Stirling, Scotland,
summer 2012
Entry 1: Kansas, United States | Apr 30 2012
46 Days and Counting -Pre-departure thoughts :)
Like a puzzle, the pieces come together.
There is so much that is going
through my mind right now. Tomorrow the money is due as well as all the
paperwork. Last week my parents and I finally figured out funding and what
relief that is. Now all I can do is think about Scotland, the time I have left,
and the people I'm going to meet while I spend my summer abroad. I've never traveled
outside the states before, and this will be only the second time I've ever
flown.
I'm expecting to have the summer of
a lifetime. I can't wait to experience Scotland like a native. The two months
are going to be the fastest two months of my life. I want to try haggis, and to
hear bagpipes and experience life. I'm so excited for the thought that my life
begins this summer. I'm going to find the real me, and I'm super pumped. I'm
most excited to meet the friends I've come to know and to meet many more once
abroad. I was nervous to travel, but now that I've met a couple people, the
only thing I'm nervous for is adjusting to life overseas. :)
Entry 2: Kansas, United States | Jun 08, 2012
ONE week left! In
exactly one week, I will leave Kansas City to Glagow.
Completely overwhelmed
My dad and I were talking yesterday.
The one question that he had me stuck on was "How does it feel now that
you're leaving next week?"
I honestly don't know how I feel. I
know that my last day at work is Tuesday and I have a lot to do between now and
then, but I feel like I'm in a dream. I still can't really believe that I'm
going to Scotland for two months. Two whole months. I know that time is going
to fly by in a blur.
I'm really excited to meet everyone.
I think this is one summer 20 years from now we're all going to look back and
reflect on and know we were meant to go. We'll be old and wrinkled still
saying, "Remember that one time we went to London?"
Money is really tight, but I haven't
let that get me down through everything. I've got tons of medicine that I have
to bring over with me, but I'm just reliving the fact that I'm going. I'm
really going.
I cannot tell everyone how happy and
how excited I am that I'm getting to live one of my dreams. I hope this week
goes by fast so I can get to Scotland already! :)
Entry 3: Bagging a Munro
Stirling,
Scotland | Jun 25, 2012
I toured the University Saturday with a wine tasting get-together of all the International Summer School students and on Sunday, we toured all the major attractions and towns around the Stirling area. I spent a better part of the week settling into the routine of 21-hour days with 3 hours of night as well as trying to get to know flatmates and the ever-confusing transit system. And of course I couldn't get away with not going to class. I have found that some modules are very deceiving and aren't what they say they are.
Thursday the ISS coordinators took us to St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf. It was awesome! But super rainy. My flatmates and I spent most of the day inside in warm cafes drinking tea and having rolls.
The weekend was the most amazing thing ever. I went to the Isle of Skye with this group called Wild in Scotland. It's a gorgeous place to be. The trip getting there was almost more entertaining than actually being there. Friday afternoon when we leave Killin where we had lunch, we're about 10 minutes north when a motorcycle tries to overtake us. Well he crashes and burns to the point where we thought he died. *Note* he made it, but was broken severely. While waiting for the accident report and everything, Danny, our tour guide, leaves the bus running for us. When he returns two-three hours later, he can't start it. Here we have 14 uni students pushing this oversized minivan while our kilt-wearing guide tries to start the van.
Once we get going, we hit some beautiful places like the Eilean Donan castle and stop off on some points in the Highlands. The next morning we go scallop fishing! It was so cool! I also held a starfish. We see every beautiful place that the Isle of Skye has to offer before we have a delicious batch of fish and chips for tea (dinner). We hit this mountain range called Quiraing. Amazing. I would go there again in a heartbeat to climb the paths that wind through everything.
Sunday we drive down through the mountains (gorgeous) and end up at Loch Ness. It was pouring rain so Nessie decided not to come out to play :( We end our fabulous three-day weekend in a forest walk with homemade ice cream on a teddie cone.
Tonight, a few of the uni students made the climb of Dumyat hill. It is over 450 metres (1000 feet) to the top! We almost bagged a munro (climb a mountain almost 1000 metres). We got lost on the way down, but the photos are amazing.
I have spent the most amazing time in Scotland so far. I feel like I have so much left to see and I'm so thankful I have seven more weeks of amazing time here.
Entry 4: Milestone
Stirling, Scotland | Jul 01, 2012
My biggest accomplishment that I
have had this week is being used to the taste of food!
When I first got here two weeks ago,
I couldn't stand the taste of food. Here, they have more vinegary everything.
The salad dressings, the ketchup, the mustard, EVERYTHING. I've never been a
huge fan of vinegary stuff. There's also no salt on the chips. Being from
America, I like my salt on my chips (fries). The chocolate also tastes weird
here, like it's more bitter. It's defintely been hard adjusting to certain
foods. I like Subway, but Subway AGAIN tastes different here. I've found that I
like more of the Scottish dishes than the American way of Scottish
dishes. When I went to this pub last night called Drouthy Neebors (best
pub in Stirling so far), it was like a sudden switch went off in my mouth. I
started to like what Scotland has to offer.
