Arthur's Seat and a Fried Mars Bar!

When planning my weekend on Friday afternoon with a friend, we thought 10 am would be a completely feasible time to wake up and hike the extinct volcano that sits in the middle of Edinburgh. I wasn't pleased when my alarm went off, and I did hit the snooze button a few times, but I finally managed to drag myself out of bed and get outside.  Arthur's Seat is a 823 foot peak in the center of the city, about 30 minutes from my flat, in the middle of Holyrood Park. A friend and I made the trip up, and although it was a more intense workout than I would have liked on that Saturday morning, it was great to get outside. Who knew I'd become so outdoorsy after moving out of Maine and into a city?

Because I burned so many calories yesterday morning, naturally I had to replenish myself today with some traditional fried Scottish food. I had yet to try real fish and chips, so two friends and I talked with some locals, who directed us to The Clam Shell, a local fish and chips place on the Royal Mile (a popular tourist street). The portions were enormous, and the fish was ok, but it's safe to say that the Seafood Center in Arundel, ME beats the Clam Shell when it comes to fried haddock. The Clam Shell had piles of candy behind the counter that was to be fried, and everyone has told my friends and I that we have to try a fried Mars Bar, a "Scottish delicacy," so we decided to split one for dessert. Oh. My. God. It was quite possibly the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. It looked disgusting, but it was oozing with chocolate and caramel and so much deliciousness. Now that my arteries are sufficiently clogged, it might be time to try haggis soon...

Pictures!

After two eventful trips across the city using the bus system (which I finally have the hang of) my camera is working again, and I have my camera cord. I'm finally able to upload pictures! Here are a few highlights from my trip so far!

First Week of Class

After over a week of freedom in this amazing city, I finally had my first week of class. Although I like my classes and I think the subjects are really interesting, I'm quite nervous about them. Two of my courses are enormous, with over 110 students in each, and I have one class with approximately 50 students in it. The classes are purely lectures, and we have tutorial sessions once a week. Tutorials are groups of 10-15 students, where we discuss the reading and ask questions. The only problem is, I'm not 100% sure what to read to prepare for class. Rather than assign a few books to buy, each professor has assigned about 200 books that fall under "recommended" reading. As I don't have time to read 10 books each class every week, I'm going to have to play it by ear and see how other students prepare. I'm really missing small classes though; It's tough for me to focus in such a huge lecture theater.

Another huge difference between classes here and at home is the way people dress. Although it sounds silly, it's SO different. I haven't seen a single person wear sweatpants to class since I've been here, and definitely no LL Bean moccasins. All of the girls look like they're ready to go out to a club, with their short skirts, big hair, and tons of makeup. I might have to alter my cable knit Polo sweater, jeans, and Uggs look a bit while I'm studying here.

I've had a ton of free time so far this week because I haven't received my course reading guides yet. I've tried to explore a bit and walk around, and I feel like I've become well acclimated with the city. I've tried several new cafes and coffee shops, and I can (usually) find my way around. Tons of places around here have student discounts, so it's easy to get decent food at reasonable prices.

Finally, my building has had four fire alarms in the past week, all at super inconvenient times (The first was at 2 am, the second I was cooking dinner, the third I was in the shower, and the fourth it was pouring). The best part-all four were caused by the same flat. Honestly girls, learn how to use your toaster. I'm sure the fire department loves Kincaid's Court right now.

On a happier note, I've booked my trips to London and Dublin, and I'm so excited!

Freshers' Week

With my first full week in Edinburgh complete, I am totally exhausted and plan on spending today relaxing. This past week was Freshers' Week, and it was a huge adventure. The week was jam packed with activities, meetings, and plenty of fun things to do. I've spent a decent amount of time trying to settle in and run errands. I've cooked a few times this week as well, and it isn't as bad as I had expected, and I was quite proud of the results.

Through my program, I was able to get a Freshers' Week pass for free (they're normally 30 pounds). The pass enabled me to participate in all of the activities for free. Unfortunately my friends and I weren't told that many of the events require getting tickets in advance, so we missed a free tour of Edinburgh castle and an open top bus tour, but we were able to take advantage of a free trip to the Edinburgh zoo which was so much fun! The zoo is playing a large role in trying to breed animals that are critically endangered, so there were quite a few very rare animals. The landscaping was so pretty and we got a free tour through the visit. The entire zoo is built on a mountain, so I definitely got my workout for the day walking up, but the views were outstanding. As we were leaving, my friends and I found a vending machine that sells small cups on Ben & Jerry's ice cream! As we're all too cheap to buy real ice cream at a grocery store, we treated ourselves to a little taste from home, and it was delicious.

Thursday was by far my favorite day as I was just feet away from the pope! There was a huge parade through one of the largest streets in the city, leading away from the Queen's palace. I've never seen so much plaid or heard so many bagpipes in my life, but the parade was excellent.  The streets were packed and there was a ton of security, but we were able to see the pope in his popemobile quite well. As I'll probably never see the pope again, it was quite an experience.

