The beginning!

Hi friends! I thought I might do this blog for me and you. I'll write in here often and try not to get caught up in anything too fluffy. This way, I don't have to inundate you with emails, but you can check up on my activities when you like!

Well, I've been in the love Emerald Isle about 16 days now. I came through an American program, so that I had orientation and other organized events with 11 other American students, all from different universities. On campus, however, we all live in different apartments with 4-5 other Irish and/or international students. I have 4 Irish female roommates, and though I thought co-ed living might be nice (most apartments are co-ed), I'm quite pleased with my relatively quiet and clean female companions! I don't actually see them all too often - most are here just monday thru thursday, and go home on the weekends. Most all Irish students at Irish universities do go home on weekends to be with family (and don't seem to do much/any work then either!) ... I really love that connection to family that is still so strong here. But yeah, the rundown - I have a nice spacious bedroom with private bathroom, and look out over some tennis courts and a bit further across the road to some lovely cottages... The apartments are on the North Campus. NUI Maynooth (that is the college that I am at) is split into two campuses - North and South. The north is relatively new, with on campus apartments, sports facilities, lecture halls, and student spaces. Across a small street is the South Campus, which was first founded as a seminary. The buildings of South campus are from the late 18th century! Fortunately, all my classes are on the beautiful South Campus, as it houses Music, History, and Theology, the three subjects I'm studying here.

Backtracking a bit... our group of 12 students had our 3 day orientation in Limerick, interestingly called "Stab City" by Irish folks. Sadly, one of our students also got pickpocketed his first night there, but he had a great attitude about it, and I would say that is not characteristic of Ireland at all!! A lover of music, I was super anxious to hear real irish music, and wonderfully, also our first night there, we went to a pub that had a great session (term used for when a bunch of musicians are together playing "traditional" irish music.. today sessions take place in pubs) going! Of course, I made sure we returned the next evening! Then we came over to Maynooth about 4 days before classes started. We were quickly made familiar with the laid-back attitude that is typical of people in Ireland. Many of us found mistakes had been made with our housing assignments, and me and a friend stayed a night in "guest accomodations" (in an upper floor of a georgous old building on South Campus) until they found a room to put us in! One also cannot expect to accomplish anything from 1-2, the hours that appear to be the national lunch time, and everything closes early and is closed on weekends. Wonderfully, Maynooth's campus library closes at 10 pm!!! Students here "work during the day"... (and they certainly do not work at night!).

I LOVE the village of Maynooth! It is mostly populated with maybe a few thousand folks. There is one Main Street, which is a 5 minute walk from campus. It has all one could need - groceries, banks, a pharmacy, and even a Supermacs (a superisingly amazing irish fastfood chain... i think the only fastfood chain in the country), and of course, at least 4 pubs... Just today, I walked past the 900 year old castle on the edge of South Campus and right on to Main St. to runa few errands, and made it back quickly with plenty of time to get to my next activity!