Ireland Day 12 - The Prom

Not the fancy dance, but a long walkway along the coast. It was fabulous! Ok, so it would have been better if the sun were out then and not now (thanks Ireland) but I still had a great time. It was overcast/sunny and windy as hell and then it started to mist. By the time I arrived at the Claddach I had to put my camera away. As I stood with a mediocre hot chocolate waiting for the bus, the clouds ran away and the sunshine burst out. I frowned and grumbled as I walked onto the crowded bus. It's kind of a toss up with sunny day photos anyway. Blue skies are beautiful, but I had some interesting cloud formations over the ocean. Which is better? It really depends on what you're going for. I'd like to take a bus trip tomorrow to one of my many desired locations, and since those are full of landscapes it'd be great to have sun and fluffy clouds. I wish someone could come with me, I want to be in some of the photos at all of these beautiful locations :\

Back to my walk though.

Good thing I was shown directions, I would have been lost and confused! But as it were, I went to the Joyces and turned left onto Kingston, then right onto Knocknacarra Rd, then left onto what I can only assume is Salthill. I could see the ocean and The Prom but couldn't figure out how to get to it. I ended up wandering through a traveling RV park and some tennis courts before finally popping out onto a cement walkway.

It felt really good to be on the ocean again. The smell was fantastic, I really took in the moment. Then proceeded to take about a zillion photos. While meandering I was appreciative of having no agenda, just the goal of making it to the city centre eventually.

Something happened to set me back about half an hour though, something good! As I'm strolling past a bench that overlooks the Atlantic, an older man is on his phone. He hangs up as I'm walking by:

Man: Hello.

Me: Hello.

Man: How are you?

Me: Good, thank you. And you?

Man: Good! Where are you from?

Me: Washington State!

And then I walked over to him and sat down. He was very nice and we had a pleasant conversation about Ireland, traveling, photography, the weather, college and doing things that are important to us as individuals. It was really a fantastic little experience. And also.... I got my first portrait! YAY!

We were overlooking The Burren in county Clare and he insisted I had to visit it while I was here. He grew up around there and apparently did a lot of rock climbing in his younger days. He explained that it's a stark comparison to Galway because all of the hills are limestone. There are lots of little villages settled throughout all the rocky slopes and dips and he insists it's one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I'll believe him and go, because he has been all over the world.

Mr Martin McDonagh of Ireland has done a lot of traveling in his day! He lived in the States for 17 years, visiting Ireland about once every 9 months. He went to the University of Minnesota and also studied for a year in Amsterdam. He's been from Pennsylvania to Florida to California. He rode a bus from Paris to Nepal and lived in South Africa for two years. He just finished writing memoirs about growing up in The Burren and is currently having a friend give it a read. I hope to find it in stores someday.

I finally asked him for a photo after explaining all of the projects I hoped to accomplish while here and talked in length about my love of portrait photography. He was extremely obliging and I'm happy with how the photos turned out. The lighting was fantastic, diffused across his face with a turbulent sky behind him. I'm all a flutter remembering how I stared at the light falling around his nose and cheek, bursting to ask him if I could take his photo.

Eventually he had to go, and seeing as we were headed in the same direction, we walked and talked until he arrived at his car. We shook hands, I finally remembered to tell him my name, and then off he went, out of my life but not my heart or mind!

The rest of my walk on The Prom was enjoyable, but there were no other social interactions. I walked to the end of this weird.. cement.. pier, low to the ground.... thing with rocks at the end of it. The wind was rough at the end of it and the sea spray was speckling my camera and me. I attempted a few interesting shots before finally turning back to the shore. It was a great relief when I finally turned a bend and realized I was looking at the Spanish Arch. The walk was nice but I was ready to go back home and start talking about it!

While waiting for the bus to arrive I grabbed a hot chocolate (€2.50 and wasn't that great. The Irish don't put enough chocolate in!) then watched in irritation as the clouds went away and the sun came out (I know I said that at the start of this but I'm still bothered, obviously). The bus was pretty crowded and I ended up sitting next to a mother and her daughter who was maybe 3 1/2 or 4. A little ways into the ride I realize the girl is asking her mother why I'm sitting with them. "There's no where else to sit" the girl says "There's a seat there!" and the mom says "But someone else needs that seat, you can keep sitting with me". Man, leave it to little kids to be so candid that they make me feel like a jerk!

