Beginning of December and Ireland

12/06/08
I wake up at like 11:30am and we get ready to go out. We decided to not go to the Cliffs of Moher or the Anis Islands. Two tours that the group went on we were the ones who stayed behind and did the more chill thing which was sit see the city. We did a little bit of that and then had some food. I had a traditional Irish meal that I took to a Chinese restaurant because Omid wanted Chinese food in Ireland! So we ended up getting into some really good conversations and we ended up being there for like two hours. We went to the river and then back to the hostel taking our time.
We met up with our group at around 5:46 at the bus/train station and they decided to take the train back even though we were PLANNING on taking the bus. So we take the train. While on the train we get entertained by some drunk Irish folks who were on their way to celebrate a going away to prison party for one of their friends!! Go figure. Anyways, they played some flute song that was all out of tune but none the less entertaining.
We then get into Dublin and start making our way to the hostel to get ready to go out. The ground was slippery and icy and I had my beanie!!! Because Omid recognized the guy that was sleeping on the bed that I took my nap on and asked him for it and he returned it to me!! I was so so happy to have it back.
Then we make it to our hostel and start to get ready to go out. I meet up with my friend and we go out to the Porterhouse again but first we stop at a Burger King and get some food.
I had made good friends with a Captain by the name of Morgan and we hit it off to a great start. I had a real nice liquid blanket to keep me warm on the way to the pub. By the time I had reached the club I felt like my captain friend had knocked me out cold. I had another beer but I never saw the bottom of it... I ended up going home and just crashing out at my friends place.

Overall I had a blast!! I love Ireland it's so much fun and the people are very warm considering the fact that it's so cold and rainy. I guess all the Guinness helps them cope with reality as I saw on multiple occasions...hahaha




12/05/08
We all wake up around 9:30am have some breakfast and then catch a bus to Galway at around 11am. Learning lesson 1 of this trip. Don't buy round trip tickets when plans can change especially if your traveling with a group of people. I did this twice and plans changed twice on me! So I lost some money that way but it wasn't that big of a deal. It was more annoying than anything else.

So we get into Galway around 3pm and grab a quick bite to eat and then take a nap. Brain and Dan go out with the girls Ice skating but me and Omid decide to stay in and rest. Lame I know but I didn't feel like being more cold and bruising my butt on the ice after every fall. So me and Omid stroll through town and eat at this Fish and Chips place called McDonaugh's it's considered THE best fish and chips of Ireland and boy was it good alright.
We then were walking around and just happened to run into our group. So we went to this pub called the King's Head and hung out there for a while.
It was fun because we walked into a private party and we were hanging out there for a while until we got kicked out. We then had the girls scout out a table for all of us and they did the job. We got a table and then just kicked back and I watched the drunk Irish guys have fun. One guy was celebrating his marriage and the pregnancy of his to be wife but here is the kicker...the father was someone else and he was there to celebrate too!! Go figure!!
Anyways they were really fun to watch but we then left but Omid still wanted to go out. So we went to this club across the river and it was boring and lame I didn't have any fun. The people were weird and the ambiance was disappointing. So we hung out there for a while because Omid apparently had a good time so I just sulked at the bar...then we went home.


12/04/08
After about 4 hours of sleep we wake up had breakfast and meet up with the girls to go to the Guinness Factory. It was my second time there and I got another free pass to the tour. It was fun the second time around as well. I got to see some things that we only skimmed through the last time I was here.
Oh and before I forget today marked the 4 month anniversary of when I arrived into Dublin when I began my trip. It was pretty cool to start and finish in the same place.
I really liked Dublin the people were great and the ambiance was great too.
I met up with a friend that I had made while I was here the last time and we had some drinks later on that night.
But back to my story...after the factory we went to this place called Rick's Real Hamburgers. I had a really good hamburger by the way and after that we went to the hostel to nap it up.
One of the guys we were with by the name of Dan had a single patty burger then another double patty burger and they weren't small. So we were in awe by all of the food he ate.
So we got up from our nap and then headed out to a place called Legends. This place was cool because it had a tap in the middle of the table and we poured our own beer which was pretty cool because I had just learned how to do that a couple of hours ago at the factory. The science behind a perfect pour is amazing! Anyways, I had already met up with my Irish friend and had already had a drink. So we went to Legends and apparently the Irish dancing and music was not too bad from a local's point of view. Obviously it was for show so some things weren't too accurate, but it was none the less entertaining and very fun to watch.

After that we went to a pub called Porterhouse and hung out there for a bit then we called it a night after a few songs. Oh and I left my beanie at the hostel on another bed so I effectively lost it and I was very upset at myself for being so careless considering that I had just bought it that day at the Guinness Factory. :(

12/03/08
Went to my international Business class to do a presentation that I had prepared for just the day before until like 1am. I woke up late got all dressed up really nice with my dress shoes and Pea coat that I had just bought in Rome, and rushed to class. I was about 15 minutes late and I made a grand entrance. I was the best dressed so that made up for it. Even the chronically late guy was there before me!! We did our presentation and I think we did a great job. I was really happy with our performance and I am thankful that we don't have to worry about that class anymore.
Then I went home and packed my stuff to get ready for Ireland. Now it's important to remember this time...2pm is the time we left Firenze to go to Pisa. So we play some games and get all excited in the train ride there and time flies right out the window.
We arrive and notice an ominous cloud cover but not too bad. We check in and then we go to the line to wait to get through security inspection. We then start to notice that all of a sudden all these flights start to get cancelled. We start to think the worst and yes the worst happened our flight got cancelled.
I wasn't worried at all though, actually I was thinking about what I was going to do that weekend. Now here is the cool story. Omid my friend had to check in a bag because he couldn't take it on as a carry on. So after we realized it was cancelled he went in search of his bag. I was playing chess with my roommate Brian while we waited.
While we were waiting we ran into an Irish girl and 5 other American girls studying in Firenze. We all stuck together because we were in the same boat or should I say same plane hahaha.
Anyways we all start to part ways when Omid comes back with a look on his face like he saw a goddess. We're going to Dublin! We're going to Dublin! he cried out. I then call two of the girls who had already left and Omid calls the other group of girls. One of the group was already on the train! So they barely just got off.

What ended up happening was that all flights got cancelled and were now departing from Genoa. So Ryanair arranged for buses to take us to Genoa which is two hours away. That was like at 8pm 3 hours after our plane was suppose to take off. So we get to Genoa and then we run into this guy and a girl that also were going to Dublin. We talk to them and then we do our own thing. We go through another checkpoint and then finally leave around 2am!! 12 hours later from when we left Florence and about 9 or so hours after our plane was suppose to leave.
Anyways, the girl that was with that guy we met in Genoa all of a sudden decides to leave! Crazy! After all this I would imagine that she had passed the point of no return. Then an hour or two later we leave, so the guy joined us and we became a big group of friends on a crazy adventure.

We land after a rocky ride that had my roommate Brian scared shitless and I am being serious he is afraid of flying. We get into Dublin at 4 in the morning Dublin time 5am Florence time. We take a bus get to the spire (which is a landmark) and then walk to our hostel...but wait I totally took them the wrong way. I got them confused with the one I had gone to 4 months ago. So we walked around for about 30 minutes trying to figure things out when this nice Irish lady helps us out at 4am who knows why she was awake but she was the nicest lady she went with us to some hostel and helped us find our place. But we were starving naturally, so we had a Subway sandwich...I know I couldn't believe it was open either but thank goodness it was because we needed some energy. It ended up that we were in a completely absolutely wrong place!! So we get a cab/taxi to the right place and make our way into our correct hostel beds at around 5:13 Dublin time 6:13 Florence time! WOW what an adventure.

12/02/08
I got up nice and early ready for school. I felt like I was back from a long vacation. My Leonardo Da Vinci class took me to the Palazzo Vecchio and it was really cool to be able to see the Grand Hall and actually know about what I am looking at. It was a nice history lesson about the history of Florence.
Then after that I had Food and Wine and we all brought in a paired food with wine. I brought in Clementines with Spumante which is a type of Sparkling white wine. It was really nice and I feel like I have finally learned to really appreciate food to its fullest degree. I am constantly refining my senses and I am loving it.

Me and Omid then went to go and eat and on our way we got some warm cloths that we need for our trip. Then we came home and I did some school work until I finished it all. Oh and I did laundry, hopefully for the last time.

12/01/08
We roll out of bed around 1pm and then lolly gag for an hour until we finally leave Nick's place around 3ish. We get to the station and miss the first train but no worries 10 minutes later we were on another train heading towards Firenze.
We were supposed to go to Naples but neither of us were too excited to go out there. So instead we went back home, I was so ready go back.
We get into Firenze and then we go straight to the Chinese restaurant. That was our original plan for Thanksgiving so we ended up doing it a little bit later.

I then went home and worked on my school work that I have been neglecting for a few days. I managed to crank out a paper for one of my classes. Then I went to sleep.