Happy 4th from Scotland!

Though I am living in a land of great freedom and beauty, I did have a few waves of homesickness flood in yesterday. Not to worry though, it turns out that a couple of great friends and a bucket of fried chicken can cure anything that ails ya on the July 4th. A good thing too, because I am learning that you can find great friends and KFC pretty much anywhere in the world.

Royal Tailgating...

...or Fancy a Blue, White and Red party?

It is the Royal Wedding Eve! It does seem that there is at least as much talk about it over on the Stateside of the pond as there is here in Scotland. Still, we have had a fair share of William and Kate's pic plastered all over mugs, postcards, and "Quiksilver" gambling houses.

I scored a bit of luck housekeeping one day when a tour group left behind a couple of mugs in their rooms after checking out. My boss let me keep the first one, as she was doing beds with me that day, but luckily she secured her free mug a few rooms later. Perfect for a royal cuppa tea!

On telly today, all of my "Bargain Hunters", "Save My Holiday" and "Homes Under the Hammer" programmes were replaced with LIVE footage of people camping out on the Thames and outside Westminster Abbey in Britain coloured hats (worthy of the Kentucky Derby). The Regis and Kathy Lee London equivalents speculated over tea, finger sandwiches and fairy cakes about what Kate's dress will look like and how Prince William will manage to carefully cover his bald spot (apparently something he is quite sensitive about...).

Though I had little interest up until this point about the whole thing, I have to say that I started to get a bit caught up in all the talk and paused a few moments between stripping beds and turning on the hoover to see what details they would share from what they knew. I think the same thing is happening with the Scots, in spite of themselves. If you ask whether or not they care the response tends to be something like "Ah...I didnae care really. It's just a silly English thing". Still, from what I gather, my boss is going to a hat party with her friends tomorrow to watch the coverage, the restaurant manager will have the telly going all day to keep tabs on the goings on and in the words of Matt's supervisor at the National Library of Scotland "I have mixed feelings about the monarchy but I won't argue with a day off".

I say cheers to William and Kate as I'll be enjoying that extra bank holiday while on the continent in Holland's tulip fields next week!  It seems fitting too as what is more British than enjoying a good and proper holiday?

Holiday in London Town

4 stellar, adventure-filled days in London for under 200 pounds? Yes please. Matt and debated about taking the trek down over and over. "There is so much Scotland you can see for the amount you would spend for London." I think we were underestimating the fun we would have and over estimating the cost though. I will say we cheated a bit as I my ever-lovin' friend Ruth got us the "hook-ups" for a place to stay, as her parents live in South Kensington. They are at the centre of everything! Well, that is not true, they are at the centre of lots of things. The thing is, it turns out that London is so so enormous and dense that it is really impossible to be at the centre of everything. Still, being a stone's throw from Hyde Park, the Victoria and Albert Museum (we sounded like proper locals and were calling it the "V&A" by the end:) and just a few blocks more from the most incredibly life-changing French bakery as "Paul" (the sell those delectable macaroons!), and Harrod's! Oh Harrod's! I get ahead of myself though. Let me get oriented here. Always the best thing to do when exploring a new place.

Here is London:

Here is the area where we stayed:

Yep. London is so so big. There is no way to wrap your mind around it. You really have to think of it as something like multiple cities all pushed together. As overwhelming as it can be initially, the Tube is slick and efficient and there is just loads to do there.

So what did we choose to do with just the 3 1/2 days we had? After a leisurely 5 hour train ride along the West Coast of England, stopping in idyllic places like "Berwick Upon Tweed" and the historic York, we found our way from King's Cross Station to South Kensington. Our gracious host mum, as I will call her, got us oriented and turned over all of her maps, Rick Steve's travel guides, and membership passes for us to use over the next few days (she had her hosting down to a science!) then led us in the direction of Hyde Park to start our exploring.

Hyde Park was marvelous in spite of the cold, windy greeting it gave us (still warmer than Edinburgh afterall - it was snowy sleet when we left). Highlights included the intriguing sculpture they had by the Serpentine Pond,

and a crazy fast and nimble skateboarder who was showing off his mad skills with cones he wove in and out of in the centre bicycle path. It was mind bending.

With the wee bit of exploring time we had left, Matt and I headed over to this "Harrod's" we kept hearing about. Afterall, it seems that everything in the UK, aside from Boots pharmacy, supermarkets, and apparently Harrod's are closed by 6pm. What to say about Harrod's?

That's marzipan, mind you, not real fruit!

But these are all dates.

Luckily, taking pictures at Harrod's is free, because everything else is like a billion pounds. Turns out I could afford a cupcake with some tip money I made from housekeeping though!

The next day brought an interview for Matt at the Lincoln's Inn library.

