The FINALE

So it's all over!!! I'm home now, sitting at my kitchen table typing away about the AMAZING and WONDERFUL time I had in Ireland. I've done quite a bit of work on this blog, and in order to show it the respect it deserves I figure I'll finish it up at home now that I have loads of time.

The last week was a little different than the previous weeks. First, people were worried about posters and presentations and reports, and also with packing. Not only that but we had to clean the apartment so that we would get our deposit back. We did however find some time for some fun!!

On Tuesday we headed out with David for something called a table quiz (James and I first bought our souvenirs at where else but Carrolls. We pooled all of our finds together hoping to get the promised advertised CD, only to find out later that the advertised wasn't the right one... boooo) A table quiz is usually a fundraiser activity. This one was for David's friends on a roller derby team. You sit in a pub with 5 to a team and they have 10 rounds of questions. The team that gets the most right wins. This is with of course a few pints. Our team was me, David, James, and 2 of David's friends... Olivier was there but he pretended that he didn't speak English. Anyways, we were 2nd after the first round. However, after that we failed miserably and ended second to last. But all in all it was a great night.

On Wednesday was our practice presentations. I had practiced the night before and with Elaine that morning so all went fairly well. I was given some things to change that took very little time. I also had turned in my poster the day before. Things were slowly coming to an end in the lab, and all I really had left to do on Thursday was my paper. Symposium on Friday!!!

That Wednesday night we played some beer pong and hung out for the last normal day. People worked on papers and presentations, and just generally hung out. It was great normal last night... I knew that I would miss those nights.

On Thursday we cleaned up the house a bit. Didn't take too long, but we were still cleaning when Olivier came to cook dinner. It was quite funny with him cooking while we were all running around cleaning the house. That night I packed... I had to make sure my bags didn't weigh too much. I also practiced my presentation.

Friday... last day in Ireland and symposium!!!

Today was the day that the internship had been leading up to and I had been dreading. It was the day I would be giving my presentation on my research and also saying goodbye to all of the wonderful people I had met.

I had to be at the BDI by 9 so it was quite an early morning. We then proceeded to give our presentations. The room wasn't packed at all, but my mentor and my PI (principal investigator) were there to watch. I was slightly nervous, given that I had never said a word about science in front of my PI before this day. I was fourth on. The presentation went just as I had wanted it to. When I went back to my seat I'm pretty sure my mentor had tears in her eyes. To know that she was happy with what I had done was wonderful. I knew that I was happy with what I had done, but to get her approval as well, someone I had learned to respect over the past few months was all I could ask for. My PI also approved and thanked me for all of my hard work. I also had to give a cultural presentation of my time in Ireland. It was the students' perspective, so it was my job to encapsulate all of the students' time into my presentation. I almost felt more pressure for this presentation than the first one, just because the non academic part of the program meant so much to me. I appreciated that just as much as I did the research part. Everyone thought it was funny and said it was a job well done.

Then started the goodbyes. After a glass of wine with Emma and Aoife and a huge thanks and goodbye to them, I headed to say goodbye to Elaine's friends that had grown to be my friends and a final goodbye to Robert. Then to the pub with Elaine and the rest of the UREKAs to start the drinking for the night.

Stephen left first... I knew at that point it would not be an easy night.

After a few pints, I had to say goodbye to Elaine. I was SO thankful for everything she had done for me. My experience would not have been half as meaningful if she hadn't been my mentor. I will miss her, and hope that all goes smoothly for her in the future.

Then we headed home for some more drinks at our place. This was mostly kings cup, which most of the people had never played before and I think I managed to teach well!! They enjoyed it, especially the drive part.





We then headed out for a great night. First dinner at the market bar. We went from pub to pub to pub, trying to relive the wonderful time we had spent in Ireland. We started at the smallest pub in Dublin and then went to the bar with no name and ended up at the Quays. People slowly left as they had to catch buses... I tried not to be sad, but it was hard. I knew that I would miss these people and all of the fun times I had had.



