well now I'm thouroughly embarrassed...

Here it is, my last full day in the great country of Ireland, and I haven't blogged for almost two weeks. I feel so bad and embarrassed. So here we go. I have to log my thoughts before I leave this amazing place. At 3am tomorrow (Sunday the 1st) morn I'm leaving to fly to Edinburgh, Scotland with my two good friends Matt and Aaron. They are probably my two best friends on this trip. So excited! But I also have a bittersweet feeling leaving Ireland!

Monday July 12th: Long day spent at school, studying hard! Imagine that! Margo (my host mom) had another student come into our house. Sara from Saudi Arabia. She wasn't studying here, just on holiday with her family and they decided to stay with locals. She was really sweet. It was funny because during the previous weekend we had a German woman come stay with us. So at this point I had a Spanish sister Encarna (14), a German sister/auntie Anna (mid 50s), and now Sara my Saudi Arabian sister (22). That evening I took Sara out with my friend Cassie and her Irish host brother Darragh. We went down to Killieny Beach and then walked home. We walked right past Bono's house and took many photos! Sadly all we could see was the gate. Bummer.




Tuesday July 13th: Class all day again! But a fun evening! We went out to Dublin to the Tivoly Theater to see the Irish play "The Matchmaker" It was wonderful! A two person (man and woman) show where those two play all of the characters. It's about an elderly Irish gentleman (kind of a scoundrel) who plays matchmaker for all the neighboring towns. It follows the romantic antics of about 10 characters. Very funny and lovely to see in Ireland. Rich with accents. After the play we headed out as a group to a pub. We went to a pub called The Quays (said the Keys) in Temple Bar. There was a wonderful band playing! Two young men who played guitar, bagpipe type pipes though a bit different, flute, and sang. They played Irish music, but also American with a rich Irish twist!! Wonderful! After everyone else left, the intern/mentor for our group Kristin (24) and I stayed out late to watch the band. Afterwards the two boys from the band chatted with us and we went out to another pub with them. They were very nice, both named Daniel. One was Scottish and one Irish. They told me I looked very Scottish which was fitting since my roots sand in Bonnie Scotland! Then we got Indian food with them at about 3am! Oh the joys of city life in Dublin! Everything is open so late! Even on a Tuesday! Then Kristin and I caught a cab home, just in time to see the sun begin to rise over the Irish Sea! A long night indeed but so worth it! One of the best nights of my time here in Ireland. Amazing music, great company, and delicious food!




Wednesday July 14th: Quite sleepy all day because of our late night out! Never the less made it into Dublin around 9 am! Our group went to the Irish Film Institute where we had a private showing of "The Commitments" This is a classic Irish film from the 90s. It's about a ramshackle band coming together to form a wonderful group. Their struggles and laughs. Great music and characters. I'd definitely recommend it! Then we had some lunch at a great pub with really beautiful seating on the roof area. Then we walked around Grafton Street to do some shopping. Grafton is the main tourist/shopping street in Dublin. It's all closed off from cars and there are amazing street performers and artists always. We went in some great shops. I got a really cute flowered blue dress. I love it! That afternoon we went to the Irish Parliament. It was very interesting and full of history and politics. Obviously. The most eventful occurrence was at the end when one of the Irish senators accidently hit me in the head with a roundabout swinging door. It hurt but I was fine! He told me kindly to take any complaints to the house! I laughed but my head did hurt quite bad! That night we all went home, got some rest and did some homework!

Thursday July 15th: Day of class. I did a presentation for my Irish Literature class about the story "Niall of the Nine Hostages" a classic Irish myth. Thursday night was wonderful! We got all dressed up and went down to Bray. Bray is a seaside town a little bit south of Dun Laoghaire. There are a lot of nice pubs, bars, and clubs right on the seafront. Prices are much cheaper than in Dublin. It was pouring rain so we took a taxi to Bray. There was a Kings of Leon tribute band called Knights of Leon. They were playing right outside on the seafront and all the bars had outdoor seating open with heat lamps and umbrellas so everyone could comfortably watch the band out of the rain. It was a great night with a bunch of the students and some Irish kids too. We went to a really fun club called Eclectic and danced the night away!





