Bonjour! Life seems to have passed to quickly because it feels like forever since I last wrote here. Life has been tres busy with friends and adventuring the lands. Also, the lack of working internet in Corrib Village doesn't help either. I think I left off with talking about Corrib Village a bit. However, I have discovered a lot more about this place within the last couple of days. Their policies are pretty ridiculous and they heavily enforce them. We went on a pub crawl two nights ago which was amazing!! Everyone was laughing and having a good ol' time! The various pubs played different music and a good amount of them played traditional irish music! I was excited to be absorbed in the Irish culture that night and even Irish danced a bit too. On our way back from the pubs, we usually have a specific route that leads straight to our apartments--the side entrance. However, at 12am, supposedly they close the side entrance and only use the front. Interestingly, they have a card swiper at the side entrance but does not work? Anyways, to make a long story short, we had to walk another mile and half and hope over a stone wall to the grass in order to get to the front entrance. It just seems ridiculous how many restrictions and rules they have here! Other than that, life in Galway has been fantastic. I am still waiting for my roommates to arrive but I am having a blast with the rest of my village. Each person I have come across from a different country or state is different which is a awesome. There are some nights where we just hang out and discuss our lives back home and the various culture similarities and differences. For instance, Allan, our Irish graduate friend, grew up learning English and Gaelic in school but can't remember much of the language now. Or Batiste, our friend from France, wants to just learn English while he is here and thinks it is wrong that Americans are not as affectionate with one another. These nights just really bring a whole new perspective on life for me and I really love and enjoy the conversations. This weekend Lexa, Kim and I decided to to go Westport, County Mayo to hike and possibly some other fun outdoor activities. The morning started off with a jog to the bus stop since we underestimated the time and didn't know exactly where Bus Eirann met. Unfortunately, we ended up missing the first place but just hopped on an hour and a half later. The bus ride was long and by the time we got off, we were sleepy and achy. The information center was of no help but we managed to find a hostel called "Old Mill Hostel." I have never been to a hostel and was nervous and excited at the same time! We stayed in the mix room which had 20 or something beds! I am not sure if that is normal for a hostel or not. We traveled on our own hiking/walking path, eating blackberries and circling the lake in Mayo. Everything was so picturesque and sharing it with Kim and Lexa was such an amazing experience. Our night consisted of talking with two native Irish people who were very young and fascinating. They gave us information on where to travel to for the future and their experiences in the country. We left early today in order to get ready for school tomorrow. I am thrilled to pick some classes out and meet Irish students! I hope everyone is doing well and had a wonderful weekend!
Au Revoir,
Nicole
No comments:
Post a Comment