Finally only David and the internationals were left. James and I had our last pin of Bulmers. It was close to 3 am and James and my flight left at 6:30 am. Time to head home, make last minute pack ups and say goodbye to my family that had formed.



I was exhausted. I tried not to cry, but it was really hard especially with Laetitia. I would miss her a ton. Our taxi came, we all walked out together, one last hug from everyone (I know it won't be forever... I will see these people some time in my life again. But it was definitely a goodbye for now) and then James and I were off. Time for our OAFA through Europe...

Oh golly gee. Week 9.

So it is now my last week, but I'm still on week 9 in my blog. I'll try to be caught up before I leave for my trip around Europe. There is sooo much to do in the next few days that I'm having a hard time believing that I will actually get it all done...

Anyways, week 9. Lab work is over!!! Now I'm concentrating on my poster, presentation, and paper. 2 weeks to do it all... can it be done? I hope so, for my sake. I don't want to be typing up when I come home.

On Monday, I made some taco salad once again. It was supposed to be a soccer night and we wanted something quick and easy so I cooked up the delicious taco salad with no pinto beans or black beans. Because reports are coming up due, people have less time to do things. So it was just James and I that headed out to play some soccer in our apartment complex. Before we knew it, Spaniards (a bunch of Spanish people live in our complex) were flocking out to play some futbol. So we organized a six on six game in a tiny area and off we went! I think they were fairly impressed with my skills, and I managed to score 2 goals. Ole!!! I was ready to end the soccer playing early, but the game was tied so it went on well until after dark. By the time we got in, it was 10:30. Olivier made some fruity dessert with wine. And then after everyone headed to bed, I decided to make a chocolate chip cookie with a crunch bar instead of the chocolate chips. James and I ate half and saved the rest for everyone else.

On Tuesday James cooked an excellent sauce that his grandmother usually makes. It was very, very good, I wish I could take some home with me!! We then all hung out as usual... anyone up for some flying through the air while kicking??? Just kidding, we don't normally do this. The boys were a bit rowdy...

On Wednesday, we made sloppy joes! Luke cooked up the meat and I cooked up corn on the cob and peas. Following our very American meal (I had to explain to people that you put the meat on the buns) we played some beer pong and flip cup. David joined us (David loves us and we love him back). He has a great laser shot, even though we lost the first game :( Flip cup was enjoyable, but we only played two games until people were complaining they were full of beer. Come on people!!!! Don't know if they would make it in Santa Barbara.

On Thursday, David invited us to a gig he knew about. He called it the indy Irish music scene, so we checked it out. It was six euros in, and we watched two bands play some of their songs. While I didn't know any of the songs, it was good craic with everyone and I enjoyed myself. We then went for some food, but it was nothing noteworthy. A kebab place that just isn't that great. But all in all a very fun night!!



On Friday, after dinner we decided to stay in. Everyone was pretty exhausted from the week before so we had a bottle of wine and watched Shrek!! I of course fell asleep at the end. Can never stay up for movies past midnight, and yet I still try every time.

On Saturday, James, Laetitia, and I headed to the city center to do some shopping and to see some sights that James had yet to see. This included a lot of stuff I had done on my first weekend in Dublin such as Dublin Castle, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Christ Church. It was a very nice day outside though so I didn't mind just walking around. We went for some fish and chips (I got chicken nuggets) at a famous place called Leo Burdock's. It boasted that a whole list of celebrities had eaten there. James said his fish and chips were just ok. So picky... we then met up with David and did some shopping on Grafton street. I bought a dress for the night (finally!!! about 8 weeks too late, but hey now I have another one for my last week).



We then headed home and made some hamburgers and started predrinking for the night. Bulmers of course. I straightened my hair and put on the dress and... I wore heels! For the first time since I've been here.
Uggh they hurt so bad! But I sucked it up for beauty... only happens about 3 times a year, every once in a while I can give up my wonderful, comfortable flip flops. We made it out by 10:30 pm and headed to a night club for Stephen's birthday. The club was a lot of fun, even though NONE OF THE IRISH UREKAs CAME EXCEPT DAVID. Kudos to you David. And Laetitia and Jussi didn't come because they thought it was too expensive to get in. Aw well, it was a good night. I was practically falling asleep while eating some Burger King (munchies). Though by the end my feet hurt so bad, I took off my shoes and walked barefoot. I woke up the next morning and my feet were black. Literally black. So nasty. Took me 10 minutes to scrub the dirt off!!

The next day, James and I headed to a hurling match. Hurling is a sport they only play in Ireland. It's kinda like lacrosse mixed with field hockey. The main point is to get the ball through football like poles or a soccer net. The soccer net (or goal) is worth three points, while through the poles is only 1 point. The game was being played in Croke park, the main stadium for athletic sporting events. The first game on was of the minor leagues, Dublin vs. Clar. The second was of the real thing, the semi final!! Around 50,000 people showed up for the game, all wearing the jersey of the team they were supporting. I was surprised by how many people wore the actual jersey. At home, you wear the colors but not always a jersey. Anyways, the match was Tipperary vs. Waterford. James and I decided to root for Tipperary being that is where Bulmers is made. How could we not, we LOVE that stuff. The game was so fast and fairly violent, I definitely cringed a few times at different body parts being wacked. The atmosphere of the crowd was wonderful and the sun was shining (I have some AWFUL tan lines... yay!!) It was a great day, I would definitely go to watch a game like that again. I'm just surprised that NO ONE else plays it in the entire world. It was good fun, why would people not?? Tipperary won (yay!) and we headed back to our place for a relaxing night before the storm hit (ie this week. A lot going on!!)

A video of the match:


Only one more post before I leave for my trip. I'll post it on Thursday, after the rest of this week... it's late off to bed!! I'll be home in less than 2 weeks. Weird to think about really.

Audios!

Week 8… Irish stew, wine and cheese, Bray

This week was another basic week. More experiments in the lab, but almost done!!! Soon I’ll just be writing up, day after day. Don’t know if I’d rather have the experiments end or the paper start…

Tuesday night we headed to watch Inception. I had heard it was deadly and wanted to see it for myself. Once again no butter on the popcorn (if I go to the movies again, I’m bringing my own melted butter). The movie was one of the best I’ve seen in a while. It was a long movie, but I didn’t even notice. If you haven’t seen it, please go watch it!! And if you have, let’s watch it again together when I get home!

Wednesday was Irish stew night. I made the mashed potatoes and James made the stew. What made it really Irish was the Guinness we added. It was very very good, I’ll make some when I get back home.

Thursday was wine and cheese night. Thanks to David, we decided to have one!! And what a perfect night… Olivier was bringing his family along. Michelle and David came as well. Everyone brought a bottle of wine and a type of cheese (I opted out on the cheese… didn’t feel it was my job to contribute, because of my lack of taste for cheese). I brought some California wine, some good ol’ pinot grigiot (I had never had any before and my parents used to love it! So I have to try it while I’m here). We decided to do a type of wine tasting. Try a bit of everyone’s. Olivier’s family brought REAL French wine, and some nice cheeses. My favorite wine was a white dessert wine that Olivier’s sister LOVED… and I agreed with her. It was sooo good, I wish we had some back in the states. I also agreed to try every single piece of cheese, even the stuff that had mold (literally mold) growing on it. I was able to eat a cracker with a kind of cheese on each of it, except for the most pungent cheese. It was AWFUL. I hope to never eat anything like that again in my entire life.
By the end, we didn’t make it to my bottle of pinot grigiot, so we saved it for another night. After wine and cheese, I’m afraid I’m becoming a bit of a wino… I like it!! I always thought of myself as more of a beer person, but who knows, maybe the tides have turned…

And now for the weeknd...

