They said I was going to a chemistry conference

Haven’t been on here in a while I know! I’ve been out and about, keeping myself busy, without much time to update this blog. The only reason why I have time right now is because I’m waiting in lab for the CV machine to finish measuring the amount of DNA I just stripped off. Should give me a few minutes to update this, at least a bit.

So where did I last leave off? Belfast… so what to say about Belfast. As you know, I was privileged enough to head off to the chemistry conference with my mentor. Little did I know that that meant absolutely no chemistry. We left DCU at 11 and I went up with Elaine, her boyfriend Keran, and Anita another postgrad in our lab. We arrived, checked in, and the first thing we did? Go and buy booze at an off license (which I have now learned is the equivalent of liquor stores at home). I bought cider, a different brand than what I drink usually, and we went back to the student accommodations where we started drinking. At 2 o clock in the afternoon. After 2 drinks, I decided to slow down so I wouldn’t be pissed (which means drunk here) at the conference dinner. After a few hours we finally decided to head to the conference… straight to the opening wine reception. A picture of Elaine and I at the reception:


Another pic of some of the chemistry post grads and I (from left to right-Anita, me, Sarah, Andy, Nikki, Will, Professor Connor):


I enjoyed the time and managed to make some friends with some of the chemistry post grads here at DCU. We then headed to dinner, where we received a not excellent, but good dinner. And guess what… three bottles of wine for the table. But if you hid one, and told the waiter you didn’t get a third, guess what? They brought you another! What a great system…

A few drinks later, I was out dancing and having a grand time with everyone. The DJ played some good music. We did rock the boat which I learned means sitting on the floor and leaning back and forth with the music.

Some of us on the dance floor (Professor Connor, Nikki, Will, Elaine, me, Emma, Jen, Zo)


We headed back to where we were staying at around 2 am, and after eating some much needed munchies, headed to bed.

The next morning I woke up, of course, with a slight headache, but nothing too bad. After a tea and some food at a local café, we checked out of the original accommodation and headed to the hostel where I would meet my friends (my current roommates). Mind you, this whole time, the chemistry conference is actually going on… At 2 o clock in the afternoon, guess what? More drinks! We then headed to watch the football game (World Cup) at a pub. After a few more hours of hanging out, watching the later football game (pks of Ghana vs. Uruguay, so cool! Although I do think Ghana was robbed, the lad should have made the PK), my friends finally arrived after sneaking up on me from behind on the way back to the hostel. We had a few drinks all together with the chemistry post grads, talked about copping a feel and business as usual, and headed out to a local bar.

Keran, Elaine's boyfriend, probably explaining something very important to me:


Hung out some more, got some more munchies (it looks disgusting now, but was actually really good at the time… it’s a kebab on chips i.e. French fries):



We then went back to the hostel for some much needed sleep. After these 2 intense days of basically drinking and hanging out, I was looking forward to some time as a tourist, touring around Belfast.

Now I figured would be an appropriate time to talk about my experience as a person of legal age to buy alcohol: first off, it is expensive. But it is very nice to be able to just sit down at a bar with someone and have a drink. I’ve only gotten carded twice I believe, which I think is weird. I don’t believe I look too old, and at home if people are even close to the drinking age, they card them. I’m only 2 years above 18, and honestly thought I would be carded every time I try to buy a drink.

Second, I don’t enjoy Guinness too much. I’ll drink it, but it’s definitely not my drink of choice. Those of you at home know I do like beer, and will drink it. But here I have discovered something called cider. There are many different flavors: pear, mixed berry, some flowery one (I described it as drinking a flower), and apple. There is one brand I enjoy drinking the most: Bulmer’s or Magner’s in Northern Ireland. I can only hope that when I turn 21 they have it in America. I would say 9/10 times I have a drink, that’s what it is.



Ok that’s the first half of my trip in Belfast, more to come soon!!! Miss everyone at home, and slightly missing the houseboat at the present moment.