iFound

I found a hilarious compilation of double entendres from TV announcers and the like. It's seriously awesome.

I found the funniest website I've seen in a long time. Riff Central is a bunch of fake interviews with bands and artists, stupid and blunt questions which have no particular relevance, and (presumably) made up answers from the artist. So good I went through the entirety of the archives. All the way back to... January 2005.

Here's part of an interview with Madlib, aka Quasimoto (some rapper):

RIFF CENTRAL: AFTER BEING QUASIMOTO DO YOU TAKE A SECOND TO WASH YOUR HANDS

MADLIB: WELL THAT'S TRICKY,, YOU SEE, BECAUSE

RIFF CENTRAL: THERE'S NOTHING REMOTELY TRICKY ABOUT THIS

MADLIB: NO, IT REALLY GETS WEIRD BECAUSE I'M LIKE

RIFF CENTRAL: OK I GET IT. YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHO DOESN'T LIKE TO USE ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP BECAUSE BY DELIVERING LOW-LEVEL ANTIBIOTICS TO BACTERIA ON YOUR HAND, YOU ACCELERATE THE RATE AT WHICH BACTERIA GROW RESISTANT TO ANTIBIOTICS

MADLIB: NO IT'S

RIFF CENTRAL: IT'S STUPID, MADLIB. IT'S OLD OLD NEWS, AND IT'S STUPID. WASH YOUR HANDS.

MADLIB:


I found a site about my most favorite thing in the world. The sandwich. It's called the Sandwich Project and it is full of different kinds of sandwiches you can make (900+) although I bet half of them are repeats. Either way, mmmm.

I found the aforementioned site through Get Him Eat Him (a band featuring a Pitchfork contributor), who have their own sandwich blog, Get Sammiches Eat Sammiches. They buy and rate sandwiches from shops around their area.

I found (well actually I was told) my flatmate's blog, which he started after witnessing the all-encompassing beauty which is my blog. (Yes, this one). Brilliant, James P. Allen!

Those are my finds for today. Also, tonight we sat on the wall in the courtyard and drank beers in the drizzle, and it was awesome. It's the closest I can get to the glory that is sitting on the trunk of a car with friends in an empty parking lot at night. It's very delinquent-esque while still being completely harmless, just as it's undeniably cool while still seeming a bit lame to onlookers. But you know they just want to join you, because they know the feeling. Completely rock n roll.

-A Team Of Scientists Who Have Learned To Look At Thin Sections Through Microscopes

Lost In Thoughts

I believe in forgiveness and empathy, and I believe in God. I was asked today how the two relate, because I could very well be a forgiving and understanding person while being an atheist. I didn't have an answer, and that's a connect I've been trying to make for a while. I don't see God as a man with a flowing white beard. Rather, I see Him in the world around me. In actions and thoughts and all that's in between, in the nether region of asthetics and nature, in the infinite levels of grace. But where do things like morality fit into this? Indirectly, perhaps. These things inspire me, they make me feel at peace and content, and help me be a more forgiving and understanding person. In this sense, God is an empowering concept, because His love is a motive behind very personal decisions, ones that I make without any expectations of recognition or reciprocation. I can forgive someone, resolve them in my heart, and show whatever I can, and if they recognize this that is only a bonus. God was in that, and they may see that and it may inspire them. Whether they attribute any of it to a higher shouldn't matter.

I heard about a philosophy class in which the students were asked in the first lecture to assume God exists, and decide whether it was up to Him to define sin, or simply to enforce it, and if His job is to enforce it, then would that make Him redundant? I think this is a stupid question. Is the point to find something to blame for sin? Or to try to prove/disprove the existence of God indirectly? Or to humanize and belittle Him? You can choose to embrace God or you cannot, and I say that absolutely without disdain or judgment for those who don't. It's not a right vs. wrong issue, as some would have you believe. But this seemingly sly questioning doesn't do a thing for me, as it serves no purpose. If you've disproved God to yourself, then sincere congratulations, because He absolutely doesn't exist to you and you can be comfortable with that. Impressing your logic upon people is silly, though, because it is just that- your logic, and others shouldn't be expected to follow. It's all very internalized in this sense.

I belive God is an open shelf, where I store all my love and all my faith and all of myself, for anyone who would like it. But it's not just mine, it's everything's, existence's, and in my explorations I find comforts and happiness and thank God for every little thing I'm afforded.

-The Team

"This is nothing like it was in my room..."

