Saturday, October 28, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
What a bust
So tonight I thought I might go out, do some shopping, get a cheap bite to eat, listen to some tunes at Nancy Blakes.
and none of that actually happened. go figure.
by the time I got out of lab, and out of the gym (which was lackluster might I add), and took a quick shower. it was later than I had hoped, but I still thought I would make it in time before Wacky Shoes (please forgive the poor bastard who named the store) closed. So I went to hop the bus, which ended up being the EURO bus, starting off my bad luck. The EURO bus is 40e cheaper than the regular Uni bus, but it goes fuck all over town; to where I have no idea. So by the time I made it downtown, looked at my watch, I had exactly 35 minutes before the store closed. Then...WTF the store was shut down for the night. Why? For another reason I do not know. So here I am with no shoes, stuck downtown with all the rest of the closed shops (things close here too early for thier own good). What is a girl to do now? I went into Roches, because they are going out of business, but the Levis shirt I want ( a black western shirt with turquoise buttons) is still not on sale, and still 80E. No way.
By now it's close to 7 and I'm really hungry. Great. Most of the bistros, cafes, and quaint eats shops are closed. After 6pm is the domination of restaurants with steep prices, set menus, and drink ordering expectations, or the fast food joints that reek of oil, lard, and fried uh cod? meat? kebabs? I have no idea. I get worried because when you are really hungry, everything and anything sounds good. I remembered that I wanted to try the Indian Vegetarian restaurant Copper and Spice. So I head down to the Milk Market to the restaurant. It's in a sketchy area so there is a bell you have to ring to be let into the lobby of the restaurant. Immediately I like it. I ask about dinner for one (oh god how depressing is that? Have you ever eaten alone? Well it's my second night out in a row eating by myself and its miserable even if the food is amazing). It looks doubtful because they are swamped with reservations. He asks if I can eat about be out by 8. Its 6:57, giving me one hour to play with. I scoff. HA, I say to the cheery indian man, I can eat the entire set menu AND enjoy a pot of tea in less time than that. And so I did.
I ordered the veggie pakoras, the thali special, and Kulfi ice cream with a pot of thai tea. The thali special included 3 small portions of any of the vegetarian main course options with spiced yougurt, yellow curry, naan and rice. I ate giant popodums with peach chutney, chili yougurt, and jicama salsa until my starter arrived. Let me tell you, it was delish. I wanted to eat all of it, but I was getting full (too many popodums), so I had the poor girl wrap up my meagar leftovers. At least I'll have a good lunch tomorrow... The kulfi ice cream wasnt exactly what i wanted, but I had to leave pretty soon after I ordered desert. I enjoyed my tea and watched the other groups of people enter the restaurant and thier dynamics. There were 2 groups of 3 (not together) and i thought about how awkward it is to be in that type of a table arrangement, especially when there isn't a couple involved. How do you arrange the one girl and two men? Do you get a round table (my choice)? When the kulfi arrived, I could tell it was homemade. I was very icey with pistachios and rich flavor. I needed a knife to cut it, but I only had a spoon, so i shoveled it down with some tea and marched up to pay. My total came to 27euro after i added my tip. That's expensive, because after having tallied up my expenditures here...well lets just say I shouldn't eat so extravagently on a regular basis. Not that it stops me, I just keep going through money like water because to be honest, I'm not the one keeping track of my finances. I couldn't tell you how much being here is costing me, except that from my calculations, I will be broke when I get back and will need to find a job.
After leaving the restaurant at 8:01, I caught the bus back to the University. I wasnt much in the mood for fending off people at the bar at Nancy Blakes to hear some music, mostly because I was too full. I decided to go to the SuperQuinn because I really needed some fresh fruit, eggs, soy milk, and veggies. I find that if I don't have healthy stuff around I eat for shite: grabbing cookies and candies. I bought way more stuff than I could carry home, which is typical. Why I bought another jam conserve (total of 3 in my cupboard) is beyond me, but what can i say? I love jam. I even had to leave some unpurchased goods behind. The walk isn't long, but it seems that way when you are carrying alot of awkward bags. When I finally returned, my door was fucked up, as in the key wouldnt turn in the latch. I thought someone might have locked it from the inside, but no, no one was home. It took 15 minutes of wiggling to get it, and the only reason it wouldnt open was that there was a card stuck in the door.
so there is my night. my theatre options sucked, which left me with the previous cascade of events. I hope this weekend goes fairly smooth, I mean I pray that this weekend goes smoothly, because I will be relying on alot of public transportation. Tomorrow is up in the air, and I'm sure it will go by fast. I'd like to bake some carrot plum bread with all of my carrots that I have, maybe the gym, more lab reports, essay research and studying. No too impressive, but I'm hesitant on spending another 2.60 to go downtown just for shoes.
and none of that actually happened. go figure.
by the time I got out of lab, and out of the gym (which was lackluster might I add), and took a quick shower. it was later than I had hoped, but I still thought I would make it in time before Wacky Shoes (please forgive the poor bastard who named the store) closed. So I went to hop the bus, which ended up being the EURO bus, starting off my bad luck. The EURO bus is 40e cheaper than the regular Uni bus, but it goes fuck all over town; to where I have no idea. So by the time I made it downtown, looked at my watch, I had exactly 35 minutes before the store closed. Then...WTF the store was shut down for the night. Why? For another reason I do not know. So here I am with no shoes, stuck downtown with all the rest of the closed shops (things close here too early for thier own good). What is a girl to do now? I went into Roches, because they are going out of business, but the Levis shirt I want ( a black western shirt with turquoise buttons) is still not on sale, and still 80E. No way.
By now it's close to 7 and I'm really hungry. Great. Most of the bistros, cafes, and quaint eats shops are closed. After 6pm is the domination of restaurants with steep prices, set menus, and drink ordering expectations, or the fast food joints that reek of oil, lard, and fried uh cod? meat? kebabs? I have no idea. I get worried because when you are really hungry, everything and anything sounds good. I remembered that I wanted to try the Indian Vegetarian restaurant Copper and Spice. So I head down to the Milk Market to the restaurant. It's in a sketchy area so there is a bell you have to ring to be let into the lobby of the restaurant. Immediately I like it. I ask about dinner for one (oh god how depressing is that? Have you ever eaten alone? Well it's my second night out in a row eating by myself and its miserable even if the food is amazing). It looks doubtful because they are swamped with reservations. He asks if I can eat about be out by 8. Its 6:57, giving me one hour to play with. I scoff. HA, I say to the cheery indian man, I can eat the entire set menu AND enjoy a pot of tea in less time than that. And so I did.
I ordered the veggie pakoras, the thali special, and Kulfi ice cream with a pot of thai tea. The thali special included 3 small portions of any of the vegetarian main course options with spiced yougurt, yellow curry, naan and rice. I ate giant popodums with peach chutney, chili yougurt, and jicama salsa until my starter arrived. Let me tell you, it was delish. I wanted to eat all of it, but I was getting full (too many popodums), so I had the poor girl wrap up my meagar leftovers. At least I'll have a good lunch tomorrow... The kulfi ice cream wasnt exactly what i wanted, but I had to leave pretty soon after I ordered desert. I enjoyed my tea and watched the other groups of people enter the restaurant and thier dynamics. There were 2 groups of 3 (not together) and i thought about how awkward it is to be in that type of a table arrangement, especially when there isn't a couple involved. How do you arrange the one girl and two men? Do you get a round table (my choice)? When the kulfi arrived, I could tell it was homemade. I was very icey with pistachios and rich flavor. I needed a knife to cut it, but I only had a spoon, so i shoveled it down with some tea and marched up to pay. My total came to 27euro after i added my tip. That's expensive, because after having tallied up my expenditures here...well lets just say I shouldn't eat so extravagently on a regular basis. Not that it stops me, I just keep going through money like water because to be honest, I'm not the one keeping track of my finances. I couldn't tell you how much being here is costing me, except that from my calculations, I will be broke when I get back and will need to find a job.
After leaving the restaurant at 8:01, I caught the bus back to the University. I wasnt much in the mood for fending off people at the bar at Nancy Blakes to hear some music, mostly because I was too full. I decided to go to the SuperQuinn because I really needed some fresh fruit, eggs, soy milk, and veggies. I find that if I don't have healthy stuff around I eat for shite: grabbing cookies and candies. I bought way more stuff than I could carry home, which is typical. Why I bought another jam conserve (total of 3 in my cupboard) is beyond me, but what can i say? I love jam. I even had to leave some unpurchased goods behind. The walk isn't long, but it seems that way when you are carrying alot of awkward bags. When I finally returned, my door was fucked up, as in the key wouldnt turn in the latch. I thought someone might have locked it from the inside, but no, no one was home. It took 15 minutes of wiggling to get it, and the only reason it wouldnt open was that there was a card stuck in the door.
so there is my night. my theatre options sucked, which left me with the previous cascade of events. I hope this weekend goes fairly smooth, I mean I pray that this weekend goes smoothly, because I will be relying on alot of public transportation. Tomorrow is up in the air, and I'm sure it will go by fast. I'd like to bake some carrot plum bread with all of my carrots that I have, maybe the gym, more lab reports, essay research and studying. No too impressive, but I'm hesitant on spending another 2.60 to go downtown just for shoes.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
"To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks."
... a quote by Eeyore.
Today I realized that my studies here in Ireland have been slipping. I went into Equine Physiology knowing there was going to be a quiz, and I was unprepared. Partially my fault for not reading through last weeks packet, but when I looked at the material on the quiz, there was information that I couldn't find anyways when I tried looking it up after class. The professor is nice, but she races through lecture with a blazing pace and doesnt give us the powerpoint notes until about a week later, so you are constantly having to play catch-up. We just got the notes this morning (before lecture and the quiz), but I had class so I couldn't review. Needless to say I was upset. I really want to do well in my classes, but I'm having a hard time adjusting to school here, especially the requirements because there really aren't any. I miss the structure of school in the US, where they give you ample opportunities to make up your grades, many opportunities to prove that you are a good student. Here your course grade depends on one final exam for the most part, which is why GPAs tend to be low here. Yet we had GPA requirements to get into this University - it sort of baffles me. The USA gets such a bad rap for education and I'm not sure why. Before I came here I was told that it would be different in that students here are really here to learn, whereas in the US it's all about experience (which I don't think is completely true either). But the Irish students are NEVER in class. Perhaps about an 1/8 of our Equine Physiology class is there for lectures. The class quizzes (and the 2 that I just failed, luckily there are a few more :( ) account for 15% of our grade, and they aren't even in attendance for them. At least I'm there even if I'm failing the random question quizzes. I've never even heard of a denedron before - how am I supposed to know how to answer a question with a scientific word I've never heard of before is there? .....Anyways......
I'm taking Irish Step Dance and today we watched videos on Irish Step Dancing competition. I'm not horrible at dance, but its hard to keep up with Marie, our instructor. She is a dancer, not a teacher: a huge difference. It's like trying to listen to a cracked out PollyAnna with red curly hair on speed. It's fun, but frusterating because we all want to learn the steps, but we first have to decipher the Red Fury and then try to keep up with her stick legs across the dance floor. I don't think I've seen a dancer so thin. I was excited to be there today, but we didn't get to learn much dance, and we won't have tutorial next week, so it's three weeks without dance.
So without dance, I went to the gym for an extra bit of time, did about 45 minutes of cardio - so I was there for about an hour and half. I fooled around a bit when I got back to my room, showered, cooked some beans, rice, brocolli, and curry sauce, ate a few cookies and now I'm headed off to the library to claim some books, photocopy a few articles, and find some much needed texts. Then I have to write a lab report.
If there is one thing that I'm excited about is that once I graduate from college, there will be no more silly little lab reports, only "serious scientific studies". Good Riddance.
Today I had the random desire to 1) join Peace Corps after graduation and 2) go to medical school at UVM then work for Doctors without Borders. I think this mostly has to do with the fact that I am abroad now, and sometimes enjoy it. However, my feeling on being away from my family, my country, and everything I know and love change everyday. Each day I think about my future, my career(s),etc. and my ideas and desires change. Veterinary school versus medical school, but then can I actually get into those schools. Am I good enough, smart enough, brave enough? Intership or taking it easy or job after graduation? Do I need the money or just to relax or to learn? Where do I need to be? Home? Vermont? Somewhere else? I keep trying to figure this out, which has led me to be distracted from my studies and my enjoyment of being abroad. I'm really caught up in the future and I don't know why.
I think it's mostly because it's the one thing I can control, but yet I can't until I get there. And honestly that scares me to death.
Today I realized that my studies here in Ireland have been slipping. I went into Equine Physiology knowing there was going to be a quiz, and I was unprepared. Partially my fault for not reading through last weeks packet, but when I looked at the material on the quiz, there was information that I couldn't find anyways when I tried looking it up after class. The professor is nice, but she races through lecture with a blazing pace and doesnt give us the powerpoint notes until about a week later, so you are constantly having to play catch-up. We just got the notes this morning (before lecture and the quiz), but I had class so I couldn't review. Needless to say I was upset. I really want to do well in my classes, but I'm having a hard time adjusting to school here, especially the requirements because there really aren't any. I miss the structure of school in the US, where they give you ample opportunities to make up your grades, many opportunities to prove that you are a good student. Here your course grade depends on one final exam for the most part, which is why GPAs tend to be low here. Yet we had GPA requirements to get into this University - it sort of baffles me. The USA gets such a bad rap for education and I'm not sure why. Before I came here I was told that it would be different in that students here are really here to learn, whereas in the US it's all about experience (which I don't think is completely true either). But the Irish students are NEVER in class. Perhaps about an 1/8 of our Equine Physiology class is there for lectures. The class quizzes (and the 2 that I just failed, luckily there are a few more :( ) account for 15% of our grade, and they aren't even in attendance for them. At least I'm there even if I'm failing the random question quizzes. I've never even heard of a denedron before - how am I supposed to know how to answer a question with a scientific word I've never heard of before is there? .....Anyways......
I'm taking Irish Step Dance and today we watched videos on Irish Step Dancing competition. I'm not horrible at dance, but its hard to keep up with Marie, our instructor. She is a dancer, not a teacher: a huge difference. It's like trying to listen to a cracked out PollyAnna with red curly hair on speed. It's fun, but frusterating because we all want to learn the steps, but we first have to decipher the Red Fury and then try to keep up with her stick legs across the dance floor. I don't think I've seen a dancer so thin. I was excited to be there today, but we didn't get to learn much dance, and we won't have tutorial next week, so it's three weeks without dance.
So without dance, I went to the gym for an extra bit of time, did about 45 minutes of cardio - so I was there for about an hour and half. I fooled around a bit when I got back to my room, showered, cooked some beans, rice, brocolli, and curry sauce, ate a few cookies and now I'm headed off to the library to claim some books, photocopy a few articles, and find some much needed texts. Then I have to write a lab report.
If there is one thing that I'm excited about is that once I graduate from college, there will be no more silly little lab reports, only "serious scientific studies". Good Riddance.
Today I had the random desire to 1) join Peace Corps after graduation and 2) go to medical school at UVM then work for Doctors without Borders. I think this mostly has to do with the fact that I am abroad now, and sometimes enjoy it. However, my feeling on being away from my family, my country, and everything I know and love change everyday. Each day I think about my future, my career(s),etc. and my ideas and desires change. Veterinary school versus medical school, but then can I actually get into those schools. Am I good enough, smart enough, brave enough? Intership or taking it easy or job after graduation? Do I need the money or just to relax or to learn? Where do I need to be? Home? Vermont? Somewhere else? I keep trying to figure this out, which has led me to be distracted from my studies and my enjoyment of being abroad. I'm really caught up in the future and I don't know why.
