First Day of School!

January 11, 2010 7:43 pm
Today was the first day of our foundation class. All this week and next week until Wednesday we will have class from 10:00-12:00 and 2:00-4:00. Rotating these times are 3 classes including Irish politics, Irish history, and Irish literature. Today I had Irish politics and Irish history. It is quite fascinating stuff and I can not wait to dig deeper into it! A big group of students from Blackhall met downstairs this morning at 9:15 and we ventured our way over to the building. I guess if we thought we had a lot of us we wouldn't get lost. There were probably about 35 students all walking together. It was fun to talk to people and get to know them. A lot of them consider UNI a huge school which is strange to me!
About 50 students (all american) were in a long room listening to two different professors teach. I found myself very much intrigued and engulfed into the material. We are studying the history of Ireland dating back all the way to 10,000 years ago. It is crazy that I have researched a lot of the places and have seen many places I am now learning about in a classroom. America does not have history like this place does...it is amazing! After school a few of us went to a bookstore to look at Irish books which a professor suggested we do. Afterwards we came back to our apartments and Kristen and I made pizza and corn. Our roomate laughed at us and said that we were typical Iowans (not that she even knows!) A guy that I know a couple nights ago told me that I was the first Iowan I have ever met and a lot of people agreed with it haha.
Last night we went to a sports bar to watch the patriots game. It was really neat! It was one of three places in Ireland that show American Football. It was a cool place. It had 3 levels and one level was a huge screen being projected on a wall with bleachers going up the side. That is where we sat. A lot of Irish guys were actually watching it too! After Kristen and I left one of our roomates asked the guys behind us if they liked the patriots and they said they don't have a favorite team they just like watching American Football. Kristen and I left early so we could get to bed and my throat has been hurting. On the way back a huge semi drove past us and hit a huge slush pile and threw it all over both of us. I got the worst of it since I was right next to the road. I thought that only happened in movies!! I did not know that happened in real life but of course it happened to me! All you can do it laugh about it haha. I got the mud out so all was well. After getting back I went to bed decently early due to me not feeling well..hopefully it goes away! I think it is the Irish air finally catching up with me. I hope all is well in Iowa..keep in touch!