Peace Studies Orientation (finally!)

So I’m a week in now and very anxious to start my classes and meet my classmates and figure out my new 'normal.' Yesterday was Arthur’s Day in Ireland, a celebration of the day in 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed the 9,000 year lease on St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, which commences at 17:59 on September 22. Word among the Irish was that the pubs were more crowded last night than they are on St. Patrick’s Day!

I spent the day shopping for bedding, then went back to the house and Herbert drove me across town to drop off my suitcases in my new apartment at 17:00. With rush hour traffic, it took about 40 minutes to get there (it’d be more like 15 or 20 minutes driving at off peak times), and finished unloading at 17:56, so we missed “kick off” time, but made it over to where Grainne was toasting Arthur at a pub near her office with her coworkers. One guy, a Spaniard, also promotes study abroad opportunities in Europe on the side – amazing what connections you can make over a pint of Guinness.

Herbert and Grainne and I went to a farewell dinner at a Malaysian restaurant nearby before they dropped me off for my first night in my new apartment. I’ve never lived alone before, so I was a little nervous, but got myself mostly unpacked and somewhat settled in until I gave up, too exhausted to continue, and slept the night through.

Then this morning, I had orientation for my grad program. Christen and I walked over to the Milltown campus together, met our classmates and lecturers, and figured out a little more of how the system works. Apparently we can take any of the courses offered in the timetable, and the first week or two is a sort of shopping period to figure out which ones you want to take for credit and which ones to audit (if any).

Based on the lecturers and syllabi, I want to take them all! We seem to have about 40 students in the program, from approximately 15 countries and various academic backgrounds, so I’m very excited for our seminar discussions – I think I’ll learn a lot. I wanted to stay and socialize more with my new classmates after orientation, but instead, I rushed back to my apartment, grabbed my bags, and hurried in to town to catch the bus to Limerick for the Rotary District 1160 (all Ireland) Conference where I’ll meet the other 5 Ambassadorial Scholars as well as Rotarians from most (if not all) other clubs in Ireland so I can start setting up presentation times with them.

On the bus now and ready for a nap – will write a report after the conference!