Today was our 3rd of 5 institutional visits during our time here in Ireland. After breakfast we headed down the road a short distance to University College Cork, where we were greeted by the sweetest host we've had so far in the most amazing student center I've ever seen! UCC in general is the most beautiful campus we have seen here thus far. I personally was impressed with the way they have blended modern architecture in with the old. Everything seems to fit together here, whereas on the other campuses we've visited, newer buildings seem to stick out like a sore thumb among the historical buildings.
After a tour of the student center, we settled in a conference room to listen to presentations about UCC's student services. We were greeted by the new Vice President for the Student Experience who has only been in place since February. For all of my USC HESA folks, this man's position sounds very similar to DP's position, with the added bonus of having a VP for Teaching and Learning (which sounds like an academically focused AVP position) to help him out. It was interesting to hear him and his colleagues (who I noticed were all male ... at the other schools the student services employees have been predominately female) discuss how much more integrated and cooperative student services had become with the addition of his position.
After hearing presentations on students services in general at UCC and the individual aspects of student health, chaplaincy, counselling and development, and accommodation (housing), it was apparent that UCC is the most closely aligned with U.S. student affairs out of all the schools we've visited thus far. I appreciated that UCC not only demonstrated that they do well, but also were honest in where their student services are lacking and where they hope to grow. A few aspects of their programs and a few of their concerns about their students particularly caught my attention:
1. I immediately noticed that UCC draws far more international students (nearly 3000) than NUIG and GMIT.
2. I found it interesting that all of UCC's students are full-time students except for a handful of continuing education students. I appreciate that they recognize that this causes a lack of flexibility for students, and that they are looking to add part-time programs.
3. I thought it was impressive that UCC was the Irish University of the Year twice in the last 5 years. They also have a ranking of 286 on the THES. Check out how your institution falls on the world rankings! (Boilermakers, we're tied with U. Pittsburgh for 77th in the world!) ... Trinity College Dublin (which I'll visit later this week) is 53rd. Impressive!
4. I found it interesting that there is currently no assessment of student services (or any aspect of the student experience at UCC) currently, but that they are working toward implementing survey systems to improve what UCC can offer.
5. Like those of us who work in higher education in the U.S., the Irish institutions are seeing an increasing amount of students who are dealing with mental health issues which have become common to the millennial generation.
6. The Irish culture in general has an issue with suicide (hence mention in an earlier post of people throwing themselves off the Cliffs of Moher), particularly among young males (i.e. those in higher education). While UCC has had no completed suicides in the last 6 years (which is extremely RARE), they OFTEN deal with suicidal students.
7. The Students' Union (like Student Government in the U.S.) used to get a LOT of funding from alcohol companies to sponsor programming on campus (particularly from Murphys). However, the SU recently formulated and passed a new alcohol policy banning any form of association with alcohol sponsorship or advertisement on campus. I thought this was a bold move (since it forced them to lose about $20,000 euro, or $30,000 dollars in sponsorship money) to assist in the alcohol problem on Irish campuses. (However, the campus does still have a campus bar, which is pretty amazing, I might add.)
8. UCC has created CALM (Computer-Aided Lifestyle Management) and higher someone on a 3 year term to provide e-counseling for students, bringing technology into the student counseling realm for the campus. Innovative for them considering the lack of technology they expressed!
9. While approximately 9700 (59%) of students request on campus housing, UCC has limited accommodations, like most Irish schools, with only 780 beds. YIKES!
10. UCC recently appointed a coordinator of first-year experience (YAY!). They are also wanting to appoint a PASS (Peer Assisted Student Services) coordinator soon to increasing their peer mentoring efforts. (Hmmm ... wonder if I could get them to hold off a year so I could come work here?!)
After hearing about student services, we had a professor of Irish culture lecture to us about "matching and marriage customs" in Ireland. (Reed, it totally reminded me of the marriage e-mail you forwarded to the U101/NRC crew!) So interesting! Some definite similarities to the history of marriage in the U.S., but some great differences as well.
We then went on a campus tour. Like I said before, UCC is beautiful. The church has beautiful, extremely ornate stained glass windows and tiled pictures of the astrology signs in the floor. The original campus building is also HUGE and well-kept, and contains a great deal of preserved history.
So, speaking of sex education. We have learned during our time here that the Irish are much more open to talking about the taboo topics that we avoid in the U.S., one being sex. While premarital sex is obviously still looked down upon by the church, the country has grown with the times and realized that education is best. Sabrena was particularly amused by posters in the bathroom on campus today. One stated "Be careful, it only takes one sperm." Another showed pictures of a bed and of a wooden floor and said, "It doesn't matter where you do it," before explaining the risks of unsafe sex. There were several sexual education posters and advertisements around campus that definitely caught our attention today. Considering the head of student health talked about the rise in STIs in recent years in Ireland, I'd say they are appropriate.
After our visit at UCC we all headed to the Jameson Heritage Center in Midleton, where we learned all about how Jameson whiskey is made and several of our group members got to become certified whiskey tasters. (I, personally, did not try my free glass of Jameson.) (Duff ... I thought of you lots today ... Midleton and whiskey!) We then spent some time around Cork before heading on a ridiculous journey to dinner (it was much farther away than anticipated, in the middle of nowhere, and we got a little lost). However, it was great, and we had some great laughs on the way home.
Tomorrow we're off to Dublin where we'll spend the remainder of our trip. It's been so much fun so far, and I'm excited to see the big city and the other 2 schools. I miss everyone greatly, and am looking forward to seeing some of you Friday. (And no, Mom, a banshee or little person has not kidnapped me yet; I'm alive and well. Though I did see a Leprechaun Crossing, and Sabrena and I did have a haunted hotel room in Limerick.)
I have internet access at UCD in Dublin, so I'll post more from there if not before. Till then, goodnight !
P.S. Leanne ... Siemens is in Cork! I think you should go back to work for them, and we'll move here together. What do you think? :-)
Monday, July 28, 2008
I kissed the Blarney Stone ! :-)
(Note: This post is for Sunday, July 27, 2008.)
After a great breakfast this morning at the Killarney Plaza hotel, we were Cork-bound. Killarney has a huge national park, so on the way to Cork, we stopped several times along the way to see the sites. These included Ladies' View (an open area for viewing the mountains), Torc Waterfall, and the Muckross House, which is an architecturally beautiful mansion that overlooks a breathtaking view (and is part of the McCarthy family, Ev!). We then stopped at Molls Gap, which was an area that also overlooked the mountains, and happened to have the Avoca at Molls Gap shop. (I took pics for you, Ev.)
Just before arriving in Cork we stopped to visit Blarney Castle and to kiss the Blarney Stone. We toured the castle, which included crawling through a dungeon and climbing a LOT of tightly spiraled and narrow stairs to reach the top of the castle where we were lowered upside down by an elderly gentleman to kiss the Blarney Stone (let's home it brings me the gift of eloquence so I do well on my research paper for this class and the rest of the HESA program!). I got a picture ... I'll upload it when I get back!
We arrived at Cork just before dinner time, not too excited to arrive at the Jurys Inn since we'd had such a poor experience at the one in Limerick. However, turns out we were at the wrong hotel. We were actually staying at the Jurys Cork (which is owned separately from the Jurys Inn ... point WELL made by the employees); and Bob's comment of, "Wow this is a lot sexier than the other one," pretty much sums up that this one was MUCH better than the we expected. Moder, with a 4 star rating, this hotel is BEAUTIFUL. It's architecture is gorgeous, and there are the most comfortable, plush couches all over the place. One is plum colored and so comfy; I'd love to steal if for my apartment! As an added bonus, the room is brown and orange ... perfect for me! :-) We also have a shower and bath tube - best bathroom thus far!
Sabrena and I met up with Pam and Tony (our professors), Lorraine (another student) and David (our bus driver) to go to dinner. We ended up at Murphy's, which turned out to be the perfect choice - we had so much fun and great food! First off, we were mesmerized by the fact that all the tables had their own Guinness and Carlsberg taps in the center of them, allowing you to poor your own pints! For all you Irish beer lovers out there, this could get you in some serious trouble! Sabrena, Tony, and David decided to try it out, and David impressed us all by being able to make a shamrock in the foam on his Guiness. We had Irish beef hamburgers and chips of course (so good!), and were stuffed by the end of dinner. Conversation was great. It was nice to be able to talk to David about Ireland, and he had some funny stories to share with us. The best comment of the night definitely came from him. We were talking about festivals and David said, "You all are lucky because we're right in the middle of the Irish beer festival." Surprises and intrigued, we all looked at him and said, "Really?!" in unison, to which he responded, "Yeah, it starts January 1st and ends December 31st!" My stomach hurt from laughing so hard!
After dinner we walked around town for a bit to take pictures of the Cathedral, which in Tony's words was "very Harry Potterish." Sabrena and I then came back here, where we are clearly catching up on journals. Actually, I think Sabrena is uploading pics to Facebook ... check those out!
After a great breakfast this morning at the Killarney Plaza hotel, we were Cork-bound. Killarney has a huge national park, so on the way to Cork, we stopped several times along the way to see the sites. These included Ladies' View (an open area for viewing the mountains), Torc Waterfall, and the Muckross House, which is an architecturally beautiful mansion that overlooks a breathtaking view (and is part of the McCarthy family, Ev!). We then stopped at Molls Gap, which was an area that also overlooked the mountains, and happened to have the Avoca at Molls Gap shop. (I took pics for you, Ev.)
Just before arriving in Cork we stopped to visit Blarney Castle and to kiss the Blarney Stone. We toured the castle, which included crawling through a dungeon and climbing a LOT of tightly spiraled and narrow stairs to reach the top of the castle where we were lowered upside down by an elderly gentleman to kiss the Blarney Stone (let's home it brings me the gift of eloquence so I do well on my research paper for this class and the rest of the HESA program!). I got a picture ... I'll upload it when I get back!
We arrived at Cork just before dinner time, not too excited to arrive at the Jurys Inn since we'd had such a poor experience at the one in Limerick. However, turns out we were at the wrong hotel. We were actually staying at the Jurys Cork (which is owned separately from the Jurys Inn ... point WELL made by the employees); and Bob's comment of, "Wow this is a lot sexier than the other one," pretty much sums up that this one was MUCH better than the we expected. Moder, with a 4 star rating, this hotel is BEAUTIFUL. It's architecture is gorgeous, and there are the most comfortable, plush couches all over the place. One is plum colored and so comfy; I'd love to steal if for my apartment! As an added bonus, the room is brown and orange ... perfect for me! :-) We also have a shower and bath tube - best bathroom thus far!
