A Theatrical Study of Ireland

We found a B&B with Wi-Fi!

2009-07-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

You don't realize how much you miss the internet until you don't have it for a few days! Luckily, we found a great little place here in Clifden, right on the West Coast of the Emerald Isle. We woke up this morning in an ocean-view room (actually overlooking a bay I think) on Achill Island, which is off the West Coast a bit north of where we are here. We spent the morning driving the Island, which offered spectacular views of cliffs and the water below. We then continued down to Westport, an adorable town which had a few very nice wool and craft shops. From Westport we made it to Clifden in time for a great dinner set to Irish music.

As I said in my previous post, the last two days have included a lot of driving, but a lot of beautiful views as well. The Giant's Causeway was awesome -- it is the coolest rock formation; it looks like a fancy stone floor! We did a few miles of walking that day (Monday), both up a cliff at the Causeways and to get to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. This Bridge was used by salmon fishermen to catch fish between the mainland and the little island it leads to. We finished the day at a B&B in Killybegs, a little fishing village West of Donegal.

Yesterday we first headed up to a cliff called Slieve Lieb, and then came back down through a variety of towns, stopping in shops along the way, and ending in Achill Island.

A picture may say a thousand words, but pictures won't do justice to the beautiful sites we have seen -- but I tried! Unfortunately, it would take too long to upload them with the connection I have now (not that I'm complaining!), but I will post them during the weekend at the latest. From home. Blah. ;c)

On the road again. . .

2009-07-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hello! Just a quick note to say that all is well, but we've been staying in B&Bs with no internet, and will most likely continue to do so. Only a few days left; then I will give the full summary! We've seen some beautiful landscapes and the cutest towns -- I can't believe I have to return to reality in only a few days! I hope all is well with everyone.

Pics from Derry

2009-07-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Oh Danny Boy. . .

2009-07-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am coming to you today from Londonderry! I can now officially say that I've been to the UK as I am in Northern Ireland. But, before I get to Derry (as its known), I would like to comment on my last few days in Galway.

Mom and I had a very nice time, but what stood out was our theater experiences. On Friday, we went to a reading of a new play called The Home Front. This was my first time viewing a staged reading, so it was very interesting to watch. The actors were great, interacting with one another even from their chairs. The play was okay, although mom and I didn't get all of the jokes -- everyone else in the audience seemed to be part of the 'Galway theatre community.' The playwright was in the audience; he was very young -- just recently graduated from grad school I believe. I think that the experience itself was great. I loved that it gave a young writer a great opportunity to exhibit his work, and if I ever run or work for a theater company, I definitely want to incorporate something like this in our season.

Saturday we went to a completely different show -- we saw A Midsummer Night's Dream presented by an all-male, English theatre group called 'Propeller.' The director of this company wanted to take a new approach to Shakespeare, and that he does -- the cast members all have buzz cuts and none ever wear wigs. When they are playing female characters, they simply add a skirt or something over their while bodysuits. The director also wanted to add animation-like physical characteristics, so the actors are often hopping and creeping all over the stage. It was, once again, a very different theatrical experience for me, and of course was very enjoyable (they took some hysterical liberties towards the end!)

So this morning I said good-bye to Billy, Mary, Busby, and Galway, and mom and I headed up to Derry. The drive got more beautiful as we got further North, although Derry itself has seemed a very dreary place. Taking into account that it is Sunday and most shops are closed, it still seems like there are very few people around. We are staying near Bogside, the area where Bloody Sunday occurred (review your history!) Being right on the border of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, there is a long history of conflict here. We visited the museum and viewed the many murals commemorating the events of the 1960s and 70s. We then went into the walled city and looked around -- it was a beautiful view, but definitely had a creepy air about it! I was told by one of the professors at NUI Galway that there have been some recent conflicts here again, so we'll be staying in this evening! We actually just had a nice dinner, and I'm looking forward to a night to relax. Tomorrow we head to the coast to check out the Giant's Causeways!

Video/info about Kilmainham

2009-07-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick tour of Kilmainham's East wing -- this site is used in a lot of movies and even music videos as it is one of a few non-operational jails still standing.

Pics from Dublin

2009-07-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dubliner!

2009-07-24T03:02:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe Joyce won't write about my experiences, but it was a great trip to the East Coast. It was incredibly busy though, and my body is aching from all of the walking, especially with my backpack. Still, I saw a LOT!

