A Taste of Home

So, a week into the New Year, and it brings me a little taste of home :D
First, during a visit to Tescoes (The Irish -or maybe European?- equivalent of Superstore) what do I spy with my little eye...? Tim Hortons prepackaged donuts! It was a little twilight zone experience. I could hardly believe it. There right in front of me was something very Canadian. So naturally I took a picture!!!



And then I got my "Christmas package" from home!!! How exciting!!! Amongst the goodies were these delightfully warm, and much-anticipated slippers!


And my favorite tea that is sadly unavailable here. I look forward to sipping the nectar later today...

Not much has been going on with me. The kids/teens clubs don't start until next week, but I'm busy preparing the crafts for them. My "scissor hands" will be very developed soon! Nice and muscly. Very attractive.
The weather has been cold, frosty on two occasions, which felt a very little bit like Canada. Right now its raining buckets. I haven't been out walking much due to the rain. And my laziness.
I have socks stuck around the French doors in my room to keep out the draft. Last week we had serious wind storms and I could feel the freezing cold breeze circling my room. It was actually so strong that some of the socks were blown out! Now its not so bad. It just looks funny. I have very colorful socks.
Been watching some movies on a portable DVD player lately. Amazing Grace was last night's delight. 'Twas fantastic...really liked it. Maybe I will watch Transformers tonight :P

EDIT: Oh PS...Did I mention that I am giving my first ever official Piano Lessons this week?! I'm terrified!

2008 Update

A year ago I made some New Years resolutions...let's see how I did...

Monday, January 1
2007

Things I Want To Do This Year:

-Make exercise a habit

Well, well, well...a classic. Can't say I succeeded, with this one, but who really does? To be fair, I do exercise more now than I did last year, but its far from being "habit".

-Break a bad habit

Didn't break the habit I wanted to. That makes two failed resolutions. Not a good start!

-Visit friends in Alberta

I visited Family which I count as friends in September...so I'll count this one.

-Challenge myself to not buy clothes that blatantly sport Brand Names

Aha! I only bought one "blatant" name-brand item, and it was here in Ireland on sale and I needed a hoodie, so I don't even feel bad. But notice the wording here. I DID challenge myself, so this is definitely a successful resolution.

-Expand my library of both books and music

Check.

-Get a new job.

Check. (Tim Hortons is but a distant memory...*BIG grin*)

-Go to Ireland

CHECK!!!

-Get a credit card

Check.

-Move out

Check?

I know there is probably a lot more, but I''m tired and this is all I could think of. I'll check in Jan. 1/08 and see how well I did.

I think I did pretty well!

So well in fact, that I don't think I will make any this year. I'd hate to tarnish this sparkling record.

I Absolutely Love It

The girls think I'm so weird because I take pictures of these adorable brightly-colored townhouses. I can't help it...they are just so awesome!

T'was the Day After Christmas...

The morning dawned bright and clear.

At least in Fermoy.

The Mawhinneys, Kevanys, and I, met at 10 AM and drove about 45 minutes to co. Tipperary where we bumped our way to the base of the Galtee Mountains.

It was cold, wet, and very foggy. Looking down to the valley you could distinctly see that the sun was shining everywhere but where we were.



I had looked forward to this for far too long to be put off, but the kids, specifically Peter Mawhinney, were anything but thrilled. He made sure we all knew this was the worst day of his life. Little did he know what was to come!

The scenery was gorgeous to begin with...what wasn't shrouded in fog was lush, green, and very rural Ireland. Mossy stone walls, rolling hills flecked with sheep, spidery bare trees, and the crisp clean scent of fresh rain. Ahhh....

It wasn't far up the rocky path that the fog soon drowned any scenery there might have been. It got thicker and thicker the further up we went. All we could see was the path and the thick tufts of spiky brown grass on either side.



We stopped to rest on a pile of rocks for a quick bite to eat and something to drink, and then it was time to climb. So far the trail hadn't been challenging. Mostly my feet were aching from the rocks. But once we got off the path and started to climb the mountain...that was different.

It was the weirdest experience. When I think of climbing a mountain I'm such a Canadian. I expect trees, bushes, and...a view. This was a never-ending grassy hill that shot straight up into the misty unknown. If felt like we were on some sort of huge conveyor belt that kept going and going, and we couldn't get off. The occasional rock would pass us by and that was at least some reassurance that we were getting somewhere!



The incline seemed to get steeper and steeper with every step. We were all huffing and puffing like old men smoking their pipes, and drenched with a fine blanket of mist. The water would run down my nose when I leaned forward to rest, and surprise me because I hadn't noticed that I was slowly being soaked.

But it wasn't the damp that made us cold. It was the howling wind.
The closer we got to the top the angrier it became. Soon it was so strong that it threatened to topple you down the slope if you turned the wrong way. We could barely speak to each other for the noise.

At long, long, last we reached the top. We cheered, but you could hardly hear it, and since we near thrown over the edge from the wind (not even joking)it didn't take long for us to find shelter behind some rocks to regain our strength with tea and sandwiches.


As it turns out, getting back was even more of an adventure!

Us females foolishly felt some security knowing the male leaders of the group (Sam and Eamon) were armed with a map and compass. We headed down the mountain following instructions to veer to the left.

So we walked.

And walked.

And walked.

And started to get some inkling that something wasn't right.

At first there was some joking at the mens' expense. And then they started consulting their compass more and more frequently.



And then we met some more wanderers who weren't quite sure where we were, but were quite sure that we should be heading right.

So we headed to our right and walked.

And walked.

And walked.

And before we knew it were were in a valley of sheep.



"Go Baa-ck!" Warned the wise old sheep.

The men finally confessed they were lost.



Eamon pow-wowed with the other Lost Wanderers, and they agreed that we needed to keep walking right.



So we did.

By now we were completely soaked. The mist and occasional bursts of rain got our heads and clothes, and the treacherous bogs had claimed our shoes so many times that we didn't even bother going around them anymore. My socks were surrounded in a warm pool of water squishy delightfully between my toes. My hands were red and numb, completely incapable of performing simple tasks.

And yet I was having the time of my life! Seriously, it was SO much fun! I just loved the exhilaration and being outdoors. It just makes you feel so ALIVE! I just wanted to pitch a tent, build a fire and try to boil some water for tea :D
Who cares that we're lost in an endless sea of mist?



Well...Peter was crying.

Luckily for him, we found the path eventually and from there on it was easy-going, and we all made it back to the cars safe and sound! Let me tell you though, it was a QUIET ride home!

Continued in "The Mystery of the Lost Key"...

Oh wait you already heard that one. Well my life seems to come up with these random stupid adventures now and then so I'm sure something else will come up.

Home Again

The family returned last night! Hallelujah!
This morning I trooped my greasy-haired, rumpled-clothes, self back and was graciously received. I took a shower (ahh, bliss) and put my things in order...

...and found my key.

In my backpack.

Where I had specifically searched before.

I just KNEW it would turn up in an embarrassingly obvious place!

