AHHHHHH!!!!!
I rode in a double decker bus for the very first time today!!! Of course, it was freezing, but I risked a little bit of frostbite in the name of getting better pictures. The things I do for aesthetics....oh well.
The school paid for the entirety of the International students at University of Limerick to all go on this massive tour bus and take a tour of some of the historical places in Limerick. So cool. The pictures I took are all above this post. Yes, right there ^. If you can't see them very well, you can make them bigger at my flickr account on www.flickr.com/photos/WalktheNight. The architecture is absolutely gorgeous, and it's amazing to think that most of these buildings are older than my country. -_-
But anyway. While the buildings are really cool, it's the history behind them that is truly amazing. One building directly beside the army barracks still had bullet holes from where they fired on the soldiers who had holed up in the barracks next door. Truly one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
Tonight, we foreigners have a "Speed Dating" style event hosted by the International Society of the school that will allow us to meet a bunch of the other international students and maybe make some friends while we're here. That's actually where I'm off to right now, so I'll try to update tomorrow with some new pictures and a tale of how that went.
As always, if you have any comments, questions, concerns or witty commentary, let me know!
Best,
Brooke
Friday, January 20, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Well, I'm here
God, I am horrible at updating this thing. So much has happened since I last posted. I am now officially in Ireland (Cue applause and fireworks). Trust me, it was not an easy task to get here. Packing is a hassle, the plane ride is tedious, and your luggage gets really heavy really fast. But I'm here and settled in, and that's what really matters.
Packing wise, I tried to keep it as simple as possible. For anyone who is thinking about studying abroad, I recommend checking the internet for the voltages of the outlets in whatever country you are planning to visit, then purchase an appropriate adapter. Most modern charging cords come with a step-down converter box already attached, and you can read the label on the box to find if it is compatible with their voltage. Personally, I found mine on Amazon.com for like 3.00$ and it has worked like a charm thus far. Word to the wise, however. It is not recommended that you plug high output devices like hair driers or straighteners into the adapters, as most will fry either the device, the adapter or both. And no one needs that kind of stress or expense when they are far from home.
Also, make sure that you have at least enough pocket money in the currency of the country you are staying in to get drinks, groceries, and possibly a cell phone of the home country. All and all, the cell phone and prepaid minutes cost me about 70 euros, a few necessary items like milk, cereal and toiletries were about 25 euro, and the drinks cost about 1.50 euro. It is also a good idea to have extra money for bus rides and souveniers in the airport gift shops. I had about 150 US dollars on me, and that got me through until I could get some more money from my paycheck.
Ireland itself is completely gorgeous, with breaktaking views from the airplane and beautiful, plush green grass even in January. It's cliche, but it is just so green here! Some of the buildings look really old world, while most of the ones on campus are really modern. Something that really shocked me on the bus ride here was that there were actual, legitimate CASTLES on the side of the road. That is just something that you don't see in the United States. Well, unless you're taking a run through Central Park in New York City. But that's not the point. Check out some of the pictures I'll attach to this post to show you just how beautiful everything is.
From here on out, I vow to update you on the classes I'm taking, how I'm coping with the accent, as well as adding some more of the pictures that I will be taking in copious amounts from the campus, the trips I take, and some of the friends I make along the way. After all, you can't be an American in a foreign country without being willing to take risks, both in the process of getting here and with trying to keep yourself from being lonely. Honestly, I don't know where I would be if I wouldn't have been accepted to on-campus housing, because I have already had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people and I even have two or three locals who stay in the same house with me! I'll probably also put up some pictures of any crazy antics we get up to.
As always, let me know if you have any advice, questions, or comments for me!
Brooke
P.S. Here are those pictures I was talking about!
Packing wise, I tried to keep it as simple as possible. For anyone who is thinking about studying abroad, I recommend checking the internet for the voltages of the outlets in whatever country you are planning to visit, then purchase an appropriate adapter. Most modern charging cords come with a step-down converter box already attached, and you can read the label on the box to find if it is compatible with their voltage. Personally, I found mine on Amazon.com for like 3.00$ and it has worked like a charm thus far. Word to the wise, however. It is not recommended that you plug high output devices like hair driers or straighteners into the adapters, as most will fry either the device, the adapter or both. And no one needs that kind of stress or expense when they are far from home.
Also, make sure that you have at least enough pocket money in the currency of the country you are staying in to get drinks, groceries, and possibly a cell phone of the home country. All and all, the cell phone and prepaid minutes cost me about 70 euros, a few necessary items like milk, cereal and toiletries were about 25 euro, and the drinks cost about 1.50 euro. It is also a good idea to have extra money for bus rides and souveniers in the airport gift shops. I had about 150 US dollars on me, and that got me through until I could get some more money from my paycheck.
Ireland itself is completely gorgeous, with breaktaking views from the airplane and beautiful, plush green grass even in January. It's cliche, but it is just so green here! Some of the buildings look really old world, while most of the ones on campus are really modern. Something that really shocked me on the bus ride here was that there were actual, legitimate CASTLES on the side of the road. That is just something that you don't see in the United States. Well, unless you're taking a run through Central Park in New York City. But that's not the point. Check out some of the pictures I'll attach to this post to show you just how beautiful everything is.
From here on out, I vow to update you on the classes I'm taking, how I'm coping with the accent, as well as adding some more of the pictures that I will be taking in copious amounts from the campus, the trips I take, and some of the friends I make along the way. After all, you can't be an American in a foreign country without being willing to take risks, both in the process of getting here and with trying to keep yourself from being lonely. Honestly, I don't know where I would be if I wouldn't have been accepted to on-campus housing, because I have already had the opportunity to meet some wonderful people and I even have two or three locals who stay in the same house with me! I'll probably also put up some pictures of any crazy antics we get up to.
As always, let me know if you have any advice, questions, or comments for me!
Brooke
P.S. Here are those pictures I was talking about!
 |
| Building on Campus |
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| River by Thommond Village |
 |
| University Club |
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| View of University Club from Bridge |
 |
| Cobblestone Streets!!!! |
 |
| Bridge (There are Swans, but You Can't See Them) |
 |
| View from My Dorm Window |
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| Another Building on Campus |
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