Oh wow

Wow, there is almost too much to post about (even though I haven't been filling every minute of my time with activities from Fresher's Week). Last night I joined my residence flat in pub crawling, and there were quite a few long and awkward conversations, but I got to know some of the people in my hall, or at least recognize them more easily. I still haven't quite gotten the nerve to hang out with a lot of Scottish people yet, and I seem to make a lot of friends with the other Americans, which isn't one of the main goals of being here. Anyway, in one night I amped up the number of pubs I have been to in my life, and I did there exactly what I did in Madrid - I ordered a Coke.

Today, most of my morning was spent planning for how I was going to get to Church. I had an academic meeting at 12 pm, which is right in the middle of my meetings (and it takes a while to walk to Church, let me tell you, and riding the bus isn't any quicker). I skipped the first part of Church, went to the academic meeting and ordered a taxi to take me to Church, and I had a pleasant ride with the taxi man. He was telling me a bit about the Fringe festival here and the people he gets to meet, who are mostly Japanese or Americans, and about famous people he has driven around. The most famous person he taxied, he said, was Sean Connery, and he had sat right in the seat I was sitting in! Just imagine: my rump rested where Sean Connery's rump once rested.

I had a nice time at Church, and afterwards I walked back towards my flat with two American graduates who live relatively near me. They sent me on my merry way down the street, but I took a wrong turn and got a little lost. However, with the help of one of the other Americans from my program who lives in my block of flats, I was able to get home without too much trouble.

The next major event with the ceilidh, which is like a Scottish folk-dance night. Think of square dancing. Now think of Scotland. If you can imagine, combine the two, throw in a flute, an accordion, and some kilts, and you've got a ceilidh. Okay, the steps are a lot different and involve jumping, twirling, and heel-toe, heel-toe kicks, but the principle is the same. Oh, right, and you make a lot of circles and lines. Anyway. I had some good times.

That's all I've really done, but it's been so nice being here in Scotland and hearing the accents and being with these people, if only somewhat by proximity.

P.S. I've also figured out simple things like how to open my door and which keys to use, how to get to the grocery store, how to turn off the heater in the bathroom, and how to use the shower here. Who knew that you had to press a button for water pressure and then turn the nob? Don't know how to successfully change the water temperature, though, so this is still a work in progress. It's all this day-to-day stuff that's hard to adjust to at first.

P.P.S. Although I love Scotland, I think I'm missing Spain. A lot.