Inventory and Snowstorms

I know I have been very delinquent on my blogging. Since my return from Amsterdam, I have been excessively busy: turning twenty, working, catching up with friends and family, and traveling to Rochester NY.

The long awaited Belgian pictures are here, sorry for the suspense.

Christmas is frighteningly around the corner, I still have some last minute gifts to buy and my schedule is filling up. 'Tis the season. I also have to coordinate my schedule with Lee's for celebrating and somehow find time to cook and bake my face off.

Last weekend, I visited Lee in the barren winter wonderland known as Rochester NY. The final 143 miles of my journey were through a snow storm at a top speed of 45 mph across an unplowed NY Thruway. The Red Roof Inn tried to throw me onto the snow covered street because of some stupid policy of me having to be 21 to check in. (I have a credit card in my name, what is the big deal?) But it was all worth it to see Lee for a few days. The highlight was a chance to see Brand New in concert at RIT. The show was amazing, and one person got carried away in a stretcher, my former fellow employee at the Tweeter Center, Hippie Dave, would not have approved. The show was really great though. This is a great cover of Neutral Milk Hotel. Enjoy!


-Liz

Chocolates and Trains

Yesterday, Lee and I returned from my birthday trip to Bruges. Last time I went to Bruges was on a high school trip years ago, and only for an afternoon. It was great to get a chance to go back there and decently explore the area. We arrived Monday evening after a long day of train going, from Amsterdam to Antwerp (where the station is completely being renovated and had no screens displaying train information), Antwerp to Ghent, Ghent to Bruges. The stop in Ghent was not planned, we had missed the proper train to Bruges due to the disarray of the Antwerp station. We got checked into the gorgeous Hotel Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, which is right on a canal near the Markt in Brugge Centrum. It was a beautiful Medieval building, with nice details. Very pretty. We had a lovely birthday dinner at a nearby restaurant , where we were given complimentary snails. Lee and I both tried our best to eat them, both unsure of the right way, and what parts to eat. Strange. Also, Belgium is not too keen on dismantling seafood at restaurants. I asked if they could take the lobster apart for me (this was a nice restaurant mind you, in America this would be normal request) the waiter was confused and insisted it be served in the shell. Lee got the sole, and it was served practically whole, head and bones intact. Lee loved it despite this. We finished the evening with a stroll around the town. 

The next day after breakfast, we walked around a bit, and then went to a brewery tour at De Halvemaan . The tour showed the workings of the old brewery, and featured a spectacular view from the roof of the brewery. We sampled the Brugse Zot beer at the conclusion of the tour, and then wandered throughout the city going to chocolatiers and shopping at local shops. In the afternoon, we visited the Christmas Market going on in the Markt and Simonstevinplein. It was very festive, and all of Bruges is all decorated for the holidays. They had an ice skating rink, but it appeared slushy and suspect to us. We looked at the stalls and had frites instead. It took forever to find a good restaurant for dinner ( it seems all the restaurants serve the same items) and there was one waiter for the entire place. He was the most intense multitasker ever, he was doing everything in a timely fashion. It took us a while to notice that he was the only one doing all the serving, taking the orders, seating people, and clearing the tables. Intimidating. When I tried to order a waffle for dessert he informed me it would take too long because the kitchen was busy. Lame. I just wanted a waffle. 

Wednesday the epic quest to get a waffle was my final mission. I was turned down the night before, and got turned down again in the morning at a cafe, and as we left people were eating waffles. I guess she couldn't wait ten minutes to put my order in? Oh well. Lee and I found a better waffle place on the walk back to the hotel, where we were the only customers and we could have whatever we wanted. Crucial. 

The train ride home went from Bruges to Antwerp, where our Amsterdam train was running late, then the Amsterdam train terminated at Schiphol Airport instead of the central station and we had to get another train into Centraal. A tram ride, and we were home. 

I will post pictures when I return home to America on Saturday!

Cakes and Trips

Tonight was a lazy Sunday here in Amsterdam. Lee and I went to another film at the IDFA, a selection of shorter animation pieces, not really documentaries, but just thematically arranged animation program. There were a few interesting films, and a few that might not have been animation, but it was another great time at the Tuschinski. 

Today is also the eve of my 20th birthday. In celebration, Caren and Katrina made me a cake, it was pretty good. Tomorrow Lee and I are off to Bruges in Belgium until Wednesday. 

Until then...

-Liz

FIlm Festivals and Thai Food

Today Lee, Caren, Dan, Natalie, AJ and I went to see the film Note by Note  a film in the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. The festival started last night here in Amsterdam and continues into next week. Featuring hundreds of films spanning the globe, the festival is a highlight in the cultural calendar.  The film was excellent, and told the story of one piano being made at the Steinway Piano factory in Astoria, New York. The film intricately followed the piano's journey over one year from a piece of wood to a piano in the Concert Division of the Steinway Company. The film gave an insider view of the process of hand craftmanship and effort that goes into each piano. So much effort goes into each individual piano, and the people who put into that effort see the art of pianomaking as their passion. The film featured interviews with individual craftsmen, and concert pianists, and even one boy getting his first piano in his home to connect with his elderly grandfather. The story was touching and interesting, the presentation immaculate, an excellent film. 

The best part of going to the film festival was the opportunity to see a film at the Tuschinsky, a beautiful theater here in Amsterdam. Built during WWII, the builder from which the theater bears its name was unable to see it completed and perished in a Nazi death camp. Fortunately, his vision is still here for us today, and it is my favorite place in the world to see a movie. 

Lee and I also got some thai food with Caren and Katrina for dinner at a very classy restaurant called Thai Company. I just cannot escape the thai food.

-Liz

Pancakes and Turkeys

THANKSGIVING.

The best holiday of the year. I was born on a Thanksgiving, and love every minute of every Thanksgiving since then.

This year, I am in Amsterdam. Lee and I woke up leisurely, and went and got some Dutch pancakes with Katrina and Laurel. I thoroughly enjoyed my chocolate banana pancake, which is really just like a crepre, except unfolded, and like an omelet in that everything is all mixed together. It was pretty delicious. Afterwards, the true festivities began.

A quest was launched to the nearby American Book Center to procure Scrabble. Because it was Thanksgiving there was free candy and a 10 percent discount for everyone, on top of the 10 percent student discount, it was 20 percent off!

Returning to the house, Lee began the process of washing and peeling the 4 kilos of potatoes.( Truly, the potatoes and Lee are destiny at this point.) Caren was wokring on turkey and all the other yummy stuff. I was in charge of decorations. A quick trip to my bible, www.marthastewart.com, and I had my plan. Pinecone turkeys. Fabulous. Katrina and I embarked into the streets of Amsterdam with a final grocery list, and in search of pinecone turkey supplies. Pinecones were plentiful at one particular stall in the nearby flower market, and luckily all the groceries were in one Albert Heijn (typically, grocery trips require visits to more than one Albert Heijn grocery store), the feathers and pipe cleaners were acquired at a bizarre store called HEMA which apparently sells everything.

59 minutes later, a return to Boomtops for turkey creation. I assembled 12 small turkeys and one large turkey which graced the table settings. Lee handmashed the potatoes( he is dedicated). Dan made some gravy, and we were ready to eat.

After a costume change, it was dinner time. There were 10 guests in the apartment, including two of Laurels friends from school. and two of Caren's friends from Rhode Island. The dinner was excellent, everything was delicious, and there was great company. A Great Thanksgiving.

A Scrabble match of epic proportions took place after dinner. Lee and I were the victors with a total score of 163 points. I think it was all that fancy college learning.

-Liz

Museums and Markets

This morning Lee and I started the day with a little bit of culture by going to the Van Gogh Museum. There is so much great art here in Amsterdam, and the Van Gogh is no exception. The exhibitions chronicles Van Gogh's life through his art, and presents his process and development as an artist, into the style that is associated with him today. There are many earlier works, and there is also alot of biographical information presented, that allows for a greater picture of such a brilliant artist. (Terrible puns aside) It was my second visit to the museum but I was much more enriched this time around, it also gave me an oppurtunity to send a video message to some loved ones from the museum shop.

Next, Caren, Lee and I went to an open air market that sold everything from clothes to fresh fish. We did some shopping and then headed to lunch at a North African restaurant for falafels. After we got some energy, it was on to the larger task of purchasing vegetables for Thanksgiving. On the list, 10lbs of potatoes. Potatoes are not as plentiful and varied as they are in America, but some hunting found some very nice potatoes in a shop along the market, after grabbing a few other necessities, chocolate covered peanuts, and candy of course we headed back to the Singel to unload all the spoils. Lee singlehandedly carried 4 kilos of potatoes back on the tram. Not an easy feat, but he survived.

Tomorrow is the big day, THANKSGIVING. My favorite holiday.

-Liz

Baseball and Lectures

An early attempt to go to Cologne for a few days next week had to be scrapped due to train strikes in Germany and France. After getting the disappointing news this morning, Lee and I headed down to the Vondelpark, Amsterdam's largest public park. We brought along our baseball gloves, handcarried from America, and played a lovely game of catch in the crisp weather. The Vondelpark is still very green and lush, and there were alot of people out and about, walking dogs, and riding bikes. Lee and I undoubtedly stood out, taking on such an unusual and very un-Dutch acitivity as playing catch, but it was still a great time. On the walk back, we stopped at an Irish pub for some lunch and cider, and also sampled some seasonal treats next to the ice rink in the Leidseplein. All decorated for Christmas time, there are stands serving hot waffles and other traditional Dutch treats. Lee and I shared a suikerwaffel and wandered home slowly, enjoying the day.

After a great day wandering the city, Caren, Laurel and I went to a lecture at the nearby John Adams Society given by Dana Thomas, an American journalist who recently wrote a book titled Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster . The talk was an inside look at the changes within the fashion industry over the last 15 years, and how small family owned luxury companys became global megacorporations, almost overnight, resulting in a severe decline in quality and presitge. The talk was well presented and informative, and a great bonding oppurtunity with the girls.

Only 2 days until Thanksgiving!

-LIZ

The Jordaan

After a lazy weekend getting over jet-lag, today Caren arranged a walking tour of a near by part of Amsterdam known as the Jordaan. The Jordaan once had the highest population density of all of Amsterdam, and has been revived from a poor area of disrepair into a cultural center. Many of the original canals are now filled in streets, but the remaining canals create a beautiful neighborhood lined with trees. There are also homes with tiny inner courtyards known as hofjes, built as charity for eldery women, that have gorgeous little gardens inside.There were many great displays of traditional Dutch architecture and design, and it was a great chance to walk around and see more of Amsterdam.

All attempts to make some pictures upload here failed, so you can follow this link to see all my Amsterdam photos as I take them. Picture album

Shoutout to Lee for providing help on making that link work above.

Lee and I also got to sample his favorite cuisine here in Amsterdam at a place known as Kantjils. Basically, they serve Indonesian food, you choose from a grid of options, they put it in a cardboard box, and microwave it, and give it to you. Lee gets the peanut sauce with vegetables and noodles. I get chicken satay with noodles. Its win win.

-Liz

Sinter Klaus and Frites

Today was an important day in Amsterdam. Sinter Klaus arrived , first via boat, then via horse, bringing joy to all. Sinterr Klaus is the original Santa Claus, and he is quite the character. Sinter Klaus comes and delivers presents to good children in their shoes on December 9th. And he comes from Spain by horse, accompanied by his "helper" okay, potetially politically incorrect pseudo slave Black Peter. Now, in celebration, Sinter Klaus travels around the city, in a parade, followed by an army of Black Peters, and several of them were riding along the parade route in a techno-thumping party bus. Very classy. Sinter Klaus; traditional attire is very saint-like and brings back the mood of the religious traditions involved with this holiday. Black Peter wears vaguely mediterranean bright colored pauper outfits. Lee, Katrina, Laurel and I traveled to Dam Square to get a glimpse of all the hullabaloo. I managed to get a few good pictures in, and look forward to more festive happenings in the city as the holiday gets closer.

I guess we can thank the Dutch for inventing Sinter Klaus and bringing him to America.

After we got out of the throng of people seeing Sinter Klaus, we embarke on another Dutch tradition. FRITES. The french fries here in Amsterdam are plentiful and yummy, and we wandered around the Spui nibbling on some warm goodness.

-Liz

Arrivals and Atonement

After an epic quest that spanned both the Atlantic Ocean and both sides of the country of Ireland, I arrived in Amsterdam yesterday. My last minute flight brought me from Boston to Shannon to Dublin to Amterdam. Most notably, the journey was made interesting by seeing men drink Guinness at 7am in Dublin, and sharing a plane to Amsterdam with immigration deportees. By an act of God, my bag made it and there were very little travel problems.

Today, Lee joined me here in Amsterdam. And after some napping, we joined Lee's sister Laurel and a group of her friends to see Atonement at the local American style movie theater. One of my favorite parts of Amsterdam is going to the movies. There is a fabulous old Art Deco style theater which serves beer and wine, and has assigned seats, that makes me think this is how movie go-ing must have been when it first began, but there is of course also more modern megaplexes. Despite this movie theater being of the American variety, the experience was still marvelous, Dutch people are much more polite in the theater and do not even begin to leave until the ending credits are at least 3/4 finished. I must say our group were the rowdiest people there.

I am currently reading Ian McEwan's novel "Atonement", after purchasing it in the Dublin Airport. It was great to go and see the film, and get a more visual idea of the author's intent. The novel is truly gripping, not a light read, the film makes it seem like a fluffier story, but the novel truly is dark and brooding. I won't give away much of the details here, but definately go out and give it a read, or see the film.

Happy 20th Birthday Ashley!!!

-Liz

Ducks and Sunsets

What have I been up to the past few days?

Feeding ducks, seeing sunsets, and catching up with old friends.

In Dublin, my favorite thing to do by far was feed the ducks in both the Grand Canal and in St.Stephen's Green. Since returning to America I have been hunting the Massachusetts landscape for ducks who need feeding. After saving up some delectable stale wheat bread, cheerios and life cereal, my friend Ashley and I embarked on a two hour epic quest for ducks. We scoured all of the ponds and lakes in Rochester, stopped in Acushnet and Lakeville, and finally had to settle for the surly ducks at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford.
Now, I enjoyed duck feeding in Dublin because it was relaxing, and a great activity to help me unwind and think things through during a hectic day. It was a great escape. Plus, I just love ducks. The ducks at Buttonwood were anything but relaxing. Upon arrival, as we slowly approached the water's edge, the ducks, geese, sea gulls, and potential swans literally rose out of the water and walked toward us. Seeing the image of a bag full of goodies, the birds became aggressive and in a scene out of a Hitchcock film, surrounded me on all sides. After the initial fear and panic wore off, it was a good time, many laughs and screams were had by all, and you can see all the great photos my friend Ashley took over here on Flickr. Since then, I have found out that there may be more amicable ducks off of Main Street in Wareham. I will get over there soon and investigate.

As the weather is getting colder here in Southern Massachusetts, the ocean is starting to get dark, and the boats are coming out of the water, and the beach is becoming desolate. I love the beach most in winter. The stillness, the isolation, the beauty, the infinity, there is just something magical about it all. Ashley and I went on another drive, ending up in Padanaram where we were able to catch the beginnings of a sunset, and I was able to meditate on my choices over the past few weeks. It truly is a time of new beginnings, and I am excited to truly begin to figure out what I want to be doing with myself. I will leave off this post with a couple pictures from Padanaram. Have a great day everyone, it is good to be home.










-Liz

Top 10 List

A Long Awaited Dublin Top 10:

10: Jo'Burger- Amazing burgers, which could be served nude, and with any toppings one can imagine. I will miss the eclectic atmosphere of scenesters and live DJ nights.

9: Botanic Gardens- Located in Glasnevin in the north of the city, a great escape from the hustle and bustle of city centre, not to mention gorgeous.

8: Henry Street- The less upscale, and less tourist ridden shopping street in Dublin, great deals and great people watching.

7: the Architecture- Wandering the city, one can find so many amazing buildings, there is so much beauty all over. My personal favorite, the Georgian buildings in Dublin 2.

6: Lemon Creperie and Coffee Co.- The best Caramel Mocha in Dublin, not to mention tasty crepes and breakfast served fast. Yum.

5: Merrion Square- A gorgeous intimate park in Dublin, I loves going there and reading between classes, no ducks, but a sketchy statue of Oscar Wilde looking lecherous.

4: Bulmer's Cider- Gotta love it. I can't stomach Guinness, but a pint of Bulmer's is amazing.

3: Penney's - Cheap stuff. I bought a pair of knockoff Uggs for 8 euro, and another pair of pink flats for 1 euro. Not to mention a belt for 50 cents. Do I need to say more?

2: Trinity College- I absolutely adored the academic experience. Amazing classes, beautiful buildings, great lecturers.

1: The Ducks in St. Stephen's Green- My favorite pastime was feeding the ducks in St. Stephen's Green. I will miss the relaxing activity most of all. I have yet to find a suitable alternative here in Massachusetts.

-Liz

Leaving on a Jet Plane

In what has been the most difficult decision of my life so far, I will be leaving Dublin tomorrow morning. This in effect is my final post as a resident of Dublin. It turns out that Dublin and I just did not get along, and frankly sometimes things just change. I have had some amazing times here in Dublin, but overall it just was not for me. It took alot of thinking, and it was difficult, but I am leaving Dublin with an open mind and hope to find out more about myself in the next few weeks.

In the next few days I will be starting up a new blog. I will post the address here once I get it organized, more on what I will be doing post Dublin.

My favorite part about Dublin was Trinity College. It was an amazing academic experience. I enjoyed all my classes, and it was a shame to have to leave, but my overall happiness and well being is more important right now.

I am proud to say that I got this far, and in the future I may return. But for now, I just have to go home and work things out. I would appreciate everyone's support during this time, and hopefully in the next few days I can have a post about my favorite spots in Dublin, and then I will organize that new blog.

Keep checking, new updates soon.


-Liz

Red Sox are World Champs

The Red Sox have blasted the Rockies 4-3 in a successful four-game sweep, thus making them the victors of the World Series. It was a nice moment to wake up to, but it really makes me miss the mood at home in Massachusetts. It's tough being here in Ireland, with no access to anything Red Sox. I am sure everyone is pumped back home.

My mother is here visiting, and we have a great couple of days so far. We have wandered the city and cooked some favorites from America. Getting all of the ingredients necessary for my favorite meals required going to all three grocery stores, the Dunnes, Aldi and Tesco. It was an adventure. Yesterday, we went to mass at the Rathmines Church and took a bus tour of the city, stopping off at the Writers Museum and grabbing dinner in Temple Bar.

Tonight we are taking a ghost tour, and getting into some more Dublin adventures.

