Trip to Dublin Part 2

We woke up early saturday morning, hungover, to catch a 8:45 shuttle to Newgrange, located in the Boyne Valley. After an hour long bus ride, we could see the magnificent structure atop a large hill in the distance. It took some walking and another shuttle but we finally reached the site. It was worth the wait, ten times over.

Newgrange is a passage tomb constructed over 5000 years ago, making it older than England's stonehenge and Egypt's pyramids. It is a large mound covering over an acre of land. The base is lined with large, decorated kerbstones and it is faced with beautiful white quarry rock. There is a 19 meter long tunnel entrance that leads to a chamber within, where cremated remains were stored. This was all very interesting, but its not what made Newgrange my favorite site thus far.

What makes this tomb most interesting is its astrological, spiritual and ceremonial significance. Located just above the entrance is another opening known as a roof box. Once a year, during winter solstice, a narrow beam of sunlight penetrates the roof box and reaches the chamber, dramatically lighting the whole room. The lighting only lasts for 17 minutes, once a year. It is believed that during this time, the tombs spirits are ascended into heaven.

I was absolutely struck by the science and architecture used to create such a structure, at such an early point in human history.

After our bus ride back from Newgrange, we immediately voyaged back into the busy city. Our first stop was the National Art Museum. Normally, I would appreciate the beauty of the art but it would stop there. This time, I had the pleasure of viewing the gallery with Keiko Miller, my cross- cultural symbology instructor. Listening to her thoughts on the work allowed me to see and appreciate it in an entirely different light. I studied each painting and discussed them with Keiko. She gave insight that made the experience extremely rewarding. The gallery was absolutely humongous, so after 2 hours we had only seen about half of it. I guess this is just prep for next weeks trip to the Louvre!

After a long day of walking, it was about that time again. Dinner! 1 meal and 3 breathes later, i was even closer to broke. Cheers to my parents. How do they feed me? But this place was worth it. We found a nice little italian bistro. Our table ate family style- prompted by me of course. It was nice tasting everyone's dish, and for the first time since i'd been in Dublin I was fool ( and i hadn't even drank yet).

After a brief period of digestion, I was out to the bars again. This time the drinking in the room lasted a bit longer, due to expense. Walking down towards Temple, we braced ourselves for unexpected attacks from the insane clown posy or jumps from the twelve year old girls dressed as hookers. Strength in numbers right? We made it safely, thank God! We actually ended up finding a bar with a great band. The guy sang every song imaginable. So we hung out there for the night, with another adventure to look forward to in the morning.

Trip to Dublin Part 1

This weekend we made a trip to Dublin and it was definitely a trip worth taking. Dublin is by far the largest city in Ireland, which made our time there a huge contrast to our experiences in Dungarvan. We arrived in the big city early Friday afternoon. Immediately, it was made apparent to us that we'd have to make some adjustments in our expectations.

1. people don't stop driving J walkers

2. there are parts of the city that you should just stay away from at night

3. EVERYTHING is double the price that it should be; hence the reason why i finished a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread in 2 and half days

Day one was interesting. We immediately delved into activities, starting with a look at the Dublin Castle. The Dublin Castle was originally built to protect the city from invasion. Later, it served as the seat of British Rule in Ireland. In 1922, the Irish Free State was established, leaving the castle as a major Irish government building until present time. We did not get a chance to tour the inside, but from the outside the structure was quite impressive. The building is protected on all sides by strong walls, leaving a beautiful georgian courtyard in the middle. This is where we gathered for an explanation of its history and Tom Keith's thousandth group picture; which I made a whole- hearted attempt to escape from.

The next stop on our tour was the National Museum of Archeology. I know that museums may not be completely irregular to you, but you have to understand that this is a national museum, so it is enormous. Its collection includes early work in gold, church treasures, viking period and even displays items from Egypt, Cyprus and the Roman world. It was an outstanding exhibit with some fascinating displays, including recovered bodies from tombs and sarcophaguses. I enjoyed the tour very much, I was even able to sneak a picture or two.

As soon as we finished our tour of the museum, we continued our streak of tours with a visit to Parliament. The Irish Parliament House was brilliant. Today, it is used as the Bank of Ireland but its structure and design remain that of its 18th century design. This was another tour that I managed to covertly take pictures of from my coat pocket. Though the images were great, it was the history that took place within the building that was most fascinating. Cheers to the tour guide, he conquered my self-diagnosed ADD.

After all of the tours had finished I was famished. So a group of us went to a sandwich deli that we had passed earlier. It wasn't very filling, but topped with a PB&J , it did the trick. From dinner we rushed back to the hotel to get ready for the bars. Dublin, being more Americanized, had drinking areas that identified more with bars than the charming pubs of Dungarvan, regardless, we had a great night. With a limited budget in mind, we did some heavy drinking at the hotel before we left. By heavy drinking I mean shots of terribly cheap whiskey chased with hard cider. Needless to say, the night was interesting. It got most interesting at around 1:30. let me explain.

