Dublin Days 3-4 Recaps :)

First off, I apologize for not posting yesterday. The internet in the hostel was down, and I refuse to pay however many euro to use the wifi in the internet cafes.

Secondly, to Ben, I only waited a full day because that was when the whole group planned to go. Mom and dad told me not to go off on my own. I have drank several pints for you, so do not be ashamed dear brother!

The past two days have been busy and exciting! Yesterday began with class in the church grassy courtyard. We learned about the basic differences between American and British media, and how the British perceive Americans through our Media. We moved on to PR in the courtyard of Dublin Castle, where we talked about relationship building, and the process of a good PR campaign.

After class, several of the group members set out to find our first scavenger hunt clue: The statue of Molly Malone. Molly Malone was a fish mongerer by day, and a prostitute by night. When we got to the statue, a little old Irishman sang us "Cockles and Mussles" and took pictures with us all. It was so much fun!

On of the greatest things I'm finding over here is that I have much more free time than I expected to. It's just so fantastic to stroll the streets and see all the wonderful things this wonderful city has to offer.

After an afternoon of site seeing, we took a bus out of the city to watch a rugby game we were invited to by a team of Welsh rugby players staying in our hostel. It was the first rugby match I have ever been to, and I have to say, it gave American football quite a run for its money. After the game, we stayed at what I can only call the Irish equivalent to a country club and drank and talked with the team. One of the guys described rugby as "A barbaric sport played by gentleman." It was very impressive how much sportsmanship there was involved with both teams. They were absolutely hilarious; one of the players could play the piano and knew all sorts of modern popular music. Everyone sang along and danced. It was way better than going out to a pub, and we met so many fun people!

Today we went on a bus tour of Wicklow County, which is about an hour and a half out of Dublin. The bus ride there was crazy! The roads are so tiny here, and obviously, the bus is quite large, and what with the twists and turns in the roads....I am quite amazed we made it there and back.

But, The Irish countryside is absolutely spectacular. There is so much green, rolling hills, flowers, lakes and streams, it's nearly impossible to take it all. The pictures I took really cannot do it justice. There were these little paths that looked like they were straight out of The Lord of the Rings. I half expected Frodo, Bilbo and Gandalf to walk up to me at any moment and ask me to join them on some grand adventure! I wanted to just move right in to one of the little cottages on a cliff overlooking a lake. I think I'd be quite content there. It really is quite beautiful...

FYI- it may just be the internet connection at the hostel (and I'm thinking that it probably is) but I have been having MEGA issues with uploading photos to the blog as well as other sites. I am going to keep trying, and as soon as I succeed, every pic I have taken so far is going on photobucket. I'll post the link here, so be sure to be on the look out for it! I miss all of you, and I'm thinking of you all!

Dublin, The Home of GUINNESS

Allow me to apologize for not noting yesterday that Dublin was the home of one very important product, Guinness.

My sincerest apologies, Dublin.

Anyway, last night, I had dinner in an authentic Irish pub called Quay's. I had a pint of Bulmer's Cider, which is very sweet but good, and fish and chips, apparently Ireland's finest. We spent the remainder of our evening at the Temple Bar, located in the Temple Bar District (FYI- Temple Bar District is to Dublin as Bourbon and the French Quarter is to NOLA). Keith, a local, told me that Temple Bar is as close to as an authentic Irish Pub you could get in the Dublin city center. There was Irish music, and I had a pint of Kilkenny Draught, and, it is TRUE what they say, Irish guys DO know American girls when they see them and they WILL hit on them, but hey, at least I got a free drink out of it.

All in all, good night.

Today was our first day of class. Class was held in the courtyard of this huge church across the street from our hostel (which I am getting use to, but still sucks because it had no water for about 12 hours yesterday. Yeah, I know). We basically just discussed what we would be learning about while we were over here, and what we would be doing. In my Media in the British Isles class, we have been given a scavenger hunt to complete. Our instructor has given us some really bad poetry to decipher, these clues will lead us to places, and we need to tell how these places are important to media. In my Public Relations Case Studies Class, we are to interview five Europeans in each country about America and Americans to look for reoccurring themes, and to find possible solutions to America's identity problems.

After class we went and toured the Guinness Factory. Apparently, it's the number one attraction in Ireland. It was quite interesting to see how it was made. The self-guided tour started with the ingredients and ended with a pint of the good stuff in the "Gravity Bar" offering 360 degree views of Dublin. You could see all the way out into the rolling hills of the countryside, which is finally the Ireland I was looking for all along!

Welcome to Dublin!

Welcome to Dublin, Ireland! Home of the...well, I haven't quite been here long enough to figure that one out yet. It's a cool day in Dublin (highs in the 50s!) and quite overcast here.

After getting no sleep, I stumbled off my plane and into this new and interesting city. I spent most of the day wandering around Dublin with a few of my new friends.

We didn't really see much of the main sites today, which I assume will be saved for more lucid days. We did, however, become those sort of American tourists that I know many would hate to associated with (Dad, you would have been so proud). To start, we got lost twice. To be completely fair, it wasn't entirely our fault. We asked directions from a couple locals and they misdirected us. We were then given the correct directions the third time. To top it off, we were almost killed by a runaway bus. Yes, the Irish drivers, apparently, are as bad as the Italians.

Dublin is different than other European cities, but it's hard to put my finger on why. There is just something terribly unique that I cannot quite figure out about it. Perhaps I will in the next few days.

And yes, Mom, there is scaffolding :).

Oh, and in case you were wondering, hostels are really not that great and no one should ever have to be subjected to staying in one. As I type this, I am currently in the top bunk of a bunk bed....me....a bunk bed....at least the bathroom isn't communal, but you can bet I am still wearing flip flops when I shower!

Well, I guess that's all for now. I think I'm going to brave the shower for the first time, grab some dinner and get some shut eye. Tomorrow starts class and the adventure really begins!

Until then,
Katy

Leaving tomorrow!!

I'm leaving for my European adventure tomorrow afternoon. Check back often for updates!

-Katy