He looked smart. I was proud of him in spite of the fact that he doesn't think he will get it. What will be will be. In the meantime, they "reimbursed" him for his 80pound train ticket - like I said, we kinda cheated on keeping our funds unbelievably low for the holiday. PS If you want an explanation on what the Lincoln's Inn is, you will have to go to Matt, I don't understand the difference between a barister and a solicitor in the rest of the law system in the UK. Apparently you do need to understand what all of these are because I have had things explained to me like 5 times and I still don't get it.

Onward we go! Lunch gave me the opportunity to change Matt's life with his first taste of a French macaroon, pistachio flavoured. We made the mistake of only buying one and we kinda fought over it a bit. Next time we were sure to buy 2.

Then a quick stop and the nerdy-fun museum on 221b Baker's Street.

Not sure what was more fun, Matt trying on a bowler in the gift shop

or seeing all the campy set-ups in the museum.

Who needs Madame Tussaud's when you have waxy re-enactments of Sherlock Holme's stories?

And somewhere in there we found our way to the Tower of London.

The next day brought a much anticipated trip for me to the Tate Modern gallery.

It was everything I hoped for too! Matt was a sport and let me share all of my "insights" and wandering thoughts about any of the pieces that struck me in there. A couple of times he even would add, "is that a Georges Braque over there?" or "This must be an earlier Pollock, don't you think?" And to think he told me "I am pretty dense when it comes to art" when we first started dating. Visiting this museum may have been just about my favourite thing of the whole trip. Such a playful collection of modern and contemporary pieces, no snobbery needed to appreciate it.

My favourite piece? Could have been the blocks of wood carved into trees and then place in the gallery space. Clever concept, don't you think?

Then it was lunch in Borough's magnificent Market. Oh the wonder!

Hot Raclette cheese sandwhiches anyone?

I am still amazed I was able to make a decision in time to catch our ferry around the River Thames. Do you see the remarkable selection of Turkish Delight? Can you believe those billowy magnificent meringues?

Indeed our boat ride kept us on track with our time. A good thing too because there was much to see while cruising around the Thames. Thank goodness the weather was a wee bit more forgiving that day. Such fun using our new camera on the sites too.

Our big splurge of the trip was forgoing the 16 pound entrance fee to Westminster Abbey. Afterall, the outside was cool and the gift shop is free to wander and filled with loads of "William and Kate" paraphanelia to keep the tourist crowd occupied. Instead we opted for a go up the London Eye with some Austin friends of yore, who are now proper London, UK folk. We all agreed it was a great way for us Sweeneys to end the London adventures.

So yeah, if you have the notion that somehow London shouldn't make it on the travel itinerary whilst living in the UK, you would be wrong indeed. In spite of the 8pounds a day for the Tube (just traveling in Zones 1&2 of the 5!) and the fact that many ticket kiosks say prominently and unappologetically says "THIS MACHINE DOES NOT ACCEPT SCOTTISH POUNDS", London is one swell place indeed. In fact it is like a dozen swell places, all in one. It is so huge! I already said that I know but I thought I should drive the point home. Huge and perfect for a March holiday, it turns out.

Housekeeping phonetics...

Between my Scottish boss, my Polish co-workers and my American self, I have learned three different pronunciations of the word duvet.

Scottish/British pronunciation: DOO-vee

(As in "do you you know how Scottish vampires say small? It's vee!)

Polish pronunciation: DOO-vette

(As in "do you go to the vet when your dog is ill?")

American pronunciation: Doo-VEY

(As in "do you know how the French pronounce Duvet?)

The thing about it is that all are considered perfectly acceptable pronunciations where I work. I am actually quite keen on using all three types in one day, just for variety sake. And if you make more than a dozen beds in one day, you can bet that you get the chance to talk about single Doovees, double Doovettes and king size Duveys.

Nigella Wisdom

I liked Nigella Lawson before I came to the UK but after getting a bit of flavour from her general neighbourhood, I have to say that I love her good and proper now. I love her ideas about food and indulgence, her rich desserts and literary descriptions of why they are beautiful, how impulsive and impatient she gets to eat what she is making, her full figure that reflects her passion for good food. What I think I love most though is how she articulates and truly lives all that I feel about cooking, eating and enjoying good food.

A couple of my favourite quotes of hers:

"I absolutely love this dessert [I think it was a lemon pie she was doting over]. You know when it is finished when you shake it and it gives you a cheeky wiggle."

"What I'm doing here is seeking to offer protection from life, solely through the means of potato, butter and cream... there are times when only mashed potato will do."



