Happiness

I had the most incredible weekend. (yes I do realize that most of my Monday blogs include this statement, but I am trying to live my time here to the fullest and therefore have many incredible weekends.)

Friday night was typical cheesy pop. But what Claire, Iona, and I tend to do when we come home from a night out is cook a frozen pizza and have "pizza chat." It has become one of my favourite traditions, and one that I will definitely miss.

Then Saturday I ventured up to Oban for Kersley and Calder's 21st birthday party. I was staying with Robbie, his older brother Colin, and one of Rob's friends from Edinburgh. When I walked in, dinner was ready- and it was a legit dinner of steak, potatoes, and corn on the cobb. A girl could get used to that. Then we all got dressed up for the night out- i had a fun party dress and the guys wore kilts (i am going to miss those too). However, I did decide that I do not like getting ready for parties while I am the only girl in the house. I mean, if I need help or an opinion or a shoe crisis, who am I supposed to ask? But I digress...

The party was an absolute sensation. The first two hours a Ceilidh band played traditional scottish music for dancing- and I actually knew more than I thought I would. And even when I didnt, it always helps to have a good dance partner. I also got to visit with alot of people, such as girls from my exchange that I have not seen since coming back, and people from Glasgow that I had not spent much time with. Hopefully we will see each other more in the upcoming weeks. After a few hours, the band changed to a DJ and the music was so much fun! Basically, I am happiest when I am dancing. Add kilts and good friends to that combination and I am in heaven :) I hope my 21st is half as good as theirs.

Sunday was daylight savings time so we all got a much needed extra hour of sleep. After a relaxing morning I took the bus back to Glasgow in time to see a Glasgow Rocks basketball game, and Mike Copeland is the starting Centre! It was so great to see a tarheel on the court, even if its not the deandome. The game was good, but it is played at a completely different caliber here. The Rock's lost by five. I did get to meet Cope after the game was over though, and he is really nice. I think he was glad to have support at the game, especially from people who understand where he comes from.

This week is reading week for my comp lit class, which means I only have one lecture. of course, I WOULD have to register for next semester's classes during my one lecture. Whatever. I do have a paper to write this week though because Hannah, a friend from Laurinburg who is studying abroad in Italy is coming to visit me this weekend!! Yay!

But I hope everyone has a great week!!
Until my next adventure,
Love
Rach :)
xox

Happy Friday!!

I know this is not news to anyone, but I absolutely LOVE Fridays! I have always loved them, but I especially love this day of the week because my only class is photography; Today I spent 5 hours in a darkroom, and I couldnt believe how fast the day went by. But I have finished developing my first roll of film, and today we got our cameras back. Peter, our super cool photag professor, met with each of us individually and gave us a focus for our new roll of film. Mine is reflections and portraits. My goal for the week is to find ways to take pictures of people showing emotion... we will see how it works out.

It has been a pretty calm week for me, which i gladly welcomed after London last weekend. On wednesday we had our scottish culture class, which I am really enjoying. This week we talked about Scottish Lit in the 18th and 19th centuries, which included people like Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter Scott. It may sound kind of dorky, but i really enjoyed it. Also, a bunch of us went to a club called The Arches on wednesday night, which is located in the arches underneath Grand Central Station. The awesome part about The Arches is that there is a bouncy castle inside!! How amazing is that?! I think all clubs should have bouncy castles inside! Fabulous.

This weekend my friends Kersley and Ross are having a 21st birthday party in Oban, so I will be making the trip up there tomorrow. Though I am not sure why, 21 is also a big deal here. They have apparently hired a Ceilidh band and everything. It is guaranteed to be a good night. I will report back on that later ;)

I hope you all have a great weekend!
Until my next adventure,
Love
Rach :)
xox

The Second Star to the Right

So on Saturday (after Cheesy pop, let me add) at oh-Dark-Thirty in the morning (and by that I mean 4 am) I caught a bus to the airport and a 650 flight to LONDON!! Due to a ryanair debacle, Kate met me in London at my friend kesley's flat (she is studying abroad at Kings College). Then we started our 48 hour whirlwind tour of London. We walked down Southbank and saw the Globe Theatre. Kate and I went up to the London Eye. I think it is cool how wherever I go I find places that make me feel like Im on top of the world. It was an incredible 360 degree veiw of the city.

