trip to the Chinese grocery

Today, in preparation for making a "Chinese Hot Pot" for dinner tonight, some of my flatmates were heading to the Chinese grocery to get supplies. I had sampled their hot pot a week or so ago and it was delicious - a huge soup filled with thin noodles, meat, seafood, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, cucumber etc. and of course the "hot pot" spices. After about 3 months of watching my Chinese flatmates cook and sampling their dishes (once they realized I could handle their spicy concoctions), I decided it was time to dabble in the Chinese culinary world myself. With the intention of buying lots of pre-made Kimchi, I asked if I could accompany my friends on their trip to the Chinese grocery store. They were excited that I wanted to come along, and promised they would point out all the sauces and ingredients they use that I've sampled the past few months. I also did a little of my own research for some items to purchase, just encase I was actually able to find things on my own in the shop...which I wasn't.

The shop ended up being all out of Kimchi, due to the unfortunate cabbage shortage in Korea**, but I was able to get lots of other fun things. I invested in some spicy sauces and pastes, noodles, tofu, and soup mixes. I am all about spicy Asian soup, and am quite excited to make my own hot pots, Miso soups, and curries. I figure as the next week will consist of me sitting alone working on essays, I will have plenty of time to take a break and make some fun dishes. The picture features some of the things that I got, with the perfect backdrop of rice cookers and soy sauce. Despite the rice-heavy aspect of the Asian diet, everything else is so healthy - the use of spicy chili peppers, garlic, cabbage, seafood etc. all adds up to delicious meals that are easily digested and have lots of rejuvenating qualities. Perhaps I will even attempt to make my own Kimchi one of these days...if only I had known to stock up like the rest of my flatmates did.

** See: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-05/world/skorea.kimchi.shortage_1_cabbage-shortage-korean-families-south-koreans?_s=PM:WORLD

the blizzard continues

The first snow was lovely. The few days following proved that the snow was here to stay, but it was still manageable. Well, now Edinburgh is over a week in to what seems like a never-ending blizzard. It has snowed at least once everyday in the past 10 days, with some days (like today) rendering the city paralyzed. I can't even see the huge mountain from my window! I understand Edinburgh was not prepared for this much snow this early in the season, but their pathetic attempt to make the streets manageable has left much to be desired.

My class last Monday was canceled because of the weather and rescheduled for today, however the snow today is 2x worse that in was last week. What's worse, the patches of pavement (er, cobblestone?) cleared from snow are now reminiscent of glaciers. Even my completely overkill Canadian winter boots are finding the city hard to traverse these days. Gatwick Airport in England finally reopened after being closed for two days, and the Edinburgh Airport has been struggling. Mainland Europe is in shambles as well. I just hope everything is running smoothly in a few weeks when my family is due to arrive!

My week of Thanksgiving celebration is officially over, and now the focus is on Christmas. They start Christmas festivities in November here...hard to believe the actual holiday isn't even for a few weeks yet! Edinburgh takes Christmas cheer extremely seriously, and the city is not only very well decorated, but runs a huge German Christmas Market along with a big carnival and outdoor ice skating. They have a huge lit up ferris wheel next to the Scott Monument that creates a beautiful backdrop for the whole market.

This past Friday, in celebration of the term coming to an end (yep, no more classes 'till January for me!) a bunch of us walked down to experience the fun in full swing. We took a spin on the ice rink which was great fun, and then warmed up with some mulled wine and delicious German bites in the Market. My friend from Berlin said the market was just as nice as the ones in Germany, and she had just come from a weekend in London and reported that their Christmas festivities had nothing on Edinburgh. Above all, it was nice to have a fun night out to get our minds off of essays, which are causing everyone lots of stress.

The other night en route from the Law Library to the Main Library, a bunch of us stopped off to have a nice dinner at this restaurant called the Buffalo Grill. I decided to order something that I could not make so easily at home, and picked the Rainbow Trout dish. All of our meals arrived, and I was greeted by a big, full fish - complete with its head, eyes, tail, skin, bones...everything. The women put down a little funny shaped knife that I assumed should be used to dismantle my meal. Well, the fish was absolutely delicious, but the effort to de-bone the thing was no small feat. I also was able to eat about half of it before letting everyone else have a go to finish it up. Needless to say, I have a new consideration when ordering fish here and might just stick to a burger or the chili next time.

