The Late Shift

What a night/morning! So I was scheduled for a 6 hour shift (6-midnight) but my supervisor, Vivian, asked me if I'd work until closing, which I did. Well, the restaurant closes to customers at 3.a.m, so I left the place around 4. Crazy. Even on a Sunday night, the Irish know how to drink! (mainly because there was a big rugby match yesterday (Ireland v. England..Ireland won.)) Drunk people are hilarious, but they can also be extremely obnoxious (yeah, some of you are going "duh".) I have a new respect for foreign employees, they sure do get alot of shit. If I hear one more fake Texas accent ordering fries, my head will probably explode. I had an overall good time though, but was exhausted by the end. The Chinese contigent (the KP, a cook, and my supervisor) gave me a ride back to Corrib Village, which was nice, and they also told me that if we work past midnight we get a free taxi ride home, which is also a bonus.

Things are moving nicely now. I woke up this morning and called in for my other job, so I'm doing the promotions gig on Friday night at the Living Room (Courtney knows all about that place) and I'm still planning on the Dublin trip. I think I'll be leaving Wednesday night and spend all day Thursday seeing the sights (I have a special "U2" themed intinerary I'm going to check out) and then get back on Friday in time for that promo. I'm also helping out an Irish friend of mine run for student government, so I'm going to be wearing a "vote for Shane Cosgrove" t-shirt for the next couple of days, but hey, free t-shirt.

Hope all is well back at home, and keep those comments coming, they're fun to read.

Cheers,

-Nate
"I would sacrifice anything, come what might, for the sake of holding you near. In spite of warning voice, that comes in the night and it speaks and it shouts in my ear"-Frank Sinatra

T.V. and O.C.

(New pictures posted today..mainly from Christmas 2004: http://photos.whitties.com/gallery/NatesAlbum )

So I was sitting down watching t.v. this morning after my traditional tuna melt brunch, and a show came on that normally I'd make fun of and hate, but recently I've had a change of heart. Now, at school for the past three years I have watched less t.v. than I did when I was at home or during the summer, but this semester has been an exception largely because we have a t.v. with cable in our lounge (and all of the time I'd spend on the computer has been thus changed with t.v. time, since my computer is sitting all alone back home.)

Right, anyway, the show is the O.C., a show that by principle I should despise. It's basic plot centers around four teenagers (all played by actors/actresses in their 20s) who live in the lap of luxury more or less. The parents are wealthy, they kids drive nice cars, etc. None of them really have to work or anything like that, and then the drama revolves around the various problems they face as symbols of what all American teens want to be: attractive and rich. This is a show I had made a point of for the past year to make fun of, roll my eyes at, and make a moral statement about how it encourages classism and sexism in American media and youth....

But..I've been sucked in. The plot is just too ridiculous not to enjoy. In between the love affairs between the various characters and the lawsuits (the dad's a lawyer) and the fun acting, I can't not like it. I guess it goes to show you that even when I try to be pig-headed, I come around eventually. I think I might have to invest in the first season dvd. What's also hilarious is how much the Irish (and Brits) love the show as well. I guess it's an international phenomena. On one segment, one of the hosts of a t.v. show tried to use "Seth Cohen" (one of the characters who's geeky (and probably the main reason I like the show...when the nerd gets the hot girl everyone wins)) pickup lines. I mean, who comes up with this stuff?

More work today from 6-midnight, and the "lads" get back from Belfast tonight as well, so it'll be good to see them. Hopefully they clean the lounge. I have two papers due relatively soon and then another one in Mid-March...so time to get rockin' and rolling there. I might take a trip to Dublin on Thursday..so I'll keep you all posted there.

