I'm not sure, really, where to start this one off. It's been quite a week. I found out on Wednesday that my cousin, Angie, passed away last Monday. And that's mostly what's on my mind at the moment. It makes all of my silly research and worries over school work seem just that, silly. I know that's not really the case, but it's hard to be so far away when something like this happens. Hard to process it. I was never that close to Angie, but she was always so full of life, full of energy, and some of my earliest memories have her in them. Maybe it was merely that she was a youngish adult when I was little, but she was one of those adults able to focus on children, to pay attention, and that's what I will always remember most.

I guess it's been almost a month since I posted last. Time really does fly. Mostly, I've been reading more than is imaginable, and beginning to write my essays for the end of term as I attempt to keep up with classes. And, so far, so good. Though I do not recommend reading the current serious material out there on geoengineering the climate. At least not unless you have a very strong stomach indeed. Word to the wise.

Edinburgh is still (at least to my mind) unseasonably warm and green. The leaves are only just really leaving the trees in the last week or so, the grass is still bright and cheery, and the temperatures are still hovering in the 50's in the day and 40's at night (and that's in fahrenheit, for those of you who wonder), and the rains have not set in yet in earnest, though I hesitate to state this last too loudly. The sun still shines a bit every day, and for that I am exceptionally grateful. The mix of rain and wind and sudden sun can be, as you might expect, quite beautiful. I have not yet been able to roam and take the photos that I would like to of the mist lit up round the city...but I promise that I will. For now, we'll all have to settle for this photo I took of a rainbow arching across the building on the other side of the street.

This month has also introduced me to Edinburgh's idea of road maintenance scheduling. Apparently, they don't want to get in peoples' way during the daytime....so, they do their road construction at night. Which is all well and good, unless you happen to live where they decide they need to work, and then you just don't get to sleep properly for the week or two it takes to fix a pothole. And, no, odd as it may be, I am not exaggerating. Here they are, working away at night.

A week ago now, I made my first attempt at lithography. No, I probably should not have taken the time away from studying, but it was a fun experience and gave me some new ideas for future prints. A time which I very much look forward to. Here's my first try.

I dedicate this one to Angie. It came into being as she passed.

And now I should go back to my work. Climate change negotiations are about to commence once more. The crime of aggression has now been defined, with the result of essentially outlawing war. The Euro-zone is in melt-down mode. And the UK is trying to decide if it needs or wants a Bill of Rights. It's interesting times we live in and, for good or ill, those winds'll keep on blowin'.

Things are picking up. Not that they were slow to begin with.

Another week has passed, it seems....where on earth does the time go? I know, of course, that this is a cliché of a question, but between reading and research and basic life things time is scarce of late. This past week was what they call reading week here. Which basically means that, after they bog you down with an amount of reading that you couldn't possibly keep up with, you get a week to try to catch up. Which I have finally, mostly, accomplished. Though there are always additional assigned readings that could take me another couple of weeks to do. But oh well. I also signed up for a presentation on a case that went before the European Court of Human Rights that I have to give this coming Thursday....something that I thought I would have plenty of time to prepare for given the scheduling, but of course I now feel as though I'm scrambling to pull it together. But, no matter how that goes, it will be good practice.

In other school related news, our essay topics were assigned this week. Some are daunting, some interesting, others less so, but all are demanding in scope and one thing is sure; there won't be any chance to wonder what to do with my time for the foreseeable future. Assessment for courses is a bit different here than back home and not very forgiving. I'm taking four courses in total, aside from my dissertation. Two are year long, and two are semester long, and for each class I write one essay per semester...meaning that my entire grade for my semester-long classes lies in one essay, and two essays for my year long classes. And nothing can be redone. Ever. The big difference, however, is in the grading system. All papers are submitted anonymously and graded by professors and then checked by a board created for such purposes, and the grades themselves are done by percentage with excellent translating into a mark of 70%. It's going to be interesting and challenging and quite a lot is resting on a total allowance of 40,000 words.

All that said, I have been carting my little camera around with me on every errand I run and have collected a few more snapshots of the city to share with you all. ...And I also managed to make it on a ghost tour of the vaults under the city, as well!

