It is my last week of winter break, and I've decided to sit down and write a blog post before I jump back into my busy college schedule. The title of this post is a line from Tennyson's Ring Out, Wild Bells, a beautiful poem for the New Year- I won't insert the whole poem, as it is a bit long, but here is a stanza (You can read the rest at this link):

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

2013 was a year of intense activity, but also a year of settling down and becoming at ease with previously unfamiliar surroundings and situations. Some big achievements for the past year were:

• Moving into a flat

• Getting my driver's license

• Completing my first year of college and entering my second

In 2014, my main resolutions fall under the categories of education, organization, and communication.

As with the last post, my ramblings about the past two months are sorted by activity:

U.K. End of Semester

Academics

Ladies Luncheon Room

• On Saturday November 9th, I took a trip to Glasgow with my Art History class to visit the Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove Museum. I'd been to the Kelvingrove already last year, but it was still a very enjoyable day trip. We had to choose from a list of works from the latter half of the 19th century to do a visual analysis report on- I decided to study the Ladies Luncheon Room, part of the Ingram Street tea rooms designed by Mackintosh. I really admire Mackintosh- in fact last year I stayed in Glasgow for a few days to focus on his architectural work- so the essay was about as fun as an essay can get.
• During the week of November 18th I had an particularly intense period of essays and projects due. I had to give a presentation for Sustainable Development, write my essay on the Ladies Luncheon Room, submit a project to my online course, and research and write an essay on bees for SD. It was not very enjoyable, but I guess it is kind of what college is about.
• Studying for exams was stressful, especially since I spent the first revision week traveling (see below). However, I felt like I was much more calm and stable than last year. The exams themselves went all right, though I've always been really horrible at timed writing (I'm quite scatterbrained so find it extremely difficult to write an essay from start to finish- I usually jump around, which isn't possible on paper). After my Art History exam, I went on a short bike ride to Balgove Larder, a lovely farm-shop just outside town which I'd never been to before.
• My online design class has been rather disappointing- I won't go into detail, but basically the way they the way they teach some aspects of the course seem really nonsensical to me. They are constantly making mountains out of molehills, which is really irritating because it does not simulate real world design work.

Design Team

• I've continued to help teach Photoshop classes on Sunday afternoons. It is a really great experience- explaining the program to students forces me to think about it in a whole new way.
• The Design Team committee went out for a Christmas dinner before exams at a nice restaurant called The Dollhouse. It was nice to be able to talk as a team in a relaxed atmosphere rather than in the usual meeting setting. Towards the end of exams we also went out to a new pub called the St Andrews Brewing Company, which serves local and eclectic beers. I tried a sample of one that was made with sourdough yeast, which was probably the best tasting beer I've ever had. Unfortunately they ran out just as I was ordering, so I got a beer with hints of berries instead.

Design Team (sadly missing Allison)

After Design Team Meal

Canoe Club

Thornthwaite Scout Campsite

• On the weekend of the 23rd, I participated in the BUCS Wild Water Race in Yorkshire, England- my first ever kayak race. We left Friday evening and drove about 5 hours to the Thornthwaite Scout Campsite. When we got there it was dark, but luckily the cars that came before us had already set up most of the tents. We spent a little while all huddled together chatting in one tent, but soon we all decided to get some sleep.

When we woke up in the morning everything was frosty- luckily our club had decided to pitch camp under some trees and on higher ground than some of the other clubs, so we were spared from the worst. Around 9:00 we drove over to the River Washburn where the event was to take place.

Thruscross Dam Releasing

When we arrived we were all very impressed with the huge man-made waterfall- really just water being released from the reservoir, but still amazing. Our captain went to the leader's meeting, and the rest of us went on a walk to inspect the river. The more experienced kayakers in the club gave us some guidance about the different features- what to avoid, what to expect, etc. Then the captain gave us a rough idea of what time our turn was for the classic race- I was supposed to go in the afternoon, so I had a long time to wait.

Racing

When it was my turn, I grabbed my gear and headed for the start of the course. I got in my boat, and after a couple of minutes was told I could go by the people keeping time. It was really, really strange being alone on the river- on every other kayak trip I had been following someone, or at least been near another kayaker. The river itself was also different than most of the others I had experienced- it wasn't very wide and therefore there were more trees and rocks to avoid. I did fine up until the main rapid. I didn't quite have a powerful enough stroke to make it though the hole at the bottom, so lost my edge and fell in. Luckily it was in an area with a lot of safety people, so I was able to get back on the river again pretty quickly. My time for the race was 22:15, because of the swim and getting back in the boat (best time was 9:13). After my race, I was supposed to be in a team race but it had gotten too dark. We went back to camp, had a meal provided by the Durham University Canoe Club, and then relaxed in a tent until the dance started. Unfortunately, the DJ was very weird (he kept playing super cliché songs like the Macarena and Cha Cha Slide) so most of us could not be brought to dance. I ended up just going to bed early.

