The past two weeks

I've finally pulled myself together enough to update my blog- I decided that even though it was a class requirement, I'm going to keep it going for a while :)

Coming back from Ireland involved hours of travel and a lot of emotion. It was exciting to come home to all the friends we'd left behind and to see our families after a long ten weeks apart. Getting off the bus in Erie to see my three best friends waiting was an incredible feeling. A few days later, my mom picked me up in Erie and we headed out to my family's house in Erie for a little get-together. Then, after almost 12 weeks away, I got to go home! I was so happy to be back in Bay Village, OH, even if I was only there for a week before having to come back to Erie for work and a summer class at Gannon University.

Catching up with all my friends and family after being away for so long was so nice. Now that I'm back in Erie, working at Smokey Bones Bar and Fire Grill and taking a summer Physics course at Gannon, I'm really starting to reflect and remember Ireland. Every once in a while, a song will come on the radio that reminds me of our sing-alongs that became an almost nightly occurrence, and I'll remember how really special the experience was. I'm sure my friends and co-workers are so sick of hearing about Ireland!

This Memorial Day weekend promises to be a good one- today was spent outside with a cool Bud Light Lime and some great company, and tomorrow will be work and a family get-together, complete with our lakeside cottage and good friends and good food. Then the day off on Monday and the true beginning of summer 2010!

The Lovely Bones

Recently, I was watching the movie "The Lovely Bones," an adaptation from the novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. I had read the novel in middle school, and watched the movie before coming to Ireland. In the film, 14-year old Susie Salmon ("like the fish") is abducted and murdered by her neighbor, George Harvey. Her father and then her younger sister attempt to find her killer, and eventually succeed. While I was watching the film, though, I noticed a parallel between a scene in the movie and a scene from "An Encounter" in Dubliners.

In "The Lovely Bones", Susie is walking home late from a film club meeting when she comes across Mr. Harvey. He has built something in the cornfield, he says, and wants her to take a look at it. He lures her into a hatch that he has built into the ground, and murders her.

This encounter between Mr. Harvey and Susie reminded me of the scene in Joyce's "An Encounter," when the narrator and Mahoney meet the old man during their day exploring Dublin. The reader gets the sense that the man they meet is not to be trusted, just as the audience has a bad feeling about the character of Mr. Harvey in "The Lovely Bones." While the old man in the story might have turned out harmless- as readers we don't know, because the boys leave before the man is finished with his monologue- he may very well have been a bad person, like in "The Lovely Bones."

I found the parallels between two seemingly totally unrelated medias really interesting. Without reading Joyce in class, I don't think I would've thought to connect a very commercial film to his work.

Don't cry because it's over...

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss.

This quote really sums up how I've been feeling today. Last night, a group of us stayed up all night and went to see the sunrise. We found an amazing spot up the hill that overlooks the town of Dungarvan, and settled in on a rock wall (that, I have to admit, was located in someone's driveway!) to watch the show.
Watching the sunrise over the hills, I think we all felt the same thing- leaving this place was going to be difficult indeed. As much as I've missed my family and friends, leaving Ireland seems like an unspeakable thing. These past ten weeks, this place has been my home. I know that I'll return, someday, but right now it's incredibly hard to think about leaving.

Who knows what tomorrow's flight will have in store for us! With the volcanic ash, perhaps we'll get to spend another few days in Ireland? ;)

Final days of Eire

As our time in Ireland is winding down, I thought I would reflect on what made our trip the amazing experience it was. I'll never forget my time here, and I know I'll be back to visit all of the wonderful people who made our ten weeks here as unforgettable as they have been.

Without our friends Tom Keith, Joe Moynihan, Joe O'Flaherty, Fearghal Reidy, and many many others, we wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to come to Dungarvan. We owe this experience to their selfless hard work and determination to bring the students of Mercyhurst to Dungarvan. On the other side of the pond, Dr. Hosey, Dr. Reed, Dr. Synder, Dr. Federici, Dr. McGurk, and Ms. Miller were all so amazing in giving up their personal time and lives in Erie to come to Ireland with us and be our teachers and friends. There are also a few locals who deserve a shout-out. Our best Irish friend-Eoin-did so much for us over our ten weeks here. From taking us to the Blarney Stone to simply being our friend when we were so far from home, his contribution to this experience was awesome. Everyone that we have met here has been so incredible to us.

