Today, while queueing (of course, what else would I be doing on a Tuesday afternoon?) in the history department (I might tell that story later), a girl nicknamed Flea (for Felicity) gave me a pretty thorough education on the British education system and the British teenage rites of passage. Apparently, 18 is the year when you get trashed and 21 is the year you get a formal ball type thing -- to celebrate growing up, I think. I also found out people hear just say "uni" instead of "university" and that "going to school" doesn't really work for going to college. You just get a funny look. It's also interesting to learn (and hear) that British people say "OxfordandCambridge" as if they're one the way some people say "HarvardandYale" in the U.S. There is also "Oxbridge." Perhaps there is/will be Harvale?
I've met three of my flatmates; there is another who moved in but haven't caught his (her?) name, and the door across from mine hasn't opened when I was in the flat. There is Tom from southwest England; Giles, whose mother must think I'm dumb because I couldn't understand when she asked what "course I was studying"; and Tokru from Tokyo, also an associate (international) student.
The way my schedule stands right now -- and let's hope and knock on wood that nothing is going to change on Thursday -- I have Wednesday and Friday open, a crazy Monday, and OK Tuesdays and Thursdays. The 20th century U.S. history class is going to be fun, I think, but I really want out of my all-American discussion session. I'm taking U.S. history in Britain because I want a British perspective, not to get the same points of view I've been getting in the U.S. The Linguistics of Storytelling seems promising so far. There might be quite a lot of academic (finally found the word!) journals, but the main class project sounds fun. We'll see how things go.
Anyway, here are a sampling of Edinburgh pictures. I won't bore you with the whole collection. Enjoy! :)
** inside the courtyard of the Edinburgh Castle. You can google the main entrance of the castle if you want. It has a moat! :)
** this is a doorway of a military prison in the Edinburgh Castle. It's so short that my head was about 3 inches from the frame and can nearly touch it with my head by tip-toeing.
** this is the group of us at Edinburgh Castle. From left: Greg, Chris, me, Erika, Matt, Sara and Aaron.
** one of the many pictures of the Scottish Parliament building. It's pretty neat, huh? In the background is Arthur's Seat, a small hill that we climbed on our last full day in town.
** we found an old cemetary near the Parliament on the main street through Edinburgh. This is the oldest tombstone we found; there are probably others, though. In the cemetery is also the grave of a poet named Robert Fergusson. I don't know the name, but some of you guys probably do.
** the Scott Monument, which, according to Wikipedia, was built in honor of Sir Walter Scott.
** from Calton Hill, overlooking the city.
** the entire group (minus Jim, who tends to disappear on his own a lot) on Calton Hill -- or at least nearby it. The two new people are Kate and Brian.
** Matt, Aaron, Greg, Sara, Erika, Chris and I climbed Arthur's Seat -- no small feat if you know me. So here is proof. That's important! :)
** this is us (who made it to the top ... YES!) from the top of Arthur's Seat. Don't let the smallest of it fool you; it's a curvy and steep climb, and (scarily, sadly, regretfully) nobody brought water with them to the climb.
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