The time we went to Scotland....

My dad loves golf and he had never been to St Andrews, so i thoguht if they dont mind pushing through the jetlag, we should all go to Scotland...they didnt and so we did...

Ferry ride...

The Stenaline ferry is not really a ferry, it is more like a moving town. It does not feel as if you are not a boat, it feels like part of the pier has taken leave of the harbour and is drifting with purpose out to sea. What like of town would it be like, you may ask? Not Stratford Upon Avon anyway... Well it would be like Portrush if it could move. Between the cinema and amusements and casino machines and kinect and bikers, bars and designer perfume and discounted alcohol for sale, yep it was Portrush. The only thing it was missing was a rollercoaster. 

Evidence that the ferry is not Portrush, although admittedly that would be possible to take that shot in Portrush. I have to say that it was lovely just going on an impromptu trip... On a mode of transport i had never really experienced before.

Beautiful morning, all is calm

The biys have some lego time while the cinema takes a rest

The next day... St Andrews in the mist

Oh the trip to St Andrews was hilarious. I did not know what to expect. How was i supposed to know it was one of the oldest and maddest towns in Scotland? Did you know that at the height of the witch trials they were burning people at a rate of 68 a month? By that stage it is the Prods doing it to the Catholics. I thought mostly that is was a giant golf resort. I had never watched or was keen to know anything there was about golf. As a game it has held no attraction for me. Not to mention that in Singapore it comes along attached with some elite status which then attracts people which make me have violent feelings. However my dad loves golf, and somewhere inside me i did think, if he never got to St Andrews and qe had an opportunity to go it would be such a shame. 

It has made me think alot about my attitude to travel i must say. But more of that later.

Circus school in St Andrews....

After a few false starts we finally made it to the Old Course. There are several courses around St Andrews and the town circa around 80 miles around St Andrews. In fact most of the flat bit of Scotland, if it wasnt being used for castles or having cute Highland cows which you wanted to tickled under their chins, it was being used for a golf course. When we finally got to the OldCourse my dad did the typical Singaporean thing, he spent an hour and a half in the Pro shop buying all kinds of stuff for people which said Old Course St Andrew on it. My sons, thankfully, having both been to circus school just entertained themselves and each other doing circus tricks. The iPad and iPod were only allowed for thirty per cent of the time. The rest of the time they were forced to look at scenery, talk to people and explore their depth of vision.

Chair stand

Flip up

Balancing

There is a name to this move but i dont know what it is

Attempted shouder stand...that is actually the 17th hole of The Old Course in the background.

As they were casually doing this people, mostly men, in golfing gear wandered in and out of the shop and pub and the course. They looked on us baffled - as baffled as we were of them. I have to say that for the first time in ages i was probably in a social setting which i had not a lot of experience with. It was most definitely an anthropological experience.

Anyway...

I thought that i should have a few pictures of what my dad for an hour or so...

So here is more retail therapy... buying a piece of St Andrews to take home... i have never seen my dad so excited about anything before.

Genuine Sy Andrews balls...

So we finally made it to the 18th hole....

It was a wile misty day and we could see nathing....

Ghin as so sweet he accompanied my dad and then got very interested in collecting the broken tees and we got him a set of golf balls. Or as they are known, a sleeve. How many golf balls are lost in a game is anyone's guess. Ghin kept on picking up these tees and saying i can put cellotape on this mom and we can play golf at home. Oisin can make a golf stick from woodwork for us right? Oisin can you make a golf stick?

The clubhouse in the mist with renovations right around the left side of the course.

Now me and travelling. I have observed this about myself. I actually do not like the idea of travelling. The hassle of it all. In this i am quite like my mother. However, once i get going, i have discovered i am very good at travelling and i also really enjoy it a lot. I also quite like travelling if there is a point to it. Like going to the Easter conference and discovering Birmingham. Going to St Andrews and discovering stuff about it. Seeing the Rosslynn Chapel and seeing the landscape around it. Saying - i would like to visit say, Marakesh, doesn't do it for me. I need to have a reason. So like if someone said to me, let us go and see what Inner Mongolia looks like, i would say - er no. If they said, let us go horse riding or walking in Inner Mongolia, i'd say yes!

There needs to be a story connected to the place i am going to. It makes it more interesting for me then. However once i get there i then get started with my own story... i discover things for myself - and then the place comes alive for me.

I am also quite happy for someone to say to me, i would like to go to Inner Mongolia, would you like to come along? That to me is quite nice... so after a misty morning in St Andrews, we then spent a misty afternoon....