So, yesterday was a fabulous Sunday afternoon in the city. I awoke around 12:15 and had Meg come over to recap our previous night and take some laundry to do for me...we are such a team, haha. Then I had to briefly suffer through my two roommates recap of their previous night, which, suffice to say, was a bit more immoral than my own. After gagging a bunch of times and trying to not laugh at their idiocy from behind my book, I was relieved by the entrance of my third and best roommate. We ate lunch together, talked about our weekend, and then she offered me pure gold in the form of homemade French crepes drizzled with honey. Ohhhh, it was love.
Soon after, Tara, Andrew and I decided to take advantage of the SUNNY weather (oh yes, there is sun here, prior to what some may think -- including myself), and wander into town. We needed groceries, wanted to see some of our favorite pubs in daylight, and just wanted to generally take in the town. And that we did. First we walked down the main road, stopping to buy post cards and look for ping pong balls (to no avail), then we made it to Eyre Square, which was absolutely gorgeous in the sunlight. We walked into the main mall, where Tara and I immediately hit up a store that was having a sale. We walked out 45 minutes later laden with bags and huge smiles. I scored FIVE wonderful tops (since yes, that's all I ever buy) to wear in Spain, etc. and Tara got a cute dress and heels, also for Spain. I am saving all these clothes for non-Ireland weekends, so its worth it/more exciting.
Andrew waited patiently for us, and remarked that he just sat on the couch "with the rest of the dads...". Haha. After that we stopped briefly at Dunnes to stock up on essentials (bread, tomato sauce and beer), and then began to walk home. However, we found ourselves on Quay Street, near the harbor, which we had never before investigated. Since it was only four pm, and the sun was still SHINING, we walked along the water and took pictures. It was gorgeous. On the way back we were solicited by a local theater company to walk across their green screen to elicit some what of a city feel...I don't know why they didn't just film the centre of Galway, but it was fun nonetheless. Who knows, maybe that was my big break!
After walking home along the River Corrib, we broke for a bit and then rejoined at Andrew's for taco dip (cream cheese, refried beans, salsa and cheese - pop it in the oven) and taco salad (layers of taco tasting beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, etc.). Yum! After deciding against going out, probably a great decision, we got pints of Ben and Jerry's and watched Wedding Crashers. I was in bed by midnight. Love it.
This week of classes is going to fly, as well as the nights, since we are celebrating Andrew's birthday both Tues and Wed nights (the big 21!) I am also hoping to go see some on-campus movies as part of the FilmSoc here, since they're showing Blood Diamond and one other good one. Meanwhile, I have finished Middlesex (read it if you haven't) and have begun We Need to Talk about Kevin, a weirdly titled piece of fiction written from the point of view of a mother who's son commits a Columbine-like crime at the age of 16. The book is written in letters from the mother to her estranged husband and documents her son Kevin's every move, from before his birth to after he is incarcerated, trying to look for answers. So far its amazing - well written and I can't put it down.
I love having days where I can just sit and read...it's so relaxing. I love that I still haven't spent any substantial amount of time in front of the TV. And I love Todd Morrison. (Just got out of class with him again).
Things I miss: Hillside panninis, ketchup that tastes like ketchup and not like tomato sauce, ketchup that is free and not 25 cents a packet, Caesar salads, BC football games, having everyone on the same time zone as me, not having to use three different keys to get into my room, and having a car.
However, not having these things is forcing me out of my comfort zone, which is inevitably why I chose to study abroad in the first place. And, reviewing that list (although it is not complete, obviously) I am lucky if these are the only inconveniences I can list right now...
Well, tonight Tara is making penne vodka and then I am off to judge a competition between Molly and Alex: round one - drink making; round two - bowling competition; round three - rock, paper, scissors, best out of 101. Haha, we are mindless at times. And I love it. (Loser has to wear the same shirt (chosen by the winner) on the outside of their clothes for one week.)
BYE!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Student Teaching/Update
So, Thursday was my first day at the Schoile Brihol (sorry, but I am totally winging it on the spelling, and I have no idea how to pronounce it either...) elementary school. I was up at 8am to get ready and walk a looong way up some hills, etc. to the school. Good thing it wasn't raining. I got there around 8:50, wandered in the unlocked door and aimlessly stood in the hallway, watching all the kids walk in. I had been given instructions to go to the office of the secretary, but since the door seemed to be locked (shocked that someone in Ireland would be late to work...haha) I just observed. Finally, after about ten minutes, I located the principle's office (Frank - great guy), and he introduced me to my cooperating teacher.
My CT's name is Susan and she's probably not even thirty, very thin and pretty. She was dressed sort of nicely, somewhat unlike the usual kindergarten teacher, but she was very nice. She brought me to the classroom and introduced me to the other student teacher who is doing the last segment of her masters, so she's like thirty, and also really nice.
There are about 20 kids in the "Junior Infant" classroom, ranging in age from four to six. About half are boys, half girls, and about half are white and half are black. The room is very sparse, with not a lot of things on the walls or supplies,
although the school is in a nice area and relatively well off. The kids are adorable. There is one little boy named Mike O'Donnell who comes from a gypsy family and travels in a legit caravan. He is pretty rambunctious and loooves to test your limits, but with his red hair and freckles (and the fact that he was the only one who remembered my name), he is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
The day was very open and unstructured -- much less structured than at home. This could have been due to the fact that the kids were getting their immunization shots that morning, but I think it's just generally much more lax. The kids are young enough that they don't do much reading/writing/math, although some of them don't even know how to write their names, which at this point they should be able to do.
