Leaving the Republic: Northern Ireland

As I briefly mentioned in the earlier post, last weekend included a trip to Northern Ireland with the other American students. We had just finished taking two weeks of "foundations courses," which taught us about Irish history, culture and politics/economics, and this field trip really brought to life many of the concepts/events we just learned. Here's a brief itinerary of what we did!

1.) Got on the bus and drove to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Two hours later we arrived and a lovely tour guide who has lived in the city for over fifty years led us through the city and we observed Catholic and Protestant communities. There are murals all over the city depicting civil rights issues and history of the conflicts that have occurred in Northern Ireland. In addition, we saw the "peace walls" that separate the communities from each other. It's hard to believe that there is still so much prejudice and racism in so a modern society.

2.) Saw where the Titanic was built, as well as all of the other ships in the White Star Line. The ship was created in a giant hole in the ground that could be filled with water so the Titanic could be floated out to sea. There was a smaller boat that was covered in tarps that I believe helped recover some of the victims. The details and materials were the same as used on Titanic, and the boat should hopefully be restored and preserved soon! Next year, 2012, is the 100th anniversary of the maiden (and unfortunately last) voyage of Titanic, and there's a beautiful new museum being built to commemorate it. The Belfast community is proud of the famous ship, despite her ill-fated life, and say "Titanic was fine when it left Belfast!" (it officially sailed from Southhampton, England!)

3.) Checked into our hotel, then a group of us explored a bit and found a wonderful restaurant that served the best fish and chips I've ever tasted. The crust on the fish was light and flaky and we put vinegar on our "chips." I was full for hours, but obviously later when we saw a cupcake store we had to stop for dessert and I got a Nutella one...heaven!

4.) Danielle, Elise, Sarah and I explored downtown Belfast and went into the ornate town hall and took in the scenery close to our hotel. We went into a mall that has a viewing point where you can see the entire city and climbed up to the top! The sun was just setting as we arrived and the silhouettes of the spires, buildings and mountains were absolutely stunning as we took in the view.

5.) Following dinner in the hotel we went to the a local put that a man in the viewing tower recommended. There was an live band that plays there often which featured a fiddle, guitar and drums, I believe. They played traditional Irish music all night and we danced and dang along with the locals. It was exactly the pub experience I craved when coming here, and we 'had the craic' with all who were packed into the back room for music. My favorite songs they played were "Brown Eyed Girl" and "Galway Girl." I love the Van Morrison classic because my little sister Paula has brown eyes that make me think I'm looking into a warm cup of coffee, so that's our song! And Galway Girl was featured in PS I Love You, so of course I and any other twenty-something female love it. In the movie Hillary Swank meets her husband in Ireland when she's in college and hears him playing that song in a pub. I'm not exactly sure if that's going to happen to me, plus the band members were the age of most grandfathers so I'm not too keen on that idea either. Regardless, listening to that song and being surrounded with happy people in such a cozy, historic place made me feel so wonderfully happy I chose to come to this country. The happiness is contagious.

Preview of Last Weekend

My sister and Dad are wondering where in the world I am, and maybe some of you are too!
We were in Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland for the weekend and it was amazing! I'll give details soon, but some previews were: seeing where the Titanic was built, crossing a rope bridge to an island, going to the Giant's Causeway, seeing heaps of sheep and lovely coast and observing where "the troubles" in the country have occurred in regards to Civil Rights. Oh, and I went to the best pub ever and heard a live band that played 'Galway Girl' which made me feel like Hillary Swank in P.S. I Love You.  It was one of the best moments...ever!

And now, I am utterly exhausted! I have a marketing class at 9 a.m. tomorrow and I'll need my energy! I'll write more and put some pictures up soon!

5 Things from Yesterday and Today

I've been going non-stop for the past few days, so here's a quick synopsis of what's been happening in my little Irish world yesterday and today:

1.) Attempted to go to my first class. There was a schedule mix-up and I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off to find said class. I entered what was supposed to be my Intro to Marketing Course, and what followed was surely straight out of a movie. I walked in the room (late, as I'd been in the wrong building and was getting inconsistent information from people) and everyone started chatting/laughing. Whoops. Turns out that wasn't Intro to Marketing, but rather was a class that's been going on all year. For some reason they signed me up for a class that shouldn't have been available to me. I then went to another DBS building and met with a beautiful (...I mean...brilliant) marketing professor whose class I can hopefully join. Rewarded myself with 3 Butler's chocolates for one of the most embarrassing moment of 2011.

2.) Went to Kilmainham Gaol, a jail built in 1796 which is one of the most historically relevant places in the country. This jail held normal prisoners in the early days, then held executed leaders and politicians of Irish rebellions. The most famous executions were of the 16 leaders of the Easter Rising insurrection. These men staged an uprising to end British rule and establish the Irish Republic in 1916.

3.) Played Spoons at Paddy and Connor's apartment with my roommates! We then went out to a club the boys like because Wednesday night is when the students usually go to clubs and pubs. It was so much fun and we danced all night!

4.) Had my last days of my foundations classes! After class we hung out at a pub next door at a happy hour hosted by our school, and then I had a lovely Thai dinner with a few girls and our program director.

5.) Tomorrow we are going to Belfast in Northern Ireland to learn all about the conflict that Protestant/Catholic turmoil that has occurred there and still lingers to this day. We'll be there through Sunday!

