Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Unique Galway
Hello all! Today was another good day, despite the rainy weather. I did a lot of studying, got to the gym, took a lesson in Sean-Nos dancing (which is the origin of step dancing), and did a little shopping! I have decided to write my Society paper on the differences and similarities between the Irish education system and that of the US. Not too difficult, and definitely interesting.
A few tid bits about Galway today:
-When it rains, there are slugs everywhere! I will take some pictures for you; you have to watch where you walk! I like to name them as I go. ;c)
-It stays light until 11:00 at night here! It's great for going out later, but it does make it harder to go to sleep.
-Galway is said to be a very fashion-forward city. If this is true, then I have to tell you to prepare for the return of full 1980s fashion - neon and all! It was everywhere in the mall today -- reaallllyyyy scary!
I'm hoping for a relaxing evening -- I studied a lot during the day today, so I deserve a break!
A few tid bits about Galway today:
-When it rains, there are slugs everywhere! I will take some pictures for you; you have to watch where you walk! I like to name them as I go. ;c)
-It stays light until 11:00 at night here! It's great for going out later, but it does make it harder to go to sleep.
-Galway is said to be a very fashion-forward city. If this is true, then I have to tell you to prepare for the return of full 1980s fashion - neon and all! It was everywhere in the mall today -- reaallllyyyy scary!
I'm hoping for a relaxing evening -- I studied a lot during the day today, so I deserve a break!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Dia duit!
That means hello in Irish -- actually, directly translated it means "God be with you." As you may have guessed, we had our first Irish lessons today! It's such a crazy language as pronunciation is often very different from how the word is spelled. There are weird tricks to learn, like "dh" and sometimes "du" is pronounced as a "g," and "mh" is pronounced as a "v." We had a fun first class though; we did a lot of practicing our basic conversational skills.
We also had our first seminar today; it was on the topic of emigration. Emigration is a huge part of Ireland's history, and was essential during the economic decline in the 1950s. We also discussed how this effected and was recorded in terms of literature and music and dance. It was pretty cool setting, and it was interesting as emigration is not often discussed in the United States. (We're more about immigration!) However, emigration definitely related to the families of the majority of my students, whether they know that vocabulary word or not! It is definitely a topic that should be discussed with them in terms of their culture, especially if we want to represent their families in our own literature.
We also had two theater lectures this morning -- very entertaining of course. It is so great to dissect a play with someone who knows all of the intricacies, and can lead you to look at scenes and characters in many different ways.
As it was a long day, I am in for the evening -- there is always plenty of reading to do, and I need to start researching for my papers. Tomorrow my friends and I plan to go into the city center for some shopping and dinner, and then come back here to Mary and Billy's for tea (which I have begun to drink). The rain is suppose to move in tonight, so it looks like we might have a few days of more traditional Galway weather -- I just hope it clears up for our weekend trip to Dingle!
We also had our first seminar today; it was on the topic of emigration. Emigration is a huge part of Ireland's history, and was essential during the economic decline in the 1950s. We also discussed how this effected and was recorded in terms of literature and music and dance. It was pretty cool setting, and it was interesting as emigration is not often discussed in the United States. (We're more about immigration!) However, emigration definitely related to the families of the majority of my students, whether they know that vocabulary word or not! It is definitely a topic that should be discussed with them in terms of their culture, especially if we want to represent their families in our own literature.
We also had two theater lectures this morning -- very entertaining of course. It is so great to dissect a play with someone who knows all of the intricacies, and can lead you to look at scenes and characters in many different ways.
