Hi there,
Hope this post finds you doing fantastic today. Things are good on my end. Just been going to classes and hanging out.. I'm getting a little anxious and wanting to travel. There was a day trip to the Highlands that my accommodation set up that we could pay to go on, but I decided not to do it. Julia and AJ couldn't go so I figured it'd be more fun if we could do it together over a weekend. Thinking of going to the Isle of Skye next weekend or Stirling.. somewhere! I still have to see the sites of Edinburgh. If Sunday is pretty I think I will go to the castle. I have to stop being a room potato and get over my fear of going off by myself!
I was actually kind of glad that I didn't pay for the Highlands trip last night because the Photography Society (PhotoSoc) is going to capture the sunset on Saturday. We are going to the Queensferry and taking pictures of the Forth Railroad Bridges (at sunset). Should be fun! And hopefully I'll learn some new camera techniques and get a mentor at our meeting tomorrow. I'm so excited about the PhotoSoc. I think it will be really fun and beneficial. They do these local photo trips every Saturday, have photo tutorials every Friday, and do a trip outside of Edinburgh during the semester. The people in the society seemed cool too! I hung out with a group of 5 last week at the pub crawl. It was Amira (Malaysia), Chu (China), Lukas (Germany), Maron (Denmark), and Ashleigh (Scotland). We were quite the exotic group! I'm thinking of trying to get a Photography club started when I get back to Stetson.. I think that would be amazing! (If you are reading from Stetson, don't steal my idea! =P)
For those of you in the States reading, you probably are a little thrown off by the term "society". That is what they call organizations here. Sounds fancy, huh?
I think I am mainly going to focus on the PhotoSoc, but I am also planning on going to some classes from the Modern Dance Society. I went to one jazz class last week and really liked it. It was a beginners level so it was really easy (which made me feel good about my skills!). I met a sweet girl from the Highlands during last class that I hope to become better friends with. I was planning on going this week but membership is 15 pounds then classes are 3 pounds after that..but classes without membership are 5 pounds sooo I'm trying to decide if I will go to enough classes to justify the membership... I'll keep you posted.
Then I am probably going to join the Film Society. They show 3 movies a week. I wasn't really aware of them--even though I went into their free showing of Inglorious B*stards--then a classmate was telling me about joining the society and what they do and it got me excited. I mean I've been sitting in my room watching movies most evenings so I might as well enjoy them with other people. Sunday they are showing 'The Artist' so I am going to check it out. There are at least 9 movies that I want to see throughout the rest of the semester. They have a Quiz Night every other week as well that seems fun.
They don't have Greek life here but the societies kind of remind me of Greek life. They do pub crawls and hold themed socials throughout the semester. Plus most of the people that are heavily involved in the societies are close friends. It's pretty much the same concept, just without all the dues, national affiliation and philanthropic stuff.
I think this is a great way to help me meet people and get out of the ole dorm room. I think once I get involved and get used to the cold (if that's possible) I'll have more to do than walk to campus and walk back home. Speaking of walking! I have found some shorter routes to campus and can now make it there in 20 minutes instead of 30; 15 if I walk fast! Wooo.
I guess that's all for now. Next topic will be a surprise...even to me! If you have any questions on anything I've posted about so far or about Edinburgh just leave a comment below and I'll be sure to reply.
Yours,
Alyssa
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Photos
Yuuummmy.
Hey everyone,
Hope you are doing well today. I am doing good, besides the fact that it has been raining all day. I got soaked on my walk back to the dorm from my last class about an hour ago. But I am changed into some comfy clothes and just had dinner so things are looking up!
Dinner wasn't anything special tonight, but I figured since I have some time I'd fill you in on the food selections here. My meal plan includes breakfast and dinner 7 days a week. I have to find lunch myself, but that is okay because I need one light meal a day. We only have one place that we can use our meals and that is at the restaurant. I know restaurant sounds nice and fancy with a menu and choices but in this case it is just a fancy term for cafeteria. Europe always likes to keep things classy. The food quality and options are really good in the cafeteria though.
For breakfast there is always fresh fruit, oatmeal, variety of cereals, Ambrosia custard, or yoghurt (as they spell it here). Then there are several hot food lines that have the same things. Link sausages, "bacon" which looks like ham, and hash browns McDonald's style. Then some mornings they offer wraps and others they have yoghurt with stewed fruits and grapefruit. It's a good variety and I love having a banana every day!
