hiway99er: January 2008

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Journal - Welcome to Belfast!

Howdy folks!

I've been five days in Belfast, and so far it has been great craic! The Irish weather has already shown how varied she can be: everything from spit to sun. I've ingested a selection of expected and unexpected meals: fish and chips, sausage and mash, kebab on naan, and sushi. And through the international orientation on Thursday and Friday, I have met people from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, and the United States.

As you would expect, several posts could be easily filled with descriptions of what I have done and seen and my reactions to those, if only I were more loquacious and wanted to spend more time blogging. But in the interest of meeting new fellows in Northern Ireland, and to prevent you from using it as an excuse to stay online rather than working on more important and productive tasks, I shall keep this journal entry short and simply summarize major events and observations of the past few days.

Yes, the landscape is as green as it looks in pictures, and it does frequently rain, although not worrisomely. As part of the orientation, I went on two whirlwind tours of Belfast, passing places such as the tall H&W cranes, the Belfast Wheel next to City Hall, Stormont (the seat of government), and the "Peace" Wall in West Belfast. I have also visited the Belfast Zoo, learned some Irish dances, ran along the River Lagan, and yes, been to a few pubs (not too many, so no worries Mom and Dad).

Queen's and Belfast city have been quite enjoyable so far, and I can't wait to explore some more. If you want to contact me, send me an email or find me on Skype (hiway99er); I'd love to hear what and how you are doing. Look for more posts and pictures in the near future!