Finding the train station was not a big problem, although I did take a wrong turn and climbed a steep staircase only to end up in a shopping mall. It turns out the train station is under major construction and a bit difficult to get to. Once there, I picked up some brochures on train travel in Scotland and asked the info-man how best to get to Edinburgh on the weekend. Unfortunately, the train does not go all the way to Edinburgh on the weekend. You have to take a bus to Dundee and catch a train from there. If you travel during the week, the train goes all the way to Edinburgh – what’s up with that? Toby may have to take a day off, if he wants to see more of Scotland.
I had better luck at the grocery store; although, when I got in the que to check out, I turned to the man behind me and spoke. It was a mistake. He answered me, and I had no idea what he said. "Pardon me?" He spoke again. I took a wild stab at what he might have said, but I was wrong. How could he understand me, but I could not understand him? I just smiled and nodded my head like an idiot. I managed to buy a few groceries and get them home. I took a few pictures while I was out, but it was a quiet day.
I have painted a couple of small watercolors. One turned out okay; the other one, well, it needs some work. I just can’t seem to get the simple look that I want. I also went back and looked at some past blogs. Gee, where was my brain? It is William Wallace not Wallis. Wallis is the name of my favorite pastel paper – maybe it was a Freudian slip. Toby corrected my blog too; it should be the River Don, not Dun. So why do they pronounce it dun? I found lots of mistakes in other posts. All I can say is, "Sorry." My editing is much better after a few days away from my writing. The same can be said for my paintings.
Today's pics are just some buildings that I like.
10 comments:
I love the way you are getting to see Scotland! It seems that you are getting to take some easy days along with your site seeing...it seems when ever we get to go somewhere we are always in a rush to do "something" "see anything". I think I would enjoy the "housewife" day to the grocery store!! Have a wonderful day!! Try and eat something weird today...something the rest of us won't know what it is...well let me re-phrase (because you seem to have some well traveled bog commenters)eat something that I won't know what it is...that should be a easy task!!! Have fun
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Ha,so funny about the man in the store you couldn't understand, I had the same experiance when Deb and I stopped into have our nails done yesterday. I believe my face actually reddened profusly after saying excuse me the third time!!then I did the same, smiled nicely, nodded my head and hoped desperately I wasn't going home with a set of nicely painted, BLACK fingernails. oh, and by the way who the heck's looking for any mistakes here you have us blindly enthralled(sp? :)
Above the door going in to Aitchie's, the sign says Free House (i suppose it could say Tree House, but that wouldn't make any sense) what does that mean? Is the beer free there?
Funny you should mention you couldn't understand that man...The Queen and i watched the movie 'Once' the other night. The opening scene has this part where the Irish brogue was so thick and they were speaking so fast i couldn't understand what was being said although i could figure out the basics from the action.
When we were in Rome a few years back, There were two ladies who joined us because "we could speak English." They were from Scotland and only one of them could speak English. One would speak and we understood everything, When the other one spoke, we just looked at her and smiled. Then we looked at the first lady for interpretation.
"How could he understand me, but I could not understand him?"
I bet he was just messing with the tourist ;)
Jay: "Free house" means the pub isn't affiliated with or owned by a specific brewery... they choose their own beers. Not so in brewery-owned pubs. (Sorry, Lou...)
I also noted our future in your pics, Lou...lotsa security cameras.
re: editing. You and I are in the same boat. I'm constantly finding (and correcting) errors in my old posts. It's embarrassing for a guy who considers himself a language person. No one else probably notices, but it bugs the HELL out of me!
Re: translators... They're REQUIRED in some parts of England, too... most notably Liverpool. I NEVER got to the point where I could listen to a Liverpudlian without saying "hunh?" or "Pardon?" every 45 seconds... Frustrating!
Lastly... if Toby does have to take a day off to get to Edinburgh, I'd do it. Well worth the trip, and you'd miss the (arguably) BEST part of Scotland if you DON'T go.
Thanks Buck, I had seen "Free House" on other pubs as well and wondered about it. I'm sure the folks in the office here at the hotel think that I'm a goof with all my questions. You can answer any time you want.
Some of Toby's coworkers here mention areas of Scotland that speak differently and are hard to understand even for the average Scotsman. Erlend, another of Toby's coworkers said that he comes from an island up north and had difficulty in being understood when he came to college in Aberdeen. Toby still has trouble understanding Erlend.
That is funny about no being understood. When that happens i try not let the dumb blonde look show through. At least he understood you since you speak Texan.;)
not, sorry typo. Yes, corrections are embarrassing.
Ashley, I thought you were just speaking with a Scottish accent. They seem to drop their T's worse than Okies.
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