general scotland observations

I was in Dunbeg, Scotland -- about 2 miles out from Oban. Dunbeg is home to the beautiful Dunstaffnage Castle and many ducks and small dogs. also the Scottish Association for Marine Science. really cool stuff. I was there for 3 weeks, during which I also travelled to the Isle of Mull, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

- people here smile less, but talk more. strangers, I mean. more likely to strike up a conversation, but less likely to return a smile in passing.

- rain and sun are in a playful fight. it doesn't transition smoothly from one to another. it'll be bright and blue one minute and then spraying and pattering and "dreich" the next. like tug of war. 

- E doesn't clean her dishes very well. there's usually spots of oil or smudged fingerprints. and she called me Natalie today, what the hell?

- I see more vapes than cigarettes. even the old men all have brightly colored vapes stuck in their fists, haggardly puffing away.

- speaking of haggard, everyone looks a bit so! like, weathered. carved out of wood. some sanded in a plain way, others displaying their cracks and lines proudly. I wonder how I look to them -- if I blend in or stand out?

- all of the flowers are yellow and purple. yellow and purple dots and streaks in swathes of green.

- typical outfit is wellies, jeans, quarter-zip, maybe a rain coat or puffer, sometimes cap. women get tartan scarves. 

source: my journal, dated 05/2024