Flying away

So I had to go back to America.
It's really not a pleasant situation for me.
Between the oil price being low recently, which sort of killed any job growth in my sector, and the UK's really tough immigration policies, even in the face of skills shortages, the jobs just weren't there for me.  Sometimes almost there.  Sometimes my immigration status was the one thing standing in the way of me getting that job.
So I had to go back to the US.  Which was devastating.  Well, it still is, even 3 months later.  Back to Chicago, where it's cold and windy all the time.  Where my friends are not.  And my partner... well he's not here either.  Yes, there's an energy industry in the US... all the big hiring events are in Houston though, which is a bit difficult for me travelwise.
Nothing about this is easy or fair or right. 
But I'll keep trying.
It would be so easy to give up, to resign to a life on mom's couch, sharing space with the cats.
But I can't give up.
K needs me.
Aberdeen will need me eventually.
And I need there.  As a place.
So I look for work on both sides of the pond, visa rules be damned.
I take my online courses, even the ones that are way over my head.
And I try my best to live where I am now, knowing full well that I could be gone again in six months, a year, or maybe even tomorrow.

Pizza Parlor/Bike Shop (a pop punk kid's paradise!)

I would rather build things out of legos than do several other things.
But I have no lego.
So I use software. 

I've been working on several town buildings, mostly with shops on the bottom and apartments on top. 

This is my most recent one, and in progress now.  A bike shop and a pizza place on the bottom floor, with the pizza place extending to the first floor.  Also on the first floor is a travel agency.  The second and third floors will be an apartment with a rooftop garden.  Building itself is 16x32, but on a 32x32 plate to make room for the sidewalk.

 Bike shop section.  There's a neat little display window wedged under the stairs, with another bike.

 Pizza shop, with many toppings available in the case.  Cans of pop are on top, and the stairs lead to a dining area on the first floor.

 Entire ground floor.  There's a better view of the pizza oven here, plus a certificate on the wall.  It could be an award from Michelin, but it could also be an award from the health department.

 A look at the first floor, with the pizza place's dining area and travel shop.

A better look at the travel agency.  And window boxes!  I use these extensively.

More will come later, with the second floor apartment, and some of my past builds.

Da Update

I've been looking for work, and my dissertation's been kicking my ass.
I'm a bit stressed out at the moment, as my lease is up in the dormitory in 2 months, and I'm not sure where I'll be living after that (as in, what country).  The fear of unstable living arrangements really isn't helping with all the other stuff I've got on at the moment, but it is what it is.  I'm doing everything I can to avoid going back to Chicago, as my life is here now, and having to pack up and leave another place I've gotten settled in finally, a place where most of my friends, the man I love, the industry I want to work in, a place where I would feel comfortable continuing my education if I chose to do so in future, just doesn't seem right. 
Dissertation is hard work too; I like what I do, but it's difficult.  Finding data is the worst part.  I may have picked a bad project, but I'll feel so accomplished if I can get it all done.  Writing comes easily to me though, and reading articles!  I could just read the related literature to my topic all day.  So I may have picked a difficult project, but it's certainly interesting.  And I do really like the challenge to be honest.   
I've got some side projects in the works as well, including another blog.  I'd really love do to some sort of economics/business reporting, but I'm wondering how to make it relevant, if I can get away with doing it sort of "Daily Show"-style, and who would even be interested. 
I'll keep y'all posted.  Planning on making my first post on my other blog in Thursday, although it is geography related this time. 

Yo

So.  Sorry I've not been writing that much.  Actual coursework has gotten in the way unfortunately.

But.

I've got something I need to get off my chest.

I've been reading articles, mostly dealing with petroleum economics, for my coursework, and this seems prevalent in a lot of them.  The overuse and misuse of the words "nation", "state", and "nation-state".

Stop this.

It ain't cute.

As a geographer, it bugs the hell out of me.

Not every country is a nation.  Nations are regions that are culturally and linguistically homogeneous.  They may or may not be actually contained within the borders of a place.

States are politically governed by the same thing.  This is a more proper term for the thing you are most likely trying to refer to.

Nation-states are both politically and culturally homogeneous for the most part, and it's been argued that with the exception of North Korea, there really is no such thing as a nation-state.

Thanks.

I'm done.

Best get back to work now.

Macaroni and Cheese

I was scared to try it at the Indian Buffet, and there's a damn good reason I was.

But I did try it.

Not as bad as macaroni and cheese from a box, or the freezer case.

But as someone who used to be able to drive 20 minutes to get to Wisconsin (the macaroni and cheese capitol of the world I THINK) I can tell you that it's not nearly as good as macaroni and cheese from any hole-in-the-wall diner I've been to there.

