Oyster Festival

This past weekend the oyster festival was held in Galway. There were lots of fun street performers, parades, and various other events going on in the city centre. In the spirit of the festival, I decided it was necessary to try oysters for the first time. To say the least, I found them quite unpleasant!

The pictures I've posted are of a very strange parade that was going through town, a ship on display at the docks that was once used in a Marlon Brando film, and, of course, my horrified reaction to the oysters.

Aran Islands

On Friday I headed out to one of the Aran Islands. There are three islands total, but I went to the biggest and most populated one, Inis Mór. The island is about 9 miles long and 2 miles wide. In order to get around the island, you can choose between a minibus tour, renting bikes, or a traditional horse-drawn carriage. I went with a friend and we decided to get bikes and explore the island without a tour guide. The scenery on the island is so beautiful. There are amazing coastal views as well as incredible rural sights. The island has tons of hand-piled stone fences that are held together by nothing but have somehow still managed to stay intact after many years and lots of harsh weather.

One of the main attractions on the island is the ancient aran fort, Dun Aonghasa (pronounced dun angus). It's a large stone fort ruin on the top of a huge cliff. On top of the cliff, there were some amazing views of the island's coast. The islands are also really well known for their aran knit sweaters. There are a lot of little sweater and craft shops set up across the island which are pretty touristy but still fun to see. We picked a really good day to go because it wasn't raining and at times it was almost sunny. We've had a few really nice weeks without rain, but I'm pretty sure that is coming to an end so I'm glad I've been able to fit in a few outdoor trips before the weather interferes.

My first *successful* knitting project

My actual first knitting project was kind of a bust. It was supposed to be a cute little bag, but instead it turned out to be a misshapen rectangle. Luckily, my second project turned out much better. It is a headband made with a basketweave pattern and a cute little flower which I am told will keep my ears warm during the frigid Galway winters. Next project: a hat!

The Burren

So far, I have found that the Irish tend to be huge under-exaggeraters. When they say that something is just a 10 minute walk away, they actually mean 30 minutes. When they say that class begins at 10:00, they actually mean 10:15. The list goes on, but you get the picture. So last Sunday when I went on what I was told would be a "nice hike around the Burren," I should not have been surprised that they actually meant we would be hiking 11 km (about 7 miles) and climbing up to 300 meters (about 1000 feet).
While the hike was definitely a challenge, it was well worth it. We saw some amazing views and the Burren itself is a geographical area unlike anything I have ever seen before. The hills that comprise the Burren do not consist of much earth or trees but are instead covered in many layers of broken limestone. Since many of the thin sheets of rock have come loose, you definitely have to focus very hard on exactly where you are stepping. The parts of the Burren that are not rocky are big grassy fields that for some reason or other, have big holes in the dirt covered by a thin layer of grass--something else you have to watch out for when walking. Because of the unstable footing, I spent most of my time staring at the ground in front of me as I walked. When I did look up, however, there were some amazing sights of the Bay and the Irish countryside. The pictures I took really don't do the scenery justice but you can kind of get an idea of what I was looking at.

Classes

Luckily my roommate does not have swine flu. Apparently she just had a sinus infection. I'm not quite sure how they got those two mixed up but at least she's not infectious!
After two weeks of sitting in on a lot of different classes, I've finally settled on the six classes I'm going to be taking this quarter. Here's what I came up with:

-Psychology of Learning
-Memory and Cognition
-Psychology, Science, and Pseudoscience
-Human Sexuality
-The Irish Emigrant Experience
-Intro to Irish Culture Studies

It's a lot more classes than I'm used to taking at one time, but they all seem pretty interesting. My class schedule is definitely really busy in the beginning of the week, but luckily I ended up with no class on Thursday or Friday! Hopefully it will be a good semester!

Maybe Swine Flu

So, my roommate, Leah, has recently developed severe flu-like symptoms. She has been on the phone with the doctor's office all day and since everyone here is terrified of swine flu, she is quarantined in her room and not allowed to leave the house. I picked up her antibiotics today and the doctor's office gave me a bunch of protective masks that we are all supposed to wear whenever she is around. She was feeling a little better tonight so I'm thinking it probably isn't swine flu but at least it was funny to see how ridiculous we all looked in the masks.

Club Day

Today was club day at school where everyone goes to a big fair and signs up for whatever sporting clubs they want to join. I signed up to try kayaking, rugby, camogie (women's hurling), and mountaineering (hiking and rock climbing).
I think some of them will be a little too intense/violent (camogie!) for me but it will be fun to at least try them and then I can keep on with whichever ones I like. I'm really excited for mountaineering. This is such a good place for hiking and there are so many amazing places to see. The first trip is this weekend...I'm hoping it won't rain!