November

I apologize for not posting as regularly as I would like, time has been flying and nothing too notable has happened. I have one essay done at least in first draft form (on WSIS and Internet Governance), and am compiling research for my second now (on the UN General Assembly). I hope to get the second done this week and the third the week after - because then my mom and sister come to Edinburgh and we are off to Italy for Christmas!

Scotland doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving (obviously), and thus we have no break from classes, however I decided to take my own vacation. My friend Zak and I ventured to Barcelona, Spain! We left in the evening on 17 Nov and flew back the night of 21 Nov. It was a phenomenal trip - among other things, we wandered all around the city, saw a lot of Gaudi architecture, explored museums and shops in the Gothic District, ate some authentic Catalan and Spanish food, traveled outside the city to a beach town called Sitges, and had a little taste of Barcelona night life. My favorite Gaudi site was definitely the Sagrada Familia. Construction began on the huge cathedral-esque building in 1909 and it is still in the process of being completed! Aside from Spain just being gorgeous, it was also warm and sunny- A great break from Scotland, where we had left a long stretch of cold, rainy days! I had two friends in Barcelona, one studying there for a semester and the other visiting him for a few weeks. It was really nice to spend some time with home friends, it made the whole trip extra exciting.

Although I was very stressed about taking a vacation in the middle of essay writing, and I was exhausted right when I got back, I have actually felt surprisingly refreshed since returning. I was so bogged down in work right before I left that taking a complete break allowed me to come back to my essays with a renewed energy. I am back to the grind now, however.

Another update, last night was the first snow here! We had heard it was snowing farther north already, but we had yet to get any flakes. Last night what started as a light flurry turned into a decent snow that actually stuck. Now the roads, rooftops and hills are all coated with a light layer of snow, and the snow dusted city is absolutely stunning. Think 101 Dalmatians. Last night I was out with friends and our long walk across the meadows to a party turned into a winter wonderland photo shoot. Luckily while I was in Barcelona (and taking advantage of the Euro exchange rate) I picked up a new winter jacket that is complete with a sturdy zipper, toggles and a big hood. The weather has been surprisingly nice lately, cold for sure but otherwise sunny and dry with little wind. I hope it lasts! My camera memory card isn't working right now, but when it decides to cooperate I will update with pictures of the first snow that I took last night!

Edinburgh is currently transforming into Christmas-land which, along with the snow, makes the city feel even more like a story book. They have a 4th of July style carnival here (still not sure why carnivals in winter are considered a good idea) and set up a whole outdoor ice skating ring down in the New Town. We were going to go check it out last night, but decided to postpone it until next week since one of my friends had to pack for a weekend in London. I accidentally admitted I used to figure skate, as most young girls do growing up in Lexington, but I am pretty sure I am just as uncomfortable on skates as if I had never donned a pair in my life. Edinburgh is also preparing for its HUGE New Years Eve festival, which I am very much looking forward to. They have a big street party and a concert, and tickets are not too expensive. Apparently they spend so much money on the festival that it is getting to be a controversial subject, especially since many locals complain about having to pay to be in the streets of their own city. I think this year they have downsized a bit, but I am glad they they didn't scrap the party all together at least while I'm here! If you want to do some reading on another controversial subject in Edinburgh, look up the debate surrounding the impending tram system!

Friends from my accommodation has a Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday that was great, and another set of friends is having a big dinner tonight. Funny enough, though, I did not actually celebrate Thanksgiving on the 25th. I did get to Skype with my mom, Carly, and with my dad's side of the family. (Dad - don't worry, I will call you after this and we can find time to Skype!) Tonight should be a great feast, I am currently distracting myself from the urge to snack so I can be ready for all the delicious food later! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving back in the U.S., survived Black Friday, and is getting ready for the winter holidays!

