The next morning we rolled out of bed eager to put on our outfits and have a good laugh. We looked absolutely ridiculous.. and loved it! Luckily, we went downstairs to get breakfast and saw dozens of other 20 year olds dressed in Dirndl and Lederhosen and we were immediately happy that we had gotten them as well. We left for the festival around 7:15 am, which was the time that was recommended by the head of our tour group, (the day before we had asked around and heard times ranging from 4 am to 10 am so we hoped for the best). We walked a couple blocks and easily found the festival by following the hundreds of "amish-looking zombies" crowding the streets. Locals were legitimately hanging out of their windows and standing on their porches walking us walk and laughing. On arrival, we saw the huge Oktoberfest grounds. Numerous rides, food booths and giant buildings, ("tents" with signs showing their names) lined both sides as we walked through. The fest was already busy for 8 am, especially since the tents didn't open until 9:30/10:00 and beer wasn't served until 12. We found our way to the Hauffbrahaus sponsored tent, which we heard was THE ten t to be at. Once we were in line, we waited a few hours standing outside and were directed in a large crowd (which felt like we walked about the perimeter of the tent 5 times) led by the guards who motioned and used whistles. We may have felt like cattle and were closer to strangers than we have ever wanted to be, but we knew there would be beer at the end of the misery. After what felt like an eternity of being pushed around we were finally in the tent. We ran around like crazy trying to find empty seats, but there were none (either they had been taken by those who had gotten there at 5 am or had been reserved a year + in advance).. that's what we get for choosing the most popular tent on opening day. Anywayyy, we found our way to the end of a standing table, there were 50+ in the middle of the building, and stood/sat there very impatiently for the next couple hours. You were not allowed to get served unless you were very close to a table, therefore dozens of people crowded around each one in hopes of getting a beer. The kegs are not tapped until noon on opening day, so we ordered our drinks and then eagerly awaited the music to start and drinks to be poured. We tried to make friends with the people around us, but everyone had been standing for far too long, with far too little to eat or drink, to want to be overly friendly. Our waitress was a treat however and let us order drinks hours ahead of time and, since we tipped well, promised to bring ours out as soon as she was able. She did not disappoint and by 12:30 we all had our own liters, which went down like water since we had been looking forward to them and standing up for hours! (Sorry Mem) When the kegs were tapped, on the balcony where everyone could watch, the owners of of Hauffbrahaus all toasted and then proceeded to fill liters and pass them down over the edge to people near the balcony. People began to climb on one another to get higher and have the chance of getting one of these first beers LOL. Once the first beers were delivered everyone became much more friendly and we got to know a lot of the people around us. ALSO, one by one people started jumping up on the tables and finishing their full liters in one gulp for everyone's amusement as we all cheered. This was quite impressive, I am not going to lie! However, if they spilled too much or went too slow everyone proceeded to boo them, which was equally as entertaining. I considered jumping up just to get the photo, but was too afraid of public embarrassment when I refused to chug my liter. Sweet Caroline and a few other classic Oktoberfest songs were on repeat most of the day and everyone joined in and swung our glasses even though none of us knew any words to these other songs ( I have no clue why Sweet Caroline is one of the songs.. so random! But it was good to hear something familiar). We were surrounded by hundreds of people dressed up in the traditional outfits, from all over the world and everyone's goal was simply to enjoy themselves which was nice. We stayed here for a few hours and then decided to go into the fair and check out other tents. We walked around sampling different foods and going into a few of the other tents to see how different they were from our first choice. By then, 3 o'clock, almost all were completely filled.. but we were still enjoying ourselves exploring the festival. After another hour or so of wandering we decided to leave Oktoberfest and go get dinner back at Ratskeller again ,since it was quiet and familiar, we were a tad overwhelmed with the loud environment that we had been in all day (believe it or not). I got a delicious goat cheese salad and,much needed, water.. which was a perfect end to the day. The waiter was super rude and gave us crap for not tipping him since we were from America (???? we haven't tipped ANYWHERE in Europe, it is considered rude), but we brushed him off and concluded that we were ready to get back to Ireland where they loved us and didn't love sausage at every meal. We went back to the hostel soon after dinner, woke early the next day to say our goodbyes and then took a plane back to Dublin and bus to Cork.
The new sights, lively festival, sunny weather and Bryant friends all made this a great experience in Germany.. but in the end I could have hugged the taxi driver when he opened my door with a smile back in Cork. This city, the rainy weather and Bandon Road are starting to feel more like home every time that I leave and I am so glad to be back safe in my bed.
In closing...
The more I travel, the more I am learning about my own country. By speaking with other I see how the US is viewed as a whole, how us as Americans are perceived in varying cultures and I am even developing my personal feelings as well. Furthur more.. When meeting new people I ask where they are from.. where they have been.. what they think about everything that crosses my mind.. what I should see.. and in my head I try to see their why. Why they feel the way that they do, unfiltered and honest. I am becoming more inquisitive, like a toddler, I just want to ask why to everthing! I am teaching myself to see that there are different people, with different thoughts because once I am able to completely accept that, I will be able to open my mind to so much more. Therefore, I try my best to push past my personal biases and understand how their past and experiences have shaped how they view my life, without any judgements. By exploring their minds and sharing my own, I am able to open myself to new possibilities for my future and understand more deeply my own viewpoints and aspiration. By speaking to a man on the plane, a 26 year old who travels to and from Africa on business every 4 weeks.. I began to question if my future needed to be as concrete as I have made it. My generation is told that education (esp. college), then a job that pays well will lead to a happy, family oriented, life. Though I do have particular dreams for my future, I can't help but question how much of that has to be set in stone right now. Do I want to travel more before I settle down? Do I want to work for a company that is based in New England or overseas? Have I found my passion in life? All of these questions suddently came to mind as he spoke about his "jet-setter" life. Then I realized that I did not want to answer a single one. Yet I am now feeling more prepared to accept the unknown and trust that my heart with direct me where I should go...
