Scotland

Of Kilts, Bagpipes and Whiskey (2)

tei o 4 Comments

I bet the Scots have been asked to death about this question:

Do you errr… wear anything underneath that skirt?

Brrrr……

This photo was taken in Edinburg, late December last year. Yes, it was cold. Very cold. He was playing wonderful music on the bagpipe but I’m afraid I was distracted by this one thought on my mind…”Oh dear….wouldn’t it be frozen cold?” (Oops, is this getting too risque? Will get censored or not hah?)

Edinburg is well known as an Arts Centre. Its yearly Arts Festival is world reknown and most Scots can hold a tune and have a strong interest in Arts generally. But then hor… if I was to live in such condusive environment, I think I would feel very artistically inclined too. Just look at these great architecture! I felt overawed just looking at them… Doesn’t it inspire you? I felt as if I had to read some Shakespeare plays or recite some poems there and then. Of course I didn’t lah, coz the only lines I remembered was:

“Double double, toil and trouble,
Fire burn and caultron bubble.”

Not very auspicious right? I think my Literature teacher really did a good job drilling this into my head. hehe! Do you all remembered which play this was from? ^^

Most museums in Edinburg (as in UK too) are free. Donations are welcome, to help maintain the place. Boxes are placed within the museums for this pupose… and guess what, most people do donate, even if it’s just a pound! Don’t think it will work here in SG though, at least for the moment. The tim when the museums have the highest attendance are when they’re free. Maybe one day?

Actually, what truely amazed me was this:

This dog was waiting patiently outside the museum whilst its owners were inside admiring the art pieces. How come got no dognapper huh?

You know the other thing that Scotland is really well known for? Whiskey!

“Wee” means little and this shop was really little but the stocks were impressive enough. But whiskey not my drink so..

Btw, husband actually got a little Scottish blood in him. But since he married a Singaporean girl instead of Scottish lass, he will be the last to be able to use that Scottish family name. Shucks, it would have been so fun if our kids could use Scottish family name.

Of Kilts, Bagpipes and Whiskey

tei o 4 Comments

Gosh… it’s been so hot the last few days, I actually find myself missing Scotland with its minus 3 degrees temperature.

Last year, during our trip back to UK, we paid a visit to our friend in Scotland.

“Come over and stay with us. It would be good to catch up after so many years.” Scotland would be wonderful.

My friend stays in this village called Garvald, about 90 minutes from Edinburgh. Garvald has less than 100 residents. There is no clinic. The post office is opened twice every week in the morning. The pub is the restaurant and there are only 2 main roads. Everyone knows everyone… really.

We didn’t know this before arriving but as we were driving up to her place at 10pm in the winter night, we got worried. Well, I got worried. Outside the car, it was almost pitch dark, save for some lights along the road (in some places, it didn’t seemed like a road to me). It was 荒山野林 to me. If we got lost…… *Shudders* But of course we didn’t, all thanks to a modern gadget call handphone.

We were told to just go to the town hall as there was a new year’s party going on. “You can’t miss it. It’s got a huge Christmas tree outside. You can come in and join us for a dance or two.” Right. I’d like to see the villagers’ residents looks on seeing a small Chinese woman (all wrapped up like a pau) doing a Scottish dance. It would have been the talk of the village for the next 10 years.

Almost everyone was at this party, from babies to grandfathers, all dancing up a storm. Luckily her children were tired by the time we got there and I was spared the agony of being obliged to join in the festivities. Whew!

Jill-27s-20stream.0

The wee stream My friend’s place isn’t big but what a view they have just outside their house. You can see and hear this little stream gurgling away. The only downside… it does get a “wee” cold.

Jill-27s-20backyard.3

This would be gorgeous in spring. With houses like that, is it any wonder that so of us are thinking of migrating? I want one too!!!

Their backyard…..

The next day, we had a look around the village, which really takes all about 30 minutes and went for a lovely walk in the woods…

Countryside

Moss on a crumbling wall..
Horses.0

Horses in the open field
Church.2

The village church
They share a pastor with a nearby village, so service is on every fortnight. (Much to the relief of my friend’s husband, who really isn’t much of a church-goer. Hehe!)
Grave

Strangely, next to the church, the graves didn’t look at all scary, in fact, they look peaceful and serene…. The outside world of MacDonald’s, shops centres, planes and faxes seemed so far away…. almost anyway.

As we were walking in the woods, suddenly amongst the peace and quiet.. suddenly…
*peep-peep. peep-peep. peep.*

That all too familiar sound.

In this wilderness, in a tiny Scotland village, half way round the world, I had just received a sms from Singaore.

Ahh…. the wonders of modern technology. Sometimes though, perhaps, it is better to leave them behind and observe the wonders of nature instead. Right?

Walk

A walk amongst the wonders of Scottish nature