Days 18-32: Friday, 15 Jan to Thursday, 28 Jan (Brief Edition)

Hello!! I'm sorry that it has been sooooo long... much longer than I intended! Things have been crazy, and I'm finally settled in. Of course, I've thought that before, only to be proven wrong (and usually only minutes later). But anyway, a brief overview of the past two weeks:
15 Jan (Fri)-- No class! A few of us tried to go to the Garda station to register (so we wouldn't be illegal immigrants), but we went to the wrong station, the right station was closed when we arrived, so we killed time and then by the time we got back, the computers were broken. Garda fail. But then, that same few of us had a fabulous pizza and wings dinner! We planned to watch "Scarface," but we accidentally rented the old one (the not-Al Pacino one), so we watched "The Maltese Falcon" instead.
16 Jan (Sat)-- Is it sad that I can't remember? At all...
17 Jan (Sun)-- Did work (haha), well I tried to do homework... Some people went mountain climbing, but I (as a relatively lazy bum) did not.
18 Jan (Mon)-- Monday again... Three day weekends really do fly by! And again, I can't really remember, but I figure, if I can't remember, it's probably so boring that you don't care anyway! :)
19 Jan (Tue)-- Rain! Again... I think it rains every Tuesday (except the 26th :) ), which is fine, except that I spend lots of time walking on Tuesdays... so I would prefer sun! It was raining and I was soaked walking to my Irish history class. We had a new professor; he started off really interesting and pretty cool... seems like a good guy to have a conversation with. But as a lecturer, he's terrible, no main focus, and says "um... uh" way too much... also, my cell phone was in my backpack, which got wet-- ergo, my phone got wet, soaked is more like it. So yeah, it died. Boo. Despite all of my attempts with dryers, rice, etc., my 2 1/2 week old phone bit the dust. Sad.
20 Jan (Wed)-- So Wednesday was my family dinner day! I decided to make chicken parmesan and eggplant parmesan (for the vegetarians). I got up at a decent hour, went into the city, got a new phone (wah!), went grocery shopping, etc. -- Very exciting! Got back to my apartment, began fixing dinner (prepping the chicken, the eggplant, and making breadcrumbs--which I'm never doing again...), skipped my noon class (how lazy!), and did some work for Topology. Went to my afternoon classes... then came back and actually cooked dinner! People came over and ate, and then we discovered the best show on television... It's called "Fat Families" and basically, this "former fatty" goes to people's homes, tells them they are too fat, and makes them lose weight. But these people are really, really fat... like 5'2" and over 20 stone (which is 280 pounds)... And my favorite part of the show... his catchphrase "massive fatties"... which he calls them to their faces. And those of us who watch decided to always eat dessert while watching... It makes it soooo much better. Oh, and another thing, I wore heels to my afternoon classes on Wednesday. Let's just say that I have a new respect for people who wear heels all the time and can actually walk (at a decent pace) in them. :)
21 Jan (Thu)-- First Topology homework due. How exciting! Classes were classes, nothing spectacular. But that evening, Bridget, Emily and I went to college to see "The Wind That Shakes The Barley," a movie about the IRA in 1920-1. I was not prepared for this movie... so much more violent than I expected. Good film, but not a light movie... Several times, we almost left because it was so much. BUT! After the movie and a little chocolate to make us feel better (just like in Harry Potter), we met up with some of Emily's flatmates and we partied like it was 1999... Well, maybe not that much, but we had a good night. I did, however, try to be Irish and wear heels out. Never again. Flats are the best things EVER. But going out was a ton of fun, other than my dead feet. :)
22 Jan (Fri)-- No class!!! Well, not really, I have a tutorial on Fridays now. But I made an executive decision to rarely go. Problem solved. Instead, I went shopping with Bridget! Got two shirts and two dresses for 14 euro :) and bought FLAT shoes!!! We also went to the Garda (again), but this time, we were successful! So I am no longer an illegal resident in Ireland... whew! After registering, we rushed to UCC, where the sign-ups for two fantastic trips were. Despite how crazy the sign-ups were, I managed to register for both trips-- one to Galway, and one to Killarney :) A bunch of people went to see Avatar, but I didn't and instead went grocery shopping with a few folks (different than my usual group) and then we had a delicious taco dinner. I was so happy to have beef-- you have no idea! And then, after dinner, clean-up, etc., we went to a pub to watch a rugby match. And I made a miraculous discovery-- I LOVE RUGBY. I had no clue that I would like it but I do... It's such a great sport to watch, even though I don't really know the rules... maybe I'll learn them while I'm here. :)
23 Jan (Sat)-- Blarney Castle!! Took a bus to Blarney, walked to the castle... It was soooo fun! And (of course) I kissed the Blarney Stone, so now I have the Gift of Gab (as if I didn't before)... But supposedly, I should be a bit more eloquent... (Don't think it's kicked in yet) Despite rumors that the Blarney Stone is disgusting and whatnot, it tasted like disinfectant... so I'm hoping that it was clean-ish. There are pictures on my facebook (the only place that will load pictures), so here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024433&id=1565430037&l=ebaef68c2e
This should work even if you don't have facebook! And then after getting back from Blarney (about 20 minutes from Cork), Kat made a fabulous roast chicken and mashed potato dinner... soooo delicious... She's quite the chef. :)
24 Jan (Sun)-- Again... nothing?? My memory isn't serving me well, but I'm pretty sure I just bummed around and pretended to do work. :)
25 Jan (Mon)-- MONDAY! again...
26 Jan (Tue)-- Had classes as usual... Nothing terribly exciting. Although in my Topology tutorial, I had real (as in NOT math) conversations with a few of the guys in my class... We basically were laughing for about 40 minutes... The professor was not too happy, but whatever. It was hilarious. :) Oh, and we still had the bad professor in Irish history... and he was still not good... most people left halfway through the class. I felt bad for him (bad enough to stay in class but not so bad that I paid attention).
27 Jan (Wed)-- Started taking Italian!! Soooo fantastic! I really like Italian... such a neat language, and now I think I have to travel to Italy :) That evening, after dinner, we all went to someone's apartment to watch "Fat Families" and eat ice cream :) This episode was not nearly as good as the first one, but definitely enjoyable... After our gathering, I was planning to be a good little Katie and go to my room and sleep/do work, but plans change. I went to Emily's apartment and was convinced to go out... I'm glad I did too... There was a UV party at Freakscene (a club), and it was a blast... Of course, I had paint everywhere (well, mostly my face and arms) when I left, but it was super fun!
28 Jan (Thu)-- Usually my last day of classes for the week... (this week I had to go to my Friday tutorial, but I'll explain that later) Nothing too exciting happened... I had classes and then they were over, and I did nothing until I got a text from Bridget threatening me to come to a tea party... Needless to say, I went! And it was sooo much fun, although I ate too much, especially because after the tea party, I headed to family dinner... But the dinner was soup (delicious but not necessarily super filling) and potatoes... Then, we did some quality hanging out :) A few people went to hear live music, but I actually was a good Katie and attempted to accomplish something on Thursday evening...
And that's where I'll leave you... I hope that I will write again soon... or at least, I won't let it be two weeks before I post again :)

