Edinburgh: The Haggis Experience
Brooke Privett
Today started at 6:35am!! We went to the military base to rehearse on a surface that is similar to the esplanade at the castle. We met the rest of the international cast which was neat-o!
After the rehearsal we headed to the Lord Provost (mayor) of Edinburgh’s house to perform for him. As we pulled up to the city chambers, there was a crowd of people waiting for us, mostly the British National News media. Seriously, we are celebrities! After we performed, the Lord Provost welcomed us to the City and told us that the city has been awaiting the GEMB’s return to the Tattoo. He then presented us with a gift and then invited us into the city chambers. I don’t even think Mr. Bernhardt knew what was going to happen.
We entered this gorgeous hall and we were greeted with waiters with trays of O.J, wine, and beer! (Don’t worry, I had O.J., it wasn’t 5:00 yet!) Then we were told we were going to be served the traditional Scottish meal. The first thought that went through my head was “Oh no! Tatties, Neeps, and the dreaded HAGGIS!!” Sure enough, it was! I was actually happy though because I had planned on trying it, and this way I do not have to pay for it and it was prepared by a chef!
Tatties are mashed potatoes, which were great, Neeps are mashed turnips, not a fan, and for those who don’t know what Haggis is, it is a mixture of sheep heart, lung, brain and oatmeal that has been cooked with other spices in a SHEEP’s STOMACH! So guess what? I LIKED IT! A lot actually. I had to constantly tell myself that it was just a very flavorful, ground chuck meatloaf! So, I can now say I’ve had haggis.
The Phi Mu Alpha boys serenaded the Lord Provost’s wife and then we sang our Alma Mater. Those two loved it and said they loved hearing an Alma Mater that they could understand the words to, because most are written in Latin. We came back to the dorms and had a music rehearsal in the cafeteria, and then Mr. B sent us back to take a nap. I didn’t because Dr. Conger asked me and 3 other jazz guys to go with him to a reception for the Jazz and Blues fest. This was a big deal! I had to get dressed up and everything! We walked in and instantly were greeted by the very select group of people. The Lord Provost and his wife were there and spoke with us for a while.
After hanging out there, we had to come back to the dorms to catch the bus that took us to our first rehearsal at the castle! It was so cool to see the place that I’ve seen so many times on video. I didn’t get any good pictures though because the Haar (the fog that comes in off the North Sea) was very much present. We finally experienced the Scotland weather last night; a very cool 50 degrees. We were just told that we have a 6:00 am rehearsal at the castle tomorrow, so I must get to bed!