LONDON!

It's definitely time for an update! This past week has been absolutely crazy, mostly because I left for London last Thursday and didn't get back until Monday afternoon. I had the most incredible trip, though.. get ready for a long blog.

Wednesday
Last Wednesday, I spent some time packing and although Wednesday is a big night to go out here, Jenni, Krissy, and I decided that it wouldn't be a good idea since we were traveling all day Thursday. We made a plan to come back from class, eat dinner, get ready, and head into town to listen to traditional Irish music at a couple of pubs. We went into town with our friend Scott and walked to a  pub called Tig Coili which hosts live Irish music every night. We were greeted warmly at the door by a few Irish students that told us that there was a group of older folks here from America and introduced me to one of them. The man and I exchanged pleasantries and I found out that the group was from MANKATO! The man is a pastor at the Newman Center and he takes frequent trips to Gustavus. Small world, huh? Jenni and I talked with the group for a while and they told us excitedly that it was their first night in Ireland and they were embarking on a "Pubs and Pews" tour. I love meeting people from Minnesota over here, it gives me a sense of comfort and makes me feel like I'm not quite so far away from home. 
After Tig Coili, we walked across the street to one of our favorite spots for live music, Taaffes Pub. There was a really good band playing, but unfortunately, no tables. To our surprise, a man and woman invited us to join them! They both had graduated from NUIG in 2006, and we talked with them for an hour or so about student life, traveling, and Ireland in general while listening to the musicians. These random people did not need to invite us to sit by them, but they did. I appreciated their warm act of kindness so much and have found that studying abroad, you pay attention to the caring disposition of others even more than back home. All in all, it was a great night.

Thursday 
Thursdaywas a crazy day of waking up early for class, coming back and packing, and catching the Galway bus to the Shannon airport around 2. The bus ride took a couple of hours and so we had a bit of time to kill in the airport before our 6:30 flight. There were 6 of us going to London and although we had different places to stay, we ate dinner together in the airport and made our way to the flight in a group. Traveling through Ryan Air went smoothly and before I knew it, I was heading to England! Our plane ride was only an hour and when we arrived, we quickly went through customs and Krissy, Jenni, and I caught a bus from Stansted to Mile End. Our friends from Gustavus, Kelsey and Hanna, are spending the semester at Queen Mary's in London so we stayed with them. They greeted us at our bus stop and a few happy tears were shed as we saw the first familiar faces in a month. It was so good to be reunited with our college friends and we caught up excitedly as we walked back to their apartment in Mile End. It was about 9 when we arrived so we spent Thursday night making travel plans for the weekend. We created an impressive itinerary which allowed time to see all of the big sights that we decided were most important to all of us. (Yes, we were those girls.)

Friday 

Fridaymorning, we were out the door by nine and began our day o' tourism at the Tower of London. It didn't open until ten so we grabbed coffee and walked around a bit. We paid for a tour of the Tower and I'm so glad we did! There was way more to the castle than I thought and there were lots of cool artifacts and museum- esque exhibits in different parts of the tour. We also got to see the Crown Jewels which was insanely cool. After the Tower, we walked out by the Tower bridge and took some classic "I'm in London" pictures. We peeked into the Shakespeare Globe Theater and went to the giftshop but didn't end up getting a tour since we had just paid for one at the Tower. We stumbled upon the Borough Market walking along the Thames which was perfect since we were feeling hungry and there are few things I love more than a good market. We got delicious chicken and vegetable pasties at the market and enjoyed meandering around, looking at all of the good food. After that, we hopped back on the tube and traveled to King's Cross Station to see Platform 9 3/4! It was so cool, there was a station set up to take pictures at and a Harry Potter shop that we all nerded out in for a while. My British friend from camp, Jon, met us at the station and it was really fun to see him in his element back in London! Jon brought us to Oxford Street and although none of us were in a big shopping mood, it was fun to see the high-class shopping. Oxford Street reminded me a lot of New York City, actually. After that, we went to Harrods (huge department store) to look around. It was so much cooler than I was expecting - that place is literally like it's own city. There were so many floors and beautiful rooms with everything from gourmet groceries to $3000 toddler tuxedos, toy shops to dog spas, furniture stores to a costume display of Les Miserables, and everything in-between, including an opera singer in the escalator space. We spent a long time in the toy shop (there was free candy) and we found a room with Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Marvel/DC stuff... Jon, Krissy, and Jenni basically had to drag me out so we could make it back to Mile End for dinner. We met up with Kelsey and Hanna and ate at Nandos then Krissy and I went to Mitcham with Jon so I could see his house and where he is from! We went out to a pub with a bunch of his friends which was good fun. 

