Merry Christmas

Hello all,
So haven't updated in a while. Sorry about that. Just a note to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season. It's warmed up a bit here in Florida, but is still as cold as ever in Galway. I am so happy to be home for the holidays and am loving the sunshine. I had the opportunity to travel up to Minnesota to visit my college friends. I had an absolutely amazing time. Everyone seems to be doing really well and those that aren't in school have all managed to nail down real grown up jobs. An impressive achievement in this economic climate. I went tubing for the first time and loved it. Can't believe I was in Minnesota for four years and had never been tubing. Hope all is well with everyone!

Sam moved!

So big news at least for me. Sam is in the process of moving! Since the pipes in his current place froze him and his housemate decided to move. This may seem like a drastic response, but the problem is that the main water pipe into his house his outside and completely exposed to the elements. Meaning that whenever it gets this cold that pipe is going to freeze and there isn't anything that can be done (or at least that the agency is willing to pay for). So that somehow voided the lease. Meaning he is free to move out before the lease it up. His new place is on the same street I used to live on. It's an apartment, sharing with 3 others and looks really nice from what I have seen online. His current housemate who he really likes is moving with him and then it is a girl from Korea and another guy from the same town Sam's housemate is from. Can't believe they found something so quickly. They literally just started looking yesterday! Galway is really boom or bust when it comes to housing. So he is paying 5euro a week more but it is a better location, much newer building, and much nicer place all in all. Also since it is an apartment heating costs will be less and there is less chance of the pipes freezing. Ohh and he has access to a roof garden as well! So happy!
I am still loving my place, it isn't the best as far as the insulation is concerned but love my house mates and I can't beat the location. The bubble wrap window insulation made a remarkable difference! I would by no means say my room is warm, but there isn't ice on the inside of my window anymore!
I am sick (again) so no big plans for the weekend. Just trying to get healthy for my journey home :)

BRRR

It is freezing here. Like literally. Sam's pipes froze. Mine our still ok, but I live in fear. I insulated my windows with bubble paper and it made a huge difference. I also bought an under blanket for my bed which has made it so much warmer. Ireland it not cut out for this kind of cold. Funny that all three winters I've been here have been freezing and unseasonably cold. Maybe the weather is just afraid I am going to start missing Minnesota.
Went to see Fintan O'Toole speak last night. He is an editor for the Irish Times and wrote a couple of books about how Ireland got into and can get out of its current crisis. He was a very engaging speaker and I was very happy I went. Thanks to my mom for recommending it.
Right now I am sitting on the sofa in front of a roaring fire (thanks to my housemate Shane) watching an amazing episode of Top Gear (the one where they build a convertible people carrier and accidentally set a car wash on fire).
On a side note Aldi a German discount grocery has turduken for 9.99 Euros a pound, mince pies for 89 cents a pack and Irish cream for 5.99 Euros. SOOOO cheap for food, in Ireland. YUMMM!
So excited to return to the states and friends, food and family!

Student Protests

Watching the BBC cover the student protests in London. There were also some huge protests in Dublin a couple of weeks ago. They are protesting the possible increase in fees for tuition. It is really interesting to watch coming from a private education background. Obviously Ireland and Britain are not structured at this time for student fees (no work-study, no real financial aid) but that doesn't mean they can adjust to the changes. The biggest argument is that only wealthy people will be able to go to college.
I wonder if a small fee increase if coupled with practical measures would be the worst. The British government isn't making students evens start paying back their fees until they are making 21,000 pounds. I do truly believe that if people pay for something they appreciate it more. It is obvious that many students are taking their education for granted. Maybe the threat of fees is what is needed.
So different...

Irish Government Upheavel!

Interesting article in the NY Times about the recent development with the Irish government.

Brian Cowen puts the Fail in Fianna Fail. Because humor is obviously the best way to deal with a crumbling government.

