While most people from home are heading off to the Newport Fair in the summer heat, I am sitting in a room thousands of miles away. It is slightly chilly, and has been raining all day. My computer is balanced awkwardly on my lap and there are two Jack Russell Terriers on either side of me. Hence my present state of discomfort. If I put on elbow down like I want to do, I will disturb Roxie. I can't make too much movement or else I will disturb Maggie who has wrapped herself around me somehow and refuses to move. This is my day. Amanda and Orla are working on their theses (supposedly) and, after a late night of applying for jobs and discussing copyright laws and Harry Potter, I'm still in my pajamas and quite happy about it.
Supposedly, we're going out tonight. I haven't been home since last evening and don't know how I'm supposed to look presentable in my current state of laziness. Shauna just arrived home and the dogs are up and away, hurray! I can stretch my legs! If I can get motivated, I might look for more jobs. Most likely, I'll just crochet some more. That is, until I'm told to get a move on, we have appearances to make. It's a rough existence, this Friday. There is ice cream in the freezer, I'm going to liberate it.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Things We Take for Granted
So, dear readers, as most of you know, I’m due back in the States on September 1. As you also know, I’ve been struggling, hard, with having to juggle my excitement of coming home with a sinking disbelief and sadness that my year in Ireland is really almost over. Today it rained. I mean, really rained. The wind was up, and half the day you couldn’t see out the window. Those sorts of days are alright, but eventually, they can get you down. I got down. I’m sure reading Virginia Woolf didn’t help. Anyway, I was feeling kinda blue. So I started looking at pictures. All kinds of them. And then I thought, ‘Boy, do I take a lot of stuff for granted.’
You see, it hit me as I was looking at these pictures with a jaded eye and being grumpy about things that actually don’t matter, that I am surrounded by some pretty awesome stuff. The Aran Islands, which I will miss tremendously, are a boat ride away. Galway itself is absolutely gorgeous, not to mention the rest of the island that I’ve so carelessly called home over the past year. Sure, I’ve had my moments when I could hardly take in the beauty and the wonder of it, and no, you can’t really go around saying, ‘Wow’ all the time, but honestly, going around grumbling about having to leave and then being bored because your friends are still in the library writing their theses, is just a bit, how do I say this, lame.
And it’s not just Ireland. How many times does someone visit from out of town and I say, “Well, we can go hiking, I guess.” As if the Cascades had somehow gotten uglier from the last time I went up there. There is so much to appreciate and it has nothing to do with rolling fields and fresh air, because no matter where we are, there is always something to be amazed by and thankful for.
Look, I’m not good at sap, but this is really important. I guess what I’m trying to say is, that no matter where I go (and let’s face it, I’m always going to be wanting to go somewhere), I’m probably going to be sad to leave. And I’m always going to be excited to go wherever I’m going. But this intensity of gloominess shouldn’t happen. Why? Because I need to remember more often that I’m just a boat ride away from the Aran Islands or a short drive to the Cascades or even a walk away from something that’s just downright cool. So this is my sap. If I didn’t feel sad about leaving these places, I would be cold-hearted, plain and simple. Wherever you have people you care about, you’re gonna hate to leave. But, wherever you have people you care about, you’re always going to have a place to stay. And that is the most important thing never to take for granted. I think I’m done with the cheesy stuff now, but I’m also done with the grumpy. Next time, I'll write something funny, I promise.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Things I Can't Wait to Have Back
This post will be dedicated to the non-people things I have been craving while gone. So, things I can't wait to have back in no particular order:
1) Wendy's/Chick Fil A/American Quiznos - oh my gosh. It's such hard work to indulge in fast food here. Yes, I know this is a good thing, but today, I woke up really really craving a Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
2) My car. Mostly for use in procuring said Spicy Chicken Sandwich. And for singing really loudly. It's a stress reliever.
3) Kroger. Okay, so this list is mostly because of food. Yes, I have to get groceries, but that won't happen until tomorrow. There is a dinner at our house today. Anyway, Kroger. Why? Texas Toast Croutons, Stacy's Pita Chips, Pizza Rolls, that delicious cheese dip that has a gazillion calories, the anticipation of walking into Kroger and never knowing what you might find.
