Just got into Edinburgh last night from Glasgow (yeah, I'm in Scotland)...quick post before my host gets to his office and my Internet privileges are revoked.

Some highlights from my trip thus far:

In Glasgow I spent most of my time salivating and drooling over all the restaurants, took a picture with the torturous bagel shop (who says the UK doesn't have good food?!?!)...and frequented the market about six times! I can't wait until Passover is over.

I learned a couple things during my stay there. The pound is frekin expensive. There are not many Jews in Glasgow. No really, people don't even know what kosher is...but they do know hallal. Too bad I can't eat that. Gah. I had to resort to asking for Jewish food, which sounds stupid in any case.

"Excuse me sir...do you happen to have any kosher food?"

"eh?!?!?! koossshheeerr fud"

"Jewish food, food for Jews. Jew food."

It felt kinda demeaning. Anyway, moving on.

The accent here is craaaazy. I love it because it reminds me of characters in one of my favorites books by James Clavell, "Tai-Pan." They all have Scottish brogues. Really, it's like an altogether different language in some ways...I thought they were talking Russian, and it takes about 30 seconds to process what they say when you hear it. That can be the cause of some embarrassing situations. Also, my American accent is very noticeable here. And so...American...which, because of all the television shows, movies and such, they can seemingly quite easily understand.

After seeing all things Mackintosh yesterday--apparently Glasgow is Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the architect (look him up, the stuff he's done is quite amazing (I'm also too rushed to provide a link at the moment)), I decided to walk back home, with a huge bag of groceries, extraordinarily tired feet and a slight headache due to the wind. The weather there was amazingly great, apparently I was lucky enough to catch one of the 65 rare days of good weather there (the other 300 days are rainy). However, it was quite windy. I suppose you can't have it all. Anyway, I was attempting to walk home, then asked around for the bus because I was getting tired. This guy at the bus stop told me which bus to take, but said I could also take the one he was one. I said I'd just walk. But he wouldn't let me! Yeah, he's a forensics student and he said he's seen "some of the things they do to young girls here"...(later I learned Glasgow's murder rate is apparently four times the murder rate of most other cities in Europe, the gap between rich and poor quite large). So he gave me money and told me to get on the bus he was going on and he'd tell me where to get off and how to get back. Man, I thought, people here are nice.

Unfortunately, as we all learn, not everything always works out. He ended up misguiding me, I ended up waaaaay out of the center of the town (aka shady area)...waaaaay...with a bunch of crap in my hands, no map...and a full bladder! I finally spotted a girl walking around (otherwise the place was nearly deserted except for the random hoodlums swinging bats around violently and trying to throw soil pies at cars). She had no clue where I had to be going, but remembered some student housing somewhere up there (*motions towards the city horizon*). I eventually made it up there...and made a rush for the bathroom. Time prevents me from launching into a long dramatic explanation of my odyssey...but perhaps you're lucky. It was nothing short of torturous.

After getting back and eating something--

Nonsequiter: My host in Glasgow was, oddly enough, a German guy as well, from the same city that German guy in Paris is from. I kept exclaiming about how odd it was for me to spend the whole day in Paris packing with German guy...only to get to Glasgow and spend my time with, yet another, German guy. The world is an odd place...Oh yeah, and more on Parisian German guy later, but he made me a music tape, on a cassette player...so I can't listen to it. Yet. He said he was gonna buy me a cassette player, but couldn't find one for a reasonable price. (He bought a bike yesterday, and emailed me...said I could borrow it when I get back. Woohoo...I love bike riding.)

--where were we, oh yes, I ate something, then grabbed my stuff and hopped onto a bus for Edinburgh. And here I am! My host here is awesome...a veggie, which helps with the Passover stuff. He made me a small snack last night, woke me up with a cup of tea (although psychotically early), and then brought me porridge in bed. Man, I've got to learn to be such a good host. Tonight we're gonna go see "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"...

And now, a teaser/note to self to remind myself to blog about this later. Jack reappeared in my life, in the form of a package. He sent a letter, enclosed was that check he owed me...and also...an ipod shuffle.

(!!!)

He sure knows how to torture someone. The exact thing I want, the one thing I have been lusting for...but from the wrong person in the wrong circumstances. Yes, life is a crazy thing. Anyway, more on that, and Edinburgh, later! Toodles!