National Gallery

Last night, we spend a while drinking coffee and chatting infront of the telly. We had the Glastonbury festival on, and were eagerly waiting for the Rolling Stones to perform. There was this whole issue going around where somehow the media was relaying that none of the Stones' performance would be televised, because they claimed it was not in their contract. SO we didn't think we would get to see them. But finally around 8:30pm last night they performed. It was a pretty good show! I'd really like to come back to the UK for Glastonbury at some point. I'll just skip the other screamy and intimidating headliners they had performing in some of the other evening slots.

Today I spent another day in Edinburgh. It was a shorter day than I would have originally planned for, but I got a lift into the city, so that's ok. Today I decided to walk all of Princes Street Gardens...and that I did. It was beautiful! It's basically like NYC's Central Park. Being a sunny day people were sunbathing, eating ice cream, playing with their dogs. Groups of students were sprawled out on the grass, playing guitars and picnicking. It was nice to just walk around an explore. As every time I have been there, you can hear the faint sound of bagpipes coming from somewhere in the Old City.

I've seen this band perform a few times now on my walks from Prince's Street into Old Town. They're called "The Spinning Blowfish." 

And yes. That child ran in circles nearly the entire performance.

Since I got to the city in the afternoon, I knew I only had a few hours to explore the museums before they closed at 5pm. So the one I picked for today was the Scottish National Gallery. Along with works by some of the "greats," including Van Gogh, Monet, and Raphael, there was a whole exhibit dedicated to Scottish artists. Some of the landscapes in this exhibit featured places I have been or see frequently, such as Bass Rock. Due to the lighting in the museum, it was difficult to get pictures inside without flash (I only brought my phone), so you'll just have to check it out for yourself someday!

Rodin's "The Kiss"

After exploring the museum for a few hours, it was almost time for it to close. So I grabbed a coffee at the museum cafe, and headed out the back to Prince's Street Gardens. I brought Neil Gaiman's "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" with me, so I found a shaded spot on the hill and stayed there for a while.

But the sunshine did not last too long. Eventually clouds moved overhead to block the sun, and it began to rain. Since my usual plan of ducking into a museum was void at this point, I went down to Chamber's Street and grabbed a toastie to take-away. When the rain did not give any sign of letting up, I walked all the way back down to Prince's Street and found the bus I needed to take home. Next weekend I think I will do the Writer's Museum and if I have time, the Mary King's Close - the city underneath the city!

Eyemouth

Eyemouth is a working fishing village a few miles east of Haddington. As you may guess, seafood is very popular in Scotland. We ate at a local chippy that is popular due to the freshness of the fish - of course, I just had the chips. You can see below some fishermen preparing their catch for the day. The seagulls were eagerly awaiting scraps!  

The tide was out when we came 

Delicious salted caramel ice cream made in the restaurant! 

Being a coastal village, there are often visitors from marine life. Check out these seals!

You could pay to give pieces of fish to the seals. But the tide was so low that at this point in the day you basically had to lower it down with a big pole. I'm surprised people were paying the two quid.

One Whole Month!

I think I need to start keeping a wee notebook handy so I can record the daily idioms I hear. For example, one I hear used a lot is "put the cart before the horse." It's just a more interesting way to say ANYTHING, really. I enjoy listening to people speak! I'm starting to pick up more "Scots," but there are certain regional dialects that I have more difficulty with.

I remember posting a while back about how I've developed this fear of stepping on giant slugs on the way to work...below illustrates why I walk with my head down when it's raining and they all seem to come out in the open. As you can see, they're HUGE! I don't thin this is even the biggest I've seen. There are also snails with spirally shells all over the place when it's damp.

On a more serious note -
Next week it looks like I may get to sit in and observe some individual/group sessions. I'll let you know how that turns out. I also am getting pretty deep into this Dissociation project. It's really interesting so far. Along with scoring and recording the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation form of every patient referred to, and accepted the services of the NHS Psychological Therapies team since April, I am also transcribing and analyzing the pre-assessment questionnaire. This is basically a super short version of the intake forms we use in the states.  Except this one is all opened ended, so it's a written description of the presenting problem instead of an endless list of boxes to check. It has been really interesting for me reading the stories and then seeing what the scores on the assessments say. Certain questions on the DES are frequently left unanswered which I also find interesting...I wonder if it is the content of the question, the phrasing, or something else? I only have about 28 participants right now, but I have 3 more file cabinets to go through in the one office, and then other individual people's files to look into as well.

