We Gonna Party Like It's Our Neighbors' Birthday

Tuesday was a pretty boring day, until night time. We all went to classes as normal, and we had our first room inspection. (Believe it or not, we passed). I decided to cook dinner for the girls, since we've all been a bit homesick. I made pasta with chicken, and I actually did a decent job! Mom, you'd be proud of me. Unfortunately, we had a fire drill, and it was FREEZING. Yet, during the drill, we found out two of our Irish neighbors had their birthday the next day, and we agreed we would celebrate with them.

The boys make fun of me because I'm still struggling to understand "Irish speak". It's so much harder than you think! They use "like" at the end of their sentences, kind of like the way we would say "you know?". They also talk so fast that they might as well be speaking another language. It seems like every day I learn a new word or phrase, and it's becoming a part of my vocabulary. These Irish kids really like to listen to Americans talk. I guess it's for the same reason we like to listen them speak, but I don't see anything appealing about our accents. However, many people get a HUGE kick out of the amount of times I say "ya'll". That I can understand, though, because it is a funny word.

Today, though, was a very fun and exciting day. In Anthropology, we started our McDonald's unit, and everyone went wild. Everyone was all, "Go 'murica." It was interesting to see how many American jokes were dropped during the lecture, by our professor and other students. It wasn't uncomfortable, just funny.

After class, I went and bought brownie mix, and my roomies and I all made a brownie cake for our two birthday neighbors. It was definitely a masterpiece (it was messy, but, hey, brownies).

We almost forgot to write Mo's name! (Sorry for the language)

The boys definitely appreciated it, especially Mo, since he has never had a birthday cake before, (we're lucky we remembered to add his name!). We took plenty of selfies before we left to continue the celebration at Brady's.

Bridget, me, Kat, Suze, Cassie and Sara. (I don't know why I always make that face)

Suze and I were excited to wear our new shirts we got in Dublin

Sometimes, the girls and I will feel a little out of place, for all the Irish girls wear the shortest dresses and highest heels you've ever seen, and we wear our boots and jeans. But, it's all worth it when we watch them topple on the cobblestone (I know, I'm so cruel). We were some of the first people at the club, so we took up the dance floor and relished in the short time that we had room to move and not have drinks spilled on us. Also, Eleri: I broke out your dance moves and got a ton of cheers (that might have been because the guys were consuming a lot of alcohol though, but I like to think it's because I owned it.)

Selfie with some of the guys and Suze

Lucky to have these girls

Tomorrow I'll be packing for Scotland! I can't believe the day has already snuck up on us. We're backpacking it, so it'll definitely be a learning experience for me. It's going to be difficult picking out clothes! I'll give you one last blog post before I go, so keep your eyes peeled for it. Wish me luck!

Fell Asleep in Ireland. Woke Up in Michigan.

The weather here has been nuts today! When I woke up, it was snowing extremely hard with high winds. Within twenty minutes, the sun was shining and everything had melted. An hour later, it was raining, which then turned into more snow. I felt like I was right back home, but with more wind. 

I turned in my very first paper this morning, and my fingers are crossed that I did it correctly. There were many new rules I had to learn for the way the Irish format their papers, and it got a bit confusing. However, I was able to write about my special meal with Cassie, Suze and Sara on Valentine's Day, since it was for my Anthropology of food course. It was actually very enjoyable to write and I had fun being creative with it. 

Suze and I decided to try the gym today to see what it would be like, since we couldn't go running outdoors because of the wind and snow. We found that it was the worst place on campus. It was practically a hallway, in which a handful of weight machines, ten broken treadmills, four bikes, and six ellipticals were shoved in. I actually fell off of an elliptical, and when I tried to use weight machines, I was usually stopped by groups of three or four overly muscular men who were taking turns using one machine while chatting with each other. 

We had a quick night out at The Roost tonight, and it was a pretty nice time. We didn't spend much time there, because we have class, but it was a nice night!

It's rumored that tomorrow there's a pillow fight in the Student Union, so that will have to be explored. Hopefully we can get to bed with the wind howling outside. Until tomorrow! 

