A short note on something else I did this morning, which I didn't mention in the previous post.
I walked toward the general direction of Princes Street around 11am today. I had gone to Tescos to buy some breakfast for Gary (see earlier post) - just some fruit granola bars and orange juice. Nothing fancy.
He had said he would be begging along North Bridge Road this morning. As I made my way through the crush of people however, I saw no sign of him. Stood for a while at the juction of Princes Street, looking around me. However I didn't spot a huddled figure with a bruised left eye anywhere. Gave up and walked back toward George Square in search of some breakfast for myself thinking I would find him later, or give the food away to some other homeless person.
It is a strange feeling. I usually scan the area around Princes Street for a familiar landmark or an interesting shop. This is the first time I've gone there with my eyes fixed somewhere near the ground, searching out an actual person.
Strangely enough as I was walking back, didn't see any homeless people along the Nicolson Street stretch (there usually are). Didn't even see the Big Issue guy outside Tescos. Maybe the heat got to all of them.
I still have the granola bars. I might drink the juice later.
Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Random. Show all posts
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Pre-Departure Notes...Random Thoughts while Walking Around
Am done packing and cleaning out my room!
Most of my neighbours have left already. There are sparse crowds in the dining room these days. Pollock halls is quieter than ever before. It's strange to know that at this moment, I might be the only one left in my corridor.
The sun was unbearably strong today. I never thought I would say this, but the weather was hot enough to beat me back indoors by 2pm!
However, found time to say farewell to some familiar spots in Edinburgh before making a hasty retreat back to Pollock halls - I walked around Nicolson Street, George Square, the Meadows ...and even the school library! (printed out some last minute documents) And as I did my rounds this clear summer day, I couldn't help but picture a shadow of myself in January, bundled up in my thick winter parka, gingerly treading across these now all-too-familiar roads.
Did some last minute souvenir shopping at the Farmer's Market, and along Clerk street. Ever since that disastrous afternoon where I window shopped for souvenirs along the Royal Mile and bought practically nothing, I have decided never to set foot inside another tartan-swathed, bagpipe-bellowing shop ever again. And looking at the crowds thronging the Royal Mile this morning, I think I was wise to steer clear of Heritage of Scotland today.
At the Farmer's market, I picked up some lovely hand-made chocolate products for my former boss. Also purchased a pack of buttery short-bread made in Langholm by a smiling old lady for my research supervisor at NUS. My final stop was at Anteaques to pick up some loose tea (the Edinburgh Blue Lady!), which I managed to get in a nice red tea caddy at 50% off - score!
I like the fact that these gifts were purchased from places which I discovered, and from producers/retailers whom I was able to chat with personally; they all consequently have some kind of interesting 'back story' behind them, which I think is pretty neat.
Pleased with my buys. I just hope they survive the trip back home - the shortbread in particular looks crumbly.
On another note, Summer's really kicking in here in Edinburgh. As I've mentioned, the weather's become 'festive' (ie: hot), and there are bus-loads of tourists coming into the city. Buskers and street stalls have started to appear along the Royal Mile since April, and have practically mushroomed in number this month. And today, I even witnessed the Orange Walk - a procession commemorating the victory of the Protestant William of Orange over King James II in the 17th-century. A woman I spoke to noted derisively that this walk is considered sectarian, and not everyone likes it - have since learnt that the Orange procession also occurs in Northern Ireland, and has been greeted with abuse in some Catholic neighbourhoods.
However sectarian or not, I have to admit it was somewhat exciting to witness the military bands marching in all the way from the Meadows. A great sense of occasion in the air, though I suppose the cause celebrated is rather contentious.
Have about 10 more hours till I leave for the airport. I'm starting to feel a little nostalgic and unwilling to leave. At the same time, I'm pleased with myself for having made it through 5 months on my own :)
It's amazing how much the city has changed since that cold dark wintery night when I teethered precariously along Waverley Bridge to find a cab. And I'm sure in some small way, I've changed along with it.
Most of my neighbours have left already. There are sparse crowds in the dining room these days. Pollock halls is quieter than ever before. It's strange to know that at this moment, I might be the only one left in my corridor.
The sun was unbearably strong today. I never thought I would say this, but the weather was hot enough to beat me back indoors by 2pm!
However, found time to say farewell to some familiar spots in Edinburgh before making a hasty retreat back to Pollock halls - I walked around Nicolson Street, George Square, the Meadows ...and even the school library! (printed out some last minute documents) And as I did my rounds this clear summer day, I couldn't help but picture a shadow of myself in January, bundled up in my thick winter parka, gingerly treading across these now all-too-familiar roads.
