Care Package and Foam Party

I''ve been neglecting my blog lately but I haven't had free moments to go online and have "me time." The other day the mailman came and brought me ANOTHER package! Although I knew this one was coming, it was still a nice surprise from my parents. I got everything I wanted from home; Boston Sox hat, sneakers, oreos and kraft mac&cheese! Basically what every college wants.


Thanks Mom and Dad

Last night (Wednesday) the club Cuba was throwing a foam party. A few of the girls and I decided to try it out and had a great time! I thought it was going to be wet and dirty and people falling all over the place, which is what happened but it turned out to be OK. As we got ready, the first of the nightly shenanigans started. I broke my dressy sandals! Ughhhhh so I had to go back to the apartment and change shoes. We then called a cab and waited over 40 minutes just for the asshole not to show up! And I called twice...

So we walked the 10 minutes to the club and stood in line to get our stamp and start the fun! Once we got inside, the foam hadn't started yet but the place was packed. I have never seen Cuba that full before. It's usually the last place you would go if there was nothing else better going on that night. We got onto the dance floor and stuck together but we were packed like sardines. As a good song came on, you could feel the excitement around you building up. All of a sudden...FOAM EVERY WHERE!! I was covered head to toe and sticky soapy foam. I could feel it piling up on my head and slipping all over my feet and sandals. I couldn't see anything and the girls and I just linked arms and clung to each other as people pushed and slipped on the slippery floor. I lost my shoes a few times, but luckily found them!

The foam went off and on the whole night. It just got wetter and sudsy-er as the night continued. We decided to take a break and found an empty table. I got up to get something and walked right into a stool! It hurt so bad and I was afraid to fall back into the crowd of people jumping up and down. I looked down to find a huge rip through the leggings that I was wearing (actually they were Caitlyn's!). I ran to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. Mistake; I was looking like a hot mess with makeup running down my face, soap in my hair, dirty feet and ripped pants.

As we looked at ourselves in the bathroom it was our signal to head back home. Luckily everyone was getting pretty tired and felt the same way. We grabbed a taxi (who was very rude!) and we headed back to Menlo. The girls left and Caitlyn and I settled down on the couch with a pot of mac and cheese from my care package and watched MTV and decided it was a good idea to skip our first class (ssshhhh don't tell Grammie).

Tomorrow is Friday and I will be spending the day catching up on homework and reading. It will be a good night to stay in and hang with friends and discuss the weekend. We are going to Dublin with the program Saturday-Sunday! Hopefully the weather is good and no one gets bus sick this time, including myself!

Weekend in Limerick and Arthur's Day

Thursday was Arthur's Day in Ireland. It is the day that Guinness was invented however many years ago. They are trying to make it a national holiday, but it only started last year. I ended up going out to town with some of the girls and we had a great time! People were everywhere and all the pubs and clubs were packed! I couldn't believe how many people were out on a Thursday night. We hopped around between a few pubs and ordered drinks here and there. I never got a Guinness but it was definitely the popular drink that night.

What I found surprising about the night was walking down Shoppe Street and seeing all the broken glass and crap all over the place! People were breaking bottles and glasses against buildings and the cobblestone ground. I was amazed that the Gards (police) weren't out and arresting people. I was glad I wore boots because normally I wear open-toed shoes out. When I got home, I had to pick broken glass out from the bottoms of my shoes. I was pretty happy when the night came to end.

The next day, Caitlyn and I took a bus to Limerick to stay with out friend Tim for the weekend. I haven't seen Tim since spring semester at Plymouth State so I was pretty excited to see my friend. The bus ride was kind of long, about 2.5 hours and we were pretty tired when we got to Limerick. We grabbed a cab and made our way to Cappavilla where he lived with his roommates.