This weekend in order to save money I decided to stay in Dublin. Friday after work, I dragged James along with me to play some soccer with some friends of my mentors (Zoe… the wannabe American). It was a bunch of men and me in an indoor cage like soccer field. We played for a bit, and I had some good fun. James and I had to leave a bit early, because we had agreed to meet David in the city center for some dinner at a place that supposedly served excellent chicken wings. No shower (well, a sponge bath… I would’ve but we had no time!), headed to the spire. Jussi and Luke joined us and we went to Elephant and Castle (apparently there is one in New York?) for some chicken wings! James, David, David’s friend Sam, and I all ordered a full order of chicken wings. Supposedly only 20 chicken wings… I counted, there were at least 30 for each of us to eat. I only made it to around 20. The wings were very good… for the first 10. And then the taste was somewhat boring. But there was something about them that you couldn’t stop eating them. No idea. The boys ate ALL of them. David finished first, a fantastic feat given that he is fairly small, kinda like a leprechaun (had to say it, sorry David).

After everyone was stuffed, we headed to do a pub crawl that David lead us on. It started a bit outside of Dublin city center, but by the end we ended up near Stephen’s Green. The idea of a pub crawl is one drink at each pub and then leave. At first people were tired, but as you know after a few drinks, it livened up! A great crowd and a great time. For food, we went to Charlie’s Chinese Food. It was supposed to be the best Chinese food. I wasn’t impressed. Mine was salty, but it satisfied the appetite at the time. I’m looking forward to having some Happy Wok when I get home!!

The next day we slept in, and James cooked breakfast. Mmmm. It was 1:30 in the afternoon by the time we were finished eating. James and I sat around the apartment and worked on our blogs. We were supposed to meet Ann to go to a friend’s birthday party, but she wasn’t going to make it. By that point it was 7 pm, James was still in his pajamas, and I didn’t know where to go for the party. So… we first watched Top Gun. Then Layer Cake (a movie). And then Away We Go (another movie). And 4 glasses of wine (I told you I was becoming a wino!!) and a bowl of popcorn. This was the first day in Ireland that I didn’t leave my apartment. And yet, it was still a lot of fun. Kinda reminded me of a normal day I would have at home if I was there.

The next day I woke up, texted James, and we headed to beach town called Bray. About 40 minutes on the DART (the train). It was a lovely town with a carnival going on near the beach. I was told that Bray had a proper beach, but it was no where close to Spain or California. We walked along for a bit, and then grabbed a bite to eat. I had a batter burger and chips with vinegar and salt (vinegar and salt is normal here… I guess like ketchup at home), James had fish and chips. A batter burger is basically a hamburger fried in the same batter that the fish is fried in. It had no bun, but was of course excellent because it was fried and greasy.

We sat and ate on some grass near the ocean and then headed on a walk. It was a quite nice, up and around the edge of a hill near the sea. By the time we had walked there and back, we had walked around 10 kilometers. That equals around 6 miles. My legs felt like the creaked as I walked… kind of like the tin man in the Wizard of Oz!! The sun had peaked out, and we attempted to get a small tan (to no avail. But I have to try!!) Even though I was exhausted, I was glad to be out and about after my previous day relaxing indoors.


We then went home, ate a bowl of cereal, and thought about life. Just kidding about the thinking about life, more just on the internet stalking people on facebook...

This week: soccer with the Spaniards, James' cooking, beer pong/flip cup, and a gig in Dublin.

Goodbye sun, hello rain... oh and traveling craziness!

Spain day 3. Up by 9, out the door by 10. First we went to the market (Jussi couldn't stop thinking about it) and then headed to see the church we couldn't see the first day because I wasn't dressed properly. The church was wonderful but nothing like La Familia.


Next was the top of Barcelona. A huge hill that we of course chose to walk up. For some reason it was very humid, I think because it had just rained. But by the time we made it to the top of of the hill everyone was drenched in sweat. And we wouldn't have time to shower before the plane ride. Poor people that had to sit next to us. The top of the hill was very nice. Once again nothing special, but very nice. I think it was just fun to hang with everyone.



After an hour at the top it was time to head back to make our plane. We rushed to the hostel, grabbed our bags, and took off for the bus. Once again we had to take a bus to get to the airport. This time, it wasn't so... shall I say smooth? We had to wait in a long line to buy our tickets (good thing we were there early). Then our bus was late. We looked around us while waiting and it seemed that there were WAY more people that would actually fit on the bus. Hmmm.

