Hogmanay
Mom asked what I would have done if she hadn't come to Scotland to spend the holidays with me. I answered her honestly and said, "Probably write and catch up on the movies I missed. But mainly write." She nodded her head even though we both knew I probably wouldn't have had nearly as much fun without her there.
My original plans were that I would spend the few days before departing Scotland in Edinburgh. "Why Edinburgh?" you ask.
Simple.
Hogmanay.
Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year. We're talking huge street parties and massive amounts of fireworks. You think those little Roman candles you and your family shoot off are something? Nope. The Scots know how to light up the night sky.
Because Mom had joined me, those original plans were discarded and it was a very good thing, too. I might not have made it to Edinburgh for Hogmanay, but I was in Stirling. I was searching online for where all the Stirling Hogmanay festivities would take place and discovered that The Proclaimers would be performing at Stirling Homanay which would be taking place at Stirling Castle. That was a ten minute walk away from my flat, folks!
Being American I foolishly thought that The Proclaimers were a one-hit wonder, and for some strange reason it's true in America. We listened to song after song, and I loved nearly every one of them. There were people there from every age group, all singing along and having fun. That night it decided to rain, but it was so cold that the water was partially frozen. Big clumps of wet slush fell on us, but it was okay because we were "mad for it." It, being the music.
And the night only got better when the clock struck midnight and the pyrotechnics lit up the sky while the crowd sang "Loch Lomond." It's truly an experience I will never forget.
There was a strange competitive vibe going because the concert was being filmed and the host/announcer was trying to amp up the crowd. If we were the livelier crowd then the television segment would be on Stirling and not so much Edinburgh. (Honestly, I don't think that happened 'cause it's Edinburgh, man.)
Funny side note: whenever the host kept mentioning Edinburgh, a guy in the crowd would yell, "Fuck Edinburgh!"
Back in the States
It's been two weeks since I left Scotland. I've moved into the dorms at St. Ed's and oddly enough the weather has been very similar to what I left behind in Scotland. Those first few days were cold and wet.
I've spent the past couple of weeks meeting up with friends and spending time with my family. Oh, and getting ready for my classes. Is it sad that school is a bit of an afterthought? I hope that's normal.
One thing that kind of bugs me is whenever one of my friends asks how Scotland was. This was one of the main reasons why I started this whole blog. Maybe they want to hear it from the horse's mouth. Maybe it's just customary to say something along those lines when someone's been gone. How could I briefly describe an experience that I dedicated an entire blog to? Anything I would say would sound trivial or like I was indifferent toward the whole semester, which couldn't be further than the truth.
"How was Scotland?"
Green. Beautiful. Wet. Fun. Amazing. Frustrating. Living in Scotland was everything I expected and nothing I was prepared for. It was challenging and exciting, scary and enriching.
It made a liar out of me, which I both love and hate. Meeting the Spaniards and having them laugh at my Spanish only validated the point my mother made with some of her co-workers: "Mexican Highlander? What kind of Mexican can't speak Spanish?" Plus, I never actually made it to the Highlands. It is something I deeply regret and the only way past that is, of course, to go back. In the meantime, I am a fraud. A fake. A phony... maybe that's a bit over-dramatic.
One thing that is definite is that not everybody read this blog. When I asked why they didn't read it, some very valid reasons popped up, the common one being that things simply got too busy in their own lives to check-in to see what I was up to. I understand that, trust me, I do. Then I got one of the funniest, albeit frustrating, reasons: "I didn't think you'd actually go through with it."
To that I say...
This is the last time I'll post on this blog. This experience has been wonderful and I've made a lot of friends along the way. But sadly, this chapter of my life is over and new adventures await.
Bye, guys.
 |
| The view outside my dorm room. |
I've spent the past couple of weeks meeting up with friends and spending time with my family. Oh, and getting ready for my classes. Is it sad that school is a bit of an afterthought? I hope that's normal.
One thing that kind of bugs me is whenever one of my friends asks how Scotland was. This was one of the main reasons why I started this whole blog. Maybe they want to hear it from the horse's mouth. Maybe it's just customary to say something along those lines when someone's been gone. How could I briefly describe an experience that I dedicated an entire blog to? Anything I would say would sound trivial or like I was indifferent toward the whole semester, which couldn't be further than the truth.
"How was Scotland?"
Green. Beautiful. Wet. Fun. Amazing. Frustrating. Living in Scotland was everything I expected and nothing I was prepared for. It was challenging and exciting, scary and enriching.
It made a liar out of me, which I both love and hate. Meeting the Spaniards and having them laugh at my Spanish only validated the point my mother made with some of her co-workers: "Mexican Highlander? What kind of Mexican can't speak Spanish?" Plus, I never actually made it to the Highlands. It is something I deeply regret and the only way past that is, of course, to go back. In the meantime, I am a fraud. A fake. A phony... maybe that's a bit over-dramatic.
One thing that is definite is that not everybody read this blog. When I asked why they didn't read it, some very valid reasons popped up, the common one being that things simply got too busy in their own lives to check-in to see what I was up to. I understand that, trust me, I do. Then I got one of the funniest, albeit frustrating, reasons: "I didn't think you'd actually go through with it."
To that I say...
This is the last time I'll post on this blog. This experience has been wonderful and I've made a lot of friends along the way. But sadly, this chapter of my life is over and new adventures await.
Bye, guys.
