Ten things I like about Ireland.

When I first came to Cork, I noticed several things that I didn't like, but there was also somethings I truly wish I had back home. So here's the list I've complied:

10. Year round sparkling grape juice: You see it in the grocery store just before Christmas and around New Years. Well here in Ireland, they've got it permanently stacked on their shelves. It's called Shloer, and it comes in four flavors: Grape, Berry, White Grape and Apple, and Rose. I like the White Grape and Apple myself.

9. Tax free food: Oh the money I could save if it was like this in America!

8. Wildlife park: Kansas City and Topeka have pretty nice zoos, but nothing can compare to Fota Wildlife Park, where lemurs roam free, and giraffes stand very close near to you.

7. Easy access: Most towns and cities in Ireland keep shops and grocery stores close together, so you can walk wherever you'd like to in 5-15 minutes, as opposed to the 30 minute walk to Walmart in Manhattan.

6. Hillbillies Fried Chicken. 'Nuff said.

5. Ready made meals: In the US, we do you have refrigerated prepackaged meals, such as mac n' cheese or potato salad. But if you want a full meal, such as raviolis or burritos, then you have to get it from the frozen foods section or in a can. However, in Ireland, they have a whole store devoted to these types of meals from the refrigerator. Thai, Chinese, Mexican, American, and Italian straight from the Mark and Spencers fridge. Takes only 2-5 minutes to heat, and tastes better than frozen!

4. Year round Cadbury Cream Eggs: That's right. You can get them for Halloween AND Christmas aside from Easter. I guess not all the time, most certainly not during the summer months but it exists longer than it does at home. I know I said I was tired of Cadbury, but their eggs taste slightly different from their candy bars, which makes a whole lot of difference. I just finished one, in fact...

3. Three hour classes: You're probably wondering if I'm on drugs or if my brain went slightly askew, but there's more to it than that: Three hour theatre classes! Intense, lots of exercises (yoga in particular), and lots of human interaction. I love it, and wish my theatre classes at K-State were the same way.

2. Wine in the pubs: Most bars in Aggieville do not have wine. So I have to flutter around completely sober until I do find a bar that has some decent stuff. That's not the case with Irish Pubs at all! Every single place I know has wine in one form or the other. Usually it's not Chardonnay, which is a downside, but White Zinfandel and Rose wine work perfectly well.

1. Politeness. The one things I know that will sting me more than anything else when I return home is how impolite most Americans can be. It's not a stereotype, and certainly something I know more about considering the fact that I am an extremely polite individual. I felt right at home here when I heard the amount of "Thanks a millions" and "Your very welcomes" from random people on the street, to the cashiers at Supervalu. They don't even stop thanking you for purchasing groceries until you've left the que! Now how many American employees can you say do that even once?