I'm finally done with essays and exams until January! Although I SHOULD be studying for those January exams... but for now, I'm on Christmas holiday!
Last weekend we didn't end up going to Galway; we'd decided that we had too much to do. But on Saturday, Colin, Katie, Elizabeth and I took a little day trip to a seaside town on the Irish sea called "Howth." (That rhymes with "both.") It was soooo cold that we didn't even go on the cliff walk that we'd gone there to see, but we still had fun walking around the town and taking pictures of the boats and lighthouse and sea. We even saw a few seals that came up to the edge of the pier to smile for the camera! We had fish and chips and icecream, coffee and dessert in two little shops in the main street, and I bought a few books for myself (for Christmas presents) at a little book sale we ran into. All in all, it was a fun day. Cold, but fun. We were beat when we got back, so we all relaxed together and watched a movie in my room.
Last week, since I didn't have any more essays, I just spent lots of time with my friends that were only here for the first semester-- especially Colin. We went to Dublin a few times, and Saturday Katie and I had brunch with Elizabeth's family! It was so cool to meet them since we've heard so much about them! And on Tuesday I was fortunate enough to be able to experience the NUIM Carol Service. The director of the play I was in got me a ticket! You usually have to reserve a ticket like six months in advance because it's so popular. The service was in the college chapel, and it was absolutely beautiful.
Elizabeth, Jackie and I booked our tickets for Italy this week too! Elizabeth and I are leaving for Turin January 26! We are staying with my friend Caitlin from leadership camp (she's in Asti staying with a family there until February). Then we meet Jackie in Venice on the 30th and spend a few days there until we return to Maynooth February 3rd for lectures to start on the 4th. It will definitely be a whirlwind, and I'm SOOO excited! Venice is the one city that I HAVE to see before I leave this continent. And I'm also really excited to see Caitlin and stay with a family again (like we did in Germany).
I got a haircut yesterday, which I love. My favorite part, I think, was the 15 minute long hair wash. They have separate people at the salons here that just wash hair, and there is a massage chair for you to relax in while you're getting your hair washed. Then, when you sit down, they offer you tea or coffee. (I didn't have any because I don't like tea or coffee, but it sure was fancy!) Then last night Colin took me out to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Maynooth. We had a lovely evening before I had to say goodbye to him... (we also watched Slapshot in which Paul Newman was lookin' dreamy!!!)
It was so sad to say goodbye to everyone this weekend, and now I'm in my apartment, alone on Christmas. It's pretty sad, but pretty soon I'm going to call home where my whole family is, warm by the fire. I can't wait for them to get here. It just doesn't feel like Christmas without family...
Howth pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125772&l=d4ca9&id=5619987
Haircut, and the last week with everyone here:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2125802&l=65842&id=5619987
Monday, December 24, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Castles, Whiskey, Waves, and Sleepovers
Last weekend almost everyone left the country except me, Elizabeth, Jackie, Missy, Tom and Collin. Lots of the girls went to Scotland, and Katie went to France to visit her family there. We were going to go to Rome to visit my friend Lisa, but I had dress rehearsals for the play over the weekend.
After rehearsal on Friday night I had everyone that was left here over for pizza and chocolate cake at my place. Elizabeth and I ran into our German friend Andi on the way to the store, and we invited him to come too! It was fun just chilling and eating pizza. Then Andi dragged us along to a party at his friend's flat with a bunch of international kids. We went for a bit and chatted with some French and German kids before coming back to my place to watch Love Actually (which my sister sent to me for my birthday-- thanks, Katie!) Saturday I had rehearsal again for my play (to which my two castmates arrived about a half an hour late), and after rehearsal I went to Brady's with my director, Will, and my castmates, Richard and Thomas. The boys had coffee, and I had a water, and we sat around and chatted for while. Thomas left after a little bit, and then it was late enough for the boys to start drinking, so they started in on the pints. After they had a pint in them, they started telling me old Irish man stories. I can't even describe how they told these stories, but it was hilarious! Also, they made me try whiskey. It sure does warm you up!
On Sunday we had rehearsal again, and at this point the boys still didn't have their lines memorized. Needless to say, I was worried and stressed out. But it all came together in the end. The show on Monday was okay... I was just glad to have one show out of the way and just one more to go. There weren't many people there to watch us, but the whole front row was filled with my friends, which made me happy :) And after the show we went to Supermacs for some burgers and fries-- not quite the same as Denny's, but it worked...
Tuesday we went to see Katie and Jackie in their plays (which were fabulous!) Then Supermacs again for some junk food (can't have a performance without some food after, right?)
The show on Wednesday went SO MUCH better than on Monday! We still missed a few lines here and there, but Thomas and Richard did so much better! I was so relieved to have it over. Will, Richard, Thomas, and some of the people from the other plays had a cast party at Caulfield's, but I went with a few of my SMC chicks to Brady's for Missy's last night in Ireland. (She left Thursday to go home early). Lots of our Irish friends came (and our German friend Andi), so we had lots of fun! I even got two dates out of the evening... but that's another whole story in itself...
