Through cards and letters, we've been asked a few questions. So we thought we would comment on Scottish life here in our blog.
Q: Do they wear kilts in Scotland?
A: Yes, but only during special occasions--such as weddings or festivals. My brother Richard gave us a good laugh when he observed how the high winds might be a problem for those wearing the kilts! he he
Q: What music do they listen to?
A: American, pop, country...My friend Lorraine just bought the soundtrack from the Hannah Montana movie! Bagpipes are not common, but there are still many pipers.
Q: Are there lots of sheep there?
A: Yes! Woolen scarves, hats, and kilts are popular in all the tourist shops. We've also seen some Highland Cattle---cattle with the long hair.
Q: What is Haggis?
A: Don't ask! But we haven't had to eat any so far. Most everyone here thinks it's "lovely". Local butchers all make their own. Apparently, it includes pig intestines.
Q: What do they eat?
A: Fish and Chips are popular here. Chips, of course, are thick potato fries. They call potato chips, "crisps". We still haven't figured out what vegetables they eat here besides potatoes and mashed peas. We've had salad at a few homes and cafes, but they don't use dressing. People do eat mayonaise with their salads. We finally found some Newman's ranch dressing at the grocery store that we can tolerate.
Sausage is popular. They eat lamb, pork, beef...pretty much the same stuff we have in America.
I have been trying to cook the usual things I cook back home. Some of the sauces are different.
Q: What do they drink besides hot tea?
A: Pubs are very popular here. People like their whiskey and vodka. Distilleries are everywhere. Iron Brew is an orange soda that is popular here. In fact, Andrew brought us a bottle to try. Abby likes it, but it tastes like a sweet, orange and vanilla mixture. Jody and I don't really like it. You can get Coke and Pepsi here, but not other Coca Cola or Pepsi products. I finally broke down and made some iced tea.
Q: Do you have cable TV?
A: Yes, there is cable TV. The manse has basic cable, but we've never been big TV watchers even in the states. A person could get all the major channels available in the States.
Q: What is the town of Buckie like?
A: Buckie is a small town with a butcher, bakeries, several churches, pubs, cafes, bowling greens, golf courses, post office, small stores & businesses, 2 small grocery stores similar to Kroger, pharmacies, doctors offices, primary and high school, playgrounds....just like American towns! The difference is that here, everything is compact on a few streets instead of spread out across a big city. Everything is within walking distance, and everyone walks everywhere! We only have a 5 minute walk to church.
Buckie still has a harbor. It's not quite as busy as it once was....fishing is not as big as it used to be; a lot of men now go out to sea to work on oil rigs. Our friend Malcom is away for a month now working on an oil rig in Korea. One of the church elders also manages an oil rig.
Q: Can you understand their English?
A: It is difficult to understand the Scottish when they speak with each other or when they speak too fast. They speak with a Doric dialect, which has its own unique sound, words, and phrases. Most of our friends slow down when they speak to us. Andrew says he consciously speaks proper English with us, but as soon as he talks with Anne I can't understand him. We've gotten along fine, though.
Do you have any other questions? Just post a comment and ask! We'll answer any questions you may have:)
Q: Do they wear kilts in Scotland?
A: Yes, but only during special occasions--such as weddings or festivals. My brother Richard gave us a good laugh when he observed how the high winds might be a problem for those wearing the kilts! he he
Q: What music do they listen to?
A: American, pop, country...My friend Lorraine just bought the soundtrack from the Hannah Montana movie! Bagpipes are not common, but there are still many pipers.
Q: Are there lots of sheep there?
A: Yes! Woolen scarves, hats, and kilts are popular in all the tourist shops. We've also seen some Highland Cattle---cattle with the long hair.
Q: What is Haggis?
A: Don't ask! But we haven't had to eat any so far. Most everyone here thinks it's "lovely". Local butchers all make their own. Apparently, it includes pig intestines.
Q: What do they eat?
A: Fish and Chips are popular here. Chips, of course, are thick potato fries. They call potato chips, "crisps". We still haven't figured out what vegetables they eat here besides potatoes and mashed peas. We've had salad at a few homes and cafes, but they don't use dressing. People do eat mayonaise with their salads. We finally found some Newman's ranch dressing at the grocery store that we can tolerate.
Sausage is popular. They eat lamb, pork, beef...pretty much the same stuff we have in America.
I have been trying to cook the usual things I cook back home. Some of the sauces are different.
Q: What do they drink besides hot tea?
A: Pubs are very popular here. People like their whiskey and vodka. Distilleries are everywhere. Iron Brew is an orange soda that is popular here. In fact, Andrew brought us a bottle to try. Abby likes it, but it tastes like a sweet, orange and vanilla mixture. Jody and I don't really like it. You can get Coke and Pepsi here, but not other Coca Cola or Pepsi products. I finally broke down and made some iced tea.
Q: Do you have cable TV?
A: Yes, there is cable TV. The manse has basic cable, but we've never been big TV watchers even in the states. A person could get all the major channels available in the States.
Q: What is the town of Buckie like?
A: Buckie is a small town with a butcher, bakeries, several churches, pubs, cafes, bowling greens, golf courses, post office, small stores & businesses, 2 small grocery stores similar to Kroger, pharmacies, doctors offices, primary and high school, playgrounds....just like American towns! The difference is that here, everything is compact on a few streets instead of spread out across a big city. Everything is within walking distance, and everyone walks everywhere! We only have a 5 minute walk to church.
Buckie still has a harbor. It's not quite as busy as it once was....fishing is not as big as it used to be; a lot of men now go out to sea to work on oil rigs. Our friend Malcom is away for a month now working on an oil rig in Korea. One of the church elders also manages an oil rig.
Q: Can you understand their English?
A: It is difficult to understand the Scottish when they speak with each other or when they speak too fast. They speak with a Doric dialect, which has its own unique sound, words, and phrases. Most of our friends slow down when they speak to us. Andrew says he consciously speaks proper English with us, but as soon as he talks with Anne I can't understand him. We've gotten along fine, though.
Do you have any other questions? Just post a comment and ask! We'll answer any questions you may have:)
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