Walking down the street in Dublin, I'm constantly seeing signs for the upcoming elections in Ireland for the new Taioseach(pronounced tea shock) of Ireland,who from what I can gather is the prime minister/head of government in Ireland. They have a president too, but the Taioseach has more power, and due to the economic problems that Ireland is having, the one who was in power when I got here resigned.
The elections will be in about 2 weeks, and every day the political advertising gets more intense. It's different from our elections, though- no ads blasting the other candidates (I actually haven't seen any commercials at all, but I also don't really watch much TV), and the posters look like they could be ads for Glee: they're very bright and colorful, and usually just giant closeups of the candidates' faces. I happen to live almost right next door to one of the head offices of the Labour party, which may be why I see so much advertising, but it seems to follow me everywhere I go!
It's also a very political time on campus at Trinity- Students Union elections are fast approaching, and campaigning here is nothing like it is at PC for a spot on congress. Candidates have printed brochures called manifestos that look like US senators' campaign materials, t-shirts for their campaigners, and catchy slogans. In the beginning of big lectures, candidates come in to speak about why we should vote for them, and the plans they have for next year. Last week I couldn't walk through the Arts Block (student center) without being bombarded by students in colorful t-shirts handing me manifestos, but this week they have stepped up their game. I have only been on campus for about 20 minutes, and I've already seen a candidate wearing a suit and tie walking around linked arms to about 10 girls wearing his t-shirt handing out flowers for Valentine's Day (it was hilarious, I felt like I was watching The Bachelor), and two guys walking around as a polar bear and the Easter bunny wearing Chris O'Connell t-shirts. No idea why big white fluffy animals have anything to do with his campaign, but I'm not asking questions.
Another part of the upcoming elections in Trinity are for the new provost- the students and faculty get to vote for who they want to hold the job! It would be like the PC community coming together collectively to pick the new president of the college- and he or she would have a set term of office. I really like the idea, especially because the institution as a whole has an active stake in its future and what the people who are a part of Trinity want it to be. I am still unsure if I'm allowed to vote in the TCD elections, but I'm hoping to find out soon!
On a less political note, late Happy Valentine's Day! I celebrated by having a lovely Queen of Tarts brunch on my way to school and having family dinner with my friends in our apartment.
xo Julia
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Photo Update
Hello everyone! Just thought I would add some photos now that my computer and camera have decided to cooperate :).
This is a shot of the peace wall I talked about, which stretches for about 3 miles.
There I am signing the wall!
my favorite part of the wall: "forget catholic, forget protestant, we are one human race."
Oliver Cromwell memorial mural on the Protestant side of Belfast
... hope these helped! I have a bunch more photos that i'll try to upload soon! Happy Sunday evening!
xo Julia
This is a shot of the peace wall I talked about, which stretches for about 3 miles.
There I am signing the wall!
my favorite part of the wall: "forget catholic, forget protestant, we are one human race."
Oliver Cromwell memorial mural on the Protestant side of Belfast
... hope these helped! I have a bunch more photos that i'll try to upload soon! Happy Sunday evening!
xo Julia
Not Ready to Make Nice
This weekend in Belfast was quite an adventure! I saw and learned a lot of Irish history, and got to catch up with a few friends who aren't in Dublin, as well as meet new people!
I took a bus up to Belfast by myself on Friday afternoon, when everyone else had already been in Belfast for a whole day, because I had a tutorial Thursday night and a class Friday morning that I needed to go to. I made it to the bus station without getting lost or asking for directions, though I did manage to get splashed when someone drove through a puddle on the side... I actually got pretty wet, and as Kristen says, I thought that only happened in movies. Worst part was, I was across the street from the bus station- so close! I shook off and went over to buy a ticket, got on the bus, and two and a half hours later I was in Belfast! I met up with the group at our hotel, and we had dinner and went to the pub for a few pints.
