Waka Waka

There comes a time in one’s life, where one must ask themselves: why did I make that odd noise when attempting to say hello to the cute boy on the road? If you are lucky, such instances teach you that maybe it is better to smile and nod. However, there exist unlucky souls (this author included) who do not learn. Instead, a general mortification follows encounters with members of the opposite sex we deem attractive. In my case, this has never happened in Scotland. Yet, my social graces have not much improved since moving here, I just have failed to spot any boy/guy/man (I hate living in the awkward in between stage, where you unsure what you are supposed to call them) who has rendered me speechless (but not noiseless [apparently]).

Why am I writing this blog? Well, over the past week I have developed an odd case of insomnia, and I am awake when I should be sleeping, and therefore thinking of things I usually never think about. The only other souls awake where I live are the party goers who were booted out of Siglo, the club across the road, at three am sharp, aka CLOSING TIME. I am counting my blessings that at least nobody is screaming, though I have heard sirens. Today is going to be murder. After finishing this I will try to sleep for a few hours, because at six I am going to be up and about doing dishes, defrosting the freezer (heaven help me), wiping down every surface I have ever touched in my flat, and composing a long note to Zoe explaining to her that, since I will be gone, it will be up to her to figure out what to do with the mountain of stuff we still possess that is not in storage or going home with us. Do I feel guilty? No. I am the one defrosting the freezer after all. I will count my small blessings though. The world cup starts in the next couple of weeks, and I will no longer be living on the Cowgate for it. I am pretty sure drunken British versions of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) would have been my new companion if I were to stay. My lease ends the fourth of June, so even if I wanted to, I would have been obliged to leave. My heart is already crying...

Oh yes, and tonight is the YSA dance. I am regretting agreeing to go. The dance coincides with the little sleep that I do get (usually from seven in the evening until eleven at night). Also, I have no idea when the dance ends, if I will get back in time to leave for the aiport, and if I even want to go. I LOATHE goodbyes. Most everyone I will see again in September, with exception for Kent, who is leaving on his mission to London in July. But I already baked him cookies, so I feel like my obligation there is done. Plus, even though I am only leaving until September, goodbyes are awkward, and feel rather final. Maybe its because I feel like I have a tendency to change my mind really quickly, so there is a small part of me that believes I will not be coming to Scotland in September. I already signed my lease though, and I sort of need a degree. I'll be back. In the mean time, I need to sleep. So here I am, insomniac 'noveau' signing off and wishing you goodnight. Even though I already know nobody reads this, so its rather like my own personal journal. With the possibility of being read, but since you risk that possibility of being read anyways, even in a private diary or journal (anyone with siblings know this), it is sort of the same difference....

I digress. Good night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3pFT4-i8os

Edinburgh in retrospect

Holyrood Park

St. Giles Cathedral (right up the street from my current flat)

9 Days until I fly to Portland. HOLY COW!!! I had NO idea that it was that close. To honour this, my last week in Scotland until September, I am doing a post on the past academic year in Edinburgh, and what it has taught me.

1) Haggis=not so terrible, its just you know that it is sheep entrails and internal organs all mashed up and ground into the stomach and cooked for near to three hours. Yes, that ruins the taste. I'm sure cannibals found human flesh tasty, but if you unwittingly fed a person human leg, they would find it good (in theory, I have never tried this) until you told them you had killed your neighbour to bring them this scrumptious delicacy.

2) Fried Mars bars. Yes, they do exist, and yes, you should probably not try to eat one yourself.

3) Wintertime is incredibly awful. I know I was warned by fourth year international students, but I wasn't expecting to be so miserable that I wrote a last will and testament and dark poetry in case my body was consumed by cold, damp, and all together miserableness.

4) Springtime is beautiful. Whenever I walk places, I always try and cut through the meadows. A tree with some sort of blossom lines nearly all of the walkways, and I feel like Anne of Green Gables for a moment.

5) Scottish people, though often unintelligible to the American ear, can be understood through PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

6) The University of Edinburgh will never make your life easy with a set of simple instructions. Instead, you must figure it out for yourself, and hope you got it right. If not, then good luck mate.

7) Primary=awesome

8) If you leave the UK for a month, when you come back, there will be at least two new chocolate flavours (much to my delight).

9) Kilts, unless worn for a formal occasion, are more a ploy to get tourists to give you money, or if you're a sleaze, that other thing...you know what I'm talking about.

10) The underground tours are scary, but oh so worth it. Especially when you find out you live right next door to underground caverns where Scottish Godfather type figures used to rule the slums. I imagine their power ploys went along the following lines:

'Are you a McLeod?'

'No sir, I was just trying to find me mum.'

'Get out of here lad! Get back to yer mum before I slice your ear to sell off to them students at thet university there.'

(boy stuttering) 'I'm so sorry, please don't hurt me. I was just trying to find me mum, but I don't ken which cave we've let.'

'I ken yer mum me thinks. Go to her before I make her into a haggis!'

Ok, so I'm not versed in Scottish or in gangster, as evidenced by the above 'dialogue' but things like that did happen.

Scotland has been interesting, I enjoy it more the longer I'm here, and I'll actually be sad to say goodbye. Thank you Edinburgh for an...enlightening year to say the least....

To look forward to in September:

1) Scottish countryside

2) My gorgeous new flat!

3) Exploring places with 'me mum' :)

4) Finally reaching sophomore year at a university ;P

xx