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....