Obviously I'm home. The trip was fine, long, but relatively uneventful. Turbulence isn't so awful in an Airbus, luckily, since we had about three hours of it. I also think we were on the plane on the ground at O'Hare longer than actually in the air on the way to St. Louis. A bit frustrating, but it was all but forgotten when I walked through security and saw Andrew (awww. sorry, it's the truth.)
Now I'm a bit cranky, even though I think I didn't really have any jetlag. I just was tired from being awake for 24 hours Saturday, and then coming home to 100 degree weather. It's really fantastic here in St. Louis right now. I mean, who needs Ireland's 65 degree July days, right?
I've got one more day off before reality hits and I go back to Target. It's not really something that I'm looking forward too. I honestly wish I could just never go back. I know that things have gotten pretty crazy there lately, and with another tough semester at school on the horizon, I really don't feel like giving that place one more drop of my energy. As soon as school starts, though, I'm signing up with Career Services and plan on sending out resume's like no other...who knows, maybe someone will even hire me before I graduate. At least I'll have that thought to keep my going.
Of course I miss Ireland, and I know that someday I will go back. It will be amazing to go to another country and in a way, feel at home. I know it will continue to grow and change, but Galway will always feel familiar. I can't wait to see it again.
For now though, I'm so happy to be back in my apartment (which is incredibly clean...and rearranged thanks to Andrew!), with my bed and my good pillow and towels and peace and quiet and all this space to myself.
Alright, this has taken way too long to write, my brain is still not going at full speed...
Thanks everyone for reading while I was in Ireland, I really loved knowing that I had so many people back home who cared about me and my first ever trip out of the country, and away from St. Louis for more than a week!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Friday, July 28, 2006
I could really go for a...
Nice cold bottle of red gatorade and a package of saltines. And a tylenol.
I'm completely hungover, along with Anita and Laine, and probably the vast majority of NUIG summer school students. Last night was a success, you could say, but we sure are paying for it now.
We had a final reception at school around 6, and you know what that means. Free pints. The first two are included, the next two were the result of being bums who wouldn't leave and go out in the rain, so we stayed with one of the coordinators and got more drinks as they were closing up the bar. Free is so grand.
We headed out with a group of people that we just recently started talking to (and as in recently, I mean up until that night we couldn't stand a few of them, but hey, after a few drinks, we're totally bff, right?) . Barry (the coordinator guy) took us to another pub that is pretty much all local kids, The Front Door. It was lots of fun, and I saw people take shots for the first time since I've been here-and it was Jager, too! Luckily, I stayed away from the stuff, at this point I think I'd sampled three different beer styles and I figured I should just stick with the pints.
Next we headed over the The Living Room (man these pubs are homey!) and met up with Coley (the other coordinator guy), and more kids from school. It was packed, Thursday night is busier than Saturdays sometimes. Craziness. We were drunk, and enjoying ourselves, and somehow I managed to get a pint of water, which probably helped me more that I can imagine.
It didn't help on the walk home, though. It's typically a 15 minute walk, but I had to pee like no other, and Supermacs was just locking their doors when we got there, dying for their delicious fries...and a toilet. Ready to pass out or pee my pants, we booked it right through the middle of the roundabout and almost ran to our apartments. I don't even know how I found my bed and got under the covers, but Laine and Anita apparently stayed up another hour, made noodles, and checked out the remnants of the kegger that took place across the street (those kids tried to get us to go, but no way would we have paid €10 for flippin keg Fosters. Gross).
I paid dearly for my time last night, and I am afraid to turn on my camera and see the evidence. But it was well worth it, to have a total drunken experience here in Galway one last time. Today we're all business for souvenier shopping and packing...early bus tomorrow and there is no way I'm gonna get drunk again tonight. Barfing on the bus would not be a pretty sight (sort of like the dried, smeered puke all over Anita's apartment's front hallway, thanks to their socially awkward housemate James who we're pretty sure just starting drinking, and getting hammered, on this trip. Nasty!).
Hope you all enjoyed that! I know I did ;) See you in the Lou.
I'm completely hungover, along with Anita and Laine, and probably the vast majority of NUIG summer school students. Last night was a success, you could say, but we sure are paying for it now.
We had a final reception at school around 6, and you know what that means. Free pints. The first two are included, the next two were the result of being bums who wouldn't leave and go out in the rain, so we stayed with one of the coordinators and got more drinks as they were closing up the bar. Free is so grand.
We headed out with a group of people that we just recently started talking to (and as in recently, I mean up until that night we couldn't stand a few of them, but hey, after a few drinks, we're totally bff, right?) . Barry (the coordinator guy) took us to another pub that is pretty much all local kids, The Front Door. It was lots of fun, and I saw people take shots for the first time since I've been here-and it was Jager, too! Luckily, I stayed away from the stuff, at this point I think I'd sampled three different beer styles and I figured I should just stick with the pints.
Next we headed over the The Living Room (man these pubs are homey!) and met up with Coley (the other coordinator guy), and more kids from school. It was packed, Thursday night is busier than Saturdays sometimes. Craziness. We were drunk, and enjoying ourselves, and somehow I managed to get a pint of water, which probably helped me more that I can imagine.
It didn't help on the walk home, though. It's typically a 15 minute walk, but I had to pee like no other, and Supermacs was just locking their doors when we got there, dying for their delicious fries...and a toilet. Ready to pass out or pee my pants, we booked it right through the middle of the roundabout and almost ran to our apartments. I don't even know how I found my bed and got under the covers, but Laine and Anita apparently stayed up another hour, made noodles, and checked out the remnants of the kegger that took place across the street (those kids tried to get us to go, but no way would we have paid €10 for flippin keg Fosters. Gross).
I paid dearly for my time last night, and I am afraid to turn on my camera and see the evidence. But it was well worth it, to have a total drunken experience here in Galway one last time. Today we're all business for souvenier shopping and packing...early bus tomorrow and there is no way I'm gonna get drunk again tonight. Barfing on the bus would not be a pretty sight (sort of like the dried, smeered puke all over Anita's apartment's front hallway, thanks to their socially awkward housemate James who we're pretty sure just starting drinking, and getting hammered, on this trip. Nasty!).
Hope you all enjoyed that! I know I did ;) See you in the Lou.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Almost there
I should be studying. Obviously, since the final assessments are in less than 2 hours. I think this time it's going to be easier, since we know what to expect. However, I don't think I have been preparing as much...plus I am not looking forward to having my hand nearly fall off after 9 more pages of writing.
I'm not going to complain, though. After these tests, we have a little party tonight (who doesn't like free beer on campus?), and then I expect a late night out at the pubs. There may be whisky involved, we'll see. Tomorrow we have an evaluation at 11, get our grades, and have a lunch meeting with our UMSL advisor at 1. Then that's it! No more obligations, no more NUIG, just souvenier shopping in town, packing, and getting ready for an 8 am bus to the airport on Saturday. Then, after about 16 hours of travelling, I'll be back in St. Louis. It feels really close now, but sort of far, still.
Saturday will be a long day, 30 hours long as a matter of fact. I'm ready for it, though.
Can't wait to see everyone again, even if it is going to be at Target for many of you. For those of you UA girls reading this, you had better be at the Hacienda shindig Monday night, ok? I am planning on sending all 250 or so pictures I have to the Yahoo/Target photo developing thing, and getting them into an album before I'm back at work (oh, and there is no way I'll be picking them up at Kirkwood, probably Brentwood or SoCo).
I'll probably be able to get to a computer tomorrow, but that'll be it until at least Sunday, if I feel like doing anything other than sleeping. I miss my bed and it is going to be fantastic.
Alright, off to lunch, and then I promise: a little cramming!
I'm not going to complain, though. After these tests, we have a little party tonight (who doesn't like free beer on campus?), and then I expect a late night out at the pubs. There may be whisky involved, we'll see. Tomorrow we have an evaluation at 11, get our grades, and have a lunch meeting with our UMSL advisor at 1. Then that's it! No more obligations, no more NUIG, just souvenier shopping in town, packing, and getting ready for an 8 am bus to the airport on Saturday. Then, after about 16 hours of travelling, I'll be back in St. Louis. It feels really close now, but sort of far, still.
Saturday will be a long day, 30 hours long as a matter of fact. I'm ready for it, though.
Can't wait to see everyone again, even if it is going to be at Target for many of you. For those of you UA girls reading this, you had better be at the Hacienda shindig Monday night, ok? I am planning on sending all 250 or so pictures I have to the Yahoo/Target photo developing thing, and getting them into an album before I'm back at work (oh, and there is no way I'll be picking them up at Kirkwood, probably Brentwood or SoCo).
I'll probably be able to get to a computer tomorrow, but that'll be it until at least Sunday, if I feel like doing anything other than sleeping. I miss my bed and it is going to be fantastic.
Alright, off to lunch, and then I promise: a little cramming!
It's a start. Maybe others will follow.
This is some pretty great news if you ask me. I can't believe a city as big and powerful as Chicago has actually stood up to Wally World. It is a huge step in the right direction, and the little blurb about Target not having any comment yet will hopefully be replaced by Target expressing full support. They are already well established in the city of Chicago, so I can't imagine them abandoning such a potential windfall (no Walmart to compete with), just because they have to pay people a little more. I know that they adjust their wages geographically all the time. Even the kids in Chesterfield started about a dollar higher than the Kirkwood minimum when that hideous monstronsity of a shopping center opened in the "Valley" (aka Flood Plain).
Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices is really good, too.
Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices is really good, too.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
You know you've made it w hen...
People stop you on the street in a city you don't live in and ask you for directions.
This happened to me not once, but twice last night. And I was able to give directions, to the two different places, completely accurately. It was cool to realize that I actually know my way around this city well enough to help other people. And apparently I must look like I have a clue.
Today, after a quick lunch at school, I decided to make my way into town to kill an hour and a half between classes. I now know about three different routes into town, I know how to get to the places I want to go to without wandering the streets (none of which are laid out into any grid-like format, just so you know), and I made it back in time, without getting lost, or even close to it.
This is not really a small feat, considering that only three weeks ago we were wandering around, completely disoriented, and spending an extra hour or so getting home because we were so clueless. It's a good feeling to know that if (when) I ever come back, that I will be able to just head out to wherever I want to go, no map, no directions, and feel comfortable with my sense of direction. I guess after a month, you'd hope a person would have a sense of direction in a previously foreign environment, but I have never really been in this position, so it's reassuring to know that if I ever moved or anything, I could deal.
Alright, back to class. It's almost over...just two more classes, two more assessments (tomorrow! must study!), and really only two more full days. In a way it doesn't feel like a month, but then I think about everything I've done, and it really does.
This happened to me not once, but twice last night. And I was able to give directions, to the two different places, completely accurately. It was cool to realize that I actually know my way around this city well enough to help other people. And apparently I must look like I have a clue.
Today, after a quick lunch at school, I decided to make my way into town to kill an hour and a half between classes. I now know about three different routes into town, I know how to get to the places I want to go to without wandering the streets (none of which are laid out into any grid-like format, just so you know), and I made it back in time, without getting lost, or even close to it.
This is not really a small feat, considering that only three weeks ago we were wandering around, completely disoriented, and spending an extra hour or so getting home because we were so clueless. It's a good feeling to know that if (when) I ever come back, that I will be able to just head out to wherever I want to go, no map, no directions, and feel comfortable with my sense of direction. I guess after a month, you'd hope a person would have a sense of direction in a previously foreign environment, but I have never really been in this position, so it's reassuring to know that if I ever moved or anything, I could deal.
Alright, back to class. It's almost over...just two more classes, two more assessments (tomorrow! must study!), and really only two more full days. In a way it doesn't feel like a month, but then I think about everything I've done, and it really does.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Photos
There are more pictures up in my yahoo album. I am still trying to get all the older ones turned around correctly and captioned, but the new ones should be good. The new ones are all at the bottom of the page. I hope to get it better organized eventually, but it takes so long to upload the changes...it may have to wait till I'm home and bored in front of my computer.
16 oz cans
I think that the concept of the 16 oz. beer can was somewhat genius. I mean, in the States, most beer comes in the standard 12 oz. can or bottle, and anything larger generally has a cheap/trashy connotation or image. However, here in Ireland these are the primary form of vehicle for holding the mass-consumed beers (Guinness, Harp, Stella Artois, Heineken, Amstel, Murphy's, etc, etc). Of course, there are plenty of imported bottles, and a few domestic bottles to choose from (Bulmer's Cider being by far the most common...it is enjoyed, however, in a glass, over ice), but the 500 ml (or 16 oz for those of us stuck in the world of non-metric measurements) clearly has the grip on the market.
And that is mostly why I like them. They make so much more sense when you are holding them. The can itself, being a few inches (or several centimeters) taller than the US cans, allows the drinker to hold their cold beverage of choice without inflicting direct body contact to the chilled contents. And given the fact that most of the time, you are drinking these away from the convenience of say, a pint glass at home, this is a handy feature.
Also, I don't think there is really any law against drinking on the streets, and that definitely makes the walk home from our favorite Off-License (aka Liquor Store) far more pleasurable.
And that is mostly why I like them. They make so much more sense when you are holding them. The can itself, being a few inches (or several centimeters) taller than the US cans, allows the drinker to hold their cold beverage of choice without inflicting direct body contact to the chilled contents. And given the fact that most of the time, you are drinking these away from the convenience of say, a pint glass at home, this is a handy feature.
Also, I don't think there is really any law against drinking on the streets, and that definitely makes the walk home from our favorite Off-License (aka Liquor Store) far more pleasurable.
Monday, July 24, 2006
A Long Weekend
We toured. Oh yes, we were tourists for all of Saturday and Sunday. Lots of time on Mercedes Benz tour buses and staring out the windows. From the front row, of course.
I saw W.B. Yeats country home...a quaint cottage attached to a CASTLE TOWER. It was cool. I saw Lady Gregory's country estate, as well as a beautiful Copper Beech tree that has all of her famous writer friends initials carved into it. I saw the tallest round tower, built in the 14th century, that is perfectly intact and leans a bit like the tower of Pisa.
I drank nearly an entire bottle of wine, then walked up to the pitch black beach with the girls and didn't drink anymore, just a red bull, but it was really creepy and windy and cool. On the way home we stopped at a bar we like to go to, The Living Room, because there is a bathroom right up this front set of stairs (bypassing the crazy Saturday night crowds), and we waited in line and convinced the bouncer not to worry about us not having IDs so we could get in, use the toilets, and get out without him seeing us. Then I was the designated walker because everyone was drunk (we met some other kids on the way home to the apartments), and I thought we were going to have a few casualties crossing the "circle of death" (aka the Bodkin Roundabout near our apartment...7 different crossings to make), but we all made it. Amazingly.
I went on a tour to the Burren (lots of rocks, limestone, really cool mountains), the Ailwee Caves, the Cliffs of Moher, a beach where there are surfers, a cute small town in County Clare (who was playing a big rugby match and beat Wexford. Raise the Banner! That's their cheer. Whatever). Some more cliffs that weren't covered in tourists (at least 4 buses of Italian kids at Moher), and some other stops and beautiful scenery and an even more beautiful (though very windy) day. It was gorgeous. Tiring though.
I finished my Chuck Klosterman book last night (fantastic, as usual) and went to bed around 10. I am still tired, but today is rainy and gross so maybe it will be good to just chill out, finish editing my papers, and read some more.
