The end of the school year went well. Unfortunately, I was so busy I didn't have time to write a decent blog post! Of course, I forgot to write one when I got home, so now I have some catch up work to do. Today is my last day in Santa Barbara before I head back to Scotland. The weather is sensational so I'm sitting on a bench in our yard with Henry, our wire fox terrier. I'll do my best to describe most of the important events of April through August (yikes!), so sit tight for an incredibly long post...

•  On April 26th I attended the "Aqua Ball", which was put on by the Swimming, Canoe, and Lifesaving clubs (I designed the tickets- see below). I chose to go to the potluck beforehand, rather than the dinner, and brought a cake and a salad. The ceilidh was fun, but everyone who went to the potluck was a bit late, so missed a few dances. All in all it was a great night!

•  The next day I got to try out doing some event photography with my friend at TEDx St. Andrews. It was a nice challenge to deal with a lighting and setting I wasn't used to. It was exciting to listen to the TED talks as well- the ones I enjoyed most were about medieval manuscripts, musical theater, and a childish approach to life.


•  The day after that, I took photos at SSS Wild Water Racing, a kayaking competition put on by our Canoe Club. I snapped photos like crazy during the event, and ended up with about 1300 shots. My favorite races to watch were the duos. Overall, it was a very busy weekend!

•  The next few weeks were revision and exams, which were generally uneventful except for the following occasions:

•  I made sourdough, which involved making a starter of yeast and water, "feeding it" and caring for it for a week, then making the bread. The end product looked nice, but unfortunately I did not like the taste as much as I had hoped (I tried two more starters over the summer as well- still haven't found perfect one).

Sourdough

•  I went on a couple outdoor excursions to take a break from studying. I paddled in the sea with Canoe Club, which was great for exercise, but it was very windy. On the way there I was towards the front of the group, but on the way back I really lagged behind due to the fact I had to paddle against the wind predominantly with my bad arm. I also went to the botanic gardens to do some reading for philosophy and take some pictures.

Gaudie

•  On the eve of May 1st I participated in the traditional May Dip and Gaudie activities. As the sun was setting I walked with some friends to Younger Hall wearing my red gown. After everyone had gathered we went in a procession (with a bagpiper and a choir) towards the pier. We were given torches, which, I'm not going to lie, were quite dangerous- the flames were very big and there were many sparks, not a good combo with the red gowns, wind, and cobblestones. On the pier we did the normal loop, going towards the sea on the wide part, then up a ladder, and away from the sea on the skinny part. The torches at night reflecting on the water looked unbelievably beautiful.

•  After that, we went to the canoe club castle and then over to a house party. The party lasted the whole night, though many were very sleepy by the end. I won the cereal box game, in which you have to bend over to grab a cereal box (which gets cut progressively shorter each round) in your mouth without using your hands. We also played a celebrity name game and Ring of Fire, neither of which I am a big fan of.

•  As soon as the sun started to rise, we walked out to the beach, stripped off our clothes, and ran into the sea. The North Sea was so cold that the second I went in I couldn't feel anything (I can't imagine what it would be like for those who went in completely nude). We ducked underwater, then ran shivering back to the shore. Afterwards, we went to someone's house to get hot chocolate- a perfect ending to the event. See a video to the right (not exactly the best footage, but gives you the idea)

•  Finally, I finished a sweater with owl motifs on it. The pattern is by Kate Davies, my favorite knitwear designer.

•  In the last few days of the semester I spent some time packing up my dorm. My mom arrived on the 22nd, the day of my last exam. She is an ultra "packer", so I got her approval on my boxes of belongings before sealing them up and giving them to the storage company.

•  My mom and I had a great couple of days in St. Andrews, I really enjoyed showing her all the sights and sounds of the city I had experienced throughout the year. Now that my mom and dad have visited, I'm hoping Bridget will come!

Last night in St. Andrews

•  After St. Andrews, my mom and I took the train up to Inverness and explored around the city for an afternoon. I think the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery was what we liked most. The next day we took a bus to the Isle of Skye, which I'd been wanting to visit for several years. The bus ride over was wonderful, there were waterfalls, lochs, wildlife, and beautiful mountainous landscapes. Even my mom, who doesn't enjoy road trips, marveled at the scenery. We got to Skye just as the sun was setting, and it felt like driving into another world.

•  We stayed the night in Portree, the largest town on the island, and wandered throughout its streets in the evening and early morning. At around 9, we met with our tour guide, a man born and raised on the island. My favorite places we saw were: 

Faerie Glen- mysterious small hills with terraced edges that were not man made

The Old Man of Storr- a mountain that looks like an old man

Kilt Rock- a cliff with the appearance of a kilt

Staffin Beach- a beach where the last man in Scotland to swim his cattle to an island annually to graze did his crossings (see link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-12430571)

Quiraing- a landslip near Meall na Suiramach with one of the most picturesque views I have ever seen

Lealt- an area of cliffs, the sea, and waterfalls
Red Hills- a panoramic series of hills

•  In the evening we went back to Inverness, and then in the morning on to Edinburgh. I showed my mom some spots that I love in Edinburgh, like the Scott Monument, Grassmarket, and Arthur's Seat. We also went geocaching in Greyfriars Kirkyard and found the the Heart of Midlothian. My mom suggested we go up to Carlton Hill, as neither of us had been there- the monuments were really spectacular! We liked the Nelson Monument the most, which had a time ball.

