Home again home again jiggity jig.

Here I am, over a week behind schedule... again.

Last Thursday night, we went to a show that is supposedly a Dublin Christmas tradition. It's called "Panto," short for Pantomime.  This year's theme was Aladdin. I had no idea what to expect--would they be singing music from Aladdin? Would they be MIMING the story of Aladdin? Would it have a Christmas spin?

Nothing could have prepared me for what was to follow.

It was Aladdin themed--part X factor (Irish version of American Idol), part drag show, part Barney, and part Disney-on-Ice.  It was hilarious for us Notre Dame kids to watch--they didn't sing any Aladdin songs, OR any Christmas songs for that matter. Their set list comprised of: "California Gurls," by Katy Perry, "Tik Tok," by KE$HA, "The Climb," by Miley, "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked, a Justin Beiber number, "True Colors," "Barbra Streisand," etc. etc. YOU GET THE IDEA. So ridiculous. They changed some of the words--ex: California Gurls became Peking Gurls (because it's set in Asia..) and some of the words to TikTok (like "Bottle of Gin") were replaced. I would never allow my children to go to this. I just don't understand. I don't really have a huge problem with the inappropriate jokes (A man ordering from the grocery store: "I'd like to order some sausages. Big ones. No, much bigger! A big sausage and two plumbs")  or teaching kids how to swear ("Let's learn an Asian word, kids. Ahhhs Ohhh!") because the kids probably didn't understand. I just had a problem with how stupid it all was. The stupid, sexual jokes, the drunken behavior, the song choices, the cheesiness of it all. I'm sure it was a kid's dream true...but why would parents want to bring their kids to this show that reeked of everything bad in America? Why not take them to something actually Christmassy, something quality, something that will make them dream of something else besides Miley Cyrus and Ke$ha?

That being said, we all laughed our asses off. We pitied the kids, we were surprised by the choice of all-American songs, and we were disgusted by the closing number of 12 days of Christmas: 12 beer mugs...8 shillelaugh sticks...7 leprechauns...3 rugby shirts...and a bra that was made to fit 3.

COME ON IRELAND.

The rest of my time in Dublin was spent studying and writing papers. I made some time to say goodbye to everyone though. Siomha and I headed over to UCD to have a little Christmas party with all our Notre Dame friends--best night I've had in a long time. Everyone was letting loose from hours studying for exams and everyone was in the Christmas spirit. Stragglers, myself included, stayed at the party after nearly everyone left, singing carols and playing kazoos very loudly until 3 in the morning, when the staff at UCD had to come upstairs and ask the 8 people that were still left to quiet down.

I'm a bit disappointed in myself for not going to UCD to visit the Notre Dame kids more often. I've grown to love all of them. I'm so sad that they won't be returning next semester--I'll have a whole new batch of personalities to get used to and learn to love. I'm already looking forward to seeing all those kids again in the fall of my senior year.

Tuesday night, I forced Mike, Siomha, and my favorite UCD kids to come to the Brazen Head with me and share a last pint, since I was the first student in the Notre Dame program to leave for the states. It was a bittersweet night.

Thursday AM, after getting around 3 hours of sleep, I made my way to Dublin airport, and headed to Philadelphia. I slept a bit on the plane, I think (I hope), and landed in Phili feeling wide awake and happy to be alive! I've never been happier to see Wendys, Chik-fil-A, and all things American. So happy, in fact, that I sent out a mass text "AMERICAAAAA!!!!" to nearly everyone in my phone book. I'm sure a couple people were confused....

Now, I'm home. I'm eating an orange. I'm listening to Christmas music. There's snow outside. The stockings hung by the chimney with care. It all feels so familiar. Feels like I never left. So strange! I'm about to start working on a paper that I didn't finish. Oops. Wish me luck.

Cheers,
Clare Mairead

'tis the season to be nostalgic....

Christmas is coming, christmas is coming, christmas is coming!!!!!!! 

I've had a very musical past few days. Saturday night, a few of us went to see Handel's Messiah at the Grand Canal Theatre. I decided it'd be fun to dress up, so I wore my favorite heels (the ones that I never get to wear, because they're two inch heels, and everyone I hang out with is shorter than I am). That was a bad decision. Dublin had gotten around 3-4 inches of snow wednesday, thursday, and friday. Beautiful winter wonderland, white, powdering packing snow, snowmen and snowball fights GALORE on Trinity's campus. Sounds great, right? Except that the city of Dublin doesn't own any shovels or snow plows, and so they FREAKED OUT. Shut buses, had three snow days, and worst of all, didn't know how to handle the baby-amounts of snow, so they just let it build up on the sidewalks and turn into a 3-inch layer of solid ice. On Trinity's campus, it's relatively shoveled and slushy and harmless. But out there on the streets.... it's a different story. I fell TWICE in the course of the evening. I'm shocked I didn't fall more often. The first fall I handled relatively gracefully. It was more of a "slip." I didn't completely hit the ground. But the second fall... well, it was spectacular. I involuntarily rotated about 180 degrees, one leg flying up in the air, and grabbed a fence next to me in desperation, but I definitely fell. Scratched up tights and knee, nothing more. My friend Kyle tried to ensure me that I fell gracefully, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. 

The show itself was wonderful. The soprano, especially, was mesmerizing. I wasn't so keen on the mezzo though. The best part was, obviously, was the Hallelujah chorus. Everyone stood up for it and sang along. Really powerful. Worth going just for that. I felt very fancy and happy and christmassy. 

Today, at the O'Connell house, we had a program potluck dinner and traditional Irish session. My friends Stevie, Pete, and Becky played the guitar, badhran, and tin whistle, and I sang (and danced). They played a reel, which I Irish danced too (I hope I wasn't too out of practice), a jig, and a slow air called Boolavogue, which I sang. Then the trad sesh turned into a jam sesh, and I sang "The Park" while Kyle accompanied me on the guitar, then Stevie and I sang a duet of "Baby it's Cold Outside." The guys ended the night with a rendition of santa clause is comin to town... the bruce springsteen version, that is. It was really hilarious. Steve on the guitar, Pete on the harmonica, and kyle on the piano (kyle doesn't play piano. but he rocked out on the three repeated chords that the song requires). It was a great time. Everyone in the program was laughing and singing along and having a good time...they seemed to enjoy it. Apparently "The Park" made someone cry...so that's always good! Haha, maybe that's odd, but I think it's a compliment, in some way shape or form. 

I've felt quite nostalgic these past few days, and I can't figure out what for--for Notre Dame, a bit. For Beverly Hills and home and my family, definitely. Very nostalgic for Christmases past. But at the same time I'm strangely nostalgic for Dublin! I'm a little sad I didn't take advantage of getting to know everyone in the Notre Dame program here from the outset. I was so homesick and overwhelmed by everything. But now I know everyone really well, and love spending time with them--just in time for them to leave!! I intend to use every second of next semester getting to know these knew people, soaking up Dublin even more, enjoying my time here. Because I'm never going to have an experience like this again! And I've really only been fully appreciating that, and enjoying Dublin, for the past month or so. I'm so thankful that I'm here a year!