After the Eye we saw a sign for a Beatles exhibit at the Movieum- a museum about British film, and if we didnt do so many cool things while we were in London, I would say it was the coolest thing we did. There were mini bios about all of these film stars lining the walls. It also had the original costumes of so many great stars! For example: Russell Crowe's battle Armor from Gladiator, Christopher Reeve's superman suit, Ron and Harry and Hermione robes, and DARTH VADER!!! hello awesomness! Oh, and Harrison Ford's body cast from the Empire Strike's back, saw it!! so freakin cool! there were also images of the beatles. By far the coolest museum ever. Anywho...

after the movieum, we walked along Parliament and saw Westminister Abbey. We (and by we I mean Kate) mastered the Tube up to Notting Hill for the Portabello Road Market. We then meandered back to Leichester Square for theatre tickets, and we saw Les Miserables. Oh my stars. Those who know me know that when I see a fabulous musical that I get really happy and bubbley, and ramble. Oh yes, there was rambling. So great. Fabulous. Oh the magic of a power ballad! After the show, Kate and I met up with Kesley, Lauren Shore (another girl from UNC), and two of their friends for dessert. it was a chill night, but it is what I needed after being up since Oh-Dark-Thirty.

On Sunday, we crossed the Millenium Bridge, hoping that the Death Eaters didnt come and tear it down, over to St. Pauls Cathedral. Then we went to the changing of the guard, where there were too many people, and scary policemen on horses yelling at everyone. But it was a touristy thing to do and therefore it had to be done. Because sunday was a beautiful day in London, Kate and I went strolling through the parks. And Peter Pan was our theme for the day.

First (completely on accident) we discovered the Lost Boys tree. I mean it was not official, but it was perfection. and of course, where there is a tree, I will climb it. it was amazing. I made a friend, Jake, who was 9. He coached me up the tree, where we both made it all the way to the top. It's kind of funny really, I didnt start climbing trees until I was about 18, because I am kid of chicken. So when I was struggling, kate was like "Do NOT make me call Dr and Mrs Hughes and tell them you fell out of a tree in London." But I didnt fall out. We kept strolling a found the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Park. And lo and behold, a dog slightly resembling Nana walked up. Kate's inner five year old was so happy.

After the Park tour we walked to Oxford St, one of the main shopping streets in London. I lost my Christmas Spirit a little, but it was an experience for sure. We walked down Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes anyone?) and then to Trafalgar Square to see it all lit up at night. Then for our final scene we wanted to see was big Ben like Peter Pan did. So we found it, and it was a sight. Kate imagined that Peter and Wendy were sitting on the hands of Big Ben. We didnt see the second star to the right either, however that oculd be because London is to bright to see any stars (and I did suggest transplanting Big Ben to Chapel Hill to remedy that situation...)

Kate and I caught the 1145 bus to Glasgow and rode all night to make it back in time for class on monday.

What a great weekend.

Until my next adventure,
love
Rach :)
xox

Recap

Yes, Epic fail on my part to keep everyone up to date.

Last Tuesday, my family made the trek from Oban to Glasgow, where they stayed for the remainder of their trip. Tuesday night, we has a fabulous dinner at the Ubiquitous Chip, a restaurant in the cute Ashton Lane. In my Glasgow guide book, it said that this was the place to go when your parents were in town. So I listened :) Dinner was fabulous! Then we walked to Oran Mor, an old church that has since been converted into a pub (hey- Jesus provided the alcohol!), where we had a sort of "meet the parents" gathering. A bunch of my friends (both from UNC and Glasgow) met us there and it was great for everyone to finally meet each other.

Wednesday, I skipped my comparative lit class (which probably wasnt the best idea considering we are studying Nietzsche) and went with the family to St. Andrews for the day. Fun fact: Dad rented a car and DROVE! Holy Cow. Im not going to lie, I closed my eyes a few times, but otherwise he did a great job and I am very proud of him :) St. Andrews was a beautiful town, right on the North Sea. And the weather was so mild, it was perfect. We walked along the Old Course (and Dad was in heaven- it was completely worth the drive). The course is right along the edge of town, I cant believe that people actually PLAY there- I would be too nervous. And I bet that town get packed when the British Open is held there (which is happening again in 2010). We walked along the waterfront, which was absolutely stunning! We saw remnants of an old castle and cathedral. It was so impressive. When we were walking down the street, I saw a girl from UNC who is studying at St Andrews for the semester. it was completely random, but cool to see someone from home. When we were on our way back to Glasgow, we took the wrong exit off the motorway and somehow I became the navigator, from the back seat, in the dark, around the city centre of Glasgow. Holy Cow again. But we made it back safely, and it was a great day trip!

Thursday the family went to Edinburgh without me (that was my choice, I had a presentation that day), but I think they really enjoyed their visit to the Capital. Edinburgh and Glasgow are two completely different cities and I am glad they got to experience both of them in their time here.