We waited and finally the bus pulled up. It was literally WAR to get on the bus. A shoving, pushing WAR. One lady took it upon herself to push me through and follow behind me. I felt like I was in a stampede. But luckily I made it on. With NONE of the boys. I waited and finally Jussi somehow managed to make it on and grab a seat next to me. James made it on when there were hardly no seats but managed to snag one. Still no Olivier. He finally made it on, but there was no where to sit so he sat with me and Jussi. Like squished up the window. He ducked so the bus driver would leave (we were already soo late) and he finally left. That meant 3 people to the seat the one and a half hour bus ride. Most uncomfortable thing of my entire life. Not to mention I'm pretty sure I STUNK from hiking up that hill. Finally made it off the bus and had an easy transition to the gate of the airport.

James and I sat together on the plane with a larger man who had a lip piercing next to us. Before the plane took off we could see lightning... I knew it was going to be a bit rough on the way up, but I'm not too nervous flying. Kinda just consider it a roller coaster. Anyways, we take off and feel some turbulence. The guy next to James is clenching the front of the seat, looking very nervous. James points it out to me and we start laughing a bit. Who would think such a big guy is so nervous flying? The turbulence continues for a little while longer, at one point even with a short drop. The guy next to James starts shaking... physically shaking. Then his hands go into a weird position. Someone asks him if he is ok, and he says he can't move. They call the flight attendant who rings the head flight attendant who grabs the oxygen and a mask and puts it on him. He is breathing very quickly. They then call over the intercom for a doctor or paramedic to help out. A man comes over from the back of the plane and let's him know he just needs to relax. After a good 10 minutes the man starts to look a little bit better. Somewhere in between this the flight attendant was talking about landing... LANDING. I felt bad for the man, but I just wanted to get home. He ended up being ok, and was up and walking. It happened once more where he had to get the oxygen. I was nervous for the guy, and didn't sleep the whole way home. Aw well, I'm glad he made it through the plane ride without having to land.

What an eventful weekend... we stepped off the plane and automatically noticed the weather difference. Grrr... reminded me how much I missed wearing shorts everyday and actually sweating.

Back to work on Tuesday, ready for another week. (Oh I had Monday off because it was a bank holiday in Ireland.... basically NO WORK yay!!)

a REAL Beach, hello half naked ladies!!

Day three in Barcelona and by this point we were soooo exhausted from the last few days. Everyone wanted to go to the beach, and I wasn’t arguing. So as soon as we got up (this time we woke up for breakfast and then went back to bed) we headed to La Familia, the famous church designed by Gaudi. It is one of the most famous attractions in Barcelona.

Some history: it was designed by Gaudi in the last 20 years of his life. It has been under construction for around 100 years, and when Gaudi died in 1926, construction did not stop. The inside is expected to be finished this year so that services can be held inside the church. The outside is expected to be finished in 2030 (I don’t think that’s going to happen. There are currently 4 spires as you will see from the pictures and the design calls for 18).



When we arrived it was obvious that this church was different from others we had been to. First, there was a huge line to get in. Second, the outside and inside were unlike any church I have ever seen before. It had a modern look to it, with a kind of Disneyland/Candyland feel. I think pictures are the only way to really see what it was like to be inside the church.



The church was absolutely amazing and after wandering around for a bit, Jade and I were ready for the beach. The boys had to go back to the hostel quickly, but because Jade had to leave later that night we headed straight there. We had no sunscreen, towels, or food, but hey we wanted a BEACH. As soon as we got there we took off our clothes and laid them down as our towels. We then took turns swimming in the Mediterranean Sea (saying it makes me so in aw!!). Jade decided to go topless for a bit, given that most of the girls there were topless. I couldn’t do it, and I didn’t want my babies to be burned!! So I opted for the top and worked on getting the rest of me tan. The boys showed up about an hour later (with some towels, yay!!) and we all laid around and went swimming. It was great. The weather was perfect and I could not have asked for a better way to spend an afternoon.