The day after arriving home, I decided to take a right instead of going straight on my way to the gym. I did not know if this would be shorter or not, but I trusted my gut. During my walk, I began to question why I did not hesitate to take a new path and decided this.. I am learning to question what I know to be best, what is comfortable. I am seeing that new paths may be frightening sometimes, but they are there to try if I allow myself to take the chance.. who knows, I may be shocked at what I find. That day, I found a much longer walk to the gym... LOL
Bye for now!
It is greener
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
These pretzels are making me thirsty.. (Sept. 18-19)
We boarded the 1 am bus to Dublin on Friday at the Cork bus station extremely eager for the adventure that awaited. We had booked our trip to Oktoberfest earlier this summer and had been looking forward to it for months. 3 hours later we arrived at the Dublin airport, a few hours before our flight. We decided to find somewhere to eat breakfast around 5 am. Upon sitting down, we quickly realized that we were standing out. Not because we were American, for once, but because we were not drinking beers. No joke, at 5 in the morning at the airport breakfast restaurant every single person had a beer with their eggs. We held strong and drank our water and then met up with our Holy Cross friends from Cork who were taking the same flight to Munich. Once aboard, I fell asleep easily and woke up right before landing. We got tickets and then right on the subway once we arrived in Germany. The subway is actually super easy to figure out, even though it is almost completely in German. I'd be lying if I didn't say that the culture shock hit me quick. This last month, I have been surrounded by ridiculously nice, English speaking, American loving Irish people.. and I was NOT in Kansas anymore. The signs, instructions and subway announcements were in German and no one on the subway returned a smile or spoke a word. Luckily, Brendan and Sarah had been in Germany for SIE a few months back and had warned me of this, but still it took some getting used to. They also remembered enough from their trip to get us to the area near our hostel with ease, which was a huge help.
Once we got to the hostel, we just dropped our bags and freshened up a bit. Then we took the subway again (conveniently located directly across the street from our Hostel- named Jäger, like the alcohol) to Marienplatz City Center and they showed me some sights. As soon as we walked up onto the street from the subway I was amazed. The Neues Rataus (New town hall) was directly in front of me and I have truly never seen a more intricate or beautifully built building. They informed me that it has moving parts called the Rathaus- Glockenspiel which has life-sized moving parts at various times throughout the day, I got to see this later that night. We then walked to an outdoor market/beer garden with countless shops selling fruit, sausages, sandwiches, raw meats, fresh cheese and, of course, beer. In the middle of all the stands were rows of dozens of long tables filled with people drinking and socializing. We grabbed some food and (.5 liter) beers and then joined the end of a table. We relaxed here for a while and explored the market area and then went to Sankt Peter's Church, which was very close. After walking up LOTS of stairs (we have to balance out the beers) we were able to see most of Munich from above. Despite the hot and sunny weather at grown level (which was a pleasant change to wet season in Ireland currently), it was windy up top. However, Brendan informed us that when he has climbed last time he was able to see some of the Swiss Alps! We took great photos and then continued our day. Though we were tired (had not gone to bed at all besides the nap on the plane since Thursday), we made the decision to get coffee, go to the Hostel to check in, change and see our rooms and then continue to explore Munich. The hostel room was clean.. two bunk beds and our own bathroom. However, there were only 3 of us in this 4 bed room and were informed that we may be joined by another at some point.. TBA.
We then took the subway back to Marienplatz and went to dinner below the Neues Rataus, called The Ratskeller. The menu was available in English and the waiter was very nice, so we were happy. After avoiding everything sausage-looking on the menu, I decided on a pork loin dish and hoped for the best (it was actually pretty good, just VERY salty). Next we went to the Hauffbrahaus, which was a blast!! The inside was gorgeous and extremely lively. The building was huge, with two floors and many rooms of long bench sided wooden tables (think Harry Potter). Everyone was laughing and drinking beer by the liter (Steins). After a bit of searching, we found an open table and continued our night. We were soon joined by a few Australian women, who were also attending Oktoberfest, and bonded over our hatred for our RUDE waitress and love for Thumper (a drinking game). All three of us (Brendan, Sarah, and I) are very social and make friends easily, so we have amazing stories and experiences getting to know so many new people and hear about their lives and views while traveling. After hours at the Hauffbrahaus we wanted a change of scenery so we decided to explore the city a bit more with our new friends. We ended up at ___________ around 8 where we had a great time. A very friendly bartender and too much money later we were dancing the night away. We got back safely (thank you Brendan) and woke up the next morning to two surprises. One, a tall Russian man who had joined our slumber party on the top bunk of Sarah's bed while we slept (thank god for lockers and padlocks in the rooms). The second was, Delaney and Brianna had arrived!!
