Glasgow

To be honest, a young woman adventuring alone in Glasgow was perhaps not one of my greatest ideas to date.

But I had already paid for my travel and accommodation... So, I couldn't really let it go to waste, plus I wouldn't be totally alone. I knew people in the area. Who cared if they were only "internet friends". I am a firm believer in speaking to strangers (see a blog post I made about two years ago here).   

But that doesn't mean I was't at least a bit apprehensive. 

Yet I was totally and pleasantly surprised by how welcoming everyone was in Glasgow. My friend (who definitely wasn't creepy, nor a paedophile, or catfish) had arranged an assortment of bars to visit. All of them exceeded my expectations. Everyone seemed very friendly. It may have been something to do with the fact that I met many under the influence of alcohol, but still. I thoroughly enjoyed being asked to dance by an old Scottish guy whilst visiting a karaoke bar. Not that I could understand a word he was saying, or pretty much anyone, for that matter.

Despite the lack of mutual intelligibility between my Scottish friend and myself, I have enjoyed learning new Scottish slang; "bunnet/bunnit" /bʌnɪt/ (meaning flat cap) was probably my favourite. 

I was also lucky to be taken to see Loch Lomond, which, quite frankly, I thought was beautiful.

It was a pretty great weekend, overall.

Plus, my accent was apparently considered "posh". Hailing from the fine lands of Essex, that was certainly a new and odd description. My use of the word "condiment", for example, would appear to be a term not used frequently in the Glaswegian dialect. Further investigation would be needed of such lexical use, alas.  

I'd like to thank Virgin trains, the city of Glasgow, and the internet for providing me with some pretty interesting friendships, that without, would not have allowed this trip to happen.