When we arrived, I was apprehensive about spending so much time away from everything I knew- friends, family, school and work. Now I know that I am more than capable of doing things for myself. Studying abroad has given me the confidence to know that I can be a more independent person. Being in Ireland has also helped me learn to enjoy life, and take things as they come. Before Ireland, I fear that I took everything far too seriously- certainly not a problem in Ireland. In such an easygoing place, it was wonderful to just be able to sit back and be on "Irish Time" for a while.

The friends I have made here will be lifelong. They have really made the experience what it was for me. Without these people- people who I have probably seen around campus hundreds of times without knowing who they were- my personal Ireland experience would not have been as wonderful. Talking to friends who have done their study abroad experience alone, I am so thankful that I could share mine with 25 other Mercyhurst students who have become some of my closest friends.

Bright Star

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art-
Not in lone splendor hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round the earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-
No--yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

In class, we read John Keats' poem "Bright Star" during our study of the romantics. Keats was one of my favorite poets that we read, and "Bright Star" is one of his most well known works. Recently, a book of love letters written by Keats to his lover Fanny Brawne has been published under the title "Bright Star," and a movie has been made based upon the book. Throughout my blog, I'm sure you'll notice the references to and reviews of movies- I am a huge fan of movies and I enjoy connecting them to what we've been studying in class.

I decided to watch the film "Bright Star," directed and screenplay by Jane Campion, starring Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne and Ben Whishaw as John Keats, to see what all the fuss was about. Aside from it using the letters and names of Keats and Brawne, for me it didn't capture the essence of Keats' poetry. His letters to Fanny are beautiful, however. The movie was a good love story, but didn't seem to have the same meaning that his poetry, such as "Bright Star" itself has. The poem itself is a tribute to Fanny. In the poem, he references religion, as well as the north star- perhaps she is his religion and his guiding star?

The Playboy of the Western World

Because of my trip to London, I missed our class discussion of John Millington Synge's "The Playboy of the Western World." After reading it on the bus to Cork on the first leg of my journey to London, I began to think about Ireland and what it means to be Irish. Synge's characters are very distinctly Irish- from the way that they act to their manner of speaking.

This play was one of my favorite pieces we read throughout the class- something about it really attracted me (much like the women in the play are mysteriously attracted to Christy!). When Christy first entered the play, I wasn't exactly sure how to take his character. I didn't want to like him, obviously, because he had claimed to have killed his own father! But then all the women start going crazy over him- who gets to make his dinner, whose house he gets to stay in, etc.- and me as a reader wasn't sure what to think anymore.

In the end, I decided that I disliked Christy, not only because he lied about murdering his father, but he became very clingy towards Pegeen at the end- claiming to be in love with her when he had only known her for a few days, etc. I couldn't understand Pegeen's response to Shawn at the end of the play, when she said "Quit my sight. Oh my grief, I've lost him surely. I've lost the only Playboy of the Western World," I was surprised that she would be so sad about losing a man who was a liar, and possibly even a murderer.

London

I want to preface this blog by saying that it was wonderful to see my best friend again after 5 months apart! Don't get me wrong, London was a really cool city. But I was disappointed by it. I didn't expect to identify with what Blake writes in his poem "London":

I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

But after walking around the city and down the Thames, I can see exactly what he was talking about. I enjoyed my time in the city, but the whole time I'm sure I was talking about Ireland like an infatuated schoolgirl- Ireland this and Ireland that! I said in my first blog about leaving for London that I had hoped to agree more with Wordsworth's interpretation of the city; however, I didn't fall in love with it like I though I would.

I arrived on Thursday afternoon and made my way to Victoria Station where I would meet up with Jeffrey. It probably would've been a good idea to designate a meeting place, but I wandered around for a bit and found him reading in a secluded area of the station. Off to a good start! (At least I found him!) We then got on the Underground (mind the gap!) and went to King's Cross Station. I got signed into his residence hall, and we took off to explore the city a bit.

