Ah… back in St. Andrews! The flights were very nice- as I landed in London it was unusually clear and I could see Big Ben and the London Eye perfectly. The first thing I noticed after leaving the Edinburgh airport was the air. In Scotland, the air almost always feels crisp and has an "earthy" scent, which only occurs in Santa Barbara after heavy rain. They lost my luggage between flights, but luckily I was able to get it back by the morning when I set off for St. Andrews.

Hamish was a bit distracted

•  When I arrived in town, one of the first familiar faces I ran into was the town cat Hamish McHamish. He stopped for a moment to greet me, but then continued his business wandering through a garden. I've never taken a taxi in St. Andrews (I'm trying to keep it that way), and it was a really nice day, so I rolled my suitcase to my new flat. After a little while, my flatmate Sarah, her parents, and the landlord arrived. We all went upstairs into the flat and made sure everything was in order for us to live there for the year. Then we began to move in- I only had my suitcase at the time, so I helped Sarah a bit with her belongings.

The other day I overheard someone saying that "time doesn't exist in St. Andrews", and really it doesn't. I've been here two weeks, and it feels as though it could have been a year or a day. Sometimes it is hard to pinpoint exactly where you are in history, especially when you walk seamlessly from an ancient cathedral ruin into a cutting edge science facility. I like the fact that time means everything and nothing here- it is well suited to the kind of person I am. The following are my most recent adventures:

•  On Monday, my first full day back, I tried to get up to go to pre-season fitness training with Canoe Club, but decided to go back to bed after breakfast due to jet lag. When I awoke again, I headed to the boat shed to help clean and rearrange the kayaking kit. When that was done, I went home for a little while and then walked to the sports centre to go to a yoga class (again with Canoe). There were so many people stretching in the gym it reminded me of images you see of people praying at Mecca.

Yard work

•  On Tuesday, I had to spend the whole day waiting around the flat for my boxes of stuff to be delivered by the storage company. I really disliked the company and will never use them again, but I won't go into detail about that just now. I wanted to be as productive as possible, and we didn't have any internet in the flat yet, so I ended up pulling weeds from our front and back yard for several hours (yes, it was that bad). I also rearranged some random blocks of concrete into a path, and chased away some spiders that were getting a little too comfortable on our water pipes.

•  On Wednesday, I went to slalom training and white water safety and rescue practice with Canoe Club on Grandtully. To tell the truth, I was really nervous because I hadn't gotten much practice all summer. It ended up being okay- my group did safety and rescue first, which involved learning techniques for rescue on land and then learning how to safely swim/ throw line in whitewater (see this video: Basic WW Safety and Rescue). It was nerve-wracking to willingly throw myself into a grade 2/3 rapid without a boat, but it was really helpful for building confidence for if I capsize. In the afternoon I did slalom practice with a professional coach, and I'd have to say slalom is probably not my calling. I find going down a river exciting and challenging enough without having to do the added maneuvers to get around the slalom poles. It is supposed to be very good for learning to precisely control your boat though. That evening I decided not to go on the Intermediate and Advanced trip out west, because I felt I needed more "river refreshing" and had a lot of prep to do for the Design Team Pinhole Camera Workshop.

•  Over the weekend, I went to the Border Abbeys, simply because I wanted to take a trip somewhere before school started. I hadn't done much traveling down south, and thought it would be interesting, so made a list of places I'd like to see. I then plotted them out on a map, and looked up bus routes to see what was feasible for a day trip- the Border Abbeys (four ruined religious buildings from the 12th century) made the most sense. I got on my first bus around 6:30, and was in Edinburgh by around 8:30. I ran a few errands in the city, then took my second bus to Melrose, where the first abbey was located.

•  Melrose Abbey was very impressive, even in its state of disrepair (it was being worked on when I was there). I saw the memorial plaque for Robert the Bruce- his heart was supposedly buried somewhere on the premises. I also got a glimpse of the Melrose pig- a bagpiping pig sculpture near the top of the building! It was difficult to see between the scaffolding, but I got a picture.

•  Next, I took a bus to the nearby town of Newtown St. Boswells and walked a couple miles on a forest trail to get to Dryburgh Abbey. There was a really pretty suspension bridge over the River Tweed that I passed by, as well as a very ornate and impressive gate with a cow pasture behind it. When I got to the abbey I found that I had it all to myself- I love that semi-remote or lesser known landmarks rarely have any tourists, especially on rainy days. I did my usual "ruins rounds"- making sure to go up all the decrepit spiral towers, tunnels, and to find the best gothic architectural features. Then I went and paid my respects to Sir Walter Scott, who was buried there at his request.