Though a thing that drives me crazy is the fried food is
cheaper than some of the healthier food, and everything comes with chips. My
flatmates and I have been saying that the food is fattier here, but everyone is
healthier because you can walk anywhere and everywhere you need to. Food also
expires much quicker than I ever thought possible. This morning my flatmate
Ginny and I threw away expired pack of 12 rolls, 7 muffins and numerous veggies
that we bought mid last week.
My flatmate Andy and I have started
a list of foods we're going to eat whenever we get home. Top of my list?
Chiptole. Then I'm going to devour some Manhattan style Subway and probably
some Cozy Inn burgers. I love it here, but they can't do some of the foods that
I've come to love.
Another thing that's been weird
getting used to is the pound system. Whenever you go into a restaurant, store,
etc, tax has already been included in the price. It's been nice knowing exactly
how much I'm going to spend even if in the conversion, it's more expensive or
as expensive as American items with tax. And people of Great Britain don't tip.
It's funny the way that I heard it explained. "They don't accept tips
because they don't feel obligated to pay someone for something they expect they
haven't done."
It's certainly been an interesting
time here in Stirling. I can consider myself more well-mannered than most
American tourists. We saw a group at the Stirling Castle yesterday that had no
courtesy for anyone other than themselves. Ginny, Katharine and I walked away
saying, "stupid Americans" because though we are American, we don't
act like one. We're here to study, not here to do whatever we want and not care
about what it might do to the locals.
I do miss home. I miss seeing my
family and eating good, healthy food, but I don't want to leave here. I have
another six weeks, with much more to be learned. When I come home in August,
I'll be me, with more knowledge and experience that money could never buy.
Entry 5: Five
down, three to go.
Stirling,
Scotland | Jul 22, 2012
Not much has been
happening in the ways of my life recently. I managed to pass first block with
flying colours and am now one week in to block two and my course of
international relations. It's definitely a harder class for me to comprehend
since I have no political science background. But my teacher is amazing. He
prefers us to call him 'Big Man' and wants to treat the class with a casual
environment because it seems that we'll learn more that way.
On 5 July, the International Summer School took us all to Edinburgh, which happened to be the same day that Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Katherine were supposed to be in town for the continuation of the Diamond Jubilee. Seeing as how I was a photographer with a hoard of intense royal watchers, I thought I'd walk to the castle. Well the Queen was due to be on the Royal Mile, which leads to the castle. I was stopped, front row, at the perfect position to see the Queen and everyone drive by. By the luck of the draw, I got clear photos of the Queen!
On Thursday, 19 July, I was sitting in my kitchen reveling on the delicious dinner I made for everyone when I was looking out our third story flat window. Naturally, since being here, I have only seen brown rabbits. And it just so happens that Alice in Wonderland is huge over here. Now you can see where my thought process is going. As I'm looking out, I see a snow white rabbits come hopping out of the woods. In utter shock, I scream to my flat mates, "Follow the white rabbit!" and run out of the kitchen.
I was really hoping for an adventure in wonderland because I have been left to my own accords this weekend. All my flat mates left for the weekend (3), or have disappeared doing their own thing (2). Which leaves me. I have never wished Facebook to be more entertaining. But because of the dire boredom I was faced with, I went hiking. I got lost in the hills/mountainous regions for a few hours. I met some sheep, walked probably five miles, and found crispy m&m's (best candy on earth).
All in all, I'm starting to really love this country. The weather is just
now turning sunny every day, the temperatures are perfect, the people are
absolutely amazing, and I feel at home here. Were it not for the money and the
visa factor, I don't think I would be coming home in three weeks. I love my
family and I miss them, but there is a part of me that will always be here. I
don't think I can ever be whole again unless I move back here, no matter the
length. I thought I knew who I was before I left for Scotland. Since being here, I forgot who I was. I can't say how I've changed, or what has changed, but who I am doesn't remember who I've been. I have a new life and a new destiny ahead of me. I couldn't have asked for a better summer.
And I still have so much more exploring to do! Eek!!
Entry 6: Why
must it end?
Stirling,
Scotland | Aug 01, 2012
This has probably been
one of the least productive weeks I've had so far.
Besides watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, as well as the
Olympics, which is weird to watch from the UK, this has probably been one of
the least productive weeks I've had so far. I haven't had any inclination to do
anything. I've been moping around since I am being forced to leave this
beautiful country next weekend to go back home to Kansas, where I will start my
senior year. It's been a surreal summer. It hasn't felt like I've been in
school, or that I've put myself one step closer to being out in the real world.
I feel like I'm on an extended vacation.Though, not everything is as peachy as it seems.
One of the things that most annoys me about this country is the bias that the UK has towards themselves. For instance, I was reading the paper the other morning and stumbled upon an article debating gun control in the States. The article, in summary, said that America was foolish for having guns and that they should adopt the UK belief about no guns. Granted, I do enjoy shooting a gun, but because unfortunate events like the Aurora shooting happen, doesn't mean we can automatically change the culture of America. Hunting, shooting and gun clubs are a part of our culture.