 

•  The next day we flew to Belgium, and were in Bruges by early afternoon. We stayed in Bruges for three nights- our hotel was beautiful and historic, picked out by the ultimate trip planner, Mark Mitchell. Bruges was a wonderful town, but was incredibly touristy. We found the difference between the "tourist streets" and the almost empty streets if you went a block down really strange. However, we didn't let the crowds get to us too much. Here were my favorite locations in Bruges:
The Groeninge Museum- a museum with a fantastic selection of Flemish art

The Basilica of the Holy Blood- a chapel containing a vial of holy blood, which has an interesting ceremony
The Sint-Janshospitaal Museum- a museum with art, archaic medical equipment, and an awesome ark-like ceiling

The Belfort- a large tower in the center of town with wonderful views
The Historium- I only like the memories with my mom here- the experience itself was odd. It was a Disneylandesque recreation of Bruges during Van Eyck's era and was kind of over the top

The canals- our favorite spot was a little ways away from Blind Donkey Alley

The sweet shops- the best cookie I tried was called a Dentelle de Bruges

The alleyways- they were pretty picturesque and well kept

Fast food pasta places- perfect for Nathalies
Dill and Camille- a store with very cute gardening and cooking supplies, like a better version of Sur la Table 

 

•  The next city we went to was Ghent, which was mainly to visit Jan Van Eyck's famed Ghent Altarpiece, which I had studied in art history. With all its detail, you could stare at it for hours (see this awesome site: http://closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/). We also went to a museum called the MIAT or Museum of Industrial Archeology and Textile, which doesn't sound very interesting but is one of the best museums I have ever gone to. I love anything industrial revolution related, and am currently very into textile production, so I found it fascinating. Afterwards we went to some great antique shops.

•  The last place we went was Brussels, the capital of Belgium, and the "capital of Europe". I made a map of all the places in the city I wanted to see, and planned the most efficient schedule for our single day there. First we went past the Art Nouveau Musical Instrument Museum building, and to an underground museum called the Coudenberg. Then I sneakily took my mom past the Mannequin Pis, which she did not want to see because she thought it was vulgar. After that, we headed to the central square, which had some of the most amazing building facades I have ever seen. I fell in love with the statuary on the outside of the Grand Palace. Next, we went through the very long Saint-Hubertus Royal Gallery building and stopped in a couple bookstores to look at Tintin comic books. Then we took the subway to Victor Horta's house, which was what I wanted to see most in Brussels. Horta was an instigator of the Art Nouveau movement, and his house was stunning. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside, but there is a picture I found online to the right. Lastly, we visited the Atomium and "Mini Europe" in a kind of jumbled together theme park called Brupark. Mini Europe was cool, but pretty weird, and admission was overly expensive- I thought they should have given me a discount after their creepy turtle mascot grabbed me and tried to get us to take a souvenir photo- yikes!

•  When I got back home, we had just about a week before leaving for Marin county to go to my cousin's Bar Mitzfah. The ceremony was very nice, though it was kind of sentimental seeing the last of the five of my aunt's children "become a man". I also got to go to one of my favorite shops, Susan's Storeroom, and see my friend Victoria who was working up north over the summer.

•  We then went down to Stinson Beach, a pretty remote foggy beach town 35 miles away from the Golden Gate Bridge. I had a really wonderful time playing with kayaks and paddle boards with my younger cousins. We ended up making a silly video about the crabs we caught in the lagoon with my new underwater camera.

•  On the way back home we visited San Juan Bautista, a historic California town with a great mission, view of the San Andreas fault, old-fashioned downtown, and awesome antique stores. My dad says that he wouldn't hesitate to move there if Santa Barbara didn't exist.

 

•  Sometime in June or July we went to the Mullins Car Museum, and got a "private tour" from my dad. I got to see the kind of car my dad almost owned in his story of the "one that got away"- a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic he saw in a garage that was stolen or moved the next day when he came to get it. I also saw a 1925 Bugatti Type 27 Brescia Torpedo that was found on the bottom of Lake Maggiore in Italy- according to legend a man put it on a float in the lake so he could get out of paying taxes, but the chain broke and it sunk.