Time for my comparison of California vs. Spain beaches. I’m not a beach snob and do love all beaches, but I did miss the beach from home. First, our beach is way less crowded. Could’ve been that we were at a beach near the city center, but I’m used to Huntington with tons of open space. Second people are topless. Could be good, could be bad. I think just different. Third, NO WAVES! I love the California waves and being able to frolic and swim and get tumbled over and surf and boogie board and all of that. That was definitely missing from my beach experience. As soon as I go home, one of the first things I will do will be to go to the beach.



After the beach it was time for Jade to leave. We headed back to the hostel, packed up her stuff and headed to the bus station. We managed to find our way without getting lost and I said my goodbye. It was so nice seeing her, and I can’t wait to see her when I get home.

I then went back to the hostel (my first time in Barcelona by myself, I somehow managed to find my way without the boys) and took a nice shower and relaxed for a bit. The boys got back from the beach and we headed to dinner for more tapas!! This restaurant was very nice, and had a long selection of tapas. We each ordered 2, and some sangria. The sangria was soooo good. It was sweet and fruity and so refreshing! I ordered chicken and sausage tapas. The boys ordered seafood once again. And I agreed to try everything. I actually enjoyed some of it, especially the razorbacks and the shrimpies.

After some ice cream (Olivier ordered 5 scoops for almost 6 euro. I think he misunderstood us when we said ORDER JUST FOR YOU), the boys wanted to go to the beach and I wasn’t arguing. So we headed off to the beach!!! I loved it once again, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. At one point these big trucks came and cleaned up the entire beach so we had to wait on some benches. It then started to rain. So we headed back to the hostel. Our earliest night (2 am) but still great. After some noises from the peanut gallery (we heard some people having their own physical pleasure...) Time to sleep and get ready for another day of touring around.

Gaudi and Day 2

We woke up in time for breakfast (9:30 am. Couldn't they have made it 10? Don't they know that people like us go out when we're in Barcelona?) The breakfast was less than expected. It was these three pieces of hard toast and a weird muffin thingy, with some awful tasting orange juice. I felt like a zombie and probably looked like one too.

Because I had never been to Barcelona and honestly had no idea what the city had to offer, we pretty much let Olivier who had been there 4 times lead us around to all of the spots that we had to see. First stop: a market. This was a huge open air market that sold anything from juices to nuts to meat to fish.
There were some pretty interesting things including skinned rabbit and some huge fish that I had never seen before and didn't look to appetizing. Jussi fell in love at first sight. We could've left him there all day and I think he would've been happy. Jade and I decided to buy some interesting looking fruit (I can't remember what kind it was, but I had never tried if before. This trip I've decided to TRY everything, even if I think I won't like it.) Jade and I went to wait outside (Jade bought almonds on the way... figures) while James and Olivier attempted to find Jussi who was probably having a heart attack from happiness. I was trying to stay awake while sitting on a pole (yes, I was THAT tired) and finally the boys come walking out with huge smiles on their faces. I think they believed they had struck gold.

We headed to a cute little square to eat our finds. They had bought fried some kind of fish in balls, these little tiny fish fried, juice, figs, and who knows what else (I think there was some squid in there). They happily shared some with me, and enjoyed watching my face as I hesitantly took a bite of what they found to be so appetizing. Surprisingly it wasn't awful. I wouldn't ever buy it, but the taste didn't make me want to puke. The little fish were the most fishy, and Jussi said he enjoyed that taste. I definitely don't and don't think I ever will.

We then headed off to various churches including La Cathedral. They were beautiful, but James said the one that I would really love wouldn't come until Sunday.

It was on Saturday that I learned about Gaudi. Sadly, I have never heard from him before. He is a famous architect who died in 1926 but designed many buildings for his home town of Barcelona, Spain before he died. Gaudi architecture is unique. You can automatically tell which of the buildings he created just by how they look and the details he includes. They a lot of times look like Candy Land/Willy Wonka/Disneyland. Some of the many Gaudi architecture pieces we saw:




After a quick much needed coffee and break, we went shopping for a bit. Of course, I didn't find anything I wanted (I kinda feel like if I would rather spend it on traveling; but I could use a cute summer dress!) but Jade came out with a few things.

