it didn't take a miracle

Sarah, Maureen, and I stormed a castle today, and we had fun doing it. I woke up this morning feeling better than I have all week, and I decided it was high time to indulge in some tourist-y goodness.

We left for downtown Limerick around 1pm and made our way through some of the shops and sights. Our mission was to visit King John’s Castle. The architecture of the city is beautiful, and the history of Ireland, and Europe, for that matter, has made me appreciate mankind on the whole. If history were alcohol, America would be a single can of PBR and Europe would be the basement of a frat house kegger. I could have gotten drunk on Limerick’s history, if I hadn’t been careful.

We walked around St. Mary’s Cathedral, a Friary, the original Christian Brothers School for Boys, and Thomond Bridge, finally reaching… a freakin’ castle. Was it a tourist trap? Yes. Did we see creepy mannequins depicting scenes from the Days of Yore? Yup. Did we learn something? Hell, yes. I took so many pictures and video that my camera committed suicide. I’ll resurrect it later. Zombie-camera.

Castles. No joke. Well, maybe a tiny one…
storming the castle!

SICK: the variety pack

I made it through the week. It’s been rough at times, and fun at other times. Sometimes, it’s been both, simultaneously. I’m still sick, though, and getting worse, so I went to the campus medical centre today and spoke with a nurse.

“I have some sort of stuffed and runny nose, a very sore throat, and a nasty cough,” I said.

She looked me over, took my temperature, and finally sat down to write out a prescription.

“Now, I don’t think you’ll need much, dear. It looks like a nasty cold, is all. I’m going to recommend an over-the-counter medicine. It’s called… Soo-da-fed.”

Brilliant.

I trudged back to my dorm, and crawled under the covers. I missed going to see the free movie. I missed being able to breathe normally. I missed my bed.

So, if Sudafed is the cure for being physically sick, what do I take to get over being homesick?

you may think it's funny, but it's snot

The pressure is on to get my travel plans in gear. The pressure is also on my nose and sinuses. I’ve caught an Irish cold and it is suspiciously familiar to an American cold. I was told numerous times that I would either catch 3 more of these things, or possibly just carry this one around for the next several months. Like a pet. Like a stupid, annoying pet. I’m snot going to talk about it anymore.

Class today was exciting. I’m really happy and scared. It seems like it will be much more interesting subject matter, but it also seems like it will be much harder. I have several books to read, a lot of history to brush up on, and eventually, I will have to write papers in a style I am totally unfamiliar with.

I guess the one thing that doesn’t change is the Capri-sonnes.

power of the collective mind

Rene Descartes walks into a bar. The bartender says, “Would you like a drink?”
Descartes tilts his head and replies, “I think not.”
And vanishes.

I love that joke, but I love the theory of collective thought even more, although I think it might have been Hegel’s theory, not Descartes’. Maybe it was Durkheim. Bah. My point is that I have had some fantastic group encounters tonight that didn’t involve anything dirtier than a cafeteria table.

This evening, Maureen and I went to Red Raisins Café, the biggest cafeteria on campus, for a committee meeting for the International Society. Now, I’m not planning to head up some sort of committee, but if I can get a game of Journey To The End Of The Night or The Architect and The Urchin going, I would be pretty pleased. The group seemed enthusiastic and willing to try any and all activities that would involve Irish and international students. Heck, they’re screening this movie on Friday night for free, but they seem to be relying on word-of-mouth advertising.

Word-of-mouth can be a tricky thing. Like a game of telephone, the original story could get lost in the mix. Or, maybe it’s like the story Maureen and I heard at the meeting…

“Didja hear ‘bout the American student whose coat got stolen by some gipsy? Ya, I think his name was Andrew, or something…”

His name is Anthony, and he gave his coat to a Romanian girl “because she was beautiful,” but I suspect by tomorrow the rumor will say that he was actually kidnapped by a band of gypsies and escaped, but lost his coat.

After that, we met up with Sarah and Randi at Scholars Pub for our first dose of traditional Irish music. Sarah, who plays the violin, was the picture of joy. Randi, Maureen and I also got into it. There’s a snippet of video that I took. I loved the music and how easily the group responded to changes in song. I still don’t know if they were simply practicing or improvising, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter. They did it as a group, and that is something worth watching.

my confusion knows no bounds

Today was my second day of classes, er, modules. It began at 9am with a course in Irish Folklore. This is verrrry exciting for me, as I tend to derive great pleasure from mythology, fantasy, and folklore. Call me an escapist, I don’t care. I’ve run off to Ireland, so I won’t argue. I’m also taking a Science Fiction: Literature and Film course, but I swear I’m taking it for purely academic purposes (snigger, snort). Both modules seemed awfully full, but I was assured that none of my courses would close. There are seats for all. Huh? Really? You mean I don’t have to rush to sign up for anything or kill anyone to get a seat in the class? But that makes so much… sense.

