The Magical Martin and Mags

The very first week I arrived in Cork I got this semi-sketchy Facebook message from a woman named Mags. She said that she was a dance teacher at UCC and that I should come to a traditional music session at Blarney. Now in my head, Blarney had one thing, a famous castle with one famous stone. I knew that I had kissed the Blarney stone when I was younger but was amazed that I could casually go to this town for more than that single reason. Not wanting to walk into an unpredictable situation alone I invited everyone that I knew at that point. Mags said that her friend, Martin, would pick us up in his taxi and take us to Blarney where we could see the castle, kiss the stone, and have dinner and music after.

The first time was a bit dodgy. Everybody seemed nice but we were all nervously skeptical and confused. And I had been the one to suggest it in the first place. But, over the following 12 weeks Blarney became my home away from home. I think that I missed a total of two Tuesdays during the whole semester but was there every other time. I enrolled in Mags’ dance class and discovered my love for Irish dance, which I would then practice at the music nights. I brought friends to these sessions and my friends brought their families as a way to explore some local culture.

Mags and Martin will forever be my lifelong friends and I will miss them very much. I always sat in the front of Martin’s taxi and from talking to him gained invaluable wisdom. He is so kind to everyone that goes to Blarney and was happy to see us every time. I never saw Martin in a bad mood and even if I was having a rough day, Martin’s “I am wonderful” attitude would always brighten my day.  Mags, on the other hand, became like the sister that I never had. She is the most talented dancing-fiddler and I am constantly in awe of her talent and grace. They also have a wonderful relationship with each other and even if it’s a student’s first visit to Blarney they feel as if they have been attending for years.

I will truly miss these Tuesday adventures and cherish the wonderful memories with Martin and Mags. What they do for stray international students is amazing and greatly appreciated by every student that comes. 

The Opinionated Lassie

Scotland - Land of Plaid and Starbucks

Two weekends ago I went on a trip to Scotland! Since I have had a lot of school-related work to do since then, I have yet to document this trip here. Let's do it!

We left for Glasgow airport around 10am the morning of Friday, November 28. Glasgow is only about 1.5 hours from Cork so after a short flight we gathered our things and headed to the city. My friend, Alaina, and I hopped off a city bus right in the middle of downtown and were amazed by the beauty and opulence of this area! I love cities so much! I love the hype and the bustle and how there is so much to do in such a close distance. Glasgow immediately made me giddy with excitement and after a short wifi check-in at the local Starbucks, we were on our way.

We had reserved a hop-on hop-off bus tour so ran some errands on the way to our bus' stop. Right next to the stop was Charles Square where Glasgow's Christmas festivities were set up with a ferris wheel and other colorful activities. We began the tour and, although it was freezing, we saw the bulk of Glasgow's downtown in under three hours. During this tour we realized that it was taking longer than we anticipated so decided to stay a few hours later in Glasgow  and skip our planned evening tour in Edinburgh that night. We got off the bus, sat down to a delicious Italian meal, and happily enjoyed our evening.

Then we realized that we had our time off by an entire hour! We had been following the time on Alaina's watch but didn't realize that phones were an hour behind. And since the sun had gone down at 3:45pm we were utterly confused. After a Twilight Zone sort of realization with our waitress we knew that we had plenty of time to make our Edinburgh bus and could still do our other tour! Thus, after our delicious meal, we walked over to the bus station and boarded a bus to Edinburgh which is about an hour away. 

We had planned it all perfectly and should have made it to Edinburgh with about 30 minutes to walk to the meeting point for our tour. However, we had the sassiest bus driver ever and she took her time getting to the city. Also, it was not an express bus so every two minutes you would hear the little beep and we would stop on the side of the road for another patron to get off. Needless to say we barely made it to Edinburgh in time. We arrived in the city about 10 minutes before our tour left and we had no idea where we were or where we needed to be going. After trying to follow Alaina's phone's directions to the meeting point, we asked a nice looking stranger who pointed us in the correct direction. Luckily we found our meeting point, an Edinburgh Starbucks, just in time to meet our group for the "Dark Side of Edinburgh tour."

The whole walk was a bit chilly but we learned a lot about murders, vampires, and cemeteries over about three hours that evening. Amazingly in just one day we got two comprehensive looks at Scotland's most famous cities. After the tour we were hungry again so went to the one place open at 11pm on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, a pizza joint. It was actually quite good and after we checked-in at our hostel, we dozed off to sleep.

The next morning, we got up early to head on our day tour to the Scottish Highlands (after Starbucks of course). We just love tours apparently! Alaina and I took motion sickness pills because the bus was not very large but these made us tired and we passed out for the first hour of the tour. In my sleepy daze I got off at the first stop which was a lookout point over some bridges. I have no idea the significance because I slept through the description but after the freezing air touched my skin I happily got back on the bus. Our next stop was the National Wallace Monument which was built to commemorate the life and work of Sir William Wallace who fought and led Scotland in unity against the tyrannical King of England, Edward I. It was a very nice monument and exhibit with many many stairs to the top. We were only given 40 minutes to stop there so when we realized that we were out of time and still at the top of the monument's hill, Alaina and I ran down the hill in hopes of not being left behind. In case you are wondering, we were not left behind.

Our next stop was a viewing point for Loch Monteith. I slept through this description as well but basically the area that we were driving through had a lot of lakes and lochs so our driver wanted us to see some of them. And then finally we stopped for lunch! We made an hour-long respite in the Highlands town of Aberfoyle and we wandered into a cute little place called Liz MacGregor's. I ordered some chips and a chicken and cheese panini for lunch. It was a ton of food but I was starving after a long day already. We then made our way to Trossach's National Park to view the Scottish Highlands in all of their glory. However, it was a bit foggy so, according to our driver, we couldn't see all of the mountains as some were clouded over. Then our driver, Jamie, started playing the bagpipes! It was crazy and I was so confused!

And then was my favorite part, the hairy coos! These are the most adorable short little blonde cows and we got to pet, feed, and take selfies with them! They were so cute and I just wanted to take one home, but, yah know, weight restrictions...

We then wrapped up our day with another loch, Loch Katrine, and a quick stop at Monty Python's Duone's Castle. I was a bit disappointed because after doing the song "Loch Lomond" in high school choir, I hoped that we would make it over there. According to the map that I looked at it was right next to Loch Katrine but I will have to save that dream for another day! 

After we arrived back in Edinburgh, Alaina and I went to a Mexican restaurant that we saw during our Dark Side tour. I have been craving Mexican food so much since being over here and it was great to have some enchiladas! We then did some shopping and headed over to the Christmas Market. It was so adorable and there were so many vendors with different gifts from all over the world! 

After shopping we went to the bus station to head back to Glasgow. We eventually found our hostel, which was really nice, and called it a night.

The next morning we got up,  got some Starbucks coffee and breakfast before shopping a little, and catched a bus to the airport. This trip was a whirlwind but we got so much sightseeing done in 2 days!

Yours,
The Opinionated Lassie

And for a video breakdown of this trip, watch my vlog! You can also see other videos of mine at my Youtube channel, The Opinionated Lassie.

Ode to my Umbrella

Ireland can receive anywhere from 150-225 days of rain each year. This means you have to have proper rain gear (aka rain boats, a rain jacket, and of course, an umbrella). Except for rain boots, I came prepared! And my favorite thing was a beautiful umbrella that I received as a graduation present featuring the painting Garden by Monet. It was a super nice umbrella too, strong fabric that could stand Kansas-level winds, the fancy supports that bounced back when it flipped inside out, and a reinforced pole with a nice handle. It was just so cute and set me apart from the average black umbrellas common over here.

But then I got caught in a really awful rain storm. I had just returned to Cork from Dublin on the train and had to make it back to my apartment. I had planned on just taking a taxi but they weren't lined up and I didn't have a number to call for one. A nice girl told me to take a bus and once I told her where I lived, it seemed like the one she was taking would work for me too. However, it was strongly drizzling at this point to foreshadow the pending doom. I got on the bus all fine and well but kept wondering why the bus was not going where I had expected. In fact, the bus dropped me about 10 minutes from my apartment and it was then pouring down rain. I had no choice, begin walking! And, although I was getting very soaked, my umbrella displayed valiant effort. But then about halfway there the wind picked up. I could barely walk it was pushing me so hard not to mention my poor umbrella! It was mutilated! 

When I got home, I looked like this:

And in addition, this evening was the beginning of the worst cold (2 weeks in duration) I have had in a long time. 

