Calm Down, Garys

So lately all of the Gary’s have been playing bagpipe music in my classes. I mean I can kind of understand it in my Scottish Culture class, but Social Work? Really, Social Work Gary? How is this applicable? One funny thing that happened though was in my Scottish Culture class the other day, Scottish Culture Gary subtly put on some background bagpipe music (which, in and unto itself is an oxymoron), and then CASUALLY said something like “oh, hey kids. What uh, what do ya think of that there bagpipe tune?” And right as I was about to exclaim WELL ACTUALLY NOW THAT YA ASK GARY MY EARS SEEM TO BE BLEEDING he goes on to say “that uh, that there is me playin the bagpipes. Yuuuup. Yup that’s me. You can uh, buy my CD at the bookstore if you want.” Like, REALLY SCOTTISH CULTURE GARY. Are you really peddling your bagpipe CD during school hours? Times must be tough at the Gary household. Another thing I learned in my Scottish Culture class that day: you know that girl in class who always looks like she’s taking really diligent notes on her laptop? Well she’s not. She’s looking at pictures of camels.

Going to my classes here MAKES ME STUPIDER. (Something I just thought of- Did any of you read those books "the stupids" when you were little? About a stupid family that does stupid things? I remember there was one called The Stupids Die. Like REALLY MOM AND DAD, WTF. YOU COULDN'T HAVE JUST BOUGHT ME ANOTHER ARTHUR BOOK?!). Everyone is so stupid and I just feel like I’m getting stupider by osmosis. Isn’t this supposed to be a GOOD school? Like, the other day in one of my tutorials somebody said “I think one way to get rid of the growing drug problem is to sterilize everyone who is addicted to drugs.” And everyone NODDED like that was a GOOD IDEA. Like, THEY'VE DONE THAT BEFORE, PEOPLE. AND BY “THEY,” I MEAN THE NAZIS. I didn’t even start on the eugenics-racial-cleansing-this-is-the-21^st-centuary-you-barbaric-asshole tirade that was stewing inside of me, but instead scoffed loudly and made a “WTF” face so I looked like a *disinterested angsty punk student, of which there are many here in Scotland so nothing new there. Social Work Gary asked my class yesterday if we all knew what the word “spoiled” meant. GET ME OUT OF HERE.

Besides that though, life’s been good. We discovered hard cider the other day (which looks like beer but tastes like juice, pleasant surprise!) and also I discovered the most amazing website of all time, called www.edinburghschristmas.com. Please visit the section about the giant Scottish Santa Run- I think that will be the best ten pounds I'll spend in my entire trip here (besides the hairbrush that I bought which looks like a person.)


*A bbm from Frank Pinto:
"Hey Em, read the latest blog post.  The word disinterested means impartial, not uninterested. It is one of the most misused words in the English language. Love Dad."
This school IS making me stupider!! Also Dad, I'm so glad you're concerned with my grammar and not with the shoddy excuse for an education I'm getting over here. Go panthers!!