Hey everybody!
Sam and I have had a pretty uneventful week this week. We are fully into school mode now and had our first group presentation on Thursday. We are planning all of our projects now so we get them done early and can travel later.
This Thursday was Arthur's Day which is basically just a really good marketing ploy for Guinness haha. We went out with our friends and had a good time :)
Yesterday, we spent the day in the city shopping. We had a few things we needed such as new phone cards but mostly we are just sick of wearing the same things all the time so we got some new clothes :) We found out that there is a really nice street with a Forever 21, Penneys, and nice departments stores off of the city center. After that, we caught up with our friends Kendra and Claire at the pub on campus to watch the first half of the hurling final rematch. We all were hungry so we left at half time and went to a pub downtown called O'Neills which had traditional Irish food. We had Shepherd's Pie and Beef and Guinness stew. It was delicious and nice to eat someone else's cooking :) After that, we went to Starbucks so Sam could get her first Pumpkin Spice Latte; Fall is officially here!
Today we went to mass with our friend Lynda at the church down the street from school. It was the family mass to celebrate the kids starting first communion. They were all so cute and they had a children's choir singing. Mass is very different here than at home but this one was just fun because of all the little kids :) We are just doing homework for the rest of the day and relaxing.
Hope everyone is doing well at home!
Love and miss you all,
~Emily and Sam
Sunday, 29 September 2013
Sunday, 22 September 2013
Galway City, Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands, Limerick City and More!
Hello!
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend :) Sam and I went to Galway with ISS (International Student Society) and had quite an adventure. We started with a walking tour of Galway City and saw the Cathedral of Galway, had a nice walk downtown, and hung out with our friends for the afternoon. After dinner we went to a really fun bar that had fun live music. Upstairs was a place called the Stock Exchange which sold drinks at prices based on how popular they were and every once in awhile the Stock Market would crash and everything would go back to base prices. We all thought it was really cool!
On Saturday, we went to the Cliffs of Moher. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and it was so foggy that we couldn't see the first cliff right in front of us let alone the entire chain. Sam and I have decided that we are just going to have to go back because we really wanted to see them!
After that, we got on a little ferry boat and went out to the Aran Islands. It was really wet and cold but we made the most of it but going on an adventure down the beach and climbing the rocks there.
This morning, of course it was gorgeous; sunny and not a cloud in sight. We drove to Bunratty castle and took some pictures and then continued to Limerick City. We spent the afternoon there, saw a castle, and then went to a pub in Moneygall, the ancestral home of Barack Obama. It was a kind of weird town that was full of American flags and pictures of Obama. Then we made our way back home and we plan to spend our day tomorrow catching up on laundry, cleaning, and homework.
Hope everyone is doing well!
Miss you all,
~Emily and Sam
It's Ireland. I needed one picture of a sheep :)
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend :) Sam and I went to Galway with ISS (International Student Society) and had quite an adventure. We started with a walking tour of Galway City and saw the Cathedral of Galway, had a nice walk downtown, and hung out with our friends for the afternoon. After dinner we went to a really fun bar that had fun live music. Upstairs was a place called the Stock Exchange which sold drinks at prices based on how popular they were and every once in awhile the Stock Market would crash and everything would go back to base prices. We all thought it was really cool!
Shortest, fastest river in Ireland
Main Street
The Cathedral in Galway
On Saturday, we went to the Cliffs of Moher. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and it was so foggy that we couldn't see the first cliff right in front of us let alone the entire chain. Sam and I have decided that we are just going to have to go back because we really wanted to see them!
Sam and I excited to be at the Cliffs of Moher!
Not excited that we can't actually see them...
This is the best picture I got haha
After that, we got on a little ferry boat and went out to the Aran Islands. It was really wet and cold but we made the most of it but going on an adventure down the beach and climbing the rocks there.
Lynda, Emily, Sam, Elliott, and Arun adventuring on the beach :)
This is a view of the harbor from the rocks we climbed
This morning, of course it was gorgeous; sunny and not a cloud in sight. We drove to Bunratty castle and took some pictures and then continued to Limerick City. We spent the afternoon there, saw a castle, and then went to a pub in Moneygall, the ancestral home of Barack Obama. It was a kind of weird town that was full of American flags and pictures of Obama. Then we made our way back home and we plan to spend our day tomorrow catching up on laundry, cleaning, and homework.
A view of the Shannon River which runs through Limerick City
The interesting town of Moneygall
Hope everyone is doing well!
Miss you all,
~Emily and Sam
It's Ireland. I needed one picture of a sheep :)
Thursday, 19 September 2013
School and a Visit from Nana and Papa :)
Hey all!
Sorry we haven't posted in a bit but Sam and I have finally hit school mode. We spent all day Monday doing homework and discovered that while we don't have a lot of time in class, we have a lot of reading at home to make up for it. However, we also made time to go to our awesome gym on campus and we found a class we really like. This week has been full of school work and homework.
Today, Nana and Papa (my grandparents) got into Dublin as part of their tour through the UK and Ireland. We met up with them for dinner and had a very nice visit.
Sorry we haven't posted in a bit but Sam and I have finally hit school mode. We spent all day Monday doing homework and discovered that while we don't have a lot of time in class, we have a lot of reading at home to make up for it. However, we also made time to go to our awesome gym on campus and we found a class we really like. This week has been full of school work and homework.
Today, Nana and Papa (my grandparents) got into Dublin as part of their tour through the UK and Ireland. We met up with them for dinner and had a very nice visit.
Tomorrow, we take off for Galway!! We won't get back until Sunday night so hopefully on Monday we will have a new post with pictures to show you all of our adventures :)
Hope all is well at home!
Love and miss you all,
~Emily and Sam
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Crypt, Whiskey, Food, Football, Food, Howth, and More Food
Hello!
Saturday night we went to the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin, for a traditional Irish dinner complete with Irish folklore and music. Emily enjoyed Irish Stew (a hearty lamb stew) while I had bacon and cabbage (slices of ham with mashed potatoes and shredded cooked cabbage). We both loved our meals and topped off the night by meeting friends to watch the Alabama-Texas A&M football game.
Friday Emily and I had a study abroad business outing. We went to St. Michan's Church which was founded in 1095 and houses a few crypts. We had the opportunity to see 400 year old rotting bodies. It was quite interesting.
After the church we headed across the street to the Old Jameson Distillery and went on a tour where we learned about how they make the whiskey at the new distillery in Cork. Emily was lucky enough to get picked for a whiskey tasting where I got to watch her make some lovely faces as she tasted Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniels alongside the Jameson Whiskey.
After the Jameson Distillery we went to a three course dinner and enjoyed some free food.
Saturday Emily and I made our way to Trinity College to see The Book of Kells and the long room of the old library.
We then headed down the street to see Dublin Castle to explore the grounds and look at the exhibits in the library there.
We continued down the street and stopped by Christ Church Cathedral where we hope to make it to mass one of our Sundays in Dublin.
Saturday night we went to the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin, for a traditional Irish dinner complete with Irish folklore and music. Emily enjoyed Irish Stew (a hearty lamb stew) while I had bacon and cabbage (slices of ham with mashed potatoes and shredded cooked cabbage). We both loved our meals and topped off the night by meeting friends to watch the Alabama-Texas A&M football game.
Sunday we headed with friends to Howth, a Dublin suburb by the ocean. It was extremely windy and a bit rainy but we managed to stay standing and see some of the coast. We had lunch on the pier and it was another delicious meal. Emily had fish chowder and a clam pasta dish and I had beef and Guinness stew. The meals hit the spot for the cold wet day we were having, but luckily after lunch the sun decided to come out and we saw some blue skies.
We hope all is well and thanks for reading!
-Sam and Emily
Tuesday, 10 September 2013
First Classes
Hello!
So Monday was the first day of classes. Emily and I did not have class so of course we decided to head in to the city center and check out the shopping. We managed to track down the Ireland equivalent of TJ Maxx, but unfortunately, or fortunately for our wallets, we did not find anything except for some dish towels.
We had lunch at a small café in the center and just had a nice calm afternoon.
It was a different story though when we got back to campus. The first day of classes here is called "black Monday" and the students celebrate their first day of class by drinking and going out to the clubs. We thought it was an interesting holiday, to say the least, and we were not hardcore enough to keep up with traditions.
Tuesday (today) was the first day of class for Emily and me and reality hit hard. We each only had a two hour lecture, but that was plenty for one day.
After enduring our one class each we went to a law society event and listened to Patrick Adams, one of the main actors from the TV show Suits, give a hilarious speech and answer some audience questions.
All in all it was a pretty good day, the sun was even out!
Hopefully we will have more interesting things to say for the next post, but just wanted to give an update! Thanks for reading!
Sam and Emily
So Monday was the first day of classes. Emily and I did not have class so of course we decided to head in to the city center and check out the shopping. We managed to track down the Ireland equivalent of TJ Maxx, but unfortunately, or fortunately for our wallets, we did not find anything except for some dish towels.
It was a different story though when we got back to campus. The first day of classes here is called "black Monday" and the students celebrate their first day of class by drinking and going out to the clubs. We thought it was an interesting holiday, to say the least, and we were not hardcore enough to keep up with traditions.
Tuesday (today) was the first day of class for Emily and me and reality hit hard. We each only had a two hour lecture, but that was plenty for one day.
After enduring our one class each we went to a law society event and listened to Patrick Adams, one of the main actors from the TV show Suits, give a hilarious speech and answer some audience questions.
All in all it was a pretty good day, the sun was even out!
Hopefully we will have more interesting things to say for the next post, but just wanted to give an update! Thanks for reading!
Sam and Emily
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Pub Crawl #2
Hi!
I finally got to go on my first pub crawl last night! We went to 4 different pubs and then a club at the end of the night. We had some interesting experiences but realized we have some solid friends to fall back on :) We met some more people and had a good time. I had my first Guinness!
Before we went out, Sam and I made our first real dinner in our apartment. The hob (stove) is a little sketchy so it takes a little longer than normal to make a meal but we managed chicken and pasta. Tonight we are going to make tacos!
Right now we're going to the Clubhouse (the pub on campus) to watch a hurling match. We aren't really sure what it is but apparently it's really intense and similar to lacrosse and field hockey. We will find out I guess haha Hope everyone at home is doing well!
Love to all,
~Emily and Sam
I finally got to go on my first pub crawl last night! We went to 4 different pubs and then a club at the end of the night. We had some interesting experiences but realized we have some solid friends to fall back on :) We met some more people and had a good time. I had my first Guinness!
Before we went out, Sam and I made our first real dinner in our apartment. The hob (stove) is a little sketchy so it takes a little longer than normal to make a meal but we managed chicken and pasta. Tonight we are going to make tacos!
Right now we're going to the Clubhouse (the pub on campus) to watch a hurling match. We aren't really sure what it is but apparently it's really intense and similar to lacrosse and field hockey. We will find out I guess haha Hope everyone at home is doing well!
Love to all,
~Emily and Sam
Friday, 6 September 2013
Pub Crawling
Hello!
Yesterday (Thursday) Emily and I had lovely boring orientation, but it did give us a chance to meet other American Business students, so that was nice. Then we had a Study Abroad Student Reception where we were given free food, always a plus, and learned some very simple Irish dances.
Sadly Emily had to go home to Skype into her music class back at SMC, but I joined up with some of our friends to go on a pub crawl. We went to the city center and hit up Temple Bar, where I had my first Guinness, then to The Porter House, and then a club. The club was super cool and had a courtyard where you could hang out outside as well. It was more of a hang out, chill type place, with some dancing, but nothing like crazy American clubs. Today we are having a chill day and heading to Ikea to get the rest of the supplies we need to cook and survive.
Peace Out!
Sam and Emily
Yesterday (Thursday) Emily and I had lovely boring orientation, but it did give us a chance to meet other American Business students, so that was nice. Then we had a Study Abroad Student Reception where we were given free food, always a plus, and learned some very simple Irish dances.
Sadly Emily had to go home to Skype into her music class back at SMC, but I joined up with some of our friends to go on a pub crawl. We went to the city center and hit up Temple Bar, where I had my first Guinness, then to The Porter House, and then a club. The club was super cool and had a courtyard where you could hang out outside as well. It was more of a hang out, chill type place, with some dancing, but nothing like crazy American clubs. Today we are having a chill day and heading to Ikea to get the rest of the supplies we need to cook and survive.
Peace Out!
Sam and Emily
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Um... I'm American.
Hey everyone!
Sam and I had another eventful day today but we also finally got to relax and nap. We signed up for an IKEA trip since we missed the last one and we went to a showcase for UCD performing arts. While we were there, we heard the choir sing a traditional Irish song which was very cool. Then the guy next to me turns and says, "You have a beautiful language!" I felt kind of bad shutting him down when he clearly was trying to be friendly but all I could think to reply was, "Um... I'm American." We chatted a bit later so I redeemed myself but I thought it was really entertaining so I had to share :)
Good Night :)
~Sam and Emily
Sam and I had another eventful day today but we also finally got to relax and nap. We signed up for an IKEA trip since we missed the last one and we went to a showcase for UCD performing arts. While we were there, we heard the choir sing a traditional Irish song which was very cool. Then the guy next to me turns and says, "You have a beautiful language!" I felt kind of bad shutting him down when he clearly was trying to be friendly but all I could think to reply was, "Um... I'm American." We chatted a bit later so I redeemed myself but I thought it was really entertaining so I had to share :)
Good Night :)
~Sam and Emily
Ireland is not America
Hey everybody!
Sam and I decided to start this blog so that everyone at home could keep up with our adventures :)
Travel Day: Getting through the airport was exciting on the first day. We were sad to leave our family and friends but we were so happy to start our semester in Dublin. We had 2/3 very long flights but in the end the longest part was yet to come.
Day 1: (Monday) When we arrived in Dublin, it took us 2 hours to get through customs, get our bags, and get on the bus to UCD. The bus trip was nice and we met a group of boys from St. Mary's in Maryland who were also going to UCD. We got dropped off with all of our bags outside of campus and quickly realized that UCD is A LOT bigger than St. Mary's haha we walked about a mile to check in and made friends along the way as we all sweated and hauled our bags. We eventually made it, checked in, and lugged our stuff to our new home. Here we discovered that there was absolutely nothing in our rooms; not even toilet paper. After we found the store (Centra) on campus and got a few essentials, we began to unpack and make a list of what we were going to need to buy. Then, we caught the bus (after getting exact change) to Dublin City Center. Sam had heard from a friend about a store called Penney's where we could get house stuff for cheap. We got some supplies, new Ireland "smart" phones (they aren't all that smart lol), and some groceries so we had food (although nothing to cook it in). It took us awhile and a couple different tries to figure out how to get back to campus but we eventually figured it out, unloaded our stuff, and settled in. After a simple meal of sandwiches and bananas, we called it a day. At this point we both needed to Skype our moms because the day had been a bit overwhelming haha The day ended with a cold shower because we had no hot water in the apartment. Ireland is not America. It was a bit of a rough day but Sam and I got through it and decided the best thing to do was get a good night sleep.
Day 2: (Tuesday) Tuesday was a much easier day to handle because there were lots of activities planned for International Students. We went on a shopping tour to find out where the nearest grocery store is within walking distance. Tesco is about a mile away from campus but it is a real grocery store like we would have at home with plenty of selection, reasonable prices, and items we could actually save for awhile like soup, rice, and oatmeal. After spending way too much money on groceries, we had to share the weight of our giant bag between us by each grabbing a handle. Sam and I make a great team :) we eventually made it back to our apartment but we missed our shuttle bus to IKEA. Luckily, we made it on a open bus tour of Dublin in the afternoon. It was an abnormally beautiful day for Ireland so we really enjoyed seeing the sights and learning a little bit about where we are living. When we got back to campus, we went to Tapas Night at the Global Lounge and had some wine and appetizers while we met people from all over the world and from close to home. We also met all of our roommates and got to know them a little better. They all seem really nice and luckily they brought stuff so we can cook now! It was a much better day since we got more settled, met people, and got hot showers :) We hope everyone at SMC had a great first day of classes!!
