Monday, August 31, 2009

Relocated

Monday 31st
I like the different dynamics of this trip. I've seen the side of a country I normally wouldn't see - kind of like waiting in line at the social welfare office for 2.5 hours, walking into a hotel today for an interview... yea I interviewed today! I did not expect it to happen like it did, but maybe something good will come from it. As Zach and I were walking from the USIT office (where BUNAC is) to the bus station I got a call from Anna-Maria, the human resources lady at the Newpark Hotel. Thankfully I picked up because Zach informed me that my voice mail is the voice of Wayne...evidently the last person who was renting the SIM card I have. (I changed it on the bus ride). She asked if I was in Kilkenny yet and available for an interview. I explained I was on my way and should arrive in the afternoon, and I told her I was traveling with a friend, Zach, who also sent a resume to her. She asked us to come by as soon as we could. After 2.5 hours on a bus in the gray rainy weather we arrived (I have been self diagnosed with S.A.D - seasonal affective disorder. Ireland might not be the best country for me after all. My moods change about as much as the weather here, which makes perfect sense I suppose). I did like seeing the green countryside. At on point I felt like I was in a star ship going through green light speed. A hedge taller than the bus towered right beside the road. As I was looking out the window it just blurred by like the special effects resembling light speed. The bus dropped us off right in front of the hotel, which was unexpected. The four of us (Erin and Kathleen also joined us on the bus trip - 2 girls from BUNAC orientation) walked inside to get directions to the Mcgabhainns Hostel. Anna-Maria was in the lobby and assumed we were there for the interview.

Let me take a minute to paint you a picture here. I spoke too soon the last time when I said I had a good room with no snorers. Last night was one of the worst sleeping situations ever. It was humid and muggy in the room. The window was left shut. The "hot chicks" I wrote about had very smelly backpacks like rotten tennis shoes. The French dude had a sneezing fit so much so I thought he might need medical assistance. 14 times in a row people! The human body is not meant to withstand that kind of strain. He had to excuse himself from the room about 2am - about the time I decided to open the window no matter what anyone said. Since he was obviously battling some kind of respiratory infection there was some snoring to accompany his sneezing. The loud kind that even wakes the one doing the snoring. He also wasn't the only one that night snoring. Needless to say I got little sleep last night. I had not showered either after sleeping in that sauna and I was wearing the same clothes as the day before when I stepped off that bus and into the rain. The dampness is the worst here. It never goes away. I also have not applied any make-up or picked up a razor since I've landed in Ireland! (Wahoo! j/k - I'm starting to feel really gross because of it)

So, picture painted, the lady wanted to start interviews one by one! No one else was in much better condition and our jaws just dropped. Seriously? This would be an interview for the record books. She said it was fine; she understood our situation, but she'd prefer to go ahead and start the process. So we did. I go back tomorrow for an interview with the lady who hires receptionists. I can't lifeguard because I don't have my certification cards with me, but they expire at the end of September anyway.

We left the hotel in search of our hostel. It was a long hike and I had my duffel with me. While it has wheels, the bag still drags the ground on occasion - enough so today that it rubbed a few small holes in the bottom :( but nothing some form of duct tape can't fix, hopefully. The rain finally stopped, and we set out from the hostel to look around as soon as we set down our stuff. I like Kilkenny. Wasn't so sure about it at first, but when the sun is shining it is beautiful. There is a castle that has a park surrounding it where a bunch of dogs and their owners seem to gather. There is a large green rolling hill in the middle surrounded by a shaded running track. A few meters away from that is the river which runs down and through the town. It was along this river that I discovered the origins of my dog today. It's been a little over one year since his death and I think today is the closest I've ever gotten to discovering what breed of dog made such a fine fellow. I was walking along and stopped suddenly to see Ben. He had just gotten out from a swim in the river, but there was no mistaking that look. He was an identical match to Frisbee except his spots were black not gray. I asked the family (mom, dad, and 3 girls ages 6-12) what kind of dog he was. Polish Lowland Sheepdog. If you google image this dog you might think I'm crazy. The hair is way too long to be Frisbee, but this dog Ben had shorter hair like Frisbee. The family said they also rescued him from the pound and found from a groomer what kind of dog he was because of his extra claw (something Frisbee had as well) They are the only kind of dog like that with a particular claw placed above the rest. I was sold. It's weird to me how I'm in a foreign country and I can communicate with all the vocabulary I normally would. Something I'm still not accustomed to.

