Throughout the past month I have interacted with students from numerous countries. Many of the students who I have been in discussion with have been kind enough to share with me local terminology.
1. She's your Mum, not Mom
2. You chunder (Gap Year)in the bushes, not throw up.
3. Trousers or pantaloonies are what you wear, not just pants. Pants refers to your underwear.
4. Remember the 90s? Ya, the days when everyone went around with a fanny pack. I wouldn't say that over here, a fanny would be the female equivalent of 'below the belt'.
5. People write essays, not papers.
6. Trackies, not sweatpants
7. A Toastie is not grilled cheese, though a grilled cheese can be an inferior Toastie.
8. One for the English teacher. They say "em," not "um."
9. Accents aren't too bad. - The English one is especially awesome (Rachel)
10. Lorries, not trucks.
11. Chips are French fries, crisps are chips. Fries are still fries.
12. In the USA we have... Bros, Bras, Dawgs, Cool Cats, Johns, Smiths, Joe the Plumbers, Dudes, Men and Guys. Here in Britain they have... Lads, Chaps, Blokes, Guys and Fellows.
13. They receive post, not mail. Parcels, not packages.
14. Biscuits, not cookies.
15. Tea time, not dinner.
16. Soccer is football, football is now known under the nice nickname of American rugby.
17. Pudding here is not quite like pudding in the USA. Pudding here is any general term for desert (often like a soft, squishy cake). Our pudding is their equivalent of mouse or "mush" (Alex).
18. While we have Jell-o, they have Jelly.
19. Fruit spreads have different titles here. They have marmalades, jams, lemon curd. We have jelly, marmalade, preserves and jam.
20. Class? They say lectures
21. Ice hockey doesn't exist here. People play field hockey (competitive to the max).
22. Clothes go into your cupboard or wardrobe, not your closet.
23. If you need to pee you go to the loo or the toilet, not the bathroom.
24. They say wee instead of pee (Alex).
25. People wear jumpers, not sweaters or sweatshirts. Hoodies are same.
26. People drive on the left side of the road.
27. One for the left-handed folk: the zips are on the left hand side of your hoodie.
28. In addition to a credit card and a debit card you can also get a savings card.
29. If something costs 23 bucks, it instead is priced at 23 quid.
30. Pool here is a smaller version of American 8 ball. The tables are tiny and the sticks are shorter.
31. Bowling refers to bocce ball, not 10-pin.
32. You're off to do your maths homework, not your math homework.
33. Rubbish, not trash.
More words and ideas to come. I let you know about them as I learn them. Hope you enjoyed the starters!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
You Don't Shit the Willow, You Strip It
I don't know whether or not to appologize for the title (still, pardon the language). So, I'll explain it. While walking the other day I mentioned to my friend that my favorite Ceilidh dance is Strip the Willow. She couldn't hear me very well, so, confusingly, she turned to me and said," Sorry. Did you just say you shit a willow?"
-"No, Alex, I didn't! I said I like the dance Strip the Willow, I didn't shat a Willow."
Thus this title came to being.
Anyways...What is a Ceilidh? Ceilidhs are sessions of traditional Scottish dance. Here at Uni Ceilidhs take place once a week and more often if you are part of a traditional dance group or society. Since I attended my first one, I have come to appreciate it and love it. I have also come to love the atmosphere of a Ceilidh. People are warm and welcoming and everyone is happy and full of energy. The dance can be seen as a combination of ballroom dancing, Israeli dancing, and square dancing.
**I forgot to mention this when I originally posted this, but, new information is always good. A gent generally wears a kilt, stockings, shoes, and a nice shirt to a Ceilidh, while girls where a dress (preferably one that twirls well). I am proud to say that at the first Ceilidh I had on a kilt, toe shoes, dress shirt and suit coat.
Below you will find a list of all the dances I have learned at Ceilidhs and their discriptions. Enjoy.
