Gel goes to Ireland

Farewell and Thank You

2010-05-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

To end our last day in Ireland as a group, we shared one experience that impacted us the most. For me it was getting off the plane, stepping onto ground I've never stood on before, smelling clean air and seeing people and places I had yet to explore. Looking into the cleanest blue water, the litter free and lush grass, and the eyes of people who share my amazement of the beautiful sights of the Cliffs of More, I realized something today... I realized up until today, I hadn't let this experience sink in completely. I hadn't accounted for all the people who went out of their way to make this trip special.

The trip cost $3,000, but included knowledgeable and singing tour guides, enticing discussion with very interesting people, gorgeous sights, delicious food, loving Irish locals, and priceless memories.
I had an absolutely incredible experience here in Ireland and I feel as though I owe many people thanks for making it all possible. Had I attempted to do this on my own, it wouldn't have turned out anywhere near as amazing.

I'm grateful for my teachers for offering the trip in the first place. Without their help I may have never made it here. I'm very lucky to have so many people who love me and understand why I am here, who offered support, no matter what form, and can't wait to have their own experiences vicariously through my stories, pictures, and gifts upon my return.

Today I fell asleep in the sun. I woke up to find that I was in fact out of money and I couldn't get in touch with anyone who wasn't one of the 24 others who came on this trip (my phone died), but I had an amazing experience, gorgeous scenery, and the warm sun that made those things matter less and less.

Thank you to everyone who made this an unforgettable experience for me.

Everyone in Ireland is My Friend

2010-05-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Today was wonderful...we had another free day, the weather was beautifully sunny and the people of Ireland's attitudes matched perfectly.

We shopped for last minute gifts- last minute... oh, that's right, we leave soon....:( - and were greeted by many friendly locals who wanted to know all about us, what we were doing here, and about America. This is just one of the million examples of how nice people here are. I found perfect gifts for everyone and am very excited to bring them home!

After lunch, we joined the editor of The Kerryman, Ireland's best regional newspaper, for discussion. I was in charge of covering it... at first our speaker seemed very nervous and unsure of what to say, but it only took a little while before he was talking comfortably and offering an extensive conversation over coffee.

After dinner at Salvadors, a cute little restaurant with delicious food, we went out for ice cream, which was my favorite part of the day. When I sat down at the table, a menu quickly dropped from the ceiling and scared me. I thought the building was falling apart and shrieked in freight. Looking up, I realized the workers, two sweet girls, were just playing a trick on me. I ordered honeycomb caramel ice cream in a teddy bear cone (super cute) and enjoyed sharing experiences with the other customers.

Now I'm back at the hotel, sitting with college students, from a university other than ours, in the "snooker room" or... "a cool place to hang out and get plastered" (I'm not making it up, look for yourself! ) and people keep walking in and talking to us. One man offered me to have a drink with him, but since we have to leave early and I'm not really into going to the bar with strange men, I passed. I'm going to shower, talk to my boyfriend, and go to bed.... we're meeting at 7am....oh so early. Goodnight.

How does a sheep sound?

2010-05-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

"Everyone on this trip will have 'their moment' at one place or another." -Jan Getz (teacher) Jan is right...everyone enjoys different things. Today was certainly not my moment. This morning we went to a sheepdog herding demonstration. While it was interesting and unlike anything I'd ever seen before, it was also freezing cold and raining, and I really hate to be cold. I knowthat sounds so whiny but, really it's because once I get cold I have a hard time warming up. I wore a tank top, a t-shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and a fleece hoodie and I was still cold. I was very happy to get back on the bus. We drove around for a while touring The Ring of Kerry and stopping and getting out to take pictures...or at least the rest of the group did. I stayed on the bus and tried to warm up.

Finally we stopped for lunch and then a nearby pub. It was weird to have a drink with classmates and teachers as this is an educational trip, but it reminded me that this trip should be fun too. One thing stood out to me the most:: a tiny sign that said "Mcgillucuddy's." Mom, I hope you see this. I think you'll appreciate it as much as I did... Mcgillucuddy is a baseball player that my pap likes and therefore calls several members of the family by this name.

We checked into The International Hotel in Kilarney and was surprised to find that although the lobby and hotel itself is gorgeous, the rooms are small and simple...they don't even have wireless Internet, which is a pain since we're required to blog everyday. We went to dinner at The Danny Man and were entertained by a live Irish folk band called The Irish Weavers. The band consisted of five people, but only two made it to the performance tonight. They played well, especially for missing more than half of their musicians, but the performance was long and loud and most of us were exhausted.