Sabrena and I met up with Pam and Tony (our professors), Lorraine (another student) and David (our bus driver) to go to dinner. We ended up at Murphy's, which turned out to be the perfect choice - we had so much fun and great food! First off, we were mesmerized by the fact that all the tables had their own Guinness and Carlsberg taps in the center of them, allowing you to poor your own pints! For all you Irish beer lovers out there, this could get you in some serious trouble! Sabrena, Tony, and David decided to try it out, and David impressed us all by being able to make a shamrock in the foam on his Guiness. We had Irish beef hamburgers and chips of course (so good!), and were stuffed by the end of dinner. Conversation was great. It was nice to be able to talk to David about Ireland, and he had some funny stories to share with us. The best comment of the night definitely came from him. We were talking about festivals and David said, "You all are lucky because we're right in the middle of the Irish beer festival." Surprises and intrigued, we all looked at him and said, "Really?!" in unison, to which he responded, "Yeah, it starts January 1st and ends December 31st!" My stomach hurt from laughing so hard!
After dinner we walked around town for a bit to take pictures of the Cathedral, which in Tony's words was "very Harry Potterish." Sabrena and I then came back here, where we are clearly catching up on journals. Actually, I think Sabrena is uploading pics to Facebook ... check those out!
Fish 'n Chips, Hen Parties, & Dancing to "Irish Music"
(Note: This post is for Saturday, July 26, 2008.)
After not the greatest experience in Limerick, I was happy to be moving on to Killarney today. We were greeted this morning by David, our bus driver for the rest of the trip.
Those who planned our itinerary sent us on a roundabout way to Killarney so that we could see some of the countryside and experience a ride on a larger ferry across the Shannon River. We stopped in Listowel along the way for a toilet break and stretch, and then made it to Killarney in time for lunch. Hungry (since our breakfast at Jurys Inn was disappointing), several of the ladies (Sabrena, Jill, Nicole, Jen, Suzanne, Lorrianne, and me) headed to O'Meara's Pub & Restaurant for some potato and leek soup and some brown bread.
Sabrena and I then ended up adventuring on our own for the day. We first got some great ice cream at Murphy's before checking out the city. After walking through the local carnival, spending some time in the Killarney National Park, and checking out the downtown area, we found a local diner where we had some of the greatest fish 'n chips I've ever had, followed by some yummy desserts! We then headed back to the hotel to relax for a bit before meeting up with others for the night, and were entertained by two shows on TV - one like America's Funniest Home Videos and a karaoke show. They had us rolling with laughter!
Since no one ever showed back up at the hotel (which, by the way, is BEAUTIFUL), Sabrena and I decided we'd have a night out on our own. We started off at the piano bar in our hotel, where we enjoyed a pint of Harp while listening to a couple play some Irish "country" music. We then found a local pub with a younger crowd and tried out some Bulmer's. Within a few minutes (as our bus driver had warned would happen) we saw 2 hen parties (bachelorette parties) and 2 Irish guys (John and Noel - who were actually from Galway) had befriended us. After chatting with them for awhile (and listening to an interesting mix of music including Pour Some Sugar on Me and Nine to Five), we told the guys to take us to listen to some Irish music. Instead they led us to another bar with a dance floor and "better American dance music" (according to them), which interestingly enough included ABBA, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Kid Rock (yeah, the Irish have no concept of genre). We ended the night before our dance partners got too intoxicated, and Sabrena got John's number (even if she didn't want it) and we both got kisses on the cheek (because that's all we gave them ... haha) before heading home.
After not the greatest experience in Limerick, I was happy to be moving on to Killarney today. We were greeted this morning by David, our bus driver for the rest of the trip.
Those who planned our itinerary sent us on a roundabout way to Killarney so that we could see some of the countryside and experience a ride on a larger ferry across the Shannon River. We stopped in Listowel along the way for a toilet break and stretch, and then made it to Killarney in time for lunch. Hungry (since our breakfast at Jurys Inn was disappointing), several of the ladies (Sabrena, Jill, Nicole, Jen, Suzanne, Lorrianne, and me) headed to O'Meara's Pub & Restaurant for some potato and leek soup and some brown bread.
Sabrena and I then ended up adventuring on our own for the day. We first got some great ice cream at Murphy's before checking out the city. After walking through the local carnival, spending some time in the Killarney National Park, and checking out the downtown area, we found a local diner where we had some of the greatest fish 'n chips I've ever had, followed by some yummy desserts! We then headed back to the hotel to relax for a bit before meeting up with others for the night, and were entertained by two shows on TV - one like America's Funniest Home Videos and a karaoke show. They had us rolling with laughter!
Since no one ever showed back up at the hotel (which, by the way, is BEAUTIFUL), Sabrena and I decided we'd have a night out on our own. We started off at the piano bar in our hotel, where we enjoyed a pint of Harp while listening to a couple play some Irish "country" music. We then found a local pub with a younger crowd and tried out some Bulmer's. Within a few minutes (as our bus driver had warned would happen) we saw 2 hen parties (bachelorette parties) and 2 Irish guys (John and Noel - who were actually from Galway) had befriended us. After chatting with them for awhile (and listening to an interesting mix of music including Pour Some Sugar on Me and Nine to Five), we told the guys to take us to listen to some Irish music. Instead they led us to another bar with a dance floor and "better American dance music" (according to them), which interestingly enough included ABBA, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Kid Rock (yeah, the Irish have no concept of genre). We ended the night before our dance partners got too intoxicated, and Sabrena got John's number (even if she didn't want it) and we both got kisses on the cheek (because that's all we gave them ... haha) before heading home.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Moher Cliffs! But the Jurys out on Limerick ...
(Note: This post is in regard to Friday, July 25, 2008.)
This morning we checked out of the Hotel Meyrick in Galway (so sad - I love it here!), excited to move on to our other Irish adventures. Sabrena was armed with Sea Legs (the Irish equivalent of Dramamine) and we were prepared for a full day of travel ahead.
After packing up and loading on to our coach, we were off to the Cliffs of Moher, where we had 11:00 a.m. Irish time (6:00 a.m. USA Eastern time) access. The bus ride was quite bumpy (to say the least), and when we stopped alongside the road to take some pictures, I got some Sea Legs from Sabrena. (Note: As indicated by this and earlier posts, even if you've never experienced motion sickness before, you WILL need to come prepared with medicine for it if you ever visit Ireland!)
A short distance down the road we stopped at Liscannor to use the toilet and to stretch our legs for a bit. Our driver told us an interesting story about Liscannor - it is home of the Matchmaking Festival. Every year from late August to late Octover, people from all over come to Liscannor to "be matched: with their future spouse. Sabrena and I are contemplating a trip back to find our Irish matches in case anyone would like to join us! (Bec, maybe we'll find ourselves a Denny!)
After Liscannor we made a stop at the Cliffs of Moher, which are BY FAR my favorite part of the trip so far! After going through an exhibit which contained an explanation of how the Cliffs are formed and some legends about them, we made our way out to see them. All I can say is that they are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! Pictures DO NOT do them justice! Sabrena and I ventured on to the right side of the Cliffs first, on which an old castle sits, and then made our way around the rest. The weather was perfect. I can't describe the feeling of looking out at the water off of the Cliffs - so peaceful. And peering over the edge will definitely make your heart race - they are so high! (Again, pictures do not do them justice.) I could sit out there all day and just contemplate life, or read, or paint. Seriously, they are a MUST SEE for anyone that comes to Ireland. (And if you do, definitely ignore the PLEASE DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT sign. It's SO worth it!)
After the Cliffs of Moher, we were Limerick-bound, but first we stopped along the way and grabbed lunch at a small sandwich shop called Joes. Once in Limerick we arrived at the Jurys Inn. For supposedly being a 3 star hotel, it wasn't so great. It smelled weird, most of the lights in our room didn't work or were very dim, and many could not open their windows (a problem since the hotel didn't have air conditioning, and it was actually a warm night). After dropping our belongings off in room 407, Sabrena and I headed to a pharmacy down the street so I could also get some Sea Legs for the rest of our travels. We then walked the perimeter of the city.
We had already noticed that Limerick seemed worlds apart from Galway. A port city, Limerick is quite industrialized, and therefore appears much like any larger city you'd find in the U.S. Save for the park we walked through (which is a bright spot among the dirtier appearance of the rest of the city, covered in tacky graffiti), and a little shopping area on Todd Street, I was not impressed. I also observed there were police officers clad in bullet proof vests all over the city, which was not the case in Galway. Later this observation made sense when I found out that Limerick is known as "stab city" due to extreme violence between 2 rival gangs.
Later tonight the whole group went to a medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle! So cool! We started off with some mead, and then had some brown bread and salt (to ward off evil spirits). We were welcomed to the castle by the lords and ladies who told us an interesting story about the mead we were drinking. Ours, made from honey, is a favorite of newlyweds in Ireland, as the honey is through to bring on fertility and virility. Thus, newlyweds drink the mead for one month, or one "moon," after the wedding - hence the term "honeymoon." We then moved to the banquet hall where we feasted (with only a knife as a utensil) - on soup and brown bread, spare ribs, roast chicken, potatoes, veggies, raspberry mousse, and unlimited amounts of water, red wine, and white wine - while listening to traditional Irish music sung by the lords and ladies that served us. It was beautiful! We ended with tea and coffee (a staple at every Irish meal, I've learned) before heading back to the hotel.
Knowing the dangerous reputation of the city, we were extra careful when venturing out tonight. Sabrena, Jessica, Suzanne, Laura, Bob, and I headed out and settled for O'Flannery's (mostly because there were cute Irish boys outside that all us girls were clearly interested in ... sadly they left soon). Having made it a goal to have at least a 3 minute conversation with an Irishman every night, Sabrena quickly scoped out a guy sitting in the corner and made her move while the rest of us socialized with one another at a nearby table. Turns out the guys she was talking to had lived in the U.S. for 6 months, during which he saw more of the U.S. than I have during my 23+ years of life there. Talking with him later made me want to travel my own country when I get home - there's so much I haven't seen!
Upon return to our hotel, Sabrena and I discovered our room was haunted! After laying in bed for about 10 minutes, our 1 working light (which was clearly turned off, as we were in bed) began flashing repeatedly. Two phone calls to the reservation desk and two visits from the sweet maintenance man later and the light was removed and we were thoroughly creeped out. Wide awake at this point from all the fuss (and the story the maintenance man told us of people throwing themselves off the Cliffs of Moher often), we stayed up chatting till about 1:30 a.m. Ireland time.
I will share at this point the growing appreciation I have for Sabrena. I considered her a good friend before this trip, and now I consider her an even greater one! This trip has been great, in part, due to us being together, and I think we have learned just as much about each other as we have about Ireland and higher education during our time here. Our conversations have opened my eyes to her, myself, and our many shared experiences. It's nice to know that I have someone in my life whom I can relate to so well on so much about life - particularly about some tough issues. I only wish we'd realized that sooner ... but better late than never!
