Sound and Silence

Any ordinary day begins with the familiar sounds of daily life. To continue fulfilling the Scottish experience, it becomes necessary to delve into the depths of the culture and experience the world that this Scottish land offers. What better way than to try a ceilidh. If you love Celtic music and Scottish dancing this is the event to try. What can be better than a live band and dance lessons taking you back centuries, becoming a part not only of Scottish culture but of its long and rich history. There were about five or six different dances we tried from the slow to racing around the room, it was hard to find any energy at the end of the night!

But this was an experience unlike any other. It truly is one of the great cultural gifts that Scotland has given. As one of my Scottish friends said, "We may not dominate much, but this is one place that Scotland thrives." It truly is! And where to have such a rich cultural experience than settled in the halls of a University founded in 1495. Being in Scotland and Great Britain truly demonstrates the importance of history, the preservation of society, and the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future. This, I must say, is a culture I have enjoyed becoming immersed into.

This history is not all about the glamor of architecture and the grandeur of culture. It carries a burden, a history of struggle and challenge. Today, Sunday 9 November, marked a pivotal day in Britain, the National Day of Remembrance. The interconnectedness of the country and its links to the past truly struck when there was a national two minutes of silence as the bells of Big Ben tolled to mark the 11 o'clock beginning of a nation's reflection on its history and the costs of freedom.

So the link between the past and the future becomes a vital link to the progression of society. And without it, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of history, lengthening that struggle and history. It doesn't have to be glamorous or glorious it just has to be remembered and celebrated. Then a new day can dawn, and that is what a day of remembrance is truly about.

A President and a Precedent

No matter what side of the political spectrum you sit, it is undeniable that the 2008 Presidential election was an historical and pivotal step in America's history. Barack Obama has achieved a milestone that will mark a significant moment not only in my lifetime but in the course of American history. And regardless of who you may support, it is a great feeling to live through such a milestone bridging America's past and future in one single day. At last, this is the fullness of democracy at work.

But I don't write this as a political statement but as an observation. Living in Scotland during the course of the election, it gives a greater perspective on America's relation to the world. Following the election, I couldn't help but notice the number of people who wrote or said "This is the day for America-the day we can at last be proud of our neighbor." This election was a reaffirmation of the hope and beacon that America can be seen as in the world.

It is on the domestic front that this has become the new tide of history, writing a new chapter in the everchanging American saga, but it is a new and more promising day holding a hope for the tides of a true and genuine change within the global community. So I must say, being an American abroad, democracy has fulfilled its potential and the world has come to see a new day.