Burns Night / Australia Day

January 25th is Burns Night - A celebration of the life of Scotland's famous poet Robert Burns. The tradition is to have a burns supper - haggis, neeps (turnip) and tatties (potatoe), and recite some of his poems. Niki's workmate Emma hosted a burns supper - my first time ever trying haggis and it was really surprisingly YUM! Just like a favoursome mince thing. I imagined it coming out in a stomach (I don't know why as if you think about it a sheep's stomach would be massive so u wouldn't get one each...anyways blonde moment) you just scoop the haggis out of the "stomach" - these days usually plastic -and the haggis is crumbly and mince-like. Emma did an awesome reading in her cool Scottish accent.

The next day was Australia Day and I caught up with couchsurfers who had arranged a meet to celebrate both Burns and Aussie day. There were 23 of us at Florian's flat, ppl from all over the world and ironically enough, only 2 Scottish people and no australians! We still had a great time celebrating anyway with me wearing my bright yellow skirt to support the golden cause for Aus. We had haggis, neeps & tatties again - really delicious and I also tried the vegetarian version. Wouldn't eat it often but glad i tried it! Jamie purchased a bottle of whisky to share - YUCK! I had the tiniest sip and was so grossed out so added the rest (tiny amount) to my vodka and it still managed to taint the whole drink! I also learnt that Scottish whisky isn't spelt with an 'e'! and they're very particular about this =)

Tabi had organised a pass-the-parcel game with Kylie's Locomotion and other random aussie music setting the theme with people having to recite scottish/aus national anthems, poems, etc when they had the parcel when the music stopped. Was gorgeous coming from all these people who's first language isn't even english!

Later we went out to a pub and partied the night away - many photos and drunken text messages to Pam&Kev later i stmbled across Niki's pub and he had the pleasure of walking me home =)

my pastey arm next to Stefanie's who has just been holidaying in NZ! grrrrr