A Day in the Life

I wasn't going to tell anyone.
Especially since its terribly embarassing, and you may mock me, and/or lose respect for me as a responsible adult...which is probably what I would do if I were the one reading this, and not writing it.
Today is the second day of my exile from my home. And by home I mean the boarding house where I stay. See, on St. Steven's Day (read: Boxing Day) when I got home from climbing the Galtee Mountains (that will be another post altogether...and be excited because it's filled with adventure as well)I stumbled into my room and dropped everything just to get into a hot shower so I could feel my toes again. Afterwards I tidied my hugely messy room.
Somewhere in that time period, my house key went missing.
A half-hour before I had to leave again I started looking for it. I looked EVERYWHERE. In pockets, in drawers, in the kitchen, in the bed, in boxes and bags; I crawled around on my hands and knees! NO KEY.
Suddenly there was someone waiting for me outside, and I stupidly thought, "Well I will just have to ring the doorbell to get back in tonight, and then I will have to get a spare in the morning."
LITTLE DID I KNOW.
Apparently everyone else in the house has taken advantage of the holidays to evacuate the premises.
So when Mary brought me home that night, no one was there to let me in, and she kindly offered to let me stay at their place for the night.
Feeling very, VERY, foolish for imposing myself on their family, I slept in borrowed pyjamas and a bright pink Disney princess room.
In the morning I tried again.
Still no one home.
Everyone is probably out for the rest of the weekend.
So, feeling very homeless and bedraggled, I have taken up residence in the empty home of Sam and Karen while they are away to the North. (Yeah, I asked permission!)
Ironically I have their housekey, but not my own.
Luckily I have my phone, my wallet, and my camera with extra batteries with me. All the necessities of life.
I don't have any change of clothes, my own toothbrush, or anything to make me feel remotely less grungy and homeless than I am.
But it could be worse. I could be wearing my contacts.
I'm trying to think of it as an adventure, but all I'm really doing it watching tv and wistfully hoping that someone would answer when I phone the house.
This is driving me CRAZY. I'm trying to think of where the heck I could have put that key! It'll probably turn up somewhere REALLY obvious, and this being a small town/community, everyone I know will probably know that I locked myself out and when it DOES turn up they will ask where it was and I will have to describe to them just how stupid I really am.
Oh joy.

Have a Happy Christmas!

Hey guess what...I'm spending Christmas is Ireland.
Weird, eh??
I mean really. Who would've thought at the beginning of this year that I would end up here.
Not me.
Cool.


ps. Yes I'm really tired.

Musical Musings

So whilst enjoying my guilt-free internet time today, I discovered 2 things that make me happy.
Amanda Falk has a new album out, and Leeland has one coming out. That is very exciting because I have each of their debut albums and love them to bits. I've been listening to them nonstop since I got them over a year ago now I think, and I'm still not sick of them. Which is more than I can say of most my music. I'm sick of all of it right now (except those 2 of course!).
In honor of the Christmas season, I am enjoying a borrowed Christmas CD- "Christmas with Frank and Bing". You all should know I'm a huge sucker for the old Big Band era music...it delights my heart like none other. I don't know if its because it reminds my subconscious of classic Disney movies I watched as a child, or because I am a particularly nostalgic person, or what. I just like it. A lot. Especially the cheesy bird singing along in one of them.

On the Go

Its been nearly non-stop madness since Thursday, and I'm expecting the exhaustion to set in probably on Christmas day. When the Sunday School Christmas service is over (Sunday afternoon) I will probably crash. But I'm volunteering Christmas Eve, and climbing the Galtee Mountains on Boxing Day (they call is St. Steven's Day, here) and then probably busing up North on the 27th. I'm tired just thinking about it!
The kids, and teens' nights went really well, and they were very fun.
My gingerbread didn't really turn out. And Ps. I bet you didn't know that molasses is nearly unheard of here. 99.9% of the population have no idea what it is. WEIRD. I had quite a time tracking it down in the grocery store. I got a lot of blank stares and furrowed brows. They also have very few candycanes (I haven't seen any, but I'm told they are around...), and someone asked me what eggnog was. THEY DON'T HAVE EGGNOG HERE!!! How am I to survive without eggnog?! So think of me whenever you sip that heavenly drink, and I shall live vicariously through you.
They DO have lots of mince pies, Christmas cake (fruitcake), and an apple cider-y kind of drink called wassail (I think that's how its spelled). Its yummy.
I went to a live concert band Sunday night and they played lots of movie themes and even a Disney medley that absolutely made my day.
I volunteered again yesterday and that was fun. A girl around 24 works there and we had fun chatting and stuff. I even got invited to a Christmas party by her friend that came in, and I really want to go, but I already said I would be somewhere else at that time, so that sucks :(
That's all my fried little brain can think of to say right now. If I remember something else of note, I'll be sure to put it down.

Detox

Well now, I gotta say. I think it is actually possible to be addicted to the internet.
I think that if I wasn't so fantastically busy this week, I would have been curled up in a corner of my room, twitching, and beadily eying my laptop.
But I made it. Plus a day.
I'm still alive, and have at least a little faith in the fact that there might yet be a speck of self-control somewhere in my being.
And it was actually a really good week. Very busy, but good. I got stuff done that I can say with almost certainty I would NOT have got done if I had not limited my internet time. So I know it was a "God thing" that I read that quote last week, and decided to do something about it.
Also, I already feel more a part of the church community here, more "present" if you will.
Having said that, it was a struggle. I had to think of my alloted "internet day" as expendable. I had to give up doing it on Monday and almost gave up today as well, but in the end that didn't work out anyway (thank goodness!!). I still have a long way to go. Now the challenge will be not making this day the "center" of my week. You know...the endless cycle of "getting through the week" for that one day.

A few "firsts" this week:

1. First rhubarb yogurt. It was delightful! Really, it was.
2. First time being introduced to someone while they are in their underpants. Long story short, dropped by Christine's friends' house, and caught them...unprepared? The lady wasn't phased a bit. "She's Dutch" Christine says by way of explanation. I don't think she knows I'm 1/2 Dutch....though we are kind of a shameless lot.
3. First time creating a legit cappuccino. I spent yesterday volunteering at the Christian bookstore in Cork. They are also a cafe, so I worked in there. It was actually quite a lot of fun, but it will be a while before I remember how to make all those fancy coffees.

On Saturday a bunch of us from the church delivered calendars to nearly every house in Fermoy! These calendars are created by a guy in Cork who takes these awesome pictures of the area and then adds in Bible verses and information, and the end result is really quite nice. The church has made some contact with people through them in the past, so this will have been the 7th year they've put them out I think. The weather had been really stormy the day before, and there was some flooding in the Cork area, so we were a little worried about spending the day running around outside! It turned out to be nice...windy, but relatively mild and dry. I got a lot of exercise, and for the record Mom, I kept up with 10-yr-old Andrew and gave him a run of his money ;)
Saturday night was Teen's club, and we put the finishing touches on our craft, and prepared our "drama" presentations, a skit, and then a song with choreographed moves....GONG SHOW! haha...oh man. Long ago I came to terms with the fact that I can't sing or dance, but someone feels the need to rub it in my face! Haha...anyway, at least I'm at the back.

Last night was the Mom's & Tot's Christmas evening, and this week will be busy with the Kid's Club and Teen's presentations. I also have to prepare for the Sunday School Christmas Service on the 23. Phew.

So that's that. Anyway my cup of tea is getting cold (I'm quite an avid tea-drinker now, since the coffee is rubbish.)and I have many blogs to visit (and comment on *coughcough*) and some much-awaited Facebook-ing to do! I'm off.

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God for you."

-Jim Elliot

I noticed this quote on Caleigh's page whilst browsing blogs the other day.
It struck me, and kind of summed up a conviction I've been suppressing all week.
You may have noticed that I've been blogging a lot these past few days (read: month), as well as frequenting Facebook, and "catching up" on emails, etc.
Well, the fact is I might be living in Ireland, but Jill is still in Kamloops.
Let's face it- I was expecting everything to be miraculously different here. I was even (or is it 'especially'?) expecting ME to be different. I didn't realize that until it didn't happen! So suddenly I was here in Ireland -a dream come true...but I was still facing the same problems I had at home. What's the saying, "Wherever you go, there you are"?
I knew God was leading me to Ireland and as much as I did already want to come, it was a huge step for me to come as a youth leader. Its definitely not in my comfort zone, but with God working out every detail for me to come, I figured it would work itself out when I got here.
This past month has been really hard. My failings, inadequacies, and insecurities have been glaringly obvious to me at every turn. It has seemed like God dropped me off at the airport and then flew back to Canada.
At first I was ok, because I was so busy I hardly had time to think. As I settled into Fermoy and my schedule slackened, I've become bored and lonely.
Not exactly what I was hoping my experience in Ireland would be!
With all this spare time, I typically was drawn to email, blogs, facebook, etc.
It fulfilled my needs: it can soak up hours and hours, and I was in contact with friends!
So especially this past week I have spent far too much time on the internet,and far too little time experiencing this amazing opportunity I have here! When people ask me What did I see in Ireland? I don't want to have to answer... "Uh...my computer screen."
So the point in all of this is maybe not so drastic as you might be expecting- I'm not deleting my blog. I really do enjoy blogging, and I find it worthwhile. However, from here on in, I'm restricting my internet time. One day a week. If I spend all day on it, that would be kind of extreme, but at least it will only be one day, as opposed to every day :S
I just want you all to know it's not because I don't want to keep in touch! I love hearing how things are going over there, and I think we can still achieve that in my once-a-week goal.

