Shattered Scottish Dreams

So today I visited Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. That's right, I traveled a total of six exhausting hours to visit Scotland. But well, it was really good, so it was worth it.

The first thing I have to point out is that the Scottish accent isn't as hard to understand as I once thought. But then, once you've heard Irish, Scottish is just English. And another thing, I really like those accents on girls... now I'm really attracted to Scottish girls... bleeding hell!

Anyway, I started my journey to the Union at 7am. I see it's a decent degree outside, so I know I have to stuff as many things inbetween myself and the coat in order to survive in Edinburgh (which in average has around a three to four degree difference... less of course!). So I open my front door and start walking when I just start to slip. I almost broke my back, but I managed to stop myself, take a deep breath, and then see my surroundings. Turns out there was frost everywhere... the grass was semi-white (awesome!!) and the pathways were frozen. So yeah, first ever time I've seen frost, not first ever time I've almost broken my back, but I just made my way carefully to the Union (where the coaches were). Anyway, I meet up with the Greek squad, but I decide to just rest and enjoy the scenary whilst listening to music in the coach. To my surprise, all the fields were white... so freaking cool! The more we traveled north the whiter they got. Until there came a point where there was no more frost because it had melted down (don't ask how frost can melt at two degrees...). Everything looked so awesome, like the movies... it was the first time I felt like a tourist since my first week in Newcastle (and of course my visit to York). It's a nice feeling, very nice actually, and it was a good thing to experience it again.

Anyway, we got to stop at the border between England and Scotland. What it really is is a couple of rocks (okay, huge rocks) on either side of the road. One one side it says "Scotland" (indicating that once you pass those rocks you'll be in Scotland) and the other side it spells "England" (indicating that once you pass those rocks you'll be in England). So much for border protection, eh? It was nice though... and cold. There was this beautiful panorama of Scotland on one side, and the sun on the other (the English side). Don't know which one I'd choose... lol.

We finally arrive at Edinburgh, and the first thing we do is go to the Edinbugh Castle (yep, as tourists it's a must)... and we actually spent three hours in there! Apart from it being huge, there were four museums (three open) and lots of great views... plus we got to experience a traditional (wealthy) Scottish wedding! That was a bonus! I can also say that I learnt that not only is Newcastle overflooded with Greeks, but so is Edinburgh. Every five minutes the head of the Greek squad would hear someone speaking Greek and he'd stop and chat with them for a while. Seriously, I think I can understand Greek near to perfection now. After a guard presentation, he stopped to talk to these three Greek girls, and when he told them that I was the only Venezuelan in Newcastle and probably England (although I'm sure I'm not the only one in England as there are at least two people from CIC working in London and Manchester I let it go... for exclusivity's sake) one girl just jumped and started talking to me and "keeping me company" while the other Greeks talked. I have no clue what that was about. She kept holding me around the waist... I wonder if that's a Greek thing. And for Tiny: no, she wasn't particularily attractive.

So by the time we got out of the castle it was 3. We left at 5:45, which meant I didn't have enough time to fulfill one of my dreams. Plus, my camera broke (I'm gonna go riot on Monday... I can't be bothered going on a Sunday) so I couldn't go on my own. One of the Greek guys covered my back and took some pictures for me and he'll send them tomorrow... I'll email the best to some of my faithful readers. Anyway, if you're not Joseph and are wondering what this dream was, I was planning on going to the zoo and seeing penguins! But the ride to the zoo was around 45 mins (plus 45 more to come back) which gave me a very narrow timetable to work with... and if I didn't manage to make it back on time for some reason they would just leave me... which meant I'd have to stay the night in Edinburgh and then take a train in the morning (aka freeze to death, and if for some reason I made it I'd have to pay around £20 to get back). And also, I didn't have a way of taking pictures, so it wouldn't've been the experience I expected (no way to show you guys the penguins!). So yeah, I'm gutted about that, but the trip was well worth it. After the castle we spent around an hour looking for a place to eat (that wasn't full and that wasn't closing) and that's when I really started to miss my adopted city of Newcastle. That wouldn't have ever happened in Newcastle... damn capital poshes.