We found an awesome place for dinner- a pint and a burger were 5 pounds, and then we went to a pub right across the street from the hotel to hear some great Irish music. I met up with Danielle (of course), and Kevin Brawley, another PC student studying in Ireland this semester. He's at Galway for now, but just found out he'll also be a Fr. Smith Fellow this summer in Kisumu- I am so excited for the four new Smith fellows, but I'm also so jealous! I am obviously having a great time in Dublin, but I do ache for Africa sometimes... I know I'll be back one day, but I'm dying to make that day soon! We went to hear a great live band and had good conversations with three guys from Belfast, and that's where I learned how different the accents are all across Ireland. It's something I knew just based on hearing my family from Mayo and my Dublin-based professors and friends here, but man, the accent from the north was tough! I think it also had something to do with the fact that we were in a loud pub, but I had a really hard time understanding what the guys were saying!
It happens frequently when we go out that Irish people start asking us about the US (where we're from, who they know in Philadelphia, why we wanted to study in Ireland, isn't Trinity hard?, etc), and it was no different in Belfast. This group of three guys had all been to Philadelphia- and not only Philadelphia, but Havertown! One asked me if I knew where Barnaby's was (which is about a mile away from my house), and said he had many friends who go there frequently. The world is pretty small!
Saturday morning after getting up for brunch, we went on Black Taxi tours of Belfast. During the troubles, the IRA brought black taxis into Belfast for Catholics to get to work that cost 1 pound each way, regardless of where you're going. They're still in existence (though I'm pretty sure it costs more than 1 pound), and a lot of them are used to give tours. We went all over the city and saw lots of different murals and places that were significant during the troubles.
There is a "peace wall" throughout all of West Belfast- it separates the Catholic and Protestant communities to this day. It's 45 feet tall, and there are gates throughout it that are closed at 6pm every night. Our tour guide said that people often compare it to the Berlin wall, but it's different because that "was built to keep people in against their will. This was built to keep people out at the will of the people." Many famous people- including the Dalai Lama- have signed the wall, asking for it to peacefully come down. There was a survey of people in Belfast about the wall, and those who don't live near the wall think it's time for it to come down, but those who do absolutely want it to stay up so that they feel safe. Our tour guides seem to honestly think it will come down within the next 20 years, because they say the future is in the children- they go to more integrated schools and see the need for change, and it's up to them to take that wall down. The people who live on the Catholic side of the wall are only about 5 meters away from it, and have built what look like big cages on the back of their houses to protect themselves, because people still throw rocks and bottles over it at the Catholic houses. When we started on the Protestant side, we saw murals dedicated to "heroes," one being a man who had shot and killed 16 Catholics randomly. Another mural depicted a man with a gun that followed you wherever you went- from whichever direction you looked at the mural, the barrel of the gun followed you. It was very unsettling and very eye-opening.
We also had the opportunity to sign the wall. People write song lyrics or inspirational quotes, and as I was trying to figure out just what to say, I looked down at my phone, and saw the picture that is my background- the legacy my Practicum class left on the wall in the Feinstein community room. Our quote is from the director of the Feinstein Institute, Ray Sickinger, and it says "it is amazing how differently we think, but how one in purpose we are." I couldn't think of a better message of peace to leave, so I wrote it next to my name- once I have my photos uploaded, I will post them!
Once we got back to the hotel, we wandered around the slips where the Titanic was built and left from, had some delicious cupcakes, and went to dinner at Pizza Express- a delicious place that Tom and Kate had tried to take us in Oxford but was full, so Danielle and I dragged her roommate Dani and my friend Julia there to have a delicious dinner! We then went back to the hotel and had a relaxing night in, as we had to get up really early this morning to get the bus back home. I'm already back in Dublin and it's only 1:30, which is really nice. I have the afternoon to get myself together and watch the Rugby game between Ireland and France, which is part of the Six Nations Rugby tournament.
It was a very interesting weekend overall- I had no idea how much tension still exists, and I was happy to return to Dublin. Busy week of school ahead, and then off to London next weekend! I hope all is well wherever this Sunday morning finds you, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Julia
I took a bus up to Belfast by myself on Friday afternoon, when everyone else had already been in Belfast for a whole day, because I had a tutorial Thursday night and a class Friday morning that I needed to go to. I made it to the bus station without getting lost or asking for directions, though I did manage to get splashed when someone drove through a puddle on the side... I actually got pretty wet, and as Kristen says, I thought that only happened in movies. Worst part was, I was across the street from the bus station- so close! I shook off and went over to buy a ticket, got on the bus, and two and a half hours later I was in Belfast! I met up with the group at our hotel, and we had dinner and went to the pub for a few pints.
We found an awesome place for dinner- a pint and a burger were 5 pounds, and then we went to a pub right across the street from the hotel to hear some great Irish music. I met up with Danielle (of course), and Kevin Brawley, another PC student studying in Ireland this semester. He's at Galway for now, but just found out he'll also be a Fr. Smith Fellow this summer in Kisumu- I am so excited for the four new Smith fellows, but I'm also so jealous! I am obviously having a great time in Dublin, but I do ache for Africa sometimes... I know I'll be back one day, but I'm dying to make that day soon! We went to hear a great live band and had good conversations with three guys from Belfast, and that's where I learned how different the accents are all across Ireland. It's something I knew just based on hearing my family from Mayo and my Dublin-based professors and friends here, but man, the accent from the north was tough! I think it also had something to do with the fact that we were in a loud pub, but I had a really hard time understanding what the guys were saying!
It happens frequently when we go out that Irish people start asking us about the US (where we're from, who they know in Philadelphia, why we wanted to study in Ireland, isn't Trinity hard?, etc), and it was no different in Belfast. This group of three guys had all been to Philadelphia- and not only Philadelphia, but Havertown! One asked me if I knew where Barnaby's was (which is about a mile away from my house), and said he had many friends who go there frequently. The world is pretty small!
Saturday morning after getting up for brunch, we went on Black Taxi tours of Belfast. During the troubles, the IRA brought black taxis into Belfast for Catholics to get to work that cost 1 pound each way, regardless of where you're going. They're still in existence (though I'm pretty sure it costs more than 1 pound), and a lot of them are used to give tours. We went all over the city and saw lots of different murals and places that were significant during the troubles.
There is a "peace wall" throughout all of West Belfast- it separates the Catholic and Protestant communities to this day. It's 45 feet tall, and there are gates throughout it that are closed at 6pm every night. Our tour guide said that people often compare it to the Berlin wall, but it's different because that "was built to keep people in against their will. This was built to keep people out at the will of the people." Many famous people- including the Dalai Lama- have signed the wall, asking for it to peacefully come down. There was a survey of people in Belfast about the wall, and those who don't live near the wall think it's time for it to come down, but those who do absolutely want it to stay up so that they feel safe. Our tour guides seem to honestly think it will come down within the next 20 years, because they say the future is in the children- they go to more integrated schools and see the need for change, and it's up to them to take that wall down. The people who live on the Catholic side of the wall are only about 5 meters away from it, and have built what look like big cages on the back of their houses to protect themselves, because people still throw rocks and bottles over it at the Catholic houses. When we started on the Protestant side, we saw murals dedicated to "heroes," one being a man who had shot and killed 16 Catholics randomly. Another mural depicted a man with a gun that followed you wherever you went- from whichever direction you looked at the mural, the barrel of the gun followed you. It was very unsettling and very eye-opening.
We also had the opportunity to sign the wall. People write song lyrics or inspirational quotes, and as I was trying to figure out just what to say, I looked down at my phone, and saw the picture that is my background- the legacy my Practicum class left on the wall in the Feinstein community room. Our quote is from the director of the Feinstein Institute, Ray Sickinger, and it says "it is amazing how differently we think, but how one in purpose we are." I couldn't think of a better message of peace to leave, so I wrote it next to my name- once I have my photos uploaded, I will post them!
Once we got back to the hotel, we wandered around the slips where the Titanic was built and left from, had some delicious cupcakes, and went to dinner at Pizza Express- a delicious place that Tom and Kate had tried to take us in Oxford but was full, so Danielle and I dragged her roommate Dani and my friend Julia there to have a delicious dinner! We then went back to the hotel and had a relaxing night in, as we had to get up really early this morning to get the bus back home. I'm already back in Dublin and it's only 1:30, which is really nice. I have the afternoon to get myself together and watch the Rugby game between Ireland and France, which is part of the Six Nations Rugby tournament.
It was a very interesting weekend overall- I had no idea how much tension still exists, and I was happy to return to Dublin. Busy week of school ahead, and then off to London next weekend! I hope all is well wherever this Sunday morning finds you, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Julia
Thursday, February 10, 2011
I Take My Chances
I can't believe it's the end of another week... didn't I just get home from Oxford? How am I already packing for Belfast?! This week of classes has been very busy but good... work is starting to pick up, and as I start to get into a routine I feel like I'm actually going to school here. This was the first week where nothing out-of-the-ordinary happened, and I found it a little harder to be motivated school-wise, so I'm looking forward to getting away for a few days and taking my mind off of it so I can start new on Monday :).
