Snapshots

It's probably about time I posted some pictures with more of an explanation of where I am. So, here's a few snapshots of the last two weeks.

This is the Marischal Museum, home to the Anthropological Museum which houses a number of Egyptian and Classical antiques, and artefacts related to the history of Scotland. It's probably the most beautiful building in the city centre, but is in a state of mild disrepair right now, and it seems parts of it or the nearby complex may be scheduled for demolition.

This is a view down the main street in town, Union Street. It's lined with beautiful things and is the perfect place to go for a nice midafternoon stroll. Some people will eat their lunch in the graveyard a bit further along, but most of us just think they're a bit strange.

This is St. Peters Hall, where I am staying. There are about 200 students here, and of the three stories, the first is all boys, the middle is mixed, and the top is all girls. They keep the boys on the bottom in case any intruders break into the lower windows in the middle of the night. I'm staying with 3 girls and 3 guys, and of them, there are 3 scots, 1 Manchester girl, 1 Irish girl, and a Dutch guy. And everyone has a different accent.

Several blocks from my house, there is this grassy knoll, and a long dusty path winds up to the top of it. And from there, one can see this graveyard. It's gigantic, and really pretty. On the other side of the knoll, there is a theme park and Asda, which is Europe's Wal-Mart. Literally.

This is the beach. The beach is long; it stretches all up and down the coast, which basically means it is an entire side of Aberdeen and more. Just a few blocks from St. Peters, an asphalt path lets a girl indulge in her occasional run by the seashore, and if she's in a particularly adventurous mood, the sand below is fair game as well.

This is Aberdeen nightlife. 'nuff said.

This is Amy by the bagpipe guy, because yes, they really do wear kilts and play bagpipes in Scotland. In fact, apparently it is traditional for males to wear kilts to their high school proms, and it must reach to between an inch above the knee to halfway through it. Associated socks must also be worn precisely 2 inches below the knee. But don't make fun of the kilts! Getting fit for a kilt will usually run you in the range of $1000 to $2000, and most youth consider it a great honor to be gifted with one of their own.

And finally, here is Robert Gordon University at one of its three campuses, Garthdee. The latter picture is my building, in which students learn graphic design, digital media, and architecture, among other subjects. In Scotland, everyone refers to University as "uni" and pronounces "herb" with an h. Girls also walk around in massive flocks, and males and females are fairly segregated, for the most part. All the girls sat on one side of the room and all the boys on the other my first day. It was kind of amusing.

That's all for now! Hope you enjoyed!