And so another week has passed.
'Twas rather uneventful, but I'm trying to keep this updated fairly often. I'm trying to be good about it. Honest.
Thanksgiving went well. I actually prepared the meal on my own; when we sat down there was but one dish that I had not made myself. Luckily it wasn't a big affair, there were three of us. I may've cheated a bit (stuff from boxes = brilliant), but that's because in true procrastinatory style I shopped for the holiday meal Thanksgiving morning. It's so nice to see some of my habits never change. :P
The decorations continue to go up around the city -- and Christmas music is blaring from stores along Patrick Street. I'll try to take some photos of all the decorations soon. Even if I feel like a complete tourist to do so. There's something eerily self-conscious in taking photos of a place where you live; and it always makes me want to say, "No, seriously, I live here!" when I take such photos.
I absolutely impatient for Christmas. My family will be in Ireland in three and a half weeks (not that I'm counting....) & I can't wait to see them and show them around.
If the Cork City Library was open right now, I'd be tempted to run over there, get a membership & check out a novel instead of doing any of my reading. Those academic books sit neatly in a pile by my desk, staring up at me, whilst I try to forget them for another hour. The moment I leave my chair, however, I have to remember them or else I trip over them and turn them into a messy pile of books. And that's just no fun.
So, I shall try to read one of those books now, instead of watching the clouds roll in over the rooftops; despite the fact that the latter could be far more interesting today (especially if I dare to open my book for my seminar: that book puts me to sleep faster than any other I have).
26 November 2006
19 November 2006
Sunday in the Rain with Finny*
Today I did something slightly unusual, perhaps, but I've been itching to go to an Anglican service in St Fin Barre's (seriously: there are too many ways to spell this name; it's crazy). So, when my friend Claudia (from Germany) said she wanted to go too, & Nienke as well, we made plans to attend. To confuse it all, there are three separate services during the day; morning, almost noon, and evening. We went to the middle one (which is held at 11:15). This actually worked out best, since it is the Choral Eucharist service...so it wasn't overly awkward for me. They also had a baptism today, it was really nice. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the sermon...enough so that I'm seriously contemplating going again next week; it struck a chord.
The building is simply beautiful, even if it is rainy and cloudy and cold...and to see during a service is completely different from just touring it. It's so easy to remove the reasons behind why people felt it necessary to build such a building from the architecture; but it becomes impossible when faced with and participating in that reasoning.
Well, enough of my slight poetic-ness. I'll try and return to my usual frivolity now; I've been grave for too long, methinks.
I also gained valuable insight into why women wore so many petticoats in the olden days. That stone church was freezing! I really thought my legs would go numb, if it wasn't for all the standing. I'm glad I decided not to wear a skirt -- but after seeing that the temp was hovering around 40 degrees and the wind chill was much closer to 35, I figured that would be a bad idea.
I still have nerves in my legs, unlike most Irish girls (who, in all seriousness, wear mini-skirts when it's practically freezing outside; all for the purpose of clubbing).
Holiday decorations are going up in Cork! It makes me terribly giddy. I <3 Christmas time.
Although, I do have my self-imposed embargo of not listening to Xmas music until after Thanksgiving. Luckily, the shops just started playing those songs this past week -- when you can hear it over the din of people, anyway.
It also hailed two days ago. For about five minutes. But still: hail!
Also, when it decides to rain here the temperature seems to drop about 10 degrees. It's eerie. But I'm becoming terribly used to it & begin to look for the nearest shelter (if I left foolishly without my umbrella) as soon as I feel it.
In other, more boring news: I've my first assignment from my advisor. So, I actually have to get work done this week. Work being, continuing to flesh out my bibliography and writing summaries of those books on it that I've already read. Which, oddly enough, I had already started on the latter when he told us about this on Friday. I think I'm the overachiever in my class...& that's slightly bizarre.
Well, back to work I go! (Unless I get overly distracted by the rain...again.)
*If you can guess the musical I shamelessly parodied, then...well, then clearly you're a musical nerd like me, and thus earn cool points. :P
The building is simply beautiful, even if it is rainy and cloudy and cold...and to see during a service is completely different from just touring it. It's so easy to remove the reasons behind why people felt it necessary to build such a building from the architecture; but it becomes impossible when faced with and participating in that reasoning.
