A few weeks later...

Wow, I’ve been neglecting this blog. I swear I intended on writing a post many times over the past couple of weeks but then something would come up and I never got around to it.

I shall fill you in on some of the highlights.

I made my way to Glasgow on Sept. 25. I discovered a Sunday isn’t the best time, especially on a bank holiday, since many of the museums and other attractions were closed. I walked through the city with my flatmate Donald, as well as a few other friends. Donald is from Cumbernauld, which is about 20 minutes from Glasgow by train (though he has a tendency to miss the train, which significantly increases his travel time). He knew his way around Glasgow, so he acted as a tour guide, showing us the many sites.

We visited the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art, which showcased many fine artwork, such as a piece of music bevelled onto a white paper, so unless you stand millimetres away from it, it just looked blank. I just don’t understand modern art. On the way out, there was a donation bowl since the museum is free. Some of our group donated, but Donald insisted we shouldn’t since it was a waste of money. Great tour guide!

Bad tour guide! He walked across the street just as the light was turning red, so the rest of us were left behind.

All joking aside, it was a fun day. The city isn’t nearly as pretty as Edinburgh. I think I would have liked it if I hadn’t seen Edinburgh first, but it just couldn’t compare. I have to separate them in my minds, and try to see it for its own beauty. It has the reputation of being a very modern and stylish city, as well as being quite industrial. It’s also known for its high crime rate. It seems to me to be the Scarborough of Scotland. If anybody hears of a crime, they seem to assume it happened in Glasgow. However, it seems to be the shopping hub of this area of Scotland, and I’ll have to go back for their many concerts and events.

Of course we had to have lunch in a pub. A pretty good deal too! £4.99 for the full meal and a pint!

They have a ridiculous number of condiments on the table.

I’ve been to one show since arriving in Scotland: a Scottish stand-up comedian Danny Bhoy. I had never heard of him, but he was performing on campus on Sept. 28. My friend Kyle told me he had seen him before in Canada, but I wasn’t sure if a comedian performing inside the university could be any good, especially when I saw the plethora of empty seats. However, it was probably the best comedy show that I’ve seen live. He played with the audience quite a bit, and the jokes didn’t come off as simply reciting lines, as was the case with many comedians I’ve seen in the past.

From left: Saori, Donald, me, and Gavin.

Another big highlight: Ceilidh. Traditional Scottish dancing. The international society hosted the Ceilidh night on Sept. 29 at the Golden Lion Hotel. There was a live band playing traditional Scottish music, with instructions for each dance immediately before the song began. It was a lot of fun, though I took at least half of each song to learn the dances. Many girls were dressed up (though I hadn’t realized it was such a fancy gathering, so I was not) and many men were in kilts. Even Donald wore his kilt, though he was quite embarrassed by it, running from the bus stop to the hotel in hopes people wouldn’t recognize him. People did not recognize him, but they were pointing and laughing quite a bit. It isn’t so unusual, but I suppose it’s like wearing a tuxedo in public–except that it’s a skirt. Donald insists it isn’t a skirt, but his reasoning is that it is partially pleated and double layered. As if that makes all the difference. (In all honesty, I think kilts look great! I want to get one before I go home.)

My skirt and his kilt look the same...

Some of the dances were fairly simple, with pretty basic line dances. Others were a bit more complicated, like one that involved getting in a circle (two girls and two guys) and the guys lifting up the girls and spinning us around really quickly. It was lots of fun, if a bit scary!

The International Society said they’d host another Ceilidh next semester, and I really hope they do. It was such a fun experience, and apparently it was quite an authentic representation of Scottish traditions.

Classes have really gotten underway. I handed in an essay worth 30 per cent this week (hence my lack of time for blogging) and I have a bunch more coming up. Autumn reading week is just two weeks away, which means all of my classes either have major assignments due right before it begins, or the week we get back.

Other than that, I haven’t done too many exciting things over the past two weeks. I feel completely settled in, though I still haven’t fixed my sleeping schedule, so it’s still bedtime around 3:00 a.m., but I suppose that will fix itself in time. I’ve introduced my flatmate Anton to the Daily Show and Colbert Report, and my mum mailed me some Tim Horton’s coffee, so I’m quite the happy camper.

Tomorrow, I’m taking a weekend trip to Dublin with Saori, a few friends from the US, and a friend from Switzerland. I’ve never been to Dublin, and we’re mostly going to leave our itinerary open. If you have any suggestions on what to see/do, please post a comment!