They seem to be liking Italy, but having a much different experience abroad then I am. Florence is a very large city and they are living with roommates who mostly keep to themselves. Unlike my small city of Cork and roommates that I am sharing meals and nights out with. There are other Bryant students also in Florence, however they have not been placed in the same areas of the city, nor been made aware that they had fellow students abroad in the same city. I find that odd, since us 4 Bryant students all ended up in the same apartment, on the same floor, without any requests. They spoke about having to hold their bags close when they walk the streets, not being able to use credit cards or ATMSs because of theft and the difficulty of the language barrier. Asking for simple items like sandwich bags is even a large issue in grocery stores and they have had a more difficult time finding day to day products that they are used to having at home. I am very excited to visit them in 2 weeks, but am still happy with my choice of Cork. They seem to be equally looking forward to seeing Ireland, meet the friendly people and be surrounded by more familiar culture for a weekend. I am so glad that we are all fortunate enough to have these abroad experiences, have experiences together while here and also share our abroad areas with each other. Speaking of time spent together.. OKTOBERFEST!
So we cracked and bought the traditional Dirndl dresses because we were told it would really help us get more into the experience and so 40 euros later we looked like Dorothy, Little Bo Peep and Little Red Riding Hood.. LOL. We took the girls to the beer garden/outdoor market, that we were at the day prior, and relaxed there for a while swapping stories from our experiences abroad so far and catching up. We actually bumped into other Bryant kids while sitting here! How small the world really is! We see Bryant students who are also abroad and attending Oktoberfest who we did not even know were there. After a couple Steins, we went back to the hostel to let them rest, they had traveled through the night. A little later we grabbed dinner at a Brewery, where I tried boiled veil which was actually delicious. I never ate sausage while in Germany, which is probably a sin, but it freaks me out! After, we went back to the Hauffsbrahaus and met some New Zealanders who were not our biggest fans. However, they did tell us the history of the Hauff. and gave us various tips for Oktoberfest, since they had been four times. We went back fairly early that night because we ere getting up at 6 am the next day for the festival.
To be continued...
Once we got to the hostel, we just dropped our bags and freshened up a bit. Then we took the subway again (conveniently located directly across the street from our Hostel- named Jäger, like the alcohol) to Marienplatz City Center and they showed me some sights. As soon as we walked up onto the street from the subway I was amazed. The Neues Rataus (New town hall) was directly in front of me and I have truly never seen a more intricate or beautifully built building. They informed me that it has moving parts called the Rathaus- Glockenspiel which has life-sized moving parts at various times throughout the day, I got to see this later that night. We then walked to an outdoor market/beer garden with countless shops selling fruit, sausages, sandwiches, raw meats, fresh cheese and, of course, beer. In the middle of all the stands were rows of dozens of long tables filled with people drinking and socializing. We grabbed some food and (.5 liter) beers and then joined the end of a table. We relaxed here for a while and explored the market area and then went to Sankt Peter's Church, which was very close. After walking up LOTS of stairs (we have to balance out the beers) we were able to see most of Munich from above. Despite the hot and sunny weather at grown level (which was a pleasant change to wet season in Ireland currently), it was windy up top. However, Brendan informed us that when he has climbed last time he was able to see some of the Swiss Alps! We took great photos and then continued our day. Though we were tired (had not gone to bed at all besides the nap on the plane since Thursday), we made the decision to get coffee, go to the Hostel to check in, change and see our rooms and then continue to explore Munich. The hostel room was clean.. two bunk beds and our own bathroom. However, there were only 3 of us in this 4 bed room and were informed that we may be joined by another at some point.. TBA.
We then took the subway back to Marienplatz and went to dinner below the Neues Rataus, called The Ratskeller. The menu was available in English and the waiter was very nice, so we were happy. After avoiding everything sausage-looking on the menu, I decided on a pork loin dish and hoped for the best (it was actually pretty good, just VERY salty). Next we went to the Hauffbrahaus, which was a blast!! The inside was gorgeous and extremely lively. The building was huge, with two floors and many rooms of long bench sided wooden tables (think Harry Potter). Everyone was laughing and drinking beer by the liter (Steins). After a bit of searching, we found an open table and continued our night. We were soon joined by a few Australian women, who were also attending Oktoberfest, and bonded over our hatred for our RUDE waitress and love for Thumper (a drinking game). All three of us (Brendan, Sarah, and I) are very social and make friends easily, so we have amazing stories and experiences getting to know so many new people and hear about their lives and views while traveling. After hours at the Hauffbrahaus we wanted a change of scenery so we decided to explore the city a bit more with our new friends. We ended up at ___________ around 8 where we had a great time. A very friendly bartender and too much money later we were dancing the night away. We got back safely (thank you Brendan) and woke up the next morning to two surprises. One, a tall Russian man who had joined our slumber party on the top bunk of Sarah's bed while we slept (thank god for lockers and padlocks in the rooms). The second was, Delaney and Brianna had arrived!!
They seem to be liking Italy, but having a much different experience abroad then I am. Florence is a very large city and they are living with roommates who mostly keep to themselves. Unlike my small city of Cork and roommates that I am sharing meals and nights out with. There are other Bryant students also in Florence, however they have not been placed in the same areas of the city, nor been made aware that they had fellow students abroad in the same city. I find that odd, since us 4 Bryant students all ended up in the same apartment, on the same floor, without any requests. They spoke about having to hold their bags close when they walk the streets, not being able to use credit cards or ATMSs because of theft and the difficulty of the language barrier. Asking for simple items like sandwich bags is even a large issue in grocery stores and they have had a more difficult time finding day to day products that they are used to having at home. I am very excited to visit them in 2 weeks, but am still happy with my choice of Cork. They seem to be equally looking forward to seeing Ireland, meet the friendly people and be surrounded by more familiar culture for a weekend. I am so glad that we are all fortunate enough to have these abroad experiences, have experiences together while here and also share our abroad areas with each other. Speaking of time spent together.. OKTOBERFEST!
