I return!

Hello again, this time from Galway! I'm sorry for the delay in writing -- I've been without Internet for the past week or so. My entire flat (apartment) didn't have a connection and I had to fight to prove that it wasn't my computer's fault but rather the that of the connection's! The electrician visited today, and fixed my roommate's connection...and not mine. Oh well -- luckily she's letting me borrow hers in the meantime.

Oh, and yes, you read right: "she." I live in a single bedroom directly connected to a bathroom. Down the hallway is our shared kitchen, living room, another bedroom, electrical closet (more in a moment), coat closet, and another bathroom.

Our kitchen is nice, though we have a mini-fridge. In Ireland, they are very much into conserving electricity, for it is very expensive here. Therefore, almost nobody (except emigrated Americans!) has a full fridge, or what the Irish call an "American fridge." Our kitchen, too, has a master power switch that is turned to off all the time except when you are using the stove, microwave, or oven. (The fridge is on a separate circuit.)

It's cosy in the apartment, in a good way, and it's much more spacious than any GW room. The common room/kitchen is roughly the size of those in Ivory Tower, but the bedrooms are each about twice the size.

I promised more on our electrical closet. Because of the conserving energy thinking here, hot water isn't always necessary. Why pay for a water heater 24/7 when you only use it in the mornings and evenings? So, our water heater is programmed to come on from 04:00 to 08:00 and 18:00 to 20:00 (6pm and 8pm, for those not on the 24-hour clock). We can "bump up" the heater anytime by heating the tank for 2 hours, but we rarely do as the morning hot water seems to last until about 16:00.

The kitchen is fully-stocked, and has even more cookware than my dorm ever has. There's borderline too much stuff in the kitchen, as all the cabinets and drawers are completely full. I have about six varieties of plates, three varieties of bowls, and two varieties of silverware. I suppose that much of it has collected from previous tenants' sharing of different rooms' crockery.

It's been lonely here in Galway, though. Our 50-something students from the Institute for Study Abroad program are spread out throughout this complex (each unit, except mine which is mixed with other apartments, is a separate townhouse and it takes about seven minutes to cross the complex). Because of that it's not easy to just go knocking on doors—plus there are some full-time, non-student residents here. The social scene, to a great extent, is drinking—much more than a typical college. It really is the local pastime here, and a great many—especially students—drink in quite excess. As you know, that's not my style of drinking, so it's been tough. I am happy to socialize and not drink with people who are drinking a little or moderately, but not when they are so drunk they can't hold a conversation or remember who I am! It's been a roller-coaster of a week, though; sometimes I feel very happy here, and other times I just want to go home.

Classes started yesterday, and so far they look promising. I am taking:
* Game Theory and Industrial Organisation (Economics)
* Economics of the Welfare State (Economics)
* Money and Banking (Economics)
* Imagining Modern Ireland: An Introduction to Irish Culture Studies (Irish/Celtic Studies)
* Ethnic Conflict & Territory (Political Science)
* Irish Economic History, 1921-1973 (Economics)

I was afraid that it might be better to take Money and Banking in the United States, seeing as I'll be spending most of my time there while needing my Economics degree. However, today the professor introduced the book, a U.S. edition, and frequently said, "In the U.S., they call this 'common stock.' Over here, we say, 'ordinary shares.' They're identical." That should make things diverse and interesting, yet still practical.

In the afternoons here, students gather for coffee and tea with friends in the restaurant under the library, much like folks do at the Starbucks near Gelman. I had tea today with our Local Assistant, who helps us with local issues like "where do I find...?" and problems with the University. She showed me an easy way to get into town, using fairly well-lit streets, so that will make that commute much easier and independent (as opposed to crossing a roundabout that even sighted Irish students claim to be "The Roundabout of Death" adjacent to our accommodation).

Yvonne, a Ph.D. candidate, and I met for lunch, thanks to the International Affairs Office who knew that I was having trouble socialising here. She studied in Amsterdam last year for her Master's, and went with no connections in the country. She got lucky in finding a group of friends in her flatmates, so her story of finding friends wasn't as helpful as her generosity. She offered to take me out with her friends next time they go out, and she even told me about a friend of hers who studied Economics and loved current affairs. That will sure be an exciting night, and hopefully a group to jump to every now and then.

What's been most helpful in getting me through this is one of Becky's comments: "You have people coming every 2-3 weeks to visit you!" Starting in mid-October, the parents come; in late October, Becky comes; in early November, I go to Northern Ireland for a weekend with my program; in mid-November, the whole family comes during Thanksgiving; in December, I go home. The semester is short when I think about it that way. It's short when I think that classes end on 28 November. And it's short when I see that there are only 12 weeks of class, spelled out that way on syllabi instead of exact dates. It's scary when I realize that means I take exams for classes in a country where I have less direct interaction with the professors and more time with a book (hopefully).

It's exciting when I realize that after this experience, I will have a load of stories to share (with those who want to hear, of course!). It's exciting when I see that I will be 2 classes shy of my B.A. in Economics. It's exciting when I see that—for the first time in awhile—I am taking an entire group of classes in which I really care about the topic being discussed. And it's exciting to see that I will appreciate so many facets of Washington more so than I did in the past. I'll also appreciate more about the things Phoenix and my friends back in the U.S. do for me.

In short, I think things are improving. I'm going to make dinner now -- a classic Irish student dinner: sandwich, boiled potatoes, and apples. Maybe I'll venture to find something sweet across the street, or maybe I'll just venture into the land of Economics of the Welfare State. This may surprise you, but both are just as appealing to me!