There is nothing more comforting to me than an episode of Nigella Lawson. So many things in a daily routine can be unpleasant. Life can demand so much sometimes. But, as depraved as it may seem, really good food can make up a lot of the difference for me. Nigella understands this the same as I do. She understands that when I have to wake up to an alarm to get me ready for a day of housekeeping and rainy weather, it is the thought of a thick piece of toast smeared in an unholy amount of Nutella that gets me up without complaint. There are a handful of other things that get me out of bed (luckily one of them is a good hard swim/run that can help counteract such excess). Still, I feel unappologetic about enjoying good and, at times, unforgivably superfluous food.* I am surprised that it is the gaunt ndrew Bird who coined the phrase "I am all for moderation but sometimes it seems moderdation itself can be kind of extreme". My hat off to this British lady who taught me that the way to become a domestic goddess is to embrace the rich bounty this earth yields in all kinds of great baking, cooking, recipes, and of course eating. I can't think of a healthier way of life than this philosophy really.

My one lingering question though, and at times frustration, is how she finds such unique ingredients in a British supermarket? I have yet to find chocolate chips (only exorbitantly priced "chocolate buttons") or a tin of diced green chilis in a store here....

*Don't get me wrong, I relish a colourful salad with restrained amounts of dressing or a well roasted trio of veg. These are nice parts of my day as well. But, for my temperament, they can never make up for a missed "pudding".

This is England

Can't recommend it to one and all, the language may just be too unforgivable for that. Still, I can't say I regret seeing it. Three cheers for Matt fanagaling an override on our IP address location - Netflix instant queue prevails over the pond! And it gave us some good semi-local flavour tonight for some birthday "night at the movies" on William Street.

If you can't abide the language and the not so wee bit of violence, let me just give you the best parts here. Play these clips consecuatively. Even if you never been a rude boy or spent a good season of your life being keen on anything The Specials, I think that there is still something in these 5+ minutes for you to appreciate.

Scot's Poetry!

And just in Time for Burns Supper Season! Turns out that one of the quickest ways to shirk off a lonely, homesick bug is to get involved in a good volunteering programme....or 2...or 3... Of course, helping out with the Rainbow Girlguides has been great fun on Tuesday nights but I needed to get my fix of library work. So I am now a volunteer "IT Buddy" as well as a volunteer with the Read Aloud programme through the Edinburgh Public Library. The former position will pair me up with older folk who need a wee bit more help with their technology skills. I work one on one with them to help with anything from learning how one operates a mouse effectively to setting up and using an email account. I am told that "patience" is key but all the same I think that it sounds like a great chance to get to know these unique people that make up Edinburgh.

I just finished with the Read Aloud orientation tonight and I am excited. The programme is set up for a volunteer or two to go with a library staff member into care/nursing homes to read people with memory problems different poems. There is a theme for each visit, sometimes props and pictures as well as conversation prompts to get people responding to the poetry. We practiced tonight, and although I stuck with the trusty e.e. cummings poems I found, it was marvelous to hear some real authentic Scottish poetry from these different members of my current community.

One of the poems read tonight called "Kidsong/Bairnsong" by Liz Lochhead conjured up some interesting conversation about the old "Scot" language. Click here if you want the poetress herself to read it to you (the poem bit starts at about 2:10). This poem is "a wee bilingual poem" as it is first written in Scot and then in "English", with a stanza of reflection at the end about trying to write poetry in an unnatural forced language that is not your own (in this case, "English"). Many tonight pointed out that school children were beaten by their headmasters and poets frowned upon at one time for speaking or writing in Scot. I realized tonight, after some real good flavour of this rich language and culture, what a sad world it would be though if this unique way of expression had been lost through these oppressions. It indeed takes a Utahn/Texan like myself some time to get my mind around the descriptions and follow the narratives but no matter how little I understand, the ride is great fun.

And another favourite of mine from the evening was read by a dear older lady sitting next to me. She stood up and read this very animated poem, playing up her brogue quite a lot. Indeed, in some ways this poem is hard to follow but truly I think every parent can relate, even if they don't speak proper Scot.

A Dug! A Dug!

by Billy Keyes

Hey, Daddy, wid ye get us a dug ?
A big broon alsation ur a wee white pug ?
Ur a skinny wee terrier, ur a big fat collie?
Aw, daddy,get us a dug.  Will yi ?

Whit! An' whose dug'll it be when it durties the flerr,
An' wets the carpet and messes the sterr?
Its me ur yer mammy'll be tane furra mug.
Away oot'n play.  Yer no getting a dug.

But daddy thur gi'en them away
Down therr at the RSPCA.
Yu'll get wan fur nothin, so ye will.
Aw. Daddy, get us a dug, Will ye?

Dji hear um?  Oan aboot dugs again?
Ah think that yins goat dugs'n the brain.
Ah know whit yu'll get: a skite oan the lug
If ah hear ony merr aboot this bloomin dug.

Aw, Daddy, it widny be dear tae keep
An'ah'd make it a basket fur it tae sleep.
An'ah'd take it fur runs away ower the hull.
Aw, Daddy, get us a dug.  Will ye?