I'll have a ton of pictures up whenever I can find a computer without an Admin lock on the USB ports...I can at least charge my iPod, but I can't upload anything. Also, Anita has a ton of pictures, she hasn't uploaded in like 2 weeks or more, so when her's are up I'll steal them for my album, too.
Now I think it's coffee time. And maybe a little more Rolling Stones on the iPod. Too much bagpipe music this weekend ;)
I saw W.B. Yeats country home...a quaint cottage attached to a CASTLE TOWER. It was cool. I saw Lady Gregory's country estate, as well as a beautiful Copper Beech tree that has all of her famous writer friends initials carved into it. I saw the tallest round tower, built in the 14th century, that is perfectly intact and leans a bit like the tower of Pisa.
I drank nearly an entire bottle of wine, then walked up to the pitch black beach with the girls and didn't drink anymore, just a red bull, but it was really creepy and windy and cool. On the way home we stopped at a bar we like to go to, The Living Room, because there is a bathroom right up this front set of stairs (bypassing the crazy Saturday night crowds), and we waited in line and convinced the bouncer not to worry about us not having IDs so we could get in, use the toilets, and get out without him seeing us. Then I was the designated walker because everyone was drunk (we met some other kids on the way home to the apartments), and I thought we were going to have a few casualties crossing the "circle of death" (aka the Bodkin Roundabout near our apartment...7 different crossings to make), but we all made it. Amazingly.
I went on a tour to the Burren (lots of rocks, limestone, really cool mountains), the Ailwee Caves, the Cliffs of Moher, a beach where there are surfers, a cute small town in County Clare (who was playing a big rugby match and beat Wexford. Raise the Banner! That's their cheer. Whatever). Some more cliffs that weren't covered in tourists (at least 4 buses of Italian kids at Moher), and some other stops and beautiful scenery and an even more beautiful (though very windy) day. It was gorgeous. Tiring though.
I finished my Chuck Klosterman book last night (fantastic, as usual) and went to bed around 10. I am still tired, but today is rainy and gross so maybe it will be good to just chill out, finish editing my papers, and read some more.
I'll have a ton of pictures up whenever I can find a computer without an Admin lock on the USB ports...I can at least charge my iPod, but I can't upload anything. Also, Anita has a ton of pictures, she hasn't uploaded in like 2 weeks or more, so when her's are up I'll steal them for my album, too.
Now I think it's coffee time. And maybe a little more Rolling Stones on the iPod. Too much bagpipe music this weekend ;)
Friday, July 21, 2006
Too uninspired to come up with a title.
I'm tired. Still. I have a decent caffeine buzz thanks to the cappucino I just downed, but that hasn't changed the fact that my mind is worn out. I am not sleeping well anymore, and I can't seem to get any work done anywhere because there are no comfortable places to spread out and work without the interruptions at the apartment or the noise of a million obnoxious Italian kids at the lounge at school, or the disgusting lack of air circulation at the library.
I got up early this morning to get to the lab and try to compose my paper before it got busy. I had no focus, still, and stared at the screen with nothing.
But I think the real problem is that I sort of feel hypocritical about all of this. I mean, here I am, little American girl who has been taking three weeks of classes in Irish Studies and now I am supposed to have some sort of opinion to write a paper that actually matters? Who am I? What do I really know about this country? I wouldn't want anyone who lived here their whole life to read whatever nonsense I come up with. I mean, what authority do I have to theorize about someone else's country and culture? I got my first grade back last night, from my first Lit and Film test, and I got an A. Not everyone did, so in terms of my fellow American students, I supposed I earned it. But is that just because they are grading us as American students who three weeks ago knew nothing about their country, aside from it's exportation of fine alcoholic beverages? Probably.
I feel like a fake. The papers I write back home are all based on my own knowledge from years of studying on the subjects. This doesn't seem at all the same. Everyone BS's a little in their papers, but I feel like everything I'm saying is just mimicked out of the three texts I have been reading, and that I have no legitimate personal knowledge or experiences yet.
And I feel pressured to do just as well on the next tests, even though I'm not sure these grades even transfer, because I know that I am capable of coming up with A material. Even if it does seem somehow undeserved.
I got up early this morning to get to the lab and try to compose my paper before it got busy. I had no focus, still, and stared at the screen with nothing.
But I think the real problem is that I sort of feel hypocritical about all of this. I mean, here I am, little American girl who has been taking three weeks of classes in Irish Studies and now I am supposed to have some sort of opinion to write a paper that actually matters? Who am I? What do I really know about this country? I wouldn't want anyone who lived here their whole life to read whatever nonsense I come up with. I mean, what authority do I have to theorize about someone else's country and culture? I got my first grade back last night, from my first Lit and Film test, and I got an A. Not everyone did, so in terms of my fellow American students, I supposed I earned it. But is that just because they are grading us as American students who three weeks ago knew nothing about their country, aside from it's exportation of fine alcoholic beverages? Probably.
I feel like a fake. The papers I write back home are all based on my own knowledge from years of studying on the subjects. This doesn't seem at all the same. Everyone BS's a little in their papers, but I feel like everything I'm saying is just mimicked out of the three texts I have been reading, and that I have no legitimate personal knowledge or experiences yet.
And I feel pressured to do just as well on the next tests, even though I'm not sure these grades even transfer, because I know that I am capable of coming up with A material. Even if it does seem somehow undeserved.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
State of Emergency?!
So, I just finished watching a slightly disturbing Irish film about two junkies (Adam and Paul), and I came over to the computer lab to see if I had any email. The first one I read was a message from Andrew about the huge storm that encompassed the entire metro area last night. Looking for more info and power outage news, I read through the STLtoday article, and the update on KSDK.com. Craziness. Can't believe all the damage. Next thing I see when I update the channel 5 website is that Mayor Slay has asked for a State of Emergency to be declared, and that the National Guard is on it's way. I went from shock to total disbelief. I hope that everyone is ok. I hope that no one you know got hurt, and that everyone's homes and cars are still intact. I don't even know how many people will be able to read this, because I am sure many of you are without power. I hope that the Target people got a day off! But most importantly, I hope everyone is safe.
And I just think everyone who hasn't seen it yet will now go see An Inconvenient Truth. It may help explain the insane weather patterns that are causing all of this destruction. I don't think we can just brush it off anymore. Something has to change. Global Warming is the real state of emergency.
And I just think everyone who hasn't seen it yet will now go see An Inconvenient Truth. It may help explain the insane weather patterns that are causing all of this destruction. I don't think we can just brush it off anymore. Something has to change. Global Warming is the real state of emergency.
tired
So there are these Italian kids everywhere. They are a pain in the ass. There are tons of them, they go to an English camp at our school, they live in the apartments by us, they hoard the sidewalks, I mean footpaths, and they don't know how to share. Plus they stay up all damn night making noise...I was woken up at 5 am by them STILL being up screaming outside, and since it gets light here so early, I could hardly fall asleep.
I'm tired.
I can't think of anything else to say, so I'm off to get a cappucino before my next class.
It's a long day again today, and will probably be another long night of hand writing a paper at home. The good news is that it rained a little, and the temperatures are cooling off a bit, but the humidity is just like home. No escape from that, I suppose.
There are a few new pictures up, and I will steal a couple more from the other girls, but this weekend I will probably be very snap-happy since it's the last chance to be a tourist.
9 days.
I'm tired.
I can't think of anything else to say, so I'm off to get a cappucino before my next class.
It's a long day again today, and will probably be another long night of hand writing a paper at home. The good news is that it rained a little, and the temperatures are cooling off a bit, but the humidity is just like home. No escape from that, I suppose.
There are a few new pictures up, and I will steal a couple more from the other girls, but this weekend I will probably be very snap-happy since it's the last chance to be a tourist.
