Avoid the Train!

I learned that I need to pay better attention to local Scottish news. I watch the news most mornings, but I guess I missed the part where World Cup qualifying match was happening in Hampden Park in Glasgow today. I realized this about the time I watched a bunch of young guys in kilts and football jerseys run into Stirling train station.

Ok, so it took talking to the woman next to me to figure out what was going on, but I had figured out it was some kind of football match to do with the world cup. We both agreed that we should have gone to Edinburgh instead . . . . The train was overcrowded most of the way into Glasgow. It seems that everyone was getting on between Stirling and Larbert (nearby city). Most of them were men, donning kilts, as I said, some of them with Scottish flags tied like capes. There were no seats left, and some boys even took to sitting in the luggage racks and standing in between the trains to find space. Granted, they were also clutching Coronas, so probably already being drunk, they would have found their situation extremely hilarious.

I did have a nice talk with the two ladies sitting by me though, and we had a laugh at all of the enthusiasts around us. I was going to Glasgow to buy books (Waterstone's on Sauchiehall street has an excellent collection of the more obscure Scottish works), so it's not like it was imperative I went today. Frankly, had I known how busy it was going to be, I probably would've put it off until Sunday. Even still, it was fun. Although I did get lost trying to find Sauchiehall street. It's been two years and I took a wrong turn and ended up all the way down at Glasgow Central Station, which is about ten minutes from Queen Street where I came in and not where I wanted to be. Haha. It was nice though. And by this point, my shoes and jean bottoms were already soaked through, so it didn't really matter if I was going to be walking around aimlessly for awhile anyway.

Tomorrow is the first time I'm going to church (obviously, as it's the first Sunday), and I'm excited to meet more people. Everyone in Scotland is so nice, so it's not that I feel lonely yet, but friends my own age would be great right about now.

I also already have "homework" for my classes. I have a very thick book (a couple of travel pieces) and a bunch of essays to read before my first night of classes on the 17th. Pff, I like undergrad better where you show up for the first day of class and do nothing but go through the syllabus. I mean really, it's only a Master's program - they expect me to be responsible by now? hehe