ALSO!

Belated birthday shout to Nonny! I don't know if you read this Nonny but I love and miss you and hope you had such a special day and didn't do anything I wouldn't have. One skittle in yo face (inside joke everyone else, get over it).

Body Odor

I seem to be picking seats in class that somehow leave me trapped behind, in front, or next to someone wreaking of B.O. And not the kind of B.O that could possibly just be delicious smelling soup. There is a difference, and as a optimist, I always choose to believe I'm whiffing in delicious soup rather than a stranger's sweaty and dank scent. However, I seem to be trapped in class with a smell that definitely cannot be confused with delicious soup, rather, it smells like someone ran/biked a few miles and then put on a musty smelling wool sweater thats been in the attic for a couple of months. There comes a point where its so overwhelming that I convince myself that it must be me thats producing such a pungent and offensive smell, but so far it hasn't been. Just a rude or forgetful stranger who didn't spray themselves with their areosol cans of deoterant (they don't have rub on here...)

Anyway, besides choking on B.O throughout class and subtly smelling my own hair to block out the stench, classes have been great, although my castles class and section 1 of my 20th century lit class are BEYOND boring. Its hard enough sitting through a lecture style english class (I'm just so used to discussion so its hard to pay attention because they just repeat the same information over again, not to mention since they're lecturing I almost don't see what the point of me going to class is since they do all the work and put all the slides up online so I don't even have to take notes. It makes me REALLY appreciate SMC and our small classes where discussion is so encouraged and I actually know my Professors) and my 20th century lit teacher littttttttterally talks like a robot with a British accent. I realized at the end of class I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying but how he was saying it. And that. Means. He puts. A period. At. The end. Of. Mostly. Every single. Word. It certainly makes what he's saying sound utterly profound but utterly painful to listen to. All of my other classes are really interesting though. I'm excited for my first time going to my "Poets of the 20th Century" seminar tomorrow. Its all about women and African American poets of the 1960s, the Beat poets of the 50s and the modernists in the 20s.

My friends and I just planned a trip to Dingle this weekend (heh) and just booked a hostel which took FOREVER but we finally have one, The Rainbow hostel which is a 15 minute walk from Dingle Town (heh). The Dingle Penninsula (heh) is filled with scenic areas perfect for biking and hiking which I'm so excited for. AND I just made lists of things I want to see while I'm in London and Paris, and I think I'll be branching away from the people I go with so I can see little markets and shops and streets while they see da main attractionz which I've already seen. I'm excited to go back to London and Paris, I spent a very special week with Dad in London for my 16th birthday and a day in Paris, I loved both places so much so I'm glad I can go back and see them again but with New, Older and Wiser eyes and a list of things that aren't as touristy.

Time to go to some pubs to hear some more music. I'll be giving Jimmy a call one of these days. Make him work for his money. Actually I won't since he said he gives lessons for free.

I had the Best Doughnut in the Universe this weekend

That might sound like an exaggeration. But I can assure you, it realllllly is not. Saturday morning me, Liza, Teal and Zach woke up early and walked to the market in town which is easy on the eyes, ears and nostrils. Music was played, food was sampled and bought and it was such a beautiful day! People had stands with handmade hats, paintings and also fresh cheeses, olives, spices, fruits and vegetables annnnnnnnd doughnuts. Its one man (from New York actually) with a straw hat and chipped tooth (but a lovely smile) who makes the doughnuts right there and sells them for 70 cents (so hard not to buy in bulk) and then sprinkles coco or cinnamon over it. Naturally I couldn't decide, so I asked him what he likes. The conversation went something like this:


Him: Coco or cinnamon?
Me: (drooling) Ummmmm I dunno! What do you like?
Him: What are you gonna give it to me after you buy it?
Me: (laugh and wipe away drool)
Him: How about I give you both?
Me: Booya.


Then I took a bite and almost passed out because of how good it was. It almost falls apart in your fingers, crunchy on the outside, doughy on the inside, and angles fly around inside your mouth and sprinkle love on your taste buds.

