Aye...When in Scotland!

My International Business Class went to Glasgow, Scotland for a field trip. We went to Strathclyde University, one of the top International Business Schools in Europe. Here is a run-through of my weekend:

Day 1:
-Checked in at hostel and explored Glasgow a bit
-Got my first Startbucks in 3 months! Best caramel macchiato ever!!
-Caught a train to Stirling (We crashed first class on accident. They were offering us tea and stuff and we were wondering why no one was sitting in the nice big seats. We chatted it up with some business men too and brought up the topic about microwaved water that I previously mentioned in a blog-they had never heard of it either. They worked for Deloitte in Scotland and it made me so stoked that I am an international business major =] A couple train rides later we were discovered and got kicked out of first class. Then we sat next to someone who I heard talking about the Los Gatos greek trail and I was like WHAT, you're from Los Gatos!!? Small world huh?)
             -Went to the Stirling castle and walked around the town. Went into a bagpipe shop where we learned how bagpipes were made (It takes 9 months to make because you have to wait for the wood to shrink after you cut it). The people in the bagpipe shop helped us map out our journey to the highlands and gave us tips and advice for how to get there/what to do. They literally took 30 min out of their day to talk to us and help us. The people in Stirling were VERY friendly.
-Went back to Glasgow and met up with the rest of our class and all went out on the town to a place called Bamboo where we danced the night away. We also made some Scottish friends and got a private tour of Scotland at night when everything was beautiful and lit up with Christmas lights.
-Random: It hailed and snowed and rained and was sunny all in the same day. I wasn't really a fan of the Scottish weather, although I loved Scotland.

Day 2:
-Went to Strathclyde University with our class and went to a seminar on International Business. There seems to be a stronger emphasis on academics/studying in Scotland then in Ireland
-Got another Starbucks for energy since we barely slept
-Jumped on a train to Edinbourgh
                    -Went on an underground tour of the Edinbourgh Dungeon which was awesome
                    -Got to the Edinbourgh castle 6 minutes after they closed so we didn't get to go inside but got to see the outside still
                    -Explored the city and talked to random people. We saw a guy playing a bagpipe on the street and went into a wool-weaving factory. I LOVED Edinbourgh and did not want to get on a train back to Glasgow. They whole town was all cobblestone with beautiful ancient architecture and family-friendly cafes.
Went back to Glasgow and went to bed early so that we could wake up early to go to the highlands the next day. We planned on renting a car because it was cheaper than the train and we could explore at our convenience.

Day 3:
-Woke up ready to go to the highlands!....until we looked outside and saw the blizzard conditions. There was no way it would have been safe to get in a car on the left side of the road in a blizzard. So, we stayed in Glasgow for the day and went store-browsing/shopping. We walked by a store where people had their feet in fish tanks and the fish were nibbling away at their feet. This seemed kind of gross yet intriguing. How could they be sitting there without laughing? We decided to try it. The second I put my feet in the tank, the fish started munching away. My friend Kelly and I were laughing so hard because it was so ticklish! We left with out feet feeling soft and refreshed. It was a good day. Now I am dying to go back to Scotland and backpack through the highlands to Loch Ness!!
-Went to a karaoke bar and actually went on stage and sang karaoke. We sang "California Girls" by Katy Perry but changed on of the choruses to "Scottland Boys" (you can see this in the video below). We met a bunch of friendly people once again. We also met an old man outside who kept saying "hubba bubba" and we finally figured out he was talking about bubble gum because he gave us a piece. haha, most of the time I could not understand what people were saying but I wanted them to keep talking because I loved their accents. In fact, the Scottish accent is probably my favorite accent that I've heard so far.


Video recap:

Random Scottish Fact: They say "Aye" a lot, meaning "Yes". They are VERY friendly. I thought the Irish were friendly but man, the Scottish will go out of their way to talk to or help a stranger that they may never even meet again.


*Here is a note I wrote on facebook about some thoughts of mine after the trip. Thought I'd share them with ya'll too:

Somewhere Out There...

Have you ever met someone who is just completely unique and different from anyone else that you've ever met in your life? Maybe it was a few words, a kind gesture, or a long conversation where suddenly you felt like you've known this person forever, or whatever it may be...but for some reason you just can't get that word or gesture or conversation out of your head. And the weirdest thing is, you may never see that "stranger" ever again. But somewhere, that stranger is existing at the same time you are, and something they did or said has given you a whole new perspective on life and they may not even know it. And the fact that you probably will never see or hear from them again just makes you want to have one last word or gesture or conversation with them THAT much more. Driving me crazzzy....ajfhjfbhbfn

Currenly listening to: "I'll never be the same 'if we ever meet again'..." by Timbaland (<---song in my video)