-Liz

Free Tacos For All

Another day in Red Sox fandom, and the Red Sox have pleased again, not only by winning game two 2-1 against the Rockies last night, but also by giving everyone in America the gift of free tacos. Thanks to Jacoby Ellsbury, on October 30 between 2-5 everyone can get their free taco on. Unfortunately, ( or maybe fortunately) Ireland does not participate in Taco Bell. So, I am missing out on an amazing deal. I never say no to anything free. Especially food, so everyone be sure to get out there and show your Red Sox pride by eating a free taco Tuesday!

My mother will be here tomorrow morning bright and early, so I must get back to preperations.
Be back in a few days!

-Liz

New Music and Grocery Store Finds

I am currently deep within my third listen of In Defense of the Genre the latest album from the band Say Anything. My friend Andrew Valente from Stonehill was nice enough to send me over a copy, so as to not miss out from everything fun and musical at home. It is always great to get new music, and Say Anything is no exception. The band started off as a guilty pleasure for me, their songs bordering on absurd, with offensive (often politically incorrect) lyrics over catchy pop-punk riffs are just too addictive to ignore. Having seen the band three times live, I must say I am proud to call myself a fan now. The lead singer/mastermind of Say Anything Max Bemis is such a tragic figure, that he begins to stand out from the other bands of his genre. Although, I feel the media focuses too heavily on Bemis' mental health (or lack thereof) it is clearly a heavy influence on his art. It is empowering to see someone like him being not only open about their condition, but to have the strength and bravery to share it with the world in a free form such as music. This album is epic, covering 2 discs, clocking in at over 90 minutes. Listening to it more at once is a chore, but worth the time. I cannot stop listening to it. In a few weeks I am sure I will know all the songs by heart, all 27 of them. Believe it or not, there is no dead moments in between any of the songs, not to mention such great cameos from people like Gerard Way and Chris Carrabba. The style varies from archetypal pop-punk to harder bass driven songs, and even breaks down into electronic beats and hooks. It was a great surprise.

People in America, can go out and buy the album and see for themselves.

Today, my visit to Dunnes was punctuated by a couple of new finds. I was able to get coffee milk! I have yet to try it, but it was sitting right next to the jugs of chocolate milk. I had to do it. I also found a substitute for pepper jack cheese in chili pepper cheese. Subtract jalapenos for chili peppers, and its basically the same. Add some turkey, panini it, and you get a magical taste bud experience. They also sell Pop-Tarts here in obnoxious orange and yellow packages, as if to say "This item is dangerous! Hazardous! Chemical! AMERICAN!" I also bought some legitimate from an Irish Dairy vanilla ice cream, which was basically frozen cream. Surprisingly good for 4 euros. Topped off the brownies nicely.

In academic news, I am three acts into Shakespeare's King Lear for my lecture in Theatre tomorrow.

First game of the World Series tonight. I have noticed some Red Sox gear emerging in the Irish population (all Americans no doubt). I trust the Red Sox will make quick work of the Rockies tonight, and for the rest of the week . A girl can dream. I met another baseball fan from Los Angeles in my Theatre tutorial who was so thrilled to have another American to talk baseball with for a few minutes. Baseball is everywhere. He is also rooting for the Red Sox, obviously.

Hey Ortiz- hit one for the girl in Ireland. :)

-Liz

Swans and Free Dinner

Walking home from class this afternoon, I spotted some swans in the Grand Canal. I have never seen so many swans assembled in one place, it is a very calming sight. I look forward to spotting them on my way back to Lissenfield. Today, I snapped a few pictures of them to share with everyone. I can't wait for spring to see all their little signets! Adorable.

Today, I had my poetry tutorial and another amazing lecture for Literature and Sexuality. I must say, Literature and Sexuality has been my favorite class so far here at Trinity. It really has kept me engaged, and I think that if i do end up going to grad school, I could definitely see it as my focus or speciality. I have just been so interested in the lectures, and the tutorial was the first one where I really was into the discussion. It is a shame it only goes on for Michaelmas Term, I would really love to be in there all year. It is nice to be excited about an English class, makes me feel less awkward about not being sure what to do with my major. Time will tell.

Tonight was also an opportunity to get together with the other Stonehill students who are currently undergoing internships in Dublin for a dinner with Mrs.Cronin from the Study Abroad office. We went to Ciao Bella Roma in Temple Bar for some Italian food, which of course was on the Stonehill dollar. :) I ate way too much calamari and gnocchi, but it was great to catch up with some other students and realize that they are having a very similar experience as I am. I am not the only one panicking, or missing home, or having problems feeling like a foreigner. I feel better about being here now.

My mom gets here Friday, I cannot wait! I am sure she is as excited, if not more.

I was also very happy to see the Red Sox had won while I was sleeping. The 5 hour time difference has been a real killer. I can only imagine how everyone is feeling at home! Shoutout to Lori who managed to get Game 2 tickets! Yell "Youk!" for me!




-Liz

Red Sox on the Other side of the World

To the left, is a photo of a beautiful pub I discovered while walking along Pearse Street near Trinity. The name is obscured by the growth of flowers, but I liked it just the same. I might have to take a trip there some night and see the inside. I am very curious.

I am having alot of difficulty this October, being separated from the Red Sox. All of my updates come from emails, accounts from Lee, phone calls with my father, and visits to MLB.com. I can only imagine the amount of tension and excitement in the air at home. Everyone is probably so anxious about tonight's game. I really miss the anxiety. Here, I see alot of Yankees apparel, worn mostly by people who probably know very little about Baseball. A visit to a local sporting goods store proved my fears, the only non Rugby and Soccer items in there were Yankees hats, jackets and shirts. Blasphemy

Meanwhile, the Yankees are out, and the Red Sox are still in, hanging on by a thread. This seems very familiar, because the Red Sox have done this before. Oh yeah, 2004. Which got me thinking about 2004, and I miss camping out on the couch with my Dad nervously watching every pitch. There is something really magical about the wanting to know what happens, but not wanting to see it at the same time mentality of watching the game. Sometimes, the policy of ignorance as bliss works best.

It is amazing how integrated into New England culture the Red Sox are. You literally can walk into any plac eof business and find some sort of Red Sox related product, item, or hat wearing customer hanging around. It is everywhere. I miss it most from Dunkin Donuts (In general i miss consistently good coffee, iced or not) and WB Mason, who emblazon the Red Sox logo all over their products. I even have a Red Sox sticker on the G-Ride. The Red Sox are just a way of life.

