Deep Fried Delicacy

The other night I also tried the UK-delicacy of DEEP FRIED MARS BARS!!!!!!! (sounds pretty American, doesn’t it?) I don’t know how I missed these in the first few months here – though probably better for my waistline. (One of our tour guides in Ireland told us to go, actually!) The specific place I went to actually offered many different candies to be fried (Conor – when you come you’ll have to get a Snickers) but we all decided to go with the original Mars. Heavenly.

For those who don’t know, seeing as we don’t have them in the US, and I didn’t know when I got here – Mars Bars are virtually British Milky Ways. And Milky Ways here are virtually Three Musketeers (meaning nougat with no caramel).

Hopefully tomorrow I'll make some time to update about Ireland and London!

Lana Del Ray - Video Games

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

Braidburn Valley Park

Wow! What a great day! I have been a little annoyed since coming back from London and Ireland (obnoxiously long and detailed-filled blog post soon to follow) seeing as the internet in my room has decided to cease its existence, but today made me feel so much better! I have no class on Wednesdays so I woke up and fought with my computer for awhile. Annoyed with my flat, and the lack of technology in this country (spoiled brat, I know) I decided to go for a walk since it had gotten pretty nice out. Behind my building there is this area called “the meadows” which is exactly as it sounds: a pretty large park with different sports fields, playgrounds, walking paths, etc. I usually walk through a part of it to go to class, but I had never really been to the other side before – so I walked over there. After continuing through them I ended up in this adorable almost suburban-village area of the city. I couldn’t get over how cute it was. I wish I knew what the area was called, but do to my lack of internet I cannot look it up (I am currently typing this entry in a Word document). All I know is that all of the Lothian buses said “Hunter’s Tryst” toward the end. There were lots of families and old couples everywhere. It was so refreshing to find a part of the city that wasn’t really student or tourist based! By the time I got there, it was about the time that school was getting out and little uniformed children with adorable accents were all over the place. SO. CUTE. I felt like I was in a movie! It just seemed so livable, I LOVED IT (if you couldn’t tell already).  Since I was so infatuated and it was so nice out I continued to walk, and ultimately came upon Braidburn Valley Park. If I wasn’t completely sold before, that REALLY did it. This place was full of puppies and happiness!!!! Literally. Amazing.

I was pretty tired at the end and on my walk back rewarded myself with some carrot cake and a mocha from Choco-latte. Choco-latte is this unbelievably tiny, but overwhelming coffee/cake/candy shop across from my flat. Many people have told me to go, but I have been too scared of the money I’d spend going in. NOW I KNOW WHY! Amazing, and more importantly, inexpensive. Forget travel – I know where my money is going now.

Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own
Regina Spektor - Real Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

To all of the people who actually take time to read my blog:

Amsterdam, Netherlands (aka: Antarctica)

What a whirlwind weekend. Okay, well it wasn't really the weekend that I spent there but I liked the alliteration. In complete honesty, this trip really crept up on me! I was so busy trying to get my papers done before we left (which clearly didn't happen if you read some of my earlier entries from today) I didn't realize how fast it was approaching. As a result, I packed about 30 minutes before heading to the airport bus. Hah. Definitely not my usual organized self, but I find I've lost a lot of that since being abroad (and I do nottttt mind whatsoever! no stress!)

Edinburgh Airport really isn't that big (compared to most of the major hubs around the world, TF Green definitely not included) so security and getting to the gate was relatively painless. We didn't have to wait too too long to board and were otherwise mesmerized by "Yo! Sushi"(a very strange conveyor bell restaurant) that we were on the flight and over the North Sea in a flash. Upon arrival although, my lack of organization really bit me in the ass. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FREEZING.

