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Anna Overseas

6/25/2005

I went to Mary King's Close today. Which was not as cool as I wanted it to be, but was interesting.

The story I was told about the Close was that, during the height of the Black Death, the close was walled up and people were left to die there. Several years (several several years) later, when the overcrowding in the city got insane, people began to consider moving back to the Close. The first night the new family, the Coldhearts, stayed there, they saw floating heads, and heard ghostly voices. There are conflicting accounts of whether they stayed or fled in terror.

Of course, what actually happened isn't quite so disturbing.

Mary King's Close was the worst of the areas affected by the plague when it happened, but it was never walled up. I understand from the tour (it wasn't quite clear) that it got very depopulated, but was a working street up until it was covered over to build the City Building in the 1700s. The way the Closes off the Royal Mile work is that they're all very sharply slanted downhill, towards what was the Nor'Loch and is now Princes Street Gardens. (This was so the waste buckets would travel down hill and into the lake. Yum.) When they decided to build the new buildings, they wanted them at the same level as the Royal Mile. So, they razed the buildings to the level of the street, and used them as the foundations of the building. Part of the Closes underneath that still exist, as well as some of the houses.

And yes, the story about the Coldhearts is true, or so the tour says. The Close wasn't abandoned at the time, and I'm not quite sure where they were when the haunted night happened, but it did come up during the tour.

There's also a part of the place that's haunted by a girl's ghost, named Annie. A Japanese psychic apparently found her in one of the houses that still kinda survive. She was very sad because her whole family was dead, and she had lost her doll. So, the psychic bought her a new doll, and now people who come through occasionally leave her more toys, to appease her restless spirit.

I left her one of my ducks, cuz I have about a million of them. So, if you ever go down there and see the little yellow duck with the goggles and the face mask, that's mine.

As a side note, the whole area is very very cramped, so every time I had to bend over double to get under a doorframe, I thought about Don.

Well, after that I went for a walk down to the People's Story museum. It was...

Okay, I hated it.

I'm sure it would be more interesting if I had something better to base it in, but it isn't really set with much context, and it goes all over the place. It's never really clear what time period they're going into next. It starts in the 1500s, I think, and goes up to the modern day. I think. Part of it was interesting, because I was comparing it in my head to a similar museum I saw in Halifax, Pier 41, which was showing people wanting to leave Scotland (and half the rest of the world) to live in Canada. But part of it was so... condenscending to their subject matter.

For example, showing a widow living in one of the tennement. "She is feeding the baby with a bit of milk-dipped bread, because her breast has run dry. The children would be better off at the school run by the (pastor), but she's afraid that if they find out one of the children is illegitimate and she will lose her widow's pension. Only the bottle of whisky can ease her pain."

blink

I'm just going to leave that for itself, because foaming-at-the-mouth isn't my idea of a fun blog post.

Other than that, it was a quiet day. I had a nap that lead to a surreal dream about a role playing game back home, Purgatory, which included the line "You're only trying to kill me because I'm pretty and now you'll never be again". Being uttered by Nolan, who has never played, to some woman wearing a plague mask.

Ah. I'm apparently the only sober person in the room, and people are asking for ducks. I think I shall sign off for now, and go in search of food. Or sober people.

Anna stopped here at 1:18 PM

6/24/2005

I have a new theory.

The city was not built on a hill on purpose. Oh no. The city was built under a cloud on purpose.

They tell me it's been very nice and sunny lately, which makes me very sad. Because it hasn't been. At least, not by my standards. It has been raining every night, which has been pleasant. People have been complaining about the heat. I'm very content with the weather right now, although I've decided that the use of an umbrella is really a waste of my time. It's not raining quite enough to bother.

Today I spent the morning on a walking tour (for free!) of the Royal Mile. It was a very interesting tour, about 2 hours of walking up and down the street. The girl who led it explained what the closes, wynds and courtyards all are. Closes were built for a horse to get through on its own (probably before the stairs were put in). Wynds were for a horse and cart. And I can't remember the courtyards.

She told us a bit about various places, but it was really just enought to whet my appetite. Which is probably the point. It's a great tour if you're just interested in an idea of Edinburgh, and an interesting starting point for those of us who are obsessed with the human side of history.

Some of the stories were quite grotesque, about people being hanged from the roofs of buildings, about how sewers were handled, witches being tossed into lochs, and evil merchants having their ears nailed to a door. She mentioned a few of the royal murders (apparently the blood of David Ricco can still be seen in Holyrood Palace), and pointed out where Mary King's Close is. That place was apparently walled up during the plague, and when they finally reopened it the place was haunted. There's a ghost tour that claims it's the most haunted place in the world, and I'm almost tempted to take it.

