A Monstrously Good Time

When I discovered that I was attending the Dollar Academy through the ESU scholarship, one of the first actions I made was to make a bucket list of sights I wanted to see in Scotland. You know the drill: cruising Loch Ness, witnessing Ben Nevis, et cetera. It has been my intention this whole year to do all the touristy activities of the country, but I had little chance of actually experiencing them due to my preoccupation with travelling throughout the rest of Europe during breaks.

That is, until I felt the kind and generous manners of a family friend, Mrs. Rutledge, and her son, Evan Fischer, a long-time friend and fellow ESU scholar. The two of them (along with Paul, a family friend) offered to rescue me from school early to see the best that Scotland had to offer. Not only was it fantastic to see an old friend and reminisce about our fond Culver memories, but the trip also served as a nice big satisfying check mark on my mental bucket list for the year.

So, I left school early on Monday to catch a ride to Edinburgh, where we would start our tour the next morning. After a joyful reunion, we spent the night unpacking and settling in, not to mention catching up on sleep for the long tour ahead. Around a 12-hour-plus bus ride starting at 7:45 AM, the tour would take us clockwise around the mainland of Scotland, through the Highlands and with a stop at Loch Ness, before heading back to Edinburgh.

Despite the gloomy, cloudy weather, Paul, Evan, Mrs. Rutledge and I still managed to enjoy the tour tremendously. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, as you can imagine, since that's what Scotland is known for. In fact, the Highlands are so beautiful that they have been the background of countless iconic movies throughout history: on the first half of our journey, we past the familiar locations of Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express Train scene as well as James Bond's family home in Skyfall. From the perfectly reflective lochs to the majestic views of the munros (Scots for mountains), there was never an underwhelming moment. The tour guide especially made the trip entertaining, recounting tales of William Wallace and Pitlochry's famous "salmon ladder" while occasionally playing "The Proclaimers" or the "Red Hot Chili Pipers" on the radio (and no, I'm not making that band up).

We made a few stops along the way, of course, to keep the blood flow in our legs. Here we had the chance to visit charming pubs, stroll the tiny villages, and even pick up some tablet or a cheesy tartan souvenir from a gift shop. But the best break, hands down, was to the famous Loch Ness. On our pleasant cruise across the iconic Scottish lake, we entertained ourselves by drinking local Scottish beer, appreciating the scenery, or trying to make hoax pictures of the Loch Ness Monster by shaking our phone cameras and zooming in unnecessarily far until maybe perhaps you could see something.

As geeky as it sounds, I did have the intention to see a hairy coo (what non-Scottish people would call a "fluffy cow") before I left Scotland. I am pleased to say that I did in fact meet this goal-- well, sort of. Technically, we did drive past some on the way back to Edinburgh, but we didn't get to stop and bask in their glory. Maybe I'll get the chance to do that before I leave sometime. Anyway, I think that Paul, Mrs. Rutledge, and Evan would agree with me that we had fully Scotland-ed ourselves out by the end of our tour-- but not before stopping for some delicious pub grub afterwards.

 The next day was our last full day of Scotland sightseeing, so we decided to visit the Edinburgh Castle, which in my opinion is the best one in the country. The Castle was as striking as I remembered it to be at the beginning of the year, with its Crown Jewels and Stone of Destiny. I still sometimes forget that Scottish history goes back thousands of years, to it was an effective reminder of Edinburgh's grand and rich offerings. Afterwards, we amused ourselves with a Scottish Whisky Tour, including tastings and a detailed history of the drink. I wouldn't say that whisky is my go-to-drink, and I can't tell the difference between Islay and Highland whisky at all (it all tastes like fire to me), I did appreciate the effort that made it happen and even developed a small fondness for the burning taste... A little. Maybe. But then we destroyed our taste buds even more by a visit to Nando's, a popular Portugese chain restaurant in Britain, which specializes in spicy food. I may or may not be still recovering.


The next day, after Mrs. Rutledge and Paul left to catch their flight to London, Evan and I did a bit of shopping before saying goodbye for the time being. I am just so lucky to enjoy the generosity of the Rutledge family, and to have caring friends even 3000 miles away from home. I don't know how I will ever be able to express my gratitude enough for the kindness they all showed towards me, welcoming me like I was part of the family. And I thank Culver for this, as well, for giving me these social connections and surrounding me with wonderful people during my time there. My experience with ESU has really helped me to appreciate what I had, and what I have now-- I mean, I'm writing this in Germany just a 15 minute walk from the Brandenburg gate! But that's for another blog post sometime else. For now, I would just like anyone reading this that I am grateful, no matter where I may be.

It's an Adventurous Life

Dear readers,

Apologies for the delay in postings recently: I was waiting for the publication of pictures to include in  this blogpost, but I got too impatient, so I'll post them separately if I can. Until then, you'll just have to use your imagination...

This past Wednesday and Thursday, the Dollar Academy Music Department held its annual spring concerts, with performances ranging from the prep school choir to the senior jazz band. It is quite a popular event, and we've been preparing for it for months, but it also marks the culmination of all our work done this year. It's a bittersweet event, but it was also so satisfying to see all of our hard work in full form.

First up on the orchestra program was the Four Scottish Dances by Malcolm Arnold. The work features four movements, each a prime example of program music: in fact, they are not dissimilar to Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals." You can practically see the tartan kilts, the mountains, people furiously voting "yes" in the 2014 independence referendum, etc. This was by far my favorite piece, but others included the lively "Brasiliera" from Scaramouche, a couple Mozart concertos, and Piazzola's "Libertango." As for choral pieces, the Chamber Choir had a wide variety of songs from a Medieval "Cantate Domino" to a trendy "Hold Back the River," and Mixed Voice Choir sang "Fix You" by Coldplay.

The Chamber Choir, or at least most of it. I'm conveniently cropped out, as usual.

The soloists of the concerts, as usual, were all simply fantastic. Martina Silence, our principle violinist, played Sarasate's "Zigueunerweisen" in the most passionate, beautiful ways I have heard it played (which, I must admit, wasn't many times-- but still). I'm extremely impressed by the level of expertise some of our student musicians have achieved, and it is evident that they all contributed countless hours to making the concert the best that it could have been. I am saddened that my music activities at Dollar have mostly come to an end, but fortunately, it won't be long until the Spring Musical starts and I will be playing in the orchestra pit once more.

Just a few days later, I was on a train to Edinburgh to celebrate my friend Alisha's 18th birthday at Camera Obscura and World of Illusions in Edinburgh. This would actually be my second visit here, the first being with my mother in our first few days in Scotland, and I must say that it was just as entertaining this time around. In fact, it may have been even more fun to know what was coming, and of course, to watch everyone make a fool of themselves. Overall, the party was fantastic, and Alisha's "La La Land" cake was of astonishing quality (both taste-wise and visually).

At the illusion room in Camera Obscura. The birthday girl is on the far right.

My next adventure was a house trip on Sunday to Urban Paintball Edinburgh, an indoor paintball center located just a few minutes off Princes Street. This was my first time participating in such an activity, and honestly, maybe the last. Don't get me wrong-- the atmosphere was great, the adrenaline rushes were invigorating, and it's awesome to get a chance to shoot your friends in a socially acceptable manner, but it hurts. Like, really badly. Like, when you're less than 10 metres away you feel like you're actually shot. I have this huge bullseye-shaped welt on my knee now for a souvenir, but other than that, it was an excellent chance to enjoy the company of some of my house sisters-- Henni, Anna, Una, and Bente.

It's hard to believe, but we have only a few weeks of school left before study leave starts, so it's really important to me to go out and go on these adventures while I still can. How crazy is it that I'm applying for new student orientation at IU right now?? (Well, most of my friends did that a year ago, but still.) And it's less than a week now before I depart on my final overseas trip, which is of course is an unbearable wait. So wish me luck! And for those of you who know a little German, I would definitely not turn down any helpful tips-- the only thing I can say with confidence is "Ich bin ein Berliner." Well, we'll see how it goes...

"I'm Working, I Swear!"

