Old Books, Famines, and 1, 2, 3's

Although all of my posts about traveling don't make it seem like it, I actually do go to class here! One of the classes I'm taking is called Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the East, and in it we learn about how Shakespeare and Marlowe exhibited Western perceptions of the Eastern world in their writings and we read some of the sources that influenced them. Yesterday we had class in the Special Collections of the library here at UCD, where they have books from the 15th and 16th Centuries. One of them is a collection of travel journals that Shakespeare would have read. It was so cool to see these books that are so old and to learn about all of the work that goes into preserving them.

I also have a class on Wednesday nights that meets in Dublin and is for all of the BC students who are studying at UCD. BC has a house in the middle of the city, and we meet there once a week to take a class on Irish history. So far, all we've learned about is the potato famine and the roots of the conflicts between the Irish and the English. Yesterday we learned that during the famine, there was actually enough food in Ireland to feed everyone. The problem was that the poor lived solely on potatoes that they grew themselves, so when the potatoes were hit with blight, these people had no source of food and couldn't afford to buy any. With this class, I also have the chance to do some cultural activities and go on a few trips. Tonight we're seeing a play called "Morning and Afternoon." All I know about it is that it's set in Derry, which is where I'm going this weekend on another trip with the International Student Society!

Another one of my favorite classes (well, technically not an academic class) is an Irish step dancing class that I've been taking once a week. They gym here offers it for free, and one of my friends from BC and I have been taking it together. Step dancing is harder than it looks, but is a lot of fun! So far we've learned 1, 2, 3's, which is one of the most basic steps, and a few other steps that I can't remember the names of. The program lasts five weeks, and the teacher said that by the end we'll know a few simple routines.

One of the things I was looking forward to most about coming abroad was the chance to immerse myself in another culture. With all of the great resources UCD has, and with all of BC's connections in Ireland, I feel like I'm definitely getting the chance to do this, and I can't wait to explore the country more and take advantages of all of the great opportunities I have here.