Maggie in Hostel

Mauritius

We chatted last night with people we met in the hostel. We are one of the only girls staying at the hostel so we were recieving more attention than we probly deserve. We met these people from Mauritius (google it)...an island off of Africa which I only recently learned existed. Their families own a hotel and I am apparently welcome to stay there free accomadations so....anybody want to join me?

This is what it's all about-new accents, slang, and someone playing a guitar....kumbaya motherfucker.

Appy Nu Ear (CDC anybody?)

In an attempt to escape the mob scene of Edinburgh's New Year we migrated to Inverness via train. On the ride up we were next to these fun drunky young professionals who were helicopter pilots (I tried to convince them land on my roof to drop me off in 6 monthes but no can do). They were downright sloppy. One was named Gaz (nickname for Gary) and the other one we shall call Bad Teeth Blondie and an Irish chick named Su. The scenery was serene and I was struck how every country side is familiar to one another. The rolling hills, the chicken coops, sheep, and mud.

Gaz was trying to pick Maggie up with a cross aisle lean in then Bad Teeth takes a champagne cork and from point blank range chucks it at Gaz' eyeball. Direct hit. Gaz hardly flinches and simply shuts the wounded eye and continues with the macking as if it didn't happen but it must have hurt- it was simply classic. They cutely made us drinks we were trying to politely refuse it was inetible. The girl put the two VERY stiff drinks in our hand and said, "C'mon Get over it Girls....sort your lives out." It was 4:00 pm.

I am loving this book I am reading "Even Cowgirls get the Blues" by Tom Robbins. I recommend it to any and everybody. And I will probly be throwing some quotes in it later.

When we got in we took the first cab we have taken since coming here to our hostel. It was about a minute but I would have done it again in a heart beat. Apparently Scotland is hilly because it is on dorment volcanoes. The assymetry in the landscape keeps your eye busy...."the lumps the lovely land lumps check it outttt." You can imagine how it inspired golf.

We are staying at this cozy, adorable backpacker run hostel right near the water. It is very homey with a xmas tree, music, a fireplace, full kitchen, and connect four. I love it here. Iverness 4 Life.

Lucky Breaks

As we were bitching to one another about having to walk down this big hill to the train station a man overhears us and offers us a ride to Edinburgh through his tour bus for free- sweet! The bus was all Japanese and South American students who were cutely eager eyed. It was completely the opposite as the bus we took up to Stirling which we will refer to the death bus (everyone was over the age of 80). Not only did we get there faster but with history and a few picture stops included such as this big bridge.

On the ride over I saw my first black sheep. I didn't realize they existed I thought it was just a saying like a pink elephants.

I wore my j. crew sheep skin slippers all day everywhere we went. I got some strange looks from people but hey I'm serious about comfort and if Scotland didn't want me to wear my slippers as shoes they shouldn't have made the weather so sleepy.

You are what you own

The airport called to say they found my luggage but I didn’t have a mailing address for them to deliver my bag so that insured an unnecessary trip back to the Edinburgh airport. The sight of Maggie and I carrying our bags is really priceless. For every way that we are not awkward the other person is. Maggie’s weight is all on her back, which makes her, hunched over like a crippled person. And I have a lot of tiny lumpy bags that slip down as I walk- zippers open and all.

Can't wait to spread out and settle down somewhere.

Stirling's not better than gold

Stirling was regrettably a little bit of a sleeper town which was exactly what the guide book said but I suppose it’s always better to find out for yourself. The hostel was grimy and next to the old town jail. The people weren’t too friendly and on more than one account we were informed that American’s were all “daft”. Yup. Because the airport lost my luggage I was only with the clothes off my back along with some random articles, which might have made me cranky. At the very least I had two extra pairs of undies (via suggestion from the ‘rents.) Luckily Maggie supplied me with any basics I needed- the more I consider how helpful she is (she’s great with maps for starters) I can’t imagine how this trip would be without her. She is such a fantastic buddy.

It’s actually warmer here than at home but soggy. No real windy days yet.

VIew from Braveheart Monument (Stirling)

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOMMMMM

(Santana) Moss

Welcome to Scotland

Christmas Carnival in Edinburgh

Are you prepard for my unprepardness??

Are you?

Leaving on a jet plane (tommarow)

Sneaking onto this blog trying to get a few words out before I get yelled at for procrastonating. I am officially leaving tommarow...yup yup. I think it's finally setting in that I would be back next week or the week after that. I'll miss my friends and family alot but I'll hopefully see MacDougall and Pilly across the pond and whoever else wants to stop by (come one come all!)

I am starting to see that this is the last time in my life that I will get to do this sort of thing (packing up all my shit without a job, place to stay, return date). So I ought to make the best of it. Oh crap I'm getting the evil eye from mom's I must be off.

Dancing Queens

Pilar and Walker breaking it down....

Very modern Man Ray-ish no?

China town Bus

It’s a third world country experience without having to leave the country. The driver is terrible, I am the only white person, there is a faint fish market smell, the bathroom is out of the question unless my organs are floating with urine, and I don’t want to take off my coat out of fear of what has been on this seat before me. There is even a sign that says, “Please Remain Seated Unil the Bus is Fully Stop”.

Shoegasm

How absurd is this ad? I love it! Would this be run of the mill any non-european place besides New York....ahh yes men's shoes make me dive into esctasy too. I must have been the inspiration for this Tom Ford ad.

I <3 New York (the place and the person)

New York at Christmas Time

New York is the only place that is bearable for me around the holiday season. I am an internalized grinch….Christmas makes me grumpy although I try not to project that out to other people. New York I’m cool with though, perhaps that is because my family always went there after Christmas that it seems natural or maybe because most New Yorkers are jews or atheists so they treat Christmas as a few days of work off rather than “Hey Jesus it’s yer birthday we gonna stress out like it’s your birthday.”

3 weeks and counting

In 3 weeks I will be in eternal darkness...aka Edinburgh. And this blog title will stop being ficticious. Holler back youngin'!!!

I will pump you up.

Lately I've been trying to get back in cross country shape....settling for active 23 year old shape. My body is not happy with me at the moment....I guess the beer, cheese, chocolate, coffee diet doesn't work or just MAYBE I'm not doing it right. It's snowing outside and I am tempted just to postpone my excersise routine but I am going to go seize the day!