football game

On Saturday, the 11th, me and 4 of my American friends went to a football game in Glasgow. The same 4 who helped at Thanksgiving. There are two teams in Glasgow, the Rangers and the Celtics. We saw the Celtics vs. Heart of Mid-Lothian ("hearts"). It was the only game that worked time wise with me and Elizabeth, and was not too far away or expensive. The other 3 decided to tag along.

On our 2.5 hour bus ride to Glasgow, we saw snow! and not just a few flakes like in St. Andrews.

Glasgow was a really nice city. I was excepting it to be very industrial, but it was not. I liked it better then Edinburgh and Aberdeen. There were this pedestrian streets everywhere. Note that it looks like lots of people walking toward you in the distance.

On the side of a mall.

The stadium. After about 2 hours in Glasgow, we took a 30 min. bus ride to the stadium. The closer and closer we got to the station, the more it looked like the part in between Shankill and Falls Roads in Belfast. Celtics are the Catholic team, and the Rangers are the Protestant team. When we got to the stadium, I understood why they chanted pro-IRA songs during the last game.

The stadium was really cool and nice. We bought tickets, 3 together then 2 together about 2 rows apart in the same section. But we were so far up, not everyone showed up. We sat all together. In fact, I bet we could have found a few seats together close to the field.

The Celtics are in white and green. (yellow goalie is the Hearts goalie).

An "injured" player. I thought he was actually injured. But as soon as the team doctor came over he got up, when to the sideline for 2 seconds and then went back into the game.

There were guys warming up to go into the game, the whole game, and never went in.

You can tell the Celtics are pro-IRA, look at this map. First of all, they fly no where in England, which is very common from the Edinburgh airport. Also, the correct name for Derry is Londonderry. But, the IRA call it Derry. Apparently if you want to be safe you say "the maiden city".

After half time.

The Celtic Song played, and everyone held up their scarves.

The Hearts section. Note the British flags! I am not sure if there is always this much security around the away visitors or not. Douglas, my flatmate, who likes Hearts, says that it is a rivalry, and it will be a rowdy game.

After Victory Wanyama, number 67, scored the only goal of the game (for the Celtics). He was my favorite player. Not only because he scored, but because he was a team player, and the only one that always hustled.

The section with the flags was the main Celtic cheering section. They were jumping and chanting and singing the whole game. Actually, I think we could have gotten seats there. But, I thought the corners were going to be bad seats, and wanted as close to the middle of the field as possible. However, with the pillars on our side of the field only, the corners would have been great. By the time we got tickets, there were only limited availability tickets, and some sold out parts.

Other teams ball after a penalty.

A penalty on us and the other team got a free kick. I did not think the refs did a good job. They called the game close,and then missed calls. But they were not favoring a team... weird. They were just bad.

A Celtic player pointing out that the ball was off the spot in must be. The goal, remarkably, blocked it, when he dove low to his left.

Wanyama, was the only player to switch jerseys after the game.

Crowd after the game. I wanted to get a pin or something but the pin place was closed when we left, and the others in the group were too worried about missing the bus that we had to get to the bus stop. I should have said I would get the next bus. The bus from Glasgow to St. Andrews runs every hour and we had 30 mins. to the next one. With all the traffic we were not going to make it. Plus, we got on the bus after 30 mins of waiting. But, whatever, I got a program at the game.

A cool slide at the Glasgow Christmas fair. Again, we went straight to the bus station. I thought we should have checked out the fair and took our time getting back, it is not like we had to get back at a certain time, and it was only 6:00pm. I should have gone to a Christmas fair while in Scotland, perhaps the Edinburgh one... On the way back the bus did not go direct to St. Andrews. We waited in Glenrothes for 40 mins. Everyone was very very cold waiting, but me. The other 4, at least 3, are from the Southern US...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

work and other stuff

Sorry I have not blogged in awhile, I have been very busy with work... as explained in this post, along with some other things I have been up to. I will post much more this week, because it is my last week here.

After the disastrous first archaeology paper, I got my academic affairs in order. I first went to CAPOD, which helps students with academic skills. It is like KU's version of the math help lab and the writing center all in one. I talked to Mathew for like an hour. He gave me some tips on what to do for my next essays, since both the history and archaeology ones got the same grade and comments. I also was glad to hear that most of the problems in my papers were just cultural differences. For example, in the US, I would have had a great anecdote introduction. Here, I got yelled at because it was  'not how you start a scholarly article.' (The ' ' are English). The archaeology one, I wrote about coins, apparently the man (my co-teacher) grading it was an expert in the archaeology field in coins. And apparently, because I am in the archaeology class, it is assumed that I am an actual archeologists and have gone on digs. It was nice to be told that in fact you do not write like a 2nd grader.He said that I needed to learn how to write formally. And, that I read naive and simplistic. Mathew this that the latter comment has to do slightly with bias. Since my intro included talking about a little girl and the teach related it to naive and simplistic. The history paper got less harsh comments, but the same grade since I was not specific enough. On both papers I was given little feedback. Mathew said it was just the way that things are done over here. Which is weird, considering he also told me that in the school system here, kids are never taught to read, not in high school, and not at uni. I asked if I should talk to the teacher about citing, since the co-teacher said any citing works, and my grader said I used the wrong citing system. He said I could, but a. I would have to ask in person and b. the grad will probably not change, since it is blind graded twice to make sure the first grade was right. The 2nd one being someone not familiarly with the class. Both have to agree on the grade.

