Miserable weekend.

This weekend has been nothing but iffy. My cold has raged onward, growing worse by the day. I've learned that zinc and vitamin C is key, so I plan on venturing out today in hopes of finding these wonderful cures. Boots pharmacy should have them, and if for some reason they don't, I'm doomed. That's the thing about Cork, everything is in one place and if it's not there...you're pretty much SOL. What? Sadly out of luck. ;D

I feel like a dirty hobo for living off the couch two days straight and it's about to be a third. My attempts at sleeping around 8pm were useless, and so I watched movies until midnight and was finally able to fall asleep. Then around 2am my roommates were being very loud, and it took me about half an hour to knock out again. It's difficult sleeping in our room because it's freezing cold all the time, and then there's the various sounds that stem from the complications of roommatehood. Yes, childhood is followed by adulthood followed by roommatehood and then you're finally out on your own, free to do as you please. That is if you make enough money to leave the roommatehood nest. Please pray for me that I may one day leave the roommatehood nest. Please, please, with sugar and an xbox on top. That is if your prayers for an xbox are answered. I really can't afford one right now, but do feel free to ask for a cup of sugar.

Please, unless you are an English major or deal with a major that involves reading galore, do not take multiple English classes at the same time. Due to my illness, I am still 300 pages behind and I don't plan on finishing them plus the additional readings that I have by Tuesday. If you are as healthy as an ox and never fall ill, then please do take these courses. I've had to do 200+ pages a week before, but it never occured to me that my work load was not going to be a walk in the park. I love my classes though, because they're very interesting but it doesn't help that I took more than I could handle. So just be aware of that...

Facts of the day:

-There is no such thing as personal space in any store. Think of it as black Friday meets Cork on a daily basis. If you're looking at something, don't be surprised when a large crowd starts to gather around you looking at whatever it is you've taken an interest in.

-Barry's tea is THE tea to buy. In fact, it will be one of the very few teas that you can purchase, unless you like Lipton. I'm drinking it right now in fact, with peppermint flavoring. :)

-There sadly is no Pillsbury doughboy goodies. However, a Ms. Betty Crocker is located in the bakery isle for your American sweet tooth. (I'm guilty...I bought cookies)!

-The 2 euro store is your wonderful friend. It has all your needs for cheap. In fact, it is better than our dollar store! I bought paper, colored pencils, snacks, and a pack of 20 papermate pens for only 10 euro. Normally that would of cost me about 25 dollars at home, and this was about 13 dollars in euro.

-Vanilla extract isn't with the spice rack. It's near the flour in the bakery isle.

-Jellies and jams are usually placed by the breads from the bakery inside the store.

-Ziplock bags are meanies. It took me two trips to the store to find them, and even then I couldn't do it without asking for help. They're hiding with the paper goods and trash bags.

-Gas stations are called "Petrol."

-Don't be alarmed when the River Lee surpasses the foundation of the bridge. It normally floods every now and then.

-Batteries are not the same here. If you need them, bring plenty with you before hand!

What a week.

Since Monday I've been down with a cold. Yesterday I spent most of my time in bed, but that didn't do much good. This morning I woke up with a runny noise and a slight cough, but I managed to get up and go to my three hour acting class. I'm glad that I've already done yoga once, because the second time seemed less tense and easier to deal with. Still a challenge, because I about passed out from all the downward facing dogs we kept having to do.

I've decided to drop my Italian film class. Having to fight amongst twenty other students for one or two copies of a DVD each week, plus the fact that I don't have enough time between classes on Thursdays makes it rather difficult to do. I dislike being late for things, especially when it disrupts class, so I think I'll just stick with taking 15 instead of 18 credit hours this semester.

Random facts of the day:

1. If you need a pharmacy, go straight to Boots. They have everything you need!

2. Blackcurrant is a very popular flavor here in Ireland. I just bought blackcurrant cough drops, and they're very tasty. They have a grape/raisin flavor to them.

3. Don't misjudge Cork weather. It rains when it's cloudy, it rains when the sky is clear, and it rains when it's sunny. So be sure to take your umbrella wherever you go.

-Don't follow people into traffic without looking first. It's very common for people not to mind the traffic lights and go walking across the street, and most times it's safe, but there will be moments when the car is turning right behind them. So pay attention!

-Coffee tastes horrible here, and everyone brews the same kind. Dublin happens to have Starbucks, but Cork is unfortunately deprived of this specialty. However, there is the Desk Cafe in the ORB on campus, which proudly serves Starbucks as well.

-Everything expires within 2-5 days at a time. Bread in particular. I've gone through four loaves in the few weeks I've been here because they spoil so fast. Keeping them in the fridge helps to maintain their longevity, but it's still hard to shop for one person. I did discover half loaves at the store the other day, so I'll probably start purchasing those instead.

Good times in Dublin

This past Friday I hoped on a bus with the two roomies to see the busy city of Dublin, located in the upper east of the Republic. I spent two nights in a hostel, sleeping in bunk style beds in rooms that housed six, and eight people. The first night was spent in a room that was situated right next to a pub, which had blaring music accompanied by a man singing opera. Although it was very entertaining, it surely hindered my going to sleep.

The idea of sleeping in a hostel scared me somewhat. I've heard stories of people having their things stolen in the middle of night when they're least aware of their surroundings. Both nights there were a couple of girls, so I was less skeptical. I kept my purse with me underneath the covers just in case. The first hostel I was in had noisy metal racks, so if someone were to try and take my backpack, I'd most likely wake up to the screeching noise. Another precaution that's taken is actually done when you pay for your lodgings. The person at the desk will take down information from you or someone else in the group, in case there's any issues or reports of stolen goods. For the most part, I didn't mind it too much, except for the fact that I had to carry my backpack everywhere. I just plan on saving my money, so that I can pay for a cheap hotel in order to drop my things off before sightseeing. For pricing, it's around 17 to 22 euro, depending on where you go and what day it is.

The places I visited were Dublin Castle and chapel, Dublin Gaol (jail), the city park, and Guiness Brewery. We took a tour bus that had two day tickets for 14 euro, and just made our way around the city while jumping on around stops. The only thing was that sometimes the buses were too full because the price was favorable for a lot of tourists and so sometimes the wait was longer than the normal 10-15 minutes. Anyways, the tour was fun, especially when it came to sitting up on the second level of the double decker bus! It was chilly, but definitely worth it.

Dublin Castle wasn't very impressive, being rather small. However, one interesting detail was the design of some of the rooms throughout. There was lots of inspiration drawn from Roman art, particularly pillars and the use of classic colors, along with gold. This is also apparent with one of the buildings on the Trinity College campus. It's structure is made entirely of white bold pillars that curve in that Romanesque design. The best part of the castle was the ball room, which was constructed of the same patterns, but with three beautiful murals designed above on the ceiling. So breathtaking. My advice is not to go see Dublin Castle because of it's structure, but because of it's historical context and interesting furniture, paintings, and elaborate ceiling art.

The Gaol in Dublin has a brutal past. Just looking into the tiny cells that housed up to eight people at a time would make anyone shiver. Throughout the years it consisted of both men, women and children, some as young as five years of age due to stealing bread and clothes. In the main room where the walls are lined with doors on three separate floors lies two staircases, one vertical that leads straight to the top floor for the prison guards, and another one that goes into a spiral that marks the way for the prisoners. During a time when women were imprisoned there, guards would drag their bodies up these stairs while beating them along the way. Several hundred people were hanged, shot, or had their head cutoff on their last days there. Very few managed to escape. I highly recommend going to see this place of historical cruelty, not because it's so grim, but because there's so much Irish history to be learned, and it gives you the idea of what it was like back when times were very hard.

OH! Brief note: The main room as mentioned above has fantastic acoustics (it was so prison guards could hear of any mischief that may occur) and at one point was used by U2 to record some of their albums.

