Fresher's Ball, Wine, Class, and Rugby

Why is it so bright out? It is the middle of September and just two days after a night at -1°C, it is now a comfortable 14°C and bright. I sit now writing at a jam-packed SUBWAY shop, looking out the window at a cobblestone sidewalk flooded with a mix of businessmen, tourists, and locals. I think I am finally starting to find my place here in Edinburgh..

First, let me tell you about my weekend. During the day on Saturday (Sept 15) I sat at my desk, glued to my computer, watching college football on a Slingbox. The simple fact that I can get American TV on my computer over 5000 miles away is pretty neat. Saturday night was Fresher’s Ball. This was a HUGE event that consisted of thousands of black-tie clad freshman dancing around to everything from Ceilidh to Panic! at the Disco. It was a very fun night, apart from the waiting in line for over an hour to get in (and we got there at 8:30!)

Sunday (Sept 16) was a bit more laid back. I watched the 49ers game on the Slingbox with my friend Joey, but luckily I was not able to catch the Chargers get smoked by the New England Patriots :-(. The rest of the day was spent hanging out with my American buddies at the student union while watching some rugby on the tube.

Monday (Sept 17) wasn’t very eventful until the evening when I went wine-tasting with some friends. The event was very nice and cost only £5. After starting off with some sparkling wine, we moved onto some whites (including a riesling) and then to reds (including a dreadful pinot).. We talked about the movie Sideways and wanted to rent it after the event, but blockbuster was closed!

Yesterday (Sept 18) was a very exciting day; it was the first day of class! At 10AM I went to my first lecture: Microeconomics. We got right into the material and discussed the principles of uncertainty, which has the bulk of its roots in the statistical study of probability, i.e. is it worth it to buy insurance. The lecture was quite interesting, but I was disappointed to find out that the tutorial times available conflicted with my schedule. After sending a ‘I like your class but...’ type of letter to the economics department, I managed to get a tutorial time on wednesday. I hope the rest of my classes go smoothly, as I still have Structure and Functions of Proteins and Plant Physiology on Thursday.

On Tuesday evening I made one of the most last-minute decisions of my life: to go see a rugby game. This wasn’t just any rugby match; it was the Rugby World Cup! I took the bus with my friend Joey and picked up some scalped tickets in order to see the match. Scotland kicked Romania’s butt! Seemingly every other minute there would be a roar in the crowd and a Scot scoring a try (rugby equivalent of touchdown). I really do enjoy the sport of rugby because it is a fast-paced, almost non-stop version of American Football. I hope I get to see another match-- maybe Univ. of Edinburgh Versus...

The week has been a pleasant one, filled with new experiences and fun people. I am looking forward to what the next few months have to offer!

Societies Fair, Gym, and Shopping

Hello again from Edinburgh!

I am again sitting in my room writing and enjoying an incredible view out my window. I feel like I have done so much in the past few days and so here I am to tell you all about it!

Just a few days ago, EUSA (Edinburgh University Student Association) put on a Societies Fair where all students could attend and sign up to be a part of a variety of societies (clubs). After walking around and passing over 100 booths, I chose some that fit my personality well:
-Wine Society
-Water of Life Society (Whisky)
-Economics Society
-ChocSoc (chocolate)
-Jewish Society
-Golf Club
-Radio Society
I hope that I can be active in these societies and also hope they will increase my level of enjoyment here. I am most excited about the Wine Society because, well, who else in Scotland is a Viticulture and Enology major? Also, the Radio Society is sponsored by FRESH AIR (see March 16 post), so I am exited to see if maybe I can do some work in the Radio Biz.

Yesterday I joined the gym at EU called the Edinburgh Centre for Sport and Exercise (E-CSE). The lower part of the gym is awesome and features brand new Nautilus resistance machines as well as 70-some-odd cardio machines with individual TVs. The upstairs with free-weights and benches, however, was a huge disappointment. First off, the benches room was closed to to “Upgrades and floor repair”. The Free-weights Room was very old and well worn. I used the bench press station and it almost fell over on me. The dumbbells were from the 80s and weren’t labeled (and when if they were they were in KGs, which is not my native unit). After the gym I attended an essay writing seminar where a lecture was given on how to write essays the UK way. The british essay writing style is much different in that it is not personal at all. Pretty much everything has to be objective, but also novel. I didn’t think the seminar to be much help because it didn’t discuss any helpful writing tips.

