the fullest blossom

i don't know how i've become so busy this week. i have barely had a moment's breath in my room and have become a completely negligent correspondent and i am starting to feel really distressed about it! i am used to spending a lot of energy to keep this portal into my u.s. world active and open, but this week my friends keep asking me to go here and come out with them and i never regret going (because so far i have always gone) - but there is just too much! but for the moment, there is time enough for an update, because i say so darnit.

first of all, news from the culture front as promised:
-haven't seen ANY films yet because my friends who make me promises are all really flaky (my favorite pet peeve) but will be seeing breakfast on pluto tomorrow for a lovely incredibly inexpensive matinee showing at a cinema i've yet to go to.
-went to the two remaining of five national galleries here and walked all over some far away unknown parts of the city, after which met new flatmate meredith for a two-pound matinee showing of tartuffe at the royal lyceum theatre. it was translated into scots! which took a bit of hearing effort at first but then it all seems natural after awhile. it was totally good and funny. i still think that place is the greatest.
-forsaking the st. andrews trip for the moment as i have decided to go to norwich for three days next week. the forth rail bridge can wait, i suppose, though it isn't leaving my fantasies! also, clap your hands say yeah was very sadly sold out when i went to buy tickets, so perhaps i can stalk the venue on the scheduled evening and get lucky. bummer.
-also, went to several new cafes that i am slowly trying out, with much delight. i was meant to be a cafe girl, i think.

i've finally attended all of my classes and had my first real week of the groove with school. my literature class again is filled with females, but this time many are scottish and friendlier. though there is one lone male, who is middle-aged with a (difficult he says) 16-yr-old son. my professor, olga, is delightful and tragedy is fascinating stuff. i am continuing to really love the architecture material - and had a good tutorial where my classmates seem engaged and my tutor quite capable, which is so relieving after last semester's strife. and as for the divinity class, we are starting to dig deeper. i even tonight decided to go a talk hosted by the philosophy society here (my friend jonathon is the president, so not a terrible effort anyway) on hegel, marx, nietzsche and heidegger and "the history of philosophy as philosophy." it was quite interesting and navigable for an amateur like myself, given by michael rosen of lincoln college, oxford. it is a very social society, and the talks seem really interesting, so i expect i will end up there again at some point (after my complaints of my high-stress social life- just what i need, another thing! but i like it all, i really do)

so yes, socially things have been very eventful. i've met some new people through random social risk-taking and pushed some pre-existing relationships into new territory - and i am pleased thus far with the rewards. also last night was my saudi friend may's 20th birthday, for which there was celebrating. i baked her danish cookies, and we went out dancing at the same fancy club as before. i posted pictures of this and some of times at the theatre and walking around the city on my photo website.

edinburgh has become sooo windy all of the sudden. it is still so mild - today the high was a suddenly warm 55 - but it is difficult to be outside, with hair in mouth and eyes and glasses and scarf in face, on and on. january is supposed to be the worst month of the year here, and it has hardly been anything to complain about, so i shall consider myself lucky. i was hoping to have tomorrow free from obligation so i could sit in my room and write emails or in a cafe/the library with my homework, but now there is this film and then may's friends want to celebrate her birthday again and insist that i be present. i promised myself that i would be more fun and responsive to my social world this semester, but i really don't like going out quite this much. luckily i am still quite on top of my work, so there is no detriment there, i am just used to a different kind of lifestyle. but i am back to my job this weekend and am going to a burns night on saturday! i'm going to be in norwich during the official burns night, the 25th, but they have them for about a week straight i think. this one is hosted by the international student centre with homemade food and my scottish friend ewan reading the poetry. it'll be fun : ) and i expect i will meet some new people.

i'm sorry this has been so scattered and slightly uninspired. i am feeling so frazzled lately. but it is in only my hands and it will all calm down. for the moment, though, i must finish an email and head with julia to the club around the corner for a breast cancer night they are having, featuring girly-dance music of madonna and kylie and the likes. it is difficult to resist, perhaps you can see. until soon! i swear. and i'll be better too.

xo-