10 Scottish moments

Scottish moment #1: I looked in the mirror a few days ago, and I thought about whether I was ugly or not. It has always been told to me that beauty is about the character and morals, not just the physical. I thought about the physical though, like I have a really round face, a big forehead, my hair makes no sense, my skin is red in some places and pale in others...you know I could go on. I thought about if an asian girl came to me complaining about her eyes, I would think she was ridiculous, because her eyes don't make her ugly, she has them because she is asian. I thought about a black girl telling me that she is ugly because of her skin, which is crazy, because she is african, its just who she is. Then I looked at myself, and I really thought about my face. I'm not completely Scottish, my forehead is Cherokee, my round face is German, but all my physical traits come from the people in my family tree. My face looks this way because of who I am. So then a thought came to me "I'm not ugly, I'm Scottish, and that is beautiful." Strange, obviously I knew I was Scottish, but I suddenly understood that I had been comparing myself to the many italians that live near me, and the hispanics that work with me, and the asians in korean dramas I watch, which is ridiculous, because I am none of those things. I am Scottish.

Scottish moment #2: I went to the mall with my friend Gabby once. I had fun with her, she is quiet, clever, and independent in a way I respect. She was also in the colorguard, and collects knives and swords. We went into different stores and tried on tons of clothes just for fun. I had so much fun that night! I felt like I had such an amazing friend, I sitll do, but she has a boyfriend, you know? Anyway, that night I bought a black and white checkered scarf. For a while after I forgot about that scarf, then I couldnt find it. Turns out my sister had it in her closet. Well, I took it back. It is almost thick enough to be a shall if I wanted it to be. When I put it across my shoulders, or around my waist I feel like I am a scottish woman in the olden days. It a beautiful, light scarf, and the design is nice not preppy or anything like that. My scarf is my tartan until I get a real one from the highland games.

Scottish moment #3: Different names for Scotland!
Caledonia--the latin name given by the Romans derived from the Pictish tribe Caledonii

Alba--the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland

Pretanikai Nesoi--Greek seafarer Pytheas, who as early as 300 BC refers to the islands Pretanikai Nesoi (meaning "Pretanic Islands"), which Scott claims is based on the native name for Britain Ynis Prydain, which literally means Picts' Island.

Pictland--The Vikings, upon landing in the north of Scotland at the beginning of the 9th century, called the country Pictland.

Pryten--Britons spelled the Irish name "Cruithni" (Pict) as Pryten

North Britain - Official name used in the Highland clearances

Scotland - comes from the Scotii clan from Ireland who settled in Dalriada

Scottish moment #4: I work a a fast food resturant, I'm a new employee! Last night a bunch of the workers were speaking spanish. I couldn't understand them. So today I went crazy trying to learn as much Scottish gaelic as I could. What I wanted was to make them think they weren't the only ones that could speak behind a persons back. I wanted to learn the words so well that I could make the mistake of saying them in gaelic instead of english. Then I realized that I didn't care if people spoke spanish infront of me instead of english. Plus I had nobody to speak this language to. Still, I made flashcards, so I'm going to learn.


Scottish moment #5: I created a cd for the little cd player near my bed. It is called "Oidhche mhath" which means goodnight. On it I have a bunch of soft scottish folk songs that I have collected over the last few cds. I fell asleep listening to them last night.

Scottish moment #6: I learned recently that "my bonnie lies over the ocean" is a Scottish folk song, not an american folk song. I should have known that by the word bonnie, but it never crossed my mind, I mean I learned it as a little kid. What is more, it is about Prince Charlie who escaped on a boat. Funny enough, I have tons of songs about Prince Charlie, I just haven't gotten to his part of history in my SCotland book. All I knew about him was what I heard in folk songs, which is that he was on a boat in the ocean at one point. Cooler (for me at least) is that it is another one of those songs that is a code song. It is made to sound like one thing to disguise what it is really saying. Instead of sounding like a song supporting the Prince, it sounds like a love song.

Scottish moment #7: the schedual for loon mountain is up!!!!!!!! There is highland dancing chamionships, piping and drumming championships, fiddle chamionships, highland athletics, country dances, parades, harps, food, crafts, seller stands, story telling, historic encampments, seminars, and tons of other things that I don't know/can't figure out what they are.

Scottish moment #8: Before my school cut it so they could raise funds for a new building, I was captain of the colorguard. For the people that don't know what colorguard is, it is spinning flags, sabers, and rifles, it takes alot of bruises and technique to do the flips right. Lately, when I go on the computer, I put my saber on my shoulder, or on top of my head, and it stays there no matter what I do. As much as I would love to say I am just amazing at balance, the truth is, the saber is weighted. Still, it feels nice to have that saber on your shoulder and know that you are in complete control of it. It makes me feel skilled! Whenever I have the saber near me I am reminded of the sword dance that highland dancers do, and I ALWAYS have my saber balancing on me.

Scottish moment #9: I saw this video on youtube <3
Scottish accent stuck in an elevator

Scottish moment #10: My father was making devilled eggs one day. I was in the kitchen on a chair, and my little brother came over to sit on my lap. I started singing the chorus to "sound the pibroch" and he started singing along with me. He had alot of fun with it. I put the song on youtube after a while, and we sang along there. Alot of my family members get annoyed with my constant scottish folk songs, but my little brother embraces them. He is the first person in my family to really sing with me (besides my mom who sometimes hums them).

The feeling in me is constant, it follows me everywhere I go. I feel like I am connected to people. I feel like I am connected to a land. I feel like I am connected to a language. I feel like I am flying through the air with feathers of tartan. When I am lonely, there are the stories, when I am tired there are the lullabys, when I am bored there is something to learn, when I am excited there are the dances, when I am confused I know that at least there is one part of me that can't be debated, and when it all fills me up I know why a culture is important. I have obsessed over cultures, languages, traditions, beliefsc etc. all my life, but I never really knew or felt why it was important. Now I understand alot. I understand things that I didn't even know could be understood. Maybe I am just stuck in my own little Scottish fantasy, but that is okay, because it is getting me through some realities that are hard to face.


--JSparrow