A "GRAND" Week in Dublin

After being in Dublin for a week, it is official, I have met more Germans than Irish. I have found that everyone over here is extremely friendly and helpful. I still haven't found any cheap alcohol but it is ok because I am just eating less. Our group has done much more bonding and has become very close in a very short amount of time. The only other American in our group (Olivia) and I have taught the Germans and Italians the game of SPOONS. It was very entertaining to see how excited they got over the game and are now in love with it. We are working on Pitch but is very slow because I am the only one that knows how to play. But we will get it eventually. Thankfully, I found a church that is close. I only had to walk 30 minutes to get there. I could have taken a bus but what can I say I am saving my money for other activities. We took a FREE walking tour of Dublin on Sunday. It was very interesting and we got to see some very cool history. And of coarse throughout all of this, we have been frequenting the Temple Bar district which is expensive but still very cool. I am also slowly acquiring a taste for Guinness but it is also a slow process. On Sunday night, I went to a French/Irish house party that was off the wall and my Italian friend Marco informed me that I was going to be his "teacher for how to drink so much". I informed him it takes a lot of practice. That is all for now. As a side note, Sept. 24 Guiness is celebrating 250 years of production and will be serving cheap (a relative term) at all the pubs in Ireland. I think this means that the 24th is a school Holiday, but I will keep you posted.

A New Beginning

After a blessing from my mother and her and my sister crying, I proceeded to have the longest trip I have ever taken. I believe I spent a total of 13 hours either on a plane or waiting in an airport. However, I made it across the puddle and have settled in quite nicely. I am living with a guy from Rome and another from the Ukraine. Both seem to be very nice and have introduced me to a number of people that they had just recently met. The first night I was in town, we went over to a couple of Germans and another Italians apartment for an authentic Italian meal. Which in all truthfulness, it was the Italians first real try at cooking but it didn't turn out too bad after a phone call to his mother. My contribution to the supper was two bottles of wine which was not nearly enough for the number that we had in attendance. Thus far things are great other than Dublin being VERY EXPENSIVE. I may starve because food is not cheap and niether is alcohol. I am going to try to get some better pictures up in the near future. (If you are wondering where the girls are, I am sitting next to them and didn't get any good pictures with them.)