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."
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."
posted by Nate at
6:47 AM
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