Five Fast Questions with Lewis McKenzie: Part Two

[00:00:00] This is 63 Percent Scottish, a Scotland Appreciation Podcast.

[00:00:07] Welcome to 63 Percent Scottish. My name is Eamon OFlynn and I am your host. I'm here with our guest from our last full episode, Lewis McKenzie, to run through Five Fast Questions.

[00:00:17] That's where I ask five questions and challenge our guests to answer each one in one minute or less. Are you ready?

[00:00:23] I'm ready.

[00:00:23] Yes.

[00:00:25] Famous last words. Number one, what is one place every visitor to Scotland should check out?

[00:00:34] Glasgow, because it's my home city. So I'm going to say Glasgow.

[00:00:38] That's your, yes. I guess that's a good reason as any. Number two, what is your favorite uniquely Scottish word or phrase?

[00:00:49] If you call someone a rocket.

[00:00:51] A rocket. What is that?

[00:00:53] Oh yeah, rocket. So a rocket is like idiot or like you're embarrassing.

[00:01:01] Really?

[00:01:02] So if you see someone acting like stupid, you'd be like, oh, you're a rocket.

[00:01:07] Interesting. All right.

[00:01:08] Well, we have a lot of good phrases for like insulting people generally.

[00:01:12] So many, so many. And I can, I mean, the nice thing is I can pick them up and I can use them here and people just think I'm crazy because it makes no sense to them.

[00:01:21] Yeah.

[00:01:21] But it's, it's really funny to me.

[00:01:23] I could do a whole other podcast on that.

[00:01:26] Number three, who is one person from Scotland's past or present that you'd like to have a beer, whiskey, iron brewer coffee with?

[00:01:32] And would you have a beer, whiskey, iron brewer coffee with them?

[00:01:36] Uh, it'd have to be an iron brew.

[00:01:38] I think sticking with the Scottish team.

[00:01:41] Yep.

[00:01:42] Okay.

[00:01:42] And I would choose Billy Connolly because I think Billy Connolly is like the ultimate, like I think everyone's Scott loves Billy Connolly.

[00:01:51] Yeah.

[00:01:52] And he's just such a legend.

[00:01:54] So yeah, it would have to be him.

[00:01:56] I think this is the fourth or fifth, fifth episode maybe I've recorded for this season.

[00:02:02] I'm fairly certain you are the third person to say Billy Connolly.

[00:02:06] Yeah.

[00:02:07] I'm not.

[00:02:07] And one of them, one of them said, uh, one of them was like duty bound to say Robert, uh, Robert the Bruce.

[00:02:15] So, um, so I think, uh, you know, it's, it seems to be a popular pick for good reason.

[00:02:20] I think Billy Connolly would probably be more of a laugh than Robert the Bruce.

[00:02:24] I think Robert the Bruce would be a lot more serious.

[00:02:26] I agree.

[00:02:27] I think that I would be a much more serious, uh, serious discussion.

[00:02:30] Also, you probably wouldn't be able to understand what he was saying.

[00:02:32] Um, uh, number four, what is one popular misconception of Scotland that you'd like to dispel?

[00:02:39] Um, that we all have deep fried Mars bars.

[00:02:43] Um, cause I, I can confirm I have never had one.

[00:02:49] I've never had one.

[00:02:50] And I'm not really interested to try one.

[00:02:54] I've got to be honest.

[00:02:55] I, we, we had a food and drink journalist on here last year from the Scotsman.

[00:03:00] And she said she had had one, one time and it was in like Dubai or something that she did.

[00:03:05] She hadn't even had one in Scotland.

[00:03:07] Yeah.

[00:03:08] That's the thing.

[00:03:08] Yeah.

[00:03:09] It's a, I don't think it's as common as I think people make it like everyone has it

[00:03:13] here.

[00:03:14] And, uh, it's like, no, I would say if you want some, you know, good Scottish fair, then I

[00:03:20] would go for iron brewing haggis.

[00:03:22] I can't be wrong with that.

[00:03:24] Um, I literally had some in the Scottish department this week.

[00:03:27] So, uh, yeah, that's what they're really, you don't need to eat fried Mars barco for haggis

[00:03:33] in there.