Last night was cross-dressing night at the local bar, so a bunch of my dorm-mates were looking quite odd. I decided not to indulge in this theme, but I did manage to snap some pictures of some of the ones who did for memory’s sake. Last night I decided to instead just goto another bar and have a few drinks with some California people, before meeting up with another group of california people for Kebabs at an indian restaurant. Why is it that a 2 mile walk home is so much easier after a beer or two? After getting back, I watched part of the West Virginia - Maryland football game before going to sleep.

Today was a shopping excursion! I really needed to pick up some cold weather clothing and today was a perfect day to do so. I got a nice H&M lined jacket for 39.00p, rain-boots for 5.00p, a sweater for 15.00p, and some nice cologne. It was much fun walking up and down Princes St, looking for places to shop. Edinburgh is such a vibrant city, and I am so lucky to be here!

Well, I leave you now with a smile on my face and hope in my eyes. I am looking forward to starting my classes and taking on new challenges. Here are my classes:
-Structures and Functions of Proteins
-Plant Physiology
-Microeconomics

Well, have a good day-- I am off to have some dorm food next door!

First few days of Freshers Week

First few days of Fresher’s Week

HELLO AGAIN!

I know you are all anxious to hear how this week has been going and how I am settling into my new home in Edinburgh. Well, adaptation has relatively painless and shockingly well organized. I am loving my new dorm room as well as the people around me.

Everyone here is so well dressed. I have been to going to breakfast expecting to see hoards of sluggish, weary-faced freshman, but instead have seen tidy ladies and gents, the former with make-up already applied-- a far contrast from what goes on at my home institution. There are so many English people in my dorm. All of them are so proper, and even send text messages in a genteel fashion, i.e. “When is one going to breakfast”. I have noticed a slight disconnect between the personalities of the ‘freshers’ and that of the UC Students (including me). It is quite obvious that these first-years have not had even the slightest taste of what life is like on their own, and therein lies the disconnect.

As I sit here now, I have a panoramic view of the city and its neighboring landscape; the sight is breathtaking. Acres of heath embrace fields of green, which in turn but up against the city and university limits, surrounding its many spires and flats. It really is an amazing city. Now that I have had ample time to assess the many things there are to do here, I cannot decide where to go next. The nightlife here is also pretty good. There are some clubs to dance at, as well as some pubs to hang out at.

Just now I registered for my classes and I am enrolled in: Macroeconomics, Plant Physiology, and The Structure and Function of Proteins. I am really looking forward to starting my ‘programme of study’ and begin to learn from some of the UK’s most highly regarded professors. There is so much to do this week (freshers week) to prepare for the upcoming months. I still have to register with the health center and the student union.

The view out my window is absolutely astounding. To the left there is Arthur’s Seat, the peak of gorgeous Holyrood Park. In the middle is Duddingston Loch, a fairly sizeable lake. To top it off, there is an extraordinary golf course just meters from my room-- the 17th green is right beneath me!

I am having a great time here... Check back soon more another update!

Days 2-4 in SCOTLAND ... NEW MOBILE NUMBER!

FIRST OFF... NEW PHONE NUMBER: +44 (0) 7942 550704
It only costs me 5p to call the states!!!

Well, it’s day four in Edinburgh and my time here has been an absolute blast. There has been spectacular views, good laughs, and great friends. Right now, I again sit inside the Canongate Cafe, a place I haven't been since the first day I was here. I am sad to say the best food I have had all trip has been at Pizza Express (or maybe it was the egg sandwich at the airport). In any case, the food has been absolutely sub-par.

The people have been great. I have made such a great group of friends here. We go out and stay in, watch the office and traverse the city, poke fun at R Kelly and listen to Oasis. I will definitely be staying in touch with these people and I hope they will do the same.

Now, on to my experiences thus far. As you have read, I was plunged into a new world on day one (Tuesday, Sept 4), and it was lonely. Now I have twenty-some-odd new friends and am doing something new every minute. After finishing my tea at the cafe, I headed back to the hotel and then walked to some museums (The Edinburgh Museum was really fun!) and to some shops. That night I finally met all the other Edinburgh semester students and we went to an, er... interesting dinner at Monster Mash for ‘Bangers and Mash’. I had a hamburger (waaaaaaaaaaaaaay overcooked), but others were more daring and got haggis (innards-- think intestines, stomach, etc...). After dinner we went to a low-key pub and had a beer before passing out from jet-lag.

