the hielands

The weekend had us in the scottish highlands, skipping through the hills at Big Ben's toe's. (Ben Nevis is the highest peak in the UK, Steve and I enjoyed two days of rest, rain, and adventure just around the corner from it in Fort William.) Opening my eyes to the creative landscape surrounding us, I was astounded, shocked, made to smile.
We have had a handful of pleasant days together, several sub-surface conversations, and many memorable moments (he took me clubbin', I took him hiking; he bought me nice pub meals, I bought him day old bagettes and discounted cheese; he taught me some of the intricacies of the game of golf, I shared some of my favorite poems). Steve left for Berlin this morning to meet some friends - he'll be back for the night Friday then U.S.-ward on Saturday. (Steve has a digital camera, we've been using it, pictures coming asap..)
Meanwhile, I'm leaning back into a bit of the routine I've established in Edinburgh and enjoying its familiarity. I find this such a lovely city to look at.

Finished reading Robert Louis Stevenson's "Kidnapped" while sitting in my bunk in the Highlands - having walked that day amongst the glens and lochs and forrested lands that make up the setting of the narrative made the read a special one.
Strolling now slowly, carefully through Frederick Buechner's "The Magnificent Defeat" -- and with his words I depart the realm of the web for the present..

"My question is this: Are there in us, in you and me now, that recklessness of the loving heart, that wild courage, that crazy gladness in the face of darkness and death, that shuddering faithfulness even unto the end of the world, through which the new things can come to pass? Are there in us such qualities as these, which are in fact themselves the first glimmerings of the new things that even now are beginning to come to pass?"

seventeenth to twentyfirst

Thursday November 17th 6.52pm through Monday November 21st 9.27am held an adventure of unbloggable proportions!
It involved this:
--four countries by train and bus, one sea by ferry
--several encounters with the coast, both shared and solo
--love music and love lyrics crafted into love songs held together by the glue of Rosie Thomas' voice - so soothing
--laughter, conversation, a November swim in the Irish sea, and Christmas celebration in Dublin
--quirky, crappy hostels and all sorts of loop holes in my travel plans, through which I fell tumbling head long into greater Travel Plans
--finding beauty in the sky and on the sidewalk walking toward me and almost everywhere I opened my eyes to it

Back in Edinburgh.
Meeting Steve Toroni at the airport tomorrow a.m.
So blessed.

tilt-a-whirls & ferris wheels

Edinburgh has that gorggy-I-went-to-bed-late-and-now-I-have-to-get-up-early sort of feel to it. After keeping up with the heavy influx of tourists, congested side walks, busy shops, and fully booked B&B's during the warmer months (which were the months before I arrived) it has had these few weeks of semi-slumber, and is now stretching, yawning, preparing for a new day - preparing for the festivities of the holiday season and more specifically for Hogmany, the week leading up to the new year, apparently quite a celebration here - one of the world's top street parties complete with half a million bodies and fire works back dropped against the castle.
I attempted a picnic on my favorite bench the other day by the Scott monument but my way was blocked and the benches moved because they were setting up tilt-a-whirls and ferris wheels.
There were guys climbing trees by the castle with ropes and harnesses and I was like, "Sweet! I didn't know you were allowed to rappel from the castle trees!" And I recollected, with great happiness and nostalgia, adventures of just that sort with my good mate in Houghton a couple years back. Then, just before I swung my leg up to the first branch, I realized they were setting up Christmas lights for the queen and that's probably why that barrier was there that I had ignored and walked around and I'm sure I'd get along just fine with the queen, but maybe I shouldn't climb her trees without asking first, so I continued on my way.

Still working hard boxing and unboxing, shelving and tagging and not wearing Scotland-made women's clothing. Also working as often as I may, and enjoying more and more each time, at the hostel reception desk. If you want a picture of what that's like take the picture that ocmes in your head when you think of the reception desk at a regular hotel and throw it far far away, then add any flavour of upbeat, quick tempo-ed, smooth lyric-ed music, add the fluster and bustle of a college dormitory, juggle five or six different accents and a good dose of poorly spoken english, a youth camp snack bar, plus a tour booking service, plus an information centre, plus costume party, plus internet cafe, plus a steady vibe of creativity, personality, and enthusiasm -- now you've got an idea. Super fun.