I also discovered that Limerick residents don’t actually pay for their university education. Oh, and there aren’t any assignments throughout the semester. Students go to lectures, schedule out ‘tutorial’ times, write a paper at the end of the semester, and take an exam. That’s it.

It’s as if they want students to take responsibility for their education by treating them like adults. There aren’t any tiny hoops to jump through, or any red tape to get tangled up in. We are required to listen, read, and learn, but there aren’t any giant shadows of administration peering over our shoulders to make sure we do it. On the other hand, if I had spent my first few years in this system, I doubt I would have made it very far.

My curiosity has lead me to take courses in computer science, theater, journalism, history, art history, and a slew of disciplines that ultimately directed me to English, Sociology, and Education. I’m glad for the journey, because now there isn’t any doubt in my mind that I’m doing what I really want. I suppose there are pros and cons to both versions, but I can’t help being a little pissed off about the money.

In a country with a long and proud literary history, and a long and frustrating economic track record, I can’t say I’m too surprised. I guess I’m just confused by the boundaries I grew accustomed to back in the U.S.

School: The Final Frontier

I made it to my first class of my last semester. It was a 9am poetry course, focusing on modern poetry (read: after Yeats). It wasn’t what I expected. In fact, it seemed a bit dull. Why on Earth would I come to Ireland, study poetry, and NOT study Yeats? I think I might not take this class (classes are actually referred to as ‘modules’ here). Fortunately, I have 5 other modules to “test drive” before I make up my final schedule. Unfortunately, this was the only one I had scheduled for today. Ah, well.

I spent the rest of the day taking pictures. I’m amazed by the landscape. Not only is the campus itself beautiful, but the area surrounding it is magnificent. Did I mention that the River Shannon runs through campus? Yep. I also signed up for a few field trips to Lahinch and Dublin. These seem like promising adventures.

This evening I went to a Debate Club meeting, which might actually be the perfect club for me. After a few years of Speech Team, I know I can hold my own when it comes to public speaking. I don’t know if I’m actually prepared for this sort of debating style. I do know that I thoroughly enjoyed the company of the UL debate team, and if they are indicative of the how the rest of the students here function, then I think I shall enjoy myself very much.

Tonight’s meeting was actually a workshop on how to debate effectively. It was a much longer meeting than I had anticipated, and I think my appetite might still be a little jet-lagged. I get hungry at 8pm, and again at 2am, so, of course my stomach started rumbling mercilessly throughout the second hour of an intense, invigorating, eye-opening workshop.

“When we make an argument, we need to focus on the main points,” said the workshop leader.

“GRUMBLE, Grumble, grrrrroooooowwwwwl,” replied my stomach.

“I’m sorry, miss. What did you say?”

“Uhhh, I was just wondering how to formulate a, uh, counter-argument, um, for something you weren’t ready for,” I stuttered.

“Oh. Well. I thought you might ask that…”

Lather, rinse, repeat. The debate topic for the evening discussed whether or not insuring people’s welfare is more important than guaranteeing their rights. I had a blast with this topic, although I wasn’t technically a part of the debate team. These people really seem to know their stuff, and moreover, know how to have a good time too. After the workshop, we went to Scholars Pub, across the way from The Stables. Scholars was much more my speed. Less drinking and yelling, more talking and hearing.

I’m excited about this club. One of my favorite quotes is from an old show called “Sports Night.”

“If you’re stupid, surround yourself with smart people, and if you’re smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.” Debate team, here I come.

town or bust

Bust. I spent most of the day reading, napping, and cooking. I was told that tonight was, “The big night to go out, because all the Irish students get back to campus.” I suppose it was a big night, for some.

Tonight was the most expensive night I’ve had in Ireland so far, and it was mainly due to cab fare. First, I went to The Stables with Maureen. Met up with some people, but it wasn’t busy at all, comparative to the past few days. We decided to go to ‘town,’ meaning Limerick City. Anthony joined us for the jaunt to Icon, a nightclub, which we promptly left. I took some pictures, but everything closes at 12:30am. That’s right, kids. Ireland, the land of beer and whiskey, has a curfew.

I had a great time with Anthony and Maureen anyways. We wandered the streets, chatted up some folks, and finally took a cab ride back to campus. Highlights of the evening included relentlessly making fun of Anthony for giving his coat to some Romanian girl, “because she was beautiful.” He has yet to get his coat back.

Overall, I’m still intrigued by the city, the culture, and everything that includes, but I am also looking forward to classes. Tomorrow!