9 days.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Typing, Cafeteria Food, and British Summer Time
As I sit here, putting off the typing of my first essay which I hand wrote last night (and which my left hand still hasn't forgiven me for), I would just like to reflect on the fact that cafeteria food, no matter what country you are in, can be strangely, and oftentimes unecessarily mysterious. I just finished a quick lunch in the cafe with my roommate Laine, and we both ventured for the veggie burritos. In Ireland the food is incredibly similar to what we are familiar with at home, with the and exception being the addition of "spring corn" and "spring onions" to the vast majority of selections. Oh, and there is obviously no such thing as mashed potato flakes, and so even the cafeteria version of this staple is authentic and delish. The veggie burrito was interesting though. It was filled mostly with tomatoes and carrots, with a few random black beans. I guess that is just one of the characteristic features of these school lunch companies. They sure like to make stuff up that makes absolutely no sense.
I also would like to say that being on "British Summer Time" (which is an hour earlier than GMT even though it is to the west of the Greenwich timeline) is getting tiring. I spend most of my time online well before any of you think about waking up, let alone have time to go online and respond and so I feel like everything is so one-sided. I write an email, or blog, and then have to wait some 24 hours before getting a response. I know that sounds crazy, but I guess it's just being a product of the internet age, and this generation's lack of patience. But it's lonely not being able to email back and forth throughout the day. I miss Central Time. And having a computer of my own at home.
I also would like to say that being on "British Summer Time" (which is an hour earlier than GMT even though it is to the west of the Greenwich timeline) is getting tiring. I spend most of my time online well before any of you think about waking up, let alone have time to go online and respond and so I feel like everything is so one-sided. I write an email, or blog, and then have to wait some 24 hours before getting a response. I know that sounds crazy, but I guess it's just being a product of the internet age, and this generation's lack of patience. But it's lonely not being able to email back and forth throughout the day. I miss Central Time. And having a computer of my own at home.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Not much going on here...
I have a feeling that the bulk of this week is going to be a bit boring, and mostly spent in class, with my nose in a book, or either pen in hand or typing at a keyboard working on my papers. They are due Tuesday, but we don't have computer access on the weekends, so I have just a few chances to really type between now and then, and I can't just sit down in front of the computer and write it then, because there are so few computers available for everyone and that wouldn't be fair. Anyway, that's what I'm here to do, learn about Ireland and society and stuff, so I'm not really upset that I won't be partying it up at the pubs this week. Next week we just have our assessments, which shouldn't be bad, and a normal class schedule and PACKING. I will make sure to have a couple more nights of drunken debauchery then, but not until these essays are finished.
I've also started to think about this coming fall semester and I've gotta say that after these short weeks as a full-time student with no job, that I'd be a damn good college student, possibly even getting straight A's if I wasn't working. I love just going to school and reading and studying, hell, even research is fun when that is all you have to worry about. As a 24 year old undergrad, I don't regret my decisions to work full time while school took a backseat, but I do wonder what my life would have been like had I taken the more traditional path of the 4 year student.
There's nothing you can do about your past, and I'm not crying over any of it. I feel like trying, though, this (hopefully!) last semester to do really well and not procrastinate and settle for half-ass work at school. I always say stuff like that, but I think the reality that this is my last chance to be proud of my own hard work (cheesy, yes) has hit me, and I don't want to be ashamed of my 6 and a half year trek towards my bachelors.
And I REALLY don't want the twins to graduate a semester before me. If that isn't motivation, then I don't know what is! Nothing like a little sibling rivalry to get you moving. It's bad enough that their graduation ceremony is two days before mine this December! Ha!
I've also started to think about this coming fall semester and I've gotta say that after these short weeks as a full-time student with no job, that I'd be a damn good college student, possibly even getting straight A's if I wasn't working. I love just going to school and reading and studying, hell, even research is fun when that is all you have to worry about. As a 24 year old undergrad, I don't regret my decisions to work full time while school took a backseat, but I do wonder what my life would have been like had I taken the more traditional path of the 4 year student.
There's nothing you can do about your past, and I'm not crying over any of it. I feel like trying, though, this (hopefully!) last semester to do really well and not procrastinate and settle for half-ass work at school. I always say stuff like that, but I think the reality that this is my last chance to be proud of my own hard work (cheesy, yes) has hit me, and I don't want to be ashamed of my 6 and a half year trek towards my bachelors.
And I REALLY don't want the twins to graduate a semester before me. If that isn't motivation, then I don't know what is! Nothing like a little sibling rivalry to get you moving. It's bad enough that their graduation ceremony is two days before mine this December! Ha!
Monday, July 17, 2006
12 days to go.
So there are just 12 days left. I am feeling somewhat relieved that this is the home stretch. There aren't any more crazy weekends travelling around planned, and we have two 1,500 word papers due next Tuesday (which I plan on starting today, but we'll see). I really really really miss my life (sans Target) in St. Louis. I miss having a big bed, my good pillow, and real coffee. I miss a quiet street without tons of noisy Italian kids cramming the sidewalks and all of the big shady trees. I miss the people, of course. That goes without saying. I miss going out to eat, and not feeling like you've been robbed (the high price of dining out in Ireland is a major complaint amongst many locals, so it isn't just the exchange rate pinch). I miss good wine, beer that isn't stout or cider, and chill bars like the Royale, that aren't dance clubs or old-man magnets.
Ok, that's enough.
We had a really good time this weekend, and a brief overview includes me getting carded (I'm the oldest one in the group and the drinking age is 18!), supermac's fries at 3 am, the best smelling farmers market and yummy olives and falafel sent from heaven, a ride on a connemara pony across a beach, a 6 mile walk in flip flops, real fish and chips, a 500ml can of Stella Artois, dead jellyfish on a chilly beach, and a nice sunburn on my shoulders to get rid of my farmer's tan.
It was fun. Now we get to hit the books this week, and I hope it will be a distraction from what I am missing. And I hope my iPod can hold a charge in between trips to the lab...it's being crappy lately.
Postcards are in the mail to many people. Keep your eye out.
PS: The new Sonic Youth album is fantastic.
Ok, that's enough.
We had a really good time this weekend, and a brief overview includes me getting carded (I'm the oldest one in the group and the drinking age is 18!), supermac's fries at 3 am, the best smelling farmers market and yummy olives and falafel sent from heaven, a ride on a connemara pony across a beach, a 6 mile walk in flip flops, real fish and chips, a 500ml can of Stella Artois, dead jellyfish on a chilly beach, and a nice sunburn on my shoulders to get rid of my farmer's tan.
It was fun. Now we get to hit the books this week, and I hope it will be a distraction from what I am missing. And I hope my iPod can hold a charge in between trips to the lab...it's being crappy lately.
Postcards are in the mail to many people. Keep your eye out.
PS: The new Sonic Youth album is fantastic.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Exploring
Today, probably the most beautiful day so far, I am FINALLY going to spend the day on my own, exploring. The other girls (I think all of them) are either going on their Dingle trip, or to Connemara and the Kylemore Abbey. Cool things, but I really can't stand the idea of being cooped up in a tour bus AGAIN, especially on such a nice day. Plus, I am in desperate need of Colleen time. I love the girls, but I am an independent person so I really miss being on my own, for the most part.
So after class, I am going exploring. It's sort of hard to get lost in Galway, you can always see the University and Cathedral towers, so your sense of direction is never confused. But there are lots of streets I haven't been down and cute shops I have been wanting to check out.
I can't wait. Hopefully I'll get to a computer again before Monday and fill you all in.
And hopefully, now that first exams are out of the way, we will be hitting the pubs again this weekend! Woohoo!
So after class, I am going exploring. It's sort of hard to get lost in Galway, you can always see the University and Cathedral towers, so your sense of direction is never confused. But there are lots of streets I haven't been down and cute shops I have been wanting to check out.
