How To: Entertain in your Adopted City

I've been in Cork for a month this Wednesday. I only started classes last Monday. My room is still in shambles, and I don't know yet where we keep the colander in the house. My Irish life is still developing, and I am still lucky enough to have already had visitors! (Eeeek!)

 Little K and Tall K flew from Edinburgh to Dublin and hitched a bus from Dublin to Cork (the bus was a journey much longer than the plane ride) to visit their old and my current stomping ground, the beautiful Cork City. 

What do you with guests when you've only been in your house for a month? Luckily, my friends know their way around, too. Otherwise, who knew what would've happened this weekend!

Just off the bus, they thought they looked bad. I wasn't much better....

I picked them up from town, and the first stop was for some lovely sausage rolls from the infamous English Market. I didn't get one, and I didn't take any pictures, but they've inspired me. I'm going back soon.

Then we caught the bus back to the house to relax and cook some food. We bought cans and cooked with the awesome sounds of 2010 playing in the background. We spent a few hours working on a playlist entitled Irish Reunion, which included such popular 2010 hits as "Only Girl in the World", "Dynamite", "Empire State of Mind", and "Teenage Dream". Little K, Tall K, and I all studied abroad together at University College Cork here in Cork City three years ago, and we were having a great time reliving the awesome and terrible moments had on those nights out. 

My friend S made the incredible trek on the bus all the way out to the house, and we all had a blast. We headed into town for a reminiscent pub crawl. First stops were the Franciscan Well and An Spailpín Fánach. Fran Well was a favorite of the Ks back in the day because of their infamous beer coupons. The place brews all of its own beer, and it used to be the only craft brewery in Cork City. It's been a bit upstaged recently, but its beer garden will never come in second. The Spailpín has always been one of my favorites because it's cozy, filled with nooks and crannies, and because it hosts dozens of Irish music sessions.

Picture struggle bus

The Thirsty Scholars playing for the incredibly large amount of tourists. It's true though, no one else would go to the Spailpín on a Saturday night!

Some incredibly Irish bevies: Guinness, Bulmers, Smithwicks, and a hot whiskey (clockwise from back left)

"Murphy's: The official pint of us" (Cork City)

Our next stops were where our night went from chill and "European" to club crazy. Two more favorites are The Washington Inn and Rearden's. Now if you know anything at all about Cork City, you're probably rolling your eyes and laughing with that sort of pained, I've-been-there groan. For those of you who've never been to Cork, allow me to explain. 

The Wash is one of my favorites because, on the regular, it's small, sort of rough, and you can always find someone to make friends with, even if it's the bartender. But at night (every night, really, but especially at the weekends), it turns into the party-goer's heaven. Relatively inexpensive pints, a live DJ (even if it is tiny in there, no one seems to mind!), well-dressed drunks. It's a pretty good spot. The number of stag and hen parties I've run into there is incredible. But I will admit: it's kind of a mess. Go with a grain of salt and a little stubborn integrity and you might make it out in one piece.

Irish reunion buddies (and a photobomb)

All four of us! (is that the same photobomber, do we think?)

 After the Wash, we headed across the street to the incredible Rearden's, which is a place that's not everyone's cup of tea. But at the weekends, it's one of my utter favorites. They play good music, but it's still a crowded (if incredibly large) bar. The crowd tends to be younger, and incredibly sloppy. But as long as you've got some good girlfriends who love to dance, you're solid. 

I didn't even whip out the camera at Rearden's because who knows who would've spilled what on it. But the four of us danced tons, got incredibly sweaty and gross, and caught a cab back to the house. Not before we had some spectacularly delicious chips from the new chipper on Washington Street (I've been there a few times already; I think I'm inadvertently making friends with the people behind the counter there).

 

 The next morning, we managed to drag ourselves out of bed at an unreasonable hour to hike to the city for the most important part of an Irish weekend: breakfast. The Flying Enterprise does one of the best restaurant Full-Irish breakfasts I've ever come across (the first prize would actually go to a great B&B I stayed at once).

We walked around the city a little to try to work off all that food and cholesterol, and after not long enough, we went for Butler's hot chocolate. Definitely worth the pain of the itis for that one. Dark hot chocolate is one of Ireland's greatest charms!

New addition to Wash Street. Um... what?!

Little K was stuck in gum...

We were all obviously exhausted by Monday morning. Actually we were exhausted by Sunday morning, which was easily proved by the number of spill-like accidents poor Little K had. But it was a great trip. It was awesome seeing these lovely ladies; it was the first time I saw both of them together since we were all here in 2010! And it was a great experience having visitors in my new city! It's good to finally know how many guests the house can hold, too. ;)

Special thanks to Tall K for some of the pictures!!

xWelcome to Irelandx

DIA DHUIT! I AM IN IRELAND. 

Actually, in all honesty, I've actually been in Ireland for a couple of weeks. I'm sorry for not letting all of you lovely people know that earlier, though I think you might've guessed by how long it's taken me to post. The wedding needed my due attention, and then of course, life happens! But here I am now, ready to share all of the drama of travelling to Ireland!


By some miracle, I managed to pack all of my most necessary possessions in the suitcase and cart them through three airports, two planes, and a car to my new digs. I am a little sorry to say that I didn't end up getting everything into just one suitcase, but two isn't bad... ! My last day in the DMV was chill and relaxed. The parents and I had some celebratory Guinness before driving to the studio, where I actually got to say goodbye to all of my Ballet Biddies before I left!