The Gay Gordons:
A partner dance. Couples create a circle in the counter clockwise direction with the gents on the inside and the ladies on the outside. The gent of the couple takes the lady's left hand in his left and places his right arm across the lady's back and takes her right hand in his. The music begins. Together the couples move forward three steps, maintaing the hold, and then turn 180 degrees(maintaining the hold, but switching which arm is on the lady's back) and take three steps backward. Then this movement is repeated.
The gent then spins the lady under his arm for the count of four before taking her in a ballroom hold and polkaing for four (a polka is a quick movement where the couple quickly spins around in a circle).
The movements are repeated indefinetly (until the band decides to stop).
Strip The Willow:
Four couples line up facing each other, gents with the left shoudler facing the band and and ladies opposite them. The top couple, the couple nearest the band, cross hands and spin clockwise for 16 counts. After this, the lady spins the first gent in the line with her right arm and then spins her partner in the left. Then she spins the next gent in the line, and then her partner. She proceeds down the line until she has spun every gent in the gorup of four. At the end of the line, the lady cross hands with her partner and then they spin for 16.
The gent then does the same as his partner did with the ladies in the line, starting with the lady farthest from the band. Once he has spun the ladies, he and his partner spin for 16 and then the two of them spin the opposite gender's line like they did before, but simultaneously. This is done by spinning the first lady and gent and then spinning each other. They move down the line until they have spun everyone and then spin again for last time for 16. As they are spinning for the final time, the next couple begins to spin and the process is repeated for each couple or.
Canadian Barn Dance:
Couples gather in a counter clockwise circles, gents are on the inside and ladies are on the outside. The gent holds his lady's hand. The couples takes three steps forward, hops (a hop is bringing your outside knee up to your waist, a half kick), takes three steps backwards, and hops. The gent and lady then spin away from each other and clap, before spinning back towards each other and taking each others hands, right in right and left in left. They then take two steps to the left, then two steps to the right before taking ballroom hold. They then polka for four counts.
Rinse and Repeat
St. Barnard's Waltz:
Couples form a counter clockwise circle. The gent and lady go into a ballroom hold. The couples move to the counter clockwise three steps then go up-down (up on the balls of the feet and back down). They then move clockwise two steps and then the gent, with the lady following, moves his left leg back and then his right. He then moves forward on his left, the lady still follows, and then forward on his right. He then spins the lady underneath his arm before wlatzing for three counts (Don't ask me how to waltz, I'm still working on it).
Dashing White Seargent:
For this dance a gent needs to findhimself two, preferably attarcive and amable, ladies. The gent, with his ladies, finds another group of three. The groups line up opposite each other making a groups of six, four ladies and two gents. Music begins. Holding hands, the group of six moves left for 8 coutns and then the right for 8 counts. The group then breaks off into two lines, each line being a gent and his two ladies. The gent then sets to the lady on his right (to set someone is to either to do pah-de-bas or do two kicks, one to the right and one to the left), spins with her, sets the lady on his left, spins with her, and then weaves back and forth between his partners twice (spinning them as he goes).
The three, the gent and his two ladies, join hands. They then walk towards the opposite trio for three steps, stomp their feet, walk back three steps, and clap their hands. They then pass over or under, alternating each time the dance is repeated, the opposite trio and joins hands with the next group of three who are approaching them. The new group of six then begins to move left for 8.
Guess what. "What?" Rinse and repeat. "Oh."
Virginia Reel:
Four couples line up facing each other as they did for Strip the Willow. All the ladies hold hands and the men follow suit. They walk twowards each other for four and then walk away from each other for four, repeat. The ladies and gents then drop hands and walk towards their partners. The gents all spin their lady with their right, then back to line, then spin their lady with their left, then back, then with both hands, then back, do-si-do, then back.
The top couple couple take hands, then side step to the right for four counts (kind of like the Yesh dance), and then back to the left for four steps. The couple then drop hands and lead their line (gents follow the gent and ladies follow the lady) back around until they meet together at the back and create a bridge with their hands. Other couples meet behind them, grab hands, and go through the bride they created until the next couple becomes the top couple.