That's all for now ... but Ev, you should know that when leaving the castle tonight I saw an advertisement for Avoca Weavers. I must be in "your" country! :-)
This morning we checked out of the Hotel Meyrick in Galway (so sad - I love it here!), excited to move on to our other Irish adventures. Sabrena was armed with Sea Legs (the Irish equivalent of Dramamine) and we were prepared for a full day of travel ahead.
After packing up and loading on to our coach, we were off to the Cliffs of Moher, where we had 11:00 a.m. Irish time (6:00 a.m. USA Eastern time) access. The bus ride was quite bumpy (to say the least), and when we stopped alongside the road to take some pictures, I got some Sea Legs from Sabrena. (Note: As indicated by this and earlier posts, even if you've never experienced motion sickness before, you WILL need to come prepared with medicine for it if you ever visit Ireland!)
A short distance down the road we stopped at Liscannor to use the toilet and to stretch our legs for a bit. Our driver told us an interesting story about Liscannor - it is home of the Matchmaking Festival. Every year from late August to late Octover, people from all over come to Liscannor to "be matched: with their future spouse. Sabrena and I are contemplating a trip back to find our Irish matches in case anyone would like to join us! (Bec, maybe we'll find ourselves a Denny!)
After Liscannor we made a stop at the Cliffs of Moher, which are BY FAR my favorite part of the trip so far! After going through an exhibit which contained an explanation of how the Cliffs are formed and some legends about them, we made our way out to see them. All I can say is that they are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! Pictures DO NOT do them justice! Sabrena and I ventured on to the right side of the Cliffs first, on which an old castle sits, and then made our way around the rest. The weather was perfect. I can't describe the feeling of looking out at the water off of the Cliffs - so peaceful. And peering over the edge will definitely make your heart race - they are so high! (Again, pictures do not do them justice.) I could sit out there all day and just contemplate life, or read, or paint. Seriously, they are a MUST SEE for anyone that comes to Ireland. (And if you do, definitely ignore the PLEASE DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT sign. It's SO worth it!)
After the Cliffs of Moher, we were Limerick-bound, but first we stopped along the way and grabbed lunch at a small sandwich shop called Joes. Once in Limerick we arrived at the Jurys Inn. For supposedly being a 3 star hotel, it wasn't so great. It smelled weird, most of the lights in our room didn't work or were very dim, and many could not open their windows (a problem since the hotel didn't have air conditioning, and it was actually a warm night). After dropping our belongings off in room 407, Sabrena and I headed to a pharmacy down the street so I could also get some Sea Legs for the rest of our travels. We then walked the perimeter of the city.
We had already noticed that Limerick seemed worlds apart from Galway. A port city, Limerick is quite industrialized, and therefore appears much like any larger city you'd find in the U.S. Save for the park we walked through (which is a bright spot among the dirtier appearance of the rest of the city, covered in tacky graffiti), and a little shopping area on Todd Street, I was not impressed. I also observed there were police officers clad in bullet proof vests all over the city, which was not the case in Galway. Later this observation made sense when I found out that Limerick is known as "stab city" due to extreme violence between 2 rival gangs.
Later tonight the whole group went to a medieval banquet at Bunratty Castle! So cool! We started off with some mead, and then had some brown bread and salt (to ward off evil spirits). We were welcomed to the castle by the lords and ladies who told us an interesting story about the mead we were drinking. Ours, made from honey, is a favorite of newlyweds in Ireland, as the honey is through to bring on fertility and virility. Thus, newlyweds drink the mead for one month, or one "moon," after the wedding - hence the term "honeymoon." We then moved to the banquet hall where we feasted (with only a knife as a utensil) - on soup and brown bread, spare ribs, roast chicken, potatoes, veggies, raspberry mousse, and unlimited amounts of water, red wine, and white wine - while listening to traditional Irish music sung by the lords and ladies that served us. It was beautiful! We ended with tea and coffee (a staple at every Irish meal, I've learned) before heading back to the hotel.
Knowing the dangerous reputation of the city, we were extra careful when venturing out tonight. Sabrena, Jessica, Suzanne, Laura, Bob, and I headed out and settled for O'Flannery's (mostly because there were cute Irish boys outside that all us girls were clearly interested in ... sadly they left soon). Having made it a goal to have at least a 3 minute conversation with an Irishman every night, Sabrena quickly scoped out a guy sitting in the corner and made her move while the rest of us socialized with one another at a nearby table. Turns out the guys she was talking to had lived in the U.S. for 6 months, during which he saw more of the U.S. than I have during my 23+ years of life there. Talking with him later made me want to travel my own country when I get home - there's so much I haven't seen!
Upon return to our hotel, Sabrena and I discovered our room was haunted! After laying in bed for about 10 minutes, our 1 working light (which was clearly turned off, as we were in bed) began flashing repeatedly. Two phone calls to the reservation desk and two visits from the sweet maintenance man later and the light was removed and we were thoroughly creeped out. Wide awake at this point from all the fuss (and the story the maintenance man told us of people throwing themselves off the Cliffs of Moher often), we stayed up chatting till about 1:30 a.m. Ireland time.
I will share at this point the growing appreciation I have for Sabrena. I considered her a good friend before this trip, and now I consider her an even greater one! This trip has been great, in part, due to us being together, and I think we have learned just as much about each other as we have about Ireland and higher education during our time here. Our conversations have opened my eyes to her, myself, and our many shared experiences. It's nice to know that I have someone in my life whom I can relate to so well on so much about life - particularly about some tough issues. I only wish we'd realized that sooner ... but better late than never!
That's all for now ... but Ev, you should know that when leaving the castle tonight I saw an advertisement for Avoca Weavers. I must be in "your" country! :-)
Dramamine and WD40
(Note: This post is about Thursday, July 24, 2008).
Today was a free day, so after breakfast the whole crew hopped a bus that took us to a port at Rossaveal about an hour away. There we boarded a small ferry to take us to the Aran Islands. Before I explain our day trip, I should probably explain our journey there. Because so many in our crew battle motion sickness, and because Sabrena had been battling a newfound nausea from the bus rides, Tony was distributing Dramamine (medicine for motion sickness) at breakfast. Having made it just find on the buses so far, I turned down the offer ... BIG mistake! The bus ride when great and the ferry started off smoothly - I got some great pictures! Little did I know that we were in "no tread" waters at the time. As soon as we got into deeper waters and caught speed, the boat started rocking back and forth, and so did my stomach! I was done for! Sabrena and I moved inside to sit down and I remained there, trying to fight off losing my breakfast, until we landed at the Aran Islands.
The Aran Islands are located about 9 miles off of Galway's coast, and are marveled at for their geological wonders, their preserved ruins, and their tradition - they are one of the few spots in Ireland where everyone speaks full Irish Gaelic as their primary language. Inis Mor is the largest of the 3 islands, and is where we spent our day trip. At 9 miles long and 2 miles wide, the popular way to explore the island's sites is by bike. After seeing the map of the island we all, of course, though this was a great idea. In hindsight, not so much! Keeping all 14 of us together was obviously not going to happen, so smaller groups broke apart from the pack and soon Sabrena and I were touring the countryside on our own together.
It was soon into the trip that we realized we probably should have taken the bus tour instead. The island may be relatively small, but it is no joke - talk about massive hills and small roads that you are trying to share with other bikers, tours buses, locals' vehicles, pedestrians, and jaunting cars (horse-drawn carriages). No matter what side of the island you're on, you're typically going uphill. Needless to say, we got our workout for the trip - even in the rain (the weather couldn't make up it's mind that day!). I must say, though, that the sites were beautiful, despite the hard work!
Much of Ireland is made of limestone, and in order to make use of the land, large pieces of rock had to be removed. These rocks form walls separating the plots of land on the island, as well as the majority of structures and the historical ruins on the island.
My favorite part of the island was Na Seacht d'Teampheall (The Seven Churches), which in actuality is the remains of 2 small churches - Teampall Breean and Teampall Phoill - and their graveyards. Sabrena and I ran into Tony and Pam (our professors) there and then got some great photos.
My second favorite part of the island was the beach; however, it was cold and there were people in bathing suits swimming. Sabrena and I thought they were crazy! But, I suppose it was warm that day as far as Ireland is concerned. We stopped to relax there, and while Sabrena took a rest on the rocks, I strolled along the beach for a bit (and found a bone ... creepy!). It wasn't your typical beach, but it was so peaceful. I remember thinking to myself that dad would love this place (the whole island) - sort of remote, lots of countryside, quiet, undisturbed except for a few tourists and cows, perfect temperatures with a constant breeze, and an ocean view - it's like the farm/lake on a grander scale!
There were two frustrations with the trip. The first is that we traveled all the way up to Dun Aonghasa (a fort on cliffs) only to find out we had to pay to actually visit the fort. Needless to say we didn't go up - we'd see plenty more structures, rocks, and cliffs on the trip - and instead just took pictures from afar. Secondly, Sabrena and I became frustrated while traveling on the ialdn because everything on the island was written in Gaelic. Attempting to travel an island that uses Gaelic with an English map was not working out so well for us! However, in our frustration we were able to reflect on what it is probably like for visitors to the United States. While most of the world speaks some English, it's likely just as difficult for them, as it was for us - we were put in our places a bit.
After biking/walking somewhere between 5 and 9 miles, we made it back to the docks and ran into Bob. We all decided that we deserved ice cream after our difficult trip, so we treated ourselves to some 100% Irish ice cream Choco Cones. We then explores the shops while we waited to leave for Galway, and found the O'Keef(f)e family sweater (Aran Islands are known for Aran wool sweaters), which Sabrena was excited about (her last name is O'Keefe).
Luckily our trip back to Galway was much easier since Tony hooked us all up with Dramamine again. Sabrena and I were starving, so we immediately headed to dinner on Shop Street for some Shephard's Pie (so yummy!). It was then off to the hotel to pack and get some sleep - we were sore and tired!
Quotes of the day go to Sabrena.
--- [In response to and frustration with her squeaky bike:] "I wish I knew Gaelic for WD40! I'd stop and ask for some."
--- [In response to her messy ice cream:] "100% Irish ice cream! Yeah ... because it couldn't survive anywhere else ... it's cold here, and it's melting all over the place!"
I took some pictures for a couple of friends today. Ev ... I found McCarthy Jewelry. I didn't go in because the pieces displayed in the window were far out of my price range. You should probably find out if this is part of your family and hook me up with some diamonds. :-) Duff ... I happened to find a fishing and outdoor supplies story named Duffy's ... DEFINITELY reminded me of you ... perfect fit!
