This will be a combination of both my trip to Cork and to Galway, as we only stayed for one night in Cork.

For me, Cork was an ok town. We only got to see the city centre aspect of it, so I feel like I missed out on some stuff. Plus, we arrived quite late so we did not get the opportunity to really explore. Previously, we had ventured to Fota house, another Big House in Ireland. What made this house interesting was that it was the only house not burned during the 20’s. It was similarly decorated as the Newbridge house. It had recently been lived until 1975 when the last owner passed away. This house was also quite interesting as we got to see a lot! With each house, my enjoyment seems to go up.

Anyway, back to Cork. There really wasn’t a whole lot to do. Basically, I stayed indoors for awhile after exploring the town, got dinner, and went back home. Dinner was actually McDonalds. I know that’s American food, but I wanted to see if there was any major difference. The answer to that is not much. In addition, there was a horde of Italian teens in the bathroom to my dismay. Overall, not super impressed with Cork that day. Plus, there was a really bad smell there…

Today was pretty exciting though! We visited the Cliffs of (INSANITY) Moher! The view was breathtaking, along with the hike. I only explored one portion of the cliffs because I thought I would run out of time. However, the part I did see was amazing. I became brazen enough to dangle my feet off the edge of the cliff. I was sitting securely, but I still felt scared! Even though this is a major tourist attraction, I do think it actually is something worth seeing. Afterwards, we headed out to Galway, which I will explore thoroughly tomorrow!

The second week saw the continuation of learning more from my classes and from my time with my host family, some good and some I am not proud of, but overall beneficial. The main highlight was the weekend excursion, which proved to be another wonderful way to see what kind of interesting things Mexico has in terms of culture. More than anything this was a week full of learning from different sources.

The classes built up more from the assignments from last week and I am feeling like things are moving full-force in terms of homework and projects. We have some big presentations in my Spanish Communciation class for fourth year and I am a bit nervous since they seem to be a bit on the long side. Since I am in my fourth year in Spanish, I believe it should be expected. It is actually funny since I sometimes have a hard time giving a presentation in English, but Spanish is a whole different beast. If there is one thing I have learned from my classes though, it would be that the environment can make a huge difference in how one feels about talking. My class is composed of just two students and the teacher. In this way, I feel like it is easier to voice my opinion and the things I want to say in general. While I am still nervous about what I will present. I feel like the informal, smaller size helps to ease the pressure a bit. The other class for writing helped us to learn more forms of tenses and other ways to better understand writing and the like. We ended up having a mid-term which I ended up doing well enough in. I can tell our teacher understands that we are learning, and I know full well that I need to study to do better (which is easier said than done, especially when I am used to turning my brain off in the summer time). In our ESOL class, we presented a cultural backpack and it gave us the chance to see how our cultures shape ourselves. I liked how I felt like I could really show who I was to my peers. It is something I do not normally do, because I always worry I am too different and I cannot relate to anybody at all. Everyone liked my presentation and I loved everyone’s presentations as well. I like how we learn more about culture and what we can do to make culture something meaningful in the class. I still wonder how can I make culture a meaningful thing in my class one day…Only time will tell.

As for time with my host family, it has been very good from my experience. I find that the environment gives me a feeling similar to my own house in Oregon. It gives a sense that everyone is fairly independent, at least in my case. I know they are usually busy with their kids every day which leaves them exhausted and tired. I also try talk to them when the time comes, though sometimes things get busy for everyone. The busy factor was the reason why I did not mention an incident involving some broken class in my room. I was not quite sure how it happened, but I tried to clean it up and take care of it myself. I think my host mother thought I was trying to hide something, but I did not want to disturb her when she was busy. I think we had some difficulties with communication this week. I do not think it put a strain on the relationship, but the difficulties are hard for me at times. I am not a fan of making mistakes. I am feeling better from the little incident though. I feel it is one of many important lessons about the importance of communication. My host my says that I am still young and that it is all right to make mistakes. It’s always so funny how much more hard I am on myself compared to other people.

