Howth Did We Get Here?

Despite our best efforts the night before, Kathryn, Maggie, Brittany, John, Sean, and I met at our appointed time of 10:10am in the Goldsmith Quad to set out for Howth ("hoe-th"), a small fishing port located on a peninsula north of Dublin. Since the town can be reached by the DART train in 30 minutes, it makes for a convenient escape from the city. Even more important, the Pearse Street DART Station is adjacent to Goldsmith, and one-way tickets cost a mere 2.30 euros (or 4.10 round trip if you can decipher the machines).

Our 10:38 train arrived as scheduled (enough time to figure out tickets), and we set off for Howth. The ride was smooth, and took us across the Liffey and through the suburbs of Dublin. After a short time, we could see the Irish Sea on both sides of the car, and then arrived at the last DART stop. The station was engulfed by an expensive restaurant named The Bloody Stream, and flanked by a small open-air market. With many in the group starving for lack of breakfast, we visited the the Waffle Cafe stand. Despite the name and the advertisements for Belgian Waffles, the owner informed us that he was only able to make crepes.

After those still needing breakfast had satisfied their stomachs with a nutella crepe, a ham-and-cheese crepe, a burger, and a hot dog (a different stand) we left the space heater and made for the tourism office. Friends of ours had visited Howth the weekend before, and recommended the office for its free map and hiking trail information. To reach the office, we walked along the street that stretched to the harbor on one side and restaurants and fish markets on the other. As we reached the end of the West Pier, we came upon the entrance to the harbor, with a lighthouse on the opposite side, and the tourism office to our left.

On the West Pier Sea Wall

Leaving the office with maps in hand, we walked to the end of the pier and scaled the sea wall to look across the water filled with sail boats and Ireland's Eye, a small island just off the shore. After a few pictures, we turned around and headed along Harbour Road in the direction of East Pier. On our right we passed by a wall of shops and restaurants, several of which touted their fish and chips. Our on left was an open green space and the Howth Yacht Club. Instead of heading down East Pier and to the lighthouse, we followed the street as it became Balscadoen Road.

Along the road that scaled the cliffs, we first noticed that each house displayed a placard to name the building. Several were in Irish, most were clever, and only one was named Cliff Cottage. The narrow road took us past a former childhood home of poet W.B. Yeats, and at its end, to the start of the Fingal Trail, cliff walk. Several signs at the start of the trail warned visitors to be wary of dangerous paths that clung to the cliff, and banned the use of bicycles and horses.

The path winds around the Eastern and Southern sides of the peninsula, though with roads, it is possible to walk around the whole of Howth. Each turn brought us another stunning vista, with views of the path as it wrapped around the elevation unseen in Dublin as well as the Irish Sea that extended to the horizon. Ignoring the warnings of the signs, we stopped at several points to leave the path and stand out on narrow outcroppings for plenty of photographs. Nevertheless, we, and the several Italian families that followed the trail with us, made it to the intersection with the Upper Cliff Path without incident.

View of Baily Lighthouse from the Fingal Trail

At that point, we had walked for nearly two hours, and everyone had begun to recall the fish and chips advertised by the harbour. Before turning off the path and onto the upper trail, we had a view of the Baily Lighthouse and a lone boat with a smiley face sail. The connection to the other path proved to be far steeper than the the map would suggest. However, a well-maintained staircase carved into the rock face made the journey to the summit a casual stroll.

Once at the summit, we walked in the direction of Balscadoen road, and enjoyed additional sights of the Irish Sea. The Upper Path was much wider than its lower counterpart, and at least one person ignored the posted signs, as hoof prints were clear in the mud that crisscrossed the trail. Following the much shorter trip than the full walk around the peninsula, and only after passing a out-of-place palm trees, we arrived at the link with Thormanby Road. We then followed it through the old Howth Village and down to the Harbour.

Despite our insistence on purchasing local fish and chips, the wait at the one affordable restaurant and the cold that would us after visiting the even cheaper take-away one, soon broke the resolve of many in the group. However, they did not succumb to the allure of freshly cooked pizza and wraps at a second market without passing by the same shops several times in vain to find a student-priced venue. By the end, only John and I achieved the goal of eating some local fish, by purchasing an enormous fish and chips box from the Tram Chowder stand (shaped as a miniature box car) situated along West Pier. As a sign of the internationalism of Ireland, the shop was owned by a Brazilian immigrant.

Delicious Fish and Chips for 8 Euro

Reuniting with the group, we sat along a wall that paralleled a path which cut through the green space by the harbor. The sun which had made the trip spectacular for its warmth and lack of rain, was dimming, so we clung to a spot where its rays managed to cut through the amassing clouds. Once we devoured our lunches, a couple of the girls decided to buy nutella crepes from the original stand, while Sean checked the train schedule for our return to Dublin.

With 45 minutes before the next departure, we decided to walk in the opposite direction of the harbor to see Howth Castle. The building was constructed following the Norman Conquest to house the Earl of Howth. Since then, the St. Lawrence family has lived in the structure, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited buildings in Ireland (since 1180). Even so, the material wealth of the current owners is not sufficient to maintain the structure as several towers, gates, and windows are boarded, broken, and dilapidated. Still, the main keep is intact, and as a private residence, is not open to visitors. So, we snapped a few pictures, and headed back to the DART Station.

Front of Howth Castle

Full Howth Album

By the time we arrived at Pearse Street around 5pm, everyone had warmed up, but were ready to return home to nap and relax.

Things that are Different: there are no folders
Stores that are Not: Eddie (Johnny) Rocket's

Bodies and Mud

Today we decided to explore several of the historical sites and museums in the city. Despite our best efforts to design an itinerary, we failed to visit each place, but were amazed nonetheless by the treasures that this city holds.

First stop was Dublin Castle, the site used by the British until the declaration of the Irish Free State in 1922, as the center of their dominion over Ireland. Overtime, the original Medieval structures have given way to 18th Century buildings, save the Record Tower, a round structure linked to the newer Royal Chapel and State Apartments. The grounds of the Castle are free to explore, so we entered the Chapel to see magnificent wood carvings of the family crests of important individuals during the building's construction. Despite a style that mimics the Christ Church in its exterior, the interior was markedly less ornate beyond the wood carvings.

From there we visited the upper courtyard, which is surrounded by the Bedford Tower and the entrance to the State Apartments. The tower formerly held the Irish Crown Jewels, until there (still unresolved) theft in the early 20th Century. It is flanked by two gates named for the statues that adorn them, Fortitude and Justice. The State Apartments are used for formal functions, and were at one time the official residence of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Today, you may tour the Apartments for 3.50 euro (student price), but we decided not to wait for the next tour (an hour from when we arrived).

Instead, we went around to the courtyard behind the Apartments, which houses the Dubh Linn Garden. Today the garden consists of various memorials and monuments, including one for all Irish Royal Constabulary and Garda members killed in service, as well as one for the 2003 Special Olympics - held in Ireland, and the first not in the States. The centerpiece of the Garden is a enormous circle of grass with narrow brick pathways that swirl in a Celtic pattern. Before the founding of Dublin, it is said that the place now occupied by the Garden was that of the "Black Pool" for which the Vikings named their settlement.

Dubh Linn Gardens with State Apts, Record Tower, and Chapel in background

Besides the Garden is the Chester Beatty Library, housed in an otherwise generic older building. Despite the exterior, we decided to venture inside - perhaps because of the free admission. It is fortunate that we did, as the Library houses two magnificent exhibit halls. The first temporary exhibit, was for the Persian Epic, Shahnama, first written in 1000 AD. Hundreds of manuscript pages covered with vibrant illustrations by various artists are displayed (until this April) to depict the lives of 50 kings of Persia and mythical warriors. The tale is retold by various authors, so each scene is portrayed in several different styles. The exhibit told a story of which I was not familiar, with a collection of priceless manuscripts that I never expected to see in Ireland.

