Welcome to the Jungle

At the start of this week, I hit Day 20. Twenty incredible days in this country – most of which have passed without a second thought. I’ve learned a lot of things about this city, its people and its climate, how to make fire and how to fish (wait…?) and have already began to alter my behavior for day-to-day survival.

Lessons Learned:

-         Never leave the house without an umbrella, regardless of the forecast

-         Wear layers… 80% of the time I’ll overdress because I can handle the colder weather here better than the locals (generally)

-         Take said layers off as needed to stay cool

-         CARS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY AT ALL TIMES. They will not slow down at intersections for you to cross. BE PATIENT

-          When patience isn’t the personality trait of the day… look both ways, TWICE, and run across the street.

Other than the initial adjustment, it was safe to say that I didn’t suffer too much of a culture shock having just moved country. Glaswegians are very similar to Canadians, they apologize when you’re the one actually at fault, they’re kind, and on more than one occasion someone has gone out of their way to ask me if I’m lost.

The shock I wasn’t prepared for was just how different university is the second time, and not the academic side. This shock is associated with what takes the form of an undergraduate first year (“freshers”) hoard…. A hoard that, on average, is ten years younger than you… and there are SO. MANY. OF. THEM. Unfortunately, I had been confident on my endeavor to take in the campus club fair and wasn’t dismayed by the thought of said hoard… until it was too late. As if being a mature student wasn’t punishment enough*, by the time I had freed myself from the masses I had aged at least 5 years. I was overheating in my too many layers (refer to lessons learned above), I was overwhelmed, and I couldn’t stop thinking about why anyone in their right mind would let hundreds of 17 year olds crowd into an atrium at the same time. I broke free and sought the nearest (off-campus) coffee shop for a caffeine hit – anything to calm my geriatric nerves.  Having had enough excitement for one day, I made my way home, but not without my student discount coupons, my newly acquired plastic shot glass, or my walker... my free bag of marshmallows (random right?)

The fun wasn’t over yet though. In my mad rush to escape with my sanity intact, I overlooked the sports fayre that was taking place in the university sports center. Originally, this was high on my to-do list because I had recently strategized the best way to make new friends (the difficulty of making friends is positively correlated with your age as it turns out), and sports are key! 

My earlier experience had left me perturbed, but luckily, my flatmate was showcasing the diving club, and I told her that I would stop by to say hi when I attended. Early the next day, after a heavy dose of caffeine, I set out for the sports fayre and was pleasantly surprised. As it turns out, sporting activities aren’t nearly as popular or intriguing as coupons for free food and alcohol, contests, and various other giveaways, among the freshers. I navigated the gymnasiums flawlessly, with no risk of rising blood pressure or heart palpitations. I signed up for a number of different sports emailing lists, but my heart was set on getting back into field hockey. With no ice sheets or pucks in sight, it only seemed natural to pick up the sport I left behind when I made my move to Saskatoon in 2008.

My journey of… enlightenment, was well worth the inner turmoil –– I became a member of the MSA and have already met some fantastic postgraduates in their late twenties, and I have found my groove on the hockey pitch once again. And although I’m reminded of the fact that I’m getting older on an almost continuous basis around these hockey girls, they are an amazing group of women, and I can’t imagine playing this sport, or clubbing for the first time in YEARS (more to follow on this adventure), with anyone else.

*According to the Mature Students Association on campus, the minimum age of a mature student is 21. Who knew?! And also… how?!

Into The Highlands We Go

The last expedition of our "vacation" took us into the Scottish Highlands and Glencoe. This was the first day of our trip that we were up and moving being 9am, and when our alarm went off at 6:30am we both could have sworn we had been shot. Instantly awake, we quickly assembled ourselves and made our way downtown to George Sqaure, where we checked in with our Discover Scotland tour guide. Seeing as it was a Sunday, none of the cafes were open before the tour bus left, leaving us both under-caffeinated and at risk of nodding off before making our first pit stop in Tyndrum.

 From Glasgow we travelled northwest and followed the western shore of Loch Lomond through the Loch Lomond and Trassachs National Park. The windy road along the lake was hardly wide enough for two vehicles, and if either of us started to doze off, we were jolted back into full consciousness (even in the aisle seat) by buses passing us within inches of our window.

We survived the first leg, and peeled ourselves out of our seats in search of coffee in the small village of Tyndrum. Tyndrum is a popular town due to its position along the West Highland Way, a 154.5km walking trail running from Milganie (north of Glasgow) to Fort William (very very north of Glasgow). Approximately 80,000 people use the path each year, 15,000 of which complete the full trail.