Eventually, we went to the museums in Mexico D.F, which was the capital if I am not mistaken. We had our hotels reserved and ready and we were able to visit a few museums over the course of a few days. I am not too fond of museums or history either. However, I was able to enjoy some of the sites to an extent. I could see the intricate designs of the rocks, the faith in religion that is very rich in Mexican culture and the like. One of our professors named Alejandro gave us the history lessons about Mexico such as the origin of the paintings and the establishment of the country via events like Cortes and Indigenous people. The best part of the trip by far was visiting the pyramids and enjoying how well designed they were and the views that came with climbing. It left me even more worn-out than the trip to Bernal. It took a while to get back, but I was happy to return and see the family again. Since this trip took the whole weekend, I have plenty of catching up to do for my classes. Summer is always more difficult when homework is involved.

With the first week coming to an end, I have had the chance to see how my classes would be like and I feel like they both will end up being quite fun (except the homework, which is always hard to get excited about). All of my professors are kind and very much approachable, and I love that. It makes the transition to a new classroom setting easier. The cool thing is that I have the opportunity to practice Spanish in the class via plenty of discussion and all the learning of terms that I thought I knew, but really, I need to work on. The actual classrooms are not really as fancy as the United States, but it is not a major problem. I still have no problem learning from my professors. Honestly the only bad part about the classrooms are the overabundance of mosquitoes all over the place. I am seriously a walking three-course meal from a five-star restaurant to them. I can already feel the bites popping up on my arms. To be more specific, this only happens in my two Spanish classes. My ESOL one does not have this problem from what I have seen. The ESOL class is more like the classes back at Western, but since we are learning about culture, we have an excellent opportunity to see the differences of culture between the U.S and Mexico. I think the class is a nice way to balance the usage of English and Spanish here in Mexico, and the professor is kind as well, also easing some of the anxiety as well.

Living with the host family has been wonderful. They really help me feel more at home and I try my best to talk to them about their life or how their day was. It is very nice to have the opportunity to practice my Spanish, which is always so hard in the U.S. So much English, even at home sometimes. I have also had the chance to play with the grandchildren of my host mother. He is only two and half years old and the other one is only six months. Nevertheless, Raulito, the older one, is very cute and playful. Both kids are a real handful for my host family, usually to the point of leaving them exhausted at the end. It makes me think about my mother and her own job that leaves her very tired as well. I know they volunteered to take in an American student, but I just hope I do not end being much of a burden on them.

Once the weekend rolled around, our party went to the huge rocky point of Bernal by bus. Everyone mentioned how much of a climb it would be, so I decided to activate “Mountain Man mode” and prepare myself for the worst. Honestly, it was an endurance test. It was a major uphill right from the get-go and I was feeling very out of shape…Still I managed to find a nice view from my position (which was about seventy-five percent of the way up, according to one of my group members). I was very happy, and I was especially content with seeing more of the area of Mexico. It truly is a country with beautiful sights to see with little polluted air to breathe and smell. I always thought Mexico was more close to a developing type of place, as opposed to the developed country that is the U.S, but it has its share of huge cities like Queretaro amongst other places. Mexico appears to be a place where all kinds of people can be encountered in one place: the middle class, lower middle class, and people that do not appear to have much. A few times, I would see people always selling things in order to make make money. I think it might reflect on how hard life can be in Mexico when work is not always guaranteed. I try not to give people the impression that I have a lot of money on me (my clothing is usually bland and my boots look pretty worn out and filthy.). I still understand that times are tough, but I also know that it is important to keep one’s guard up so that they can avoid a dangerous situation. Mexico is a place with risks, but in reality, that is the same for all places in the world. Everyone is different, and I know that the longer I am here, the more I can understand about the rich culture that I am sure Mexico has.

I guessed Italy would be full of smoking people, pick pockets, and hot weather, short shorts, English restaurants.  I turned out to be right and wrong.  These factors really deepened on where we were.

For example Rome was supper hot because of all the extra cars, people, and little trees,  Where as Siena was much cooler because its not a tourist spot and people don’t drive much there. I was also informed that the session plays a big part in the weather I just happened to show up at the hottest part, but the funny thing is that the first day I showed up it was raining, the first few nights it was cold, but then it got hot; Real hot! One day at 9 am it was already 95 with 90% humidity!

