A Day in the Life of Molly the Edinburgh Adventurer!

It's been a sleepy week of more coffee shops, more rainy Edinburgh wandering (I've been soaked umpteenth times!), and more THEATER! Eleven Fringe shows to date -- two good and nine mediocre so far. Look for a future blog post of my favorites. For now I will give you a Day in the life of Molly, the Edinburgh Adventurer.

1) Wake up to Roommate Kristina's kind voice: "Molly... class in 15 minutes!" Bolt out of bed, to the bathroom, teeth half-brushed -- then remember that class in downstairs in the living room. Do not change out of pajamas.

2) Prepare a delicious breakfast of Chocolate Weetabix, a pint glass of tea, and yoghurt (it's how they spell in here).

3) Curl up on the couch for class! The drama professor has a pleasantly loud voice -- advantageous for avoiding nodding off. Enjoy chocolate weetabix. Listen to lecture about the actor's plot-denial-guilt triangle, and plot-character relationship. Play the part of "Lulu" in a read aloud of Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party. Enjoy drama professor's rendition of a Cockney accent. Finish tea as class ends.

4) Venture out of 59 Frederick to lunch at Piemaker with Roommate Kristina. Enjoy a "bridie" -- 65 pence pasty filled with liquidated pork and beef. Note to self: buy the 95 pence pasty next time.

5) Split an Americano with Roommate Kristina at "The Black Medicine" coffee shop, yet another cafe apparently frequented by JK Rowling when writing HP1. Write bits of blog and essay (yes, there is schoolwork on this study abroad!!). Decide to call coffee "black medicine" from this point on.

6) Arrive just in time for "The Selfish Gene: the first BioMusical!" Discover it is an awkwardly sung version of Richard Dawkin's book on evolution. Decide to write own BioMusical, to be better acted, sung, written, and directed. It will be the perfect combination of theater and science!

7) Sneak in a brief visit to the National Museum of Scotland. Wander through Scotland's history, beginning on floor 1 with prehistoric whiskey distilleries and weapons, but only getting as far as floor 4, with the first mechanized plaid tartan (kilt) weaver. Leave the 1900s and floors 5-7 for another day -- it's free!

8) Join the rest of the class for a lecture-disguised-as-a-show directed by John Malkovich. Be lulled into a short nap by performer's beautiful British voice. John Malkovich is MIA. Appreciate the gorgeous venue -- an ancient converted church complete with pews. Appreciate the nap, as well as the bits of poetry that slipped through the haze.

9) Ponder the poetry during a dinner of British curry! It is delicious, westernized, student discounted vegetarian curry -- worth the three pounds, and the trip to the UK.

10) When walking around the Royal Mile (Hogsmeade) toward Edinburgh Castle, come across a small preview of The Military Tattoo. Fireworks soar above Hogsmeade, and a smattering of kilted-soldiers wander by. Wait with German tourists for more visuals -- grow impatient and meet friends at a live music pub nearby. Dance until exhausted.

11) Return home, exhausted, raincovered, and with a Scottish tune in your head. Sleep until morning, and repeat for three more weeks.

12) Miss you. :)