Cucumber I grew

•  I went to a permaculture lecture at SBCC to aid in the creation of my garden at home. I really liked the speaker, Christopher Shein, and ended up getting his book. My garden did really well over the summer- I moved the box and raised the bed an extra foot to allow for more growing room. I also made a bench, sunshade, and trellis on the sides with the help of my dad. I grew many lettuces, two types of basil, several varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers, a bell pepper, chives, parsley, and cilantro.

Poodle Parade

•  I also went to the annual French Festival and Greek Festival with my friends and family. I really liked the dancing and desserts at the Greek Festival and entering our dogs in the "Poodle Parade" at the French Festival.

At Bridget's Birthday Party

•  Bridget's 16th Birthday was on July 26th, and she celebrated by having an elaborate 1920's Around the World themed party. Almost everyone dressed up and they played musical chairs and bagels on a string, had a dance party, and watched the movie "The Fall" which is about a stunt performer and a little girl in a hospital.

•  Another fun thing I did was to glean oranges at an orchard in Montecito through the program Food Forward. We picked over 3500 pounds!

•  Bridget and I also planned a lemonade stand, to support research for Colony Collapse Disorder- unfortunately we didn't get very many customers, perhaps because we were too old or the spot we chose was difficult to park in.

•  We went on a couple of side trips over the summer- my favorites were to the Getty with my dad to visit the Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future and Gardens of the Renaissance exhibits, and to downtown Ventura, where there are many antique stores and new up and coming shops. I also went to a few garage sales and swap meets- which we Mitchell's always enjoy. The best things I got were several vintage cameras, including a brownie camera which someone gave me for free because they thought it was "gutted" and could not be used. It is in perfect working condition.

•  In February I woke up with a terrible crick in my neck- to the point where I could not turn my head to the left for an entire day. For the next week, I had to sit on the left side of the lecture rooms so I could look right. Slowly it got better, but by April it started getting worse again. Over the summer, I decided to have it checked out, and went to a spine clinic. After X-rays and an MRI I learned I had strained my trapezius muscle (goes from shoulder to neck). I was advised to go to physical therapy, which I doubted at first, but helped phenomenally- I would definitely recommend Hayashida if you are in SB!

•  I just got my driver's license, which is very exciting. I'm glad that I waited, as I feel much more confident now than when I began driving at 16. My parents are happy that they won't have to "chauffeur" me anymore, and I am happy I won't have to take the bus all the time (though I do love public transportation).






•  I also helped my dad do a few projects in his garage including inventorying Alfa Romeo books/manuals and photographing and posting items on eBay.

•  Last, but not least, I experimented with pinhole photography over the summer, which you should hear more about in my next post!

More Alpaca photos here: Click Me!

• I have so much to talk about- it keeps piling up because it is so difficult to get myself to sit down and write. Here it goes!

My winter break was very pleasant. It was one of the strangest experiences I have ever had changing from living away to living back at home. It felt as though I had never left, but at the same time like I'd been gone forever. When I would refer to Scotland, it felt as though I were discussing another life, perhaps in a parallel universe. It felt like déjà vu coming back!

Kayaking in SB

I really enjoyed being back with my family and pets (though I was quite sad not to see little Max). Some highlights included going on a hike with my mom, visiting an alpaca farm and the beach with Bridget and our neighbor Lauren, going to a swap meet with my dad, celebrating Christmas/Hanukkah and my dad's birthday, and going kayaking in the harbor. I also enjoyed meeting up with some friends from ballet and high school.

We went on two separate California trips while I was home:

Cousins with a Green Screen Effect

Up North: I had a great time visiting my relatives in Marin, especially exploring around science museums in San Francisco with my cousins Nathan and Owen, watching "The Help" as a family, going to Susan's Store Room, and spending some time with my grandparents. I also liked stopping by Solvang on the way up so I could visit my favorite stores Nathalie's Doll House, Rasmussen's Fabrics, and The Book Loft.

Down South: We went to Los Angeles and explored around the day before my flight. It was interesting because I had been to a lot of the Hollywood attractions in the past, but none in the central city. My dad took us to Chinatown (where he went to New Wave clubs when he was in college), Olvera Street and the oldest surviving house in Los Angeles (the Avila Adobe), and to Union Station. My mom took us to the Stanley Kubrick exhibit at LACMA, which was very interesting- I did not realize how prolific he was!

It was fun to visit the most cliché places of "California culture" before leaving home again.

• My long-haul flight back to St. Andrews was luckily uneventful, but my short flight from France to Edinburgh was one of the most frightening flights I've ever been on. Due to high winds, the plane was having a lot of difficulty landing- we actually had to "take off" in mid-air to increase our altitude to try again. At one point we were almost flying completely sideways. I had been reading a National Geographic: Exploring History article on Amelia Earhart, so I was trying to tell myself to be brave like her- on her solo flight across the Atlantic she flew through a storm with a leaking fuel tank, zero visibility, and a broken altimeter! However, I was unable to stop myself from tightly gripping the arm rests and exchanging terrified glances with the woman sitting next to me. When we landed everyone cheered and applauded the pilot!