I am still loving my American Drama class, though! I wake up on Thursday mornings looking forward to it. Today we covered Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams- big names in American Drama. We had a really interesting conversation about the American Dream- what is it, who is it for, and how has it changed? It was cool to talk about it in such an international setting- half of us are American, 4 students are Irish, and 1 is British. Sometimes I feel intimidated by everyone in the class- everyone speaks so eloquently and makes such interesting topics that I forget to contribute and just listen to everyone else! I am definitely getting better at it though- I have some background with Death of a Salesman from freshman year when I did a script analysis of it, so I felt better prepared for the conversation. I think I like the class because it's small, and we know each other by name. Most of my classes aren't like that here, and it's nice to have something that reminds me of classes from home, even if it is more challenging! I know my writing and analysis skills will improve from the class, which will be most useful for senior year.
This afternoon I started to seriously look at a calendar to plan some more trips- and was astonished by how little time I seem to have left! I know I've only been here a month, but if I look at it by weekend, I have a lot planned and the end of May doesn't seem far away at all. It was a little crazy today to look at a map of the world and say okay, where can I go? I just booked three days in Paris during my study week, where my roommate Nam and I will stay in a hostel together and go adventuring throughout the city, and then I'll take a train from Paris to Brussels to meet up with my NDA friends. I am still trying to figure out when I'll go to Cork to visit Danielle, when I'll get to Mayo to see my family, and when I'll go to Spain to visit my friends there. I have thought about going to Rome for Easter again (I was lucky enough to go with my family in high school), but I'm not sure where else to go! Who has suggestions? I'd love to hear them :).
Along with the rest of the world, I just watched President Mubarak's speech to the country and the world. I watched it on BBC, and I can't believe that the newsanchors are talking about what President Obama says-- I feel like I can't escape American media! They aren't saying anything about the British government's reaction, but are "waiting to see what Obama will say." I have found that America is mentioned so frequently- in most of my classes it's mentioned every class, even my Theatre in Ireland class. I am so very impressed by the Irish students' knowledge of American politics, and wish I was as worldly educated as they are!
So, off to the North tomorrow, then London next weekend! Let me know where else you think I should go-- I'm looking to go to places that are fairly inexpensive and aren't exactly #1 tourist destinations... I like to wander off the beaten path :). Of course I won't turn down anywhere that is a popular destination, but I want to hear suggestions!
I hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are... thanks for reading!
Julia
I am still loving my American Drama class, though! I wake up on Thursday mornings looking forward to it. Today we covered Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams- big names in American Drama. We had a really interesting conversation about the American Dream- what is it, who is it for, and how has it changed? It was cool to talk about it in such an international setting- half of us are American, 4 students are Irish, and 1 is British. Sometimes I feel intimidated by everyone in the class- everyone speaks so eloquently and makes such interesting topics that I forget to contribute and just listen to everyone else! I am definitely getting better at it though- I have some background with Death of a Salesman from freshman year when I did a script analysis of it, so I felt better prepared for the conversation. I think I like the class because it's small, and we know each other by name. Most of my classes aren't like that here, and it's nice to have something that reminds me of classes from home, even if it is more challenging! I know my writing and analysis skills will improve from the class, which will be most useful for senior year.
This afternoon I started to seriously look at a calendar to plan some more trips- and was astonished by how little time I seem to have left! I know I've only been here a month, but if I look at it by weekend, I have a lot planned and the end of May doesn't seem far away at all. It was a little crazy today to look at a map of the world and say okay, where can I go? I just booked three days in Paris during my study week, where my roommate Nam and I will stay in a hostel together and go adventuring throughout the city, and then I'll take a train from Paris to Brussels to meet up with my NDA friends. I am still trying to figure out when I'll go to Cork to visit Danielle, when I'll get to Mayo to see my family, and when I'll go to Spain to visit my friends there. I have thought about going to Rome for Easter again (I was lucky enough to go with my family in high school), but I'm not sure where else to go! Who has suggestions? I'd love to hear them :).