A doan't think thurs embdy like you:
Yi could wheedle the twist oot a flamin' corkscrew.
Noo! Get doon aff my neck.  Gies nane a yur hugs.
Aw right.  THAT'S ANUFF. Ah'll get yi a dug.


Aw Daddy.  A dug. A dug.

English Speaking?

It's "Programme" not "Program"

It's "Enquiry" not "Inquiry"

It's "Flavour" not "Flavor

"Colour" not "Color"

"Humour" not "Humor"

"Favour" not "Favor"

It's "Centre" not "Center"

"Enrol" not "Enroll"

and perhaps the most surprising..

It's "Tyre" not "Tire"

High faluting fun in Oxford.

To fend off them January blues, I planned myself a solo trip to go visit my dear pal Mary down in Oxford. It was a holiday filled with great company, adventure, food and even moments of intrigue and adventure. And all at an affordable price! (which is no doubt attributed to having an “in” with someone who knows how to sneak a visitor into dining halls and college courtyards like a proper bandit - more on that later). Although my notion to head south came first from my interest in some quality time with a longtime friend, I have to say the sites speak for themselves as well.  As I begin my train ride home right now from our adventures, I feel I must give Oxford two decisive thumbs up as far as travel destinations go.

Our escapades began on Friday afternoon when I arrived at the Oxford station after six hours of reading and staring out at passing pastoral landscapes of the Lake District. I arrived in time to take a brief run through the Ashmolean Museum and take in some marvelous ancient curiosities, including a Minoan Octopus Vase that brought back all kinds of forgotten knowledge from my Greek Art class of yore.

Then it was off to "sneaking" into dinning hall at Magdalen College for dinner. The thing is, Mary's college has its own dinning hall but apparently it doesn't even hold a torch to the Magdalen experience, indeed the girl has snuck in more than once. This is how it was to play out: "Okay, Cate.", Mary explained under her breath as she led our speedy walk towards campus, "just don't say anything and let me flash my student card. I'll just tell the cashier that I want to pay for both of us. Just follow my lead and pretend you know what you are doing." I followed these commands the best I could, all the while trying to fight a smile from sweeping across my non-Oxfordstudent face. The thrill made me want to laugh out loud, but that could have ruined everything. I tried to keep myself looking very sober minded.

In the end, that Mary pulled the heist off like a real natural. Very impressive for the normally prudent and academically conscious person she is. I was glad for it too, as it was much more that I had even hoped for. In the beginning, I couldn't see how this would offer much more interest than my days of having someone treating me to waffles in BYU Cannon Center. Don't get me wrong, getting to make my own hot Belgian waffle at 4pm is a real treat, but this was a few steps up from even that, to be sure. At the risk of sounding utterly cliche, American, and un-cultured all at once, it was like eating onset of a Harry Potter filming. Check it out:

Turns out that I had good reason for thinking that as this place was first sought after for the Harry Potter dinning scenes but the college refused. No doubt they rue that judgment call as Christ Church, the college where it was filmed, rakes it in from all the visitors that pay to see it.

The next day included lots of great touring through different colleges and libraries,

Mary in front of "All Souls" college - the most elite of them all!

 There were so many pretty courtyards we walked through.

The "Oxford Eye" Library - not even money will get you in there. Students only.

Courtyard and dinning hall of the "Harry Potter" college (Christ Church). For the record, this dinning hall pic is from an online image search since my pics didn't at all do justice to the place.

The day also included a walk through the marshes behind Christ Church college. Mary got devious again, and there was even some fence climbing so I think we really did see most of what there was to see around the place. It was gloomy lovely.



That evening included another sneak in to Magdalen dinning hall and a concert at this place.

Our adventuring went a bit too far though when somehow Mary realized she didn't have her keys once we got back to her flat. After retracing our steps and searching the concert hall to no avail, Mary cheerily pointed out "Really these stone steps here are well lit and would probably be safe enough if we needed to sleep there." Although my humour had not failed me through it all, I am told I was poker faced when I said, "Um...I am not keen on sleeping on the Oxford streets in the middle of January. What is plan A, B, C, and D?" We were probably on about plan F when we found ourselves getting a lift to a nice ward family's home around midnight. The only real penance we had to pay for our misfortunes beyond blistered feet and some waiting around the next day for campus security to find the master key, among what seemed like hundreds of choices was that I had to wear my concert going trousers to church. My casual church clothes, and with the help of Mary's introduction to me in Relief Society as "a good friend of mine who is visiting", I got all kinds of arms of fellowship reached out to me until I made a comment in class that used the terminology "personal revelation". Once I dropped that and some other Mormonese terms, people seemed to stop treating me like an investigator.

In the end I have to say that Oxford is one heckuva place to visit, with much to see and do. Still, I would recommend that to maximize your traveling adventures in those parts, you really ought to find yourself a Mary to add that extra flavour and grandeur to your experience.