The Scamp Abroad

Tour Guide Scamp: Day 6

Posted on April 12, 2013 by erranteditor

Today was my last day with my parents. This was the only day of the adventure that I didn’t have anything planned. I figured anything that didn’t get done during the week could be done today. We had another good weather day (6 in a row, must be a record for here), so it made the walkabout that much easier.

We started the day with a little walk, the purchase of a new first day of school outfit, and then met a couple of the girls from my program for lunch at the Mexican restaurant that I love. I’m glad my mom finally got to meet all the people that she gets to hear about (minus one….fail on her part). My mom was on her best behavior and did not show them the worst of the baby pictures that she brought.

From lunch we walked to Calton Hill. It has one of the best views in the city, and was something else in the city that I had never seen. I am going to go back on a sunny day to get a little better view. On the way down the hill we got to see where David Hume is buried, and Rubber Pirate Chicken had an amazing day.

The last stop of the day was to the National Museum to see Dolly the Sheep. We only went through one floor of the museum, but I really only wanted to show them the clone. Along the way, I was able to finally get my mom a Beast ice cream. It is a chocolate bar covered in chocolate ice cream dipped in chocolate and nuts….basically the best thing she ate this trip.

My dad then let me have some time with my mom so we could chat. The two of us are used to doing things together, and having long chats, so to have an hour or so to do that was nice. We ended the day with haggis. I told my dad there was no reason for him to eat it, but he ate that and blood pudding. Needless to say he will not be eating it again. The only thing he has left to try is an Iron Bru. I don’t think he needs to try that either, but I will leave that up to him.

The only downside to this trip is we didn’t take a picture of the three of us together. There are two pictures that I think sum up the trip though. The first one is my mom’s reaction to a kiss after haggis, and the second one is one of the best pictures of me taken in awhile.

The next time I see my family it will be when I am moving home. This visit has definitely been the little boost I need to finish my papers and start working on my dissertation. I’m looking forward to my last 8 weeks here and all of the little adventures I hopefully find myself on.

Tour Guide Scamp: Day 5

Posted on April 11, 2013 by erranteditor

Don’t worry, I can still count. Yesterday I sent the parents to the Highlands, and since I had a meeting, I stayed home. Turns out, I should have gone. They had a 27 year old bearded Scotsman with a quick wit and a love for his home. I love beards, men, and Scotland, so he sounds perfect…..maybe I will go take his tour before I leave in May

Today was a day of exploring the underbelly of the city. The day started off with shopping for goodies to take home to family and friends, and once that was done, we stopped for a cup of tea and very tasty muffins at the Elephant House. While that might not sound impressive, it is the birthplace of Harry Potter. It has one of the most interesting bathrooms. Since the books have been released, and the Elephant House has been put on the map, people have felt the need to leave Harry Potter themed messages on the walls, the toilet, and even the mirrors.

From there we continued on to The Real Mary King’s Close and took a tour of the underground part of the city. I’d been on the tour before, but I still enjoyed going underground to see the parts that used to belong to the city. Unfortunately there are no cameras allowed, so we don’t have pictures, but thanks to the internet, my loyal 7 readers can enjoy a quick glimpse of the Close. Close means street, or in the case of the city, the alleys that are between the main streets.

The next stop of the day was to the best/worst tourist attraction ever: The Edinburgh Dungeon. It was cheesy, it was scary, and it provided me with one of the funniest pictures I have ever seen of myself. At the end of the adventure there is a ride that drops you much like Tower of Terror at Disneyland (but on a smaller scale). I was in the middle of talking to my favorite Frenchwoman when we dropped, and I had mouth open scream of terror. I actually look like I am afraid….thankfully that picture will only live in the minds of those who saw it today. I’m glad the other two members of my faithful trio were able to go and then hang out with my family.

From there we moved on to a little pub off the beaten path for a quick drink. I was able to convince my BFF here to pop over and hang out for a bit. He was a very good sport about it, and didn’t even blink at the Rubber Pirate Chicken. That is the true sign of a BFF.

The night ended at one of my favorite eateries for a warm meal and some deep fried haggis. Problem was, the waitress wrote down the wrong order, so my dad will have to wait until tomorrow to get his haggis. I keep trying to tell him he isn’t missing anything, but he really wants to try it.

Tomorrow is my last day with my parents. Other than lunch with some of the girls in my class, I am not really sure what the day will hold. If it is cold, like it was today, I may try to talk them into a museum, but if the weather is okay, then I am going to take them to see the best view of the city. Then it will be back to business as usual here and back to paper writing and dissertation prep work.

Not really looking forward to that.