I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW UNBELIEVABLY COLD IT WAS. Okay, so I tried to play it off a little when we landed, thinking, "I deal with Burlington, Vermont Februaries - this is nothing." My pompous ass was SO WRONG. This was more like 3 days of the coldest Vermont nights and Lake Champlain winds! Perhaps it was because I really did not have enough of the right clothes with me, or maybe because I experienced virtually no winter before getting here this season - either way, it was DAMN COLD. After navigating Dutch trains and trams we arrived at our hostel. I don't have any prior experience so I really have no other places to compare it to. We had our own private five person room - and minus the cold, everything was pretty bearable. Although the stairs were also pretty awful. In addition to being the land of weed and prostitutes (half kidding), I found that Amsterdam is also the land of STEEP STAIRS. And not just one flight, more like five or six flights of uneven, skinny, steeeep staircases.

Over the next few days we basically explored the city doing most of the things tourists are supposed to do: ate Dutch pancakes, looked at wooden shoes, walked through the Red Light District (depressing), took pictures in front of the "I amsterdam" letters at the Rijksmuseum...There was a lot of canal skating too! (most were completely frozen...with a lot of boats still in them?) and over the weekend there were hoards of people all over them! Some people even had chairs and tables set up in weird almost pseudo-American barbecues. It was a pretty cool experience, although I definitely need to go back when it is warm and the water is in liquid form.

The Anne Frank House was probably the most serious part of the trip. I had initially forgot that the famous Annex immortalized through her diaries was in Amsterdam. It was definitely a moving experience, comparable to the times I have visited the Holocaust museum in Washington DC. I hadn't read the diary in at least five years or so, leaving a lot of details fuzzy, and virtually making the experience better. The most moving part of it, in my opinion, was this portrait of her father (the only member of the family who survived the Holocaust after they were detained) standing in the attic of the Annex, fifteen or so years after the war had ended. It literally knocked the breath out of me and it was the first image you saw walking into the room that depicted the family's eventual capture and deaths. What an experience.

On a lighter note, we also toured the Heineken Brewery, or as they say there, we had the "Heineken Experience." Clearly, I do not have much experience with brewery tours since I am not yet 21, but I would assume that this one would really knock the rest out of the water. The whole tour (self-guided) lasted over two hours, maybe even three. I can't even go into all of the different aspects because there were SO many. It was extremely interactive, yet really informative at the same time. I actually found myself interested in what each employee had to say - and let's be honest, I really didn't think I would care for more than fifteen minutes of talk about barely. At first I was a little annoyed to be spending 16 euro, but it was worth it all. Seriously, if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam, I highly recommend it - and not even for the three free beers!

The Vincent van Gogh Museum is definitely another must-do. Whether or not you're into art - it's a really cool experience. The museum was not only filled with his work, but also the works of his influences (found through letters he wrote to his brother). Because he was only an active artist for about ten years before he killed himself (today, they think he had Epilepsy) the entire museum is ordered chronologically, highlighting the personal and artistic influences that inspired his works during specific years. While many were not so happy to find that Starry Night is not featured (I think it's in New York or Paris somewhere permanently), I was extremely annoyed to find that Almond Blossom, my favorite, was on loan in Philadelphia!!! So disappointing. Here are a few of the more famous works that we did see:

(Almond Blossom - so sad!)

This Friday I will be leaving again for London and Ireland! I can't believe this is "real-life" sometimes!

"Water of Life"

Appropriately, in Edinburgh, they have a tourist spot called The Scottish Whisky Experience (although locals have told me that they visit as well!) It was a nice little tour and ride - think alcohol themed slow Disney attraction. 

If you know anything about Whisky or even if you don't (I hadn't), chances are you still probably know what a big deal Whisky is to the UK, and Scotland specifically. Did you ever wonder why some Whisky was actually "SCOTCH"?! Here's a little history lesson (see, I am learning things here!)

1. The letter E should never be associated with the spelling of WHISKY. Stupid Americans!
2. The Gaelic term "usquebaugh", meaning "Water of Life," phonetically became "usky"and then "whisky" in English. 
3. More specifically, in Scotland, it is often called Scotch Whisky or Scotch (and just Whisky as well, opposed to whiskey).
4. Scotland has internationally protected the term "Scotch". For a whisky to be labelled Scotch it has to be produced in Scotland. If it is to be called Scotch, it cannot be produced in England, Wales, Ireland, America, etc. 