Red= expected route, Blue= actual route

•  The final portion of my trip did not go as planned- I wanted to take a short bus ride to Jedburgh Abbey, but when I got on the bus the driver did not clearly explain that I had to get a transfer halfway through. Instead I assumed it was a loop route, and that we were going to go back the other direction if I waited long enough. It didn't help that my phone GPS decided to stop working. Instead I ended up in Northern England at Berwick-upon-Tweed (I did get to see a glimpse of Kelso and Smailholm tower though, so it wasn't all bad). Though I would have liked to stay in a hostel there and continue back in the morning, or explore Northern England, I had been planning on a day trip so did not bring a passport (so wouldn't have been able to check in at a hostel) and thought it best to get back home. Luckily, there was a straight-shot train to Edinburgh, so I took that and ended up getting back to St. Andrews before I would have if I had done my original plan.

Basilica

•  The next couple days consisted of doing some errands, banking, and other general housekeeping kind of things. The most interesting errand was to the botanic gardens to pick up my basil plant, Basilica, which I left there over the summer- it grew at least a foot and a half! I also finished getting materials ready for the pinhole camera event. Then Freshers Week really began…

•  On Tuesday, I met with my counselor to discuss the following year, and then went to the union to meet with Design Team. We talked about our plans for the new PR team, our website and stock photo database, and where we currently stand with design work. Afterwards, we set up the workshop and were astounded by the amount of people who showed up- we didn't even have enough supplies for everyone. I led the Freshers in the main construction of the cameras, while the rest of the team assisted people in putting them together and discussed what we do in Design Team. Overall, I think the event was a success.

Dippold Pinhole Camera

•  On Wednesday, I went to another advising and visa check appointment, and then I biked to the boat shed to help out with the Canoe give-it-a-go session. I basically just made sure everyone had a name sticker, sorted kit, and helped with the refreshments, but it was pretty fun. In the evening I went to a KnitSoc committee meeting at the VIC, which is one of my favorite restaurants in town.

•  On Thursday I was free, so of course I decided to "find work" for myself. I ended up doing Ents crew all day from 11am to 10:30pm, which I really enjoyed. I spent most of the time clearing the venue and setting up for a concert, but towards the end I got to do a small sound setup for RockSoc.

S Club in its prime

•  On Friday, I spent more time in the union, printing flyers and collecting film from people who made the pinhole cameras (unfortunately we haven't been able to develop it yet- it is kind of a long story). In the evening I went to the Canoe Club Freshers' bonfire, where I met some very nice new students who had many of my same interests.

•  On Saturday I did more Ents crew, this time setting up for the 90s band S Club 7, of which only two members remain. I'd have to say I liked prepping the venue more than the band itself, which was a little past it's prime (though I think that was the point). With Vengaboys and S Club 7, I'm certainly building a repertoire of teching failing 90s bands! After the band and the bop, we got the union ready for the Freshers' Fayre. It was another long day in the union- 5pm to 4:30am!

KnitSoc table at Freshers' Fayre (photo credit Tonje)

•  On Sunday, I went back to the union to man the Design Team booth at the Freshers' Fayre for a couple hours, then the KnitSoc booth for another couple of hours. It was way more crowded than I remember my Freshers being- I was going to sign up for the Photography Society there, but decided it was better to shoot them an email instead. That evening we did our Design Team social in the union bar. I had started feeling sick (Freshers' Flu!) that afternoon, but decided to muddle through the social. I met/ got to know some really interesting students who had tons of worldwide traveling experience and had been everywhere from Figi to Colombia to Thailand. After spending more than 24 hours in the union the past few days, I was super excited to leave!

KnitSoc flyer

•  On Monday, my classes officially began. I love my schedule- I only have class from 1-3 on most days! I'm also in the nicer lecture halls this year- an added bonus! I'm taking "History and Theory of European Art, Architecture, and Design from the French Revolution to Vienna 1900", "Sustainable Development: Environmental and Ecological Aspects" and an online class through Open University called "Design Thinking: Creativity for the 21st Century". I can't wait for these lectures: "Women Photographers of Victorian Britain", "Muybridge and Technologies of Vision", "Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style", "Art Nouveau in Europe", "Threats to the biodiversity of Bees", "Agricultural systems and ecology", and "Evaluating Marine Protected Areas". On Monday evening, I helped with KnitSoc's first meeting of the year. I'm the publicity officer, and designed the flyers and redid the Facebook page earlier in the week, so was interested in who would show up- we had a pretty good turnout.