I was pretty jealous of Tim's apartment when I saw it! I like out apartment and all, but his was amazing! Six guys lived there and they each had their own room with a private bathroom. The kitchen and living room was huge and they also had a porch with a great view! Caitlyn and I ended up taking Tim's room and kicked him to the curb haha. The boys had a spare bed in a closet (it was HUGE so don't feel bad for him) so Tim stayed there for the weekend. The first night the guys took us out to The Lodge. It was supposed to be the hot spot on campus where everyone went to drink and dance. WRONG it was dead and had probably 20 people there. We only stayed for about 30 min and bailed and went back to their apartment and went to bed.

King John's Castle

The next morning, Tim took us on a tour of Limerick. He showed us the city, the good parts and bad. We also took a tour of King John's Castle. Walking around the city made me happy that I chose Galway for school. The boys kept scaring us about how the city is called "Stab City" and there are gang fights and people get mugged all the time. We ended up wandering down a shady part of the city on accident and I was amazed at the broken windows and closed shops that lined the streets. Another thing about Limerick was how spread out everything is. We had to take a bus to get to town and a cab to get everywhere else! In Galway everything is within walking distance and I don't have to worry about a bunch of losers jumping me.

The second night turned out to be a great night. The roommates left for Mayo to celebrate a friend's birthday but we stayed behind with Tim and one of his roommates, Mike. We went out to a house party and met their friends from the football team (they have American football). The night was full of silly boys, pink fairy wings, glitter and feathers. I will let you use your imaginations as to what happened, but the men here are extremely comfortable with their sexualities which was a breath of fresh air lol.

We left the house and went back to the boys' apartment and hit the sack. I unfortunately got one of my bursts of energy and ended up not sleeping at all. But that was ok, the night turned out great and I had some good conversations with an Irish man. I can now cross that off my list of things I wanted to accomplish in Ireland. The next morning, Caitlyn and I grabbed a cab back to the bus station and took the bus back to Galway. We were tired the whole way but the thought of my bed waiting for me back home made it better.

Needless to say the weekend was a success and I am glad we went to visit our friend. Although the culture and city were completely different from Galway, it turned out to be a fun weekend away from "home." This weekend we are going to Dublin sat-sun with the program, hopefully that will turn out to be a great time as well! Updates are more to come =]

Care Package!

Just received another care package this morning! It came bright and early, normally I  wouldn't have been awake that early but I was up for immigration this morning. My cousin Sara sent me a package with some awesome things! Pictures of everyone from home, friends, family and cousins! She also put some Halloween candy in there; candy corn, skittles, starbursts and gum! Seeing her card made me miss home a little bit and not being able to celebrate my 21st birthday with all my cousins back home, but I'm sure I will get over it ha ha. Thanks Numba one!

Earlier this morning I had to wake up and drag myself to the Immigration Office. When you come to Ireland as a student and stay here for a semester you have to register with the country and get an ID card. Because there were so many of us, everyone got designated times to go. Mine was at 8:15 this morning. Luckily there were others from the program so we all walked together. The office was pretty hard to find, if I was alone I probably would have been lost! Well, we got there and it was in the worst part of Galway! Felt like I was back in ghetto-burg lol.

Got inside and sat down, waited for my turn. Turns out because there are so many students registering this week, they shut the immigration office down to everyone else! People were coming and going and were getting so mad because the office was turning them away. An American man actually got up and slammed the door and was swearing and cursing at everyone and everything! Stupid American giving the rest of us a bad name...

It was my turn after the angry man-event and I went up to the counter. I had to bring a letter showing I was a student at NUIG, a bank note showing I had sufficient funds (if not I needed a letter from the parents saying they would support me, thankfully I don't need it), letter signed from my apartment landlord showing i was a resident and my passport. The stony lady put all my information into the system and took a picture of me. I wasn't prepared and it was also really early in the morning..needless to say i was not very photogenic! I also had to give my finger prints on a laser thing. I felt like i was on an episode of CSI or Law&Order!

Now I am a fully registered student and member of Ireland's society! I just have to carry the card with me everywhere instead of my MASS licence and if I don't have it, I think i can be fined or even arrested...? Ha ha oh well I am sure that won't happen.