Dinner changes everyday. The first week they did theme nights: Scottish, Oriental, German, Mexican and French. They have a fish, meat, 3 or 4 sides, a specialty side, a dessert with a sauce, salad, sauteed veggies, cous cous, tuna, and other vegetarian options everyday. I'll never go hungry that's for sure.
Plus, the 'restaurant' has a specialty coffee machine that makes cappuccino, espresso, lattes, etc. and it has milk, juice machines, and a soda fountain. I am proud to say I have not used the soda machine one time. Just stickin' with water...and coffee!
Today I ate 2 spring rolls with a sweet and sour sauce, seasoned rice, braised spinach, and a piece of banana cake. The cake always has a sauce that goes on top of it no matter what kind it is.. today was an orange creme and it was not good.. but other days it has really complimented the dessert. I kind of miss the desserts at Stetson because there were so many. I could go for a Coffee Shop cookie or soft serve ice cream right about now...
I am glad that I chose the catered option instead of self catered because I would eat out all the time and be broke. I haven't eaten any Indian food yet, but hope to very soon. Mother of India was too crowded when we were going to eat there, but it is next on my list. The Thai and Chinese I had were excellent, so I imagine the Indian will be superb.
I hope you've enjoyed this segment of "Life in Edinburgh". Maybe I'll be able to post about some adventures very soon, like the title of the blog suggests. It is the weekend!
Til then,
Alyssa
Hope you are doing well today. I am doing good, besides the fact that it has been raining all day. I got soaked on my walk back to the dorm from my last class about an hour ago. But I am changed into some comfy clothes and just had dinner so things are looking up!
Dinner wasn't anything special tonight, but I figured since I have some time I'd fill you in on the food selections here. My meal plan includes breakfast and dinner 7 days a week. I have to find lunch myself, but that is okay because I need one light meal a day. We only have one place that we can use our meals and that is at the restaurant. I know restaurant sounds nice and fancy with a menu and choices but in this case it is just a fancy term for cafeteria. Europe always likes to keep things classy. The food quality and options are really good in the cafeteria though.
For breakfast there is always fresh fruit, oatmeal, variety of cereals, Ambrosia custard, or yoghurt (as they spell it here). Then there are several hot food lines that have the same things. Link sausages, "bacon" which looks like ham, and hash browns McDonald's style. Then some mornings they offer wraps and others they have yoghurt with stewed fruits and grapefruit. It's a good variety and I love having a banana every day!
Dinner changes everyday. The first week they did theme nights: Scottish, Oriental, German, Mexican and French. They have a fish, meat, 3 or 4 sides, a specialty side, a dessert with a sauce, salad, sauteed veggies, cous cous, tuna, and other vegetarian options everyday. I'll never go hungry that's for sure.
Plus, the 'restaurant' has a specialty coffee machine that makes cappuccino, espresso, lattes, etc. and it has milk, juice machines, and a soda fountain. I am proud to say I have not used the soda machine one time. Just stickin' with water...and coffee!
Today I ate 2 spring rolls with a sweet and sour sauce, seasoned rice, braised spinach, and a piece of banana cake. The cake always has a sauce that goes on top of it no matter what kind it is.. today was an orange creme and it was not good.. but other days it has really complimented the dessert. I kind of miss the desserts at Stetson because there were so many. I could go for a Coffee Shop cookie or soft serve ice cream right about now...
I am glad that I chose the catered option instead of self catered because I would eat out all the time and be broke. I haven't eaten any Indian food yet, but hope to very soon. Mother of India was too crowded when we were going to eat there, but it is next on my list. The Thai and Chinese I had were excellent, so I imagine the Indian will be superb.
I hope you've enjoyed this segment of "Life in Edinburgh". Maybe I'll be able to post about some adventures very soon, like the title of the blog suggests. It is the weekend!
Til then,
Alyssa
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
First day of Courses
Happy Tuesday!