Cheers,
-Nate
"Beneath the noise, below the din. I hear your voice it's whispering. In science and in medicine, I was a stranger you took me in."-U2

Limerick and Back

Well the choir competition turned out to be good "craic" as they say here (pronounced "crack"..it's Irish-Gaelic for fun..not the drug induced variety.) Left around 4 for Limerick yesterday and hung out on the bus with all of the people in the choir. Lots of people from different places in the choir (Finland, France, Germany) so that was fun to meet everyone. We got into Limerick and sang in the St. Augstine Church downtown. Went through a service in the beginning which was very fun and interesting (only took a half hour, the Irish rush through their services.) The singing part was pretty funny. Peter, our director, put us in the "Youth Choir" category, so we were singing against children who's max age was 16. We won, and I feel bad because we probably made some little soprano-singing boys cry. Afterwards was the obligatory "Go out and have a good time" party, which we all did with gusto. We also stayed in the same hotel in Limerick that I stayed in at the beginning of the year for orientation...it was good to be back and to see Limerick again.

So I woke up, barely, around 8 and had a nice breakfast (compliments of the choir) and hopped on the bus for Galway. Met a dude from Spain visiting for the day, and once in Galway I bought a white, button-up shirt at this store called Penny's (basically a low-price store, like a Ross). Went to work and had a blast. Love the music. I actually am enjoying this job alot. The customers have started to call me "Eddie," and I earned tips, which is pretty rare for the Irish (they hardly ever tip here.) I had a nice surprise when I found out that the white shirt I bought was actually pink....oh well. It'll give my manager incentive to get me a real corporate shirt. I'm starting to get along with the employees really well too. Had a really funny exchange with a German waitresse who I thought was French, so I kept saying things in French to her (I only know a few words, but I really like to try it out anyway), finally she told me she was German, so now I'm compelled to learn a few words in German. The cooks don't like me too much, but I think they'll warm up once I figure out how to take orders correctly (the "code" system).

So now I'm on my way back to the apartment, which will probably be thrashed due to Rag week and Colm and his friends. The lounge will be clean one day and the next just disgusting. I've seen bad, but our lounge is so terrible, it puts certain fraternaties at Whitman to shame..(ok, so it doesn't smell like a beer and urine mixture, so I guess we're not that bad.) But yeah, I miss a clean kitchen, and hate to take the effort to clean it because it gets trashed the next day (or hour...and yes, I'm trying to justify inherent laziness ;).

Work tomorrow from 6-midnight. Should be good times. That's all for now. Hope everything is well wherever you are and whatever you're doing. Feel free to post those comments.

Cheers,

-Nate
"Goodbye. You can keep this suit of lights. I'll be up with the sun. I'm not coming down."-U2

First Day of Work

Well today was my first day of work at Eddie Rockets. I got there at "half 10" (which means 10:30 in Ireland, not 1/2 to, which can be confusing sometimes.) Right, anyway, I got there and noticed that we only had one door, with the part where the other door was supposed to be wide open in about 45 degree weather. They also didn't have a shirt big enough for me, which meant I got to wear my white undershirt, and the hat was too small...in short I think I looked like a true 50's diner owner (you know, the slightly over-weight ones that are always moving around and provide good service...minus the gray hair and wet arm-pits.) Work is pretty standard diner stuff...burgers, fries, and shakes. The restaurant is tiny (compared to, say, Perkins) and most of the sinks and stuff are very low and tough for me to get to, but otherwise it's all good...I don't think I'll have any problems with this job. The best part is the free food...as an employee you don't have to pay for your meals, you get anything from the grill for free, and these guys do awesome burgers...they're not frozen. So, I ordered a double "atomic" bacon burger and some chili-cheese fries (which are in the fridge right now for later consumption.) So much for my steady diet of tuna sandwiches and cereal.

The other cool thing about it is that there are people from probably 4 different countries working here...we have a Pakistani "KP"(dishwasher), Chinese and Polish cooks, and a Czech waiter..then there's me. The manager, John, is from Birmingham, England, and I can already tell he'll be a blast to work for..so yeah, good news there.

