Annabelle's Highland Adventure

Post-Trip Essay Annabelle Peterson December 21st, 2018 "What could Americans learn from this country?  Identify an idea or practice that you think Americans would be well-served by understanding better.  Research it in greater depth and articulate its value." An Attitude Towards Alcohol Intoxicating substances, whether it is beer, wine, or other spirits, have been interwoven into the fabric of civilizations since their earliest years. In the United Kingdom, the young adults have embraced alcohol and turned the drinking culture into one of common socialization. Pubs aren’t just synonymous with booze, but with university clubs who hold their meetings their and tired study groups after hours of staring at tests. One of the biggest differences that separates the UK from America is by their drinking cultures. Americans would be well-served by understanding how strong liquors plays a role in social gatherings, how alcohol-related incidents are handled in the country,...

Date: December 14th, 2018 Location: Hillhead Student Village, Aberdeen Fairy Glen, Uig, Isle of Skye (My photo)           It's December 14th and I'm just within reach of finally getting to go home. While there have been plenty of fun and exciting things to do, I've also grown and leaned quite a bit in my studies. This term was full of classes that weren't necessarily STEM related which allowed me to explore different ways of thinking. In my pre-trip post about what I am excited to learn and do, I talked about the different accents and what the language barrier might create as well as how the country has begun to modernize. After immersing myself and delving into these two topics, I explored how they fit into society but was also left with many questions.           At the beginning of September, I discussed how I believed that getting to hear all the different dialects and languages will be most memorable due to my love of l...

Location: -- Date: September 1st-December 20th "Make a language log of ~30 local, commonly-used expressions or phrases such as metaphors, idioms, analogies, proverbs, and clichés. This proof is best accomplished over a long period of time and is NOT a vocabulary list! Make 1-2 insights in a short paragraph about each expression or phrase." "Boil yer heeds" or "boil yer heid" = get lost Telling someone to get lost is a rather common expression found mostly in bars and nightclubs. This phrase is typically used with a negative connotation (i.e. telling a drunken loon to knock it off) rather than playfully telling a friend to get lost. This phrase is especially important to use with older generations who are more apt to recognize the phrase. "Whit's fur ye'll no go past ye" = whatever is meant to happen to you, will happen to you The idea behind this phrase is to keep a person looking ahead to the future. Another way to use it...

Location: New Carnegie and Vue Cinema, Aberdeen Date: December 15th, 2018 "Watch a film produced in this country and an American film shown to local audience.  Compare the experiences and audience reactions."           Some of the most popular and awarded films and TV shows in the recent years all have one theme in common: history. History Channel's Vikings, Duchess, and Hotel Rwanda are just examples of such critically acclaimed and watched media that's made it to the screen. With the genre growing and gaining such immense popularity, the film industries of the countries these films are based in have grown as well. Scotland's film industry has been boasting a massive list of talented actors as well as some of the most gorgeous and sought-after locations for filming. One of the more popular recent films made by Netflix, a movie called Outlaw King, is produced by the Scottish company, Sigma Productions. When shown to a small gathering of a few Scott...

"Attend a theatrical production and discover the meaning of the story being told and how it is being presented on stage." Location: Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London Time: 13th December 2018 Macbeth's banner at Shakespeare's Globe Theater ("Macbeth")           When it comes to plays, what is more authentic than watching a Shakespeare original in the replication of his own Globe Theater? Located along the South Bank stretch of the Thames River, the third iteration of Shakespeare's Globe Theater sits among the high rises that are now starting to appear in the London skyline. True to the first version of the theater, the recent building was constructed exactly how the great playwright had written out; even the indoor portion of the Globe has no electricity and lit up only be candles! During my time in the UK, the theater company ran a series of four plays for their winter series based around the themes of death, grief, judgement, ...

