“Dundee Saved My Life”

Although I know it is hardly difficult to come on here once a week to update this blog, it has grown tremendously harder the longer I wait. But, I have set out to spend some time now letting you know how the past month and a half has progressed.

Iain and Sydney are King James and Mary of Guise

I left off I believe when I first experienced Dundee. After that, we visited Stirling Castle. We did the audio tour and I relearnt much of the British history I was so quick to forget after taking a course on it two semesters ago. We visited Rothesay, a very beautiful small town on an island which reminded me of Sidney. There were many second hand shops and the annual Highland Games they host is the biggest event the town sees. I think all the shops take the whole year to prepare themselves. We were greeted with the most delicious scones and tea.

We also visited Edinburgh and my dad and brothers went to a football game between the Hearts and the Rangers. My mum and I went shopping – an activity more down our alley. Upon hearing about the game, I was astounded to learn about the security measures they take. It is even worse than Canucks games. They have a load of police and they don’t even serve alcohol. You have to sit on the side of your team so that huge supporters of opposite teams are not interspersed with one another. It’s crazy to think what kind of violence and conflict provoked these measures – I don’t think I want to know.

We visited Pitlochery, another beautiful town, supported mostly by the whiskey economy. Every Monday during the summer they have a Highland night full of highland and country dancing and singing and pipe bands. RMM was the guest on this particular Monday. They host the event on this large grass field and cars surround the entertainment and turn their headlights on to provide the lighting. It was very neat.

RMM at Rothesay

We went to Montrose, which has high significance for both my mum and me. My mum spent some of her childhood there and that is where most of her Scottish family is from. I visit there the summer after ninth grade and I fell in love with it. The town is just gorgeous. We went for tea with my mum’s aunt Peggy, who is the greatest lady of her age I know. She is funny and blunt and very entertaining. We then trekked out to the light house on a peninsula and the sky opened up, the sun came out and I was so moved by the experience. I love Montrose.

My new Scottish boyfriend

I spent the last weekend of August and the first week of September in England. It was gorgeous. I don’t know if it has had its consequences in the course of history or not, but as soon as we drove over the border between England and Scotland, the weather shifted and we were greeted by warm and sunny. We left the Cowal Highland games on the Isle of Dunoon in the evening and made the treacherous journey in the dark to Preston. Needless to say, I was asleep for most of it. We arrived to the most dismal looking building and a parking lot so crowded with posts and large cars that it was a miracle we even made it into a spot. Since we arrived so late, they had given one of our rooms away so the five of us crowded into a teeny tiny room. Lucky we get along…

Some Cambridge

The famous dualing bridge

Punting on the River Cam

The next morning we set out for Cambridge. The hostel we stayed in was great. The food we ate was great, and my brother just had the time of his life walking around his dream school in his dream town taking pictures for his dream job. I say dream, but I am certain he will make it a reality one day. We also went punting down the River Came. It was lots of fun. We got a tour guide and he told us about all the different colleges. The day after we went to Oxford. It is very clear that both of these schools (established about fifty years apart) were based on the same model, a distinctly English and a distinctly religious one. I had a wonderful time in Oxford, walking through the buildings, imagining I was Hermione Granger. I definitely felt inspired by all the academia and if I was ever uncertain about my life surrounded by it, all my doubts have officially been cleared away.

The streets of Oxford

Only in Oxford...

We arrived in London the next day. What a busy and expensive city. We wandered everywhere, my family and I. We saw Westminster Abbey and I spent a good deal of time tearing up in Poet’s Corner. Again, any doubts I had about my life in literature dissolved then and there. I was very affected. We visited St. Paul’s Cathedral, and climbed all the way to the highest viewpoint. London is a beautiful historical city,  such a collage of old and new.  We visited the London Eye, walked along the river. We went shopping at Fortnam and Mason’s, Whole Foods (yikes!), and Picadilly Circus. We saw Buckingham Palace and I went on a date with Prince Harry in my head. We went on the tube everywhere and we took a double decker bus. We went to King’s Cross Station and visited Platform 9 3/4. We went to a muscial show, Billy Elliot, and we stayed in a wonderful hotel at Gloucester Road. I had a great time in London and I would go back in a second.

Big Ben!

A monstrous cathedral

Buckingham Palace, before my date with Harry

The Globe Theatre!

On top of St. Paul's

Just classic...

My family stayed in London two days longer than I. I took a plane up to Edinburgh Airport and got picked up by Dundee University. There I met a bunch of people who I won’t soon forget. Most of them are Americans, from various places in the States. They are great people. We arrived in Dundee to, would you believe it, sun! I spent the next week getting settled in (and partying!). My family eventually joined me and brought the rest of my stuff. They took me grocery shopping and their departure left me tearful and distraught. I miss them with every second.

The Robbie Burns

The weather continued for all of September to be beautiful and relatively warm. I met alot of people in a short period of time and they are from all over the world. I think something like 40% of the students here are international. The town itself is made up of around 30% students. I met people from Italy, Germany Hong Kong, and many from America. I did also meet a couple of Canadians, from Edmonton and Toronto – a little piece of home from so far away.  We visited St. Andrews together, it was beautiful. I got that feeling that everything was right, like I had made all of the right decisions up until this point to bring me to where I was.

Some friends and I at St. Andrews

I started classes the week after I arrived. I am taking one class on American Literature and another on Scottish Literature. So far, they are great. There is alot of reading involved and alot of extra research required but I am enjoying the classes. My professors are wonderful. They are accommodating and upon meeting them in person, they are quite personable and helpful. I feel very comfortable in the classes. It will get some taking used to though because for each course, the assessment is based only on two assignments. I will definitely be required to put my best effort into each of them.

My new room

I went to Paris to visit Nick for a weekend. I traveled on Ryanair which is a budget airline on which you have are required to pay for anything extra you may need. Needless to say, I traveled very light with only my backpack and a jacket. Paris was absolutely breathtaking. It was warm and sunny and we walked around all day. We visited the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Louvre and everything in between. We had French coffee and baguettes and the most delicious pizza I have ever had the pleasure to eat. I would go back to Paris in a heartbeat.

Arc de Triumphe

Notre Dame

The Eiffel Tower

A month after arriving, I will say that I really love it here. I have settled in, I have a nice group of people to hang out with and fall back on. The social side of university (“uni” as they say here) is really emphasized on campus, what with our two pubs and two clubs just two minutes away from my room. There is something different going on every night, and Tuesday night they have something called SKINT during which entrance to everywhere is free and drinks are all £1. Saturdays they have Spice Up Your Life, a nineties themed dance party that will be fun for the first little while but I can foresee it becoming  old very fast. They also have themed evenings every Thursday. For example, last night was Geeks and Goths, and almost everybody out looks ridiculous to one extent or another. It’s a lot of fun. There are many cafes to eat at, there are grocery stores and malls close by. There is nice park just ten minutes away and the library is in close vicinity as well. My room is great. I have my own bathroom and I share a kitchen and common room with five other people, every one of which is nice and interesting and from a different place. Although food is expensive and somewhat different from what is available at home, I am slowly getting used to it and I have been eating surprisingly healthily.

Some wonderful new friends

I have much traveling still to do. I will be going on an Angus Adventure tomorrow, an initiative of Dundee International. On Sunday I will be going to visit my family again in Montrose. In three weeks, I have planned to go to Stockholm to visit some family friends, and in the meantime I will be doing local things in Scotland.

Katie and Sydney on the beach

I promise to be better at updating. Until next time!

Advertisement