Locals

  I’m supposed to talk to all of you about the locals that I have met thus far. And let me tell you—I have met some characters. Okay, most of the people I’ve met have been characters.  I will say this though—all of the people that I have met have been nothing but nice, polite, and genuine. The people here have graciously accepted me into their culture and have taught me more about Ireland and its people than I could have ever learned out of a book. They have let me experience so much more than I ever thought I could here. I love Ireland and I love it so much because of the people here and the lives they lead. They are a hard working bunch who go out of their way to help other people. They welcome people and show them the ropes even if they don’t know them from Adam. I met a taxi driver who brought me back to Park Lodge and he talked to me and taught me Irish during our 25 minute car ride. Joe, the owner at Freeney’s Bar, let me get behind the bar pour a pint of Guinness for a customer. Hutch and Brendan, friends of mine, sat me down and explained hurling to me—the American girl who knew literally nothing about any Gaelic sport. JP helps me with anything I could even need help with. Geraldine knows her way around the kitchen and I can’t wait to utilize what she’s shown me. The people I have surrounded myself with want me to experience Ireland just as much I do. Ireland is my new favorite place in the world and I can honestly say that it wouldn’t and couldn’t be without the people that I’ve met along the way. Everyone here asks, “What’s the craic?” The craic is the people; they are what make Ireland Ireland.  And there’s no way I could ever thank them enough for what they’ve given me—a new perspective on life, on the world, and myself. 

Language Barriers

This last weekend, I was able to travel to Rome, Italy for a few days. It was absolutely marvelous—definitely make the time to go. Seriously, it was more than I could have ever expected. Up to that point, I would say that there was an enormous language barrier here in Ireland. Now, though, I do think there is a very small language barrier in Ireland in the grand scheme of things simply because everyone speaks English. There are very few people that I have encountered that speak Irish outside of the classroom. As a matter of fact, the people that I have talked to hate the language and find it useless especially coming from the younger generation. I can and will say that there are times where I don’t catch everything a person is saying when I’m having a conversation and I need them to repeat what they had said. I can say that their accents differentiate between location and age and they always talk rather quickly—faster than what I am used to back home.

Apart from verbal language barriers, there is also a written language barrier. While I was in Rome, everything was in Italian and very few signs were in English. It’s different in Ireland. English is used on the sign, but so is Irish and Irish is used first for the most part. I appreciate the English used and utilized in  Ireland so much more now after being in a country that does not use it.

While I’m here I am studying the Irish language. It is hard.  We learn very simple words and phrases and it still is enough to get me frustrated because I can’t pronounce half of what I’m trying to say.  I personally think it is so hard because consonants and vowels have very different sounds that what I am used. For example, the letter combination of “bh” sounds like the Endglish “v.” Because of my English background, I like to learn the grammar behind a language, but my teacher said it is complicated even for native language speakers. It is a hard language, but I truly do enjoy trying to learn and I try to practice at the grocery store, pubs, and restaurants.

Academic Life

                 











I’m a senior in college—you could say that I’ve been around the block once or twice when it comes to college classes. I’ve had great professors and others that I didn’t particularly like as much as others. When coming to Ireland, I thought that classes would be extremely similar to what I had previously experienced back in Kearney. Man, was I wrong or what? Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday my classmates and I head into the classroom at 10am, usually with coffee or snacks in tow. On Mondays we study Gaelic and Irish culture. Tuesdays are reserved for Irish Literature, and Wednesdays are composed of Irish history lessons from Dr. Marley.  One of the main differences between studying here and studying in Kearney is the fact that the classes are always different. For example, the last two weeks we had a gal come in and teach us how to play the tin whistle. I’m awful at it in case you were wondering. We had another lady come in and teach us about Irish folklore. Another example is that my classmates and I were able to head in Galway and have class in the King’s Head pub for our history class. We learned about the building’s history and had a debate over Oliver Cromwell. There are some similarities too. I still have read quite a bit of material—most of which I have no background to go off of so that makes it a bit harder than the material I learn back home. I still have papers and deadlines that I have to pay attention to as well. I live out of my planner at home, and I live out of my planner here. I love being here and learning about the Irish lifestyle. My favorite thing is being able to learn about such things and experiencing it first hand. There’s quite a bit of American history that I’ve never seen before—a lot that I haven’t experienced back home in relation to our nation’s history. It’s different here. We learned about the Easter Rising and we were able to tour Kilmainham Gaol when we traveled to Dublin. I decided to study abroad to broaden my horizons and I am in all aspects of my life—academically, spiritually, and personally




                             

The Aran Islands and Dublin

To Whomever Wants to Hear About My Ireland Experience:

          I have had a crazy few weeks here in Ireland! Last weekend, I made my way out to the Aran Islands and on Tuesday I was already off to Dublin. The Aran Islands were stunningly beautiful, but the weather was not what I was hoping it would be. In all of my twenty-two years, I do not think I have ever been as thoroughly soaked through like I was after our 10 (ish) mile hike around the Island, and that was even after I bought an extremely stylish and flattering neon yellow poncho. I definitely would love to go back on a nicer day and experience what the islands have to offer even more than I did. The Islands really reminded me of home. It was a very small, tight-knit community. Everyone seemed to know everyone, where they all lived, and everything else about them. For example, our bus driver drove by our tour guide’s house and informed the group that he would be home.

I loved all of the trip, but I did have a favorite part. My favorite part of the Aran Islands was peering down the edge of the cliffs. I watch the waves swell, crash, roar, and repeat into the rocks that I was standing on top of. The ocean was vast and gray tinted with blue. Serene and wild. Beautiful and dangerous. I have never experienced anything like it.

                     

     

    

     
                                  


On Tuesday we left for Dublin, but on the way we stopped at Clonmacnoise. There, we watched a video on the history and a tour guide led us through the grounds. It was eye opening to see how much devastation that can happen, and the people stand back up, rebuild, and continue on. It was a lot to see and I really, really enjoyed stopping there.

While Dublin had a very different feel than the Aran Islands, I loved it just as much. The first day we got there we toured the Kilmainham Gaol. We walked through the different areas and saw first hand how the gaol transformed throughout the years it was used.
The next day, a large portion of our group  travelled a bit out of Dublin and went zip-lining and tree climbing. It was so much fun and a good way to get outside and play. I did get a few bruises that I may or may not still have, but it was worth it.
The day after that, the group was free to do whatever they wanted. Before even coming to Ireland Trinity College was on my list of places to go sometime during my lifespan. And let me tell you it was amazing. Being the nerd girl that I am, I spend 45 minutes in the Long Room, soaking it all in. I can't describe it to you, and the pictures can't do it justice. The smell of the old books hit you like a wall when you walk up the stairs that lead to the library. The shelves are lined with the busts of the elite such as Plato, Newton, and Shakespeare. I could sit in that room and just be for hours. I honestly don't think my heart has ever been as happy in Ireland as it was when I was in that room. How I'm describing it isn't up to par, so I'm going to stop. Just trust me when I say this--you have to go.

       

 

Later on that day, I went to the Irish Whiskey Museum where I learned a lot about some of the lesser known brands of Irish Whiskey. There we went through the history of why and how it was made among other things. It was crazy to realize how much influence the United States had on the success of whiskey throughout history--the Prohibition affected not only us, but a lot of the world. Who knew?

Even later that day (I had a pretty busy day), Sara and I met up with a few other UNK students and checked out the Wax Museum. It was interesting and lighthearted which was a nice change. While being there, Shane, Sara, Marissa and I got to hang out with our childhood friends, a few famous people, and even Dracula.