Tour Guide Scamp: Day 3

Posted on April 9, 2013 by erranteditor

Can you guess what we did today? If you guessed a boat ride, you would be correct.

Today was less about walking, and more about enjoying the view. The Firth of Fourth is truly a wonder, and all of those who know my dad knows that he loves the water, so I thought a boat ride under the bridge and out to Inchcolm Island would be a perfect way to spend what turned out to be a sunny day. The wind was in full force, so the ride out to the island was a little rough in some spots, but circling the island was great, seeing the abbey was nice, and the best part of the boat ride: SEEING A PUFFIN! It was quick, but I feel that it was way worth it. I loved being on the water, being in the sunshine, and just seeing another part of the city. I also know that it was something that my dad really enjoyed, and since this is their vacation, that is my main goal.

We stopped in the really posh hotel in town for tea, but we ended up in the restaurant and not the tea room. We had some amazing French onion soup (which I am still tasting) before going back to the hotel to relax a little before dinner.

We passed most of the afternoon watching fun British tv shows. I forget that not everyone is used to the pedestrian lifestyle that I have become accustomed to, so I think the last two days and really worn the parental units out.

We ended the night at Frankenstein’s Castle….and yes, it is just as awesome as it sounds. We had a drink and they munched and then we parted ways for the evening. Tomorrow they will spend the day in the Highlands looking for Nessie while I get to go to dissertation meetings and work on final assignments.

I guess it is time for me to remember that I am still in school. I’m trying to finish strong so I can make a case for the credits to be accepted at Fullerton to save me some time and money (ugggh, fingers crossed). It will also give my parents a chance to have a little alone time on their vacation.

Tour Guide Scamp: Day 2

Posted on April 8, 2013 by erranteditor

I’m pretty sure the parents are ready to drop kick me to the moon. Today’s tour had them walking up 45 steps of death to visit the castle. I felt really guilty when my mom had to pull out her inhaler….tour guide fail. As much as I hated the steps, seeing the crown jewels and being able to see the entire city was worth it. We spent a good part of the day at the castle going in and out of all of the war museums, looking through the chapel, and watching musket demonstrations. The weather was perfect. I saw the sun today, and I only got cold once (and that is saying a lot for here). Even though I might have finished my time here without visiting the castle, my parents both enjoyed it and that is really all that matters.

After we had seen everything that could be seen at the castle, I took them down the Royal Mile. This is the street for tourists. There are fun shops and restaurants mixed in with some beautiful churches and government buildings. We stopped in one of my favorite little Italian places (I know, I’m in Scotland, why am I eating Italian? Trust me, my parents have already made fun of me) and had the best piece of lemon cheesecake with a lemon glaze of all time (ok, not all time, but I hate cheesecake, so this was amazing). I walked them further down the mile and to the School of Education so my dad could see where I went to class. We wandered on to Old College because it is a beautiful building and really sells you on the school.

We spent the early afternoon having a drink at the hotel bar. Luckily my parents are the type that can sit and have a drink and people watch without being too fussed about it. We were able to chat and catch up on all the gossip that I have been missing out on at home, and then we talked a little about David and the flaming pile of shit that was. I cried. In a bar. In front of my parents, but while my mom was in the bathroom my dad did his best to tell me that no one is perfect and that even though I know I wasn’t an angel, I did nothing to deserve what I got. Having not really raised girls he is not used to dealing with things like this, but he told to just keep on trucking with my recovery process and that eventually I would come out of this on the other side. While it is what everyone has been saying to me for months, it was still nice to hear it from someone who usually stays out of all the girl drama that goes on in our house.

We finished out the day at an Irish pub near the hotel. I got to enjoy real food, and we even got to watch a little football (and of course, I mean soccer.). We looked at all the funny pictures we took all day of the rubber pirate chicken and his adventure in Edinburgh and then I strolled home. Of course my mother worries about me walking home in the dark, but alas, I have made it safely.

The Irish pub was the same one I sat in a little over a year ago after a long day of campus and city tours and decided that I was going to move here. I took a picture that night, and had my mom take one tonight. I think it pretty much sums up the journey so far.

This was last March.

This was two hours ago.

Tomorrow is a ferry ride in the harbor and a tour of the shopping district….which means a lot more walking. Sorry mom.

Tour Guide Scamp: Day 1

Posted on April 7, 2013 by erranteditor

The day has finally arrived. My parents are finally in Edinburgh for a visit. I haven’t seen them since January, and while I am a little over a month from going home, I cannot begin to describe how excited I am for them to be in my space. For the next 6 days I will be playing tour guide for them in one of my favorite places in the world.