Friday, Trish, a friend of the Kurpris' that we met this weekend, had arranged for us to have a private tour of the Glasgow city chambers. I really enjoyed learning a little bit Glasgow's history, and it made me realize how little i actually know about the city where I live. But it was a really nice thing that she did for us, and we all enjoyed it. Then I toured them around Uni, and it was a beautiful Carolina football day (meaning clear blue skies- a rarity in Glasgow), and it was good to show them where I go to school. After dinner with Iain and Brady, we parted ways. Walter came to Cheesy pop with me, and Mom, Dad, Kirsten, and Bob went back to the hotel.

Even though my Type A personality showed a few more times than I wanted it to, I really liked having my family close by.

Tonight is going to be a good night :)

OK, so I know I am incredibly behind on my blogging, and I have alot to fill you in on. But right now, this is the most important thing:

Yes. That is Channing Tatum! and his arm is around me :) Dont worry, my heart completely stopped. He is as gorgeous in person as he is on TV. AND he was super friendly!! He was also eating dinner with Jamie Bell.

(if you do not know who these people are, please google them immediately!)

OMG I love this country!!

Happy Friday!!

The Ties That Bind

This weekend has been absolutely amazing. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I looked at my mom and said "My heart is so happy right now!" THAT is how good of a weekend I have had.

(and most of the time, when I refer to "my family", this also includes Kirsten and Bob)

Friday started out well because I learned how to develop my processed film onto paper, and some of my pictures turned out really cool. I feel so accomplished when I see the different shades of gray appear on the page. After my photography class, I rode with my friend Kersley (from the exchange) to Oban where my parents, my brother, and my "second parents" Kirsten and Bob were waiting for me at the Ayres Guest House. I have loved having my family here, especially since this is my parents first time over to Scotland, ever. They finally met my Scottish parents, Brian and Muriel, and I still cannot believe how well they get along and how similar they are to each other. Friday night, the Kurpis' hosted an "open house" for my parents, where they met the parents of a few of the people from my exchange. It was also a great way for me to get to see everyone in the same place and the same time. The Brady's, the Boyd's, the Kersley's (as well as Steven and Jodie), and Donald and Jillian (our two chaperones) were all here. I felt like my two worlds had finally blended, and I would say that the night was definitely as success!

Saturday I got up and went for a run around Oban, and I found my way back to the high school; that is where it all began (my run ended up being kind of nostalgic, but it was still a good way to start my day). Everyone kind of did their own thing on Saturday. Mom, Kirsten and Bob went and toured the Oban Distillery (which is kind of comical considering neither mom nor Kirsten drink whiskey). Dad went and played golf with Dougie MacKintyre, a local greenskeeper who's son played golf in Pinehurst this summer and met my whole family. Walter, Robbie and I went to a shinty match. Shinty is a sport that is comparable to field hockey without the high sticking rule. So these guys would be running at full speed and then take a full on golf swing at a ball that looks like a baseball. It was craziness. Then the only way they could stop the ball is by using their stick or by putting their feet in a wedge position that resembled first position (yes I have to equate everything to a dancer terms). But I had fun watching the game, especially because I have heard so much about it from different people from the exchange. Leaving the game a bit early, the three of us ventured up to McCaig's Tower (it somewhat resembles a coliseum on the Oban skyline) to take pictures and enjoy the view. When we decided that a good hot chocolate was next on our adventures for the day, I ran into 4 study abroad students from Glasgow! It is kind of funny when you realize how small a world it actually is (or maybe its just that scotland is a small country).

My family and the Kupris' went out to this amazing seafood restaurant for dinner: it was right on the water, and the menu was handwritten because it is based off of that days catch. A few people ordered a full lobster, and they brought them out to the table, ALIVE! They did take them back to cook eventually, but still, I have never seen my seafood dinner alive before it is on my plate. Nevertheless I had scallops that were ah-mazing. I think this meal probably ranks as one of my top five meals of all time. AND the cook (he was not a chef, he told me that sounded too pretentious) came out and spoke to all of us individually to ask about our meal! WOAH! Like I said: amazing.

After dinner we walked to one of the local pubs and met up with the Kersely's, who were out celebrating mr Kersley's 50th birthday. I love how all of our families just mesh together, like they have known eachother for years instead of days. Side note: right now in Oban is the National MOD, which is a huge Gaelic music festival. It will be going on all week, so in almost every pub you can find good scottish music. SO we left the Waterfront in search of a Scottish band, and we found one! I love listening to Scottish music, particularly around scottish people (who may or may not have been drinking) because they have such a huge amount of pride in their culture and music. I love being a part of that (even if I am kind of on the outside). Apparently the guy who was playing the accordion was pretty well known in Scotland, so it was kind of a big deal for him to be playing here.

