Ireland day 2, Eyre Square!

This morning I woke up at 5:30 and I couldn't fall back asleep. Not sure what was up with that. I got to bed at 11pm, I guess I was just rested? I hopped online to pass the time and hoped Jake would be on. Lucky for me he was :3 We were able to chat until he went to bed, which was nice, then I got ready for the day. I was hungry so I mosied over to Miriam's house to find food, but I'm not familiar with the kitchen and I felt uncomfortable rifling through her cabinets (even though I'm allowed to), so I just grabbed an apple. FYI, apples here are tiny, as are oranges and bananas. Not sure what the deal is with that, unless we do something crazy to ours in the States and that's why they're so huge? Either way, tiny apples!

Our house in Knocknacarra.

At 8 Maisa woke up and by 9 we were back over at Miriam's place. I had cereal there and then the two of us went into town via the number 33 bus! The ride was enjoyable and strange. The roads here are pretty narrow, so sometimes the bus pulls over to allow oncoming traffic to pass. I was very entertained by all of the low walls made of stones and the huge fields of cows. Once we got to Eyre Square we went to the indoor shopping center. Maisa and I both have internships that take place there. We found the location for Photo One studios and I waited there until Brad showed up. Time is a strange thing in Ireland, no one is expected to keep it! A lot of the stores were supposed to open up at 10, Brad's included, but they were closed until around 10:10 or 10:15. I guess that's common.

So! Met Brad, he's a super nice guy, and he gave me a phone to use while I'm here. I met Catherine, a woman that covers the store while he's shooting on location, and I hung around while Brad did a family photo shoot. I chatted with Catherine and had a muffin and a very watery hot chocolate. All in all, a good time! I went to a Vodafone store and added €20 to my phone, then wandered over to Maisa's store. Apparently here when you "top off" your pay as you go phone and you add at least €20, you can get either unlimited phone and text to your carrier, or unlimited texts to all carriers, both for 30 days. I didn't realize this, and the guy that helped me didn't tell me. Maisa and her manager sent me back to the store to get the unlimited text to all carriers option put on. Apparently even if I'm out of minutes I can still text! Pretty fancy :D I had some Subway after that. The guy working there was Polish. It was difficult to order because some of the menu options are different D: They have some wacky Doritos flavors there, and cool ranch is just "cool original".

Neat alley way across from Holland's.

I went to leave for the bus and Maisa said if I wanted to hang around for an hour we could catch it together. I decided to opt for that and so I walked around the Square and took pictures. At 2 I went to the bus stop and found my spot. The bus came, Maisa wasn't there, and then it left. I thought maybe she was running late so I texted her and told her I was still waiting. She responded saying she went to a different stop because she missed the Eyre Square one and thought I was already on the bus D: D: So I waited another half an hour for the next one. I was joined in my seat by an old man who didn't understand the phrase "you're in my space".

Here's where things got stupid (but then better again): I've never had to rely on public transportation before and whenever I'm on a bus I always have someone with me that knows what they're doing and will lead the way. SO, with that in mind, I didn't realize that I had to alert the bus driver to let me off at my stop. I assumed those "stop" buttons were for when people wanted to get off at stops that weren't normally on the drivers route? I don't know. Either way, my stop came and went and I was still on the bus! I sat stupid for a while, the old man leaning on me, before I decided I'd just get off the next time the driver stopped. There wasn't a "stop" button within reach of me and even though the seats around us had cleared this man insisted on being extra close. So on we went, turning left, right and then right again. Finally a woman got up and the bus slowed, I stood up and this man just turned his knees to the right. I was thinking, "Really?!" I practically fell on him trying to get to the aisle. I had probably a mile walk back to my stop and I had my fingers crossed that I had remembered the route well enough! Fortunately I did, because I'm back here now :D

I have some more notes from today:

9:48 am: Eyre Square Center: Met a Polish guy named Lucas; he works at a Subway.