As for now, I'm about to go to bed before 11 p.m, which is of absolute necessity. I want to be well rested to take in all Belfast has to offer, plus I have yet to pack for my weekend. Whoops!

Registration Day

Today I walked to the south side of the city with some classmates to register for our spring classes. This process was so much less stressful than any registering I've done at Elon. Usually I anxiously watch the spots fill up online, and when it's finally my time I sit on edge while the computer server takes forever to process the overload of requests to the system. Today I simply had to email the registration person what I wanted and I'm guaranteed a spot--sweet! I registered for Local and Global Media, Intro to Marketing, Experiential and Avant-Garde Film and Video, and Editing, Layout and Design for Print Media. This should help me be almost finished with the Communications electives I need to take for my major, and the marketing class will fulfill my requirement of taking a business class! This will be an amazing semester and I won't have classes on Mondays or Fridays...life is good. Unfortunately for some people, classes began this week but no one really realized that. I have marketing on Wednesday and Thursday, but that is going to conflict with some of my foundations courses that I have for winter term. I don't want to miss out on any of my classes or a field trip tomorrow because of conflicts beyond my control, but I'll talk to the professors and let them know what's happening.

After registering I walked the half hour back home and started to read my book by James Joyce called Dubliners. Joyce, a famed author, was from Dublin and this, his first work, was published when he was twenty-five. I checked the book out of the library and am excited to read lots of local literature, because Ireland is famous for producing renowned authors! However, my tiredness got the best of me and after page one I decided to "rest my eyes," which in my case always means fall fast asleep. I took an excellent nap--my first one in months--and then woke up to eat leftover crepes for lunch. After getting ready, I made the same trip I'd taken only hours before back to the classroom for an Irish History seminar. 

Something I pass on the way to class!

The walk home from class was very pretty as the sun was setting, leaving the sky purple and blue. The moon was nearly full and when I looked at it I thought of my Dad. Since I was little, whenever he traveled on business or I was at camp he'd tell me to look at the moon because it was the same one he was seeing. In fact, one of my first words was "moon," although I called it "moona." To this day Dad and I still say that sometimes. I sure do love my Daddy (and Mama, of course!) I also saw two swans in the river which seemed very strange. On rare occasions I've seen ducks in the Liffey but never swans! They must have loved me so much from the park yesterday that they followed me! It reminded me of Elon and Lake Mary Nell!

Walking home from class...what a view!

Tonight Sarah and I made ourselves a single girls' dinner consisting of pasta with butter and a huge carrot from the market. Wow. Good work, girls. We ate some tea biscuits coated in Cadbury's chocolate with milk for good measure. After eating we went to our Irish/English friends' apartment and chatted with them for awhile. We brought Mathilde and it was fun to listen to Ireland, England and France banter about the upcoming Six Nations rugby tournament and about past European tiffs. I love international relations in everyday life...it keeps things interesting and is a constant reminder of nationalism and love of ones' country. Speaking of love for a country...I can see the large Irish flag in their apartment from my bedroom in the building across from theirs. I told Connor, the Brit, that they should put an American flag in the family room too. Unfortunately the Irish won't allow Connor to hang a British flag in the main room (hm, wonder why), but they didn't dispute an addition of the beautiful red, white and blue! So now, thanks to me, the stars and stripes are adorning our international friends' wall. USA!

Phoenix Park and Crepes Galore

This morning we had Irish history class which was packed full of information! We continued to learn about how different people/events have shaped the country! Let me educate you in ten seconds or less! 1.) People have been living in Ireland for about 10,000 years. 2.) About 2,500 the Celts came to Ireland. 3.) Dublin (Dubh Linn) means Black Pool and was originally a Viking settlement. 4.) St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland he brought converted the monotheistic Celts to Catholicism. 5.) The Anglo-Saxons invaded in the 12th Century caused a history of religious and political differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. 

After class Elise F., Sarah and I walked around shops in the city, and I found a used book called War and Peace In Ireland. This will be great reading for my history seminar, and also for my personal library! After walking around and poking our heads into more cute shops with adorable European clothing just screaming to be worn, we headed home and the girls took siestas while I browsed my course options. Tomorrow we are registering and I am trying to craft the perfect schedule that allows me plenty of free time, but also maximizes my credits. I will need to take some communications electives, and I'd like to get my business course out of the way! Hopefully I'll take event planning or tourism management as well. We shall see!


This afternoon the girls and I headed to Phoenix Park, which is the largest enclosed park within a European capital city! Within the walls is lots of green grass, playing fields, trails, the Dublin Zoo, monuments, a cross from the Pope's visit, the President's house and US Ambassador's house. Obviously I loved it because it's called Phoenix Park, which is the mascot of my beloved Elon! Note to self: Don't even graduate from college. One of the first things we noticed was a pond with lots of ducks and swans! My previous experience with swans is that they are fussy animals and mean! They hiss! We have several at my school, and the pair who lives in the pond by my old dorm do not welcome visitors. These swans, however, were quite the opposite! I'm sure they've been fed bread and been spoiled by visitors, so my friends and I have decided to come back soon with bread that's too old for us. 

Phoenix Park...just a hop, skip and a jump from our apartment!