Well, enough of my slight poetic-ness. I'll try and return to my usual frivolity now; I've been grave for too long, methinks.
I also gained valuable insight into why women wore so many petticoats in the olden days. That stone church was freezing! I really thought my legs would go numb, if it wasn't for all the standing. I'm glad I decided not to wear a skirt -- but after seeing that the temp was hovering around 40 degrees and the wind chill was much closer to 35, I figured that would be a bad idea.
I still have nerves in my legs, unlike most Irish girls (who, in all seriousness, wear mini-skirts when it's practically freezing outside; all for the purpose of clubbing).
Holiday decorations are going up in Cork! It makes me terribly giddy. I <3 Christmas time.
Although, I do have my self-imposed embargo of not listening to Xmas music until after Thanksgiving. Luckily, the shops just started playing those songs this past week -- when you can hear it over the din of people, anyway.
It also hailed two days ago. For about five minutes. But still: hail!
Also, when it decides to rain here the temperature seems to drop about 10 degrees. It's eerie. But I'm becoming terribly used to it & begin to look for the nearest shelter (if I left foolishly without my umbrella) as soon as I feel it.
In other, more boring news: I've my first assignment from my advisor. So, I actually have to get work done this week. Work being, continuing to flesh out my bibliography and writing summaries of those books on it that I've already read. Which, oddly enough, I had already started on the latter when he told us about this on Friday. I think I'm the overachiever in my class...& that's slightly bizarre.
Well, back to work I go! (Unless I get overly distracted by the rain...again.)
*If you can guess the musical I shamelessly parodied, then...well, then clearly you're a musical nerd like me, and thus earn cool points. :P
10 November 2006
Short & Sweet; & Rather Soaked
We've had such nice weather these past weeks. No rain, usually sunny...although, it was cold.
& then today happened. The one day I had to walk all over town, the sky decided to set a steady, light rain over Cork. For the entire day...or at least the day thus far.
So now my jeans are wet, my hair is damp, my shoes are soaked. & all for a tour of the Cork City & County Archives! The things I do for history.
It's times like this that I miss Texas sunshine. &, in a way, Texas thunderstorms - because they usually don't last all day long; the storm blows through quickly & doesn't sit overhead.
But, enough of my complaints about the weather...for now, anyway.
I've actually been getting work done on my thesis. & for once I'm ahead of the curve in starting early...most other people haven't done much at all. I'm sure it's because we don't have any deadlines yet, and so the motivation isn't there at all.
Depending on the weather tomorrow, I might go visit some random Cork town. I'm partial to Youghal right now. & only in part because you pronounce it "yawl" (technically) & which I always think of as "y'all" - the sign of a true Southerner, I think.
For those who actually read this: sorry for not updating in a while. But, I've really done nothing super interesting lately. I'm sure things will pick up later...I mean, I will be heading to Dublin for class later this month...and that will undoubtedly be interesting.
& then today happened. The one day I had to walk all over town, the sky decided to set a steady, light rain over Cork. For the entire day...or at least the day thus far.
So now my jeans are wet, my hair is damp, my shoes are soaked. & all for a tour of the Cork City & County Archives! The things I do for history.
It's times like this that I miss Texas sunshine. &, in a way, Texas thunderstorms - because they usually don't last all day long; the storm blows through quickly & doesn't sit overhead.
But, enough of my complaints about the weather...for now, anyway.
I've actually been getting work done on my thesis. & for once I'm ahead of the curve in starting early...most other people haven't done much at all. I'm sure it's because we don't have any deadlines yet, and so the motivation isn't there at all.
Depending on the weather tomorrow, I might go visit some random Cork town. I'm partial to Youghal right now. & only in part because you pronounce it "yawl" (technically) & which I always think of as "y'all" - the sign of a true Southerner, I think.
For those who actually read this: sorry for not updating in a while. But, I've really done nothing super interesting lately. I'm sure things will pick up later...I mean, I will be heading to Dublin for class later this month...and that will undoubtedly be interesting.
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