I'll be home for Christmas...

Belfast City Centre

A recent challenge was cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I enjoy cooking a lot and for the most part it was a fun challenge. Yes, a pinch of stress was involved, but my dinner of baked chicken breasts (coated with crackers crumbs), mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, homemade crescent rolls, peas, and corn turned out well. Dessert was homemade chocolate chip cookies (an ever-popular request here), but I'd had pumpkin pie with American friends earlier in the day, so I didn't feel like I was missing out. I did miss celebrating the holiday with family, and cheering the Packers onto victory. Hopefully I can enjoy those traditions again next year.

The weather has gotten chilly, and it’s been particularly cold on windy days; to put it into perspective though it is currently 27 degrees Fahrenheit in Cedarville and 50 degrees Fahrenheit in Dublin at the moment. 50 has not been the norm though, more like low 40s, with which wind does feel cold. I’ll admit though, I’ve grown accustomed to more mild temps. It doesn’t snow here which I haven’t been sad about. I’ll enjoy the beauty of the snow back in Michigan, but not trudging through it as I walk long distances has been wonderful.

Looking at the small number of days I have left in Ireland is in a word, bittersweet. The remaining days seem especially short when farewell dinners and lunches, classes, and working on final papers are accounted for. That last one has been especially time consuming… I have half of one essay to write, and another whole one to research and write, plus some editing to do on the one I have “finished.” Turning in these essays is made harder knowing that they will each, respectively, count for 100 percent of my grade in my three classes. I am trying not to let that be too much of a burden, but I am really working towards turning in finished products that I’m pleased with.

With the knowledge of not many days left I am also trying to make the most of all the little things I sometimes fall into the routine of taking for granted. Enjoying the shopper and entertainer lined walk down Grafton Street, all lit up with Christmas lights on my way to class or a library visit. Enjoying conversations with my roommates here. Enjoying using euro and two-euro coins along with bills. Enjoying using public transportation now and then. Enjoying having a tiny room that I can’t make too much of a mess of. Enjoying not having to wear my warmest winter coat. You get the point.

The highlight of my last weekend, which was spent up North, was a trip to the Contennential Market in Belfast. I consider my self an appreciator of markets. I take delight in soaking in the atmosphere, perusing the goods, interacting occasionally with the vendors, partaking in samples that are offered to me, and making a purchase here and there. I have come to love the market that takes place on Thursdays near by apartment, and also frequent the Farmer’s Market in Holland, Michigan when I’m at college (and it’s in season). That said, I think the Belfast Market is my favorite of all. It’s only out during the Christmas season (a few weeks leading up to Christmas). It is very international, and the main focus is cuisine, but there are also booths selling things like sweaters, or candles, or jewelry. Last weekend I went both Thursday evening and Friday afternoon and between the two visits enjoyed dried fruit (the usual pineapple, but also lemon, watermelon, and strawberries), a caramel-filled crepe, churros (Spanish donuts) covered with powdered sugar, a macaroon, and very rich hot chocolate made from beans grown by the vendor’s daughter.

The market is in the city centre of Belfast, right next to the Belfast Eye (or Wheel) depending which you prefer. Phil took me on the Ferris Wheel Thursday night and I loved seeing the city all lit up. We then walked to Victoria Square which was this fancy shopping centre, with tons of stories. After walking up tons of spiral-y staircases you have another amazing view, although I was a bit too dizzy to enjoy it fully. With everything decorated for Christmas, it was impossible not to smile.

The bus I rode back to Dublin last weekend was stopped by some Garda officers at the Northern Ireland-Ireland border. This has happened a few times before, and I’ve just shown by passport or college ID and Garda registration card. The officer last weekend, after inspecting my registration card, informed me that I would need to register again soon. I answered and I was leaving to go home in a couple weeks. I smiled to myself, not only thinking about how thankful I am NOT to have to re-register to stay in Ireland (once was enough, thanks!), but also thinking about HOME. What a lovely word. I really am so looking forward to being back in the States. Four months, even a busy, challenging, interesting, and enjoyable four months, is a long time to be away. It’ll be so good to be home, I smile everytime I hear "I'll be home for Christmas" drifting out of the stores on Grafton Street. In the meantime, I’m off to enjoy my final weeks in Ireland! At the moment, that means hanging my laundry up to dry…

Galway.

The weekend before Thanksgiving Phil and I took a trip to the West Coast of Ireland. On Friday he got the bus down to Dublin bright and early and after quick breakfast we got the bus. It was supposed to be a two hour and forty-five minute journey. It wasn’t. Instead due to massive flooding in the area it took over four hours and involved taking many back roads. If we had heard the news of the flooding in the West sooner, we likely wouldn’t have taken the trip so maybe it’s a good thing we were ignorant of it. Some of the roads we ended up on were in pretty bad shape, my camera was stowed away underneath unfortunately so it’s not documented, but it was quite an adventure. When we made it to Snoozles (great name isn’t it?), the youth hostel we stayed in, the lady asked where we’d arrived from and after hearing Dublin she was told us she was surprised we’d made it at all.

The weather wasn’t too bad our first day in Galway. We enjoyed a picnic lunch we had packed (note the frugality of traveling college students) and poked around the city, walking the streets, checking out an indoor market and doing some Christmas shopping. We also booked and purchased tickets for the Aran Islands (for a bus to the ferry and for the ferry itself) a place I was really looking forward to seeing. That evening we ate at a restaurant/pub called Busker Brownes where I had my first fish and chips (I’m generally not a big fish fan, but it was tasty) and then went to another small place for dessert.

Friday night was my first negative experience in a hostel. We were staying in a ten person dorm. As we were coming in for the night, pretty early due to our plans to rise early the next day, four of our roommates dropped off their bags and said hello. They were Irish, probably around age 24 or so. Our other two roommates were a girl (I’m not sure where she was from) and a guy that seemed to be from France and they were both in bed. After tucking in for the night early we were all awoken around 3:30 AM by lights being turned on and shouting. The Irish guys had returned. They were extremely loud and rude and generally unpleasant (think the worst Ireland has to offer …). They opened windows (freezing!) and ate awful smelling food. I was actually a little scared when they first came in and were so rowdy. Thankfully they mellowed a bit after a while (which at the time felt like forever) and I ended up getting a little sleep.

Saturday we got up to a downpour of rain with lots of wind. After the free hostel breakfast we headed to the tourist office to find that the ferry to Inis Mor (the island we had booked for) was the only one going. Since we had paid for our tickets we put on a brave face and decided it would be an adventure. An hour long bus ride to the ferry docks later we were told by a worker that the ferry may not be running back in the evening. Because Phil had a commitment for Sunday plus we’d reserved our hostel we couldn’t chance getting stuck on the island. Not being able to make it to the islands was really disappointing, especially at the time. It was a reminder to me that things don’t always go as planned, and flexibility is essential on trips. We got straight back onto the bus, and an hour later we were back in Galway. We did get a full refund on the tickets which we were thankful for.

The rest of Saturday we walked around Galway more. We found a cool outdoor market where we bought the most delicious hot greasy donuts from an Irish, Italian singing donut maker. We ate a tasty pizza lunch and walked along the river. We got caught in several downpours during the day, but embraced the wetness as part of the adventure. We had a delicious leisurely dinner at a nice hotel, and then for dessert went to a really cool restaurant called Mustard. It had been recommended to us for its location which turned out to be gorgeous. It was right along the river, and inside the restaurant there were these huge water wheels behind a glass wall. We enjoyed a scrumptious apple pie with cinnamon and fresh cream, and a warm brownie with ice cream. Some how we managed to walk back to our hostel, where we were able to switch rooms, and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. The next morning we got a 6.30 AM bus and were back in Dublin in time for church at 11:00.

