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One night at McLay's
my room at Mclay's Guesthouse June 29th: Up and drinking coffee... and I need it! This is a great hostel, free breakfast, free net, socialable vibe, cheap bar and good facilities but by the beard of Zeus it is noisy at night! Kept up till 2AM or so by the sound of drunken yells and breaking glass, at 4am or so as the sun started coming up, the birds started singing... well "singing" might be putting a bit too kindly, it sounded like a cross between crazy laughter and the sound of somebody being raped... after my brain woke up enough to realise that this was NOT what was happening I got up and tried to close the window... it was bolted open (presumably to stop the room turning into a sauna), hopefully will have better luck in Glasgow, because won get a full night on the way to Warsaw.
Got to the bus station good and early, time for a redbull and no hassles.
Oh I just remembered something that happened yesterday... It is possible that I'm scruffier than I think I am; yesterday while James was buying a drink squatted down outside the shop and fished out my own drink bottle to refresh myself, next thing I know, someone chucked a handful of change at me... cheeky sods!
Oh also, I found out last night that Faith No More are playing in Prague the day that I arrive there! It's looking unlikely that I'll end up seeing them but I'll end up seeing them but I'll try and work it out.
"Welcome to Scotland" is what I feel in Glasgow. Edinburgh may be in Scotland but I heard more English accents there and it's generally a bit more touristy. Glasgow is thick with the brogue, there's more red hair here than you could shake a sporran at and I'm currently sat waiting on a dirt cheap feed of sausages, eggs, beans and chips hmmm greasy.
It is ridiculous how good it feels to be ain a room by myself after sharing dorms with other people, even though it's just a little room. Had chat with the lady at reception about Elton John, the Rolling Stones and other Brit music then I just about climbed into a cupboard thinking it was the way to my room.
Glasgow is much bigger than I expected, it seems to be kind of an arty place too; school of art, glasgow centre for the arts, arty arty art art. A bit of drizzly rain, which I've been told is to be expected. Looked around a musical instrument sop (I love the smell of rosin in the morning) checked at the bus staion about airport buses (cos I'm organised) and then headed into a part of town that seemed to mix geeky-trendiness with a slight menacing gloom. It was there that I met my friend Derek, and when I say 'met him' that's the whole truth. I've been talking to Derek on various Patton forums (and eventually FB) for over a decade but I never got organised to visit Scotland last time I was over here so this was our first meeting.
Had a good time hanging out, and, like so many people I'd met via the internet there was no sort of awkward switch between writing and face-to-face, we just picked up conversation as we normally would. There was a quick bit of arrangement to go see another splendid chap we'd met via Patton forums; Matt and (after she'd finished work) his good lady Georgia. It may have been organised in a rush but his wee girl Freya still had time to wrap a present for Derek... it consisted of some of her dinosaur toys it was more of a loan than a gift, but it's the thought that counts.
Freya was put to bed and us 'grown ups' settled in for a night that was nothing short of perfection; lots of good music (new moonchild, Can, Tanya Taqaq, Flaming Lips and Jacques Brel), equally good conversation and some fairly hot pizza (I can still taste the anchovies!) The music, movie and TV show collection in that lounge puts my (not insignificant) collection to shame!
Derek and I headed off around 1am, I hoped we didn't overstay our welcome, I kept an eye out for watch-checking, eye rolling, murderous stares and other signs of "why are they STILL here?" We went our separate ways, yet another night that made me think "if only the UK wasn't so bloody far away and expensive to get to!"
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