Today's Forecast: Rainy, Cloudy, and Hopelessly Grey

After being here for 2 months, finally the iconic Scottish weather I've heard so much about has arrived. For most of my stay (much of September and October) the weather has been surprisingly nice, blues skies, 60-70 degrees, and enough sunshine to make me dig out the sunglasses I brought but thought I would never have to use. Lately this has all begun change. To be expected it has gotten progressively colder, with some added rain, and a constant grey gloom that looms above. It's funny because you don't really think about what the weather does to your psyche until you actually experience it, and I can't help but to admit I have felt myself feel more stir crazy and less motivated to do things as of late. Here is what I am talking about.

The view as I get out of class

Crossing over River Kelvin on the way home 

View from opposite side of bridge over River Kelvin

View from the bridge right outside of Murano Student Village

I guess I have been spoiled with such good weather for the first half of the semester. Since my time here I have noticed there seems to be a trend of people that either drink and drink often, smoke, or do both. I know this is culturally common in Europe and the UK (especially the drinking culture) but I can't help but wonder if this "real" Scottish weather has something to do with it out here. What else do you do when you are unable to do anything outside, it's cold, and the incessant grey and gloomy weather has you down?

Despite the decline in weather I have enjoyed watching Scotland transition into fall. Trees are turning color, and everything is becoming blanketed in (wet and soggy) leaves.

Park right behind Ashton Lane

Inside the courtyard at Uni

Scotland is what you make it. As long as I have my rain jacket, waterproof boots, and umbrella at the ready, I shouldn't find myself taking up the local hobbies of much drinking and smoking!

My Encounter with Haggis

When people think of Scotland a few things may immediately come to mind. Rain, Brave Heart, Kilts, Bagpipes, and Haggis. The day finally came for me to try it, no not wear a kilt while playing the theme some of Braveheart on the bagpipes out in the rain. It was time to try some true genuine Scottish Haggis. For those of you who don't know Haggis is a dish traditionally made of sheep's offal, minced onions, suet, mixed with stock and spices typically encased in an animal's stomach and boiled. Yummy, just the description is enough to make you salivate, or maybe not.

One night me and Rachel decided to try a place down by campus called The Schoolhouse. It is a nicer restaurant within an older building, appearing large from the outside but it isn't until you get into the place you see just how spacious and big it actually is. They even give a 10% discount to students, awesome! We go in, get seated, and order. I wanted badly to try their fish n' chips, as I have made a point to try this dish all across Scotland at the places we have gone, but no, tonight it was time to try something different. I see they have a traditional Scottish Haggis dinner reasonably priced (cheaper than the fish n' chips that is) so I decide to go for it, along with a pint of Guinness. Rachel orders a baked potato garnished with chili and the likes, probably what I should have ordered...

The Schoolhouse, they had a nice big outdoor covered patio as well.

Our food comes, I take a big gulp of Guinness and begin.

Here is my plate, Haggis with Nepes and Tatties, along with some biscuits and whiskey flavored brown gravy.

I go for the Haggis first, since this is the center of the dish. Initially it kind of reminded me of stuffing, especially in terms of the consistency. A grainy stuffing with a funny aftertaste. After a couple of bites I felt fine, and I was impressed I actually was liking it! The nepes (mashed turnips and rutabaga) and tatties (mashed potatoes) were okay, the biscuits were similar to cardboard, and the gravy had a funny aroma and with that an even funnier taste. I continue to eat the Haggis, and so far surprisingly it is my favorite part of the whole dish, but then it begins to set it. Maybe I had just psyched myself so much at first that it took a bit for me to come to realize how nauseous I was beginning to feel. What was once good and like grainy stuffing to me was now very quickly becoming nasty. I couldn't swallow more than 2 more bites of the stuff before I had to throw in the towel. What started out so great ended so poorly.

All around the dish wasn't all that good, maybe it was the combination of Guinness with the meal (since Guinness has a very bold distinct taste to it) or perhaps this just wasn't the best place to get Haggis. Whichever, I was embarrassed by how little I ate so I did the old move the food around the plate to one side and cover it with your napkin technique to give the illusion that I had eaten far more of the meal than I actually had. I had even put some on Rachel's plate, just to make mine look less full, I needed all the help I could get covering this up. Rachel loved her baked potato and was content, I on the other hand was still very hungry but happy I finally gave Haggis a shot! We left and I ended up going back to the dorm to make something to eat. That's another one to take off my bucket list.

Getting to know Glasgow

Having been here for a few weeks now I have had enough time to make some general observations on the people and city of Glasgow. The city of Glasgow has a slogan, “People make Glasgow,” which seems cheesy and sort of generic as for any city could say this. My experience is that people really do make Glasgow though, in the sense that since my time here I honestly have not had one negative experience with the locals. Everyone is incredibly kind and polite, often taking an interest in my studies at Uni and where I myself come from. People are very willing to go out of their way to befriend and help you upon being approached. Interestingly enough I have heard from Scottish friends I have made here in Glasgow that people in the highlands to the North are a bit raunchier and less delicate (for lack of better words) with how they interact with people. Perhaps this is just a regional difference between groups/communities within Scotland.

