Since my last post, I've attended my first few classes, slept, shivered, watched Doctor Who, found a wanna-be TARDIS, explored the Botanical Gardens, got myself a legit lab coat, did some window-shopping, and then finally (along with the TARDIS, this would be the highlight of my week) attended a Ceilidh (that was the event tonight). Now, detail time! :)
Not all of my classes met this week, but I did have my first class of The Scottish Enlightenment and Exploring Scottish Culture, and an introduction session with the man in charge of my Organic Chemistry classes. Scot Enlight and Scot Culture share a lecture professor (I really like him, so good!) half of the time, but I have a few different lecturers depending on the day, so that will be interesting. Like guest speakers, sort of. I didn't have any actual Organic Chem lectures this week; they don't start until the third week, actually! Further, since my Black and White Photography class doesn't start until next Tuesday, this week was pretty chill, class-wise. It was good to kind of get more information on how the actual classes will progress, and I enjoyed all the classes. I'm really excited for all of them!
In my session with my Organic Chem professor (? not sure exactly what to call him. I don't know if they're called professors here), we got some supplies for lab - including a legit to boot LAB COAT. Not one of those boring smock-like lab aprons, but a legit coat. it's knee length, and has sleeves and everything. I'm excited to look super professional. I also got, with the coat, lab glasses. Not goggles, glasses. Apparently they don't use goggles here... Whatever! He gave me special lab glasses since I already wear glasses, too, so that's also great.
Apart from classes, Sarah and I vowed to not let ourselves sit inside all day. So, our mission this past Thursday was to start exploring and attempt to find the TARDIS. Now, if you don't know what a TARDIS is, no worries. I've gotcha. The TARDIS is from the BBC series Doctor Who, and it is the time-traveling spaceship that the Doctor travels in. It's bigger on the inside, and is basically the coolest thing ever. It takes the appearance of a blue police box. So far, Sarah and I had only found a police box in the museum we went to in Edinburgh. But that wasn't good enough. We want to find the TARDIS. So, we did some researching and found some places in Glasgow where it had been sighted. I talked to one of the construction guys working in my flat (update - we didn't have hot water for five days, and our heat stopped working like three days ago... BUT everything is better now and I'm warm again for the first time in almost a week. YAY.) and a new friend that lives in my flat, and they told me that there was one near the Botanical Gardens - about a thirty minute walk away from where I live. So, that's where Sarah and I sent off to on Thursday. Basically, we succeeded. However, it's not the actual TARDIS because of the obnoxious red panel, but hey. We still geeked out and took way too many photos. Here are two of them:
also, this is what the actual TARDIS looks like:
So close. Either way, it was basically awesome. After we took photos, we went into the Botanical Gardens for a little while and explored briefly. However, it was cold and the Gardens were actually closing really soon after we got there, so we planned to come back at a later date. We spent some time playing on the playground within the Gardens (acting like the five year olds we truly are), and then trekked back. That night, I watched Perks of Being a Wallflower, a book I read over Christmas break and a movie I've been wanting to see since I heard they were making it. It's different, but I adored it. It really made me think, and be thankful for the amazing life I lead and the amazing friends and family I have. Also, Emma Watson speaking in an American accent was really cool too. Props to her!
Today was exciting. After my meeting for Organic Chemistry, Sarah and I walked down to the city center shopping area. We wanted to do some window-shopping, and also get a feel for where we have to walk to for our Black and White Photography class. It took us about a half an hour to walk down there, so that was good to know for time-keeping purposes. We browsed Primark (basically a cheaper Forever 21, so I was in heaven) and TK Maxx (...... more commonly known as TJ Maxx in the US, and is basically a Marshalls). We were really good in Primark, and didn't buy a single thing. We were also good in TK Maxx, but I bought myself a reusable water bottle and a laundry bag thingie, two essentials I had been looking for and got for good prices.
After we got back from our wanderings, we had about two hours until we had another engagement. I found out that heating and hot water was restored in my flat (THANK GOODNESS), so I spent the better part of one of those hours in a blazing hot shower. It was fabulous. Then, we had a party to go to! Hosted by the Glasgow Union's International Society was a Ceilidh (pronounced basically like the name "Kayleigh" or "Kaylee", don't ask me how). Ceilidh is a traditional Scottish dance, and lots of fun. Picture probably over 200 people crammed into a small 'Debate Chamber Hall' with two men on stage with instruments and a microphone, and that's how the evening looked.
Here's a shot of the empty Debate Chamber Hall. It has two levels, with the bottom level being the dancing floor. it's a little larger than it appears, due to the weird angle, but you get the gist.
The men on stage told us, step by step, how to do each dance, and then played the music while we all danced (aka embarrassed ourselves, sometimes). It was all in good fun, and it was actually quite easy. The only dancing experience I really have is the one time I went Texas line dancing at a place called 'Little Bit of Texas' back in El Paso, but the experiences are quite comparable. Instead of being forced to pretend that I have free-style dancing talent, they told me what to do! It was glorious.
This photo isn't from our Ceilidh specifically, and ours was a lot more crowded, but, again, you get the gist.
Sarah and I partnered together often, but we did participate in the dances where one or both of us had to 'travel' and change partners. It was so exhausting and a lot of pretending to understand until you picked it up, but it was so fun. Every now and then we would be able to see someone who looked like they knew what they were doing, and we were able to copy them if we got lost. We actually did quite well! I'm very proud of us. I'd post the picture of the two of us after, but Sarah has my camera. She might post it with her blog, and either way, I'll post it here after I get it back from her.
(UPDATE, here it is:)
It was incredibly fun, and the only downside is my right knee (which has been known to give me problems) is achy and hurts a bit. Nothing terrible, and nothing I can't handle. Totally worth it.
Tomorrow at eleven, we're meeting some of the friends we met at the social event during orientation, and who we spent some of tonight with. We'll walk a little and eat lunch out together, and then at one, there is apparently a walking tour of Glasgow that we're going on together. Sounds like fun! Can't wait to see more of the city, with an official guide who can tell us what we're looking at! Sunday, Sarah and I are going with some of my flatmates to see Les Miserables in the theatre. I saw it with Mommy before I left, but it was so good that I'll see it again! :)
Now, time to take some meds for my knee, and get some sleep soon.
Adios!
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