It Feels Like Summer

Well, not "proper" summer, since it hasn't hit the upper-90s or 100; but a good Irish type summer, what I think of as fall (& sometimes winter) at home: mid-60s, sunny, slightly cool in the evening. Just nice. I almost broke out flip-flops it was so nice...& considering the blisters my heels gave me, I should've. Lesson learned, I suppose.


The weather was equally lovely yesterday, which made the trip to Kinsale that much better. I so adore that town. Wandering around Charles Fort and the town gave my roomie and I some time to bond, which we really hadn't done that much of. It was really nice.


I really haven't talked much about my roomie...in part because I couldn't really understand what her name was. But I have it figured out now (although I cannot pronounce her surname...it's far to confusing still). Her name is Nienke (NEEN-ka) & she's from the Netherlands. She's about six-months older than I am -- and she has two masters degrees already (it sort of makes me feel like an underachiever). She's actually not technically enrolled as a PhD student yet, instead she's teaching first year Latin and Greek grammar classes this year since the prof. who usually does so is going on pregnancy leave, & she'll start her PhD (in neo-Latin) next year.

Meeting new people is such fun. It's so fun to find what people truly love -- and what they want to do with their lives.

I had more opportunity to meet random new people tonight. All were American students. Because since Nienke & I "hosted" some of the heavy bags that got sent ahead of the Arcadia students, Valerie (who is the coordinator for things for Arcadia here in Cork) asked us to join the dinner that all the little undergrads get to go to. It was rather funny to be going to this dinner again (after all, I'd gone to this thing thrice when I was here with Arcadia before)...and who am I to pass up a completely free dinner?

I ended up sitting by a really sweet girl from W&M, who may be a travel partner sometime this semester. We both want to travel to Wales and Glasgow, so hopefully we'll be able to find some time to do that.

I also might have a bit of a job from going to dinner. Valerie sort of recognised me, and I explained I had done this program two years ago (geez, that seems so long ago!). I offered to help her out with things, and thus, I might be going up to Co. Limerick on Friday on a bus to help deposit all those students for their home stays. And I'd get €20 out of it (or something like that, Valerie really wasn't too sure).

Registration is on Thursday.and my first class meeting is on Friday. I should know exactly what I've gotten myself into after that. If not, hopefully it will all be cleared up early next week (after yet another info. session, this one for History).