Days 15, 16, and 17: Week 2-- Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Wow. Sorry it's been so long. I've been busy and a little bit sick (mostly just a cold, I think). Anyway, Tuesday seems like a really long time ago (I guess it kind of was). So on Tuesdays, I have my only 9 am class in WGB, and since I assumed that it would still be super icy, I got up extra early and gave myself a solid 30 minutes to get to class. Of course, it was raining, so there was no ice! But, there was rain, and wind, and cold. I didn't quite realize how soaked I was until I sat down in my first class and went squish... Not so fun. But at least there was no ice to slip on! Class was fine; the lecturer was actually in San Francisco at the Joint Math Meetings, so we had a "substitute." Upon returning to Deanshall from class, I rung out all of my clothes, changed into sweats and didn't leave my apartment until I had to leave for my 6 pm class. I felt like a huge bum, but it was cold and rainy, and I didn't want to get sick (too bad I did anyway). The 6 pm class was also interesting and we got out early again, which was awesome. I was planning to stay around campus to meet up with people and go to an International Students thing. I'm glad I didn't though because the people I was supposed to meet didn't go to campus because their meeting had been cancelled due to rain. But anyway, a bunch of us met up around 8:30 and watched tv and whatnot in an apartment. By 9:15 (maybe a little earlier), we headed to this place called the Mardyke, which has karaoke, a bar, bowling, pool, etc. The Students Union was hosting an international night, so all international students got in free and do the various activities. We were going to bowl, but since we arrived late, we found a karaoke room instead and proceeded to sing for the next almost two hours. It was soooo much fun! Instead of singing for the whole place, they had these karaoke booths, so that you can just sing for hours straight and not have to listen to other people. About 11:15, the international group headed out to Gorby's, to which (happily) we all got free passes! There was a lot of dancing and we ended up seeing almost all of the Arcadia kids there, which was really fun... By 1 or so, I was getting exhausted, and so a huge group of us left, went back to our individual apartments and passed out. A good Tuesday night.
Thankfully, my first class on Wednesdays is not until noon, so I didn't have to attempt to wake up early after being out late. We all dragged ourselves to class and were on time, even though the lecturer wasn't (not even close). A few of the Arcadia kids were a little worse for the wear, but eh, I guess that's the price you pay for partying on a Tuesday. After class (Celtic Religion and Mythology), a bunch of us headed to a meeting about an optional trip to County Kerry, and then we attempted to get coffee, but the line was ridiculous. So we scrapped that idea and just went to the student centre. We all had a bunch of time to kill, especially me, so we just sat talking. At some point, I headed over to the Western Gateway Building for my next (and last) class of the day.  The weather on Wednesday was so fabulous... a little misty, but not too cool... ah, if only every Irish day were like that. On Wednesday night, a bunch of us went over to someone's boyfriend's apartment (he's American, but didn't come with Arcadia). He cooked Indian food, which was delicious, and someone brought cookies with icing for dessert (also yum). After dinner, there was a Lion King sing-along, which was totally awesome!! It was so much fun-- I hadn't seen the Lion King in years, and now I understand why adults like it so much too :)  After this gathering (put on by the UCC Choral Society), people were (of course) going to a pub. The group of Americans tagged along, but there wasn't much exciting happening, so we left quickly and headed back to Deanshall to get some much needed sleep. Another really good night. I love the Lion King. (And there's a good chance that there will be more sing-alongs, maybe even Moulin Rouge! Woo!)
Thursdays are kind of bleh. They're just so long, especially because I'm very indecisive and couldn't choose which class to drop, so I'm still going to seven (instead of six). But I have to decide by Wednesday which one I'm going to drop (any suggestions???). I thought I was running late to my first class, but somehow I wasn't; I actually beat almost everyone (at least the people I knew). Most of Thursday was just going to classes, getting lunch (soup, a roll, and butter for 2 euro), and then more classes... how awesome! But then, after classes were done, a bunch of us went to Bridget's apartment, where she made delicious quesadillas. Then, we all had to get ready for Naomi's birthday gathering (one of Emily's apartment-mates). Lindsey and I went to the Off-ey (off license) to get some alcohol, and both got pretty cheap wine, nothing exciting... It's still pretty weird being able to buy alcohol, especially because they don't card you at all. By 9 or a little after, there was a huge crowd at Emily's, drinking and having a good time. Naomi works at Havana's (a club in Cork), so she got us all free passes (yay!). By 11:30, we hit Havana's, and we were some of the first people there, but we made it work. Within half an hour, the dance floor was crowded, and we were all having a great time! Throughout the night, there were definitely some creepers who needed to be warded off, but we all had a lot of fun, and by 2:15 (when the club closed), I was exhausted (as I usually am). So that was Thursday, basically-- the biggest party night of the week. And since I don't have class on Friday, I don't even have to feel guilty about staying out too late!

Days 13 and 14: Sunday evening and Monday

The bus ride back from the homestays was interesting. Most of us were pretty tired, and a lot of us hadn't showered in three days (myself included). At our first stop, there were also these random kids who were throwing snowballs at all of us (including the bus driver) and even attempting to get snow in the bus. We then drove for about 20 minutes back to Charleville, picked up people, and left without much exciting. Then, we rode for about 30-40 minutes to this gas station/convenience store place, where we were meeting the two girls who had been dropped off first. I feel like we were waiting forever-- people got out, got food, etc.-- and still they hadn't shown up. At one point, a few of us called/texted the two girls, who said they were close... Eventually, they made it, and we were off again through the treacherous weather and bad roads on our way to Cork. When we got back, I didn't really do much-- ate dinner, hung out with people, attempted to organize my life for the upcoming week, etc. My room was freezing when I got back, so I turned the heat on full blast, and I was going to shower, but everything was just so cold that I wanted to wait... so I went over to Bridget's, but then I got a text that they were going to shut the water off (to prevent it from freezing, I guess), so I ran back to my apartment and took a super quick (but absolutely necessary) shower. Then, I got an email from my advisor asking me about summer plans, so I had to email her back and get a few things together before going back to Bridget's to watch Hairspray! I hadn't seen the movie before (I saw the play in Richmond), and I really enjoyed it; the music is just really good! But after the movie, I just headed back to my apartment and went to sleep :)
On Monday, I got up a little later than I planned and was (of course) running late to my first class, which was in my favorite far-away building (I'm sure you can guess). I stepped outside into the freezing cold air and onto a super slippery, icy ground. But I was running late, so instead of walking super slowly, I decided to walk at a reasonable pace in an attempt to not be late. I was completely fine, had barely slipped and not fallen at all, when I have to cross the river. The bridge was really slippery but I managed to maneuver it. I almost slipped and slid into the road but I caught myself. I took a step forward and WHAM! I'm on the ground... A patch of ice out of nowhere (well, not really) causes me to fall on my behind and cut my hand. That was annoying. I don't like falling, and I really don't like falling in front of people, who then walk right by you without saying anything. But moving on, in the next 20 minutes on the way to class, I fell again. And again, no one said anything, but at least this time, there was no new bleeding and the cut on my hand had almost stopped. So I finally make it to WGB, and the lights are off; there's no one in my classroom, and I'm like really? I almost killed myself on the way here for nothing... But then people showed up, and we had class... nothing worth detailing. I then headed back to Deanshall for lunch and to chill for a bit. I gathered more stuff for summer programs and then ran out the door (late-ish) for my second class of the day also in the WGB (it's the math building grrrrrr....). I was the last person to Diff Eq but that didn't matter; the lecturer hadn't even thought about starting yet. The other Arcadia girl decided not to take the class, so I was still alone. But the hour went pretty quickly and then I trekked back to Deanshall (very exciting day, don't you think?). I had dinner, did nothing, but lo and behold, another class!! So back to campus I went, but not to the WGB! (Yay!) The class was Culture, Language, and Literature of Ireland, and I think almost every international student at UCC decided to take it. The classroom was completely packed... people sitting on the windowsills, the floor, in the doorways... I'm sure we were a serious fire hazard. But the class was really interesting, and I don't think it'll be very much work ( :-) ).. After class, a whole group of us walked back to Deanshall and hung out in Kat's apartment. See, we also had an Arcadia dinner at 6 (when we had class), so a bunch of people skipped the dinner to go to class, but some lovely friends of ours brought dinner back from the restaurant for us. Thus, the dedicated ones of us who went to class had a delicious dinner once class was over. The plan was to watch "Glee" after dinner, but no one got the right channel, so we ended up watching YouTube videos. We were all going to go to a pub to see live music, but by the time we planned to leave, most people had backed out (including me). I was just ready for an excellent night's sleep (I suppose, I always am), and I had class at 9 the next morning. Yuck. But anyway, the first Monday of classes was not terribly exciting, a little painful (with the ice and the falling), but still fun :)