The next day, after a failed attempt at visiting Platform 9 and 3/4 to pay homage to Sir Harry Potter, we visited Piccadilly Circus (my favorite place in the city) for dinner and some souvenir shopping. We got to see many of the theaters where some of the best shows are held, which was exciting. Plus, I finally got some much-craved Mexican food- which seems almost impossible to find in Ireland! We continued exploring the city the on Saturday- Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the London Eye. Walking down the Thames for what seemed like hours, we came across the Tower of London- one of the only places I really wanted to see. It was awesome to see such a historical place.

Leaving London was sad in the sense that I was leaving my friend, but I was excited to get back home to Dungarvan. Sitting on the bus from Cork to Dungarvan, I looked out the window and was struck by the thought that I would soon be leaving this beautiful country. I'm not ashamed to say that it brought tears to my eyes. I can't believe how much Ireland has worked its way into my heart!

Departure for London

As I'm packing to leave for London tomorrow, I can't help but think about William Blake's Poem "London." Obviously, modern London is going to be quite different from Blake's London. He writes:
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every Man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.

How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every black'ning Church appalls;And the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new born Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
Blake's view is not the most flattering or celebratory picture of London. He talks about the "charter'd" streets of the city, as well as the "charter'd" Thames river. For Romantic poets like Blake, nature is the most important image. To Blake, the streets and river in the city are too unnatural, too planned out. He thinks that directing and walling off the river as has been done in London makes the city an unpleasant place to be.

Hopefully, my experience with London will be at least slightly more pleasant than Blake's. I'm anticipating a bustling city full of culture and history- and my best friend of almost 15 years who happens to be studying there while I'm over here in Ireland. Should be a good reunion and wonderful weekend! Be back in good old Dungarvan on Sunday afternoon-I'll miss it!

Waterford and New Ross

The day after we arrived home from our visit to Co. Clare, we continued the weekend's festivities and visited St. Augustine's College, Waterford City, The Dunbrody, Good Counsel College, and the Kennedy homestead in New Ross! It was a busy end to a busy weekend!

At St. Augustine's, we were treated to a full Irish breakfast and a short tour of the school. It was nice to see where many Mercyhurst students had attended high school. Our next stop was Waterford city and the Waterford Treasures Museum, where we learned about the rich history of Waterford county and Ireland- from the Vikings to present day.

We then traveled to New Ross to visit the replica of the famine ship the Dunbrody, which carried passengers from New Ross to American during the Great Famine. Seeing the conditions in which the immigrants would have traveled really opened my eyes to how hard their journey would have been. After the Dunbrody, we went to Good Counsel College, where we were provided with a delicious dinner and the chance to meet some current students who are applying to Mercyhurst as well as a current Mercyhurst student's younger brother!

Our last stop was the Kennedy homestead located near New Ross. Visiting where President Kennedy's ancestors came from and learning about his life from a Kennedy relative was such an interesting opportunity. After a short look around, we got back on the bus and headed back to Dungarvan after a tiring weekend.

"We Are Seven"

--A simple Child,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death?

I met a little cottage Girl:
She was eight years old, she said;
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That clustered round her head.

She had a rustic, woodland air,
And she was wildly clad:
Her eyes were fair, and very fair;
--Her beauty made me glad.

"Sisters and brothers, little Maid,
How many have you be?"
"How many? Seven in all," she said
And wondering looked at me.

"And where are they? I pray you tell."
She answered "Seven are we;
And two of us at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea.

"Two of us in the church-yard lie,
My sister and my brother;
And, in the church-yard cottage, I
Dwell near them with my mother."

"You say that two at Conway dwell,
And two are gone to sea,
Yet ye are seven! --I pray you tell,
Sweet Maid, how this may be."

Then did the little Maid reply,
"Seven boys and girls are we;
Two of us in the church-yard lie,
Beneath the church-yard tree."

"You run about, my little Maid,
Your limbs they are alive;
If two are in the church-yard laid,
Then ye are only five."

"Their graves are green, they may be seen,"
The little Maid replied,
"Twelve steps or more from my mother's door,
And they are side by side.

"My stockings there I often knit,
My kerchief there I hem;
And there upon the ground I sit,
And sing a song to them.