Date: November 30th, 2018 Location: University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen               Perhaps one of the most notable differences between the United Kingdom and American workforce is the attitude towards working. Even when attending university, students and professors alike have distinctly contrasting views on studying. Now that it is December and my time in the UK is nearly over, I have seen that the vacations (known in the UK as "holidays") and the reason for working is strikingly different in both countries due to the societal pressure. Taking time to visit University of Glasgow (My photo)           Taking a holiday could mean anything from taking the weekend off to using those precious vacation days to head down to mainland Europe for a luxurious, week-long getaway. Scottish professors will gladly take a few days to head down to a conference, even if it is in the middle of a week, or otherwise seek out relaxation desp...

Location: -- Date: October 29th-November 16th "Read a work of literature (book or collection of poems/stories) recommended to you by someone who grew up in that country.  Or, read 7-10 children’s books recommended to you by someone who grew up in that country, if possible in the native language.  Discuss the impact or cultural meaning of the works with the person who recommended them to you.  For your written proof, explain how this literature affects your understanding of the culture, politics, or history of the country.  " Beowulf defeating Grendel's mother ("Grendel's Mother")           One of the most renowned epics of the Anglo-Saxon world is Beowulf . Considered equivalent to an 'epic', the piece focuses on the tale of its titular character and his adventures in defeating the monsters Grendel, Grendel's mother, and finally, a dragon. Despite being written as late as the eleventh century, its contents provide a mirror ...

Location: Uig and Portree, Isle of Skye The Cowshed Hostel (My photo) Date: November 13th, 2018           One of the most interesting (and often inconvenient) occurrences that I've come across is the shutting down of businesses on Sundays. I didn't often go out into town on Sundays as this day was usually reserved for doing homework or hiking. Imagine the frustration of wanting to catch up with a friend and finding all the stores in the mall shut down for the day! This phenomena isn't just localized in Aberdeen; I went up to Inverness with a fellow Mines student also studying at the University of Aberdeen on a Sunday, thinking this would be a great outing before the new school week started, but as we arrived, the only shops throwing their doors wide open were the occasional pub and repetitive tourist stores. Overlooking the town of Uig (My photo)           If the weekend is seen as the few days people can take a break from w...

Location: Westminster Abby, London Date: November 6th, 2018            I cannot recall a time that I've ever passed a little hole in the wall shop in Denver, Colorado. With the exception of food trucks, restaurants are buildings where you can drive your car up to a window and order, walk in to order food, or you sit down. In the UK, they do things a little bit differently. On most major streets, there's at least one 'pocket dining' shop or food vendor. Most sell on-the-go foods such as a box of fish and chips or other ethnic treats. Why are sit-down restaurants so sparse?           One explanation for the lack of sitting food vendors is due to the busy schedule of large city residents. This means that meals are eaten while walking to and from various workplaces so as to conserve precious time. This weekend, I spent three and a half days in London exploring the different attractions, such as Westminster Abby, Tower of London, an...

Location: GP Hall, Hillhead Student Village, Aberdeen Date: October 27th, 2018 "Learn and practice a traditional craft, then share and/or teach the craft."            Having fun at the dance practice I attending at the beginning of the year and then participating in a ceilidh made me realize how enjoyable Scottish country dancing was. I've never been a dancer; my only experience was an exceptionally painful year in ballet when I was about four years old. However, something during the ceilidh really connected to me and made me want to learn more. After recognizing this connection, I decided to learn more country dances.           Ceilidhs in Scotland are equivalent to dinner parties or BBQs in America. The gatherings did not originally begin as dances but were simply used to celebrate weddings or other important events. Dancing became more popularized by 1945, as it was featured in media and television shows more oft...

Location: Stonehaven Time: October 16th, 2018 Map of Stonehaven, UK Analysis:            The small village of Stonehaven may appear to quite, but there are plenty of the sight-seeing points of interest around the town, as well as the most praised fish and chips shop in Scotland. To make this map, I talked to a couple of the locals walking around as a well as explored the streets to try and discover how much of the town was residential and how much was used for business purposes.             To begin the process of discovering the village, I started off with a few simple questions. These sample questions are outlined below: Are you a visitor or a resident? What is your favorite part of the town?  Do you shop around Stonehaven or outside of town? Photo of The Bay Fish and Chips shop (My photo, taken for Viva Trips) The purpose of these questions were to establish a basis of how well the per...