Travel destinations!

Since I'm moving to Scotland, the rest of Europe will suddenly be much closer! It's probably obvious by this point that I love to travel and explore, and I cannot wait for the chance to travel more. St. Andrews has a student travel agency that will help you book tickets and hostels and all of that stuff. So here is my list of places in Europe I want to visit while I'm at St. Andrews. I've had to narrow it down (because if I didn't, this post would take me a very long time to write!), but here I go!


1. St. Petersburg, Russia: I've always found Russia fascinating. It has a bit of a rough history, but it encompasses such a vast amount of land and culture. St. Petersburg seems to be the cultural capital of Russia, and the influences of Peter the Great are still evident. It looks like a beautiful city, and historically, there is so much to learn and see in St. Petersburg! The song "Once Upon December" also plays through my head when I think about St. Petersburg...

St. Issac's Cathedral











2. Germany and Austria: For some reason, I always group Germany and Austria together in my mind. This may be a result of A.P. Euro... Anyway, Germany and Austria just seem like places you have to visit. Berlin sounds like an interesting city. I've heard that while it still has it's historical charm, Berlin is also modern and fun. Then there is Vienna in Austria. My mom studied abroad in Vienna for a year, and my sister has visited. My mom still talks about Vienna, so I want to go see what she is talking about! Plus I want to go hiking in the Alps! :)







The Alps!










3. Croatia: Perhaps ridiculous, but I've had an obsession with Croatia for the past couple of years now! I'm not sure why because I don't really know anything about it except that it is in Central Europe on the Adriatic Coast. I want to visit Croatia simply because it is a country that not a lot of people visit. You don't hear much about Croatia, so I don't think I would be caught up in the same tourist traps that may be a problem in other countries. Since it's on the Mediterranean, I think it would be fun to experience the mix of European and Mediterranean culture.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
(seriously, just look at that!)








4. The Netherlands: A good friend of mine from school is from the Netherlands, so now I have to go! She grew up in Delft, which is in south Holland. I don't know all that much about the Netherlands, except what I have heard from my friend. Amsterdam would be cool to visit. There's a whole lot of history and culture to experience. Apparently Amsterdam is a very bike friendly place, so I should go rent a bike and ride around. I also want to visit Delft! I'm betting it will be a little less crowded than Amsterdam, and I actually have a source that can help me out!

Delft!












5. Spain: So, I was supposed to go to Spain during Spring Break of my Sophomore year, but my school canceled the trip because not enough people signed up. I was so disappointed! But, on the upside, I went on the trip to Scotland and Ireland over Christmas Break. Had I not gone on that trip, I may not have ended up at St. Andrews. But, I want to make up for that trip! I've taken 4 years of Spanish, and I would really like to use that in a real setting (though I was never all that good at it). My sister spent six months in Salamanca one summer and loved it! Madrid, Barcelona, and Salamanca are all on my list.

Barcelona skyline











So these are just a few ideas. I'm open to any suggestions!

Haggis, Pudding, and other Scottish Food

Ok, so I know I've mentioned food a lot in my blog posts...but hey, food is a very important topic! I kind of need it to survive. Unfortunately, I have been told by several people that Scotland is not known for its food. I was on the St. Andrews website a few days ago looking at the Resident Halls and trying to figure out which ones cater (I'm not ready to cook all on my own yet), and I found an example menu.

First off, IT MENTIONED PEANUT BUTTER!!! Now I know that I won't completely starve, at least not at breakfast!

 :)









I was relieved to see a few familiar items on the menu. Bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, cereal, granola, fresh fruit for breakfast, and soups, salads, and sandwiches for lunch and dinner. This I can deal with.

But, there are some other items I'm a little less sure about. For example, haggis! It was the third option down in the breakfast category. I was wondering when haggis would make an appearance; it is an infamously Scottish dish! For those who don't know, haggis is sheep's heart, liver, lungs, onion and spices cooked inside the sheep's stomach. It is traditionally served with "neeps and tatties" (rutabaga and potato). What an interesting combination of ingredients... I've heard that it is better than the description implies, and it must be since it's been around for centuries, but I think I might hold off on that adventure for a while.

 Haggis!

Haggis is also a mythological creature found in the Scottish Highlands with two legs longer than the other so it can quickly scamper around the steep hills. Apparently 30% of Americans believe that the haggis is a real creature...I'm not falling for it.






My friend Alexandra has also told me to stay away from pudding! Pudding has a very different meaning in Britain (haggis is considered a pudding), but I'm not entirely sure what the meaning is. Pudding confuses me, so I'm going to stay away from it until I know exactly what I'm getting myself into (black pudding is listed under Breakfast as well). She also warned me to stay away from all sausage.

There were some things on the menu that made me laugh. First of all, it mentions "Americano Pizza." What is American pizza and how is it different than any other pizza? I'm really confused. It also mentions a chicken fajita wrap! Ok, being from Texas, that's going to be interesting. I think I need to bring some of the Tex Mex with me! To all of my future Scottish friends, be prepared to try queso. :)

Alright, now that I have listed some of the things I'm going to avoid, I need to figure how what I want to try! I'm not keen on the idea of starving, and if I'm going to live in a different country, I want to be a little adventurous! First step: try to learn to like fish. I'll be on the coast of the North Sea, so I'm sure there will be an abundance of fish to try. I'll report back on the success of that mission.

Language Barriers

One good thing about studying abroad in Scotland is that I won't have to worry about learning a new language. However, American English, and more specifically Texan English, is very different than Scottish English.