Today was a free day, so after breakfast the whole crew hopped a bus that took us to a port at Rossaveal about an hour away. There we boarded a small ferry to take us to the Aran Islands. Before I explain our day trip, I should probably explain our journey there. Because so many in our crew battle motion sickness, and because Sabrena had been battling a newfound nausea from the bus rides, Tony was distributing Dramamine (medicine for motion sickness) at breakfast. Having made it just find on the buses so far, I turned down the offer ... BIG mistake! The bus ride when great and the ferry started off smoothly - I got some great pictures! Little did I know that we were in "no tread" waters at the time. As soon as we got into deeper waters and caught speed, the boat started rocking back and forth, and so did my stomach! I was done for! Sabrena and I moved inside to sit down and I remained there, trying to fight off losing my breakfast, until we landed at the Aran Islands.
The Aran Islands are located about 9 miles off of Galway's coast, and are marveled at for their geological wonders, their preserved ruins, and their tradition - they are one of the few spots in Ireland where everyone speaks full Irish Gaelic as their primary language. Inis Mor is the largest of the 3 islands, and is where we spent our day trip. At 9 miles long and 2 miles wide, the popular way to explore the island's sites is by bike. After seeing the map of the island we all, of course, though this was a great idea. In hindsight, not so much! Keeping all 14 of us together was obviously not going to happen, so smaller groups broke apart from the pack and soon Sabrena and I were touring the countryside on our own together.
It was soon into the trip that we realized we probably should have taken the bus tour instead. The island may be relatively small, but it is no joke - talk about massive hills and small roads that you are trying to share with other bikers, tours buses, locals' vehicles, pedestrians, and jaunting cars (horse-drawn carriages). No matter what side of the island you're on, you're typically going uphill. Needless to say, we got our workout for the trip - even in the rain (the weather couldn't make up it's mind that day!). I must say, though, that the sites were beautiful, despite the hard work!
Much of Ireland is made of limestone, and in order to make use of the land, large pieces of rock had to be removed. These rocks form walls separating the plots of land on the island, as well as the majority of structures and the historical ruins on the island.
My favorite part of the island was Na Seacht d'Teampheall (The Seven Churches), which in actuality is the remains of 2 small churches - Teampall Breean and Teampall Phoill - and their graveyards. Sabrena and I ran into Tony and Pam (our professors) there and then got some great photos.
My second favorite part of the island was the beach; however, it was cold and there were people in bathing suits swimming. Sabrena and I thought they were crazy! But, I suppose it was warm that day as far as Ireland is concerned. We stopped to relax there, and while Sabrena took a rest on the rocks, I strolled along the beach for a bit (and found a bone ... creepy!). It wasn't your typical beach, but it was so peaceful. I remember thinking to myself that dad would love this place (the whole island) - sort of remote, lots of countryside, quiet, undisturbed except for a few tourists and cows, perfect temperatures with a constant breeze, and an ocean view - it's like the farm/lake on a grander scale!
There were two frustrations with the trip. The first is that we traveled all the way up to Dun Aonghasa (a fort on cliffs) only to find out we had to pay to actually visit the fort. Needless to say we didn't go up - we'd see plenty more structures, rocks, and cliffs on the trip - and instead just took pictures from afar. Secondly, Sabrena and I became frustrated while traveling on the ialdn because everything on the island was written in Gaelic. Attempting to travel an island that uses Gaelic with an English map was not working out so well for us! However, in our frustration we were able to reflect on what it is probably like for visitors to the United States. While most of the world speaks some English, it's likely just as difficult for them, as it was for us - we were put in our places a bit.
After biking/walking somewhere between 5 and 9 miles, we made it back to the docks and ran into Bob. We all decided that we deserved ice cream after our difficult trip, so we treated ourselves to some 100% Irish ice cream Choco Cones. We then explores the shops while we waited to leave for Galway, and found the O'Keef(f)e family sweater (Aran Islands are known for Aran wool sweaters), which Sabrena was excited about (her last name is O'Keefe).
Luckily our trip back to Galway was much easier since Tony hooked us all up with Dramamine again. Sabrena and I were starving, so we immediately headed to dinner on Shop Street for some Shephard's Pie (so yummy!). It was then off to the hotel to pack and get some sleep - we were sore and tired!
Quotes of the day go to Sabrena.
--- [In response to and frustration with her squeaky bike:] "I wish I knew Gaelic for WD40! I'd stop and ask for some."
--- [In response to her messy ice cream:] "100% Irish ice cream! Yeah ... because it couldn't survive anywhere else ... it's cold here, and it's melting all over the place!"
I took some pictures for a couple of friends today. Ev ... I found McCarthy Jewelry. I didn't go in because the pieces displayed in the window were far out of my price range. You should probably find out if this is part of your family and hook me up with some diamonds. :-) Duff ... I happened to find a fishing and outdoor supplies story named Duffy's ... DEFINITELY reminded me of you ... perfect fit!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Let Love and Friendship Reign
It's 11:05 p.m. Ireland time (which makes it 6:05 pm USA Eastern time), and I'm just sitting here catching up on journals and figured I'd write the one for today before I go to bed, as we're getting up early tomorrow morning to head to the Aran Islands.
Today Sabrena and I got to sleep in an extra hour, but seeing as how we only got 6 hours of sleep, that didn't seem to help too much. After breakfast we caught a coach with the rest of our group out to Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), where we were having our 2nd institutional visit today. Once we found our way, we were greeted by a tiny little Irishman who heads teaching and learning at GMIT (which oversees student services), who would be our host for the day. He immediately took us on a tour of the campus, which was larger than I expected it to be, and, being the summer months, was under much renovation. The first thing we got to see was a fantastic view from the deck off of the president's conference room, where we were meeting for the day. This deck overlooked student housing which resting along the coast - absolutely breathtaking. We then continued around the newest building (which we were in), including a beautiful new library that had some very interesting aspects to it. First off, it's shaped like a ship, and design so natural light can enter through large glass pans in the ceiling and through smaller "portals" in the walls. It is framed with beams made of iodized copper, which absorb the heat from the sunlight and transfers it to a heating system which converts the energy to heat/cool the building - very modern. We also visited a new IT center where we were told of the option for students to gain ECDL (European Computer Driver's License) certification, which allows the student to be recognized throughout the EU for computer literacy. I happened to think this was fantastic. Not only do the students get the training, but it is actually recognized ... how often do people put "Proficient in Microsoft Office" on their resume when in fact they really aren't in the U.S.? And ... who really cares?
After the tour we returned to the conference room where our host gave a fantastic presentation on the history and evolution of the IoT (Institute of Technology) system in Ireland before presenting on GMIT itself. Fun facts I learned today:
1. The IoT system was originally funded by the World Bank.
2. Ireland has grown drastically in recent years, and while none of them are Irish companies, 13 of the world's top 15 pharmaceutical companies, 15 of the world's top 25 medical device companies, and 6 of the world's top 10 ICT companies have footing in Ireland.
3. The Bologna Process unified education in the EU, setting a common understanding of education "levels," allowing students in the EU to easily transfer between institutions.
4. Despite being part of the EU, Ireland's biggest trading partner is the U.S. and it's 2nd biggest is China ... neither of which are part of the EU. This is causing recent issues for Ireland with the weakening of U.S. and Chinese currencies against the euro.
5. There is a booming software industry in Ireland, but Irish students won't go into computing sciences because of the impression that math and computing course are hard, and for fear of another dot com bust. However, American students are snapping up these jobs like crazy in Ireland.
6. GMIT-Letterfrack is known worldwide for it's degree in furniture design.
While it took Sabrena and I a little bit of effort to be able to actually talk to him (which is a long story in itself), talking with Patty, the President of GMIT's Students' Union, was most valuable today (and I have to say pretty enjoyable - he is sweet, smart, and attractive ... with that great Irish accent!). Like the student at NUIG, Patty has finished his degree and is actually on his 2nd full term with GMIT (he was vice president last year - also a full-time position). It was nice to be able to compare and contrast his role with that of the student we had spoken with at NUIG. Later he and his VP were also able to better explain to us the role of the Leaving Certificate and the CAO in Irish higher education, which I find incredibly interesting. To put it in simplest terms (so that I don't take this whole posting on this one topic), Irish students are basically assigned institutions and majors for 3rd level (college) education based on a single score on their Leaving Certificate, an exam (which can best be compared to the SAT or ACT, but contains 6 subjects) required to pass 2nd level education (high school). Students apply for and rank their preferences for higher education through the CAO (Central Applications Office), which assigns them pretty much based on their score and a lottery system. You can only begin to imagine the issues this system can cause for students!
After our visit at GMIT, we all returned to the hotel where Sabrena and I changed clothes (SOC '06 ... I sported our shirt today!) and ventured out into the city again so that I could buy my Claddagh ring. After looking at all the options, I purchased a silver Original Claddagh ring from Dillon's, as they are the only producer recognized by Ireland, and therefore my ring bears the official stamp of Ireland - pretty sweet! I put it away for safe keeping for now so that I don't lose it at the Aran Islands tomorrow, but I may just have to pull it out and see if it helps me win the heart of some cute Irishman! :-) (Bec and Leanne - I haven't found my Denny yet ... but, Sabrena and I are on the lookout for cute Irish farmers so we can stay here ... we'll let you know how it goes). I also have the history of the Claddagh ring, including what it represents. Though it is too long to type out the whole thing, the Claddagh ring originated as an ideal wedding ring, though now is also used as a friendship ring and/or promise ring, as it contains two hands holding a heart which wears a crown - the hands are for friendship, the heart is for love, and loyalty is show with a crown up above. Most people recognize the ring by the distinct way in which it is worn - with the heart turned away from the person on the right hand if she/he is single, with the heart turned toward the person on the right hand if she/he is taken, with the heart turned away from the person on the left hand if she/he is engaged, and with the heart turned toward the person on the left hand if she/he is married. (Perhaps I'll find someone to turn my around soon ... haha.) I like the Claddagh ring for it's history, and what it represents - let love and friendship remain (the title of this post), because I believe that love of any type and true friendship can get you through anything.
After my purchase, Sabrena and I got some "blended coffee" ... which was more like a milkshake ... and sat out on Eyre Square chatting about a variety of things (particularly about tattoos) and watched a talent bicyclist do tricks and an extremely intoxicated man stumble along the sidewalk (ah the variety of sights in Galway). We then headed back for a group chat with the rest of the students and our professors before heading off to dinner. Tonight was egg salad (I gave it a shot, but didn't like it), lasagna (very good!) and chips (which are served with EVERYTHING ... you'd think there was never a potato famine) and huge iced brownies and ice cream for desert (Jenn, Mandie, Dad, and Clint - you would have loved it!). I then headed back here ... where I am writing this journal.
