More haggis and scotch pie adventures..... oh and whisky fudge too.

My weekend trip to Scotland, it may only have been 3 days and 2 nights but it has not only charmed me with it's spectacular scenery but it has given me a chance to discover and learn more of the country's history, the noble people and famous individuals who were either born here or have settled here including some trivial information I might need to tell my friends to keep them amused. I've actually started making notes (isn't that sad?) so I can have something I can finally write in one of my travel journals. I summarised below what I have in my notes so far (don't count on me for accuracy so I'm really welcome to corrections) but here's to hoping you will benefit from this little knowledge I'm about to impart so here it goes:

St.Andrew is the national saint although St.Columba was more instrumental in propagating Catholicism in Scotland. St.Columba was Irish.

Robert Louis Stevenson - well known Scottish writer, author of famous books "The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "Treasure Island", "Kidnapped" was born in Edinburgh. He spent most of adult life ill and was believed to have tuberculosis which was a common illness during his time. Our tour guide showed us his house in Heriot Row. The door is painted red. There is a long list of famous Scottish writers and noblemen. I have no intention to write them all down here. Only the few ones I mentioned are the ones listed in my notes.

Alexander Graham Bell - inventor of the telephone is Scottish. We were shown where he used to live in Edinburgh. I think the color of the door was blue. :)

Listerine (the famous mouthwash) was invented by Lord Joseph Lister. He is also Scottish. So if you're wondering where the word Listerine came from, you probably guessed it right. I saw his house too, cant remember the color of the door though. :) I don't know but this made me remember Thomas Crapper - inventor of the ballcock (a mechanism for filling tanks). He inventing the flush toilet is a widespread misconception although people could easily relate the toilet to the name "crapper", you know what I mean right? Don't let me explain, it could be gross.

J.K Rowling - the English author of Harry Potter books was based in Edinburgh while she was writing HP. We were shown the cafe where she used to write because her apartment was unheated. She used to be poor but now she is one of the richest women in the world.

Sir Sean Connery, the Hollywood Actor is Scottish. He was knighted in Hollyrood house in Edinburgh.

Loch Ness - the most famous Loch in the Highlands, especially for a foreigner like me. I have heard of this Loch Ness when it was rumored to have a resident monster living in it. The loch is only the second the biggest but is regarded to be ridiculously deep at 800 feet for a loch (river). There are plenty of rumored sightings but our local tour guide is too cynical to believe their is a dinosaur-like creature in it. I didn't see anything strange when I was there. I'm not bothered, I already have a fluffy and furry version of Nessie given to me as a present. It would do. :)

And of course, who wouldn't know about the epic movie "Braveheart" in 1995 starred by the Aussie actor Mel Gibson? The movie was inspired by a real person, a Scottish knight called Sir William Wallace who fought against the English during the first war of independence. I don't think our local tour guide was too bothered to talk about the movie. I guess it was too Hollywood-ized for the Scottish taste that if they had to show how Sir Wallace was executed, it won't be allowed in the big screen because it would mean they had to rip apart Mel Gibson's chest cavity and take out his beating heart and crush it infront of him while still conscious, that makes beheading sound tame. Execution during in the medieval era was that grotesque, I guess that's why they were called barbarians then. If you are the sadistic type and would like to get more ideas of torture, I suggest you visit the Tower of London in UK where they have what I call the "torture museum".

So there you go, more useless information for your daily life conveyed to you with passion! Have a great day.

Edinburgh - the inspiring capital of Scotland and the spectacular scenery of the Highlands.

Access to Skype and the Blogger website are indications that I’m in a truly free country. UAE claims to be an open and free country but that is debatable. I guess they mean it is a “free” country if you compare it to Saudi Arabia. What I’m trying to get at is, alas! I finally get to access my blog website and post stuff. Viva Brittania! Posted above first few photos from the thousands I will be posting shortly. The first two photos are from the scenic Loch Laggan ("Loch" according to Wikipedia is the Gaelic term for a lake or sea inlet), followed by the ruins of the 13th century Inverlochy Castle which has remained unaltered since it's construction. The next one is the mighty Glen Coe - mecca for outdoor activity lovers - this National Park gives open access to mountain bikers and trekkers. Seemingly, Scots refer to their mountains as Glen. I suggest you look it up in Wikipedia why they call it that way. :) Went to get a wee bit of culture in the National Museum of Scotland, the picture you see above is the Grand Gallery. The museum is massive, one could spend a day in it. My favorites were the astronomy area and somewhat the jurassic and endangered species area featuring fossils of creatures like the T-rex, dodos, elephants and tigers. Went to the museum's rooftop and saw a very nice 360 degree view of Edinburgh. The monkey statue with the tartan is just one of the statues displayed all over Edinburgh. There are also elephant, tiger and alligator statues. They showcase them all over the city to raise awareness of the endangered species. The statues are for sale and the money goes for the conservation project of the relevant animal statue that one buys. I would have loved to buy the Scottish monkey but I think I wouldn't be allowed it in the UAE. I might end up in prison, knowing my luck. All in all, the weekend trip to Scotland was brilliant apart from the rains which was expected. The UK weather altogether is unreliable. Edinburgh definitely made it to my list of favorite cities in the world. Haggis made it to my list of foods to be avoided. As for the locals I've come across so far, they are actually not as miserable as believed :) (I blame it on the weather). Judging from the few great Scottish mates I have in Dubai, they are the fun ones to have a pint or 5 of Guiness with! :)

Unemployment.

August 21, 2011 officially marks my first day of being unemployed. A lot of my friends think it was a mad idea resigning when back home in the Philippines, half of the population is desperate to work overseas for employment. They ask: "Why resign?" I answer, "Why not?" I would like to break away from the humdrumery of the job I've been stuck with for the last 6 years that even money (which is the main driving force in our lives, sad but true) could not convince me to stay anymore. I'm sorry for those who don't or can't have the options I have. On another hand, I don't think I have options, I'm just stubborn and pretending to be brave to have made my decision. To re-assess my priorities, find myself (or more likely lose myself), "burnt out" will be my stupid reasons if you ask why I left my job. Or just drop out back in the Philippines if you're looking for more reasons. Yes, I will be a hypocrite if I say that lazing in the Philippine islands don't appeal to me. I have plans brewing you know, but I won't tell. :) I've always liked the cliche: "Live one day at a time." or that song "Tonight" by Ne-Yo. I know the song is a bit suggestive but there's that concept of living life by the moment. Sometimes I wonder how come we human beings worry so much about the future which may never come? Why do we want to gain riches in this earth that when we die, we leave our love ones behind fighting over inheritance. I think it's better to have nothing. As one great man once said "To die wealthy is to live in sin." I'm definetely going to have nothing when I die, I am skint as it is! They can inherit this my blog site ahaha! Who knows? it might be the next box office motion picture! :) If I was being honest, I'm sh*t scared of what lies ahead because at the end of the day, I'm just a little girl lost in the moment...