So now here I am, listening to Lady GaGa, window open (it's overcast now which makes me feel better) and blogging about what a good day it has been so far. I'm waiting for Catherine and Maisa to get here, Catherine got a tattoo today and I'm excited to see it! Perhaps I'll get a tattoo while I'm here, I've been wanting another one and this seems like the perfect time! :3 I wonder what's for dinner? I took a ridiculous amount of photos today, it's going to be VERY HARD to decide which 9 or less I post today, it'll be even harder to decide my 365 submission X| What a great problem to have!

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10:22 am: home: What is this? Decent weather? Finally!

11:31 am: home: I don't like having to turn on the hot water before I get in the shower, it requires too much planning :P (The hot water here has an on/off switch, I have to turn it on half an hour before I get in so the hot water heater can warm up to temperature)

12:43 pm: home: Another late start. I'm going for a walk today, aaaaaaaaaaaall alone.

1:51 pm: walking: On my merry way to Salthill! It's windy!

2:02 pm: walking: Just saw a dead little kitty on the side of the walkway, I was about two feet from it. It about stopped my heart it scared me so badly. It also made me very sad.

2:10 pm: walking: Helloooooooooo Atlantic ocean!

3:08 pm: The Prom: Just finished a conversation with a lovely older man. I also got my first portrait!!

3:22 pm: The Prom: The wind just threw sand in my eye!

4:06 pm: Shop Street: A pub is playing Bob Dylan. I'm pretty sure this song is on the CD Steve gave to me while I was still at school. Thanks again Steve!

4:11 pm: Bus Stop: Made it from Knocknacarra to the City Centre past Salthill! I feel so accomplished. Time to catch the bus home.

4:17 pm: Bus Stop: It rained the entire second half of my walk and now the sun is out as I wait for the bus. What gives, Ireland?

**EDIT**

9:48 pm: walking: This is the first time I've been out sans camera. I'm outside for a walk, but don't worry it's light out still!

-MJ

Ireland Day 11 - Inception

Lots to report today! And maybe I'll finally get around to posting the rest of my pictures from two days ago >.>

I just typed that I have a lot to report but I'm suddenly drawing a blank. Perhaps if I start with waking up I'll do alright. I am so hungry right now, tummy is grumbling.

Once again I amazed myself by waking up and feeling fine after the whisky last night. When I drink I just feel incredibly hungry the next day. I was tired, I got about five hours of sleep. Caught the 11:15 bus without incident and away I went! The internship went well, as I was arriving Brad was about to do a family photo shoot. The kids were about 9-16, so not the babies and toddlers that he normally works with. It was great to watch him pose/prepare the photos and the way he created rapport with the family. He dashed off after that to teach a class though, so I edited through the photos and left a note for him saying I'm sure he wants to check my work ;) then I practiced maneuvering the octo-softbox so I don't have an embarrassingly difficult time when there's a customer in the studio. He managed to get everything back up and running after my electric crisis from yesterday. He's a very relaxed and calm, fantastic boss. I hope some of that cool level-headedness will transfer over to me!

Rothar!

I sent Dave a text asking if he wanted to hang out during my lunch break and he said sure (hurray for company!). He arrived promptly at 2:30, which surprised me because I thought the Irish were notoriously late! We walked to the Spanish Arch and I ate my lunch there like a real Irish youth would. Ahh, genuine experiences. It was overcast but not raining, a little windy but not bitter, not too bright either. A nice time to be out. I brought my camera but was too befuddled with my lunch to take any photos. Afterwards we found our houses on Google Maps for fun. I pointed out my car and Jake's car, it was exciting and creepy. I also showed him where the fabulous downtown Poulsbo was. I pulled up my house here in Ireland too. It was nice to get an aerial reference just for myself. Before he left he showed me two browser games: one called Chaos Faction 2 and another called Kingdom of Loathing. I didn't have the chance to check them out because I was at work! So I sent the links to myself. I have tomorrow off, perhaps I'll do so then.

The rest of my shift passed with almost nothing happening, except for the four year old falling down the escalator D: "Fear and respect the escalator". I'm sure she will now. She'll also always listen when her mom tells her to stay close and hold her hand!

I was all alight with excitement after work because we finally went and saw Inception! Our humble group of 3 or 4 grew from Dave's friend Tara inviting lots of people. The more the merrier! It was absolutely incredible, I'm glad so many people showed up! The theatre was packed. It was very muffled, too. I had the impression of being in an incredibly large, cushy, dark velvet box. It's like even the walls were lined with fabric. Everyone here is so quiet too, there weren't groups of chatter going on.

There were many interesting things of note regarding the theatre in Ireland. I will list them here:

-Nothing is playing when you walk in.
-Advertisements like on TV start playing on the nose of the show time.
-After that, movie trailers are shown.
-The screen then goes black, the lights come on, and someone changes the reel. (That was by far the strangest thing)
-Movie starts
-No one takes their trash with them and the floor was awfully sticky.