10:07 am: Eyre Square Center: Time is a strange thing here. Shops that should be open aren't. I'm waiting for Brad to show up. I guess it's customary to be late. (That's what I've read, anyway)

12:55 pm: Eyre Square Center: Just bought Subway. They don't have yellow mustard. They have corn though! Also, no ice. P.S. no cheddar triangles, just shredded.

1:46 pm: Eyre Square: I bought a tiny Caramello bar from a corner store called Holland's. Seriously, it's so small.

2:12 pm: Eyre Square bus stop: Waiting for Maisa and the bus home. I spent €55 on a 30 day bus pass, €20 on adding money to my phone and ~€5 on lunch. I have maybe €8 in my purse. *sigh*

2:24 pm: Eyre Square bus stop: Bus stop still. Apparently, "Are you long here?", means "Have you been here long?", not "Will you be here long?"

2:49 pm: On the bus. T.K. Maxx! ???

2:55 pm: On the bus. Starlight by Muse is on the bus radio. Do they play this in the States? I never listen. I feel funny.

3:11 pm: There's a guy on the bus that looks like Danny.

Saw this on my walk home.

3:16 pm: Missed my stop. I apparently don't know how buses work. I'm about a mile away from home. Time to walk.

€1900?!?! They mean business!

3:36 pm: I found a penny! And I managed to find my way back!

It shall hence forth be my lucky penny.

I don't know what a coach is. A huge bus? Who knows.

Clearly I've had an epic day, and it's only 5pm!

-MJ

***EDIT***

I went out with Maisa and Catherine tonight. We did some warm up drinking and then hit a bunch of bars in Galway near Eyre Square. We met so many interesting and fun people and saw a good portion of downtown. The night ended with us making some new friends and eating curry fries, garlic cheese fries, and a fried mars bar. We have plans to watch the World Cup final with them on Sunday! Hurrah for new friends :)

And now, my final updates:

11:39 pm: The Front Door (pub): "Oh no, put on your glasses" .... "You would look good in suspenders"

12:00 am: The Dail Bar: It's 80s night here! Everyone knows the words to "I need a hero"

12:05 am: The Dail Bar: "Do you really have real live cowboys in Texas" and then she swooned when the answer was yes.

12:12 am: The Dail Bar: Maisa can flirt so good even a girl will buy us drinks.

12:40 am: Coyote: The bathroom here has deodorant that you can pay to apply.

12:56 am: Cuba: This bar has video game screen entertainment. Currently? Mario Kart SNES.

1:00 am: Cuba: Someone just asked me if I'd dance with their friend. I said no thank you.

1:17 am: Cuba: Finally danced.

1:34 am: Club K: "How much does a polar bear weigh" "I don't know" "I'm just breaking the ice, my name is Tony"

2:40 am: A Chips Place: Just parted ways with some really nice people. We made new friends! We have plans to watch the World Cup at a pub on Sunday! We're in a cab now.

2:45 am: Cab Driver: "You've got the best approach I've ever seen. Now let's see if your departure is half as good" <- in reference to men not leaving you alone in a club.

-Miranda

Thoughts on New York.

It's pretty awesome!

I met up with my cousin Kelly who recently moved there. I'm glad he was there to guide me around, that would have been a nightmare attempt by myself! We scooted around town at a pretty rapid pace so we could do as much as possible before I had to get back to the airport. My bucket list included street vendor hot dogs and the Nintendo store. We knocked both of those out before going on to Times Square and Ground Zero. I belated realized I would have liked to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, and we didn't have time to go to Central Park. We had a great time and I look forward to going back, so perhaps next time.

The city was so incredibly varied, it was quite the treat. We encountered friendly streets, busy streets, smelly streets and crowed streets. Fancy streets and dirty dingy ones. The street he lives on is quite quaint, I really liked it. I feel like I was able to get a pretty decent feel for the city because we went to a few different places. We rode the subway a whole bunch, I bought a 1 day "fun pass" that I assume had unlimited rides on it fora day. We rode about 6 times and it was only $8.25 so I totally saved money. Each time we hopped on it was a different experience. At one point we were alone riding along underground. Switch to a few trips later and we were packed body to body with people having the doors shut on them because they were desperately trying to get on. It was trippy. I was also privvy to a strong and offensive whiff of street urine and garbage, as well as a beggar walking from carriage to carriage begging for money on the subway. New York!

