Hi all! I've been having many requests for some details regarding my weekend to the Galway area with the photography society, so here I am! Friday evening we met at 5pm to leave from Cork. I didn't know anyone else going, so I was hoping to meet some new people to maybe chat with on the bus ride there (about a 4 hour drive straight through). While we were waiting, a German girl named Luby came up to me and asked me if I were alone too. We ended up sitting together on the bus and generally hanging out a lot over the weekend, which was fun.
So, anyway, ended up leaving Cork around 5:30pm. Took forever to get through all of the rush hour traffic though, so it was already 6:00 by the time we actually made it out of the city. We stopped after awhile at Bunratty Castle in County Clare, a great castle built in 1425. It was definitely dark by then, which was kind of a bummer, but they do keep the castle illuminated to some degree at night, and it was kind of fun trying out some nightime shots (of which I got a few decent ones). From there we just headed the rest of the way to Galway City. We got in fairly late (after 10pm) and so everyone just split up and got some dinner in small groups (I think we had 47 overall in the group that went on the trip). Luby and I ended up at a McDonalds... haha. However we did go to an (amazing!) crepe shop afterwards where we had coupons from the hostel for 20% off. Cheap AND delicious! We called it a night after that, since we were pretty worn out from the long bus ride.
Saturday morning we headed out around 9:30am by bus. The hostel we were at provided a simple, free breakfast of cereals and toast, which was convenient for a group as big as ours. Our plan on Saturday was to drive through a region called Connemara and make lots of photo stops. Our first stop was in the town, Cong, where the movie "The Quiet Man" was shot if you're curious. Very cute little town, with a great old abbey that we were able to look around a bit. It was pretty crummy weather though, lots of rain that wasn't agreeing with my camera. Did get a few nice shots though, and it was nice to see even if the photos didn't turn out great. From there we mostly just did a lot of touring of the countryside. Stopped at the Kylemore Abbey, a famous old abbey that is absolutely gorgeous, espeically with the fall colors around it right now. Again, crummy, crummy weather though. Some stops along the way were just unbearable. Freezing temperatures, heavy rain, and very high winds. Didn't make for the greatest site-seeing day, but oh well. Ended up back in Galway around 5pm, and everyone just did their own thing again that night (which meant I HAD to go back to the crepe shop just once more of course!!).
Sunday ended up being much better weather-wise. Very cold still, and some rain, but not nearly as bad as the day before. We drove through the Burren, a very particular landscape consisting of lots of limestone rock. Hard to explain, but very neat. Had some great, great, scenic stops, several of which were by the ocean. I was really glad to see the ocean so close again, even if the Atlantic did decide to attack my feet at one point and make them cold and wet for the rest of the day....
Yesterday afternoon then we got to see what I considered to be the highlight of the trip, the Cliffs of Moher. Really incredible. It was great too, because just when we got there it stopped raining for a bit and the combination of the sun trying to peak through with the rain clouds made the sky look gorgeous! Definitely a place worth visiting, and somewhere I'd like to get back to one day. The Cliffs were our last stop, and we headed back home and made it back into Cork around 7pm last night.
I think I hit the main points of the trip anyway. Aside from the miserable weather that one day, I had a great time and was so glad to be able to get to that area! Incredible, incredible, incredible!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A quick update
I've been very busy last week and this week (writing papers, etc.) but I realized it has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote and I wanted to get in a quick update.
My grandparents Carroll and Mary Jo came to visit me two weekends ago. It was so nice to see them, and I'm glad they were able to come! I hope I didn't bore them too much... I felt so bad for not having more ideas for things to do with them.
I've been trying to figure out what I'm doing with my time after classes are over, but before I head home on December 22nd. I really wanted to visit London and Paris, but didn't know how I felt about going on my own. I kind of realized though that one of the big pluses in coming to study in Ireland was that I'd be able to see some other parts of Europe, and I'd kick myself later if I didn't take advantage of that. So, over the weekend I booked some tickets. I'll be spending three nights in London, then taking a train from London to Paris and spending three more nights in Paris. I'm a little scared, yes, but I'm excited and know in the end I'll be just fine. It will be nice in London, because a woman I met this summer working at the ranch, Rita, has offered me a place to stay while I'm there. I'll be finding a hostel to stay at while in Paris.
