Breathe Slow

I just received the best news I have heard all week. A friend of mine from SUISS has just offered to let me stay with her when I go to Paris next month. Which means that I can go to Paris and actually afford it!! I am absolutely thrilled! Not only will this save me a bundle of money, I will also get to see my lovely friend Eugenia and get a true Parisian's guide to the city. Plus, Eugenia is a girl after my own heart and has an insatiable desire for anything sweet and chocolatey so I guarantee that my bags will be bulging with delectable French treats when I return to Edinburgh.

I have had an absolutely horrific week so this tidbit of good news is like manna for my spirit right now. I won't go into details (mainly because I don't want to give certain pesky busy-body trouble-makers any more brain time than is absolutely necessary)but the gist of it is that work has been a nightmare these past couple of weeks due to people inventing fairy stories because of the sheer boredom that comes from working in a brain-dead job. Unfortunately, I work in an environment where gossip spreads like wildfire and Chinese whispers are the daily special.

My mom's homing device must have been kicking in all the way from Perth because I was having the absolute worst day ever when she gave me a call yesterday. It's the strangest thing ever, she always knows exactly when I need to talk to her. Maybe she really does have me bugged....I just needed to rant. And rant and rant and rant. And then my dad got on the phone and I ranted some more. I felt a million times better and I was actually able to laugh about it afterwards. My dad is really good at helping me see the ridiculousness of a situation :-) I also got a very sweet email from my favourite ex-roomie Jen so I was completely topped up on my love meter. Thanks family and Jen! Mmmmmmwah!




Now I think it's time to do some Paris research. Any suggestions?

Au revoir!
xxx

Specimen hands

There are some hands whose past you don’t want to know
Hands that wound the clock above the fire
That exchanged rings under a crucified and Caucasian Christ
That reached into cabinets containing bottles of laudanum then fell by
Sides in a groggy narcotic daze
Hands that buried a secret in a paddock behind a church
That arranged stones just-so, then wiped their owner’s mouth.

Graeme miles

*..but you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle made for two...*

*ThInGs I lEaRnEd In ThE bUrGh*

I like my own company. I am very happy toddling around town on my lonesome and sitting in coffee shops for hours on end, writing and drinking some java. HOWEVER, I like having the OPTION to spend time with other people.

I really like my meat medium-rare! Why have I only just discovered this now??

I need to be surrounded by positive, creative people. This is not just a fancy or a preference. This is a bare essential for a happy, healthy Rach.

I kinda like living in tidy cleanness *Was that you gasping in shock all the way from Australia, Mom?* After staying with absolutely lovely but ridiculously messy friends, I love having my own place, my own space and for it to be not too crazy messy. Wow, never thought I would own up to that confession!

Scottish guys are no different from Australian guys. They just have nicer accents.

Kilts are cool! :-)

I do not like spending hard earned money on rent and bills!! No matter how cute my wee flat is or how cosy the central heating is. What a waste :-s

Snow does not taste half bad but it's not so great for falling on. It's not as soft as it looks!

The expression 'What's the craic' has nothing to do with drugs or bottoms.

Ah dinne ken, hen! <3

Off of the Terrace and into the Gardens...

This weekend, I moved out of my room in Glengyle Terrace into my friend Jackson's flat in Polwarth Gardens. My stay at the 'Hotel Glengyle' as my landlady liked to call it was not exactly pleasant so I was not too upset about leaving. I will miss my beautiful little room though with its views of the Meadows and comfy double bed.

Here are some pics of my old place...



My happy red front door



...up three sets of stairs to my second front door



Laundry :-) It made me laugh every time I had to hang up my clothes to dry. The washing lines were strapped up on the ceiling and whenever we needed them, we had to unhook these ropes on the wall like on a ship. I felt like a pirate :-)




I had a fireplace!



My measly wardrobe




Packing again :-p I should have a degree in packing!

A Bow-Tie???

Dear diary,

Today I had to wear a bow-tie....


Not one like this...





















....or this....























...but like this...




...so of course, I was like this...























...but hopefully on pay day, I'll be like this!
























...so it will all be worth it in the end

:-)

The Edinburgh List

It dawned on me recently that my time here in Edinburgh is not actually as boundless as I seem to think that it is. In fact, I have less than two measley months in this city that I have loved since the moment I set foot in it. I thought it might be prudent to write up a list of things I would like to do while I'm here so that I don't go home with regrets yet again. So here goes:

~Do the literary pub crawl
~Check out Why Not, Tigerlilies, Opal Lounge, Liquid Rooms and Medina (for old times sake)
~Eat at the Hard Rock cafe
~Go see Mary and Dougie
~Visit the church in Glasgow and East Kilbride
~Watch some Euro cinema at the Cameo
~Spend a day reading in the Meadows in the softest grass I have felt since South Africa
~Climb Arthur's Seat
~Go hiking in Glencoe
~Visit the castle
~Write at least one Scottish poem or short story
~See the snow in the highlands

Also very open to suggestions ;-)