Day 3: (Wednesday) Today, we planned out our lives and scheduled all of the activities we are going to go to for the next couple days. We haven't done much yet but we are planning to go check out our classrooms, meet with people from the International Student Society about trips around Ireland this semester, and I am going to pick up an audition form for choir.
We will try to post at least once a week and put up pictures so you can see what we are up to.
Love and Miss you all!
~Sam and Emily
Sam and I decided to start this blog so that everyone at home could keep up with our adventures :)
Travel Day: Getting through the airport was exciting on the first day. We were sad to leave our family and friends but we were so happy to start our semester in Dublin. We had 2/3 very long flights but in the end the longest part was yet to come.
Day 1: (Monday) When we arrived in Dublin, it took us 2 hours to get through customs, get our bags, and get on the bus to UCD. The bus trip was nice and we met a group of boys from St. Mary's in Maryland who were also going to UCD. We got dropped off with all of our bags outside of campus and quickly realized that UCD is A LOT bigger than St. Mary's haha we walked about a mile to check in and made friends along the way as we all sweated and hauled our bags. We eventually made it, checked in, and lugged our stuff to our new home. Here we discovered that there was absolutely nothing in our rooms; not even toilet paper. After we found the store (Centra) on campus and got a few essentials, we began to unpack and make a list of what we were going to need to buy. Then, we caught the bus (after getting exact change) to Dublin City Center. Sam had heard from a friend about a store called Penney's where we could get house stuff for cheap. We got some supplies, new Ireland "smart" phones (they aren't all that smart lol), and some groceries so we had food (although nothing to cook it in). It took us awhile and a couple different tries to figure out how to get back to campus but we eventually figured it out, unloaded our stuff, and settled in. After a simple meal of sandwiches and bananas, we called it a day. At this point we both needed to Skype our moms because the day had been a bit overwhelming haha The day ended with a cold shower because we had no hot water in the apartment. Ireland is not America. It was a bit of a rough day but Sam and I got through it and decided the best thing to do was get a good night sleep.
Day 2: (Tuesday) Tuesday was a much easier day to handle because there were lots of activities planned for International Students. We went on a shopping tour to find out where the nearest grocery store is within walking distance. Tesco is about a mile away from campus but it is a real grocery store like we would have at home with plenty of selection, reasonable prices, and items we could actually save for awhile like soup, rice, and oatmeal. After spending way too much money on groceries, we had to share the weight of our giant bag between us by each grabbing a handle. Sam and I make a great team :) we eventually made it back to our apartment but we missed our shuttle bus to IKEA. Luckily, we made it on a open bus tour of Dublin in the afternoon. It was an abnormally beautiful day for Ireland so we really enjoyed seeing the sights and learning a little bit about where we are living. When we got back to campus, we went to Tapas Night at the Global Lounge and had some wine and appetizers while we met people from all over the world and from close to home. We also met all of our roommates and got to know them a little better. They all seem really nice and luckily they brought stuff so we can cook now! It was a much better day since we got more settled, met people, and got hot showers :) We hope everyone at SMC had a great first day of classes!!
Day 3: (Wednesday) Today, we planned out our lives and scheduled all of the activities we are going to go to for the next couple days. We haven't done much yet but we are planning to go check out our classrooms, meet with people from the International Student Society about trips around Ireland this semester, and I am going to pick up an audition form for choir.
We will try to post at least once a week and put up pictures so you can see what we are up to.
Love and Miss you all!
~Sam and Emily
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