The Bog Standard Blog

Singapore flora & fauna

2008-07-25T13:06:00.008+01:00

I love birds, so my first destination once the workshops ended was Jurong Bird Park. Mien Chew, the information specialist who works with Keng Ho, kindly agreed to show me around. The park is home to over 600 species of birds in a beautifully landscaped environment.

I was keen to see colourful tropical passerines and near-passerines such as bee-eaters. These birds make a beautiful spectacle as they swoop and feed in the rainforest. However, they were too quick for me to photograph well. These pelicans were more sedentary, although I wouldn't want to get between them and their food, either.

Surrounded by so many beautiful birds, I was in heaven. I think the hornbills were my favourites. This splendid fellow is a Great Hornbill, well over a metre in length. I know it is a pity for them to be caged, but I trust that protecting them in the park helps the preservation of the species, which is under threat because of loss of habitat.

Singapore has every urban convenience, yet it is also a beautiful environment where you can nurture your biophilia quite easily. I went hiking in a rainforest, saw pink dolphins, and visited the gorgeous Botanic Gardens, 130 acres of greenery and tranquillity close to the heart of the city.

While I was in Singapore, there were newspaper headlines declaring excitedly that this Illawarra Flame Tree was in bloom. This tree, which originates in Queensland, Australia, is considered one of the most beautiful flowering trees in the world. Because Singapore does not have the same cycle of seasons as Queensland, the tree gets confused and its flowering is unpredictable, so it is an exciting occasion when it suddenly bursts into flaming blossoms.

Where have I been (2): Singapore

2008-07-11T17:15:00.009+01:00

Last year I was very fortunate to be able to spend a week in Singapore. I had a wonderful experience in this country and, when you consider I was there for work and not a holiday, that tells you something about what an amazing place Singapore is and, even more than that, how fantastic the people are. I have never encountered such hospitality, generosity, and kindness.

Our host Keng Ho embodied these qualities. It is no coincidence that we are photographed here with food. In fact, I don't think you could have photographed us without food while awake at any point during the week (except for very brief intervals during the workshops I was there to deliver with my director & friend, Sara). Keng Ho is a gourmet and led us from one culinary delight to another. I do not expect in my life to have a better meal than we had at Hue at Amara Singapore. Actually, I feel quite nourished just remembering that meal. (If you follow the link, you can see the bento we had...mmmmmm...)

Since I seem to be food-obsessed at the moment, I'll also mention the hawker centres (above). These are shopping malls of food, row upon row of very small stalls, each specialising in something such as fruit smoothies, spicy fish, or more unusual fare such as dried chilli frogs and animal brains. I don't think I'm making that up. I did eat skate and it was delicious (sorry, Carol).

The idea is that you go from stall to stall and amass a buffet - at least, if you are eating with Keng Ho this is what you do. With each dish costing less than a pound, you can feast with your friends and still have lots of funds for shopping, which, along with eating, is the other great Singaporean pasttime. More on that and other activities in my next post.

Where have I been? Hong Kong

2008-07-09T20:48:00.007+01:00

Back from a black hole in the Blogoverse, yes, it's the Bog Standard Blog! We have over 18 months of travel and photos to catch up on, so let's get cracking. First in the queue and still one of the most exciting places I've visited, Hong Kong. I've heard people say that there is a sameness to all big cities, but Hong Kong is an exception. It may be as crowded as London, as hardworking as New York, as polluted as Toronto, but unlike those cities, I found Hong Kong energising and revivifying rather than exhausting. Visually and culturally it is endlessly stimulating.

Hong Kong is also great because it's easy to get from the heart of the city to the more peaceful outlying islands. Apparently there are 235, but I just visited two. Ferries from the terminal on Hong Kong Island go frequently to the various islands and cost something like 40p per journey. (Another great thing about Hong Kong: public transport is fast, clean, easy to navigate, and inexpensive.)

On Lantau Island I took a bus to Po Lin Monastery and climbed the 268 steps to the Tiantan Buddha (above). At 22 m, it is the tallest seated bronze statue of Buddha in the world. Pilgrims climb the steps slowly, placing each foot mindfully on each step while reciting sutras. I was less enlightened at the time and just stomped my way up. Back at the monastery, I enjoyed a vegetarian lunch, although feast would be a better word. I could not believe the trolleys of food or the number of dishes they brought for just one person!

The next day I used my Octopus card to take the ferry 10 km to Cheung Chau (above). It's only about a square mile in size and I walked over it in its entirety. The island is home to a traditional fishing and boat-building community; there are few motorised vehicles and certainly more footpaths than streets. Cheung Chau is my happy place. I loved it there. I also visited the island's temple to the sea goddess Tin Hau (below). I burned incense as an offering (I think) and learned through traditional fortune-telling sticks that I can still have 5 children if I want to!

Holy Forgotten Blog, Batman!

2007-07-21T15:39:00.000+01:00

Well, actually, not forgotten, but we've both been doing a lot of traveling lately. Michele is currently in Singapore for work and I've just returned from the Isle of Skye and then Warwick. There are pictures and tales of daring adventure on their way. Rest assured. And if you can't wait, poke me on Facebook or send me an email!

Post lag

2007-06-13T15:25:00.000+01:00

As both Michele and I have recently been Facebook'ed, there has been a bit of a lag on updates on this poor wee blog. However, the posts and the pictures will return. Rest assured. And in the meantime, look us up on Facebook. :)

"I find your lack of pants disturbing."

2007-04-25T18:50:00.000+01:00

While we wait to post more pictures and tales of derring-do, here is more foolishness I've stumbled onto on the Web. If you haven't watched a single Star Wars movie then... wait, can that actually be true of anyone?! At any rate, here's a sampling of a list of the Top 269 Star Wars Lines Improved By Replacing A Word With "Pants" By Anonymous:

So here are the Top 25 of 269 Star Wars Lines Improved By Replacing A Word With "Pants":

I find your lack of pants disturbing.
You are unwise to lower your pants.
Chewie and me got into a lot of pants more heavily guarded than this.
The Force is strong in my pants.
Your pants, you will not need them.
You came in those pants? You're braver than I thought.
I cannot teach him. The boy has no pants.
In his pants you will find a new definition of pain and suffering
Governer Tarkin. I should have expected to find you holding Vader's pants.
I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your pants.
I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of our pants forever
Pull up! All pants pull up!
A disturbance in the pants. I have not felt this since near my old master...
I sense the conflict within you. Let go of your pants!
These aren't the pants you're looking for.
Alderan is peaceful, we have no pants!
Looks like someone's beginning to take an interest in your pants.
That blast came from the pants! That thing's operational!
He has no time for smugglers who drop their pants first sign of Imperials
The pants will be down in moments, sir, you can begin your landing
Lock the door. And hope they don't have pants.
Your pants can deceive you, don't trust them
I want them alive. No pants.
I am altering the pants. Pray that I don't alter them any further
Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your pants.

Magic.

More web foolishness...

2007-04-12T13:09:00.000+01:00

(Click on the pictures for a non-scaled (i.e. clearer) version)

Ok, yes, this is really goofy, but I had to try it out! But Jason Priestley?! I suspect he only got in there because of the facial hair. I don't mind the others so much. But what do we all have in common... it's the nose, isn't it? Perhaps the jaw? Could it be that I have a movie star nose! Regardless, I think Michele fared much better, see below.

Now I just need to look up these people on IMDB or such! Anyway, silly but fun. Try it out if you like, it just might surprise you!

Helensburgh for Lunch

2007-04-08T11:41:00.000+01:00

(The harbour at Helensburgh)

Yesterday being a lovely day, Michele and I decided to leave sunny Glasgow for the equally sunny (we hoped) shores of Helensburgh. The town dates back to about 1600 and has been a popular seaside location ever since. It is probably most famous as the home of Henry Bell who built Europe's first commercial paddle-steamer, the PS Comet, to bring patrons from Glasgow to stay in his hotel.

(Gorgeous Victoria Hall)

Having walked about a bit, Michele and I decided to grab some lunch at a local restaurant before walking up away from the water toward Hermitage Park. On the way, we discovered the Victoria Hall, which is this amazing manor house--a little gem in the middle of Helensburgh. Luckily for the residents, it seems to be used as a public hall and was holding a children's ballet performance while we were there.

(Hermatige Park with the War Memorial in background)

Seeing some substantial green for the first time in a while was great. We've been doing the work-home-work-home thing for a little too long and not getting out enough, so it was brilliant to be able to walk in the park just as the sun made an appearance. It was gorgeous and we spent a good hour walking around the grounds and looking out for birds and blooming trees and flowers, of which there were many.

(A nice bit of green)

Unfortunately, it is scenes like above that we lack in our current abode, but that is the price of living in downtown Glasgow. Still, we are lucky that transport links are good and we can come out to places like Helensburgh in less than 45 mins.

(Michele demanded a shrubbery--and got one!)

We've made a promise to ourselves to get out more often. Doing so once a month doesn't seem like an impossibility. Getting about to some of the smaller sites near us might necessitate the rental of a car, but even that isn't a difficulty really. So hopefully you'll be seeing more pictures and posts like this in the future.

(Of course I have no idea what these are...)

And we leave you with a pretty picture of unknown flowers. I really must find a helpful soul who can give me names to all these local plants and trees. Until then, at least we can enjoy the pictures.

South Park and Facebook

2007-04-07T18:07:00.000+01:00

(Michele as Princess Leia a la South Park)

I recently discovered a very cool, if very silly, Flash tool to create South Park-like characters on the web. The people over at Planearium have created this fantastic South Park Studio which is definitely worth a look if you are a fan of the show or if you just want to have some inane fun online! I invite you to check it out!

(South Park Stuart--quite like this actually!)

The desire to create a South Park-like avatar was brought on by my friend Cameron Hoffman who has recently created a profile on Facebook which is a bit of social software used to create networks online. Cam invited me and had this brilliant little South Park avatar, which I thought was fantastic. So I followed suit. Interestingly, I also discovered Michele's sister Carol has a profile on Facebook. Who else is out there? Anyway, I am currently playing around with Facebook and seeing what it can do. I'll let you know what, if anything, becomes of this. In the meantime, if you wish, you can see my profile here.

Glasgow's Botanic Gardens

2007-04-02T11:57:00.000+01:00

(Eve in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens)

Yesterday Michele and I took the bus out to Glasgow's West End again, this time with the purpose of seeing the Botanic Gardens which have been a popular Sunday spot for 150 years.

(Ferns at the centre of Kibble Palace)

The Gardens are known internationally for their impressive glass houses and extensive tropical and temperate plant collections from around the world. The largest of these glass houses is the Kibble Palace Glasshouse--a massive “A” listed 19th-century, curvilinear iron structure (seen in the first three pictures here). The Kibble houses a large number of ferns and plants originally from Australia and New Zealand.

(Uhm... more ferns and a reflective light thingy)

I am no botanist and possess no green thumbs to speak of, but the plants themselves were certainly impressive, some bordering on the bizarre. I ended up taking a huge number of pictures and have only posted a small selection here. Unfortunately, I can't put a name to any of these really, but they caught my eye.

(A plant of some nature...?)

Now most of the following pictures are of plants housed in the Botanic Garden's main range of Victorian glasshouses originally built in teak in the early 1880s. Oh, if anyone knows the names of any of these plants/flowers, please let me know and I'll edit this post with the proper names.

(I have no idea, really, but it's pretty!)

Within the Botanic Gardens are Scotland's national collection of begonias and the national collection of tree ferns in the Kibble Palace. And, of course, there is the large tropical collection that provided quite a change from the cool winds outside.

(Nifty bizarro flowering plants)

This again is taking from inside the Victorian teak glasshouses. It was amazing how warm it was within considering that it was none-too-warm outside. Glasgow is currently playing tricks on us, giving us lovely clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine, but with cold chilly winds and temperatures reminiscent of November not April!

(An orchid of some kind)

In two weeks time the Botanic Gardens will be home to some kind of orchid festival and it is easy to see why. I've never seen so many orchids in my life. I certainly wasn't aware that there were so many varieties and I have no idea how they got them to bloom all at once. Perhaps we were just lucky, but it was extraordinary.

(A tulip of some kind?)

I wish that this picture did justice to the vibrant colours of this flower. It was almost glowing with the intensity of the colour. I'm not normally big on flowers, but with the amazing colour and variety within the Garden, it was easy to find something that appealed.

(A lovely hanging plant in bloom)

I like this picture for the mix of blue sky, green leaves and yellow blooms. Of course, I have no idea what the plant is. I should probably have spent more attention seeking out the little brown & white name-plates, but... I didn't. I was busy looking at the flowers.

(A couple of huge Aloe Vera and Cacti)

Now here are plants that I can actually manage and take care of. I think I've only ever successfully kept cacti alive with any kind of regularity. Anything else just kind of gives up the ghost after a while. But get yourself a cactus, treat it with respect and basically leave it alone. Now that I can do!

(Michele communes with Nature)

Just to give you a sense of the size of these glasshouses--and this is one of the small ones--here is Michele awash in colour. I'm not sure how well I'd like to be walking through these in the height of summer, but I can certainly see myself here in the dead of winter. Lovely, but very warm is the final verdict and certainly worth doing.

Michele is Chartered!

2007-03-26T10:15:00.000+01:00

(Daffodils springing up near Glasgow Cathedral)

Spring is springing here in Glasgow and we just got some very good news in the mail, namely that Michele has received her chartership through the Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals (CILIP). Much like the chartership an accountant or other professional would go through, it means that Michele has been working for about two year to gather and compile evidence to meet their strict requirements. But on Friday last word came in the post that all that hard work had paid off and Michele is now a chartered librarian.

Chartership is good for all sorts of reasons which I won't relate here, but I just wanted to take the chance to congratulate Michele on her success and all her hard work. 2007 is shaping up to be a very good year indeed!

Lovely Visit to Newcastle

2007-03-12T13:51:00.000Z

(Smaug, Raptor and Sredni Vashtar chilling in Newcastle)

Michele and I had the opportunity to visit our friends Stacy and Andrew in their new Newcastle home this past weekend. We'd not seen them for some time and a new addition to the family had appeared in the meantime in the form of Sredni Vashtar (see above right and below). They were absolutely brilliant hosts--as always--and were very kind to let us come down and stay the weekend.

(Her highness Sredni)

Sredni is a gorgeous Russian Blue whose name, Stacy told us, is taken from from the Saki story of the same name. Being just over a year old, Sredni was full of life and seem to particularly enjoy walking on us as we slept and purring away like mad! All the cats are lovely and Michele and I are always happy to fulfil the role of 'cat couches' when we come down. On Saturday night we were treated to a fantastic 80s video quiz party that was hilarious. We were joined by Stacy's brother Alan and friends Bob, Anne, Michael, Paul and Melanie (I hope I got the names right!). Michele and Paul were the successful team beating out myself, Andrew and Alan in the final. It was hilarious fun with all sorts of madness taking place.

(Stacy and Andrew in Jesmond Dene)

And here are our happy hosts hugging in Jesmond Dene where we walked on Sunday heading out to lunch at a Scalini's on Osbourne Road. Stacy and Andrew's new home backs onto Heaton Park which is filled with all kinds of nice walks. Andrew mentioned that it was fantastic for running as you can cut through much of the city centre via the park system.

(Waterfall near the Old Mill in Jesmond Dene)

It certainly is a nice spot and we enjoyed the walk down to the Dene itself, through Ouseburn and past the Old Mill and back up out into Jesmond--if I remember the route correctly! The picture taken above is right near the Old Mill just before we walked up into Jesmond. Big thanks to Stacy and Andrew for showing us a great time in Newcastle and Michele and I are hugely looking forward to returning the favour in July!

Frosty St. Andrews

2007-02-20T13:09:00.000Z

(Stormclouds piling in...)

Ok, if the previous posts haven't given you enough of a hint, Scotland might not be the grandest place for a sunny holiday between October and December. There, I have said it. But, having said that, it is still pretty dramatic and can be incredibly beautiful. You just have to like the wet and the cold, and you have to like it a lot!

(Michele at Anstruther)

Here is Michele doing her best not to become the next Mary Poppins and be swept off to warmer climes, and look, despite the wind and rain and biting cold... she's smiling! Behind the camera, I was less forgiving and I was certainly not smiling. A moment later, I had absconded off to the Maritime museum to glue myself to a hot water radiator, which I duly had to be torn bodily from to get back onto the bus.

(Lovely Anstruther Harbour)

Yes, a bus as this was only the beginning of our day trip to St. Andrews. We zipped up the east coast of Scotland through pelting rain and jumped out whenever we saw the sun. Which, unfortunately, was not very often at all. And did I mention it was cold. No? Well, it was. Very. Very, very. Mhmm.

(The Old Course at St. Andrews)

Those crazed golf fanatics among you will likely immediately recognise the above as the grand club house at St. Andrew's über-famous Old Course. The somewhat-disputed home/birth-place of golf and site of a massive golf museum--which I did not venture into as I was ensconced in a Starbucks drinking back hot chocolate while Michele's Mom tried to revive herself with hot tea. Michele and Bill, the ever-intrepid duo, braved the cold and wandered all over St. Andrews while we huddled in the Starbucks. Yes, I am a wimp and I don't mind who knows... so there!

(Bill on the Swilcan Bridge)

Perhaps the most famous photo op in all of golf, the Swilcan Bridge crosses Swilcan Burn on the 18th hole of the Old Course. And there is Michele's father, freezing his butt off on the famous wee bridge. Apparently a wee bridge of some sort has been crossing the Swilcan here for about 600 years. From there, I am reliably told, they walked near the shore back to St. Andrews' ruined cathedral.

(Cathedral ruins at St. Andrews)

Second only to golf, St. Andrews is known for... well, St. Andrew. His tooth, arm bone, kneecap and a few finger bones were carried from St Andrew's tomb in Constantinople and brought by St Rule to Scotland. Lo, an angel appeared to the monk St Rule and told him to remove the bones of St Andrew to "the very ends of the earth" for safe-keeping, one presumes. Shipwrecked, Rule came ashore on the east coast of Fife, decided it was indeed "the ends of the earth" and built a chapel there to house the relics. Thus, was St Andrews born. Really and truly.

