Almost the end... part 3: From Stirling to London

This is going to be my final post from Stirling for this year, so I'm going to finish up with my Chanukah party, then begin my London adventure.

As usual since I started university, I wasn't able to be with family for Chanukah. Therefore, I decided I'd introduce my flatmates to this fun and deliciously oil-filled holiday.

To make latkes, my flatmates and I made an assembly line, which had some people on peeling potato duty, then others on grating, another on mixing, and finally actually frying.

We had a lot of potatoes. A lot. And it made for a lot of latkes. It was my first attempt at making them completely from scratch, and I must say, they turned out pretty delicious! Sure, some of them were falling apart upon picking them up, but they tasted like latkes, and that's what matters.

I also decided it was time to satisfy my craving for Challah. I haven't been able to find it anywhere in Scotland, so I baked it myself, with some help from my flatmates. As with the latkes, it was my first attempt, but it definitely looked like Challah, and it tasted mostly how it should taste. It definitely reminded me of home, and helped make my Chanukah party a bit more authentic.

I wasn't able to locate a chanukiah or dreidals anywhere around Stirling, so I made my own version for the candles. I couldn't quite figure out how to make my own dreidals though. I'll have to wait for next year. I did, however, find gelt at Marks and Spencers, so I gave some out to my friends.

Before leaving Stirling, I met up with some friends from the local knitting group. We meet weekly at the Tolbooth, knitting and sipping tea. It's been a great way to meet friends and learn tips from really experienced knitters! Some of them even spin their own wool. I'm hoping I can find a group as good as this one when I get back to Toronto. So far, I haven't been so lucky in London, but I suppose it's just another reason to look forward to getting back to Stirling.

I stroll through the Stirling Arcade on my way to the local knitting shop, and I noticed that they decorated it for Christmas. The whole city is filled with lights, trees, and decorations, which makes it quite cheery.

I'm just going to show off my knitted jumper. It's my first attempt at a garment, and took two and a half weeks of intense marathon knitting to finish it. Unfortunately, from washing it improperly, I've managed to stretch it a bit and cause a hole, but hopefully with a bit of sewing I'll be able to wear it again. I'm quite happy with how it turned out! I'll have to try another one as soon as I find a pattern I like.

I spent the last few days in Stirling spending as much time with my flatmates as possible. For the final time this year, we went out all together to play bowling. As usual, I was trailing far behind everybody else in my score, especially since I didn't know there were sensors disqualifying my points every time I toed past the line. I'm pretty sure I've never had this problem in Canada! Regardless, it was nice to have everybody together, especially since Matti (centre) won't be in Stirling next semester. It will be very strange to have somebody new living in our flat!

On Dec. 4, I woke up early, said goodbye to Stirling, and made my way to London.

Goodbye Stirling! See you again in February!