I have read all of Jade’s comments on Simply Modern Mom. She’s been here a while and how exciting it was for me to learn that she is in Scotland! It’s one of my dream destinations. Gorgeous views and scenery. Jade is located in Aberdeen. She has been dating her boyfriend for six years. She works as a geophysicist allowing her to travel often, which is something she loves doing. Thank you, Jade, for doing our Q&A about Scotland.
What are some traditions or customs of Scotland?
Scotland has some well known traditions and stereotypes recognized throughout the world. I think the most well known one is the kilt, of course. Then there’s the food – haggis and deep fried Mars Bars. We certainly eat haggis. The deep fried Mars Bars are limited to a small minority of the population though. Another tradition which I really enjoy is a ceilidh which is a party with traditional Scottish dancing, it involves a lot of spinning around and if you’ve got a strong Scottish boy as your partner it’s not uncommon for your feet to lift off the ground while you’re twirling around! We’ve all had to learn these dances since we were at primary school so most of us remember them.
What do you love about Scotland?
What I love about Scotland the most is the people (ok maybe I’m biased!) and the way they use the language. It’s distorted throughout the country into different versions, and I love that there are still local dialects. It sounds fantastic.I also love the scenery which is why a lot of people come to visit Scotland. We are so spoiled with gorgeous mountains and natural beauty as well as a mixture of great architecture, from old castles to new and interesting buildings such as in Glasgow.
What is your favorite food that is only served in Scotland?
Probably pineapple cakes are one of my favourite foods. They are small individual cakes with sweet short crust pastry, a layer of pineapple mixed with a sort of pineapple jam, cream, then yellow fondant icing over the top. I know pineapples don’t really grow in Scotland but that’s the only place I’ve had these cakes. I do love a bit of haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) too. It’s complete comfort food to me, especially when you put some wholegrain mustard in with the mashed potatoes.
What are the living conditions like in your town/city?
Living in Aberdeen is similar to living in a lot of cities in the UK, people either live in flats (apartments) or houses. In Scotland there is still a strong tradition of using local stone and mortar for construction. In Aberdeen it is common for a lot of houses to be composed of granite, this is a very hard strong rock which had a grey appearance but glitters when the sun shines on it. In the southern parts of Scotland it’s a lot more common for sandstone to be used. In the southwest it is red coloured sandstone and in the east, blonde sandstone, giving each areas cities a different feel.
The best thing about Aberdeen is it’s a small city, you can get everything you need there from shopping and cinema, swimming pools and parks, but in minutes you can be out of the town to the beach or into the countryside. It’s the best of both worlds and still has a very community feel to it.
What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?
We follow the major fashion trends here, but it’s also a bit chilly so sometimes there’s a bit more layering involved! There are a lot of people here at the moment doing more traditional arts and crafts again. It’s become somewhat fashionable, such as knitting and sewing. I suppose it’s pretty similar to the USA, there’s a bit of scrapbooking here but it’s not as popular as the USA.
What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?
The story which dominates the news here at the moment is the war in Afghanistan. There have been many Scottish lives lost there. In terms of local news, one of the main story today is about a missing retired farmer with dementia who because lost in the Argyll hillside who was found thanks to his old sheepdog, Nell, who was with him and who alerted searchers to where they were in the woods.
What are some stores you like to shop there?
There are lots of shops here, including the big international chains, but there are quite a few more local stores as well. Locally there are lots of great small shops and delis. The Ian Mellis Cheese Shop, which I adore. UK-wide there are Marks and Spencer’s and Next which are well known high street favourites here for clothes. I also like to shop at Gap and TKMaxx. We bought a few pieces of furniture from IKEA when we first bought our own place. Although now I’m more keen to buy older pieces at auction and refurbish them myself. We’re really lucky be able to get everything we need so easily here and there is plenty of local meat and veg which is reasonable priced.
What is something all moms can learn from Scottish moms?
I’m not a mum yet so can’t speak from personal experience, but from my Mum and Gran I would say that Scottish mum’s are great role models, they teach children that women should be strong and independent as well as supportive of their husbands. Both my Mum and Gran are very strong women, they gave their children care and attention but also taught them independance too.
» Tell me… What do you think of Scotland now? Did you learn a new thing or two? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.
I’ve really enjoyed the education week pieces! It’s very fun to learn about other countries and cultures from gals just like ourselves. Thank you!
Thanks for posting my Q&A Tiffany! It’s been really interesting reading everyone’s answers from all around the world. You have so many international readers.
Jade, this was so interesting! Tiffany, I love love love Scotland too. I wanted a penpal from there so bad when I was a kid, but I got from Austria instead. (Austria is cool too.) My sis has been to Scotland 2x and can’t wait to go again. I loved Jade’s answer to the question about living conditions because you can totally tell where her expertise lies. That is so cool!