My blogging hiatus was unfortunately caused by illness. I woke up Sunday morning with quite the head cold, and while I had plenty of activities planned for Sunday, I decided to cancel them all, and rested much of the day. Monday was similar, and today I've been feeling better but am still recovering.
'Freshers flu' here is an annual illness that strikes all (well, nearly all!) students at the beginning of the year. It's rooted in the belief that thousands of students are arriving from all over the world. I find whenever I'm in a new place (first year of high school and first year of college come to mind...) I tend to become sicker a little easier. However! I'm ready to conquer that this year!
Today looked a lot like this: It was typhoon-ish all day.
The waves were enormous! If it wasn't so chilly, I would love to wave-jump them.
I enjoyed creative writing today, and have been pushing along in my Virginia Woolf reading despite not feeling so great.
As of tonight:
So close!
I met up with my friend/uncle Marc for coffee/tea this morning at a nice cafe here called North Point. I have yet to try lunch from there, but I've heard it's quite good. A large sign outside the cafe proclaims: 'Where Kate met Wills! (for coffee!)' (Hmmm....I wonder about the accuracy...) Nevertheless, the cafe seems to be popular among Prince William and Kate Middleton pilgrimmage seekers as well as tourists taking pictures.
Saturday afternoon on my run I returned to this field near where my friend Marissa lives and took these pictures. I love how a few of them came out, and (again) am so in love with this meadow.
Saturday night I dined with my lovely American friend Julie at her residence on campus. Her residence is over a century old and much of it looks very castle-like. These are just a few photos from inside, highlighting little areas that I find so beautiful and neat to have in a student residence:
Her Majesty looking good above a fireplace.
I know why the caged book sings...
Speaking of Julie...she's a wonderful friend and as mentioned previously, we both met for the first time at our gate in Boston. She had sat down and received a call from her Mom that someone with our study abroad program luggage tags was going through security matching my description...I soon arrived at the gate, and found a student reading the St. Andrews assigned reading (A Long, Long, Way by Sebastian Barry). Julie, and I spent the next 20ish hours together and were matched up randomly as roommates for three days in Edinburgh. We live in seperate residences, and spent the first week here away from one another to meet other students. Now, we get together probably twice a week and love that we are integrated and have met plenty of other students.
Tonight we had another family-like party. It was incredibly fun again and I brought Julie along with the hopes of finding her a Dad. Julie has a mum already, but has been hoping to complete her parental structure. As for that,
MISSION. ACCOMPLISHED.
After some mingling and talking to new people at said party, I brought Julie to the Dad I most hoped for her...my infamous and amazing...Uncle Henry. After a hug and some small talk, my work began. I introduced both and spoke of both's strong qualities, and soon, it was a done deal. Quite simple, actually.
I am not only pumped that Julie has such a wonderful father (who by the way, recently became my back-up Father if my (academic) father is ever absent), but am pumped to be cousins with Julie! Julie has joined an amazing family, and for that, it has been a fun and exciting evening. :)
Ohh and P.S. More photos:
The 'PH' as referenced in an earleir post. DO NOT STEP ON. (If a a student at St. Andrews that is....belief is that one will fail one's final exams and degree) Here, Patrick Hamilton (a student of the University) was burned at the stake after being accused of heresy as a protestant reformer in 1528.
Supposedly, Hamilton's face has appeared in this chapel wall directly above where he was killed....I have yet to find it. Ohh, and it's not the purposefully carved face at the bottom of the left column unfortunately...
Reads: 'The initials on the pavement nearby mark the spot where Patrick Hamilton, member of the University was burned at the stake on 29 February 1528, at the age of 24. On the continenet he had been greatly influenced by Martin Luther, and on his return to St. Andrews he began to teach Lutheran doctrines, having been tried and found guilrt of herest. He was condemned to death. Thus becoming the first martyr of the Scottish reformation.'
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