Friday July 16th: Big adventure to Belfast! 10 of us students (Shelley, Carolyn, Matt, Aaron, Shannon, Cassie, AJ, Matt, our intern Kristin, and myself) got up bright and early and jumped on a bus to head up to Belfast! Everyone was a bit nervous about us going up to Northern Ireland. There had been a car bombing and an attack on a train earlier in the week but our professors and host parents said we'd be ok if we stuck together and stayed in main tourist areas. I have to say before I go on that I am so glad we went! It was one of my favorite experiences of the trip! When we arrived in Belfast we headed first to our hostel. I have to admit, it was a bit sketchy. Luckily we were all in a room together and we all had a good laugh and just grinned and bared it. It makes for a wonderful memory even if i was a bit dirty and loud and strange. We went out shopping at a big beautiful mall in Belfast called Victoria Square (after Queen Victoria). I convinced the group to go to a Chinese Buffet which only cost 7 pounds and was quite delicious and fancy! I was so happy, I'd been craving Chinese food as any of you who know my food habits would not be surprised by! On a note, we had to convert our money into British Sterling Pounds for the weekend because as you may know, Northern Ireland is a separate country than the Republic of Ireland (where I'm living). And N. Ireland is still ruled by the British crown. More on that later on... After lunch we got in the Black Taxi tour taxis. Let me explain: The Black Taxi's are old school British type Taxi's with two rows of seats facing each other in the back. The Black Taxi's are all over Belfast but this particular type is a tour group. The Black Taxi's take groups to a Protestant area and a Catholic area. They show you areas of conflict and where much of the "troubles" (as they call them) went on between 1969- and the early 1990s. Mind you, some troubles are still going on. It's definitely still a divided place. Our group divided into two groups of five in the taxi's and our drivers followed each other. It was great because one of our drivers was Protestant and one was Catholic so we got to hear both sides. First we went to a Protestant neighborhood. By this I mean ONLY Protestants live in this area. No Catholics. Protestants are loyalists, loyal to the British Crown and want to remain under British rule. There are British flags (Union Jacks) everywhere. This area holds some of the most famous murals in Belfast. They include history of Ireland, protestant heroes, but also violent images like the Balaclava gunmen of the Protestant army.

We then headed out of the Protestant area and over to a Catholic area. On the way we stopped at the "Peace Wall" This wall, is one of many (over 40) in the city. It is about 40-50 feet tall with wire and fencing on the top. It is artfully graffti-ied and everyone who comes by writes a message on it. It was put up 20-30 years ago to place a barrier between two heavily feuding Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods. Even after most of the turmoil died down, they chose to leave the wall up, saying it was a landmark of Belfast. This may be true, but it also shows how truly divided Belfast still is. Our cab drivers told us that recently in a survey of kids our ago (18-25) 70% said they had never had a meaningful conversation with someone of the opposite religious background. That was so shocking to me. The wall was very interesting and I felt very thoughtful while there. Serious and a bit haunted. We all wrote a message on the wall, along side the likes of the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton.

Next we went into a Catholic neighborhood right behind the Peace Wall. There are honestly cages on the backs of all the houses and all the windows are made of thick plastic, not glass. This is to protect from any bricks or worse being thrown over the wall. The Catholics are Nationalists and want Northern Ireland to be part of the Republic of Ireland as it's own country free from British rule. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) are on the Catholic side. Mind you there has been severe violence on both sides. It is certainly a mutual fight and retaliation cycle.

At the end of the tour we headed to another area of murals. The experience in the Black Taxi tours was amazing. I learned so much I can't believe it. It was haunting, shocking, and so interesting. Our drivers were wonderful. It was one of the best things I did on the trip. I really got to see how divided Northern Ireland still is. I felt empathy and understanding for both sides, Protestant and Catholic. But in the end I just wish for a peaceful future for Northern Ireland and Belfast. This is pretty far off, but I just hope that people will begin to realize that fighting is solving nothing, and living in the past is just wasting time.


