I totally forgot about this, but it's sort of a funny story.
I was early to my philosophy lecture on Friday, so I was working on a paper. A girl from my tutorial sits down next to me--doesn't even say hi--and asks me to explain my "I Brake for Oviedo Chickens" bumper sticker on my laptop. I obliged, and 2 seconds after I finished, she asked if my school had jocks. I explained lax bros to her, and she quickly asked me if I was in a sorority. After a really brief explanation of the coordinate system, I pulled up facebook and showed her some pictures of frat houses and lax bros.
Then, she asked me if I had to pay fees to go to NUIG--currently, all education in Ireland is free, but there is a 1500€ (roughly $2,000) annual registration fee. There's been talk of doubling the registration fee next year, and there have been protests in Dublin and Galway about it. I explained that I didn't have to pay fees here, but that I paid nearly $50,000 a year to go to my university back home, so a lot of the American students don't understand why every one's complaining so much about the increase (sidenote: it also sort of makes sense now why it seems like loads of Irish students never show up to class...they're not paying $500 a credit hour to go to class) and she didn't really have anything to say.
The end!
22 November 2010
21 November 2010
20 November 2010
+81
Long time, no post....my bad! Things have been getting kind of crazy with final essays and the like being assigned, birthday parties, and planning for Thanksgiving!
We only have one week of classes left, which is a relief, but then I have 5 days to finish up A TON of stuff before I start travelling...from the 30th to the 8th, I'll be going to London, Rome, and Prague...I'm super excited!!!
I still have to do a little recap of our trip to Dingle (which is gorgeous, by the way), but I thought I'd leave you with this little bit:
The Galway Christmas Market opened yesterday in Eyre Square, and it's super cute! Lots of crafts and international foods (What am I having for lunch today, you ask? A kangaroo burger, of course). We walked around yesterday, and stumbled upon the 400-person capacity beer garden set up in a tent the size of its circus brethren selling 1L steins of beer...only in Ireland, right?!
Also! Killed some time in Elvery's again the other day and walked out with this magnificent specimen of both a sale and an excellent shirt:
A NEW YORK GAA HURLING JERSEY!
Okay, off to the library ALL day.
We only have one week of classes left, which is a relief, but then I have 5 days to finish up A TON of stuff before I start travelling...from the 30th to the 8th, I'll be going to London, Rome, and Prague...I'm super excited!!!
I still have to do a little recap of our trip to Dingle (which is gorgeous, by the way), but I thought I'd leave you with this little bit:
The Galway Christmas Market opened yesterday in Eyre Square, and it's super cute! Lots of crafts and international foods (What am I having for lunch today, you ask? A kangaroo burger, of course). We walked around yesterday, and stumbled upon the 400-person capacity beer garden set up in a tent the size of its circus brethren selling 1L steins of beer...only in Ireland, right?!
Also! Killed some time in Elvery's again the other day and walked out with this magnificent specimen of both a sale and an excellent shirt:
A NEW YORK GAA HURLING JERSEY!
Okay, off to the library ALL day.
05 November 2010
+66: Northern Ireland Recap
I suppose it's about time I got around to doing this!
Last weekend we went up to the North; we left at 9, had a two hour lecture on campus, and then headed out; we stopped in Sligo for lunch around 1:30 (I have to say, whoever plans our trips REALLY like dropping us off in random cities to find food and fend for ourselves. Just saying). We stopped to see Yeats' grave, and then continued to our HOTEL, which was this resort center in the middle of nowhere (no, really. NOWHERE).
Saturday, we went to Belfast. After some confusion about when breakfast actually was, we headed to the city. We took a driving tour, partially to cover more ground, partially for safety (we heard two shootings/explosions during our 7 hours there). We stopped to see the murals on Falls Rd, and to see the peace wall, which was really moving.
Murals on Falls Rd.
Bobby Sands Mural
The Peace Wall
...and what I wrote on it.
After that, we went to the Stormont estate, which is where the Northern Ireland Assembly meets. We had a great tour of the chambers (I ended up sitting in the Sinn Fein whip's seat...go figure)...and then we had tea. IN PARLIAMENT. How fantastic is that?!
Then we had a few hours free in the city, so Court & Kelsey & I went shopping (of course) and got milkshakes (of course). Then we headed into the town by our hotel for dinner, and had some pretty decent pizza (for not being in New York, at least) and then had some fireworks thrown at us by some rowdy drunk guys. Then we went to this haunted woods thing that someone had set up; it was a long wait, but a lot of fun, even though I was terrified at first.
