If it weren't for the rain....

could I live in Scotland? I've pondered that for about 1 minute...no 30 seconds...and the answer is no. Don't get me wrong; I love being here with family and experiencing a different place and there are benefits to all the rain. It's lovely and green and you breathe fresh air but....it seems to rain ALL the time. (okay, as I write this the sun is peeking through the clouds just to prove me wrong) It's the middle of August and I'm freezing half the time! I'm solar powered and I think I've realized how much so. It's hard to get motivated with the weather but especially this week I ended up getting a cold and have been a little miserable overall and I know it was better just to lay low, read a book and drink lots of tea-with milk(funny how I only tend do that when in the UK).

In spite of speaking the same language, it's quite different in many ways. First, it's debatable whether it's the same English spoken in the US. There have times that I've been in a room full of Scottish blokes(men) and lassie's(women) and only been able to decipher about 75% of what has been said. I'm getting better at it but certain accents are quite thick depending on the area of Scotland that the person is from.

Some of the other interesting differences are the English words used for the same things. To make a comparison, I'll list first the American word and then the "Scottish"(UK as well for most of them)

1. French Fries are "Chips"
2. Potato chips are "Crisps"
3. Zucchini are "Courgettes"
4. Eggplant is an "Aubergine"
5. Cookies are "Biscuits"
6. Crackers are "Water Biscuits"
7. Dinner is referred to as "tea"
8.Going to the bathroom is referred to as the "toilet" or "the Loo"
9. "wee" is a little.........something(this is mostly Scottish not British)
10. Aye" is yes
11. Windshield is a "windscreen"
12. Sidewalk is the "pavement"
13. The trunk of a car is the "boot"
14. The hood of a car is the "bonnet"

This is to just name a few...

The other major difference is that they drive on the left side of the road. Very hard to get used to that one plus you drive on the right side of the car. I've had one driving experience so far and you really have to concentrate especially when you get to the roundabouts; Americans don't seem to like roundabouts very much but they actually make a lot more sense than traffic lights.

What's confusing to me is why if they drive on the left side of the road why don't they stay consistent on trails and sidewalks(pavement)-I found this to be a challenge when running one day around the local Loch- some people would stay to the right and some to the left....shouldn't there be some consistency with driving and walking? Or maybe it has something to do with all the pubs around.

So, my Aunt and I are off to the Isle of Sky tomorrow. It is very North in Scotland and West. I've never been been to Sky and have great things about it and how beautiful and picturesque it is. Again, if the weather is clear and the forecast for the next few days............rain! Oh well, there's always the pubs!!