On the left is the starting point, called Mercat Cross, where people used to be tortured for public enjoyment, and on the right is our lovely and entertaining guide.

And here's a peek into the vaults under Edinburgh. If you get a chance, I recommend looking the underground chambers up online, as they're quite interesting. Apparently people lived down there for quite some time until they were closed off in the late 18th century and they weren't reopened until the late 1990's.

And here is Grayfriar's Church and Kirkyard. The first is of course the church itself, the second is a neat grave with skull and crossbones all over the place, and below is a view of the kirkyard and a fun little tidbit about Edinburgh's history with dead bodies.

That's all for now, folks! I'll try not to let it be so long before I post again....

O.K., so no pirate graves cloaked in mist. Though perhaps I'll get out and take some of said photos tomorrow. Instead I have something entirely Scottish that I stumbled upon this weekend past.

You know you're in Scotland when you're walking down the street and happen upon a group of men dressed (only) in kilts, beating on drums and playing bagpipes. Somehow I don't think this happens anywhere else in the world.

With that, I will leave you until the morrow, when I will post more photos and a proper update.

A Misty Day in Edinburgh or, A Month In

I warrant it's time for another post.

I've now been in Edinburgh for an entire month, though it's hard to believe. Time is already passing quickly, though it also seems like things move very slowly here. An odd conflict in perception.

After being here for a month I am still trying to finalize the opening of my bank account. A word of advice to anyone thinking of living in Scotland, the Scots, although they have many marvelous qualities I am sure, are neither quick nor efficient. The post can take months to work its way across a single city. And bank accounts apparently routinely take weeks, if not months to open. And never hire a plumber. It's much faster to learn to do the work yourself.

All that aside, life at the University is far from slow. Though I only have three courses to attend, I find that I am up dawn til dusk nearly every day of the week reading and researching just to keep my head above water. And it's marvelous! A bit tiring, but I am taking in so very much real knowledge and being exposed to so much new thought. And I feel that what I am learning here has real applicable value in the world, a nice change from the realm of theory. I met my director of studies on Friday afternoon, and was greatly relieved to hear his warning against relying too heavily on my theoretical background in the world of international law. International law may seem theoretical in the States, but I assure you, it is a real, living thing....even when one's own country doesn't want to acknowledge it as such.

Edinburgh is rainy once more, having enjoyed a full three days of summer this last week. I wore my sandals, that I had feared I had brought in vain, on Friday and basked in the sun and balmy temperatures. And then the rain returned and the temperature dropped. Followed closely by the leaves. October has arrived and is refusing to go unnoticed. Today I took a short break, just before the evening rain and walked through Greyfriars' graveyard, through the misty centuries-old stones, past the place where the National Constitution was signed over three and a half hundred years ago, tramping through the wet gold of leaves.

My camera battery is dead once more, and once I get it recharged I will post some photos of the short Autumn here, and of the pirate's graves cloaked in mist.

So, I made it to the Camera Obscura. And it was a lot of fun. There were many touristy toys and fun facts about cameras. Lots of pinhole camera kits and professional results of pinhole cameras in Edinburgh. The tower itself was a lot of fun and gives some wonderful views of the city.

Above is the camera itself, and the view of the royal mile from the camera...which is adjacent to the castle at the top of the mile.

And here I am in the mirror maze. I must admit that I had probably more fun in here than any other adult in the vicinity.

And not only did Patrick Geddes give Edinburgh what is now the Camera Obscura, he also initiated a better quality of life for students, designing the first student housing in the city with a mind toward quality of life. Around the same time, he also designed Ramsey Gardens, flats designed for low-middle class people in the city centre that were nice to live in but also affordable.

Here's the view of Ramsey Gardens from the camera tower, though the front is much nicer looking.

The last couple of days have been wonderfully sunny and warm for Edinburgh, allowing me to do some of my studying in the park. On the main campus, there is a lovely little square turned park called George Square where there is ivy growing everywhere and holly, with big old trees and a real labyrinth in the middle. And a lot of grass. A perfect, meditative place to go and read and process thought.

This is a part of the Meadows, which extend south and west from campus.

