February 1, 2013

Today was the day I finally got to sleep in. Woke up at 10am WHOA! I met with the head of the disabilities department. Nice Chap as the locals would say. Teddy. What a man. The school has to lay cement down in front of my housing so the threshold is plush with the inside flooring. I thought they were just going to lay a plank down and call it a day, but they are actually getting cement. Ted is a nice guy. Although that's not saying much since everyone here is beyond friendly. At orientation they told the 100 international students (Spanish, Mexican, Canadian, Czech, French, Japanese, German, Americans) that the Irish are really friendly but rather shy. Unless provoked with Guinness they will not bother you.  (Which I had my first half pint of the first night here. I liked it better than other beers, but in general I'd rather not have beer at all. Don't tell my dad.) So yeah, the Irish are also more prone to slagging. It's a slang term for busting your chops for shits and giggles. Something I am all too familiar with, experiencing it first hand from my family and friends. Slagging and shyness. Yep. Did I mention how beautiful they all are? Honestly my eyes go wide every time I see someone and I just blatantly smile at complete strangers. I think it unnerves them...
We took a bus tour of Dublin today. First time getting out into the city. Its so quaint with its rainbow colored doors, little shops (Knobs and Knockers), Trinity College, Guinness brewery, River Liffey or however you spell it.  I saw the president's house too. And of course, the cemetery of the man who wrote the Hokey Pokey. R.I.P. you monotonous drone! I just got back from a night at the Ivy House. A pub and restaurant. SUCH GOOD FOOD! Allison, Sarah and I took a stroll into the city afterwards, but the most important thing of tonight is that we successfully made it onto the bus and back to DCU.  You have no idea how accomplished we feel. 
Now some of you might be wondering why haven't I talked about the first day on Irish land. Well, let me just say that for anyone who travels without sleep for 48 hours and then lands to only go shopping right away by scootering in the cold on a hard cushion only to return to a suite that smells like rotting garbage and a room without heat....you might not have a whole lot of positive things to share. The first day was so uncomfortable and delirious I even had a moment of "What am I doing here?" That was before the diarrhea mind you.  ME! I actually questioned why am I here. The nerve of myself. Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that the first week is the hardest and I'm still adjusting but its going much better and I really do love Ireland. 


“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt