this week, dublin truly feels like home. i finally feel like a true dubliner. i know how to get places (and can even point other people in the right direction), i feel safe, i feel secure, i feel home.
i've written a lot this week (shameless plug: check out my fiction/poetry blog for some new stuff). it feels fantastic to be writing. i've known for a long time that it's what i want to do with my life, but to be doing it in dublin is...bliss. purely.
on monday night, we attended a reading by hugo hamilton and molly mccloskey, both dubliners who had new stuff to read for us. i was incredibly moved and touched and that's when i knew that all i want in the entire world is to be that well-known someday. ahh...the future. it snuck up on me quickly. after the reading, i shot an email off to a friend who is in the mfa program at michigan (which is, i think, where i might want to end up after undergrad...eventually...we'll see), asking his advice about the application process. i had a bit of a panic attack in realizing that i'll be a senior next year and then the real world will be hitting me--BUT!--i'm enjoying ireland for what it is and have decided to worry about that silly stuff later.
on tuesday, we visited kilmainham jail, built in 1784(?) and home to many political prisoners throughout the numerous riots, uprisings, civil wars, and wars for independence in the country. it was creeepy, dark and dank and damp, just like an old jail should be. it was a dreary day as well, so the entire mood fit like a movie.
the highlight of tuesday, however, was finding a chinese food restaurant that delivers. we were delighted to find it, nervous to try it, and happily surprised by the quality and quantity. we ate well that night, and it was an awesome treat.
wednesday was class as usual, but we were then "treated" (though it's included in our program fee) to a pizza dinner by one of the leaders of our program, seona.
here's a good place to stop and talk a bit about the logistics of this program. seona works for usit, a company that organizes study abroad, internship abroad, and all sorts of abroad programs for international programs. she's been working with trinity for years and organized a phenomenal program for us (the trips to the countryside, the day trips, the sporting events, the theater visits, etc are all her doing.) she's a great woman and, last night after having left her untouched glass of red wine at our table for a long period of time, generously gave us the wine. we love auntie seona.
daire keogh is the academic advisor and director of the trinity side of the program. he's a professor at uc-dub and has also taught most of our history lessons thus far. we've taken to calling him daddy daire, as he, at the beginning of each class, asks us how we're doing and if we're enjoying ourselves. he's genuinely concerned for our well-being and loves to chat. he's a perfect example of a jolly irishman and, with four young ones and another on the way, has the perfect example of a beautiful irish family.
sinead is the assistant director. it's her job to make reservations, organize buses, get us signed up for things, make copies, get coffee...she does everything. she's the cutest little master's student at trinity, though we're all tempted to put her on what not to wear...she's great to say the least. she's in the office constantly and helps us, giving us advice as to the best restaurants and shops to find and what to do in our downtime. we love sinead.
so, the big group of us, along with a few other program leaders and daire's wife, went to dinner last night at this hole-in-the-wall italian place a few minutes from trinity. we ate, watched the world cup game, and eventually went out for more socializing.
today is a quiet day. i had a bit of class, a bit of shopping, a belfast briefing (we leave on sunday for a week in the north!), and a bit more film class. now, i'm doing laundry (hurray! clean clothes!) and getting caught up in reading so that i don't have to do it over the weekend. i head to cloughjordan tomorrow for a day trip and to the oxegen festival on saturday. all in all, it will be a delightful weekend and i'm very excited! we've already booked plane tickets out of belfast to london, as well, so i'll be able to visit elise and emerald and (hopefully) take a day trip to liverpool to do a beatles tour.
ah, life on the emerald isle. never a dull moment, which i'm grateful for. i'm sincerely enjoying my time here, but am also missing all of you terribly. i cannot wait to get back to traverse for a northern michigan august!
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