The next day we went back to the river, and this time I raced first thing in the morning. It was a sprint, so was only a small section of the river, and my time was 1:57 (best time was 1:26). When everyone was done, we packed up and drove home- we did not stay for the awards ceremony as we would have to wait for several hours until it was to take place. Overall, our school did pretty well- we tied for 7th place in event points with the University of Edinburgh and apparently we have the best kayaking girls in all the U.K. (for the K1 race at least!).

PhotoSoc and Ents

• PhotoSoc put on a student photography auction and event on November 14th. I helped out setting up for the event with Ents, then enjoyed watching the auction as a PhotoSoc member. Professor Kathryn Rudy of the Art History department, who has a hilarious sense of humor and taught some of my first-year lectures, was the auctioneer. I also did another Bubble Bath show with Lavin and Ryo.

KnitSoc

• Unfortunately, I still did not have time to go to many KnitSoc meetings in the past few months. I'm doing projects on my own and I hope to go more next term.

Life About Town

• My friend Lavin and I went to the Around the World in 80 Minutes Concert put on by Big BUSTA and the Music Society's Concert Wind Band to see our friend Ryo perform. I was really impressed both with the bands and with Ryo, who flawlessly and naturally switched off between conducting, playing a trumpet, and doing percussion. It was great to go to another event at Younger Hall- the last I had been to was the Freshman Induction during my first week.

Travel

• During revision week (the week set aside to study), I went and visited my extended family in Israel. It was really spectacular to visit a place so steeped in history that is also such a vital part of living tradition- for full details and photos, see my trip blog here: nathalieinisrael.blogspot.com/

Floating in the Dead Sea

• Right before leaving to go home, I went on a short trip to the Dunmore Pineapple, the Falkirk Wheel, and the city of Stirling.

The Dunmore Pineapple is an architectural oddity built in the 18th century with a pineapple shaped cupola. It was really awesome- I definitely recommend visiting if you are in that area. There was a short trail to get to the building with some lovely Scots pines and an interesting ruin.

The Falkirk Wheel is a giant rotating boat lift, an engineering marvel that replaced a series of 11 locks between two canals in 2002. Unfortunately, I did not get to see it in action, but it looks like this when it is moving:

I found this paragraph from an article really amazing:

"Based on Archimedes’ principle, floating objects displace their own weight in water, so the caissons always weigh the same! Always remember the classics. By this method, the wheel is always balanced, allowing the most mind-blowing statistic about this wonder to exist—the Falkirk Wheel uses only 30.2 horsepower to rotate! In just over five minutes the wheel makes a half rotation, moving 600 tons to its new canal, using a measly 1.5 kW/h. The same amount of power used to boil eight kettles."

We visited Stirling on my first trip to Scotland in 2009, but for some reason were not able to spend much time exploring. I really enjoyed the city- in fact, I'd have to put it high on the list of my favorite cities in Scotland. I loved how the town was placed on a slope- it made getting lost impossible, and it was awesome seeing how the buildings progressed through time (the castle and oldest structures were at the top, while a new shopping center was at the base of the hill). I arrived in the evening, and checked into the youth hostel, went for a walk, then got some dinner and went to see the second Hobbit movie.

When the movie ended around midnight, I walked back into town. It was very eerie- the wind had picked up significantly while I was inside and was screeching and howling as it swept through the narrow medieval alleys. Nobody was on the streets, and dead leaves were spiraling though the air. I felt like I was in some sort of scary story, like the kind Bridget and I used to read under the covers with a flashlight. The hostel looked fine during the day, but the full moon lighting up the church-like exterior and the surrounding gravestones was a bit too much for me. When I got inside my heart was beating pretty fast! It was hard to sleep that night because the near gale force wind was so strong it shook the entire building.

The next morning I got up early and walked over near the Church of the Holy Rude and John Cowane's Hospital to look for a geocache. I wasn't successful, but it had snowed during the night so I got a great view of the hills of the Trossachs lightly dusted white. Then I went over to St. Mary's Wynd, on the other side of the hill to get a view of the The Wallace Monument (I even found an interesting little raised lookout). After that, I went over to the Old Town Cemetery. It was really an unusual graveyard- the features I found most interesting were The Martyrs Monument, The Star Pyramid, and The Ladies Rock. From there I visited Stirling Castle, which was very impressive- I especially liked the stories on placards throughout the castle, like these about the Great Hall (taken from Stirling Castle website):

"Two royal baptism celebrations were held in the Great Hall. The first was at Christmas 1566, when Mary Queen of Scots hosted a three-day spectacle for her only child, the future James VI. The entertainment culminated in a banquet in the Great Hall. The guests sat at a round table, in imitation of King Arthur and his knights, and the food was brought in on a mobile stage drawn by satyrs and nymphs. A child dressed as an angel was lowered in a giant globe from the ceiling and gave a recitation. The banquet ended with a great fireworks display – the first ever witnessed in Scotland. 

