Day 13: Photo Walk

St. Andrew's has recently been blessed with some lovely weather. Instead of the torrential rain I was expecting, the past few days have been sunny and gorgeous. So, one of the other exchange students and I decided to take a walk and snap a few photos of some of St. Andrew's sights, notably The Old Course and West Sands, the main beach. Here are some of the best photos I took.

(Disclaimer: I did lightly edit most of the these photos, but only using Windows Photo Viewer, nothing fancy. Also, the edits actually bring the photos closer to reality. So yes, St. Andrew's really is just this beautiful.)

The Castle. That happens to be right across the road from the English building.  

The Castle, with the Castle Sands, which aren't really sands, but close enough.

Ivy is EVERYWHERE. I think it has plans for Scotland-domination.

So many lovely narrow paths between houses, bordered by stone walls. 

The Scottish definitely love their fences. At least they're pretty fences.

The Old Course. And Me. Maybe I'll get to walk on it tomorrow?
(And yes, that is a TARDIS on my shirt. The writing says "You never forget your first Doctor.")

Old Course.

And (wait for it) more Old Course.
(if you said that in the voice of Samwise Gamgee, you earn nerd points)

West Sands, which basically goes on for forever. It actually makes me feel like I should take up jogging.

Rocks. And sand. It's basically home. :)

In case you're getting tired of sand and water, they also have lovely clouds.

If there's a beach, there will be a jumping picture. (Law of the universe no. 42943)

The tip of St. Andrew's

I'd like to imagine that those people are gathering kelp, or something traditional. They're probably just getting wet.

Drawing in the sand. 

Rocks! I'm so excited for rock-scrambling, sometime when I actually have time.
Also: there is seaglass here. Lovely green stuff. I found a bottleneck with a stopper still in it! Pendants are happening.

Another seaside picture, in case you needed more evidence for the gorgeousness of this town.

Steps built into the hill, which I find irresistibly adorable for some reason. 

West Sands bids you farewell. 

I hope that these photos have all made you horribly jealous. I shall feed off the heat of your jealousy once the weather turns cold and I'm stuck shivering with four jumpers (sweaters) on. Also, these pictures should really inspire you to come and see the real thing, since I love visitors. :)

Day 12: 600 Years

The University of St. Andrew’s is 600 years old this year.

600 years. That’s the third oldest university in the UK, coming in after Oxford and Cambridge. That means that when St. Andrew’s was established in 1413, Europe was just emerging from the Dark Ages. The university I now attend is one of the institutions that helped pull the UK out of the Middle Ages and into the Modern.

This weekend has been a huge celebration of the university’s past. Various famous people, such as Hilary Clinton and Jane Goodall, have received honorary degrees and given stirring addresses. There have been panel discussions and celebratory services.

Tonight, the festivities culminated in a torchlight walk down to the famous pier, and a spectacular fireworks display. (My photos really don’t do it justice, but I’ll provide some anyway)

The fireworks were amazing. It wasn’t just the brilliant light show, or how the colours gleamed off the water, or how I could feel the stone beneath me shaking with each blast. It wasn’t just the torchlight, or the bagpipers, or the Chariots of Fire music playing in the background. It was the knowledge that 600 years of history and learning had happened right here, and I was a part of it. I, the exchange student from Canada, who didn’t even know what St. Andrew’s was a year ago, was a part of this amazing celebration.

 

It’s wonderful to be here, with the cobbled streets and the arches and the crumbling ruins. They’re a constant reminder of the past, of a different era. They’re a connection to all the people, so long dead, who lived and worked and studied right here.

I think we need to take more time to remember all the people who lived before us. The people who built the castles that are now crumbling, or who settled the cities we now live in, or who founded the universities that are now celebrating 600 years.

Tonight, for me at least, was about connection to the past. It was about respecting the people who began the traditions, and thanking God for his blessing over the centuries. It was about celebrating St. Andrew’s illustrious heritage, and looking forward to the future. And I was so honoured that a little English major from Canada could be a part of it all.

Day 9: Priorities

There are at least two of these in St. Andrew's

As an exchange student, there’re an awful lot of things I’m trying to fit into one short year. If there’s one thing that Fresher’s Week, with all its insane busyness, has shown me, it’s that I’m really going to have to decide on what is important to me this year, because I certainly can’t do everything.

Firstly, I want to enjoy St. Andrew’s as a place. It’s an absolutely gorgeous little town, with beautiful beaches, cute shops, and so many picturesque walks. I definitely can’t neglect the sights right here.

Secondly, I have to take advantage of all St. Andrew’s has to offer as a university. There are at least five societies that I’d like to join, and I’m beginning to realize I simply won’t have time to be an active member of them all. The Christian Union (and affiliated CMAD- Christian Music and Drama) takes priority, but there are also the busy Mermaids, who put on numerous theatre shows a year, the Dance Society, Inklight (the writing society), the Gilbert and Sullivan society, and the Doctor Who society. Who knows… this year could even be the perfect year to take up something completely new, like fencing!

