The city of Edinburgh

As previously mentioned, Edinburgh is a beautiful city. The buildings are wonderful, tall and filled with old history. The castle is a wonder to see, along with all of the monuments that you can find. I've walked up Calton hill, and climbed up the National Monument, which apparently was going to be a full on building, according to the knowledge pit that is Wikipedia. I've also found the home of Graham Bell, and thanks to a wonderful man (stranger danger does not seem to occur to me during the daylight hours) got to see the inside of the house, and pose around his fireplace. There is also a zoo in Edinburgh, which has bears, big cats and pandas! Although the pandas, in fact most of the animals just tend to sleep whilst the weather is bad. Which tends to be a perpetual thing here. Although you do get the few days of sunshine, which you cling on to like a leaf on a tree.

Castle to the right, Scot monument to the left.

Walking down a street you can feel sophisticated, soaking up culture by the cobblestones. Sometimes though you can't help but want to take a picture, even in the most awkward of times.

I was going to pick my boyfriend up from the train station. For some reason I decided to go one stop down from the stop that I usually got down from. I should have learned from previous mistakes (there were a few) to get off the bus when you think you should get of the bus. Really. You should. 

I didn't notice there was a diversion sign up ahead, so the bus took a completely different turn. I freaked. Panic ensued as I limped my way down the stairs of the bus (just a few days earlier I pulled a muscle on my leg. Also long story, moral - don't try to do jumping jacks while watching the Simpsons). Luckily the stop wasn't too far away. Unluckily of course I was currently crippled. Whilst staggering along, I managed to see the building besides the train station all lit up and pretty from afar. Though it was a spectacular sight , I was still in pain, slowly limping towards my destination. Then suddenly behind me I heard whistling followed by footsteps, getting closer and closer. As level headed as I was, I did not run away screaming. In fact, I just  hobbled away faster, screaming only in my head. But the building was so pretty in front of me. I had to take a picture. I just had to. So there I was, pain in one leg, scared out of my mind from the scary whistling behind me, taking a picture on my phone with a shaky hand, whilst trying to cross a road, all to take this:

Pretty building.

Yup. Not as impressive as it actually looks.

University and Life

The University of Edinburgh is a wonderful place to spend your postgraduate days (or undergraduate for that matter), especially if you are an aspiring scientist. The Roslin Institute is home to many great findings (such as Dolly the Sheep), and it is a privilege to feel part of this little society. The masters course, is a wonderful one, filled of challenges and at the moment a lot of dissections, and lab work. As daunting as it sounds, it really isn't too bad, and the staff members are all very helpful. Even if sometimes they aren't too sure whats going on either. Being a masters student of course, is a challenge in itself, but I guess I will have to keep my chin up and go through life. 

You know, to be honest, sometimes I wonder why I'm here. Not the general "life" question of course, but the why I am here doing the current thing I'm doing type question. Currently, its because I don't really know what I want to do. I don't know what I am capable of, I don't know what I can achieve, I don't know my boundaries and how I can extend myself beyond them. I just really don't know. I'm not getting existentialist here or anything, but really, why am I here? I suppose it is to find out the questions above, and to realize what it is I want to do in life. And if I don't find that out anytime soon, then maybe, I'll just have to keep looking. Life is like that sometimes.

But I do know however who I am. I am God loving, hungry, (currently) semi-depressing, starting to get very hungry, music-playing person. And a scientist. I'm totally a scientist.

This first post needs a better title

 Hello there blogosphere!

It is an interesting life here in Edinburgh. The weather is cold, my house is cold, and by hands are currently freezing as I type, but the people are warm, and its never a dull day. What am I doing in the wonderful city of Edinburgh? (you imaginary readers ask) Well, I am a masters student studying an Msc in Animal Bioscience. What's that all about? (my aren't you talkative) Well, its a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. We do bits on pathology, lab stuff, and down to learning about statistics (yay!). Like every good and true scientist, I try my best to give an answer that doesn't promise anything just in case someone else finds a better answer.

Being an international student, everything here is quite different. The buildings are large and huge and a bit more grey than I'm used to (not that I am complaining I really do love the buildings! They are wonderful!)
But as a third culture kid I have moved around over the years thus have been inoculated against the dreaded disease of culture shock. Nonetheless, moving anywhere new is always an experience, especially moving somewhere new to start a new program, whether it be middle school, or even doing a postdoc, or even moving somewhere for work, everything just seems a bit daunting no matter how many times you do it. But we all just have to remember, if you are starting new, then most others are starting new also with you, and thus like the rest of the 99% of us, you are not alone.