"And often after sunset, Sir,
When it is light and fair,
I take my porringer,
And eat my supper there.

"The first that died was sister Jane;
In bed she moaning lay,
Till God released her of her pain;
And then she went away.

"So in the church-yard she was laid;
And, when the grass was dry,
Together round her grave we played,
My brother John and I.

"And when the ground was white with snow,
And I could run and slide,
My brother John was forced to go,
And he lies by her side."

"How many are you, then," said I,
"If they two are in heaven?"
Quick was the little Maid's reply,
"O Master! we are seven."

"But they are dead; those two are dead!
Their spirits are in heaven!"
'T was throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, "Nay, we are seven!"

I know that "We Are Seven" by William Wordsworth is a pretty lengthy poem to include here, but I've declared it my favorite that we read during our study of the Romantics. In the poem, the narrator comes across a young, country girl who is one of seven children- or so she claims. While the narrator is talking to her about her brothers and sisters, he learns that two of them are dead and buried in the church-yard next to her house. In the narrator's adult, rational mind, this means that she is only one of five children, not seven. To the child, she is one of seven! This poem examines death- does the little girl understand that her brother and sister are dead (i.e, not living)? I believe that she does understand that they are dead and can't be there with her physically anymore, but to her death doesn't mean that she can't still interact with them- eat dinner with them, or go knit near them, etc. The girl isn't concerned with the restrictions of being rational, a lesson that I believe the narrator can learn from.

I recently found out that my favorite teacher from high school died- Mr. Ule taught Honors and AP Chemistry at my high school for over thirty years, and retired the year that I graduated. He taught my mother when she was a student at the same school, and used to refer to me as "Polly Jr." during class. He was a fantastic teacher and really inspired his students to enjoy learning not only Chemistry but other subjects as well. When I was taking a look through my notes and rereading "We Are Seven," I couldn't help but think about how his loss will be felt throughout my hometown.

RIP Mr. Mark Joseph Ule (December 4th 1947-April 25th 2010)

Heading Westward

Our trip to Co. Clare was the last in a series of group trips- first Dublin, then Paris, and finally Lisdoonvarna. Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel. We stopped on the side of the road first, in order to get a good photo of course. Then we made our way up the hill. Upon entering, we watched a short introduction and then got to take a look around. Even though it was currently undergoing restoration and was slightly obscured by scaffolding, the architecture was still impressive.

After looking around, we stopped to get a bite to eat before getting back on the bus for the rest of the trip to Lisdoonvarna. Once we arrived, the first thing we saw of the town were the signs for the annual Matchmaking Festival which takes place in Lisdoonvarna every September. Arriving at our hostel, the Sleepzone Burren, we got settled in and then trekked around the town before finding something to eat. We had a quiet first night in order to get ready for the rest of the weekend.

Our second day out west, we took the ferry from Doolin to the Aran Islands. We spent the day on Inis Mor, the Big Island. Ray, Joe and I rented bicycles and headed out for Dun Aonghasa, the large semi-circular fort considered to be the best example of its kind. Taking the shore road, we passed lots of cows and fields on one side, and got beautiful views of the sea on the other. Once we arrived, we climbed up a hill to the fort and looked out over the three-hundred foot high cliffs. The views were amazing! After a little bike mishap, we made it back to the ferry just in time.

The next day was spent on a tour of the Burren. The Burren is characterized by the exposed limestone which was deposited by glacial movement throughout the region. While I know that we've been in Ireland for the past 8 weeks or so, traveling through the Burren was one of the first times that I've really felt connected to this country. Telling my friends about it later, I would say that this area is really what you picture when you think about Ireland. Our first stop was a cliff overlooking the ocean- another breathtaking view. We moved on throughout the area, and then stopped at Corcomroe Abbey and a thousands-year-old Dolmen.

Our last stop was famed Cliffs of Moher. I have to admit, I've never seen so much fog! Somehow, it made the cliffs seem even steeper. My fear of heights came into play a lot here, but the sheer awesomeness of the cliffs made me overcome it. Although, I wouldn't sit on the edge as many people were doing- didn't want to push my luck! The cliffs were my favorite part of the weekend. I've never seen something quite so amazing before. Going to Co. Clare, for me, was a good kind of wrap-up for our trip- the ten weeks in Ireland wouldn't have been the same if we hadn't seen the different sort of beauty that only occurs in the west.

