Maya Angelou

I was fifteen when I read I Know why the Caged Bird Sings. It was a self-chosen book in my tenth grade American Literature class. I think I chose the book partly for the mystery of the title, partly for an interest in the auto-biography of Maya Angelou's youth and teenage years, I had never heard of Angelou before, but African American literature had always resonated with me. I remember reading Langston Hughes and Toni Morrison a few years earlier and had long felt passionate about equal rights, diversity and the civil rights movement.

Angelou's auto-biography remained with me in the coming years. Vivid descriptions of her childhood in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas and later, San Francisco felt familiar yet so foreign, as she writes of the poverty she was engulfed in in the Jim Crow-era south. Woven throughout is her strength and resilience.

As a recent graduate, life lately has been busy, full of commitments, ideas and plans, but little structure and organization. Each morning is a bit different, and lately I've been thinking of the overarching goal for each day, going forward. To admire and remember the past, but to focus on what lies ahead, remain committed to move in a positive direction. When I read of Maya Angelou's death yesterday, I thought of what she achieved in her life, of how far forward she progressed, of the literature, poetry, and life she spread to the world, and the benefit the world received.

Flavors of Scotland

the North Sea, St. Andrews, Scotland

It felt right to write about Scottish food and drink. I cooked for myself while living in Scotland, which granted me choice and control over what I ate, but I tasted and observed a fair amount of British food too. I don't see British and Scottish food as too separate, but because I ate and lived in Scotland, I'm tempted to label it as Scottish food for this post.

On the second day of my recent visit, my friend Joy turned 21! There was a traditional high tea in the afternoon and a Scottish meal in the evening at a local restaurant. By this point in the journey, I had no negative feelings towards Scottish food, and hadn't really noticed the transition from American food towards slightly blander foods. By the end of my journey though, days later, I was massively missing spice, flavor and salads. There is very tasty British/Scottish food; soft fruits (raspberries and blackcurrants, especially), along with scones, tea and certainly fish and chips seem to taste better grown or made in the U.K., but the food does seem to lack spices. This seems to have been realized and nearly solved though, as all types of curries are popular now in the U.K., and since the late 1990's, chicken tikka masala has consistently ranked unofficially as Britain's favo(u)rite and most popular dish. While popular, I don't see Indian food as ever quite making the leap to being defined as British, or served alongside fish or meat pies. I found during my year there, that it was most often pizza, black beans, salads and salsa that I missed the most. When in the U.S., it was the Scottish salmon and scones I missed the most.

High tea, May 17. I mistook the bowl of clotted cream for a larger-than-average bowl of soft butter for nearly the full afternoon. Despite the confusion, my scone tasted great!

For dinner, after bread and butter were served, appetizers including haggis (left), chicken and mackerel (right), salami, sausages, cheese, smoked salmon and rocket (also known as watercress) were served. The salmon was delicious! The servers were so friendly too, and the restaurant was in a beautiful location of town.

When the main courses were brought, several large bowls of roasted vegetables and potatoes were served along with mustard seed-infused mashed potatoes which the woman serving them described as "mustard mash." :) Two main dishes, rabbit linguine and duck confit were brought and served among everyone. I enjoyed the duck, but after a childhood of rabbits as pets, struggled to try the rabbit linguine. 

Later that evening, I met up with Miriam and several of her friends along the North Sea. We stopped for a drink at a golfer's pub where I enjoyed Pimm's and Lemonade (known as sprite in the U.S.) Pimm's is a British liqueur made from gin with several infused herbs and citrus. I don't quite know how to describe the taste, but it's always served with sprigs of mint and cucumber and often raspberries, strawberries and slices of apple. It's commonly served in the summer at British garden parties.

Mmmmm…it was so refreshing.

Hope and I after ping pong. :)

Later that evening, we attended a party along the coast where ping pong and laughter occurred.

A Return to Scotland

St. Andrews, Scotland.

Recently, I visited Scotland. The visit was beautiful. I hadn't expected much for the trip but knew what I strongly hoped for -- plenty of time with lots of friends, ample laughter and a good chunk of exploration, but I was afraid to expect any of it. I knew that the majority of those I hoped to see were students and most were still in the midst of exams. I knew Scotland might be cold and rainy and that St. Andrews had likely changed in the last twelve months, I knew too, that I had changed. I had graduated three days before and while post-grad life didn't feel too different, I was returning to a university town that had shaped me in the middle of my university experience.

Boston's international terminal, May 15

I flew overnight and arrived in Dublin at 5 a.m. Irish time. I was sleepy and dizzy and quickly made my way towards my flight to Edinburgh. A short time later, I arrived in Edinburgh. From above, Scotland's capitol city didn't appear as green as Dublin's had, but it looked familiar. I took two buses northwards, and realized suddenly that the bus driver was driving on the opposite side of the road. I woke up at each stop, fearful that I might sleep through the St. Andrews stop and found that I was struggling to understand the Scottish and English accents.

Once in St. Andrews, I made my way to my friend Lydia's house in the center of town, where I would be staying. I met a friend for coffee late that morning which was so fun. I realized too, that I had forgotten bits of British English over the last year. Words and phrases took longer to understand as I realized that I was more American than I had been a year ago. I had adjusted to the U.S. over the past 12 months after 8 months away. The British English, social queues and British culture I had worked to adapt to had faded away. 