I promise I will finish writing about the rest of my trip asap! I'm so sorry to be such a flaky blogger! I've just been so busy having adventures that I forget to write them down! I really must go pack for Scotland and England now! Leaving to backpack in 12 hours. Love to all. Thank you for reading! XOX-J

so much to catch up on!

I'm going to start this post, telling about all of the past 2 weeks adventures! I might get cut off and have to go to class and if so I'll write more later!

Where I last left off was the Friday (July 9th) we headed to Galway/Connemara. Our whole group went, by bus, or coach as the Irish say. Galway is on the west coast of Ireland, so the complete opposite side. It took us only about 3 hours to cross the country! Can you imagine? It would take days to cross the US! We stopped in Galway for a few hours. It is a very charming town, really laid back and artsy. Tons of street performers, musicians, mimes and such. Lots of really cute shops with jewelery, souvenirs and clothes. Then we headed into the Irish countryside. We stopped in a teeny town with just a few shops and pubs. The town was right on the fjord of Ireland. Beautiful! Then we headed to our hostel which was literally in the middle of no where! It was GORGEOUS. Right on an ocean inlet, in the rolling, green, lush hills. There were sheep all around and it almost felt like camping. A bunch of us went on a hike that evening up through the fields and hills. It was pouring rain, misty, and so amazing. I really felt like I was in quintessential Ireland! The whole group hung around the hostel that night, playing games and talking with each other and our professors. So much fun.

Saturday July 10th: Woke up in the most amazing little hostel in the Connemara region of west Ireland. I walked out of our room and honestly caught my breath at how gorgeous my surroundings were. We jumped on our coach bright and early and headed over to see Kylemore Abbey and the gardens. Kylemore was originally a large summer home (mansion/castle) built for a wealthy family in the mid 1800s. It changed owners many times until the Catholic church came to own it in the early 1900s. It was, until 2010, a boarding school for girls. It's last students ever just left recently. It was so grand and gorgeous. Overlooking a lake and built up in the forest. It also has a beautiful area of gardens which are very ornate and lovely. Down a path, Kylemore also has a small church and cemetery which the residents used. The church was small but absolutely amazing. I think it was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been inside. Our whole group was in the church, absolutely silent. It was the most serene and surreal moment. All of us in there, so quiet, reverent, some crying, some praying, some just observing. I felt the most extreme connection to all of those I was with. I had a very poignant time thinking about my beautiful Uncle Larry and how close he would have felt to this place. I felt a huge connection to him at that church. Amazing. After Kylemore Abbey, we headed to a National Park where most of the group hiked around the bog and hill-lands around us. Again, rainy and misty and so very Irish. We stopped in some small towns on the way back to eat and explore. Then we all tucked into our little hostel that night for merriment and laughter.

Sunday July 11th: Woke up early and got on the bus to head back to Dublin. We stopped in Galway for a few hours. My friend Matt and I went a little off the beaten path and ate lunch at a greasy American diner. It was so funny and out of place and great. Then we drove back to Dublin and everyone went home to their host families for a while. Sunday night we all headed out to a great pub in Dun Laoghaire to watch the final World Cup match! I was cheering for Spain! There were about 20 Americans, plus some of the students host siblings from Mexico, Belgium, and Germany. We all had a very loud and rockus time. Half of us routed for Spain and half for Holland. It was such a close match and I was so ecstatic when Spain won! It was great to be in Europe during the World Cup! Everyone gets so much more into it here! There are a ton of Spanish students (mostly middle and high school aged) staying in Ireland right now. My host sister Ancarna is one of them. She is 14 (15 in September). Apparently the reason there are so many Spanish students is that the Irish accent is the closest to the American accent and so therefore easiest to understand and learn to speak with? Or so I've heard! After the final match there were many students on the streets and buses with Spanish flags cheering and singing! It made me so happy!