The second exhibit, titled "Sacred Traditions" houses artifacts and manuscripts from Eastern Religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Chinese Philosophic traditions, and various branches and sects; Islam, and Christianity. The collection contains pieces from the early days of each tradition, including Gospels from the 3rd and 4th centuries. It is crucial to note that all of the displayed works are from one man's collection, an American, Chester Beatty, who donated his works to Ireland before his death. Unfortunately, the age of the pieces proscribed photography.

Following Dublin Castle, we headed to the National Museum of Ireland - Archaeology (again FREE). The Museum hosts collections stretching throughout Ireland's ancient, Viking, and medieval history. In addition, there are collections from Rome, Egypt, and Cyprus. The artifacts occupy nearly every space in the Museum, with each display more astonishing than the last. One gruesome display, was four ancient bodies found in bogs, following their sacrifice to support the crowning of a new king. I snapped a couple pictures of them, before I realized that photography was again prohibited in the Museum.

Ancient (Sacrificed) Bog Man

With everyone feeling exhausted, we veered from our itinerary and did not visit the Natural History Museum nor National Gallery. While John, Kathyrn, and Maggie left for Tesco, Brittany, Sean and I headed for Goldsmith and lunch. On the way, we noticed that the Dublin University Football Club (Trinity's Rugby team) was playing a match, so we walked down to the crowded sideline to watch the game. DUFC was playing Bective Rangers (of Dublin), and by halftime we were leading 13 to 12. At that point we left for lunch, and returned only to see the closing minutes, and our muddy loss of 23 to 16. Seeing the match, convinced me that Rugby makes for a far more dynamic and interesting game than that of the frequent stoppages in American Football.

A throw-in during DUFC vs. Bective

Full Dublin Album

Feeling more revitalized after the game and lunch, Sean, Brittany, and I decided to explore the central park named St. Stephen's Green. Inside we passed by a large pond, complete with ducks and swans. Unfortunately, the place closed at 4:30pm, so we were soon ushered out by a security guard wielding a large hand bell.

Tonight we will likely visit MacTorcaill's, with a trip to the fishing port of Howth (north of Dublin) scheduled for tomorrow.

Things that are Different: Hot and Cold water don't mix in the faucet
Stores that are Not: American Apparel

Reclaimed Wheel

Tuesday marked the second week of class, and the start of tutorial sessions for some courses. Since lectures are fairly large, tutorials act as an opportunity to meet with a teaching assistant in a smaller group setting. They tend to be very interactive and discussion based. By Wednesday, I finalized my course schedule, retrieved signatures from four departments, and submitted my registration form to the International Office. This semester, I will take: Social Studies: Comparative Welfare States - Retrenchment and Restructuring, Sociology: European Societies, Political Science: Irish Politics, and History: Ireland in the 20th Century.

Also this week, I scheduled two trips for the upcoming weekends. Kathryn, Brittany, Sean and I signed up for the Surfing Society's trip to Lahinch in County Clare (West Coast). We leave Friday afternoon on February 4th and return that Sunday night. We are headed there by way of a charter bus, and will stay in cottages along the shore. I imagine that the water, as well as the weather, will be next to freezing, but where else, if not Ireland, will I learn to surf for a cheap price with wet suit, board, lessons, transport, and housing included? In addition, I booked my Ryan Air flights to London to visit Erik at the London School of Economics for Friday, February 11th through late Monday, February 14th. Plans are already in the works for a trip to Belfast (or Galway... or Cork) the following weekend.

In contrast to the week before, there were visits to clubs or pubs during the week - only a little Jersey Shore and  Gone Baby Gone at Maggie and Kathryn's on Wednesday. However, on Friday night, we decided to visit Point Village which boasts the Dublin (ferris) Wheel (alternatively the Dublin Eye[sore]) and the O2 indoor concert venue. Both projects were part of the last breaths of the Celtic Tiger and efforts to renew the Docklands. The Wheel is a relatively short 25 minute walk from our apartments - made longer with our visit to the Mona Lisa, student-priced Italian restaurant by Trinity's Main Gate.

View of the Renewed Docklands

The urban renewal efforts along the waterfront are welcoming for the extensive walking and bike paths that now line the Liffey. Trees, covered with blue LED lights, dot the pathways. We crossed into the North Side of Dublin via the Seán O'Casey Footbridge, and along the way passed the remarkable Samuel Beckett cable bridge and new Convention Center with its tilted, glass, illuminated facade. After passing a couple "dodgy" blocks of dilapidated, former dock buildings we arrived at Point Village. As a sign of the economy, or perhaps the frigid cold, there were few tourists about at the miniature carnival.

Nevertheless, we paid our 7 euro (student price) to ride the Dublin Wheel for 13 minutes. Unfortunately, each pod only fits six adults, so Sean, Brittany, Kathryn and Maggie went in one, while John, Eric, and I waited for the wheel to lift them upwards before we boarded ours. In an quasi-boast, the website for the Wheel states that it is less than half the height of the London Eye. Given the flat nature of Dublin, and the scarcity of tall buildings, no additional height was needed to see the city. From our pod, you could see the new Aviva Stadium, the Irish Sea, and into the heart of the city. After our ride, we opted not to purchase our group picture package (complete with lanyards!) and instead headed to MacTorcaill's for warmth.

Dublin Wheel

Full Dublin Album

For reading to the bottom of this post, you are rewarded with a new feature of my blog, titled "Things that are Different, and Stores that are Not"

Things that are Different: Plastic bags are rare and cost 30 cents apiece
Stores that are Not: Subway

A Brush with the Church of Ireland

Against every desire to sleep, I threw myself out of bed this morning to meet at the front gates of Trinity by 10:30am. Sean, Alicia, and her visiting friend Danny, and I had decided the night before that we would attend the 11am service at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity ("Christ Church Dublin"). Of course that meant a second early morning after a night out, but the four of us managed to wake up despite our time at MacTurcaill's and our first visit to Doyle's.

A week ago, Sean and I had passed by the Cathedral on our way to the Guinness Brewery, and Danny, who was leaving for her abroad program in Rome later that day, had visited the Church during a trip to Ireland a couple years back. It was her idea to attend the service as it would be an opportunity to visit (and experience) the Cathedral and related catacombs without purchasing a ticket.

(Part) of Christ Church

A bit of history on the building. The Vikings first established a church on the site c. 1030, with it later transitioning to a Benedictine monastic cathedral. Following the break with the Catholic Church by Henry VIII in the 1530's it became a centerpiece of the Anglican Church of Ireland. Today, it remains an active Anglican/Episcopal cathedral, and the mother church of the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough. 

I had never attended a service or Mass in a Cathedral nor had I ever attended an Episcopalian service in the States. The similarities to the Catholic Mass were striking, with few variations in the Liturgies of the Word and Eucharist beyond some minor wording (or translation) differences. Although all in attendance were welcome to receive Communion - maybe a transubstantian/consubstantian difference 

Nevertheless, the service was longer than Mass (by at least a half our), not because of overflowing attendance that delayed Communion, but because of a dedicated choir that sang the hymns in Latin with many embellishments. The Kyrie or "Lord, have mercy" prayer seemed to last ten minutes, with at least two false end points. Even so, the choir was a welcome presence and seemed to transport the service to an earlier time of the Cathedral. Following the service, I snapped a few pictures of the interior, and headed into the Catacombs for tea, coffee, and biscuits. 

