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

London, England - Day 3

Although day two was incredibly busy, we packed even more on day three! We got London day passes so were inclined to see as many attractions as possible (to make them the best bang for our buck). 

In the morning, we set off for the Tower of London. After an unfortunate subway closure, we eventually made it to our destination and saw the new Poppy display and the Crown Jewels. We then continued next door to the Tower Bridge Experience which consisted of many stairs and a mediocre view of this glorious city.

The largest crow known to man! Seriously, it was the size of my dog!

The Crown Jewels. 

The Tower Bridge.

Hoping to learn even more historical information, we kept going down the Thames to the London Bridge Experience which sounded like a fun and interactive museum! Turns out, it was a haunted house. Who would have thought? So, still wanting to get the most out of our day passes, we went through the haunted house which was very exciting and scary! We made our way through periods of the bridge's history and then had zombies jump out in front of us! You gotta love history man!

Next we went to Shakespeare's Globe, one of the most interesting exhibitions in the city. Though it is not the actual theatre Shakespeare's plays were performed in, it is a reconstruction that opened in 1997. We got a tour of the theatre and learned about the seating and tickets sales back in Shakespeare's time. After reading so many of his plays in high school, I was eager to see where the magic originally happened!

We then hurried to check the final locations off of our list! Emily wanted to see Westminster Abbey (because of Will and Kate's wedding - heck, I love them too!) but, since it was a Sunday, they were not running tours of the inside. We did get to walk around it though and see Big Ben which is right next door!

One thing that I was very excited to do was see Churchill War Rooms, a museum comprised of the Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Museum. I had read about this site on TripAdvisor and was glad that we could run through it at the end of our trip. This bunker, whose construction began in 1939, was used by the Cabinet during WWI and WWII, most notably Winston Churchill who during WWII made many transatlantic phone calls and decisions from within the armored basement. I could have spent hours in this place but, since we only had about 30 minutes, I made the most of that time!

After this we rushed back to the hostel to gather our things and then departed for the airport! This trip was very packed and busy - just the way I like to travel! I saw so many amazing things and fell in love with London even more! I can't wait to return for a fourth visit soon!

Yours,

The Opinionated Lassie

London, England - Day 2

To begin our second day in London, we decided to take a bicycle tour of the city. I have been able to ride a bike for a very long time so was eager for this fun activity - until I realized the bike was a bit temperamental. I swear that the handlebars were touchy or something because I was zigzagging all over the place. If there was a monument, I would nearly hit it. If there was a narrow passage, I would hit it. Actually. Twice. But all in all, this was very fun and we got to see a whole lot of the city in 4 hours! Pictures:

Parliament Building. 

Westminster Abbey.

The London Eye.

Keep calm... I should have listened. Though I had a bell, I usually just screamed at the pedestrians walking in front of me to save their life from me, the juggernaut.

After we finished our cycling, we headed to Abbey Road to recreate the Beatles' famous album cover. It is funny because such an interesting tourist attraction lies on such a quiet, normal street. There are small groups of people that gather on either side, hopping in front of oncoming traffic for that perfect picture, and there is a funny old man that gave everyone a little sheet of paper that said "Abbey Road" and directed you to the "Official Abbey Road Museum" which was this hilariously tiny shop piled with Beatles paraphernalia. But just look at the picture! Totally worth it!

Abbey Road, Emily and Brooke's request of the day, was followed by Lindsey's request: the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens. This statue, was sculpted with reference to the J. M. Barrie's novel Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Apropos, don't you think? (Ps: the gardens were beautiful too!)

Always ready for a good photo opportunity!

After the gardens, the group split up for the evening. I was with Brooke and we set off to see Ellen, a friend of mine from high school, who is studying abroad in London! It was so great to see a familiar face from home (though she moved from KC sophomore year so it had been four years!) and I enjoyed hearing about her study abroad experience! We also got to see where she is living - a beautiful townhouse - making me and Brooke drool.

Don't you just love reunions??!!

Brooke and I, looking for delicious but cheap food, followed Ellen's recommendation and went to a schawarma place called Taza (or something like that). Man it was delicious! We spent so little on the schawarma that we even splurged and bought coffee at Starbucks (yayay!) to refuel for our exciting night ahead!

We ran back to the hostel to get ready to see the musical Book of Mormon. Brooke had heard great things about the show and I was just along for the ride! We had a fun time getting quickly dolled up before running to the theatre. The show was very funny, and inappropriate most of the time, but made for an enjoyable evening out! During intermission I had a dark chocolate bar and Brooke had ice cream which made us even more happy!

After the show we wandered around Picadilly Circus for a while. We passed many shops, got invited onto a party bus (though we declined), and took our stereotypical London-phone-booth pictures! We also went to the M&Ms store which was the most colorful and exciting four floors of chocolate on planet earth! Like M&Ms bliss, truly!

Plus we found a photo booth so this happened...

When Brooke and I arrived at the hostel, we waited for Emily and Lindsey to come back from their show so we could take a picture. In the meantime, I befriended the guy working at the reception desk and this happened:

Our classy London pic!

Thanks for reading!

The Opinionated Lassie