Dépaysement

Things I miss:

Strings on my tea bags-- there's no way to dip the bags here without burning your fingers. On the plus side, at least tea is dirt cheap.

Normal tap water-- not only does the tap water taste aweful (and I'm not one to be picky), but it also has a weird habit of not mixing temperatures, even though it goes through one tap. Seems impossible, but somehow, you try to wash dishes with warm water, and end up with a stream that is hot in the front and cold in the back. The exception to this is the shower, which is electrically regulated to stay at the same temp-- very nice.

Dollar bills-- my wallet is hardly capable of handling all the change, since euros have both one and two euro denominations as coins.

Brownie mix, cake mix, and instant baking goods-- even chocolate chips are hard to find here. I'm fine without my tube of cookie dough, but seriously, how do people who can't bake do their baking?

Erin with our first attempt at cake, made from scratch, without measuring spoons. It turned out looking more like pancakes than cake...

Door handles that make sense-- you don't realize it, but door handles in the US follow a certain logic: horizontal bars = push, vertical bars = pull, and a bunch of other unwritten rules. Now, I just push and pull on everything, and kind of look like an idiot.

Any lunch meat besides ham-- for some reason, turkey and chicken is nearly impossible to come by, and then only in tiny packages for 5 times the price.

Skim milk-- only comes in tiny containers, for double the price. Ah well.

Barnes & Nobel cafes-- there really isn't anywhere to go sit and sip coffee. The cafes only have a couple of tables, so I would feel weird staying there for a long time. I'm seriously considering taking up the Irish pastime of hanging out in pubs during the day just to get out of my room to read and write-- Joyce did it, why shouldn't I?

We did discover that the food court at St. Stephen's Green Mall is actually pretty classy-- but we're reasonably sure you have to buy something to stay there. Still, nice chairs, nice views, nice tea, not too shabby.

Mechanical pencils-- not popular here. Good thing I brought lots of spare lead.

Properly heated buildings-- it may not get THAT cold, but the buildings aren't far above outdoors temperature, so dress warmly!

Things I've Found:

Nutella in glass jars

Reusing Nutella jars-- they can be very useful!

Writing on the street to tell you which way to look as you cross

Big bread that doesn't squish to nothing

Light switches on your headboard

Happy hippos

A delicious candy-cookie creation in the shape of an adorable hippo, by the people who make Beunos.

Blacklights in bathrooms

Heated towel racks

Tapdancing Seagulls

All in all, very different, but not entirely a bad move.  The light switches by your headboard should definitely be brought to the US.

DUISS Weekend Trip to Cork

January 28th-30th, 2011

Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland

After joining the International Society during the Semester Start-up Programme, Erin, Anna, and I decided to make use of our 2 euro sign up fee and take a weekend trip with the club to Cork. Although there was a price for the trip, it included bus fair, two nights in a hostel, and entrance to the many attractions on our itinerary, so it was a more than reasonable fee. We jumped on the chance to have someone plan our outing for us.

Day 1: Blarney Castle

Saturday, January 29th, 2011

The first day included a visit to the Blarney Castle and grounds to kiss the Blarney Stone, then a tour of the Cork Gaol, and some time to walk around Cork. Although smaller, I found the city of Cork to be surprisingly similar to Dublin, complete with its own river beginning with "L" (Dublin has the Liffey, Cork the Lee).

Erin, Anna, and I at Blarney Castle. They had beautiful grounds, nice and frosty in the morning. Yes, it does get cold, even in Ireland.

Being a proper tourist. It has to happen some times.

Walking up inside the ruins of Blarney Castle

Erin in the "murder hole"-- some sort of defense mechanism for the castle that allowed you to pour hot oil or other nasty things on your enemies from above.

Kissing the Blarney Stone! The stone is actually a part of the wall at the top of the castle, and in order to kiss it, you have to lay on your back, grab two bars, and basically flip upside-down over a gap in the wall used for drainage. More acrobatic than I was expecting. Kissing the stone is supposed to give you the gift of eloquence... we'll see.

The view at the top of the castle. It was really spectacular.

Ok, now the real view-- without me getting in the way. Pictures really don't do it justice.

The Cork jail was much nicer than the jail we toured in Wicklow.

