"Fair
fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great
chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon
them a' ye tak your place,
Painch,
tripe, or thairm:
Weel
are ye worthy o' a grace
As
lang's my arm."
The first lines of 'To a Haggis' by Robert
Burns (1759-1796), who was born into a farming family, but was much more
interested in poetry and the ladies (having many affairs in his life time). Burns’ poems are written in old Scots, a dialect that even local
students can struggle to understand sometimes. Despite this it is undeniable that Burns had a wonderful and romantic
way with words and some of his more famous works include ‘To a Mouse’, 'TamO’Shanter' and 'Alud Lang Syne' (a song, which is sung at Hogmanay the world
over). It is because of these great works that we celebrate the
birth of Scotland's national poet on the 25th of January every year.
Traditionally, this is done by having a "Burns Supper"
consisting of Haggis (a savory pudding consisting of sheep’s heart, liver and
lungs minced with onion and oatmeal - is much tastier than it sounds; you can also find a vegetarian version), Neeps
(turnip) and Tatties (potatoes), a great dinner to warm you up on a cold
January night. Another way to celebrate is by having a Ceilidh
(Gaelic for social gathering), an event where we get together, drink, dance
traditional Scottish dances and have a good laugh.
The Lamprou Group
attended a Ceilidh at a local Live Music Bar and Restaurant on Saturday the 17th of January and all had a
great time. Being Scottish all the dances, from the Gay Gordon's,
Canadian Barn Dance and my personal favorite - Dashing White Sargent's, come as
second nature to me, having had to learn them from School.
As such it's always entertaining to watch international
students trying to get their head round all the spins and arm hooks, and then greatly fulfilling when they finally master the dance, only for
the tune to end seconds later and a whole new dance to start up.
Personally, I love Ceilidhs, so I was pleased that everyone else in
the group had a great time (even if they didn't dance much).
Additionally, it is a great way for the group to become friendlier-outside the
lab.
About the Author: Scott is a final 3rd year PhD student who loves green nano materials and Ceilidh dances.
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