What's Going on Here?!?!
I'd like to blame Dennis for the recent slack-off in blog posting, since he hasn't downloaded our Islay pictures from the camera yet, but I really can't put it all on him. So, I'll give you a text-only update and leave you longing for photos.
Things are going well with classes; we're right at mid-term, which means we've been giving out grades on papers and tests, and the students are getting their rude awakenings (only rude for some) that this is indeed an academic program where you have to EARN your college credits, not just a convenient launching pad for four months of international travel. Most of them are quite responsible and mature about it, but you have a few who seem really put out that you would dare evaluate them here the same way you would have evaluated them at home. I think all the same patterns occur on our home campuses, but we don't have to LIVE and EAT with the students at home. This place gets to be a kind of petrie dish, both on the biological level (I've had the only cold I'm going to allow myself) and the emotional/social level. It's really good to get away, and you really do have to leave the house to get away.
So, leave we do -- last weekend (Oct. 12-15), we went to the Isle of Islay, which some of you know quite well is the home to eight whiskey distilleries (and all of them are in Dennis' favorite category of whiskey). The island was . . . fascinatingly dull . . . interestingly boring. I think it's like most islands: stark in beauty, quirky in personality, somewhat isolated, but very, very friendly. We toured two distilleries and saw the malting floors of another. I'll save most of the Islay story for another blog, with pictures.
This weekend, we stayed here and went into Edinburgh Saturday to see a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art and a movie ("The Departed") at the Filmhouse. Very nice to be in Edinburgh; I think we need to spend more of our weekends here because I think I'll regret not seeing all the things that were so close by.
The students threw a Halloween party Friday night (since we'll all be on Fall Break during Halloween), and the faculty all dressed up as Henry, the house chef; the students got such a laugh from it that they voted us "Best Costume" and gave us a £5 gift voucher to a local restaurant (which will just about buy a pot of tea and a scone).
Tonight, the house is having a Caledonian Dinner, a sort of early Burns night, with whiskey and haggis and readings from Burns. Dennis and I are even going to sing a little; we don't know any Scottish songs, so we'll sing "Wagoner's Lad," which is, after all, an Anglo-American folk song.
We leave Wednesday afternoon for our long break; first, three nights in London, where we're going to see the new production of Tennessee Williams' "Summer and Smoke," and then six days in Paris, where we're going to walk around with our mouths open, going "Golllllll-eeeeeeee!! Look at that tower; ain't it a Eye-ful?" I think we'll live on various kinds of breads, cheeses, pastries, and wine. Then, we come back under the Channel for another night in London before heading back to Dalkeith. I'm looking forward to the break, although I'm sure I'll a) spend too much money, b) eat too much, c) buy too many gifts, and d) make an ass of myself trying to speak/understand French. The students who've already traveled to Paris have assured me that if I just say, "Pardon, je ne parle pas francais" and pretend to be Canadian, I'll be fine. Sounds good, eh?
We're reading Jekyll and Hyde this week in the lit class, and I'm excited to be doing a book with Edinburgh origins, finally. We may have to do a field trip to Deacon Brodie's pub . . . .
Hope you all are well and happy. We'll have more to say and show soon!
Gin
Things are going well with classes; we're right at mid-term, which means we've been giving out grades on papers and tests, and the students are getting their rude awakenings (only rude for some) that this is indeed an academic program where you have to EARN your college credits, not just a convenient launching pad for four months of international travel. Most of them are quite responsible and mature about it, but you have a few who seem really put out that you would dare evaluate them here the same way you would have evaluated them at home. I think all the same patterns occur on our home campuses, but we don't have to LIVE and EAT with the students at home. This place gets to be a kind of petrie dish, both on the biological level (I've had the only cold I'm going to allow myself) and the emotional/social level. It's really good to get away, and you really do have to leave the house to get away.
So, leave we do -- last weekend (Oct. 12-15), we went to the Isle of Islay, which some of you know quite well is the home to eight whiskey distilleries (and all of them are in Dennis' favorite category of whiskey). The island was . . . fascinatingly dull . . . interestingly boring. I think it's like most islands: stark in beauty, quirky in personality, somewhat isolated, but very, very friendly. We toured two distilleries and saw the malting floors of another. I'll save most of the Islay story for another blog, with pictures.
This weekend, we stayed here and went into Edinburgh Saturday to see a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art and a movie ("The Departed") at the Filmhouse. Very nice to be in Edinburgh; I think we need to spend more of our weekends here because I think I'll regret not seeing all the things that were so close by.
The students threw a Halloween party Friday night (since we'll all be on Fall Break during Halloween), and the faculty all dressed up as Henry, the house chef; the students got such a laugh from it that they voted us "Best Costume" and gave us a £5 gift voucher to a local restaurant (which will just about buy a pot of tea and a scone).
Tonight, the house is having a Caledonian Dinner, a sort of early Burns night, with whiskey and haggis and readings from Burns. Dennis and I are even going to sing a little; we don't know any Scottish songs, so we'll sing "Wagoner's Lad," which is, after all, an Anglo-American folk song.
We leave Wednesday afternoon for our long break; first, three nights in London, where we're going to see the new production of Tennessee Williams' "Summer and Smoke," and then six days in Paris, where we're going to walk around with our mouths open, going "Golllllll-eeeeeeee!! Look at that tower; ain't it a Eye-ful?" I think we'll live on various kinds of breads, cheeses, pastries, and wine. Then, we come back under the Channel for another night in London before heading back to Dalkeith. I'm looking forward to the break, although I'm sure I'll a) spend too much money, b) eat too much, c) buy too many gifts, and d) make an ass of myself trying to speak/understand French. The students who've already traveled to Paris have assured me that if I just say, "Pardon, je ne parle pas francais" and pretend to be Canadian, I'll be fine. Sounds good, eh?
We're reading Jekyll and Hyde this week in the lit class, and I'm excited to be doing a book with Edinburgh origins, finally. We may have to do a field trip to Deacon Brodie's pub . . . .
Hope you all are well and happy. We'll have more to say and show soon!
Gin
posted by Anonymous at
9:58 AM
2 Comments:
Great to hear from you all (and to read all the additional comments). I don't have strong feelings about Islay, but I do appreciate the pics Dennis e-mailed to me from his fishing adventures (whisky's not the only thing our furry friend has been up to). The calls for some phone conversation remind me that you all ought to get SKYPE going. I've never tried it, but its FREE and readily available for internet-based phone conversations. Care to take the plunge?
All is well here - loads of travels and stuff to talk about on my US-based sabbatical. I'll send you all an e-mail update when I get the chance.
Have a good holiday! We look forward to the narrative. Until then, safe travels.
Fred.
By
Fred, at 10:32 AM
Sorry for not checking in recently. I've been in "Boo at the Zoo land" and haven't been on the computer.
It sounds so beautiful.
Love to you both! We miss ya!
By
Kristopher Shaw, Director, at 10:39 PM
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