I'm on permanent leave...

I'm done with lectures for the week. I would go to the grocery store, but I need to wait until a little after 4. I got my first assignment from the paper today - apparently shooting some Belgian girl. The story seems weak (they said it might be front page), but what do I care. The photo will be good. Who knows, she might even be hot.

I got a few other assignments, too, but nothing too hard. Parking lots, school radio stations.. blah. The clouds are breaking up to the west - maybe I'll get some good natural lighting.

Wednesday is THE night to go out around here. All of the irish kids go home for the weekend (by the way - it just started raining. Right after I wrote that it was starting to break). I'm not sure why Wednesday, but I can't argue. It's pretty good fun. We went to Tram Co last night. It is in Rathmines, a small area about 2km south of the city center. Kinda neat looking area with the canals and small shops along the main road. I was told today that it wasn't really a great area, but not nearly as bad as the area around the Guinness factory. That place was sketch. It stopped raining.

Anyway, Tram Co was fun. Multi-colored lighting with several, easily accessible bars and a dance floor. I think I saw everyone I've met there (well, between that and Killian's b-day party earlier). There are pictures, but I'm not linking it yet because I'm going to change the link later today. It was a little expensive, but probably worth it.

Speaking of expensive, I might go to Cork or Gallway this weekend. Hopefully a crew from boards.ie will go to Wicklow soon. I think I'm going to get Noah to the south side of the city next week, too. I don't think he's been to Sandymount or Stillorgran, which are both ripe for photography.

Oh - and to finish - I'll relay a small conversation I had with an RA:
her: So are you one of those americans with REAL irish roots
me: a bit, yeah.
her: What's your surname?
me: Sweeney.
her: "oh - are they from Wicklow?" turns to another RA "Sweeney is a Wicklow name, isn't it?"
RA 2: I have no idea.
RA: I'm pretty sure it is. You should head down.

I think it is crazy that people know where i'm from, just by the name. I've been told multiple names that Sweeney would be an easy name to trace (though I should try O'Sweeney or MacSweeney instead). I'm off.

In the study abroad orientation meetings, they tell you not to do a few simple things. No matter what you do, don't put yourself in undue risk of physical harm, don't travel by yourself (esp. to meet people you don't know in unfamiliar parts of town), and don't go to political demonstrations (esp. those against your home country).

If I broke the first rule by bungie jumping friday, I smashed the other two on Saturday when I went out to meet some guys from boards.ie to take photos around Dublin.

It was a rainy day, meeting on the north side of the Liffey (the bad side), and I had an infection that was bringing me down like a squirrel mistakenly hit by a bear tranquilizer (well, my throat was sore and I didn't have a voice, but the simile is more dramatic). We started at the Garden of Rememberance where a political demonstration was scheduled to take place and got soaked. About an hour behind schedule (or in Irish, "on time"), the demonstration started and proceeded down O'Connell street. 4 of the 5 of us jumped under an movie theatre's awning when the rain got to be a bit to much (we were all using digital cameras, mind you), leaving one nut-job to capture the best photo-journalistic shots among us.

Just after that, the 4 of us sought refuge in a starbucks south of the river; the nut-job joined up about half an hour later. By the time we left, it was drier (dry being a relative term in this country), and we walked west towards the Guinness factory. We made it, then turned back east towards the docklands, nabbing some great photos along the way. The guys were all super-chill and humble considering the shots they got.

So, a few pictures for now, if you care to look. You should definitely check out Noah's pictures as he gets the prize for about the most evokative photographer I've seen (let alone met).

The film/art students pictures:
me, Noah, Darren, and more generally his Flickr because he's darn good at what he does.

and the crazy photo-journalist

Mine are at my normal place and generally don't hold a candle what what they were shooting. I also uploaded them all because I'm too lazy/lacking in equipment to sort through them, so there are a bunch. The only one I think I really like is this urban "landscape" and perhaps this this lady.

So anyways, that's what I did this weekend. That and lay in bed wanting to rip out my throat. What did you do?

I've thought a lot about how to carefully (or dramatically) say this since I know my mom reads this, but I can't really think of anything good. So I'll just tell you how it played out and try to avoid any drama.

Today was another good day. No classes, the only think I had to do was meet up with my Erasmus buddy group for Oktoberfest at 4. I met up with Dominik in the pit and saw a crane in the car park just behind a concrete wall. Being curious, I ventured over. It was near the fresher's tent where events had been going on all week. I remembered having read a poster for this, but I thought it would be a wuss version. well...

