Belfast

Some wee things we have noticed...

Some things that are different from Ohio in Portrush, N.I.:

Different fish &chips shops on every street corner instead of Burger King.

Fish & Chips are called “cod suppers” or “fish suppers”. Also, previously mentioned suppers are HUGE, with enough food for at least three people.

Chips, or over sized french fries, are served with every kind of meal. (Chinese, Indian, Italian…all complimented by chips)

Dog poop EVERYWHERE.

Dogs roaming free. Also, no one uses a leash when walking said dogs.

Dogs are allowed into most small grocery places and shops.

Tea breaks at least 5 times a day.

A burger with lettuce and tomato is called salad burger with cheese.

The word “wee” is used in every sentence, or two to three times per sentence.

Example: Do you need a wee napkin? How about we go for a wee bit of a walk walk and see if we can spot any wee dogs? I might have a wee heart attack if I keep eating all of those wee fish suppers.

“Spicy food” in Northern Ireland means slightly less tasteless then usual.

Girls at night clubs dress like they forgot half of their clothes at the Jersey Shore and show up nearly nude.

Taxi drivers are extremely friendly and helpful.

Vegetarian friendly food is specified with a V on the nutritional facts label.

Yes, everyone drives on the left side of the road, and there are no rules about which way your car has to face/which side of the street you can park on when parallel parking.

Many a family goes to the pub for a drink or karaoke on a Saturday night, babies and all.

Boys use just as many hair products as girls.

Sweatpants/comfortable clothes are for sleeping in, not for public wear.

If some wants a wee bit of craic (pronounced CRACK) they are not soliciting drugs.

Heard outside of my flat, “We always have a wee bit of craic together, yeah she is great craic on weekends…”

Other interesting tidbits:

Last weekend, a guy at the club wanted to talk about the American civil war with us when he figured out that we were American. (The IRA draws parallels between the confederate rebels and their cause. They often use the confederate flag as a symbol.

Apparently, there are ways to differentiate(and generalize) Catholics from Protestants. Catholics pronounce the letter H hhache and Protestants pronounce it ache. Also, as a general rule girls with several scrunchies in their hair are definitely Catholic and men with uni-brows are most definitely wee Protestants.

Earlier this week we traveled to Derry/Londonderry (depending on who you are). This historic city brought new perspective on the Troubles because of the intense history of conflict and rebellion in the city.

A mural depicting the hunger and no wash strikes in the prisons during the Troubles. We met the artists at their studio later in the day.
A view of the Bogside from the walled portion/fort of Derry.
The walls of the city that were built during the plantation of loyal English and Scottish persons.
A mural of Guernica on the Bloody Sunday Museum, which is situated on the parking lot where several innocents were shot down running from Paratroopers.
Oak trees are the symbol of Derry, which comes from the Gaelic work for Oak tree.
Loyalist propaganda in a walled neighborhood.
Bloody Sunday memorial.

Nigel, our wise and fearless leader introducing us to the city of Derry.

Me and my flat mates.

I have the greatest camera in all the world!

SLAGOSAURUS!!!!!
Giant's Causeway.
Dunluce Castle.
I MADE IT! This was taken at Giant's Causeway by my good friend and flatmate, Abby. Everything is just gorgeous here, and we seem to be having great luck with weather! After a week of retreat and tourist stuff we buckled down and started class yesterday.
HECUA goes to Dunluce Castle.
Some friends.
Not a drop of rain so far! I am told our luck will not hold out for long. A sunny beach in Portrush. There were 5 or 6 black labs on the beach that made me a little homesick, but it's hard to be sad here because everything is so beautiful and the people are quite friendly.
I made some friends on the beach at Portrush. The one on the far left is "descended from the king of Ireland", and quite keen to have his picture taken. #1 Goal: find royalty...check.
SCOTLAND! Yes, it's only a few km away!
View of the ruins of Dunluce Castle from a far.

Me on the moat/bridge at Dunluce Castle.
Slagosaurus, our mascot, attacking Dunluce Castle. The famous residence of the MacDonnells is just a wee walk from Portrush.
Giant's Causeway with lots of morning sunshine.
The group at Giant's Causeway.
View from atop a hill near Knocklayd, where we has a three day retreat.
A shot of the coast in Portrush.

This is part of the lovely town of Portrush. I am staying in a flat about a block back from the beach. Apparently, Portrush is a huge vacation town in the summer, and it attracts many surfers. It's pretty dead now, but really comes to life on the weekends.

I am currently planning a day trip to Saul, Ireland. YES IT DOES EXIST YOU DOUBTERS! It's even in a guidebook, and it's a hot spot for pilgrims on St. Patricks Day.

More pictures soon!