Wednesday, 15 May 2013
"If we don't get there today, we'll get there tomorrow..."
As cliche as it sounds, it's tough to believe that this whole thing is over, and has been for almost a week. We had a fantastic America-themed party on the Wednesday night at Downey's, and a going-away party at Merry's the following night. It was really a great time for all involved, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one that had a hard time saying good-bye.
The Wonderful West
On our trip to the West, we were able to see some really fantastic natural wonders.
The Rock of Cashel was on the way to the Galway. The church was built on a hill, which gives the surrounding areas some amazing views.
Harry and Dumbledore have a scene here in the Half Blood Prince movie! It looks a bit different in the daylight... Although I've been to the Cliffs once before, it was very different to see it with friends (as opposed to family), and we walked much farther out along the path to see more. Eventually there were no more barriers between us and the edge, which got a bit nerve-wracking.
The Rock of Cashel was on the way to the Galway. The church was built on a hill, which gives the surrounding areas some amazing views.
The Rock of Cashel was on the way to the Galway. The church was built on a hill, which gives the surrounding areas some amazing views.
We also saw the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride. After we got home from the trip, I sat down and rewatched the movie with Mary, her mom, our friend Cormac, and some of the other roommates. It was really funny to see how many lines of the movie I remembered after not seeing it for a couple years. It's still fantastic of course.
The Rock of Cashel was on the way to the Galway. The church was built on a hill, which gives the surrounding areas some amazing views.
On our second day in the area, we headed to the Aran Islands. I didn't know much about the area, but I'm very glad to have gotten the chance to learn! We took a tour in a van/bus around the island and learned all about everyday life there from our tour guide, who's family has lived there for six generations! The main island has a gorgeous beach, and an ancient stone fort built around- you guess it, more cliffs. These ones had even less protection, which was a bit scary, but allowed for some seriously gorgeous views. It was really tough to leave!
Monday, 6 May 2013
The Dutch know how to do salad right:
- Goat cheese
- Spinach
- Arugala
- Walnuts
- Red Apple
- Lemony dressing
- Pasta noodles
"Can we just move to Cork?"
A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to travel to Cork with a few friends and stay in a B&B overnight. We took the bus out to the city and got to explore the English Market, which reminded me a bit of Buffalo's Broadway Market, except about three times the size.
The city itself is really gorgeous. It's busy and fast paced, but not overly crowded or tourist-y. We had a lot of fun exploring side streets and checking out the different shops!
Saturday morning we visited Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone! My roommate Kelly was probably the most excited out of our group, and it was great to see her get to do something she'd been dreaming about for years. (Don't worry, Panda kissed the stone too.)
The castle grounds/park were honestly a bit more appealing than the castle itself to me. The stairs to get up to the top of the castle (where the stone is) were really tough and a bit scary to be honest, so I was happy when we got back on solid ground and got to explore the park.
The White House! Our B&B in Blarney, the town just outside Cork. We were able to walk to the Castle, and to the local pub, which was a lot of fun. There was a fantastic band playing and we all got to hang out with the locals for a bit.
All in all it was a fantastic weekend with a lot of bonding time among the girls. Definitely made some great memories to take home!
I found this little guy in an Asian market and originally bought him as a souvenir to bring home for my boyfriend Scott, as part of an inside joke. We spent a big chunk of the weekend putting Panda in funny places and taking pictures of him, and the joke has snowballed a bit... Anyways, he's a world-traveler now!
Saturday morning we visited Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone! My roommate Kelly was probably the most excited out of our group, and it was great to see her get to do something she'd been dreaming about for years. (Don't worry, Panda kissed the stone too.)
The castle grounds/park were honestly a bit more appealing than the castle itself to me. The stairs to get up to the top of the castle (where the stone is) were really tough and a bit scary to be honest, so I was happy when we got back on solid ground and got to explore the park.
All in all it was a fantastic weekend with a lot of bonding time among the girls. Definitely made some great memories to take home!
Thursday, 2 May 2013
The Amsterdam Adventure!