4) Netflix AND Redbox- Not only is it cheaper than iTunes, my computer doesn't freeze with these guys. Sorry iTunes.
5) Real, sit down, stay for a good long while coffeeshops.
At the moment, that's it, but as I've written this post, I have also been fed. So lesson learned. Don't blog on an empty stomach.
1) Wendy's/Chick Fil A/American Quiznos - oh my gosh. It's such hard work to indulge in fast food here. Yes, I know this is a good thing, but today, I woke up really really craving a Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
2) My car. Mostly for use in procuring said Spicy Chicken Sandwich. And for singing really loudly. It's a stress reliever.
3) Kroger. Okay, so this list is mostly because of food. Yes, I have to get groceries, but that won't happen until tomorrow. There is a dinner at our house today. Anyway, Kroger. Why? Texas Toast Croutons, Stacy's Pita Chips, Pizza Rolls, that delicious cheese dip that has a gazillion calories, the anticipation of walking into Kroger and never knowing what you might find.
4) Netflix AND Redbox- Not only is it cheaper than iTunes, my computer doesn't freeze with these guys. Sorry iTunes.
5) Real, sit down, stay for a good long while coffeeshops.
At the moment, that's it, but as I've written this post, I have also been fed. So lesson learned. Don't blog on an empty stomach.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Celebrate Good Times, Come On!
Okay, kiddos. Prepare yourself. Are you sitting down? Because, for the first time in quite a long time actually, I have finished something with time to spare before deadline. Sitting on my desk is a bound portfolio for me to keep. The better looking one is sitting in the English Department. Cross your fingers that the readers like it.
In other news, I went out to celebrate. This week just happens to be Race Week in Galway and I can honestly say that I have never seen such a giant party in my life. It's too much. That doesn't mean I turned around and went home. Oh no. But it does mean that it's too much. Nevertheless, Orla, Shauna, Natasha and I soldiered on and had quite the late night. Now that the portfolio is over, the idea of sleep is just too hard to resist. So I've been catching up.
What does August hold? Job searching, hopefully some travel. And lots of friend time. There'll be some writing in there as well, including smaller, housekeeping projects for this course. Time is winding down. It's strange to think that my year here is almost over. So, my favorite question rears its head, "What am I going to do next?" I have no idea. Suggestions welcome. Maybe a nap first, then the world.
In other news, I went out to celebrate. This week just happens to be Race Week in Galway and I can honestly say that I have never seen such a giant party in my life. It's too much. That doesn't mean I turned around and went home. Oh no. But it does mean that it's too much. Nevertheless, Orla, Shauna, Natasha and I soldiered on and had quite the late night. Now that the portfolio is over, the idea of sleep is just too hard to resist. So I've been catching up.
What does August hold? Job searching, hopefully some travel. And lots of friend time. There'll be some writing in there as well, including smaller, housekeeping projects for this course. Time is winding down. It's strange to think that my year here is almost over. So, my favorite question rears its head, "What am I going to do next?" I have no idea. Suggestions welcome. Maybe a nap first, then the world.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
A love letter to Enda Walsh and Cillian Murphy
Tonight, I went to see a play. No shocker there. You might recall from my previous post that I was going to see Misterman, starring Cillian Murphy. Well, that was my destination tonight and it was absolutely fantastic. The play is written by Enda Walsh, and this particular performance was also directed by him.
Now, Enda Walsh plays are generally described as weird or disturbed or 'messed up'. Which, to be honest, on paper and, in general, they are. But they (meaning the only two I have read) are also original and compelling and all of those nice words people use in reviews. Anyway, I headed off the theatre excited and a bit unsure what to expect. It was a one man show though the people behind the scenes had just as much work to do as Cillian. I can't get over how good it was. If the show weren't sold out, I would go again. and again. and again. And it's not really a heartwarming tale. Basically (and this is very basic), you have Thomas, a religious fanatic who is trying to single handedly save his town from sin and in the end, does some very bad things. Throughout the day, he meets with random locals and Cillian plays them all through change in voice/dialogue. To describe it is impossible. There are funny moments, frightening moments, very sad and touching ones, and then, like the last scene, terrifyingly touching moments. You realize exactly what has happened and yet, you still can't hate him thoroughly.
