Cheers from Scotland: Week One.. Almost done

So I decided to write a blog to keep a journal of all of my experiences here in Scotland. Whether it be learning different things, meeting new people, or experiencing something new, I hope that this blog will give you an idea of what I am doing thousand miles away. I am not a very poetic writer therefore this blog will not read like Shakespeare but it will get the job done. If I can figure out how to work this website I hope one day I will be able to put up videos and pictures. Alright so enough about the blog..

Plane ride into Scotland

I arrived in Scotland at 10 am on Saturday after a long day of travel. Aberdeen is 6 hours ahead of home so when it was 10 am here it was 4 am at home. That being said, I was jet lagged but extremely excited to have arrived. Karla, who was an RGU exchange student at TU first semester, and here dad picked all five of us up at the airport and dropped us off at our accomodations. After she left and I was alone in my room, I had a miny freak out episode. Because I came to Scotland with 4 other people, I did not expect to be alone the first day. I did however go to the mall by myself and bought my cell phone by myself! I was proud of myself ha. (Funny story about my phone.. The lady at the store was trying to explain the pay as you go plan to me and at the end of the conversation I left thinking that for a one minute phone conversation it would cost me 25 pounds which is about $30. Lucky for me she was saying 25 pents (or cents) for every minute call and I just couldn't understand her.) Later in the day, I was finally able to meet up with Kristen and the rest of the group. Karla and Vinnie took us out to the RGU Union which is RGU's student center in the middle of the city centre. We then went to the club Priory. This place is well uhh.. interesting. It used to be a church but is now converted into a club. It still has the stained glass windows and the balacony for the organ. I am still not to sure what to think of that. Since Saturday, I have set up a bank account, gotten a bus pass, and have been running other errands to get everything I need for the semester (bed sheets, pillows, etc.) I think I am getting pretty use to the city centre and I don't think it will be difficult anymore to navigate.

I guess I should talk a little bit about school since that is the reason I am here. I had an orientation on Monday with all the exchange students in the Aberdeen Business School. There were students from Germany, France, Polland, Finland, Turkey, and I am sure there were more that I can't think of. Since we had our orientation on Monday, classes didn't start until Tuesday. On Tuesday, I had my first finance class. The teacher seemed pretty timid and almost like she was a substitute and not the real teacher. It also seemed like she was giving the class a memorized presentation and every once in a while she would forget what she was saying. Tony asked a question in the middle of lecture and the whole class bursted out in talk right after he asked it. I guess no one asks questions here. That was my only class for the week. My weekend started on Wednesday! I missed my UK oil and gas law class on Monday and had to pick another class besides my food and beverage management class. When I got my time table on Monday, I saw that the class times for food and beverage management changed every week. For example the first week the class was held on Monday and Tuesday and then the next week on Wednesday and Thursday. I decided that a varying schedule would not work out well with having my internship, therefore I am taking jurisprudence.

First Day of School

Yesterday, Kristen and I went to the beach! We took the bus to the North Sea and walked around there for the day. There was a boardwalk with an arcade, bowling, and indoor miniture golf. I am sure that we will go back there again. The North Sea had a lot of industrial boats in it. I am not sure if they were fishing boats or what. The beach here isn't very long before it ends and a cliff into the sea forms. After we left the beach, we road the 15 bus to tour the city. We got off the bus when we saw a man playing the bag pipes in a kilt. He was playing Amazing Grace. The funny thing was that the bag piper was from the state of Georgia and moved to Scotland because he met his wife here. Therefore, our first Scottish bag piper was an American.. And then last night, all of the exchange students met back up at the Union for free dinner!