Most people take a gap year to escape from the burdens of school, and not to embrace them-- not that there's anything wrong with that. I'll be as glad as anyone when my high school days are over (again), but that doesn't stop me from working diligently to give my best work where I am right now.
Technically, I could ignore all of the rapidly approaching assignments, deadlines, and exams and watch House of Cards all day. But the thing is, I just don't want to. I've always been the person that's up for a challenge, actively seeking out competition especially in the classroom. Plus, all you type-A's out there will be nodding your heads when I mention how reassuring a steady routine is in daily life. So, here's what's been keeping me academically busy this past term.

Advanced Higher Geography has been given the unfortunate nickname of "Advanced Higher Coloring," because of all the maps and graphs. Well, it's not entirely a false notion. We do get the privilege of tracing, drawing, and coloring, which is (not surprisingly) quite relaxing. But Geography is much more difficult than people might say. Throughout the year, I've spent hundreds of hours gathering and processing data, citing sources, and yes, filling in all those diagrams with colored pencils. A graph you might see in a newspaper or in a magazine looks so simple, but there's so much work that goes into it, and even more so when they are hand-drawn. Even the "coloring" part of the subject can be excruciating: the letters must be exactly the same length, all the lines steady and at the perfect angle, and all the colors a consistent shade.

As I've probably mentioned in the past, I have two main projects in geography that I've been working on for almost the entire year-- a geographical study and a geographical issue. The former involves more primary data, in order to prove our proficiency in data gathering and processing techniques. I've studied the nearby city of Stirling and its environmental quality through both a survey and a questionnaire, both of which took too many hours in the cold and wind looking stupid as I strolled through the city center with a trundle wheel. The questionnaire was especially grueling, and I was almost in tears by the end because nobody wanted to respond. Eventually, I did get enough data to prove the statistical significance of these four hypotheses:

If you're interested, I found the first two to be statistically significant. 

The latter project, the issue, is a much broader undertaking that involves comparing different sources that address varying viewpoints to a certain geographical problem. I chose the topic of food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly because one of my best friends at Culver (hey, Clare!) did a project on it in her senior year, and it greatly piqued my interest. To sum up 3000 words, thirteen sources, and numerous graphs, I am basically arguing that the use of innovative farming science technology will be a better option to counteract food security compared to minimizing food waste or increasing the ability to respond to food emergencies in the developed world (although all, of course, will be helpful in some way). This project was undoubtedly more interesting and engaging than the study: there are only so many times where you can do a Pearson's Product test to find a statistical correlation and still be excited about it. Here's a graph that I'm particularly proud of: 

Those bananas took way too long.

Politics class, while less of a burden than Geography, doesn't quite let me off the hook. We are currently in the process of writing and memorizing our assignments, which we will write in an official exam setting later in March. We are given the fantastic gift of being able to choose the subject of our own assignment; naturally, I chose to discuss the constitutionality of Trump's executive order in January barring the immigration of seven Muslim-majority countries. What's funny, though, was that I went into the project thinking, "I am so going to prove this is illegal. Immigration and Nationality Act. Fourteenth Amendment. So there." But after further consideration, I actually had to switch my position on the issue. Eye-opening, but annoying when you've already written two pages on it. I still don't agree that the executive order was the best way to keep the US's national security intact, but I found some provisions in the law that were simply too significant to ignore. For example, I used US Code 1182 as one of my arguments, which states, "he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate" in the event of national security. He is the Commander-in-Chief, so he technically has the ability to say who can come and who can't. Interesting stuff, huh? It's a complicated issue, though, and now I have the ability to argue both ways.

The project has really caused me to look past my biases and focus on what the law actually says, instead of what I want it to be. Being a lawyer wouldn't be my first choice as a profession, but it sure was enthralling to pretend I was for a few weeks. The actually writing is done now, so now I just have to memorize all the facts... from Sally Yate's resignation date (30 Jan) to the number of Somalis that have attempted terror attacks in the US since 1975 (six). Fun stuff.

So that's the bulk of my current work. Modern Studies had its assignment back in the fall, and now the focus is primarily on democracy and voting behavior... which would be my third class on it in two years. In other words, not a problem at all. 

On another note, I was able to get away from the books on Wednesday to participate in Dollar Academy's Cross Country Championships. We followed a wonderfully muddy route up through the Ochil Hills in only a little rain-- much to my surprise, I found myself able to run for the majority of the way! Dollar's page has a story on it, if you'd like to read more about it. It was definitely a great way to take a break and see the beautiful Scottish countryside.

After the run-- note the disheveled hair and dirt on my nose. 

John Williams and Gordon Ramsay

As the first flower buds of spring are just beginning to emerge in Dollar's beloved burn, the winter blues are finally drifting away. This, of course, means that life is gradually becoming more and more eventful at Dollar Academy. Spring is very much around the corner, and with it final exams, deadlines, and assignments-- not to mention events such as the Spring Musical (Oliver!), the Spring Concert, and so much more. It's hard to believe that there are only two days until March begins, especially because that means that I am at my final months overseas. Despite all of these activities and emotions, though, I don't have to look far to take a break from hectic workdays.

Dollar has had the honor of hosting around twenty student musicians from the Cayman Islands, four of whom are residing in Heyworth for the length of their ten-day stay. The pupils are able to get a glimpse of what life is like at a Scottish school, as well as a taste of Scotland in general. Of course, many of their activities here are music-oriented, as they are all members of the St. Ignatius Catholic School Wind Band-- but some others include touring the school or spending the day shopping in Edinburgh. Fun fact: the country is actually pronounced with the emphasis on Cay-man instead of Cay-man, one of the many tidbits of information I have learned about the small Caribbean territory.

I was understandably delighted when asked to be a Cayman "buddy" for the four girls in Heyworth, a duty which implied making the girls at home in the boarding house and, generally, just making sure they don't end up somehow in the Shetland Islands. The girls (Nazia, Jordanne, Asya, and Jaimie) are young, all around 13 and 14, but are extremely sociable and intelligent. They have undoubtedly been a pleasant addition to Heyworth, and our continuous jokes about the contrast in climate between Scotland and the Caribbean seem to never get old.

As a chaperone to the Cayman pupils, I earned the opportunity yesterday to attend one of the many expeditions open to our visitors: a "John Williams and Friends" performance in the Glasgow Concert Hall by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The RSNO is one of the best orchestras in the UK, and it was truly a pleasure to hear them-- especially with such a wonderfully geeky genre. The conductor was Richard Kaufman, an established musician who not only works with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 11 years, but has also collaborated directly with John Williams and even played in the score of some of his best-known soundtracks like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

William's music is incredibly diverse, on top of being just incredible. The program of the concert ranged from the famously ominous two-note rumble of "Jaws" to the lively, jazzy "Catch me if you Can" soundtrack. You can bet that, as an unashamed motion picture fangirl, I was absolutely giddy for the whole three hours in the breathtaking venue. As for the orchestra itself, the musicians were obviously outstanding-- I was especially impressed by the brass section, their notes being unbelievably crisp and synchronized. From my own experience, I know that the staccato/presto style of action movies can indeed present a challenge, but the RSNO certainly went above and beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any videos or recordings during the performance, so you'll just have to trust me that it was one of the most satisfying events I have been to this year.

Ok, I might not have been allowed to take this either. Just don't tell.

Today, our Cayman visitors took a trip up to Northern Scotland, but I decided to sit this one out in order to attend one of the most anticipated house trips of the term: a visit to the acclaimed Chinese restaurant "Chop Chop" in Edinburgh for a belated Chinese New Year's celebration.Now, this is not the greasy, MSG-laden Chinese takeaway with which most of us are familiar. It is wholesome, flavorful, and authentic-- in fact, it has been hailed by Gordon Ramsay (yes, the Gordon Ramsay, "Kitchen Nightmares" Gordon Ramsay, that one) as possibly serving the best dumplings in Scotland. But don't take my word for it: check out the picture of him and the owner hanging within the first few steps of the doorway.

Thus, I was simply obligated the supposedly famous dish. I tried the chili chicken dumplings, which were simply to die for, and I also tried some of Una's noodles with peanut and mustard sauce, which was... interesting to say the least. Overall, though, the atmosphere was nice and we entertained ourselves well. It was certainly a good chance to leave the boarding house, and an excellent bonding experience for us before we get too busy with exams.

Exciting news: Spring break plans for this year will include visiting Henni (a fellow Heyworthite) in Hamburg, Germany; seeing the Berlin Wall and possible the Cologne Cathedral; and hopping down to Prague to see Anna (another Heyworthite)! I scored an amazing deal on flights, but more importantly, my heart was on seeing Germany while I was here. Prague, of course, is a wonderful bonus-- and really not that far off from my route. I'll also finally be touring Loch Ness with my friend and ESU Scholar, Evan Fischer along with his mother, Mrs. Rutledge, for the last days of March-- I feel like not visiting this location during a year in Scotland would be a crime. I'm so excited for the next events to come, both here at school and on my travels. After a relatively uneventful winter, I will gladly welcome any chance to explore the wonderful atmosphere around me.

Tiptoeing through the Tulips

Paris? Check. Rome? Check. London? Check. Next on the Europe bucket list for me, of course, was Amsterdam, another of Europe's great cities. Although popular with tourists for its toleration of sex, drugs, and who know what else, the city appealed to me because of hits vibrant culture and cultural significance, not to mention its beautiful scenery. Although I was unsure of what to expect at first, Amsterdam soon captured my heart. In a word, the city is artsy-- not like Paris, which was a work of art in itself, but the streets were simply bursting with creativity. Although I struggled through the whole journey with ear pain and malfunctions, not to mention a terrible cold, my ailments were a small price to pay for what became another trip of a lifetime.

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam.

A scene from the Oude Kerk, the oldest church in Amsterdam, which was conveniently right next to my hostel.

My companion for this trip was Tricia Smith, a fellow ESU scholar who I met in London at the Thanksgiving dinner. Appreciative, curious, and flexible, she was the perfect traveling mate. It is not easy to find someone who is more than content with spending 4+ hours in a contemporary art museum  and Tricia is that kind of person. Our similar interests and tastes allowed for harmonious entertainment for the both of us, day after day. We bonded over our thoughts and experiences we had accumulated through the year, as well as our reminiscences from back home in the States. It was really a pleasure to share my journey with her, and I hope she feels the same.

The Atmosphere

I must admit that my first impression of Holland was its over-the-top, unintentionally hilarious language, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the advertisements and signs on the street and think, how do they possibly say this with a straight face?

Some examples of giggle-worthy Dutch words.

Otherwise, though, the scenery around us was attractive, elegant, and sophisticated.  Although it was cold at first, even snowing the first few days I was there, the weather soon warmed up so that people could freely savor the internationally appreciated environment. The picturesque and peaceful canals of Amsterdam just as enjoyable as those of Venice, if not more so. And the bikes sprawled about the bridges made it even better, giving it a laid-back and welcoming vibe. You do definitely have to be careful in the city, though, because those innocent-looking bikes will easily run you over if you cross the street at the wrong time.

The locals are friendlier than any place I have visited so far: in the words of a tour guide, they are glad the tourists are there, unlike Paris, where they are considered a nuisance. Amsterdam is also one of the most diverse cities in the world, so it was amazing to hear the stories of real locals' journey to the city. Japanese art came to life on the brick building walls, with an Argentinean restaurant just around the corner. In my hostel room alone, I had great conversations with Macedonian, Italian, and British travelers who, like me, were attracted to Amsterdam's culture.

There were certainly--ahem-- interesting parts of the city, of course. Stereotypes usually have at least a bit of truth in them, and Amsterdam is not an exception. Space cakes and marijuana-themes souvenirs could be found in virtually every shop window, right along with clogs, bicycle figurines, and fake tulips. I didn't realize that my hostel was right smack in the middle of the red light district, which was certainly an interesting experience, but not to worry-- that's actually the safest part of the city. But as for me, I was content with spending my time elsewhere when I wasn't sleeping.

The outside of the breathtaking Rijksmuseum in the snow.

The Museums

Practically every day, Tricia and I made our way to at least one of Amsterdam's internationally known museums of art, history, and culture. It is impossible to choose a favorite between them: each had a certain charm about them that enthralled any visitor, no matter their age or interests. The Rijksmuseum was a perfect immersion into Dutch art, and was a good starting point in knowing all the important eras in Holland's history.

The Rijksmuseum's library, which was an absolute masterpiece.

The Van Gogh Museum featured countless all-too-familiar oeuvres, and spun the capturing yet tragic biography of the artist beautifully. 

A picture I definitely wasn't supposed to take of Van Gogh's palette. Oops. 

The Anne Frank House was a somber reminder of the evil capabilities of humanity, but also of the power of hope and perseverance. The Resistance Museum also provided excellent depth and perspective about the occupancy of Holland under the Third Reich, showing that history is far from black and white.

The Homomonument, a homage to homosexual victims of the Holocause right adjacent to the Anne Frank House. 

The Amsterdam museum gave great detail of the growth of Amsterdam over time, and how it came to be of such international significance.

Tricia, participating in an interactive exhibit at the Amsterdam museum.

Lastly, the Stedelijk Museum surprised me especially with a wonderful exhibition on Jean Tinguely's moving sculptures, and how he integrated sophistication with humor. I'm not usually one for modern art, but the works were so thought-provoking that I had no choice but to enjoy it.

The Rest

With so many galleries in Amsterdam, one might think that Tricia and I spent all our time observing art and history. But we did find time to experience the city in other ways (and no, in case you're wondering, this does not include some of Amsterdam's usual infamous tourist activities). Our first day, we wandered down to the floating tulip market--which ironically had no tulips due to the climate--but it was an interesting stop nonetheless.

The Bloemenmarket, a legendary floating flower market.

We also enjoyed the gorgeous sights sights of Amsterdam on both a walking tour and a canal cruise, which were as informative as they were entertaining. More than once, we headed to some of Amsterdam's best markets, which were lively and authentic (not to mention cheap).

The Albert Cyup market, where we got all our best souvenirs.

As you might expect, cheese shops were ubiquitous in the city, so we made sure to make some stops to taste some of the free samples with only a little guilt. My favorite activity, though, must have been when we rented bicycles for a day and rode through Vondelpark on a crisp morning.

It really felt like I was experiencing real Dutch life, and not observing it like a zoo, which tourism can often feel like.

A scene from a tulip shop right next to the Anne Frank House.

The Food

One of my regrets from this trip was that I did not try much of Holland's traditional cuisine-- you know, raw herring sandwiches, pancakes and bitterballen. However, on advice from our walking tour guide, we explored the cuisine that the locals enjoy most: Indonesian, Surinamese, and other Asian dishes. Sure enough, there were "Wok to Walks" on just about every street corner: it was a refreshing change from the UK's go-to Indian curries.

We ate from the supermarket often for cost and convenience reasons, but we did make sure to try some of Amsterdam's best. There was a Lebanese place that served some unconventional yet tasty pizza, and another place which served legendary savory crepes.

Lebanese pizza?? Don't knock it 'til you try it.

One morning, we treated ourselves at the "Happy Pig," the supposedly best pancake and waffle shop in the city-- and wow, did it live up to its reputation. Tricia had the delicious-looking Vale
ntine's Day Special with strawberries and caramel sauce, while I indulged in a waffle with fig jam.

On the last night, we culminated our visit with a Chipotle-style Mexican joint, which served the best burrito I have ever eaten. I did try Holland's famous stroopwafel (another funny word), a this wafer-like waffle with gooey syrup. Totally worth the stickiness.

So now, after spending the night at the Rattray house, I'm back at school and ready for school tomorrow. It will be a relatively relaxed half-term until spring break, with only a few assignments-- the workload will increase, I'm sure, as the end-of-year exams approach. I'm just so glad I got another chance to go and see Europe during my time here-- it's all about taking the opportunities as they come. I haven't decided where I will go during spring break, but I'm thinking either Germany (Berlin, mainly) or just a road trip around the UK. That's more than a month away, though, so for now I will be fully enjoying my time right here in Scotland.