We then met Olivier's friend, Stefanie who has an internship in Barcelona for the summer. She took us for our first taste of tapas (ie finger food, but only found in Spain. The dishes range from fish to chicken to vegetables. Pretty much anything.) We each picked out around 2 dishes and then agreed to share. I ended up picking potatoes bravas (french fries with some sauce on them) and sausage. Others ordered those small fried frish, codfish, fried squid, and things like that that I would likely never eat at home. But given that this was lunch, I decided to try everything at least once, and hopefully I would like it.

The potatoes were of course excellent. Everything else wasn't bad. I don't like the consistency of some of the fish, but the tastes weren't awful. The little fish were not good... they had that fishy taste, which I am not a fan of. Conclusion: first taste of tapas was a success!

We then headed of to Parc Guell (not sure if that's exactly how you say it or spell it, but hey I don't speak spanish). We took the metro and then walked up a hill that actually had escalators to take you up! Thank goodness, the hill was pretty steep (around 30 degrees). The view of Barcelona from the top of the hill was very nice. You could see all of the main sights including the church called La Familia. After an hour or so of taking in the nice view, we headed to La Parc, another thing that Gaudi had designed. It was essentially a big platform that you could walk around on and also sit around the edges. When we sat down, I dozed off immediately. I was exhausted!! There are several pictures of people looking at the camera and me sleeping with my eyes closed. Lovely.



Behind this big platform were two more houses Gaudi had designed. We didn't go in, given that we didnt' want to pay the money for it, but the outside said everything. Underneath the platform there were even more aspects of his architecture to see. All in all, it was an awesome place, architecture was great, and the view was even better. Anyone that manages to make it to Barcelona, I would suggest going here.


After this, we decided to try and get into the church that we hadn't been able to because I wasn't properly dressed. That meant: jeans. Ugghh. After wearing shorts for the whole day, I had no desire to put on anything that would cover up my legs and make me sweat. But I did for the best of the group. By the time we got to the church, it was closed. Of course. Jeans for nothing and now sweaty legs to take with me to dinner. Ew.

In Spain people don't eat until late. Like 9 at the earliest. It was 8:30, and we were hungry so we decided to break the rules and headed to a resteraunt that supposedly served paella. We were a bit underdressed but went in anywyas. I ordered pear filled pasta with a pesto cream sauce, while most other people ordered sea food. We had a bottle of wine with dinner as well, and it was quite enjoyable.

After that we headed back home to get ready for our night out round 2! Jade and I were ready for a great night; it would be our last night together until school started. We got dressed and headed to a bar that Stefanie suggested. This bar was unlike any other I had ever been to. It was like being in the Rainforest Cafe. There were trees everywhere and little fireplaces spread throughout. We ordered our first round of Sangria!! Yum :) It tasted very good, and I would gladly drink that any day of the week. After 3 glasses, we headed to the bar we were at yesterday and had MORE tequila shots. And a beer. And a mariachi. Oh goodness. By this point we just wanted the BEACH. So we walked there. It was about a 20 minute walk and once we arrived I ran to the ocean as quickly as possible. I then touched the Mediterranean Sea for the first time!!! It was nice being somewhere that reminded me of California. There were no waves, but the water and the sand made it seem close enough for me. We hung out on the beach and had a great time. After a short nap on the beach, we decided that sleeping on the beach wouldn't be the smartest idea and headed back to the hostel. The walk back seemed twice as long as the walk there and finally we made it to bed at 4 am. Another great night in Spain...

Spain... time to practice my spanish

After Thursday night out, I got a half day at work and headed home to pack for Barcelona. I honestly had no idea what to expect out of Spain. I had heard that it was amazing and that it was one of the top cities in Europe to visit, but beyond that I think all I knew was that they spoke Spanish. And that turned out even to be false. They speak a special kind of Spanish. And I speak almost no Spanish. Gracias. Por Favor. Si. And I probably don't even say them right!

