Pubs @ MindSay 
ireland
First day was spent cruising around town checking out stores and going into pubs. First pub we went into was completely empty. Slowly a few locals came in by themselves and just sat down and had a drink. Then came Timmy, most likely late 60's man, with a terrible habit of spitting while he talked. This is when we got our first touch of what it's like to be an American in a foreign country. At somepoint of the 1hr we spent there, I think all 7 of us exchanged some words with this guy. Luckily after his second hotwater and jameson he shook a couple hands and left. Later that evening we traveled from pub to pub until we got to the "hotspot" with a band in the first room, and a "rave" in the rear :P The highlight of the evening was when I was found double fisting a guiness and redbull and vodka.
Day two started with a 7am bedtime only to wake up 4hrs later for a day of bike riding. We took bikes down to a state park which had a gorgeous lake, awesome mountains, a beautiful estate with the awesomest green fields. We went and saw a waterfall, some gardens, couple greenhouses, and just road on trails for the rest of the time. Evening consisted of about the same as evernight, one big shit show. This night we managed not to wake up a 70 year old lady in a wheelchair at 4 AM.
Day three was a tour out to the Dingle Pennisula, the most western point of Europe. The town only had 1200 permanent residents and was completely rural, sheep and greenhills everywhere. The coast was amazing, the beaches were amazing, and the hills were the best. We pulled over at Adons property, a kid we randomly met and he allowed us to go into the beehive huts that were built on his land over 2000 years ago. Got some lunch in the town of Dingle, took a few pics of the docking yard and it was back to killarney. Hit up the steam and sauna room then dinner and back to the pubs.
Day four was spent in Killarney, mainly walking around doing some shopping and hitting up the pubs. Monday is pretty dead at night so there were only a few pubs that had a nice crowd. Spent most of the evening out and came back to the hotel for about an hr of sleep before we had to get on the bus at 4:30 Am to make our flight.
to check out some pictures go to www.crooklyn.org/ireland/ireland.html
So, it's all good now. I got the internet problem fixed yesterday but I had to wait the day it takes to connect and so, after watching Neighbors (an Australian soap opera that is horrible and yet, so addictive) with my flat's 'Neighbors Society' (which really just means that half the flat congregates in Aaron's room at half five everyday to watch the show. And I forgot what I was saying...oh, the internet! So, yes, I came back from Neighbors to find my internet working! After a few 'Hallelujahs!' and checking Myspace, I came on to blog. This won't be a real blog, though, I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote my first week here.
WARNING: It will be long, because it's two days of crazyness. Only read on further if you're actually interested in my life...haha.
OCT. 3
England is insane... and I LOVE it. My Ma and her friend Jane (who came with and is our designated driver - though none of us is familiar with driving in the U.K. or on the left side of the road) don't seem to understand any of the road signs, which I don't understand because they're blunt. Other then the roundabouts, which I actually like, and the road signs, which seem to make sense only to me, the only thing that throws me off about driving in Britain is the whole driving on the left side of the road and the steering wheel being on the right side of the car. We actually had a discussion about this at the rental dealership, and none of us can figure out how, in a world ruled by right-handed people, there are countries with steerings wheels on the right side of the car so that everybody has to use their left hand to shift.
Good news is, I know Colchester very well after only 72 hours here (well, technically it's less than that but I'm not technical person anyway). I know where the superstores are, where the movie theater is, where Curves is, where the best shopping is, where my bank is, and, most importantly, where every single pub is. Haha, that's not a hard one actually because there's a pub every other store and at least 6 on campus alone. Also, in town, when excluding the shopping areas where almost all the stores are clothing-type shops and restaurants, the streets look like this: [pub][grocer][pub][asian food][pub][fish'n'chips][pub][grocer][pub][indian food][pub]
Oh! That reminds me - I experienced irony today in a pub. On campus they gave us these special bracelets that indicate we're students or whatever and those bracelets get you discounts, including in the pubs of course. Well, one of the discounts that caught my Ma's and Jane's eye was a two for one special for Mud Vodka's (or Muddy Vodka's or something like that), so, and here's the irony, I had to buy them the alcohol. I actually laughed out loud at that one. On a similar note, my Ma kept trying to buy me pints. I know most teenagers would love to have this problem but, honestly, I don't want to get drunk right away. Besides, at least one of us has to remain sober so we know where the hell we are and where we're going. That and I have too much to do right now to go and get drunk. And I'm sick from all the roundabouts, which aside from being helpful, turns your stomach into liquid... it's like being on one of those kiddy rides that go in circles at the same speed for what seems like an hour so that your stomach almost permanately moves in next to your pancreas and on top of your right kidney (a place a stomach does not belong).