(St. Andrews University)

Lastly, and leaving out the nice little Starbucks, St. Andrews is known for its ancient university. St Andrews is Scotland's first University and the third oldest in the UK, founded in 1413. The university's website would like you to think that is it best known for its "invigorating intellectual climate", but quite frankly in more recent years its popularity has been largely dependant on the attendance of one Prince William who was a student of Art there. I can't tell you much more about the university as, again, I was in the Starbucks. Being cruelly wrenched from the warmth of the aforementioned coffee-house, we sped with haste back to Edinburgh and finally Glasgow where we all attempted to get warm once and for all.

Eilann Donan and Home

2007-02-19T14:06:00.000Z

(Eilann Donan Castle)

On the way back from our visit to Skye, we had a chance to visit once more my favourite castle in all of Scotland. It is the incredibly picturesque Eilann Donan Castle, which yet again did not disappoint us. Regardless of the weather, Eilann Donan is a magical spot and more than worth a visit.

(Michele and Dad delving into the past...)

With an intriguing past and lots of things to see, the castle is a living monument and a nice little slice of Scottish history to boot. Bill and I spent a good long time wandering through its halls and passageways, looking at the displays, paintings and architecture, and enjoying the character and atmosphere of the castle.

(Mel Gibson's Braveheart stunt double)

Every time I've gone through the castle, the experience has been a little different and a little better. This time, Bill and I were able to try out the sword and targe of our guide and to visit new multimedia, immersive displays surrounding how the castle changed after its reconstruction. Eilann Donan isn't a big castle and perhaps, in some respects, is not a terribly important castle, but it is a beautiful castle and one which caters well to visitors and tourists.

(Mom & Dad outside Eilann Donan)

Just look at those smiling faces. The weather was not great and things may not have run as smoothly as Michele and I might have hoped, but nonetheless, I think we all enjoyed the trip and have some good memories from it. After Eilann Donan it was basically straight down from the Highlands, stopping briefly at Fort Augustus, through to Edinburgh and then our train from Edinburgh to Glasgow.

(Michele and I at Fort Augustus)

At Fort Augustus, where the Caledonian Canal or 'Neptune's Stair' empties into Loch Oich. we stopped for a nice lunch and a brief walkabout. I don't think Michele and I have stopped here in the past and I was quite impressed with the little town. We didn't have time to visit the Abbey unfortunately, which remains a major tourist point, but we did have time for a little photo-stop near the mouth of Neptune's Stair. Back on the bus, we drove for some three hours back to Edinburgh with one other more commercial stop and finally got back to Glasgow quite late in the evening. But it was all well worth it in the end!

Walking on Skye

2007-02-19T11:25:00.000Z

(The Old Man of Storr)

Having arrived on the Isle of Skye the previous evening we awoke to some very dramatic weather--which would follow us throughout the day--and after a nice breakfast at our B&B in Portree, we headed out of the city and up north to the Trotternish peninsula. One of our first stops was to see the famous Old Man of Storr, a large pinnacle of rock standing over the Trotternish. This is quite a distant picture, but for more info, check out this wiki link. We had just a small stop here as it was becoming increasingly windy, rainy and cold--just our luck!

(The Quirang)

Stopping here and there we made our way next to the mountainous Quirang on Skye. No trip to Skye is complete without a walk on the Quirang, which offers some truly amazing views over the island and back to the Scottish mainland on a clear day. Ours was not a clear day and while the Quirang might be a great place for a walk, it was like being in a hurricane by the time we reached the top. We still managed to get some nice pictures, though!

(Mom & Dad Hilton... windswept!)

Coming down from the Quirang, we headed out towards Dunvegan Castle, where we stopped for lunch and a taste of haggis, before heading out to our last big adventure of the day. I took the picture above at a brief rest stop where the wind wasn't quite as powerful as it had been up in the hilly Quirang. Mom & Dad were real troupers, taking the lashing winds and pelting rain in stride. Luckily for us, the views were still jaw-dropping despite the dreadful weather. Skye is a post-volcanic wonderland and we were treated to some truly amazing sights before the day was over!

(Water near Dunvegan Castle)

Although we didn't get a chance to go inside Dunvegan Castle, we did pooter in our van all about it and had some wonderful views of the coast. Dunvegan is at the heart of Northwest Skye and on a clear day offers panoramic views of the mighty Cuillin mountains. From Dunvegan we all democratically agreed to visit Neist Point, rather than the Talisker Distillery, and headed off to one of the most westerly points on Skye.

(A typical Crofter's cottage on Skye)

On the way we stopped briefly next to a typical Crofter's cottage. A lovely thing to look at with its bright stone walls and thick thatched roofing, I can't imagine what it would have been like to live in such a small confined space. Windows were kept to a minimum as well to keep in heat, making things all the more claustrophobic. It has become quite trendy to rent out such places for summer holidays, but I can't imagine too many people being willing to give up their central heating and plumbing in the colder months.

(Neist Point)

Neist Point was our final stop for the day and was a spectacular place. At Neist Point a lighthouse rises out of rocky promontory to offer perfect onshore viewpoints, "from which to spot whales, basking sharks, playful seals and the comical puffin if you’re lucky" the official Skye website tells us. I personally wouldn't know, because I stayed in the van! I didn't have proper rain gear with me and was freezing to boot. But heartier adventurers Bill and Michele did walk out to the lighthouse and took some amazing photographs, including the one above, before they came running back for the heat and shelter of our little tour bus. Following this we all zipped back to Portree and spent our last night on Skye before heading back to Glasgow.

Back in black!

2007-02-19T11:08:00.000Z

The upgrade from Blogger to Blogger 2 was not as quick as I might have hoped and we've been unable to access the blog here for nearly two months! However, now it appears to be working again, so updates will follow shortly.

So stay tuned!

Merry Christmas from Glasgow!

2006-12-26T22:44:00.000Z

(Christmas Elf No.1)

Michele and I would like to wish everyone around the world a very Merry Christmas! We had a delightful Christmas together here in Glasgow with lots of joy and merriment--and plenty of turkey and chocolate as well! We hope that the Christmas season treats all of you well and that Santa was good to you this year.

(Christmas Elf No.2)

The New Year is full of promise at this point and we wish everyone the best of luck for the year to come. More news and pictures from Mom & Dad's trip and our visit to Hong Kong coming up!

Visiting the Misty Isle

2006-12-21T10:42:00.000Z

(An early morning vista off the northern coast of Skye)

I think long before Michele's parents arrived, we had decided that it would be brilliant to take them to Skye. The Isle of Skye or, the Misty Isle as it is sometimes known, is picturesque beyond imagining. It really must be seen to be believed and these pictures couldn't possibly do justice to the experience of being there. The trip was a short three-day trip up to Skye, around the isle, and back. Even with the trials of inclement weather, it was a wonderful trip.

(Michele and I bundled up for our wintry trip)

We began our trip by first zipping over to Edinburgh to pick up the tour bus on the Royal Mile. From there were basically headed straight north up through Scotland's Highlands. One of the common features of bus trips in Scotland is a stop off at some roadside woolen craft shop, but our first stop had an unusual attraction.

(Dad, Mom & Hamish the Highland Cow)

Yes, that is Hamish the huge and hugely hairy Highland cow, but he was a real sweety as well, with a taste for fresh vegetables we soon discovered. He clearly doesn't mind his job of posing for tourists. After the short break with Hamish, we boarded the bus again and sped up to the Highlands and Glen Coe.

(See... it doesn't always rain!)

We got some good weather on this first day and were able to see some very attractive countryside. As you can see, unlike Canada, the plants here pretty much remain green year-round. Depending on how much moisture we get, the trees may turn brilliant colours, but most of the shrubbery and grasses stay green throughout the year. And snow, at least in Glasgow, has becoming something of a rarity.

(A photo stop just before Glen Coe)

The Highlands are still a special place and seem distinctly different from the rest of Scotland. For one thing you have the amazing landscape and a basically wild and unspoilt environment, but also for the sense you get of an intertwining of past and present. It is a very compelling place and, given the angle of the winter sun, was surprisingly moody with the sharp contrast of sun and shadow.

(A very atmospheric Glen Coe in winter)

Glen Coe, or 'narrow glen', is probably most famous for the tragic slaughter of the Clan MacDonald in 1692, and less for its incredible and rugged beauty. I don't think there is a tourist in the world who has gone through Glen Coe without being told the tale. We were treated to a dramatic rendition as we drove through the glen admiring the steep walled ridges and picturesque peaks. It is certainly something that should be seen, and as I said, there is that peculiar feeling and mingling of past and present. It's a special place.

(They should call it the Windy Isle!)

Unfortunately, we arrived on Skye in near darkness and pouring rain, so I've no pictures of the bridge that takes you over to Skye. We woke the next morning in our B&B to tumult and driving winds, but jumped in the bus nonetheless and saw the sights as we bobbed around the northern tip of the Isle, including this lovely spot near the Old Man of Storr, which is a unique geological outcropping of rock, again with a story all its own--and which I can't remember! Ha! Anyway, it was the start of a new day and, therefore, should have its own post, soon to follow.

Hiltons visit Glasgow

2006-12-21T10:26:00.000Z

(Mom & Dad Hilton on board for an adventure!)

Way back in the early days of October, when the world was green and good, two visitors came from far off lands to visit our rainy home, namely Michele's parents. We were very fortunate to have some good weather early on, but I must admit--as they no doubt have related to all and everyone they've seen in Canada--Scotland's weather was not at it's best for the bulk of their trip here.

However, during their stay we did manage to see quite a lot, including Scotland's Isle of Skye, St. Andrews, Edinurgh, Glasgow, and Dublin, Ireland. Not bad considering the time of year and the fact that Michele and I had to work much of the time. It was a great visit and a lot of fun for all of us.

(Bill and Carol in front of Eilann Donan Castle)

In the next few posts, I am going to highlight some of the many places we went and adventures we had during the two month long visit. So stay tuned!

We're back!

2006-12-21T10:18:00.000Z

Michele and I are back from Hong Kong with many a story to tell. As well, we have all the updates from Michele's parents' visit to deal with as well, so keep tuned. I will try to get to all of this before Christmas!

Mass Observation

2006-10-17T22:28:00.000+01:00

Today the National Trust is inviting British bloggers to make a record of an ordinary day. These blog posts will form an archive, a snapshot of social history, to be stored at the British Library. You can read more about this project on the BBC News website.

I was working in the Glasgow office today, so instead of commuting by train to Edinburgh, I walked for 45 minutes from our flat to Delta House. First, however, Stuart and I went to the letting agent's office on St Vincent to sign a lease on our flat for another year. We had miscommunicated, and the agent's representative was not in the office but back at our flat, so we will have to bring our pens and passports back tomorrow. Instead, we went to Starbucks for a quick breakfast before heading to our respective offices.

Stuart had a day of meetings - first with other instructors about a course on information literacy they'll be team-teaching next semester, then a steady stream of Strathclyde students looking for help with essay-writing. When we met up at the end of the day to walk home, he said the meetings had gone well and had been good for him - they took him out of himself, kept him busy, and dispelled any crankiness. I'm glad that he had a good day.

My day was quite different. As my regular co-workers are in Edinburgh, I was isolated all day and sat at my desk evaluating four years of evidence concerning cardiac rehabilitation and writing a report that describes how the new evidence affects the recommendations in an existing clinical guideline, which is scheduled for revision. I'm honoured with this task (no sarcasm; I do consider such work a privilege, especially compared to my usual work of searching databases and sifting the results) because ongoing shoulder pain has led an occupational health consultant to advise that I must spend as little time at a computer as possible until my shoulder is functional again. Perhaps when this blog is read in the future, someone will have established what causes adhesive capsulitis and determined an effective treatment strategy. That's a positive thought.

The highlight of my working day was taking an hour-long lunch break and wandering through the shops on Buchanan Street, especially the giant Borders book shop. When I look at the banality of my daily existence now, particularly my workaday existence, well, I would like to say I'm horrified, but I feel more quiet desperation, and a certain unashamed resignation, than horror. At university I remember reading the works of writers who celebrated dailiness and made art from it - writers like Woolf who could find all possible beauty and meaning in a single moment. There were no moments of being in my day.

I did enjoy going home and talking to my parents, who are visiting from Canada until December. My mom does not walk much, so stayed in during the day and read, but my dad is quite the adventurer and is fearlessly exploring Glasgow via public transit. Today he went to the Museum of Transport and the Kelvingrove Museum and was very impressed with both. He has only been here six days and I think he already has enough anecdotes and observations to entertain friends and family back home for a year!

After Stuart made supper, he played an online game while I watched a DVD with my parents (Sleepy Hollow). Nothing more exciting happened. Oddly, when I was a child I decided that October 17th was my favourite day of the year, October being my favourite month (because of the fall colours in Nova Scotia) and 17 being my favourite number. So it's a pleasant coincidence that this blog archive project falls on my favourite day.

A Walk in the Park

2006-09-04T20:17:00.000+01:00

(Den Waag)

Here is a post that got lost in the update from Blogger to Blogger 2 and goes well back to our latest trip to Amsterdam. It's actually quite nice to look at these pictures now as it is winter here in Glasgow and a sunny day is more of a rarity than a regularity. Above is Den Waag a fortification on one of the canals that criss-cross Amsterdam. The building houses a restaurant now and was the site for one of the worst meals I've had on record--ghastly! Lovely building though.

(The Damrak)

All of these pictures were taken on the second day of our trip when Michele and I decided to head off in different directions. While she spent most of the day inside art galleries, I spent the day walking across Amsterdam and taking pictures of some of my favourite sites. The Damrak above is the tourist mecca of Amsterdam being filled with stores that offer tourists all sorts of wonderfully cheesy gifts to remind them of their visits. Generally, we avoid it like the plague.

(Canal house gables)

Just a picture of some canal house gables here--the sort you see anywhere in Amsterdam and one of the architectural themes that separates it from any other city. You could spend days walking around and looking at all the variation in design from one canal to another. Actually, not a bad way to spend some time.

(The Rijksmuseum)

The Rijksmuseum is Amsterdam's largest and most impressive museum, housing a huge collection of treasures. However, it has been under construction for ages now and I certainly wasn't going to waste the day standing in line, so instead I focussed on finding a more picturesque aspect from which to photograph the amazing building.

(Park, Pool and Rijksmuseum in the distance)

I can't actually remember the name of this park, as it happens, but it is lovely and provides a focal point for a number of museums and venues in the Museum district of Amsterdam. It's a lovely spot and is always frequented by tourists and locals alike.

(Van Gogh Museum)

Above is my favourite museum in Amsterdam, the Van Gogh Museum, and this picture photographs it from the back. Architecturally, it is a very interesting building and the collection inside is absolutely fantastic. Unlike Michele, I am not a huge fan of visiting Art museums (this and the Musee D'Orsay except), but this is no ordinary museum. If you visit Amsterdam, it really is a must-see.

(Concertgebouw)

I've never actually been insided the Concertgebouw--maybe next time--but I thought it certainly looked striking from the outside and decided to snap this picture anyway. It stands opposite the Rijksmuseum creating a nice bookend for the grassy park in between, as seen below.

(Looking back over the park)

I think at this point I had more than enough sun and I retreated back to our gorgeous hotel to meet Michele for dinner. Amsterdam remains my favourite city for wee tourist breaks. Now if only we could find a way to live there for a while....

Oude Kerk & Nieuwe Kerk

2006-08-30T16:32:00.000+01:00

(L: Oude Kerk's belltower; R: View of the Kerk from the Voorburgwal)

While Michele visited the Van Gogh and Stedelijk museums, I took some time to visit the Old Church (Oude Kerk) and New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) near the centre of Amsterdam. The Oude Kerk dates from the early 13th Century, when it was little but a wooden hut on a sandbank. As you can see from the pictures, it has grown somewhat. The current Gothic structure is 14th Century and the little church has grown into a large basilica.

(Inside the vaulted Oude Kerk)

The interior of the Oude Kerk is a massive vaulted space into which light flows through a number of huge stained-glass windows. The ceiling is gilded with 15th Century paintings, which were hidden under layers of blue paint applied in 1755 and not uncovered until 200 years later. It is certainly impressive, although you can hurt your neck trying to follow the scenes gilded and painted into the ceiling. I don't believe I've ever seen anything like this gilding in any other church or cathedral I've been to.

(The wonderfully grand Oude Kerk organ)

The gilded beams aren't the only eye-catching feature of the Oude Kerk. Its monolithic Great Organ, dating from 1724, is the real stunner here. The whole thing is gilded and shines like gold in the sunlight and then beneath it there is this amazing marble base. These pictures don't do it justice and certainly don't allow you to get a sense of scale. It really is incredible!

(The cherubim at play on the bottom of the organ)

Getting underneath the Great Organ, it becomes even more amazing. Here the marble is carved elegantly as though it were cloth and two cherubim float about playfully. The picture above is taken with me craning back to look up the length of the organ, bottom to top. One last item of note in the Oude Kerk is a beautiful little Red Door that leads into the former sacristy and warns those about to enter: "Marry in haste, repent at leisure". Don't know what to make of that, but I thought it was cute.

(Exterior of the Nieuwe Kerk with the Palace to the left)

A short hop, skip, and jump from the Oude Kerk is the Nieuwe Kirk, the New Kirk. New because it was completed in the 1650s. The Nieuwe Kerk has had a much more turbulent history that the Oude, having been destroyed by fire several times and stripped of its finery after the 'Alteration' in Holland's 'Age of Intolerance'. Perhaps this is partly because of its location next to the Royal Palace. Every Dutch monarch since 1814 has been crowned in the Nieuwe Kerk.

(Beautiful hand-carved pulpit in the Nieuwe Kerk)

On the day I went to see it, unfortunately it was filled to the rafters with an exhibition from the Rijksmuseum, which is still under re-construction. This picture--pretty much the only one I could take as photos of the exhibit were forbidden--shows the carved pulpit (1664) which took its maker, Albert Vinckenbrinck, 15 years to carve. I would like to have gotten a few pictures of the organ, but I couldn't get near it. Alas. Next: A Walk in the Park.

Waking up in Amsterdam

2006-08-29T23:17:00.000+01:00

(Views up and down the street outside our hotel room)

Should you find yourself in Amsterdam in the near future, or far future for that matter, Michele and I can heartily recommend the NH hotels around city centre. We chose the NH Barbizon Palace which is a hop, skip and a jump--literally about 500 yards--from Centraal Station. For one, it is close to all forms of transport and, two, it is a quite nice part of town as well.