The interior was airy and clean, although very cold. It would have held higher-class prisoners, including a "debtors prison" that allowed prisoners to bring in their own furniture, servants, and food.

Cell that held Irish author Frank O'Connor when he was imprisoned as an Irish nationalist. You can still see his writings on the walls.

Day 2: Jameson Distillery

Sunday, January 30th, 2011

Our second day started with the Queenstown Museum, commemorating one of the stops of the Titanic, the continued with the sunday Irish tradition of church followed by whiskey: we toured a gorgeous cathedral, then made our way to the Jameson distillery to get a taste of some Irish whiskey.

The Jameson Whiskey Distillery-- a Cork original.

Grain storage building. The shutters were required to regulate temperature during the summer because if the grains got to hot, they would spontaneously burst into flame.

The largest whiskey distiller in the world-- the first of 3 giant copper vats used to triple distill the whiskey.

Erin got to take part in a whiskeys around the world tasting challenge, comparing Jack Daniels, two types of Jameson, and a Scottish Whiskey (or scotch).

Tasting time! I'm not sure I like it on the rocks very much, but whiskey and ginger ale is pretty good. Still doesn't quite beat a gin and tonic, I'd have to say.

A Day in Howth

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Howth, Co. Fingal, Ireland

And now, back to travel-- the other reason I'm here. One not-too-rainy Saturday afternoon, Anna, Emma, Erin and I decided to strike out for Howth on our first adventure outside of Dublin. The story is really best told through pictures, so, try to follow along...

Our first time riding the DART, the train that goes up and down the coast. Howth was only about 10 minutes north of Dublin.

Howth is mostly a fishing area-- lots of boats, fish shops, and harbors.

Some friendly seals we met in the harbor. They just kept popping up as if to say, "Look how cute I am. Feed me??"

We set off on a walk around the Howth peninsula, and the seaside cliffs were absolutely gorgeous. Supposedly on a clear day you can see all the way to Wales.

Our dog friend, christened Becks (named after a beer, as we only thought appropriate in Ireland). He followed us for quite a while, bounding along the path, happy as can be, and made fast friends with Anna.

This was our vista as we stopped to eat lunch. The picture can't do justice to the way the sun was breaking through the clouds, lighting up patches of sea and illuminating the backdrop for the lighthouse on the peninsula.

As we progressed, our path got more and more muddy. Here's Erin and Anna, conquering the muck.

Emma, pausing to take pictures of some of the interesting foliage.

Looking back along the coastline we've walked, including the lovely stone garden wall we followed. The view was truly spectacular.

Erin and Anna, trying to keep warm while enjoying the view. Erin taught us a very useful penguin dance to keep the blood flowing in your fingers.

Parts of the hike became very steep, with stairs carved into the rock, and even these triangular hand-holds carved out to help you along.

The end of our hike brought us back inland and along the ridge of a golf course-- we were instructed to move quickly so as not to get hit by stray balls from the driving range. You can see here where Howth peninsula connects to the mainland of Ireland.

Our hike was a long one, and by the time we circled back around, it was dark and we were exhausted. After determining that the local food was either expensive or take-away only (it was simply too cold now to eat fish and chips seaside, unfortunately), we grabbed some snack food and took the next DART back to Dublin.

Academics-- The Reason I'm Here

The Campanile in the Front Square of Trinity, classic symbol of academics. You'll have to forgive the construction barricades, but I thought the shadow was really cool.

So you might be wondering if I'm ever going to get to the actual STUDY part of the study abroad experience. Well, my schedule is finally set, so if you're interested, you can take a peek at my class list. I'm doing things European-style-- meaning, taking all one subject and focusing intensely on it. In my case, this is English Literature.

The Arts Block, the building where I have most of my classes (not my picture). Unfortunately, also the ugliest building on campus-- it honestly looks like a nuclear bomb shelter.

Non-Realist Writing

This course covers things like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, Brave New World, The Time Machine, and other novels that push the boundaries of reality. The idea is to look at the reasons behind the author's move beyond the real-- it reminds me of my strange fiction class from a year ago, except these novels are the classic forerunners to that course.

Introduction to Modernism

This course deals with poetry, prose, and plays in the 1900's to post-war era. The writing of this time was unique in being experimental as it tried to deal with the rapid changes taking place in society at the moment.

