I may be late, but in the end, I deliver!
This is my long-promised blog of what the hell I'm doing here in the land of green and...well...grey. Don't let that make you think that this isn't the most glorious place I've ever seen in my life. I arrived here almost a month and a half ago, and I can barely believe it...August 19th I was getting on a plane and headed to a place that I'd only read about in books and seen in photographs, and there was more fear than excitement. Seated next to me was an Irish psychiatrist who held my hand during take-off and proceeded to talk to me the entire flight, filling me in on places to go in Dublin (as well as places not to go), and telling me to not be afraid to say no to the Irish - which, incidently, you have to do five or six times before they realize that you don't want another cup of tea. Once in Dublin, I met up with 14 other students traveling through Arcadia University, and we stayed in the Abbey Court Hostel, located on the River Liffey. Dublin was sort of like Boston - big enough to be a major city, but not impersonal like New York or glammed out like Los Angeles. Three days was definitely enough for me in Dublin, but I got to see some really cool things. We went to the Museum of Modern Art and saw a display of Lucian Freud, and to the National Gallery where I saw my first Vermeer! Since being in Ireland, my art appreciation is heightened tenfold. The nightlife in Dublin is wild, and by our last night we ended up in the most expensive bar in Dublin, escorted by two English gentlemen who work for a fairly famous brand of energy drink known as Red Bull...it was quite a night, if I may say so. The thing about Ireland is that everyone wants to talk to everyone - there is no fear of embarassment or language barriers. I suppose that it may be this way all throughout Europe and I'm naive for not knowing it ahead of time, but it struck me that in the US, there are so many times where people intimidate each other and don't want to talk (again, may be just me) but I find myself much more open here. ALSO: that same night in Dublin, I sat at the bar with a wildly intoxicated Swedish man who insisted that I looked like Mary-Kate Olsen...but not Ashley. Oh the people you meet.
Coming to Cork was the best - I knew that I liked the city the minute we arrived. It's split in two by the River Lee (I live on the river, right next to the Beamish plant) and it's smaller than Dublin but large enough to have the feel and taste of a city. Down here, the locals refer to it as the Rebel Cork, or the true capital of Ireland. I believe it. There is enough Irish pride in this city to fuel the entire island. The university, UCC, is big, old and beautiful. Being from tiny little Gettsyburg College, I will never again complain about having to walk "all the way to the Science Center." Here, I live about 15 minutes from campus, 20 minutes from the gym, and 10 minutes from city centre. Needless to say, I'm in excellent walking shape. The students here are wonderful and friendly, and everyone who lives in my accommodation is awesome! I live in an apartment with two other girls. Jenna is from Northwestern and an AMAZING violin player. I've never heard anything like it. She's here for the entire year to study ethnomusicology and fiddle performance. She's actually from Annapolis, Maryland which is spitting distance from where my grandparents live. Small, small world. My other flatmate, Barbara, is from northern Spain here to study psychology. I have grown to love the language barrier - it makes life far more exciting, entertaining, and a learning experience in every moment. So far, the only Spanish I can remember (I "learned" most of it drunk) are curse words...but I promise I'll get my act together and learn some Spanish. Barbara is crazy, we get along famously.
Another hystically funny thing that happened here was I met two people who I know from home! Miss Kaity Moss of former Nature Camp employment, and a certain Mr. Nick Ackerman from high school!! I didn't know that either of them would be here, but we've already shared enjoyable moments at the Brog and whatnot. Again - a small world after all.
I guess I'll tell you about the life here - it's slow, so much slower than life in the US. And I love it. I revel in the fact that things don't really start on time (because I'm always late), that the shops close down at 6 (so the shopowners can go the pub for the night) and that people are never in too much of a hurry to have a conversation, a coffee, a pint or whatever it may be. These days, I am in the library during the day preparing my final papers for my Early Start class. The classes here are evaluated on one or two papers and a final exam - and it may not even be that much work. It's self-motivated learning - they give you a list of books you may want to read, you can come to class if you want, and you have a strict deadline in November/December for when your papers are due - and that's it. It's easy to fall behind, I think, but I love that I have freedom and control in my education. Also, there is no homework - ever. They don't assign it. They think it's stupid busy work. They don't have time to grade it, and they don't want to grade it. Irish university is the way to go. I'm telling you.
I'll try to post on this more often...try is the operative word. If it looks like I'm not, someone e-mail me and yell at me to update. Until next time...slainte.
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