•  Yesterday, Tuesday, was fairly uninteresting, just getting back into the swing of taking classes. Today I'm supposed to go on a "field trip" to West Sands beach with Sustainable Development- it is a really nice day, so it will be great going to the beach! This evening I'm probably going to an Ents meeting/social.

So that is about it in the overly detailed account of my life! Talk to you again soon!

Pier Walk

Windy walking

I woke up and decided to read for a little while before going out. I got dressed and packed my gown and camera for later, then grabbed my helmet and biked downtown. I got a bite to eat, then went over to the Fresher's Fayre at the Union. Every room was filled with booths offering services and club memberships. I joined a bunch of societies, which I may or may not choose to carry on with. I am now a member of or am on the mailing list for the Mermaids Theater Society, the Dance Society, the Baking Society, the Crafts Society, the History Society, the Wildlife and Conservation Society, the Literary Society, the Italian Society, the Arts Society, the Knitting Society, the Feminist Society, the Design Team, the Charities Campaign, and Transition. I would have like to join the B.R.A.S.S. (steampunk) society too, but I couldn't find their table.

After that, I biked (still in love with my bike) over to the castle entrance to purchase a membership for Historic Scotland. Not only will it allow me to visit the castle and cathedral anytime I want for free, it will also allow me to visit hundreds of historic locations and events around Scotland without paying each time. I know it will come in handy if I visit Edinburgh on a weekend, or find time to travel north.

A not-so-good picture of me

 in my gown, but I knew you

would all ask for one

I went over to St. Salvator's Quad next to meet up for the Pier Walk, and luckily was able to find a girl I knew from stage crew and her friend. We all began to walk down to the waterfront, in a big red tourist-attracting stream. It was a bit windy when we got to the pier, so we were kind of nervous about walking back on the skinny part where you are higher up and more exposed to the breeze. Eventually it was our turn to climb the ladder and start the frightening but fun walk back to land. We all survived, though it was a little sketchy when the wind picked up when we were in the middle. I broke off from the group on the way back downtown so I could visit the cathedral again.

Graveyard rose

The cathedral was very still compared to the commotion by the ocean. I walked along the tomb stones and took some pictures. I found the museum, which we had missed before, and used my new pass to gain entry. I spent a while reading the descriptions of the various artifacts, as it started to pour outside and I wanted to wait it out. When the rain was reduced to a drizzle, I went over to St. Rules Tower and used a token I had obtained to go through the gate. I climbed, and climbed, and climbed until I finally reached the top. The wind and rain was not actually too bad from that height and I could see a 360 view of the entire city.

Panorama view- click to see larger

The young and the old

I left the cathedral and stopped in a hardware store to get some masonic jars for flour and sugar, then went to a bookstore where I spent some time flipping through vintage and antique books. I found one about two Saint Andrews students in the 1700s that was compiled in the 50s and had a dedication that made me smile:

Book Dedication

After that I went to Sainsbury's to get a few grocery items, then rode my bike back to my dorm. I did more dishes, made labels for my fridge items, and sorted through my stuff from the Freshers Fayre, then worked on my blog for a while and ate leftovers from last night's dinner. I took a shower, did a little more blogging, and went to sleep.

My food labels

Some society membership cards and flyers

We slept in a little bit in the morning, more on purpose than on accident. My dad packed his suitcase, while I tried to make sense of my class schedule for the first semester, which basically looks like this:

After that, we went to the nearby town of Cupar for one last outing. We went to the farmer's market, some thrift stores, and an "everything shop" where I found my last needed items- glass tupperware and a large pot. On the way back we saw glimpses of the Leuchars Air Show, with pilots doing fantastic turns and dives in sync in the sky.

Cupar

Back at St. Andrews, my dad dropped me at my dorm, and we said our goodbyes on the lawn near the Wardlaw building. I waved as he drove away- I will (and already do) really miss him.

