Home Sweet Oakdale

I'm back! Actually, I've been back for almost a week, but I am just now getting to writing about it. First, give me a moment to complain about the journey. I was traveling from 2 am Friday until 7 am Saturday (though only 11pm California time). I think it will be quite awhile before I regain my love of flying. But enough of my whining. I made it home without getting stuck in a snow storm, for which I am extremely grateful for. Since then I have been slowly adjusting to the thought of being home, which was harder than I thought for the first two days, but is getting progressively easier. I am convinced that I owe this to Miss Rich and Miss Olson. What would I do without you guys? Some of my activities so far have been:
Eating Mexican food. It's become one of my main hobbies.
Decorating the Christmas tree (which was fun for about 5 minutes).
Wrapping presents.
Making seven pans of delicious maple cinnamon roles (which turned out pretty well considering that I did just about everything I could to screw up the recipe).
Re-reading the ends of my favorite novels. This is one of my favorite night time activities when I am at home alone (Umm...is this too geeky to admit to the internet? I think it might be.)
So I am doing pretty well, despite missing my wonderful roommate and beautiful Galway. As for this blog, 120 Days of Galway has seen its last post. From now on I'll be using Footnotes again, as it would be weird to use this blog in SLO. Thanks for reading!

Goodbyes

I am starting to realize that I am not a goodbye person. I hate them! How do you say goodbye to a friend that you have seen everyday for four months? I'm not sure, but I will let you know in a few hours. I have decided to go with "see you laters" instead of goodbyes. Ugh.
Since that is such a depressing subject, I'm moving on. This is going to be a very long day. This morning I am going to scrub down my apartment, which is going to be disgusting. I am then going into town to help Colleen finish Christmas shopping, enjoy the sunshine (hopefully), and get one more Butler's hot chocolate, the fabled "best hot chocolate in Galway." We're then going to an early dinner at the same place we went to our first night, getting a last Bulmers (hopefully accompanied by a last trad session) and then walking back to watch a Christmas movie. I will then wrestle with my too-small bag once more, pray that it decides to zip, and watch my last few hours of Irish television. At 2 am I am taking the bus to Dublin airport, which will hopefully be nap time. After 5 hours of waiting in the airport (yes, I booked the wrong bus, but it was 1 euro, so I'll take the 5 hour wait), I will finally say goodbye to Ireland. For twelve hours. Wish me luck!!

An Anglo-Irish dictionary...of sorts

I know I have mentioned Irish phrases and words on here before, but I thought I would try to give a more comprehensive Anglo-Irish list. Here we go.
Stripey - striped. As in, "this shirt is stripey."
Slippy - slippery.
Gas - funny.
Craic - fun.
Holiday - vacation.
Gorg - short for gorgeous. So..."Patrick Dempsey is gorg."
Lashing - raining hard. Another term for this is wallashing, though that is only used by Colleen.
Grand - apparently I have been using this wrong. It means alright, not great.
Cheers - thanks. As hard as I try, I can't pull this off without sounding over enthusiastic.
Class- great. "Clay Aiken is class."
Your man/your one - a person you are talking about. "Your man went to the store yesterday."
Biscuits - all cookies without chocolate chips. I know, it's odd.

I think I fell in love...

When I first got here, I really liked Ireland. I enjoyed all the quirky differences and the pretty scenery. More than anything, I feel like I was looking for the stereotypes of Ireland, and enjoying them thoroughly once I found them. I loved the green hills because Ireland is supposed to be green, I liked the pubs because there were supposed to be charming pubs in Ireland. While I was busy doing this, trying to find the stereotypical Ireland in the real one, I unknowingly fell in love with the real Ireland. I realized this this morning on my walk into town, with the grass frosty and my fingers slowly turning numb. What do I love about the real Ireland? I love the beautiful, lilting accents. The heavy, stone Cathedral set in the middle of Galway City. The rushing Corrib River that is slowly swelling to touch the bottom of the bridges. The busy weekend market smashed between the old medieval church and bustling shop street. The blue and red of Tescos under a fantastic clear sky. And though most of me is ready to go, to be home in sunny California where my family, friends, and car live, a smaller part of me wants to stay.

Nollaig Shona Duit!