(Wooden beams to wake up to)

This particular hotel is constructed out of 7 different canal houses and we were very lucky (thanks to a nice little upgrade) to get one of the luxury rooms at the top with open beams up to the peak of the roof. Given the height of the ceiling it was nice and cool even when it warmed up considerably outside. Despite being told that we were going to have a week of rain, we woke up to gorgeous sunshine and it stayed until our last day.

(Ah, now this is the life...)

Can't say I am used to the kind of luxury that we experienced at the hotel, but I think I can speak for Michele when I say that we wouldn't mind having the opportunity to get used to it. It was absolutely perfect for for our little 9th anniversary treat. In fact, the hotel was actually very reasonable, particularly if you consider what you'd pay for in London or Paris. Well worth it, I'd say!

(An oasis of calm away from the sea of tourists)

One of the best things about it was that it was quiet and cool, away from the bustling tourists, because in the middle of August Amsterdam is ablaze with hordes of brightly-clad tourists bumping to and fro down the narrow streets and generally clogging everything up, including all the museums. Having such a beautiful room to return to was a major plus. So I certainly recommend the NH Hotels. Next stop: the Oude Kerk and Niewe Kerk, and everything in between.

The Canal Tour of Amsterdam

2006-08-24T17:05:00.000+01:00

(Oude Zijds Achterburgwal - say that 10 times quickly!)

I completely and totally agree with Michele when she said that the three things to do in Amsterdam (if you can do no more) must be the Anne Frankhuis, the Van Gogh Museum and a Canal Cruise. This post will focus on the last one in that short list. Amsterdam is built on a series of mostly semi-circular, ring-like canals and they are one of the cities greatest charms. Scenes like the picture above are found around every new corner. The tall canal houses form long, varied walls along the canals and are, in themselves, works of art.

(Looking down the Singelgracht)

The canals vary in size and in utility, but all are home to a real mix of boats, from small little wooden affairs that would seat one or two to large houseboats (of which there are some 2500 along the canals) with multiple rooms and all the facilities you could want. The Singelgracht (seen above) is even home to the Poezenboot, a boat for stray cats. And all manner of shops, restaurants and cafes look over the waters and passing boats, of which the most common are the tourist boats offering the aforementioned canal cruises.

(One of many tourist canal cruise boats - a regular sight)

Canal cruises are simply brilliant no matter where they are. They are a tourist's dream. But in Amsterdam, these cruises are elevated to something absolutely magical. There is nothing quite like drifting down the grachts (canals) and watching the tall majestic houses float by or all manner of people on bicycles (and there are thousands of them, but that's another post) whisking by constantly ringing their bells to alert clueless foreigners to their presence. All I can say is that cruising the canals is a fantastic way to see the city, hear a little history, and relax. Maybe that final component is the key. The canal cruises are hugely relaxing.

(Just one of nearly 1300 bridges in Amsterdam!)

Michele and I have now cruised Amsterdam's canal in the sun, in the rain, and in the dark, and each cruise has been special in its own way. I suppose the only thing we haven't tried is getting a boat of our own--next time! You pass under bridge after bridge on your way and each one is different from the other. They've been building them here since 1200 AD. Damming the river Amstel was begun in 1264 and since then the number of bridges has surpassed 1300. The Achterburgwal and Voorburgwal (top and bottom pictures) both date back to the 14th century.

(Oude Zijds Voorburgwal)

The canals may have originally been built for defense, transportation, and drainage, but now they are the domain of the tourist. It is fair to say that any trip to Amsterdam requires a canal cruise; indeed, the tourist bureau puts a free cruise in their museum and entertainment pass book (which is well worth the price by the way). So there you have it. Amsterdam canal cruises - a highlight for any visitor!

Turning 36

2006-08-23T18:25:00.000+01:00

(The birthday boy sitting in the flat... ageing...)

Yes, I am now 36. This is one of those ages that you remember hearing about in your teen years and going, 'Wow, that's OLD!' Well, that being the case and that being my own memory, I am hereby OLD. Bizarrely, I still feel like a 20-something and don't notice the passage of time. Perhaps this is one of Nature's great tricks to keep us all from hurling ourselves off of precipices like so many aged lemmings. Or... maybe it's just me.

But I greeted 36 quite happily and happily 36 I am. Not too sure about 37 though...

A week in Amsterdam

2006-08-20T19:28:00.000+01:00

(Interactive civic pride near the Rijksmuseum)

To spend a week in Amsterdam, Stuart and I braved airport chaos, mad bicycle traffic, and crushing hordes of clueless tourists, and had a fantastic time. With colourful people, peaceful canals, graceful architecture, excellent food, laid-back coolness, and some of the best museums and galleries on the planet, Amsterdam never fails to deliver a wonderful time.

(Beautiful canal houses near our hotel)

On this, our second trip to Amsterdam, we managed to see many of the museums and sights that we didn't get to the first time around. If you're thinking of going and your time/money is limited, I would say that only three attractions are essential: the Anne Frank Huis, the Van Gogh Museum, and a canal cruise. However, that doesn't mean that Amsterdam doesn't merit a longer stay, because so much of what Amsterdam has to offer - the architecture, the scenery, the people-watching, and the freewheeling atmosphere - is free.

(The Great Synagogue and a display about printing and bookbinding, Joods Historisch Museum)

The Jewish Historical Museum is also worth visiting. This museum occupies the former synagogues left in ruins after the Nazis desecrated them and killed most of the inhabitants of the Jewish quarter. The displays educate the viewer about Jewish life and customs, and about the history of Jews in the Netherlands, once the only country in Europe in which Jews were free to settle, trade, and maintain their traditions.

(One of Amsterdam's greatest attractions - The Van Gogh Museum)

I love the permanent collection of the Van Gogh Museum with all my heart, but I was absolutely blown away on this visit to find, not just the much-loved exhibit of Van Gogh's paintings, but FOUR additional exhibits in the Kurokawa wing, all devoted to the art and culture of Japan as part of the museum's "Japanese season". Van Gogh was greatly influenced by Japanese art and collected Japanese prints. Well, I'll refer you to the museum's web site if you would like details - suffice to say that I spent four hours feasting my eyes and wish I could have spent even longer!

(Handsome fellow I met on a canal cruise)

Going on a canal cruise is a great way to spend part of your day in Amsterdam - and, as you can see, I had the best company possible. I'll leave it to Stuart now to tell you more about our trip.

Your Mission... Hong Kong

2006-08-06T19:59:00.000+01:00

(Hong Kong Harbour)

In a twist worthy of a James Bond movie, in particular You Only Live Twice, Michele and I will be heading to Hong Kong in December of this year. I have had a paper accepted to a conference there and we are planning on spending a week or so seeing the sights. We depart only a few days after Michele's parents leave us after a 2 month long visit with us here in Glasgow. Expect far more updates and pictures in that period as there will be anxious readers in Canada looking for news! One of those updates will surely tell of our trip to Dublin, where all four of us will be hanging out during a conference which Michele is attending. What a busy lives!

A little closer on the horizon is our 9th anniversary (August 16th) which we'll be spending in Amsterdam, checking out museums, taking canal cruises (including a lovely evening dinner cruise) and generally enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes (Stroopwafel!!!). So things will be livening up in the next little while and we'll try to keep you all abreast of what's happening. Until then, enjoy the summer and we'll see you soon.

Willow Tea Rooms and The Lighthouse

2006-07-20T21:05:00.000+01:00

(The view down Mackintosh's tower in The Lighthouse)

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the Willow Tea Rooms themselves. There are two sets of 'Willow Tea Rooms' in Glasgow and we went to the Buchanan Street one as it was close to our next stop, The Lighthouse. We dined there after returning downtown from our visit to the House for an Art Lover. We sat in the Chinese Room which was painted a cool blue and included kitchy little chinese pagodas atop blue lattice work that partitioned the room. It was a great place to relax after a scorching morning and the food was very nice as well. We took a little downtime here before working up the energy to visit The Lighthouse.

(The view over Glasgow's downtown core)

Glasgow's former Herald Building now houses Scotland's Centre for Architecture, Design and the City as well as The Mackintosh Interpretation Centre, known collectively as The Lighthouse. The Centre would be a very good starting point for anyone interested in learning about Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It contains a few original objects, a bunch of interactive set-ups and loads of architectural models. But I suspect that its greatest attraction is the Mackintosh tower with its spiral staircase up to a tiny circular landing which provides magnificent rooftop views of Glasgow.

(Michele and I atop The Lighthouse)

Admittedly, it is really a view of just rooftops, unless you look into the distance beyond where you can spy the Campsies and foothills surrounding Glasgow. I couldn't make out the Clyde for all the buildings, but it is there as well! Having said this, the view is surprisingly interesting, particularly from an architectural standpoint, and I certainly didn't mind the climb up to see this unusual sight. Architecture is one of Glasgow's main attractions and this stop provided an interesting angle on the many interesting buildings around Glasgow's core. In addition, The Lighthouse is home to a number of galleries of different architecture and design works.

(Kim and Michele overlooking Glasgow)

From this lofty point, we descended to the Doocot Bar & Cafe (on the 5th floor of the Lighthouse) and had drinks and shared a scone. From there, we again walked up Buchanan Street and down Sauchiehall to the highly-recommended India Cafe where we had dinner. Glasgow was recently named the Curry Capital of Britain and given Kim's liking for curry, we thought it would be a nice treat. Stuffed, we returned home by taxi and called it a day.

Unfortunately, Kim had to leave early the next day, so we had to say goodbye and walked Kim to Queen Street Station where she got her train back to London. Thanks again, Kim for making the long trip up and visiting us, and bringing guilty Canadian treats along too (i.e. Kraft Dinner)!

All things Mackintosh

2006-07-19T11:24:00.000+01:00

(Kim waiting excitedly outside the House)

Here is Kim in Bellahouston Park outside the House for an Art Lover inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The house was opened in 1996 based on Mackintosh's submission in 1901 to a German design magazine to 'design a House in a thoroughly modern style, where one can be lavishly entertained.' All the architectue and design in the house is based on Mackintosh's and his wife's submitted work. His wife, Margaret Macdonald, was a very accomplished artist herself and it was nice to see that the permanent exhibit in the House highlighted her work as well as Charles'.

(The House for an Art Lover, exterior)

As you might expect, the house is a very unique and attractive design. It includes much of what you might expect from a traditional Scottish manor house, but with thoroughly modern touches. The grounds in which it sits are gorgeous and include one of the nicest walled gardens I have seen in the UK.

(The walled flower garden outside the House)

The garden was broken up into four sections which had a flowered-design in the centre. Above, you can see a star. Other designs included a diamond, a rounded square and one other--which completely escapes me at the moment. The setting was absolutely gorgeous, with a smattering of benches here and there.

(Summer colours in bloom)

Above all, I couldn't get over the range of colours. It was almost too much to take in. The picture above gives you an idea, but you really have to see it for yourself. There was colour everywhere, and we were lucky to have a clear aquamarine sky above to add to it all. It was really lovely.

(Mackintosh's music room)

Inside the house only a few rooms are open to the public, which is too bad considering how beautifully designed they all are. The ground floor is the main space for visitors. The first floor is for conferences and such, while the basement houses the shop and a restaurant. They never finished to top floor, for reasons which weren't explained at all. Perhaps cost? Anyway, the examples that you do get to see are beautiful in their simplicity and smooth lines. (There was a wedding reception taking place later on in the day, so there are far more tables than would normally be seen in the picture above).

(The dining room all in white)

It is a brilliant piece of architecture and everything seems to integrate so well. I have to admit that I hadn't really given Mackintosh much thought before, but then I had mostly seen small designs on paper and perhaps a few pictures. I now see that to really appreciate the design, you've got to be surrounded by it, immersed in it. I love how sparse and fluid the designs are. The full effect is quite stunning and make this a house unlike any other.

(Wall panels in Mackintosh/Macdonald style)

Of course, it is a sort of fantasy as it was produced for a competition, but in excecution, I think it stands up very well. You could actually live in a house like this and it would be a dream. Mind you, come to think of it, I didn't see designs for the kitchen or any bathrooms! Hah! But I am sure they would have been gorgeous. Above is a snippet of the typically feminine Mackintosh design. This sort of design is repeated throughout the house and extends to the exterior as well.

(Bizarre little jello mould seats on the grass)

In fact, the total space is a piece of art and it makes it a very interesting place to visit. Whereas I might not have been a fan before, I would certainly say that I am now. Nothing here really disappoints. If it weren't for the heat, I am sure we would have spent more time here, but as it was, we had a dinner to look forward to at the Mackintosh-designed Willow Tea Rooms. [sigh] Such is life!

Kim comes to town!

2006-07-18T10:36:00.000+01:00

(Michele and Kim lounging in Waterstones; yours truly behind the camera)

Michele and I were very happy to have our friend Kim visit on the weekend. Kim is in the UK doing research currently, which she will take back to London (the one in Ontario) and the University of Western Ontario, where she is a lecturer. It has been some time since Michele and I got a chance to see Kim, and it was great that she could build in a long train journey (5+ hours) to visit us here in Glasgow. The weather cooperated as far as it did not rain, but instead we had a heatwave that kept us all running for cold drinks.

(A scene worthy of Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Like us, Kim is a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that gave us two very good reasons to visit Glasgow's Necropolis, which is close to our flat: first, the view from the top of the Necropolis is a great way to see Glasgow; and, second, the setting--complete with crypts and mausoleums--is reminiscent of Sunnydale's famed cemetery--minus the sunlight and tourists, of course! From the Necropolis, we made our way past Glasgow Cathedral down to Merchant City and George Square.

(Baking in George Square... +30C)

George Square is more or less the heart of Glasgow and very popular with tourists and locals alike. Atop the tower in the centre of the square is Sir Walter Scott and numerous other statues of Scottish luminaries and inventors circle the square. From here, we traveled down to Argyle Street and began a tour of Glasgow's 'Golden Z', which I highlighted a couple of posts back. As it was a Friday, we didn't have to fight off the crowds as we made our way up Buchanan Street and onto Sauchiehall. Ultimately, however, the heat of the day bested us and we returned home to cool off. But we vowed to head out the next morning to feed Kim's interest in all things Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Walking in Alexandra Park

2006-07-12T19:18:00.000+01:00

(The Alexandra Park entrance... who knew?!)

The other day Michele surprised me with a walk to a park she'd found just down the road from our flat. So after dinner, we sauntered down Alexandra Parade to--surprise, surprise--Alexandra Park, a lovely wee park which neither of us knew existed a few days ago. Glasgow is quite good for parks generally, but we'd more or less thought that the closest thing to us was the Necropolis, which isn't necessarily what you want for your everyday walk. But the other day while running, Michele came upon this right here in our own backyard.

(Michele on an avenue of flowers)

It isn't quite the wild parkland that we backed onto in Sheffield, but it is quite a nice area with a broad avenue of flowers and benches (see picture above) that leads to a large fountain. It is a nice walk as there are a seemingly endless number of roses planted from one end of the avenue to the other. Beyond this avenue, the flora is much wilder and the trees are the real attraction.

(Ducks... a prerequisite of any good park)

That is until you find ducks! Walking along, we spotted water and Michele saw that there were a few little swimmers. This seems too good to be true, particularly as we are just off the city centre, but here they are! Michele will tell you that all good parks must have ducks, and I certainly don't disagree. There's a nice little pond just big enough and secluded enough to provide a haven for the little guys.

(Some nice foliage for walkies!)

Most of these pictures were taken around 8pm and this one above was taken on our way back as the sun was setting. We're still enjoying the long summer days and getting more than our share of sunshine, particularly considering what we'd been told to expect in Glasgow. It's been full of surprises and we've benefitted from each one! We will shortly have a chance to try out this park on a Canadian visitor. Our friend Kim is staying with us for a short visit while she does some research in the UK, but more on that this weekend!

A typical Glasgow weekend

2006-07-05T14:41:00.000+01:00

(Looking down Buchanan Street from the Galleries)

Last weekend, Michele and I again ventured out to tour around the city centre and, of course, to shop. We are not alone in this passion. Glaswegians, it seems, like nothing better than to shop away their weekends. And why not! After all, Glasgow is apparently second only to London in terms of shopping in the UK. If the bulging and bursting bags of the shoppers walking down Buchanan, Argyle and Sauchiehall Street are any indication, Scots do indeed shop till they drop--buried under mountains of purchases! And it can seem like all of Scotland has come to Glasgow to shop on a Saturday afternoon too.

(Dour Donald Dewar overlooks a throng of shoppers)

Now I know capitalism and consumerism are evil, but shopping in Glasgow really is a delight. There a little bit of everything--well, actually, more than a little bit! That's the point! No matter your shopping desire, it can be fulfilled in Glasgow's 'golden z' (called that for the intersection of three major shopping streets which form a rough 'z'). In rain or gorgeous sunshine--which we've had much of lately--you can shop, shop, shop! Whether you're a street, mall, strip, or designer shopper, you are covered in Glasgow.

Being a typical guy, I used to engage in the tactical 'quick-and-dirty' shopping style that most men adopt, running for cover with the targeted purchase in tow. But here in Glasgow there is enough to keep me occupied just walking from one favourite store to another that whole afternoons just disappear. Yet another reason to visit us here, especially if shopping is one of your passions! Just one word of advice: wear comfortable shoes!

The end is in sight...

2006-06-22T09:08:00.000+01:00

(Gorse in bloom - a common sight in Scotland in June)

Apologies to faithful readers of the Bog Standard Blog, but June has been a hugely busy month for us. Michele has been jumping from one job in Liverpool to her new job in Glasgow (which is currently in Edinburgh actually, until they build a new building!). She's been having to deal with getting used to the daily commute to Edinburgh and luckily the train service is good between Scotland's two major cities. And I am bogged down in a fury of teaching, conferencing and research until July. All told, June has been a beast this year and I think we'll both be glad to see the back end of it. It doesn't help that June is also one of those 5 week before payday weeks and we're as poor as two church mice who blew their collected pennies on a tidy chunk of Isle of Bute cheddar at the beginning of the month and have been living off the last of the cheese dust for the past week with one more week to go yet! But, finally, the end is in sight!

More to follow... in July.

