Thursday, February 11, 2010

Before The Weekend

I can tell, already, that this weekend will bring much discovery and items to post about. I wanted to post the things I've experienced my first work week in Scotland. Then, this weekend can post those adventures.

So many things are different, even down to the coffee. Same - Starbucks in the airport at Inverness, even though there were only two luggage carousels. That surprised me as most of the small airports in the US don't even offer a Starbucks. Most of the coffee available here is instant. Dozens, literally, of kinds and brands of instant coffee. Coffee offerings for our class are in indivdiual paper cups, stacked one in another, with a service of instant coffee between. Light, more robust and very robust and also cocoa cups are here.

Food - Such yummy, yummy food. I've had very good pea and mint soup. Had it not been for Rod introducing me to this dish before I left, I would have missed out on it here. So good with a roll/savory scone. I had a most excellent Briyani, four meals worth served. The Indian restaurant is less than two blocks from my hotel. I will be frequenting them often and a very spoiled eater by the time I return. I've had a chicken and bacon sandwich and tuna and sweet corn pasta (I'd seen a sandwich with the same the day before). Fruit is plentiful and most often packaged in take-away form. This is great for me as a traveler.
I've had my tea and cream each day. Another thing I'm going to be hooked on for having spent time in GB.

Clothing - understated for the most part with a splash of color now and again. Beautiful boots here, most often worn with leggings. The coats are beautiful. I've found most people are not ever casually dressed. Men are most often seen in ties. I saw a few about town in kilts.

Moray Firth (pronounced Murray). Firth is an estuary. I a told I may be able to see dolphin in the water when the tide is up. It reminds me of Puget Sound. The sunset on Wednesday was spectacular. I have not seen a prettier on in all my travels. Every time I thought it must certainly be at its peak, it displayed more color. Everyone at the office was talking about it the next day.

The color of the grass here, even in the winter is as green as the pictures show it. Very bright. Each day has brought a little more warmth to it. A little less cranking of the radiator. And, I found, that many, many homes here are still heated by woodstoves.

I love working with foreign money. Initially, I always feel like a small child, facinated by every coin while being frustrated at the same time at not knowing how to count it out to the sales clerk. One can only hadn over paper bills for so long before the purse is too heavy to carry. And, unlike home, I can't cart it from country to country and save it for a rainy day.

Such a change in lifestyle for me. I also found that I actually get a real night's sleep now. The site doesn't begin their day untiil 9:00 so I don't have to leave for work until 8:30. I get to sleep until 7:00! The last few weeks before I left for my trip, I was getting up at 3:00 or 4:00 and getting to work by 5:00 or 6:00. This is like sleeping in late EVERY DAY!

2 comments:

Sharon said...

Doesn't Scotland use Euros? Hmmm.

Teri said...

British Sterling Pounds :)