Second week.. settling in...
Sunday (21.05.2006): It was effing freezing and raining all day. It was nearly freezing outside -- I kid you not -- it was about 4 C -- not something a Florida boy is used to. Nonetheless, I dragged my cold ass and ate lunch at the small little mall near Eyre square. Later on the evening, I walked to the house where I will be living for the next few months.. It is really nice -- but cold. I'll move in on Monday evening.
Monday (22.05.2006): I woke up for the last time at a BnB (for a while anyways), had a big ol' Irish breakfast, stored my luggage with the ridiculously friendly owner until after the lab.. and walked to the University. Labbed it for a while. Had tea and scones with the grads & post-docs & secretary (she is a firecracker.. brilliant!). Labbed. Ate lunch. Labbed. Walked back to the BnB to collect my luggage and whatnot.. and the owner drove me to my new place -- way too nice! He gave me a bunch of business cards 'in case any of my friends decide to visit Galway'. ;) Dropped my stuff off in my new room -- a huge room, actually.. and it has internet! Crazy! Went to the store with Elaine (my new flatmate and the owner's daughter). Elaine just graduated from NUIG with a degree in Psych.. going to grad school somewhere in the UK (possibly Cambridge).. and is working at a DIY store -- go figure. She is also the singer in a few bands -- one of which is playing in Cambridge in June -- eh, Justin? I bought overpriced sheets & pillows and average priced groceries at the Dunnes store.. where I found out that each grocery bag costs 0.15eu.. So basically, everyone brings backpacks and giant bags to the markets to carry their goods home.. But I guess I should expect such things.. considering the Mayor of Galway is a member of Ireland's Green Party. :) Watched a movie with the GMIT folk.. and then went to bed.. The weather is still freezing -- I guess I better get used to it, eh?
Tuesday: Woke up.. tried to figure out the damn electric shower. The water was freezing! That is.. until I found the cord hanging from the ceiling used to turn on the (scalding) hot water. Labbed it - the usual. Ate some crappy vegetarian food at the canteen that makes Gator Dining look like the Melting Pot -- despite it's quality, I get these strange cravings for it now. I think they put drugs in it. Came home.. ate a light dinner of curry noodles -- basically ramen noodles... I really need to work on this eating well thing here.. went with the flatmate Elaine to a house party -- lots of fun, my clothes & jacket smell like cigarettes -- ugh.
Wednesday: Woke up. Had a brilliant shower (now that I know how to use it!). Labbed it. Came home.. ate dinner.. used the internet.. oh wait -- it was cancelled. The people who lived in the flat before me cancelled it -- even after I offered to pay for the next three months service -- in cash! So, I called NTL.. and they won't activate the internet for 3 months.. looks like I will be internetless for a while, except in the lab. Damn you, NTL! Showered.. and then met up with the GMIT folks to hit up some Galwegian (that's right.. that's the adjectivial form of Galway)pubs. Pictures will be posted when I can.. went to The Goal Post -- a seemingly hole in the wall place from the outside, but Swamp-esque on the inside -- everyone was college-aged.. except for the occasional 60-something who was drunk beyond belief. We then walked over to The Living Room -- a swank, college-aged pub that seemed to have everyone and their mother in it.. good times! Ah.. Guinness.
Thursday: Labbed it. Chill night.. went running and cooked some spaghetti. Went to bed early.
Friday: More lab. What do you expect during the day? Made plans with my friend Joe from Ottawa University to visit Killarney during the bank holiday weekend -- sweet! Twiddled my thumbs at home. Finally texted some folks in the lab and met up at the Blue Note for a few pints; the Blue Note was definitely a hole-in-the-wall kinda place.. but played decent music.. with a trendy/emo/hipster kinda scene. Walked home by the Corrib river at around midnight.. it was gorgeous!
Saturday: Slept late! Walked to Eyre Square to watch the opening festivities and whatnot.. lots of local bands and young dance troupes (some of whom, I'm sad to say.. were actually quite awful). Nonetheless, it was great people watching.. ate lunch at Supermac's (100% Irish!).. then met up with some friends for coffee in the afternoon. Went home.. started doing laundry.. and then putting my clothes to dry outside -- never done the the line-dry thing before.. (even today -- Monday -- some of my clothes are still wet.. grr). Took a shower.. and met up with the GMIT folk for a pint.. then went out to GPO.. we tried going to CP (Central Park).. but the queue was nearly 0.5km long -- wasn't worth it. GPO.. ahh.. good times.. but the Irish.. are not the best pop-music dancers. Still.. good times were had.. and at about 2am.. I met up with a few other friends and went to an after-party.. got home at about 4:30AM.. and the sun had started rising -- such a weird feeling. Slept.
Sunday: Did nothing.. except go to Dunne's and purchase groceries. And pork -- the cheapest meat you can buy here. Fixed a delicious dinner of BBQ pork, rice, fresh bell peppers, and corn. Watched RTE - one of two channels that are onthe TV now that the internet/cable has been shut off. Went to sleep and slept gloriously.
Monday: Labbed it. And here ya are now. I'm about to go home and eat.. not sure about this evening's plans. I'll try to update more often.. and finally get my damn pictures up! The weather -- while still cold -- has improved dramatically -- no disgusting rainstorms like before (knock on wood).
