The good, the bad, the funny, and the irritating of being in the country, town, school and building that I am.
1. Tea time during lab. I love that I'm living in the midst of an entire culture that enshrines my enjoyment of afternoon tea. If we don't take a tea break, our instructor takes one without us. This is the same man who took a "wee shufti" at my optical setup to make sure it was aligned correctly.
2. Digestive biscuits. A digestive biscuit is the British answer to a graham cracker, only slightly more fibrous. They are mildly sweet and generally crushed up to make pie and cheesecake crusts. The name, however, is not good marketing, at least in my opinion.
3. Palm trees. I realize we're at the beach and all, but does Arctic Circle count for nothing?
4. Waiting in line to enter the gym. I have to say, I was a fan of the CRC and its, what, 100-person training floor?
5. Listening to an Englishman and a Scot talk football. They were very good-natured about it, but it was still hilarious.
6. $3 dental floss. Thanks for breaking my flossing habit for me, Scotland.
7. Real mugs in coffee shops. The ladies at church even serve the after-service coffee and tea in real china teacups.
8. The lesser-known Britishisms. For example, I learned today that to Brits, "pants" are underwear. The denim things on my legs are trousers. Soft drinks are "fizzy juice."
9. Chinese lessons. This isn't a Scotland thing; it's a "my flatmates are awesome" thing. We've been giving each other nightly language lessons (during tea time...have I mentioned that I love this custom?), and B. has been teaching us helpful Chinese phrases such as "Thank you," "Good morning," and "I'm sorry, I don't speak Chinese." We requested that last one.
10. People who don't move on the sidewalk. When you're walking with a big group that takes up the whole sidewalk and someone comes up in the other direction, what do you do? You all shuffle around and make room for that person to pass so they don't have to tempt fate running in the street, right? Because it's rude to take up an entire public walkway. This is apparently not the custom in Scotland, and it's beginning to be quite irritating.
Are there palm trees in Scotland? You are technically at a beach? A beach like we know it with sandy shores and gentle rolling waves? Or steep death defying cliffs with water crashing at a force sufficient to wear away the cliffs? I am unclear on teh type of beach they have in Scotland.
ReplyDeletehow do palm trees even live there? It's not the right climate zone. And yes, pants are underwear - and u.s. "vests" are british "waistcoats," and uk "vests" are u.s. "tank tops" and uk "boots" are both the trunk of your car and a cosmetic shop...it's the best part about speaking the "same" language.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and sweaters are "jumpers." As for the palm trees, I don't know how they live here. I would have thought the cold would kill them, too. Maybe it's something about the Gulf Stream? And Aunt Sue, we have gentle-rolling-wave beaches and the rocky death-defying kind about 50 yards from each other right on the edge of town. It's exciting. Or gentle and rolling. Whichever you prefer visiting.
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