I can't wait. Hopefully I'll get to a computer again before Monday and fill you all in.
And hopefully, now that first exams are out of the way, we will be hitting the pubs again this weekend! Woohoo!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
You mean we have to take tests?
So it's almost 11am here, I have two essay tests this afternoon at 3, and I am sitting in the computer lab obviously NOT studying. I studied for a couple hours yesterday, but it seems like my ability to procrastinate like no other has followed me across the Atlantic. It is nice though, not having to work and knowing that I can sit in the library for the next 3 hours and cram, after getting a full nights sleep and not dealing with the crap of everyday life.
However, I haven't taken a test like this in years (I'm a finance major, we don't do essays), so I am worried. Plus my hand is gonna fall off from writing so much.
BUT I guess this all proves that I really am going to learn stuff, and I think I know more about the causes and effects of the Irish war for freedom from Britain than the US's. And who would have ever thought that I'd even have the slightest clue who Lady Gregory was? But I do. I hope. We'll see in 4 hours.
Wish me luck. And then it's party time in Galway this weekend, for sure.
However, I haven't taken a test like this in years (I'm a finance major, we don't do essays), so I am worried. Plus my hand is gonna fall off from writing so much.
BUT I guess this all proves that I really am going to learn stuff, and I think I know more about the causes and effects of the Irish war for freedom from Britain than the US's. And who would have ever thought that I'd even have the slightest clue who Lady Gregory was? But I do. I hope. We'll see in 4 hours.
Wish me luck. And then it's party time in Galway this weekend, for sure.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
No escape from frat boys.
I hate to complain about stuff on this trip, because Ireland really is amazing and beautiful and fun and different and I love it, but some people always have to ruin it.
We spent the weekend in the beautiful (thought cold, blustery, and rainy) town of Dingle, and the surrounding peninsula. There is so much to see and do and luckily we had a warm (sometimes), dry bus to retreat to in between stops.
The first night we went to a pub (that was unfortunately filled with our fellow students), and had a decent time, until the drunken Irishmen started to corner us and vie for our attention. We wound up having to walk home one of our coordinators from NUI, because he is not a drinker and the stupid frat boys had him chug pint after pint...he wound up drinking 8 in just a few hours and he really wanted to go home.
That was fine, we made it back to the B&B, got into bed around 2:30, and when the rest of the groups came home, they made some noise, but the owner had them quiet down pretty quickly and we were able to sleep.
The next night (after our tiring, cold trip around the peninsula), we napped, then walked around town in the rain looking for a non-seafood restaurant that wouldn't break the bank (I had a bad run-in with chowder the night before and the smell of it was going to bring back some not-too appetizing feelings). We had excellent quiche and baked potatoes and feeling warmed and sleepy, we heading back with a bottle of wine to get some rest.
We fell asleep around midnight, but were awoken at 2:30 to the sounds of shrill screams and loud yells from the incoming drunks who were sadly a part of our group. Hoping that it would calm down quickly like the night before, I held on to the thought of sleep. After nearly 15 minutes, though, there was no end. Group after group of drunken brats from Villanova and Lehigh stumbled into the lodge with absolutely no regard for their fellow travelers, all of whom were undoubtedly tossing and turning and mad.
We were awake for over an hour, and I was livid. These kids didn't have to pay for this trip, it is quite obvious. They have no respect for others, no concern for the academic aspects of the experience, and only want to drink. Many of them aren't 21, so the thought of getting wasted at a pub is the only thing on their mind. It is ridiculous. Our guides from NUI said they have never seen such horrible behavior, and everyone I spoke with about it was just appalled and embarrassed and of course, exhaustsed.
Luckily, that was the last overnight trip we have planned with the group, and it seems like for the most part now, they all just skip most classes and we can ignore them more or less.
But it was sad and completely pathetic that they had to ruin such a wonderful weekend. It really makes me glad that I didn't go away to college. I have no tolerance whatsoever for such insanely juvenile behavior. It is not funny, or cool, and I hope someday they realize what idiots they were. I know that sometimes a small minority can give the larger group a bad name. But this was more than a small minority, and being in any way associated with them was not a pleasant experience.
Perhaps that will be the only downside to this month in Ireland, and now it can only get better!
We spent the weekend in the beautiful (thought cold, blustery, and rainy) town of Dingle, and the surrounding peninsula. There is so much to see and do and luckily we had a warm (sometimes), dry bus to retreat to in between stops.
The first night we went to a pub (that was unfortunately filled with our fellow students), and had a decent time, until the drunken Irishmen started to corner us and vie for our attention. We wound up having to walk home one of our coordinators from NUI, because he is not a drinker and the stupid frat boys had him chug pint after pint...he wound up drinking 8 in just a few hours and he really wanted to go home.
That was fine, we made it back to the B&B, got into bed around 2:30, and when the rest of the groups came home, they made some noise, but the owner had them quiet down pretty quickly and we were able to sleep.
The next night (after our tiring, cold trip around the peninsula), we napped, then walked around town in the rain looking for a non-seafood restaurant that wouldn't break the bank (I had a bad run-in with chowder the night before and the smell of it was going to bring back some not-too appetizing feelings). We had excellent quiche and baked potatoes and feeling warmed and sleepy, we heading back with a bottle of wine to get some rest.
We fell asleep around midnight, but were awoken at 2:30 to the sounds of shrill screams and loud yells from the incoming drunks who were sadly a part of our group. Hoping that it would calm down quickly like the night before, I held on to the thought of sleep. After nearly 15 minutes, though, there was no end. Group after group of drunken brats from Villanova and Lehigh stumbled into the lodge with absolutely no regard for their fellow travelers, all of whom were undoubtedly tossing and turning and mad.
We were awake for over an hour, and I was livid. These kids didn't have to pay for this trip, it is quite obvious. They have no respect for others, no concern for the academic aspects of the experience, and only want to drink. Many of them aren't 21, so the thought of getting wasted at a pub is the only thing on their mind. It is ridiculous. Our guides from NUI said they have never seen such horrible behavior, and everyone I spoke with about it was just appalled and embarrassed and of course, exhaustsed.
Luckily, that was the last overnight trip we have planned with the group, and it seems like for the most part now, they all just skip most classes and we can ignore them more or less.
But it was sad and completely pathetic that they had to ruin such a wonderful weekend. It really makes me glad that I didn't go away to college. I have no tolerance whatsoever for such insanely juvenile behavior. It is not funny, or cool, and I hope someday they realize what idiots they were. I know that sometimes a small minority can give the larger group a bad name. But this was more than a small minority, and being in any way associated with them was not a pleasant experience.
Perhaps that will be the only downside to this month in Ireland, and now it can only get better!
Monday, July 10, 2006
Yummy food in STL and Galway
Duff's has been voted "Best Brunch" by the Sauce Magazine Readers Poll. Quite accurate, if you ask me ;)
Check out the list for some other interesting local establishments that you may not have heard of, too, and give them a try. St. Louis has an amazing amount of fantastic restaurants (sometimes I wonder if it's too many, per capita of those who choose to eat out at non-chain restaurants), and that is something that I really do miss here in Ireland. There can be a lot of monotony here, especially if you are on a budget.
I will say that my favorite place to eat here in Galway so far, though, is a yummy baked potato restaurant called Spud House (or something like that), and it seems to be something of a chain or small franchise...but it is fantastic. They take the idea of the baked potato stuffed with yummy things, and run with it. I can't really describe all of the options, but last night I had one stuffed with ham, mushrooms, pineapple, grilled onions, and pizza sauce and it was DELISH. I love me some potatoes!