This time I'm actually going to try to keep up with blogging as a trip goes along! I have a lot of back posts to get to, but I'll work on that eventually... For now- Amsterdam!
This week I'm traveling with two friends, Lindsey and Sarah to the Netherlands. My roommate Mary is unfortunately not with us, but we're making as many memories to bring back to her as possible! We started out journey yesterday afternoon, leaving Dungarvan for Cork (about an hour away by bus). Our friend Daragh met up with us and was nice enough to stay over before our way-too-early flight this morning. It was fantastic to see a bigger city in Ireland from the perspective of a local, even if it was only for an evening.
This morning when we got to the Cork airport security wasn't even open, which is something that I've never experienced. The three of us were still pretty exhausted, so it was a very quiet plane ride. We had great luck getting a shuttle to our hotel, which is a bit outside the city, but completely gorgeous. We're in a corner room on the thirteenth floor and have an amazing view!
We took a tram into the city center this afternoon, and happened to get out at the stop closest to the Anne Frank museum which was a fantastic mix up. We got to wander the streets and see some really pretty canals and ended up in a tulip market somehow, which was a nice surprise. We ended our day by meeting up with Sarah's friend Maaike, who is from the Netherlands and will be staying with us! It's really exciting to be able to city with a new friend, especially someone who speaks the language.
We're all calling it an early night in order to catch up on sleep and be ready for a full day tomorrow, hopefully we'll get to the beach!
This week I'm traveling with two friends, Lindsey and Sarah to the Netherlands. My roommate Mary is unfortunately not with us, but we're making as many memories to bring back to her as possible! We started out journey yesterday afternoon, leaving Dungarvan for Cork (about an hour away by bus). Our friend Daragh met up with us and was nice enough to stay over before our way-too-early flight this morning. It was fantastic to see a bigger city in Ireland from the perspective of a local, even if it was only for an evening.
This morning when we got to the Cork airport security wasn't even open, which is something that I've never experienced. The three of us were still pretty exhausted, so it was a very quiet plane ride. We had great luck getting a shuttle to our hotel, which is a bit outside the city, but completely gorgeous. We're in a corner room on the thirteenth floor and have an amazing view!
We took a tram into the city center this afternoon, and happened to get out at the stop closest to the Anne Frank museum which was a fantastic mix up. We got to wander the streets and see some really pretty canals and ended up in a tulip market somehow, which was a nice surprise. We ended our day by meeting up with Sarah's friend Maaike, who is from the Netherlands and will be staying with us! It's really exciting to be able to city with a new friend, especially someone who speaks the language.
We're all calling it an early night in order to catch up on sleep and be ready for a full day tomorrow, hopefully we'll get to the beach!
Friday, 19 April 2013
Eire to Erie
Realizing that we've all got less than a month here was pretty tough this week. I know how lucky I am to be a part of this whole experience, and I've really been doing my best to make the most of it. I spent a lot of time thinking about how great this whole thing has been, and will continue to be, but also how completely excited I am to come home. I know that once I get home I'll miss this place more than words, but I also know how exciting being back at Mercyhurst/being in Buffalo this summer will be! I don't think I've ever been more aware of how fantastic my friends and family are, and how gracious I am to have them around.
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Berlin part 2 (only a week and a half late...)
This is the Berlin Cathedral, which is absolutely massive. We took a self-guided tour and ended up climbing 500 steps to walk around the outside of the main dome of the Cathedral. It was the ultimate panoramic view of Berlin, and completely worth the climb!
We also went to see Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp that was used in WWII and later as a camp for political prisoners. Many parts of the camp have been turned into museum style exhibits, and the sheer size of the place is stunning. It was tough to see, but I think most of our group would say that they're glad to have seen it.
This memorial was built at the camp in the 1960's.
Myself and my friend Lindsey at the graffiti wall. Thursday afternoon, our last day in the city, we had a great time exploring and goofing around.
After accidentally taking the S-bahn (subway/rail system) in the wrong direction, we ended up at Alexanderplatz. There's a huge open air market, with clothes and food vendors, and even a mini petting zoo with goats! We ended up having dinner in a beirgarten, which was a great way to have one last real German meal!
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Number 42!
Yesterday we were lucky enough to tour the Waterford Crystal Factory, and see pieces as they were being made!
Probably the coolest thing that I saw was this fireman's helmet, which is still in its early stages of production. It's being made for Mariano Rivera of the Yankees! I don't know the full story behind the helmet, but it was awesome to see and hold something that will end up in his home someday!
Probably the coolest thing that I saw was this fireman's helmet, which is still in its early stages of production. It's being made for Mariano Rivera of the Yankees! I don't know the full story behind the helmet, but it was awesome to see and hold something that will end up in his home someday!
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Berlin Part One!
I can officially announce that I've been to mainland Europe and its amazing! Nothing like I imagined of course, much better. Monday Morning we landed in Berlin around 10 o'clock, and trekked to our hotel. It's a gorgeous old building, and I get to share a room with Emily, Kellie, and Mary, three of my favorite people on the trip.
Monday afternoon we had a short tour walking around some important parts of the city. We saw Brandenburg Gate (and some great street performers), then walked from East Berlin to West Berlin and saw the Reichstag. It's the site of the German Parliament, and is really impressive in terms of architecture. Eventually we ended up in the Hackescher Market area, and our whole group had dinner together. It was very relaxing after a full day, and felt pretty authentic too! After taking the train back to the neighborhood where our hotel is located, it was great to actually feel oriented. Myself and my roommates did a bit of exploring, and ended up getting some sangria and tapas! Not exactly traditional German food, but very cultural and definitely delicious.
Today (Tuesday) was a long day as well. We got to see part of the Berlin Wall that is still standing, and hit up a bunch of different museums and historical sites. It was really amazing to learn so much about the city's history in a single day. We covered everything from the Nazi regime's rise to power to Checkpoint Charlie- a gate in the Berlin Wall where hundreds of people escaped from Communist East Berlin to Ally-controlled West Berlin. We also saw the Holocaust Memorial, and the site of what is going to be a new multicultural museum! (It was a bit weird to go into a museum about a museum that's still in the process of being built, but the exhibits were really cool!)
One part of our day that I particularly enjoyed was the time we had to explore on our own, at our own pace. It let us prioritize our afternoon, and travel in smaller groups. Myself and a few friends ended up taking a river boat cruise of the city, which was another first for me, and definitely a cool experience. Overall it was a quiet evening, but I certainly don't mind being able to rest up and plan for tomorrow!
Monday afternoon we had a short tour walking around some important parts of the city. We saw Brandenburg Gate (and some great street performers), then walked from East Berlin to West Berlin and saw the Reichstag. It's the site of the German Parliament, and is really impressive in terms of architecture. Eventually we ended up in the Hackescher Market area, and our whole group had dinner together. It was very relaxing after a full day, and felt pretty authentic too! After taking the train back to the neighborhood where our hotel is located, it was great to actually feel oriented. Myself and my roommates did a bit of exploring, and ended up getting some sangria and tapas! Not exactly traditional German food, but very cultural and definitely delicious.
Today (Tuesday) was a long day as well. We got to see part of the Berlin Wall that is still standing, and hit up a bunch of different museums and historical sites. It was really amazing to learn so much about the city's history in a single day. We covered everything from the Nazi regime's rise to power to Checkpoint Charlie- a gate in the Berlin Wall where hundreds of people escaped from Communist East Berlin to Ally-controlled West Berlin. We also saw the Holocaust Memorial, and the site of what is going to be a new multicultural museum! (It was a bit weird to go into a museum about a museum that's still in the process of being built, but the exhibits were really cool!)
One part of our day that I particularly enjoyed was the time we had to explore on our own, at our own pace. It let us prioritize our afternoon, and travel in smaller groups. Myself and a few friends ended up taking a river boat cruise of the city, which was another first for me, and definitely a cool experience. Overall it was a quiet evening, but I certainly don't mind being able to rest up and plan for tomorrow!
Sunday, 31 March 2013
What a weekend!
Thursday:
Finished up midterms and enjoyed an afternoon of freedom with some friends! We stopped in at Ormond's Cafe and had some tea and a scone, which are to die for. It was really nice to be able to relax- no classes or schoolwork for almost a week and a half.
We also got to go horseback riding Thursday afternoon! Eight of us in total traveled to stables that are outside Waterford, got a quick lesson, and got to ride for about an hour. The views were really amazing, including a walk along a quiet, peaceful lake. Afterwards we all had our best cowboy walks going, but there were smiles all around.
Thursday night was a great time. Some of the girls organized a surprise going away party/potluck for Dr Reed, our Irish lit professor who was only with us for the first half of the term. I think (and hope) the surprise aspect was pulled off well, and it was nice to have everyone working together on something. Dr Reed managed to squeeze a 3 credit class into less than 4 weeks time, so he definitely deserved a hand by the end of it.
Friday:
We had a nice quiet day at home, and worked on planning an American themed party! James and Ricardo (the ridiculously outnumbered boys in our group- 30 girls and 2 of them) hosted Friday night, which was a blast. The Mercyhurst kids got decked out in their best red, white, and blue/patriotic outfits, and got to show off for some locals! It was really nice to meet some people from the area who are our age, and we had a lot of fun comparing Ireland to the States. The short walk home across the parking lot didn't hurt either.
Saturday:
We had a fantastic "Tom Tour" that took up most of our day, and included some exciting sights. We started at Mt Melleray Grotto, which is the site of an apparition of Mary to some young Irish people back in the 80's. It was a gorgeous spot, and the sun came out too! We also saw two Butler castles, and got to tour them. Later in the afternoon we toured some caves as well. They go on for miles, and we got to see fossils that were millions of years old. Really exciting stuff. It was a jam packed day and we learned a lot, got to see some beautiful sights.
Sunday:
My first Easter away from home! I walked to mass this morning with some of the girls and heard a nice service, then headed back home and got a bit more sleep. It was a really quiet day, but that's fine by me. Tomorrow morning we're headed to Berlin! It's my first time traveling to Germany/mainland Europe, and I'm so excited to get into the culture. We've got an early start (as in 3am early), which means I probably should have been in bed hours ago. It will definitely be an adventure!
Finished up midterms and enjoyed an afternoon of freedom with some friends! We stopped in at Ormond's Cafe and had some tea and a scone, which are to die for. It was really nice to be able to relax- no classes or schoolwork for almost a week and a half.
We also got to go horseback riding Thursday afternoon! Eight of us in total traveled to stables that are outside Waterford, got a quick lesson, and got to ride for about an hour. The views were really amazing, including a walk along a quiet, peaceful lake. Afterwards we all had our best cowboy walks going, but there were smiles all around.
Thursday night was a great time. Some of the girls organized a surprise going away party/potluck for Dr Reed, our Irish lit professor who was only with us for the first half of the term. I think (and hope) the surprise aspect was pulled off well, and it was nice to have everyone working together on something. Dr Reed managed to squeeze a 3 credit class into less than 4 weeks time, so he definitely deserved a hand by the end of it.
Friday:
We had a nice quiet day at home, and worked on planning an American themed party! James and Ricardo (the ridiculously outnumbered boys in our group- 30 girls and 2 of them) hosted Friday night, which was a blast. The Mercyhurst kids got decked out in their best red, white, and blue/patriotic outfits, and got to show off for some locals! It was really nice to meet some people from the area who are our age, and we had a lot of fun comparing Ireland to the States. The short walk home across the parking lot didn't hurt either.
Saturday:
We had a fantastic "Tom Tour" that took up most of our day, and included some exciting sights. We started at Mt Melleray Grotto, which is the site of an apparition of Mary to some young Irish people back in the 80's. It was a gorgeous spot, and the sun came out too! We also saw two Butler castles, and got to tour them. Later in the afternoon we toured some caves as well. They go on for miles, and we got to see fossils that were millions of years old. Really exciting stuff. It was a jam packed day and we learned a lot, got to see some beautiful sights.
Sunday:
My first Easter away from home! I walked to mass this morning with some of the girls and heard a nice service, then headed back home and got a bit more sleep. It was a really quiet day, but that's fine by me. Tomorrow morning we're headed to Berlin! It's my first time traveling to Germany/mainland Europe, and I'm so excited to get into the culture. We've got an early start (as in 3am early), which means I probably should have been in bed hours ago. It will definitely be an adventure!
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Liffey Swim
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Up the Deise!
We're off to our first hurling match this afternoon!
The Mercyhurst students have a few great connections with the Dungarvan Town Council, and we were lucky enough to score some tickets to a local hurling match for this afternoon! I've only seen videos of the game, so I'm very excited to see it in person.
Many people associate gaelic football and rugby with Ireland, but hurling is the only true Irish sport (or so I've been told). It's extremely fast-paced, and is supposedly the oldest field game known to man. Teams include 15 players each, and the female version is known as Camogie.
If you'd like to check it out, here's a video explaining a bit of the game! I'll be sure to post an update later after the game to let you know how it went.
The Mercyhurst students have a few great connections with the Dungarvan Town Council, and we were lucky enough to score some tickets to a local hurling match for this afternoon! I've only seen videos of the game, so I'm very excited to see it in person.
Many people associate gaelic football and rugby with Ireland, but hurling is the only true Irish sport (or so I've been told). It's extremely fast-paced, and is supposedly the oldest field game known to man. Teams include 15 players each, and the female version is known as Camogie.
If you'd like to check it out, here's a video explaining a bit of the game! I'll be sure to post an update later after the game to let you know how it went.
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Scaffolding - Seamus Heaney
Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;
Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.
And yet all this comes down when the job’s done
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.
So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall
Confident that we have built our wall.
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.
Old bridges breaking between you and me
Confident that we have built our wall.
"Scaffolding" is one of the first poems our Lit class has been assigned to read by the poet Seamus Heaney. We've covered Edgeworth, Yeats, and Joyce, so far and will spend the next few days working on Heaney.
I've had a bit of a difficult week, due to unexpected events in Dublin last weekend that were almost completely out of my control (although I'm not blameless by any means). I like this poem in particular because it depicts strong relationships. I consider myself to be extremely interpersonal, and I'm grateful to have strong ties with my family and friends especially in times of crisis. After a crazy hectic weekend, I can really relate with Heaney's words here, and I'm glad to have been assigned the reading tonight.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Habemas Papem!
Although witnessing the election of a new Pope isn't specific to being in Ireland, it's certainly made for an exciting night in Dungarvan. While I was at dinner with my roommates at the Park I saw an update on my phone that there was white smoke in Rome, and (after finishing dessert) we rushed back to our townhouse to put on the news.
It's really amazing to me how quickly news can travel in today's media-filled world. The thought that this is one of the first few Papal elections that the world has been able to watch in real time is fascinating! Watching with my four roommates and each of our respective laptops/smart phones was interesting as well. We were able to talk with people from home and keep them updated, as well as learn different bits of news about possible candidates before Pope Francis was announced.
The commentators on the news channel that we landed on were also really fun to listen to. It showed a different style of news reporting than I'm used to watching at home, but some of the funnier quotes will definitely stick with me. It's also interesting to be watching all of this while taking an Ethics class- our discussions over the past two days have focused heavily on Catholic Social Teachings, and the place of the church in Ireland historically. I'm looking forward to class tomorrow to hear the opinions of my professor and fellow students on how Pope Francis will fit into the evolving Catholic Church.
It's really amazing to me how quickly news can travel in today's media-filled world. The thought that this is one of the first few Papal elections that the world has been able to watch in real time is fascinating! Watching with my four roommates and each of our respective laptops/smart phones was interesting as well. We were able to talk with people from home and keep them updated, as well as learn different bits of news about possible candidates before Pope Francis was announced.
The commentators on the news channel that we landed on were also really fun to listen to. It showed a different style of news reporting than I'm used to watching at home, but some of the funnier quotes will definitely stick with me. It's also interesting to be watching all of this while taking an Ethics class- our discussions over the past two days have focused heavily on Catholic Social Teachings, and the place of the church in Ireland historically. I'm looking forward to class tomorrow to hear the opinions of my professor and fellow students on how Pope Francis will fit into the evolving Catholic Church.
Sunday, 10 March 2013
"No seriously, the guy is a leprechaun."
Well, the craziness of our first weekend in Dublin is behind us! By far one of the most exhausting but exciting weekends in my life. Early Friday morning the Mercyhurst gang headed to Dublin by bus, getting into our hostel, Jacob's Inn, mid-morning. We walked around the city a bit to get our bearings, and took a tour of the Irish Parliament buildings. We also explored the Grafton Street shopping area a bit, and to be honest the day was a bit of a blur.
Saturday was kicked off with a rainy cold walking tour of some of Dublin's more historic areas, like Trinity College and Dublin Castle. Unfortunately the tour was a bit rough because it was difficult to hear our guide at times, but I think overall we learned a lot. After getting in some quality shopping time at Penney's (we are girls, after all), we grabbed dinner and headed to the closest pub to watch the Irish/French rugby game. I must admit that I didn't know much of anything about rugby before this trip, but I'm doing my best to learn. Apparently its normal for a game to end in a tie, without any overtime- news to me! Saturday night most of us got dressed up in our finest and took part in a joint hostel pub crawl. It was exciting to meet people from all over the world, but wasn't exactly the best way to get a feel of what Dublin is like for the locals. Over all we got some great stories out of the night though, and catching up with everyone this morning was certainly fun.
This morning we went to mass in a church we found nearby which was absolutely gorgeous. The people were really welcoming, and it was nice to feel something similar to home. We also walked over to Baggot Street, and saw the original House of Mercy! It was so exciting to be in the place where the Sisters of Mercy were founded, and to consider how different my life would be if they hadn't founded our dear Mercyhurst. Afterwards, a group of seven of us adventured to the Guinness Storehouse and learned how to pour the perfect pint. The Storehouse is fantastic, a really well-planned place where you can learn a lot and have a good time doing so. Although getting back to the hostel was a bit tricky, we made it in time to get on the bus back to Dungarvan with the rest of the Lakers!
I'm really glad that this weekend happened so early on in our trip. It was really the perfect way to get closer with different people in the group; I think we really bonded a lot. I'm looking forward to heading back to Dublin next weekend as well for the craziness of Paddy's Day! Now I'm off to try to unpack and maybe upload some pictures, that is if my legs can manage to carry my upstairs to my room....
Saturday was kicked off with a rainy cold walking tour of some of Dublin's more historic areas, like Trinity College and Dublin Castle. Unfortunately the tour was a bit rough because it was difficult to hear our guide at times, but I think overall we learned a lot. After getting in some quality shopping time at Penney's (we are girls, after all), we grabbed dinner and headed to the closest pub to watch the Irish/French rugby game. I must admit that I didn't know much of anything about rugby before this trip, but I'm doing my best to learn. Apparently its normal for a game to end in a tie, without any overtime- news to me! Saturday night most of us got dressed up in our finest and took part in a joint hostel pub crawl. It was exciting to meet people from all over the world, but wasn't exactly the best way to get a feel of what Dublin is like for the locals. Over all we got some great stories out of the night though, and catching up with everyone this morning was certainly fun.
This morning we went to mass in a church we found nearby which was absolutely gorgeous. The people were really welcoming, and it was nice to feel something similar to home. We also walked over to Baggot Street, and saw the original House of Mercy! It was so exciting to be in the place where the Sisters of Mercy were founded, and to consider how different my life would be if they hadn't founded our dear Mercyhurst. Afterwards, a group of seven of us adventured to the Guinness Storehouse and learned how to pour the perfect pint. The Storehouse is fantastic, a really well-planned place where you can learn a lot and have a good time doing so. Although getting back to the hostel was a bit tricky, we made it in time to get on the bus back to Dungarvan with the rest of the Lakers!
I'm really glad that this weekend happened so early on in our trip. It was really the perfect way to get closer with different people in the group; I think we really bonded a lot. I'm looking forward to heading back to Dublin next weekend as well for the craziness of Paddy's Day! Now I'm off to try to unpack and maybe upload some pictures, that is if my legs can manage to carry my upstairs to my room....
