Another Year, Another Move

Tomorrow is New Years Eve. My time here has definitely gone by quickly. I have been back in the UK for 2 and a half months now and it just doesn't feel like it. So far, it has been a good experience coming back, although I do not yet feel truely settled. I think that will come with time once I get a place to my own and a "proper" job.

Speaking of jobs . . . I have been offered a new one as a Field Studies Instructor in the South of England. It's on the coast, near Weymouth. If you're not sure where that is, but would like to find out, click HERE. In the map, "A" represents Edinburgh (where I live now), "B" represents Shrewsbury (where I will be training for two weeks), and "C" shows Osmington (where I will eventually be working). Basically I'll be working at an education/outdoor adventure centre teaching kids between the ages of 7-17 all about cool science and environmental things. That's right, I said cool. :) I will probably also help out with some of the outdoor adventure stuff, but I am not sure exactly what I will be doing and probably won't know until I begin work. In two weeks, I start training and then I will be moved down to the coast to start the job. It goes until November and then who knows where I will go after that? It's all very exciting/nervewracking/terrifying. It will definitely keep me busy though as I will be working an average of 6 days a week and 42 hours per week. I don't think I will have much time for anything else with that scedule! Oh, and the other good thing is that room and board are included! Here's to another adventure!

Picture Time

I've put together some more photos on Facebook of what I've been doing since coming in Edinburgh. including how I spent Christmas. If you'd like to see them, please click HERE.

Mussel Cam

Today, I thought I would check out the news back home in PEI and guess what was one of the leading stories on CBC's website? That a webcam, filming a mussel in the water had been named one of the top 25 webcams in the world. So, naturally, I had to check it out. It is rather boring, but, it's good for a laugh. Below the picture there is this caption:

Mussels grow very, very slowly.
Please check back often.

There is also a cute disclaimer: "Please do not tap the glass".

To view the website please clich HERE. For now, here is a preview...


Genius, isn't it???

Skype

Is anyone else on Skype? I've just joined and I thought it might be a good way to keep in touch with everyone back home. It's free (as long as you already have the internet) and all you need is an account. So, if you've got an account give me a shout and if not, join up and we can keep in touch!

I hope you're all having a great Christmas. I will write more soon!

St. Andrews Day

There is nothing like St. Andrew's Day to bring out a good celidih! St. Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland, so I have been told, although I am not exactly sure how or why he became that. Each year, on November 30th there is a Saint Andrew's Day celebration and lots to see and do Edinburgh. This year, there was a free celidih in Princes St. Gardens (don't worry we were in a tent, so we were plenty warm and dry). The celidih started at 6, and as luck would have it, that is when my shift ended. So, my friends Ali and Ya'hara headed out - first stopping at the German market for DELICIOUS crepes. Yes, there really is nothing like crepes for a healthy supper!

Anyway, the celidih was great - for those of you who might not know, a celidih is kind of like a big barn dance. There were several different bands that played and the first band we were there for was great for teaching you how to do the different steps (this came in handy later on in the night, as not all bands were as in to teaching you the steps!). There was one dance called the Canadian Barn Dance. When the band asked "Are there any Canadians in the room tonight?" I made sure to let them know I was there and I represented Canada well. You have to change partners thoughout the entire dance and, near the end, I was dancing with a Scotsman (complete with kilt) who told me "I was the first girl he'd danced with that knew what she was doing". haha. Little did he know I was a Scot in disguise.

I heart a good celidih and I hope to go to one in the near future!

Bye-Bye Hostel, Hello Flat!

The Great Move has been accomplished! I say "Great" because given the relatively small amount of stuff I have over here the move seemed to take FOREVER. Four trips back and forth on the Edinburgh bus system takes up a lot of time. But it is all worth it.

The flat seems good so far: no major complaints or shocking revelations after I moved in, which is good so far. Having a room to my own is super. I really can't complain too much about that. It's great being able to turn a light on in the morning when I am getting ready for work (which is something I couldn't do when I lived at the hostel, as most of the other 13 girls in the room were still sleeping!).

Overall, for short-term accomodation the hostel (Castel Rock) was a good place to stay. But, since I plan on being here a bit longer I think it was a good decision to go. Plus, most of the people I was friends with are leaving for Christmas anyway. Oh, and the major reason is that I wouldn't have a bed during Hogmanay (New Year's).

