I've had quite a few successful outings this past weekend. I'll start small then work my way to the grand finale. I have now finally seen the film Say Anything with the amiable John Cusack. A classic for a reason, I liked the movie mostly for John, I will admit. He was just so comfortable on screen and so amusing. I wish I could be that comfortable acting on camera. IN DUE TIME!
Next, I suppose you all know I had an interview with the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland this past Friday. Let me tell you, I worked against all odds to get this interview. I was the last one in my group to have a secure internship. My college, it's faculty, DCU and my internship company was all putting pressure on me to get an internship by Friday or I would be forced to pick up another DCU course. I had another prospect but I was holding out for the Screen Directors Guild, because I was praying they would find time to interview with me. After a couple dozen emails for the last month to an assortment of people, my last resort was to call the head of the Guild on her mobile (cell phone). Really unprofessional, especially because I had a whole company trying to land me this internship. A middle man if you will. The Guild was extremely busy, but I managed to get a 30minute interview with Birch Hamilton, the head of SDGI. I was so nervous. On my way to the bus stop on Friday morning I realised my thumb was bleeding all over my white button-down. Shocker, I couldn't spend one day without getting SOMETHING on my shirt. (I cut my thumb on the toilet handle in my room because the chrome is chipping.) Anyway, the bus kept filling up every stop we made; I thought I was going to be late and miss my chance. I was barrelling through the streets like a mad women with poor Dr. Sullivan trying to keep up. We get there literally 11:58 and I make it through Birch's office door exactly on time. It lasted a good 25 minutes before I finally had any inclination that I was "a perfect match" for SDGI. She said I was "determined" and I could start the 27th of March. Excited is a shadow of my feelings. This is such a big opportunity for me. I use to worry about my future every other day and now I can relax just a little more knowing I have a reputable, internationally known organisation on my resume. My job will mostly be organising events for directors (mostly Irish) and working in the same room as Miss Hamilton. EEEEEK! I left her office in rapture and found out that the Jameson Dublin Film Festival was selling tickets for the new Ryan Gosling film, The Place Beyond the Pines. On my way out the door, I bought a ticket!
I now come to Sunday. Where I toured Trinity College with Luke, Alexander and my gurl Allison. (I say "gurl" not because I lack an elementary education but because it is an inside joke I am referencing and no you may not know what it is) It rained. No I'm sorry. It RAINED! All day long. Totally worth the cold I am now at battle with. Although honestly I blame Dylan. He was sick when we were flying over here. Trinity College is gorgeous. We got lost on our way to see the Book of Kells and stumbled upon the old library. It was breathtaking. It is what every library dreams to be. The entire room smelled like an ancient book.
For those of you who are not familiar, the Book of Kells was made by monks in 800AD. Written in Latin is the story of Jesus Christ. During war, the Book was kept at Trinity for safe keeping and today they won't give it back. Who would? Despite the weather, it was totally worth To Kell and Back Again*.
****To Kell and Back Again is not an original title. All credits and royalties should be given to L.M. Ramsey for his ingenious word play and creative rhetoric. ****
Sorry folks. I'm a bit behind. I've been spending this week figuring out my future internship and classes (or modules as they like to call them). I'm taking Photojournalism and Principles of TV News. After being blocked out of 4 different modules, I'd say I lucked out with these two. So this past Monday I had what I like to call a magical night in Dublin. It started off with Molly and I venturing out to Temple Bar. Now for those of you back home, Temple Bar is a section of the city, but what's confusing is there actually is a pub called Temple Bar...in Temple Bar....which I was in. Anywho, if I mention Temple Bar from now on, I will be talking about the section of the city not a pub. SO Molly and I were going to see a play at the New Theater where she will be interning. We got lost...on the coldest, windiest, rainiest night. My feet were frozen. See, everyone in the world knows it rains in Ireland. What they don't tell you about is the bone chilling wind. Thank goodness I brought a snow coat. Good call Dee and Meredith. On our travels I met a man, forget his name who asked if I needed a scooter. You'd be surprised, I get this question a lot, but the man felt entitled because he works with people with disabilities. He said I was the most beautiful disabled person he had ever seen....Thanks? We eventually found the theater which is in the back of a book store. Really neat. The play was called Talk Radio by Eric Bogosian. It's about a candid, harsh Talk Radio host in Cleveland, Ohio. I enjoyed it. It was a nice reminder of home and the actors were really good with the accents. We told them this afterwards and they were so grateful, they asked us to join them at the pub across the street. Naturally, Molly could not decline, because she would be working with them shortly. It was the BEST night I had here so far. We ended up talking to the actors for three hours! They were the friendliest, most caring, down-to-Earth conversationalists. These were 3o year old men too, and nothing was strange or uncomfortable about talking to them. Everyone in Ireland is just so easy to talk to, no matter their age or gender. I cannot stress how much fun I had. Half the reason I came to Ireland was for the people and if you do the same you won't be disappointed. When Molly and I left in search for a taxi it began to snow. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night. Walking down the cobblestone streets of Dublin and the snow catching in your hair; there is no other word for it other than magical. To top it off a policeman carried me into the taxi like a princess and we listened to Reggae music on our way back to DCU. Side note: Did you know that the police force here do not carry guns? Did you know that no one in this green country carries guns? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD ABOUT GUN CONTROL SINCE I GOT HERE?!?!?! Of course you don't. It's about 6 I'd say. Six separate conversations about the United States' gun control policies. My roommates (who are all fabulous human beings, who feed me and slag me...keep up if you don't know what slagging is) could not understand why people have guns in the United States. The one actor at the pub had his theories and he said he could understand why we have them. I could explain these stories in further detail, but it would really take too long. I tried my best to give a detailed description of both opinions of the American people. In short, most Irish people cannot fathom the need for assault rifles. I will not state my opinion but I will say, I do feel much safer in Dublin than I ever have in New York, Philadelphia or Allentown...Actually, I feel the safest I've ever felt in a city.
So finally got out of the city into some real good ol' farm land. The Causey Farm. They took about 100 of the international students on two double-decker buses. (yes Lori they have double-decker buses and they do drive on the left hand side) The first thing I did was pet the border collies...naturally. Then we made dough for baking bread, played the bodhran (it is official I have no musical capabilities) but I like the sound of the drum a lot. Maybe I can convince Michael Barracato to get off his bass and learn some Irish drumming....not likely...We took a truck into the forest and visited a bog. Now, I have no prior knowledge of bogs nor did I think I would be particularly interested but it's kinda like a historic, insulated mud bath. So, only a milometer of ground is added to it every year, which means if you stick your leg in, which three people did, you are literally touching Earth 1000 years ago. 100 years ago they used it as a refrigerator. Today they use it as a 100 Euro facial...yeah. I did not touch it. It would have died of hypothermia but I want to go back in May and "swim" in it when it's warmer. When we returned from the bog, it was time for Hurling. I don't hurl. So I set off on my own to find these border collie puppies everyone kept mentioning. ADORABLE! I wasn't alone for long though because a farm boy named Steven escorted me around to see the other animals. Steven was sort of shy and tall with brilliant blue eyes. He showed me the largest pig I had ever seen...and I've been to the County Fair people...I know my swine. This pig was about as long as a picnic table and taller than my scooter. It reminded me of the villain from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, the second one. Anyway, I then ate my baked bread with some soup and returned to the collies when everyone was learning an Irish jig. It was a great day on the farm.
That night, it was time to honor an Irish pastime...to drink. About 12 of us met up on campus to have some liquid courage before setting out into Temple Bar. We were listening to some music when a rather crude song came on. Whistle by Flo Rida. Now, if you've never heard the song before, you wouldn't know this but ultimately the whole thing is a double entendre for fellatio. This was not known to the two unsuspecting French men and after many painful attempts to explain without explaining...I finally had to step up to the plate. Surprisingly, this isn't the first conversation I had about defining the term. In fact despite the language barrier it was much easier to explain with the French than it was back home to a friend who shall remain nameless...you know who you are. ANYWAY, it turns out to be a real ice breaker and I finally got to use my poor rusty french. I was so happy. I had a moment where I realised this is it. This is why we learn languages in school. I wouldn't have spent the rest of the night speaking with them and making new friends if I hadn't have taken French. So thank you Madame Gipe. Thank you for pushing me. It really is as rewarding as you said. The rest of the night was spent in Temple Bar. THE Temple Bar where they had a live band playing the song from P.S. I Love You. It goes: "Whats a fella to do? Her hair was black and her eyes were blue." Everyone was dancing while strategically holding their Guinness. I later joined to frolic with the locals and they were all so much fun. TOP NIGHT! Also I offered my french fries to a homeless man and he turned it down. So...maybe he wasn't homeless, but the next guy took them. Either way no fries were wasted in the making of a TOP NIGHT!
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