Take Home Exam

Just a quick post, I am taking a break from working on my take home exam. Life is good here. I baked this weekend, ginger cookies and sugar cookies. Both turned out, which was a relief because they were both new recipes. Sam's dad was nice enough to let me use his kitchen and kitchen tools to make them. My house doesn't even have a mixing bowl. Went to a pub quiz last night and realized that I am pretty bad at pub quizzes. It's like all the information I need disappears from my head until the exact time that the paper is being collected and then I remember it again. It was good fun though and a nice break before beginning my take home exam. It is three essay questions of 2,000 words a piece. We have ten days to complete it which is a bit longer than I would like. I am a bit concerned about what the over achievers in my class are going to get up to in that amount of time. Hopefully what I write will be sufficient. It is so hard to judge when we haven't submitted anything else for this course and basically have no guidance on what exactly they are expecting from us. On the bright-side the questions are much more interesting than I thought they would be, although clearly some of them that are phrased as opinion questions only have one "right" answer. I am fairly certain based on the personality of one of my lecturers that dissenting opinions will be given a lower grade. This is a small example of my basic problem with the discipline of human rights, or at least they way it is being taught in my course. There is only one correct way to view a particular issue and if you happen to see things differently then you obviously don't support the human rights project. I am beginning to understand why it is so often criticized for like a religion. But, for all it's faults it certainly is interesting and I do enjoy studying it. I can honestly say that I am enjoying working on my take home exam. Hope all is well with everyone! The posts may be a bit sporadic as I near the end of the semester and the work load increases. I promise I will make up for it during my MONTH LONG winter break :)

They say never meet your heroes in person...

So the concert I was all excited about was in reality a disappointing. Scroobius Pip's music is awesome, but the Scroobius Pip the man seems to be a bit more on the side of politically incorrect annoying ego manic. Sam had a great time though, so that made it more bearable.
The night was not a total bust however; the opening act was fantastic. Kid A is an artist I know from my last fm stations. Didn't know anything about her, but loved what I had heard of her music. She was the opening act :) What a wonderful surprise. She has an amazing voice and is very much comparable to Little Boots and Ladyhawk both of whom I have been listening to religiously since they hit the scene. As a live performer she comes off as really sweet and down to earth. And since she was the opening act there were only like 20 or so people there to listen to her. Which is my kind of concert. Sit down, chill out, and listen. I do not understand the need that people my age seem to have to bounce around and run into each other at concerts. I prefer to enjoy the music not spend the whole concert trying not to get crushed by large boys.
Tonight I am going to a lecture series at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. They are having a former Guantanamo Bay detainee come to discuss his experiences. Should be interesting, especially since just two weeks ago we had a former judge and lecturer at the University of San Fransisco come to discuss the merits of the Patriot Act.
I am loving having an Asian market literally a minute from my house. Made a quick run to it this morning and made a delicious rice noodle, chicken, bak choi and chinese mushroom soup for the week ahead. Tasty and easy, the best kind of meal. I now live in fear that they are going to go out of business, but every time I walk by there is someone in there doing some shopping.
Got a package from my parents today. So just a quick shout out to say Mom and Dad you are awesome! They are obviously awesome for many other reasons than the fact that they send me goodies from home, of course, but this was a particularly nice surprise.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Oh and p.s. Just thought everyone should know that the Irish government is currently embroiled in a publicity scandal surrounding it's free cheese for the needy scheme. That's right folks, in the middle of the economic crisis the Irish government is gifting the needy free cheese for the holiday season. Happy Holidays :)

Concert Tonight

Scroobius Pip is playing Galway tonight and I could not be more excited. Long story short I discovered one of his songs ages ago, loved it, book marked it, and then my computer crashed so I lost all my bookmarks, couldn't remember his name etc. Fast forward to three weeks ago when Lean tells me Scroobius Pip is coming. I have no idea who he is, the name doesn't ring any bells. So I go back to my house, youtube him and low and behold it is the mystery artist of the song I have been searching for. Talk about a happy coincidence! I heard he is pretty decent live and the show sold out about 3 weeks ago! So happy I got tickets. He is rap/spoken word poetry and does really neat music videos as well. Just seems like a smart guy with a quick wit that doesn't take himself to seriously. Not nearly enough people like that in the music industry...haha.
Anyway that is the highlight of my weekend.
The rest of it is dedicated to working on my paper, reading for class and taking care of a sick Sam.

A Visitor

Hello all! I have had my first ever house guest :) Chris, on of my friends from Olaf is working in Cologne, Germany. He had some vacation time and decided to come visit me! Mainly because I was the closest person to him, being that we are both in Europe. I had such an amazing time! It was so nice to be able to do all the touristy things in Galway with someone who had never been to Ireland before. He is an archaeologist so he got a big kick out of seeing the old ruins scattered around the area.
The first day/ EXTREMELY EARLY MORNING, of his arrival (he came in at 3:00 am), we headed up to Horse and Lean's apartment for the tail end of a house party and just to say hello to everyone.
The next day I had class so Sam and Chris did a bit of a stroll around town. We then walked out to Salthill down the Prom, in the pouring rain (my idea) and were all completely miserable and sopping wet. So we stopped up in Sam's Mom's house for a cup of tea, a chance to dry off and to play video games with Sam's youngest brother.
That night we went out to Cuba with Nuala, who was back on break from University in Dublin, and some others. Then on to a house party where I got to play pool for the first time in ages!
The next day we were all exhausted so we slept in till the afternoon. Then went out for a bit of a walk around the bay and were lucky enough to time it so that the mackerel were around. There must have been hundreds of them, and thousands of the little sprat they eat in the water. The mackerel in turn attracted the seals. There were six seals out in the water, barking at each other and chasing after the fish. That is most the seals I have seen in Ireland in the water! To top it all of there was also a rainbow. I could not have asked for a better picture of Galway for Chris.
The next two days Sam's parents were kind enough to take us on a couple of day trips, which really made the vacation.
Sam's mom took us out to the Burren, which is always gorgeous. I had only ever been there on one of the bus tours so it was nice to get out with someone who knew some more secluded spots not seen by many tourists. We went to the ruins of an old monastery which had a round tower on it's grounds. I don't know if this is true or not, but apparently round towers a unique to Ireland. Then after that we went for some fish chowder. A real treat for Chris who loves fish and never gets to eat it in Germany. Then on to Burren National Park where we visited an ruined hermitage. It was in a really beautiful little fairy forest, with a holy well and everything was covered in bright green moss. It was such a contrast to the barren landscape of most of the Burren.
Sam's dad took us out by Roundstone, a little town known for it's Bodhran's (an Irish Drum). We went for a walk along the beach and I saw a hare! This may not seem that exciting, but Irish wildlife pretty much consists of fish and sheep. A hare is by far the coolest land mammal I have seen in Ireland thus far. Then we went back to town for another serving of seafood chowder and out to Ballynahinch Castle for a warm cup of tea and some fruit cake. Then a walk around the grounds of the castle which are absolutely stunning. The castle was the residence of the founder of the RSPCA, Humanity Dick.
We came back, played two rounds of Cranium and then Chris left the next day. It was so nice to see a friend and so much fun to have a little staycation in Galway. Long story short, if you want to come visit I am happy to show you around :)
Now it is nose to the grindstone working on my paper and doing my readings. Luckily I am really enjoying learning about my paper topic, analyzing the use of force in the South Ossetian conflict in Georgia in 2008. I am so happy I am able to do my paper on something that merges so well with my area of interest. Other than that I am keeping busy with Archery and Kayaking.
In other news "we" have still not turned on the heat in the house, ie the housemates, who are apparently much more tolerant of the cold than I. Forced to take drastic measures I have purchased two hot water bottles which I have deemed the best investment ever! I actually got so hot last night I had to take off my duvet and just use a blanket. Unfortunately they only work when I am in bed and do very little once I have to get out of bed. This has made waking up for class and getting out of bed a bit of a challenge. Haha.
Hope all is well with everyone!

An interesting read

My mom forward this article from the New York Times to me and it I think perfectly sums up my Irish experience. The first time I was here I found it extremely difficult to make friends with the Irish in classes or through clubs and found myself hanging out primarily with Americans. Then like the author, I just kinda gave up and decided to just enjoy the culture on my own. This is when everything began to fall into place. It was interesting to read that someone far more traveled than myself found a similar situation and overcame it in much the same way.

Some highlights

Some highlights from my first few weeks. The Corrib princess, site of an epic boat party. The beach, some cows (which I was very excited about) and Sam and I in Roundstone.

Photos of my house (finally)

Some photos of my house! FINALLY! Sorry about the long delay.

Update!

Hello to everyone! Winter has arrived (again). It was wonderfully warm last weekend, t-shirt weather! Now it is foggy and freezing, but at least it isn't raining! I am in the midst of working on my paper. One of my sources is 1,100 pages long! I know that is standard, but it came as a bit of a shock to me. So lots of reading ahead of me, lots of writing as well! Went kayaking again on Friday. I am not particularly good at it. Can't keep my kayak going in a straight line. The embarrassment is worth it, however. Such a great group of people and a great work out. Archery is going well. I am still too much of a weakling to comfortably use a 30 lb bow. Hopefully in a few more weeks I will used to it. My shoulders are currently killing me between kayaking and archery. This weekend some friends had a patio party which was good fun. I ended up leaving around 12:30. I am such a party animal right? Haha. No matter how hard I try I am waking up early and need to go to bed early here. I guess I'm growing up :) Last night Sam and I went to a concert, Mount Kimbie. A band neither of us had ever heard of. DJ Society had cheap tickets though so I figured mind as well check it out. I enjoyed it and Sam really enjoyed it so that was well worth it. A new Asian market opened up right next to my street. They sell baby bok choy (or Pok Choi as they spell it here). So Monday, I made a delicious Japanese Sukiyake and it turned out surprisingly well. This is all thanks to the cook books my parents sent me over with :) I have to head off to archery and hopefully hit some bulls eyes. Hope all is well!

Kayaking and Mars Bars

What a wonderful week! My classes are getting progressively more interesting. I am actually really enjoying my Public International Law class. We are starting to think about out paper topics. I will be doing mine on the use of force by Georgia in the South Ossetia conflict in 2008. So far have just started the research...it's all a bit overwhelming. But, I am pleased as pie that I am able to do it on my area of interest. My other course are going well. Economics could be a bit more exciting, but I love the professor. Introduction to Human Rights Law changes lecturers every week, this last week we had an excellent lecturer talking about Social, Cultural and Economic Rights.
Last weekend I tried my hand a print making for the first time. Galway culture night was last week and Sam and I went to free print making classes for it. We got to use the huge gelatin rollers and a big press. So fun and definitely something I would like to try again.
This week I went kayaking with kayak club. It was freezing, wet suits really don't keep you nearly as warm as expected. It was great fun though! I am trained to use my spray guard so should be a bit more warm and dry this time. I couldn't have asked for better weather, sunshine, blue skies. It was a wonderful day to be on the water. The true test will be whether I can stick with it once it gets cold and rainy :)
Went out last night with Lean. It was really nice to get out and about. It was really nice to have a bit of a girls night.
Today Sam surprised me with my first ever proper bouquet of flowers. They smell absolutely amazing! I can smell them all over my house and they really brighten up my room.
The weather was beautiful again today so we went for a stroll down along the water and watched the swans for a while. Learned today that apparently it is extremely bad to feed swans white bread. There are signs up down by the their hang out in Polish, Russian, English and Irish saying that feeding swans white bread can kill them!

I had my first ever deep fried Mars bar today! It was killer and amazing. Apparently they are fairly common in Scottish fish and chip shops. I had never seen them before in Ireland. I always assumed the deep fried phenomena was an American creation.

Big news! Chris, a friend from Olaf who is working in Germany, is coming to visit me towards the end of October. I have a house guest! I am excited about getting to do some touristy things with him. Definitely take a trip to the Aran Islands and maybe Cork or Dublin. I am so hoping the weather can keep it together!
Hope all is well with everyone!

Test photo

The view from my bedroom window. I can just barely see the canal.

Internet and Euronews

Well I finally have the internet! It appears to be super fast, but Skype will be the true test of this. Even more exciting than this development is that our tv gets Euronews Russia. I am fairly certain they may have given us more channels than we signed up for so I need to check on that. Until I figure it out though I get to enjoy Russian news! I am actually enjoying even more the ads for extremely swanky hotels and restaurants. I am beginning to think my Russia experience was a bit lacking.
And we have the Irish equivalent of tivo. This is the cheapest internet/cable package out there and I am so far pleasantly surprised. To add to my astonishment the men came to install it ON TIME! This is almost unheard of by American standards, and even rarer by Irish standards.
There is a down side to all this joy, however. I cannot for the life of me locate my camera cord. I am (almost) positive I packed it. The hunt continues...
Hope all is well with everyone!

