Bha e duthchasach dha: It was natural for him (Gaelic proverb)

Proverb similar to "the apple didn't fall far from the tree".

The past week was rather slow; I took an adventure around the residential areas of Aberdeen (may have accidentally tresspassed a few times), experienced my first indoor session with Mojo, wandered into town again to buy rail passes, tried to go for a run during rush hour, and went to classes.

In Gaelic Cultures we talked about Duthchas*, which is the Gaelic word that describes a country/region/area and the culture or identity of that area. My lecturer is an elderly Scottish woman who has all the spunk and fire you would expect of a Scotswoman in touch with her roots. She spends much of the hour just telling us stories of her childhood and characterizing the Gaelic peoples. It's wonderful. Apparently only 58,000 people reoprted on the 2000(?) census that they speak Gaelic. If the number falls below 50,000 it is declared a dead language and the British government doesn't have to support/fund it's continued presence. If I heard the number right, there are more like 168,000 speakers -just not everyone can read, write, and speak on a daily basis and so responded on the census questions. At times, I feel a little out of place in the class. I am not the only American in the class, but the other at least has traceable Scottish descent. I am just there because the culture has always fascinated me and because I love learning about lesser recognized cultures . . . especially since I am living in the area it only makes sense to me to learn its history and how that history is writing itself today. How many people in the world ever think about Gaels? What does it matter that an American girl takes a semester class about a (potentially) fading culture? Can outsiders "save" a culture or will a movement only be effective if it comes from within? What role does the Gaelic community have in the modern world?
*accent over the u