Limerick in 3 days!

Group shots from Connemara and Kylemore Abbey

Our first stop on the tour. Kylemore Abbey is behind the lake

Kylemore Abbey again

Another castle that has been renovated into an exclusive hotel. This was as close as we were allowed. Nightly rates go from 1,000-5,000 euro! There was also a guard in front the bridge that we are standing on.

Excursion to Connemara and Kylemore Abbey

Yesterday our API group went on a "off the beaten track" tour through the Connemara and other various parts of Galway County. The day started off wet and rainy and pretty much stayed like that for the rest of the day unfortunately. Our program leader, Finn took all of us on a tour of her version of Ireland. We drove down windy narrow roads and stopped whenever someone wanted to take a picture. She sat up front with the microphone and told us little stories along the way of her childhood and the places she loved to visit. We even drove by a church where her parents got married.

Unfortunately because of the windy roads and hairpin turns, a lot of peop rsick including myself. The first half of the tour was miserable. We were on the bus for over an hour and half and I don't remember any of the scenery because i was focused on keeping my breakfast down!

Thankfully we stopped to take some pictures of Kylemore Abbey! The castle was beautiful, even in the rain and fog. There was a beautiful lake (pronounced Loch) in front of the Abbey and it was surrounded by mountains and stone walls.

This was one of the few moments when the rain stopped! API bought the group our tickets and we were allowed into the Abbey and the grounds to walk around for a bit. Inside, we could only see a few rooms but everything was very grand. Tapestries and ornamental rugs and paintings covered the walls and floors. The Abbey was built around 1665 and was passed around from family to family as a place for worship or as a marital gift. In 1920, a group of nuns bought the Abbey and turned it into their place for religious purposes and as their home.

If you follow a path that runs along the lake from the Abbey, you will come across a small church. The Church's pillars is made of marble from all over the world. Each color represented where it had come from. Unfortunately I can't remember all the places, but the green marble was for Ireland, red for Italy (?) and blue or black from somewhere else. Our program leaders wanted to get married in the church but due to some old laws they were unable to and chose to get married at the Chapel on NUIG campus.

After Kylemore Abbey, everyone was getting pretty hungry. We got back on the bus and drove another 20 minutes to Delphi lodge which is located at the base of the Twelve Pin Mountains. It was a hot spot for those who like outdoor sports; climbing, archery, fishing and scuba-diving. There, we all enjoyed a 3-course hot lunch that was DELICIOUS! I ordered the vegetable soup as a starter and it was so good. It was nice to drink something hot after the wet day we had, and the soup came with banana bread! It was a great combination. When the main courses came out, I chose the chicken with mushroom sauce.

The chicken is actually sitting in a pile of mashed potatoes! It was so good. Everyone else was a little unsure of what to order (including myself) because we were only offered 3 choices on the menu; chicken, salmon or egg plant. But Caitlyn who is a very picky eater enjoyed everything! She's making progress =] Once the main meals were all finished up, out came the dessert! Just like the main meals, we weren't given a choice of dessert. We instead got a sampler plate with different types of goodies.

The blue-ish square is a blueberry pudding of some sort (didn't like it because of the texture and it jiggled). Next we got a lemon pie and the top had been scorched like a creme brulee and then we had a chocolate cake with chocolate sauce. Everything was delicious and I was so full when lunch was over! Not to mention I also had a whole pot of tea to myself while eating all of this!

As the tour continued, we got back on the road and saw more of the Connemara and what it had to offer. There were sheep EVERYWHERE! And the sheep dogs were really friendly too. The bus brought us to a river/waterfall where the water is tainted a light brownish color. It looked really gross but a lot of people like to go salmon fishing and swimming in it.

Erriff River

Here you can see the brown water coming over the waterfall. The water is tainted because of leeching into the river from the trees and sediments around the river. We only stayed here for a few minutes. It was down pouring off and on all day and everywhere was pretty wet throughout the day. We all got back on the bus and continued to drive through the country side. For the majority of bus-time, we took a leisurely route around Killary Harbour (An Caolaire Rua). This loch sits in the center of the mountain Mweelrea and separates the counties Mayo and Galway.

After this driving tour we headed back to the Menlo apartments because the weather did not get any better unfortunately. We were going to go out on the town, but it had been a long day so we decided to stay in and plan some weekend trips. Caitlyn and our friend Timmy (from Plymouth state who is currently attending limerick) booked a weekend flight to Liverpool, UK. We're not sure yet what we're going to do there but the best times are usually unplanned!

More updates as the weeks continue..

Care Package and Updates

Got another package yesterday from Mom and Dad! Had lots of goodies in it; cookies and a few cards. It was nice getting it after a long day of classes and running around! Thanks!

Tonight we had a meeting for our excursion this Saturday. We're going to the Connemara and taking a "off the beaten track" route with our program advisor, Finn. She has a PhD in Zoology and is overall a very happy person to be around. She likes to make everyone feel welcome and she's good with pushing people out of their comfort zones. It's an all day tour but we're going to be hiking and climbing things if the weather is good. We were told to bring extra socks in case we fall into a bog or something else. We were also told that there is going to be A LOT of sheep, so bring our cameras for that "perfect" shot haha.

Classes have been going okay for now. Nothing major has happened and I am still waiting to hear back about my microeconomics course (the only one I really need). I will know later on this week, hope all goes well. Other than that classes have been classes. Everyone I have is a lecture hall with over 100 students. I'm not really used to this but it's been okay. The business classes are kind of fast but classes are shorter here (50 min) so professors have a lot to fit in a short amount of time.

Tonight is going to be a slow night for me. Last night was a friend's birthday and we were out kind of late. Tonight is another "PARTY!" night but I still haven't gotten used to going out during the week. I wonder if I will get used to it...hopefully not because we still go out on weekends! I want to start planning some weekend trips soon. Flights vary with prices so I guess you have to hit it at the right time and hope for the best!

Fresher's First Night

As I have mentioned before, this is Fresher's week where all the freshman move in and the place becomes a zoo. Last night was supposed to be the big party night welcoming everyone to the town. It was a total bust! The weather was awful and the boys were beyond annoying (when you're sober). We started the night out by watching the Inbetweeners season premier and started shots. It was fun and was turning into a good night. Well the boys started making their rounds and decided to hang out in our place. I HATE when drunk people want to hang out where ever I live because I am always so worried about breaking things. After a half hour or so, the party moved into another apartment. Well unfortunately they only wanted the 4 girls to go because it was a GIANT sausage fest in the other apartment.

Walked in and immediately I realized I was not with the program as everyone else was. Drinks were all over the place and people were running around being stupid. It was like being a freshman all over again! Not fun. Well we all stood around for a few hours trying to make plans to go into town, fail. It was down pouring and the boys were being ridiculous. I couldn't tell which ones were 17 and which ones were 22. Everyone wanted our cab and unfortunately we got stuck with the drunkest Irish boy of them all. Fail.

Got into town and everything was chaos. People running around, everyone is wet, we lost all our friends, stupid boy couldn't make up his damn mind, utterly miserable. We decided to try a club but once you get in the line there is no turning back. You are gated in and if you want to leave you have to fight your way back through the line or wait in the rain till you get to the front of the line. We were getting pushed and stepped on and hugged and touched by all these randoms. I was starting to get claustrophobic and decided to bail. Everyone came and we got some food and then decided to call it a night and go home.

OK so Dear Drunk Irish Boys,

I do NOT appreciate being called a loser or a mean person because I want to go home. The night sucked and you fail as fun drunk people. I also appreciate not being stepped on or asked why my face is "twisted and not fun." Clearly my life does not revolve around being shitfaced 24/7 and trying to get with anything that moves. I also do not like drinking during the week, we Americans prefer the weekend when you do not have classes then next day.