The city slogan can be seen everywhere, office buildings and all.

 Getting around Glasgow can be both adrenaline pumping and frustrating. Walking on the sidewalk can be challenging at times. Unlike in the US where there is a clear system of “sticking to the right” when going places, here there is no such thing. It’s normal for people to walk wherever and weave through each other rather than pass by in an organized fashion. To add, driving in Scotland is quite scary- if you’re the pedestrian. Unlike the US where the pedestrian has a lot of power and drivers are expected to respect the presence of those crossing the road, it’s quite the opposite here. It is upon you to look out and avoid cars because drivers don’t seem real fond of the idea of slowing down or letting you pass through first. This is something I have quickly learned my short time here. Most people use the subway to get around the city fast and cheap, but buses and taxis are also fairly common.

I think it can be easy (as I first did this when coming here) to think that surely that overall food variety must be completely different in Scotland than what we are accustomed to in America. Surprisingly it is not. Okay, sure you have your local favorites such as Haggis, Blood Sausage, Black Pudding, or even Fish n’ Chips. Beyond this everything else you would think of back home food wise, that being Chinese, Italian, Burgers joints, etc. are quite prevalent and common here. To expand on this Scotland has some of the same establishments as we do such as McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, Starbucks, and Krispy Crème Donuts. Also, in case you were wondering, yes the Big Mac and Whopper taste virtually the same out here as they would in the states (I had to try to compare). Despite these similarities there is a place called Greggs, which appears to have the same presence per capita as Starbucks in America but is unique to the UK. Greggs can literally be found around every corner, specializing in sandwiches, wraps, and pastries.

Here is the Greggs on Byres Road, I pass this one everyday on my walk to campus.

All around town you can find awe and amazement within the architecture of buildings. One thing that stood out to me was how most common neighborhoods you find are made up of old tenement buildings. Tenements are typically known for not being real nice (maybe this is the case on the interior) but as for the exterior the stonework on some of these structures gives a real unique vintage feel. Here is what I mean.

Uni

The title of this post is “Uni,” which is short for University and what most collegiate institutions are referred to out here. I thought it would be good to have a post that gives readers a better understanding of the University or Uni I am going to through both pictures and description. There was a lot I learned upon arrival about my school that I wasn’t aware of coming in, so here we go.

This is the coat of arms for the University of Glasgow, along with their motto in latin. "Via, Veritas, Vita." Meaning "The Way, The Truth, The Life." The tree, the bird, the bell, and the fish are associated with the miracles of Glasgow and St. Mungo upon its founding, while the mace represents the Universities corporate dignity and the book is understood to represent the book of learning.

The University of Glasgow (or U of G as I will commonly refer to it) was founded in 1451, and is the fourth oldest University in the English speaking world, the second oldest in Scotland only behind St. Andrews. Last year Edward Snowden was voted in to be the Rector for the U of G, this position is voted for by the student body and from what I have heard U of G has had a long history of voting for controversial individuals to be their rector (hmmm you don’t say?). There are roughly 23,000 students enrolled, that being both undergraduate and postgraduate combined. U of G ranks among the top 1% of Universities around the world and within the top 10 in the UK according to QS World University Rankings. There are also a number of famous U of G alumni, some of the bigger ones being…

Adam Smith: Considered the father of Modern Economics.

William Thomson/ Lord Kelvin: Famous scientist most recognized for his invention of the Kelvin scale.

John Logie Baird: Helped to pioneer and establish television.

James Watt: Revolutionized steam powered mechanics.

John Boyd Orr: Famous nutritionist and physiologist, led pioneering studies in human and farm animal nutrition during his time. Was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the United Nations in 1949.

The U of G truly has a beautiful campus filled with history and impressive architecture as well.

 The magnificent entrance to Uni.

    

Repairs are currently being done on the main tower.

The Tesco Experience

After the interesting start to my stay here in Glasgow things quickly improved, once I was better aware of my surroundings and I began to know my way around the city. Not too far down MaryHill road, and actually right across from that McDonalds that saved us from starvation previously, is a large general goods/grocery store called Tesco. It is just like a Target or Walmart back home, you can find anything and everything you could possibly need there. Initially me and Rachel seemed to be making trips there daily, rounding up bedding, towels, personal hygiene items, groceries, etc. The reason for the frequency was not just that we kept thinking of new things to add, but it was also in part due to the fact that the Tesco round trip is about a mile walk from the student dorms. What you bring back is what you are willing to carry in your backpack and bags, thus you find yourself making multiple trips throughout the week.

Making a routine of going to Tesco every couple of days, I eventually came across the "World Food" aisle as they call it, and found the "American" section...

Ah yes! Gatorade, Jiff Peanut Butter, Pop-tarts, Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, Mac n' Cheese, and there is no US of A without Twinkies. Never have I felt so close to home when I was so far away. Finding this was quite funny as I'm sure you are laughing now seeing and reading this. Its interesting to see what other places think of us, and what to some extent defines our diet as a country (or so they think). I have also noticed how many of the same brands exist here as back home but they are slightly different in how they are either marketed or labeled. Here are a few.