Phil and I both agreed we enjoyed the slower pace of Galway (compared to Belfast or especially Dublin) and the charm of the downtown area, it actually reminded me a bit of an Irish Holland, Michigan. It was fun to see a new part of Ireland, to brave the wetness, and to have a relaxing weekend getaway. Hope you’re making the best of your own unexpected adventures, whatever those may be!

One of the indoor markets in Galway

Carrick-a-Rede

To experience real wind, I recommend making a trip to the North Coast of Ireland and crossing this rope bridge.

Wins and Losses

Let’s start with the losses. My first Irish basketball match was a week ago. It was in Belfast at the University of Ulster Jordanstown. I was wondering what the logistics of match would be like, mainly because people are generally more laid back about sports here. The team (not the one I train but just one I’d been invited to play with) made the journey in about two and a half hours. When we got there we were given jerseys to put on, with numbers and everything. After some warm ups, with the typical upbeat music, the match started on time. Things were more organized than I thought. The referees weren’t very official though, just some guys from one of the men’s basketball team at the university. Our team was pretty rubbish. At halftime we were down by about six, and later on in the third quarter we were down by fifteen. We made a comeback though, and ended up taking the game into overtime. Overtime was not very long because the court was needed for some other sport, and we ended up losing by one. Although the end of the game did have some of the intensity and tension typical of what I’m used to in close games, the team didn’t seem all that gutted afterwards. I was glad I went and played though, it really was more interesting than I’m making it sound.

The other losses I’ve experienced these past few weeks have only been as a spectator. The club rugby team Phil occasionally plays for got beaten pretty badly… (something like 60-3). Then this past Wednesday his club football (aka soccer) team, who unlike the rugby team are really good, lost a closer match 6-4. Although it required braving chilly temperatures I enjoyed watching both. It has been interesting watching different sports (neither rugby nor soccer are things I’d watch at home) here, and just soaking in what the atmosphere surrounding sports is like here.

My recent “wins” have not really been literal wins, just exciting or fun things. One night a few weeks ago there was a reception for the visiting students of the English department. The reception was basically a chance for students to chat with each other and the professors. There was wine and “nibbles” at the reception. The “nibbles” turned out to be catered and extremely fancy. They were brought around on trays by well-dressed gentlemen. My favorite was the chicken and mango pastries. Speaking of food (I know, surprise surprise) I tried Irish stew for the first time at a restaurant the other week. It was made with Murphy’s (which is a rival of Guinness) and was so flavorful and delicious. I’d heard stews were a mixed bag, but this one was delicious, with tender beef and soft but not too soft potatoes and carrots and onion – a good hearty November meal.

I was back North again this past week for my reading week (meaning no classes), and the weekend following. Yes, I did do a bit of reading at Queen’s Library, but let’s just say that as usual I am not working too far ahead of deadlines. I also registered for classes back at Hope, and have my housing for the spring all sorted. Both of these were things that I was relieved to figure out and have set, and both were surprisingly hassle-free (or maybe I’ve just become accustomed to more complicated, bureaucratic systems here).

Something that I enjoy on the weekends I spend up North is attending Phil’s church. All of the sermons are preached very well and are quite thought-provoking and challenging. Over the course of the weeks I have attended both Old Testament and New Testament, familiar and unfamiliar passages have been covered and hearing the Word of God has been a huge source of encouragement. That said, I do have to confess that yesterday’s service was one of the few times that I have been tripped up by the accents here. The sermon was about Isaiah’s vision of God from Isaiah 6 and it starts by mentioning it as the year King Uzziah died. The word Isaiah is spoken quite differently than in the States, so that couple with its’ similarity to Uzziah proved a bit confusing.

Today was another instance of struggling to understand. I went to the North inner-city of Dublin with Edel, a lady that works for YouthBank, to get some interviews with some of the young people involved. The purpose of one of the interviews was to write an article for the website and the purpose of the other (more of a survey format) was to get information about a new program they are starting with managing money. The first was with two girls, fifteen year olds, who were new to being involved with YouthBank. They both had too-cool-for-school attitudes about them and were pretty hard to try to ask questions to, particularly because of their rapid chatter which often wasn’t directed at me. I got through it though, and can hopefully write a decent article out of it. My other interviewee was a 23 year old guy. He is a college student (at a college in Dublin I’ve never heard of and was friendly, but a bit shy. I liked getting to hear from people from a completely different part of Dublin. It's good to get a broader perspective of the young people in Dublin, as the demographic that attend Trinity aren't particularly representative of the city as a whole.

Time has been passing extra quickly, and as I glance at my quickly filling planner I’m realizing that I need to make sure to savor my remaining days and weeks in Ireland. I have a feeling they’ll be gone as fast as my bowls of honeycomb ice cream are.

Noticing the now

The past few days I've found myself thinking about life back in the States more frequently. Thinking about sprawling out in a comfortable booth in the Kletz, devouring a basket full of cheese fries with two of my best friends. Thinking about spending my Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mid-mornings in Dimnet Chapel, light streaming into the stained glass windows. Thinking about being back home with a big bowl of chilli, watching the Packers game with my family. It's easy, at times, to want to be somewhere else.

Then, today riding the bus from Belfast back down to Dublin, a trip I've grown accustomed to over the past weeks, I found myself looking at the lush rolling sheep-speckled green fields with sheep with a renewed appreciation. I found myself taking in the beauty of the countryside, surveying the rows of houses as we passed through Banbridge, looking at the different styles of architecture, the different expressions on billboards, looking at everything with a new interest.

Although perhaps overused, the expressions "love where you are" and "bloom where you're planted" have behind them an important truth. As obvious as it seems, you can't be in two places at once. When you choose to commit to the place you're in (regardless of whether you feel like being there) it suddenly takes on a new meaning.

With so many fewer hours of class time here than at Hope, I’ve found some activities to involve myself in that add a bit of structure to my week. One is a weekly Bible study at a church just down the street from my flat. There are usually about eight or nine of us -a few more males than females, all Irish except for me, and all either college students or recently out of school. Over tea and biscuits we talk about life, study the book of Luke and pray.

Another more recent activity is getting involved with volunteering. Initially I wanted to work with kids in some capacity, but due to the need for extensive applications or extended periods of time commitment these options were a bit tricky to work out. Instead I ended up volunteering with YouthBank. YouthBank is part of the Irish Youth Foundation and it works to let youth (usually 13-20 year olds) help allocate donated money into specific projects in their communities. I’m going to be working with the communication side of things, basically conducting interviews and writing articles for the organization.

I have also begun to delve into the extensive reading lists for my classes with a bit more urgency as essay deadlines approach. The essay title lists from which students are required to choose an essay come out at the end of this week. Once I am able to choose a title working intentionally should become easier. My most interesting read as of late has been Voltaire’s Candide for my Enlightenment class.

I celebrated Halloween by watching a rugby match in the afternoon (it didn’t even rain!) and then watching a fireworks display in the evening, and making and consuming chocolate and marsh mellow covered apples and other treats. Oh, and observing some...um interesting costumes. Christmas is the next major holiday approaching here (Thanksgiving is not celebrated) and decorations have been appearing. Merry beginning of November?

Paris in Pictures

A tiny glimpse into my trip to Paris... (click on an image to enlarge it)

(from top: 1. with Phil outside of the Louvre, 2. a bridge near Notre Dame, 3. the cathedral, 4. the Eiffel Tower- one of Paris' most important attractions, 5. crepes- another of Paris' most important attractions, and finally, 6.the most bored child in the Musee D'Orsay)

The above were just a few highlights... I will try to post a link to a more complete album some time in the future for those of you dying to see the hundred or so pictures snapped of the Eiffel Tower.

Thanks for following and happy studying, travelling, working, dreaming of summer, or whatever else this week finds you doing!
Oh, and can you believe it's nearly November?

Paris en l'automne est belle.

“Deux pain au chocolat s’il vous plait…” Ordering in French, or perhaps more accurately, occasionally attempting to order in French was just one of many new things I experienced this weekend during my stay in France!

On Friday morning I set off early for the airport to meet up with Phil for a weekend trip to Paris. I took French lessons for a brief stint when I was 8 then began again in high school, studying the language for four years plus a semester in college. I have long been fascinated with the language (although my own French communication skills are rubbish) and have considered Paris a dream trip location for a long time!

We flew from Dublin to Beauvais (about an hour bus ride outside of Paris), on a flight which was a little under two hours. After the bus ride into the city we took our first of many metro trips and arrived at our hostel. It was my first experience staying in a hostel, and St. Christopher’s far exceeded expectations. We stayed in a dormitory with four sets of bunk beds, the room was clean and spacious, and the people who worked at the hostel were very friendly. The whole atmosphere was really cool. The hostel won the best hostel in France this past year and I can certainly understand why. It was a little far from everywhere we went, but there was a metro stop very close by, making the whole city easy to access.

After settling in, we grabbed a bite to eat at a nearby café/pizzeria. To my delight there was cherry coke, something I haven’t seen since leaving the States (and actually didn’t see during the rest of the trip either). On our way into the city we stopped at a crepe stand where I enjoyed a nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread) filled crepe and Phil introduced me to the delicious simplicity of butter-sugar crepes. We then headed to the Louvre, which is free to young people (ages 26 and under) on Friday nights. We spent a couple of hours there, looking at the art. We saw some of the more famous paintings, like the Mona Lisa, and sculptures, like the Winged Victory. I left feeling very uneducated about art, but also very appreciate of the creativity of others! For the rest of the evening we walked along the river and down the Champs Elysee, enjoying the beauty of the city at night.

Saturday morning our first stop, after a quick breakfast at the hostel, was to a Monoprix grocery store (a recommendation from my friend Madelyn who studied in France) to buy some supplies for a picnic lunch the next day. It was fun poking around the shop a bit. For those of you interested in price comparisons, Paris appeared quite a bit less expensive (for a large majority of things) than Dublin, however I still wouldn’t go as far to use the word cheap... :)

After stocking up for our picnic we headed back into the city center area and walked along the river, stopping now and then to browse at book vendors, to the Musee d’Orsay (another art museum). It was much smaller than the Louvre, but still had several very famous pieces in it and it was very easy to see more of the museum. We then headed towards the Eiffel Tower, stopping to eat lunch at a café. The Eiffel Tower truly lived up to my expectations – it was breathtaking. We rode the lift up to the second floor and enjoyed the views of Paris. From the Eiffel Tower we took the metro to Notre Dame, a beautiful cathedral on the river. We stayed in the Latin Quarter that night for a nice leisurely French dinner (onion soup, beef, and crème brulee for me). Later in the evening, upon recommendation from a couple we met in the restaurant, we took a boat cruise of Paris. It was lovely to see the sites by the water, particularly the Eiffel Tower all lit up. It was a nice and relaxing to not be walking or finding metros; a perfect end to the evening.

Sunday we enjoyed our picnic in Jardin des Tuileires, and then walked for a while in the garden, and enjoyed people watching. We also stopped at another crepe stand. For the rest of the afternoon we walked along the Champs Elysee to the Arc d’Triomphe, and then returned to the Eiffel Tower to take some pictures and enjoy the remainders of our picnic in the park by the tower. That evening we visited Sacre Coeur which had spectacular views of the city. We walked through the cathedral as well, which although was beautiful inside was also somewhat of a tourist trap, with loads of souvenirs for sale all around. For dinner we ended up at a hole-in-the-wall looking Italian pizzeria, which had a nice laid back atmosphere and delicious pizza. We then went to a creperie (another quaint, unassuming place) for dessert, and enjoyed delicious caramel filled crepes topped with creamy vanilla ice cream.

Leaving Paris was hard, especially since we had to do so at 5:00 AM in order to catch a taxi, then an airport shuttle, before the flight. Then after the plane ride and another bus trip I made it back “home” to Dublin. I headed straight to Trinity where it was right back to reality, with a lecture on the Enlightenment. The weekend flew by, and already seems a long time ago. I had such a good trip though, it was well worth the sleep lost and the euros spent.

A few Paris-Dublin comparisons...
*Paris is such a clean city. I found it to be much cleaner than Dublin
*The metro system is so easy and accessible in France- it really was a great public transportation system to use.
*Although most things were cheaper in Paris than Dublin, drinks at restaurants and cafes were ridiculously priced. Soda was often 5 euro for a small can (no refills), with water being only slightly cheaper (once again for just a single bottle).
*Paris is huge! Things are very spaced out, and it’s much less walk-able (in terms of going to different quarters) than Dublin, but this is remedied by the convenience of the metro.

I'm sure that's more than enough for now... I'll try and do a picture post eventually! Au revoir!

Fall is here.

I decided this morning, as I walked home from church, that autumn is a blessing. It makes the transition between summer and winter gradual, and less painful. The slowly declining temperature makes the air feel crisp and cool, rather than freezing. The greens of summer morph into yellows and oranges instead of immediately fading into the chilly grays of winter. Today, on this beautiful fall day, I am thankful.

The past week of class went quickly. I still enjoy all three of my classes. The reading for Contemporary Irish Fiction has been perhaps the most fun, but I’ve found the discussion in Literature of the American South very interesting. Last week we discussed slave narratives and the impact of the longevity of Southern slavery on the region’s literature. The Enlightenment class I’m taking is more philosophical than the other two and the readings are the most tedious to complete.

In some ways, Trinity is similar to Hope College. There is the familiar hustle and bustle of students moving about campus, usually traveling in groups to meet up with friends or attend class. There are people sprawled out on lawns eating, reading, or chatting. There are busy, important-looking professors that rush past others on sidewalks, carrying briefcases or folders. Although all of this is on a larger scale- it’s familiar. But there are many differences that stand out as well. Trinity has a much less residential feel, with the few halls (or dorms for us in the states) more segregated, or even twenty-minutes off campus. There also seems to be less of a unity amongst students, unsurprising since the school is about 5 of 6 times larger than Hope. One other difference I’ve observed is that students appear to be more engaged in class. Perhaps it’s because classes meet for far fewer hours per week than in the states, or maybe it’s because it’s only the second week of classes…

I’ve enjoyed playing basketball again. Last week forty-five girls showed up at training (practice). The coach asked for players who had played on a club team for more than five years to go to one end of the gym, and this ended up being about sixteen players, me included. Although it is much more laid back then playing for a college team in the States would be, it seems like it’ll be fairly competitive. I don’t know if I’ll actually get to do any travelling or play games with the team, because that might happen later in the year (after the first term).

Last week I made another journey to the North. On Saturday Phil took me to Portstewart, a seaside town with very scenic coastal views. Although the weather was gray and windy, it was beautiful. I have never seen such huge rolling waves. After a brief walk, we went to Morelli’s, a restaurant/café/ice cream parlour to escape the chilly sea breeze. We warmed up with hot chocolate and a Yellowman ice cream sundae. A Yellowman consists of honeycomb and vanilla ice cream, chunks of honeycomb crisp, caramel syrups, marshmallows and cream. Yes, I continue to take great delight in Irish sweets.

