Hi everyone!
This past week has been pretty eventful even though I have stayed in Ireland. Last Wednesday my friends and I got to go to a real ball! At my school it is broken up into broad departments, and each department has a ball for its students. We went to the biggest one for Arts students (English, Psych, etc.) and danced with 1200 people! It was a lot of fun to get dressed up and go to the pub before hand, then get to go and dance with all of the Irish students. They are crazy! Most of them go home after the ball at about 3:30 and take a quick nap then wake up early in the morning and to go the College Bar in their dresses and drink all day there as well. Needless to say I am not that strong haha so I did not partake in the second half.
This weekend I had a field trip with my Medieval Castle class around surrounding counties and got to see four castles that I would have never seen without this trip, and it was with my professor who is totally crazy but very knowledgeable. It was a lot of fun! I will attach the link to pictures in my email.
Sunday I woke up with a yucky cold that I am trying to fight off:( My friends and roommates have been good caretakers and I have been putting A LOT of Vitamin C in my body, but it was bound to happen sometime. This week at our school is RAG week which began as a week to raise money for charities. The school has different games and programs set up throughout the week to raise awareness and money which has really good intentions. Instead the Irish students have transformed it into a week of 24/7 drinking and more reasons not to go to class. So far there have been NO Irish students in any of my classes yet this week, it is not really my scene but it is pretty crazy to see!
On Thursday I am leaving for London for five days! I am SO excited, and bought my tickets to the musical Spring Awakening today which was the 2007 Tony Award Winner for best musical and would be really expensive to see at home, but I bought my ticket for 18 pounds! Alexa and I are staying with my friend Angie to save money and get a great tour guide! It is going to be a great weekend, expect all the news from it early next week.
I hope everything is absolutely wonderful at home and that everyone is healthy and well. I miss you all like crazy, and am really sad that I missed the Oscars with my husband hosting haha! It's the simple things in life:) I love you all, drop me a line soon!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Happy Valentines Day!
Hello everybody!
This week has been a nice needed break from traveling and being super busy both for me and for my bank account! My friends and I had a fairly relaxed week but still had a lot of fun! Last week I went to the NUI Galway musical, and was slightly unimpressed haha. It wasn't quite up to Woodbury High School or St. Norbert College standards, but it was a fun experience and a chance to hang out with Alexa's Irish roommates. We also celebrated my friend Sheila's 21st birthday last week with another big group dinner party where we made fajitas! It is so much fun to enjoy a homemade meal, and my friend Erin and I both love to cook so are in our glory!
This weekend we stayed in Galway, and had so much fun. On Saturday Alexa, Erin, and I woke up and went downtown to run some errands and then went to the farmers market which we had been missing because of all of our traveling. I was in HEAVEN. There were beautiful craft stands, some produce stands, bread stands, bagel stands, a crepe stand, a great sushi stand which Erin and I enjoyed thoroughly, and finally my favorite gourmet food stand. There were buckets and buckets of olives and hummus and peppers and sun dried tomatoes and cheese and so much more. Erin and I decided we should have a picnic for lunch so we bought bags of food and went and sat outside a restaurant to eat and it started to pour! At the time we were totally not fazed, the food was perfect, even eating it wet off of plastic bags getting glared at from the woman who worked inside the restaurant we were squatting outside of. It was so much fun, and I cannot wait until I get the chance to do it again. It is something that my family and I always do on our vacations, so I took my dads advice and 'did what dad would do" and bought all the yummy food, including some of the best fresh mozzarella I have ever had. YUM!
For Valentines day, since we are all either single or far away from valentines, my friends and I had a dessert potluck where we all brought a different dessert. It was really yummy and a lot of fun! I introduced my Irish roommates to puppy chow so I am now the favorite roommate.
This next weekend I get to go on a field trip for my castle class where we get to see four different types of castles in the area. I am really excited! This class actually ends Friday, which gives me a lot more free time because it meets four times a week. After this week I won't start until 4 on Mondays and have no class on Fridays which makes traveling for longer periods of time so much easier! Alexa and I have a trip booked for the following weekend to London from Thursday evening until Monday afternoon which I am really excited about. London has always been a place where I have dreamed of going, and we are planning to see at least one show while there, I cannot wait!
I know last week I said I was having a bad day, and all of your emails and letters helped SO much. Today is a good day, but I still appreciate the emails:) Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers, I promise they are being returned! I miss you all so much!
