Friday, September 13, 2013

Uptight American girl in Ireland!

Ok, so I thought I was laid back...Ya Right! The Irish are the epitome of laidbackness.  So far they don't seem to worried that we haven't really got a contact person to deal with.  The poor dear is having a family emergency and didn't come to work today.  Which is fine, except I keep trying to compare my experience at my wonderful community college in Maine to this experience.  Let me just say folks, that they are super stretched out on the spectrum.  At YCCC if I had an issue, it was resolved right in front of me and we went along on our merry way.  The classes I wanted were available and perfectly scheduled to meet my needs.  So far we haven't even been able to talk to anyone about what it is we are actually able to take for classes, let alone sign up for them...We are unable to get our student ID's because we lack access to printers here at the dorms, which is by the way an 8 minute or so walk to the college...and the ONLY means of transportation.  Unless of course you got a international license and took your life into your own hands and drove on the wrong side of the road.  Which I have no intention of doing, because I want to go home to Maine in one piece and not in a coffin. Its also the land of tiny cars.  Not many full size SUV here in Ireland, and if you saw the size of some of the streets you would not be surprised either...  Jeez Louise they drive aggressively here......I was told in no uncertain terms, by the cabbie that drove us from the bus stop to Edenhall, that "NO" they did not drive aggressively....Ya right dude..ok!
So I don't want to sound incredibly negative, because as they say its all part of the "experience".  The people are wonderful, they have wonderful accents, that at times I am unable to understand, and have on more than one occasion stood in front of someone like a deer in the headlights because I didn't understand a work they said....hehehe...Oh well the feeling has been reciprocal, as its happened the other way around as well...
We are supposed to get our luggage tomorrow, which would be incredible, but I still do not have access to a bank until we get our id cards figured out on Monday.  So far my list of things to tell the next set of Mitchell Scholars is growing at an exponential rate....I hope to not overwhelm them, and as we move forward I am SURE that things will settle down and become routine....We look forward to the societies and the international club...which offer great ways to get around the city and explore and offer great activities like going to the Greyhound Races....
I apologize but I won't have any pictures until the luggage arrives and I get all my electronic cables back.  So here's to developing a better sense of laidbackness while I am here!

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