Life with the locals

Having a wonderful time in Edinburgh with shahida (and yes, it involved afternoon tea). Wish I had time for more details, but I'm busy enjoying good company and a drink of the island locals! Perhaps you'll get a better update tomorrow :)

Good places to wear a mustache

I've been trying to come up with a list of good places to wear a mustache. And I could only come up with one answer: A MySpace creeper convention. Of course, Stanley Tucci really put any MySpace creeper to shame with his creeper 'stache in the Lovely Bones.

via

But fear not, non-creeper mustache enthusiasts. During my trip to Edinburgh, Shahida and I discovered a new event that is enhanced exponentially by a mustache. 

It happened by accident. Had the stars not aligned, the idea never would have come to us. But it just so happened that we pulled out Shahida's fake mustache collection (why yes, she does have a collection, and yes, it is extensive) the night before we decided to go on the Edinburgh pub crawl. 

Neither of us had ever been on a Pub crawl before and had heard good things about the one in Edinburgh. Of course, it then only seemed natural that we take the mustaches with. 

The original plan was to take a picture with the mustaches on in every bar we visited. But somewhere around the 3rd or 4th stop, they didn't come off. And let me just tell you, they were a hit. I would recommend never showing up to a pub crawl without one. 

I don't wanna say that we ended up being the coolest kids on our pub crawl, but there definitely wasn't anyone cooler than us in the end. Need proof? This video documents our evening and proves just how amazing mustaches can make a pub crawl.

Of course, even without mustaches, I can definitely recommend the Edinburgh pub crawl. And we are still looking for appropriate places to sport the Unibrow. We're always open to suggestions! 

Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul

You know Shahida? We met during our year in Zürich, but our story is really a Christmas story. A Swedish Christmas story, to be exact.

See, at first Shahida and I didn't really know each other that well, but we hung out with the same group of mutual exchange student friends. One fateful fall night while we were out on the town everyone was discussing their Christmas plans. As most of my friends were European, they all planned on going home. When Shahida heard that I still didn't have any holiday plans she immediately insisted I come back to Sweden with her. Years later, looking back on it, we both always laugh at the randomness of the invitation. We really barely knew each other at that point, but she still asked and I still immediately agreed. For the next month or so leading up to Christmas, Shahida and I decided we better start hanging out more often if we were going to spend Christmas together. And, as they say, the rest was history. 

By the time Christmas rolled around, it was safe to say we had become pretty close, and getting to spend Christmas with Shahida and her family only made us that much more awesome together. Not to mention it helped condition my love of all things Swedish. Like this delightful Marzipan cake. 

And I also got a total kick out of this sauce (and I totally forget what kind of sauce it is exactly) because it's from Sweden and it's called Abba... just like something else I know! 

It was my first Christmas away from home and absolutely amazing! Not only was it the catalyst in meeting one of my best friends, I felt so welcome by Shahida's family and loved getting to experience a Swedish Christmas. 

this is what I'm thankful for

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I think maybe because it's such a simple concept: here's day, let's cancel school and work, get families together and spend the day eating and drinking. Fabulous! There's no pressure of presents, no extreme decoration necessary, no other expectations than spending time with family and friends and enjoying good food and good company. 

This year marks my second Thanksgiving in a row and third one ever that I haven't been home to celebrate. But doing Thanksgiving abroad isn't as depressing as it sounds - I've found it can be quite great to celebrate with other displaced Americans and also with non-Americans who've never had a Thanksgiving before. 

And since I've had some pretty great Thanksgivings throughout my years, I thought I'd share my 5 favorite Thanksgiving memories

Cooking my First Turkey
Thanksgiving 2010 - Forchheim, Germany

Now this wasn't really me at my best, but last year, when Gemma and I hosted the ETA Thanksgiving potluck, we were in charge of the Turkey. And as I didn't actually have to work on Thanksgiving, I was responsible for prepping the bird. Yes, that meant pulling the neck and giblets out from the inside. Unfortunately, Gemma and I forgot to plan ahead and allow enough time for the turkey to thaw completely. So not only did I get stick my hand up a turkey, I had to fight with a turkey popsicle for about 30 min before successfully removing all the bits and pieces. So maybe this wasn't so much a favorite memory as much as just unavoidable memorable. And that turkey actually tasted pretty good!