Reunited with Hanna & Kelsey!
Tower of London

Crown Jewels with Krissy & Jenni

London Bridge

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Borough Market

Platform 9 3/4!

King's Cross Station

Found Jon! 

Shopping in Harrods 

Saturday 
Saturday was a beautiful, sunny morning, and Krissy and I got up early, said goodbye to Jon, and got back on the tube so that we could meet the girls and make it to Buckingham Palace at 11:30 to watch the changing of the guards. We got to the palace after walking through a lovely park and were surprised to see that the place was absolutely packed! We couldn't see over the crowd to the guards but we heard the marching band and saw a bit of the process. It was still very neat to see the Palace and the entire are was beautiful. The park surrounding the palace reminded me of Central Park and it was nice to see some green in the middle of the city. After that, we hit up Big Ben and the London Eye. It was incredibly surreal to be seeing all of these landmarks that I've wanted to see my whole life! My good friend Shannon from high school is studying at Oxford for the year and she met Krissy and I by Big Ben while Jenni, Kelsey and Hanna rode the London Eye. Shannon took Krissy and I to Trafalgar Square, where we got sandwiches and sat on the stairs, looking out into the picture-esque square and catching up. Then, my favorite part of the trip - Portobello Market. We took the tube to Notting Hill and I was ecstatic to be there, not only because one of my favorite 90's romcoms was filmed there, but because (as previously stated) markets are the best. Portobello Road Market was unlike anywhere I've ever been before. Past the colorful (and expensive) flats and adorable shops, it stretched on for blocks and was filled with everything I could possibly imagine people selling. The market was buzzing with live music, people from every nationality, and the aroma of delicious street food. We found the Travel Book Shop from the movie, which was surreal but nice (pick up on that movie quote, anyone?) We spent a few hours perusing the market and after buying crepes and a couple of souvenirs, we left the market and met back at Kelsey & Hanna's to go to dinner in Chinatown with the girls and a few guys from Gustavus that were visiting! After a yummy dinner of vegetable lo mein, I was feeling pretty tired but we went out anyways in Covent Garden and explored a few pubs but we were all exhausted so we came back pretty early. It was sad to say goodbye to Shannon but I have a feeling I'll see her soon in Ireland :)

Changing of the Guards

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Gate

Big Ben

The London Eye

The Ritz

Trafalgar Square!