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Today in Lit we had a great discussion starting with Castle Rackrent, the novel we're reading (or supposed to be reading instead of blogging, that is...), and ended up talking about Waking Ned Divine. Many of us in the class were able to give examples of Irish wakes we've attended, and I've had The Night Pat Murphy Died stuck in my head since this afternoon! It's a great song that's all about celebrating the life of a lost friend, which I've recently learned was written by Johnny Burke. This version by Great Big Sea is one that I grew up singing along to with my sister, and I hope you'll enjoy listening. Time to get back to reading and working on my presentation on The Acts of Union for tomorrow's class!
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
WIT and Ned Devine!
What I've learned today:
- Some Irish actually like listening to our accents almost as much as we enjoy theirs. Crazy, considering how ugly our speech sounds when compared to theirs.
- The fields/ hills/ homes between Dungarvan and Waterford are just beautiful, especially on a bright and sunny morning.
- Waking Ned Divine is not, in fact, about waking up Kevin Devine's brother/male relation.
- Phone booths can fly (or at least soar rather unrealistically through the air when knocked by vans).
- Turkish refs make terrible red card calls.
- I need to watch Cadet Kelly and The Amanda Show again soon.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Welcome to Dungarvan!
Well, we've finished up our first day of classes here at Mercyhurst's Ireland campus and are officially settled in! After arriving in Ireland last Friday morning myself and the other 31 Lakers got the lay of Dungarvan over the weekend. There's many small cultural differences that we've been getting the hang of, like which shops have toiletries or whatever food items we might be looking for. I'm very grateful to be traveling with professors that know the town so well- they've been a big help!
I think I've finally kicked most of the jetlag- our townhouses (or holiday homes as they're known here) are just gorgeous, and I think we've all been very comfortable so far. The Park Hotel which runs these homes has an amazing Leisure Center, so I've been able to get some laps in at the pool! Hopefully I'll keep this up as the term gets more busy- we'll have to wait and see.
In terms of schoolwork, we had our first classes today in Ethics and Irish Literary Heritage. Both classes include a lot of discussions, and I think the variety of students in our group will really keep things interesting. Tomorrow we journey to Waterford for our first class in Irish Language & Culture at Waterford Institute of Technology! I'm looking forward to seeing how Irish colleges are different from schools back home. Because our schedules are shortened to about 8 weeks of classes we have school days that are very long, but I'll be glad to have the extra time to travel at the end of the term!
This weekend we'll be heading to Dublin with Dr Reed, and I'm really hoping that I'll get to see the Book of Kells- it's been on my bucket list for a while now! (Just for the record Dad, the book contains the four primary gospels- neither of us was right.)
Well, that's all for now, but I'll be sure to keep updating as we learn more about the beautiful country that we'll call home for the next two months!
I think I've finally kicked most of the jetlag- our townhouses (or holiday homes as they're known here) are just gorgeous, and I think we've all been very comfortable so far. The Park Hotel which runs these homes has an amazing Leisure Center, so I've been able to get some laps in at the pool! Hopefully I'll keep this up as the term gets more busy- we'll have to wait and see.
In terms of schoolwork, we had our first classes today in Ethics and Irish Literary Heritage. Both classes include a lot of discussions, and I think the variety of students in our group will really keep things interesting. Tomorrow we journey to Waterford for our first class in Irish Language & Culture at Waterford Institute of Technology! I'm looking forward to seeing how Irish colleges are different from schools back home. Because our schedules are shortened to about 8 weeks of classes we have school days that are very long, but I'll be glad to have the extra time to travel at the end of the term!
This weekend we'll be heading to Dublin with Dr Reed, and I'm really hoping that I'll get to see the Book of Kells- it's been on my bucket list for a while now! (Just for the record Dad, the book contains the four primary gospels- neither of us was right.)
Well, that's all for now, but I'll be sure to keep updating as we learn more about the beautiful country that we'll call home for the next two months!
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