Shahida's Thanksgiving Visit
Thanksgiving 2008 - Charleston, South Carolina

I loved having Shahida come experience my favorite holiday with my entire family! It was great to include her on the all the family games and traditions - including the annual day after Thanksgiving dinner at a mexican restaurant (and the ensuing margaritas). 


My First Franken Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving 2007 - Bamberg, Germany

What's that?! I was in Franken before I lived there?! Why yes, during my year in Switzerland I spent Thanksgiving up in Bamberg with Kristen who was doing her year abroad there (remember?). It was that Thanksgiving that I learned the magical powers Bamberg has to ensure every visit is amazingly fun. That Thanksgiving is always recalled with Kristen and I get together. 

The First Thanksgiving Re-enactment 
Thanksgiving 2010 - Forchheim, Germany

Another memory from last year. What can I say, it was just that good! Since it was Gemma's first Thanksgiving, I decided we should really make sure that she understood the meaning behind this most American of holidays. And as she was a British settler and I was a native of America, the roles were already set. Our rendition of the First Thanksgiving is on it's way to becoming a holiday classic. And the original Mayflower used in the video is still up for viewing at Hotel Baptistella. 

The Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving 2006 - Charleston, South Carolina

This is not only - hands down - my favorite Thanksgiving memory, but probably the one I'm most proud of! It all started when our family signed up to run the Charleston Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving morning. Well, if there are two things that don't sit well with my family, it's getting up early for a race and running races at all. The night before Thanksgiving we discovered some pretty great Halloween costumes at my aunt's house. So AJ and I pulled out the most ridiculous two we could find and decided add a little excitement to the Turkey Trot. Even though we showed up about 20 minutes after the race started and cheated with short cuts the whole way through, AJ and I were honored during the award ceremony for Best Costumes (a category I'm pretty sure was created just for us about 5 minutes before we won) and even made it into the local paper the next day. 


I hope every one celebrating has an amazing Thanksgiving! 

Where I've been and what I haven't been telling you

Oh hey faithful readers of das Blog (I appreciate all 5 of you!), you might have noticed that my posts have been increasingly infrequent since the beginning of March (or at least that I annoy you less with plastering links to my blog all over your fb newsfeed or twitter). Or you might have noticed I keep saying "so and so is here/I'm going to this awesome place, but I'll tell you more details about that later" and then never actually tell you any details. 
 
For the past two months my life has been a whirlwind of traveling and having visitors. So as yet another teaser to the excitement that is my life, I wanted to recap what the past two months (oh so very briefly, don't worry) and promise to finally start giving you those aforementioned details (that I know you're all on the edge of your seats biting your nails for.)
 
So here it goes...
 
It all began with Edinburgh [March 7 - 14]

the season opened with a trip to see Shahida in Scotland, but since I've already posted quite a bit about this trip, you'll know that...






Then Fulbright had a conference in Berlin [March 20 - 24]

I've eluded to this trip a few times, but never actually posted about. Why's that? Well, you may or may not remember that I forgot my camera and was forced to document my 4 days in this awesome city on two amazingly tacky disposable cameras with 27 exposures each. That's 54 pictures for four days and countless sites. Rather limiting for the person who took almost 200 pictures in the 24 hours I spent in the Scottish highlands last September. So until I manage to take these cameras to get developed, this is all you get from Berlin. 
 
-- Here I had my longest "down time" of 10 days without visitors or traveling. It was ok --

I had my first visitor when Kristen came [April 4 - 8] 

Kristen studied German at UGA with me. We both did our study abroads the same year, Kristen in Bamberg and me in Zürich. While she wasn't at all new to the area, I had so much fun being able to spend time with her in her "European home" (and I could empathize with her excitement as I'm dying to get back to Zürich). 



Then I met the boys in Munich [April 15 - 18]

Patrick and AJ decided to begin their 2011 European tour in Munich, so I got to make my first real trip to Munich (I say real because Oktoberfest and a Harry Potter premiere don't really count as trips to Munich). 



 We eventually made our way back to Forchheim
[April 18 - 20]


I got to show Patrick and AJ around Forchheim and various other Franken cities for a couple days. We made it to Bamberg and Nürnberg...






Then we were off to Vienna [April 21 - 24]

After several days of having them on "my turf", the boys and I got to discover Vienna together. I've been there once before, but it was several years ago and right before Christmas, so I really enjoyed the city and all it has to offer in the spring! Definitely going back. 


I ended up back on that island in the north in Manchester [April 26 - May 1]

Ok, really I was about an hour outside Manchester, but I got to visit Gemma and the fam and experience the royal wedding in it's natural habitat. 







And it all ended with Shahida again [May 4 - 8]

To round out these exciting couple months, Shahida came to Forchheim to visit last week. It was so great to see her and have her here, but I honestly don't know where the time went! 

A brief history of beer, according to me

During my recent excursions, Shahida took me to a local German bar in Edinburgh. You might be asking yourself:

"But why would she take you  to a GERMAN bar in SCOTLAND when you live in Germany?"

Which is a fair question. However, it actually had nothing to do with the German beers offered. It was, rather, the Belgian beers that drew us to this cozy little bar outside the city center. 

But to really understand why this would be an important event on our schedule for the week, you have to know a little about my history with beer. 

My first beer was handed to me at a small party when I was 15 or so. But (and you'll be proud of me, mom) I took one sip then poured the rest out under the table (did I mention we were outside?). My relationship with beer over the next 5 years would stay pretty much the same... umm... because I didn't drink before I was 21...(?)

When I spent my year in Zürich, Shahida and I quickly bonded over our mutual dislike of beer. However, as is usually the case, beer was painfully cheaper than cocktails, and in Zürich cocktails are reaaaaaaaally expensive. So we embarked on a common journey to find a beer we both could enjoy. 

Luckily we had the help of some very experienced beer-drinkers. One being our Belgian friend Wim. (No, that's not Wim in the picture, but that's a poster of some popular Belgian beers he brought back to aid in our Belgian beer education). 

So despite being so close to Germany and all the beer it offers, Shahida and I spent our time in Switzerland learning that the best Chimay is the blue kind, to be careful when nearing the end of a Kwak, and to never EVER accept a beer that has not been served in the correct glass. 

In recent years I have become a self-proclaimed beer-snob. Now, in all honesty, it's not actually because I know a whole lot about beer, just that I have grown to like the more "unusual" flavors (really really bitter, for example). And I also refuse to drink, for lack of a more tasteful expression, shitty beer. 

Since my "beer education" I have ventured out from Belgian beers and learned to really appreciate (and perhaps this can be credited to my year with Terrapin) the relatively recent phenomenon of the American micro-brewery. And, of course, now that I'm actually in Germany, I'm finally giving those a go too! 

But, of course, when it comes to Shahida and I, whether 2 years or 2 days ago, we have to reminisce the good ol' days with a delicious Belgian beer [or two].

<-------- 2008 in Zürich

Last week in Edinburgh -------->

and I'm off!

In about 12 hours I will be getting on the train to get to the [other train, to get to the other train to get to the] airport to get to Shahida in Edinburgh!

I'm very excited to go back to visit Shahida, but also because I love Edinburgh! I like it in the way that I liked Zurich - it's a big city, or at least has everything a big city has,  but it isn't actually all that big (at least not when compared to NYC or London, for example). And it has a castle (<--- automatic win).

I'm flying from Munich which means I have to first take the train (with 2 connections). I've come to be really relaxed with the train system here because, despite it not always being the most punctual, there are always a few different options for reaching your final destination (even if it means simply waiting 20 min till the next train comes), and, even better, the tickets are not for specific trains (you can get a reservation, but that's only 2-4€, and only for the really fast trains). This means, when I get a ticket between Forchheim and Munich tomorrow, it doesn't matter what time I leave, or which cities I connect in, as long as I'm heading in the direction of Munich, my ticket is valid. It makes travel very stress free.