I was trying to think of a clever metaphor for the state of things, but couldn't do it. Thinking of a way of feeling sorry for myself without being whiny. I think it's impossible.

write it out write it out write it out write it out

I can't write it out

I miss so many things

-"...In my best clothes"

Finally


The best album ever, I can say without being hyperbolic, has finally been given the credit it deserves by Pitchfork. Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea was given a perfect 10.0 today for the UK reissue. The previous review, from the late 90's, was horrid - although it was positive it was poorly written and really short. And now it feels like something's been righted in the world, and that makes me happy.

The new review is nice, although I would've preferred an entire essay on it. Aeroplane is the most moving and complete album I've ever heard, displaying a dreaminess that's both fractured and fluid and overall unique to Neutral Milk Hotel. People pray for a reunion and new material, but I'm fine leaving this as it is. It's an absolute masterpiece, and I think my expectations would be much too high for a new album.

If you aren't crushed after the final verse of the last song, you aren't human:

Two headed boy she is all you could need
She will feed you tomatoes and radio wires
And retire to sheets safe and clean
But don't hate her when she gets up to leave

-The Team

"It may be years until the day..."

Brian can play "Mushaboom" on guitar! weeeeee this is the moment you've all been waiting for. Glorious!
(vote Feist)

-"...My dreams will match up with my pay"

No Christmas While I'm Talking

Mondays kill. I couldn't get to sleep until late last night, then I had to wake up at 7 for class. Classes go all day with an hour break, during which I rush to get lunch and hop on the bus to go back to the King's Buildings. Done at five. I am SO tired.

We got to draw plots and such in both my labs today, which I love. I think I like them because they look so abstract, but I actually know what they represent. Oh, the thrill. On the way home it was rainy. It is still rainy and it fits the mood.

On to something rad: The Walkmen are writing a book! A novel! Called John's Journey. And they're serious! You know what I want to do? Read that book. Then listen to their new album, which it seems comes out around the same time (February/March). The Walkmen are vastly underappreciated. I've seen them more times live than I have any other band. Because I am all love.

You know how musicians are always seen as cool? Just being in a band, any band, makes a person that much more awesome. Well I think The Walkmen are the ultimate cool. Take their image - the snobby East Coast prep school look, with the black and oxfords and the collars. Other bands would wear that and look ironic or pretentious, but the Walkmen belong in it, and it's awesome. Same goes for the attitude. They're badasses, but they don't make horrible cock-rock, they make music that's at once intelligent and primal, grand and measured- a claustrophobic's idea of spaciousness. See? Freaking sweet. And in conclusion, I wish I was Hamilton Leithauser (esp. because the name).

-Team Me

Attn: Everybody

Vote for Miss Indie Rock 2005. Vote Feist! Thank you. (Thanks Heather).

-Team Feist 2005

And All The Wine Is All For Me

What do I do when I want The National's album real real bad? I'm not buying cd's because I can't afford to, and it's not practical because I have to take them home at some point. I can't even afford to live like I have been these past few weeks anyways! And I can't get Soulseek to work. I'm all can't.

We had another party last night, and I'm feeling it this morning. It started with a Darroch Court BBQ (the British are terrible at the grill, by the way) and moved into our flat, and moved out later on. Good thing, because a few of us could just chill out for a bit, and actually have a conversation.

As per James' request, here they are:

Eurotrash.
Eurotrash.
Eurotrash.
Eurotrash.

It's a Picture Post!

Yesterday we climbed Arthur's Seat. It was rainy on the way up, sunny and windy at the top, and beautiful the entire time! I'm so glad that it's basically my backyard. Click and they get bigger.

Mark and me
Highest winds I've ever been in
Looking North
Looking East
More wind
Mark: The Swan Hunter (they're actually really really big birds)
Ancient ruins on the Seat
Looking inland
Gorgeous. See the rainbow?
Random picture of George Square (University buildings)
Last night Anne and I got dinner and finally found live music. I was blown away by the band we walked in on- they were really good, especially for openers in a really small pub. I didn't catch their name, only that they're from Glasgow, but then again so are all Scottish bands. The last band was a cool blues-rawk outfit fronted by a girl with the perfect voice for it.

On another camera are a few great Eurotrash pictures from our party the other night. Ask and you shall receive.

