pounds of books

I am definitely ready for the semester to be over after finishing days like today. The funny part? I didn't even have any classes.

After shrieking with excitement after learning my 8:00 AM class was cancelled, I concocted an elaborate plan to sleep until 11. I never get to see that time on the clock from my bed anymore, but who really does I suppose. Thanks to my early schedule and lovely respondent body clock, I couldn't shut my eyes again after 9:10 AM. Oh well. So goes my morning routine:
-Roll out of bed
-Zombie-walk downstairs and instinctively get the coffee going, get a bowl full of Rice Krispies filled and slice bananas on top to finish
-Walk back upstairs and (sometimes, more than often)trip and/or stumble at some point, spilling Rice Krispies on the steps
-Check my e-mail, the news, facebook, etc. and dump endless amounts of coffee down my gullet
-Finish my cereal and open my door where Gibson (the cat) is waiting to scamper inside so he can finish the milk remaining in the bowl
-Brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed, pack my backpack, and curse because even though I "tried" to be on time today I'm still five minutes behind schedule

I followed the usual schedule today, except maybe took an extra twenty minutes perusing the internet before heading out the door. After a ten minute walk and a five minute bus ride, I took my place in a cozy armchair in Hanson Hall with a latte in hand to finish about 5 hours of homework. My questions of the day is:
Why do people insist on taking the chair directly across from me (and I mean directly..i.e. sharing the tiny table between our chairs) when I'm clearly hard at work when there are multiple empty chairs next to me? Awkward, let me tell you.

I did get a lot done though, and thanks to our lovely daylight savings time got to walk home in the miserable, dark, 20-something degree weather. Brrrr! Fortunately, the worst of the day is over and I'm now free to make dinner, relax at home, play with the kitty, and get ready to start another day :) 2 weeks left of the semester!


Here's our baby

Sad, huh?


Ciao,
Karen

slowly moving saturday

Thanksgiving break has been much needed time for sleeping, playtime with animals, getting work done on my never ending projects/papers, and eating hoards of pumpkin pie. Mmmm, pumpkin pie.

I'm thankful
that I have a job
for being in college and having access to education
for my friends and family
for my attempted frugality this semester
for my upbringing and from it having a good grasp on how to take care of myself/live on my own
for the opportunity to volunteer abroad (7 weeks!)
for lovely coworkers that make slow days after thanksgiving go by faster
for access to fruits and vegetables in the winter
for my health
gibson

...the list could go on, but probably shouldn't as I'm at work. Working hard.

'Til then

I still have 8 weeks to go before I hop on an airplane to lands afar, but before I leave I think I'm going to ease my way back into blogging by just putting random thoughts in here.

-The cold is finally setting in around campus, making the once peaceful morning walk across the 10th avenue bridge to class a now dreadful, grey, constant nose-dripping experience. When Jax and I are feeling lazy, we'll walk halfway to the Knoll area and hop on the Campus Connector the remainder of the way. Sadly, I try to avoid this because of two things:
1. People that board the bus at Sanford (2 blocks away from my house) and get off in the Knoll area (4 blocks away from my house). They clog up the bus, make it crowded and stinky, and make the whole process take a whole lot longer than it should be.
2. Muscular, able-bodied males sitting in the seats on the bus and staring at all of the women and older folks standing. Seriously, who raised you?! Now mind you, there are justified circumstances sometimes, and it's not that I feel women should always deserve/get a seat before men, but I feel like if I ever had a son they would know to at least offer it. Scratch that, they would WANT to offer it. There are still some things to be said for traditionalism in this world.

-I'm studying for my THIRD midterm in one of my global studies courses. What does this say to me rather than "grrrr"? Professors have lost the sense of what a "midterm" is supposed to mean. What do they think would happen if every instructor I had this semester happened to do that? Nothing good, I'll tell you that much.

-8 weeks and 2 days until I depart for Europe :)

-Kg

adventures in the land of luck, continued

You alright?

It's been a while. In fact, when I ended this blog last May I didn't expect to ever have an opportunity/reason to write it again. I was wrong :)

In case you haven't heard, my nostalgia for Norn 'Iron didn't really die down a lot after I returned to the states. It seems like just a few days ago, but way back in July I decided to e-mail the volunteer coordinator of the organisation I volunteered with abroad to see if she had any openings for resident volunteers in the Spring of 2010, by any slight chance.
Although I was delighted when I received an e-mail back stating I was of course fondly remembered and able to come back in the Spring of 2010, I never had really thought of this as a real option as it would constitute not "studying abroad" but rather formally taking a semester off of college to volunteer. After considering the fact that I'm on track to graduate a semester early anyway, the fact that my nostalgia wasn't going anywhere fast, and positive effects this volunteer program would have on my experience when it does come time to graduate, and simply the amazing opportunity itself, I decided I couldn't pass it up. Without the approval of my parents, but with major support from seemingly the rest of the world including my academic advisor, I went ahead with the plan.

I interned in the Belfast office of Corrymeela last spring helping with the website, magazine, and business side of the organisation. To supplement my work in city, I was able to spend two weekends up at the Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Ballycastle helping facilitate youth groups. This time I'll be living on site in Ballycastle, could quite possibly be the only American, and will be quite busy facilitating groups and helping with daily chores/tasks around the Centre. Should be grand :)

Since the summer, I've accomplished:
Securing a UK work visa, complete with visiting the visa application centre in St. Paul and getting my mug shots/fingerprints taken. The UK doesn't accept just anyone, you know.
-Purchasing a plane ticket to London (the flights were cheaper) and another flight to Newcastle, England, where I'll stay with a friend for a few days.
-Purchasing a flight from Newcastle to Belfast for 16 pounds sterling. With taxes, fees, and the conversion rate, that's $39!!! Why can't flights be this cheap in the US?

There's a lot left to do, but I'm well on my way to an enriching, exciting, freeing experience come January 18th. Up 'til then, I'm reentering the world of blogging as it's been far too long.



-Karen

The Last One

Hello!

I am Minnesotan once again. Sunday after a 7 hour plane across the Atlantic, an hour layover in New Jersey, and a 3 hour flight to the midwest, I made it safe and sound back to my homeland. Safe and sound, but happy? Perhaps. Torn, I would classify it. I am happy to see my family and friends, feel sun on my face, and have a wee car to zoom about in. On the other hand, I already miss the accents, the excitement, and not knowing what might lie down the road.

The Last Supper...err..breakfast in Norn' Iron.


Homebound!


I suppose it was only natural that it was raining as we left...



Anyway. I'm having a hard time figuring out what I should say when people ask, "How was your trip?" What response would be appropriate? "Good" doesn't seem quite right. Very strange...

I went down to campus last night and was reunited with many people. I'd say 90% couldn't comprehend "Northern Ireland" from "Ireland", and the remaining 10% had very limited knowledge or provided very amusing summaries of the place, such as: "Huh. That's where people shoot each other and stuff, right?" and "Oh wow. You made it home alive I see, that's good!"

The beginning of the end, the end of the beginning. Who knows. I'm at a content place, I believe. I love Northern Ireland and I love my life in Minnesota. I know I'll be happy in this place for a while. However, I may or may not in the future be looking into what Irish citizenship entails. *Shifty eyes*

All in all: Successful travels. So closes another chapter of my wee life. Ta, Norn' Iron!




-Karen/Kah-ren/Kieren

Goodbye Coleraine

Well, I have about 15 minutes left in Flat #3 of Building F, Cranagh Student Village and about 24 hours left in Northern Ireland. I have extremely mixed feelings on the matter. For one, I can't WAIT to see my family/friends/dog and move back to a land of conveniences and familiar things. On the other hand...

I won't get to see the ocean almost every day:

Instead of 40 shades of green, there'll be perhaps 7:

I can't open my mouth and be recognized as foreign anymore.
I can't use like "wee" and "craic" and have no one blink an eye.
I won't be able to open my windows and look out on the River Bann.
The people I've experienced this place with won't be near me:

Our fearless leader, Nigel, will return to his quiet life until the next HECUA class comes next Spring. He clearly won't love them as much as us.
My cell phone number will begin with 763 again, rather than 028.
I won't be able to go to the pub for a pint anymore.
There will be diversity again? Weird.
I'll have to get used to the passenger and driver side of the car switching again. JUST WHEN I FIGURED IT OUT.
Taxi's will be a rarity again.
Listening to Cara Dillon and Paul Brady will only stir up nostalgic memories.
Catholic and Protestant will never mean the same thing as they did before I came here.
Nigel won't be there to find remedy plants when I touch stinging Nettles:

There won't be wee sheep everywhere I turn my eyes:

Lydia and Caleb...