After eating we didn't have much time to go to any tours, so we just made our own. One of the Greek guys kept on trying kitls (the Scottish male skirts, if you don't know them) and we kept making fun of him. He wanted to buy one, but they were a tad expensive. For a one-off wear, they were around £70. And a proper kilt was worth around £190. Then there were the classy kilts at £870... as you can imagine, he ended up with no kilt.

That's pretty much all, I've left some details, but I can't be expected to remember everything. Oh, I've got to say this even if you guys already know: it was fucking freezing in Edinburgh. I mean, my toes were frozen, I guess I was lucky to come back with ten toes. And my hands... I had gloves on and I kept them in my coat's pocket... and they were still cold. My ears almost fell off. And one of the Greeks was trembling like hell. We were able to see our breaths from the time we arrived to the time we left... even when breathing gently through our noses. When I set foot in Newcastle again I almost got hot (almost...) and it felt as if I was down south (as in coast south). The wind was non-existant. Oh, how much I love Newcastle...

Numa Numa

So today wasn't the most thrilling of days... it was pretty boring to be honest. I don't even know why I'm writing an entry, but well, it's because I'm bored, so I figured I'd write something in order to alleviate my boredom... but it's not working. Oh, well.

So I only had a business seminar today... so I had to get out of bed and walk over to the buisiness school at a temperature of one degree just for that stupid semiar. And as it turns out, I wasn't very prepared for it (cut me some slack, it was my "reading week", I wasn't meant to be doing seminar stuff...) and when the professor picked on me, I was blanked out... aka made a fool of myself. That's great. Now I can see many more questions heading in my direction... damn me.

After that traumatic incident (okay, it wasn't traumatic... and to be honest I don't give a shit...) I decided to go hunting for a doughnut. Yeah, that's right. I haven't had a doughnut since my time in Valencia, and I got this huge craving for one yesterday. So yes, I set off in my mission. I ran into this guy I know--but that I don't particularily like much--and he decided he'd follow me around. So finally I found this sort of panaderia place and they had doughnuts! It was celestial! I can see myself now spending more money on doughnuts than on booze. Damn my addictions.

Funny story, as stood outside eating my doughnut, this guy walked up behind the bloke that was with me, stopped, burped... then burped again (loudly) and then just walked away. I couldn't help but laugh... and then he started walking in my direction and I started to wonder if he'd belch on me too... but he didn't, he just walked away. Talk about fucking odd things happening to me (well, this didn't happen to me... but I was there to see it happen).

Anyway, I'm going to Edinburgh tomorrow morning, so I'll have some stories (I hope) for the next entry. I'm going to fulfill a dream tomorrow (Joey knows! You'll all find out afterwards) so I'm really looking forward to that. Until next time, I wish you all great health and happiness (or you can just fuck off).

PS:

To Ercole (so if you're not Ercole then stop reading... NOW!):

Yep, we've got the most open form of communication available... well, one of them anyway. Only shows that we've got nothing to hide. Okay, I know you guys are still reading, so I only want to say that, no, I'm not gay, so please don't send me gay mail... not that there's anything wrong with that!!!

Wintergear

So there isn't much to tell, really, it wasn't the funnest of days. I was planning on staying in all day to avoid the freezing weather, but I had to attend a practical and then a marketing lecture... so much for reading week. So I go to those two, I actually manage to finish the testing on my program, which means I don't have to see it again until when I print it out next week to submit it. Marketing, well... didn't get much done. I still have those 450 pages to read, fuck me. So much for reading week...

Anyway, the supermarket close to us is closing on Saturday, so my flatmate and I decided to go for one last shop. It was half empty, but we still managed to buy shitloads (I guess it's a good thing it's closing... everytime we go for "one or two things" we end up buying half the supermarket. Anyway, it was an emotional moment. And yes, I do expect you to make fun of me for saying that... I got the piss taken out of by my flatmate when I said that.

Aside from that nothing really happened, we stayed in in the evening (wasn't gonna go out at negative three... I must be mad to do that!) and we watched half of season four of Futurama whilst having a few beers. Not bad at all, actually.