Once I arrived and got myself oriented, I headed out to Kilmainham Gaol, which is the jail where the leaders of the 1916 Easter Uprising were held. Having studied the history of this event and its connections to society and literature, I really enjoyed my tour here. (Pics to come!) I next headed to Christ Church Cathedral, which was beautiful, and then I continued up to St. Michan's, one of the first churches built on the north side of the River Liffey. It is especially unique because of the crypt underneath it -- with well preserved human remains! I actually touched the finger bone of a Crusader for good luck! Unfortunately, no photos in the crypt. I then headed over to The Temple Bar, walked down Grafton Street (main shopping area), through St. Stephen's Green, and to my hotel on Leeson Street. After a little rest, I went for dinner and to the Abbey Theater to see The Rivals. It was a late 18th Century comedy, and was quite entertaining -- very well done. I especially enjoyed the playbill, because it had several articles about the play and even its political relevance. I love that theaters here often employ dramaturgs, who research and oversee the productions and usually write these types of articles. This is what Berit is studying to be.

Yesterday I began at St. Patrick's Church, and then took a walking tour of Trinity College and went into their old library to see some ancient manuscripts, including The Book of Kells. I was especially awed by the Long Hall, where thousands of old books and manuscripts are held. It was beautiful and smelled perfectly of old books. There were actually some students wearing gloves and masks looking at some of the books on a corner, which was cool to see. Also housed in this room was the oldest harp in the country -- this is the one depicted on some euro coins as well as in the Guinness logo. (funny story -- Guinness trademarked the logo before the government, so on the euro the harp had to be depicted backwards!) After Trinity, I continued to the National Library where there was an exhibition on W. B. Yeats. I especially liked the section discussing his writings in theater (of course!) I then went next door to the National Museum of History and Archeology to view the “bog bodies.” These are human remains from as long ago as 200 B.C.E. that were found naturally preserved in Ireland’s bogs. While none are complete, there were some amazing remains – a couple of the bodies had their skin still intact, although now it is black and rubbery! ANYWAY, I had a little extra time yesterday afternoon, so I sought out the Irish Jewish Museum (yes, it exists!) It is setup in an old row house that housed one of Ireland’s first synagogues upstairs. I thought the sanctuary was really cool. Once I finished my touring, I picked up a few souvenirs, had fish n’ chips at Leo Burdocks (which wasn’t as good as that here in Galway at McDonaghs), and headed up to meet my bus. I definitely feel accomplished in all that I did in two days!

I am happy to say that mom arrived this morning! We are headed out for the day – I will try to post pics and video from Dublin tonight!

Macnas Parade -- "Orfeo"

2009-07-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Again, I'm not so steady with the camera, but enjoy -- if nothing else, skip ahead to the horse puppet in the first video; it's the best!

Aran Islands - the top of Don Aengus

2009-07-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

It is clear that I will never be a videographer -- you may need to take anti-nausea medication before watching this one, but at least listen to the info; it's interesting! Reminder: this area was inhabited by a bronze-age civilization.

Glamorous Galway

2009-07-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, you truly can't go out here, not even to the movies, without looking cute! I went to see the new Harry Potter movie on Sunday, and I felt under dressed -- just walking to the movies for goodness sake! If I ever moved here, I'd have to get a whole new wardrobe. . .hmmm, there's an incentive. . . ;c)

All is well; I had a very low-key weekend. I didn't end up going to Connemara on Saturday as my friends elected to take a bus trip instead of driving -- no need for that when I'll be hitting all the highlights with mom next week. (PS, I'm so excited for mom coming Friday!) Anyway, I explored parts of the city I hadn't been to before and spent quite a bit of time planning my trip to Dublin later this week (we all know I over plan -- I practically have the map of Dublin memorized). Last night was the Macnas parade, and while it was short, it was very cool -- I'd never been to a night parade before! There were these huge, lighted puppets patrolling the street; they were just awesome. Unfortunately, even though we got there really early, as soon as the guarda (police) closed the street everyone pushed up in front of us, so there will be heads in my pics and video. I will post the video soon. . .and I know, I still haven't posted videos from the Aran Islands either; they just take a long time to upload!