Knitting

I guess I've always just assumed that knitting is a calm, relaxing, and easy-going hobby. I feel like the stereotypical knitter is a quiet little old lady (no offense to any knitters who believe themselves to be neither quiet, little, nor old), but I've now begun to realize that the little old lady is a lot tougher than she looks. This week I signed up for a knitting class which met for the first time last night. I didn't exactly expect it to be easy right away, but it was definitely a lot harder than it looks.
I decided to take up knitting because it seemed like a good way to pass the time in between classes or while I'm on a train/bus traveling from place to place. Plus, as my mother pointed out, if I learn how to knit then I can make her Christmas present.
So there I sat, in the basement of a sweater shop, expecting to learn a fun new hobby. Two hours later: I had a headache from concentrating so hard, my fingers were cramping, and all I had to show for it was a misshapen little 3-inch rectangle of knitted tweed wool. Despite its obvious imperfections, I'm still very proud of my sad little creation. (I will put up pictures of it once it is finished).
Other than discovering my clear lack of natural knitting ability, the class was pretty fun. I was the youngest one there and the only American but it was really interesting to listen to everyone chatting away while they worked. Unfortunately, I couldn't contribute to the conversation at all since my brain was completely occupied with wool and needles. It was also really cool to see the complex patterns everyone else was working on. Next week I think I'm going to go the the class that has more beginners in it and hopefully that will be a little easier.
For now though, my rectangle has expanded to six inches (it unfortunately hasn't gotten much more attractive). So, sorry mom, your Christmas present might not be very pretty but you asked for it!

Hurling

Hurling is a very popular Irish sport that makes absolutely no sense to me at all. For the last couple of days, people have been talking about the big hurling final between Kilkenny and Tipperary. So this afternoon I headed down to the pub with a friend to check out what all the fuss was about. A big crowd of people were gathered around a big screen cheering for a game that apparently has no rules.
The game takes place on a big football sized field with two goals at either end that look like a combination between a soccer net and a football goal post. The ball is moved around by the players with either their hands or with what looks like a small wooden hockey stick (with which they hit not only the ball but also each other). As you can imagine, the game can get quite violent, so naturally, the Irish love it. I don't know if the Irish people actually enjoy the sport or just enjoy watching the players in shorts run around in the freezing rain beating each other up while they sit and watch from the warm pub.
By the end of the game, both teams were covered in blood, but ultimately, Kilkenny won (for the fourth year in a row). The fans all broke through the police barricades and started celebrating on the field while the whole Tipperary team sat down, crying from their defeat.
Hurling is definitely a dramatic game, to say the least. However, you can't say that it isn't entertaining.

Roommates

After the long search for accommodation, I finally found a four bedroom house that wasn't smelly, moldy, or just plain disgusting like all of the other housing options in Galway. My house is nice and clean, the walls are bright, and it is only a 10-minute walk from campus! After moving in on Sunday, I was still looking for a few more housemates with which to share the house.
The first roommate I found is named Leah. She doesn't really have a hometown but is more of a child of the world. Her father was in the American military so she has lived in a variety of places including Germany, Italy, Greece, the US, and most recently Ireland. Her mother is Irish so they have spent the last few years living here.
My second roommate is and Irish girl named Emma. She has already finished her undergraduate degree in Dublin. So now Emma is starting her post-grad in Galway. She is studying to be a teacher in either English or German.
The last roommate, who just signed the lease today, is named Fannie and she is from France. She is studying abroad for the year like me and she is studying English/Literature. Her English isn't perfect but she tries really hard and I'm sure it will improve a lot this year since she will be living with three english-speakers who don't know any french at all. I can't imagine taking English courses at an English-speaking university when it is not your native language!
So, those are my housemates-they all seem really nice! Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly and there are no problems!

The Beginning

When I browsed the EAP website eight months ago, I saw that I could study abroad just about anywhere in the world. I could've picked somewhere sunny, tropical, and warm to suit my Southern Californian background. (That probably would have been a good idea considering that I somehow find a way to be cold in 75 degree weather). Instead, I chose to spend a year on the cold and rainy island of Ireland. Don't get me wrong, I realize how incredibly beautiful and green the rain makes this country, I'm just hoping that I will be able to see that beauty under the massive amount of sweaters I am going to have to wear just to venture outside.

However, regardless of the outside temperatures, I am going to be studying in Galway, Ireland for the next year. Therefore, I have decided (after much insistance on my mother's behalf) to start this blog. I have always been a little skeptical of blogs because, honestly, I found them to be quite narcissistic. However, this is the easiest way for me to keep my friends and family updated without having to write about 5 million letters (yes, that is how many friends I actually have). Plus, as my very wise neighbor put it, reading this blog is a good way for people who have never had the opportunity to travel Ireland to do so. (Not the same, I know, but closer than nothing).

So, if you are interested, I hope you enjoy the stories from my adventures and travels around the Land o' the Leprechaun.