Last Weekend and My 21st! (Now With Photos!)

Sorry about the lack of updates, folks. It's been a busy week-and-a-half for me, so here's the rundown...

I did go to the ceildlh on Wednesday. It was a good time, mainly because almost everyone I know was there: my Scottish flatmates, the Canadians, and my fellow Americans. My only complaint is that it ended too early - 10:00. I want a ceildlh that goes late into the night.

Last Thursday was uneventful, but on Friday I left Aberdeen on a long bus ride to Edinburgh. Kathy, Corey, and I got free tickets to the Scotland VS Italy Rugby match in Edinburgh and we decided to make a weekend of it. When we got to Edinburgh our Canadian friend Amanda met us at the station to complete our quartet.

We were lucky enough to stay with the twenty-something daughters of Corey's host family who live in Edinburgh. Their hospitality knew no bounds (read: they offered us lots of free food and booze). Friday night the four of us went on an exciting jaunt around Edinburgh.


On Saturday young Corey Chapman roused our sleepy heads and we went on a morning hike up Arthur's Seat, a massive ridge that dominates the Edinburgh skyline. It offered some great views of the city. After making our way down we went on a long but rewarding quest for cheap food that ended at a baguette place. It tasted way better than it had any right to.

After chowing down we met up with David, another American, and his family, and made the long walk to Murrayfield Stadium. The streets were flooded with Scots and Italians heading to the game. Walking to the stadium was quite the experience.

We found our seats at the game and enjoyed the piping band that played before kickoff. The game was absolutely horrific: the Italians scored three times in the first 6 minutes. This was especially disappointing considering that Italy is the laughing stock of six nations rugby. At half time some military folk skydived into the stadium and we got some delicious donuts, but it wasn't enough to raise our spirits when Scotland lost the match.

We made the long, quiet walk home, surrounded by saddened Scotland fans. The four of us were pretty beat, so we went straight back to the flat. We all chipped in and bought some things to make an excellent meal of chicken curry. It was one of the most satisfying meals I've had since I've been in Scotland, even more so because I was surrounded by good company.

After eating we watched a bootleg copy of The Departed, and it was just as good as everyone makes it out to be. We turned in early because we knew that Sunday would be jam-packed with adventure.

Sure enough, Sunday did not disappoint. We got up early and made our way to Waverly Train Station in the heart of Edinburgh. Today we were off to Stirling, a small city 45 minutes east of Edinburgh, home of the National William Wallace Monument. We ate some breakfast at the station (I had a delicious steak pastie) and then boarded our train.

The train ride passed quickly and we were soon in Stirling. We left the station and started making our way towards the monument, which lies a couple miles from the city center. After some iffy navigation by yours truly, which basically boiled down to "Lets just walk towards the monument," we ended up in a farmer's field completely surrounded by a river. After some helpful directions from the land owner we found our way to the main road and on to the monument.

Near the monument is a statue of Wallace that looks remarkably similar to Mel Gibson. The statue was erected after the movie. It's highly controversial because of the similarities to the Australian actor, so much so that many people have defaced it in outrage. The young guy working at the tourist shop had this to say, "I absolutely hate it. On my last day working here I'm going to take a chisel to it."

We walked to the base of the monument but opted not to go to the top because it had a hefty admission charge. We were entertained briefly by an actor who played the part of one of Wallace's soldiers. He gave a historical account of the Battle of Stirling, while also swinging his battle axe about. One of the highlights of the day.

We left the monument and made our way back to the city center, where we went on a rambling walk around Stirling. We went across Stirling bridge, up a couple random hills, and through a cemetery before finally arriving at Stirling castle. Along the way we spotted a couple of incredible rainbows as the sun peaked out of the gray clouds.

We walked back to the station and jumped on the 4:00 train to Edinburgh. We had a light dinner at a pub in the city. Then we stopped by a grocery store and picked up a few snacks for the three hour bus ride back to Aberdeen. I got some shortbread and went halfsies on a tub of 16 minimuffins with Amanda. Needless to say, the tub of minimuffins had been demolished by the time we made it back home.

The next couple of days were mostly uneventful. I turned in my first assignment on Tuesday, an 800 word essay. The next big development came on Wednesday. I had been promising my flatmates that I would shave off my beard sometime while I was in Scotland, and I decided that there was no better time than my birthday. So on the eve of my birth I had a bit of fun and shaved most of my beard off, keeping only some massive sideburns and a gloriously tacky trucker mustache. It was a big hit with the flatmates and various others I saw during the day. I shaved it off just before bedtime. It's the first time I've been clean shaven in nine months.

The next day I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing and I realized - WOOT! It's my birthday! I was tired after staying up late watching a movie with Amanda, so after asking Cakes to take a message I immediately called my mom back. During the course of the day I also received a call from my little sister Brittney. It was good to hear from them.

In the evening the incredibly thoughtful Canadians prepared me an amazing potluck supper. I was thoroughly spoiled by them. Bronwyn made some wonderful homemade mac and cheese, Denise contributed some very tasty salad, and Amanda, knowing me so well, made some simply amazing tacos. I contributed a little cornbred (thanks mom!). Not only that, but we also had chocolate cake and apple crumble for dessert, topped with the traditional birthday candles. I really couldn't have asked for a better birthday supper. And to spoil me even further, Hilary (who wasn't there unfortunately) game me a 4 pack of Tennents for my birthday, and Amanda made my night by giving my a Scotland scarf.

After dining with the Canadians, I ran back to my flat to begin the age old ceremony of drinking on the 21st birthday. I'll leave the details to your imagination. It was a wonderful night, with every friend I've made in Scotland crowded around a small table in our kitchen. It was one of the best birthdays in recent memory.

Thanks to everyone back in Texas who also made my birthday special. All the cards, facebook messages, and blog comments were not forgotten. I love you all, and I look forward to seeing you in August. Until next time.

Cheers,
Jacob

Sunday in Stonehaven and Pancake Tuesday

Time for another sporadic update from your's truly. This weekend we were again blessed with amazing weather. Everyone I talk to complains about Scottish weather, but thusfar I've been entirely pleased with it. My only complaint: NO SNOW! But I have faith that Scotland won't let me down.

Friday and Saturday my flatmate Tommy had a couple friends visiting from back home, so I spent most of my time hanging out with them. On Sunday Corey, Kathy, Jillian, Lindsay, and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather by going on a trip to nearby Stonehaven. Stonehaven is a small coastal village about 20 minutes south of Aberdeen.

We strolled from the Stonehave train station, through downtown and to the coast. From there we made our way past the harbor and up the steep tourist path that follows the cliffs. Our first stop was the Black Hill War Memorial, a monument to the Stonehaven soldiers who died in World War I. Along the top of the monument it read: "One by one Death challenged them, one by one they smiled in his grim visage, and refused to be dismayed."

We continued along the coast to Stonehaven's main claim to fame: the ruins of Dunnottar Castle. Dunnottar is a massive castle built on a highly defensible outcrop of rock. The castle is also steeped in Scottish history. During one period the Scottish crown jewels were hidden away from the English there. There's more to this story, but I'll let you do the research if you're really interested.

After the long walk back to Stonehaven we stopped at a takeaway and had some fish and chips. We killed time by exploring the town before we caught the 4:00 train back to Aberdeen.

Monday was mostly uneventful. We did play some intense games of Jenga at the flat, followed by a couple of pints at the Watering Hole. Today I was invited to partake in Pancake Tuesday with my Canadian friends. In Canada, I've discovered, the populace celebrates Fat Tuesday by eating tons of pancakes and maple strup. I really couldn't turn that down. So I made my way over to their flat and had some wonderful pancakes of all varieties. Cheers to Bronwyn, Amanda, and Denise for doing all the cooking, and to Hilarys One and Two for the clean up effort.

Tomorrow I have no class and a cielidh in the evening. Should be a good one, I'll let you all know how it goes...

Cheers,
Jacob

Reflections on Valentine's Day...

Another uneventful Valentine's Day has come and gone. I personally have no strong feelings about Valentine’s. I know many who do. Most of them are not pleasant feelings. As an impartial spectator, I've noticed that the amount of negative feelings aroused by the Day of Love far outnumber the positive.

First let's examine the male side of St. Valentine's. I'd wager that at least 90% of the male population harbours some dislike for the holiday, varying from minor annoyance to fiery hatred. Let’s further breakdown the males into two groups: the single and the taken. The single males are usually only slightly annoyed; mostly because of the reminder that they are single and won't be gettin’ any lovin’ on V-Day. But this tiny annoyance is nothing compared to the full-blown resentment harboured in their taken brothers.

The majority of Valentine's hate comes from the population of taken males. I've heard the lament of the Valentine's Day boyfriend dozens of times. It begins a few days before, during the period leading up to the Day which I like to call "The Gnashing of the Teeth." Suddenly the non-single males are hit with a full-on anxiety attack as they realize Valentine's is only days away and they haven't yet worked out the flowers/chocolates/misc gifts. They’ve also not planned out the romantic night on the town, the responsibility of which almost always falls solely on the male, both organizationally and fiscally. There are two main reactions to this: complete resentment towards the holiday or, in some extreme cases, a complete rebellion against it.

That's not to say that all females are safe from Cupid's poison-tipped arrow. Although the pink-and-red resentment is far less extreme in the female gender as a whole, the single female population often feels the “singlehood sadness” of Valentine's much more than that of their single male counterparts. And if you’re a taken female, you're usually the cannon-fodder that absorbs the male’s passive-aggressive barrage against the blatant commercialism of St. Valentine's Day.

That’s not to say that Valentine’s Day is an unholy terror that must be stopped at all costs. In theory, a day celebrating love is a much needed day, now more than ever. There just needs to be a major overhaul of the public perception and expectation of the holiday.

As for me, Valentine’s serves its purpose as a signpost of the years. Like most holidays, I can remember something about each of the last few Valentine’s. Last year’s holiday in Austin still lives on in my memory, and much of my discussion with my roommates then inspired this post. I can still taste the pink frosted cupcakes I ate with my fellow RAs in San Antonio two years ago. And I can still see the melting snow of February 14, 2004. Holidays make time seem shorter, the distant past less distant, the near future more near. In years to come I’ll look back and remember that one quiet Valentine’s Day in Scotland.

Cheers,
Jacob

Why You No Post, Jacob Steddum?

If you spend all of your time writing life down then you'll soon find that you've run out of time to actually live it.

That's total rubbish. It sounded better in my journal. Really it's just my pitiful excuse for not posting the last week. I apologize to my handful of faithful readers. Most of you probably know that I have a bad habit of falling off the face of the earth at random times. I'm working on it.

The truth is, I haven't been too busy to post. In fact it's probably the total opposite. Things have settled down considerably since the last post. Yesterday marked the end of my third week in Scotland, and it was significantly less eventful than the first two. I think it's just because I'm finally settled in, the newness of Scotland has worn off (slightly), and I'm actually doing what I supposedly came here to do: going to school.

Not that school here isn't enlightening, it just isn't all that interesting. There are more exciting things to talk about. I don't want to bore you with an analysis of Scots language in John Galt's Annals of the Parish. Really. It's boring, even for me.

So instead I'll cram all of the interesting things that have happened since the last post into one semi-interesting post:

Tuesday: Can’t remember. I think I slept a lot this day?

Wednesday: No class. I went into town with Tommy and Matt. We shopped and planned for a rave party we were going to throw on Saturday.

Thursday: Rain started. I came in second in a game of Monopoly with the flatmates.

Friday: Rain continued. Most eventful day during non-posting. Attended another Burn’s Supper with the International Students. It was held by the Scottish National Party. Partook in more haggis, loved it even more the second time. Partook in more Glenfiddick Whiskey, same outcome. A céilidh followed afterwards (pronounced “kay-lee,” essentially a Scottish square dance).

Saturday: Rain continued for third day. Rave postponed due to circumstances surrounding strobe light. Tried out Lambrini, a notoriously girlish drink. Then went pubbing and clubbing with flatmates. Discovered Garth Marenghi's Darkplace afterwards. Went to bed sometime around 5:00am.

