A lot has happened since my last blog post. Last weekend we made the usual trip to Kelly's in Portrush. I bought a new black dress for going out that night and for the rest of the semester. Also bought a new gray scarf. Looove scarfs. We all looked very lovely that night and did quite a bit of dancing.
Last Wednesday we went on a fieldtrip to Belfast. I met my internship supervisor for Public Achievement. He seems like a fun guy and he told me a bit about what I'm going to be doing. He wants me on a voter registration project and hopefully I'll also be working with a woman who's involved in human rights and women's groups. Exciting! I start tomorrow at 10am and I'm definitely nervous but also happy to have a purpose here and something to do everyday. I will get plenty of exercise everyday since my internship is about 2 miles away. Wish me luck!
The Belfast fieldtrip was also interesting in that we met up with 2 former members of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and a former member of the UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force). It was an experience talking to them. To top it off, we had lunch in a place where you can only be a member if you've been in prison for IRA activity. I realized on the way home that the more we hear about the conflict and talk to more people about it, the more questions I have. Hopefully I can get a little clarity as the semester progresses.
One of the first things I noticed about Belfast was all the barriers. There are fences, walls and hedges everywhere to separate everything. There are also tons of murals and memorials all over the city. Add in the recent flag protests and Belfast is a very interesting place to be. I hope that I will get to meet an assortment of different people while I'm here.
Last Thursday we also went to Nigel's house for lunch and we met his wife and kids. They were all great! His wife is so nice and his kids are just adorable. His wife also made delicious soup! Afterward we went to Downhill Beach. Although it was chilly that day, I really enjoyed the time we spent there. It was beautiful and I hope we can go back when it's nicer out.
I moved to Belfast on Friday with one half of my group while the other moved to Derry. We are staying at Stranmillis in student housing here. Although my room is small, it's very nice, has plenty of closet space and I have my own bathroom and shower. It's lovely. I think I will enjoy it here. My friend Melissa is studying in Belfast as well at Queen's and I was happy to be able to see her on Saturday. She gave me a tour of Queen's and I got to see the C.S. Lewis reading room in their library! It was amazing. It's nice that I'll be able to see a familiar face once in a while!
That's about all the interesting things I have to say right now. More soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment