witches and cauldrons

I needed a catchy title.

Just so you guys know, I changed the settings on my blog so that anyone can comment. so you better! :)

I'm sorry if my last posts sounded harsh - I was very convicted. As you could tell. I actually really would cherish any feedback you have about anything I'm thinking - it'd help me process.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.... I've rambled about travel, and about God, and now it's time for the good stuff. Random facts about Scottish people you'd never know if I wasn't sitting here bored and able to post :) Ready?

1. They say "cheers" at the end of scripted social conversations, like paying for a meal or asking for directions. It's meant to mean thank you.

2. Retail work here is just like at home, except they don't expect so much friendliness. Maybe it's just here in Edinburgh, but if I try to greet people or start a conversation, they either a) ignore me, completely pretending that I hadn't said anything at all, or b) continue to stare at the shirt in front of them for about five seconds until they've worked out what just happened, and decide to respond with a shy smile. It's a weird thing. But I feel a lot more free to make a fool out of myself than I would at home, and that's kind of a nice feeling.

3. As I was just reading over point #2, I realized that they may not respond because they can't understand me. Which is the fact that comprises point #3. People in Edinburgh talk really, really fast and when they start throwing in strange words they can be very hard to understand. And I'm suddenly starting to think they feel the same about me :)

4. Jaywalking is legal here. As a result, if I get hit by a car, it's my fault. I think that's the same in Canada so just be careful if you decide to cross the border, okay? No close calls yet, and I'm trying to keep it that way.

Okay, this is a very short list because I think in many ways, Scottish people in Edinburgh are really similar to Seattle people. There are definitely a lot more tourists here now than you'd ever find in Seattle... but still. I'm really missing our summer weather - it's cloudy and sad most days here.

I think that's all I've got for now. Take care!