A week of sunshine

2006-06-02T14:11:00.000+01:00

(Lilac blooming in the summer sun)

I am as guilty as the next guy for slagging off Glasgow weather. When Michele and I arrived in November, it was dreadful and without much respite, it has been dreadful since. But having said that, this past week the weather has defied the weather predictors and it's been gorgeous every day. A new tree or flower seems to blossom on each successive sunny day, and Glasgow is now covered in multicoloured blooms.

And to boot, we are far enough north that when you get a sunny day, you get a very, very long sunny day. According to the BBC, the sun is setting each night around 10.00pm and rising at 4.30am. So it never really gets well and truly dark, and you wake up to be brilliantly blinded by the sun at 6 or 7 o'clock in the morning. Of course the downside to this is that in the dead of winter, the days are very, very short. But for the moment, Michele and I are loving this beautiful summer weather.

On a recent long walk, we discovered a new part of Glasgow and came upon one of those classic store-fronts that always end up on television:

(Be afraid, be very afraid...)

This is right up there with the store selling Monkey Nuts in Robin Hood's Bay (yes, a real place) and the Mycock Butcher in Grindleford, Derbyshire. I can't imagine what blinds the owners of these establishments to the hilarity caused by their signage. What can you say? Except maybe a common saying here for a well intentioned venture gone hopelessly awry: "bless". Aw, bless!

DIY: Destroy It Yourself

2006-05-24T12:10:00.000+01:00

(The patient recovering at home....)

Anyone who has ever set foot inside the United Kingdom is likely to have been set upon by thousands of ads all aimed at the national obsession of 'DIY' or 'Do It Yourself'. Under this mantra, thousands, nee millions, of people weekly take to fixing up some aspect of their homes. Truly, DIY is a massive industry here in the UK. Hundreds or stores, millions of products, and a nation rabid for 'having a go' with whatever tools they can find to hand. It's a frightening prospect--even if you only consider that the voltage in your home electrics here is not merely the give-you-a-slight-buzz-and-make-you-dizzy variety common to North America, but more of the buuurrzzaapp-you're-dead variety.

Trades people must love this obsession as more often than not DIY goes wrong, sometimes very wrong, and becomes 'Destroy It Yourself'. More money in their pockets. Well, I have looked upon this fascination with bemused contempt since my arrival here, vowing never to take part in such foolishness... until now.

In preparation for Michele's parents visit, we purchased a lovely futon bed frame which also doubles as a sofa. Nice, right? Sure, until you discover that after three years, the futon that you purchased has basically flattened and widened to the point that it is now both six inches too long and six inches too wide to fit your new lovely frame. What do you do? Well, my first impulse was to throw the thing out the window and be done with it, but Michele counselled otherwise and we decided to go a little Frankestein, opting for a little futon vivisection.

This is where it gets ugly. Have you ever seen the inside of a futon mattress? Well, let's just say, you probably don't want to. Luckily ours had a zipper, so we unzipped the puppy and went at it with the only tool even remotely sufficient for the job: a pair of garden shears. It was a horrible, ugly job: bits of cotton, recycled cloth and rubberized coconut fibre everywhere. I hacked away in an ever-more-jagged line across the length and then width of the futon until it had lost roughly--and I mean roughly--the amount of stuffing required. It took four vaccuumings to get all the mess sorted, but in the end, we zipped it back up and it now fits... sort of.

So have I converted? No. Will I be doing DIY every weekend? No. Did I enjoy it? No. In fact, not for a second. The surgery was a success, but I can wholeheartedly say that I have not caught the DIY bug. Nope. No way. It remains to be seen whether or not our little DIY is 'Do It Yourself' or 'Destroy It Yourself'. I am hopeful that the futon survives and recovers. And as I sit here writing this with aching muscles and chafed hands, I am hoping to recover soon too.

Glasgow's Necropolis

2006-05-22T10:16:00.000+01:00

(View of Glasgow Cathedral from Castle Street)

Last weekend we took a walk in the beautiful sunshine (a relatively rare thing here) around the Cathedral Precinct which is the small area of Glasgow in which we live. Perhaps unsurprisingly the dominant piece of architecture in the Cathedral Precinct is... wait for it... the Cathedral. Above and below you have two pictures of Glasgow Cathedral, which is certainly one of my favourites in Britain. It is not so grand as many others and not so old even, but there is something about it which appeals to me, and has done since the first time I saw it in 1999.

(View of Glasgow Cathedral from St. Mungo's)

What I had not done in 1999, and indeed not since we have moved to Glasgow, was take a proper walk thought the Glasgow Necropolis which lies behind the Cathedral and takes up a pretty considerable amount of real estate in the Cathedral Precinct. I can't give you exact numbers, but this 'City of the Dead' is quite large, perhaps a mile square.

(Looking across the bridge towards the Necropolis)

Connecting the Cathedral parade to the Necropolis is the lovely "Bridge of Sighs", which I have walked under countless times, but this was the first time that Michele and I had ever walked over. At the other end there you can see what is just one of hundred of tombs built into the sides of the hill which makes up the Necropolis. As you walk around the twisting paths on the way to the summit, you pass tomb after tomb. Some are very ornate and decorative, sculpted like doors and archways or having columns or even little courtyards, while others are the simplest of affairs, simple slabs of rocked enscribed with the names of those within.

(Making our way up to the top...)

And it is certainly a steep walk at times. The top of the Necropolis is easily the highest point in our neighbourhood and we both were surprised by the views. Upon reaching the top, we looked at each other and said almost in unison, 'We have got to bring anyone that visits up here!' I am not sure who the large mausoleum shown in the picture belongs to. There is a small book on the Necropolis that we've been meaning to buy (in fact, we nearly did the other day), and if I had that I am sure I could tell you, but it is a stunning monument that can be seen from nearly every point in the Necropolis.

(Me standing infront of the Glasgow skyline)

Ok, ignore the bloke in the middle and here you have a view westward. On the left the buildings are mostly of the University of Strathclyde where I work--which is literally only about 20 mins from our flat. In the foreground on the right of me are the buildings that make up Glasgow's Royal Infirmary, which has stood there--in one shape or another--since the 18th Century. The guy in the middle is a relatively recent addition to the Glasgow skyline. Oh, and he invites you to all come and see this for yourselves.

(Atop the Necropolis)

At the very top of the Necropolis is a kind of softly sloping plateau on which an amazing number of beautiful gravestones, monuments, and mausoleums stand. It is a quiet, beautiful place away from the business of Argyle, Buchanan and Sauchiehall and it really can transport you to another place. Reading the names, inscriptions and dates on the graves tells of an older, harder Glasgow where few survived to forty years of age. The man atop the column in the background above is John Knox. The monument, erected in 1825, stands at the highest point in the Necropolis and recognises the role he played in the Reformation and in the founding of the Church of Scotland.

(A view back towards Glasgow Cathedral)

This picture gives you an idea of the climb you can expect in visiting the Necropolis. The views really are amazing, not least of all the views you have over the Cathedral and St. Mungo's Museum. Because of its highly industrial past, the landscape of Glasgow is somewhat patchy, but this area around the Cathedral and Necropolis is really lovely. It's not a bad spot at all. It is certainly very pleasant as a distraction going to and from work. Now that summer is almost upon us, I may have to fight through the tourists when passing the Cathedral, but it is still very much worth the effort. If you click on the picture above, you'll see that the graves really are pushing up daisies here!

(Just one of the many mausoleums)

And speaking of tourism, there are dedicated tours of the Necropolis throughout the summer, which could be quite useful given that it consists of some 3500+ tombs and 50000+ burials. This beautiful mausoleum above is just one example of hundreds within the Necropolis. They are amazing structures with so much attention and detail built into them. It is the sort of thing that I find hard to imagine anyone in our time bothering with, and yet their impact is undeniable. And, ok, can't you just imagine this scene at night with Buffy and Spike running about?

(Just one of many beautiful celtic crosses)

Take for example this celtic cross. It is a gorgeous piece of work, and it is only one of perhaps a hundred within the Necropolis. It's not so surprising that this graveyard has become a tourist attraction with this sort of art on display. Perhaps the fact that the Necropolis is also the first garden cemetery in Scotland plays a role. Regardless, you are presented with something to please and attract the eye no matter which way you look.

(Me taking a well deserved rest among the flowers)

So here I am resting after a long walk through the cemetary amongst some blue flowers of some sort. (I'm sure Michele could tell me what these are, but I can't remember!) The Necropolis is covered in daisies, daffodils, cherry trees, and other colourful flora. Ooh, plus, there are supposed to be a couple of small wild deer within the cemetary. People swear by this, but we certainly didn't see any evidence. Who knows!?

(Michele beneath the blossoms)

And here is Michele looking lovely underneath some blossoms. (Again, I have no idea what kind of tree this is, so I am not going to make an attempt to name it here.) And there you have it, a sunny day in Glasgow, Scotland, and a very nice trip through Glasgow's Necropolis. I remember Michele saying, 'This might be the nicest day of the year.' Well, it seems to have been because the weather has turned foul and cold once more. But, hey, at least we have pictures and our memories of this lovely day. Hopefully it is not the last of the summer and hopefully you'll be seeing more pictures here involving blue skies and the appearance of Mr. Sun. Oh, and I can also tell you that Michele and I have decided upon a trip to Scotland's east coast and St. Andrews, so there's something else you/we can look forward too!

A return to form

2006-05-10T10:25:00.000+01:00

(Doctor Who 2006 with David Tennant as the Doctor)

All of you faithful readers will know, or perhaps vaguely remember, that I was none too pleased by the *new* Doctor Who's first run with Christopher Eccleston at the helm of the TARDIS. I was delighted when I heard that David Tennant, who Michele and I first say in Casanova, would be taking over for year 2.

Well here it is the second season and I can honestly say that this is a return to form. This is why I watch Doctor Who in the first place: good stories, good acting, a hearty chunk of great Science Fiction and a dash of humour... oh, and bad special effects--a magic combination! Except that the special effects have been of very good quality, but don't worry this hasn't wrecked a single moment.

The stories, the four we've seen now, have surpassed each of the previous ones. Last weeks, 'The Girl In The Fireplace', with Sophia Myles as Madame de Pompadour was absolutely brilliant! This season has also been graced with some other great guest stars including the return of Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen) and Anthony Stewart Head (of Buffy fame) as the eeevil Head Teacher Finch in School Reunion. And this upcoming episode promises to be nifty as it includes the return of the Doctor's old enemies the Cybermen. Should be interesting to see how these old baddies are updated.

So, in summary, the joy is back and Doctor Who is once more a fantastic Saturday night treat! I am hoping that those of you in Canada (esp. Paul) will be able to see this season, because believe me, it is worth waiting for!!!

An evening of opera highlights at Strathclyde

2006-05-06T23:19:00.000+01:00

(Barony Hall on the University of Strathclyde Campus)

We had a splendid evening out on Friday at Barony Hall, where the third annual Principal's Spring Concert was held. The university community was treated to overtures from Die Zauberflote and La Forza del Destino, plus the thrilling Intermezzo from Carmen, performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra; as well, the orchestra accompanied young singers from the RSAMD (with a very fortuitous last-minute substitution, tenor Nicholas Ransley) in selections from Mozart, Bizet, Puccini, and Gershwin. There is nothing like live music to revive the spirits and refresh the mind.

Stuart pointed out that the vast majority of the audience was well advanced in years. The ratio of people over 50 to people under 50 was easily 100 to 1. At first I didn't think much of this, but the more I thought about it, the more it disturbed me. When I was younger I didn't understand the concern around classical music finding a younger audience; I was young, and I loved classical music, and so did all of my friends in high school, most of whom played an instrument and/or sang in the choir. I thought that, if young people didn't go to the opera or the symphony, it was likely because they couldn't afford it. But Friday night, for the token price of £5, I was in a hall listening to some of the best products of Western culture, performed by some of the best musicians in Scotland, and I finally understood that concern. Many companies now offer very affordable tickets and market their performances to young people. But are the young being equipped with an understanding of classical music that will allow them to appreciate it and enjoy it fully, that will encourage them to develop a lifelong love of opera? What if the audience for live opera and symphony performances does dwindle and die out? What if young people lose the opportunity to learn how to enjoy opera and orchestral music?

When I was scaling the heights of the ivory tower (and suffocating from the lack of oxygen), I lost a lot of respect for academia. Too much academic discourse in the humanities is fundamentally pointless and useless. Friday night, however, the university regained some of my respect for its role in sustaining culture and passing on the cultural tradition. That is a purpose worth fulfilling.

In the media: blonde mothers yes, London holidays no

2006-05-06T22:52:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was one of those days when I decided to splash out 70p on The Guardian. One of the top stories in the UK this week (besides the Cabinet reshuffle) was "the pregnant pensioner" - a 63-year-old woman who is now seven months pregnant thanks to fertility treatment received in Italy. Basically I think this woman's pregnancy is none of my business; lots of men 63 years of age and older become parents without making headlines; and I would rather see 63-year-olds becoming mothers than 13-year-olds (not uncommon in Britain, where we have the worst teenage pregnancy statistics in the developed world). I think the person who ought to have been attracting criticism was, not the patient, but her doctor, who is quoted on the front page of The Guardian as saying that his patient was a perfect candidate for the treatment because: "she is slim, blonde and in perfect condition, she fits all the criteria for maternity." !!! Funny, my mom did a great job without being blonde. But she always was a rule-breaker.

More enjoyably in the paper, a feature on the 10 best British holidays and the five worst. Number one on the 'worst' list: London, with the following funny-because-it's-so-true description: "If you hanker after the London experience, sit in a bathful of your own sweat in a room full of exhaust fumes and pale sneering people in shorts, and burn twenties with a lighter." (Lucy Mangan in g2, page9)

Saturday Night Fever

2006-05-04T22:48:00.000+01:00

It's that time again...Strictly Dance Fever has returned to the BBC! This season kicked off with two 'behind the scenes' episodes which followed hundreds of Britain's dance hopefuls (and thousands of the hopeless) through the audition process. As a result we have been able to see how the couples ended up being partnered and to have a preview of the dancers' personalities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Overall the level of ability across competitors seems to have increased since last year and, at the moment, it could be almost anyone's competition. Four individual dancers stand out - Hollie, Ben, Pamela, and Lana - so the deciding question could be whether their partners are able to rise to the same level. On that question, Lana's partner Darren and Pamela's partner Paul have made the best efforts and the greatest progress so far. The competition is now reaching that interesting stage where raw talent has had its run and it's the ability to master new material quickly and to show significant improvement each week that will win top marks from the judges.

In typical British fashion I'm pulling for the underdog, Paul, who has impressed with his ability to get over his initial arrogance, develop some humility, put in the hours of hard graft, and take criticism on board. He and partner Pam will be great to watch whichever dance they get this weekend - lambada or jitterbug.

Highland Waterfalls and Whisky

2006-04-23T15:09:00.000+01:00

(Beautiful view near Aberfeldy; click on the images for larger pictures)

Our friend Nadia, who previously featured on this blog when we visited her in Geneva, escaped her diplomatic duties for a weekend in Scotland and joined me on a one-day tour with Rabbie's Trail Burners. Both Rabbie's and Haggis are fantastic Scottish tour operators with charming, amusing guides and an assortment of itineraries that offer all the best of Scotland. Nadia was after some scenery and a taste of uisge beatha, so we opted for Highland Waterfalls, Gorges and Whisky.

(The oldest (legal) distillery in Scotland, Glenturret)

Our first stop was Glenturret Distillery in Crieff, where a delightful fellow named Jim explained the process of making whisky and a bit of Scottish history and culture along the way. Glenturret has the distinction of being the oldest legal distillery (always said with some archness) simply because, when the English first imposed taxes and therefore tax inspectors on the national drink, the first inspector they hired lived down the road from Glenturret. Jim pointed out that generally you will find distilleries only in the most out-of-the-way, remote, inaccessible places, which is true, and now we know why: because they wanted to avoid paying taxes for as long as possible.

(One of the many waterfalls among the Birks of Aberfeldy; (right) stained glass window in Dunkeld Cathedral)

The second stop of our trip brought us to the Birks o' Aberfeldy, a series of waterfalls that descend through a stunning gorge. We spent an hour retracing the steps of Robert Burns and hoping for inspiration to descend on us as it did on the bard when he visited this beauty spot and penned his famous lines:
The braes ascend like lofty wa's,
The foaming stream deep-roaring fa's
O'erhung wi' fragrant spreading shaws,
The birks of Aberfeldy.

(Dunkeld Cathedral)

The last stop on our tour allowed us to visit beautiful Dunkeld Cathedral, built between 1260 and 1501, and to wander along the banks of the Tay.

(River Tay, Dunkeld)

We spent the remainder of the weekend with Nadia shopping in Glasgow and visiting the splendid Burrell Collection. Now that we are only a short bus ride away from this gallery, I plan on going more often in the future, so look for more details in a future post. Thanks for visiting, Nadia - it was great to see you.

Survey says: outspoken feminists required

2006-04-17T09:07:00.000+01:00

Granted, the sampling methods may be unscientific, but the results of two surveys of magazine readers are still deeply disturbing. According to Zoe Williams in The Guardian Weekend (18 March), although British readers of Cosmo agreed with a feminist position "on every issue from equal pay to abortion", only 5% of the same readers were willing to identify themselves as "feminists".

When women want equality and power but won't call themselves feminists, what does this mean? To me it means that they expect the fruits of sociopolitical change without being willing to take any of the risk themselves or help to secure any of the benefits for other women. They expect the status quo to change, but won't risk losing any of the privileges they have gained from the patriarchy by demonstrating their adherence to a counterdiscursive ideology. Actually, it's quite all right that such women don't describe themselves as feminists, because they're not.

However, we might say that it's fine that the majority of women are benefiting and learning from feminists who speak out for them and work for them, even if the same women don't support them in name or deed. Feminist action is meant to benefit all women, even if it sadly doesn't involve all women.

On the other hand, as Andrea Dworkin wrote, "Feminism is hated because women are hated." Believing in the principles but refusing the word feminism doesn't suggest a refusal of labels so much as it suggests internalised misogyny. Think supporting the ideology doesn't matter? Let's see how the daughters of the Cosmo readers are doing.

The Scotsman reports on a survey commissioned by UK teen magazine Bliss. The Teen Emotional Health Survey 2005 found that 63% of teenage girls surveyed would rather be a topless model than a nurse or doctor, and one in four thought that lap-dancing was a good profession.

This is just about the saddest information I have encountered in a while.

