Currently Reading The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays: Salome; Lady Windermere's Fan (Signet Classics) By Oscar Wilde see related

Well I've finally arrived in Aberdeen Scotland, my new home for the next 3 1/2 months. I’ve been here for only 2 days and I can already hear the Scottish accent trying to work its way into my speech. I’m pretty much all settled with orientation now, so I’ve got a good week before classes start to just loiter around. Haven't quite gotten the nerve to try haggis or any of the other traditional Scottish dishes yet, but I'm sure I will at some point. Venison is quite popular hear though and I’m definitely going to have to get some of that. Aberdeen seems like a pretty nice place, generally friendly people and I’ve met a few of the other international students, mostly people from Africa or France who want to practice their English.

 This semester is going to rock. I’ve got 2 student led design project classes and a design for manufacture class and a product operations management class that I’ll be taking as well. In the UK, everyone signed up for a particular program takes the exact same classes together typically in a single room, so it'll be am interesting semester.

I’ve got all my pictures up for now from Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels and Paris. Pictures of Scotland will be up in a few days and trickling in throughout the semester.

 http://photos.yahoo.com/enviro0025

 I nearly had my laptop bag stolen while I was in Brussels (complete with my laptop camera and other electronics goodies). I was waiting at the post office at the train station and decided to put down my bag briefly because I had been lugging it around for a good 3 hrs. When I looked down again it was gone and I saw a man briskly walking away with it a few meters behind me. I was able to chase after him and snatch my bag back, but I was so pissed at the end of it.

Brussels was quite nice and I highly recommend the waffles or chocolate shops to anyone who goes there. The restaurants do tend to be a little expensive, though. Paris was also quite incredible as well though I felt a bit rushed only having a day to explore the city.

 I did get to practice my French in Brussels and Paris and quickly realized how much I had forgotten in the 3 years since high school. I was able to carry out some basic conversations, but at some points I just resorted to English to make things a bit easier for everyone. It is a language that I’d like to get better at (again) and I’ve already found a few French students here that offered to help me out.

 I ventured to try Ryan Air, a rather sketchy low fare airline that provides flights throughout Europe, and ended up having to take a bus to a small airport an hour outside of Paris and wait for another 5 hrs while my flight to Glasgow, Scotland was delayed. From there I had to take another hour long train to get into Glasgow city and that was pretty much my day. I’m starting to think that the convenience of a major airport wins out over Ryan Airs $20 flights, but I still might take them in the future.

By the way, Oscar Wilde is amazing. I love his dry wit, incredible writing style and philosophical comments on the nature of art. I highly recommend any of his writings.