Now I thought this was the end of my umbrella, but, after seeing the broken and mangled remains of umbrellas that the Irish proudly carry around, I decided to let it dry and reassess the situation in the morning. By the time it dried I realized that it wasn't completely a lost cause but that one of the "legs" had snapped and two others had been ripped off the fabric so were nearly useless. But why invest in another umbrella then? The new one would be ruined just the same and, even though it looked a bit silly, Monet still kept me pretty dry.

These injuries, however, did a lot to mess with the stability and reliability of the umbrella. With one of the legs broken, Monet flips inside out even more and each time it does, the whole thing contorts even farther from its original shape. Additionally, the broken leg now hangs down under the umbrella and I have to dodge it as I walk. Not to mention this is a pointy piece of thick metal wire so a possible eye injury is in store if I don't watch closely. This poor trouper does its job to the best of its ability but it is becoming increasingly more useless. 

And now it has reached the end of its life as it no longer locks shut. I was trying to close it before I walked into the library. The front of the library is a wall of windows and as I was walking by probably 50 people my umbrella, which I thought was locked shut, sprung open in my hands and quite literally punched me in the stomach. Like actually really painfully. At least I know the spring has suffered no damage.

At this point, Monet is a hazard to me and those in close proximity. At any point it may punch me again, stab me in the eye or somewhere else on my head, or violently fold inside out and hit another poor pedestrian. I have two weeks left, and if it rains I may try a victory lap with Monet, but after that, I will sadly have to leave him at my apartment in the dumpster. 

RIP Monet - Trustworthy. Valiant. Pretty. Umbrella.

I Come From...

An assignment for my English class, a little ditty of a poem about good ole KC.

I come from a friendly street in a friendly part of the smallest large city on earth.

I come from sports watching, barbeque eating people that know they're worth

more than the Dorothy image, hot-air-balloon-following movie from which we’re known,

because I come from a genuine place full of genuine folks where our country’s food is grown.

I come from farmers and lawyers and nurses all the same,

I come from a caring lot of people who try to help when you’re in pain.

I come from Plaza lights and no one fights from field to golden field,

I come from quality schools and responsible drivers who might actually wave and yield.

I come from World Series hopefuls, dedicated followers watching year after year,

I come from strong believers and Boulevard brewers of famously good beer.

I come from local pride no need to hide there are always things to do,

Yes folks this is the place where I am from. Good aspects? Just a few.

24 days left - Reflection

My days in Cork are dwindling as my flight home is booked and my final exams have arrived. When I think back on this wonderful semester, my mind cannot help but wander even farther to my freshman year and the emotional struggle that that time was.

Now this blog has been relatively lighthearted. But to truly understand the significance of my study abroad semester, you must understand where I was just over a year ago.

I was mad. Mad at myself mostly. Angry that college was not what I anticipated and that the movies had all been wrong. Mad that my teachers didn't know me or understand that I actually cared about what they were teaching and that a good grade without any learning was pointless to me. Mad that I still felt the insecurities leftover from high school. Mad that socially I wasn't thriving and that one of my best friends deserted me. Mad that I couldn't figure out my schedule and that I couldn't sleep at night. Mad that I went home just to see my parents and my dog and to retrieve mental clarity in preparation for the next weak week. Mad that I always was studying and still felt like I was drowning in school work. Mad that I didn't have a cohesive plan for my life when everyone was asking. Mad that I couldn't ever seem to be happy and as hard as I tried, mad that I wasn't better at faking it.

I had countdowns on my phone for every school break and worked towards them all. "2 more weeks," "One more week," wishing those days away. The first day of summer I cried in the backyard to my mother not understanding why this had happened to me and why I couldn't shake the sadness. 

Yes I came to Ireland to understand my heritage. Yes I came to Ireland to see a new culture and learn more about myself. But most of all, I was seeking refuge here. I was glad to be a new me in a new place and see what I could do in that new situation. 

Don't let this discount the wonderful people and friendships I fostered at KU. There were certain people who I met and continue to cherish to this day. But it was me, a battered me, who could not fully enjoy the times and memories of that year.

Ireland has come as a breath of fresh air after the most challenging time of my life. That madness has turned to pride in myself and pure joy.