I still absolutely love this city. I love it's vibrancy. There are always people around, and it is so lively. Being quite artistic myself, I appreciate the amount of free expression that is welcomed and celebrated here. It makes me want to live in a city where that is appreciated - where I can sit out on the "square" surrounded by those of the city and admire and appreciate what they each create. The people here are amazingly kind and helpful too - customer service at its finest. They anticipate your needs and ask if they can help you often before you realize you even need it. Everyone is so knowledgeable about the history of their city and their country (and school) too, and in a way, as I discussed with Sabrena today, puts our patriotism to shame. I mean, admittedly while I have taken my history of higher education course, I wouldn't dare attempt to give a presentation on not only my institution but also the history of the higher education system and my country in general in such a manner as those have done for us here the last few days. History, tradition, innovation, individualism, and collectivism are all somehow coinciding and being celebrated here every day. My only frustration has been my inability to find certain things - like a grocery store, or a liquor store (so we can get Sabrena some O'Keefe beer for her family) - and the fact that the value of a dollar is horrible here (ah money ... always an issue for everyone it seems). Shops aren't set up here like they are in the U.S. While we all spoke today about how we all feel like we already know our way around the city and are excited to move on to new areas of Ireland soon, I'm sure we have only scratched the surface of what Galway has to offer. This city has somehow progressed with the times while still being able to showcase their history and honor their tradition - it's hard to explain, you just have to see it and be able to feel it. It makes me definitely realize what I (and other Americans) take for granted.
Reflecting on today, I also realized something else which has been on my mind while I've been here. In student affairs, we are always talking about diversity, but always struggling with how it is defined and what to do about it. In speaking of diversity, we all like to think we have no discrimination or prejudice, but let's face it, we all do, purposely or not ... we come from a society that stereotypes; it is ingrained in us. The last few days I have found myself looking at the people around me and trying to categorize them, as if I'm trying to make sense of them all or to assign certain characteristics to Irish people as I learn here. However, I've found I cannot. As soon as I think I see something and think to myself, "Wow, Irish people must ..." something else turns that assumption around, and I am forced to reflect on the fact that oftentimes people are more different within groups than they are between groups. The Irish, like everyone else, are just people - all unique - no categories necessary. (However, despite what colleagues told me about when they were here, I have seen quite a lot of red-headed people ... Spennett, you'd fit right in! :-))
Today Sabrena and I got to sleep in an extra hour, but seeing as how we only got 6 hours of sleep, that didn't seem to help too much. After breakfast we caught a coach with the rest of our group out to Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT), where we were having our 2nd institutional visit today. Once we found our way, we were greeted by a tiny little Irishman who heads teaching and learning at GMIT (which oversees student services), who would be our host for the day. He immediately took us on a tour of the campus, which was larger than I expected it to be, and, being the summer months, was under much renovation. The first thing we got to see was a fantastic view from the deck off of the president's conference room, where we were meeting for the day. This deck overlooked student housing which resting along the coast - absolutely breathtaking. We then continued around the newest building (which we were in), including a beautiful new library that had some very interesting aspects to it. First off, it's shaped like a ship, and design so natural light can enter through large glass pans in the ceiling and through smaller "portals" in the walls. It is framed with beams made of iodized copper, which absorb the heat from the sunlight and transfers it to a heating system which converts the energy to heat/cool the building - very modern. We also visited a new IT center where we were told of the option for students to gain ECDL (European Computer Driver's License) certification, which allows the student to be recognized throughout the EU for computer literacy. I happened to think this was fantastic. Not only do the students get the training, but it is actually recognized ... how often do people put "Proficient in Microsoft Office" on their resume when in fact they really aren't in the U.S.? And ... who really cares?
After the tour we returned to the conference room where our host gave a fantastic presentation on the history and evolution of the IoT (Institute of Technology) system in Ireland before presenting on GMIT itself. Fun facts I learned today:
1. The IoT system was originally funded by the World Bank.
2. Ireland has grown drastically in recent years, and while none of them are Irish companies, 13 of the world's top 15 pharmaceutical companies, 15 of the world's top 25 medical device companies, and 6 of the world's top 10 ICT companies have footing in Ireland.
3. The Bologna Process unified education in the EU, setting a common understanding of education "levels," allowing students in the EU to easily transfer between institutions.
4. Despite being part of the EU, Ireland's biggest trading partner is the U.S. and it's 2nd biggest is China ... neither of which are part of the EU. This is causing recent issues for Ireland with the weakening of U.S. and Chinese currencies against the euro.
5. There is a booming software industry in Ireland, but Irish students won't go into computing sciences because of the impression that math and computing course are hard, and for fear of another dot com bust. However, American students are snapping up these jobs like crazy in Ireland.
6. GMIT-Letterfrack is known worldwide for it's degree in furniture design.
While it took Sabrena and I a little bit of effort to be able to actually talk to him (which is a long story in itself), talking with Patty, the President of GMIT's Students' Union, was most valuable today (and I have to say pretty enjoyable - he is sweet, smart, and attractive ... with that great Irish accent!). Like the student at NUIG, Patty has finished his degree and is actually on his 2nd full term with GMIT (he was vice president last year - also a full-time position). It was nice to be able to compare and contrast his role with that of the student we had spoken with at NUIG. Later he and his VP were also able to better explain to us the role of the Leaving Certificate and the CAO in Irish higher education, which I find incredibly interesting. To put it in simplest terms (so that I don't take this whole posting on this one topic), Irish students are basically assigned institutions and majors for 3rd level (college) education based on a single score on their Leaving Certificate, an exam (which can best be compared to the SAT or ACT, but contains 6 subjects) required to pass 2nd level education (high school). Students apply for and rank their preferences for higher education through the CAO (Central Applications Office), which assigns them pretty much based on their score and a lottery system. You can only begin to imagine the issues this system can cause for students!
After our visit at GMIT, we all returned to the hotel where Sabrena and I changed clothes (SOC '06 ... I sported our shirt today!) and ventured out into the city again so that I could buy my Claddagh ring. After looking at all the options, I purchased a silver Original Claddagh ring from Dillon's, as they are the only producer recognized by Ireland, and therefore my ring bears the official stamp of Ireland - pretty sweet! I put it away for safe keeping for now so that I don't lose it at the Aran Islands tomorrow, but I may just have to pull it out and see if it helps me win the heart of some cute Irishman! :-) (Bec and Leanne - I haven't found my Denny yet ... but, Sabrena and I are on the lookout for cute Irish farmers so we can stay here ... we'll let you know how it goes). I also have the history of the Claddagh ring, including what it represents. Though it is too long to type out the whole thing, the Claddagh ring originated as an ideal wedding ring, though now is also used as a friendship ring and/or promise ring, as it contains two hands holding a heart which wears a crown - the hands are for friendship, the heart is for love, and loyalty is show with a crown up above. Most people recognize the ring by the distinct way in which it is worn - with the heart turned away from the person on the right hand if she/he is single, with the heart turned toward the person on the right hand if she/he is taken, with the heart turned away from the person on the left hand if she/he is engaged, and with the heart turned toward the person on the left hand if she/he is married. (Perhaps I'll find someone to turn my around soon ... haha.) I like the Claddagh ring for it's history, and what it represents - let love and friendship remain (the title of this post), because I believe that love of any type and true friendship can get you through anything.
After my purchase, Sabrena and I got some "blended coffee" ... which was more like a milkshake ... and sat out on Eyre Square chatting about a variety of things (particularly about tattoos) and watched a talent bicyclist do tricks and an extremely intoxicated man stumble along the sidewalk (ah the variety of sights in Galway). We then headed back for a group chat with the rest of the students and our professors before heading off to dinner. Tonight was egg salad (I gave it a shot, but didn't like it), lasagna (very good!) and chips (which are served with EVERYTHING ... you'd think there was never a potato famine) and huge iced brownies and ice cream for desert (Jenn, Mandie, Dad, and Clint - you would have loved it!). I then headed back here ... where I am writing this journal.
I still absolutely love this city. I love it's vibrancy. There are always people around, and it is so lively. Being quite artistic myself, I appreciate the amount of free expression that is welcomed and celebrated here. It makes me want to live in a city where that is appreciated - where I can sit out on the "square" surrounded by those of the city and admire and appreciate what they each create. The people here are amazingly kind and helpful too - customer service at its finest. They anticipate your needs and ask if they can help you often before you realize you even need it. Everyone is so knowledgeable about the history of their city and their country (and school) too, and in a way, as I discussed with Sabrena today, puts our patriotism to shame. I mean, admittedly while I have taken my history of higher education course, I wouldn't dare attempt to give a presentation on not only my institution but also the history of the higher education system and my country in general in such a manner as those have done for us here the last few days. History, tradition, innovation, individualism, and collectivism are all somehow coinciding and being celebrated here every day. My only frustration has been my inability to find certain things - like a grocery store, or a liquor store (so we can get Sabrena some O'Keefe beer for her family) - and the fact that the value of a dollar is horrible here (ah money ... always an issue for everyone it seems). Shops aren't set up here like they are in the U.S. While we all spoke today about how we all feel like we already know our way around the city and are excited to move on to new areas of Ireland soon, I'm sure we have only scratched the surface of what Galway has to offer. This city has somehow progressed with the times while still being able to showcase their history and honor their tradition - it's hard to explain, you just have to see it and be able to feel it. It makes me definitely realize what I (and other Americans) take for granted.
Reflecting on today, I also realized something else which has been on my mind while I've been here. In student affairs, we are always talking about diversity, but always struggling with how it is defined and what to do about it. In speaking of diversity, we all like to think we have no discrimination or prejudice, but let's face it, we all do, purposely or not ... we come from a society that stereotypes; it is ingrained in us. The last few days I have found myself looking at the people around me and trying to categorize them, as if I'm trying to make sense of them all or to assign certain characteristics to Irish people as I learn here. However, I've found I cannot. As soon as I think I see something and think to myself, "Wow, Irish people must ..." something else turns that assumption around, and I am forced to reflect on the fact that oftentimes people are more different within groups than they are between groups. The Irish, like everyone else, are just people - all unique - no categories necessary. (However, despite what colleagues told me about when they were here, I have seen quite a lot of red-headed people ... Spennett, you'd fit right in! :-))
Just follow the little green running man ...
(Note ... this post is about Tuesday, June 22, 2008).
This morning we woke up at 6:30 a.m Ireland time (1:30 a.m. USA Eastern time) to shower and be at breakfast by 8:00 a.m. Traditional Irish breakfast = a lot of food! There's no way I could have tried it all, but I did partake in some yummy ham (sort of like Canadian bacon), hasbrowns, some fruit, and a scone (so good), and even braved the black pudding (which surprisingly didn't taste like much). Add some strong coffee and I bet that didn't add up to 1/3 of the food on the buffet, so I'll have to try some more tomorrow! (Note to those who like strong coffee ... Ireland is for you!).