Day two (Wednesday, Sept 5) was an activity-filled day. I now have blisters from walking around so much, but it was definitely worth it. In the morning we had another (yucky) breakfast at the Travelodge before heading off to a group meeting in the King’s Buildings (Houses sciences and engineering classes). The walk was long (1 hour), and so was the meeting (3 hours), but both were very necessary. After the meeting though, we got a REAL TREAT! After a hike up Blackford Hill, we enjoyed views of the city in stunning panorama. To the left, the Castle, to the right, Holyrood Park, and smack dab in the middle, the city centre with its unique architecture and bustling new town. If ever you are in Edinburgh, check out these views! After the hike we came down and had dinner at Buffet King, a Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant. While not eating all my stomach could handle, I did eat all my taste buds could take. The food was not tasty Chinese food like you get in San Francisco or even San Diego; it was cheap, cold, all-fried cuisine. Also, they charged for tap water... TAP WATER! After the dinner we hit up a few bars and played foosball.

Yesterday (Thursday, Sept 6) was another fun day. After ANOTHER (uck) breakfast at the hotel, we left for a tour of the much hyped Edinburgh Castle. Though The Castle wasn’t all that I expected, I did enjoy a “living history” presentation put on by two chaps in a hall next to the Crown Jewels. They kept pointing their muskets at a Dutchman (16th century Scots don’t appreciate their kind) and just got a great laugh for being 100% clean humor. After the castle we went on a worthwhile bus tour of the city which really gave me a better sense of direction around town. We saw statues, the now famous Harry Potter cafe, and a bunch of museums. After all of the sight-seeing and tourist nonsense, we got a half-decent dinner at a Thai restaurant on the Southside.

Tomorrow I move into my dorm room in Pollock halls and I am excited to see what the people here are really like (I have met but a few). I was VERY HAPPY to see that Pollock halls were very nice and recently refurbished. The pictures online were a misrepresentation as they showed the place as a run-down Reagan-era tenement. My situation at the Travelodge has been surprisingly nice until today, when they informed me that I had to move to a smoking room because they say thats what I booked, (I don’t think so, my reservation doesn’t say so). They were nice though, and said they would move me if someone cancels.

This really has been quite the experience thus far, and I am only a few days into it! I hope to meet more great people and see more extraordinary places.

FIRST DAY! (morning post)

GREETINGS!

Well, it is my first day here in Edinburgh. As I speak I am sitting in a cafe on Canongate, which is a main thoroughfare (though only two lanes) in Central Edinburgh. It is quite chilly because it is early (9am), but I think I have already adjusted to the time because I got a LOT of sleep last night.

Much to my surprise, the ‘Cafe Culture’ is much like it is in America: a couple sits in the corner eating a hearty breakfast, a family with a young boy sits and chats about nothing at all, and a businessman in the corner enjoys his daily espresso and croissant. Not knowing that there were some fine breakfast places around town, I got a shoddy one at the hotel for £4.5. I have come to understand that there is another national drink in Scotland: Irn-Bru. It rivals Coca-Cola for the top soft drink here, but I have not yet tried it. The music at the cafe is American! Right now they are playing Red Hot Chili Peppers, and before that it was Modest Mouse and Interpol.

The accents here are not too hard to understand (and are quite charming), but I think something that will take some getting used to is the way things work; unlike at Starbucks, you are served your tea or coffee. I had my tea the British way, with cream, an I actually am enjoying it this way. Seeing double-decker buses is nothing new for me because we had some in Davis that served as School Buses.

Thus far, I have made no friends, but hopefully that will change tonight when I meet with the rest of my EAP group. The people here seem friendly and all of them have a distinct look to them. They always seem to walk with a purpose and never seem to be able to sit down and enjoy life except at the pub and cafe. Even more then walking with a purpose, they drive with even more of one. The streets are always filled with cars and it always seems the Crazy Taxi is going to hit that poor pedestrian using the crosswalk. You can tell this is not the tourism town that London is.

The sights here are marvelous. The streets are laid with cobblestone and the buildings with centuries-years-old brick. Almost every store on the street has a coat of arms (I suppose representing who owns the place) and it makes me feel like I am in the company of royalty. I cannot wait to explore what there is to see at the museums. I think after my cup of tea here is done, I will goto the Edinburgh Museum (FREE!) down the street and see what there is to see.

I AM SO EXCITED TO FINALLY BE HERE!

Remember, it costs ME nothing for you to call me. Here is my phone number: +447924415897

Also, I am on SKYPE: airjesse123 and AIM: airjesse123