October 26, 2013 (Saturday) (Week 4 Cont.)

McCaig's Tower

October 26, 2013 (Saturday) (Week 4 Cont.)

Fun day today, we traveled to Oban to do a flat inspection with the Elders serving there. Oban is northwest of Glasgow on the coast about 90 miles from Glasgow, but it took us 2 1/2 hours to drive it. Oban is really out of the way, but it's still part of the Glasgow district, and there are people to seek out and find.  The elders gave us some history of Oban, and it sounds like it is a place where people came from all over the world to enter Scotland, so it has a long history. 

The road we took was narrow and winding. The speed is posted from 40 mph to 60. I know Elder Browning is a fast driver, but he wasn’t willing to go the posted speed until he hit wider and straighter roads. (Thank goodness, because being a passenger is very scary especially on narrow roads.)

Very narrow roads

This is a little wider road and yet it's still very narrow! The truck takes his side plus some of yours...

On the way back we had rain and darkness to deal with.

The elders drive it in two hours when they come to zone meetings. They must take a different route to cut off that much driving time.

Photo taken from car window.

We stopped and took a picture of the Bay Turbet Hotel.

Second photo of the hotel.

If two photos are good, why not three? Nice fall colors.

This is a park by the hotel.

On the road again. We followed Loch Lomond.

Beautiful countryside.

We enjoyed our time with the elders. Their flat passed inspection, as did their car, so we took them to lunch...They chose the spot.

The eating cafe is a three generation business, and the grandson is running the shop. He does a great business. We found out that he doesn't like fish. Oh we'll, I guess you don't have to like fish to serve it.

The helpings were very generous - look at the size of the fish.

 We have wanted some fish and chips since we arrived; so they took us to, what they consider the best in town.  It was very good, especially with some Irn-Bru to wash it down. "Dinna need to worry," Irn Bru isn’t banned according to the Word of Wisdom. It’s a Scottish soft drink. But it does have plenty of punch.

We went down the street and had a batter dipped deep fried Mars Bar. It was surprisingly very good.

One of the Elders is a huge Jame's Bond fan, so he told us where to go to see the layout of one of the scenes from Skyfall. We will do that another day. 

McCaig's Tower

Wonderful old buildings - Columbia Hotel

Regent Hotel - Can you pick out Elder Browning in this photo?

When we left Oban, we took a different route home. It was a beautiful drive. Have I told you lately how beautiful Scotland is? Following are a few photos we took as we traveled back to Glasgow.

Left Oban and took another route home.

Castle Stalker - It's on and island and is privately owned

There is a cafe that overlooks the Castle Stalker

Another old hotel - Ballachulish Hotel

Lonely phone booth!

We only had time to drive up to Glencoe and go to the visitor's center before we had to hurry back to Glasgow for the ward Halloween party. Glencoe is beautiful, so we really want to go back and take our time seeing the countryside.

We made it back in time to join in the festivities of the Glasgow Ward Halloween Party.

A cute little princess.

The ward Halloween party was no different from any other ward party in the States with a lot of children except this ward is as diverse, culturally, as any I have been in. It was great fun. 

Here's a video of one of the activities for the kids.

At the Halloween Party, they read from the darling children's book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It tells the story of a friendly witch who is traveling on her broomstick and drops a few things. She meets three animals who help her find her missing items and then help save her when she is about to be eaten by a scary dragon. The ward members dramatized it as a play, and it turned out to be a darling play. Here are some photos.

Here is the story teller, the dog and the witch.

The witch and the bird.

The frog, the bird, the cat, the dog and the witch

The scary dragon...

The supper broom - there's room for everyone...

The cast - The bird, the dog, the frog, the cat, the witch.

And the dragon.

I found out that not only is it a book, but it's also a DVD.

As the week comes to a close, we again bear witness that the work we're engaged in is the work of the restored gospel, that Jesus is the Christ, and that  He directs His church through living prophets. (See clip below about why we need living prophets.)

“Because Heavenly Father loves His children, He has not left them to walk through this mortal life without direction and guidance.”

—President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

We Need Living Prophets

https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/we-need-living-prophets?lang=eng&cid=email-shared

Love to all and cheerio the noo, 

Here’s another Scottish saying.