Today, during my daily check of MLB.com I stumbled on this article. I found it very worthwhile, and very nostalgic, even for me, a Red Sox fan of barely 20 years. I live with two Yankees fan, and an apathetic non-fan from New Jersey. I could not be more seperated from Red Sox Nation here in Ireland. My heart is with the Red Sox. And more importantly, with all the Red Sox Fans who will be watching tonight, biting their nails to see if Schilling can do it again. Game 6 is a magical thing.

I will check MLB.com tomorrow and see how it all panned out. Until then, ignorance is bliss.

-Liz

Tutorials and More

Sorry for the delay in posting. the past few days I have begun tutorials, and unfortunately have also been battling my first cold here in Ireland. Nothing is more uncomfortable than being sick in a foreign country. I am starting to feel better, albeit congested.

Tutorials are an intersting beast. For the most part, the tutorials are fairly straightforward. Out of the four I have had, two are taught by professors, and two by grad students. That being said, each is about 10 students or so and are basically an effort to enhance the content of the lectures with student discussion and debate. My tutorial for Fables looks to be the most difficult so far, half the problem being the grad student has such a thick accent I can barely understand what he says half the time, but the subject matter is also quite difficult as it is. Alot of Chaucer. Lame. My other grad student is alot more relaxed, and was dressed head to toe in Abercrombie and Fitch. Tomorrow is my busiest day of lectures.

A phenomenon I have recently observed in fashion here in Ireland is the sheer amount of Abercrombie worn by everyone. I see more here, than at home. Everyone from 14-30 is decked out in Abercrombie emblazoned sweatshirts and polos and sweatpants. I did some research. The closest Abercrombie is in London. All of the other locations are in America and Canada. This is always couples by a pair of attractive Ugg Boots, and bleached blonde hair. I do not know what to make of this. Eight of ten of these people are Irish, not all American tourists and students. Maybe they all long for the mall culture of America? I do not know. But Abercrombie also does not sell the standard of European fashion that is typical overall. The clothes are decidedly American. Hoodies, fake fur, logos. Slouchiness. None of that screams Ireland to me, but hey apparently it is cool. I do not pretend to understand.

What is going on with the Red Sox. I am so out of the loop. I am still baffled at the Colorado Rockies making it to the World Series.
I hear Stephen Colbert wants to run for President? Sounds like I miss everything fun in America!

How are things where everyone is?

-Liz

Day Trip to Powerscourt and Glendalough

This morning, Meg and I were brave enough to rise early, and go on a free day trip sponsored by Arcadia to the Powerscourt Estate and Glendalough in County Wicklow. I was surprised more students on the program did not take advantage, to be honest many were too hungover. I never say no to a free trip anywhere, and I do not party my nights away too often, so I was obviously there. It was a busy day but an excellent chance to go out and explore some of the beautiful scenery Ireland has to offer, and get outside of the hustle and bustle of Dublin for a few hours.

The day started at the Powerscourt House and Gardens. The house itself is gorgeous and unfortunately due to a fire in the 1970's, only the facade remains original. The exterior style reminded me alot of the Breakers in Newport. The gardens on the estate are magnificent, and include two separate ponds, a tower, a Japanese Garden, and a Pet Cemetery. Not to mention countless beautiful trees, plants and flowers. It was a great chance to wander around in fresh air. I really think Lee and I should settle in a huge house like it someday. :) ( A girl can dream)

My updated Flickr link includes a new album featuring more pictures from the estate and everywhere else I went today. I am considering upgrading to a Pro Account so I can upload more pictures and share more of what is going on with everyone. It is a great idea for a birthday gift! (hint hint)

After a lovely lunch at the house, we went on to see the Powerscourt Waterfall, the tallest waterfall in Ireland. It truly was a gorgeous sight, and they allow you to get right up next to it and climb the boulders surrounding the bottom, Our Graduate Residence Advisor Rory was all over this and led a couple of people over the rocks. I kept my distance and took pictures.

We finished the day with a tour of Glendalough, the sight of an ancient Monastic City from the 12th century. I had been here in 2005, the last time I was in Ireland, but the pouring rain prevented me from truly enjoying the place. Today there are alot of ruins significant to St.Kevin, and two lakes. We got a chance to take a walk to the lakes, and also explore the ruins ourselves. Lois and I engaged in some ice cream from "Kevin's Cones" before the bus ride back to Dublin.

All in all it was a great way to spend the day. Tomorrow's priorities are laundry and reading.

Go SOX!!

-Liz

Full Schedule

Here is my full schedule, for those who are interested:

Monday: 1:00 Poetry Tutorial
2:00 Literature and Sexualities Lecture

Tuesday: 11:00 Fables Tutorial
4:00 Theatre Tutorial
5:00 Critical Theory Tutorial

Wednesday: FREE

Thursday: 9:00 Critical Theory Lecture;
12:00 Fables Lecture
1:00 Theatre Lecture
2:00 Renaissance Poetry Lecture
4:00 Renaissance Poetry Tutorial

Friday: 9:00 Literature and Sexuality Tutorial
10:00 Poetry Lecture

Thursdays are still crazy, Wednesdays are free!

-Liz

Lectures, Bookstores

Thursdays are really going to be my busy day for the next year. Today I had four lectures. I began with Critical and Cultural Theory. Today, they devoted the time to having a librarian come in and explain the way the Ussher Library works. It was actually more different than the American library system than I would have thought. Surprisingly, Trinity has been recieving a copy of every book published in the UK and Ireland for over 150 years. Therefore, most of the collection is in storage at some place by the airport. But they do have alot of stuff! I finally found a useful bookstore, Hodges Figgis, on Dawson Street near campus had all of the books I needed, and they were easy to find. No competition against the other stores nearby. 230 Euros later I have most of the necessary materials for the year.
The afternoon consisted of lectures for Fables and Other Narratives, Theatre, and Renaissance Poetry. Back to back to back. It went rather smoothly, they are all in the same building, just on different floors, so it worked well. Fables and Theatre were both very straightforward, Renaissance Poetry might be a little dull.
Right now I am working on Thomas Hughes' Tom Brown's Schooldays for my Literature and Sexuality lecture on Monday and drinking mint hot chocolate.

Go Sox! (Thanks to mlb.com, I can try to keep track of the ALCS!)
-Liz

Slow News Day

There is not too much going on here at Lissenfield. With no classes today, I spent the day lazing around the house. Much to my delight I received an amazing package from my mom, filled with American goodies, Goldfish and peanut butter included. Thanks again.