I am proud that I planned two whole trips that are (so far) working out splendidly well. I am proud that I am having once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the age of 19. I am proud that I have extended myself to so many people and in such a short time have made so many friends. I am proud that I have traveled this much in 4.5 months and that I have no regrets about the way I have spent my time or my money. I don't have to force myself to be happy and act like I am having a good time - I just am. I don't have to act like a different person to feel like I fit in - I just do. 

This has not been an absolutely perfect semester but man it has come very close! This country and these people have yanked me out of my sadness and given me a new confidence and new hope for the future. I am so very grateful for this experience and thank God for the guidance and opportunity.

And I have to say, I am so excited that next semester, after a short respite in KC, that I am coming back!

Yours,

The Opinionated Lassie

Ballyferriter and Dingle Peninsula

This weekend I went on a trip to an Irish-speaking area (a.k.a. a Gaeltacht), Ballyferriter, located on the Dingle Peninsula. I went with a group of 16 other students who are taking the Irish language course offered for visitors at UCC. We had an amazing time!

This group consisted of students from all over Europe and had a minority of students from the US and Canada. It was great to hang out with new people and we quickly became a little family over the 2.5 day journey. We departed from campus in the afternoon on Friday and began our 3-hour drive to the Dingle Peninsula. 

As you may remember from my previous trip to Dingle, my stomach hates this winding and bumpy ride. I was extremely nervous getting back on a small bus heading to this area, but was glad to fall asleep for most of the trip. We got stuck in traffic for about an hour but luckily I made it without getting ill and we arrived around 7:30pm. When we got to the building we were assigned our rooms and settled in. UCC owns a building/hostel down the street from Ballyferriter so we bunked there for the weekend. Anticipating a room with 16 mattresses on the ground, I was pleased to find myself in a two-person room with my friend, Julia. 

After we put away our things we headed downstairs to the dining room for sandwiches and tea. We then had a local talk to us and explain what it was like to grow up in an Irish-speaking area and raise her kids there (she spoke English, as do most of the Gaeltacht residents who are fluently bilingual). 

Though I was a bit tired, we decided to start the trip out right by heading down the road to one of three pubs in Ballyferriter. The group had a wonderful time and I even talked to some older men sitting at the bar. I mentioned how I was Irish and how my grandmother emigrated from County Westmeath. They asked her maiden name, I said "Holden," and they recalled their being a Leather shop about 20 minutes away with that name. And then it hit me. 

Remember me saying that my family had taken a bus around the whole Island when I was younger and that I only remember bits and pieces of the trip? Well then I remembered. WE HAD GONE TO HOLDEN LEATHERGOODS. That was the Holden. My grandmother's family. Easily and correctly referenced with a single name by two Irish-speaking strangers in the town of Ballyferriter that's population is under 300. What a small world (!), or small country? Well, that was a fun night! I had returned to the table of students for about an hour when I heard through the whole (small) pub: "Bye Kansas!" I waived and smiled back at my new friends as they left. They were just so adorable.

The next morning we took a tour of some of the Peninsula's many archaeological sites. We visited two awesome structures, Gallarus Oratory and Kilmalkedar Church. We stopped to see a couple of gorgeous beaches, we walked down to where the ferry from the Blasket Islands docks along the Dingle Peninsula, and even went shopping at a local pottery store. 

Kilmalkedar Church. You are supposed to go to heaven if you squeeze through the back window, worth a try!

Gallarus Oratory.

I got to revisit Dingle and ate some ice cream (a better experience than my last time in this cute town), and returned to the hostel for a group lunch. We had free time for the afternoon and decided to take a little walk in the country. This walk was eventful. We met a local dog, Rex, who served as our tour guide for the afternoon. Then we met two other dogs along the way. We got soaked in a small rain shower. We got scared by a man on a bicycle. We saw a DOUBLE RAINBOW. We saw sheep herded by Rex, twice. And we befriended a horse and two goats. 

That night we ate dinner and had a singing and dancing lesson from another local woman.

After our musical endeavors we set out for a Ballyferriter pub crawl (two total, we had already visited the third) and it was a blast! The first pub was fine but the second pub was even better because there was a cute shih tzu I played with and we practiced our Irish with a hilarious (perhaps intoxicated) man named Seamus.

On Sunday we went to a mass in Irish and took a walk to the beach. It was beautiful (though a bit cold), and we attempted a classic jumping photo! On the way back we saw a calf that was only four days old and a pregnant cow as well. We then cooked lunch, loaded up, and headed home. 