What I didnt know was that the real party hadnt even started yet! When we got back to the guest house (and it is probably about 2 am at this point). Muriel brought out the leftovers (because who doesnt like a good post midnight/pub snack?) and we all sat around just having a good time. and then the inevitable happened: Robbie put on Galway Girl and the dance party began. I swear that it was fate that I was paired with them four years ago. I mean a dance party, and 3 am, in the dining room, with mom, Kirsten, Bob, Muriel, and Rob. And we continued dancing for a good 45 minutes! I was so happy. We ended the night with a loud (slightly inebriated) version of Loch Lomond. so great. so great.

Just do the steps that youve been shown

By everyone youve ever known

Until the dance becomes your very own

(Jackson Browne: For a Dancer; Mrs Kupris' favourite song)

Today we got off to a somewhat slower start (hehe), but my family, two of the Kupris' friends who are visiting for the MOD, and Mr Boyd went out on a Sea Fari, which is a two hour tour of some of the old rock quarries and islands around the west coast. We got to see all kinds of wildlife, like different species of birds native to scotland, deer, seals, and porpoises! I could even hear the male deer go WAAAHHHHH (that is a Princess Diaries 2 reference- sorry, but it had to happen). Both Walter and I had done this while we were here for the exchange, but I dont remember it being as fun as it was today. We also saw like 5 rainbows, and I promptly told the leprechaun that I found to deliver my pot of gold to Block 11 Flt G2 QMR. Seriously though, I i have never seen the end of the rainbow before today, and they always remind me of my Grandma. We also got to wear these spiffy outfits. But on our way back Mr Boyd played some James Taylor, and it felt like home. I swear the song carolina in my mind never gets old. ever.

After a quiet dinner of fish and chips (classic), Mom, Kirsten and I went back to the pub from the night before to listen to more Scottish music. At one point in time they band sang the song "Caledonia". Everyone in the bar knew all the words. I got the chills on more than one occasion. It is just so fun to listen to, and I feel like I am a part of it all.

Tomorrow walter and I head back to Glasgow (since I do actually have to go to class). My parents arrive in the city on Tuesday, and I cannot wait to introduce them to my friends and show them a piece of my life here.

Until my next adventure,

love always,

Rach :)

xox

I don't know if you can see

The changes that have come over me

In these last few days I've been afraid

That I might drift away

So I've been telling old stories, singing songs

That make me think about where I came from

And that's the reason why I seem

So far away today

Oh, but let me tell you that I love you

That I think about you all the time

Caledonia you're calling me

And now I'm going homeIf I should become a stranger

You know that it would make me more than sad

Caledonia's been everything I've ever had

(Caledonia)

Since then...

Just a few things I wanted to share since returning from Sweden...

1. I love Glasgow and all things Scottish.

2. James Earl Jones was on House this week. Love it.

3. At approximately 4 am this morning, the fire alarm went off in Block 11. I was not a happy camper. Ironically, it is through fire alarms where we meet our neighbors. We have decided that we should try to be more social so that we do not only see each other during evacuations at ODark30.

4. This morning, I was having breakfast with my flatmate Claire. We were listening to James Taylor (she liked him- but who wouldnt?) and drinking coffee, looking out to another sunny day. it almost made up for the fire alarm.

Love xox

All things Sweden

Disclaimer: there are NOT, i repeat N-O-T, any Swedish Fish in Sweden. Yes I looked. Yes I was disappointed.

But I was not disappointed by Stockholm. Overall it is a very cool, very colorful city. And I am apologizing in advance for the length of this blog entry.

Friday:
We arrived in Stockholm around 11 pm, and while Ryanair has amazingly cheap flights, it flies into small airports not actually in the city. So we had a 2 hours bus ride to Cityterminalen; I sat next to this cool guy from London who does cardiovascular ultrasound. Due to my interest of all things medical I was very excited about this and he told me how he typically sees underprivileged populations who have sickle cell anemia and how the ultrasound helps determine the severity of the disease and the best was to treat it. I thought it was cool. We arrived to our hostel (my first hostel experience) and we were starving. So Kate, Virginia, Tyson and I went exploring our street looking for food. We found this dive of a fast food place. However, none of us knew how to read the menu or how the money worked. While we were blankly staring at the menu. the person in front of us turned around and said "You re not from here are you? I can tell because you're thinking in English and not Swedish." But it turned out he was from Aberdeen which was pretty exciting. After our late night snack, we turned in excited about the weekend ahead :)

