we come from the land of ice and snow

...which is really a title that could apply to either Scotland or Germany. Maybe Europe in its entirety. When I got back from my winter vacation, all of the news coverage was talking about "Frozen Britain." Coldest winter in like a hundred years. On the day I left Glasgow for Frankfurt, it was -9 degrees! At two in the afternoon! (...Albeit in Celsius. That's about 15 or 16 in Fahrenheit.)

BUT. In the end I made it to Germany and back, pretty much in one piece! My flight out was from Glasgow to London-Stansted, and then from London to Frankfurt-Hahn. I was due to arrive around 9:30 pm. Weather in Frankfurt was super snowy, though, so they kept pushing back the departure a little at a time. The delay was long, but the experience itself wasn't too bad, because I got to talking to this crazy English girl and this young German police officer who was teaching us bad language. (Which I fortunately forgot by the time I arrived.) Plus, the guys at Pret-a-Manger gave us free tea, even though they had closed already.

Finally, after 1 in the morning (nearly 5 hours late), we took off. I got to Germany around 3 am, and then we had to drive two hours through the ice and snow back to Reid and Scarlett's house near Mannheim. We didn't get to sleep until 6 am. Death!

Once we had all recovered from the late night, though, it was a lovely week and a half. I spent a lot of time tooling around with Scarlett -- running errands, watching movies, and some sightseeing. It was really nice having girl bonding, because we haven't had a lot of time on our own before. Generally there's a bevy of family around, or that guy...her husband...what's his name?

In the evenings and on weekends, Reid was off of work, so we'd also do some quality sightseeing and hanging out during those times. In the way of sightseeing...

Assorted Weihnachtsmarkts: Weihnachten is German for Christmas, so a Weihnachtsmarkt is simply a Christmas market, which nobody does like Deutschland. We went to about four different markets during my time there, in the towns of Ladenberg, Schwetzigen, Mannheim, and Heidelberg. Mannheim and Heidelberg's were the most impressive, as they're larger cities. Your average Christmas market is a collection of stalls and vendors, selling everything from candles to sweaters to pony rides. Most impressive to look at were shops selling paper lanterns in the shape of stars, which were lit brightly in the dark, and the sweets shops. In particular, they had huge heart-shaped cookies on strings, which were meant to be bought as love declarations by sweethearts, and then worn around the neck a la Flava Flav. (Because who is a better example of romance and devotion?)

More delicious than a clock. The Germans one-up Flava Flav yet again.

The market vendors offer sausages and the like, plus my new favorite drink -- a delightful concoction called glühwein. Literally "wine that makes you glow," glüwein is a hot mulled wine that is spicy, sweet, and definitely warms you from the inside. When you get it at a Christmas market, you pay an extra two or three euro for the commemorative mug it's served in. When you're finished drinking, you can either return the mug for your deposit, or keep it as a souvenir. I, of course, kept all three of mine.

Schwetzigen Palace: We couldn't actually go inside the palace, because English tours don't operate in the winter. (And neither I nor Reid was going to get anything out of the German one, believe me.) But even in the cold and gray, the huge garden of Schwetzigen Palace was nothing to sniff at. Besides several huge trellises, a lovely stone rotunda, and plenty of avian life (in an hour we saw ducks, swans, a heron, and a whole family of peacocks), the grounds also boast a beautiful faux mosque in the "Turkish Garden."

If this is what Turkey looks like, count me in.

You could even go inside the structure, which was beautifully and intricately painted. I have certainly added a faux mosque to the list of things I will have installed at my house when I am super rich.

After all, the Germans got away with it.

Heidelberg Castle: The whole town of Heidelberg is pretty nice, and the castle was just awesome. We took a 1-hour English tour through the interior, with a very funny guide from Berlin. She knew a lot about the people who had lived there, and made a lot of jokes at their expense. One former resident had apparently sired around 200 illegitimate children, so that most current residents of Heidelberg still claim to be his descendants. I guess that's not something to brag about! Also, Heidelberg Castle is home to the biggest barrel of wine in the world. It was too big to fit in one picture, so you'll have to take my word for it -- the sucker is HUGE.