All in all I had a good day and I'm excited to go back. The kids are sweet, the school is great, the teachers seem smart, and everyone is nice. I also get to wear jeans and sneakers and play outside for at least an hour each day, so what beats that?
In other news, I have fallen in love with Aero bars. I haven't seen them in the states, but they are delicious. They are chocolate with little bubbles inside so it melts in your mouth. You can get them in mint or with caramel and...I love them.
I also have booked a flight to Scotland for next weekend to visit Dan. Molly and Tara are coming with me...whoo hoo!
This weekend has been really fun. I met the boys who live downstairs from me, finally, and they are awesome. They both go to schools in VA but are from NJ and CT. We went out last night to a pub called Monroe's for some authentic Irish music, and I discovered my new favorite drink (sorry Mom and Dad) - Powers whiskey with lime and black current. Oh, my, God. It's absolutely delicious. And you get to pour it all
yourself. After all that beer (sorry Mom and Dad) it was a welcome change. However, it is definitely classified as a girly drink, because it's so sweet, so I can only really drink one or two per night or I feel stupid/sort of sick, haha.
Classes are good - some are boring, some not. The weather was horrible for two days and then nice for two days. Tara has friends from BC visiting from Cork this weekend...Jim is in London...Andrew's birthday is Wednesday. I registered with immigration and finally registered for classes on Friday...productive.
So yeah, everything is going well. I'm getting into the swing of things here and now I'm looking forward to travelling.
My CT's name is Susan and she's probably not even thirty, very thin and pretty. She was dressed sort of nicely, somewhat unlike the usual kindergarten teacher, but she was very nice. She brought me to the classroom and introduced me to the other student teacher who is doing the last segment of her masters, so she's like thirty, and also really nice.
There are about 20 kids in the "Junior Infant" classroom, ranging in age from four to six. About half are boys, half girls, and about half are white and half are black. The room is very sparse, with not a lot of things on the walls or supplies,
although the school is in a nice area and relatively well off. The kids are adorable. There is one little boy named Mike O'Donnell who comes from a gypsy family and travels in a legit caravan. He is pretty rambunctious and loooves to test your limits, but with his red hair and freckles (and the fact that he was the only one who remembered my name), he is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
The day was very open and unstructured -- much less structured than at home. This could have been due to the fact that the kids were getting their immunization shots that morning, but I think it's just generally much more lax. The kids are young enough that they don't do much reading/writing/math, although some of them don't even know how to write their names, which at this point they should be able to do.
All in all I had a good day and I'm excited to go back. The kids are sweet, the school is great, the teachers seem smart, and everyone is nice. I also get to wear jeans and sneakers and play outside for at least an hour each day, so what beats that?
In other news, I have fallen in love with Aero bars. I haven't seen them in the states, but they are delicious. They are chocolate with little bubbles inside so it melts in your mouth. You can get them in mint or with caramel and...I love them.
I also have booked a flight to Scotland for next weekend to visit Dan. Molly and Tara are coming with me...whoo hoo!
This weekend has been really fun. I met the boys who live downstairs from me, finally, and they are awesome. They both go to schools in VA but are from NJ and CT. We went out last night to a pub called Monroe's for some authentic Irish music, and I discovered my new favorite drink (sorry Mom and Dad) - Powers whiskey with lime and black current. Oh, my, God. It's absolutely delicious. And you get to pour it all
yourself. After all that beer (sorry Mom and Dad) it was a welcome change. However, it is definitely classified as a girly drink, because it's so sweet, so I can only really drink one or two per night or I feel stupid/sort of sick, haha.
Classes are good - some are boring, some not. The weather was horrible for two days and then nice for two days. Tara has friends from BC visiting from Cork this weekend...Jim is in London...Andrew's birthday is Wednesday. I registered with immigration and finally registered for classes on Friday...productive.
So yeah, everything is going well. I'm getting into the swing of things here and now I'm looking forward to travelling.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Todd Morrison
Since I left my camera cord at home, I haven't been able to get any of my travelling pictures off my camera and onto the computer. However, with the genius problem-solving skills that the Boston College Carroll School of Management has placed within her, Meaghan soon discovered that if I put my memory card in her camera and linked her camera to the computer, it would work. Amen.
So a brief collection of pictures from Madrid and Barcelona will be coming soon. I will do Ireland pics soon too.
Also a little post script about my new favorite professor, Todd Morrison, of Social Psych:
Throughout class last night he would randomly break off on a tangent about one unrelated thing or another. By the end, we had been told that there were three important questions to work on for next class:
1. Why has Britney Spears begun speaking with a British accent as of late?
2. Why does his KICK! energy drink only cost 52 cents, while a Red Bull costs more than 3 euro.
And finally...
3. Is there any place on campus that is actually air-conditioned and not 92.5 degrees all the god damn time?
He is absolutely hilarious and I can't wait to take the rest of these classes with him.
So a brief collection of pictures from Madrid and Barcelona will be coming soon. I will do Ireland pics soon too.
Also a little post script about my new favorite professor, Todd Morrison, of Social Psych:
Throughout class last night he would randomly break off on a tangent about one unrelated thing or another. By the end, we had been told that there were three important questions to work on for next class:
1. Why has Britney Spears begun speaking with a British accent as of late?
2. Why does his KICK! energy drink only cost 52 cents, while a Red Bull costs more than 3 euro.
And finally...