The first day of tourapalooza was not super exciting. The parents are tired and very jet lagged, so after meeting them at the hotel, I showed them the great Greyfriars Bobby and the cemetery that he stayed in for 14 years. Anyone wanting to read the full story can go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby. The cemetery is really quite beautiful, and is nestled in between shops on one of the main streets in the city.

The second stop on the tour was main campus. I pointed out all the important buildings (The campus bar, student health center, library, you know, the usual) and then walked the old people through my favorite park to the dorms.

Stop three was my room in the cesspool. Thank sweet baby Jesus all the undergrads are on Spring break. The dorms were quiet and my parents got to meet some of my friends here.

The final stop on day one of the tour was my favorite Irish pub. We ate, had some drinks, and then I sent them off to their hotel. My mom looked like she was ready to fall asleep at the table. Of course I would have loved to spend more time chatting and catching up, but I have plenty of time for that while I am shuffling them around from castle to museum to pubs around town.

Tomorrow’s agenda includes exploring the castle, hanging out in the tourist part of town, and having dinner with some of the girls in my program. My mom has already promised to bring lots of baby pictures….oh goody.

Call Me Dr. Scamp

Posted on April 6, 2013 by erranteditor

While I drive myself crazy waiting for my parents to get here, I made an important life decision. I have decided that money be damned, I will be joining the 6th cohort of the Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Community College at California State University, Fullerton. I was offered a spot in the 5th cohort and turned it down last year to come here, and while I was here I did a lot of wavering about whether or not I would apply for re-admission. When things with David started to fall apart I thought about putting the degree on hold all together and moving to San Diego to be with him.

The thing is, I loved (well, still love, but I’m working on getting over that) him, but I really want to pursue this degree. I want to teach at the community college level, want to eventually run a writing program at one, and while I can easily do that without an advanced degree, I feel like this program will help give me some tools before I dive head first into the working world. I like being in school, and like being a student. The three degrees that I have now will make me a better teacher, but this degree will make me a better leader. This degree will help me better understand what happens outside of the classroom, and allow me to sharpen my skills as I prepare for total community college world domination.

I’m paying on a massive loan that I took out to pay for this adventure, and part of me is worried about the finance part of this degree. I am going to have to pray that FAFSA comes through and offers me some help, and that in the next few months while I am not working on my dissertation, I can work on finding some money and grants that will help me pay for the next three years ( I joke that I am going to start looking for strip clubs that will hire me, but at this point, I am really looking into the possibility).

Part of me is still hesitant to come home and face all of the things that being home means. I used to joke with David that if we ever broke up I would never return to the US. Part of me still has that thought in the back of my mind. My visa is still good here for another year, and I am sure there are plenty of places that could use a smart mouthed English teacher. I also have thoughts of running away to New Zealand or going back to Australia and hiding out in the sunshine. Ultimately I know that I don’t really want to be that far from my family, and that things will fall into place when I go home, but part of me can’t help but wonder what kind of adventure could be out there waiting for me if I didn’t go home.

In the meantime, feel free to send me advice on places to find money, and get ready to call me Dr. Scamp.

A Scamp Prepares for a Visit

Posted on April 5, 2013 by erranteditor

Today is my mommy’s birthday! Everyone knows how I feel about her (and those who don’t, go here https://ascampabroad.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/a-scamp-and-her-mom/) Even better than that though, it means that she and my dad are getting on a plane tomorrow to come spend a week with me in beautiful Scotland. I have an exciting week planned for them complete with castle tours, ferry rides, and a possibly a trip to the docks to see the Royal Britannia. I’m even going to let them meet all of the wonderful people that I have met here. I’m excited to be able to show them the city that I live in, but I am more excited that my family will be in my space again.

The last couple of months have been tough on me, and while the girls here have been amazing, I am really craving some family time. I need a hug from my mom, I need to feel connected to my family again. I haven’t seen them since early January, and most of the Skype chats lately where to cheer me up and prepare me for the broken heart that was to come. I want to put that part behind me and be able to laugh and enjoy my time with them. It is my dad’s first time here, and while my mom has been here before, she didn’t get to see much, so I want to make sure this week is the best it can be. The next week of posts will be my time with them and all of the fun things that we do.

An update to yesterday’s aside: I have to prove that I am California resident because I got re-admitted to the PhD. program. The only downside is I got admitted to a program I didn’t apply to, with an emphasis I am not interested in. I’ve emailed the program to see about straightening that out, hoping that it was done in error. Now I am at the mercy of when the course secretary emails me back. I’m proud to say that my reaction was to laugh at the situation. Those of you who know me really well know that two years ago I had a lot of trouble with SDSU and paperwork. I would call my mom crying whenever I had a problem with them. I fell to pieces over the smallest of mix-ups and extra steps. This time though, I know eventually it will get straightened out (and I might have to enlist my mom to make a phone call for me), and that it will all work out.

