Posts Tagged ‘Scotland’
5
From our Foreign correspondent: Remember, remember…
by ForeverPlaid 
News, View from Abroad
Guy Fawkes, thanks to http://tiannangel.wordpress.com/
Last year our Foreign correspondant filed this story from Scotland on a holiday celebrated on this day:
Sinister holidays abound this week here in Scotland! First there was the celebration of Samhuinn on Saturday night. Now the Scots (with the rest of the UK!) are gearing up for festivities for Bonfire Night… …read more.
Thanks to the Guardian, we see some Silvio Berlusconi statuettes with some blood for flare in light of recent events...
This is one of a series of dispatches from our Foreign correspondent currently based in Scotland:
Ahhh… December 17. Almost time for me to resign my post as USDemocrazy Foreign Correspondent in Scotland and return to the ol’ homestead.
Can’t wait to get back to the place I know well, complete with crazy politics, late nights, and unique smells. And that’s just in the USDemocrazy headquarters.
But before coming home, I decided to pop over to Italy to check on things there.
(Editor’s note: The timing with the Recent attack on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (Ouch)is purely coincidental)
What was the biggest culture shock going from the UK to Italy? The politics? The people? The food? The language?
Nope — the traffic. …read more.
The world's strongest beer, Tactical Nuclear Penguin
This is one in a series of dispatches from our Foreign Correspondent currently on location in Scotland:
On exchange in Scotland, one of the biggest differences I’ve noticed between the UK and America is the drinking culture. (and we’re not talking about tea here…)
In the United Kingdom, the legal age of drinking alcohol is 18, three whole years before young people in the States.
Surprising to most Yanks, school social outings in the UK (and even academic ones) largely revolve around the local pub. Student societies are likely to organize their own pub crawls and professors are known to take students out for a drink and conversation. Because virtually anyone at the university is of legal drinking age, this is no problem. …read more.
26
From our Foreign Correspondent: No room for turkey in Scotland
by ForeverPlaid View from Abroad
The Scottish flag
This is one in a series of reports from our Foreign Correspondent currently stationed in Scotland:
While you Americans are stuffing yourselves with turkey today, being thankful and what-not, I will be sitting in class. But, not the bitter type, I’ve decided to turn my attention to celebrations of St. Andrew’s day here in Scotland!
St. Andrew’s day falls on the 30th of November each year to honor the patron saint of Scotland (Saint Andrew). …read more.
This is part of a regular series of posts by our foreign correspondent currently stationed in Scotland:
We Americans have a fairly romanticized idea of royalty, thank mostly to Disney movies (like my personal favorite, “The Princess Diaries”). In fact I came here with a vague hope of bumping into Prince Harry… But I digress.
To the Brits, the royal family is anything but romantic. …read more.
A seller of "The Big Issue" - a primary participant in ISNP
This is part of our regular series of dispatches from our foreign correspondent currently on location in Scotland:
Walking down the street in Edinburgh, I run into a lot of people (sometimes figuratively, mostly literally) who want my attention.
Actually, they want any body’s attention. They are trying to promote events, sell mobile phone service, ask for money for charity, or sell newspapers. …read more.
- Thanks to the Beltane Fire Society
In the States, Halloween is huge. No one can deny that.
Here in Europe… well, it’s getting more popular. I’ve recently learned that many of the traditions Americans partake in on October 31 may have started over here in Scotland… Who knew? …read more.
22
From our Foreign Correspondent: Where the Movies Aren’t.
by ForeverPlaid View from Abroad
From the USDemocrazy foreign affairs reporter in Scotland:
People always like to talk about the strong influence of American popular culture abroad, and I can see it here in Scotland. (For instance, USDemocrazy is taking the UK by storm! One of those really small, barely noticeable storms…)
Given my unabashed admiration for the wonders of American culture, particularly the awesomeness of Hollywood, I’ve been slightly let down by the irregularity of movie releases in the UK. Let me explain:
It’s bad enough having to hear from my US friends who watch my favorite TV shows just as the universe had intended… live on television! But to wait weeks after a film is released in the US for it to finally show up in UK cinemas is just torture! …read more.
15
From our Foreign Correspondent: What language do they speak in Scotland?
by ForeverPlaid View from Abroad
This is the third in our regular series of dispatches from the USDemocrazy overseas correspondent:
Recently, I’ve been getting really homesick for the good ol’ USDemocrazy staff meetings… Dozing off, not making sense of anything anyone said… Luckily, I get a pretty healthy does of not understanding people right here in Scotland!
Before I left for my overseas adventure, I was asked if Scottish people speak English. I scoffed, “Of course they do!” Little did I know, there’s quite a difference between American English, English English, and Scottish English… …read more.
I'll explain later. (Thanks Wikicommons!)
Back in the U.S., it’s not so hard to keep up with current events. (Just check USDemocrazy every day, right?) But here in Scotland, apparently I have to understand the news back home and in the United Kingdom? Honestly, I thought I was getting a little vacation…
Misunderstandings aside, here’s some stories that are popping up in Scotland and elsewhere: …read more.
The modern and controversial building that houses the Scottish parliament, referred to as "Holyrood."
This week marks the first of our dispatches from our foreign correspondant on assignment in Europe.
Yes…that’s right…we have a foreign correspondent….well, okay… she is a college student on an exchange semester in Scotland.
But she is overseas.