Fresher's Week

For the next week or two it is going to be absolute chaos in Menlo Apartments. The first years have all moved in for their first official week of classes and it is also the first time they have been away from home, hangin out with the big boys now! Last night a few of the girls and I went to one of the apartments and had a killer time. There were other American girls hanging out as well as Irish boys and girls. Everyone was hanging out, drinking Druid's Cider and running around being crazy. Unfortunately our apartment complex is right next to the Menlo Hotel. The guests complained about the noise and security came over to shut down the party. "Shutting down" isn't what I thought it was going to be. We all were quiet for about 5 minutes and then the fun started up again! I met a lot of the boys in the complex all ranging from first years to third years. I hope I wasn't like the first years when I was a freshman at PSU! LOL omg were they nuts.

There were probably 30 of us in this small apartment and it was hot and sticky. This was their version of pre-gaming! It was already almost one in the morning and they were all getting ready to go out to the pubs. Fortunately my roommate was the smart one and sent me to bed. I cannot believe I will be seeing this mess for the next three months!

Once the fresher's left for a night out, Cait and I sat around and watched SuperNanny with our Irish roommate. I am SO glad we live it Ciara (Kee-ra). We drank tea, sobered up and ate cookies and talked all night. Although I had a class at 9 this morning (waiting on approval so I didn't have to attend it thankfully).

Although the nights out in Galway have been grand I can't wait for some weekend trips. I'm not sure how much of Europe and Ireland I will be able to see but I am hoping for a few glimpses. It's really hard to plan ahead when you don't know about smaller trips that API have planned and trying to fit in school work. I'm sure a few things will happen, it's just a matter of time!

Things Ireland and it's weather has done...

1) I am now a BIG believer in umbrellas 2) Beer is for old men...I have to develop a taste for vodka now
3) Straightening your hair is a waste of time and energy...mother-nature has her own plans
4) I now know that girls come for a 2-for-1 deal?
5) It is fully acceptable for a married or engaged older man (35-50's) to buy a young lady a drink and grab her ass
6) People take cabs for a 10 minute walk
7) You can wash your hair 3x a day and it will still get greasy 30 min later
8) "Free Shots!" really means a rinky-dink plastic shot of grenadine or kool-aid
9) Dancing is jumping up and down and seeing who can get the sweatiest-smelliest-drunkest first...gross
10) No one says "excuse me" or "pardon"
11) Girls like to walk 3-6 wide down narrow sidewalks and push others into the street
12) A very popular game for the young men of Ireland is to drive around town and yell and bark at all the women..apparently this works for them?
13) Power and plug converters like to crash and burn out as they please
14) Imitating American accents usually sound like "HI Y'ALLL can I get a bucket o'grease for my chicken waangssss." dead serious.
15) The TV shows are SERIOUSLY out of date. Season 2 of Glee just started
16) There are no pedestrian laws (as far as I know) You have to shut your eyes and run across traffic
17) Accents vary...but still hothotHOT
18) Peanut butter is not very popular...I have 4 jars though
19) PANDORA does not work in the UK!!
20) Tax is added into the prices of everything (excluding food) and guess what! It's 20% take that MA 6.25 tax
21) Men either don't wear cologne and smell like grease monkeys orrrr they were enough to smell like a $5 dolla-whore

Trad on the Prom

Just a look at what our program set up for us last night...these are world-renowned irish step dancers and musicians who have come together to blend their talents for an AMAZING SHOW! Not sure what I have for links but we were unable to take video or photos last night so these are from youtube. It is called Trad on the Prom and they tour everywhere including the USA. If anyone is able, book tickets to their show. They are worth every penny!

Home Page
Cian Nolan and Trad on the Prom
News Clip

I couldn't find a clip of Irish native Sean Costello. He was amazing and has won the national AIMS award for "best voice" 6 times in a row. He sang "You Raise Me Up" and it was beautiful. They sold CDs and I wish I had grabbed one but it was a full house and saving my seat was more important!