After tea tonight, we went down to a local restaurant/pub that I walk by everyday on the way to work called the Waterside Bistro. I decided to have a local cider from Dunbar which is a few miles up the road - today marks my first full month here! It was pretty good. Local wines, whiskeys, ciders and beers are a big part of the culture here. I think cider is growing on me...it's fruity and light, which I like. It's pretty inexpensive, relatively speaking.

The Waterloo Bistro is rather nice, though it was kind of rowdy at the outside tables. I guess it is Friday night, after all. The loud antics of the young guests was a weird juxtaposition to the tranquil river and the tolling bells of St. Mary's church, which sits on the opposite bank of the Tyne from the restaurant.

I don't really have any plans set in stone for this weekend. I think a lot of it will be dependent on the weather...we may do something outside as a group if it is nice. If not, I'll just take the bus to Edinburgh. I think I want to do the Portrait Gallery and Writer's Museum next.

 I have my plane tickets purchased now to meet Paul in Ireland and then my family in London for August. What is really awesome is that we will hopefully get to see my Aunt, Uncle and cousins in Dublin when we are there. In addition, I think I'm going to get to see two of my other cousins within the next month if they make it up to Scotland from other parts of Europe. It's really funny how so many of us were finally able to travel this summer, and all at the same time! So the next few weeks I'll be really budgeting, so I don't end up on a sticky wicket! (oooh, an idiom!). 

The Great Yew of Ormiston

I am absolutely "sha'erd" (shattered) as they say here. Meaning, I am exhausted! I did the circuit training class again today, along with the walk two and from work, and then another long walking adventure tonight! But I went to an incredible place, and I really want to write about it while it is all fresh.

Today I went to see one of Scotland's Heritage Trees. Our final destination on the trail was the tree, known as the "The Great Yew of Ormiston," but there were some interesting things to see on the way as well.

There was a house in the town of Ormiston many years ago that burned down. With this mansion and the neighboring church destroyed, the people who lived here rebuilt Ormiston up the road. The ruins are still standing, and what is most interesting, is that people have build modern-day homes in between the ancient architecture.

The stone steps of the old house, draped in its veils of ivy, reminded me of a real-life Secret Garden.

Around back, you can see the modern home built into the remaining architecture of this estate

Walking farther now, the gravel road turned into a field filled with buttercups.

I saw this tree, boasting a pretty fair height, but it is not the one we were looking for.

From the outside you could not really tell what exactly this was.

But there was a little path leading towards it, so down it I went. 

What the path opened up to was this: A living cathedral. 

 This is the first of two trees that make up this incredible natural structure. It is believed that this yew tree is over 1000 years old. There are records of the size of the tree dating back to the 15th century written by John Knox, one of the first Protestant reformers in Scotland. He used to hold some of the first Protestant services in Scotland underneath this canopy.

This is the second tree, younger, but maybe only by a few hundred years. Yews grow extremely slowly.

 But yew trees are special to another spiritual group - Pagans. It is likely that this tree was also a meeting place for Scottish Druids in pre-Christian times. In Celtic spirituality, the yew tree is sacred, and is used in ceremonies. It is a popular wood for making wands used in their rituals. Like in the rest of the world, Paganism still has a strong (if unnoticed) following. Up in the northern islands of Scotland, people still practice ancient Celtic traditions. I found this little bag left on a younger yew tree under the canopy. I didn't open it, but through the sheer fabric of the bag it looked like either a long curved animal tooth or a claw was placed inside. I think this maybe a spiritual offering. Maybe a version of an animal sacrifice as the Celts do? Or a part of another ritual? It's clear to see that this place still holds intense spiritual energy for many.

An aside - Harry Potter and Voldemort's wands were yew. JK Rowling knew what she was talking about! 