The chairs were extremely comfortable, they even reclined a bit! I was practically on the edge of my seat the whole movie anyway.

I am here now, hungry and tired, and I haven't edited any of my photos yet! I may post just one and then use my day off tomorrow to post the rest from today and from two days ago all at once :3 I have Monday and Tuesday off. I think on Tuesday I'll go on a tour!

Oh, also, I now know how to walk from Knocknacarra Park to Eyre Square. I saw the pram (prom?) today for the first time too, it runs along the water and through Salthill. Dave drove us back to our house and he took that route. It was very enjoyable for me, I was able to see and smell the ocean! There's an aquarium here that I may visit. Hmm!

Oh oh! When we got home Steve was here so we were chatting for a little bit. He gave me some great tips on photography locations in town that aren't on the super duper crowded streets, and he shared some good pubs to go if I want to take some portraits. He's very nice, I'm sad he's not around more.

Alright, I'm tired.

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11:15 am: bus stop: I am heavily annoyed this morning. Hope that goes away.

11:28 am: 33 bus: Pretty much just jumped onto a moving bus; he was at a rolling stop when I got on. The bus drivers here are crazy.

12:03 pm: Photo One: Brad got everything back up and running! Hurrah!

4:29 pm: Photo One: I feel like a jerk! I keep forgetting to let Miriam know when I won't be home for dinner :( she's so sweet, I have to be more considerate than this.

4:56 pm: Photo One: A little girl just fell down the escalator. Brad warned me that it happens, he said it was usually the elderly. A male passerby scooped her up and gave her to her mom.

5:31 pm: Walking: I'd really like a phone card, but $1.75/minute to USA? Are you kidding me?

5:56 pm: Shop Street: More people smoke here than back home.

6:48 pm: Movie Theatre: Waiting to see Inception, finally. This theatre is super muffled, it's kind of freaking me out. Comfy seats though.

9:41 pm: Movie Theatre: Inception was better than words can describe. I'm very satisfied with my decision to see it in Ireland. The movies are a bit different here too! All in all, a great experience!

-MJ

Ireland Day 10 - Purchases, and nothing has happened yet.

So yesterday I made a short post and put it up late, then I added more today. I have a feeling that today's post will go similarly.

The bottom shirt says "Seasons of Ireland" and the sheep has an umbrella in every one :3

I have just a very short amount of time to post pictures and then we're off on the town again. A wind and rain storm is kicking up, so this should be interesting!

My new zip and merino wool scarf will keep me warm! The patch says "Irish Eyes Are Smiling" in English and I believe Irish as well.

Today I woke up and felt fine, just a little sleepy. Buzzed off to work and there were a few electrical problems, as in a main plug powering the sales computer was busted. Fun! I nabbed a power strip and daisy chained it to a working power strip and all was go. At the end of the day I turned off the switch that powered the working power strip, and when I tried to turn it on again it didn't work. Woo! So one half of the studio is without power, including two of the studio lights for shoots and the sales computer. Of course I was alone all day and Brad was at a wedding. Feast or famine! The rest of the day went smoothly though, did a few passports and processed a couple of photo orders. I'm in the swing and feeling dandy!

When in Rome, right?

I'd like to blog more, but I'm just so happy at the prospect of socializing again. After this weekend I'll be back to comprehensive blog postings. I work, come home, eat and then I'm off and out the door already. It's a whirlwind! I asked for it though, all posting about being lonely. Wish granted I suppose :) Tomorrow night we're all going to go and see Inception, whee! Can't wait for that.

My new, lovely, far-too-expensive dress! I'm sure it may not be to everyone's taste, but it certainly is to mine.

Jacki was online while I was closing up shop today, I miss you p2!!

New bracelet. I've really rounded off my Celtic jewelry collection.

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10:45 am: photo one: It's going to be a day, I can tell: came into the studio and the viewing/ordering computer wouldn't turn on. Turns out somewhere along the nightmare of cords a surge protector stopped working. I have a temporary working setup now.

11:28 am: photo one: grrr. I have to remind myself that everything is a learning experience...

1:22 pm: photo one: This apple is mealy.

2:25 pm: walking: I understand the loud obnoxious American issue now. People here are very polite about conversations in public, American's... not so much.

2:51 pm: photo one: Haven't taken any photos today, lunch would have been a great opportunity. Things will be busy as soon as I leave. I wonder if I'll get any at all?

New shirt that I really like that I'm pretty sure I would never have bought back home.