While many of you have stayed in a hostel before, some of you have not, so I thought I would describe what being a longtermer in the Castle Rock Hostel is all about. To start with, I was staying in a 14 bed (7 bunks), all female, dorm. All the rooms there are themed (from a Mr. Men theme to an Underwear theme). I was in the Edinburgh Pubs room and my bed was called the Mitre. The Mitre is a real pub along the Royal Mile, but I haven't been there yet - but I hope to soon! My bed was on the top bunk, which isn't ideal, but it was a better bed than some because my bed was against the wall, as opposed to "floating" in the middle of the room. And, it was still a better bed than most top bunks, despite it not having a ladder because it turns out that the ladders attached to their bunk beds were not as helpful as you might think. We have had many a laugh at our friend Megan, as she attempted to clamber down from her laddered top bunk in the morning (picture beached whale meets monkey and you will have an idea of what it all looked like). I used a trusty chair for height and then swung myself up. It's probably not all that pretty either, but it works!

There is currently only one empty bed in my room and the rest are filled with longtermers, like me. Everyone is pretty nice though and we all seemed to be getting along well (that is, until the noisy aussies moved in), which is a blessing as this type of situation could have been a disaster! If I had to stereotype all Australians based on the ones that live at that hostel I would say they are all a bunch of alcoholics who do not enjoy working and prefer to go into huge debt while traveling and partying. I am not making an exageration, although I wish I was. One girl is already in debt up to 20,000 dollars, but refuses to get a job because she loves going out every night and drinking with her friends. Another, Australian finally got a job after harassing a temp agency to find him one for days. He was too hungover to go to his first day though, so instead he hid in bed and didn't answer the 10 calls and messages from the agency who tried to find him. He has since found another job on the continent - good luck to him! Luckily, I know that not all Australians are like this, as I have some great Aussie friends from the first time I lived over here.

The lounges at the hostel were great. There is one big, main lounge where most people hang out. There is a pool table and ping pong table and plenty of comfy couches to sit in. Plus, free coffee and tea! And, there is always someone you know hanging out in there. My favourite lounge was the Posh Lounge (yes, that is really what it is called). There are nice comfy seats and a big coal fire that is just perfect to snuggle up to with a nice book.

Overall, it was a great, long-term hostel for people who are only staying for a couple of months. The most negative experiences I have are that:

1. Someone drank my milk
2. We had some noisy roommates for a couple of days (then, I thankfully, found a flat!)
3. There was a mouse in our room. He was cute though, and he didn't really bother me that much as I was on the top bunk.

All in all, I am happy to be in a flat!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well, not really. At least not here in Edinburgh (although I did hear that Ottawa had it's first snowfall recently!). Edinburgh's version of looking like Christmas is when the German Christmas Market starts to get set up in the Princes St. Gardens and the Ferris Wheel goes up. The lighting ceremony for the Christmas lights is tomorrow night and I cannot wait! I have been getting really excited about this time of year here for a long time and it's finally here (almost). I cannot wait to eat the food at the German Christmas Market. I have terrific memories of it from the last time I lived here. And, there are all kinds of free events on too - I will have lots to do over the next month!

I found out this week that I have a flat to move into! I can't wait. It's been good staying at the hostel for the most part, but sharing a room with 13 other girls is starting to grate a little on the nerves. Particularly, when it comes to sleeping as everyone has different schedules and I appear not to be the heaviest of sleepers. Ah, but soon I will be experiencing the joy of a big comfy double bed and an entire room all to myself once again. It's a two bedroom flat in Morningside. As many of you know, I have lived in that area before. It's considered to be the "posh" area of Edinburgh with many millionares living here (Including famous the authors Ian Rankin and J.K. Rowling!). Yep, I just might run into them at the local supermarket. :)

No real big trips planned in the near future, although I am hoping to head to North Berwick tomorrow if the weather clears (it's been raining all day today, for the first time since I moved here). I have had friends visiting from Bangor, Wales, and Newcastle, England during the past few weeks. It's been great fun seeing everyone again and catching up.

Back to the Christmas theme - is it too early to start sending my Christmas cards? I am in the spirit and feeling the need to pass it on! I am almost done of my Christmas shopping and I want to wrap gifts, send cards, and decorate my flat. (Although maybe I should wait until I move in there!). Anyway, I am moving in next week, so, if you'd like the address give me a shout!

Miss you lots! XOXO

Pictures!

I've posted a collection of pictures from my first month in Edinburgh on Facebook. Here's a link to those pictures for those of you who are not hooked on Facebook!

Click here.

South Queensferry and Inchcolm Island

I ended up with three days off in a row and I really wanted to travel somewhere, but I have this horrible hacking cough that will not go away. So, instead, I thought it best to just do a day trip and that is exactly what I did. On Sunday, I went somewhere that most first-time tourists would perhaps not bother to go to: South Queensferry. It's just a 20 min train ride from Edinburgh (get off at Dalmeny) and it is a beautiful little town, and, quite frankly, one of the best experiences I have had in Scotland.