April in Paris, part deux

The next day, we got up bright and early to another gorgeous Parisian morning. We got really lucky with the weather the entire week! We hopped on the metro (now that we'd gotten the hang of it!) and headed to the Musee d'Orsay to look at more amazing artwork. After a few hours, we joined back up with the group, jumped back onto the metro, and made the trek up to Montmartre. In order to get to the center of Montmartre and the Sacre Cour, one must climb up the steepest hill in Paris (more like the world, it seemed like at the time). Montmartre was my number one favorite place we visited in Paris. It was filled with little cafes and local artists doing their work right there on the street. (I loved it so much, I ended up going back on Thursday!)

That night, Ray, Joe and I went back to the Eiffel tower area and took a sightseeing cruise down the Seine- another of my favorite activities we did in the city. Seeing Paris by night is breathtaking!

Wednesday, we went to the Musee Carnivale in the morning, then headed to the Pompidou to see some very modern art. After wandering around a bit (and getting lost in possibly the most confusing museum I've ever been to), we decided that maybe we weren't "deep" enough for modern art and went to find some lunch. Then, we went to the Cluny for a completely different museum experience, looking at medieval art and literature.

Another of my favorite stops in Paris was Shakespeare and Co., an incredibly small bookstore across from Notre Dame. It was packed wall-to-wall with books new and old, as well as people reading and sketching. The atmosphere was so condusive to creativity- I could've sat and read all day in there. I was most intrigued by a little cubby with a typewriter and chair inside (for public use!) There were notes stuck inside books in the little desk, many of them love notes from visitors over the years.

Thursday was the scheduled trip to Versailles, but an alarm clock failure prevented me from joining the group. Instead, Keiko took me, Liz, Dan, Jill, Calvin and Cherie back up to Montmartre to look around and do some shopping. I was able to pick up two paintings for my parents, which was nice. That night, we had our last dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant with Drs. Hosey and McGurk and our friend Fearghal. It was a good end to a wonderful trip.

April in Paris, part one.

After a pretty bumpy flight, we landed on a beautiful day in Paris. Once we had collected all of our belongings, we met our French tour guide, who would regale us with stories about Paris' rich history and various landmarks on our bus ride to the hotel in Montparnasse. We quickly found that the reputation of Paris hotel rooms held true- they were comfortable, but very small! We settled into our rooms, then hurried downstairs to begin exploring the city. Navigating the Paris metro was difficult at first, but I started to get the hang of it pretty quickly.

Our first Parisian destination was Le Tour Eiffel- the Eiffel Tower. Over the course of the week we spent in Paris, I would go back to the Eiffel tower two more times- I guess it was one of my favorite spots that we visited! As I've mentioned (flashback to my post about Blarney Castle!), I am notoriously scared of heights. This being the case, I decided to forgo climbing to the top. We were all excited to see the tower by night- especially the sparkling lights at the top of each hour!

We then took a long walk over to the Notre Dame Cathedral to see it at night. Along the way, we passed many Paris landmarks along the Seine. I have to admit, I was not overexcited to go to Paris- I would've rather stayed in Dungarvan and relaxed- but after the first night in the city I never wanted to leave. Paris just seemed to have some sort of hold on me that would just get stronger as the week progessed.

The next day, we started our day at the Louvre. I was most excited about this, mainly because I was always a big art history fan and couldn't wait to see such a famous museum full of historic works. (And, OK, I love the book The DaVinci Code). Seeing the museum was all that I had expected, however, sometimes the amazing architecture overshadowed the art- in the case of the Mona Lisa, for example, it was impossible to get close enough to even really see it, plus the actual painting is protected by a few sheets of glass.

Next, we took a walk down the Champs Elysee towards the Arc de Triomphe. I was reluctant to climb to the top, but I decided to face my fears this time and give it a go. Boy, am I glad I did!! The view was unbelievable. It was reminscent for me of the view of Dublin from Gravity Bar at the top of the Guinness Storehouse.

