I arrived in Glasgow on Friday, August 29th, with everything I own in two suitcases, a carry-on and a backpack. A lot of people asked me if I was nervous to move – I wasn’t. I am fortunate enough to have an awesome husband who took care of everything before I arrived: apartment, cell phone, bank account, etc. All I had to do was arrive, unpack my bags and try to stay awake.
Native wildlife of Glasgow (pigeons not pictured)
Here are some commonly asked questions that were quickly answered during my first weekend in the city:
What is the weather like?
Think Seattle: the temperature doesn’t get above 70 or below 20 (little snow) and it rains. A lot. Steve (and everyone else) warned me to bring everything I have that is waterproof – which is nothing. It became immediately apparent that my jean jacket, scarf and flats weren’t going to cut it. I bought a rain jacket, a down winter coat and a pair of white, leather Converse “trainers” (all the rage in Glasgow). A lot of people have also been very concerned with my hair, which I decided to chop a few days before leaving. It’s a daily struggle, but I’m slowly learning to manage the ruthless wind and rain that causes a strange “euro-fro.”
Do they speak English there?
Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can understand what they’re saying. I usually have to ask someone to repeat themselves or else I walk away without a clue. It goes both ways though. A waiter asked me to repeat myself after I ordered a water at a restaurant.
Will you eat a lot of Haggis and Blood Pudding?
Probably not. I haven’t seen either of those things advertised much either. There are a surprising number of Italian restaurants where we live – otherwise it’s mostly modern bars and bistros. On Friday night Steve took me to his favorite Mexican joint, Topolabamba. The barbacoa tacos, pork tostadas and smothered enchiladas had my mouth on fire – nothing a mango margarita couldn’t fix.
It may be too soon to tell, but I think we may have found our regular neighborhood joint on Sunday. Bar Home is two blocks from our flat and they have a two-meal-deal for 7.45 gbp (~$12). The vibe on Sundays is pretty laid back, but they feature DJs on the weekends that we’ll have to check out. And great customer service – I tweeted at them and they offered us two free cocktails on our next visit. Hooray for social media!
Does this mean you’ll start drinking scotch?
Unless we go on a special distillery tour in the highlands, I don’t think scotch will ever become my drink of choice. On Friday night I learned that the drink of choice for many is cider, which is totally acceptable to drink from a 2 Liter bottle (fine by me). We met up with Steve’s coworkers at their favorite Friday-night spot: The Ark. It’s a contemporary sports bar with an awesome beer garden and great staff. It was great to meet the people Steve spends his days with, most of whom are from Scotland (one from France, one from Manchester and one from Connecticut!). Although we left early (jet-lag), everyone sent us off with a friendly wave and a “see you next Friday!”
It’s starting to feel a bit like home after all.
Asialas Abroad 