A semester in Ireland

December 28, 2008|World class

Before Dayna Gill arrived in Dublin, she imagined it would be rolling green hills, friendly Irish folk, and lots of time spent in traditional pubs. The hills turned out to be rolling and green, but the rest was a learning experience. Dublin is a cosmopolitan city, full of people from all over the globe, so most of the Irishmen she met were from outside the capital. And the "traditional" pubs tended to be "tourist attractions, full of Italian, French, and English" travelers. While the Dublin she found didn't match her expectations, Gill, a Boston University senior, oddly enough got what she wanted: "To learn something new, experience another culture, make new friends, and have a good time exploring Europe."

FOODSTUFFS: "They have basically everything. Dublin is an international city; you can find anything you want, from Italian to sandwich shops to creperies to Thai to French to Mexican. All the stuff is as good as at home." She tasted a traditional dish called boxty, "a big potato crepe [with] some sort of meat, beef or lamb, and a side of potatoes, mashed or fried."

SOCIAL GRACES? NOT: "No one is rude here, but they just don't have that sense of formality that we have in America. So no one says 'Excuse me' when passing. Swearing is so abundant. And no one says 'Bless you' after someone sneezes."

EVERY NIGHT IS . . . : "All the girls here are dressed for prom before they go out [to pubs and clubs], even on a random weeknight. I just can't give that much effort." And yes, she actually means prom dresses, "but usually a mini version of them. They are satin, sequined, and full of taffeta. It's quite a show."

MOOD MUSIC: Solas in Dublin is "great because it's not a dance club, but they have a DJ that just plays hip trendy music for atmosphere. When we do go to a dance club, it's fun, but you don't get to talk or meet anyone else - you just dance."

BORDER CROSSING: "We took a program trip to Northern Ireland for a weekend, and it was the most surreal and shocking country. We stayed one night in Belfast and one night in Derry, and we had just learned all about the 'Troubles' in the North. It was overwhelming seeing history right before our eyes."

GLENN YODER