Love from Ireland,
Melissa
This week has been a nice needed break from traveling and being super busy both for me and for my bank account! My friends and I had a fairly relaxed week but still had a lot of fun! Last week I went to the NUI Galway musical, and was slightly unimpressed haha. It wasn't quite up to Woodbury High School or St. Norbert College standards, but it was a fun experience and a chance to hang out with Alexa's Irish roommates. We also celebrated my friend Sheila's 21st birthday last week with another big group dinner party where we made fajitas! It is so much fun to enjoy a homemade meal, and my friend Erin and I both love to cook so are in our glory!
This weekend we stayed in Galway, and had so much fun. On Saturday Alexa, Erin, and I woke up and went downtown to run some errands and then went to the farmers market which we had been missing because of all of our traveling. I was in HEAVEN. There were beautiful craft stands, some produce stands, bread stands, bagel stands, a crepe stand, a great sushi stand which Erin and I enjoyed thoroughly, and finally my favorite gourmet food stand. There were buckets and buckets of olives and hummus and peppers and sun dried tomatoes and cheese and so much more. Erin and I decided we should have a picnic for lunch so we bought bags of food and went and sat outside a restaurant to eat and it started to pour! At the time we were totally not fazed, the food was perfect, even eating it wet off of plastic bags getting glared at from the woman who worked inside the restaurant we were squatting outside of. It was so much fun, and I cannot wait until I get the chance to do it again. It is something that my family and I always do on our vacations, so I took my dads advice and 'did what dad would do" and bought all the yummy food, including some of the best fresh mozzarella I have ever had. YUM!
For Valentines day, since we are all either single or far away from valentines, my friends and I had a dessert potluck where we all brought a different dessert. It was really yummy and a lot of fun! I introduced my Irish roommates to puppy chow so I am now the favorite roommate.
This next weekend I get to go on a field trip for my castle class where we get to see four different types of castles in the area. I am really excited! This class actually ends Friday, which gives me a lot more free time because it meets four times a week. After this week I won't start until 4 on Mondays and have no class on Fridays which makes traveling for longer periods of time so much easier! Alexa and I have a trip booked for the following weekend to London from Thursday evening until Monday afternoon which I am really excited about. London has always been a place where I have dreamed of going, and we are planning to see at least one show while there, I cannot wait!
I know last week I said I was having a bad day, and all of your emails and letters helped SO much. Today is a good day, but I still appreciate the emails:) Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers, I promise they are being returned! I miss you all so much!
Love from Ireland,
Melissa
Monday, February 9, 2009
Crazy week of travels!
Hi everybody!
This past week has been packed with lots of things, thus the reason I haven't had a chance to update you on all of them. Last Friday I went with a school group to Connamara, the Western region of Ireland, and got to see Kylemore Abbey and other important sights. It was couldy and misting (of course) but was really beautiful! They also took us to a little town called Clifden, and a famous furniture college which used to be a reform school for boys. There is a graveyard and memorial behind the school because while this school was opened the boys were tortured and beaten so many of them died. It was eery and sad but very interesting at the same time.
Last weekend twelve of us girls took the bus to Cork on Saturday morning (4 hour bus ride!) and stayed there over night. We went to Blarney to visit the castle and kiss the stone which was really pretty and touristy and so much fun. I now have the gift of gab, which I probably didn't need more of! We got back to Cork in time for dinner and were going to go out that night, but as we were walking around we found that most of the pubs and bars were not letting us in, and they told us that they had a over 23 rule, which we found crazy! I never expected to be carded while in Europe where the drinking age is 18, and I think I have been ID'd more times here then I ever will at home! I survived my first hostile experience with little trouble, it was actually not bad at all. I think I will learn more about traveling simple every time I go. The next day we couldn't really find a lot more to do in Cork so we came back to Galway pretty early. It is always nice to get away, but more and more I am loving just staying in Galway.
On Wednesday of this week I went to Dublin with Alexa and her roommate for a protest against the Irish students having to pay tuition for higher education. Right now third level education is free but the Irish government is trying to implement fees. I honestly really do not have an opinion if they should be paying for school or not, but the trip was through school and it was 4 Euro for a trip to Dublin, two meals, and two t-shirts. I wanted to experience the atmosphere, but I realized I am a terrible protester. There were 25,000 students marching the streets of Dublin which was really cool to be a part of no matter what the cause!
That night was one of my friends 21st birthday, and we celebrated by making homemade pizzas and taking her out for the night. It was so much fun, and I am loving all of the friends that I am making here. We really have a great group of girls who work really well together. We have pretty much made it a weekly tradition to get together one night and make a big potluck type dinner, and spend the evening having fun. I am really starting to cherish those nights!
This past weekend I went to Scotland from Friday through Saturday. It was my first time out of Ireland since I got here, and my first Ryanair trip, and it was a wonderful weekend. We flew into Glasgow about 6:30 on Saturday night and had to take a train from the airport into the city. We found our hostile and were all starving so went out for dinner at a really fun sports bar type place. It was dark by the time we got there so we rally couldn't do a lot of sightseeing that night, but had fun experiencing a little bit of the night life.
The next day we got up a little bit early and took the hour bus ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Edinburgh was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It is definitely in my top five of favorite European cities that I have been to so far, and I had a really great day there. We were lucky because it was neither snowing or raining, and it was only a little kind of cold (at least I thought so, my West coast friends disagreed a little bit). We were able to go to the Edinburgh Palace which is really cool, and gives an unbelievable view of the city. We walked around and saw all of the old architecture and the city. There was a huge four week long rugby tournament going on beginning that day in Edinburgh so it was packed! We couldn't get into any pubs to eat or enjoy, so we went back to Glasgow earlier then planned. We had a great dinner at this fantastic Italian restaurant, and found out how nice Scottish people are. I though Irish people were nice, but they are nothing compared to the Scottish! Everyone we spoke to was so into helping us in any way they could, and joked around with us when we had questions.
Sunday we had some time to explore Glasgow and got to see a beautiful Cathedral and some of the other sights. Glasgow was more dirty and industrial, and we had a little bit more trouble finding something to do. We found the Peoples Palace next to the Winter Gardens. It looked like a children's museum and was set up that way, but the floor we were on was all about the historical influences of alcohol and why it is both good and bad. It was a cultural experience haha. Finally we got home safely after a train ride, a plane ride, and two bus rides.
I cannot believe I have officially been here over a month, some days it feels like it is going so fast and others I feel like I am never going to make it. Those are the days I eat a lot of chocolate:) I miss all of you more then you could imagine, honestly I would love to hear anything that is going on at home, an e-mail really really brightens my day. I love you all!
This past week has been packed with lots of things, thus the reason I haven't had a chance to update you on all of them. Last Friday I went with a school group to Connamara, the Western region of Ireland, and got to see Kylemore Abbey and other important sights. It was couldy and misting (of course) but was really beautiful! They also took us to a little town called Clifden, and a famous furniture college which used to be a reform school for boys. There is a graveyard and memorial behind the school because while this school was opened the boys were tortured and beaten so many of them died. It was eery and sad but very interesting at the same time.
Last weekend twelve of us girls took the bus to Cork on Saturday morning (4 hour bus ride!) and stayed there over night. We went to Blarney to visit the castle and kiss the stone which was really pretty and touristy and so much fun. I now have the gift of gab, which I probably didn't need more of! We got back to Cork in time for dinner and were going to go out that night, but as we were walking around we found that most of the pubs and bars were not letting us in, and they told us that they had a over 23 rule, which we found crazy! I never expected to be carded while in Europe where the drinking age is 18, and I think I have been ID'd more times here then I ever will at home! I survived my first hostile experience with little trouble, it was actually not bad at all. I think I will learn more about traveling simple every time I go. The next day we couldn't really find a lot more to do in Cork so we came back to Galway pretty early. It is always nice to get away, but more and more I am loving just staying in Galway.
On Wednesday of this week I went to Dublin with Alexa and her roommate for a protest against the Irish students having to pay tuition for higher education. Right now third level education is free but the Irish government is trying to implement fees. I honestly really do not have an opinion if they should be paying for school or not, but the trip was through school and it was 4 Euro for a trip to Dublin, two meals, and two t-shirts. I wanted to experience the atmosphere, but I realized I am a terrible protester. There were 25,000 students marching the streets of Dublin which was really cool to be a part of no matter what the cause!
That night was one of my friends 21st birthday, and we celebrated by making homemade pizzas and taking her out for the night. It was so much fun, and I am loving all of the friends that I am making here. We really have a great group of girls who work really well together. We have pretty much made it a weekly tradition to get together one night and make a big potluck type dinner, and spend the evening having fun. I am really starting to cherish those nights!
