Sunshine

In case anyone was wondering (and I admit, I have been), yes, we do have sunshine in Scotland - on rare occasions, anyway. It has been almost 2 weeks since we saw sunshine, but at least it didn't rain today. Then this evening the sun came out for about an hour as it was setting. It was very pretty. I was on the top level of the doubledecker bus coming back to the flat, so I got a nice view of the sun. As soon as we got back to the flat, I ran upstairs, grabbed my camera and ran back down to snap a few pics. Then about 1/2 hour later I went and took more of the sunset colors (if you know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for sunset pictures). Hopefully this is a sign of things to come - more sunshine in future days. If not, at least I'll have these pics to remind me that gray skies are gonna clear up - eventually!

Another vocab lesson

Well, I've been in Aberdeen for a little over a month now, so I'm beginning to get familiar with the lingo. Here's another short lesson in Scottish vocabulary for you

America vs. Scotland:
yes = aye
dinner/supper = tea
dessert = pudding
parking lots = car parks
popcicles = iced lollies
ground meat = mince
potatos = tatties

I'm sure there are many other differences which I have simply forgotten. Also I joined the King's College Chapel Choir, which sings in the crowned chapel for services every sunday morning. It's a lot of fun, and the music is awesome - a lot of classical pieces like English Tudor anthems or masses by Vivaldi and Mozart (certainly no Brooklyn Tab or Prestonwood Choir music!). But I tell you, reading music over here is like learning a new language:

Half notes = minims
Quarter notes = crotchets
Eighth notes = quavers

I think I got that right! I much prefer our way of doing it - at least it makes mathematical sense. Oh, something else amusing - you don't see very many speed limit signs, usually it is painted on the road. But occasionally, in 20mph (or is it kilometer per hour) areas, you will see "Twenty's Plenty" signs. It just cracks me up.



Anyway, I think I'm beginning to get the hang of things. I'm reminded every day, though, that I am definitely living in a foreign country!

Blog changes

So... as you can see, the blog undergoes yet another revision. I was told it was hard to see the pictures on the black backgrounds, and I'm in a rather patriotic mood today (missing America), so I decided to go with the good old standby - red, white, and blue. Let me know if you find it hard to see the pictures or read the text, and I'll make changes accordingly. Hope you are all well.

Crathes Castle

Today Jason, Erin (friends from TX who are here for the long haul - 3 years!) and I went to Crathes Castle, a 16th century tower house about 45 minutes away from Aberdeen by bus. I was afraid that our plans were going to fall through, since the day dawned very rainy in Aberdeen. But we decided to chance it, and were rewarded with cloudy but dry weather while we walked the grounds (it did start raining again pretty hard as we walked back to the bus stop though). So here's a bit of information and a few pics of Crathes Castle.

Crathes castle stands on an estate granted to the Burnett family by King Robert the Bruce in 1323. The house was occupied by the same family until the 1950s, when it became a historical landmark. Photos are not allowed inside the house, but it was pretty neat inside. There was a heraldic ceiling (wood, with coats of arms throughout) in the room which the laird used as a court for petty crimes, original painted ceilings in four rooms, and period furniture and family portraits in every room. At the very top of the tower the guide did open a window and allow us to stick our camera out the window and photograph the grounds - see below.

The most impressive part of Crathes Castle is supposed to be the 4 acres of walled gardens, which still have the original hedges, planted in the early 1700s! Unfortunately, whoever told me that the walled gardens are in bloom all year long apparently lied! Everything was pretty dead except the shrubbery. Oh well. It was still pretty. Here's a couple of pictures of the gardens.

Pretty much the only thing we saw blooming other than the hedges were the snowdrops, a wildflower apparently the first sign of spring in Scotland (like the bluebonnets in Texas). The reason for the name "snowdrop" is quite obvious - in large patches it looks like the grounds is covered in snow. There were small bunches here and there throughout the garden, and a couple of larger patches on the grounds.

So, that was my adventure for this weekend. The castle was pretty cool - the first real castle I've seen in Scotland (last week's was in ruins), and it was fun to get out of the city and hang out with my fellow transplanted Texans. Hopefully more of these weekend explorations will follow.

Ornamentation

Well, this rainy week has not provided much opportunity to get out and enjoy the campus or surrounding areas. It has been very good for my research, though - since it keeps me indoors.
I thought I'd take a few minutes to show you some of the detailed ornamentation around the University of Aberdeen campus. For instance, when you walk through the main entrance to the King's College quadrangle, directly ahead of you is a more modern doorway flanked on either side by statues of animals bearing shields. To be quite honest, I'm not sure what the symbolism of these statues is, though the unicorn seems to be holding the Scottish flag.

Another interesting feature of the campus is the coats of arms that decorate all the oldest buildings, especially over doorways or archways. One example is the one above the main door in King's College Center. These certainly give a feeling of antiquity to the campus, and also add a splash of color to otherwise very grey buildings.

Anyway, this is just a brief look at some of the campus details. I am supposed to tour a castle this weekend, so hopefully I'll have some more interesting photos to share at that time. God bless you all!

Coastal Exploration

Yesterday my flatmate Anna and I took a little drive up the coast to the wee village of Cruden Bay (like that? I'm getting a little Scotland in my vocabulary!). The weather was gorgeous - blue skies, not too cold unless the wind was blowing - and it was the perfect day to be outdoors. We got to Cruden Bay around lunchtime (it's only about a 20 minute drive from Aberdeen), and explored the white sandy beach and the bay area before giving in and eating lunch in the car because the wind was so wicked right on the water. You could literally see the wind blowing the water off the tops of the waves - amazing!


After lunch we took a little stroll up the coastal trail to Slain's Castle (the walk wasn't long, but it was quite muddy - my new tennis shoes will likely never be the same!). Now the castle lies in ruins, without even a roof, but in its heyday the castle and the cliffs on which it is located inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula. I'm sure the castle must have been amazing in its day, because even the ruins were impressive. From a distance the ruins look like children's building blocks, but up close it is quite imposing. It is set right on these awesome rocky cliffs looking straight down into the churning water.



From Slain's Castle we drove a few miles up the road to the Bullers of Buchan, a 200 foot sea chasm (known as The Pot) where the ocean rushes in through a natural stone archway and churns as it swirls in the pool. If we thought the cliffs at Slain's Castle were impressive, they were nothing compared to this. There was a little grass walkway over the top of the stone archway - probably only 2 feet wide - with water and cliffs on either side. So cool! The photos don't even begin to do it justice!



These three attractions were intriguing, to say the least, but the drive along the coast and through the countryside was equally enjoyable. We even saw several sheep on the side of the roads (the sheep pictures are for you, Abigail!). We drove back a different direction, so I got to see some of the little inner-Scotland villages as we drove along the winding, hilly roads. I actually got a little carsick at one point, which has never happened to me before, but it was worth it for a full day of exploring Scotland's coast and countryside. It just increased my appetite to get out there and see more!

It's All Greek to Me

Sorry I haven't posted an update in a while. This week my time has been mostly consumed with Exodus and Revelation, in Greek no less. While it's fascinating to me, and I'm enjoying my research, I know you all don't want to read about all that I'm finding. Especially at this level where it's all very technical and I haven't compiled it all into a readable analysis. So, there you have it.
I do plan to do a little sight-seeing this weekend. My flatmate and I are planning to drive up the coast a bit to see the Bullers of Buchan (spectacular cliffs) and Slain's Castle (ruins of the castle that inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula). So check back later this weekend for some photos and details about our adventure (provided it doesn't rain, of course).
Have a great weekend, and stay warm. Seems like everyone I "talk" to (via email, of course) is having colder weather than we are. Go figure!