Check out the list for some other interesting local establishments that you may not have heard of, too, and give them a try. St. Louis has an amazing amount of fantastic restaurants (sometimes I wonder if it's too many, per capita of those who choose to eat out at non-chain restaurants), and that is something that I really do miss here in Ireland. There can be a lot of monotony here, especially if you are on a budget.
I will say that my favorite place to eat here in Galway so far, though, is a yummy baked potato restaurant called Spud House (or something like that), and it seems to be something of a chain or small franchise...but it is fantastic. They take the idea of the baked potato stuffed with yummy things, and run with it. I can't really describe all of the options, but last night I had one stuffed with ham, mushrooms, pineapple, grilled onions, and pizza sauce and it was DELISH. I love me some potatoes!
Friday, July 07, 2006
Because there are probably lots of people who like free beer...
A little shameless self-promotion for Andrew:
Please join us this Saturday, July 8th between 2-6pm at Bon Vivant Wines for a complimentary tasting of some classic European beers.
The line-up for Saturday is as follows:
Germany:
Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen-Classic German wheat; juicy, spicy, complex and oh, so drinkable.
Monchshof Kellerbier- A very smooth, unfiltered Bavarian lager. A unique beer that you will make quick friends with.
Kostritzer Schwarzbier-Dry, light bodied, roasted and moderately bitter-a nice surprise for those who claim not to like "dark beer".
Schneider and Sons Aventinus Weizenbock- A very intense wheat dopplebock with a myriad of aromas and flavors.
UK:
Adnams Suffolk Special Bitter- A dry, hoppy and very refreshing amber bitter.
Wychwood Hobgoblin- Brown coloured ale w/ nutty, toffee flavours on the centre palate. One of my favourites-could drink by the litre.
Harvey's Tom Paine Porter- In this Age of Reason it's one of our Rights of Man and simply Common Sense to drink great beer.
Belhaven Wee Heavy- "I love Scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly..."
Belgium:
Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus- A complex, dry, intensely tart raspberry/cherry Iambic that begs for food. The true Champagne of Beers.
Fantome Saison- Fruity, funky and refreshing farmhouse ale.
Achel 8 Blonde- A strong, hoppy, authentic Trappist ale.
Duvel- A world classic Belgian strong ale for good reason. Soft, round texture and layers of flavor.
France:
Dupont Organic Cidre- Say au revoir to thin and bland & sweet and simple ciders. True apple flavors abound in this lightly sweet brunch time treat.
*****************************Forward this message along to all of your beer loving friends. Thanks!*********************************
Bon Vivant Wines
123 S. Main
Columbia, IL
618.281.3464
www.bonvivantwines.net
Please join us this Saturday, July 8th between 2-6pm at Bon Vivant Wines for a complimentary tasting of some classic European beers.
The line-up for Saturday is as follows:
Germany:
Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen-Classic German wheat; juicy, spicy, complex and oh, so drinkable.
Monchshof Kellerbier- A very smooth, unfiltered Bavarian lager. A unique beer that you will make quick friends with.
Kostritzer Schwarzbier-Dry, light bodied, roasted and moderately bitter-a nice surprise for those who claim not to like "dark beer".
Schneider and Sons Aventinus Weizenbock- A very intense wheat dopplebock with a myriad of aromas and flavors.
UK:
Adnams Suffolk Special Bitter- A dry, hoppy and very refreshing amber bitter.
Wychwood Hobgoblin- Brown coloured ale w/ nutty, toffee flavours on the centre palate. One of my favourites-could drink by the litre.
Harvey's Tom Paine Porter- In this Age of Reason it's one of our Rights of Man and simply Common Sense to drink great beer.
Belhaven Wee Heavy- "I love Scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly..."
Belgium:
Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus- A complex, dry, intensely tart raspberry/cherry Iambic that begs for food. The true Champagne of Beers.
Fantome Saison- Fruity, funky and refreshing farmhouse ale.
Achel 8 Blonde- A strong, hoppy, authentic Trappist ale.
Duvel- A world classic Belgian strong ale for good reason. Soft, round texture and layers of flavor.
France:
Dupont Organic Cidre- Say au revoir to thin and bland & sweet and simple ciders. True apple flavors abound in this lightly sweet brunch time treat.
*****************************Forward this message along to all of your beer loving friends. Thanks!*********************************
Bon Vivant Wines
123 S. Main
Columbia, IL
618.281.3464
www.bonvivantwines.net
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Plumbing
So I never thought that I would have an appreciation for American plumbing, nor would I ever consider it unique or well-designed. But after a little more than a week here in Ireland, I can say that the good ol US of A has a pretty logical take on things.
For one, we don't have showers that require you to pull a string coming from the bathroom ceiling somewhere before you even have a chance of turning on the water. I mean, this thing looks like a light switch pull leftover from a previous wiring set-up, and as I have heard, is not unique to our apartment complex. So my two and half days without a shower could have been avoided with a two-second motion that no one bothered to mention was a requirement to us "stupid Americans."
Frustrating.
Secondly, have you ever been in an old building or house and noticed that some sinks have separate taps for the hot and cold water? It makes pretty much no sense at all, and turns things like washing your hands or face into an uncomfortable, at best, endeavor. These lovely faucets are more or less everywhere, including our apartment complex and I do not like them. I'm dealing, and you see the locals turn them both on, and quickly move their hands back and forth. It's awkward and you better hope that the hot isn't going to scald. Last night at a more modern bar they had automatic sinks and it was amazing. Perfectly temperature regulated water from one faucet! Brilliant.
To go along with the handwashing drama, they do not use paper towels any where in Ireland really, which of course is great for conservation and litter purposes. However, the automatic dryers that take the place of the nice brown paper towel roll seem to often be cheap, finicky, and inefficient. It's ok, though, because I would rather use my pants legs and see a cleaner, less wasteful bathroom...But it's different, for sure.
And now on to the toilets. Or should I say WC? It's called either name, and not "restroom." First of all, it can then feel somewhat awkward to ask a bartender in a loud pub where the toilets are. But that is just because I'm a foreigner and they don't think anything of it. It is better to use the local terms, of course...Otherwise you sound stupid. Like the girl in front of me at school who asked for a bag of chips, not crisps, and then tried to correct herself by saying "or is it fries." Wow. Do a little homework, chickie. But I digress.
The toilets. For one, they usually really are a "water closet", with the flusher coming out of the wall and not attached to the actual toilet. And the flusher is on the left, when facing the bowl, rather than the right. And then there is the water. The level in the bowl is incredibly low, making everything really really loud. That's right. Everything. Fine, if conservation is the idea, right? Well, then you flush, and this huge rush of water comes swirling out and goes around and around and keeps coming and goes for what seems like minutes until it all drains away back to it's clean, yet low, former level. Odd. They are loud as anything, and my roomie and I have adopted a no flushing in the middle of the night rule because that thing could wake the dead.
I have to finish by saying that I am well aware that every country has their own way of doing things (such as driving on the left side of the road) and there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with that. Homogeneity is boring. That is what traveling is about, seeing new and different ways of living life. But I have taken my observations into account with an open mind, and I still don't see the benefit of the two-headed faucet, or low level, torrential flushing toilet. But maybe I am just being a stupid American. I gotta represent, you know ;)
For one, we don't have showers that require you to pull a string coming from the bathroom ceiling somewhere before you even have a chance of turning on the water. I mean, this thing looks like a light switch pull leftover from a previous wiring set-up, and as I have heard, is not unique to our apartment complex. So my two and half days without a shower could have been avoided with a two-second motion that no one bothered to mention was a requirement to us "stupid Americans."
Frustrating.
