Castles, Ceilidh, & Whiskey

I've been here only a week, and yet so much has already happened, I don't know where to begin. First off, I just want to comment on some British/Scottish words and phrases that I find interesting. The phrase I hear tossed around all the time is, "Cheers!" (and no, not just at the pub). It's used as a way to say "thank you," "have a nice day," or just general good tidings. I desperately want to incorporate it into my vocabulary but I think I better live here a little longer so I can really earn that right. At the grocery store, you see tons of alternate words for products. Of course fries are "chips" here and chips are "crisps" here. Cookies are "biscuits" and candy is "sweets". But my personal favorite I came across when I was buying orange juice. Instead of pulp, it is called "bits." So if there is some pulp there are "some bits." And if it is pulp free, it is referred to as smooth orange juice. Something simple but an interesting difference, nonetheless.

This past week, I really tried to absorb the Scottish culture. There was ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) dancing at the student union. It is essentially like Scottish line dancing and very much akin to the dancing that Merry and Pippin do in "Lord of the Rings" if that reference means anything to you. The guys there were actually wearing kilts, just with a tee-shirt, so it was completely casual. Some of the more experienced dancers really could spin and whip each other around. It was quite fun and once you got the pattern of the dance, not difficult at all. Of course afterwards, I was so sweaty. It was really a workout and I think should qualify me for a gym credit from Kalamazoo.

This past weekend I got outside of Aberdeen on two different trips. The first was a trip to two whiskey distilleries and a castle that is still residence to British nobility (the family had their invitation to Will and Kate's wedding and pictures from it framed, along with at least twenty signed notes and photographs from the Queen and Prince Charles and Camilla). I enjoyed the castle part much more than the whiskey part of the trip. It is not my kind of drink, and honestly, I found it really awful tasting. However, I know A LOT about how to make it so if you ever need the answer to Scotch whiskey trivia, feel free to ask.

The most amazing part of my weekend was my trip to Stonehaven, a small coastal town that is only twenty minutes outside of Aberdeen by train. Myself and all the other Kalamazoo students came along. The city was adorable but it was what beyond it that was spectacular. A three mile hike through emerald hills, ruins, a cow field and every other sight you associate with Scotland in your imagination led us to Dunnotarr castle, originally built in the 13th century. Incredible doesn't even begin to cover it. We spent at least an hour exploring what remained of this fortress that overlooked the North Sea. The sunny day only added to how absolutely gorgeous everything was. Today was one of those days that seemed so surreal, like something this amazing can't be actually in front of me and I can't actually be living it. However, my sore feet brought me back to reality. Those hiking shoes proved to be an excellent investment and I can't think of a better first trip with them.