Irish Writing

A must for the study abroad student. It includes classics like Yeats, Joyce, Shaw, and Beckett, as well as some I was unfamiliar with, and some more modern writers near the end of the course.

Home on the Stage

This is my only Sophister level course (meaning upper-level seminar). It is a class on the realist movement in theatre and specifically the representation of the home. Middle class domestic life had no place on stage until this point, and letting audiences watch a version of themselves on stage was a real change.

My favorite library, the Usher. It is 5 stories of book stacks, with a solid wall of windows facing on to the cricket pitch. Given how much I love a library with a view, it's no surprise I should prefer this, but my alternatives are:

The Lecky (aka The Icebox): concrete walls, wide open floor plan, so impossible to heat that students wear their coats in doors

The Berkeley (aka The Berkeley Bunker): classic nuclear bunker architecture and claustrophobic feel that really lends to the study atmosphere

The Guinness Storehouse

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

Dublin, Ireland

It seemed only appropriate that as our first touristy act in Dublin we should visit the Guinness Storehouse, a museum of brewing and a shrine to that most famous of Irish beers. So us Americans (Brittany, Emma, Anna, Jared, Sean, Erin, Kathryn, Maggie, and I) set out to walk to the site of the original Guinness Factory.

We got a little turned around, but eventually we came across these tourist-friendly signs: Guinness, this way!

The signs got more exciting the closer we got-- Here's Emma pointing the way.

Inside, the old storehouse was converted to an exposition that showed the ingredients, the brewing process, and the storage process. There were also exhibits on Guinness around the world, advertising through the ages, and, of course, a tasting room where we were coached through how to tasted and savor all the flavors of a Guinness. If you hold it in your mouth, you actually taste the sweetness towards the front of your tongue and the bitterness of the hops in the back of your mouth-- it's odd.

One of the main ingredients-- water. The water for Guinness comes from the Wicklow Mountains. We actually saw the mountain lake they draw from while on our trip for SSP.

One of my favorite ads. Guinness is good for you!

The last step was learning to pour the perfect pint- a crucial process. We were trained in the angle to hold the glass, and how bringing the tap towards you or away from you changes how the beer pours. And the final step is vital; always wait for your Guinness to turn black before you drink it, or you'll ruin the whole pint. Emma theorized this is why bartenders look so annoyed when you order a Guinness during busy times-- it takes them FOREVER to do it right.

Pouring the perfect pint! I now have a certificate that says I have the skills. I wonder what a bartender would do if I brought it to a pub and insisted on pouring my own...

My very first Guinness, nice and dark and ready to drink. It seemed only appropriate that I should drink my first here, although I wish I had some basis for comparison so I could weigh in my opinion on the American vs. Irish Guinness argument.

A bunch of us at the top floor lounge to drink our pints, with a lovely view of the surrounding city. (Jared, Emma, Erin, me, and Anna)

Semester Start Up Programme

Sunday, January 9th- Friday, January 14th, 2011

Dublin, Ireland

Programme has extra letters for extra fun! The Semester Start Up Programme was a pre-orientation week that I participated in just before the start of classes, to better acquaint myself with Dublin (not to mention meet a few people). We kicked things off in true Irish style, with a welcome reception of pizza and wine on Sunday night. Needless to say, it was the largest congregation of glassy-eyed jet lag sufferers I have ever seen, but it was a good start to the week.

Day 1: Literary Pub Crawl

Monday, January 10th, 2011

The next morning started off a soon familiar pattern of lectures in the morning on topics of Irish culture, literature, and history, then an excursion in the afternoon and evening. Our first day, like most orientations, gave us a tour of the campus, a library tour, and an architectural tour. Unlike many schools, however, our evening ended with a programme-sponsored tour of the pub scene. Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.

A very photogenic bar on the Pub Crawl at a pub called The Old Stand

The tour was a Literary Pub Crawl, led by two actors who took us to 4 local pubs with literary connections-- some were popular author haunts, others were settings for novels like Ulysses. The actors added to the atmosphere by reading selections of the authors works. It made for quite a fun evening.

