Belfast

Hi Everyone-

I finished that Belfast post-if you go on to the right hand side down to the Blog Archive and click on November you will find one labeled Belfast. Click on it and you can read it and see some photos. Since I started that post in Nov. it is logged there and isn't seen currently so if you were wondering.

No worries I will be posting things about London, Rome, Snow Patrol Concert, end of the trip and coming home. So look for that post in a few more days.

That being said I wish you all a very Happy Christmas!! Promise to post more stuff soon-and yes I'm home now safe and sound :)

London and Rome

Hi Everyone!

So I'm going to give you a combined recap of London and Rome since London was the 20th of November to the 23rd and Rome was the 28th to the 1st of December. I did way too much traveling in November I was in Ireland probably 15 days out of the 30 of that month. Yes I took advantage of my time here pretty well to discover the continent. Though there are still a good number of places I haven't gone. And others that I want to return to explore more. I can't post up any photos just yet of these since my photo library program is down. However when I get home I'll fix it and post them for you to see. I just don't feel like calling tech support right now when I'll be home in a while. I know this post is long overdue but I've been pretty busy packing and getting the internet to work and I needed a few days to recover from all the traveling.

Claire came with me to London-we were going to stay with a elderly couple-John and Peg Vint. Peg was a native of Ireland but she married John a native Londoner. So Ireland and England finally were united in peace. :) John is pretty close to being 90 and I think Peg is pretty close to being in her 80s. Though the two don't really look much older than their 60s and move around very well for their age. I was a bit worried that driving around with them would be one of those hold your breath and hope to god you don't die experiences but they can drive like normal people and age hasn't caught up with them that they pull one of those scary driving things that your grandparents do that makes you want to take away their keys. We flew into London Heathrow which is a pretty big airport all things considered. We were picked up by John and Peg and we drove around the Windsor garden grounds, and through a few little old cute villages before heading to their house in Slough. Unlike the cracker jack box houses that are slapped together and hideous as can be in the states the houses here are small but each has their own individuality. All are very nice little houses. John and Peg were very kind to us to let us stay with them-we met them on the Aran Islands back in August and they offered to take us around London and told us to come visit them for a long weekend. I couldn't believe they'd actually were serious about it considering they just met us. But they became fast friends with us and yes there is that huge age difference but I seem to get along with people older than me pretty well. One of my friends tells me it's because I'm "such an old lady". Figures you go wandering about graveyards, knit and watch black and white movies and don't go out past midnight and you're pegged as an old lady for life. Oh well. I don't mind I never was one of those super trendy in the high fashion kids who only hung out with young people. I do spend time with people my own age but I find a lot of my friends are older. I know my roommate seemed to feel a bit awkward with it, not really knowing how much to share or not or how to really deal with the fact of a age difference to warrant a very different perspective on life. But they took very good care of us and showed us all the sites and I got a full history of the city and things in it. John thought he was rambling too much but I had no problem listening and asking questions of him. He was like one of those history audio books that never ended. I really liked it. Peg did the same but she told us a lot about Ireland since she knew more on that. In turn we told them about our lives and experiences. I tried mince pie for the first time, drank more tea than I ever had in one weekend, ate more food than I probably needed to in one sitting but it was all amazing. I really liked London-there was quite a bit of it I didn't get to see that I wanted to but that was fine I have something else to take me back again. I saw Windsor Castle, most of Slough, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, the Tower of London, Parliament, Big Ben (which is actually the name of Parliament but eventually was attached to the clock hence the name), went on the London underground, saw a good deal of Eaton, and went through numerous parks.