Anyway, the getting better part. For the first time ever, I decided to start my castle presentation 3 weeks in advance, since, 4 days after the presentation I had another 2500 word history essay due, and one day after that a archeology assignment due. The castle presentation was great, it took me 3 weeks to finish it.I had to write a 1500 essay and present on it (usually between 10-20 minuets). I practiced Thursday night, the night before, but I do best when there is a little improve involved. I just got it back and got a 15 (out of 20) here that is a 3.3 or B+!!!

 After my presentation, the weekend before the 2 other assignments, my computer got a virus! The IT help people, in the library, do not work on the weekends, and because of that I cannot check out a computer for a week either. I ended up restoring it to the fall of 2009 on Sunday. The paper went considerable well. I wrote about gunpowder and its effects on castles and turned it in on time. I really like turning a hard copy into our teachers box, there is something about it. It is not as fun to turn in the online copy. My friend, Megan did not get hers in in-time. But for history it is .5 a day, not 1 a day, and she was still in the writing body paragraph stage when 1700 rolled around. That night I started my archaeology project. It was so fun! We had to fill out an 8 page form of a dig site. We could make up everything if we did not " take the piss out of it." So, I was going to survey Restrepo, in Afghanistan, since I read a book about collecting during the Bosnian genocide. Dr. Mike Whitaker, was in charge of the dig. I did do some research, like looked up actual classes at Upenn and said he taught them. I also got this one in on time too. When I went to turn in a hard copy about an hour later, the Classics building was locked. But, in class the next day, he said he did not want one. I wanted to turn it in anyway, because it looked awesome. I feel really good about all 3 assignments!

I even had time to go to cricket for 45 minuets during the day. At night, it was the Christmas cricket party. It was a 3 course meal with a glass of wine for 17 pounds at Pizza Express (which is actually a nice restaurant). I had a blast and toward the end, Helen, a senior player, and said that I am leaving them, and since I come to all the practices (at least Wednesday ones) and have really improved bowling, they gave me a cricket medal. They knew how much the other one, from the tournament, means to me. It was so sweet! We then went back to a players house and hung out for a hour or so, then the team went to the union bar and I went  home.

I went to CAPOD again on Friday (the 9th) because I realized I had no clue how to analyze a paper. Mathew again was great and after 30 minuets all my questions were answered and I understood. He also gave me some pointers for my exam on Monday, in 8.5 hours. I have the castle exam tomorrow, it is 4 essay questions, I have to answer one in one hour. Then from Tuesday 10am to Wednesday 10am I have my 24 hour take home archaeology exam. Both of these are different then the rest of the class, since I am taking early assessments because I will be at KU when their exam period is in the middle of January. They have 2 weeks off for Christmas. One week to study, 2 weeks of exams, then 2 week intra-semester break. Semester 2 here starts 6th of February.

I still will probably go to my classes on Thursdays and Friday after my exams. In archeology I am the only JSA. in castles, 10 of 15 are JSAs. I also have a list of about 20 things I still want to do at St. Andrews before I go, like taking a tour of the Castle and Cathedral. I hope I can fit it all in this week. On Sunday, one week, I am leaving... I have not been home in 3 months, and am very excited to go home and see my family, but I am very sad I am leaving St. Andrews. I am having a lot of fun,especially with my flatmates, and I do not want to never see them again. These past few weeks, thinking about staying here for the year, has made me think about my feature, mostly school wise, but also job wise... and I am still no closer to a decision.

 On Thursday we had 90-100 mph winds. that is an F1 tornado or category 1 hurricane. It was so bad coming back from class, that I had to stop a few times, and lean into the wind and brace myself so I would not fall over. Lots of things closed early, and shingles were falling off the roofs and buildings around me. Lots of kids had their classes cancelled. It was so bad that I waited in the facilities building 20 minuets to eat because i was not going to go back to my building (1 building away) and then come back out again. I wanted to go to the caroling service, but not in that wind.

On Friday, I went to Tesco late, like 2130 (everything here is in military time) for groceries. Part of the guys choir or something were doing an impromptus singing of Christmas carols in an aisle. It was sweet.