Being Phoenix  in the park! EU...U KNOW!

Friendly swan!

We also climbed a huge monument which is visible from where we live...I'm not sure what it represented exactly, but that will be my homework assignment for myself. I know it said India on one side...but that's it! Our last little activity was furthering our walk it the park and hunting for the deer that have lived within the walls for as long as the park has been around! We vowed that we will not leave Dublin until we see the Fallow Deer...sorry Mom and Dad.

The deer hunt is on.

 When we came home Mathilde our lovely French roommate said she had a surprise for us...tonight we were learning how to make crepes! YES!!! Mathilde gave us a cooking lesson which was excellent, and we mixed our eggs with flour, then added milk and butter. We whisked everything together and then poured it on the hot frying pan. She told us in France when people sunbathe they say "let's do crepes," meaning turn over on either side every so often so they don't burn. I love that and am going to adopt that saying! This was the first time we three American girls had really flipped anything in a pan, and I'm pleased to say nothing landed on the floor!

Step 1: Mix

Step 2: Flip 

Step 3: Fill with yum yums

Step 4: Dream about crepe perfection

Step 5: Slather with Nutella for the best dessert known to (wo)man.

After dinner we went downstairs to another apartment where more of our friends were making crepes! Cecilia, another French student, was showing them! Oh we Americans sure do love anything yummy and that can be filled with meats and cheeses or stopped with sauces, jams, syrups and fruit! Anyway, it was Cecilia's birthday tonight, so we celebrated! Happy birthday, Cecilia!

Mathilde and the Birthday Girl, Cecilia!

French Toast and Our French Roommate!

One of the things I love most about Europe is that the food has less preservatives than in the States, meaning that it's better for you! Even though it may be inconvenient that things like milk and bread go bad faster, I'm happy to know they're not choc full of chemicals! Sarah and I had a lot of leftover bread, so we thought that making french toast would be the best way to maximize what we had on hand!

Elise. F. came over and helped us whip up our breakfast treat, and right as we were finishing, our French Roommate Mathilde arrived! She's from the south of France and lives in a home from the 16th century. The fact that her home is ages older than my country is quite impressive. The four of us ate brunch together and talked about the differences and similarities between France and the USA. Mathilde promised she'd teach us how to make crepes, so I'm completely on board for that little cooking lesson coming soon! We spread Nutella and Raspberry Jam on our French Toast which was so tasty! I really, truly think I could live on Nutella spread alone.

After eating, Sarah and I took our new roommate on a little tour of the city center and gave her pointers about navigating our neighborhood. It felt nice to really know where I was going and to be able to recognize so much. The weather was cool and warmer than where any of my family was in the States! This Sunday stroll was perfect to see the buildings and the River during my favorite time of day--the golden hour! Sarah left us to join some family friends for dinner in their Dublin home, and I took Mathilde to buy a go-phone and to pick up some necessary groceries. While at the store I sent a few messages out to friends and organized a dinner at our apartment. It only seemed right after having French toast for breakfast that we eat Mexican food for dinner!

A word to the wise: for anyone trying to find ingredients for a Mexican meal in a Tesco grocery...good luck. There were no black beans, only a few small bags of tortilla chips, and the salsa jars were very small. Thankfully I found the necessary provisions and before we knew it, we were heading back home to begin cooking our Mexican feast!

We had soft tacos with beef, refried beans, sauteed peppers and onions, chips, salsa, and Coronas with lime for good measure. Our crew consisted of several Elon students, a friend from NY, and two French students! After eating we cleaned up and everyone went home. I've been looking at the spring semester courses online so I'll be ready to select my classes on Tuesday. Hopefully I'll have plenty of time off to explore, and do my homework, of course.

Que bueno!

The National Museum and Euro Clubbing

After spending a full day in Kilkenny, I decided to sleep in as late as my body would late me--something that doesn't happen as often as it should! I knew I wanted to make the most of my day, so Elise F. and I decided to spend the afternoon the National Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts and History. Fortunately for us, the museum is only about a five minutes walk from our apartment and admission is free, so it was the perfect way to spend the overcast and blustery afternoon. We saw exhibits about Irish clothing through the ages, period furniture, artifacts that had been previously in storage, coins and currency, and an extensive collection of Asian art donated by a private Dublin resident in the 1930's.

Decorative Arts and History Museum

When we returned home and made dinner with Sarah and Katie, then got ready to go out and celebrate Paddy finishing his exams. Most all of the American students met in Paddy and Connor's apartment, and we were joined by several new faces--international students! It was quite the diverse mix--Elon would have loved that. The countries represented were Ireland, England, France, Norway and USA (but we may as well be different countries because we come from so many different states.)

We walked to the bus stop where I had my first taste of riding on a double decker! It was amazing! In the states school children think riding in the back of the bus is cool, but over here obviously the top is the best! Because it was so late, everyone riding it was going out and ready to party. I've never experienced anything like this--it was literally a party bus. All of the other riders were drinking out of open containers and someone was even smoking. I suppose what happens on the top of a double decker stays on the top of a double decker. 

Double decker...party bus!

Cool kids on top!