Third Time's A Charm: In Love With Dublin

Yesterday, Sara, Cassie, Suze and I woke up early and took on Dublin for a shopping day. We tried to explore every mall, but many of the shopping centers were so huge, we couldn't get through them all. We found many stores we recognized, like Forever 21 and H&M, but still took the time to explore many of the stores the Irish girls had told us about, like Penneys and New Age. I laughed very hard when I saw that they had a TKs instead of TJs. It wasn't at all like TJs, because everything was still very pricey.

*Cullen not included*

We went back to The Boar's Head for lunch, we've kind of decided to make that our place. The staff is starting to recognize us and gives us "our table" now. I didn't find very much, but the other girls did, and we still had a ton of fun.

Cassie and I

Sure thinks she's cool for not smiling

Though it was off and on raining, it was a beautiful day nonetheless. Now, I know the streets in one corner of the city by heart, and that's a pretty awesome thing.

Blue skies in Dublin

Sunday was a homework day for all of us. We spent the day in the common room, often getting distracted, but still working. We wanted to treat ourselves to a meal that we didn't make ourselves, and decided that we'd hit up The Roost for dinner, and invited our neighbors. First, we went to mass, where the priest was late and then very open about oversleeping and forgetting that mass was at 6 and not 6:30, which we all found incredibly funny. At The Roost, I had chicken fajitas, which was a nice change of pace from eggs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. 

My first paper is due tomorrow, so I'm going to try to make it the best I can. Can't wait to tell ya'll about my Monday!

Maynooth is Such a Treat

Thursday was a pretty funny day. In my anthropology tutorial, Emily and I were put on the spot (as the only Americans in the group) and were asked to explain some of the differences we noticed with the food here and the food in America. I let them know that even though they're food was of better quality, I missed my American snacks (I will never EVER take animal crackers for granted again) and that their prices for candy were ridiculous. The last one puzzled them a bit, so I let them know that the bags of M&Ms that they charge three euro for here are less than a dollar in America. They were all instantly jealous. Then I went to my Philosophy tutorial, but it turned out it didn't start until next week, so my day ended earlier than expected.

Our night was great, as per usual. Being able to go to these pubs with live music and my roomies is so much better than anything I'd have back in South Bend.

Girls that room together, stay together

I'm proud to say that Sara, Cassie, Suze and I signed up for a group trip to Madrid this morning, and we'll be leaving March 19 and coming back the 21st. I'm so excited! We plan on spending a fun couple of days in Dublin for Saint Patty's Day (duh) and then jetting off with our group of thirty three other students from the International Society. We celebrated by stopping into the confectionary in town and buying ourselves a treat. They have pretty nice cupcakes, even if the flower fell off of mine.

Yes, it was as yummy as it looks

We got bored at home, and decided one dessert for the day wasn't enough, so I made brownies which we happily ate together while we chatted about Spain. I know, I know: I'm eating a lot. Trust me, I'm not going to let food get the better of me again. Hopefully, I'll be working off all of today's treats when we all go shopping in Dublin tomorrow. The weather looks promising, so we can finally buy the things we've been wanting and have the chance to explore the city a little more. 

I've been missing my family a whole lot lately. It stinks not being able to crawl into Eleri's bed to irritate her in the morning, or have Cullen make Mom high five him for calling me stupid (I don't know why I miss that so much, but I do). I'm praying for everybody dealing with the snow, please stay safe. I hope you check back tomorrow for news about my trip, and, again, thank you so much to everyone reading this!

Ash Wednesday: Can You Find The Catholics?

It was a very nice morning, not at all cold, and I was able to walk to mass without a coat. See how pretty it was with the sun rising?

A beautiful start to the day

Mass was different from back home. It was only half an hour, but still very satisfying. When I went up to receive my ashes, the priest said, "Repent and believe in the gospel." There was no singing, as per usual, and there were maybe thirty people there, ten of which were Americans I knew. I don't usually like it when people post pictures with their ashes, but I'm really proud, so I will. 

My very first Ash Wednesday selfie

When I went to Christology, the priest noticed my ashes and asked if we had this custom in the states. I explained that we did, however, I was used to being told, "'Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." He agreed that that's the better phrase, and appreciated that I woke up early to attend mass. 

