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
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