In a nutshell, I want to be friends with these guys. They're super talented and appear (from the interview afterwards) to be the type of artist that just does their thing without worrying too much about explaining it after. I love that. I may not have had the guts to walk up to either of them after the show and shake their hands to say Thank You, but I hope one day to be recognized as their kind of artist.
Now, Enda Walsh plays are generally described as weird or disturbed or 'messed up'. Which, to be honest, on paper and, in general, they are. But they (meaning the only two I have read) are also original and compelling and all of those nice words people use in reviews. Anyway, I headed off the theatre excited and a bit unsure what to expect. It was a one man show though the people behind the scenes had just as much work to do as Cillian. I can't get over how good it was. If the show weren't sold out, I would go again. and again. and again. And it's not really a heartwarming tale. Basically (and this is very basic), you have Thomas, a religious fanatic who is trying to single handedly save his town from sin and in the end, does some very bad things. Throughout the day, he meets with random locals and Cillian plays them all through change in voice/dialogue. To describe it is impossible. There are funny moments, frightening moments, very sad and touching ones, and then, like the last scene, terrifyingly touching moments. You realize exactly what has happened and yet, you still can't hate him thoroughly.
In a nutshell, I want to be friends with these guys. They're super talented and appear (from the interview afterwards) to be the type of artist that just does their thing without worrying too much about explaining it after. I love that. I may not have had the guts to walk up to either of them after the show and shake their hands to say Thank You, but I hope one day to be recognized as their kind of artist.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Grocery Shop
When you stay at home for four days and turn down a free boat cruise that also offers free alcohol, your friends are likely to think something is seriously wrong. With this in mind, Kate texted me this morning and asked if I'd like to meet her for dinner in town. As I also got texts from Liz and Leeann asking how things were, I figured I should reassure them of my mental health. So, I set off for town at around 7. I locked the door and turned towards my street to find a tiny woman at the bottom of our drive. A lovely day for a walk wasn't it? she asked. Yes, it was gorgeous, I said. The lady proceeded to ask if I was American, I surely didn't live alone? The family next door, I was informed, is quite nice, their daughter is going to University and visits often. The lady herself was one of 5 nuns that live next door, missionary nuns. There is herself, the sister who drives, the sister with bad eyesight who wears dark glasses and a dark habit, another sister who is youngish but 25 years ago had a benign tumor removed and hasn't been the same since. I don't know about the 5th one, but I told her their roses were beautiful. Then off I went to meet Kate.
We decided to try a burger place a little away from the touristy crowds. There are always signs everywhere for it and we'd both wanted to try it for awhile. Well. An hour after ordering, we get our food. The table beside us who came in AFTER us had already eaten and were paying their bill. We had ordered garlic bread as a starter, they forgot that, and then when we mentioned it, the waitress asked us if we still wanted it. Our ONE piece of bread came out with the rest of our meal. I ordered the BBQ burger and instead, got a salsa burger. What are the similarities between 'hickory smoked bbq sauce' and 'salsa'? The answer: none. It's a shame really. If the service hadn't been horrendous and they'd actually gotten our order right, it would have been a nice (if overpriced) place. But alas. It was such a nice evening, we decided we'd make a loop around the Spanish Arch to see how crowded it was and then took the back way to avoid crowds to where we usually part for our respective homes. I FINALLY discovered where Nora Barnacle's house is (not at all where I imagined; Nora Barnacle was the wife of James Joyce). There is a great film called 'Nora' starring Ewan MacGregor and if you like the costumey, literary biopics, I highly recommend it.
Now, usually, I go past Eddie Rocket's and McSwiggans on my way home and part with Kate earlier. But, as it's no difference in distance and she walks by BORN (a clothing store), I figured I'd see what they had in the window. I wasn't impressed, so we continued on towards the bridge. Coming towards us was a group of men, one of whom was sporting quite the beard.