The Brits are pretty interesting on the whole, I didn't come across any telling me to go back home Yank or that they hate me for the Boston Tea Party so it appears they're pretty much over that now. Unlike some of our southern counterparts (hint hint subtle hint). They have loads of antique shops and ship out loads of it to the States for our own antique shops and still have plenty to fill up whole castles with and then some. But don't get me wrong I love antiques and it's probably a good thing I wasn't allowed any time to stop in there or I'd never have made it back to Ireland with all of the stuff I would want. If you ever wanted to know who came up with crazy uniforms I'd probably say the Brits because the boys going to school wear what you'd think looks like a tux to school. Or a conductor of an orchestra. One of the two. On the whole they're all very helpful and nice and always ask if you're on holiday if you're there. (That is if you're an American). I ran into some of the Queen's soldiers collecting donations for the troops and kids for Christmas so I donated all my spare change to them. I sort of wish they were around the airport before I left I had about 5 pounds worth in coins to dump off. Very polite and nice I felt bad for them in a way since in a week or so they had to ship out again and they'd be gone for Christmas. Funny thing though most of the English are more than ready to let Northern Ireland go.....

Rome: I never have been more freaked out going somewhere than Rome. Paris wasn't much of an issue because I was going to stick to the more touristy areas and the French know the value of an American dollar so they know enough French. The Romans well bless their hearts they still think they own the world in a sense. I'm sure not all Romans feel this way but most of the ones I ran into seemed to come off that way. Perhaps it's because the recession but either way I had never been around so many people that were just downright rude as the Romans. Even the ones harassing you to buy a umbrella when you told the guy just two steps behind him no was rude. And stay away from the guys dressed up as Roman gladiators if you don't want them trying to seduce you to be their next Roman princess. Or make you pay 5 euro for taking a photo with them. I can photoshop you in when I snap your photo from away into my posed photo. So I will keep my 5 euros thank you very much :) The Vatican was sort of my last stop I knew if I could walk in there and not be axed down for not being a proper practicing Christian I could go anywhere without worry. Of course I sort of forgot about the whole Pope-not-liking-Harry-Potter thing. Guess who walked up to the security thing wearing a Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince sweatshirt? Me. I almost thought if anything they'd have put that on the sign about dress codes since they already put you can't wear skirts or tshirts, have sharp blunt objects but you can carry a huge umbrella. I could've sworn NO HARRY POTTER would've fit in there somewhere. Emily noticed I was wearing it and was about ready to just up and leave me. She promised if I got kicked out she'd act like she had no idea who I was. I was definitely feeling her love....not really. I went through the security and they didn't say a thing in fact the guy running the machine was spacing out and the one watching the metal detector was smoking and talking on his cell phone. Great security. I feel bad for the nuns, priests and Pope. These guys are a joke.

I got in even with my Harry Potter sweatshirt-success! I started to think they either didn't notice or just didn't really give a flying flip. Either way I was happy I didn't have to attempt to have a discussion lost in translation in Italian since I don't know any. First off we went into the Pope's tomb-and they weren't kidding it is like a tomb. It is deep below the Vatican and holds the remains of Popes going back even before the 13th Century. All held in large marble or stone casings sealed shut for eternity. Each one appears to be larger than the next and more elaborate as to the designs and sayings on them. The more recent ones are massive and bodyguards stand by the latest Pope since they figure someone would want to get smart and try to steal the body. After going out of the Pope's tomb we ended up in this large open area where the Pope does mass and where Pope Peter is buried. He's got this massive wooden structure decorated in gold ivy and other designs looming over his tomb. I've never seen such large ceilings they had to be over 100 feet if not more. I felt like a tiny little thing there. Everything is covered in gold, marble, mosaic tiles, massive statues and paintings, phrases in Latin that I don't understand; the whole place was so lavish it was a bit overwhelming. We also went up over 600 steps I think in all it had to be about over a few thousand by the time we got back down. Though the view at the top was worth seeing even though it was quite windy. No tall sky scrapers just a lot of old rustic styled and those clay tiled roofs. The air was warm up there, certainly a lot warmer than it was back in Ireland. After getting back down again and feeling a wee bit lop sided from walking sideways down the stairs, we went into the big atrium area and took some more photos before heading on a few hour search to get to the Sistine Chapel. You'd think it would've been pretty easy to find when we found it labeled on the map. Oh no. Not the case. Even with signs that pointed to well nowhere, we still didn't find it. After asking directions we still didn't find it which makes me think the directions sucked just about as much as the map did. We came to the conclusion that it must've been housed through some other museum part and it required extra payment to see. We gave up and decided to walk around and see the Castle which appears in Angels and Demons. We saw a few super skinny super models doing a photo shoot on the bridge in massive dresses. I was thinking maybe a prom shoot but then again it wasn't anywhere near prom so maybe a really strange wedding dress. It was a pretty dress don't get me wrong but corsets are just bad news. After a few more hours of wandering and seeing the other sights of Rome like the Colosseum, Fountain de Trevi, the Pantheon and a few others the next day we got back on the plane and flew to Ireland over the Alps which was a very pretty thing to see. You want some snow capped mountains that trump all the others the Alps surely do that. After arriving back through the mists I saw the green rolling hills, spray painted bottomed sheep and knew I was back in Ireland. After that we hopped on a bus back to Galway and crashed. Success.