It was incredibly hoppin' though. People everywhere and an enjoyable atmosphere. It was interesting to finally see in person what I've always seen in movies and tv shows. Creepy guy in a ribbed tank selling magazines in a literal hole in the wall in the subway? Check! People standing far closer than is necessary or safe to the edge of the subway platform? Check? People clamoring into the carriage when the doors are closing and there's no more room? Check! Stairs on the sidewalk leading to the subway? Check! It seems that everything I saw is related to the subway. I didn't grow up with a subway system, so apparently they fascinate me. Everything was so bustling. I'm surprised that I liked it that much.

Photos are being uploaded right now. Once they're finished I'll add a few, but not all of them, that'll wait until I'm back home in September. Check back later!

-Miranda

Ireland - Day 1

I wrote down some thoughts and snippets while traveling, I'm going to share them now. I am in a jet-lagged daze (I forgot to take the herbal pills that Ann gave to me, damn it all), feels like I'm drunk. I've had about 6 hours of sleep in the past two days, that's never happened to me before. I went from Seattle to New York, then Dublin and here I am in Galway. Ireland. I'm in Ireland! This is amazing. I look forward to tomorrow when I'll be rested and my brain will be at optimum function to allow things to sink in. Right now everything is just too surreal. I'm on the other side of the WORLD! I have never traveled like this before. I'm 8 hours ahead of Seattle time! AHH!

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7/8 11:34 am Dublin airport: I swear I just saw Dr. Christman's Irish doppleganger!

11:43 am: waiting for my luggage and people watching. This is for Ethelyn: so many cute guys!

12:30 pm: riding the 748 to Dublin Heuston train station. The buildings here are so damn awesome. My pack is heavy, I need real sleep and hearty meals to regain my strength.

1:15 pm: Dublin Heuston: waiting for my 2:30 train to Galway. The bathroom costs 30 cents to use. I don't know if I have that! Will my train have a bathroom? This is all so new!

1:32 pm: just watched a guy check out a lady for an extremely long time. I'm surprised he didn't run into someone while he was raking her with his eyes.

2:00 pm: Dublin to Galway train: James there is a guy on here that looks a lot like Colin Farrell! I'm thinking of you!

2:17 pm: Dublin to Galway train: a girl just walked past me and she was so so beautiful, I feel even uglier than I already did, covered in two days of travel yuckiness.

There's an old couple sitting at a table with me on the train and I asked them if there's any food and they answered but I have no idea what they said. Thick accents and muffled speech!

3:13 pm: train to Galway: the snack cart comes by, the old man across from me wakes me up because he knows I wanted a snack. The man with the cart asks me what I want. I stare blankly at the snacks I've never heard of before. Buffalo Crisps?! I buy a bottled water and a blueberry muffin. They have Snickers bars here, Kit Kats too but the wrapper looks different.

There was a woman on the train whose skin was like paper and carved stone. The lines were so deep in her face, rivets really, but she was so papery at the same time. Next to her, a man with a smooshed face. He'll be a neat old old man.


And so that ends the notes I took while traveling today. I'm anxious to get back to socializing with Maisa and Catherine, but I'd like a shower. I don't have any shampoo or soap. Perhaps I can borrow some of theirs for the day? I'm in Ireland and I need some soap. I'm in Ireland :3

I have pictures to share but I haven't uploaded them yet. I think I'll wander over and ask for some soap and then bathe. More updates to come!

-MJ

****EDIT****

Here are pictures! A day late, I apologize :)

A glimpse of the east coast of Ireland!

Pretty pretty pretty pretty.

Dublin Heuston train station. Platform 2 headed for Galway.

The nice old couple that I shared part of the train ride with.

A rain splattered window, obviously.

Irish countryside.

In Lousie's car. Wrong side! xD

Maisa and Catherine, my fellow internship mates!

Next update photos will be more prompt :D

-MJ