My accent is something that seems to surprise others as well. Whenever I say I am from North Carolina people never fail to say I don't have a southern accent. This is especially common when I meet other Americans. I like that I don't sound like I'm from one particular place in the world, but all I can really say is you should hear my home videos from when I first started talking to around 8. Mom, dad and I watched a bunch of videos (for the first time) from when I was growing up before I left. The southern accent coming out of my mouth blew me away. It was crazy. Like a different person talking. Somewhere I lost it though...thankfully :) Although, it was cute then if I do say so myself.

Some final notes:
I had my first pub food Sunday night at Lanighans Plough. Homemade Pie consisting of purred beef, carrots, potatoes, parsnip, crust, and tomato sauce (added by me of course). Thankfully ketchup is not scarce around here like it is elsewhere in Europe. Actually, the food isn't bad when finding variety. I ran across a Papa John's today. I didn't try it, but if I end up living in Kilkenny I sure will. They have Dominoes too.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Weather Updates and Trinity College

Here in Dublin the weather is schizophrenic. I walked out this morning wearing a light turtleneck. Immediately regretting the decision because it was a nice summer to fall day with temperatures around 70 and the sun shining bright. Becky (met at hostel: from Wisconsin: here traveling), Zach and I sent out for a tour of St.Stephen's Green, Merrion Square, and Trinity College. By the time we got to Trinity College it was getting a little colder and then started raining. Currently the rain is still drizzling (doesn't do much more usually) and it is extremely humid. Yesterday it was so windy that my cheeks still feel flush from wind burn.


Trinity College



We decided to take a tour of Trinity College. Aside from the Guinness factory (which I opted out of), Trinity College is about the only other thing really worth it as a tourist attraction in Dublin – in my opinion.

We paid 10 Euro for the tour/Book of Kells exhibit. The tour guide was fantastic. His voice and descriptions were perfect for a tour. We found out that the bell tower in the middle had a bell that rang twice; once for finals and then again for funerals. It was done for examinations by man and examinations by God, so to say.

On each side of the bell tower was a statue. One of the statues was a man of some importance to the college’s founding. However, he was strongly against women attending. He was quoted as saying “over my dead body women would attend” Trinity. Funny enough, the British at that time made him sign a waiver for women and he “signed with his hand but not his heart”. He promptly died a few days later.

The trees in the courtyard behind the bell tower were actually brought from Oregon. Supposedly this particular type does not typically grow as large as these, but because of the rain, shelter of the buildings and the fact that their soil is rich from being a pervious graveyard, they seemed to do quite well.



Before we reached the exhibit hall with the Book of Kells, we saw another library where outside was some sort of sculpture. It has had many interpretations, and you can take your pick. Some say it was the artist’s intention to portray a world of new coming out of the old. Another interpretation is the world of technology destroying the natural curve and face of the world itself. Some just say it looks like the Death Star!

The Book of Kells is a compilation of the four gospels written in Latin by monks around the 9th century. They have torn the thing into quarters to “preserve it, while making some of it available for the public to see”… best idea? ... maybe, maybe not. The two pieces of the book for the public to view is laid open to Matthew 14: 12-23 and a very intricately designed title page. After seeing the book, the tour continues (self-guided) to the Old Library where thousands of works in Latin are stored.

Dun Laoghaire

On Saturday I spent a lot of time revising my resume to CV format that might be appeal to more of a customer service/hospitality job than an office job. Thanks to some much appreciated help, I was able to e-mail my first CV to the Newpark hotel in Kilkenny where I hope to be working soon! This was done yesterday evening, but the majority of the morning or I should say afternoon was spent in a little town on the coast just a 15 min DART (metro) ride to the east.

I decided to sleep till I woke up, which kind of worked but I was woken up finally by the vibrations coming from my "pound puppy stand in" (see tips for travel). It was Zach calling to see if I wanted to join him and two new people he had met at breakfast - Becky and Charlotte on a trip to a festival. They were leaving in an hour. I said I'd probably meed them downstairs to go, but was unsure. Realizing I had absolutely nothing else to do and would be by myself if I didn't go, I got dressed and met them outside the hostel. (Katelyn and Hilary had left for Galway earlier that morning).