5:13 pm: photo one: Hey customer, you were supposed to take the piece of paper with you!

6:08 pm: 33 bus: I thought I would take some photos out the bus window but it would appear that this window is far too scuffed and dirty. Poo.

6:16 pm: 33 bus: "Liosban Car Wash". Hm. Does that sound like "lesbian car wash" to anyone else?

6:41 pm: walking: Everyone here says "cheers" when leaving or saying goodbye or as a response to thank you. I'm beginning to feel compelled to say it.

9:44 pm: Owen's house: First drink of Jameson.

10:27 pm: Owen's house: A nice person named Geraldine just asked me where I was from, then said that she loved my accent and that it was so much different from everyone else's :) I always wondered if I had a good one!

3:01 am: Supermacs: Pizza at 3 am. I don't see how people do this sort of thing on a regular basis.

-MJ

Ireland Day 9 - Retail Therapy

ok this is short, because i'm tired and it's late.

Today was much better than yesterday. I had a better attitude but also got a lot of socializing in. Thank goodness! met some new people, another intern included, and more friends of Dave's. Yay socializing! I shopped and shopped, shopped my butt off. I have a lot of great new items and I shouldn't need to spree it again while I'm here. I may look for more jewelry though, I can't resist :3

I'm very glad to report that I'm feeling better, I have more people to hang out with and I have the official OK to call people when I want someone to spend time with. Happy days! I also found a very delicious pizza place today. SLEEP!

Bank of Ireland, right hand side.

11:18 am: bus stop: Finally busting out the video camera!

11:24 am: 33 bus: Tights, leggings and belted shirts are very "in" here.

12:26 pm: New Look: Trying on clothes. I wish I had someone here for consultation D':

12:36 pm: New Look: Found a shirt I really like! it's definitely not what I would normally buy. Growth!

12:55 pm: Eyre Square Center: My credit card worked!

1:22 pm: Swamp: Peeping Tom two year old in the dressing room! lol

1:28 pm: Smart-Tee: Bought the dress at Swamp, it was too expensive but I loved it!

2:17 pm: Shop Street: shopshopshop

3:07 pm: Greyhound race track: I walked soooooooo far past the pizza place. Dammit.

3:17 pm: Bella Roma: This place is across the street from where I originally tried to cross; the street was very busy so I went down to the next intersection and started up the next street over. Blahahahbhabhaghgh.

5:15 pm: Walking to the bus stop: Just passed two boys about age 12, one had a phone that was playing music that sounded similar to Lady GaGa and he was singing along, high pitched and everything.

7:01 pm: Sonny's: Met some nice people!

7:10 pm: Shop Street: Went to leave and the guy leaned in like he was going to say something and he kissed me on the cheek instead! Then the other guy wanted a picture so Emily took one of us and he kissed me on the head! They were nice, not sleazy, just had a few drinks in them!

7:30 pm: Eyre Square: Bought a bottle of Jameson and a pack of coke. I feel so mature.

8:12 pm: Garvey's Inn: Emily is letting me keep my whisky and coke here, I guess we're meeting Maisa and Catherine in town.

11:48 pm: Kenny's house: At someone's house having a drink. Remember to send Dave a link to Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog. He hasn't seen it.

I'll put up more pictures tomorrow, too tired right now.

-MJ

***EDIT***

I decided to add a bit more about yesterday now that I'm rested.

I got a good start on the day and had decent weather for most of it. I had a lot of fun talking into the video camera at various points, but certainly received a lot of strange looks. I went to a whole bunch of stores buying up things that I wanted; a few new shirts, some Ireland specific shirts, a bracelet, a dress (too expensive but I love it), another scarf (merino wool!) and an Ireland zip hoodie. It was literally a spree and it was a lot of fun. I bought the sort of clothing that I wouldn't normally buy back home because they don't really have anything here that I'd normally wear (??). It was exciting and scary. My intention was to go home last night and take pictures of everything and do a lengthy blog about how much fun I had, but the night turn a random turn for the super fun!

After exhausting myself with buying stuff (ha!), I found a pizza place to eat at. I asked the tourist information kiosk if there was a good place to get pizza nearby, so he handed me a map, pointed it out and said it was just up the road. My keen sense of direction took me right past it and up the next road over about half a mile. That was a pleasant surprise. So I meandered back, numerous bags in tow, and went into the building I had passed earlier. It was a really fancy place and not busy since it was about 3:30 on a Friday. I had some amazing bread with tomatoes and a fantastic cheese pizza.