This past weekend I got to show off some of my favorite Dublin finds to Phil, who came to visit me in the city for a few days. We went to the Book of Kells, which I actually found even more interesting the second time around. Every day the book is turned to a different page, displaying different illustrations and intricate designed lettering. The Books of Kells is an illuminated manuscript with the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It was transcribed in c.800 by Celtic monks. Photographs are not allowed to be taken when viewing it, so look it up online to see pictures. It really is spectacular.

We also went to a market that I really enjoy, on Saturday morning. I really like just poking around, checking out all of the stands, and soaking in the atmosphere. We bought a gigantic brownie, which we saved and consumed during a picnic in Iveagh Gardens that afternoon. A funny moment during our picnic was when these two boys, about 10 or 11, rode by on bikes. We watched them ride down and then up this large sloping hill by a field. Having noticed us watching, one of the boys shouted out (in a very thick Dublin accent): “You like that? Yeah, that’ll be 5 euro to see that!!” We got a good laugh out of that. It seems that kids learn quickly the mindset required to live in a city as expensive as Dublin.

It’s nice to know that no matter where I am in the world there are some constants. Like fines for overdue library books. After only a few weeks of school I’ve already managed to accrue a library fine. As I paid my fifty cents, I smiled thinking about how my contributions to libraries now extend across the world. Sorry, mom.

Your typical loud Americans (sometimes!)...

Last weekend I, along with some other American friends here, cheered on my flat mate Jess and friend Victor in the Dublin half-marathon. The entire 13.1 mile race took place in Phoenix Park. Phoenix Park in next to the Dublin Zoo and is about 2 miles from where we live (St. Stephen's Green area). The park was huge! We made sure to see them at various spots along the course (the start, the 3 mile, the 7 mile, and the finish) and cheered wildly, not just for the two of them, but for all of the other runners as well. After running the Chicago Marathon last year, I have a deepened sense of appreciation for good fan support. To our surprise though, there were no other loud fans, in fact as we walked along the course it was very quiet. There were no noisemakers or other signs (we brought a couple) or any other forms of entertainment. It was definitely a different race atmosphere than what I've seen before, but it was a lot of fun just the same. We still cheered loudly, especially when we noticed how it made so many runners smile, laugh, give thumbs ups, or throw their arms up in the air! When we were cheering at the finish line the announcer, who was making hilarious comments as runners crossed the line, and just generally encouraging everyone, gave us a shout out, saying "The four ladies in front are our friends from the States and they'vehave been voted the best fans of the day..." Then he mentioned that everyone should be cheering on the runners and showing support and said that we (the "friends from the States") were doing this well and added "Although Americans are all a bit mad (crazy) in general, this is a good day to be mad." This made us all laugh a lot! Jess and Victor finished the race well, and we went out for a celebration lunch at a cute cafe called the Queen of Tarts afterwards.

My first week of classes has gone well. On Monday I had my Enlightenment literature class. As I sat in the large lecture hall, quickly filling with people, and waited for class to begin a guy came up to me and asked "Is this the Enlightenment class?" I answered, "I hope so," and laughed, and he ended up sitting next to me and we chatted before class started. He asked me lots of questions about school in America, and what I was studying here, what I wanted to do with my majors, etc. I asked him the same sorts of questions. He's a freshman at Trinity, so it was fun to hear a first year (non-visiting) student's perspective. The lecture was really interesting, a good introduction to the time period, and the professor seems knowledgeable but also good-humoured and easy to listen and follow.

My other two classes, Literature of the American South and Contemporary Irish Fiction, are both on Wednesday. Lit of the American South is a sophister (higher-level) class and there were only 12 students which was a nice change. I think it will be pretty in-depth. It is a two-hour seminar class; the first hour is a lecture and the second is somewhat more of a discussion, and more concentrated on specific works. Contemporary Irish Fiction was much larger (about fifty people or more), and will be lecture based. For the course we read a novel a week, which is a bit daunting, but the reading list looks interesting and I think they'll be fairly easy reads. The professors of both classes seem really good which is encouraging. Although adjusting to the massive amounts of independent reading and studying will probably be a little difficult, I'm really pleased with my classes so far.

A common perception of the Irish in the States seems to be that they are an extremely friendly people. It's not that I've found this to be untrue, but I think that it is blown out of proportion a lot. Maybe it's a self-fulfilling prophesy type of thing. Maybe because people expect the Irish to be really friendly and therefore approach them, the Irish reciprocate. Maybe people tend to remember the friendly encounters (and use them to support their belief that "All Irish people are really friendly") while ignoring the more negative encounters. And of course the charming accents don't hurt. I have met plenty of very friendly Irish people, and some unfriendly Irish people, but I believe that an Irish student studying in the States would have a similar experience. As a whole though, I would say that the Irish are more reserved. This isn't to say that they are snobby, just that they are quieter (even at half-marathons!) and wouldn't be as quick to tell you what they think, or to befriend you immediately. I'm still trying to figure out how to explain this observation better, and I'll let you know if I think of a clearer way to explain it.

Life outside of classes has been pretty mellow and relaxed this week. I'm still figuring out the art of managing my time well on the days when I don't have any class. On Tuesday morning IES had a deal where we could go to a local sports center/country club type of place for free. It was a really nice facility and I played some squash and badminton. Maybe by the end of the semester I'll be really into racket sports. For lunch on Tuesday, I had a picnic in Iveagh Gardens (about a 3 minute walk from my apartment!) with some friends. Sitting on the grass by a large fountain, eating our sandwiches, people-watching, and chatting was a lovely way to have lunch and we are going to try and make it a weekly occurrence.

Today after spending a few hours in the library reading I trekked home to the apartment, where two of my flat mates were eating lunch. They told me about a farmer's market just around the corner (and through a tunnel) from our apartment so naturally I went out and checked it out. There were booths with all kinds of cuisine from around the globe, German sausages, Korean noodles, Greek wraps, Indian stir-frys, and more. There were also lots of sweets and baked goods, as well as a few booths with local-made cheeses and other products. The atmosphere was interesting. It was different from other markets I've visited because almost everyone else at it was in suits and skirts and business-y clothes. The court my apartment is in is a large block of office buildings and such, so a lot of people were just spending their lunch break there. After some serious perusing, and a bit of sampling, I purchased a huge piece of apple crumble.

On a final note, I taught my flat mates and some other friends here Dutch Blitz. It's been a big hit and we play frequently now. We decided though, that maybe we should call it "American-Irish-Dutch Blitz" while we're here. Thanks for reading, cheers for weekends that start Thursday morning, and happy October!

*Interesting Observation: The Irish use a variety of words to mean tired. This includes, but is not limited to: wrecked, shattered, and knackered.
Sample sentence (written how you might hear it, yes with "like" at the end)- After that class I was fully wrecked like.

Fresher's Week

This week at Trinity College is Fresher's Week. It's a week for first year (and other) students to get adjusted to things, attend meetings, and register for classes. There are also lots of social things going on. All of the clubs and societies have booths out with people giving out free stuff and trying to recruit new members. It's been nice to have a week break from classes.