Ghostly Image

• I had kind of a magical St. Andrews experience last week- though I'm sure it was just that it meant something to me- not that it was actually that unusual. I finished my lecture and stopped by the bank before heading to the cathedral to try out my new pinhole camera I built from a cardboard kit. It was a genuinely beautiful day- the sky was blue, it was sunny, the air was crisp and cool. When I arrived at the cathedral grounds, nobody was there- no tourists, no people strolling around- I had it all to myself. I have to admit, it was a bit eerie, being surrounded by only the dead, but as I said before, the weather was fine, so I was in good spirits. I took a bunch of experimental pictures, and just as I was beginning to out of film more people starting walking around. I decided to walk down to the pier since I hadn't been since last term, and saw two white swans swimming in the harbor, as well as some pretty ripples created by the wind. As I walked back to town, the sky began to darken. I went to the pharmacy to get film developed, but was annoyed as I saw that there was a technical difficulties sign, and I couldn't drop off the film. So I walked over to Sainsbury's to get a snack, and as soon as I left the store it started snowing. It was that light, ethereal kind of snow, that melts when it hits the pavement- I don't think I've ever seen snow more beautiful. I was really close to Sallie's Quad, so decided to eat under the shelter of a kind of veranda outside St. Salvator's Chapel (see cell footage below).

It was amazing to watch the snow fall in the quad- even more so because of the organ music from the church accompanying it. When the snow began to slow, I went into the church, which I actually had never been in, and I looked around for a few minutes at the wonderful Gothic architecture. When I left the snow had stopped and sky was blue again, so I went to the Old Union cafe to get some hot chocolate and sat in my favorite booth by a window. I think what I liked about the afternoon was the fateful chance of being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, none of the images really came out from the photo shoot- Boots didn't even charge me. They are all rather ghostly, the best image is above and to the right.

• Speaking of snow, today it has snowed the most since I have been here- of course, not like the Tahoe snows I know well, but enough to cover everything with a blanket of white about an inch or two thick. It is absolutely stunning! My scratched-lens cell phone photos don't do it justice. Unfortunately, this afternoon it has warmed up, so it is raining instead.

•Last weekend, I went on a trip up North to visit Dunnottar Castle and Stonehaven. It was another wonderfully clear day, and I had a lovely and relaxing visit to the castle- which definitely makes one of the top positions on my list of favorite castles. The views were incredible, I cannot tell you how much I love dramatic seaside landscapes. The castle itself is positioned on an outcrop of land which juts into the sea, and so it has a kind of natural moat, as well as rocky barriers. I walked from the castle to Stonehaven via a coastal path along the side of the cliffs. At several points there were areas where the land had eroded into the sea, so it was a bit frightening to walk past- but elderly locals and people with young children were walking across, so I figured I'd be alright. In Stonehaven I realized I had run out of cash, and the boat I was taking to the seal cave was in 10 minutes, so I made a mad dash to the main square to go to an ATM and made it back to the pier just in time to get on the boat. The boat ride was really nice- I liked being able to see the castle from a whole different perspective, and get a better view of the amazing cliffs and sea caves. The seal cave was very impressive- they had their own private waterfall! Many seals were inside, and a lot of the younger seals came out to inspect our boat. I have associated seals with the British Isles ever since I was young- I love tales of selkies, especially in the story in the movie/book The Secret of Roan Inish (which I thoroughly recommend- one reviewer accurately commented, "Photographed by Haskell Wexler on Ireland's rugged northwestern seacoast, it is a cinematic tone poem in which man and nature, myth and reality flow together in a way that makes them ultimately indivisible"). When I got back to town, I caught the train to Dundee, then a bus back to St. Andrews. It was an excellent day!

Basilica

• I've worked out housing for next year! I'm going to live in a flat with my friend Sarah from Canoe Club, a little ways away from the center of town. We were really glad to get housing secured for next year before the "mad rush" of students looking for homes. It is very nice- it was just refurbished and has a wonderful kitchen, two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom- all furnished. It is on the second story, so we will luckily be able to get heat rising from the flat below- definitely a plus here in Scotland. If I get permission, I am hoping to do some gardening in the small plot outside featuring herbs, vegetables, and native plants. In my dorm I currently have a small basil plant I've nicknamed "Basilica" which I've had a lot of fun taking care of, though I miss my garden box at home. I had to nurse Basilica back to health (see pictures to right) after I was gone for winter break- I used a water feeding system while I was gone, but he drank all of it by the time I got back.

"The Thinker"

• My classes this term are going well. I am taking Sustainable Development, Reasoning and Knowledge, and Great Ideas. They are a nice mix, especially because I am noticing threads linking each to the other.  The most complicated class is Reasoning and Knowledge- I have a very difficult time wrapping my head around many of the philosophical arguments despite how much I enjoy learning about them. My favorite concept so far is the regress argument for skepticism- that in order to know something, you must be justified, but then you must be justified in your justification, and so on (like a child asking, "Why?" over and over again), so therefore you cannot truly know anything. In Great Ideas we are learning about everything from Cosmology to Rights and Justice- I'm happy to have a class that is very interdisciplinary. In Sustainable Development we are working on a report and plan of how to change our carbon footprint, something I'm pretty sure I have done in school before, but still enjoy.