The Only Monkey Face in the Cathedral

Full Dublin Album (Cathedral Pictures at End)

The catacombs support the Cathedral above with rough, exposed rock archways. However, the room does not feel closed off or unwelcoming. A museum holding the "treasures" of the Cathedral is filled with well-lit display cases full of gold and silver goblets and objects used for services since the early days of the current building. The other end (where tea was served) includes a comfortable coffee shop, leather couches, and tables. Along the walls are various statues and sarcophagi. One peculiar display is of a mummified mouse and rat, both found inside of the pipe organ during renovations in the 1980s. 

After enjoying our much needed caffeine, we left for Danny's favorite ice cream shop in the city - a place in the Temple Bar district (by the actual Temple Bar). My tiramisu-flavored purchase was an excellent way to finish the trip.

Tour of Thithe an Rialtais

This afternoon we toured the Government Buildings - the Irish name "Thithe an Rialtais" is much more interesting - which include the Department of the Taoiseach or "Prime Minister" of the government. The term derives from the Irish word for "leader" or "chief." Before describing the tour, I'll give you a little current events in Irish politics.

The sitting Taoiseach, is the embattled Brian Cowen of the now derided Fianna Fail party. Six ministers resigned from their posts last week and elections were called Thursday for March 11th (although Cowen may not survive that long if a no confidence vote is successful in the Dail Eireann). His troubles stem from a deal made with the now infamous Anglo Irish Bank for the government to guarantee its debts - a sum that turned out to be far larger than the GDP of the Republic. All signs point to massive defeat of Fianna Fail and the return to power of Fine Gael after more than a decade out of government.

Tours of the Government Buildings are given only on Saturday from 10:30 to 1:30pm with the each starting on the half hour. Tickets are free and are available at the nearby National Gallery starting at 10am. Believing that we may see lines akin to those for the Washington Monument, I volunteered last night to throw myself out of bed and queue for tickets. Even though only 20 tickets are given out for each tour, I had no trouble grabbing four. In a sign of the political climate though, the 1:30 tour was canceled (we saw camera crews gathering outside on our way to the Tesco after lunch).

Government Buildings

Sean, Kathryn, Brittany, and I gathered in Goldsmith and headed out for the 12:30 tour expecting a crowd to be gathering in front of the buildings. As it turns out, there were only nine tourists, one guide, and a government "minder" from time-to-time. After a quick walk through security, during which the new-looking automatic door broke, we assembled in the Buildings' courtyard. The building wraps around the square in the picture above, with mirrored archways on the left and right. The entrance to the square is bridged by enormous double-columned arches and sealed by wrought iron gates. The complex is the last public building to be constructed by the British soon after Ireland was granted home rule. Unfortunately we were not permitted to take pictures inside, so you will have to make due with my commentary.

Despite the seemingly ornate and commanding exterior, the interior was Spartan and rather common. The grand entrance-way used only for foreign dignitaries was little more than a cordoned off red carpet. Just beyond that entrance was a floor-to-ceiling stained glass window from the Ireland exhibition at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. It included iconography representing the four provinces of Ireland, a harp - the official emblem, and a clover - the unofficial emblem.

From the main entrance we turned to the left and headed to the Taoiseach's office (above the archway on the left side of the building). Unlike the halls of Congress decorated with enormous and occasionally gaudy frescoes, the walls were bare except for a collection of modern paintings. Before entering the office we were shown two display cases of recent gifts to Ireland, as received by the Taoiseach during his state visits abroad. Having visited the Kennedy Library in Boston, I was surprised to only see two cases as compared to the library's wing dedicated to such gifts.

Inside the Office of the Taoiseach, I was again surprised by its modest design. While the Prime Minister is not the official head of state, he wields power akin to our President. Still, his oval office was lacking a large seal of the Taoiseach in the carpet and had few paintings along the walls. The generic desk was set off in the corner, which contrasted the impressive Italian-marble fireplace. Along the wall were three pictures: two with Obama in the States - last St. Patrick's Day, and one with Bill Clinton by the fireplace. A drawing of flowers behind the desk was signed T. Kennedy, but the tour guide was unsure if it was by the famous Ted.

From the office, we left the building through the main entrance and looped under the right archway to enter the building on the right via a side street that somewhat resembled an alleyway. Headed to the Cabinet room, we stopped in the hallway outside to see the portraits of every Taoiseach. Unlike the oil paintings of governors found on Beacon Hill, each portrait was done in colored pencil with little drawn beyond the shoulders and upper chest. Again they struck the modest cord that ran throughout the Government Buildings.

The Cabinet Room was filled by a large oval mahogany table, fashioned (with the accompanying chairs) by hand in Cork. The table was unadorned but for tablet computers stationed at each ministers' seat. The Taoiseach sits in the middle of the table, with his chair distinguished by a golden harp emblazoned on the black leather back cushion. Along the walls are portraits of famed Irish revolutionaries from the 1600s to the Easter Rebellion of 1916. In a display along the wall are the seal of the Irish Free State and the seal of the Republic, among other older mementos.

An adjoining room to the modern Cabinet Room holds the original table used by the cabinet. More modest than the last, it looked no different than a traditional, expandable dining room table. Ministers were less comfortable at this table, as only the Taoiseach's chair (again with the harp) had a back cushion.

And that concluded the tour. Considering the striking architecture of the exterior, I was not expecting the modesty that pervaded the building. When I was interning for Representative McGovern, I gave not a few tours of the Capitol, and became acquainted with its massive frescoes, friezes, statues, and other artwork. However, Ireland does not need to place every reminder from its past in one building, as many of the buildings throughout the country are older than any in the States. I suppose we needed a grandiose building in our new capital to signal our debut on the world stage, but Ireland has survived more than a few revolutions, wars, and tragedies to negate a need for ostentatious reminders in every government building.

Competition and Kells

MacTurcaills is fast becoming our favorite pub, with the gang gathering there on Tuesday night to reflect on our classes so far. While there, Brittany designed a couple coaster-people and we caught a bit of football and surprisingly the Laker's game.

Coaster-Man

Wednesday night was riddled with competition. But before that could start, Kathryn, Sean, Maggie and I went to the first meeting of the Dublin University Surfing & Bodyboarding Club for the Hilary Term. Most of the meeting was devoted to discussing the new Club sweatshirts and the first trip of the semester on the weekend of February 4th. Signups are next week, and I will definitely be joining the team for the training trip. As to whether I will join them for the trip to the Canary Islands at the end of term, I suppose that will only happen if I turn out to be some sort of surfing prodigy my first time on a board.

The next event of the evening occurred at the Andrew Lanes Theatre - a club venue near to the main entrance of campus. This week was RAG or Raise and Give week at Trinity, so the Student Union was hosting various events throughout the week to raise money for charities throughout Ireland. We had intended on going to karaoke at Captain America's on Tuesday, but problems with the venue forced its cancellation. Earlier on Wednesday I witnessed the conclusion to the Iron Stomach competition held in Front Square, with the "champion" devouring a pound of butter in the final round.

The competition at the Theatre was Beer Olympics, with an entrance fee of 50 euro per team (again all proceeds going to charity). Naturally "World Police" (Team America) entered, comprised of Sean, Eric, Maggie, Brittany, and I. We had wanted our entrance song to be the Team America: World Police theme, but when the didn't have that we considered using Party in the USA or Proud to be an American. Instead we ended up with Ring of Fire. After various competitions (that I will not detail here) we reached the final four on a Wild Card (2nd place in our group, of total 12 teams in 3 groups). We were defeated there, but did far better than any of us could have imagined. With our classes not starting until the late afternoon on Thursday, we stayed for a couple hours afterwards with the defeated Surfing team - ALT reverted back to a club once the Olympics ended.