Backing up though. Friday I only had one class so I was all done by 10 am so I came home, lounged, and then went to Isabelle and Courtney's house which was filled with Courtney's visiting friends from Trinity. It was SO beautiful outside so me Liza and Zach went to Cladda (I'll be spelling things phonetically to make it easier on both myself and my loyal readers) which is right along the river and has beautiful fields and boats. THEN we went ate dinner at Nimmo which is a cottage right on the river and attached to the Spanish Arches. I had beet risotto with goat cheesh (loves me some goat cheesh) and split a homemade raspberry tart with homemade whipped cream. Also it was the most adorable place ever, next time I go back I'll be sure to take some pictures. Definitely bringing Sarah when she visits in march (!!!) and Mammy (and hopefully Dad and Lizzie) at the end of March. Then went to The Quays which is one of the best pubs which looks like the entire interior was carved out of one giant tree and listened to suuuuch a good band. I think I fell a little bit in love with the bass player.

Saturday night we went to Taffe's to listen to traditional Irish music and since everyone there was so drunk besides Liza and I, the band appreciated how much we were really enjoying the music and they dedicated the next song to us. When they were done, the accordion player and I got to talking, and long story short, Jimmy will be giving me accordion lessons. Also we got to talking to his friend from Australia who has traveled all over the world and sounds like he had a girlfriend in every country. I really seem to be hitting it off with men here over 65.

This morning me and a few people took a bus tour to Cannamara (again, phonetic spelling) and saw the Kylemore Abbey and Garden, saw where The Quiet Man was filmed, saw the beach, lots of sheep, cows, fields, stone walls, mountains, lakes, and pretty much everything that made me want to come here. I'm a sucker for a lovely lookin' landscape (not to mention stone cottages with thatched roofs. Don't even GET me started).

Also, I don't remember if it was over my beet risotto and goat cheese or my homemade tart, but I had a revelation that I should be a food critic. I really think its my calling. Also, since Saturday night I discovered I'm actually kind of really good at cooking. Since then I've made risotto with the help of a bullion cube and with the garlic, onions, peppers and fresh parm I got from the market. And tonight I made Salmon (first I had to google "is it okay to eat brown salmon" but the brown went away when I cooked it...I feel fine so far) with zucchini, garlic, onions and the fresh parm. I'm really discovering hidden talents here (I'm assuming I'll be just as amazing at the accordion and banjo as I am at cooking and making friends with senior citizen males).

Also, I booked a ticket this weekend to Paris! I'm going with a couple of girls here and since I've already been to the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and all the other major attractions when Daddy and I spent the day there for my 16th birthday and somehow saw all of those things within a few hours (even walked halfway up the Eiffel tower when we got on the wrong line), while my friends do those things, I'll wander around at flea markets, bakeries, parks and maybe take a train to a neighboring town. We're also planning on spending a day in Normandy and some time at Versailles! I have to make sure I pack light but chic so I blend in while I stomp around the Champs- Elysees.

The day Shoo Shoo got herself fixed

I've been thinking about Shoo Shoo all day. While getting ready for school today I was Skyping mom and dad and they told me that Shoo Shoo is getting declawed today (or as mommy calls it, "she's getting a manicure"). I hope she still feels like a woman after the procedure- I always think of Erin's cat Polly who suffered from depression after getting fixed. But Shoo Shoo is a tenacious little booger, she'll be fine. I do wish I were home to see her with a cone head though.

I finally booked my first trip the other day! Feb 4-8 I'll be in London and hopefully I'll take a little trip to Bath. It was a nightmare booking the tickets though- I hate buying things online anyway, especially with Ryanair which a notoriously cheap yet aggravating airline. It took us 40 minutes to book the tickets because we were so nervous to get fined for dumb things, but then we had to do it all over again because we took too long...or something...and then we do it again and RIGHT when we book the flight and gave our credit card information they conveniently had technical difficulties with a message saying even though we paid, our spots MAY have been saved. We were so frustrated that we just went to bed but luckily by the morning they emailed us with our itinerary.