You're probably all thinking, "Took her long enough" :P

And you'd be right. It did.

And logging on every day will be a tough habit to kick, especially when I am bored or lonely. But this is the only way I can force myself to get out more and LIVE here in Ireland. I'm sick of this "Neither Here Nor There" existence.

So I need your help.

If you see that I've been on more than once in a week, give me a really, REALLY, hard time!
I'll aim to be back on Monday....so, see you then! I'm going to attempt "living to the hilt" of this God-given opportunity!

More of This 'n That...

Shoo Fly

I had been invaded by flies. Sometime last week I noticed one buzzing around and was like, "Hm, that's weird." The next morning there were like 10 of them in my bathroom! I think they are getting in through this fan/vent thing in above the bathroom sink but they are really annoying, especially because they are HUGE (and strangely plump) little pests and they like to clumsily bump into me and are attracted to my bedside light. I've been killing them off when I can.

Scarf Is Such A Weird Word


I finished my first knitting project today! Tassles and all. Though maybe not the best quality knitting in the land, it is splendidly warm. And I intend to improve.



Lastly (and there is no picture accompaniment)...
I think you all should know that Sweet Chili Sauce is one of the greatest inventions in the world! Especially when coupled with chicken and rice!!! YUM!

Sunday School with Jill

I used to be so organized. And tidy. And conscientious.
I don't know what happened, or why, or when I began to get so scatterbrained!
Maybe there is something in the air on Quadra Island (possibly the fumes of that funny smelling stuff all the hippies smoke?) that got into my head and made me waaaaay too laid back for my own good. Seriously. I used to get so uptight and stressed about things, and lately even if it is important I just kind of shrug, "Whatever".
On one hand I like it because I never get too worried about stuff, on the other I think maybe I'm too easy-going and just getting lazy...
Sunday School for instance. This morning was my first time doing Sunday School alone. I'd stayed in a couple weeks ago to see how it was done, but with 10-15 kids crammed into a tiny little portable classroom I think I was more just overwhelmed!
So I knew about four weeks ago that today would be "my turn", and I had all week to prepare.
But I thought, "How hard can it be. I'll just flip through it on Saturday." And I did.
I cracked open the workbooks and teachers manual last night. There were a couple different ones to choose from for the different ages, so I just picked one I liked, read the passage, jotted down a couple notes that didn't really make any sense whatsoever, prepped the "visual learning aid" or whatever it's called, and decided to run to the store to nab some cookies aka "Manna from Heaven" for the kids. How terrible is that?
So this morning there were 2 kids in Sunday School. A brother and sister.
I was like, "Oh no. How am I going to drag out this lesson?!" I was kind of counting on a lot of mass chaos to fill in the time.
So bracing myself for an excruciating 45 minutes, I led them into the Sunday School room.
I got the Kerry (the older of the two) to read some of the verses and then we talked about them and then read some more and talked about them a little more, then had some chocolate-covered manna from heaven (a big hit with Lee), and then they did their workbooks while we talked about their new guinea pigs. And it was actually pretty fun!
Their mom had invited me to come back to their house for lunch, so I spent a good portion of the day with their family and the kids just chatted away and showed me their guinea pigs Toffee and Rollo. Driving me home, Christine, their mom, said she had rarely seen Lee so talkative, especially with a "stranger"! (I think the 'manna' won him over)
So even though the Sunday School lesson was perhaps under-prepared and super laid back I feel I've made some progress in a sense.

But I'm not sure the same approach will work for the Family Service I have to lead on the 23rd...!

December

I can hardly believe it is December already!
Commercial Christmas is in full swing here, as I'm sure it is in Canada. As usual, my Christmas shopping is incomplete and disorganized. I'm not really sure who I should buy for and whatnot, so I may just stock up on chocolate and that way if I discover that I've bought too many they won't go to waste...well, I supposed it depends on how you look at it.
Baking has been on my mind lately. After doing SO MUCH of it from March-August I guess I needed a little break, but now I'm ready to get back at it. Also, I discovered that no one makes gingerbread people or houses for Christmas here and that just didn't sit well...so the girl's and I are having a gingerbread-making day sometime this week. And I will also be doing some for the Teen's club. Just bringing a lil' Canadian flavor in :D
I'm almost finished my scarf, and its going to be such a delight on cold winter nights. Its very thick and warm! I also bought some more wool and I'm going to attempt a tuque. If its good enough I'll give it away, since I have way too many hats already! (everyone here mocks me abut having a different hat for every day of the week...which is untrue, by the way...)
For some reason I've also really been wanting to learn guitar. Sam has one, so maybe he will let me use it and I can teach myself some basic chords and stuff...
These next few weeks will be fairly busy for me with preparation for the Kid's Club, Teen's Club, Sunday School, and Mothers&Toddler's Christmas Presentations!
Thankfully they will all be finished by the 17th, so the madness won't extend past there!
I also went to Cork yesterday and chatted with the girl at the Christian Bookstore there about volunteering once a week. So I'll probably get into that as soon as I can.
No one is expecting snow at all really. This winter has been exceptionally mild apparently, so I will experience an honest-to-goodness GREEN Christmas! And wow, the green is really amazing.
I'm not sure what my exact timeline over Christmas will be. I think there is a service at the church on Christmas, but after that I will be joining Sam and Karen to visit their family in the North. I think. Haha...I'm so bad at planning. I literally do things one day at a time. And I can never remember what I did before. Like it was just deleted from my memory. Sad.
Anyway, that is what my December looks like thus far.
All you NaBoPoMo-ers get a good rest and then get back to bloggin' because I like to see what you're all up to!

New Look

I don't know why I changed by blog.
I started fiddling with my banner again, finally figured it out, and decided on a different picture.
One thing led to another...
And I was really tired of my old template. It was time for a change.
So here we are.
PJ looks more mature now I think, which is fitting as it has passed the one year mark.
Also I am in a very "melancholic" mood. Not sad or anything. Just...hmmm...I don't know. But I feel more at home in this toned down color-scheme. It fits me better right now.
So that's that.

This 'n That...

Here is my "mobile"--

My knitting project--And the update on my latest exploration--

A Taste of Ireland

Haha...that is totally misleading.
These cookies are probably eaten everywhere. You may have created them already at some point. However...
The other day I baked some "biscuits" (the supply was running low, since we each have at least one a day when we have tea). Its a nice recipe that I got from a local lady. Nothing fancy, but good for dipping in a hot drink.

Irish Tea Biscuits
2 oz butter
2 oz margarine
2 tbl Golden Syrup
1 tsp bread soda (dissolved in 1 tsp water)

1 cup plain flour (I usually add more)
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
The recipe calls for a tsp of salt, but I would recommend only a pinch of salt.

Melt butter, margarine, golden syrup, and bread soda in a saucepan (NOT in the microwave!). In a bowl mix dry ingredients. (The breadsoda has a very strong flavor so I find I like it better with only a very, very, very little bit of salt, or none at all if you prefer). Add melted ingredients and stir until mixed. If it is really goopy, add more flour. That's what I did. Roll into into balls about the size of a loonie and place on greased pan. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. When cooled, serve with tea, and dip!

Three Reasons I Shouldn't Be Allowed...

To live on my own:

1. Eating out at places called "The Humble Spud" sounds SOO much more appealing than cooking for myself!
2. I might have died, cold and wet, trapped in my shower when the door sealed shut and no matter how much I pushed it wouldn't open.
3. I lost my house key within 48 hours of receiving it.

I'm surprised really, that anyone has ever taken me seriously after all the ditzy-ness I come up with! After all the embarrassing and stupid things I've done, its a wonder that I've survived to be 19. Much less that I've somehow managed to travel across the world, and live on my own...

That's right folks...this weekend I moved out!

I'm living in a little boarding house on the main stretch of road through Fermoy (I'll put a picture up later...for now, here is my room). I have a nice bedroom & ensuite to myself, and I share a living room and kitchen with the other boarders. There are 3 single boarders upstairs, and a Polish couple living in the suite down the hall from me. I haven't seen any of them yet, as I am home most mornings, and out most nights...the opposite of their hours I guess. I've heard evidence of the Poles though...loud Polish techno, and some Nelly Furtado :P
It sounds like people are always coming and going, and they are all "foreign" like me, so who knows- if I ever meet them face-to-face I might make some travel buddies!
So far independence suits me pretty well, even dealing with the little disasters like getting trapped in the shower! :P
I did my first big Grocery Shop today, and it was kind of fun. I tried to get practical, healthy things, but I did succumb to buying nacho chips and hummus. It could be worse.
Also I FINALLY got my whole laptop fiasco sorted. I think/hope. First I had the wrong converter. So I bought a new one. Then it was no internet, and I got my wireless thing. Then my converter died. So I bought a new one. Then that one died. So I returned it. That was last week. Today I went to the computer place and a nice Canadian guy (ahhh, the sweet North American accent....never thought I'd say that.) told me all I needed was this wire with a different plug end on it. So that is what I have now, and it seems to be working just fine. So hopefully my technology troubles are over!!! I'm back in action :) So hopefully I can catch up on emails/facebook this week!!

I'll be working on my huge Sunday School projects as well, and doing the usual stuff...also going on some more walks, hopefully to a place called Glenabough Forest. Sounds nice. So that's me.

Here's the rest of the stories:

1. The Humble Spud has appealed to me from the moment I laid eyes on its vintage little sign. Today I stopped in after grocery shopping, and I did eat a chicken burger there. It was good. But the cashier was grumpy...so its a toss-up. I might go back, or I might make myself some rice with sweet n' sour chicken.
2. After about 10 minutes of alternate hysterical laughing and panic, wondering if I was ever going to get out, or if I would be found dead, sprawled on the shower floor in a week, I pulled at the rubbery siding thing in the middle of the shower door, and it popped open. I don't think I will ever be brave enough to close it all the way again...
3. There I was standing at my door with a huge bag of groceries, my shoulder bag of misc. items, and my purse, going through them all a million times thinking "OH NO! How am I going to tell her that I lost my keys already?!", and after standing around like a fool for 5 minutes, I remembered I had put it in my wallet. Yay.

"Cultured"

I went to a ballet tonight.
I now consider myself very sophisticated.
Except, to be honest, I was nearly bored to tears.
If I hadn't had a crinkly bag of crinkly individually wrapped toffees to keep me company, I would have been in a sad state indeed...
I don't know if that is very sophisticated of me.

I was kindly invited to enjoy this evening at the Cork Opera House by one of the ladies in the church and her daughter, who is an aspiring ballerina. The production was called "Giselle", and as far as I could tell it was about a young girl who fell in love with a prince who was masquerading as a commoner. He wooed her until a rival exposed him, and it was discovered he was already betrothed to be married to a wealthy noblewoman. Giselle died of a broken heart, and that was the end of Part I.
Part II was all white-clad spirit girls dancing, and Handsome Prince having a final dance with Spirit Giselle.
It was about 2 1/2 hours including the intermission.
The dancing was impressive for sure, but I guess I'm just not "cultured" enough to fully appreciate ballet for that length of time!
Though I do think I would like to see The Nutcracker...at least then I would enjoy the music, if nothing else!
Anyway, now I can say I've been to a ballet.
Opera is next on my list :)



EDIT: can anyone tell me the significance of today's date? I'll be very impressed...

Separated by a Common Language

I made the unforgivable mistake of calling many departments stores combined in one building a "mall" today.
My wee Irish friend Miryam severely corrected me, after laughing incredulously at my ignorant American-ness, and letting her whole family in on the joke.
Apparently there are no MALLS in Ireland. There are SHOPPING CENTERS.
A MALL is "Very American".

(I've probably already listed these, but bear with me...)

I now call cookies "Biscuits", french fries are "chips", potato chips are "crisps", highways are "motorways", line-ups are "queues", garbage is "rubbish", hoodies are "jumpers", pants are "trousers", a pick-up truck is a "lorry", mail is "post", a cell phone is a "mobile"...the list is endless, and I have to give constant thought to my sentences so that I can communicate efficiently! (And they wonder why I'm so quiet...)

Today's Accomplishments

While you all are probably just opening your sleepy little eyelids, it is 3:30PM here and I have already accomplished much.
1. I went for a 2 hour walk around the town, exploring and buying things.
2. I went to a little Irish "delicatessen" thing and saw that they sold "homemade croquettes" and though *YUM!*, so I bought them. I should have guessed that they would not be the scrumptious meaty (and salty haha) Dutch-style croquettes I know and love...they are instead filled with mashed potato!! They were actually really good, but the first bite WAS a little disapointing because I was expecting something else.
3. I bought a little wireless thingy for my computer as my big brother Paul advised last night, and now I have the internet on my laptop! Hurrah!!!
4. I have put up a bunch of pictures on my facebook! So hurry and go look 'cause there's a few gooders.
I accomplished more than that too, of course... :P

I Got it Up!

A Rainy Walk Through Irish Countryside...

Narrow country roads...seaside villages...rolling green hills...misty cliffs...
Nothing quite like telephone lines to ruin magical scenery :P

Caught in torrential rain!

Experimenting with the focus on my camera.

Soaked.
Beautiful sunset.

Nearly back.


It took me the better part of an hour to get these up. So you'd better appreciate them :P

A Few Pictures

Yay! I got some pictures on here...see, I'm stubborn and I tried again, even though the internet is being mean to me and frequently disconnecting. Unfortunately I don't have my Giant's Causeway pictures on this computer (Sam's), which is really too bad because they are my favorites. But I will do my best to put them up when I get settled into my own place.

Ahh, the rugged beauty of Northern Ireland!!
This was taken in Portrush.

This picture was taken in Portrush too...its not very interesting...I thought it was a different one! haha!

This was the house we stayed in during the MAD weekend, with all the youth. It was out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms, and sheep, and rolling green hills....

I went out for a long walk and took a lot of pictures, and even got caught in some intense rain!

This is the little town of Ballycastle, in Northern Ireland. A lot of Sam's family live here, so we visited them during my time in Antrim. It was absolutely gorgeous there! I loved how the houses were built right to the edge of the peninsula. The scenery was gorgeous, because you could see misty cliffs in the distance in one direction, and Raithlin Island in another. The waves were huge that day, and it was windy. We would be walking along the beach and suddenly a wave would crash and sweep right in and I would be doing a little dance to keep just ahead of it so that my feet wouldn't get soaked!

There was this cool rock that had a face in it too, but I can't get any more pictures up right now. I don't even know if this post will work.

