Exams

So yesterday was my first final. I have been bouncing up and down in my seat lately just waiting for finals to begin. And of course, my first final was history, one which every had to do, so I was even more anxious watching everyone else study. Yesterday morning rolls around and I pop out of bed at 6:30am, the final being at 9am and we needed an hour to get to the exam arena. So I grab my notes and a cup of tea and start studying. I had showered the night before to prevent any slow ups in the mornings and somehow I was the last person on my floor to get up. By 7:15, I had eaten and dressed. But kept looking over the same information as we were not leaving for quite some time.

Finally, 7:50 rolls around and we head out...only to have me forget my ID and have to run back for it. But all is well, we reached the bus stop by 8am, stopping to laugh at Garrett who was waiting outside of Burger King to get his breakfast sandwich. We climbed on the 4a which would take us to RDS and found some standing room. This was a first, an extended bus which reminded me highly of the Green Line Subway. Far more comfortable to me than riding on a double decker. And as I was standing in the middle where the two parts connect, I couldn't really see out the windows, good thing too. No need to have my motion sickness act up on top of my anxiety.

So we made it the stop and then had to walk to the exam center which was about two blocks away. We made it, accompanied by a duck-walking Staropoli, and I looked with fear at the sheer number of people inside this massive building. I would say it was about the size of your average baseball stadium...okay maybe not quite that big but it definitely would have fit at least 8 jumbo jets comfortably. Luckily, in the study area, I couldn't see all of that. So after getting some direction from Morgan and others, I walked to the corkboards and looked for the W's. I found my name, along with the course number, and an assigned seat, number 2,307. Yea, my mouth dropped open when I saw that number. After committing this to memory, I found my group again who had managed to locate the girls from upstairs who had arrived earlier than us. Arti begged me for an Anglo-Norman rerun, which I happily obliged to give. Shortly afterwards, they began allowing people into the exam area.

After hiding the history notes so they could be burnt later, we made our way over the entrance. I walked in and almost stopped; there had to be over 3,000 desks in this room. And not the small desks we have at Bentley, oh no. They were the 2.5ft by 2.5 feet with unattached chairs spaced at about intervals of 2 feet of space between each desk and chair set. It made me want to cry. I began looking at desk numbers and we had come in at the beginning, so I walked with the group towards the other side of the hall with great trepidation. I couldn't believe there were so many people here. We spotted Doug and realized that it was set up in a reserve alpha order from his seat up towards the front.

So I began walking with York and Zozarro towards the front of the gigantic room. I found my seat, Caitlin was three in front of me and Lexi was two in front of her. I was definitely having a Harry Potter taking his O.W.L.s in the Great Hall moment. There was an obnoxious amount of bodies present. We still had about 10 minutes before the exam was to begin, but I couldn't sit still, it was unnerving. But finally it was time to begin. I filled in the first page of information about myself and then the examiners (called invigilators) began handing out the test. I steeled myself and turned over the paper to look at the questions. They were far more in depth and difficult than I had anticipated. I skipped over the Anglo-Norman question with much disappointment in favor of one about the United Irishmen. After I squeezed out as much information as I could onto the scrap paper in the back, I proceeded to write the essay. This was followed by another essay on the cultural revival similarities and differences, not my favorite way to answer in the world, but I didn't have much choice.

There were air vents on at first making it extremely loud and thus easier to concentrate on what I was doing myself. However, about half way through, they shut themselves off making the huge, echoing room, sound like a tomb or cave. All you could hear was people breathing and writing and sighing and coughing, I started to freak out again. so I had to take a couple of calming breaths and concentrate on what I was doing. Not long after, it began to downpour...on a tin roof...which always makes me want to sleep, not the ideal situation for taking a final. So I listened to it and relaxed for a few minutes before realizing that I should probably finish my test. The rain did stop not long after but I was almost done at this point, much to my relief. Being in a room with so many people was making me very titchy indeed.

I held my hand up for someone to come and take my test. I signed off on the piece of paper and handed over my booklet, I got to keep the exam questions (yay me!). I quickly left the room, walking along the entire front section under what seemed like watchful eyes of other students, but that was most likely paranoia as most of them were probably concentrating on their own tests. I made it out, finally. I decided on a quick bathroom trip before walking home. But upon coming out, I ran into Kyle, almost literally, as I didn't notice when he first started talking to me. So I walked with him and his ridiculously long and fast strides to the bus stop. Decided as it was still slightly raining, I might as well jump on the bus. Met Lexi on the top shelf as well.

It was an overall successful beginning to exam week, I thought. I have another today which is going to be an absolute brawl to get through. Then I have a couple days off to shop and relax and study before having my last two on Friday, one which will be relatively straightforward and the other which I have no idea how to study for. So it should be an interesting last week here, I just hope the sun stays around. Last night out on Friday followed by collecting and packing all my shit up on Saturday. Perhaps a final drink with the crew before we all go our respective ways at our respective flight times. I think I'm on the same flight as Alex and Mike again, so hopefully we won't run into any issues and I'm hoping the sun will be out to wish us a happy goodbye. But we'll see how it works out...

Quick Update

Well everyone had fun on their various interludes over study break and the quiet here was nice...though oddly creepy at night. I've been spending much time on my own, just watching movies as I don't have anything better to really be doing. I've caught up on some classics and been able to fulfill my quest to watch some new ones that I haven't gotten around to yet. Examples include Zoolander, Avatar, and Year One.

Everyone arrived back home in time for Arti's birthday on Saturday which turned into quite a fun night. We played flipcup, which I haven't played in years and much loved it. I didn't drink as much as some of my fellows but being a birthday, I was obligated to go out. We once again try to storm the Palace gates, but to no avail. One of our members was under 20 and did not have an ID. The bouncers were not willing to let her in even though it was a birthday celebration. So once again, we ended up across the street at one of our favorite haunts, Flannery's.

We of course moved from floor to floor, taking over various areas at a time. Saw a guy in a prison outfit, obviously having a stag party, which was entertaining. The guys left later than us and met us at the bar. In Arti's honor, there were several tequila shots taken by a few people and many pictures of course, always a fun time ;) I really should have written about this sooner as I can't really remember much of it now. Let's see, saw a girl almost fall down the stairs, stood behind Mike making obscene motions and the girl he was talking to with Alex did not even notice, quite entertaining. I left early in the night with Mike and Alex because I was tired, I think it was around 2am. Everyone else managed to wander back by 3:30am, after closing and most likely getting food.

The next day, we had a roommate dinner down the road at a nice bar called Clarendon. This was also in celebration of Arti's birthday. We sat and relaxed and chatted. There was also a soccer game on, but I didn't watch, not being very interested in it myself. Everyone seemed to be enjoying. Kara and Morgan had the vegetable soup which they were raving about. Others got sandwiches or paninis. I had a Guinness and Beef pie, which turned out to be very good. It was beef, potatoes, carrots, and peas, covered in a Guinness gravy and topped with a puff pastry, quite delicious for myself, the carnivore. We came back and did the cake thing for Arti, Dora the Explorer style, quite tasty looking.

After Sunday, lots of people buckled in for a week of studying, Wednesday was the earliest that anyone had a final. Finance for Mike and Doug. Today was a marketing final for Morgan, Caitlin, Arti, and Katie. Apparently several courses at UCD from several schools are all gathered in one big room to take finals. So you have music and med students mixed in with the business ones. Should be an interesting and possibly overwhelming time. I don't have my first final until Monday, which is history along with everyone else. But I actually started studying yesterday, to much surprise including my own. I hope this means I will ace it by studying 5 days ahead of time. But in all honesty, I'm so bored that I don't really have much left to do except study.

