OH my holy mama!

[blindchick]

Hey again, all! Friday was another busy day where I finally got to sit down and reflect upon my trip to Scotland, and actually try to convince myself that I am in another country! It's such a strangely pleasant feeling that I still can't get over it! I have sooo much I want to tell you that I don't know where to start.... I feel like a chalice that is full of water that is overflowing out of me, and I don't know how or where to stop when I write! It's such an enchanting feeling being in such an old city that I almost feel like a superstar or something. It's such a selfish thing to say, but I feel like I'm the center of the universe or something, and NO, I'm not high or bitchy. Never was, and never will be. Hehehe. Anyhow, life is wonderful on this part of the planet and I want to cry because they are playing one of my FAVORITE songs--shit it ended. Oh well, they WERE playing my song though. Anyhow, I like it up here so far. Aberdeen is such a tranquil and graceful place during the day, especially near the beach, and there are parts of it that I love moreso than others. The buildings here are beauteous, and the weather has actually been very nice this year, according to Aberdonians who I've met and have talked to. I was surprised though, when I got off the plane at Edinburgh, because all I saw were patches of green grass, not snow, and buildings composed of those old cobblestones, each one with a different kind of color and shape. They were all so very beautiful that I almost felt like a princess being carried away into my chambers on a charriot, when in real life, I was just another passenger on a double-decker bus, ridiculously wrapped up in many layers of clothing, consisting of my pink jacket, black sweater, and two shirts, under which I was sweating like a pig, and trying to hold onto my big blue bullet-proof suitcase that was as heavy as a baby horse, not to mention my rooksack and black dufflebag, which were also full of shit. And guess what, when I got to Jury's Inn, (the hotel that all Arcadia program students were supposed to go to,) I was totally surprised to hear my Arcadia host tell me that I had packed light in comparison to other folks who had studied abroad in the past. I have come to realize that she was right, once I reached Aberdeen and the days have gone by in which I've lost so many pounds just trying to buy basic supplies like a nailclipper, paper, forks and knives, tissue paper, a voltage converter for the outlets/plugs, a wireless card, etc. Ya, the outlets here are actually very oddly shaped. They have three holes like the ones in the U.S., but the holes are all rectangular, and more widely spaced apart from each other. the middle hole is actually a big vertical rectangle, and on the lower left and right sides, are two smaller sized horizontal rectangles. Something that I'm not used to seeing. I actually had to borrow a converter from Trevor because mine was so hard to plug my cords into, that I thought they were broken, but in the process, I actually blew out my alarm clock for good, which means that it's nothing but a peice of crud now. Sad. I really liked that one. Lol. So I was stressed out for two days, trying to find someone in my flat who could wake me up in the morning,-I miss you Mel and Lisa!-- but now I got a new one which I absolutely HATE, but am getting accustomed to. It doesn't ring as loud as my old baby and it looks cheaper than the ones you see in a condo, but it was the cheapest that I could find, (and I was very lucky to find it too). It was like 2.99 Pounds, which is like 6 bucks, and the prices here aren't that different from Japan, but I just can't get over it. Some things are actually cheaper here than back home, but some are more expensive. For example, a can of coke here costs 50~60penses. More like 50 or so, which is basically about a dollar, so in that case Japan is more expensive--120yen~150yen. Contact solutions are very expensive here too. I don't understand!! The reglar size Bouche and Lomb bottle was like 8lbs! Roughly 16dollars! So some things are wide-eye poppers, if not mouth openers. So, things are fairly expensive here, which is kind of sad, but I am also learning a lot about how different parts of the world operate differently, and it's absolutely fascinating. For example, when I bought the alarm clock, I had to cataloge order it in the actual store. I've only been to two, but I think that's the way it works around here. There are thick books that resemble telephone books, except that they are cataloges with pictures of the items you wanna purchase, and once you find what you want, you write it's code number on a peice of paper, and you hand it in to the cashier as you pay them. Then, they give you your receipt with a number, and you sit around and wait until the workers behind another