3. Is there any place on campus that is actually air-conditioned and not 92.5 degrees all the god damn time?
He is absolutely hilarious and I can't wait to take the rest of these classes with him.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Laundry and trips
Saturday was laundry day. This means that I have not done any laundry since leaving the United States on December 29th...yeah, I brought a lot of clothes with me. However, once it came down to buying another set of new socks or doing my laundry, I chose laundry (finally).
So, I awaken to (what else?) but rain, and call up my friend Andrew to come along. We wandered along the empty streets of Corrib Village toward the closed registration building and tiny mini-mart, to the laundry room. The room itself resembles a prison cell. Its large enough to fit 6 dryers on top of 6 washing machines, as well as a row of folding chairs and a pop machine. Excellent. We took our positions, sorting and separating. As soon as I put in my two loads, I was hit with some news...three of the washers and three of the dryers were so jammed with money that they didn't work. I learned this after putting in a two euro coin and having ten cents roll out. Fun. So, we got some pen caps and went to work making some extra change...hahah. We are going to go back with a wire hanger and make bank soon.
Anyway, this basically meant that there were only three washers and three dryers for my two loads and Andrew's two loads. To end this pointless story, we ended up sitting there for almost three hours and finally got everything done. We went from talking about our night, to our roommates, to BC, to sports, to our hometowns, where we've travelled, the Discovery Channel, animals we don't like...everything. I feel like I know that kid really well now, haha. It was fun I guess.
In other news, a bunch of us booked tickets to fly to Madrid and Sevilla in February to meet up with a lot of friends who are abroad there and celebrate Carnivale. I'm so excited. That is February 7th-11th, the first weekend in Feb. The second weekend we are all going to Dublin on a BC-sponsored weekend with Margaret and her husband. I'm sure it's going to be a riot. The third weekend in Feb. is when both Meg and Molly's families are coming to visit, so that will be nice. It's also incidentally "Rag Week" at school that week, which stands for "Raise a Grand" week. Basically, it's a drinking festival on campus used to raise money for the school. Apparently none of the teachers hold classes and instead everyone participates in events to raise money for NUI. Last year they made $100,000 in five days. This should be great.
I need to get to London and Scotland soon to see Ashley/Tim, etc. and Dan, respectively. Other than that, I'll probably go on the International Student Society trip to Belfast, and I'm sure I'll make it to Cork and Limerick on weekends when we are here. I also need to plan Spring break which will probably lead to me to Greece and Italy.
I expect to be in serious debt upon returning to the states. And probably about ten pounds heavier after Italy/Greece.
I start student teaching on Thursday and this weekend two BC friends of Tara's are visting, so it should be fun.
I'm also considering applying to spend a weekend in an Irish homestay, which could be a great experience.
Everything here is still really fun. We went out every night this weekend except for Tuesday, and it all starts over tomorrow. The people here are so friendly and welcoming, the Irish boys all love to dance, we've found some more great places to go, and I am getting used to all the walking.
Everyone should really come and visit me ASAP. <3 Caro
So, I awaken to (what else?) but rain, and call up my friend Andrew to come along. We wandered along the empty streets of Corrib Village toward the closed registration building and tiny mini-mart, to the laundry room. The room itself resembles a prison cell. Its large enough to fit 6 dryers on top of 6 washing machines, as well as a row of folding chairs and a pop machine. Excellent. We took our positions, sorting and separating. As soon as I put in my two loads, I was hit with some news...three of the washers and three of the dryers were so jammed with money that they didn't work. I learned this after putting in a two euro coin and having ten cents roll out. Fun. So, we got some pen caps and went to work making some extra change...hahah. We are going to go back with a wire hanger and make bank soon.
Anyway, this basically meant that there were only three washers and three dryers for my two loads and Andrew's two loads. To end this pointless story, we ended up sitting there for almost three hours and finally got everything done. We went from talking about our night, to our roommates, to BC, to sports, to our hometowns, where we've travelled, the Discovery Channel, animals we don't like...everything. I feel like I know that kid really well now, haha. It was fun I guess.
In other news, a bunch of us booked tickets to fly to Madrid and Sevilla in February to meet up with a lot of friends who are abroad there and celebrate Carnivale. I'm so excited. That is February 7th-11th, the first weekend in Feb. The second weekend we are all going to Dublin on a BC-sponsored weekend with Margaret and her husband. I'm sure it's going to be a riot. The third weekend in Feb. is when both Meg and Molly's families are coming to visit, so that will be nice. It's also incidentally "Rag Week" at school that week, which stands for "Raise a Grand" week. Basically, it's a drinking festival on campus used to raise money for the school. Apparently none of the teachers hold classes and instead everyone participates in events to raise money for NUI. Last year they made $100,000 in five days. This should be great.
I need to get to London and Scotland soon to see Ashley/Tim, etc. and Dan, respectively. Other than that, I'll probably go on the International Student Society trip to Belfast, and I'm sure I'll make it to Cork and Limerick on weekends when we are here. I also need to plan Spring break which will probably lead to me to Greece and Italy.
I expect to be in serious debt upon returning to the states. And probably about ten pounds heavier after Italy/Greece.