I also made it through my first week of classes unscathed. And even learned how to look up cases properly in a law library...replete with British abbreviations for everything. Something else that I enjoy probably more than do most other adults around. But it is fun so far. A lot of reading, but it feels good to be taking in so much knowledge so constantly. Though who knows what I'll think a couple of months in. :)

This week, between books, I am going to venture out into Edinburgh's thrift stores and decorate my apartment. I'm excited to see what I will find, and will be sure to relay photos in my next post. And tomorrow I am going to attend my first Quaker Meeting here, something else that I am very much looking forward to.

Until next time.

hello all! so, today was the first official day of classes. i had planned on writing a post yesterday, but was antsy, and rushing to finish readings ahead of class, and thus decided to put it off until today.

it's been a good week, all told. mostly i attended study initiation/advice sessions and university welcome sessions. very informative, and also a little frightening. for example, a grade of 70% is a good thing. not only good, but excellent. that and the fact that just about the only time i'm going to have off in the next twelve months will be specifically to catch up on reading. resulting, not surprisingly in me thinking more than once, "what am i doning?!"

to be honest though, it is going to be a great year. something that i can say with some confidence having now met my classmates and gotten a look at the work i will be doing here. i am the one and only american in my programme, which leaves me with a lot of exposure to international influences. my professors have a range of expertise and are all eager to reach across traditional barriers and lines of disciplines, something that is going to suit me quite well. and all of my classes are socratic seminars, and not just in theory, which is going to be marvelous. and to top it all off, here is the building in which i will be studying:

the "old college"

(here's a look at the "new college," just for good measure)

law has been taught at the site of the "old college" for over 300 years, and you can feel it in the very ground. it is amazing.

this last weekend, i went to the portobello beach, to explore and relax a bit before i'm buried in books. and it was beautiful. warm for the region, and the sun even came out, a rare and pleasant treat. below is a photo of the rainbow that emerged as i reached the beach, and evidence of my wading (or rather, paddling, as they say here), and the shoreline and town. it's a beautiful place and only about a 30 minute bus ride from the center of edinburgh.

this week begins the long dive into learning that i came to edinburgh for and i think that i am going to treasure those moments when i can climb a hill, or play at the beach. they will be much needed breathers in my study and i'll post details of those adventures as they happen. for now, i am going to focus on readings and, perhaps, visit the camera obscura later in the week. i am ready, nervous, and excited. wish me luck!

Edinburgh

ok. so, here i am folks. in edinburgh, scotland. it seemed fitting to do this today, as it's my birthday and also the day i finalized my registration at the school of law at the university of edinburgh. wow. what a day, and week, it has been. i arrived here on tuesday, the 5th of september, one week ago tomorrow. i stayed in a hostel for a total of four days/nights, found a flat (apartment) and flatmates in no time at all and moved into my very conveniently located flat, right next door to the national library of scotland, the national museum of scotland, and less than one block from the law school. my flatmates are lovely, but more about them later. i've been cleaning, unpacking, and generally rushing around almost non-stop since i got here and today the wind caught up.

one thing to know about edinburgh is that it is always windy. some times are just more windy than others. today was one of those times. the day dawned bright and clear, but by noon the edge of hurricane katia was moving through, with winds ranging from 10 to 50 miles per hour. and silly me, i decided that this was the afternoon to venture out to princes street for a camera battery. but i did it, and now i have a lovely photo of my birthday dinner party:

left to right the others are ami (a new friend going to the u of e for digital design), caroline (my flatmate, from northern ireland and an undergrad at the u of e), fanny (teaching french at hariot-watt university, from france, and also a flatmate), and jasmine (flatmate number 3, going to u of e college of art for illustration, and from taiwan and australia).

soon i will take and post photos of the city (and me in it) and of my school and all the lovely things you all want to see. so far things are good here. the city is beautiful, foggy brick and morning sunshine. i've explored a little and this is without a doubt a city meant for foot traffic, with multiple layers to the city (literally) and interesting and mysterious (and generally safe) little stairs and alleys connecting everything. it is a lovely and friendly place and i can't wait to explore the country.

and just for good measure, here's a look out my window at the street below: