Day 16: It's Always Sunny in Dublin (...well at least this weekend)

Where, you tend a rose, my lad, A thistle cannot grow.
-Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

There was a heatwave in Dublin today! At one point I heard it got up to 50 degrees and it stayed sunny all afternoon. Tomorrow is supposed to be just as pleasant which is great because I'm going to Wicklow with some of the girls. I can't wait to get out of Dublin for a bit and explore the country. Although there is still plenty of this city to discover...

Here is my apartment building. I think it's actually a converted hotel from like the 60s, that's how it appears from our bathroom and the general setup.

This is Fitzwilliam Square, basically right next to my apartment building. The giant Georgian townhouses that surround it were home to some of Dublin's boldest and brightest (and richest) at the turn of the century. I'm very curious about the square because it's tended to constantly but the sign on the gate says "Private Garden." So, obviously I just assumed it was the Secret Garden.

So far this is my favorite Dublin door, it faces Fitzwilliam Square.

Three shots from St. Stephen's Green, a popular place on sunny days!

I have all my classes at this building on Aungier Street. It's actually very new and technologically advanced! The library is top notch.

Here is the shopping center at St. Stephen's Green. It's like the Short Hills mall in New Jersey and the Crystal Palace had a baby. That big circle in the middle is actually a glass clock.

Off to bed, I have to get rested for all the "wild" adventures tomorrow.

Day 15: Drenched Dublin

The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency.
~Susan Allen Toth, England For All Seasons


There's a new fashion trend in the Dub and I think I originated it when I got here a week ago on a drizzly day...

I call it the drowned rat.

It was pouring today, but that's Dublin for you! Thankfully I'm prepared, a gander mountain waterproof jacket from Dad, a stylin umbrella from Grandma and Papa Dolan and a waterproof bookbag from Grandma and Grandpa Dixon. My family has outfitted me well for the battle!

It's just a little water, that never hurt anyone...well, I can think of one exception but Dorothy didn't do it on purpose.

Last night we went out to Dicey's Garden again last night for the two euro drink specials, but this time I took more friends! Norah and Mae joined me and my new roommate Abby along with the Canadians (including the Canadians over the Liffey) and a whole slew of other international kids we've come across! I couldn't walk around the club without running into someone I know which was cool/strange.

Also Lady Gaga was in town last night...

It took a lot of practice to get that shot!

This is Mae, she lives in Norah's building and also goes to Trinity. She's a history and English major. The girl on the right is Abby my new roomie from Pittsburgh! She's doing an internship in the Dub and taking online classes at Pitt.

It was another fun night, but now I'm realizing how few pictures I have of actual Dublin!! Vanity has got the best of me!

However, this Saturday Norah, Mae, Katie (Mae's roomie), Abby and I are taking the "Wild Wicklow Tour" to the Wicklow mountains. I'm so jazzed to get out into the country, I want to explore as much of Ireland as possible so I have lots to show mom!

Day 13: Back to school

A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. ~Theodore Roosevelt

Classes started yesterday at Dublin Institute of Technology and I'm already thrilled! No sarcasm! I'm taking all electives this semester so my schedule is basically filled with candy and I'm ready to dig in. The schedule looks as follows:

Monday: European Politics 10-11am and 2-3pm

Gaelic 5-6pm

Tuesday: Irish Cultural Studies 4-6pm

Wednesday: Critical Examination of Popular Culture 9-11am

World Cinema 3-5pm

Thursday: Irish Media History 2-4pm

I purposefully picked classses that I probably wouldn't be able to compare to Seton Hall courses, I want something completely different! European Politics was good yesterday, but intimidating! I'm barely passing on US politics, so this is definitely out of my comfort zone. Gaelic was terrific though, I can tell I'm going to love that course! I'll try to wow you all with some dialogue later, i can now say hello, ask someone how they are, and introduce myself. Handy.

Because Kate said I was boring, I'm going to give the going out pictures first! This one is from O'Donaghue's a pub a few blocks away from my apartment and a local favorite!

The redhead guy with the chicken was named Connor and was the band's singer. He was asking us about the states and telling us about how he lived in Australia for awhile before coming back to Dublin. The two older men alternated between guitar, banjo, fiddle, and accordian, very talented guys! They sang so many songs I know like "Ferryman," "Dirty Old Town," "Tell Me Ma," "7 Drunken Nights" and "Black Velvet Band" just to name a few! They were impressed/freaked out that I knew all the words.

Moving away from the pub and into the clubs, here are a couple pictures from last Wednesday's night at Dicey's Garden. The club is half indoor, half outdoor and about a 5 minute walk from my apartment with 2 euro drink specials.