-Team Nikon

The Most Remarkable Thing About You Standing In The Doorway

I may have already written about this, and I doubt anybody cares, but the idea of motion really intrigues me. It came about when I discovered "Going to Georgia" by the Mountain Goats, and the perfect line "The greatest thing about coming home to you/ Is the feeling of being in motion again/ It's the most extraordinary thing in the world" (as Heather so deftly pointed out). Anyways, when I saw that it resonated, because I was stuck. In a routine that was boring me, where change was slight and celebrated when it came, and I was becoming lonely. That all makes it sound too serious, and it wasn't that bad, it's just that I knew I had to get out of a rut.

Leaving was my saviour, as I knew it would be. Edinburgh is an entriely new place, a large city (though it feels cozy), a different culture, and a complete disconnect from everything and everyone I was used to. And that can only lead to motion. As I endeavor to make new friends and live in new ways and keep myself moving, there are ups and downs like never before. It's exhausting me, but it's worth it. There are incredible highs, meeting new people who you really get on with or discovering something awesome in the city, and there are equally terrific lows when you realize that connections take time to form, and that sometimes things stop moving to leave you feeling stranded. And of course there are things that just piss you off, like how the "dryer" leaves your clothes soaking, no matter how long you leave them spinning.

Sometimes I've got to remember that I'm grateful for this, always. Yes, it's an opportunity unlike any other, and as good as I could ever hope for, and so on and so forth, but it's also exactly what I needed. Beginning again, I'm afforded the chance to do a little better, to approach things with less insecurity masked as cynicism, and more joyful abandon (thanks to the drinking age!). Smooth starts aren't always easy, but I'm finding my feet a little more every day. Keep on keepin' on.

Is That It's You, And You Are Standing In The Doorway

Chippeeeeeeeeeeeeee

What a good pick-me-up night! And imagine, all it took was some Guinness and friends. I could live here. We pub crawled and kind of met up with some kids, and on the way back found the most delicious chippy in town. What's that? You don't know what a chippy is? Chip shop, french fries. Bragging makes me feel cool. And we acquired a Guinness glass somewhere along the way, the holy grail of pint glasses. If classes somehow pick up, I'll be in heaven, because everything else seems to be extremely enjoyable.

When we got back, James and I showed a very naive Mark the game "52 Card Pick-Up." Heehee:

And we had a bit of a food fight with tea bags and raw pasta. Unfortunately we'll have to pick that up. Sooner rather than later.

An aside: One could sit all day and watch the weather here. It is so incredibly dynamic, even the grey that at times seems ever-present is actually constantly shifting and advancing and retreating. The sky looks as if it's from a film stuck in fast-forward, the way a cloud arcs across the sky, exposing white and blue every so often before another one goes by. Unfortunately, this means that warmth and cold and rain are just as sporadic, and it's tough to prepare to be out all day. Layers, my friend, layers. It's all gorgeous though, and that feeling of motion is comforting.

And sorry I only chatted for 2 minutes with you last time, Laura. I miss you!

-Team America

What Have I Got Myself Into?

First day of classes. I should have realized that everyone knows each other very well already, because here they've been in the exact same classes the past two years. So they've got their groups already and were deep in conversation when I came in, and that's disheartening, but I'm sure I'll break through somehow. Somehow...

I did meet the other "outsider," a Swedish girl and also a visiting student. Except I can't understand anything she says, and vice-versa. Oh well. And also, class looks hard, but luckily I don't do a little more than half the classes most third years do. And also and also and also and also I go on a field trip to Spain next semester, I think. I just keep thinking, What have I got myself into?

I had four hours between classes to explore/sleep/read, and I finished Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping. It was, like Gilead, absolutely amazing. I think a critic on the book jacket put it best: "Housekeeping is a haunting dream of a story told in a language as sharp and clear and as light as air and water." Her prose fits this description perfectly, and I find it to be the most remarkable and understated I've ever read. And like Gilead, this book captures the essence of grace beautifully. Hopefully someone will read it and tell me I'm right.

-TT

That was us! (click and it gets bigger! and more gruesome!)

"Yeaeaeah, You Know You Gotta Help Me Out"

No ceilidh for me last night. Nope, I stayed in all night. Why? Because we had a fat party in our flat! It was crazy, and really good because we finally met others from Darroch Court (pictured). Yay, us! Although by 3 we were so tired, and had to get some drunk dancers outta there. And thus ends Freshers Week, both with a bang and a whimper.

I'm dreading the start of classes tomorrow. I don't feel prepared for them, if not for the fact that I don't have a single writing instrument or piece of paper yet. But really, I don't know if I will be able to keep up with the third-year level courses because I haven't been set up as well as the other kids for these classes. And I'm seriously upset that I can't take any humanities courses. They're all in GeoSciences, even my "electives." I don't like knowing that my entire year has been planned out at this point, knowing that there isn't a way to sign up for a little fun class later in the year. My fun classes are soil science and environmental sensitivity and change. My interest? Passing.

