The Essence of Christmas and a Few Inconveniences

The essence of Christmas in Edinburgh is just what one would expect. Festive lights and music, gatherings with family and friends and the famous colour combination of red and green. However my experience of all things Christmas arrived in very strange and sometimes inconvenient ways.

Being a student at Christmas itself is an inconvenience! While studying for exams and finishing assignments should be the focus, pub nights and parties are much too attractive. One of the main streets in Edinburgh converts into an exciting winter festival and German market. Rides, booths with delicious food and things to look at were a welcomed escape from working. I also managed to attend a carol-singing concert at St. Giles Cathedral on the high street. The angelic voices echoed eerily throughout the ancient church, conjuring up images of generations past who also sought out the Christmas spirit.

Other forms of Christmas music wafted though the streets. Drumming groups, fiddles and of course the bagpipes. Unfortunately one night before an early rise, very enthusiast and most likely drunk saxophone players began a jolly set of Christmas songs, directly below my flat window. Christmas tunes on a saxophone are one thing, but at 1 am?!

Friends, once again, came to the rescue of my sanity. We spent many hours preparing for our exam together, squeezed into small compartments designed for groups. This has now become commonly known among my group of peers as pod living. It is truly amazing how much you can learn from others though, especially when everyone’s background is so different. Image this: an evolutionary biologist, a sports management major, an environmental scientist, an ecotourism major (me), someone who worked in US politics during the Bush administration and a conservative who worked at Target for the last few years- all studying for a Principles of Environmental Sustainability exam. Now that is perspective and learning that no professor can replicate!

At Christmas, the colour red usually comes in the form of stockings, Santa, and twinkling lights. In my case however, it came in the form of episcleritis, turning my left eye into a bloodshot and very painful lump, which I desperately wanted to pop out of the socket. After an impromptu visit to the emergency room and a visit to an eye specialist, I left with a handful of steroid drops and painkillers. Yes, I now have to worlds’ strongest eyeball!

The green colour came into play the night before and the morning of my first (and thank goodness only!) post grad exam. I felt sick and was fairly certain I was going to sick on my shoes as we stood waiting outside MacEwan Hall. Two essays in two hours on topics to be discovered upon arrival equalled a full-blown nightmare for me. But knowing that people like James Hutton and my mom, equally famous in my mind, had graduated in MacEwan Hall (and I would as well if I could get through the following 2 hours!) was a nice distraction.

My nausea slowly dissipated as I entered the expansive hall. I instantly felt like Harry Potter! We were greeted by massive stone pillars, floor to ceiling tapestry and paintings waiting to come alive, gorgeous wood railings and two brilliantly lit Christmas trees. Someone behind me starting humming the Harry Potter theme song and we were ushered to sit in our class sections or what felt like Hogwarts houses. I was just glad I was not ushered to the economics section, which in my mind was equivalent to the Slitherin house! All you Harry Potter fans know what I mean!

My anxiety was further relieved when I scanned down the list of essay topics and discovered I had studied hard for 3 of the 5 topics. Thanks to my motley crew in the pod! All that was left to do was pick 2 and start filling the booklets with knowledge. Magic! A certain green colour returned the following morning, after a pre Christmas, post exam celebration at the pub!

It started to snow in Edinburgh 3 days before I got on a plane to come home. I have never seen snow in Scotland. In true fashion, the whole city came to a stand still. Calgarians can appreciate that! The snow and cold weather made all the turrets and stonewalls around the city look even more unforgiving. My last few days were filled with family gatherings, which I was so grateful to be a part of. I have never seen the wee Christmas tree in my Granny’s living room or the Christmas decorations that litter my cousin’s flat. Celebrations here, like many at home, revolve around food. With my Dad’s brother and my cousins, we had Indian take away and with Granny and my uncle John, good ol’ fish and chips!

My first semester has come to a successful end and what I have to show for it is a great group of new friends, an obscene amount of learning (including an A!) and the knowledge that my family and friends in Calgary will stand by me through everything. But it’s now time for a short rest at home!

For those of you I will not see over the holidays, have a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for the New Year! Cherish time with your family friends and find magic in small things. I know I will.