My umbrella won't have to be stashed in my purse/jacket on every single outing.
Tea, coffee, and bikkies will slowly be a thing of the past.

Aye, enough o' that chat, like. It was good craic, so it was. Amazin'. Brilliant, like.
Cheers, all the best. Bye, bye bye....

Time flies, so it does.

Hi hi. I think today might have been the nicest weather I've experienced in my adventure abroad. Brie and I actually napped in a field in the sun, which was slightly epic because: A) The sun usually doesn't exist here and B) The grass is usually soaking wet. Hence, I am now vitamin D filled and feeling happy.

I turned in my independent study paper last Friday, and am 90% finished with the group study project.


The monsoons of the past week at one point led me, Alyssa, and Lindsey to seek immediate shelter on a walk to Portstewart. Amusingly under this:

Just the usual hangout, you know.

Yay! Paper writing in the sun :)


I guess you can't attach documents to blog posts otherwise I would attach my research paper. I CAN now, however, disclose that my topic was "Exploring cross-community contact in the education system in Northern Ireland" and I highly enjoyed researching the matter. Hooray.

I absolutely cannot believe I have six mere days left in this wee country. Time flies, so it does. Achh I am not going to discuss my departure yet. I don't think any of us are quite ready to address the subject yet.

cheers,
Karen

Rain, rain rain

It has rained every day for the past 6 days. Grrr. The weather and the papers are making everyone crabby and stressed, so they are.

Thursdays at The Anchor in Portstewart are Traditional Irish Music nights. We went in our first few weeks in Northern Ireland, and ever since we moved to Belfast we've been looking forward to attending again. WELL. Thursday night rolled around last night and only about half of our class ended up going, due to unfinished papers, "lack of motivation," etc. Sad. Despite, the lot of us who did go had a marvelous time and Brie got to reunite with her man:


Ta ha. He's class, like.

We filled the night with a little dancing, a pint, and chatting with some *gasp* American men-the first I've met in Coleraine, I believe. It was quite refreshing and somewhat nostalgic. It really is amazing how you can often pick Americans out in a crowd solely by the way they move, their mannerisms, and the way they interact with other people. Also, it was very, very odd meeting someone and not being curious about their "identity." What is this place doing to us?

One more paper to go! Here's some photos from the last day or so:





Ta,
Karen

Republic Reflection paper, Independent Thesis Project, Group Thesis Project.........

Term papers are eating me alive.

Ahhhhh.

Full Circle

Whoa two posts in one day. I simply feel as though I must document the state of happiness the last 5 hours has brought me to :D

The group had had a wee discussion last evening about continuing the tradition of Saturday morning walks to Portstewart, but it was unfortunately only Justin, Becca, and I who woke up and found motivation to go through with it. Justin met us "Block F" ladies at the Cranagh Student Village around 11:30 this morning, and (with no jacket, may I emphasis) we began our trek to the coast.

Although we spent a month up here at the beginning of our adventures, I unfortunately have never known the north coast with sun. When we arrived, Northern Ireland was experiencing its first snowstorm in years and we were caught up in a society of stress (an inch of snow and the world stops up here, I tell you) and cloudy skies. No complaints, since the weather was still about 40 degrees warmer than MN, but after coming back here and feeling the sun on my face I now can say this place is better than I even remembered. An that's saying a lot, since I initially loved it. Anyway, the three of us walked 45-50ish minute to Portstewart, ate our traditional Morelli's lunch, and enjoyed wee ice cream cones by the sea. I love to claim that I'm a city girl who loves the hustle and bustle, but I'm coming to terms with the fact it's a a bold faced lie.


Becca and Justin enjoying a seaside Morelli's lunch


My trusty roasted red pepper panini and cappucino


FINALLY!! My never-ending quest for tofu in Northern Ireland is complete


It's really the simple things in life, aye?


