Home...for now...

One week from today marks the end of two full months since I’ve been home. Are you wondering how I’m adjusting? So am I. No, really, I’m okay with the ways I’ve changed, but does it pose problems for others? I don’t really know. (Hint, hint, if you know, please tell me.)

So classes started about five weeks ago here. I’m not really as enthusiastic about this semester as I was for last semester, but some of the classes are interesting. I particularly like when one of my professors acts out the behaviors some animals exhibit or clips of babies crying or screaming…to help us better understand he says….I think he’s just trying to make sure we’re still up.

I’ve changed…but so have things here. Some of it’s minor, but some of it still makes me pause and wonder. What am I talking about you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. The bakery up the street from us, where we’ve bought bread, and sweets from since I was a kid, has officially closed…something about the owner trying to kill his wife again or something….I’m not really sure, I just know it’s closed. The Sam’s Club where we usually shop moved farther away, and I can’t find anything in it anymore.

The group of friends I made that I thought would be here when I got back has drifted apart. Not intentionally, but it happens. I’ve come back and I know they’ve drifted but I don’t know what to do about it. I can feel that there’s something missing, but I don’t know how to react to it. Couples I’ve known have broken up, and others have formed. There are new people around old friends that I have to adjust to. My nephew forgot my name, and had to be reminded of it on Christmas. My cats were seriously depressed, and I’ve been trying to snap them out of it, but I think they’ve relapsed. My mother adopted another cat. His name is Toby, and he’s adorable, much to Midnight’s displeasure. :-/

Then there’s the other kinds of adjustments I’m trying to make. The ones that I wonder sometimes how the f*** I reached that point, how to go back, and even more importantly, do I want to? Don’t look at me like that, if you only knew….well I’ll tell you so you do know J

I picked up words while I was in Ireland. If you’ve heard me talk, it’s a bit obvious. I’ve noticed that the longer I’m home, the less I use the words. Which words you ask? Grand. Cheers. Wrecked. Mum. Da. F***’s sake. Bits and bobs. Part and parcel.  Some of the words just sound different. Fine sounds more like fin. Can’t sounds more like cont. I can actually pronounce some of the place names in Ireland, that I couldn’t before, like Dun Laoghaire (Dun Lee[h]ry) or Iarnród Éireann (Earrinro[n]d Erin, it’s the rail line). And some others that I can’t explain well. I’ve picked up a few of their word order mannerisms. They say things a bit different like, if you catch my drift like. 

Some of the self confidence I had before I left has shifted. It's not gone, I just have more confidence that I can survive a complete nightmare living situation on my own. I can feed myself and sorta budget money...ya know, like an adult type person thing.. but I've realized that some of the things I used to do I have a hard time doing anymore. I dance when I'm alone or with friends, something I didn't used to do often...but I don't sing in the shower much anymore. And I stop singing when someone comes within hearing distance. I think its part of having learned to make myself as small and invisible as possible around certain people. It was a defense mechanism that I've developed, more to prevent having to deal with things, than being afraid of what people think, if that makes any sense...And to be honest, I missed composing things to say to you guys out there..my what, two (?) readers. I'm coming to terms with it, but I still find myself composing blog posts in my head to try to show or tell you guys something. 

I’ve realized also that I miss actually hearing the voices of the friends I made there. Have you ever had a friend, who you could hear their voice when you read their writing? Some of the people I keep in touch with from Ireland are like that, but the longer I go without hearing their voice, the harder it is to recall properly.

Eventually I’ll settle back into daily life, and Dublin will be a wonderful memory. I’ll hopefully still keep in touch with the friends I made, and remember the things I’ve done and seen. The pictures and emails help of course J.   I’ve started reading Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series…I’ve unfortunately picked up some of her habits too, like cake or cold pizza for breakfast in a pinch. They remind me of the things I love about Jersey. When I leave, for whatever reason, I know they’ll get put on my kindle, a device that’s saved my sanity many times over, and I’ll read them from time to time.

I’ve learned that eventually I’ll end up living somewhere other than Jersey when I ‘grow up’. I don’t know where, but somewhere where I have things in common with the people, things like a love of country or folk music and a fondness for a bit of small town life. Where the middle finger isn’t considered a driving necessity, college girls wear something other than tights, ugg boots, and North Face jackets…like everyday, big hair is for special events not everyday life, and where a person who says, “Mother f****** son of a b****. I f****** hate you! Go jump of a f******* cliff and die you mother f******* a*******!” is not automatically assumed to have Tourettes, but is likely having a bad day….or hanging out with friends.

