This week I’ll be discussing what it’s like to cook for yourself during a GO Long and what food means in a cultural sense to the Irish people.
For most SU students, going abroad is most likely the first time that you will have to cook all meals for yourself. At Susquehanna most students have the luxury of a meal plan, so cooking isn’t something that is necessary when living on your own at school. At NUIG there are no meal plans offered, so even though I live on campus I still cook all my own meals. At first this seemed a little intimidating, only because I’m not the greatest cook, but now that I have the hang of things I actually prefer not having a meal plan. Not having a meal plan saves you a tremendous amount of money. I only spend around 20-25 euros on groceries per week. There are four main grocery stores in the Galway area, Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, and Dunnes. Dunnes is the most expensive, Tesco has average prices, but Aldi and Lidl are definitely the cheapest when it comes to groceries. I recommend making a list of what food items you need before going to the grocery store. This will prevent you from buying unnecessary things and wasting money. It is a good idea to buy enough food to last you a few days. I usually cook twice a week and eat leftovers on the days I don’t cook. This saves me a lot of time and I waste less food. Another recommendation I will make is learning how to cook a few dishes before leaving for your GO Long. If you have no cooking experience it is a good idea to learn the basics while you’re at home and can ask for help so you’re not the person who is stuck eating cereal every day. Cooking for yourself may seem intimidating at first, but in reality it only requires a little bit of planning and time. Do a little research and preparation before leaving home and it will be a breeze once you reach your host country. I also want to talk about how food plays a role in Irish culture. Food is a large part of social life in Ireland, as it is in America. There is often food at social gatherings, club meetings, campus parties, etc. Food is something that brings people together and that everyone has a shared interest in. A difference between America and Ireland is that most bars (or pubs) in Ireland do not serve food, as they do in America. In fact, if a pub in Ireland does serve food it is not considered a “real” Irish pub. The pubs that only serve alcohol almost brag (i.e. hang up many signs) about being an authentic Irish pub because they do not serve food. Potatoes are also a big deal in Ireland. I thought this was a stereotype, like “Oh yeah those Irish love their potatoes. Can’t get enough of them since that Great Potato Famine hahaha…” but it is very real. Almost every meal that I have ordered at a restaurant so far has come with multiple sides of potatoes. I usually get potatoes in mashed and baked form and then they are also incorporated into the main dish somehow. I have yet to figure out why there is so much emphasis on the potato in the Irish culture, perhaps it is because of the famine, but it is something to be aware of when studying abroad here because I was certainly unprepared for it.
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It is important to keep in mind that you are most likely going to study abroad once. Living in another country for a semester is a privilege and you should always take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you during your time away.
If you have been reading my blog thus far then I’m sure you have realized that I am a person who likes to plan out their whole day, week, and even month in advance. This was easy to do at SU because there were fewer distractions (I mean who are we kidding, Selinsgrove doesn’t have all that much to offer😉). When I first arrived in Galway there was a little part of me that said “Don’t go out tonight, you have class in the morning” or “Read that article for class before you go out.” For a while I let that part of myself hold me back from really embracing the culture of Galway. Studying abroad is about continuing your education and furthering your knowledge, but it is more about getting out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself to embrace a new and foreign culture. I noticed that I was holding myself back when I turned down opportunities to see the city because I was worried about an assignment. Reading every article that is assigned to you is unrealistic and the professors are aware of this. Most professors discuss all readings in class so if you miss one or two it is no big deal; in fact, it is expected. Professors at NUIG are very accommodating and understanding when it comes to having visiting students in class. Once I came to this realization I told myself to relax and enjoy being in my host city. It is normal to cling to your old routines, but you will feel so much better once you break them and embrace a new routine. I have seen so many more things and places since I started saying yes to any opportunity that presented itself. So far I have visited Salthill, Tuam, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, Dunguaire Castle, and have taken countless trips around Galway city with friends. These are all places that I would not have seen had I not taken advantage of the opportunities that the university and Galway presented me with. In the near future I plan on visiting Dublin, Belfast, the Aran Islands and Limerick! The university offers many day trips to the surrounding counties of Galway. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for tickets for trips like these. Often times the university will get a special deal for bringing a large group on a tour and as a result you will get a highly discounted ticket. I have visited the Cliffs of Moher on a trip planned by the university and I will visit the Aran Islands soon through the university as well. Take advantage of every opportunity that your program and host city hand you because at the end of your trip you will be happy that you went out those few nights instead of worrying about course work. Below are a few pictures of places that I wouldn’t have seen if I didn’t leave my routine behind! I am one month into my semester abroad and I already regret bringing some things and not bringing some others. Packing for a semester abroad can be really intimidating and the truth is that you never really know what you will need and what you don’t until you get to your host country and get settled in. As someone who has been through that process already I hope that my experiences can help whomever is reading this pack smarter and stress less. It is important to research the weather of your host country before starting to pack. This is something that I wish I had researched more thoroughly than just checking my weather app a few days before leaving. Galway is an extremely rainy city (luckily I did know this in advance), and its temperatures remain in the 40-60 ºF range (I did NOT know this). Because I was expecting Galway’s constant rain I invested in a high quality raincoat. Anyone living in Galway needs a raincoat! It is also important to invest in waterproof shoes because rain makes puddles…big puddles, and your canvas shoes will be ruined after just a few strolls through those puddles. (See below me at the Cliffs of Moher in my waterproof shoes and raincoat 😉) Being prepared for the rain is something that I’m grateful for; however, I definitely did not need to bring my heavy winter jacket. I have only worn my winter coat twice in the whole month that I’ve been here. If I had researched the average temperature in Galway I would have known that is usually doesn’t get any colder than 40 ºF and when you’ve lived through numerous Pennsylvania winters 40 ºF feels like summertime. So, something not to bring is a big winter jacket. Opt for your lighter jacket and a good raincoat.
Another mistake I made while packing was that I did not bring enough shirts and pants that could be mixed and matched to create different outfits. Four months is a long time to be wearing the same ten or so shirts so its important to bring pieces of clothing that can go with many different looks. On the other hand, something that I am very happy that I brought with me is reusable bags. In the European Union there are no plastic bags used in any stores (I love this. I hope this is true of America soon.) and this came as a surprise to most other international students who I know. As I went out on my first shopping trip with a few friends I found myself sharing my ample supply of reusable bags with my friends who had their arms full of random items. Even if you don’t bring a lot, I would recommend sneaking at least one or two reusable bags into your suitcase if you are studying abroad in the EU because it is something that I’m sure you won’t regret. It is also important to remember that you will have to buy a lot of everyday items once you get to your host country, so don’t pack them. When packing for your semesters at SU you probably pack all of the essentials like laundry detergent, soap, dishes & Tupperware, towels, bed sheets, etc. It might feel odd not to pack any of these very important items, but they are all things that you can buy once you arrive. Packing these items will take up extra room in your suitcase and weigh you down. One last tip about packing is to make sure you bring lots of mementos and pictures from home. The first couple days, and even weeks, away from home will be tough and having little things that are comforting to you will help with feelings of homesickness. Registering for classes at NUI is very different than registering for classes at SU. Most study abroad programs will have students schedule their classes before even arriving in their host country, this is not the case for NUI. At NUI you do not schedule your classes until orientation, which occurs a few days after your arrival in Galway. At first I was kind of annoyed that I did not know what classes I would be taking because I am a person who likes to plan everything out and not knowing my class schedule in advance really threw me off. However, I now understand why NUI has its visiting students wait to register for classes until they are on campus in Galway. This is because the registration process is very intricate and requires a lot of explanation. At Susquehanna you are given a lovely newspaper that lists every class offered the next semester along with the times the class meets and how many credits the class is. At NUI students have to find all of this information on their own. Each academic department posts the course timetables on their department’s website. Each department posts these timetables in a different location on their website which makes locating the timetables very difficult. Some departments neglect providing the timetables at all and instead students have to call that academic department directly to inquire about any class times or locations. The wonderful staff at the international affairs office explains this process in depth during orientation and they are always willing to answer any question you may have about registration. Once you have found a handful of classes (classes are called modules here) that you are interested in taking and have located the timetable for each course you must officially