Not-so-good Week Off

I do have wonderful things to write about my trips to Rome and Edinburgh, but at the moment a much serious matter has arisen to write about.

On Thursday night Cork City was almost completely flooded. Anywhere along the river was from anywhere from 2 to 20 feet under water. My apartment was not harmed, I actually had no clue that any of this had happened. I left Friday morning to catch a bus to the airport since I was leaving for Edinburgh, I ended up having to take a taxi since all the streets that I could catch the bus were flooded. I though this was no big deal until we got a text on Saturday saying that school was canceled until the 30th.

Sunday night I was dreaming about my wonderful and much needed week off when I get a text from my roommate saying we have no running water at my apartment building. I figured it wouldn't be out for that long and went back to sleep.

Monday morning I woke up feeling terrible. I had been sick all week since coming back from Rome but it had mainly just been tiredness, an achy body, and for the past 3-4 days swollen glands. I returned to my apartment on Monday now hit with all the notices that my water won't be back until the 30th. I had a few really bad days of illness and decided to go the doctor. The doctor said I most likely have the flu, and that I'm past the stage for antibiotics. But because my glands are really swollen she took blood work to make sure I don't have something viral in my glands.

All this sickness has kept me from my paper writing, which I desperately need to do. Still no water, all I can say this is not the Thanksgiving I had in mind.

Halloween

Halloween is just as big in Ireland, well at least Cork, as it is in the States. The only thing about it though, is that it is really only big for parties. No decorations, pumpkins or tons of kids going door to door trick-or-treating. Thursday through Saturday was just night after night of fancy dress (costume) parties and events and clubs, bars, and pubs. Thursday was complete madness. There was hardly any room to walk in the city. The whole student population of Cork most have been out that night. Thursday nights are usually pretty crazy in the city, but this was beyond belief. Practically every single person in some type of costume, every time you passed someone it would be a guessing game. It was difficult to get from one place to the next because you'd strike up conversations with strangers about what or who they were.

Cork is a complete 180 from what I am used to. Never in Irvine have I seen so many students all condensed in one a year. Cork is such a college town and I love it. Being able to walk everywhere makes life so much easier. Cork is definitely some good craic.

But now it is time for me to get serious. I have many papers and test to get through before I set off for Rome, and even after Rome and Scotland I have a lot of work to do. So it is time to stalk up on food (only so i stay away from Lennox) and make myself focus. At least I have something to look forward to.

A Rainbow Shines Through

Even a cloud blackened sky can't hide the wonderful world we live in. As I was walking back from class the other day, the sky was almost black from the clouds. It was a scary sight and I was in fear that it was going to down pour on me at any moment, but in those few seconds I spotted something extremely hopeful and beautiful. There, out of the depths of darkness was a fraction of a rainbow, its colours crisp and solid against the black sky. I immediately came to a stop and looked at it. That rainbow reminded me that beauty can always be found, no matter how much ugliness there seems to be. So, always be looking out for that rainbow.

Living in a whole other world

I have seriously neglected my blog. As the weeks go on, I find myself more and more busy, making recreational writing the last thing I want to do, but as I am staying in tonight and plan to sleep a little early (volleyball match tomorrow) I figured I owe to to my friends to give a bit of insight to my new world that in a eight months I sadly have to leave.

Cork:

I have totally fallen for Cork. We have our differences, not many great places to eat, I guess maybe the things that it takes more than a month to establish, but we have formed a strong friendship. The city is small. Resting on a series of islands connected to water ways (many of these are now roads). I can walk to pretty much everywhere. It is a total 360 of Irvine, and the more I am here, the more I don't want to go back. Being able to go out with out relying on any form of transportation besides your feet is so liberating. Cork also sticks more to the Irish culture, it isn't as globalized as Dublin, something I am very happy about.

The Irish:

They can drink. The girls dress ridiculously when going out. Spike heels, short dresses, no coats, and all in freezing weather. A typical Irish night of going out is, pre-party, then dancing. They always have to go out, they don't understand the concept of simple house parties.