Visiting the Guinness Brewery was more for the experience than it was to see the museum part of the distillery. There were several floors, the first two showcasing all of the ingredients that goes into the stout, as well as a bit of history about the man himself: Author Guinness. Then the third floor displayed several advertisements throughout the years, as well as toys, coloring books, and figurines of the Toucan and other various zoo animals. Moving on up, one was rewarded a sample of the tasty porter, which I didn't particular care for but drank it all up none the less. The next floor had a special area where you can "pour the perfect pint." An instructor would demonstrate how to properly pour a pint of Guinness, and if you succeeded on doing such, the winner would receive a certificate. I decided to go to the very top floor, where I could trade in my ticket for either Guinness or soda, and since I'm not a stout drinker, I went for the fizzy stuff. My favorite part of the gallery was the room that featured all of the advertisement art. One in particular that made me giggle depicted a kangaroo that placed her young one in the apron pocket of a porter in exchange for a bottle of Guinness that was tucked neatly in her pouch. For the most part, I enjoyed going there the most out of everything I did while in Dublin, and I highly recommend it, even if you're not much a stout drinker such as myself.

The bus ride to and from Dublin wasn't so bad. It's a three hour route from Cork, and at the start I was somewhat motion sick but got used to it pretty quick. The seats are very comfortable and easy to sleep in, much unlike the Grey Hounds we have back in the States. It's great transportation, and tickets only cost 11 euro or more or less, depending on where you're going. :)

Differences between Dublin and Cork:

-Accents! Dublin natives speak more plainly than those from the far south.

-American shops are much more plentiful here. Aldo, American Apparel, and Pizza Hut to name a few.

-Very touristy. There's plenty of Irish shops to buy goods in, and the majority of people walking around speak different languages. Cork does have some Tourist, but not nearly as many.

-Lots of art. Sculptures appear on just about every street corner, and there's also plenty of modern buildings in comparison to Cork. Croke Park Stadium is a must see for those who enjoy architecture from the 21st century.

-Beer is expensive. Expect to pay at least 5 euro (About seven to eight dollars per bottle). Cork charges between 3 and 4 euro.

-Streets are much more dangerous, and cars/buses are less likely to stop. Jaywalking is still common, but not as safe.

This past week.

It's been five days since my last posting, and for good reason! This week was my official start for classes, and all of them have been bombarding me with reading to do. I've also be worried about getting my immigration card, but I plan on taking care of that tomorrow. They require either a letter stating that my money for the semester has been issued, and although I have something like that, I'm not sure if it will work. If not, I will then have to get a Bank of Ireland account and wait a week to transfer all my goods. I'm stressed out about it, because I was given three weeks to get it done, and next week is my last one. I should have done this sooner, but with classes and navigating the city, it's just been too much and not enough time.

Today whipped me beat. I had my first theatre course, and it was three hours long with an hour and a half's worth of...yoga. I've never taken yoga before, let alone done anything to stretch out my limbs (I'm stiff as a feather), so of course when it came down to doing the downward dog position, I nearly cried my eyes out from all the weight. On the bright side, I'm glad I get this wonderful opportunity to do extensive exercises in order to prepare my mind and body for the challenges ahead. My goal is to be able to touch my toes and bust out a performance that would make anyone proud. :)

This blog is not only to share with family and friends, but also to inform future study abroad students. For that purpose, I will now be adding more factual statements and tidbits to full fill that requirement. So from now on, each of my posts will include lists or interesting things I learned that day.

Facts of the day:

1. No one cares if you ride your bike in the street around Cork City. A man almost got hit and the driver didn't even bother to honk at them! I also saw a girl riding in the streets yesterday afternoon, and the cars just sort of drove around her.

2. Upon entering a cafe, office, etc, the person at the desk/counter may ask: "Are you alright?" This has nothing to do with how you're feeling, instead it means "How may I help you?"

3. Never ever hold a peace sign turned to the right. I won't even bother explaining the meaning, just don't do it.

4. Most Irish students know about America. Just say which state you're from, and if they don't know where it is, then do tell. But for the love of all Irish, never say you're American because they already can tell!

5. The weather is like Kansas. One minute it's cold and windy, and the next there's bright sunshine and you have take off your jacket. Rain comes and goes, but it never pours too hard. Mostly just sprinkles.

Huzzah! Found something to do. :)

Several months back I complied a list and posted it on Facebook. I had forgotten all about it until now, and I'm glad I remembered, because I figured out how to spend my afternoon tomorrow. I'll be taking a 36 minute walk up to Cork City Gaol, an old prison from the 19th century. It's located to the north of Fitzgerald Park, which I might also go take a gander at if the museum isn't too long.

I just realized while looking at the directions on google maps that I have already visited Fitzgerald Park when I got lost for the first time on my way to campus. It's a very beautiful place with a walking trail thick with trees and a giant bridge that takes you to the other side where campus sits. It sounds so pleasant right now, I almost wish it was daylight!

I spent most of my day taking a four and a half hour nap, and for the first time by myself I successfully prepared and cooked spaghetti. I celebrated with the worst glass of sparkling wine I've ever tasted (the alcohol over powered the grape taste). It's no wonder though, because I bought it at the grocery store. Next time I'll just buy some at one of the local wine stores up by UCC, which I pass by all the time. They have a deal where you can purchase five bottles of wine for twenty euro, but I think I'll just stick to getting one, since it would be a pain to carry it all back. :P

Right now I'm cheering on the Wildcats while finishing off this glass of wine. I can't believe we haven't scored once and it's already third quarter. I wish I could watch it but I don't have any access, and reading the comments box on ESPN just isn't the same. I hope we win though as always. GO CATS!!

Cork City Tour

This morning I walked over to UCC for a campus tour provided by one of the local church groups. I got to see the inside of the Honan chapel, which by the way is GORGEOUS. The floor is decorated with colorful tiles that come together to form all kinds of wildlife. The isle consists of fishes moving upstream, and towards the pulpit are birds, deer, oxen, and squirrels, all which surround scriptures in Gaelic. Surrounding the entire building are stain glass windows depicting various saints and hundreds of different images crowding each other within the oblong window pane. Below each window is a golden square with a scene from the twelve stations of the cross painted on it. The architecture of the building itself is very exquisite looking, having been carved into pillars and Celtic designs on the inside.

After viewing the chapel, we all headed towards the Elizabeth Fort, which was a wall used to protect the city. Along the wall are narrow slots built so that archers could shoot from within. At the moment it is part of the enclosure where the Garda (police) station sits. After that, we looped back around towards an old brewery that was sadly closed a few years ago, and then we ended the tour at the city park, where we got to see the last of the original wall that protected Cork during medieval times.

That was pretty much the highlight of my day. I went to the store to pick up some plastic containers (I'm making spaghetti tonight and needed to put the leftovers somewhere), and some Coke. On my way home I almost bumped into a girl who came out of a rather small coffee shop, and stopped in there to get myself some hot chocolate and a toasted bagel ham sandwich.

Not sure how I'm going to spend the rest of my weekend. The roommates took off to Kilkenny for some castle sight seeing last night, and yesterday I wasn't feeling too well. There's the Crawford Art Gallery up near UCC that I have yet to look into, so I might do that tomorrow or late in the afternoon. I also want to go back to Fota Wildlife Park, but I'm sorta worn out from walking and standing for three hours today.

School! School! Let's go to school!

I finally had my first class today (19th Century European History), and it went pretty well, except I made a complete fool of myself. We were discussing the revolutions that took place in France and Germany, and I was trying to remember the time when Prussia took over Alsace-Lorraine in the Franco-Prussian war, but instead of asking if it was Prussia, I said Austria instead. Now it's one thing to have a class full of European youths listening to my mistakes, but when there are five 60 to 80 year old Irish men who know their history better than anyone, you can't help but realize that you sound like an empty headed American.

I'm not so sore about it anymore, though. The professor jumped in and told everyone that it was ok to make mistakes, and that people shouldn't be afraid to speak their minds. He still didn't know what I was talking about, though, because I kept thinking it was Austria, and when I got home I looked up the correct answer. It's been two years since I took Modern Era/European history, but I know with a little bit of time and some research, I should have it down pat.

I saw the English market for the first time today, and it was just as I thought it would be. Stalls everywhere stuffed with fresh fruits, veggies, and all sorts of different meats down different paths. There's also candies, pies, cakes, and lots of other sweets that looked delicious. I didn't bring a grocery bag, and I had to withdraw some euro, so I decided to buy stuff there another time.

Not much else going on. I got lost the other day on my way to school, but I made it somehow. I ended up being late to my theatre meeting, but it went alright. Now I need to go to the store and pick up some honey for my tea before it closes. Adios Amigos!