Last night we went to tha cLubZ~ Actually first we took a cab down with the nicest cab driver who was from Ghana so we got to talkin and was saying about how he's been in Galway for 4 years but there's nothin like when he visits home and spends time with his parents and friends. All of us in the cab rel8ed and adored him and then went to the most Irish pub for the International Society meeting/party/they gave us free drinks and food (so good). While there we ran into Marizzle Dizzle and I met Basile, my dear friend from Toulouse, France who is having a house party tomorrow which we might probably most definitely will be attending. We met some other really nice people from all over and THEN we went to a CluB (but not really, we went there once and had SO much fun dancing but when we told our Irish roommates about how fun it was they were horrified because apparently the dance floor is upstairs...so we were dancing so hard in the middle..of..the..bar..such ignorant Americans) Then we went to Supermacs which SWARMS with intoxicated college kids tettering around in heels and inhaling cheesh burgers (but they aren't really cheesh burgers, just some kind of cheesey mayonnaisey ketchupy sauce with onions... I didn't hate it.). All in all it was such a fun night and met such pleasant people.

Other things happened this week I can't remember but tonight was so fun, made a deeelicious Indian inspired dinner with Teal then hung out with our Irish roommates who I really love. They remind me a lot of mah gurlz back at home. They made Liza and I dinner the other night which was so delicious and sweet of them. We'll reciprocate next week, I've got a few cheeshy ideas up my sleeve. This weekend I think we'll go bowling, take a day trip somewhere and hopefully hiking or kayaking somewhere. I'll give a more detailed post later I swear. Love and miss yawlz!

O'Greaty. Heh.

I finally met Seamus O'Grady today! For those who don't know, Seamus is my relative (thats all I call him because we don't know exactly how we are related, I think my Grandpa's cousin..) I found his office easily enough with the help of the receptionist and hung out with him for about an hour gabbin our our family tree (I brought the little one mam and poppy made up during dinner a few weeks ago which he was grateful for) and school and work and traveling and everything else. He was so nice and he wants me to meet other O'Gradys sprinkled throughout Ireland which would be so exciting. He also gave me his copy John McGahern's memoir (one of his old friends and an incredibly revered writer who I just found out is considered to be right up there next to James Joyce) and I'm so excited to read it and more of his work. He's actually being taught in one of my English classes I think. I'll definitely be seeing more of Seamus, we'll get coffee or lunch together and hopefully I can meet his family soon and he can meet mine. He has two kids around my age who I am exited to meet, Aoife (pronounced Effa) and Nile. It just feels good knowing I have family so close here when everyone else is so far away. But I was finally able to skype mam and pap after a week or so without seeing them, I'm slowly getting used to the slowness of the internet here and have begun to use it less (and by use it less I mean not check facebook 4843 times a day). I just exclaimed to Liza how the internet rules when I googled "rice and cheese recipes" from the comfort of my own bed. However, we don't have any other ingreidents to use with the rice and cheese so we'll have to save it until we do a Dunnes or Tesco stop this week (I might have found a piece of mold on the grilled cheese I was eating this afternoon. And I might have picked it off and continued eating).

Time to make dinner and then I think I'm meeting my "friend" James for a drink tonight. He's not really much more than a facebook friend yet- Sarah met him in France last year where he was bartending and she was studying for a couple weeks. When she came back she told me about him and how fun he was, and before I left she mentioned how he's from Ireland but she wasn't sure where. Later I looked at her facebook and realized that he is in the NUIG network, which is the same school I go to here. A click and some inboxes later we became fast fb friends but I'll finally meet him tonight.

Greetings from a Snot Goo Ball

Just got back a few hours ago from doing my homestay with an Irish couple who live in Tuam. As I write this Liza is gagging at my breathing- purty sure I have the flu. Symptoms including extreme congestion, heavy head, achey body, and eeeeeh goin to the eeeeh bathroom. I felt a bit crummy getting on the bus that was driving me 40 minutes north to Tuam and by Saturday I felt real sick. Before going into detail I'd like to say that the family was so nice. That being said I'll continue my tale.

So I get there Friday and Caroline and Joe pick Miranda and I (a girl from my program) up and drive us to their house. Caroline is recently divorced and she and Joe just moved into their house with his 14 year old son Ryan and she has 4 other kids who don't live with her. We had a BIG dinner: a heaping portion of mashed potatoes which she said she makes every single morning and some kind of meat slathered in some kind of gravy always served with colorful beans or cooked vegetables which I never ate (its a texture thing). They chain smoke (kids included) in the house but as a guest I don't want to impose (although I'm asthmatic and eeeh frankly find the smell shtanky). They asked us if we go to church and I said I do at home but not on my own time but I was looking forward to experience it in Ireland. They asked us if we drank and we said yez and they said Saturday night they would bring us out to the pubs in town which I was also looking forward to.