Of course, I have carefully budgeted the rest of my money in order to send my package home and buy gifts for the family. But other than doing those things and eating, Ireland is winding down. Even the city seems more subdued than usual. I've been running in St. Stephen's to make up for selling my bike back, which I hate to do. But I can't slack off now, that would just be wrong right before summer. Although considering the list of foods I'm going to eat when I get back, I'm going to have to work out often to keep all that at bay. But it will be worth it. I've missed home. I miss the sun and quiet of Maine and of course all my family that will be waiting for me. I've missed my friends, of course at school, but more importantly the ones who are also returning home. I'm hoping this summer turns out better than it's starting. Getting shut down hard by Enterprise was not the ideal way to start off. But I can't complain, I have a job and I will be home soon, sleeping in my queen sized bed and having my head cuddled by a 22 pound cat at 8am. Can't wait!

Guinness Storehouse

Tuesday, with nothing much better to do and not having had the chance to do so previously, I went to see how Guinness is made. As luck would have it, the only remaining roommate in the building had also yet to make this journey, so we decided to venture forth together and see what adventures the day would behold for us. After a brief look at the map, we decided to wing it, as per usual. Dublin not being a greatly large city in which it was too easy to get lost, what with all the nice people and all, we didn't think there was going to be that much trouble. Touristy stuff is usually pretty well documented via street signs, wall hangings, etc.

I believe it was around 1pm when we set out. We took out time, walking to the west side of the city, as it was a nice and sunny day with minimal cloud cover, a great day here. Unfortunately, we weren't close enough to see the river, but we did see some cool buildings along the way. We wandered down into what I lovingly refer to as "The Church District," this being the area with some of the most famous and of course, largest, churches in the city. St. Patrick's (which we did not pass), Christ Cathedral, a church so large that it appears to be two distinct buildings conjoined only but an archway over the street, St. Catherine's, and my personal humorous favorite, St. Augustine and St. John's Church. For those of you who are not aware, St. Augustine's in the school that I attended for K-8 and the church to which members of my family still lovingly attend.

After a couple of close calls and lack of signage, Lexi and I found the pathway to Guinness. Literally. It's a series of signs in that section of the city, with arrows, that fondly points you on your way to the Storehouse. As demonstrated in the picture. Once you follow the signs, you quickly see the back gate adorned with the Guinness logo and signature text. Following it around, you stumble upon several buildings and walkways which mark the path. The actual entrance is a simple door marked with an outdoor sign. You walk in and down and are quickly greeted by an employee to assist you, and obviously I needed it. I was paying with my debit card, being short of actual cash at that particular moment in time, and was lead to an automated machine. Sweeeeet. So I selected the ticket that I wanted, Student +18, entered the number, 1, and the swiped my card. Nice and easy. It printed out a ticket and a receipt for me, every so nicely. After this, Lexi and I scrambled through an automatic door where we picked up maps, snagged a French and English copy, and proceeded to walk up another flight of stairs.

Reaching the landing, we entered "The Atrium" where the Guinness Store is as well as a section to be greeted in, and an enormous collection of Guinness bottles through the years of production, quite fascination really. Housed in the floor, is the 9000 year long lease that Arthur Guinness himself signed with the City of Dublin, actually in English, I was surprised to see. And no that's not supposed to be 90 or even 900 years, it's 9000. Guinness wanted the land for that long, so even if the world were to end in 2012 at least Guinness will still be brewing in that same spot. Which, just to clarify is the not the area which we visit. The Storehouse, where the fermenting beer awaits in oak barrels, is the place open to visitors. While you don't go in and see the actual barrels, like I did in the Jack Daniel's Brewery, there is still a great 7 floor tour which you take, complete with a self-guided-ness with arrows on the floor.

The ground floor contains the Store, the Atrium, and the beginning "Ingredients" in Guinness. Proceeded to the first step is a giant pit of Barley. This is all Irish barley, over 100,000 tons of it picked every year just to make Guinness. I wanted to take some but was afraid of two things, cameras, and germs, so I didn't. Following this around, you see harvesting tools, followed by the bottoms of 15 foot high stalks of Hops, the second ingredient. The continue in glass containers, up to the next level which you see after you get up there, obviously. Following the hops, is the third ingredient, Yeast. Guinness has used the same breed and genetics of yeast for the last 250 years, ensuring that the beer always tastes exactly the same. Fear of infestation and losing the crop? Not at Guinness. The Director keeps a special store of the plant in his office safe, a replica of which is seen in the picture. This enables Guinness to quickly reproduce the source as needed in order to keep the brewery going. The 4th ingredient is of course, Water. But it's not just any water, it's not Liffey water or tap water or sea water. It's water from the Wicklow Mountains. I'm not sure how it all gets there, but somehow, they get it to the brewery, which in case you aren't aware is about 2 blocks up, sitting on the River Liffey. The Wicklow Mountain water helps to give a unique blend of flavors to Guinness Beer, something which is fascinating. (<--me in front of the indoor waterfall.) The last ingredient, the 5th, is of course the current Brewmaster. Every brewmaster brings something unique to Guinness. They are also charged with upholding the values that the company stands for and for enabling the beer to be perfected and reenacted in the same ways time after time, in every country, in every brewery across the Guinness family. This section of the brewing has an entire floor to itself, because it is so important. The chair that sat in Arthur Guinness' office along with some other writing desk items and a portrait of him along with a copy of every brewmasters' signature is up on a wall on that floor.

Follow the stairs up another level and you find all the equipment used or previously used in the brewing process. First the barley is roasted, and then milled. Then it is mixed with the hops and water and mashed then drained. There are several steps and containers in this process, all of which can be controlled from a central room. The mixture is then put into a "copper" as ween in the picture. Which as written can hold 600 barrels, which equals 172,800 pints, the equivalent of 2,764,800 ounces. Then it is boiled. After this is it transferred to a larger contained and mixed with yeast to begin fermentation. After the liquid cools, it is put into barrels, the yeast is scooped out when the barrel is opened and the individual pints and bottles are poured and ready to be shipped out and better yet, drank.

At this point in the tour, you proceed up to the next level and receive a free half pint of Guinness, approximately 4 oz. of cool, creamy liquid. Quite enjoyable, well I thought so at least. On this same level is a small cafe with sandwiches, etc. But better still is the explanation and video representation of how the oak barrels which store the Guinness are created. This is followed by a model display of the entire Guinness land and the different modes of transport which support the conduction of the beer from one location to another; most notably of course, the train, the large steam ships, and the airplanes.

The next floor up contains the most colorful if not most interesting parts to me, the advertizing through the years. While fascinating to my business side, my tourist side was far less interested. Lexi and I did a quick lap and the most important discovery was the creation of the Guinness Toucan. Let me briefly explain. Throughout our time here, my friends and I have been coming across this strange toucan on a lot of the Dublin and Guinness items and have been baffled to figure out what it means. We should have realized that the answer would lie in one of the oldest companies around. Guinness had a campaign which contained a song about a Pelican. Years later, the theme was rewritten and the pelican was recast as a toucan which seems to be more lasting. The picture isn't a very good one, but it does tell the history, yet another puzzle solved.

The next level is the history of Guinness, both in Ireland and abroad, including a large cylinder of major events, a map of breweries and countries containing Guinness, and how Guinness has influenced events across the world, including the first ever St. Patrick's Day in NYC. This was proceeded by an outline history of the current Storehouse building. And a crab on the floor holding a Guinness leading to a series of conference rooms that were currently in use by unknown parties...

Finally, we made it to the top. The Gravity Bar. After taking pictures from every available 360 degree angle, I ordered my free pint. Lexi was sitting by a window and I went off in search of a cooler spot. I found one and called her over. We sat and I drank and we chatted. Apparently, she doesn't care for Guinness much, but I don't hold it against her. Once I could not a drink a single drop more, I brought my glass back to the in house bar and we waited for the elevator. I took one last look around, because while the view from the top of Dublin isn't the most beautiful one, it's certainly worth a second glance.

We made our way down the clear elevator which freaked the hell out of me and made it to the Store. I purchased my Dad's requested item and something else to share. After finally making up my mind that is. It was then time for the walk home which doesn't take nearly as long as people say. We made it back in one piece and with a letter on the floor informing me to collect my last package from my sister. It was a good day.

Fooooooood

Since Food is such a big part of life and in particular the life of a college student, I figured I would take some time to talk about it.

Firstly is a list of foods that I miss and am going to consume upon arriving at home, obviously not all at once, but you get the idea:
White Pizza
Turkey Dagwood
sandwiches with olive oil mayo
lots and lots of pickles
Gatorade
Chips and Salsa
Quesadillas
Ribs smothered in Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce
Bacon, real bacon
a week of pancakes
Fried chicken
Sam Adams Summer Ale
Cupcakes
Muffins of every flavor
a HUGE cheeseburger
Coffee...every morning
Parmesan Garlic fries (not chips)
Fresh Raspberries
McChicken that doesn't cost $5
Iced Tea
Lemonade
Anything from the Olive Garden
Frozen Waffles
Maple syrup
Skim milk
Alfredo
Chex Mix and Bugles
English Muffins
Poptarts
Frozen Waffles

And of course, I have to include a list of foods that I will miss or in some cases miss getting cheaply:
Striped Nutella
Londis Hot Chicken Baguettes
Fresh Guinness
12 Bananas for 2euro
Waffles (bacon flavored, waffle cut chips)
Very creamy butter
cheap pre-made pastas
Wak In Noodles
Sofie's fries
75cent euro per loaf bread
hot water boiler
very cheap frozen pizza
Lamb
Great tasting Guinness
Smithwick's
Kilkenny
Carlsberg
anything from the fresh market
pre-marinated pork
Caesar Salad in a bag
Cadbury
Anything St. Bernard
ah-may-zing butter


There's probably more, and I will add to this as I remember.
That's all for now ;)

Beer Olympics

Okay okay, I know this blog is quite a few days behind, but it's been a busy last week of classes.

So, last Saturday marked the first Beer Olympics on Chatham Row. It was an amazing night that will live on in the memories of some and the blurred recollections of others. For those of you who do not know, Beer Olympics is a series of games played by teams who represent specific countries. The games that occurred at this Beer Olympics were flip cup, quarters, pong, chugging, and of course a relay. The countries which were represented included the United States(Mike, Arti, Lindsey, and Alex), Greece/Fiji (Caitlin, Lexi, Garrett and Kyle who was his own island), Mexico (Doug, Morgan, Alex, and Kara), and Iceland (Katie, Shannon, Ryan, and Greg). This was an event which had been rearranged several times. It was originally supposed to happen on Friday which was almost moved ahead to Wednesday but then was pushed back to Saturday. Saturday night, the three main players sat down to plan out the night's events.

What was scheduled to start at 8:30, obviously did not begin then. I believe it started some time after 9:30pm. No problem, things always run a little late on Chatham, it's Ireland, it's what we do. Now I wasn't really keeping track of the games until I wandered out in my kitchen to loud noises around 10:30ish. Apparently the second floor had been taken over for the game of quarters. I grabbed a beer and wandered from floor to floor viewing the games that were happening and taking note of the wins and losses. Team Mexico seemed to be the favorite, given the amazing combined talent of Doug and Morgan. I watched the chugging contests which of course are always entertaining. Mexico and Greece/Fiji won this event. Doug chugging more than his share of beverage for this event, including I am recently informed an entire extra beer. Kyle also chugged wayyy more than his allotted amount. They are clearly both champs.

I decided that I would play the part of Switzerland for the night. I pulled on a white tee and continued to wander around. I went upstairs to watch some pong being played between Iceland and Mexico. There was a fight that broke out over the last cup that Mexico was shooting for. Iceland claimed that the cup was pegged and tipped over and hence had to be reset. Mexico thought it was a clean shot, the cup fell and hence it was a dead cup, moving the game into rebuttle. Not able to calm everyone done and not being nearly as big a pong proficient as some others, I was quickly commissioned to grab another player from downstairs to help sort out the issue. Kyle came up to assist me. In the end, it was decided after much arguing that the cup would just reset and that Mexico would have to reshoot. Which they did, sinking both balls into the iso cup which meant game over, no rebuttle, Mexico for the win.

As this was the last game, it was now time for the main event, of course, the relay. This is how it worked: There is a team member on each floor of the apartment and one on the street. The member on the street would have to chug half a beer run two streets up and back against a member from another team. Once making it back inside, the runner would tag the table on the first floor allowing the next team member to begin a round of flip cup. That person would chug half a beer and then have to flip over three cups in a row. Then they would dash up to the second floor, tag that table enabling the team member there to begin. The member on the second floor would drink and then have to shoot three quarters into a shot glass. Once this happened, they would run to the third floor, tag that table and then the final team member could begin. The challenge on the third floor was an iso pong shot, meaning one ball into one cup on the other side. Team member could assist in getting the ball back to their teammate as long as they did not interfere with the other team's ball.

I was Switzerland and in the first round was assigned to be the marker at which the runners would turn around at. First round was Iceland versus America. Mike and Greg did the run, reaching me and then heading back. Greg took a bad spill on the way back but got right back up and both made it inside to tag the table. I didn't make it in time to see anything but the last event, the iso cup. I made it upstairs and it was Arti versus Ryan shooting. There was a minor issue where they couldn't find the ball...which I had specifically placed in a cup next to each iso...but apparently someone had moved them. But we gave Ryan a free shot and then the game continued. Ryan made it securing Iceland's place for the Bronze.

The second round was Mexico versus Greece. Garrett and Morgan did the run this time and here I did the countdown at the beginning while Ryan held the marker at the end of the street. Garrett made it back first and dashed upstairs to tag the table. Morgan wasn't far behind and by the time I made it in, I was just able to see the quarters event. Doug for team Mexico quickly netted his three and ran up the stairs to hand it off to Kara. I ran up just in time to see Kara sink the winning shot, securing Mexico's Gold victory and putting Greece with the Silver.

It was an overall successful night. Doug won Olympic Team MVP for the night. Two of the runners were really feeling the all out sprint and one didn't make it out. But for everyone else, after the Olympics, it was time to relax and go out the enjoy the night together. Thus ended, for me at least, the second night of a very entertaining and fun weekend.

(Picture credits go to Katie Todd)

Birthday Weekend

Oh where to begin...
So as many of you may know by now, my weekends begin every Thursday at 5pm. This is when my last class for the week ends and I am free to frolic and do as I please for the following 3 days. This past Thursday was no different, excepting the fact that it was my birthday weekend!

So Thursday night, not much happened. I was the only one interested in really doing anything. So I hung my streams and blew up my balloons from Becca, then I passed out the lollipops that were included also much to my building's pleasure of course. I went to the liquor store with Caitlin and Arti and managed to get a 10 pack of Stella Artois bottles for only 10 euro, I'm that good. Then I watched as Morgan prepared the jello shots for the next night, filling one large bowl with strawberry and a pie plate with raspberry. Those sat in the fridge which from that point on smelt highly of vodka...not that I'm complaining. So after that and some dinner, I had a couple of beers and chillaxed, harassed the boys downstairs for awhile which is always fun, chatting with the girls upstairs and just generally waited for everyone to be more excited. We saw Morgan get a reduction of her balloon boobs which was of course entertaining. I waited around until midnight refusing to sleep until it was officially my birthday. I kept checking the clock and people began filtering up to our room. Kyle began looking over Shannon's shoulder at the clock on her computer and shouted Happy Birthday at me the first second it turned midnight (props). Then I got a chorus of Happy Birthday from all who were there which put a smile on my face before adjourning to my bed.

Friday morning came and I refused to not sleep in, it's my birthday after all. I stumbled out of bed around 10:30am. I wanted to call my grandmother back in the States but I wasn't sure if I could. Instead I emailed my mom who said that she would surprise Grammy with a Skype call later that night ;) Most excellent. So I made myself a birthday breaky of toast and eggs then gave my last two eggs to Morgan to make brownies with, yum! The plan was to have a birthday lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe where I could order an appletini. But a few people were gone so we waited around. I invited the boys but none of them wanted to come. Shannon ended up going out with her family to lunch so it was me, Morgan, Kara, Caitlin, Katie, Arti, and Lexi who made the adventure to get my first "legal in every country" beverage.

We made it to the Hard Rock around 1:30pm and ended up seated in a corner section all to ourselves. Easily the smallest Hard Rock I've ever been in. But it was nice inside and of course, always interesting. The menu was a little more pricey than I expected but they had a great deal going. Certain drinks (including my appletini) were all 5euro all day every day and then there was a 2 courses for 15euro. So obviously I had to get that. I ordered the appetizer which was chicken wings and onion rings. Followed by my entree which was a huge cheeseburger with pickles and onions and lettuce, ketchup and mustard, with a nice big side of fries. The martini came and it was delicious. It was like drinking a nice sour apple, in a great way. We had our meal and chatted, obviously. My awesome roommates wouldn't let me pay even though I wanted to, they insisted. They were great and I'm still thankful.

After lunch we took a bunch of pics outside the restaurant and then did some shopping in Temple. I bought a present for my friend Mae from back home which I'm pretty sure she will lovvvvvve. We were supposed go to the Guinness Factory after lunch but Lexi had to get back for an interview, so we postponed it. Maybe I will get to go over study week or during exams...

No one did much for the rest of the afternoon. I went out on the deck and had a beer and just relaxed. The martini was way stronger than I had anticipated. The day whiled away into night and by 7pm, I was ready for some jello. So I grabbed Morgan and headed upstairs with my two dishes of jello to share with the girls upstairs. Everyone did a round (or a few) and then it was time to start getting ready for going out. I wanted to leave by 11 and knowing this group, that probably would mean midnight. I showered and put on my birthday outfit which I had been waiting to wear since I left home. I applied my make-up before attempting to consume more jello. I checked the status of everyone else and by 9pm everyone had at least showered.

Mom was scheduled to call me around 9pm from home with Grammy, but there was some sort of misunderstanding according to Sara...but I'm not sure. But just after 9:30, my Skype went off and already having a buzz, I answered. I got to see my grandmother for the first time in months and of course the day before she left for her cruise with some other members of the family. She sang to me in English and then in French which is probably my favorite thing about my birthday. (Luckily no one was around to put butter on my nose like they do at home.) After the singing we caught up some, both she and my mom. I would have harassed my sister but she was busy eating with Rickles upstairs :-P After a bit, I needed to get everyone in gear to leave, so I said my goodbyes and went to continue with the other enjoyments of the night.

Shannon got back from the rugby match around 10:30 with her brother and his girlfriend in two, both of whom are a lot of fun and very nice people. I kept popping upstairs to make sure the girls up there were getting ready and the girls on my floor were surely trucking along. I ended up sitting down upstairs for awhile and polishing off my pie plate of jello which was a very proud accomplishment for me...it contained about a pint of vodka...yum! By 11ish, we had a large group upstairs who wanted to play drinking games. The guys had gone to a party/BBQ at their friend Ryan's house with Kara and they came back later in the night. We played two games that I am now in love with, one is called "Thumper" and the other is called "F*ck me."

Thumper: everyone starts pounding on the table, one person starts by saying "What's the name of the game" to which the response is "Thumper." The person then asks "And why do we play?" to which the response is "to get f*cked up." Basically everyone picks either a dance move or an animal pose or sound and everyone has to memorize everyone else's. The person who begins after the opening then does their move followed by the move of another person. That person does their move followed by the move of another person but it can't go back to the person who gave it to you. If you mess up a move or miss your turn, you drink. Quite simple and of course entertaining. I would attempt to explain the dance moves but they would definitely get lost in translation so I won't bother.

F*ck me: the beat begins two pounds on the table followed by two claps, repeat. It continues throughout while people are talking. Everyone picks a type of "f*ck" that they want to be. Whether it's Shannon who was "sloppy f*ck," Caitlin who was "titty f*ck" or Kyle who was "skull f*ck." One person starts with the beat followed by the words, "f*ck me, what's the name of this f*cking game, it's called f*ck me" then they say their own type of f*ck twice followed by I want a followed by someone else's type of f*ck. For instance, if Shannon started, she would say "sloppy f*ck, sloppy f*ck, I wanna skull f*ck." and then Kyle would have to keep up the beat and then pass it over to someone else, but not back to Shannon. It's essentially the same as Thumper but with different words and the constant beat.

Those were two games which carried us for a good 40 minutes or so. During which I had switched over to drinking Stella and Kyle had managed to finish my second bowl of jello without me. At this point, we decided it was time to leave. I grabbed my heels and headed out with everyone else. Armed with my usual, keys, cell phone, ID, camera, and a little bit of money. We made our way to one of the favorite haunts in the city which is a bar called Flannery's. (I almost got hit by a car when Katie pulled me into the road but no worries.) A nice two story place that was also the location for Lexi's birthday bash. We took over a little indoor balcony type area that was slightly raised above the second floor.

and I at the behest and heckling of the others were the first ones to start the dancing after everyone's got drinks and settled in. I of course had my birthday hat on which caused many people to stop me and wish me a Happy Birthday, a surprising number of girls did this, but then again the Irish girls are genuinely nice at the bars which is odd in itself. So we obviously all spent the night drinking and having a good time dancing. Morgan requested that my birthday we announced by the DJ, which was awesome, thanks again!

The guys showed up after about an hour with a few extra people in tow, but Ireland is all about the more, the merrier. I was immediately singled out for lap dances by all of the guys that I live with, sometimes two at once. I was picked up until I touched the ceiling which I was not impressed with and then we were yelled at by one of the floor managers. Everyone made out on the dance floor afterwards. Doug bought me some Jack Daniels on the rocks...much love! and we drank those together. I was continuously danced on by everyone and had a grand old time of it. At least until Staropoli decided it was okay to pick me up and spin me around in a circle while I was on his shoulder, wearing a skirt. All I can say is thank God for tights and a strong stomach. I tried to hit him when he put me down but couldn't manage to connect. All night, Kyle was attempting to steal my awesome hat which I let him wear at one point so he would stop bugging me.

I'm not sure what time it was, I think around 3am, when everyone decided it was about time to leave. I walked home with Caitlin which was pleasant though we somehow missed out on getting noddles from WAK IN, a great little place around the corner from our apartment. I changed out of my heels and dress clothes to something more comfortable. I sat down on the couch too exhausted to do much more than that. A little while later, everyone brought up a cake and sang to me which was so sweet and highly appreciated. It was a 6 inch chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and a light raspberry filling with yellow icing which said Happy Birthday. I had some before going to bed (and I'm informed that many people had some for breaky the next day.) I fell asleep happy and exhausted and sore. It was well worth it though.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make my 21st a day/night to remember, you guys are awesome!
(pic creds to Caitlin, Katie, and Arti)

(see post about Beer Olympics for more weekend fun!)

Ridin' the Rails

So far, I have been having a very successful week. I managed to get an extension on a project last week and got to do the interview for it yesterday, and now am writing up the paper to be turned in on Monday. I met with my group yesterday to piece together a project/presentation for next week and all signs point towards a job well done. Although they are meeting on Friday and I'm not due to the fact that it's my birthday. (PS-Gram, if you're reading this, I am calling you so that you can sing to me :)) Then of course, yesterday when I got home, there was a notice on the floor: I had a package waiting for me at the post office! I figured it was FINALLY the one from home with my Easter candy and meds...that's what I was hoping for at least.

And today, I woke up, ready to face a challenge which I thought I could handle. I managed to set up an interview here in Dublin for a company that I want an internship for back in the States and I was very excited. The only issue was getting there. The recruiter said that I could go by public transportation, only it was something I had never used before. She told me to use the Luas (pronounced Lewis) which is an above ground subway of sorts. She even told me which stop to get off at. I talked to a few people in my apartment who had taken it and they said it was easy to use. Another girl from campus whom I spoke with said that it was very quick and relatively cheap 4euro round trip to go approximately 12 stops.

So I got up, always prepared for an interview with my sparkling personality. However, much to my dismay, the sun had gone after a glorious few days and I was left with clouds. But I was oddly buoyant. I ate my breaky of oatmeal and tea, my usual here, and relaxed before getting ready. I put on the only nice outfit that I brought with me which included a black flowy skirt and the red top I recently purchased for my 301 project (thanks again, Mom!). This I couple with thigh-highs to fight the cold and a simple pair of black heels. I kept the jewelry and make-up very light and simple. I gathered my sneakers and notice to collect my package after my interview as I would be on that side of town anyways.

By 9:30 I was out the door and on my way to Abbey Street, the neared Luas stop. I arrived and found the kiosk to buy my ticket. I had some trouble but was gladly helped out by a nice Indian woman...who turned out to only want change and I didn't have any, but I was grateful for the help. The train came less than a minute after I bought the ticket, it said it was going to "Red Cow" and so I climbed aboard, having already done research and knowing that I needed to get off one stop before "Red Cow." I climbed on a found a seat, it was like riding the Green Line in Boston, above ground subway with a slight trolley feel to it. Riding on the other side of the road didn't even bother me in the slightest. I felt surprisingly at ease. I began listening to the stops and noted them on the map above my head. Simple enough. I made it to my stop at "Kylemore" with no problems or creepy people.

However, once I got off, I realized that I was in an industrial carpark sort of area with no idea where that was exactly. But I knew I had to find Long Mile Road and which direction it was in. So I set off. I walked until I saw the Enterprise sign behind a fence and kept walking around the block until I found the entrance with that sign. I made, it was only about a half mile from the Luas stop, not bad...kind of sucked in heels though.

I won't say how the interview went because I don't want to jinx it, but just keep me in mind. I really want this internship!

After the interview, I wandered back to the Luas stop, crossing the road to pick up the train on the other side and had some trouble getting over the barrier which was quickly solved by stepping through a plant...yea, in a skirt...we won't go there. But I settled in, threw on some socks and changed into my sneakers and road back into City Centre. I got off on Abbey Street and began my walk to the Post Office down the river. No problems there.

Came back to the apartment, tore open my package and found it was in fact the one that I had been waiting for, thankfully! It still had Easter candy too and appeared to be unopened...which was odd considering the hold up. But I'm no longer worried now that it is safely in my possession. I have my meds and vitamins, my chocolate bunny and M&Ms and of course, my jelly beans. It was a good haul. :)

Now it's time to do work. I have two more projects to finish, a paper to write, and my last week of classes is next week. Then I get a week to "study" before finals. Two weeks of finals, but all of mine are the second week, so I will just hopefully be soaking up some rays until then. Oh right and studying. Although, I won't get my grades until September so I'm going to try and not stress finals too much. Apparently you can finish classes here and not graduate until the start of the next semester...odd. Oh well, off to history class to hopefully regain my paper and then one more night of staying in to do work before my weekend begins tomorrow night!

Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

Saturday was the last trip sanctioned by the school that I will be attending. We had the great opportunity to be with our history teacher, Marnie, and of course a fan favorite, Dorothy, and venture up into the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom, to a part known as Northern Ireland. In our travels we learned many interesting things, and I shall reveal them as I go along.

The trip started out like any other, we were late to the bus stop, of course. We had waited for Lexi and Morgan, not realizing that they had retrieved their caffeinated beverages and already clamored aboard the bus down the street. But we all got on all right, without Garrett and Mike who did not make it out of bed, leaving Alex the only man to accompany us. But no worries. I sat with my friend Mary and we chatted for a bit then plugged into our respective MP3 players and dozed off. About an hour in, we stopped at a hotel just outside the border and had a full Irish breakfast. We had a bowl of cornflakes to start with some toast and jam. Followed by coffee or tea and orange juice. Then came the main course with an egg on top of a slice of ciabatta bread, a potato pancake type thing, two pieces of sausage, two thick slices of bacon, white pudding and of course black pudding, and a roasted tomato. I tried everything on my plate (except the tomato) and really enjoyed the black and white puddings. The bacon is a different cut, but still juicy, and the potato pancake was not what I was used to but definitely good. It wasn't an overly large meal, but we all left quite full and happy.

We then drove further north and just over the border saw advertizments for exchanging money and purchasing fireworks, I equated it much to driving into New Hampshire for the first time. There was a ton of beautiful farmland and seeing as I had just had two cups of coffee, I got to see alot of it. about an hour later, we began seeing city buildings in the distance, we were almost to the capital, Belfast. Driving through the city and straight on towards the Parliament Buildings, most fondly referred to by the locals as Stormont. (Stormint *hand motion* haha anyone who doesn't understand can ask me to explain later)

We first came to entrance at the bottom of the hill, only to discover that it was a walking public access only. So around to the side we went. The view of the Parliament Buildings was amazing. So much greenery surrounding an enormous white marble structure. Our teacher had told us that it was created to make a statement and boy did it make a statement!

The bus was parked and we all stumbled off, eager to stretch our legs and explore this new country. We passed through a quick security and received a ticket to give at the main entrance. So we got an excellent view as we climbed to the top to reach the main building called Parliament Buildings.
Stepping inside, we signed in and proceeded to the Great Hall. It was breath-taking. The ceiling was magnificent, hung with 5 chandeliers, the one in the middle being the biggest. There were reds and blues and silvers, the floor was identical in symmetry and laid with a simple tile floor in tans and grays. There was a grand staircase at the end of the hall, with a statue in the middle, depicting the first head of Parliament of Northern Ireland. A few fun facts that we learned about the structure and the hall itself:
-Ceiling and floor are identical in symmetry
-It is exactly one mile from the statue at the top of the stairs to the entrance gate at the bottom of the hill (see picture below of Mile Road)
-The building was originally one of three to be built under the name of the Parliament Buildings, but during a restructuring to stop the hemorrhaging of money, the English scrapped the other two buildings so the main one remains under the original plural name
-There is a castle on site called "Stormont Castle" and often people refer to the area as Stormont instead of Parliament Buildings; the castle now houses the Northern Irish Executive Branch of government
-The building was used by the RNAF during WWII and painted black with a mixture of tar and cow manure in order to hide it from air raids
-The statue in the hall is an exact replica of the man it represents
-If you fold the building in half, it would lay perfectly
-House of Lords is on the right, House of Commons on the left
This is me standing on the steps and behind me is The Prince's Road aka Mile Road.

After a quick soup and sandwich lunch inside the Parliament Buildings, it was time for a bus tour of the actual city of Belfast, very exciting. We picked up the tour guide at the gates when we were leaving and she was a very nice older woman who was very entertaining with lots of little facts and quips about the city. The first place we went past was the naval architecture school where Thomas Andrews, the designer of the Titanic had attended. The first part of the tour was devoted to this fascinating and mysterious ship. We drove past the working shipyards and saw two of the largest cranes in the world, Goliath and Sampson (pun intended). Then we were able to drive to the site where the Titanic was built.The Titanic Dry Dock, this was where the stern of the ship would have sat while it was being built or worked upon. It was quite large, I guess I never really understood how big that ship was. The tour guide had some interesting things to say about the history of shipbuilding in Belfast and quotes on T-shirts about the Titanic. "It sailed, it sank, get over it." "It took 500 Irishmen to build and one Englishman to sink" And Belfast holds the record for number of pins put into a ship in a day. With a five man crew, working a 9 hour shift, getting paid by the bolt, how many do you think they could do? Just think about it. (Answer at the bottom)

After the history of ship building, we drove around the city looking at all the architecture and such. We saw the capital building and the tourist ferris wheel. There were a ton of people out, due to the fact that it was a sunny day. The tour guide told us that every St. Patrick's Day, the statue of Queen Victoria gets covered in green and white shirts, scarves, etc. The city had an interesting dynamic. So many shops on all the streets, it was like being in a small town while having the wide expanse and variety of living in the city, it was an interesting feel.

