i just remembered i have a blog

Hi,

So it has been a while, yes? I actually forgot I have blog. I got busy with people and things that I see and do on a regular basis and forgot about all of the people that want to know all of the particulars about those people and things. Anyway...

I am back at my good old job. It is going to be quite the busy place come September. Event after event sometimes they even overlap. Wow it's going to be an amazing feat pulling this all off. I'm TRYING to be more proactive in my creative life. I have some collaborations in the works. I am working with a new theatre company on an adaptation/exploration of the Orpheus/Eurydice story. So far it has been quite an enjoyable experience.

I have cut TV out of my life. Once a major addiction I now come home and stare at nothing. Brilliant. No seriously it has been rather nice letting go of the ol' boob tube. I get way more accomplished, like checking up on my blog! I'm reading more. I've been enjoying my music. So lots of positives coming out of saying 'no' to TV.

What else....I'm going to have to get a second job. It's just a fact. I've accepted it. This means we're going back to the days when nobody really ever got to see me. Ever. It will be worth it though when I get to retirement age and do not have to live in the woods under a self made leaf hut. So bye bye debt. Hello life savings!

I saw the movie 'Moon' the other day. It was quite good however, not nearly as thrilling as that Danny Boyle masterpiece, Sunshine.

This past weekend I had a wonderful reunion with some of my cousins on my Dad's side. It's been several years since we spent any quality time together as a group. It went really well we all had such a wonderful time! I got to meet my cousin's first baby he's adorable!

And speaking of adorable babies some of you may recall the lovely Miss. Almond I got to spend time with the entire Myers family yesterday. It was sooo nice! We had some of the best pizza ever and some super yummy cookies. Mrs. Myers and I went to a movie while Mr. Myers minded the wee child. Almond is just delightful. She's such a happy baby such a beautiful personality. She's really starting to look like her mother! I can't believe it's been six months already, almost SEVEN!! She'll be having her first birthday before we know it!

I'm terribly excited to be traveling to Alabama for a wedding in October. It will be my first trip to Alabama and the Deep South. I'm going down on Friday coming back on a Tuesday I'm planning to do some exploring while I'm there. Yay!!

Okay well that's good enough for now. I'll do hereby swear to do a better job with updating this lovely bit posterity.

All the best on this lovely evening,

Jen

the skies did open

so today. Today I washed all of my clothes by hand. Yes. I washed them in the tub. I really wish that I had a washboard it really would have helped. Plus I would have then felt more like an authentic washer woman. I would say it went fairly well. I am pleased thus far but we're still out on the final result as the dryer takes forEVER!

I ate too many biscuits again. They weren't even very nice.

Dryer is done. The clothes are dry and clean. Mission accomplished.

that is all.

oh and it rained today. many times over.

there were boxes and people that i'd never met before

Thursday and Friday of last week we had workshops with Claire and Richard from Forced Entertainment. With Claire and Richard we flocked and made up a dance. We spoke about our fears and all of the things we are absolutely NOT afraid of. We hid in boxes and picked up chairs. We ran around and played games. We chatted about our likes and dislikes. We discussed the next step. We were critiqued and encouraged. We tripped over our own feet and said things we thought were funny. Nobody cried. Some people talked too much. Some people only listened. We didn't have fancy lights. There was a trip to the beach. We went to many beaches all at once. We made the beginning of a show. Maybe. Feel free to google them.

Last night Cathy, Ali, and I went to see Cat play at a pub that she described as sort of republican. It was in fact very republican. It was the most bizarre pub experience I've ever had. It was like some horrible Lifetime movie. There's Cat all in white the innocent singer song writer doing her best to make it happen playing were she can with just her guitar to protect her from the sea of drunk rowdy men. In the movie something horrible would most likely happen...however, not the case in reality.