Highlands Trip Day 2

On Day 2 of my Highlands trip, we all woke up early to board the bus at half eight. We first went back to Loch Ness to have a second look and take pictures in the daylight- as last time we visited it was nearly 6pm and the sun was started to go down. No swimming this time around! From Loch Ness we traveled down a long, windy road along the Loch until we reached the very other end (it is nearly 22 miles long!) and stopped off at a cafe for some tea. Continuing on the windy road we passed through several hilly/mountain areas and passed by a few other famous lakes (err lochs). We then stopped off at an area with a huge supermarket to pick up some lunch before heading to Glen Coe. On the way to the famous U-shaped secluded valley we stopped off at a little hiking area where one path lead down to a huge waterfall! At the glen we did a little hillwalking and had a chance to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands. The mountains are mostly grassy and barren and thus expose the gorgeous waterfalls that flow down and around them. Before re-boarding the bus, our tour guides whipped out a bottle of whiskey and passed it around for a mid afternoon morale-booster (it is Scotland after all!).

The back roads lead us to a few more scenic spots for perfect photo opportunities, a small town with the famous Hamish the Hairy Coo (just a big Highland cow), and then it was on to Sirling to see the William Wallace monument. If you don't know who William Wallace is, I suggest you watch Braveheart. I suggest you watch it anyway - if you can bear the length and Mel Gibson - to get a better understanding of Scottish history. It may not be completely historically accurate, but the movie does drill in the fact that Scottish history is defined by constant bloody battles as the Scottish clans rebelled against the British. The Wallace monument is huge and is also on top small mountain, making it visible from a good distance away. We climbed to the top of it to have have a good look over the city of Stirling and appreciate the countryside one last time as the sun was beginning to set and we were to be heading back to Edinburgh. Needless to say, by the time we arrived back home everyone was exhausted and ready to shower and head off to bed. Overall it was a great weekend away, a good learning experience as well as a ton of fun!

Highlands Trip Day 1

Over Halloween weekend, I ventured up North to what is called the "Highlands" of Scotland. We took a bus tour that is geared towards students and traveled up to Inverness (the capital of the Highlands) and back - on the way we stopped at a bunch of sites ranging from small little rural towns to the William Wallace Monument in Stirling. We made kind of a loop, if you look at the map to the left, and at the top of the loop (Inverness) is where we stayed for the night at a hostel.

As you can see on the map, we drove through Perth all the way up to Loch Ness. Our first stop was at a small town called Dunkeld that was along a gorgeous river where there was a beautiful old cathedral. Edinburgh is a beautiful city in terms of architecture, but the whole city itself is quite gray. It was really nice to get out into the countryside and have a healthy dose of autumn!

The second stop was even better - we stopped at a placed called The Hermitage which is a National Trust for Scotland reserve located on the River Braan in the Craigvinean Forest. The area was originally discovered/claimed by the Dukes of Atholl in the 18th Century who built a house nearby and constructed a meditation place called Ossian's Hall overlooking a waterfall. Now the patch of forest is believed home to some of the tallest trees in the UK. We hiked up along the river to Ossian's Hall and Black Linn Falls and while I am used to lovely New England autumn, the scenery on this hike was breathtaking.

After The Hermitage we kept driving north to Ruthvan Barracks. The Ruthvan Barracks are located on a large hill that was an ideal strategic point for battle; the first castle was reported to have been built there in 1229 but it wasn't until the 1700's that the barracks were constructed by the British government and became a focal point in their continuous battle with the Highland's Jacobites (the Scottish rebel "army" that was in a perpetual fight for independence from England). The barrack ruins were interesting, however we got there just in time to get caught in a fleeting bout of wind and rain. I would almost say it was worth it, though, because we got to witness a lovely Scotland rainbow stretching across the countryside as we were boarding the bus.

Moving on from the barracks we stopped at some old stone structures in Killiecrankie and then moved on to Culloden Battlefield where a famous battle between the British Government and the Jacobite army took place in 1746. The field now is covered with stones marking mass grave sites where different Scottish clans were buried. Although the battlefield itself had a somber feel - the battle was extremely bloody and is a big part of Scottish history - we all stopped in the modern upscale information center and had a much needed afternoon tea. On a side note, I have definitely fallen into the British habit of drinking an obscene amount of tea each day. I usually have a cup when I wake up, meet up for tea/coffee with friends at some point in the day, have a cup when I get home before/after dinner, and then some before bed. A warm cup of tea has an addictive draw to it once you begin to indulge in the habit, but I think its a healthy addiction.

