Born to be Irish?

After a rather easy trip all day Monday and most of Tuesday (really, I only had to walk through the entire London airport three times and go through the same line of security twice before I made it on my final plane), I have finally began to settle down in my comfy apartment here in Cork. So far, it has been great. The town is small and easy to get around, and the people are very friendly and helpful. After walking around ALL day today familiarizing myself with the place, I’m beginning to feel like this will soon become a home far away from home. Even a few locals thought that I was just another Irish girl a few times. That is, of course, before they heard my accent. Lucky for them, they may not have to put up with my American accent for long since I plan to master it very quickly.

My apartment is great; I don’t think I could have ended up with a better place. Even the cab driver (who was very helpful and ready to tell us what to see, where to eat, and where to pick up the “fellas”) said that our apartment was one of the best in Cork. It’s right between the college and the City Centre where all the shops and pubs are located, so I just have to walk a little ways to get to anything and everything I could possibly need. Although I must say that the walk down to the City Centre is much easier than walking back; there is a very large hill that is a very good enemy when you have to carry bags of groceries up it, especially when the wind is blowing hard, head-on. However, crossing the streets to get to town and back is a much bigger deal than walking up the hill. I thought I was going to die multiple times.

First of all, the streets are SMALL. Some of them look almost too small for one car. The sidewalks begin to get smaller in those areas as well. The cars get as close to the sidewalks as they can when they have to cross paths with each other and pass through mazes of parked cars. I thought I was going to lose a grocery bag or two as well as an arm as they drove by. I could have literally moved an inch to the right on the sidewalk and jumped into the passenger seat of any car that drove by if I had wanted to – as long as they slowed down a little. They drive fast too. It also has been difficult getting used to look right-left-right instead of left-right-left like they do at home, but sometimes that doesn’t even matter because four cars are coming from four different directions all at once, so there’s really no point in choosing one way to look before another. I have figured out, however, that the little man that turns red and green is not very accurate and it is just best to follow your gut when the road seems to be clear.

I have yet to step foot into a pub – I know, my brothers are most likely disappointed – but I’ve just begun to start meeting new people and haven’t found a need to go in one yet. I did find out that it’s Arthur Guinness day on the 23rd and all of Ireland will be holding a Guinness and making a toast to him in celebration. I’m sure I’ll find myself in a pub at some point then. There is also a big rugby tournament game on Sunday and the pubs will be full of locals then as well because the Cork team hasn’t been in this tournament for over 20 years or something and it is a really big deal. It should be exciting to watch. Needless to say, Seth and Luke, you won’t be disappointed for long. ;-)

Other than trying to figure out electrical conversions and how the heater and stove function, all seems to be going well so far. My orientation at the college is tomorrow, so we’ll see what sort of things will happen then. For now, I’ll just keep working on my accent and try to decide what shade of reddish orange I should die my hair to fit in completely.