The much hyped karaoke night turned out to be a bust, which is no big deal. None of my friends wanted to head to the bar and it's always awkward singing by yourself to people you don't know, no matter how drunk they are. C'est la vie. Speaking of singing, I'm going to Limerick tomorrow for a choir festival with the NUIG choir. We leave tomorrow and spend the night there, then I have to hop on the bus around 9:30 in order to be back downtown and at work by 1(should get to Galway around noon, so that'll give me plenty of time.) Limerick was a blast the last time I was there, so I'm looking forward to returning. Might have to check out the old sally-port (a pub I was at the last time) and see how they're doing.

The rest of the flat is pretty much deserted except for Colm (Irish flat-mate). The rest of the lads are in Belfast now and probably having a great time. I'll have to plan a trip up there at some stage...nowI'm basing trips off of the work schedule..won't try and push my luck with scheduling until after a few weeks to prove I'm reliable.

Anyway, that's all for now. I've added a few more pictures to my picture website (see the last post for the link). Hope all is well...and a happy 21st birthday to Jilian. You're the best!

Cheers,

Nate
"I'm not a dog, I'm a mog. Half man, half dog. I'm my own best friend."-John Candy, Spaceballs

Dr. Appointment and Beer

So it's now Tuesday, and what a lovely day it's turned out to be thus far. I ended up going out last night with Will, Dan, Mike, and our Irish roommates. We went to the local statoil, ate, drank, and then waited around for some other friends to meet up with us so we could go out to the clubs (which are open free to most students) to see what the big deal about Ragweek really is. Unfortunately, we left too late and ended up not wanting to wait in line (most of the clubs were full by the time we made the 20 minute trek downtown.) We ended up at one of our staple pubs: Garveys (A great place because they stayed open very late for the Superbowl, which turned out to be a disappointment anyway.) I also discovered that Black Currant juice and Jameson Whiskey are a match made in heaven, but the pub closed soon once we got there so we left back for Corrib Village afterwards. Oh well, good excercise.

Got a call from Jilian around 2 a.m. this morning (or was it 4?..might've been 4). It was great to hear from her as always, but afterwards I had a terrible cough (it's been an off and on thing for the past month now) so I finally decided to take action a see the campus health center. I have a doctor's appointment now set for 3:30, so I'm hoping they give me some strong stuff.

Tonight is the karaoke competition at the college bar, so I'm hoping my voice will be up to snuff (the prizes are pretty cool..playstation 2, electronics, loyal fans.) I'll let you know how that goes.

Uncle Kenny posted down on the first one about how my writings thus far haven't mentioned beer, so I thought I'd elaborate on the abundance and quality of everyone's favorite beverage and why I haven't been deported for lack of beer experience. First off, the Guinesse here is amazing. I don't know if I will be able to drink the stuff we have back home that we call "Guinesse" because it bears only a slight resamblance to the nectar it is back here. It's dark, it's smooth, and it's mighty tasty. Other beers on tap at most pubs include Carlsburg, a lager from the Netherlands I think, Smithwicks, a cheaper type of Guinesse that's not as good (I haven't tried it, but the local nickname for it is "shit-mix.") Those are the primary beers on tap. They also have Miller and Bud, but they are grossly over-priced here and taste bad, from what I've heard (I refuse to drink American beer while abroad, especially when it's more expensive than the beer of the gods: Guinesse.)

Now, pub beers tend to run pretty expensive, so most college students retreat to the grocery store or local gas-station to buy the cheaper stuff in aluminum cans. The cheapest canned beverage I have found is 88cents a can, and there aren't many "6-pack" deals, (though one station has 6 Bavaria for €6.50 right now, which is quite a steal). All canned beer comes in "Tallboys" and will fill a pint glass. Bavaria tends to be our brand of choice, and it's a lager. The "cheap" beer here is awesome compared to the cheap beer back home...PBR doesn't hold a candle to the stuff here. Wine is also very inexpensive here, with the cheapest bottles running you around €4. Then again, if you have too much you suffer the "wrath of grapes." There is also an amazing tonic wine here called Buckfast, which, in addition to being a wine is extremely sweet and has caffeine in it. It's a little too rich for me, but with some sprite it doesn't taste too bad. The effects can be devastating.

