A Whole New World :)

First week at UL.. SUCCESS :) Figuring out my schedule was a mess.. their education system is a little different from ours, but everything worked out.  I'm taking a Traditional Irish Dance and Song class and I will be learning different Irish dances ;).. so excited!  Today we leave for our homestay.  Our Study Abroad program, Arcadia, set up this homestay for us.  We each go to a traditional, Irish family home for the weekend.  The family I am with has 6 kids, the dad is a farmer and the mom stays at home and they love Gaelic sports :). This opportunity will open our eyes to a whole new world, a new side of Ireland and the traditions they have created that are founded in family, love and of course Pubs :).  We will be able to experience the little things that we take for granted, that they cherish and hold dear.  Let's just say that after this weekend, I will have a whole new perspective on life :) 

 So the red hair and last name are really helping me fit in over here ;).  Eeryone I have met here thinks I'm from Ireland (because of my hair and Kennelly) until I talk and they hear my non-Irish accent haha.  But yeah, Kennelly is very very common here (it is spelled Kennally I think) but it's so cool to be sitting in class and have the professor say my name RIGHT for once in my life haha. I told people that I have family from Cork, and of course they have heard of Jordan and Carol because everyone knows everyone in Ireland, I love it. They people here are so nice, so welcoming and so great, it has been so easy to adjust.

The next big adventure, planning our trips!  London, Paris, Berlin, Spain, Italy/Greece, Scottland, Amsterdam.. EVERYWHERE!  More details to come!

-Red <3

Ps. Once you come to Ireland.. you won't ever want to leave... I promise.

"Travel Down the Road Less Traveled and You WILL Discover A Whole New World"

Lecturers, marks, modules... huh?

University of Limerick.. Beautiful! The campus has about 12,000 students and there are abour 500 international stuents added on to that each semester.  The campus is absolutely gorgeous. It is more in the country so the buildings are spread out, behind my apartment I can hear the cows mooing in the morning haha. Everyday we walked across this beautiful modern, twisty bridge over the Shannon river.. amazing walk everyday into the center of campus.  There are five villages on campus, we are in Cappavilla and in which village there are blocks, which are different sections of the villages and then there are about 8 apartments in each block.  Im in Lavender block, apartment 43 (first floor) and im in the first room.  In each apartment you enter the place and there is a hallway with three doors on each side (6 people to each apartment) then at the end of the hallway there is the living room and a kitchen.  In each room, there is a bathroom and shower, double bed, huge desk, and an open/walkin closet... pretty incredible :).  In the centre of campus, next to the campus, there is Stables club, the on campus pub haha. Also, there are about 4 restaurants and about 10 cafes.. almost one in each building.
As for classes, or as they call them, modules,.. oh boy... so crazy. In Ireland, students know what they are studying by the age of like 15.. then they take classes to prepare themselves for these areas.. (they don't come into college undeclared and really can't change their major..) Anyways, each student then pretty much has a pre-planned out schedule of classes that everyone in their major all follows in the same order..staying in their department.  Everyone has 5 modules a semester (15 US credits), no one has an easier load or heavier load, it is all the same. For each module, there are lectures taught by lecturers, not professors, and these lectures are twice a week and are not at the same time or in the same room.. Example, if you have english on Tuesday at 11 in the main building.. your other lecture that week may be on Wed. at 1 in the science building.. it changes every week. Confusing.. ah yeah! There aren't quizes, or tests, there are lectures, little discussion groups once every two weeks then your final is like 100% of your grade.. usually a long essay/paper.  I guess Irish students are lazy and never go to class haha.. so this will be interesting.  This place is so amazing, I almost feel at home :)

Cheers!
Word of the day: Slagging.. just teasing (Irish people are slagging ALL THE TIME!)

The Life of an Irish Man (and women and children haha)

PUBS.. most know them as a place to go and just drink pints of Guinness, however, today I learned that Pubs are an Irish social setting, like coffee shops to Americans.  Families will go here after mass, after sporting events, for dinnner, just about anywhere in Ireland and any time of the day.  Today, we took the Dublin tour bus all around Dublin.  We visited all of the major sights and people watched like no ones business haha.  At each sight, you can get off and walk around and 10 mins later a new bus will pick you up, well, my new friends and I decided that we could find the next sight on our own.. well we were wrong.  We attempted to find it, finally realizing we were going in the complete opposite direction.  However once we found the bus stop our next stop was at the Guinness Storehouse.. 7 floors, each explaining how Guinness is made and the history of it.. on the top floor there was a glassed in bar that looked over Dublin.. and it is here that I had my first Guinness, pretty amazing :).  For dinner, we went to a local bar and had traditional Irish food and listened to live Irish music, they people here are so welcoming and so great, also, they are very sarcastic ;).  After dinnner, we went out on the town.  We went to Gorgaty's (I think that's how it is spelled) and went upstairs where they was another, younger band playing Irish Music.  We all drank and danced like fools (of course everyone knew we were Americans) and it was a blast!
 Pubs are not just places were people go to get drunk and act ridiculous, they strengthen the community and social interaction between people and create a lively, fun, entertaining atmosphere that brings people together in a way that allows them to experience new things and learn more about other's and especially more about themselves.  There will be plently more Pubs to come :)

Cheers!

Irish phrase of the Day.. Where's the Crack? ( Where's the fun?) :)

Dublin-Day 1

There is truly only one word to describe Ireland thus far.. INCREDIBLE! Arriving in Dublin at 6:00 am (midnight at home) was not an easy transition but once we arrived at the Abbey Court Hostel, which is right on the other side of the O'Connell Bridge, everything changed.  Walking down the rugged cobblestone streets of Dublin, live Irish music consuming the air, so many people from all different backgrounds-all with a a different story-but all living in the moment, taking in everyone and everything. Dublin grasping on, taking hold of you... inspiring you to take a chance; a risk,  something you have never done before and NEVER looking back.  As we made our way down the streets, we walked into a lively Irish Pub with live music.  The pub was packed with people all engaged in the music.  After leaving the Pub, we walked down winding roads, through the city, back to our hostel and from our bedroom window, we witnessed the city come to life, as the lights shimmered on the calm river.  After a long day of no sleep, we all went to bed before 8, preparing ourselves for the next few amazing days that lay ahead in Dublin, the city of adventure.