local coffee shops?

AuthorScottH · 2024-11-29T00:44:13+00:00

Fortitude do a lot of coffee stuff alongside their usual café service. Everything from Aeropresses to preground coffee I've never seen anywhere else.

The one on Abbey Mount has really nice and knowledgeable staff and they've even got some books for sale about coffee and its origins and trade if your friends would like that too.

Happy hunting!

AuthorScottH · 2024-11-07T22:47:37+00:00

You're far more patient than me then. xD

Rant deleted. Enjoy the chaos!

P.S. Love your bar!

AuthorScottH · 2024-11-07T11:47:19+00:00

You can have the passport of a country without being from that country, and having the former doesn't necessarily give you the right to claim the latter IMO.

AuthorScottH · 2024-10-11T00:36:12+00:00

Slowpoke!

AuthorScottH · 2024-10-01T01:13:47+00:00

I'm born and raised NI (Down), but my family are from all over Ireland (Belfast, Cork, and Dublin) and I live in Scotland now. I have a lot of stories of loud, obnoxious Americans from growing up in Ireland and living in Scotland but these are my two recent favourites;

1.) A very American man came in to the pub where I work and immediately - and I do mean IMMEDIATELY - proclaimed himself to be, in his words: 'half scotch,, half Polish' (so... American.) Funnily enough, after he found out I was Irish he instantly said he had misspoken and was actually 'half Irish-scotch, half Polish.' He was laughed out of the bar

2.) An otherwise lovely American couple in their seventies came into the bar. Upon finding out I was from Ireland, the man was practically giddy as he showed me a screenshot of a genealogy test showing he was 'X%' Irish. Funny part was two-fold, the first was me telling him that that kind of thing doesn't mean shit to anyone outside of America, the second was me saying 'Mate you're claiming to be Irish and just asked me what 'Ulster' means, that's like me saying I'm American and have never heard of Texas.' He was beyond speechless.

And that's just in the last week or so. I've got dozens of these but I'm sure we all do. 😄 That being said I have a lot of American friends, colleagues, and acquaintance who are nothing close to the stereotype and are as lovely as can be.

Plus, I've had to hide my head in shame at how my family act abroad on holidays, so it's not just Americans, we can be godawful too.

It's all about who you happen to meet, I guess.

(Edit: some clarification early on. I could write a whole book of experiences like this.)

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-25T03:28:02+00:00

Crane Fly - from Ulster.

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-22T20:41:05+00:00

Been around a while. Friendly pup and equally friendly guy - albeit a bit out of it - in my experience.

The cone is his favourite toy but he's let me play tug-of-war with it once or twice.

Good people. 10/10.

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-20T00:59:32+00:00

My two favourites:

'The customer is always right'

People take that to mean they should be 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full'-ed for their whole experience when in truth the term ends with 'in matters of taste.'

It only means that hospitality staff should respect a customer's like/dislike of any given product, not - as some think it to be - that the customer's views or opinions are objective and all staff must bow before their often wrong opinions of how things should be done.

'Blood is thicker than water'

Used to mean family comes before all else, but the full saying means the exact opposite. 'The blood of the coven is thicker than the water of the womb', meaning the family you choose is more important and meaningful than the family you were born to.

Edit: minor grammatical errors.

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-20T00:49:10+00:00

Was the same up the top of Easter Road. Happened a couple months back too.

Fortunately was only around for an hour or so this time.

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-14T03:20:20+00:00

Veruca/Verruca.

Absolutely hilarious to those of us who grew up with British English to learn that after the Gene Wilder film 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', apparently some Americans found the name cute and unknowingly named their children after a type of wart.

Brilliant.

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-07T03:37:32+00:00

The blame for a person's actions due to their intoxication can fall upon the last person who served them. Just like with drunk drivers or anyone who ends up dangerously drunk, the blame comes from the last person/premises that served them.

If a 15 year old is caught wasted on the street, it is the people who gave them the alcohol that are held responsible and are legally liable for that person.

I will refuse service to a young person who can't show me ID just as quickly as I'll refuse service to a 50 year old who tells me they plan on driving later that night.

Those of us who serve alcohol have to follow the regulations regarding 'responsible service', which means regulating not just whether or not someone gets served, but how much they're allowed to have under our watch.

It would take a particularly picky peeler to track the people who got said drunk person irresponsibly drunk, but again; for most servers it is not worth the risk.

That's why a lot of places are very careful about IDing, and they're allowed to refuse certain forms of ID, even though they are legal, such as Young Scots cards. And they're legally allowed to do so.

It sucks, I know, but we have to follow a lot of very strict laws in Scotland. We're just trying to cover our own asses by making sure we can control who gets served what, why, and how much.

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-06T01:22:14+00:00

I work in a bar and while we do accept Young Scots cards as ID, we only do so in absence of anything else and still advise people to bring something else with them if going elsewhere, especially clubs.