One of my favorite buildings was Queen's University. So big and old and beautiful, classic Tudor style, brilliant. After this brief jaunt, we began our tour of the real nitty gritty Belfast; the Catholics and Protestants living together. We ventured into one of the most troubled parts of the city, soldiers had only been evacuated 5 years ago. There were several murals depicting fights and martyrs for both sides. One of the most interesting things was the road which had the wall running down the middle in order to separate the Catholics from the Protestants. The houses are right next to each other, only separated by several walls and fences, enabling the people to somewhat live in peace. The tour guide told us that there is a stronger movement in republican unity than there was even 10 years ago. A survey was filled out and 45% of people living in Northern Ireland would like to become part of the Republic of Ireland now. And interesting turn of events. I always hated what the IRA was doing, until I discovered that there were fighting for a united Ireland. Now I still don't like what they're doing but I think their politics are right on...speaking from an outsider at least. You know what they say, "One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist."

And so after that disturbing look into the underbelly of Belfast, the tour guide left us to venture home again. We stopped to have dinner at the same hotel again, a delicious lasagna, salad, chips, and of course a pint of Smithwick's for me. After that was back to Dublin, admiring the view as we went I was strongly reminded again of home in all it's beauty.

(The answer to how many rivets they will put in: over 11,000)

Catch Up

It's been about a week since my last post, so I figured I should probably give a few updates.
School has been good, learning ALOT in Irish History, we're onto the Irish Revolution now which is really interesting and I'm actually enjoying it. Getting into project/presentation season here at school which is keeping me a little busier than normal. I have already turned in one project and done the adjoining presentation. I have turned in the Irish History paper and I have a Negotiations paper due on Thursday which is sitting on my desktop waiting for its final edits and cover page. I have an interview with a head of company on which I have to write a paper and then present. And lastly I have a 5000 word paper and presentation which is due the last week of classes.

On the plus side, I found out my exam schedule. Classes end in three weeks. Then a week off to study. I have no exams the first week. And I have 4 the second week. And two on the last day, which sucks. But two days after that, I am homebound!

Becca has been sending me entertaining packages all semester. Her newest ones were for Easter and my birthday. The Easter fun kit included candy, Easter grass, and a card. Oh and a sign which I hung in the window of the living room :)
In the first birthday one was Happy Birthday pink and blue streamers, multi-colored balloons, "ice cream" and "cake" lollipops and a card. In the SECOND birthday kit was a fun headband with a birthday hat on top and copious amounts of gold glitter spelling out the words Happy and Birthday :) I shall be wearing the hat to the pubs on my birthday, oh yeaaaaaa.

Easter was a quite event and an overall quiet weekend. Parties on Thursday and Friday but we could really go anywhere seeing as all the pubs were closed. Saturday I'm not sure anyone went out, and Sunday was a homework day. We had some chocolate and the guys manage to make a decent turkey dinner...which they shared after they ate...haha But not a bad Easter overall, though I wished I could have hugged everyone (I asked Megan, my cousin, to do it for me, but I'm not sure she did).

This week has been slow so far, we had yesterday off from school as well, "Easter Monday" which was a treat. I had an internship interview, so everyone say a prayer or keep your fingers crossed for me!

Today I registered for classes for the fall which went all to my liking, thankfully. And I managed to stay awake and answer some questions in my Business Excellence class in the morning. Then I was once again left unamazed by the ideas of the other student groups in my Management of Innovation and Change class, but at least it was interesting.

I also saw a dead rat when I was biking home. Ugh.

Oh and I finally watched "Interview with a Vampire," though I haven't decided if I liked it or not yet.
And phooey on me, it's only in the 50s here, hope everyone back home is enjoying the sun...save some for me!!

It's raining snow and sleet

I knew it wasn't going to be the greatest of weeks when I saw the weather forecast Sunday night, but deciding to remain optimistic, I headed to bed early (around midnight) hoping for a restful night. Well I woke up well-rested all right, but not until 9:15, 15 minutes after I should have already been up. I failed to notice that when resetting my clock, the setting stayed on am when it was pm, so in the morning it was on pm when it should have been on am. Okay, no big deal, I tell myself. So I get up and go about my business, nice big bowl of oatmeal and some tea to keep me sane. Then I looked outside and the worst was happening, pouring rain. Now, don't get me wrong, it rains in Dublin like any other place but normally not until after 11am, I'm not sure why, but it just usually doesn't. So another bad omen to start the day.

But everything's fine and I make it to school a little worse for the wear and with only 12 minutes to spare. I hastily store my wet clothes, throw on dry jeans and a tee and amble my way into the classroom. Upon my arrival, some good news at least, we weren't going to have class but rather we were to have a guest speaker. (Who turned out to be amazing by the way, free ways to get your promotions across and the best ways to advertize yourself, great guy.) And the cherry on top was that class for next week was canceled due to the Easter Holiday. So I get a 4 day weekend. However, the teacher requested that we attend another class session next week to make up for the one we will be missing. I think to myself, okay, no big deal, I can manage that, a small price to pay. But no, both of her other class sessions are in blocks that I am already in class, well pooey.

I stayed after class for a bit to finish uploading Wicklow pictures, which was a great success by the way, and run into a group member of a project I was working on in another class. However, there is only good news to spare this time. Everything was a go for the meeting on Tuesday before class. Excellent. So feeling slightly giddy at this point, I then come to the crashing realization that I now have to put my wet clothes back on and proceed to bike back home, damnit. So I begin taking my clothes out and realize that I would be more soaked putting my pants back on than just leaving them off. So Kat in all genius-ness decides to bike home in shorts, in the pouring rain, when it's 34 degrees out...honestly, I should not be an adult sometimes. But all's going okay, other than the fact that my waterproof shoes are currently filling with the water and muck that is dripping down my bare legs and I'm practically frozen to my bike. Oh but it can't end there, oh no, karma has to come and mock me for wearing shorts. So I'm heading towards a narrow strip of road, minding my own business, going through a green light when a bus comes barreling out of no where to take up the lane and get ahead of me before the bike lane ends and he gets stuck behind me. And on his delightful way past, he has the politeness to not only almost knock me from my bike into traffic but also to splash through a gigantic puddle on his way, one that would surely have soaked me no matter what I was wearing. And thus my entire right side was submerged for a good 3 seconds in water colder than the Atlantic in February. Awesome.

However, I manage to make it home, unscathed though shivering and soaked, my boots squishing with every step and in my haste to become dry almost running down some lazy pedestrians who cannot seem to walk in a straight line. So I strip down to the bare essentials and hang all my clothes on various doors to dry off. I then continue to do my full workout, sopping wet, as I do not want to waste the cardio I had just performed. This endurance and perseverance has led me back to my 28in waist *sigh of contentment* I finally make it to the shower to wash off the grime that now coats my lower legs and spend at least 2 minutes of the shower trying to regain feeling in my feet...not a good thing for someone who already has poor circulation.
And thus ended a not so great Monday.

And today of course was Tuesday. My alarm went off on time, though I hadn't been able to sleep much, I got up just fine. I made my way slowly into the kitchen to boil some water and noticed it was particularly chilly in my kitchen. I looked out on to the balcony to witness for the 3rd time ever, snow in Dublin. It put an immediate smile on my face. I made my oatmeal and tea and sat down to read some Harry Potter before class. I was stalked online by a friend who was still up studying in the States (shout out to Casey) as it was 2am there. We chatted until I got ready for school and then it hit me...crap, I actually have to bike in the snow again.