Lee also hooked me up with a copy of In Rainbows the new Radiohead album, which came out today on the web for download. The box set will set you back 40 pounds, but it contains 2 cd's and 2 vinyls. Naturally, the website is horribly overloaded and I am lucky enough to have a computer literate boyfriend to get me a copy of the album. Thanks Lee. I have been rocking out all day. Granted, most of the tracks are not gracing my ears for the first time, it is still nice to have a crisp new set of tracks in my Foobar. Hopefully, more artists in the future will continue to release their material online. This very well could be the beginning of an all digital music revolution.

I highly encourage everyone to try and get their paws on a copy of In Rainbows or if not, just download Foobar and experience the amazingness of that instead.

Tomorrow is my crazy full day of lectures. Expect a big report on that tomorrow.

-Liz

Becoming Legit

Today was a busy, yet difficult day. Don't get me wrong, I am having a great time living in Ireland but, some of the experiences I am having make me really miss America. First of all, America is just way more organized and efficient at government agencies. Sure, we may all loathe going to the DMV or the Social Security Office, but I have never had as much difficulty at those places as I did went I went to the Garda Naturalisation and Immigration Bureau. For the record, today marked my second attempt at registering. I was turned away last Friday at 930AM after being told they were already closed for the day. As an America citizen, I am fortunate that I do not have to apply for a visa to study in Ireland, but I do have to register within 30 days of arrival with proof of study, and a valid bank statement from an Irish Bank that has 1000 Euro in it. Let it be known, that this requirement came into effect last week, previous you just needed the equivalent of 3000 Euro in a bank account in America. No matter, I had the bank statement, I just needed to get through the doors. I went back this morning at 830 and got in a line that literally went around the block. It slowly became obvious that I was the only Caucasian in the line. Everyone else hailed from Malaysia, Nigeria, India, China, and Estonia. Alright. I stayed in line. An hour later, I got a ticket with a number, much like at the deli counter in America, and was told to come back after 3 pm. Whatever, I had nothing else going on. So, I left to my second adventure, buying books.

In America, there is a campus bookstore, where required books are clearly labelled, easily available and relatively cheaper if you can get them used. In Ireland, I was given a "suggested reading list" and set free on Dublin. I went to 3 local bookshops and found all of them pretty useless for my needs, and instead tried the SU Used Bookshop on campus. This bookshop is really nothing more than a small room with piles of disorganized books. I did manage to wrangle a few anthologies out of there and headed back to Lissenfield to unload.

Around 2pm I headed back An Lar to go back to the GNIB. I was lucky I did, because I arrived to a frenzy, and my number was being called as I got there. (Forty minutes earlier than I was told.) I gave the rather unpleasant woman behind the glass my info, she took my passport and I was told to take a seat. Now I am not sure, but I think it must be some unwritten rule that you cannot speak English and are not allowed to wear deodorant in order to sit in the GNIB. It was not a pleasant experience. The place was beyond chaotic, it was unclear where one was supposed to go or wait or when, and there were not nearly enough chairs or employees to manage the surge of people. I was at a great advantage, both knowing English and being personable enough to get someone to help me. On more than one occasion I saw employees denying and walking away from people asking basic questions in broken English, walking off with a frustrated and annoyed grimace on their faces. Children were running amok unattended, one with a water balloon (of all things!) which had sprung a leak, spewing a trail of water behind him everywhere he ran. At this moment, the GNIB has my passport hostage. It was unclear where I was supposed to wait for the passport to be reunited with me. Randomly names were announced inaudibly over the loud speaker, or a random employee would come out from behind the glass and hand passports back out, once again inaudibly shouting names. An agonizing hour later I was given back my passport with a brand new Registration Card. Granting me access to Ireland until June 30th, and allowing me to work within the country. All of this did not occur before I witnessed one person being dragged out for not having a valid passport, and a man from Estonia who was being denied for apparently the 5th time. There has got to be a better way for them to manage the demand put upon this office. It was unreal how busy this place was. People have to line up at 8am just to get a number, which may or may not provide them with an ID once they get inside. It was frightening in there. It made me realize just how lucky I am to be an American, oddly enough. I had alot more rights in Ireland than the man from Estonia did, and that was only the beginning. I did not have to go to Ireland to survive, it was not a last resort. I came because I wanted to. There were so many suffer ring and vulnerable and desperate people in the GNIB. I just wanted out.

When I got back onto the street, and I saw the River Liffey, and I felt the cold breeze across my face I wanted nothing more than to go home. The reality of being separated from my homeland sunk in, and I walked back down O'Connell Street to the bus stop wondering what everyone at home was doing. A phone call from my mother, and some thai take out with Megan later, I am here typing this blog and I have returned to normalcy and comfort inside Lissenfield.

Who knew I would ever embrace being American?

-Liz

First Day and Food Cravings

Today I had my first lecture at Trinity College. It was for my class Literature and Sexuality. It went rather well, today's topic was on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I was already familiar with all of the material and sources noted in the lecture, which was a nice surprise. The only downside was the 60 freshmen in the lecture with me. It is so strange to realize just how much you mature as a student only over a couple of years. They were all loud and bored, even though it only lasted 50 minutes. In my day, class was always 2 and a half hours long, get used to it. It was a nice transition into the year, and I am looking forward to my other lectures on Thursday and Friday.

This afternoon, Meg and I went to our local Dunnes Store to get more groceries. So far, the Dunnes is my favorite grocery store, it is set up most like an American store and seems to have the best prices and selection, plus it is a closer walk than Tesco. It is all preference I suppose. I got a few different items to try, and attempted yet again to locate a Goldfish alternative. I have had an insatiable craving for good peanut butter, and Goldfish. I even dream about Goldfish. I even dream about them now. They did have Chatham Village Croutons and Pop-Tarts, but alas no snacks that smile back.

Tomorrow I will adventure to City Center and try to register with the Garda. Wish me luck!
-Liz

Homestay Adventures

I have just returned from my homestay in County Limerick. More specifically I was in the town of Bruree, which is only 9 kilometers from the line of County Cork. It was a four hour bus ride out there from Dublin, through gorgeous countryside dotted with thousands of cows and sheep.