I’d like to think that is me growing up and maturing, but it could just be the excitement of my parent’s visit. Check back in a week to see if I have thrown a hissy fit over it.

A Scamp and Her Dissertation

Posted on April 4, 2013 by erranteditor

I’ve been in the research phase of my degree for a couple of weeks, but all of my focus lately has been trying to pick myself up after David stomped on my heart. Now that I have that pretty much settled on a path to recovery, I can get back to the important part of my journey here: my dissertation.

Today I put my work on fairy tales on hold so that I could meet with the director of the program and move on to the next phase of the degree. I finally figured out who my supervisor is (and I am happy to say that it is the woman that I wanted to work with) and have a mini plan for the next week before I start scheduling weekly meetings with my supervisor. I have decided to give myself a break from the research that I have been doing for the last three years in writing and basic skills education and work in a new area in education. I’ve decided to focus my attention on children’s books, and how the choice of book can determine how children learn about cultural stereotypes. I’m sure the research question will change a couple of times before I get it to something manageable. I had a lot of fun writing about something similar last semester on a smaller scale, so I am excited to get the work underway.

First I have to tackle the essays for class. The essay on fairy tales will be finished tomorrow (fingers crossed) and I can start work on evaluating the lesson plan I created.

On the best side note ever…..I have not heard about whether or not I have been readmitted to the PhD. program, but I got an email from the school about the current state of my residency. It appears that the school thinks I am Scottish and has invited me to fill out a lot of paperwork to prove that I am in fact a California resident. If I wasn’t going to be charged twice what an in state student pays, I would let them think I was an international student….might help my chances of being readmitted.

I’ve jumped through so many hoops lately I am starting to feel like a trained circus poodle.

A Scamp and a Sunny Day

Posted on April 3, 2013 by erranteditor

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was out, it was warm by Scotland standards, and I was actually able to make good progress on my research paper. Despite all of that, I was still feeling a bit blue today. David sent most of my stuff back, and the finality of the situation makes me a bit sad. He kept a few things I was hoping that he would send back, and my worry is that he will just throw them away when he comes across them. To keep myself from thinking about that, I went for a walk. I had intended to sit in the park and read a book, but I couldn’t shut off my brain, so I wandered around the park a little before returning to my room to try and get more work done….and by get more work done, I mean look at cute animal pictures on the internet.

Seriously, the internet is a dangerous place. I think this video about sums up my mood as of late. A little unsteady, a little unsure, but ultimately triumphant Also, I am awkward as they come, and let’s face it, so are giraffes.

Tomorrow I finally have a meeting to get a supervisor for my dissertation and I can finally start making plans to wrap up my time here in Scotland. A month ago I really wanted to go home and settle in to my life with David, and now, I am sad that my time will be up in 6 weeks. I’m hoping this trend in the weather continues so that I can spend more days wandering around the city when I should be working.

The Scamp’s Tale From the Strange

Posted on April 2, 2013 by erranteditor

I’d like to start this post by saying I am no means a prude. I’m also not dumb enough to think that this little cesspool I live in doesn’t house some odd stuff. I know that I live in a zoo. I know that these 18 year olds have no morals or shame. That being said, this was a first for me.

I’ve been awake since 4 am. The guy that lives below me likes to listen to his club music really loud, and likes to shout over the music to impress the girls that are constantly hanging out with him. I can hear them chatting and laughing, and sometimes I dance along to the music. He always seems to stop by 10 or 11, and since that is when I am getting ready to wind down for the night, it doesn’t bother all that much. The cleaning lady has told me that he is a really posh guy with good looks and lots of money.

Looks like Mr. Posh is also a bit of a perv. He woke me in the wee hours of the morning with his sexual escapades. The girl he was with made some very unfortunate noises….in fact, I am not even sure she was enjoying herself. The thing that got me though, was that every time I thought they were done, she would start again, but with a different guy! I spent two hours…maybe more listening to her rotate the guys in the room while they each had their fun with her. After each round I could hear them laugh, chat and get ready for the next one. I was so grossed out. I realize that just because I don’t enjoy group sex (or a gangbang? I don’t even know what you would call it) doesn’t mean that other people won’t. It also doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy other people watching, laughing and having a go at them. I had to get my headphones to block them out, but even then, all I really wanted to do was get up and take a shower. I’m hoping that satisfied them for awhile, or, if they need to do it again, they put a gag in her or something (I’m sure there is a market for that.)

There are just some things I should not have to be a part of, but since I have to suffer with the memory, so should my lovely readers. After all, misery loves company.