things i've done, places i've been, foods i've tried
eaten vegetarian haggis
visited edinburgh castle
seen stone of scone/destiny
visited culzean castle
visited loch ness and urquhart castle
visited glamis castle
seen hairy cows in real herds
attended and participated in a caleigh
climbed arthur's seat
took ghost tour of edinburgh
visited the museum of scotland
visited stirling castle
climbed wallace monument
took jacobite steam train
went to isle of skye
climbed scott monument
stayed in that castle hostel up north (carbisdale)
visited the scottish sea bird centre
visited the world's largest wooden tree house
tried a real mince pie
tried christmas pudding
visited museum of childhood
attended lighting of christmas lights in edinburgh
attended christmas market in princes street
visited rosslyn chapel
drank mulled mead
ate vegetarian haggis fritters
saw folk music in concert
visited national gallery
visited botanic gardens
visited zoo and saw penguin parade
wandered around calton hill
visited museum of edinburgh
visited edinburgh writers' museum
climbed nelson monument
toured holyrood palace and photographed abbey
found spectacular patisserie, miss cranston's
visited glasgow cathedral
toured glasgow city hall
went on pub crawl
tried hard cider
attended christmas pantomime
saw 'the tales of beetle the bard'
had lunch at clarinda's tea room
visited 'the people's story' museum
climbed to top of old tollhouse
to do, see, try
visit that triangular castle down south (caerlaverock)
climb salisbury craigs
pull off scotch accent
learn to caleigh and/or scottish country dance
see a puffin live and up close
visit dynamic earth
take decent photos of hairy cows up close
to do, see, try at a later date
visit fort william in summer
wander through glencoe
stay in glenfinnan sleeping car and take good photos of viaduct
visit portree on skye
visit orkney islands
Friday, 12 December 2008
Thursday, 4 December 2008
carbon offsets
http://oneday.brighterplanet.com/users/3243/passes/public/UJ4-VZA
Brighter Planet will donate a day's worth of offsets to the first 50 people to follow the above link. Yes, that's 50 of you, not 50 people ever. So get clicking!
Brighter Planet will donate a day's worth of offsets to the first 50 people to follow the above link. Yes, that's 50 of you, not 50 people ever. So get clicking!
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
updateage
1. finished both seminar classes
2. turned in both essays
3. got my brit soc essay back - a2 by the skin of teeth
4. took brit soc exam, although still have/had class today and tomorrow
5. received both seminar exams, due 15 dec
6. lost and then regained internet in my flat
7. slipped on the first ice of the season
8. successfully purchased james michael's christmas gift, which he might get at epiphany
9. friends are coming to visit manana
10. going out clubbing with my slavery group tonight. mildly panicked
11. started (ever so slowly) to write postcards, finally
12. reading for fun, although i should be revising
13. will post more photos momentarily
14. vaccuumed floor for visitors
15. will write more later...
2. turned in both essays
3. got my brit soc essay back - a2 by the skin of teeth
4. took brit soc exam, although still have/had class today and tomorrow
5. received both seminar exams, due 15 dec
6. lost and then regained internet in my flat
7. slipped on the first ice of the season
8. successfully purchased james michael's christmas gift, which he might get at epiphany
9. friends are coming to visit manana
10. going out clubbing with my slavery group tonight. mildly panicked
11. started (ever so slowly) to write postcards, finally
12. reading for fun, although i should be revising
13. will post more photos momentarily
14. vaccuumed floor for visitors
15. will write more later...