The second celebration came in August 1594, when James VI celebrated the baptism of his firstborn, Prince Henry. The climax was a banquet, the highlight of which was the fish course. This arrived on a model Ship of State, over 5m long and more than 12m high, floating on an artificial sea. As it sailed around the hall‚ 36 brass guns on board fired off a salvo."

You can find more short stories on this page. I also liked the interactive mini-museums within the castle and the tapestry workshop.

After visiting the castle, I went down the Back Walk to the Stirling Art Gallery and Museum. It had quite a few nice historic exhibits including an old dollhouse and projector. Finally, I stopped by the Thistles shopping mall, then took the bus back to St. Andrews.

 

• I flew home on December 20th, just in time for the holidays...

Break in California

Family Time

• We celebrated Christmas early this year, because we decided to meet up with relatives on Christmas day (see below). Christmas is my favorite major holiday (funnily enough, the name Nathalie means "Christmas day" or "birthday"). I love the feel of the Mitchell household during December- we have all kinds of vintage and hand-made decorations we put up, my sister and I decorate mini-trees and as a family put ornaments on our big tree, my dad strings lights out in the driveway, and my mom lights "Christmas candles" which make the whole house smell like the holidays. Bridget and I made fancy gingerbread creations- I made a Steampunk-Victorian house, and Bridget made a carousel.

Our Gingerbread Houses

• On New Year's Eve, I burned the family videos of the year onto a DVD and we watched the past year's adventures together as is our tradition. In the evening we watched some countdown and "top-ten" shows, then watched the ball-drop in New York at 9:00 (as we were sleepy and did not plan on staying up until midnight). Unfortunately, Bridget decided to take a shower 10 minutes before the ball-drop, and did not make it back in time, so she stayed up till 12 with my dad- they are both night-owls anyway.
• January 3rd was my dad's birthday, and he had several of his friends over to celebrate. I had fun being a bartender- I used an app called LiquorCabinet where you can enter all the types of alcohol and mixers you have at home and it generates a list of drinks you can make and how to make them. It was nice to catch up with some of my parents friends who I hadn't seen for quite a while.
• It was great seeing Henry, Lucky, and Lucy again! I got a lot of quality time with all three pets. Lucy has recovered very well from her car accident last year- she is very mellow and lovable. Lucky is almost a "lucky 13" and is doing really well- I just made a nice climbing structure for him in his outside pen. Henry is as wild as ever, but very sweet and fun to play with- he just got neutered on Friday and is not happy about the "cone of shame" he has to wear.

Travel

• On Christmas day we went to Disneyland with my extended family from Oregon. I used the application called RideMax to plan our visit before we got to the park, so we were able to go on pretty much all the rides we wanted to and take advantage of the FastPass system. My favorite Disneyland attractions are Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion (when I was little It's a Small World was at the top of my list). Pirates of the Caribbean was excellent as ever, but I was a bit annoyed with The Haunted Mansion because they changed it to A Nightmare Before Christmas theme for the holidays and barely used the cool Grim Grinning Ghosts song or chilling "Ghost Host" voice at all. Overall it was an fantastic visit and probably the most relaxing time I've ever had at Disneyland.

• The day after Disneyland we went to Palm Springs, and hung out with our relatives on the main street. I went and saw the Hobbit again with some of my family members, and we ate out at the Lulu California Bistro. In the evening my relatives from Oregon headed off to Joshua Tree National Park to see the sights and so my cousin could rock climb. My family stayed overnight, then went to some of our favorite Palm Springs shops in the morning (I tried to visit the store of Shag, one of my favorite artists, but it was closed this time). In the afternoon we went to Shields Date Garden, which my dad remembered visiting when he was little. We watched a documentary there about the super complicated process of producing dates, shared a milkshake made with date-sugar crystals, and bought some dates for at home (my dad likes them raw, but I prefer mine in Sticky Toffee Pudding!).

• After leaving Palm Springs, my parents dropped Bridget and I at LAX to fly to Tahoe. Our grandparents picked us up from there and took us to their house in Northstar. We had a great few days spending time with our relatives, playing in the snow, and skiing (though there was very little snow so conditions were poor). Bridget and I did a Photoshoot:

• I made a couple videos on my Contour camera which you can see below:

Univex Model A

• On Sunday the 12th, my family headed down to the famously gigantic Rose Bowl Swap Meet in Pasadena, California. The amount of stuff there was overwhelming, but we had an excellent time looking for "buried treasures" in the thousands of stalls. Back at home in the evening we had a show-and-tell of all the items we had purchased. My favorite find was a 1930s subminiature bakelite Univex Model A camera, that appears to be in working condition and cost less than the online asking price.