World Police

Thursday night was low-key. A few of us went to Kathryn and Maggie's to watch some Irish sitcoms and play cards. Even though they only get BBC2 and RTE (the Irish public channel), there were some hilarious programs such as Episodes (with Joey from Friends). It debuted this year and follows a British couple who try to retain creative control over a show they brought to the US. Other shows we watched included a reality TV show about people trying to be waiters at a ritzy French resort, a panel-comedy talk show, and a drama about chefs at a restaurant in Dublin (quasi-Hells Kitchen). Contrary to the States, various swears were aired throughout the programs (imagine PBS approving the F-bomb), and there were few commercial breaks.

After lectures today, we finally toured Trinity's Old Library. The centerpiece of the tour (free for students and their guests) is the Book of Kells produced in the 800's and remarkably ornate. The collection included three other manuscripts of similar age, but with far less imagery. After passing through the museum-style layout for the manuscripts, you ascend into the Long Room which holds over 200,000 books across two floors of stacks. It is a remarkable room that stretches the length of the building and is complete with an open arched ceiling. There are many books from the time of the 1641 rebellion centered in a museum display, and various descriptions of events during that time. Among those books is the oldest harp in Ireland.

The Jedi Library and the "unrelated" Trinity Long Room

Unfortunately, you are unable to take pictures while touring the building, however Trinity students can still request books from the old library for use in special reading rooms. I strongly recommend that visitors to Trinity (of which there are many) pay the 8 or so euros to see the Book of Kells and the Long Room.

Lectures

Turns out this week was not nearly as hectic nor crazy as everyone had feared. Most classes will not start tutorials (small group lessons) until next week or later, so a couple 50 minute lectures per day was very manageable.

As we were warned before leaving the States, class sizes are considerably larger than at American. Consequently, most lectures are in fact lectures with little input from students in the room, beyond an occasional question that interrupts the professor's presentation. Of the five classes that I tested this week, 2 professors used PowerPoint, 2 used overhead projectors, and 1 spoke almost without any visuals.

Ireland in the 20th Century is a welcome diversion from the endless barrage of US history that starts in elementary school and continues in some form (though in different departments) throughout College. From the failed 1916 Easter Rebellion to the Free State, Civil War and Independence the 20th century was certainly a dynamic time for Ireland.

Comparative Welfare States: Retrenchment and Restructuring should be of particular interest given the recent (and somewhat ongoing) US health care debate - as the only American student, I have already been called on to give my perspective on our welfare system. I will definitely register for the course, as it should provide me with a global perspective on various welfare states, and it counts towards my Economics degree.

I am a little disappointed with the Economy of Ireland for a few reasons. The first is due to the University's transition to a semester system last year - as a result many classes offered to Hilary Term (Spring) visiting students reached their halfway point during Michaelmas Term (Fall).  As a result, my first lecture started with chapter 6. In addition, the class is far larger than the others I tested, with close to 300 students. Also, we are assigned our tutorial times in alphabetical order, which would eliminate my 3-day weekend by holding class on Monday afternoon. Finally, regarding content, the class seems to reteach a lot of content from general macroeconomic courses, while then applying it to the recent economic history of Ireland. Nevertheless, the class counts toward my Economics degree and the professor has a great personality, so I am conflicted as to whether I will continue with it.

European Societies, a Sociology course, is taught by the head of the department, and promises to be a lively and interesting course. Despite being a yearlong course, the professor modularized it to be more accessible to visiting students (around 7 of us in the class). Already we have begun discussing solutions to downtrodden former industrial centers - including the 7th "US" option of allowing the city to flounder (see: Detroit). This is an elective course, but heavy in economics, and definitely worthwhile.

The final course I tested, Irish Politics, is taught by the head of the political science department, and should be interesting in presenting the inner-workings of the Irish state given the numbered days of Fianna Fail and general election on March 11. Unfortunately, it is a yearlong course that is not nearly as well modularized. However, the assessment for visiting students is only two papers roughly five pages in length.

Since I took 16 credits last Fall at American, I need only take the equivalent of 14 credits here at Trinity to achieve 30 for the year and maintain my scholarships. With history equaling an equivalent of 5 credits, and the others at 3 a piece, I will take 4 courses here for the term. By the end of next week, I will be fully registered.

One final note, there is an unusually high number of senior students enrolled in the courses. At American you encounter graduate students in their mid-20's in hybrid classes, but here there are students middle-aged and above.

Endless Immigration

Studying or staying in Ireland for an extended period of time is easy for people from most countries. Instead of applying for a visa in advance, you just need to register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau once you arrive. As you go through customs, the GNIB agent will stamp your passport with a designated period of time to report to the GNIB to register (with the necessary paperwork and 150 euro fee). Most people get around a month - I got two.

Since I assume that I need to be registered before I will be able to travel and reenter the country, I used my day off today to visit the GNIB - a 5 minute walk from Trinity, along the Liffey. I had heard horror stories of people waiting in line for hours, and I had fully intended on arriving as early as possible (student registration starts at 9 AM). Unfortunately, there was the matter of paperwork. I still had to gather two more documents before I could register, my official statement of balance from the Bank of Ireland (minimum 1000 euro) and a letter from the International Office stating that I am a registered student at Trinity. I had already gotten my document from the Fees Office stating that my tuition had been paid and I had evidence of private medical. Unfortunately the International Office does not open until 9:30 AM and the Bank did not open unil 10:30 AM. In addition, I learned that the BOI branch closest to Goldsmith does not issue currency (unless through the ATM), and so I had to go to the main branch opposite the main entrance to campus.

After running back and forth a few times, I had gathered all my required documents, and I headed to the GNIB (around 11 AM). Once inside, I realized that I would be there for an extended period of time. Nearly every seat in the waiting room was full, and to even get in line for an agent, you had to wait in a separate line to receive a ticket for the queue. By the time that I finally received my ticket, which involved a cursory look at my passport, I was number 156 with 71 people in front of me.

For anyone who has ever complained about the DMV, they have not waited in the Irish immigration queue. There averaged between 6 to 8 agents working at one time, with a number called every 3 or so minutes. I spent most of the time switching between solitaire and sudoku on my phone, and just hoping that the line would suddenly accelerate. It did not. I finally reached an agent around 2:30 PM.

At that point, it was very quick, he glanced over my documents, took a picture of me, and then asked for the 150 euro - payable by credit card or bank giro only. As I probably should have expected (but nowhere displayed), they did not accept American Express. Instead I took the giro form (not willing to pay the fees associated with my BOA VISA debit card), but before I left, the agent told me that it would be faster to use my BOI debit card if it arrived - as I had indicated - this week.

So after several hours at the GNIB, I am still not quite finished. Fortunately I will not have to wait in the huge line when I return to pay my registration fee, but I am not looking forward to returning to the office.

Pretty exhausted - and still not having had lunch - I headed in the direction of the Tesco. On the way, I grabbed a haircut for 8 euro (just before the offer ended), and grabbed a quick lunch, sadly, at the Burger King next to the Tesco - the cheap student restaurant under Goldsmith was closed.

Tomorrow I have my first lectures in Ireland in the 20th Century, Comparative Welfare States, and the Irish Economy. There are no tutorials during the first two weeks, so my otherwise busy Tuesday will be relatively free. Hopefully I enjoy the classes (with Monday lectures!), as I have the first two weeks to figure out my schedule.

Full Dublin Album

Touring the Guinness Brewery

We had originally intended to tour the Guinness Storehouse (on the campus of the original brewery) Saturday, but our excursions on Friday precluded the trip. Since I stayed in on Saturday night, I woke up early enough to use the laundry facilities on campus. I was assured by my second suitemate, Ness, who I met the day before, that they were the cheapest and closest to Goldsmith. However, close is a relative term, as they are on the exact opposite end of the campus squeezed between the dining hall and the chapel (literally, there is a narrow path that leads to the standalone building). While still "on campus", Goldsmith is actually on the other side of Trinity's fences and walls - connected by a bridge over the street to the athletics center.

The distance to the laundrette is just another example of the spoiled life I had in the Avalon for six months. Not only did we have a washer and dryer in the apartment, let alone the building, we had a diswasher, microwave, and a garbage disposal (besides the shared pool and gas grills).

Nevertheless, after making a few trps back and forth - paying the 3 euro for the washer and 1.50 euro for the dryer - my laundry was complete and I was ready for the Guinness Storehouse. The gang departed Goldsmith on foot at around 2 PM, and it took us around 45 minutes to get there. Even though the trip should have been shorter, we naturally got lost a couple times (one time crossing the Liffey by the Four Courts building). Even so, the brewery is essetionally a straight shot from the main gate of campus, only complicated by rising hills and the ever-changing names of streets.

Quasi-Fascist Poster Seen En Route

As we neared the brewery, you could smell the hops in the air (something I suppose you get adjusted to if you life nearby). Once inside we payed the 11 euro ticket price (again no American Express accepted), which gave us entry to the storehouse and a coupon for a pint of Guinness - at 11 euro by far the most expensive.

The building was huge - for Dublin at least - at 7 stories, with the center designed to mimic a pit glass criscrossed by escalators and encased by glass railings. Each level had a different element of the Guinness legacy, with the first part dedicated to the three ingredients that comprise guinness: Irish barley, European/American hops, and water from the Wicklow mountains. At the end of the first part you received a small glass to sample the finished product.

Wicklow Water

Full Album from the Guinness Storehouse

From there, you wound your way up the building, passing by various restaurants and eateries. Other exhibits included advertising through the years, the company history, and one on the effects of alcohol - in contrast to the old campaign of "Guinness is Good for You." One room felt like some sort of indoctrination center with dark walls, floor, and ceiling - and massive screens playing a compiled Guinness sport advertisements (complete with encompassing music).

You could use your coupon for a pint of Guinness at either the station on the fourth floor to learn how to pour a perfect pint, or have it poured for you at the "Gravity Bar" on the 7th floor that gives a nearly 360 degree view of the city. Most of us opted for the perfect pint - a process which takes around 2 minutes. First you must tilt the glass at a 45 degree angle and pull the tap towards you. As the glass fills you turn it upright, and continue to pour until it reaches 3/4 of the way full. You then set it aside to allow the gases to interact until it is completely dark. At that point you return the glass under the tap, and push forward to fill it to the brim. As we had been told at the Ginger Man Pub, you can then only drink the Guinness once it has once more turned completely dark.

Drinking in the station, a few of the girls had been there before us and told us that they had met the British band Bloc Party. The rest of us had the opportunity to meet them at the Gravity Bar level, which devolved into practically everyone in the place getting together for a group picture. Soon thereafter, we left the storehouse and headed back to our apartments.

After dinner, I finalized a draft schedule of classes (with no lectures on Monday!): Ireland in the 20th Century, Irish Politics, the Irish Economy, European Societies, and Comparative Welfare States.

Full Dublin Album

The Longest Day

Friday started off early (well earlier than normal). We met inside the Arts building (or usual spot) at 9:15am to depart for Wicklow County - the mountains south of Dublin - for Glendalough and Wicklow Gaol (jail).

After an hour-long drive, for which I mostly slept, we arrived at the "Glen of Two Lakes" which boasted a medieval monastery first founded in the 600s and active through the 14th century. It is truly a picturesque sight, with the inner-most circle of the monastery preserved. There is a large round tower (used for storage not to ward off Vikings), a Cathedral, several smaller churches and buildings, and an extensive (and still used) cemetery situated in a valley and surrounded by, as the name would suggest, two grand lakes. It is very much still an active site, with our guide mentioning that an outdoor wedding was held in the now roofless stone cathedral.

Glendalough with Round Tower in background

Following Glendalough, we were off to the town of Wicklow for lunch and to explore its infamous gaol. Since I was awake for this ride, I was aware of our bus' trip through the narrow and winding rounds of the countryside. On either side were small streams, homes, rising mountains, sheep, and the occasional small car (or large truck) that managed to share the road. Once in town, a few of us ate at the gaol's cafe, whiched boasted a traditional irish menu. I opted for the freshly cut ham sandwich with potato chips, potato salad, egg salad, regular salad, and coleslaw.

The tour of the gaol brought you through the original narrow room in the basement that used to hold as many as 100 men, women, and children; the makeshift school house, the surviving cell block, the lower dungeon, and the exercise yard. Most cells included various artifacts from the period, and led you from the capture of plotting Irish Republicans, to sentencing, to torture, to daily life, and to expulsion to Australia (there was even part of a full-scale ship in the attic). Conditions were notoriously poor throughout the prison's operation(1702-1922), and it is regarded to be the most haunted place in Ireland.

Facade of Wicklow Jail

Full Albums from Glendalough and Wicklow

Already a long day, I was ready to just make dinner and stay in for the night when we returned to campus after 6. Well the former happened, but after dinner we decided to meet up and head to the Pavillion or "Pav," the on-campus pub (technically the rugby club) and favorite destination for Trinity students on Friday nights. There the gang met up with Russell and several of his friends. It was a bustling and the college pub that AU at one time had but now lacks.

Since last drinks at the Pav are at 11, we left for McTurtles and to meet another one of Russell's friends, Ryan who had just driven down with his dan from Derry. Once there, I struck up a conversation with both Ryan and his dad, and was able to understand the notoriously thick Derry accent. His dad had some very interesting stories, including his time spent working for Fruit of the Loom for three months in Alabama, and when he heard Clinton speak during the Peace Process.

I spent so much time talking with Ryan and his dad over Guinness that the others had already left for a club called The Twisted Pepper, on the other side of the Liffey, by the time that we had finished. Ryan and I hopped into a cab, paid the exorbitant 10 euro cover charge, and joined the others inside. By the time we left it was after 3, which is when we decided to head past Goldsmith and onto Russell's apartment.

I should mention, that from the start, Russell and Ryan were lobbying us to join the Surfing Society at Trinity (only 3 euro). They accepted anyone from beginners to the best, but on some level they were looking to replace the much revered Devon from California who had never surfed before, but turned out to be a prodigy and lead the team to many successes. Sure enough, by the end of the night, many of us were convinced to join - at the very least it will provide an amazing opportunity to explore the western countryside.

To get to Russell's we past by one of the last throws of the Celtic Tiger (according to an architecture lecture from earlier in the week) the Grand Canal Theatre. Opened in 2010, it is the largest theatre in Ireland and has a very modern - all glass - facade.

Once in Russell's apartment, we promptly woke up Michael and Axel who had left us after the Pav. More suprising than the "box" game that they would teach us, was the cardboard cutout of Obama (same one was at GQRR) adorned with an Ireland soccer jersey. It reminded of the conversation with Ryan's dad, where I assured him that Obama would be reelected despite the energy of the Tea Party movement.

Back to the box game. It is incredibly simple, requiring only an empty cereal box and open floor space. The box is placed upright with the flaps open, and the objective is to pick it up with your teeth. To do so, you cannot use your hands nor allow your hands, arms, or knees to touch the floor. And for it to count, you must be able to stand upright and catch the box from your mouth. After each person has completed the maneuver, a strip of the box is ripped off (thereby making it smaller), and play continues until each person has been eliminated by being unable to successfully pick up the box. By the end, I managed to pick up the remaining piece with a less-than centimeter edge, but did not attempt to complete it while standing on two magazines (to create negative height).