Speaking of Wisconsin, if I open eateries here, I'm putting deep fried cheese curds on the menu.  The world can do with more deep fried cheese curds.

More about food...

Sorry this is going to be a short post.  I strive to update weekly, but last week was ridiculously busy with special school activities, and I've fallen behind here a bit.

I went with friends to an Indian buffet yesterday.  It was decent.  I do like Indian food, but "all you can eat" style places, and the price that goes along with them, aren't exactly economical when you can't eat much in one sitting.  My friends enjoyed it though.  What surprised me is that there was macaroni and cheese on the buffet.  I don't understand why this is a thing, and haven't seem macaroni and cheese anywhere else in Dundee in the six weeks that I've been there.  And why it's on an Indian buffet of all places just does not make sense to me.  I was scared to try it, but I might do so if we go back to-morrow on student discount day.

The closest thing I've been able to get here to a grilled cheese sandwich is a cheese toastie, and it's still not the same.  But shops will offer not just the plain cheese, but also ham and cheese or bacon and cheese, and at Baguette Express you can pick all sorts of vegetables to go on your toastie.  It's different though.  Much drier.  Grilled cheese sandwiches in America are usually coated in butter, and then fried.  Toasties here are not like that, and also have ridges on the bread after being cooked, which is something I've found very strange.

About once a week here I try to go to the supermarket.  It takes me about an hour to find my way around, because supermarkets seem to be laid out differently here than in the U.S., and also everything is different and new.  Fresh produce is somewhere in the middle of the shop.  Frozen and refrigerated stuff is all around.  Milk comes in litres (I don't know, it might come in gallons too, but who drinks a whole gallon of milk before it goes off?  And at least it doesn't come in bags like it does in some countries...)  The big Tesco by the river is my favourite, but it's hard to get to on foot.  It's kind of like a super Target though, with lots of clothes and general merchandise, but an even bigger grocery section than super Target.  So in addition to groceries, I usually come out of that place with socks, office supplies, and fashion magazines (which are cheaper here and have free stuff packaged with them sometimes, which is something that never happens in America.)  And today I finally have a jar of Dundee style marmalade.  I feel like such a tourist, but it'll go well on the wholemeal bread (we call this whole wheat bread in America) that I usually get.

That's about it.  I know this isn't the best post, but it clears up a few things for people who have been wondering how I've been eating.  So hi, Mom and Dad.  This was for you.

Epic Walks Part 1: Dundee Law

 A field.

 The World War II monument.  I think.  You can see this from nearly everywhere in town, including my building.

 Looking... Southwest...?

 Looking southeast...?  I think.

 Snails.

 A survey marker, on the actual highes
Meet Esther, 20something years old.  Fed up with life and the way things are going, she decides to visit a liquor store.

Or rather, this town's closest equivalent to one, but that's a different story for a different time.

Beer was purchased, obviously, but then I thought, "hey, I need to earn this beer, and also it's still very early in the afternoon to just sit around and drink beer, so let's go for another walk."  (This was, of course, after wandering around City Centre for a few hours in search of a book I wanted that was totally at the shop last week but now is not.)  So I refrigerated the beer, kept my shoes and my jacket on, and went back out.

A quick stroll through the nearest park was simply not enough for me, so I tried taking another road that lead me out.  This lead to another road... which lead me back to the park!  The way the roads are laid out in this town amazes me.  So this road, instead of going back into the park, I decided to cross.  

Going about a block up (up being the only direction I can really think to use, as it's a hill) was another road to cross, and then a little staircase for pedestrians.  The staircase was seemingly never ending, with only a few breaks to cross more roads, but I was determined to get to the top, wherever that was.  I really did not know where I was going.  

But the staircase finally did end, at a field, with another staircase leading up on the other side.  I think the field is some sort of other park, hopefully not the same one I started at, but knowing this town's layout it very well could have been.  I decided to climb more stairs.

I had made it to the highest point in town!  I had earned my beer!  And the views up at the top were fabulous!  And for some reason there were snails!  And a World War II monument!  And a survey marker!  And, oh, let's not forget the seagulls, because they're everywhere here!

I'm not sure what the history is of this place, but it's the top.  One of the markers there said something about the Iron Age, but did not go into detail.  I'm hoping I can get to the city library someday soon to read up on the story behind this place, and its significance.

I had climbed all the way up to Dundee Law without even realising it.

And when I got back, I couldn't even climb the stairs up to my flat.

EDIT AGAIN:  Sorry the photos are at the top.  I have no idea how blogger works.