[Before reading on I must give you a warning. You will probably need 5-10 minutes to read this post. It is fairly long. If you don't have much time maybe read 1/2 now, and the other 1/2 later. :) ]
I have officially completed 2 days of classes now. My schedule consists of the following:
Architecture: From Antiquity to Enlightenment (Archit.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial on W
Modern Scottish History (MoSH) T/TH plus a tutorial on M
Celtic Civilisations (Celt Civ.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial (can't sign up for a day yet..)
So it should be an interesting semester when I learn more about the culture that surrounds me. The courses are set up quite differently than the states and there are some differences between the courses themselves.
Here are the differences from Stetson :
1) Grades: a 40 is passing, 60% is good, and 70% is an A+.. so an 80% or above is virtually unheard of. Your grade is comprised of a proposal/rough draft, an essay, and an exam. My architecture class requires a presentation during tutorials.
2) You may be wondering what a tutorial is..? Well it is a small group you meet with weekly or bi-weekly (8-14 students) and have discussion over particular topics and readings. The lectures are not mandatory, just suggested, but the tutorials are mandatory . If you are absent from 3 out of 10 without an excuse you will fail the course. The tutorials are lead by various people in the department depending on what day you sign up for.
3) The courses are not taught my one person in particular. Each course has a course organiser and then there are other professors from the department that come in and speak during particular weeks who are experts on that time frame or topic.This varies among courses. In Celt Civ. there are 3 lecturers, MoSH has 5, and Archit. has 1 guest lecturer.
I like all three of these differences. I mean the grade differences don't really matter I guess. I like the idea of big assignments that require a lot of attention rather than small assignments and exams. And I'm so very glad to know a 70% is way above satisfactory before receiving an essay back. Stetson doesn't really need tutorials since it is a small school and has conversation within classes, but if I were going to a large school I would like to know if I am interpreting the information correctly. I love the idea of various lecturers. I think it is genius to have the experts on particular areas teach on those areas even if they are not the course facilitator. But Stetson's professors do a good job of bringing in guest speakers and what not. I think it would be cool for professors to change classes in order to teach that week on their specific field. Just something to think about...
So my first class was Celt Civ yesterday. We are going to be learning about what makes people Celtic and looking into a debate among modern scholars about the term Celtic. Apparently the term comes from Greeks and Romans that had a biased view of Celts as being Barbaric so the term could be derogatory. By the end of the class we will have our own idea about which side of the argument we are on. I think I already have an idea of what my conclusion will be though... I won't go into it just yet, but maybe later. The lecturer for first 7 weeks is a man. He seems very nice and is very soft spoken. He has a slight accent but is easy to understand. The course organizer is a woman who has a lovely accent and personality. I'm ready for her to teach the last 3 weeks because she seems fun. Maybe she will lead my tutorial. This class was held in a lecture room that had roller chairs with little arm desk things. Then it is held in a different room on Tuesdays, and a different room from that on Thursdays.. Odd..
My second class was Archit. I am really looking forward to this class. I was nervous at first because I walked in to a huge lecture hall with what looked like 300 students. Luckily it was only 150. I know it is totally random for a Marketing major to take an architecture class but... I just love architecture. Especially after seeing so many beautiful monuments around Europe in person the past month. The professor was wearing a suit, so he seemed like he may be a bit more uptight than the Celt Civ professors. Then he started to speak about the class.. and while I could understand what he was saying (he speaks very clearly and at a nice pace), I couldn't understand what he was saying.. He used some words that exceeded my humble vocabulary. But he was so passionate about structures and was able to put into words what I couldn't when trying to describe the awe I saw in some buildings to Julia. He had his presentation perfectly planned out with a detailed PowerPoint and notes that he was reading from. My business mind kicked in, and I started thinking of ways he could improve his speech: "Don't read from the paper", "get out from behind the podium", "ask some questions". Glad that I have paid attention in my classes! Then it just kinda hit me.. this man is teaching about architecture. Of course he is a structured and planned presenter. Everything he said really was good, just needs some pizazz. Anyways, at the end of class he shocked me a bit. He said "You are all here because you find a degree useful and beneficial toward your future. You think it is going to get you a job. Well, degrees are all political rhetoric. University is about expanding the capabilities of your mind. Out of all of you in this room some of you will go on to do great things. How do you differentiate yourself from the pack? You separate yourself by being analytical and thinking about what employers want out of an employee." I thought this was great advice to give on the first day to a room full of first years. I wish I would've started thinking like that first year instead of second. This will be a good class I think.