Beer and pubs are of course a crucial factor of Irish culture. Pubs tend to be open from 10a.m. to 11:30 p.m., and during that time there will always be someone in there nursing a beer. Pubs also serve as the centers of get-togethers and gatherings, so rather than meeting up in, say, the memorial hall for a club meeting, most clubs or town organizations meet in the pubs. Every Irishman and woman has their favorite choice of pubs, and there is a pub for every type of person. The traditional pubs are always fun and crowded with older folk. They also have spontaneous "Trad" sessions (trad for traditional Irish music). These are always fun, with someone on the fiddle, accordion, or an instrument that I haven't identified yet. It's like a bagpipes, but you don't blow on it. When you go into a pub, you feel unequipped if you don't have a beer in your hand, and with them being the place you simply go to most evenings, you see how beer becomes the mainstay of living here.

Now mom, before you sign me up for Irish AA, I'm just fine and will not return home with a slight slur and broken teeth.

Cheers all, hope all is well. Feel free to leave comments because I do read them and it's exciting to get feedback.

-Nate
"It's no secret that a conscience can sometimes be a pest.It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success.Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief;All kill their inspiration and sing about the grief."

The Week Approaching

FYI: I can't post pictures on this blog , unfortunately, but you can check out my ongoing array of photos at: http://photos.whitties.com/gallery/NatesAlbum

Ahh, I do love Sundays. The anticipation of the coming week, the serene laziness and slow pace, it's a great day. It's also more pronounced in Ireland. Most businesses are closed on Sundays, and things that are open tend to be on much more restricted hours. It also means that I have to walk a ways to get to a school computer lab, but the trek isn't that bad.

Also went for a jog this morning down the path past Corrib Village and to the soccer complex where I ran around a few of the fields and lost count of the dogs. People domesticate their dogs really well here, and I've probably only seen one leash, most of the dogs go unleashed and are very obedient.

Currently in the middle of finding more sources for my paper on the Boer War. It shouldn't be too difficult, and the material is interesting (how the war ushered in a change of British Imperial policy and outlook.) Should get the first draft of this sucker done before dinner, but if not no biggie. I'm looking forward to my grilled cheese dinner.

Oh, and today is 1 year and 5 months with Jilian, quite a long time, so that makes it a nice day as well. Talked with her on the phone last night, it's always good to hear her voice, but now both our phone cards are drained, so it'll time for another phone-card recharge appeal (if you're reading this Aunt Annie ;).

Rag week starts tomorrow, lots of good events at the college bar which are all free, so that's nice. On Tuesday is a karaoke competition (with prizes) , so I'll be there in full force and I'll be sure to let you all know how that goes.


-Nate
"The more you see the less you know, the less you find out as you go. I knew much more then, than I do now."

Lazy Saturday

Whoah,

So I had a great time last night with Courtney, her friend Jean, and Erin (another girl from Whitman who is also here in Galway.) We basically met up and ate at a potato restaurant called "couch potatoes." It was really good, I had a chicken one. Then we went shopping for festive products, and I had my 2nd taste of Irish cider, which I still despise, but after a few drinks it wasn't too bad.

Anyway, we ended up walking alot, back to Corrib Village (a 20 minute walk) and then to Gort Na Corribe (the other res hall) which is like a 15 minute walk, then back downtown (10 minute walk) to the club, Cuba. Everyone wanted to go to the club, I'm always iffy about clubs, but we went anyway and it was a good time, despite my lack of dancing skills ;). The girls had fun though, and when you're hosting people and showing them a good time, that's really what it's all about.

Got back home around 2 a.m..woke up to say goodbye to Courtney and Jean (they had to hop on the bus back to Dublin city) and today has been extremely lazy...

That's all for now.

Employment, Mid-terms, Rag-week

This week has shaped up to be very interesting thus far. I found out on Monday that I for-sure got a job working at Eddie Rockets (this "American" style burger place downtown in Galway). It will be alot of fun, and I was pumped because I could still go on a scheduled Belfast trip for next weekend. Unfortunately, I found out that the trip left for the one day I was supposed to start, so I had to cancel out on the trip in order to assure I had a job. No big deal, because I've invented a new maxim: In order to spend money, one must first have money ;). I start next Thursday, the 24th, which is of course Jilian's 21st birthday!