Anyway, I decided to dedicate most of this blog to winter clothing, as requested by Ercole (that doesn't mean you can request posts now, this is an exception... it's my blog, not a fucking radio show). Well, I really don't know much about it, but seeing I got some with the advice of my mate, then I guess I could pass on some "knowledge." I don't know about the US of A, but here in the UK "hoodies" are very common, and a must. They're good for everyday use, to get from A to B when it's not overly cold. And they do keep you warm, despite their look. They can withstand light rain, so that's a good thing, too. Get gloves for sure, I know that the part of my body that suffers the most from the cold are my hands. It didn't take the rugby match to figure that one out, but it certainly did stress the point. There are two types of gloves (at least here): thin and thick. I went for thick, as the thin ones I blew into and I could feel my breath completely on my hands... so they're more of a fashion statement, I say. The thick ones are for protection. You can get yourself a beanie hat (a capucha kind of thing) to protect your head, too. My flatmate suggested one, but I considered myself more a cap person... but then yesterday whilst walking back I burnt my ears, so I'm pretty sure I'll get one today... from that same sports store... again, get the thick one if you're thinking of getting it. Let's see, anything else... oh, yeah, of course, get yourself the big, huge coat. I got myself this massively thick and big thing to protect me. If it has a hood then it's better, but then I'm not sure how much rain you get. I guess that's it, really... don't think that was too helpful, but well, at least you got most of a post dedicated to you.

High-roller's confort

So today's been a very productive day... not in an academic way, though. It's also been a high-spending day.

When I ordered my beer yesterday, I was told it would be delivered from 12pm-2pm. As it turns out, it was delievered at 14:00:00 (BBC time). I was shocked at how accurate they were. Anyway, now I have a case of 24 bitters to go through. Can't wait! Today I only went through three as I have a cold and I don't want to make it worse (significantly, anyway).

So, well, after my beer was delivered at 2 sharp, I decied I had to go get myself some winter clothes (that's right, I didn't have any). What made me make that decision? It was a beatiful day outside, sunny, no clouds... but it was 5 degrees. So I figured I better get something because things aren't getting any better. So well, I ended up in a sports shop (by mistake, I went in because I was planning on getting a football for a mere 2 quid) and it turns out they were having a huge sale. So I got a hoodie (that's a sort of sweater with a hood), gloves, socks, and a cap for 15 quid. Not bad at all, seeing that all the previous hoodies I had seen were over 20 quid. Then I got my winter coat (that big, thick, heavy thing) for 15 quid (not bad at all, as I had seen one almost the same at 35 pounds). So in total I spent £30 on all my winter clothes (and well, a cap for the rain (you know, the glasses) and socks so I do less washing) which means all the time I spent scouting Newcastle whilst freezing paid off. And, I checked the forecasts for tomorrow, and the highest temperature will be 3 degrees, which means I'll be able to try out my new clothing. I tired the hoodie tonight when going to a meeting at a pub and it works like a charm. And well, it's 0 degrees at the moment, which makes me wonder what would happen if I tried pissing out the window... read tomorrow's entry to find out if I tried it.

Today is not Friday

So I had a better title for this entry, but I decided to use this one in order to piss Ercole off.

So a few things happened today. The first thing was that I busted my ankle (yeah, again) when going down the stairs in the lecture theatre today. Painful, but well, I'm sort of used to busting things by now. Why am I telling you this? You'll see later.

So I went to a pub quiz for the Rock Society today. That's right, a rock pub quiz.Well, I went with my flatmate, but we expected to completely suck at it as he knows metal, but old metal, and I know rock, but classic rock (ie nothing recent). But well, it would be a good laugh. Once we get there we're paired with a group of four (teams had to be of six) and well, we kick off. Team Ratamocha (yep, that's what I named the team) al ataque! So anyway, I knew quite a few of them, especially as there were two sections (ie ten questions) on rock (ie classicish rock). The first questions of the quiz was "What year was the first album, App..." and I wrote down 1987 before he could finish the question. If you ask Guns, me know. Then later on there was a question on The Who (who was the drummer that put fireworks on his drums kit and deafened the right eat of his lead singer... of course the legendary Keith Moon) and then others regarding Ozzy Osbourne and a picture round concerning Led Zeppelin. Of course, all the answers I supplied were right. So anyway, we ended up in 3rd place and got the best of prices--shirts. The first place price was HMV vouchers worth £10 (you can't really get anytyhing with that... plus I don't have a CD player...) and second was tickets to a crap band in the Union. The shirts were definitely the best of prizes, because that means that I can go for one day longer without doing the laundry (yes, it is that important for me not to do the laundry...). Anyway, congratulations to Team Ratamocha who exceeded all expectations (and before you say we won because of the other people, it's not true, as we supplied at least half of the answers... so we deserved it as much as anyone else)!