Life About Town

• We had "King Tides" in late December/early January which meant that the water levels were way higher and lower than usual. My parents and I were going to take the dogs for a walk on the beach one morning, but ended up having to walk along the sidewalk as the waves were crashing right up to the sea wall and there was a crowd gathered to watch. Bridget and I met up with my neighbor and childhood best friend Ian to go tidepooling during the afternoon a couple days later. We saw a couple of huge red crabs, a sea hare, tons of anenomes, and many hermit crabs. We brought along jars and had a sea glass finding contest- Ian won at around 100 pieces.

• I met up with my friend Kevin from stage crew, and we visited San Marcos High School during crüe period. We had a chat with Mr. Holmes, our teacher, who is sadly but befittingly retiring this year (this spring will mark his 30th year teaching- see article from 2010 here). It was kind of surreal being back in the theater where I had spent so many hours in high school- many of our jokes and memories were still tacked up on the scene shop walls. After visiting the theater we went and caught up with Ms. Teraoka-Brady, the choir teacher, then caught the bus and headed downtown for lunch.

• My dad and I went kayaking in the harbor with my dogs during the week we had 80°F (26°C) weather almost everyday. Unfortunately, Henry has grown much more bold in the water, and could not sit still in the kayak like he used to. He kept jumping in and swimming around using his tail as a propeller (see video). It was a struggle to get anywhere, but we did a lap around the harbor and went under the Channel Cat as is our tradition.

George Steedman's Workshop

• My parents and I visited the Spanish Colonial Revival style house Casa del Herrerro (House of the Blacksmith) designed by George Washington Smith and inhabited by the Steedman family. I found the architecture and Beaux Arts landscape really stunning- I especially liked George Steedman's workshop. I also found it interesting that they moved in the same day as the great Santa Barbara earthquake, but the house was undamaged.

• I visited my ballet school and went out for coffee with my friend Lorraine. It was really nice catching up while walking along State Street.

• I fixed up my bike at home- I pumped up the tires, cleaned it, and attached a basket. I got a nice couple of bike rides in- one I did a loop around Montecito, stopping at the beach to watch some surfers and going through the Oak woods near Casa Dorinda. The second I went down to the Farmer's Market and to my mom's office.

• Bridget and I met up with her friend at Hendry's beach and brought Henry along. It felt like a summer's day- I went boogie boarding and relaxed in the sun. The waves were absolutely huge and there were surfers everywhere- I wish I had brought my camera!

Crafting and Hobbies

A Castle Wheel

• For Christmas my mom booked a lesson for me with a spinning instructor in Goleta named Edith Ogella. I've been wanting to make my own yarn for knitting for quite some time now, but was having a bit of difficulty teaching myself, so was really excited to learn from a professional. Edith was really amazing and very patient! I learned about the history of spinning, the evolution of the wheel's construction, what types of wool are best for different purposes, and techniques for spinning itself. I was also very impressed with her vintage and antique camera collection and all the different types of spinning wheels she had throughout the house- from giant early American wheels to petite castle wheels.

• I always get really into sewing when I go back home, because I don't have a machine in Scotland. I decided to make an elven outfit since I had a lot of green felt my mom bought at a yard sale. I made a sketch, but sadly did not scan it in before leaving for Scotland. I finished making a warm brown fleece cape, and made a medieval looking coat, but still need to add the finishing touches.

• I did some shopping for my Steampunk dollhouse at Larrianne's Small Wonders in Ventura, but did not have time to work on it much over break. I hope to do more of my clay miniatures this spring to sell on Etsy.

• I have been learning how to use the 2D and 3D design program AutoCAD with Lynda tutorials- I hope to use it combined with a 3D printer one day so I can make intricate objects without taking the time to construct them. I'm also excited about using it for making mock architectural plans.

• I just ordered my own developing tank and photographic chemicals so that I can work on learning to develop photos at home (I'm following these instructions: http://chromogenic.net/develop). I'm really excited, as this will mean I won't have to send my pictures away to be processed. I am hoping I can still use PhotoSoc's darkroom over the next term, but I have to wait until they arrange another information session.

Back to St. Andrews

• My flights back home yesterday were all right- I flew on New Zealand airlines, which was different from what I normally take (the plane was for a flight from Auckland to London with a stopover in LA- I sure felt bad for the New Zealanders!). Luckily, the journey was only 9 1/2 instead of 11 hours due to the fact we had a good wind and flew more directly (not over Greenland as usual, which is also a shame because looking at the glaciers is amazing). On my second flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh I got a really good view of some fantastic clouds.

• I made it back just in time to eat a home-cooked Burns Night dinner with Sarah and her boyfriend Jonty. Being a vegetarian, I did not indulge in the haggis, but had some nice roasted potatoes and vegetables. I slept like a log last night.

• This morning I went to get groceries and on my way back I had an ultimate fail. I have a hook on my bike where I can hang grocery bags, and it normally works just fine. However, I stupidly made a sharp turn just after getting on my bike, and the bag got caught in the wheel. The spokes sliced through the plastic and somehow managed to rip open a bag of carrots. There were carrots all over the ground and stuck in my spokes, and it was a pretty embarrassing situation- luckily nobody was nearby except for some teenage kid smoking at a bus stop who I think was laughing at me. I regained my composure, threw away the carrots (sadly- what a loss of 69p!), and rode home.

