12 January 2010

Day 1

Well... that was a long day. Just getting adjusted in taking me some time. The time difference is especially daunting. And the bus system is a bit hard to figure out. They don't really have any bus maps... really. It's weird. So you just have to figure it out. My host people have helped out with that, which is nice.

Not much to say. It's super interesting being here, but I am feeling a homesick. I know this is probably going to be an amazing experience, but the jet lag is killing me still, and I really can't wait to get back to Bennington.

In the meantime, I've got to get in some more exploring while I'm here, for sure. I'm looking forward to getting a lot of relaxing into this weekend, so that I can feel more prepared for the weekdays next week. Jumping right into it has gotten me all addled and stressed. But that's life, and I know I can deal until I fully adjust. The copious amounts of coffee and tea my hosts and boss are giving me certainly help. And doing work from home will be very, very nice.

Anyway, just putting in a short-ish entry to fill up space. I can't wait to get to a session at a pub at some point. I need to hear me some Irish music!!

That's all for now!

10 January 2010

Arriving on the Emerald Isle

So, today is my official first day in Ireland. I've never written a blog before, and I don't purport to know how to write a blog. But I'm going to write something resembling a blog anyway, as a sort of memory of my trip in Ireland, to share with folks at home.

My flight was severely delayed (4 hours late) due to weather on this end. Apparently, Ireland has been having an uncanny amount of snow this winter. And the airport closed for a while the day of my flight. But by the time my flight (belatedly) set out, all was well. The flight was pretty uneventful, and full of Sex and the City, Celtic music and Scrubs. I even got a bit of sleep in.

So I took a bus from the airport and met with my homestay host in Terenure Village, where it was too cold and wet, and I was too tired, for any sort of sightseeing at the time. I'll probably end up exploring at some point. In any case, I'm pretty nestled into my room, and all unpacked. The house is nice, the food was fish and chips. I had some lovely discussions about politics.

It sounds like the health care system in Ireland is a bit rough. I was talking about the U.S. insurance companies, and Angela and her son were spurred on to tell me a lot about how the public/private system in Ireland works (or sometimes doesn't). It's all very interesting. But anyway, I'm so incredibly tired, I can hardly think straight. I could almost just pass out and fall asleep while typing this. But in any case, I am arrived and settled. And I'm heading into the city centre tomorrow to meet one of my new bosses, over at ArtPolonia. I'm pretty excited, though I can hardly keep my eyes open right now. I imagine that tomorrow, after a shower and some coffee, I will be all raring to go. I'll fill everyone in.

Also, I saw something like 3 Polish groceries while passing through Dublin on the bus. I'm sooo excited about meeting some fellow Poles.

Anyways, I'm pretty much crossing my eyes at this point, so I must be off and asleep. 7:30 here, but the middle of the afternoon at home, after a night with only 2 hours of restless, airplane sleeping. No fun!

More fun soon.