#021 You Might Live in Scotland If...

...this is what you look like after walking to and from your daughter's school to pick her up in the rain ;) Yes, I have a car - but why would I drive it 5 minutes down the road silly?!

#reallifeselfies

# 020 You Might Live in Scotland If...

...You find 3 MINI Coopers parked right next to one another. 

#019 You Might Live in Scotland if...

           
 ... your daughters are asked to wear tartan to school to celebrate Burn's Day!

Love our wee lassies and this chance to appreciate another culture. 

There are also many Burns Night Suppers held to celebrate the day throughout the UK which traditionally include haggis, Scotch whiskey, and recitation of poetry by Robert Burns.

One of his most famous poems is the Addresss to Haggis. 

Don't ask me what it means - I have no idea ;)

1786

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the pudding-race! Aboon them a' yet tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o'a grace As lang's my arm. The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin was help to mend a mill In time o'need, While thro' your pores the dews distil Like amber bead. His knife see rustic Labour dight, An' cut you up wi' ready sleight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like ony ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin', rich! Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive: Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive, Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve Are bent like drums; Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive, Bethankit! hums. Is there that owre his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad make her spew Wi' perfect sconner, Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view On sic a dinner? Poor devil! see him owre his trash, As feckles as wither'd rash, His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash; His nieve a nit; Thro' blody flood or field to dash, O how unfit! But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread. Clap in his walie nieve a blade, He'll mak it whissle; An' legs an' arms, an' hands will sned, Like taps o' trissle. Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o' fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer Gie her a haggis!

I attempted a meal like this for our family last January. I know a lot of people who really like haggis. I don't believe I will be one of those people. I tried. I honestly did! 

However, I did liked the mashed neeps and tatties ;)

Front: Neeps (turnips)
Back:  Tatties (potatoes) 

Sliced haggis ready to fry. Although I am told that I should not have bought it already sliced and maybe I didn't buy the right kind?! To be honest, I'm not sure it would have made a difference :)

Haggis cooking 

The final product: tatties(left), neeps(right), and haggis. 

I'm glad we tried it nonetheless. It was quiet the experience. 

And Tim actually really liked the whole meal!

#018 You Might Live in Scotland If...

                 .. your 3 year old asks you for beans on toast for lunch :)

Apparently she has it at nursery (preschool) as a snack 

and now it's her new favorite! 

#017 You Might Live in Scotland If...

...this is the view from your kitchen table on a rainy day. 

We are beyond blessed!

# 016 You Might Live in Scotland If...

Your child wears and adorable uniform like this: 

She was trying to catch the fog in her mouth ;)

Now that it's cooler, she also wears a blue sweatshirt (they call jumper here) overtop.
 She can also choose to wear the white and blue checkered dress underneath as well. 

Another difference is that the schooling goes by primary and secondary instead of by grades like I am used to in the states. I'm sure many places around the world use this system. But it's all new to me having a daughter in full time school now!

So the equivalents in the states would be:
Nursery = preschool
P1 = kindergarten
P2 = 1st Grade
P2 = 2nd Grade
...and so on and so forth...

We just had Maddy's first parent teacher conference meeting last night and all seems to be going pretty well. She is one of the youngest in her class (if they turn 5 by February, they start P1 that school year). And of course she has a December birthday, so that's that. But she seems to really be enjoying school and setting well. She is working hard even when the work is hard, which makes me proud!

She did ask me one morning if it was a school day and when I said yes, she said, "Oh dear!" When I asked her why she said school was SO long and there is TOO much teaching - haha! Sounds about right for a child's first year in school. I know it will take some time of adjusting. 

I have gotten to help in her classroom which has been really nice to see what they are up to and how she is interacting with her classmates and her teachers. She seems right at home there.

It was quite hard for me at first for her to be gone 9-3, but she seems to be enjoying school and growing more each day. She has made lots of friends in and out of her class and loves playing at the park with them after school. I tell you what though; I sure do soak up every moment I get with her outside of school! I can't believe how quickly this little gal is growing up! I'm thankful for the gift she is to our family!

#015 You Might Live in Scotland If...

... on today ~ March 10, 2013, it is Mother's Day. 

... but you will not experience Daylight Savings Time

 until March 31st (Easter Sunday).

Whereas in the U.S. ~ Mother's Day will be on May 12th...

...and they moved their clocks forward today!

I found the following information in an interesting post about Daylight Savings Time across the globe. 