Walking to and from classes, there were a lot of kids who would stare intently at my face, and then get really wide eyes. Some even said out loud, "Oh, crap! It's Ash Wednesday!" I didn't see many Irish kids with ashes, but that could be because they didn't go to mass until later at night. However, some of the Irish kids I know said that they haven't participated in Lent since they left home. 

After classes, I had a nice chat with Ashley. It was really great to be able to catch up and talk to someone back home about classes and all my adventures here. I miss everyone so darn much.

We were happy

It was so warm, Suze and Sara and I took a walk around campus. They showed me the cemetery, that was surprisingly right behind my religion class. It had this AMAZING walk way that was covered by trees and was so incredibly cool. There was also a short walking path, which we found forked at one point and went to an abandoned farm (we were too scared to go in). 

The opening

The coolest path ever

The cemetery

My ashes stayed on most of the day. I touched my head a lot doing my homework though, but I was still impressed that they lasted so long. I watched the boys play rugby in the field outside my bedroom, and started my first paper, which helped keep my mind of how hungry I was from fasting all day.

Still on!

My roomies and I waited until midnight to go out (they are very respectful of my religion which is so great). It was Clockhouse night, So, we were sardines again. We left after an hour since there were a lot of fights breaking out and people blacking out. 

Home is better anyway

Tomorrow is our favorite night: The Roost! I'm so excited for live music and actual room to dance. The night is so much better when you're not getting shoved into other people. I look forward to sharing with you all!

Pancake Day Was More Flop Than Flip

It's Fat Tuesday, or as it seems to be called here, Pancake Day. When I went into town, the coffee shops brought their kitchens to the streets to sell pancakes right off the sidewalk. All the grocery stores had pancakes, pancake mix, and anything a person would want on pancakes on sale.

Europe has really different pancakes from America. In America, pancakes are like actual cakes, very thick, and we stack them as high as we can and spread on butter and maple syrup. Here, pancake mix can double as crepe mix. They are extremely thin and usually topped with Nutella or golden sauce (which is basically if maple syrup and honey had a baby).

After I picked up my laundry (I was able to wash most of my closet for only 13 euro!), Sara and I decided we wanted to celebrate the holiday. We attempted to make chocolate chip pancakes, then when that didn't work we tried to make them without chocolate chips. We just weren't meant to have pancakes today. But, we had a great time dancing and singing in the kitchen!

*insert failure noise here*

Luckily, our neighbors had plenty left over and shared their leftovers with us. I ended up trying mine with jam, while she stuck to Nutella. I think we're going to leave the pancake making to the boys.

The boys saved the day

For Lent, I've decided to try to grow more in my spiritual life. I intend to pray each night before bed, as well as read a Bible story every day. I've already picked out forty passages, and I'll pick one at random each day to read. When I go on trips, I'll just print out the stories before I leave and take them with me. 

I'm excited for tomorrow, especially because I'll go right from mass to my Christology course. Although I don't usually like long masses, I wouldn't mind if this mass is long, if it makes up for it with a good homily. I'm hoping for a special day, so keep your fingers crossed! I promise to post some nice pictures.

Wagging My Tail Because I Have Mail

Mondays are by far my worst days. It's eight hours of classes, and when I catch a break, all I want to do is eat and sleep. It takes a lot to keep my eyes open and review my notes and read my readings. But, today, I was pleasantly surprised when I went to check my mail and found that I had letters. The mail lady laughed at me when I was jumping around opening them. Thank you so much Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa. You guys made my day. They're now hanging next to Elvis in my room.

It feels good to know people love me

The priest who teaches my Christology course reminded me that this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. I didn't realize how quickly time was creeping up on me. I'm very excited to see what that day is like here, although, I am now worried about wearing my ashes all day, just like in middle and high school.  At Saint Mary's, I didn't have to worry because it was a Catholic college, everyone knew what it was and didn't bother you about it. Hopefully, it won't be too much of a disturbance in my classes. 

I walked to the store after classes today, and as I was passing a homeless man begging for change, he says, looking me up and down, "Dang girl, you...you is very pretty. Very nice." Now, it wasn't the fact that he catcalled that stuck out to me, it was what he said. It was irritating, because I could tell he didn't call me anything derogatory, but I still knew what he meant. Also, did he really think I was going to turn around? Like I was just going to stop walking and come back and say, "You really think so? Tell me more, and here, have my wallet."? I just really didn't understand, but I suppose he could've said and done worse.