Frosted Flakes, now Frosties

AXE, now LYNX

Lays Chips, now Walkers

There is also a drink called Irn Bru, a soda that is exclusive to Scotland. I was told that it actually outsells Coca Cola in Scotland as it is their drink of choice. I tried some and really wasn't a fan, it had a bad cream soda taste to it. I prefer Coke.

The Dog Day

A large "Allander" coach bus, hauls us away from the airport and onto our destination; where in our case were the Murano St. student dorms. The drive wasn't too long from the airport, and during it me and Rachel tried to see if we could recognize many of the car manufacturers from the vehicles around us. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, or maybe it was just common, but we noticed a great deal of Audi's and Beamers, and surprisingly Fords! I thought Chrysler was America's import but regardless GO AMERICAN IMPORTS! We had arrived at our accommodation around 10am, where we came to find out that we couldn't actually move in our rooms until 4pm that afternoon since the rooms weren't entirely prepared. Me, Rachel, and 4 others we had made friends with off the plane decided to bring our luggage into the main student center building to wait. We were all starving, and with nowhere to store our items and luggage decided to split into two teams of three where one could stay and watch everyone's stuff while the others could go off and find lunch somewhere. Collin (a student we had met from Gonzaga), Rachel, and I nominated ourselves to stay first. For 2 1/2 hours we waited, rested, and attempted to connect to the local Wi-Fi but to no avail.

When the second half of our party returned the three of us excited and eager were ready to find the cafe the others had came from. All they said was that they wondered around and passed a gas station down the way, where not too far beyond there were some shops and restaurants. Our trio headed off in the direction they described (or so we thought) brimming with anticipation and optimism for the meal our stomachs growled and groaned for. Walking, and walking we started to pass a number of smaller businesses that were closed (still don't understand why this was given it was the middle of the day on a Friday), and here the streets and sidewalks had a noticeable amount of garbage and trash strewn across them. This was our first taste of Glasgow and it wasn't the glamorous image we had envisioned. Half an hour had passed and we seemed to be getting into more of a residential area with literally no food in sight, although oddly enough we had to have passed at least eight barbershops. Realizing somewhere we made a wrong turn since we never hit any gas station after over 45 minutes of walking, we decided to cut our losses and go back to the Murano St. student center and ask for directions to food at the reception desk.

Retracing our steps we get back to where we started and asked a kind woman at the front desk for help. I tell her where we went and she chuckles, "Oh no, there is nothing over there, just a bunch of houses. You want to go across the bridge behind the student village and walk down Maryhill road where in 10 minutes time you will plenty of cafes and even a McDonalds." Slightly embarrassed but now again excited with hope we headed off in the right direction. You might be thinking well why didn't they just use Google maps on their smartphones? The issue there is that we hadn't had a chance to install a SIM card into our phones for service out here yet and we deactivated our home service from America to avoid those outrageous fees they try to get you with. Anyways, we went over the bridge and onto Maryhill road, where we passed a gas station and started to see some restaurants and cafes. A little further and there it was... My god those golden arches have never looked for beautiful! You could imagine at this point we were absolutely starving and we didn't want to risk trying one of these new places and have it not be good, we just needed something that was a sure thing, and well McDonalds was just that.

We walk in and noticed immediately it's both oddly similar and different. There weren’t a dozen different combo meal options on the menu, the soft drink dispenser wasn't out in the lobby, there was no value or dollar menu, and a Big Mac meal cost to the equivalent of $11.50 in pounds. I ended up ordering a quarter pounder combo which was about $8.00; Rachel and Collin both got a chicken sandwich. We all agreed that our meals tasted the same as it would of back home, just cost a fair amount more. Also, we found that you need to be careful not to gulp your Coca Cola too quick, as there aren’t free refills like we have in the states. Between the flight in, and our miss navigation, I felt like it had been a day since I had ate a semi substantial meal which made fast food that I wouldn't usually eat even back home all the more satisfying.

It’s funny how in the end something that in my opinion is so strikingly American (McDonalds) ended up saving us in our time of hunger and desperation. We head back where at this point it’s about time to finally move into our accommodations. As it turns out (upon our request through the original application), they put both Rachel and I in the same dorm, which is Sidlaw House. Also, to better explain the setup of where we are living it's relatively simple and standard. Basically a bunch of four story apartment buildings (roughly 20 or so) are together like a village. A flat is one level on the building comprised of 6-12 people same sex or coed with a couple of bathrooms and showers but only one central shared kitchen space. I live with 11 others coed and Rachel 11 others all girls two floors above me. Anyways, our rooms ended up being what you might expect for your typical college dorm, relatively small with a desk and some shelf space, along with a bed, lamp, and one wardrobe closet. One component that stood out to me was that we each have our own sink in each of our rooms making personal hygiene and grooming much easier. As soon as I reach my room and get situated I only unpack one thing, my plane pillow. Major jet lag setting in at this point, and feeling utterly exhausted I crash on my bare bed for an afternoon nap. What a day.

Pictures of my dorm