Getting Oriented

Alternate title: the longest post I ever plan on writing.

I’ve been in Ireland for four days now, and what a whirlwind it’s been.

The flight to Dublin started off as more of an amusement park ride than a smooth plane ride due to some pretty rough turbulence. It didn’t last for too long though, and since it was right at the beginning, it didn’t affect much. We were met at the airport by two program staff members, who immediately illustrated the warmth and hospitality the Irish are famous for. We went right to the hotel, but had to wait quite a while to check into the rooms since it was only about eight in the morning. Most of the other students fell asleep in the lounge area, but armed with a few hours of fitful sleep from the plane and a stubborn determinacy to beat jet lag, I stayed awake the entire time.

Since it was a beautiful day, I took a walk around the block once we were able to get into our rooms. The area of Dublin we were in appeared to be mostly offices and apartments, with lots of brick and old glass work. It reminded me of a cross between Boston and London, except smaller and quieter. There was a big rugby stadium right behind the hotel, and I was able to watch a group of teenagers playing through a hole in the fence. There’s a huge rugby tournament going on in Ireland right now; apparently there’s a big game here in Limerick on Friday. I haven’t figured out all the rules yet, but it should be a good time regardless.

Note the palm trees:

Our hotel:

Monday we had orientation meetings in the morning that went over much of the same information we’ve been told for months on end now. It was a bit more bearable since it was all said in Irish accents though. In the afternoon, we went for a tour of the Guinness Storehouse. The entire complex is huge, almost appearing to overtake the city as much as its product rules the entire country. The tour was really interesting though, and ends in the Gravity Bar where you can “enjoy” a complimentary pint while admiring the panoramic view of Dublin that surrounds you. I had a Sprite.

Not to my surprise (but to my disappointment), I did not enjoy the Guinness we were able to sample earlier in the tour. Added to the fact that one pint carries enough calories to count as a small meal and you just have a losing combination. I’m sure in the coming months I’ll be able to find an acceptable substitute.

The view from the Gravity Bar:

Tuesday was more orienting, which included a cooking demonstration, a common sense talk from a Guarda (policeman), and a history lesson on Internet use in Ireland. I took away a few good recipes and not much else, though the IT talk was fun for the sheer fact that we spent most of it trying to figure out what the speaker’s point was.

A small group of us went on bus tour of Dublin that afternoon. It was fun to get an idea of the layout of the city, which is really quite small. We didn’t have enough time to get off and explore most of the stops though, and it was freezing cold, though in large part that was because we were sitting in the open top of the double decker.

The River Liffey:

Late that night another group of us went to the Temple Bar (quick distinction: Temple Bar refers to an entire section of Dublin, but is also a specific pub in that section; we were in the actual pub). We spent a long time just sitting or standing around and listening to the live music. It was definitely the most stereotypical Irish thing to possibly do, but it didn’t feel fake or touristy at all. It’s definitely something I plan on doing quite often.

Today we were bussed from Dublin to Limerick, a three-hour drive through mostly fields upon fields of grass with some cows and horses and even a donkey or two. The University of Limerick campus is almost like a little town within a town: there are stores, pubs, and cafes all over the place. The student housing is arranged into little villages with clusters of apartment-like buildings.

I have five flat mates, but I’ve only met one so far. Apparently three girls are Irish and two are Spanish. At least a few of them are studying biomedical engineering, coincidentally enough.

Tomorrow and Friday we’ll be going through the University’s orientation for foreign students. Since classes start on Monday, I’m assuming I’ll be signing up for those at some point as well. I have no idea how that is going to work, so it should be quite the adventure!