Still it was the kind of place you walk into and are immediately reminded that you are a woman. On top of that this particular pub was full of locals so three completely unknown women were even more of a unique commodity. Before even buying a drink we were confronted by 'Pink Jumper Man' he had a loud voice and a short-term memory. I told him I was from New York at least 3 or 4 times. He guffawed every time. After chatting us up for a while and being quite rude he blessed us with his saints medal thus proving he was in fact a good man. Finally he departs only to make a triumphant return a few minutes later completely surprised to find two girls from Cork and a girl from New York in the pub. His comings and goings grow shorter and less frequent throughout the night but that does not mean that we were left lonely.

We had one guy who was in fact not too bad. Friendly and not too inebriated though at the end of it all when he was chasing poor Cat back to her car I thought perhaps I ought to reconsider is level of intoxication.

'Blue Man' who was not only wearing blue but I think was in fact quite blue fell madly and deeply in love with Cathy. He was sorely disappointed to find out she had a boyfriend. Even the promise of UB40 playing at their wedding could not lure her away from her man. 'Blue Man' also had a sidekick. He was an electrician and lived across the street.

Just before leaving we met 'Mr. Marty' the artist behind all of the artwork in the pub, which actually was quite good. He had spent time in New York painting sets and had been to the Irish Arts Center. Weird.

Finally we piled into Cat's car off to find some late night chips. A task we had laid out for ourselves quite early in the night and one we were determined to complete. Due to the closing of a peace wall (peace walls located in various parts of Belfast that are closed in the evening to separate Catholic and Protestant areas in order to prevent any misdoings in the night. they are meant to be removed. slowly i suppose) any way we had to drive the long way to bobby's Chinese, which apparently isn't even run by bobby anymore, where we got chips and rice drenched in sauce. too much sauce. but still yummy at 130am.

A few glasses of wine later we hopped in a cab at 3am and went home. good times.

Today I plan to finish cleaning my house. Do some reading. Use my hunter gather skills at the market and attempt to do some laundry in the bathtub as our washing machine has given up on life. That is all.

the best,

jen

where have i been part II

today was a tragically sad day as my sisters had to return home to the states. The arrived last Tuesday morning and we had a magical adventure together. I'm hoping they have/will make it home safe. They're plane has yet to land I believe.




And now a brief recap:




I arrived at Belfast International airport about 40 mins early. I had two cups of over priced tea and a scone. I looked in the gift shop and I bought some gum. They finally arrived and hour and half late. Hooray!!





After getting them back to the house they almost immediately passed out and slept for most of the day. We then ventured out to town and had dinner at Cafe Renoir. It was quite yummy. Melissa had a pizza, Delia had a chicken sandwich, and I had a burger. I know tantalizing. We then proceeded to head into the city center where I bought a dress. yay for me.





Thursday morning we departed bright and early for London. We were quite exhausted I booked us a 6am flight thinking we'd get to bed early however i had a paper to finish and Delia also had homework to do. So we didn't get to bed until about 2:30 and up at 4:15. whoops.





we couldn't check into our hotel until 2pm so we got ourselves a delicious English breakfast and then wandered around kensington gardens and palace. Inside the palace amidst old furniture, paintings, and costumes we learned to waltz and how to balance a book on our head in a very interesting exhibit about English debutantes.



Then almost to the point of delirium we walked through more of the gardens. We tried to sit in some lawn chairs but a quiet man with a box around his neck expected us to pay to enjoy them. Even half asleep we knew better than to pay for chairs that should be free. So instead of sitting we pretended to put our feet in the water of the pond and chased the swans around the perimeter.



Making it to 2pm proved much more difficult than could have been anticipated. When we found ourselves laughing uproariously over nothing we knew we needed to check ourselves in....to the hotel.



London House Hotel. Finally in our very own snugly room with our very own little snuggle beds we all lay our heads upon our downy white pillows just as the construction workers outside our first floor window began jack hammering some tile. Silence. Oh perhaps they are done we wondered aloud. No now it was time to nail something to the wall. Our giggling quickly picked back up again as our luck seemed to be against us. Finally after the fire alarm went off for no good reason the place quieted down and we had ourselves a lovely nap.