So that's London and Rome I know it's a bit shorter in the sense of not covering every detail but really it's a lot to cram in and make it short enough for all of you to read :)

I would like to take a moment to say I'm FREE

Hi Everyone-

Almost done with that Belfast post mind you it may decide to post itself earlier than the current date because I started it earlier so you may have to do a bit of back tracking to find it. Just go to the archive on the right hand side and it should be there once I've finished. I'll let you know when I do that.

Anyway I am officially done with NUIG. YAY!!!!!! I turned in my last paper today and now I am free to pack, clean, go visit a few friends before I leave and then as quick as a flash and a weird 7hr flight with some odd time warp I'll be home on the 21st!!! I know I know some of you are like why are you so happy to be done with school you love school, you love history, you're learning why are you soo happy to be done? Well for the simple reason that I want to be done. I've gone traveling the world and done my exploring and absorbed more than I have in any other semester, worked my bottom off in school, went to all of my classes save the last day and one day when I was finishing my term paper, and now that I've completed my work I deserve a break. Alright maybe that was not such a simple answer but you also have to remember I want to be home it's Christmas season and I miss my friends and family. Ireland isn't going anywhere so I have plenty of time to come back and visit later. I've lived here for 4 months and laid my foundation and it's time to go back to the states where I officially belong. Not that I don't fit in here pretty well though I haven't exactly mastered any great drinking skills or sheep herding skills, but that's besides the point. Now it is time to relax, relfect, finish those journal entries, get my video and photos in order and labeled before I forget where I was, work on my novel, pack and go home eat loads of cookies, go sledding and eat some steak and potatoes. And per the usual Chirstmas season drink lots of hot chocolate and egg nog.

So I am free though it isn't as epic as Mel Gibson in Braveheart yelling FREEDOM as loud as he can before having his intestines twisted out of him. Sorry I should've kept that a little less gruesome especially if you're eating....and I am ready to go back and be back in Beloit and the library and the archives and not feel like a weirdo walking around the house practicing my Russian-no one learns Russian in Ireland hence why I'm looked at weirdly. I would also like hot water for a shower for a change, it is the simple things in life you really learn to appreciate. And I still get called an old lady for knitting while watching a movie. Though they won't be laughing so hard when they realize it's their Christmas gift.

Well I hear the horn of Gondor blowing-no its actually the generator downstairs of the computer lab-calling me to go off and run my errands and go kick some computer geek butt for not fixing my friend's computer. It's sad when I have to fix the computer and I'm not even a certified Mac genius or Windows genius. I understand if they don't have the parts lying around or can't get fix things in an hour but really 3 weeks to even bother looking at the computer when you really just want to say I have no clue? You know the computer geek fixer is a fake when he dresses like he's out of a D&G catalogue and smells like the new manly scent from Beckham. Not that I'm really trying to say he's a bad person or anything people I'm not mean I'm just saying he can't fix a computer when he's too busy using the screen as a mirror for his perfectly gelled hair. It's Ireland there is wind and rain give up the perfect Ken doll hair it isn't going to work. Even I know that and I'm a girl.

