The First 24 Hours

Well, after a long journey, I finally made it (safely) to the University of Stirling. It is warmer here than I had imagined, and more humid. There are also more bugs (especially ones with stingers) than I had given thought to. I keep getting paranoid that a bee will come in through the window if I leave it open while I'm not there.

Mostly though, everything is very... Scottish. Or at least stereotypically speaking. I hadn't left the airport for ten minutes before I saw a bunch of sheep.  And it wasn't fifteen minutes before seeing a castle. Outside my window is a tree where all sorts of funny birds perch, I will take pictures and identify them later. One looks as if a duck and mourning dove had a baby.

I did some grocery shopping yesterday. I bought something called a "healthy granola pot" and yogurt. I thought the  granola didn't come with yogurt, but it did (which is good, the yogurt later spilled in my bag). This morning I went to eat the granola pot, and was very surprised. The "granola" wasn't cooked! It was more like museli. And there was only a bit of yogurt and berry flavored substance, but the yogurt was so thick and rich. I was so full after eating it, and now I have another little container!

Today I tried to walk to the larger grocery store. I googled the directions, but they seemed funny. Of course I thought to myself "I've been here 24 hours! I know better than Google whose job it is to know these things!" and well....I got lost. Or I think I did. At one point I thought I had definitely gone too far and should have come to the street it is one, so I turned back. There is a severe lack of street signs here, so that doesn't help either. I then tried to follow Google's directions from memory, but that also didn't work. It was a very nice walk! I just wish I had been able to retrieve some pots and pans out of it.  Instead I went back to the grocery co-operative and got some things I could eat without a pot or pan:

Peaches (only one pound for 4!)
Pita and hummous
Cheese (here it is "mature" cheese, not "sharp")
Two cans of tomato soup (the only vegetarian kind....)
Soap and sponges

I will have to retry Google's directions, as much as I would be able to live off pita and hummous, I don't think my mom would like it very much.






Me? Study? What?