| Aaargh, Where Did The Month Go? |
| Written by Brendon Green |
| Tuesday, 01 September 2009 03:41 |
|
In a shocking turn of events, August has gone and sprinted away from July as fast as metaphorically possible. Normally I would admire such determination, but in this case I strongly object. The sudden rush towards September means 2 things: 1: The festival is almost over. This is SO SAD. No more shows, no more late night walks down the Royal Mile, no more hanging out with awesome new friends from around the world (full disclosure: most are from Australia). This has been one of the best months of my life. I think I have done a pretty good job in ‘doing’ the festival. 36 shows seen, many many bars visited, and too many wonderful people met to name. But now it’s almost over, which means… 2: I have to make the dreaded move to France. I understand that this is quite a cool (and completely voluntary) thing to be doing, but I can't help viewing it with trepidation. Of all the people I have told here about my move, all of them have been very supportive. However if you break that down a bit, 50% of them have been positive about my moving and telling me I will be fine, while the other 50% have said; “if you do fail (read when you do fail) you can come stay with us in London". Apparently everyone lives in London, it’s the thing to do. So while it’s nice to have a safety net, I can’t help but feel a wee bit apprehensive about my chances in France. Now, I have also been told that I should maybe write something about, you know, the place that I am in. Instead of a few very personal stories, with no actual details of Edinburgh. That is a fair call... and I may try to do that, one day. And if I was any kind of writer, I could fill pages with descriptive prose about the breathtaking beauty of Edinburgh (alliteration; as close to being a poet as I get). Ok, I guess I will give it a go. The truth is; Edinburgh is a stunning city. A world heritage site for good reason. Most buildings here are older than New Zealand, the roads are cobbled and the historical stories are epic. And while the old stone cityscape can seem overwhelmingly grey sometimes, there are always lush green parks nearby to get a fix of nature from. Smack bang in between the Old Town and the New Town (which is still really freaking old), is a gully filled with vivid green grass, a huge variety of trees, and, most impressively, Squirrels. Oh how I love the Squirrels. To be fair, this Garden of Eden-burgh (yeah I just did that) is so beautiful today, because the gully used to be where all the sewage and mucky muck went back in the day. But that’s totally cool and may even be poetic in its own right.  And all of this is happening without even mentioning the Castle that sits atop a cliff of jagged rock overlooking the entire city. Even though the locals claim to be ‘over it’, it is hard not to stand in awe every now and then and just look up at the centrepiece of this enchanting city. It is lit up at night and unmissable during the day, even as it tries to blend in with the rest of its surroundings. But it fails to do so because it’s just too AWESOME. Like all cities, there are a lot of different parts to Edinburgh. But the entire city and nearby suburbs look so old and regal it can be hard to tell when you’re in Excalibur, or when you’re in 'Trainspotting'. You just have to go by the reputations passed on by people who have been here awhile (or, if you want, just wander around and find out for yourself). For example, I have learned not to look people in the eye and smile my goofy grin while walking down Leith Walk, as that is apparently quite Trainspot-ery. But Edinburgh is too charming to be over run with dodginess. It’s hard not to be content with life in a city this overflowing with elegance and history. Ok, I may be getting a bit carried away, but just to make sure the point isn’t lost: Edinburgh is choice as. It’s a shame I have to leave, but I’m sure Paris wont be too shabby. Now, I am going to go make the most of these last few days of this crazy festival. Seeing shows and having entirely sensible nights out. It has been fun. |
