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As a Postgrad in Edinburgh... - Smells, and how I recognize...


Smells, and how I recognize everybody 14/9/2007
 
I swear, the world is really made up of just 500 people, all wearing different clothes and speaking different languages to provide the illusion of 6 billion people. Everywhere I go, I see people I swear I know. The other day, as we were moving out of our quarters in Budget Backpackers Hostel, I saw this kid, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and German sitting outside. He looked EXACTLY (to a T, only a few years older, which makes sense) like this kid, Robert, I knew in high school. Robert was a German exchange student, and i had the biggest crush on him sophomore year. And this stranger was even wearing the same glasses. I didn't say anything to him, as he looked content in being German and drinking with his buddies, but it could have been him. Especially after the incident at the Dublin airport where somebody knew Jonmikel, I'm not going to discount anything. Small world, really.

At any rate, the move from the hostel to a new hotel went well, even if we have 800 pounds of luggage each (exageration, sort of). We even got a comment at the airport from one of the taxi guys: he asked us if we were immigrants. Which, technically, I suppose we are, at least for the year. :-) But we had to move hotels because the hostel was booked solid (sad news for some Scottish backpackers who came here last minute) and we needed another week in temporary lodgings. But we found a place in New Town, in a trendy area close to a grocery story (I'm sure the two aren't directly related), that is actually very nice. It was the cheapest place we could find, and it's a whole flat, with a kitchen and living room and everything. The shower is a little iffy; I mean, if Morocco can discover a normal shower, why are the British still using so-called "electric" showers? Is is so hard to mix hot and cold water to create normal water pressure? The shower in this place and I battled it out for a while, until I declared defeat and took a bath.

We also got to explore some more of the city. When you just stick around Old Town, the place feels so small. But it's a HUGE city, so my impressions were off. We walked around Princes Street for a bit, it being the premier shopping district in town. No we didn't buy anythiing (poor students, right?), but it seemed very cosmopolitan. It's amazing to think that this area is called New Town, when in fact it was built in the 1700s. Doesn't seem very new, especially to us Americans who are amazed when something is 50 years old. We also took an hour to lay down in Princes Street Gardens, which was very pleasant. It was cool yet sunny, so we soaked up some rays with other young couples and children, and emo kids looking pissed off at the world and yet very at home in such a sunny place. But the whole garden used to be Nor'Loch, a big lake, and so the ground is marshy. And yet, much like they do in the States, they built on top of it and wonder why buildings are sinking. Hmmmmm....
One thing about the whole place, though, is that everywhere you go, it smells like beef stew. Really. Everywhere, starting at about noon. Its thick - humidity and cigarettes and beer and beef stew. And its everywhere, even in seedy areas where you would except body odor or something. No, no, beef stew. And rain, which it has been doing all morning. It's been looking like rain since we arrived, but has been remarkably dry. Now it's let loose on us, which is fine, because the grocery store is 2 blocks away - close enough to make an emergency run for food. I have a lot of work to finish up for the Park Service anyway, so its good to have an excuse to stay inside.
 
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