So we cracked and bought the traditional Dirndl dresses because we were told it would really help us get more into the experience and so 40 euros later we looked like Dorothy, Little Bo Peep and Little Red Riding Hood.. LOL. We took the girls to the beer garden/outdoor market, that we were at the day prior, and relaxed there for a while swapping stories from our experiences abroad so far and catching up. We actually bumped into other Bryant kids while sitting here! How small the world really is! We see Bryant students who are also abroad and attending Oktoberfest who we did not even know were there. After a couple Steins, we went back to the hostel to let them rest, they had traveled through the night. A little later we grabbed dinner at a Brewery, where I tried boiled veil which was actually delicious. I never ate sausage while in Germany, which is probably a sin, but it freaks me out! After, we went back to the Hauffsbrahaus and met some New Zealanders who were not our biggest fans. However, they did tell us the history of the Hauff. and gave us various tips for Oktoberfest, since they had been four times. We went back fairly early that night because we ere getting up at 6 am the next day for the festival.
To be continued...
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Weathering the storm.. (Sept 13-15)
Due to recent, unfortunate personal events, this horrible (never ending) cold and daily down pouring rain I have had a lot of time to think these last few days. I've thought a lot about my motivation for coming on this trip and have tried to self-reflect on how I am truly doing. So here are my rambling thoughts..
Over these last few years, months, days I have developed quite a bit. I seek to constantly challenge myself become a better version every day. This allows me to embrace my flaws and mistakes because I know that I am learning and growing into the person I am meant to be. I have become very focused on self growth and becoming fully in control of my life. I find it very important to be present in every moment and have a positive impact on other's lives daily. I believe that all thoughts and actions begin within my own mind and I can make the conscious decision every single day to be in a positive place. I have learned that I truly cannot control what others choose to do, however I can completely choose how I react. I have seen how quickly lives and plans can change without any warning and have become more adaptable, which has always been a weakness of mine. With this skill of adaptivity, I have also become more aware of the simple, previously unnoticed wonders in life that I was missing with my head in an agenda book or list.
By allowing myself to take the long way home and follow the music that takes me from my predetermined destination I have found beauty in the simplicity of flowers growing through brick walls or the uneven cobble stone streets. I have found happiness in places that I did not expect and allowed myself to try new things without knowing the outcome. This trip was a leap of faith. I did not know what I was going to get out of it, but I knew that it was something that my heart truly wanted and for that reason I leapt. I am doing my best to remind myself to consciously take in this experience and open my eyes to all that my surrounds have to offer me. Though I have recently been a little under the weather and lost my focus..I refuse to further allow the rain to stop me from exploring or dampening my mood. I will see all that is possible and spend every moment I have left traveling. I will make this a trip that changes me into the person that I have always wanted to be. Someone who reaches for goals that terrify her.. who doesn't say no to a new experiences.. who smiles at strangers on the street.. who carries her own sunshine and positivity.. and who loves herself unconditionally.
Bye for now!
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Why is there caffeine in this..? (Sept 8-13)
This first week at school was called "Fresher's Week" because it is the first week of first semester and all of the new students are moving in. The first semester of college is an even larger deal here because the freshman are also turning the legal age to drink (can you imagine if we started college at 21?! TROUBLE, exactly) Therefore, not only are they entering a new unfamiliar environment where partying is more accepted, but they are actually legally allowed to do so around the city. We have stayed away from the younger bars this week to avoid the Freshman who have been released into the town for the first time.. wow I am starting to feel old. But they are just babies (many even have braces) and are shocking to see beside me at the bar.. when I am not even legal in the States. This first week of classes went well overall. I had to make a few changes to my schedule, but I liked the lectures that I had and am excited for this new style of learning. I think that it is going to challenge me to think in a way that neither high school nor Bryant have and it will make me a better student when I return. The professors here truly believe that we should be doing our own learning and they are there to simply provide the tools to help us with that. It is not about memorization or copying notes word for word, but taking the concepts that they discuss and researching the details on our own time to develop our understanding. None of my classes have quizzes, assigned homework or periodical tests... We have final exams and one paper for most. Though that excited me at first, it is actually A LOT of pressure. These lecture style rooms do not make it as easy to ask questions, so I will have to make sure that I am truly trying to grasp the material when they present and visiting them in their office hours if I need further assistance (I LOVE to ask questions in class as soon as they pop into my head.. if not I usually can only focus on that point until I find the answer AHH). One test and one paper to show everything that I learn in an entire semester is a little daunting, but I am up for it! The classes I am taking this semester are:
Introduction to Irish History for Visiting Students
The Irish Literary Revival and Irish Modernism
Irish Film History
Exploring Irish Traditional Music
Historical Debate
The United States and the Vietnam Wars, 1945-1975
.. These are mostly history and english courses because Bryant does not allow us to take Major specific courses at UCC (I am double majoring in Management and Marketing back home). However, I am actually super excited about that. I already am enjoying hearing our school books referred to as "American textbooks" and hearing how our history and current affairs are seen from the European (and my roommate's) points of view. We discussed, in my Historical Debate class, understanding historical awareness and how "history" can be represented differently by different people in different times and places. For example, the Germans commenting on WW2 in 1950 compared to now, or the American's discussing the same topic then and now. The mentality (values, fears, hopes) and situation can greatly impact what is focused on and what is left out in specific records of historical events, therefore it is very important to be aware of these intentional and unintentional biases when researching. I found this to be extremely interesting and plan to use this historical awareness approach when asking my peers and learning from my professors about American events to try to understand how and why they view my Nation as they do (good or bad).