Secondly, have you ever been in an old building or house and noticed that some sinks have separate taps for the hot and cold water? It makes pretty much no sense at all, and turns things like washing your hands or face into an uncomfortable, at best, endeavor. These lovely faucets are more or less everywhere, including our apartment complex and I do not like them. I'm dealing, and you see the locals turn them both on, and quickly move their hands back and forth. It's awkward and you better hope that the hot isn't going to scald. Last night at a more modern bar they had automatic sinks and it was amazing. Perfectly temperature regulated water from one faucet! Brilliant.
To go along with the handwashing drama, they do not use paper towels any where in Ireland really, which of course is great for conservation and litter purposes. However, the automatic dryers that take the place of the nice brown paper towel roll seem to often be cheap, finicky, and inefficient. It's ok, though, because I would rather use my pants legs and see a cleaner, less wasteful bathroom...But it's different, for sure.
And now on to the toilets. Or should I say WC? It's called either name, and not "restroom." First of all, it can then feel somewhat awkward to ask a bartender in a loud pub where the toilets are. But that is just because I'm a foreigner and they don't think anything of it. It is better to use the local terms, of course...Otherwise you sound stupid. Like the girl in front of me at school who asked for a bag of chips, not crisps, and then tried to correct herself by saying "or is it fries." Wow. Do a little homework, chickie. But I digress.
The toilets. For one, they usually really are a "water closet", with the flusher coming out of the wall and not attached to the actual toilet. And the flusher is on the left, when facing the bowl, rather than the right. And then there is the water. The level in the bowl is incredibly low, making everything really really loud. That's right. Everything. Fine, if conservation is the idea, right? Well, then you flush, and this huge rush of water comes swirling out and goes around and around and keeps coming and goes for what seems like minutes until it all drains away back to it's clean, yet low, former level. Odd. They are loud as anything, and my roomie and I have adopted a no flushing in the middle of the night rule because that thing could wake the dead.
I have to finish by saying that I am well aware that every country has their own way of doing things (such as driving on the left side of the road) and there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with that. Homogeneity is boring. That is what traveling is about, seeing new and different ways of living life. But I have taken my observations into account with an open mind, and I still don't see the benefit of the two-headed faucet, or low level, torrential flushing toilet. But maybe I am just being a stupid American. I gotta represent, you know ;)
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
The Quays
We have gone to a pub a couple times called The Quays (pronounced Keys), and it is a pretty cool, typical Irish pub. Cheap pints here, and a Guinness is only €3.80 with no tipping.
Both times we have been there, they have had a traditional Irish band playing, but they don't always play traditional songs.
Two that stand out in my memory, and Jerry will surely appreciate this were: Redemption Song, and The Games People Play.
Weird, but fun. Actually, not like I didn't expect Irish musicians to know or sing "american" songs, but to just switch back and forth, well, I felt like I might as well be at Nick's pub or McGurks. Ah well.
Sometimes, with all of the tourists and other students from the program around, it is hard to remember that I am in a completely different country, and not just some other city. It sinks in when we are out in the countryside, but still, there are always so many tourists! I wonder what it would be like to live there and have to deal with those people all the time. St. Louis surely doesn't have the influx of tourism that this place does, and I have a feeling that if that were the case, it would get old.
Both times we have been there, they have had a traditional Irish band playing, but they don't always play traditional songs.
Two that stand out in my memory, and Jerry will surely appreciate this were: Redemption Song, and The Games People Play.
Weird, but fun. Actually, not like I didn't expect Irish musicians to know or sing "american" songs, but to just switch back and forth, well, I felt like I might as well be at Nick's pub or McGurks. Ah well.
Sometimes, with all of the tourists and other students from the program around, it is hard to remember that I am in a completely different country, and not just some other city. It sinks in when we are out in the countryside, but still, there are always so many tourists! I wonder what it would be like to live there and have to deal with those people all the time. St. Louis surely doesn't have the influx of tourism that this place does, and I have a feeling that if that were the case, it would get old.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Happy Cows, No Showers, and a Sunburn
This will be a bit long because I have been away from a computer since Friday afternoon.
We spent the weekend touring many places in the lower half of Ireland. Saturday was spent crossing the country (in just about 2 and a half hours) by going to Dublin via train. It was a beautiful trip across the countryside, and I think the best part was just seeing vast expanses of land that haven't been touched except for the clearing of stones from the land and the resulting low walls that divide the pasture. There are very few fields plowed for farming, and even fewer plots that have actual crops growing on them, and it is refreshing. In the midwest when you travel by train, it is just cornfield or soybean field after the other, and the wilderness is just obliterated, oftentimes for the sake of a ridiculous surplus harvest of GMO crops.
The other main difference when traveling through the gorgeous land was that the animals (cows, horses, and sheep) are all HUGE, and healthy, and active. They seem so free, with the occasional marking or ear-tag, but the herds are small, and they have so much room to roam about, grazing when they want, and relaxing in the shade at will. There are no massive feedlots filled with antibiotic-tainted mass bred pitiful looking animals. Yet the fresh meat is in no short supply and priced affordable.
Dublin itself is overrated, though, at least without a large amount of planning and spending money. We arrived around 10, walked around, figured out where the Guinness factory was, and then hit the streets looking for interesting tourist spots and neighborhoods along the way. Not so easy, though, because it is a big city, that is almost generic. I kept forgetting that we were actually in a foreign country. The accents there aren't even that strong.
After walking around town for a bit and seeing a few old churches (St. Audoen, a medival church was free and really cool), we made it to Guinness to get in a LONG line for the tour.
The line (queue) goes quickly, and once you get in, you get to pay €14 (€9.50 for students) to give yourself a tour of the majorly commercialized and Americanized old factory. Never do you see actual Guinness being made, but rather videos played on fancy flat screen monitors with displays of the brewing machinery and advertising paraphanalia throughout. At the end, you go to the top, redeem your free pint, and stand in a crowded bar in the highest point in the city, the Gravity Bar. It's a round room, that is all windows, so you can see the whole city, but it still didn't feel like Ireland. The pint was good, cold, and fresh, but the atmosphere leaves much to be desired.
Most everything else interesting closed at 5pm on Saturday, so we hit the train station pub and cafe for some dinner, and got on an earlier train back to Galway. We walked to a wine shop in town and picked up a few bottles to drink, and then read up a bit on the islands for our trip the next morning.
Another early morning on Sunday to meet the class at school for the bus to the ferry to the Islands. It's another gorgeous trip though, along the Connemara Coastline and through a few quaint towns, and some pretty developed, like suburbs.
The ferry took off for the Islands around 10, and shortly after getting out to the bay, a coast guard helicopter began following us. Turns out, they were doing a training exercise where a guy sends down a rope, then himself, to the back of our ferry, and then has a stretcher sent down to him, and then both her and the stretcher, after being secured, get pulled back up to the hovering helicopter. It was pretty cool to watch, and quite unexpected and loud. But that was completely off the subject of the actual Islands themselves.
So we get to Inismoor, the largest of the Islands, and it was quaint, but you could tell that it subsists on mostly tourism for economic growth. They only got electricity out to these islands about 30 years ago, and the people speak Irish, but know English, probably from dealing with tourists every day.
We rented bikes and rode across the coast of the Island to a small restaurant for lunch, and then walked to begin a tour of the main ruin on the Island, a fort that is at the very top and dates back to the Iron Age. It was a long hike, over really rocky terrain, but worth it for such a cool view of the Island from the top. You could lay at the edge of the cliff, and the drop was just terrifying. At least 200 feet straight down to the water.
There were a bunch of other tourist groups, plus our whole group of over 100 students (many of whom are still kind of being stupid Americans when we are all out somewhere), so my group waited around and walked back later after everyone. We got back on our bikes and had a slower ride back down the Island into town. We stopped at a pub for a pint (Bulmer's cider was delish after riding all day), and listened to a few locals play the guitar and sing traditional songs, mixed with some Beatles.