I start student teaching on Thursday and this weekend two BC friends of Tara's are visting, so it should be fun.
I'm also considering applying to spend a weekend in an Irish homestay, which could be a great experience.
Everything here is still really fun. We went out every night this weekend except for Tuesday, and it all starts over tomorrow. The people here are so friendly and welcoming, the Irish boys all love to dance, we've found some more great places to go, and I am getting used to all the walking.
Everyone should really come and visit me ASAP. <3 Caro
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Classes, etc.
Soo that Social Psych class I mentioned? We went to the wrong room and missed the whole thing, so we walked over to Tesco's for beers instead. I mean why not?...haha. We each got four or five big cans of different beers and then tasted them all to see which ones we preferred. A lot of the beer here is literally black and looks more like a milkshake than actual beer, but they don't taste too bad. Anyway, we decided Smithwyck's was the way to go.
That night, the boys had a party at their apartment and invited everyone in the three buildings around them, so we met a lot of nice new people, including a girl who is on the rugby team here and who had just flown back from spending her break in Nepal working at an orphanage..so cool. We just chatted and met new people and I finally learned how to play Guitar Hero, however poorly I may have been at it. (Though it did help that I was playing along with a kid who wins contests as a professional GH player...no joke.)
After the party dwindled we took off for town, going to two or three pubs in the rain before calling it quits. We met some kids from Villanova (there are 30 of them here this semester...), including one who's twin brother goes to BC. I also saw a delivery truck outside Dominos and ended up being handed a pile of raw dough. Sweet.
Tuesday was my first real day of classes. My first one was called "Problems in the History of Ireland, 1580-1700" or something along those lines. I wanted to take at least one Irish history course while I'm here, and this one seems fine enough. The prof is a cute, bald Irish guy who seems nice and very welcoming. It also doesn't hurt that Jim, Molly and Meg are in it as well.
After class we grabbed lunch, and then I almost got hit by a van since I was looking the wrong way when crossing the street(since the cars drive on the wrong side of the street here...duh, Caroline). I tried out a class called simply "The Habsberg Empire", which I quickly decided was not for me. However, the professor was hilarious looking. He is almost seven feet tall, bald, with glasses, and was wearing tannish-brown pants, a white and red checked shirt, a navy sweater, a tan blazer with red and green details, and to top it all off, a bow tie. I loved it. The next day in class, Meg told me he was wearing the same outfit again, just a different bow tie.
After Habsberg, Molly and I went to the second session of Social Psych, which seems interesting and is taught by a hilarious prof named Todd (an American). We decided against going out, since the weather was horrible and we had early classes the next day, and instead ordered pizza and watched the Discovery Channel for probably three hours. It was great.
That night I was awoken at one am by loud roommates, who kept me up until 3am, at which point the fire alarm in my building was pulled again. Fabulous. I guess thats what we get for living in a residence area with mostly first year students...
Yesterday was supposed to be my day of having classes straight from 9am to 4pm, but my first class at 9 was cancelled, since the prof had a family emergency, and my ten and twelve don't start until next week I found out. That meant that I didn't have class until 2, (whoo hoo!!) so I slept late and then went to campus to check out Societies Day. After wandering through all the tables, I signed up for the International Students Society, the Media Society, the Film Society and the Food and Drink Society. A lot of them seem to have great events planned, including trips to other countries, so I'm excited.
The International Student Society was throwing a bar party that night, so we all signed up to go.
After Health Psych, another interesting class, Molly, Tara and I headed back to change and get ready. We met Molly and Tara's other two roommates finally, and were so happy because they are fabulous. SingWay (thats the way you say it, I have no idea how you spell it) and Charmaine are their names and they are both from Singapore. They had been travelling for 27 hours, so they were exhausted, but still so nice and welcoming.
Around 9 we met up with some Irish boys and then our other guy friends and walked to town. We found the bar where the party was, grabbed a table and ended up having a great time. A lot of times the bars here are so crowded that you can't move and definitely can't get a drink, but this one (since it was rented out by the club) had just the right number of people in it. It was great. After a couple of hours some of us went to another bar, splitting off from the larger group, and finally Meg and I took a cab home along with some delish french fries.
This morning I went to the school where I am going to be student teaching. I only went for about two minutes to introduce myself to the principle, but it seems like a really fun and relaxed place. I can't wait to start. Now I am in the interim between the first and second parts of my English class, and then I am returning home to nap for the rest of the day.
Note: the Irish word for fun is 'craic', pronounced like crack. Don't mistake it in someones conversation for the drug, or you will be entirely freaked out...they use it all the time.
So that's what I leave you with.
That night, the boys had a party at their apartment and invited everyone in the three buildings around them, so we met a lot of nice new people, including a girl who is on the rugby team here and who had just flown back from spending her break in Nepal working at an orphanage..so cool. We just chatted and met new people and I finally learned how to play Guitar Hero, however poorly I may have been at it. (Though it did help that I was playing along with a kid who wins contests as a professional GH player...no joke.)
After the party dwindled we took off for town, going to two or three pubs in the rain before calling it quits. We met some kids from Villanova (there are 30 of them here this semester...), including one who's twin brother goes to BC. I also saw a delivery truck outside Dominos and ended up being handed a pile of raw dough. Sweet.