Today was my last Irish Society class, and tomorrow is my final Lit & Film class as well as our final exams in the afternoon. I am ready to be done with the classes, although both have sparked so many new interests in me I have a feeling I will be continuing my Irish studies for years to come!

Sunny, theatrical days

2009-07-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right -- the sun has been shining since Wednesday! Shhhhh. . .don't scare it away. . .there's suppose to be rain tomorrow. Anyway, I've been keeping busy. . .

Tuesday night the college took our entire group to see Palace of the End, a play comprised of three 30 minute monologues, all giving different perspectives of the Iraq War. The first was from a pregnant soldier who was on trial for war crimes, the second was a British weapons inspector who was pressured to lie to authorities, and when he finally told the truth was committing suicide, and the third was an Iraqi woman who watched her son be tortured to death. Really uplifting stuff -- and while I thought the acting was good, it wasn't my cup of tea. Wednesday's play, however was great -- it was the first of the youth theatre plays we went to. It was called DNA, and focused on the negative results of "group think." Very 'Lord of the Flies', but very well done -- these teenagers are tackling rough issues. I also aprpeciated that the language used was truly how teenagers are speaking today -- no censoring. I do wish we were free to do that, but I understand that a school program is not the place for inappropriate language. Also, the youth theatre here goes up to age 26, so some of the actors in the program are a bit older (although not really in this particular play). Anyway, it was a great experience! It was in the same theater as Blackbird, but the theater was completely turned around -- very creative.

Wednesday afternoon we went down to Salthill where Berit's grandmother's apartment is, and walked to the beach on the 'other side' of the Atlantic. It was pretty windy and chilly, but still sunny, beautiful and fun -- despite the fact that we all got sand everywhere!

Thursday was a great day -- I mean, theater and shopping, could it GET any better!? While the shopping was great, the play was even better. This was the other play put on by the youth theatre, called Scarborough. It took place in a hotel room -- yes, an actual hotel room -- which is how the playwright Fiona Evans wrote it to be performed. It was so cool -- they set up chairs around the edges of the room while the action took place in the middle -- a very modern theatrical experience! The play as well as the actors were both excellent, although I do have to mention that the subject matter was about a teacher having an affair with a teenage student -- what do you have to do around here to get a happy-go-lucky play, musical, or even movie!? Truly though, I am learning a ton, and have never been so interested in reading and seeing modern straight plays.

Today was nice -- a few classes, a bit of time in the city, and an evening in for me. Both my girls had their friend/boyfriend com in last night, so I got to meet them all today. Tomorrow the plan is to rent a car and drive the beautiful region known as Connemara -- and with only two of us over 25, I will probably be doing some driving! Wish me luck -- I seriously want someone in the front seat reminding me to stay left! Since Kate is leaving the program early, tomorrow is our last day all together, so weather be damned; we're going to have an awesome time.

Recent pics of Galway!

2009-07-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hello! I will blog about this pics and the last couple days in the morning -- for now enjoy the pics, and look below for Aran island pics as well.

Aran Islands Pics

2009-07-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

Aran Islands; Arts Week!

2009-07-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

I have an excuse this time -- there was a major hacker attack on eircom, the most common internet provider, and we had no internet last night. My other excuse is that I decided to complete one of my papers at the graduate level, so while it was completed, it is now only about half done. . .and I WAS SO ahead of the game!

On Sunday we were fortunate enough to have a beautiful excursion to the Aran Islands. We went to the biggest of the three, Inismor. The weather in the morning looked awful, and we were told it is always bad on the Islands, so imagine our surprise to arrive to sunshine (after an incredibly bumpy ferry ride)! When we arrived, we all got bikes -- and I must say, having not ridden a bike in over five years, I did very well! Berit takes the prize though -- she was snapping pics with one hand, and even had no hands for awhile (although I yelled at her because we were near a cliff with no railing -- it was the teacher in me, and now she can't stop making fun of me!) We biked along the sea through the countryside, viewing horses, cows, and even some seals -- what a combination! We came to a stop at the foot of a Bronze Age settlement called Dun Aonghus. As the pictures will show, it is a very unique place as a lot of the stone structures (like 15 foot-think walls) remain. There is also a protective "layer" of sharp stones sticking out of the ground surrounding the area to prevent attack -- very cool! (The whole landscape of the Aran Islands is basically stone with a bit of grass mixed in -- we've done a lot of reading about the incredibly hard work of those who use to farm this land, and I totally have a new appreciation for them after seeing it.) Anyway, the settlement is also right on a cliff, so we dared to lay down and get some beautiful pictures of the crashing sea below. I cannot express how rare it was that we had sunshine on the islands! We then biked back (subtext -- literal pain in the butt) to the little town below, and unfortunately did not have much time to look in the shops, but I'm told they are quite expensive anyway! The sea was much smoother coming back, thank goodness! I am, however, sunburned once again from the day. I'm telling you -- if you looked at the sky when we left, you'd have thought there would be no way we'd ever see the sun!