Sunday: Rain continues for fourth day. Honorary flatmate Ewan “Robo” Robertson brought visiting sister Katrina “Robo, Jr.” Robertson to the flat for night of card games. Canadian girls made brief appearance. Male flatmates all stood in chairs, banged on ceiling, sung rousing renditions of “The Flower of Scotland” and “The Bonnie Banks O’ Loch Lomond.” Wardens came by because of noise complaint and night officially concluded. Went to bed sometime around 5:00am.

Monday: Rain depressingly continues for fifth day. Flatmates and I took the Robo siblings out to a pub. Briefly went to a club before walking home.

Today: Rain finally subsided, sun makes reappearance. I came in second in a game of Monopoly with the flatmates.

There it is. I suppose it doesn’t sound as uneventful in retrospect, especially Friday and Sunday. Those were classics.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll post again soon, I promise, but in the meantime I’ve got something to ask from you, loyal reader. Something of a “roll call.” If you read these posts, leave me a comment by clicking on “comments” below. You don’t have to register or anything. It’s relatively painless, I swear. This way I know how many are reading. It should encourage me to post more often. Do it, for me.

Cheers,
Jacob

My Weekend at Glen Etive and Superbowl Monday

The trip to Glen Etive was magical. I'm very glad that the folks at Lairig convinced me to go on Thursday night. It'll be one of the weekends I look back on fondly.

We left Aberdeen at 6:00pm on Friday night. It was a five hour drive to the western coast of Scotland, including a brief stop at a discount supermarket to pick up a weekend's worth of food. We stayed at a cozy little bothy (Scot-speak for cottage) surrounded by majestic Scottish "hills". It should be understood that in Scotland, the term "hill" generally applies to what we call mountains in the States... and everything else, by comparison, is flat ground.

After arriving at the bothy we formulated our plans for the next day. About half of the group had come up for ice climbing on Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in all of Britain. The other half had come for hill walking. Due to my lack equipment and experience I stuck with the hillwalkers.


The ice climbers left at 4:00am, but us hillwalkers got up at a leisurely 7:00am. The day was uncharacteristically sunny and dry. We really couldn't have asked for better weather from Scotland. We left the bothy around 8:00am and made our way up the Buachaille Etive Mòr, a famous local ridgeline of four peaks. After a few hours of ascent, most of which was very steep rock scrambling, the seven of us made it to the top. The view was breathtaking, and we spent the next few hours walking along the ridgeline to the other three peaks, each equally impressive and majestic.


Our descent was a little less planned, but we found a popular route and, despite massive amounts of ice and frozen snow, we made our way down. With all the ice about I got to try some very basic ice climbing skills. We made it to the bottom sometime in the late afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day walking through the muddy bog of the valley. We made it to the road just as it got dark. It was a strenuous but rewarding ten hour hike.


The evening was spent around a nice fire at the bothy, with the ice climbers and hillwalkers trading stories and showing off photos. Sunday morning everyone was worn out and the weather was less favorable, so we split into two groups again, one group going on a harder hike up another hill and the other going on an easier hike to the Lost Valley. I chose to go on the easier hike, and afterwards we all packed up and made the drive back to Aberdeen.


I got back to Hillhead Halls at 10:30pm, dropped off my things, and made it to the Watering Hole. I met up with Tommy, Mark, Sandy, and Matt to watch the Superbowl. Because of the time difference the game didn't start until 11:30pm and it ended around 3:30am. I helped explained wacky American football to my flatmates and we all had a good time. I was personally cheering for the Bears, but in the end Grossman surprised no one and played just as everyone expected: horrifically.

But even if the team I was rooting for lost the game, the weekend itself was an absolute success. I walked some of the most picturesque mountains in western Scotland, I met tons of fun, new people, and I topped it all off with a beer at the pub with my mates. It was a perfect weekend in Scotland.


Until next time.

Cheers,
Jacob

Off to Glen Etive!

I'm embarking on my first weekend trip tonight. I'm off to Glen Etive in western Scotland with the Lairig Mountaineering Club, which I joined last night. Lairig goes on various weekend trips about Scotland to hike and climb. I'm sure I'll be going on plenty of trips with them since it's much cheaper than traveling alone. When I get back I'll post pictures.