ENJOY!

Piercing!

I never would have thought I would get a piercing or tattoo anywhere outside the USA! Caitlyn and I were talking these past few days about the tattoo shops we had passed and how she wanted a piercing but wasn't sure what to get! I knew I wanted something new but also wasn't quite sure what to get. After talking about it a few times and wondering where to get it, I decided my rook was the better choice! I have never had much luck with piercings, my body ALWAYS rejects them and it seems like money is constantly going down the drain!

We decided to walk through Market Street and came along a man with a sign that pointed to a tattoo and pierce shop. We decided to check it out and ventured down the dirty-drippy-smelly alley...until we came upon a rickety set of stairs that led us up 3 flights! Once to the top, we met a woman who had NO IDEA what a rook was! And to make matters worse...the only piercer there was an apprentice! We said no thank-you and booked it out of there!

So the adventure continued for a shop. We knew we had to do it today or else we would chicken out! We walked along a side street and came across a small shop. We again went up the stairs and there we met a the owners. A group of men from Spain (we think) who decided to open shop and pierce people! They were the nicest people and walked us through the entire process. Not once did they say a rude comment about American girls or ask if we were tourists.

Cait got hers done first and she almost passed out! She gripped my hand tightly as the needle went through, this piercing takes longer than 10 seconds lol! I'm glad she went first because she probably would have backed out if I had gone first! When it was my turn i could feel the butterflies but I had to suck it up! There was no way I was going to cry in front of these guys! When it was finished I was really happy that he did a great job. Unfortunately Caitlyn was still feeling sick so the  guys cleared off a couch for her to lay down on. They brought her water and cold towels and said we could stay as long as we wanted. We sat there and talked and had a great time.

Although I was a little uncertain at first about getting something done internationally, i was pleasantly surprised by the genuine experience i had! If anyone is ever in Galway, Ireland I would recommend this place hands down!

Walking away the weight

Ok so I have never EVER been ashamed of my weight or the fact that I would choose a cheeseburger over a salad any day. Yes, I was jealous of all the skinny bitches who were a size 00-3 and could strut around in 5 in heels. But living here has deffinitely given me a new perspective on body image. I asked my irish roommate what weight adn obesity issues there were here and she had no idea what I was talking about. I have not once seen an overweight person or someone who has said they wished they were skinnier! Everyone here appreciates what they have and it's a breath of fresh air!

Granted I have already dropped a pants size and my belt is one hole closer, but that's because I am walking 5-8 miles a day and I am constantly on the move. Caitlyn and I were amazed the other night when we got ready to go out and found out that our clothes are getting too big! Ok we're not starving ourselves, we're just being more observant of what we eat and we aren't drowning ourselves in beer every night! We takes scenic walks everywhere and often turn down cabs.

Even the tv shows are different. There aren't any "fat" shows or "reality" shows. In fact we only get a few channels so I haven't really had the need to watch tv at all! Yes, the experience here is great and I haven't hit a slump yet. Hopefully I stay this way up until the end!

Care Package!

Thank you Aunt Missy!!!!

Just came home after a long day of classes and getting lost (11-6) and was happy to find a care package on my desk! Thank you Aunt Missy for the breakfast essentials and peanut butter! I was pretty excited just now to be mixing an essential with milk...yummmm chocolate malt! I was really upset walking around the grocery store here to find that no one knew what a breakfast essential was! I was also really happy for the peanut butter! Cait and I have already gone through almost a WHOLE jar of it! So this means one less trip to the store, and it's delicious market basket brand =] The food and condiments over here all have funny after tastes to them, I know there will be no surprises when I open the jar!

Not only were the contents of the package really thoughtful, my Aunt also took the time to write out a really nice letter and said some wonderful things. Although it made me miss home (just for a minute!) It was nice to be thought of. I also recieved some photos witht he letter. They were nice reminders of growing up and seeing how all of the cousins have all grown up into such different people than we were 13 years ago!