The part of the city, that we basically bar crawled in, was not the best. We were forewarned of just how bad it would get later in the night. Well, we didn't really take that warning to heart and experienced the discomfort that came with the realization of its truthfulness. Mix Dante's Inferno (the outer layer) with hookers and clowns and you'll get a hint of what we saw... Interesting but uncomfortable.

Needless to say, we did things differently on Saturday.

Weekend Trip to Waterford

The other day, we took a nice day trip to Waterford. Waterford probably doesn't mean much to you, so i'll explain. Waterford is the Ireland's oldest and one of its largest cities. Hidden within this highly commercialized area is a fascinating 10th century ruin. Reginald's Tower is the country's oldest civic building, dating back to the age of the Vikings. During our tour of the tower, we were able to see remnants of viking weaponry, currency and stand in the tower from which they defending themselves in battle. Pretty cool.

After our tour of the tower, we went to a well known chinese restaurant called Wongsong for some lunch. Our instructor Keiko taught us the proper way to use chopsticks- which i have mastered. She also told us that she would teach us how to make sushi. So after lunch we went in search of Sushi ingredients and stopped at some other stores along the way. FYI. Excellent Gelato ice cream at Gino's! After wandering about for a couple more hours it began to rain, so we caught the bus back to the hotel.

When we got back, we all went to Keiko's house for a Sushi Prep lesson. It was delicious! Who would have guessed that we'd receive so much incite to asian culture while in Ireland? Regardless, I am learning tons of new things. You are sort of forced to when studying abroad. All the sites are great but there is a true satisfaction that comes from the feeling of being completely independent, embracing spontaneity and making decisions with limited restriction.

21 Years Young

One of the coolest things about being in a new place are the new people. I've gotten to know some of the locals and they're a fun crowd to be around. It didn't take long for me to adjust to the accents and terminology used here; I actually have found myself adapting their adjectives (ones like brilliant and lovely). The guys that I have gotten to know best all work at the hotel pub. They are all extremely friendly and welcoming. A bunch of them actually extended me the courtesy of taking me out for a round of golf. So there I was, playing golf with the head chef, pub manager and two bar tenders. I hadn't played in a while so it was nice to get out. Like they say, a bad day playing golf is better than a great day at work. Best part: even in Ireland people quote Happy Gilmore.

After walking 18 I was pretty tired so I grabbed some dinner and relaxed until my night class. 3 hour seminar with Tom Keith, the human encyclopedia. Class wasn't bad though. We reviewed a lot of the things that we've seen here and discussed their historical relevance. Ok, so it was a little boring but I was looking forward to the remainder of the night, which would be spent celebrating my 21st birthday.

At around 10 I went to the hotel's pub. One of the bar tenders bought me a celebratory pint to start of my night. After a drink or two at the hotel, a bunch of us headed over to the Local and met up with my golf buddies. For the next three hours I was showered with shots of Whiskey chased by beer, followed by a massive hangover. Cheers

Céad Míle Failte

Castles, concerts, parades and pubs. I have a lot to bring you up to speed on. I guess i'll start with our visit to the Lismore Castle. Earlier this week, we made a visit to a castle located on the far side of County Waterford. We didn't even need to enter the castle to get an idea of its brilliant design and historical significance, but we did have the privilege of doing so. Although it was largely reconstructed in the 19th century, we were still able to observe aspects of the castle that dated back to the 7th century. As the tour guide mumbled on about Dukes of Devonshire and Earls of Cork, we all explored the castles beautiful landscape. After our cameras had died and we had become exhausted of looking through them, we jumped on the bus and headed back towards our townhouses.

On the way back we made a stop at another, smaller castle; if you could even call it that. The story behind this one is quite interesting. A man, who's name I don't recall, planned on building a castle for his wife. She demanded a castle that matched the size and elegance of the one that her brother-in-law had built for her sister. The man intended to give her just that but failed in a historically memorable way. In the early stages of its construction (only the castle's entrance gate had been constructed), the man ran out of money, leaving him unable to ever complete the project. I give him credit, the gates were lovely; but i immediately discredit him for his inability to perform even a hint of financial planning.

The very next day, I experienced my first international concert. There is a huge star here named Christy Moore. I'm recommending that, before you continue reading, you watch a clip of him on youtube to better understand my experience. His music is what you would expect here in Ireland but you would never find this kind of music, or such a large fan base behind it, in the states. I really enjoyed the energy that he put into his music and the comical asides that he offered during his rest periods. This was a concert to remember especially under the condition we were invited to the concert as guests, free of charge. Another gracious welcome followed by yet another open bar. This was a night to remember, or forget based on your post-concert pub experience.