Yesterday afternoon, a large group from my program was able to go to a professional football (soccer) match. A member of the Scottish parliament, who holds season tickets, was able to get us tickets for only 5 pounds, a great deal. The game was so much fun! I'm not a huge soccer fan, but it was great being with the group and cheering on the local team. The atmosphere among the Scottish fans kind of reminded me of cheap bleacher seats at Fenway on a Friday night. The fans were very rowdy, and slightly inappropriate, but it was great to mingle with local football fans.

Although living in a flat is really fun, there are quite a few things I will never take for granted again, including:
-Wal-mart (one stop shopping isn't an option here)
-Laundry machines in my building
-Dining hall food
-Dishwashers
-Fresh fruit

Now that I've settled in and know my way around the city fairly well, my homesickness is starting to wear off and I'm having the time of my life. Freshers' Week is over, classes start tomorrow, and I am so ready and excited. I definitely need some structure in my life!

Settling In

After a long orientation, I have finally settled into my flat in the heart of Edinburgh! I'm living in Kincaid's Court, a building inhabited by freshmen and international students.  Although there are plenty of Americans and people my age in the building, I still feel old as many of the students are 17 and 18.  My flat is much better than I had anticipated, with four large single rooms, a decent sized common room, 1.5 bathrooms, and a kitchen. I have a nice view of the city from my room, and I can just see the ocean in the distance. I've met all of my roommates and they seem quite nice. Two girls are my age and from the United States, and one is a freshman from outside of Glasgow. She and I have had a lot of fun exchanging questions about out cultures, home lives, schools, etc.

Moving out of the hotel and into the flat has made me realize just how far away from home I actually am, and I've had a bit of homesickness over the past two days. While everyone on my program was able to live together at the hotel, we're now spread out all across the city, and as very few of us actually know our way around, it's tough to see the people with whom we initially bonded. I'm also nervous about this new independence. I don't have much experience cooking, so the kitchen will be an adventure. I did get a chance to go grocery shopping today though, and I felt very grown up and accomplished! I'm going to try to stay away from peanut butter and jelly and pasta for as long as possible, but I'm sure I'll cave within the next few days.

We've been walking in groups everywhere throughout the city, but today I decided I needed to challenge myself and find Edinburgh's campus on my own. I had to Google directions, and the expected 10 minute walk turned into a 45 minute adventure, but I finally found the building in which I had a meeting. It's hard to imagine going to a school this large for all four years, and it makes me happy that I chose a small school with such a defined campus and a great support system for students. Students here are much more independent, and all seem to know exactly what they want to major in and do after "university." I'm really excited for my classes though, and I'm definitely ready for a bit more structure in my life.

The best part of Edinburgh so far has been the people. Every person I've met has engaged in conversation, asked questions about my life in the USA, and answered questions I've had. I'm so impressed by how kind and personable everyone is, and it's made me feel a lot more comfortable in such a new environment. It's strange to be considered an international though, and I always laugh when Scottish people tell me they like my accent. I'm so thankful that the locals are sharing their knowledge and stories with me, and I feel like I am gaining a greater appreciation and understanding of the culture.

I couldn't leave home with out forgetting something, and unfortunately, I managed to forget my camera cord to load pictures onto my computer. I'm hoping to get it sent out soon though, so pictures are coming.

If you'd like to send me snail mail, my address is:
Kellie Fisher
Kincaid's Court
Block 1, Flat 14, Room 4
Guthrie St.
Edinburgh, EH1 1JT

Finally in Edinburgh!

After a 6.5 hour drive from Biddeford to Newark, a 4 hour wait in the airport, and a 6.75 hour flight, I am finally in Edinburgh! My first two days here have been eventful yet exhausting, and I'm still feeling the effects of jet lag. The fact that I will be going to school here and spending the next three and a half months living in Scotland still hasn't sunk in, but I'm so excited to spend time here.

Edinburgh is an unbelievably gorgeous city, with tons of medieval buildings, a castle, a palace, and so much to offer. Right now, I'm at the Apex International Hotel for orientation, and I have an amazing view of the castle from my window (pictures will come soon). The hotel is located in the Grassmarket section of the city in Old Town, so there are lots of pubs, shops, and restaurants around the area, and exploring has been fun.

Yesterday, after driving from the airport, we had a few hours of free time to explore before lunch. Even with a map, we got confused and lost several times, but exploring was definitely cool.  After lunch, checking into our rooms, and dinner, a big group of students from my group went out to try a few of the local pubs.  I've heard that no matter what time of day you go to these pubs, people will always be there drinking, and it's completely socially acceptable. The pubs were really fun, and it was great to socialize with people from my program and start to make friends!

Today, orientation has been pretty long and overwhelming. The morning consisted of a series of lectures regarding safety, healthcare, banking, etc, so the information was pretty dry. However, this afternoon we took a bus tour of the city. I had no idea how huge the city was, but it seems like everyone walks everywhere. We were able to stop at Calton Hill, a huge hill overlooking the city. The views were gorgeous, and it was a beautiful day so the hike was nice.

Tonight a group of us plan on buying phones, going out to dinner, and exploring some more. It's strange living in a big city, where the nightlife is always exciting, but everything is so expensive! Internet service has been pretty spotty in the hotel, so I'll continue my orientation update when I move into my flat on Saturday!