Coffee and snacks in hand, we rejoined everyone on the bus, and continued to make our way towards Glencoe and Glenfinnan. Glencoe is renowned for its beautiful landscapes, and was also a film location for Skyfall and Harry Potter.

A Wee Bit of History

The glen is also the site of the Massacre of Glencoe, which took place place on February 13, 1692, in the aftermath of the Jacobite uprising in 1689. In 1688, the 'Glorious Revolution' saw William of Orange overthrow King James VII (his father-in-law) for the Scottish Throne. Following his ascension, Scotland became a Protestant country; however, episcopacy remained strongly rooted in the northeart, and became the center of the Jacobite resistence. The Jacobite rising of 1689 was the first of a series of risings to take place with the aim of restoring James VII of Scotland to the throne, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart to the crown of Great Britain. 

The Battle of Killiekrankie in 1689 results in a Jacobite victory, but their success was short lived due to the size and strength of the British Army. On August 21, 1689, the Jacobites were defeated at the Battle of Dunkeld. In response to the unwavering Jacobite cause, William II strengthened his garrisons in the Highlands to control the clan chiefs, and Fort William was established. It is said that from here and other fortresses William's forces committed the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, on the grounds the Clan MacDonald had not been prompt enough in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs. The Jacobite's were eventually dispatched at the Battle of Culloden in 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie, the "Young Pretender", took up the Jacobite cause at Glenfinnan and was defeated. The Glenfinnan Monument was erected in 1815 at the head of Loch Shiel in recognition of the Jacobites who fought and died for the cause. 

Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter

Our next stop was at Glenfinnan to take in the incredible scenery, and of course, the Glenfinnan Viaduct - most commonly known for its importance in transporting young witches and wizards to Hogwarts on the Hogwart's Express. 

The viewpoint overlooks the Viaduct, but also Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument. We made the 5 minute climb just in time to see a rainbow near the train tracks... and, typical of Scotland, before we had the chance to take more than a few pictures, the skies erupted and a heavy downpour sent us huddling underneath a verrr pathetic tree. When the rain finally "subsided", we scurried down the hill to take shelther in the cafe and gift shop. After the short break to stretch our legs and peruse the Harry Potter and Outlander giftware, we boarded the bus once once more. 

We continued on our way, following the winding roads further north to Mallaig, a small village port in Lochaber. The local railway station is the terminus station for the Hogwart's Express West Highland Railway Line. This was the northen most stop of our tour, and we had the opportunity to walk through the town and have lunch before boarding the Hogwart's Express  Jacobite Steam Train that would take us back to Fort William. It took us a few attemtps to find a place to eat, but we eventually found a table at the Fishmarket Restaurant and enjoyed fresh seafood and hot coffee. At 1:45pm, we made our way to the Mallaig train station and boarded the Hogw Steam Train for the trip that would take us back through the Highlands, across the Viaduct, and to the station in Fort William. 

 

The Jacobite Steam Train was an amazing chance to see the Highland landscape from a different persepctive. First class tickets even allow you to enjoy a meal and tea in the privacy of your own carriage compartment. Although we didn't have the chance to partake in such train luxuries, we enjoyed ourselves in our economy seats with our take-away coffee cups. 

The Drovers Inn

Once in Fort William, our tour guide collected everyone and we started our journey back to Glasgow. By this time, the weather had turned and the low cloud cover, accompanied by sheets of rain, hid most of the mountain ranges. The trip back is no less than 108 miles, so a very convenient pit stop was made in Inverarnan at the Drovers Inn, as seen in the Outlander series. The Drovers Inn has welecomed guests for 312 years, and is even said to be haunted. We stopped here to enjoy a pint, warm up by the fire, and take in the extensive collection of taxedermy-ed (?) wildlife. After 45 minutes or so, we were all herded back onto the bus for the last leg of our journey, enjoying the upbeat bagpiping style of the 'Red Hot Chili Pipers" over the van's speakers.

 **All historical facts were derived from Glasgow, A Hisotry by Michael Meighan, Discover Scotland, and wikipedia.

So Much to See, So Little Time

The Riverside Museum

For the locomotive fanatic or museum junkie in general, the Riverside Museum is a must see. Since 2011, it has housed the Glasgow Museum of Transportation, which has a collection of over 3000 objects ranging from bicycles, vintage cars, prams, and locomotives. In addition to the indoor displays, the Museum also has the UK’s only floating Clyde-built sailing ship, the Glenlee, and guests are allowed to clamor aboard and explore!

