Transportation and rugby fans

May 24, 2017

Transportation to and from all the places we have gone in the past week has been, well, lets just say a little difficult adjusting to! We mostly take a Lothian bus most places using our monthly bus passes we received the first day we arrived but sometimes the bus system is a little difficult to completely understand! Personally, I am used to taking the T in Boston and it is easy for me because I know each line like the back of my hand however, here in a new city it’s been a bit difficult for me. I also am a person who gets very frustrated not knowing absolutely every little detail about where I’m going, what time to get there, which buses to take, etc. but Dr. O’Neil and our TA for the trip Gemma have made it much easier and less stressful outlining directions for our day-to-day activities. Overall, I’ve observed that most people here in Edinburgh either walk or use the bus system to get place to place. There is Uber here (which we used once to get to the bus station because we were going to be late for our trip to Glasgow) so that was a nice familiarity!

There has only been one incident where transportation has not been at its finest… which actually occurred just hours before I sat down to compose this post. Earlier today, we caught the bus from Glasgow to head back to Edinburgh which was going to be a nice, relaxing ride back into the city. Little did we know, the final match for Rugby was happening at the same time. Luckily for us, the match had JUST ended a few miles before we were estimated to arrive at the bus station back in Edinburgh. Long story short, our bus was stuck behind the gates of a closed main road filled with rugby fans dressed in the most absurd and colorful attire representing their favored team. Our group of six on the bus got to experience this culture first hand when we had to get off the stopped bus and walk 2 miles in the streets with the overstimulated fans down the streets of Edinburgh. All I can say is, I feel much more cultured now that I had that experience; it is most definitely a walk in the streets that will be very hard to forget!

Written By

Audrey Brigham

As a student studying health sciences, a dialogue encompassing research, cultural differences, and exploring the various fields embodying each aspect of healthcare could not have appealed to me more. My goals for this trip are to actively engage in every opportunity that presents itself to me. I hope to learn from the research I am assisting with, the professionals I am shadowing, as well as the patients I am working with. During this program, I also hope to take in all of the scenery and culture I can. Outside of school, I am the Vice President and member of the Northeastern Club Field Hockey team and am an active runner. I spend most of my time outdoors so I hope to catch some beautiful sights on my travels and runs throughout Edinburgh. I also have a passion for nutrition and cuisine so I hope to be able to indulge myself at some of the local restaurants as well. Overall, I cannot be more than grateful for the opportunity to document this experience and share everything that I can!