The perils of being sick...

Unfortunately for all my plans this week, I am sick. While I've managed to pull myself out of bed for classes (sometimes I even manage to convince myself that I'm a good student), going outside in the cold is a very unappealing prospect for any other reason. So to augment my boredom I've been surfing the internet and reading books about Scottish history. Clearly a productive use of my time.

Anyway, while I'm not exploring the city, this is what has been keeping my interest.

• Lolcats! Seriously, they are hilarious, an excellent pick-me-up. Check it out: http://icanhascheezburger.com
• The first weekend of the Six Nations is almost upon us! As a huge Scotland fan I was super disappointed to miss out on tickets to the opener vs. France. However, I hear that every pub will be packed, so I'm sure it will be a good day anyway. I have high hopes for Scotland this year, they look like a good squad. I was a little surprised when Hadden opted not to start Paterson, but I have faith in Frank so I'll accept his decision. If none of that made any sense to you, go brush up on your rugby. The BBC Rugby Union site is really good. Scrum.com is also good for rugby news, and rugbydump.com has quality rugby videos.
  
• (Men may feel free to skip over this next part) My favourite store is Monsoon, seriously it is wonderful (check it out here). Sadly Monsoon doesn't have stores in the States, but look through their stuff, it is very good quality. Anyway I am going to a dance tomorrow night (assuming I am no longer ill) and justified a shopping excursion to myself. Long story short, I wound up with 2 little black dresses (one is 100% silk). The total for both? About $110. Now the hard part is deciding which one to wear.
  
• I've decided that I need a new computer as I've had my current one for almost three years (I'm pretty sure that Apple doesn't even sell the iBook anymore). When I come home I think I'll look into the MacBook Air.
• Current Reading List (for those times when I have to pull myself away from YouTube and BBC):
• Scotland: The Story of a Nation by Magnus Magnuson.
• The Scottish Nation 1700-2007 by T.M Devine (who doubles as one of my lecturers in 'The Making of Modern Scotland' - also known as 'Reasons why Scotland is the best country in the world and Ireland sucks').
• Alexander McCall Smith's 44 Scotland Street series.
• Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan series. Reichs is an AU alum and the show Bones is based on her work.

Fingers crossed that I feel better tomorrow and I can get on with exploring the city, dancing, playing rugby and pretty much doing anything that doesn't involve wasting away in my room.

Catching up...

Clearly I fail at actually keeping a blog. I feel like this is similar to keeping a journal. Historically I've done really well for the first couple of days, and then inevitably the entries become more and more infrequent... (Hmmm, it occurs to me that this is the case with the journal on my shelf right now, maybe I should fix that.) Hopefully I'll be better about it from now on.
Anyway, I've finally settled into my new city and I have to say that I absolutely love it here. In fact, I like it so much I may never leave. Edinburgh is amazing. I still haven't seen everything, but I have a list of bests so far...

Best Drink: Snakebite
Best Pub: The clear winner on this one is Bannerman's on Cowgate.
Best Coffee Shop: Chocolate Soup - word of warning, don't eat anything for at least a day before entering!!!
Best View: Arthur's Seat, pretty much anything from the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle
Best Food: West Nile for Sudanese food, delicious!!
Best Workout: Walking. Seriously! Edinburgh is a very hilly city.
Best Statue: Greyfriars Bobby, at the top of Chambers Street.
Best Holiday: Burns' Night - kilts galore!!!

Places I haven't seen yet, but want to:
Mary King's Close
National Museum of Scotland and Royal Museum of Scotland (they are right across the street from my flat - you'd think I would have been by now!)
Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Place, Calton Hill
Parliament

So, I guess I'll be busy this week! Other plans include rugby practice/games and the Sports Union ball on Thursday. I'll work on finding time for another update soon!

Umbrellas, tweed and other observations about fashion in Edinburgh.

Today was one of those days. I guess I would describe it as an Edinburgh day. Not bad, just...dreary. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0005)
Anyway, the cold weather got me thinking about, of all things, fashion. To be fair, I thought I was (fashionably) prepared for the weather. I dutifully packed my lovely wellies, an umbrella and four jackets. A plethora of sweaters (or jumpers, if you prefer the vernacular), mittens, hats and scarves also came along. For good measure I brought plenty of long socks and my mom was even kind enough to buy those little hand warmers that go in your gloves. For all intents and purposes, I was ready to deal with the short, cold, rainy days that characterize Edinburgh in January.