Shortly after the game ended, we returned to Goldsmith, and I went to sleep sometime around 7am (certainly a long day).

As a result of Friday into Saturday's adventure, I kept the rest of the day Saturday very low key. I woke up around 1 and managed to run a few errands - finally buying my own ethernet cable! It is interesting to note the little differences too, such that there were no folders for sale nor loose leaf lined paper.

After lunch, Skyping with my parents, and dinner, I visited Ali's room where the girls demanded that we watch the Dreamworks movie "Spirit" (about a horse on the great plains). Even though I was not inclined to enjoy the movie, I turned down other offers to go out, and in the end, enjoyed being able to go to sleep early.

Last Lecture, Student Discount

Our SSP Program for today included our final three lectures, but did not include any trip into the city. Our first lecture was on Irish history during the 18th Century. This was by far the most interesting lecture given throughout the week. From the start, I enjoyed the professor's style of "pitching" the trilogy of revolutionary stories to us in hopes that one of us had connections to Hollywood. I still remember that Wolfe Tone could be cast as Christian Bale. For a 9:30am lecture, he had us laughing hysterically, while remembering key figures and dates.

The following two lecturers had no chance to reach the previous professor's heights. Perhaps the Irish Film lecture could have been as memorable if the professor included a clip from my childhood favorite: "War of the Buttons" (1994). Our final lecture on Irish Women Writers was interesting in their only recent rise due to the modernization of Ireland with increased women's rights.

After our lectures concluded, I visited one of the two Bank of Ireland branches on campus and opened my bank account (needed for immigration). I was unable to deposit my traveler's cheques at the branch, so instead I headed to the main branch in the old Irish Parliament building across from Trinity's main gate. The exchange rate that I had been ignoring, was made real when I deposited $1500 and was credited just under 1130 Euros. Nevertheless, since I was in the building, I explored the intact House of Lords. Unfortunately, after the Act of Union following the failed 1798 rebellion, the Irish Parliament was dissolved, and the Bank of Ireland was required to destroy the House of Commons portion when it purchased the building in the ensuing years. For fans of factoids, the Old Houses of Parliament was the first purpose-built Parliament in the world.

Old House of Lords

Soon thereafter, (as we had vowed) set off to find the departments that I was interested in. By the end of my excursion, I had traveled to Economics, Social Studies, Sociology, and Political Science (the latter two were off campus and more difficult to come across). In contrast to History, each individual in the respective departments assured me that there was no need to rush to fill out our international office forms, but that we should feel free to experiment with the classes offered so long as we have a final schedule by the 28th. Needless to write, I felt significant sense of relief.

The reason we did not have a trip into the city for SSP was because the International Office hosted a general reception open to all visiting students that night. The reception was held in the cloak room of the main dining hall and featured a light fare including red and white wines. During the reception, I met a few other Americans, and Russell, a Trinity student from Donegal, who had come along to help with earlier tours on the urging of a friend.

Later that night, Russell brought the gang to the nearby pub of McTurtles which featured (finally) student-priced drafts at 3.50 euro. We stayed there long into the night debating everything from religion to sport and politics. An affordable place with a great atmosphere, we will be sure to venture there throughout the semester.

Panic and Pogue

Today (after breakfast at West Coast Coffee) we had 2 more lectures to supplement the three on Tuesday. On Wednesday was the Irish Revolution from the 1916 Easter Rebellion through to the Free State and the Civil War in the 1920's. Following that we had a lecture on the the art and architecture of Trinity College. None of the original structures remain, but the stonework is amazing nonetheless (nothing like AU).

After our morning lectures we had an introduction to the controlled chaos of course registration for international students. Unfortunately, Trinity lacks a centralized registration system akin to AU's online portal, so students must travel to each individual Department to find out their procedure, courses offered, and times. This is the case, because only recently were students allowed to take classes outside of the Department to which they were accepted. However, everyone left our History Department registration (held since the academic portion of SSP is run by it) feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. They required a separate sheet, and a commitment to a class without even knowing the course times of other departments (fortunately every other department I would visit on Thursday would be significantly more lax). I blame the ensuing panic for our delay in going grocery shopping.

Once everyone ran around and failed to find the Departments they were looking for, we gathered ourselves, calmed ourselves, and vowed to figure out the class registration system tomorrow. Although, one minor success was grabbing the sheet from the international office as proof of residence for an account at Bank of Ireland. Nevertheless we went off to find the Tesco by Goldsmith to finally go grocery shopping. But before we would shop, we spent took one "last" opportunity to buy lunch - this time at Abrakebra - a food-fast joint that sells all manner of burgers, quessadillas, and other grilled food on the cheap.

Looking for Tesco

Tesco had nearly all the modern conveniences of a Safeway or a Giant, including numerous self-checkout machines... except for plastic bags (my roommate later informed me that Dublin had de facto banned them with a 30 cent tax per bag). Fortunately, most of us had brought our backpacks and were able to hold the rest (also fortunately this was s a rare store that accepted American Express). Unfortunately, Sean had not, and his milk shot through the bottom of the bag, spilling all over the floor by the cash register. On the way home he fatally dropped one of his bags of spaghetti, but in true Irish kindess an old woman offered him a plastic bag to carry his surviving food.

Back at Goldsmith, we went our separate ways and set a time to meet at our usual spot in the building's quad to meet the SSP group for the Abbey Theatre. After spending some time on gchat and catching some quick sleep, I proceeded to cook my first dinner in the apartment. There was nothing glamorous about it, some chicken and potatoes - though I failed to soften the potatoes without the use of a microwave.

After meeting up with the gang and the SSP students, we went to the Abbey Theatre - the National Theatre of Ireland - which is just across the River Liffey. Noticeably absent were the 13 SSP students in the Arcadia abroad program, who had both seen the play during their earlier orientation, and had warned of its mediocrity. Settling in with low expectations, and a Guinness from the Theatre bar, I was more than pleased with the performance of Arrah na Pogue (Arrah of the Kiss). It was a melodramatic story involving betrayal, love, and love lost in the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin. To give a sense of the comedy, one of the main actors, who was wanted for conspiring with the French, was named Beamish McCool, there were three small trampolines embedded in the floor, and one character ran around with a fake sheep the entire time.

At Arrah na Pogue

Following the play, we broke off from other SSP students who were headed to the touristy Temple Bar district (where clubs stay open long past 11pm). Before we would eventually join them, we went back to Goldsmith to meet Kathryn from AU who was not participating in SSP but who had arrived the day before. With a couple others deciding to call it a night, the rest of the gang proceeded to find the Mezz pub the other SSP students had gone to. Besides the high prices (a pint of Guinness was 5 euro!), it was an interesting experience, with a definitive reggae themed band.

Croke Park

Today we had lectures on current events in Irish history (damn the Anglo-Irish Bank!), the history and architecture of the College, and on Irish literature - particularly Jonathan Swift. After lunch at Cafe Togo we played tourist for a bit and finally took pictures around campus.

Following lunch, we walked to Croke Park, the stadium, museum, and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The walk took us up O’Connell Street, a wide boulevard with 18th century, seemingly nondescript brick buildings (but with incredibly ornate interiors), lining the sides. A large pedestrian “mall” splits the opposing lanes of traffic, and shortly before we made the turn towards the stadium, we passed the “Spire of Dublin” – a stainless steel monument with a lit top – completed in 2003 to replace the Nelson’s pillar destroyed in 1966 by former members of the IRA.

Croke Park

At Croke Park our tour guide informed us that each county, city, and town hosts a branch of the GAA (including those in Northern Ireland, one in NYC, and one in London), with Gaelic Football and Hurling the two main sports. Our orientation group had a private tour of the grounds and the museum, including the Players' Lounge, primary locker room (with every county’s jersey displayed), pitch and upper stands.