Frencing demo this afternoon. Might get to try it myself
on Monday!

Of course, I’d like to have a social life. I’ll probably spend time with most of my friends in society get-togethers, but I assume that as I get to know people better I’ll spend more time with them outside of organized events. The other Bobby Jones scholars, for instance, aren’t in any of the societies that I am, but I imagine that plenty of hangouts will occur.

Then, I want to travel. I want to see more of Scotland, more of the UK, more of Europe… Yes, St. Andrew’s is a wonderful place, but it’s also a stepping stone to so many other wonderful places. Travel may require a fair bit of both time and money, but I’d be stupid to not take advantage of this opportunity to see so many new cities and countries.

Random church-- old building are
EVERYWHERE around here.

Finally, I do actually need to study. I met another exchange student today who’s in the wonderful position of having her courses transfer as pass or fail, so her marks really don’t matter. Unfortunately for me, I’ll have to forward transcripts directly from St. Andrew’s for all my graduate applications, meaning that my marks here have to be good if I’d like a shot at a sizable scholarship for my MA and PhD.

Right now I feel energized and excited for all the possibilities, but soon it’s going to be time to prioritize and to cut down. I’d like to think that I can do everything, but in reality, that’s not an option. Sadly, I’m going to have to pick and choose.

I guess this is a good problem to have. Yes, it’ll be sad to give up certain societies I wanted to join, or places I wanted to go. But, in the end, I’ll be left with just the best of the best.

I’m ready for an unforgettable year.

Not sure if it's socially acceptable to just take photos of people's houses, but it was just so cute!

Little pathway that winds near my house

Flowers growing out of the stone wall

Artsy sunshine

More flowers!

The roofs of St. Andrew's

Day 7: And So It Begins

This one's for my dad. :)

The (in)famous Fresher’s week has started.

Frankly, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I’ve been to three universities, and this is the first time I’ve every actually done orientation week. I had no idea if it would be a lot of games, or information, or drinking, or meeting people… or what.

To my relief, I’ve really been enjoying it so far. While Fresher’s Week technically just started today, the past three days have been a bit of a whirlwind with near constant activities. There has simply been so much to do and so many people to meet that when I go to bed each night I only have enough time to write in my journal: “So tired, but today was fantastic.”

I had to visit a bookstore-- so weird seeing
the UK covers on all the books!

Last week, I was still adjusting. I was getting used to being independent again, and I was trying to figure out what life would be like here. It was a good week, but one filled with a lot of mornings where I just really didn’t want to get out of bed and face all the paperwork (bank, phone, etc…) ahead of me.

But that’s all taken care of, now. I am officially a matriculated student of the University of Saint Andrew’s, which is rather cool, and I have a British bank account (with plenty of British money) and a British phone, and British friends… I’m even starting to develop a British accent, which is lovely.

I think I might prefer these to the North American covers.

Sometime soon, I should write a proper Fresher’s Week post, outlining some of the events I’ve been to so far and others I plan to attend. But right now my brain is a little too scattered… As soon as I’m done writing this post I’m going to head off to a pub to go hang out with some of the other Bobby Jones scholars for a few hours, then run to Toastie Bar (where toasted sandwiches are just 50p), then return home and sleep to prepare for another busy day tomorrow.

And this one is for Uncle Marty. :) Still haven't found the
church where he preached, though...

For the record: I’m a fan of Fresher’s week so far. Maybe it’s because I arrived early, or maybe it’s because the Christian Union is just so welcoming, but I don’t feel overwhelmed at all. I feel like I’ve been here for much longer than a week, and I’m really looking forward to term. So far, despite all my nervousness before coming, St. Andrew’s has been wonderful.

Little creek/river thing that runs through St. Andrew's

Day 4: Settling In

It’s now been several days since I arrived in Scotland, and I think I’m satisfactorily settled in. My suitcases are unpacked, my posters are up, I have a phone, I’ve got a bank account with money on the way, and I’ve met a number of new people. I have a good feel for the town, and I don’t think I’m likely to get lost again any time soon. :)

Tomorrow, things will start getting properly busy. Until now, the only students in town have been the ones who live off-campus, like me. Halls (residences) open tomorrow, so the vast majority of students will show up then. I’ll hopefully get to see the other Western students tomorrow, and maybe meet some new people at a big welcome party in the evening. There’s also a Christian fellowship kickoff tomorrow morning, which should be a great place to meet new friends.

I’ve already met a few people, mainly postgrads, thanks to my fantastic flatmate. She’s doing her PhD at St. Andrew’s, and so she’s introduced me to a number of her friends. I’ve been to a lovely little bible study, which is going to grow like crazy whenever most of the students show up, and tonight I met an exchange student from Nova Scotia. Funny how special it is to meet people from so close to home.

