The People, Food, and Weather

So, of all the questions people ask me these are probably the ones I get most frequently. As a result I'll tell you about each and hopefully answer some questions you may or may not have already asked me! Let's start with the Scottish people...

Well, there is a lot to be said of the people I've met so far. The students at the university are pretty diverse. There are a lot of true Scottish kids that attend but there are also a lot of English students, some from Ireland, and many from different parts of Europe like Germany, France, and Finland just to name a few. There also seems to be quite a few Asian students here as well and many from Nigeria. As far as the Scottish students go though, they have all been very nice so far. I've met quite a few in class and what not, but I haven't really got to know as many as you would imagine and for obvious reasons. Many of the students in my classes are in their second year of school and have their own cliques of friends. Since I only have two classes I don't get too much of a chance to talk to that many other students especially since one of the classes is a larger lecture hall. However, I am slowly but surely meeting more. There are five other girls on my flat- one from Mexico and attending graduate school for Nutrition, one from Finland in her final year of school and they are both studying in Aberdeen for a year or so. There is one girl from the US in her first year and staying to complete all four years here. The other two girls are from Scotland and both in their first year. All of the girls have been great and we get along really well. So moving on from students to adults, the adults here are extremely nice. Everyone is super helpful especially the bus and train people. Even the taxi drivers are really great! Public transportation seems to be a much more respectable job in the UK, and you often see more middle class people working in these places. I really have nothing bad to say about the locals. I haven't had any bad encounters with rude people. They are polite, welcoming, and really very similar to people in the South...they open doors for you, greet you in the streets, almost even more polite than at home.
Now, it's time to discuss the food. Two words: meat and potatoes. Yes, that's right most of their traditional Scottish dishes involve these two ingredients. Haggis, neeps, and tatties is a very traditional meal and served in many restaurants and pubs. If you don't know what haggis is then I will let you look it up for yourself, however I must warn that it is not at all as bad as it sounds. I think the thought of it prevents people from trying it and if it is cooked right, it's delicious. I know it sounds disgusting, but I happen to really like it. Neeps are turnips which I apparently am not too fond of. Tatties are potatoes usually served similar to mashed potatoes but a little more clumpy. Mashed potatoes are simply called "mash" and of course both of these are very good. Another typical dish would be Shepherd's Pie, Minced Pie, or just about any other pie you could make with meat and potatoes. I have tried a pie with haggis and potatoes which I enjoyed, but I haven't tried any others yet. Salmon is served frequently as well and of course Fish and Chips. French fries or "chips" are served with just about everything! Black pudding is also a very traditional dish and also one that you can look up for yourself and be thoroughly grossed out at. I have not tried it though so I really have no opinion on the real taste of it. The oddest thing about their food is the combination of foods they put together. For example they serve coleslaw with a lot of stuff. It sits awkwardly on the side and is pretty gross really. They served baked beans with a lot of things too. They especially like beans and toast. And finally the one thing I find most disgusting is their use of sweetcorn in food. They put it in sandwiches and pizza as well as other weird things. I like corn but not the way they serve it with things. Indian food is an obsession in Scotland. It is similar to Mexican food in the states. Take-away or sit-in there are choices for both. It's not too bad I've tried it a couple of times. I prefer Mexican food but I do like it. That's about all I can say about their food for now, but if you have more questions then let me know!
The weather in Scotland began quite chilly and similar to home. The first month or so it would snow quite frequently and a coat was a must. The last few weeks have been quite nice however. The temperature is probably in the 40's which sounds much colder than it is. When the sun is out which it is a lot it's quite nice outside, but when the sun isn't out it is pretty chilly. I expected a lot more rain than what we have actually got. A lot of the rain comes from a drizzle instead of a downpour like at home so that might be why the rain doesn't really seem to bother me. It does rain at least 1-3 times a week but on the other days the sun is usually out. The weather will never get as warm as home and even by the time I leave the highest will probably be in the 60's somewhere. There is no humidity at all which is awesome!
Also, just to catch you up on my travels, I went to St. Andrews last weekend for the day which is south of Aberdeen between Dundee and Edinburgh. For those who don't know St. Andrews is often considered the "Home of Golf." The British Open will be held here this summer, and they are famous for the golf courses. The town itself was beautiful and one of my favorites. I initially went just to say I had gone and get some souvenirs, but it turned out to be much more than I could have expected. The golf courses were great and beautiful especially since they overlooked the beach and sea. There was also a cathedral of ruins also sitting near the coastline and was gorgeous as well as a castle. The coastline might have been the nicest I've seen so far. It's hard to explain so just enjoy the pictures of it. The town is a rich town which nice boutiques and cafes. St. Andrews University is also fairly well known and prestigious ranking just under Oxford and Cambridge. The campus was outstanding, and this is the university that Prince Harry attended. We didn't stay the night in the town instead just took the train down and back for the day. Before we left we did stop in a pub and watch the Scotland vs England rugby match which turned out to be a draw.
Well, enjoy the pictures and if you have any more questions about my travels or culture please feel free to ask!