The last stop of the night-- Jared, Sean, Carey, Rebecca, Margret, Emma, and Me enjoying one last beer

Day 2: The Gaelic Athletic Association

Tuesday, January 11th, 2010

This afternoon brought us to the home of Gaelic sports-- hurling and gaelic football. Both sports involve the largest grass pitch used by any team sport, with 15 players on each side. Here's a recipe for each to give you a basic idea, plus click the name to link to a youtube video for a good visual:

Gaelic football = soccer + rugby + basketball + insanity

Hurling = lacrosse + baseball + hockey + war

Gaelic sports experienced a huge revival at the turn of the century, with an increase in national pride and a desire to find what it meant to be Irish. This caused the birth of the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association), which now hosts competitions for all of Ireland's counties. We toured the GAA museum and the stadium where all major GAA events take place.

The view from the top of the stadium-- our guide told us they plan to put in a zip line from one side to the other. Definitely going to come back for that.

Flags of all the counties. The GAA is unique in that players can ONLY play for the county they are born and raised in-- there is no drafting and trading allowed. This creates a huge sense of county loyalty.

Anna, Myself, and Emma looking up our local teams track record in the GAA museum. Dublin's colors are light blue, in case anyone's wondering.

Emma testing her balance, one of the many skills required to excel at gaelic sports.

Trish, one of our group leaders, shows us what she can do with a hurling stick.

After the GAA museum, seeing as we were on the north side of the River Liffey for the first time, we opted to find food in that neck of the woods. This took us to a pub called Madigans where we were clearly outsiders-- most were older Irish gentlemen, quietly enjoying their beers.

One of our group leaders tried to explain the difference between the south side (where Trinity College is found) and the north side by telling us a few classic Dublin jokes:

Q: What do you call a north side man in a suit?

A: The accused

Q: What does a south side mother make for dinner?

A: Reservations

Me with my all-day Irish Breakfast. The barman looked like he thought there was no way the silly little American girl could finish it, but except for the toast, I came pretty close. Be careful with the pudding-- it's nothing like our pudding.

Day 3: The Abbey Theatre

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

In the evening, we made our way to the Abbey Theatre for a showing of Arrah-Na-Pogue, a play by Dion Boucicault. In Irish, Arrah-Na-Pogue means Arrah of the Kiss, a name that the wily Arrah earns for springing a rebel from jail by hiding a key in her mouth. The play was fabulous-- very funny, and very well performed, including some amazing prop and set design. No pictures in the theatre, so use your imagination.

Day 4: International Orientation

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

This was the day that non-SSP international students arrived and began their orientations, so after our morning lectures, we hooked up with them for events led by Irish student liaisons who tried to tell us a bit about life at Trinity from the local student perspective. One good lesson for the day:

craic, noun, /crack/: (a) fun, a good time, "It'll be good craic" (b) the latest, "what's the craic?" meaning, "what's happening," or "what's new with you"

It's a gaelic word used VERY commonly in Irish slang, to refer to just about anything. We've heard parents tell their kids, "you've had your craic, now let's get you home and to bed." It's very prevalent. It still sounds very silly in an American accent though, so I doubt I'll be picking it up any time soon.

Day 5: Glendalough and Wicklow Gaol

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Our final day was a field trip-- my first time outside of Dublin. We took a bus to Glendalough, an old Christian establishment at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, which are just visible from Dublin.

The archway into the Glendalough Christian settlement. No mortar was used, but it's still standing today.

Sean, me, Jared, Emma, and Brittany, in front of the Glendalough round tower. The towers were common in early Christian settlements, and were NOT for fighting purposes, but mostly spiritual and for housing texts. This one is apparently the most perfect still surviving.

Up close with the round tower-- the foundations were only 5 feet deep, yet the structure remains stable. Part of the reason is that the door is placed 15 feet above ground and only accessible by ladder. Sadly, know way to go inside it now as all the floors are gone.

After Glendalough, we made our way to the town of Wicklow for a tour of the historic Wicklow Gaol (that's jail in Irish). Let's put it this way-- I would NOT have wanted to get caught stealing anything in Wicklow.

Welcome to Wicklow Gaol! Apparently they give haunted night tours as well. Would have been creepy...

The cell windows from the exercise yard. We were happy to get outside for this part of the tour-- it was actually colder in the damp stony indoors than outside.

The exercise wheel, used as punishment for the prisoners. Like a really old school stair-master, except you had to stay on it for 5 hours or more.