Unfortunately, all this bad circumstance leads me to wonder how much I really want to do all this science. I mean, I know I don't want to take 8 geo classes and nothing else, but that's only reasonable. There are loads of courses I'd rather take than science, as if I've become disenchanted after last year's mess of chemistry and physics and math. And after seeing the older kids in geology, holed up in that terrible building day in and day out, hating themselves because of the massive amounts of tedius work they did, I'm scared.

So, I have to figure out how much of this is from:

A) my frightening impression of what's to come

B) the bad taste left in my mouth after calculus and general chem and retard physics

C) actually wanting to do something different

D) not wanting to trek to the King's Buildings every day, or

E) forgetting how much I enjoyed actual geology classes, which I haven't taken for a long time

-The Team of Disillusioned Scientists

P.S. check Bosque Brown, she's aight. (songs) (website)

This is Ourselves Under Pressure


Wow. I couldn't tell you the last time I woke up at 1:30. Last night the party was way too big, and the student union (pictured above, called The Teviot) couldn't handle all the people. I just got fed up with it all and shut down, and was then pretty disappointed in myself. I think the entire week caught up with me last night, which is too bad, because it was all leading up to that. When we got there at about half nine the queue was wrapped around 3 sides of the building, which is massive. While three of the flatmates waited because they were heading to the Freshers Ball and were dressed to the nines, James and I went to the pub for a couple pints. When we got back an hour later, the queue was gone - a happy surprise. However once we got in, all the venues were packed and people were still queing, just inside the building. I wish we would have left to the flat of some of the girls we had met the other day, and just relaxed and had tea, as they like to do here. But we weren't thinking that way at the time, we were in that mode where you force yourself to do everything, to be a part of everything, even though it's pretty clear you know what you're in for, and you're tired. Living like that for the past week has certainly paid off, but by now we were done with it. Still, looking back I'm glad I've been out so much. Because I hate more than anything that feeling of missing out, the one you get when you're in your room but you could be out with what seems like everybody, but for some reason you can't get yourself to do it. It's all feeling sorry for yourself, and I hate it, however inclined I am to do it.

It's been awesome hanging out with James, or the Jamester if you can get it out of him. He's low-key and funny, and enjoys the stupid things that most people don't find fun. For instance, we made entirely too much spaghetti last night, and when we were finished there was half a pot left of just noodles, probably about 4 servings. We joked about not letting it go to waste, and how we should eat it all before we left the room. I got up to go, and he told me I wasn't going anywhere until that pasta was gone. So we ate handful after undercooked handful of sticky spaghetti, sans sauce or flavor. It was difficult by the end, but we did it. As he took the empty pot to the sink, I heard him mutter "we win!" and thought it was the funniest thing ever. Surprisingly, our flatmates weren't as impressed as we expected them to be. Oh well.

I have AIM now, because I am a super hacker and learned what the hell a proxy is. And then how to get around it! I don't know how much use it'll be, because I'm never around when everybody else is. It's either early morning or late night, I guess.

And I'm building a temporary music collection, which consists of three random songs, one of which is "Under Pressure." So good I have it on track repeat anyways.

-"Let me out!!"

The Nation v. The Walkmen


I've just discovered The National. I have a few songs from Alligator, their latest, and am really keen on "Mr. November." After repeated listens, I realized that it bears a strong resemblance to The Walkmen's "The Rat." Most obviously, they're both percussive and driving, although "The Rat" is a bit more manic. But beyond that, they're both very desperate, like pleas from bleary-eyed men who've stayed up nights in a row before going crazy on the doorstep. While The National assure us they "Won't fuck us over, I'm Mr. November!" The Walkmen yell "Can't you hear me? I'm bleeding on the wall!" It gets better though, because both songs collapse into themselves part way through and begin lamenting: "I used to be carried in the arms of cheerleaders," from The National and "When I used to go out I would know everyone that I saw, now I go out alone if I go out at all," from The Walkmen. Apart from that, they are also sonically similar, with ringing guitars and the aforementioned propulsive drumming. Pretty honest stuff, I love it.

-Loch Ness Adventure Team

Different Class

First of all, I would like to request from Heather that her entire musical catalog be sent to me, each album on a separate cd, in alphabetical order and complete with hand-written liner notes (so I know the track names, duh). And would full sized jewel cases be too much to ask for? If you're not Heather and you'd like to contribute to the cause, that's fine too, but your music probably isn't as good. Just sayins. And yeah, my music is on my iPod, but i can only play it on headphones and I'd like to show it to people.

After last night, I can definitely confirm that I'm building my tolerance. Ten-fold. Perhaps eleven-? That was terrible. Anyways, one of our four (!) big student unions was having an indie dance night, with the guy from Beta Band DJing. I was pretty excited for the music, and to see indie kids dancing. It started out pathetically but was a blast by the end. We even got James so drunk he danced, and not half bad at that! He had to get up at 9:30 this morning though. Here everyone says "half nine" in that case, and I'll have to remember if it means half an hour past or before nine.

Today marks the end of my administrative nightmare. It's funny how the days are split between rushing to get things done in the day and going all out at night. It can't last much longer! I'll get my bank account going and try to get my AIM and email working- I can't wait to type at everyone! Especially since I don't have any phone numbers of people back home (although if I did you all would get some funny phone calls at 6:00 in the evening).

I took some pictures of my room and the view from my window last night, the one with the scary sky is especially cool! And I just took one right now because the sky is infinitely blue, which is a welcome change.





-The Team

Since We Last Spoke

I've got quite a story to tell. It's actually composed of many, many stories. I think I've forgotten most since they happened, but I'll give a little Best Of Vol. 1 for the curious. I know it's long, and if you can't stand to read it you can skip down to the paragraph about car crashes, which is exciting.

I got here a while ago (I honestly don't remember how long it's been), and my oh my is it a long plane ride. Dad came with me, thankfully. There are always setbacks when traveling, and a trip this long affords that many more opportunities for things to go wrong. If I was by myself I'd become a bundle of nerves amidst the delays and connections and probably end up without my luggage or something, a day late. But he can deal with anything, so we got here and went out and bought too much Indian food for dinner and felt bad. The next day I got to meet UC kids for our orientation and it all began. We stayed in some suites and went around everywhere in the downtown, seeing tourist stuff and going out all night and feeling cool. Buying a pint of draught beer is the best thing in the world, ever, I discovered. Buying the "Malt of the Month" because you think it's beer, and it's only a pound fifty, is not the best thing in the world. The bartender asked if we wanted ice or water with it and we gave her a funny look, which prompted her to inform us that "ice is frozen water." We got the ice and forced it down. We had stupid academic meetings as well, which were confusing and upsetting and thankfully only on two of the three days. I made some very kind friends during this time, and we set out on our own (a group of seven of us) on a bus/backpacking trip to the Highlands.

The first thing to go wrong was that I didn't remember to put on my athletic shoes before I packed everything away for the four days we'd be gone. So I had some clunky shoes that fortunately were waterproof and had some grip. We got on the bus in the morning, they call it a minibus here, like a shortened schoolbus (shortbus I guess) made by Mercedes. It was pretty old. We rumbled up to Pitlochry and took a tour of a wisky distillery around noon. It's a small town, totally reminiscent of stereotypical Scottish countryside views in photos and stuff. With sheep in the hills and everything. The wisky was smooth- although I don't really care for it I could tell it was good. Then we got back on the bus and headed off on the highway going south instead of north. The driver/tour guide had been talking to us the whole trip, telling us about what we saw and how he had to catch the football match at 6:00 and making jokes about the English and being generally funny. He suggested we make a U-turn on the highway, and went through with it. The bus started to tip over, but was hit by a lorry in the process. A lorry is an 18-wheel truck. It was going the same way as us and hit us in the back as we started to turn. Then the lorry swerved but our bus kept turning and then the lorry then T-boned us towards the front of the bus. I had fallen into the aisle and didn't know what was happening, just that we were all screaming and were spinning. We came to a stop, still upright, on the opposite side of the highway and cleared everybody out. There were bleeding heads and legs, and glass was everywhere. Thank God I was unhurt. I don't know why, but I was spared - I am truly lucky. We were rushed to the hospital in ambulances and taken care of (there were about 20 people on the bus, and the ones who weren't hurt badly were taken to Perth while the seriously injured were rushed to Dundee. The Scots are genuinely nice people. We received service and care beyond anything I would expect in the States.

Nobody was in critical condition besides our driver, and the tour company took care of us from that point on. We stayed two nights in nearby Pitlochry and saw some great things and bonded, which was great. Anne, who is probably the sweetest person I've ever met, walked around with me everywhere and it was nice.

After the castle trip we went into the town, which was even smaller than Pitlochry, and got some lunch at a wee little tea house. And since news travels fast in those parts, the owner must have recognized us because he ran across the street to the bakery and bought us a big carrot cake. "We may be horrible drivers, but we're good people," he told us. I agree wholeheartedly. The hostel where we stayed was entirely gracious, everything was on the house and they would make us dinner and breakfast and take us to the pub next door. Anne and I discovered the creepiest thing in the world while we were there: a deserted carnival where all the lights were on and the rides were moving, in the middle of an empty field at nightfall. Oh my God was it creepy! No pictures though, sorry.

We got back to Edinburgh by train and stayed in a hostel under the castle. Everything was again free to us and everyone was again kind to us. The next day we split up because we were able to move in to our housing. Unfortunately, our stuff was still locked in the UC Study Centre until the next day at 4 in the afternoon. So I moved in with just a backpack, wearing the same pair of clothes for the n-th day in a row. I met all of my flatmates that day, and they are great. There are two English kids, John and Nick, a Greek kid, Mark, and a Scot, James. We've been going out every night to these Freshers Week events, which are the largest drunken parties ever. And it's university sponsored, which blows my mind. It's insanely fun and insanely tiring being drunk and out until 3am for five nights in a row, something I can't imagine ever doing back home. Plus, there are meetings in the morning at early hours, and they're a 40 minute away. I didn't realize that all my classes were so far away, and I hope I can make it down there every day. James and I have been out every night, going to student union parties (one was beach themed, which doesn't work here in the cold nights) and stand up comedy and traditional music circles and flat parties with the UC kids and film viewings and a ceilidh (traditional Scottish party with the folk dancing and music! And drink! Pronounced "kay-lee") and fairs and altogether too much. Meeting people and forgetting their names within five minutes. A whirlwind tour says it well. I figure next week things will get serious, and seriously hard, so I'm happy to say I'm making the most of it.

As far as my impending academic failure is concerned, I can't get a single damn class I want! That's not true, I have all the hard geology I need, but with the labs being so staggered I can't get any electives because they won't fit. Luckily, though, at the academic fair I met a very nice professor who I asked about taking some sort of writing class, or at least a lit class. He couldn't recommend to me the creative writing because it's pretty intense, and really only for majors. So he said to take Scottish lit because it's a "blue skies" course, which I assumed meant "easy." But the real news was that he told me where his office is, and that I should start coming by in a few weeks with things I've composed, and that he'll have a coffee with me and tell me what he thinks. What more could I ask for? I really appreciate that, and I'm really excited and motivated now. Where I'll find the time, I don't know but I can worry about that later.

The Iron & Wine/Calexico album is amazing, by the way. I'd had the Iron & Wine home bootlegs of all the songs for a while, and was never taken by them. So I was happily surprised by the new versions. Nay, amazed even.

I'm sure I've left a bunch out, so if I remember for some reason I'll post it. Unless I think the better of it.

UPDATE: My hard drive is out of service at the moment. So, no pictures (sorry Heather). However, the pictures are not as much a concern as my 22 days worth of music are. Damn damn damn.

In other news, the ceilidh was amazing!

-Team BK

Hello

I am in a huge library right now. We've been having a freaking ball here so far, it's been only the UC kids (26 of us) and everyone is very sweet. The city is amazing from what I've seen so far, which includes a view from the top of Arthur's Seat, a mountain overlooking the entire city. Nighttime is fun, and being able to buy drinks is very strange but we all enjoy it.

Tomorrow morning I leave on a trip to the Scottish Highlands until Saturday night, it will be the best time of my life I'm pretty sure. Once I move in to my real flat next week I'll be able to update for reals, with pictures and whatnot.

Cheers,
The Team

Goodbye United States

Today I found some nice waterproof shoes and that means I'm all ready to go. Most of the stuff is packed now, and it hasn't quite hit me yet that I'm about to embark on adventures. Tonight we had a fun dinner with friends, and that made me happy. And I finally saw Johnny again. He brought a DVD he made, and it had random stuff like skateboarding in high school and him, Ryan, and I jamming like madmen to The Cranberries' "Zombie" and "Dreams" in our apartment this past year. I don't remember why we did that but it was damn funny.

My next update will probably be from Edinburgh, I don't know when, so I'll say this now. Thanks to everyone for making my summer so enjoyable. I appreciated every minute of it and will miss you all.

WISH ME LUCK

love,
Brian