They wear seat belts on the bus?

Hello from Ireland! I'd put up pictures of my room, campus, etc. except my computer is completely freaking out (maybe it hates the rain here more than I do) and so I can't upload anything. And my camera refuses to charge, so it's completely dead and I can't photograph anything. So basically everything involved in posting pictures hates me.

But other than that I'm really liking Limerick. Two of my house-mates are fellow Americans which is great, especially since the one Irish house-mate we've met--James--we can't understand. Why is it so hard for some people to open their mouths and speak? But he seems really nice. I think we overwhelm him a little bit, but he's warming up to us now. 

My two American house-mates are Lauren from New Jersey and Katie from Michigan. They're both really nice and I've spent lots of time getting to know them (and the city of Limerick) over the past two days. Getting into town is interesting because we have to take the bus. It's not hard, I mean I've used public transportation before just not in KC or Omaha because it sucks in both places. But at least there I know the cities, and where and when to get off (or I'm with my dad in strange cities and he tells me what to do). But here, it's all you. And you have to press a button before the stop you want in order to get off if there isn't anyone wanting to get on the bus at that stop. And when you don't know the city or where you want to go at all that's kind of hard.

I bought a phone yesterday and it has Skype on it. I think that's pretty cool. So now anytime someone is on Skype I can talk/chat with them for free! So I think all my US friends should get it because I'm technically on Skype 24/7 or whenever my phone is on. I still don't exactly have all the kinks worked out with it, but it's still pretty cool. 

We had our first day of orientation today, starting at 9 am--way earlier than I got up yesterday for sure. We learned all about being study abroad students and signing up for classes, etc. and then got tours from Irish students around the campus. I'm kind of hating that Creighton is so small now, because UL definitely isn't and I'm going to have trouble learning my way around. Plus I'm nervous that I'm going to get stuck with some crazy Irish professor who mumbles the whole time. 

Tomorrow we have more orientation stuff; we get to learn about safety on campus. Don't they realize I've lived two blocks south of North Omaha the past year and a half? I think I'm good. But whatev. And then we have a session on study skills (because bad student me never picked those up...oh wait). But we have to go because they pass out the timetable for all the classes afterwards. And going is the only way to get it. Stupid. 

This weekend my plan is to take my computer into this Apple-but-not-Apple Store in the city "centre" so they can take a look at my computer and see what's up. I hope they can just fix it then! And I need to find a hairdryer and straightener. Because it's cold enough in my room as it is without having wet hair to go along with it. And maybe a camera if I can't figure anything out.

I thought I'd share a few odd things I've learned/picked up since I've been here (it's crazy how out-of-place I feel right now!):

A.) They wear seat belts on tour busses? The bus that picked us up from the airport had seat belts built in and a sign on one of the windows reminding people to buckle up. I didn't. Neither did anyone else. I didn't even see the sign until we were on campus driving around. I thought that wasn't safe to wear seat belts on big busses like that? Apparently the Irish didn't get the memo. Or we're just cheap in America and don't want to pay the money to install them on busses...

B.) Things smell funny. At least my room does. It needs a major air freshener. I wonder if they have Glade over here. Hum...that's something I'm going to need to check out. Seriously.

C.) Car's don't stop for you. I kind of remember this fact from Germany, but I guess I was walking in so many pedestrian zones that it didn't really matter on the large scale of things. And they drive fast too. Like, seriously. Maybe not on the highways/major roads and stuff, but around roundabouts and in parking lots/campus streets they just zoom on by you. And when you're walking across the street and haven't figured out which way to look when crossing (because they drive on the WRONG side of the road and it totally disorients you) it's kind of a bad thing. 

D.) I hate being eco-friendly. The whole recycling thing I'm fine with. And public transportation. As much as I miss my car I wouldn't want to drive here anyways. But not having hot water whenever you want and keeping the heat turned down. No way. I get too cold too easily to live with this. Plus, it rains like all the freaking time so you're always wet. All I ever want to do is walk into a really hot room and dry off/warm up. But no. That's not possible because we have to save energy to save the planet. I can't wait to get back to nasty KC summers just so I'm not cold anymore. And eternally wet.

That's really all I have. Hopefully I'll get my Mr. Mac fixed here sometime soon (I hope they don't have to ship it out somewhere to get it fixed...my poor baby!) so that I can update this/check my email and Facebook more often. And hopefully I'll figure out what to do with my camera. I really don't want to have to buy one or something. That seems like such a waste!

Writing soon (hopefully),

Kim