Saturday, March 6, 1010

Much has happened since last I wrote! I’m starting to have a hard time writing this. I want to write about the exciting things that I am doing, but everything is starting feel pretty routine, and lets say it, just like my life… my boring old life. My goal now is to not see my life as boring. Part of that being by telling this story; the story of my life. This is exciting. I like seeing new perspectives. I’m learning in my Celtic Literature class that the Otherworld of ancient Ireland was not really an Other world, like Christian’s generally believe Heaven to be. Even though most stories involve long voyages across or under the sea to get to this paradise, these voyages are more symbols for the mental journey a person must make to get to paradise. Right now I’m at that stage of understanding where I think I get it, and I almost get it, but I don’t really. So this explanation might be a bit muddy, but I really like this idea traveling to change your perspective. In one story, the noble hero was traveling the ocean in a boat (we would find this to be quite common sensicle) when he meets the ocean God traveling in a horse pulled chariot. The two have a conversation about how the other is traveling in the most ridiculous fashion. From the Gods point of view, the ocean is his kingdom, his land. The hero sees it as we would, as an ocean.

As for what I’ve been up to recently. I’ll start with the recently and move back through the week. This is a little embarrassing, but the main reason why I haven’t written in a while is because I have learned to be terrified of putting pictures up here. I want everyone to see them, but uploading them is the biggest pain ever!!! So I’m gonna put off uploading them a little longer. This week is the Cork French Film Festival. I went to see A Very Long Engagement on Wednesday. I don’t think I have ever seen a WWI movie in theaters, so it may just have been the effect of the giant screen (plus we were a little late so we got the crummy seats in front) but it was an emotionally intense experience. It’s from the same director/screen writer team who did Amelie. The screen writer was there for a question and answer session that was conducted in a mosh of English and French. I got to shake his hand afterwords. Goddard’s film Breathless was yesterday, but I wasn’t feeling to well, so I didn’t go, but Jules et Jim is today. There have also been Italian films shown at school every Tuesday night.

This week students have been gearing up student elections. Everyone gets really involved and knows a lot about each candidate. I’m really impressed, especially as I read about Hunter students vandalising instead of taking actual action when they don’t like something (ie: tuition hikes, turnstiles). Last year Cork students turned out for the biggest demonstration in a decade to force Pearson (that textbook company we love so well) out of their school, because they refuse to pay that much for textbook/homework website package. I’d agree with them on this account. The school newspaper ran half page ads on each candidate outlining their goals. The school president is like a real job. The student is asked to take a year out of their studies, and I heard through the grapevine, is paid 21.000 euro to do so! Each candidate has a team that wears matching shirts and runs around handing out flyers. I am amazed.

Thursday was National Health day or something, and there were lots of stands and presentations about Male Baldness, and STD/STIs, and of course a coffee stand. I got the best hot chocolate of my life at this little stand (here I have to stop and ask if I have my priorities in order. I simply glance over the information on STIs and go right to the hot chocolate? At least I noticed that poster at all). They used real milk, and real chocolate! There were even chocolate shavings on top! So exciting. There were even marshmallows because I have learned that when someone asks you if you want something in/on your food, and you can’t understand their accent, you smile and nod and see what happens.