I went back to my room and set about trying to distract myself by cleaning all of my new dishes and cookware so it would be ready to use whenever I would need it. Out on the lawn a BBQ event was going on, so I opened my window to listen. When I was done with my wash, I went downstairs, hopped onto my bike, and rode down to Lade Braes again. It was very peaceful and serene, and I loved the quiet calm of nature around me.

Bike path

I biked over to the Sports Center to sign up for Dance Society and possibly kayaking (it may be too extreme kayaking for me) then went downtown over towards St. Salvators. I went to the library and explored the 2nd and 3rd stories, which I hadn't seen before. I could get lost there for hours, but made myself leave after a little while to bike back home.

When I got back, I did my laundry and worked a bit on the blog. I didn't cry after my dad left, but I did when I heard one of our favorite songs, Golden Brown, playing outside. I cooked pasta (my comfort food) in the kitchen and worked on cleaning my already messy room, then Skyped my mom and sister, read some of a book, and went to sleep.

In the morning I woke up in my dorm still feeling pretty sick, so I decided to sleep in a bit and skip breakfast. At around 9:30 I got up and took a shower, then went to meet my dad at the apartment to go visit the careers counselor about my interest in designing museum exhibits. We were hoping we could see someone to advise us on a "path" of classes to take, but unfortunately the center was only open for fourth-year students until November. They sent us off with a book about jobs in museums and some informational flyers.

After that, we went to a restaurant called Con Panna for breakfast and I had a very nice plain scone and some orange juice. Next, I walked over to the Union to check out the Baking Society. I got a cool year-long membership card, which entitles me to 10% discounts a several food and cooking stores. I think it will be fun in the future to make items for the many bake sales around campus!

I went to Blackwell's Bookshop next, and purchased my Italian textbooks (I would have purchased my other textbooks too, but I have a list of about 95 sources and am not sure which off the list I'm supposed to buy, and which I can check out at the library). Then I went back to the apartment and sat outside reading through the books for a while, as my dad was not there. When he came back, we decided to have me ride my bike to the dorm and then go for a walk. I absolutely love the bike! After a while, we went past the golf course to visit the aquarium.

Me with my bike (with a cold/nervous for riding on the left side of the street smile)

I liked the aquarium- it was actually larger and had more exhibits than I thought it would. It had a bit of a zoo element to it also, with exhibits featuring tortoises, lizards, spiders, and randomly meerkats! I have found they really like meerkats in Scotland, I'm not quite sure why them in particular.

Meerkat

Piranha

Bagpiper

Next I went over to the traditional Opening Ceremony for Arts in Younger Hall. You can watch a filmed version of the ceremony here: Opening Ceremony Video. At the doors we were welcomed by a bagpiper in full Scottish garb. Many students were wearing their gowns, but I unfortunately did not have mine with me. When everyone was settled, they began with a speech which described the student agreement:

Sponsio Academica

Nos ingenui adolescentes, nomina subscribentes, sancte pollicemur nos preceptoribus obsequium debitum exhibituros in omnibus rebus ad disciplinam et bonos mores pertinentibus, Senatus Academici auctorati obtemperaturos, et hujus Academiae Andreanae emolumentum et commodum, quantum in nobis sit, procuraturos, ad quemcunque viate statum pervenerimus. Item agnoscimus si quis nostrum indecore turbulenterve se gesserit vel si parum diligentem in studiis suis se praebuerit neque admonitus se in melius correxerit eum licere Senatui Academico vel poena congruenti adficere vel etiam ex Universitate expellare.

Academic Procession

Translation:

We students who set down our names hereunder in all good faith make a solemn promise that we shall show due deference to our teachers in all matters relating to order and good conduct, that we shall be subject to the authority of the Senatus Academicus and shall, whatever be the position we attain hereafter, promote, so far as lies in our power, the profit and the interest in our University of St Andrews. Further, we recognise that, if any of us conducts ourselves in an unbecoming or disorderly manner or shows insufficient diligence in their studies and, though admonished, does not improve, it is within the power of the Senatus Academicus to inflict on such students a fitting penalty or even expel them from the University.

Next came the procession and the presentation of the four university maces by the Head Janitor and volunteers along with the Gaudeamus, a song about the brevity of life and the importance of learning. When everyone was in place, there were a series of speakers including the Principal, the Dean of the faculty of Arts, and the Vice Principal. My favorite speaker was Dr. Sara Lodge, a lecturer at the School of English who described the magic of knowledge. The chorus also sang a couple of songs- I particularly liked hearing The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond (a nice version here: Bonnie Banks), a song I have always loved. At the end of the ceremony, there was a procession out of the hall accompanied by organ music.