Oh P.S. Mom: I forgot to tell you when we were driving through Co. Wicklow on Thursday I saw a "Mary O'Loughlin's Opticians".


Love love love,
Karen/Kah-ren/Kieren

The craic begins to end

I have officially lived without internet since Monday, and I'm happy to say I did fine (minus slight shakes and a headache, of course). Luckily, our group arrived back in Coleraine last night from a week together in Dublin and now have universal communication once again. Hoorah!

This program has been amazing in giving us an in depth, accurate, and fair understanding of Northern Ireland, but I think everyone in the HECUA class would agree the trip to the Republic was vital to making it complete. The bottom line of the issue is even if N. Ireland's majority wanted a unified Ireland, it's really in the hands and decisions of the Republic. Let's just say it's common in Dublin to smile and claim you'd support a united Ireland, but when you get to discussing what that would actually mean, many aren't so sure anymore. The reality, actually, is barely anyone in the south has ever BEEN to Northern Ireland. When the topic of Belfast comes up, it's "Oh yeah, the Falls Road, yeah. You didn't go to the SHANKILL, did you?" Or, "Yeah I've heard of Derry. The Bogside, right?"
Yes, Falls Road, the Bogside...all very important places. Unfortunately that's really only half of them. AND the kicker is if you want a united Ireland, you have to take all of it, Shankill and Waterside included. And you have to make them feel welcome, give them all healthcare, and give up your weekly trip 2 miles North of the border for cheaper shopping.
The other interesting I personally noted down in good ol' Éire: It's interesting how much Republicans in Northern Ireland strive to be Irish and identify themselves with it. In my opinion, they're different. They're similar to people I met in Ireland, but Northern Ireland really just has it's own unique people with different ways of thinking, speaking, and relating to each other. It's the same with Unionists. They try to identify themselves so much as English or British, but they just simply aren't. Northern Ireland is such a great place and it makes me sad neither of these parties can recognize its greatness for what it is, rather than for what it isn't or what it "should" be.

On a more touristy perspective of Dublin: The city was large, bustling, and almost so Irish that it wasn't Irish anymore, you know? A lot of us felt like the use of the language and the traditional "pubs" and "foods" were used too much of a tourist-catering way and strayed away from the actuality of it. We had fun seeing Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse, and Kilmainham Gaol, where they held and executed the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. I found Kilmainham fairly amazing and it was definitely strange to see the leaders portrayed as heroes, whereas in the North the topic is controversial and it probably wouldn't be wise to run around calling them "heroes" or "freedom fighters" unless you had a wish to possibly put your health and well being in danger.
Our class also met with a few different political parties in the Republic, including Sinn Fein, Fianna Fael and Fine Gael. Let's just say a few of them had extremely interesting views.
On our last day in the Republic, our class visited Glencree Peace and Reconciliation Centre in the Wicklow Mountains. It was probably one of the most beautiful places we've seen thus far...

Team Belfast says a final farewell to Arboe Hall :(




I'm proud to say I finished, and actually enjoyed a Guinness for the first time in my life. I will also say it tastes a lot better here than it does in the North.

Wicklow



Fairy Tree!


Yay for being back in my room in Coleraine. I've got things on the agenda for the day though, so I must depart for now.

Ciao
Karen

Cave Hill Hiking!

Brie and I woke up early this morning and decided we should attempt to "carpe diem", if you will. Hiking on Cave hill has been on the agenda for quite some time, and since the sun was shining we figured it would be a perfect day to do it. Clad in tennis shoes, hiking apparel, and after a wee stop at Clements Coffee, we were on our way.

We won't argue the fact that we aren't really in shape for challenging hikes at the moment. People in Northern Ireland definitely don't seem to prioritize working out like in the states. Generally, they "can't be bothered" with things like that, and I think our whole HECUA class has gladly taken on that attitude in the last three months. It's been kind of nice, but I must say the day was kind of a slap in the face. BUT. We did succeed in scaling that monster, and it was well worth the sweat and pain. The view of the city was beautiful, and the fresh air and sun felt amazing. I think it was an appropriate thing to do on our last weekend in County Antrim, aye?





We made it!


Sigh. We shall miss Belfast when we're gone.