Snorkeling, Socs, and a Cold Snap

Hello all! Winter it seems has arrived in Ireland. I am not entirely sure what happened to autumn. The weather decided to transition straight from summer sun to freezing windy rain. I left the house wearing a sweater this morning and it is now well into wool jacket weather. Hopefully this is just a random cold snap as this early arrival is both confusing and distressing.
I have started going to my clubs and societies. So far I have had two day of archery which I am really enjoying. I did archery for a semester at Olaf and loved it so I am happy to get back into the swing of things in Galway. I went to DJ soc as well this week but about 50 other people showed up so we didn't really learn much. Next week they are planning to split us down into smaller groups so we can actually get a chance to use the turn tables. This is all very over my head so I am happy that I will be embarrassing myself in front of a small group instead of in front of 50 ppl.
Yesterday was Arthur's Day, which is basically just an excuse for everyone to drink Guinness and go mad. I did not participate in the festivities because of class but, I could hear the world wide toast at 17:59 in my apartment!
Tonight there is some sort of free arts festival in Galway. I am not quite clear on what exactly it is, but a bunch of the theatres and art galleries are hosting events. As I type this I am listening to the Contempo string quartet play in the lobby of the library for the festival. Sam and I are heading down to his mom's studio space for free printmaking classes.
This weekend I am trying to figure out a way to get to Drum, Athlone to visit what is basically a glorified petting zoo, Glendeer Pet Farm http://www.glendeer.com/
I read about it in one of the tourist pamphlets and have decided that I absolutely must go. Unfortunately it looks like buses don't run there and it closes Sept. 30th. I might have to put this mission on hold until next summer. But, I am trying my best to figure something out for this weekend. They have LLAMAS and GUINEA PIGS! Hopefully I can figure something out!
Last Monday I had a grand day out in Galway. Went to the Galway cathedral from some free organ music, went on a hike along the river and went snorkeling. I haven't been snorkeling in ages! It was great fun but sadly the Irish waters leave a bit to be desired in terms of interesting aquatic life. I saw a crab and some tiny fish. Bit disappointing but great fun all the same.
I have officially registered for all of my classes, including the Econ. class I wanted to get into so badly. I am over the moon about finally being done with all that hassle and getting into all the courses I wanted.
Monday I should have Internet in my apartment, so fingers crossed! This means I will have no excuse not to upload photos :)
Hope everyone is keeping well!

Classes and Socs.

Classes have begun. For real this time. The first week pretend to be real courses, but then turned out to just be a general introduction. I love, love, love my How to Argue with an Economist Course. The professor has an excellent sense of humor and comes off as very down to earth and accessible. Could it be my favorite class of my law masters is an econ. class...haha. Introduction to Public International Law is a bit heavy on the reading but all in all seems decent enough. I am taking it because it was recommend for student who don't have any sort of legal background. So it's more out of necessity than enjoyment. Not to say the class is terrible, it's just very "legal". Makes me absolutely certain that a 3 year law degree in the states would not have been a wise choice for me. Introduction to International Human Rights Law is tonight in about 20 minutes. So I can't comment on what I think of it, though the readings were interesting.
Still waiting on a hoover for the house, but other than that everything house related is just dandy! Still loving my housemates and my tiny but comfy room.
I signed up for societies today; photography (they promised to teach me how to use my dad's old manual camera), DJ, Human Rights and film. I also emailed archery club about joining so hopefully that will pan out!
I made bangers and mash again for dinner tonight. I am not becoming the culinary genius I had hoped. The teeny fridge is a bit limiting when it comes to cooking. But, at least I am now a pro at making mashed potatoes :)
I have the rest of the week off after today! Most of it will be devoted to my massive reading load, but I am hoping the weather is nice so Sam and I can get some biking and swimming in before fall officially arrives here and it starts raining 24/7.
Hope everyone is well!

I am no longer an illegal alien

So I am now officially legal in Ireland. Went this morning to the Garda station and registered. They didn't even look at my documentation! I could have handed them a stack of scratch paper and they wouldn't have cared. I guess illegal immigration from America isn't a huge concern to immigration. This is the second day in a row I got to wake up at 5:15 to make the trek out there. Yesterday made it all the way down only to find a tiny printed sign stating that due to unforseen circumstances the station was closed for the day. How typically Irish. Today went well though. I was the 4th person there and I got there at about 6:30. They only hand out 20 tickets a day so competition to get there early is fierce. Haha.
I got my classes today. Everything I hoped for! For first semester I am taking How to Argue with an Economist, Intro to Human Rights Law and Intro to Public International Law. Second semester is comprised of Business and Human Rights and Human Rights and Development. I am a bit heavy on the economic side of things but I figure that is really one of the biggest hurdles for human rights law; justifying expenditures for policies and programs that do not first glance provide that added incentive of economic boost. Here's hoping for an interesting semester!
Nothing much else going on. Bought a drying rack today, wooohooo. It is not just a drying rack however, it is the Bugatti of drying racks, the thing is huge, and came with clothes pins. I was quite pleased :)
Sam's Birthday dinner was really nice! It was at Cava a local Spanish restaurant. http://www.cavarestaurant.ie/ The tapas was amazing. I finished the night playing Jenga for the first time ever with Sam's bros while he chatted with his parents. I am really going wild in Ireland :)
Oh and Sam and I both got bikes! Sam got one for his birthday from his mom and then I got one from his mom as well. The neighbor was apparently getting rid of it and she asked if she could have it. She took it in to get it fixed for me and I can collect it this weekend. Now if only the weather would clear up we'd be in business!
Hope all is well with everyone!