I also found an article today called, "17 Things Everyone Must Eat in Dublin". So, clearly, I have new goals. I hope my roomies will be on board with finding the places and trying some of the suggested food to see if it's as great as Buzzfeed says it is. In case you're curious: http://www.buzzfeed.com/vickinotaro/most-delicious-dishes-in-dublin#.aoo4O9J2E

Tomorrow I plan on going in to town to go grocery shopping, as well as finally do some laundry. Trust me, I'm not gross. I've been trying to buy laundry coins for a long time, but the machine has been empty every day. It's been getting warmer, it actually reached fifty degrees today, so I hope to go running in a tank top in the morning (wish me luck). 

Thanks again to all of you who read this. It means a lot to me that you want to know how I'm doing, and write to me to let me know that you're checking in on me. It's my biggest comfort here. I love and miss my family very much. I hope to have more to write for you all tomorrow! (P.S- Bonus points to you if you get my TV show reference in my title)

I Took an Elbow to the Rib For Jesus

I had a very lazy morning, as Sundays are supposed to be around here. My Irish friends say that people are looked down upon for doing anything other than rest, but that work can be understandable.  When I went out and bought groceries, I realized that the days are getting much warmer here, even though the sun isn't coming out. I could walk out in just a sweatshirt, which was a fantastic experience, considering my family is driving in white out conditions right now.

Besides my Aldi run, going to church was my only other outing today. I really enjoy going to mass by myself here. It's just a nice break for me, a time to think and calm down. So, I curled my hair, put on a nice dress, and then ruined it in the rain. At least I tried.

Thank you for the dress, Gram!

I know I've said this before, but Irish mass is different from mass back home. However, there is something that I didn't tell you, because it hadn't really effected me. Until now. Apparently, a long time ago, people didn't file out of the pews in an orderly fashion to receive the Eucharist. Instead, they all charged to the altar and raced to receive the gift. Though the church reminds people that we are to go in order, many of the older church goers still keep the tradition strong. People who stand in the back because they came in late book it to the minister, cutting everyone who actually arrived on time respectfully. Today, an elderly woman elbowed me in the rib as I was trying to get out of my pew, so that she and her friends could go ahead of me. Obviously, I didn't do anything. I was in the house of God, and she was an elder. But, wow, was I shocked! It stinking hurt! 

Tomorrow, I hope to get a clearer understanding of some of my assignments in order to finish the work early so I don't have to worry about work when I want to travel. I hope everyone is still enjoying this blog and the photos, just know that I'm safe and having a great time. Fingers crossed that the rain will stop!

Who Needs A Man When You Have Church, Chocolate, and Donkeys?

So, yesterday I didn't get back from Dublin until very late, thus I did not post. But, I will fill you all in on what happened then and today.

With it being Friday the 13th, we of course had a ton of bad luck getting to Dublin. We even crossed a black cat, which is probably why we missed the first two buses we planned on getting on. However, we eventually did get on a bus, and headed to Saint Patrick's Cathedral. It was a very authentic Irish day, the sky was very gray and it was off and on raining (it was the coolest).

It didn't move me to tears like the Vatican did, but I was in awe of the place for sure. It was very detailed and very beautiful, and my room mates and I loved the design so much, we decided we would like to experience a service there, just to be able to say we did. I was very disappointed, though, to find out that it's no longer a Catholic church.

The back stained glass windows

So beautiful 

They had beautifully hand sewn kneeling mats

It was so detailed

They had a section for those fallen in the war

The altar

Saint Patrick

The eagle symbolized spreading the word of God

The cathedral against a typical Irish sky

We had a while before the service, so I took the girls to Dublin Castle, since they hadn't been yet. I told them everything I could remember from my guided tour, and I got to see the gardens this time, which was very cool. I was surprised at how much I remembered!

