My classes are progressing nicely, nothing I can't handle. I am such a dork that I actually look forward to when things get tough and I need to be very efficient with my time, as right now I can just take my time with it and there's no real pressure. I had my first discussion class yesterday which consisted of us 8 students and the professor. Thank goodness I had thought to email the professor asking at which text we would be looking! (I, and the other two American students in the class, had missed the first class last week.) I crammed and read the play in time, but one student didn't even have the text and the professor totally ratted him out about it. This was in the first two minutes of class, which left me a little nervous to say the least. It went really well though and everyone was able to jump right in and start talking. The professor is, however, kind of a creeper. He is British, head of the English Department, and, since it is a Sexuality and Writing course, seems to be very open about talking about people "shagging" and all the other things one wouldn't picture a professor to talk about. He didn't give us a syllabus either, so at the end of class he just said "Read this Shakespeare play for next week" and I have to now go find it and read it by next Monday.
I almost started crying yesterday, not tears of sadness but rather of cuteness. There are a lot of seeing-eye dogs here at UCC (and lots of dogs in general, I am pretty much guaranteed to see one every day-Yay!). Yesterday I was sitting on some couches in the O'Rahilly Building waiting for class while reading a book, and a middle-aged woman comes in with her seeing-eye dog. He is big, white, and fluffy, perhaps a labradoodle, and his tail is wagging. I can hear the woman talking to it, I can't make out what she is saying but I can tell that she is wanting the dog to lead her to an open spot on the couches. AND HE DOES!!! The woman kind of feels around the seat to make sure and sits down. The dog too then sits down facing her, and the woman gives it a big kiss on the head, saying things like "What a good boy! Good dog!" while the dog is just sitting there, wagging its tail, enjoying being petted. I wanted to start crying then and there, but I held back and just smiled. I wonder if the dog knows what I difference he has made in that woman's life, how much he is helping, and the simple love he has for his owner (and visa-versa). I can only image the bond the two must have, the trust that is required, the patience. Just thinking about it gets me choked-up.
The "noise problem" has not improved, and I am meeting with a woman at the International Education Office here to go over my options tomorrow. Last night a birthday party was hosted somewhere near my room, it sounded like outside but I wasn't really sure how that would work. I could tell it was a birthday party because at some point in the night they starting singing "Happy Birthday" (as best as they could, I'm not sure if they had all been drinking or if they were just bad singers, it's hard to tell sometimes with that particular song). Either way, I am VERY excited. All I hope is that something, anything, can be worked out. I am trying not to get my hopes up though, in case nothing can be arranged.
I just caved in and ate my last Tesco brand "Chocolate Brownie Cookies: American Style." I must purchase more immediately.
Tomorrow is a busy day: the meeting, my Bodhran drum class, Early Celtic Lyric Poetry, Intro to Anglo-Irish Lit, and finally seeing when my other class (Intro to Modern Irish where I learn to speak Gaelic!) is scheduled. I will, as always, post as to how it went!
-Susan
Susie,
ReplyDeleteThe dog probably realizes how happy he makes his 'master' but probably not how happy he made YOU!
I love seeing eye dogs! So much mutual joy, creatures caring for each other.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're enjoying your classes!