Big recap!

Ok so on Sunday we enjoyed yet again more bus time and toured the Dingle Peninsula. Except at least this time I was sitting on the right side of the bus (I got the view this time as we were on the side right next to the sea). Oh, it was gorgeous, even when pouring! On our way out we suffered bus malfunctions and wound up waiting about an hour for a replacement bus. I actually liked this second bus driver more because he actually gave us an informative tour, I learned while enjoying (I'm such a nerd). Anyways, we got to stop out occasionally and were lucky to get clear skies and sun a couple of times! (it's the small things). There was one point, towards the end of the tour, where we caught the most beautiful sight. Nonetheless, in that half-hour stop, we experienced every type of weather, just about. As we got out, sunny skies, beautiful! Then came really really hard wind, it, plus slippery ground, pushed people off their balance and several fell victims to the mud, including my glove. But better my glove and knee than my ass like several others. After the wind came brief rain followed by hail/sleet. It was ridiculous.

Oddly enough, on our regular drive back to Galway, the skies were as sunny as could be, why the skies didn't cooperate when we had the seaside view to enjoy, I don't know, but the Irish countryside deserves good viewing too I guess.

That evening, I returned and attempted working on a paper due the next morning, but was tired and decided to go to bed and work on paper in the morning. Let's just say I wound up skipping that first lecture to finish the paper but I DID finish it, yay!

I didn't learn from my mistake though b/c Monday night I worked late writing a paper proposal, but again, I think I watched a movie Monday (Disney's Pixar's Bolt, cute movie btw!) and didn't start again until late and finished it in the morning with an early wake up. Doesn't matter, the paper proposal was turned in. I'm really going to learn from this. I know I can't write 3000 word essays in one night so I'm going to start earlier on these next big papers coming up, I promise.

Hmm, so papers, classes. On Tuesday i went to Monroe's, great craic! Mandy's boyfriend Tony came to visit her for the week so he joined at Monroe's and I believe he enjoyed it. Also met a couple of other friends there as well. I love Monroe's on Tuesdays!

Hmm, Wednesday nothing special. Last night I went out with Meghan who I met on the Kerry trip and we went dancing. We went to the pub Hole in the Wall. It was my first time there, I quite approve. They've got a dance floor in the back, it didn't take long for us two dancers to hit that up! Sadly, it didn't take creepy Irish boys too long to try to join us.

Ok, so coming to Ireland I thought to myself, "Oh, Irish boys, hot accent, can't wait to meet them." Yeah, not so much. The ones at this pub were drunken creepers. The short fellow who tried to dance with me did not get the picture, for like five minutes. I'm sorry, if a girl shakes her head and pushes you away as you move in, it means "back the hell off!" Jerk didn't even say hello or anything, just started trying to dance too close to me, that's ok though, CR and my friends there taught me great cockblocking moves. Funny enough, later on, we two (Meghan and I) found the only two good dancers in the room, the two Africans. Go figure it's the Africans who know how to dance. The guy who joined me was polite, introduced himself, and danced with me, not trying to dance on me. He was a gentleman (I feel so old saying something like that) but was also a great dancer and good company. Basically I had a blast! When those two left Meghan and I just danced the night away, often getting separated by the drunk Irish girls who were... I don't think you could call that dancing. One guy near us started popping and locking and of course we were attracted to the 'show' and I tried, and failed, to do a bit, haha. Anyways, we wound up talking and he commented on how he'd seen me with that first Irish creeper. He said he could see the "fuck off!" message from way over where he was and didn't understand how that inebriated guy hadn't. Funny enough he said that he could tell, by my pushing that first guy off, that I wasn't from here. But, he didn't think I was American, he (pretty much madeup a whole scenario for my and Meghan's story) and thought that I was Turkish and was visiting or living with my Galwegian friend. Meghan does have that Galway girl look going on, i mean, her "hair is black and her eyes are blue." So, I have now been called Israeli, Italian, Spanish and Turkish. Cool. Anyways, we talked with him for a bit, and I left them to head on home and they went to a dance club to enjoy the night some more. Basically, other than the creeper, it was a great night!

Now, to being productive, really! ;)

ISS weekend to Kerry

Hmm, let's see if I can make this less than a novel, just a short story.

Boarding the bus on Friday with 50 other students, I realized it was my first Mandy-less trip, sad. But, I made loads of new and awesome friends so that was great! I sat next to Lauran, a very sweet and fun to talk to girl from France. The bus ride was very long; we left around 2 and probably didn't arrive until 6ish at our Hostel in Killarney. (Uh oh, I'm realizing I don't remember what we did that first day...) I do, however remember that night searching for food, winding up at a fast food joint, getting pizza and "chips" and not feeling so hot after. Me and fast food don't really mix, not after not eating it for ages. Bright side, that night I went out with my roommate and Betti. We found the pub where all of the locals go, really, it was the pub of the locals. It was a lovely, cozy atmosphere and I just could have sat there and let them play me to sleep, but I did go back to the hostel eventually.

On Saturday we got back into that bus and went exploring, on to the Ring of Kerry. On this bus ride, Yeekay introduced me to some other fun people from Villanova who I wound up hanging out with for a lot of the trip, them and Meghan who, while not from Villanova, was with that group. We did the Ring of Kerry on a not so visible/sunny day. Nonetheless, I wasn't about to let rain or other people's whining about long bus rides dampen my spirits. We stopped for lunch and got to walk around. The day's trip was kind of funny b/c you could tell the kids who organized it sort of winged it. Each heritage-like site we stopped by was closed. Eh, it didn't matter, we still got out, stretched our legs and took photos. It was the end of the Ring of Kerry where we stopped to explore a beautiful waterfall and later a park/garden area. The waterfall took me back to memories of Costa Rica even though they obviously were completely different. What is it about water that is just breathtaking? At the park/garden, Meghan and I wandered off in the opposite direction of most and discovered a path that took us towards the most incredible view of the lake. It was as if God decided that we'd had enough gray skies and decided that for that view, it'd be best for us to get some clear blue skies. Oh it was gorgeous! Meghan and I bonded over that breathtaking accidental discovery.

That evening, after enjoying some cards and Jenga! and dinner made by our leaders, we went to a traditional pub storyteller. I went in thinking traditional storyteller and forgot the pub part. Let's just say it was less myth storytelling more crude humor and hilarious pub jokes. All together fun even if some parts left me not knowing whether to laugh or sit with my mouth open in offense. (It almost reminded me a bit of being back with Kevin and Justin listening to what they spit out).

Ok, gotta go to Monroe's but I'll write about Sunday later.
And put up photos later.