My adventures then lead me back to the bus. I was supposed to meet up with another intern, Emily from Sligo, but I hadn't heard from her yet. I figured that worst case scenario I'd just drop off my purchases at home and catch the bus back to meet her... and that's exactly what happened! She's really very nice and has an interesting internship: researching radon levels. Serious business.

We walked around the square and had a merry time taking photos of everything (she's also interested in photography). Our wanderings led us down Shop Street where we met a few unusual fellows. They were obviously trying to sell something, but instead went off into a friendly tangent and invited me over to sit with another friend. Emily went to do some shopping and I sat with my new friends outside of a pub called Sonny's and talked about traveling. Apparently they visit the States a lot and really enjoy it there. After chatting for a while Emily and I decided it was time to go and find the bus. I got both of their names and off we went! (but not before surprise kisses on the cheek and the top of the head. That was certainly unexpected on my part)

There were plans to go out, it being Friday and all, so I bought whisky and coke. I've never had whisky before and I figured I may as well get Jameson and drink it while I'm here! I'm being advised from all sides to get a chaser or a mixer for it, so coke it is. I thought we'd be drinking at home, but turns out Maisa and Catherine were heading into town to meet up with Dave and go to his friend's house. SO, I stored my stuff at Emily's hotel room and we met up with them all.

A grand time was had by all, drinking and playing Kings. The trend continues with fun and nice people in each social setting. I didn't bring my whisky, so we stopped off and I bought some Guinness in a can (which I found out is not good). But hey it was something. In addition to Roger and Dave, we now know Kenny, James, Eoin, Tara and Estella (such a pretty name, by the way!). Huzzah!

And so ends my next day update of yesterday.

-MJ

Ireland Day 8 - Ho Hum

Hi!

Today was my first "bad" day. While nothing technically bad happened (except for my necklace snagging two delicate strands of my new scarf and messing it up a bit >:o ), nothing really great happened either. It was lonely. It's not realistic to expect everyday to be perfect, and I'm still hoping for them to all be as close to as possible. It's difficult enough to make friends back home, I don't even know where to start in another country when I'll only be here two months. I've managed to get the hang of riding the bus, working and finding food both in town and at Miriam's. I am ready to socialize and walk the town with other people. It would appear that I'm already well and settled, the routine has been set and I can't believe it, but I think I'm bored. That's horrible. What is wrong here? I'm not bored of Ireland, no, Ireland is just as amazing and perfect as when I landed. I'm bored with what I'm doing, or not doing, I guess.

Mooooooo :)

I caught up on sleep again this morning (very generous of Brad to let me come in at 1!) and rolled into town on the 12:15 bus. By the time I arrived at Shop Street the sun was out! SHOCKING AND FANTASTIC! I was so happy, all grinnin' ear to ear and snapping away with my camera. For lunch I ate at the McDonald's too. It was really roomy in there. While eating I made sure to take careful analysis of the food and here's what I came up with: the fries are identical in taste, smell and look as they are in the States, the chicken for the McChicken seems more like the old school nuggets and the bun for the McChicken was exceedingly fluffy. Overall, a good meal. I have satisfied my curiosity and now I won't eat there again (most likely xD).

McChicken, Irish style! Which is the same as American.

It was difficult to go to Eyre Square Center and away from the sun, and fortunately the weather held up a tiny bit for when I was finished at 5:30 (no sun, but no rain or wind either). Work went well, I was kept fairly busy throughout my afternoon shift. Learning new things everyday! At one point I needed to drop some envelopes at the post office, so I put a "back at 3:50" sticker on the window, locked the door and away I went. I tried my best to remember where Catharine said it was, but I ended up in the wrong place. Popping into a shop and asking did the trick and suddenly there I was! The post office was pretty busy, but the line was moving at a decent pace. There were probably 6 or 7 windows open (the Poulsbo post office doesn't even have that many!). Every time a new window opened an electronic voice would say which window to go to for the next customer and it would say it in English then Irish, so that was exciting. I was sold lick postage though and that sucked. Bleah.

A window at St. Nicholas Cathedral.

After work I went and ate dinner at Riordan's. The food was really good, but again I felt so freaking lonely. Everyone else was there in large groups or romantic twosomes :\ I considered going to a pub for a drink or two, but I ended up with leftovers and that would have been obnoxious. Also, I could have seen myself sitting there alone for too long and with too many drinks. Hm.

St. Nicholas Cathedral.

I don't have much else to report, sadly. Not a great day, not a bad day. Just a day. I was planning on being out and about until evening fell since I don't work tomorrow, but I felt too sad by myself. Grr, I'm starting to sound a little "take pity on me" here, so that's no good, it was how I felt though. Here's to a better tomorrow with a better attitude and more of a "just do it" attitude. Maybe shopping will help me feel better.

