Tarting up Tartan week

**Phil** · 10th June 07, 02:17 AM

Our First Minister wants to raise the profile of this event - here is an article. Not sure about some of the comments though.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com...m?id=906682007

**Ugly Bear** · 10th June 07, 04:29 AM

Well, at least we got a link to some pictures from a Texas Scottish festival in the comments:

http://arlington2007.tripod.com/Arlington.html

Other than that ... Well, it's useful and instructive to find out what people from other parts really think of Americans. The theme in the comments seems to be that the Scots want our money, and they greatly regret that people like us are the ones holding it in the first place. I don't think Tartan Week is a "joke" the way some commentators say; those of us who know about it tend to treat it more reverently than, say, National Soup Month.

One interesting comment: What if they changed Tartan Week to Scottish Week? Would that make the event more popular? I think it might. At least a little more accessible.

**Phil** · 10th June 07, 05:14 AM

Originally Posted by Ugly Bear

Well, it's useful and instructive to find out what people from other parts really think of Americans. The theme in the comments seems to be that the Scots want our money, and they greatly regret that people like us are the ones holding it in the first place.

There seem to be a small group of people who spend their days adding offensive comments to all kinds of articles not just this one. It maybe allows them to let off steam a bit but after a while it just gets so you ignore them because you know pretty well the kind of things they will say. I don't know if Tartan Week produces much money for Scotland anyway apart from a few firms like Kinloch Anderson who go over for it. I don't see too many Americans coming over when the dollar is so low against the pound.

**Ugly Bear** · 10th June 07, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Phil

There seem to be a small group of people who spend their days adding offensive comments to all kinds of articles ...

Yeah, it's the same everywhere. The loudest, whiniest, axe-grinding-est and busybody-est are always the ones to post early and often.

They do make an impression, though. We don't ignore them completely. Tourism to Europe from America had, in the past, been popular even with an unfavorable exchange rate. These days, such tourism is way down in number of travelers, due in no small part to the impression that Americans are not welcome.

Were I to actually travel to Scotland, I'm sure I would encounter a wide range of opinions regarding my national identity. I know there are Scots who are happy to meet people from overseas, and some who just groan at Yanks wearing kilts around town. I'm sure they have a wide range of views on America's culture, politics, whatever. I don't know what the consensus might be, or to what extent publications like The Guardian actually represent the British (let alone the Scots). I'm not anxious to find out.

Our way around that seems to be to re-create bits of Europe throughout the States. From building a small replica of Paris in Las Vegas to holding regional Highland Games, there seems to be nothing we won't adopt and adapt.

**Phil** · 10th June 07, 08:35 AM

Ugly Bear - I have no doubt that you would encounter nothing but a welcome if you visit Scotland. The Guardian is an English newspaper and 99% of its views and contents reflect that. Also they are very much against the Iraq war and Tony Blair's support for it and their views on Global warming are verging on hysteria. World War III could be going on in Scotland and they wouldn't notice though. Read the Herald or Scotsman to get a better idea of what is happening in Scotland but keep an open mind. These papers don't sell copies by printing dog bites man stories - it's man bites dog stories they want and they don't usually mind whether they are true or not.

**Lambda** · 13th June 07, 09:32 AM

I don't know about the comments for the article, but did you see the devilishly handsome fellow in the Anderson kilt in the Texas Scottish Games photos?...

Bah, me neither... Figures he didn't get an action shot of me... Did see my pipe instructor in there though!

As for the "thoughts" about Americans from over seas, I find it interesting how people can generalize so much based upon the information they receive from popular media. It happens in the States as well. I just ignore baseless comments like those. Those people are just cranky for some reason. I would like to see these events grow more (as well as be accessible to anyone who wants to participate).