Surprise - updated with photos!

Well, it just goes to show that you shouldn't trust the weather channel. Imagine my delight and surprise when this morning I woke to bright sunshine in my dorm room, and the sound of the the giant seagulls screaming outside my window. Apparently the seagulls don't like the rain either, because I haven't heard them in a few days, though I didn't realize they were missing until this morning. Anyway, for right now at least it's a beautiful, rather warm (40 degrees) day. I took a walk down to Brig o' Balgonie, a medieval bridge built in 1320, just to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. Of course, in these pictures you can't even tell that there was sunshine. Oh well. You can tell how quaint the area is though - it's like stepping back in time!

While walking back up to the dorm I passed by a deer standing in the field eating. He didn't take his eyes off of me, but he didn't interrupt his lunch either as I took several pictures of him. I wish I had my zoom lens! Anyway, it has been a nice morning. May the sunshine last!

Gloomy

Well, these last few days have been exactly what I expected when I was preparing to move to Scotland. Rain, rain, and more rain. Not only that, but it's so windy that umbrellas do no good - they just turn inside out!

And cold! I've never been so cold as I was on Sunday. I waited in the cold wind and rain for the bus to go to church, and went to an old cathedral that apparently doesn't pay to heat its building. Man, I about froze in there! I kept my jacket on and everything, but it didn't help. Now I know why they serve coffee and hot tea after services - to thaw out the members!

Anyway, the gloomy weather has put me in a rather gloomy mood at points, but for the most part I am keeping my spirits up (not the kind of spirits that you find in the pubs around here, mind you!). But until this weather clears (which isn't expected until around Thursday), I won't be able to do any more sight-seeing or photography. I can just see my camera getting soaked in this rain! Oh well - I suppose I should use this time to focus on my real reason for being here - research. I accomplished a good bit today, so I guess the rain is good for something!

The University of Aberdeen

Allow me to introduce you to my school...

The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1495 (just 3 years after Christopher Columbus discovered America!), and was originally known as King's College. It is the third oldest University in Scotland, and is located in what is known as Old Aberdeen, the oldest part of the city. Today King's College is the central core of the University, the oldest academic buildings, and the location of my study office. The most recognizable feature of the University (and the oldest part of King's College) is the King's College Chapel, topped by the Crown Tower - only two of which now exist in Scotland.

The buildings of King's College are set up in a square, with an open Quadrangle in the center. Most of these buildings (other than the chapel) date from the 1800s, though the chapel has been preserved since the earliest days of the College. In front of the chapel lies the monument to Bishop Elphinstone, founder of King's College. Interestingly, this monument proved too large to fit through the chapel doors - hence its permanent outdoor location.

Directly behind the chapel one finds Cromwell Tower, where my office is located on the second floor (what we would call the third floor). The Tower is the rather square buildling in the middle of the pictures below.

Other important buildings on campus include Elphinstone Hall, which lies just outside the Quadrangle. It is the building on the lefthand side of the photos above, with the archways (also the first picture below). New King's College (second picture below) is one of the oldest academic buildings in the modern part of the University, and was built in such a way that its architecture harmonizes with the Chapel and Quadrangle buildings. One accesses New King's College through an ornate gateway.

The University itself is quite spread out, although these original buildings of King's College are centrally and conveniently located. However, one can't get far on campus without experiencing the cobble-stone streets and sidewalks and the various narrow alleyways which lead from High Street (the main road on campus) to the outer buildings.

Here are a few of my other favorite photos of this picturesque and ancient campus. This is one of the ornate chapel windows. Note: I plan to attend an organ concert in the chapel on Tuesday, so hopefully I'll have some inside photos to share soon.

This is the statue Youth with Split Apple, located directly outside of New King's College. You can see the Crown of the Chapel in the background.

And lastly, probably my favorite photo so far of the University. This was taken looking at King's College Chapel through the archways of Elphinstone Hall. Pretty cool!