Also, even the announcers at the Olympics are very biased towards Team GB's
athletes. I was watching men's gymnastics, a Ukrainian athlete was performing
and one of the announcers gasped because he was paying attention to a GB member
who fell off his event, instead of watching the athlete he was supposed to
commentating on. It fills the stereotype that England is known for being
pompous. I know this isn't true because I've come to befriend an English
fellow, but it still irks me. I'm trying to keep an open mind being that I'm
the tourist, but I've come across some close-minded people. Now that I'm done with my rant, today in class we discussed the troubled areas of Northern Ireland and the many different sides of the troubles that hasn't been publicly discussed. Like the Holy Cross incident, or the walls dividing neighborhoods. Friday, my international relations class is headed to Belfast, where we will see first-hand these walls and the murals. It's been interesting to hear a documentary discussing the religious side of the troubles, versus the political side that everyone knows about.
The thing I'm most looking forward though is the part where my class leaves and I take a bus to Enniskillen, where I meet up with my little brother, his girlfriend and her family. Her cousin has been gracious into inviting me into her home, which allows me to see Ireland more than I would have otherwise. It also brings a bittersweet end to an amazing summer.
When I arrive back to Stirling next week on Tuesday, I hope to have a better grip on the reality that my trip is coming to a close. I don't want it to end; I just want to stay here forever, though Scotland may not want me to. Wednesday is my final day of class, Thursday is my farewell party with everyone and Friday is just a day where I get the last remaining pieces of my summer together. Saturday morning I ship out of Glasgow, where I will be greeted later that night by the smiling faces of my family with CHIPOTLE :)
Entry 7: The
Troubles
Belfast, Northern Ireland | Aug 08, 2012
I just got back last
night around 9:00 pm from a very long weekend in Ireland. I can say that I love
Ireland, but the most interesting part of my trip was Friday, when I went with
my International Relations class to Belfast.
I blogged last week about how excited I was to go to Ireland and that
Belfast was going to be interesting. Interesting is really the most accurate
way I can describe what I felt as I stepped off the plane into Belfast. It
didn't look much different than Scotland, but it felt much different. It
was...less geared towards tourists and more like a traditional town. The city
centre was interesting. If you went one direction, you would find a block that had
the Union Jack flying above business doors. If you went down another, you could
see Ireland flags being flown over the business door. This was only a dip into
what I was going to experience later that afternoon.The morning I spent doing the "touristy" stuff. I saw the Universities and then I saw where the Titanic was built and where it sailed. That was beautiful. We had lunch at a nice pub in the centre then it was off for the real reason we came to Belfast: the Troubles tour.
But it doesn't stop there.
The Peace Wall was the craziest and saddest piece of architecture that I have ever seen. Going into the neighbourhoods, we passed by a 20 or 30 foot tall gate, this is chained shut every night from 7pm to 5am. This just tells you how bad this part of Belfast is. Inside, the Peace Wall is a 96 foot tall structure that is meant to keep the Protestant neighbourhood separate from the Catholic neighborhood. The Catholic side of the wall has iron slabs across windows and back porches to prevent shrapnel and bombs from destroying the house/killing those inside. The Protestant side has murals painted on them, and thousands of people who visit have signed their name with a message. I did, and so did my classmates (see photos).
The entire time I've been here, I've really been seeing through the eyes of a tourist/student. Yes, I live in housing at a University and yes, I have seen and gotten to know every aspect of Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh, but I've never had to experience life in a troubled area. Seeing what is every day life to someone in Belfast really shook my foundation. Not everything is peachy wherever you go, and people in Belfast have experienced and witnessed things I will never ever have to experience, hopefully.
That's not to say that everywhere in Ireland is like Belfast.
After I spent Friday in Belfast, I got a bus down to Enniskillen, where I was picked up by my fabulous host and taken down to Drumshanbo. I had a wonderful weekend playing tourist and living with a family much like my own. It was a lovely experience that I hope I can have again soon! P.S. I have the hookup if you ever want to have a great weekend in Drumshanbo.
I would enjoy to come back to Ireland, but Belfast is not my city of choice. The people are lovely and the area has a lot to offer (i.e. everything Titanic), but I could not live in the troubled area. The people are still hateful towards each other and I couldn't live in that kind of environment. I hope by the time I reach the age where I have my own children, I want to see the Peace Wall, and every other wall, torn down in Belfast.
“Werner Hofmann, who is one of the directors of this institute and spokesperson for CTA, supervised the classes at the MPI-K. Professors Wagner and Hofmann lectured to our students.” Says Konopelko. “In addition, a number of other professors of Heidelberg University also gave lectures in the Modern Astrophysics course. Among them are Wolfgang Kraetschmer, who together with Donald Huffman from the University of Arizona developed the world famous Kraetschmer-Huffman procedure for the synthesis of fullerenes, and Oxford-educated John Kirk, who is one of the best theoretical astrophysicists in the world.”