I'm actually writing this in my dorm room right now. It's very nice - a corner space - and is about as big as my room in Miami, except, it's a single. They're all singles and it's fabulous. OH! And there are boys on the floor too (if you go to a school that's completely co-ed in everything, then this won't make any sense)!!! HOT English boys and one Irishman whom I'm totally in love with. I'm so glad I got my hair done before I came. And I'm glad that English girls are more... urgh, how to say this without sounding mean... well, it can't be done. English girls seem a lot more plain than American girls. Though there are some gorgeous Keira Knightly types, most are just so... normal-looking and plain and it really makes me feel better, especially after living in Miami where most girls look like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez or Lindsay Lohan or in DeKalb where, like, half the girls in my high school were models (this is no joke either). I get to feel pretty here and I love it. And in Miami, the boys are on one floor and the girls are on another and we have some strict rules... and some of the RAs are total Nazis when it comes to keeping the rules. Though I know a few who managed to get around it by memorizing our RA's schedule... though I'm far too lazy to do that. So, whatever. It's better here!
I love everything here, really. The language (I love how articulate everybody is), the way they do things, just... everything. I don't ever want to leave. I especially love Essex - it's fabulous! If you're thinking about universities in England, seriously consider Uni.Essex cause it rocks. Now, the only thing I have to figure out is the kitchen situation... hm, I'll do that later. Right now I'm heading out to meet more people. Adios!
END
Right, that was super-long so I think I'll wait to post the rest till tomorrow.
Ireland-very cool.
The rain is a slight turn off, but Ireland is still very cool indeed.
Kinsale was indeed a fun place to stay. The entire town is crammed into an area that was centered around a bay. Nothing but one lane streets and pubs as far as the eye can see.
Some interesting facts about Irish pubs:
#1 There is no smoking allowed in ANY public place in Ireland, including pubs. #2 They are quite family friendly. #3 Under-agers can stay in until 10 at night, and most bartenders will let the rule slide a bit.
Unfortunately, due to the ungrateful twerps I had to babysit, I didn't get to go to a single one.
A couple of days ago, we went to a wedding of two of my dad's coworkers. That was fun. The reception had excelent food, ample beverages (I could hear high pitched laughter comming from the table behind us about 30 minutes in) and everybody was having a good time.
Then, it rained.
And rained.
And rained.
Not like the nice, sprinkly sort of stuff, but more like Cascade foothill stuff. Even some of the roads in Kinsale were starting to get flooded, and this was after only two days. Yeesh.
Fastforeward to today. The ferry ride was nauseating. Even the super-stable catamaran that we were in kept rocking around like monsters in a slow dance.
Dispite all, Ireland was still a lot of fun.
On to new business. Tomorrow, we drive the 170 miles to our houseboat near London. My parents don't want to be using the tube, which is understandable. I'm still determined to go. I don't care if I have to walk the entire time. It's going to be quite awhile before I can return to London, so I want to see as much as possible.
More pictures to come.
-Bigfoot
ah yes irealand, it rocks very much. im watching leprechaun, its really a stupid movie but i mean come on just look at the title! why wouldnt i watch it? i really wish i were irish. look at all the stuff i named about it in my tags, i beat you even irish people cant do that! if i were irish i would be so proud of my heritige. lol. not that im not proud of it now. (italian, slovak, german, welsh, gypsy and a little bit of indian) you would think because im all that there could be just this little part of me thats irish..but noooo!!! oh well someday ill have the money to retrace my family tree for generations and generastions and find some irish in me, im telling you i really should be irish lol. yanno i even have 4 irish cds..including a christmas one!! lol
*kristen
