The Liz Kent Experience

As part of my course work, we are to explore the surrounding area (Aberdeen) and take pictures and do some type of fieldwork every Wednesday. It doesn’t matter what it is, we are just supposed to do something. Well, I got ahead of the curve and went out on Thursday during the day. I had passed some amazing street murals on my way to the Central Library. I knew that is what I wanted to go and take pictures of when we were assigned this particular assignment. So, I went. And am I glad I did!

I met some wonderful people that were interested in me and I was interested in what they had to tell me about the murals. They are homeless here in Aberdeen and they were waiting for space to open up in a nearby shelter for them. We talked about what I was doing in Aberdeen and what exactly I was doing in the Union Terrace Gardens. So I explained I had seen the murals from the street a few weeks ago and had wanted to come and take pictures of them. They were fascinated with that and thought it was a wonderful idea. They then each started telling me about which of the murals were their favorites and which murals took the longest to paint. This group of people were there when each of the murals were being painted and they spoke with the artists.

Talking to these people are hearing these stories are all part of Folklore. Take a second and think about where you live and think about the things around you that you are taking for granted. In whatever city you live, have you taken time to go to your local museum? Have you taken the time to actually read the placards of memorials? Have you taken time to appreciate the quaint little nuances of your city? These concepts, these ideas, these physical things are all part of our inherent folklore. Too many times we think folklore only refer to fairy tales or to the things that go ‘bump in the night’ but really, folklore is truly what make us, us. It is woven into our beings.

Take a chance to look around and appreciate everything around you, even the buildings because you never know how long something will last.

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I feel like if I post every week and say, “Nothing really happened. I went to class, learned some stuff, and read and read and read.” You all might get a little tired of that. But that’s what I’ve been doing. I have been reading pages and pages and pages of articles in preparation for doing some papers and presentations. I am so very grateful though for the opportunity I have to be in Scotland and to learn something I love! I feel like I’ve done things I haven’t fully enjoyed and it feels fantastic to be able to actually enjoy what I’m doing again. That is a blessing!
This past week I had no classes! They have “Tattie Holidays” over here and that means no school for kids in primary and secondary school, and some University courses are cancelled as well. Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering what a “tattie” is. It’s a potato! That’s the name over here for a potato and the holiday revolves around the potato harvest. (That sounds familiar to some of us from Idaho.) The holiday originally started as a way to get cheap labor out of the kids. They were recruited from the schools and they’d go work in a field for the day. After talking to some locals, they each told me of their experiences. One of the gentlemen I spoke with told me that he never received any type of monetary payment, but he received tatties to take home to his family. Another gentleman, said he was paid, but paid very little. Apparently the payment varied on the farmer.

Well, I didn’t go and harvest any tatties, but I did get brave and rented a car. You read that
right. I rented a car and braved driving on the “wrong side of the road.” And let me tell you what. Driving was terrifying at first. I said a lot of prayers and followed the traffic in front of me. As I drove, I would say out loud to myself, “Always drive on my left. Everything is on my left. Stay on the left. When you turn go to the left.” By the time I finished I felt really accomplished and comfortable driving.

Now, what do you do when you have a car? You go to Costco of course! There is a Costco here in Aberdeen, and let me tell you, that it was so wonderful to have a little slice of home. I wandered in the aisles and grabbed the things I needed and contemplated buying things I didn’t need (because remember, I was at Costco). It was glorious! I bought some things in bulk so I don’t have to buy certain groceries for a while, which will hopefully save me money in the long run.

Now, I didn’t only rent the car to go to Costco (although I am seriously considering it, cause it’s so cheap to rent a car here). I rented the car to do a little sight seeing.

There is a Castle tour here in Aberdeenshire and I thought I’d visit a few of the castles. I was only able to get to two of the 19. But the two I went to were beautiful! I went to Dunnottar Castle and Crathes Castle. Both were fantastic to visit! I also went to a little village, Stonehaven, and walked along the beach for a little while. By the time I got done at Crathes Castle the others nearby were closed because it is getting darker early here. And then I discovered that quite a few of the castles are only open until September 30. So, darn, I have to plan another trip.

Anyway, that’s what I did this past week. It reminded me to do more things that scare me. Bravery and courage come by us stepping outside of our comfort zone. I’m not saying to do dumb things that may harm you, but do something that is slightly out of your comfort zone. You just never know what you’ll learn or experience.

PS: For those of you who took my survey THANK YOU! Seriously I feel so blessed to have so many people willing to help me accomplish my dreams. I couldn’t do any of this without all of you.