The garden 

Self portrait

We went back for a short service, which was definitely an experience. They turned most of the lights off and lit candles, and we greatly enjoyed all the little choir boys who sang the entire time. For dinner, I took them to The Boar's Head, and one of the servers immediately recognized me and said, "I didn't believe you when you said you were coming back!" The staff was very surprised with how much we all, especially me, loved the place. To them I suppose it's just another pub, but to us it's just a nice authentic place to eat that's cheaper than most places and treats us nicer than any of the other pubs would. After drinks, lots of laughs, and a very filling meal, we headed home, making for a pretty successful day (though I had planned on buying things I needed and didn't get a single thing on my list).

Today, my room mates all went to Wicklow Mountains, so I caught up on some homework reading while they were away. When they got back, we started to prepare our Valentine's day feast. Sara and I went to the store to get some pasta sauce, and when we did we brought our stale bread, in hopes that the donkeys that live next to Saint Mary's Church and the grocery store would be out. They were! They made great valentines for us.

My valentine

Clearly, we're in love

For dinner, we had pasta with chicken, some champaign, and some deformed, yet delicious chocolate cupcakes. We were pretty happy about the whole meal.

Family dinner

After watching a few chick flicks, we decided that we hadn't really gotten to know our neighbors yet, and rang their doorbell just to see what would happen. As it turns out, they're all guys and we're just going out for drinks to celebrate their loneliness. So, we invited ourselves a long, and had a great time getting to know each other. 

Getting to know the neighbors

We now plan on having a floor dinner, and even planning a Quilty first floor trip (possibly to go hang gliding, but I don't really trust their drunken plans). I'm having the time of my life here, and I'm excited for every day I wake up here, even if I have school some of those days. As we all agreed last night, we're here for such a short time, and we need to enjoy every second, which is what I've been trying to do this whole time. Here's hoping I have a relaxing Sunday, I miss everyone, and hope you all had a loving Valentine's day!

GNO: Roomie Edition

School is definitely starting to get a bit more complicated. In all my classes, study abroad students don't have the same work as normal students. Usually, this means less to do, but it still makes it difficult trying to sort through what instructions to follow and which ones to ignore. Though most of my first assignments aren't due until mid March, they're worth nearly half my grade, so I'll be starting them soon so I can perfect them. Today, I did a lot of the reading which really helps since the notes are given so quickly here.

I had a great time hanging out with my room mates once classes were done. I hadn't really gotten to know them yet, but, we all ate together and talked about classes and travel which was a great time. We played old music while we got ready for The Roost, and had an incredible argument over who was cuter back in middle school: Joe or Nick Jonas. (Joe. Duh.)

Cassie, me, Cat, Sara and Suze (finally all together!)

When some of the other SMC chicks joined us, we got out my tripod and took some nice group photos. Trust me, we are as cool as we look.

We tried to be normal 

But, who's normal anymore?

Crew

Our group definitely brought the party, because once we hit the floor, everyone wanted to dance. We had the most fun circle, calling each other out on the dance floor when we did something cool. I'm very lucky to have gotten such fun people to live with.

Luckily, I don't have Friday classes, so I'll be sleeping in. But, once Suze and Cassie are out of class, we'll be heading to Dublin for, well, we don't know yet. It'll be a great time, though! My fingers are crossed for good weather and decent health. I can't wait to see what happens!

All Dressed Up With No Where to Move

I woke up rather determined to cook my own breakfast instead of having the same old cereal I do every morning. So, using Mom's potato instructions, I made myself a pretty delicious meal that made running to class a little difficult. It was definitely worth it, though. Irish food, though it goes bad quicker because of the lack of preservatives, tastes much better (probably for the same reason).

I'm basically Ina Garten

It was extremely foggy today, so I couldn't take photos of campus, nor could I even go for a run. It was kind of cool for a while, to see the fog over the fields and in the forest, but then it just got annoying not being able to see what was in front of me. 

I admit, the weather here has brought me down a bit. The sun really does have an effect on one's mood, and I've really been missing its rays. My room mate, Sarah, took notice of this, and passed a sale while she was out, and said she couldn't resist getting me this Elvis pillow cover. I don't have a pillow to fit it, but he's become the center of my room, and I'm certainly a lot happier now with his face smiling at me.

Isn't it great?

Wednesday nights are the big night at the bar, Brady's (it's just down the road from The Roost). My room mates and I decided to go, since we hadn't done anything together, nor had we been there before. 