The Irish are very friendly. Striking up conversations is very simple. The few Irish friends I have met are amazing. Their slang is so funny, and their texting even funnier. I still can't understand them half the time.

College:

Is killing me. I have never had to do so much work before and it is work that you have to do yourself. In my classes I have my set readings for the week, but I also have the bibliography of other works I should also take a look at. It is all up to you. Never in a class before have I had to present proposals for my research papers. It might have been a mistake of taking almost all third year History of Art classes, but they are so interesting I couldn't help it. I am way behind on my reading and my research though because I can't grasp the idea that I have to do school.

ON the plus side, I only have class Tues. Wed. Thurs. And each class only has a total of 2 hours. So much less actual class than at Irvine. Also all my classes have a trip of some sort. I am already going to Rome!!!! One class is going to London but I unfortunately don't have the funds for it because next term I am going to Berlin, Paris and Florence all for class!!

Volleyball:

So happy I decided to join volleyball. I have already met some amazing friends through it, but I'm sad because they are all advanced players so I never really get to train or play with them. None-the-less volleyball is absolutely wonderful. I only have had two training sessions, but it releases so much stress. I wish they had more sessions for the intermediates. I want to get better so I can join the advance!! I am also excited for all the events and parties the club is hosting. Lets just say there are many crazy outfits to come.

Mates:

I have met some of the coolest people ever. Irish, American, Spanish, Canadian, German, Dutch, and many more.

All I can say in ending this is that I haven't been this happy in a long time. I do miss my family, friends, and especially Scout, but I have never felt so free before. I am terrible stressed about school, but it doesn't effect me. My biggest problem is trying to resist going to Lennox's too often. I don't understand why more people don't go abroad. I truly believe that it is the best way to discover who you are and what is really important in your life. Take everything one step at a time and enjoy every moment. Learn from the darkness and bring it into the light.

Dance Dance

I have to write about my first Irish club experience. It was the most fun I have ever had clubbing.

So the UCC Student Union was putting on a free meet people night basically for all the international students. Their socials are extremely better than any I've been to at Irvine. The night basically consisted of speed friending (typical) then free bowling and pool at a bar, and then free entry to a night club.

The bowling was really interesting. There were only about 7 lanes, it was small and the pins would always fall down when they were set up. It was fun though. Bullmers cider has become a new favorite drink of mine.

At 11 it was time to head to the club. At the beginning it was just a continuation of drinking after the pubs close, but my friends and I went to the dance floor once more people were on. We were just dancing by ourselves until we decided, you know what we're probably just gonna have to go up to the guys. So we start dancing with a couple of Irish guys randomly and suddenly we basically become the life of the party. It was so much fun, the looks on their faces when they see the way American's dance is so funny. A lot were obsessed with my friend Katie from SB, they were so many guys just trying to get her attention. There was one guy who was super sweet who just in awe of our dancing. When Katie started dancing with him the look on his face was priceless. He was telling us how he thinks its so weird that American guys just go up behind you and start dancing. The funny thing is though is that they are perfect gentlemen until its time to leave. Then the offers to go home with them, or for them to go home with you just start flying.

All in all it was a fun night. I really don't think I was ever dancing with myself.

I Love Sundays

So I have had the apartment to myself this whole weekend, and I am officially going to say that I am finally settled in to Cork, well for the most part. 

On Saturday it was my goal to have lunch at the Bagel Bar. I set out around 12:30. I had no remembrance of where the place was though. I walked around the city center for about 2 hours. On this journey though I found the location of the H&M that is being built and I went into the Dunnes Store, which is pretty much like a Target, but better clothes.  I felt like such an idiot though because I walked up and down the same streets dozens of times. I was wearing my purple pants that day so people probably noticed me being confused out of my mind. I finely found the shop though, and it was well worth it. I got The Manhattan, bacon, cheese, chive and onion cream cheese on a spinach bagel. I again got a mocha to go along with it. The bagel was sooo delicious and I plan to go to the Bagel Bar monthly.