Tuesday was my first real day of classes. My first one was called "Problems in the History of Ireland, 1580-1700" or something along those lines. I wanted to take at least one Irish history course while I'm here, and this one seems fine enough. The prof is a cute, bald Irish guy who seems nice and very welcoming. It also doesn't hurt that Jim, Molly and Meg are in it as well.
After class we grabbed lunch, and then I almost got hit by a van since I was looking the wrong way when crossing the street(since the cars drive on the wrong side of the street here...duh, Caroline). I tried out a class called simply "The Habsberg Empire", which I quickly decided was not for me. However, the professor was hilarious looking. He is almost seven feet tall, bald, with glasses, and was wearing tannish-brown pants, a white and red checked shirt, a navy sweater, a tan blazer with red and green details, and to top it all off, a bow tie. I loved it. The next day in class, Meg told me he was wearing the same outfit again, just a different bow tie.
After Habsberg, Molly and I went to the second session of Social Psych, which seems interesting and is taught by a hilarious prof named Todd (an American). We decided against going out, since the weather was horrible and we had early classes the next day, and instead ordered pizza and watched the Discovery Channel for probably three hours. It was great.
That night I was awoken at one am by loud roommates, who kept me up until 3am, at which point the fire alarm in my building was pulled again. Fabulous. I guess thats what we get for living in a residence area with mostly first year students...
Yesterday was supposed to be my day of having classes straight from 9am to 4pm, but my first class at 9 was cancelled, since the prof had a family emergency, and my ten and twelve don't start until next week I found out. That meant that I didn't have class until 2, (whoo hoo!!) so I slept late and then went to campus to check out Societies Day. After wandering through all the tables, I signed up for the International Students Society, the Media Society, the Film Society and the Food and Drink Society. A lot of them seem to have great events planned, including trips to other countries, so I'm excited.
The International Student Society was throwing a bar party that night, so we all signed up to go.
After Health Psych, another interesting class, Molly, Tara and I headed back to change and get ready. We met Molly and Tara's other two roommates finally, and were so happy because they are fabulous. SingWay (thats the way you say it, I have no idea how you spell it) and Charmaine are their names and they are both from Singapore. They had been travelling for 27 hours, so they were exhausted, but still so nice and welcoming.
Around 9 we met up with some Irish boys and then our other guy friends and walked to town. We found the bar where the party was, grabbed a table and ended up having a great time. A lot of times the bars here are so crowded that you can't move and definitely can't get a drink, but this one (since it was rented out by the club) had just the right number of people in it. It was great. After a couple of hours some of us went to another bar, splitting off from the larger group, and finally Meg and I took a cab home along with some delish french fries.
This morning I went to the school where I am going to be student teaching. I only went for about two minutes to introduce myself to the principle, but it seems like a really fun and relaxed place. I can't wait to start. Now I am in the interim between the first and second parts of my English class, and then I am returning home to nap for the rest of the day.
Note: the Irish word for fun is 'craic', pronounced like crack. Don't mistake it in someones conversation for the drug, or you will be entirely freaked out...they use it all the time.
So that's what I leave you with.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
More about Ireland
Hi again-
As I have about fifteen minutes before heading over to my Social Psychology class, I thought I'd post a bit more about things I've done since being in Ireland.
After the first night of staying in, we all went out Thursday and Friday nights. The group of kids I've been hanging out with are from BC, Swarthmore, a French university, Scranton and some other PA colleges. There are six of us from BC: Molly Ceglarski, Tara Hynoski, Meaghan DeGuisto, Jim Gordon, Andrew Sanders and me. We all get along really well, and since none of us were good friends at school, it's interesting to get to know each other here.
Thursday night we headed into the city early, and since none of the Irish students were back from holiday, everyone was either American or in high school... We went to King's Head, which is quickly becoming our favorite place, and watched a fabulous live band play covers from the Killers and Gorillaz, among other things. Then we went to a few more pubs before locating a fast food place called Supermac's, which is open all night and seems to be cheap and delicious. (However, it doesn't even come close to Mighty.)
Friday night we hung out longer in the rooms before heading out, since it was rainy and cold, and this time brought along a kid who was here last semester as well. He guided us to some new pubs, which were pretty fun, including one that has three levels.
Going backwards, Friday during the day was Orientation for all visiting students which meant sitting in a lecture hall from 9-4 hearing presentations from faculty, staff and anyone else they could find. Although it was long, most of the presenters were welcoming and funny, and the information they gave us was incredibly useful.
Other than that, I've just been getting used to all the walking, going out a lot, meeting a ton of new kids and getting adjusted to the campus. It's sort of like being a freshman again, you feel a little out of place, but everyone is so excited to become friends.
Well, I'm off to class and I have six classes to try out tomorrow, so I'll post again hopefully on Thursday.
<3 Caroline
As I have about fifteen minutes before heading over to my Social Psychology class, I thought I'd post a bit more about things I've done since being in Ireland.
After the first night of staying in, we all went out Thursday and Friday nights. The group of kids I've been hanging out with are from BC, Swarthmore, a French university, Scranton and some other PA colleges. There are six of us from BC: Molly Ceglarski, Tara Hynoski, Meaghan DeGuisto, Jim Gordon, Andrew Sanders and me. We all get along really well, and since none of us were good friends at school, it's interesting to get to know each other here.
Thursday night we headed into the city early, and since none of the Irish students were back from holiday, everyone was either American or in high school... We went to King's Head, which is quickly becoming our favorite place, and watched a fabulous live band play covers from the Killers and Gorillaz, among other things. Then we went to a few more pubs before locating a fast food place called Supermac's, which is open all night and seems to be cheap and delicious. (However, it doesn't even come close to Mighty.)
