A lexicon of Terms

One thing that I’ve discovered over here is that there are words that we Canadians use that have a very different meaning. I thought I’d take a minute and go through some of these words so that, should any of you come and visit, that you avoid the embarrassment of committing a social faux pas.

Pants- Canadians would call these any garment to cover your legs. So, a pair of jeans could be a pair of pants, or perhaps dress pants when you go to work, or even referee pants to go over my equipment.

Pants- For Scots, pants are underwear. So, you can imagine the confusion that can erupt when I say something like ‘My pants are wet!’. To the Scots it sounds like I just had an accident and couldn’t make the bathroom…put to Canadians it is simply me telling anyone who’ll listen that my pants are wet. Replace pants with the word trousers.


Bangs- In Canada girls often have bangs, the hair that’s in front and covers a bit of the forehead.

Bangs- this word doesn’t exist in Scotland…they call it Fringe. Deal with it.


Chips- In Canada we call potato chips made by Lays or Humpty Dumpty chips but this is a huge point of contention for Scots. The Scots insist on calling potato chips Crisps. Yes, yes, I know…it sounds dumb…but that’s term. If you call them Chips everyone gets all confused. To these people Chip refer to what we call Fries. So…if you want potato chips you really want Crisps , and if you want fries you want Chips.

While I’m on the topic of Crisps…they have the weirdest flavours ever over here. They have regular and Salt and Vinegar, and instead of sour Cream and onion they have Cheese and onion. All of these are relatively normal. But then they get weird. Prawn Cocktail (think Shrimp), or how about Minted Lamb flavoured? No? Well try the collection of Crisps made by McCoy…it’s a meat flavoured pack, so BBQ chicken, Flame Charbroiled steak, and Ham and Mustard. Weird!! Check out the photo. hmmm...Meaty!!

Then we move on to Chips. Now, we all know that poutine is a classic Canadian dish. Fries smothered in Gravy with Cheese curds…very nice…I have to admit. However, they don’t like the idea of the gravy…over here you get Chips and cheese, but with Curry sauce. Weirdest thing ever. It tastes ok…not one of my favourites, but reasonable. Just really weird.


Trunk- If you want to open the Trunk of the car, you’d better call it the Boot or else no one understands you.


Chuffed: This is a term I only recently encountered. It’s used to describe the feeling of being really happy. So, in a sentence you get ‘ I’m really Chuffed that Celtic won the football match!’. Got it ? Good.


Football- Ok…we all know that Football in Europe mean s Soccer. But don’t call it soccer. You’ll get punched out.


NED’s- You need to avoid people who are called NED’s. It’s an acronym for Non-Educated Delinquents and basically describes hooligans. You might also see them described as being RAGE…don’t ask why…that’s the deal. Apparently that’s a term from the East Coast (aka Edinburgh). They tend to wear track suits, running shoes, have short hair cuts, and carry samurai swords.


A Wee Pouff- This is an expression that includes a couple of Scottish terms. Wee…well that means little. Simple enough. A pouff is a someone timid, perhaps something akin to a coward.

Nae bother: This sounds like something that a horse might say, but let me assure you the Scots use the word Nae lots. It’s really the word ‘No’ or ‘Not’…it depends on the situation. However, if you aren’t expecting it you will be confused.

Toilet- The term toilet refers to a couple of things. Firstly, it refers directly to the toilet itself, just like back home. However, it also has the double meaning of referring to the room where the toilet is found. We might call this room the bathroom, or restroom depending on what surroundings you are in. A little deceiving, I know, but key to know.

Wanker- This is a terms you simply don’t want to be called. It’s very rude. Sometimes it’s used in the sense of red neck…but the meaning is variable depending on what you need. And, while in Scotland you REALLY don’t want to be called an English wanker. They HATE the English…so it’s really insulting.


That seems to be the bulk of the main ones. I’m sure I will add to the lexicon as we go, but this should get you started.

That’s all from Scotland,

Take care,

Bruce

First Full week back…

So, I’ve finished my first full week back in Scotland and I’m getting back into the swing of things. My sleep pattern is back to normal…I’m getting to all my classes…and get used to the weather again. All in all, it’s been a busy week but a good week.

The weather this week has been unbelievable. Early on in the week it was the normal rainy and windy weather I have come to know as the daily norm. However, by Wednesday it was beautiful. Wednesday we had a full day of sun and it was really mild…probably about 10 degrees. It was soooooooo nice. Sadly enough, overnight, the nice weather was replaced with driving rain and howling wind. The wind was so bad that during my Physical Education session on Thursday I swore the building was going to fall down. There gusts of upwards of 90 mph! That’s insane wind. Friday was nothing but driving rain…and the major concern was flooding. The weekend is supposed to call for much of the same.

