Gallavanting in Glasgow

Took a 50-minute train ride out to Glasgow yesterday at 8 in the morning. On the agenda was some leisurely sight-seeing in the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis, followed by frenetic shopping at Primark, sweet haven to bargain-hunters.


We headed to the Cathedral first, which in all honesty is nothing much to shout about. One interesting feature though, is the underground crypt where St. Mungo's tomb is. It's a dark, gloomy place, reminiscent of the Chamber of Secrets in Harry Potter.

Following which we went to the nearby St Mungo's museum, which is possibly the strangest museum I've ever been to. I think it was intended to be a museum about world religions. However the sight of a Shiva statue in a room adorned with stained glass windows depicting Judeo-Christian imagery was strange to say the least. We went through a maze of a room which threw together a Mexican skeleton demon, a Guan Yin statuette and a likeness of the Virgin Mary all in the same glass display case. Odd. I have been puzzling over it since. Did the museum not have enough artefacts to create separate 'stand-alone' collections for each religion? Or were they going for a more postmodern approach, trying to symbolically break down the formal (divisive) categories of religion? In any case, I found it a rather confusing experience. Not my favourite museum.

We headed for the Glasgow Necropolis next, which is essentially a really big cemetary. And bizzare as this might sound, it was certainly one of the highlights of the day. It is a very beautiful cemetary, with huge imposing tombstones rising up in a rather messy but organic fashion. And the grass! It sounds strange to gush over vegetation, but if I were in a lyrical mood, I would declare the grass worthy of the Elysian Fields. And on the other hand, if I were not in such a poetic state, I would immediately liken it to the landscape in The Teletubbies which is really a compliment because I think Teletubby land is the only good thing about that show. The fields in the Necropolis were lush, verdant, soft and inviting, and a perfect complement to the grey, weathered tombstone faces which emerged from them. Sadly it was also rather wet thanks to the melted frost from the night before. But I imagine the place to be lovely during the summer.


So we happily bade the picturesque cemetary goodbye and took the subway down to the Glasgow Museum of Transport. It was packed with kids and after checking out the exhibits, it's no wonder - the Mezzanine floor is full of intricately constructed model ships which boast everything in miniature! From tennis courts to lifeboats, right down to the tiny golden door hinges, the ships were masterpieces of detail. If I were 5, I'd kill to have those as my dollhouse. I'm sure my brother at aged 3 would've gone wild as well.


All in all, a good place for the young and young at heart, and perhaps NUS Rag engineers who want something to oogle over. Not entirely my cup of tea, but hey, it was free entry and I got to speak with a very friendly museum guide who gave me my first taste of a Glaswegian accent.

Leisurely sightseeing accomplished, we went to PRIMARK! Dubbed the WalMart of Scotland by Felyna, I'd heard that it carried fashion and and accessories at dirt-cheap prices. So you can imagine how I approached its store front on Buchanan Street with a mixture of anticipation at the good shopping to be done, and anxiety over potential bankruptcy.


In the end however, I did manage to keep within my pre-determined shopping budget of between 30 -40 pounds (yes it was flexible haha), spending a total of £38.18. Here's a breakdown of the damage, which actually doesn't look so bad if I do say so myself!

Grey double-breasted Coat: £24.47
Leather Ballet Pumps: £10
7-pack Socks: £1.96
6-pack undies!: £1.96

Felyna came to my room later that night with a pair of scissors for the price tag-cutting ceremony.

In all I was quite happy with my buys. However I did leave somewhat uneasy for a variety of reasons. If my memory serves me correct, Primark was voted one of thel east ethical companies several years ago, and that might have explained the number of rather defensive posters on the walls which affirmed Primark's commitment to its employees' working conditions. I'm unsure if they've done anything to improve workers' rights, but you have to wonder why the prices are so low. But then again, I have to admit that my desire for bargain prices yesterday did outweigh any thought of fair labour conditions, which in itself is worrying.

And on that note, I've realized that bargain shopping brings out the Mr Hyde in me. Everyone in Primark rushes and pushes through the aisles, hurrying to snap up the best deals before someone else does. The shoe racks are chaotic, with customers rifling through rather aggressively, before callously throwing back the shoes which don't fit. And unfortunately, I might have joined this legion of careless shoppers whilst struggling to find shoes in my size 5. Perhaps bargain-shopping brings out that sense of urgency or kiasuness within, compounded by the fact that we had only an hour to shop before leaving to catch our 5pm train back to Edinburgh.

Whatever it is, I'm not sure if I'll make a trip back again even though the clothes are pretty reasonable and enticing. I have to end saying that even though I hated Biodiversity and Conservation and thought it was one of the worst modules I've ever taken, it has had that annoying effect of implanting a little bit more of a social conscience in me which I'm not entirely sure how to deal with. I certainly won't start collecting a 2nd-hand wadrobe or patronizing only locally-grown produce to reduce carbon emissions, but I think I will carry around this oversensitive conscience whenever I go shopping from now on.

And what a way to end this post. But there you go. On a lighter note, I think I will debut the ballet pumps at the Burns Night celebration later this evening! Will let you all know how that goes :)