counter call your numbers. It kind of reminds me of the bank in Japan, or Mr. Bean's hospital trip episode, where he has his hand stuck in a kettle. Lol. I love Bean! There are an amazing amount of fat seagulls around the campus, and they remind me of the ditzy one in Disney's Little Mermaid. The People here are very friendly and helpful that I'm so impressed and I feel very much a part of the social, all-embracing network at the same time. I don't think I've ever been in a city where I felt so loved. I feel like I'm a big baby getting lost everywhere with several maps in my hand, and maybe that's why people have been so kind, but either way, I feel very welcomed. However, one thing I don't really like about Scotland in general is that it gets so dark so quickly. It's usually dark by 3 or 4pm, depending on the weather and how cloudy or drizzly it is. I think it's due to the weather, but stores and shops close as early as 5pm!! Even the malls close at 6 on weekdays and at 5 on weekends! How sad! After that, there ain't nothin' but the pubs. :( I mean, the pubs are fun to hang out in and talk/drink, but I can only take so much of it, and the bottom line is, the drinks are pricey, especially with the dollar value now, they don't have those daiquiri types of drinks I want, and I just don't want to spend my money on alcohol, which I already produce a fair amount of in my body anywasy! I actually did ask the serveuse behind the counter if they had any cocktail drinks or daiquiris, but I was shamefully laughed at, and felt very ridiculous for even asking. Of course, all they have is beer, beer, whisky, beer, vodka, and shots. Blagh, blagh, blagh... Anyhow, Rebecca has actually come to visit me and Trevor this weekend, and we had so much fun together! ^_^ yay! We made very scrrrrrumptious curry named Tikka Masala, a creamy and somewhat sweet&spicy sauce and ate it with some Basmati rice. Uuuuum :) We also went for a picnic on the beach, which was absolutely amazing, and we watched the Butterfly Effect, which I now claim as one of my favorite movies. That and Tomasina too! Meow~ Anyhow, our weekend was quite pleasant, and funfilled--except for this one drunken bastard who grabbed my butt, right after he passed by me.>_< Coward! I really wanted to go and smack him in the head. No face, or even better, yank his winky off, and scream into his face that this peice of flesh does not belong to him, but to ME, Tina N. Shane, and only myself--that this butcheek IS, WAS, and ALWAYS WILL BE the property of Tina S., so he better think again before he lays a pinki on this peice of ass..., but unfortunately, there were about five or six of them--all guys, and three of us, with Trevor being the only guy around, so I forfeited. Ya. I'm not sure I really appreciate the night life here in Aberdeen. Moreover, it's more of the pack of guys that I depreciate. Like this wasn't the first incident too. Like on my way up to Aberdeen from Edinburgh, I was riding in a twinky bus with four other students who also came through the Arcadia program, and I decided to sit in the front part of the bus, a little distanced from the other four, to look out of the windows and enjoy the scenery. So, I was sitting about seven rows behind the driver and one row ahead of one of the two other girls, and I was sitting up straight and leaning against the back part of the seat in front of mine, when a double-deckered bus passed right by it with about four or five assholes on the top deck, all banging on the windows and presenting me with the whole demonstration on how to give a blow job by opening their mouths and rolling their tongues againt their cheeks, etc. It all happend right as they passed by that I couldn't even flash them my finger! I was appalled, or repulsed should be the correct term, but somehow, it was sooo stupid that I had to laugh. Anyhow, that was one moment when I felt a little vulnerable and kind of defeated due to the lack of time in responding to their extremely unneccessary presentation. Yet, as hopeful as I am, I'm sure there are a bunch of higher quality Scots and Brits for gals like me and Reba out there. :) The problem is how to get to them. I wish I knew. But I did see a few descent-looking guys in my class. Did I mention how I only have two classes this semseter? It's fabulous, and I've already spotted a hottie too, who is so beautiful like a model that I'm sure all the girls on campus adore him as well. For the love of Christ, he is in one of my English classes that is three hours long, so if I ever get bored, I'll always have something pleasant to look at. Lol. Actually, NO. Firstly, because I deny it. Secondly, because I have such a hard time understanding my Socttish professor's accent, that I have to give him my whole undivided attention, which consists of staring at him in order to lipsink what is