A few of us then decided to head back over to Notre Dame to take a look around during the day. The inside of the cathedral was just as interesting as the outside. The massive stained glass windows were very impressive. Since we finally had a moment to relax, we had a seat at a small cafe next to the cathedral and had hot chocolate (with a splash of Bailey's, no less!) before meeting back up with the group.

That night, we all got dressed up for a traditional French meal, complete with plenty of red and white wine. Everyone had an amazing evening to cap off an amazing first few days in Paris.

Daily Life in FUNgarvan

While we've had the opportunity to do some traveling around Ireland while we're here, some of my best memories of Ireland will be from Dungarvan, or "The Garv," as we've nicknamed it. (Another personal favorite nickname of mine is FUNgarvan.) From the minute we arrived, this town has felt like home, which is saying a lot, considering it is halfway across the world.

Dungarvan is the perfect place for our type of program- not too big that we're overwhelmed by crowds or crime, but big enough to prevent us from ever being bored. The people of Dungarvan, especially the town council, have been overwhelmingly kind to us over the past four weeks. They even purchased bicycles for us to use while we're here! Speaking of bicycles, Taylor, Melissa, Jill and I took advantage of a beautiful day recently and had our friend Eoin cycle to the beach with us. Something I've learned while I've been here that has absolutely nothing to do with academics is to just live. While at Mercyhurst, I get so focused on schoolwork and my job and friends that I forget what's really important- life! There's nothing like a day at the (freezing cold/Irish) beach to remind you to slow down and enjoy the ride.

There is an Irish proverb that says "Nil aon tintean mar do thintean fein"- "There is no fireside like your own fireside." Well, now I think it's safe to say that I have two firesides- home, and Dungarvan.

Gaeilge

One of our most important opportunities, in my opinion, is our lessons in the Irish language. As a part of our Irish Cultures class, we meet with Grainne, a teacher from the Gaeltacht region, to learn what we can of the language. The Gaeltachtai are regions throughout Ireland where Irish is the predominant language. We are lucky enough to be near An Rinn- The Ring- one of the smallest Gaeltachts. We took a field trip around the Ring earlier in our trip, and it's nice to be able to connect the language with the location.

In our studies, we've learned some simple Irish phrases such as "Conas ta tu?" -How are you? and "Go maith, go raibh maith agat. Agus tu fein?"- Well, thank you. And yourself? We also learned counting and how to give out our phone numbers (which might end up a useful skill- wink, wink!). We practiced listening, writing and speaking during our three and a half hours with Grainne at the helm. Learning Irish has proven to be no easy feat!

We also listened to the myth of Cuchulainn, which the English majors in our group were familiar with but the rest of us hadn't yet heard. It reminded me of many of Yeats' poems, such as To the Rose upon the Rood of Time as well as The Death of Cuchulain. Since many of Yeats' poetry connects back to Irish folktales, learning about these tales helps connect the language, history, poetry and culture of Ireland.

Dublin, Continued

The rest of our Dublin trip was just as eventful! Since we were staying in the hotel directly across from Christ Church, we took a short walk over to take a look around. The inside of the cathedral was amazing, with vaulted ceilings and plenty of little alcoves to explore. The entire time we were walking around, I couldn't help but think that it looked familiar. Eventually, I realized why- as a fan of the television show "The Tudors," I would've recognized it because they film scenes in the Christ Church cathedral. Walking around the crypts underneath the church, there were exhibits describing important events in Irish history, such as the Easter Rising and the Great Famine.

Our next stop in Dublin was Trinity College to take a peek at the Book of Kells. The grounds of Trinity made me think of being back at Mercyhurst with its pretty building and landscaping. Most of Ireland, to me, hasn't seemed like a foreign place. When we first arrived in Dungarvan I remember feeling like we were home. Looking at the Book of Kells reminded me exactly where we were- in Dublin! Looking at a book produced in the 8th century! Almost too much to think about at once. The rest of the Trinity College library was just as interesting, with levels and levels full of books and busts of famous men.