Yesterday was a good day as it was my first day at the Arts Festival. After a film showing of The Wind that Shakes the Barley, a horrifyingly brutal taste of Irish history, we headed for dinner and to see the play Blackbird. I almost didn't go knowing that the play was about sexual abuse, and after the movie I had seen enough depressing material for the day (we decided we all needed to play with puppies and kittens after it), but I am SO glad that I did -- it was a PHEMONOMINAL show; I LOVED it! Now I know this sounds weird given the material, but there was also a lot of love in the story, and the actors were both great. I also want to mention that I have been loving getting away from the conventional, proscenium, commercial US theater. Broadway is great, but there is something very intimate about smaller theaters, and while I know there are a ton of them in New York I don't seek out performances in them nearly enough. Anyway, it really is a fabulous play, and was a great way for me to kick off the festival.

Today there is much to do -- class most of the morning, a singing class and a seminar this afternoon, another movie showing at 4:00, and the play Palace of the End tonight. Lucky for me, tomorrow should be much lighter, so the goal is to finish my paper then. Check back later in the day for pics from the weekend -- I'm hoping to get them up this afternoon or evening for sure!

Dingle Video 2 - Coumeenoole Beach

2009-07-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here is one video I took by the beach -- I apologize for the shaking; it was quite windy -- listen to the waves!

Dingle Video 1 - Jeremy, Damian, and Matt playing

2009-07-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Recent Pics

2009-07-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

International Affair

2009-07-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I've been gone again. . .but there's been a lot going on, not to mention I'm determined to have both papers done by Monday (and I should make it!) So where to start. . .

Thursday was fairly uneventful. Friday, however, was much more productive and fun. After spending the afternoon at the library working (and may I say I've spent more time in the library these past few weeks than ever in my college career, just because it's a good place to study -- imagine that), I headed out to a small barbecue/party held at the flat where one of my classmates and new friend Selena is staying for the summer (she is Italian; she is staying with some if her Italian friends living in Galway). It truly was an international affair, as there were several Italians, two Japanese, three Irish, one German, one guy from Wales, and a couple of us Americans thrown in. It was amazing to talk to all of the young adults from all over the world, and especially interesting that they all spoke English fairly well (some incredibly well). It makes me feel horrible that I can't speak another language, especially as they were all busy learning new words in each other's languages as well. Several of them are doctoral students, and one guy (Alesandro) is doing post-doctoral research on mechanical heart valves! It has continued to spark an interest in international education in me. Also, although it was technically a barbecue, one of the Japanese ladies (whose name is the only one I don't remember) made sushi and rice balls for us, and even though I haven't like sushi in the past I must say it was quite good!

This morning we went to the open-air market. There was a ton of fresh food, as well as fresh flowers and jewelry and artwork from several local artists. I bought a couple beautiful prints, some bread and cheese, and later had falafel for lunch. It was just relaxing; we had a nice time. I had planned to do a bit of shopping afterwards, but the weather was particularly bad and I was quite tired! I came home and took a nap, and have since put most of the finishing touches on my papers. Tomorrow we head to the Aran Islands -- I just hope the weather holds out for us!

I had wanted to mention several cultural notes, but of course now that I've sat down I don't remember half of them. I will tell you that one of the unique things about the education system here is that although the state funds the school system and designs the curriculum, the actual schools are owned and operated by (private) organizations, some of which are religious (usually the Catholic Church). It is an interesting situation that has apparently led to a number of controversies, but I can tell you from my research that Ireland has performed at or above the global average in recent international tests. On a lighter cultural note, I have determined that when eating an Irish breakfast, it tastes best if you eat a little bit of everything at once. ;c)

Good Times

2009-07-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Time is flying by! Yesterday we had our first assessment; it went alright. We have our finals in less than two weeks! Meanwhile, we are busy having fun and trying to make plans for the time that is left. We're trying to get up to Sligo and over to Dublin, but everyone's schedules get busy soon because friends are starting to visit next week. We shall see -- I did buy tickets to a few more Arts Festival Events -- all plays. I will list the titles soon so you dedicated students can look them up! ;c)

Last night Kate and Berit came over to Billy and Mary's for tea etc. We had the BEST time -- we just talked and laughed for hours! It was truly great, and so much fun -- I have the best host family ever! Billy even drove the girls home when we were through, and this morning he was pressing upon me the importance of staying in touch with Berit and Kate because he thinks we make the best friends!

Off to a movie showing. . .maybe more later. There hasn't been much to report; just a lot of studying the past couple days. I am however developing new career ambitions. . .anyone want to pay for me to go back to school? Just a thought! More on that later as well. ;c)

Some Fun Quotes from Dingle

2009-07-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

"If I had a dolphin flying over me, I'd be looking at it!" -- Kate examining a poorly photoshopped picture of the dolphin Fungie, who lives in Dingle Bay

"Everything is working perfectly." -- Mari-Etta, an American woman who passed out cards to us at a bar about her philosophies

"One time I had a dream I was eating pavlova, and when I woke up, the pillow was gone." -- Kate

"Are you showering?" "No, I'm peeing." -- Kate and Sarah

"You can call me whatever you want." -- Berit, when she was having trouble teaching our new friends her name in the bar

"Where are we?" "Shite, I don't know!" -- Mia and Matt

Pics from Dingle -- there are a lot; enjoy! (PS - check Kate's blog for more - web address below!)

2009-07-06T01:10:00.000-07:00

A Dingle Weekend

2009-07-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the Dingle Peninsula! We had a fabulous weekend; so much fun but very educational as well. Unfortunately my the slide show website isn't working, so you may have to wait until tomorrow for pics. Anyway, the weather held out for us -- just a few showers, but usually at night or when we were on the bus.

Our first stop on our way South was at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. The castle was awesome -- everything was reconstructed to be as accurate as possible, and we got to go into a large variety of rooms (again connected by winding narrow staircases). Everything is the castle was designed for safety, even down to having the soldiers live right inside the doors. The folk park was also setup to be authentic, although we didn't spend much time there as we were more enthralled by the castle.

When we arrived at what I'm told was the nicest hostel on earth, we headed to a pub (John Bennys) for dinner, and stayed around for the trad music -- both were fabulous! Video to come!

Saturday we hit a lot of sites -- we began by examining some Early Christian round houses, also known as beehive huts. These along with most of the stone structures we observed throughout the day, are amazing simply because they were built without any mortar holding the stones together -- and they have survived! We then continued on to Coumeenoole Beach -- I'll let the pictures speak for themselves on this one; it was absolutely gorgeous, although the sea was incredibly rough there! Still, we decided we should just move there and become sheep farmers so we'd always have the view. We then went to the Blasket Island Cultural Center, and learned about the small community that made their homes on the side of a small island/mountain. The stories of these people are amazing, and several of the islanders have come to literary acclaim for writing about them. In the afternoon, we stopped at Gallarus Oratory, which is the best preserved unmortared Early Christian Church. Our guide for the day, Isabel, had so much unique information to impart -- it would take me all night to type the details! Our final stop was at Kilmalkedar, a 12th Century church that was often frequented my men heading out on a pilgrimage (as Saint Brendan the navigator was associated with the church). There were many ancient unique features at the site, including a sun dial.

We were free again in the evening, and we headed first to Dingle Pub for dinner, but as it was nothing special we headed elsewhere for fabulous desserts (I took pictures). Once we finished those off, we headed for more Irish music at a bar with an Irish name that I don't remember (I'm sure Kate does -- check her blog at www.kateandtheworld.wordpress.com). We enjoyed the music once again, and we met a great couple from San Diego. After the musical groups was finished playing, we hung out with them for quite awhile -- we all had a great time. They were cool guys; Matt the guitar player will be in the US touring with The Chieftans in the winter.