Along with the rest of the world, I just watched President Mubarak's speech to the country and the world. I watched it on BBC, and I can't believe that the newsanchors are talking about what President Obama says-- I feel like I can't escape American media! They aren't saying anything about the British government's reaction, but are "waiting to see what Obama will say." I have found that America is mentioned so frequently- in most of my classes it's mentioned every class, even my Theatre in Ireland class. I am so very impressed by the Irish students' knowledge of American politics, and wish I was as worldly educated as they are!
So, off to the North tomorrow, then London next weekend! Let me know where else you think I should go-- I'm looking to go to places that are fairly inexpensive and aren't exactly #1 tourist destinations... I like to wander off the beaten path :). Of course I won't turn down anywhere that is a popular destination, but I want to hear suggestions!
I hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are... thanks for reading!
Julia
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
So Magical
I had a very busy Monday, so apologies on the delayed post. I had some homework to catch up on, and was in the library for the entire afternoon-- but my weekend in Oxford was absolutely worth it. Danielle arrived Thursday night, and Friday morning after my early class, she met me at Trinity and off we went to the airport! There is a bus that is six euro each way to/from Dublin airport that picks up right near TCD, and we got to the airport in about 30 minutes. Aircoach dropped us off right at our terminal, where we got ready to go through security.
I like to think of myself as an experienced air traveler- I fly to/from Providence all the time, and in the past year I've been getting on and off quite a few planes. I was all prepared- passport and boarding pass out, I wore "soft clothes" as our friend Mary Lou says one always should while traveling in the air (no odd metal accessories), and I had all my liquids in the proper sized plastic baggie. I got to the inspection at the first part of security, and all the guard needed to see was my boarding pass... easier than the US, okay... next step metal detector. I had to take off my shoes since I was wearing boots, but had I been wearing flats they could have stayed on. I took out my baggie of liquids, pushed all my bags through, and breezed through the metal detector as I usually do
... and it beeped. I was wearing a skirt and sweater and tights- all soft things!! I was wanded and nothing beeped, I walked through again and it went off--- experienced air traveler fail. The double beep is like the ultimate faux pas, the thing that we frequent fliers absolutely detest having to deal with. It's enough for someone to beep once and hold up the line, but TWICE? I was properly mortified, and didn't know what to do- I couldn't think of why I was beeping! Then it hit me- and the security guard- at the same time: my headband. I was wearing a very fashionable headband with a rhinestone bow that my mom got me for Christmas, and it must have been made of metal. I took it off, walked through, and was finally on my way to Heathrow.
Danielle and I were the typical American travelers. We got to our gate at 12 for a 2:30 flight, not because we really had to, but because we wanted to make sure we had enough time. Of course we were excessively early (and I had gotten up very early to finish packing so I was very tired by this point), but we chatted and people-watched (man in a kilt! still hilarious!), and talked to our parents as they woke up 5 hours behind us. Finally we boarded our flight (the only time we were asked for our passports!) and arrived at Heathrow!
I was so excited to get my passport stamped- all I have in this passport are the stamps from entering Ireland and my Kenyan visa- and we walked through "customs," which was a desk that was labeled as such but no one was sitting there. We kept walking, thinking that maybe there would be someone there to stamp it, but no such luck. I was upset to the point that I really just wanted to ask someone British to draw a picture on one of the pages, but I am pretty sure that's illegal, so I sucked it up and hoped for something on the way home.
We found our way through the CITY that is Heathrow to an ATM, almost cried at the exchange rate, and then hopped on an underground train to another terminal (which we did run through the airport to catch- no trip is complete without running through an airport at some point) to catch the bus to Oxford. We had to take an elevator (ahem, I mean lift) to get to the bus bay that reminded us of what the elevator in the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter was supposed to be like, and were very happy to be in England. We bought our bus tickets, stopped at Marks and Spencer to get some snacks for the bus ride, found the bus, and sat.
