A PACKAGE!!! ...a textbook... :P

Wednesday is my easy day of class. I only have one lecture and it's sociology (which I like much more than politics) and no seminars (which means I'm not held accountable for anything...like readings so I can answer questions...just have to listen). Today's lecture was actually really interesting. We had a guest speaker and she talked about culture. I thought it was interesting because one, it gave us a break from trying to figure out what the heck sociology is and two, it gave me a chance to learn a little more about the culture of Ireland and some interesting facts.

She brought up some different sayings that people not from the North would have no clue what was being said to them. If someone says to you "you've got a face like a lurgan spade" they mean most simply that you look down or sad. Also, if someone says to you "bout ye?" they are asking "how are you?" I've heard the bout ye before since I've been here and knew that one but had never heard the lurgan spade one. Apparently the Irish believe that American's are bad at forming queues? She was explaining about how the people of Northern Ireland seem to be known for queueing well and mentioned that American's are very bad at it and very impatient. I hadn't noticed this...I think we tend to be good at standing in lines when need be? One other thing that she brought up that I found interesting is that high fives are an American thing. Someone came up to try to give her a high five once and she had no idea what they were doing. Irish students are picking it up because they watch American movies!

I stayed up pretty late last night skyping with Robert so after class I came back and took a wee nap. ;) When I woke up and looked at my Facebook I had a message from Aline (another international student from France) saying that she saw in the mail that I had received a parcel!!!! My first package!!!! It was super exciting until I got down there and these is what it was...

Which is really nice and all to have gotten it this early as I have my first assessment next Monday...but it made having a parcel a little less exciting. :P  However, I did get two letters in the mail from Kay so that was nice too. :) I bought potato chips today that are "flame grilled steak" and they actually taste like it and it's kinda freaking me out...

Later this evening I got a text message from one of my flatmates saying that she'd made a "cleaning kitchen rotation" thing and that it's posted on the fridge. I went and looked at it and just sort of laughed. One part is for washing dishes and I thought...you have got to be kidding me. Yes, it will be nice to have the garbage actually get taken out and I am completely willing to take turns doing that, but I'm not going to wash the other girls dishes. I have not left a single dish in the sink, I was them right after I use them. She did say on the chart that it wasn't doing everyone's dishes that it was just for things like "lingering silverware" but no...I'm sorry...if everyone would just wash their own dishes after they use them there wouldn't be any "lingering silverware." That is my opinion on this topic tee hee.

This is what our kitchen looked like TWO DAYS after I took the garbage out and none of those dirty dishes are mine. So like I said it will be nice to have the garbage taken care of since we all use it..but it looks like there is more than a "lingering silerware" problem here. I'll continue to wash my own dishes and hopefully this chart will help. But if not...I have less than two more months that I have to live here (under two months by one day...but still under!).

I've learned that it's really difficult sometimes to know how to pronouce someone's name by how they spell it. There are quite a few irish names that are spelled using gaelic and it's practically impossible to guess the pronunciation! Here are a few examples:
          Caoimhe = Keeva
          Aisling = Ashlynn
          Saoirse = Seersha
          Sinead = Shinade
          Maire = Moyra
I really like the last three but that's crazy that they get those pronunciations out of those spellings! And teachers back in the states have had troubles pronouncing MY name haha. Oh! also...a "frock" is a dress and flapjacks are NOT pancakes!!! They're like...a type of granola bar thing?

I've been doing some research on how I'm going to manage going to Galway and to the Cliffs of Moher and in my research I found the PERFECT tour package!!! I can:
- Take the train to Dublin on a Thursday night.
- Spend the night with my Dublin buddies.
- Get on the tour bus Friday morning and head to the West Coast.
- See The Cliffs of Moher Friday
- Stay in a Hostel that is paid for through the package Friday night.
- See Galway Saturday.
- Get on the tour bus Saturday night and go back to Dublin.
- Stay with my friends Saturday night.
- Head back to Belfast sometime on Sunday!
Maybe my Dublin buddies even want to go to Galway/Moher with me!!!! Even if not I'm TOTALLY GOING!!!! I even know what weekend because all my weekends are officially full...crazy! (Other than this weekend...which I'm going to get ready for this first exam and try to do really well.) These are my weekends....
     Oct 28-30: Halloween weekend with trip to Derry.
     Nov 3-6: Amsterdam with Ally.
     Nov 11-13: Galway/Cliffs of Moher.
     Nov 18-20: IFSA Belfast Weekend and Giant Causeway.
     Nov 24-27: Dublin for Thanksgiving.
     Dec 1-4: Paris with Ally.
     Dec 9-11: Scotland with (I think) Rachel and Jessi.
     Dec 16-18: Packing and PARENTS!!

Alright...today's blog is filled with lots of random things...I only have one more class tomorrow and then it's WEEKEND! I don't have anything exciting planned though...I have my first politics exam on Monday so I think I need to do some revising (that's the word they use here instead of studying).