The last few days I have come down with an awful cold which has put me in bed this whole weekend. It is going from Dry to Wet Season here (awesome..), they don't have four distinct seasons like we do.. crying because I LOVE every single season in Maine. I have noticed the lack of sun is already getting to me a bit and making it hard to get out of bed in the morning, plus my window faces away from the light even when it is nice out so my room is always dark.. BUT I don't believe in letting the weather affect my mood SO I'll just have to make my own sunshine :)
I had to miss the trip to Cobh (but it is only 30 minutes by train and Sarah said she would go back with me) and sleep. I have been drinking lots of tea and bought cold medicine here. BUT I did not realized that there is 65 mg of caffeine in the meds and have been having the worst time trying to sleep (DUH KIRSTY READ THE PACKAGING). So now I am wide awake with a sore throat questioning why anyone who had a fever, headache, sore throat or body aches would want caffeine?!? UGH.. oh and does anyone know if they sell Acetaminophen in Ireland/UK?? I am not supposed to have other types of pain meds with my kidney issue.
I am going to rest up this week because next weekend is OKTOBERFEST and I get to travel to Germany for the first time + see Delaney and Brianna who are coming from Italy. SO EXCITED, but I must feel better since it will be a very long weekend. Sarah, Brendan and I are flying from Dublin this Thursday and staying in Munich til Sunday. I hear that wearing a Dirndl is a must to make the experience so I will try to find one online today.. I'll take lots of photos, I promise!
** side note: I love to cook at home! BUT here, in real life, the realization that if you don't cook you do not have a meal.. therefore you starve is not cool and it totally taking away my love for cooking. I NEED to meal prep better because I will run out of Kind bars and meal replacement shakes one day.
Bye for now!
Introduction to Irish History for Visiting Students
The Irish Literary Revival and Irish Modernism
Irish Film History
Exploring Irish Traditional Music
Historical Debate
The United States and the Vietnam Wars, 1945-1975
.. These are mostly history and english courses because Bryant does not allow us to take Major specific courses at UCC (I am double majoring in Management and Marketing back home). However, I am actually super excited about that. I already am enjoying hearing our school books referred to as "American textbooks" and hearing how our history and current affairs are seen from the European (and my roommate's) points of view. We discussed, in my Historical Debate class, understanding historical awareness and how "history" can be represented differently by different people in different times and places. For example, the Germans commenting on WW2 in 1950 compared to now, or the American's discussing the same topic then and now. The mentality (values, fears, hopes) and situation can greatly impact what is focused on and what is left out in specific records of historical events, therefore it is very important to be aware of these intentional and unintentional biases when researching. I found this to be extremely interesting and plan to use this historical awareness approach when asking my peers and learning from my professors about American events to try to understand how and why they view my Nation as they do (good or bad).
The last few days I have come down with an awful cold which has put me in bed this whole weekend. It is going from Dry to Wet Season here (awesome..), they don't have four distinct seasons like we do.. crying because I LOVE every single season in Maine. I have noticed the lack of sun is already getting to me a bit and making it hard to get out of bed in the morning, plus my window faces away from the light even when it is nice out so my room is always dark.. BUT I don't believe in letting the weather affect my mood SO I'll just have to make my own sunshine :)
I had to miss the trip to Cobh (but it is only 30 minutes by train and Sarah said she would go back with me) and sleep. I have been drinking lots of tea and bought cold medicine here. BUT I did not realized that there is 65 mg of caffeine in the meds and have been having the worst time trying to sleep (DUH KIRSTY READ THE PACKAGING). So now I am wide awake with a sore throat questioning why anyone who had a fever, headache, sore throat or body aches would want caffeine?!? UGH.. oh and does anyone know if they sell Acetaminophen in Ireland/UK?? I am not supposed to have other types of pain meds with my kidney issue.
I am going to rest up this week because next weekend is OKTOBERFEST and I get to travel to Germany for the first time + see Delaney and Brianna who are coming from Italy. SO EXCITED, but I must feel better since it will be a very long weekend. Sarah, Brendan and I are flying from Dublin this Thursday and staying in Munich til Sunday. I hear that wearing a Dirndl is a must to make the experience so I will try to find one online today.. I'll take lots of photos, I promise!
** side note: I love to cook at home! BUT here, in real life, the realization that if you don't cook you do not have a meal.. therefore you starve is not cool and it totally taking away my love for cooking. I NEED to meal prep better because I will run out of Kind bars and meal replacement shakes one day.
Bye for now!
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
The young lady + priest's room.. (Sept 5-7)
We visited Blarney Castle and kissed the stone the other day and it was just as great as I had remembered. Being able to go up into the old rooms of the castle and see Blarney from the very top is a cool experience.. even if the process to get to the top is extreme. We're talking hundreds of steep steps in an extremely narrow corridor waiting in line for almost an hour and slowly moving upwards without being able to see the top.. but it is worth it. At the top there is something called the Blarney Stone that has a strong historical palace in Ireland. I added a photo with the saying explaining the "powers" of the stone. The story is that by kissing it you should give you the gift of eloquence and persuasiveness or a "silver tongue".. To kiss the stone you lie down on your back and a person tips you back so that only your butt is on the edge and the rest of you hangs over! The stone is fairly far down and most people actually accidentally kiss the rock above the actual stone because they are hesitant to go far enough or didn't know which it was. There are bars a foot below your head in case, but honestly trusting a stranger to dip you off the edge of a caste is still frightening even the second time..There are also beautiful gardens in the area that we walked through and a delicious little chocolate/gelato shop that we visited for samples after. We finished up the day with some tea at a nearby cafe, because it felt like the European thing to do.
Today is our first day of classes. I had nutrition at noon and then went to the gym. I found my way to school, the gym and home all by myself-- no map or gps! This is big for me, (I was safe mom) I can barely do this in my own areas around home or school. I am super proud of this achievement and trusting myself to try to go alone. I bought a phone plan here so I am able to have unlimited wifi and texting all the time, everywhere. Which is AWESOME. I am not able to Facetime from campus or around the city to show my friends/fam back home the sights in real time. I also found an app called Couple today.. I find this to be super exciting as well. As many of you may know, I am currently in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend Mitch. If you are in one as well, I completely suggest this app! He may not think that it is as adorable as I, but he entertains me by using it which is what matters. Basically you "pair" with someone and then you can message, draw on the screen at the same time, send little videos or even touch one another's thumbs.. I know that last one sounds odd, but you put your thumb against the screen and it pops up on theirs. When they touch their thumb to yours, both of your screen vibrate and light up red. For two people that are this far apart, being able to have a connection like that even if it is through a phone still means a lot.. well at least for me!
I have had time to sit down and write out my finances, classes and trips. This is super important because I know these four months are going to fly by and I don't want to miss out on any experience, but also don't want to return home thousands of dollars in debt. As I mentioned, I have many trips already planned.. but Spain seems to be fairly inexpensive to visit (50 euro flight and 15 euro a night hostel) so that may be added in! Being able to travel around Europe was one of the main reasons that I chose to study here, so I am going to take advantage. Since this is basically "syllabus week" I have not been able to get a good feel of the difficulty level for my classes, but from what I have heard previously about Cork they should not be too challenging. There are some large differences between here and home in regards to school though. Well for one, I have classes in a bunch of different buildings (some even down the street) which is very much unlike Bryant. Also, some classes are in different buildings depending on the day and at different times (ex: Monday in building A at 8 and Wednesday in building B at 2).. that totally screws with me.
I was able to Facetime mom and dad and show them the campus yesterday which was nice, modern technology is truly amazing and making this trip so much easier for me. It was great to see their faces and chat with them about my day and plans. I wouldnt say that I am anymore homesick here than i would usually be a week back from summer break at Bryant. I think that has a lot to do with the ease of communication, having Bryant/US students all around me, Ireland/UCC being so study abroad friendly (everyone is so eager to help with directions or answer questions always) and that everyone speaks English. Some heavier accents are a tad more difficult to understand or terms/sayings that are from here which I don't immediately recognize, but I am enjoying trying to figure out what they meant and they are always willing to repeat or explain further. We've been told by our tour guide that it is almost impossible to insult an Irishman so that is GREAT for me.. since I tend to come acrossed a little insulting without meaning to and would not want to get in some sort of cultural miscommunication scene which leads to a brawl. I am hoping that I come back home having picked up a few terms myself and using them naturally without realizing it, its not exactly like learning another language but it'll still be neat!
Cork itself is adorable and reminds me of Portland, ME. Everyone marches to their own beat/ does not try to fit in. Music and art are huge and the style versatility reminds me of NYC. I hope my style evolves to reflect this European experience while living here.
Cork quirks
--They call the freshman "fresher"
--They refer to their freshman year of college as first year,.. so I am a "third year"
Bye for now!
Today is our first day of classes. I had nutrition at noon and then went to the gym. I found my way to school, the gym and home all by myself-- no map or gps! This is big for me, (I was safe mom) I can barely do this in my own areas around home or school. I am super proud of this achievement and trusting myself to try to go alone. I bought a phone plan here so I am able to have unlimited wifi and texting all the time, everywhere. Which is AWESOME. I am not able to Facetime from campus or around the city to show my friends/fam back home the sights in real time. I also found an app called Couple today.. I find this to be super exciting as well. As many of you may know, I am currently in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend Mitch. If you are in one as well, I completely suggest this app! He may not think that it is as adorable as I, but he entertains me by using it which is what matters. Basically you "pair" with someone and then you can message, draw on the screen at the same time, send little videos or even touch one another's thumbs.. I know that last one sounds odd, but you put your thumb against the screen and it pops up on theirs. When they touch their thumb to yours, both of your screen vibrate and light up red. For two people that are this far apart, being able to have a connection like that even if it is through a phone still means a lot.. well at least for me!
I have had time to sit down and write out my finances, classes and trips. This is super important because I know these four months are going to fly by and I don't want to miss out on any experience, but also don't want to return home thousands of dollars in debt. As I mentioned, I have many trips already planned.. but Spain seems to be fairly inexpensive to visit (50 euro flight and 15 euro a night hostel) so that may be added in! Being able to travel around Europe was one of the main reasons that I chose to study here, so I am going to take advantage. Since this is basically "syllabus week" I have not been able to get a good feel of the difficulty level for my classes, but from what I have heard previously about Cork they should not be too challenging. There are some large differences between here and home in regards to school though. Well for one, I have classes in a bunch of different buildings (some even down the street) which is very much unlike Bryant. Also, some classes are in different buildings depending on the day and at different times (ex: Monday in building A at 8 and Wednesday in building B at 2).. that totally screws with me.
