Scotland update
I've been here for a week now, which is hard to believe. There are a lot of things I like about this place: food is a bit cheaper than home and produce is fresher, sweets and alcohol are significantly cheaper, the weather is much milder and there's no snow, and life doesn't revolve around the automobile nearly as much: the main shopping area in the city of Dundee is a pedestrian-only zone, and the city is so compact that it's practical to walk anywhere you need to go (the snow-free weather helps too). Also, Mom and Dad live five minutes from a castle -- a real, honest-to-goodness castle with battlements and a drawbridge. You don't get that in the New World.
Of course, there are other things that I don't like so much. Clothing costs more than home (though it's more stylish, on the average, and it gets pretty cheap when it goes on sale), housing prices are absolutely insane, and a lot of things are just not as modern -- for example, in our bathroom sink, the hot and cold water come out of separate spouts, one on each side of the sink, which makes it really hard to wash your hands.
On the whole, though, I love it, and I hope Mom and Dad stay.
Now for a sadly ironic news story: Santa dies at children's party. This happened just down the street here, near the castle. We saw the funeral procession yesterday, but we didn't realize that it was for Santa!
Of course, there are other things that I don't like so much. Clothing costs more than home (though it's more stylish, on the average, and it gets pretty cheap when it goes on sale), housing prices are absolutely insane, and a lot of things are just not as modern -- for example, in our bathroom sink, the hot and cold water come out of separate spouts, one on each side of the sink, which makes it really hard to wash your hands.
On the whole, though, I love it, and I hope Mom and Dad stay.
Now for a sadly ironic news story: Santa dies at children's party. This happened just down the street here, near the castle. We saw the funeral procession yesterday, but we didn't realize that it was for Santa!