I knew who it was instantly. No matter how bushy the beard, the cheekbones and eyes were unmistakable. It was none other than Cillian Murphy. He's in town for the Galway Arts Festival to perform in "Misterman"- a play by Enda Walsh. I'm going to see it on Wednesday and am stoked, but to see him on the street! Kate and I refused to look at each other and barely made eye contact with Cillian himself. When we passed him, Kate nudged me and I whispered, "I know, I didn't want to screw it up!" A straggler to the Murphy party heard us and said, "Don't do that!" and so we couldn't help it, we burst out laughing. Afterwards I went to the shop to pick up a few groceries, bought some very unsatisfying strawberry ice cream on sale and am now preparing to write. And that is the story of my first non-baseball related celebrity sighting and how I chose to spend my Saturday night.
We decided to try a burger place a little away from the touristy crowds. There are always signs everywhere for it and we'd both wanted to try it for awhile. Well. An hour after ordering, we get our food. The table beside us who came in AFTER us had already eaten and were paying their bill. We had ordered garlic bread as a starter, they forgot that, and then when we mentioned it, the waitress asked us if we still wanted it. Our ONE piece of bread came out with the rest of our meal. I ordered the BBQ burger and instead, got a salsa burger. What are the similarities between 'hickory smoked bbq sauce' and 'salsa'? The answer: none. It's a shame really. If the service hadn't been horrendous and they'd actually gotten our order right, it would have been a nice (if overpriced) place. But alas. It was such a nice evening, we decided we'd make a loop around the Spanish Arch to see how crowded it was and then took the back way to avoid crowds to where we usually part for our respective homes. I FINALLY discovered where Nora Barnacle's house is (not at all where I imagined; Nora Barnacle was the wife of James Joyce). There is a great film called 'Nora' starring Ewan MacGregor and if you like the costumey, literary biopics, I highly recommend it.
Now, usually, I go past Eddie Rocket's and McSwiggans on my way home and part with Kate earlier. But, as it's no difference in distance and she walks by BORN (a clothing store), I figured I'd see what they had in the window. I wasn't impressed, so we continued on towards the bridge. Coming towards us was a group of men, one of whom was sporting quite the beard.
I knew who it was instantly. No matter how bushy the beard, the cheekbones and eyes were unmistakable. It was none other than Cillian Murphy. He's in town for the Galway Arts Festival to perform in "Misterman"- a play by Enda Walsh. I'm going to see it on Wednesday and am stoked, but to see him on the street! Kate and I refused to look at each other and barely made eye contact with Cillian himself. When we passed him, Kate nudged me and I whispered, "I know, I didn't want to screw it up!" A straggler to the Murphy party heard us and said, "Don't do that!" and so we couldn't help it, we burst out laughing. Afterwards I went to the shop to pick up a few groceries, bought some very unsatisfying strawberry ice cream on sale and am now preparing to write. And that is the story of my first non-baseball related celebrity sighting and how I chose to spend my Saturday night.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Papers Hurt.
That being said, I have rewritten and edited 5/6 pieces for my portfolio due in less than a month. To celebrate, I did what any normal person would do. I paid an exorbitant amount of money for a tub of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and ate it while looking at castle hotels. Then, I read until I fell asleep. On the book. Much earlier than I have in possibly weeks. It was pretty amazing.
I know I've been a bad correspondent. I've posted nothing about my trips to Italy and France. Horrible, I know. But the truth is, the minute I step back into Ireland, my mind goes directly to my work. I have kept travel journals for both trips and hope to post those at some point, but will say, as much fun as I have gallivanting around Europe, every time I get off the plane and realize I should have packed five more pairs of socks and ten more scarves for the bus ride back to Galway, I feel happy. Even if the later the bus ride, the worse the driver. Or, if I happen to get on the bus that stops every 5 minutes in random towns because it leaves earlier and gets in about the same time as the quicker bus. (That was a bad idea). ANYWAY, bottom line: in spite of the ridiculous, nasty, miserable weather (if you get up at 5 am you might enjoy an hour or two of sunshine before it turns to crap), I am going to be very sad when I leave here despite being very happy to return home. In fact, if I spend summers here, then I could skip the miserable heat and get all the benefits of the rest of the seasons at home. Must remember that when I take over the world.