Pick pockets were really only in tourist areas and on trains.  Not so much where I was staying.

But no matter where you were people were smoking everywhere!  I even had a waitress say I will get your bill in two minutes after I have a cigarette.

People were not wearing shot shorts,  Yes some where,  but most would  wear pants Like the heat did not bother them.

Most restaurants had very little English.  Good thing my program taught how to order in a restaurant in Italian!

I think I interacted a lot with my new culture,  I tried to speak Italian every chance I got,  I joined in on activities such as the palio,  I interacted with strangers, etc

I have mix emotions about coming home.  I really am home sick now and would love to see my family and pets, but it is like I am losing my second family here in Italy  so I am also sad to be leaving.  I defiantly want to come back and say hello and all my teachers again, stay in contact with my new friends, etc.

Over all I would recommend going to Italy especially In this program!

Goodbye, Siena! I will see you again someday!

We are at the end of our last week.  It is a bitter sweet moment,  I am excited to go home, but I am going to hate leaving the amazing city of Siena!

Here is just a couple of things I have noticed around Italy that is a little strange that I thought I might share with you on my last week.

The lights are very strange, most bathroom lights are outside of the bathroom or you have to have a card or chip to put into a socket to keep the lights on.  Toilets you can decided how much water you want to flush its not a set amount.

All stores usually close around 7-8 PM which is very strange to me.  This does not go for everyone,  but I have met a lot of people who are rude to my friend Sierra and I just because we were american,  On the other hand we did have people that were exceptionally nice to us and went out of their way to help us!

This week I have taken all my finals,  watched some spectacular presentations,  packed up my apartment, and now it is time to go.  Nothing special has really happened this week just the test.

On our last night we had a huge celebration with all our classmates and our teachers.  They took us out to dinner and we stayed out till around 2 am!  At this celebration we had 4 different languages at once!  Those being English, ASL, Italian, LIS (Italian sign.)  All of us knowing a little bit of each language we were able to communicate and have a great time!

I will truly miss every one of my teachers, advisers, and new friends.

My advisers!      

Rita deaf culture teacher, Sierra, and I.

Laura my LIS teacher and I

Whew… I have walked around so much the past few days, but it was all worth it. We have left Dublin today and we are currently in Waterford until tomorrow. We did so much in Dublin, but I am also glad to start exploring other aspects of the country. On the fifth day, the Literature group visited this one Big House called Newbridge House and Farm. From what I remember, this house was built in the 18th century, and it was the house with the largest park in at least Dublin. There was a lot to take in, so my memory is a little fuzzy. After touring the house, we explored the farmhouse. The most impressive thing by far was the Georgian carriage. There are only four left, and this was one of them. There were also a lot of farm animals, including a peacock. I was actually able to get the peacock to follow me by feeding it potato chips. I just hope it doesn’t follow me to Galway…

The next day, we went to the National Museum, which was amazing! The bottom floor was dedicated to Bronze Age Ireland, so it included a number of bowls, jewelry, and different tools. In one wing, it was about the transition to Christianity that Ireland went through, along with some info about writing. The other side of this floor had information about human sacrifice. There were four different bog bodies, showing amazing preservation. Two of the bodies still had their hair, which was ginger. On the top floor, there were displays about vikings, medieval Ireland, ancient Egypt, and some Greco items. After exploring all of this, we went over to the art museum. There were a lot of amazing paintings, but their main focus was on Sean Kissane, who is a modern artist. I have to be honest, his art style is definitely not my style. I really don’t understand modern art, but at least I’m not the only one.

After the leaving in Dublin, we arrived in Waterford and took a tour of the Waterford Crystal factory. Here, we saw what all goes into making a Waterford crystal item. First, the crystal is heated up and molded into the shape that it needs to be. Then, it’s placed in a kiln overnight where it is then taken out the next day and ground down to smoothness. An inspector checks each piece to make sure that there are no air bubbles. From there, the crystal is ground into its design and later carved more intricately. I now understand why it is so expensive. I also learned how so many trophies are made using this stuff, including the New Year ball! Afterwards, we checked out the store, but everything was way out of my budget. Tomorrow, we head out to Cork, and I am excited to see what that’s like!