I preferred the outside of the castle, though. It's half in ruins after a couple of wars (not the ones you think), but that just makes it more epic. Half-crumbling towers, exposed fortifications, that sort of thing. Plus, as the castle is built upon a little mountain, it occupies a commanding view of the city. The day Scarlett and I went, it had snowed, so all of the rooftops and church steeples were glittering white. It was super picturesque! (And for lunch that day we had soup and pretzels. Delicious German pretzels!)

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Other than sightseeing, we went to a couple of potlucks and such. The funniest one was for Reid and Scarlett's church, and entailed a white elephant gift exchange. One poor soldier was there alone, and didn't really know anybody because he was new on post. He got to pick first, and received...a delectable and very manly strawberry-scented candle! Luckily, someone took pity later and stole the candle, so he got to choose again. And the second time, he managed...sensual amber body spray! Yesss! Finally, Scarlett took that off him, and he ended up with a big bag of M&Ms. That's more like it. (I managed to get away with a pocket European language guide, with basic phrases in a whopping 14 languages. Methinks this will come in handy!)

And of course, in the middle of my stay was a super exciting holiday, celebrated the world round. No, not Christmas. Reid's birthday! In honor, we had a little surprise party at the house. I think Reid was relieved...all weekend, whenever we went anywhere, he'd be all like, "Oh. I thought maybe we were going to a surprise party." And then make a disappointed puppy face. But there WAS a party, and several of their army friends came over, along with two little boys named Rider and Aiden who were very well behaved. In fact, Rider may be the politest tiny child I've met. I think he was only about three!

We watched Toy Story with the kids while we ate, and then when they went home for bedtime, the adults played lots of silly board games and tried tiny bottles of liqueur that Reid had gotten on a sweet booze bandoleer.

Later that week, Scarlett had a baby appointment with her doctor in Mannheim, and I got to go along! Her doctor was German, bald, and stocky. He reminded me of my old chemistry teacher. He did an ultrasound, and the baby was totally visible! At the time, he was seven inches long already, even though Scarlett barely even looked pregnant! It was really cool getting to see him on screen. I'm probably the only family member who's going to get the opportunity. Oh, Thomas James! Your auntie here is looking forward to meeting you!!

Also during my stay, Scarlett lent me a copy of "The Devil in the White City," which was a very interesting read. Sometimes I thought the author took some liberties with subjective narration, but all in all it was extremely thorough. He must have done some outrageous amount of research.

And, of course, before I left we had a little mini-Christmas on the 18th. I got a pretty Polish pottery candy bowl, some seriously strong cherry cordials, and one of the beautiful star lanterns! I was a very happy Anna, indeed. Now I just need some wall hooks to put the lanterns up...!

We managed to get back to Frankfurt in plenty of time on the 19th, but of course, my flight was delayed again, and I missed my connection in London. I had to pay fifty pounds to get moved onto a later flight that evening, which was subsequently canceled, leaving me stranded at Stansted overnight. Joy! So in the end, after my two separate delays, I probably spent a solid 24 hours in that airport. That is TOO MUCH STANSTED. XD

But all things considered, it was a great and relaxing trip! Thumbs up to Germany!!

just to drive the point home once more

-- featuring a design update, in honor of the snow! --

I've found this stuff interesting. Here's a few little bits and bobs from around the internet, about the effect of this winter weather on Glasgow and its surrounds.

(re: public transport)
"Around 40 passengers spent the night in Buchanan Bus Station on Monday evening as the suspension to many bus services left them stranded. SPT staff stayed on hand to serve food and hot drinks to those stuck. Police were also called to deliver baby food and milk to one young child who was among the group."

(re: entertainment)
"The King's had 1100 people cancel today, over 2 performances -- does not bode well for theatre-goers tomorrow either..."

(re: road conditions)
"We are advising motorists again not to travel unless the journey is absolutely essential. We are extremely keen to prevent the experiences over the last 24 hours where we have had many people stranded in their vehicles for lengthy periods."