The Irish club scene is a bit of a mess. It starts out with everyone kind of awkwardly standing around outside the dance floor. There's groups of girls talking and laughing together, while groups of guys just stare at the groups of girls. Then, in the blink of an eye, everyone is mobbing the dance floor, you're getting elbowed in the chest, the guy next to you just got shoved down, and people are raising their glasses above their heads, thinking that will help it not spill, only to have it rain down like the Heineken shower that you never wanted. Sardines have more room to party than we do. But, overall it was a pretty great time. My shirt got stuck on a few things, including people, but I had fun dancing with my friends.

Me, Sarah (from Australia), Cat (fellow SMC), and Suzanne (from NY)

Before going out

Thursday night is The Roost's main night, and I plan on wearing something that won't physically attach me to strangers (I figure I'll be safer that way). I can' t wait to tell you all!

I Guess Now is a Great Time to Grow Up

So, I was finally able to attend my first day of Women of Greece and Rome, the class I switched to instead of music. My teacher is a joking kind of woman, and says she won't be giving us a final exam (YES!). I was surprised that the class was made up of more men than women, but I believe that will make for interesting group discussions.

I had to go grocery shopping today, which always gives me a little anxiety. I'm very worried about spending money, because I don't want to turn around one day and have it all be gone. Everything here is extremely expensive, like a box of cereal is 6 euro! I want to save my money for traveling the world, seeing new sights, gaining new experiences, but I realize that eating is essential to being alive to do those things. They don't have many options in most departments, there's usually just four kinds of soup, cereal, chips, etc. I can live on peanut butter and jelly, but if anyone has any suggestions for cheap food I might be able to make, I'd love some help. I asked mom for instructions for her potato fries, so I'll definitely be trying that soon.

It didn't help my money problems much when I searched and found that there seems to be no such thing as cheap laundry here. I wasn't expecting free laundry like at Saint Marys, but I think 7 euro for what would be half a load of laundry at home is pretty expensive. I tried looking in town where there are student discounts, but it ended up being even more. However, I did some digging in my apartment and found a drying rack, so maybe this can help me save some money. I do like that I'm learning this now, rather than later. I feel like later, though things will be cheaper and easier to access, I'll be grateful for the budgeting I'm learning here.

I went on multiple runs today. One was just a one and half mile jog out of boredom, but I did a nice long jog using my MapMyRun app, and, though it doesn't do a great job of factoring in that I was still moving my feet at traffic lights, I think I did a pretty decent job.

Here's a picture of where I had to go to register, and where the immigration office is. It's hard to tell, but it's in a horseshoe shape. It has arches that go through it that I use to run from campus into town. When I go to the library and classes tomorrow, I'll take pictures for you all, so you can see more of my campus. 

Thank you all for the kind comments. I love waking up to them in the morning :). I'm missing America very much, and even though I don't have a whole lot of time for calls, I love being able to talk to people this way, and the short calls I get from my family. Until tomorrow!

I'm Officially a Study Abroad Student

I was able to register for classes today, and now, with ID in hand, I can say I'm a study abroad student at the University of Maynooth.

This card is incredible. It gets me discounts, it gets me into buildings, it allows me to print things, I can pay for things with it. I'm completely dependent upon it for a lot, so I'll be very careful with it. It was so interesting to see how, when I printed my first paper today, I had to load money on the card at a machine, and then put the card into another machine, and it knew exactly what I needed to print because of the message I sent it from my email. I can even use it at the local eating places here on campus (even Starbucks!) 

I could only run two miles today because I was pressed for time, but it was also very difficult to breathe. I'm still sick, but when you add that plus the fact that most of the student body here smokes, it makes for a difficult time getting around, even just walking. 

Classes are starting to pick up now, and so the assignments are starting to pop up. Luckily, it's more reading pages per night than writing papers or filling out worksheets. In my study abroad class, we had a discussion about culture shock, and I found that I'm pretty much okay except for the whole missing American food. Roberta tried to help me find substitutes for some of the things I wanted, but dietary crackers won't be my new animal crackers.

I hope everyone is doing well back in the states! I'm missing everyone a lot and wishing they could be here with me.