On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond!

I'm a little unsure about how to do justice to my long study tour to Scotland in just one post.  It's a beautiful country--not just for the breathtaking highlands that surround the cities, but also for the layered streets and tight  closes of historic Edinburgh and the modern vibe of Glasgow.  Yes, we had our visits through Edinburgh Castle, we ventured into the haunted vaults underneath the South Bridge of Edinburgh in a historic ghost tour, and we critiqued aspects of positive psychology with members of Scotland's Centre for Confidence and Well-Being in Glasgow, but I feel like the real value of the trip was the mutual experiences shared with my fellow classmates in Psychology of Happiness.

This was undoubtedly facilitated by the abrupt change in cultural contexts.  On our first night in Scotland, I spoke with many students who felt the same way I did--how absolutely refreshing it was to be in a country where people on the street would welcome you and joke with you over a beer in a bubbly little pub.  That just doesn't happen in Copenhagen (with the exception of the Jutlanders I had met a week before).  Granted, maybe the outward 'coldness' of Danes has more to do with the language barrier.  Sure, they speak English, but I don't speak Danish, and I think that changes the way I act around Danes (I often have a mentality of staying silent, thinking it might be better they just think I'm quiet then know I'm American; I don't want to embarrass myself, right?).  But stick me in Scotland and I'm all over the place obnoxiously speaking English, (even though it did take me a few days to stop saying tak instead of "thanks" and undskylde instead of "excuse me" or "I'm sorry"). 

That behaviour was what got 3 of my friends and me turned into the butt of several jokes at The Stand Comedy Club in Glasgow.  It was certainly all in good fun (and one of my best memories from my time in Scotland, aside from hiking up Ben A'an all of Tuesday), but it's just fact that a guy can't simply walk into a Scottish comedy club wearing a human-rights t-shirt accompanied by 3 loudly-cheering girls and expect not to be called out as American.  Indeed, it was Eli and his human rights ideals that were subject to most of the jokes, while Jill, Katie, and I just sat next to him; together we were a group of overly-happy positive psychology students that exemplified American over-optimism (and the downfall of Halloween, according to one of the acts).  This all meant an overly-giggly night (though, admittedly, the beer didn't help). 

Don't get me wrong, KBH has been good to us DIS students (and did I mention that while I do enjoy haggis, I'm a much bigger fan of Danish food?). But I think I prefer the open, chatty mockery by the Scots to the lurking "am I being judged?" feeling you can get around the Danes.  That can make a big difference, and I'm going to make an effort to be more aware of cultural perception within Denmark: maybe holding back isn't the right way to go about things.

Jill, me, and Katie on the stage at The Stand.

Remember, you can click on pictures to enlarge them (like the one from the top of Ben A'an at the beginning of this entry), or view all my photos from this trip on facebook!