The first bar we went to was great, and all of us got so excited when they played "Build Me Up Buttercup." Everyone in the bar was singing along to it, and it made me miss doing the Carolina shag with friends back at home! We didn't stay there too long, but soon made our way to a club next door which was so fun! I've mentioned in earlier posts that chocolate is one of my favorite things in the world, but that is closely rivaled by dancing! We danced all night and they played a great mix of European and American music. Toward the end of the night a mix of that old song "Hit the Road Jack" came on, which we sang to our very own Elon Jack who we've dubbed as our big brother. After dancing to our hearts' content, we walked home along the River Liffey ready for well-deserved rest!

Castle, Cathedrals, Chocolate Cafe

Today some of my Elon friends and I decided to go beyond the city and explore Kilkenny, which means "Church of Cainnech." This adorable town just celebrated it's 400 birthday of being a city, however it's been around since the sixth century following the Norman invasion of Ireland.

The four of us, Danielle, Elise F., Sarah and myself set out from our apartment just after 8 a.m. to catch the Luas (Dublin's rail system), which took us to the bus station. After purchasing our fares with our thrifty student travel cards, we boarded the bus and were on the way! Before shutting our eyes for relaxing two hour naps, someone noticed a rainbow outside the window--so Irish! The best part of the rainbow was that we could see both ends--something that I've rarely witnessed before! If we hadn't been sitting on the bus I'm sure we would have ventured to either side of the rainbow in search of pots of gold!

"Somewheeeerrrre over the rainbow..."

Napping on the bus was relaxing, but I tried to keep my eyes open as long as possible to see the rolling green pastures and hills that we passed in the countryside. I saw cows and sheep and a horse which was quite exciting as I'm a big fan of farm animals. Our driver was very skilled navigating the winding roads that carried us through the scenic countryside through little towns with quaint shops and familial farms.

Our first stop in the city was Kilkenny Castle, originally built in the beginning of the 13th century for William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke. The castle later became the home of the Butler family, who was connected by relation and political allegiance to British royalty for nearly 600 years. The castle was lovely and it's transitioned from being a protective fortress to a victorian family home. It's a building that has truly evolved with Ireland through the ages and I'm really happy we got to visit! Unfortunately the expansive picture gallery in the east wing was closed due to renovation, but all the other rooms were lovely. My favorite thing I learned during the visit was the origin of the phase "saving face." When ladies sat by the fire they used tall stands that had an adjustable piece of rectangular wood which would shield their faces from the heat of the fire. Pale skin was to be desired in olden days, and often women wore wax makeup, so these protective screens allowed the women to "save face" and embarrassment. Other aspects of the house that I really loved included the intricate family tree which included royalty like Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth, and the marble table (weighing over one ton) in the main foyer which used to hold family members' bodies during wakes.

Castles: A big reason why I came to Ireland

Princess Elise(s)

After pretending to be princesses in the castle, we went on a tour of a few churches. The first we visited was St. Canice's, the namesake of the city, also known as Kilkenny Cathedral.

St. Canice's

Obviously walking around a castle after sitting on a bus for a few hours made us quite hungry, so after eating our packed lunches we naturally had to find ourselves a chocolate cafe! Lucky for us some adorable Irish boys in uniforms pointed us to just the spot we were hoping to find...Cafe Mocha! We all sipped hot chocolates and nibbled specialty truffles while sitting in a posh room filled with ladies eating their dainty lunches.

My ideal meal.

Cheers!

Then we walked to the Domincan Black Abbey. At the time it was built in the 13th century, Kilkenny was divided in two parts by the river--one part was an Irish town, and the other, an English town. The Dominicans established the priory between the two towns to show their disconnection from either side. The abbey has been a courthouse and the home of the government called the Irish Catholic Confederation, and was also taken over by the British for a time.

Dominican Black Abbey

Our last church we visited was St. Mary's, which is on the highest point in Kilkenny and just one mile from the front door of the castle!

St. Mary's

Our final stop of the day in Kilkenny was a trip to the Rothe house, built by a wealthy merchant named John Rothe. The house was built in 1594 and furnished with luxury goods. Rothe later expanded his estate to include three houses and two garden courtyards which all stand on the same plot of land originally owned by Cistercian monks in the 13th century. What is most interesting about this house is it's size for a home of that time; Rothe was an extremely wealthy merchant and his estate certainly showed that.

View of St. Mary's from a garden at the Rothe house

One of the highlights of the day was meeting a woman named Shivan whose family had lived in Kilkenny forever. Her father was a butcher and the shop still existed, and was also employed by Smithwick's-- a famous Brewery that has been making beer for 300 years. Shivan first saw us walking down the street on our way to the Rothe House and asked what we were looking for. Her family, like the majority of the Irish, were affected by the famine, and some of them immigrated to the States but they have lost touch. She was such a pleasant local, and we ran into her and chatted right before catching our bus back to Dublin. Both times we saw her she knew people and spoke with them--one was an older man, another a Belgium boy not much older than us who she'd met at a play. She isn't married, and spends her time helping at an after-school tutoring center for children of broken homes. In the evenings she feeds several outdoor cats meet, dry food and milk. One of the several cats' names is Pushkin, but that's all I can recall. When we had to get on the bus she stayed on the sidewalk watching the whole time and waving as we pulled away. She asked us to come back to Ireland when we're "established." It's because of people like Shivan that this country is so inviting and welcoming for an young traveler like myself.

