In a Dear Green Place

If traveling has taught me one thing it is this, no matter how far you go you still bring you with you. This can be both a good and bad thing. When people ask me if I miss home my response is always mixed. Of course I miss my family and friends. I love my roots and the history I have with wonderful people. At times I intensely miss those people and the blessing of having to say very little to get myself understood. It’s a comforting familiarity. At the same time, I can’t deny that I was feeling very restless the last year I was at home and I knew that I needed to get away for awhile. There’s something very liberating about being in a new place where no one knows you.

I have been hoping that a new environment would be a good catalyst for personal change. I must report however that I still don’t enjoy church dances. I think I gave it the good ole’ college try. I dressed up and arrived with optimistic expectations. I danced a bit with friends at the beginning and the end but was reminded of something I have known for a long time. A big gym full of people and loud music, however good the DJ is (who was spectacular by the way), is just not my idea of a good time. I felt most comfortable helping behind the juice bar for most of the night. Once that closed down I retreated, reverted, regressed if you will, to an old habit. I sat outside the dance and read a book that I had wisely brought with me. Now I wasn’t assuming I’d use it. I just know from long experience that the day I leave home without one is the day I regret it. (Tracy, I can feel you shaking your head at me from all the way across the ocean.) But I did try and I am glad I went. And must give props to those responsible for the spook alley. They could’ve charged money for that. Mad skills you guys, well done.

The ward Halloween party was good fun as well. Halloween is for kids and watching them be excited and all dressed up is the best. They did a smaller, less disgusting version of Spook Alley for the kids and some still left with emotional scars.

What else can I report? I had my TA training last week which was probably the most enjoyable training I’ve yet experienced. I am now ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting undergrads here next semester. Heh heh heh, I can’t wait.

Last night a bunch of us went to see the fireworks for Guy Fox day on the Glasgow Green with about 50,000 other people. We didn’t get to see any bonfires though or the effigies of Guy Fox being burned, just fireworks. It was chilly with driving winds but overall a good time and nice show. But when you’re with people you like the weather and fireworks are incidental. At this point I must defend myself. I didn’t mean an insult when I turned down the cookies. I was shunned for declaring that raisins should not be in baked goods but I stand by it. Neither raisins nor nuts should be in baked goods. On their own I love raisins and nuts but keep them unbaked! I know I know, I’m horrible but this is a passionate belief and just remember, it means more for the rest of you raisin- and nut-loving freaks.

So I’m still the anti-social geek I was at home. I’m okay with that. In spite of my dance antipathy I will be going to ceilidh put on by the stake this weekend. It shall be my first and I am an optimist once again.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 7th, 2006 at 5:42 am and is filed under Glasgow. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.