For the first week of my time here, I had two clean Americans, an overactive boiler, and all the hot water and water pressure of home. Oh, what glorious days were those!
Four nights ago the heat quit working in Megan's and my rooms.
Three nights ago our three Irish housemates arrived.
Two nights ago the hot water and water pressure started getting iffy.
This morning at around 4 am, I awoke to the smell of burned bacon and all the lights in the house being on. I stumbled out of my room to see what was going on, silence pervaded. I get to the living room: No one is in there, the TV is still half on (weird Irish tv thing), there are two large blanket/mattress pads piled over the chair and one of the little tables, all of the furniture on one wall has been pulled out and left randomly. The ashtray is placed under on of the chairs. Inexplicably, the oven mit is in the corner behind the couch. I turn to the kitchen: All the appliances are OFF thank god, the table has been pushed to the wall and the chairs are placed randomly around, there is a piece of bacon on the floor, remnants of one of my babybel cheeses trailing to the living room, and our kitchen towel laid out on the ground as though it is covering a spill but gentle prodding with my slipper reveals nothing but burnt bacon crumbs.
If you would like to hear my theory on what went on last night, you may message me your email address and I will send you my version. I am not posting it here as the Destructo-Bots that have recently replaced my charming housemates may find it "offensive" and go Terminator on me.
Later this morning I have NO hot water and the magical maintenance men have replaced the control box in our boiler cupboard. I begin to suspect that the magical maintenance men are in fact evil robots like the Irish Destructo-Bots that have moved in with us. Hit the hot water "boost" button and nothing happened. Also deeply suspicious that button is just there to shut us frivolous Americans up about our fancy-shmancy TEMPERATURE CONTROL ON THE INDOOR PLUMBING!!!! Well, Ireland, I was in Alaska for three weeks camping, I can play this game. We will see who gets sick of smelling who first.
UPDATE: 12:12 noon
Destructo-Bots: Still in Standby mode, likely recharging for another night of alcohol fueled raging
Living room/Kitchen: A Pit
Water: Improved to "tepid"
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Irish Charm Resistant. Or Not. At All.
Things I recall from our campus tour:
There is a library.
There is a big classroom building.
There are 3 on campus pubs.
You get to them using paths (not sure which ones)
Things I recall about our Tour Guide:
His name is Simon, he has reddish hair and blue green eyes, he is from somewhere I can't pronounce, he is on the rowing team (!!!!), he is a psychology and law major, he will be studying abroad in Cyprus next year, he visited the US once (NYC) and would like to go again, and I am fairly certain he is single.
Hmmmm..... This whole avoiding boys thing may be harder than I thought....
And I was doing so well! In full possession of my heart for three whole days!! Then last night, a different Irish Simon starts lilting at me and whoops! Gone!
Bonus Points For Erin:
I did not drool, stare, faint, propose marriage, throw myself at him too embarrassingly, or try to kidnap him.
I even walked away because I wanted to dance.
I'm pretty impressed with myself.
We'll see how long that lasts. :P
There is a library.
There is a big classroom building.
There are 3 on campus pubs.
You get to them using paths (not sure which ones)
Things I recall about our Tour Guide:
His name is Simon, he has reddish hair and blue green eyes, he is from somewhere I can't pronounce, he is on the rowing team (!!!!), he is a psychology and law major, he will be studying abroad in Cyprus next year, he visited the US once (NYC) and would like to go again, and I am fairly certain he is single.
Hmmmm..... This whole avoiding boys thing may be harder than I thought....
And I was doing so well! In full possession of my heart for three whole days!! Then last night, a different Irish Simon starts lilting at me and whoops! Gone!
Bonus Points For Erin:
I did not drool, stare, faint, propose marriage, throw myself at him too embarrassingly, or try to kidnap him.
I even walked away because I wanted to dance.
I'm pretty impressed with myself.
We'll see how long that lasts. :P
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Why yes, the Guinness here is just as good as they say it is.
Best. Orientation. Ever.
In addition to all the boring and completely necessary topics such as registration and fire safety, we got educated on:
It's Not That We're Vulgar, We're Just Irish! - Apparently the Irish swear a lot. It's nothing personal. And I quote, "If we could say 'f**k' in the middle of a word, we would."Similarly, if someone exclaims "F**k Off!!" mid-conversation, they may just be expressing disbelief and surprise. Or they might be telling you to go away. Pay attention to inflection.
Vocabulary - a "fish slice" is a spatula, chips are french fries, crisps are chips, a chip dish is a deep fat fryer, and Irish crack is not American crack. Actually spelled "craic," it means "a good time" or "fun." So, if an Irish person approaches you and asks if you want some good crack (as they asked my friend Amanda) they are not offering you drugs, but asking if you want to have some fun.
Alcohol and Drug Use - "Don't try anything you wouldn't try at home.... Well, maybe don't do that either." The university recognizes that this is many American student's first experience with legal drinking. They have given us helpful safety tips and provide an emergency cab (not to be abused!!) so if you have lost your wallet and your way, you may call them and they will bring you back to UL free of charge. Yet another memorable quote: "It's ok if you don't drink. It's 'cool' to not drink. Although, even if you choose to not drink, do try to make your way down to the pub anyway. The pub is really the Irish Community Center."
In all seriousness, the UL staff was professional, helpful, and fully informative about all aspects of university life. I admire the way they did not "pull punches" so to speak as I feel American colleges do a bit. They know students are going to misbehave and have shenanigans, and they want to make sure we are as safe and prepared as possible for both that kind of situation, and life as a foreign student in general.
Final favorite quote, in reference to us trying classes before we sign up for them: ".... because some professors are.... dickheads...."
Then we had a fabulous tour of the fog shrouded campus (I still don't know where I'm going) and free dinner at Stables, one of 3 on-campus pubs. Yes, we have pubs on campus. Apparently people will pop in for a drink before class?? After my last semester at CMU, I guess I can understand that...
I had my first REAL Guinness this evening and it was DELICIOUS!!! Very different from American Guinness. Words cannot describe. Possibly a rainbow formed between my heart and the glass, it was really that good. Of course, my alcohol tolerance being what it is, one Guinness was enough for my night at Stables, so don't be alarmed responsible adult family members reading this! :)
In addition to all the boring and completely necessary topics such as registration and fire safety, we got educated on:
It's Not That We're Vulgar, We're Just Irish! - Apparently the Irish swear a lot. It's nothing personal. And I quote, "If we could say 'f**k' in the middle of a word, we would."Similarly, if someone exclaims "F**k Off!!" mid-conversation, they may just be expressing disbelief and surprise. Or they might be telling you to go away. Pay attention to inflection.
Vocabulary - a "fish slice" is a spatula, chips are french fries, crisps are chips, a chip dish is a deep fat fryer, and Irish crack is not American crack. Actually spelled "craic," it means "a good time" or "fun." So, if an Irish person approaches you and asks if you want some good crack (as they asked my friend Amanda) they are not offering you drugs, but asking if you want to have some fun.
Alcohol and Drug Use - "Don't try anything you wouldn't try at home.... Well, maybe don't do that either." The university recognizes that this is many American student's first experience with legal drinking. They have given us helpful safety tips and provide an emergency cab (not to be abused!!) so if you have lost your wallet and your way, you may call them and they will bring you back to UL free of charge. Yet another memorable quote: "It's ok if you don't drink. It's 'cool' to not drink. Although, even if you choose to not drink, do try to make your way down to the pub anyway. The pub is really the Irish Community Center."
In all seriousness, the UL staff was professional, helpful, and fully informative about all aspects of university life. I admire the way they did not "pull punches" so to speak as I feel American colleges do a bit. They know students are going to misbehave and have shenanigans, and they want to make sure we are as safe and prepared as possible for both that kind of situation, and life as a foreign student in general.
Final favorite quote, in reference to us trying classes before we sign up for them: ".... because some professors are.... dickheads...."
Then we had a fabulous tour of the fog shrouded campus (I still don't know where I'm going) and free dinner at Stables, one of 3 on-campus pubs. Yes, we have pubs on campus. Apparently people will pop in for a drink before class?? After my last semester at CMU, I guess I can understand that...
I had my first REAL Guinness this evening and it was DELICIOUS!!! Very different from American Guinness. Words cannot describe. Possibly a rainbow formed between my heart and the glass, it was really that good. Of course, my alcohol tolerance being what it is, one Guinness was enough for my night at Stables, so don't be alarmed responsible adult family members reading this! :)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Traveling Through Hyperspace Ain't Like Dusting Crops, Boy!
POSTED LATER DUE TO EXHAUSTION AND JET LAG INDUCED DELIRIUM!!!
Today, I finally arrived in Ireland. I am exhausted, sore, dirty, and utterly delighted. I have begun a grand adventure, in the great tradition of all my favorite book and movie heroes.
Although I am fairly certain Frodo Baggins did not have to deal with all this paperwork.
And they never showed Indiana Jones being overheated and cramped on a plane.
Possibly they got a pass because they were fighting the Dark Lord Sauron/Nazis??
I will look into this for my next traveling adventure. Maybe I can offer to slay Snookie for a first class seat on the flight back???