As it was a long day, I am in for the evening -- there is always plenty of reading to do, and I need to start researching for my papers. Tomorrow my friends and I plan to go into the city center for some shopping and dinner, and then come back here to Mary and Billy's for tea (which I have begun to drink). The rain is suppose to move in tonight, so it looks like we might have a few days of more traditional Galway weather -- I just hope it clears up for our weekend trip to Dingle!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The last few days
I know, I've been MIA - but I've been busy! Where to start? Friday the weather was beautiful as it has been, and while my Society class was a continuation of the previous session, our two Lit & Film classes were quite distinct. In the morning, we discussed a couple of poems by W. B. Yeats (beautiful, even to me who is not big into poetry), and in the afternoon we had our first session on Irish theater. This session was especially entertaining as well as interesting, as the professor is incredibly theatrical. We discussed the short play Cathleen Ni Houlihan by Yeats and Lady Gregory, which is a nationalistic play in its subtleties. Did I mention the professor is dynamic? I am truly getting into the literature we are studying, and literature in general! It's amazing to see how the writings connect to the historical times, and I'm wondering if it would help me study American History if I took a class in American Literature!
After class, Kate and I had dinner and met Berit for the English play "She Stoops to Conquer." Due to the drunken college students in the audience and some flaws in the cast/direction, it was not the greatest production -- but we still enjoyed ourselves.
Saturday's trip was amazing, specifically due to the natural beauty of the places we went. We began at the castle of W. B. Yeats, Thoor Ballylee. This was an acre of land he leased from his friend and fellow writer Lady Gregory because of the area's inspiring landscape. It truly was inspiring -- the vegetation was just like out of a movie set. I can't imagine anyone living there not being inspired! We continued to the area where Lady Gregory lived, called Coole Park. We visited her Autograph Tree, where Lady Gregory had many famous writers and artists carve their initials. (I got a postcard of the carvings -- they were too hard to see in my pictures) The whole garden area was SO BEAUTIFUL! We sat out on the lawn for a picnic in the sun, and then walked the grounds. Our final stop was to Kilmacduagh, the ruins of a monastery. The tall (leaning) tower is the main draw, and there is speculation as to what is was built as a part of the monastery (I won't take you through the theories). The graveyard itself was interesting and beautiful under the cloudy sky.
Saturday night we decided to hit the city streets. We first walked down to the Spanish Arch, a beautiful area right by the River Corrib. The walk itself was great as we came across ducklings and their families as well as several swans. We then walked to where several bars along a pedestrian area, and the streets were filled with people. We made our way into The King's Head, and were fortunate enough to grab a table. It got more and more crowded as the night went on, and a live band began to play a variety of popular music (not Irish, but very fun). After awhile we decided to head out, and I was surprised to find that there was a table of plastic cups by the door, encouraging you to take your drink with you! When we got outside, the streets even more filled with people and their drinks -- it was a really cool atmosphere. It was also fun to see the hen parties, known to us as bachlorette parties -- they go all out here! We finished our night by stopping for fish and chips before we headed home.
Today was fairly uneventful -- just catching up on some sleep and homework. It was a good day to stay in; it was a rainy afternoon. I still have a play to read for tomorrow, but I'm currently watching the US play Brazil in the Confederation Cup (soccer)! This week looks to be busy, but we are determined to fit some city sites in as well -- I'm determined to make the most of it; I can't believe a week has already gone by.
Enjoy the pics below!
To my students, enjoy your summer!
After class, Kate and I had dinner and met Berit for the English play "She Stoops to Conquer." Due to the drunken college students in the audience and some flaws in the cast/direction, it was not the greatest production -- but we still enjoyed ourselves.
Saturday's trip was amazing, specifically due to the natural beauty of the places we went. We began at the castle of W. B. Yeats, Thoor Ballylee. This was an acre of land he leased from his friend and fellow writer Lady Gregory because of the area's inspiring landscape. It truly was inspiring -- the vegetation was just like out of a movie set. I can't imagine anyone living there not being inspired! We continued to the area where Lady Gregory lived, called Coole Park. We visited her Autograph Tree, where Lady Gregory had many famous writers and artists carve their initials. (I got a postcard of the carvings -- they were too hard to see in my pictures) The whole garden area was SO BEAUTIFUL! We sat out on the lawn for a picnic in the sun, and then walked the grounds. Our final stop was to Kilmacduagh, the ruins of a monastery. The tall (leaning) tower is the main draw, and there is speculation as to what is was built as a part of the monastery (I won't take you through the theories). The graveyard itself was interesting and beautiful under the cloudy sky.
