My 1st kiwi visitor!

On the week of my interview I had my 1st kiwi visitor; Aden; so I got to see Scotland through kiwi eyes for a change! We managed to meet up in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth which was pretty good going, considering he was only here for a few days.

I had some time to spare in Glasgow after my interview, so Aden caught the train to Glasgow Queens Street and we explored the city together.

Directly after my interview I'd arranged to meet up with Mitch, an Australian guy I know, and he was still with me when I met Aden off the train; so naturally I introduced them both...

"Aden, this is Mitch; he's Australian!"

... but instead of hearing "Australian", Aden heard "A sham" and couldn't understand why I was telling him that this guy I was with - was a sham!

Honestly, only a kiwi could interpret "Australian" as "a sham"! Seriously, you kiwis are worse than we are towards the English! Its shameful (or rather sham-full!) so it is!

Anyway, we had some authentic Scottish weather to help set the scene..

The rain in Glasgow falls mainly on Sauchiehall Street!

...and so we decided to stay indoors! After a not-so-light-lunch of haggis, neeps and tatties at the Willow Tea Room (an authentic 1930's-Charles-Rennie-Mackintosh-style tea room on Sauchiehall Sreet) we went to visit Glasgow's modern art gallery, the GoMA. Here we came across Barbara Kruger's extraordinary installation looking at abuse and violence in Glasgow. It was a poignant piece, both the style and content really drummed the message home powerfully...

exposing the pathetic truth about violence

confronting FEAR

busy praying-busy preaching-busy conquering

After the GoMA we went to see Salvador Dali's "Christ of St John of the cross", at St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, which I adored; before popping across to visit Glasgow's magnificent Cathedral...

Inside the crypt of Glasgow's Cathedral -

...so plenty to do in Glasgow on a driech day, which is just as well since it gets almost twice as much rain as Edinburgh!