Better Late than Never

Well, it's official: I am terrible at keeping this blog updated. I apologise for the delay, but rest assured that the reason I haven't written recently is because I've been so busy doing all the things I'm about to mention!

The last time I posted, I was just finishing up orientation and getting ready to move into my new flat. Since then, I have had an opportunity to settle and get my bearings a bit more. I live with Elise and Amanda, two of the other girls on my program. Elise is a wry-humoured poli sci and psych double major from New Orleans who has gotten all three of us into the habit of saying "y'all," and Amanda is a laid-back English and dance double major from New York. I have been dubbed the "nice but weird" one within the group, but over the past couple of weeks our quirks have all come to surface, so I don't think I'm alone in that. Our apartment itself is great--large and modern with hardwood floors and the comfiest leather couches you can imagine, it's quickly become the most popular place for our friends to hang out (which came in handy when we threw a surprise birthday party for Elise's 21st last week!). Each of us has a single bedroom, but one--affectionately referred to as the "Harry Potter closet"--is a little less than half the size of the others, so we decided to take that room in shifts. I volunteered for the first one, so I get to move on the 15th! I actually don't mind it, really. I still get personal space if I need it, but usually I'm out and about anyway since the 25-minute walk to campus makes multiple trips a day uneconomical. I've added my own little touches, too: the "happy rock" Alana made me to combat homesickness and my signature scented candles top the list of personal effects.

As Elise, Amanda and I have settled in these past couple of weeks and adjusted to the responsibilities of caring for ourselves, I am increasingly grateful that I spent the summer up at Puget Sound this year living off-campus. It forced me to learn things like how to cook and run a dishwasher--skills that are more rare around here than one would think! I've especially enjoyed grocery shopping and cooking for myself. The first week or so I ate out a lot because I had to run so many errands, but now I'm branching out from to things like breakfast burritos, pesto pasta with asparagus and feta, flatbread pizzas, and, as of tonight, couscous stuffed peppers. The other day I realized I missed baking, so I invested in some bakeware and made apple pie muffins. They took a good while to make, but they turned out well! I've also devoted a lot more time to cleaning. My OCD tendencies have emerged, loud and proud, in my mopping and tidying of the apartment. Since my room especially is so small, even two pieces of clothing on the floor can make it look messy.

Despite what all my discussion of domestic activities would indicate, I do spend a lot of time out and about as well. Between moving into our places and the start of classes last Monday, I have been going to pubs and clubs pretty regularly. I would have to say that I prefer the former. Although the vibe differs from place to place, pubs generally have a more casual atmosphere that is conducive to conversation and relaxation, whereas nightclubs have a more markedly hedonistic undercurrent; in fact, some such as Copperface Jacks (a famous nightclub in Dublin referred to as "Coppers") positively ooze excess and sexual tension. While I enjoy social atmospheres, I'm not the biggest fan of being cornered by the men and stepped on by the women. The buddy system helps a lot with this, though, and my friends and I tend to travel in packs when we spend a night on the town. Regardless of where one decides to go, Dublin is a very celebratory city. On September 22, it seemed the entire population of Dublin turned out to commemorate Arthur's Day, the anniversary of the foundation of Guinness stout. My friends and I went to The Bleeding Horse, our favorite pub, and chatted with locals as we listened to live music. I even convinced one to help me snag an Arthur's Day poster as a memento, and I now have it proudly displayed on our flat's refrigerator.

We've all stayed incredibly busy as we attempt to soak up everything we can, but the downside to such full days coupled with late nights is a severely compromised immune system. For quite some time all three of us in the flat were sick, and for those of you familiar with my illness patterns you'll perhaps be amused to hear that my sultry man-voice came out to play for five days or so. We're all doing much better now, though, which is fortunate because the pace of our stay has not let up! Even as I have been getting used to Dublin, I have already had my friends Olivia and Shannen visit me here. Since I hadn't quite established myself by the time Olivia visited, we stuck to more touristy activities such as the Dublin Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour.We visited the Guinness Factory, Christ Church Cathedral (the filming site for many scenes of The Tudors!), and Kilmainham Gaol. At Christ Church Cathedral we even met a fellow Pi Phi who struck up conversation with me after she saw me wearing my letters! Greek life really does connect you all around the world, it would seem. When Shannen came this past weekend we had more of a low-key visit, walking around Grafton Street (a high-end shopping area filled with boutiques and street performers in the city center) and chatting over Starbucks. 

Before you ask, no, I haven't been going to Starbucks every day here. For the most part I just make instant coffee at home, but Starbucks remains my one true love. I've actually gone there for the past few days to study, now that I've found one that's a little quieter. Besides, there are VERY few places in Dublin that one can get a decent iced blended coffee. High maintenance? Perhaps, but since I've been frugal thus far I think it's something I can continue to enjoy in moderation. 

