And since it has been so long since I have posted something, here's a bit of my journal from the Scotland study abroad I did to fill the gaps :)
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I am just constantly in awe of the buildings in the UK. In other European countries as well, but some of the others don't invest the same pride in their old structures or consider them still legitimately useful. Many old buildings elsewhere are there because they're historic, not because they're beautiful and a mark of heritage. Another thing I've noticed is the island nation mentality present here that I've also seen in Singapore. With an island nation there is an obvious limit to the space available and therefore construction has to be very carefully considered. In America, we can put up a shitty structure wherever because we have the space to do so. In Singapore, they build up- and then they build up some more until it becomes unreasonable, then they stop, tear down a shorter/older building and build up again in an effort to be consistently new, clean and modern. Here in Scotland it seems like they are constantly renovating, taking care of what's already here and keeping their past very alive and very present in everyday lives. It's a quality I really admire and that can be really valuable in maintaining a love for one's heritage. In America, we go on field trips to cultivate that sort of thing, but kids here are surrounded by it.
Looking over the wall of the castle to the Firth of Forth, the green and the city below, the wind blowing and a bagpiper playing somewhere I couldn't see. It was Scotland in essence, everything they try to show you in brochures and commercials but you can never really see just by one sense alone. This is essential in understanding Scottish culture as far as pride. It's majestic and tangible and it wants you here, it welcomes. That's when I started welling up and I didn't stop.
The Scottish Memorial got me pretty hard too:
"They have no other grave than the sea"
Looking on the memorial of the fallen, the light hit my glasses and I saw the reflection of my own eyes. I was overwhelmed.
St. Giles, like many other very old churches I've seen was beautiful, magnificent, etc. It gets to be hard after all these churches to see each one and have the same appreciation for the art and care of it- so it has instead started to become something very different. Now, it's becoming personal. It's not about seeing the art anymore, it's a new level of understanding the faith that so many must have felt here. I am not religious and that doesn't bother me, but in places like that it gets to me now. These magnificent buildings were here because some people devote so much time and energy to this belief. They want it to be beautiful, to represent what they feel and be an appropriate place of worship to contain those feelings. That much devotion and love has to be respected, even for something I don't agree with.
I swear the clouds are different here. And the grass. People think I'm crazy when I say that, but it has to be true. I know I'm excited to be in Scotland, but that isn't all it is! The clouds here are fluffy, but spaced out in such a way that the sun hits them creating a marked contrast from the dark parts of the clouds to the sunlit parts of the clouds. Further than that, the clouds are so low that the sun hits the ground in very noticeable, beautiful patterns of light and dark. I can't get over it. Sun happens like that in Oregon, but very rarely can you see it that clearly. IT'S DIFFERENT. And the trees and grass- those are different too. Similar, yes, but NOT the same trees. I have, however, found some recognizable smells.
I am such a sucker for ruins. The unpreserved, nature-dominated rock just seems magical somehow. Like there are echoes of the past in each empty space, in each structure that isn't there anymore. There are structures that are as old elsewhere but it's the attention and modern touch that takes away the mystery present in ruins like the ones at St. Andrews. You can clearly see that there are 2010 people walking around, but they don't leave marks here. This isn't made for them. It's like the place itself says "You can visit, but you don't belong." Everyone who belonged there has passed.
The burial sites had a different vibe. The same feeling of echoes, but quieter, less apparent. The simple unknown nature of the sites makes it seem like the stones want you to be there, to learn their purpose that has been lost for so many, many years. They had people who belonged there, who also passed, but who have been very forgotten. The land sighs for a meaning, a rekindling of its old ways- if only somebody could find them.
I would very much like to take some time to spend in the more nature-oriented Scotland, perhaps hiking or camping. The bit of walking around we did outside was absolutely breathtaking. I'm glad I went by myself for a while because it gave me time to think about what I wanted to think about and see what I needed to see in order to determine this:
If there's magic in the world, it lives here.
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Highlights of the shows I saw:
First Love- this is how Beckett should be done. I wish everybody could see that, just to learn about style. He was, as far as I could tell, perfect. He had everything about Beckett down. The detachedness, the humor, the tangents, the specifics like the reaching in his left pocket, the grin. All of it was how it should be done. Whether people like that style is another thing entirely, but I loved it.
Nick Pynn- I just want to bathe in his music. A perfect way to end the night.
Simon Callow- once again, something that was very well done but perhaps didn't suit me entirely. It was wonderful to watch him speak verse that way though. Once again again, how it should be done.
Decky Does a Bronco- OHHH MY GOODDDD. Nothing bad happened here. Nothing. Well, it was a little chilly but that's my fault and I had this show's glow to keep me warm : ) It was delicious and heartbreaking in every way.
Storm Large- I love her! It was a blast to watch her perform and I enjoyed myself immensely. Consider me a fan.
Lidless- not perfect, but damn good premise and executed well. Rhiannon was fantastic and the rest of the cast didn't fall behind. Bashir was only a little lacking some of the time, not enough to be detrimental though. The seats, however, were very much a problem. I want them to die.
Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones- I LOVE YOU. I was skeptical before it started, but as soon as he stood up all was well and continued to be a wonderland of fantastic awesome fun for the next hour. Also, I want EVERYONE to see this.
Following Wendy- there are plenty of shows that aren't great pinnacles of theatre but I adore them anyway and this was the shining example. This show was just my flavor and I am in love with it and I want to live in the basement in which it is performed if only to see it a few more times. It was fascinating as an idea, carried out in a good script and the character work was lovely on almost everybody. It wasn't perfect, there are things to smooth out and expand, but I didn't notice that till I thought about it later.
No Child...- OH MY GOD. This show was fantastic. It was just one actress playing like 20 parts but it may has well have been 20 different people. She had such a great talent- great vocal and movement work. She could practically change her face with a though. Combined with a fantastic story (perhaps a little cheesy, but I can forgive that easily) it was an obvious highlight to the week.
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And let me take this opportunity to say that traveling abroad is one of the best things a person can do. You think you know what it means to think globally and understand other countries' perspectives, but actually being there and living in it is another thing entirely. I encourage anyone to jump at the opportunity. It is possible.