This past weekend I went to Scotland from Friday through Saturday. It was my first time out of Ireland since I got here, and my first Ryanair trip, and it was a wonderful weekend. We flew into Glasgow about 6:30 on Saturday night and had to take a train from the airport into the city. We found our hostile and were all starving so went out for dinner at a really fun sports bar type place. It was dark by the time we got there so we rally couldn't do a lot of sightseeing that night, but had fun experiencing a little bit of the night life.
The next day we got up a little bit early and took the hour bus ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Edinburgh was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. It is definitely in my top five of favorite European cities that I have been to so far, and I had a really great day there. We were lucky because it was neither snowing or raining, and it was only a little kind of cold (at least I thought so, my West coast friends disagreed a little bit). We were able to go to the Edinburgh Palace which is really cool, and gives an unbelievable view of the city. We walked around and saw all of the old architecture and the city. There was a huge four week long rugby tournament going on beginning that day in Edinburgh so it was packed! We couldn't get into any pubs to eat or enjoy, so we went back to Glasgow earlier then planned. We had a great dinner at this fantastic Italian restaurant, and found out how nice Scottish people are. I though Irish people were nice, but they are nothing compared to the Scottish! Everyone we spoke to was so into helping us in any way they could, and joked around with us when we had questions.
Sunday we had some time to explore Glasgow and got to see a beautiful Cathedral and some of the other sights. Glasgow was more dirty and industrial, and we had a little bit more trouble finding something to do. We found the Peoples Palace next to the Winter Gardens. It looked like a children's museum and was set up that way, but the floor we were on was all about the historical influences of alcohol and why it is both good and bad. It was a cultural experience haha. Finally we got home safely after a train ride, a plane ride, and two bus rides.
I cannot believe I have officially been here over a month, some days it feels like it is going so fast and others I feel like I am never going to make it. Those are the days I eat a lot of chocolate:) I miss all of you more then you could imagine, honestly I would love to hear anything that is going on at home, an e-mail really really brightens my day. I love you all!
Friday, January 30, 2009
New adventures!
Hi everybody!
I know it has been a while since I updated you all, so this one could be kind of long! Last weekend a few friends and I went to Limerick, the third largest city in Ireland, just for the day on Saturday. It is a fun city, but I after going there I am very happy that I chose Galway over any other city that I have visited so far. Galway has such a great historical aspect to it, a great social scene, and the university is highly regarded as one of the best in the country. Limerick was kind of dirty and more industrial, and we had to SEARCH to find a pub! It was crazy haha in Galway you get tired of seeing them because they are everywhere! It was still a really fun place to visit, and we got to see the large St. Mary's Cathedral and King John's Castle. We also had our first "traditional" fish and chips at a super shady diner. It was basically grease fried in more grease, it was SO good! It was nice to get away from Galway for the day and see something new.
This week I FINALLY got to start all of my classes, and I registered with immigration, so I got to cross a lot of things off my stress list, even though the 150 Euro immigration fee did not help the stress haha. My classes are good, some definitely more interesting then others. Most of the Irish students rarely go to class, and I am beginning to see why. Most classes just have one essay at the end of the term as assessment, and it is usually a specific topic or book not really having to do with the whole content of the class. I am still being a good girl and going to most of my classes, but I definitely do not feel as guilty missing a class here to travel as I would if I was at home.
We have found a pub called Monroe's that has traditional Irish music and dancing on Tuesday nights, and has really great pizza! I think it is now going to be a weekly date, and I am definitely going to join in the dancing this next week! There is a cute little old man who teaches American girls how to dance, and you can see in his eyes how much he looks forward to finding a new partner each week. I am bound and determined to be that girl this week haha.
I have found a really great group of girls here, all from different parts of America, who I can share experiences with. They are usually who I travel with, and each week we have started to do a international dinner type potluck. We were all craving Mexican food this week so we made tacos, guacamole, beans and rice. It is really fun to get together and enjoy each others company!
Today I went to Conamara, an area west of Galway, that was absolutely beautiful. It was a day tour through our International Student Society so we got to stop at all of the important sights and photo opportunities. I went to Kylemore Abbey and a few other places around the area. Again it was nice to get away, especially with a group of 50 international students!