Although I've dedicated most of my time thus far to describing Dublin, I should not neglect to mention the amazing homestay trip I took the weekend before classes started. The Arcadia students were assigned to host families in Co. Galway for two days, where we got to experience a different microcosm of Irish culture. The trip got off to a wonderful start. The bus ride through the country took us through some beautiful scenery. I watched avidly out of the window as we rode out of Dublin into the Maynooth area, past fall foliage which resembled that in Washington state at this time of year, and even further into idyllic pastoral scenes of sheep grazing on bottle-green grass. Perhaps the most poignant images out my window were those of the medieval towers and castle ruins that we passed, scattered along the roadside. These structures were not marked by ornate plaques or flocks of tourists; rather, they were integrated into the very landscape, an unassuming but inextricable aspect of what the countryside had to offer. As overly sentimental as it sounds, seeing those ruins inspired a visceral reaction of sorts within me: this was the Ireland that I had envisioned, the reason that I crossed the Atlantic for a semester of study.

Once we arrived at our destinations, the rest of the homestay was grand as well. Several of the girls from the program were housed near one another in the small town of Kilconly, so the host moms collaborated to take us on a picnic and a sightseeing adventure. We were able to walk along the cliffs of Galway Bay, which afforded some incredible views. The food wasn't bad, either--the Irish take their eating very seriously, and we were constantly showered with second and third helpings. My host mother, Ann, was a soft-spoken but good-natured woman. Though she has faced several hardships in her life, she has a matter-of-fact and upbeat outlook. She's a highly accomplished woman--in addition to raising cattle, she is a mother of three and has started her own charity! In the morning she took my friend Elizabeth and me on a walk around her area, which provided ample opportunity for picture-taking. Elizabeth is an avid picture-taker, and I too got a chance to reconnect with my love of photography as I explored the bogs and farms nearby. Ann also took us to Saturday night Mass, which was fun to experience even though it caused my first real pang of homesickness in light of some turbulence occurring at my own home church in California at the time.

As lovely as the homestay was, I was nevertheless happy to return to Dublin for the start of classes. The week before had been Freshers' Week, a series of orientation events for new and visiting students. I didn't go to the evening sessions because I was so tired, but I did sign up for several societies at the club fair on the quad (think LogJam on steroids--SO much free stuff!). I joined the Philosophical Society, referred to more commonly as "the Phil." The organization sponsors guests speakers and debates throughout the term, and I look forward to attending the events. I also joined the International Student Society, the Literary Society, the Horse Racing Society (which has much more to do with group outings than anything remotely concerning horses), the Food and Drink Society, and the Fishing Society. I'm excited to get involved with these groups on campus and assimilate more fully into the campus culture. 

With all of this, I haven't even begun to discuss academics yet! Classes, which are called "modules" here, began last Monday. I am taking 5 for the Michaelmas term, TCD's equivalent of fall semester:

1) From Saints to Vikings: The Archaeology of Early Medieval Ireland

2) Ireland and the Wider World, c. 1534-1641

3) Comedy and Carnival in Medieval and Renaissance Literature

4) Banned [Fiction] in Ireland

5) Early English Language (aka Beginning Old English)

As you know, the subject matter of these classes is perfect for me, so I've been enjoying them immensely so far. Old English is admittedly a little intimidating, but when I sat down to read Chaucer for Comedy and Carnival this morning I felt right at home. The lecturers are great, too. The man who teaches Ireland and the Wider World is super animated and has a very self-deprecating sense of humour regarding Ireland, and the woman who leads my Early English Language group is the self-professed "Crazy Biscuit Lady" who brings cookies to class for everyone. It took me a while to finally settle on which classes to take, but I think I've chosen wisely. The students are friendly as well--one guy named Colin invited me to his apartment after class today for a cup of tea and a lively conversation of hipster-bashing, while a girl named Caoimhe from my Archaeology class chatted with me about California before lecture.

I may be off to The Bleeding Horse in a bit, so I should probably head out soon. While the Bleeding Horse is the place I've mentioned multiple times in this post, there are several little hole-in-the-wall places that I have discovered and frequented since my arrival here. Lemon, for example, is an exquisite crepe cafe not two blocks from campus; Wall and Keogh is a joint with every flavor of tea imaginable; various EXCELLENT kebab restaurants punctuate my walk home each day; and the little Italian deli a block away has these amazing black-and-white tartlets filled with white chocolate and Nutella (I'm telling you--SO MUCH FOOD HERE). 

I hope to update again soon, but if last time is any indicator it may be a while. It's been pretty difficult trying to keep in contact with people owing to the eight-hour time difference, but I'm sure I will come to navigate that a bit more easily in the coming weeks as my schedule becomes more regular.

Until next time, I send my love and best wishes!

--Kelli