Now that’s not to say I don’t love Jersey. Jersey will forever be my home, I’ve just come to the realization that while anybody can fit in in Jersey, (that is after all the essence of Jersey, and in the words of Ms. Plum, “I didn’t see any crazy people . . . but then, I’m from Jersey. I’m used to crazy.”)  it might be easier for me to be somewhere else. Somewhere where you know your neighbors, and I’m not immediately branded as ‘not right’ for listening to something other than rap, hip-hop, or whatever’s on the radio. Perhaps I can find somewhere where I’m just another person, or maybe as I learned in Ireland, sometimes I’m just too Jersey for my own good. And the gods know I’d miss Tastykakes something fierce.

But then again, I’m half way through the application for Glasgow, Scotland’s Study Abroad program. After all, “If you’re born in Jersey, you know how to rise to a challenge. Bring on the Mob. Bring on bad air. Bring on taxes and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and macaroni at every meal. Nothing defeats us in Jersey.”

This is the song that never ends...

It's stuck in your head now isn't it? SUCKER! Ahahaha *cue maniacal laughter*

Sorry, I just had to do it. Did you know that it's not a well known (and hated) song over here? Can anyone else see Lamb Chop and Shari, the two of them bobbing up and down as they sing it?

Now it's really stuck in your head isn't it? Good. My work here is done.

What's that? You still want an update? Well, since you asked so nicely. ;)

I spent most of yesterday afternoon in the City Centre just walking around. For three hours. It was wonderful. I had my headphones playing some old favorites in my ears as I wandered aimlessly. Yes, they are loud and a bit in your face but they suited my mood perfectly. I do like softer, more slow songs too, it just depends on my mood. The loud ones are for when I'm blocking things out or avoiding something and the softer ones are for when I feel calm or want to sing. Yes, I sing and yes, not well. lol

Back to the city. How about some pictures? They were taken with the camera on my phone, so they aren't great quality, but they're not horrible either and they'll give you a better idea of what I've found along the way. I stepped off the bus and turned to walk towards Grafton Street and saw this:

And might I just say, it was not the first time I had seen people in such dress. I believe it's actually the third. The second time, was an middle-aged woman in a beautiful cornflower blue dress walking with a gentleman in a full tuxedo. With duck tales, a cane and a top hat. Made my day, it did! :D

This is the bridge that most people would use when crossing the Liffey to get to the other side. I don't know what the red and green things are, but they amused me and I thought you might want to see something less random...or not less random I guess...

There's a bunch of little shops in the bottom of this building. There's a liquor store, or off-license as they call it here, a cigar/smoke shop and a costume shop I think. And a woman playing a harp on the corner. No, really, a harp. See.

There are always street performers around. I meant to get a picture of the guy who stands in front of Stephen's Green and lays on a bed of broken glass, but I didn't get back there as I planned yesterday. However, fear not, it is coming, and I hope to know his name by then too. Besides the woman playing harp, you're (or I'm) also quite likely to find random musicians on the street such as this man playing the electric guitar.

The street performers amuse me, can you tell? I don't know why, but they do.

There's a bunch of shops of all sizes on both Grafton Street and O'Connell Street and the streets off to the sides and in between. You've got your designers like Chanel, you've got your more main stream stores like H&M and you've got your little shops like the Harlequin which are most likely run by one or two people.

So we all know I'm not some skinny-mini, right? Well, I'm having a problem finding cloths and such that fit me. I haven't given up hope, but its a bit hard. I have found some stores that might carry a few pieces that fit me. For example, I found Monsoon. They have two truly beautiful coats that I might just have to go back and actually try on. They aren't cheap, or even close to my budget, but I might be able to find a reason to justify the expense. I did forget my rain coat after all ;)

This first coat is a beautiful deep emeraldy green. Move your mouse to the picture on the right for a better idea of what it looks like. Or see below:

Again for details: 

http://www.monsoon.co.uk/coats+macs/lindsey-velvet-coat/invt/77201510/

Isn't it beautiful? It's velvet, so I don't know how practical it would be...This second one on the other hand might be much more useful:

Again, for details: 

http://www.monsoon.co.uk/coats+macs/stella-wool-coat/invt/77201003/

I've also found some interesting shoes, in some shopping centres. Yes shoes. Wipe that look off your face or go away. I'm a girl, I like shoes! So there :P

These adorable flats have purple roses and skulls on them, just in case you couldn't see them :)

Below are some gorgeous Doc Martens.

Truly exquisite.

Some heels for the girly girls.

And some sneakers for the more practical girly girl.