My middle name, minus the "e" on the end. Hoping to trace my Irish roots from Mom's side while over here!

Fresh Vegetables and Old Pubs

Ireland has pleasantly surprised me with a few days of extremely mild weather, and today was no exception. This warm weather makes the long walks around the city so much more enjoyable! My day consisted of going to the Irish Culture and Irish Political/Economic seminars, then stopping by a vender to buy fresh potatoes, peppers, apples and carrots. The produce here is so inexpensive, and I love supporting local businesspeople while buying healthy food! I felt like such a little European hipster while walking back to my apartment, canvas bag full of fresh goodies, munching on my apple. To celebrate my first trip to the market, I made baked Irish potatoes for some friends for a late lunch. Delicious. The potatoes were so fresh they had tons of soil on them which I gladly scrubbed off. It's so great to know they came right from the ground to my kitchen. 

First trip to a market!

For dinner our study abroad group met at O'Neill's, one of Dublin's most famous and historic pubs. It's been there for over 300 years and was absolutely massive! As some friends and I were walking around to meet our party, we made our way through several staircases that ultimately took us all over the building. It felt like I was in a playground or maze of wooden rooms filled with charming people with traditional Irish fare and drink! Sarah and I split shepherd's pie that came with mashed potatoes, cabbages, carrots and peas--we're trying to be as authentic as we can! While we ate, our study abroad director hosted a quiz night and we all competed on teams of four. My group and I all attend school in the heavenly state of North Carolina, and we affectionately called ourselves "The Bojangles," in honor of our deliciously greasy, fast-food restaurant that prides itself on chicken, biscuits and sweet tea. "The Bojangles" tied for a place that was not 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 7th...but we did have one of the best rounds in the entire game and were generally on our game. Next time we're taking home the prize, mark my words! If anything, it was a great way for me to review what I learned so long ago in my AP history and English classes, and to begin to test out my Irish knowledge.

O'Neill's, a famous 300 year old pub!

Shepherd's pie!

The Elon crew looking good, naturally.

Following dinner we headed to Whelan's, which is apparently the bar where the protagonist from P.S. I Love You goes with some friends while in Ireland. I'm a big fan of the movie (it may or may not have helped make me want to study in Ireland), but I don't think this venue was the same place. The pub was still fantastic, however, because it's been around since 1894 and had two separate stages for bands. One stage was downstairs where we watched for most of the time, but we also checked out the second stage which we accessed by taking a staircase and passing through a few rooms. The character of these buildings is incredible, and I like to wonder what they were like years ago when people just like us were 'having the craic' (having a great day) in those same places. The music was very relaxing, and we enjoyed the atmosphere and the passion of the performers. It's definitely a place where we'll return and can begin to fit in as locals. Being tourists was so last week.

Checking out the local music scene

Tomorrow some girls and I are going to Kilkenny--a sixth century city situated on both banks of the River Nore. I'm so excited to continue exploring this country with a day trip on the train! I can hardly believe I only just arrived one week ago. Times flies when you're having fun is the understatement of the century.

Watching the Taoiseach (President) Get Grilled In Parliament

Today after our seminar on Irish Culture, a few of us found a cafe called Munchies and ordered soup with fresh bread! It was delicious and the perfect light lunch on this surprisingly delightful warm Dublin Day. 

A man that looked just like a statue! He looked even better standing, but I couldn't resist the photo with the pigeon!

Following lunch and a visit to Dublin's First Milkshake Bar, we went on our first mobile seminar to the Parliament building, called Leinster House. Luckily our program director is well connected in the city, so we were schedule to have a tour of the building by a docent, however today was the first day the Dáil was back in session and we got to sit in on the action. This session was relevant to what we are learning about Ireland's extreme debt that has caused the EU and IMF to take control of the Irish banking system and bail them out. Basically today the Taoiseach (President) Brian Cowen was under question by the opposition party because of seedy contact with the Anglo Irish Bank, an institution which has undertaken seedy practices and been responsible for furthering Ireland's economic recession. 

At this milk shake bar they put a whole candy bar in the shake! Sarah had Cadbury's milk chocolate and caramel...YUM.

The Taoiseach had a dinner, golf outting and conversation with the former chairman of  the Anglo Irish Bank, Seán FitzPatrick, and claimed to have not discussed any of Ireland's economic issues with Mr. FitzPatrick of this time. Mr. Cowen skirted the questions posed by Eamon Gilmore of the Labour Party and Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and looked extremely at fault. He claimed to have not had conversations with the bank chairman during their meetings, and I thought one of the people questioning him raised an excellent point--if Mr. Cowen knew about the economic crisis and the importance the Anglo Irish Bank had to the nation, it was his obligation to speak about it. This was all very intriguing to watch, especially as a student of rhetoric. Mr. Cowen drank several glasses of water during the session, and his body language revealed his discomfort. It's hard to believe I sat in a room with some of the Republic's most important political figures as they discussed a matter that is near and dear to the hearts and wallets of Irish taxpayers. I can't wait to discuss this in our Political and Economic Climate of Ireland Seminar!

Leinster House--Irish Parliament

Tonight Sarah and I came home and ate leftover pasta and cheesecake for dinner. Excellent. Leftovers are a sight for sore eyes after making the long journey back to our apartment in the rain. Later we went to visit our Irish/British friends and watched a movie, then per usual, talked about our home countries/cultures/traditions/etc. I love our international friends, and will have one more tomorrow when our French roommate arrives!