Saturday, 29 November 2008
things i've done, places i've been, foods i've tried
eaten vegetarian haggis
visited edinburgh castle
seen stone of scone/destiny
visited culzean castle
visited loch ness and urquhart castle
visited glamis castle
seen hairy cows in real herds
attended and participated in a caleigh
climbed arthur's seat
took ghost tour of edinburgh
visited the museum of scotland
visited stirling castle
climbed wallace monument
took jacobite steam train
went to isle of skye
climbed scott monument
stayed in that castle hostel up north (carbisdale)
visited the scottish sea bird centre
visited the world's largest wooden tree house
tried a real mince pie
tried christmas pudding
visited museum of childhood
attended lighting of christmas lights in edinburgh
attended christmas market in princes street
visited rosslyn chapel
drank mulled mead
ate vegetarian haggis fritters
saw folk music in concert
to do, see, try
eat a scotch egg (if vegetarian option exists)
visit that triangular castle down south
climb nelson monument
visit national gallery
tour hollyrood palace
climb salisbury craigs
pull off scotch accent
learn to caleigh and/or scottish country dance
see a puffin live and up close
visit dynamic earth
take decent photos of hairy cows up close
to do, see, try at a later date
visit fort william in summer
wander through glencoe
stay in glenfinnan sleeping car and take good photos of viaduct
visit portree on skye
visit orkney islands
eaten vegetarian haggis
visited edinburgh castle
seen stone of scone/destiny
visited culzean castle
visited loch ness and urquhart castle
visited glamis castle
seen hairy cows in real herds
attended and participated in a caleigh
climbed arthur's seat
took ghost tour of edinburgh
visited the museum of scotland
visited stirling castle
climbed wallace monument
took jacobite steam train
went to isle of skye
climbed scott monument
stayed in that castle hostel up north (carbisdale)
visited the scottish sea bird centre
visited the world's largest wooden tree house
tried a real mince pie
tried christmas pudding
visited museum of childhood
attended lighting of christmas lights in edinburgh
attended christmas market in princes street
visited rosslyn chapel
drank mulled mead
ate vegetarian haggis fritters
saw folk music in concert
to do, see, try
eat a scotch egg (if vegetarian option exists)
visit that triangular castle down south
climb nelson monument
visit national gallery
tour hollyrood palace
climb salisbury craigs
pull off scotch accent
learn to caleigh and/or scottish country dance
see a puffin live and up close
visit dynamic earth
take decent photos of hairy cows up close
to do, see, try at a later date
visit fort william in summer
wander through glencoe
stay in glenfinnan sleeping car and take good photos of viaduct
visit portree on skye
visit orkney islands
Thursday, 27 November 2008
happy thanksgiving
when i woke up this morning, for just a few seconds before i was fully concious, felt like i was home in my bed at grandmothers. then i realized it was thanksgiving and cried a bit.
but i've been slowly but surely accumulating some thanksgiving foods - i made pumpkin pasties ages ago, and there're still a few in the freezer, there's a small bag of craisins on the top shelf of my cabinet, i've saved out all of the mapled pecans from this box of granola, and last night i baked a sweet potato while i was writing my essay (which is 5/6 done) into which to put said pecans - and patsy cline, so i can have some of the touchstones of a real thanksgiving,
and my aunt and second cousin arrive at some point this morning. i'm meeting them at their hotel at one, by which point the bbc expects this rain to have cleared up.
and tonight at five o'clock, christmas begins on the royal mile with the official and coordinated illumination of all the lights. and i think the christmas market opens this evening.
here's wishing everyone the happiest of thanksgivings, wherever they are
but i've been slowly but surely accumulating some thanksgiving foods - i made pumpkin pasties ages ago, and there're still a few in the freezer, there's a small bag of craisins on the top shelf of my cabinet, i've saved out all of the mapled pecans from this box of granola, and last night i baked a sweet potato while i was writing my essay (which is 5/6 done) into which to put said pecans - and patsy cline, so i can have some of the touchstones of a real thanksgiving,
and my aunt and second cousin arrive at some point this morning. i'm meeting them at their hotel at one, by which point the bbc expects this rain to have cleared up.
and tonight at five o'clock, christmas begins on the royal mile with the official and coordinated illumination of all the lights. and i think the christmas market opens this evening.
here's wishing everyone the happiest of thanksgivings, wherever they are
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
winter
so today was absolutely gorgeous and balmy and just such a lovely day (although i spent all but maybe 20 minutes of it inside).
then the sun set.
it's now five past five and the sun is long gone.
also, next thursday begins the christmas season here. officially, that is. god knows its christmas all year round in probably a dozen shops in the city centre. but starting thursday night and running through hogmanay, it's edinburgh's christmas festival, complete with traditional german christmas market, ice skating rink, lights, carol concerts, and a ferris wheel. all of which leaves me wondering why christmas is such a big deal here and why thanksgiving is selected to start christmas, even when it itself isnt celebrated or understood.
just thought i would share my scotland is so weird musings of the day.
then the sun set.
it's now five past five and the sun is long gone.
also, next thursday begins the christmas season here. officially, that is. god knows its christmas all year round in probably a dozen shops in the city centre. but starting thursday night and running through hogmanay, it's edinburgh's christmas festival, complete with traditional german christmas market, ice skating rink, lights, carol concerts, and a ferris wheel. all of which leaves me wondering why christmas is such a big deal here and why thanksgiving is selected to start christmas, even when it itself isnt celebrated or understood.
just thought i would share my scotland is so weird musings of the day.