register your course load on the NUI campus portal. This process is very similar to registering for classes at SU and there are detailed instructions provided to students during orientation. This semester I am taking five modules. This may seem like a lot because a normal course load at SU is four classes, but classes here usually only meet twice a week for about an hour. If a class meets for two hours then it usually only meets once a week. So, even though I am taking five classes I am not sitting in a classroom for nearly as many hours a week as I would taking four classes at Susquehanna. (See my schedule below) I am currently taking Irish, Landscapes, Culture, and Literature, Music, Gender, and Ireland, Celtic Mythology, Religion, and Folklore, Modern Political Thought, and Irish for Beginners. I am excited about these modules because I will learn so much about Irish culture and history. So far my favorite class is Irish for Beginners. This is an introductory course to Gaelic for visiting students only. Many residents of Galway speak Gaelic as well as English. Bilingualism is typical of Irish people from the west coast of Ireland more so than it is for those who live on the east coast (Dublin area). Because so many people speak Gaelic in Galway many road signs, building names, menus, etc. are printed in Gaelic and English. I thought learning Gaelic would be a great way to connect with the Galway culture and already I am able to identify words on signs and can say basic phrases in Gaelic. (Below is an introductory conversation in Gaelic) I am really excited to see what I can gain from my other classes and in what other ways I am able to use what I have learned in the classroom to connect with Galway in a cultural sense.
After choosing Galway, Ireland as the destination for my GO Long over a year ago it is crazy that I am actually here now, sitting in my room and writing my first blog post. Preparing for a GO Long may seem a bit intimidating but it is definitely manageable as long as you break it down into small tasks. The GO office helps you do this by providing deadlines for things such as uploading your passport information, attending safety workshops, and sharing your travel details. However, there are a few things that you must prepare on your own. For instance, you need to make sure that you have exchanged your American dollars to the currency of your host country. Don’t wait until the last minute! Unfortunately, I waited until the week before I left for Ireland to exchange my dollars for euros and I ran into a problem when the company I went to had a nationwide system error and I was unable to obtain my euros before I left. I would highly recommend exchanging your currency as soon as possible because it will be one less thing for you to worry about when you finally arrive in your host country. Another important element of studying abroad preparation is figuring out your phone plan. This is another thing that you must take care of by yourself and needs to be thought about well in advance. Personally, I purchased an international phone plan from my phone company in America. With this plan I have a certain amount of texts, calling minutes, and data that I am able to use each month. Another option is to buy a new SIM card for your phone when arriving in your host country. This is an easy task in Galway as there are many electronics stores in center city. It is also a good idea to begin packing a few days before you leave. I started to pack about four days before my flight and that was the perfect amount of time for me. Four days left me ample time to remember certain small items from around my house like chapstick and sunglasses; both items I probably would have forgotten at home had I packed the night before my flight. When I was packing I was worried that I had packed too much and that I would exceed the 50 pound weight limit for your checked luggage. Fortunately, I weighed my bag before leaving my house and was able to take certain things out of it so that I met the weight requirement. Weighing your luggage at home is much easier than weighing it at the airport. If you realize it’s too heavy at the airport then you will either have to pay extra money or root through your luggage in the airport and get rid of unnecessary items. The flight I took was direct from Philadelphia to Dublin. My flight arrived an hour early in Dublin and I found myself with way too much time to spare between then and when my bus was supposed to come. I purchased my bus ticket in advance but found this to be a mistake because I ended up changing it anyway to get on an earlier bus. I suggest researching what bus company suits you best and looking at their bus timetables online and purchasing your ticket at the airport to avoid a long wait for the arrival of your bus or not enough time to catch your bus. Once I changed the time on my bus ticket I was headed for Galway, which was only a two and a half hour drive. After the bus ride my journey to the university was still not over. Outside of the bus station I caught a taxi which took me right to the reception desk at Goldcrest Village, which is a residence hall on NUI: Galway’s campus (pictured below) and is where I will be living for the next four months. Overall, preparing for my GO Long was fun and exciting. Of course there were stressful moments like when I thought I didn’t pack enough socks or when I dropped the straw of my water bottle on the airport floor, but I am glad that I made the journey to Galway because it is a vibrant city and I am looking forward to exploring all of its corners during my time here.
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