Daylight Saving Time statistics for 2013

Daylight Saving Time observance?	Count	Example
Countries and territories which do not observe DST at all	159	China
Countries and territories where at least one location observe DST	79	United States
–Countries and territories where all locations observe DST some part of the year	68	Germany
–Countries and territories where many, but not all locations observe DST part of the year	10	United States
–Countries and territories where at least one location observe DST all year	2	Macquarie Island
–Countries and territories where all locations observe DST all year	1	Falkland Islands

#014 You Might Live in Scotland If...

...Your Milk containers looks like this

L to R: 6 pint, 4 pint, 2pint, 1pint

Instead of like they do in the States...

Gallon

Half Gallon

* And a side note- the milk here tastes SO much better. To be honest i'm not exactly sure why. I think it has to do with the higher food standards and what they allow/don't allow. 

 But it just tastes more like - well - MILK! I grew up on a farm with FRESH milk - so I was so impressed with my first taste of milk here in the UK. In fact I find all of the dairy tastes better - especially the cheddar cheese and yogurt! Yum!

Ok - you can come visit us now ;)

#013 You Might Live in Scotland If...

 The police officers look like this: 

  

                                          And your Police cars looks like this: 

And for My Scottish friends, this is generally what police officers 

look like in the States :)

        And the cars:

#012 You Might Live in Scotland If...

 ... you burn coal to heat your home!

Since we moved to our flat here in Aberdeen, we have been heating our place with radiators and a fire place. There's no central heat, well at least in our place or actually in any of my friend's places for that matter.

Because of the cost of heating, we only heat the rooms when we are in them. Each room, including the kitchen and living room has a door to help keep the heat in. So that definitely helps, but at the same time exponentially ups the number of times Tim says to the girls, "Close the door; you weren't raised in a barn!"

Our living room has a fire place, so this winter we have been burning coal for heat. It's our first time using coal for a fire. Coming from central Pennsylvania, Tim and I had a pretty good idea how start and keep a wood fire going, but coal has been a bit of a learning curve.

But after some practice now I think we have the hang of it and are really enjoying the chance to sit by that warm glow in the evenings with a book and a cuppa tea when the kids are in bed!

#010 You Might Live in Scotland If...

... your butter comes in a 250 gram rectangular block instead of a 1/2 cup pre-measured "stick".

This is what it looks like and I have found my food scale to be a life saver here. 

1 stick of butter = 4oz.  So I slice it up and weigh it.

 But I have started using more UK recipes that call for a certain number of grams of butter. So I like that my scale switches easily between ounces and grams! It's been SO helpful with my cooking and baking here! And I daresay I'm more accurate. I even weigh my flour now instead of measuring it by hand!

For my UK friends, this is what our "stick of butter" looks like if you see that term on my recipes from time to time :)

1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup = 4oz. = 113g

#009 You Might Live in Scotland If...

... you drive on the right side of the car...

...and the left side of the road.

The change did take some getting used to at first that's for sure. But it actually helped that we didn't have a car the first month or two here. Riding the bus and going in other people's cars allowed me to get a sense for the car, the road, the rules of the road and the location of things. 

Now I feel as if I've been driving this way most of my life. In fact, the other day I tried to envision the roads and cars back home and got worried that I wouldn't remember how to do THAT when I go back. Weird. 

#008 You Might Live in Scotland If...

... in the Summer you get about 16-18 hours sunlight a day!

Yup, that means on the summer solstice (June 22nd) the sunrise was at 4:13am and the sunset at 10:08pm! That's a lot of sun! Although I suppose "sunlight" might be a relative term here. It's more often cloudy and rainy than it is actually sunny.
But I suppose it's more the "daylight hours" we are talking about!
 I can hardly complain though because if you remember from my post about the winter darkness, there was only about 6-8 hours of sunlight a day! So I suppose it all works out in the end :) As I had mentioned in that previous post, winter was dark and a bit lonely, but the Lord carried us through until it started to get brighter, we made more friends, found a church we love,  and had visitors again! 

The adjustment now is how sunny it is so early and late in the day! I had to get black out blinds for the girls' room to help normalize their schedules again. It's not like in the states where I could say, "It's getting dark so it's bed time."  We decided to help them out with knowing when they needed to stay in their beds and when they could get out (despite whether it's dark or light), we got a "Gro-Clock Sleep Trainer".  Basically we set it to be blue when they are to be sleeping or in bed.

 When they are allowed to get up and get out of their beds to come get us (7am) it turns yellow :)

It has really helped with making sure they get the sleep they need (and that we do too)! One of the best investments we have made while being here!

---> And ONE more interesting thing about the light here is that even if you wake up at 1, 2, or 3 am, there seems to be a haze of orange/yellow light in darkish blue sky. It doesn't ever seem to get pitch dark.

This is the view outside of our living room window at almost 1am!

"Things that make you go hmmm..."

#007 You Might Live in Scotland If...

