First Exam Down, One More To Go...

So this was it then, "highlight" of my first semester in Ireland: The first exam!

Preparation & recap of the topics... I actually did study during the week everyday but the effectiveness of studying is then another story. Mainly because I really needed to look for a motivation to study (and still didn't find it completely..) so I read what I read and took the attitude "Keep Calm & Trust Your Luck" with a thought in my head that I simply can't fail.

The situation reminded me my final examinations in Järvenpään upper-secondary school. So it was quite amusing, a whole sport hall full of study desks, lots of regulations and "important" people telling don't talk, don't do this, don't do that etc... I accidentally looked the exam paper on the table before the exam has started and good that they didn't kick me out of the room... a supervisor came stand in front of me and said "Don't EVER do that again in the future in your exams." Creepy :P

 The exam itself, it was easier that I was expecting but it was just a good thing. I answered totally 60 multiple choice questions based on my knowledge ("memory") or guesses in a way that I should pass it (we'll see). But I would say that the most difficult thing was to remember which date actually it way, anyway I think I wrote a correct date on a paper and if not, I'll probably fail... :D

And because completing the exam what would be the better way to award myself than going visit in Brussels for a few days. So I'll go now to pack my backpack and tomorrow morning I'm going to take the airport hopper to Dublin airport with Kate and enjoy Brussels (and Belgian beers)... Bon Voyage!

The (Stormy) Return To Ireland

After spending relaxing Christmas break in Finland just sleeping, eating, doing nothing that special than just hang around with friends and family, it was time to pack my backpack again and takeoff from Helsinki. My first destination was London where I planned to spend New Years Eve, it was great time over there and really worth of seeing.

When the New Years Eve celebration was over I needed to check out from Hostel at 10am (after 5 hours of sleep...), day was windy & rainy and I needed to spend that whole day carrying my backpack around city until clock did strike 11:30pm and I hopped into the bus that took me at Stansted Airport. "Sleeping" there for next 5 hours since departure of my flight to Dublin was at 06:30am, so yes I was so tired at that point that I fell asleep before takeoff and basically woke up when the plane was landing :D

Easy transfer by airport hopper from Dublin airport to Maynooth and I was back home again, well almost because I needed to get keys to new house and move my stuff from old house to that new house. Luckily it was only 5min walk from house to house so it was rather easy project. Now I'm then living in a single room in a international house with 3 other erasmus students: Julia (German), Melissa (French) & Laura (Spanish). I like the room and the house even that it really feels like a fridge until we will have some more oil that should happen luckily within few days.

Weather in Ireland has been terrible for these first days of January, wind has been blowing 30-40 km/h and once in a while it has been very heavy rainfalls. Luckily everything is okay here in Maynooth but some other cities has been flooding rather badly and on the coastal winds have reached even the speed of 100- 120km/h... And according the news, there'll be another storm arriving again tonight...

The End (Of Part One)

It was 9th of September when I arrive to Ireland without knowing what was about to come... Now it's already 18th December and I'm sitting at the Dublin airport waiting the departure of my flight. Looking out of the window and drinking coffee, starbucks of course like then when hanging around in library, it is hard describe those thousands thoughts on my mind... Time flies, that's all I can say.

On the other hand it is nice to go visit Finland and see is nothing changed there, it doesn't feel that sad because I know anyways that I will be back in Ireland in January... During my stay over here I have saw beautiful places, met great people, drank few jäger bombs with them and overall experienced lot of things with them sharing good memories. It has been a great journey so far and I would hope that it still would had continue with you all.

But the thing that does feel sad is that I also know that returning here won't be the same anymore because many of the great people I've met are gone. As someone might heard me saying before, that even that Ireland is great place it is the people that make it feel home... Idea of that comes from one of my favorite quote by the Moomins:
"Home is where your friends are. Friends are long-term or occasionally encountered creatures. Some of them travels with you in thoughts, some wandering alongside the world's roads. Home is where you will be treated well and with dignity. And home is where you will be loved."

Last evening we had a Christmas dinner at my (ex)house with (ex)housemates, now I will call them friends instead of mates... And yes, I will join to drink with you still even that I live in the other house since its not that far away ;-) But about the dinner, oh my god it was delicious: turkey, ham, potatoes, carrots, broccoli.. a real Irish dinner! So watch out Sylvain, your master chief title is under a threat :D

After dinner I went to O'neills to meet up other Erasmus students, most of them were staying only the first semester. Enjoying few pints, chatting, laughing and just hanging around.. A great time with a great company. For those who I ain't gonna see in January, I just wish all the best and hope to keep in touch and meet again someday :) For those who I will see in January, I just wish Merry Christmas & Happy New Year and hope that we will be able to make the second semester as great as this first one. :)

Ps. Thank you for those who wrote yesterday to my "guestbook", I know that I said that I will read it in the airplane but couldn't wait that long so I read it at airport before started to write this blog text. Have to say that you made me smile & laugh because of stories you wrote. You are the best memory of Ireland for me.

Pps. It is time to start to move to the boarding gate soon to avoid miss my flight... I will flight to London and spend one day over there before flying to Finland. So once again: THANK YOU!

The Christmas Time

As everywhere else in the world, also in Ireland, Christmas is important time of the year. Here Christmas started to show on in stores already immediately after Halloween but on the streets few weeks backwards. 