Mirror Ceiling

The classy ladies to the left of yours truly are Marie and Froila, both from Toronto and studying hospitality management at DIT. Less classy and to the right is Erica, my four day fake roommate, and a random Irish kid that was hanging by the bathroom and wanted to jump in the picture. At least its a good picture of me!

Now on to my more domestic pictures, Kate you can stop here if you like.

First, I got this coat from a vintage store called the Harlequin off of O'Connell street for only 15 euro. It's just my size and all wool, so I've been keeping warm on those late walks back from school.

One thing I love about Dublin is the baguettes! Kind of ironic, I know, but they're always so fresh and cost about 30 cents. So, this morning I bought one and made myself an egg and mushroom sandwhich with American cheese and fresh ground pepper.

And of course, what meal is complete without a cup of tea? Fresh bread always makes me feel like I'm eating like a king!

I also bought some "shorties," shortbread cookies and tried them with peanut butter and pure honey. I think I just found my favorite dessert! 3 euro for a weeks supply (that is if I don't eat a week's supply today!)

More to come soon!

Just because Kate said my post was too tame...

Here's me drinking some fantastic Bulmers at a local pub!

Day 4: Delicious Dublin

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti

I must say one of the best things about Dublin so far is the food! The first night I met up with Norah she made a fantastic soup using all fresh ingredients from the market (she is far more gifted in the culinary arts than I). One of my favorite parts of the meal was a loaf of honey rye bread and butter, the bread here is just fantastic! Even the cheapest loaves taste like they're from panera, and so fresh!

Here is my grocery loot from a couple days ago

Notice how tiny and cute and impractical the milk sizes are? Dairy products expire in like three days here, as Missy informed me before departure, because they don't use the same preservatives as American food.

I've been eating the porridge and soup the past few days for every meal I've eaten here, the soup is especially good if you add a little milk and cut up some fresh carrots!

Fruit and fibre is fantastic! It tastes like cobbler cereal! It's like raisin bran, but in addition to raisins there are also dried apples and bananas, quite excellent.

But here's my lifesaving favorite...Panda Butter!

It says "American Style" right on the label, and it is pretty convincing! I've tried to avoid just eating it straight out of the jar like I do with Skippy and Jiff!

Catching up with Norah has been fantastic, we've done a lot of bonding at this coffee shop by her apartment and my school called The Bald Barista. It's owned by a (bald) Australian who likes to call everyone "gorgeous." He's also a fantastic artist as evidenced by Norah's latte and my white mocha...

Last night I had my first taste of Indian food, in Ireland nonetheless, and today Norah and I tried a fish and chips place literally right around the corner from my apartment. They have a five euro fish and chips takeout special, I'm already looking forward to Lent Fridays.

All these fantastic ingredients and meals have got me inspired to whip up something creative in the kitchen, maybe I'll look up a soup recipe or go all-out crazy and get some walnuts for my porridge. We'll see.

Tonight I went to Whitefriar church. The 7pm mass isn't too popular, probably because there wasn't any music and the pews are extremely uncomfortable. They somehow designed them so you HAVE to sit up straight, its an engineering miracle probably patented by the Catholic church.

Day 1: Just Touched Down in Dublin Town

There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror. - Orson Welles

Thankfully my travel experience was mostly just plain boring. From Pittsburgh to JFK, and then the 7 hour flight from JFK to Dublin went swimmingly. I had two seats to myself and attempted to maneuver myself into something resembling a common sleeping position, but only succeeding in partially falling into the aisle as a man rocking his baby walked by. I opted out of the in-flight movies, read an Irish Times, surprisingly enjoyed the pasta and mimicked rest for four hours.

I was relieved this afternoon once I was completely moved into my apartment, even if my closet doesn't have a bar in it to hang things up. I like my band tees perfectly uncreased. Seriously, I did bring one nice outfit that deserves a hanger!

Besides that, the room is pretty nice. I'm the first of four to arrive. Plans changed, I was supposed to just have one roommate but now there's four and I'm actually kind of excited. Let's be serious, I don't have friends right now so being forced to socialize with two more people isn't a bad thing. I'm enjoying my night alone to settle in and watch Friends, Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother on ITV. So much for culture.

I walked over by St. Stephen's Green, which I can't wait to explore more. I got a pre-pay cell phone which will rarely be used, but I kept reaching frantically into my coat pocket thinking I lost my phone...oh, wait, I don't have one. Only 40 euros to replace that phantom limb. I had big plans of going to the market, but, alas, at 5pm I was ready for bed. I'm going to make it to at least 10pm!

The shower was interesting at first...
But I figured it out, it's actually kind of better than American showers because the bathtub and the shower head are separate water connections. That's what was tripping me up!

Rest of my room...



Off to see Norah!!