At this point in the trip we were all getting a bit tired (we were all up before half seven to get ready to meet the tour) and the sun was beginning to set. Luckily, our next stop was the much anticipated Loch Ness! The tour leader driving the bus grew up and still lives in Loch Ness, so it was nice having a guide that really knew the area and could add a personal touch to the visit. This is the part where some of you might cringe in horror...but I did decide to take a dip in the Loch. Although the weather was such that only a crazy person would choose to don a swimsuit, and the water was paralyzingly cold, I knew that I would always regret not swimming in Loch Ness when I had the chance. My friend Anke and I shed our winter jackets and boots just long enough to jump in the water, pose for a few pictures, and run out. The whole experience was very exhilarating and I did not even get nibbled on by the infamous Loch Ness monster. Next stop, finally, was our hostel in Inverness where we settled in, grabbed a bite for dinner at a local pub/restaurant, and had an early night.

Reading Week

It is hard to believe the end of October is here! I am currently in the midst of a week "break" from classes, however all of our essays have been assigned so nobody is feeling all that care free. Monday I ventured to 3 different libraries to find books related to my essay topics and have only just begun the preparatory research process. Two out of my three essays are going to be very challenging, while the third is at least a little more straight forward. They each present a different challenge: my Fundamental Issues topic is vague and requires a strong argument; my Criminal Law essay topic is not vague, and thus requires some creativity to make my essay stand out; and my IP and Technologies topic is interesting, but I have zero prior knowledge about it so my time will be consumed with background reading. I need to get into a regular schedule of research and writing each day so that I can effectively time manage in the coming months. I am trying to stay optimistic about my ability to actually write these essays, however I know it is critical to stay focused and not let the weeks slip past. Wish me luck!

Despite all the work I've still managed to fit in some fun activities - this past weekend, to kick of reading week, Friday night I met up with friends at a bar in the Edinburgh College of Art and Saturday night I went to a club where a British DJ that I've seen in the States was playing. This coming weekend I am taking a trip to the Highlands with a bunch of friends! We are going on a bus trip with a big group and will see/visit: Glen Coe, Loch Ness, Inverness, Ruthven Barracks, The Hermitage, Killiecranke, and Culloden Battlefield. I watched Braveheart for the first time last night to prepare myself for all the Scottish history I'm going to take in this weekend. We are hoping the weather holds up, this week has been lovely - a little windy but surprisingly warm for this time of year!

Time Flies

Well I have officially been here over a month. Time flies! While I do feel like I've been here forever, it is crazy that a full month has already come and gone. It makes the rest of the 12 months away seem less daunting, as I know my time here will pass before I know it, but I'm already thinking about what's next after I graduate.

Next week we get our first term essay assignments in each class. They are due the first week of January and are to be around 4,000 words - not too long, but apparently very research oriented and they are expected to be extremely concise given their enforced brevity. We are all eager to get the topics and start our research so we won't have to be too stressed over Christmas and New Years. The last week of October the law school has a "reading week" and I am without exciting travel plans, however I might be venturing north with some friends for the last weekend of it if the weather is nice. In November I am going to spend a few days in Barcelona with my friend Zak to visit two friends there! We managed to find extremely affordable airfare and I am very excited to see the city and visit some home friends. I have also been in touch with my British relatives and will be heading to London for a visit in the near future, hopefully.