Saturday night we decided to hit the city streets. We first walked down to the Spanish Arch, a beautiful area right by the River Corrib. The walk itself was great as we came across ducklings and their families as well as several swans. We then walked to where several bars along a pedestrian area, and the streets were filled with people. We made our way into The King's Head, and were fortunate enough to grab a table. It got more and more crowded as the night went on, and a live band began to play a variety of popular music (not Irish, but very fun). After awhile we decided to head out, and I was surprised to find that there was a table of plastic cups by the door, encouraging you to take your drink with you! When we got outside, the streets even more filled with people and their drinks -- it was a really cool atmosphere. It was also fun to see the hen parties, known to us as bachlorette parties -- they go all out here! We finished our night by stopping for fish and chips before we headed home.
Today was fairly uneventful -- just catching up on some sleep and homework. It was a good day to stay in; it was a rainy afternoon. I still have a play to read for tomorrow, but I'm currently watching the US play Brazil in the Confederation Cup (soccer)! This week looks to be busy, but we are determined to fit some city sites in as well -- I'm determined to make the most of it; I can't believe a week has already gone by.
Enjoy the pics below!
To my students, enjoy your summer!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Irish Society
Today was another beautiful day in Galway -- I did buy sunscreen, and it didn't seem to jinx anything! After class, my friends and I headed to Eyre Square (pics above) for lunch in the park (where we had a cute little bird join us patiently waiting for a bite), and then returned to campus for the showing of our first Irish film, The Quiet Man. It was an entertaining film (starring John Wayne) about a man returning to rural Ireland after years in the states. I am curious to have a discussion on it in class next week. After the movie I came home for dinner with Billy, and then shared tea and scones with Mary (I picked up some fresh scones in the city). It's so great to have a family here!
As I am writing this blog for academic reasons as well as personal, I would like to share some thoughts about my Society lecture today. Our topic was more historical, basically discussing how Ireland got to where it is today. Professor Curtin spoke about socialism and nationalism, and focused a lot on how a group gets the idea to become its own nation. In the case of Ireland, there were unionists who wanted to stay under British rule, and there were nationalists, who were in support of creating their own government. In the end, it was settled that Northern Ireland would stay under British rule, while the rest of the island would become an independent state. (There is of course much more to it than that, but that's my blog summary!) When thinking about how to apply what was learned to my goal of having my students write a play that brings in their diverse background based on what I learn about Ireland's history and literature, I think this lecture illustrated the importance of looking at where my students come from. Not only should we look at the fact that they come from a variety of different countries, but we also need to examine how those countries have been developed. I recently read the book The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and this novel includes a lot of the history of the Dominican Republic. It is certainly not a pretty one, and I'm sure that has effected some of my students' families. I think that when we embark on our writing project, we should spend some time doing historical research on the many different places that they come from, and look for similar themes that we may want to include in our production.
Once again, CONGRATS TO ACLA'S CLASS OF 2009!
As I am writing this blog for academic reasons as well as personal, I would like to share some thoughts about my Society lecture today. Our topic was more historical, basically discussing how Ireland got to where it is today. Professor Curtin spoke about socialism and nationalism, and focused a lot on how a group gets the idea to become its own nation. In the case of Ireland, there were unionists who wanted to stay under British rule, and there were nationalists, who were in support of creating their own government. In the end, it was settled that Northern Ireland would stay under British rule, while the rest of the island would become an independent state. (There is of course much more to it than that, but that's my blog summary!) When thinking about how to apply what was learned to my goal of having my students write a play that brings in their diverse background based on what I learn about Ireland's history and literature, I think this lecture illustrated the importance of looking at where my students come from. Not only should we look at the fact that they come from a variety of different countries, but we also need to examine how those countries have been developed. I recently read the book The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and this novel includes a lot of the history of the Dominican Republic. It is certainly not a pretty one, and I'm sure that has effected some of my students' families. I think that when we embark on our writing project, we should spend some time doing historical research on the many different places that they come from, and look for similar themes that we may want to include in our production.
