Many of you know that I'm studying abroad in Ireland. I say that with conviction because I have very few followers that I don't know. I'm just that cool *note the sarcasm*
Anyway, I have had many an adventure thus far in Dublin. The first few days were slightly rough but overall it has gotten much better and we've had a lot of fun. I posted a few pictures of the trip so far but it takes stinkin forever to load them so I picked a few good ones. The rest are on facebook and I'm thinking I'll get a Flickr account.
I'll write a post about everything when I get to Galway and have more time. Things in Dublin are chaotic and fast.
Much love,
Michelle
Saturday, August 25, 2012
our hostel
the bathroom (and then i found 10 dollars)
our first alcoholic beverages in the country!
Guiness!
The outside of the hostel
downtown Dublin (That's the River Liffey)
Trinity University
Illegally climbing a tree at the university. We ran into these positions, took a few pics, and then high-tailed it outta there!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Pope Benedict and Uncle Larry
Many of you might have heard the Pope’s recent attempt to enlighten the world of its most prominent danger and threat to humanity. This, without a doubt, is gay marriage. I mean, just last week when two homosexuals got married, instead of bells ringing and angels getting wings, atomic bombs went off and incinerated all of Idaho. Who’s to say what's next?
Year by year, powerful leadership figures (and everyone else, for that matter) exercise their assumed right to judge large, generalized groups of people of whom they don’t understand. Whether it’s ‘Aryans’ vs. Jews, African Americans vs. White Americans, or Men vs. Women, there’s always someone who simply isn’t as good as the rest of us.
I remember being at an extended family gathering when I was quite a bit younger, 15 maybe. My brother was a freshman in college and we were all chatting with him about how school was going. I was a measly high schooler at the time, so no one really cared how school was going for me. Later that night my uncle (for anonymity’s sake, we’ll call him Larry) asked me a rather odd question.
“What about you, Michelle…are you thinking you might go to college?”
The thought had never occurred to me that not going to college was an option so I gave him an incredulous look that basically said, “Why wouldn't I?”, without words.
“Uhh, yeah…” I said with the same look.
“I was just asking because many women find it more suitable to go to college much later in life,” Uncle Larry explained.
O-kay. Raise your hand if you think having a husband, kids, house payments, and a full-time job makes going to college easier and more suitable. No one? No hands? I didn’t think so.
Uncle Larry and I have had several tizzies throughout the many family gatherings that we have each year. Of course, I don’t love him any less, being my uncle and all, but I can’t say much for liking him.
What I’m ultimately getting at here is that it’s dumb to be prejudiced against an entire group of people. Sure, there are plenty of women out in the world who have a brain the size of a pea and whose best characteristic is the ability to talk and file nails at the same time, but that hardly describes all women. The same is with homosexuality.
From this, we can learn a fine lesson from the Pope and take note that not all Catholics are as ignorant as he is.
If you care to read it, here is the link for what the Pope had to say:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/09/us-pope-gay-idUSTRE8081RM20120109
Monday, January 9, 2012
carole king, ear plugs, and farting in public
Way back when my mom used to torture my brother and I with monthly orthodontist visits, I was classically conditioned to absolutely loathe 102.9 LITE FM with Dah-li-laaaa. For those of you in the Twin Cities, you might know the radio station that I’m referring to. It was, by no means, a terrible radio station, but its pairing with the event of a tall, gangly man with bad breath sticking his hands into my mouth, quickly made it the worst radio station ever.
On a side note, it’s ironic and very wrong for a dental care professional to have bad breath. In fact, I’m pretty sure having pleasant breath is one of the prerequisites for going into dental care. Nevertheless, the longest year of my childhood was spent getting a very close front row seat to this man’s unsavory qualities.
But back to my original point. This radio station coincidentally, or so I’d thought at the time, played a particular song during every dreaded visit to the orthodontist’s torture chamber. Since then, every time I hear, “It’s Too Late” by Carole King, I can’t help but brace myself in preparation for Dr. DragonBreath’s dental poking and prodding. Over the years, I have simply accepted that the painful memories brought to consciousness by this obnoxious song will be a lifelong price that I must pay for my straight teeth.
Little did I know that Carole King’s song would eventually be the Universe’s way of letting me know that I am currently making a less than sound decision. It’s a funny coincidence that this be the song to keep tabs on my impulsive decisions and acts of stupidity since the most repeated phrase is, “It’s too late, baby, now it’s too late…”. Some of these happenstances include: buying expensive, superfluous clothing, farting in elevators, overdosing on ibuprofen (that was a complete accident, I swear), setting items (like a computer, for example) on the top of the car before getting inside, etc. For some reason, Carole King is always there to mock me with her nauseating song.
On the plus side, I have begun to take preventative measures in an attempt to end the Carole King madness that incessantly reminds me, “It’s too late…”. Whenever I hear the song, I instantly take inventory of my person, hold in all bodily functions, and refrain from making large movements. This has been pretty effective thus far, however it seems to alarm people when such preventative measures are taken in public places. I can understand why ceasing all unnecessary movement might raise suspicion but seriously, holding in all bodily functions? I’m doing them a favor.
I guess the main point I’m getting to is that ear plugs are necessary when going to the orthodontist and farting in public is never a good idea. Compliments of Carole King, I have learned both of those lessons the hard way.
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