[00:03:34] So, uh, iron brewing.

[00:03:37] Yeah.

[00:03:37] That sounds about right.

[00:03:39] Okay.

[00:03:39] Number five.

[00:03:40] Is there anything you'd like to know about Canada?

[00:03:42] I'm saying this as though I'm a complete encyclopedia on all things Canada, but we'll give it a shot.

[00:03:47] Sure.

[00:03:48] I think just keeping with the theme of this, um, show, I'd be interested to know sort of how close

[00:03:56] do you think people feel to Scotland in Canada?

[00:04:00] I'm always interested to know sort of about sort of the influence that Scotland has sort

[00:04:06] of abroad.

[00:04:07] And I think people in Scotland are always really fascinated by it.

[00:04:11] Um, you know, and I guess I'd like to sort of know how connected people in Canada sort

[00:04:18] of feel to Scotland, especially people with sort of family back in Scotland.

[00:04:22] Yeah, that's a great, that's a great question.

[00:04:24] You know, I think Canada is the place outside of Scotland, obviously that has the most people

[00:04:31] who claimed Scottish ancestry or, or, you know, um, genetics and, and you see it throughout

[00:04:38] our entire history, you know, our, our, every, every, or almost all of our first initial prime

[00:04:45] ministers were max something, uh, McDonald's, you know, obviously being the famous one who

[00:04:51] was born in Scotland.

[00:04:52] But I think that's true still.

[00:04:54] I think that there's like a very strong connection.

[00:04:56] Um, when I've talked to people here, you know, it's, it's interesting.

[00:05:01] I tend to contrast it with Irish, um, with the Irish kind of side of things.

[00:05:06] And I think Irish, the Irish side, I think they historically have done a better job of cultivating

[00:05:13] that, that connection with, uh, with the people who have left.

[00:05:17] And I think there's a narrative, there's a story there, right?

[00:05:19] Like, uh, we all left because there was a famine and then we were treated poorly.

[00:05:23] And then this thing happened and this horrible calamity happened.

[00:05:26] So we came to Canada and I don't think that's usually the Scottish, uh, story, but I think

[00:05:32] there's just such a huge percentage of people.

[00:05:33] When you go around a place, um, in Canada, any given place in Canada, you're going to

[00:05:39] see a huge Scottish influence here.

[00:05:41] And you'll see a very strong connection to Scotland.

[00:05:46] Uh, I know even the St. Andrews society of Toronto, for instance, has a massive, um,

[00:05:51] ball every year.

[00:05:52] And it's, it really packs like a, a giant venue with, um, with dancing and with, you know,

[00:05:58] high, everyone's wearing Highland everything.

[00:06:01] And so I do think there's a really strong connection that, that remains there.

[00:06:05] And I bet you that's reflected in tourist numbers.

[00:06:08] Yeah.

[00:06:09] It's great hearing that.

[00:06:11] And you're, uh, you know, of course, an honorary, uh, Scott and you're flying the

[00:06:15] flag for us over there as well.

[00:06:17] Yes.

[00:06:17] Yeah.

[00:06:18] Um, and yeah, the only thing that I wish was a little bit more accessible was iron

[00:06:24] brew.

[00:06:25] Yeah.

[00:06:25] Not, not super accessible over here.

[00:06:27] Also, also the whiskey selections, not nearly as good.

[00:06:29] Uh, but the, but the iron brew, we don't, it's just, it's hard to get at here.

[00:06:34] We'll need to do a trade and we need to get some maple syrup from you guys.

[00:06:38] Of course.

[00:06:39] Very happy to do that.

[00:06:40] I'll do a swap.

[00:06:43] All right.

[00:06:44] Thanks for joining me.

[00:06:45] Yeah.

[00:06:45] Thank you very much.

[00:06:53] Thank you for listening to 63% Scottish.

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[00:06:59] You can also listen to every episode for free at 63% Scottish.com.

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[00:07:09] It really helps a big thank you to friends of the podcast, including the Toronto, San

[00:07:14] Andrew society, the Scottish society of Ottawa, the Scottish banner and Scottish studies

[00:07:19] at the university of wealth.

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[00:07:25] Goodbye.