Some pictures

So... I really should write down the names of places as I visit them because I really cannot remember what this gorgeous cathedral is called. :)

This is pretty obvious! We're at the Jameson Distillery :) It was a pretty interesting tour, even though the entire thing was a Jameson advertisement. We got a "free drink" with the price of a tour.

Dublin Castle :)












Will add more later; uploading is very slow on this internet

Days 11, 12, and 13: Before and during the homestay

Alright, Friday was a good day if for no other reason than I got to sleep in! I didn't wake up until 10:30 or 11 and then didn't really have much to do, which seemed strange! But I showered, organized my room (now it's a mess again), and packed for my homestay. After lunch, a bunch of us had to walk to the history department office to register for our Irish History class. (The history, music, and applied psychology departments are so popular that you have to both register with them and the registrar to get credit!) We were planning to leave at 2 to head up there, but of course, 2 turned into 2:15 and then 2:30, so we made it there by 2:45 or so. The office is tiny; the six of us could barely fit. But we all registered no problem, and then headed back to Deanshall. Of course, we stopped on the way back at a convenience store to get some snacks (in case our homestay families didn't feed us, I guess), which took awhile, but was fun! We finally made it back to Deanshall about 3:30 or so. Then, it was time to repack, as I had forgotten to pack warm boots (which I was really glad I threw in). Anyway, by 5, I was "ready" to go, but as soon as I got on the bus, I realized that I'd forgotten my camera. So I ran back to get that (though I really didn't take many pictures there) and then we headed out. It took us forever to get out of Cork, considering it's a small city. We had to drive pretty slowly because of ice on the roads, but we stopped after about 45 minutes to drop the first people off. Most of us then figured that we would soon follow, but we were mistaken. After dropping those two off, we drove for at least 45 more minutes until we got to Charleville (known for its cheese), where about half of the group got off. Then, the rest of us headed to Killmallock, where we were all to be picked up by our host families. So Kat (an Arcadia student, staying at the same home as me this weekend) and I were picked up by Sheila, who is a friend of the family we're staying with. She lives close to them and was also hosting girls, so she drove us the nearly 40 minutes to Emly, Co. Tipperary. It was (sadly) dark, so we couldn't see any of the (I'm sure) gorgeous landscape. We eventually arrived at Margaret and Liam Burke's. Of course, it was dark so we couldn't really see much and freezing so we didn't piddle outside. But we met Margaret, her two sons (Brian, 5, and Conor, 9), and Liam before dropping off our bags. Liam and Conor left to go to the pub, while Kat and I ate some "traditional" food-- pizza and chips (well, fries). But Margaret was really nice, and we had good conversation. When the boys got back, we went into the game room and played pool and foosball (they call it soccer). Both Kat and I got beat by 5 and 9 year olds, but it was fun all the same. We also found out that there was no hot water because of the intense cold and ice. But we accepted the news well, despite the lack of showers to come. After games, the boys went to bed, and Margaret, Kat, and I watched television. A bit after midnight, Margaret went to bed, but Kat and I stayed up to finish watching a movie. We headed to bed a bit after two and slept in until 10 the next morning. When we went to wash our faces in the morning, we discovered that there was no water, which made some normal activities (like flushing the toilet and washing hands) much more challenging. So Kat and I got ready as best we could and went into the kitchen for breakfast with the boys and Margaret. We had toast with nutella (YUM!) and porridge (eh, I mean, it's porridge), and then the boys showed us their animals-- two dogs, a cat, a rabbit, and some hens. They were all really sweet (well, we didn't really meet the hens), but I felt so bad that they were outside when it was so cold! But we decided that it was a bit too cold to be outside, even with the animals. So we went back inside and basically did nothing for the rest of the day-- watched assorted television, played board games, etc. At one point, Kat and I went into Tipp Town (Tipperary) with Liam, just to see it. I wish it hadn't been so miserable outside; I would have loved to look around and shop, but I'll do that on another trip. That night, we had a fantastic dinner-- ham and cabbage with potatoes (of course). It was so delicious; I could have just kept eating. After dinner, we watched "Hotel for Dogs," and then the boys wanted to watch another movie. Brian would pick one and Conor wouldn't watch it, and vice versa (about 50 times). So Kat and I went through literally every movie in the house, and no one could agree. So we made an executive decision and started "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (the original), which of course made Brian cry. But he got over it, and Conor was actually excited because he'd never seen it. After the movie, the boys went to bed, and Kat and I found "Van Wilder" on tv, which is incredibly inappropriate, but no one seemed to mind. Then, we went to our lovely warm beds! The next morning (Sunday), we got up around 9 to pack, eat breakfast, and head to mass. We had a trickle of water coming out of our bathroom sink. So we washed our faces, brushed teeths, and attempted to clean ourselves as well as possible. Anyway, we had another fantastic meal-- bacon (more like ham, less like American bacon), beans, toast, tomatoes, and eggs (not me!) with tea (of course-- The Irish drink more tea than anyone else in the world, for real). We then washed dishes and Liam dropped Kat, Margaret, and me off at mass. I'd never been to a Catholic service before, and this was definitely an experience (nothing too exciting, just very different from what I'm used to). First of all, no one dresses up for mass, so I seemed almost overdressed in a jean skirt. Secondly, the priest and passage readers talked so so so fast; I could barely understand them and no one in the congregation could recite anything as fast as the priest did. Also, Catholics stand and sit and kneel and stand and sit and stand and kneel and sit and kneel and so on... It's a good thing they have a kneeling bar in front of all the pews, and I hope that all Catholics have good knees. Anyway, as a non-Catholic, I also was not allowed communion, which was fine, especially because a lot of people didn't take it either. Mass lasted only 40 minutes or so, and then we waited so Margaret could talk to some people. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was snowing, starting on Saturday evening. Basically, it doesn't snow in Ireland; it rains (a lot) but never snow, so I don't know what was going on. But after mass, we said goodbye to the boys and Margaret and then headed to pick up the girls staying at Sheila's. The ride to the bus was pretty uneventful, but that was not a bad thing with all the ice and snow on the roads. By 1:15, our homestay was over and Kat and I were back on the bus, ready to go back to Cork. It was a fun weekend (might have been better with water), and if possible, it would be great to visit the Burkes again.

