We're really sorry, we're American.

It's pouring rain. Not just the drizzly little stuff we've had all day for two days, but the kind you can hear on the windowpanes. The kind that makes you want to curl up in the big blue leather chair downstairs with hot tea and the lone soft brown blanket and not move. Ever. Guess it's time to wear my raincoat with the hood.

Sunday night I went with Kasha to see Collum's band play. Mostly, he told me, they do covers. So off we went to the Cellar Bar (I know! I just loved the coincidence!). There are a lot of Americans in Galway. Usually, they're pretty easy to spot, so as I sat down with Kasha with our bottles of Miller (yes, Kasha loves Miller), I spied a large group at the table above us. I'm instantly nervous. These are young looking kids and they've obviously been here awhile. I know a member of the band, I'm sitting there with his girlfriend, surrounding by their Irish friends. The Americans are having a great time. They're dancing and singing along and just being generally rowdy, in a good natured way. Everyone else is intent on their beer or the band (which is pretty good), but there are camera flashes, squeals of delight and drunken love flowing around this table. I'm highly amused. This was probably me not so long ago, and they all look like they're twelve. Eventually, the loudest of the girls turns around, looks at me and Kasha and says "We're really sorry! We're American!" then goes back to her antics.

I was slightly pleased, but disconcerted. I thought I looked pretty American, even though I was enjoying myself quietly. But before I could start to brood, there was a familiar opening riff, and Amanda Bishop, I thought of you. Oh yes, there it was, Sweet Child O' Mine. Kasha looked over at me, I guess I had given a whoop of happiness without realizing, and then looked at the other table, who were all out of their seats now and dancing. I just shrugged and said, "We love this song!" and began to sing along.

The next day was the first day of Poetry class. With all poetry classes, I go back and forth about my feelings towards them. One minute I'm fully engrossed, the next I'm thinking, are you kidding me? So it's important to be submerged in Poetry completely, or else you start to think you shouldn't be at one with that tree, or that the candy wrapper on the sidewalk is just trash, and then it's all lost. I think I'll enjoy the class regardless. The professor is very sweet. After class, I had lunch with some of the girls. One girl kept saying, "Oh my god, you just showed up and left all your friends behind, that's brilliant!" and every time she said that I thought "Oh my god, I did, what have I done? Where is my white cheddar popcorn and that awful broken couch of Ryan's?". In fact, the lack of quality junk food is my biggest culture shock. I told this to the girls and the outspoken one turned to the others and said, "You wouldn't believe it, we went to Florida once and went to Wal-Mart, this giant store, like a supermarket, but ridiculous, and any kind of cereal, oh the cereal aisle, any kind you could ever think of, it was there." So that was that, though I was assured Galway was increasingly Americanized, which I can see from the McDonald's and the Quiznos (yes!), the Subways and the Papa John's.

We went to a play last night, called "The Silver Tassie". I have to say, without reservation, one of the best plays I have ever seen. It's right up there with "Grey Gardens". The best part? It was free. It was set in WWII I believe and just really incredible. I laughed, I cried. I also think I made another friend, Danielle from County Mayo. She drove me home last night so I didn't have to walk in the dark. It was late and I was super grateful, Galway's a small city, but a city nonetheless. I hope we'll have some classes together (she's doing her MA in Drama & Theatre).

For now, I'm off to Fiction class in the rain. In other words, dear readers, send tissues and vitamins (I like the gummy kind :)).