The Wee House

I met up with my dad and ate a snack, then we went over on a footpath we wanted to explore called Lade Braes Walk. The path was really beautiful. We thought we had seen most of St. Andrews, but the walk proved us wrong. Most of the area was covered by forest and it had a brook running alongside the trail. There were a couple of spacious grassy parks and ancient buildings as well. My dad and I were quite astounded when we saw a huge heron land right next to us in the river. We like to associate herons with my late grandmother (she loved them very much) and took it as a symbol of good luck.

Lade Braes Walk

We eventually got to the Botanic Gardens, our main destination, and bought a yearly pass for me (the same price as single student admission!) so I could do my homework there in the future. The gardens were really impressive, there were many greenhouses and lots of trails. My dad really liked the cactus garden and the plants he described as "dinosaur food". I really liked the herb garden and the wildflower garden, as well as the carnivorous plants.

The Heron

Thistles at the Botanic Garden,
the national symbol of Scotland

In the evening, we went back to the apartment and relaxed, then went out to dinner. As it was my dad's last night at St. Andrews, I decided to spend the night at the apartment instead of the dorm.

Daisy chain I made at the Botanic Gardens

We got up in the morning and began our drive down the coastline to Crail, Anstruther, and Pittenweem.

Fife coast

Pigs from the car window

We stopped first at an interesting place we saw on the way called the Cambo Estate. The estate was very grand, but my favorite things were the            tidbits of ruined castle about, a friendly barn-cat, and the free-roaming sheep and cows. When we pulled out of the driveway we were scared at first because we saw something big moving in the brush and then a snout peaking out. Boars were once very common in the area, and that was the first thing that popped into our heads, but it turned out that it was just a couple of domestic pigs behind a small fence. It was still really awesome to see first-hand pigs in their native environment, snuffling around for roots and such (truffles perhaps?).

Barn cat

We kept driving and finally got to Crail, a fishing town. It was absolutely freezing outside- the wind was like a whip made of ice. We walked by the waterfront and down to the small harbor. They do a lot of lobster fishing in the area, and we saw some fishermen at work. My dad and I noticed more "pick up after your dog" signs than we'd ever seen in any other town. A few were pretty amusing (see picture below).

Do not allow your dog to "foul this place"!

Crail Lobstermen

Next we went to Anstruther, another small town, which was even colder. We explored the waterfront there too, along with some cute shops and colorful streets.

Street in Anstruther

After that, we went to Pittenweem, which was the coldest of them all. We went to a few shops and an information center around the harbor, and I got some really great fresh strawberries at a market. I had been feeling a little under the weather, but felt a bit better after eating some of the berries.

Lobster sign

Dad in Crail

Me in Pittenweem

We went back to Leven to see if they had a Vodafone store, to fix something with my new sim card. Unfortunately, they did not have one, so we had to continue on to a mall in Glenrothes. We finally fixed the problem (somewhat) and headed back towards St. Andrews. I am not very happy with Vodafone so far, and may switch to another network. On the way back, I had to have my dad pull over because I somehow pinched a nerve and I had a sudden pain in my shoulder. It was better after I stretched and massaged it, but it was a little bit upsetting.

Back in town I tried to go to the History Society Garden Party, but didn't really like the scene when I got there, so left and sat in St. Salvator's Quad until the Booker Prize Project chats started in Lower College Hall. All the freshers were given copies of A Long Long Way over the summer to discuss as a group (not very many people showed up at the event unfortunately). I enjoyed the book chat- even though I hadn't had time to finish the whole book, I liked hearing what others had to say about it.

After that I went to the crafting society opening event at the union. I was actually pretty disappointed- I was really looking forward to the activities with the crafting society, but the opening event consisted of glitter, colored feathers, pieces of calendar, and trays of Elmer's glue. It was just not really my type of crafting I guess. I still joined the society anyway, I hope their events improve.

I went back to spend some time with my dad after that, and in the evening went back to the Barron Theater to work backstage for the Improvised Play. It was pretty fun because we got to choose whatever we wanted tech-wise to make it as random as possible for the actors. For example, we rigged a bucket full of "Sweet 16" confetti above the stage to sprinkle on the improvisers, and choose weird props from storage. I worked with another girl on sound, and we used effects ranging everywhere from a sheep baa to an explosion.