(re: Glasgow Uni)
"IF YOU ARE STUCK ON CAMPUS THIS EVENING, please report to the Library main help desk at 5.30 or shortly after. We will be making emergency accommodation arrangements from there. If you are a member of staff, please do NOT stay in your office overnight."

OMGwhat? Are my professors going to freeze to death?!

i spoke too soon

So, remember how I got to talking about the weather yesterday? All the nice snow we've been having? To quote myself directly, I said, "it’s finally starting to look a little clearer."

Hah. Hahahahaha.

It has been snowing like a million all morning. How much is that, you say? Enough that Glasgow Airport, ScotRail trains, and every bus service in the city have all shut down.The letting agents called this morning to cancel the viewing Ryan and I had, because their employees couldn't get in to work. My professor emailed everybody to cancel our last class this evening. And according to her, the university in general is canceling things "left, right, and center."

I am beginning to have concerns about that flight on Wednesday. XD

let's just call this my end of term essay

So, Glasgow Uni uses an online network for academic assignments, announcements, et cetera. It’s the same one Wittenberg used, actually – moodle. Now, if you were to find my student profile on moodle, there’d be a little tagline under my name. This is customizable by the student. Mine says: “24. American. Female. Homeless. Unemployed. Sleepy.” Because it’s all true.

I’ve been applying for jobs online, for everything from waitress to distillery tour guide to author of educational materials. I even managed to swing an interview for street fundraiser. Unfortunately, those businesses that even bothered to answer me – which only number two or three – are somehow not interested in hiring a perky young American. Shocking, I know.

Ryan, at least, has gotten some shifts helping out at the Tron Theatre, where he worked pre-JET. I’m not sure whether it’s just a temporary December post or what, but it’s certainly better than nothing! Plus, he’s gotten to reconnect with a lot of old buddies there. We had some drinks with the Tron crew, and frankly, I think they’re great. Super friendly bunch!

For my part, I have managed to wrangle out some student loans, but I’d reeeally like a part-time job to round out my finances. Especially when it comes to dealing with the previous adjective on my painfully honest moodle profile – namely, homeless.

Ryan and I viewed a couple of flats at the end of October, but those didn’t really go anywhere. One was in a nice neighborhood, but ultimately unpleasant. The other was awesome, but in a questionable neighborhood. We might have moved on it anyway, once we had the money to, but it got snapped up in the meantime.

We do, however, have another flat viewing tomorrow, and I am crossing my fingers! Nice location definitely, and looks decent from the photos. What’s really got me anxious now is whether the letting agents accept student loans as a source of income?! I can pay the rent, I promise…!

In the meantime, I’ve been punching, kicking, and karate chopping my way through the term, one class at a time. Now there’s only one left standing between me and winter break, for two hours tomorrow evening. I’m going to miss this particular class, actually. It’s taught by my favorite professor, and we’ve read some really interesting novels. Let me just round out the aforementioned reading list with my impressions of the last few books:

“In the Driver’s Seat” by Muriel Spark – Bizarre, but somehow captivating. She packs a lot of tension into a seemingly innocuous plot, by hinting at what’s going to happen at the end…and it is a very gripping conclusion, let me tell you. Quick read, and interesting.

“Fugitive Pieces” by Anne Michaels – Beautifully written book, about WWII in Greece, and the personal aftermath. Very lyrical. Sometimes it was slightly overwritten, or packed too much with science babble, but overall I found it a satisfying read.

"The Intuitionist" by Colson Whitehead – Really cool novel. It's set in a universe just slightly alternate to our own, and cleverly challenges the readers' assumptions. Whitehead's writing is fantastic, and the metaphors all operate on a number of levels; racism, politics, capitalism, religion...

“Out Stealing Horses” by Per Petterson – Also beautifully written, and I suppose, beautifully translated from the original Norwegian. Hard to say what it’s about, exactly…growing older, perhaps, and the recurrence of the past. The pacing is slow, but intentionally so, and it works perfectly in the context of the story. Simultaneously very moving and very relaxing. This may be one to reread.