Also, Courtney and her friend Jean have arrived to Galway and are staying at my place. They're currently on a tour of the Burren and cliffs of Mohrer, so they'll have a great time since it's a pretty nice day. We'll all go out tonight so I can show them the Galway night life (hit the pubs, and possibly the late-night clubs, followed by a for-sure stop at Marios, the best late-night takeout place for greasy guilty-pleasures in Galway. Mmm...chili-cheese chips (chips, for those of you not in the know, are what Irish and Brits call fries)).

I'm also in the middle of writing history papers, but academics as a whole are still very tough to take seriously here. I'm rockin' and rolling though, writing a paper now on the Boer War in South Africa (Britain's Vietnam, only in the early 20th century. Amazing how big empires never learn their lesson.)

Next week is the famous "Rag-Week" at NUIG. It's basically an excuse for all the students to skip class, get hammered, and keep getting hammered. It used to be the week after exams at the college, but while the exam dates have changed, the tradition has not. I think I'll probably be taking it relatively easy compared to my peers, but we'll see what happens.

Well, that's all for now. This blogging thing is kinda fun. Maybe I'll be able to keep it going ;).

-Nate
"Dream out Loud and at High Volume"-Bono

My First Post (Old E-mails Unearthed)

Greetings all,

Well, in the vain of so many of my friends, I decided to start an online blog while abroad here in Ireland, and who knows, maybe I'll have it beyond this time as well. Right-o, I guess I'll start with a summary of my experiences abroad thus far by reposting some e-mails I sent out earlier...and then things will get more "up-to-date" as they happen ;).

Hey there all. I'm sending this from G-mail because it's faster andnicer. You can still feel free to e-mail me at fitzpant, I'll just usethis account to send pictures.Took a trip to the Burren, which is just across Galway Bay to thesouth. It was a bus tour, so we stopped at all the good spots, and anamazingly sunny day. The Burren is the 2nd largest Limestone formationin Europe (forgot where the largest one is.) Anyway, this firstpicture is from outside the Caves of Alweh on a mountainside lookingnorth across the bay to Galway (which you can just make out in thedistance.)The second picture is from the Cliffs of Mohrer, also limestone, andthe fort you see on the hillside was made by the British to defendagainst France during the Napoleonic Wars, apparently the Frenchmanaged to take that fort over, crazy French.Picture three was on the return leg of our voyage and those threehumps you see in the distance are the Aran Islands. While looking likeone lump mass, they're actually three separate islands. The one on theleft is the closest and the smallest, Inis Oirr (pronouncedInisheer...in Irish Gaelic it means "small island"), Inis Meain(Inishmann...medium) and Inis Mor (inishmore, "big island.") Theseislands are very traditional and the people there speak Irish Gaelic,not English. I should be taking a side-trip there soon.There you go...take it easy all. Hope all is well.-nate