The Purveyors of Happiness

After Skyping with my parents and lovely sister Paula tonight, they've informed me that I need to go to bed and get rid of the dark circles under my eyes. So, this shall be an abbreviated post filled with the highlights of my day:

1.) Woke up at noon. I've never done this on a school day and it was fantastic. I encourage all of you to try it.

2.) Walked to class with Sarah and Elise. Stopped at Patagonia. Marveled at warm vests and jackets. 

The Four Courts (Ireland's main courts building!) I pass this on my way to school.

3.) Attended a seminar on the conflict between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The seminar was taught by a leader at an organization for peace between the countries, and his talk was extremely fascinating and left me wanting to learn so much more. We'll be taking a trip to Belfast in Northern Ireland in two weeks so I must continue preparing myself. The sombering effects of the conflict are still present in the city--Catholics and Protestants are segregated and the feelings of hate are still perpetuated. I sincerely hope the lingering feelings of hatred will improve with the people of my generation.

4.) Sipped the best cup of hot chocolate I've ever had at Butler's Chocolates, a luxury chocolate shop in Ireland that calls itself "The Purveyors of Happiness."I love that motto, and I'm fully supportive of purveying happiness. If Life is Good were to partner with an upscale chocolate company, this would be it.  Like every girl, chocolate is my favorite thing in the world, and this post-class trip to Butler's with Sarah was a wise decision on a chilly day. We each ordered hot chocolate which was topped with cream and chocolate flakes. It reminded me of my favorite part in the children's book The Polar Express when the passengers hot chocolate that tastes like melted candy bars. For good measure, we each also ordered a truffle. This was my lunch, and I have a sneaking suspicion it won't be the last time I have that perfect, chocolately meal.

5.) Bought a great purse that is waterproof and large enough for my school things and everyday essentials. I can even stow my grocery bag inside it before going to a market or grocery for picking up food on my way home from class. We walked back through the streets still decorated with Christmas regalia and passed "The Oak" pub, which we plan to visit soon! Elon means Oak in Hebrew, and maybe I'm biased, but I'm sure this pub is one of the best in the city based on its name alone! 

Home Sweet Home! Elon means Oak! (And here's a shoutout to my Oak House Boys)

Pretty lights on the buildings at dusk!

6.) Hosted a ladies potluck dinner. Ten girls came and everyone brought something! We prepared the meal together which included pasta, garlic bread, sausages salad, apples and (drumroll please) not one, but two types of cheesecake. Yum! It was a mix of ladies who go to school in NC, WI, SC and NY. So diverse, so many accents!

7.) Wondered what Irish people do for fun when they're not going to a pub. We don't have televisions in our apartments (I typically don't watch TV), but we also don't have homework to complete or meetings to attend (I typically have lots of these.) We pondered aloud what people did before televisions, and finally we decided on the most cliche thing possible--playing cards! There were three teams of us playing Kemps, and even though 'Team Elise' (comprised of Elise D. and Elise F.) did not take home the gold, however we were the only team whose secret sign was not discovered. Everyone was tied at five games and we decided to play until seven. It was almost too much excitement for this girl to handle! This will definitely be one of the most wild nights in Dublin, I'll tell you that much.

Team Elise after our first winning round!

This Was Too Good/Easy to be a Monday

At precisely 4:32 a.m. I woke suddenly and looked at my phone to see what time it was. My body is still adjusting steadily to the time change and I am getting used to military time. For some reason I thought my phone was set to the current time in America so I needed to add five hours...which would have made the time 9:32 a.m....which would have made me 32 minutes late to my first class in Dublin!

I banged on the wall and ran out to the hall to wake Sarah. I asked "Are we late for school?" in an exasperated manner, and she assured me it was only 4:32 and that my phone was correct. This is certainly one of those dreams one has before a big event such as a first day of school! Sarah and I went back to bed (she's a gem), then woke up a few hours later and departed with our friend Elise to find the building where we'd have our first class of our winter term. Until the end of January my American classmates and I will be taking a few seminars that will count as one course. These seminars include Intro to Irish History, Political and Economic Landscape of Ireland, Intro to Irish Culture and Society, and Peace and Conflict.

Getting to class takes us about 30 minutes, and Sarah, Elise and I did a very good job finding our way without any help! Dublin Business School is located in a few spots in the city, and I really need to get my bearings before having to find those buildings all by myself! Luckily we found the building with enough time to stop by a cafe and grab bite to eat. My croissant was light and buttery and everything I could have ever asked for in a breakfast pastry. After eating we scampered back to class and took our seats as our professor announced we'd be doing an "ice breaker" activity. At this announcement Sarah and I rolled our eyes because we've been over ice broken at Elon and were ready to sit back and relax from hyperactivity. Luckily this ice breaker was simply a short pre-quiz on Irish history, and didn't even require us to move. Perfection.

Fresh flowers on the street make me happy.