Next morning we have a nice breakfast but she says she has some things to do but that we should walk into town and explore. We do and its adorable and then find a cafe to relax in and so I can git some reading done for class but are soon surrounded by so many people from our program whose homestay families told them to explore the town also. I didn't wanna be rude buuut I felt like I should be spending more time with my homestay family rather than the people I always spend time with, so we walked home only to read and watch t.v until about 10 pm (although we did eat another heaping portion of potatoesmeatandvegeatalbes somewhere in there and I was feeling sicker and sicker). I almost thought we weren't going to the pubs which at that point my groggy head wasn't totally against. I asked if she had any meds for me which she supplied only to soon offer me an irish coffee. I asked if i could drink after taking medicine to which she enthusiastically responded with "OF COOOURSE DEARY". I didn't wanna be rude so I slowly drank it but decided I would refrain from drank the rest of the night. We finally got to the first pub around 11 pm and went to two more after that (Joe's sister Peggy joined us at the second, a real doll, as well as other assorted friends, including one elderly man I danced with to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and Tina Turner's "You're Simply the Best". I used my best moves on him considering being sickly. Even the flu can't keep me off that dance floor). I was getting weaker and whiter as the night wore on and we finally got home around 2 am when I ran upstairs to fall into bed yet Joe and Caroline didn't go to bed until 7 am (they were busy downstairs listening and singing along to some ditties). As you can imagine, we missed Sunday mass because Miranda and I didn't wake up til noon and they didn't wake up until about 1:30. We got the bus at 3:30 and we exchanged numbers with them and they told us we could come back annnnytime.

I really did enjoy my time with them but I would have liked to spend more time with them getting to know each other instead of watching weird European reality shows or the equivalent to ESPN (I don't even like watching those things in America!). But it was certainly an experience and I thank them for their hospitality and a night out on the town (boy did we paint Tuam red!)

On another note, last Thursday I attempted to visit Seamus in his office (he works in the oldest building on campus that looks like its straight out of Harry Potter) but I literally felt like I was trapped in a labyrinth and 40 minutes later and 7 fruitless attempts of asking people around me where to find him I walked home and emailed him for directions to his office. When I figure out how to post pictures on this thing I'll show you how beautiful the building is yet terrifyingly maze like (oh I documented my rat-in- a-maze moment alright). But I have fluids to drink and books to read so I'll say goodnight. Hope erryone is well!

Yellow, everyone.

How are we? I'm well thanks. Had my first 9 am class today which meant I got out of bed at 8:20, didn't have enough time to grab coffee or breakfast but sat through another interesting class. Afterwards I was waitin' for some friends so I finally got some coffee (such a let down here unfortunately. Picture a cup of joe thats somehow both watery yet strong and then be grossed out because its really quite disgusting) and a croissant and took a load off in the foyer. I now know what foreign exchange students feel like at SMC, and that feeling is feeling Awkward. Ireland is not tooooo different from America, yet as I was sitting in the midst of old Irish friends, I felt ignored and goonish. I'm so glad I befriended the Spanish exchange students last semester because now I know how weirdy it feels to be stuck on a couch with people who kiiind of feel like they want to talk to you buuut then don't.

Anywizzle, just finished ichatting Mona and Erica with a guest appearance by Nate which was darling. I'd like to publicly apologize to Mona for hating on Desperate Housewives for a good portion of last semester. We watched an episode at a friends house last night since their Irish roommates consider it the only good soap on t.v and boy was I captivated, albeit utterly confused by the seriously complicated storylines.

I'm really getting a hang of this blogging thing as you can see, I'm all about making paragraphs now.