St. Andrews Day

Yesterday(November 30th) was St. Andrews day in Scotland. It is a really big deal. There is no equivalent to it in the US. There are lots of celebrations and special events all day long and it is a national bank holiday. He is the patron saint of Scotland, among a few other countries. In St. Andrews we really like this day, for obvious reasons. I went to the graduation ceremony today (for the first semester graduates). 

The maces being presented to the President of the University.

I love the maces. 2 of them are from the medieval times.

My view. I was not about to move though, considering I sneaked in, since I did not have a ticket. There were 2 ladies that did not have tickets and the guy let them in angrily, and I pretended to be with them once they were going in. The student were already in when I got there, but the procession of academia was not.

Going to get their diplomas. They all dressed the same. Guys= black suit/tuxedo with white bow-tie and girls with black pants or skirt and white blouse.

To graduate, your name is called, you walk to this part of the stage, hang your hood to the guy with his back to the camera, get down on your knees, the President says something in Latin, tapes a piece of cloth on your head, this guy puts on your hood, you get up head bow to the president and walk off stage.

The undergrad hoods are pink with white lining.

You could also wear the traditional costume of your home country. There were lots of kilts!

One of the 3 people that read the names of the graduates. I think they were the heads of the schools where the people graduated from: chemistry, medicine, etc.

The thing that touches your head had something to do with a piece of old trousers. Then the cloth exactly touches your head is the exact time of graduation. For about 1/3 of the graduates (the first in each grouping, undergrad or grad or PhD and what subject) the Latin was the whole phase, something about giving a degree to you. The rest of the gradates got the shortened version, translated as "and upon you."

I think backstage they got their actual diploma and something like a year book, just of their class I assume. They had to wait until in-between names to go back to their seats.

This kid cried for a while and the mom, the one in the pink headscarf,  would not leave becasue I think her husband was about to graduate. At one point the woman in the red coat (did not know mom or son) and took him to the lady holding him now that was like an usher at the door. It was weird and accomplish nothing. In fact, when she took the kid, he cried more.

After all the graduates were called the St. Salvator's choir sung 2 short songs.

I wonder if this guy is related to the founder of basketball?!?!

The principle then spoke, mostly in Latin.

I now see why St. Andrews is so small, there would be no more space for graduations.

There were 8 new professors introduced today. They all can in and bowed to the President and principle. They promised to teach to the best of their abilities and were given books- one of them got a much thicker book then the others. There were also 2 of them that were Wardlaw Professors- apparently it is a big deal in academia.

This guy, something to do with the School of Chemistry gave the Graduation speech. I thought it was terrible. It was about economic problems and the raise in tuition and how they should do good things and then tell people they went to St. Andrews. They should help the University out.

Recollecting the maces. I think usually there are only 2 of them that are used. Graduation must be a very special occasion. The mace guy on the far left is the guy that holds the St. Andrews mace. He is usually in all the ceremony events. He was also the guy that was doing the hoodings- he must be the head guy with all the experience.

The academic procession out.

These two were the last, the lady started clapping and then everyone did. The new graduates joined in the academic possession.

Guys in the blue hoods- I think they were PhD people.

Metodi Metodiew lived in my flat last year. We got a piece of his mail in the first few weeks and could not believe that that was someones name.

The University flag flying today. Was it because of graduation or St. Andrews Day?

The only way that was not blocked was this path to the Quad with the parents. Then we saw this procession.

We are in Scotland after all.

The procession stopped when the teachers got to the chapel. Then the students talked with each other or found their families. This guy is holding the yearbook thing, it has a picture of Wills and Kate on it when they kicked off the 3 year celebration of our 600th anniversary. (It is 3 years becasue no one knows at what point in those first 3 years was the proper/official start of the Uni.)

Picture taken of the new professors. Then some of the professors went into the building to the left. I was not quite sure if this was the end of the ceremony.

This graduation had the most security I have ever seen at a graduation!

I am really glad I stayed for the whole thing. It was only an hour and a half, then again half the people graduating were not there, and just had their names read and then the President said the whole Latin phase, about 18 words for that group of "in adsentia"

I also played cricket today. We worked on fielding and bowling. I hit the wicket like 5 times! Everyone said I am a great bowling and are jealous of my quick-to-be-picked-up bowling skills. And, I am pretty good at fielding too, even though my partner was not and the ball, that is like wood, hit me in the knee twice. I had a blast with my teammates and wish I could play in a proper cricket match, but they are in the spring.

P.S. Matty, I thought about you when we were fielding the ball, rolling on the ground, with one hand and throw it to our partner. We did that on Daisy Hill. I remember I said I hated that SportsCenter always had those plays multiple times in their top 10 plays.