The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Well, it has certainly been an eventful week here in Scotland.  Good and bad has come our way, but I think it all has turned out well in the end. 

First, Bailey secured an internship at the Scottish Gallery, a promoter of contemporary art in Scotland, as well as an advising gallery for auctions, sales, etc.  She’ll be helping to take down and set up exhibits (monthly), as well as developing a new archive system for them (they currently have none as I understand it), and whatever else is needed.  Within walking distance of both home and the uni, it’s a great opportunity and seems like a great place.  Some of you may remember that we had celebrated a previous internship that we thought she’d gotten, but that fell through.  While not strictly photography, we think this internship will be just as good, if not better, and it starts now rather than in the spring! 

Now, on to the not so good news (with an overall good resolution, so read through to the end).  Bailey got a job two weeks ago at Jessops, a camera specialty store here in the city.  Unfortunately, the experience has not been overall pleasant.  She wasn’t trained at all, and was treated rudely by other employees for not knowing just how to do things in the store.  Partly, we did not have all the documentation needed to finish the paperwork, but equally, the manager has been scattered and distant.  Further, on this past Sunday, she was directly insulted and verbally abused during work, by another employee, in addition to the mocking from others.  I will leave the details at that for everyone’s comfort.  Bailey addressed the issue directly with the managers and while promised that it would be dealt with, she decided that it would be best not to continue working there.  While we are sad that she has lost her job, we (her husband and family) believe that she made exactly the right decision, and that God has something much better in store for us here.  Also, not having a job, especially with the internship now, has been a big stress relief and allowed Bailey to better focus on her studies.

Now, onto more happy news about Edinburgh that I’m sure you’ve been anxious for.  Our shipment of personal things is now scheduled to arrive this coming Tuesday.  We’ve done well enough without all of our things, but it will be nice to have all our pictures, movies, etc, as well as warmer clothes.  The weather has been holding steady at a high of about 11-12*C (51-53*F).  It’s been raining off and on, but it’s usually a light rain for a bit each day.  Today (Thursday) was forecast rain all day and this afternoon, the sun popped out, so there’s really no guessing what to expect. 

The days are getting shorter, as it now gets dark around 6:30, and it will only continue to get earlier until Christmas.  We aren’t exactly excited about that, but it will be nice come summer, when the days will be VERY long. 

Tuesday, we found a beautiful old church off of Princes Street.  It is at the end of the Princes Street Gardens, directly under the castle.  There is a beautiful fountain (it reminds me of the one in the opening of Friends), and the church has some nice little shops.  We also saw the grave of Sir Walter Scott’s mother (her name escapes me at the moment).  It is so wonderful to take just a few steps away from the high streets and find yourself in a quiet park of trees and benches, with the leaves turning colours and falling.  Edinburgh makes it so easy to forget how big and busy it really is.

On to Thursday now, we decided to explore again (this time with Matt’s new camera!!).  We headed over to Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat.  While we didn’t climb, we did go walking along the park and found, tucked away at the base of the hills, a nice pond with swans, geese, ducks, and more.  It was so quiet and peaceful, I felt like I was walking through the highlands, rather than in the middle of the city.  The leaves were changing and falling, but the grass was still very green, so it made for some lovely pictures.  They will be posted online shortly. 

I think that brings us up to date.  There will be updated pics of our flat just as soon as all our decorations are up and it’s really, Home. 

Best wishes from Edinburgh,

Matt

Matt and I at the top of the Scott Monument! That's Edinburgh Castle behind us!

Hello all!

We have not forgotten about you! Life has been busy recently with classes and now with a job for Bailey. We are still loving living here, but now the fascination with living in a new country is beginning to fade, and we are starting to feel like we belong here and are actually more than just visiting.

It used to be an adventure to wander down the street to the shops nearby and even more exciting to go "in to town" and walk down Princes Street and toward the Royal Mile. While we still enjoy all of those outings, they are becoming more commonplace as I walk down those streets several days a week for classes. I am learning the sites and the shops, even how to be more aggressive when crossing the street (watching out for buses is the biggest challenge!).

We live in a city of almost half a million people, but there are times when it doesn't feel nearly that big. The area we live in has its own rather small town feel, and our street has a sort of isolated, neighborhood feel. Edinburgh is a city of parks, and to get to class I get to walk past, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful parks in the city. I love the views (Arthur's Seat and the Queen's Palace of Holyrood as well as a spectacular view of the city) and I also love the remoteness it gives to Abbeyhill. We are right in the middle of the city, yet we live far enough away to be comfortable. I don't think we could have gotten a better place for what we need.

We have visited most of the touristy sites in the past few weeks, and there are a few pictures of them below. For my birthday a couple weeks ago, we went to the National Gallery of Scotland which was having a wonderful Spanish art exhibit "The Discovery of Spain: From Goya to Picasso". That was wonderful! (I actually got to spend quite a bit of time there over the next couple weeks for classes and a conference). We also went to eat at the Elephant House cafe, which is a quaint, cute cafe that calls itself the "birthplace of Harry Potter" because that is where J. K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. We went on that initial attraction, and the marvelous view of the castle from the enormous windows, but have gone back a couple times for the great food.

Several other adventures we've had include a trip to the zoo where we saw a penguin parade, a trip to Portobello beach (about 15 minutes away) and dipped our feet in the Firth of Forth, saw a production of Beauty and the Beast at the Edinburgh Playhouse, and climbed 287 steps to the top of the Scott Monument (scary, but super fun).

We have found a great church here that reminds us of home. It's called Holyrood Abbey Church, which is a Presbyterian Church of Scotland. We have only been attending for a few weeks, but the people are very warm and friendly. Each Sunday we have been invited to people's homes for lunch. It is customary here to go to someone's home for Sunday lunch along with several others, and spend all day eating, drinking tea, and visiting until evening service. It is the best way to meet local people! We didn't expect lunch to last until dinner, but it has made us feel so included in the community that we gave up any hope of being productive on Sunday in favor of good fellowship.

There is also a good young adult group at the church and several people our age, several in college, several professionals. We are hoping to get more involved the longer we are here.

So far, everything has been as good as we were hoping. I got a job at Jessops, a camera store in the city, and started last week. That was quite a blessing, and I am enjoying my job. Matt is still searching for employment. He has applied to several places, a few of which sound great. Please pray that he will able to get a job soon that he will enjoy.

Finally, here are some pictures for your enjoyment! We'll be better about posting more often! You can hold us to that!