Notice how the young branches on the tree grow completely vertical, searching for the sunlight.

After being in this incredible place for a while, it was time to head back. I know with the light it is hard to believe it, but this was about 9pm!

The way out

I picked some flowers on my way out. They're enclosed in a book now, drying.

So that was really incredible. As a "Heritage Tree," this yew was one of the oldest in Scotland. What is believed to be THE oldest tree in the United Kingdom is also based in Scotland. It is called the Fortingall Yew. I don't know if I will be able to see it, but I am still enchanted by the one in Ormiston - and it was only a 10 minute drive from where I am living!

Psychological Therapies Away Day

It's the end of June and last night the heating was put on in the house. Yet I still saw people walking in town this morning wearing SHORTS! It feels like early spring to me. I've gotten to the point where I am not as conscious about sticking out because of what I'm wearing. The 30 minute walk to and from work is much more pleasant when I am dressed appropriately for the weather. 

Yesterday I spent the day with the Psychological Therapies team at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for an "Away Team Meeting." One of my coworkers picked me up from the middle of town which was really nice, so I did not have to walk to whole mile and a half yesterday to get to the hospital! The first half of the day consisted of presentations and updates from different therapists about their specific delivery models of therapy, reports on what is going on in the different groups that are being run, as well as some sharing of information about changes going on in the NHS that may influence the structure of services provided. 

There is a movement in the NHS of East Lothian towards a more "trauma- informed approach" to assessment and therapy. In the East Lothian section of the NHS, trauma is a common factor in many of the cases seen, whether it be lengthy physical or sexual abuse, an abrupt loss of a loved one due to violence, or an isolated incident of trauma such as rape. But the psychological therapies services of the NHS don't seem to really do acute care - that is another branch. These services are for patients who may have had many years pass since the incident and who are "ready" for a psychological therapy such as CBASP. It's an interesting difference in the USA system. Since mental health care is privatized in the States, if people have insurance, they likely have much faster access to services. There are other options in the community too for crises. But the NHS, because it is government funded and free for all Scotland's residence, there is a long waiting list. The target for waiting for psychological therapies right now is at an 18week wait list. When I heard that I was amazed. That is SUCH a long time! But people can choose to NOT go through the NHS directly. There are services in the community that are free as well, as well as private practitioners that are paid directly. 

One part of the day that I really liked was getting back to case conceptualization. This was interesting to me because instead of in a class (which was great) it was hearing how all of these different professionals think about their cases. We split into groups and talked about issues such as what past life experiences are important to consider when conceptualizing a case, what if there isn't history provided and the the patient does not want to talk about the past,  The facilitator liked my answer to the question, so that made me happy. Being a student and a foreigner  I think I'm definitely judged a little bit more intensely than others on what I say because I'm from somewhere quite different. I am being exposed to so many different thoughts, brand new theories and therapy models I haven't heard of before, and also a different lens of social context that everything is viewed through. It think that is really going to help me once I return to school. 

It seems here that CBT still has a very large following because it is an "evidence based therapy," and like insurance companies, that is what the government prefers to pay for. However, interpersonal therapy is also very present. Therapies such as CBASP seem to have a basis in both CBT and IPT. I really had not heard of CBASP before, but apparently the therapists here who are trained and certified in this model received their training in Richmond, Virginia! Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is also done here - there is a whole group therapy section devoted to it. Some other groups include "Mindfulness," " Manage your Mood," and "Survive and Thrive." It is interesting to me because while the groups in theory are patient lead depending on symptom and diagnosis, there are some that are labeled by the therapeutic model used, such as CBASP. Also, groups are not started until there are enough patients that have been referred to them. Because of this, sometimes groups are not run that often.

 The second half of the day was spent discussing these groups, which ones we think are needed, if there are better ways to meet the needs of the population than with the ones we have, as well as how we can create a trans-therapeutic format for groups. Most people said that they prefer to have less structured groups and let the patients lead, have it be loose in structure, but with some of the more psycho-educational groups such as "Stress Management" a format is really necessary. 