Shortly after noon, I made my way to the medical school, where Lydia and 7 or 8 other friends were just finishing their final exams. They were all finishing their third year of medical school (the U.K. is on a 6-year medical school system, with students permitted to begin as early as 17 or 18 and St. Andrews only teaching the first 3 years as there is no teaching hospital nearby). It's a St. Andrean tradition that students are "soaked" with buckets of water immediately after finishing their final exams. I had promised these friends I would attend their soakings with my own water in tow and was told that as a recent graduate, I should expect similar treatment. 

When I arrived at the medical school, I found more than a hundred students gathered in a back courtyard. Exitting the back of the building to join them, drops of water began to hit my head from above. When I looked up to the third floor balcony, I found the school's professors pouring the water. :) I wandered around for a bit before finding friends. Many hugs proceeded with excitement and a bit of water as we waited for the final round of students to exit the building. When they made their way out, pouring and splashing and screaming began. Few were safe. With my passport and several other important items with me, I kept myself as dry as necessary, but knew it was the time and place to embrace the soaking.

Medical school professors watching and leading the soakings.

Han being soaked. :)

Nages, myself and Siti. 

Photo by and courtesy of Alex Longson.

Photo by and courtesy of Alex Longson.

After a nap, I met up with a friend for tea, and another friend for dinner before a super early bedtime. I slept for fourteen hours, and woke in the center of a town that taught me so much. Despite the sleepiness of my first day in St. Andrews, I realized strongly that the university and setting served me more positively than any place has before. The academic and social university experience along with the physical beauty of the location offered equal amounts of reflection, education and relaxation. Yet I realized too, that in the last 12 months I spent in the U.S., I learned that the U.S. will likely be the place for me. Travel and foreign study are hugely beneficial and rewarding, as well as hugely challenging at times, yet these experienced tend to shape and define us. 

By the second day, I blended in more and began to adapt to how I once lived. The day consisted of more conversations and laughter with friends, walking along the North Sea, high tea, a celebratory birthday dinner and a party along the coast where the sky stayed light until 10 p.m. At the party, I played ping pong and drank rosé wine with friends. Laughter and dancing proceeded. I ran into my academic brother and he told me proudly that he had adopted five children last fall, saying, "Liz, you're an aunt!" It was exciting news.

Friday morning, May 17, low tide on the North Sea

Miriam and I

To be Continued… 

Back to Where it all Began

This evening, I fly back to where this blog began. Scotland!

The trip is a graduation gift, and will be part fun, part business, but mostly fun. I'll be there about a week, and will be traveling a bit in Scotland and northern England, but am really looking forward to staying with friends in St. Andrews, of walking through the town, of being by the North Sea again, the gardens, the cobblestones and architecture and beauty. I'm expecting a reunions with friends and a bit of laughter in there too. I'm traveling light, without my computer or many electronics. Just a large backpack of clothes and shoes, and a purse filled with a camera, two books, and a journal and pen.

A Beautiful Ending

I graduated from college a couple of days ago. It was joyous and bittersweet. It was a full week of excitement and fun and everything went so fast. It was wonderful to have close and extended family see where I've lived for three years, and the weather was beautiful.

Shortly after graduating, Mother's Day

I've been home for two days now, and it doesn't quite feel real. So many memories continue to arrive after the laughter of last week, the jokes and ideas and late-night conversations feel paused, not finished.

Maura, myself and Katie, Lake Champlain, Friday night

One of my favorite quotes has been in my head the past few days: "For the fortunate among us, there is the temptation to follow the easy and familiar path of personal ambition and financial success, so grandly spread before those who have the privilege of education. But that is not the road history has marked out for us." -- Robert F. Kennedy, South Africa, 1966

Marlee and I

My Dad and I

This evening, I drove to the town I grew up in, and when I was finished with my activity, I drove past the areas I hadn't seen in awhile, the toy shop where I worked at 17, the high school I attended, the baseball diamond where I played church softball, the park, the summer camp. I found that like listening to music, the sight of these places brought forth so many memories.

Humidity, Nostalgia, & the End

It's been humid lately. The air has been heavy with rain storms arriving each afternoon. My 1 or 2 p.m. outdoor jogs this week haven't always ended before the skies opened. The rainstorms remind me of summer, despite that the flowers have barely arrived and the leaves haven't grown, the rainstorms are welcome, the air smells fresh.

Essex, Vermont, May 2nd.

I finished my college education this morning. I'll graduate this week and I don't think it's hit me that I'm finished. I had a few assignments left for this past week and probably could have completed them all on Tuesday or Wednesday but wanted to space them out over four or five days. I was afraid to end too soon, to have leftover time and need to say goodbye to assignments and college work too soon.

In the process, I thought about nostalgia and memories. Both are beautiful and happy, as if the positivity at the end erases any negativity during. I loved my college experience. I've loved the last four years, yet the last seven days have been so filled with laughter, fun and excitement. They don't reflect the last four years that they're a celebration of, it's as if the quiet days aren't memorable, yet together, they formed the celebration.

At a Kentucky Derby celebration yesterday.

While driving this evening, words spoken in a 1966 political speech remained in my head. "For the fortunate among us, there is the temptation to follow the easy and familiar paths of personal ambition and financial success, so grandly spread before those who have the privilege of education. But that is not the road history has marked out for us." --Robert F. Kennedy, South Africa, June 6, 1966 

A small selection of the staples I removed from the academic papers, assignments and readings I recycled this afternoon.

My dorm room wall. :)