Now, the bus ride was probably the most adventurous part of the trip. We were leaving Heathrow around 5:30 pm on a Friday, and the bus was stick-shift. Traffic + manual transmission + day of traveling - sleep = I was very happy to be on solid ground when we arrived! We were of course the last stop in Oxford, and driving through the town our jaws dropped... Trinity and Dublin are amazing, but I'm still not convinced that Oxford is a real place. I think it's actually a fairy tale. All the architecture was incredible and old and beautiful, and it was amazing to see how integrated the university is with the town. There are 40 colleges at Oxford, and we visited a few while we were there, but we Americans really have no idea what the term "college town" means.
Finally, we arrived at Gloucester Green, and we were so excited to see Tom and Kate! They came to meet us at the bus station and walked us back to their houses (which are connected), where we dropped our stuff and then went to get some dinner. We went to the Eagle and Child pub, where the Inklings (C.S. Lewis and Tolkien among them) used to meet and discuss. We caught up on their new lives at Oxford and started to fill them in about PC things they had missed, and then went back to Blackfriars Hall, their college. We hung out in the JCR (Junior Common Room... Feinsteiners, think community room), went back to the houses, and eventually after meeting a bunch of other Blackfriars students we made our way to a pub called Bookbinders. It was very cool, and very different from Dublin pubs! Much smaller and more low-key, and they even had board games, which we of course took advantage of (I learned that Balderdash is a great pub game).
It had been a long day of traveling, and we went to sleep not long after getting back from the pub. We got up the next morning to go to brunch at Saint Benet's College, the only remaining single-sex college, which is all-boys. We had parts of a traditional English breakfast, and were on our way to do some sightseeing. We walked over Oxford, and visited lots of colleges and libraries. We saw Balliol College, the Bodleian library, Magdalen (pronounced Maudlen) College, Oriole College, and Christ Church College, which is where Harry Potter was filmed!
We walked up the "front staircase" towards the great hall, and who do we run into but Kaitlin Smith, one of my best friends from Notre Dame who is studying in London for the semester! It was very appropriate to encounter her at Hogwarts, and after freaking out that we were actually there, we took a lot of pictures. We also wandered through Christ Church Meadow and Magdalen deer park, and while we didn't spot any deer, we did see a pheasant! I was excited, but Tom told me it was a fairly average animal- I took a photo for my dad anyway.
After a quick tea stop, we went to St. Mary's Church and climbed the tower, where you can see all of Oxford! It was absolutely beautiful, and I got some great photos at the top. The architecture in all the churches and colleges in Oxford is absolutely breathtaking, and I tried to get as many photos of it as I could (with the help of Tom, who really enjoyed taking gargoyle pictures on my camera). After our day of sightseeing, we went back to the JCR and played an excellent new card game that Kate's boyfriend Brogan taught us, and got ready for the rest of our night.
A whole group of us went to The Mitre, another pub, for dinner. It was a lot of fun (great craic if it had been in Ireland), and then we went over to the Jericho Tavern to see a swing jazz band. They were really awesome and we had so much fun dancing! That night we slept very well- lots of walking and dancing to put us to sleep. We woke up early the next morning and went to mass at Blackfriars, which was such a treat! I was so happy to go to a mass with Dominicans, especially since I haven't really found a church home yet here. I met a few of the friars after, and they were so kind. It felt very good to have my little PC away from home, especially since I've been here officially for a month!
It was hard to say goodbye to Oxford, but we had to catch a 12 o'clock bus to Heathrow in order to make our flight back to Dublin. Our flight actually ended up being fairly delayed, but we explored parts of Heathrow, and finally made it safely back to Dublin! Unfortunately, Danielle just missed the last bus back to Cork, so she stayed with me another night and got to watch the superbowl with our crew here. BBC commentary wasn't exactly the same, and we didn't get to see the commercials OR the episode of Glee that was on after, but I'll just have to watch them online.
All in all, it was an awesome weekend. I am looking forward to Belfast next weekend and London the weekend after, but this was a great first trip while in Dublin! From pubs to mass to dancing, I had a blast, and I am hoping that I may be able to make it back to Oxford before I go home!
Today is jam-packed for me: another full day at the library! Hope all is well wherever you are!
Love and prayers,
Julia
Thursday, February 3, 2011
When You're Home
Just thought I'd drop another post before I head on my first travel adventure this weekend :). This week was a busy one in terms of class, and I feel like I practically live in the library, but I am still having fun!! It's Thursday afternoon and I'm officially done with all my homework for the week, and I successfully presented in class today for the first time in Ireland!
