A quiet night in the rain

At night, walking back from the pub disobeying the forbidden rule: never walk home alone! But I couldn’t be happier that I did. I walked home alone tonight, while the persistant rain beat down on my head. When I turned the corner to walk up the canal I noticed the Black Eyed Peas playing at the Rose In Dove, and I smiled to myself as a remembered all the times I played their music driving in my car when I was 17.  The music still buzzing in my head I hiked up the small but steep hill leading to the last stretch before the luxurious Donegan Court. At the top of this hill all of the sudden the world went quiet. I had passed the man made water fall and I was distant from the Black Eyed Peas, and the sudden hush startled me. I stopped in my tracks to look if anyone else was around, but at that exact moment someone turned the corner, leaving me alone with the canal, the darkness and the rain. I got close to the railing peering down at the raindrops forming in the water, listening to the wash of the water streaming. I looked down as far as I could see the winding canal curving its body toward the University. It was such a beautiful moment, by myself with the canal hearing my thoughts. I walked further and further away from the noise of the crowded bar and as I walked more peace was ahead. I left the noise and entered the quiet, having to stop to hear the rain fall down on the road ahead. I leaned against the rock wall and closed my eyes, listening to a sound that could not be any more familiar to me but right now at that moment was a noise that had never been heard from anyone. I walked a little further, letting the puddles burry my feet while I peered down at all the water around me. I had to stop again to stare down at the canal, wondering how many people it had stolen quiet moments from before me. The absence of the swans made the canal more lonely. I closed my eyes again wanting the moment to never end. Wanting the grace I felt from the endless amount of water to flow inside me forever. The warmth of Donegan Court got the best of me as I walked fast home to recollect my magical moment by the canal. How odd I found it that my first truly spectacular moment happened in the nights darkest hours, and in Irelands wettest moments. However the peace and gentleness that tourist all around imagine Ireland to hold, was bestowed upon me on its ugliest moment. Just like life shows you its light when you are least expecting comfort. 

Aran Island Excursion

And I thought Galway was beautiful! Being on the Aran Island was like experiencing Ireland for the first time. And the most amazing part was that we got to experience it all first hand. We rode bikes up and down the green hills nestled in by the sea. We passed cows and chickens and sheep and rams, all with ocean front property. Everybody’s property was separated by 3 foot walls that were made out of rocks. The walls looked so delicate that when I tried to go kick it over I thought the whole wall would go crashing down but those Irish farmers are smarter then they look! Across the island we had the best lunch I have ever tasted in my entire existence on this planet. And all it was: tea sandwiches and hot soup. Our tour guide (and his dog) lead us to the first cliffs I have had the pleasure of seeing while being in Ireland. We all laid down and peek over the 300 ft drop and gaped in amazement at the waves crashing below us. I took 405 pictures, but no picture could provide the breathtaking views we saw today, or the quaint rolling hills of farmland we biked through. It was a truly perfect day and we were blessed with truly perfect weather on the truly perfect excursion in the almost perfect country of Ireland.

Stay tuned for my past trips to Dublin and Connemara! I was struck by the Irish flue and have been laying in bed doing anything but blogging and homework 

The Good The Bad and The Ugly

While magical Ireland steel glistens in the rare sunlight each day, it has bore its ugly head to the students of Oregon this week. Now before I start to ran/blog about these experiences, I also am so very glad I have been through this for I have learned a tremendous amount both as a young adult and a woman. Also keep in mind that I have a tendency to make things dramatic. From here on I will talk about The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good- Ireland is gorgeous. We went on a walking tour of lead by a representative from the University and I could not stop taking pictures of everything. I was that annoying girl running to the beginning of the line and then stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to take a picture of a breathtaking door on a rustic house that I was taken aback by. There is an endless amount of artistic energy flowing through this city that makes me feel like someday I might be able to pull out the painting skills I have been yearning for since kindergarten and be Galways number one international artist. In my dreams I will come back famous, 100's of pictures of the "catedral" and the swans in tow. Another good about this city is the countless night time entertainment that goes on every night of the week! The stereotype that all Irish people are alcoholics was seriously undermining their abilities to party. This may seem harsh or maybe negative but its something about the way that the Irish drink that make it alright. It is simply part of their culture and friendships and relationships are built within their social atmosphere.

The Bad which then leads to the Ugly- I had a terrifying experience this week in two different ways: Irish clubbing and international registration for english seminars. On Monday night we all went clubbing with local Irish students. They really showed us a great time but once we got there and once we lost them it was a bit of a nightmare. Without going into to much detail I was singed by a cigarette of someone passing by, stepped on by numerous stilettos and lets just saw my "personal bubble" was seriously invaded without anyones permission. Leading on to that, we went through a nightmare this morning. Registration for international students went something like this: wait in line for one and a half hours, then squeeze 15o students into a stairwell, force them to organize themselves by numbers and then proceed to not get single class you hoped for because we got all the leftover classes the Irish students did not want. Needless to say it was an experience!

I am leaving for a new part of Ireland tomorrow morning, Dublin! I will compare the different masses thoroughly and report back, Im hoping this catedral holds at least 38 minute masses. I mean it is a much larger city.

I have been here six days and yet it feels like I have been here a month. I keep waiting for someone to wake me up from an apparent alter universe I am living in! Walking to a simple convenient store is like walking through a fairy tale, passing old brick buildings covered with ivy, walking over canals with quaint bridges and swans gliding to greet you. From my kitchen window I can see the giant "catedral"straight ahead, the old castle looking University to my left and the ocean with all the rivers and canals leading to it on my right. This is obviously a dream I am living in in which I will probably not wake up until that fateful day in May. Instead of listing off my day to day experiences, I am going to write a list of things that I have learned while staying here thus far. 

Lesson 1- Bathrooms are called toilets

Lesson 2- There are a lot of sheep.

Lesson 3- Salads are not really salads here, they consist of a pile of lettuce sided with meat. 

Lesson 4- Galway has not entered the 21st century, there is not WiFi anywhere

Lesson 5- Do not pick up the plates at a restaurant after eating and do not leave tips!

Lesson 6- The bacon is cooked, it only LOOKS raw...

Lesson 7- Nothing is built for comfort here.

Lesson 8- It is more then socially acceptable to order a beer at 3 in the afternoon

Lesson 9- Guinness tastes amazing in Ireland and only in Ireland.

Lesson 10- Two new drinks that are very good and a staple for everyone who cant handle Guinness: Kopper Burg and Bulmers Hard Cider

Lesson 11- People do not pick up after their dogs. At all.

Lesson 12- A line is called "a que" here. 

Lesson 13- When someone says that a person "has crack" that means that the person is funny not that they sell hard drugs. For example "the two priests on campus have great crack, you'll love them for that."

Lesson 14- Mass here is very different. First off it lasts 36 minutes, everyone mumbles prayers and nobody sings, not even the priest. At communion people kneel around the alter and wait for someone to come around and give them the bread. 

Lesson 15- Registering for classes is a nightmare for international students. 

Lesson 16- Sorry Portland but Galway is quickly becoming my favorite city in the world!