I think I am pretty much adjusted to life here, it is definitely easier then it was at the beginning, but there are still things that I have to get over. My apartment is kind of a disaster zone, two of my roommates smoke (uh oh for my allergies) and all of them are pretty dirty, but I know that it is a temporary living situation and I am so grateful for all of the other experiences I am presented with while I am here. I think what I miss most is hugs! Pretty soon I am going to have to start going up to random people and hugging them so I can get my fix for the week.
Tomorrow a group of us are going to Cork (the second biggest city in Ireland) for tomorrow and Sunday. I get to kiss the Blarney stone and be a cheesy tourist! I will update you all on that next week, and then next weekend I am going to Scotland for the weekend! I am so excited!
I am still loving all of the thoughts and prayers, and the notes and e-mails! You wouldn't believe how happy I get whenever I get an e-mail, it is kind of ridiculous. By the way, if any of you have skype my skype name is melissaschisler, look me up:) Oh and one more, if by chance (no pressure, I'm not expecting anything) but if anybody happens to send a package to me if you could let me know that would be great because they go to the front desk and they don't call us we have to go check for packages.
I love you all! I hope that your weeks were great and that your weekends will be relaxing. Miss you all!
I know it has been a while since I updated you all, so this one could be kind of long! Last weekend a few friends and I went to Limerick, the third largest city in Ireland, just for the day on Saturday. It is a fun city, but I after going there I am very happy that I chose Galway over any other city that I have visited so far. Galway has such a great historical aspect to it, a great social scene, and the university is highly regarded as one of the best in the country. Limerick was kind of dirty and more industrial, and we had to SEARCH to find a pub! It was crazy haha in Galway you get tired of seeing them because they are everywhere! It was still a really fun place to visit, and we got to see the large St. Mary's Cathedral and King John's Castle. We also had our first "traditional" fish and chips at a super shady diner. It was basically grease fried in more grease, it was SO good! It was nice to get away from Galway for the day and see something new.
This week I FINALLY got to start all of my classes, and I registered with immigration, so I got to cross a lot of things off my stress list, even though the 150 Euro immigration fee did not help the stress haha. My classes are good, some definitely more interesting then others. Most of the Irish students rarely go to class, and I am beginning to see why. Most classes just have one essay at the end of the term as assessment, and it is usually a specific topic or book not really having to do with the whole content of the class. I am still being a good girl and going to most of my classes, but I definitely do not feel as guilty missing a class here to travel as I would if I was at home.
We have found a pub called Monroe's that has traditional Irish music and dancing on Tuesday nights, and has really great pizza! I think it is now going to be a weekly date, and I am definitely going to join in the dancing this next week! There is a cute little old man who teaches American girls how to dance, and you can see in his eyes how much he looks forward to finding a new partner each week. I am bound and determined to be that girl this week haha.
I have found a really great group of girls here, all from different parts of America, who I can share experiences with. They are usually who I travel with, and each week we have started to do a international dinner type potluck. We were all craving Mexican food this week so we made tacos, guacamole, beans and rice. It is really fun to get together and enjoy each others company!
Today I went to Conamara, an area west of Galway, that was absolutely beautiful. It was a day tour through our International Student Society so we got to stop at all of the important sights and photo opportunities. I went to Kylemore Abbey and a few other places around the area. Again it was nice to get away, especially with a group of 50 international students!
I think I am pretty much adjusted to life here, it is definitely easier then it was at the beginning, but there are still things that I have to get over. My apartment is kind of a disaster zone, two of my roommates smoke (uh oh for my allergies) and all of them are pretty dirty, but I know that it is a temporary living situation and I am so grateful for all of the other experiences I am presented with while I am here. I think what I miss most is hugs! Pretty soon I am going to have to start going up to random people and hugging them so I can get my fix for the week.
Tomorrow a group of us are going to Cork (the second biggest city in Ireland) for tomorrow and Sunday. I get to kiss the Blarney stone and be a cheesy tourist! I will update you all on that next week, and then next weekend I am going to Scotland for the weekend! I am so excited!
I am still loving all of the thoughts and prayers, and the notes and e-mails! You wouldn't believe how happy I get whenever I get an e-mail, it is kind of ridiculous. By the way, if any of you have skype my skype name is melissaschisler, look me up:) Oh and one more, if by chance (no pressure, I'm not expecting anything) but if anybody happens to send a package to me if you could let me know that would be great because they go to the front desk and they don't call us we have to go check for packages.
I love you all! I hope that your weeks were great and that your weekends will be relaxing. Miss you all!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Update 3!
Hi everybody!