After the play, the Mermaids group went out for a social. I sat with some of the other techies and we talked about where we were from, our interests, our halls, our studies, etc. I was quite excited because I was officially "adopted", and now have an academic dad, who will be of great importance during Raisin Weekend. St. Andrews academic families take a bit of explaining, so if you want to learn more click here: Academic Family.

My dad and I met up as soon as we were awake to head over to Dundee for the morning. The drive was pretty nice, but a little longer than we expected. My dad and I have a running joke that Scottish miles are three times longer than U.S. miles and that they must measure them in "Scotland Yards".

Dundee

Frigate Unicorn

Dundee reminded us a lot of Auckland, New Zealand in almost every aspect. We went to a couple of larger malls, to look for items I was still missing on my list, and luckily were able to find a bike helmet/ lock and a mini safe. We ate lunch at a potato bar, then went towards the waterfront. I got to explore the Frigate Unicorn, a historic warship from after the Napoleonic Era and really enjoying going into the crawl-space holds on the bottom of the boat. We also saw a really awesome lighthouse boat! After that, we went back to St. Andrews.

North Carr Lighthouse Boat

I wanted to participate in the Art Society drop in and the Canoe Club kayaking, but was a little late to join, and was kind of tired. I went to the Sports Center to check out the dance society try-it session, but felt a little overwhelmed by the hundred people crammed in a room to fit fifty.

I met back up with my dad and we walked around downtown for a little while. I got a library card for the public library, and therefore "unlocked" another study/internet/resting area in town. We ate some dinner, then went to a showing of the Ever to Excel movie at the union.

I started out going back to the Gateway Building to finish the Matriculation and Advising process. My classes were approved, so I was very glad I did not have to worry about my module selection any more. I went into town after that, and attended a lecture about Studying at St. Andrews at the Buchanan Lecture Theater, which helped me understand the grading system.

Mr. M. Mitchell (no connection)

I met up with my dad for lunch, then went to the Mermaids Performing Arts Fund Taster Session at the student union. I participated in the tech workshop at the Byre Theater, and learned how the light and sound system work there. The technology and theater setup was very different than what I'm used to, but after all, it was a theater, so I felt pretty "at home". I happily agreed to come back on Thursday to tech a improvised show.

I went back to the apartment after the workshop, and my dad and I went down to the beach to look at the entries from the Sandcastle Competition (I wanted to participate, but it was at the same time as stage crew). The beach was really beautiful- they filmed the famous scene of Chariots of Fire there, and the grass alongside it reminded me of the beach where Shell Cottage is located in Harry Potter.

Me near the tidepools (of course!)

Anchor Fence

Dad walking on West Sands

We went out for an Italian dinner, then went to sleep.

Today was the day of going way further than I had to in order to get to where I needed to go and walking back and forth a bunch of times.

In the morning, I walked from my dorm to the student union to get my gown. Students at St. Andrews wear formal red gowns on special occasions, most commonly on Pier Walks. Traditionally (starting in 1672!) the gowns were used as a sort of student identification to limit the consumption of alcohol at taverns. Depending on what year you are, you wear your gown a different way. Since I am a first-year or Bejantine, I wear mine over both shoulders. Second-years or Semis, wear their gown pushed back onto their shoulders. Third-years or Tertians wear theirs off one shoulder (left for art, right for science). Fourth-years or Magistrands wear theirs off both shoulders, draped over their arms. When I got there, the room was completely jam-packed with people. We were supposed to be measured first, but I could see the used gowns were going fast, so I listened to the size measurement of a girl my same height, then found the very last used gown of my size. I finally got to the front of the queue, which was more like a blob, and bought the gown.

Students on Pier Walk in 1939

I carried it back to the apartment, then headed over to my dorm for a little while. Next I went to the Gateway building, which took way longer than I expected because I took a path that led all the way around it rather than one that went directly to it (I was trying to figure out a shortcut but it backfired). I asked at the door if the Pin Badge and Zine Making was going on, and they had no clue what I was talking about even though it was in the schedule. I went inside and asked another person who didn't know either. I left and went all the way back into town to go to the Library Induction.