Days 9 and 10: Classes/First Week

Ah, sorry I've been so behind on everything. I've just being actually doing everything, so writing about it can't be the top priority. Plus, I want all of you to know everything (well, almost) that happens, so there's lots to say!
So Wednesday, I woke up a bit past nine and decided to drag myself to a module on Buddhism. I wasn't sure if I was going to take it, and I figured I should go and see. Sadly, my sleep deprivation was for no purpose because I decided not to take the module (oh well). The professor was really interesting, but the module is worth double credit, so I'd only get to (have to ) take 5 classes instead of 6. At this time, I was trying to narrow my list from 9 or 10 to 6, so Buddhism was an easy one to cross off the list. After Buddhism, I had an hour to kill, so I headed to the Student Centre and met up with Katie Bloom (goes to Pomona). We chatted for a bit, ate a quick snack, and then headed to our noon class (which happily were the same). So at noon, we had Celtic Religion and Mythology-- very interesting. The professor seemed okay, but the topics were sooooo interesting, and when else am I going to learn about Celtic Religion?? We took a few notes, but the professor let us out early, which was fantastic. I then had almost 90 minutes to grab more food (I think I'm always hungry here) and get to my meeting with the head of the math department. Again, I saw Katie and we ate and chatted for awhile before both heading to the beloved (ha!) Western Gateway Building. The walk from the Student Centre is not nearly as bad as the walk from Deanshall, so we got there with plenty of time. Just before two, I went to the head of the math department's office and we chatted for a few minutes. Basically, he was much nicer in person than over email and gave me approval to take three math modules (none of which meet on Friday! yay!). So the math dilemma, while stressful for a day, was resolved, and now I'm (stuck) in three math modules-- Metric Spaces and Topology, Differential Equations, and Graph Theory and Combinatorics (these are listed for Teddy and maybe Dad; the rest of you can ignore them :) ). But then I had a bit of time to kill, so I tried to get on a computer in the WGB, but they're for certain students only, so I was stuck. Anyway, at 4, I had my second math module-- Graph Theory and Combo. The professor cannot be more than 27; she looks so young. I didn't realize that she was the lecturer at first (oops). I don't think the class will be too bad; hopefully not too difficult, but we'll see. I headed back to Deanshall after it was over, and then ate some food, bummed around for a bit (I seem to be doing that a lot). About 6:15, I realized that I was going to meet Mirinda (my Irish flatmate) at the Students Union Council meeting, so I quickly changed and ran (speed walked) to campus. Luckily, nothing in Ireland starts on time, so I wasn't late at all. The meeting was relatively interesting; I mean, I couldn't do anything, but I enjoyed it all the same. The real fun happens after the meeting! Everyone heads to the Old College Bar, gets one free drink, and free pizza. Of course, one drink turns into many. :) But I was there with Mirinda and other SU people for about 3 hours, getting somewhat tipsy, before we headed out to the a club. Normally, clubs cost about 6 euro (way too much for me), but the SU has free passes to one club (called Freakscene), so we all went there. I had a blast, danced a lot, met a lot of new (and mostly Irish) people, which was really nice! The club closed at 2:15 am, so we were kindly kicked out, and then waited out on the street for the rest of our group. After everyone caught up, a few of us went to this hot dog place. I figured, how much could a hot dog possibly cost? one or two euro at the most... Well, again, I was wrong. A hot dog is four euro, even a plain one with ketchup. So I said no to the hot dog and yes to going to bed. Anyway, I got back to Deanshall, quickly showered, and passed out by 3:15 because I had class at 10 the next day.
Thursday, well, was a long day. Of course, I didn't get enough sleep before getting up at 9. But I got up anyway, got ready, and met other Arcadia kids to walk up to Celtic Religion and Mythology. I thought the class was really interesting and took notes fervently (lecturers sure can talk quickly). I mean, nothing terribly exciting happened. Then, an hour break (I have many), in which I grabbed a quick snack, and then I headed to the WGB for Differential Equations. Wow. That was quite an experience. The professor seems pretty nice, but she is sooooooo quiet, and no one in the class cares at all, so everyone is talking and it's impossible to hear. And I don't really remember Calculus, so that's a problem, but it'll all work out. Hopefully, the other Arcadia kid taking the class will be there, so I'll have someone to talk to :) Um, then I had an hour to kill before my next math class (woo fun), so I started reading a book on the Kennedys. It was definitely entertaining, although the author was a little bit in love with the Kennedys, so I'm not so sure about how accurate the book was. But, the hour passed quickly, and I went to my second Graph Theory and Combo class. The lecturer still looked young, but again, the hour passed quickly with nothing exciting enough to write down. After Combo, I basically ran (well, speed walked again) to my next class-- Celtic Saints, which is about Celtic Christianity and saints (particularly St. Patrick-- shocking :) ). This class was really full, and when polled, almost 90% of the people were visiting students. The professor is a little old lady, but she definitely likes to maintain order. There is no talking in her class... I'm not so sure I'll make it, but I still have one class to drop, so I might be okay. We read letters from St. Patrick and semi-analyzed them, and then we got out around 4:30 and I was done with classes for the week!! The rest of my evening consisted of grocery shopping, eating, and then hanging out in Emily's apartment. Thursday is a big going out night, but I was so tired, and it was really, really, really cold (as per usual), so Emily, Bridget, and I decided to stay in, which was really fun too. We hung out with some Irish flatmates and drank tea and watched tv. Anyway, I was glad to have done basically nothing because I finally got enough sleep on Thursday night. :)