Overall the flight went well, aside from the whole Bawling-In-The-Airport-Because-I-Missed-My-Parents-Thing. No one asked, but if they had I would have said, "Didn't you hear? This flight stops in Jersey!"
My apartment/house is a bit more rustic than I expected, but I adore it in the way people tend to adore slightly dilapidated things. The walls and windows need some serious scrubbing, but the charm is overwhelming (to me). That being said, I will never walk around this place barefoot! It is a two story living situation, with three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and the same plus kitchen/living room upstairs. The bedrooms are small and contain a twin or full bed (I have twin), a desk built to the wall, a wardrobe, and a sink! The sink was a welcome surprise. The bathroom has a shower, toilet, and another sink. For all their other conservation habits, the toilet uses water in a rather spectacular manner. It sort of fountains in an alarming way when you flush. I felt inclined to jump back to the safety of the sink. The kitchen has a lot of space, but has a smaller refrigerator and a much smaller oven then I am used to. In fact, I am holding off using it until someone can show me how to use it.
LATER THAT NIGHT
SO..... I am incompetent with knobs. I decided to finally take a shower after a long day of hiking around and shopping for necessities, only to discover the shower didn't work. I tried calling Village Reception several times, but no luck. Not having slept for over 24 hours, I prepared to heat some water in pans and dump it over my head in the shower. That's when I heard muffled Irish accents from the boiler closet. I briefly wondered if there were leprechauns in there, but my brain began to synapse again and I realized it was our neighbors. Apparently sound only carries through the boiler closet. Weird. I decided to go over and ask for help.
Delightfully handsome blond guy answers the door. I am greasy, have no make-up on, and quite possibly smell. Of course. Whatever. Guys have fallen for worse, right? We get to my door. I cannot get the key to work. Been opening the darn thing all day, but now? Nope. The american cannot use her keys. He totally had to open the door for me. We get inside. I am babbling about how I turned the knob and nothing happens, when he turns the knob and something happens. Immediately. Apparently I can't turn things. I thank him profusely and he books it out of there.
Suspect I am now known as the "Special American" neighbor. Oi.
Today, I finally arrived in Ireland. I am exhausted, sore, dirty, and utterly delighted. I have begun a grand adventure, in the great tradition of all my favorite book and movie heroes.
Although I am fairly certain Frodo Baggins did not have to deal with all this paperwork.
And they never showed Indiana Jones being overheated and cramped on a plane.
Possibly they got a pass because they were fighting the Dark Lord Sauron/Nazis??
I will look into this for my next traveling adventure. Maybe I can offer to slay Snookie for a first class seat on the flight back???
Overall the flight went well, aside from the whole Bawling-In-The-Airport-Because-I-Missed-My-Parents-Thing. No one asked, but if they had I would have said, "Didn't you hear? This flight stops in Jersey!"
My apartment/house is a bit more rustic than I expected, but I adore it in the way people tend to adore slightly dilapidated things. The walls and windows need some serious scrubbing, but the charm is overwhelming (to me). That being said, I will never walk around this place barefoot! It is a two story living situation, with three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and the same plus kitchen/living room upstairs. The bedrooms are small and contain a twin or full bed (I have twin), a desk built to the wall, a wardrobe, and a sink! The sink was a welcome surprise. The bathroom has a shower, toilet, and another sink. For all their other conservation habits, the toilet uses water in a rather spectacular manner. It sort of fountains in an alarming way when you flush. I felt inclined to jump back to the safety of the sink. The kitchen has a lot of space, but has a smaller refrigerator and a much smaller oven then I am used to. In fact, I am holding off using it until someone can show me how to use it.
LATER THAT NIGHT
SO..... I am incompetent with knobs. I decided to finally take a shower after a long day of hiking around and shopping for necessities, only to discover the shower didn't work. I tried calling Village Reception several times, but no luck. Not having slept for over 24 hours, I prepared to heat some water in pans and dump it over my head in the shower. That's when I heard muffled Irish accents from the boiler closet. I briefly wondered if there were leprechauns in there, but my brain began to synapse again and I realized it was our neighbors. Apparently sound only carries through the boiler closet. Weird. I decided to go over and ask for help.
Delightfully handsome blond guy answers the door. I am greasy, have no make-up on, and quite possibly smell. Of course. Whatever. Guys have fallen for worse, right? We get to my door. I cannot get the key to work. Been opening the darn thing all day, but now? Nope. The american cannot use her keys. He totally had to open the door for me. We get inside. I am babbling about how I turned the knob and nothing happens, when he turns the knob and something happens. Immediately. Apparently I can't turn things. I thank him profusely and he books it out of there.
Suspect I am now known as the "Special American" neighbor. Oi.
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