A few kids and I are planning a weekend trip at the end of this month to Killarny which is a 4 hour bus ride away, a hostel worth of sleep but apparently beautiful scenery and adventurous biking and hiking and boating. I also want to start planning trips across Europe when I get comfortable with classes and all. Although I'm not eating much here I'm a bit concerned about what will happen when I visit Italy for the first time. There is a very good chance I'll come back as a bloated and garlicy balloon but would for sure deflate shortly afterwards due to walking to and from class and town and solely eating cheese toasties and apples.

Speaking of cheese toasties, I have to go to my dear friend Brenna's house to make dinner. We've been joining forces for dinner along with Isabelle, Zach, and Liza for the past few days which makes it that much more fun and a little bit more delicious. We have a piece of frozen chicken to contribute to tonight's dinner (which by the way- frozen food is differently packaged than in America which is so wasteful yet certainly protected from the elements. We opened up the chicken the other night and were alarmed to find two slabs of frozen chicken in a box...no plastic wrapping around it. I'm realizing how wasteful we really are since were still alive after eating it). But if anyone has easy and cheap receipies they would be much appreicated. Oh, I had fish and chips today from McDoungah's which was delicious and now I truly feel like I'm in Ireland.

A Late Night Musing On Technology. Oh yes.

As Liza sleeps like a darling baby in a crib I am listening to the Irish ditties and bluegrass banjo music I have recently downloaded as I cannot sleep. You all know how I am with technology (if not, suffice it to say I am technologically challenged which may or may not be attributed to my incredible impatience and Grandma like tendencies to get worried and anxious quite quickly). For the past week I have been typing with 9 fingers since the first day moving into our apartment a VERY heavy door closed on my unassuming left index finger. Luckily it has been getting stronger by each passing day but it makes every day thangs that much more challenging yet that much more fun to annoy Liza (I miiight complain about the pain often and I also have apparently been mentioning my insatiable desire to see the movie "Shutter Island" which doesn't come out for another month which haunts my thoughts and now Liza's because of how often I mention how good it looks... But really how good does the trailer look?) Anywayz 9 fingers makes Keeping In Touch that much harder (but not really, skype is really magic) and at the moment as not to wake baby, I have plugs and wires all over. Earphones and power cords and ether net and a USB cord to put the newest downloaded ditties on my ipod- which is not working of course...it just keeps repeating "FireWire Connections are not supported" to which I reply, 0_o

On top of it all, while facebook chatting Sarah earlier tonight she informed me that my blog posts look like her 5 year old niece wrote them ("AND THEN I DID THIS!!!!") which is absolutely true but since she's such a wizard she taught me a trick to make paragraphs which I'll humbly attempt here. Also I have no idea how to post the few pictures I've taken while here and anyway I always seem to forget my camera when we go out which I guess isn't such a bad thing since I can tOtallY live in the moment. Not to mention, while creating this blog I somehow deleted Microsoft Word which besides Internet Explorer is literally all I use my laptop for (besides finding aesthetically pleasing photos on the web and plopping them in a folder I entitled "Nice Things") but thank goodness dear old Dad is a real computer Wizz and helped me rescue it. On top of all THAT, during orientation in Dublin we were informed that internet is MUCH slower than what were used to in the states which is definitely frustrating at moments but then I realize I am huffing and puffing because I am waiting maybe a minute instead of 10 seconds for something to happen. But anyways I'm glad I wrote this lil pointless musing because now I'm sleepy but also hungry since all I eat are two small meals a day, mostly bread and nutella and grilled cheesh. But my stomach will just have to wait until tomorrow morning. Goooooodnight

