anne abroad: Glasgow

Friday October 15, 2010
I get out of bed at 5:00 a.m. and meet Robbie outside at 6:00. We make our way to Mile End Station, then to Bromley-by-Bow bus stop. It's cold outside, and gray, and I haven't had breakfast--or coffee--yet. We wait for the bus, but it doesn't come. Eventually, we realize that if we don't call a cab, we will miss our flight. We call a cab. In my anxious state, I almost climb into random man's car: the taxi company did say their car would be blue, and would pull up right next to the station...how was I to know that this guy in a blue car was not a taxi driver, but a businessman getting out to grab a free copy of the Evening Standard?

Our cab does show up, eventually, and the driver responds to our panic at possibly missing our flight. He steps on the gas. I almost fall asleep in the back seat, despite the desperateness of our situation. We run into the airport, only to find that our plane has not left, and there is, in fact, a line of waiting passengers. We queue up and wait. I even have time to visit the restroom. Once on the plane, feelings of relief wash over us, making us loopy and slightly hysterical. Robbie pulls out his ipod and we listen to "Looks Like We Made It," by Barry Manilow. While listening, we imagine ourselves at the dark bus stop, in the taxi, running through the airport, then sitting on the plane, and we laugh and laugh.

Once in Scotland, we take a train to Caroline's school, the University of Strathclyde. Robbie gets his book out, but I am looking out the window the entire ride, content with my grande Starbucks coffee and the views of green bordering on fall colors which flash by. Churches and sheep and wooden fences. The woman's voice says, "Now approaching Paisley Gilmour Street." Paisley Gilmour--sounds like a character from a book.

Caroline meets us at the train station. Back at her flat, she cooks us haggis and potatoes. I am pleasantly surprised at the edibility of the meal: I always imagined haggis would be slimy, but it is the consistency of ground beef. Caroline goes to class; Robbie and I go outside to explore Glasgow.

The air is so clean! The streets are hilly! The trees! They're changing colors! I breathe it in while I walk. What a contrast to flat dirty (wonderful) London. We seek out buildings seen from a distance--some are awe-inspiring close up, some are better seen from a distance. I spot a wedding party: women in dresses, men in kilts. We go to Kelvingrove Park, and I fall in love with the place. Green spaces in cities are the best idea ever, and this park is phenomenal. Fountains, concrete skate park, football, bridges, playgrounds, winding paths, squirrels, students, couples, children, chalk, crunchy leaves, view of the Harry Potter-esque University of Glasgow and the Kelvingrove museum of art. We play Pooh Sticks, dropping sticks over the bridge, and running to the other side to see whose stick we can spy first--Robbie wins. We go to the University of Glasgow and absorb the view and the solemn, academic atmosphere. We walk the city: one second we're in a shopping mecca, then a financial district. Glasgow is so small, yet so full.

That night: ceilidh. Scottish party with dancing and food, taking place in the 8-story student union. Free cans of Irn Bru--everyone drinks it in Scotland--a soda drink, tastes to me like bubble gum. Pinpoints of multicolored lights dance around the room, which is crowded and loud. We are treated to a bagpipe concert, then a band consisting of accordian, drums, and electric guitar takes the stage and starts playing loud reckless music and instructing everyone on the intricacies of Scottish dance steps. People are tipsy, people are sweaty, people are hopping and skipping and swinging from each others arms and using all this momentum and energy and everyone is participating and looking ridiculous and having fun.

I decline going out afterwards--I'm running on about 3 hours of sleep. I walk back to Caroline's flat and let myself in with her keys and fall asleep on her floor.

Saturday October 16, 2010
We hit up the museums: the Kelvingrove Art Museum, and the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art. A woman strikes up a conversatioen with me at the modern art museum in the exhibit focusing on the concept of Tomorrow. Where will I be tomorrow? What do I want to do in the future? It's a thought-provoking conversation, and I appreciate it.

We stop at an outdoor market for lunch, and I buy a kangaroo burger. This is the trip of New Foods. I feel only a little bit bad about eating a kangaroo: it's tasty!

Tired of walking and absorbing culture, we sit in a pub and absorb some more culture in the form of Tennent's, a Scottish beer. We sit there for who knows how long, enjoying the atmosphere and the company. Our plan of smuggling out our Tennant's glasses for souveneirs is foiled when the waitress clears our glasses away, so we get some more, then forget about the plan altogether.

Caroline's flatmates are funny: they could start their own comedy show. I can't even tell what they are saying half the time due to their Highlander accents, but the other half makes me laugh.

Sunday October 17, 2010
We check out the cathedral and its museum, do some souveneir shopping (I need stamps for all my postcards!) and go to a local kebab place for dinner. The trip home goes smoothly: train, then plane, then bus, then a walk back to campus. We get back at around 2 a.m.