"A pritty face suits the dish-cloot"
If I was fussing over what to wear, this Scottish saying was Nanas' stock answer. Basically it means "A pretty face suits the dish-cloth". I think this probably still needs some more translation.... the general idea is 'if you've got a pretty face, it doesn't matter what you're wearing'. Of course, it usually didn't help with my immediate problem ;o)

"Ah dinnae ken"

This one is short and simple, translates to "I don't know". That's all you need :o)

Read more: Scottish Sayings & Scottish Phrases http://www.scottish-at-heart.com/scottish-sayings.html#ixzz2sezyCOEP

Week Three (3) (Continued) / Journal (October 18, 2013 – October 25, 2013)

Week Three (3) (Continued)

Journal (October 18, 2013 – October 25, 2013)

It’s a good thing we purchased our GPS, because we really depend on it to get around Scotland…However, even with it we seem to take a few unplanned side trips – we need to learn how to use, read and understand the Nuvie – I wonder if they have a course with instructions on following a GPS in a foreign country? Oh, by the way, since we purchased it here, she has an accent, and a vocabulary that's a little different. Maybe that’s part of the problem. She would tell us to take the next “slip” road (I thought she was saying “slick” road). Both of us kept looking for a road sign by the name of "slip." It's not the name of a road; but it's the word the GPS uses for an "exit." Kinda like an on ramp.

On Saturday, October 19, we went to Costco. Yes, we have a Costco in Glasgow. It’s large and very much like the one in Tigard, Oregon. However, the items are similar but not the same, if that makes sense. Sour cream isn’t sour cream, it’s Soured and can only be found in certain stores. Whipping cream isn’t whipping cream, but it’s called Double Cream. Also, you don’t need to whip it as long, because it thickens very quickly. Our first batch quickly turned to butter.  While it doesn't apply to us, Costco has a HUGE selection of whiskey on display. We quickly get past that area. We hear there is a long line when they do samplings.

We went across the street to a Tesco Extreme to check it out, which is like a super Fred Meyer. We turned into a driveway that we thought was an entrance to the parking lot, but it wasn’t. It was the taxi waiting area. However, they planned for people like us, because an exit was provided, so we didn’t have to get in the queue (line). A lot of people don’t drive but take public transportation, so the stores provide a taxi waiting area. Oh, there’s so much to learn.   

In this Tesco it has an International Section, so we checked there for some items we were looking for. One item we wanted was Maple flavoring extract, because we want to make our own maple syrup. We didn’t find it, so we asked if they carried it - It’s an unknown product in these parts. They have a syrup and it's called “Lyle’s Golden Syrup” and it’s like Karo syrup - but not. 

Because the refrigerator and freezer are smaller, we shop often and purchase smaller containers. 

Below are some photos of a typical grocery store layout.

Photo of Double Cream and Single Cream.

Squash is found in the non-alcoholic beverages section of the store.

Squash is a fruit drink concentrate.

Eggs aren't kept in the cooler but are kept on the shelves.

Squash is a consecrated drink mix. Golden syrup comes in a jar or a bottle. Molasses is called Treacle and is in a tin (can), and their hot chocolate is wonderful!

Week Four (4)

Journal (October 20, 2013 – October 26, 2013)

We had a wonderful day at church on Sunday, 20 October 2014. Everyone is so nice. We're exercising our minds a lot - sooooooooooooooo many new names to learn, and with a brogue!

Here are some photos of the Glasgow Stake Center and the building where we attend church.

Entrance from the road to our church building.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Front entrance to our church building.

One side of the church building.

Back side of the building. Green grass in October.

Foyer just inside the front door.

Foyer

Monday is our day for taking the sister missionaries grocery shopping, and they like to shop at ASDA. ASDA is the name for the Walmart stores in Glasgow.While the sisters do their shopping we do our shopping for our YSA Home evening dinner and the snacks for the Institute evening. We even manage to do some shopping for us. Yes, we make lots of trips each week to the grocery store. Currently, 'I'm getting the messages."

Oh, here’s a Scottish translation for:

"I'm getting the messages"

This is one of the Scottish sayings that you might think doesn't need translating - but you'd be wrong! In this case, the 'messages' are not what you're probably thinking. 'Messages' are 'groceries' or other things that you'd get from the store. So, literally speaking this Scottish phrase means "I'm doing the (grocery) shopping".

We needed a passport photo to get a bus pass; thus, while the sisters were shopping, we used the photo booth, which is located in the store entrance and posed for our photos. For passport photos they have a lot of “don’ts,” and one rule is “don’t smile,” so the photos are really bad. We both look like old curmudgeons and/or part of the mafia. The price you have to pay to get a free bus pass…

No, Elder Browning isn't in this Photo Booth - It just so happened that someone was in it when I snapped the photo.

 These photo booths are everywhere.

We served a Kielbasa Soup For our YSA Home Evening Supper. It's a recipe from our daughter Heather’s recipe binder. It was a hit and everyone loved it.

After supper and for the rest of our Home Evening, Rachel conducted and did the lesson. Mairi (pronounced, "Mar-ee"), one of Rachel’s flat mates, did the activity. It was a fun and enjoyable evening. I love our YSA's.

It’s Tuesday, so it’s District Meeting. We arrived around 9:30am. The first ½ hour is personal study time. We are then instructed by our District Leader, and the meeting went until 12 noon. We’re really impressed with the quality of our missionaries and their preparation for teaching as 18 to 20+ year olds. The downside - they are 18 to 20+ year olds in maturity, some better than others. We can see the value of Preach My Gospel ("PMG") in action. It’s inspiring to witness, even in 18 to 20+ year olds.

The following are two chapter excerpts from PMG.

*Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service: 1: What Is My Purpose as a Missionary?
Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.
http://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/what-is-my-purpose-as-a-missionary?lang=eng

*Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service: Introduction: How Can I Best Use  Preach My Gospel?
Personal Study, Companion Study, District Meetings, and Zone Conferences

Effective study during your mission will help you fulfill your purpose as a missionary and strengthen your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Four of your most important study opportunities are personal study, companion study, district meetings, and zone conferences. Your daily schedule includes time for personal and companion study every day.

Missionary Daily Schedule*

6:30 a.m.
Arise, pray, exercise (30 minutes), and prepare for the day.

7:30 a.m.
Breakfast.

8:00 a.m.
Personal study: the Book of Mormon, other scriptures, doctrines of the missionary lessons, and other chapters from Preach My Gospel, the Missionary Handbook, and the Missionary Health Guide.

9:00 a.m.
Companion study: share what you have learned during personal study, prepare to teach, practice teaching, study chapters from Preach My Gospel, confirm plans for the day.

10:00 a.m.
Begin proselyting. Missionaries learning a language study that language for an additional 30 to 60 minutes, including planning language learning activities to use during the day.

Missionaries may take an hour for lunch and additional study, and an hour for dinner at times during the day that fit best with their proselyting. Normally dinner should be finished no later than 6:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.
Return to living quarters (unless teaching a lesson; then return by 9:30) and plan the next day’s activities (30 minutes). Write in journal, prepare for bed, pray.

10:30 p.m.
Retire to bed.
http://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/introduction-how-can-i-best-use-preach-my-gospel?lang=eng 

Tuesday afternoon we took a walk. The flat had a walking map of the area, so we decided to explore. There are thirty sites, but we only managed to get about half of them in before the darkness rolled in. Well, OK, we were three hours strolling on our walk, which means we took a side trip or two. 

This is the starting point for our Walking Tour. It's Ruchill Church Hall. It's four blocks from our flat.

Ruchill Church Hall. The low pale building is one of the most famous buildings in the area (so says the brochure) - a church hall, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (who? I don't know). The Hall dates from 1899 - pre dating the church next to it. The tea-room here makes a great place to stop for a cuppe and a look around the interior, which is little changed from when it first opened, complete with original doors, folding partitions and decorative roof trusses. The red sandstone main church building next door was built from 1903-09 as the Ruchill Street United Free Church, designed by the architect Neil C. Duff.

A number of the roads around this area have a Shakespearean theme.

Keep an eye out for Stratford Street and Hathaway Street.

We saw Shakespeare Street School, Shakespeare Street Youth Club, the Walcheren Barracks, Kelbourned School, Sorn Dairy, and the North West Fire Station. In 1942, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited to see the station in action.

Ally and backside of some flats.

Some buildings with flats - the intersections are very interesting with streets coming from all directions.

Both Shakespeare Street and Garrioch Road were old estate roads. As the tenements developed, the area became known as North Kelvinside, to try to distinguish itself from the rest of "old" Maryhill.

Nice vintage car.

Since my family owned a Karmann Ghia at one time and since  I drove it to high school, I had to take this photo.

One of the side trips was down to the River Kelvin. The water level was very high because of all the rain that poured out of the heavens the night before. Below are some pictures along the River Kelvin - no dialogue included. It reminded us a lot of Oregon.

The cast iron lamppost is original and thus a rare surviving relic of the Burgh of Maryhill. Isn't that cool?

Alexander "Greek" Thomason's Sixty Steps

 The Kelvinside Terrace retaining wall and steps were designed in the 1870s, and were originally linked to the now demolished Queen Margaret Bridge. They were also featured in the Gillian Anderson film House of Mirth, one of a number of locations in Glasgow standing in for New York.

 www.sixtysteps.org.uk

Interesting sign - "No Dog Fouling"; those dogs and their language - Gees

In the background is the Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church.

Remains of the North Woodside Flint Mill.

Yes, that's a fox. We've been told that there are a lot of them in Glasgow. We couldn't get it to look our way :-(

Late in the month of October we found a beautiful rose.

William Primrose Plaque.

This is a rather unusual plaque featuring a hand playing a Viola.

