in a box so we don't lose them." ...and they did. Then 111 years later, Sir Walter Scott (the poet) was like, "Hey guys, didn't we have like, crown jewels from the 16th century somewhere?" ...and everyone was like, "I think so??? Wait... snap... yeah we did..." SO, they figured out where the box was supposed to be, it was there, and so were the crown jewels. Then they put them in a fancy room with lots of creepy mannequins that you can go see if you visit.
I also learned that POWs from the American Revolution were brought to Edinburgh Castle and imprisoned there. European inmates got 1.5 pounds (actual lbs, not money) of bread a day, but the yankee scum only got a pound. That'll show 'em.
After the castle, I went to a drawing tutorial put on by the comic book society. They are mostly into superheroes, but on occasion have events about webcomics or graphic novels as well. There weren't that many people at the tutorial, but the weather was absolutely terrible. I learned how to draw a hooded figure. Not much else.. more next time.
Welp. It happened. I got locked out.
Thursday, John was scheduled to come home from almost two weeks of being on a Navy boat (do people say Navy boat or am I thinking of gravy boat? Ship?). I decided it would be a good thing to clean the bathroom, kitchen, and make some cookies for his return. It was 1 and I thought I'd have enough time to do all that before my Scottish Gaelic class at 4. First step, bathroom. First step, bathroom trash.
I grabbed the bag, a pair of scissors to dead-head the roses then headed towards the door. I noticed that it was closed, but the locked hadn't caught, so technically the door had been unlocked all morning. Frustrated, I went to the outside-side of the door, pulled it shut and waited for the click, then went to the garbage not realizing what I had just done. As the trash bag flew into the dumpster, I became aware of what had just happened.
No key, wallet, or phone. Unshowered. Hair unbrushed. Baggy, dirty, dumb in-house-only jeans. Wednesday's mascara smudged around my eyes. Sweater, but no coat. No, erm... chest support. It was raining. John wouldn't be back until the evening. Jan was at his university a 45-minute bus ride away.
I decided to go to the university library to try to message them on facebook. As I walked arms-crossed through the park (with a pair of scissors in my sweater pocket), I just hope I'd run into someone that I knew so I could ask for bus money. I was thinking this but knew it probably wouldn't happen, since I only know like five people in the whole city well enough to allow them to see me in that state, let alone ask for money. Just as I was thinking this, one of those five people, my friend Izabella calls my name. She laughs at me and says, "You look TERRIBLE!" I explained my situation and she very graciously lent me the money and even offered to pick up the handouts and homework from my Gaelic class for me. (!!! What a sweetheart)
After some miraculous facebook and text message shenanigans, I take a lonely 45-minute bus right to Jan's university. I jump off the bus at the last stop, power walk to Jan's classroom where he is TEACHING. Luckily, he was expecting me, and all I had to do was open the door before he pushed an envelope with the key and return bus money into my hand. We nod and I power walk back to the same bus and ride the reverse route back to town. A very wet and muddy walk home from the bus stop later, I'm finally in the apartment about 4.5 hours after being locked out.
I took a shower and just as I was done blow-drying my hair, John came home to a dirty and non-cookie-smelling house but at least a tidied up Sara. We had some yummy takeaway, watched videos on the internet (back to the old routine!), and then I finally made those cookies at around 10:30pm.
Baby's first ceilidh
So... I have heard the word "ceilidh" before mentioned by Scottish buddies, but I never knew how to spell it, since it is pronounced "CAY-lee" and not "see-lid-huh"
Anyway, it is like a kind of folk dance hoedown... There was a traditional folk band with an accordion, fiddle, fife, and all that. The accordion player would talk us through the dances and then it was swing yer pardner time. I went by myself, but luckily there was a group of three girls who needed a fourth. So much stomping and twirling and hopping and accidentally stepping on people. I forget the names of the dances, but we definitely did the Virginia Reel.
My three girls left right before the last dance. They had been to enough ceilidhs to know that it was going to be a doozy. I was left without a partner, but some kind girl graciously lent me her boyfriend. The grand finale was a huge dance that involved everyone in a huge line and having to swing around and spin with every single other couple. IT TOOK 10 MINUTES PER SEQUENCE AND WE WENT THROUGH IT THREE TIMES. Completely exhausting, though I was told it is not a proper ceilidh unless you come home with a few bruises. Bruises on my elbow pits and terrible cramping in my shins. Ceilidh success.
It's 2am. Harry Potter castle trip tomorrow.
Lots of stuff happened this week.
Sunshine on Leith
I knew I had to see this movie when I saw the trailer. Here it is:
Click to viewa MUSICAL of PROCLAIMERS songs based in EDINBURGH? Sign me up! said I. The story was a little meh and a couple of the characters were frustrating, BUT... the music was great, it was super Edinburgh-y, and holy moly super thick delicious Scottish accents. That is why it gets my sure-it's-worth-watching-I-suppose seal of yeah-sure approval, especially if you don't mind people randomly bursting into song.
I went with the two Japanese girls from my course. Afterwards, we went to Nando's, which is apparently One Direction's favorite restaurant. It's a kind of higher-end alternative to fast food chain kind of thing like Noodles & Co, except for roast chicken. It was nice to have a night out with friends instead of bugging my roommates like I do normally.