I have to run now to my early Irish literature class but I'll write more in a few hours! Loves! -J

week 2!

It's been so long! I apologize for being such an infrequent blogger! I love being able to update you all but I never realized how much time it takes! Anyway I'm sorry it's taken me so long. I'm just going to do a quick run down of the last week and just jot things down informally.

Thursday July 1st: Class all day. Played Rounders with our group after class. Rounders is a game like baseball but with a wider, flatter, curved bat. There are a few different rules. No 3 strikes your out. Also you have to get the entire other team out before the "inning" ends. You can get everyone out at the same time by catching the ball one handed. We played Midwest kids vs. Northwest kids. Everyone in the group is either from Michigan or Oregon, except for me and another girl from Indiana. Guess which team won? Clearly Northwest. Very fun game and a good start to the weekend. Thursday night we went out to Dublin and checked out the Temple Bar area of downtown. Temple bar is the artsy district with lots of restaurants, shops, pubs, bars, and markets. Very cute and fun. The roads are all cobbled and no cars can drive through. It's very fun! So many people!

Friday July 2nd: Slept in! Felt great. Watched the world cup match with some people from the group. Hung out with friends from my group all day and had a relaxed night at our neighborhood pub "The Graduate"

Saturday July 3rd: another relaxing day and then a night out in Dun Laoghaire. Spent some time at the beach and went to a dance club with a bunch of kids from our group.

Sunday July 4th: Went to the Hurling Match! It was amazing! We routed for Galway since they were the underdogs. Sadly Kilkenny won! Their team is just too good! The match was great though! We had front row seats! Somehow we snagged those for only about 20 euro. The crowd was very exciting and loud! Sunday night I watched an Irish film for our cinema class with my friend Matt. The film was called "This is my father" It was alright but I wouldn't really recommend it. Sunday night we also got a new student in our home! Her name is Ancarna and she is 14 and from Spain. Very sweet and cute. She doesn't speak much English but we get along really well!

Monday July 5th: Class all day. We watched the movie "My Left Foot" during cinema class. Very good! Daniel Day Lewis won best actor for this film! See it! Monday evening, a group of us went to the movie theaters to see an Irish independent film called "His & Hers" It was a documentary interviewing women from the Irish midlands. The women ranged in age from little girls to women who were over 100 years old! The movie focused on women's relationships with their fathers, boyfriends, husbands, and sons. It was beautifully made. Very honest and heart wrenching. I would definitely recommend it if you can see it in the states!

Tuesday July 6th: Class all day. That evening Margo took Ancarna and I to her son and daughter-in-laws to meet her kids and grandkids! The grandkids are Jane (almost 8), Luke (6), and Finn (almost 4). So cute. They are the sweetest kids. So polite and talkative. They make great conversation. We took lots of pictures and played chess and watched the Netherlands vs. Uruguay match.

Wednesday July 7th: Excursions all day. Went to the Dublin Castle in downtown Dublin. Learned tons about Irish history and politics. We saw the ruins of the original castle. Beautiful and haunting. Later we headed to the National History Museum. Say many Celtic artifacts, some all the way back from 2000 AD! So amazing and intriguing. Our Literature professor guided us through the museum. Last night a bunch of us went out to a pub to watch the Germany vs. Spain match. I routed for Spain and was so happy when they won. It’s great to be in a European country where football (soccer) is such a big deal. Everyone is so into it!

Thursday July 8th: Class today. Fun but exhausting. I came home after class and have just been relaxing since then. I needed a break! I’ve been so busy! We walk and explore so much! Not complaining, it’s wonderful! But very tiring!

Tomorrow morning at 9am we are headed out on a weekend excursion to Western Ireland. We will be visiting Galway and Connemara and many spots in between. We will be doing a lot of hiking and exploring. Our whole group will stay in a hostel Friday and Saturday nights. I cannot wait to see the countryside and the history! I’ll post again on Monday!

Love to all! Hope all is well!
-J