dichotomy

I have lately been thinking of myself as two people. Scottish Claudia and American Claudia. Scottish Claudia is INFINITELY cooler.

In America, I fall prey to the temptation of wearing sweatpants and sweatshirts to class all the time, and if not that, jeans and a T shirt or hoodie. Here, I don't even have a hoodie, and I have maybe two t-shirts. I also don't own any sneakers. I shouldn't be defining myself by possessions here, but I feel like it actually makes a huge difference in my life. I think I am changing for the better: I feel more ambitious, motivated, and confident. I talk to people I don't know, I go to parties, I jump at the opportunity to participate in a dance that I have no idea how to perform (well... I did at the ceilidh, even if I wouldn't try out swing dancing in a style I didn't know). I guess that there is comfort in the fact that a lot of other people at the university ceilidhs also have no idea what they are doing.

Also, my flatmate Katherine and I cook a lot. I feel like we've made more different and exciting things in the last week than I made in an entire school year of living in my apartment last year. In less coolness, but more better personness, I've already started doing work for classes and we're only 2 days into the semester. I woke up at 8:30 am and was at the library by 10:15. Go ME! I'm working on learning how to be a better student and really making the most of my academic opportunities, because I only have three classes, so it's a little harder to get overwhelmed by different material.

I went with my friend Lauren to a place called the Jazz Bar tonight. We had been planning to go to a Uni-sponsored white t-shirt party (neon pens, blacklights), but the posters lied and said the shirts were free, which they weren't. Also, it looked like it sucked, so we just decided to go to the bar. There was an open mic night, and Lauren decided to go up and sing. She was absolutely amazing. I always find myself really jealous of anybody with actual musical talent. It was very strange because it seemed like everybody who went up to play with the band was from Ohio (including Lauren). How unlikely is it that there would be so many Ohioans who don't know each other, in Edinburgh, in the same bar!?

We ended up sitting with these two guys who go to a different university around Edinburgh. They were both 18, and really excited to hear about American university parties. First, let me comment on how strange it is to be sitting in a bar, drinking with 18-year-olds. I think they must have been recently 18, because they were a little overenthusiastic in ordering beers. I had a Blue Moon, and one of the guys, after dissing all American beers, decided he had to try one, and then proceeded to have like, 4 more.

Second, they couldn't figure out why we had come to Edinburgh from America, since they both said that all they wanted to do was move to America. They were both blues guitarists, and they were so passionate and about blues, that I was a little surprised. One of them asked me about the Chicago Blues Festival when I told him I was from Chicago, and also asked if I had ever been to Buddy Guy's Legends, and an assortment of other clubs. Crazy.

Third, one of the guys had a picture of himself doing a keg stand with a tiny Euro-sized keg. Lauren and I explained that no, we hadn't done keg stands, because we are responsible, mature girls, but that there are people who do that sort of thing. They thought that frats and frat parties were just mythical things that didn't actually exist, so I told them about my tradition of watching drunk girls fall over on frat row every Halloween. They laughed and said they'd like to see that someday, as if it were Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon. I find it hilarious how everybody asks about things like beer pongs, uni parties, red Solo cups, and so on and so forth. It makes me wish I had gone to more parties at Minnesota so I could have more stories to entertain my Scottish friends. So, uh, now I'm gathering stories in Scotland to tell my Minnesotan friends. That's how this exchange thing works, right?

Okay, 3 am has arrived, so even though I don't have class on Wednesdays, it's probably time to go to sleep so I can hit up the library at a reasonable hour. I'll post about my classes by the end of the week. So far, they are, for the most part, excellent!! My family visit weekend has been moved to this weekend due to a conflict with a field trip when I was supposed to go, so that will be another experience to look out for.

OH, one more thing. I have a recently formed addiction to WNYC Radiolab. It is really amazing, and I highly recommend listening to the podcasts off of iTunes (particularly the episodes on Words and Falling)!