Did some last minute souvenir shopping at the Farmer's Market, and along Clerk street. Ever since that disastrous afternoon where I window shopped for souvenirs along the Royal Mile and bought practically nothing, I have decided never to set foot inside another tartan-swathed, bagpipe-bellowing shop ever again. And looking at the crowds thronging the Royal Mile this morning, I think I was wise to steer clear of Heritage of Scotland today.
At the Farmer's market, I picked up some lovely hand-made chocolate products for my former boss. Also purchased a pack of buttery short-bread made in Langholm by a smiling old lady for my research supervisor at NUS. My final stop was at Anteaques to pick up some loose tea (the Edinburgh Blue Lady!), which I managed to get in a nice red tea caddy at 50% off - score!
I like the fact that these gifts were purchased from places which I discovered, and from producers/retailers whom I was able to chat with personally; they all consequently have some kind of interesting 'back story' behind them, which I think is pretty neat.
Pleased with my buys. I just hope they survive the trip back home - the shortbread in particular looks crumbly.
On another note, Summer's really kicking in here in Edinburgh. As I've mentioned, the weather's become 'festive' (ie: hot), and there are bus-loads of tourists coming into the city. Buskers and street stalls have started to appear along the Royal Mile since April, and have practically mushroomed in number this month. And today, I even witnessed the Orange Walk - a procession commemorating the victory of the Protestant William of Orange over King James II in the 17th-century. A woman I spoke to noted derisively that this walk is considered sectarian, and not everyone likes it - have since learnt that the Orange procession also occurs in Northern Ireland, and has been greeted with abuse in some Catholic neighbourhoods.
However sectarian or not, I have to admit it was somewhat exciting to witness the military bands marching in all the way from the Meadows. A great sense of occasion in the air, though I suppose the cause celebrated is rather contentious.
Have about 10 more hours till I leave for the airport. I'm starting to feel a little nostalgic and unwilling to leave. At the same time, I'm pleased with myself for having made it through 5 months on my own :)
It's amazing how much the city has changed since that cold dark wintery night when I teethered precariously along Waverley Bridge to find a cab. And I'm sure in some small way, I've changed along with it.
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Thoughts on Cultural Generalizations
Attended a small party the other week, and left feeling just mildly disturbed. Shall not go into details, but suffice to say I was slightly unsettled by the cultural stereotypes some people I met held about Asia in general. I should qualify that these are all lovely and pleasant people, some of whom are my friends. The "stereotypes" in question were also not ones which were particularly offensive or insulting. However, they do reflect some degree of misinformation or ignorance which I had not expected.
At the same time, couldn't help but be amused by some remarks raised during the little party. These included questions about whether Chinese men are really short ("I hear that whenever they find someone in China who's really tall, they force them to join the basketball team immediately!"), and if Chinese people eat their meals on the floor.
To the first, I assured her that they are not as short as she thinks they are. She was really surprised when I said that 1.70-ish meters is quite average for Singaporean men, and it is not considered exceptionally tall. I also suggested that there might be regional differences in height and build within China itself, and in overseas Chinese communities.
To the second, a post-grad American student in Japanese linguistics noted that it is Japanese people who eat sitting on the floor. However whilst I realize that it is a tradition in Japan to eat sitting down on tatami mats, I was a little uneasy that the party in question (mostly European) might go away with the idea that Japanese people always eat sitting down. I've been to Japan on several occasions and from memory, the restaurants/cafes I visited all had tables, chairs, and Western cutlery depending on the food served.
I feel sometimes there is a tendency to highlight exotic, Orientalized (and frankly, somewhat dated) cultural differences, whilst ignoring the similarities which bind people today. Similarities tend to be taken as the exception, rather than a very real and current product of the increasing interconnectivity between metropolitan communities.
At the same time, I don't think that similarities should simply be explained away using terms like "westernization" or "western hegemony" (as was also the case that night). Such labels can be helpful but only to a certain extent - to me it feels that after a while, they just become simplistic shorthands for complex cultural processes.
Nevertheless no matter how strange I find questions like "do you eat sitting on the floor" etc, it is still interesting to see what kind of images the world has of Asia and Singapore. Furthermore it's worth reminding myself that these questions show a willingness to know more about another culture. They can consequently be good openings for dialogue and greater understanding. I can only hope that I will be able to convey my opinions lucidly and fairly as a representative of that culture, and that the other party is willing to listen with an open mind - sadly not always the case as I realized that night. But that's another story for another time.
At the same time, couldn't help but be amused by some remarks raised during the little party. These included questions about whether Chinese men are really short ("I hear that whenever they find someone in China who's really tall, they force them to join the basketball team immediately!"), and if Chinese people eat their meals on the floor.
