First Time in Edinburgh

It always terrified my friend, Al, when I handed him my camera to take a photo of me.

I don't know if he was afraid that he was going to drop the camera or mess up the settings or do something that would prevent him from taking the photo. Perhaps it was a combination of these actions.

But I had him put the strap around his neck so that the camera could not fall to the ground. I set up the aperture and shutter speed so that the exposure would be fine, and I focused the lens so that I wouldn't be a blurry blob.

All he had to do was point the camera at me and press the shutter button, which I showed to him. Easy-peasy.

I should have told him to also compose the frame so that as much as me could fill the frame as possible, without cutting off my head. When I finally saw the photo, I could see that he had made sure that my face was in the centre of the frame: lots of sky above me and my lower legs cut off.

Oh well.

At least Al got me, leaning against a cannon, on the outer ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. In the background, just below, you can just make out some of the buildings in New Town, on the northern end of the Scottish capital. Further out, you see the industrial region of Leith.

This was my first time in Edinburgh, in May of 1988. I was visiting my friend, who was taking an exchange program at the University of Glasgow. I was also exploring the country that was home to my newly created fictional character, Roland Axam. On the following day, I would head to Roland's hometown, North Berwick.

In a few days after that, I would take a train, from Glasgow to England, and then onward, across the English Channel, where I would continue, by rail, to Berlin, where I would gather information for my novel, The Spy's The Limit.

I never published that novel but parts of it are included in my upcoming book, Gyeosunim.

I fell in love with Edinburgh on that sunny day in 1988. It's still one of my favourite cities in the whole world.

Happy Thursday!