I was able to Facetime mom and dad and show them the campus yesterday which was nice, modern technology is truly amazing and making this trip so much easier for me. It was great to see their faces and chat with them about my day and plans. I wouldnt say that I am anymore homesick here than i would usually be a week back from summer break at Bryant. I think that has a lot to do with the ease of communication, having Bryant/US students all around me, Ireland/UCC being so study abroad friendly (everyone is so eager to help with directions or answer questions always) and that everyone speaks English. Some heavier accents are a tad more difficult to understand or terms/sayings that are from here which I don't immediately recognize, but I am enjoying trying to figure out what they meant and they are always willing to repeat or explain further. We've been told by our tour guide that it is almost impossible to insult an Irishman so that is GREAT for me.. since I tend to come acrossed a little insulting without meaning to and would not want to get in some sort of cultural miscommunication scene which leads to a brawl. I am hoping that I come back home having picked up a few terms myself and using them naturally without realizing it, its not exactly like learning another language but it'll still be neat!
Cork itself is adorable and reminds me of Portland, ME. Everyone marches to their own beat/ does not try to fit in. Music and art are huge and the style versatility reminds me of NYC. I hope my style evolves to reflect this European experience while living here.
Cork quirks
--They call the freshman "fresher"
--They refer to their freshman year of college as first year,.. so I am a "third year"
Bye for now!
Friday, September 4, 2015
Spain, Belgium, Australia OH MY... (Sept 2 -4)
I suppose one of the greatest aspects of Cork so far is how much everyone walks. When you ask for directions, someone will say "Oh yes, that is just a few miles straight and then another mile to the left" without hesitation.. At first, I would reply "Um, how many miles did you say!?" but I actually love it. Sarah has an app that shows how many miles we are walking and one some days we have walked 20 + miles! No wonder these people can drink heavy beer like it is a food group and still stay small! I honestly have not seen one obese individual while I've been here, which is odd compared to to the US. People do overall seem to be shorter and their accents are a joy to listen to. I have actually received a great deal of compliments on my voice from locals, which may seem strange to mention, but people at home are not as fond of it lol. I have always been under the impression that Europeans don't really like American's very much and within the last week I have experienced the complete opposite. The locals and European exchange students are extremely friendly and eager to make American friends, which is awesome! They want to show us around to the great Cork spots, teach us common phrases and how to navigate social situations correctly, so far they have all been a big help.
I am learning so much about different cultures, besides Irish, from my suitemates. I have one from Belgium, Spain, Australia and Sweden. My Belgium and Spain friends have shared lots about the differences in regards to drinking. For example, I learned that having a beer in Belgium when you are thirsty at any time of the day is just as common as grabbing a juice or soda. Also, having a beer in the middle of the day when you are on break from work is socially acceptable. In both countries, they do not begin to drink when going out for the night until 12 and are usually returning home around 6/7 in the morning! That blew my mind. Going out here is similar to the U.S. where bars close at 2, however they do have some differences. For example, alcohol is taxed heavily so the prices at the bars are steeper than in the U.S., also they are allowed to make certain spots have different age limits on various nights. For example, even though the drinking age is 18, on Thursday nights you must be 21 to get into a night club called Voodoo and 23 on other nights.. Odd, imagine if one night a bar told you that you had to be 30 to get in? My spanish friend also was telling my that they usually eat lunch around 2 pm and dinner between 9-10, however they still get up at usual early hours. They also explained the "siesta" in Spain, where every day a couple hour nap or rest is expected after lunch (they get time off from work to do this). Then they return to work until 7ish.. I actually think this sounds that a productive idea and would be willing to try that in the U.S. (#morenapsplease).
I am starting to become more familiar with the city center area and campus, which is a nice feeling. My friend from Sweden is currently training for a half marathon which will take place in Dublin in a few weeks, which is super exciting for me! She also lifts 6 days a week!! I could not contain my excitement to find another fitness enthusiast and am so ready to get back into a schedule. This still feels very much like a vacation and not yet like I live here, which is to be expected. I find comfort in daily agendas that I can follow and planning, so this has been a bit of a challenge for me. But I am doing OK and I am proud of how well I have been adapting to being alright with uncertainty and going with the flow.
Another culture shock happened yesterday when we attended a freshman orientation event. All of the speakers (student and staff) made alcohol and sexual references extremely freely. They spoke of binge drinking and sleeping around as usual/accepted occurrences. I know those things also happen in U.S. colleges, however they are not spoken of as they are here. I suppose the lack of filter around alcohol discussion is directly connected to the fact that all freshman in college are legal to drink. Therefore, the university knows they will be drinking and simply tries to teach them how to be responsible when doing so. It's crazy to think that in these European countries kids are starting to drink as young as 14! I mean let's say an average U.S. kid starts to drink at 17 when the drinking age is 21.. 14 makes sense for them but still! Just so different from what I am used to, The clubs are filled with 18 year olds going crazy to the point where I almost feel too old lol. Which is why (as I mentioned above) bars raise the entry age to prohibit newly legal teens from coming into the bars and being a mess, One of our UCC orientation events was actually a freshman pub crawl! Beginning at one of the 2 bars on campus and then leading us to popular spots in town.