After learning about the distillation process, how different "flavors" are made, the differences between Scotland's distilleries, etc (sorry for the lack of detail Conor, but you must know that I don't really care that much haha) We went into the collection room for a tasting. We first learned the basics of "nosing" and "tasting" (snooze) and the benefits/drawbacks of adding water or ice. I tasted a mixed blend of separately distilled whiskies from all over Scotland. 

In my opinion the best part of the tour was that it the organization houses the largest collection of whisky in the WORLD. The collection features 3,384 bottles, and was built up over 35 years by Brazilian whisky enthusiast, Claive Vidiz, who has spent millions of dollars and traveled the world searching for whiskies! It's funny, someone on the tour asked what Claive's favorite kind of whisky was, and it ended up being some super cheap one that everyone drinks (I think it was called something with "Red" in the title, that could be way off though)

Phoenix - Long Distance Call

Maria Taylor - Clean Getaway

Keep Calm and Bergeron

So, I did get to watch the Super Bowl...

Surprisingly a lot of people here are into it, although they openly admit they have no idea what's going on and always root for New York teams (...ugh...) because for most, that is one of the only things associated with the US.

But, yeah, I don't really think it's worth talking about either....

GO BRUINS!

Jimmy Eat World - 23

Ketchup

SO much to say. Wow. I have been slacking (except not really...)
School work is so different here - virtually every course has 2-3 assignments during the semester and that's IT. Meaning, no participation or attendance grade (which is nice when you take impromptu trips to Amsterdam during the school week) yet, when you do have work it's SO CONSUMING. What I'm trying to say here is that I had two assignments due today, both of which were about 30% of their respective courses and I sure am TIRED. I don't think I've ever been so stressed handing in an assignment before. That's probably not true - some past ones have definitely been over-traumatic and repressed from my memory.

Anyway - on to the good stuff!

About a week ago Arcadia sponsored a tour of the Scottish Parliament building. The tour was interesting despite my lack of interest in politics and government, because everything about the building was so bizarre! Literally, in a city filled with preserved structures from hundreds of years ago, I do not know what they were thinking when they built this campus/building site (I think it was in 2004?).  Previously, Scotland never had their own Parliament separate from England, although Scottish Parliament is still ultimately under the Queen of England. Regardless, the structure itself is so interesting - literally almost every design both inside and outside, as well as resources used to create it are all Scottish or otherwise have some form of Scottish culture emulated through them. Here are a few bird's eye pictures I snagged from Google:

Weird, right? I am sure there is plenty of info online about all of the individual structures involved, along with their meanings. It's actually really sad that the original artist died before he could see it completed. Such a shame!

(Those are my feet)

Apparently over the five or so year process that it was built, there was huge controversy. Initially the cost of the project was projected to be between 10 and 40 million pounds, but when finished in 2004 the total was something like 430 million pounds. Tax payers clearly were not happy. It's funny because situations such as that one pretty much consist of the only type of divided controversy in Scottish politics. For instance, right now, mentioning the possible Edinburgh tram construction to a Scot is like bringing a bottle of vodka to an AA meeting. They go CRAZY (most people are against it). It's actually kind of refreshing - no argument about health care: it's nationalized; no argument about abortion: it's legal; no argument about religion: everyone here hates it anyway; no argument over gay marriage: if you're gay, you're gay, an equal citizen with equal rights! It really doesn't need to be that hard...

I'm going to start adding songs to the bottom of my blog posts, it'll be interesting to look back and see what I was listening to while writing.

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

Gerard Butler - Galway Girl

The Pogues - Love You 'Til The End

Leaving Already?!

I can't believe I'm leaving in less than a week!

Oh wait....

Sorry, did you think I was coming home? HA! You couldn't pay me to come back yet...The fact that it is already February is absolutely terrifying, and I can't even begin to comprehend that I have practically been here for a month. With that being said, I AM leaving next Wednesday...to Amsterdam! In the last week or so my friends and I have planned a trip to stay in Amsterdam from the 8th to the 11th. Inter-european travel can be oh so cheap - if only it was like that getting here.

