Local?

Things that have made me feel like a "local" here in Edinburgh during the last couple of weeks:

1. Knowing which way to look when I cross the street.
2. Being the first pedestrian gutsy enough to cross that crazy intersection between Shandwick and Princes Street, before the green light comes on. There is so much satisfaction in being able to call it before anyone else.
3. Putting my debit card in the right direction at the grocery shop. 
4. Using a debit card that is officially a "Royal Bank of Scotland" card and having the clerk ask me each time if I want cash back. They don't do that for foreign/tourist plastic, mind you.
5. Seeing prices at the Scotmid or Somerfield grocery shop and thinking "hey I could get the for more than 50P cheaper at Sainsbury or Asda". 
6. Knowing which stop to get off of the bus on without pestering the bus driver when I pay my fare.
7. Finding shortcuts to different places.
8. Running and not getting lost or thinking "woops! this is way further than I thought!"
9. Getting annoyed with tourists taking pictures when I am walking on George IV Bridge, Royal Mile, Princes Street Gardens, etc as I am walking to campus/library/etc.
10. Having a couple of Italians ask me directions to the Dean Gallery on the Queensferry Bridge during my walk home from work on Monday, and knowing where to tell them to go.

Useful hints/tricks to use when getting adjusted to local life here:

1. When you aren't sure when to cross a busy street but can't be bothered to wait for the green light, watch for someone bold to bolt across and stay in stride with them. Business men are usually pretty good at it. Careful to follow one of the many NEDS into the traffic though - they usually end up getting honked at. If you are the cautious type, look for a parent/child minder pushing a wee babe in a pram or buggy. They are always a safe bet to tag along with, for obvious reasons. 
2. Buy a city map and loose the self-conscious attitude about using it, even if you clearly look like you are lost.
3. If the bus driver is brusque with you about pointing out the right stop (you can never tell if they will oblige you or be super annoyed), there is almost always a local who will proudly keep you oriented. As long as you respected the bus queue at the bus stop, fellow riders can't bring themselves to hold anything against you.
4. Develop a thick skin (this has been particularly important for the sensitive likes of me). These Scots will not mince words with you. If you annoy them or do something wrong, they will let you know outright. Still, they will rarely hold something against you after the fact. It can be quite refreshing at times.