Edinburgh, Scotland
I had forgotten how much Scotland feels like home...sometimes. My friends here are wonderful people, incredibly generous, kind, culturally and politically astute, and really really fucking funny. I say sometimes however, because no matter what, in Scotland, I will never be "Scottish". To my friends, it doesn't matter, but to Scottish society it does in very subtle ways which are hard to describe.
It's a strange dichotomy, Scottish Nationalism now mixed with intense capitalism which has engulfed this city in the last four years. Edinburgh has been effectively globalized by the market economy, perhaps more than any other city in the UK. I walked down to Leith to check out my old stomping grounds (yes, also the neighborhood featured in "Trainspotting"). My memories of it were entombed from 1995 when I left. A gothic/seedy neighborhood struggling with rampant alcoholism and smack use. The alcoholism and smack use is still there, only now, instead of it being in pubs and tenement flats, it's on the streets; outside well lit yuppy restaurants serving brioche and imported cheeses. The little restaurant I worked at "The Waterfront" could barely be seen, encased in a sea of new high priced condos and a monsterous government building that looks like an airport.
I visited the Waterfront in hopes of finding my friend Allana who is the chef there and an all around amazing person. She was there, as I remembered her, working her fingers to the bone, making the most amazing food. She was as glad to see me as I was her and brought me along on her break to pick up her two young boys, Jamie and Louie. She had to drop them off at daycare so I had the chance of seeing them. The children were amazing and it was great to See Allana. I just spent the afternoon catching up with her on life stuff today as she had the day off. Something that really strikes me about Allana and my other friends here, is that there is a kindness, a gentleness and a hopefullness underneath all that Scottish cynicism. The hopefulness is I believe more vibrant than that American optimism which we are so famous for. I think this is because it is based on love for others, a firm belief that through helping others, being generous and kind of spirit, you can be happy. And that generosity and kindness is the best life has to offer.
The Scots have had a rough time of it no thanks to the English, and now, no thanks to the Americans. Edinburgh it seems, is slowly becoming a Scottish playland park for tourists, but the working class folks here, the activists and artists retain its soul. The population of Scotland is deacreasing at such a dramatic rate due to an exodus of young people to places like MAnchester and London, that it's almost as histocially significant as the Highland clearances. With housing costs rivalling London, it's no wonder most folks can't afford to live here. So the housing sits empty, and people are forced to work themselves to the bone or deal drugs on the streets. Sound familiar?
That said, I do feel at home here, because of that spirit I mentioned. My friend linda who I am staying with has given me her keys to her house and basically said I can stay as long as I want, like a family member. It's really feels wonderful to feel so welcomed.
I've mostly been catching up with old friends, writing a ton and making contacts for this video project. I'll be going to faslane peace camp tomorrow and Findhorn foundation up near Inverness on Monday. They have a cool experiment at Findhorn that is part of the ecovillage movement. Ecovillage is basically a sustainable inentional community that lives off the grid. They have them all over the world and are doing pretty amazing stuff like experimenting with alternative currencies, decision making bodies as well as living off the grid. You can check out Findhorn's ecovillage at
http://www.ecovillagefindhorn.com/
The global ecovillage website is
www.ecovillage.org
There's also a book out called ecovillage which I just picked up. Check it out if you see it anywhere (and if you're interested in that sort of thing). Some of it seems a bit too hippy for me, but it is visionary stuff.
Tonight I'll be visiting my friend Rachel and going for dinner at "Stanley Road" which is an amazing communal house that used to be lesbian only. I remember when I lived here in Edinburgh and went for an interview to live there but their "no men" policy discouraged me from renting the room. It's new folks now and they now allow men to walk through the door. Evidently there's even a massage therapy student coming over tonight to give free massages and it's a guy! It's good to know things can change.
No surfing in Scotland. Me thinks its too cold up here..and windy, plus my surfing buddy Helen is back in Newcastle so it just isn't the same. Another excuse is they don't rent long boards up here. God knows how people learn to surf in the UK when all you can rent is a 6 foot freestyle board. My legs hang off the damn things. GEEZ!