Saturday:
We awoke Saturday morning to overcast skies and a windchill that felt like 0 degrees C. Didn't we leave this weather in Scotland? But our first stop was the area of Gamla Stan- or the Old Town. FYI- Stockholm is a city that is made of about 14000 islands, so each "neighborhood" is a different island. We went to this cute little Cafe and had a Smorgasbord; each of us ordered something different, aaaannnnddd I had my first official Swedish Meatballs, which were fahamzing! Continuing our journey on the cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan, we found Storkyrkan, the oldest church in Stockholm, as well as the site where the kings were crowned. When we ventured inside, we discovered that an Organ concert was in progress; the organs were massive and the decor inside of the church was so intricate and sophisticated. I felt very cultured. Upon leaving the church we discovered that the Palace was closed for the day, so we went shopping at H&M, which is Swedish, and it takes up four corners of an intersection in the shopping district. Huge! After a brief seista back at the hostel, we met some guys from france who play on a football team together who were taking a holiday in Stockholm. We all decided to get dinner somewhere in the city, and we settled for an Italian restaurant. Recap: we were 4 American Girls eating with 6 French guys in an Italian restaurant in Sweden. Talk about the mixing of cultures. It was a fun night though as we found a dance club in Gamla Stan. it was a top night!

Sunday:
Since our castle tour had failed on Saturday, we returned to Gamla Stan for a tour of the Royal Palace, the Treasury (where all of the royal crowns are kept), and the Tre Kronor Museum (the museum about the palace that burned down). Our tour guide was this crazy lady who spoke English very well but would stare you down for 30 seconds or so. She was kind of creepy. After the Palace tours we took a boat tour around one of the islands of stockholm. it was cool getting to see all of the different parts of the city from the water. For dinner, we found a Chinese buffet, in which we promptly stuffed ourselves (for 14 pounds we were going to get our money's worth!!) On our way back to the hostel we decided to stop by the Irish pub that was right down the street. and lo and behold the two bartenders were from Glasgow! One of them had majored in Physiology at Glasgow Uni (though Im not sure what it means to say that he is now a bartender in stockholm, but I digress...). It was fate :) But this pub was also the sponsor of a local football team, who had happened to win their Division that day, so they were all celebrating (which proved to be quite entertaining). Another side note: Swedish men do not hold their alcohol as well as Scottish men. But we ended up going out to one of the nicest clubs in Stockholm to celebrate with them.

Monday
By monday, I am completely wiped out and ready to go back to Glasgow, but our flight isnt until 10 pm. So what better way to feel better about life than to go to Chokladfabriken. Yes that some how translates to Chocolate factory aka happiness. This place was heavenly :) Today was also the first really sunny day that we had in Stockholm, so the views were extra beautiful! We took the ferry over to djurgården, one of the islands recommended to us. We found this awesome Nordic Museum (which we did not tour) but we had a fabulous lunch inside! We proceeded to walk around the entire Island. Yes, I did find a tree to climb :). We also stopped on the dock which had amazing views of the city and park and took our last group photo of the trip. However, when four girls are spending their last few hours in Stockholm and we are standing on a dock overlooking very pretty clean, blue water, there was only one thing left for us to do... (if your mind immediately thought we went swimming, you were incorrect). While Sweden does boast about clean water, we did not swim. We DID however have a spontaneous dance party!! Yes, it really happened. I got out my ipod and blared N'Sync's Pop; yes we got some strange looks, but I think it was my favorite part of the day :)

After taking the very very very scenic route around the island, we realized while waiting for the ferry that we had 6 modes of transportation between then and home (ferry, metro, bus, airplane, bus, taxi). As we left the city, we rode off into the sunset, the end of a great weekend and great adventure.

Shades of Gray

The Friday Five:
1. Happy Friday!! I have had yet another fabulous week here in Glasgow :) My classes are all going quite well... though I am finding sociology a bit difficult when my TA asks us questions about the relevance of modernity in British society, when I am not British. Oh well...
2. I just got out of my photography class...and I processed my first roll of film! While the actual steps are quite slow, it is really gratifying when you can see the prints on the negatives... And taking pictures this week was kind of cool as well...trying to find different subjects while keeping the lighting and background in mind.
3. I leave in a few hours for a weekend in Stockholm! It is definitely going to be an adventure! wooo!
4. I got to spend a few afternoons this week with friends from my exchange program. It is quite easy to just assume that you will see people that you have known for a few years, but Glasgow is a big city with a big university, so Im always grateful when we spend time together.
5. In one week, my family (real and surrogate) are coming to visit...and I cant wait!!

Have a great weekend and I will fill you in on my adventures of Sweden on Monday.
Love
Rach :)
xox

Never settle for anything less than a great adventure