I think it's mostly because it's the one thing I can control, but yet I can't until I get there. And honestly that scares me to death.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
For No Reason
Im quite pissed about the internet, I don’t know why it hasn’t been working since Tuesday, and I’d really like to attempt to keep up with this blog. So I’m being forced to write it in Word and then transfer it over to blogger. This just makes everything more difficult. The whole reason I paid for this internet service was to be able to use it at my convenience, when I’d like to and where. Plus I paid a lot for it. More than I did to be able to use the gym, and I go there practically everyday.
I had a weird experience today, where I woke up at 3am. I was wide awake and not tired at all. I hadn’t been sleeping in clothes because my room is really warm. I was sweating a bit and couldn’t figure out why. I had a dream about working in a soap mill and me being covered in burning lye.
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Now my computer is working, obviously, or I wouldn’t be updating. I don’t feel like typing up this lab report, but I should. I made fajitas tonight, which made me miss home and my mom, since she is the only one who ever makes them. My clothes smell like fried cumin and onions.
I made some banana bread tonight, so 2 pieces of that and a brownie and those fajitas later, I’m one overly full Jen(n).
I miss home. I miss my dog and my ponies and I can’t wait to see Chris this weekend. But I’m so behind on this school work – I should be spending my time studying. I’m 21, I’m studying abroad – in other words, I have no idea what I should be doing. Most people would be drinking. Instead I’m eating at five-star restaurants and staying at hostels to try to make up for it.
I also have been listening to The Rising by the Boss this week. Strange but true, you can tell I've been away from NJ too long
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Yesterday was my Papa’s birthday. But he lives in California, so its really difficult for me to call because of the time changes. I had my dad call him to tell him happy birthday for me, but he was so knocked up on pain killers because of his cancer that he didn’t know what was up and was too tired to talk. I hope he lives until Christmas, I’d love to be able to send him some cookies, hear his voice, and tell him I love him.
I had a weird experience today, where I woke up at 3am. I was wide awake and not tired at all. I hadn’t been sleeping in clothes because my room is really warm. I was sweating a bit and couldn’t figure out why. I had a dream about working in a soap mill and me being covered in burning lye.
*****************************************
Now my computer is working, obviously, or I wouldn’t be updating. I don’t feel like typing up this lab report, but I should. I made fajitas tonight, which made me miss home and my mom, since she is the only one who ever makes them. My clothes smell like fried cumin and onions.
I made some banana bread tonight, so 2 pieces of that and a brownie and those fajitas later, I’m one overly full Jen(n).
I miss home. I miss my dog and my ponies and I can’t wait to see Chris this weekend. But I’m so behind on this school work – I should be spending my time studying. I’m 21, I’m studying abroad – in other words, I have no idea what I should be doing. Most people would be drinking. Instead I’m eating at five-star restaurants and staying at hostels to try to make up for it.
I also have been listening to The Rising by the Boss this week. Strange but true, you can tell I've been away from NJ too long
******************************************
Yesterday was my Papa’s birthday. But he lives in California, so its really difficult for me to call because of the time changes. I had my dad call him to tell him happy birthday for me, but he was so knocked up on pain killers because of his cancer that he didn’t know what was up and was too tired to talk. I hope he lives until Christmas, I’d love to be able to send him some cookies, hear his voice, and tell him I love him.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Kiss and Tell
I have now kissed the Blarney Stone. It was wet and cold (I think that part is staged.)
This morning I woke up earlier and headed down to the 8.45 bus to Blarney. The guy scammed me off of my student discount, but what's new? I headed to the Blarney Castle to see all of the wonderful sites there, and of course to kiss the stone. I laid a big fat slurpy one one that sucker. The Lake walk was closed, so I milled around some shops looking for Christmas presents until the 12:10 bus.