I am loving meeting local Cork people and the friends I am making from other countries who are also exchange. I am able to learn about so many cultures all at once! This is going to be such an incredible experience in self growth and I am diving in fully. We have 6 pre-planned trips through API throughout our time here (Blarney, Cobh, Kinsale, Ring of Kerry, Dublin and London) which are included in our study abroad package. I am very excited for those, the first is tomorrow to Blarney. I have visited Blarney and the stone with my trip after Senior year, however I am eager to return. In addition to those.. Brendan, Sarah and I will going to Oktoberfest in September with other Bryant students who are studying in Italy (Queen D and DaRin daily!! Woot woot) and I plan to visit Italy to see my girls at some point as well. I plan to travel as much as I am able while still spending lots of time in Cork to get the full experience of living here (I hope).
Bye for now!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
A wise philosopher once said..(Aug 31-Sept 1)
So these last two days have somewhat mushed together into one since we haven't actually slept.. After a rushed goodbye at the airport Sunday afternoon I boarded the plane. I got there just as the last few people were boarding (New York traffic is the WORST) and barely slept the entire flight. The first cultural difference that stood out was a few hours into the flight when dinner was served. When I was served my dinner it was assumed that I would then chose which type of wine I’d like to accompany it. I obviously did not hesitate and the small bottle of red helped me relax for the rest of the trip. We arrived at Heathrow around 2 am US time and grabbed some breakfast (note to self, porridge is delicious and fun to say but when made with milk it hurts your stomach). We then had a quick flight to Cork, which I was able to sleep through. However, I woke up just in time to see the green hills from above which are just as breathtaking as I remembered. On arrival, we met our tour guide Shane and the other American API students, they seem nice.
Needless to say we were exhausted, however we were placed in cabs and told we had two hours to drop our bags and freshen up before our first orientation. The cab ride was fun, especially riding on the other side of the road. I asked the man if I could try driving and I THINK he almost let me.. but didn’t. However, I told him that I would eventually and he said he believed me. We had an interesting talk about my views on American gun control which he had a lot of opinions about, surprising me a bit. I did not expect Irish citizens to care so much about our government and policies. We also discussed the differences in our drinking laws.. He then quoted “a wise philosopher” who said “Alcohol is the cause and solution to all of life’s problems.” Homer J. Simpson, HAHA, felt good to hear a reference from home so soon.
The apartment is nice and it seems like there will eventually be 5 of us living here total. The other girls are from all different areas (Belgium, Connecticut and Australia so far). I have my own room with my own bathroom, which is AWESOME. It is great to have my own personal space to think, I am hoping that it doesn’t get lonely though. ...........
After a long half-listen (too sleepy) to a presentation from Shane while we toured parts of downtown Cork and UCC, we were allowed to go explore on our own. We chose a lunch spot called CocBull (very fun to say LOL, but it stands for Chicken and Beef). I had a delicious salad with quinoa, roasted chicken and asparagus (**Take more photos of your food). I was elated with this option because I think that means eating the way I’d like will be an option! (3 cheers for veggies and quinoa!!). Sarah told us that her uncle actually died from eating red meat in Ireland, so I am hesitant to try anything.. however, proceeding the story everyone else continued to order burgers “well-done” just to be safe HAHA.
Us girls then went to Penny’s (inexpensive department store) to get bed linen (do I sound European yet?). I have zero idea of how much items should cost over here... I do the rough conversion to American money in my head, but it is just SO DIFFERENT. I would like to know if I am getting a deal or very ripped off, so hopefully I get the hang of it soon. I got a comforter which is very Boy in the Stripped Pajamas-esk, but it’ll do (lots of light blue stripes/ that comparison is probably inappropriate). The shower water is warm, the pressure is good as well. The mattress sucks and the pillow is thin, but I am in my OWN ROOM and officially LIVING IN IRELAND.. so no true complaints!
We did a little grocery shopping as well, where I found out that cartons of eggs here are not refrigerated and all nutrition labels are done by 100 grams.. UGH. I was stunned when my peanut butter read 600+ calories (kcals?) and 1 gram of salt (AHH), but then realized it was for 100g of pb... which is like 6 tablespoons. WHY is it like that? I seem to be very hungry here, but I suppose that is because my body has no idea what time it is (neither does my head). Mitch helped me figure out all of the math so I knew the macros, sugar and salt for my new items (xo), but the peanut butter is still not great. I am a pb feign and would LOVE some Nuts n More (hint hint, LOL).
We decided since it was our official first night in Cork we should go celebrate. So the girls went to the local “off license” (package store) and all got wine. When we came back, all of the students on our floor met up and socialized. We compared difference in popular music by country and got to know a little bit about one another. Next we wandered downtown and found a small pub called the Washington Inn. We struck up conversation with a young man at the bar who told us that he was a professional Hurling player, he even pulled up a newspaper with his name in the write up (bragging), which I had never even heard of. He showed us videos and explained that it was as popular as American football is for us and a sort of mixture between baseball + lacrosse. (Note to self, research popular sports before you meet any more famous athletes). We continued on to a larger bar after where we danced and made friends with some locals. We returned to our apartment around 2:30 after the bar closed and thanks to the Red Bull (Jagger bombs.. remember for the future that you think these + Sambuca shots are gross) I was wide awake. So I FaceTimed Mitch for a couple hours and drunkenly unpacked my entire two suitcases. I woke up the next morning slightly dehydrated, but completely organized #winning.
Bye for now!
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