Sept 10th

Today we went into Galway. We missed the first bus and sat by the highway for about an hour waiting for the next one. After getting into Galway we all split up and ate lunch. My group ate at a place called the Skeffington Restaurant. The guy at the deli asked if I wanted veggies with my beef. I said sure. I had some good roast beef, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and more fried potatoes, and other potatoes covered in other potatoes with some gravy. I actually got roast beef with my potatoes, not potatoes with my roast beef. My potatoes with a side of beef were very good, but it cost almost 10 euro! This was only a self service deli and only water to drink. I walked through the clothes store and looked and looked for the menswear, but couldn’t find it. Finally, I found the sign, and some cute pink tank tops “for men” (?)Then we split up again into an even smaller group and checked out the post office. It was 0.82 Euro to send postcards to the States. Our next stop was the bus station. I figured we sure do the homework for the rest of the group and figure it out, because no one else would… The bus is 5.20 euro one way and 8.40 round trip. Luckily, the city bus added 2 new services into Galway after 9:30p.m., because that used to be the last one as of recently I was told. It was 20 euro for 4 people to get to Galway by taxi from our cottages, so this would actually be better for us most the time.

Next, I checked out the museum in Galway and learned all about Jameson Irish Whiskey. I also learned how much the Irish are obsessed with JFK. Makes sense – the Irish like booze and Irish Catholic politicians… Also, at the museum you can use the restroom for free, unlike everywhere else, so I may be reading up on JFK more than I had previously thought.

After that we went to Dunnes grocery store and fumbled around (not stumble around, but after the grocery store I wouldn’t mind a lil stumbling). It was a challenge to buy food and not spend too much money. We needed the basic community items, but didn’t get many. I’ll be living on rice, pasta, canned fruits, canned vegetables and ground beef this semester I’m guess. And whiskey, (or Irish water) its cheaper than American water. I figure my mom also told me to spend wisely. (Just kidding mom.)

On the bus ride back to Spiddal, I sat next to a bunch of Irish guys and they kindly offered to played some music for the whole bus— whether you kindly rejected or not. I first heard some traditional Irish music, but then it took a turn for the worst when someone asked if they had any American music. The professor, his wife, and the rest of us were blessed with some loud and vulgar DMX, Xibit, Eminem, Kid Rock and Fitty Cent. Hearing the f bomb and seeing Chuck, our Prof, was quite an experience, it had the whole bus rolling with laughter.

We made spaghetti tonight. As 5 clueless men, we somehow under cook a fourth of the noodles, burned a fourth to the bottom of the pan, and half were great (or as they say here, “grand”).
After supper we had an all cottage meeting followed by a visit to the pub in the hotel. J.P. served us until about midnight. I tried the Bulmer’s Hard Cider, because Kelli suggested it. And she was right, it’s “grand indeed!”

Quote of day: “Is the sink cold water as cold as the shower?” A causal reply, “No, I think it’s a little colder.” (The sink water is so cold your hands almost get frost bite just looking at it!)