Queensferry itself was cool, but the thing that was the best part is that you can take a ferry call "Maid of the Forth" to Inchcolm Island and spend an hour and a half there exploring before the ferry comes back to pick you up. It was fantastic. The island itself is only 800 m in size, so it is easily covered in this time period. There are lots of birds that nest there in the summer (even puffins, Keri!), but unfortunately all I saw were pigeons and seagulls.

The best part about the Island is Inchcolm Abbey. The Abbey was built in the 1100s and is this massive old structure made of sandstone. It's still largely in tact today and you can wander around every nook and cranny to your heart's content. Which, is exactly what I did! Climbing the stairwell to the top of the tower was an experience. I know I am not the tiniest of girls, but I could barely fit in the stairwell with my backpack on! The stairs were so small that my foot could barely fit on them too. Plus it was really dark (there isn't any electricity) so most people were climbing up using there hands on the stairs to guide them. The views were spectacular too - you could see the famous edinburgh skyline on one side: complete with castle and Arthur's seat, and on the other you could see the Kingdom of Fife and the highlands. Plus the Forth Bridge was right at your side, which always makes for fantastic pictures. I got some great pictures (before my batteries died) and will try to find a way to post them.

I am really glad I went and encourage everyone else who is in the area to also visit at some point!

Wee Update

Week Two of this new crazy journey is quickly coming to an end and I have to say I have accomplished quite a bit! First of all - all the money issues are basically straightened out. I still have to sign an affidavit (I have no idea how to spell that correctly) about the fraud that occurred on my card and sort out the fact that I actually do not owe that money. but otherwise, I am in a good position.

The best news is that I got a job! I am working at a bookstore/tacky tourist shop called The Works (formerly known as Bookworld for all of you who know it as that) on Princes St. which is probably the second most popular street for tourists here, behind the Royal Mile. My friend and former flatmate, Vanessa, used to work there when I lived here the last time, so when I came over I actually had it in mind as a place to work. It's actually a good thing I got the job too because it was the only place I applied! I put my application in last Thursday, got a call for an interview on Friday, had my interview on Monday and two hours later I was hired. Not too bad, I don't think. It's actually the perfect job for me right now - 28 hrs a week only, so that I have enough money to pay my bills and still have time to do some volunteer work. I start volunteering next Tuesday with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, which should be pretty interesting. I have a terrible cold right now though (I've actually lost most of my voice) so I desperately hope it to be recovered by Tuesday!

Oh, if anyone would like my address and mobile number send me an email so that I can update you! I miss you guys!

Woes in Scotland

I am here in Edinburgh - finally! The past few weeks/months have been an absolute whirlwind of activity and my last week on PEI was no exception. It was great to be able to spend time with family and friends again (especially with my wee niece) before heading out on my current adventure though. There have been some hiccups since I arrived:

First, money woes:

The most stressful part of my week was finding out that my credit card number has been stolen. Yep, that's right - someone out there is using my credit card to finance rather large purchases at both Dell and Rogers. Grrrrrrr. Naturally, this all happened the night before I was supposed to leave for Scotland, after 5pm too - absolutely the worst possible timing!

The girl I was speaking to at my credit card company was absolutely insistent that she had to cancel my card straight away and there was nothing she could do to help me out further. This, was in no way acceptable as I was flying out the next day and would need my card to pay for things when I arrived: like food and my hostel, for instance. I was so stressed out at that point - I was supposed to be out to dinner with my family for a farewell dinner, not on the phone with the credit card company - eventually I just broke down and started to cry. I am not much of a crier, but I just couldn't help it. I find situations like this very stressful. I was passed on to her supervisor and he straightened me out right away. He said that at that point he wouldn't consider it fraud, but I would need to call them on Monday to check my card's activity. So, thank goodness I was able to keep my card because I had no cash in the bank over here yet as I was not able to wire my money until Saturday (the day I left) because of restrictions with the Bank of Montreal. That is a whole other long story, but I don't think I can stomach getting into it right now. The long and the short of things is this: My Scottish bank account (and my Canadian bank account actually) are both currently empty as I wait for my money to be wired from home. Where has it gone, I wonder? And, more importantly, when will it arrive? The other thing is that I have no credit card and they cannot send it to me directly here in the UK. It has to go to a Canadian address, so my mom will be getting it and forwarding it on to me here. Hopefully, this will all go smoothly in the next couple of days because I only have £30 in cash. Eek! Luckily, a friend of mine was kind enough to take me out to lunch today (thanks Kiki!) which certainly brightened up my day!