Refreshed and almost raring to go we dragged ourselves back out for a little exploring and some dinner. We ended up in a decent pub on the south bank of the Thames. I was super cranky by the time we got around to dinner and started to believe that the barmen and the waiters were all working against me. In the end after eating my pie and drinking my beer I came to realize that this was in fact not the case.



Next day: We ate breakfast at our hotel as it was included in the price. It was rather bland and lacked imagination to say the least. We had sliced white cheese, a mild cheddar we shall say. A choice of white bread or white bread toasted. There were some disappointing croissants but slab on some butter and jam and they would suit just fine. We also had a cold cereals to choose from four to be exact. Rice Crispies. Cocoa Crispies. Corn Flakes. Frosted Flakes. Yes the choices were really just too much for us that morning.



Friday: roamed around a bit as I tried to get my barrings. We bought tickets to Wicked and had a coffee in Leicester Square and then looped and zig zagged until arriving at Covent Garden. Places seemed to have moved slightly since the last time I was in London. We did a bit of shopping and saw some more sights including Tate Modern. We then fought about where to eat dinner but were able to rekindled our sisterly love over giant coca colas and poor Italian food before having a fabulous time at Wicked.



Saturday: After eating the exact same breakfast we had the day before we went to the Natural History Museum and played with butterflies then we learned about Eco systems and rocks until we got hungry. We had lunch in another pub and Bri of Irish Arts Center fame joined us. It was so nice to catch up. Saturday turned into the day of old friends as we had drinks with Rob, Iris, and Chris in Angel later that evening. A few drinks in Chris and Rob were able to lure us back to Chris's with the promise of a big breakfast the next morning. Little did we know that mother nature had other plans.



Sunday we woke up to the biggest storm I have seen in ages. Poor Chris and Rob determined to follow through with the promise of breakfast were planning to go out into the misery that beat down on the wee apartment to acquire all the items we needed but we were able to convince them that we were not in fact hungry. it was just too ridiculous. ah well. We went back to our hotel assuming that our plans to see Romeo And Juliet at the Globe that afternoon would now be ruined. However that would not be the case as the sun prevailed in the end. We had a nice time and learned some very important lessons:



1. tall men for some reason like to stand in front of us

2. people do not like to listen to ushers and it makes us mad because we are very good at following directions.

3. If we ever see another show at the Globe we must have seats.

After the show we went and saw London Bridge and the Tower of London. Then back to the hotel to get our things and something to eat before making our way to the airport to return the Belfast.

After purchasing our homemade noodle soup and wantons we attempted to eat our lunch in the Kensington Gardens. Our picnic was short lived as Mother Nature once again turned the tables on us. Quickly packing our lunches we decided we'd eat them on the train.

Three noodle soups. One train ride. One flight across the sea and one taxi ride later we were back in Belfast.

Monday: The most beautiful day of the trip. We did a day tour up to the Giants Causeway. The drive up the coast was just melt your heart gorgeous. We could not have had better weather. On a normal day you might be able to catch glimpses of Scotland as you weave around the bends. Our driver said that it was so clear that day that he was seeing parts of Scotland that he had never seen before.

Our first big stop was at Carrik a rede rope bridge. You walk across a rope bridge to a small island in the sea. This day once again supports my theory that Ireland is in fact a tropical island without the humidity. The water was sooo blue the sun was warm. We spent about 10 or 15 minutes sprawled in the grasses of that wee island.

Back in the bus we were off to the Giants Causeway. Arriving we ate our packed lunches at a picnic table overlooking a long stretch of farmland and the sea.

Climbing along the mountain's edge we slowly made our way around to the beaches below and the rock formations built by the giant known as Finn McCool.

Wrecked we made our way back to the shop at the top of the mountain where I indulged my sweet tooth with an ice cream.

Back in Belfast we made some dinner and were off to bed.

Tuesday was a restful day. I had an assessment interview and Delia and Melissa needed to catch up on their sleep. We had drinks in the evening. Nice quiet.

Wednesday: We were up early again for a trip down to Dublin. We saw all the major attractions. Delia got to have some Guinness and we were back in Belfast.