In other news, I'm going to Galway for a weekend trip with the Photography Society this weekend. I've been really wanting to go to Galway, so I'm looking forward to it. I don't know anyone else going though, so I hope I can find someone to chat with or something on the bus rides.
Okay, that's really all I have time for now. Hope everyone is doing well. I've been a bit stressed and a little homesick, but I'm doing well.
-Hannah
My grandparents Carroll and Mary Jo came to visit me two weekends ago. It was so nice to see them, and I'm glad they were able to come! I hope I didn't bore them too much... I felt so bad for not having more ideas for things to do with them.
I've been trying to figure out what I'm doing with my time after classes are over, but before I head home on December 22nd. I really wanted to visit London and Paris, but didn't know how I felt about going on my own. I kind of realized though that one of the big pluses in coming to study in Ireland was that I'd be able to see some other parts of Europe, and I'd kick myself later if I didn't take advantage of that. So, over the weekend I booked some tickets. I'll be spending three nights in London, then taking a train from London to Paris and spending three more nights in Paris. I'm a little scared, yes, but I'm excited and know in the end I'll be just fine. It will be nice in London, because a woman I met this summer working at the ranch, Rita, has offered me a place to stay while I'm there. I'll be finding a hostel to stay at while in Paris.
In other news, I'm going to Galway for a weekend trip with the Photography Society this weekend. I've been really wanting to go to Galway, so I'm looking forward to it. I don't know anyone else going though, so I hope I can find someone to chat with or something on the bus rides.
Okay, that's really all I have time for now. Hope everyone is doing well. I've been a bit stressed and a little homesick, but I'm doing well.
-Hannah
Friday, October 17, 2008
Fitzgerald Park
There are plenty of days where the general state of our world sends me into a bit of a depression. Honestly, are we doomed to fail, or is there still some hope that everything might just be okay?
Then there are those other days. Days like today, where there’s not a leaf or a twig that seems out of place. Despite all of the evil and terrible things in the world, there is a light and airy feeling about that just makes me feel good again.
I’ve decided that Fitzgerald Park is a magical place for this. When I step through the gate, it’s as if I’m stepping into some incredibly cheesy and false world. But the great thing is, it’s not fake at all. There’s the young couple playing soccer with their small daughter and furry white dog, sneaking delicate kisses around the little girl so she won’t scrunch up her face at them. The brother and sister stomping around in the autumn leaves, completely consumed in their game and without another care in the world. The lovers leaning against a sturdy tree, embracing one another with knowing smiles. The elderly couple shuffling towards a park bench, hands fitted together as if they knew no other way.
The breeze catches my hair as I walk, sweeping it away from my face. I take a deep breath, exhale, and know that everything is going to be alright after all.
Then there are those other days. Days like today, where there’s not a leaf or a twig that seems out of place. Despite all of the evil and terrible things in the world, there is a light and airy feeling about that just makes me feel good again.
I’ve decided that Fitzgerald Park is a magical place for this. When I step through the gate, it’s as if I’m stepping into some incredibly cheesy and false world. But the great thing is, it’s not fake at all. There’s the young couple playing soccer with their small daughter and furry white dog, sneaking delicate kisses around the little girl so she won’t scrunch up her face at them. The brother and sister stomping around in the autumn leaves, completely consumed in their game and without another care in the world. The lovers leaning against a sturdy tree, embracing one another with knowing smiles. The elderly couple shuffling towards a park bench, hands fitted together as if they knew no other way.
The breeze catches my hair as I walk, sweeping it away from my face. I take a deep breath, exhale, and know that everything is going to be alright after all.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Change is a good thing, right?
So I'm beginning to bring back the tradition of forgetting about this blog I think, and for that I apologize to all my loyal readers (all... two of you?). ;)
The weeks here seem to be flying by, which I find odd as I haven't been extraordinarily busy. It's not that I've gotten lazy or anything, I swear, it's just the Irish way! The Irish are very laid back and I think live much less hectic lives in general than we do in America. The perpetual lateness thing still amuses me as well. The other day, a friend and I attempted to get breakfast at a cafe across the street from our apartment complex. The cafe was supposed to open at 9am, but the owners were just arriving a bit after 9, as we were, and didn't seem to think anything of the fact that they wouldn't be ready to actually serve any food for another half an hour. A completely typical example around here.
I am enjoying my classes for the most part. I think I'm enjoying my History of Irish Films class the most, although listening to my stereotypical Irish professor for my Irish Studies course go on about how the Germans boil children in soups is amusing too... My psychology class is a bit boring I think (not to be offensive, but I feel like psychology is one of those subjects where, at least in the lower level courses, half of the information is really just common sense). I started up my Irish Language class this week (three hours per week), which seems very fun but also very difficult. Irish is a very different looking language, and many, if not most words are not pronounced phonetically. There's also all kinds of strange rules about the structure of sentences. I keep trying to throw in some of my Spanish skills and knowledge, which as it turns out, just doesn't work.
This past week I've been keeping busy outside of class volunteering for the Corona Cork Film Festival. I was kind of hoping to get some shifts working at the venues of the films (tearing tickets is pretty darn easy), but instead I've been spending my time at the box office. It's actually been pretty fun though, and it kind of brings me back to my days of working at the Civic Center in Des Moines (a job I thoroughly enjoyed). Don't get paid of course (it is called volunteering for a reason I guess), but for every four hour shift that a volunteer works, he or she gets a free ticket to any film that is being shown. There are a ton of films put on by the festival, about 15 per day I would guess at various venues, lasting one week. Lots of variety, with everything from feature films, to shorts, to documentaries, to silent films. I've gotten three of my free tickets so far, and will be seeing the "Nightmare Before Christmas 3D" (lol, it was listed as a family showing, but who cares, right?), "Encounters at the End of the World", which is a documentary on Antarctica, and "Hunger", an award-winning feature film about the hunger strikes in Ireland. I'd also like to see some international shorts that are being put on, and maybe another documentary about a gay couple from Australia going to the U.S. to adopt children (the description says they adopted their children from Iowa actually).
I guess the other "big" news I have is that my plans for the end of the semester have been changed. My dear friend Emily, from Canada, is unfortunately unable to accompany me traveling around Europe in December. I was really disappointed, but things happen, plans change, and sometimes things just don't work out the way you wish they would. Of course, this meant things got a little difficult. My plane home has already been booked, leaving from Paris on the 4th of January. After spending the summer, and now fall away from home though, I quickly realized that if I wasn't able to spend Christmas in Europe with Emily, being at home with my family was where I wanted to be. Thinking about the possibility of having to spend the holidays here, alone (all my flatmates and friends are going home themselves), was not very easy. Luckily though, I have very understanding parents and grandparents. I was able to find a relatively cheap flight through Aer Lingus that will have me home on the 22nd of December. I am very relieved to have that flight booked, and am now working on figuring out what I want to do in the time between completing my classes here and heading home. I was extremely excited at the prospect of seeing Paris with Emily, and I would still very much like to visit there. I'm just hoping I'm strong enough to do something of that nature alone. Whatever happens, I have faith that things will work out just fine, because they have to, right?
I once read a quote that went something like this. "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end." It's a quote I like very much (being the optimist I am), and I know that even if my experiences here aren't exactly what I had planned, this is a trip that I will never forget or regret. And you know? Life is often more fun when it's not planned anyway. :)
The weeks here seem to be flying by, which I find odd as I haven't been extraordinarily busy. It's not that I've gotten lazy or anything, I swear, it's just the Irish way! The Irish are very laid back and I think live much less hectic lives in general than we do in America. The perpetual lateness thing still amuses me as well. The other day, a friend and I attempted to get breakfast at a cafe across the street from our apartment complex. The cafe was supposed to open at 9am, but the owners were just arriving a bit after 9, as we were, and didn't seem to think anything of the fact that they wouldn't be ready to actually serve any food for another half an hour. A completely typical example around here.
I am enjoying my classes for the most part. I think I'm enjoying my History of Irish Films class the most, although listening to my stereotypical Irish professor for my Irish Studies course go on about how the Germans boil children in soups is amusing too... My psychology class is a bit boring I think (not to be offensive, but I feel like psychology is one of those subjects where, at least in the lower level courses, half of the information is really just common sense). I started up my Irish Language class this week (three hours per week), which seems very fun but also very difficult. Irish is a very different looking language, and many, if not most words are not pronounced phonetically. There's also all kinds of strange rules about the structure of sentences. I keep trying to throw in some of my Spanish skills and knowledge, which as it turns out, just doesn't work.
