Today started International Orientation at University of Glasgow which, unfortunately, was not as much fun as Brandeis Orientation. Oh well, we did have a pretty cool bagpipes demo from the bagpipes instructor for the class so that was pretty darn cool! Here it is:

Other pretty spiffy things today were putting up my mezuzah and got all my cooking supplies from a place called Argos which is like a cross between KMart and IKEA. It has the inexpensiveness more so of KMart but the catalogue number writing for references to supplies in a warehouse as IKEA, so you write down all the numbers, someone else goes to the back to pick up the items you ordered and you leave. Pretty spiffy. 

But You're Blonde!

So I am giving into the fact that I woke up at 5am and am going to try catching everyone up on my life since I've been away from my computer for the weekend. 


We finished up in Edinburgh for our IFSA-Butler orientation and went out for our home-stays across the UK. My group which consisted of Jess, Karen, and Anna went to Carlisle to the Leith's home where we were picked up by an older gentleman named Paul, pilled into the station wagon and off we went. Well, sort of. He and his wife Tina have been hosting home-stays for 10 years, but they had moved in the last two years of which 8 months he had been laid up after snapping his stringy thingy as he called it (quadricep tendon for anyone who knows a thing or two about anatomy) so he hadn't been driving until recently, as well as he said he had the memory of a duck (apparently not a good duck). He starts asking us where to go which seemed rather pointless since we had no clue other than reading signs, but after a couple dead ends and a wrong turn or two, we did make it back to Carlisle from Southwaite. 


He asked us our names in the car, and of course mine immediately made him think of Hardy and I told him that I was named after the character to which he had a painful look on his face and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry." Lol, it seems like I may be getting a lot of that in the UK. Maybe I should go by Tessa like the coordinator kept calling me with no prompting or Belle as Jess put together the beginning and end of my Hebrew name because the middle stuff was too hard.


On the way back he apologized for the house being a bit tight and cozy since they had just downsized a couple years prior. We thought nothing of it, figuring the worst is that we'd pile into one room and sleep in very close quarters. Nope. Downsizing meant to a 3-story, 6-bedroom  house. The place was HUGE! They are all avid collectors and the house was covered with bits n' bobs. Dad, if you saw this house, you might think before telling mom she has too much. The most interesting series of collections in a small place was the loo with the handsaws, toy robots, and pictures of Jesus. Still a bit confused on that one. 

Once there, we met Tina, a very sweet woman who was excited to see us and immediately whisked us upstairs to our rooms so we could put our things away. Then she took us to the kitchen which was covered in old tobacco signs like the ones you see on American Pickers (oh the things I learn from Myles) and tea cups. We moved along to the greenhouse room for lack of a better term which was this glass extension off of the kitchen with the dining table and some sitting space where you could look out on the entire garden which was gorgeous! We sat there and began the chit chat of the weekend, she asked what we'd like for dinner, and as I explain my dietary restrictions, Paul chimes in, "You're not Jewish." I being a bit rusty with this since Brandeis began essentially just kept saying yes I am until he said, "But you're blonde! And you don't look like Anne Frank." I just roll my eyes at that point and Tina, trying to move things along, said that she was going to start dinner and Jess and I offered to help cook while Karen and Anna went to be "entertained" by Paul. 


                                      


We threw together a tuna pasta bake, aka tuna casserole. It was really simplistic but SO yummy. By the time we were done with dinner it was 10pm and we were all exhausted (I don't think I've moved past that stage yet) so we went up for bed. 


The next day we woke up and had a big breakfast to fill us up for a long day of sight seeing. First we went to a Car Boot Sale (flea market) in Pernwith which was so much fun to see. It was actually held in an animal auctioning building in each of the stalls. Next we went to the Aira Force Falls which were these gorgeous water falls in the Lake District which is the British version of the Hamptons as it goes for vacation spots. Then we went to the stone circle which is like a mini stone henge and got Jess very excited since she is an archeology major. We continued on for lunch by the lake and had nice hot potato and leek soup which was very nice since it was definitely a soup day (like everyday there) before going off to wander the shoppes of Keswick. A very cute and quaint town with all sorts of goodies like cheeses and wood sculptures and Wellie's.

By this time it was nearly 5pm so we headed back to the house to continue our evening. We all began different parts of starting dinner, but Paul became frustrated with a crossword and handed it to me telling me to finish it, which I got all but 3 words, then handed me another and got all but 4. Not quite sure why he handed it to me but alright. We continued making the fish pie and apple crumble. Mmmmmm good! it all was very yummy. And again, by the time we were done with that and Paul's drawing test, we were all exhausted and went up to bed.


In the morning, we continued with a typical British breakfast of Soldiers and Eggs which made me feel like I was in Charlotte's Web. It's the whole egg cup thing! And the soldiers are strips of buttered toast you dip in the yolk. After a big breakfast we expressed our gratitude and continued back to the bus to leave for GLASGOW!!!


2 hours later, we arrive! We go ahead and get to our flats and finally are able to unpack the insanely huge bags we have. Jess and I decide to try to go find some groceries for some basic supplies, although we have no cutlery or cooking utensils... Cereal and milk it is! We are planning on going to the charity shoppes (thrift stores) later in order to get some. It's a bit odd that everything closes so early here... Then after a bit of a confusing walk, we met up with Anna for dinner at a place called The Butchershop Grill near our flats and had a very filling dinner with wine. The vegetable linguine was so delicious! We figured after dinner we'd go back to our rooms and call it a night. 


Ah, but the night was yet young. We were then invited to a party by some other international students (from UMass Amherst, hahaha) who had been invited by their waiter at lunch the day before. So we met up with the group, of which one went to Tempe Prep and did AZJCL with me... weird connections... and went out to find this mysterious house party. It was fun, nice getting out and walking the city. Eventually Jess and I grew tired and left, but not a bad first night in the city.


Well, that's the scoop. I'll be back I'm sure with more craziness and shenanigans so keep your eyes peeled!

Constable Steve and Batman

So today was fairly low key, orientation and all. But there were a few highlights. One of which was this youtube video:

HilARious! Gotta love a good sock puppet. Then Constable Steve came to discuss personal safety, and boy was he a kick in the pants. A lot of alcohol awareness and how to keep yourself safe, etc. etc. etc. Very basic stuff. Although, he had a slide show with fun pictures and such, one of which was a cat burglar with the classic black eye mask and snow hat and gloves. He asked what the picture reminded us of. I stupidly said Batman. Apparently that was the hot button that turned on the bright flashing-lit arrow over my head telling him to tease me. It was all in good fun so no worries.

After orientation, I wandered around Edinburgh for the afternoon, found the post office (please send me your address if you would like a letter/postcard) and took many a picture of the glorious architecture and brightly colored flowers. Also wandered into a graveyard, which was absolutely gorgeous with all the stonework and such.

Then Indian food for dinner at a restaurant called Namaste Kathamandu and had Malai Kofta which was SOOOOOOOO yummy! Mmmm good...

Also, Arcade Fire is playing right outside my window right now. That's pretty awesome.