Hairspray

So, I went to see Hairspray with some of the international students. Without giving too much of the "plot" away, let's just say that the movie is in typical Broadway-musical style in that it takes a serious topic and makes it all butterflies and sunshine; in this particular case, it's the topic of segregation.

After the movie, I had to explain that segregation was not all butterflies and sunshine to my fellow movie-goers. They seemed to think that the film was based on truth, but instead Broadway musicals gloss over reality. I spend a fair amount of time dispelling the myths about America and Americans. I'm beginning to need some back up.

This Weekend

"My Heart is My Own"

Yesterday I bought the largest book I've ever owned and have proceeded to read it. All 515 glorious pages of My Heart is My Own a biography of Mary, Queen of Scots. I get lost half the time because all the dukes and kings keep changing names. So far it's not so much about Mary, but all the political intrigue around her.

100 pages down, 415 to go...

Don't be too jealous

Don't be too jealous. Because. I lost my keys. Either Tuesday or Wednesday of last week. In the past two days I have asked at 4 grocery stores, the bus company, two pubs, a yarn store, the university's lost property office, the manufacturing engineering office, my flat's front desk, and the university's RBS branch. No luck. Today, I'm going to scour the office and tonight I'm going to thoroughly search my flat (although I just cleaned it on Thursday, so nothing should turn up).

It's not really a big deal. Sort of. I may be able to copy my flatmate's mailbox key, and that will save me £20. Yes, charges, that's right:

1. 1 Mailbox key..........£20
2. 1 Office Key..........£10 deposit
3. 1 Bike lock key..........Priceless

I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to tell Harris that his bike is permanently chained to the bike garage. *sigh*

[edit] Now it seems I've also lost my size 10 circular knitting needles, in their packaging. I'm not so much distraught by all this losing of items as I am disappointed in myself. Where did my memory go? I don't usually lose anything, much less keys and everything else! [/edit]

Missed Meeting

Somehow missed meeting up with Kyle in Edinburgh. My guess is he didn't realize his cell phone won't work in Europe. I knew I should've made alternate meet-up plans. *sigh*

On the bright side, my plans for this weekend have already been confirmed. I'm going on Haggis Adventures' 3-day "Skye-High" tour to the Isle of Skye.

I've also bought tickets for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo preview on Thursday, August 2nd...which should be exactly two hours after I return from the International Students trip to Blair Castle, Edradour distillery, etc.

Isle of May

So, Friday (i.e. yesterday) I got up at some horrible hour in the morning, and walked to Waverley train station to meet up with Thomas at 6:45am. We were on a tight schedule:

7:06-8:09	Scotrail train, Edinburgh -> Leuchars
8:34-8:45	Stagecoach bus #99, Leuchars -> St. Andrews
8:55-9:16	Stagecoach bus #X26, St. Andrews -> Anstruther
10:00	Isle of May Ferry to The May, weather permitting

Of course, I got so absorbed in my knitting (and Thomas was asleep) that I missed our train stop at Leuchars and we ended up in Dundee. Somehow, we made it back to Leuchars in enough time to catch the #99, miss the X26 (and take #95 instead) and board the ferry, which amazingly took off, and even landed at the Isle of May. They cancel some trips due to inclement weather.

More or less, despite my complete airheaded-ness, Thomas and I really lucked out.

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The Isle of May has been a National Nature Reserve since 1956, and during the month of July is home to about a quarter million sea birds...even though it's only 1.5 kilometres long. I really just wanted to go for the puffins, but it ended up being a gorgeous day on the beautiful island which had lots of paths and all sorts of birds. We ended up seeing: arctic terns, shags, puffins, different sorts of gulls, kittiwakes, gannets, gray seals, and one razorbill.

Gray seals hanging around the South Horn. The May is also a breeding ground for seals.

Made curious by the ferry landing, a seal pokes his head above the water and watches us.

The white specks are all terns. I have never seen so many birds in my entire life.

Puffins!!








I think they're awesome.

This cave was full of baby gulls...and parent gulls flying to and from the feeding grounds.

Nestled amongst the cliffside of the cave of baby gulls were these three shags. I think they're shags, anyways.

After the sun showed up, the Isle of May was quite beautiful




Modern castle-style lighthouse

Note the baby gulls in the lower-right corner. They didn't like us standing so close.

That's me standing on a path that goes over/near an undercut cliff. The fabulous silly purple hat I'm wearing is what I was making on the train...it made an appearance in the previous SnB post.