The Homestay

One of my roommates Hannah and I were joined by another girl who is studying in Cork named Kendall. Our hosts Helen and Tom are a retired couple who are currently taking in an exchange student from Germany named Moritz besides us. It was a very full house, but inviting. Helen informed us that the front walls of her home are 400 years old! A touch cluttered, and stereotypically Irish, we ate large quantities of unidentifiable foods with several kinds of potatoes. They had a large amount of chickens, four dogs, and two cats. On Saturday, Moritz, Kendall, Hannah, and I took the bus to Limerick, the closest city. The closest bus stop is literally on the side of the main road in a field. The adventure was only beginning. We arrived in Limerick and proceeded to wander around the city, amongst some unsavory looking people at the bus station, and eventually found our way to a castle. St. John's Castle overlooks the Shannon River and has a rich history dating back to the 1200's. We also visited St. Mary's Cathedral near by, which is the oldest cathedral in Ireland, dating back to medieval times. It was a beautiful day for sightseeing.

On top of the castle

This morning, Hannah, Kendall, Moritz and I took one of the dogs for a walk to a nearby cemetery that was from the times of the famine. I also got some great photographs there, but it was heartbreaking to see such a beautiful place of historical significance so neglected and forgotten. The grass was very overgrown and the grave markers broken and worn. It reminded me alot of the Jewish Cemetery in Berlin, also long neglected and dilapidated. There was a stray dog there eating a bone, Hannah and I tried to get a good picture, but we can only hope it was not a human bone. Bizarre.

Neglected cemetery

I am very happy to be back at Lissenfield with my computer!

This video, is a commercial airing here in Ireland that is so graphic and over the top I had to share it in my blog. We all agreed it is one of the most disturbing anti speeding commercials ever, and would probably not be shown in American. Effective.

Comment.

First day of lectures tomorrow.
-Liz

Homestay

Posts are going to be absent for a few days, I am heading out to my mandatory homestay in county Limerick until Sunday night. I will be sure to take pictures and post when I get back!

Have a great weekend everyone!

-Liz

Timetables

Today was a gorgeous day here in Dublin. They are experiencing weather described in the media as "Indian Summer". (Just another example of how politically incorrect the Irish are, but more on that another day.) There was few clouds in the sky, no rain or drizzle, and it was actually warm! I was running around most of the day, but was able to take a few moments to enjoy the weather in St. Stephen's Green in between engagements.

This morning was the official meeting for Visiting Students to the English Department. We received alot of pertinent information about the department and how it works, but more importantly got the lecture TIMETABLES! I have become slightly obsessed with recieveing them all week. I could barely hold in my excitment. Thankfully, none of the courses Stonehill pre-approved have conflicting lectures so it should all work out.

As of now this appears to be my timetable:

Monday- 2:00 EN1002 Literature and Sexualities

Tuesday- free

Wednesday- free

Thursday- 9:00 EN1001 Critical and Cultural Theory

12:00 EN2005 Fables and Other Narratives

1:00 EN1006 Theatre: Genre, Period and Theme

2:00 EN2006 Renaissance Poetry

Friday- 10:00 EN1009 Poetry: Form, Language, Interpretation

Looks like, just as Lee does, my Thursdays will be a bit insane. Although I am sure alot of the free time in my schedule will be filled by tutorials that will be going into my schedule next week.

I also got a flu shot today at Health Services. A rather uneventful experience, but prompt. I did not anticipate getting an appointment as soon as I did, so it was a nice surprise. Well, as nice as a surprise that shots can be.

Not sure what my plans for the night are, might go to a Phil event at The Turk's Head, might stay in and read and be a dork, who knows.

-Liz

Registration

Today I finally registered with Trinity College and made it official. I am now a student here in Dublin. Megan and I got up early to get in line outside of the Exam Hall in Front Square, in the pouring rain of course, to get out student ID and Academic Diary. Afterwards I went to an informal meeting at the English department about course selection, and discovered that timetables are not out until tomorrow. Surprise. Surprise. We were assured that the timetable will be available tomorrow after the official English Department meeting and we should be able to finalize our schedules tomorrow.

I cannot wait.

I got back to the flat in time for lunch, and relaxed all afternoon. I took a trip to the third and final grocery store near by, Dunnes Store. Dunnes is sort of an Irish Walmart, but way smaller and more like a department store that has groceries. They did have carrying baskets, but a weird selection. Grocery shops here are not as varied and have less convenience items. It seems you have to almost make everything from scratch, there are no mixes or Lean Cuisines or Mac and Cheese. Somehow I am surviving however on alot of fruit, vegetables, cheese, cereal, and soups. And the occasional take out experience. Once I master the oven and cooktop I will get more adventurous with my cooking.

I will finish this post with a few pics from Fresher's Week.



A view of Front Square and the many clubs and societies trying to push their causes.


Looking down on the wine reception.

-Liz

Fresher's Week

All this week at Trinity College is Fresher's Week. Yesterday, was rather uneventful. Today, however, kept me busy from 9am to 11pm with meetings, wine receptions, and theatre.

The educational system in Ireland is much more relaxed when it comes to orientation and course selection. In America, we are so used to being able to create our college schedules not only for the upcoming semester, but also for all the semesters of our entire college experience. This creates a rather frustrating task for all Visiting Students who hail from America. No, I do not know my class schedule. In fact, no one knows their schedule because the college has not posted any of the timetables for any of the courses as of yet. This morning my first stop was to check in at the English Department. I was supplied with some reading lists and a course list, but was informed that timetables would appear in the next few days...whenever they were done, on the board. I am so anxious to just get a solid routine down here!

The following orientation meetings catered towards Visiting and International Students helped to calm those fears, and help to make more sense of the whole wacky system. In between the boring yet informational meetings, there was a great amount of excitement around the front square of the college, which has been populated by a ring of tables representing the 92 clubs and socities on campus all badgering you with free food and goody bags and party tickets all in an attempt to get your membership fees from you. Apparently, at Trinity this whole society and club thing is a big deal. Depending on the amount of members, the club can get more money and sponsorship from a brand, say Heineken for example. There is literally a club for everything. While navigating the chaos I managed to sign up with Literary Society, the radio station and the notorious Phil. The Phil and the Hist are the two largest and oldest societies on campus. Established as debating societies, these groups are a huge deal on campus and sponsor a large amount of events on campus and host various celebrity speakers. Apparently the Hist is the older and more prestigious, with the Phil being more snooty yet casual. At least thats what I can gather from the sales pitches we recieved from their very eager members.

Joining the Phil guarantees you admission to all their speakers ans events, not to mention admission to a great study spot on campus, and free food. I know my brother is jealous. Not quite the Stewards, but it is a start.

