Golden Edges: Reflections and Beauty

I was saddened yesterday to receive news from friends from home that a friend from high school, Cote Laramie has passed suddenly. Cote and I were born a few days a part and first met when we were 11. He was the first person I dated when I was 15, and we attended our senior prom together. While I hadn't been in touch with him for a little over a year, I'm so happy I was able to spend a few hours with him this summer when he was at Harvard. Cote's enormous talent for music, theater, poetry, and writing was inspiring, he was a wonderful song writer and had such a passion for music and creativity. I moved in yesterday to St. Andrews, and while I met some great friends, and love the school and the town thus far, Cote's death certainly put a tinge of sadness on everything. It was in the back of my mind always - when grocery shopping, cleaning and organizing my room, meeting and talking with new friends - and it was something I needed to briefly explain to the friends I spent time with yesterday.The support and love from family and friends from home has been wonderful though, and I feel so blessed to have the support. <3 http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/9/8/cote-laramie-dies-pforzheimer/

As for St. Andrews, it is beautiful. I've been able to explore the town a bit, and while at first I was constantly lost, I think I know my way around now. It's very small and yesterday was a huge day as thousands of students returned. The town itself is about 17,000 people without St. Andrews students here, and it is said that 2 out of 3 people you meet on the street are affiliated with the university in some way.

The accents are certainly a mix of mostly English, Scottish, Irish. As for international students, they seem to make up about 10% of the University, and Americans are a significant chunk of that. I find myself often thinking to myself in a Scottish accent now, after being in Edinburgh and speaking with Scottish students here.

I don't start classes until next Monday, this week ahead is Freshers week. A bit like freshman in the U.S., the freshers here are given a full week of activities, fun, exploration, etc. As a sort-of fresher, I can take part in whatever, and I've met a few great groups of freshers, but I know too as a one-year visiting student, and as someone who has done orientation before, I likely won't pay to attend every Fresher rave.

I've been able to move into the kitchen here which I share with others, and have delighted in learning that Scotland specializes in one of my favorite foods, raspberries. While the exchange rate of the dollar to the pound continues to be quite terrible, food prices here are quite affordable. I was able to visit the ocean (North Sea) early this morning, it was so gorgeous and natural. Certainly not a beach to swim in, but beautiful nonetheless and surrounded by stone ruins.

Everything here is walkable, and while I'm a little bit outside of town, it's been easy walking back and forth. We've also had sunny weather here for the most part mixed occasionally with clouds, and temperatures in the 60s and 70s which have been lovely. I'm still mastering celsius, kilometers, and kilograms. Last night when helping a floormate, Hugo cook his pizza in our kitchen, I questioned why the oven couldn't preheat to 350..only to find that fahrenheit is not used... :)

St. Andrews has quite a few traditions, legends, and history. Patrick Hamilton, a Scottish churchman and Protestant reformer in Scotland in the 1500s was labeled an heretic by the Archbishop and burned at the stake in St. Andrews in 1528. His spirit, supposedly, was considered so worldly and strong, that rather than floating towards heaven, he somehow floated through St. Salvator's chapel, right behind where he was burned. On the chapel, above the front door, there is an etching of a face believed to be Patrick Hamilton's. (Quite eerie!)

As for his presence today, a 'PH' is laid in stone where he is said to have burned in front of St. Salvator's chapel. For St. Andrews students, it is said that if one walks on the 'PH' one will fail his or her final exams and his or her degree. The one way to reverse this would be to participate in the May Dip, and run into the North Sea on the first of May. Supposedly this is quite a fun event, and very freezing.

Last night, while walking with two friends and busy talking, we walked past St. Salvator's chapel. Having heard the legend, but not knowing where the infamous 'PH' was, I was walking in the middle of a group of three friends and talking. Thankfully, I was watching the ground, as we were walking fast, my feet quickly and directly approached the 'PH'. I nearly screamed and ran the other direction to avoid stepping on it. Thankfully, this was successful. :)

This is from wikipedia, I didn't take it, but here it is!