After gawking at the Book of Kells, we continued on to see the Guinness Storehouse, which has been converted to one of the most creative museums I'd ever seen. When you enter, you are actually standing in the world's largest pint glass! Throughout the museum, we saw the raw ingredients for making the world's best beer. We also got to learn to pour the perfect pint of Guinness (as well as drink it at 11 o'clock in the morning!). Gravity bar at the very top of the storehouse offered the best aerial view of Dublin we'd seen.

After the storehouse, we had a little time left before we had to head home to the place we've now started affectionately referring to as "The Garv." A few of us walked around to see St. Patrick's Cathedral before we left Dublin. Around the outer walls of the cathedral, there were plaques commemorating the great Irish authors- Joyce, Yeats, Synge, and Swift were all represented. It was a good end to a good trip, and I can't wait to go back to see the rest of the city!

Duh-blin, Part One

I know it's been too long since my last blog- we've been busy these past few weeks! We spent last weekend in Dublin, the capital city of the Republic of Ireland. To start off the weekend, we left bright and early on Friday morning to make the 3-hour bus ride up to the city. The sights on the ride there were beautiful, of course, although I have to admit I slept through most of the ride again (just like the ride to Dungarvan from the airport- the rolling hills seem to put me right to sleep!).

When we arrived in Dublin, we checked into our hotel as a group and had a few moments to ourselves before starting the day. Our first stop was Dublin Castle, where our favorite tour guide, Mr. Tom Keith, gave us a short history lesson on the Castle. A few group photos later, we headed to the tourists office and grabbed a quick lunch. After regrouping, we moseyed on down to the National Archaeology Museum and checked out some Bog People- the amazing bodies which were preserved in bogs almost completely intact. After browsing in the Archaeology museum, a few of us walked a few blocks down the street to the National Gallery of Ireland, and stopped on the way to check out an Oscar Wilde monument. Reading the quotes really helped to put a different twist on our Dublin experience.

The last big event for the day was our tour of the Irish Parliament. This was a big deal, because the only way to get a tour is to be invited by a member- in our case, John Deasy, a Mercyhurst Alum, was able to get us in for a tour. I've personally never been to Washington, D.C., but I imagine it would be comparable to what we saw on our tour. While the Irish government seems similar to ours, we learned that there are many differences in the day-to-day operations.

With such a busy schedule, we couldn't wait to get back to our rooms and rest up for the next action-packed Dublin adventure.

Avatar

Recently in our Cross-Cultural Symbology class with Keiko Miller we watched James Cameron's film Avatar. Many of the people in the class had already seen it, but I had not taken part in the frenzy to buy tickets before it even arrived in theaters. For some reason, I didn't share the desire to see it until Keiko announced that we'd be watching it in class. Normally, I believe that too many movies today are being released in 3D. Avatar, however, should be shown in 3D whenever possible, and I'm somewhat disappointed that I was so reluctant to see it in theaters.

While watching the movie, we were able to pick out many symbols that we had talked about during class, as well as parallels to our current experiences in Ireland. It might sound crazy, but Ireland is working out to be a Pandora of sorts for many of us. Unusual sights and languages are all around, and the overall beauty of this place can be overwhelming at times. I found myself identifying with the main character as he tried to learn about the Na'vi culture- we've had our fair share of mix-ups with the slang here thus far!

Aside from watching Avatar, we're gearing up for our trip to Dublin this weekend, continuing to explore Dungarvan and the surrounding area, and loving life here in Ireland. Slainte! (Cheers!)

What a bunch of Blarney!

It seems like every weekend in Ireland is full of adventures! This weekend we took a trip to Cork City- definitely my favorite place we've been so far. The highlight of the day was driving about 15 minutes outside the city to visit Blarney Castle (and, of course, the Blarney Stone!). Jill, Melissa, Taylor, Eoin and I climbed the approximately 13-story tower up the narrowest stairs I've ever climbed to see the famed stone. With only a rope to help steady you as you climb, the stairs were very intimidating! As someone who is scared of heights, I started to think maybe it wasn't the best idea to try to get to the top.
Once we got to the top of the tower, however, it was all worth it. The views from the castle are amazing and offer another beautiful view of the landscape of Ireland. Once we got to the top it was time to kiss the Blarney Stone. Because of my aforementioned problem with heights, I decided against leaning over backwards and being held up by the gentleman who worked there to kiss the stone, but I still enjoyed the journey!

