I’m done! The end! No more classes at UCC for me (hush yourselves Smart Alecs, I’ve been to more then one class!)…Handed in my last paper today and went to my very last class. Next week is study week, and then we have finals all through the month of May. I honestly can’t believe it’s almost May, that seems crazy. I guess this is the part of the “study abroad experience” that the brochures called “adaptation”. It’s when we all stop thinking this place is so weird and finally start to settle in and really live life in a different country. When we first landed on the Emerald Isle we couldn’t stop talking about what we were going to do when we got home, all the things we missed, all of the places we wanted to go out to eat, all of the people we couldn’t wait to see. We couldn’t shut up about how the cars were on the wrong side of the road (leading to many near misses while crossing streets), the food was funny (what do you mean you don’t have mac and cheese here?!), the professors were weird (did he really just tell us to take a 15 minute tea break?!). Heck I couldn’t figure out how to send text messages on my new phone for the first 3 weeks or so, and even when I figured it out it still felt funny- where were all the friends in my phonebook, I didn’t know ANYONE in Ireland! Ah!
But the thing is…nothing feels too terribly weird or foreign or bewildering anymore. I know my way around the UCC campus as well as I know my way around the U of I campus. I do a lot of the same stuff I do at home- homework in the library, going to movies and the mall with my friends, last week we attempted home made pizza in the flat. Some things are different, weekends for one. No Hawkeye football here. Last weekend we took the bus over to Limerick for the GAA Hurling finals. Had to be loud and proud in support of the GALWAY TRIBESMEN! I know I know, I'm living in Cork, but I was adopted in Galway, so my hurling loyalties lie now and forever with the Tribesmen. (If you have no idea what Hurling is as I suspect at least 95% of the people reading this don't, youtube it and prepare to be entertained). Anyway, other weekend stuff...we go to a lot of concerts, something I almost never do at home- Cork just has a really great free music scene if you know where to look. Class is a lot different. No assigned readings really, we’re meant to go to the library, and actually do research. What do you mean you’re not going to spoon feed us information?? Isn’t that what college is for?! It’s a different system that’s for sure, but I like it. Some weird twisted part of my brain likes hanging out in the library doing research finding the answer for myself instead of having a professor tell me what to think. I know…now that that comment is on the world wide web I’ll never live it down. I’m off to find a rock to hide under until the laughing stops.
But before I head off to find my rock to hide under, I feel I should address another point that concerns me greatly, I’ve been accused of using this web address to take the piss (or as we Yanks would say, “make fun”) of anyone and everyone I’ve come across in these last few months. So, to make up for my sometimes brutal sarcasm- some shameless promotion of a few of the people I’ve met here who have made me laugh, gotten me to dance, and are looking for as much exposure as they can get .
First up- Gary O’Toole. We met him on the bus to Limerick, this guy kept us entertained for two straight hours with his antics. He claims to be an actor, but having seen his film debut we’ll leave that to you to decide.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=890HXzyQT6A
Second- The Marvels. A Cork staple. I truly believe it is impossible to watch their act without jumping up to dance at some point. And you have to respect any guy with the guts to go out in public wearing that hat.
But the thing is…nothing feels too terribly weird or foreign or bewildering anymore. I know my way around the UCC campus as well as I know my way around the U of I campus. I do a lot of the same stuff I do at home- homework in the library, going to movies and the mall with my friends, last week we attempted home made pizza in the flat. Some things are different, weekends for one. No Hawkeye football here. Last weekend we took the bus over to Limerick for the GAA Hurling finals. Had to be loud and proud in support of the GALWAY TRIBESMEN! I know I know, I'm living in Cork, but I was adopted in Galway, so my hurling loyalties lie now and forever with the Tribesmen. (If you have no idea what Hurling is as I suspect at least 95% of the people reading this don't, youtube it and prepare to be entertained). Anyway, other weekend stuff...we go to a lot of concerts, something I almost never do at home- Cork just has a really great free music scene if you know where to look. Class is a lot different. No assigned readings really, we’re meant to go to the library, and actually do research. What do you mean you’re not going to spoon feed us information?? Isn’t that what college is for?! It’s a different system that’s for sure, but I like it. Some weird twisted part of my brain likes hanging out in the library doing research finding the answer for myself instead of having a professor tell me what to think. I know…now that that comment is on the world wide web I’ll never live it down. I’m off to find a rock to hide under until the laughing stops.
But before I head off to find my rock to hide under, I feel I should address another point that concerns me greatly, I’ve been accused of using this web address to take the piss (or as we Yanks would say, “make fun”) of anyone and everyone I’ve come across in these last few months. So, to make up for my sometimes brutal sarcasm- some shameless promotion of a few of the people I’ve met here who have made me laugh, gotten me to dance, and are looking for as much exposure as they can get .
First up- Gary O’Toole. We met him on the bus to Limerick, this guy kept us entertained for two straight hours with his antics. He claims to be an actor, but having seen his film debut we’ll leave that to you to decide.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=890HXzyQT6A
Second- The Marvels. A Cork staple. I truly believe it is impossible to watch their act without jumping up to dance at some point. And you have to respect any guy with the guts to go out in public wearing that hat.
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