Shannon & I

Trafalgar Square

Portobello Road Market

Notting Hill

The Travel Book Shop from the Movie

Notting Hill

Sunday
We woke up Sunday for mass at Westminster Abbey, which was incredible. The boy's choir that sang during the Eucharist took my breath away - there were about 30 boys who attend the Abbey Choir School and had the most incredible, angelic soprano voices. After the service, Jenni, Krissy and I got muffins and coffee at Wesley's Cafeteria and got on the tube to Kensington. We explored the Kensington Gardens and Palace and I kept an eye out for Harry, Kate & Will, but unfortunately didn't spot them. We left the park through a side exit and ended up out on a street with signs up that said "No photography" - it took me a minute to realize where we were but then saw that we had walked out onto one of the most expensive residential streets in the world - where the occupants are either national embassies or ambassadorial residences! Casual. We walked a little ways to find.... wait for it.... The Maggie Jones cafe! So cool. I walked in and told the waitress that I was Maggie Jones and to my dismay, she responded, "Cool, we've gotten a few of those." I guess I'm not the only Maggie Jones.. shoot. Either way, it was really cool and I took lots of pictures, of course. Jenni, Krissy and I went to a Dutch Pancake House for lunch and I got a massive "savory pancake" with asparagus, cheese, mushrooms, black olives, and spinach. It was so good and it didn't take me long to get past the concept of only eating pancakes with syrup. We walked to St. Paul's Cathedral at dusk and unfortunately, we weren't able to walk up to the top to view London because it wasn't open to the public on Sundays but we were able to go inside the main chapel, which was stunning. We ended our night by souvenir shopping at the London Museum and going back to the apartment where we chilled out and ate a late dinner with Kelsey and Hanna. 
We left London at 5am Monday morning, which was bittersweet. I was sad to leave London and my friends but I know that I will be back. I think that I would love to live in London at some point in my life - the city has so much rich history but is also so posh and fun.. the little taste I got this weekend was  definitely not enough for me, I can't wait to explore more of it someday!

 Before Mass

Westminster Abbey

 Kensington Palace

 Kensington Palace Gardens

Maggie Jones's!

Kensington

Pancakes!

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's

Knocknacarra

I had my homestay this weekend! I'm happy to say that it couldn't have gone any better.

Me and another girl from my program were picked up in Knocknacarra Friday evening by a friendly man named Martin and his 2 year old daughter Lilyanna. I made a great first impression when I tried to get in the driver's seat instead of the passenger's... old habits die hard. Martin thankfully made a joke and we laughed it off, but in my head I was thinking, well done, self. We drove about 5-10 minutes and talked with Martin about where we were from, and how we were enjoying Galway so far. He pulled up to his flat and we unloaded our bags and walked in.

Their flat is gorgeous – very posh and cozy. Martin showed us to our room upstairs and we were thrilled to find two double beds in a guest room! After unpacking a bit, we came downstairs and played with Lilyana, waiting for Roisin, Martin's wife to get home. She arrived and warmly greeted us then began to make dinner for us. Roisin and Martin are so sweet. They are a young, hip couple and Lilliana is the cutest two-year-old. She had so much energy and didn't hesitate to talk to Christina and I or to show us all of her different toys.

Roisin made spaghetti with a delicious meat and vegetable sauce and chocolate mousse for dessert. I couldn't say thank you enough for our lovely dinner after cooking for myself for the last three weeks. We chatted throughout dinner and they told us to do whatever we wanted so we truthfully told them how tired we were and hung out for a while, then read and went to sleep early for the first time since we've arrived in Ireland.

Roisin and Martin had to attend a funeral on Saturday so Martin dropped us off in town in the morning. Roisin was so cute – she packed us lunches to bring with! She kept saying “I'm your mummy for the weekend.” A bunch of the other Galway homestay-ers had the same type of situation so we met up with four other girls from our program and spent the day shopping, listening to street performers, and hanging out in random cafes and coffee shops. It was a good day and it was nice to feel like I had nowhere to be so I could just take my time looking around and enjoying city life. We were exhausted by the time Martin picked up Christina and I up for dinner. Roisin made us another amazing meal – the best chicken kiev i've ever had, mashed potatoes, and another mix of mashed, assorted vegetables. We helped clean up then played with Lilyanna for a bit and after she went to bed, Christina and I watched a movie and had tea with Martin and Roisin.

This morning (Sunday), Christina and I accompanied Lilyanna and Roisin to mass. I was excited to go to church and to see how Irish Catholic mass was compared to other church services I have attended. I found the service easy to follow and I recognized most of the hymns, the big difference was that it was only about 35 minutes long! It was a great experience though, and it made me feel even more at home to go to church here. Roisin's parents live right down the street from the church so we walked there after to have tea with Roisin's parents while she ran some errands. Roisin's mother Mags ran a bed and breakfast for a long time and her warm disposition showed years of caring for and hosting others. After way too many cookies and chocolates, Roisin picked us up and brought us back to the flat. We packed up our things and read for a while in the family room while Martin cooked. Roisin casually mentioned that he had been the head chef at our favorite pub, The Front Door, for a while and once the food was ready, it made sense. It was the most beautifully prepared and delicious meal I had received in Ireland so far – we had chicken with homemade gravy, mashed potatoes, and a variety of glazed squashes. It's going to be hard to cook for myself after eating so well this weekend!