Leaving Edinburgh for the first time since I arrived (I've been nowhere my own two feet haven't walked me to in the past three and half weeks) this very eve. Back on Sunday. In between - a happy boy enjoying a few moments' company with a pretty girl.

In regards to peanut butter - I'm learning to be content in all circumstances. And I bought some generic Nutella to help with that.

the week has been like this...

..on sunday i worshipped with some lovely people (in lovely uniforms) at the salvation army gathering in the a.m. afterwards Arthur's Seat and the windy sunshine beckoned me for a walk and a climb to the summit of the city. i stood looking to the distant hills with the sound of "Gathering the Clans" from THE soundtrack serenading my heart. an imaginary date at starbucks where i ordered a chai latte soy milk extra chai extra hot, or something like that - they were out of soy milk and my date was on the other side of the irish sea but it was lovely, soul-soothing. an organ recital at St. Giles in the evening and a quick conversation on the phone with father who had recently returned from the wilds of the Paria Canyon. good sabbath.
..throughout the week i have worked here and there, on and off at the hostel - booking rooms, booking tours, greeting guests, selling juice, selling internet time, cleaning toilets - that sort of thing. i've worked here and there, on and off (more on than off) at Ness, this small scottish clothing company on the Royal Mile - taking stock, tagging caps and skirts and pink rubber boots, hanging strings of icicle lights, fixing stuff, transporting goods, carrying huge boxes to the post office to be shipped away - that sort of thing. (check out our site: nessbypost.com - it's all girl's stuff except like two sweaters that are for men, and it's ridiculously high priced - quite a fit for me don't you think?) i've gone for some walks, watched fireworks burst from the scottish hill sides, had some picnics, read from "The Wallace" by nigel tranter while sipping tea and nibbling digestives, i got to talk with two of my favorite people in nova scotia, and just last night i got a basket supper (cheese burger and chips) from The Blind Poet and watched the Celtics beat the Rangers 2-0 on the big screen.
..i've met martin from south africa, he's a musician and a chef and extremely intelligent. i've met jolie, our jamaican rastafarian brother who is also a musician and i've caught him singing a few times at the bottom of the stairwell at the hostel where his voice, which isn't particularly good, echoes all throughout, and he swings and sways like he's worshipping, and we talked about living life for more than money and aiming to please the Lord. i've met mj, from michigan, she's jewish by heritage (her dad's a rabbi) but kind of new agey by faith; and flick, a fellow canadian who has been living and working at one of scotland's other hostels out west, we talked about home schooling and catholic liturgy. i've met roger from new zealand, but he's been in edinburgh on and off for 8 years - he has long hair and lip rings, looks a bit like Jesus might have, except paler.
..and i walked through the drizzley edinburghian night listening to jewel sing christmas songs, singing along, with lite heart.

and that's what the week has been like.

sticky

a lot of the people that are my age-ish will live here a while, leave, then come back. they get stuck. apperently edinburgh is very sticky.
i don't feel stuck yet. though i suppose i could see how it would happen if totally all of your friends were here. it's an intriguing city with plenty of cool places to hang out and one awesome cheese monger shop to visit daily (if you are bowel-worthy). i was wondering the other day if i would end up feeling the stickiness after being here a while, but then realized..
i like it plenty, but there's no way i could stay here indefinately. why? peanut butter. there's only like two kinds of peanut butter in the grocery stores and of those two kinds there's like maybe seven jars of each, tops, on the shelf. and it's none too cheap. i don't get it. until this afternoon i had gone two days without because sainsbury's which is behind jenners across from the walter scott monument that is next to the information/tourist center on princes street near waverly bridge hadn't restocked the shelves with the cheapest brand. absence makes the heart grow fonder - it's true. my long awaited bagette and peanut butter pic nic in the rain (fine scottish weather) was emmaculate.. that's too strong a description, it was delicious though, really really really delicious.

between damp pb sandwiches and free tea in the lounge at the hostel i've been looking for a job and finding the best places to walk to and sit at in the city. meanwhile i'm still working at the hostel to cover accomadation.
thanks for prayers.
i need them because they struggle in the orange juice department here too.
but the chocolate bars and biscuits demolish anything and everything in the US.