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!

These past couple of weeks have been hectic but amazing! Here's an overview in slightly chronological order:

• I turned in my papers for Art History and Social Anthropology, did my Art History presentation, and took my Italian grammar test all on Monday of last week. My presentation, which was on the Brancacci Chapel frescoes done by Masolino and Masaccio, went pretty well I think. I am scared to death of public speaking, but have been better about it since the speech I had to give earlier this year for National Charity League. My main problem is that I freeze up and cannot "think on my feet" while in front of many people, so talks I give must be very scripted and I have to prepare myself for questions that I think will be asked. I didn't do particularly well on the Italian test, I just get so confused when it comes to grammar. I always mix up the different tenses and irregularities.

Brancacci Chapel collage I made for my title slide

• I went to the Design Team EGM meeting thinking I would just observe and cast my vote in the committee elections. It turned out that only four of us showed up, so I actually got a position on the committee without having to make a speech- it was really awesome! I am now the "Special Projects Coordinator" and will be helping to facilitate some of the larger design projects. On my own I've been studying the course material for the Adobe Associate's Certification for Photoshop. I want to eventually go to a computer center in Edinburgh where I can take the certification test.

• I went to a talk on Ancient Monsters in Legends and on Maps, which was really fascinating. The lecturer was mainly interested in what people of the day believed was real- not their myths or folklore. I liked one slide he showed us where a woolly mammoth skeleton was reconstructed into the skeleton of a giant- a possible explanation for why ancient people believed they existed.

• I met with my academic sisters for coffee last week before Raisin began. We thought up lots of fun family excursions we could go on- such as ice-skating in Dundee or having a cathedral graveyard picnic. I hope we'll actually do some of the things we planned!

• I've been getting a lot of Etsy orders lately, which is very nice. Unfortunately, it has been awkward trying to use the kitchen oven to bake the minis- I usually cover them with a paper towel until they go into the oven, just so I don't get the confused stares of people wondering how I'm going to eat such tiny loaves of bread!

• Last Saturday I went on an Art History field trip to Edinburgh. We visited the National Gallery of Scotland and went on a walking tour of the New Town. In the gallery we were given talks on Renaissance artists, and got to see many famous works up close. However, I enjoyed the walking tour a bit better because it was more "practical" (for lack of a better word). It reinforced the fact that art is all around you, especially in the form of architecture, and there are often stories or hidden symbols if you look around. I learned a lot about the classical orders because examples were close at hand, unlike in a classroom setting. I never realized before and loved the fact that classical architecture has its roots in old wooden construction methods (e.g. a column represents an upright tree trunk). After the tours I had some time to myself before the bus left, so I walked down Princes Street and took some photographs. I had just enough time to climb to the top of the Scott Monument- which has 287 narrow winding steps. The view was absolutely spectacular! I can't wait to explore Edinburgh some more in the future!

Edinburgh Panorama

At the top of the Scott Monument

• The Raisin Weekend activities were really exciting- to tell the truth, I was super nervous at first, but everything ended up fine and I had lots of fun. On Sunday morning, I met up with my academic relatives from my dorm and walked over to my academic mom's house. When we got inside I gave my mom a traditional present of wine and raisins (and for fun some baking supplies) and she gave me an awesome penguin Raisin string to go on my red gown. We proceeded to play a lot of party games- some which were really unusual. I ended up winning a game called After Eight where you try to get an After Eight chocolate from your forehead to your mouth without your hands- don't ask me how I did it, I have no idea. Other notable games were Mafia, Wink-Murder, bobbing for apples, doughnuts on a string, pass the parcel, Spoons, and trying to pick up a cereal box with your mouth as it gets cut down progressively smaller.

