"Inga's home is your home..." Osnabrück, Germany

At 3:45 am on Friday morning, the alarm rang signifying the start of my weekend! Although the late sun here in Dublin hadn't even thought about rising at this time, I jumped out of bed and hopped in a cab at 4:15. My flight arrived in Düsseldorf at 9:30 and Inga was there with a smile to meet me. My first sense of culture shock hit me when I entered the restrooms and was unsure which one to choose (oops!). Needless to say, I was so glad to see her. From Düsseldorf, Inga and I took the train to Köln (Cologne) to meet Inga's friend Uli. Uli also studied in Pittsburgh last semester, and now attends a university in Köln and was able to show us around the city. Our first stop was the Cologne Cathedral, more commonly known as the Dom.


The Dom is home of the Archbishop of Cologne and is absolutely massive, with beautiful intricate architecture. We happened to arrive in time for the noon prayer service, which of course took place in German. The only part I understood was the Our Father, written,

Vater unser im Himmel
Geheiligt werde dein Name
Dein Reich komme
Dein Wille geschehe, wie im Himmel so auf Erden.
Unser tägliches Brot gib uns heute.
Und vergib uns unsere Schuld,
wie auch wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern.
Und führe uns nicht in Versuchung
Sondern erlöse uns von dem Bösen.
Denn dein ist das Reich und die Kraft
und die Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit. Amen

I had a tour of the rest of the city! The rain picked up in the middle of our walk, and instead of letting it ruin our day, Inga decided it was the perfect opportunity for some German cuisine. We split three different kinds of currywurst (pork sausage) and each had pommes schranke (fries with ketchup and mayonaise). The meal was wonderful, and with satisfied stomachs full of German goodness, we headed back outside to see the rain had stopped. (Inga believed this was because we had finished our meals, a fun German belief she taught me.) We took the bus across the Rhein (Rhine) River to an observation tower, where we could have a better look at the entire city. The Rhine River and the Dom

Uli and I


Inga's boyfriend Sebastian met us at the tower and we all headed back across the river for a break. We went to a pub where I had a Kölsch, the traditional beer from Cologne from the traditionally unfriendly waiters, a very interesting combination.

We returned to Osnabrück by train and I found quickly that I was in for a fun surprise. One of Inga's roommates had cooked a delicious lasagna, but I soon discovered that the meal was accompanied by incredible amounts of German conversation. At first, I was intimidated. Here I was in a room with six native German speakers. Everyone around me was speaking a foreign, and slightly forceful language as I sat there speechless (how often does that happen?). They were all so kind and spoke to me in English as well and I soon became very comfortable.

After a wonderful night of sleep, we all enjoyed a delicious German breakfast of brötcheu ("little breads") from the local bakery with butter and jam and eire (eggs). By this point, I had accepted the idea that I would not understand all aspects of the conversation (sometimes, I would understand little if any) but we had fun with that fact. We decided it would be funny for the group to speak in German, only stopping occasionally to say a word in English just to see if I could follow. It was quite the laugh as I eavesdropped on the conversation and soon realized it would take more than one word in English to keep me informed.

That morning, Sebastian responded to a silly question of mine by saying that "Inga's home is your home." It was so sweet that I thought I needed to include it here, and my two wonderful hosts continued to make me feel welcome throughout the visit.

Saturday was spent in Inga's hometown of Osnabrück. Inga and Sebastian in front of Inga's apartment. (I caught them too early in the picture) First, we walked through the old section of the town. Part of the old wall which used to enclose the town. I loved the roofs throughout the town. The Town Hall of Osnabrück, known today as the "City of Peace." This town was home to the resolution of the 30 year war between the Catholics and Protestants of Germany. We walked through the shopping area of town, and decided spontaneously to go to the Osnabrück vs. Dresden football game. Although the game ended in a tie, eins-eins (1-1), I loved it! The energy in the stadium was great, and fans even brought drums to lead the cheering sections.
Here you can see a little of the excitement!

On the way home, I was able to see where Inga works as a Physiotherapist and her University. (I think its safe to say we all wish she was still in Pittsburgh, yet this place looks pretty great as well.)

After a quick stop for butterkuchen (butter cake) from another delicious bakery, we headed home for some tea and warm, cozy socks.

That night, we met Inga's sister and went out to one of the more traditional pubs in town.


Sunday morning started what was by far my favorite part of the visit: brunch with Inga's family. I was overwhelmed with the kindness that they extended to me, and the amount of delicious food that was prepared. When I walked in and saw the table decorated in red, white, and blue, I couldn't help but smile.


Throughout the meal, we talked about everything from Pittsburgh to Germany and in between. I truly enjoyed getting to know them and was so grateful that they took me in so graciously. I hope to be able to see them again in the future.

The Oireachtas

This morning, our class made our way down to the City Center to the Leinster House, home of the Irish parliament. I forgot my camera, so here's thanks to Molly Frietag photography.