Honest to goodness skull & crossbone on the wall of the St. Nicholas Cathedral.

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12:14 pm: bus stop: It's a bit windy today. The sun is peaking out. I'm glad I remembered to wear my new scarf.

12:28 pm: 33 bus: Looking at all of the houses here, I want to watch Disco Pigs and Breakfast on Pluto. Too bad I didn't put them on my computer :(

12:37 pm: Shop Street: It is finally sunny! Time to go inside :\

Three mail slots.

2:13 pm: Photo One: I suppose boys will be boys no matter where I am in the world!

3:23 pm: Photo One: About to take some photos to the post office! I hope it's still nice outside.

3:51 pm: Photo One: I love having such easy access to Aero bars, especially the mint ones!

4:17 pm: Photo One: Man, who has a kazoo anymore?!

The Spanish Arch.

5:59 pm: Closed up shop all alone today!

6:29 pm: Riordan's: Trying out a place to eat on Shop Street that Brad recommended.

6:56 pm: Riordan's: This sandwich is huge, honestly I'm not sure how to eat it.

7:53 pm: ???: Lost

7:57 pm: Claddagh Quay: Found the Spanish Arch, I know where I am now.

Aero baaaaaaar!

-MJ

Ireland Day 7 - Working Alone

Well, I wasn't alone the whole day, but from 10-1:15, and then again from around 4 to 5:30. A fair enough chunk though, I think. It would appear that I nabbed enough sleep last night, because I managed to make it through the work day without feeling excessively tired. Woo! All of the customer interactions went fairly smoothly, at least I feel that they did. Brad set me to learning tasks while he was away and the day just buzzed on by. In the morning I did a passport for a woman and when she paid for it she gave me €5. I was extremely confused and she asked me what was wrong. I wasn't sure what it was for, seeing as she had already paid me. She explained that it was for me, as a thank you and a good luck. I was bewildered and a little worried, I didn't know if Brad had a "no accepting tips" policy. So, I left the money where I would remember to mention it and ran it past Brad. He said that was extremely unusual, very nice of her, to go ahead and keep it and thanks for telling him. No one can ever account for the things people will do when the boss it out!

Fat fat fat pigeon. It made me think of Jake :3

I'm getting very anxious to find new things to do. My internship started straight away and now that I'm feeling settled in I am ready to get out! I want to visit Aran Islands, Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, Aillwee Caves, West Cork, Kerry and another place whose name I can't remember at the moment. I'll be able to see all of those places no problem after this week or so I'll have two days off in a row the rest of the time that I'm here. I'm just ready to go! Friday will be such a relief, I can spend the day shopping and exploring, instead of just walking up and down in under an hour. I may bring my backpack to store my camera. Brad said I could go in late tomorrow (whee!) so to rest and sleep in a bit. Since I don't have to get up early Friday I may go out to dinner tomorrow night and have some pints at Neactain's.

I can't get enough of the colorful buildings. I've eaten at La Salsa, that lime green building on the left!

Today as we were leaving the studio Brad asked me what my plans were. I told him I was going to head home and he told me I should go out for a pint or something. I said I'd been meaning to, but everyday since arriving I was just so tired so I hadn't gotten around to it yet. So he suggested we go get a pint together. It ended up being a very nice time. We walked around Shop Street and went to Neactain's, his favorite pub and where he used to work. Afterwards we walked around a bit more and he showed me good places to eat and historic sites of interest. Great tour guide! I was hungry before we had our drink so it got me pretty good, not anything like the one I had during the World Cup (I drank that pint after having a decent sized meal). That made for a fun walk down the street and to the bus stop.

"Guinness Grin"

Before we got out of the shopping center he commented on my volume again. We decided that if I'm getting too loud he'll give me the peace sign and I'll know to quiet down a bit. I have to say it's a great system! He did it about two or three times while we were out and I immediately dropped and he'd smile. I'll come back home a changed person, much quieter! He explained a bit more about how the Irish like American's just fine, but really dislike being overly prideful and drawing attention to oneself. I guess they see being loud as being boastful and attention seeking. I nodded and said I'm just loud, even among other Americans. I want people to dislike me for me, not because I'm American! At one point he commented that my volume control was going very well. Progress! He also mentioned that the Irish have this idea of American's as being too excitable and bubbly, which makes me laugh because currently that is me to a T. He said that Irish folk that have been to the States understand it a bit better and realize we're not always like that, we're just on vacation :D Although I like to think I'm still excitable and bubbly, for better or worse.

