making it feel like home

I promised photos of my new abode, so here's the delivery (click on the photo for a mini-tour on Flickr):




Life here has begun to settle in to a routine of sorts. Or, if not a routine, at least there are predictable contours to my days: doing yoga in my room; badminton training on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and any other day(s) I can find people to call down to the gym with (which in the case of last weekend meant Friday, Saturday, and Sunday--SCORE!); attending the International Development Society weekly meeting; going to my course Tuesday-Thursday; sleeping in at the weekends; and Skyping every night with Arad until I reluctantly realise that bed cannot be put off for any longer.

Of course, having just asserted that things were rather routine, I now provide the exception: this week I am volunteering for the Cork Film Festival. This makes me rather busy--I am working a total of five four-hour shifts (Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) for the education outreach program. All this means is that I show primary and secondary school kids in to the theatre. I'm a glorified usher, and it's a glorious volunteer gig--while working my shifts, I have so far gotten to listen to John Kelleher, Director of the Irish Film Classification Board, talk about film censorship in Ireland and to see Kings, an Irish film starring Colm Meaney that I've been itching to see for months now. Volunteering also means I get free membership to the Festival, and get in to one film free for every shift I work (I'm having a love affair with this word, 'free'). Although I haven't fully decided yet, I am definitely going to see Great Shorts, Women's Shorts, and Brides of Allah.

It's all very exciting and in good fun. More to follow.

After seventeen hours of travel on top of a sleepless night I arrived in Cork, safe and sound.

A soft, green landing in Shannon

My home is lovely (pictures to follow in next post), though far out from college.
I haven't met the fourth person in the house yet.
The lovely (gorgeous for here) weather is buffering my homesickness.
So far, I have been to a barbecque, went out dancing, and watched the All-Ireland [Gaelic] football final (Kerry lost to Tyrone in the last five minutes--it was so close!).
I have lots to sort out.
And I am glad to be here, but I miss my last month's routine rather desperately. It was a good routine.

Already, I've had discussions about the educational system in Ireland v. US, homophobia in Irish men, and the changing gender roles for women. Food for thought.

list-making, an introduction

As the eve of my departure looms closer (less than a week now), I find it appropriate that I should take stock of the various benefits and losses of my decision to head back to Cork.

What I shall (sorely) miss....










The Bay Area, as taken from the Stanford Dish

• my adorable, apple-of-my-eye niece, Hailey
• Bikram Yoga
• my sister Becky
• Sun. And warm weather.
  
• Pearl Iced Tea
  
• fresh [cheap] fruit
• The Daily Show
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
  
• Trader Joe's
• milkshakes from Peninsula Creamery
• the availability of salads (mmmm, Pluto's)
• Netflix
  
• All of my friends

What I look forward to....

Cork City on a "cloudless" day

• badminton
• the people from badminton: Joyce, Edel, Lucy, Ann, Philip, Ronan, Enda, Liam, Gary, Ciara, Colm, etc.
  
• The Panel
• Home and Away
• tea, all the time!
• soda bread
• tim tams
• Irish accents (especially de Cork ones, like!)
• not really leaving school
• the availability of cider on tap
• making Euros, not dollars
• the English market

This list is a work in progress, subject to my wanderings and pangs of longing.