New year’s eve-eve we made a trip out to Glasgow to meet up with some of steve’s friends from one of the music programs he did in Prague. I always like a trip out to Glasgow, I’m not really sure why, probably a combination of the extreme inability to understand people, the slight semblance to SF and the excitement of a new place. At the first bar this dude started some shit with the bartender, twas pretty cool the way the bartender was dealing the the bloke, until he started reaching inside his inner jacket pocket (which fortunately in the UK means at the worst, only a knife – hooray no guns!). But there was no sharp pointy objects pulled so good times were had all around. Eventually we made our way back to the e-burgh in time for the worlds largest kayleigh (sp?). Kayleighs are traditional scottish dances that are apparently like square dancing (or something). I don’t really know because we got there too late for the actual keyleigh, but just in time for the burningman-esque post keyleigh festival. Seriously this city knows how to do crazy party type things. They had one lady strapped to a huge floating white blimp and paraded her through the street, which matched the weird puffy guys on stilts doing a version of the keyleigh – it is really difficult to describe – imagine someone stuck in one of those blow up things that are always outside of car dealerships – kinda like that. I wish I had the words to describe it all. I'll try to find some photos, or when steve sends me his i'll post em up...

So I just looked up keyleigh, it is spelled “ceilidh”…

New year’s eve came and initially I had planned on taking steve & yipka up arthur’s seat (cool little mountain thing that overlooks the city), but I discovered that they shoot fireworks from that hill on NYE, so it was closed. The next item on the agenda was heading to the beach. Steve had told yipka that Edinburgh had a beach, so she brought 3 swimsuits (pause for laughter). We hopped on a bus to bloody far away for a nice afternoon at Seaton Sands (which I will never return to, there are nicer beaches much closer to town, but I had never been and was up for a bit of an adventure). I really like English/Scottish beaches. They’re cloudy and dark and ugly and unbeachlike. Much better than Huntington and Newport – too sandy. Grabbed a quick sandwich at this little Scottish deli and scared the two poor ladies running the shop. They are definitely not used to the foreigners coming into their shop. Eventually we headed back into town and steve and yipka shared another Scottish delicacy (they had already done haggis and blackpudding) – a fried mars bar. Can you hear your stomach growling for that yet? Sounds delicious! I haven’t tried one and I don’t plan on starting, but they did say it was decent (aka, not as bad as you’d think). I headed back to the flat to let them finish some shopping as I got prepared for the evening’s festivities (aka, buying a bottle of jack daniels, 4 plastic bottles of coke and well…that’s about it really).

bloody hell this is a looong entry

coming soon
**part 4 - is blondie's drummer considered that guy? i think so!**

oh, so this sunday i get to wear/use a Sgian Dubh. figure out what it is and what i will be wearing it with i'll throw up 10 mateo points your way...