I think I’m ready for the craziness of Fresher’s week. The past days have been wonderful for getting settled in, and having very little on my to-do list meant that I could sleep in, or just wander around. I’m not the kind of person who likes to throw myself right into something unfamiliar, so I’ve really enjoyed having a few days to adjust.

But now I’m ready to meet people, and join societies, and stay up late, and become a real St. Andrew’s student. I’m ready for life to get a little busy. Fresher’s week: here I come!

P.S. Is it sad that my big happiness of the day was finding a grocery store that was so much cheaper than Tescoes? I know Tescoes is a big thing here, but Aldi is less crowded and the prices are way better (similar or cheaper than in Canada). Basically, I’m just happy that I’ll be able to eat well without spending more than I would back home. 

Day 2: SCOTLAND!

I’m in Scotland.

What is this madness?

It’s sort of a constant point of weirdness for me, being in this place that’s always only existed on TV and in guidebooks. It’s almost strange to find that it actually exists, that real people live here, and have always lived here, and will continue to live here, just like I live in Canada.

There are a lot of little differences between here and back home. Driving on the left side of the road is a big one, and I constantly overthink which way I have to look before I cross the street. Then there’s the pound rather than the dollar, so I have to mentally convert everything  (multiply by 1.6, approximately).

The accents throw me off more than I expected. I thought it would be so cool, hearing only Scottish accents, but it’s actually rather alienating. It reminds me of studying in Quebec, where every time I opened my mouth people would recognize me as an outsider. It shouldn’t be so bad here, since so many of the students are from away, but since school hasn’t started yet, there really aren’t that many internationals around.

Oh, and that’s another thing. I can’t call St. Andrew’s a “school.” Apparently “school” is used for high school and primary school, but not university. And your teachers at uni aren’t “professors,” they’re “lecturers,” and there’s only one “Professor” per department, and he’s the head. And, of course, sweaters are “jumpers” and pants are “trousers.” I already made that blunder, but, thankfully, people here are normally pretty familiar with Americanisms, so my mistakes don’t cause too much confusion.

On a different topic, I should that my journey here went very smoothly. It wasn’t fun—hoping from airport to airport for 27 hours on virtually no sleep is never fun—but nothing at all went wrong. The Boston airport was crazy but I had plenty of time, the Iceland airline kindly used the same gate for my arrival and departure (I think even the same plane), and the British officials in Glasgow let me in to the country no problem. I never got lost, or ended up on the wrong mode of transport. And, thankfully, my luggage didn’t even get lost, despite being transferred on three different flights by two different airlines.

I got here around 3pm yesterday, so I’ve had a little time to explore St. Andrew’s. This evening I went out for a bit of a ramble to snap some sunset photos, and I accidentally snuck into the Botanical Gardens. Then I walked down to the Cathedral, around the harbour… and managed to get lost. In St. Andrew’s of all places! Everyone says it only has three streets, but that’s not true. Once you’re down in the south end of the town, where all the real people live, it’s basically a maze. Luckily, I managed to get myself unlost without even asking for directions. So maybe St. Andrew’s isn’t that big after all…

To finish this post, I’ll just share a few photos of my trip so far. And then I really need to unplug my iPad and plug in my laptop, because it’s going to die in a minute, and I only have one electricity converter…

Sunrise near Iceland

Iceland!

Clouds-- doesn't matter how many times I fly, the moment the airplane breaks above the cloud cover is always magical.

Tip of Iceland, and a random little island.

Icelandair thinks they're funny. :)

First glimpse of Scotland!

Scottish Countryside, as viewed from the bus.

A river somewhere along the route to Glasgow.

The Old Course. And me. Because we're actually in the same town! :D

West Sands. Basically Cavendish beach all over again.

Castle ruins (right across the road from the English department)

Just your average St. Andrew's street, one I have to walk along to get anywheres.

Apparently dish detergent is actually "washing up liquid."
I find this way funnier than it really should be.

Small bridge and creek right where I accidentally ended up in the Botanical Gardens.

Part of the Botanical gardens-- it's modelling an extreme environment, like a mountainside.

I love how they have little paths through the woods, and don't feel the need to make them
all big and official-looking.

Cathedral ruins.

Not sure quite which street this is (north street maybe?) at sunset.

Castle sands at sunset.

The pier, where all the famous pier walks happen.

Cathedral ruins at sunset (along with some ever-present seagulls).

And now, bed for me. Because, while it's only early evening for my lovely friends in Canada, it's past eleven here, and I'm trying to adjust to local time as soon as possible.

I'll blog again soon-- there will definitely be much more excitement over the next week, what with it being the famous Fresher's Week and all...