Friday night we hung out longer in the rooms before heading out, since it was rainy and cold, and this time brought along a kid who was here last semester as well. He guided us to some new pubs, which were pretty fun, including one that has three levels.
Going backwards, Friday during the day was Orientation for all visiting students which meant sitting in a lecture hall from 9-4 hearing presentations from faculty, staff and anyone else they could find. Although it was long, most of the presenters were welcoming and funny, and the information they gave us was incredibly useful.
Other than that, I've just been getting used to all the walking, going out a lot, meeting a ton of new kids and getting adjusted to the campus. It's sort of like being a freshman again, you feel a little out of place, but everyone is so excited to become friends.
Well, I'm off to class and I have six classes to try out tomorrow, so I'll post again hopefully on Thursday.
<3 Caroline
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Intro to Ireland
Back again, this time using the Internet services provided by none other than Ms. Meaghan DeGuisto (another BC student abroad with me).
Anyway, I left Madrid on a Tuesday evening after another horrible (but cheap) night bus ride coming back from Barcelona. I flew to Dublin where I stayed in a great hotel for a night before flying from Dublin to Shannon. Upon reaching Shannon, a tiny airport about two hours from Galway, I ran into a group of students who were also headed for Galway. There were kids from Duquesne (thought they didn't know Claire...too bad) and one from St. Louis. We hopped a 14 euro bus to Galway and promptly all passed out. When I woke up, we were at the bus station and it was dark and rainy. Great.
Over the next two hours I cabbed to Corrib Village, my residence for the next four months, signed in, met with the rest of the BC kids (we are six in all), and got lunch with our BC on-site coordinator.
Margaret Daly. God, what can I even say about her. She's our coordinator while we're here, so our go-to person for anything and everything, as well as my supervisor for my student teaching stint. She's an energetic ball of fire, who seemingly has travelled everywhere in the world. Example: at midnight on New Year's Eve, Margaret and her husband were in South Africa in the "bush" on a safari...poppin bottles. Haha, she's fabulous.
After lunch and a quick tour of campus, which is pretty in some areas, but for the most part is old and institutional-looking, we headed into the city to buy the essentials (sheets, a cell phone, energy adaptors, etc.) After two hours we had walked the streets, gotten soaked, but gotten what we had come for.
Galway City is great. It's adorable. There are cobbled streets where cars can't drive, with little shops and bars all around, and then there are more regular-looking parts, with cars coming from the wrong direction being driven by people on the wrong side of the vehicle. Weird.
That first night was spent packing and going to bed early. My apartment is located on the second floor of a yellow-ish building. It's one of four units per building and there are probably twelve to fifteen buildings in Corrib Village. We also have a mini-mart, an expensive laundry room, a registration building and maybe one or two little eateries that always seem to be closed...but the upside is that all the kids from BC live here and we are only a seven minute walk to campus.
As for my roommates, they are fine. One is from Fordham, we share a bathroom, another from UConn and the third from just outside Paris, France. I think we are going to co-exist well, but probably not hang out that much, with the exception being the French girl, who shares my name, but says it much prettier than I do. I've only had one conversation with the non-French girls and I've been here five days.
My room is great. It's a good size with a double bed, ample shelving and a fine view. I share a bathroom, but that's not a problem for me, despite the cold water. We also have a small common room with couches and a TV (which has yet to be turned on), as well as a tiny kitchen with a tiny fridge, tiny dishwasher, freezer and stove. I don't think much cooking is going to be taking place there...
To wrap up for now, since we have to get into the city to meet Margaret for dinner, I am very happy here so far. Classes start tomorrow. I get along with all the BC kids and we have met a lot of other great kids from the States. The Irish kids are all on holiday until tomorrow, so we'll see how they are when they arrive. I'm looking forward to classes, but also have plans to travel to London, Greece, Spain for Carnivale, Dublin at least twice, and who knows where else.
Please keep me updated with what everyone is doing at home. I really miss you all!
Anyway, I left Madrid on a Tuesday evening after another horrible (but cheap) night bus ride coming back from Barcelona. I flew to Dublin where I stayed in a great hotel for a night before flying from Dublin to Shannon. Upon reaching Shannon, a tiny airport about two hours from Galway, I ran into a group of students who were also headed for Galway. There were kids from Duquesne (thought they didn't know Claire...too bad) and one from St. Louis. We hopped a 14 euro bus to Galway and promptly all passed out. When I woke up, we were at the bus station and it was dark and rainy. Great.
Over the next two hours I cabbed to Corrib Village, my residence for the next four months, signed in, met with the rest of the BC kids (we are six in all), and got lunch with our BC on-site coordinator.
Margaret Daly. God, what can I even say about her. She's our coordinator while we're here, so our go-to person for anything and everything, as well as my supervisor for my student teaching stint. She's an energetic ball of fire, who seemingly has travelled everywhere in the world. Example: at midnight on New Year's Eve, Margaret and her husband were in South Africa in the "bush" on a safari...poppin bottles. Haha, she's fabulous.
After lunch and a quick tour of campus, which is pretty in some areas, but for the most part is old and institutional-looking, we headed into the city to buy the essentials (sheets, a cell phone, energy adaptors, etc.) After two hours we had walked the streets, gotten soaked, but gotten what we had come for.