Thanks again Aunt Missy!

Here's a look at the weather for the next 10 days...

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/EIXX0017

It has been like this since yeasterday afternoon. There is a chance of possible sun late on today, but I doubt it. Last night was the big pub night and Caitlyn and I made the trip to town but no one was out and the weather was muggy and wet out. It looks like Ireland only graced us with her beautiful weather the first few days here.

BRUISES!

OK for those of you who may not know me very well...I AM A HUGE KLUTZ! I woke up this morning with another bruise on me! This is the 3rd morning in a row where I have woken up to a new bruise! I don't know where I get them or how they come about, but for some reason this really bugs me!

Just thought I would let everyone know of my late-night shenanigans and the trouble I have apparently been getting myself into!

First Day of Classes

Today was my first "official" day of classes. But NUIGs version of first days of classes consist of running around putting a schedule together and having COMPLETE MAYHEM for everyone! I was only given a timetable (set of classes) for business 3rd year students which is considered 4th year students at NUIG. I was very confused because back home in the states students are allowed to take a wide range of classes from different majors and levels as long as the pre-reqs match up. Well this wasn't the case here. Caitlyn and I walked from department to department asking questions and talking to some really nice people and some really hurried people. Unfortunately I needed certain classes to fill requirements through FSU but those requirements are for younger level courses or were held in the spring semester only; Consumer Behavior, Action Marketing and some various English courses. I was able to find the one I absolutely needed but the secretary who helped me didn't give me all the details. When I told her my concerns she pushed it off like I wasn't worth the time because the class I needed is considered a 1st year course and I am currently a head in my junior year of college. But with a little help from my study abroad advisor from FSU everything has slowly been falling into place! Thanks Heather!

So for now I have a tentative schedule that ranges from 9am classes to classes ending at 6 at night. But I am happy with what I have got so that I can have the day to get things done and still have my night to get the fun things done!

Surprisingly I do not miss home as much as I thought I would. Of course I miss my bed and talking to my family and eating food I like, but right now I am content with being far away. It's not that I was trying to run away from home, I needed a much needed break to explore other cultures and get a better sense of myself. Our other roommate moved in last night and she is WONDERFUL! Absolutely the nicest person in the world. She is Irish and lives about 3 hours north of here I believe. We talked all night and asked questions about each others' cultures ranging from school, boys, dating and part-time jobs. She seems to be a fun outgoing person which means we will all fit in just fine with each other. She helped us understand their culture a little more and wasn't offended by any other the odd questions we had for her, she answered them happily and kept the conversation going.

The weather has been drizzly all day and I just took a short power nap which I think only added to my tiredness. It is 5:00 pm here but I think at home it is about noon. I keep missing everyone on facebook chats and skype! LOL I don't even know how to use skype so I guess it won't be a big problem. Another thing I have noticed in beautiful Galway are the wonderful people that live here! I have heard rumors that not everyone likes Americans, etc. But our roommate seemed happy she was stuck with us and going out to the pubs, men and women are both very engaging in conversation. I can't remember the last time I was able to walk up to a group of people in Fitchburg and have a decent conversation. It seems there is a lot of judging by the cover and unfriendliness (which i often fall in to) but here it is completely different. The men we met the other night from Dublin were wonderful people. I felt confident walking up to them and just saying Hi! They immediately started talking and we were exchanging life stories and opening up to each other completely. The change in culture is both very refreshing and eye opening. I am starting to look at people in a new way and I am more confident with the way I act. At home I am often told I am too bold with what I say, etc. But the last few days I have been told different. It feels good knowing that you fit in almost immediately in a strange new place.

I am looking forward to my next few months here in Galway and I hope things keep staying positive!