Friday, 14 November 2008
Germany
barebones, as yours truly really ought to be reading for her essays and presentations.
no troubles getting to mainz. hung out at will's the first night - first with him and then with a movie when he headed out to collect emmons.
and then friday we slept pretty late, then went to the farmers market and the cathedral. made lunch at will's and then went back out to the old town tried to see the church with all chagall windows, but it was closing, so we just got to look around for a couple of minutes. wandered around for a while, windowshopping and such, and trying the young, sparkling wine that's mainz's specialty. then headed back to wills for dinner and hanging out.
saturday we got up, had breakfast, and headed for st. stephen's (the chagall church) but there was a wedding, so we proceeded to the zitadell and the ruins of the roman theatre, with a very pleasant detour through a playground with a windmill slide. then visited st. somebody's, which is a baroque church used by german priests to practice before they actually qualify as priests. then there was lunching on traditional german food in a traditional german restuarant (spaiglekase (sp?) for me, gulash for emmons, sausage for will). went to see the rhine after that, then one of the original city gates. then we wandered around the uni for awhile to see where will studies and such. then back to will's for more dinnering and catching emmons up on firefly.
sunday was a comedy of errors in transportation, starting with the tram (we forgot that the schedule'd be special due to it being sunday and all). wait, actually starting with me screwing up the alarm clock the night before such that we got up an hour early. which turned out to be a good thing, because if we hadn't i'd probably not have caught the tram i needed to get to the bus to go to the airport. but still. got to the airport just in time, but the computer wouldn't recognize my confirmation number, so several desks, an internet cafe, and a whole pile of panic later and i was on a flight to london rather than glasgow. it being sunday there were train diversions and fewer services, so there were no seats and for a good hour or so between york and darlington all the aisles and end-of-carriage areas were packed like cans of sardines. oh, and at some point i lost my eurail and britrail passes (britrail about to expire, so no big deal, but eurail completely unused and now requiring an insurance claim).
but i got to meet an irish farmer/farm equipment trader who was coming over to ely for an equipment sale by way of market research on the way from stansted to petersborough. his last name is blackburn, he's from shannon, and he has a daughter in second year at uni in limerick majoring in enviro sci. he raises beef, mostly little local cattle but also angus, on a small scale. the recent revocation of the ban on brazilian beef (apparently some enterprising brazilians have found a way around the foot and mouth troubles that got them banned) and the recession are cutting into farming's already tight margins over here. he worries that his daughter won't be able to get a job in the current market, which set us to talking about pollution monitoring and green job corps. he remains sceptical. we also talked about how, in his opinion, the beurocracy is killing britain. apparently there're enough folks working at the farm bureau or wtv to have a bureaucrat spend three weeks with each individual farmer. 'course he also thinks that the banking crisis - which he likened to letting a store sell the same product several times over and expecting things to turn out alright - is partially responsible.
no troubles getting to mainz. hung out at will's the first night - first with him and then with a movie when he headed out to collect emmons.
and then friday we slept pretty late, then went to the farmers market and the cathedral. made lunch at will's and then went back out to the old town tried to see the church with all chagall windows, but it was closing, so we just got to look around for a couple of minutes. wandered around for a while, windowshopping and such, and trying the young, sparkling wine that's mainz's specialty. then headed back to wills for dinner and hanging out.
saturday we got up, had breakfast, and headed for st. stephen's (the chagall church) but there was a wedding, so we proceeded to the zitadell and the ruins of the roman theatre, with a very pleasant detour through a playground with a windmill slide. then visited st. somebody's, which is a baroque church used by german priests to practice before they actually qualify as priests. then there was lunching on traditional german food in a traditional german restuarant (spaiglekase (sp?) for me, gulash for emmons, sausage for will). went to see the rhine after that, then one of the original city gates. then we wandered around the uni for awhile to see where will studies and such. then back to will's for more dinnering and catching emmons up on firefly.
sunday was a comedy of errors in transportation, starting with the tram (we forgot that the schedule'd be special due to it being sunday and all). wait, actually starting with me screwing up the alarm clock the night before such that we got up an hour early. which turned out to be a good thing, because if we hadn't i'd probably not have caught the tram i needed to get to the bus to go to the airport. but still. got to the airport just in time, but the computer wouldn't recognize my confirmation number, so several desks, an internet cafe, and a whole pile of panic later and i was on a flight to london rather than glasgow. it being sunday there were train diversions and fewer services, so there were no seats and for a good hour or so between york and darlington all the aisles and end-of-carriage areas were packed like cans of sardines. oh, and at some point i lost my eurail and britrail passes (britrail about to expire, so no big deal, but eurail completely unused and now requiring an insurance claim).
but i got to meet an irish farmer/farm equipment trader who was coming over to ely for an equipment sale by way of market research on the way from stansted to petersborough. his last name is blackburn, he's from shannon, and he has a daughter in second year at uni in limerick majoring in enviro sci. he raises beef, mostly little local cattle but also angus, on a small scale. the recent revocation of the ban on brazilian beef (apparently some enterprising brazilians have found a way around the foot and mouth troubles that got them banned) and the recession are cutting into farming's already tight margins over here. he worries that his daughter won't be able to get a job in the current market, which set us to talking about pollution monitoring and green job corps. he remains sceptical. we also talked about how, in his opinion, the beurocracy is killing britain. apparently there're enough folks working at the farm bureau or wtv to have a bureaucrat spend three weeks with each individual farmer. 'course he also thinks that the banking crisis - which he likened to letting a store sell the same product several times over and expecting things to turn out alright - is partially responsible.
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