Woes and Wonders of a Place I've Become Very Fond Of

Wonder # 1: Whoever said that Gaelic is a dead language lied to you. The Irish language is alive and well, my friends. And it is absolutely beautiful. Not that many speak it in everyday situations but most Irish people do speak it and there are even some places, such as Dingal in the west of Ireland (where I plan on going soon) that speak it exclusively. I have been taking a class in Modern Irish and although I have only had three classes I can already say some simple phrases and have had two conversations with Irish people already! The people I have spoken to about it say that Irish is mandatory for all school children and because it is something grilled into their minds for so many years, not only do they all know it well, they also hate it. The reaction to me saying their language was lovely, was "Really?" It's also not an easy language by any means. It is much different than English and much more Germanic that one would expect. It requires a lot of guttural consonant sounds and some salivation. It's a little hard to get used to for someone who is used to studying English and romance languages. But still, it is a wonderful and interesting language and I am so glad that I'm getting a chance to learn some of it.

Woe # 1: It rains here almost constantly. I knew that when I came here, which is why I purchased (or rather my mother purchased) a new raincoat and rainboots before my departure. What I didn't know was how gross the rain actually was. With the rain, comes wind which blows cold liquid straight into your face. The rain accumulates in huge puddles in between the cobbles and next to the curbs. The rain makes the river, which is tidal, rise and fall so much that this city is in almost constant flood warning. Thank God there hasn't been another flood like the one they had in December which practically hearkened the gathering of the animals apparently. But anyway, it rains a lot here. I thought I would't mind it but unfortunately I was wrong.

Wonder # 2: Jaffa Cakes. These are the most delicious things to ever grace the tongue of man. If I love you, I will be sending you a package with these enclosed because no one should be deprived of such a marvelous creation. They are small, chocolate spongey things with an orange jam inside. They sound like they might not be that great but trust me they will blow your mind.

Woe # 2: Probably in part due to Woe # 1, I am currently working on my second cold. It's a fact that I get sick easily but this is pretty absurd. This is the second illness that we've all pretty much caught and we've only been here for about three weeks. I think that Americans' bodies just don't know how to handle this weather and the stress of being abroad and everything. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, an Irishman himself told me and I quote, "Irish weather can screw with people from across the pond." Well screw you Irish weather! Rawr... I hope these illnesses eventually clear up so I can actually enjoy my stay here a little more than just Irish tea and what's on the telly.

Wonder # 3: Last weekend, a whole bunch of us from Loyola went to the town of Kinsale about forty minutes away from Cork. It was the first time that I felt that I really got to see real Ireland. Not that Cork isn't wonderful but it's very much a city and its verdant rolling hills and castles are few and far between. Kinsale is a quaint little town, pretty similar to Cork in many ways but a lot smaller. It is a harbor town and above it lies hills upon hills. Conveniently, we found a good place to take pictures. Even on the bus rides there and back, I was able to see green like I'd never seen before, even if it was through glass. I was very grateful to get the opportunity to take this day trip and see some more of Ireland. Not that the cities and towns don't have their own wonders, but who can deny seeing the legendary green pastures and hills of this country?

Woe # 3: Are Irish boys better than American boys? The answer is resoundingly, no. Sad face... But their accents are prettier, at least.

Wonder # 4: McDonalds here has curly fries. Hot, crispy, twisty goodness. Nuff said.

Ireland is more of a wondrous place than a woeful one, that's for sure. I love it here so far and I can't wait to uncover its secrets even further. For now all I'll say is... slan go foil! (Goodbye for a while!)