The Past Three Weeks....Full of Ups and Downs...
Trip Start
Jan 29, 2008
1
8
10
Trip End
May 09, 2008
Dalkeith, United Kingdom
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Not going to lie school is kicking my butt over here. I am getting stuff done, it is just hard with distractions and other homework. I have a lot of homework over here and papers just never seem to end. The homework is getting done and that is all that matters. The two weeks before spring break started were so stressful and a lot of us students, were sleep deprived, crabby and really needing a break. The break was well needed and it went well. Otherwise school is going good over here.
The cooking class is going well. Our Chef is amazing and I canīt wait to have his cooking again. Monday, YAY. I am learning a lot from him and my host mom Shelia. I only have three to four more cooking classes. Sad. But the nice thing is I get to go fishing with our Chef. He takes a group of us students fly fishing and that will be so much fun. YAY.
For my British Civilization class, we took a trip up to Glasgow for the day. We saw Celtic Stadium and the Peopleīs Palace and got to do some retail therapy. Celtic Stadium was cool. It is a soccer stadium that was started by Brother Walfrid to help feed and help the poor people of Glasgow and still does a lot of charity work today. We saw some of the players as well as got to sit in Rod Stewartīs seat and other things in the stadium. After that we went to the Peopleīs Palace for lunch and to look around. This place was also cool. The Peopleīs Palace is a museum dedicated to and designed for the people of Glasgow. Also attached is a botanical garden and the flowers for so pretty. I saw the flower: Bird of Paradise and thought of my mom. It was her favorite flower. After that we went back into the city center and the professor let us explore on our own. Seven others and I stayed in Glasgow over night because we wanted to see other things. So, we went to a tavern a had a drink with the professor and just chatted with him. The tavern we were in was shaped like a horseshoe and it looked cool, but the place was really busy. We found our hostel and took a little nap because we were all exhausted from the day and it was so nice to get our book bags off our backs. After that we went for dinner and walked around the city. It looks cool at night and there was a bridge by our hostel that had lights all over it and we got to walk across it. Then we met up with two of the people from our group and two German students that were visiting Scotland for a couple of days. We hung around the hostel and play some games then went out and walked the city again. Then a group of us came back and just hung out and talk went to sleep and woke up and ate breakfast and went to explore the city. We made our way to Glasgow Necropolis, a cathedral with St. Mungoīs Tomb in it, St. Mungoīs Museum, Modern Art Gallery and looked through some shops and then went home. Necropolis was cool and you got a good view of the city and saw a lot of ancient tombstones. The cathedral was cool also and there was a lot to see and look at in it. The museum was a good museum. It had a gallery on all the major religions of the world and different customs that go on through out the world and it was cool and an eye opening exhibit. After the museum we made our way to the modern gallery and we saw what we thought was a parade was definitely not a parade. It was anti-war protest and it had many banners and signs with a picture of George Bush on it saying Number One World Terrorist. The five other people I was with including me were in shock because none of us had never seen something like that before and for the first time we all felt uncomfortable over here. It was an eye opening encounter and we all talked about it afterwards as we finished making our way to the modern art gallery. We made it to the gallery and walked around after that we were ready to leave. So we looked at shops along the way to the bus station, but we were glad to get on the bus and head back. We were just tired and crabby from walking and carrying our back pack all day. It was nice to get away from the palace for two days and a night. I had a lot of fun.
Then Sunday I met up with my host family and we went to church, saw some pretty flowers, went back and just relaxed and helped with dinner before we went to the host family event at the palace. It was nice just to relax. Dinner was Amazing and I learned how to carve chickens. We had two whole chickens and my host mom wasnīt feeling well so I asked her to show me how so, I was proud of myself once I was finished. After dinner we went to the palace and went to a Caleidh. A Caleidh back in the day and still some what today is used for courting. At this Caleidh we learned about five traditional Scottish dances which was cool. I defiantly have two left feet. It was a lot of fun.
Finally after the Caleidh and a crazy week of classes and papers spring break started. It was so good to have spring break here and sad it has ended. I did a lot of things over break around Edinburgh and Dalkeith. I did a lot of relaxing and reading the book titled The Kite Runner which is an interesting book. I also went out with a group of students that were still here to a club called Frankenstein which has been around for a long time. I really liked this club and it was a lot of fun. We all looked out for each other and made sure we were doing alright. We met an Australian guy who told us his opinion of Americans has gone way up in a good way and we also met a group of Irish boys who were very cute from Cork and we just had a good time with all of them. It was nice just to get out and have fun and not think about school for a couple of days. I also did a lot of exploring of Edinburgh over break by myself which was cool. I could have did exploring with others, but a lot of them complain way to much or slept till two or three in the afternoon. I went to Jenners which is the oldest department store in the world. It was cool and I couldnīt believe how many floors it had. I also went to the Royal Botanic Garden and it was cool. A lot of flowers were in bloom and I got to see a really good view of Edinburgh and Edinburgh castle. Edinburgh castle is the one that J.K. Rowling got her idea for the Harry Potter books. Also at the garden they had a tribute garden to the Queens late mother and it was interesting to see and the building that was it the garden you could tell it took a long time to make. The inside was very detailed. I also made my way to the National Museum of Scotland which is two museum that were just recently added together. It took me an entire afternoon to walk through it all, but it was nice and a lot better than the museums back home and it was FREE. All or a good chunk of the museums are free which is nice. I plan visiting the rest of the museums in Edinburgh. Over here they did a lot for the millennium and this museum that had a millennium clock and I got to see it go off. It was interesting to watch it because the clock had three different levels and at first they all went by themselves and then they went together. I also watched a lot of movies after my long days of exploring. This past week I watch the most movies I have watched since I got here. It was nice just to relax. We also just played games around the house who ever was around. It is nice though to have more than 6 people in the house because it will warm up the palace. It was so cold that a couple of nights I had to wear socks to bed and bundle up because there was less body heat and it was cold. My spring break was good, but it went to fast.
My internship is going well. I love working with the little ones and they keep me entertain. The school I am at is also very helpful and is trying to make sure I get the most out of my internship. I am getting a lot out of it and it has made me even more sure the teaching profession is what I want to do.
FINALLY after two months of trying to get my financial aide figured out it is finally figured out. The day spring break started they took the holds off my account and Friday they processed aide and dispersed a check. I was relieved that they finally figured it out but also mad because it took them a while and I wish they would have figured it out a couple weeks earlier so I could have done something, but I did get to see a lot of Edinburgh that a lot of the students have yet be able to see or go to. My sister finally got the check a couple of days after it was sent out and deposited on Friday. I was so excited when I found out she got the check and deposited because for about two weeks all I had in my checking account was $19.12. It is a relief to have money and I have been making a budget and figuring a place or two I want to go for our extended weekend at the end of April. I am thinking Paris, Barcelona, London or Fort William in Scotland to climb Ben Nevis, the highest peak in all the UK. So, we will see what happens. It is just nice to have some money so I can do little things and see places. It still hasnīt sunk in yet that I have money and am able to do stuff.
So, that is pretty much the last three weeks, I hope I didnīt leave anything out. Enjoy the pictures. I am off to plan stuff, write papers and read like crazy. I am defiantly going to be very busy from now until I come home, but I am doing a lot of things and seeing a lot of places so, being busy is worth it. I am having a good time in Scotland and it still hasnīt sunk in yet that I am here. Well, talk to you soon. Enjoy. :)
Comments
Meal
So when are you going to be in TN to cook for us?
Keep enjoying the adventure!