My last class started today and it MoSH. The professor teaching this class left the best impression on me. He was so enthusiastic about Scotland and the subject. He already presented us with so much information because he was just so excited. He has a great accent. I thought he was British, but turns out he is originally from Ontario, Canada. Interesting, huh?! He is an older man with a booming personality. He used lots of hand gestures and got me excited about the course. We are going to be studying the post-Culloden times up until the Great War (WWI). If you want to know what post-Culloden means, I'll have to let you know after Thursday's lecture! I am just ready to learn more about this area.. I realized I know nothing about Scotland's history or government.. so I'm excited to learn something completely new to me.
As of right now I am extremely excited about classes and can't wait to see what all I learn.. I don't have too many expectations because I learned earlier in this trip, it is best not to have expectations. But I am just planning on making the most of it, and gaining some knowledge that I bring back to the States.
Sorry if you are tired of reading by this point. I didn't want to leave anything out. I hope you have a fantastic day and enjoyed learning about the various courses at the University of Edinburgh. Tune in next time to hear about the food! That should be more interesting.
Til next time I eat something scrumptous,
Alyssa
[Before reading on I must give you a warning. You will probably need 5-10 minutes to read this post. It is fairly long. If you don't have much time maybe read 1/2 now, and the other 1/2 later. :) ]
I have officially completed 2 days of classes now. My schedule consists of the following:
Architecture: From Antiquity to Enlightenment (Archit.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial on W
Modern Scottish History (MoSH) T/TH plus a tutorial on M
Celtic Civilisations (Celt Civ.) M/T/TH plus a tutorial (can't sign up for a day yet..)
So it should be an interesting semester when I learn more about the culture that surrounds me. The courses are set up quite differently than the states and there are some differences between the courses themselves.
Here are the differences from Stetson :
1) Grades: a 40 is passing, 60% is good, and 70% is an A+.. so an 80% or above is virtually unheard of. Your grade is comprised of a proposal/rough draft, an essay, and an exam. My architecture class requires a presentation during tutorials.
2) You may be wondering what a tutorial is..? Well it is a small group you meet with weekly or bi-weekly (8-14 students) and have discussion over particular topics and readings. The lectures are not mandatory, just suggested, but the tutorials are mandatory . If you are absent from 3 out of 10 without an excuse you will fail the course. The tutorials are lead by various people in the department depending on what day you sign up for.
3) The courses are not taught my one person in particular. Each course has a course organiser and then there are other professors from the department that come in and speak during particular weeks who are experts on that time frame or topic.This varies among courses. In Celt Civ. there are 3 lecturers, MoSH has 5, and Archit. has 1 guest lecturer.
I like all three of these differences. I mean the grade differences don't really matter I guess. I like the idea of big assignments that require a lot of attention rather than small assignments and exams. And I'm so very glad to know a 70% is way above satisfactory before receiving an essay back. Stetson doesn't really need tutorials since it is a small school and has conversation within classes, but if I were going to a large school I would like to know if I am interpreting the information correctly. I love the idea of various lecturers. I think it is genius to have the experts on particular areas teach on those areas even if they are not the course facilitator. But Stetson's professors do a good job of bringing in guest speakers and what not. I think it would be cool for professors to change classes in order to teach that week on their specific field. Just something to think about...
So my first class was Celt Civ yesterday. We are going to be learning about what makes people Celtic and looking into a debate among modern scholars about the term Celtic. Apparently the term comes from Greeks and Romans that had a biased view of Celts as being Barbaric so the term could be derogatory. By the end of the class we will have our own idea about which side of the argument we are on. I think I already have an idea of what my conclusion will be though... I won't go into it just yet, but maybe later. The lecturer for first 7 weeks is a man. He seems very nice and is very soft spoken. He has a slight accent but is easy to understand. The course organizer is a woman who has a lovely accent and personality. I'm ready for her to teach the last 3 weeks because she seems fun. Maybe she will lead my tutorial. This class was held in a lecture room that had roller chairs with little arm desk things. Then it is held in a different room on Tuesdays, and a different room from that on Thursdays.. Odd..