Once again, CONGRATS TO ACLA'S CLASS OF 2009!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A message to my graduating seniors. . .
Did you think I would forget about you? I promised I'd send you a message; I hope you remember to read it! (I was going to do a video but I already showered and I don't want to reapply my makeup ;c))
On the eve of your graduation, I'd like to tell you how proud I am of each of you. I have so enjoyed watching you grow from (sometimes irritable) adolescents into young adults. Even though we have had our moments of frustration with one another, I am know we have both learned from them, and I hope we have all come out better in the end.
I have one piece of advice for you as you enter the next step of your life: do not let anxiety, nerves, and fear play a role in decisions you make in the next few months, and even the next few years. While you will be nervous about entering new buildings, meeting new people, and having new experiences, never shy away from them - embrace them. When you are wondering whether or not to talk to the other person sitting alone at the back of the room, take the risk - do not cling only to what you know just because it is 'safe.' As someone who is a bit of a control freak (yes, I know it!), I refused to put myself in situations where I would have to relinquish some control, and I believe that I missed opportunities because of it. I was also too worried about what other people would think of me, and I was worried about embarrassing myself (as I know we all are). The truth is, embarrassment is a great icebreaker. Use it to your advantage! Just having spent a few days in a different country, even though it is a somewhat similar country to the United States in terms of language and such, I already wish I had taken advantage of opportunities to study abroad in college. I had no interest in it then; I wasn't confident enough to try it. I urge you to find the confidence in yourself and go for it -- whatever 'it' is.
But don't do anything stupid. ;c)
I am truly saddened when I think that I will no longer be seeing you on a daily basis, but I know that we will keep in touch. If and when you are having doubts, troubles, and struggles, you know you can always find me at 1474 Gates, or through email for those of you going away. I will be there, and I look forward to seeing you in future musical and theater productions! Enjoy your summer thoroughly, and save $30 for our trip to the Renaissance Faire in August (sometime after Gio gets back on the 14th)! Anderson -- do us proud, and come visit in the fall. My love to you all, and CONGRATULATIONS!
On the eve of your graduation, I'd like to tell you how proud I am of each of you. I have so enjoyed watching you grow from (sometimes irritable) adolescents into young adults. Even though we have had our moments of frustration with one another, I am know we have both learned from them, and I hope we have all come out better in the end.
I have one piece of advice for you as you enter the next step of your life: do not let anxiety, nerves, and fear play a role in decisions you make in the next few months, and even the next few years. While you will be nervous about entering new buildings, meeting new people, and having new experiences, never shy away from them - embrace them. When you are wondering whether or not to talk to the other person sitting alone at the back of the room, take the risk - do not cling only to what you know just because it is 'safe.' As someone who is a bit of a control freak (yes, I know it!), I refused to put myself in situations where I would have to relinquish some control, and I believe that I missed opportunities because of it. I was also too worried about what other people would think of me, and I was worried about embarrassing myself (as I know we all are). The truth is, embarrassment is a great icebreaker. Use it to your advantage! Just having spent a few days in a different country, even though it is a somewhat similar country to the United States in terms of language and such, I already wish I had taken advantage of opportunities to study abroad in college. I had no interest in it then; I wasn't confident enough to try it. I urge you to find the confidence in yourself and go for it -- whatever 'it' is.
But don't do anything stupid. ;c)
I am truly saddened when I think that I will no longer be seeing you on a daily basis, but I know that we will keep in touch. If and when you are having doubts, troubles, and struggles, you know you can always find me at 1474 Gates, or through email for those of you going away. I will be there, and I look forward to seeing you in future musical and theater productions! Enjoy your summer thoroughly, and save $30 for our trip to the Renaissance Faire in August (sometime after Gio gets back on the 14th)! Anderson -- do us proud, and come visit in the fall. My love to you all, and CONGRATULATIONS!
Another beautiful day. . .
The sun was shining, I was trying desperately to stay out of it. . .with only some success! I really don't want to jinx the weather by buying sunscreen, but I can't avoid the sun forever!
Today was a great day. I sat in on four initial class lectures and decided to go with my original class choices of 'Representing Ireland in Literature and Film' and 'Modern Irish Society.' I met Kate, a grad student at UW Madison studying Medieval literature, and we got along great. She, Berit, and I have decided that we are the outcasts (jokingly) because we aren't here with a big group from a US college. Actually, we found out there are only 4 people in the program who aren't from the US - Berit, two Italians, and one Japanese girl. We are going to seek them out and invite them to hang with us since they don't have a group either! But truly, we are getting along great. We are all in the lit class, and Berit is with me in Society while Kate is taking Gaelic Literature (which I sat in on today -- very fast paced!) We are also in the same traveling group, so have all of our trips together. We have also made a bunch of plans to go to different things, especially theater events. We're going to She Stoops to Conquer, a play being put on by NUI's drama society, on Friday. While this will be great, there's unfortunately a ton of stuff going on the first week of the Galway Arts Festival that we want to do, and we have our papers for all of our classes due that week. Our goal is to get them done the weekend before! Anyway, after our lectures, we bought our books and went to our opening reception this afternoon -- very nicely done at the College Bar. We sat outside right by the river and ate and drank in the sun. . .could it get any better?
I don't have anything due tomorrow, but I do have some reading due Friday to get started on. Nothing seems like it will be too much, but they are very focused on interdisciplinary here -- not to be confused with multidisciplinary -- the goal is to find where the many subjects intersect. We are allowed and encouraged to sit in on lectures from other classes when we want to, which is cool.
Sorry no pics today -- tomorrow I don't have class until 11:30, so I may hit the gym in the morning. After class, Kate and I (and hopefully Berit) plan to walk the city a bit and return for a film showing at 4:00. I'm looking forward to another full day!
Today was a great day. I sat in on four initial class lectures and decided to go with my original class choices of 'Representing Ireland in Literature and Film' and 'Modern Irish Society.' I met Kate, a grad student at UW Madison studying Medieval literature, and we got along great. She, Berit, and I have decided that we are the outcasts (jokingly) because we aren't here with a big group from a US college. Actually, we found out there are only 4 people in the program who aren't from the US - Berit, two Italians, and one Japanese girl. We are going to seek them out and invite them to hang with us since they don't have a group either! But truly, we are getting along great. We are all in the lit class, and Berit is with me in Society while Kate is taking Gaelic Literature (which I sat in on today -- very fast paced!) We are also in the same traveling group, so have all of our trips together. We have also made a bunch of plans to go to different things, especially theater events. We're going to She Stoops to Conquer, a play being put on by NUI's drama society, on Friday. While this will be great, there's unfortunately a ton of stuff going on the first week of the Galway Arts Festival that we want to do, and we have our papers for all of our classes due that week. Our goal is to get them done the weekend before! Anyway, after our lectures, we bought our books and went to our opening reception this afternoon -- very nicely done at the College Bar. We sat outside right by the river and ate and drank in the sun. . .could it get any better?
I don't have anything due tomorrow, but I do have some reading due Friday to get started on. Nothing seems like it will be too much, but they are very focused on interdisciplinary here -- not to be confused with multidisciplinary -- the goal is to find where the many subjects intersect. We are allowed and encouraged to sit in on lectures from other classes when we want to, which is cool.