Thursday: I had class. Melissa and Delia attempted a trip to the Black Mountains but the bus systems of Belfast and Northern Ireland proved tricky for mere mortals. Next time maybe. We had a nice dinner and instead of having bye bye drinks at a bar. We opted to stay in do each other's hair and have cookies and milk. Way more fun than a smelly bar for sure.

Friday: Bright and early (a theme if you will) we were up. The girls all packed. We had a small breakfast. I made them some sandwiches to bring along with them in case they had to wait for a long time at the airport (please recall their tardy arrival)

They left on the 7:45a bus to Belfast International Airport. At several points throughout the day my classmates or tutors would mention the time and I would think, okay they should be on the plane now, or they're somewhere over the Atlantic, just a few more hours to go and they will be home.

My room which had grown quite full with all of their things is now strikingly empty.

I suppose they could not have stayed forever and it's only a few more weeks before I will make that same journey home.

meow kitties!!

where have i been you ask

Well I will tell you!

I believe the last time I updated this here blog was before How Tom Beat Captain Najork and his Hired Sportsmen so a recap:

The show opened the last thursday of may. It went really well. We had great audiences for the entire run and I think both parents and kids really enjoyed themselves.

I don't believe I've ever sweated so much in one show...hold i'm running through every show i've ever done...nope captain najork wins for sweatiest show. We were all dripping by the end of it. Really not surprising since we basically moved for about 45 mins straight. I will be sure to put up some photos as soon as I can. Unfortunatly my computer may be dead. So no access to any of my pictures. none of them.

After the show came to a conclusion I worked madly to complete my critical incident log which I would say was good. not the best thing anybody has ever read but good. My sisters arrived last tuesday morning and we've been having a marvelous time. I will discuss these adventures in a separate post as there are simply too many to include now.

This past Tuesday I had my assessment interview for my first module here at Queens. Basically Anna and two other assessers (is that a word) ask me questions about my log and my ongoing development as a theatre practitioner. it went okay. i thought of all sorts of brilliant answers as i walked home. ah well.

okay so today we begin work with Forced Entertainment a company perhaps in the same vein as richard foreman's company and wooster group. it should be very interesting. we have two workshop days with them and then 10 days to devise the show. crazy scary i think.

ah well i must be off

all the best!

jen

week 5

so today we continued to polish. nip and tuck if you will the various bits of the show. it's really coming together i think. i'm looking forward to seeing all of us in costume. the few items i've seen have been great and despite my complete inability to play any of our warm-up games this morning i think it turned into a good workday.





justin came with the music today and i think it's really working.





we'll have another voice workshop with peter balance on thursday. my critical incident log has been well neglected as of late. i need to buckle down and really start putting some of my ideas to paper. you know instead of writing a blog i'll do my actual work.





a change of subject





i just want to say that i am quite lucky. my living situation as far as the people i'm living with is really fantastic. we all get on so well and while i'm certainly missing new york and home i will truely miss all of my new friends.





another change of subject





my dinner tonight was really yummy and you'll laugh when i tell you what it was. boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, a fried egg, toast, and tea. i was just so pleased with it i couldn't tell you why.





and another change of subject





my two lovely sisters will be arriving in belfast in just a few weeks and i could be more pleased. i am very much looking forward to seeing them. we'll be traveling to london the first few days that they're here and then i'll be sending them off on a few day trip adventures without me as i'll be in class. hooray for sisters!!!





well i suppose that's it. nothing more to say at the present moment.





best





jen

(note on photo: our totem pyramid i'm on the right standing on Siobhan

a belfast birthday

so "happy birthday" was sung to me about three times today.

the first rendition followed my late entrance to the group warm-up after trekking through the rain to rehearsal. the entire group sang as they continued their jumping jacks and i removed my soggy shoes and jacket laughing quite hysterically at the entire scene.

the second round of the tune came during lunch when Joe, a dear classmate of mine and our milk/biscuit lady, unveiled a special treat. TEA CAKES. Quite yummy.

the third refrain of "happy birthday" came directly after lunch when my housemates, who had already given me flowers and a card earlier that morning, walked in with a cake.

now I'm either dearly loved or I'm just dealing with people with poor communication skills. I'm going to pray for the former.

the day itself was lovely. my neighbor dropped a card for me through our mail slot, very nice of him. we went for a drink after rehearsal at our local pub, oddly enough it was the first time we've actually gone there. made a nice dinner. saw a show, that I have to say was not my favorite. went for another drink after and headed home. all in all a good day. I'm am quite please and settling into the start of my 26th year quite well.

