Seriously Edinburgh?

Monday wasn’t exactly the best. My Starting to Write class met at the Scottish Poetry Library for class, which would have been cool, if my body hadn’t decided to rebel against me half way there. I walked the rest of the way anyway, only to not be able to actually find the place once I got where Google told me to go, which was when I realized that checking on three separate occasions to make sure you have your instructors’ cell (mobile) number right doesn’t do you any good if you forget to bring it.

I did run across this though, so the trip wasn’t a total bust. I’ve seen several examples of sidewalk chalk advertisement, but this is the most elaborate.

We made up the linguistics class we missed last week on Tuesday, and since I didn’t have anything immediately following class like usual I was able to go over to a friend’s flat for lunch. We ended up discussing her dissertation, which was on Scottish advertisement in print. I was rather surprised that I was able to help and provide insights despite having no background in communication or advertising.

Since we were having linguistics on a different day, we had class in a different room. Which was, of course, more pleasant than the room we normally have.

Since I’m a student at Napier as well as WOU right now, I got called to Napier’s version of an advisor meeting, which they call Personal Development Meetings. Turns out they have a graduate program for creative writing that seems to address all the reasons I avoided majoring in writing to begin with, despite it being my current goal career. Depending on how stressed out the future makes me, I might end up considering grad school.

Genre Writing had class at the National Portrait Gallery, so of course it was raining and awful and I felt miserable. At least I recognized the building when I got directions off Google, so even if I couldn’t make it to class, I can at least go on my own and try to make up something.

I was wondering what this building was…

And then Sunday was St. Patrick’s. Overall, pretty much the same as in the states, just without as much gaudy decorations. Which isn’t to say the gaudy decorations were entirely absent. Are felt Guinness hats a thing in the U.S.? ‘Cause they’re a thing here.

I went with another friend from linguistics to Malones, an Irish bar, seen here in the daylight. The music, lighting, and overall feel reminded me more of a club than a bar, which was strange given both what night it was, and the fact that the architecture and set up were very pub/bar. All of the pictures I took on the actual night ended up blurry because my camera hates me.