We did the obligatory mocking of Braveheart, and apparently the father of the man who runs the hostel that I'm staying in was one of the group that stole the Stone of Destiny from England and ran around with it in the back of a car for four months, trying to keep ahead of the police and the army. I really need to do some more reading.

I went to the Library yesterday, and left in a foul mood. I need "official" letters to prove that I live in the city. Which, of course, I can't get until I get something with a bill. *sigh* Maybe when I sign my flat lease, that will suffice.

But, they are hiring people to work in the Library. Part time on weekends. I could do that, and be very happy, since as someone pointed out, travelling on the weekends could be a bitch, but working a part time job on weekends and a couple of shifts during the week could be very useful.

My afternoon was spent hunting for jobs. I intended to spend part of it looking at flats, but I found out that I'll need a bit more money than I actually have to apply for one. I am certain there's a viable solution to this problem, but I haven't come up with it. (I mean besides "Dear mom and dad, please send money, hugs and kisses, Anna", because they would kill me, and then hide the body. Or maybe hang it from a tall building. Or something.)

I've been trying to sound cheerful over all, but I'm going to admit to a bit of a sense of despair. I know, I'm pushing it, but I hate being unemployed, and I've been here since Tuesday and why don't I have a job yet? It's stupid, I know, but I'm just so anxious.

On top of that, I'm a bit lonely. It was so stressful the last two weeks I was in Edmonton that I didn't really get to enjoy it. I had a great time in B.C., but it just sorta made it more obvious that here, I don't really have anyone to talk to yet. I'm still settling in. And I really feel like I never get any privacy. So, I'm lonely, sharing a room with 7 girls I don't know, in a hostel known for partying. I feel a bit out of place.

Monday, I will start to look for a flat and stuff. I think I'll spend the weekend doing touristy stuff, and writing cover letters for the few jobs I've seen where you can't apply online. Maybe I'll do the ghost tour....

Anna stopped here at 7:48 AM

6/23/2005

So, I think I may have figured out the traffic issue.

Maybe.

This is my theory: First, the cars going north-south go. Then, the cars going east-west go. Then, when none of the cars are moving, the people get to cross the street.

Maybe. I think.

I just follow the little green man. I know there are a lot of people who cross before the little green man says they can, but I'm not brave enough yet. The streets are scary when the cars are coming from the wrong direction.

But, yesterday overall was a really nice day. I'm a bit anxious about being unemployed (still), but really, I only started looking for work yesterday. I'm just freaking out because I can. I had a job interview today where I demonstrated that I can type 84 WPM with a 96% accuracy rating, and I can use Word. So, hopefully that will lead to something. They emailed a couple of my references.

And I finally started meeting a couple of people here in the hostel, and going out and doing something. Mike, who is from South Africa, can't remember my name so he just calls me 'Canada'. I also met a pair of sisters from Ottawa (one of whom spent some time working in Gimli, which is where I was born), and a couple of other people. We're making jokes about how there are no actual Scottish people in Edinburgh, or at least none of us have met any. *grin* The whole idea of making a lifestyle out of living in foreign places really appeals to a lot of people. Although I seem to be the only person here who doesn't drink or use other recreational drugs.

Last night we went out to a bar that has a free movie theater. Basically, you just tell the bar what you want to watch of their list of DVDs, and they show it in their 50 person theater. It was 4 Weddings and a Funeral, which I didn't like at all. (I have a thing against movies where someone waits till their fiance is at the altar to say "Oh, I don't want to get married".) But the bar itself is just surreal. It takes up half this "basement" section that includes several "dungeons". They were filming a music video there last night, so I didn't get to see the whole place.

Speaking of recreational drugs.... There was a very very very attractive and half naked young man there. mmmmm. He was wearing tattoos, a kilt, and a pink mohawk. *grin* And a lot of sweat, since he was dancing around like a mad man to some drum beats. Very nice.... And high as a kite.

It's been an interesting day today, too, and not only because of the job interview. I went to the "New Town" for the interview, and checked around there for a few things. Found a very nice bookstore and tried to remind myself that I couldn't afford the lovely books. *sigh* I also got to walk over the Waverly Bridge, and checked out one of the many "closes" that lead off the High Street, which is where I'm living right now.

Basically, a close seems to be some sort of walking street. There are several dozen off of the street, and they all have interesting names. The one I ended up walking up (with its millions of stairs, god I'm going to be thin by the end of the summer) was called "Advocate's Close". I know a lot of them have a history to them, which you can find out on the walking tours. I can't wait to take one.

It's been a nice day, and it isn't even 5 p.m. yet. I think I might go out and do something all Scottish for the evening.

Anna stopped here at 9:22 AM

6/22/2005

I am in the process of moving over to my actual url of www.annaoverseas.com. Please direct any comments to that blog. Until I get properly moved in, I'll be posting in both places. Cuz I'm just that weird.

