Sneaky Scots

          As an Burmese migrating to Scotland for the very first time, there were many elements to be explored. With an open-minded spirit and a bit of curiosity, I took my time learning and observing every detail about the culture here, and how it is enriched with traditions that set the Scots apart from the rest of the UK. After living in Glasgow for a few years, a number of trips to eastern Scotland and the south of England, here are a few things I learnt about Scotland:

Buddy system

          I can still recall the time when I first arrived in Glasgow; I had no internet or directory to help myself with. I remembered that a friend who studies here telling me that the Scottish were approachable and helpful. I had no choice but to experiment this piece of information to get around the town for a couple of days. True, the Scottish (Glaswegians) were very friendly and were kind enough to give me directions around and gave advice that I didn’t know I needed. Approaching to strangers had never been easier in my life in Glasgow.

The Scottish Accent

          Although the people were hospitable and decent, it was very hard to communicate with Glaswegians during the very first month reaching here. The accents were to strong and people spoke in a fast manner. After a few night outs and a year's time, I fortunately, got used to the language!

Music and Fashion

          It was not in Glasgow but in the old town of Edinburgh that I first discovered the bagpipers. Middle aged men wearing traditional skirts and blowing the unusual wind instruments, I found this moment funny and the music shockingly soothing in the ears. Until today, me and my friends would often discuss about what bag pipers wear underneath the skirts!

Drinking

          The drinking culture in Glasgow is just too hard to handle. It was 10.30am on a Wednesday morning when I went to Wetherspoons for a breakfast and found old people already drinking beer. When I told a local friend about this, he responded that it was also his dream to get drunk everyday as soon as he retires. Unbelievable!

Food

          Coming to Britain from Asia, I settled for low expectations regarding the British cuisine. Rightly so, a majority of food is either fried or boiled in Scotland and personally tasteless most times. However, there are also some surprises I did not expect to find. The milk and fruits (especially Scottish strawberries) are rich and flavorful, and the fish and chips, boring as it sounds, you can never get enough of them. Lastly, I also came across some local Scottish delights such as haggis and black pudding.

          So, these were some of the elements in Scotland that I found interesting and worthy of sharing. The Scots are friendly, the whiskey amazing, food and fashion not so much. What about the country you are studying in? Is it similar to Scotland? If not, comment and share your experience! 😊