I finally got a shower, if you could call it that. The knobs at the bottom and the showerhead at the top are not connected, so it was more like half bath/ half shower. It was different to say the least, but either way I am very happy to be clean, warm, and in comfy clothes. Tomorrow Gabby and I are going to check out the little shops to purchase last minute gifts and have lunch before meeting with an editor...and I'm covering the event.

I'm exhausted and happy I can sleep in tomorrow... goodnight!

Naughties, Nineties, and The Blarney Stone

2010-05-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

This morning we visited RedFM, Ireland’s most popular radio station. Their target age group is 15-35, because they have the most disposable income. Trying to maintain a “new” and “edgy” reputation, they play songs from musicians who aren’t on the charts yet, and play them less once they are. I like that concept a lot…it’s much better than the radio stations that play what’s popular over and over simply because it’s popular. Everyone at the studio was very knowledgeable, creative, and passionate about their jobs, which in my opinion is very important. Anyone can hold down a job, but it takes a certain person with a love for his or her field to do their job well and love what he or she is doing. I appreciated the whole staff’s generosity and willingness to help us as they went out of their way to talk to us and answer any questions we had, recommend music, share their playlists, and also take us into their recording studio to show us how the music was made. Their kindness extended to the end of our visit when they provided us with directions to Blarney, our next destination, and gave us pens from the station.

Blarney was quite a sight:: an old historical castle that is many stories high, full of narrow staircases, which made today one of the many times I am thankful to be small. I thank my dad for taking me out to go rock climbing over the years and making me into less of a girly girl (although I still am pretty girly) and showing me the outdoors…because of that, I was brave enough to climb on top of the highest ledges of the castle to get beautiful pictures (even in dressy shoes) , although it frightened my teachers. I may be clumsy when it comes to walking on a flat surface, but on the top of a castle without handrails, and a long way down, I’m pretty graceful…go figure.

Of course as it is an old Irish tradition for good luck, I kissed the Blarney stone. This time my size made things difficult. Laying on the ground and bent over backwards, I grabbed the steel bars behind my head; while two strong men on either side of me held my arms…I still couldn’t quite reach the stone. But with their help I finally did get to kiss it. Gabby took my picture so I didn’t have to pay for it. Although it is a touristy thing to do, I’m glad I had the opportunity…after all, I suppose I am a tourist.

Next we went to the Woodland Mills Shopping Center where I had lunch and spent too much money on gifts that were perfect for family and friends…I hope you all love your gifts as much as I loved buying them for you. And I finally bought something for myself:: a soft, light pink, fleece hoodie that says Ireland in dark pink letters. Just like at home, I bought it in the kid’s section, so it would be cheaper…yep, I love being tiny.

Now I’m back in our beautiful apartments, writing this to you. I am going to shower, get dinner and have a few drinks with friends, take some more pictures, and pack up my suitcases once more for our next destination…we leave for Kilarney at 830 tomorrow morning.

Bye, bye Rachel...Hello Bella Vista!

2010-05-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

To Rachel, our travel coordinator, since you’re following our blogs… you made our experience absolutely wonderful here. You will be missed greatly. I appreciate your time and assistance you offered to the group, but most of all I love that you are more than a tour guide, but a part of our group. I hope all is well with your family and wish you could be here to see how beautiful our hotel is literally inside and out.

St. Kevin’s Monastery was our next stop. The landscape interested me more than the religious cemetery, though I will admit it was beautiful, and I was happy to be surrounded with so many things that said my boyfriend’s name, Kevin, on them.

I slept on the three hour bus ride to Covb and awoke to a beautiful sight: lots and lots of green! We were concerned that the further we got from the city, the worse the accommodations would be, but that was a terrible assumption. As we neared Bella Vista hotel, we saw a gorgeous castle and an equally gorgeous island and were disappointed that we were unable to capture the view with our cameras because the bus was going too fast. To our surprise, we stopped right near the castle and pulled in the driveway of the luxurious hotel that Napoleon and many other famous people stayed in. We also learned that the island was the last place the Titanic sailed from.

In case you haven’t gotten the idea of how incredible the new hotel is, it has a full restaurant and bar; the suites have two bedrooms each containing three beds, two bathrooms---which I was told has hot water, a wonderful change from our last place, wireless Internet, another much needed improvement,

We had a group dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, which was delicious. Tomorrow we’re going to the radio station, to kiss the Blarney stone for good luck, and have the evening free…. I’m excited to take some more pictures of this beautiful hotel inside and out.

