Walking home from Charlotte Square Gardens

From Edinburgh

Mind the cracks

The last eleven months, when Edinburgh seemed to do little but renovate, repair and plan for the Festival, it was easy to forget that the month of August itself has little to do with the people who live here. Much of the audience is from away, as are the performers and a substantial number of organisers and writers.

It's an awkward embrace, sometimes. Take this tip from the ThreeWeeks Ladies McMonthly column:

Fresh fruit and veg are scarce in central Edinburgh which may leave you feeling bloated and static stooled. Our tried and tested remedy involves heading for one of Edinburgh’s charming late night kebaberies...

...there follows some unpleasantness about food poisoning. It probably doesn't need saying that I have no trouble buying vegetables near my downtown flat. But, the joke goes, Scotland isn't sophisticated enough for greens. Or something?

It almost makes me appreciate our local nationalist chalk writer, who keeps "End London Rule" scrawled across Hume on the Royal Mile. If it makes a few visitors think about local politics for a few minutes, it might forgive said writer's relentless lack of creativity.

But sometimes the commentary is mostly cute. Take this ad for a sketch comedy show, chalked on the Royal Mile.

From Edinburgh

Well, I giggled. Maybe it's the latent foreigner in me. The first thing I did in this city was trip on some cobblestones and scrape myself up in the middle of traffic.

East End of Princes Street

Taken late evening, a few weeks ago.

From Edinburgh

Skyline

From person al blog

I went for a walk before sunset a few days ago, up the crags.

Election! Independence! Sticky buns!

I am up well past my bedtime watching the Scottish election results trickle in. (The polls closed at 10pm, and three and a half hours later there are three seats declared - what gives?)

If I was less tired I might write about left-wing nationalist movements in Scotland and Quebec - Scottish National Party voters are not necessarily pro-independence, much like the Bloc voters that turned against their party in both referendums. But in sleep-deprived revision haze I am mostly noticing the BBC's whimsical election coverage.

Nevermind the live election blog - those are par for the course now - but a gallery of campaign food? Care for a life-sized polysterene cut-out of one of the party leaders? Honestly, isn't this election exciting enough?

Scott Monument

The other day I climbed the Scott Monument, which might be my favourite structure in Edinburgh, mostly because it was built for a poet. It's taller than it looks.

From Edinburgh

Edinburgh is full of daffodils

Who knew Scottish weather could be this sunny?

From Edinburgh

Women and economics

I'm researching a paper on IR and feminism, and had to share. This is from 1981, so we can hope that things have improved a little, but it's pretty devastating.

While women represent half the global population and one-third of the paid labor force and are responsible for two-thirds of all working hours, they receive only one-tenth of world income and own less than 1 percent of world property.

It's from a fantastic little book by J. Ann Tickner, called Gender in International Relations.

Blog Against Sexism

The site is up and running! Please email with any comments.

Happy International Women's Day! If you haven't already checked out Shameless Magazine's blog, please do. (I also post over there.)