Not to Get Political...

1.25.2009

So obviously this past week has been a big one for the United States. While I know very well my friends and family share veeery different views on politics, I think it's safe to say it was pretty amazing on Tuesday to watch an African American man be sworn in as our new President. Republican, democrat, anarchist or whatever, it was definitely a day American's (and people all around the world) are going to remember for the rest of their lives.

Tuesday afternoon a huge group of my American friends and I were scrambling to find a good place to watch the inauguration. Finally we stumbled upon Curler's, our host every Monday for 1 pound student nights. The upstairs was fully dedicated to coverage of the inauguration which we were very happy to hear. All in all we had a group of about 20 kids from America, Canada, Germany, Scotland and some other countries who were all there to witness history. Politics aside, Tuesday was a great day for our country abroad. From talking to friends from all around the globe, it is safe to say the world is more hopeful for America. We seem to have lost our way in recent years which is reflected in the attitudes many people have towards Americans, and I really think this is our chance to restore our image around the world.

To keep on this topic of national pride (I know it's a stretch), Thursday night the international society held their infamous "Global Village" to celebrate the different countries represented at the university. It was great to see the 40+ countries represented through food booths and cultural performances. At one point in the night a group of Malaysian dancers picked people out from the crowd to come up and dance with them on stage, and due to my striking good looks and ungodly dance moves, I was among the chosen ones (look for the tall, goofy kid in the black shirt in the picture at right).

For a quick update on academics: Thursday I had my first bagpiping lesson which proved much more difficult than I thought it would be, but come May it's safe to say I'll be piping on the streets of Glasgow for a little pocket money. With my schedule of 3 days of class, I've had some great opportunities to explore the city some more this week. This weekend some friends and I wandered through the city center to Glasgow Green (on the right) and the People's Palace located right along the River Clyde, bisecting the city. From there we made our way back to the city center for a nice Italian dinner followed later in the night by a failed attempt at karaoke... maybe next time.

This coming week should be a good one. I've got bagpiping again on Wednesday, and Thursday morning my class "Exploring Scottish Culture" is going on a field trip to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I really think BC should consider field trips for some of their classes. Thursday night I'm taking the night bus from Glasgow to London for the weekend to meet up with my friend Claire who is studying at the University of Westminster, and our friend Brett who is stopping in for the weekend on his way to Budapest. Should be a great weekend. I should also note, for those of you who know him, the "traveling baby head" formerly known as Padraig will be making his 2009 European Debut somewhere along the Thames by the end of the week.

Hope that everyone is doing well and that I hear from you all soon!