• Tomorrow classes begin again- this term I'm taking:

•Art, Culture and Politics, from 1900 to Now

•Aesthetics

•Rationality and Action

•Sustainable Development: Social and Economic Aspects

I'm excited to get back into my daily routine- well, not that there is much of a routine here in St. Andrews- things have a way of changing pretty quickly around here. Talk to you again soon!

It is almost Week 8 of the "Martinmas Semester", an extremely busy time of year for us St. Andreans. I cannot believe how quickly time is passing! There is a definite chill in the air now and it has been raining for a little while almost every day. We've had a time change as well, so now it starts getting dark around 4:30. Like Emily Brontë I welcome these seasonal transformations-

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;

Lengthen night and shorten day;

Every leaf speaks bliss to me

Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow

Blossom where the rose should grow;

I shall sing when night’s decay

Ushers in a drearier day.

I think the easiest way to share what I've done over the past weeks is to list events by activity rather than chronologically… here it goes!

Canoe Club

• The Freshers Trip- The Freshers Trip as a second year felt vastly different. Not only was I more confident in the kayaking itself, but I also knew people in the club, so was way more relaxed than last year. On day one, I went in the first car so I could help set up tents at the campsite before meeting the others to paddle. Like last year, the day consisted of paddling from Loch Tay to Aberfeldy, stopping along the way to practice skills and play games. I got to try out my Contour camera on the river, so have a lot of fun footage of the trip (below is a short clip of us doing the wave).

• The second day we went from Aberfeldy to Grandtully, and paddled a couple of exciting rapids. You can see another clip of my group going down the Grandtully rapids below (sorry for the funky music!):

• In the evening we went to an all-you-can-eat chinese buffet and then back to St. Andrews. The official club blog post here: STAUCC Blogpost

Safety and Rescue Scenario

• White Water Safety and Rescue- I did a weekend course in white water safety and rescue a few weeks ago. The first day we learned the acronym CLAP (Communication, Line of Sight, Avoidance is Better than Cure, Position of Maximum Usefulness), which became the overarching theme of the course. We did many different activities throughout the day including shallow water wading, throw bagging, and defensive vs aggressive swimming. We also learned about principles of safe equipment and how best to obtain mechanical advantage. In the evening we got dinner in Aberfeldy and camped at Grandtully- it poured for most of the night!

• The second day we examined rescue situations in further detail, using the phrases "Shout, Reach, Throw, Row, Go" and "Self, Team, Victim, Equipment". We set up several scenarios for foot entrapments, boat capsizes, and getting caught in "strainers" (trees, logs, etc.). It was a very informative course- now that I know some safety basics I feel a lot more comfortable on the water.

  

  WWSR group

At the Perth Show

• Perth Show and Stanley Paddle- Every year there is a large canoe and kayak expo up in the city of Perth which coincides with the Tay Descent, a race down the river Tay. Last year I missed the show, so I was really looking forward to it. The expo was really overwhelming- I'd never seen so much kayaking kit all in one place! After much debate, I ended up investing in a buoyancy aid which I had researched online beforehand. It has many of the good safety features which I learned about during WWSR. After shopping, we went to two inspiring talks by Jonny Hawkins and Callum Strong- friends of the club who went on pretty intense kayaking expeditions in Borneo and Ethiopia. I was enthralled by their tales of riding to a river by handcar and stumbling into the path of a hippopotamus. In the afternoon we paddled the Tay at Stanley, a section which I'd never done before. Due to the recent rainstorms the river was very full- there were a lot of fun waves. The paddle was quite short, but it was getting dark by the time we finished anyway.

• Pool Sessions and Surf Sessions- Pool sessions have started back up, so we can practice in warm water again! I've only been to one so far, but I was very excited because I remembered how to roll after not getting to practice for several months. The surf sessions are great for practicing skills as well, and the games we play in the harbor are quite entertaining!

• Adrenaline Ball- Friday night was the Adrenaline Ball, a dance for some of the "extreme sports" clubs. I went to a potluck beforehand, as I opted out of the fancy dinner, then headed to the Golf Hotel for the event. The first part of the dance and the best part of the evening was the ceilidh (see my past post for more about ceilidhs). My favorites dances this time were the Gay Gordons, The Virginia Reel, and St. Bernard's Waltz. After the ceilidh was the discotheque part of the evening- something I'm always hesitant to partake in. Luckily I was persuaded to join in, and I ended up having a lot of fun. After the dance was over we walked to the Union and got drinks before heading home. All in all I had a wonderful evening!

