I cannot believe that I am actually going to be home by the end of the day. I am the happiest person in the world!

I was up bright and early this morning at 2AM after only have gotten 4 hours of sleep. But I am so excited that doesn't even matter. 

My next post will be when I'm back in the States!

My Family 

I think the most obvious thing that I am looking forward to is seeing my family. I have missed them so unbelievably much. 

Actually, as a matter of fact, my Dad doesn't know that I am coming home early. My Mom and I have devised this whole plan to surprise him. It will be his early Christmas present.

#2

Wow, 2 days left and still so much to do. This post will be short because I am trying to get some last minute studying in!

I am looking forward to coming home to my bed and the washing machine and dryer. 

The bed here is comfortable, but there is nothing like your own comfortable bed. 
I cannot wait to do as much laundry as I want and not have to pay for it. I am super excited. It cost 2.50 Euro per coin. So that means to wash and dry one load of laundry, you have to pay 5 Euro! 

#3:
So now there are three days left! I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by here.

The #3 thing that I am looking forward to coming home to is home - cooked meals. Though I have learned to be quite independent and have been able to make myself some very healthy and yummy meals, there is nothing like a home - cooked meal!

#4:
I am looking forward to returning home to my HOUSE. There are certain amenities in the house that I have missed.


1. bath tub
2. dishwasher
3. unlimited high - speed internet
4. DirectTV Tivo 
5. Hulu






These things may seem trivial, but they are quite essential things to the average American family! 

1. Bath tub: Some days after a long day of classes and walking (reference to Day #5 post) I really just want to take a nice, long, hot bubble bath. But I can''t because there is only an itty bitty shower that you can barely fit it. 

2. Dishwasher: Thankfully my roommates and I keep up on washing our own dishes. We have a system, "If you use it, you wash it right away and put it away." But there is nothing like opening up the dishwasher right after it has finished and feeling the hot steam hit your face. 

3. Unlimited  high - speed internet: I have internet in my dormitory, but it is limited. Once you have reached a certain limit, you are put on the "slow" internet. And believe me, it is quite slow. 

4. DirectTV Tivo: I miss being able to know that no matter what my shows will tape and I can watch them whenever I want without commercials. 

5. Hulu: Since I have so many tv shows that I like, I am not allowed to tape them all on the Tivo. So I watch them on Hulu. But, haha to my surprise, Hulu does not work outside of the United States. Enough said.

Christmas Market

Grand Parade, Cork City

Santa's Village in Bishop Lucey Park

Christmas Tree in Bishop Lucey Park

Grand Parade Christmas Market

Vendors at the Christmas Market

Carnival Ride for the Children

 THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

Well, as my days here in Ireland come to an end for the Fall semester, I feel it is obligatory to fulfill my countdown as I did before I can to Ireland. 

So each day I will say 1 thing that I look forward to at home. Each day the thing 

will be something that is more and more important to me.

 I am looking forward going home and being able to drive. Actually, it is a whole collaboration for #5: driving, not walking as much, and a pedicure. Since I have been in Ireland, I have walked so much I have actually gotten holes in my shoes (reference to previous blog post). My poor feet need a nice long soak in hot water. Also, as much as I have gotten used to it, I still occasionally don't know which way to look before crossing the street. 

 

I know that I am studying abroad in Ireland and that this phrase is British, but I just find it so catchy. It is also very popular over here. 

International Dinner Party 

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

My roommate from France loves arranging dinner parties. She arranged an international dinner where all of our friends brought a dinner that is native to our country.

 The countries represented were:

France

Italy

The United States 

Sweden

Germany

Malaysia

Singapore

The dishes were:

pasta

bread

chicken

beef

olives

cheese

soup

Rugby Match

Munster vs. Scarlets

Sunday, November 25th, 2012

I was finally able to go to a rugby game this semester. 

Munster: represents Munster area in Ireland; red jerseys

Scarlets: represent Wales; black jerseys

Here is a link to the Munster Rugby Website:

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/

I could not believe how violent and rough the sport is! It is very similar to American football, except the players do not wear any padding. They only have mouth and shin guards. 

Unfortunately, we were not able to stay for the entire game. It had been raining on and off the entire day. But, when the game started it was clear. After half - time was over, it was pouring rain. We had umbrellas, but we were soaking wet. It was very cold outside also, so the rain was making the sidewalk very slick to walk on.

Here is a link to a segment of the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymQhB0CwG_0

The players waiting to resume the game.

The players lining up for the kick-off of the second half of the game. 

A Munster player injured. 

Thanksgiving in Ireland 2012

Though I am in Ireland, the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving by eating way too much food was not overlooked. 

As a matter of fact, I had 3 Thanksgiving celebrations! (European friends, study abroad group, and American friends)

My contribution to the European Thanksgiving & American Thanksgiving was an apple crisp. I'm going to be honest here. I nearly died making it. And no, I'm not kidding. It took me 3 hours to peel, core, and slice 3 bags of apples. 

After 4 1/2 enduring hours, it was finally complete. Yummy, it was so delicious. All of my hardwork was ingested in less than 30 minutes. 

European Thanksgiving

 (with a few Americans, I mean, who was going to tell them what we eat!)

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012

Pre-Dinner

 Builmer's Cider

Roasted Chicken

Roasted Onions & Carrots

Bread

Stuffing

French Cheese

Crackers

Green beans

Mashed potatoes

Gravy

Dessert

Apple Crisp

Pecan Pie

Cherry Pie

Cinnamon Cookies

API Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

Market Lane, Cork

American Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 29th, 2012

Turkey
Bread
Butter









Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Mixed Vegetables

Apple Crisp
Pumpkin Pie
German Christmas Bread
Ice Cream 

A week or so ago, I had an unfortunate accident on the bus. I hit my head on an over-head railing when the driver took the corner to sharply. 

Well long story short, after waiting a week with terrible headaches, I went to the emergency room and was informed that I had a concussion. 

No need to worry! I finally got a cat-scan after waiting in the ER for 7 1/2 hours. There is no bleeding or bruising and I am on the long road to complete recovery. 

To cheer me up, one of my roommates taped this to my door when I returned from the ER. 

Christmas Lighting Ceremony

Friday, November 16th, 2012

Cork City, Ireland

Every year the citizens of Cork gather together to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season. The main event is when they turn the lights on all at once. 

The main stage on Patrick Street. 

Click here to watch the video of the lighting ceremony!

Patrick Street

Opera Lane

The Tree on Patrick Street

Care-package from home!!!!

Wooohooooo, now I am fully stocked!

I have never walked so much in my life before I came to Ireland. I've been walking so much, I have hole in my socks!

Well, I definitely know what I am asking Santa for Christmas!

Kinsale

Saturday; November 10th, 2012

Originally a medieval fishing port, historic Kinsale is one of the most picturesque, popular and historic towns on the south west coast of Ireland.

It has been hailed as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland, with no shortage of cafes, pubs and restaurants to suit every taste and budget.

Only 18 miles from Cork, Kinsale marks the beginning of scenic West Cork and is ideally placed as a yachting and deep-sea angling centre and in recent years aworld class golf destination.

Charles Fort

Charles Fort is one of the finest surviving examples of a 17th Century star-shaped fort, and much of the construction begun in 1678 remains. 

The fort has two enormous bastions overlooking the estuary, and three facing inland. 

Within its walls were all the barracks and ancillary facilities to support the fort’s garrison. The fort continued in military use until 1922. 

As one of the largest military installations in the country, Charles Fort has been associated with some of the most momentous events in Irish history. The most significant of these are the Williamite War 1689-91 and the Civil War 1922-23. Charles Fort was declared a National Monument in 1973.

On our way home, we stopped at this point. It was so windy and I am actually surprised I was able to catch such a breathtaking photograph!

Our final stop before heading back home was a beach. I thought it was absolutely necessary to write my name in the sand :)