For Irish people Christmas is a holiday that they usually celebrate with their families traditional way. But before that there are some events for students to participate in...

On Tuesday was the official moment in the Students Union when they turned the light of the Christmas tree. Event was organized of course with outside cinema, free muld wine & pies some live music. On Wednesday I went to the church at the evening because I there was a gig of the NUIM gospel choir. It was beautiful to listen because those people really have a talent to sing. Only thing I didn't like it there was the church benches... Awful to sit on, so after 1,5 hours sitting everyplace hurts and I really missed a nice cozy couch at home :D  

 Christmas is also strongly in visible in cities, lot of people & lights all over city. It is beautiful, I need to admit that... Only disappointment I had is that I didn't manage to buy myself a "great Irish Christmas pullover" since they all were sold out already from Penney's :D

Weekend at Waterford

So it is my second last weekend in Ireland during first semester... Figured out that great way to spend it was to go outdoor weekend with rovers society because they were organizing this weekend trip... After few last minute changes final plan was to head up in county Waterford place called Bally Macarby.

It truly was in a countryside but the hostel or actually it was a community centre of that village was great... There was 12 of us and we were only visitors there so basically we owned the whole building and could do whatever whenever we wanted :D We arrived at the hostel at Friday evening quite late so it was just hanging around and playing some cards.

Saturday was the day of sports, it all started before midday when we headed up for a hike and what would be a better way than upwards into the clouds. No I'm not kidding we were inside clouds (or someone might call that also a mist...) even that the top wasn't higher than around 800 metres. While returned back to the hostel we used the astroturf field in that was part of the hostel facilities... Barefoot soccer 3 vs. 3 at 30x18 metres size field... Quite hardcore, lots of running and few bruises on feet but it's just life.

And after sports what would be a better way to relax than go to sauna, yes to sauna. There was one electric one at the hostel that was actually good one so while sitting in 80 celsius degrees I was able to introduce the Finnish sauna culture :-) Sports, sauna, dinner... and because this is Ireland, of course visiting local pub to enjoy a pint of Guinness. It was actually fundraising evening for local soccer team and the had arranged a draw and I did win! And the prize was a bottle of wine and just to make it sure I really did win it even that they didn't check my ticket :D

On Sunday there was excitement in the air because we were told to have a surprise activity and only information given beforehand was that take clothes that can get muddy and dirty. Take a guess what would it be... Anything in mind? ... No worries, we didn't figure it out either so I can also tell it to you: Quad biking! It was awesome, 1,5 hours off-road tracks over the fields, through muddy pits & ponds, ou-yeah!

A great weekend in total with new experiences, I like =)

Weekend in Belfast

If you are once in Ireland, one of the most important places to go is Northern Ireland, Belfast. It is the city with interesting, powerful and sad past. I went there with Katharina, well actually there was around 60 other international students from Maynooth also because the international society had arranged the trip for the same weekend so we had a great parties on Saturday night but we still preferred to arrange trip by ourselves going to couchsurfing instead of hostel.

Two of the main things to see in Belfast is the Titanic museum and the murals, we saw them both - impressive! When arriving on Friday evening we had some time to walk around city before meeting our host. Because Christmas is getting closer of course there was a Christmas markets which mean lots and lots small booths selling different things from different countries: There was even one that sold out Finnish Christmas decorations / souvenirs :D And on the markets I did taste a kangaroo burger, interesting, not that special but now I can say that I've tasted kangaroo :P While going around Chistmas markets we also stopped by in City Hall where was told some history of the city, did you know that chocolate (mixing coco with milk, wow!) was invented by a man named Sir Hans Sloane from Belfast.

Visiting the Titanic museum was an unique experience.. It wasn't just about the ship it was all about the industrial revolution rising in Belfast and how the ship building industry did get started. From there they told the story of the ship, the people that were on the board and people who were connected to the story of the ship... Whole exhibition were very interactive with videos, touch screen, voices that made possible to focus and go deeper for the topics that specially felt interesting.

The Murals, It is hard to find words to describe it how the history still lives on the streets so strongly and it can be sensed in the air... Different areas for different ideologies / religions and a peace wall between those two worlds. Still there are gates that are closed every day separating these two neighborhoods when it starts to get dark. The murals tell the stories about history, or present since some of the murals were not older than few years.

This last chapter is for our hosts.First night we stayed at Robyn's place and second night Pouki's place. Both of our host were extremely kind, showing us places round and telling stories about the city.. Things that we wouldn't ever discovered by ourselves. We had interesting conversations, fun time and most of all, great experience that wouldn't be the same without them. Thanks!

Thanksgiving Dinner

It was the evening of 28.11. when there was lot of people walking towards South Campus...

An American tradition brought here to Maynooth and organized possibility for international students to experience it. It was in Pugin Hall which is also known as "Hogwarts Hall of Maynooth."

Lots of people, long tables and the most important: Good Company :) We did enjoy traditional dinner with smashed potatoes, turkey, carrots and sprouts with kind of herb sauce. As a dessert we had coffee and "mini muffins." Food was good but I could have ate some more :P Oh, and did you know that French don't have coffee with sweets, they have sweets with coffee :D