Hello, my name is Christina, and I am a Glaswegian. *Phew* big confession out of the way and now on to my main point...
I'm originally from Glasgow, I moved up to Fife to start a new job, so every chance I can I like to go home and visit family and friends. Usually, these experiences are pleasant and I love being able to have a catch-up in my home-town. However, last weekend when I went home for a friend's engagement do, for some reason I didn't really enjoy being back in Glasgow. The purpose of this post is to discuss why this might be, through discussing Glasgow's pros and cons.
PROS of Glasgow:
It may be a city, but it is one of the greenest cities in the U.K, which means it's lovely on the rare occasions that we have good weather.
Shopping. Glasgow is the biggest shopping city outside of London, with an astounding array of high street names, designer boutiques and unique independent stores. A girl's dream city then...
Nightlife. In Glasgow we have amazing pubs, clubs, concert venues, comedy venues, late-night restaurants and cafes, independent cinemas and theatres. You name it, Glasgow probably has it, there's something for everyone.
Events. There's always something happening somewhere in Glasgow. Comedy festivals, markets, Mela, West-End festival, Commonwealth 2014 etc.
The People. Glaswegians are an amazing bunch. Friendly, generally approachable, full of stories and often very unique and slightly mental. They also have real pride in their city, and will happily tell you anything you wish to know (or not know sometimes :P)
Culture. There's so many different cultures that have settled in Glasgow: Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Brazilian, Venezuelan, you name it! And they all bring their own music, cuisine, art etc to the city, which means their is a huge array of events that go with it.
And now on to the Cons...
Greenery. Yes there's a lot of green space, but the minute the sun comes out it's all taken up with screaming weans and fat people with little clothing. Bleurgh. And yuppies stealing all the good outdoor seats at my favourite haunts. I WAS HERE FIRST!
The People. Now I love all my friends dearly, however at the moment, all I ever seem to hear when I visit is: "When are you moving home?" ... Eh whenever I'm bloody well ready! I miss Glasgow, but it gets me really annoyed and upset when my friends assume that I'll move back because why would I want to live in Fife (Having a fantastic job that I love isn't enough apparently...)
Nightlife. There are some real shit-holes in Glasgow. Just saying...
The People- Part II. If you've tried getting around Glasgow city centre on foot you'll know what I mean by this. People move so. friggin. slowly! They're always staring at something completely pointless as well, like a new shop that's actually been there for months, or looking at a development and wondering what it will become. It's Glasgow, it'll either be a new shop or new flats!
Snobs (i.e. People Part III). I grew up in a rather nice part of Glasgow, the West End. It is often described as the cultural heart of the city, with an abundance of high-end bars, restaurants, shops and salons and more. But it also contains an abundance of pretentious a-holes. Folk with names like Farqhuar and Jacinta who 'lunch' in the Ubiquitous Chip and don't balk about paying £20 for the cheapest bottle of Chardonnay because they want to be "seen". You also get folk who SAY they're from the West-End, when in reality they're from Govan. Or Castlemilk. Or Bridgeton (these are places that get marked as "dodgy"). At the end of the day, there are nice bits in each of these places, and there are shitty parts of the West-End, so why lie? Be proud of where you're from, it's no different to anywhere else.
Rant over. Dunno if I feel any better though...
Christina xo
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