Three Weeks In

Three week anniversary today!
Haha...
So...
Here I am...
In many ways it feels a LOT longer than 3 weeks.
I was going to say it feels like I haven't been here long at all too, but then I thought about it and No...to be honest it does just feel like I've been here a lot longer than 3 weeks.
And I am happy to be here. I know this is where I am supposed to be. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.
So therefore I am not homesick.
BUT...
I am really lonely.
Dear Wise Mother always told me I would enjoy travelling more if I went with someone, and now I know it is true...however, I also know that I am supposed to be here by myself (this time around!) and I know that when I look back on this it will be a fantastic "growing experience" and it will "build character" or something :P
But it's been hard since I haven't made any real friends yet, and I'm missing all of you.

*cue for sympathy...but please no tea. I have to pee enough as it is*

Boring Newsy Stuff

(Originally written for Facebook...please forgive any repitition)

Lately I have been volunteering a lot at the Operation Christmas Child shoebox check-in centre. It is just a tiny little warehouse (and I mean TINY) with no heat, and just one bare lightbulb! But the women who are running the whole thing work very hard and long hours, giving talks at local schools, talking on the radio, accepting and tallying boxes from groups and individuals and all sorts of other things! All I do is check each box individually, taking out "taboo" items, or adding in things that weren't put in. Each box should have "2 W's, 2 T's, 2 S's". I have the little mantra running over and over in my head now: "Warm, Wash, Toy, Teddy, Stationary, Sweets...Warm, Wash, Toy...." And then tape 'em up, carton them in big cardboard boxes and mark them. It is tiring and a lot of work, but very cool. Its so nice when you get the nicely wrapped boxes with each item so obviously put in with a lot of love and care. It just makes you think how happy the kid that gets it will be!!
As for sight-seeing, since my big bout of it in Northern Ireland I've been to Cahir castle (which was cool, but hard to take good pictures of), a beach near Cork, and now I've been to Cork city twice. Its really neat to see a city that is so old and has so much history, and how it retains that old-ish flavor even as modern day things are built around and inside of it. Shopping in Cork was cool because of all its neat little shops and alleyways. Restraunts and coffee shops are tucked into the upper floors and nooks and crannies. I could spend days there, I'm sure.
OH YEAH!My visa...Well we went to the local police station and talked to the emmigration officer there, and he got me all set up for a special little card thing that I have to have with me "at all times". That comes on Thursday. But I'm in the all clear to stay until July! So that is good! Everything has worked out really well.
Anyway, that's all I can think of right now...its good to hear from you all :)

I've Always Said its the Worst Month

What is it about November that is so depressing in every way?!?!
I remember doing a post on it last year, and in the past day or so, myself and 2 other bloggers have posted about our pet peeves. November really brings out the worst.

I Have Succumbed!!!

I cruelly left you in suspense of my mysterious "second item"!
Well yesterday I gave in and bought it...
And quite truthfully I only got it because its necessary for my work here...
Sigh.
Yes, I now own a cell phone (or "mobile" as they call them..but maybe Canadian people do to, and I just live under a rock, which is entirely possible).
It is my first cell phone ever, and I've put it off as long as I could.
I have always professed a great hatred for the cell phone.
Ok, well maybe not really the phone itself. More the culture around it.
I fully realize its convenience and practicality, which is the reason I have one now. But I absolutely despise the phone that has some poor soul sucked into its orbit; where the fingers are glued to the buttons, constantly texting, playing games, downloading...whatever.
If you want to know one way to really, really, really get under my skin, and is quite possibly one of my biggest pet peeves EVER, just text someone in the middle of your conversation with me! Maybe that sounds selfish, but I hate it when someone is so attached to their phone that they tune out the rest of the world.
(I have a similar beef with iPods, you might recall...)
So while I will enjoy the convenience of my phone, I will be very strict with myself about all the gimmicks and stuff. I might allow myself a funny ringtone, but it shall remain a dutiful "strictly business" phone.
And I won't care that it takes me 10 minutes to text a short sentence.
I will wear that as a badge of honor... :P



ps. On a side note-- I went and replied to each of your comments...

Monday Meeting

So my "work" here in Fermoy begins officially today! And it is very part-time...which is perhaps why I have been blogging and facebooking everyday :P
Sam and I sat down and talked about what my role looks like, and all that kind of thing, this morning. Pretty much I'm out most nights doing teens club, or children's club, or bible studies...Friday I have off completely, but the rest of my week doesn't look too strenuous either. Of course there will be other events that I will be helping with, but they aren't on a weekly basis or anything. And I'm hoping to hang out with the teens lots, but they are in school during the day when I have nothing to do...I guess that's when I'll do my exploring :)
Today we also talked about getting me my "own place"...as in a room somwhere nearby. We both think its best that way, and I think I'll feel more comfortable and settled if I'm not living right in their house. There is one place that is being talked about right now, and I think we will go to see it sometime soon.
We will also go to get my visa sorted out this week. Pray that that will go smoothly and quickly, as tomorrow I will be down to officially two weeks left on my current visa! I'm really not too worried about it, but it is an issue that is holding me back from doing a lot of things that are necessary to be really settled in.
Karen and Sam have been wonderful, and continue to go above and beyond normal levels of hospitality! Karen was even getting excited today about going to Cork and buying me bed linen and things for my room when I move out! She told me I can do all my laundry at their house, and come over for dinner any time...Haha...she is great.
Tomorrow I go to Cahir with Sam and I will be going to see the famed castle that is the main tourist attraction in that town. Pretty excited about that!
After that I go to dinner at one of the teen's houses, and then there is a Bible study later on. So tomorrow is busy, but most days won't be like that.
The weather is gray, but not very cold. I actually get colder sitting around inside than when I am outside. (now I know why they wear shoes in the house...the laminate floors are FREEZING)
I'm looking around at buying a watch because I am always clueless as to what time it is, and its kind of necessary to be on time around here....and I am also going to get a-
well the second item I will save for a special post all it's own.
Cheerio :)

Sunday (As It Is Over Here)

I attended my first Sunday service at Fermoy Fellowship today.

As I mentioned before, it is a tiny little stone building, on the corner of "Allen's Walk" (I have a picture for later...when I figure out how to get it on here). It is surrounded by a little black iron fence and creaky gate, with a flagstone walkway and bright purple arched door. The foyer is just a tiny little windowed room, with two doors into the auditoriom (is that the right word??). Inside there is a sort of boxed podium to the right and the two rows of chairs are against the opposite wall with a NIV Bible and a songbook on each. At the very end of the room are two steps up to the kitchen doors. The kitchen is TINY and very cute, and very much made of stone! The washroom is tucked into a corner, and there is no lock on the door!!! To the right of the kitchen is another door to outside, where there is a little portable building used for Sunday School.

The service starts at 10AM (that would be about 2-3AM your time I think!). One man in the church alternates between playing keyboard and acoustic guitar (not during the same song though :P) during the worship, and we sing from songbooks and I don't know hardly any of the songs...they are quite slow and mellow. Not all hymns though. I think "I Will Worship" was probably the most lively! That will be quite an adjusment for me who likes a good rousing worship service. (Though Mark, the guy who does the music, did talk to me about playing keyboard somtimes...maybe I will lead a revolution :D)

I did "The Reading", and the sermon was quite structured, which was different for me because a lot of the preaching I have heard is more conversational and rabbit-trail-y (which I do enjoy), but it was good.

We also took communion today which was an experience in itself. After reading the bit about the last supper in the Bible, and praying over the emblems, Sam offered each person a cube of bread individually, which you then ate right away. Once everyone had taken one, he took around the single goblet of...port*...I think it was!!! Yowzers! It was a good thing I had been warned beforehand, because I probably would have choked on it if I wasn't prepared! It burned down my throat.

After you take a sip, he would wipe the rim with a little cloth and pass it to the next person. So that was definitely not quite the communion service I am used to!

Afterwards there was another prayer and song, and then everyone was dismissed, and Sam left to lead another service in a little town nearby called Cahir (pronounced "Care").