My second class was Archit. I am really looking forward to this class. I was nervous at first because I walked in to a huge lecture hall with what looked like 300 students. Luckily it was only 150. I know it is totally random for a Marketing major to take an architecture class but... I just love architecture. Especially after seeing so many beautiful monuments around Europe in person the past month. The professor was wearing a suit, so he seemed like he may be a bit more uptight than the Celt Civ professors. Then he started to speak about the class.. and while I could understand what he was saying (he speaks very clearly and at a nice pace), I couldn't understand what he was saying.. He used some words that exceeded my humble vocabulary. But he was so passionate about structures and was able to put into words what I couldn't when trying to describe the awe I saw in some buildings to Julia. He had his presentation perfectly planned out with a detailed PowerPoint and notes that he was reading from. My business mind kicked in, and I started thinking of ways he could improve his speech: "Don't read from the paper", "get out from behind the podium", "ask some questions". Glad that I have paid attention in my classes! Then it just kinda hit me.. this man is teaching about architecture. Of course he is a structured and planned presenter. Everything he said really was good, just needs some pizazz. Anyways, at the end of class he shocked me a bit. He said "You are all here because you find a degree useful and beneficial toward your future. You think it is going to get you a job. Well, degrees are all political rhetoric. University is about expanding the capabilities of your mind. Out of all of you in this room some of you will go on to do great things. How do you differentiate yourself from the pack? You separate yourself by being analytical and thinking about what employers want out of an employee." I thought this was great advice to give on the first day to a room full of first years. I wish I would've started thinking like that first year instead of second. This will be a good class I think.
My last class started today and it MoSH. The professor teaching this class left the best impression on me. He was so enthusiastic about Scotland and the subject. He already presented us with so much information because he was just so excited. He has a great accent. I thought he was British, but turns out he is originally from Ontario, Canada. Interesting, huh?! He is an older man with a booming personality. He used lots of hand gestures and got me excited about the course. We are going to be studying the post-Culloden times up until the Great War (WWI). If you want to know what post-Culloden means, I'll have to let you know after Thursday's lecture! I am just ready to learn more about this area.. I realized I know nothing about Scotland's history or government.. so I'm excited to learn something completely new to me.
As of right now I am extremely excited about classes and can't wait to see what all I learn.. I don't have too many expectations because I learned earlier in this trip, it is best not to have expectations. But I am just planning on making the most of it, and gaining some knowledge that I bring back to the States.
Sorry if you are tired of reading by this point. I didn't want to leave anything out. I hope you have a fantastic day and enjoyed learning about the various courses at the University of Edinburgh. Tune in next time to hear about the food! That should be more interesting.
Til next time I eat something scrumptous,
Alyssa
Saturday, 15 September 2012
First week
Ello poppets,
So I decided to start a blog. Mostly for my family and whoever is interested in my travels and daily life while abroad. In case you didn't know, I am studying in Edinburgh, Scotland for the semester. I am writing now because I have officially spent my first week in Edinburgh. The 3 weeks before now I was off gallivanting throughout Europe with my friend Julia. The past month has been the time of my life. I have learned a lot about myself, life, and cultures. And of course I have loved every bit of it.
Edinburgh doesn't have a big city feel to it, but has lots to do.. I mean if you like bars and pubs there are 5 on every street. No joke, Google maps bars in Edinburgh and it is all red! It's something else. But the city is lovely. There is a beautiful castle on a mountain/hill and Arthur's seat which should have an amazing view of the city that I have to climb up to. The buildings are a nice combination of old and modern. Since the university was founded in the late 1500's the campus is kind of spread out but the main buildings are together so that is nice. It is a 30 minute walk for me to get to the main area, so I should be in shape after this semester! I'm really glad I traveled and walked a ton before coming here so I can appreciate this flat, not so strenuous walk into town everyday.
My typical day consists of sleeping in, walking into town, hanging out, maybe hitting a pub, maybe playing cards, then just calling it a night. When I get back into my hotel dorm room (my dorm is literally in a hotel..) I check Facebook and log into Skype to see if there is anyone I can talk to. Nothing out of the ordinary, which seems odd, but it's nice at the same time. I think it's helping me to not be homesick. Then classes start Monday so that will help occupy me since things are slowing down now. I am taking Architecture: From antiquity to enlightenment, Modern Scottish History, and Celtic Civilizations. None help with marketing but hey when in Scotland.