I am slowly, and not so surely, learning Irish. Nollaig Shona Duit means Merry Christmas (just don't ask me to pronounce it). The last two days have been so fun and relaxing, and also very Christmasy. My roommates and I have been decorating our apartment for Christmas. It looks like Buddy the Elf just moved in, considering all our decorations are made out of paper. We have a Christmas tree as tall as me, complete with ornaments, lights, and presents, we have a fireplace with stockings, and we even have a left over hand turkey dressed like Santa. After baking and cutting up a storm yesterday, we went out for a "last supper" with our CEA group. We started out with ice skating, which was so so fun! All my geeky rollerblading days paid off at last. After we were all tired and sore-footed (is that a word?) we went to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant downtown. There's nothing like living in expensive Ireland to make you appreciate going out to dinner! Not only did we eat to our hearts content, and a little more, but they put little Christmas boxes on the table. Inside were poppers, paper crowns, and those little New Years horn things. Needless to say, this kept us quite entertained. It's been so nice, I almost don't want to leave. But home sounds so good, as do my wonderful family and friends!

Lazy Days

"I studied in Galway, Ireland," "It's lashing out," " He's gorg." Imagine this all in a horrendously fake Irish accent, and you see what my poor roommates have to deal with this afternoon. Considering I have far too much free time on my hands, one of my new missions is to learn to imitate the Irish accent. It is proving to be very difficult. Besides that, not much is going on in Galway. Tonight my roommates are having a "farewell dinner." We are going to get really classy, order in pizza, and go see The Christmas Carol (in 3D, which Colleen is overly excited about). In addition, my lovely roommate had decided to make one last apple crumble, which will top off the night wonderfully. And...I come home in nine days!!

Roma!

My four days in Rome was a great mixture of beautiful sights, precious sunlight, and lots of laughter. Colleen and I got there on Wednesday and got back last night, which was just enough time. The first day we went to the Collosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum (translate: the history geek's heaven) and then walked across the city to what our tour guide said was "the best gelato in Rome." As I have not tried every gelateria in Rome, I can't say for sure that he was right, but I think it's a pretty safe bet. Not only was the ice cream absolutely delicious, but they topped it with a huge dollop of fresh whipped cream. Yumm. Our second day there we braved the subway and headed to Vatican City. After a slight mishap in which Colleen and I got temporarily separated (and without working cell phones) we emerged from the subway right on the doorstep of the Vatican, and even missed the infamous line. Despite the lack of Pope sightings, the Vatican was well worth the trip. To top the day off we went out that night dressed up in all our new Irish finery and visited the Trevi Fountain. The fountain is absolutely huge and lights up at night; it was gorgeous. Our last day we only had until mid afternoon, so we walked (I'm becoming quite the walker!) to the Travestevere district, which is a cute little neighborhood that looks more like a little Italian town than part of a huge city. We had one last delicious pizza, made one last stop to our favorite gelateria, and were back on our way to Ireland. It was a great trip, but I'm glad to be back in my little home away from home.

It's beginning to feel like...

Christmas! And I love it. This last weekend was perfect for getting in the holiday spirit. The weather has been suspiciously cooperative, so on Saturday Colleen and I went downtown to take advantage of it and we did some Christmas shopping. I got almost everything I need, which was both fun, painful, and quite a relief. I then went over to a friends house to watch a rugby game (I know, shocking) and some disney movies. Not only did Ireland win the match, but Miko was more charming than ever. The next day I caught up on some important reading (Twilight counts as important, right?) and then went to an advent service at the Church of Ireland. It was beautiful. The church is an old medieval church, and it was all lit up with candles. Everyone was wrapped up in scarves and jackets, even in the church, and holding their own individual candle. And the choir was unbelievable! It was like a scene out of a Christmas movie, and I now feel like it is officially Christmas time.

The day in review

Now that I am rested and no longer covered in an attractive mixture of flour and stuffing, I thought I would let you know how my Thanksgiving went. First of all, I cooked all day. Although I had volunteered to do this, I realized that it's more fun to think about and plan than actually to do. My chocolate pecan pie was weird looking but tasty, the stuffing was almost up to par, and the turkey turned out MOIST. Who knew?? It was definitely worth all the work. By 7:00 I felt like I had a little bit of home here in Ireland. What with the cranberry sauce, the dressing, and the apple pie, I really felt like it was Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Update

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am only doing a quick update because I am exhausted. So far I have baked a chocolate pecan pie (crust and all!), made an Irish-American stuffing (so cultural), made the extra pie crust into delicious pie crust cookie things, put the turkey in, and started the potatoes. I will let you know how it all turns out!

I found him...

My Irish gentleman. He's been in my life for quite awhile now, but I've really come to depend on him in the last few weeks. He's cute, but not overstated. He always puts me first, is a little protective, and never leaves my side. He's pretty quiet, but is a great listener. Oh, and he's my umbrella. Literally. Is that sad? Because I think I'm in love.

Thanksgiving Challenge

Tomorrow Colleen and I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and I am slightly intimidated. Only slightly because everyone attending is in their twenties as well and therefore highly unlikely to know how to cook all of this as well. Here's my menu:
Turkey
Stuffing
Rolls
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce (homemade!)
Corn
Apple Crumble
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Biscut Cake (my Irish roommate is making this one, and I am pretty excited)

Wish me luck! I think I might need it!

A Wet Adventure

Yesterday Colleen and I had an epic adventure. After a very indecisive morning, the weather finally cleared and it looked like it was going to be a good day. We decided to take advantage of the sun and take a walk to the bed and breakfast that her sisters are going to be staying at. Now, we knew the walk is about an hour one way, so we were prepared for quite a trek, and she had persuaded me to come with the promise of a cab ride back. So after making a pit stop at the library, our adventure began. We were about half way when we heard the thunder and started to worry. Although the sky at our backs was a cheery blue, it looked as if we were walking into a hurricane. This was also about the time that she saw lightening, which she didn't tell me because she didn't want me to turn back. Which we definitely should have done, because about five minutes later the rain started to come down in sheets. True, I had an umbrella, but when the wind is whipping around it's not completely useful (especially because it is really cute which forces me to be over protective of it). So we ran into a cafe to take some much-needed shelter. Half an hour later, we set out again, after being lured out with the slowing rain. How wrong we were! As soon as we left it started to pour again. One hotel lobby and two pairs of soaked jeans later, we finally arrived at our destination. This bed and breakfast must be the farthest hotel from the city center (which she has not yet told her unsuspecting sisters). I did however learn some very important lessons from this: 1)Never trust Colleen when it comes to weather and 2) There is nothing like hot tea and pajama pants to make a rainy day well worth it.

Blue Skies

When I was little I love rainy days. If I woke up and heard it storming outside I would peek out the window near my bed, hoping that by some miracle it would be so stormy that the power would go out and school would be canceled. Even now that I'm older I love waking up to rain. There's something about living in California, and even more recently in SLO, that makes you appreciate a rainy day. Here in Ireland I find that I am the opposite. This morning I woke up and saw a little sliver of blue through my blinds. Blue!! I haven't seen a blue sky in just under a week, and then for only a day. Now I am sitting in the front room where my roommates and I have opened up the curtains in order to soak it all in. With the sun shining and New Moon waiting for me this afternoon, not even the threat of my essay looming over me can dampen today!

Update: My blue sky just disappeared behind the biggest, grayest cloud ever. I think I celebrated too soon.

Consequences of Cold

Even though a seventy-degree fall (ahem, SLO friends) sounds fabulous right about now, I am enjoying soaking up the cold weather. Or at least what it brings along with it. As my mom says, I have been "nesting," making comfort foods and bundling up. A few nights ago Colleen and I made homemade macaroni and cheese (which my Irish roommate promptly declared "so American") and last night I made some delcious, buttery shortbread. Perfect for dunking in tea! Which reminds me: I now have a new favorite blog. Check out www.smittenkitchen.com. She tries out delicous recipes and let's you know how they turn out. Besides giving you great recipe ideas, she is really funny and puts up great pictures. Trust me, you'll be addicted too if you like to cook or bake!

Only in Ireland

One reason I love Ireland is because it is so endearing. For the most part, the culture here is very similar. But, like the story of the builders constructing the wrong university building on the NUIG campus, sometimes Ireland is very different than the US. Last weekend I came upon another story like this that reminded me why I love this place. We were on our awesome land/water tour in Dublin and boated past an old ferry. The ferry was docked with one side facing the an apartment building, and the other side facing the opposite side of the river, where there was another, more distant, apartment complex. The side facing the river, and that we saw, was completely run down. It looked like a boat that had (barely) survived the Perfect Storm. The funny part was that the other side was newly painted and in great shape. This was because the people in one apartment complex complained about the boat, while the people on the other side did not. So what did they do? They painted the side that faced those who complained, and left the side that faced those who didn't. It was yet another "only in Ireland" experience.

Senior Project Woes

So, devoted readers, I need your input. The time is coming when I have to make a decision on what to do for my senior project. For those of you who have not had the benefit of hearing me complain about this yet, every History major has to write a forty page paper during their last two quarters at Cal Poly. I am having major problems coming up with/committing to a topic. So...that's where you come in. Here are my ideas so far:
1. The Salem witch trials (and how the role of children in the trials escalated the witch hunt).
2. Joseph Kony and child soldiers in Uganda (pretty much what Invisible Children is dealing with).
4. The Easter Rising in Ireland (the beginning of their independence).
5. The "Troubles" between Northern and Southern Ireland.
Does any of these stand out? Or anyone have any interesting ideas? I know it really comes down to what I am most interested in, but I would love some input anyway. Thanks!

Good News: I was productive today! Considering these days are few and far between, this is exciting.

Bad News: All of the New Moon midnight showings in Galway are sold out. Already!!! No one here quite understands my pain.

Dublin

I LOVED Dublin. It is such a good mix between a typical big city and a typical Irish town with colorful buildings and charming pubs. I think I will just start in the beginning and walk you through the highlights of the weekend. When we first got to the city we checked into our hostel (let's just say a hostel is quite different than a hotel, but this one was mercifully clean and quiet) and then made our way to the "Viking Splash Tour." I know - so exciting! On our way there we walked past stores already decked out with Christmas decorations, saw an aspiring rock band, and stopped in a cafe for coffee (the majority of the group) and cookies (me). Despite this delightful walk through downtown Dublin, I was excited to start our tour, which reminded me of a Disneyland ride. We sat in a "duck" boat (they were from WWII and can go on both land and water...I'm sure you know what I'm talking about Grandpa) with about 25 thirteen year old girls from Spain. Which was interesting. Our crazy (and cute, I should add) tour guide made up for this though, for as we drove through Dublin on our tour he would have us all yell, Viking-style, at unsuspecting passerby. Although this was probably geared towards the hoard of preteens on our tour, it was nonetheless very entertaining.
After this unorthodox tour we headed to Dublin Castle. It no longer looks much like a castle, besides a stone courtyard and a big tower. It was cool to see inside though, because this is the building the government still uses for a lot of their state events. After this we went to the Guinness factory (you can imagine how interesting this was for me) where I got a free pint that I promptly gave away (I haven't warmed to Guinness yet) and wasn't able to visit the only part that interested me: the gift shop. Luckily for me, there is no shortage of gift shops in Ireland. We ended the night at the Temple Bar, which is apparently a famous Dublin pub. It was the Ireland v. France game, playing to compete in the world cup, so it was absolutely packed. I mentioned to one of the girls that it reminded me of the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter, and she looked at me like I was insane. Apparently she's not a big HP fan. Oops!
Today we slept in (fantastic) before we headed off to finish our tour of Dublin. We started out at Kil-----? Jail (I don't remember how to spell it) which is the jail that, along with other things, held the leaders of the Easter Rebellion of 1916. The history geek in me was in heaven. I could rave about it forever on here, but I will spare you all. My group finally peeled me away from the jail, and we headed off to Trinity College. We were given a tour by the most "posh" professor ever, and then went to their library, which is the most famous part of the college. It is absolutely gorgeous. It is everything a library should be, and reminded me of the one in Beauty and the Beast, but even better. I even snapped a forbidden picture, despite the guard lurking in the corner. I know, I am quite the daredevil.
So now I am back in my apartment, cozy and ready for bed. I hope you all had a great weekend as well!

Holidays? I think yes.

Is it the start of the holiday season yet? Although some of you might think it is too early to start celebrating, I have decided to give in. It's just so much more fun that way! Take today for example. Even though I walked all the way to the grocery store only to discover that I had forgotten my wallet, and even though it is once again cloudy and gray out, I am still having a great day. Why? Because I have decided to start my holiday season. So I turned on the Beach Boys Christmas album (because in the Hitch house, this is classic Christmas music) and spent the afternoon baking a favorite holiday (or for that matter, anytime) treat: Oatmeal Carmelitas. For those of you who are interested, the recipe is below (all credit to Sue and Sarah Rich). I highly encourage you to try it!

Oatmeal bottom and topping:
2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
3 cubes butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Middle:
3/4 cup caramel
3 tablespoons flour
chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 7x11 pan. Make the oatmeal mixture and split it in half. Put the first half in the greased pan and bake for 10 minutes. While it is baking combine the caramel and the flour. Top the oatmeal bottom with chocolate chips (to taste) and caramel. Crumble the rest of the oatmeal mixture on top, and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy!!