Galway City is great. It's adorable. There are cobbled streets where cars can't drive, with little shops and bars all around, and then there are more regular-looking parts, with cars coming from the wrong direction being driven by people on the wrong side of the vehicle. Weird.
That first night was spent packing and going to bed early. My apartment is located on the second floor of a yellow-ish building. It's one of four units per building and there are probably twelve to fifteen buildings in Corrib Village. We also have a mini-mart, an expensive laundry room, a registration building and maybe one or two little eateries that always seem to be closed...but the upside is that all the kids from BC live here and we are only a seven minute walk to campus.
As for my roommates, they are fine. One is from Fordham, we share a bathroom, another from UConn and the third from just outside Paris, France. I think we are going to co-exist well, but probably not hang out that much, with the exception being the French girl, who shares my name, but says it much prettier than I do. I've only had one conversation with the non-French girls and I've been here five days.
My room is great. It's a good size with a double bed, ample shelving and a fine view. I share a bathroom, but that's not a problem for me, despite the cold water. We also have a small common room with couches and a TV (which has yet to be turned on), as well as a tiny kitchen with a tiny fridge, tiny dishwasher, freezer and stove. I don't think much cooking is going to be taking place there...
To wrap up for now, since we have to get into the city to meet Margaret for dinner, I am very happy here so far. Classes start tomorrow. I get along with all the BC kids and we have met a lot of other great kids from the States. The Irish kids are all on holiday until tomorrow, so we'll see how they are when they arrive. I'm looking forward to classes, but also have plans to travel to London, Greece, Spain for Carnivale, Dublin at least twice, and who knows where else.
Please keep me updated with what everyone is doing at home. I really miss you all!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The First Post of Many to Come
Let me set the scene. I am currently sitting in a cold Internet cafe with three of my friends from school, as the rain and wind absolutely rage outside. Our next stop is the mall to invest in sturdy umbrellas and hats. This morning dawned late after a fun night out with new friends, but it also dawned dry, so when the BC crew dressed, none of us heeded Irish advice and dressed for rain. Thus, our North Face's are soaked, but we are all the more wiser for it.
I haven't updated my blog before this because Internet has been hard to come by. Corrib Village, my off-campus student accommodations, promises wireless Internet, but barely comes through. Even when the weak connection works, my laptop doesn't hold the connection. However, I think this will be a good thing for me...a way to break my Facebook addiction perhaps?
Anyway, let me sum up my experiences in Madrid and Barcelona and then mention some key things about Ireland so far, and then it's off to the mall.
Madrid was a blast. My flight went from Buffalo to Detroit, Detroit to Amsterdam and then finally Amsterdam to Madrid. As it was my first overseas flight, I enjoyed the plane food, the massive size of the plane and the fact that I could barely tell that we were moving. I landed around noon on Sunday and was met by Michele and Jess, two of my roommates from school. I had been sitting in the airport waiting for them with no euros, weak Spanish skills and the knowledge that my luggage had only made it to Amsterdam, so it was fabulous to see them.
As we drove along the highway to Jess' house, I couldn't help but think how much the real Spain resembled my expectations of what it would be like and look like. It was warmish out, although it got colder at night, and the days were mostly clear and sunny.
After not having seen Michele since September, we had a lot of catching up to do, as well as a lot of eating and sleeping, which were the main themes of the week I was there. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Meeting Jess's brother and sister and their spouses. They are all wonderful, hilarious and interesting people. We had a blast together.
2. New Year's Eve dinner. Delicious food, twelve grapes at midnight (one for each "dong" to bring good luck - haha Jess), Jess's Mom dancing, her Dad accidentally breaking his champagne glass, etc.
3. New Year's Eve partying. Going to a club called Bisu. Getting dressed up, meeting Jess's friends from school, dancing to great music until 7am.
4. Meeting Robert, Angel and some of Jess's other friends from high school at a bar called Boss. Eating tons of chips and olives/aceitunas and taking a flaming shot.
5. Meeting Michele's senora.
6. The overall hospitality that I was shown by everyone I came in contact with, especially the Mullins family.
Here are some of the bad parts:
1. Losing my wristlet on New Year's Eve. This included my license, my Bank of America debit card, my two favorite lip glosses and some money. Way to go...
2. Jess's brother in law advising me that the airline was going to charge me an arm and a leg to fly my overweight baggage to Ireland, and having to deal with the stress of how to get all my stuff to school.
Moving on to Barcelona. After Jess departed for her study abroad program in Brazil, Michele and I booked night bus tickets to go and visit our friends in Barcelona. Last year we made friends with a group of visiting exchange students, mostly from Spain. Two of them, Albert and Beto, live in Barcelona, and we wanted to see the city and them of course.
Best parts of Barcelona:
1. Las Ramblas. This may have been my favorite thing we did. It's basically a long stone walkway in the middle-ish of the city that acts as a sort of outdoor fair. There are little shops and restaurants on all sides as well as many vendors. The best part is the performers. There were puppeteers, dancers, people who were dressed in weird costumes, people who would draw your portrait, etc. There was one guy who put a latex glove on his head and blew it up until it exploded...haha. The weather was perfect when we went and the atmosphere and environment were just so nice.