I hope that I can stay in touch with Martin and Roisin, it would be wonderful to have kind of a pseudo-family in Ireland :)

Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera with me so I don't have pictures of the homestay but I have more pictures of Galway!  

Nimmo's Pier

Great pub!

Irish sweaters.. I want them all

Shop Street

Scoil Bhride

I experienced my first of  many Thursday afternoon homework club sessions yesterday! I think the best way to describe my time at Scoil Bhride (pronounced 'Skol Breege') is to start from the beginning.

Jenni and I found directions to the school and left our apartment at 3:30 thinking that a half hour would be ample time to walk to campus and then to the school. We ended up taking a bit of a round-about way and found ourselves questioning if we had missed a turn along the way. We walked for about 40 minutes and finally stumbled upon a white, one-story building with a large metal gate. We saw the sign and knew that we had made it. It was about 4:15 at this time so we quickly walked in and were greeted by a young boy kicking a soccer ball around the halls who pointed us in the direction of the homework club. We shyly peeked our heads in and were welcomed by two other students from our class and Sister Margaret, who is in charge of the program. She is a sweet but feisty older woman and she explained to us that we'd be working with the secondary school children.

We expected to each be assigned to a child, like the other students had earlier in the week, but she told us that they have made some adjustments to the program because the "at risk" secondary school children, (meaning that most were highly at risk of dropping out of high school) were unable to sit and do homework from 4-5:30 because they had just gotten out of a long day of school. Sister Margaret told us in a hushed tone that these "at risk" students all had tough home lives (one of them has a child), and the homework club serves as a place for them to come to do some work, but mostly to have a safe place to be after school where they can enjoy themselves and have food and build solid relationships with the helpers but also with each other. The program has been molded into more of an activity club, where the children sit and do an assignment for the first 20-30 minutes, and the last hour is activity time where they play sports or other active games.

There were eight children yesterday, 6 boys and 2 girls. All of them were friendly to us and seemed interested in our lives back in America. However, I've never heard 11-16 year olds swear so much in such a short time. This will definitely take some getting used to. They also were very rough with one another and the teachers didn't seem to be bothered by this. My camp counselor instinct kicked in as I found myself wincing when they would swear at each other and push each other around but I didn't really know if it was my place to say anything since the teachers didn't seem phased.

We sat with a few of the 11 year old boys as they did an assignment and although they were rowdy and didn't want to sit still, they all showed that they were intelligent as they completed their tasks. We didn't really get a chance to teach yesterday, since it was our first day, but I'm glad that we got to observe the way that the homework club functions. I had a lot of fun playing dodgeball (and by playing, I mean trying not to get pelted in the face by preteens) and watching the children play soccer in the gym - I couldn't believe how talented they were at soccer! I would get absolutely schooled if I tried to play against any of them, I'm sure.

I am so excited to get to know these kids and to watch them grow and progress as we meet with them each week. I know it's going to be a challenge but I am completely up for it. I think that each one of these kids has a story to tell and I know that I'll learn a lot from them.

Last night I went out with some of the girls in my program and we went to Taaffes to hear traditional Irish music. I could sit and listen to Irish bands for hours, I absolutely love the music scene here. I also met a group from Colorado who had just arrived in Galway yesterday! They are only going to be in Ireland for 5 days and it was really cool to explain to them that I had been here for 3 weeks already and they seemed jealous that I get to stay here for 5 months. Although I still feel new to Ireland, it was really cool to be able to tell them about my favorite places around Galway. It was definitely one of my first moments here where I've felt more like a student than a tourist.

 I'm leaving in 2 hours to go to a homestay in Knocknacarra for the weekend! It's in Galway but I am very excited to meet an Irish family and observe family life here. I'll blog about it when I return home on Sunday.
Thanks for reading!