  

  Potluck (Photo Credit: Patsy)

Design Team

• Tea People Design- The girls from the Design Team committee were offered an internship from Tea People, a tea company that donates 50% of its profits back to tea-growing regions. We are working on designing new packaging, as well as planning a photo shoot for the the redesign of the website and to promote a holiday pop-up shop.
• Photoshop Classes- I've been helping the Design Team head teach classes in Photoshop on Sunday afternoons. It has been great for reinforcing my Photoshop and public speaking skills, and I enjoy helping budding designers unlock their potential in the program. Last weekend I ended up teaching a class on the Heal Brush and Clone Stamp by myself- it was very exciting!

Ents

Poster for Comedy Show

• I've been much more involved with Ents this year than I was last year. I'm glad to be surrounded by techie friends once again- it is something I missed very much from high school. Below are some of my favorite events of the past weeks.
• Laser Tag- We got to set up a "maze" in the union for a laser tag company using trussing and fabric, then got to try out the course ourselves. It was fantastic fun even though I stink at laser tag and got the lowest score. When the event was finished we took everything down about three times as fast as we put it up. My friend and I got very good at folding fabric quickly.
• Bops- I have teched at a couple of Friday night bops, mostly practicing lighting. I find live lighting a bit strange coming from a theater lighting background- you really have to have a knack for matching lights to the beat of the music. It is a little nerve-wracking trying to decide how much smoke to release from the smoke machine and when or how long to leave on the strobes, but I am starting to get the hang of it.
• Ceilidh and Bubble Bath- Two fellow Ents and I have formed a trio for certain events. We did a ceilidh together a couple weeks ago, and Bubble Bath last week (Bubble Bath is a reoccurring comedy panel show which I've stage-managed twice this year). We are a great little team!

Academics

• I just turned in my main Art History essay of the semester on photography and painting in the 19th century. I focused mainly on the Pre-Raphaelites, one of my favorite groups of artists. It was really wonderful to do a project on a topic that I am passionate about- I ended up doing way more research than was probably necessary just because I was interested.
• I also had to do a presentation for my Art History tutorial on the same topic, though less specific to the Pre-Raphaelites. I made a Prezi for the talk, which you can see here if you are interested: New Visions, Public and Private

Pomona, Julia Margaret Cameron

• Right now I'm supposed to be studying for my Visual Analysis test, which involves memorizing about 70 works of art and their background information so when they show us three comparisons, we can write about each for 17 minutes. The artworks we are studying can be found in my Quizlet flashcard set.
• For sustainable development I am working on a project about invasive species with two other group members, as well as an essay on the plight of the bees.
• Finally for my online course, I have done a lot of short exercises that are meant to get you to think out of the box. I'm looking forward to seeing what else they have in store for us as the year goes on.

Life at Home

• I've been trying to keep up my ballet muscles by practicing at home every so often. Stretching and listening to Tchaikovsky is a great way to unwind after a day of work!
• I'm determined to finish fixing up our garden before winter- I want to at least plant some bulbs, so we have nice flowers in the spring.
• I've been baking a little, not as much as I would like, but had an especially pleasant Halloween morning baking focaccia, dinner rolls, and banana nut muffins.
• Speaking of Halloween, I had a much more subdued holiday than usual this year. Instead of going out I ended up watching a scary movie on my own. Admittedly it was a little sad, especially since Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I love dressing up, but it just felt like a stay-at-home evening. However, I did put my Mary Blair pumpkin out, and received a couple trick-or-treaters!



My Mary Blair Pumpkin



Bicycle Repairman

• I've been Miss Bike Repairwoman lately- I have to keep battling the wear and tear which comes from riding a bicycle everyday. Fortunately, Youtube is very helpful, and bike tune-ups are quite easy if you have some hex-keys!

• I attached my Contour camera to my bike a few weeks ago and got some pretty awesome results! I hope to make another video sometime soon.

KnitSoc

• I haven't done much with KnitSoc since the beginning of the year, mostly because I tend to have things going on at the same time as the meetings. I'm working on a hat right now, but progress is rather slow- I'll let you know how it goes!

PhotoSoc

• I joined PhotoSoc, and have been to a couple of their events- in the first we took photos around town and in the second we woke up early and met to take sunrise photos at the pier.

• I've also been trying out my Brownie camera around town on my own- I still have to develop the photos.

Travel

• Since I last wrote I've been to Edinburgh twice- once for a day of photography and geocaching, and once to tour Stills Photography Center. On the first occasion, I had a lot of fun exploring the zoo and the botanic gardens, neither of which I'd been to before. You can see my photos here:

• My trip to Stills was different than I had hoped but it was still fun and informative. I went with the intention of learning to develop film, but realized when I got there that I had signed up for a tour of the facility rather than a class. The lady was really nice and showed me around the digital and analogue processing areas- I hope to go back sometime soon.

Today is Raisin Sunday- though unfortunately I'm not planning on doing much this year. I'll try to write again soon!!!

Once again I have broken my promise of writing more frequently! This past month has had its ups and downs, but luckily the good has outweighed the bad. Here are some notable things I've done (in relatively chronological order):

Yarn Bombed Bench (photo credit: Ruth)

• I participated in the KnitSoc yarn bomb, which I had been looking forward to for a while. We completely covered a bench in front of the Museum of Saint Andrews with knitted and crocheted squares. It was a nice way to brighten the atmosphere- it was just beginning to get very wintery. I also went to the KnitSoc Christmas dinner early in December which put me in the holiday spirit (pictures on the Knitting Society blog: KnitSoc Blog). I especially liked the Christmas Crackers which we pulled by crossing our arms in a circle, rather than between two people like I am used to. Everyone wore their paper crowns throughout the meal!

Biking on a Golden Afternoon

• I went out to dinner with my academic sisters and then saw the movie "Silver Linings". We were a bit annoyed with the restaurant service (I wrote a poor review afterwards), but the movie was pretty good and overall it was a very enjoyable evening!

• I've continued to bike around town- the roads and paths are great for exercise or simply taking in the scenery. I love to ride at a relaxed pace and take in the sights and smells of the town- the smell of damp leaves from rain the night before, or fresh bread and cheese from shops; the sight of a little girl with a huge umbrella, or a flock of birds flying south in a V-formation.

• I finished the environmental posters for the CAPOD (Centre for Academic, Professional and Organisational Development) offices, which will be put up to encourage sustainable practices throughout the building. The Design Team is already beginning to plan out and work on projects for next semester.

A Few Mini Posters for CAPOD

• I went back to Edinburgh on my own the weekend after Victoria visited to return the jacket I bought (the zipper didn't work properly and I didn't like the overall design very much). Unfortunately, I don't have the same persuasive returning skills as my mom, and the store would not accept it back. I had a very nice day exploring Edinburgh though!

My Path through the City

I started out at the castle, trying to master the art of taking pictures without getting my camera lens wet and avoiding crowds of tourists. Then I headed down the Royal Mile to visit the Kirk of St. Giles and the "Heart of Midlothian". I loved the gothic-y mix of styles throughout the church. Next I walked through the Grassmarket District an popped my head into a knitting shop and the National Library. I also went through the Greyfriars Kirkyard and saw the Flodden Wall. After that I went to the Holyrood Palace and Abbey, where I enjoyed viewing the royal apartments of Mary Queen of Scots. Then I decided to hike up a hill in Holyrood Park (in the shadow of Arthur's Seat) at sunset, following the "Radical Road" path past the Salisbury Crags. Finally I went back into town to get some dinner and catch my bus back to St. Andrews.

• My fleece arrived in the mail and I had a lot of fun cleaning it, carding it, and making it into some yarn (press play on first set of photos) and felting a hat (press play on second set of photos). I still have a lot left over and am trying to decide what to make next!

• I spent the last couple of weeks of the term studying for exams during the revision period. Not too much to note- I started to get cabin fever by the end, and had to make sure I was getting time outside everyday. I had an Anthropology exam on the 14th and a Art History exam on the 17th. I was very excited that Italian was all coursework so had no final test.

• When I found out that I had a few days after my last final but before my flight, I decided to plan a mini trip out west. Here is where I went:

Day 1

I started out taking the bus from St. Andrews to Dunfermline, arriving around sunrise (8:30ish!). I walked around the town and through Pittencrieff Park until the Dunfermline Abbey and Palace opened. Many medieval Scottish royals were buried in the churchyard, but due to political upheaval most were disinterred and hidden. In the 19th century they found the remains of Robert the Bruce (though his heart lies in Melrose Abbey, literally) and cemented over the area, then built a new section of the church over it. It is still difficult to say where the rest of the "eight Kings, five Queens, six Princes, and two Princesses of Scotland" are, but there is some chance they may be under the cement as well.

Next I went to the Abbot House, a small museum where for £3 I got a private tour including a lengthy explanation of the history of Scotland. I found the history of the Picts and the real vs. romanticized accounts of St. Margaret quite fascinating. After that, I stopped by the first ever Carnegie Library (of over 2,500!) built by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as a way to give back to his hometown. Then I went back into the park and visited the remains of Malcolm Canmore's Tower, a notable defensive location in the 11th century, and another small museum.

I then caught a bus to the small village of Culross, which has many preserved historical buildings. It was very scenic, though there was quite a strange contrast with petrochemical complexes on the other side of the Firth of Forth. Next I took the bus to Glasgow where I strolled some major shopping streets and checked into the Glasgow Youth Hostel. Finally, I went and saw "The Hobbit" at the IMAX theater in the armadillo shaped science center.

Day 2

A Classic Mackintosh Design

I left the hostel early in the morning and walked through Kelvingrove Park to the Hunterian Art Gallery where I visited the reconstructed house of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a renowned Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau designer from the Glasgow School whose style I really admire (pretty much the main reason I wanted to visit Glasgow was to see his works). After that, I went over to the nearby Kelvingrove Museum to see an exhibit about the Art Nouveau movement in the U.K.