Day 8: First Day of Classes

So the first day of classes... My first class (Metric Spaces and Topology) was at 9 am in the Western Gateway Building. I figured that twenty minutes was more than enough time to get from my room to my class. Yeah, I was really wrong. First of all, this building is both new enough and far enough off campus that it isn't on most campus maps-- that was problem number one. Then, after I found a map that actually showed the building, I had no idea how to get there. About 8:57, when I was not lost, but not where I was supposed to be, I realized that I was still at least 10 minutes from my desired destination; I also realized that I'd just walked a huge loop around one part of campus, which clearly didn't bring me any closer to the Western Gateway Building. Anyway, long walk and story short, I made it to class, and I was only ten minutes late (oops). So I walk in to the class, and I'm the only girl, which is fine, so I sit in the back (mostly because I'm late) and begin taking notes. It's nothing exciting, only analysis. I found out later that the guys in that class all thought that I'd walked into the wrong class and was just too embarrassed to leave. But then, the guy sitting next to me saw me taking notes and paying attention and was really confused... Very amusing. Maybe when I show up again, they'll think I'm in the right class. After that, I hurried to the International Education Office to get my UCC Student ID (finally!). That took until about 10:25, so I considered attending a class on Greek history, but I really hate being late, especially in an hour long class. It's probably a good thing too, because the door into that classroom (I later found out) opens right into the front of the room. So no sneaking in for me. After talking to a few other people getting IDs, I headed back to the Western Gateway Building (but this time I knew where it was!!) to talk to someone in the Math Department about taking modules. I got the information of the head of the department, and then waited around the building to see if the tutorial for Metric Spaces and Topology was meeting (it wasn't!). So I trekked back to my room, where I discovered that we finally had internet!!!! I could then email the head of the math department before going shoe shopping with Bridget and Emily. Sadly, I didn't buy too much-- a mini fan, cute bag, stapler-- as there aren't really any shoes in my size :( But oh well, I'll keep looking! After our few hour shopping excursion, we came back to Deanshall and each went our separate ways. I had an email from the head of the math department telling me that I was already supposed to have applied to take math modules, so there was a chance that I wouldn't be able to take any while I was here. That stressed me out a bit, not because I really want to take math, but because next year would be so much more work if I didn't take math this term. But anyway, I cooked a quick dinner and then met up with other Arcadia kids to go to an Intro to Irish History module, which was far away, also on the completely other side of campus (like WGB) but on the other side of the river. The class was pretty interesting, and I'm excited about next week's! But after class, the real fun begins! Tuesday is the second biggest going out night in Cork (after Thursday), so I went to a friend's apartment, and we hung out and drank a bit (this was about 9:30 or so). We stayed in her flat until at least midnight and then headed out to the clubs! It was freezing out, and Irish girls don't take coats to clubs (so they don't have to pay to check them), so I was recommended to leave my coat behind. Let's just say that I'm really glad I didn't. It was soooooooo cold, and the club we planned to go to (which was right around the corner) was too packed, so we continued into the city centre. Sadly, everywhere was really busy (first big night out of the term), so we didn't get in anywhere :( But! About eight of us got Hillbilly's, which is kind of like KFC, and then headed back to Deanshall to eat it and warm up. So we chatted for a bit and then I headed to bed because I had class at ten the next morning. Overall, the first real day was a bit hectic but excellent!