I love you, Skype

2010-05-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

First off, I need to share my exciting news with all of you....I thought Skye was just for video calls and you had to have an Internet connection. I wasn't using it because it's hard enough having four people in one apartment with only one ethernet and I'm the only one with a working phone. I found out that I can pay $4.99 and have unlimited calls to the states for the next month! So I got myself a "skype to go number" and I can talk to my family, friends & most importantly my boyfriend because him and I have been racking up some ridiculous charges at $1.99 a minute. I'm so glad to be connected again without it being so expensive!!!

I'm updating again today because I didn't write anything yesterday...we got back late and I fell asleep pretty quickly. So this is my way of catching up.

It was nice to sleep in today and then Gabby and I went to the Guinness Factory. Seven floors of beer was pretty impressive and as touristy as the place was, I feel like it’s just something I had to see….like Hersheypark and Chocolate World back home. I bought a t-shirt for myself and gifts for friends & family….not saying what because some of them are reading this, it’s a surprise that they’ll just have to wait and see! On the top floor we were given a complimentary pint of Guinness. I asked for a "jacket" because I saw other people being handed things in the shape of rugby jackets. The bartender proceeded to laugh at me, but I got him back. When he came around to take our glasses I realized how tall he was (6'8!!!) and made him get a picture with me...it was nice to joke around with a free beer and I always enjoy meeting new people.

We were supposed to go to the Laughter Lounge, a comedy show, but I guess the joke was on me....they thought I was 16, I didn't have id because I haven't been carded since I got here, so we couldn't get in. I know the teachers are going to be disappointed to read this, but since it was cheap and nearby, we went to the classiest McDonald's I've ever seen. They had a case full of fancy desserts near the entrance, people who took your trays when you were finished eating, curly fries that were much better then the McDonald's back home, and two floors of seating that were full.

I'm in for the night knowing I can catch up with those back home inexpensively and looking forward to going to our new hotel tomorrow....I want to see the country side with cute little houses and beautiful architecture.

Visiting Belfast!

2010-05-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

We met the group at 6:30 A.M. …so early… for our trip to Belfast , part of Northern Ireland, and also a “different country” as it is part of the U.K., via high speed train. The train however, wasn’t exactly what I would call high speed…. It was pretty slow. I fell asleep pretty easily though, which made the ride go much quicker.

Stopping at Titanic's Dock and Pump-House. for lunch, we learned about the Titanic, which was built in Belfast. I also found a magnet that says, “The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune.” How Irish and perfect for my grandfather who will be turning 60 upon our return!

As much as I like it here in Dublin, I feel like I’ve seen and done almost all that I want to, except for the Guinness tour I will be going on…pretty excited for that. The trip to Belfast was exactly what I needed as a change of pace. I get bored pretty easily and am ready for our next adventure. With Belfast only being a two-hour train ride, I couldn’t believe how different it is! Murals with strong messages painted all over the city made it evident that the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants was and still is a big deal. Our tour guide, Michael pointed out separate schools, taxis, and churches, how amazingly terrible it is to learn that this is still taking place!

He also allowed us to get off the bus and take some pictures…here’s one of Gabby at the Belfast Castle.. it’s so beautiful! The castle was also known as The Cat Castle; having many statues and pictures of cats, it lived up to its name.

Dinner at The Morningstar was delicious. I had chicken tempura, which was like fancy chicken nuggets, fish & chips…pretty sure they gave me the whole fish! …and dessert reminded me of chocolate éclairs… with a full belly, I was exhausted and ready for sleep. We headed back to the train station and everyone fell asleep almost instantly. Arriving back in Dublin, I made a phone call to my boyfriend and went to sleep right after. I’m very happy to have Saturday as a free day…I’ll be sleeping in, finishing an article, touring the Guinness Factory, and going to the Laughter Lounge for a comedy show.

The Impact of the Internet on Irish Mass Media

2010-05-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Finally a day to sleep in! I slept until 12:30 and I really needed it. It was nice to feel relaxed, awake, and completely refreshed for the first time since we arrived.

Today we attended a lecture by Dublin City University's Professor, Roddrick Flynn to discuss how the Internet has affected the media in Ireland. Because I covered the lecture and took detailed notes, I have a lot of information on the subject, however, I don't want to give too much away because I'd prefer my article to be a bit of a surprise.