• I'm getting closer and closer to finishing my Fair Isle gloves that I have been working on for a long time. However, I keep taking breaks to work on other knitting activities, especially for KnitSoc. I'm making a food item (top secret!) for a KnitSoc contest this spring and also completed three hearts for our Valentine's Day yarn bombing. I just finished my clay miniatures for Easter, so those should be up on Etsy soon!

• I have been participating more in the Ents (Events) Crew lately, and I'm very excited to be back in a technical theater activity. Last week I helped set up lighting for a talent show- it was nice to hang and adjust lights again, as well as use the lightboard. Next week, I'm helping deconstruct a Shakespeare set and get ready for a band show in 1 hour! I still hope to do more sound stuff in the future!

Human Pyramid

• Canoe Club has already been off to an exciting start, with many activities over the past two weeks and many more planned for the future.

Weekly Pool Sessions: I am very excited because I have finally managed to roll in a kayak! I can do a c-to-c roll, which is not the best for rivers, but is useful for building up confidence to do the slightly more difficult screw roll.

Social Events: Last Wednesday we had another crazy canoe escapade for Sinner's Sport (a big gathering of all the athletic clubs for a giant party). We met in the evening at the "Castle" and divided into teams (Picts, Greeks, and Egyptians) to go on a photo treasure hunt. I was dressed as an Egyptian (can't see costume in picture due to jacket), so joined that group and got my official name written across my face- "Ramses III". We had a large list of activities to accomplish and take pictures of, including building a human pyramid and playing leapfrog down a street, as well as certain fun phrases we had to react to (for example, if our leader said "the Nile is flooding!" we had to make crocodile motions with our arms). It ended at the union where the large dance party was taking place. My group didn't get much of the list done, but we still had a great time!

• In Design Team we've been trying to re-market ourselves, as few people know about our services. We're hoping to have a public display during On the Rocks, an arts festival, as well as spread our name through a series of posters. During the first week back, I helped man a booth at the "Re-Fresher's Fair" to get sign ups for Design Team- it was definitely weird being being one of the students at the booths when such a short time ago I was walking around attending the fair!

•All in all, I'm glad to be back!!!

Oh my! It seems I haven't written in a very long time! As you've probably guessed, things have gotten really busy here. As soon as October hit my calendar turned from this:

to this:

I really should not even be taking the time to write right now, but I think it is a good break from the essays I'm working on. Here's what I've been up to for the past couple of weeks:

• I finished my graphic design project for the "Right to Rent" week the Accommodation Team at my school is putting on. As promised, below you'll find the posters I produced (I also made a flyer, but it's essentially the same elements as Poster 1, just two sided). They are now hanging up around town- I love the feeling of having your work so publicly viewed, but remaining anonymous. I am excited to do more work through Design Team- I'm already lined up for my next project!

Poster 2

Poster 1

• I went on my very first three-legged pub crawl with Canoe Club. I'll admit I was very scared to go, considering I drink very little and felt kind of uncomfortable with the whole "pub scene". I went back and forth in my head trying to make a decision whether to attend or not and finally pushed myself to be brave and try it (I knew I could always leave if things got bad). The theme was pirates, so I donned my most pirate-y looking clothing and headed to Rascals, the first pub. We were all given a list of rules and the order of the pubs we would be going to and a name tag with a character from a famous duo. I got "Maid Marian" so I knew that I would have to look for someone with the tag "Robin Hood". My partner and I were taped together at the ankle. He was quite a bit taller than me which made things kind of difficult, but luckily we were pretty coordinated and were one of the faster walking pairs. We travelled from pub to pub, six altogether, each crazier than the last. At the last bar, the Union, we were untaped. We stayed there until it closed at midnight and celebrated a couple of birthdays. Then we headed down to the pier to see the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, they were not visible despite the excellent viewing the night before. I hope to see them someday!

• Pretty much this past week has been focused on writing my essays for Anthropology and Art History as well as working on my presentation for Art History and studying for my Italian test. I've spent a ton of time in the library writing and doing research. It is difficult getting the texts you need for your papers because almost all of them are on Short Loan, meaning they are in high demand and you can only check them out for a couple of hours. I am not a particularly good note-taking person and like to constantly have the text on hand while I am writing my papers. This means that I have to go to the trouble of scanning all the pages I need, which is kind of an annoying and time-consuming process. What I really need is one of these so I don't have to keep opening and closing the lid of the copy machine: Book Scanner Maybe someday I'll get around to making one!

