Slainte

What I've learned this past weekend:

I've witnessed someone's worst nightmare and laughed at it, which, by the way, doesn't make me a bad person...

Guinness tastes strongly of wood and alcohol (go figure)

Parrots pop up out of nowhere

Rachel knows way too many people name Sarah

The two Sarah's that I met, however, were pretty amazing

When in doubt for a costume, go for a blind Mexican fortune teller, you will almost certainly have what you need in your overnight bag

I miss my friends from home, although I would prefer it if they were here, as I never want to leave

My roommate doesn't like cigars

My other roommate likes the room freezing cold

I'm leaving (on a jet plane) for Italy with the internationally known test taster Ratchel Rodernon...

... And it's supposed to rain.

I'm going to miss my humble apartment while I'm away

Weetabix is the best thing to happen to cereal since sliced bread

The Irish are fickle and passive (Mizzoni Pizza! Probably the best pizza in Dublin! Buy your tickets today! Or this weekend! Weetabix, anytime and as a tasty evening snack!)

The French view American men as either a White Trash man with mutton chops, a beer belly, a beer hat, a dirty t-shirt and aviator sunglasses, or as frat boys who chug beer. I'm really happy that Americans are viewed so highly...

When asked to go to a theme party, you are generally given a theme, although it is INFINITELY more fun when you get to choose the theme you go as

Katie V.'s parents are sweet people

Amanda Maguire does an uncanny impression of Enrique (our Drama teacher) without realizing it...

... And she likes cheese hats and to be called Pablo

You can, contrary to popular belief, get the titles "Ice Age", "What Women Want", "Center Stage" and "The Mummy" into classroom discussion when talking about Beckett's Not I and Footfalls.

You can also incorporate the titles "Dancing in the Dark", "RESPECT", "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "Born in the USA" into the discussion when talking about Ourselves Alone by Anne Devlin

To protest conditions in a prison in Northern Ireland, men went on a Dirty Strike where they smeared their own feces on the walls of their cells. This didn't work so they went on a hunger strike. Bobby Sands was the first to die of this hunger after 66 days of only water.

Someone came dressed as Bobby Sands at the Theme Party. However, no one knew who he was so it didn't really matter what he was dressed as.

Simon has one funky eye

And he loves stage make-up

You can tell how funny someone is by how they react to situations where they aren't in control of their own emotions and actions

A viable costume option is going naked wrapped in Tibetan Prayer Flags... Don't worry, it didn't happen, it was just an option...

Pink leopard print leggings are a LONG term investment

The people on the LUAS might actually be nice...

Antoinette is green and wears a cape

Miss Cleo is white and Mexican and Jamaican

Nora is the 80's AND Nala

Peter can make up a song about anything (What makes something a chair and being allergic to shellfish)

WOP is actually better than it sounds

So are peppers and onions

To greet people in Zulu you say Sawubona

Loosing your lucky rocketship underwear = the end of your life

The is no point to our Voice class. No. Seriously. He told me there wasn't.

Marc knows David Beckham

There are no black people in Northern Ireland

While the rest of us Americans were told not to go near the highway, especially after dark, and to be home before everyone's porch light was on and to not download rap songs onto the family computer, Irish kids our age were running barefoot through the heather while their parents worked in the peat bog until the sunset.

Yoga people like having mats...

... And apparently they like having blankets too (?)

Lowering your voice instantly makes you more intimidating and more menacing

I never want to be Catholic in Ireland and be pregnant out of wedlock...

Ryan Air will nickel and dime you for everything you ever thought of doing on their airline

IES doesn't want to wait for us to pick up our baggage from London. But are we bothered?

When you don't know someone at a party and they have an Irish or British accent ask a Gaiety IES student. When they have another European accent ask Felix. When they're American and you don't know them that means that they aren't supposed to be there or you really need to learn the names of your classmates...

Texas people are way more friendly in Ireland than they are in the States.

Butlers continues to prove itself as the best hot chocolate ever in the history of mankind

Guinness chocolate, however, tends to hit the spot if you're hungry.

The entire school of Skidmore was at the Guinness Factory and in Dublin. Not joking. I met probably 6 people that I didn't know but someone else in the group of Faude, Sway and Rachel knew. Including a Parrot (who squeals) and a rich gay/straight man from Harvard who had bugs in his room (don't stay at the Brewery Hostel for anyone planning a visit. That is also something I learned this weekend).

Rachel looks amazingly like Amy Winehouse with the Elvira wig and winged out eyeliner and a pair of pants in her head.

More people say "obvi" then I realized. I had never heard this before...

"Cool Beans" is actually a place on Long Beach Island and they sell t-shirts.

I think that's all I've learned, which, I would say, is a pretty full weekend, and we haven't even left the country yet, and it's only Sunday...