Unfortunately, due to being completely intrigued by the displays in the museum, I only snapped one picture. Oops!

The River Clyde

If we learned anything during our first few days in Glasgow, it was that the weather can change rapidly in a very short period of time. We practically huddled together for warmth in the bus shelter while waiting for the Hop On Hop Off bus to return, our calm sunny day having turned cloudy and rainy. When we got back on the bus we quickly took a pair of seats in the interior, opting not to be rained on while we were whisked back towards the city center. The remainder of the Hop On Hop Off tour took us through Kelvingrove and the University campus before heading back downtown to George Square.

With a few more hours of time left in our touristy day we decided to head to the Mackintosh at the Willow for afternoon tea.

Mackintosh at the Willow

The Willow Tearooms was the fourth and final tearoom to make up Miss Cranston’s Tearooms.  Miss Kate Cranston opened her first tearoom in 1878, with the intent on creating a more welcoming atmosphere than the typical tearooms of the day. Each of the tearooms was designed in the latest style by a different designer. In 1903, Miss Cranston opened the Willow Tearooms, designed in its entirety by the Scottish architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  It is one of the world's most significant examples of a complete Art Nouveau scheme.

In 2014, ‘The Willow Tea Rooms Trust’ purchased the building at 217 Sauchiehall Street to preserve its historical importance with respect to Scotland’s design heritage. This past July the restoration of the Mackintosh at the Willow (the Willow Tearooms) was completed and reopened to the public.

Who knew we were such history buffs?! After frantically navigating the streets of downtown Glasgow in the sputtering rain, we entered the Mackintosh at the Willow in a whirlwind. We arrived just in time to partake in afternoon tea and welcomed the break from our touristy expeditions. Our sore feet were far from our minds as we took in the incredible interior design and furnishings of the tearoom, all while enjoying our specialty tea and tiny sandwiches. To say that we were famished might be an understatement, and we not-so-slowly consumed our way from bottom to top of the tiered platter. After a lovely hour of enjoying the ambience of the tearoom, we were once again on the streets of Glasgow, making our way back home.

Exploring the City

Glasgow is a remarkable city and the architecture alone could have kept us enthralled as we made our way through the city on foot and on the Hop On Hop Off Bus (highly recommended!). The city has approximately 1,800 structures listed by Historic Scotland to protect them for future generations.

Hogwarts, A History… The University of Glasgow, a very brief history

On our second day in Glasgow, having unofficially recovered from our jetlag, we decided to set out to explore the University campus and take care of a few international student tasks. The campus is approximately 20 minutes walking from my flat, a walk that took us past the Botanical Gardens and along Byres Road, which is described as the heart and soul of the West End. Tenements and shops began popping up along Byres Road in 1870, to coincide with the relocation of the university.

The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451 in the original burgh of Glasgow. It was built upon request of King James II, and is the second oldest university in Scotland after St. Andrew’s, and the fourth oldest in the English-speaking world. The university was moved to Gilmorehill in 1870. The Gilmorehill building was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, and is the second largest example of a Gothic Revival building in Great Britain after the Palace of New Westminster.

Having arrived in the city a week before “Fresher’s Week” we had the opportunity to navigate the campus without the mad rush of starry eyed new students. Don’t get me wrong, we were both quite starry eyed, but it was a bonus not having to elbow first year students out of the way to take the perfect selfie or to gawk at the incredible architecture of the many university buildings. After walking for what felt like 100 miles around the campus and adjacent Kelvingrove Park, we made our way home and, naturally, proceeded to watch terrible Netflix movies to regain our strength for the next day.

 Hop On Hop Off

We kick started our first real “touristy” day by heading downtown via the subway to explore Buchanan Street, one of the main shopping districts in the city (YES!) and George square, the principal civic square in the city. The square was laid out in 1781 and is named after King George III; however, due to having fallen out of favor with Glaswegians at that time due to the War of American Independence in 1775, the populous opted not to erect his statue. Instead, Sir Walter Scott was chosen to grace the 80ft Doric column in 1837. This is said to have been quite a statement at the time, as Glasgow and Edinburgh were rival cities, and Sir Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh, not Glasgow.

The square is also the site of the city’s Cenotaph, and eleven statues including the only known equestrian statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, poets Robert Burns and Thomas Campbell, and inventor James Watt.

Saint Mungo and the Glasgow Cathedral

Our second stop on the Hop On Hop Off was the Glasgow Cathedral and the Glasgow Necropolis. The city of Glasgow is thought to have begun developing around 540 with the arrival of 25 year old Kentigern, known more commonly as Mungo (“Dear One”). Mungo began his Christian ministry in Glasgow, then called Cathures, and was welcomed by the current King of Strathclyde.

