In Which We Celebrate Burns Night

Today is January 25th and the birthday of Scottish Poet Robert Burns, making tonight Burns Night. If the flood of emails I receive from the Scottish Tourist Board is to be believed, this is a cause for great celebration.

Of course, I'm in London not Edinburgh so things are little more subdued here. If I were not a poor grad student, I would consider going to one of the many ceilidhs (pronounced kay-lee) being thrown around town tonight. Back when I was at St. Andrews, I occasionally attended the weekly ceilidh at the student union and it was always a good time, thanks in no small part to the surplus of women in need of dance partners.

Haggis served with neeps (turnips) and tatties (mashed potatoes) is the traditional Burns Night meal, so I made every effort to procure this highland delicacy for myself, starting with the haggis…

In Which We Arrive

While the past may be a foreign country, it has never asked for my passport.  The United Kingdom is, understandably, a little more demanding of its guests.  While I have visited Britain a number of times in the past, I have never stayed longer than a semester before.  This time, however, I will be staying for a little less than six months.  Since the stamps in my passport from previous trips read "Leave to Remain for Six Months," and since I will be back in the states in just under six months, I was expecting a quick trip through passport control.
 
On the contrary, the immigration officer wanted evidence of how I was going to support myself for the duration of my stay and asked to see bank statements verifying my account balances.  While I did not have the forethought to pack any, I was ultimately able to assemble enough other pieces of evidence (including a letter stating the value of my stipend) to be allowed to enter the country for six months.

So, if you are planning to do research for a prolonged period of time, be sure to pack your bank statements.