Are the non-feminists willing to say that these teenage girls are freely choosing these careers? That misogyny plays no part in creating the impression that these are desirable professions?

Three cheers for the Scottish Girl Guides, who are publishing on their web site interviews with over 100 Scottish women who have been successful in their careers in a range of fields, including politics, sport, and the arts. Brava also to JK Rowling, who recently criticised misogynist celebrity culture while writing of her daughters: "I don't want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I'd rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny - a thousand things, before 'thin'."

Livresse publique

2006-04-11T21:57:00.000+01:00

("si belle qu'elle me fait souffrir...")

'Livresse' is a lovely French play on words - 'livre', book, and 'ivresse', drunkenness or rapture. That's what I experience when I look at our new collection of Folio books. Oh, so beautiful! Oh, the pain! That would be the pain in my hip - right where my wallet used to be. It's empty now. But my shelves are full. (Erasmus would understand.)

Anne Fadiman says there are two types of book lovers. She and her family are of the carnal type. They have shelves full of manhandled paperbacks bearing the scars of love. They don't just crease the spines, they tear off sections as they read them if they feel like it. Stuart and I, on the other hand, fall into Fadiman's class of courtly lovers, doing our best to keep our beloved books pristine. Love's not Time's fool; but paperbacks do yellow and wither, and it is sad to see my favourite books falling prey to the ravages of age and damp.

Enter Folio. I now have surely the most beautiful edition of Anne of Green Gables ever printed - with an artist-designed cloth binding, adorable colour illustrations, a snug slip case to keep dust away, and beautiful black type on crisp, white, acid-free pages. I'm afraid I can't say I miss the second-hand M&S paperback of my childhood, with its cover printed in two shades of nauseating green, the pages spilling out after repeated re-reading split its feeble guts.

But the Folio people are cunning. First we ordered the requisite number of full-price books. Then they sent us a list of carefully selected titles at 20% off. Did we want some? Hell, yes. Then - the agony! A sale flyer, with even more titles, all at irresistible bargain prices! It will end in tears and bankruptcy. But we'll have the best library in the debtor's prison.

A taste of home?

2006-04-11T21:31:00.000+01:00

(Cheesy Pasta: A Meal in 8 Minutes!)

A local posh nosh shop, Peckhams, recently boasted a Canadian Food Festival. Well, I was but a young nipper when I tired of eating medallions of bison and duck riettes for school lunches, but I never did tire of KRAFT DINNER. Ah, KD, basis of so many happy undergraduate meals, not to mention a possible case or two of scurvy. How my homesick heart leapt for joy when I found this little beauty on my local supermarket shelves! Could it be?????

(Teeny noodles, but colour is promising...)

Well, the pasta was all wrong - the pin-like noodles are about a quarter the diameter of KD noodles - but the cheesy powder had that radioactive orange colour...promising...very promising...

("Worms, Michael...you're eating worms...")

THE VERDICT:

Stuart: 'Hm. It's kind of okay. Tastes kind of like cheddar.'
Michele: 'YEEUURGH!'

A Pre-Emptive Post For the Weekend

2006-03-29T09:26:00.000+01:00

Well, the weather outside is frightful... and I don't mean that in a good, cheery Christmas-like way. It has been raining hard and non-stop for the past week and there is flooding throughout bits of Southern Scotland (i.e. the low lying bits). However, Michele and I are determined to make the best of a free weekend to visit some of Scotland's historic castles. We plan to visit both Dumbarton Castle, west of us towards the coast and the Irish Sea, on Saturday and Stirling Castle, north and east of us, on Sunday.

Dumbarton will be a first for us while Stirling is a firm favourite. If you've visited the castle, you will know why. It is a beautiful castle in a beautiful setting. So you can, weather permitting, expect a whole raft of pictures of green Scotland. And with all this rain, it is certainly looking green... wet, but green.

Memoirs Found In A Bathtub

2006-03-28T08:35:00.000+01:00

(Author Stanislaw Lem and his dog, Pagez)

I was saddened this morning to read that Stanislaw Lem, one of my favourite writers, had died aged 84. Lem was a brilliant writer of a unique genre of satirical science fiction. He remains one of the few writers whose pantheon of works I have tried to collect, looking for him in ever Waterstones, Borders, WHSmith, and second-hand bookstore I could find. And, yes, he is that good.

27 million copies sold in 40 different languages and a number of books made into movies, most famously Solaris (dir. Tarkovsky (1971) & Soderbergh (2002)). While Solaris is truly brilliant, I have to choose the first Lem novel I read, Memoirs Found In A Bathtub, as his best. One of Lem's best loved topics, and one of mine, is madness, and Memoirs is a brilliant satirical piece filled with madness and politics gone wrong. Lem's website has a nice little page for Memoirs. Others, I know, love his Cyberiad

If you haven't had a chance to read Lem, you are missing out on a great. Too bad that we must say goodbye to his genius. So long, Stanislaw, and thanks for sharing your gift.

Bog Standard Oscars II: Part Duh

2006-03-14T09:18:00.000Z

(Oh, please, please let this end!!!)

Michele was kind enough to previously post a couple of our nominees for the Bog Standard Oscars. And now, I would like to share with you our version of the 'Golden Raspberry' Awards with this Part Duh, or the worst things to come along to a theatre in the past year or so.

Worst, unbelievably bad, horrendously, mind-gratingly, wish you could pop your head off and hide it in your hat movie that you wish--oh, how you wish--you could get your money back for having seen: King Kong (i.e another remake that should never have been remade)

Ooo, where to begin. As you might have guessed from the award title. This one is a stinker. Like a bad stilton left out on a summer's night. Woof! In fact, this is bad on a kind of galactic scale and when it goes out on televsion might lead to our destruction by a benevolent alien race. Yeah, it's that kind of bad. Unfortunately, you have to see it to really understand, but I would wish that on anyone. No, sir.

Worst attempt at acting by an undeniably cute, but entirely clueless child in a movie that tries to be Lord of the Rings too hard, and, frankly, isn't the Lord of the Rings and should never have tried to copy the Lord of the Rings: The wee actress playing Lucy in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

I wanted to like this one, but the award has to go to little Lucy in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. How many times can you watch a child pretend to cry with a tortured smile on her face--only seconds away from giggling hysterically--and fake glycerine tears hanging to her chubby, albeit cherubic, cheeks, before you just want to scream? For me it was 4. Cute as a button, yes, but little Lucy completely wrecked the drama in a number of scenes. As I say, I wanted to like this movie, but alas... [sigh]

Worst, we've got a budget the size of the national GDP of half of Africa for Special Effects and we're going to use it no matter what, even if it kills us, or, more preferrably, the audience who will surely die of boredom/shock/horror: King Kong (surprised?)

Again, you have to have slogged through this colossal 3hr+ beast of a movie (a fate worse than death?) to really appreciate just how Special Effects can be overused, but believe me... Jackson has reached the very highest pinnacle of overkill with this beast. And you thought George Lucas was indulgent--pfft! There are entire sequences, and I am talking 20-30 minute long sequences, where there is absolutely no purpose to a sequence beside indulging Mr. Jackson's childhood delight in gruesome squigglies and dinosaurs tromping around the countryside. I can honestly say that I was disgusted. Some of this stuff shouldn't even be on film, and it certainly shouldn't be put so gut-churningly, realistically on film. YUCK!

Worst actor you most wanted to hate, but actually enjoyed the film and so you can't really hate him as much as you would like, although there is certainly a good deal of loathing still going on (and always will be): Matt Damon

To be perfectly honest, I hate both Damon and Affleck for their "I'm not really acting, but I am acting, get it? Get it?" style. Only Jack Nicholson and Gene Hackman can really get away with that. But I really quite liked the Bourne Supremacy, particularly as Karl Urban was fantastic as the Russian assassin. So I am perplexed: I want to hate Matt, but I like this movie, hmm.

Most disappointing movie of 2005: The Brothers Grimm

Oh, Terry, oh, Terry, how far you have fallen. I loved Gilliam's Brazil and 12 Monkeys--dystopia at its heart-wrenching best, but this fantasy film is a sad attempt at... well, I'm not sure to be honest. It could have been so cool and could have been so interesting, and, I mean, come on... it has Monica Bellucci in it! But no, this one is a disappointment. On a positive note, however, it gives me a perfect reason to continue hating that pug-nosed garden gnome who can't act his way out of a wet paper bag, Matt Damon. Thanks for coming through, Matt.

Well, that's enough for now, stay tuned next year for more Bog Standard Golden Raspberries.

Sunday in Edinburgh

2006-03-07T18:52:00.000Z

(Stuart, Al, Stacy, and Andrew on the Royal Mile)

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than tromping around beautiful Edinburgh with friends? We started with a leisurely lunch at the National Gallery of Scotland's new restaurant and suffered through the details of Andrew's jammy new appointment as a film researcher at Oxford. Finally, however, Stacy banned "the O word". You can only swallow so much envy with your grilled salmon.

We then swanned up and down the Royal Mile, stuffing ourselves with fudge and admiring the contents of shop windows (keeping a safe distance from things like antique maps and the world's most expensive hot chocolate). We enjoyed getting to know Al, Stacy's "little" brother, and catching up with Andrew and Anastasia herself. Hopefully we'll see them soon in Glasgow.

The Inevitable

2006-02-28T14:22:00.000Z

I suppose it was inevitable, but all of a sudden my work schedule has bloomed into some over-bearing monster which pulls me, dear reader, from being a more constant blogger.

Everything is going well here, but is considerably more chaotic and busy than it was before Christmas. It is something you have to expect in the role of an academic, I am constantly being told. Meeting upon meeting, conferences, reports, your own research and teaching, all wrapped up and smacking you on the noggin daily. And, yes, this is what I asked for! :)

However, I promise to make an effort to be a more frequent blogger once again. We've actually got some good pictures and such, so I will get to it. In the meantime, it's back to the books for me. [sigh]

Scotland the Brave

2006-02-19T23:24:00.000Z

As is no doubt the case in many countries, when you apply for a job in Britain you are asked/required to fill out an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. The ones I've seen before this week (in England) ask for your gender, ethnicity, and disability status. A form I saw this week from a Scottish employer caught me by surprise. The questions included:

3. Gender
Are you:
Male
Female
Do you consider yourself transgender? Yes / No

4. Sexual Orientation
Are you:
Bisexual
Gay
Lesbian
Heterosexual
Other
Prefer not to say

Now the only question is: product of a genuinely admirable equal opportunities policy - or a covert weeding process? If the information were collected SEPARATELY from the job application, without the applicant's NAME on it, I would have more faith.

Bog Standard Oscars

2006-02-07T17:35:00.000Z

It has been suggested that the recent lack of posts on the Bog Standard Blog must surely mean that we have been engaged in exciting adventures, the details of which we must now provide our adoring audience for their vicarious pleasure. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth... You might say that our everyday life in Scotland pales in comparison to all the excitement of visiting family over Christmas (the subject of all of our recent posts!).

Besides, save a few lonely coppers, the travel chest is empty, so our activities in the past month have mainly centred around movies. I will try to be topical and to increase my sister Carol's chances of winning her Oscar pool by giving you some of my picks for the Bog Standard Oscars. Our categories don't entirely coincide with the Academy's, but hey, they watch a whole lot more films than we do, and they don't have to pay £5.50 per. So here goes.

Best superhero film: Batman Begins
This film also wins the award "Film watched most repeatedly by Bogstandard Bloggers" (five times so far) and the coveted "Best-looking cast (male)". Naturally, most film adaptations of comics are disappointing. I still watch almost all of them because I love comics and films. In previous years, only the X-Men films merited our BS award. Batman Begins is as serious, dramatic, and non-comic-book-y as a good film adaptation of a comic can be. Christian Bale gives a continuously engaging, charismatic performance. The plot doesn't falter unless you stop to think about what a microwave emitter designed to vaporise water would do to humans. I'd love to see it win for cinematography at the Oscars. Hey, it's easy to make the Rocky Mountains and Zhang Ziyi look beautiful.

Surprise achievement award: School of Rock
Usually all Jack Black does is disgust me, and I'm sure that's what he wants to do, so obviously he is a very successful performer, but that doesn't mean I want to watch his movies. This DVD was what we call a "train find". Yep, somebody left a brand-new copy of it, still in its wrapper, on a train. What a recommendation! Still, we at Bog Standard are as desperate for entertainment as you our readers must be, so we watched it and were totally surprised. I don't mind a torrent of foul language, but those of you who do can be assured that Jack was on his best behaviour while surrounded by a cast of nine-year-olds. Even better news: there is no romantic sub-plot. I enjoyed this movie because it captures both the joy of teaching and the excitement of making music. It presents these passions with surprising sincerity. If you share either of them, you might want to check this out for some light, feel-good entertainment.

Bog Standard Film of the Year: Brokeback Mountain
Michele, is this film winning just because it's the ONLY serious/arty film you've seen in the past year? No, smartass, it really is the best film I've seen for a long time for two reasons: the story is worth telling and Heath Ledger's performance absolutely blew me away. You must see this film, if only to marvel at his ability to create a character completely, from his style of speech down to the smallest gesture, and to carry that character through a storm of events and emotions. He carries every scene. Wow. I'd like to see this film pick up a raft of those little statuettes. Maybe that would help American cinemas overcome their collective homophobia and give this movie the screen numbers it deserves.

That was fun. Until Stuart and I start getting out more, stay tuned for the Bog Standard Music Awards.

Oh Canada, part V

2006-01-16T11:12:00.000Z

(Susan and Kevin with Lindsay and Tristan)

I am told by my mother that it is a rare thing to get a picture of camera-shy Kevin, so I consider myself lucky to have taken this picture. Calgary was the last stop on our whirlwind tour of Canada to see family and friends. Like so many others, Susan and Kevin had moved into a new home since we'd seen them last time and we'd like to thank them for having us to stay.

(Monkey boy alert! Tristan tries to devour my head.)

I had to include this picture, because I think it's hilarious. Michele and I had a great time visiting with Lindsay and Tristan, who were absolutely wonderful. We hung out, watched Treehouse, talked a little French, played trains, read some great children's books and generally had a fantastic time. And I ate my weight in an ice cream called 'Extreme Moose Tracks' (a very Canadian title, indeed).

(Tristan, Susan, and Lindsay at the piano)

Michele and I had a great time with Susan and Kevin and only wish that we'd had longer to visit. We're both secretly hoping that a visit to Glasgow might be in the cards later this year! So on the last day of our trip, we were sad to leave family and friends behind after what had proven such a brilliant trip. Thanks to everyone who shared a little of the Christmas season with us. We had a great time and miss you all!

Oh Canada, part IV

2006-01-15T16:46:00.000Z

(Leave it to Cam to talk through a picture!)

So many friends and so little time! No trip to Edmonton would be complete without a visit to the world-famous West Edmonton Mall (biggest in the world still, I think), but we had a better reason to go as we were meeting Cameron and Claire there for an all-too-brief visit. Both Cam and Claire are finishing up their library studies programmes at the University of Alberta and sitting down to coffee was a strange meeting of the minds with four librarians present. I only wish that we'd had more than an hour and a half to chat and catch up. But it was great to see them and to talk about families, library studies, and, of course, Christmases.

(The Coopers all lined up)

The next afternoon, Michele and I visited Graham and Lynn Cooper and their children, James and Jennelle at their home in Spruce Grove. I think it had been five years since I saw them both? Is that right? I can't remember, but it was too long regardless and it was great to see their new house, to talk about the kids, new jobs, and the directions our lives have taken us. It was great to see success following success with Graham and Lynn and the kids, and we wish them all the best!

(At home with the Curran-Morton clan)

Immediately following our visit with the Coopers was our visit with the Curran-Mortons, also in Spruce Grove. Now I know this is right. Michele and I had not really seen Craig and Louise for eight years, which is a terribly long time and means that we'd never even seen Olivia and little Willow, and Ethan was just a toddler when I'd seen him last. Eight years is far too long and we hope that we can visit again in a much more civilised space of time. It was great to see the kids and the new home, and it was wonderful to talk about all the things that have happened in those eight years.

Michele and I would like to thank everybody for spending time with us and open up the invitation one more time: if you are ever coming over to the UK or are just looking for that perfect holiday destination, then look no further! We would love to see you and show you the sights! Come visit!

(p.s. Kelly and Tammee, we're very sorry to have missed you, but I seem to have lost your details! Please contact us again!)

Oh Canada, part III

2006-01-12T10:32:00.000Z

(Say cheese! Mom Boon is all smiles.)

Our second leg of our trip brought us to Spruce Grove, Alberta, where I spent my childhood and where my parents still live. We'd last seen my parents when they'd come to Sheffield to visit a year or so ago, which makes them the most recent family to have visited us since we left Canada for the UK. Although we only had five days together, it was wonderful to see them and to have time to do the simple things like sit down at a meal together and just to talk. This was also the only part of the trip that did not involve us being auntie and uncle and it provided a nicely timed rest for us.

(Dad Boon taking time out)

One of the first things that we did upon our arrival in the house was to look at all the woodwork that my Dad has been putting up over the past little while. Since retiring, my Dad has been very badly bitten by the carpentry bug and now spends much of his time in the garage making all manner of things. Both Michele and I were hugely impressed by his skill, particularly given the short time that he's been doing this, having started after retiring from welding. Were we in Canada, we would no doubt have some of his work in our home!

Mom and Dad also kindly gave us a drive down to our final destination in Canada to see my sister Susan, her husband Kevin, and their kids, Lindsay and Tristan....

Oh Canada, part II

2006-01-11T10:14:00.000Z

(Scotland? Nope. Salmon Arm, British Columbia)

On Boxing Day, Michele and I went to visit my sister Sherri, her husband Jeff and their two boys, Bryan and Mark, in Salmon Arm. This was our first visit to Salmon Arm and it was also the first time that the boys had ever seen their aunt and uncle in person. In fact, I don't think I'd seen Sherri and Jeff in something like 6 years! But we had a lovely visit with the Nelson family which included a visit to Salmon Arm's wharf as seen above.

(Surprise! It's the Nelsons!)

It was great to spend time with the boys who are as intelligent as they are rambunctious. They showed us their toys, talked about their Christmas, got an impromptu reading of one of their favourite books from their uncle, and even sang us a song! Now that's what I call entertainment! And all before lunch!

(Sherri and I on the wharf and in the rain!)