Market St. Market and other Shenanigans

Last night was my first real irish experience! Caitlyn and I went out for drinks at the The King's Head and had a few drinks and met up with friends. At the pub there was live music and I made my FIRST PARTY FOWL! Ughh I knocked my beer over and thankfully no one saw it lol. A few friends met up with us and we were eventually asked to take a few pictures to promote a certain drink. So Caitlyn and I went up and stood with two very beautiful women and held champagne glasses for a few photos! The free drinks we got were pretty good and the night was turning out great! After King's, we headed down the main street where all the pubs and night life is. We got our hands stamped for free covers into some clubs and ended up meeting a man who walked us to Coyote. Coyote is based on the bar in Coyote Ugly. It was ok but they only served American beer! We got free shots and started meeting some new faces. Unfortunately, an older gentleman was being a creep and needed to be escorted away by his other very drunk friends! Once we realised Coyote was a terrible place to be, we moved on to the streets again and found a club called Cuba. We got in for free yet again (apparantly groups of girls in skirts and heels get in everywhere for free!) Cuba was AMAZING! Great dancing music and great men to dance with lol. As the night came to an end, Caitlyn and I split from the group and headed back to our apartment for some much needed ZZzzz's!

This morning, we woke up feeling good and ready for the great weather! It was a little drizzly and cold this morning but now it is warm and sunny. We headed back into town and found a great farmer's market. We bought some fruit (6apples=1euro) and found some great trinkets for back home! Everyone was really nice and the food tasted amazing. We went back through town and watched a band of 5 boys playing cover songs from american bands. They were really good...and not bad looking either! But we continued on to find someplace for lunch...

This ladies and gentleman is probably the best burger I have EVER had! It was from a quaint little bistro called Bugaloos and it was worth every euro. It has fresh backed bread with tangy onion chutney with lots of vegetables on it. There was even sweet pickles and homemade tomato sauce! Now where in the States can you get something like that? I am still full from looking at this photo!

Once lunch was over, we headed back to the apartment and picked up some things along the way. When we got back, I was a little dissappointed to see that we haven't gotten our new roommate yet. I guess we are getting a girl =/ I was secretly hoping for a man to crack my back every morning! Ooook well here's a great story I was trying to get to. I did my first load of laundry today and I guess there is a drain that you have to screw tight before you start the load...well I started it and WHOOOOOSH water floods the kitchen. Caitlyn ran in and we tried stopping it but the landlord had to come and show me how to use the washer. In the end my laundry is safely turning in the washer and hopefully there will be no more problems!

KARAOKE NIGHT!

Tonight there is karaoke at NUIG for all international students. Caitlyn has been threatening me all day to go up and try it...highly doubt it...but it's nice to let her think I will lol. Afterwards I am hoping we all go out for some drinks considering last night ended way to early!

I also got out of the shower just now to Caitlyn freaking out over a ENORMOUS spider..yes it had its own zip code! I should have taken a picture of it, but unfortunately the telephone book happened to fall and squish the spider. I also did this while standing infront of the full length window in our living room while the residents watched 2 girls freaking out.

NUIG courtyard

This is the courtyard from the center of NUIG campus. It's an old castle that was originally supposed to go to some queen but the messenger stole the design plans and brought it over to Galway. It's a really beautiful campus once you're on it. I had tea and a muffin across the street at this great little place. It was a mom&pop cumby's more or less! But so far the campus has been great! I am a little worried about my first classes because A LOT of people have strong accents and I had no idea what people were saying half the time!

I will post more as time goes on, but I am using facebook too for photos!

DAY 2

It has been a pretty long day of walking around NUIG and doing orientation (it's like being a freshman all over again!) But the school is great and the campus is BEAUTIFUL. Just went grocery shopping for the first time and it was pretty interesting. We couldn't find turkey, the only thing we could find was ham =/ ugh! Tonight we are getting ready to go out to dinner back in town. I was wearing jeans today and a t-shirt but apparently that's too grundgey. I guess I'll be sucking it up with a dress and possibly some heels! Don't worry pictures are on their way! I just haven't had time to take many with all the tours and informational meetings. So far the girls and boys in the group are great and everyone is up for some weekend traveling =] Hope all is well back in the States!