Otherwise, not much to report. This past Sunday I spent the day at a friends watching Out of Africa (on of my favorite movies) and eating cakes with girls from my courses and then went to a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner that night that was actually amazing. The weather is taking a turn for the cold, but we still have some warmer sunny days each week. I finally have my bank card sorted and my phone plan all figured out. Tomorrow I am going to begin my hunt for a part-time job, hopefully within the University. My computer is starting to get a bit fussy and recent Windows updates seemed to have caused my Google Chrome browser to stop working. I've spent too much time researching the reasons why and possible solutions and in the end (not that anyone is interested in any of this) I've resorted to at least temporarily using the Chrome wannabe Internet Explorer 9 Beta browser. I guess it's okay but there are definite kinks that I hope will be worked out in the finished product. (I guess it isn't that much of a surprise that I'm so interested in my IP and Technologies class...)

Parcel Force

After a few weeks of extreme frustration, just when I was about to lose hope, I finally got notice that my packages from my mother and grandmother had arrived at the post office and were ready for me to collect them. The post system here is kind of ridiculous - I ended up dealing with this company called Parcel Force that seems to only deliver a package when it receives multiple messages inquiring about its whereabouts. This, of course, was after paying an enormous customs import tax on each parcel. My anger and frustration was compounded by the frequent texts, emails and phone calls from my mom expressing her own negative feelings about the situation. Alas, today I strolled down the road to the housing office and joyously lugged my two huge boxes back to my flat, up to my room, and tore them open like it was Christmas morning (or I imagine the feeling to be analogous). While I jumped around my room amidst my assorted imported items I reflected on how incredibly lucky I am to have such a loving and thoughtful family. I further reflected that I might have more shoes and purses here than I will ever need, but I am so incredibly happy about it.

I am also getting in touch with my inner tech geek and am really loving my IP and Technology class. It might even be my favorite? Who would have thought! We are learning all about internet regulation and amidst all the controversy about the US playing around with some new highly restrictive cyber legislation (see COICA) it is really interesting and relevant. I now have a decent idea of how the world wide web actually functions and the different ways governments can control a network's access to web content. I also had a long discussion after class with a girl from China that thinks the 'great firewall' of China is completely appropriate and that the government exists to control its populace in such ways. She says she doesn't mind having restricted access to information and that government censorship reflects Chinese values (i.e. that freedom is limited). I just can't get over how cool it is to be studying with individuals from all over the world and have the opportunity to casually discuss freedom of speech with students from Nigeria, China, Bangkok, Finland, France, Germany etc. all in one class taught by a professor from Peru.

sunny days

Even on sunny day there can be rainbows? I was a little surprised to see this out my window this afternoon, but it was quite gorgeous! I want to make pumpkin cheesecake, and have been searching everywhere for graham crackers for the crust. Thus far I can't find any where that sells them and nobody here seems to have even heard of them. I decided to ask Google if it was possible to find graham crackers in the UK and I found this response on Yahoo Answers: " My name is Graham and you can have some of my crackers if you wish, tell me where to send them and I'll pop them in the post for you." Clever, but not very helpful.

Update: apparently they don't sell canned pumpkin here either...so all is lost anyway unless I get a bit more culinary savvy and decide to tackle a full pumpkin to make some of my favorite fall delectables. Or I might just hold out in hopes that stores decide to stock canned pumpkin eventually later in the season.

Hikes, Bosnia, and Thailand

Sunday I decided I was tired of watching people climb up and down Arthur's Seat all day from my window never having done the hike myself. Arthur's Seat is, "is the main peak of the group of hills which form most of Holyrood Park, a wild piece of highland landscape in the center of the city of Edinburgh, about a mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle. The hill rises above the city to a height of 251 m (823 ft), provides excellent panoramic views of the city, is quite easy to climb, and is a popular walk." (Thank you, Wikipedia!) Anyways, Sunday afternoon turned out to provide us with a perfect sunny day to head up the giant hill. Alastair came by around 2pm ready to go and after some bribing with croissants we convinced Zak to come along. The three of us, whilst munching on croissants, headed down a long road called the Royal Mile to the base of Arthur's Seat. We got up and down in about 2-3hrs, and definitely had our winded moments along the way. While the hike wasn't terribly difficult, we were surprised by the steepness of the rocky steps/paths and the narrowness of some of the passages. Getting to the very top definitely felt like an accomplishment, and the view was great. Also, unlike climbing a forest-y mountain, the hill-like nature of Arthur's Seat made for beautiful views the whole way up and green pastures springing up at different elevations.