Our lecture was fascinating and I learned so much about Irish heritage and the different eras that have shaped the republic. We learned about Vikings and St. Patrick and the Celts and heaps of great early Irish things! We took a short break part way through this class at which time I needed to chug a Diet Coke, and fast. Post-break I was wide awake and ready to scribble away in my spanking new Moleskin notebook. To my disappointment I haven't had a history class since junior year of high school, and this lecture surpassed my expectations. I'm looking forward to learning history that will help me appreciate the places I visit and the people I meet in Ireland. What's even better was that it was only two hours (but felt like so much less), and I was completely finished with class by 11 a.m.! Brilliant.

After class several of us walked through St. Stephen's Square, a lovely park, then went to Trinity College (a historic and prestigous sister school of Oxford and Cambridge) to buy student rail travel passes. Some of my friends decided to make a family dinner again tonight, so we bought the provisions we'd need for one of the best meals known to man: grilled cheese and tomato soup. With groceries in hand (my favorite buy was the American style peanut butter I splurged on) we trekked the rest of the way back to our homes. I ate lunch, finished unpacking and looked at my potential classes that I'll be registering for next week. 

Trinity College

My cozy little room in our apartment.

In no time at all our friends came over and we began making the best grilled cheese and tomato soup I've had in awhile (besides the Friday special at Elon's Acorn Coffee Shop, of course.) For dessert, we bought "Penguins," which are little chocolate "biscuits" that reminded us of a Twix bar. One of my friends always brought them back from Scotland when we were younger, so when I saw them in Tesco I knew it would be a way to satisfy our cravings for chocolate and exposure to cultural foods! 

Peter and Elise loving life with grilled cheese/tomato soup bliss.

Their first Penguin experience! So UK of us.

Our friends Paddy from Ireland and Connor from England came over to invite us to go to out neighborhood pub after we ate. Going out for a drink on a Monday? Is this real life? Hardly. I can now check off one of my Ireland bucket list items: have an Irishman buy me a pint! Success! In this country it is customary for one person to buy everyone a round, and then each person then will cover one of the following rounds. Of course the girls and I, wanting to be the polite American ladies that we are, bought the boys a drink later on and practiced our newly acquired etiquette.

Going to Glimmerman's with our Irish and British friends is one of the best ways to learn about each others' countries--this is international relations at its finest. For example, today I learned "Soccer is a gentleman's sport played by barbarians, and rugby is a barbarian sport played by gentlemen." Paddy and Connor are lovely and charming and so helpful to us, the Americans. They and their roommates have been exceptionally welcoming to everyone and are excellent ambassadors to this fine city. Connor makes me think of Sarah C. back at Elon for several reasons. 1.) She's from Boston, where he has visited and loves 2.) He's from London, where she is about to spend a semester and will love 3.) They're both actors. 4.) They're incredibly sarcastic and witty. In honor of Sarah, we took the following photo. Here's to you, little Sarah. You can meet Connor in person when you visit me! 

Sarah, meet Connor. He is from London (you're going there), he acts and he loves Boston. Perfect.

When I got back my lovely hallmates from my dorm at Elon Skyped me. It started out with just two of them, and then several others came and chatted! Seeing so many of my favorite "first year" students was a wonderful way to end this carefree day. Looking back on what I've done...I only had one class, a trip to the grocery, down time, then dinner and the pub. I can't remember the last time my schedule has been that easy. It felt like a weekend :) I'm going to be a big fan of this.

Seals, Cliffs and Sea

I woke up this morning and bundled in warm clothes because we were going cliff hiking in Howth (rhymes with both)! As I mentioned previously, one of the reasons  I came to Ireland was to be able to go to the ocean at a moment's notice and surround myself with all things blue and green. I love the sea so much, and today we set out on the Dart (train) to the most adorable fishing town I've ever visited. In fact, this is my favorite fishing town--congrats, Howth! Be warned, I'm sure I'll be infatuated with every Irish fishing town I visit, but for now this is by far the best.

While riding in the train I was enthralled by the deep blue water and was so excited to get off and explore! After getting off the train station we walked down along the harbor past all the boats that were docked because it's Sunday--the day of rest--and boy do these Irish people sure appreciate that! Before getting too far, we stopped by group of people standing by the wall of the harbor and they were looking at about seven, massive seals! Ah, I do miss seals. They were poking their heads out of the water and swimming idyllically while some people threw them bits of fish. 

Seals!

We headed back from the water and stopped at a great outdoor market with fresh food, pastries, Irish and international food, and jewelry--what's not to like! I was captivated by these adorable little cupcakes that were so dainty and perfect. My friends at school at are are mildly obsessed with cupcakes, so this was as great as finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow! Unfortunately my camera died, but I think that's because it was unworthy of photographing these pieces of art. The woman selling them gave me a piece of a berry cupcake, which made my taste buds do an Irish jig. Heavenly. Some of my friends tried sandwiches made with pork, applesauce and stuffing and sounded so grand! The meat was carved right in front of us--so fresh!

After people grabbed a quick bite, we began our steep trek to the cliffs that overlooked the Bay of Howth, which leads into the Irish Sea. I adore hiking, and this was the perfect day for it. The initial street we climbed reminded my legs of the hill where I did sprints for soccer because of its rigor, however the feelings going through my mind were of elation not agony. We left the street and started on a trail that was quite muddy, and my super chic turquoise Chuck Taylors, compliments of my dear friend Emily, got their first taste of off roading! Not a thought in the world was going through my mind while walking the cliffs and looking at the ocean except how strikingly beautiful it all was. I was so at peace and it was just another constant reminder of what an amazing creator God is. His beauty astounds me and I see it everywhere in this landscape. 

The Bay of Howth in all its glory

When we reached a certain point, the majority of the group headed back down, but the rest of us decided to go to the top! The group consisted of mostly Elon people (though most of us have just recently met), and I was proud of our adventurous spirits! The sun was beginning to set and it highlighted the mountains in the distance and sparkled over the water. Instead of walking around the rest of the mountain we scrambled up some rocks to get to the top where we had a splendid view that left us speechless for a few moments. This was the Ireland I've always imagined! We took the road back down to the village and marveled at the simple yet sophisticated homes, pubs and few shops along the way. To reward ourselves for all of the exercising we'd endured, we stopped at The Cock Tavern for a pint. I tried Bulmers Irish Cider for the first time and really enjoyed it because it tasted like apples and after all, I was an Apple Blossom Princess back in the day. As we left, it was completely dark, which happens much earlier here than in the states. We took the Dart back, then jumped on the Luas (Dublin's rail system), which took us home. 

Fearless cliff explorers surveying the Irish Sea

Tonight my friend Elise (the one with such an great name, don't you think?) came over and we made pasta. The only thing I'd eaten today was a muffin and a pint (when I get excited and distracted I tend not to eat. Whoops.) Since the only thing in my apartment was pasta and salad (haven't quite gotten food yet, again, whoops), we ate that! (I will be walking everywhere, the all carb diet is going to work out just fine for me, I think!) Sarah got home soon after and we ate and chatted, I noticed the lights were on in our Irish friends' apartment, which is in the building next to ours. Someone was standing in the window, so naturally I stood up and waved my arms to get his attention. In no time they were all signaling us to come over, so we did! The three of us dashed over to hang out with Paddy, Audrey, Jenny and Connor (the Brit!), and had a great chat about the school we'll attend starting tomorrow, Irish culture, and of course drinking, because that's what the Irish really like to do.

Well, I'm quite content. This Sunday was a great way to see a the coast and realize how easy it will be to take day trips around this gorgeous country! School starts tomorrow for the people in our program, and we'll be learning loads of Irish culture and history until the end of the month! I'm excited, though was really liking this whole idea of being in another country for simply pleasure. Oh well, I guess that's what comes along with studying abroad :)

Learning the City and First Homemade Dinner

To start off my day I woke up 45 minutes early to turn on the switch to heat the water, and then went back to bed until my shower would not be as cold as the River Liffey. After showering, my body demanded I go back to bed. If it hadn't been for Sarah I would have probably been passed out for a few more hours, but thankfully she woke me and I threw on as many layers as I could in 90 seconds.

We then trekked across the city to meet for our group's bus tour of Dublin, which was a great way to see so many beautiful sights and start familiarizing myself with where I'd be walking on regular basis! I'm excited for this semester because I am walking everywhere (a brisk 25 minute walk to class each day), and I'd like to explore new things whenever I can. Dublin isn't hard to navigate, and I think that in no time I'll be a pro at traversing the city. The bus driver was very friendly and took us by famous places like Phoenix Park (largest enclosed park in Europe and where the President and America Ambassador live), St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity College, etc. He pointed out spots that I wouldn't have known about if I'd simply passed by, such as the hotel owned by Bono and U2.

After the tour a few of us had a sandwiches at a restaurant/pub in a nice area, where I learned the Irish word for ham is gammon! We left lunch on a mission: to buy a blower dryer and straightener to share, but we got sidetracked by meeting our first leprechaun.

We couldn't resist.

Sarah and I, with our new friends Peter and Alex, headed to a mall with this fantastic store named Argo's, where we'd been sent to find good prices on our appliances. Upon entering the store we looked in a catalog that was hundreds of pages long found a model of a blow dryer and straightener that fit our budgets. After writing the product numbers on a slip of paper, we paid, then waited in line and were handed the items within a minute! It was like shopping in a catalog or online but with instant gratification! Score! With beauty aids in hand, we headed to Tesco (a British grocery), where we bought some food to make a home cooked meal! Cooking together is something a lot of students in the program are going to do so we can save money, hone our domestic skills and get to know each other.

We all pitched in with the cooking, but the boys got the MVP awards for the night for being super eager to cook and take over the dish washing duties, which they apparently love. Great news for Sarah and Elise! We had spaghetti, salad and garlic bread, with peppermint chocolate for dessert which Peter brought from home! The meal was great and so was our conversation--we talked about Freud, Irish political parties, our MBTI scores and our upcoming classes--nerd alert, nerd alert! Ah I love good conversation, and we ended up hanging out after the meal for a few hours.

So domestic! And Italian food is close to Irish food...right? Carbs? Starches? Yes.

Tonight I need to finish unpacking and get a full (or close to it) night's rest. Unfortunately the heat in my room is broken, I've decided, and I am a popsicle now. On Monday I'll put in a 'query' to get it fixed, but until then I will grin and bear it. There could be worse things than freezing in a cute room all to myself in Ireland, I must admit. To ward off the cold, four of us bought these great little slipper/booties at Penney's, which I wear nonstop in the apartment. They are possibly the best things that I've ever put on my feet.

Necessary for surviving my freezing room, and of course looking like a total babe.