I have the outlines and first paragraphs of the essays done, but now I need to flesh them out- my least favorite thing to do. I wish you could just hand in the outline and be done with the process. After all it says what you want it to say without all the fluff and since it's consolidated it would be easier to grade! If only the education system were structured by a Nathalie!

• I went to a Lord of the Rings marathon with my academic dad's side of the family. I stayed for the first movie then came back later for the last. A endurance drinking game was incorporated into it- the goal was to drink your height in your preferred beverage by the end of the series. I decided to try it with lemonade, but after about three bottles I couldn't drink anymore (I know I'm pathetic)! My dad was successful in drinking about 6 feet worth of Irn Bru, a Scottish soda- I was quite impressed.

I met my academic mom for the first time! She is very nice, and we have a lot of similar interests. I am excited to do some baking with her side of the family on Raisin Weekend!

• I went on another kayaking trip this past weekend down the River Dee near Aberdeen. It was really fun- there were some intense wave-trains, and a lot of exciting smaller rapids. I had my first unintentional swim when we were practicing ferry gliding (see previous post), but luckily it was not in an area with a very strong current. It felt like time stood still for a moment- I couldn't have been underwater for more than 5 seconds but it felt like an eternity. I kind of had an out-of-body experience when underwater, like I was looking at myself, rather than being myself. Eventually I snapped out of the relaxed state and thought something along the lines of, "Hey, I'm underwater, maybe I should do something about it." I pulled myself out of the kayak and surfaced. I luckily remembered to grab my paddle as soon as I saw it, then grabbed on to the back of my leader's boat. Another girl fell out of her kayak too, so it was a kind of double rescue. When I got to shore I had to empty my cag, which was completely full of water. I felt surprisingly refreshed and energetic despite the cold and shock. I got back in my kayak, and my friend gave me some chocolate which also helped a lot. I was soaked, but so was everyone else since it was raining. On the way home we took a road that had a beautiful lookout point over some hills and valleys. I just looked it up, and found the name of the pass is Cairn O' Mounth.

Image of Cairn O' Mounth pass I found- doesn't really do it justice

All Ready to Kayak! (photo credit: Emily Stratton)

• I've done a bit more theater tech since I last wrote. I'm helping look for items they need for the Hair production, such as fake flowers and large rugs, and went to a workshop today to participate in painting the backdrops. I also went to the Byre for an hour this week to work on putting up the set for a production. I wish I could have spent more time, but I had a lecture. It was still nice to finally go backstage at the Byre! I am really missing doing sound and carpentry-type work. At the moment I feel I am rather on the sidelines of tech, and am greatly looking forward to becoming more involved.

• I've been trying to get used to biking in difficult conditions. It's been getting darker earlier, so I have had to use my nifty bike light. It's also been raining a lot more, so I've taken to wearing gloves while riding, and using my secret Butts Wynd covered parking spot (its not actually a secret, I just can't figure out why barely anyone ever parks their bikes there- it is a safe and dry spot with several bike racks).

• I don't have much to say about KnitSoc, but would like to mention that I am quite excited for the yarn bombing we're planning on doing within the next few months. Yarn bombing is when you knit a bunch of squares then sneakily sew them together over something in a public space. We're trying to find a good spot- right now the fountain in the main square seems a possibility. I am almost done with Nessie! I'll post a picture soon!

Well that was way more than I intended to write! I guess I need to keep up on my posts, so it does not become so overwhelming. I'm going back to work now!

I've been lucky enough to get to enjoy most of my favorite sports on a daily basis at St. Andrews. I always have been into kind of less-widely available, less "schoolish" athletic activities (not soccer, volleyball, track, etc.), so the club system they have here works great for me. Between kayaking, dancing, and biking/ walking around town I feel like I'm getting a lot more exercise than I was at home!

Here are some notable things (both athletic and non-athletic) I've done in the past few days:

The Freshers' Trip 2012 (photo credit to: Fredda Humphreys)

• I went on the Canoe Club Fresher's Trip over the weekend, which was frightening but really exciting! We met up at the Boat Sheds on Saturday morning, split into groups to gather our gear, and set off in a large caravan up to Loch Tay. When we arrived, it was pretty blustery and cold, so I started to worry a bit, but it soon cleared and the weather was fine. After changing, we did some warmup games, then got into our boats and onto the lake. The groups were planned very well- there were several large groups, and within each group were smaller pairs or trios of leaders and learners. We played some games in the harbor area, paddled across the lake and back, then headed towards the beginning of the river. The leaders were all very helpful and easy to understand, they explained everything before we did it and made sure we didn't have any questions.

Map of Trip

The Tay was pretty flat at the start and it kind of felt like being on a Lazy River at a theme park. The air was crisp and refreshing and the water was surprisingly not very cold. Most of our rapids on the first day were fairly minor, like something you would encounter on a family river rafting trip, though there was one wave-train which was a bit more tricky. I learned many new techniques, such as ferry-gliding and edging while leaving an eddy (basically, an area of water that flows less quickly). Much of kayaking feels like skiing to me, except on a horizontal rather than vertical surface. We did activities as we floated along, such as forming rafts or tossing a ball back and forth down the river.

