Home again, home again, jiggity jig

Well, this post has been a long time coming - I've been home for nearly three weeks now, and all at once, it feels as if I've just left Edinburgh and as if I went ages ago. I've gotten over my jetlag once and for all (thank goodness - I thought I was going to be on a 7 a.m.-10 p.m. schedule forever! And don't try to tell me that that is "normal"...I eschew typical waking hours; I'm in college!), and I've gotten used to the sad reality of being back in a small, rural town in the middle of nowhere: the lack of events, having to drive to get places rather than walk, etc. Not that it's all bad - I really like being home, aside from this unreal amount of rain we've had lately, because not only is it comfortable and familiar, but I get to spend time with people I love and catch up on me. I've been going through some old things in my room, visiting family and friends, reading a lot, and, as always, practicing my ukulele and singing, probably to the point of insanity of my parents at times. It's nice being back - I've had a lot of time to relax; and while I'm sure I'll be bored and ready to leave again soon, especially after my whirlwind last month abroad (see lack of blog entries as evidence), it feels good to be done with schoolwork and my internship and just chill for a while.

 Per usual, there are lots of thoughts in my head; so, in case anyone is wondering, I do intend to do at least a few make-up journals from my final travels. I go back down South in about three more weeks to start my intense and time-consuming summer job, so I can't guarantee much throughout the summer...but these next few weeks are pretty clear! Be on the lookout!

Recent Goings-on

I have been neglecting my reflection time in the past few weeks! Not only am I obviously behind on blog entries, but I am waaay behind in my daily work journals, as well. It seems as if these past few weeks have jumped into hyper-speed, and the end of my time here in Edinburgh looms closer and closer...and is coming at me faster by the minute! I only have four more days left at my internship; one of my classes is completely finished, and another has just one more meeting before I'm through. I've already had to start thinking about packing up and moving out.

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL lately - unfortunately, all of this extended sunlight and increased heat is coming just as I'm shipping out, it seems. However, the nicer temperatures and skies have allowed for quite a few nice walks lately. (And, of course, as a result, less time on my computer, and therefore, less blogs.)

SO, I have been very busy writing final papers and evaluations and such lately - and I have an oral presentation on my internship to do in class tomorrow night! I apologize once again for not blogging more often. Rest assured, though, that I have lots and lots of notes and ideas in my head; I will be working diligently to chronicle all of my adventures. :)

A Transcript of Today's 8:38 a.m. Conversation with One Half of a Foreign Couple on the Street

Woman: Excuse me, do you live here?
Me: Ehh, I've been here for a few months.
W: Could you tell us - is this the Mound?
M: Yep, this is it! (gesture)
W: Ok. Thank you very much.

...and then, I took the wrong street to Starbucks.

Glossary, Vol. IV

Again, I've only recently discovered some of these terms, but a lot of them are words that I've gotten used to hearing and just forgotten to post. Still, it amazes me that, nearly three months in to my trip, I can still be learning new words IN THE (SUPPOSEDLY) SAME LANGUAGE. What's that saying? "The UK and US: two countries separated by a common language," or something like that - SO TRUE.

Foreign Words
lolly - sucker or lollipop
jumper - sweater
dreich - dreary
peckish - hunger

Slightly Different Usage
hamper - gift basket
motorway - highway
carriageway, as in "dual carriageway" - road ("two-lane road")

Increased Usage
dodgy - sketchy
fiver - five pounds (or dollars)
tenner - ten pounds (or dollars)
zed - the letter Z

10 pounds well spent

Last night, I went to see the Vagina Monologues. I asked around to see if anyone else that I knew was interested, but they all had some excuse or another for not going, so I went anyway, and I am so glad that I did.

For those of you who don't know, I actually acted in my school's performance last year. In last night's show, they performed the same monologues that we had in our show, so it was very interesting to see the contrast - I DID hear not only Edinburgh but Loch Lomond mixed into the script! Besides, it was fun to hear everything in Scottish accents.

Some of the main differences (aside from the above speech-related ones) were the set and the staging: the entire cast was made up of about 8 women only, and they stayed onstage the whole time but just rearranged themselves, with the speaker always in front, in a pink chair as opposed to other black ones. A neat thing that I liked about the backdrop was that, as center was a corner of black curtains, they had draped pink cloth over the bars and to the floor to form a V.

Also, afterward, we were treated to a drum and dance number by performers representing Orishas, 3 important goddesses of Haiti, because this year's V-Day Spotlight was on the women of Haiti and the increased sexual violence after last year's earthquake. It was a very cool dance number that simply reinforced my desire to learn African dance. (Yes, I realize that Haiti is not in Africa, but the dances were influenced by their ancestry.) Some of the proceeds went toward relief efforts there, while the rest of the money raised went to the Edinburgh Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre.

Then, I had a dream that I was nominated to win a cool trip with Eve Ensler.