Last Friday, after our final lectures for the Semester Start-Up Programme, I took the bus to Belfast. It was my first time travelling in the country alone, and I was thankful it went smoothly. Bus Aras, the bus station I had to use, was a pretty long walk from my apartment, especially when carrying my luggage. I made it there okay though, and caught the 1 o'clock bus. Just like at home, Fridays always feel good. Sitting on the bus eating salt and vinegar crips (chips) and watching the scenary go by was a great end to a long week! It took about two and a half hours to get to Belfast. Phil met me at the bus station in Belfast and we drove up, with his brother Ian, to Limavady. The weekend really flew by, but it was great to be back in Northern Ireland.

So some of you may be wondering if there are many differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The short answer is yes and no. Geographically, no not really. Both have cities, towns, countryside, and coastlines. It isn't at all apparent when you cross the border between the two (there is no border patrol or anything of the sort...you just drive right through), although in NI the signs stop having Irish writing below the English. Because Northern Ireland (unlike the Republic of Ireland) is part of the United Kingdom they use the pound for currency, whereas Ireland uses the euro. Northern Ireland has a higher protestant population (in most places), although I don't think that this is immediately obvious. There is some different slang used, and the accents do sound different once you're used to them(the Northern accent is probably a little stronger). I suppose I can't make a very complete comparison of the two at this point because the only place I've really spend much time in while in the Republic of Ireland is Dublin (which is a very cosmopolitan city). One interesting thing to check out regarding the political tension of the past and, to some extent, the present in Northern Ireland is http://www.belfast-murals.co.uk/. I have already seen a few of the murals that are on the site during my time in Belfast.

The weekend up north went very fast. On Saturday we had nice weather and went to a place called Lionsgate and walked around in Downhill Castle, and admired the beautiful views of the ocean and mountains. Gorgeous! I'll include a few pictures at the end of the post, but of course the pictures can't really do it justice. We also played some more squash on Saturday, and went to the movie Julie and Julia with Meryl Streep. It was a very cute movie, and inspired me to get more into cooking...although maybe not while in Dublin where ingredients are so expensive.

I took the bus back from Belfast on Monday, and made it back home to Dublin. This week I've stayed busy with trying to complete the final essay for the Semester Start-Up Programme. It had to be 2,000 words and include various sources. I wrote mine on W.B. Yeats and how his poetry contributed to Irish nationalism and patriotic sentiment. I just turned it in this afternoon and am enjoying the sense of accomplishment from having finished it.

I did managed to get registered for classes (I think!) and am taking three literature courses: Enlightenment, Contemporary Irish Fiction, and Literature of the American South. I am optimistic that they will be interesting courses. It is strange having such a free schedule compared to at home. At this point I only have class on Monday (from 2-3 pm) and on Wednesday (from 10am-12pm and 5-6pm). I will also have one tutorial (small group discussion class) added at some point, but that will only be one more hour.

The educational system here is definitely MUCH more indepedent than at home. It is a little intimidating because in each of the three classes my entire grade rests on ONE essay at the end. The speed which we go through readings is also very fast... (a novel per week for a few of the courses), so I'll have to be disciplined to set aside the time and study. In addition to the primary texts of the course there are lots of "suggested readings" for each, which students are expected to do. I'm definitely not expecting the classes to be easy simply because they don't meet often. In fact, grade-wise we were warned that the system not the same as in the States and that A's really aren't given out much. My main goal this semester is to learn, and to engage in the subjects I'm taking, and to write three essays that I'm really satisfied with at the end!

As for clubs and activities, I joined the basketball club. It is much less intense then playing a college sport back home, with just one or two training sessions a week and then games (I'm not sure how many of those). Hopefully it will end up being something fun. I also looked into the CU (the Christian Union) which is the main, and only that I saw, Christian organization on campus. Unfortunately most of their meetings are on Thursdays which is when basketball is, but hopefully I can get to some events, and meet some people through that.

One other random thing that I did this week was participate in a psychology study. I saw a flyer advertising a "Perception Study" that needed participants and thought why not give it a go, especially since it paid 5 euro (the equivilient of $7.50 USD) and only took 20 minutes. It ended up involving rating pictures of fruit and flowers on a scale (1-7) of how much I liked them. It was very simple, and as a psychology student I found myself thinking about the design and running of the study (thank you for that professor shaugnessey and research methods). On the downside, looking at so many delicious looking pictures of dessert made me hungry! :)

That's all for now- I don't have anything too excited planned for the weekend. Tonight my flatmates and I are hosting a "family dinner" with some friends (other Americans also studying at Trinity). Tomorrow I plan to watch one of my flatmates, Jessica, and another friend, Victor, run in a half-marathon here in Dublin. It's taking place in Phoenix Park which I haven't been to yet! I also may poke around the market in Temple Bar if I get the chance.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

Patience is a virtue.

If you ever want an opportunity to work on patience skills, register with the Irish Immigration Bureau (Garda). Basically, registering is the equivalent of getting a Visa; it allows you to stay in the country for more than there months. At the airport, your passport is given a stamp that tells you a date that you need to register by, and that involves bringing forms (acceptance letters, proof of financial stability, passport, etc.) to an office and answering some questions. Mostly though, it involves waiting.

I was aware that registering with the Garda would probably be a slow process, so I went on a day that I didn't have any set things to do in the afternoon or evening. After my last class I headed over to the Immigration Bureau, arriving around 1:30 in the afternoon. There was a long queue (line) that I got into and then waited for a little over two hours to receive a ticket. I was the lucky recipient of ticket number 347. The man who gave me my ticket said that I could come back around 5:00 and would get to go sometime around then. I made the thirty minute walk back to my apartment, got a quick bit to eat, checked my email and walked back in order to get there a little before 5:00. Then I waited. Four hours later my number was called, I was interviewed, given permission to stay in the country until the end of December, had my photo taken for an identification card, and got my passport stamped. Then I waited a little longer, until my photo ID card was made and passport returned. Finally, I headed for home and made it to my apartment at 10: oo. The whole nine and a half hour experience was a little frustrating, and took a lot of patience, but I guess it was another cultural experience to add to my list. The Immigration Bureau was actually an interesting place. There were people from all over the world waiting alongside me, and although the atmosphere was rather gloomy and tense, it was still interesting people watching (at least for about the first half hour). It feels good to have it done though, plus I got a 'difficult' level Sudoku puzzle done. I hear that registering for classes at Trinity can also be a pretty lengthy process so maybe I'll get a chance to practice my patience (and Sudoku) skills again soon.

I've continued to adjust to life in Dublin. Since my last post the weather has actually been really, really nice- lots of sunshine, and almost no rain! It gives the whole place a better atmosphere when people are happy, and I've enjoyed sitting in St.Stephen's Green (a huge park area) a few afternoons. Last weekend I went up to Northern Ireland to a place called Annalough with Phil for a retreat weekend through his church. I met a lot of his friends, and some more of his cousins, second cousins, etc. It was nice to get out of the city and the location was beautiful, it was right on the sea and there were mountains really nearby. On one of the nights we went to Newcastle (a nearby town) for ice cream. Newcastle was such a cute place, with a great atmosphere (probably mostly because of the gorgeous weather). There were people sailing, para-sailing, swimming, and lots of people out strolling around. My appreciation for the sweets here deepened when I tried my first ice cream cone since I've been over. It was honestly the best ice cream I have ever had. It was honeycomb which is a bit hard to describe, but it had pieces of crispy, airy, honey-ish sugar stuff and swirls of honey-carmel stuff... mmm delicious!

Since returning this weekend I've pretty much just been doing school stuff (lectures, tutorials, and trips). We went on a tour of Irish Parliament, and also visited the National Gallery of Art. The final essay for the start up program is due in a week, so I've been brainstorming for that. Fresher's Week is next week and there won't be class, just meetings and time to register for classes, sign up for clubs, and get other general details taken care of. After Fresher's Week the regular term will start which I'm looking forward to; it'll be good to get into a more regular routine.