Once we made it back to the pier to catch our ferry, I realized that I was burnt. I even brought sunscreen, but no one was expecting such a beautiful, warm day, so I didn't put it on. Plus, the sun is out for a really long time in the summer, so I don't think it starts to burn you until it is later in the day. I was just too distracted by all of the cool things we were seeing, not to mention riding a bike, to remember putting it on. It's not bad, but just not what I expected to happen in Ireland!
Finally, we got home, and all we wanted was to shower and make a quick dinner. Now, the shower in my bathroom that I share with my roommate Laine is already broken. We had a work request in for it on Friday, but I didn't expect anything to happen until this afternoon. Fine because there is another shower in the apartment that we could use. WELL, we go to turn this one on, and it just didn't do anything. I know that may sound weird, how could the showers just not turn on, but they are controlled with an electric faucet/shower head thing. So...it's possible that we blew them out somehow, from overuse or something, or that they just suck. Regardless, we didn't get to shower last night. Fine, though, because we could go next door in the morning and use theirs since we had later classes.
Morning comes, and our downstairs roomie comes up to let us know that the shower did indeed work for her this morning. Excellent, another hour to sleep in! So we got up around 10, and went to turn the shower on, craving a hot soak to wash off two days of sweat and dirt and soreness. Not so lucky. Nothing happened. We had to get to class, so Laine and I are now going on way too many days since a shower. Saturday morning was the last one. I am gross. So I am off now to the apartment and HOPEFULLY it is fixed. If not, there is always the neighbors, but seriously, what is wrong with having a normal plumbing shower head? For real.
Ah well, I will write more tomorrow. Longer day of classes then, but it is really exciting to be in school and not have to go to work. That is still the best feeling ever!
We spent the weekend touring many places in the lower half of Ireland. Saturday was spent crossing the country (in just about 2 and a half hours) by going to Dublin via train. It was a beautiful trip across the countryside, and I think the best part was just seeing vast expanses of land that haven't been touched except for the clearing of stones from the land and the resulting low walls that divide the pasture. There are very few fields plowed for farming, and even fewer plots that have actual crops growing on them, and it is refreshing. In the midwest when you travel by train, it is just cornfield or soybean field after the other, and the wilderness is just obliterated, oftentimes for the sake of a ridiculous surplus harvest of GMO crops.
The other main difference when traveling through the gorgeous land was that the animals (cows, horses, and sheep) are all HUGE, and healthy, and active. They seem so free, with the occasional marking or ear-tag, but the herds are small, and they have so much room to roam about, grazing when they want, and relaxing in the shade at will. There are no massive feedlots filled with antibiotic-tainted mass bred pitiful looking animals. Yet the fresh meat is in no short supply and priced affordable.
Dublin itself is overrated, though, at least without a large amount of planning and spending money. We arrived around 10, walked around, figured out where the Guinness factory was, and then hit the streets looking for interesting tourist spots and neighborhoods along the way. Not so easy, though, because it is a big city, that is almost generic. I kept forgetting that we were actually in a foreign country. The accents there aren't even that strong.
After walking around town for a bit and seeing a few old churches (St. Audoen, a medival church was free and really cool), we made it to Guinness to get in a LONG line for the tour.
The line (queue) goes quickly, and once you get in, you get to pay €14 (€9.50 for students) to give yourself a tour of the majorly commercialized and Americanized old factory. Never do you see actual Guinness being made, but rather videos played on fancy flat screen monitors with displays of the brewing machinery and advertising paraphanalia throughout. At the end, you go to the top, redeem your free pint, and stand in a crowded bar in the highest point in the city, the Gravity Bar. It's a round room, that is all windows, so you can see the whole city, but it still didn't feel like Ireland. The pint was good, cold, and fresh, but the atmosphere leaves much to be desired.
Most everything else interesting closed at 5pm on Saturday, so we hit the train station pub and cafe for some dinner, and got on an earlier train back to Galway. We walked to a wine shop in town and picked up a few bottles to drink, and then read up a bit on the islands for our trip the next morning.
Another early morning on Sunday to meet the class at school for the bus to the ferry to the Islands. It's another gorgeous trip though, along the Connemara Coastline and through a few quaint towns, and some pretty developed, like suburbs.
The ferry took off for the Islands around 10, and shortly after getting out to the bay, a coast guard helicopter began following us. Turns out, they were doing a training exercise where a guy sends down a rope, then himself, to the back of our ferry, and then has a stretcher sent down to him, and then both her and the stretcher, after being secured, get pulled back up to the hovering helicopter. It was pretty cool to watch, and quite unexpected and loud. But that was completely off the subject of the actual Islands themselves.
So we get to Inismoor, the largest of the Islands, and it was quaint, but you could tell that it subsists on mostly tourism for economic growth. They only got electricity out to these islands about 30 years ago, and the people speak Irish, but know English, probably from dealing with tourists every day.
We rented bikes and rode across the coast of the Island to a small restaurant for lunch, and then walked to begin a tour of the main ruin on the Island, a fort that is at the very top and dates back to the Iron Age. It was a long hike, over really rocky terrain, but worth it for such a cool view of the Island from the top. You could lay at the edge of the cliff, and the drop was just terrifying. At least 200 feet straight down to the water.
There were a bunch of other tourist groups, plus our whole group of over 100 students (many of whom are still kind of being stupid Americans when we are all out somewhere), so my group waited around and walked back later after everyone. We got back on our bikes and had a slower ride back down the Island into town. We stopped at a pub for a pint (Bulmer's cider was delish after riding all day), and listened to a few locals play the guitar and sing traditional songs, mixed with some Beatles.
Once we made it back to the pier to catch our ferry, I realized that I was burnt. I even brought sunscreen, but no one was expecting such a beautiful, warm day, so I didn't put it on. Plus, the sun is out for a really long time in the summer, so I don't think it starts to burn you until it is later in the day. I was just too distracted by all of the cool things we were seeing, not to mention riding a bike, to remember putting it on. It's not bad, but just not what I expected to happen in Ireland!
Finally, we got home, and all we wanted was to shower and make a quick dinner. Now, the shower in my bathroom that I share with my roommate Laine is already broken. We had a work request in for it on Friday, but I didn't expect anything to happen until this afternoon. Fine because there is another shower in the apartment that we could use. WELL, we go to turn this one on, and it just didn't do anything. I know that may sound weird, how could the showers just not turn on, but they are controlled with an electric faucet/shower head thing. So...it's possible that we blew them out somehow, from overuse or something, or that they just suck. Regardless, we didn't get to shower last night. Fine, though, because we could go next door in the morning and use theirs since we had later classes.
Morning comes, and our downstairs roomie comes up to let us know that the shower did indeed work for her this morning. Excellent, another hour to sleep in! So we got up around 10, and went to turn the shower on, craving a hot soak to wash off two days of sweat and dirt and soreness. Not so lucky. Nothing happened. We had to get to class, so Laine and I are now going on way too many days since a shower. Saturday morning was the last one. I am gross. So I am off now to the apartment and HOPEFULLY it is fixed. If not, there is always the neighbors, but seriously, what is wrong with having a normal plumbing shower head? For real.
Ah well, I will write more tomorrow. Longer day of classes then, but it is really exciting to be in school and not have to go to work. That is still the best feeling ever!
Ireland Photos
There is a link to my yahoo photos online album on the left there. I haven't had a chance to name any, or put any captions or even rotate the vertical ones, but as I get time, I will be adding to it and stuff. That is just from the first 4 days here, and I still haven't taken any pictures of the school, the apartments, or much of Galway itself. We went to Dublin and the Aran Islands, and so most of the pictures are from those places.
This was the first chance I got to sit at a computer since Friday afternoon, so I guess there is a bit of catching up to do.
This was the first chance I got to sit at a computer since Friday afternoon, so I guess there is a bit of catching up to do.
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