Ta,
Karen

Bits and Bobs

Wow, this week is flying by. I only have 2 more days of work! I've been plugging away yesterday and today at the four articles I've been working on for the next magazine, and I'm proud to say 3/4 are completely done, and one just has a few tweaks left to make. Yay!! For the last article, I'm interviewing a gal named Emma who is the "Faith and Life worker" at Corrymeela. We're putting together an article about how small, positive things you do in life can add up and make a big difference. She's probably one of the nicest, most smiley people I've ever met! I think we're probably going to use this picture I took of her in the mag:



Aww. Anyway, I'm on the home stretch at Corrymeela and I have to say I'm quite sad to be leaving my wee desk in No. 8 behind. I got good working experience, wrote some pieces I'm pretty proud of, formed new relationships with co-workers, and got the chance to volunteer up at the Ballycastle Centre a few times through it. All in all, I'd say it was a rather successful way to spend 7 weeks.

Unfortunately the work isn't quite behind me, as I still have my independent study project AND group project to do. They are 15-20 page research papers (shudder)on a topic of our choosing relating to Northern Ireland and social change/history/democracy/justice/politics, etc. You could take it a lot of different directions I suppose, which is good because any 15-20 page research paper I'm writing absolutely has to be about something I'm extremely interested in. I'll disclose my topics after I get a good chunk of the papers finished.

I skyped with Katie last evening! So nice. I think it's too late in the trip to be "homesick" anymore, as there's only a little over three weeks left. Rather when I spoke with her I just felt anxious thinking about trying to pack everything I possibly can into my short time left here, and at the same time extremely excited to go home and be among people and things I love.

I caved and bought BASSHUNTER'S "Now You're Gone" album on iTunes. Ahhh I had to.

I'm all turned around about this stupid keyboard. In the UK the @ symbol and quotation marks are opposite, so at work I have to type one way and on my laptop the other. Some things would just make so much more sense to be universal. What could the point of switching them possibly be?? On that note, I hope I remember how to drive when I get home. Not just remember how to control a car, but remember what side of the road is appropriate to drive on. Errr.

5 days until I'm here:




9 days until I'm here:



25 days until I'm here:


Eep! OK, time to do a bit of research and fold my laundry.

cheers,
karen

The Summer Day by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Corrymeela Weekend

Last weekend volunteering at the Ballycastle site of Corrymeela turned out to be a lot less hectic than the previous one. I helped lead a teenage group from Derry who for some reason had about 10 years of maturity on the Scottish group. Not sure why. They were fun to work with and also were curious in learning more about the volunteers, whereas the Scottish group just wanted to run around and be rebellious. I had fun explaining what the heck a "s'more" is to EVERYONE, since it seems the USA is the sole place that makes them. The chaperone's of the Derry group also asked the volunteers to put something together for their talent show on Saturday night, and to be quite frank I think we passed with flying colours. I had let it slip that in my past I used to cheerlead (the fellow volunteers were slightly fascinated), so of course they made me teach them a stunt. Alas, our "talent" at the show was Corrymeela cheer that included lifting Lisa above our heads. Needless to say, the Derry group was amazed. "That was sooo cool..."



I'm at the top, from my left is: Lisa from Germany, Vishwas from India, Chris from England, and Elsa from El Salvador. Pretty neat.

The weekend came and went, and I arrived back in Belfast Sunday night. I absolutely can't believe it's my last week in this city. I feel like I just got here, but at the same time I sort of feel like I've been here forever. I guess it's only natural that the sun is deciding to come out and the weather is beautiful just as we begin our departure...

Last Tuesday ever at my Corrymeela-Belfast desk! I'm so sad-my co-worker Astrid is on "holiday" this week, so I'll probably never get to see her again. Strange. Anyway, hope all is well at home.

cheers,
karen

Newly acquired skills

So this morning I:

-Woke up at 9:00 a.m.
-Packed a weekend's worth of things in a small backpack (computer included)
-Caught a bus from Belfast to Ballycastle (which required a transfer in Ballymena, if I may add)
-Hiked 45 minutes and navigated my way from the town of Ballycastle up to Corrymeela (please note: with the 20 lb backpack/child on my back) and arrived at the Centre dripping in sweat

I feel very accomplished, and it's only 3:00. It was nice to arrive here and find familiar faces who were excited to see me. Yay Karen.

Now for a weekend of extremely intense, 15-hour workdays trying to lead a youth group from Derry. At least their accents will be easier to understand than the Glasgowians...

-karen

Bangor

MORNING

My day without work led to my spontaneous decision to buy a bus ticket to Bangor, sit by the sea, get a wee cappuccino, and get cracking on 2 different papers. Bangor is a town on the east coast about a half hour outside Belfast. I'm not really sure if there's anything particularily special about it, but some of my co-workers reside there and I suppose it will be nice to get out of the city for the day. Yay spontaneity? I'm currently sitting in a seat on the beloved Ulsterbus and I have sneakily piled my belongings in the seat beside me to ensure my personal bubble is not tested at this time of the morning. Ta ha. I'm a crab, aren't I...oh well. Nigel did tell me yesterday he initially got the impression from me that I was sort of a "lone wolf." So I am, at times I suppose, but I think my lone-wolf tendencies need to be equally balanced with enough social interaction to keep me satisfied.

I met for coffee with Nigel yesterday afternoon for about 2 hours to discuss things ranging from my paper to some more personal issues. I think it was one of the first extremely beneath-the-surface chats that Nigel and I had actually. It was good-I think he is probably one of my favorite (if not absolute favorite) professors I have yet to be instructed by. Anyway, the bus will be in Bangor in a few minutes so I'll add more later on.


EVENING

Hi hi. Bangor was absolutely delightful. I've never been to Connecticut or Cape Cod, but I guess if I imagined it it would look similar. I started the day with a cappuccino, walked for about an hour and a half on the coastal sea path, and then lounged in the grass for an hour or so to start my papers. So nice.

This was the first thing I saw when I arrived:

Who knew?!







Lovely day. I discovered Bangor is the location where Brie's internship organisation docks their boat, and it's known as a very "posh" location in Northern Ireland. I think I could handle it.

Back up to Corrymeela for the weekend! Yay peace and reconciliation...and free food. Woot!

Ciao,
Karen

The Wee Morn'

-Here I am, up with the sun. Or lack thereof. Weird.

-New banner! I have no life, clearly.

The flat and I assembled this about a month ago and I forgot about it! Here we are:


THINGS WE MISS
Target
Screens on windows
Peanut butter that doesn’t taste like paste
Cars
Full sized refridgerators
Dishwashers
Clothes hangers
RICE KRISPIES and NOT crisp rice
Large bags of chocolate chips
Chips (or crisps here) that don’t have flavors pertaining to meat. Ew.
Refridgerated eggs
Grocery stores that make sense
Sun
Chocolate sauce
A selection of syrup
Vegetables that aren’t plastic wrapped
Looking right then left then right and knowing it's okay to cross the street
Not wearing my raincoat and hood every day
Somewhere to lounge
TV without a license (Coleraine), or TV in general (Belfast)
Diversity
Not having to dress up just to run to the grocery store
Even sidewalks that we don't trip on
Wireless internet that works
Plugging things in without a converter
Not military time
Being able to watch certain videos on Youtube and not being "forbidden for being foreign"
Being 100% comfortable wearing green
Saying I’m American and getting a response not having to do with obama
Quilted toilet paper
Not having to wrap cloth around doors handles to prevent slamming
Having valid IDs
Not having the gates to our colleges close and lock at midnight
Black beans
Anything in bulk
Soy milk
Coffee makers
Spices
No bomb threats
Knowing the measuring system
Trustworthy locks
Separate light and fan in bathroom
Not having to carry an umbrella everywhere


Things we like about NI/Things we don’t miss:
The level of history
Wee things
A low amount of class time
Loose schedules
The culture
Accents
“traditional irish dancing”
Meeting influential people
Scones
Dark humour
“you’re very welcome”
So it is.
HECUA clan
Nigel and the Glenny house.
Nancy and NOT Jake
Bushmills
Half loaves of bread
Coleraine
Ben craig and co.
The Real World: Belfast
Harassing roommate while they are sleeping
Martin and Kenny the cab drivers
Morelli’s
Family dinners
Kremlin
Good "craic"
The anchor
Running on the beach in the rain
Knowing more than average tourists
Tesco’s garlic bread
Having to walk places (sometimes)
Jordan’s "prayers"
Derek from UNESCO
Cheap flights to different countries
Being close to other countries
Driving across the island in 2.5 hours
The fact that everyone knows everyone
Legit clubs
Being young professionals
The past first minister not having any security
Dunluce allusions
Lady gaga playing in random stores
Guinness (for some)
Designated tea breaks
An ocean within 100 miles
Cherry blossoms everywhere
The walk down Malone Road
Botanic Gardens
Picking up NI phrases
Grass-fed cows
Wee sheep everywhere
40 shades of green


ta,
Karen

The Remedy

So Paris was great, but I didn't mention mine and Brie's bout of homesickness on our return trip to Belfast...

We boarded the train at 6:30 p.m. in Paris towards Charles de Gaulle airport, and literally 10 minutes into the ride both of us looked at each other and started to get teary eyed. We talked about how great the weekend is, but at the same time how much foreign countries make us nostalgic for things at home. We mentioned how we wished we were getting on a plane to MN rather than NI, and spent the rest of the travel time home in a bit of a dreary mood. We splurged on a taxi from the airport to our flat in Belfast (it's about a half an hour), and went to bed.

I forgot to mention this: Many shops and organisations are closed this entire week for Easter, and it just so happens Corrymeela is included in that number. What does this mean? It means I have the week off to explore Belfast and do things I haven't gotten a chance to do yet! 'Tis a very refreshing feeling. Anyway, I awoke this morning to my flatmates in the kitchen talking about how they all were feeling some homesickness this weekend. Maybe we've just hit a low point in the trip, but everyone seems to be a little nostalgic for the good old midwest. Not fun. I mulled over some things in my head while eating my cereal, and eventually decided I shall attempt to use my day/week off to help my spirits rather than wallow in the flat. Hence, the idea for a new project was born:

What Makes me Happy about Northern Ireland: A Photo Essay.


-Walking down the streets with my ipod and getting lost in the moment. The latest: Steve Earl's "Galway Girl".

-The amazin' Value Cab Company. Meets all of our needs for lazy days, tired legs, late-night and early-morning pick ups. We'll just forget about the car accident incident.

-Charlie's Coffee Company! One of my treats.



-Walking by Queens University on my way to work everyday. This building is SO beautiful and looks like it is part of Hogwarts.

-Stopping at Winemark on the way home and everyone in our flat enjoying a glass with dinner.

-"To Let" means "to lease", basically. I love the fact that my mom initially thought these signs said "TOILET" and the I had been rubbed out somehow.


-The ocean. Minnesota is so unique in the sense that it's one of the furthest places from the ocean on earth. I try to make NI natives realize how lucky they are to live so close to it, as well as understand why I always want to just "take in the view" for a few minutes.

-My new found love for scones. Enough said.

-The "family". OK creepy, that sounded a little Charles Manson-esque, but seriously. Our group would not function even if one of us left. We are all continuously supporting each other, squabbling like siblings, and trying to hold on to the time we have left together before we're splintered all over the country again.


-Cherry blossoms! I'm not even sure if I've ever seen them in real life before this trip, but they are ALL OVER Belfast and I am coming to adore them.

-Cooking dinner and eating together as a flat. If everything else seems foreign and difficult, this is the one thing we can all look forward to at the end of a long day.

-Learning about the peace process and actually living in it. We're so lucky HECUA and Nigel have put together such a great program for us. The people we meet, the classes and jobs we have, and the field-trips we take are all top-drawer (NOT top-shelf, which means something completely different, thanks Nigel).


I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself for coming up with this idea. It was pretty therapeutic, and I plan to continue on with it whenever I'm feeling a twinge of homesickness. I had to laugh when I took a walk today to get some of these pictures this afternoon and made a wee stop at the grocery store (one of my favourite things to do) and then started home feeling good only to watch my poor grocery bag split in two and all of my groceries spill onto the sidewalk. Too ironic. Luckily, my purse was almost big enough to hold most of my food. I was only the weird girl with a bulging purse, apple in one hand, and box of Rice Krispies under the other arm for the rest of the walk home. Ta ha.

Anyways. Hope this finds everyone well!

-Karen