The end of vacay

Classes start tomorrow. So far all I know about my fellow classmates is one is a trained opera singer from Ireland and another one is a Polish rapper. It promises to be an interesting year :) The weather here seems to finally be changing back to the Irish weather I was expecting. I am so glad I got a swim in yesterday. Sam caught some crabs, but they were too tiny to cook. One of them was a female with an egg sack, which was neat to see.
Made dinner for Sam's birthday; a variation on bangers and mash. Turned out pretty delicious and made a ton of leftovers.
Tonight is Sam's semi-birthday party. I am hoping to maybe go out for a bit and then come back in around 9. We'll see. My new house is cleaned from top to bottom, the house mates are sound and I am finally settled in. This weekend is move in week for Olaf... it's weird not to be moving into the dorms.
Tomorrow is also a wine and cheese reception for the new LL.M. students. This strikes a bit of a contrast to Olaf's rootbeer float and ice cream sunday socials. I feel almost like a grown up...haha. I am looking forward to finally beginning classes.
Tomorrow is also a play with Sam's family at the Druid. It's called the Silver Tassie and is about WWII and tenement Dublin. I haven't seen a production at the Druid so I am looking forward to it. Then Tuesday night is dinner out with Sam's family for his birthday at Cava a Spanish restaurant in town.
I have been handing out CVs but so far no luck. Just have to keep going. I am sure something will pan out eventually, but it is taking a bit longer to find work than I had expected. This shouldn't come as a surprise to me considering the Irish economy thought.
Hope everyone is well!

Lack of Posts

So there will be a bit of a hiatus on posts. I moved into my new place which was supposed to have internet. Well it did when I looked at the place. It doesn't anymore. So I am in the process trying to figure out which of the many ridiculously expensive internet options best suits my needs. Charging for the internet over is really odd...they charge not only for the speed but also for the amount you use it and the amount of data you look use. I am trying to determine how much I use, because things like skyping, and posting photos take up a huge amount of your allotted time/data for the month. Blerg. So until that all gets sorted it is the posts are going to be a little less regular. Other than that everything is going well. Moved into the new place and gave it a top to bottom clean with one of the housemates. Went to the rental agency yesterday with a list of things that were wrong with the place. Nothing major, just nothing I want to be charged for when I move out. They are sending someone out either tomorrow of next week to fix everything...Hopefully! Sam's birthday party is this Sunday at his friends place in the country. Sadly I won't be able to go because my classes start on Monday. Tuesday is his actual birthday with the family and then we will celebrate on Saturday. Can't believe the start of my course is almost here! I am both excited and a bit nervous. I will be happy when all of registration stuff is taken care of...then I can just sit back and focus on the program. Hope everyone is well!

Quick update!

The worlds largest spiders have apparently made the move to Ireland with me. There was another particularly nasty one found by yours truly at Sam's house. This is so much more nature than I bargained for. I move into my house tomorrow night/ Tuesday! So excited! One housemate seems nice enough, very quiet and the other one I get on with really well. I went over for a cup of tea on Wed. and got to have a sit down chat with her. The lease signing went without a glitch. I will have photos coming shorty once I am settled and moved in. The delay is due to my inability to locate my camera technology in my extremely packed suitcases. I am so excited to finally be settled into my new place.
It has been wonderfully sunny here! I have been doing my course reading out by the Spanish Arch looking out at the water and living in fear of being attached by a deranged seagull. Sam and I discovered the joys of Lidl, a German owned discount grocery store. We went this week and saved probably 30% off the normal price of groceries! The monotony of everyday life beings...haha.
For all you Minnesota fans out there. I met a girl through one of Sam's friends who is dating a boy from the Twin Cities! This may not seem that amazing but almost no one in Galway has even heard of the Twin Cities and even fewer have actually been there. It made me miss you all!
Hope all is well!