I decided to eat at the Quay Co-op, a vegan restaurant that reminded me of Stone Soup, for lunch. I had a great bean creole lunch, and I obviously ate too much. I finally found some Chai tea, so I bought that, organic fairtrade coffee, and a shopping bag. I headed back to the hostel in Cork to set my stuff down, and then headed back to the bus station. then i realized i had spent my bus money on lunch and the goods, so i had to run (literally) to the bank to get some cash. i passed a whole bunch of great shops along the way, and committed them to memory. that will be what i do tomorrow.
I hopped the bus out to Kinsale, what a great quaint ocean town. If the weather had been better today, it would have convinced me to move there forever. I milled around for about an hour and a half - looking at all of the 12C cathedrales, buying my grandma some Christmas marmalade and looking in cute shops. then i took the 2km walk out to Charles Fort - which is a rare and very old fortress built on the sea (its star shaped). I took a moment to write a bit in my journal (even though the air was so damp that my pen would hardly write) and watched the seals play in the ocean. There were awesome restaurants there. I mean really great - but I didn't eat at any of them. I am saving my money for Cafe Paradiso tomorrow. I thought I could get away with ordering dessert and a coffee somewhere - but there were so many options i couldnt make my mind up. So instead of eating anything at a restaurant (in which some were completely EMPTY because its off-season) i went to the supervalu and bought a cheap pint of ice cream for one euro. and ate the whole fucking thing.
now i am exhausted from touring and just want to go to bed. I took a sauna for about 20 minutes before i got on the computer and feel pretty relaxed and too full.
early for bed. and early for tomorrow. I'm heading out to the English Market in the AM to get some stuff for gifts for my family, touring the City Gaol, hopefully eating at the expensive vegan cafe, shopping and seeing some other Cork city sights before heading back to Limerick to study and work my ass off before my hellish Wednesday begins.
This morning I woke up earlier and headed down to the 8.45 bus to Blarney. The guy scammed me off of my student discount, but what's new? I headed to the Blarney Castle to see all of the wonderful sites there, and of course to kiss the stone. I laid a big fat slurpy one one that sucker. The Lake walk was closed, so I milled around some shops looking for Christmas presents until the 12:10 bus.
I decided to eat at the Quay Co-op, a vegan restaurant that reminded me of Stone Soup, for lunch. I had a great bean creole lunch, and I obviously ate too much. I finally found some Chai tea, so I bought that, organic fairtrade coffee, and a shopping bag. I headed back to the hostel in Cork to set my stuff down, and then headed back to the bus station. then i realized i had spent my bus money on lunch and the goods, so i had to run (literally) to the bank to get some cash. i passed a whole bunch of great shops along the way, and committed them to memory. that will be what i do tomorrow.
I hopped the bus out to Kinsale, what a great quaint ocean town. If the weather had been better today, it would have convinced me to move there forever. I milled around for about an hour and a half - looking at all of the 12C cathedrales, buying my grandma some Christmas marmalade and looking in cute shops. then i took the 2km walk out to Charles Fort - which is a rare and very old fortress built on the sea (its star shaped). I took a moment to write a bit in my journal (even though the air was so damp that my pen would hardly write) and watched the seals play in the ocean. There were awesome restaurants there. I mean really great - but I didn't eat at any of them. I am saving my money for Cafe Paradiso tomorrow. I thought I could get away with ordering dessert and a coffee somewhere - but there were so many options i couldnt make my mind up. So instead of eating anything at a restaurant (in which some were completely EMPTY because its off-season) i went to the supervalu and bought a cheap pint of ice cream for one euro. and ate the whole fucking thing.
now i am exhausted from touring and just want to go to bed. I took a sauna for about 20 minutes before i got on the computer and feel pretty relaxed and too full.
early for bed. and early for tomorrow. I'm heading out to the English Market in the AM to get some stuff for gifts for my family, touring the City Gaol, hopefully eating at the expensive vegan cafe, shopping and seeing some other Cork city sights before heading back to Limerick to study and work my ass off before my hellish Wednesday begins.
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