Semester Abroad Part II

Hiya

Yup. I'm still here in Edinburgh.

Actually I had several friends prophesying my neglect to return home. Usually with the words "you are going to Scotland and never coming back!"

Apparently "never" is May 31st.

So I'm really only extending my stay by 5 months and 10 days. But who's counting?

Of course, this meant having to get my visa extended, as well. This was an epic process which involved mailing my application (including my passport...which I have now been without since December) to the UK border agency so that they could decide whether or not I am actually here as a part of a diabolical plot to steal their socialized health care. Apparently they've decided that I'm good enough for their country, because last week I had to go to a local biometrics center to be photographed and fingerprinted. The closest of these centers was in Glasgow.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Glaswegian reputation, this sums it up quite nicely. As does this. Its basically like any other not-quite-large city; it appears to be populated solely by people who work in offices and people who are incredibly trashy. Though I do have to say that it is a nice city and I wouldn't mind going back there sometime. Which is good because I've traveled all over the UK due to my aforementioned lack of passport and the associated restrictions.

Yup. I've not been allowed to leave the UK since December.

Its actually not as bad as it sounds. One of my friends from home kept demanding to know why I wasn't coming back. She came to stay with me over the holiday break, and we traveled around the UK seeing everything from the Highlands to London. She met my friends and my housemates (the people I live with and I have become this strange little family made up of people from all over the world; USA, England, Scotland, Australia, Lithuania, Russia, Austria...).

She now knows why I wanted to stay longer. She loves it here so much that she is coming back to visit me during her spring break. Hopefully by then I'll have my passport back by then.

Otherwise things here have been hectic. I'll write more about the events of the semester when it isn't 1:15 AM the morning of a 9AM lecture.