Dungarvan's seemingly endless line of hospitable gestures did not stop there. St. Patrick's day was this past Wednesday and the town honored us by asking us to lead their annual parade. We did so, carrying the flags of Ireland, the UK, the US and county flags. After our march through the town, we were welcomed by the local sailing club with lunch and drinks.

They really are the town of one hundred thousand welcomes!

Blood Bin

We're staying in a pretty nice place. Everyone has their own room in a three person townhouse. It has two bathrooms, a laundry room, a nice size living room and a really nice kitchen. This is good! With our limited meal plans, I am going to have to do my own cooking for a good portion of my time here. Today, I will eat at the restaurant. So far, the meals there have been alright. I found a couple of items on the menu that I like. These I will stick to but it is important to know a few things.

1. Salad is basically another name for coleslaw

2. Potatoes will be included in every meal

3. Ice cream is extremely hard to come by

Now with the exception of rule three, these rules might be unique to the park hotel. I haven't explored too much outside of it. Though, I was able to find some other places which have had some pretty great tasty treats. The Jitterbean is my number one recommendation. For a pint though, The Anchor, Mary's or Minnie's. Almost everything here, restaurants, pubs, shops are all charming and quaint. I have found that it is more comforting than the states in that regard. Being here has shown me how differently the states view portion.

Drinking is done differently here. It is extremely casual, more frequent and when you are here, you are always celebrating. Once again, cheers to the Dungarvan townspeople. Three open bar nights for us and a world of new experiences. Talk about a culture shock, the sports here. I have never seen a sport as dangerous as hurling. Watching felt dangerous. Every game looks like a scene from Braveheart. No exaggeration. There is a something called a blood bin for wounded players.

Today, I had the chance to play some Rugby. The whole group received an all day lesson and actually got into some 11 on 11 games. It was a great experience. The game is consistent with the other sports here but it is much different than any sport in the states. i.e. More contact, less pads.

Pudding Cakes

Our first day in town was a busy one. Upon our arrival in Dungarvan, we were graciously treated to a complimentary breakfast. The thought of a real meal... Anything sounded good to me after sustaining on Chex Mix for the last day.

My first impression of Irish food was not a favorable one. Don't get me wrong, I am not a picky eater. Far from it, actually. It just so happens that I don't really care for ham; which seems to be incorporated in almost every meal, and I didn't like the watered down eggs that were served with it. To be honest, there were few things offered that seemed appetizing. Pudding Cakes are dried pigs blood. Who knew? After eating three or four of them, I came to learn this fact. Food. Another major culture shock.

Well, i'll get back to the food later. First, i'd like to discuss the unbelievably hospitable and kind people that we have had the pleasure

of meeting since we've been here. It began with breakfast but was punctuated with a parade and a formal welcome in The Council Chamber of Waterford County Civic Offices. In this reception, the Mayor, an embassy representative and other town council members spoke. We were treated graciously and with a level of respect that displayed the character that is bred in this town . Another major culture shock.

After the reception, we were treated to food, beverages and entertainment. At this point, my concern for the quality of food was instantly dismissed. I enjoyed many helping of freshly prepared lunch options including deli fresh sandwiches, sausage, a variety of cheese and lastly, a slice of delicious carrot cake. For beverages, we were offered both red and white wine, tea, coffee and a variety of fruit juices. For entertainment, we watched two young girls play irish fiddle and harp music as another girl danced to it. They performed wonderfully.

Throughout the rest of the day we were further oriented into our living quarters. We got situated in our rooms, discussed our meal options and for the first time since we landed, we relaxed. Not for long though.. To the pub!

Roundabouts

I have to say that the strangest thing that I have seen during my stay here has been Roundabouts. I've been here for three days and I still don't have the faintest idea of how they work or how they could ever be a safe alternative to a four-way stop.

But first thing first. It took almost an entire day to get here. I don't care what time zone you are in; that is an exhausting experience. First an early 6 hour drive from Cleveland to Chicago. Then about 7 hours of Airport irritation before an 8 hour flight. I'd like to say that my first impression of Ireland was memorable and that I saw the picturesque green pastures that I had imagined. But i didn't. I saw a busy city transit where I caught a bus heading to Dungarvan.

It was during the 3 hour ride from Dublin to Dungarvan that my expectations for the area became reality. I saw seemingly endless stretches of beautiful green pastures in every direction. Hugging the road were old stone walls, exaggerating each of its many curves with gothic accent. It was during this time that the reality of my trip really set in. I would be living in Ireland for the next three months.

It really struck me that I didn't even have to get out of the bus to experience my first culture shock. I am sure that I will never be adjusted to cars driving on what Americans call the wrong side of the road. For my own sake and for the sake of others around me I will not be operating any vehicle during my stay here.

I am excited to explore the quaint city of Dungarvan, but first a nap!