I discussed in the last post that Fall is my favorite time of year and it got me thinking about my favorite things about Edinburgh.  So here is list of some things that I like.

Coffee

I really enjoy going to Black Medicine because they make massive cups of coffee.  However, I find it more crowded in the afternoons and if I’m needing to work I’ll go to Spoon instead.  If I’m in New Town, I really enjoy Wellington’s, although I find myself at the Princes Street Starbucks more often than not.  Partly because there are plenty of tables but also because the Castle in just in view outf of the large windows and if that doesn’t inspire you then I don’t know what will.

Museums 

I’m biased but I still stand by the fact that the National Museum is the best museum in Edinburgh.  It’s got everything.  The admission is free, the bathrooms are clean, there’s water fountains, and plenty of places to hide in the ‘Early People’s Gallery.’  And there’s also the roof garden.  But, the National Gallery is also excellent and do have more (and more comfortable) places to sit down.

Green Space 

The Meadows are awesome and close.  But, Holyrood Park is gigantic and has a 15c Chapel Ruin.  Idk man all the parks are great.  Princes Street garden is very underrated and well, Calton Hill is a little overrated.  But also, the cemeteries in Edinburgh are great?  The old Calton Burial Grounds has one of my favourite tombstones in the city and a massive bronze statue to Abe Lincoln.

Pubs

Obviously.  Anything in the Grassmarket is going to be crowded. Sandy Bell’s has awesome folk music in the evening but is small and gets crowded very quickly.  Bennet’s has a fantastic wooden barback but is a little out of the way.  Dagda sells salami.  The Argyll bought out the Cellar Monkey and hosts awesome pub quizzes on Thursday night.  The Blind Poet closes and I still cry and Pear Tree went ‘firmly middle class.’ Teviot doesn’t accept foreign IDs and still frustrates me.

Castles 

It’s gotta be the one that I can see from my shower. You know that one in the center of town?  The one I still have to give directions to tourists for?  Yeah, that one.

Books

What even is reading for fun anymore?  I don’t know as I cry through another academic journal article.  But, eh. I finally finished reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt.  Timeline by Michael Crichton made me extremely jealous.  Percy Jackson will always hold a speical place in my heart.

Movies/TV

The Defenders on Netflix still really has me fucked up and and I haven’t been able to watch Rogue One again without gross sobbing.  Also, if Rey isn’t a Kenobi and turns out to be a Skywalker I will flip this table and fight someone.

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Okay now that I have your attention… I’d just like to take this second to use this platform to discuss some current events happening in my home country.

If you’ve been even remotely aware of the news you’ll know that the US had the largest mass shooting in history in Las Vegas last week.  59 people lost their lives and over 500 people are injured.  The shooter was a 64 year old white male with no criminal history but a lot of guns and apparently a lot of pent up anger.  This even comes after last year’s attack against the LGBTQA+ community at the Pulse Nightclub which killed 49 people.

On a smaller scale but no less terrifying, my hometown experienced a shooting on our main street, Massachusetts.  Five people were injured and out of the five, three have died.

For my European friends, the concept of gun violence is mostly foreign with most European countries either outright banning the right to possess firearms or making it very, very, very difficult.  I’ve been the spokesperson for my country to a lot of them trying to explain just how easy and how fucked up our guns laws are in America.  How it is more difficult to get a driver’s license than it is to buy a gun.  How it is more difficult to get into university than it is to buy a gun.  How it is more difficult to adopt a pet than it is to get a gun.  How most states allow you to carry a firearm, either concealed or open into public spaces which include universities.

We have a problem.  There is nothing being done to fix it and it is only getting worse.  Legislature which would restrict firearms is continually being blocked and instead laws which allow people to carry on university campuses are being passed.

Take a minute and think this over please.  Think about what this means for the future safety of millions of people.  Think about how lucky you are when you can go to a concert and wake up the next day with a hangover instead of as a name in a long list of people who weren’t so lucky.  How you can go out for a night with your friends and how you can go and get an education all without being caught in the crossfires of a deadly piece of equipment that has no reason being there.

Take this minute and then do something about it.  Write to your local council, your state government, your national representatives, etc.  Attend gun safety courses, lectures, or just read a pamphlet.  Buy a proper gun safe if you have firearms or find a safe place to get rid of them.  If you are in the position, please donate blood.  Just don’t sit there.  Doing nothing won’t change anything.