I put my laundry in last night and I'm still waiting for it all to be dry. I don't know if it's damper indoors here or what, but I feel that my clothes are taking extra long to dry completely! It didn't occur to me that I wouldn't have access to a dryer (even though I've heard that they're rare on this side of the planet). It is a very good thing that I brought a pair of khakis, because if I hadn't I would have been in shorts today and it is too rainy for that.

A little side road that empties out near Shop Street.

This week marks the start of the Galway Arts Festival. I had no idea I'd be here for such a huge and celebrated event. I should be able to see a lot of it during my hour break, so I'm looking forward to interesting photo opportunities. In two weeks it'll be the Galway Raceweek, another huge event here, and another thing that I had no knowledge of before a week ago. I've never been to a horse race before, so I'm very excited! Thursday the 29th is Ladies Day, so I'll be going to that with Maisa and Catharine. I guess we'll be getting dressed up? Maybe I'll bet on a horsey! So much to look forward to. Brad even gave me the 29th off so I could go (I was originally scheduled). Very kind of him. I also have the 25th off now. Surprises! This Saturday I want to go to the market that they have setup near Shop Street. Apparently it's a very nice street market with a lot of vegetables and hand made crafts. It's next to this huge cathedral, the one that Columbus was at before departing for the Americas. Awesome, right? I haven't taken any photos yet. Soon though.

A great old church, but not the Columbus one.

Tonight I had lamb and mashed parsnip/carrots. The parsnips and carrots were like mashed potatoes, but I didn't really care for them. I did receive two little potatoes though, so I ate those very happily. Finally, potatoes in Ireland! The lamb was really good too. Miriam gives dessert, which is fantastic and unusual for me. There was this very sweet bread with a sort of custard in it, along with strawberries and pineapple. Yum! And then tea. It's just black tea, but I put milk and sugar in it and it becomes tasty P:

Here's to sleeping in a tiny bit and staying out for dinner tomorrow!

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9:09 am: home: Each day I check the weather it shows that in two days it will be sunny. Each day, which means the sunny day just keeps moving up. What's the deal?

9:38 am: 33 bus: Budweiser ads everywhere.

12:06 pm: Photo One: First day alone! I think I'm getting on alright. Had to call Brad twice but hey, I'm training!

12:26 pm: Photo One: Uh oh, serious double booking issue.

2:39 pm: Eyre Square Center: The Claire's here has "impress Jacob" and "impress Edward" signs in its windows with warm/tribal and dark/goth dressed women, respectively. (no idea if this ad campaign is in the States as well)

2:48 pm: In line for ice cream (using the money from my €5 tip!): Some guy just walked by wearing a shirt that said, "I'd Do Me". Ugh, gross.

4:55 pm: Photo One: Almost time to go! I'd like to be on the 5:45 bus for dinner at a decent hour and maybe a stroll around the block.

7:17 pm: Bus stop: Heading to the bus from a pint with Brad. We came up with an easy system for him to let me know when I'm being loud: the peace sign. He did it a few times while we were walking down Shop Street as he was pointing out good places for dinner and/or a pint. At one point he made sure to let me know I was doing well xD

7:38 pm: Walking: Super nice old Irish man on the bus!!!

-MJ

Ireland Day 6 - I am dead on my feet.

For some reason I am incredibly exhausted. Last night I went to bed at midnight and woke up about 7:45. That is more than the amount of sleep necessary to be well rested. I could be killing at 200% with that! (harhar, for more silly geek talk, see my other blog).

Today I could hardly pay attention to my training with Brad, it was embarrassing. He kept stopping and looking at me and saying, "You're tired, aren't you?" I was staring blankly at him and I KNOW my right eyelid droops uncontrollably when I'm that sleepy, I look so stupid. At even 3 in the afternoon I was nodding off with my head in my hand while he was at lunch. I kept getting up and walking around the studio to try and rattle myself awake. I've been eating, and eating fairly healthy thanks to Miriam. I haven't had as much water as I'd prefer, but I'm rectifying that situation right now.

Ready for the day!

Perhaps the travel is catching up with me? I've also been learning a lot these past two days. I have a lot of new information crammed into my brain. Wake up at 7:30-8, catch the 9:15 bus, start at 10, break at 1 or 2 for an hour, close up at 5:30, catch the 6:15 bus (if I'm lucky!). Yesterday I was on the 7:15 bus because I was still at the studio at 6:30. It was crazy!

