Dinner Hosting

I had a great weekend filled primarily with cooking...I hosted a birthday dinner for one of my Marshall mate's boyfriends. Almond crusted chicken, lime peanut snap peas, cinnamon rice, and sweet potato curry soup. Along with blueberry muffins and tea, naturally.
Then Sunday I hosted a mate doing his master's in Middle Eastern studies here...leftovers with the addition of sweet pepper goat cheese bruschetta and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

And now I have delicious food in my fridge for the next few days!

Running

Since the concussion, my running has been depressingly sporadic.
Edinburgh move resolution: Start running properly again!
We are off to a slow but promising start. The temperature has been really perfect in early morning here lately, and it's nice to see the city nice and quiet.

I am here for a year. To make myself actually do something with this running, and create some kind of accountable...

I want to be able to run from my flat to the top of Arthur's Seat by the end of next summer.
It should be very doable. It's about 3 miles.
But it's 3 miles up. Like, very up. So it will be a fun cardio.

I could, honestly, probably run it right now...because once one has trained cross country, one can kind of keep plodding along forever, regardless of how slowly, in bad form, etc. So I could get up. But it would not be pretty. And it wouldn't be a "run" so much as a "gradual jogging-like motions".

So. Arthur's Seat. Properly.

Let's do this.

Success!

I have lived in Edinburgh for a whopping 16 days. Thus far, I have successfully managed to:
1. Host 4 guests and get another 5 scheduled;
2. Take out the rubbish - and the recycling!;
3. Run my clothes washer and dishwasher;
4. Open the communal drying room;
5. Run the dehumidifier;
6. Find my local Tesco;
7. Drink 3 pots of tea in one day;
8. Order and receive things from Amazon at my new address;
9. Set up internet.

Some of these sound deceptively easy. But hominess is happening!
:)

10 Geeky Quotations that Summarise Becca’s Worldview:

“I am and always will be: The optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams.” --The Doctor

“To love another person is to see the face of God.” --Jean Valjean

“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places. But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.” --Haldir

“...it is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.” --Bilbo Baggins

“The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.” --Yentl

“Half of writing history is hiding the truth.” --Malcolm Reynolds

“Learn why the world wags and what wags it.” --Merlyn

“It is a curious thing…but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.” --Albus Dumbledore

“If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that you were not.” --Aslan

“You are forgiven. Always and completely forgiven.” --The Doctor

Classes!

So...I'm in Law School. You can watch Monday's panic and Tuesday's joy.

There was a bit of concern over my course allocation...I wasn't enrolled in International Environmental Law for a while as the postgrad office ensured everyone for whom it was a core course (there's an LLM specifically on Global Environmental Law) got in. Since I chose Edinburgh in large part for that class, it would have been a wee bit distressing had I not gotten in.
But right has triumphed! Good has prevailed! etc.
Which is to say...I'm in the class. :)

I am celebrating official enrollment in all my desired classes by skipping them tomorrow. The new Marshall Scholars are arriving in London...I'm off to welcome them at the Foreign Commonwealth Office. I'm then headed very briefly to Norwich to welcome the incoming DEV School postgraduates at their Induction Week. I'll speak briefly on how they can/should make the most of their year.

Au revoir, Audrey!

I dropped my UEA flatmate off at the Edinburgh airport this morning. She came up and stated with me for a week to give herself a post-dissertation British time...but it was back to real life for her, sadly. I've got a coursemate and her partner staying with me while they tour about before heading back to Canada, so my flat isn't empty quite yet. I think it may well start being haunted by the ghost of Audrey when they go too...

But in the meantime, I start classes on Monday!!!!!

Hogwarts?!?

For those of you who missed it via Facebook...
Audrey and I spent a delightful day touring Rosslyn Chapel and Castle, Melrose Abbey, and Alnwick Castle. Most notably, Alnwick is the site of a bunch of "Harry Potter" filming. So, you know. There we were at Hogwarts.

It was rather delightful, I must say.

We definitely came home and watched "Sorcerer's Stone". Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" was also filmed partially at Alnwick, so that's likely going on tonight...

Becca's Bed & Breakfast

I'm all moved in! There's food in the fridge!
Do come and see me...plenty of space that is begging for guests.

My new address is:
67 B2 Dundas Street
Edinburgh EH3 6RS

Hello, Edinburgh

Just a quick note that I have arrived at my new flat in Edinburgh and begun the unpacking process. Lots of work still to do, but all is well and Marshall Year 2 is off to a grand start! I'll post photos of my new place with an ad for Becca's B&B shortly. ;)

"Ramblings" is back again!

I took a longer break than I meant to from the intellectual vlog...the cold lasted forever (i.e., is still kind of happening), and dissertation and move took quite a bit of focus. But I'm back and intending to start vlogging daily again! Today, a personal catch-up and a horrifically brief overview of power, which will be expanded upon in the coming sessions on hegemony.

Good-bye, Mary Chapman!

I don't leave Norwich until Saturday, but last night was our last in uni accommodation. I am packed (after a fashion), with way too much stuff all over.  Audrey and I are staying with the family I nanny for and enjoying one last week, and then off we head!

This morning was also my last Sunday at the Octagon. A great deal of sniffling may have occurred...