Sunday has become my favorite day in Cork. The city center is pretty much empty, and the energy is much less stressful and hurried like it is throughout the week. Being a beautiful day only helped the atmosphere. After walking to the bus station to pick up some route info, I browsed the different shops on Oliver Plunkett St. The Dunnes Store, which actually just had its grand opening, was a mad house. There were people on stilts attacking at the doorway and loads of people in the walkways. I decided to skip it and look at the bag I wanted later in the week. I opted to go to the Tesco instead to pick up some bread. From there I went to McDonalds and got a sundae, which I enjoyed eating by sitting on a bench looking out onto the River Lee. While heading back to my apartment I noticed a bunch of people heading into this Castle looking area. There was a little festival going on, and I actually watched sometime of Roman reenactment put on by Roman Ireland. It was pretty cool, I tried to make out the Latin, but had no luck.

Since it was such a nice day I decided to check out The Lough (pronounced "lock"). I took my book along and sat on a bench looking onto the lough. There were so many people and families out enjoying the sunshine. I finally saw the green hills of Ireland when I walked around the lough. Such a relaxing place to be and every sunny day I get this year I will for sure be found there.

Wednesday is my first orientation. I am looking forward to finally meeting some new people and having some company while exploring Cork, but I know I will soon miss this days of nothing. It is hard to believe that this sunshine won't last for ever, and I am dreading the return of the rain and cold. 

Blue Skies

Tuesday 7:12 pm : The first blue sky I have seen over Cork. Just thought I should mention it.

I went to Jackie Lennox today and finally tried it. I got chips and cheese, very simple, but very delicious. When I have a little more room in my stomach I might branch out to get some halibut, or maybe the chicken.  My plan is by the end of this year to have tried almost everything on the menu.

Those chips and cheese were my lunch and I am still full from them. I'm thinking of getting a phone tomorrow or maybe if it is a nice day venturing down to the Butter Museum. That is right, the Butter Museum.  

I also found a bag I really want at a shop in the city. I'm not sure if I am gonna get it yet, only because I don't think I have anything that will go with a bright orange bag. We'll see.  Also there is this restaurant called the Bagel Bar, where I stopped to get a most delicious mocha, that has the most wonderful looking bagel sandwiches I have ever seen. I will definitely be eating lunch there this week.

Lazy Sunday

Today is what I can really call a lazy sunday. It has been raining almost all morning, so I have no drive to leave the apartment. It was my first morning where I actually slept in! It felt good knowing that I have finally adjusted to the time change.

Yesterday I had finally found the Tesco. I'm super glad I ended up going out in search of it instead of leaving that to today. The weather was perfect yesterday. The thing I've learned about Cork weather so far is that when it starts out with no rain, you can't expect random bursts of rain throughout the day, but they only last a couple of minutes. But if it starts with consistent rain, you will be getting consistent rain. It is also very windy here, and it may seem cold, but you can get pretty warm and work up a sweat just by walking round.

I talked to my roommate over breakfast this morning. She is really nice. Unfortunately she already started classes at UCC so I rarely see her though out the week. I talked to her about getting a phone and getting a visa. (In Ireland you get a visa after you arrive) She was telling me how we needed an Irish bank account with the proof of 1500 euros, and that got me a little worried. (only because I would rather avoid going through the hassle of opening an account here) But then I was looking closer at the instructions, and they said you could also have a sponsorship letter, and thankfully have one from UCI.

 So my plans for this week are to make sure all my documents are in order for when  I go register for my visa. Get myself a cell phone, and of course start walking around Cork as a tourist instead of on missions to find grocery stores and things for my apartment. I have decided to hold off on eating out at all until I meet more people; it's a way for me to save my money, and so I can enjoy my nights and meals out more.