After breakfast we all gathered to walk to our first institutional visit at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway or NUIG). Upon approaching a building that looked partially like a castle and partially like an old cathedral with a green space in the middle (we later learned this was the original building that comprised NUIG when it was founded in 1845 as one of 3 Queens Colleges), we were greeted by Matt Doran, a cute, elderly Irish gentleman and the Administrator of Student Services - he was our host for the day. After giving us a very brief history about where we were standing, he ushered us inside to a conference room where we would spend the morning hearing from those who work in a variety of student services at NUIG.
I know that many of you aren't studying or working in student affairs, so I won't bore you with all the exciting things that I learned while on this visit, but I will point out some things that I found most interesting. You can skip over this part if you wish!
What became clearly apparent, and was even stated quite often, is that job descriptions are hard to come by at NUIG ... they either don't exist or aren't very structured. Therefore, many of the people that we heard from stated something along the lines of, "I do this, among a lot of other things." Matt happened to mention later in the day that Student Services at NUIG is "personal service driven, not administrative driven. There aren't really job descriptions, we just do whatever it takes to help the students." That was definitely apparent throughout the day. While Student Services at NUIG don't closely mirror those in the states, they do provide an unconditional support system to their students, and it's definitely a team effort.
Interestingly enough, alcohol was a topic of much discussion, which I found to be intriguing. Throughout my years at both Purdue and now at USC, and in general conversation with family, friends, and colleagues, I have often heard the comment made that laws regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs in the U.S. should be limited, with the justification that those countries in Europe who allow their usage earlier in life face fewer problems. Such is definitely not the case in Ireland. Socially, there is an alcohol problem, and in terms of students, far too many participate in extreme binge drinking - a habit that they formed in 2nd level school (high school) and brought with them to 3rd level education (college). Many of those who worked in Student Services at NUIG, particularly those who work in health services, discussed the need to work with students to further minimize their drinking habits. I found it interesting when Matt discussed later that common issues their students face are with alcohol and mental health concerns, and that many students, particularly males, don't seek the help that they need.
In my research prior to coming to Ireland, I had learned about NUIG's Student Connect Mentoring Programme, by which I was fascinated. It appears to be common in Ireland, as NUIG represents, for all first-year students to receive a personal tutor/mentor upon entrance to the institution. This is definitely a model program - student affairs peeps, check it out! It is grounded in the research that we all know that recognizes that students go to peers and family for support first, before coming to SA professionals.
When studying Irish institutions you will find much talk about mature students (students coming to school for the first time who are over the age of 23) and disability students. Without going into too much detail, I thought it was interesting to note that there was legislation passed in Ireland requiring ALL buildings (including those which predate the legislation) to be fully physically and sensory accessible by 2012 ... talk about a major construction project to take on, but also talk about a major support for those individuals!
Approximately 300 students from the USA study abroad at NUIG each year (those interested in studying abroad should definitely check it out) and it was interesting to hear the woman who oversees international student services talk about the amount of phone calls and e-mails she gets from American parents (our "helicopter parents" are reaching out internationally), but noted that she understood their concerns, and being a parent herself, could absolutely related to them. It was inspiring to hear both her and Matt talk about the importance of parental involvement in students' lives and how it should be looked at as an asset for a variety of reasons - a far more positive outlook that a lot of U.S. student affairs professionals give parents to today's students.
Most interesting was the presentation by Muireann O'Dwyer, President of the Students' Union (most similar to our student government). AT NUIG, and apparently at many institutions in Ireland, students who are elected president of the Students' Union take a sabbatical from school (or stay an additional year if they have completed their degree) to serve in a full-time, paid role at the institution, for which they are given an enormous amount of responsibility - including running many buildings and services on campus, such as the sports facilities, the union, the clubs and societies, the bookstore, and even the campus bar. Yes ... there is a campus bar ... complete with beer AND liquor on tap ... we at lunch there after the presentations were over before we went on a campus tour. (And ladies ... as you will notice by the pictures Sabrena and I take, hair is an issue in Ireland due to the great amount of rain and humidity. Have no fear ... the bathroom in the campus bar has a hair straightener for your use ... so you can always look nice while on campus ... strange.)
The tour of campus was interesting, as the campus is a mix of old, beautiful buildings that you expect when you come to Ireland and much new, modern architecture, a sign of the wealth Ireland has gained over time. Interesting was to find out that most Irish institutions, including NUIG, do not run their own residence hall system. Instead, accommodations for students are privately owned, and the campuses only provide a listing of available offerings. At NUIG, the common place to stay, Corrib Village (named as it sits on the Corrib River which runs along campus ... beautiful!), is quite far away and is about 3000 euro a year. However, keep in mind that Irish students who attend state (national) institutions attend tuition free - so housing is the only major cost. There is also a cute chapel on campus that happened to be hosting a wedding as we walked by (the groomed waved at us). Quote of the day came from Matt when we were passing by here as he pointed to the wall around the church and said "Inside there, God-fearing. Outside here, free willing!"
Once our tour was over, Sabrena and I made our way back to the hotel (stopping to take pictures of the Galway Cathedral along the way) to change clothes before heading out on a little adventure to purchase a converter because .... TA DA, I melted the one I have. (Jenn, you can go ahead and make a bill out to me for that one, and I'll pay you when I get back). A melted converter meant that we couldn't use our straighteners (well ... mine is broken anyway from yesterday) or Sabrena's computer, and thus we were quite frustrated and our hair was looking terrible. After following some terrible directions to Argos (kind of like a strange Best Buy) from a lady that worked at Boots (sort of like a CVS with a lot of personalized makeup counters) and getting lost in residential Galway, we came back empty handed. Therefore, prepare for some curly and wild hair in the rest of our pictures. Luckily we do have a surge protector and can use Sabrena's computer.
Note that Sabrena and I are in room 310, which we follow a maze to get to every time we come back to our hotel. I tend to always pass the lift (elevator) on the way to our room, and Sabrena always laughs at me. While waiting for the elevator today, I happened to look up and see the exit sign and pointed it out to Sabrena, to which she looked at me in disbelief and laughed hysterically saying, "Didn't you hear me yesterday?" The exit signs are green with little stick figures running in the direction of the exit. Yesterday while on the way to our room I had mentioned to Sabrena that hopefully nothing bad would happen that would cause us to have to find our way out of the hotel in the middle of the night or we might never make it, and she had responded, "Just follow the little green running man!" In my disillusionment from lack of sleep, I clearly did not hear her or just didn't pay attention. (Hence the name of this post).
We later met up with the rest of the students at a local pub before heading to dinner at Garvey's, which happens to be caddy corner from our hotel and also happens to have a for sale sign outside (which we all thought was really weird since our dinner had been arranged there). There we had some vegetable soup for an appetizer with was good but admittedly a little odd, as it had all been pureed together so it was like a broth - no chunks of vegetables. We then had some great fish and chips (yay Irish food). The best part of the dinner was the fact that the fish and chips was supposed to be served with mashed peas, which Pam (one of our professors) and I thought was gross (despite my actually liking peas). Luckily our plates were magically served without the mashed peas - hooray for us! Second best part of the dinner was Jen's (another student) explanation of not only her passion for tator tots, but was constitutes the "perfect tot." Guess we're not just learning about the Irish and higher education ... I now know how tator tots are made and what makes them perfect!
After dinner we all did some icebreakers (because we are, after all, student affairs people) now that the whole group was together, through which we learned the following Irish terminology:
Irish term = USA term
afters = dessert
bucketing = raining very heavily
cow juice = milk
dander = a leisurely stroll
eatin' house = restaurant
flea rake = comb
gaff = house
hole in the wall = ATM
"I am in my wick!" = "You must be joking!"
jacked = tired
knick-knacking = ringing a doorbell and running away
lift = elevator
messages = groceries
narky = cranky
odds = loose change
"Pull your socks up!" = "Get to work!"
quare hawk = odd fella
redser = someone w/ red hair
snaps = photographs
tackies = runners/trainers
up the pole = pregnant
vexed = upset
wanker = uninteresting person
yonks = a long time
After the icebreakers, the students headed out for a local pub and then spent some time wandering around Shop Street to see the liveliness of the city at night. Sabrena and I then headed back to the hotel room to write our journals, despite being tired, and ended up wide awake by the time we were done. After singing and dancing to NKOTB, Sugarland, and Kid Rock, we are now going to bed at 1:30 a.m. Ireland time (8:30 p.m. USA Eastern time) ... probably a bad idea in hindsight ... but definitely fun. Sweetdreams!
This morning we woke up at 6:30 a.m Ireland time (1:30 a.m. USA Eastern time) to shower and be at breakfast by 8:00 a.m. Traditional Irish breakfast = a lot of food! There's no way I could have tried it all, but I did partake in some yummy ham (sort of like Canadian bacon), hasbrowns, some fruit, and a scone (so good), and even braved the black pudding (which surprisingly didn't taste like much). Add some strong coffee and I bet that didn't add up to 1/3 of the food on the buffet, so I'll have to try some more tomorrow! (Note to those who like strong coffee ... Ireland is for you!).
After breakfast we all gathered to walk to our first institutional visit at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway or NUIG). Upon approaching a building that looked partially like a castle and partially like an old cathedral with a green space in the middle (we later learned this was the original building that comprised NUIG when it was founded in 1845 as one of 3 Queens Colleges), we were greeted by Matt Doran, a cute, elderly Irish gentleman and the Administrator of Student Services - he was our host for the day. After giving us a very brief history about where we were standing, he ushered us inside to a conference room where we would spend the morning hearing from those who work in a variety of student services at NUIG.
I know that many of you aren't studying or working in student affairs, so I won't bore you with all the exciting things that I learned while on this visit, but I will point out some things that I found most interesting. You can skip over this part if you wish!
What became clearly apparent, and was even stated quite often, is that job descriptions are hard to come by at NUIG ... they either don't exist or aren't very structured. Therefore, many of the people that we heard from stated something along the lines of, "I do this, among a lot of other things." Matt happened to mention later in the day that Student Services at NUIG is "personal service driven, not administrative driven. There aren't really job descriptions, we just do whatever it takes to help the students." That was definitely apparent throughout the day. While Student Services at NUIG don't closely mirror those in the states, they do provide an unconditional support system to their students, and it's definitely a team effort.