After a lot of lugging, much security points, and miles of airport walking, I landed in Cork Airport where my lovely housemate picked me up!

In a valiant attempt to stave off jet-lag, we all went out for dinner and drinks until the sun went down, so I could sleep properly. God bless them! Let's just say, it wasn't easy keeping me awake after that trip!

Can you spot the random rose growing in our yard?

 College only started up on Monday of this week; so the past couple of weeks have been spent organizing and relaxing. M had already been setting up the house, but I've been working on fixing up my room and some other household homey things. It's terribly strange to be a real adult with a house! And bills!

Most of my friends who lived in Cork in the last few years have moved; but I've met lots of nice people recently as well.

 M and I have had a couple of nights on the town, but mostly I've just been DC chillin'. Getting set up in a foreign country is a lot of work, don't let anyone tell you any different. It's be quite the drama, with many trips into town, to the bank, to the internet, to the house. And it's not even over yet! So cross your fingers for me... that all will be a post for another day!

Housemate date night in the city!

My old digs!

Bringing a little Sperry Magic to the Emerald Isle!

 So with the first day of classes just the other day, I finally got to return to this view! How jealous am I of my own life? It's a giant climb up one of the hilliest streets in Cork City (and there are a lot of them!) to get to the Music building, but there you go. It's worth it from the top. And there are pianos up there; what more could you want?















So a hundred thousand welcomes to Ireland, céad míle fáilte, and I can't wait to continue this adventure with all of you!

9/11

9/11 Never Forget

As an American currently living abroad, as someone who is from Washington and moved to New York, as a member of a military family, I'm very aware of September 11th and of how people talk about it. Thankfully, not everyone is brazen and over-gesticulating about American pride. The day is a sad one, and we know that.  September 11th is a personal wound, a personal fear, and a personal experience that we all share, and it's one that makes us at once proud and humble as a country. Proud of our citizens and families and their response to the events of that day and their responsibility in the days that follow. Humble because we are vulnerable.

But it is also a day to reflect on what the day did to us as a nation and on that pain that allows us as people to empathize with those suffering from terrible violence all over the world. I don't mean it in a way that is meant to inspire mindlessly heroic action or arrogant war. I don't mean it in a way that makes our loss any less or more. But I do mean it in a way that hopefully inspires each and every one of us reading this (myself included) to remember 9/11 in a spirit of common humanity. No person and no people should ever suffer under acts of such violence, whether it be for their culture, their actions, their religion, or their unluckiness.

Remember 9/11. 

I remember it for myself, for my family, and for my friends. I remember it because of what that day did to us, what it forced on us, and what we did because of it. And most importantly, I remember what it feels like, and for that reason I pray in solidarity with all those who are terrorized by violence in every part of the world, not just the United States. May you never lose hope, and may you always remember with forgiveness and hope in your hearts. We remember together, and we will always be in it together.

Wedding Day!!! Part Two: The Big Day

This post is a long overdue follow-up and climactic ending to Part One.

After the helter-skelter of the months leading up to the wedding, after the frenziness of the pre-wedding week, after the stress, and the drama, and the moments when you thought everyone was going to break down and run away, the wedding day comes. It's still stressful and tightly scheduled. There are still mishaps and dramas. But it's important that these things happen. It's important to be so hyped up on nerves that everything is felt more deeply than normal. All sadness, pain, happiness, and laughter. The stupidest insult stabs; the most ridiculous story is believed. The slightest mishap at the altar throws the entirety of the wedding party into struggling laughter. The smallest smile from the bride and groom is reflected across the entire Church. And when the ceremony ends, and everyone can finally calm down, it takes about five hours before we're done shaking. Or before we're shaking for a different reason.

The importance of your best friend's wedding can be explained in two moments.

One moment is when you first wake up. You're on two hours of sleep and the sun hasn't come back yet. You're thinking about everything that happened and that will happen, and you're just plain nervous as anything that you'll faint in those skyscraper shoes at the altar. And as the sun comes up, two best friends join you, and you remember the sanity (or insanity) of friendship and why you wouldn't be anywhere else today.

The second moment happens when you're standing at the altar with all the bridesmaids and all the groomsmen and the Church's attention finally moves away from all of you and your massively uncomfortable shoes (men's or women's worse? We're still fighting over that one). She's walking in, and slowly everyone turns from her to the groom. Now, romantic comedies always preach to remember to see the groom's face. But standing on the altar, you suddenly discover you can't see his face. But you can see hers change as she sees him. And that'll be enough. It's priceless.

The groom's party. Don't know what us bridesmaids would've done without you guys. Thank you!

So the groomsmen were all ready and dashing...

Meanwhile, the bridal party's a hot mess

What are these buttons, E???

"I got the easy job! Switching rings though!'

'Uh, wait a second.'

'Don't look at their faces as they walk past! You'll just laugh harder'

Very impressed right now!

With candles and everything!

She was so impressive. She carried everything, and still didn't burn him!

We were the first up and last out. At least I had two people to catch me if I fainted!

The lovely mother of the bride!

'Guys, can we just go EAT yet?'

'Honey, let's show off that new dance we just invented!'

Yup, it's a match made in heaven for sure.

When did she get so tall?

The longer the night...

The weirder it gets....

A big thank you to those who shared their photos with me. I'm sorry for not posting names, but I won't ever share names on the blog without permission. But you know who you are, and when I see you in a few months, you will get a big hug from me! Or chocolate cake! Or a drink! Whichever!

Congratulations to two of the loveliest people I know.

Sti ya-mas!