Glasgow

I arrived in Glasgow around 7 am last Sunday and the view out the plane window was absolutely breathtaking.  It looked exactly like what you think Scotland should be - rolling green hills, fog, flocks of sheep, rocky outcrops, etc. etc.  I was half expecting a castle, a man with bagpipes and a kilt, or the Hogwarts Express to appear out of the mist at any moment.  Naturally, I was thrilled.

Unfortunately, Glasgow is not like this at all.  With a population of over one million, Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, makes up about 41% of the country's population, and is apparently the "Stabbing Capital" of Europe. Charming. So even though "Glasgow" comes from the Gaelic word "glaschu" which means "dear, green place," the city itself is pretty bleak. I'm sure it will become more enchanting as the term progresses, but my first impressions all included words such as "dingy," "sketchy" and if I’m feeling particularly Scottish, “dodgy.” However, I believe I am being entirely too harsh.  Situated on the River Clyde, Glasgow used to be one of the world’s most distinguished centres for heavy engineering and shipbuilding during the Industrial Revolution, therefore, it has been undergoing a bit of urban renewal ever since.  So to give the place a little more credit, it is certainly rich in history and does have a smattering of promising nooks and crannies.  My FSP mates and I have already discovered some beautiful parks, the botanical gardens, several used books stores, as well as an old church that has been converted to a bar and boasts 250 different types of whiskey.  

view of Glasgow from above

And obviously, one of Glasgow’s most redeeming factors is the university.  Established in 1451, the University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the United Kingdom, after Oxford, Cambridge, and St. Andrews.  And I thought Dartmouth was old! It has had three different locations throughout the city and only two buildings of the original structure remain.  Most of the other buildings were built around 1870 in the Gothic revival style; so really, most of the campus looks much older than it actually is.  It is still very impressive though and I am eager to begin taking classes.

University of Glasgow from the back

the very Hogwarts-esque cloisters

Another endearing facet of Glaswegian culture is the Glaswegians themselves!  The Scottish pride themselves on being a very patriotic and friendly people and I can certainly see why.  Most every Scot I’ve interacted with has had some pretty fierce “smeddum” (spunk) and they all are exceptionally willing to give me directions, advice, information, or simply sociable conversation.  One of the most interesting pieces of advice I have gleaned from a local thus far is that I should not wear any of my Dartmouth clothing, as green and white are the colors of the football (that is, soccer) team, the Celtics, and if I sport these colors in the right (or rather wrong) part of town, avid fans of the rival team, the Rangers, will most likely beat me up.  So, if I am to become a football fan while here, my best bet seems to be to support Aberdeen, as they, much like the Quidditch team the Chudley Canons in Harry Potter, are simply no good.     

Also, accents galore! The younger people are pretty easy to understand, but when it comes to the older generation of Scots, all you can do is smile and nod when they talk to you.  Listening to them is like listening to a song - you can tell they're speaking English, but you only catch about every third word. As I said though, most everybody is very friendly and willing to repeat himself or herself once or twice.  And apparently I sound funny to them too. A professor of Scottish literature recently told me he liked my “cowboy accent.”  I also had a bus driver mimic riding a horse and shooting pistols when I told him I come from Colorado.

And of course, there is the weather.  I thought I would be prepared for the rain as I view Hanover as a rather rainy place and I was sure to come armed with galoshes (“Wellies”), an umbrella, and a raincoat.  Boy was I wrong.  Somehow the rain feels colder and more miserable in the city and the wind makes using an umbrella or hood entirely pointless.  When it comes to dealing with the inclement weather, the Glaswegian advice seems to be simply this – just give up.  Most of them walk about wearing their everyday normal clothes and don’t seem to be the slightest bit bothered by the fact that the driest they will be all day is when they step out of their showers in the morning.  Oh well, at least this will probably build character right?

So basically, even though Scottish writer Lewis Crassic Gibbon described Glasgow as, “that strange, deplorable city which has neither sweetness nor pride, the vomit of a cataleptic commercialism,” it does have a certain degree of charm and I’m sure this term abroad will be a very worthwhile adventure, especially once I get into the Highlands and/or hear “Scotland the Brave” played on the bagpipes.

Here is a link to some pictures I took of the Botanical Gardens: 

Glasgow's Botanical Gardens

More stories and pictures to come soon!