We carried Missy back to my apartment, and then decided we were all craving french toast. So, I taught Andi how to make french toast, and he helped me make it for everyone. It was so cute: me teaching our German friend how to make french toast. I don't know if he liked it that much, but it definitely hit the spot for the rest of us!
That night we had to say goodbye to Missy! It was so sad to see her go, but at the same time, it was so hard to wrap our minds around the fact that she was actually going home, that it made it a lot easier to say goodbye.
On Thursday, Elizabeth, Katie and I went into town to have lunch at the Confectionary. It was delightful, and such a charming little cafe. Thursday night Elizabeth and I sneaked into Katie and Jackie's show and then went out with the cast after to Caulfield's for the cast party. I got to talk to a few of the other Drama Society kids that I hadn't talked to before, so that was fun. But we left a little early, went to Dunnes, got some Doritos, and came back to watch a movie.
Friday morning we had our last history lecture before the exam and paper is due. Then Friday night after we ordered pizza I stayed in to pack and clean and start my history paper (although that history paper thing didn't really happen).
Saturday morning we all arose early to leave for Northern Ireland at 7.00! After about a 4 hour drive, we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast (I hadn't had McDonald's in a LONG time), and then back on the bus to head to Dunluce Castle. Dunluce Castle is one of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. It is first documented in the hands of the McQuillan family in 1513. The castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops either side, which would have been a very important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood. It was really cold and windy out that day, but exploring the castle ruins was really cool. And the castle was on the ocean, which made it extra beautiful.
After freezing our bones at the castle, we headed to Bushmills Distillery to warm up. Bushmills is produced, matured, and bottled on site at the Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. As well as producing the world famous Bushmills whiskey, the distillery is a popular tourist attraction, and has around 110,000 visitors per year. After touring the factory and learning how they ferment, distill, store, and bottle whiskey, we ended the tour at the bar where we all received our free whiskey. I got a hot toddy. Hot toddy is a name given to a mixed drink that is served hot. It's made with whiskey and spices, and it wasn't all that bad. It tasted very Christmas-y, and it definitely warmed me up!
We stayed in a hostel in Bushmills that night. The hostel was really nice, and we all had a big lasagna dinner together. After dinner, we all helped do the dishes and then played card games with our bus driver, Eugene. We danced in the Kitchen, and Rosie and Autumn even tried to teach me some Irish dance. It was so much fun, and the atmosphere just really made me feel like it was Christmas.
Jackie, Elizabeth, Katie and I had our own room at the hostel, and after singing country songs in the dark for a few hours, I said "Bloody Mary," and Jackie freaked out, so we put all our mattresses on the floor and had a sleepover! We stayed up later than we should have, but it was a blast!
The next day, we woke up, had some breakfast in the hostel kitchen, and set out for Giant's Causeway. The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. During the Paleogene period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled rapidly, contraction occurred. While contraction in the vertical direction reduced the flow thickness (without fracturing), horizontal contraction could only be accommodated by cracking throughout the flow. The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today.
Legend has it that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. One version of the legend tells that Fionn fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Fionn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over Fionn and pretended he was actually Fionn's baby son. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the alleged father, Fionn, must be gigantic indeed. Therefore, Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by Fionn.
It was cold and windy, but we escaped the rain for the most part, and the rocks and the ocean were a beautiful sight to behold. Oh, and I even found 5 Alive in the tearoom at Giant's Causeway! I was SO excited! It tasted like home!
On the way home, we stopped at McDonald's, and we all got Happy Meals! I hadn't had a Happy Meal in FOREVER! It brought us all back to our childhoods...
This week I'll be busy writing my history paper that I haven't started and studying for my exam on Friday. It's going to be another busy week, but as soon as I hit Friday, I'm home free. This weekend we're planning on going to Galway to stay with some cousins of mine that live there, and next week will be fun and relaxing. And after next week, it will be Christmas, and then my family will be here! Yay! Can't wait!
Pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124350&l=a5ee3&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124796&l=be3d0&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124801&l=cf5fe&id=5619987
After rehearsal on Friday night I had everyone that was left here over for pizza and chocolate cake at my place. Elizabeth and I ran into our German friend Andi on the way to the store, and we invited him to come too! It was fun just chilling and eating pizza. Then Andi dragged us along to a party at his friend's flat with a bunch of international kids. We went for a bit and chatted with some French and German kids before coming back to my place to watch Love Actually (which my sister sent to me for my birthday-- thanks, Katie!) Saturday I had rehearsal again for my play (to which my two castmates arrived about a half an hour late), and after rehearsal I went to Brady's with my director, Will, and my castmates, Richard and Thomas. The boys had coffee, and I had a water, and we sat around and chatted for while. Thomas left after a little bit, and then it was late enough for the boys to start drinking, so they started in on the pints. After they had a pint in them, they started telling me old Irish man stories. I can't even describe how they told these stories, but it was hilarious! Also, they made me try whiskey. It sure does warm you up!
On Sunday we had rehearsal again, and at this point the boys still didn't have their lines memorized. Needless to say, I was worried and stressed out. But it all came together in the end. The show on Monday was okay... I was just glad to have one show out of the way and just one more to go. There weren't many people there to watch us, but the whole front row was filled with my friends, which made me happy :) And after the show we went to Supermacs for some burgers and fries-- not quite the same as Denny's, but it worked...
Tuesday we went to see Katie and Jackie in their plays (which were fabulous!) Then Supermacs again for some junk food (can't have a performance without some food after, right?)
The show on Wednesday went SO MUCH better than on Monday! We still missed a few lines here and there, but Thomas and Richard did so much better! I was so relieved to have it over. Will, Richard, Thomas, and some of the people from the other plays had a cast party at Caulfield's, but I went with a few of my SMC chicks to Brady's for Missy's last night in Ireland. (She left Thursday to go home early). Lots of our Irish friends came (and our German friend Andi), so we had lots of fun! I even got two dates out of the evening... but that's another whole story in itself...
We carried Missy back to my apartment, and then decided we were all craving french toast. So, I taught Andi how to make french toast, and he helped me make it for everyone. It was so cute: me teaching our German friend how to make french toast. I don't know if he liked it that much, but it definitely hit the spot for the rest of us!
That night we had to say goodbye to Missy! It was so sad to see her go, but at the same time, it was so hard to wrap our minds around the fact that she was actually going home, that it made it a lot easier to say goodbye.
On Thursday, Elizabeth, Katie and I went into town to have lunch at the Confectionary. It was delightful, and such a charming little cafe. Thursday night Elizabeth and I sneaked into Katie and Jackie's show and then went out with the cast after to Caulfield's for the cast party. I got to talk to a few of the other Drama Society kids that I hadn't talked to before, so that was fun. But we left a little early, went to Dunnes, got some Doritos, and came back to watch a movie.
Friday morning we had our last history lecture before the exam and paper is due. Then Friday night after we ordered pizza I stayed in to pack and clean and start my history paper (although that history paper thing didn't really happen).
Saturday morning we all arose early to leave for Northern Ireland at 7.00! After about a 4 hour drive, we stopped at McDonald's for breakfast (I hadn't had McDonald's in a LONG time), and then back on the bus to head to Dunluce Castle. Dunluce Castle is one of the most extensive ruins of a medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. It is first documented in the hands of the McQuillan family in 1513. The castle is dramatically surrounded by terrifyingly steep drops either side, which would have been a very important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood. It was really cold and windy out that day, but exploring the castle ruins was really cool. And the castle was on the ocean, which made it extra beautiful.
After freezing our bones at the castle, we headed to Bushmills Distillery to warm up. Bushmills is produced, matured, and bottled on site at the Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Old Bushmills Distillery is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. As well as producing the world famous Bushmills whiskey, the distillery is a popular tourist attraction, and has around 110,000 visitors per year. After touring the factory and learning how they ferment, distill, store, and bottle whiskey, we ended the tour at the bar where we all received our free whiskey. I got a hot toddy. Hot toddy is a name given to a mixed drink that is served hot. It's made with whiskey and spices, and it wasn't all that bad. It tasted very Christmas-y, and it definitely warmed me up!
We stayed in a hostel in Bushmills that night. The hostel was really nice, and we all had a big lasagna dinner together. After dinner, we all helped do the dishes and then played card games with our bus driver, Eugene. We danced in the Kitchen, and Rosie and Autumn even tried to teach me some Irish dance. It was so much fun, and the atmosphere just really made me feel like it was Christmas.
Jackie, Elizabeth, Katie and I had our own room at the hostel, and after singing country songs in the dark for a few hours, I said "Bloody Mary," and Jackie freaked out, so we put all our mattresses on the floor and had a sleepover! We stayed up later than we should have, but it was a blast!
The next day, we woke up, had some breakfast in the hostel kitchen, and set out for Giant's Causeway. The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. During the Paleogene period, Antrim was subject to intense volcanic activity, when highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form an extensive lava plateau. As the lava cooled rapidly, contraction occurred. While contraction in the vertical direction reduced the flow thickness (without fracturing), horizontal contraction could only be accommodated by cracking throughout the flow. The extensive fracture network produced the distinctive columns seen today.
Legend has it that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. One version of the legend tells that Fionn fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Fionn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over Fionn and pretended he was actually Fionn's baby son. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the alleged father, Fionn, must be gigantic indeed. Therefore, Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway in case he was followed by Fionn.
It was cold and windy, but we escaped the rain for the most part, and the rocks and the ocean were a beautiful sight to behold. Oh, and I even found 5 Alive in the tearoom at Giant's Causeway! I was SO excited! It tasted like home!
On the way home, we stopped at McDonald's, and we all got Happy Meals! I hadn't had a Happy Meal in FOREVER! It brought us all back to our childhoods...
This week I'll be busy writing my history paper that I haven't started and studying for my exam on Friday. It's going to be another busy week, but as soon as I hit Friday, I'm home free. This weekend we're planning on going to Galway to stay with some cousins of mine that live there, and next week will be fun and relaxing. And after next week, it will be Christmas, and then my family will be here! Yay! Can't wait!
Pictures:
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124350&l=a5ee3&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124796&l=be3d0&id=5619987
http://nd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124801&l=cf5fe&id=5619987
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