That's all for now.
It's a strange dichotomy, Scottish Nationalism now mixed with intense capitalism which has engulfed this city in the last four years. Edinburgh has been effectively globalized by the market economy, perhaps more than any other city in the UK. I walked down to Leith to check out my old stomping grounds (yes, also the neighborhood featured in "Trainspotting"). My memories of it were entombed from 1995 when I left. A gothic/seedy neighborhood struggling with rampant alcoholism and smack use. The alcoholism and smack use is still there, only now, instead of it being in pubs and tenement flats, it's on the streets; outside well lit yuppy restaurants serving brioche and imported cheeses. The little restaurant I worked at "The Waterfront" could barely be seen, encased in a sea of new high priced condos and a monsterous government building that looks like an airport.
I visited the Waterfront in hopes of finding my friend Allana who is the chef there and an all around amazing person. She was there, as I remembered her, working her fingers to the bone, making the most amazing food. She was as glad to see me as I was her and brought me along on her break to pick up her two young boys, Jamie and Louie. She had to drop them off at daycare so I had the chance of seeing them. The children were amazing and it was great to See Allana. I just spent the afternoon catching up with her on life stuff today as she had the day off. Something that really strikes me about Allana and my other friends here, is that there is a kindness, a gentleness and a hopefullness underneath all that Scottish cynicism. The hopefulness is I believe more vibrant than that American optimism which we are so famous for. I think this is because it is based on love for others, a firm belief that through helping others, being generous and kind of spirit, you can be happy. And that generosity and kindness is the best life has to offer.
The Scots have had a rough time of it no thanks to the English, and now, no thanks to the Americans. Edinburgh it seems, is slowly becoming a Scottish playland park for tourists, but the working class folks here, the activists and artists retain its soul. The population of Scotland is deacreasing at such a dramatic rate due to an exodus of young people to places like MAnchester and London, that it's almost as histocially significant as the Highland clearances. With housing costs rivalling London, it's no wonder most folks can't afford to live here. So the housing sits empty, and people are forced to work themselves to the bone or deal drugs on the streets. Sound familiar?
That said, I do feel at home here, because of that spirit I mentioned. My friend linda who I am staying with has given me her keys to her house and basically said I can stay as long as I want, like a family member. It's really feels wonderful to feel so welcomed.
I've mostly been catching up with old friends, writing a ton and making contacts for this video project. I'll be going to faslane peace camp tomorrow and Findhorn foundation up near Inverness on Monday. They have a cool experiment at Findhorn that is part of the ecovillage movement. Ecovillage is basically a sustainable inentional community that lives off the grid. They have them all over the world and are doing pretty amazing stuff like experimenting with alternative currencies, decision making bodies as well as living off the grid. You can check out Findhorn's ecovillage at
http://www.ecovillagefindhorn.com/
The global ecovillage website is
www.ecovillage.org
There's also a book out called ecovillage which I just picked up. Check it out if you see it anywhere (and if you're interested in that sort of thing). Some of it seems a bit too hippy for me, but it is visionary stuff.
Tonight I'll be visiting my friend Rachel and going for dinner at "Stanley Road" which is an amazing communal house that used to be lesbian only. I remember when I lived here in Edinburgh and went for an interview to live there but their "no men" policy discouraged me from renting the room. It's new folks now and they now allow men to walk through the door. Evidently there's even a massage therapy student coming over tonight to give free massages and it's a guy! It's good to know things can change.
No surfing in Scotland. Me thinks its too cold up here..and windy, plus my surfing buddy Helen is back in Newcastle so it just isn't the same. Another excuse is they don't rent long boards up here. God knows how people learn to surf in the UK when all you can rent is a 6 foot freestyle board. My legs hang off the damn things. GEEZ!
That's all for now.
posted by Mr. Sophie at 7:35 AM
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