Monday 8 March 2010

WELL.  I think I should first send out a small apology for not updating this as often as, apparently, I should.  I was unaware that this was, oh what's the word, popular?  Not to go all High School on everyone...  So, to please my adoring fans (Yes, this really IS going to my head) , I will tell you the tale of Pancake Day.

See, not only to the Scots erect statues to honor not only kings and queens but WRITERS, invent the television and the bicycle, but they have come up with quite possibly the best idea on earth.  Here in Scotland they have.....

NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY.

What, you ask, is NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY?  It is the day when the entire Island of Great Britain gathers around their stoves and dinner tables to make and then consume PANCAKES.  No banks close, no addresses are made by the President to tell us something or another that we really don't care about and quite honestly are annoyed by because it's cutting into the first 20 minutes of "Dancing with the Stars", it's just a nationally recognized holiday where the Scottish eat pancakes for supper.  And it is GLORIOUS.
My host mom had me and Shannon and Jessica, two other girls from the palace who also have Sheila as a host mom, over for this wondrous occasion.  I ate more pancakes that I'd like to admit, and I decided that the US could stand to take a page out of Scotland's book; and get us some NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY.

Now what would you all say if I told you the past couple of weeks had been uneventful? You wouldn't believe me, would you? That is because you are all smart people. And because the past couple of weeks haven't been uneventful.

This weekend I went to a Kate Nash concert in Glasgow. I went with Becca J, Libby, Cassie and Emily Carlson (also known as Carlsberg). The five of us went with honestly a bit of apprehension because the day before when we had gone shopping there was a little bit of tension. (I got a DARLING little dress, it's got an orange and blue patterned skirt and a cream t-shirt like top and it looks REALLY good on me. Like I'm surprised I looked so good it looks that good on me.) I think the issue was we all were used to our friends at home, and THEIR humor, so we just had to get used to each other. We took the train to Glasgow and let me tell you, I am good at trans. I can get my ticket, find the platform, board, and make sure I'm getting off at the right stop like a pro. Seriously, I could probablly teach classes in train riding because I'm that good at it. The ride to Glasgow is about an hour from Edinburgh Waverly, the main train station in Edinburgh, and when we got there it was fairly early and we couldn't check into our hostel yet.

I'm going to take a break in the story to once again assure all of you that hostels are not the scary, bedbug infested, murderer inhabiting places that movies make them out to be. The one in Glasgow was really a hotel but with bunk beds and you don't know who your roomates are. Emily and I were in a room with two, as I discovered from a book left on a table, French girls! I don't know if they were Canadas or Genuine Frenchies, but they spoke francais and that's that.

We left our bags in the bag check room thing they have there and took a train to Paisley to go to Paulo Nutini's parent's fish and chips shop. I didn't know who Paulo Nutini was. I'm still pretty sure if you showed me a picutre of him I'd be like, ah, who IS that? But Emily LOVES him. So much that she dragged us to Paisley to eat at his parent's fish and chips shop. It was good food though, and reminded me of Friday night fish fries, except here instead of tartar sauce they give you brown sauce. I don't know what's in brown sauce, but it's as brilliant as Pancake Day. We met our Scottish professor, Mooney there and we did our best sucking up and he said “Donkey” like Shrek for us. It was really a very enjoyable little excursion. When we were done with lunch, and since we couldn't check into our rooms at the hostel in Glasgow until 3 we went to Paisley Abbey. It was amazing. It was the most beautiful church I've ever seen. The stained glass windows were magnificent and depicted a ton of different bible stories and were just beautiful. The Abbey itself was originally built in the 11th century, so the medieval literaturist in me was DYING!!!!!! I mean, when that building was built the people worshiping in it were making the pilgrimage to Canterbury and then INSPIRING CHAUCER'S BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!! And no, I could not have used any less exclamation points to emphasize that. I only wish you could have heard me yell it as I wrote it. One of the Megans certainly did. There was a tour guide at the Abbey who really knew his stuff and showed me a die from the same era found in an old drain next to the city. Again, I died from excitement. After the Abbey the girls and I went back to Glasgow (by train again) and set out shopping for something to wear to the concert. I had what I was going to wear packed along with me, but Becca J still needed something to wear. We spent like 3 hours in Primark which is the best store in the world. I got a nice pair of jeans for 4 pounds, which is like 7 dollars in the states. I also got a necklace to go with my dress and a pretty hair clip with feathers on it. Becca, Libby, and Cassie were no where near done shopping when Emily and I were DONE. We wanted to sit down and not move for a while so we decided to go out to eat and we'd meet the other three at the hostel to get ready. Well, we went to Pizza Hut. And let me tell you, it tasted like America. Emily and I split a supreme pizza and garlic stuffed mushrooms (something I'm pretty sure you CAN'T get in the States, but hey, Scottish Pizza Hut has to be somewhat classy) . It was DELICIOUS. We also tried barbeque chicken wings and practically cried because it reminded us of home. But they weren't spicy at all. Which was good for me, but sad for Em. I told you this to let you know that I'd actually commit murder for Taco Bell right now. MURDER. Later that night, after a few drinks at the Crystal Palace, I pointed out to the girls that Taco Bell is the perfect drunk food and that is TOTALLY marketable here. YOU HEAR THAT TACO BELL? GET THE FRICK OVER HERE!!! But I digress. The concert was marvelous. Kate Nash (She's a bit like Lily Allen, if you've heard of her. Otherwise youtube her. She's really cute and she was super nice and I got a t-shirt because I'm a college student and I don't have any concert tee's.) was so fun and taught us the lyrics of one of her new songs on the album that hasn't been released yet so we could sing along with her. The only problem was everyone there was like 16, and REALLY obnoxious. She had to tell the crowd to quiet down so she could sing a slower, quieter song. Which only added to how cute she is. After the concert the girls and I went to the aforementioned Crystal Palace, I had a bottle of VK Tropical, which is SOOO delicious and afterward we went to McDonald's and I had a cheeseburger and then a security guard was hitting on me and then I left and we saw Kate Nash's band walk by and we almost chased them down to go party with them but instead we went back to the hostel and I went to sleep. Done. And Print.

Sunday I spent receiving pretty yellow flowers from birthday boys and watching Harry Potter with a bunch of friends. And eating a Donner Kebab which is a lamb pita and it's so good and I also had two veg Samosas which are like spiced vegetable mash in a triangle egg roll, only Indian and not Chinese.

I will add quick before I run off to class (Mooney said SOMEONE got a 35/35 on their essay and I REALLY want it to be me) that I'm really sorry I was a bit M.I.A., especially with so many devoted readers (I just really want you all to know how much I appreciate you! And how cocky I'm getting) and I have practically an editor now (Mom) breathing down my neck to be sure that my adventures electronically cross the ocean for the enjoyment of others. So basically......... the next one won't take three weeks.

Fun Fact: Irn Bru is the favorite soda here. I think it tastes like bubble gum, Codey Hatfield (Nick's roomate) thinks it tastes delicious.

5 comments:

  1. The Editor is happy. Thank you.

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  2. Oh Issa, my comments are not showing up there.. BUMMER... I think we should have a national pancake day in the USA too.. I love your writings... Do you know why it is so hard to post comments to your blog?

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  3. My last post said something about you becoming a food conisiour (I may have hosed that spelling).
    I am so happy that you are having the time of your life.
    I would like to see a picture of your living quarters and your room mate and your host family.
    I think you must be planning a career in some kind of English/library scince, right?

    Well I have babbled here enough..

    I love you Issa

    Mamma

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  4. 2 months ago? Really? Pshaw.

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