Second, phone woes:

When I came over here and visited in the summer I bought a mobile phone to use, thinking it would save me some time when I came back because I would already have a phone. Well, it turns out that after 3 months of inactivity (e.g. when I went back to Canada to finish my M.Sc.) they inactivate your phone. To reactivate it can take up to 14 days!!!!!! Currently, there is a problem with my phone in that, while people can contact me, I cannot contact them - particularly overseas calls, which as you can imagine, is a problem when I am trying to straighten out my credit card issue! So, I haven't been able to text either, which means I haven't been in contact with hardly anyone here yet that I know, but I hope this issue will also be resolved soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Third, postal strike woes:

So, if all this wasn't bad enough, there is currently a postal strike here in Scotland. So, while I am waiting for things from my bank and my credit card to show up quickly, they will almost certainly be held up due to this strike. Argh.

On the bright side:

My hostel and fellow hostelers are all really great so far. Except for this one American girl who kind of scares me. Okay, she scares me a lot - but I am not the only one afraid of her! I can't really explain it - she just doesn't exactly have that sunny disposition I had hoped for.

I haven't really started job hunting yet, because I am waiting for some money to come through first so I can buy a more proper pair of shoes and a coat. Silly, I know, but I don't want to look like the ratty traveller I am when I go in to make me first impression! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Watch out for moose!

Those are the words of wisdom that I received from Alex before taking off on the longest drive I have ever done in one day: from Ottawa to Charlottetown. Google Maps estimated just over 14hrs door-to-door and they were dead on (although I think it actually took less time because I also stopped for food and gas multiple times within that time period). The trip was great (but long) and though I did not see any moose, I did see a deer. Actually, I almost hit a deer. That was probably the scariest part of the drive. It was late and dark out and I was mistakenly lulled into thinking that I wouldn't see any big animals now because they're usually active earlier in the day (or so the biologist in me thought). Suddenly I saw a form on the right side of the road - definitely a deer. I could tell it wanted to cross the highway and it seemed kind of indecisive about what it was going to do: cross or wait. I slammed on the brakes doing 120 km/hr and hoped the deer would decide not to cross. I also swerved to the left, at the same time the deer decided to bolt for it. Luckily it had second thoughts and stopped again, and luckily I had swerved, otherwise it would have been a head on collision and I am not sure what would have happened. I spent the rest of the trip frantically looking from left to right along the highway, searching for more animals about to bolt out. Luckily, I only saw a cat and a raccoon, both of which remained safely on their respective sides of the road.

The rest of the trip was great. Yes, it was long, but it was also beautiful. Seeing all the fall leaves on the trees as I drove through Quebec and New Brunswick along the Saint L. was truly breathtaking. It really renewed my desire to do a cross-Canada trip. Someday! (I hope!).

Long story short, I made it safe and sound (extremely tired), but I am here. One more week until Scotland!

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched

Today, I was finally able to sit down and figure out what day I wanted to leave Ottawa, and hence what day to book a van for from a rental company. I had been so busy finishing up my thesis and getting ready to move that I hadn't really had any time to sit down and think about this. But now, I am officially moved out of my apartment and officially done of my thesis so I thought it would be a good time to figure this sort of thing out, so that I could book somewhat ahead. I had been incredibly relieved to find a car company that would accept one way bookings to PEI, as apparently, most don't anymore, so I wasn't too concerned when I sat down in front of my computer today. I was thinking I would like to leave either Tuesday or Wednesday. This should give me sufficient time to clean out my desk and filing cabinet at the lab, and to organize my files, I should think.

Unfortunately, there was no "mini-van" option for either Tuesday or Wednesday. They seemed to be sold out. I started to panic and looked at Monday - in a pinch, I could probably finish up everything tonight, if I really really had to - but again, no vans . . . the same thing happened for Thursday, and Friday and, well you get the idea. At this point, I was saying all kinds of words out loud that should not be said in the presence of children. Finally, I had to resign myself to traveling on Thursday with an "SUV crossover" which was the roomiest vehicle I could find over the course of the week. It appears to be very similar to a minivan, but I am somewhat worried about fitting my stuff in there. It will need to be well packed, but fingers crossed that it will all go well.

Now, I just need to figure out what to do with this extra time I will be spending in Ottawa. Oh, and I am also (perhaps sadly?) bummed that I will have to miss Grey's on Thursday night because I will still be on the road. Yes, I am a wee bit obsessed, but I can't help it!

