Aberdeen - the first few days

We’re here and our stuff is set to arrive in a few minutes!! After an extra week of waiting we will finally have our shipment from Texas. Poor Sander has had to wear the same two shirts and ties to work this week. Not too fun since he is part of the “new graduate” program and not only sees the same people each day, but is also meeting lots of the higher ups. Oh well, he has handled it with grace and the shipment is here as of this morning. I have a whole day’s work in front of me to unpack and get the house set up more like a home. The apartment itself is great though – lots of windows and closets and is really big and modern compared to what most people around us have. We are a 15min walk north of Duthie Park and a 15min walk south of Union Street (the main street with all the shops and bars). An excellent location. Overall the apartment is quite posh really.

This last week has been one crazy adventure. It is so different coming to a foreign country not as tourists but as temporary citizens. As a tourist you just have to worry about finding your hotel or the next train somewhere. As someone who will be here semi-long term you have to figure out how to set up a phone account and where to pay the bill if you don’t have a bank account. You immediately begin interacting with the local people and have to try and make friends with people who come from a totally different culture then you do. As a tourist it is easy to just breeze over the local culture – you can sit back and enjoy it at a local pub, but then go back to the hotel with your friends and family and enjoy life the way you are used to enjoying it. Some of these experiences of immediately becoming part of the daily life here has been fun, some have been annoying, and some stressful.

Our first experience was the Asda. Yes, the Walmart of Aberdeen complete with “rollback” pricing. Beyond that I really don’t see any similarities. Asda is clean, logically set out, and they have a lot of cashiers working. So, we show up on Thursday ready to have a quick shop when right away we see travelators and know this trip won't be anything like our HEB trips back home. A travelator is basically a ramp escalator so you can go up to the second floor with a full shopping cart. Anyway, after we were wowed by the moving ramp we merge into the regular shopping traffic. We felt like we stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone kept running into us but basically ignoring us. No polite British, “Oh, pardon me” did we hear. Nope. We were on our own and we were in everyone’s way. How were we supposed to know how to shop for groceries here? Who knew there were different ways of going down the aisles? We were just trying to read what was on each aisle and try desperately to find mustard and pretzels, which they don’t have. Oh well, I am getting the hang of shopping now and have had a lot of fun looking for local jellies and cakes. I love the cream honey they have here too, it is delicious!

This last weekend we met up with a guy named Scott and his gal pal Rachel. We met Scott back in Houston; he is the brother of the wife of a couple we met at First Baptist. They are our age and were lots of fun. They took a whole afternoon and evening to take us to Stonehaven, just a little south of Aberdeen. It is famous for being the first town to deep fry a Mars bar. I know, you probably have already heard of it, right? The weather decided to warm up and we had a great walk along the ocean and through the town. Afterwards we came back, got some take-away, and came back to the apartment. It was nice to go out with some friendly locals as it made us feel more sure of ourselves for some reason. Maybe we felt like we had and “in” to the culture now, some point to understand all the differences from. Anyway, we had a great time and felt more confident to go out and explore via the car.

Sunday we went to church with Scott and met his wonderful mum and dad. They were so nice and guided us around the tea time after the service. We have noticed that everything is just a little more formal here. There were nice people actually serving the tea or coffee for us (no self-serve here) and even added cream for us if we wanted it, and they served us treats on real plates. Then afterwards, someone came by and picked up your cup and saucer for you! It was a big change from the serve-yourself styrofoam and donut and napkin life we are used to in Houston. We also loved meeting the various people at the church as they were all so genuine and welcoming. Scott’s family had us over to lunch afterwards and we had the most amazing Shepherd’s pie and then chocolate layer cake with real cream poured over the top. I had to ask what the cream was for when they brought it all out. I really don’t know how they don’t all gain 100lbs from eating this way!

After our fun 4 days in Aberdeen it was finally time for Sander to begin work. It has been really interesting for him because he and Chris, the other Mustang exchangee, have been lumped in with all the other “new graduates” for an introduction week. In the UK they have a graduated education system so he is with various stages of new workers. First, he is with 16 year olds that have opted out of their last two years of high school and will work for 4 years as designers in training and take one day a week to attend trade school classes. He is with 18 year olds that have just finished all of high school and will take a year to work as interns before they go to university. Then he is with recent university graduates who are just beginning their first job. They had a welcome dinner and bowling night on Monday and they let Valerie and I come. It was so funny/fun. It was held at Sunset Boulevard and had what they called “American style bowling,” Dodgems (which are bumper cars), an arcade, outdoor carnival rides, and a place called Miami Beach. Now, Miami Beach was where we ate and it, again, was very different than Houston life. We came in and a waitress sat us and then got our drinks then walked us in groups to the buffet. The food reminded me of some things from the 12^th Man cafeteria, but with the only main dishes being a curry, salmon, and some type of pork. Then we ate and our waitress came by again and picked up our plates. It just seems strange because the whole place, had it been in America, would have been all fast food and we would have just bussed our own tables. Back in the bowling alley we bowled a few games and most people made ample use of the large, well stocked and well staffed bar. It was all just so much nicer then in Houston, but then I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this isn’t how a bowling alley should be. It should be smoky and filled with older men with matching shirts. The place was filled though, on a Monday night mind you, with young, college aged people. Oh, and on the door it said “No Football Colours Allowed!!” Apparently you aren’t allowed to wear a jersey representing a soccer team in any bar or club anywhere in the UK. It might insight hooliganism and they might have to call out the hoolivan.

The saddest thing about meeting all the young designers in training was to hear about their social life in Scotland. They were young looking 16 year olds and they told us all about how they started drinking at 12 and had been drinking heavily every night this past summer and only stopped on Sunday as they were starting work, but were going to go out again that night. They said there was just nothing else to do in Aberdeen so they just got drunk all the time. I asked if it was expensive and they said, “oh yea! But at least we are getting it out of our systems young.” Sander also asked if they worried about alcoholism, but they didn’t think that applied to them. But, they admit they get drunk every day. Our definitions must be different. Among the older group, everyone goes out to get a few drinks to socialize, which sounds fun to me. But then there are the few older ones who talk in the morning about not going to bed till 6am and that there may or may not be a girl back at their place “liable to steal everything.” This during their first week at work. It is definitely a different culture and one that seems pretty unhealthy, but not everyone is like this at all, especially as they get older.

So, lots of differences, but for it all I think Sander and I are settling in just fine. I can drive really well now; I even drove down what is basically a one lane road against a whole line of traffic successfully. Sander is a pro of course. All that bus driving and close calls have made him an expert down these narrow roads. We have a few local friends already and are ready to make more. I’ll keep you updated as our adventures continue. Be sure and check out our pictures too!

Cheers!