Miss you all and I'll write again soon about Belfast, London and Rome so you'll be in for a nice big treat. Or so I hope.

Delayed

Hi Everyone

Alright well I know I'm behind on a few posts one about London, Belfast and now Rome. I'm sort of delayed or way laid as they say due to papers and just getting things in order since I arrive home in 19 days. I still have to get my suitcases back from my adoptive Irish family. Too sort of a family crisis is going on at home right now so I've been focusing my attention on what's going on since I'm the only one away and 6 hr time difference does not help for the need for instant communication. So I've been doing a lot of waiting to find out things. The long and short of it is my uncle died on thanksgiving morning due to a heart attack. The funeral is this week and I won't be heading home which after pondering it over is probably for the best because trying to drop all of my work and try and pack and go and come back or just stay gone would be too much. And I'd probably be falling asleep during the service from jet lag and the time change and that isn't very helpful for anyone. As a result I will be just spending the rest of my time here in Galway and just trying to relax, well that is after I finish papers and catch up on that 10 or so Russian homework assignments......

That being said once Wednesday rolls around my papers will all be done and turned in so I will hopefully have some extra time to catch up on some entries here as well as doing up some journal entries, visiting the lobsters in the aquarium in Salthill and going to see a cemetery in Galway. (Why a cemetery? Well if you've never seen an Irish one they're quite fascinating and very different from ones at home. For starters no one has giant shrines built to people alike some in cemeteries at home. I won't bore you with the other details at present until I'm done seeing the Galway one.)

I also want to know why I'm the only person sitting here in this study space during finals. I'm the only one! Did I miss some memo here that everyone was supposed to ditch finals or that they were all cancelled? If I recall finals=no study space. Strange......I'm starting to question my over ambitiousness of study. That or just question my insane study habits because if no one else around here gives a flying flip who says the profs really do? I tried 3 times to turn in a paper EARLY and they weren't there during office hours. I even asked them before hand if I could come those 3 times to drop it off. It just wasn't to be. The secretary even took off Friday without any warning and so my last chance to turn it in before I left was ruined. I even dragged myself out of bed-I was sick for 3 days and walked all the way to campus. I was tired, cranky and running a low fever and so in my frustration I emailed my professor explaining the situation and asked kindly if I could turn it in when I returned because apparently no one wanted me to turn it in early. He didn't care. He honestly was like sure and if you turned it in the day after I wouldn't have noticed because I don't pick them up until the day after that. You have to be kidding me. All of this posted nonsense of you must be physically there to turn it in and it must be time stamped was all for what purpose? You don't even care and wouldn't know-thanks. Just thank you for being so lax that I went 3 times to turn in a paper. I take it then the whole 'Late paper penalty' really doesn't exist. Unless it's what the last day of the term? As a prof in training I disprove. I disprove so much that I didn't use an extra staple to keep the 2 copies of my paper together and I didn't print out a third copy for myself. Take that.

If you want to know what the weather is like it is rain, rain, rain, a bit of sun, rain, windy and cold. If you're lucky it will not be horribly cold and rainy. I'm used to it now and don't mind though the roads are still flooding like the world is going to come to an end and we all need to build a giant arc and set sail down the Shannon River to safety. I'm not so sure if we'd be able to get two of every animal though....