It was also great to catch up with Sherri and Jeff who we've sadly not had much contact with for the past while. We would like to thank them for having us in their home and for taking such great care of us in the short time that we had. It was a wonderful visit and next time let's all get together and do that houseboat thing!

Oh Canada, part I

2006-01-10T09:55:00.000Z

(Snowy British Columbia)

Our Christmas tour of Canada started in Calgary but these first pictures are from British Columbia where we spent Christmas with Michele's family. The picture above is one of the very few that we have with snow, for ours was a brown Christmas, although certainly still very merry! In fact, the UK received far more snow in our absence than we saw in our two-week trip in Canada.

(A view of Lake Okanagan, looking towards Penticton)

In fact the area around Summerland, BC, where Michele's parents now live with is very arid and like a desert in summer. It has also recently become a huge wine-making region and produces, I am told, some very fine award-winning wines. Whodathunk!

(Overlooking a wintry vineyard in Summerland, BC)

Our Christmas was full of cheer with Michele's sister's children ripping through their presents in record time while Michele, myself, Mom & Dad Hilton, and Liz and Andrew watched. We sat down to a lovely Christmas dinner and laughed away the afternoon with the kids. It was extraordinary compared with the quiet Christmases that Michele and I have had of late in Britain and it was really great to be with family again at Christmas. Here's belatedly hoping that your Christmases were filled with fun and family as well!

Merry Christmas 2005

2005-12-25T18:59:00.000Z

Michele and I are currently in Summerland, British Columbia, enjoying a wonderful Christmas with Michele's family, excepting her youngest sister, Carol, who we are missing very much. Tomorrow we visit my sister Sherri and her family in Salmon Arm and then a few days after that it's back to Spruce Grove to visit my parents and see a few old friends. But this has been a special Christmas as it has been the first Christmas in many moons for me that involved children and it's been non-stop excitement here!

We hope that all your Christmases are filled with happiness and joy this year and that Santa has brought you all the toys you were hoping for. We'll upload some pictures of the snow here a little later. Right now, it's back for more turkey!!!

Canada for Christmas

2005-12-08T09:14:00.000Z

In a little under two weeks, Michele and I will be in Canada for Christmas. We're spending two weeks travelling around western Canada visiting our families and seeing some friends. On that note, if any of you--and you *know* who you are--are going to be near Edmonton after Christmas, let us know and maybe we can get together. I'm not naming names [*cough* Cam, Kelly, Graham, and Craig] but I'll be trying to track you down in the next little while.

This also means that there won't be a dirth of postings until after the New Year and our return to Glasgow. For those of you who we won't see, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Stuart & Michele

Fellow Whovians Unite!

2005-12-03T09:30:00.000Z

('No! Not another quarry! Run for it!')

I recently received a wonderful letter from Paul, a fellow Whovian, or, for those not in the know, a rampant fan of Doctor Who (ahem, and yes, that's the *classic* Doctor Who series). In Canada, people always thought I was strange (o.k., maybe stranger) for liking Doctor Who, but here in the UK, liking Doctor Who is the norm. But for poor Paul, walking around Saskatoon in that wonderful Tom Baker-era scarf (one of two handmade by our friend Nadia), life must be hard. So this little bit of useless fun is for you, Paul:

Stuart's Top Ten Classic Doctor Who Titles That Never Were

Terror of the Croutons
The Dentists of Death
The Talons of Wang Chung
Blind Date with the Daleks
The Hand of Fear, the Mind of Evil, and the Other Bits We Don't Like to Mention
Green Death and Ham
Hard Day's Night of the Cybermen
The Sofa of Doom
The Unspeakable Thingy of Utter, Utter Nastiness
Did We Mention Daleks?

Settling down in Glasgow

2005-11-26T19:08:00.000Z

(Glasgow Cathedral by night.)

Finally, thankfully, Michele and I have broadband in our new home. This may not seem a big deal at first, but if you consider that we needed broadband to ensure that Michele could work from home, you can begin to see the scale of disaster that *not* having broadband has been. Basically, Michele has had to run down to Liverpool every week to get her job done, but now with our connection finally fitted, we can begin to settle down to something approximating normality. Oh, and it also means we can blog more often.

Above is the sight that I see every night as I walk home from my office. Not bad, huh? Across from the cathedral is the Glasgow Necropolis, whose statues and mausoleums, believe it or not, are similarly lit. Some might find this a little macabre, but I think it's beautiful and it certainly makes the walk home through the dark a little more palatable. Glasgow being some 5 hours north of Liverpool means that it gets darker earlier. It's not quite on par with Edmonton, Alberta, but it's close.

Michele and I are still getting used to Glasgow and just beginning to get a sense for where things are. We are continually walking through bits of town going, 'Oh, look at that,' and 'See that shop?' Glasgow is a great city, and you don't have to take my word for it. Ask anyone in the UK. I have yet to meet a single person who hasn't sung the praises of this city. So I guess that counts as an advert for all you people who've needed another reason to come visit. Glasgow is way cool.

So as we explore there will be lots and lots more to follow.

Beware the Tattie Boggle

2005-11-17T16:06:00.000Z

(Sitting behind my iMac G5 in my office. No, I am not a Tattie Boggle!)

Above is a snapshot of me taken by--of all things!--my new computer at work which has an integrated web camera (called an iSight). When booting up for the first time, it snapped me and now every time I log in I'm sitting there staring at myself, which is, needless to say, kind of weird. However, it works very well (being a Mac) and everything at work is going well. Michele and I are still getting our lives ordered after the big move and so there hasn't been a lot of communication on this website, but there will be as we settle in.

I shamelessly put the Tattie Boggle in the title here because I thought it was hilarious when I found out that a Jack-o'-Lantern is a 'Tattie Boggle' here in Scotland. It is a turnip (seriously) hollowed out with a candle placed inside (no, I am not making this up) and is also used as a term to describe someone with not much going on upstairs. Let's just say that you don't want to be called a Tattie Boggle by anyone, particularly if you consider yourself smarter than the average bear! So beware the Tattie Boggle moniker.

More information (bizarre, no doubt) to follow.

Haggis on a bun, and other oddities...

2005-11-08T15:18:00.000Z

(Beautiful Eilann Donan in the Highlands; yes, this is typical weather)

That's right! You know when you are in Scotland when your lunch consists of a warm bun full o' haggis. Sounds appealing, doesn't it? Seriously, though, if you haven't tried haggis, then you haven't lived... at least, not in Scotland.

I got a message from my sister asking how things were in Glasgow and realised that I hadn't posted anything yet about my bliss at now living in Scotland (my one ancestral home; the other being The Netherlands, hence the Van Gogh looks). So far my time in Glasgow has been brilliant, which I suppose means my job has been brilliant. I can certainly attest to the friendliness of the Scottish people. This separates them from the English who are very hot and cold depending on which part of England you are in. I've met wonderful English people and I've met some real horrors. I have yet to meet a Scot who hasn't been nice. Admittedly, I am not hanging out in the worst bits of Glasgow. In fact, I think much of it has to do with population. There are something like 61 million people in the UK and only 5 million of them are Scots. Loads more room, fewer people to bump into, and it all seems to spell happier, nicer folk.

So far, Glasgow has been great. We've not really had a chance to do it proper. I've spent much of my time indoors building IKEA furniture whereas Michele has been travelling almost non-stop (she deserves an award!). We should get a chance soon, I hope, and we'll give you the low-down. In the meantime, enjoy the build-up to Christmas.

p.s. I have yet to experience a single day without serious rain too

Divorce your car

2005-11-07T13:01:00.000Z

We hope to post some photos of beautiful Glasgow soon - just as soon as BT gets around to flicking the appropriate switch. Until then, some news snippets from your favourite Canucks in Glasgow.

First, it's goodbye Yak, hello eco-friendly pedestrian life. Some of you will fondly recall our blue 2000 VW Polo, aka "The Yak". Hang onto those memories - they're all you have left of the Yakster. However, exceptionally bored visitors to Sheffield might still be able to spot it being driven around by its new owner. We are looking forward to saving over £250 a month. Yaks are expensive to feed, water, and insure.

Second, we are settling into the new flat and it is gorgeous! Thank you, Ikea. It was bonfire night (aka Guy Fawkes Day) on Saturday. All the spontaneous fireworks and sounds of explosions gave us a taste of life in Paris. The British media, by the way, seem to have temporarily forgotten July 7 and are enjoying the opportunity to criticise France for its social problems, lack of equality and integration, loss of social order, etc.

We'll be back with more news as soon as BT fulfills that 48-hour promise they made five days ago...

We're still waiting...

2005-11-04T15:55:00.000Z

Due to a goof up at British Telecom, we are still without internet access at home. So this message is being typed up in an internet cafe here in Glasgow. We were supposed to have access yesterday, but now may have to wait a week. ARGH! Anyway, hang on and we will be back with pictures and more from Glasgow. In the meantime... read a book... or two.

Here we go again...

2005-10-25T18:25:00.000+01:00

We are currently up to our hips in boxes as we prepare to leave for Glasgow. So the blogging might be sporadic for the next little bit, what with getting the broadband up and running in our new flat and such. But we shall return.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

2005-10-24T09:02:00.000+01:00

(Our two heroes return for more hare-raising action!)

On Saturday, Michele and I went out to our local cinema to catch the new Wallace & Gromit film. We've been huge fans of these two since the early days and so The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was a must-see. I had my reservations early on about whether or not the film would manage to shine next to the brilliant shorts, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave. And I'm not entirely sure that it does. It is hard to compare them as the film is more than four times longer, but for me, I think, A Close Shave is still the pinnacle of Nick Park's creative genius. This is likely because of how closely packed the tricks, sly winks, and laughs all are in a twenty minute span. The film can't compete with this rapid-fire pace.

(Brilliant caricatures of English rural life await!)

Having said that, the film absolutely sparkles in a number of areas. First of all, the animation is even more daring and beautifully executed. Wallace and Gromit themselves are great examples of this. They move as fully realised characters and are great fun to watch. Some of the other characters are absolutely bizarre, including the pig-nosed bunnies (?) and the outrageously-lipped Lady Tottington. However, the characterization of British country life is wickedly funny. The town Vicar is truly wonderful and the townsfolk are spot-on. All the foibles, particularities, and downright strangeness of an English country village is perfectly captured in this picture of a town gone mad for oversized vegetables. It's great fun, especially if you've experienced something like it first hand!

I don't want to give away too much more, but there are absolutely brilliant moments throughout. It is just that there is a longer wait between them than in the tightly-packed shorts (don't think about that too long). In the end, it was certainly worth seeing and it fits nicely with Wallace & Gromits previous adventures. If you haven't seen it and you're a fan of A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave, then you should definitely check out The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

The Classic Dames Test

2005-10-22T18:02:00.000+01:00

See Stuart's post below. Thanks, ADM! And woo-hoo! I married Cary Grant! And (meaning little to me, I must admit), I am most like...

Barbara Stanwyck
You scored 30% grit, 23% wit, 42% flair, and 11% class!

You're a tough dame, a bit of a spitfire, and you can even be a little dangerous, but you do it with such flair that almost all is forgiven (and even when it's not, you're still the most interesting woman in the room). You can be witty and charming, all right, but you have a tough streak that keeps you focused and sometimes deadly. You've had quite a climb to get where you are, but you're a hard worker and you mostly deserve all you get...and then some. You might end up destroying everything around you, but you must admit... you've got style. Your leading men include Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray, and when you forget yourself, Gary Cooper.

How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 75% on grit
You scored higher than 29% on wit
You scored higher than 68% on flair
You scored higher than 11% on class

Link: The Classic Dames Test

Stanwyck was also known simply as "The Queen" to her co-stars. Gotta like that.

The Classic Leading Man Test

2005-10-22T17:50:00.000+01:00

Thanks to adm over at My Lunar Baedeker for linking to this. This was a blast and I have ended up in the same class as:

Cary Grant
You scored 4% Tough, 23% Roguish, 19% Friendly, and 52% Charming!

You are the epitome of charm and style, the smooth operator who steals the show with your sophisticated wit and quiet confidence. You are able to catch any woman you want just by flashing that disarming smile. When you walk into a room, the women are instantly intrigued and even the
men are impressed. When you find yourself in trouble, you are easily able to charm your way out of it, or convince others to help you. You're seen as dashing, suave and romantic. Your co-stars include Katharine Hepburn, Irene Dunne, and Joan Fontaine, stylish women who know a class act when they see it.

How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 8% on Tough
You scored higher than 62% on Roguish
You scored higher than 21% on Friendly
You scored higher than 94% on Charming

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test

(I don't think you can get much less tough than that! I am a jelly! But a roguishly friendly and charming jelly. ;^)

Revisiting Derbyshire

2005-10-16T17:44:00.000+01:00

(Signpost atop the misty moors of Derbyshire)

Michele and I have just returned from a trip back to Derbyshire. It isn't long now before we head off up to Glasgow and we'd wanted to go back and reminisce about our brief lives in the Peak District. Our plan today was twofold: firstly, we wanted to return to the wonderful Eyre Arms in Calver (pronounced 'Cah-ver') where we would be assured a wonderful meal (and weren't disappointed!) and, secondly, we wanted to return to Bakewell for reasons you'll read about below. Luckily, the sun did decide to make an appearance after our lunch and so we were able to take a few snaps.

(Some of the 'usual suspects' in Bakewell)

I use the term 'usual suspects' above because if there is one thing you can be assured of in Bakewell, it is the presence of many waterfowl. Ducks, geese, coots, swans, moorhens, and stranger fellows show up to bathe and grab a meal. Unfortunately, a 'meal' often consists of bread crumbs which do them no good at all. In the past, we'd always bought proper bird feed for them, but most people don't seem to understand the harm they are doing and just grab half a loaf of expired white bread to throw at them. The RSPB can campaign all they like, but people just don't seem to care.

(Swan floating down the Wye River)

Today we were lucky to get some real close-ups, including this one above. Usually the birds are very careful about getting too close, but I think because they are stocking up for the flight south, they were being a bit less cautious. As a result, I got lovely snaps of a number of them, including this swan and the Canada goose below.

(Some Canadian visitors to Bakewell)

In fact, the Canada geese were really getting into it, calling to people--well, honking at them is more like it--and walking around after them. We had a couple of stalkers (see below) for a time as we walked down the riverside, despite the fact that we weren't handing out feed this trip. For us, this was a chance to revisit one of our favourite places in Derbyshire. Bakewell really is lovely and I know that I have waxed poetic about it in the past and so I won't bother here. But if you do ever find yourselves in the Peak District, it is certainly worth a stop. But be warned that this pleasant locale is not a secret and can be a surprisingly busy place.

(Our stalkers!)

Nonetheless, we had a very relaxing walk along the Wye, which we needed after our indulgent meals that included a couple of great puddings--that's desserts to you people in Canada. To say, 'dessert' here is very low class and even quite shocking in proper polite company. Bah, whatever! It's still dessert! Anyway, it was a lovely afternoon and we weren't disappointed by the weather, which is a real possibility in the Peak District, if not the whole of Great Britain. Our consolation as we left this idyllic part of Derbyshire was that we soon would be within shooting distance of all that Scotland has to offer, including the gorgeous lochs, islands, Borders and Highlands.

(The bridge over the River Wye)

Still, we'll have to find someplace to feed the ducks (who are Michele's absolute favourites) in Scotland--which I am sure is possible. So we leave Bakewell and Derbyshire behind, but then we're not too far from visiting again in the future. And being the travellers we are, it is more likely than unlikely that we'll feeding the ducks here once again.

The Shameless Partner-Bragging Continues

2005-10-13T18:32:00.000+01:00

Lest I hog all the glory and limelight, let me add that Stuart heard this week that his first paper from the info lit research project has been accepted by the prestigious Journal of Documentation (J-DOC to its friends), one of the foremost journals in LIS. Congratulations, Stuart!

A day at the races... and a great success!

2005-10-11T15:44:00.000+01:00

(Michele anxiously awaiting the start of the race)

Last Saturday, Michele and I drove up to Castle Howard in Yorkshire where Michele would be running a 10K Run for Cancer Research UK in memory of Donna Barry. Above is a picture of Michele standing in the frosty morning air (and, no lie, it was seriously nippy!) prepared for her 10K. Though reports were sketchy, we think more than 1000 people joined in the race to raise money for Cancer Research UK. The race began late at about 10:07 and I watched as Michele was lost in the hordes as they bounced through the starting gate.

(Michele crossing the finish line!)

I should say that the previous day had been a rainy one and given that the race course was through field and forest, it is a wonder that more people didn't end up covered from head to foot in muck and mire! And, luckily, it appeared that few people fell during the course. Needless to say that with the muddy, slippery conditions I was delighted when Michele appeared at the final stretch, and if it weren't for camera lag, I would have got a picture of her crossing the finish line, not a couple of feet past it! However, as you can see, she managed a great time of 1 hour and 21 minutes for her first ever 10K and her first outdoor run.

(Success!!! And a medallion to show for it.)

Michele has raised £135 so far (about $280 CAD) with some people contributing post-race. Her determination and ability have paid off yet again and I for one am hugely proud of her. She never ceases to amaze me. Congratulations again, Michele!

Pictures back online

2005-10-10T23:53:00.000+01:00

(We're back! Oh, and so are the pictures.)

A big thank you to Rebecca and Julie for helping test out the pictures. I've finally gone for the simplicity of using Blogger's own pictures facility, although that means the linked pictures are of lesser quality (i.e. more grainy) than before, but it means that I shouldn't have to worry about re-linking all 269 pictures again. The movies are down until I get some webspace at Strathclyde. I will let you know when they are back up. Enjoy.

Home Sweet Crypt

2005-10-07T21:54:00.000+01:00

We are back from a successful house-hunting trip to Glasgow and can report that we have found our dream flat (the dream being, 'oh please, don't make us live in a hellhole like some of the flats we have just seen'). In fact, we will be in a spacious 2-bed 2-bath flat on the top floor of a new development just on the other side of the Necropolis, a fine place for any Buffy fan to take a walk although, as in Sunnydale, not really a place you go at night without a crossbow and well-honed self-defence skills. However, vampires beware, for just on the other side of the Necropolis is beautiful Glasgow Cathedral and the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life. The godly would appear to outweigh the ungodly in the neighbourhood. All kidding aside, we're a 20-minute walk from Stuart's workplace (without needing to go through the Necropolis), so it is ideal. We'll be sending everyone our new mailing address shortly.

