New people

If the weather yesterday felt like a delightful spring day, the weather today was a wet fall. It was cold today, in the 50's F. I wore jeans and a jacket. It rained most of the day, but I still thought it beautiful. I walked to the store with Vasiliki, Ben's flatmate, to by some essentials (sugar, milk, and whiskey) and I tried to fix my camera at a nice shop. Unfortunately, the power supply is most likely burnt out, so it will be a week before I get anything working. Ben has agreed to let me borrow his digital until I get mine repaired, however. I'll be going backwards in the blog and posting pictures along with my text as I get them taken. I ate with Ben at a great Indian place called The Clay Oven in Morningside, a more "posh" or well-to-do area. The food was great.

Afterwards, Ben's Dad, John, came into town and we went to Bennet's Bar, which was a lovely Victorian pub with good beer (I'll go there again), while we waited for a table at the Panda's Inn for Chinese food.

My last post adopted a tone of tragic loneliness, but I'm not actually lonely. I've met some really great people over the past two days who are infinitely interesting to talk to, and I thought I'd introduce you to them.

First, Ben is a great guy, and I've really appreciated his willingness to answer all of my questions. Through him, I'm seeing Edinburgh in a more effective fashion than I would by myself, and I've already become comfortable with city. And without him, I'd probably be plastered on all over Melville Drive since I haven't figured out which way to look when crossing the road -- right, THEN left.

John, Ben's Dad, was a delight to talk to. He told me all about his work on the construction of the North Sea Oil rigs as a welder in the 70's and we also talked history, British system education and politics. Just talking to him helped me connect many loose ends that (as an American who is largely ignorant of all but the most grotesquely drawn portrait of English/Scottish history) I was struggling with.

Ben's flatmates, Rafa and Vasiliki, have already been mentioned, but not introduced. Rafa is from Spain and is studying to be an herbalist; our discussions about the European Cup convinced me that I can at least hold a somewhat passable discussion on Football (I graciously admitted that Spain deserved to win, while he graciously told me that he already knew that). Vasiliki has justed submitted her Doctoral dissertation for Archeology, is from Greece, and has been very fun to talk to. She, at least, is nice enough to laugh at a few of my jokes. She also works in a Physiotherapy clinic and tells me (listen up Mariah) that they often recruit PTs from abroad.

As much as I talk about the sights of Edinburgh, and as much as I reflect on my thoughts, I want to make sure to say, that it is the people that I have met that are giving it life.

(No Scottish Word of the Day today,. Instead, enjoy this map I've started making of all the stuff I'm visiting. 'Til tomorrow)