Discovery in the Highlands: the weather

Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky, Scottish weather. Keeps rainin' all the time. Now picture this, a Scot, a real-big, burly, Scottish man singing (or woman) singing Stormy Weather at the local pub I've discussed during karaoke night. I've never seen it, but from the jumbled images coming into focus in my head, it sounds like a Scottish must!

Scotland is synonymous with rain (and sometimes Haggis). If you were lying on the couch of a new therapist who was trying to get an understanding of your mind through word association games, you'd likely answer 'rain' to the word Scotland. Though in all honesty, the weather is quite different then some would suspect. My first day here I went to buy an umbrella. I had a feeling I would need it a lot, but I was very mistaken. I have yet to use the umbrella, which irks me just a bit since I don't plan to bring it home with me. Sure, it rains. Not a lot. And as I've come to realize, the weather pattern is very consistent from one day to the next. In the morning the sun shines brightly through the faded, blue blinders of my room. My hopes for the day are as high as the residents who live directly under me (What a thrill it is each night to have to shut my window to avoid shot-gunning while writing papers), though I don't expect the sun to stay for long. By the time I've gotten ready for the day, the sky is covered with clouds but still no sign of rain. I will note, once a week it's raining in the morning. This, however, is the exception and is a good sign because the rest of the day will be filled with sunny skies.

But for all the days that start sunny, I know not to wear my nice shoes. It's bound to drizzle eventually.

When it finally 'rains' each day (at least 6 days of the week have at least one spurt of rain), it's a sign for better weather. The rain will subside within an hour's time normally to make way for a crystal-clear sky during the hours of the sunset. As for the temperature, we are approaching 10/11 degrees for the coming week (about 49-51 Fahrenheit) with expected rain. While I have quickly become a fan of the daily rain and its cleansing qualities, the temperature has been a bit of a nuisance. It's as if I'm stuck in a never-ending season only to be described as a mix of winter and spring without the benefits of either. Snow doesn't stay, and the rain is never warm. Don't get me wrong, I love the weather dearly, but I'd love to run a day or two without a hat. I've never been a big hat person.

Before I get to 'The Goods' of this post, I should also mention that following the weather forecast online here is one of the stupidest wastes of time. The cute little icon will change at least three times each day, from sun to rain and back to sun, often with a cloud icon in at one point. My advice... don't ever let the pre-conceived notions of Scottish weather stop you from visiting. You won't need those swamp boots like you probably thought you did. Some water-proof shoes would suit you just fine.

Since this past week and this coming week are both essay weeks for me (long essays due on tedious topics of artistic aesthetic and disputing 'realness') I will stop writing and share some photos. No quote this week, though.

OH!!! And I almost forgot the most important topic I was going to cover. So before the pictures, I must must must share the stories of The Baroness's passing last week. I don't think I talked about it in my last post, but I did pay tribute with a Thatcher quote on my picture. I'm not quite sure if there's a USA equivalent to Thatcher's polarization throughout The United Kingdom. As I'm sure the stories have reached American soil, they can't even begin to describe the craziness. Forgive me if this story is already known to you, but the BBC's weekly Top 40 songs (based on top sales) this week included 'Ding Dong The Witch is Dead' (Sadly, not the Barbra Streisand version :( ) The 75 year-old song has sold over 400,000 mp3 files, making it one of the week's Top 40. The BBC, however, is only allowing for 5 seconds of the song to be heard on the radio, given it's reason behind the rise of popularity (something that I'm fairly certain would never happen in The United States, given our freer media.) In addition, one of my seminar courses broke out into argument on the subject of Tweets that read, "Condolences to my British friends for the 1980s" (@tejucole), "Nope. She's not here" (@DianaInHeaven), and "What a terrible shame - that it wasn't 87 years earlier" (@mrmarksteel). Regardless, it's very heated here. Just yesterday the United States Embassy in London issued a watch for potential riots, violence, and other demonstrations. I'm certain all will be fine, but I thought it a notable story.

Now, onto the pictures! (Ignore some of Roy Liechtenstein-esque photo-filters. For some reason there are a several.)

There's no filter on this picutre. It's a restaurant in Edinburgh that I walked past
while exploring all the city has to offer.

I had six hours to explore Edinburgh while waiting for the Megabus to depart for London.
So, I stopped at this cafe and did some school work.
Some of the best soup I've ever had (besides Goulash).

Even the mannequins in The U.K. have more class than the average United States citizen.
The mustaches are so sophisticated!

Her Royal Majesty's home.

Victoria Memorial right across from Buckingham Palace.
Arguably more beautiful than the Palace itself.

The Gielgud Theatre, home of The Audience.

Trafalgar Square is stunning and a remarkable commemoration of Britain's victory in the Napoleonic Battle of Trafalgar. Seen here is one of London's many aquatic-themed statues alluding to The greatness of The British Navy

I'm not quite sure the name of this building, but it was stunning nonetheless. To get here, one walks through an arch that leads to an empty courtyard. The building connects almost 360 degrees.

This is inside the Gielgud Theatre. The lobbies of all the theatres are terribly small and crowded, as are the actual theatres. However, it makes for a much more intimate experience.

This is Borough Market, an endless journey into the world of food. I went to an exotic food station here, where I tried a kangaroo burger (which was unimaginably delectable.)
They also had python, camel, and ostrich as other options.

No explanation needed.

This was taken right outside the Westminster Subway Line. Speaking of the subways... the easiest system to comprehend. The basically say have flash screens letting you know where the current stop is, the next stop will be, and what you'll find there.

While I may have been too cheap to go in, I did take a picture! The Mother Queen, Her Royal Majesty, and most recently William & Kate were all married in this Abbey.
(Not going in may be one of my mistakes of the trip, but I'm confident that one day I will be back)

Written on the wall opposite of The Globe Theatre.

Millenium Bridge is an impressive architectural structure used only for walkers to cross The Thames.

The Globe Theatre

The line to get your picture with this was like a Ceder Point queue.

This was the box Cherish and I sat in for Peter & Alice. We were quite close to Dame Dench.

A table at the ice bar!

I've always loved chewing ice. Some will argue that's iron deficiency while others claim sexual frustration. Regardless, I chomped away at my glass after finishing my drink.

London at night!

This store, located on Portobello Road, had the walls made of sewing machines.
And yes, they were all real.

I stopped at this restaurant one day not knowing anything about it. It just looked nice.
The food was ambrosial and the system to pay was sweet. When you ordered at the counter, you just swiped this card they give you. Then when you leave, you take your card up and pay for whatever you swiped. It made lines go quicker and no one had to wait for a cheque.

Loris, from tea. He was a gem.

Cherish, Theo and I sitting in front of the Thames.

It has already caught on in some major cities (NYC, in particular) but should be more available.
They're rented bikes with stands every couple blocks. The bike cannot be taken apart and are practically indestructible.