May 6, 2011 -- Alex Salmond RE-ELECTED

Yesterday, Daniel and I were apparently a part of history.  Alex Salmond was re-elected as first minister of Scotland and the SNP won a majority in a Parliament that was specifically designed so that one party would never be able to do that.  Currently, the SNP has 69 seats, which basically means that they can pass anything they want (be it good or bad) AND they are one step closer to Scottish Independence. Crazy. 

Me at HQ

Daniel at HQ

We were at the SNP headquarters while some of the seats were being announced and everyone was going nuts.  Grown men were crying!  It was all very exciting.  Then, being interns, we got carted around like cattle going to a press release at the Porterfield House and then a victory party. 

All the interns in front of the Porterfield House

Randon peacocks were walking around everywhere

Me with the Scottish flat (and my bad photoshop job) haha the real flag in the picture isn't unfurled, so i just replaced it with another one Daniel took.

Awaiting Alex's landing

Alex and Nicola (basically 1st and 2nd minister of Scotland)

Alex giving the speech, and see the purple shoulder?  that's Nicola --almost like the VP right in front of us.

Alex Salmond  made his grand entry at the Porterfield House by landing in a helicopter.  He was about and hour and a half late, but I guess that's okay for politicians.  Right after he gave his speech, he headed straight for where Daniel and I were standing--he shook Daniel's hand, gave me a big hug and thanked us for all our hard work.  It was pretty awesome.  The press was EVERYWHERE (they are very rude) and there are pictures of that scenerio somewhere, but I haven't found it yet.  I really want to.

I hate this picture too... but it's the only one of Daniel and I together at the party (LAME)

I'm listening to Alex's speech here. 

At the Victory Party, there was no food.  haha.   (I hadn't had anything to eat since 9:30am and I was starving).  It was held at the Jam House and there was a DJ and a band.  We hung out, danced, listened to Alex Salmond speak, and everybody else drank.  The dance floor was pretty clear by 10:00pm but Daniel and I stuck around and did the can-can with a bunch of drunk supporters. We made a friend named Lewis and he wanted us to go to a Mexican dance club (in Scotland?), but I needed food and had a horrible headache so we got his number and just went home. Maybe we'll go dancing with him and his friends another night.  He's studying at the University of Edinburgh and his girlfriend is from Philadelphia! haha

We have the next couple of days off and so we are running errands today, church tomorrow, and hopefully a small roadtrip (via train) Monday and Tuesday.  I'm thinking Stirling.  We'll See!