Nearly both rows of seats were filled and apparently that is a good turnout but I wouldn't be able to say how many people were there...maybe 40? Maybe less. (I met a lot of them, but I probably won't remember all their names :S)

I would be inclined not to think much of that, because in Kamloops there are plenty of smaller church plants. Different denominations maybe, but most believe in the basic foundations of Christianity...

Here, I'm learning, is a bit different.

This isn't one "Protestant" church of many...this is the only church in the area that really teaches salvation through Grace.

There are plenty of elaborate Catholic churches around, and a big fancy Church of Ireland just down the road here. But from what I hear its very much "religion", and all about doing the right things to earn your salvation...if they believe in salvation at all.
Catholicism is huge here...most of the schools are Catholic, and there are Catholic pilgrimage things (can't remember what they are called...whoops :S), and there are bells that toll at 12 & 6 PM to call the Catholics to prayer.
What I would be inclined to think of as basic Christian principles is all relatively new to people here.
So that is pretty weird for me.
Back in Kamloops I've always been immersed in Christianity. Christian family, Christian friends, Christian...things. You know. Pretty much everyone I knew believed in the same thing my family and I do.
Here, most of the teens in the youth group aren't Believers...socially, that is a totally new scenario for me.
Which is cool with me. It'll be a challenge I think. And it will also help me to really think out my own faith, which is all too easy to take for granted when you are surrounded in a secure Christian enviroment.
I have met one Christian girl around my age, a little older, who comes to help out with the youth now and then, that lives in the area. She seems pretty awesome, so hopefully we will get to hang out sometimes. But I expect that most of the people I meet my age will not be what I am used to! On one hand that is exciting to me, on the other I am totally freaked out!!!
So if you think of it, please pray for me while I am entering this Zone of the Unknown!



*for the record, that is the first taste of alchoholic beverage I have tried since landing in Ireland!

Finally in Fermoy!

I've arrived as of last night!
Northern Ireland was great, and I loved it a lot, but I am definitely ready to be a little more settled now. I've actually unpacked (!) and dumped all my pictures* onto my laptop.
*I am very very very sad to say that I cannot post pictures right now! I was so excited about it and had sorted some to be put up and I want to show you all these pictures soooo badly!!! BUT I can't get my laptop connected to the internet! I don't have a little cable thing. Or a wireless thing. I am technalogically lost without my dear brother and father. It is very sad. This means I can't Skype you either, Mom. Which I really want to do because I miss you! And also because believe it or not........
I miss a good ol' Canadian accent!!!
Who would've thought I would ever say that?!
The Irish accents are lovely, and not hard to understand for the most part. Sometimes I'm a bit lost, and the way they structure sentences can be confusing, not to mention they have switched a few words on me, like...potato chips are called "crisps" here, and french fries are "chips", and cookies are "biscuits", and a whole whack of other confusing things that are always getting me into trouble!! But sometimes I just want a nice normal Canadian conversation, you know? haha!
The voice in my head, my "thinking voice" I call it, is beginning to speak with a bit of a lilt and a strange turn of phrase. And I don't like it! I want my Canadian thinking voice back!
Fortunately, I am told I have quite a distinct Canadian accent, so I'm not doing so badly as I thought. Though we'll have to see what nine months does to me...
Anyway...
I had a day of rest on Tuesday which was badly, badly, needed (that was the day I last blogged). It did me loads of good, so I was ready when we set out of Ballycastle on the 31st to visit Sam's side of the family there. I think I've pretty much met the whole family on both sides now! Maybe I'll be able to work myself into someone's will, and have a nice Irish cottage by the sea left to me...hmmm....
The aunts, uncles, cousins, and Granny were all very delightful and friendly. We had a good time and I ate SO much. The Irish know how to stuff you beyond your capacity, let me tell you...and I still haven't had to eat anything weird. So that's nice.
Yesterday we drove down. We kind of skirted around Dublin, which was insane. And what I saw was not nearly as nice as everywhere else. It was very modern and plain looking. haha...sort of like Vancouver, but not as flashy. It took us about 7 hours to get from Antrim to Fermoy, because the traffic was so bad.
Co. Cork is quite nice. The scenery is not quite as rugged as Antrim (which I sort of miss) and its definitely warmer. The weather has been very mild. I don't need to wear a coat outside if I don't want to, though I have been wearing a tuque quite often. Hides my frequent bad-hair days very effectively :)
Its been fairly dry as well, so i've only experienced really intense rain a few times.
Fermoy is very interesting! Its quite a small town, and very compact. I could walk pretty much anywhere...which I intend to. The bridge is cool...all stone with the little arches in it, just like in a calendar picture or something, you know? And there is a nice walk along the Blackwater river I want to do sometime.
The shops along the road are very cool! They're all squished together you know, and brightly colored...I'll try and sneak a few pictures without looking too terribly touristy :P
The "Dublin side" of the town where I am living at the moment used to be a big military base, so there are loads of old barracks, and an old hospital, and training grounds, which are now houses and B&B's and soccer and rugby fields (Or "pitches" as they call them). Lots of high stone walls too.
Fermoy Fellowship church is just about the smallest little building I've ever seen, but its very very cool! Its all stone and kind of in that gothic architecture (I think), and it has a bright purple door!!! I can for sure get some shots of that.
I am going to be doing "the Reading" on Sunday...not quite sure what that is. Apparently I just read from the Bible somewhere in front of everyone!! Whatevs...I know they're only making me do it because they want to hear my accent :P
The week after I might be doing a mini interview or something...just giving some facts about me and pointing out on a map where I live...ooo....Canada! So exotic!! haha...
Sam also spoke to me about doing Sunday School a couple times a month, so I'll be doing that, and there is a kid's club on Thursday nights, and the Teens Club on Saturday nights. I helped pack away Operation Christmas Child boxes this morning (I'd just like to humbly mention that I offically hold the record for packing the most shoeboxes in one box! And Karen said I am a superb packer for being able to fit all my stuff in that suitcase Mom!) The church is very busy so I'm sure I will find loads of things to keep me busy! Which is good.
Karen encourages me to explore lots, so I'm sure I will be doing that! The city of Cork is about a 40 minute bus trip away, and it is quite a big city so I hear. So I hope to be going there more than once! Sam also does a ministry in Cahir (pronounced "Care") on Sundays, so I'm hoping to tag along there once or twice. Waterford is also not too far away, and I'd love to see it. Karen has promised to take me to Kilkenny sometime, and I am for sure going to make it out to the Aran Islands sometime while I am here and buy myself a nice big wool Aran sweater (pardon me..."jumper").
I wish you guys could all come over and explore with me!!! Its nice being on your own because you have that freedom to do what you want, but it would be nice to be able to share excitment over little things like the bright red telephone booth!!! Locals just don't understand that :P
Hopefully I will meet some fun people my own age soon, who will want to do things and see things with me. I think everyone I know so far is either 16 and under, or 40+. Haha...
I've met most of the the teens now, but not many of the kids. The teens seem like a great bunch...a few wild cards for sure, but aren't there always?? There are two sisters (redheads :D) who are quite a delight, and I was invited to their house for supper (pardon me...I was invited for "tea") for tomorrow night. (We discovered an equal interest in the tv show "LOST"...so I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about!!!)
Its funny because I think of how much has happened in the last two weeks, and really...I'm just getting started! The busyness, the challenges, and the changes are just beginning.
Its a bit overwhelming at times, and I do get a bit lonely for old friends :)
Reading your comments last time got me all sentimental, so congratulations...cuz that's actually pretty hard to do :P
It was very good to hear from you all. I miss you loads. Thanks so much for your prayers! It has made so much of a difference.
I will do my very best to find a way to put up pictures very soon. I want you all to see what I've been seeing!!
love you!

Its Been a Week!

