IN Scotland!

Hello hello!

After an amazing stay in Ireland I finished my intentional program and Im free. Free to travel that is. Julia and I have now made our way to Edinburgh Scotland, UK, after a quick flight on Aer Lingus.

This is one of the most amazing cities i have ever been to! It is absolutely gorgeous, historical, haunted, and tasty! After arriving yesterday we went to our hostel, Edinburgh Backpackers, and then went out for some food. Little did we know the Royal Wedding was going on that day and the streets were packed! We found an Italian Restaurant(which was also packed) called Italia Bella and chowed down. We then went walking around Prince Street trying to get our directions straight. It is a confusing city but totally walkable, if you don't mind the hills! that night we passes out after a big day.

Today we got up around 930, had a cheep Scottish breakfast next door, and caught a free 3 hour city walking tour. Our guide Andy was nice, and took us all around. I especially like the graveyard and princes garden. After that adventure we grabbed some awesome food at a place called the village (I had lamb). We then walked around the large castle, visited the banned book exhibit in the Edinburgh Library, and shopped.

Ok now it is time for a nap before we go to a pub tonight. I want to go to a place called Frankenstine's!

Tomorrow we hope to do a tour of the underground vaults, see the Scottish Museum 9newly renovated) and maybe teh modern art museum.

sending all my love,

DAY 64: Back from the Island!

Hello friends!
I am back from my last amazing weekend trip! The Skellig Michael Islands. (here is a link to help explain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skellig_Michael)

It was absolutely amazing! and a little scary~! First thing first how did I get there? Well i tried about every kind of Irish transportation possible. I left on Saturday, after my Friday final exam (which went great thank you), grabbing the city bus, I bought "Dune" the best book ever, caught the Luas (like a above grown subway), then the 11am train to Mallow, change train to Killarny, Then grabbed the Bus Eireanne (after buying a new ticket) to Cahirciveen, then made called a taxi to Portmagee where my hostel was, about 10 min walk to the water. Oh ya, that night I watched 'Cabernet' alone, in the common room.

Next day I was lucky enough to get a spot in the Brenden Casey Boat service to the Skelligs. On the way there (after taking my motion sickness pills) we saw some seals! When getting to the main island, really a large rock, we scrambled out of our tiny fisherman's boat to the rock path. After following the small path, we soon came to a steep set of stairs curving of the rock face. These are the same steps that the monks created centuries before to lead up to the beautiful and peaceful monastery at the top of the mountain. Oh the steps seemed so beautiful, so peaceful, so lovely from the bottom of the rocks; not so much after 200 steps on a steep, unstable, dirty, rock hill. It was more of a hike! I was unaware of these challenges and left without my water bottle, thank goodness my new friend, Phillipo, from Italy was lovely enough to give me his. After our very ....um...athletic journey up the rock we fell upon the monastic village which would have originally housed around 12 monks and workers. WE then took the even more dangerous trip down the, now wet, rock stairs.

Oh did I mention the Puffins? They were So cute! It is nesting time so all of the birds had taken over the island. Oh did I also mention that it is a world heritage site? and nature sanctuary?

And the way home we saw dolphins, and not just a few, a whole family, with baby dolphins! Ya I saw Baby dolphins in Ireland, how could you beat that?

The next day I got up and caught a taxi to repeat my crazy transportation journey, but this time backwards! Back at DCU, after a shower of coarse, I helped with a lighting refocus in the venue. Exactly what I wanted, nothing makes me feel more at home than being in a theatre. Thank you for having me help Ash.

Anywho, now time for a snack.

DAY 48: Bog, Openning, and the IMMA

I left out some exciting news from Friday; I went to Causey Farm to explore the Irish experience. This included baking Irish soda bread, milking a cow, and (my favorite part)a mud bath in the bog. This was some of the best fun I have had this entire summer. We jumped into a large ditch which was dug out of the bog. About 12 of us changed into old clothing and preceded to jump into the large pile of mud and covered each other with it. The muck is supposedly great for your skin and therefore we spent somewhere around an hour and a half throwing mud at each other. See photos on Flickr.