There was also a free Wine Reception that I was able to get one glass of wine in before we rushed off to a dinner and a play with the rest of the Arcadia students. The play was a modern adaptation of The Playboy of the Western World at the Abbey Theatre.

Now I am completely knackered, and ready for bed. Tomorrow I formally register, and time table publication willing, enroll in classes.

until tomorrow....good luck.
-Liz

Meg's Birthday

Yesterday was Megan's 20th birthday. I got up early yesterday morning and took the bus An Lar (to the city Center) in order to attempt to do some errands. Since my errands were thwarted I got Meg a birthday gift and some coffee and went back to Lissenfield. Megan called Rory our amazing RA person sort of to tell him to fix her broken boxspring. The previous occupants attempted to fix it with a shelf from the closet. Creative.
After waiting for Rory for some time, we ended up just heading to the National Botanic Garden in Glasnevin. The Botanic Garden is a good 40 minute bus ride on the other side of Dublin, but was well worth the journey. We wandered around the gardens and took alot of great pictures. Unfortunately the internet here is very slow so I am only able to upload a small amount, but I took alot of beautiful pictures. Check my Flickr album for a small sample.
After our adventure to the Botanic Garden, Meg and I went to dinner at our local thai restaurant.

This morning, I went out to Aldi, the other grocery store near by. Aldi reminds me alot of some of the hispanic grocery stores at home. You only get one choice for all the products, it is very cheap, and also sells random items such as TV's, pillows and hand tools. I manged to pick up a few items there including some cupcakes, which I have been trying to track down for some time.

The rest of the day is open ended. I plan on laying around for the most part. It is a rainy day here in Dublin, and it is making me really miss summer at Treetops.

-Liz

New Place

Today was our first full day in the new flat. My attempt to sleep in this morning was thwarted by a random individual literally jackhammering outside our flat. This comtinued well into the afternoon. Apparently, he was attempting to shorten the sidewalk that goes alongside the building.We will see what continues to go on in the next few days.
It was really great to be able to sleep in and get some much needed rest. After brunch at the Moda Cafe, our first adventure as a flat was to the local Tesco (the grocery store near by). There is also an Aldi, but apparently it is not as good. Thne experience was weird, we had to rent a shopping cart for 1 Euro, in addition to bringing our own bags. Ireland charges for plastic bags, and they don't typically have paper bags outside of retailers. We managed to buy alot of the things we wanted as a house, but I will need to make a trip on my own to get some more stuff. After we hauled all of the groceries home, Megan and I went to Boots. Boots is kind of like a CVS with alot less selection. Megan and I got a much needed hair straightener, and other necessities.
After some lounging time, we took the Dublin Bus into town to go to Penney's to get the last of our bedding and towels. Being adventurous we chose to walk back. After a few broken bags, we made it to Lissenfield.
We finished our day with dinner at local hangout Jo'Burger. Very delicious, with a live DJ. Bizarre but amazing.

Tomorrow is Megan's 20th burthday, hopefully we can find something to do!

-Liz

I am alive

I apologize for the delay in posting! I have been settling into Dublin since Monday, and been unable to get near a computer. The plane from Boston was uneventful, all my bags were underweight and made it here, and I was able to sleep on the plane.

I spent the first few days at the Abbey Court Hostel in the city center. The time was mostly spent sleeping, and meeting everyone else in the program. We also had a slew of orientation meetings and activities to help us all adjuect to our new social and academic life here in Dublin.

Today we finally moved into our flat. The area is really nice, the flat turned out to be more like a townhouse with two floors. The first has the kitchen and living area, and the upstairs has the bedrooms and bathrooms. (complete with towel warmers!) We also have a bathtub and a seperate shower, which is basically amazing. The townhouse is in a little cul de sac off the main street, with a bus stop right outside. There are all sorts of restaurants, bars, pubs, shops, and grocery stores along the main road in walking distance. Tonight Megan, one of our new roommates Kate and I went out in search of bedding, and enjoyed a traditional pub meal at a local hangout.

One of the first things I really noticed about Dublin is the weather. It is alot colder here already than I had previously anticipated. I had to go out and buy a proper jacket, which was made easy thanks to a wonderful discount department store known as Penney's (no relation to JC Penney stateside). They were simply unbelievable. However, despite the cold, the Irish people vary extremely in the degree of coats and gear they wear out and about. Some people wear literally no jacket and short sleeves, while others are completely covered with a hat, scarf and gloves.

Besides the weather, Ireland is fairly nice. I miss America, I desperately miss Lee, and I miss peanut butter.

I have a new cell phone number. email me for details.

I will try not to burden with too much info on my first post, but here is a quick photo from the flat, and a link to a flickr set of more.



Something about this view from my bedroom window, just reminds me of Hitchcock's Rear Window.

-Liz

St. Thomas

Today, I am writing from the beautiful shores of St. Thomas. I arrived here this morning, with my mother and Aunt Frances, for a few days in the sun before I enter the perpetual gloom of Dublin.

I miss Lee.

I miss Massachusetts.

I miss summer.

It all went by too fast.

Housing Assignment

Today, I recieved my housing assignment for Dublin. I am a little bummed that it seems farther out of the city center than I had hoped, but beggars cannot be choosers. The apartment seems to be located south of the Grand Canal, and about 2.5 km from Trinity College. I suppose I will have to learn to use the bus. It appears that Meg and I will be getting 2 roommates from Smith College, one from North Carolina and another from Brooklyn.

My address in Dublin is:

37 Lissenfield
Lower Rathmines Road
Rathmines
Dublin 6

Tel: 01 406 2867

Summer is Over

Summer is over, Lee has gone to school and now until September 24th, I am preparing to leave for Dublin. I have a long list of things to do, and before you know it, the date will be upon us. I will be posting more with progress of getting prepared as things happen.

Hope everyone is enjoying the last few days of summer, and having safe travels back to school!

Dates

Here are the tentative dates for my trip to Dublin.

Flight departure from U.S. September 24, 2007
Arrival in Dublin September 25, 2007
Orientation September 25- 27
Fall Term October 8- December 14
Winter Break December 15- January 6
Winter/ Spring Terms January 7- June 13
Spring Break March 7- March 30
Back to America June 14, 2008

I successfully purchased my plane ticket for Dublin out of Boston. It seems that now I am truly going. I will keep updating as more information develops.

-Liz