Whenever we visit an amazing historical site, I can't help but be in awe of this amazing country. It seems like everywhere you look there is something significant to see or do. Being here has really opened my eyes to the beauty of this world!

St. Patrick's Day- Ireland Style

At home, celebrating St. Patrick's Day often turns into a day where one drinks green beer and watches a parade filled with various floats and children marching to show their "Irish" pride. In my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, there were a record 13,000 people marching in the parade, let alone the thousands who watched it. Personally, I've never really celebrated St. Patrick's Day, so my experience in Dungarvan on March 17th was a new one.

The first event of the day was to meet the mayor of Dungarvan and a few council members outside of the civic offices to raise the Irish, American, and Erie flags. With time for a few (more) group shots, we then headed off to mass at St. Mary's church. While I'm not Catholic, I still appreciated being able to go to mass on one of Ireland's biggest holidays. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they mass would be done predominantly in Gaelic! While I for one don't think I'll be learning the language anytime soon, it is certainly a treat to hear it spoken well. Ireland seems to be one of the only remaining countries with its own unique language, and the people are working to keep it alive as a part of their heritage.

After mass, we had a small break for lunch and then congregated outside the Park Hotel to walk to the Parade route. Tom Keith was standing by as always with American, Irish, Erie, Dungarvan and Waterford flags for us to carry, as well as a large banner that announced Mercyhurst's presence in the festivities. Many Dungarvan and Abbeyside citizens came out to support the parade. We stopped in the square and got up on stage so that we could watch the remainder of the parade- there was a lot of St. Paddy's Day spirit in such a small town. Our personal favorite float payed tribute to golfer Tiger Woods! Not the most "PC", but all in good fun.

Overall, the day was a huge success, with the people of Dungarvan once again welcoming us with open arms. I've always heard that St. Patrick's Day wasn't as flashy in Ireland as in the US, and perhaps that is true. But seeing the spirit of the Irish people alive and well, I can say that even without the green beer it was a wonderful experience to be able to participate in their celebration.

Cead Mile Failte- A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Now that we've been in Dungarvan for about a week, I've decided to dedicate some time and energy to working on my blog. It'll be a mix of personal stories and experiences as well as linking in literature used in my British Literature course readings.

Let's see...we arrived in Dublin in the morning on Friday, March 5th. We were met by Damien-the mayor of Dungarvan, as well as assorted Dungarvan town council members. They whisked us away to meet our bus, which promptly drove us about 100 feet to the Dublin Airport Radisson Hotel for "the Full Irish", which, disappointingly, is not what it sounds like. Just a big breakfast, actually. After filling our stomachs with blood sausage, eggs, yogurt, and fruit (yum?), we departed for Dungarvan.

Along the way, we were treated to a tour of sorts, just letting us learn a little history and info about the countryside that we were riding through. It was nice to know what we were seeing throughout the 3-hour ride. Once we arrived in the town, we drove around in the bus a bit, which let us see the city a little better. It was nice to see a few of the signs welcoming us to Dungarvan. They're everywhere!

We were given a bit of time to unload our (almost) overpacked suitcases and settle in to the beautiful townhouses where we'll be living for the next (almost) 11 weeks. Dr. Hosey then showed us around the town a little. I'm sure the locals didn't know what to expect, but seeing 28 people traipsing around their small Irish town sure got us recognized quickly. The rest of the weekend was just as tiring and wonderful as the trip over here. We were welcomed officially on Saturday when we entered the civic offices through a tunnel of schoolchildren waving American and Irish flags and a bagpipe pumping out the tunes. We're not used to being welcomed like this! It was certainly not what we had expected. But any joking aside, the city of Dungarvan has been so welcoming and wonderful to us these first few days. We're all so thankful for the opportunity that they are giving us! There was also a really nice civic reception once we got inside, featuring the mayor, Dr. Hosey and all our favorite councilmen, as well as the Deputy Ambassador to Ireland!

This coming week(end) we've got a lot of activity ahead of us- and a lot of material for this blog i'm sure!

As James Joyce writes in An Encounter, "But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad."