Thursday August 27th

Last night was a lot of fun! Some of the other international students came over to our apartment before we hit up the streets of Cork. Once everyone was ready to leave we walked over to An Brog or as the locals call it “the Brog”. The Brog has become our hang out as we have been there almost every other day since moving to Cork. All in all last night was some good crack due to the good music, good atmosphere, good beer, and good friends. Crack is English for fun and the Irish love to use that word.

Here is a picture of the Brog

Some of the girls that we went out with that night

Matt, my roommate, and I

Caitlin and I

School at UCC does not start until late September so before school starts all of the international students are enrolled in an early start class. I chose to take Musics in Ireland mostly because I need to take a fine art to fulfill a core requirement back at USD. So far the class has been fun. It has been a combination of lectures and workshops along with a field trip through County Kerry, and County Limerick next weekend. So far I have learned some basic Irish dances and today we received basic lessons on how to play the Irish harp, along with some useful lectures on how Irish music has shaped Irish culture, and several factors that gives Irish music its unique Irishness. The Irish Harp is very important to Ireland being that it is the national emblem and is featured on every government document, sign etc.

I also received my Irish Address today and it is written like this:

Apart 6, Leeside Apartments

Bachelors Quay

Cork

Co. Cork

Ireland