As I walked over, the crane lifted and a basket rose. 2 girls stood in the basket, hugging. And when it got to the top, they jumped out. This was no joke - it was legitimate bungee jumping. Being curious again, I asked the local security guard (they're all over UCD) how much they'd paid. He had no idea. Brendon, then final-year Irish buddy walked over to one of the people in charged and asked how expensive it was and how much longer they would be open. 30 Euro and just a few minutes.

Now, I don't normally believe in fate. In fact, I usually think that you make your own fate. Hard work and perseverance are the ways to get what you want. Occasionally, though, that notion is challenged. This was one of those times. I had exactly 30 Euro on me, and today was the first time I had carried my small digital camera with me since I got to Ireland. To top it off, there were witnesses.

First things first, I called Mikey (my roommate). He'd thought the bungee jump would be on a trampoline. I kindly informed him that he was wrong, and to get his butt down to the pit if he wanted to jump. Then, baited by the "i did it two years ago" and general encouragement of the people I had met only 2 days ago, I went looking for the guys in charge. Probably not the smartest decision ever.

A standard release later, I'm sitting in a chair watching another girl jump. Then they started to strap me into a harness and leg straps. At this point, I want to point a small fact (to my mom) to allay some fear. I've been climbing for 4 years now. I saw before paying that the equipment used was EXACTLY the same as the equipment used in climbing (exect a giant rubber band the width of my thigh in place of a rope). I've known people that repelled 4 stories upside down. I myself can repel about 2 stories in a single jump (which is practically a free-fall). I know how to wear a harness and I know how to attach a carabiner. At any point, if I didn't feel safe, I could have backed out. However, the harness came over my hips, was tight, and all of the buckles formed C's (O = open, C = closed... it has to do with how things double back). All of the carabiners were the screw/lock type, which are actually more secure under tension. They were all attached to screw downward (the proper direction). Also, the people were only really falling 3 stories and there was a 2 story airbag under the basket. Nothing was happening. And yes, I DID check all of this shit while they were doing their thing.

So they got me into the basket and started to lift, facing south-west. It is the best view I've had of Ireland yet. Absolutely beautiful mountains with houses built on the sides. The only bad part of the experience was that by the time we got to the top, the jump master had delivered all of the instructions and the gate was open. I got up and put my feet on the edge, looking at all the field around. In retrospect, if I had looked down, I might have been scared, but I didn't and wasn't. There really wasn't time. I was still looking at the hills when I heard "3-2-1 bungee!" As per instructions, I threw myself out of the basket. A few seconds of confused free fall later, and I'm being pulled back away from earth. I thought I would be jerked around, but that wasn't the case at all. It was like at gentle roller coaster. By comparison, Drop Zone and Carowinds puts a hell of a strain on me (so much that i won't ride it again), but the jump was more like hard breaking in a car.

The most frequent questions have been:
"Were you scared?" No - I wasn't. I knew I was safe, and honestly, it was so pretty/I didn't have time to be scared.
"Did you feel a rush (of adrenaline)?" Again, no - I don't think I had time. I guess maybe on the 2nd bounce I got excited at flying through the air, but nothing I saw registered. Honestly, I remember seeing the mountains, feeling the fall, and seeing again when they pulled me in.
"Are you glad you did it?" Yes. That is one of the things I said I'd never do. And I did it. It was fun. It wasn't terribly expensive (sponsored by a school club), and that is one hell of a story I'm going to get to tell when I'm old.

So yea, I bungee jumped today. And if you need proof, look here. That's just one more thing I can say I've done that most people can't. Adding that to the list with SCUBA and helicopter ride. I've realized (over the past year) that life isn't worth living if you don't live, and money isn't worth having if you don't spend it.

And mom, please don't kill me.

Lots of class today. That sucked because I woke up with one of the worst sore throats I've ever had. Getting sick was inevitable, but I just want it to pass. It sucks that it had to be on THE week of fall semester. Oh well. I'm feeling better now.

I had my first tutorial today (which is basically a recitation). It is nice being a 4th (or 6th) year in a room full of 1st years. I have the balls to ask questions that everybody wants to ask without worrying about "looking stupid." The label of "exchange student" helps, too. Too bad people kinda chuckle when they hear my accent say, "I'm from the US." They're like, "yeah - that's obvious." I also got laughed at the other day by a the 30+ fast food service guy when I ordered, "A cheeseburger and fri...uh....chips."

A small side-bar from the events today, the woman who sold me my mobile phone had a masters degree from UCD. Apparently arts degrees ARE worth about as much as toilet paper. Good thing I'm not graduating from this education highway.

