Final Days in Scotland
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Well, that's it for my Scotland Blog. Did anyone actually read all this stuff?
I'm living in Edinburgh for three months, working as an intern with the Scottish National Party. I love this place!
I was quickly nearing the end of my trip and had yet to visit Edinburgh Castle. Liz also needed to go, and Tiff liked it so much she wanted to go again, so off we went to see the most visited site in Scotland (according to the statistics). The entrance fee may be slightly high, but the castle is full of museums, which actually outnumber the tourist shops. It truly is a great landmark. Without the castle on a hill in the middle of the city, I would have gotten lost countless times. If you ever visit Edinburgh, just get a map and look for the castle.
I spent a day at the University of Oxford - here I am at Christ's Church College. My first missinoary companion in South Korea and good friend, Christoph Luschin, recently graduated from BYU in the spring, and is currently studying history in the masters program at Oxford. I went to visit for the day and loved the feel of one of the oldest 'College Towns' on the globe.
Christoph and I attended 'Formal Hall' in the evening. Americans who have seen the Harry Potter films will know this - every night a dinner is served at the individual colleges, with students seated at long tables and professors dining at the front of the hall. We enjoyed a good meal and some good conversation with some of the other students. I tried on Christoph's robes and bow tie that Oxford students wear for the matriculation ceremonies. Below is a picture of a local pub where certain famous literary figures would 'hand out' and discuss their novels. Parts of Oxford still feel medieval, and it was a memorable experience to visit one of the most enduring educational institutions in the world.
This is the SNP Deputy Leader Nichola Sturgeon; she is second in command, next to Party Leader Alex Salmond. She is an MSP for Glasgow and acts as the party's spokeswoman at Holyrood. So, during First Minister's Questions, she drills Jack McConnell and usually does a brilliant job. This picture was taken in Glasgow - us four interns went to a photo shoot! Politicians here are trying to adapt to new technology, with podcasts generating a lot of interest. Most politicians are still a little uncertain how to use such things as podcasts and online video sites to their advantage. I do not think any of the pictures the photographer took made it into the papers here, but it was fun to be the 'young, hip' people. The trip to Glasgow was well worth it; we spent the afternoon there, did some shopping, and then stopped at Linlithglow Palace on the way back.
The above picture shows the First Minister, Jack McConnell, and the Queen. Mr McConnell is the subject of a lot of scrutiny from the SNP, which hopes to replace him after the next election with their own party leader. In the UK, the press is required by law to give equal coverage to all political parties - I figured, to be fair, I ought to include a bit about Labour.