In the evening, we arrived at a town where we got out, changed, and packed everything up to go to the Grandtully camp site. Once everything was set up, we played more games while dinner was cooking. After dinner came the drinking, of course. Luckily, there were a few of us who either didn't drink or didn't drink much and we sat around the fire. After a few hours everyone was so tired that we went to our tents/ cars. There were so many of us that each tent was completely full- mine was meant for about 6 people but we had 13! It was so packed, we all had to sleep on our sides (I was on one of the edges, so didn't get too squished). In the morning it was raining, and nobody in our tent really wanted to get out, even though it was raining a bit inside the tent too.

Going down the rapids with my leader
(Photo credit to: Emily Stratton)

Eventually we got up and went on our way back to the place where we got out of the river. We did a warmup of blob tag (that's what the awkward footage of me running around is in video below), then got into our kayaks. All the groups joined up in a giant ring raft in the center of the river and did some standing-up/ running around type games (see video). We split back into our groups and continued on our way downstream. We encountered some more rapids, and I got completely soaked when a giant wave crashed on me (I couldn't stop myself from smiling afterwards!). Soon enough, we got to the area where the Grandtully rapids start. We all got out of the water so we could look at the rapids, hear a plan for going down them, and decide whether we wanted to go or not.

I knew I would be upset with myself if I didn't try, so I went ahead and got back into my kayak. We ferry-glided across to an eddy, then went down the rapids! It's hard to describe how it felt- it was thrilling and terrifying, yet strangely calm. I was very excited when I got to the bottom, as I had not capsized. For a basic view of what I did, see this video: http://www.youtube.com/embed/244Sl5ma2UM?rel=0 (not our club, but did similar path). After the rapids, we got everything packed back into the vehicles, drove to Dundee to get some dinner, then headed home.

A nice video of the Freshers' Trip:

I also went to an ocean kayaking session on Wednesday (I got to go off the pier in my kayak!) and a pool session on Thursday.

• I went back to ballet class Wednesday night, which was pretty nice. Unfortunately  we can't wear our pointe shoes because the floor is too slippery. I wish we had more than one class a week- I am afraid I'm falling out of "ballet shape".

• I started a graphic design project for Design Team. I'm working with the SRC Accomodation group on a poster for the "Your Right to Rent" event. Once it is finished, I'll post it on the blog for you all to see!

• I've been on the lookout for more warm clothing as the days get shorter. My favorite store to look for needed items is H&M, just because it is cheap and usually has exactly what I need. I do like a lot of the smaller chains (like Ness) or local stores too- but usually just shop at them for items I want to be high quality, such as rain boots. I am still looking for a "perfect" jacket (rainproof, windproof, warm, comfortable, not flashy in color, and not too bulky).

I guess that's about it, sorry to keep you waiting for the post for so long!

Pockets have a whole different purpose here than in Santa Barbara. At home, I would use my pockets to keep things in (phone, spare change, what have you), but here pockets have the additional important function of keeping your hands warm. If you don't have pockets and are walking around for long periods of time, you better have mittens.

The weather has certainly begun to shift into a more wintry pattern. It rains for a little while nearly every day, and the wind can be ferocious at times. On Monday evening and Tuesday morning, the wind was so intense I did not feel comfortable biking home, so left my bike locked up downtown. Walking was also a bit difficult unless you were leaning at a slant, and though it was raining there was no point in using an umbrella. Umbrellas would just immediately turn inside out and besides, the rain was coming from all angles and could not be escaped. Almost everyone came to my Italian class completely soaked, as if they had been pushed into a pool with their clothes on. It has been more subtle since then, and it has actually been mostly sunny today and yesterday.

Anyways, I guess that is enough about the weather. Here is what I've been doing this past week:

• I finally made it to one of the Canoe Club sessions on Monday and again on Thursday. We practice in the pool at the boarding school called St. Leonards or in the ocean/harbor. It is a lot of fun, but so much different than the kayaking I'm used to at home. I signed up to go on the trip down the River Tay this weekend, and am excited/nervous to try river kayaking. There are 55 of us going, but I think we will split into smaller groups with experienced kayaker leaders for going down the river. Hopefully it doesn't rain too much- it's supposed to be a nice 55° Fahrenheit this weekend.

                          

                                  One kind of kayak they have here

Kind of kayak I'm used to

• I went on my weekend excursion up north, and managed to see everything I wanted to. I had no problems, other than some transportation issues which got me kind of upset but were minor in the long run. I got up in the morning and walked over to the transit center, where I got my bus heading to Kinross. The bus ride was very beautiful, because it was early in the morning and there was frost making everything sparkle outside. When I got to Kinross, it was too early for anything to be open other than a coffee chain store, so I went inside and got a muffin. I then walked over to Kirkgate park (it is kind of weird, but I never really made the connection before that "kirk" means "church", it's a helpful Scots word to know) and took some photos. 