A few more fun/interesting differences I've observed:
* The Irish don't seem to rinse their dishes after washing. It's more of a two-in-one process, where dishes are just swished in soapy water (scrubbed if needed) and then set out to dry. It seemed really weird at first, but now it makes sense.
*Cookies/cookie bars/shortbread/cupcakes/other little desserts are all called buns (there is no distinguishing) and are often served with tea.
*The keyboards are slightly different. All of the letter keys are in the same position but the @ symbol and the " " marks are switched.

I hope that wherever you are it's sunny, you're able to enjoy great icecream, and you are not stuck in any long lines!

Cheers,
Em

You can stand under my umbrella...

I'd heard before that it rains in Ireland, but now I have felt it. I've felt the damp, wet rain nearly every day. It doesn't rain for an entire days, just on and off, but its enough rain to fully soak you while you're walking somewhere. I've learned to carry my umbrella with me at all times. This semester might turn out to be a contest between my umbrella and me to see which, if either of us, can survive the weather - neither of us is used to this much rain! The weather hasn't varied much, it has been around 60 degrees (F) every day. Actually it has felt pretty pleasant and besides the occasional strong winds, has been great for walking.

The three week "semester start up programme" has proven to be a lot of work. The lectures have been a bit of a mixed bag in my opinion. All of the professors seem very brilliant, but some of the talks have been so scattered and hard to follow, especially with such a limited prior knowledge of Irish history. I am learning a lot though, and trying to absorb as much as possible. We have been on two more field trips, one to the Gaelic Athletic Association museum and Croke Park (one of the largest stadiums in Europe) and the other to Kilmainham Gaol. I found the jail visit to be especially interesting.

The jail was built in 1796 and has some very intricate architecture, especially on the Victorian Wing. Think narrow winding spiral staircases and high cathedral ceilings. Some popular movies including In the Name of the Father and the original Italian Job were filmed in the jail. More than the architecture though I was intrigued with the stories of the prisoners. During much of the jail’s existence poverty was rampant throughout Ireland meaning that many of the crimes placing people in Kilmainham were commited out of sheer economic necessessity. This is particularly relevant during the time of Ireland’s Great Famine, as number of prisoners rose dramatically. Both adults and young people alike were sent to Kilmainham and treated the same.The youngest prisoner was a five-year-old boy who, along with his family, boarded a train without a ticket. Some of the most noteable prisoners executed in the jail were the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. I am working on writing an essay for the course about the jail and the significance it has had in Ireland's history.

I think I already mentioned that my apartment is about a 20-30 minute walk to Trinity. The walk is usually a pretty interesting one, as it takes me right through the ever-busy Grafton Street. Grafton street is lined with nice clothing shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes. It is also typically buzzing with people. Some of the more interesting people on the street are the street performers and musicians. There is usually a violin player and a guitarist or two and sometimes drummers, or keyboard players and singers. Almost every day since I have been here there has been a man that draws small elaborate pictures of all of the Simpson's (which is a really popular show here too) characters and then writes a message next to his drawing about needing money to have a place to sleep and food. Other acts I've seen include limbo-ing under fire and a man posing as a statue, letting pigeons land on his head (spray painted from head to toe to look tin).

I am starting to get used to Dublin, slowly but surely. I am getting used to the size of the apartment, the long walks everywhere, the busy streets, the frequent rain, and cooking for one. The other day I was able to give a foreign tourist directions (okay so it was to a hostel that happens to be right by our apartments, but still!). If you know how directionally challenged I am you will understand that it felt like a big deal.

One thing that I have really enjoyed here is trying all the new varieties of sweets. They have, what seems at least, like a bigger variety of candy (or at least chocolate bars). My favorite new chocolate bar is Lion bars which I can best describe as a blend of Twix, Kit Kat and Hundred Grand Bars. In a word: delicious.

A few of the language/cultural differences to share:

*The Irish call planners or datebooks "diaries." This may not seem like a big difference, but in conversation it can be pretty funny sounding, at least to me. Such as when I was at church last week and the man making announcments said, "The event will be on Saturday so write that down in your diaries."

*To be more 'green' grocery stores here charge money for using plastic bags (usually around 30 cents). Most everyone uses reusable bags. You also have to bag all of your own groceries here.

*The grading scale here for universities is between 0-80 with distinctions of first class, upper second, second, third, and failing.

I'm off to do more readings for class and work on this essay (school work is no more glamorous on this side of the Atlantic in case you were wondering). Thanks for reading, and feel free to ask questions or comment!

Warm regards,
Emily

P.S. Here are a few pictures of the Giant's Causeway which I visited my first week in Ireland!

Dublin

For the first time in my life I live in a city. Not just any city, but the capital city (and largest city) of Ireland.

On Saturday I moved into my new flat (apartment) which I share with three other girls, all from America who are also studying at Trinity. It's a two bedroom apartment and I am rooming with Marilyn, from Boston who attends George Washington. Justine, who goes to Ithaca College in New York, and Jessica who attends Rhodes College in Tennessee. The apartment is located in Iveagh Court which a somewhat upscale private business section located on the south side of Dublin. It is about a ten minute walk from St. Stephen's Green and about fifteen minutes from Trinity. The apartment itself is nice. It's cute and chic, but not too spacious. Maybe cozy is a more positive outlook. In addition to the bedrooms has a kitchen though (where the washing machine is located...no dryer, just a drying rack), two small bathrooms, and a living area. It's on the first floor of the building which is nice. It also have a balcony with nice glass sliding doors. Three other girls also doing the Trinity program live across the hall, and so we've gotten to know them pretty well which has been good. There are a few other American guys nearby who study at Georgetown but they are attending Dublin City University. For the most part though, the apartment building is not students, we were told it's mostly business professionals or young families. The most challenging aspect of the apartment so far has been dealing with electricity/hot water. Circuits, plugs, and breakers are just really different here and we've had a lot of appliances that haven't worked as well as some freezing cold showers. Most things are sorted out now (other than the toaster) and we've been adjusting. We have to buy all of our own supplies (grocery and other household items). After several trips to small, more expensive grocery stories I think I found one that I like and will be pretty cost-efficient and where I'll be able to find most things I want. It is called Dunnes Store (it also has some clothes and other supplies). I guess I would compare it most to a Super Wal*Mart, but not as big.

The second day in Dublin was IES orientation. IES (International Education for Students) is the "program" that I'm with. It's a little complicated because technically I'm directly enrolled in Trinity College and will be registering for classes like normal students when the term starts, but IES is a middleman of sorts, who helps do some of the leg work, provides insurance, etc. They have a center with resources for students, staff, and a computer lab with free printing. The orientation was pretty good, lots of little details and things to do (regarding insurance, travel, etc.). Afterwards they took us (about twelve students I think) out to this cute restaurant called SeaGrass. They bought us lunch and it was really delicious. A much more upscale lunch then I'll usually be eating! That evening there was a party on at Trinity for all of the students doing the Semester Start-up Programme. We got a chance to mingle and to be introduced to the staff of the program (history, arts, culture and literature professors). They all were very friendly. The students are from a variety of places, but the most popular location seems to be the East Coast (Boston, New York, etc.). Later that evening a bunch of students went to a nearby pub and continued chatting. It almost feels like freshman year of college again in that there are so many surface questions and chatty conversation about where home is, what subjects we study, and basic things like that. It'll be nice to hopefully form deeper relationships soon.