I had heard before that Ryanair can be awful to fly with because of delays and all that jazz. We made it through the airport quickly, as James had promised me, and made our way to our gate. Jussi and Olivier were meeting us there and we all made it on time. The plane ride was uneventful, and we landed on time. Yay!!

However, Jade was meeting me in Barcelona and her plane was an hour late. I decided to wait at the airport for her, as we had to take a 45 minute bus ride to get to Barcelona (another disadvantage with flying with such a cheap airline). James (thank you!!!) waited with me, saying he wouldn't leave me alone in Spain. That left Jussi and Olivier to go on ahead and find the hostel for us. Jade's plane arrived an hour later, and we took the next bus putting us in Barcelona around midnight. Luckily Jade had a map and we somehow found our hostel.

First thing I noticed: tons of people out at midnight. Like the main street was packed. Second thing I noticed: people selling you beer on the street. Beer, beer they would ask. And we just kept on walking. Third thing: I can't speak spanish. I can't even say por favor or gracias. Not naturally anyways. It took a good 5 seconds for me to form the words in my mouth. And by that point I looked like a complete idiot. Because the only time I've been in a country where I don't speak the language was Germany, sometimes I found myself speaking German in Spain. Yup, don't know what the situation was. Whatever, somehow found a way to communicate.



After settling in at the hostel which was very nice, we headed out!! At 1 am. Let the night begin. First we went on a short tour of the city, then to a bar that Olivier knew about. It served a special kind of drink called a Mariachi, which has it's own special ingredients. Surprise number 1: 2 euros for a drink. 2 euros. Yep, only 2 euros!! I couldn't believe it. Compared to Dublin's 4 or 5 for a pint, I was in heaven. It tasted excellent. After our first drink, Jade and James said because we were in Spain, we HAD to do Tequila shots. Me and Tequila aren't friends, but because I'm friends with Jade and James I said ok. Guess what? Only 2 euros for a Tequila shot!!! So we did the whole salt and lemon thing and it wasn't half bad. After Spain, tequila and I might rekindle our past relationship.

Anyways, the bar was closing so Olivier took us to another bar that was also closing. So we decided to buy some beer from the guys that were selling it (only 1 euro per beer!) and we headed to the port. It was wonderful sitting by the ocean, looking at the boats and lights of Barcelona. Loved every single second of it. I'm already falling in love with this city. We made it home at 5 am, wake up call for breakfast: 9 am. What's new?

Week 7... nooooo

So it's currently week 7 (well by now it's week 8, but I'm writing about week 7). I can't believe how well this whole internship has worked out. I don't really want to go home. (Sorry Moms and Pops) The only things I can complain about is the weather. I'm currently wearing a long sleeved shirt and a scarf in the middle of August, and my legs have not seen the light of day. Aw well, beggers can't be choosers.

Research is going well. There has been some drama in the lab recently with one person in particuluar. It doesn't affect me much, but it does my mentor. After hearing about all of it, she tells me just to watch myself as I progress farther in my career as a researcher. Good lesson for me, I suppose. We are expected to be finished with this by next week. Elaine is working weekends (which I'm not allowed, THANK GOODNESS) and I'll be taking off to Barcelona. So next week, hopefully I begin work on my paper and presentation.

This week has been normal. Soccer, I cooked Garlic Lover's chicken one night (which everyone LOVED), and then a surprise cultural event (ooo awww). The surprise cultural event ended up being a blast. It was this viking tour thing around Dublin. It was supposed to be informative and fun, but I just like the yelling at people on the street and them looking back at us like what are you idiots doing. Jussi thought he was too old for it, but I don't think I'll ever be too old for a bit of fun. Michelle and I couldn't stop laughing.



We headed out Thursday with some of Laetitia's French friends she had met in Galway. They were visiting Dublin for a few days, so we showed them around. Once again, a great night. One older guy wearing a suit asked me for my number which was kinda freaky, and I politely said not tonight. Laetitia had a Guinness that had some weird syrup stuff in it that made it taste very good. James and I once again drank Bulmers. Grand night!


The nooo in the title is because I'm realizing that this is coming to and end and I'm not too happy about that...

Livin' it up for now!