Next term I've got Kei Miller's craft class, which has an intriguing reading list, and has received (mostly) good reviews from this term's students. I'm looking forward to it! As for other classes, next year our workshop groups remain the same, but we’ll be getting new moderators. Word on the street is that our group is getting Zoe, who I can’t remember meeting, but everyone says is a very nice lady. Unfortunately, two members of our workshop have gone part-time, and are thus leaving the group; Amy and (standard) Paul, who are both lovely individuals. Their comments and presence shall be missed!

It’s hard to believe that it’s really December, and nearly a week in, at that! I’ve done a fair amount of Christmas shopping, and thanks to my good friend the internet, have at least managed to get my immediate family out of the way. The younger members of the sprawling Bewick clan are also doing a Secret Santa. It’s amongst me, Ryan, Kieran, Fiona, Emma, and Caitlin, plus the late addition of cousin CJ and his wife Amanda. They live in Australia, but that’s what the post is for!

The first time we tried to draw for the Secret Santa, Kieran tried something sneaky (as usual). He replaced every name in the draw with his own, so that he’d get every present! Luckily, Emma and Fiona compared notes – even though that’s strictly against the rules! – and discovered his plan. Hence, the redraw.

I’m not sure I mentioned it before, but Kieran and Fiona have recently gotten a cocker spaniel puppy named Barney. He’s mostly gray and black, with dark ears and a dark face that makes him look like Darth Vader. (Darth Barney?!) Barney started out very squeaky and shy, but as the weeks progress, he is getting just plain crazy. If it moves, he’ll bite it. If it doesn’t move, he’ll bite it. If it’ll fit all the way in his mouth, he will do his best to actually eat it.

Delicious hand?

They’re trying to train him, but all he’s picked up so far is “sit.” He doesn’t understand that gnawing someone’s arm is ouchy. And we aren’t even sure if he knows his name, yet – we have a terrible tendency to call him by nicknames, and he’s probably got an identity disorder. (Barnstable, Barndog, Barney Rubble, Barnacle, “little horror”…)

Scotland has been covered in snow for the past week and a half, and Barney has taken to it immediately. He’s especially taken to running out into the backyard and burrowing into the snow, unearthing and then devouring the stale rum cake Ana had put out for the birds. At least no one can doubt his keen sense of smell.

The snow started last Friday, taking us all by surprise. I was caught outside in downtown Glasgow, with Ryan, Chris, and Andrew, who work at the Tron. (Chris I already knew – he was one of Ryan’s two friends who came to visit in Japan.) We were walking over to a little bar and dance club called Firewater, to celebrate Jai Jai’s thirtieth birthday. (Jai Jai was the other guy who came to Japan. Quick cultural note – he’s actually called JJ, after his initials, but it’s apparently a Glaswegian quirk that the letter is pronounced “jai.” Every other letter is normal. Don’t ask me!)

The snow was quite wet, and by the time we actually got to Firewater, we were pretty soaked. We stayed for a couple hours, though, and had a really nice time. When we left to go home, there was a significant pileup of snow outside, and it’s essentially been there ever since, because every time some begins to melt, a whole load of fresh snow comes down to top it off.

Kieran built a snowdude.

Today, it’s finally starting to look a little clearer, though. I usually love the snow, but in this case, I’m rooting for the sun, because I need good weather conditions on Wednesday…when I take off for GERMANY!!

That’s right! I’m going to spend a week and a half in good old Deutschland. I’ll be staying with my brother Reid and his wife Scarlett in Mannheim. (Like the Steamroller! ...But not really.) It’ll be my first glimpse of Europe beyond Glasgow. Seriously…I haven’t even made it to Edinburgh yet! Scandalous! Plus, I’ll be in Germany over Reid’s birthday, which is nice. It’ll be the first one in person for what, three years? Wait. Longer? Have I even seen him on his birthday since he graduated college?!

SHOCK. :O