More purple roses :)

Okay guys, that's all for now. After three hours of walking, my feet hurt still hurt, but I saw some cool things. I'll try to take more pictures and I hope one of these days to really just be a tourist and just wander taking pictures rather than trying to find stuff on my list of things to get. Yesterday it was a stapler, highlighter and a few *ahem* other things. I found a stapler, but that's it. Low and behold the stapler had no staples in it. I am now the proud owner of a staple-less stapler.

PS. Did you know 'girly' is not a real word? I can't imagine why...

I am not a first year!

But I"m living with them again. Seems to be my lot in life to live with first year students. LOL I'm just hoping that we'll get along like last year, to any degree. (Shout out to 7202 and our honorary suite mates, you know who you are!)

I just got back from an orientation program and I have to go back out to another one in like a half hour, so this will be short and to the point...I hope.

A friend and I took the bus and went to the City Centre yesterday. We picked up a girl from Maine on the bus and the three of us explored a bit before returning for orientation programs.

We walked in St. Stephen's Green for a few minute. GORGEOUS!  There's a bunch of flowers and trees and pathways and such. There's a lake with birds swimming and people everywhere. I didn't get to look much because I was with people and had shopping to do, but I'm hoping to go back. Maybe this weekend.  Click the pictures, they should get bigger.


Here's one with construction cones. It almost felt like home for a second :)

Speaking of construction, they're repaving the front road...remind anyone else of George Street last week? Did they ever get it finished or is George Street still closed? Are they still doing major construction on College Ave???? Somebody tell me what's going on at home! Please? Pretty please with sugar and whipped cream and cherries on top?

I managed to get some shopping done yesterday. I walked around Grafton Street and a little bit of Stephen's Green Shopping Centre. There were a handful of musicians on Grafton Street and I can't wait to explore it more in depth.

OH! And our last roommate moved in. He arrived yesterday.

Food and then orientation stuff. Hope everyone is doing well. I'm trying to get through the emails you're all leaving me but give me some time. And if i don't get back to you, its not that I don't love you, its just that I'm probably sleeping or my brain is so fried that I don't have anything to say back. But I AM reading them and I'm glad you're sending them. Okay time to go. No really, time to go!

Tell me what's going on at home! A big warm WELCOME to Emily, Zachary Jonathan, and Luna Beatrix! Welcome to the world (and I hope I got the names right)!

Landed!

So yesterday, amid rain that probably followed me from home, I (and several thousand others) landed in Dublin. I have since made it to my accommodations or housing here and unpacked. I've even started to settle in a bit. I just wish getting to this point hadn't taken so long.

Upon arrival yesterday, I and another girl from Rutgers who came to Dublin to study, trekked through the rain with our luggage to find our student ID cards, our housing assignments and how to print things. Not in that order of course. I believe it went more like this: housing, print, id, print, housing before we managed to find where we needed to be. When we finally managed to find our accommodations, we then had to stand in line to get our key. Not that unlike what we'd have to do at home...only the line wouldn't be anywhere near as long and we wouldn't have had to stand in it for almost 3 hours...in the rain... Although from what I understand that was unusual even for them. When I was able to open my luggage to unpack, some of my things were soaked, and are currently hanging around my room trying to dry. I found something that makes Rutgers look simple and people oriented...imagine that...I only had to go to Dublin to do so. Lol.

Okay, enough bitching, you want to know what Ireland is like, right? Well yesterday was damp and rainy. This morning, for it is morning here, I am sitting at my cluttered desk in my single, yes I said single, room with the bed a foot or so behind me and the sun heating up my right side. There are dark ominous clouds outide, but I have no idea what that means. The cabbie yesterday told us to ignore the forcast, that it isn't always accurate. Surprising, isn't it?

The people seem mostly friendly, but I'm not sure if they all mean it. I guess in this I'll always be a Jersey Girl, expecting "Have a nice day" to mean well, Have a Nice Day:


My room? The bed is hard, the door won't stay open on its own, the walls look bare, and the lamp is missing a light bulb. However, the bed can get a mattress pad and the blanket is toasty warm, I'm propping the door open with a suite case and have intentions of buying a door stop, maintenance said the light bulbs are on their way they just haven't come in yet, and i'm going out for push pins and tape today. I have a few pictures and cards and such to hang on the wall and can't wait to get them up. I have a list of things to pick up...like shampoo, body wash, hangers, a warmer hoodie or sweat shirt and such.

Two of my apartment mates are here. One of their friends is also living with us, and as of right now, we don't know who the fifth person it. There are two bathrooms for us...less people than home yet more bathrooms...even toss up in my mind.

That's all for now. Time to try to make some sense of the chaos in my room...and it's raining...something new for a change lol. The suns is out so it should stop soon right?