Then we went to a club to celebrate. A punk club. Today I remembered why I hate punk, that shit. Anyway, my mate seemed to enjoy it... but then, he had 13 bloody pints. Anyway, there was this girl behind me that kept stepping on me with her heal (yeah, those big ones) and at first I didn't mind, because well, a mistake is a mistake. Then after she did it a couple of more times it started to piss me off. Don't be sorry, just don't fucking do it again. Then when it kept on happening I just let out a loud "GOD DAMN!" (well, not loud enough for the whole dancefloor to hear, but it was audiable to the few that were close) and it stopped. Seems that's the only way to get people off your back...

The reason why I chose this title for the blog is because today seemed like a Friday, as I didn't do anything and I stayed out until late and am going to bed late (4am). However, I have to go to bed now because tomorrow I'm getting my beer delivered (that's right, beer delivered at home... how much better does it get?). So well, tomorrow will be my latest start ever in a weekday: 12pm. Freaking hell...

Today is Monday

So today was the first day of my reading week. Let me tell you about reading week: the School of Computer Science doesn't have letures or tutorials or practicals (aka nothing) for the week so that us students can catch up with the workload. Now, I find this hilarious, because although it's my reading week I still have some lectures, damn IS. I have my marketing and business lectures, which means 4 lectures in the week. But then some classes (from Computer Science) are also holding lectures (more like tutorials) and although we are not required to attend, "it is highly suggested you do because we'll be reviewing for the midterm/final and it would be very VERY helpful"... fuck me. So I have a phony reading week.

Anyway, I just forgot what I was going to write, so I guess I'll have to make it up (much like the essay I wrote for today... lol). Well, I'll be in Venezuela the 17th of December, it is now confirmed. So yeah, I'm gonna spend the winter in the sun! Yay! I'm not sure when I'll arrive to Valencia, I'll see if I can stay a few days in Caracas to get that overwith at the beginning and then spend the rest of the holidays in my native city of Valencia.

Oh, and to respond to my good friend Ercole (on his comment in my previous post): I'm not going to give my jacket to any stranger on the street, it's not like we were staying there a while, I just saw her while we were walking. Plus, it was fucking freezing, if I'd given her the jacket I wouldn't have survived for the "return" part...

Today is Sunday

So today was a very productive day. Yes, I managed to finish doing my research, and I did manage to write my essay... twice. That's right. I wrote the first one, and once it was "done" (everything minus conclusion) I noticed that it was way longer than it was supposed to be and it didn't really answer the question well... so what did I do? Start all over again. Ah, painful. But I used a lot of arguements from my previous essay, so it took half the time the other one took (and since it was significantly shorter, that helped). So after my victory over the damn essay, I walked back home... 1 degree celsius. Fuck me.

Anyway, I just found out that one of my flatmates (the rugby guy) went into a gay bar last night. He was looking for cash (apparently gay people pay well and in cash... LOL!) and he went into a club/bar where there was an ATM. And then this guy winks at him. He doesn't know what's going on, he thinks it's because of what he's wearing (all black) so he goes right on ahead... and then it clicks. He says he sprinted out of that place... but he couldn't keep it quiet, now everyone knows. LOL.

Yesterday when walking back to the flat from the club, we saw this girl wearing a very short top and an even shorter skirt. It was fucking cold. Usually you see the girls like that just walking and you wonder how they manage to do it. This one was shaking like a liquadora. Well, that should teach her... and just as I thought that I felt bad for her. But I wasn't gonna give her my jacket, not to a stranger in the middle of the street... unless, of course, she offered something in return...