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.