Good things did happen today though! The weather was crap, but it's to be expected. I did realize something today though, regarding rain and the difference between Washington and Ireland: Washington does indeed have water that falls from the sky, in this fashion, it is rain. However, Ireland has rain, it is always pissing rain. It doesn't drizzle, really, and if it does, it's just building up to come down hard and consistently. It's the kind of rain that we get in Washington and are RELIEVED because it's finally gone past drizzling. I've never owned a real raincoat in Washington because I've never actually needed one, it's usually not raining hard enough to justify one and I'm never out for that long. Even when I'm just shooting from building to building here I put up the hood of my coat because damn, that's a lot of water.

Playground near the stop. I can't decide if those are octopus tentacles or not.

I got some great experience with passports, which is super funny. He does every kind though, not just U.S. (obviously). We do babies and toddlers as well, which is challenging. If all goes according to plan then I'm going to be fantastic with children by the time I get back home, haha! Yesterday I managed to get two little girls to stop fighting over a fake microphone by getting them interested in a matching game that everyone could play. Go me!

Miriam packed a lunch for me today :3 It was a chicken salad sandwich! Mom will be so proud of me, I'm eating all sorts of new foods. I can pay her weekly and she'll provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's great! She'll buy snacks that I like too. Dinner tonight was breakfast, but it was a traditional Irish breakfast! There was a lot on my plate. I took a picture. Did you know that over here, pudding is a little meat patty? They don't have pudding like we do. Tragic.

Bus ride to Eyre Square.

Another.

I guess there are people here called Travelers that I need to be wary of. They were explained to me to be very similar to White Trash in the States, only more varied. Some are very violent and gang-like, while others are perfectly normal. On the whole they're gypsies, I guess. Brad said when he was first here he was walking down a street and there was a girl playing music with a hat in front of her to collect money. A guy went at her and kicked her hat and all of her money went flying everywhere and he started yelling and flipping her off. Brad says he was shocked and went right up to the guy and started asking him what he thought he was doing. Apparently he expected other people to back him up and defend the street musician, but the other people on the street behind the Traveler were shaking their heads and waving their hands, trying to get Brad to not confront the guy. He claims this particular type of Traveler could have been gone 5 minutes then come back with a bunch of guys with bats. Yikes.

Today I couldn't help myself, I had to do some shopping. I popped into a Sweater Shop with lots of souvenirs and looked around before the bus came. I just bought a couple of small things to calm myself down. I can't wait for Friday!! Shopping all day! I asked Miriam where I could go for some clothes that were of nicer quality and durability and she listed off a few places. I bought that black shirt for work at a place called Penneys, and they're an inexpensive clothing store, I guess like Forever21, where one shouldn't necessarily expect things to hold up. I imagine I'll be shipping some stuff back home before I leave for my two weeks around England and Scotland with Jake :3 <3 I can't wait to shop!

CD and cards.

Oh, one more thing, I hit the Stop button to get off the bus today!!! :D :D :D

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9:19 am: 33 bus: The 9:18 bus is much less crowded than the 8:48. I almost fell over while walking to my seat; didn't take one of the holding rails soon enough and the driver took off!

9:29 am: 33 bus: That guy has the most intense chin dimple I have ever seen.

Toast, bacon (that I swear was Canadian bacon), fried egg, half a grilled tomato, beans, two different types of sausage and two different types of pudding. Oh, and tea. :O

1:49 pm: AIB bank: Just withdrew some money. I was hoping to take out more than it allowed so I wouldn't have to pay too many more fees. I wish it would have told me how much it charged me too :\

1:59 pm: Eyre Square Center: Oh my gosh, Chavid's Irish doppleganger! What is going on here!?

2:26 pm: Eyre Square Center: Two things: one, there is not a single electronics store in this freaking place, and two, I'm about to order a shake and I don't know any of the flavors D':

2:38 pm: Photo One: Cadbury Caramel, delicious!

Phone while I'm here. Stupid military time.

6:01 pm: The Sweater Store: The jewelry in all of the stores here is so beautiful.

6:13 pm: But stop: "It would be craic though". I just heard someone say that :)

6:28 pm: 33 bus: Stopped at a few stores before getting on the bus. I want to shop so bad I finally couldn't contain myself anymore! I didn't buy too much though; a pack of Ireland playing cards (to add to my ever growing collection), a very pretty green scarf (I've been needing one with all this wind), and a CD of traditional Irish drinking songs. I asked the lady which ones were upbeat and fun, can't wait to listen to it! On Friday I have the day off, so there will be laundry and shopping!!!

Tired and taking pictures with my feet.

New scarf!

It is fabulous! And contains silk.

-MJ