Greetings to all Canadians!
As of today I have been in Ireland for one week. Amazing, isn't it?? It seems like forever since I have seen any of you, but the last seven days have also zipped by really, really, fast!
I apologize for the lack of blogging. I'm sure you're all dying to know my news :P
Well, I was dying to blog. I really was. I just realized this week how addicted I really am. I kept shoving thoughts in the back of my mind, and being like "Remember that so you can blog about it later!". Pretty sad, huh? Unfortunately I have had minimal opportunity to unload all those thoughts, so they're a bit jumbled and some of them have been lost.
I'll just ramble a bit and see what comes out...
After saying goodbye to Mom and Dad at 8PM Monday, I went through security, and I didn't even beep when I walked through the beeper thing (which always gives me a heart attack). I was wearing my ring though, so I don't know what's up with that. Maybe silver doesn't set it off? I guess.
Then I walked for a million miles through the airport until I found my gate, and waited for about an hour and a half. That was boring, so I just journalled a bit.
I had a window seat on the plane and I was very curious to see who would be sitting next to me. Turned out to be a huge, cussing, 20-something Irish guy, who I think bought all the alcohol available on the plane....hahaha! Pretty funny. He was actually very nice.
The plane took off just after 10 PM and that was fun. I looove take-off. Watching all the buildings grow smaller and smaller, and the lights dissapear beneath the clouds...it was super cool.
I thought I was going to go to sleep right away, but I actually probably only slept about 3 hours of the 8 hour flight.
I saw some Northern Lights, but it was not very good...just looked like a green cloud. I'll have to go back some day and see some better ones.
Also crossed over Greenland. By that time it was light out, so you could see the miles and miles and miles of snow and ice. That was very neat!
Coming into Ireland was cool....very green! And the whole landscape was sectioned off into little squares and rectangles of land like a big patchwork blanket. The pollution over the country is terrible though. It was like flying through a big murky gray cloud.
Getting off the plane was uneventful. Mom, I was totally capable of pulling my huge suitcase off the conveyor belt :)
I had no trouble until I got to Passport control. The lady was very suspicious of me, and made me feel pretty stupid haha. She drilled me about what I was doing and stuff.
"You're going to live with people you have never met before, for three months?" she wanted to know.
By the end of it I'm pretty sure she was convinced I had met someone on an online dating service, and yah you know the rest of the story...
So she only issued me a vistors visa for one month. Don't panic Mom. I'll be going into Dublin sometime this week to apply for a volunteer visa that will allow me to stay for longer. And if that doesn't work out...well, I guess I'll be travelling the world, and catching my flight home after my birthday.
A friend of the Mawhinney's picked me up from the airport. Her name is Maggie and she is the sweetest lady ever. She and her husband David live in the cutest little cottage imaginable and they've made me feel right at home. The little spare bedroom I'm staying in is all done up with popourri and antiques, and an electric blanket on the bed. haha..
That night they had Karen MaWhinney's sister and her husband over for "tea" (read: supper) and they are such a delight! Arlene and Noel. Seriously the funniest, friendliest, most fun Irish people ever.
The next day Arlene took me out to see the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, and the town of Portrush. It was such an amazingly fun day! She spoiled me rotten.
On Thursday Helen Bruce (coordinates the SWIM program) picked me up and took me to Belfast to attend the Full Time Youth Workers meeting at Church House. I met a whole bunch of people, and it was a lot of fun. Afterwards I walked around Belfast a little bit and did some shopping and stuff.
Friday I met Sam and Karen Mawhinney, and their three little boys (really cute!). Also met up with the 3 other leaders and the youth group of 10. They are all absolutely crazy, but a lot of fun! Most of them are 12 or 13, but the three boys are 15&16.
We drove to the MAD weekend in Coleraine that night. It was fun, but my jetlag was finally catching up with me, so I feel like I was dead the whole time. My highlight was the worship times led by Andy Flannagan and his band, and the speaker whose first name was Marko, but his last name remained mysteriously anonymous. He was from California I think, and his nice normal North American accent was music to my ears! Never thought I would appreciate it so much, but it was a nice little taste of home.
Some of you may remember me telling you that I tend to mimick accents unconciously. Well, its begun. Hearing the Irish lilt day in and day out is taking its toll. I'm starting to talk like them! Its kind of sad really. I mean, Oma and Opa came to Canada from Holland when they were about my age, and they still have their accents. And here I am, a week into my stay and I'm already losing my Canadian-ness. Haha....unfortunately for you guys, I will probably lose it within a week of being home.
The MAD youth rally ended Sunday at noon, and then we went to Portrush and walked along the beach there. It was very nice and I got to chat with a lot of the youth, so that was good. I took lots of pictures, which I will hopefully get up sometime next week.
Yesterday we drove back to Antrim here, did some shopping, went to Belfast and went to a science centre called W5 (who, what,when,where,why). It was cool. Kind of like a miniature Science World.
After that I tagged along with Karen and her boys as they went for dinner at a friend's house. We all squished into their tiny little dining room (they lived in one of those cute European townhouses where the houses are all only as wide as their door haha). The couple had two sons, Gavin (12) and Owen (20-something?). Funny story: halfway through the meal Gavin turns to his brother and says,
"So is she here with them or with you?"
I guess the two of them don't communicate much!!!
So all week I have been on the go, hopping from one place to the next...and I'm pretty tired. So today is my "Chill out" day. I am doing nothing. Except this.
Tomorrow I'm going to Ballycastle with Karen visiting her family there, and the next day we will drive down to Fermoy. And I can finally settle a little bit. It will be good. I'm excited for it :P
Whew! This is quite the report. I wish I could make it more entertaining or something, but I'm fairly braindead.
A few impressions I have of the country:
* They drink tea like none other! At home I have tea maybe once a week. Here it is 3+ cups a day!
*They wear their shoes in the house. That was a difficult transition.
*The nice days are brilliant. The rainy days are gloomy. The cold is COLD. Not our dry Kamloops cold, but a chill-to-the-bone kind of cold.
*Its very rural. Unless you are in the heart of the town, you will be driving past fields of cows or sheep (no sheep herders though guys...sorry to dissapoint) or llamas.
*The housing is my dream come true! It is so european...every house has quaint bay windows, a little sunroom, rock walls surrounding, many are made of red brick, and they all have gabled windows. It isn't just the high-end places either. Everywhere they are all so quaint. Even the townhouses or "flats". They all look like they grew out of the ground and have been there forever. I love it.
*I don't have to worry about eating weird food. Everything I've had so far is "normal", and they say that they don't eat a lot of fish or seafood. I've had A LOT of potatoes, lasagna, and chicken. This past weekend I don't think I ate one healthy thing. Chocolate, "crisps" (potato chips), "fizzy drinks" (pop), and "chips" (french fries), and white bread. And I'm feeling it. I need to start eating healthy again.
*Distance has a different meaning here. Everything is very close together, but it takes long to get anywhere because of traffic.

I've done a fair bit of driving around since I got here, so transport gets a little blurb all its own!

First of all,

The Irish are CRAZY drivers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They go FAST! 80 MPH on every little road. And the lanes here are very, very, narrow. If you go walking along the side of the road (as I have done) you need to be careful because they zoom past you soooo fast and so close! Its fun if you are in the car though. Its like you are on a rollercoaster because you zip along these windy roads that kind of roll up and down over the hills. And the scenery is amazing.
It was/is a bit of an adjustment getting used to driving on the other side of the road. I keep walking to the drivers side when I get in the car, or panicking because we're taking a right turn and it feels wrong to be pulling into the left lane.
They have very few light-controlled intersections here. Instead they have these big roundabouts where you just yield to traffic on the right. It seems to work well, and you rarely have to come to a complete stop.
Karen was telling me the other day that if I want, there is a family in the church that has an extra car that I can use while I am here!!! Haha...I don't know what to say. I would have to learn to drive standard, AND learn to drive on the left side. Kind of sketchy.
On the other hand it would give me a lot more mobility...we'll see how it goes.
I could make a pretty good crazy Irish driver :P

Anyway, I've been on here for a pretty long time now, so I should go. It would be grand to hear from you all, so leave a comment! Like I said I will try and get back on here once I get settled. And I will put up some pictures.