I used Traveline to help me plan my trip

After that, I went over to the docks to catch a boat to Loch Leven Castle (for more info, see previous post). It was really awesome because there were only two of us plus the ferryman on the first boat, so when I got to the island, I got to be one of only three people on it and could explore the castle pretty much unattended. I know this is dorky, but I love it when that happens, because I feel like an adventurer, like I'm discovering the place rather than being a simple tourist. I caught the bus to Birnam next, or rather I caught the bus to Birnam but did not get off at Birnam.

Ms. Tiggy Winkle

Apparently I wasn't clear enough when I got on, or the bus driver forgot, so we drove straight through Birnam without even stopping. I started to panic a little, and asked the old couple behind me if they knew what the next stop was. I ended up getting off in Pitlochry, about 10 miles north, and walking around there for an hour before catching a bus south again. It was nice because I had kind of wanted to see Pitlochry anyway, so got to have a brief overview. When I got to Birnam, I went to the Beatrix Potter Exhibit, which had some charming displays about her life and works, and some cute toddlers dressing up in costumes (like Ms. Tiggy Winkle) and playing in a lovely toy kitchen. I left through a garden, and walked over across a bridge Telford made (I am a super Telford fan) and into downtown Dunkeld.

I stopped at an antique store and a craft store, then headed over to the cathedral. The lighting was spectacular when I got there, and I spent a while in both the gardens and the church itself. I didn't think I would have enough time since I was delayed by the bus, but I realized after going to the cathedral, that I still could visit The Hermitage. I had a brief viewing of the Atholl monument, and got a bite to eat, then walked almost two miles to the Hermitage entrance. I continued my walk on a trail through a very pretty forest, and eventually got to Ossian's Hall of Mirrors, a very deceiving structure. From far away it looked exactly like Hagrid's Hut from Harry Potter, but as I got closer, I saw the door was made of the same bricks that the building was made of, as if someone had decided to seal over the entrance. There was instructions to "Slide the first door, push the second", so I did so (feeling very much like Alice of Wonderland fame) and found myself in a peculiar round hall with odd mirror-like decorations. I walked a bit further and found a spectacular view of one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen. The hall was once covered in mirrors, so it could reflect the falls and make them appear to be all around you, but unfortunately it isn't any longer. After leaving the hall, I went over to a bridge to get another view, then walked back to Dunkeld.

I caught a train at Dunkeld Station, which was unmanned, something I'm not used to. I bought my ticket on the train, and watched the sun setting as I travelled to Perth. In Perth, I easily caught the train to Dundee, but had some complications with the buses in Dundee once I got there. None of the buses would stop at the stops I tried standing at, even though signs at the stops said they were supposed to. I eventually gave up and walked over to the transit center, where I got a bus to St. Andrews. Trains/subways have always been my favorite mode of transportation, and so far I much prefer their service over buses here.
Here are some pictures:

• I went to Knitting Society on Friday, and plan to go again tonight. I am almost done with my Peerie Flooers Mittens by my favorite pattern maker, Kate Davies (who lives in Scotland!). I am also working on redoing my Loch Ness Monster on smaller needles, as I had the gauge wrong last time, and the cotton showed through the stitches.

• I am liking my classes and my teachers/professors/tutors. I have a interesting mix of educators: My main anthropology lecturer is very unconventional and will often go off on tangents about his experiences in Uganda and curse when something (like the powerpoint) doesn't work how he wants it to. He is very amusing, and I feel like I am learning a lot even though at times it doesn't seem like it. My anthropology tutor seems like a nice man, though I've only had one tutorial, so don't know him very well. My Italian tutor is also really nice, and I really enjoy that class despite my difficulty picking up foreign languages. My main art history lecturer is quite formal and proper, with very succinct and well planned out lectures. He always finishes on a note that makes you think, and I like his style very much. Lastly, my art history tutor is also very kind. On Monday, I accidentally read my calendar wrong and went to the lecture hall for my Art History Lecture instead of my tutorial (I had to sneak out of the hall, very embarrassed, when I found out I was at the Medieval History lecture) and she was nice about me being late.

• I went to an Ents Crew meeting on Sunday, for putting on events at St. Andrews, and a tech social on Wednesday. I am enjoying it so far, and look forward to doing shows in the future.

• I went to a Design team meeting on Tuesday, and was happy to make some connections with fellow designers and photographers. I showed someone my portfolio, which I realized was in dire need of updating, so spent the latter part of the evening fixing it up. If you're interested, here's the link: http://www.nathaliemitchell.com It is full of flash, so may take a while to load (sorry!).

Sorry for such a long post! Thanks for reading! I miss you all!