As it turned out the festival was a world cultures festival! But it was located in Dun Laoghaire which we could get to by train ... whatever, I went with it. As our tour guide for the day was Nile. He was Charlotte's 'new' boyfriend. [back story real quick - Charlotte is a Canadian on a one year work visa in Ireland. She sent out a Facebook message to Irish people back in February asking about tips for her journey. Somehow that led to Nile. They started talking and it turned into an online romance over the past few months. He picked up at the airport 4 days ago and from what I can tell they get along very well - maybe a little too well in fact. They had no problems adhering to the European PDA culture, so Becky (from Wisconsin who had met and hung out with Charlotte only the day before was glad to have other people that could actually talk to her on a regular basis)]

Back to Saturday - A round trip train ride was only 4.60 euro. The festival was quite extensive. From what I could tell they had about every country represented. There was music you could hear through the town and even a dog dancing around! He was my favorite ... his picture will appear soon. If you didn't know already - the USA is famous for its muffins at least according to the one booth we found advertising American attractions. All they had were muffins! Yummy muffins though.

Tips for Travel

In all my days of traveling I've begun a process that I find useful. Hostels are a great way to meet people. You have to use your best judgment, but often it is a most rewarding experience. Even as I'm sitting here typing I just met two women who I would call the "hot chicks" from Maine. Both in their late 20s to early 30s are on their last leg of a backpacking experience around Europe. One has been here a month and the other 2 weeks. In addition to meeting people in your dorm room, often you will meet people at breakfast or in the kitchen. Most all hostels have a kitchen area where everyone usually cooks at least one meal a day to keep on budget. Sitting down to dinner usually requires you to speak to at least a few different people, which can end up in a plan for sightseeing the following day.

Sleeping in hostels requires one to be at ease with the possibility of sleeping on the top bunk. "Beauty rest" is not likely for those backpacking from hostel to hostel unless you are willing to shell out the extra cash for a private room. Thankfully, no one who has been in and out of this 6 bed dorm snores (unless it is possibly me then I am truly sorry, but I think that only happens when I'm getting sick, and it's never loud enough to wake me up). Usually the noise is the result of a choice. The choice between air circulation (along with a possibly noisy street) or peace and quiet. Often it is agreed that circulation is necessary in a small room of 6 bodies. On a main street in Dublin; however, this is a costly choice. In my three nights here I have tossed and turned to the sound of drunken pub crawlers and techno music only to finally fall asleep much later than expected (actually only 2 nights - the first night I passed out almost immediately from jet lag).

Never have all your eggs in one basket. I have at least three bags when traveling. A pouch, a bookbag, and a suitcase or duffel. Anything of value like important documents and some of my currency are separated out into the pouch. The pouch takes the place of pound puppy curled up next to me when sleeping in a hostel (yes, I was very original when naming my favorite stuffed animal!). Copies of the important items are stored in both of the other bags. Each bag also has a lock.

Paranoia is a good thing. If it can happen, it will. Try taking preventative measures before the worst happens. It will make the trip go a lot smother.

I've never traveled with my laptop before, but I like having it and not waiting for the use of internet on a very limited number of computers. The laptop; however, does present a problem. Why anyone would ever want to steal the crappy school issued laptops handed out to UNC students I don't know, but they do. Zach had his laptop stolen yesterday. Yea, major setback! We think the insurance we are traveling under covers it though - we find out tomorrow. He had left it locked up in a metal basket under his bed. This didn't seem to be enough to deter the thief. Some how it was wiggled out of the storage place. I store mine at the front desk. So far this seems to be a safe way of dealing with it, but I've been asked for ID only once out of the 15 times I've asked for my laptop, so I'm pretty sure it's not a foolproof system.

Bring shower shoes, small towel, and a soap dish when you know you'll be in a hostel.

Other than this traveling around Europe from hostel to hostel can be a pretty cheap way to go. I have free international calling, wifi, kitchen (no food), breakfast, and laundry if I want it - all for 15 American dollars a night. That's another thing: to get the better rates book in advance. It's kind of like airfare - too early and it's the average rate, too late and they hike up the price if they are running kind of full, a few days out you can usually find a good deal. Prices can also be different on different web sites. So check around.

Girls - I want you all to remember these things when we go backpacking through Europe together after we all have our high paying jobs and plenty of time off!

From Caravaggio to Yeats



Friday the 28th I visited the National Gallery in Dublin. The gallery itself seemed to have previously been used as a home of some stately person; however, I asked and found out it was created solely as a gallery. Some of the rooms had fireplaces and there was even a grand ballroom so you can see why I thought this. On display in the gallery were two things I took particular interest in. First was the Caravaggio room and second was the display of paintings by Jack Butler Yeats (brother to poet William Butler Yeats).

In the Caravaggio room was actually only one painting by the Italian painter. He was famous mostly for his use of light and dark contrasts and creating a very realistic and theatrical appeal called naturalism. In the room surrounding the original were other artists who had attempted to copy the style he used. I was told to view the others before viewing the Caravaggio. It did make a difference. While many of the paintings in the room were good (way better than I could ever hope to paint) they obviously fell down at the feet of the master. I liked only having one Caravaggio in the room though. Unlike in the Prada of Madrid where a whole hall is dedicated to the man, the single painting was less overwhelming. I could sit on the bench and study and admire the work with less constraint. Sitting on the bench in the gallery I felt a little like I should be looking for the briefcase I half expect to be under the bench thanks to one of my favorite films "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1999).

If you look closely you can see emotion and symbolism in the depiction of Judas's betrayal of Jesus. The painting is called "The Taking of Christ". On the far right is a self portrait of Caravaggio himself holding the lantern. The difference in the amount of light and skin tones between Jesus and Judas are interesting to note as well as the technique of calling attention with a specific glint of light. In this case it is the shine of the soldiers armor that called attention to the piece and lays the painting out from that point. No painting is as good in a picture as it is in person. This is especially true with the second artist I mentioned - Jack Butler Yeats.




The paintings here were done later on in Yeats career. I don't know much about him, but I loved many of his paintings simply for the fact that he used a lot of color and they kept me guessing - almost like the magic eye pictures, but a little more obvious. At different distances you could see different images take shape. My two favorite paintings I could not find images of, but I liked these two seen here as well.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Day 2

So can I just say that although technology complicates things, it also makes me a really happy girl! I'm sitting here listening to "She Wolf" (I know, I know - but I like the beat and I admire Shakira for the way she move!). Next on the list to be downloaded through itunes is Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad" ( sorry Mark- I like the song even if it was at the expense of Midtown). I think it's safe to say I pat attention to more of the beats than the lyrics of songs. Listening to music makes me feel relaxed, excited, or nostalgic... it's amazing what a song can do. It can change my mood in a few seconds, and after another busy day I needed to feel relaxed.

Today's events consisted mainly of some housekeeping work. Last night I received some news of what sounded like a big set back in the way of getting a job that was going to take a lot of red tape and about two weeks. Thankfully the rumor was dispelled today and the set back only lasted about 2 hours. The topic at hand was acquiring a PPS Number (social security #) from the welfare office. After a loooooong orientation we were told the process could be completed today before 5 and only if they still hadn't met their quota. The other catch was in order to get this # required for getting a job, I needed a permanent address. Here is something about the Irish I find comforting. They are easy going, not sticklers in general. A "permanent address" could be the temporary address of my hostel or the USIT office where BUNAC is located just so long as I had something to present them with. The Guardia (police) at immigration was also VERY VERY helpful and saved Zach and I over 200 dollars! He was nice enough to give us a visa pass at the airport allowing us a little extra time to stay in Ireland (only allowed 90 days) without having to register and pay that expensive fee. I wasn't aware of the significance of this when he stamped my passport. If I could I would go back and give that Irish man a big Ol' hug. So this is what I have been told, I just hope that everything goes smoothly when I am actually trying to get a job in the next few days.

Now on to the job location topic - I find Dublin a better city than I did yesterday being the 'hot mess' that I was. I would compare this city more to Munich. It has a lot to offer and definitely a lot to do, but it is crowded like any big city should be. However crowded and rainy - not my favorite combo. Actually, the saying really is true : if you don't like the weather in Dublin just wait 5 minutes. It literally does change from sunny to rainy to cloudy to windy to any combination of those about every 5 minutes. Never seen anything like it. I need a little more stability than this. I suppose it won't be that much different in a smaller city, but at least I won't have to dodge people in the rain or get trash kicked up in my face from the wind.

That said the plan is to finish the stay in the hostel till Monday morning. The place is nice - typical hostel. I'm in a 6 dorm room. Last night I had a French family in three of the bunks who left town early this morning almost with my flip flops!!! Thankfully my bladder prevented this. I woke up when I heard the door shut around 8am. Needing to use the potty I looked down for my flops. NO WHERE!!! I opened the door to the hall and the family was still there. I asked if they had seen the shoes. The shoes were located and presented to me with an apology! I don't think it was on purpose. While they do have cute turquoise polka dots (courtesy of Sarah Sherrill) they are quite worn out. The room is rather skinny and trying to pack and unpack suitcases in here is a hassle. I took needed items out of my big suitcase and dropped it off at the BUNAC office to store till I find more permanent housing. Trying to communicate with the Frenchies was disappointing for me. Mostly on my part. They spoke English well, so I felt too intimidated and tired to attempt my poor knowledge of French although I did mention I had some knowledge of the language. One of them spouted of the time in French when I asked. After a few moments of a blank stare I was greeted with the question "what, you don’t know numbers in French?" In my defense... it was a 20 past 7 phrasing at a rather quick pace. Not the easiest thing to figure out.

The destination on Monday will then be Kilkenny. A medieval town about 1 hour south of Dublin. They have a hotel there requesting receptionists, wait staff, gym managers, and lifeguards. While most would think I might request the lifeguarding position I'm not. I've had 4 years of that and I'm pretty sure my certification runs out in a month (the cards are not even with me). I would like to give the receptionist a try or maybe even the gym thing. I don't know much about the city or hotel but I’ve begun my research and Monday Zach, Kathleen (another BUNAC girl), and I will journey for the night to check it out, interview and pass out a few other resumes if the place seems like a good fit. Wednesday's destination is uncertain but likely Galway to see what is around that area and do a few interviews if jobs are available. Katelyn and Hilary head down there tomorrow to scope things out.

I have an idea of Kilkenny in mind, which I hope matches my expectations. I think being able to easily walk out into the Irish countryside would be amazing. The town is still large enough to have chain shopping, a theater, and plenty of hotels. It is located between Dublin and CorkIreland's main attractions aside from GalwayRhonda (Ronda) I recently visited, and that place was one of my favorites.
(about an hour from each) but also in the center of county. It sounds a bit like the Spanish town of Ronda) I recently visited, and that place was one of my favorites.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Arrival

I'm sitting in my hostel unable to get a bed yet. It's sooo early! Zach and I have pretty much already walked the highlights of Dublin. Our plane got in at 6am, so we've had plenty of time. It's a bit dreary here and much colder than I expected. I guess it will warm up in the afternoon though.

I learned a lesson I had heard rumors of but had never experienced first hand. Never fly into New York unless it's your last resort. Due to a heavy fog, air traffic control was backed up and telling planes to hold their circling patterns till they could catch up. Turns out we were about to run out of fuel after about an hour of circles up and down the New Jersey coast. The first information given out was that we were landing in another airport to be bused over to JFK. Likely our luggage wouldn't make it. Obviously no one was happy about this. The girl sitting next to me was from the Ukraine. She spoke about as much English as I speak German (about 5 words). I asked if she spoke any French, but no luck. So, the rest of the flight I spent gesturing and trying to think of common English words she might recognize to explain the situation. As it turned out none of that was necessary because after another 30 min in the air we were able to land at JFK. The girl, Vera, had a connecting flight to the Ukraine leaving 40 min after we landed. She had asked me to help her and since I had about 4 hours to kill before my flight I took her to the gate a few terminals over. I was a little surprised when she pulled out her camera and motioned for a picture. I obliged (happy she thought engough of our encounter to document it) and then asked if she wanted to exchange e-mail. She smiled and pulled out a pen!

I still have not met up with Hilary or Katelyn (two other girls with BUNAC), but I think I will go to Galway with them on Monday and check out the city. Since Galway mainly relies on tourism and the seasion is dying down, jobs aren't as likely. However, I think the city might be a better fit for me than Dublin. The other downside to Galway in job hunting is the university population. There are two universities in Galway and plenty of students looking for the same type of job I'd likely acquire.
I might also bus down to Cork and see what it's like before I make a decision on staying in one of the cities.
Dublin so far has not impressed me. I realize I'm tired and it is overcast, but its also pretty dingy and not too interesting. I'm quick to make judgements, but I can relent my opinion if it's deserved. Take Florence for example: I hated it the first two weeks I was there, and after awhile it grew on me. By the end of a month I loved it. I keep telling myself that this situation will be about the same way. So, I apologize if these entries seem a little bleak for the next few weeks, but I'll perk up soon enough. It's hard on a gal missing all you guys :)

Monday, August 3, 2009

Creation

My thoughts, experiences and opinions of my journeys will be expressed in this space for all to see. I hope that you will enjoy reading about the cultures I encounter as well as the people and the practices that make up such an intriguing world. My goal is to open up the opportunity for others to put some thought into traveling themselves. Some may just follow along while others may critique, but all can experience!