Oh, no! Not again! Wait, you're right, rinse and repeat. :( ...
Military Two Step:
Couples line up counter clockwise. Holding hands the couples take their outside foot and perform two heal-toes. They then walk forward three steps and turn around. They repeat, heal-toe, heal-toe, forward-two-three. They then turn towards each other, hold hands, and do a right jump-kick and then a left jump-kick. The gent the spins his lady and polkas for four.
Getting tired yet? Good. Rinse and Repeat (hopefully, this repeating thing is reminding you of Monty Python's "whick").
Flying Scotsman:
Four couples group and make two lines, one gents and one ladies. The four ladies join hands and then weave amongst the men before reforming their line opposite the men. The men then follow suit, weaving through the ladies and then reforming their line. The top couple joins hands in the middle and side steps as far down in the room as they can go and then rejoin their group of four at the back. All gents from all groups hold hands, as do the ladies, and then both groups quickly side step away from the band towards the back of the room whilst "woohing" like a train. They then move back and the dance begins again within the smaller groups.
Also Rinse and Repeat.
Ocadian Strip the Willow:
Unlike everything else above, the Ocadian Strip the Willos is one large, amazing dance. This is my favorite dance of all and as my friends can tell you, I will be quite the merry person whilst performing it.
To perform Ocadian Strip the Willow all couples must line up, gents in one line and ladies in the other. Everyone claps and stomps. The top couple crosses hands and spins for 16. Then, the lady and gent "strip the willow." The lady spins the men's line while the man spins the women's line. Between each spin with a person, the couple spins each other. They spin the line with their right arm and their partner with their left. At the end they join together, spin, then split to their separate lines.
When the top couple reaches the fourth gent and lady down the line, the next couple begins to spin. This dance is doen until everyone couple has "stripped the willow" at least once. This...Takes...Energy.
Auld Lang Syne.
Everyone holds hands in a very large circle and begins singing Auld Lang Syne (a Robert Burns' poem). On the second verse of the song everyone crosses arms. This typically ends a night of Ceilidhing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpg7Ztxuj6c
There you have it, a list of many awesome dances. Unfortunately, for each song, Scottish bands believe in playing for many minutes. One dance can last up to ten minutes. Not only that, but the bands love to pick up the pace of the music every inute through the song. A Ceilidh requires a 150% of any energy you have left after a long day of lectures, studying, and working.
Thank you to Sarah, Annie, and Nicolle for helping me write this article. The visuals helped along with the singing...
-"No, Alex, I didn't! I said I like the dance Strip the Willow, I didn't shat a Willow."
Thus this title came to being.
Anyways...What is a Ceilidh? Ceilidhs are sessions of traditional Scottish dance. Here at Uni Ceilidhs take place once a week and more often if you are part of a traditional dance group or society. Since I attended my first one, I have come to appreciate it and love it. I have also come to love the atmosphere of a Ceilidh. People are warm and welcoming and everyone is happy and full of energy. The dance can be seen as a combination of ballroom dancing, Israeli dancing, and square dancing.
**I forgot to mention this when I originally posted this, but, new information is always good. A gent generally wears a kilt, stockings, shoes, and a nice shirt to a Ceilidh, while girls where a dress (preferably one that twirls well). I am proud to say that at the first Ceilidh I had on a kilt, toe shoes, dress shirt and suit coat.
Below you will find a list of all the dances I have learned at Ceilidhs and their discriptions. Enjoy.
The Gay Gordons:
A partner dance. Couples create a circle in the counter clockwise direction with the gents on the inside and the ladies on the outside. The gent of the couple takes the lady's left hand in his left and places his right arm across the lady's back and takes her right hand in his. The music begins. Together the couples move forward three steps, maintaing the hold, and then turn 180 degrees(maintaining the hold, but switching which arm is on the lady's back) and take three steps backward. Then this movement is repeated.