I am avoiding college and working from home for a number of reasons. 1) Summer camp. Small children are loud and scary. 2) Study abroad. Americans are loud and scary. Actually, they're not scary, they're just loud. And annoying. Two girls in the LIBRARY (not in the lobby, in the actual quiet, students studying part) had a normal conversation in their normal voices and then decided to open a bag of chips. in the LIBRARY. then they ate the chips. in the LIBRARY. One girl got a call on her cell phone, so she decided to answer it. in the LIBRARY. and she put it on speakerphone. in the LIBRARY. as if that weren't enough and they couldn't tell that the reason I kept looking at them wasn't because they were sooooo cool it was because I wanted to physically harm them, their friend came over. Yes, they were going to a barbeque, and oh my gosh, it was going to be so much fun. I'm really happy for them, but seeing as no one else IN THE LIBRARY was invited, I couldn't care less. Because they were blatantly breaking all the rules of the LIBRARY. 3) My headphones are broken, so until I get new ones, I can't drown out the sounds of loud people in the library (though I doubt anything would have helped for those idiots).
On a more patriotic note, we did have a 4th of July celebration at my friend Orla's house and made hotdogs and mac & cheese and red and blue cupcakes and an American flag cheesecake! It was delicious and I was so full I couldn't move. We even have leftovers (I got a little overexcited while making the mac & cheese).
And that, my friends, is what I've been doing in between writing (or at least pretending to) and doing/laughing at Geribody yoga. And, reading all of Jane Austen's novels in order of publication date. I have 3 more to go. Is this good enough, Danielle? I'm off to go make stuff up.
I know I've been a bad correspondent. I've posted nothing about my trips to Italy and France. Horrible, I know. But the truth is, the minute I step back into Ireland, my mind goes directly to my work. I have kept travel journals for both trips and hope to post those at some point, but will say, as much fun as I have gallivanting around Europe, every time I get off the plane and realize I should have packed five more pairs of socks and ten more scarves for the bus ride back to Galway, I feel happy. Even if the later the bus ride, the worse the driver. Or, if I happen to get on the bus that stops every 5 minutes in random towns because it leaves earlier and gets in about the same time as the quicker bus. (That was a bad idea). ANYWAY, bottom line: in spite of the ridiculous, nasty, miserable weather (if you get up at 5 am you might enjoy an hour or two of sunshine before it turns to crap), I am going to be very sad when I leave here despite being very happy to return home. In fact, if I spend summers here, then I could skip the miserable heat and get all the benefits of the rest of the seasons at home. Must remember that when I take over the world.
I am avoiding college and working from home for a number of reasons. 1) Summer camp. Small children are loud and scary. 2) Study abroad. Americans are loud and scary. Actually, they're not scary, they're just loud. And annoying. Two girls in the LIBRARY (not in the lobby, in the actual quiet, students studying part) had a normal conversation in their normal voices and then decided to open a bag of chips. in the LIBRARY. then they ate the chips. in the LIBRARY. One girl got a call on her cell phone, so she decided to answer it. in the LIBRARY. and she put it on speakerphone. in the LIBRARY. as if that weren't enough and they couldn't tell that the reason I kept looking at them wasn't because they were sooooo cool it was because I wanted to physically harm them, their friend came over. Yes, they were going to a barbeque, and oh my gosh, it was going to be so much fun. I'm really happy for them, but seeing as no one else IN THE LIBRARY was invited, I couldn't care less. Because they were blatantly breaking all the rules of the LIBRARY. 3) My headphones are broken, so until I get new ones, I can't drown out the sounds of loud people in the library (though I doubt anything would have helped for those idiots).
On a more patriotic note, we did have a 4th of July celebration at my friend Orla's house and made hotdogs and mac & cheese and red and blue cupcakes and an American flag cheesecake! It was delicious and I was so full I couldn't move. We even have leftovers (I got a little overexcited while making the mac & cheese).
And that, my friends, is what I've been doing in between writing (or at least pretending to) and doing/laughing at Geribody yoga. And, reading all of Jane Austen's novels in order of publication date. I have 3 more to go. Is this good enough, Danielle? I'm off to go make stuff up.
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