So after tutorial - I picked up some papers and swung by the college tribune office. I gave them my phone number if they needed a photographer and took a look at their equipment. It was, no joke, a pocket sized digi-cam. Needless to say, I'd be a huge asset to them. I'm going to the Observer tomorrow to see what they're like.

After that, I doled out my 15 Euro to the mountaineering club so I can use the wall during club times. Yes mom, I'm going to climb. I need the exercise and it is another way to meet people. I'm not going on hikes/outdoor climbs that require additional insurance, though.

Next was the iron stomach competition. The C&E society got about a dozen people to ingest fear-factor worthy fair. Round 1 was drinking a beer through your sock. Round 5 was a glass ram sperm. They were also bonging funnels of pea soup. Pretty funny to see the guys puke, though.

Couple more boring classes + a painful lunch (throat). Then there was a buddy program meet-up thing. If nothing else, it would be yet another way to meet more students. I've learned that I do like meeting Irish kids, but I think I like meeting people from other European countries as much. I've met kids from every western European country I can think of (including Luxemburg). The group was pretty nice. 2 Irish buddies, a german guy (lots of Germans here), and a french girl. I think she took to me rather quickly. I'm seeing them all again for ESN's oktoberfest on Friday.

Then, the porn debate put on by B&L soc. In addition to students demonstrating the hight of Irish wit, they had 2 guest speakers: a porn director and a porn "actress." To be honest, it lasted a bit too long, but the director was surprisingly funny and made some good points. The actress admitted to not being so educated (deferring college for opportunity to do what she loved... girls) and spoke with the most heinous British lisp I've ever heard. Her points were considerably less thought out, but funny none the less.

As for the weather - its Irish. It has already started to turn and the sun sets about 30 minutes earlier than when I got here. I've learned that the weather reports don't attempt to predict rain or shine (I joke that they predict, "eh - its ireland"). You really are better served to just look up. I've learned that such evaluations are good for only about 2 hours max, though, due to the obscene wind. As I'm writing this, the wind reports for tomorrow predict 40km/25mi per hour. That was a little lower than the prediction for today - both being about double average. Still, a sustained 12 mile an hour wind is substantial.

Okay - it is late and I'm still sick. I need to get into bed.

I haven't posted in a while... mainly because I'm busy/confused and have nothing to report. It is fresher's week, though, and things are fun. I'm fine, minus a small virus which is on its way out. Check out the calendar for an idea of what's going on. (And yes, that does say porn debate).

I'm doing some math here. I want to travel. Paris seems like a natural place. Here are some details for October 5-8.
Plane tickets (round trip): 56.15 Euro
Hostel room for 2 nights: 50 Euro
Food: we'll say about 50 Euro because cities are darn expensive.
other travel: ~36 Euro.

With misc. expenses, that's 200 Euro, which is about 260 dollars. Is it me, or is that not killer cheap, all inclusive? I hope I can find somebody to go with me. Un week-end à Paris serait étonnant. (Sorry to those that speak french - I'm sure that translation is HORRID).

More pictures posted. A few from around campus in the Gallery.

As you may suspect, the thought of me living in a foreign country for a year is a bit odd... at best. Today I went to the grocery store, though, partially solidifying myself as NOT a tourist. But that wasn't what really did it for me (after all, I went to the grocery store on day #1).

As I was walking back in a neighborhood right next to a really nice looking country club, an older man ran up to me and stopped me. "Is this Nutley?" in a nice Irish/British accent. Surprisingly, without missing a beat, I said, "No. Well, this is Nutley park. Nutley Lane is the next one over." He scurried off to his car, in which his wife was seated. I felt pretty good about that - I gave somebody directions around Dublin.

As you may or may not be aware, Ireland is expensive and 200 Euro won't last somebody a semester. I set up a wire transfer today, but noticed my trading limit was low. My exchange biz has a form to increase the limit that I filled out as such:

[my name] has requested a trade limit INCREASE.

Desired limit: 3000
Curr: EUR
User: [my name, again]
Contact Info:
Desired Contact Phone: none yet (why i need money)
Desired Contact email: [my email]
Desired Contact Date: 12-09-06
Desired Contact Time: 10:40 (+1 GMT)


I got an email today that read:
"Thank you for your email. I have increased your Trade Limit to XXX
CAD, which will easily accommodate the requested amount of XXX EUR.
Congratulations on sending me the funniest email I have received in some
time. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy when I started laughing
for no reason. Let's hope you can get your phone hooked up in short
order! Should you require anything further, please feel free to contact
me directly."

That is why I absolutely love this company. You can't say that the service isn't personal.