Primary Locker Room

The area where the modern stadium now stands is of particular importance to Irish revolutionary history. During a gaelic football match on November 21, 1920 British police and soldiers entered the ground and indiscriminately shot and killed 14 spectators. The attack was retaliation against the killing of 14 British intelligence officers, as ordered by Michael Collins, early that morning.

Nevertheless, our tour guide assured us that Croke Park is incredibly peaceful today, with rival spectators sitting side-by-side and without incident. He suggested that the amateur nature of the sport (which can still fill the 81,000 seat stadium) encourages such civility. Even so, I noticed that alcohol could only be consumed on the concourses.

The final portion of the museum included a testing ground with various dexterity and strength exercises - I set the high score for one of the hurling challenges (think three-sided and wall-sized wack-a-mole).

After the tour, the gang had fully intended to go grocery shopping, but decided to grab dinner first at Madigan's Pub (my 7th so far - including the literary pub crawl of course). It was an authentic Irish meal, and by the looks of it, an authentic and not touristy pub (later confirmed by one of our SSP professors).

By the time we left, it had started to rain, and we lost our resolve to go shopping - but we have recommitted to going tomorrow... after our morning lectures, setting up bank accounts, before lunch, and before we head to the Abbey Theatre for Arrah na Pogue.

Tours and Crawls

After feeling generally awful all last night, I woke up feeling healthy (if not exhausted). I met up with the group for some morning Starbucks at 8:45am. Afterwards we headed to the Arts building for the first lectures of the Semester Startup Program.

Today was mostly administrative stuff, with the first lectures focused on the nature of the week. We had a lot of free time in between scheduled activities, for which we were divided into Groups 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, and 2.2.

Our big event for the early part of the day was heading to the administrative offices to register and receive our IDs and internet access. Afterwards we did a tour of the modern library and were then free for lunch. Sean, Brittany, Ali, and I found a sandwich shop off of Grafton that offered a 5 euro deal of a spicy chicken sub, soup, and fries. I added an apple juice to the mix. We took our lunches back to the Arts building and ate them while we waited to do our campus tour.

Even though I had felt better for most of the day, something hit me after finishing lunch (the dreaded plane sickeness!). After the tour I felt exhausted (as did everyone else), and once I failed to find sufficient wireless access to the internet in my room, fell asleep for a couple hours.

After waking up, the gang met up at 5:30 to head out for dinner. While wandering around towards the front of campus we came across an Italian style restaurant called Mona Lisa. They offered an incredible deal before 7pm of buy one get one free pizza or pasta. I had hearty meat sauce spaghetti and was glad to see that, for the eight of us, our meal cost only 58 euro after a saving of over 30 euro.

Bathroom Sign at the Mona Lisa

Following dinner was the Literary Pub Crawl, which involved two actors taking us to four different pubs – including one frequented by Michael Collins – and acting out skits from Irish literature. It was pretty funny, but I was only confident enough in my stomach to start drinking at the third pub. When the crawl ended, the gang decided to stay in the last pub to drink and chat.

Last Stop on the Crawl

Once back at my apartment, I finally secured internet access after Sean gave me his Ethernet cable from Villanova. It is not the fastest piece of equipment (nor as it turns out is our Trinity internet), but since he is still waiting register, I was able to borrow it. It was nice to logon to gchat and be immediately bombarded with messages. I miss the US, but I am happy to be abroad and will come back loving AU all the more.

A Quest for a Plunger

Clearly still recovering from the time change, I woke up after noon today. Well that scrapped any plans I had of finding and attending a Catholic Mass.

After showering and still not using the bathroom that I assumed (incorrectly) was clogged, I left my apartment in pursuit of breakfast (lunch). While leaving I ran into Brittany from AU, she had just arrived and was desperately trying to find out how to have her lost bags shipped to campus. Unfortunately for her, no one was staffing the desk by the entrance to Goldsmith.

Instead of crossing the bridge into campus, I left down the entrance that I had discovered the night before and headed down the street that my window overlooks. I had wandered down there the previous night to find a pharmacy or store that would sell a plunger and to find a pub for dinner. I swung into Centra, a pharmacy-cum-Wawa (for those of you from the Mid-Atlantic) and grabbed a spicy chicken fajita hot wrap made fresh. While I was paying, Fireworks by Katy Perry came on the radio. Apparently it was number 4 for the week.

When I returned to Goldsmith, I found Brittany still standing by the unattended desk, but this time with a bag and another girl clutching a number of suitcases and bags. I said hello and she introduced herself as Margaret from New York. We talked for a bit and another two girls arrived, Rebecca and Ali. The four of them departed together to find Margaret’s room on another part of campus.

After eating my fajita, I went to the Starbucks on Dawson Street (parallel to Grafton). I bought a white café mocha and sat down to hopefully use the internet. As it turned out, I needed to purchase a Starbucks rewards card, so I returned to the counter and was soon after logging onto the internet.

Upon logging into my email I noticed numerous unread messages, including several from my parents asking if I arrived safely. The last one stated that they would be calling the University this afternoon if I did not reply to them today. Quickly I typed out a reply with a promise that I would send them a more detailed message later.

Spending some time online, I read about the shooting in Arizona of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the murder of a few others including the highest federal judge for the state. (Friday I would speak with a man from Derry - Northern Ireland - stunned by the number of guns in the U.S. during his 3-months spent working in Alabama). Giffords was a client of GQRR (and one of the few successful incumbents from 2006).

Leaving Starbucks, I headed to Saint Stephen’s Green shopping center to see if any of the stores there sold a plunger. Despite searching Dunnes department store and TK Maxx (same as TJ Maxx) I was unable to find one. However, I did discover that there is a large grocery store in the basement of Dunnes (you just have to wade past the clothing to see it). Inside of TK Maxx, I ran into the girls purchasing bedding and other supplies (they had not ordered the offered package in advance). They had just come from Vodafone and purchased the same pay-as-you-go phone as me. One of them quickly explained where my number could be found (I had been lost) and I returned to the store to purchase 20 euro worth of minutes.

Returning to Goldsmith, I took down my number from the package that had contained my SIM card and stored it as “me” in my phone. While at Starbucks I had used the restroom and noticed that it took a couple pushes of the lever on the toilet for it to flush, so I tried the “clogged” toilet in our bathroom to see if it was really clogged. Even though I had tried flushing it several times the night before, after only two tries today it worked! It must operate on some strange system of needing to fill the basin before discharging (turns out there was a water shortage that weekend). Needless to write, I was happy to know that I have access to at least one fully-functioning bathroom (the other one is missing a seat).

An hour or so later, I headed out of my apartment to go over to the pizza reception for the SSP students. On my way out, I ran into a number of students headed in that direction including Brittany, Ali, Emma, and Sean. We struck up a conversation along the way, and ended up at the Arts building where pizza, wine, and soda was served.

Afterwards we ended up at The Ginger Man pub – named for the gingerbread not the hair color – which we were later told "is" a Sinn Fein establishment. It was a very chill environment, up until we were about to leave and my stomach did not agree with the mix of beverages and food (but more likely something I caught on the plane). Let's just say that I was sick a few times.

First Day in Dublin

I was sidetracked several times en route to get supplies. Leaving my apartment, I made a point to pass through campus. It is fairly spectacular in its architecture and arrangement. I was told by a coworker at GQRR that Trinity was designed to face inward, as a fortress, so as to protect its Protestant students from the various rebellions that occurred just outside its doors. And while the campus has greatly expanded since it was founded in 1592, it is still very secure – especially at night – surrounded by high metal fences and stone walls.