Rehearsals have been going well. We had a run through this afternoon. All of the pieces are fitting together very well. We have about a week and a half of polishing and tweaking ahead of us. Should be fine. There are still a few bits that don't feel just right yet, particular the sections with text, but I'm assuming that will all gel together shortly.

tried on my costume for the first time yesterday. think old timey swim gear.

tomorrow some of the other girls and I will be drawing on some moustaches and hitting the streets to hand out fliers for the show. we'll be doing human pyramids and blowing whistles all over town. hopefully we won't get in trouble for it as we don't exactly have permission, we'll see. If you don't see a post for a few days it's because I'm in jail.

well i am a bit sleepy after a very long week.

i shall be off to bed!

hope all is well!

best, jen

(picture from abby inch in downpatrick)

i still have joy

Today was a quiet day. I slept in a bit. I went to the market. I bought some vegetables and bread. I rode in a taxi with a nice driver. We talked about Florida. I wished him well. I was angry with a phone representative from Orange. She hung up on me. I spoke to my mom. I spoke to my sister. I made dinner. I ate dinner with Daithi and Andrew. It was yummy. I walked to the waterfront. I arrived late. I watched a choir performance. I smiled. I walked home. I made a snack. I drank some milk.

I'm supposed to be doing work but I can't quite get myself going. I just need to type up a few items and read a few books, memorize a collection of words, memorize another small collection of words.

I turn 26 on Friday. I didn't think I would feel anxious about 26 but I am. I'm feeling a tad bit nervous about Friday. 26. Well I'm glad I'll be turning 26 in a foreign country it's almost as if I could go home and pretend it didn't happen. I'll get used to it. I suppose I also just don't particularly care for the number 26 I prefer 27 ten times better. I know I won't feel anxious turning 27 because 27 is an enjoyable number. Ah well the day will be full of fun things. Class and show building. Will be seeing a show that evening and will most likely grab a few drink after the fact. The next day I'm hoping to have a biscuit party with red lemonade. Biscuits meaning cookies and red lemonade meaning an Irish delicacy that all feel I should get to try.

I need to decide what other parts of the world I wish to travel to while I'm in this neck of the woods. I'll be traveling to London with my sisters. I'm thinking of going to Southern France as I've never been there before and perhaps Germany, Frankfurt to be exact to visit friends. I'll of course be visiting other parts of Ireland. I suppose I'll have to play it all by ear.

I wish I had a snugly bed with flannel sheets on it to crawl into. I'm definitely buying a hot water bottle for warmth and muscles.

Alright I've work to do. No more distractions.

All the best,

jen

blame it on the rain

so today I as well as a few of my compatriots here in belfast were caught in a terrible storm. luckily we were able to find shelter in a nearby archway. We then relocated to the vestibule of our local library. this storm, while not so deadly, was still terribly fierce. it was reminiscent of say a small tropical storm. or perhaps those wild storms that whip in from the atlantic during hurricane season. today's storm once again confirms my theory that if sunshine was in fact more than myth here in ireland that it would in fact be a tropical island. the only difference is that the storm doesn't bring relief from the heat and humidity it just makes it colder and wetter. plus no lightening, at least none that i've seen. ah well. so it goes.

making excellent progress on our adaptation of How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen, which I always want to call How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His BAND of Sportsmen, all wrong. Anyway we've got a good chuck set in place. We should have the whole skeleton every little bone in place by next week...which is crazy because we then have a week or so to get the rest done. jayz

i was really inspired today by an improvisational music performance that I saw on campus. i've decided that I will collaborate with them, some of them before i go. it will happen. it has to happen. i love them.