Where have all the photos gone?

2005-10-07T21:32:00.000+01:00

We knew the day would come. The photos you have seen on this blog actually lived in Stuart's old web server space at Dal, and that web server has now gone the way of all computers. Anyway, not to worry; being Stuart, he has kept a complete backup and will be reposting and relinking all the pictures. Not right now, though; he's busy watching Rock School. I shall say no more.

House-hunting in Glasgow

2005-10-04T08:06:00.000+01:00

Michele and I are off to Glasgow this afternoon to find us a home for November. Plus on the weekend is Michele's big race for Cancer Research UK at Castle Howard. You can count on hearing from us after the event.

This is a priority one!

2005-10-01T15:27:00.000+01:00

(The cast of Onegai Sensei. Click on any of the images to visit the series web site)

Stuart and I are in the grip of our biggest anime-obsession to date. Onegai Sensei (Please Teacher) has us completely in the thrall of a group of 15-year-olds (or are they?) and their hot new teacher, Ms. Kazami, who just happens to be...

(Mizuho Kazami, or 'Sensei')

...yes, gorgeous as only pink-haired, doe-eyed anime characters can be, but also (gasp) an alien sent to watch over Earth! Much to her chagrin, her student Kei Kusanagi discovers her secret, and that plus a combination of irresistibly charming plot twists soon hurtles them into taboo territory...

(Suki desu! Demo... I love you! But...)

The absolute agony of struggling to communicate personal feelings and to overcome the conflict between desire and social expectation is, perhaps, nowhere more acute than in Japanese culture. Onegai Sensei keeps you right on the knife-point of this struggle with compelling vocal performances, heart-rending drama, and beautiful colours and images. As Mizuho often says to her spaceship operating system: this is a priority one!

Geneva's Old Town

2005-09-24T16:28:00.000+01:00

(The spire and roof of the Cathédrale St-Pierre)

If you want a view of Geneva, we learned, you must go and climb the north tower of the late Romanesque cathedral in the Old Town. The Cathédrale St-Pierre is set in the gorgeous, steeply winding avenues of the oldest part of Geneva and is worth a look. The cathedral itself is very attractive and, for a mere 2 euros per person, you can climb a narrow spiral staircase up to the top of the tower for a view that is worth far more than what you've just paid.

(The view from the north tower of the Cathédrale)

Click on the picture above for a better and bigger view! Again we were very lucky with the weather and could see for miles. This has to be the best, and cheapest, way to get a bird's eye view of Geneva, second only to the 'real' bird's eye view you get when flying into the city over Lac Léman.

(Nadia and Michele with the jet d'eau and Lake Geneva in the background)

We took the opportunity to take some snaps of each other up there. Here, first and far more photogenically, are Michele and Nadia. Look more evidence that Michele and I do actually travel together and don't just send a small, left-handed dwarf named Hanz to Europe with our digital camera.

(Same view but with yours truly this time)

And, above, is one of me, which is here purely for documentary reasons. Although it suddenly occurs to me that these two pictures do not necessarily prove that Michele and I were there at the same time... but we were. Seriously! On to more interesting matters....

(My favourite billboard in Geneva (l) and Nadia's landlords' rules (r)--click to view)

While walking through Geneva, I spied this billboard (above left) which I thought was hilarious. I think it is an advert for a travel card of some kind, but I just love the rabbit on the ten-speed. Someone obviously shares my sense of humour... moving on. Above right is the document put up by the landlords in Nadia's building describing the various rules to be observed. You've probably seen or heard of this sort of thing before where English speakers make fun of the broken English these foreign rules are written in. Well, this one is for real. My favourite is Article 2: "Only electric lamps are to be used in the servitudes". Uh, o.k.

(A dramatic sky above the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire)

On our last full day in Geneva, we visited the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, which turned out to be far more engaging that I think any of us thought it would. The building itself is kept and laid out in such a way as to be a kind of monument to art itself. Walking into different galleries is like walking into the past or specific periods in time. It is very well done and the one building ends up seeming like many buildings, times or worlds in one: from the Greek and Eqyptian statues and stonework in the basement, to the collection of priceless clocks and the Swiss landscapes of Hodler, and up to the beautiful sculptures of Rodin and Canova on the third floor. Wow. And as we left, nature was putting on a little drama of its own.

(An even more dramatic sunset over Geneva)

The picture above is another taken from Nadia's balcony, where she will undoubtedly see many a colourful sunset. Or sunset with rainbow, as in this case. It rains a lot in Geneva so this sort of scene can't be all that unusual, but it nicely ends this little photo-blog of our wee trip to Geneva. Big thanks again to Nadia for having us to stay. We had a great time!

(p.s. if you want Hanz's number, e-mail me. He's quite good, you know.)

Geneva, Genève, Genf

2005-09-22T09:38:00.000+01:00

(Geneva at dawn from Nadia's balcony)

Switzerland has a reputation. Namely, Switzerland has a reputation for being dead boring. Home to the Matterhorn, the world's highest bungee jump (as seen in the Bond film Goldeneye is 220m off the Verzasca Dam), and the adventures of Heidi, it doesn't sound that boring, and luckily we can report that Geneva is far from boring. Laid back, yes, cool, yes, maybe a little sleepy, sure, but boring? No. We went to Geneva to spend some time with our friend Nadia who has just moved to Geneva as part of her job with Canada's foreign service (and had only been there a week!). The picture above was taken from her balcony at dawn on our first full day in the city.

(Looking towards Old Town and the Cathedral spire from the harbour)

Geneva is in the French-speaking western quarter of Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva. It is only a hop, skip, and a jump from other famous Swiss stops Montreux (of the famous Jazz Festival) and Lausanne (of the famous skiing). Our first stop in Geneva was to walk down to Lake Geneva, also called Lac Léman, walking past about ten thousand wristwatch stores. Yes, Geneva is the place if watches are your thing. Store after store is filled with incredibly pricey wrist gadgetry. My favourite (Bovet's Fleurier Jumping Hours open-work Complication--seriously) only cost £5000 or about 6000 twoonies! Needless to say, I didn't get one.

(Geneva's famous jet d'eau)

The reward for making it past the endless streets of wristwatch temptation is a view of Lake Geneva and the hugely famous landmark known as the jet d'eau, a 140 metre-high jet of water that has been Geneva's trademark for over 100 years. We could see it from Nadia's balcony miles away and it is nicely lit up at night. But one question we all asked ourselves was, why?! I put it down to just being an impressive display of Swiss engineering.

(Out on Lac Léman or Lake Geneva)

Anyway, from the water's edge, we jumped on board a boat tour of the lake. This is something that Michele and I do every chance we get and Nadia was game. If you are one of those people who's never gone on a boat tour, you don't know what you are missing. They are brilliant and wonderfully relaxing (provided you are not an aquaphobe, that is). We were very lucky with the weather and briefly considered taking a day-long boat trip to Yvoire the next day, but decided instead on seeing the Old Town (to follow this post).

(Nadia and Michele on the Grebe)

Our tour boat was called the Grebe and basically puttered between the boat launches on the Quai du Mont-Blanc and Quai Gustave Ador and further out to the northern edge of the city. I think we took about 50 photos total out on the water, including the one above with Nadia and Michele and a rare one below of Michele and I. We are regularly chastised for not putting up more pictures of us together, but it is actually quite unusual to find someone willing to take the camera and take a snap of us. Nadia was kind enough to do so here.

(Stuart and Michele in the shadows--it was seriously bright!)

This picture was taken as the boat turned to return back to the boat launch with Geneva in the background, including, yes, the jet d'eau. From this point, we enjoyed a leisurely ride back into Geneva. On the way, Nadia was able to point out some of the United Nations buildings where she works. I should say that as a result of the UN, Geneva is hugely multicultural. It is like a small snapshot of the globe all living peacefully together. Quite nice, that.

(Some of Geneva's beautiful waterfront)

Arriving back at the boat launch, we then walked around the edge of Old Town for an hour or two before retiring back to Nadia's abode. Michele and Nadia admired some music boxes, which is another thing that Geneva or maybe all of Switzerland is famous for. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these too were out of our current price range. We really must come back when we've made our millions. Our day ended with grabbing some food and heading home to catch up as we hadn't seen Nadia in about three years. A nice start to a great weekend.

Arrrr! Avast ye barnacled bilge rats!

2005-09-19T14:21:00.000+01:00

Aye, it be September 19th and that be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, aha! So it be, so it be. Aye.

Bein' a huge fan o' all things piratical, that I be wantin' t' wish everyone a happy international talk like a pirate day. Aye, go on, ye know ye want to! Give the English-to-Pirate translator a whif if ye cannot be jibbed elseways.

Harr! How I wish t' I were in Disneyland now, me hearties. A fine time I'd be havin'.

Well, wher'er ye be, ha'a good one! An' remember, dead men be telling no tales.

Tolkien & Oxford

2005-09-17T13:52:00.000+01:00

(J. R. R. Tolkien at Oxford, and his home on Holywell Street)

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings. Luckily for me, Michele shares this passion and arranged for us to go on a walking tour of Oxford to see where the 'Inklings' hung out and shared their ideas with one another. It was a 90 minute tour that led us around in a merry circle through Oxford and included the house (above right) where Tolkien began writing The Lord of the Rings. This was a surprise to both of us. Amazing to think that such a fantastic, colourful epic was begun in such drab environs--or perhaps that makes perfect sense!

(The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford where the Inklings met)

The tour ended at The Eagle and Child pub (also known as the Bird and Baby), where The Inklings had a pint or two while reading their poems and stories to one another. Formed from a tight circle of friends, 'The Inklings' met regularly for 16 years, quitting in 1949, in a back room at this quiet, little pub. They included J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and brother Warnie Lewis, Hugo Dyson, Charles Williams, Dr. Robert Havard, Owen Barfield, Neville Coghill and others. It was a real treat to sit down in the Eagle and Child today and have a drink where this distinguished group had done the same.

It follows a pattern of literary pilgrimages that we've been making, including most recently the Brontës, Wordsworth, and Shakespeare, and was well worth it. Even though I am not a particular fan of Oxford, which I somewhat affectionately and somewhat derisively call Oxsnard (pronounced ox-SNAAAAARRRRRDDD!!!), the tour was great and our dinners at The Mitre afterwards made the 3 hour drive (6 with return) worth it.

p.s. Happy 69th Birthday, Dad!

A big blogful from Blenheim

2005-09-12T19:42:00.000+01:00

(The Grand Bridge at Blenheim Palace from afar)

On Friday last, Michele and I planned to drive down to Oxford to go on a walking tour. As we had to leave really early to beat the traffic on the various motorways, we ended up in Oxfordshire well before we needed to meet up at The Mitre in Oxford. When we were nearing the city, we saw a sign for Blenheim Palace--a place we'd always talked about going to--and having the time, we decided to see what's what.

(The Palace from the Great Court--and 'great' it is!)

Well, this is what's what (above)! You've got to click on the picture to see the scale of this place. There are people just near the doors which must be 30 feet high. And this picture really only incorporates the central hall and so you are missing out on the two giant North and South wings. All told, this picture amounts to perhaps a quarter of the building or less. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the inside as that's not allowed, but the grandure of the architecture and the grounds alone can probably give you a hint of what it contains. The palace was begun in 1705 and is home to the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. It was also the birthplace and home of Sir Winston Churchill and hosts a fantastic tribute to him, his time as prime minister, and his art (of which I'd seen very little and was pleasantly shocked to find him an accomplished artist). Of all the massive rooms inside, Michele and I both, perhaps unsurprisingly, were really taken with the library. It's worthy of a pilgrimage.

(The Water Terraces filled with statues and fountains)

Exiting the palace, the next stop is the Water Terraces which sit outside the left side of the house. Considerably newer than the rest of the Palace, the Terraces took five years to plan and build, and are patterned on the Parterre d'Eau at Versailles. It was certainly a great spot for a walk and the size of it was something to behold. The Terraces go from the side of the Palace down to a large lake on the grounds where we walked briefly before walking around to the back of the palace.

(The rear face of Blenheim Palace and a huge green lawn)

The palace is a palace from all sides. I mean, it's stunning and massive and impressive all at once. It deserves the title of palace. Even the proverbial 'back yard' is gargantuan and the rear face of the building is ornately carved. It was here that we ran into an elderly man who worked on the grounds who told us to seek out the little known secret garden, hidden in the wood past the Italian garden (yes, there are a just a teensy few gardens here and there around this endless estate).

(The Italian Garden; a private garden for the current Duke & Duchess)

The picturesque Italian garden is the only one that is off limits to visitors as it is meant as a refuge for the current Marlborough family. It's a lovely spot too. It would have been nice to walk through, but I guess you've got to give the Duke and Duchess some privacy.

(The Secret Garden, complete with waterfall and fish ponds)

This was our last stop before leaving Blenheim for Oxford. Hidden in amongst a large copse of ancient trees was this incredible little garden with a winding path that took you past all manner of flowering bushes, tall trees, and aromatic shrubbery. The garden has its own waterfall, gazebo (see above), little flowing stream, and fish pond full of what we think were colourful carp. It's the sort of surroundings in which you can lose yourself metaphorically and just let the sky wheel past overhead.

As you can see we had a lovely time and all of this was just before 1:30! Next stop Oxford.

Novel ways to waste time

2005-09-08T13:57:00.000+01:00

(A beautiful day in the neighbourhood (i.e. Liverpool))

I just meant to check the camera for our trip to Geneva, but then decided to have a little fun with it. This sort of thing is exactly why having a digital camera is such fun. Shoot, delete, shoot, delete, that is until you get something interesting. Take for example the shot below.

(A close-up of our bamboo boyos)

I thought this was kinda cool. It's our beloved Lucky Bamboo, which isn't really bamboo at all, I've just learned, and we have fondly named 'The Boyos' (see if you can guess what movie reference that is). Anyway, they seemed a likely target for my roving camera eye.

(Optical illusion? Our strangely translucent speakers!)

And then I noticed the wee optical illusion caused by the reflection in the high gloss of our speakers. I'm not sure how this even works because our ceiling, reflected by the speaker, is actually white, but appears to somehow match the floor?! And the doorway is just too neat. Or at least I thought so. Well, there you go, a case of photoblogging in action.

Ten years previously, at Acadia...

2005-09-06T21:27:00.000+01:00

(The earliest picture of us we could dig up)

Ten years ago today, I stood in a queue to register for courses at Acadia University. I was happy to be studying English again and to be at Acadia for one more year. I chatted gaily with the bloke in front of me, sharing the excitement of a new academic year. Then I turned around to spread my goodwill to the person in the queue behind me. How unexpected! This person was not a happy camper. In fact, he was downright cranky. I didn't know it then, but he had come all the way from Alberta only to find himself living in a dorm with a bunch of wretchedly ill-behaved, immature frosh. He was a cute guy, though, so I turned up the charm and kept trying to draw him into conversation. Ten years later, the conversation just keeps getting more interesting. We thought we went to Acadia as a step on the way to becoming English professors. Instead, Stuart was meant to return to his grandmother's birthplace and become a lecturer in education. And whatever else was on the cards, I wasn't meant to be an English prof. But I was meant to be in that queue ten years ago today and to turn around to see my future. It was fate, baby. Lucky me.

The Vampire Lestuart

2005-09-06T11:11:00.000+01:00

(Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

In a bizarre twist in an already bizarre summer, an as yet unknown allergy has caused me to become highly photosensitive. Yesterday I was out for about an hour, having lunch with Michele and going to a scheduled doctor's appointment, and I burned as though I had been at the beach all day prancing around without sun screen while building a little Dracula's Castles in the sand.

Those of you who are Buffy The Vampire Slayer fans will undoubtedly have memories of seeing Spike (above) running around Sunnydale under a black blanket, smoke billowing out around him--yep, well, that's me now. I have sent Michele out to get me the prescribed Sun Protection Factor 1,000,0000 sun screen lest I go 'POOF!' and turn to ash during our trips to Oxford and Geneva this week. [sigh]

Wish me luck.
The Count

Making the most of a sunset

2005-09-02T23:01:00.000+01:00

(The Wirral in silhouette)

We've got to make the most of these sunsets now that we know we're leaving for Glasgow. This is probably the one thing we'll really miss from Liverpool: this view. We've only begun to look at places in Glasgow and we are most likely going to be living downtown so that I can walk to work and Michele can walk to the train station. So we don't expect to be seeing many sunsets like this there, particularly as Glasgow gets something like 290 days of rain a year. Seriously. My friend Bill, himself Glaswegian, said in an e-mail that Glasgow is a place where people talk about 'the sunny day' - in the same tone they use to talk about where they were when Kennedy was shot. :)

Still, we're looking forward to it. Another grand adventure!

Running for Cancer Research UK

2005-08-30T21:14:00.000+01:00

The last, best thing I did in the months before I left Canada was to take up running with my longtime friend, Meredith. Together we trained ourselves up from zero (perhaps less) to 5K in twelve weeks. Since coming to the UK, I have - often just barely - kept up the level of training we reached, namely being able to run for 30 minutes on a regular basis, with 5K remaining within the realm of possibility if one's life or a sizeable bet were at stake.

Then Cancer Research UK came along. This charity raises funds for research by holding a number of 5K and 10K races throughout Britain. I decided that I would do something worthwhile and motivate myself, give purpose to my running, by training for a 10K race and gently encouraging my friends and family to show their support by donating to this very good cause. (That elbow you just felt? It was mine.) Please visit my fundraising website if you would like to make a donation. You can also follow my training diary there. So far I have raised £60. My goal is to raise £100 by October 9, when I run the race at Castle Howard, Yorkshire.

I am dedicating my race to my dear friend Sandra's sister Donna, who sadly died of ovarian cancer last year.

Walking down Karl Johans

2005-08-27T11:01:00.000+01:00

(The Royal Palace, or Slottet, at the top of Karl Johans Gate)

Karl Johans Gate, or just Karl Johans, runs through the heart of Oslo and is one of the busiest streets in Norway. From its head at the Slottet (Royal Palace, above, click on the link for a picture of the Royal family) to its foot at Oslo's Sentralstasjon, it is a beautiful street full of wonderful architecture, shops, and historic theatres and galleries. With our hotel being on the backside of the Slottsparken (the garden surrounding the Slottet), we had to walk past the the Royal Palace, above, everyday. Rough, huh? The palace was built by King Karl Johan in 1818, making it relatively young by European standards. We didn't venture in, but with its gorgeous park, filled with lakes, curving trails, and blooming flowers, it didn't seem to matter. The palace is guarded by soldiers in dress uniform who move around like clockwork men, but that doesn't seem to deter the Oslo public from sunning on the grass--something you wouldn't see at Buckingham, I can assure you.