popping out of his mouth in point .04seconds per mile, which makes me feel like a creepy stalker. AND Thirdly, because I'm disciplining myself to not look at guys with looks. It's kind of hard, but it just seems so unjust and it could be disappointing if he's a rotten squash too. This one I forementioned above actually dresses like a model too. He has blond hair and very pretty blue eyes, but he seems too fancy-ish and decked up...kind of like one of those guys who KNOW that they're hot. But he's an English major too, so he can't be that bad! Lol. SO, here I go again.... Anyhow, switching topics, I've gotten to know more American students than the Scottish ones, which is kind of sad... but I've met several Scottish and French students who I exchanged phone numbers with, and they have been very kind to me. Several other girls actually walked me to one of my classes that I was trying to find, and one of them even gave me her phone number, so that I can call her and hang out with her and her friends. How nice! And two french gals in my class invited me to travel to Paris with them for a weekend, so I am definitely leaning towards going! I am so proud of myself too, because I actually understood what they were saying in french, and thus felt a moment of victory and acheivement as a French student. Yay, Go me! In fact,one of the things that I looove about Aberdeen is that there are an amazing number of international students here! My own flat actually consists of all out-of-Aberdeen students, except for one girl who is local. There's me from Japan/the U.S., a girl from Geneva, a girl from Finland, and a girl from Wales. They are all pretty nice, especially the one from Wales, though she could be oddly moody sometimes. Her name is Hannah, and she even offered to take me home with her for Easter/spring break on the first day I met her. Can you believe that?! I mean, maybe she just said it to be polite, but it's still something very pleasant to hear! My flat is actually one of the nicer ones and bigger too, apparently from what I've heard about it. It is three stories high, there's no elevator, and guess which floor i'm on? YES! The 3rd floor. Livin' high, eh. lol. (It's like North part 2, except not.) It's a five person floor where I'm at, and my room is as shitty as it sounds. It's much smaller than Maryann's room at home. It's wooden with one white sink like the ones you'll see around dirty public toilets in Japan, there's one wood closet, one window in the corner, one bed with a cheapie comforter that has the texture of those pillows on the airplanes, (it's actually the same material and cover for both my pillow and my comforter, but it keeps me warm enough,) and a very dim orangish brown light in the room. I feel kind of clostraphobic, since the ceilings are lower, and because it's dark in the room due to the closet near the window that inconveniently blocks the very little incoming sunlight that I receive. Ya, when I first got there, it looked so shittty like those 2DK apartments and Company-owned apartments in Japan that I cringed at first sight. Then, when I got inside and saw my room, I stood there in shock with my mouth hanging open, like Jim Carry's from the Mask. However, I did feel much better to find out that I am situated in one of the nicest dorms on campus--hahaaan! So that boosted my happiness gland, and I'm now pretty much settled in, and am starting to adore my room as I have added some candles, pretty fabrics, and pictures to the walls that enclose me in this little cell of mine. As for transportation, people here ride cars like in the States too, but the public transportation is so helpful and accessible here. For examlple, on campus, there is a bus station that leaves from Hillheads, where I and a bunch of other study abroad students, as well as freshmen Aberdeen students live. The bus comes every 15min, and I bought a bus pass, so I take the bus to school and to downtown for shopping as well. The bus pass cost a lot, 30lb! But I figured that since it's the first month and I'll be looking for things to buy at different places, it wouldn't hurt to use the bus. After this month though, I think I'll just walk, since the campus where all the classes are is only 25minutes away from where I live. It's quite a walk, but we walk through a park, and right by a beautiful gothic church with a semi-courtyard full of gravestones, that I don't think I would get sick of it at all. As a matter of fact, Aberdeen is one of the four oldest ones in Soctland. So I don't have internet access in the dorms and I do share a community phone with my faltmats, but I guess that's the price you pay for something so magnificiently beautiful, and it's DEFINITELY worth it. Ok. HW awaits moi, thus, must I leave. Adieu mi amigos! Peace out.
Tina
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