To my surprise, I was woefully unprepared for a Scottish winter. True, my clothes are all warm enough and my umbrella is certainly handy when it rains. However, for all my careful preparation, I failed to take Scottish fashion standards into account. So, should any of you care to visit delightfully rainy Edinburgh, allow me to advise your packing list.

Ladies:

• Colours should be limited to accessories, especially bold colours. A red scarf or yellow bag are certainly acceptable, perhaps even a bright shirt, but remember that said bright colours must always be paired with an appropriately dreary outfit.
  
• Overcoats should be dark. Black is best, but navy, gray and brown are all acceptable alternatives. Patterns should be understated, dark tweed or muted plaid, for example.
• Boots are the preferred footwear. NOT wellingtons, never wellingtons. No, sensible suede boots should be worn, regardless of the weather. After all, nothing keeps feet warmer in the rain than a nice pair of Uggs. Should you find yourself without suede boots, boots of any kind excluding wellingtons will do. No boots? Fine, flats may also be worn.
  
• Trousers ('pants' means underwear here, fyi), especially jeans, should only be worn if you have no other clean clothes. Sweatpants are a no-no at all times (my mother has been telling me this for years).
• The standard daily outfit is a denim mini skirt with black tights, boots, a jumper, a jacket (short, so people can see the skirt), gloves, hat and scarf. Remember, somber colours!
• If you plan on going out, bring a pair of high heels and a bag big enough to carry flats. Also plan on knowing a good cobbler, the cobble stones are murder on heels.

Gentlemen:

• A good cable knit sweater is an excellent idea. Not only will it look dashing underneath a pea coat, you'll stay quite toasty no matter how cold the wind.
  
• Trousers should always be worn with casual shoes. Running shoes should only be worn in athletic situations.
  
• Speaking of athletics, if you really want to blend in, bring along a rugby jersey. Scotland is preferable, though any jersey will make you look more like a local. Word to the wise - the 6 Nations runs from February through mid-March - be aware of who is playing which weekend. Football (Soccer) jerseys are also acceptable.
• Two fashion musts: oxford shirts and jeans.
• Scarves should accompany all outfits.
• And most importantly...SOMBER COLOURS!
  

So, that is my sage fashion advice. By following it, you can rest assured that not only will you be warm, but also dressed to match the weather. It really is a win-win situation. Oh, one last piece of advice. True Scots don't carry umbrellas...only tourists do that! ; )

A Good Connection is Hard to Find

Living in America has conditioned me to speed. No, not the drug, the rate at which we operate. Everything is fast - fast food, one hour photo, drive through Starbucks and wireless internet. Yes, heaven forbid we go anywhere without being able to check our mail - iPhones and blackberries seem to be attached to every one's hands now a days and walk into any Starbucks and I guarantee it is full of people on computers. With such easy access to the wonderful world wide web, is it any wonder we get addicted to it. Most college students (myself included) spend a huge part of their day online - facebook, youtube and instant messaging capture out attention in a way traditional forms of entertainment and communication never could. Why send a letter when facebook can deliver your message instantaneously?!
I've traveled enough to realize that not everyone shares American standards - nor should they, because then life (and travel) would be fairly boring. However, I must confess that when it comes to the internet, I share the stereotypical American belief that things should be done the American way. Imagine my frustration, then, when I realized that connecting to the internet in Edinburgh wasn't going to be quite as simple as it is at home. As much as I complain about it, connecting to EagleNet (AU's internet service) is amazingly fast. Let me walk you through the process of connecting to ResNet (Edinburgh's internet service):

1. Read pointless and redundant information about using the internet, as provided to you on a handy-dandy CD.
2. Try and use CD to discover the MAC address for your computer, only to realize that said CD doesn't work on Macs and you are on your own for finding it.
3. Discover MAC address, after 2 trips to the internet cafe around the corner, one phone call to tech support only to realize that the MAC address is to be found, conveniently enough, in the Network Setup section of the computer.
4. E-mail MAC address and other, seemingly unnecessary, information to Resnet Registration.
5. Problem with original e-mail, please re-send.
6. Move apartments, send e-mail again.
   
7. Realize that there is no wireless, go buy internet cable.
8. Success! Connect to the internet, one whole week after arrival.
   

So, I once again have the internet. I once again glory in my facebook news feed, BBC updates and g-chat. I guess a week without constant internet wasn't entirely awful though, it gave me time to unpack, read a book and catch up on all the sleep I lost on three trans-oceanic flights. It also gave me time to explore my new city...more on that later though, for now the bar across the street is opening and I have another night of listening to drunken songs to look forward to. "Oh flower of Scotland..."