(The Universitet across from the Universitetsplassen)

The Universitet takes up most of Karl Johans northeastern side. It too is relatively new having been completed in 1852, albeit in Neo-Classical style. Along with buildings on the outskirts of the city, it forms Oslo University. In the middle of August every year, the 3000 or so new students show up in the Universitetsplassen to register for class, completely taking over the northern end of Karl Johans. This building was also host to the Nobel Peace Prize presentations until 1990 when the Rådhuset (City Hall) was completed.

(Left: Cool architecture, Right: The Nationaltheatret)

The picture on the left just shows you some of the beautiful architecture that can be seen walking down Karl Johan. I love this sort of thing, being more into architecture and real-world spaces rather than art galleries and such--one place where Michele and I differ. So I really loved walking down the streets and seeing the beautiful buildings. As an aside, this is one more reason why I'll be glad to be in Glasgow which boasts some amazing architecture. Anyway, another amazing building is the Nationaltheatret (above right), the principal stage for Norwegian drama.

(Henrik Ibsen statue in front of the Nationaltheatret)

Norwegians are very proud of their culture and its no surprise to find a huge statue of Henrik Ibsen outside their national theatre. When it opened in 1899, Ibsen's An Enemy of the People was the first play to be performed. His name is etched into the stone face of the Nationaltheatret and Ibsen's work is constantly in demand. The building itself is gorgeous and is surrounded with a nice park and public space, including a cool fountain which I will probably post a little later. Although both Michele and I agree that we liked Stockholm a little more, Oslo was an amazing place and it is certainly nice to re-live it here.

Starting from Scrat

2005-08-25T16:42:00.000+01:00

(The prehistoric sabre-toothed Squirrel/Rat from Ice Age)

As part of my 35th B'day present, Michele took a chance on Ice Age, an animated comedy from 2002. This is something that we'd missed in the theatre, but heard good things about from Michele's friends. As it turns out, it was a good bet and we both laughed our way through it. Our favourite character, however, is not one of the three central ones, but the little Scrat, a sabre-toothed squirrel/rat concoction, that flits through the movie obsessed with finding somewhere to store its precious acorn.

(Nuts, nuts, get'em!)

A Gollum-like character, all googly eyes and nervous action, the Scrat is hilarious in its single-mindedness and obsessiveness. Somehow they really managed to imbue it with a passion and determination that I find endearing. It hits close to home at times. I think perhaps we all have a little Scrat inside of us--at least, I know I do! Anyway, I thought it deserved a mention, particularly if this sort of movie is your kind of thing. It was not your typical animated family mush-fest and was actually quite heart-warming. I can see why it got such good reviews back when.

Long live the Scrat!

A few pictures of Oslo

2005-08-24T15:57:00.000+01:00

(View of Oslo from the Akershus Slott or 'castle')

On August 12th, Michele and I took our second trip to Scandinavia this year. Attending IFLA 2005, we had a chance to spend a week in Oslo, Norway. We were incredibly lucky with the weather and had sun for all but one day. IFLA, in case you are wondering, is the biggest international library conference in the world and stands for the Internation Federation of Library Associations. But enough of that. As you can see from the pictures, Oslo is quite a picturesque spot. It is located on the Oslofjorden in southern central Norway. The entire population of Norway is just over 5 million and I think most of it is in Oslo. The picture above and below are taken from the grounds of the 14th Century castle, the Akershus Slott, that stands at the head of the fjord.

(View of the Oslo Fjord and Aker Brygge)

Across from the Akershus and Rådhusplassen (the city hall docks area) is Aker Brygge which is a shopping/entertainment area full of little shops, outdoor cafes and apartments. It is quite modern and popular with the people of Oslo, but we ended up seeking out the older parts of the city during our time there. Besides, there was no way we could shop in Oslo given the general cost of things. A bottle of water, for example, costs about £2-£3 or $5 Canadian.

(The Rådhuset, left, and a typical Norwegian building, right)

The double-towered Rådhuset, again a more modern structure from 1950, is Oslo's city hall and takes some getting used to. It looks a little like a factory, but is in fact covered with gorgeous artwork inside and out. Michele and I went to a reception in the Rådhushallen (where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded every December) and found its interior to be covered in murals by Edvard Munch and Henrik Sørenson. The picture (above right) next to the Råduset is of a typical building near the hotel where we stayed on Skovveien. One of the things I love about Scandinavia is the willingness to use colour in their buildings. Shades of red, orange, yellow, and pink brighten up the whites and greys of businesses and apartment buildings, and it makes the city so much more colourful and pleasant. The Scandinavians clearly care more about colour than the Brits, alas.

There was quite a bit to see in Oslo and I am still going through pictures, so you can expect at least one more post with pictures from Norway, so stay tuned.

Life at 35

2005-08-23T21:10:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to thank all the people who sent me e-cards (it was a veritable e-flood!) and good old fashioned birthday cards for my 35th Birthday. It was very nice to receive all of them and helped to make my birthday that much more memorable. Thanks very much to everyone for remembering.

You will be glad to know that I had a good day complete with cards, gifts, a wonderful dinner and cake!

Being down-to-earth in Oslo

2005-08-14T16:29:00.000+01:00

Hello from Oslo and the World Library and Information Congress! The Congress is a lot to take in - four thousand delegates from around the world, with conference events running from 8h30 to 01h00 and beyond. On our first day in Oslo, which was yesterday, Stuart and I (not being part of the business-type meetings going on at the conference) went to the Vikingskipshuset, a museum that houses three Viking ships excavated from burial sites in Norway. In this same area of Oslo, known as Bygdøy, we also went to one of the beaches on the Oslofjord. This vast body of water was once heavily polluted, but has been completely cleaned up and now provides recreation areas for Oslo's citizens and fortunate visitors. Yeah, it was a little cold, but hey, I grew up swimming in the North Atlantic! No problem!

At the conference so far, we have learned about IFLA's work (that's the International Federation of Library Assocations and Institutions) and heard about the efforts to rebuild Sri Lanka's libraries after the tsunami. At the opening ceremony, we had a chance to listen to some of Norway's finest musicians, actors, and public figures. We have also been able to learn a bit about Norway. The Norwegians really value rural life and outdoor activities, particularly over the sins of city life. Being 'down to earth' is highly valued here and having the phrase applied to yourself is a compliment. So here's to being down to earth in Oslo. No, wait, don't expect me to raise a glass - a beer costs over five pounds!

Christmas in Canada

2005-08-11T15:53:00.000+01:00

As some of you will already know, Michele and I have bought our tickets and will be coming to Canada for Christmas. We're going to be doing a whirlwind tour of Calgary, Summerland, Salmon Arm, Spruce Grove, and Edmonton all in 14 days. We've not worked out the logistics yet, but are looking forward to visiting with family and friends over the Christmas and New Year holidays. More on this to come....

In other news, the won't be much news for the next week as Michele and I will be in Oslo, Norway attending IFLA 2005 and spending much time seeing the sites. Rest assured there will be pictures and commentary aplenty upon our return. So, until then, byeee!

An Afternoon in Haworth

2005-08-06T21:10:00.000+01:00

(The sign to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth)

On a whim, Michele and I decided to venture forth from Liverpool to visit one of the places that we'd always been meaning to visit since we came to Britain. Haworth is the home of the Brontës and is one of those literary pilgrimages you have to make, particularly if you've done a degree or four (between us) in English Literature. The town itself is set in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales just north of Halifax and a short distance from Bradford and Leeds. The parsonage was a very interesting place to visit with all sorts of original artifacts from the Brontë's lives. Patrick, Charlotte, Anne, Emily, and Branwell all lived there and Charlotte and Emily died in the house (Emily on the diningroom couch and Charlotte in her room upstairs). There is a real period charm to the house and it has be restored very nicely. Letters, pictures, childhood scribblings mix well with period clothing, furniture and architecture to give you a good feel of what it must have been like when they were writing Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre there.

(The Black Bull where Michele and I had lunch)

After visiting the parsonage and buying a few postcards in the shop, we went to lunch at The Black Bull, a pub which has survived from the Brontë's time and in which Branwell drank himself to excess many a night. Branwell has the added misfortune of seemingly single-handedly taking out himself, Emily, and then Anne with tuberculosis. Poor chap. Although in those days, you were an old man if you made it to 25 years and 41% of children born died before reaching age 6. Haworth was a very industrial place back then and, obviously, none too healthy.

(The famous view down the Haworth High Street)

Smack dab in the Yorkshire Dales, Haworth today is a truly lovely spot and we had a great time there. We've resolved to go back to do the walk to the Brontë Waterfall before we disappear from England and ensconce ourselves in Glasgow. The Dales are lovely and Michele surprised me by saying that she liked the views better than those in the Peak District. And that, my friends, is a high recommendation. So we had a very nice day all told and look forward to going back.

Just what I wanted to hear...

2005-08-03T11:37:00.000+01:00

I just received this message from Prof. George Gordon, the head of the Centre for Academic Practice at Strathclyde. Short, simple, but very, very nice to hear:

Dear All

I can confirm that Stuart Boon (currently at Sheffield) has accepted
the Lecturer position in CAP. He is scheduled to start with us on 1
November 2005.

Oh yeah. Generally speaking, I detest e-mail, but not this one! This provides some much needed validation for yours truly who has secretly been worried that the world was playing a trick on him/me. Well, no more need for paranoia!

Moving to Glasgow!

2005-07-27T12:25:00.000+01:00

(Michele, myself, and Heidi in the lobby of Tas in London)

Well, I got the phone call today and I've accepted the Lecturer post at Strathclyde, which means we're moving to Glasgow! It has always been our dream to live in Scotland and now it is going to be a reality. I feel incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity and could not have managed this without Michele's love, help and constant encouragement.

I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to Heidi Julien, who has been both friend and mentor to me since I was a student at Dalhousie, and to Bill Johnston, who has also been a friend and mentor to me since my arrival in the UK and who helped me immeasurably in getting this lectureship. I couldn't find a picture of Bill and myself, but now there will be plenty of opportunity to take one! And lastly, and certainly not least, I need to thank Sheila Webber who has been my supervisor and friend throughout the past three years. Thank you all!

Once I know addresses and phone numbers and such things, I will send everyone an e-mail with the details. Woohoo!

Interview in Glasgow

2005-07-26T08:32:00.000+01:00

(Cute picture Michele took of me in front of Glasgow City Hall in 2003)

I returned last night from Glasgow having gone through my first six person panel University interview here in the UK. The last time I faced a group like that was at Dalhousie University, but then they were all librarians. This time I was applying for a Lectureship in the Centre for Academic Practice at the University of Strathclyde and some very big names in the university were present. Quite a different story.

I'm the kind of person who kind of likes interviews. I was saying to Michele that it's like playing 'University Challenge' but where you know all the answers! It is a strange kind of stress, but it is something I enjoy, oddly. I gave a presentation on what I could bring to the Centre at 9:00am, had an informal lunch with the panel at noon, and then my interview at 1:45pm. And everything went very well, I think. If nothing else, it was good experience: the first time in 3 years that I've had an interview and the first time ever as a full-time, permanent Lecturer (i.e. full-time, permanent University professor in Canada speak).

Coming back to Liverpool was strange because I felt like I was stepping backward, whereas in Glasgow I felt like I was taking a step forward, to somewhere different, somewhere more promising. I guess I kind of felt that Strathclyde might be the right direction to be going in. Who knows, maybe I'll be lucky!

More London Chaos

2005-07-21T15:47:00.000+01:00

(Four more blasts rock London

Clearly, terrorism has a new favourite target. Two weeks ago, Michele and I listened to reports of the first London tube and bus bombings and shook our heads. We would be in London the next weekend. Luckily, our visit to London was a success with only minor hiccups involving trying to get around on a seriously muddled underground. Closures and late trains are likely to be even more a permanent fixture after this latest series of bombs and suspicious packages.

We had gone down to London with two real purposes in mind: first, to meet up with my mentor from my Dal days, Heidi Julien, and her daughter Kate; and second, to see to the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Tate Modern. We met with Heidi and Kate outside Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and had our first tour of this reconstruction of Shakespeare's original Globe together. It was short, a little less than informative, and shockingly expensive, but, hey, it's something to see--once! We then had dinner at Tas just around the corner from The Globe and we all had a wonderful time catching up, dishing dirt, and talking about differences between Canada and Britain. An excellent time was had by all.

On the morning of the next day, Michele headed off to the Tate Modern early to get into the Frida collection (I won't go into detail here, because I am sure Michele will want to tell you all about it) and I came along later to meet up with her at lunch. We had lunch in the 7th floor Tate Restaurant and really took our time. We had hours to go before heading back to the Victoria Bus Station and so decided to take the Tate Boat from Tate Modern to Tate Britain. We both snickered when we were told repeatedly that it goes 'Tate to Tate' (there is a reason for this involving The Hunt For Red October, which I am *not* going to go into). In truth, the Tate Boat was lovely and we really enjoyed it. We then zipped around the Tate Britain (well, Michele zipped while I flipped through a book in one installation) and, finally, headed back to our bus.

Seeing this new attack on London, makes me thankful to have had our visit in a lull between terrorist attacks. But how terrible a thing is that to have to say. It is madness, all of it. Again, Londoners are standing up and pulling together against the threats, but you have to wonder where it will all end. No deaths have been reported yet, but this has only just been announced. So now we wait and we hope.

Blurring the cinematic lines...

2005-07-19T15:36:00.000+01:00

(Taking fandom to a new level?)

Got some time on your hands, twenty close friends who own their own Star Wars costumes, a high resolution camcorder and lots of computer processing power? If your answer to all these is a resouding 'Yes!', then you too can make your own Star Wars Fan Film. And, oddly enough, that is exactly what a huge number of people are doing and then putting their films online for all of us to view. Sound crazy? Sound geeky? Well, yes, but what is more interesting is that some of them are really surprisingly good.

(Stormtroopers galore!)

This is not your typical backyard home video either. The production values on some of them is shockingly good. Take Imperial Military Personnel Stories: Relentless, or IMPS: Relentless, for example. The two pictures above give only a glimpse of how good this little movie is. It has a plot, it has a score, it has special effects. What's more, it contains some decent voice acting and actually gives you bunch of real characters to follow.

This is the sort of thing that blurs the cinematic lines between an amateur and a professional production. And it's impressive stuff.

If you don't want to download the whole thing, there is a trailer(of course!), but the trailer doesn't really do the full-length (around 20 mins.) movie justice. And Relentless is just part one of four. Where these people find the time to do this, I don't know, but you've got to admire their attention to detail.

Check it out!

Driving through Scotland

2005-07-12T16:33:00.000+01:00

(Looking out across the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park)

This story is a little late in the telling as we took this trip up to Scotland in June, but I've only just got to the pictures now. Although we've been to Scotland a number of times, this was the first time that Michele and I drove up to Scotland for a trip by ourselves. We stayed at the house of our friend Irene just outside Stirling and used it as a base for two days in which we drove all over the West of Scotland. Our first day took us through the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and to Aberfoyle, where we stopped for breakfast before driving through the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. The trail through the park, otherwise known as the Three Lochs Trail, takes you through a conservation park and is full of views like the picture above. I think we spent the better part of two hours driving around the trail and stopping here and there.

(Loch Katrine near Aberfoyle)

Loch Katrine is just north of Aberfoyle and was a kind of Victorian spa of sorts from what we could gather. Well, it was unknown until Sir Walter Scott wrote "The Lady of the Lake" there. It is certainly a lovely spot for it, apart from the midges. I am still suffering the after-effects of those midges today, alas. But the Loch was lovely and we spent some time walking around it before heading back to Aberfoyle for lunch. I should mention that anyone who loves twisty, winding roads should really try the drive from Aberfoyle to Loch Katrine. Both Michele and I took a stab at it.

(The view of Loch Lomond from the pier at Luss)

On the morning of the next day, we set out from Irene's place to drive up to Glenfinnan and Malaig for lunch. Our first stop was Luss, which is a tiny little heritage town on the coast of Loch Lomond. It's funny. We'd visited Luss on our first tour of Scotland and I think we were both underwhelmed, but this time, early in the morning and without 10,000 tourists around, we found Luss enchanting. It is an amazing little spot and we even spied 'our house' should we ever get a chance to move there! After a short stop, we headed up north through more winding roads to the Highlands.

(Dramatic view from Rannoch Moor on the way to Glen Coe)

The entire drive up through Glen Coe is just incredible. I think we've done it three times (six, if you count coming back down) and it is always dramatic and beautiful. Rannoch Moor is this misty moor with peaks rising up in nearly every direction. It forms the entrance to Glen Coe, which is, if you can imagine, even more dramatic and the scene of one of Scotland's worst atrocities. Glen Coe, in Gaelic, means "Weeping Valley" and was the site of the massacre of the MacIans (of the clan MacDonald) in 1692. Today, it is just breathtaking, but as always the weather through it is seriously changeable.

(Me standing on the shores of Loch Shiel in Glenfinnan)

O.k., so here is me standing in one of my favourite places on the planet. I have to say that the weather wasn't with us this time, but this spot is worth visiting even in the pouring rain. This was only the second time that Michele and I made it up to the bonny shores of Loch Shiel and it was totally worth the drive, despite the weather. I suppose a second visit could never really live up to our first when the Loch was drenched in sun and the wind was cool and calm. It is still one of my fondest place memories.

(The view from the shop after the heavens opened up)

So this time we weren't so lucky and ended up taking refuge in the nearby shop when the rain came down. I managed to snag this shot through the window of the shop. The tower out there is of a Scottish highlander and this site is in memory of Bonny Prince Charlie who sailed in from France, if I remember right to start the Jacobite uprising. But having been before, we didn't spend too long in the shop and headed up to Mallaig where we had ourselves some very, very fresh fish & chips before heading back to do the entire trip in reverse back to Stirling. A long day, but well worth it (except for the midges--argh!).