Moving to
Scotland for two semesters sounded like a dream for me, since I have already
lived in the UK before I thought moving northwards this time could only mean a
better experience. Although arriving to Edinburgh felt like coming home, I can
state surely having been there for three months already that this city has a
lot of surprises.
Walking down
the streets of the Scottish capital is always a guaranteed adventure. Certainly
a physical one, since there is hardly one flat street so you always find
yourself going down or uphill, or forced to take dozens of stairs appearing
from nowhere. The city is build upon several layers and has a lot of secret
passages that makes a map completely useless here, but this is what adds to its
specific spookiness and creates a bewitching atmosphere. It is a place where
the historical past and mystery are integrated into everyday life, therefore it
is absolutely natural to meet a person in a black scary cloak in the
afternoons, a tour guide for the ghost tours, as well as see a group of men
walking in kilts. To be even more clichéd they usually happen to be bagpipe
players and make most of the people hate this Scottish squeaking instrument
after hearing it every single day. It is an amazingly diverse city having an
old and new part with different architecture as well as people, moreover there
isnature only a few steps away –Arthur’s Seat. While for some it is only an
obstacle on their running day and for others it seems like an impossible
challenge to climb it definitely offers a mesmerizing view. Not to mention all
the parks and green parts of the city as well as an occasional trip to the
seaside, being careful enough not be blown away by the strong wind.
However,
going outside in Edinburgh requires a certain amount of preparation, since one
has to be flexible to all the four seasons in one day. Everyone knows that the
weather up north is predictably unpredictable throughout the whole year, but I
have never expected to be soaked every day and to regard the sun as just as an
old friend who you once knew but now who appears only occasionally. The weather
is a very influential aspect of a Scottish life and especially for those who
are not used to it; it makes me angry and even depressed on a daily basis but
quite the opposite when there is some sunshine; but most importantly it just
amazes me. The weather is the principal division between the people of
Edinburgh; the tourists are cold and complaining all the time, whereas the
locals are just indifferent to it. The contrast can be spotted at first glance
and particularly in the winter time. Everyone who wears warm clothes, boots, a
coat and definitely carries an umbrella is not from here, while those who wear
t-shirts, sandals and use hoodie as a protection against the rain will
definitely have a Scottish accent.
Before
studying here I could not wait to hear this impressive accent all around me,
however, after a few rather embarrassing encounters I have come to the
realization that there are three stages of the Scottish accent: the first which
sounds different than the standard but is enjoyable, the second when only few
words can be recognized, and finally the third stage which can make the
nonnatives’ lives miserable and does not even sound English anymore. To add to
the confusion, during one day all the differentEnglish accents can be heard,
since surprisingly most of the students in Edinburgh are actually from England
and there are a lot of Americans, Canadians as well as Australians, not to
mention the swarm of international students. Most of the foreigners just end up
being confused how to address people or how to speak in general, since the
Scottish accent is quite hard to comprehend and is regarded as rather amusing
by all the others. However, it is definitely worth a try because the locals
will appreciate it with a warm smile which always helps on a freezing day.
All in all
it is a magical city, very Scottish and yet international which could even
resemble a fantasy world with all its dark graveyards and tourist attractions.
If you are adaptable to any kind of weather and to any kind of prices without
getting a stomach ache when seeingtriple the usual, than there is no reason at
all why Edinburgh should not be enjoyed to its very last drop – just like a
dram of good old Scottish whisky.
Lucy Szemet
