In the time leading up to St. Patrick ’s Day, my Irish housemates kept telling me that Paddy’s Day was a bigger celebration in the states than in Ireland. “We’re Irish all year,” I heard more than once. There was even a commercial playing for months before advertising a contest to win the St. Patrick’s Day of a lifetime….in New York City. I then had to explain why I found it so funny…that everyone in the states wants to be here for Paddy’s Day.
So I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when March 17 rolled around. It was a Tuesday, and the university had no classes. I got up and went into Limerick city to see the parade with my friend Jaimee, another American. The parade was an interesting experience. It was 2 hours long, and there were a couple long breaks in the parade when we thought it was over. I could imagine the organizers of the precisely implemented Philadelphia Parade flipping out if any gaps that big cropped up. There weren’t as many floats as I’m used to seeing in parades. There was, however, a marching band from California. I also saw several rugby teams marching, which was very exciting for me!
After the parade Jaimee and I got green ice cream cones from a street vendor. We walked around the city for a while. A lot of shops and cafes were closed for the holiday, so we ironically ate Chinese food for lunch. I got texts from my housemates telling me to come back to Plassey (our student village). It was a beautiful day out, possibly for the first time all semester. It was sunny, without a cloud in the sky, and warm. Everyone in Plassey was outside, sitting on benches, duvets, and the ground. The boys were all excited to be wearing their shorts and were playing sports in the parking lot. It was arguably one of the best days that I’ve had this semester.
So all in all it was an interesting day. Not quite what it’s like at home, but still a great day. As it was pointed out to me, there aren’t as many decorations in pubs or public places, no one dyes any rivers green, and the parade in New York was probably bigger. Here they didn’t have to prove their “Irish-ness.” We just celebrated and had a good time.
Unrelated to Paddy’s Day, I’m leaving today for my spring break. I’m going with my friend Ali, who I’ve known since we were in kindergarten. She’s studying in London this semester. We’re meeting in Paris and spending the weekend there, then going through Italy (Venice, Rome, and Florence) and ending up in Barcelona for a few days on the beach. I’m really excited to get to spend time with a friend who I’ve known longer than a few months and for the experience! Ireland is the only place I’ve ever been outside of the states, so I’m really looking forward to our adventures. It’s also really great to be traveling with someone I know really well and who I’m comfortable with.
Well that’s it for now…and I promise I’ll post about my spring break adventures when I get back!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
A Month Already?
I can’t believe I’ve been in Ireland for a month. It seems like I just got here, and at the same time like I’ve been here for ages. I’m having an amazing time! I’m living in student housing at University of Limerick. I’m in a house with all Irish students. It’s great, but it was a little bit intimidating at first. They’re all really nice, and have been extremely welcoming. There’s 8 of us total. We each have our own bedroom with a sink in it. There’s a bathroom on each floor, so 4 of us share each bathroom. We also have a kitchen/living room area with a TV, fridge, freezer, oven, microwave and toaster. There’s no meal plan, so I’ve been grocery shopping and cooking my own meals. I’ve been keeping it simple, but it’s different than AU’s meal plan.
I’m loving my classes here. I’m only taking 4: Civil Liberties (a law class), Psychology and Social Issues, Irish Folklore, and Traditional Irish Music and Dance. The whole registration process is much, much different than at home. The Irish students don’t have any selection process. They pick a course (major) when they come in as first years, then their schedules are set for them. We international students got to go to whatever we wanted for the first 2 weeks. We didn’t have to turn in our registration until the end of week 2. The classes don’t fill up, which was really strange for me, since I’m used to fighting for class spaces. Overall it was more laid back than at home.
I’ve also discovered the Irish students don’t go to class very frequently. For most of the classes a final exam and maybe a paper make up your final grade. So attendance isn’t counted. The Irish students are also professional crammers. They’re used to massive cramming at the end of the semester. I haven’t missed my classes yet, but it’s strange when my housemates routinely skip their lectures.
I’ve also made some interesting food discoveries since I’ve been here. My housemates asked me what meatloaf was, and if we eat it in America. Apparently they’ve heard about it on TV, but didn’t know what it was. So I promised I would make them meatloaf before I go home. I also realized they don’t have macaroni and cheese, which I think it a crime! And the other night, I decided to make grilled cheese for dinner. A few of my housemates were in the kitchen, and as I started cooking it my housemate Laura just stared at me, and said, “Did you just put BREAD in a frying pan?!” “Umm…yes….it’s grilled cheese?”
She was totally baffled. My other housemate Niall came back while it was still cooking, and Laura announced that I put BREAD in a FRYING PAN. Again, I came back with, “It’s grilled cheese!” So then Niall wanted to know why I wasn’t cooking it on a grill if it was grilled cheese, and why it wasn’t called fried cheese. He then called me a crazy American. Now, I know I’m crazy, but not for putting bread into a frying pan!
They watch a lot of American TV shows here. My housemates watch more American shows that I do. I’ve watched Gilmore Girls, Friends, The Simpsons, One Tree Hill, 90210, Smallville, What Not to Wear…and the list goes on. It also means that when it comes to expressions, they tend to know more American expressions than I know Irish ones. But it’s a little disturbing at times to think that their views of America come from One Tree Hill and the Simpsons.
I’m loving my classes here. I’m only taking 4: Civil Liberties (a law class), Psychology and Social Issues, Irish Folklore, and Traditional Irish Music and Dance. The whole registration process is much, much different than at home. The Irish students don’t have any selection process. They pick a course (major) when they come in as first years, then their schedules are set for them. We international students got to go to whatever we wanted for the first 2 weeks. We didn’t have to turn in our registration until the end of week 2. The classes don’t fill up, which was really strange for me, since I’m used to fighting for class spaces. Overall it was more laid back than at home.
I’ve also discovered the Irish students don’t go to class very frequently. For most of the classes a final exam and maybe a paper make up your final grade. So attendance isn’t counted. The Irish students are also professional crammers. They’re used to massive cramming at the end of the semester. I haven’t missed my classes yet, but it’s strange when my housemates routinely skip their lectures.
I’ve also made some interesting food discoveries since I’ve been here. My housemates asked me what meatloaf was, and if we eat it in America. Apparently they’ve heard about it on TV, but didn’t know what it was. So I promised I would make them meatloaf before I go home. I also realized they don’t have macaroni and cheese, which I think it a crime! And the other night, I decided to make grilled cheese for dinner. A few of my housemates were in the kitchen, and as I started cooking it my housemate Laura just stared at me, and said, “Did you just put BREAD in a frying pan?!” “Umm…yes….it’s grilled cheese?”
She was totally baffled. My other housemate Niall came back while it was still cooking, and Laura announced that I put BREAD in a FRYING PAN. Again, I came back with, “It’s grilled cheese!” So then Niall wanted to know why I wasn’t cooking it on a grill if it was grilled cheese, and why it wasn’t called fried cheese. He then called me a crazy American. Now, I know I’m crazy, but not for putting bread into a frying pan!
They watch a lot of American TV shows here. My housemates watch more American shows that I do. I’ve watched Gilmore Girls, Friends, The Simpsons, One Tree Hill, 90210, Smallville, What Not to Wear…and the list goes on. It also means that when it comes to expressions, they tend to know more American expressions than I know Irish ones. But it’s a little disturbing at times to think that their views of America come from One Tree Hill and the Simpsons.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