Exiting through the main gate and taking a left led me to Grafton Street. On both sides of the brick and cobblestone road were numerous outlets and establishments, from the uniquely Dublin to the somewhat classier looking McDonald’s. Crisscrossing the buildings were large white-light displays for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Soon after stepping onto the pedestrian-only boulevard, I recognized that it must serve as a prime tourist destination. With that in mind, I forgot about getting supplies, not in small part because I left my list back at the apartment, and set about exploring all the side roads that branch off from Grafton. While there was some evidence of the state of the economy, with a few vacant buildings, most of the shops were bustling. A tactic that I had not seen anywhere else was for vendors along the side streets to hire individuals with large signs to wade amongst the crowded Grafton street. So not only were your eyes enveloped by the mass of shoppers, the old-style architecture, the lit signs of stores along the road, and the lights across the street but you had an added jumble of individuals waiving their sign poles to attract your gaze.

At the end of the street is St. Stephen’s Green and a large shopping mall. As with most of the buildings in the city (forgetting the 70’s style Arts building at Trinity), the mall managed to blend modern stores with an intricate and ornate exterior and interior. Three stories high, the mall fit a wide variety of stores – but not the grocery store that I believed was inside. So instead of buying groceries, I stopped at a local variant of a fast-food burger joint, and ate my meal overlooking the Green and the end of Grafton.

After lunch, I stole into one of the two Vodafone stores along Grafton, and purchased the cheapest pay-as-you-go phone that was offered – a Nokia that eerily resembles my first cell phone, albeit slimmer. Even though I forgot to purchase minutes, I was a little more confident strutting through the streets of Dublin and knowing the time. I guess I will purchase some minutes tomorrow.

Returning to Goldsmith, I met (and startled) my roommate Maeve – she had not heard me arrive around 7am that morning. We quickly introduced ourselves, but she apologized that she was late for a wedding, and ran out the door.

Back in my room, I desperately tried to connect to every available wireless internet network that I could locate. My efforts were fruitless, but I did download the required program to use Trinity’s wireless. Now all I need is my login information that will come during orientation. Not able to remain disconnected from the internet for that long, I will probably head to the Starbuck’s near Grafton, and hope that they – like in the States – offer free wireless.
After setting up my new phone and failing to find the internet, I noticed that it was getting towards 7 and headed out to find a pub for dinner. I also left to look for a plunger (turns out I was just confused by the toilet). My search for a good looking pub took me in the opposite side of campus and the streets along Goldsmith. I wandered down and across without finding one that particularly peaked my interest – though I did find one named after Irish revolutionary Paedrig Pearse (thanks Joe).

Nevertheless, I stumbled across an enormous theater with a magnificent light display across its façade (think random points of light against an otherwise dark background). Immediately after passing that theater, I found myself at the banks of the river. There was a particularly interesting looking building with a neon striped display across its exterior (think Northern Lights), but I was hungry and was not willing to cross the footbridge to find out what purpose it served.
After taking a large square route, I found myself back by Goldsmith. I pressed forward and along the back of Trinity, and came into a pub called Kennedy’s. Despite the great name, I was told that they had turned their grills off at 6pm. Undeterred, I headed towards the one section of town that I knew would be bustling even at the “late” hour of nearly eight.

I can’t remember the name of the pub that I entered, but it was massive (The Porterhouse). A sign by the door advertised the special events held each night of the week, and Saturday night was reserved for sports. I took up a seat along the bar and by the large screen, ordered a Red Porterhouse - Dublin beer, a Classic Burger, and watched a rugby match between Munster and Glasgow. I left a few minutes before the end since I was feeling exhausted, but I had picked up the gist of the rules. With its fluidity and determined competition between teams it is definitely a sport that I can watch (not the 11 minutes of motion in American Football).

After a short stroll back to my apartment, I grabbed the copy of Michael Collins that I spotted on the kitchen table, and proceeded to watch it on my laptop. Always terrible Windows Media player warned that to play the disc I would need to reformat my DVD drive, and that such reformatting can only be done four times and never again. Instead, I simply played it with VLC Media Player and had no trouble at all. Nevertheless, after reading Malachy McCourt’s Brief History of Ireland, the movie was put into more perspective for me versus the first time that I picked it up a few years back.

Alright that is enough for now. I suspect that my posts will never be as detailed (read: mundane) as soon as I start meeting people at orientation tomorrow night or once I can access the internet.

Flight(s) to Dublin

Well that was certainly a long trip. My booked flight to NY was canceled the day before I left, so I was forced to fly to Atlanta or endure a 7 hour layover in the City to board my original 9pm flight to Dublin. I opted for the former.

The flight to Atlanta was uneventful. I sent a few more “last” text messages via twitter and to other friends before we departed. Otherwise, I read Freakonomics and the 2.5 hours seemed to melt away. Before boarding though, I met a older woman and her mother who – with bright orange hair – were speaking Gaelic at our gate in Boston. I asked them if they were headed to Dublin, as if anyone else is crazy enough to fly to Atlanta first, but found out that they were continuing on to Florida. We had a good chat about sights to see, and was told that I must visit Galway. A few minutes later a Spanish-speaking woman came up to me and asked if she was at the correct gate, I suppose I must look like I could speak the language, but in any event I told her that she was (after looking at her ticket of course).

The flight to Dublin was not nearly as short. The most disappointing part of flying to Atlanta was that the flight path to Dublin took the plane directly over NYC and Boston. In essence, I flew a few hours backwards only to retrace those steps a short while later. The overall flight time to Dublin was roughly 8 hours and it would have been nice to shave a couple of those off.

On the plane, Delta neglected to add personal TVs for each seat, so not much had changed since I flew TAP ten years ago. I was seated in the middle row – thankfully on the aisle. We received a pillow, blanket, headphones, and could select from USA Today, the Financial Times, or the New York Times. I opted for the pink one.

Dinner service began somewhere over Virginia, with two options available: Chicken or Vegetarian Pasta. Since I had not eaten since my tone-a-hole in the morning, I opted for the chicken and devoured it rather quickly. While dinner was served, the first of three movies started: The Social Network. I saw it in theaters, but with not much else to do, I watched it again.

Shortly after the first movie ended, a second started: Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts. Somewhere in the middle I fell asleep, but I still managed to get the gist of the flick. Roberts’ character decides her life is going nowhere and that she is unhappy, so she gets divorced and travels for a year to Italy, India, and Bali. Along the way she meets various “teachers” who return balance to her life. In true feel-good form, she meets her new husband in Bali, and fulfills the wise man’s prophecy.

After that flick, Delta screened a relatively older one – but still good: The Pursuit of Happyness. I saw it in theaters, but again with not much else to do, I watched it again. Towards the end of the film, the flight attendants served egg sandwiches and granola bars for breakfast.

Soon after watching Will Smith attain happiness, the plane landed and fortunately I was near the front to disembark. I headed through Immigration and was sent fairly quickly on my way, with 2 months to register with GNIB. I met my checked bag on the other end, and was off to find the Aircoach – which I took for 7 euro directly to Trinity. It was styled as a luxury bus, but I was the only one onboard – a private bus ride to campus was a great way to start my time in Dublin.

Once on campus, I went directly to the main gate – the only one open late at night (early morning), grabbed my key from a very personable security guard, and headed to the opposite side of campus to my apartment in Goldsmith Hall. I had not heard about my roommates before I left for Dublin, so I was not sure what to expect. But when I arrived, I noticed a number of wine and beer bottles (especially Budweiser) stacked along the inside of the kitchen wall. It seems like I will be joining guys who were here last semester.

My room is rather Spartan at the moment, and I will be leaving soon to purchase some food and other supplies. I will post this as soon as I have internet access.