Contradictions

Lately, I've been obsessed with things that are contradictions of themselves. This started when I decided to move to a castle in rural Scotland and found that the things I loved about the place were also the very things that made it so miserable.

Some examples:

- The most exciting thing to happen on most days was the sheep moving fields. 

- You're always wet and muddy. 

- It is so cold in the winter that keeping your fire going is a necessity. Because of that, there is the constant preoccupation with what would burn well.

- Everything you need requires hours of walking.

- It is so wonderfully (and terrifyingly) quiet.

I've since left the castle and moved back to Edinburgh, but I now find myself sitting in a cafe in Berlin. Those who know me well, know that I tend to have a very strong opinion of any city I visit pretty much right away, and Berlin is no exception. 

Berlin is a city rife with contradictions, and it has forced me to look at both my perception of beauty and my previous insistence on things being inherently good or bad. Something I've only just begun to come to terms with is that most things (if not all) are a wonderful mixture of both states. Berlin is beautiful and ugly, stinky and delicious, its decay is turned into art, and (something I absolutely loved about San Francisco) it is hilariously and predictably unpredictable.

In the near(ish) future, I will move here and I know that it will be an important part of my life because it will help me to learn that the combination of good and bad in everything around me is, in itself, a truly beautiful thing.

The Six Stages of Sheep Trust

Having recently been surrounded by sheep, I have learned that there are six stages of trust that they exhibit. 

Stage One 

The sheep run away. No amount of quietly walking or friendly calling of "sheepy, sheepy, sheepy" will stop them.

Stage Two

The sheep *pretend* not to care that you are there. They demonstrate this to you by continuing to eat their food as if you aren't even there. You know that they are only pretending because they are sure to turn away from you first, giving you the sheep equivalent of the finger (a view of their ass).

Stage Three

The sheep *actually* don't care that you are there. The only difference is that they don't bother turning away first.

Stage Four

The sheep become mildly interested and stare at you with an intensity that in most other animals translates to "I want to eat your face".

Stage Five

The sheep are officially curious and will slowly take a few steps towards you. Only a few though.

Stage Six

The sheep are friendly and affectionate.

I was able to get as far as stage five with the local sheep in Killearn (which is definitely two-steps-forward-one-step-back), but I did witness stage six when they were with their human. One day, I am determined to make it there!

Back!

I haven't posted in years! I'm not going to offer any explanations, but my life has changed quite a bit recently. Other than saying that Robin and I split up quite a while ago, I'll just continue on as normal and hope that these changes will become apparent on their own.