Day 7: Orientation at UCC

Ah, another orientation. How fun? First thing I learned: there are A LOT of international students at UCC, most of whom are from the U.S. Overall, orientation was rather boring, but there were some useful parts, and had I not already spent a week in Arcadia's orientation, UCC's would have been immensely helpful. Basically, they went over modules (classes) and had certain lecturers come talk to us about modules in their departments. There was someone from the French Dept who had such a snig-songy Irish voice; I loved to listen to him, but I couldn't take him seriously. Another memorable one was from the Celtic Civilisation Dept, who did her job very well. She was this cute, older lady, who spoke with a great accent and convinced me (and I think several others) to take Celtic Civilisation modules. We had a three hour-ish break for lunch, and then headed back to campus. Not too much stuck out from the afternoon, save the cute Students Union President, who everyone (all the girls at least) thought was simply adorable. (Don't worry Teddy! :) ) We also had someone from the Garda (police) come talk to us, telling us essentially the same things that the last Garda officer did. All in all, orientation was fine, kinda boring, and in an exceptionally cold room (I think most people wore their heavy coats inside the whole day). Oddly enough, UCC's first day of classes were also Monday, so all international students automatically miss the first day of class. Very strange. A few of us went to Emily's apartment for dinner, and then we headed out to an internet cafe (because our internet STILL was not working). After almost two hours at the internet cafe, where I could finally look at modules (so I could start going to class the next day), some of us headed back. My plan was then to go to bed early. Shame(ish) it didn't happen. Mirinda, Kendra (the other American living in my flat), and I were just hanging out, watching tv and whatnot, quite contentedly when some of Mirinda's friends came over! They were all really nice, and though I'm not sure I remember any of their names (oops :( ), I'm excited to hang out with them again! After they left (to go to a house party, I believe), the three of us went back to our boring tv watching. But then these three drunk Irish guys called and wanted to talk to Oona (whom no one has ever heard of), so they came over to our flat and hung out with us in the common room. We all figured that these guys woud stay maybe 30 minutes. Well, at least an hour and a half later, the three of us (Mirinda, Kendra, and I) were tired of hinting that we were sleepy, so we basically kicked them out. Then, I spent over an hour looking at modules, trying to decide what to take! When it hit 2 am, I decided it was bedtime, especially because my first module met at 9 the next morning. It was a fun evening; my only wish was that I could have slept in the next morning!

Day 6: First Whole Day in Cork

It's so difficult trying to remember what I did several days before; I really should just write about what happened yesterday, but I want you guys to know everything (well, almost)! So it's a Sunday morning, our first full day in Cork city. I have to admit that I did not sleep too well (as I think I said in my last post) because it was just so cold in my room. So Sunday I was a bit tired, but there was lots to do! A few of us went back to Penneys to buy more random things (another blanket and leggings in my case) and then to Guiney's (another random store--- KMart like, only smaller). We then proceeded to the basement of Dunnes (for grocery shopping) but ran into others, who told us to go to Tesco, which was just down the street. We also decided that school supplies would probably be a good idea, so we went to Eason, where they have the most expensive school supplies in the whole world (maybe not, but it sure seemed like it). I bought some pens, pencils, notebooks, etc.--nothing exciting. Then, loaded down with notebooks, blankets, and other random items, we proceeded to find Tesco. The four of us thought that we had followed the directions to a tee, and yet, there was no Tesco to be found. After wandering for a bit, we finally realized that when we were told "right", they meant hard right, so we found Tesco!! Grocery shopping is quite a challenge after having done lots of other shopping, particularly when you don't have a cart (there are carts, but they cost like 20 cents or so to use, and I haven't decided yet whether or not it's worth it). Anyway, I bought some essentials--milk, cheese, laundry detergent. Checking out at the till (register) is always such a flustering experience. You have so many bags, and you're rushing, and the money is weird, and it's like AH! But oh well, I'll get used to it. The four of us then stopped at Abrakebabra to get a quick bite before heading back to Deanshall for the evening. I don't recall doing much that night, besides going to someone's apartment for dinner. At some point in the evening, around 10 I think, my Irish flatmate finally arrived! Her name is Mirinda, and she's really friendly and easy to get along with. (She also knows how to use the heaters and can answer lots of around-the-house/campus questions.) We chatted for a bit, but then I headed to bed early because we had orientation at 9 or so the next morning.
I'm in a bit of a rush now, but I promise to write more (maybe even catch up to the current day!!) and post pictures later :)

