The first week in Edinburgh

Time flies here! It has been exactly a month since I made my way to Edinburgh to study here for a semester. It has been an exciting, great first month here.

Even my first week was full of events. I had to settle into my small room in the student dormitory, find a supermarket, and so on. Luckily, we have the Freshers Week here! An introduction week for all those who are new to the university and still need to find their way around - like me. First, I had to find my way around the huge campus which consists of several building complexes, student dormitories, and a large research center. It is like a small town here. We have our own bus stops, a mini-supermarket, a hairdresser, a sports facility, cafeterias, cafes, a bar and a club and, very important, a small lake. The campus tour gave me a good overview, but I still get lost sometimes. But that also happens to second-year students. So I guess it's part of it.

Then, of course, I also wanted to see the city. The Heriot-Watt University is about a 30-minute bus ride southwest of the city center. I did a guided city tour and was immediately enchanted by Edinburgh with its lively shopping street, old houses, tiny alleyways, the hill with the unfinished temple, and, of course, the castle that overlooks the city from a hill. The city is truly magical, and it's no wonder that J.K. Rowling found inspiration here for Hogwarts and Diagon Alley.

Of course, cultural highlights could not be missing in my first week. I drank my first pint (equivalent to 568 ml) of cider in a pub, learned a few Scottish vocabulary words like 'wee' for small/little or 'cheers' for thank you, and attended a ceilidh. Ceilidh is the Scottish folk dance, which should not be confused with the Irish one ;) It always involves group or couple dances - a social event. I had a great time learning the steps and dancing to the live music. Here's a video to give you an idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewi14pygvAs

The week ended with a trip to the Pentland Hills. This is a hilly landscape that is only about a 20-minute drive from my university and where you almost feel like in the Highlands. Everything is so much greener than in Germany, and I saw some sheep and cows.
I've been lucky with the weather so far. Like this Sunday. But it's quite changeable here, and the rain will definitely come at some point.