The information that stood out to me is the following:

How has the Internet impacted Irish media?

Not very much. --a quote from Mr. Flynn himself.

2. Although social media quickly became popular in Ireland, it is only the fourth common use for the Internet.

Both Mr. Flynn and I (and probably many others) were surprised to learn that. Why be a part of something if you don't use it?

3. Irish Internet isn't very interactive... only The Irish Times allows readers to comment on articles.

4. Irish websites don't contain links for fear that the reader won't return to their website.

I thought that was very interesting because American websites are filled with links to go back and forth between literally millions of sites.

The rest of my day was relaxing. My roommates went to meet with a photographer so I took advantage of the peace and quiet. I took a hot shower, put comfy clothes on, finished some work (like this blog) emailed family and will be going to bed early tonight in order to be awake for the high speed train at 6:30 tomorrow morning.

A Taste of Home

2010-05-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

This was by far my favorite day and probably will be my most enjoyable experience of the whole trip!

---> If you can't see the label it says:: Yorkie, Not For Girls. My response, it is now...I bought it. :).

As a print major, meeting Rosita Boland, an Irish Times reporter, for breakfast was a special treat for me. She spoke about the differences between American and Irish media, such as the fact that sex scandals and things of that nature aren't news here because Ireland is so small and everyone knows what goes on. In the U.S. however, sex sells, like crazy. And we're pretty nosy and gossipy. She also told us that there is very little investigative reporting in Ireland and that typically stories aren't worked on for a long length of time. Ms. Boland gave great advice when it comes to reporting, such as making sure to spell names correctly, interviewing somewhere where the subject feels comfortable, and asking harder questions at the end so that the person you're working with trusts you and is more likely to give honest and more thorough answers. These are all tips that I've been taught throughout my journalism studies, however, there was one piece of advice that was very unique: visiting the interviewee's bathroom. It's something simple that I'd never think of, but it gives the reporter a personal insight to who the person actually is instead of who they want to be seen as.

Dressed in our best clothes, our group headed to the U.S. Embassy to meet ambassador and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dan Rooney. The building was very secure with quite a few security officers, a marine, and strict rules: only being allowed to bring one camera, no electronics, and passing through the metal detector. Although I only carried a notebook, a pen, and my passport I still set the metal detector off. Apparently my heels are steel-tipped. Because we prearranged our visit, we went ahead of a long line of people waiting for their work visas and entered "America." Obama, Joe Biden, and Hilary Clinton's pictures were featured in the entrance. The red chairs, blue carpet, and white walls added to the feeling of being at home.

Mr. Rooney was a very sweet man who discussed his want to invest in the U.S. to create ocean and wave energy as well as his love for the city of Pittsburgh. "Pittsburgh is an amazing city that uses their collective brain power to develop innovative and successful ideas and I would like to model Ireland after it," Mr. Rooney's assistant, John said. Like myself, many individuals were curious how Mr. Rooney got his job; he was appointed by Obama.

Mr. Rooney and his staff were very grateful to receive the same "Point Park, School of Communications, Ireland 2010" sweatshirts and presented us with a pin of the Irish and American flag joined.

Public Relations, Advertising, and Maury Povich

2010-05-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Once again insomnia saves the day. Getting back from The Frontline, the live television show that we sat in the studio audience for, eating, and blogging meant we got to sleep late. I slept through my alarm, but because I am used to only getting a few hours of sleep it wasn't really an issue to meet the group at 8 this morning.

Arriving at Buswells Hotel we met Gerry Davis, chief executive of public relations in Ireland, who spoke to us about the fall of publication relations due to the recession Ireland's been facing the last two years. Mr. Davis delivered an informal, yet informational speech and provided us with a lot of interesting facts. What fascinated me the most, however, was the fact that although the Irish don't use the Internet as a main source of information, social networks are very popular. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Bebo are very widely used here in Ireland. Bob O' Gara pointed out the the future of social media is "these people" as he pointed to us, the students in the room. He believes this because our generation grew up with technology advancements while those before us are still struggling to learn. Mr. Davis agreed that we are the future and told us that a social media class is taught by a 42-year-old woman who draws the senior citizen aged individuals in with enticing lectures and makes them understand why not only knowing how to use social media, but practicing is a good tool for the future.