I also met with the Creative Writing Society last night, and although they seem a bit oddball I maybe joining soon in an effort to keep myself writing. Classes continue to go fine. I think they'll actually be much easier than back home.

One of my favorite parts about being in Scotland is the different way they use the English language. I love some of the words they use here, words that have either died out in America or were never used at all. Saying "aye" for "yes" is very common among the Scots, and it sounds much more charming than "yeah". Saying "fortnight" might seem antiquated, but it's far superior to "every other week". Another of my favorites is "knicked", which they use in place of "stolen". It's got a rough sound that fits the definition. But my all time favorite has to be "cheers". It means a variety of things, usually thank you, well done, or well wishes. It is absolutely beautiful to say.

And it's not only the vocabulary that's different, but also the phrasing and rhythm of speech. It's difficult to describe, but it's a much more varied sound than American English. Maybe it's just the exotic accent influencing me.

I'm off to class. I'll be without internet for the weekend, so I'll update you all on the Glen Etive trip on Monday.

Cheers,
Jacob

RECAP: Everything Else

Alrighty, I'm going to speed it up and cover the rest of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all in one compact post. Wish me luck.

Sunday they took all the international students on a walking tour of the University and on a bus tour of the city of Aberdeen. The university was founded in 1492, and it's one of the six ancient universities of Great Britain, among the likes of Oxford and Cambridge. The city of Aberdeen is a bustling metropolis of 200,000 people, set on the northeastern cost of Scotland, with a primarily oil-based economy. All of the old buildings in downtown Aberdeen are made out of a type of granite that was mined from the surrounding area. The granite is embedded with tiny pieces of mica, and rumor has it that on a sunny day the mica makes the granite buildings all sparkle. When we finally get a sunny day I promise to go downtown and take some photos.

After the tour I rested a while before heading over to a friend's flat to play a few hands of Texas Hold'em with a variety of Americans, Germans, Scots, and English. I upheld the Texas reputation by winning the first hand. I met an Englishman named Dominic who lived in San Antonio and is absolutely enamored with Texas. We made fast friends.

Monday we began our first day of classes and I only had one, Modernism. It was a brief introductory lecture, and although it was overwhelming at first, I don't think the class will be a major problem. Afterwards I attended a traditional Scottish dinner thrown at the University Chaplaincy. Much to my disappointment they did not serve haggis, but they did serve a tasty shepherd's pie. I took it easy for the rest of the day and turned in early to recover from the rather frantic pace of my first week in Scotland.

Tuesday I went to my second (and only other) class, Scottish Literature. I enjoyed the lecture much more than my first Modernism lecture. Tuesday night is the quietest night at the dormitories, and I ended up going to the Watering Hole for a pint with the Americans, Dominic, and Hendrik. Corey and I wandered about the complex for a while before calling it a night.

Wednesdays I have no class, so I generally was just plain lazy yesterday and I spent most of it dozing in my bed and trying my hand at writing sonnets (which is very difficult, by the way). In the evening I darted over to Dominic's flat, where he served us some very tasty, homemade pizza. I left our little get together about midnight and went home. I chatted with the Scots at home before calling it a night.

At least I thought I had called it a night. Sometime around 3:00am I was awakened by a loud screeching sound. after ignoring it for the first few minutes I came to the sleepy realization that it was the fire alarm, and so I threw on some pants and went out into the hallway to see what was up. It was full of smoke, so I grabbed a hoodie and came sauntering out of the flat to stand in the street with the rest of the building. I was disappointed to find that nothing was actually on fire. Turns out it was all our apartment's fault. Dormitory staff went in and cleared out the smoke, and after being accused of leaving our grill turned on, the apartment maintenance staff went in and found out it was a simple malfunction. They blamed it on the cleaners, which is good enough for us as long as we don't end up with the fine. My flatmates Tommy, Mark, Adri, Cakes, and I all went back to our beds and sweet, sweet sleep.

So there it is, we're all caught up on the major events that transpired while I was without the glorious internet. I hope you enjoyed it. More interesting posts on Scottish culture and life are coming soon, I promise.

Cheers,
Jacob