This commemorates the birthplace, in 1904 of William Primose - regarded as one of the greatest viola players of all time - and the only viola player in history to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! He died in 1982 after a long career playing in America and all over the world.

Darkness is beginning to roll in, and we're back at the church where we began our walking tour.

Wednesday evening is Institute…so we’re in charge of the snacks and in charge of locking up the building. We usually don’t get out of the building until after 10:30 pm. It’s a late night for us; especially when you get up at 6:30 am the next morning. (OK, as a Senior Couple, we don't have to be up at 6:30am, but it's a suggested schedule, so we have time to read and study our scriptures. It's also a time for personal study and companion study.) 

The YSA from the two stakes in Glasgow (Glasgow and Paisley Stakes) come to our stake center. We have 30 plus YSA that attend. What is real impressive is how far some have to travel by train, bus and/or car to attend. Some of the individuals are taking up to 2 hours of traveling time for just one way. Thus, some YSA aren’t getting home until after 11:30 pm at night. I guess we shouldn’t complain.

We’re responsible for inspecting 9 missionary flats prior to transfers. Transfers take place every six weeks. Part of the flat inspection is for us to assess how well the landlord maintains the flat (repairs, fresh paint, etc.) and to make sure the missionaries respect the property and keep it neat and clean. During the inspections we share a spiritual thought with the missionaries and leave them with some kind of treat (some slices of a Texas Sheet Cake, chocolate chip cookies, etc.) They don't necessarily like us coming for the inspections but they like the treats. Thus, today we visited two of the flats - the Knightwood Elders (2 Elders) and the Zone Leader’s (2 Elders). 

Have I recently mentioned how getting around Glasgow is a challenge? The flats are no more than 6 to 8 miles apart from each other but it took us at least 30 minutes to drive between these two flats - well, that is if we don't get lost either to or from our flat to their flats.  FUNNNNNN!

We had to return to the Knightswood elders because Ron left some of his materials at their flat.  We'll one day get their route down without going through the Clyde Tunnel.  If we go through the Clyde Tunnel it means we have taken a wrong turn - again.  As I said - FUNNNNN!

On Thursday and Friday we’ll do some more flat inspections.

Side bar snippet from Elder Browning (Ron):

While I share the road adventures, please know that I am having fun getting lost, except when we are trying to get to a destination and be on time.  It can be fun as well as stressful.  So far I haven't hit any cars or pedestrians.  I have hit a couple curbs and Tracey often tells me I'm on the white line or getting close to the parked cars as viewed from the left (passenger) side of the car.  We continue to remind ourselves to look right as we enter a roundabout and I have to remind myself to look up to my left for the review mirror, since when I look right I only see the side mirror. In a few weeks I'll be ready to consider taking the driver’s test which involves a written test; a video test; and a driving test.  It is either getting a driver's license or getting transferred to Ireland, which isn’t a bad option...

Photo of tire (tyre)

The tell tell signs of a close encounter with the curb... and Elder Browning (Ron) blamed vandals

On Friday we took a trip to Glasgow City Center. Ron needed to get a power cord for his HP, so Buchanan Gallery here we come... While we were hoping to get one place, we were totally surprised when following the GPS the mall suddenly appeared before us, so we darted into the parking structure. When we leave, we’ll figure out how we got here, so we can get back home…

We went to several stores hoping for a power cord with the same result - nothing that would work for Elder Browning’s PC.  In the meantime, I (Sister Browning) am still working on my iPhone problem, which loses power. The Apple Store suggested an update to my IOS which took 45 minutes of us standing around the Apple Store outlet and charger. After it was charged, it was suggested that we make an appointment to meet with the Apple Tech people, so we did and had to come back an hour later so I could talk to them. Whatever they did it does not seem to be working.  Does it seem all our electronics are "on the fritz?"

Downtown Glasgow is an interesting place to walk around - the shops; people watching; the hub-bub of a dynamic city.  It’s very "cool" and very different from what Elder Browning remembers it being when he was here 50 years ago. We would like to spend more time in Glasgow.

Look up for some interesting art work and architecture

We also looked into taking over the Whitney’s internet service so we wouldn't have to start over from scratch and we were given guidance on what to do.  It would have been nice to get it all done at the store front but we were told to call customer service - which we will do right away.

Love to all.

Adventure is out there.

Cheerio the noo,

Here’s a little Scottish for you to enjoy.

"Lang may yer lum reek"

Translated this Scottish saying becomes "Long may your chimney smoke" - meaning 'May you live long and keep well'. Perhaps Mr Spock of Star Trek fame said it even better "Live long and prosper" :o)

Read more: Scottish Sayings & Scottish Phrases http://www.scottish-at-heart.com/scottish-sayings.html#ixzz2sezyCOEP