However, planes do not operate this way (though they should really consider it...).

When planes are involved I start to feel a twinge of travel anxiety.  I go into way over-planning mode. I write down every possible train to leave as early or as a late as I can, so when I'm stranded by delays, there still might be a chance for me to make it to the airport on time. I've already spent half my day just staring at the train times, committing it to memory.

Ironically enough, I also always stress that I will sleep through my alarm. No, I'm not leaving obnoxiously early. My alarm is set for 7am (which, if I'm being honest, is probably way too early anyway). The real reason it's ironic though, is that in the past month I've slept in past 7:30 maybe twice. It's a curse more than a blessing, but I've always been an early riser.

I love to travel (obviously?), but I can't help but get a little anxious for the actual traveling part.

So here's to hoping I don't over sleep, miss all/any of my 2 connections from delays, and make it to the airport in one piece on time!

See ya in Edinburgh!

British English

I decided to really concentrate on practicing my British English whilst enjoying all that Edinburgh has to offer.

Don't forget to get the full blog experience by following along with the picture commentary posted: HERE

I have had an amazing 2 weeks here in Edinburgh visiting my friends from Zurich and am very sad to see it have to end. Post-my-last-update, things have been more or less calm. After the fancy party (interesting to see a high-end Edinburgh flat, but awkward to be the guest of the girlfriend of the child of a guest...), we went out in the city to meet people for drinks. Although, it was supposed to be a pub crawl, after standing in our heels all evening, Shahida and I abandoned any plans that implied movement and decided to stay at a whiskey bar so I could try my first authentic Scottish whiskey. I'm really a hard liquor person, and especially not whiskey, but I could definitely appreciate the two whiskeys I tried. However, I don't think I'll be picking up the habit anytime soon.

On Sunday we slept in late and went to the castle in the afternoon. Of course the weather was amazing -- as it has been the entire time I've been here -- so we took our time enjoying the castle and the many different museums. I'd definitely recommend visiting the castle to anyone visiting Edinburgh!

Wednesday morning, Shahida didn't have to go into work, so we took the opportunity to wander up Arthur's Seat - the highest hill in Edinburgh. Although it was the first overcast day since I arrived, it was still an amazing view over the entire city. At the top most point, there were maybe 30 people gathered checking out the many views, contemplating the meaning of life, etc. when a girl announces: "everyone, if I could just make a quick announcement, I just want you to know while we're up here with this breath-taking scenery that Jesus loves us, and he saves. Jesus saves!!!!" And then everyone continued with their conversations, picture takings, and hiking as if no one had said a word. Almost to the point where I thought I made up the crazy mountain top evangelist. But Shahida heard her too... proof that the bible belt doesn't have all the crazies. But to her credit, it was pretty cool to be up there.

I spent most the day Thursday in the city visiting museums and monuments. Highlights included seeing Dolly the cloned sheep (the original... I think...??!!) at the natural history museum and seeing paintings by Botticelli, Raphael and Da Vinci. I also climbed the almost 300 stairs to the top of the Scott Monument. Definitely worth the £3, but not recommended to anyone who has a problem with small spaces. There is only one staircase for up and down, and it's the most narrow spiral staircase I've ever been on. There were parts that were so narrow it was physically impossible to pass someone, you just had to decide who had gone furthest and send someone back up or back down till everyone could get through. but again, worth the amazing view over the city.