In my American Drama class, (my favorite class...) we each take turns presenting on various plays that we're assigned to read for each week. Generally it's two plays a week, which would mean that two people present each class. Today's plays were Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones, and Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing! I chose the Odets play because I felt that I was familiar with him, having been in a production of one of his other plays, Waiting for Lefty, my freshman year at PC. It was helpful to have some background on him and on the Group Theatre while presenting, and I feel that I made the PC Theatre Department (especially John Garrity!) proud. I lead the class in discussion for an hour, and it was interesting the whole time. American Drama is my smallest class, and I really like all the students in it. I am actually going to present again to the class later on in the semester, and I feel like my second one will be a thousand times better since I already have one under my belt.
Last night, Nam, Julia (other Julia), and I began what will become a weekly tradition: movie Wednesdays. There is a cinema right next to TCD with awesome student rates-- two for 6,50! We saw The King's Speech, which I would highly recommend if you haven't seen it yet. Wednesdays are tough for me, as I have a lot of classes back to back, so it was nice to have something to look forward to! Also, Irish movie theatres are WARM! I always bring a sweater when I'm going to the movies in the US because it's usually FREEZING, but I was very comfortable last night. I was very excited by this-- I am very easily amused, as Nam and Julia pointed out to me, but let's just say I appreciate the little things in life :).
Like I mentioned before, I'm off to Oxford this weekend!!! Danielle will get in tonight so we can travel together tomorrow, and I'm really excited. I absolutely love living in Dublin, but I think I'm starting to get a little bit jaded. Walking through Front Gate this afternoon, the initial "do I really go here?!" shock wasn't there... I am used to walking past ancient buildings and through a massive campus that really does look like Hogwarts in the middle of a giant city. I walked right past the Book of Kells today in the library without even stopping, and I think that means I am officially a Trinity student. I'm excited to go to England and come home again to Dublin... because I do consider my flat to be a home away from home. I'm starting to refer to it as "home" instead of "the apartment" in my texts, and I actually feel very comfortable there.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are, and enjoy the superbowl! I'll be watching it here... I love not having class til 1 on Mondays :).
In my American Drama class, (my favorite class...) we each take turns presenting on various plays that we're assigned to read for each week. Generally it's two plays a week, which would mean that two people present each class. Today's plays were Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones, and Clifford Odets' Awake and Sing! I chose the Odets play because I felt that I was familiar with him, having been in a production of one of his other plays, Waiting for Lefty, my freshman year at PC. It was helpful to have some background on him and on the Group Theatre while presenting, and I feel that I made the PC Theatre Department (especially John Garrity!) proud. I lead the class in discussion for an hour, and it was interesting the whole time. American Drama is my smallest class, and I really like all the students in it. I am actually going to present again to the class later on in the semester, and I feel like my second one will be a thousand times better since I already have one under my belt.
Last night, Nam, Julia (other Julia), and I began what will become a weekly tradition: movie Wednesdays. There is a cinema right next to TCD with awesome student rates-- two for 6,50! We saw The King's Speech, which I would highly recommend if you haven't seen it yet. Wednesdays are tough for me, as I have a lot of classes back to back, so it was nice to have something to look forward to! Also, Irish movie theatres are WARM! I always bring a sweater when I'm going to the movies in the US because it's usually FREEZING, but I was very comfortable last night. I was very excited by this-- I am very easily amused, as Nam and Julia pointed out to me, but let's just say I appreciate the little things in life :).
Like I mentioned before, I'm off to Oxford this weekend!!! Danielle will get in tonight so we can travel together tomorrow, and I'm really excited. I absolutely love living in Dublin, but I think I'm starting to get a little bit jaded. Walking through Front Gate this afternoon, the initial "do I really go here?!" shock wasn't there... I am used to walking past ancient buildings and through a massive campus that really does look like Hogwarts in the middle of a giant city. I walked right past the Book of Kells today in the library without even stopping, and I think that means I am officially a Trinity student. I'm excited to go to England and come home again to Dublin... because I do consider my flat to be a home away from home. I'm starting to refer to it as "home" instead of "the apartment" in my texts, and I actually feel very comfortable there.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are, and enjoy the superbowl! I'll be watching it here... I love not having class til 1 on Mondays :).
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