yeah so. that's the end of the news if you will.

hoping to travel to someplace warm with a beach and REAL tropical storms sometime before I go..spain or the south of france perhaps.

i'll be up in london at some point or another and various locations that are located here in ireland, both North and South.

best jen

ps my dialect training is absolute shite i can't get a single one straight as i'm stuck listening to loads of accents from all over this rain soaked piece of land. ah well.

pps it may appear that i'm unhappy but i'm not. i really do like it. weather aside mind you.

there was hail in belfast and the laundry got wet

Is hail a common occurrence in Belfast? After hail-less year after hail-less year I have experienced hail twice in 2009. Once in New York and now here in Belfast. I thought it was just rain and as I began to pull in the laundry from the back courtyard I realized that no it twasn't rain that was lashing down around the house but hail. Decently sized hail I"ll have you know. At least twice the size of a dip n' dot, I would say four times the size of a grain of salt, and definitely larger than a lentil. Quite surprising. This change in the weather will certainly put a damper if you will on the day's events as we were to spend the day watching street theatre. Alas it may not be. Ah well there's always shopping!!

One small problem I am having is with my knee. It has been quite sore since the beginning of last week and has made it quite difficult going up and down stairs not to mention running along the waters edge a new favorite past time of mine. It's quite hard to let it rest as there is always some physical activity to be done in class and someplace to walk outside of class. Ah well.

Another small problem I have encountered here is the tea break. Now one would not necessarily associate tea with trouble however if said tea is accompanied by a variety of biscuits and other sweets it quickly becomes a source of unrest for one who is attempting to NOT indulge her sweet tooth. I would have to say that at this point I am still consuming more tea than alcohol though it is a close race indeed. I shall do my best to keep tea in the lead though it is quite difficult to avoid either around these parts.

The heat in our house is also proving to be a source of much annoyance as it continually stops working. We're all paid up. There's plenty of credit I even add some more credit just to be sure but alas it chooses not to produce heat which no heat fine wear another sweater. However, heat and hot water all come from the same place no hot water makes bathing shall we say a bit uncomfortable especially when your home is also quite chilly. Jaysus cut us a break.

Ahh well in just a few short minutes I have typed a small post of little importance and the sun has managed to come back out. See like I said Belfast is very much a tropical location without all the mess of heat, well yes as the previous paragraph states :), and humidity.

Time to dress myself and get on with the day.

Cheers!

Jen

places i've been

Today I was in Downpatrick. I visited St. Patrick's grave I didn't get into the neighboring cathedral as there was a very fancy wedding about to begin. Hats! Everybody had a lovely hat! I wished that I were able to attend the wedding but seeing as how I did not have a fancy hat I was not allowed entry.

I also visted the ruin of an old abby and climbed the walls. Layed around in a comfy field/hill and then rolled down it. The weather was beautiful! It was an exceptional day and I am grateful to my friend Shaun for being an excellent guide. Oh and I also rode a horse through the mountains this morning! A grand time was had by all, even the horses.

Now just a few pictures of places i've been thus far...no pictures from today as I've yet to add them to the computer and I'm too lazy to go upstairs and get the cable.

cheers!

Jen

just call me the queen of may

So today is May Day or the first day of May. It is also a bank holiday meaning no work for anybody except for us. I was wondering about this very special day that gets everybody out of work. Why is it called May Day? Why does it even matter? Most of the people I asked couldn't really give me an answer. "Well it's the first day of May so..." was basically the response I got. So...Facts that are neat about May Day:

• origins were pagan
• exactly 1/2 a year from Nov 1 another cross-quarter day (more pagan stuff)
• previously known as the Celtic celebration of Beltane
• One might dance around a Maypole today and even be crowned "Queen of May"
• on previous May Days you might have come home from dancing around a May pole to a basket of sweets from your neighbor
• May is the Virgin Mary's month so you might do something in honor of the Blessed Mother's favorite month
• Here in Ireland I might come across a bonfire or two
• May 1st is also known as international workers day-a holiday first celebrated in the Soviet Union

So there now we all can answer the question-What is May Day?

