Global Citizen

February 24th, 2009:
Mardi Gras! Or as its called here in Ireland, Shrove Tuesday and also Pancake Tuesday (but we call it that at home too). We had a pretty relaxed evening celebrating with friends.

March 2nd, 2009:
It’s March already and the last week of classes within Hilary Term. I can’t believe we are finished with our second term already! Nothing too exciting this week as a bunch of us are finishing papers for classes and also getting ready and excited for St. Patrick’s Day!
Really looking forward to having my best friend from home, Jess, come and visit me for a few days!

March 9th, 2009:
Jess arrives! She’s only here for 3 days, so I am packing the best of Dublin in. Lucky for us, today was a bright and sunshine filled day so we toured around the South Side of Dublin where I gave a tour of Trinity, Grafton St., and we had a nice chat and stroll in St. Stephen’s Green. After that, I showed my best friend from the States my favorite Irish paintings by Lavery and O’Conor.  A nice tea time break and we strolled through St. George’s Aracde and walked through Wicklow Street. We also visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christchurch Cathedral and took pictures at Dublin Castle and City Hall. It was then time for dinner and a pint with some friends in The Ginger Man pub.

March 10th, 2009:
Another sunny day! Perfect for our tour of Wicklow countryside and Glendalough! We started our morning at 9.30 am at the Tourist Office, which is an old cathedral, and we drove just 25 minutes outside city centre and were welcomed by a beautiful view of Dublin. We could even see Customs House. Our guide gave us a quick history lesson reminding us of the Celts and St. Patrick. We then drove through the mountains and saw the purple heather and even spotted some Irish red deer. We took a break by Bray lake- the scene was breathtaking. Continuing on our tour we drove through the part of the mountains where the famous movie, P.S. I Love You, was filmed. Naturally, all of us girls enjoyed that. We took another stop with a view of Guinness Lake and saw the family estate right near it- quite impressive and the lake almost looks like the color of Guinness!

Our next stop was a nice pub for lunch- Lynam’s of Laragh- where we warmed up with some Guinness stew. Following lunch we visited St. Kevin’s Monastery and learned about the tower that the monks built which still stands; the door was built a few stories up, not at ground level, so the monks used a ladder to get into the tower, but it still stands today because it has a strong base- there’s no doorway at the bottom, so there’s an even distribution of the weight of the tower. We saw the cross at the entrance of the monastery where if one placed his hands on it and claimed sanctuary, he would have 40 days of safety with the monks, and after he could choose to live as the monks did or return to his fate in the outside. After viewing St. Kevin’s cross, the priests’ house, the cathedral, and the rest of the grounds, we ventured into Glendalough Park. Glendalough actually means “valley between two lakes” in Irish and we followed a beautiful trail where we saw the first and smaller lake and then took pictures of the sunny scene at the second bigger lake. We really lucked out with such nice weather! Our last stop before heading home was to take some more scenic pictures of a waterfall just outside of the park, where we also saw a sign for a small village called- Hollywood. That was pretty funny to see, but our tour guide informed us that in addition to the movie P.S. I Love You, a lot of other films, one including Braveheart, have been filmed in this Irish countryside and  can see why- its marvelous (hope you enjoy the pictures!)!

Again, met up with friends and took Jess around the famous Temple Bar, where we stopped for a pint of Guinness in Temple Bar and listened to some traditional Irish tunes.

March 11th, 2009:
I took Jess to see inside the Museum Building at Trinity- a hidden beauty- and then took her to see the Book of Kells and the Old Library, always a fun place to show off. Again, it was nice sunny day, so we took the DART south and visited Bray. We walked along the beach and climbed a hill and had another beautiful view of the Irish Sea and Bray. After a tea break, we went home and explored the North Side and Henry Street, finishing our day off with some chips (meaning fries) from Leo Burdock’s- the famous chipper here in Dublin. We spent the night with friends at O’Neils and had a goodbye pint. It was a quick three days, but we packed in Dublin and the countryside of Ireland. Another great thing about living and studying here is that I can be in the city, go to class, take a stroll to a café, and then whenever I want I can go relax and be in the quiet, beautiful countryside.

March 12th, 2009 –March 16th, 2009:
After saying goodbye to Jess, it was time for a rest for a few days and to finish some papers for classes. It was also an exciting time in Dublin because from today until Paddy’s day there would be events taking place all around Dublin: a special screening of Darby O’Gill and the Little People, at the Irish Film Institute, specials concerts at the Concert Hall, and even a treasure hunt for kids, to name a few things. St. Patrick’s Day would indeed by an experience and we were all looking forward to viewing the Parade and Matches at Croke Park. Little did I know I would have a great surprise that day as well.
Can’t wait to share that experience!

Cheers,
Megan

An early morning it was to get my brother on the bus back to the airport and a bit of a sad goodbye for me. But lucky for me, I had a nice dinner and show to look forward to with the Holy Cross group and Silvia.  I am really am so lucky to have the opportunity to see so many theater productions here in Dublin.  And in doing so, I compare it a lot to the theater I do back at Holy Cross and the theater I see in New York City.

We went to a new restaurant called Blas and we saw another production at the Gate theater called The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard. A pretty good show which made me laugh but also made me laugh to hear all the 60s American music playing because some are favorites of mine as well.

I can’t believe how fast the weeks are going! Before I know it, St. Patrick’s Day and then Easter will be here.

My brother arrives this morning!  I thought he would want a nap, but he was eager to be on the move and once again enjoy being in Ireland. Lucky for us, the Ireland vs. Italy rugby match was on and we met up with my brother’s old friends taking the Luas into Beechwood. It was a great afternoon, watching the match in their favorite pub.

The next day, I showed my brother all my favorite spots in Dublin as well as the important landmarks.  I pointed out the Book of Kells and the Old Library and we walked along Henry Street and of course Grafton. We ended the day in another favorite pub, The Ginger Man, (near Trinity) where we met up with Holy Cross friends.

Another day we strolled St. Stephen’s Green.

Another fun trip- CORK! We spent 2 days in Cork and visited friends at UCC. There were a couple of music events on as well and we went to see Charlie Paar, a bluegrass musician from Minnesota, in a pub called Crane Lane. Charlie Paar would also be playing in Dublin.

Back in Dublin on Thursday, we meet up with friends and showed my brother the Pav, Porter House, and Trinity favorite Doyles.

Friday we went to a concert on the North Side in a place called Twisted Pepper.  A different style of music- dubstep- but overall, I really liked it.

Saturday we watched some matches and Sunday was a visit to Howth.  Still love it there!  It was a sunny day and about 11 seals were swimming around in the harbor waiting for someone to throw them some fish.

Monday we took the Luas over to the big shopping center in Dundrum to look for the Irish rugby jersey worn in the 6 Nations matches that are on now.  It was funny to go to this “mall” because it definitely reminded me of the big shopping malls in the states and even more so of the New Jersey malls back home.  After some shopping for friends and family we took a break in Avoca café back in city centre and met with friends for dinner.

A weekend in Scotland! Fellow HCers and I visited other Holy Cross students studying at St. Andrews.  Personally, I had the easiest trip there- it’s a long story- but it was great to get a taste of the UK.
St. Andrews is beautiful and we saw the castle, the golf course, and the beach! Have some great pictures!  After touring around the favorite spots in St. Andrews (and wondering where Prince William used to live), we spent a day in Edinburgh.  Loved it! It was a few hours on the bus to Edinburgh from St. Andrews but it was great to see Scotland’s countryside.  It quite reminded me of Ireland’s countryside and the West. Once in Edinburgh, we walked the Royal Mile and took a tour The Palace of Holyroodhouse where we saw Mary, Queen of Scots living quarters and heard again her history. We took a picture underneath the arch at Edinburgh castle and stopped for tea at The Elephant House- the birthplace of Harry Potter! With the snow in the early afternoon, I was a little worried about my flight- but all was well. Once reaching Dublin, I again was excited to be back home. Handing the guard my passport and Garda card, she asked the normal questions: where I was studying and how long I’d be here and added “How do ya like it?” Glad to be back in Dublin, I must have had a huge smile on my face and responded: “I love it here!” To which she answered: “You’re not looking forward to June then, huh?” It was a nice reminder that Ireland and Dublin are places for me.

Another busy week. Had a nice lunch with our cultural advisor, Silvia to catch up after the holidays. Siliva had mentioned a few theater performances, so another friend and I went to see La Dispute playing in the Peacock Theatre- a smaller theater in the lower level of the Abbey Theatre. Quite an interesting show, but another thing I appreciate about living here in Dublin is the close proximity of everything.  This Friday I had a few classes, got together with friends at the Science Gallery Café, and then went to see the show.  It’s funny to learn how quickly you can discover a city and walking around with my friends, I realized how much I will miss being in Dublin after my year here.

My 21st birthday!  While, in US it’s maybe more exciting, it is still a fun birthday to celebrate here in Ireland and its quite popular in Ireland to have a big 21st celebration.  Some reasons as to why: 1. Some of my Irish friends told me that the hype use to be due to the fact that you would get keys to your own house (maybe not so popular these days…I don't know…). 2. It’s kinda like our Sweet 16 celebrations in the US.  3.  Who wouldn’t want a party thrown in their honor anyway?

So my day was great, got a new look, went to class and met up with friends at the Pav, where the Irish Society was having a conversation table and upon hearing that it was my birthday, I was treated to “Happy Birthday” sung in Irish.  Pretty fun!  I’ll get back to you on how to spell it properly when I hear back from my Irish friends.

After the Pav, I got ready to go out with friends for dinner at a great place in Temple Bar (the area, that is) called Elephant & Castle, another HCer showed us her favorite gelato place right around the corner, the next stop was Captain America’s ( I know, you can laugh, but our Irish friends rave about it) for drinks and meeting up with other friends, and last stop was another Trinity favorite, Doyles.  It was a pretty quiet night, however, being that it was a Monday, but a great 21st birthday just the same.

January 23, 2009
After recounting my guerrilla light night with friends during classes, it was time to celebrate a friend’s 21st Birthday and I meet up with my Irish friends and went to the favorite Friday night dance spot – The Palace.

January 24, 2009
Almost my 21st Birthday!!!  I was treated to a lovely surprise by my roommates and close friends- a cake with candles, some balloons and card to celebrate my 21st.

Lots of running around and I got an email saying that the time, day, and venue of a class had changed..  So quick, adjust!  I had a great time during coffee hour with the modern language society in between classes and after attended a Neuroscience seminar.  This seminar was really interesting as Dr. Paul Young was visiting from another Irish University (University College Cork) and he spoke about his SLICK method and neural circuits (to keep it short for ya).

The most interesting and funniest part of the day was between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.  I was a guerrilla!
A light guerrilla, that is!  At The Science Gallery on Trinity’s campus, also below my apartment, there are exhibitions every few months.  This month is LIGHTWAVE.  After coming from the neuro lecture and spotting a classmate we stopped to chat outside the Science Gallery and before we knew it we had agreed to volunteer 30 minutes of our time to explore the LIGHTWAVE gallery.  This is what we were told, but really it was a 3.5 hour experience, but fun all the same.  As part of the debut of this exhibition, there was a company that works to conserve light energy while also introducing ways to light buildings up at night for an aesthetically pleasing city.  Other cities in which they have their “guerrilla lights” on include London and Glasglow and a few others.

The purpose of the mission: light up Dublin.  So, my friend and I were given a badge (Team 2, Guerrilla 4) and followed our leader outside where we were handed “torches” (huge flashlights) and colored filters.  Our first stop was to light up Ulster Bank which faces the Liffey, there was a huge number of people watching this spectacle and of course it started raining once I was instructed where I was to hold my large flashlight for the next few minutes.  While each of us “light guerrillas” were put into position, photographers and videographers were capturing the scene.  A horn went off and we all turned our lights on, by the number of people stopping and staring, it must have looked pretty cool.  Our next stop was to then light up the front of Trinity College, by the Front Arch- I even got to stand on the grass in front of Trinity that you’re not allowed to stand on!  I know, doesn’t sound that huge of a deal-  but believe me, it is.

After being a bit freezing, yes, it was still raining, we joined the reception at the Science Gallery and were treated to drinks and starters.  Yum!  After that, our last stop was to light up St. Mark’s Church right across from the Gallery.  By that time, it was around 9 p.m and I was exhausted but thought what a random volunteer experience that turned out to be really interesting.  Had it not been for my neuro seminar, meeting my classmate and love for the Science Gallery, I wouldn’t have this funny story to tell.
FYI- the pictures of the buildings we lit up, may be on the web, so when I find them I’ll attach the link and be able to show which part of the buildings I lit up!  Haha.

A regular day filled with classes, but I joined another society – The Choral Society.  I was a part of HC’s choir and missed it and I thought since it’s a new term here at Trinity, I’ll start something new here as well.  Practices are fun and I met some new Irish friends and another American (we’re everywhere!).  I am excited about the piece we will be singing in the concert hall- Gabriel Faure’s “Requiem.”

I started my morning off by going food shopping, but instead of going to Dunnes, I crossed the Liffey and went to Tesco (I know – this story is thrilling, but…).  Along the way, I never realized that there’s a fresh fruit and vegetable market on the side street-which was fun to shop through as well.  I won’t always have to wait for the Sunday Market in Howth.

Later that night, I helped with costumes for the theater performance.  But the big thing to write about is—
the 44th Inauguration!

Just a little before 4 p.m., a few friends and I ventured off to The Pav, our campus pub, so we could watch the inauguration on TV.  It was great to see that Sky News had it covered already and we were watching it live.  What is more interesting was that there were a lot of Irish students there, waiting to watch it with us.  It was great to see the American flag, our political leaders parading through, the National Mall crowded with people.  It was a wonderful ceremony and I really loved the orchestral piece with Yo Yo Ma.  But by far, the best moment in the Pav that day, was when they announced Barack Obama’s name.  After announcing our President’s name, there was huge applause in the Pav – and being filled with more Irish than Americans, I felt really proud.  Some of us even became a little teary.  But to see that reaction, while being in a different country- to see and know that many respect your country and your new President, it was a great feeling and I felt a huge sense of pride, hope, and happiness.  I’ll always remember where I was on the 44th inauguration and what I felt- joyous and proud at the Pav, watching America, my country with a pint of Guinness in my hand.  : )