Tomorrow I will participate in the exercise group again. I think the soreness from last week has finally worn off!

HMY Britannia

Today has been rainy and cold. I know you're saying "well it's Scotland," but my first 2 weeks here were bright and sunny! This is the first time we have had rain more than 1 day out of the week. So on this rainy afternoon, we went to Ocean Terminal, a sort of mall by the Firth of Forth, to go to the Royal Yacht. "Britannia," is docked in the waters there. In the beginning of the tour there is a museum detailing the history of the royal family's yachts, but then you are given a hand-held audio tour guide to take with you throughout the rest of the ship. I found out today it's pretty much impossible to get a picture of the whole outside of the Royal Yacht, so I apologize for the lack of pictures. But inside was like stepping into a 1950's model home. It really does not look like much inside has changed since it was built. 

So here it is Her Majesty's Yacht: Britannia.

Interesting fact, the Britannia is one of the most iconic ships of the modern age, but its name is nowhere to be found on its exterior.

The Queen's Bed

Prince Philip's Bed

The Queen's dinner table

For entertaining after dinner

Crew's quarters

The engine room

One of the few bars on the ship

HMY Britannia

After we finished the tour, we had coffee at the cafe on the yacht, explored the stores in Ocean Terminal, and headed back to the house. I watched a documentary about the bodies that have been found underneath Stonehenge, had soup for tea, and read some more of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I'm already a quarter in, but I am trying to space it out! I foresee rainy days ahead where I'll be wanting to read fiction.

Tomorrow I have to get up extra early to go to the Royal Infirmary for an "Away Team Meeting." Then tomorrow evening I hope to try to get some more of our trip to Ireland sorted. I think I found somewhere to leave my luggage (the hotel my family will be staying in upon returning to Edinburgh the 25th of August). But now I have to figure out whether I should stay in Edinburgh the night before my flight for easier access to the airport for a 6:30am flight, which is the cheapest one I can find. Or if I should take a taxi from Haddington. Both options will probably cost me about 50GBP. If I have to go to Edinburgh on the 9th to drop off my luggage anyway, it almost makes more sense to stay there...I don't know! There are so many logistics to figure out! I figured after planning this entire move to Scotland by myself, a little trip to Ireland would be no big deal. But it is proving to be a lot more complicated than I anticipated...

National Museum of Scotland

This morning I took the 9:45am bus into Edinburgh, with the goal of spending the day in the National Museum of Scotland. After wandering about for a bit down the Royal Mile, I eventually found my way to Chambers Street. I'm really bad with street names, I mostly go by landmarks, so I was pretty lucky I stumbled across it on my walk. The majority of the museums in Edinburgh are free, so all I had to do was pick up a map and start my independent tour. It was great! I picked the perfect day to go - rainy, cool, and quiet. The museum has something for everyone. Between learning about the history of Scotland (geographically how it was formed), the spirituality of early Scottish people, the introduction and spread of Christianity, developments in science and technology, art, and the natural world, there was so much to see.

Ancient ritual carvings. Reminds me of Gallifreyan writing from Doctor Who. Inspiration, perhaps? 

This necklace, which is believed to be a symbol of aristocracy and possibly also military rank, was found buried in the town I'm living in!

On the second floor in this hall, there was a balcony cafe, where I had my lunch. 

Earth Witness - my favorite Buddha pose!

Each one is so unique!

View of the castle from the terrace of the museum!

I spent over four hours in the museum, and there were so many things I did not even see. But I think I am going to try to go back soon, as they are setting up a exhibit on Mary Queen of Scots! After the museum, I walked down the road to the Elephant House, where JK Rowling famously spent time writing some of her books. I met a Canadian family outside, and took their family photo for them. In return, they took one of me! I went inside the cafe thinking I may grab a coffee before heading back to the bus, but it was absolutely packed. As it was raining outside, I decided just to walk back to Prince's Street and safe a coffee there for another day.

Lovely little apartments. How could you NOT be inspired by this city?

View from the very front of the double-decker bus

 Tomorrow it's off to the Royal Yacht Britannia! I am exhausted, so it's bed time for me!