Days 4 and 5: New Year's Day and Cork

Hello lovely readers (all three of you :) ). I'm sorry it's been so long but internet around here has been hard to come by, and on the rare occasion I do have, I feel that talking to my family takes top priority (strange, I know). But anyway, New Year's Day was basically a resting day for everyone in Dublin, not just the Americans who had stayed out late the night before. Nothing opened until at least noon if it opened at all (and it most likely didn't). I have to admit that I didn't make it up for breakfast; I actually didn't really wake up until 1:45 pm or so... But then I was super productive (haha). After a quick shower, a few of us went to Subway (how American, but there are SOOO many here in Ireland--sort of like Starbucks in New York City) to grab lunch and then we bummed around for a bit. We had an "optional but recommended" talk at 4pm about the formation of the Republic of Ireland, and actually all but one of our group went. The talk was pretty good and definitely informative, but lots of what we were told I (and a few others) had learned at Kilmainham Gaol only a few days before. After the talk, we walked to a restaurant called Alfie's, where we had a brilliant three-course meal (super duper fancy). It was delicious, and I ended up sitting near one of the people in charge (she is super sweet and gorgeous). We talked a bit, and lots of little questions about travelling, cell phones, and other random topics got answered. The entire group left dinner around 8:30 or so (we had been there for almost 2 1/2 hours), and we headed back to the hostel. Funnily enough (despite the fact that Ireland winters are mild), there was serious ice on the bridge crossing the River Liffey, so we had to make our way very slowly (though we managed somewhat quicker than most of the Irish). I got back to the hostel with every intention of going out again, but hanging out in the hostel lounge was much more relaxing, and I had time to pack and get ready to leave the next morning. My plan to go to bed early was (of course) foiled by my desire to talk and listen to others, so I didn't sleep until a little past two. Ugh.
But the next morning (Day 5), I managed to wake up, grab breakfast, finish packing, and get my luggage in plenty of time (that's very unusual for me). By 10:30, we were on the road to CORK!!! And all of us were ecstatic to arrive and actually unpack! The journey took about 4 hours or so (with a thirty minute lunch break in the middle) and was partially longer than usual because of the ice on the roads. We arrived at Deanshall (our accomodations) and were greeted by the Arcadia University representative (Val). Checking in was quite a slow process, but somehow we all managed (even with the news that we wouldn't have internet until Monday). Then Val walked us to the city centre (downtown) and showed us where to buy groceries, cheap linens, etc. We were then on our own, but we could shop! We headed to Penneys (not JC...) to buy sheets, towels, and other random bathroom/bedroom-y things. Next we hit up Dunnes but not for the clothes and shoes (that I will certainly hit up later) but for the grocery store on the ground floor. After buying way too much stuff for one night, we trekked back to Deanshall weighted down with several bags each.
Oh, and Deanshall... The location is excellent-- less than 10 minutes to the city centre and less than 15 to UCC. The rooms are pretty well furnished with a huge desk and large closet, the kitchen is small but reasonably stocked, and there is a common room with cable TV and chairs and couches. There's also a bathroom (YAY) with a small shower and a sink that has a cold spout and a hot spout (very annoying). Deanshall is also very cold. Let's just say I was happy when my room broke 55 degrees (Fahrenheit, don't worry!). I kept the heat on for almost a day straight (even though you're not really supposed to), and the maximum temperature my room has been is about 65, which (believe me) feels warm. Going to sleep that first night really was quite a challenge since I was freezing!! I definitely slept with lots of layers and missed central heating and electric blankets. But all in all, the first day in Cork, although a little rainy and not terribly exciting was good. I'm glad that my flat/apartment is only a three-person with one of my roommates being another American from the Arcadia program. Hopefully, we will never run out of hot water! :)

Day 3 (again): New Year's Eve

Ah, New Year's Eve in Dublin. SO MUCH FUN. After dinner, we began getting ready to go out, hoping (and yet knowing it was unlikely) that the weather would cooperate. Lots of people went all out, heels and all, but I (choosing comfort over fashion) wore boots that I knew would be warm! But I also wore a sweater dress and tights for the occasion, so warmth was clearly not the only priority :) It began to snow, which was gorgeous, so we decided to take our time getting ready in hopes that the snow would stop before we made out way out. Around 9:30 or so, most people met in the hostel lounge, and we discussed our game plan. The group decided to go to South Saint George's and Camden streets (thanks to advice given to us from a Garda officer--Irish policeman). Overhearing us, some Irish man sitting in the lounge warned us that Camden Street pubs would be completely packed by now and that we shouldn't even bother going. So he told us other places to try, but then said (because we were mostly girls and all American) that we should try Camden Street because we might get in somewhere. So that's what we did. A bit before 10, we headed out to the pubs. By 10:20 or so, we had passed a packed South Saint George's St (no luck there) and were on Camden Street, searching for a pub. There were some really full pubs (some of which only allowed 21 and overs :( ), some dead ones, and some clubs. Though the club seemed fantastic from the outside, it was 10 euro to get in and required an ID, which some people hadn't brought. So we left the club and headed to a pub called Flannery's. The rest of the night was basically drinking, dancing, and socializing-- tons of craic (pronounced "crack" but meaning fun). Though dancing is not typical in pubs, none of us realized this, and we did it anyway. Happily, some of the Irish joined us, and we turned Flannery's into a dance floor, particularly for songs such as "Poker Face", "I Gotta Feeling", and anything by Michael Jackson! Midnight came and went, complete with lots of toasts and kisses (none for me, though), and we stayed until 1:45 am or so. The walk back was a bit challenging, but we all made it, and I think most everyone had an excellent time (whether they remember it or not). So HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can't believe it's 2010!