Here's a little recap of my night:
1:15- Finish packing for trip; go to bed.
1:30- People start setting off fireworks outside.
2:45- Screaming begins outside
3:00- MASSIVE fight outside/in the house next door (one of my bedroom walls is one of their living rooms walls...LOUD!)
3:20- Security shows up
3:22- Girl next door starts yelling at guy who started fight; he tries to tell security that he lives there.
3:25- Girl starts yelling about friend who got caught up in fight & probably has a broken rib.
3:35- Girl still yelling; someone screams that the Gardi are on their way.
Seriously, it was ridiculous. I'm starting to notice that there are a lot more drunken fights here? Maybe it's just because it's a student complex, but I'm not sure...
29 October 2010
28 October 2010
+58 (Again)
The internet here is SO slow!
All I want to do is download "Double Double Toil and Trouble." Really, it's not much to ask!
We're off to Northern Ireland in the morning, which should be fun, although I have to say I'm disappointed we're missing Halloween in Galway...
All I want to do is download "Double Double Toil and Trouble." Really, it's not much to ask!
We're off to Northern Ireland in the morning, which should be fun, although I have to say I'm disappointed we're missing Halloween in Galway...
+58
This evening, Zach and I were in Courtney & Kelsey’s kitchen making cookies when the fire alarm went off in the building. We went outside in the hall and noticed it was smoky, so we went outside; as it turns out, someone had set off their fire extinguisher, which is super, super dangerous. SO, we’re standing outside, and Court went back in to make sure everyone was out of the building. We’re outside for a good 10 minutes with the alarm still going off and Irish kids just moving the party outside before one of Gort’s security guards finally shows up and walks in; he starts asking around for the people who live in the apartment in question and then leaves. No cops, no fireman, no poison control, no actually authority to make sure everyone was okay.
Zach and I both felt the effects of whatever CO2 exposure (even though we were only in the building for like 3 minutes and covered our noses and mouths with our shirts, so we left right away and spent a good deal of time trying to convince certain occupants of a certain apartment building to sit in our building until the smoke/fire extinguisher/whatever had dissipated.
The lack of response is really terrifying—what if there had actually been a fire? No official went in to make sure everyone was out, there were no fire fighters or anything; it was all up to a student who has emergency response training. That’s way too much for one person to handle, and, quite frankly, is completely irresponsible of both our apartment complex and local authorities.
As usual drunk kids are STUPID. I guess it doesn’t matter which side of the pond you’re on.
Zach and I both felt the effects of whatever CO2 exposure (even though we were only in the building for like 3 minutes and covered our noses and mouths with our shirts, so we left right away and spent a good deal of time trying to convince certain occupants of a certain apartment building to sit in our building until the smoke/fire extinguisher/whatever had dissipated.
The lack of response is really terrifying—what if there had actually been a fire? No official went in to make sure everyone was out, there were no fire fighters or anything; it was all up to a student who has emergency response training. That’s way too much for one person to handle, and, quite frankly, is completely irresponsible of both our apartment complex and local authorities.
As usual drunk kids are STUPID. I guess it doesn’t matter which side of the pond you’re on.
26 October 2010
+56: Bank Holiday Weekend Recap!
...There really aren't any words to describe my bank holiday weekend. It was fantastic, ridiculous, and draining. It started out with champagne at work on Thursday afternoon, and ended with watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The middle is kind of a long story, but it was fun!
I got my Halloween costume(s), had an excellent crepe (caramelized banana, chocolate, & Baileys!), went shopping with Court, and was fairly productive.
Now, off to finish my history midterm (the professor spontaneously cancelled class this afternoon, which I really appreciated (JUST KIDDING!))..
I got my Halloween costume(s), had an excellent crepe (caramelized banana, chocolate, & Baileys!), went shopping with Court, and was fairly productive.
Now, off to finish my history midterm (the professor spontaneously cancelled class this afternoon, which I really appreciated (JUST KIDDING!))..
23 October 2010
+53: Galway United Match!
I really, really, really, wanted to go to a soccer match while I was here in Ireland. On a whim, I checked the match listings on Monday and saw that Galway United's LAST home match of the season was on Friday...talk about crazy timing right?!
So, I asked around and Zach wanted to go, too; on Tuesday, we went to Elvery's, which is a local sporting goods store, to get jerseys. It turns out the team's sponsor changed from last season, which meant lots of jerseys on sale...ace, right?!
