Christine in Ireland

Today was the first Game of the German National Soccer Team, against Poland. We won 2:0. We watched the Game in am Pub with a lot of Polish guys, it was fun!

Today we had a great hike! We, a group of 14 (Brazilien, French, German, Italien, Korean, Spanish, no Irish this time) mastered the Carrantuohil, the highest mountain in Ireland (1041m) http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrantuohill.

Awesome, Grandiose, Wicked… give me words! No, just gaze at the pictures…

[Zeige als Diashow]

[Mit PicLens anzeigen]

Propably we will nearly die tomorrow, but it was definitely worth the effort!

What can a lonely (since everybody went home) just in Cork arrived student do in a catholic easter-excessively-celebrating country?

For sure, doing the first sight seeing trip! The weather was perfect, better than forecasted and quite different to Germany, as I heard. On Friday I stayed in Cork, the weather wasen’t that perfect yet but ok. I visited the City Goal, a former prison. Afterwards I was in the City Centre and actually the shops were open. Quite an unfair distinction between office worker and sales people, but good for me, the consumer

On Saturday I set off to Cobh, a costal town in Cork harbour. First I had to go to the bus station to find out, that there is no bus connection to Cobh at all and the station “Cobh Cross” I checked in the internet is not even near to Cobh. So I went on to the train station and after an additional waiting time I got my train. At that time I had already a city hike (the train station isn’t that nearby) and could relax on my short and cheap train ride towards the sunny Cobh. Here I really enjoyed my first shoreline walk and great outlook in the south of Ireland. 

On Sunday I started early to catch my bus to Kinsale, another costal town, very popular with long history and today with a well known marina.
Snatching some raindrops on my way to the bus, again I travelled towards the sun. Forecasted acceptable, the weather was even better than on Saturday. So I explored the town and visited the Desmond Castle, altered into a prison at any time (there were many prisons in Ireland some centuries and decades ago) and into a museum some years ago. Do you know the relation of Irishman to wine, French brandy and Spanish sherry? I do, now. After some history of Irish wine culture (yes wine, crazy, isn’t it) I had a hike to the Charles Fort. This is such an amazing trip when the sun is shining, such a panoramic view! And actually the Fort is a very charming place (I think the sun had its part on this impression) so I spent much more time there as I expected and relaxed in the sun, even getting some rosy cheeks.

On Monday then I stayed at home, enjoyable idle, reading my Jane Austin novel (Emma, *sigh*), perfect after the exploratory days before; also because the sun came out not earlier than in the late afternoon.

This weekend was St. Patrick’s Day Weekend. Since the St. Patrick’s Day on Monday 17th was in the holy week this year (quite a problem for Catholics ?!?) the Parade took place on Sunday. So I met some friends to watch the Parade together with a whole bunch of others, especially families. Not very impressive but enjoyable. Afterwards everybody run to the market to get some food. Bore up the queue and pretty much chilled through we switched the site, finding a nice place in a Pub with live music.

In Ireland, Pubs are family places - that appears uncommonly to Germans, accustomed to see groups eager for beer in ‘Kneipen’ and families in Restaurants, Cafes or Bistros, considering that the meaning of Restaurant in Germany differs from the meaning in Ireland. But not that extremely as I experienced in US-America, where every place offering food is called Restaurant, even McDonald’s.

Yeah! I discovered how to handle my camera so that it’s willing to take pictures again. No more considerations if I have to invest in a new one or to surrender photos.

Was mache ich hier eigentlich?

Ich schreibe meine Diplomarbeit und zwar am Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering an der University College Cork (UCC) in der Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG). Obwohl ich direkt neben der UCC wohne, ist der für mich eingerichtete Arbeitsplatz am Environmental Research Institut (ERI), etwas weiter weg, so dass auf dem Einkaufszettel ganz weit oben “Fahrrad” steht.

Department: http://www.ucc.ie/en/civileng/

SERG: http://www.ucc.ie/serg/

ERI: http://www.ucc.ie/en/ERI/ ®

Da könnt ihr gerade Beatrice (die einen Preis für ihren Abschluss überreicht bekommt) und meinen Betreuer Brian (rechts) sehen.

Yes, Tom Barry’s is really a fantastic Pub, as Beatrice said (her words were rather “the best Pub in town”). Beatrice is working in the same Research Group, doing her PhD. She invited me to join the ‘Wednesday Pints’ and so I met some other very nice students.

I was told you should prefer to drink Beamish or Murphy’s in Cork since they are locally brewed stouts, but I haven’t had the impression that there is really such a kind of rivalry between them and Guinness. I think to many Irish people in Cork don’t want to forbear Guinness

Nach einem holprigen Start und Umplanung, etwa dass ich erst eine irische SIM-Karte brauche oder mich sonst arm telefoniere (ohne dabei jemanden zu erreichen!), ging die Wohnungssuche doch ziemlich gut voran. War auch gut so, das Hostel war voll und ich hätte nach vier Übernachtungen wohl eine neue Bleibe suchen müssen. Dabei bin ich gar nicht mehr davon ausgegangen, dass ich doch recht schnell was finden werde, nachdem ich die ersten Zimmer besichtigt hatte. Adressen hatte ich mehr als genug, aber erst mal jemanden erreichen, vorbeikommen können und dann noch keinen Schock beim Anblick von Bruchbude, Drecksloch oder Abstellschrank kriegen…

Jetzt wohne ich in Brookfield http://www.brookfieldcork.ie/html/students.html in einem schnieken 2-Personen-Appartment zusammen mit Charlette, Irin im ersten Semester Politik und Geschichte, für 100€  in der Woche mit allem inklusive (Strom, Müll, Internet…) bis auf Wäsche waschen. Und wer jetzt denkt, das ist viel, der täuscht sich. Für die schlimmste Studentenunterkunft, die ich gesehen habe, hätte ich 90€ pro Woche kalt hinblättern müssen, und die war wirklich unter aller Sau!

Truly, the very first day I left Ireland. But just for a short trip to London. There took place a workshop relevant to my Diploma topic. So I had to get up at 5:00 am to catch a shuttle to the Cork Airport where I met my supervisor Brian O’Gallachoire and Caiman Cahill, a PhD student in the Sustainable Energy Research Group. I took to both directly which made me feel comfortable immediately. So the stressful (since travelling just to come from A to B nearly all day for two days) London trip turned out as a very good introduction to the two persons I will deal with regarding my Diploma Thesis. This was my day in London.

Back in Ireland I had a night-walk through Cork Centre. Then I fell into bed. This was my first day in Ireland.

Es ist vollbracht – It’s done!

After a short flight from Karlsruhe/ Baden-Baden to Dublin and a little longer bus trip afterwards I arrived on Tuesday night in Cork and dragged my (excess) luggage to the lovely lodging ‘Sheila’s Hostel’. There I enjoyed four nights long the conveniences of cleannes, free internet and kitchen at a low price at the expense of narrowness, snore, body odour und limited privacy. Since I just needed a bed, a place to store my luggage and internet – the perfect solution! So happy and satisfied I felt into sleep in Ireland for the first time for the next months…