Historical markers are the best coffee study breaks locations

I went to a wine/cheese/drawing gathering at St Andrews Natural History Museum tonight, loved goat cheese (in spite of the animal), talked about museums versus galleries for longer than I ever have (more then 2 minutes), then sat in front of stuffed birds, drew a skeleton of a ground turkey, realized I have no artisic talent whatsoever, and left to walk home alone. My roommates Paige and Stephane are still there. Paige is here for Museum and Gallery Studies M.Litt. and she has regular discussions with her friend about the requirements for the very few words to put next to items in an exhibit, that the guide has to be written at a 15 year old level, because that's best for the level of the average public, and why galleries are more appropriate for some exhibits than others. "I like to touch old objects. I get attached to them."-Paige. I like her more for it.

I had my first fish and chips ever, don't even like fish, and devoured the whole dish. Just got it with salt, vinegar and brown sauce and was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. We waited half in hour and the little Scottish woman took all the orders, shouted them back to the kitchen and made every dish packed up when it was done being cooked right there in front of us. She was full of pleases and thank yous to, even when shouting them back to the fryers. I can't wait to take my Dad.

Before that, I went to a lecture on "Weapons Strategies, Targeting Civilians, and Ethics" where I learned that the British and US air forces (RAF and USAF) actually practiced something known amongst themselves as "terror bombing" against Germany, and Winston Churchhill called it impressive even questioning the efficiency of it in terms post-war gains from Germany. Then, as I tried to sneak out to get to the library, I pulled my sweater off the back of my chair, knocked the laptop off the tiny chair desk behind me, and broke the screen. The woman was very nice about it, saying it was entirely her fault for leaving it like that, but my stomach is still recovering from the situation.

Class was cancelled today. I only go to class four hours a week, two classes two hours each, one Monday, one Tuesday. So one getting cancelled is actually a big deal. This means that the almost non-stop reading I'd been doing all the week leading up to this particular class, and no I am not exaggerating, was for naught. Nobody to impress, stand up to, or answer thoughtfully. My professor's sickness prevented her from hearing the millions of things I had learned for her. I suppose it's good that I also wanted to learn them for myself. I discovered great coffee for a pound fifty at the Old Union diner which looks like something from Pride and Prejudice but with an espresso machine, and is a historical marker, so I parked out there instead of class, with some light reading about the post-Holocaust trials of Adolph Eichmann. I happened to run into some other students who were all bonding with eachother while I left class as soon as it was over each time, and ended up in a reading group with two guys and planned to go out on Thursday night with the class...so my social network is widening and I do not know if I am thrilled about it. Maybe I should have gone with Terrorism studies.

Music of the week: Mont Lyons..their new EP is coming out exclusively on newdust.com and they're great guys. I know one at least!

Quote of the week: If you want peace, prepare for war.

More Holocaust reading now.

K