Raisin Gifts and Shaving Foam

Playing After Eight game (photo credit: Lizzie)

Doughnuts on a String (photo credit: Josie)

After my mom's party, I went over to Sallie's basement for my dad's. This party was quite a bit bigger and more drink oriented. Every family member was "initiated" by drinking a very vile shot called Unicum (which I later looked up to be the national shot of Hungary). I spent most of the party with my academic sisters. We were given drinks by our father, but since he knew we were mostly inexperienced drinkers they weren't so bad (don't worry readers, we did have the option not to drink, it was not a peer pressure thing). I had quite a bit of hard cider and some disgusting Skittle-flavored vodka- overall I ended up just slightly tipsy, and it wore off within an hour. I felt comfortable with the amount of alcohol I had, it seemed like a good "maximum" level for me (especially since I felt completely normal in the morning). We ended up leaving the party at around midnight and getting some pizza (or in my case some garlic bread). After that we went to Sallie's quad where I filmed my dad and sister singing Aquarius from Hair. Then we went over to my academic sister's dorm to watch a bit of The Princess Bride. Everyone was falling asleep, so we all decided to say our goodnights and head home.

On Monday morning a met up with my academic mom in my hall and got dressed in my costume. She dressed me as a pirate, with a twirly mustache and handcrafted sword and hat. Then I was sent off down Market St. to my dad's house. I met one of my academic sister's outside, and we went up to his apartment. I gave him his Raisin gift, and he gave both of us our Raisin receipts which happened to be pieces of an Irn Bru staff of sentimental value (see earlier post) he had made in another year. He scrawled "LATIN" across them, and wished us luck in the foam fight. We waited a while to see if our other sister's would show up, but couldn't find them, so went to the fight as a duo, armed with our foam and receipts. At the entrance, they collected our receipts, then we put on our goggles and went into the fray. Our tactic was to wait near the entrance and attack those not yet covered in foam. At the end of the fight we met our academic moms. I changed at my academic aunt's house and said my goodbyes, then attended my Art History tutorial. The weekend was so fun it went by like a breeze!

Pirate Costume with Streetlight Costume (photo credit: Lizzie)

Covered in Foam with my sister (photo credit: Lizzie)

• Halloween this year was a bit of a let-down, but it was still pretty nice. I guess it just didn't feel as Halloweenish as I'm used to- this is the first year I haven't carved a pumpkin, trick-or-treated, or gone to a Halloween party. I went to my Italian class in the morning, and in the afternoon went with the Canoe Club to the Cambo Estate to help with some forest maintenance. We were basically cutting up and sorting some felled trees into piles (logs, poles, medium sized branches to be made into charcoal, and small bits to throw in a bonfire). It was fun, and I was happy when I created a little system for myself. We were all completely covered in mud and soaking wet by the end.

"The Tree Team"

Velma

I went back to my dorm, cleaned up a little, and got into my Halloween costume. I couldn't give up that tradition- I make a costume every year, and felt like I would be betraying myself if I didn't. I actually made a steampunk costume over the summer, but left it at home, so I had to come up with something else. I decided on being Velma from Scooby Doo because I had everything I needed in my room. I went out wearing the costume with a sweater and without the glasses, so I basically just looked like I was wearing fancy but normal clothes (I was secretly dressed up, only for my own enjoyment, I know it is sad). I walked over to the "Castle", the home of many Canoe Club members, and watched two Halloween movies- Ghostbusters and Friday the 13th. Everyone screamed at the end of Friday the 13th, it had a really shocking finish. I left at around midnight and walked home by myself. It was rather terrifying, especially because I saw a person wearing a mask of one of the movie characters down an alleyway!

• I've also been studying Arthurian legends again on my own- a little nerdy side hobby of mine. I'm reading the Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend alongside The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Arthurian Legends, as well as Tennyson's Idylls of the King and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, and comparing and contrasting information with things I've seen in movies or read in contemporary fiction such as The Mists of Avalon series.

• The weather has changed much faster than I am used to. Fall kind of happened in a week- leaves fell off the trees almost overnight- and now it feels like winter is coming (not intended to be a Game of Thrones reference). Yesterday morning on my way to Italian, I skidded across what I thought was mud from the rain the night before and found that it was ice. We also had our daylight savings time change, so now it gets dark starting at around 4:30 in the afternoon.

• As for theater tech, I've still been just slightly involved. I helped find flowers for Hair last week, and helped a little bit with setting up lighting for the production yesterday. They didn't need me for the actual show, so I went to watch. It was really well done! I was surprised at the difference between the movie, which I've seen many times, and the musical itself. The musical is a lot more free form, with less emphasis on individuals and more on the overall group. I found it kind of ironic that one of the hippies handed me a flower during the performance.

• Oh yes... I also finished knitting Nessie!!!

Nessie

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

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