And Days of Auld Lang Syne

Take a moment, close your eyes, and think of all the things that come into your mind when you think of Scotland. I'm talking bagpipes, kilts, outrageous accents, haggis, everything. Whatever you're thinking, there is a good chance that it is bound to be present at a standard Burns Supper. The whole event is so Scottish, it isn't even funny. Like, imagine being punched in the face by a single nationality, and there you have it: the Burns Supper.

The famous Robert Burns, born in 1759 and dying in 1796.

The Burns Supper is, you guessed it, a tribute to Robert Burns: the unofficial "national poet" of Scotland, a clever lyricist, and a notorious ladies' man. You might think of him as the man who wrote "Auld Lang Syne," which is sung around the world in countless languages around the New Year. Normally held around Burns' birthday at the end of January, it is a formal and traditional gathering full of Scottish music, poetry, speeches, and culture. Dollar Academy held its Burns Supper a bit later on the 6th of February, and was only open to Form VI pupils, teachers, and local governors from the area. After weeks of excitement, anxiety regarding table placement, and a bit of nervousness from the performers, everyone was thoroughly looking forward to the occasion.

A bagpiper playing his tunes as the guests arrived. 

The event began in the traditional Burns Supper way: the piping in of the Haggis. It's exactly what it sounds like: someone carries in a plate of the concoction trailed by a bagpiper playing "Scotland the Brave" (yes, that's the song you think of when you imagine bagpipes). Then, a chosen speaker has the honor of reading Burns' "Address to a Haggis," which you can read here for a good laugh, and the meal begins. After the haggis, neeps and tatties for a starter, the main course was a traditional roast rib and gravy, and then my favorite Scottish dessert: Cranachan. No, that's not a deep-sea monster; it's a mousse-like mixture with raspberries and oats, usually flavored with some spirits. Copious amounts of whisky are usually a necessity for a Burns Supper, but since 1. it was on a Monday night, 2. most of us were underage, and 3. we were surrounded by school authority figures and prestigious governors from the area, we had to settle for a few glasses of wine instead.

Form VI Heyworth girls, finally ready for Burns Night.

After we were all drifting into food comas, the real event began. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures of the event due to its formal nature, but some may be published later on the Dollar website. The poems included "Epistle to a Young Friend" and Allan Water," ranging in topics from nature to women. Speaking of which, the Toast to the Lassies (and the reply) was quite possibly the best part of the night; the speaker, a boarder for 13 years at Dollar, was humorous and political yet polite enough for the occasion. The toast to the school and its reply by a teacher was touching, and produced a sense of nostalgia for the new and the old alike. There was quite a bit of banter thrown around from both boys and girls, teachers and students: everyone seemed content with the sharp and mocking humor, but that's not out of place in Scotland anyway.

The performances at Dollar's Burns Supper were absolutely amazing, if I do say so myself. The Form VI boys from the Chamber Choir performed "The Deil's Awa' wi' th'Exiceman," while the form VI girls (myself included) echoed with "O Whistle an' I'll Come to You."Others played their instruments for the entertainment of the crowd, including an absolutely beautiful Celtic duet featuring the pipes and an acoustic guitar. It's somewhat strange to see the people you might sit next to in class exhibiting an impressive talent you never knew they had-- in this way, the Burns Supper was also a way to appreciate each other for both our skills and our company.

Even though I understood exactly 0% of the Scots language spoken, and a few old school references flew right over my head, the event was still a memorable experience in which I was proud to participate. It especially reminded me of the proud, rich nationality that surrounds me, one that I will now be a part of for the rest of my life. I guess the Burns Supper was, then, sort of an initiation ceremony into the Scottish world, not unlike Culver's Cresting ceremony that occurs around this time of year. It's impossible to attend a Burns Supper and not feel even a little Scottish afterwards, anyway. Let's hope that it leads to many more moments of feeling Scottish in the future.