I just found a spot in my room where I get a 5% signal to the internet. Hell yes. This means I can actually be online at night (when nobody else is) and talk to people, write, upload, and listen to music. All while looking out towards some wicked cool blue-lit building and stary/cloudy nights.

Today was kinda cool. We were going to go into town and watching a hurling match, but we never met up with the guy that was going to take us to the stadium. No worries. We asked a woman where the nearest pub was and took a little walk. And hurling is a violent game. I think the guys get their jollies by seeing who can give who the biggest whack.

A few beers later, a soccer match came on. Let me tell you that the english leagues are a HELL of a lot better than anything I've ever seen. Fast, precise, and just flat out good. We saw a few amazing goals and better saves. The funniest part was when a paraplegic man tried to get past Felix. The poor guy just RAMMED Felix's chair. Didn't even give him time to make room... Imagine a absolutely confused 6'3" German guy trying to get the hell out of the way out of a madman of an electrified wheelchair driver. Nothing we could do but laugh. (And by the way, the waitress we had ranks highly in my "hottest girls I've ever seen" list)

Then the last post -- a few of us needed to check class schedules, write emails and the like. All of the buildings were closed today, so we went to the little courtyard by the residence's reception to piggy-back off their wireless. We all started talking, sharing information on getting around this and that restriction, and found out that of the dozen+ of us, 2 weren't from the US. We're freggin everywhere here.. which is kinda cool.

The high foreign to local ratio is also explained by the degree programs here. UCD & Ireland are the interstate highways of advanced degrees. Law degrees in 5 years. Medical degrees in 6. Whatever. I'm just here to round out my education & meet some people.

The only place on campus that has the internet right now is a cold-ass courtyard in Merville. My hands are freezing, but I don't want to go in because people are actually online. Whatever. It is awesome how people start milling around at 9. Later.

Oh, pictures are up. Sandymount and city centre pictures

I have a moment now - between dinner and parties, so I thought I'd share a little story from last night that really just shows the good nature of the people around here.

So we went to a party last night in the room of a guy named Killian (yes, exactly like Killians .. the beer). The boy had a giant hookah pipe, and thus was party central for approximately 4 hours last night (or more... that's just how long we were there). As you can probably tell by the fact that he had (for those of you who don't know) the equivalent of a gigantic water bong, he is a pretty chill guy. And for my parents -- no drugs. You smoke herbal fruit crap via charcoal in it (and I didn't smoke, because I don't smoke).

Late in the night, he went next door. He came back with ipod speakers complaining that somebody had nabbed his ipod. We were kinda curious about what had happened, and he explained that he had left it over there for some friends to listen to in good nature. When he went to get it, they were pretty gone (stoned or drunk or both... not sure which). And the ipod was missing. Obviously upset at the loss of his recent purchase, he took a drag or two off the hookah pipe and declared that he didn't care who did it or why. He just wanted the thing back. He told us (6 at this point) to spread the word.

We saw Killian again at the international students' orientation today, carrying along his ipod. He said that somebody had knocked on his door and when he opened it up, the ipod was on the floor. He was happy about it, too. Didn't seem to bother him.

How cool is that.

So I've been here for nearly a week, and I'm starting to get a feel for things. I've been in and out of the city twice, getting a better feel for the bus and stops, gone to a few parties, and had a beer+ for every day I've been in the country (doing my part for 1 beer per man/woman/child per day on this island).

I haven't really been updating at all because the only chance I'm getting to do so is in the morning. I'm actually sitting near the library terminals now, waiting for lunch and an orientation meeting later. The days are so long here, there is so much to do (like buy silverware), and the nights are incredibly active. I don't get time at night to update like I normally would because I would miss out on a ton.

I have some pictures to upload of my room, my bad-ass key, and the view outside my window (i really like it), but my website is being crappy and won't let me upload pictures. Horray.

I'm sure you all want to be regaled with tales of meeting people and drinking (and trust me, there are stories, and there shall be more), but I really can't think of where to start or what to include. I'm getting internet in the dorms are the 18th (hopefully), so hopefully I'll get the story of the first few days by then. And then a few more. Anyway, I need to go make lunch. No preservatives in this country - everything goes out of date really fast (they guys last night were STUNNED that bread can last 2 weeks and Deep End has $0.25 beer night).

Later.

This time difference is killing me. I keep signing on to IM in the morning to see if anyone is online before classes. I figure, "it is 10 o'clock, surely somebody will be on." Then I remember that it is 5 o'clock EST... and that nobody in their right mind will be on. And I KEEP doing it...

I'm here and alive. A bit overwhelmed, but making it. I just found internet (my dorm room lacks internet AND tv), and just emailed the parents. Need to run for now, but there is a lot to say.