Uurgh.

Today I spent the day in a near-comatose state after lying awake for most of last night. I made my way to work where everything was pretty much as usual; for more information see yesterday's post. I did discuss photography possibilities with Matt. It looks like I'll be photographer for his festival in Edinurgh next month; Highland Fire Fest II, and will be going to a few gigs with his band Fortrius as their photographer. This will be awesome.

Less awesome was the looming of the world cup, raising the English-bashing even amongst some people I would have classed as pretty sound individuals. I don't attribute it to the whole of Scotland but there seems to be something in particular about the rural areas that a certain number of people feel compelled to despise the English. I reminded someone today at work of my heritage; a point that was met with a response somewhere between disgust and mockery. All through school I had this problem whenever the world cup came around, but I thought that once I got into the real world I would be around more mature people with far more insight into the world around them. How stupid of me. Even when I try to pry into their hatred, discovering if there is anything personal to them which makes them hate the English. The answer always boils down to one of the two following:
1) "Because they're bastards"
2) "Culloden"
The first isn't really an answer; it just creates a circular conversation. The second is very interesting as though England had a part in the battle, the true event was more Scots vs. Scots Traitors. This protest is 99% of the time met with a paradoxical smug laughter that suggests they are better than me whilst confirming their own ignorance.

In related news I saw in the paper today that a man forced his 37 week pregnant partner to drive 500 miles to ensure his child was born in Scotland, thus averting the horror of it being, by a minor technicality, English. Anyone who is less than horrified by this story has issues as far as I'm concerned. For the mere sake of petty low-level schoolyard racism, you force your heavily pregnant partner to drive by herself for hours? I implore anyone to back this logic up.

Though an angry post, I have had a semi-decent day and shall be seeing Robin Hood after work tomorrow which I am very much looking forward to.