Then we went back to our hotel and had our class halloween party, which was a lot of fun!
Court & I did the classic "Risky Business" costume:
aaand we also had: an angel, a rugby team, -Ory world (such a long story!), a lax bro, an Amish woman, the Minister of Silly Walks, a witch, a pumpkin, Pochahantas, a cowboy princess, and some Whos:
Sunday (HALLOWEEN!) we went to Derry for a few hours. Way too little time, honestly. But anyway, we went on a walking tour and went to see the murals in the Bogside, which was really, really interesting. We ended the tour at the Bloody Sunday memorial garden, literally in the middle of where it actually happened.
Aaaaand here are some random pictures from the weekend!
It rained for most of the weekend (hello, rainy season!) but we were prepared!
My realll halloween costume: (with Kaylyn the cowgirl princess and kelsey the angel)
Out on Halloween:
goofing around before the haunted woods thing in Draperstown:
That's all for now, folks...my mom comes tomorrow! SO EXCITED!
Last weekend we went up to the North; we left at 9, had a two hour lecture on campus, and then headed out; we stopped in Sligo for lunch around 1:30 (I have to say, whoever plans our trips REALLY like dropping us off in random cities to find food and fend for ourselves. Just saying). We stopped to see Yeats' grave, and then continued to our HOTEL, which was this resort center in the middle of nowhere (no, really. NOWHERE).
Saturday, we went to Belfast. After some confusion about when breakfast actually was, we headed to the city. We took a driving tour, partially to cover more ground, partially for safety (we heard two shootings/explosions during our 7 hours there). We stopped to see the murals on Falls Rd, and to see the peace wall, which was really moving.
Murals on Falls Rd.
Bobby Sands Mural
The Peace Wall
...and what I wrote on it.
After that, we went to the Stormont estate, which is where the Northern Ireland Assembly meets. We had a great tour of the chambers (I ended up sitting in the Sinn Fein whip's seat...go figure)...and then we had tea. IN PARLIAMENT. How fantastic is that?!
Then we had a few hours free in the city, so Court & Kelsey & I went shopping (of course) and got milkshakes (of course). Then we headed into the town by our hotel for dinner, and had some pretty decent pizza (for not being in New York, at least) and then had some fireworks thrown at us by some rowdy drunk guys. Then we went to this haunted woods thing that someone had set up; it was a long wait, but a lot of fun, even though I was terrified at first.
Then we went back to our hotel and had our class halloween party, which was a lot of fun!
Court & I did the classic "Risky Business" costume:
aaand we also had: an angel, a rugby team, -Ory world (such a long story!), a lax bro, an Amish woman, the Minister of Silly Walks, a witch, a pumpkin, Pochahantas, a cowboy princess, and some Whos:
Sunday (HALLOWEEN!) we went to Derry for a few hours. Way too little time, honestly. But anyway, we went on a walking tour and went to see the murals in the Bogside, which was really, really interesting. We ended the tour at the Bloody Sunday memorial garden, literally in the middle of where it actually happened.
Aaaaand here are some random pictures from the weekend!
It rained for most of the weekend (hello, rainy season!) but we were prepared!
My realll halloween costume: (with Kaylyn the cowgirl princess and kelsey the angel)
Out on Halloween:
goofing around before the haunted woods thing in Draperstown:
That's all for now, folks...my mom comes tomorrow! SO EXCITED!
03 November 2010
+64
Wow, we've already been here for two months (and we only have about a month and a half left)! How absurd!
We spent the weekend in Northern Ireland, which was a lot of fun--and included having tea in Parliament. Just saying. I have to say, I really, really enjoyed Belfast. More on that later.
Let's seee...most of our group is off to either Barcelona or Brussels this weekend, so Gort will be even quieter than usual. But it's really okay BECAUSE MY MOM ARRIVES ON SATURDAY! I am beyond exited!!
Also super exciting: Zach and I are going to see the Arcade Fire. IN LONDON. no big deal.
We spent the weekend in Northern Ireland, which was a lot of fun--and included having tea in Parliament. Just saying. I have to say, I really, really enjoyed Belfast. More on that later.
Let's seee...most of our group is off to either Barcelona or Brussels this weekend, so Gort will be even quieter than usual. But it's really okay BECAUSE MY MOM ARRIVES ON SATURDAY! I am beyond exited!!
Also super exciting: Zach and I are going to see the Arcade Fire. IN LONDON. no big deal.
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