Then I headed to the Mitchell Library, which wasn't quite what I was expecting, but was still fun to visit. Next I went to the Glasgow School of Art to take a tour of the building (also designed by Mackintosh). I liked a lot of the innovative architectural details and the overall structure.

When the tour was over I walked to the Necropolis, an intense burial ground that was used mostly in Victorian times. I also visited the nearby Glasgow Cathedral, which was very impressive, especially with the huge Christmas trees inside the church! I saw a lot of sign posts around with the Glasgow coat of arms, which is probably the oddest coat of arms I have ever seen. It features these things:

There's the tree that never grew, 

There's the bird that never flew, 

There's the fish that never swam, 

There's the bell that never rang.

Glasgow Coat of Arms

It would take a while to explain each element, but if you are interested check out this site: Glasgow Coat of Arms. Next I went across the street to the Provand's Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow and looked around the museum.

After that, I walked back into the main part of town and saw the small carnival and lights set up for the holidays in George Square. I would have gone ice skating, but it was pouring and crowded so I watched the skaters for a while instead. Then I went to the Lighthouse, another one of Mackintosh's designs. There was a nice museum about his works inside, as well as an awesome exibit featuring aerial shots of Scotland, and a high look-out tower (at this point, I think I have climbed way more spiral staircases than the average 18 year old). Finally I got some dinner and went back to hostel.

Day 3

I took the subway, nicknamed as the "clockwork orange" (probably because it runs on a circular track and the trains are orange) to George Square to get the Rabbie's tour bus. I've always been rather against guided tours, we Mitchells enjoy exploring on our own, but since I have no car in Scotland and the public transport is a bit difficult to manage in the regions I was interested in seeing (many I had seen before but wanted to see in winter), I decided to book a tour. The group was quite small like I had hoped, only seven of us plus the informative and amusing tour guide.

We started out driving past Renfrew, where some of my ancestors may have lived, and Paisley, where the paisley pattern was invented, and then up towards Loch Lomond. It was interesting see the city fading away, gradually becoming countryside. Our first stop was in Luss, a village on the west coast of the loch. I walked along the bonnie, bonnie, banks of Loch Lomond (song here: Loch Lomond)- it is true what they say about Scotland only getting prettier when it rains. The fog made the loch all the more mysterious and thought-provoking. Our next stop was in Glen Croe at Rest and Be Thankful Pass, which was also transformed by the rain. It is called "Rest and Be Thankful" because it is the highest point after a steep journey, and so one can rest and be glad for making it to the top. Next we drove to Inveraray, a quiet town on the edge of Loch Fyne.

After that, we visited Loch Awe and Kilchurn Castle. Rabbie's had exclusive access to the castle in winter, so we got to unlock it and explore around without any other tourists. The surroundings were stunning! I found it fascinating that a lot of the seemingly peaceful lochs and hills of Argyll had a lot to hide- everything from a hollow mountain that contains a power plant to a submarine torpedo testing ground.

Next we stopped in Oban to get some lunch. Of course, I went off exploring- I did not want to spend an hour at a sit-down restaurant! I climbed up to the folly, known as McCaig's Tower, overlooking the town and was just in time to see the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry take off headed towards the isles. I went back down and popped into some shops, including a cool kayaking store, and strolled around the harbor.

Castle Stalker in Monty Python

Then we got back in the van (we were in a hurry at this point because we wanted to get to Glen Coe before sunset at 3:30) and drove to Castle Stalker (famous for its appearance in Monty Python and the Holy Grail). My dad and I really like Castle Stalker and its dramatic setting, so I was excited to see it again. After a brief look, we continued onwards to Glen Coe (another film location: Harry Potter, Rob Roy, and Skyfall).

Glen Coe was breathtaking- definitely my favorite of the day's locations. The tops of the mountains were frosted with snow and little streams of water were trickling down. The wind was ripping through the valley, and rain was coming from every direction which added to the tragic beauty.

From there we headed through the Rannoch Moor and back to Glasgow.

Day 4

I spent the morning shopping around the Buchanan Galleries looking for Christmas gifts and then took the bus back to St. Andrews and packed to fly home.

• My trip home was really nice- the plane rides did not feel overwhelmingly long. I only encountered two problems. The first: My last flight, Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, was mysteriously cancelled so we quickly booked the airbus instead. The second: While trying frantically to get through customs to catch the airbus after my plane landed I was stopped for what seemed like a random inspection. Security dumped everything from my suitcase and backpack onto a table and proceeded to ask me questions about each item (special inquiries were made about my Nintendo DS, a piece of bread, and my knitting!). Luckily I made it out to the pickup area just in time!

• I've had a great time celebrating the holidays with my family. Bridget and I made elaborate gingerbread houses this year- hers is a castle and mine is an Art Nouveau inspired manor.