Mungo soon became Glasgow’s first bishop; however, due to the anti-Christian movement around 550, he was forced to seek refuge in Wales. During this time, he founded a monastery at modern day St. Asaphs. In 581, Mungo returned to Glasgow until his death on January 13, 603. He was buried where the Glasgow Cathedral now stands, which was built in the 12^th century and is dedicated to Saint Mungo. 

Glasgows geographical location helped spur the cities growth; however, much of the later growth can be attributed to the fact that it was Scotland’s second largest bishopric and was recognized as such by King David I of Scotland. Glasgow thrived as a place of worship and a place of pilgrimage.

The Glasgow Necropolis is located adjacent to the Cathedral, and a bridge across the Molendinar Burn takes you through the main entrance. The bridge became known as the “Bridge of Sighs” because of the funeral processions that proceeded across it. The planning of the cemetery was spearheaded by the Merchants’ House of Glasgow in 1831. At the time, burial for profit was not condoned and required a change in the law. The Merchants’ anticipated the Cemeteries Act, which was passed in 1832, and the Necropolis opened its gates in April 1833. Fifty thousand individuals have been buried in the Necropolis, and there are approximately 3500 monuments throughout the area.

Once we wandered through the Cathedral and between the tombs, we made our way back to the Hop On Hop Off bus and continued our cruise around the city. The Bus passed through the downtown core, through Merchant City, past the Glasgow Green, and took us along the River Clyde to the Riverside Museum.

.... to be continued

*All historical facts are derived from Britannica, Wikipedia, the Hop On Hop Off tour, and Glasgow, A History by Michael Meighan which I borrowed from the Hillhead Community Library

Here to Stay

        I landed in Glasgow 11 days and 12 hours ago, and only recently has it started to feel less and less like a vacation. I’m here to stay, and it finally hit me earlier this week as I stood in the alley behind my flat, waving goodbye to my mom as she was whisked away to the airport. I was being left behind, and suddenly things were real.

Melodrama aside, we had an incredible week in Glasgow together (more details to follow). Although most of our days were spent getting touristy and exploring the city, we found a normalcy here that has allowed me to transition flawlessly into this adventure. We experienced the nuances of this new place together, raved about the non-consumptive nature of this city compared to our homeland (and as a result fretted about not being able to locate certain things to adorn my room with), and came to an unspoken agreement that I would survive the next 379 days.

Things we learned:

1. The Outlander series is not the Scottish equivalent for Rosetta Stone
2. Living in this country pretty much means being perpetually windswept 
3. The University of Glasgow inspired J.K Rowling when she was writing Harry Potter
4. Crosswalks are mad.

Scotland, eh?

Seven years and 5 months ago I found myself stepping onto South African soil to chase elephants in the name of science and adventure. The two and a half months I spent on the Pongola Game Reserve introduced me to the world of blogging as a tool for staying in touch with family and friends, and frequent posts reassured my parents that I hadn’t been trampled by one of the world’s largest mammals or mauled by hyenas.

So naturally, when I began making preparations for this slightly more challenging expedition, blogging about my Scottish experiences was a must. Although I am older and arguably wiser than my 20 year old self, this blog will yet again serve as a beacon of my well-being as I explore this incredible country and learn a few things along the way.

So why Glasgow?

Timing is everything. Living abroad is something that I have loosely considered on and off again throughout my adult life, and the thought of packing up a life on one continent and moving to another was always quite daunting (in reality… 130lbs of luggage daunting). Things needed to line up well to get from the fantasizing phase to the execution phase, especially when navigating a country's immigration system.

Key things that lined up for me included: 

1. Being unattached (significantly easier to move abroad with no ball and chain) 
2. I have an incredible job where academic advancement is encouraged 
3. Application deadlines were a month or so away when I seriously started considering my masters. I had to ACT or miss the opportunity. 
4. I had an insatiable hankering to try haggis again (first time kindergarten), and its dairy free! 

I chose to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Glasgow because of the program curriculum and structure. I researched programs at numerous universities and applied for three in total, but when it boiled down to it, Glasgow was the right fit and as such, it motivated me that much more. The program (Master’s of Animal Welfare Science, Ethics, and Law) runs for three consecutive terms, meaning that in one year’s time I will be making preparations to haul my suitcases back across the Atlantic, and of course, any strays I may have collected during this year abroad.