2. Park Guell. I don't know if I spelled that right, but it's a park in Barcelona that was designed by Gaudi. It's absolutely gorgeous. Michele and I went one morning but I feel like I could have stayed there forever. Pictures coming soon.
3. King's Day. Mich and I were lucky enough to be able to spend this Spanish holiday with Albert's family. It highlights the three kings that brought the gifts to Baby Jesus. (At least I think so, someone correct me if I'm wrong.) It involved "REGALOS!", haha Albert, which means presents, as well as a multi-course lunch and lots of desserts.
4. Tibidabo. (I hope I spelled that correctly.) A mountain top area with a little amusement park and a huge church. The best part is the incredible view of the entire city.
5. Riding bikes with Michele and Albert all through Barcelona!
The bad parts:
1. Getting violently ill for about 24 hours.
2. The overnight bus rides. Horrible. Bumpy, cold, uncomfortable.
All in all, I loved Spain. I loved seeing my friends and learning about their lives and their homes and their culture. Everyone was so nice, taking Michele and I in as temporary parts of their family.
Although I have only talked about Spain, it's time to go. I will try and update again on Monday since that is when I get Internet access at school.
I miss everyone!! Much love.
I haven't updated my blog before this because Internet has been hard to come by. Corrib Village, my off-campus student accommodations, promises wireless Internet, but barely comes through. Even when the weak connection works, my laptop doesn't hold the connection. However, I think this will be a good thing for me...a way to break my Facebook addiction perhaps?
Anyway, let me sum up my experiences in Madrid and Barcelona and then mention some key things about Ireland so far, and then it's off to the mall.
Madrid was a blast. My flight went from Buffalo to Detroit, Detroit to Amsterdam and then finally Amsterdam to Madrid. As it was my first overseas flight, I enjoyed the plane food, the massive size of the plane and the fact that I could barely tell that we were moving. I landed around noon on Sunday and was met by Michele and Jess, two of my roommates from school. I had been sitting in the airport waiting for them with no euros, weak Spanish skills and the knowledge that my luggage had only made it to Amsterdam, so it was fabulous to see them.
As we drove along the highway to Jess' house, I couldn't help but think how much the real Spain resembled my expectations of what it would be like and look like. It was warmish out, although it got colder at night, and the days were mostly clear and sunny.
After not having seen Michele since September, we had a lot of catching up to do, as well as a lot of eating and sleeping, which were the main themes of the week I was there. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Meeting Jess's brother and sister and their spouses. They are all wonderful, hilarious and interesting people. We had a blast together.
2. New Year's Eve dinner. Delicious food, twelve grapes at midnight (one for each "dong" to bring good luck - haha Jess), Jess's Mom dancing, her Dad accidentally breaking his champagne glass, etc.
3. New Year's Eve partying. Going to a club called Bisu. Getting dressed up, meeting Jess's friends from school, dancing to great music until 7am.
4. Meeting Robert, Angel and some of Jess's other friends from high school at a bar called Boss. Eating tons of chips and olives/aceitunas and taking a flaming shot.
5. Meeting Michele's senora.
6. The overall hospitality that I was shown by everyone I came in contact with, especially the Mullins family.
Here are some of the bad parts:
1. Losing my wristlet on New Year's Eve. This included my license, my Bank of America debit card, my two favorite lip glosses and some money. Way to go...
2. Jess's brother in law advising me that the airline was going to charge me an arm and a leg to fly my overweight baggage to Ireland, and having to deal with the stress of how to get all my stuff to school.
Moving on to Barcelona. After Jess departed for her study abroad program in Brazil, Michele and I booked night bus tickets to go and visit our friends in Barcelona. Last year we made friends with a group of visiting exchange students, mostly from Spain. Two of them, Albert and Beto, live in Barcelona, and we wanted to see the city and them of course.
Best parts of Barcelona:
1. Las Ramblas. This may have been my favorite thing we did. It's basically a long stone walkway in the middle-ish of the city that acts as a sort of outdoor fair. There are little shops and restaurants on all sides as well as many vendors. The best part is the performers. There were puppeteers, dancers, people who were dressed in weird costumes, people who would draw your portrait, etc. There was one guy who put a latex glove on his head and blew it up until it exploded...haha. The weather was perfect when we went and the atmosphere and environment were just so nice.
2. Park Guell. I don't know if I spelled that right, but it's a park in Barcelona that was designed by Gaudi. It's absolutely gorgeous. Michele and I went one morning but I feel like I could have stayed there forever. Pictures coming soon.
3. King's Day. Mich and I were lucky enough to be able to spend this Spanish holiday with Albert's family. It highlights the three kings that brought the gifts to Baby Jesus. (At least I think so, someone correct me if I'm wrong.) It involved "REGALOS!", haha Albert, which means presents, as well as a multi-course lunch and lots of desserts.
4. Tibidabo. (I hope I spelled that correctly.) A mountain top area with a little amusement park and a huge church. The best part is the incredible view of the entire city.
5. Riding bikes with Michele and Albert all through Barcelona!
The bad parts:
1. Getting violently ill for about 24 hours.
2. The overnight bus rides. Horrible. Bumpy, cold, uncomfortable.
All in all, I loved Spain. I loved seeing my friends and learning about their lives and their homes and their culture. Everyone was so nice, taking Michele and I in as temporary parts of their family.
Although I have only talked about Spain, it's time to go. I will try and update again on Monday since that is when I get Internet access at school.
I miss everyone!! Much love.
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