Until next time.. cheers! -J
Monday (22.05.2006): I woke up for the last time at a BnB (for a while anyways), had a big ol' Irish breakfast, stored my luggage with the ridiculously friendly owner until after the lab.. and walked to the University. Labbed it for a while. Had tea and scones with the grads & post-docs & secretary (she is a firecracker.. brilliant!). Labbed. Ate lunch. Labbed. Walked back to the BnB to collect my luggage and whatnot.. and the owner drove me to my new place -- way too nice! He gave me a bunch of business cards 'in case any of my friends decide to visit Galway'. ;) Dropped my stuff off in my new room -- a huge room, actually.. and it has internet! Crazy! Went to the store with Elaine (my new flatmate and the owner's daughter). Elaine just graduated from NUIG with a degree in Psych.. going to grad school somewhere in the UK (possibly Cambridge).. and is working at a DIY store -- go figure. She is also the singer in a few bands -- one of which is playing in Cambridge in June -- eh, Justin? I bought overpriced sheets & pillows and average priced groceries at the Dunnes store.. where I found out that each grocery bag costs 0.15eu.. So basically, everyone brings backpacks and giant bags to the markets to carry their goods home.. But I guess I should expect such things.. considering the Mayor of Galway is a member of Ireland's Green Party. :) Watched a movie with the GMIT folk.. and then went to bed.. The weather is still freezing -- I guess I better get used to it, eh?
Tuesday: Woke up.. tried to figure out the damn electric shower. The water was freezing! That is.. until I found the cord hanging from the ceiling used to turn on the (scalding) hot water. Labbed it - the usual. Ate some crappy vegetarian food at the canteen that makes Gator Dining look like the Melting Pot -- despite it's quality, I get these strange cravings for it now. I think they put drugs in it. Came home.. ate a light dinner of curry noodles -- basically ramen noodles... I really need to work on this eating well thing here.. went with the flatmate Elaine to a house party -- lots of fun, my clothes & jacket smell like cigarettes -- ugh.
Wednesday: Woke up. Had a brilliant shower (now that I know how to use it!). Labbed it. Came home.. ate dinner.. used the internet.. oh wait -- it was cancelled. The people who lived in the flat before me cancelled it -- even after I offered to pay for the next three months service -- in cash! So, I called NTL.. and they won't activate the internet for 3 months.. looks like I will be internetless for a while, except in the lab. Damn you, NTL! Showered.. and then met up with the GMIT folks to hit up some Galwegian (that's right.. that's the adjectivial form of Galway)pubs. Pictures will be posted when I can.. went to The Goal Post -- a seemingly hole in the wall place from the outside, but Swamp-esque on the inside -- everyone was college-aged.. except for the occasional 60-something who was drunk beyond belief. We then walked over to The Living Room -- a swank, college-aged pub that seemed to have everyone and their mother in it.. good times! Ah.. Guinness.
Thursday: Labbed it. Chill night.. went running and cooked some spaghetti. Went to bed early.
Friday: More lab. What do you expect during the day? Made plans with my friend Joe from Ottawa University to visit Killarney during the bank holiday weekend -- sweet! Twiddled my thumbs at home. Finally texted some folks in the lab and met up at the Blue Note for a few pints; the Blue Note was definitely a hole-in-the-wall kinda place.. but played decent music.. with a trendy/emo/hipster kinda scene. Walked home by the Corrib river at around midnight.. it was gorgeous!
Saturday: Slept late! Walked to Eyre Square to watch the opening festivities and whatnot.. lots of local bands and young dance troupes (some of whom, I'm sad to say.. were actually quite awful). Nonetheless, it was great people watching.. ate lunch at Supermac's (100% Irish!).. then met up with some friends for coffee in the afternoon. Went home.. started doing laundry.. and then putting my clothes to dry outside -- never done the the line-dry thing before.. (even today -- Monday -- some of my clothes are still wet.. grr). Took a shower.. and met up with the GMIT folk for a pint.. then went out to GPO.. we tried going to CP (Central Park).. but the queue was nearly 0.5km long -- wasn't worth it. GPO.. ahh.. good times.. but the Irish.. are not the best pop-music dancers. Still.. good times were had.. and at about 2am.. I met up with a few other friends and went to an after-party.. got home at about 4:30AM.. and the sun had started rising -- such a weird feeling. Slept.
Sunday: Did nothing.. except go to Dunne's and purchase groceries. And pork -- the cheapest meat you can buy here. Fixed a delicious dinner of BBQ pork, rice, fresh bell peppers, and corn. Watched RTE - one of two channels that are onthe TV now that the internet/cable has been shut off. Went to sleep and slept gloriously.
Monday: Labbed it. And here ya are now. I'm about to go home and eat.. not sure about this evening's plans. I'll try to update more often.. and finally get my damn pictures up! The weather -- while still cold -- has improved dramatically -- no disgusting rainstorms like before (knock on wood).
Until next time.. cheers! -J
posted by Joey @ 11:03 AM
2 Comments:
At 11:36 AM,
thisphiladelphialife said…
tea & scones, "brilliant," flatmate ... european date format ... you have acclimated quite quickly!! try and stay warm
At 12:52 PM,
Justin said…
Joseph's Ireland Moto - "Work hard. Play harder!" I like it. Sounds like an amazing time, and my kind of people: Emo kids and Guiness. Let me know what you hear about Cambridge, as a school and locale. Stay warm and safe. You are missed.
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