Okay the Coolest thing Just Happened

So as I was thinking of what to title this blog, the coolest thing just happened. I saw a white mist start moving from the left side of my window and slowly move across the view. It was the rain. It was pretty much a scene out of a movie, along the lines of the Lion King when the rain finally falls on the pride land again, and you see it slowly working its way across the land, pretty cool. And now the rain has stopped. Besides the day of my first outing, rain usually only lasts a few minutes.

Thursday, was a very uneventful day for me. I woke up about 5 in the morning, had a bit of I want to go home moment, took a Benadryl to help me fall back asleep. Woke up again around 10 or 11, took a shower and got ready to go out and find the Tesco again, then realized how tired I was. I changed back into pj's went back to sleep and woke up again around 6 or 7. Jet lag has never been a friend to me. I remember in Japan it took me over a week to get used to the time change. Even with set meals, and trying to sleep in a set pattern, my body can not adjust. My head gets foggy and I tend to bump into things; so this day of sleep was actually quite welcoming. And I finally got my heater to work that night. It was such a relief, for once I actually wasn't freezing when I went to bed.

Today I have found myself a little more well adjusted. And because it was a bright, sunny, and overall pleasant day I decided to head out once more and find the Tesco.  Now I have to say Cork is such a confusing city. Practically none of the streets are labled and almost everything looks the same that it is hard to remember if you had already been down this street a couple times. Long story short, I did not find the Tesco. Even with the help of some direction from locals I just could not find the store. I will just have to wait for when my roommate goes again. (she has a car, thank goodness) However, I did find Penney's, a cheaper department store, where I bought a big blanket (heater does disperse the heat well enough to waste energy during the night) and a bathroom mat. During my journey I had found the Cork Opera House, the Tourist Center, and many little shops that I will want to explore come time. I have two weeks until school starts so I figure to get myself situated first because i have plenty of time to explore.

After lunch back at my apartment and some killing of time I went to go check out UCC. It is such a beautiful campus. The main quadrangle is very old gothic style buildings, and the newer buildings incorporate the modern and gothic style. There was one building, I forget which and I plan to take a picture of it soon, was so cool because it was modern yet it had the feel like it was there when the campus was originally built. I didn't spend much time at the campus because it was getting very windy and my blisters were really starting to bother me, but I will be back, and I can't wait to begin classes there. I can't believe I am saying this, but I want school to start now!

My Room with the View 

One of the Gates into Campus

The Main Quadrangle

Original Building

First Day in Cork

So I have finally made it to Cork!! It is absolutely beautiful; I haven't seen much of it yet, but on the walk from where my taxi dropped my off to my apartment it seems like a pretty laid back town.

Traveling was fairly easy. I flew with my dad to Chicago, he was going to DC for work, and that was a simple enough flight. I found out that I didn't have to pay an extra fee for my second bag (which would have been 50 dollars), so that was a blessing. The flight to Dublin went by really fast, it was only about 6 hours and we had gotten in an hour early. I sat next to a really nice grad student, Charisma. She was from Denver, but was currently living in France. We exchanged info incase I was ever in Paris. Even though we came in an hour to Dublin, I still almost missed my flight to Cork. Why? Because one of my suitcases, the most important in my eyes, was lost. But thankfully they only lot one, not both.

The flight to Cork was on this little plane that could only hold about 20 people. It was pretty scary but the flight was fast. I took a taxi to my apartment, and my room quite surprised me. I thought it was just going to be a little closet, but I actually have a lot of space. I have a spectacular view from my window which I  will post as soon as I get my second bag with my camera attachment. Two out of 4 of my roommates are here, they I guess arrived earlier into the summer. One is an American and the other is Irish. The Irish roommate is working on becoming a teacher so she is actually teaching classes at a local school. She saved me from sleeping with my coats over me all night, and gave me some extra blankets. I don't know if I'll get out to explore the city tomorrow. The only jeans I have are the ones I traveled in, and the only shoes my uggs, and I might have to stick around for my bag. As far as I can tell, I think I'll enjoy my time here.