Castles & Comicz
Went to Edinburgh Castle with the International Student Centre. It is normally 15lbs (can't be bothered to copy & paste a pound sign from somewhere... #s? Nah, lbs.), but they had tickets for 4. I made friends with a couple of the girls walking over there and we pretty much stuck together the whole time.
I like Edinburgh castle because it is just smack on a hill in the middle of the city. Sometimes you turn the corner and get a really nice view of it perfectly perched up there. There aren't so many fancy buildings to tour as there aren't really any original furniture or fittings, it is more like a museum with informative signage about battles and what kinds of weapons would have been used and all that.
I did learn a couple of things, though. For example, the Scottish crown jewels were around for hundreds of years, smuggled in and out a bit, and then someone was like, "hey, let's lock these in a box so we don't lose them." ...and they did. Then 111 years later, Sir Walter Scott (the poet) was like, "Hey guys, didn't we have like, crown jewels from the 16th century somewhere?" ...and everyone was like, "I think so??? Wait... snap... yeah we did..." SO, they figured out where the box was supposed to be, it was there, and so were the crown jewels. Then they put them in a fancy room with lots of creepy mannequins that you can go see if you visit.
I also learned that POWs from the American Revolution were brought to Edinburgh Castle and imprisoned there. European inmates got 1.5 pounds (actual lbs, not money) of bread a day, but the yankee scum only got a pound. That'll show 'em.
After the castle, I went to a drawing tutorial put on by the comic book society. They are mostly into superheroes, but on occasion have events about webcomics or graphic novels as well. There weren't that many people at the tutorial, but the weather was absolutely terrible. I learned how to draw a hooded figure. Not much else.. more next time.
Welp. It happened. I got locked out.
Thursday, John was scheduled to come home from almost two weeks of being on a Navy boat (do people say Navy boat or am I thinking of gravy boat? Ship?). I decided it would be a good thing to clean the bathroom, kitchen, and make some cookies for his return. It was 1 and I thought I'd have enough time to do all that before my Scottish Gaelic class at 4. First step, bathroom. First step, bathroom trash.
I grabbed the bag, a pair of scissors to dead-head the roses then headed towards the door. I noticed that it was closed, but the locked hadn't caught, so technically the door had been unlocked all morning. Frustrated, I went to the outside-side of the door, pulled it shut and waited for the click, then went to the garbage not realizing what I had just done. As the trash bag flew into the dumpster, I became aware of what had just happened.
No key, wallet, or phone. Unshowered. Hair unbrushed. Baggy, dirty, dumb in-house-only jeans. Wednesday's mascara smudged around my eyes. Sweater, but no coat. No, erm... chest support. It was raining. John wouldn't be back until the evening. Jan was at his university a 45-minute bus ride away.
I decided to go to the university library to try to message them on facebook. As I walked arms-crossed through the park (with a pair of scissors in my sweater pocket), I just hope I'd run into someone that I knew so I could ask for bus money. I was thinking this but knew it probably wouldn't happen, since I only know like five people in the whole city well enough to allow them to see me in that state, let alone ask for money. Just as I was thinking this, one of those five people, my friend Izabella calls my name. She laughs at me and says, "You look TERRIBLE!" I explained my situation and she very graciously lent me the money and even offered to pick up the handouts and homework from my Gaelic class for me. (!!! What a sweetheart)
After some miraculous facebook and text message shenanigans, I take a lonely 45-minute bus right to Jan's university. I jump off the bus at the last stop, power walk to Jan's classroom where he is TEACHING. Luckily, he was expecting me, and all I had to do was open the door before he pushed an envelope with the key and return bus money into my hand. We nod and I power walk back to the same bus and ride the reverse route back to town. A very wet and muddy walk home from the bus stop later, I'm finally in the apartment about 4.5 hours after being locked out.
I took a shower and just as I was done blow-drying my hair, John came home to a dirty and non-cookie-smelling house but at least a tidied up Sara. We had some yummy takeaway, watched videos on the internet (back to the old routine!), and then I finally made those cookies at around 10:30pm.
Baby's first ceilidh
So... I have heard the word "ceilidh" before mentioned by Scottish buddies, but I never knew how to spell it, since it is pronounced "CAY-lee" and not "see-lid-huh"
Anyway, it is like a kind of folk dance hoedown... There was a traditional folk band with an accordion, fiddle, fife, and all that. The accordion player would talk us through the dances and then it was swing yer pardner time. I went by myself, but luckily there was a group of three girls who needed a fourth. So much stomping and twirling and hopping and accidentally stepping on people. I forget the names of the dances, but we definitely did the Virginia Reel.
My three girls left right before the last dance. They had been to enough ceilidhs to know that it was going to be a doozy. I was left without a partner, but some kind girl graciously lent me her boyfriend. The grand finale was a huge dance that involved everyone in a huge line and having to swing around and spin with every single other couple. IT TOOK 10 MINUTES PER SEQUENCE AND WE WENT THROUGH IT THREE TIMES. Completely exhausting, though I was told it is not a proper ceilidh unless you come home with a few bruises. Bruises on my elbow pits and terrible cramping in my shins. Ceilidh success.
It's 2am. Harry Potter castle trip tomorrow.