Sorry no pics today -- tomorrow I don't have class until 11:30, so I may hit the gym in the morning. After class, Kate and I (and hopefully Berit) plan to walk the city a bit and return for a film showing at 4:00. I'm looking forward to another full day!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
First Day On Campus
Okay, so I thought Galway would be the one place I could go where I wouldn't get sunburned -- WRONG! The sun was shining bright all morning, and my face and chest are both red. It was well worth the beautiful day though. I got myself registered this morning, and learned that I don't have to officially select my classes until after the introductory lectures tomorrow. I am of course taking the lit & theater course, but I'm not 100% sure about my second -- I'm thinking Irish Society, but we'll see tomorrow -- you know I like a dynamic professor! Anyway, after registering and taking the campus tour, I met a girl names Berit. She is from Germany and is currently studying in Austria, but her grandmother lives right on the ocean near here, so she's staying there for the summer. She is also studying theater, so we are both definitely taking that course. She led me into town, and I helped her do a little shopping. ;c) When she headed home for lunch (I wasn't at all hungry -- Billy made me a big Irish breakfast), I headed over to the brand new fitness facility to join. I went home for a bit, but then returned to the gym for a great workout -- the facility is truly amazing, including a 25m pool and climbing wall! BTW, I need to get up on my kilogram-pound and kilometer-mile conversions so I have a better idea how far and fast I'm running and how much weight I'm lifting!
Tomorrow we have initial lectures for all of the courses; I plan to attend several. Then I may head back over to the Dunnes store for a few more things -- I definitely need to pick up some cheap towels for the gym and something sweet to keep in the house. I was going to be good, but by the end of the day I need some chocolate! I hope everyone at home is well -- I hear the weather in NYC is still terrible -- Billy says I brought the nice weather here!
Tomorrow we have initial lectures for all of the courses; I plan to attend several. Then I may head back over to the Dunnes store for a few more things -- I definitely need to pick up some cheap towels for the gym and something sweet to keep in the house. I was going to be good, but by the end of the day I need some chocolate! I hope everyone at home is well -- I hear the weather in NYC is still terrible -- Billy says I brought the nice weather here!
Monday, June 22, 2009
My travels to and first day in Galway
I can't believe I'm actually here! After a flight delay on the runway due to turtle crossings -- yes, turtles on the runway -- I arrived at the Shannon Airport with plenty of time to catch my bus to Galway. The view both flying in and as we began the drive reminded me a lot of the terrain of the Midwest, only things here are greener! I unfortunately did doze off when we were coming into Galway, but I was able to get a short view as my taxi driver drove me to my summer home. The city is definitely quaint and beautiful; I can't wait to explore it! Once I arrived, Mary (the lady of the house) got me settled and showered, and then fixed me breakfast as we got to know one another. She is so great -- you couldn't ask for a nicer hostess. I settled in for a nap, and later in the afternoon I made my way (with Mary's guidance) to the Dunnes store (like a Super Target). Although I did buy my own food, Mary made us a nice dinner -- again, SO nice! Mary's husband Billy is great as well; he came home and immediately set me up with wireless internet. The two told me that for now I am the only guest; they have another girl coming in a couple weeks. I am very happy that elected to do a home stay as opposed to the dorms-it is great to be with a family -- including the loyal and sweet dog Buzby! (see pics below)
Tomorrow I plan to explore the campus, assuming the weather is as nice as it was today! I have registration in the morning, but the rest of the day is free. As for today, I'm worn out, but I'm curious to stay up and see how late it stays light out -- it is said to be well after 10:00 this time of year, but I'm not sure I'll make it that long tonight!
Fun cultural fact of today: Mary taught me that it is not customary to tip taxi drivers and bar tenders -- no wonder my driver looked so surprised when I told him to keep the change!
Tomorrow I plan to explore the campus, assuming the weather is as nice as it was today! I have registration in the morning, but the rest of the day is free. As for today, I'm worn out, but I'm curious to stay up and see how late it stays light out -- it is said to be well after 10:00 this time of year, but I'm not sure I'll make it that long tonight!
Fun cultural fact of today: Mary taught me that it is not customary to tip taxi drivers and bar tenders -- no wonder my driver looked so surprised when I told him to keep the change!
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