The next day was technically the start of "class" but it was more of an orientation to Trinity. We took tours, got a student card, computer passwords, library pin, and recieved some information about assignments for the coming weeks, as well as what registration will be like when the actual term starts. Trinity's campus is absolutely beautiful, but for a Hope student a bit intimidating. Campus seems SO big. It is all arranged around a square courtyard, which is possibly an influence from the medievil monestary that it replaced in 1592. That is the year that Trinity was founded, making it Ireland's oldest university. It seems to be a very prestigious school, over here mentioned along with schools such as Oxford and Cambridge. Most of the buildings were replaced in the 175o's still making them very old.

Today we listened to three lectures in the morning. One on the geography of Ireland, another on the history and architecture of Trinity, and the third on the literary figures Jonathan Swift and Maria Edgeworth both of whom are noteable figures in the literary history of Ireland. My favorite of the three was the geography lecture, maybe in part because it was first and I wasn't as tired. The lecturer, a Geography and Irish Studies professor, focused on the broad issue of Irish identity, and the relationships between the milieu (environment) and genre de vie (culture, social and political structures). He also talked a lot about possibilism explaining that for Ireland the relationship between the milieu and genre de vie is not inevitable, yet certain limits and possibilities arise.

After the lectures (during which there was a lunch break at one point) we had a brief meeting in our tutorial groups. Once per week we will have three respective seminars to cover each componant of the course we are doing. In these seminars we will be expected to have done reading and participate in conversation and discussion. Basically it is a time for students to debate and carry conversation on the topics while the professors guide. Participation, it seems, is key to doing well in tutorial. Our tutorial group is about twelve people (they are intended to be much less intimidating sizes than lecture groups).

Something else that I did today was go look at The Book of Kells located in the original Trinity library. The Book of Kells is a Latin manuscript of the first four Gospels of the New Testament, transcribed by monks in 800 AD. I plan to go back sometime when I have more energy because there were other manuscipts, descriptions, and things to look at. Trinity students have free access to looking at them while the public pays a fee. Students can also get visitors in with them for free, so if you make it to Dublin I'll take you there! :) There are always a lot of visitors around Trinity, many of them international! I am guessing that since it is still holidays for many Europeans there is a larger number this time of year then during term, but I've heard there are a lot all the time .

This afternoon I walked around a bit. I also went running with my roommate Jessica, it felt good to exercise again! It is hard not knowing any good routes yet or anything like that, and being awful at directions I'm a little intimidated of venturing out to far, so it's good to go with a buddy. We ran along a canal and it was a good run, only about three miles but good scenary. There are definitely a lot more people and cars to dodge than in Holland though!

I've noticed quite a few cultural differences, some big and some small. Here are a few:
*People are more reserved. It's not that they aren't friendly once you meet them, they just don't smile or say hello initially. The atmosphere in restaurants, shopping, and other public places is also quieter.
*Quantities that you can purchase items in are smaller. Especially staples like flour, sugar and peanut butter (which apparantly is not used often at all!).
*Service people (waiters, salespeople, etc.) in resturants and shops don't come up and ask how you are at all (except at the start and for ordering) and don't ask if you need help (you have to approach them).
*Washing machines are often in kitchens under counter space (like dishwashers) and dryers aren't popular at all. People use dryers or hot presses.
*I had a typical Emily moment last week when I was reading the cost of something (in Northern Ireland where they use British currency) to Phil and read outloud "Oh, it's five pounds and twenty ounces." :)

There are more but I'd better wrap this up and go study! I hope that all is well where you are, and thanks so much for your prayers. There are definitely still challenges and a few things in particular that I'm stressed about (getting my registration-visa thing at Immigration, registering for classes, figuring out the layout of Trinity, the cost of everything, etc. etc.) but God has been good, and I've already seen so many blessings in the past week and a half. Feel free to comment, ask questions or email me with suggestions, fill me in on the craic, or tell me prayer requests/praises of your own! It's great to hear from friends/family.

Cheers,
Emily

Nestle Tollhouse, Rain, and the North Coast.

*This is a flashback to August 21-28 and an attempt to summarize. Sorry about any awful typos and about the length, I shouldn't have waited so long!*

I'll start at the beginning. Last Friday (August 21st) I arrived safely in Dublin airport. My flight over went really quickly actually and I arrived in Dublin a lot sooner than expected. Even after getting through customs and getting my luggage I was still about half an hour earlier than I thought I'd be. The twenty minutes or so of waiting for Phil to pick me up was long. I didn't sleep at all on the plane and so I was already a bit jittery, and waiting, wondering if I was in the right spot was a bit nerve-wracking. Right at 8:30 AM though Phil arrived with his parents. They were actually at the airport to fly out to Berlin that morning just for a weekend trip (to celebrate their 25th anniversary!). It was nice getting introduced and having a brief chat before they headed off.

Phil drove me back up to Limavady in Northern Ireland (a couple hours drive), and we stopped at a McDonalds (I know, I know, of all places!) on the way back. When we got to his house I got to meet his sister Emma, and then awhile later his brother Ian and his girlfriend Alison. Everyone was really nice and welcoming. It was a bit of a strange feeling finally meeting people who I'd heard so much about over the past two years, but strange in a good way. That night we got takeout for dinner, pizza and chips, and then just relaxed and watched a movie... I was pretty jet-lagged and drifted in and out of sleep a lot before I actually went to bed.

On Saturday morning I got up to go with Phil to take Ian (who works as a lifeguard) to Downhill beach. It was my first time experiencing the North Coast, and it was beautiful! The only downside of the ride to the beach was driving down roads that are much narrower and more bendy than what I'm used to. It made it seem like we were going really fast, and I was feeling a bit nausous. It was only about a ten minute trip though, and walking along the beach in the fresh morning air was lovely. After the beach (where I was also introduced to a few lifeguards that Phil and Ian have both worked with) we went to a viewing point where I got to see more of the lush, green Ireland landscape. Afterwards we went back to Phil's house for breakfast and then I baked chocolate chip cookies. This turned out to be a surprisingly cross-cultural experience! Phil had told me before that they didn't really have any equivilant to "American" chocolate chip cookies but I figured they'd have all the ingredients. They did, but the quantities were really surprising. I was especially shocked at the size of the bags of flour, the bags of sugar were also small, and so was the chunk of butter. I think the vanilla and baking soda were the only thing the same size as in the states. Then, when I was adding the chips (which I had actually brought with me) Phil's sister, Emma, was fascinated with the fact that they were Nestle Tollhouse. The reason? To make a long story shorter, so many people over here are obsessed with the T.V. show Friends. Apparantly there is an episode of Friends where Pheobe tells everyone that these cookies are her Grandma's secret recipe and that her Grandma's name is Nestle Tollouse (pronounced French sounding). Emma thought that it was hilarious Nestle Tollhouse actually exists. She was telling her cousins too, and they all had a good laugh about it. After cookie making Phil and I went to play squash with his friend Aaron. I had never played squash before and it was good craic (Irish lingo for fun). Aaron gave me some good pointers (he used to practice with the club at Queen's) and I improved some. My serve could use some work though! After squash we went over to Phil's Granny McCollum's house and chatted with her. She showed us pictures of when she was at Trinity (where I'm going to school). Then that evening we went out to eat in Colraine (a nearby city) at the Watermargin. It was this really classy Chinese place. It was pretty fancy, and the food was so delicious. I had crab wanton and cashew chicken with fried rice. Apparantly Chinese food is really really popular in Ireland. Following dinner I had my first cup of Irish tea. After the dinner we met up with Ian and Alison and went to a place called the Jet Center for bowling and a movie (we saw the Proposal). I got to try the sweet popcorn (a little different then kettle corn, but similar) that Phil always raves about.