...You hang your clothes to dry outside or inside (depending on the weather!)

Our clothes drying in our shared back garden on a sunny day!

That's right. We don't have a dryer. I honestly didn't think I would ever get used to not having a dishwasher OR a dryer...but after 9 months without I think I'm am pretty well acclimated. That's not to say that I love not having those conveniences, but I have learned to use my time wisely and "get er done!" I find that I basically have to be doing laundry and dishes all throughout the day every day. The other tricky thing about laundry is that our washing machine holds about half of the amount that ours did in the States. So you really have it running all of the time. Then if you hang laundry outside (while it looks sunny), it could be 20 minutes before it rains again and you have to rush out and bring them in. Or if it's just a light sprinkle, you could just leave them out and hope for sunshine in the next hour. 

Our clothes drying inside with a heater on a cool, rainy day!

Now outside hanging of wash works MUCH better in the Spring and Summer when we are getting light until late in the evening, but in the Winter when the sun starts to set at 3pm, you have got to get your clothes outside first thing in the morning and take them down quickly before the sun begins to set or they will get damp again (at least that's what my sweet downstairs neighbors taught me :) We also have radiators that are on 2x a day for a couple of hours (yes most often even in the Spring and Summer- unless we have a "hot day"). So I also hang some of my clothes directly onto the radiators to dry. 

On those days when I am tempted to complain -ok most every day :() 

I try to meditate on this verse: 

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:11-13 (NIV)

#006 You Might Live in Scotland If...

... You have to make your own "half and half" or coffee creamer because they don't sell it in the grocery store. 

The first time I sent Tim to the grocery store to grab a few things, he spent forever looking for some half and half for our coffee. He finally(to my amazement) asked a store worker where he could find some. Her reply was, "What is half and half and what would you use it for?" Our stores here have:

*skimmed milk
*semi-skimmed milk
*whole milk
*single cream (too thick for coffee)
*double cream (basically whipping cream)

---> So I mix equal parts of milk and single cream in an empty jar to make half and half for our coffee. Most people here just put milk in their coffee, but we just can't do it! But I really do miss all of those fun flavored creamers especially around the holidays! I am beginning to appreciate the taste of the actual coffee more now though and my dear husband is glad :)

#005 You Might Live in Scotland If...

   ... in May, the temperature reaches 55 F (13 C) and you rush out to the Sea with your kids, blanket, and picnic lunch! It a only been in the 40's here-bleh. So we have learned that when the sun is shining and the temperature makes a jump, you had better get out and enjoy it because it might only last a few hours!

We had a wonderful time at the beach to say the least :) The girls started all bundled up, but as it warmed up and they ran around, they ditched their coats and their shoes and had such a blast exploring along the beach front! We love to soak up that sunshine whenever it come out here!

#004 You Might Live in Scotland If...

...you wash all of your dishes by hand. 

And in case you were wondering, YES I always look so put together when I wash my dishes :)

Of course I know that many people have to wash their dishes by hand, but it seems to be more predominant here. Our flat did not come with a dishwasher (some do), so I have come to terms with it and learned how to hand wash dishes efficiently. I really disliked it at first. I can't believe it, but in almost 9 years of marriage, we've always had a dishwasher! So this was quite the change for me. But I've started to like the time to think, listen to music, meditate on scripture (I keep a verse right by the sink), listen to a sermons, or just watch/listen to "The Cosby Show"on my computer :) I'm also am blessed that I have a nice big window to look out into our garden to help pass the time. I have been trying not to complain about the little inconveniences. We are blessed with SO much compared to many in the world. I want to practice having a heart of contentment.

I Timothy 6:8, " But if I have food and clothes I will be content with that."

#003 You Might Live in Scotland If...

 ...you boil your water for coffee, tea, oatmeal, etc. in an electric kettle. 

Yup, just about every flat in Aberdeen comes with one of these babies on the counter. Tim and I both agree that this invention is genius and we should get one straight away upon our return to the States ;) You just fill with water, press the button and you have piping hot water in a matter of minutes!

#002 You Might Live in Scotland If...

...when you drive or walk down the street you happen upon a sign like this:

The first time Tim and I saw one we burst out into simultaneous laughter! 

You Might Live in Scotland if...

... your outlets (called power source here) have ON/OFF switches and have a 3 flat pronged plug. It's always a bummer when you *thought you were charging your phone, but the outlet switch was OFF ;) Oh and to confuse the situation more, a light or outlet is ON when it is in the downward position -weird.

I thought it would be fun to do a series of blog posts on cultural difference here in Scotland for our American friends and family back home to have just a little window into this strange new world  ;) So expect a lot more of these posts! I've got a bagful of ideas already!