I took a tour of the library and watched a video about the facilities they have. It was recently remodeled and seemed very user-friendly and modern on the inside. They still have to remodel the exterior of the building, which currently is a synagogue-like pre-cast concrete structure from the 1970s. I got a printer card, and tried printing out something, which was pretty easy, and then got a snack at the cafe.

I went to the lawn outside next, for the Green Freshers Fair, but did not see anyone so left. While I was leaving, I bumped into some other people looking for the fair, so we stood together for a bit until we saw a man on a bike pull up. He introduced himself, and told us he was going to set up a booth for the fair, so we helped him put up signs and the table. He had a machine that converted his bike pedaling into electricity, and I watched a demonstration of it for a while then met up with my dad.

We walked over to the Art History Subject Talk in the Buchanan Lecture Theater, which I thought was well done and informative. Next we went all the way back to the Gateway Building again for Matriculation and the Document Verification Event. I had to have my passport checked, pay a fee I wasn't able to pay online, and turn in my health documents. At the end of the process, I spotted a small table where they were making the pin badges (they had it after all!) and made one with a St. Andrews logo.

A nice walking street

Next I went back towards the library to go to Upper College Hall in St. Salvator's Quad for the Academic Fayre. I talked to a man about Medieval History classes and a woman about Italian, then left to go to Notemaking for Academic Writing. Unfortunately, I was too late, and the class was full. I went back to the apartment and ate dinner with my dad. We tried to go see the Ever to Excel Film (a documentary about St. Andrews) at the student union, but it was cancelled so we went back and watched a cool show on BBC called How Earth Made Us.

I awoke slightly disoriented about where I was- I had dreamt I was in my bed at home. I got dressed and went downstairs to get breakfast. There was not too much variety in the food. I had some corn flakes and an apple and sat at a table with some other girls from my building.

View from dorm room window

After breakfast, I walked to meet my dad at the apartment. We went to the student union to join a walking tour of the campus. The guide, unfortunately was not very informative, partially because the group was too large, and partially because she was carrying on an independent conversation with one of the group members and not addressing the whole group. The only pieces of new information I learned were that the library is slowly sinking, as the architects did not account for the weight of the books, and that there is a mysterious face in stone (see here) which is supposed to be Patrick Hamilton on the building above where the PH is on the sidewalk near St. Salvadors. For those of you who do not know, which I am guessing is most of you, Patrick Hamilton was a student at St. Andrews during the Reformation and was burned at the stake for his Protestant beliefs. There is now cobblestones forming the letters "PH" where this happened, and if students step on them they will not graduate (unless they do the May Dip into the North Sea or run around St. Salvador's Quad naked three times backwards during the change of a class).

We decided to break off from the group after a while, and visited a nice seaside garden. Then we got a ticket to see the castle and explored the ruins for a while. They have a really weird prison at the castle called the bottle dungeon. Basically it is a bottle shaped hole in the ground carved out of rock. To lock people in, all they had to do was lower them down the neck of the bottle and into the window-less and door-less chamber below. There was no way to escape unless you had a ladder or rope. The castle had very pretty views of the ocean, especially from some of the towers.

Seaside garden

Next we headed down to join up with the Pier Walk in the harbor. The Pier Walk is another St. Andrews tradition, although nobody knows quite how it started. Some believe it is too commemorate a student named John Honey who rescued five men from a sinking ship in the 19th century by swimming them each in turn to the pier. Students normally wear their gowns (more about them on next post), but none of the freshers had them yet, so walked in street clothes. If you are brave, you can return on the high part of the pier, which is a narrow (about 2 ft across) path about 20 ft over the water and rocks with no handrails.

The Pier Walk (unfortunately without gowns)

Me on the pier

After the Pier Walk, we visited the cathedral and were very impressed about the sheer scale of it. It must have been astoundingly impressive when it was still standing. We could see why St. Andrews became the capital of religion in Scotland when the church was first built in 1158. Especially amazing were St. Rules tower and the double towers with "windows" (which served as an inspiration for my blog banner).

St. Rules Tower

Towers with "windows"

We had a quiet evening. My dad went to the parent's reception and I spent some time reading and relaxing. Then we walked down by the golf course (one of the oldest courses in the world) and around a grassy area by the aquarium and a sea-food restaurant. After that, we settled in the apartment and dorm for the night.

Famous Swilken Bridge at the golf course

My dad at the top of some steps near the aquarium