This was my least expensive trip and I was unsure if I wanted to go after a stressful week of school. In hindsight, this was one of my most favorite experiences so far! It was so very Irish - if that makes any sense - nothing fancy, nothing extravagant.We had good food, lots of tea, beautiful scenery, and new (awesome) people to share it all with. I am so grateful for experiences like these, especially as my time in Cork begins to dwindle. Go raibh maith agat (Thank you)!

Yours,

The Opinionated Lassie

ALSO: I decided to try my hand as video blogging (vlogging) and this is my first trip! Check out my video and if you have a Youtube account please subscribe to my new channel: The Opinionated Lassie.

Thanks for watching!

Video Competition Submission

All of the Early Start students were encouraged to submit a video summarizing our time studying at University College Cork. I don't know who else (if anyone) made a video but here is mine!!

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

My plans for Halloween this year? Go to Amsterdam! I took this trip with two other KU gals, and got a great taste of this beautiful city! I had been to Amsterdam the summer after 8th grade and could only remember good things. My favorite part of that trip was the Anne Frank House which had prompted me to read The Diary of Anne Frank on the plane ride home. This trip was an exciting opportunity to relive those memories and see what I remembered correctly (and incorrectly).

We arrived Friday morning and spent most of the day relaxing and walking around. We checked into our hostel and figured out where everything was in proximity to us as well as laying out a tentative schedule. For the evening we went to the Van Gogh museum which is beautifully designed and modern. The only unfortunate thing is that many of Van Gogh's most famous works, the ones I would recognize, are in other museums around the world. In spite of this, the museum does a great job of chronologically following Van Gogh's life showing the visitors a more personal side of the talented man.

In the evening we went to Leidseplein which is an area known for its nightlife. We were ready for Halloween but were disappointed to find most Dutch people unenthusiastically celebrating the holiday.

The next morning we took a country bike tour. After my wobbly experience in London, I was a bit nervous to get back on a bicycle. Luckily this tour proved that the London bike was faulty as I had none of my previous difficulties! This tour took us to a windmill, a clog/cheese farm, the beautiful Vondel park, and through the gorgeous countryside that is right outside of Amersterdam. This tour had mostly Americans and Canadians on it so it was fun talking to all of the travelers in the group. I particularly bonded with this group of four from Dallas. I told the 20-something-year-old son that I was from Kansas City and he took two seconds to name my high school saying he had a lot of friends that had gone there! I nearly fell off my bike out of shock! When you have been living out of the country for 3.5 months it is so refreshing to have people recognize where you are from and be able to tell you things about it! I was so excited and talked to them the rest of the day.

The owner of the cheese/clog farm. He was a bit nutty and spoke 5 different languages.

After our tour we walked around the city a bit more and that evening we went on a tour of the Red Light District. I was not really interested in this tour but my travel mates thought it would be educational and interesting. I actually found the whole area fascinating and asked our tour guide a lot of questions. I tried to take everything in and not over-analyze the cultural phenomenon that was in front of my eyes.

The most comfortable hammock-chair ever!

On our final day in Amsterdam, we went to see Concertgebouw, Amsterdam's famous concert hall. Though we didn't take a tour, I was glad to see this building a take a picture with it! Maybe one day I will even get to hear a concert there! After a Hawaiian pizza for lunch, we went on a walking tour of the city before dipping out early and getting our Anne Frank House tickets.

Concertgebouw.

Then I got to return to one of my favorite museums in all of Europe, the Anne Frank house. This museum is so well executed and Anne's story so interesting that I was glad to see this historical landmark again. The museum has made many improvements since I was there last and I am glad to see that Anne's legacy continues to thrive and inspire new individuals daily. This museum had even more resonance after touring Auschwitz, where Anne's mother died, on my Poland trip. Such a brave young girl has touched and influenced so many people's lives, though she suffered such an early death. It was truly a remarkable experience and I hope I can return there in another six years to sign the guestbook for a third time.

The Anne Frank statue.

After Anne Frank we got some delicious Italian food and headed to the hostel for bed. Monday morning we flew back to Cork and took a taxi directly to UCC just in time for my Irish class!!

More adventures to come,

The Opinionated Lassie