I hope when I start making friends from Scotland that I can blow the typical dumb, lazy American stereotype out of their head with my wonderful, well-rounded Stetson education. There are few things worse than feeling stupid. I am excited about meeting people but at the same time nervous since I am leaving in 3 months. I hate saying see you laters, and have had too many of them.. But as this trip showed me, it is definitely see you later and not goodbye. I mean I didn't see Mirek for 7 years, Susi was at Stetson 2 years ago, and Miruxy was there in the Spring so no matter how long or short you go without seeing someone who you are friends with you can always reconnect. It's beautiful. So I guess I'll get out there and make some new best friends so that I can come back.. unless I decide to move here of course. Then you will have to come visit me! I definitely want to live in Europe I've decided. I just like the lifestyle and travel possibilities better than in the states I think.
Anyways! I'm just kinda rambling so I guess I'll shush it. Know that I am enjoying myself but missing everyone at the same time. Seems like things at Stetson are pretty much the same, but I am still scared of things being totally different when I return. Good thing I like change! For my family, I miss you very much and hope to "see" you soon on Skype.
Bye for now and enjoy your weekend!
Til next time something interesting (or not so interesting) happens,
Alyssa
So I decided to start a blog. Mostly for my family and whoever is interested in my travels and daily life while abroad. In case you didn't know, I am studying in Edinburgh, Scotland for the semester. I am writing now because I have officially spent my first week in Edinburgh. The 3 weeks before now I was off gallivanting throughout Europe with my friend Julia. The past month has been the time of my life. I have learned a lot about myself, life, and cultures. And of course I have loved every bit of it.
Edinburgh doesn't have a big city feel to it, but has lots to do.. I mean if you like bars and pubs there are 5 on every street. No joke, Google maps bars in Edinburgh and it is all red! It's something else. But the city is lovely. There is a beautiful castle on a mountain/hill and Arthur's seat which should have an amazing view of the city that I have to climb up to. The buildings are a nice combination of old and modern. Since the university was founded in the late 1500's the campus is kind of spread out but the main buildings are together so that is nice. It is a 30 minute walk for me to get to the main area, so I should be in shape after this semester! I'm really glad I traveled and walked a ton before coming here so I can appreciate this flat, not so strenuous walk into town everyday.
My typical day consists of sleeping in, walking into town, hanging out, maybe hitting a pub, maybe playing cards, then just calling it a night. When I get back into my hotel dorm room (my dorm is literally in a hotel..) I check Facebook and log into Skype to see if there is anyone I can talk to. Nothing out of the ordinary, which seems odd, but it's nice at the same time. I think it's helping me to not be homesick. Then classes start Monday so that will help occupy me since things are slowing down now. I am taking Architecture: From antiquity to enlightenment, Modern Scottish History, and Celtic Civilizations. None help with marketing but hey when in Scotland.
I hope when I start making friends from Scotland that I can blow the typical dumb, lazy American stereotype out of their head with my wonderful, well-rounded Stetson education. There are few things worse than feeling stupid. I am excited about meeting people but at the same time nervous since I am leaving in 3 months. I hate saying see you laters, and have had too many of them.. But as this trip showed me, it is definitely see you later and not goodbye. I mean I didn't see Mirek for 7 years, Susi was at Stetson 2 years ago, and Miruxy was there in the Spring so no matter how long or short you go without seeing someone who you are friends with you can always reconnect. It's beautiful. So I guess I'll get out there and make some new best friends so that I can come back.. unless I decide to move here of course. Then you will have to come visit me! I definitely want to live in Europe I've decided. I just like the lifestyle and travel possibilities better than in the states I think.
Anyways! I'm just kinda rambling so I guess I'll shush it. Know that I am enjoying myself but missing everyone at the same time. Seems like things at Stetson are pretty much the same, but I am still scared of things being totally different when I return. Good thing I like change! For my family, I miss you very much and hope to "see" you soon on Skype.
Bye for now and enjoy your weekend!
Til next time something interesting (or not so interesting) happens,
Alyssa
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)