The next day Ashely and I visited the Botanical Gardens of Ireland! We have so many wonderful photos from there and I am planing to put them up on flickr asap. We saw the rose gardens, the cacti, and (Ashely's favorite) the ferns. I like the ferns because it makes me feel like I am a dinosaur!

After our botanical exploration, we took the Luas to CumDrum to see Harry Potter with some great friends of Ashely's. They group was great and we ended the night with a trip to TGIFriday's, (which reminded me of home).

Sunday was a lazy day and i needed it before Monday, the official opening of the play Nuts and Bolts. It went wonderfully - selling out the whole house of over 50 people. Deirdre is amazing, Colm made it look fabulous, and Micheal kept everything going.

Tuesday was today. After a few hours of work at the Focus, I grabbed my favorite Indian food and then went off to the IMMA(Irish Museum of Modern Art). I wish i could say it was amazing, but the small collection was only ok. There was one piece by Liam O'Callahan, named "chaos and dreams yet to come that was Phenomenal, but nothing else truly captured me, though the architecture of the museum was lovely.

Anywho, worked with Cillian and Ashely to help set up some stuff at DCU tonight and now i am going to bed. after some eggplant of course (i love eggplant)
night all

Day 44: so..

Life is a bit odd.

The opening preview of "Nuts and Bolts" went well, though we did have a bit of a tech issue. In the middle of the show the bottom of a lighting unit came unhinged and opened up, therefor shining pure light into my eyes! Thank goodness it had a safety line connected to it, or it would have fallen onto someone's head! But no fear it has been repaired!

Last night I got to go see "Alpha and Omega" at Kennedy's pub. That is the show that I helped Sonya with lighting! Ashely and I went and we both enjoyed it very much! It was REALLY cool, perhaps even the most innovative show I have seen in Ireland so far.

Tomorrow I am planing on seeing the botanical garden and then seeing the last HP film. Its nice to have a weekend!

DAy 42: Plays and Play

Hello!

I have been very busy this week! Working on 1)the last week run of Pinching for my Soul at Focus Theatre, 2) Help do lights for Alpha and Omega, a fabulous show in the basement of Kennedy's Pub, and 3) Stage-managing Nuts and Bolts at Bewley's Theatre.

Nuts and Bolts is having its first showing TOMORROW! The theatre is SO cute, and everyone gets soup to go with it! Deirdre is a bit nervous but I am so sure this is going to go perfectly. Today we made the set and did the light, tackled some issues but we made it.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get a free haircut - see Facebook for a photo - but was late to work. Life goes on.

I have really liked Ireland, but I am a tiny bit homesick. I miss my family and my friends, though i have been able to make some Amazing friends here.

life is grand

DAY 37: GAA Sports Day

Hello Team!

There is no better greeting after a day like today! the history and Society class got together for some good old Irish fun, and I am not talking about drinking! Instead, we went to the local GAA club to learn how to play Gaelic Football and Hurling.

Though I was certainly not the best of the field, I had fun in the rainy turf. The games were rough, but not broken bones today - though we did break a hurl (or hurling stick). The photo above is Rebecca and myself in front of the field after two hard games!

Afterword we had a quick check-in with Dr. Mark O'Brien, for our internships. It was nice to hear about what everyone was doing! Most of the group than packed up to go north for the weekend, but I have work this weekend helping with lighting at the Kennedy Pub. I sit here how avoiding the paper I need to work on!

DAY 35: More than Halfway

Hello y'all,

Time does Fly! Happy fourth of July everyone! I must say that I did feel homesick this Monday! but to cheer us, Americans, up the school bar, NuBar, had a giant American themed party/cookout for us! There were burgers, drinks, music, and much too much skin shown by some.

Lucky I made it through that, and have spent the majority of monday and tuesday searching for the perfect lampshade for "Nuts and Bolts". Stage-managing this play has created some very fun and different experiences, like prop hunting in very odd charity shops. Its has been a great time, and I sure cant wait to have it open next week!(lamp shade above)

Talking about plays, tomorrow I will be going to see Molly Sweeny, at the Gate Theatre, by Brian Freil. The show consitis of three characters who monolog separately. The main male character actually played a Nazi General in Indiana Jones.

Anywho! Life is good, busy but good!
DEV