Maggie

Weekend Fun

Hello, all!

I decided to spend the weekend in Galway instead of traveling because I wanted to see more of this unique and lively city that I now call home. On Thursday, I decided to go out with some of the other girls in the Arcadia program. We went to a small, cozy pub called Hole in the Wall and it is easily one of my favorite pubs that I have been to. It has a homey feel and there was also a dance floor which picked up as the night when on. We made our way across town and went to a tiny restaurant called Charcoal Grill which is apparently a hidden gem for late-night food. I tried the famous "taco fries" - I don't even want to think about how unhealthy they were - and they were SO yummy. Definitely a must-try (but probably not more than once every few weeks, haha.)

The next day, I went into town with a few girls and we went shopping at a some of the stores that we have heard good things about from Irish girls. We also stopped in a cute coffee shop called Elle's which has some of the most extravagant flavored coffees and hot chocolates that I have ever seen. That night, my friend Krissy and I were pretty tired so we decided to go see Les Miserables because neither one of us got a chance to see it in the states. It was incredible. Naturally, we cried the whole time, but I would definitely see it again. I was very impressed with the acting - especially Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. It was interesting to see them stepping out of their usual roles.

During the day on Saturday, Krissy, Mindii and I went back to Elle's and brought some homework to do. We ended up sitting at a little table for 3 hours and I finished reading a play for my Drama and Theater Studies class. It was already dark when we got up to leave (it gets dark around 4:30) and we decided to look around Shop Street a bit. We peeked into a Claddagh ring shop and also looked at Irish wool sweaters. I think both would be great souvenirs but I am trying to wait to make big purchases until the end of my trip. We went out to town with a big group of American students that night and it was very fun - we found a live band at a pub called The King's Head and some of us danced right in front of the stage.

Today we all had a "lie-in" but when we woke up, we got ready and went to our first RUGBY game! It ended up taking place in a beautiful park surrounded by woods and lake that looked like they belonged in a fantasy movie, and there was even a castle in the background. Classic Ireland. We met some of the NUIG players and it was fun to talk to them about their game. I have a feeling that we'll go to plenty of Rugby games. Matches? I should probably figure that out.

That's all for now - cheers!

Kayaks on campus

Cheering on our Rugby team!

Good News!

I got some great news today - my application was selected for the Service Learning Programme in Literacy & Learning in the Community seminar here at NUI Galway! That means that I get to volunteer once a week at a school called Scoil Bhride (pronounced 'Scol Breege') in Galway City. I'll be working with either primary or secondary school students in a homework club. 

I am so excited to be able to explore a different side of the city and to make connections with Irish students and families through this program. I feel grateful that I have been given this opportunity - I was hoping that I would get a chance to volunteer over here and work with children in some way and can't think of a better way to do so! 

Today was also our Clubs and Societies Day, so between classes we walked to Áras na Mac Léinn and perused through the stands. It actually reminded me a lot of the Gustavus involvement fair. Naturally, I signed up for way too many organizations (partly because they were all giving out candy) but it's a really relaxed system here - you can literally just go to one or two events or meetings and it doesn't seem like you really have to commit. The societies that stood out to me most were mountaineering, kayaking, traditional Irish music club, possibly choir, an environmental club, and a Christian organization. I also signed up to walk dogs and take care of other animals at a humane society! 

Tonight is a popular night at the College Bar so I think we're going to head over there after dinner to meet more people and have some craic!

Also, my email address here is M.JONES2@nuigalway.ie and I've been checking it religiously so feel free to contact me there :) 

First Day Of School!

After days of scheduling classes, looking up timetables, and frantically running around our huge campus trying to find buildings, our first day of classes is finally here! I feel like I did when I was a kid on the first day of school, all giddy and excited but pretty nervous. I am currently sitting in the Engineering building (right up my alley, I know) getting lunch and hanging out for a couple hours until my first class at three.
Alli and I walked to campus around 12:30 so that we could try to sign up for a sociology seminar. Each seminar can only take around six international students so we got there early. To our surprise, there were already 40-50 students waiting in a hallway! We sat down somewhat in the middle of the crowd and patiently waited outside of a classroom until one when the professor arrived. He approached us and explained that he would put a desk out and then it would be a first-come first-serve system in putting our seminar application sheets down on the desk. I've never seen so many intense sociology students! It was a mad dash to try to put our sheets on the desk first but luckily, Alli and I happened to be sitting right next to the room so we got our sheets down pretty quickly. Hopefully we'll find out if we got in to a seminar soon!

Classes here seem very different from how they are back home. First of all, classes never start right on the hour. It is common for class to start 10-15 minutes late, and apparently you never want to be the first one to class. All of my classes meet once or twice a week for one or two hours so I only have about 12 hours of class per week! Somehow I worked out my schedule so that I am free on Fridays so now I will be able to travel more on weekends which is nice. All of the Irish students go home on the weekends and it gets pretty dead around campus anyway.
I'm taking Celtic Languages in the Modern World, Intro to Practical Ethics, European Women Studies, Drama & Theater Studies, History of Modern Philosophy, and either a music, service, or sociology seminar class. I'm hoping that I get into Service Literacy and Learning in the Community because we would get to volunteer and help young Irish children with their homework! However, there are only about 30 spots and I think a lot more than that applied. I'll blog about it if I get in, though!

Tonight should be fun - there is a welcome dinner with our Arcadia program tonight to check in with everyone and then apparently everyone is hitting the town because all the students are back! I can't wait to meet more Irish students.. I met 2/3 of my roommates last night, Sharon and Rachel, and they are lovely! They seemed very excited to meet us and I think they will be great people to live with.

I'll write again soon, thanks for reading!!

Maggie

Connemara and Cong

Best. Saturday. Ever. Today, a group of us took a bus tour with Galway Tour Company to Connemara and Cong. As much as I hate looking like "that group of tourists," it was SO worth it. A coach bus picked us up right at the main gate of our apartment village and drove us to the station where we hopped on another bus and were greeted by an enthusiastic Irish tour guide named Mike. 

We began our adventure at Ross Errily Abbey which is a 14th century Franciscan friary. It is apparently one of the best preserved friaries in Ireland!

After that, we drove north towards Cong Village. Cong Village was a cute little town (and a good bathroom/snack stop) and we saw where the movie "the Quiet Man" was filmed. We got coffee and pastries and boarded the bus. Unfortunately, it started to rain during this stop (classic Ireland) but Mike still pulled over to let us hop out of the bus and quickly snap photos as we headed into the mountains. There were literally sheep grazing everywhere - my new goal for this trip is to find one and befriend it.. or at least pet one. Mountain sheep don't look quite as cuddly up close but I'm determined.

One of my favorite stops today was Lough Nafooey (not just because of the name.. although that is a good one.) It's a lake in Connemara surrounded by mountains. According to legend, the lake is home to a water horse called the Capall Uisce. I've never seen such a breathtaking landscape - it's nothing like Minnesota!

Our main destination was Kylemore Abbey which is a gorgeous castle. We got soup and hearty brown bread at a restaurant and toured the inside of the castle and a Gothic church as we learned about the history of the places. We had a lot of free time so we were able to walk around outside a lot and take pictures by Pollacappul Lake. We also made a wish at the "Ironing Stone" - a huge triangle-shaped rock. Legend has it that if you stand inside of a hand sculpture and throw a stone behind you over the rock, you are granted a wish. We can just pretend that the wish still counts if you hit the rock instead of throwing your pebble over it..

Kylemore Abbey

 The Ironing Stone

My grandma's family's crest

I'm up way too late so I'll post more later! Missin' everybody.

Snapshots

Here are a few photos of life in Ireland so far!

Dublin - day one

The Temple Bar! One of my favorite pubs in Dublin

The girls - our first night out

Lovely Dublin

GALWAY! Out on Nimmo's Pier

Our apartment in Gort Na Coiribe