Friday and Saturday Shahida and I spent in the highlands. I could go into the amazing beauty of the area, but it's better in the pictures (link in my last post). What I'll definitely remember about that trip, besides the scenery... is the walking! first we arrive in the city center only to have to trek a mile and a half back out to our hostel. After arriving, unloading and eating lunch we check out the hikes in the area. The number one recommended hike was to the Lost Valley. Six kilometers from our hostel. We could walk or call a cab. So guess what we did... But I actually am really glad we walked, because we got to enjoy the mountains more! and we saw highland cows. Totally worth it! The hike itself was only just over 2km to the valley then back out. Unfortunately this was a valley you actually had to climb half the mountain to get to. And I don't just mean walk on an upward incline. We were literally climbing up rocks for bits of the path. It was very intense. After almost 2 hours of beautiful nature and mild self-loathing, we made it to the Lost Valley. It was, of course, beautiful. We sat down for a while to rest up, enjoyed playing with the mountain echos too much, then began the sojourn back. Of course it took all of 40 min to get back off the hike since it was all down hill. but we still had our 6 km trek back to the hostel. All in all we figured out that we walked over 16km that day. gross.

Needless to say we past out in the hostel....

oh wait, that was a lie. we were in a 6 person room and one of the guys snored so loud all night Shahida and I barely got an ounce of sleep!

So the next day we decided to rent bikes and cycle over to the next town. We stopped for a relaxing lunch and a game of scrabble before heading back in. We returned our bikes then walked another 2 miles back out to catch the bus.

Today was spent mostly packing, with a final trip to the city for fireworks! Now I'm supposed to wake up in an hour to catch a cab by 4am, but of course I can't sleep because waking up to be at the airport in time to catch a 6:20 am flight is mildly stressful. But I'm very excited to be off to Germany, meeting new people and getting settled into my apartment. I'll be in a small town just outside Cologne until Thursday, then off to Forchheim! Unfortunately I don't know when I'll have access to the internet again, so this might be it for a couple weeks, but I'll update as soon as I can!

Innocent Gun

Just a few observations/happenings in Edinburgh so far:

• The weather has been gorgeous! Mostly sunny and reaching into the mid 70's everyday.
• The Fringe Festival, an annual comedy festival in the city, is currently taking place, meaning there are very entertaining street performers all over the city and all kinds of comedy shows to attend during the day and night. Last night we went to a comedy act at 12:15 (am!) by a group called the Axis of Awesome. They did not disappoint
• I have been really impressed by the food so far. I've tried to keep it very native, partaking in such delicacies as fish and chips (yum!), haggis complete with mashed potatoes and turnips (another yum... if you just don't think about what it really is. google it), and baked potatoes where you can order all sorts or pre-made toppings - I chose cheese, onion and pineapple (a very big YUM!). Last night we had a more traditional Swedish meal with crawfish (where I discovered a deep-seated affinity for playing with food that has a face), crab quiche (my contribution which actually fit nicely since the traditional side dish is cheese quiche!), Swedish schnaps, and a delicious Swedish desert of strawberries in a whipped cream-ish mixture
• Scottish beers are weak!! They're really lacking in the flavor department. I know I got conditioned to like really bitter and hoppy beers with Terrapin, and I was prepared for a lack of bitterness. But man! I was really expecting more out of the beers. I even tried a Scottish IPA (a type of beer that is characterized by it's extra hoppy flavor) and that was a let down! The one beer I've liked is actually a local Edinburgh beer called Innis & Gunn. Even though I was sure every one was saying "Innocent Gun" for the longest time, I finally tried it last night and it does have plenty of flavor, it's just a little too sweet to drink a lot of. I guess I'll just have to hold out for the whiskeys.
• The busses are a little crazy here. It's not enough to be standing at the bus stop, you have to actually flag down your bus when you see it coming, otherwise it will just speed past you. I found this out the hard way! Then on the bus, you have to press the stop button like normal, only they don't announce or show the next stop in any way, so you basically have to know exactly where you're going to know where to get off! But it is pretty fun to ride on the top of a double decker bus!
• There are so many GINGERS! Normally I'm very territorial about being "the redhead" but here there is a sense of camaraderie among us gingers. I am at home among my people.

Simon's parents came in town last night, because tonight there is a big fancy party at one of their friends' places. We are all invited! I'm excited to get all dressed up! We didn't get back in till about 3:45 last night (and we walked a good mile or so home from the city center) so today is a pretty lazy day - just doing some quick shopping in the city then coming back to get all fancied up.