To the first, I assured her that they are not as short as she thinks they are. She was really surprised when I said that 1.70-ish meters is quite average for Singaporean men, and it is not considered exceptionally tall. I also suggested that there might be regional differences in height and build within China itself, and in overseas Chinese communities.
To the second, a post-grad American student in Japanese linguistics noted that it is Japanese people who eat sitting on the floor. However whilst I realize that it is a tradition in Japan to eat sitting down on tatami mats, I was a little uneasy that the party in question (mostly European) might go away with the idea that Japanese people always eat sitting down. I've been to Japan on several occasions and from memory, the restaurants/cafes I visited all had tables, chairs, and Western cutlery depending on the food served.
I feel sometimes there is a tendency to highlight exotic, Orientalized (and frankly, somewhat dated) cultural differences, whilst ignoring the similarities which bind people today. Similarities tend to be taken as the exception, rather than a very real and current product of the increasing interconnectivity between metropolitan communities.
At the same time, I don't think that similarities should simply be explained away using terms like "westernization" or "western hegemony" (as was also the case that night). Such labels can be helpful but only to a certain extent - to me it feels that after a while, they just become simplistic shorthands for complex cultural processes.
Nevertheless no matter how strange I find questions like "do you eat sitting on the floor" etc, it is still interesting to see what kind of images the world has of Asia and Singapore. Furthermore it's worth reminding myself that these questions show a willingness to know more about another culture. They can consequently be good openings for dialogue and greater understanding. I can only hope that I will be able to convey my opinions lucidly and fairly as a representative of that culture, and that the other party is willing to listen with an open mind - sadly not always the case as I realized that night. But that's another story for another time.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
When the fun Really begins
Tomorrow is the last day of school.
My suitcase is open and ready to be packed.
I drop off my hostel keys by Saturday.
My parents arrived in Edinburgh yesterday (yay!)
And there are 9 weeks of holidays till the end of term (with 3 exams in between).
O.M.G Let the fun begin.
My suitcase is open and ready to be packed.
I drop off my hostel keys by Saturday.
My parents arrived in Edinburgh yesterday (yay!)
And there are 9 weeks of holidays till the end of term (with 3 exams in between).
O.M.G Let the fun begin.
Friday, 20 March 2009
At the Post-office
Went to the post-office today with Felyna to obtain some Euros for our trip to Dublin. The exchange rate was almost 1 to 1; 1 Euro to 0.994 of a Pound.
"It's the worst the pound's ever been," said the lady who grimly slid 60 euros toward me.
I feel guilty about saying this, but I pick a good time to come to the UK on exchange.
"It's the worst the pound's ever been," said the lady who grimly slid 60 euros toward me.
I feel guilty about saying this, but I pick a good time to come to the UK on exchange.
Friday, 13 March 2009
Pre-departure
I'm leaving for York tomorrow morning! And for reasons which I can't remember, I chose the earliest train departing from Edinburgh, which means I need to get myself to bed NOW.
G'night world!
G'night world!
Monday, 2 March 2009
Excerpts from Scottish Literature
If you can decipher this, kindly let me know before my Scottish Lit tutorial on Wednesday
A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle, Hugh McDiarmid
I amna' fou' sae muckle as tired - deid dune.
It's gey and hard wark' coupin' gless for gless
Wi' Cruivie and Gilsanquhar and the like
And I'm no' juist as bauld as aince I wes.
The elbuck fankles in the coorse o' time,
The sheckle's no' sae souple, and the thrapple
Grows deef and dour: nae langer up and doun
Gleg as a squirrel speils the Adam's apple.
Forbye, the stuffie's no' the real Mackay,
The sun's sel' aince, as sune as ye began it,
Riz in your vera saul: but what keeks in
Noo is in truth the vilest 'saxpenny planet.'
It goes on like that for 80 more pages.
A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle, Hugh McDiarmid
I amna' fou' sae muckle as tired - deid dune.
It's gey and hard wark' coupin' gless for gless
Wi' Cruivie and Gilsanquhar and the like
And I'm no' juist as bauld as aince I wes.
The elbuck fankles in the coorse o' time,
The sheckle's no' sae souple, and the thrapple
Grows deef and dour: nae langer up and doun
Gleg as a squirrel speils the Adam's apple.
Forbye, the stuffie's no' the real Mackay,
The sun's sel' aince, as sune as ye began it,
Riz in your vera saul: but what keeks in
Noo is in truth the vilest 'saxpenny planet.'
It goes on like that for 80 more pages.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