So Ireland seems to operate like a tropical location without the heat. It'll rain and then be sunny; then rain some more and be sunny. I don't know if I've planted myself in Belfast during a run of excellent weather or what but I'm quite content with the temperature. Despite having a keen dislike for extremely hot temperatures stories about 80 degree weather in New York created a small bubble of jealousy in my chest. Eh plenty of hot weather awaits me upon my return.

Having completed two weeks we, Curious Doings, are quite well along with the show. We've devised several pieces that have only to be cleaned up and fit together. Roles have been assigned I am most definitely a sportsmen as are most people in the company.

Wednesday night our neighbor Andrew took Daithi, Sarah, Aoife, and I to a pub someplace out of town to a session. It was lovely to go out and enjoy the music and the beer brewed right on the premisis. I had a chocolate stout which was very tasty and a lighter beer called Belfast Blonde, really, REALLY yummy.

Still adjusting small pangs of homesickness here and there. They come and go and mostly come when I'm sitting around doing nothing which doesn't happen very often.

Well that's all for now!

have a good one!

JEN

Keep off the grass? Not in Belfast!

Had the most amazing vocal workshop today. It was other worldly. Out of body almost. My eyes have been opened to a hidden potential. There's so much to explore! This is the end of the first week and I could walk away now and feel fulfilled. (insert deep sigh of contentment)

Anywho sooooo updates:

I bought butter. Did I mention that? A big ol' block of kerry gold. It's delicious. We've also obtained a pot. That's right ONE pot. Haha. At least we can cook a bit more than at the start of the week.

I walked almost all of Belfast yesterday, at least it felt that way. I've actually seen a good bit of the city on foot. Went over to the OMAC aka old museum art center bought a ticket for Alibi. Made my way to City Hall. Took some pictures around there. I love that any open bit of grass is basically an invitation to sit down. I have yet to see a single sign that says keep off the grass.

I have one small complaint. The Belfast Welcome Center. I didn't find it so welcoming. It's basically a big shop for selling key chains and Irish music CDs. I may give it another try later on but I wasn't so impressed. I had better luck at Failte Ireland. The woman was lovely gave me a whole bag of stuff on day tours and such for when my sisters come for a visit. I then took that whole bag of stuff and sat in a coffee shop in a library and read it all. So relaxing.

Went to see Cat play tonight at Common Ground a lovely little coffee shop up the street. I would definitely suggest it to anybody looking for something warm for their belly or a yummy sandwich. Hot chocolate was DE-licious. Big plus all the profit goes to charity.

Translations

So just a few phrases and words that mean one thing in the US and something else entirely here in Befast. I'd love to hear some of your guesses...:)

Fanny
Suspenders
Braces
Wanna go for a ride?
Scored

There are sooo many more I just can't think of them at the moment I'll try and make this a regular installation.

have fun!
jen

I'm typing on a computer from the UK. It is slightly different just like many of the items here in Belfast. Everything is in English, BUT slightly different. Guiness I have to say does in fact taste better here and I'm told that in Dublin, where it is made it is even better.

So we, my house mates and I, still do not have any pots or pans. I just laughed to myself. A box of pots and pans have been promised to us but alas we have not been able to connect with the young lady who made the arrangment. Tears. Tears of sadness for sure. Ah well a little creative kitchen action will do us good. It has so far. We're still alive at least and not starving.

Went out for my friend Sarah's birthday the other night had a grand time. Had a few drinks up the street did some dancing grabbed a cab and came home.

I'm trying to think of funny antecdotes but really I'm just sort of living, you know. I notice things here and there along the way but aside from the real obvious differences and the really annoying little ones like the placement of certain keys on this key board it's not so foreign. I'm especialy seeing that as I get to know my classmates. There are of course words and phrases i don't know and experiences that I've had that they havn't and vice versa but for the most part we're all after the same thing.