The past week has been pretty busy, but I haven't really done anything all that exciting. I have finally started all but one of my classes, and the routine has kicked in almost full gear. Did you know that I am actually expected to do homework while I am here? Haha somehow I will have to fit that in to my busy schedule. So far almost all of my classes have definite potential. One in particular that I am really excited about is called Imagining Modern Ireland and it is a class specifically for visiting students about the culture of Ireland. It focuses on Irish lit in the Irish language, Irish lit in the English language, Irish music and dance, and then how they are all connected and how they have shaped the country. I feel like I have already learned more in the two hours I have had that class then in any other class. I am also taking a class about the politics of Northern Ireland and the division between the two states. It is interesting that's for sure, but I am already feeling a little lost because I don't have the Irish history background that the Irish students obviously do. Looks like I will just have to do a little bit more work on my own!
I also started my Irish language course, which I am taking just for fun. It is a language unlike any other, and I am really excited to know even the basics. When else am I ever going to have an opportunity to learn it?
Yesterday I had to sign up for one of my smaller English classes, and I was very worried I was not going to get it. This is a class that I needed to get into, otherwise I wasn't going to be able to student teach in the fall so I was a little nervous! The system was pretty crazy, what we had to do was come to a building and get a number then come back and stand in line in order of our numbers to choose our class. The registration was supposed to start at 9am, so Alexa and I were there at 8 thinking it would be early enough. When we got there we were number 124! The number one person got there at 2 AM!!! It was incredibly unorganized, but I am so happy that I got into the class I wanted even though I wasn't crazy enough to get up that early.
The inauguration was a huge deal here, and it was very interesting to see it from a different countries perspective. Almost all of the pubs were showing it on big screens Tuesday evening, and had drink specials and things to celebrate. Now most of you know my political views, but it was still something to see history being made at home from a different country! Sadly I had class during the actual ceremony, but it was still a very interesting day.
Almost all Irish students go home on the weekends, like literally my complex clears out and all of the cars and most of the students are gone for 3 straight days. So far my Irish friends have told me that they go home on the weekends to work so they can afford to go out so much during the week. It seems so backwards to me haha but I guess I will get used to it! All of my roommates leave on the weekends, which is generally ok with me because then it is quiet and I can clean while they are gone. They are all really sweet girls, they just have different living styles then I do. Alexa's roommates are fantastic, so I am there often and have become good friends with them.
Actually, this weekend Alexa and I are going to her roommates home in Connemara (about an hour from here) and spending time walking around there. I am really excited to get away from here for the weekend, and do free laundry! Next weekend a group of my American friends and I are going to Cork for a night to kiss the Blarney Stone and do other touristy things, and finally the first weekend in February I am planning a trip to Scotland. There is a possibility my friend Rachel who is studying in Rome is coming to visit that weekend instead, but I will let you know which it turns out to be, both would be fantastic!
I can feel all of your thoughts and prayers, and know that I think of all of you everyday. My homesickness is getting less and less, but it definitely has not gone away completely. I told my parents the other day that I blame them for being such good parents for me to miss being home this much. The hardest part is not being able to share all of these wonderful experiences with all of you!
Have a great day, I love you all!
Love from Ireland!
The past week has been pretty busy, but I haven't really done anything all that exciting. I have finally started all but one of my classes, and the routine has kicked in almost full gear. Did you know that I am actually expected to do homework while I am here? Haha somehow I will have to fit that in to my busy schedule. So far almost all of my classes have definite potential. One in particular that I am really excited about is called Imagining Modern Ireland and it is a class specifically for visiting students about the culture of Ireland. It focuses on Irish lit in the Irish language, Irish lit in the English language, Irish music and dance, and then how they are all connected and how they have shaped the country. I feel like I have already learned more in the two hours I have had that class then in any other class. I am also taking a class about the politics of Northern Ireland and the division between the two states. It is interesting that's for sure, but I am already feeling a little lost because I don't have the Irish history background that the Irish students obviously do. Looks like I will just have to do a little bit more work on my own!
I also started my Irish language course, which I am taking just for fun. It is a language unlike any other, and I am really excited to know even the basics. When else am I ever going to have an opportunity to learn it?
Yesterday I had to sign up for one of my smaller English classes, and I was very worried I was not going to get it. This is a class that I needed to get into, otherwise I wasn't going to be able to student teach in the fall so I was a little nervous! The system was pretty crazy, what we had to do was come to a building and get a number then come back and stand in line in order of our numbers to choose our class. The registration was supposed to start at 9am, so Alexa and I were there at 8 thinking it would be early enough. When we got there we were number 124! The number one person got there at 2 AM!!! It was incredibly unorganized, but I am so happy that I got into the class I wanted even though I wasn't crazy enough to get up that early.
The inauguration was a huge deal here, and it was very interesting to see it from a different countries perspective. Almost all of the pubs were showing it on big screens Tuesday evening, and had drink specials and things to celebrate. Now most of you know my political views, but it was still something to see history being made at home from a different country! Sadly I had class during the actual ceremony, but it was still a very interesting day.
Almost all Irish students go home on the weekends, like literally my complex clears out and all of the cars and most of the students are gone for 3 straight days. So far my Irish friends have told me that they go home on the weekends to work so they can afford to go out so much during the week. It seems so backwards to me haha but I guess I will get used to it! All of my roommates leave on the weekends, which is generally ok with me because then it is quiet and I can clean while they are gone. They are all really sweet girls, they just have different living styles then I do. Alexa's roommates are fantastic, so I am there often and have become good friends with them.
Actually, this weekend Alexa and I are going to her roommates home in Connemara (about an hour from here) and spending time walking around there. I am really excited to get away from here for the weekend, and do free laundry! Next weekend a group of my American friends and I are going to Cork for a night to kiss the Blarney Stone and do other touristy things, and finally the first weekend in February I am planning a trip to Scotland. There is a possibility my friend Rachel who is studying in Rome is coming to visit that weekend instead, but I will let you know which it turns out to be, both would be fantastic!
I can feel all of your thoughts and prayers, and know that I think of all of you everyday. My homesickness is getting less and less, but it definitely has not gone away completely. I told my parents the other day that I blame them for being such good parents for me to miss being home this much. The hardest part is not being able to share all of these wonderful experiences with all of you!
Have a great day, I love you all!
Love from Ireland!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Address
Here is my address for anyone who loves me enough to send me mail:)
Melissa Schisler
454 Corrib Village
New Castle Road
Galway
County Galway, Ireland
Love from Ireland!
Melissa Schisler
454 Corrib Village
New Castle Road
Galway
County Galway, Ireland
Love from Ireland!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Week 2 is starting off so much better!
Hi everybody!
I have been here for almost exactly a week to the minute, and it has been quite a whirlwind of activities and emotions. I now finally have roommates, who are really great and fun, and I got to go to my first Irish class today! The system for signing up and finding classes is kind of messy compared to what I am used to, but I think I pretty much have it all figured out now. Each of the major departments has a registration day for classes where you go and fight a crowd to get into some of the smaller seminar classes, but then the big lectures don't have a capacity so you don't register for those until later when I register with the school. I just hope I do it all right so I can get all the classes I want and need! Some classes start this week, some next, and finally some the following. It is so much different for me because at home everything starts the same day and ends the same day, which is not at all how it works here. Lecturers have much more freedom. One of my classes began today but meets four times a week and is finished Feb 20, compared to the rest of them that only meet 2 times a week and are not done until the beginning of April.
Right now these are the classes I am hoping to take:
The History of the English Language
The Archeology of the Medieval Castle in Europe
Environments and Landforms
Imagining Modern Ireland
Twentieth Century Literature
Northern Ireland: The Politics of a Divided Society
I have only had the castle class so far, but that was really interesting and I think all the rest definitely have potential. I am also taking an extra class on speaking the Irish Language, which I am really pumped about. It isn't for credit and I have to pay for it, but I think that is so much a part of this culture, especially in the Western Ireland where I am staying where many people still speak the language. It is not a class about writing or grammar, but more about being able to communicate and put in effort to speak in the native language, which could not be more what I am looking for. It doesn't start until next week, but I will keep you posted!
This weekend was not all that eventful, but it was really fun. I had a few rough patches last week when I wasn't busy and would get sad or homesick, but the more people I meet and the more of a routine I find the better I am. I feel like I should be totally acclimated, but I have to keep telling myself I have only been here for a week! I explored a lot of the pubs this weekend, but many of them were pretty empty of only full of Americans because the Irish students hadn't moved back to school yet. It was fun to hang out with the American students I have met so far, but I am even more excited to start making friends with Irish students! Many of the pubs have live music a few nights a week, sometimes Irish and sometimes more modern cover bands, but so far all have been a lot of fun. On Thursday we went to one of the bigger pubs called the Kings Head, and they had a really fun cover band who played everything from AC/DC to Lionel Richie, and even a few Irish pub songs. Most of you know that I am not a huge partier or clubber, so I am really enjoying the more chill pubs with bands and conversation.
