Happy Thanksgiving, America! We had a lovely Thanksgiving here in Scotland. Sam did the holiday right with a turkey and full trimmings. I uncorked the wine. A nice time was had by all, in particular Penny, who has enjoyed the random bits of food which fell on the ground with great enthusiasm. In all seriousness, we miss you all, but you should know that we had a lovely time ‘representing’ the United States in grand form in spite of our rather modest means.

On Sunday, we ventured to Edinburgh, our first trip there together, and my first trip there in nearly fifteen years. The last time was my first visit to the UK. This trip was lovely though it was a chilly day, in the 30s with a touch of brisk wind, weather that chilled to the bone. Compared to Vermont or New Hampshire, this isn’t really all that cold, but here it is a very moist cold, a film of mist hanging over Glasgow and freezing the iron fence outside of our flat. Wet cold is cold indeed.


We went to Edinburgh Castle for St. Andrews Day. The castle had free admission in honour of the holiday and we had a nice time frolicking, or “storming” the castle, as Sam has been apt to say. There is the National War Museum of Scotland in the Castle as well as the regimental museum to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, two places we enjoyed greatly. Both are fitting museums to the illustrious and rather glorious history of Scotland’s contribution to the Union and Empire. Plus, in both, there are a multitude of portraits of burly men with fantastic moustaches. Sam enjoys this fact very much.

After wandering through the castle, we went to the pub, The Beehive, and I had a tremendous steak and ale pie, whilst Sam had fish and chips and mushy peas. We both came home with warm bellies full of British goodness.

Cheers,

Ian

Election Day Thoughts

What an exhilarating week! Sam and I missed being in the States for the election, well to some degree, though I’m safe in saying we didn’t miss the election season at all. We are fortunate to have a pretty bi-partisan group of friends and no doubt for each of you who are happy with the results of this contest; there are some, who are now mourning the loss. 2008 was an exceptional year with two exceptional people running. History was the real winner in this race.

This is not a political blog and I refuse to give my take on the candidates themselves. There’s enough of that on-line and my life is better lived without the rubbish of politics dominating my thoughts. However, I will give you my observations on our night.

We had a grand time staying up all night watching the returns. We popped over to the Student Union where there was an election party for students. It turned out to be a tremendous letdown and a bit younger of a crowd than we are used to rolling with. While waiting for a single malt in the bar line, for twenty minutes, I heard a long conversation from two men behind me about the sexuality of the Republican Vice-Presidential contender. It was not my sort of event. I knew we were in the wrong place when the bartender called me “Sir”.

We bagged-in the campus event and came home to watch the returns without the stench of idiocy around us. We put on the BBC and watched MSNBC live on our computer. Sam made snacks and we stayed up until 5:00 am (Midnight EST). This made our Wednesday a bit of a wash but it was worth it for such a historic moment. We simply couldn’t say, in fifty years, that we went to bed early rather than see this defining moment, irrespective of political persuasion. No cliché is apt to the change that will face our nation in coming months.

The Scots were very interested in this election. Even the conservative papers in England have given Obama high marks and McCain, and especially Palin, very low marks. I can’t tell you how many questions I have gotten about this election over here – ones that I was largely incapable of answering.

Perhaps the most moving moment, for me at least, came at 4:30 am on Wednesday morning. Senator Obama was the new President-Elect and we had watched McCain give his elegant concession speech. I took Penny out before we turned in. I put on her harness, pulled on my toggle coat outside of my pajamas, and we walked up the street to a small green nearby. In every townhouse on our street, there was at least one flat, with the lights on, the residents sitting up and watching the election night coverage of a foreign nation, live, all night long.

I have always known that the nation of my birth was a special place: indeed, I was raised with a certain sense of national pride. I have never been prouder of my nation that in the effect that this election, that this historic moment, had on people over here. You can detest the results of this contest and decry the new President all you want; however, a sense of hope transcended the Atlantic and was burning in the lights of living rooms of a cold, skeptical, nation. This is truly remarkable.

Congratulations America,

Ian

What ho world! A hip, hop, Happy Halloween to you all! Sam and I celebrated by eating spaghetti and pounds of Cadbury chocolate. Those of you with wee ones, I hope you had fun being cute with your children, and those without, I hope you had fun going to your adult themed Halloween parties, events that usually end with embarrassment caught on camera.

The seasons have changed here and we’re creeping (or slouching if I was feeling literary) toward the wintry doldrums of life on the Irish Sea. Sam and I have a small, portable and fake, coal fireplace that we light (plug in) before bed that manages to heat the bedroom. We’ve started calling it Bob after the Cratchit by the same name. The great thing about the new fangled electric fake coal is that we don’t have the shortage. Or the asphyxiation.

This week we had a big night out in Glasgow. I had a class on Spreadsheeting for Historians that was as lively and entertaining as it sounds. Then we popped out to a local pub for a pint of ale for our “big night out” this week. We went to a place called the Aragon, a small but clean establishment, and it would have been a good night had we not been accosted by a chatty, reasonably drunk, Glaswegian with a fondness for Americans, Coen Brothers films, and Philip Roth novels. We had a quick beer and left.

We went to my club, The Drones, for a bite and were in luck for it was Curry Night with a good special on food. Sam was pleased. Being a bit of a contrarian, I ordered pasta, as I didn’t want to follow the curry-indulged masses.

The election coverage over here has been very interesting. We’ve seen a lot of coverage on America and race. Every Yank they tend to interview comes from Texas, which isn’t the most representative state, but the sensationalized British press loves a stereotype, especially if it’s wearing a ten gallon hat. A post office clerk asked Sam the following: “Do you think America is really ready for a black president?” Needless to say it is pretty much all the Scots are talking about, or rather, all they are talking about to us.

That’s all for politics and all that rot. Most of you know my beliefs are increasingly cynical about all of that but we’re going to an all-night event at the Union to watch the returns. Its theme is “Americans go to the polls – we go to the pub.” Don’t worry – we sent in our ballots.

Talk to you soon,

Ian

Ps. For your information, I was called a Wee Man, by a wee man, to his friends, outside of the Botanic Gardens. He looked at me and Penny and said “Have you heard the one about the wee man and his wee dog.” That wee man almost got a wee glare from me.