In stores Christmas music is playing and signs are up saying Merry Christmas-no the Irish are not all PC and put things like Happy Holidays like us silly PC obsessed Americans. Don't get me wrong I'm all for being well mannered and not severely insulting people but a lot of people celebrate Christmas even if they aren't the same religion or even if it isn't for celebrating the birth of Christ. And let's be honest the majority of people in Ireland are Catholic or Methodist or Christian of some sort so they'd lean more towards Christmas anyway. I'm all for it actually because it means I don't have to stop mid sentence and be like oh yea Happy Holidays not Happy/Merry Christmas. Everyone is bustling about getting wrapping paper and gifts and I just wish I could be home making cookies and decorating the tree and watching little Christmas films. And dancing around the house to Christmas music. Yes I have one of those Christmas theme songs to dance to thanks to Harry Connick Jr called Happy Elf. I even have it as a ringtone on my phone. Though thankfully I don't get phone calls on that phone while I'm here so no one has to suffer watching my dancing. Or rather I don't have to suffer being looked at like an idiot. So says my sister and I'm sure my Mum secretly thinks the same but she at least is kind enough to just laugh at me and say I'm a goof. No I will not video tape said dance and show you I would like to retain some of my dignity at the end of the day. At least my singing is good enough not to be an embarrassment. That being said I keep walking around singing Christmas songs while washing dishes in the kitchen since it's the closest thing I have to Christmas at the moment.

I don't have snow or decorations because they're banned. Yes you read that right BANNED. Who bans decorations? Corrib Village. And during house inspection if they find it they will destroy it. I was very tempted to put up a note saying someone's being a bit Scrooge like this year aren't they.....but I can't be that mean to the little housekeeping lady. It's not her fault it's management. I know they don't like me very much anyway so there isn't any point in sending any more emails to them they don't care to listen to me. Yes I'm diplomatic about things when I email them but they just like to do the CYA with things. (CYA is a term my Dad told me a long time ago meaning cover your a$$). It's something I do myself by backing up my computer each day, but in the case of Corrib Village it's finding any loophole and jumping through it denying anything and blaming it on everyone but themselves. It's so bad that when I walk in to reception I get this look when my name is said to pick up some mail-'oh that's HER'. Of course it's the diplomatic yet won't stand for your rubbish lies American that you roll your eyes at and not my Irish roommate who has been in your office at least 8 times this semester to talk to you. Right. I see how it goes. But I kill them with kindness and it confuses them to the point as you walk out the door someone asks 'is that really HER? I mean it can't be she's just sweet as pie and doesn't have that diplomatic politic thing going on'. I'm sort of offended they think I can't be diplomatic and a very nice person and a student all at the same time. Sort of sad in a way. They must think I'm only 2 dimensional. Which is sad because I can do a lot of things and even after offering to help them with fixing the internet they still think I'm that way. Oh well they're loss to get free internet fixing labor.

On that note it's going to be a while before I get anything else posted. I'm slowly counting down the days until I am home-not because I hate Ireland I don't hate it I hate Corrib Village there is a difference. I just want to be home for the holidays, away from mold (I have waged war against it all semester and failed to destroy it), I'd like to have dry clothes for a change and I want to be around my family and friends again. I would also like snow and cookies. And I want my puppy back because it's starting to hurt walking past all the dogs and puppies on the river walk and not secretly wish mine was there. Though I'm sure if it was left to the puppies they'd follow me home since one of them always loves to say hi to me and have me throw the ball for them when I go to campus in the morning. They're all very sweet and friendly. I would also like to have my car back-I do love taking bus rides because I can read or sleep for a few hours but with the holidays they're getting to be very delayed with flooding and I want some cargo room to bring stuff with. ] I've passed about 20 spots I'd like to see but without a car that isn't going to happen. Sure I could walk but it's not light enough for me to walk there and back. I keep passing places in the bus scoping out a place I'd like a house. Yes I think a bit far ahead but that's how I do things whether or not it works out is another story entirely so I don't usually get my hopes up too far :) But I'd like a house here though teaching here would be very difficult let alone getting a teaching job here. I'd have to find some other job to do if I moved here. (I know my sister is about ready to throw something at me when she reads that especially if I don't take her with.) We shall see but for now I want to go back home to the place where all men are created equal and I can decorate my room for Christmas and not have it banned.

Until later....