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!