Overall, a gorgeous hike. The first picture at the top of the post is the view from my window, while the others are from different points leading up to the last picture which I took from the top. The ones where you can see the ocean (the North Sea!) is looking away from where I live, while the ones where you see just the city (and the castle if you look hard enough) feature the city center of Edinburgh. I have a ton more picture if anyone is interested in seeing them, just email me!

I had my first class of week two today, and was a little nervous for my first real graduate school legal discussion but felt prepared after having completed all the required readings. The first two sessions of my international criminal law course are being taught by this older Italian woman and although she is a little hard to understand, she is very nice. We spent the whole 2 hours discussing jurisdiction which isn't the most exciting topic in law, but we hit on some interesting areas. One woman in my class worked in Sarajevo, Bosnia with the war crimes tribunals and spoke from a fascinating perspective on the universality principle (i.e the principle that any State has the capacity to prosecute those that commit certain types of internationally defined crimes such as genocide, slavery, torture, and war crimes regardless of where the crimes took place or the nationality of the victims). I love sharing a classroom with individuals from all over the world with such unique backgrounds - it makes for lively discussions and an overall more enriching learning experience.

Tonight Zak and I went out for dinner to a little Thai restaurant around the corner and I had a lovely Thai green curry vegetable dish. Not the cheapest dinner, but I realized I had not eaten a proper meal out since my grandmother left and was due for a meal that I didn't throw together myself or microwave. Tomorrow morning I have my IP and Technology class that is heavily populated with students from Bangkok and am tempted to ask if anyone has any special traditional family recipes for some of my favorite dishes. The Chinese girls on my hall that I'm friends with taught me the ways of the rice cooker and I've shown them how to cook with rosemary and garlic and make home-made salad dressing!

Miss everyone back home, hope all is well!

classes underway

Well I have completed my first full week of classes, although the first meeting of each class was basically just a brief discussion on course expectations. My first class, held on Monday from 4-6pm, is International Criminal Law. The professor seems incredibly nice but definitely likes to talk; he assures us that the course will soon take on a completely discussion based structure and we won't have to listen to him lecture for 2 hours, but I'm skeptical. My IP (Intellectual Property) and Technology: International Institutions course meets Tuesday mornings from 9-11am. The professor is a jovial South American man and it is his last semester teaching before he takes up a job in Costa Rica. I am completely unfamiliar with the course topic, as I have no background in IP or IT, but it is kind of refreshing. I feel well prepared for my other courses and I am looking forward to having one course where the material is completely new to me. I am currently working my way through a reading titled "The Outer Limits of Copyright Law - Where Law Meets Philosophy and Culture". Or whatever that means.

My third class is Fundamentals in International Law and I have already read the majority of the cases assigned for next week in my previous international law course. I'm hoping the course is worthwhile and not too much of a refresher of what I've already learned, but either way it should be interesting. The reading lists for each week for my different courses are extensive and overwhelming. My classes are all spaced out throughout the week, however, so I am trying to get into a habit of getting my reading for the next week done in the few days after each class. So far so good, I'm feeling on top of my work so far!

I have spent a lot of time in the library the past week, but I am also expanding my social circle slowly but surely. I am meeting new people in the history program through Zak and Ally and have met a bunch of interesting people in the law program through my classes and various

meetings I've been attending. There is never a lack of things to do with the plethora of pubs and

coffee shops lining every street! Everyone is very friendly and it is nice to start recognizing faces when I walk down the street or into a campus building. Update from my last post: I managed to get a bank account with the Royal Bank of Scotland, which I should be able to official utilize starting Monday. I also finally got a gym membership and had my first go on the treadmill in Scotland. I first though the machine was broken, but then realized they are set to measure speeds and distances in km and not miles; it sounds weird, but I like it better! Running 6k sounds so much more impressive than its mile equivalent, right? (Ok, confession, I just can't make the conversion in my head and like running without any real concept for how fast/far I'm going.)

Enough procrastinating, and back to the philosophical inquiry into copyright law...

Beach in Scotland? Ok!