Bits and Bobs

Hello all,
Not much of anything has happened in the few days since I last updated. I am in limbo about the house until tomorrow. I put the deposit down, but tomorrow I sign the lease. Hopefully it goes smoothly! I discovered that it is very close to being located on the river and our common garden area actually looks out on the Corrib River. I have succeeded in living on the water again! YAY! The housemates seem really nice and I am going over this evening for a bit more of a chat with all of them and to discuss the logistics of fibbing about my student status to the letting agency.
The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous; shorts weather which is extremely unusual for Ireland. This means swimming has been a pleasant experience which is not typical for Ireland. I have however managed to come down with a rather nasty cold...every time I come to Ireland I get a cold!
We are currently battling a fruit fly infestation in Sam's house due to a rather sneaky moldy orange. I've set out wine bottle traps that seem to be doing the trick. I didn't really think fruit flies would be much of an issue in Ireland. Also I saw the largest spider in Ireland yesterday! It rivaled the long legged Florida ones. ICKS! I came to Ireland in part because I thought their wildlife consisted of sheep and hedgehogs.
I've started my law reading and was rather disappointed to discover the book I thought was 1,000 pages is actually 1,500, so I am on a bit of a time crunch to get it finished before classes. Yesterday was spent primarily trying to get a solid start. It's fascinating but not exactly a quick read.
Hope all is well with everyone!

A little hiccup, a lot of fun

So I do not in fact have a new place. I have put down the deposit on a really nice house share in City Centre but it involves telling a few fibs to the letting agency. If that all goes grand then I have a new place. The original house that I put the deposit on was beautiful but the people in it were not comfortable with me having friends stay with me when they come to visit from America. This seemed a sign that things were not going to work out. I got my deposit back no problem though and have now learned to make sure to mention that I do in fact have a social life when renting a place. Who knew?
Other than that things have been going swimmingly. Sam and I have been quite the social butterflies. Two birthday parties in the last four days, just as many coffee dates, swimming, hiking everything. I am making sure to take advantage of every opportunity while I am not swamped with school work and the sun is still shinning. I have been seeing a lot of Sam's mom and brothers which has been really nice! They are such lovely people and I really feel like they enjoy having me around.
We went on a bog hike with his mom and brother David. It was beautiful! Sunshine, heather, rolling green hills. Today we went for a swim down by Blackrock and I could not have asked for a better day for it. The water was warm by Irish standards and the sun was out. I hope to have some pictures posted soon because I just can't do the Irish landscape justice in my descriptions.
I just purchased my first textbook for my course and have started reading it. It is absolutely fascinating and gives me great hope for a challenging and interesting academic year.
Hope everyone is well!

My humble abode

I got a house! I went house hunting yesterday and found literally the perfect place within 3 hours of being in Galway. I cannot believe my luck! I move in on Sunday and will post so photos of it some time in the next week. It is a lovely double bedroom in a residential estate. Right now there is a younger professional couple living there. They are absolutely wonderful people, very sweet and we hit it off right away. I am a bit farther from the college than I wanted to be but I am extremely close to the grocery store so it all works out!

I am so tired as the jet lag seems to be catching up with me. I had a good flight and ended up sitting next to a really interesting Danish woman so we chatted for a fair amount of it.

Last night Sam and I went out to one of his friends birthday parties which was quite nice. I got to catch up with a fair amount of his friends.

Everything is working out spectacularly well, lets hope the trend continues!

Hope everyone is well!

Beginning

I thought starting a blog would be an easy way to share my study and travel experiences with you all. I have attempted to start a blog before and epically failed at sticking with it. Better luck this time I hope :)
I leave for Ireland Tuesday afternoon and arrive early in the morning Wed (lucky Sam). It's a direct flight so hopefully I can get some rest on that and not be super jet lagged. As soon as I land it's off to Galway to pick up the Galway Advertiser so I can start looking for apartments. Hopefully I'll find something that meets my check list; central heating, close to groceries, internet and semi- tame house mates. Fingers crossed :)