Scottish accent
The first thing that drove me to a state of semi-depression was the accent. Accents and dialects of English vary enormously across the United Kingdom. In London alone there are many, let alone the gradient from South to North and East to West. The Scottish accent is strikingly different from the English everyone is used to hearing.
I studied English at a specialized school, traveled to England quite often, and conversed with foreigners; nevertheless, upon getting into a taxi after arriving in Glasgow, I experienced an unpleasant shock. At first, I understood only individual words, the meaning of some phrases completely escaped me, and trying to decipher them, I quickly lost the thread of the entire monologue (since our communication could not be called a dialogue). Later I found out that not everyone speaks with such an accent; it 'worsens' as social status decreases.
Today, after three years, I understand university colleagues, hairdressers, and shop assistants well, but not plumbers or cleaners. Glaswegians (I call them that, although such a word may not officially exist in Russian) pronounce the 'r' sound just like us; intonationally, their accent is very different from English: there are no transitions between words, and endings are swallowed in fast speech; there are unique words that are hardly used in the south: aye instead of yes, wee instead of small, lad instead of man, etc. Many of these words can be found in the originals of Robert Burns – the beloved Scottish poet. Interestingly, some Scottish films are shown with subtitles in the US.
But I must say that over time this accent becomes 'listenable' and even pleasant.
University for Harry Potter
The first association that comes to mind when looking at the main tower of the University of Glasgow is Hogwarts from the Harry Potter books. This university is the fourth oldest in Britain (after Oxford, Cambridge, and St Andrews). The pointed structure is visible from afar and unmistakable. It was founded in 1451, but few know that the university building was originally in the city center, and only in 1870 was the current campus built in the western part of Glasgow – the tower and perimeter with an inner courtyard in Neo-Gothic style, to which the university was moved.
The new campus includes many different buildings and blocks within one location, including a huge library, a museum, a sports hall, and numerous student clubs and unions. In general, the university is considered extremely lively and youthful and provides many opportunities for pursuing interests, hobbies, and so on. Within walking distance of the campus are the Kelvingrove Gallery and Kelvingrove Park. Of course, this gallery is not of national scale, but it is interesting to see paintings of battles in the Scottish Highlands and other historical treasures.
Accordingly, the western part of Glasgow (West End) is considered the most youthful (the university and its surroundings), the most entertaining – with many pubs, clubs, and restaurants, the most educational (with museums and parks for walks), and also the most prestigious for living because the main transport lines pass through here and good houses are built. On the main street – Byres Road – there is everything from banks and real estate offices to expensive restaurants, pubs, a cinema, an excellent botanical garden, and any shops. It is never boring in the West End. This part of Glasgow is separated from the southern, eastern, and northern parts of the city by the River Clyde. The Clyde is a navigable river and one of the most significant in Scotland. It connects the port of Glasgow with the North Sea.
Districts, neighborhoods, housing estates… and hooligans
The northern and southern parts of Glasgow are considered far from safe, and it is better for an ordinary student not to go there. In the local language, there is the concept of neds, which in Glasgow describes hooligans, in our terms – gopniks. Usually these are guys aged 15-25, hanging out in groups, wearing sportswear, taking drugs, and committing minor and not-so-minor mischief. Glasgow overall is by no means a university city, but rather a working-class and industrial one, as a former major port. Hence the presence of ordinary people who now, generally speaking, have nothing to do.
Neds are not found in the western part, but in the south and east they can be encountered. Their favorite weapon is knives, and if someone does not please them, they may stab them easily. I don't want to scare you, but there is a so-called 'Glasgow Smile' – when a knife or other sharp object is used to make cuts from the corners of the mouth to the cheeks, so that the scars later resemble a wide smile. This method of crime first appeared among neds in Glasgow, and then gradually spread to football fans. The 'Glasgow Smile' scar is worn by actor Tommy Flanagan (originally from Glasgow), who played in the film 'Braveheart' and the series 'Sons of Anarchy'.
I still want to note that not once since I started living in Glasgow has anything like this happened either near me or to my acquaintances (knock on wood), and I do not intend to appear in potentially dangerous areas of the city.
Honest and independent
I started talking about Glaswegians from not the most positive perspective – it's time to make amends. I really like the local people.
After interacting with Scots not only from Glasgow but also from other cities, I noticed one common trait – they are more emotionally honest than the English. At first glance they may seem sullenly rude, but upon closer acquaintance – sincere and friendly. At the same time, Scots really dislike being called English; it is almost comparable to an insult. They try in every way to show their independence from Buckingham Palace.
They even managed to organize a referendum on secession from England last autumn. In many homes and cars, Scottish flags with the word Yes were displayed, people went to demonstrations, campaigned to comrades, spoke on the streets. There were practically no No flags in Glasgow, no one wanted to get into trouble. Secession didn't succeed, but nevertheless Glasgow is the only city in Scotland where votes "for" were more than "against". When it became clear that Scotland would remain part of the Kingdom, many citizens could not hold back tears, didn't come to work that day.
Chips with orange fizzy drink and heating bills
Glasgow residents love spending time in pubs, especially on Friday evenings – getting drunk on beer and ale, having fun, watching football or rugby on TVs hung in pubs. They love to eat, and they eat the unhealthiest food imaginable: overfried chips, sausages, burgers, soda with a crazy amount of sugar, and so on. In some ways, they resemble teenagers who have broken free from parental supervision.
Glaswegians have a favorite drink that everyone drinks instead of Coca-Cola – Irn-Bru. It's an orange fizzy drink with a rather chemical taste, which is immensely loved by Scots of all ages. It is considered an effective 'elixir of life' after hangovers and for stomach upsets.
Unfortunately, such a diet does not go unnoticed: Scotland has the lowest life expectancy among all European countries. Knowing this sad statistic, and also because of a limited budget, I always cook at home, buying simple products at the well-known British supermarkets Tesco and Sainsbury's. Prices for groceries are higher than in Moscow, but salaries are also higher. On average, a kilogram of apples costs £1.5, a liter of milk is 90 pence, bread is 70-80 pence. If you don't splurge too much, but also don't buy discounted products, about £150-180 per month goes to food.
I should note right away that most of the money goes to housing. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in a good area of Glasgow costs £500-600 per month without bills. This is much cheaper than in Oxford or Cambridge, where for that money you can only rent a room. Meanwhile, graduate salaries are the same across the country.
In my opinion, the most money goes down the drain on heating bills. There are no new buildings in the West End; everyone lives in hundred-year-old houses. These houses look very stylish and pleasant, but they have only single-pane windows, so in cold and windy weather the house is drafty. But nothing can be changed because it would damage the building's appearance, and the buildings are state property. So we have to heat the outdoors and seal the windows from the inside, like in the old Soviet times.
Returning to food. Of course, I have developed favorite Scottish dishes: haggis, for example. I'm sure everyone has heard of it: it's minced lamb, chopped with onions and spices, and boiled in a sheep's stomach. Traditionally, it is prepared on the eve of Robert Burns' birthday on January 25. On this day, all pubs hold a so-called Burns Supper – a dinner in honor of Burns, which starts with reading his poems and continues with eating haggis with a side of mashed potatoes and turnips (haggis, neeps and tatties), Scotch broth, and of course, whiskey.