Attacking Terns

By far the best moment of the whole trip was being attacked by nesting Arctic Terns (which is actually why I made/wore a hat). They attack the highest point on your body, so we avoided this by holding rolled up posters in the air, and allowing the terns to attack that. The following photo is Thomas being attacked by two Arctic Terns. They actually pulled some of his hair!!

This scene still makes me laugh hysterically.

After three hours on the isle, we went back to Anstruther. A ranger released a baby puffin onto the water once we were far enough from other birds (that would likely try to eat it). Baby puffins live in burrows in the ground, and when they've had enough, they leave in the middle of the night and go out to sea for three years. Sometimes they get a bit lost and the rangers help them out.


The Isle of May from the Ferry

Anstruther

Anstruther, just another cute fishing village in Fife...with Scottish Tablet ice cream (mmmm...). The weather was nice, so naturally the town was full of old people just off a tour bus.

We returned to St. Andrews and walked along the Old Course for a bit, and then back along the shore. The International Students trip went to St. Andrews last weekend, so I'm not going to put up too many photos of there. Next weekend, the Women's British Open is in St. Andrews Old Course. This weekend the Carnoustie Open was up in...Carnoustie.


St. Andrews Old Course

My hostel was like, half a mile away from town which is somewhat annoying, but I only had to walk there and back twice, so I'm not too upset. £25 did get me my own room though, which is nice.

St. Andrews

After breakfast Thomas and I couldn't resist a chance to play on St. Andrews Women's Course (don't worry, I'm fluent in pompous-ass-ish; "women's course" translates to "miniature golf").




Action shot!


Once I got accustomed to the natural greens, I stopped sucking so much and ended up beating Thomas. It was an easy course.

I find it kinda amusing, the way all golfers' wives dress identically.

We eventually did make it back to Edinburgh, and now I am exhausted. Good night.

SnB

So I went to CityKnitty's SnB again tonight. 'Had myself a "ginger beer" (which I'm quite sure is just ginger ale...but somehow tastier). I spent an hour and a half frogging some oatmeal color shrug I had finished, but didn't fit right. Time to begin again! I've become very Tibetan-monk about my knitting. Finish it, then throw it all away!

An older woman noticed a more exciting yarn in my bag, before I left. A more exciting yarn that has become this goofy hat:

I really like it, despite its ridiculousness.

Weekend Trip

So. I booked it. The most complicated 24 hour trip ever. Why so complicated? Because getting to the Isle of May is apparently a big deal. 7am Friday morning I take a train to Leuchars, then a bus to St. Andrews, and then another bus to Anstruther. If I get to Anstruther before 10am, then I try to get a ticket on the Isle of May Ferry. Otherwise, I head back to St. Andrews and check into my SYHA hostel and try for the 10:45am departure on Saturday.

Yes, I was just at St. Andrews this past weekend, but it's the closest hostel to Anstruther that'll take singles! Now I'll get a chance to see the golf museum and take the Witches tour, lol.

Besides, I like St. Andrews. It has a beach town sort of feel to it.

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My plans were moved up by a day, since I have a former Camden coworker visiting on Sunday. 'Need to be back to Edinburgh by Sunday evening.

Sketchy

Today (or rather, Friday) I received my bank account info. That's right. I'm officially a sketchy person with a bank account in two countries.

Although, as Vito points out, it's not nearly as sketchy as the Cayman Islands. 'Always something to strive for.

6 Bus Trips, One Day

Today I got my money out of my Ridacard bus pass...

Craigmillar Castle

I hopped on a bus going east and went to Craigmillar Castle, a few miles outside of the city. This castle was where Mary Queen of Scots sheltered after the murder of her friend Rizzio, and also where plans were made to murder Mary's husband, Darnley.






Edinburgh Castle can be seen on the hill to the left. There is one smaller hill next to a larger hill on the right. I believe the smaller one is Arthur's Seat.

Just before it began raining (of course) I got on the bus and headed back to the city.

Botanical Gardens

The gardens were nice and green. The only excitement was that I missed my stop the first time, and ended up in a residential part of town by the sea. I figured it out though, and eventually ended up where I meant to be.


There was a very nice/large rock garden, emulating plant terrain in the Himilayas.

I had lunch at the cafe, and then headed back into town (once again).

Harry Potter

Met up with some of the international students to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was good. There was a scene or two they rushed through too much. Death shouldn't be a 5 second thing. Afterwards we attempted to find a pub without a cover, which is tricky on a Saturday night...but we found one. It was full of hen parties, lol. Kinda strange, but whatever.