This past week I've been keeping busy outside of class volunteering for the Corona Cork Film Festival. I was kind of hoping to get some shifts working at the venues of the films (tearing tickets is pretty darn easy), but instead I've been spending my time at the box office. It's actually been pretty fun though, and it kind of brings me back to my days of working at the Civic Center in Des Moines (a job I thoroughly enjoyed). Don't get paid of course (it is called volunteering for a reason I guess), but for every four hour shift that a volunteer works, he or she gets a free ticket to any film that is being shown. There are a ton of films put on by the festival, about 15 per day I would guess at various venues, lasting one week. Lots of variety, with everything from feature films, to shorts, to documentaries, to silent films. I've gotten three of my free tickets so far, and will be seeing the "Nightmare Before Christmas 3D" (lol, it was listed as a family showing, but who cares, right?), "Encounters at the End of the World", which is a documentary on Antarctica, and "Hunger", an award-winning feature film about the hunger strikes in Ireland. I'd also like to see some international shorts that are being put on, and maybe another documentary about a gay couple from Australia going to the U.S. to adopt children (the description says they adopted their children from Iowa actually).
I guess the other "big" news I have is that my plans for the end of the semester have been changed. My dear friend Emily, from Canada, is unfortunately unable to accompany me traveling around Europe in December. I was really disappointed, but things happen, plans change, and sometimes things just don't work out the way you wish they would. Of course, this meant things got a little difficult. My plane home has already been booked, leaving from Paris on the 4th of January. After spending the summer, and now fall away from home though, I quickly realized that if I wasn't able to spend Christmas in Europe with Emily, being at home with my family was where I wanted to be. Thinking about the possibility of having to spend the holidays here, alone (all my flatmates and friends are going home themselves), was not very easy. Luckily though, I have very understanding parents and grandparents. I was able to find a relatively cheap flight through Aer Lingus that will have me home on the 22nd of December. I am very relieved to have that flight booked, and am now working on figuring out what I want to do in the time between completing my classes here and heading home. I was extremely excited at the prospect of seeing Paris with Emily, and I would still very much like to visit there. I'm just hoping I'm strong enough to do something of that nature alone. Whatever happens, I have faith that things will work out just fine, because they have to, right?
I once read a quote that went something like this. "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end." It's a quote I like very much (being the optimist I am), and I know that even if my experiences here aren't exactly what I had planned, this is a trip that I will never forget or regret. And you know? Life is often more fun when it's not planned anyway. :)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Classtime
With what seems like a very late start, classes have officially started this week at UCC. I'll be taking a total of 5 courses for the semester. A class called "Irish Film History," which seems like it should be quite interesting; a psychology course called "Perception and Memory," a biology course entitled "Aquatic Biology," an introductory Irish language course, and a class just for international students that talks about a little of everything regarding to Ireland (history, customs, culture, language, people, etc.). I was going to take an Archaeology course instead of the Irish language course, but after my first class on Wednesday, I decided it just wasn't worth taking a class I didn't need if I'd be bored to tears in it! So overall, I'm happy with my classes now (although I haven't been to the biology course yet, as it is only for the second half of the semester).
I think classes in general in Ireland (or at least UCC) seem pretty similar to those in the states thus far. Perhaps a bit less organized, as seems to be the Irish way, but lectures seem just about the same. Contrary to universites in the states however, Irish classes are much more "go at your own pace." There are very few assignments throughout the semester for most courses (or "modules" as they are referred to here), and the end grade is almost entirely based on an end-of-the-year exam or essay. I'm actually glad to not be staying the entire year, as final exams for all courses (whether they were taken first semester or second) are taken over 4 weeks in May.
They had some fun activites going on this week though as it's the first week back ("Freshers Week"). On Sunday night, my flatmates and I went to an Irish dancing lesson with live music. Very fun, very tiring, and a bit more difficult than it looks! I was especially humbled when I paired up with an Irish student for one dance who has been doing Irish dances most of his life. On Wednesday and Thursday they had clubs and societies fairs going on, where you could visit all of the different booths and sign up for some activites. I plan on joining the Sciences Society, The Equestrian Club, The Badminton Club, and maybe the Photography Society if I have time. Last night we also went to see "Little Miss Sunshine," which was being shown in one of the lecture halls by the Film Society.
I'm not sure what the plans are for this weekend. I just got my hair cut quite short this morning (long hair was NOT suiting me well with all of this rain and humidity). I'll try to edit and add a picture in a bit here. I think that pretty much brings people up to speed though. Make sure to check out the link I added a couple of days ago to see some pictures. I've been having a horrible time trying to get pictures to upload here for some reason, so I have a lot more that I need to try to get up at some point as well.
Cheers!
I think classes in general in Ireland (or at least UCC) seem pretty similar to those in the states thus far. Perhaps a bit less organized, as seems to be the Irish way, but lectures seem just about the same. Contrary to universites in the states however, Irish classes are much more "go at your own pace." There are very few assignments throughout the semester for most courses (or "modules" as they are referred to here), and the end grade is almost entirely based on an end-of-the-year exam or essay. I'm actually glad to not be staying the entire year, as final exams for all courses (whether they were taken first semester or second) are taken over 4 weeks in May.
They had some fun activites going on this week though as it's the first week back ("Freshers Week"). On Sunday night, my flatmates and I went to an Irish dancing lesson with live music. Very fun, very tiring, and a bit more difficult than it looks! I was especially humbled when I paired up with an Irish student for one dance who has been doing Irish dances most of his life. On Wednesday and Thursday they had clubs and societies fairs going on, where you could visit all of the different booths and sign up for some activites. I plan on joining the Sciences Society, The Equestrian Club, The Badminton Club, and maybe the Photography Society if I have time. Last night we also went to see "Little Miss Sunshine," which was being shown in one of the lecture halls by the Film Society.
I'm not sure what the plans are for this weekend. I just got my hair cut quite short this morning (long hair was NOT suiting me well with all of this rain and humidity). I'll try to edit and add a picture in a bit here. I think that pretty much brings people up to speed though. Make sure to check out the link I added a couple of days ago to see some pictures. I've been having a horrible time trying to get pictures to upload here for some reason, so I have a lot more that I need to try to get up at some point as well.
Cheers!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Link to Pictures!
I will do a real update sometime tomorrow, but I thought I would post a link to some pictures I was finally able to get uploaded!!
Enjoy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30839479@N06/?saved=1
Enjoy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30839479@N06/?saved=1
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Kenmare, Killarney, and Dingle
Erin and I decided to explore a bit of the surrounding area in Southern Ireland these past few days. We have orientation at the university tomorrow and Friday, then classes start on Monday, so we figured we'd take advantage of some of this time off before then. Monday morning we took a bus from Cork to Killarney. Killarney is a very cute town just west a bit from Cork. It's especially nice because there is a large National Park that has entrances right from the city. After talking to a woman at the tourism office in Killarney, we decided to take the 2.6km hike to Ross Castle. We didn't want a very long hike, as we were both carrying normal backpacks that aren't really designed for long walking trips, and so a 45 minute walk to a castle sounded grand. Granted, we didn't know anything about this castle going into this hike, but hey, castles are cool, right? And indeed, we weren't disappointed. Ross Castle is quite cool indeed! It was a castle built in the 15th century, and although we didn't pay to take the tour of the inside, the outside is quite spectacular. It has a great view over a lake too (great place for a picnic, too bad we had eaten our packed sandwhiches in the parking lot at the tourism office).
After our lovely walk, we wandered back into the town center and looked around a bit. We were debating where we wanted to stay the night, and Erin suggested we go to a town south of Killarney called Kenmare, since I had been wanting to visit a town on the coast. On the bus we went again. Erin had been to Kenmare last week with her parents, and we discovered that Kenmare is probably more fun if you have a vehicle to get to all of the cool scenic spots. We did however take a nice walk down to the pier (well, it was nice aside from the fact that we got a bit lost trying to find it), and we enjoyed the view of the ocean (actually called the Kenmare River at that point since the land causes the ocean to narrow so much). We also visted a stone circle, which, for two euros, isn't as exciting as you might think. Yes, it is literally a circle made out of stones, in this case, 15 tones with a diameter of about 10 meters. Apparently, it is a 3000 year old structure that was used by people as a means of tracking the solstices and other calendar events. We found a nice pub to eat at that night (I had the "traditional" fish and chips) and we found a nearby hostel. We met two German girls who were hiking the Ring of Kerry and made us feel like whimps when we found out they had just been walking for nine hours!
In the morning we left Kenmare and headed to Dingle, the most western city of Ireland. Dingle was another place Erin had been with her parents, and we were hoping to get into contact with another American student she had met there last week, but we were unable to get into contact with him. All the same, we had a really great time in Dingle. After having a rather frustrating conversation at the tourism office with a woman who kept telling us about all of these amazing spots you could get to only by car, (even after we had told her we did not have a vehicle), we eventually found out about a nice foot path you could take along the coast. We found the path surprisingly easily (despite the fact that the term "path" is used very loosely to describe fields of grass with a faint line where the grass is slightly smushed down), and had a really great walk. We found a really neat old stone structure (an old tower or something?) and just enjoyed the amazing views of the ocean. The town itself is very nice as well, with lots of cute shops designed for tourists. After having a picnic of Subway subs for dinner, we found a really great hostel that was cheap, friendly, cute and cleanly, and even included a free breakfast of cereals and toast! Later that night we headed back to the main street and had the privelege of listening to some really great live traditional music. I also got my very first Guinness there (not my favorite thing in the world, but fairly tasty).
This morning then we once more caught a bus and made our way back to Cork. All in all, a quick, but very nice trip I think. I took quite a few pictures, and am trying to get them up, but both this site and facebook are not being very kind to me tonight! So I'll get them up as soon as I can. :)
After our lovely walk, we wandered back into the town center and looked around a bit. We were debating where we wanted to stay the night, and Erin suggested we go to a town south of Killarney called Kenmare, since I had been wanting to visit a town on the coast. On the bus we went again. Erin had been to Kenmare last week with her parents, and we discovered that Kenmare is probably more fun if you have a vehicle to get to all of the cool scenic spots. We did however take a nice walk down to the pier (well, it was nice aside from the fact that we got a bit lost trying to find it), and we enjoyed the view of the ocean (actually called the Kenmare River at that point since the land causes the ocean to narrow so much). We also visted a stone circle, which, for two euros, isn't as exciting as you might think. Yes, it is literally a circle made out of stones, in this case, 15 tones with a diameter of about 10 meters. Apparently, it is a 3000 year old structure that was used by people as a means of tracking the solstices and other calendar events. We found a nice pub to eat at that night (I had the "traditional" fish and chips) and we found a nearby hostel. We met two German girls who were hiking the Ring of Kerry and made us feel like whimps when we found out they had just been walking for nine hours!
In the morning we left Kenmare and headed to Dingle, the most western city of Ireland. Dingle was another place Erin had been with her parents, and we were hoping to get into contact with another American student she had met there last week, but we were unable to get into contact with him. All the same, we had a really great time in Dingle. After having a rather frustrating conversation at the tourism office with a woman who kept telling us about all of these amazing spots you could get to only by car, (even after we had told her we did not have a vehicle), we eventually found out about a nice foot path you could take along the coast. We found the path surprisingly easily (despite the fact that the term "path" is used very loosely to describe fields of grass with a faint line where the grass is slightly smushed down), and had a really great walk. We found a really neat old stone structure (an old tower or something?) and just enjoyed the amazing views of the ocean. The town itself is very nice as well, with lots of cute shops designed for tourists. After having a picnic of Subway subs for dinner, we found a really great hostel that was cheap, friendly, cute and cleanly, and even included a free breakfast of cereals and toast! Later that night we headed back to the main street and had the privelege of listening to some really great live traditional music. I also got my very first Guinness there (not my favorite thing in the world, but fairly tasty).
This morning then we once more caught a bus and made our way back to Cork. All in all, a quick, but very nice trip I think. I took quite a few pictures, and am trying to get them up, but both this site and facebook are not being very kind to me tonight! So I'll get them up as soon as I can. :)
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