Class this week was ok. We had some really fun sessions and workshops. We started out option workshops and I selected to take Health. Most of our topics are pretty touchy issues like bullying, drugs, and such. It was really quite interesting and stuff that imagine will be helpful later on. We also had Phys Ed, and once again I discovered that I can’t play nicely with others. We were playing one game that was a modification of basketball where I jumped up to swat the ball away and in the process elbowed a classmate in the stomach and winded her. Ooops. This seems to be the way of things whenever I go off to the gym to play games. Oh well. Check out my attire for PE class. (Yes…that is Cow Spandex!)

All the boys in my flat are back. My resentment of the guys in the secondary stream is growing on a weekly basis, mainly because they never seem to come to school. They get time off, breaks, days off, and all the rest. Needless to say, they go out and party mid-week, while I get to sit in my flat and work away at readings or assignments. Not that I’d necessarily join them, but I keep finding that the quantity of work that I need to put in is just far greater than what they need to put in. I’m sure they work hard, but it sure doesn’t look that way.

The hockey resumed last week and was I happy to get back on the ice. I got a new pair of Steven’s pants for Christmas (thank you mom and dad) and it was a relief. My old pants had developed a huge gaping hole in the crotch, so a new pair was very much needed. However, when I returned to the ice I was treated to perhaps two of the sloppiest displays of hockey I have ever seen. Saturday in Fife, and then Sunday at the pro game in Edinburgh were both sloppy affairs. Saturday took ages to play and I actually had my first fights to break up (my first 2 of the season…in January?!) but they were hardly fights, mostly just rolling around on the ice. Sunday was a little better, but not by much. Edinburgh didn’t play very well, and got beat handily. However, the nice part was that we were done early, so I got to catch the earlier bus. I was home by 10pm…which ½ an hour earlier than usual. Nice deal! This weekend will a similar schedule, except I’m in Edinburgh both nights (Sat. for the pro game vs. Sheffield…and Sun for the SNL). I’m looking forward to it.

Otherwise, life in Scotland is good. It’ll definitely be a busy 5 months. Our Graduation ceremony is tentatively slated for the 14th of June…so that’s almost 5 full months from today…a scary thought…and there’s still lots to do.

I hope all is well back in Canada, and don’t be shy to drop me a line, or better yet come and visit!

That’s all from Scotland for now.

Bruce

The main building of our campus (Jordanhill) of the University of Strathclyde.

Glasgow 2007 part 2

So, this is the second part of my update that I promised. I apologize for the delay but getting back into the swing of things over here has been a little tough. I love jet lag!

On the 19th of December I drove to Montreal to pick up Katie. She was flying into Montreal and we had planned to spend a few days in Montreal because I had actually never seen any of the town (I had always been in and out as quick as possible). She had booked two nights at a nice hotel a block from the Bell Centre and got a good deal on the room. We spent the first evening doing some Christmas shopping on Montreal’s famed St. Catherine street and let me assure you that it lived up to the hype. It was BUSY! On the 20th we spent the day walking around town and say most of old Montreal, the McCord Museum, walked through the McGill campus, and all the way to the top of Mont Royal. It was a busy day and left both of us tired, but it was a good day. Check out the McCord museum…I couldn’t take pictures from inside, but the outside was nice too! The museum deals with the history of Montreal and different things that influenced the city. It was pretty interesting.

On the 21st we drove back to Ottawa and spent a few more days with my family. Katie worked a few shifts at Parliament Hill as a tour guide that she had picked up thanks to her time as a guide last spring, mean while I took care of a few other details…like getting my hair cut…check out the picture from our Secret Santa taken just before I came home! I was huge! It needed to get cut.

On the 24th we celebrated Christmas with my parents and it was a nice day. Mom cooked a really nice Salmon and we had the Quinn’s (family friends) over to share it with us. It was really nice and a little different than turkey, ham, or roast beef. Maurice came along and we spent the evening playing Cranium, Taboo, and other board games. I had forgotten how much fun it was to play these board games! It was a really fun way to spend Christmas.

On the 25th Katie and I drove to London to spend a few days with her family. We stopped in Perth to pick up her grand-parents and then continued on to London. We actually made good time and enjoyed the clear roads because it was Christmas. We arrived in London around 5pm and enjoyed a second Christmas. Of course, on the 26th the extended family was all invited in for Christmas and we had a 3rd Christmas. Oh man!! So much food, but it was really good. After dinner we had to play Risk with Katie’s younger brother Max who received the game for Christmas. Let me simply say that my luck at these board games has not changed and I was still easy pickings. Argh! Check out a few of the pictures from Christmas in London.

Our time in London was a blur. I had the chance to meet many of Katie’s friends that she had grown up with and it was very neat. I can place faces to the names that she has been using. However, all too quickly we had to come back to Ottawa. We left London on the 30th, made a stop in Toronto to visit with Granny Gray, and then continued on. We arrived in Ottawa at 9pm or so and were bushed…little did I know that my day wasn’t over.