In addition to Amsterdam we have also planned a longer trip for the University's Innovative Learning Week (which I am not even entirely sure what that means, something about business school presentations - the important part though, is NO CLASS!). Saturday the 18th to Wednesday the 22nd we will be in London. And then from the morning of the 22nd to Saturday the 25th we are going to Dublin (and hopefully a little more travel within Ireland, time and money permitting). I, of course, cannot be picky because I have been fortunate enough to see the beautiful Emerald Isle a few times - I really would like everyone else to see what it has to offer outside of Dublin though

Quack

Learned at Mary King's Close: certainly why everyone is/was afraid of doctors.

Generally, in the time of the plague in Edinburgh, there was one doctor who "treated" those who contracted it. I say "treated" because what they did to the patients I would hardly call any kind of helpful treatment. If you feel so inclined to know what they did, you can look that up yourself. Yuck. Anyway, the doctor was paid about 100 pounds a month (a HUGE amount of money), that is although, if he lived to collect it. Here is a recreation of what they wore:

I guess it was a general belief that evil was immune/afraid of ravens. That struck me a little funny because of Stephen King's "The Stand," but hey, I guess the Scots didn't have the luxury of Stephen King in the 17th century. Anyway, the beak looking mask would be stuffed with herbs in order to act like somewhat of a gas mask while treating patients. It also just made them look ridiculous and probably sneeze a lot, but I guess that's better than the plague (which they most likely contracted anyway???......)

Doctors = Ravens = Birds/Ducks = QUACKS!

The most haunted city in the UK

Throughout the first week or so in Edinburgh I couldn't help but notice ghost tour advert's (British abbreviation for advertisements) all over the city. Naturally, I was intrigued. Some free, others through charge, I really didn't know what to pick. Many of the charging tours were recognized by the Scottish tourist board, so despite the 10 pounds, it seemed a lot more legit.

The first one I went on was through a company called Mercat Tours. Beginning in the middle of the Royal Mile at St. Giles Cathedral and the Mercat Cross, the company holds a ton of different tours everyday including "Hidden and Haunted" "Gallows to Graveyard" "Ghostly Underground" and "Paranormal Underground". The tour that my group decided to take, according to the best reviews, was entitled "Ghosts and Ghouls." 

Beginning in the cold, dark, and deserted street at around 20.00 (figure it out, 24 hour clocks only here). The tour guide Liz dramatically told many stories of Edinburgh's "hidden" history. As written on the website: By day Edinburgh is a bustling metropolis, but at night the old buildings and narrow closes take on a more sinister air. A long history of murder, torture, hangings and plague has left a haunting legacy on the city's Old Town and ghostly apparitions now walk its streets. We walked through the streets, through many closes, and into the city's underground vaults that have supposedly "absorbed the memories of those who once lived and worked there." Although I didn't see any kind of weird activity in the vaults, the stories (and noises) were definitely pretty creepy. There was probably 25 or so total people on the tour and I wouldn't probably go down there at night with any less than that.

About a week later, a group of my friends and I went on the Mary King's Close tour. Although a little less on the spooky side, it was SUCH a better interpretation of the life in Old Town so many years ago. The actual tour was really extensive, and the tour guide both entertaining and authentic. You would think during the tour that a lot of it was recreated as some sort of Disney attraction - while yes, it is technically a recreation of the close the majority of the structure as a whole is completely original (with added support for safety reasons). Here's a little background I snagged from the Royal Mile website:

This 17th century close is one of the many underground streets that were built over during the modernisation of the old town. The lower floors acted as the foundation for The Royal Exchange, built in 1753 (now The City Chambers) and over 250 years later the floors below remain largely unchanged. The name of Mary King's Close is thought to have originated from the property owner and advocate to Mary Queen of Scots, Alexander King whose daughter was also called Mary. In 1645 life of the close was shattered forever. The plague struck this little community and there is a myth that the local council decided to contain the plague by incarcerating the victims, bricking up the close for several years and leaving them to die inside to die. It is likely that this is why the close was nicknamed 'street of sorrows.'

A definite must-see (as recommended by nearly every Scottish person I've encountered) in visiting Edinburgh