The democratic system is formed by two houses, the the Lower House, or Dail Eireann and the Upper House, or Seanad Eireann. We were fortunate enough to see both of them in action this morning. First stop was the Dail where we observed the TDs (Teachta Dála, Irish term for Member of Parliament) conduct their order of business. What was interesting was the swapping of languages. When a member began to speak, he or she could choose to either present their point in Gaelic or English, and we heard both during our short viewing. It was quite eventful and a couple of the TDs became pretty heated as they attempted to slip in their personal motives into the structured order. The Ceann Comhairle, (Head of the Council) led the order of business as the Tánaiste (deputy Prime Minister in the Irish Parliament) fielded questions from the TDs. Next stop was the Seanad, similar to our Senate. A quick viewing, but we were still able to see the Senators in action. As soon as we left, a bell rang to signify an upcoming vote. Members throughout the building hurried to the Seanad to participate in the vote.

Following our tour, we had a meeting with a member from the Seanad, Joe O'Toole, who described to us the Irish legislation system and made some interesting comparisons to the US system. We learned that a proposed bill must pass through a five step legislation process in both houses before being passed. Although rather opinionated about the American system, it was still interesting to hear his viewpoint.

We returned to DCU just in time to grab a peanut butter sandwhich and head to history, where a guest speaker lectured on Eamnon de Velara. As founder of Fianna Fáil, a political party still present in Ireland, he was a strong force in the creation of the Irish Constitution in 1937. Pretty cool guy!

I just returned from the library where I was printing off my boarding pass for the upcoming weekend! I will be visiting a friend in Germany, named Inga, who lives in the northern town of Osnabrück. I woke up this morning to a facebook message, entitled "German for beginners" which made me very excited. Inga gave me a few pointers to make the most of my weekend, including

- Hallo (Hello)
- Wie gehts es dir? (How are you?)
- Auf Wiedersehen! (Goodbye)

I may want to learn a couple more phrases for convenience, but regardless of my limited knowledge of the German language, I'm looking forward to the visit.

My inspiration for this post can be attributed to Manda's Morning Mixup" at Wybf.com, a Cabrini College radio station, hosted by my friend Amanda Carson. This was my first time listening to the show, but I can proudly say I know that voice on the radio, and this girl has talent!

Abbey Theatre

To complete the busy day, our Sociology class had a field trip to the Abbey Theatre in City Center. The itinerary for the evening consisted of Christ Deliver Us! written by Thomas Kilroy. Performed by very talented actors, the play succeeded in its intentions. The plot was set in Ireland in the 1950's, and powerfully described the "attendant fear, joy, and wonder experienced by children growing up in a restrictive society" (According to the play bill, also written in Gaelic for your convenience.) The Irish culture was strong throughout the play. The boys were shown in the midst of a hurling match and a fiddle filled in the breaks for the scene changes. The world premier of this show, Christ Deliver Us! may be interpreted as controversial, but left me with many thought provoking questions as I left the theater.

RAG Week

It's Wednesday already? Where has the time gone? The week has flown by in the midst of paper writing, spring break planning and the same daily responsibilities that seem to have followed me to Dublin...

Good news: two papers done! I turned in my paper on abortion in Ireland yesterday morning, feeling both enlightened by what I had learned and relieved that it is behind me. With the books returned to the library, my next obstacle is finals, which we will all tackle next week.

In the meantime, DCU has created a week long event known as RAG week (Raise up And Give). In an effort to raise money for charity, many events have been going on throughout campus. Four charities, including the Special Olympics in Ireland, UNICEF for Haiti, The Alan Kerrins African Project and the DCU Educational Trust have been chosen to raise support. The campus is more alive this week than ever, with bands playing in the Hub and dunk tanks soaking students outside! It's neat to see everyone having so much fun for a positive cause.

A fun side note...

The more time I spend here in Dublin, the more I find two competing forces in the chocolate arena. Right now, I would have to declare a tie between Cadbury Creme Eggs and Penguin Chocolate (made by British company called McVities.) Cadbury eggs are pretty self explanatory, but the Penguin chocolates have pleasantly surprised me. With two chocolate wafers covered in chocolate and wrapped with a corny joke regarding penguins, these addicting treats not only satisfy my sweet tooth, but improve my sense of humor at the same time! What a deal! Instead of feeling guilty for indulging, I figure it is a good excuse to put my gym membership to use.

Our Gaelic word of the day in Sociology was "Dochas," meaning "hope." A good thought to leave you with.

Irish Winter Wonderland

The weekend started off with flag football. The founder of the American Football Team at DCU had told us that the flag football team was always looking for players. We decided to take advantage of that fact, and Saturday morning Elizabeth, Molly, Jack and I headed out to practice. They were very glad to see us, for only four Irish players were at the practice. We started by running "routes" which was quite entertaining, but a good warm up nonetheless. Although my team lost in the 4 vs. 4 game, I did score a touchdown and had a blast experiencing a slightly different delivery of the game. The group practices every Saturday, so despite our traveling, we will be back again for another shot. Next time I'll be looking for a win!

The rest of the day was pretty calm and was centered mainly around my paper for my Contemporary Irish Society class. I'm writing about abortion in Ireland. With the passage of the Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution, abortion was declared illegal in Ireland. With all the controversy that this topic entertains in the US, I'm very interested in how the idea is perceived in Ireland.

Saturday night we experienced an unexpected surprise. SNOW! It rarely snows in Ireland. The climate is moderate all year long, and the country does not know how to handle snow. We were all dressed up and ready to go to city center when we were hit by incoming snowballs on our way to the bus stop. Turns out, a group of Irish students from our apartment building were having a snowball fight. It did not take much convincing for Molly, Elizabeth and I to run back upstairs and put on some snow gear for the fight. We spent the rest of the night running around DCU, making snowmen and enjoying the fresh 2 inches of snow that had turned the campus into a winter wonderland (if only for the night). It was a small taste of home as we experienced the familiar weather and made new friends in the process.





This morning Mike, Jack and I went to what was another beautiful mass at our Interfaith center. If it wasn't so peaceful (not my forte), I would learn to play the harp because I am becoming a huge fan. I think I'll stick to the Bodhran for now but who knows what the future holds. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, but very productive. My afternoon consisted of a trip to Tesco (the grocery store), a workout at the gym, and more paper writing.

For dinner, Meghan and I cooked a chicken! This was only our second attempt at the meal, but it proved a success. We were so excited that I just had to take a picture. The cooking situation has been an experience here, as the ten of us in my apartment work to share the single oven and stove. As you can see, we are making the most of the situation and have been enjoying it.

GAA

First, I'll quickly recap my day yesterday...

In Contemporary Irish Society, we had a guest speaker who spoke to us about the current music industry in Ireland. It's interesting how artists such as U2, from Ireland, have such a hold on the international market. It should not surprise me, for the majority of the music I've been exposed to here in Ireland is similar to what I would hear at home. It really is a small world.

The Irish War of Independence was the topic of our History of Ireland class. Our teacher announced to us we only have four classes left, a startling fact as we all realized how quickly the semester is going. I'm really thankful for these classes; I've learned a great deal about the formation of modern Ireland, and I'm understanding the importance of a nation's history on the modern culture.

Last night, we had a field trip to Millbank Theatre to see The Playboy of the Western World, a classic Irish play about a boy who supposedly killed his father, and makes a name for himself as he flees the area. Although the accents were difficult at first, once I was acclamated, I enjoyed the show! As a fun surprise, the coach bus dropped us off in city center where we celebrated our friend Mike's 21st birthday. Overall a very good day!

Today was our first Friday off in Dublin in three weeks. I had the opportunity to sleep in which was wonderful. Determined to use the day, a group of us set out to Croke Park.



Conveniently located on Jones' Road! (I must have a future here.)



The "nicest" (according to our sweet tourguide) and fourth largest stadium in Europe, Croke Park is home to many different sporting events, including Gaelic Football, Hurling, and Football (Soccer). The tourguide took us to various parts of the stadium.


This is the players lounge. After the games, players from both teams gather here with family to celebrate, eat and be merry.


The 32 large balls on the chandelier represent Gaelic footballs and stand for the 32 counties on the island of Ireland. An interesting fact about the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) is that it does not account for the partition with Northern Ireland, and is a major symbol of Irish Nationalism.


Next stop was the teams locker room. For county games, there is no home or away team, but instead the locker room assignments are based on the Gaelic alphabet. Our tourguide revealed some of the motivational tactics of the different coaches and prepared us for our trip out to the pitch.



It is a very impressive stadium, holding over 82,000 people.

A most interesting fact for you. All of the athletes of the GAA are amateurs, meaning no one is paid to participate and all of the athletes hold other jobs. I think that's pretty impressive.


We went up to the seventh floor to the media box, where we had a beautiful view of the stadium.

Fun view of Dublin from the top!




Taking our turn in the press room.



Following the tour, we walked down to the city center, lucky to avoid the rain for most of the journey. Well worth the long walk, my savory tart from the Queen of Tarts was the perfect ending to the day.



I'll refrain from including the picture of the clean plate, but needless to say I enjoyed the meal.

Located near our bus stop back to DCU is an arcade which houses a 4D theater. Everytime we are in the city we say "O we need to try that sometime." Well today was that time. Realizing that there is no better time than the present, we went on the seven minute, 4D experience through the Haunted Mine.
We were just as excited as the little boys in the front!

With the rain on pause, it was another beautiful night in Dublin. Here is a picture of the sunset over the River Liffey for you to enjoy.


Plans for tonight include relaxing in sweatpants with a movie and ice cream. Exactly what we all need.