So not exactly dreading, but not looking forward to it either, I donned my riding clothes, my shoes still slightly damp from yesterday and proceeded downstairs, hoping that it would at least stay cold enough to keep the snow as snow and not rain. However, no luck on that front. Half-way to school and it became sleet...so by the time I arrived to school, I was dripping wet and pissed off, going to a class I didn't care about and only bothering to come in because I had a presentation later in the day. So I once again, changed in the bathroom, leaving my pants out of my bag this time. When I got to class, I laid them on top of my backpack in the hopes that they would somewhat dry out before I had to leave again. But knowing how cold the classrooms are, I didn't have much hope. Class was a breeze, I cannot recall what I spend it doing but I barely took notes...don't worry, Mom, I learned most of it last semester.

So class ended and after a brief chat with my new Canadian friend and my group mates about our next meeting, I settled in to do some work. I had made contact with a company and was supposed to call for more information for a project I am doing. So I did all my background research, wrote my questions and compiled a SWOT analysis and then gathered my courage to call. No answer, no luck. Left a message. But fear not, I had a brain wave at this point, realizing that my pants were often more wet on the inside than the outside and decide to reverse them so that they might dry more efficiently. So that's what I did and hung them on the back of a chair, seemed to work too.

I then prepared for the presentation I was going to give in the afternoon and at 2pm, left one classroom for another to meet with my group and further prepare. The slides were edited slightly and the run through went smoothly. So we impatiently waited for the first group to finish, they did a decent job though not a completely original idea in my opinion. And then it was our turn. I introduced the team, the company, the product and its description. We described our protection and collaboration strategies, our financial outlook and our way to market domination. At the end of it, the professor seemed very pleased. Only a couple of questions were raised and he asked if we thought we might do it one day. We replied with a polite, it's possible, but not likely. He agreed that our idea was revolutionary and in this day's economy, a great deal.

And floating on air and smiling at my group, I left that class. I trudged to the bathroom to change once more and noticed that my pants were mostly dry. My shorts, however, not so much. But as they were only a little damp, I dragged them on and luckily had worn under armor this morning so I wasn't as shivery and then threw on my shirt and my mostly dried pants. When I walked outside, it was now freezing rain falling from the sky; wet but not overly so, just enough to make it unpleasant. But I made it home in considerably better shape than yesterday which was a good thing. However, I had to go back out in this dreadful weather because I was completely out of milk and bread, two essentials to my life. So I ran over to Dunnes, the next street over and quickly made my purchase and ran back home. I made a quick grilled cheese and soup dinner and then gave myself over to the shower to wash off the newest layer of Dublin Street grime.

I've been hoping for sun, but the forecast is calling for more crappy weather this week, as in all week...not a comfort. But I'm keeping my head up and trying to not let it get me down. Only 46 more days left in this beautiful country.

The Valley of the Two Lakes

On Saturday, I had yet another trip, one of the last of the semester, up to County Wicklow in the Wicklow Mountains to have the view of an area known as Glendalough, the Valley of the Two Lakes. Part of it were breath-taking if not as green as I had pictured in my mind and I was not expecting the bonus of the Irish History lesson in the small village ruins.

In the morning, I had to bike to UCD to catch the bus because it was a program put on by the Office of Study Abroad so it was run differently from some of the others. I had paid my 5euro deposit earlier in the week which I got back later in the day. I was able to get on the bus with no problems after being worried for two days that I had no received a confirmation e-mail and might not be able to go. So I relaxed and listened to my zune during the hour-long bus ride.

We saw a little bit of country Ireland and went through a few small towns but saw mostly farm land with lots of sheep. We got off the bus at the tourist center had a little bit of free time to go to the bathroom and stretch before we could watch the promotional video and look around the visitor's center display. The video told us all about the coming of Christianity to Ireland and several important saints who helped the fledgling religion on its way. It also talked about the establishment of "monasteries" which are not what we think of them as being today. They were often small villages with churches, battle towers, and small huts all devoted to the education of young people in both religious and secular lifestyles. We then were able to look around the displays and saw how life in the monasteries was lived and even saw a miniature recreation of what one might have looked like.

After this, we waited around for a couple of hours, eating lunch, playing tag, climbing trees, and venturing a small way into the woods towards the river to take some pictures and generally just do some frolicking. We were then hastened back to the visitor's center to meet with our tour guide who was very nice and I believe his name was Peter. He took us to the front entrances gates of the Glendalough Monastery and led us inside to see the ruins. It was mostly a graveyard by now, centered in the Wicklow Mountains National Park and open free of charge but in relatively good state due to the fact it was made from stone.

In the monastery sat the remains of a chapel where the monks would have lived, a cathedral where everyone in the surrounding areas would have come to pray and learn, a 130ft high Round Tower which served many purposes including landmark and bell tower, and many many gravestones. There were celtic crosses everywhere, obviously, and it was not as eerie as I would have expected, although it was the middle of the day. In the village there was also the Wishing Stone which was a large stone cross and legend tells us that if you can reach your arms around so they touch then you are able to make a wish and it will come true before you die. I obviously could not do it given the fact that I have a small arm span. Morgan was the only one who tried and succeeded in this particular endeavor.

After viewing the monastery and contemplating the kid-napping of several lambs who were in the field beside it, we next followed the guide up a back road which wound along a branch of the river. We climb up the backside of one of the mountains and were immersed in greenery. A rooster could be heard which Shannon thought was a coyote and that was quite a good laugh. There was a staircase in the mountainside which although unexpected was quite welcome at this point. We made it to the half-way point and took a quick rest, everyone stopping for pictures and water.

We then trundled onward and the Lower Lake came into view, most took some pictures of this but after we had passed it, we came up the Upper Lake which was far superior. It sat, nice nestled between the mountain and a stream could be clearly seen running down the mountain into it. We followed the winding road down to the walk beside it and finally came to the shore line where a number of families and dogs! were playing and enjoying the sunny day. I also happened to meet some German sheep whom I had my picture taken with because I couldn't believe that they were there!

After this short stop, we climbed the next mountain and followed it upwards and came to a mediocre waterfall. I was far more impressed with the one I saw as a kid at Castle in the Clouds in New Hampshire. But nonetheless, it was a view. We walked upwards, past this and rounded around to cross over a branch of the river and begin our descent. We walked past the Upper Lake, continued on past the Lower Lake and finally ended up on the same path that me and the other Bentley girls had previously explored. And so we made it back to the visitor's center with aching feet and a hard thirst.

We climbed back aboard the bus and thankfully I had taken my motion sickness medication that morning and I was able to sleep the whole ride back. Once off at UCD, I climbed back onto my bike and headed home. While not the most exciting of trips, certainly worthwhile. It may not be at its best right now, but I cannot deny the quiet beauty that can always be beheld in Ireland.

Not Exactly Tea with the Queen...

Just got back home from a tour of the Irish House of Parliament also known as the Leinster House and it was pretty impressive. Granted all the historic content is somewhat lost on me but the building itself was very beautiful.

Met Marnie at the gates around 2:45pm and waited for everyone else. By 3:05pm, we were able to get into the grounds and proceeded to the waiting room with our tour guide to wait until the last tour had finished. Heard the rules, same as the other places, no pictures or liquids, etc. Also no hats allowed which while not unheard of was still interesting.

When the tour began, we jumped right into it by making our way through the main entrance hall and into a foyer of stairs. We had a brief overview of an enormous and beautifully carved bookcase which was housed in the original house of Parliament (across from Trinity College) and was moved there in the 1900s. It was full of books of original Parliament documents, all first editions, and while I was itching to have a closer look, the tour guide held us back. The bookcase also housed a secret compartment in the middle panel which pulled open and had shelves believed to have stored alcohol. (haha) Dennis was our tour guide.

After this fascinating bit, we proceeded upstairs and through the gallery to be seated where we had a full overview of the House of Representatives (or TD's). It reminded me alot of all the rooms we always see on CSPAN except that it was painted with blue and gold rugs and drapery. The seats and panels were a beautiful dark wood, I want to say mahogany but I'm not sure, and all the main chairs were of leather. The ones we were seated in in the public gallery weren't so nice but hey, that's the way it is. The tour guide gave us a brief outline of how the House works and the way that bills make their passage through it which was interesting. I didn't really understand it as much as I would have liked, but Marnie assured us that we would be learning all about that in our coming lectures.

Next we moved through the other side of the gallery and back into the hallway on the top level where we were able to view paintings of the previous Prime Ministers of Ireland. We had a brief history of each and then proceeded to another foyer of stairs. We were then regaled with the tale of the famous Lord Edward Fitzgerald which I think we've heard at least a total of 3 times previously in our other excursions and in class. Nonetheless, it was still interesting. The best part about this area was the ornate moldings on the ceiling and walls which was a mixture of shells, water flowing, and flowers.

After this, we proceeded down one set of stairs and up another to enter the Senate room. We passed through an amazing set of doors which are an exact replica of the ones on the opposite side of the room, the original entrance which is only used by the Chairman of the Senate now. The room for the Senate had an absolutely breath-taking ceiling filled with flowers and geometric designs as well a few sphinx. It was blue, yellow, and white and hanging from it were 3 beautiful chandeliers that looked like crystal but most likely were not. It was a smaller and single-leveled room as opposed to the House of Representatives room but it was the more beautiful of the two I think. Each of the rooms also were equipped with video cameras for live feed, seating for the press, and special seating for the record-takers.

After leaving the Senate, we came back down to the stairs where we were told of a fascinating tale about the woman whose portrait hung in the hall, I can't recall her name but apparently, she was part of the revolution movement in the early 20th century. Facing in the opposite direction was what appeared to be a wall hanging which actually turned out to be a flag from the Civil War that was presented to the Irish Parliament by former President John F. Kennedy in 1963. He came for a visit and wanted to present something to the new-ish government that had been set up. He got permission from the US Government to remove this flag from a Civil War Museum and on it was the symbols and battles of an Irish battalion that fought in the Civil War. They were all Irish men based out of NYC who fought bravely in several battles. It was green and covered in symbols of Ireland, the harp and the shamrock, along with the names of the battles that were fought by this battalion.

Coming at the end of the tour was a view of the entrance hall in which were several paintings of the Presidents of Ireland including the current one. And a sheet of paper that was produced during the revolutionary times which told of freedoms that should be given to the Irish men AND women. It was signed by the man who put it up and later became the President of Ireland, Sean...someone, haha.

So the end of our tour came and we thanked the tour guide. At this point, we were then approached by the TD from Marnie's area and she invited us to have coffee with her. So we followed her back through the building to a back area called the visitor's lounge and were told we could have whatever we wanted...at the bar. Tea, coffee, beer, liquor, whatever we wanted. So naturally most people got a beer. I however chose to get a cappuccino which turned out to be pretty good quality. So we enjoyed our beverages and chatted with the TD until she left. She was pretty nice, name was Mary. So we continue to drink while Katie Todd got drunk and we had a grand time of it. The bar was decently stocked and the room was blue and beautiful. And we got to drink in Parliament...can't imagine many people can say that.

And on a side note, my package from home still hasn't arrived, my electricity bill arrived and it was WAYYYY more than expected. So still not impressed with this shit. And we do have daylight savings time here in GMT which begins two weeks after everyone else. So beginning this Sunday, I will once again be 5 hours ahead of you all!
Oh and in better news, I'm going to the Wicklow Mountains tomorrow on a hike, pray that it stays sunny for me!

And today is National Daffodil Day here in Ireland, buy a daffodil pin for 3euro or a bouquet of actual daffodils for 5euro and help support the Irish Cancer Society :)

Rugby and Reality

After a day of doing work...well I was at least...my roomies and I decided that a nice break would be to watch the Six Nations Rugby Final in a pub. Granted, they had been planning this a couple of days but still. So I decided to tag along and we went to a nice restaurant/bar called "Break for the Border," you may remember that this is also where we watched the Superbowl back in January. (damn I've been here a long time!)

We got there about 40 minutes before the game started because we wanted to be able to get some seats. We lucky out and found a side booth with a perfect view of the tv for game watching. Once we were settled in, we decided we wanted to order some food. Kara had to run home and grab some money and because the waitresses really wanted our order, we didn't wait for her. Shannon and I both got nachos (she got guac on the side) and Morgan ended up with a Chicken Club sandwich. Kara came back and our food arrived shortly after. It was a mountain of nachos! Okay, maybe not a mountain, but at least a hill. The bowl was the size of about 2 cereal bowls and brimming with chips. Then there was melted cheese and beef chili. One corner had sour cream and the other had guacamole, all topped with a few mild jalapenos which I am damn proud to say that I ate. I actually clean my plate (bowl) and was very proud of that fact and I think my mommy would be too! :D I don't normally eat guacamole but it was all right, a little too much lime according to Morgan who said it was too sour to be good, she would know that silly Californian, but I didn't mind it so much. The chili on top was awesome and I think the chips were made they, nice and crisp and salty, like Eddie makes.

Right, so back to the game. By the time we started eating with our good food and tap water (haha) the game was just beginning. Opening ceremonies including team introductions and warm ups along with commentary banter had all begun. And then it was time for RUGBY. At this point, the bar is getting pretty packed with people and boy was I glad we got there early. The game got off to a bad start for Ireland who couldn't seem to hang onto the ball which was frustrating. Not really to me because I don't really understand rugby and had to keep pestering Shannon with questions throughout the game, but it was irritating to most others. Scotland scored first with a kick and their kicker continued to be spectacular throughout the game, damn that Dan Parks!

Ireland came back not long after with their first goal but didn't manage to keep the lead for long. Scotland was definitely going to be tough to beat. I believe we ended at the half tied 17-17, but that could have come later, I'm not really sure. And by the half there was a group of older men like late 40s who were getting drunk and rowdy, quick annoying really. They were doing shots at the bar and one of them even fell asleep there! But I guess boys will be boys no matter what age they are.

We ended up finishing our food and I decided it was time for a drink, a light beer to wash down the salty taste. However, since all the other girls were going out in another couple of hours, I was the only one who was drinking. So I helped myself to a pint of Carlsberg from the bar for 5euro and resumed watching the game. It was a pleasant experience and the atmosphere was much more relaxing in the bar than I would have expected.

But Ireland ended up losing to Scotland 20-23, a very hardening loss. Mostly we decided it was the Irish kicker's fault being that he went 1 for 4 and got taken out and that the Scottish kicker was ah-may-zing! So it was disappointing but I at least got out of the house and away from my work for a bit! I had to come back and jump right back in but oh well.

And now I'm off to do more this afternoon, while waiting for my edits to come back and I'm getting very frustrating. Honestly I'm kind of ready to go home. I've been on break and this whole experience is like a drawn out vacation with some school work thrown in. Of course it's worth it because Dublin is awesome and Ireland is beautiful and the people are super friendly. But I think 4 months is a little long, it's been fun but now that I have to face reality and actually start turning in more work, I'm missing my north campus room with access to coffee and a library with comfy seating. And of course all my friends and family, it's been tough to be so far away and knowing that I can't just hop on a bus and go home if I want to or if anything is going wrong...But I'm not complaining, I know I'm lucky to be here. And I might as well enjoy it, under 60 days left now. Plus my birthday is coming up! Perhaps I'm just over the whole school work thing...hopefully I can get an internship this summer and not have to think too hard about school or anything else by then.

Back to the grindstone tomorrow :(

PS-awesome dog that was downstairs at the cafe today!