Anna stopped here at 8:18 AM

I swear, this entire city is built on a hill. A really steep hill.

Everywhere I walk, I'm walking up hill. It's insane. I don't think I've walked downhill once since coming here. I know, it sounds impossible, but it's true!

It's nice, though. I walked to both ends of the Royal Mile yesterday. On one end is Holyrood Palace, and the other end has Edinburgh Castle. I haven't been inside either one yet, but I have been awed by the outside of the castle. It's... everything I thouht it would be.

There are a number of walking tours, and later today I'm going to take a bus tour around the city. I want to get myself a bit more oriented. I'm very afraid of getting lost, even if I'm a ten minute block from two major landmarks. *grin*

I accomplished a few things yesterday: I finally found a power adaptor so I can plug in my laptop. I got a cell phone (that only costs 5 p per minute to call home, and has free incoming calls. Damn, cell phones are nice here). I also got a mail box. The mail box was more expensive. *laugh*

I found a few leads on jobs that I'll be calling later today. I just want to get a few things sorted out first. Like getting my resume printed, which I'll do later today, too.

I've met a couple of people in the hostel. A lot of them are like me - looking for work in several wrong places. Everyone's really laid back and relaxed, and when I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and wandered into the common area, I sat with a nice boy from South Africa and talked about nothing at all important.

(Don't tell Tom, but they think people who wear Utila-kilts are twits here.)

One thing I've found about living in a hostel: most people have no trouble asking where you're from, but they rarely ask your name.

Anyway, it's around 7:30 in the morning here, and I have a full day planned. I can't wait to get started on it. I can't remember the last time I was this happy.

Oh, one last thing: Maybe it's the flannel jacket that's giving me away as Canadian. *wink*

Anna stopped here at 12:16 AM

6/21/2005

You'll have to excuse me
I'm not at my best

Dear god am I ever not at my best. Carrying the majority of everything I own down several streets older than my country is rather exhausting.

I've been gone for a week
I've been drunk since I left

Well, kinda. I mean, everyone kept offering me alcohol.

These so-called vacations
Will soon be my death

Espcially since the airline I came across on kept reminding us several times during the flight where the emergency exit was, and made us fill out contact information for next-of-kin on the back of our boarding passes.

I'm so sick from the drink
I need home for a rest....

But, I'm okay.

I really haven't had time to absorb the fact that I'm in Scotland yet. It seems just... too much to think about yet. I've been more focusing on figuring out where I am, and where I'm going next, than at looking at much. Once I found a hostel for tonight, I dropped off my bag and just looked around a bit. Found the post office, found the internet cafe, bought a couple of postcards, and checked out at least one very attractive young man in a kilt.

Very attractive. Mmmm....

Where was I? Oh, right, Scotland.

Anyway, I took a train this morning from Glasgow. (Scarecrow, I took a train! And it was great!) I saw sheep! And cows! And sheep! Lots of sheep! And... and... a golf course surrounded by sheep! (No, really.) The train was incredibly quiet, and I got to Edinburgh in about an hour. Both train stations are larger than some towns I've lived in.

I see a lot of Canadians (or at least people with Canadian flags on their backpacks) in the area, which is interesting. I suspect I'll run into more at the hostel tonight. It's kinda surreal... the thing I liked about the hostels in China was the variety of countries people were from. (Well, that and having a game of Chinese chess with a guy from Japan and a guy from China, both of whom only had broken English as a common language.) So far, I've run into people from Scotland, and Canadians.

I can't get over how friendly everyone seems to be here, though. I don't know what I was expecting, but I've been getting a lot of help from people. I'm not sure if it's the guide book, the accent, or the general looking lost that's helping me here. *grin* But, I'm not complaining.

I've discovered that they sell cherry coke in cans, and that the coins over here come in a variety of confusing shapes and sizes.

The cab driver that took me from the airport to the hostel in Glasgow hates the "Bloody British" and the "Stupid Americans". So far, I've been told five times that it's great that I'm from Canada, and not the States, cuz they're all stupid. Oh, and the cab drive thinks Edinborough is evil.

I think I need a rest again... Or at least to find that mobile phone shop everyone's been pointing me to.

Take care!

Anna stopped here at 5:44 AM

 mind the gap

A 20-something Canadian who used to teach English in China. There's lots in the archives about my experiences with teaching, with culture shock, and with my adventures in China. Occasionally it meanders into melancholy (part of the culture shock), which must be very dull to read, so you can skip that.

But right now, I'm back in Canada, and kinda determined to do something with the several thousand photos I took, as well as write more about China and other stuff.

People I Could Pick Out of a Police Lineup
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