Friend filled weekend!

So this week of school has been quite stressful, yet interesting. Rather than sign up for classes before school starts, students here at NUI Galway just simply go to the lecture and then decide if that is the class they would like to take. So this week I have been scrambling all around campus, attending classes from "Ireland in the 19th century" to "Media Law". The first couple of days were quite stressful - not only could I not find half of the classes I wanted to attend, but the ones I did weren't that impressive. However things started to get better when I attended a International Business Law class - the professor was quite enjoyable and rather than lecture on the first day, he just told us to relax, put away our notebooks and just talk with him. It finally put me at ease a bit, and our class discussion about the world (how it was getting smaller and countries are coming together through business) was actually interesting to me. So there was one class I could finalize onto my schedule!

Speaking of small worlds, this thursday my two roommates from college, Tasha and Bree Anna, came into Galway to visit! Tasha is also studying abroad in Spain so she decided to make a pit stop on the way there - and Bree Anna was along for the ride! It was just funny/awesome to be sharing a lunch on Quay Street with two friends from home. I would constantly have to remind myself: hey! I'm in Ireland! My old home and new home were colliding together. It was a bit of a 'blind leading the blind' case, but it was quite fun figuring things out with them! Thanks girls!

The first night we spent out at the Quays bar where we watched table dancers...not that kind though! They were three girls dressed in celtic skirts, doing traditional dances - looked a lot like riverdance, all dancing to the beat of a live band. It was quite good! Now that kind of table dancing I wouldn't mind watching - or even participating in - in fact I tried my hand in a little Irish jigging - however I can't say I scored any applause....

The weather this weekend was absolutely BEAUTIFUL (I think Tasha and Bree brought it in with them) so we spent the Saturday out on a tour of the Cliffs of Mohr and the Burren territory. We took a giant tour bus along a small bumpy road, which caused Tasha and mine's complexions to remain little on the yellow side that day. All the while, our tour guide told long and detailed legends of the County Clare and County Galway region, and didn't have a problem stopping to look at a baby cow, or a "tatched roof" (which after some confusion we realized was a thatched roof!). Yet, it was worth the temporary motion sickness to see all that we saw that day. It was quite beautiful - and it made it even better to know that I had someone to share it with!

So early this morning they left back to the Airport and onto London. Then 5 minutes later it began to rain...thanks girls for taking the sunshine away from me! =) I am so jelous of their adventures that are sure to come upon them, but I am almost looking forward to starting a everyday life here in Galway - getting settled and continuing to meet new people. Although that will last for about one day, as my friend Sybil is coming to visit again for a couple of days! I guess my holiday time is not quite over yet - lets just hope she brings sunshine with her too!

xoxoxo
Vanessa