The gent then spins the lady under his arm for the count of four before taking her in a ballroom hold and polkaing for four (a polka is a quick movement where the couple quickly spins around in a circle).
The movements are repeated indefinetly (until the band decides to stop).
Strip The Willow:
Four couples line up facing each other, gents with the left shoudler facing the band and and ladies opposite them. The top couple, the couple nearest the band, cross hands and spin clockwise for 16 counts. After this, the lady spins the first gent in the line with her right arm and then spins her partner in the left. Then she spins the next gent in the line, and then her partner. She proceeds down the line until she has spun every gent in the gorup of four. At the end of the line, the lady cross hands with her partner and then they spin for 16.
The gent then does the same as his partner did with the ladies in the line, starting with the lady farthest from the band. Once he has spun the ladies, he and his partner spin for 16 and then the two of them spin the opposite gender's line like they did before, but simultaneously. This is done by spinning the first lady and gent and then spinning each other. They move down the line until they have spun everyone and then spin again for last time for 16. As they are spinning for the final time, the next couple begins to spin and the process is repeated for each couple or.
Canadian Barn Dance:
Couples gather in a counter clockwise circles, gents are on the inside and ladies are on the outside. The gent holds his lady's hand. The couples takes three steps forward, hops (a hop is bringing your outside knee up to your waist, a half kick), takes three steps backwards, and hops. The gent and lady then spin away from each other and clap, before spinning back towards each other and taking each others hands, right in right and left in left. They then take two steps to the left, then two steps to the right before taking ballroom hold. They then polka for four counts.
Rinse and Repeat
St. Barnard's Waltz:
Couples form a counter clockwise circle. The gent and lady go into a ballroom hold. The couples move to the counter clockwise three steps then go up-down (up on the balls of the feet and back down). They then move clockwise two steps and then the gent, with the lady following, moves his left leg back and then his right. He then moves forward on his left, the lady still follows, and then forward on his right. He then spins the lady underneath his arm before wlatzing for three counts (Don't ask me how to waltz, I'm still working on it).
Dashing White Seargent:
For this dance a gent needs to findhimself two, preferably attarcive and amable, ladies. The gent, with his ladies, finds another group of three. The groups line up opposite each other making a groups of six, four ladies and two gents. Music begins. Holding hands, the group of six moves left for 8 coutns and then the right for 8 counts. The group then breaks off into two lines, each line being a gent and his two ladies. The gent then sets to the lady on his right (to set someone is to either to do pah-de-bas or do two kicks, one to the right and one to the left), spins with her, sets the lady on his left, spins with her, and then weaves back and forth between his partners twice (spinning them as he goes).
The three, the gent and his two ladies, join hands. They then walk towards the opposite trio for three steps, stomp their feet, walk back three steps, and clap their hands. They then pass over or under, alternating each time the dance is repeated, the opposite trio and joins hands with the next group of three who are approaching them. The new group of six then begins to move left for 8.
Guess what. "What?" Rinse and repeat. "Oh."
Virginia Reel:
Four couples line up facing each other as they did for Strip the Willow. All the ladies hold hands and the men follow suit. They walk twowards each other for four and then walk away from each other for four, repeat. The ladies and gents then drop hands and walk towards their partners. The gents all spin their lady with their right, then back to line, then spin their lady with their left, then back, then with both hands, then back, do-si-do, then back.
The top couple couple take hands, then side step to the right for four counts (kind of like the Yesh dance), and then back to the left for four steps. The couple then drop hands and lead their line (gents follow the gent and ladies follow the lady) back around until they meet together at the back and create a bridge with their hands. Other couples meet behind them, grab hands, and go through the bride they created until the next couple becomes the top couple.
Oh, no! Not again! Wait, you're right, rinse and repeat. :( ...