Today we headed back, only stopping in a village for lunch -- we were all pretty drained!

I want to say a little something about Irish literature as it related to the culture. As I mentioned in a previous blog, much of the literature has nationalistic themes, as Ireland had been struggling for its independence for quite some time. Another theme also found is a connection with the land and work of the peasants. Traveling to a more remote part of the country helped me relate to these themes in a different way. Although we had already visited some beautiful areas, we weren't where people were making their living off the land. It was incredibly hard work, and there is quite a bit of literature that represents the happiness of the simplistic lifestyles but also the terrible hardships that these people faced. The fishermen in the seas of Dingle often risked their lives, and wives were often left waiting overnight to find out if their husbands had been whisked away. To quote Yeats, the sea was a "terrible beauty" to these people, as was farming the beautiful land. As you can imagine, the literature tells these bittersweet stories. When working with my students to create new literature, I will now insist that we look at the literature of their homelands. I can't tell you how much the land-literature connection has helped me to understand the culture and pride of the Irish people, and I want to make sure we capture that when writing something that represents our histories. (I wish I had time to share more interesting facts about the lit, but again, I'd be here all night!)

I hope you enjoy the pics (assuming I can get them up!) I had a very hard time picking them this time -- I tried for a sampling of everything. Tomorrow it's back to the grind -- our first exams are Tuesday!

Rain, rain, go away. . .

2009-07-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, if I take back my complaint about getting sunburned will the sun come back out again? It's been three days with no promise of relief, and while it is still beautiful here, it was even better in sunlight!

Yesterday and today were both long days, filled with multiple lectures and activities. We discussed the role of women as well as family development in Society, which was a lot of information but was quite interesting. In literature and film we returned to Yeats, looked at literature specifically from the Aran Islands (a small group of islands off Ireland's West Coast), and looked at how Ireland was Romanticized in early films. I had another Irish language class, and also attended a seminar on Northern Ireland. Tonight the university threw us an Independence Day BBQ -- they decorated the student center and everything. It was very nice, but felt weird because we are all here to focus on Irish customs -- we have a pretty good grasp on American traditions! It was certainly a nice gesture though. . .although Berit (my German friend) couldn't quite appreciate it! (Not really -- she had a good time)

I wish I could (or had time to) better summarize all of the interesting stuff we are learning. It's amazing to me how much the events discussed in one class relate to the next, and everything in the development of the society seems to have a cause and effect. I love it when everything makes sense! While my original focus here was to be how culture is represented in theater, I am finding I have learned a lot about representing culture in every subject. The theater we did discuss is incredibly nationalistic, with each piece making a social commentary. I am learning that while there is no wrong interpretation of a play (or a piece of literature), there is often much that can be read into if the text is examined and researched thoroughly. Are there still people writing like this today, or do we all just say what we mean? I have developed an interest in international education as well, looking at international testing and such for my paper. I would love to look at the way education systems are set up all over the world, and make comparisons. I'm sure the research has been done; I will look into it. (I know this paragraph was random -- I just wanted to touch on all of my recent educational thoughts)

Tomorrow morning we leave for a weekend traveling the Southwest part of the country, so I will be MIA again until Sunday evening. Hopefully I'll have some incredible pictures to post when I return!

A quick shout out to Danylla and Anderson -- thanks for the facebook comment Danylla! I hope you guys are having a good summer -- Anderson, 12 days to go! Are you ready?

Video from Coole Park -- just an upload test!

2009-06-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

Unique Galway

2009-06-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

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!

Dia duit!

2009-06-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

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!

The last few days

2009-06-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

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!

Pics from our trip to Coole Park, etc.

2009-06-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Eyre Square Pics

2009-06-25T13:19:00.001-07:00

Irish Society

2009-06-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

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!

A message to my graduating seniors. . .

2009-06-24T13:04:00.001-07:00

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!

Another beautiful day. . .

2009-06-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

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!

First Day On Campus

2009-06-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

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!

First Exploration Pics

2009-06-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

My travels to and first day in Galway

2009-06-22T12:11:00.001-07:00

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!

I'm here!

2009-06-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome!

2009-05-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to the blog of my studies in Ireland! With the support of Fund for Teachers, I am able to spend six weeks studying the culture of Ireland and its theatrical history. Check back soon for travel updates -- my journey begins June 21st!