Here are some basic examples:

• jumper = sweater
• biscuit = cookie
• wellies = rain boots
• chips = french fries
• plaster = band aid
• torch = flashlight

These aren't too hard to pick up on, but I am afraid that I'm going to say something with one intention and my friends are going to pick up on a very different meaning. Fortunately, one of my friends here is kindly compiling a list called "UK Dictionary, Idioms, and Other Stuff To Avoid." I think this will be very helpful, especially the "other stuff to avoid" part. I really like knowing what to avoid!

I was talking to my parents about this a couple of days ago, and apparently in Britain food is often referred to by its French name. I know almost no French, and I don't think the 4+ years of Spanish that I've taken will help me in this situation. So I guess I'll spend the first month having no idea what I am eating...Sounds like an adventure!

Finally, a new issue was brought up that I had never thought of before: spelling. Not only do Americans speak differently, we spell differently! I suppose I'll have to learn to insert u's into many of my words. I'm also wondering if I'll get points taken off of my papers for any spelling differences. Do professors even take points off for spelling in college? Let's hope not. 

http://strangefunnyworld.com/american-english-vs-british-english/

So true.....

Also, anybody who is just dying to know the specific differences between American and British English in grammar, culture, vocab, and writing should visit the Wikipedia site, which is surprisingly extensive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences

Oh, and shout out to all of my future Scottish friends who decide to read my past posts: I WILL NOT STOP SAYING YA'LL! :P

Inspector Lewis

So, a couple of weeks ago, my mom got me into this British crime show called Inspector Lewis. It is a spin-off of Inspector Morse, which aired about fifteen years ago, and is based off of the Inspector Morse novels by Colin Dexter. It stars Kevin Whately as D.I. Robby Lewis and Laurence Fox as Sergeant James Hathaway. They live in Oxford and solve the various dramatic and mysterious crimes that happen in the town.



It's a really good show! The episodes are well written and complex, and the characters are likeable (Hathaway is my favorite!). It doesn't have the same action-packed plots that most crime shows have, but it's a very intellectual show. You really have to pay attention to what's going on. But I enjoy not being able to predict what is going to happen. It's interesting that it takes place in Oxford. Hathaway went to Cambridge, so there is an underlying rivalry always present.

But what also caught my attention is how they depict student life and classes at Oxford! Whenever they show scenes of lectures, it is always a small group of brilliant kids sitting around a fancy sitting room or coffee shop drinking tea and having an intellectual philosophical or historical discussion with their professor. How prestigious. I know this is stereotyped and probably exaggerated, but it has made me wonder what my classes at St. Andrews will be like. Somehow I don't think my classes will be quite like that. Though I like the idea of studying at some quaint little coffee shop in St. Andrews.

Anyway, I haven't had time to finish the series yet, but I plan on doing that soon! Each season has four 90 minute episodes, and there are four or five series. But, Spring Break starts today, so I'll actually have some free time! Yay Spring Break! Plus it is cold and rainy, so I think I am going to get a cup of tea and go watch more of my new favorite detective show.

The White Lamp

So, this has nothing to do with Scotland, but it needs to be posted anyway. In English we are reading poetry, and we recently read a poem called "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Williams. My friend Alexandra and I were discussing the poem, and we decided to imitate the brilliance of such poetry. Here is what I came up with:

"The white 

lamp

bright and 

shining

stands 

upon the desk"

Clearly, this poem represents enlightment and knowledge. Without the light, we stumble through ignorance and darkness. The lamp stands tall on the desk as a beacon for the weary wanderers desperately searching for righteous knowledge. 

#sarcasm....this is what happens when I'm sick. 

University of St. Andrews

So about a month ago, I was accepted at the University of St. Andrews! It was the middle of finals week, and I had just finished/given up studying for my A.P. European History final when I saw the email. It was past midnight, and my parents were a little confused when I came in to their room screaming. Anyway, I've accepted the offer, and I guess it's official now!

First of all, a couple of points to clear up:

1. Yes, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. 

2. Yes, it's super old (600 years next year).

3. Yes, this is where Prince William went. And no, that is not why I'm going!

Those points seem to be brought up regularly whenever somebody asks me where I am going to college, and being a senior in high school, I find myself in those conversations pretty often! People also ask me what sparked my interest my interest in St. Andrews. Well, I've always wanted to study abroad, and I love traveling. I also love Scotland! I've been once, on a school trip my sophomore year during Christmas break. I first discovered St. Andrews in the back of my college guide, and the more I looked into it, the more I wanted to go. St. Andrews also has a good psychology department, which is what I'm going into.

So a couple of my friends suggested that I start a blog to "record my experiences" (more like keep track of the super awkward situations I'll find myself in as I try to figure out how to live in a new country). The more I think about St. Andrews, the more questions I seem to have.

1. Food: What will I eat? IS THERE PEANUT BUTTER OVER THERE? Peanut butter is my staple food, so I need to figure this out.
2. How thick will the accents be? Will I be able to understand my professors? That's sort of important.
3. Am I going to freeze to death or get blown into the North Sea? What kind of clothes do I need to get? Houston clothing ≠ Scotland clothing
4. Will I fit in with people there? I am a fan of a lot of British stuff! My favorite shows are Doctor Who and Sherlock, and I keep up with more British actors than American (Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith, David Tennant, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott....)

Well, these are just a few of my questions. I'm sure there will be more to come. And now, to make this post more colorful, pictures! These are from my first trip to Scotland two years ago!

Me standing on the shore of the Irish sea!

Pretty landscape!

Winter sunrise! (taken way too early one morning!)

Main street in Edinburgh