Military Two Step:
Couples line up counter clockwise. Holding hands the couples take their outside foot and perform two heal-toes. They then walk forward three steps and turn around. They repeat, heal-toe, heal-toe, forward-two-three. They then turn towards each other, hold hands, and do a right jump-kick and then a left jump-kick. The gent the spins his lady and polkas for four.
Getting tired yet? Good. Rinse and Repeat (hopefully, this repeating thing is reminding you of Monty Python's "whick").
Flying Scotsman:
Four couples group and make two lines, one gents and one ladies. The four ladies join hands and then weave amongst the men before reforming their line opposite the men. The men then follow suit, weaving through the ladies and then reforming their line. The top couple joins hands in the middle and side steps as far down in the room as they can go and then rejoin their group of four at the back. All gents from all groups hold hands, as do the ladies, and then both groups quickly side step away from the band towards the back of the room whilst "woohing" like a train. They then move back and the dance begins again within the smaller groups.
Also Rinse and Repeat.
Ocadian Strip the Willow:
Unlike everything else above, the Ocadian Strip the Willos is one large, amazing dance. This is my favorite dance of all and as my friends can tell you, I will be quite the merry person whilst performing it.
To perform Ocadian Strip the Willow all couples must line up, gents in one line and ladies in the other. Everyone claps and stomps. The top couple crosses hands and spins for 16. Then, the lady and gent "strip the willow." The lady spins the men's line while the man spins the women's line. Between each spin with a person, the couple spins each other. They spin the line with their right arm and their partner with their left. At the end they join together, spin, then split to their separate lines.
When the top couple reaches the fourth gent and lady down the line, the next couple begins to spin. This dance is doen until everyone couple has "stripped the willow" at least once. This...Takes...Energy.
Auld Lang Syne.
Everyone holds hands in a very large circle and begins singing Auld Lang Syne (a Robert Burns' poem). On the second verse of the song everyone crosses arms. This typically ends a night of Ceilidhing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpg7Ztxuj6c
There you have it, a list of many awesome dances. Unfortunately, for each song, Scottish bands believe in playing for many minutes. One dance can last up to ten minutes. Not only that, but the bands love to pick up the pace of the music every inute through the song. A Ceilidh requires a 150% of any energy you have left after a long day of lectures, studying, and working.
Thank you to Sarah, Annie, and Nicolle for helping me write this article. The visuals helped along with the singing...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
"Where Ever You Go There's Always Someone Jewish, You're Never Alone When You Say You're a Jew"
I recall now a concern of the CJHS community that was expressed to me when I announced I would be attending the University of St. Andrews. A common question was: "What about Jewish life?" Well, let me me tell you one story.
Before even coming to St. Andrews, I was in dialogue with a local in hopes of spending Yom Kippur in Edinburgh. My correspondent was very helpful and arranged for me to spend the holiday. Unfortunately, due to some mistakes in my visa application, I was unable to make it. Judaism was put on hold.
Then things went a bit smoother and I finally arrived in St. Andrews. I spent the first week wandering around trying to find a group and place where I could belong. One day there was a student fair. At this fair different societies (clubs) and sports teams were present. One of these societies was JSoc - the Jewish Society. I joined immediately and paid my dues.
One Friday JSoc held a Shabbat dinner in a small room of the chaplaincy. The room did not have your typical Shabbat atmosphere. Thirty people were in an odd array of clothing, a T.v. hung on the wall and hardly anyone said the familiar words: "Good Shabbas." Some time went by, more people came and the room filled. A set of candles and a challah were set in place on a small table at the back of the room.
Then a whisper was heard, a man in the front of the room with a small kippah began to speak in a soft voice: "Welcome everyone, we are now going to begin. If you can please pick up your prayer books, then we will start." He started to sing:
Lekhah, Dodi, Lekhah Dodi Liqrat kallah, p'nei Shabbat neqabelah, lekhah dodi liqrat kallah, p'nei Shabbat neqabelah.