Our News Year’s plan had been sort of tentative before we had gone to London, but Katie and believed that we would be in Ottawa for New Year’s. Well, I returned home and was instructed to call Dave and Scott about New Year’s. Well…the plan suddenly got changed. Dave’s parents had built a new home near Ganonoque and had invited us all down to celebrate down by the St. Lawrence sea way. So, after a few frantic calls and speaking to Katie we decided to go. On the 31st we drove the 150 km’s to Gan and enjoyed a quiet New Year’s and the Humphrys’ gorgeous new home. It was really nice.

On the 1st Katie and I then went from Gan to just outside Perth to visit her other set of Grandparents for a 4th Christmas. However, we had a slight detour and were required to pick up Katie’s cousin Jessica…in Athens. So, combined with the 40 minute wait for the ferry and the detour, what should have taken a little over an hour to travel suddenly became a solid 2 ¼ hour trip. I was afraid we were going to be late! However, we arrived just in time and enjoyed a really nice dinner. It was a nice evening. Katie’s family seemed very interested to hear all about my exploits in Scotland, which was kind of neat. However, by 9:30 we decided we needed to leave and return to Ottawa. With a pit stop in Perth with Katie’s other grand parents to say hello, we finally made it back to Ottawa. It had been a good trip, but I was tired and well aware that my flight back to the UK was pending and was happy to see my bed.

On the 2nd I had the bittersweet task of saying all my goodbyes to my loved ones again. It seemed that I had just arrived back in Canada, and here I was having to go back…but at least this time I was going back to a place I knew and felt pretty comfortable in. While I think I’ll always be sad to say goodbyes, I know that I have made lots of good friends over in Scotland to help. So, with a tearful goodbye at the security gate in Ottawa I set off once again for the land of the Tartan army. Stay posted…because while this is the end of my holiday tales…let me assure you that the stories don’t end here.

Take care and enjoy all that 2007 has to offer. Don’t be shy to drop me a line…I’m always keen to hear what is up with people back home in Canada.

That’s all from Scotland for now. Take care! Cheers!

Bruce

Glasgow 2007 part 1

Well, it’s been a long time since I last updated this blog. Its not that I don’t want to write in my blog, but I’ve been really busy and just haven’t found the time to take care of such matters as writing in my blog. Also, it would be very likely that I have had the chance to visit with most of you over the holidays and so much of what I’ll be putting in this blog will likely be repetitive.

My last entry was the 20th of November and since then I’ve had a lot happen. The end of my term at school was busy. I had an evaluation from my tutor on the 7th of December and did quite well on it. My paperwork had improved so he was pleased. I submitted all my paperwork on the 11th and let me tell you in was a huge binder full of lesson plans that was due. Thank goodness I had been staying on top of my work. My school was also very supportive and sent me off with one last great day. The 8th of December was our Christmas fair and it was a combination craft sale and games day. The kids all loved it. The school was a huge mess with glitter everywhere. The kids also all left with a heap of chocolate. After the Christmas fair the head teacher hosted a mulled wine and mince meat pies afternoon for everyone. It was a really nice send off.

Otherwise, I have been reffing hockey. On the weekend of the 9th and 10th of December the Elite league sent me first to Belfast for Saturday night’s game, and then to Edinburgh for Sunday. Oh yeah, don’t forget the fact that the league pays for airfare, hotel, and meals. It was actually very cool. I enjoyed the weekend immensely. After the game on the 10th I said my farewells to the boys over in Scotland and wished them all the best because I was going to flying to Canada on the 12th…but hockey will be resuming in January and the Elite league and the SNL look to have me booked almost every weekend.

The 11th of December, saw me turning in my work to the university, but it was also a night out for my PETL team. The ladies in my group booked this really nice restaurant out in the west end of the city and it was a really good evening. Everyone kept the whole thing pretty sensible because it was a Monday night, but it was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to going back to university and seeing all them again because they are a fun group of ladies.



On the 12th I flew back to Canada and left the pouring rain behind for a few weeks. I left at about 6 am, in wind and rain, with about a half dozen other Canadian students. We were all very excited about the prospect of going home. However, since the rest of them were all girls they seemed it hard to believe that I had everything I needed in a mere backpack. Yup, I didn’t check a single bag. Thank goodness because it just slows you down. I arrived home and was greeted by my mother, brother George, and my sister Emily. It was good to be home, even it did feel a little bizarre.

Kristy and Erin Kendel, Angela, Lisa

The next couple of days, up to the 18th, was mostly trying to get used to the time change once again, and a chance to catch up with my friends and family. I was disappointed that I forgot to bring my skates back with me because I missed the ref vs. Liney game at Carleton. George played in the game, I ‘coached’, and it was a good chance to catch up with the guys of the ODHA. I was also able to get mot of my Christmas shopping done…so I was actually done early for a change.

I’ll be sure to recap the rest of my activities in a bit…but this post is getting a little long so I’ll put the rest of my holidays adventures up another day.


I hope everyone has had a safe and happy holiday season. I wish you all the best in 2007 and if you get a chance be sure to drop me a line so I can stay up to date on where everyone is and what they are up to.

That's all from Scotland for now,

Bruce