Today I took a road trip with my friends Zak and Alastair to the beach for the afternoon! We figured the weather was only getting worse and might as well push our luck and head to the shore for our last Sunday before classes began. We arrived at Gullane Beach in early afternoon to find the sun out, little wind and a gorgeous beach sparsely populated with young children running about and dogs enjoying fetch with their owners. The path to the beach revealed the most lovely, albeit pungent, floral scent and bushes of wild blackberries! Once on the beach we unanimously decided it was necessary to take off our shoes and roll up our pants and go for a stroll down to the cliffs at one end of the shore. While climbing on the rocks a curious dog stole one of Alastair's socks, however the rest of the beach trip was great! There was even a rainbow as we got in the car to leave. After piling back into Ally's car we ventured to a lunch spot in a nearby town where we all expected to get ice cream but ended up with full meals. It was nearly 6pm when we thought to finally head back to Edinburgh where Ally invited us back to his house for the evening. Ally grew up in Edinburgh and it has been nice having a good friend that can shed light on the ways of the Scotts. It was also nice to sit on a worn-in family couch and eat a home-made lemon meringue pie after a long day!

Tomorrow classes start, however tomorrow I only have one class that meets at 4pm. Thus I have the whole day to mentally prepare and clean up my room after a weekend of barely having time to put things

away. I also think I will get a gym membership tomorrow at

the Uni gym, which is conveniently located a block behind from where I live! I have heard that tomorrow might be a holiday, and the banks therefore won't be open, but otherwise I might finally take the plunge and get my new local bank account tomorrow as well (I have been trying to decide which bank to choose and am still not sure!). I have been accumulating some video footage and when I get a chance to organize and edit some clips together I will post it here!

the whirlwind is calming down

This week has been a whirlwind of adjusting to a new way of life on top of trying to coordinate social events and academic events. The hardest part has been sorting through the optional meetings and events and making sure I make it to the mandatory ones, particularly the Law School induction related programs. Today I had my official Law School welcome talk and (after finally finding the right office) "confirmed my arrival" with the school thus completing my registration for the program. The talk was relatively informative, but the best part was having all my fellow law post grads in one room - I have been anxiously awaiting the moment when this all feels real, this whole masters in law thing, and today I think it finally happened. With so many orientation week events going on, I have been surrounded by mostly eager undergraduates and have felt quite old and out of place (along with just foreign). After today I feel more connected and am excited for classes to start next week! [The photograph is of the entrance to the law school building]

My grandmother left this morning, and I am alas completely on my own now! The picture to the right is of her on the beach in St. Andrews when we took an afternoon trip to see the famous golf course, the university there, and a lot of Scotland countryside on the way! In other news, it did not rain today! Generally there are about 8 casual bouts of rain per day, with stretches of sun in between. And wind. Always wind. Today I got so cold andwith the wind on my search for the postgraduate law office that I sought refuge in the library for a while to regain my composure. Luckily where I live is a few blocks from the law school and otherwise central to most things so I will not have to worry about the weather too much. Tonight there was a welcome dinner for those living in my building and the other Uni accommodation nearby; they made it seem like it was a big fancy feast, and it was just pizza. Typical college free meal, I suppose! Now I'm about to head off to catch a bit of a pub crawl and socialize a bit. Tomorrow I plan on taking my flip video camera for a whirl and will post a little moving picture for all you tuning in to show you around a bit more!

Pictures!

Here is a picture of my groggy self right before I boarded the (slightly delayed)plane from Newark, NJ to Edinburgh:

The next few pictures are representative of my first experiences in Edinburgh. First we have a plaid cab:

A huge castle on a grassy hill:

And a man playing bagpipes on the street for change:

Here is the view from my bedroom!

Soon I will post more pictures of Scotland things, but until then rest assured that this country is gorgeous. I am now settled in my own bedroom and managed to figure out the internet (not wireless but relatively fast). The weather has been great (knock on wood) and I hope the sun decides to stay out the rest of the week! Time for some more unpacking before dinner.