Hey all,Well I'm finally into the "swing of things" over here. Had a jobinterview today and got a part-time, pretty loose job for consumerpromotions work. Basically if you've ever been to Costco and seen theguy making the smoothies or something, I'm doing the same thing, onlyin pubs and generally with alcoholic beverages. Work is whenever theyneed us, so we call ahead of time and say "I can work then"..in short,the perfect student job. I'm stoked.I'm also excited because my flat-mates and I are planning a trip toLondon a week from today. We'll take the train to Dublin, then fly outof Dublin on Thursday for London..spend a couple of days there andspend Sunday in Dublin touring the Guinesse Brewery and, in my case,stalking U2. You can rest assured that pictures and stories willfollow this epic trek.Now...onto the pictures:Picture number 1 is a rather dimly lit picture of the mainadministrative building on campus, the Aula Maxima. Basically it'slike Memorial at Whitman, only bigger and all European looking. It'sdefinately the prettiest building on campus though, so I thought I'dinclude it.Next up is another picture of the Cliffs of Mohrer in the Burren ofIreland..and for those of you who have seen the PrincessBride..yep..the Cliffs of Sorrow. This picture shows them a littlebetter.The third picture is my host family and my flat-mate Dan. Now you maybe asking "Hey, where's Nate?" I took the picture, and the one Dantook of me turned out blurry, so sadness there. The homestay was veryrelaxing: I spent a weekend in Castlebar eating good stew, drinkingtea, and sleeping. Can't ask for a better weekend. They're names arePaidrag (pronounced "porrick"...don't ask me ;) and Mary Lyons. Verynice people.And picture number four is the building I live in...Corrib Village.Our flat is the second story on the right of the building facing thepicture (not the other building off to the right.) The three guysstanding in front are Dan, Will, and the tall guy is our friend Mike.All of us are going on the London trip together.There you go. More pictures to come, I promise.Hope all is well. Feel free to send your monetary donations to 172.3Corrib Village, Galway, Ireland, or just write a check to my mom.Kidding :)-Nate

Hey all,Sorry I haven't written to all of you in so long. The time in Galwayhas gone by very quickly and classes are rocking and rolling. It'sbeen great fun thus far, with many nights out and me experimentingwith "budget" drinking, ie, ordering water in pubs ;). It works prettywell.The biggest event between the past e-mail and this one has been mytrip to London this past weekend. It was awesome, I went with myfriends Will and Dan (flat-mates) and Mike and Casey, who are alsogood friends and cool guys (these were the same guys that went on theBurren trip with me as well.)We left on Wednesday and got into Dublin that night, staying with oneof Will's friends and sleeping on the floor of their lounge. We thenflew out of Dublin the next day, and got into London around 6 thatnight. From there we really weren't sure where we were staying, butonce again Will came through and called a friend of his who had a flatin South Kensington, right near downtown. We stayed there, once againon the floor of a lounge, this time with 11 girls! (they lived in theapartment, not the lounge ;).After two nights in London and cramming as much as we could into thosenights, we flew back to Dublin tired and drained physically andfinancially, and thus another night in Dublin was not in the cards. Wetook the last bus back from Dublin to Galway and slept like champs.So..on to the pictures:-The first one is "the needle" in Dublin on O'Connor Street. That'snot really it's name, and I'm not sure of the official one, but itstands in the place of an old British made spire of much lesserheigth.-Number 2 is me in front of the Tower of London. Funny story here: wepurchased tickets for the "Big Bus" tour company, which meant we couldhop on and off whenever we wanted on a guided audio tour bus. We gotoff at the Tower, and there was a guy there trying to sell tickets tothe Tower. We asked him what the prices were, and he's like "so five
why the f*** did you ask me then?".....Mike (who\'s also an ice-creamman during the summer) replied "Because it\'s your job."...he lookedabout ready to fight us..it was pretty funny. Guess you had to bethere. Moving on...-Numero tres is me, on a boat, in front of Big Ben and the ParliamentBuilding. Here\'s a factoid I picked up: Big Ben isn\'t the name of theclocktower, but rather the bell inside of the tower (rumored to becracked.) The boat tour was also part of our tour bus ticket, so itended up being a good value tour. Way to go us.-And lastly, me in front of Buckingham Palace. The last day of ourLondon trip was spent there. They no longer have guards outside thegate, apparently they got abused too much.Yep, three out of the four pictures feature me, but hey, you don\'tmind do you? For those of you at home and at Whitman: don\'t worry,I\'ll probably force you through a power point presentation of my tripwith full naration once I get home *evil laugh.*Hope all is well, and, as always, feel free to forward this e-mail tothose you deem appropriate.Cheers,",1]
);
D(["mb","-Nathan",0]
);
//-->
tickets then right?" We said "no" and he got mad and asked us "wellwhy the f*** did you ask me then?".....Mike (who's also an ice-creamman during the summer) replied "Because it's your job."...he lookedabout ready to fight us..it was pretty funny. Guess you had to bethere. Moving on...-Numero tres is me, on a boat, in front of Big Ben and the ParliamentBuilding. Here's a factoid I picked up: Big Ben isn't the name of theclocktower, but rather the bell inside of the tower (rumored to becracked.) The boat tour was also part of our tour bus ticket, so itended up being a good value tour. Way to go us.-And lastly, me in front of Buckingham Palace. The last day of ourLondon trip was spent there. They no longer have guards outside thegate, apparently they got abused too much.Yep, three out of the four pictures feature me, but hey, you don'tmind do you? For those of you at home and at Whitman: don't worry,I'll probably force you through a power point presentation of my tripwith full naration once I get home *evil laugh.*Hope all is well, and, as always, feel free to forward this e-mail tothose you deem appropriate.Cheers,-Nathan

