Tag: Aberdeen
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We’ve joined a car club
We don’t own a car and we have no intention of buying one. It’s very easy to live in Aberdeen without a car as we can walk and cycle everywhere. This is our car (photo was taken a couple of months ago when there was snow and ice on the ground and I think Ben…
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Global warming = smelly armpits
One of the best things about living in a cold climate is an almost complete absence of armpit stink. Women aren’t supposed to get smelly armpits but we do in fact get just as smelly as men. Perhaps we have the heating too low in our home here in Scotland but for whatever reason, I find…
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Voting, blogging, times tables, and Aberdeen
Apparently we can vote here. Amazing. I was under the impression that we couldn’t vote since we don’t have permanent residency but it seems I was wrong. When I arrived back from Barcelona in early January, I caught a taxi home from the airport and the taxi driver was talking to me about voting. I told him…
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In praise of cycling and a dress colour
It must be about time I posted another photo of Busby so here he is, with precious cargo: I cycle to and from school everyday and I love it. My only complaint is that it has become too easy and the distance to school too short. I’m stronger than I was when we first arrived and…
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Pocket money and pedal power
Elizabeth wants to earn some pocket money so I told her that if she did some jobs around the house we’d give her some money. I suggested that she make her bed and tidy the bedroom so she disappeared for a little while and then came back and said: Elizabeth: Mum, I made my bed, I…
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A guest post from Busby the bike
I’m Busby the Bakfiets, Rachel’s bicycle. It was very cold last night and everything froze, including me: My mistress tried to ride me this morning but couldn’t. First she tried to open the cover to let the two wriggly creatures inside but the cover was frozen shut. Eventually she got it open but the lock was…
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More snow!
It snowed a bit again last night and I was very excited when I saw it this morning: Ben was even more excited about it than last time: It was beautiful!
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Marischal College, Aberdeen
It’s a beautiful day in Aberdeen today. I had to run some errands in town this morning and I took these photos of the very gorgeous Marischal College. It’s the second largest granite building in the world, and is owned by the University of Aberdeen and leased to the city council. Apparently much of the…
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The beach, Aberdeen
I had to take my Thunderbolt monitor to the Apple store this morning because the camera is blurry and I can’t fix it. It’s still under warranty so they’re going to replace the camera for me which is great. But are you wondering how I got a huge and heavy Thunderbolt to the Apple store…
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Guy Fawkes night
We went to a terrific Guy Fawkes night celebration recently. It was organised by our local community who used it as an opportunity to fundraise for a community garden in the area. They took donations and sold mulled wine and glow sticks and put on a fantastic fireworks display and bonfire. The atmosphere was wonderful…
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Newton Dee
There aren’t very many off-road cycle paths in Aberdeen but there is one very good one: Deeside Way. It runs along an old train line from Duthie Park all the way out to Ballater, a total distance of 41 miles. Unfortunately the line is no longer used by trains; it was closed in 1966. But once…
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The University of Aberdeen
I love universities. I went to kindergarten at a university. When I started school I spent many afternoons at a university since there wasn’t always someone at home to look after us after school so my sister and I went to the university where my father worked – and still does – instead. We would draw pictures on the…
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The River Dee
I don’t really like shopping, especially supermarket shopping. One of the great things about the UK is you can get everything online and it’s usually delivered super fast. We ordered our mattress and bed frame online for instance. The downside of this is that the stuff comes in cardboard packaging and you then have to…
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Photos from Aberdeen
I like to look at the types of houses people live in when I go to different cities. Here are a few from the residential streets of Aberdeen plus a couple of our backyard. Aberdeen is a beautiful city. It’s quite leafy for a British city – which I really like – and many of…
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Butt plugs, deadly nightshade, and hookers
Apparently a large, green, blow-up Christmas tree in the centre of Paris is outrageous and humiliating if you’re of a right-wing political persuasion. The sculpture, which was part of an exhibition of modern art, was vandalised by right-wing protestors. Why? Because it looks like a butt plug. I have to confess that I didn’t even know what a butt plug…
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My new home: Aberdeen
Aberdeen is endearing itself to me. It’s the little things that make a difference. Like this front gate I walked past yesterday with a tin of biscuits for the guard dog. Just in case you want to rob the place and a fierce dog is standing in your way, the owners have helpfully provided the dog biscuits…
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Footdee, Aberdeen
We went out for a long walk this afternoon to an old fishing village at the very tip of the east end of Aberdeen harbour. It’s called Footdee, or “Fittie”, as the locals call it. Aberdeen harbour has been hijacked by the oil industry and none of it is walkable to the public (not that…
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Duthie Park, Aberdeen
We’re in Aberdeen and still all a bit tired and jet-lagged but glad to have all the hard stuff over and done with. We ventured out for a walk in Duthie Park yesterday and it was wonderful. They have an enormous winter garden as well as some brilliant playgrounds. Can you judge a city by…
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Scotland, here we come!
A couple of weeks ago we sent off our visa applications for the UK. They had to be sent to Manilla for processing along with all our passports, including old ones, and original birth certificates for the kids, and our marriage certificate. We also had to have fingerprints and mug shots taken. The applications themselves…
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I have an announcement to make
I have great news which I’m finally allowed to blog about. Some of you may have observed that in the last week or so my mood has improved. But then, maybe this isn’t so noticeable. I’m not sure. Anyway, here’s my news: I am delighted to report that we have a ticket out of the…
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