August: Mid-Lothian County

So, I didn't update for the whole of August. You may have suspected that not a lot was happening in my life, but you'd actually have been wrong: the same thing was happening on repeat. I'd wake up, go to work, see a fringe show/meet up with a friend, then go home and sleep. Repeat ad Mensum.
I considered posting reviews of Fringe shows up on this site, but that's not really what I wanted to use my blog for; it's meant to act more as a diary. Also, someone tried to use me as a shill, asking me to promote their show on here, which creeped me out to an inordinate degree (and also made me laugh at their massive overestimation of my readership).
But now there have been developments which must be documented for posterity, and so we're back.

First, I'm gonna deliver the bad news, so the post can end on a more positive note: Esmond and Poppy have left. Poppy departed for London last Wednesday, and Esmond returned to his native Macclesfield two days later. I got to say proper goodbyes to both of them, and I'm fairly certain I'll see them again, but I still feel this void inside. Esmond was the first real friend I made in Edinburgh; Poppy, the last. I know that sounds needlessly poetic and oversimplified, but I feel it's true. I met Esmond on the second day of Freshers' week and kept in consistent contact with him throughout the next four years- he was my first port of call during a lot of tough situations, and one of my favourite sparring partners in debates of taste, culture, philosophy and ethics.

Unfortunately, his ears were also preternaturally sharp.

A couple of nights before he left, Esmond and I returned to our old haunt, Debate corner- the place where we would part ways to go home in First year, so named because we would often stand there for hours on end, continuing our evening's argument, neither side willing to acquiesce to the other's view. We tried to have a scintillating confab, just as in the old days, but found that there was very little we now disagreed on (excepting the correct pronunciation of 'Rabid'); over the years, we've both influenced the other to the degree that our philosophies are no longer so diametrically opposed. Though, I will confess that I think I've gravitated towards Esmond's point of view more than the other way around.
For the majority of my time in Edinburgh, Esmond was my best friend- I already know that our amity can withstand vast distances and long periods of incommunication, so I hope we'll keep in touch. My uni experience would've been very different without him and I can only hope he doesn't become a stranger.

I actually met Poppy not long after Esmond- she was in one of my tutorials during first year- however, we didn't become friends until October of fourth year, and even then it took a shared assignment and a lot of weedling from Esmond before we could admit our true feelings for one another. She contributed greatly to me actually passing my course, as we became study buddies and I doubt I would've done half the revision I did without her help. I don't think I've met any other true bosom buddies since October, so Poppy gets the accolade of being the last friend I made in this city (unless someone new pops up over the next eleven days). She was a good one to finish on, as well: effervescent, witty, insightful and quirky. I expressed a wish that we had become friends sooner to her, and she responded very wisely that we only truly meet people when we are ready for them- as I explained in the paragraph above, I've changed a lot since first year, and maybe Poppy wouldn't have like the preachy, angry, loud person I was back then. And, besides, at least I got a couple of months with her, which is more than most people will ever get. More's the pity for them.

In one final bit of moping, there's a university open day on right now and I can't believe that the people here haven't even chosen their unis yet; in fact, they won't be starting for another year at least and I'm already done with tertiary education for the time being, how did that happen? I can even still remember the open day when I visited this place. How time flies.

But now onto happy news! Yay! Henriette's back! YAY!

And flexible as ever!

And she got onto the MSc she wanted! YAY!!!!! And that means she'll be in Edinburgh for the next two years and I can come visit her and the city and not have to try and navigate Norway! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've already written about how much I love and admire Henriette, so she just gets the funky picture and the excessive exclamation marks. Next.

I finished working for EUSA. My feet are very happy: standing up for eight hours every day is apparently very good for you, but I can tell you first hand that it does not feel it. My feet feel alien now: they're weird and misshapen and I'm sure this is definitely what you wanted to read about when you clicked on this link. Anyway, I'm hoping that eventually my feet will return to normal; I handed in my fob today, which is the EUSA equivalent of a doctor hanging up their stethoscope for the last time. I got £20 in tips from Festival, though, which works out as less than £1 a day, but I'm trying not to focus on that. I may, in the future, write a longer post about working during the festival and working for EUSA in general, but at the moment I'm just happy to have some time to myself again.

I've moved once more: I'm beginning to think that packing and shifting my stuff might be the only exercise I get these days, but that's fine because I feel like I do it once a week. I've moved from Joe's to Jari's, where I will pass my final few days in Scotland before returning to Shropshire.
My parents came to pick up my stuff on Thursday (I've just got a bag and some pillows with me at Jari's), and took me to lunch and were generally very pleasant and complimentary about my ability to look after myself (which is unusual). I got a bit teary when my mother couldn't figure out Scottish money because it reminded me that my time in this country is coming to an end and also that there was a time when I was the same and now look at me, I've gone all native. I haven't cried in a while, but I had to have a bit of a dab at my eyes after that.
My mother also revealed that she plans for me to not really return to Britain (after France) until I'm in my early Thirties, which would be fine, except that she's refusing to help me buy any new bedding until then (I'm proud to say I still have all my sheets, duvets, duvet covers, pillows and pillow cases from First year. Yeah, that's right. I'm responsible).

I went to an end of Fringe party at Bedlam, and got very drunk and celebrated a lot- not because the festival was over, but because I'd gone the whole month and only gotten depressed once. I don't like talking about this illness, but I was first diagnosed during Fringe 2011, and so I feel it's pertinent (and quite relieving) to say that I only had one bout during August, and even then it didn't last very long. I'm proud of myself (although I know it was also a lot down to luck) for averting this possible downward spiral.
The party was also the best I'd been to in ages, possibly even my favourite Bedlam party ever- I was just the right amount of intoxicated: I did things I normally wouldn't do (like take my shirt off during 'Africa') but I didn't regret any of them the next day; I was courteous to folks I don't normally get on with but didn't waste time trying to woo them; I danced a lot, with a lot of different people; and even dispensed some sound advice to an old friend in need of comfort. I was at my best at that party, and so I'm both happy and sad to know that it's my last one (seeing as I'll miss Refreshers on the 14th).

Speaking of the Old Fat Cat, I have a couple more shows coming up at Bedlam and I'm actually acting in both of them and I know you're all tired of hearing 'this is the last character I'll play in Bedlam' but eventually I promise it will be true. Anyway, we couldn't really rehearse either of these shows over the festival and so are now frantically trying to make a cohesive piece of art and well, come see the results during Freshers' Week: EGM at 1pm on Monday the 8th September 2014 and Candlewasters (specifically, The Cosmic Corkscrew) at 7.30 on Wednesday the 10th.

Peace out, homies. Happy September.