A Knight Always Helps!

I've been enjoying a place in Edinburgh called The Meadows. A beautiful area with a phenomenal park and fields lined with trees. Students play sports where great intellectuals once enjoyed their leisurely walks, hundreds of years ago. Of all these wonderful things, nothing beats a little knight "C" and I met this week.

We stopped to watch some men's football (a.k.a. soccer, not American football) when I noticed a little boy walking with his father. This adorable 6 year old was wearing a full on knight's suit: helmet, shield, breastplate, you name it. Right then, the game ball shot out of bounds and past the little knight. His face lit up with a smile and he cried, "A knight always helps!" Then he took off to retrieve the ball as quick as his little legs could carry him. The player sent to retrieve the ball blew past the knight, grabbed the ball and started jogging back. The whole field froze in horror at the sight of the knight's crestfallen face. His heroic efforts had been thwarted.

As he slowly shuffled back, his father (noticing our dismay) quickly told us, "He is always trying to help people. With anything! He loves returning things that people drop, for example. So if you want..."

I looked down at my house keys and then back at the knight who was now near tears. I "sneakily" (ha.) tossed my keys onto the path. With the straightest face I could muster (haha.) I asked, "C, where could my keys have gone? I just had them! I must have dropped them somewhere!" The little knight's face broke into an excited grin. He ran over and proudly handed me my keys.

C and I trilled his praises, "Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for finding my keys! You are such a wonderfully helpful knight! Thank you thank you thank you!" We were instantly rewarded with his proud little grin, "A knight always helps."

Did I mention that I love this place?

Week 1: Bipolar Weather, Crazed Landlords, and Dramatic Gophers!

So I've been here in Edinburgh for a week now and truth be told, I'm in love. Arthur's Seat is every bit as glorious as I remembered it.






The city itself is spectacular, rain or shine (yes yes, it's more rain than shine) and I still can't quite believe that this is now my home. My city. The place where the next 4 years of my life will unfold.

Ahem. Now that I got that off my chest, we can move on to the other humorous/sordid details of my week. 

The Weather: In Scotland, the weather is actually an interesting topic due to its wildly unpredictable nature. A common saying here is, "If you don't like the weather, wait 20 minutes. You might like it then." 

Hmm. Well of course the summer I move to Edinburgh happens to have the worst summer weather that any of the locals can remember; it doesn't seem to faze the locals one bit though. Hidden beneath unflattering layers, I couldn't help but glower a bit at the girls are running about in tank tops and shorts regardless of the rain and wind. Ugh. 

Slowly but surely, I have been shedding layers but... I have a sneaking suspicion that by the time I'm adjusted to the summer weather, winter will simply step up and slap me across the face. Harumph.

The Flat Situation: Ah yes. Where to start? I had this brilliant idea to sublet a room from a current vet student for July through August. We arrive on the 12th of July, scruffy and exhausted, only to step into a sublet nightmare. In addition to the flat being dirty/unfinished halfway through the first month of the lease (What the what?!) we find that the landlord is a crooked, grumpy, little troll. For example, when my flatmate and I politely notify the landlord that the washer/dryer combo machine does not dry (as advertised) he angrily snaps, "Well I never specified that it would work! You'll have to find an alternative yourself." Click. 

Oh no he didn't!

I must admit, that we as Americans have come to take our dryers for granted. This is sadly an unusual luxury in the UK, especially with sketchy landlords like this one. First world problems anyone? ;)

Sadly, it gets worse. Window locks on a ground floor flat? Psh. Why would we need that? 

Flat key exclusivity? But sharing is caring (in this case only it seems)! Three "plumbers" (who needs three?) walked into my room without permission to enter the flat, much less my room. "Oh hi... didn't know you'd be here." My thoughts exactly. "We're here to do erm, the plumbing for the upstairs flat." Then why are you rummaging through my downstairs flat, hm? Can't forget the painter in our hallway at 8 in the morning. Exactly how many strangers have keys to my flat Mr. Sketchy Landlord?! And the final straw: The gas leak that all of the building's occupants can smell? "Erm. That's just incense." Yes of course! Gas scented incense that no one in the building is burning... 

*Cue Angry Badger Face. 

That's it. Time to move. Like now. Despite our lack of credit in the UK (American credit means nothing here) and the dwindling vacant flats (thanks to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) we were still very motivated. If all goes well, my flatmate and I are signing a lease this Monday to our very own 2 bedroom flat. *fingers crossed! :D

Edinburgh University and the National Museum of Scotland: For all of Scotland's recent weather/landlord shenanigans, I am still thrilled to be here. My flatmate, "C" and I spent a couple of days exploring the museum (which is free like all museums and art galleries in Scotland) and we still haven't seen all of two floors yet (there are 4 or 5 in total!). I'll post more on that later.

On the way home, we stopped and took pictures of an Edinburgh University building. It's absolutely beautiful. 

                                            "C" caught me napping in the sun.

   

                                      So who's a happy camper? This girl. <3

                                                             Cheers!

And we're off!

Today is the big day! I am finally moving!

As I am writing this post, my little sister is driving my friend and me (as well as an army of baggage) to the San Francisco airport.
Beforehand, my family and I ate our "goodbye" lunch together at my favorite place in Santa Cruz: Cafe Brasil. I needed my Brazilian food fix to hold me over during times of haggis, blood pudding, and the like. *shudders.

In addition to dietary adjustments, I will also need to prepare for Scottish weather: rain, rain, and you guessed it, more rain! Hopefully we will get a few sunny days before school starts. My very tan sister kindly noted that my already "pasty"complexion will be translucent by Christmas break. Hoebag. Sadly, she is probably right. So if you you see a glowing vet student in Edinburgh, say hi. It's probably me. ;)

Anyways, thank you to everyone sending me supportive messages. I'll miss you all so very much. I'll update as soon as I eat a pound of Scottish shortbread cookies and wade through the rain to my flat. Wish me luck!