At first, his voice alone filled the room. Gradually, we all joined in. If a person knew the song then they sung, if not, they read, hummed or listened. Everyone was tuned in.
The songs ended and we were left to chat again amongst ourselves. Within seconds, six degrees of Jewish separation kicked in. The man to my left was a Jew from Chicago who grew up just 15 minutes away from my home. A woman further along attended the same camp as some of my friends. A united community.
We ate our food, though there wasn't much (Jewish fail). A raffle was also done with tickets throughout the meal. The winner would receive free tasting at a Jewish bake sale or a month supply of homemade challah. The dinner then drew to a close slowly. The chatter died down and people left as they pleased. A total of two and a half hours had past. I almost had forgotten where I was.
Improved by Rachel, who chose to leave her surname out due to conceitedness and the assumption (an ass out of just her, not me) that everyone knows who she is (she even had the guts to edit this line).
Before even coming to St. Andrews, I was in dialogue with a local in hopes of spending Yom Kippur in Edinburgh. My correspondent was very helpful and arranged for me to spend the holiday. Unfortunately, due to some mistakes in my visa application, I was unable to make it. Judaism was put on hold.
Then things went a bit smoother and I finally arrived in St. Andrews. I spent the first week wandering around trying to find a group and place where I could belong. One day there was a student fair. At this fair different societies (clubs) and sports teams were present. One of these societies was JSoc - the Jewish Society. I joined immediately and paid my dues.
One Friday JSoc held a Shabbat dinner in a small room of the chaplaincy. The room did not have your typical Shabbat atmosphere. Thirty people were in an odd array of clothing, a T.v. hung on the wall and hardly anyone said the familiar words: "Good Shabbas." Some time went by, more people came and the room filled. A set of candles and a challah were set in place on a small table at the back of the room.
Then a whisper was heard, a man in the front of the room with a small kippah began to speak in a soft voice: "Welcome everyone, we are now going to begin. If you can please pick up your prayer books, then we will start." He started to sing:
Lekhah, Dodi, Lekhah Dodi Liqrat kallah, p'nei Shabbat neqabelah, lekhah dodi liqrat kallah, p'nei Shabbat neqabelah.
At first, his voice alone filled the room. Gradually, we all joined in. If a person knew the song then they sung, if not, they read, hummed or listened. Everyone was tuned in.
The songs ended and we were left to chat again amongst ourselves. Within seconds, six degrees of Jewish separation kicked in. The man to my left was a Jew from Chicago who grew up just 15 minutes away from my home. A woman further along attended the same camp as some of my friends. A united community.
We ate our food, though there wasn't much (Jewish fail). A raffle was also done with tickets throughout the meal. The winner would receive free tasting at a Jewish bake sale or a month supply of homemade challah. The dinner then drew to a close slowly. The chatter died down and people left as they pleased. A total of two and a half hours had past. I almost had forgotten where I was.
Improved by Rachel, who chose to leave her surname out due to conceitedness and the assumption (an ass out of just her, not me) that everyone knows who she is (she even had the guts to edit this line).
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
I will start with one of my dad’s favorite stories in relation to Scotland.
My father’s friend returned from a trip to Scotland, when asked if it rained during the week he spent there, he responded, “It only rained twice; once for three days, once for four.” Take a moment to chuckle, then continue. :)
I’m happy to testify that Scotland’s weather has yet to live up to this joke. The days’ weather varies, but nothing too out of the ordinary. On the same day, dark clouds will loom over St. Andrews, threatening rain, and then, in almost an instant, the sun will emerge, banishing the clouds and leaving only a clear blue sky to remain.
On a special day, like this past Friday, it had been raining. When the rain stopped and the clouds phased out, a spectacular event occurred. Four rainbows shot out of the northern horizon and arched over the town to the endless rows of small semi detached houses. Four rainbows like you have never seen them, or one, before. Their colors were definite, their bands joining, each one boasting itself in the sky
Beautiful.
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