On Saturday we were supposed to have a walking tour of Galway, the city I am staying in, but it was very rainy (surprise surprise) and the tour guides didn't show up so it was canceled. I was really disappointed! But we did have a very cool historian come and talk about the history of Galway and point out some of the important features and stories through illustrations. It was very interesting, and I can't wait to learn more.
It is a lot like home here in some ways, but then out of nowhere things will be completely different. I am getting more and more used to everything, and the craziness that I was complaining about last week has been put more into perspective. My apartment really is not as bad as I was saying, and the walk into town is actually very refreshing. I am trying to take the words of everybody who has done this in the past that soon I won't ever want to leave, but it is still tough to believe that right now especially being away from all of you! I am so thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers, and know that I am thinking of you often! I love the comments and e-mails (hint hint) and would love to hear about life back home!
Love from Ireland!
I have been here for almost exactly a week to the minute, and it has been quite a whirlwind of activities and emotions. I now finally have roommates, who are really great and fun, and I got to go to my first Irish class today! The system for signing up and finding classes is kind of messy compared to what I am used to, but I think I pretty much have it all figured out now. Each of the major departments has a registration day for classes where you go and fight a crowd to get into some of the smaller seminar classes, but then the big lectures don't have a capacity so you don't register for those until later when I register with the school. I just hope I do it all right so I can get all the classes I want and need! Some classes start this week, some next, and finally some the following. It is so much different for me because at home everything starts the same day and ends the same day, which is not at all how it works here. Lecturers have much more freedom. One of my classes began today but meets four times a week and is finished Feb 20, compared to the rest of them that only meet 2 times a week and are not done until the beginning of April.
Right now these are the classes I am hoping to take:
The History of the English Language
The Archeology of the Medieval Castle in Europe
Environments and Landforms
Imagining Modern Ireland
Twentieth Century Literature
Northern Ireland: The Politics of a Divided Society
I have only had the castle class so far, but that was really interesting and I think all the rest definitely have potential. I am also taking an extra class on speaking the Irish Language, which I am really pumped about. It isn't for credit and I have to pay for it, but I think that is so much a part of this culture, especially in the Western Ireland where I am staying where many people still speak the language. It is not a class about writing or grammar, but more about being able to communicate and put in effort to speak in the native language, which could not be more what I am looking for. It doesn't start until next week, but I will keep you posted!
This weekend was not all that eventful, but it was really fun. I had a few rough patches last week when I wasn't busy and would get sad or homesick, but the more people I meet and the more of a routine I find the better I am. I feel like I should be totally acclimated, but I have to keep telling myself I have only been here for a week! I explored a lot of the pubs this weekend, but many of them were pretty empty of only full of Americans because the Irish students hadn't moved back to school yet. It was fun to hang out with the American students I have met so far, but I am even more excited to start making friends with Irish students! Many of the pubs have live music a few nights a week, sometimes Irish and sometimes more modern cover bands, but so far all have been a lot of fun. On Thursday we went to one of the bigger pubs called the Kings Head, and they had a really fun cover band who played everything from AC/DC to Lionel Richie, and even a few Irish pub songs. Most of you know that I am not a huge partier or clubber, so I am really enjoying the more chill pubs with bands and conversation.
On Saturday we were supposed to have a walking tour of Galway, the city I am staying in, but it was very rainy (surprise surprise) and the tour guides didn't show up so it was canceled. I was really disappointed! But we did have a very cool historian come and talk about the history of Galway and point out some of the important features and stories through illustrations. It was very interesting, and I can't wait to learn more.
It is a lot like home here in some ways, but then out of nowhere things will be completely different. I am getting more and more used to everything, and the craziness that I was complaining about last week has been put more into perspective. My apartment really is not as bad as I was saying, and the walk into town is actually very refreshing. I am trying to take the words of everybody who has done this in the past that soon I won't ever want to leave, but it is still tough to believe that right now especially being away from all of you! I am so thankful for all of your thoughts and prayers, and know that I am thinking of you often! I love the comments and e-mails (hint hint) and would love to hear about life back home!
Love from Ireland!
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