HAY YAWLS

I went to my women's studies class today- there's only 9 of us in the class and the professor is so cool and sweet and interesting and she knows Seamus O'Grady! She asked all of us if we have Irish roots and I told her about him and asked if she knew him. She not only said yes but that if you ask an Irish person if you know someone they most likely do or at least know of them or their mother. And then I had an english class that sounds so intersting but it's so werid because im used to SMC English classes with not alot of kids in it and a loooot of discussion (I just have so much to say)- and today it was in a lecture hall so packed that people were sitting on the steps. But the professor was also adorable-it was so exciting for me to hear an English professor say things with such a beautiful accent- it makes everything sound so much more profound or at least fancy. Also today I signed up for the mountaineering club and the kayaking club! I'm so excited- the kids involved in the clubs seem so nice and fun. Every sunday we go hiking in different areas in Ireland and Saturdays we go Kayaking. Obviously I'm also going to join the Irish dancing club (the need to dance is in mah blood now) and the massage club and chocolate club sound enticing, but I can't join everything now can I. Gaelic football sounds fun too- it's basically every single American sport in one. I was watching it on t.v on Sunday while making brunch with some friends and my heart couldn't take all the aggression. One guy on the white team (as if I know team names) was soaked with blood (I'm not sure if it was his or another person's but his nose was caked with dried blood). It was horrifying but incredibly entertaining and so unlike American sports I (as if I'm some kinda expert). But anyway, I have to miss the first hiking excursion because we are doing our homestays this weekend. All I know is that the mom is a house cleaner and they have 4 kids ranging from ages 14- 21 and three dogs. I'll keep everyone posted on how it was but I'm sure it will be an experience. Time to hear Irish music at a pub, cHeErZ!

Dia dhuit, Conás átá tú?

Dia is Muire duit, tá mé go maith! Oh, don't worry, thats just some gaelic I've picked up in the few short days I've been here (...I might have Googled "Gaelic Greetings...). It means "Hello, how are you" and "Hello, I'm doing well" but literally means "God is with you" and "God and Mary are with you". I hope everyone is doing well in America, I loooove Ireland! It has been such a hectic and exhausting week but so much fun that I haven't even found the time to blog! Liza and I flew from JFK into Dublin on the 1st and took a bus to our hostel (we had simple directions but got a bit lost after walking right past it, shleping our bags behind us and whipping out the map every block, but Irish people are SO nice and helpful and we made it back to the Abbey Hostel with many a good Samaritans help). We got there around 11 but couldn't get into our rooms until 2 so we went to the pub next door (the first costumers) and ordered Guinness and nachos for brunch. We surprisingly got some looks from the locals- I guess 11:30 am is too early to drink...I think 12 is the norm. We tried to explore Dublin a little bit but we were so exhausted that we stumbled back to the hostel and begged to just sit in the room we stored our luggage in and THEN they told us about the common room downstairs where everyone from our program was sleeping. So we plopped down on a couch and slept until we were able to get our room keys. We shared the room with four other girls - it eh was eeeeeeeeh alright . No, it was fine but I'm SO glad to be nice and situated in my new townhouse in Galway. After 3 days in Dublin (where we went to some great pubs with great Irish music and a Hop on Hop off Bus Tour where we toured an old jail, the Guinness Factory, Museum of Modern Art and the Christ Church I ran into a girl I go to school with who was visiting family! Small world!) We got to Galway Wednesday morning- the townhouses are so nice and a 10-15 minute walk to school and to town. We went dancing last night at a club with some of the Irish people who are our neighbors and moved back from being at home for the holiday (one kid Kieran, the equivalent to a 5th year senior in America, looks like a bear and is missing a tooth but is SO nice and fun- he gave us all giant hugs where he lifted us up which cracked my back and felt like HEAVEN after all the shelpin' I've been doin'). Classes kind of start today but not really because for the first couple of weeks you "shop" for classes and see what you like and then you sign up for them. The people in charge of our program are so sweet and we have a dinner tonight with a woman who feels like an old family friend (she spoke at our orientation in Dublin and Liza and I spotted her walking around campus on Friday and ran after her where she invited us into her office and chatted and warmed us up.) Speaking of warmth, heat is the one thing that is really hard to get used to- they conserve energy like I've never seen. All houses are set up so differently than in America where all the rooms blend into each other. Here, doors separate every room and have their own heaters which you shut off during the night and every outlet has a switch you have to turn on before you use it. But Liza and I couldn't figure it out when we got here and our Irish roommates weren't here to explain it so we slept with mittens on and tons of layers our first night. This has been the coldest week since 1960 something so we've left it on the whole time we've been here. You also have to set the water heater 30 minutes before you want to shower- which reminds me that I have to go and git my day started. I'm meeting some friends for coffee downtown (I had an irish coffee at lunch/dinner the other day after a freeeeeezing walking tour of Galway and it was so strong that I think I'll stick to regular. I'm not a whisky kinda gal.) I write again soon, I love and miss everyone!