In class today we worked in small groups to come up with a basic plan for adapting a childrens book of our choice and each of the four groups came up with fantastic concepts. I would have been pleasd to work on any of the shows that were propsed this afternoon. I'm surronded by some very talented and creative people. I feel really lucky to be here.

I think that's all for now.

jen

best butter?

This morning I went for a lovely run with Aoife. We went, north?, along the river (not sure which river. I shall look into it) then circled back and ran through Ormeau Park. I have to say I truely enjoy the free range park system. Unlike New York you can walk anywhere, sit anywhere, dogs can go anywhere, which I might still agree with NY on that one as some people do not seem as keen on cleaning up after their pets as others. The grassy bits here in Belfast are much softer than some of the rockier bits in New York.

After my time in the park I went off to purchase a few items at the store. I wanted to get some butter but there were so many to choose from and they all come in the little containers because they're spreadable and I didn't want to pick one and end up with margarine because I don't particularly care for margarine unless it's rolled in brown sugar. In the end I decided not to purchase any butter. I don't know why I couldn't have just picked one but it was just too much for me this afternoon. Maybe tomorrow.

Anyway so I think this must be the worst blog ever. I doubt there are any that are worse. Sort of mundane I suppose. Ah well. Enjoy just the same.

Best,

Jen

Trenton, NJ?

I was in a store today called Dunnes which I would say is a smaller version of a Super Walmart, without the guns as my roommate Daithi pointed out. Dunnes carry food, clothing, and home decor items and a t-shirt that says Trenton New Jersey on it. Of all the cities to put on a t-shirt. When people purchase that shirt I wonder if they go home and dream about the day they will actually get to see Trenton. If it had said Princeton I would have accepted it or just New Jersey I might have been excited, but it said Trenton. I was bemused to say the least.

So I am currently sitting in my room in a lovely little house on Farnham St/Rd? in Belfast. I've purchased a pink and purple duvet cover with matching pillow case and sheet. It is far girlier than anything I've owned in recent years, recent years being all that came after the age of 5.

I've had my first walk around the city and I would say that at first glance Belfast reminds me a bit of Philadelphia. There's the busy city center where most of the shops and people tend to be and then splitting off from there you have little roads with houses on them. It's fairly quiet. The stores, like many in Philadelphia, close around 6pm. Not quite the lower-east side, in fact when I tell people where I'm from they don't quite understand why I left New York. As I am feeling a little homesick today (it's only day two I'm allowed) I'm sort of wondering the same thing. However, once class starts I know I will feel differently.

I would say the best part of Belfast is when you happen to look down a little lane and bam beautiful country side rolling up from the edge of the city. It's really lovely. I can't wait to travel a bit outside of the city. I'm sure it will be beautiful.

Adventure Day

I am currently sitting on my couch in my Belfast home place. I've purchased sleeping attire for my twin bed located on the third floor of the afore mentioned home place. I have my own room. It is sunny and I've started to unpack.

haha i started this obviously a while back...

i'll post it now for fun. Adventure Day. Barely.

haha

last night on ludlow

For now anyway...
I'm pretty much packed. At this point if it's not in my bag forget it I don't need it anyway! This time tomorrow I will be somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean. My flight leaves from Newark at 9:20pm so try and think good thoughts.

I find this blog thing slightly bizarre. I'm talking to somebody, whoever happens to take the time to read this one day down the road, but I'm not talking to anybody really, which is for the most part normal for me...

Anyway, another thanks to everybody who made it out Monday. I'm the ass that left a WHOLE bag of stuff behind. No worries though I got it all back tonight, when I realized it was lost. I had an excellent time and I hope everybody else did as well. Looking forward to listening to all the music sent my way. I've sampled a few already and folks job well done. Job well done.

Running errands all day tomorrow. Then I'm off.

All the best,

Jen

Entrance Clearance

My Visa has been issued! Hooray!

not there yet

I'm still in New York. I leave Thursday night and will arrive Friday morning. If you need to see me or tell me something please do some time between now (now being 7:20pm on Monday April 13th) and Thursday afternoon.

I shall be in touch!