Interestingly enough, alcohol was a topic of much discussion, which I found to be intriguing. Throughout my years at both Purdue and now at USC, and in general conversation with family, friends, and colleagues, I have often heard the comment made that laws regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs in the U.S. should be limited, with the justification that those countries in Europe who allow their usage earlier in life face fewer problems. Such is definitely not the case in Ireland. Socially, there is an alcohol problem, and in terms of students, far too many participate in extreme binge drinking - a habit that they formed in 2nd level school (high school) and brought with them to 3rd level education (college). Many of those who worked in Student Services at NUIG, particularly those who work in health services, discussed the need to work with students to further minimize their drinking habits. I found it interesting when Matt discussed later that common issues their students face are with alcohol and mental health concerns, and that many students, particularly males, don't seek the help that they need.
In my research prior to coming to Ireland, I had learned about NUIG's Student Connect Mentoring Programme, by which I was fascinated. It appears to be common in Ireland, as NUIG represents, for all first-year students to receive a personal tutor/mentor upon entrance to the institution. This is definitely a model program - student affairs peeps, check it out! It is grounded in the research that we all know that recognizes that students go to peers and family for support first, before coming to SA professionals.
When studying Irish institutions you will find much talk about mature students (students coming to school for the first time who are over the age of 23) and disability students. Without going into too much detail, I thought it was interesting to note that there was legislation passed in Ireland requiring ALL buildings (including those which predate the legislation) to be fully physically and sensory accessible by 2012 ... talk about a major construction project to take on, but also talk about a major support for those individuals!
Approximately 300 students from the USA study abroad at NUIG each year (those interested in studying abroad should definitely check it out) and it was interesting to hear the woman who oversees international student services talk about the amount of phone calls and e-mails she gets from American parents (our "helicopter parents" are reaching out internationally), but noted that she understood their concerns, and being a parent herself, could absolutely related to them. It was inspiring to hear both her and Matt talk about the importance of parental involvement in students' lives and how it should be looked at as an asset for a variety of reasons - a far more positive outlook that a lot of U.S. student affairs professionals give parents to today's students.
Most interesting was the presentation by Muireann O'Dwyer, President of the Students' Union (most similar to our student government). AT NUIG, and apparently at many institutions in Ireland, students who are elected president of the Students' Union take a sabbatical from school (or stay an additional year if they have completed their degree) to serve in a full-time, paid role at the institution, for which they are given an enormous amount of responsibility - including running many buildings and services on campus, such as the sports facilities, the union, the clubs and societies, the bookstore, and even the campus bar. Yes ... there is a campus bar ... complete with beer AND liquor on tap ... we at lunch there after the presentations were over before we went on a campus tour. (And ladies ... as you will notice by the pictures Sabrena and I take, hair is an issue in Ireland due to the great amount of rain and humidity. Have no fear ... the bathroom in the campus bar has a hair straightener for your use ... so you can always look nice while on campus ... strange.)
The tour of campus was interesting, as the campus is a mix of old, beautiful buildings that you expect when you come to Ireland and much new, modern architecture, a sign of the wealth Ireland has gained over time. Interesting was to find out that most Irish institutions, including NUIG, do not run their own residence hall system. Instead, accommodations for students are privately owned, and the campuses only provide a listing of available offerings. At NUIG, the common place to stay, Corrib Village (named as it sits on the Corrib River which runs along campus ... beautiful!), is quite far away and is about 3000 euro a year. However, keep in mind that Irish students who attend state (national) institutions attend tuition free - so housing is the only major cost. There is also a cute chapel on campus that happened to be hosting a wedding as we walked by (the groomed waved at us). Quote of the day came from Matt when we were passing by here as he pointed to the wall around the church and said "Inside there, God-fearing. Outside here, free willing!"
Once our tour was over, Sabrena and I made our way back to the hotel (stopping to take pictures of the Galway Cathedral along the way) to change clothes before heading out on a little adventure to purchase a converter because .... TA DA, I melted the one I have. (Jenn, you can go ahead and make a bill out to me for that one, and I'll pay you when I get back). A melted converter meant that we couldn't use our straighteners (well ... mine is broken anyway from yesterday) or Sabrena's computer, and thus we were quite frustrated and our hair was looking terrible. After following some terrible directions to Argos (kind of like a strange Best Buy) from a lady that worked at Boots (sort of like a CVS with a lot of personalized makeup counters) and getting lost in residential Galway, we came back empty handed. Therefore, prepare for some curly and wild hair in the rest of our pictures. Luckily we do have a surge protector and can use Sabrena's computer.
Note that Sabrena and I are in room 310, which we follow a maze to get to every time we come back to our hotel. I tend to always pass the lift (elevator) on the way to our room, and Sabrena always laughs at me. While waiting for the elevator today, I happened to look up and see the exit sign and pointed it out to Sabrena, to which she looked at me in disbelief and laughed hysterically saying, "Didn't you hear me yesterday?" The exit signs are green with little stick figures running in the direction of the exit. Yesterday while on the way to our room I had mentioned to Sabrena that hopefully nothing bad would happen that would cause us to have to find our way out of the hotel in the middle of the night or we might never make it, and she had responded, "Just follow the little green running man!" In my disillusionment from lack of sleep, I clearly did not hear her or just didn't pay attention. (Hence the name of this post).
We later met up with the rest of the students at a local pub before heading to dinner at Garvey's, which happens to be caddy corner from our hotel and also happens to have a for sale sign outside (which we all thought was really weird since our dinner had been arranged there). There we had some vegetable soup for an appetizer with was good but admittedly a little odd, as it had all been pureed together so it was like a broth - no chunks of vegetables. We then had some great fish and chips (yay Irish food). The best part of the dinner was the fact that the fish and chips was supposed to be served with mashed peas, which Pam (one of our professors) and I thought was gross (despite my actually liking peas). Luckily our plates were magically served without the mashed peas - hooray for us! Second best part of the dinner was Jen's (another student) explanation of not only her passion for tator tots, but was constitutes the "perfect tot." Guess we're not just learning about the Irish and higher education ... I now know how tator tots are made and what makes them perfect!
After dinner we all did some icebreakers (because we are, after all, student affairs people) now that the whole group was together, through which we learned the following Irish terminology:
Irish term = USA term
afters = dessert
bucketing = raining very heavily
cow juice = milk
dander = a leisurely stroll
eatin' house = restaurant
flea rake = comb
gaff = house
hole in the wall = ATM
"I am in my wick!" = "You must be joking!"
jacked = tired
knick-knacking = ringing a doorbell and running away
lift = elevator
messages = groceries
narky = cranky
odds = loose change
"Pull your socks up!" = "Get to work!"
quare hawk = odd fella
redser = someone w/ red hair
snaps = photographs
tackies = runners/trainers
up the pole = pregnant
vexed = upset
wanker = uninteresting person
yonks = a long time
After the icebreakers, the students headed out for a local pub and then spent some time wandering around Shop Street to see the liveliness of the city at night. Sabrena and I then headed back to the hotel room to write our journals, despite being tired, and ended up wide awake by the time we were done. After singing and dancing to NKOTB, Sugarland, and Kid Rock, we are now going to bed at 1:30 a.m. Ireland time (8:30 p.m. USA Eastern time) ... probably a bad idea in hindsight ... but definitely fun. Sweetdreams!
It's been a rollercoaster ride ... but I'm in Ireland !!
Greetings from Ireland !!!! I meant to get this up and running sooner ... but there have been quite a few delays due to technical difficulties ... and this city called Galway that I've been exploring. So ... I'll try and update as soon as possible, but until then ... know that I'm keeping my journals along the way and will get them updated ASAP and add pictures when I get back to the states.
This blog is titled "Beatha, grá, gáire !" meaning "Life, Love, Laugther" in Irish Gaelic. Seemed appropriate for my travels. :-)
The following post was originally written on 7/22/08 regarding 7/21/08, my first day in Ireland. Here goes ...
We made it to Ireland !!!! I was beginning to think I might never make it here. Last night, after being up for 30 hours and 15 minutes, Sabrena and I called it a night at 7:15 pm Ireland time (note: this is 2:15 pm USA Eastern time)! We could NOT keep our eyes open any longer, and slept until 6:30 am Ireland time except for a few disturbances outside our window. Despite turning in for an early night, we had quite the eventful day!
My first flight, out of Indy, was supposed to be at 1:50 pm. So, after breakfast with the fam, my sister drove me to the airport, putting me there just at 2 hours before my departure ... perfect timing! Check-in went super smoothly minus the fact that I was told my flight was already delayed an hour. So I grabbed some McDonald's to pass the time, only to find out my flight was delayed until 4:00 p.m when I got to my gate. So, like a good student, I read my Frommer's Ireland book for class, and then chatted with the extremely cute (and extremely gay ... just my luck) man sitting across the way who was Germany-bound to see his boyfriend. Life seemed to look up when we found out that we would actually be boarding at 3:00 for a 3:20 takeoff!
My travels to Ireland was a rollercoaster ride from that point on. While I got on the plane at 3:00 and had seat 1A (a whole row to myself at the front of the plane with plenty of leg room!) and we taxied out on time at 3:20, we didn't take off until 4:30, putting us at an estimated arrival time of 6:25 pm in Newark, NJ. We got there on time, however I had to wait for my carry on (which was gate checked due to the size of our very SMALL plane) and then catch a busy to my next gate. Luckily Sabrena was there with Pam and Tony (our professors) and Lorrianne (another student) to let me know my gate had been changed and to hold the plane for me (otherwise this might have been a very different story)! After a bus ride and the fastest bathroom stop of my life, I speed-walked to my gate to find everyone boarding the plane! No time for food or anything - I BARELY made it!
Luckily things looked up from there. Sabrena and I were in a row to ourselves, and we had a dinner that far surpassed my expectations of airplane food - salad, pot roast, mashed potatoes, a roll and some cookies. We then "slept" the rest of the way to Ireland, where we woke up to a warm croissant and some fruit about an hour before landing. (Katharine, the cookies we got for dinner were those Pepperidge Farms ones you love. I definitely thought of you!)
Once we landed in Shannon, the gang gathered our belongings, exchanged money (holy crap, bad exchange rate!) and ran into Megan (another student) on our way to catch our bus to Galway.
Note, as I was leaving the Shannon airport, I happened to look to my left out the window of the bus to see a large sign that read "SHANNON FREE ZONE." I have NO idea what it means for Ireland, but I took it as a sign that BGR would fair well here. (So all my fellow BGR readers out there, who wants to come back and start it Ireland with me? I'm thinking Irish Gold Rush! I mean, there ARE pots of gold at the end of rainbows here, right?!)
Let me tell you, what I saw of the bus ride to Galway (yes, Sabrena and I dozed off a few times) was interesting! First off, the Irish road system is crazy! Driving on the left, small skinny roads, and these "turnabouts" every so often that send you in all sorts of crazy directions and always made me feel like we were going to run over all the other cars on the road. Lots of colorful little bed and breakfasts were scattered between farms with lots of cows (of all various types - which I thought was weird. In the states we typically have a herd of one type ... just an observation). Many of the cars are similar to U.S. cars, but the license plates are long and skinny with big letters. (Tommy, there is a brand of car here with a symbol like your tattoo you got in SC! Haven't figured out what it is yet, but I'll try to get a picture for you!) The bus trip was a little rough for Sabrena and Tony. They got very nauseas from all the bumps, rocking, and sudden stops, twist, and turns. However, we made it to Galway in one piece, and quickly found our hotel.
Hotel Meyrick (listed in our travel book as one of the most expensive hotels in Galway) is absolutely gorgeous! (Don't worry, I took lots of pictures!) While the structure is very old, the decor is extremely modern. (Bec, you would love the lobby areas - lime green and zebra print!) Luckily we got right into our rooms even though we weren't supposed to check in until 3:00 p.m. Ireland time (10:00 a.m. USA Eastern time).
Our room is gorgeous! Red and brown decor, a perfect mix of Katharine and me. (I took pics, K.Pei!) We took showers to freshen up for the afternoon. Shower = great. Blowing up my straightener the 1st time I used it = not so great! :-( Luckily I could use Sabrena's. Needing some caffeine, Sabrena and I then found a local coffee shop (O'Briens) before stopping by a local pharmacy to get me some eye drops ... my eye was killing me (it's better now!). We then headed downstairs at 11:15 a.m Ireland time (6:15 a.m USA Eastern time) for orientation only to find out 4 people hadn't made it (stupid delayed flights and lost luggage!), so most of our orientation activities got pushed back a night. We then headed to lunch at The Living Room (a short walk from the hotel), were we had seafood chowder, a chicken casear salad, and chocolate cake with 2 kinds of ice cream (mint chocolate chip and one that looked like vanilla but was NOT vanilla ... still haven't figured that one out!).
Sabrena and I then went exploring around the city, despite a little drizzle on and off. I can't even begin to describe it! I COULD LIVE IN DOWNTOWN GALWAY! Eyre Square, the city center, is literally outside our hotel's front door, and opens to the heart of the city. An annual arts and music festival is occurring currently, so the city is bustling even more than ever, complete with street performers of all sorts (which I hear is pretty common any time of year). Sabrena and I wandered through the colorful little shops and restaurants, stopping to look at postcards and jewelry. We found an amazing gallery with all sorts of art for sale, and if I had been really rich, I might have bought the whole store and shipped it back home!
Most exciting for me is that Galway is the city where the Claddagh ring was first created, and I got to see (and take pictures of) the ORIGINAL store that makes them (complete with a Claddagh ring history museum)! Sabrena and I spent a lot of time browsing the rings at various jewelry stores, and I will purchase one before we leave Galway!
After seeing a few street performers (my favorite being the guy with the cardboard guitar and music stand holding cardboard music for the song "Ping Ping"), Sabrena and I made our way to the Galway Museum, which is free of charge! I may have to go through it again as I was TOO tired to read everything, but I saw a lot of the history of Galway and one AMAZING sculpture that I would like to have replicated in my house one day (wonder how many euro that would cost!?)
Sabrena and I then made our way back to the hotel to change shoes (we were in heels and our feet were killing us!) before heading to a local pub called Paddy's for a quick dinner before bed. There we split some AMAZING, authentic Irish stew (U.S. Irish pubs have nothing on the original!), and Sabrena had a Guiness (way better here than in the U.S.) and I had Bailey's and coffee (note ... not the best idea to drink on 30+ hours of no sleep) and listened to some drunk old Irishmen slur a mixture of English and Irish Gaelic. HILARIOUS! Then ... bed! By the way ... our beds our super comfortable ... but trust me, until I get on Ireland time, anything feels good when I'm ready to sleep.
This blog is titled "Beatha, grá, gáire !" meaning "Life, Love, Laugther" in Irish Gaelic. Seemed appropriate for my travels. :-)
The following post was originally written on 7/22/08 regarding 7/21/08, my first day in Ireland. Here goes ...
We made it to Ireland !!!! I was beginning to think I might never make it here. Last night, after being up for 30 hours and 15 minutes, Sabrena and I called it a night at 7:15 pm Ireland time (note: this is 2:15 pm USA Eastern time)! We could NOT keep our eyes open any longer, and slept until 6:30 am Ireland time except for a few disturbances outside our window. Despite turning in for an early night, we had quite the eventful day!
My first flight, out of Indy, was supposed to be at 1:50 pm. So, after breakfast with the fam, my sister drove me to the airport, putting me there just at 2 hours before my departure ... perfect timing! Check-in went super smoothly minus the fact that I was told my flight was already delayed an hour. So I grabbed some McDonald's to pass the time, only to find out my flight was delayed until 4:00 p.m when I got to my gate. So, like a good student, I read my Frommer's Ireland book for class, and then chatted with the extremely cute (and extremely gay ... just my luck) man sitting across the way who was Germany-bound to see his boyfriend. Life seemed to look up when we found out that we would actually be boarding at 3:00 for a 3:20 takeoff!
My travels to Ireland was a rollercoaster ride from that point on. While I got on the plane at 3:00 and had seat 1A (a whole row to myself at the front of the plane with plenty of leg room!) and we taxied out on time at 3:20, we didn't take off until 4:30, putting us at an estimated arrival time of 6:25 pm in Newark, NJ. We got there on time, however I had to wait for my carry on (which was gate checked due to the size of our very SMALL plane) and then catch a busy to my next gate. Luckily Sabrena was there with Pam and Tony (our professors) and Lorrianne (another student) to let me know my gate had been changed and to hold the plane for me (otherwise this might have been a very different story)! After a bus ride and the fastest bathroom stop of my life, I speed-walked to my gate to find everyone boarding the plane! No time for food or anything - I BARELY made it!
Luckily things looked up from there. Sabrena and I were in a row to ourselves, and we had a dinner that far surpassed my expectations of airplane food - salad, pot roast, mashed potatoes, a roll and some cookies. We then "slept" the rest of the way to Ireland, where we woke up to a warm croissant and some fruit about an hour before landing. (Katharine, the cookies we got for dinner were those Pepperidge Farms ones you love. I definitely thought of you!)
Once we landed in Shannon, the gang gathered our belongings, exchanged money (holy crap, bad exchange rate!) and ran into Megan (another student) on our way to catch our bus to Galway.
Note, as I was leaving the Shannon airport, I happened to look to my left out the window of the bus to see a large sign that read "SHANNON FREE ZONE." I have NO idea what it means for Ireland, but I took it as a sign that BGR would fair well here. (So all my fellow BGR readers out there, who wants to come back and start it Ireland with me? I'm thinking Irish Gold Rush! I mean, there ARE pots of gold at the end of rainbows here, right?!)
Let me tell you, what I saw of the bus ride to Galway (yes, Sabrena and I dozed off a few times) was interesting! First off, the Irish road system is crazy! Driving on the left, small skinny roads, and these "turnabouts" every so often that send you in all sorts of crazy directions and always made me feel like we were going to run over all the other cars on the road. Lots of colorful little bed and breakfasts were scattered between farms with lots of cows (of all various types - which I thought was weird. In the states we typically have a herd of one type ... just an observation). Many of the cars are similar to U.S. cars, but the license plates are long and skinny with big letters. (Tommy, there is a brand of car here with a symbol like your tattoo you got in SC! Haven't figured out what it is yet, but I'll try to get a picture for you!) The bus trip was a little rough for Sabrena and Tony. They got very nauseas from all the bumps, rocking, and sudden stops, twist, and turns. However, we made it to Galway in one piece, and quickly found our hotel.
Hotel Meyrick (listed in our travel book as one of the most expensive hotels in Galway) is absolutely gorgeous! (Don't worry, I took lots of pictures!) While the structure is very old, the decor is extremely modern. (Bec, you would love the lobby areas - lime green and zebra print!) Luckily we got right into our rooms even though we weren't supposed to check in until 3:00 p.m. Ireland time (10:00 a.m. USA Eastern time).
Our room is gorgeous! Red and brown decor, a perfect mix of Katharine and me. (I took pics, K.Pei!) We took showers to freshen up for the afternoon. Shower = great. Blowing up my straightener the 1st time I used it = not so great! :-( Luckily I could use Sabrena's. Needing some caffeine, Sabrena and I then found a local coffee shop (O'Briens) before stopping by a local pharmacy to get me some eye drops ... my eye was killing me (it's better now!). We then headed downstairs at 11:15 a.m Ireland time (6:15 a.m USA Eastern time) for orientation only to find out 4 people hadn't made it (stupid delayed flights and lost luggage!), so most of our orientation activities got pushed back a night. We then headed to lunch at The Living Room (a short walk from the hotel), were we had seafood chowder, a chicken casear salad, and chocolate cake with 2 kinds of ice cream (mint chocolate chip and one that looked like vanilla but was NOT vanilla ... still haven't figured that one out!).
Sabrena and I then went exploring around the city, despite a little drizzle on and off. I can't even begin to describe it! I COULD LIVE IN DOWNTOWN GALWAY! Eyre Square, the city center, is literally outside our hotel's front door, and opens to the heart of the city. An annual arts and music festival is occurring currently, so the city is bustling even more than ever, complete with street performers of all sorts (which I hear is pretty common any time of year). Sabrena and I wandered through the colorful little shops and restaurants, stopping to look at postcards and jewelry. We found an amazing gallery with all sorts of art for sale, and if I had been really rich, I might have bought the whole store and shipped it back home!
Most exciting for me is that Galway is the city where the Claddagh ring was first created, and I got to see (and take pictures of) the ORIGINAL store that makes them (complete with a Claddagh ring history museum)! Sabrena and I spent a lot of time browsing the rings at various jewelry stores, and I will purchase one before we leave Galway!
After seeing a few street performers (my favorite being the guy with the cardboard guitar and music stand holding cardboard music for the song "Ping Ping"), Sabrena and I made our way to the Galway Museum, which is free of charge! I may have to go through it again as I was TOO tired to read everything, but I saw a lot of the history of Galway and one AMAZING sculpture that I would like to have replicated in my house one day (wonder how many euro that would cost!?)
Sabrena and I then made our way back to the hotel to change shoes (we were in heels and our feet were killing us!) before heading to a local pub called Paddy's for a quick dinner before bed. There we split some AMAZING, authentic Irish stew (U.S. Irish pubs have nothing on the original!), and Sabrena had a Guiness (way better here than in the U.S.) and I had Bailey's and coffee (note ... not the best idea to drink on 30+ hours of no sleep) and listened to some drunk old Irishmen slur a mixture of English and Irish Gaelic. HILARIOUS! Then ... bed! By the way ... our beds our super comfortable ... but trust me, until I get on Ireland time, anything feels good when I'm ready to sleep.
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