Hey all,It's been awhile since my last e-mail. Hope all is well and thatSpring is starting to bring some warmth. Over here it's beenrelatively nice, the weather fluctuates from relatively sunny torainy, and alot of times by rain I mean this misty-type substance thatreminds one of going into a shower.Anyhow, I'm officially employed for a local restaurant: Eddie Rockets(the European version of Johnny Rockets.) I wait tables, makemilkshakes, and wear a cool uniform while listening to 50s music.Shouldn't be a bad gig, and the income supplement will be very nice.On the other hand, it'll cut down on travel time, but it's a realisticsacrifice. As my new saying goes: You have to have money in order tospend money.I'm not sure if I've mentioned yet or not, but I've also joined anacapella group on campus here in Galway. We sing barbershop music andthere are 10 of us, so it's like being in the T-tones, only with musicthat I don't like as much. It's still a blast, and we got to sing atthe "Arts Ball," basically a prom for students majoring in an "Arts"subject (such as History, English, etc.) We got in for free, sang ourpieces, and had a great dinner and wine. I'm including one picturefrom that event in this e-mail for you. Otherwise I've been takingthings relatively easy now that paper deadlines are looming for myclasses. Galway's a great town with lots of fun bands playing, solately I've been going to different pubs to see different bands play.I've also been hanging out with my flat-mates and their guests (all ofus have friends and/or family coming during the course of our studieshere, so it's always nice to meet new people and take them on thetour.)Oh, and to all of you Whitman students, I've started posting pictureson whitties.com, so feel free to check out my ever-expanding album on
That\'s all for now. Enjoy the pictures.Cheers,-NatePicture 1: Here are my friend Thomas and I at the Arts Ball. Ouroutfit was a black shirt, black slacks, and black shoes with whiteties. This was after our gig and good times were to be had by all.Picture 2: This is a picture of Galway looking towards the citycenter. Lots of swans hang out around here and I\'m not sure why. Itwas a beautiful day, and if you look closely, you can see Galway\'sfamous "Spanish Arch," the squarish brick structure with a gate. Thiswas part of the old medieval town wall and was where Galway tradedwith Spanish merchants.Picture 3: This is from Salthill, a town about a 30 minute walk fromwhere I live. It\'s right on the water, and absolutely magnificentduring sunset. The land in the background is the Burren, where I spentsome time taking a tour about a month ago. Great area.",0]
);
//-->
there.That's all for now. Enjoy the pictures.Cheers,-NatePicture 1: Here are my friend Thomas and I at the Arts Ball. Ouroutfit was a black shirt, black slacks, and black shoes with whiteties. This was after our gig and good times were to be had by all.Picture 2: This is a picture of Galway looking towards the citycenter. Lots of swans hang out around here and I'm not sure why. Itwas a beautiful day, and if you look closely, you can see Galway'sfamous "Spanish Arch," the squarish brick structure with a gate. Thiswas part of the old medieval town wall and was where Galway tradedwith Spanish merchants.Picture 3: This is from Salthill, a town about a 30 minute walk fromwhere I live. It's right on the water, and absolutely magnificentduring sunset. The land in the background is the Burren, where I spentsome time taking a tour about a month ago. Great area.