IF you comment. muahaha....

OH MY GOSH!

News Flash!
I just realized this is PJ's 1st Anniversary!!!!
*wipes tear from eye*
Happy Birthday, PJ.

Now, your job is to read PJ from beginning to end, as a tribute.
Ha!
Just kidding.
Though I was reading my MSN blog the other day, and it was highly entertaining.
I'm rambling.
Sorry.

Happy Birthday PJ!

So This is Goodbye Then..

I leave tomorrow morning.
For those of you who I only see once a year anyway, this probably won't make much of a difference. I fully intend to keep up PJ. With lots of pictures!
But for those I usually see at least once a week (or daily in the case of my family)...goodbye is a little different. I will miss you all SO MUCH! Seriously! I'm not just saying that and thinking in the back of my head, "Heh heh heh! SUCKERS! I'm going to be in Ireland having the time of my life I won't even remember your names when I drag myself away!".
I DO intend to fully enjoy the opportunity I have, so lets be honest, I won't be pining away ( I don't think). BUT I will really, truly, genuinely, sincerely, miss you! I hope you will all try to keep in touch. I want to know what is going on in your lives too!
Anyway, I'm kind of getting away from my point. A lot.
Goodbyes.
I don't like long, drawn-out goodbyes with tears, and multiple hugs. I've done them. Its not my thing. Its not that I won't miss that person, or that I am sad to say goodbye to them. And I tend to avoid situations that draw out a goodbye. I just don't like to hype it up too much.
On the other hand, a non-existent goodbye sucks just as much. The one where you can sort of remember the last time you saw that person, but didn't bring about the closure with a goodbye.
I like a goodbye where it is defined, to the point, and upbeat.
A hug (sometimes), a word of farewell, a wave, and then an exit.
That is my kind of goodbye.
But maybe its not yours.
So if I seemed cold or indifferent when I said goodbye to you (or maybe I didn't get the chance for a defined goodbye...sorry!) it wasn't because I don't like you or something. Its just the way I do it.
And really...July is not that far away. This is going to go by so unbelievably fast. When I get back and say hello to you, you will feel like you just said goodbye to me.

(Like this:)

*hug*
Well, see ya soon.
*wave*
*exit*

I Take It Back

If I have ever told you, "I have nothing to wear!", or "I don't have any anything!"...
that was a complete lie.
I am packing now, and the fact is, I have FAR TOO MUCH.
This is impossible...

EDIT:
Apparently it is not impossible...
I am packed. But there is much that was left behind, and my bag is definitely going to be over the weight limit.

Good Reading

Well it was my last day at work yesterday...
It was a pretty sweet job because it was usually not very busy, so I could do a lot of reading when everything else was done.
That was a nice change, because since grade 11 I really haven't done a whole lot of reading.
Of the books I finished in the past month or so, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, and Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller were my favorites.
When I was reading Velvet Elvis, I was like WOW. It is such an amazing book! I felt like it was a year of Bible School squished into one short little book...though I've never been to Bible school, so that might not be accurate at all...
It had some really good things to say (I kept thinking, "I've got to remember this quote so I can blog about it!"....but alas...) and I liked how he made such an emphasis on how we should always be questioning, critiquing, and wrestling with how the Bible is interpreted, instead of just mindlessly accepting whatever anyone says it says. I know I am totally guilty of allowing myself to be "spoonfed".
There is so, SO, much to absorb from that book. I took it out of the church library, but now I wish it was mine so I could take it with me to Ireland. There is still so much I can learn from it.
Through Painted Deserts was not as awe-inspiring, or as deep...but it is by Donald Miller, and I love his style. I absolutely LOVED Blue Like Jazz, and while TPD was not as good as that one, it was funny and thought-provoking. And it said a lot of things that I can relate to at this point in my life.
In conclusion:
If you have time to read, and are looking for a good book, get Through Painted Deserts. Or Blue Like Jazz.
And even if you don't have time to read, and have a stack of good books waiting to be read, go and get Velvet Elvis and READ IT...because it will change the way you think about Christianity. In a good way.

(Pictures are on my librarything link to your right)

Too Tired

I'm too tired to write.
Just read Mom's Blog to get the update on my life...

A Week From Today...

On this day next week, I will be heading down to Vancouver to fly out of the country!
I'm getting a fluttery feeling in my stomach just thinking about it!!!
When did I get so adventurous? I don't remember ever being anything but a homebody...and suddenly I'm spending six months on some hippy island, and then the next 8 months on an island across the world!
I got an email from the pastor last night to let me know that I will be picked up from the Belfast airport by his extended family, and that I can stay with them until I meet up with the youth group on Friday. That is a HUGE blessing because I was really quite nervous about having to find my way around after a how-many-hours??-flight and then being completely on my own for a couple days. I mean, I'm sure I could have done it...but it was just one more thing to stress about.
And now I don't have to! Hooray!
I am looking into getting my travel/medical insurance today...I still need a decent raincoat that is not outrageously expensive, and I'm waiting for an email from the SWIM (Servants Working In Missions- part of the organization that brings in the volunteers for the churches) lady regarding my visa. Those are the most important things that need to be attended to before I leave.
There are still all the little things too...but everything is coming together, which really has very little to do with my planning skills, and everything to do with God not letting my ineptitude get in the way of His plans :)

Counting down...

So now the countdown has begun and I'm starting to stress...a little...
I had a big shopping list today (it is my "Saturday" today) and big ambitions to get it all done...
But nothing seemed to go right (ie: the stores didn't have the things I needed, and things are so darn expensive!), and I only got a few things done, and I still don't have a raincoat, and I still need to get so much random paperwork stuff done, and I don't know if everything I need to bring will weigh over 20 kg, and I have no clothes (ok that's a lie...but you know what I mean! I'm a terribly vain little beastie, and I like to have new things...or at least nice things...) and....I'm stressed about $$. Which is what most of it comes down to.
Its terribly selfish and "un-trusting"...I know.

Booked!

I just booked my flight!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I can hardly believe this is happening after talking about it for SO LONG!
WOW.
Ok....just breathe....breathe....
Whew.
Ok...
I'm good...
Ok.
Yeah.
I'm flying out of Vancouver at 10PM on Monday (the 22) and will arrive in Ireland at 2:45 PM (their time) Tuesday.
I'm hanging out in Northern Ireland for a couple days until the 26...then I will meet up with the Youth Group and head out to Coleraine for the youth rally.
So...yeah....this is it!
I am actually going!!!
This is SO weird!

Its Happening!....Slowly....

First of all I'd like to say that I am failing miserably at my self-imposed internet restrictions. Just wanted to have that out...you know...I wanted to say it before one of you did. But I AM getting stuff done...
Listen to this...it is kind of cool...on two separate occasions yesterday two different people (yes Dad, one was you) suggested that I look at Zoom airlines for my fight. I was going to look there anyway, having been referred there by my seasoned traveler friend Sarah from camp, but it was kind of neat to have it "coincidentally" brought up. Because...when I searched for flights from Vancouver to Belfast for this month, one came up on the 22nd for only $250+tax!!! Crazy, eh??
I think it is destiny :P
I emailed the pastor in Fermoy and he responded right away saying that that timing would be ideal. There is a big youth rally right up there in Northern Ireland that next weekend that the youth group will be coming up for. SO...I won't have to find my way to Cork all by myself, I will get to meet all of them and we will be staying in a big house in North Antrim...which I REALLY wanted to see, but didn't think I'd ever get an opportunity to.
What a HUGE blessing and answer to prayer(s)!!!
God is far too nice to me.

Maybe I will get to see the Giant's Causeway!