A little less jetlaged

Well, I am finally here! My grandmother and I have landed safely in Edinburgh, Scotland and had a great first few days.Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day, as I hopped off a red eye flight with little sleep under my belt just in time to greet a slightly rainy Edinburgh morning. I was let through customs despite my slight fever and very runny nose. On the way to the cabs, my grandmother and I had our SECOND celebrity sighting! First, we saw *Update, it was Danielle, not Theresa!* from the Real Housewives of New Jersey reality show at the Newark airport. The second sighting was a little more exciting - we saw John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer (Jim and Pam from The Office) heading the opposite way as us right outside the airport! I am proud to say I made eye contact with both, and (most likely because I was too spacey from my recent NyQuil dosage) did nothing more than just smile. Too bad I didn't have my camera ready, but it did help my mood as I was otherwise occupied blowing my nose!

Our hotel is lovely, we have a suite with plenty of space. The city itself is amazing - so many old buildings, adorable little side streets, and views of lush green hills and crags everywhere you look. While yesterday was very restful - we only ventured out for a bus tour around the city - today we have managed to accomplish a lot. We took a short cab ride to my new home on Roxburgh Place, waited in line to register and collect my keys, and then excitedly ventured up to the 4th floor to check out my room. Honestly, I could not be happier. I have a spacious single room with a BIG bed and a GORGEOUS view of Arthur's Seat with the city sprawled out beneath it. **There was also a little elephant charm randomly pinned to the bulletin board in my room, which as for those that know me will already guess, it a huge good luck sign! (The curtains are also a lovely mustard yellow and I have blue sheets!) I'll post pictures once I am off the hotel computer and have my own laptop all set up. After unpacking a few bags we went to a nearby Pound Saver store (think a small step up from the dollar store) and purchased a ton of cheap but much needed items to get me settled in my new space. In the store I met another postgraduate student and her mother from California doing the same thing - the city is overflowing with students and it is easy to pick out the American accents wherever we are. After dropping off the bags we got a nice Greek lunch at a shop on the walk back to the hotel.

Overall, I am very happy here so far and can't wait to get my room all set up and start off the school year. Once my head is all clear I'll be happier, but otherwise I have no complaints. The weather is much cooler than home, but luckily not cold yet. Yesterday it rained briefly, but has been sunny ever since. Today I decided I was going to stave off wearing boots as long as possible and threw on a pair of flip flops, but I can confidently say I might be the only one in the city wearing them despite it definitely being warm enough. I am ready for fall, but I do wish I had a few more days lounging poolside in the sun before it is all leggings, boots and sweaters.

That is all for now, but expect a post in a few days flooded with pictures!

10 Days and Counting

In 10 days I will be boarding a flight to Edinburgh, Scotland where I will spend 12 months working towards a masters degree in International Law at the University of Edinburgh. My last blogging attempt was approached as a means to stay connected with friends and family while studying in Cape Town, South Africa in the spring of 2009. Pleased with the result of my Cape Town blog, and ready to start my next abroad adventure, I figured I would begin a new blog and give my friends and family an easy way to keep track of me the next 12 or so months. Here you will be able to find photos, videos, and long rambling descriptions of my new life as a student at the University of Edinburgh Law School.

I am currently beginning to think about starting to pack...and otherwise preparing myself for the big move across the pond. I had a great going away party this past weekend where I had friends come from as far as Minnesota to attend and say goodbye! Watching friends from high school, college and my time in Cape Town in one place mingling and having a great time together was exciting and a great way to spend my last weekend in Massachusetts. Next weekend I will be in NYC for a music festival and will be back home on Monday before shaping up and shipping out to Scotland on Thursday!

Once I figure out my mailing address I will post it here, in the meantime you can always contact me by email (alexandra.edelstein@gmail.com) and Skype (alexandra.edelstein).

ALSO! I have a US GoogleVoice phone number which means you can call me/text me for free from your cell phone to my computer! Like Skype, this is a free way to call me, however this way you can call a real phone number from your real phone and be able to reach me! You can also text message me at this number and I can reply directly to your cell phone for free. My GoogleVoice number: (781) 285-8012*. So many fun, cool ways to keep in touch!

* note the 8-5 switch!