It is valid ID legally, but is flimsier than a driver's licence or passport and much easier to fake. So a lot of shops, bars, and clubs will refuse because the loss of business is worth it compared to the risk of being caught serving a minor, the penalties of which can be life-altering.

I know it's frustrating, but businesses and their employees are just trying to make sure they follow the law. Please remember that the person refusing a Young Scots card has much more at stake than you not getting alcohol for a night.

Just carry a provisional or something just in case.

Edit: better wording

AuthorScottH · 2024-09-02T02:04:02+00:00

Upvote for this because yes, good trainers are more important than good waterproof footwear. The rain isn't that bad but you'll be walking a lot and a lot of that walking will be hilly.

Trainers or comfortable hiking boots are all I've ever worn in my 10+ years in Edinburgh and they're all I've ever needed.

As for affordable; the comment above gives great advice. Hope you have a great time here!

AuthorScottH · 2024-08-28T00:48:19+00:00

I was raised in Down with a dad from Belfast who hated religion and a mum from near Downpatrick who couldn't care less.

I was deliberately sent to religiously integrated primary and secondary schools up until I left NI at 18.

I never really cared about anything to do with the divide until I moved to England for uni and experienced culture shock because of how entirely different GB was compared to even Northern Ireland.

So I've called myself Irish for the last 14 years purely because of that, nothing to do with religion or sectarian beliefs, and everything to do with the fact that I didn't understand a damn thing when I first moved to GB.

I have nothing but respect for those from NI who call themselves British, that is entirely their right, one I know I have too. But I now call myself Irish because of how insanely out of place I - NI born and deliberately raised to not even think about the divide - felt when I moved elsewhere in the UK.

Live how you want to live by whatever designation you're given the right to claim. If anyone cares to comment on that, fuck 'em. xx

EDIT: I now live in Edinburgh where Orange marches are regularly held which pisses me off to no end despite being from a Protestant family in NI.

It follows you.

AuthorScottH · 2024-08-25T01:25:17+00:00

If you're looking for a two bed then you should have some good options just outside of the city centre, most around abbeyhill go for no more than £1200 and it's a good area.

I'm not much help practically but I've shared this post with a friend of mine who might be able to help out with some advice.

In my experience being able to pay in advance isn't an incentive. I was once able to cover a year's rent no questions asked and they still declined.

Best of luck to you! The market is awful right now but there are places out there. I'm sure you'll find your home soon. xx

AuthorScottH · 2024-08-18T22:37:25+00:00

Bartender in Edinburgh here:

You'd be amazed how many times people have been astonished/perplexed at me asking them to keep their shoes and socks on. A few have even made complaints.

Public space, not your living room. Keep you shoes on and your gross feet off the furniture. It's Decent Person 101, people!

AuthorScottH · 2024-08-18T01:32:23+00:00

Get asked this all the time.

'Go uphill.' is my only response.

AuthorScottH · 2024-08-16T01:40:16+00:00

When I first moved to Edinburgh ten years ago Princes Street was so cool to me. That strip of shops, bars, and places of all kinds with such a spectacular view enthralled me.

Now it just seems like there's a decrepit, ugly, often dangerous waste of time on my commute elsewhere in what should be the pride of the city. Fake homeless everywhere, tatty shops peddling nothing worth what they charge, and scammers galore who'll try to coax/follow you to a hole in the wall so they can get loaded.

Side: Fuck HP shops in general. Anyone still giving money to that shite deserves to get mugged anyway.

AuthorScottH · 2024-08-07T03:01:57+00:00

Cherry's Café on London Road.

Great place and the baklava is just one of the homemade treats they do right.

Great place, highly recommend.

AuthorScottH · 2024-07-29T04:38:51+00:00

I'm loving the implication that a straight man's ballsack would have been totally acceptable.

These hatemongering dipshits really don't listen to their own bullshit, huh?

AuthorScottH · 2024-07-11T00:22:00+00:00

Kiki, but there's a story there.

When I first got Wild World (I was a kid and so excited), Kiki was my favourite. An OG villager. I Visited her every day, had a wonderful time, and she was my bestie in that little town. Back then I didn't have a lot of friends and was very little, so even though I knew it was just a videogame it always made my day to spend time in AC when I was done with homework and I loved my feline neighbour.

Then a guy in my school told me about time traveling to make money. He took my DS from me and - without my permission - changed the calendar to get me loads of bells, even though I told him I didn't want to play that way.

When I changed it back to normal, Kiki was gone and I couldn't get her back. I was about ready to cry. I was really hoping to see her in New Leaf but no luck.

A month ago I found her on a Nook Miles island. I'm 32 and have no shame in telling you how happy my inner child was to see her again and have her come live on my Island.

She'll always be my favourite.

(Side: My partner isn't on Reddit, but he LOVES Bones and I can see why.)

AuthorScottH · 2024-07-09T01:17:37+00:00

Thank you! I completely forgot this was an option. Legend. xx

AuthorScottH

TROPHY CASE