This first week (and a half) has been an absolute roller coaster of emotions for me! I am truly enjoying my environment and all the changes that have come with living in a city, but to be honest, it hasn’t been all butterflies and rainbows! For example, in our cultural orientation we learned about the “U-Curve of culture shock” and how after a while you may feel a tad homesick..this has definitely rang true for me. However, it not so much feelings of wanting to go home, but rather wanting everyone that I love to be here and joining me on this awesome adventure!

I also am having to adjust immensely to the heat. Growing up in the Pacific northwest, we get excited over 80 degree weather with limited clouds! So adding humidity to the climate has been interesting…sweat seems to be inevitable, especially when I take the metro (all the heat gets trapped underground, with no breeze). Nevertheless, I love not having to wear layers of clothing.

Other than a few minor adjustments, my first week here has been filled with sight seeing, exploration, good food, and great people! Just yesterday we returned from a weekend trip in Valencia (about 4 hours south of spain by bus) and it was incredible. Gorgeous beaches, much less crowds, tons of shopping, and I made a few more friends from the program that I hope to continue to hang out with not only here, but back in the states as well!

This upcoming week is packed with lots of activities, so I look forward for week 2’s entry.

Adios!

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This week has been so much fun! It was a little rough at the beginning of the week trying to figure out my  housing changes but now I am so much more comfortable in the place that I am in. This week we already had our first midterms – crazy doing a full load of classes in only 5 weeks. After tests were done this week we had a weekend excursion to Mexico City which was absolutely amazing. We left on Friday morning and saw 3 museums and then were able to explore a bit. I loved seeing the Frida Kahlo museum – something I have always been interested in. Saturday went the same way and then today we went and saw pyramids and it was so beautiful. We were able to climb to the top of tallest one and it had an amazing view. Excited for what the next week has in store. 

This week has been a little easier to adjust emotionally. My classes are still easy, but they’re picking up the pace a little. I went to the doctor on Wednesday because I had been having fever and stomach pains and really just NOT feeling right. Turns out I have a bad stomach infection. So looks like a week of tons of medication and not being able to eat most foods! I’m glad I got on medicine right away because this weekend we went to Mexico City. Anyways, before that, on Tuesday this week I went to the regional museum of Queretaro and loved it. I got in free with my student ID. Anyways, more on Mexico city. It definitely is kind of expensive, but also definitely kind of worth it. I saw tons of museums and shops and markets and churches and plazas and more. Enough to last me a lifetime. I had my own room which was nice… the only thing was that my toilet was IN my shower… LITERALLY IN IT!! Haha so confusing and weird for me. My favorite part of the trip was going to Teotihuacan and seeing all of the pyramids and the ruins. I climbed to the very top of the tallest pyramid and it was sooo gratifying! I’m really glad I decided to go for it. Coming home I am super duper exhausted and super duper burnt. Even my lips are red and burnt. I guess it figures that I would get a little sun while standing on top of the Pyramid of the Sun…

Started my classes and the first one is sooo super easy. I hope that they pick up soon. I watched a Korean soap opera with my host family, with Spanish subtitles of course. I thought it wwould be much hotter here than it actually is. Although there is definitely more thunder than I thought. Its honestly exhaisting just being here and adjusting. My body has been feeling weird, but I’m sure that’s normal. I definitely miss my family and my boyfriend but I do like it here. The one thing that I’ve noticed is that my house is really hard to find. And even the taxis have a hard time finding it. In the morning when I go to school I walk 10ish minutes to the bus stop, then take the bus for 10-15min and finish it off by walking about 10-15min from the bus stop the university… its so far! This weekend on Saturday we went to Pena Bernal. It was super beautiful and I bought three wonderful paintings for only 20 pesos each (WOW!). Tomorrow I am moving to a new house so a new adventure is one the horizon. Hopefully one with less mosquitoes to attack me…but that might be wishful thinking.