Anyway, I got the away jersey from last season, which is green, blue, and awesome and looks like this for 9€, which is an insane deal:
So, we left for Terryland Stadium (which is literally down the street from our apartments) at 7:00 for the 7:45 kickoff. We got to the stadium and noticed a lot of people drinking outside, which we later learned was because no alcohol is allowed, let alone sold, at the stadium--definitely a change from American sports! There were also two different entrances, depending on which team you supported. The two entrances led to two separate stands--fans were completely segregated. Really strange to see, but I guess the "soccer hooligan" stereotype is true! As a matter of fact, when there were about 10 minutes left in the match, there were several announcements asking Bohemians fans to stay behind 5 minutes after the match and to use a different exit than the United fans. There were also a ton of Gardai lined up in front of the Boh's stands to prevent fans from rushing the field after...I don't really blame them because Bohs fans set off fireworks when the scored. Definitely a little excessive and definitely a little illegal.
Onto the match! United scored about 20 minutes in, and the Bohs tied it about 3 minutes before half. Both teams scored again in the second half, and it looked like it would be a draw until about 5 minutes before the end of the match. That's when United rallied--it started back in defense and one player--couldn't tell you which one--stole the ball and CHARGED up the field. Another Galway man happened to be in the Boh's corner, dribbled past a few defenders practically up to the goal and scored. It was absolutely fantastic...the crowd went wild and the Bohs literally sat down on the field because they knew it was over.
SUCH an exciting match!
So, I asked around and Zach wanted to go, too; on Tuesday, we went to Elvery's, which is a local sporting goods store, to get jerseys. It turns out the team's sponsor changed from last season, which meant lots of jerseys on sale...ace, right?!
Anyway, I got the away jersey from last season, which is green, blue, and awesome and looks like this for 9€, which is an insane deal:
So, we left for Terryland Stadium (which is literally down the street from our apartments) at 7:00 for the 7:45 kickoff. We got to the stadium and noticed a lot of people drinking outside, which we later learned was because no alcohol is allowed, let alone sold, at the stadium--definitely a change from American sports! There were also two different entrances, depending on which team you supported. The two entrances led to two separate stands--fans were completely segregated. Really strange to see, but I guess the "soccer hooligan" stereotype is true! As a matter of fact, when there were about 10 minutes left in the match, there were several announcements asking Bohemians fans to stay behind 5 minutes after the match and to use a different exit than the United fans. There were also a ton of Gardai lined up in front of the Boh's stands to prevent fans from rushing the field after...I don't really blame them because Bohs fans set off fireworks when the scored. Definitely a little excessive and definitely a little illegal.
Onto the match! United scored about 20 minutes in, and the Bohs tied it about 3 minutes before half. Both teams scored again in the second half, and it looked like it would be a draw until about 5 minutes before the end of the match. That's when United rallied--it started back in defense and one player--couldn't tell you which one--stole the ball and CHARGED up the field. Another Galway man happened to be in the Boh's corner, dribbled past a few defenders practically up to the goal and scored. It was absolutely fantastic...the crowd went wild and the Bohs literally sat down on the field because they knew it was over.
SUCH an exciting match!
21 October 2010
19 October 2010
+49
Oy, my philosophy class today was absolutely painful! Lectures have been on Plato's Republic for the past 3 weeks or so, but no one has read ANYTHING.
At one point the tutor asked us to make a list of Plato's main points; I quickly jotted down Theory of the Forms, Divided Line, Allegory of the Cave (although it's called the "Simile of the Cave" over here), and the parallel structure of the city and the soul.
I'm really hesitant to speak up in the tutorial because I don't want to dominate the discussion because I've already read a lot of what we're going to do, so I held back.
The tutor called on someone else. She thought for a good two minutes and then said "Em.....Socrates?"
oy.
Oh well, there are bigger fish to fry--just got my history midterm assignment and another paper due for my Irish music class next week, not to mention the upcoming BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.
At one point the tutor asked us to make a list of Plato's main points; I quickly jotted down Theory of the Forms, Divided Line, Allegory of the Cave (although it's called the "Simile of the Cave" over here), and the parallel structure of the city and the soul.
I'm really hesitant to speak up in the tutorial because I don't want to dominate the discussion because I've already read a lot of what we're going to do, so I held back.
The tutor called on someone else. She thought for a good two minutes and then said "Em.....Socrates?"
oy.
Oh well, there are bigger fish to fry--just got my history midterm assignment and another paper due for my Irish music class next week, not to mention the upcoming BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.
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