The Gathering 2009

Which my sound like a M. Night Shyamalan movie, but is actually the yearly gathering of the clans here in Edinburgh. It was quite fun to see all the different tartans being sported, along with some great highland dancing, games, music, and more. Here are some pictures and videos of the event.

A meeting of clan leaders?

Yes, that is Charles and Camilla, sorry no William or Harry. I was sad too. I admit it was a bit weird to have Prince Charles there giving a speech. I find there is so much that is different between the English and the Scots. Charles and his speech seemed almost out of place, even if he was wearing a kilt.

This was after he had finished his speech, you can see his kilt.

This is just a two-minute bit of Charles' full speech.

This is a photo of the last private standing army in Scotland. I believe they protect a castle some where north of Edinburgh, but don't quote me on that.

All in all it was a good day and I am glad that I went. The sun was actually out, as my nose and forehead can testify too. It had been gray and rainy everyday until Saturday. Obviously, God too wanted the clans to gather.

If only I had known the power of Evian H2O

You have inspired me in a good way, and the public library in a bad way

Thank you for the encouraging responses to my previous despondent post, let's chalk that one up to a low blogging moment. But I have been inspired, but for the wrong reason.

In an effort to keep a balance between reading for school and reading for pleasure I look to the public library to fulfill my needs, and let me tell you, Edinburgh's public library does not do a very good job of purchasing those books are interesting. For some reason in the back of my head I feel I have posted on the insufficiency of the library systems (university and public) alike here in Scotland.

Luckily, the library has 40+ copies of To Kill a Mockingbird, but no copies of Mountains beyond Mountains, a story about Paul Farmer's, an anthropologist, time in Haiti. If nothing else, and I'll never get tired of saying this, you have to give snaps to the public (and university) library systems of America. They get it right.



Men in kilts in front of Edinburgh's central public library. Obviously undergoing some construction, which is not that uncommon in this city of very old buildings. I would say that at any one time 75% of all buildings in the city have scaffolding on them.

Mabye I am not cut out to be a blogger

I am frustrated by my lack of things to blog about. It is difficult when one is not married, doesn't have kids, isn't pregnant, anything and everything that can be said about Michael Jackson has already been said, many times over, and your soul is dying because your life is being sucked away by your dissertation. Will I ever have something to blog about again?

The bright spot right now in my life: Wimbledon. I could blog about that, but I don't really have much more to say about the whole event other than, GO ROGER!

And like always no blog post is complete without some picture. This is from my 2005 Cambodia/Thailand trip. This was taken just outside of Ankor Wat, just loved the "greeness" of it all.