My room is echoing!

Twenty-four hours after successfully defending my Masters I managed to complete my thesis corrections and submit my thesis along with all appropriate forms to graduate in October 2007. That’s right – I am now officially a master! . . . Well, at least of biology. It feels absolutely wonderful to have completed all of this and to be done. I am so ready for the next adventure!

I have been packing for the last few hours (it’s now midnight here) and I can say that I am 90% there. My room now echoes, which I take as a good sign in terms of emptiness. I expect tomorrow’s move to go really smoothly, as I have managed to get rid of almost all my stuff (the rest I am donating to the Salvation Army). The move tomorrow is just a temporary one. I need to complete some things at the lab this week, before I can finally take off, so I am happy to have great friends who sometimes let me crash on their futons (in this case, thanks Karen!). So, I hopefully have only enough stuff to fit into a van which I will be renting to drive back home at some point next week. I think it will be really fun to drive back east . . . at least for the first 3-5 hours. By hour 14, I think I will be pretty happy to get back (and unpack - ugh).

The official date for the upcoming move to Scotland is October 13^th. I have two weeks and I couldn’t be happier!

Defense Date

This is just a short note - I found out this morning that my defense date will be Thursday afternoon. Yep - I have 48 hours to know all I need to know. And, here I am procrastinating with my blog, in typical grad student fashion! So, I should be back in the UK either October 14th or 21st, depending if I decide to change my flight! Keep your fingers crossed for me for Thursday! :)

Scottish Weather

I have to admit that I am not sure I will be able to handle (on a full time basis no less!) the nearly total lack of sunshine in Scotland. I like the sun. I really, really do. Today in Ottawa, they expect to beat the temperature record (we'll likely reach a high of 29-30 degrees) compared to the temperature in Edinburgh right now which is a mere 12 degrees. For fun, I looked up the longterm forcast for Edinburgh and this is what it said:



Yep, cloudy and a bit on the cool side all the way. It's such a good thing that I am planning to move over just in time for winter - perfect timing on my part! :)

I will never forget what a scottish friend of mine once told me: You know how most people, when they go on holiday to some beautiful sunny destination turn from a pale white to perhaps a lovely sunburn pink? Well, the scots like to do it a bit differently. Since it's so cold there in the winter they actually have to defrost first, changing from a beautiful deep blue, to the pasty white, and then the sunburn pink. Given the complete paleness of my skin, I should fit right in!

Scotland Bound, yet again!

I started this blog quite some time ago, when I was first settling in to Ottawa and since then I have kind of neglected it, since my life was virtually taken over by grad school. You see, this is why I should never be allowed to have plants. Something else comes up and before you know it my beautiful greenery has turned to brownery!

I have almost completed all of my requirements for my Masters in Biology: I just have to have my defense and make corrections to my thesis and then I will be returning to bonnie Scotland yet again! I am getting rather excited about it all, although I am also filled with a sense of trepidation since I have so much to do before the big day. And, I am the queen of procrastination. As is shown by me sitting here writing a blog about all the other things I should be taking care of.

Okay, major upcoming obstacles/things to do include:

1. Passing my defense. It's not so much that I don't think I will end up with my MSc at the end of the day, but I am certainly more than worried about looking like a complete idiot in front of my friends and colleagues who are kind enough to come to the defense to support me. The major issue I am having with this is simply getting my defense date organized. I am hoping to have it sometime in the upcoming week, but as of yet, I have not had a date confirmed. I really should be studying . . . eek!

2. Moving out of my apartment in Ottawa. I have to be out of here by October 1st, so naturally my apartment is currently littered with half packed boxes, organized in piles that only I could comprehend. This will get better though. Right?

3. Finding a new home for all the stuff I cannot take with me. *sigh*. Since I am moving across an ocean, it is difficult to take all the things you have accumulated over the years to your new home. It's possible, but expensive - I could probably just buy new stuff for cheaper! Today it kind of hit me that I am saying goodbye to a lot of items that I have known for a long time and it made me kind of sad. I think it'll hit home even more tomorrow which is when my friends are coming to pick up my bed. Then it'll be me, an air mattress, and a whole lot of empty space for a week.

4. Moving all the stuff I want to keep, but am not taking with me right now to PEI. I have no idea how I am going to accomplish this anymore. Perhaps Greyhound? I will need to see how many boxes I have to move.

Well, I guess those are the big things. There are all kinds of minor things too take care of, but that will come together. I'm keeping a list. For those that know me well, that should come as no surprise!

The good news is, once I get through all this stuff I will be in Scotland. That is my light at the end of the grad school tunnel.