Adjusting to the lifestyle of the Irish is most likely the easiest thing I have ever done. Let's put it this way; I would not be even the slightest bit upset if I lived here the remainder of my life. Before you jump to the conclusion that I am crazy for wanting to live in one of the most rainy places in the world, hear me out as I break down how I've fell in love with this city.
1. It does NOT rain every day, maybe twice a week at the most, but it's still January! The sun is out on most days and it may be a bit wet outside, but it's not as unbearable as people make it seem. Plus it even snowed here last week, which is basically unheard of. The Irish were freaking out. If you don't believe me, check out this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbkOwoZLey0
2. The lifestyle is a lot more relaxed and less of the hustle and bustle nature of America. Here people work to live, not live to work. I'm guessing the lacking of a tense atmosphere allows for everyone to be so friendly. The Irish are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Many are more than happy to point you in the right direction if you're lost and they'll even throw in a suggestion of a good place to eat or drink. The Irish take pride in who they are as a culture as most of the businesses are local and family owned. I've made friends with the local produce owner and butcher already, as well as stumbled upon my new favorite brewery, Franciscan Well, brewed right here in Cork!
1. It does NOT rain every day, maybe twice a week at the most, but it's still January! The sun is out on most days and it may be a bit wet outside, but it's not as unbearable as people make it seem. Plus it even snowed here last week, which is basically unheard of. The Irish were freaking out. If you don't believe me, check out this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbkOwoZLey0
Even with the snow, it's still beautifully green.
My favorite is the Friar Weisse!
3. I don't know if this speaks for the entirety of Irish education, but the courses at University College Cork are a lot more relaxed than at the University of Cincinnati. Brace yourself to be ridden with jealousy as I tell you the details. Firstly, homework pretty much doesn't exist. Courses, or what the Irish call modules, consist of a final exam and a paper/project. This places a lot more emphasis on the importance of lecture material and emphasis on attending class. The professors are extremely nice and always willing to help with understanding the material.
Me right before my first class at UCC!
4. Going out to the local pub for casual drinks and live music occurs pretty much every night. Irish students usually tend to go out on the week nights and visit home on the weekends. This pretty much allows for never a dull moment. I think I've already made my point on how nice people are here, but you can sit down with anyone and engage in friendly conversation. The live music is my favorite part. The music ranges from cover bands, to indie bands, to traditional Irish bands. All are so fun to listen to, so much better than the whole DJ movement.
Local traditional Irish music every Monday at Abbey Tavern.
Cork is a phenomenal city and widely unknown to most Americans. Usually the only city that comes to mind when thinking of Ireland is Dublin, well for me it was. The city of Cork is actually the second largest in Ireland! I'm so excited to explore the entirety of Ireland and learn as much about the culture as possible.
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