The next day, Sunday, I went to Phil's church. It was a nice service and the people were all friendly. One lady after chatting with me for a bit said "I just love your accent." Ha. After church we went to one of Phil's aunt and uncle's houses for a big Sunday dinner. There were a lot of people there between cousins, and his grandma. There was also a lot of food! It was pretty traditional- beef, potatoes, yorkshire pudding (roll-like things), peas, etc. Dessert was delicious too, pavlova (meringue like cake with strawberries!), and then of course, tea. I like tea without milk or sugar which many people seem to find odd. People here almost always put milk in it. We sat around in the afternoon and looked at pictures from Ian and Alison's big trip around the world this summer (they went to Austrailia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, California, etc.), and Phil's cousin Mary's trip to Canada (Banff area). All of Phil's relatives were nice, they really didn't ask me too many questions (maybe in an effort not to overwhelm me). I did get the typical "What do you think of your new president?" question. Around 5 o'clock we had "tea" which actually refers to supper (not just on Sunday, but any day). There were scones, and other biscuit type things, and cake, and sweets and of course actual tea. We went to church again in the evening, then afterwards went over to Marcus (his cousin) and Sarah (Marcus' wife)'s house. They are in their mid-twenties. A few other of Phil's cousins were there, and it was really good craic! I think it was maybe my favorite part of the day because it was less intimidating just chatting with them, and everyone laughed a lot. They asked me if high school was really like it is portrayed on "One Tree Hill" and there were some other "Friends" references as well. Marcus and Sarah just got a springer spaniel puppy named Holly and it was fun playing with her too.

On Monday we went to Donnegal (about an hour and a half drive or so from Limavady). It is apparantly a popular vacation spot for area people, and there were quite a few British and people from the republic of Ireland as well. We brought a picnic lunch but unfortunately just as we were sitting down to eat it started pouring so it turned into a car picnic. It cleared up after a while though and we walked along the beach. When we got back from Donnegal we met up with Phil's cousins at Downhill beach (the one close to his house). We went jetskiing which was SO fun. I had never been jetskiing in the ocean before, the waves were huge! I also did a bit of body boarding. We all wore wetsuits so really the water was pretty bareable. I was expecting it to be even colder but I guess braving Lake Huron growing up has made me tough. :) Phil's parents got home that night from Berlin so we had a late tea (supper) with them. They really enjoyed their trip and told us a bit about it.

Tuesday Phil drove us to Belfast. He took me around Queens where he goes to school. Queens just got a new library and it is gorgeous. All the students seem really excited about it (the old one was apparantly quite run down) which was fun to see. The best part, in my opinion, was a beautiful C.S. Lewis reading room. It has huge picture windows and quotes from Lewis illuminated on the walls. I would love to study there! After Queens we had lunch, went shopping, then went to his Granny Dunwoody's for tea. She was so friendly and chatty and kept giving us more tea and scones and apple tart. After we left her house we went to Starbucks, just to sit and wait to meet up with Phil's best friend, who was doing a mission team near Belfast. I got a frappacino and having an iced drink was SO good. Over here ice is rarely used, and being an huge ice-lover I've missed it. We eventually met up with Mark and then actually went to someone (I'm not really sure whose) house from the mission team that he's been doing. They were having an end of the day debrief of sorts. Phil and Mark knew all the people so it wasn't too akward. The place they've been doing the team is in Carrickfergus. After the team meeting Mark left with us and we went for a walk along the Belfast Loch towards Carrickfergus Castle. It was a nice walk and I enjoyed finally meeting Mark (who I'd also heard a lot about).

Wednesday was a very laid back day which consisted of a run on the beach, a few games of squash, tea, a walk with Phil's mum, and watching a movie ("Meet the Parents" - appropriate chioce, no?). Thursday we played more squash (I actually think I might be getting worse though) then a tour of Phil's grammer school (Limavady Grammer). We went around the town of Limavady after that. It's not a big town, but not tiny either. There were quite a few shops in the marketplace and a lot of people out. I really enjoyed looking around, especially at a fruit/vegetable/flower market place. That night we walked around his neighborhood, Shanreagh Park, and then just relaxed and watched a few episodes of the West Wing.

Friday we went to the Giant's Causeway, which may be the most beautiful place that I have ever visited. We walked around, and up one of the cliffs. It was a pretty good day weather-wise (for Ireland) and the waves crashing up on the rocks were huuuuge. I have never experienced wind like that before either, honestly it was almost an out-of-body experience. Being at the Giant's Causeway reminded me of how small I am, and how big my Creator is. After the Giant's Causeway we drove along the coast past lots of cute port cities to Colraine and shopped in the city center shopping marketplace. Afterwards we went back to Phil's and that evening (later in the evening around 8:00) went to dinner with his parents and siblings, and Alison to Cromore Halt, a very fancy restaurant. I ordered loin of pork with carmalized apples and mustard stuffing and champ (basically mashed potatoe with scallions). It was all delicious! For dessert I shared a "Meringue Mess" which was basically meringue and stawberries mixed up with sort of a pudding-esque texture. After dinner ended (which was actually really late!) we went back to the house and Ian and Alison showed pictures from their summer adventures to Phil's parents, and then we watched some funny video footage of Phil, Ian and Emma when they were younger- funny stuff!

The next day Phil drove me to Dublin (where I'll be the rest of the semester) to drop me off...but I'll cover that in the next post, there is too much to add and it's getting late. This past week has been such a great one, it really felt like a vacation which was great to have before jumping right into city life and school. These past few days (since I arrived in Dublin) have been a lot more of an adjustment and there have been a few more struggles. I am looking forward to my semester here, but I do think it'll just take a lot of patience. I am quite overwhelmed right now. For the next three weeks I have class everyday (I'm doing a semester start up programme on history, art, and culture). Hopefully I'll update very soon with more details about life so far in Dublin and get a chance to reflect more on the cultural differences, funny sightings, etc.

I hope all is well in your end of the world!
Cheers,
Emily

leaving on a jet plane (soon).

You know that really strange feeling, when something that you've prepared for and awaited for a long time has finally arrived? Like high school graduation. Or spring break. Or the first day of college. That feeling is starting to creep in. Tomorrow I fly out of Chicago to Dublin to spend four months abroad! For the first week I'll just be on vacation, and will be staying with my boyfriend and his family (they live in Limavady, Northern Ireland). Then, on August 30th I'll move to Dublin, to live in an apartment in the city and attend Trinity College. Trinity is Ireland's largest and oldest university.

It still all feels a bit surreal, and I suppose it will for awhile. I've been focusing more on the vacation part of the trip for now and that's helped me feel less overwhelmed by details. This summer has gone so quickly! I have been working as an intern at a camp (Cedar Campus), coordinating the children's program. Having the role of a supervisor has been good, but also very challenging. In some ways I feel exhausted from the summer, but in other ways I feel renewed and rested. It has been such a blessing being back at Cedar, where I grew up. It has been a blessing living and working in Christian community, and being in such a gorgeous place. I'll miss the comforts of home, of Hope College and of Holland... but I think leaving will be good. Hard? Definitely. But good.

Something I realized this week: I'm awful at goodbyes. There were lots of friends that I didn't get a chance to chat with, call, email, or meet up with, and I apologize for that. I hope you'll understand, and that all of your end-of-summer adventures are exciting!