Jan Getz said, " A lot of times, the first time someone "meets" you it's through something you wrote." Her statement is very true and interesting. As a future journalist, we're always writing, proving our skills, knowledge, and credibility and with social media being so successful, an individual's identity can be viewed a little differently. In our culture, it's not uncommon to say something like, "oh yeah, I'm friends with them on twitter" in normal conversation.

Next we went to Ogillvy & Mather to learn about advertising and campaigns. We were shown Heinz ketchup ideas, which instantly made a connection for us, since Heinz is located in Pittsburgh. My favorite commercial was for water, the slogan was "Purer Than You." We looked at a National Office for Suicide Prevention Mental Health and Young People Campaign that was launched in October 2008 because the rate of suicide among you men in Ireland is higher than the European average. Through studies of 13-17 year old young men, questionnaires, and a commercial called "Let Someone Know" that promotes teens to support each other, the country is already seeing improvement and hoping to see even more in the future.

We were given the rest of the day to explore on our own, which we took full advantage of. I had a delicious kiwi salad for lunch and went shopping at a store that would be the equivalent of Target in the U.S., we were able to buy things for really cheap prices. I bought a pair of flats, lip gloss, and a sweater for 13 Euro!

Finally we came back to the apartment to change back into sweats and relax while watching Maury; nothing like women who don't know who their baby daddy is to make you feel at home.

Tonight: showering and going out for a few drinks....nice to have some free time!

Day 2:: A day of cold and confusion

2010-05-10T17:57:00.001-07:00

For those of you who took a hot shower recently and have decent weather, be glad. Apparently here you have to heat your own water, which I found out when I got a freezing cold shower last night. I survived though and was happy to be clean.

I woke up this morning unsure of where I was or what time it was, which pretty much sums up my feelings so far. I’m enjoying myself of course, but it’s still weird being away from home and the things I'm used to. I’m not a huge fan of change if you can’t tell. One thing that hasn’t changed though is my directionally challenged self. And it doesn’t help that directions are different here either. To cross the street, you look right, left, right, to drive you are on the left side of the road, but the right side of the vehicle.

Professors Bob O’Gara and Dave Fabili told me that they watched Sesame Street this morning and were surprised to see that the show was in English. Through our media lecture, Dr. Roddrick Flynn, a professor at Dublin City University, explained that most Irish media is content from other countries including the U.S., Australia, and the U.K. because it is much cheaper to import than it is to create their own programming, except for during prime time hours (7-9) where 75% of the content is Irish. This particular lecture interested me quite a bit because it was the first thing we’ve been to that focused on my major. (print) In America it’s a competition to get information posted online the fastest, where in Ireland, people don’t use the Internet for information unless it’s breaking news.

While I realize Ireland is a religious and conservative country, I didn’t realize how strict they are with their media content. Playboy was illegal until 1998, abortion is still illegal, and because of that until 1996 information and advertising relating to it wasn’t allowed to be published. One thing I’ve noticed about the Irish is that although they are very friendly they are also very vague; to get answers one would have to ask multiple questions. While at a group meeting we decided this idea, and Helen Fallon believes they keep information hidden in order to keep people from questioning or causing chaos. I would have to say I agree with her but if and when the Irish journalists and other citizens figure that out the people in power may not be in power very long. I also learned that 50% of the Irish population reads a paper every day and 90% of the population reads at least one paper a week, and, “buying The Irish Times even if you don’t read it says you are well-paid and probably haven’t gotten your hands dirty in quite some time.” Mr. Flynn only had about fifteen minutes to cover broadcasting, but there was one piece of information that stood out to me the most: in Ireland, you are required to pay a $50 license fee per TV in your house. The most popular show in Ireland is Australian soap operas, while one of my favorite shows, The Simpsons is a full hour long.

The lecture was very interesting and informative, but I was really ready to have some fun! After taking a group picture of all of us in our “Point Park University School of Communication Ireland 2010” sweatshirts, we went on a double- decker “Hop on Hop off” tour bus, which makes many stops all over the city and you can get on and off as you often as you want. Although it was freezing, sitting on the top of the roofless bus made for great pictures. One of my favorite sights was the Guinness factory, which we will be touring on Saturday.

At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the church itself didn’t interest me very much, but I bought some great souvenirs in the gift shop! I’m looking forward to giving everyone back home their gifts.

We just got back from being in a live studio audience of an episode of The Frontline, a political debate that involved the audience.

Well, it’s 1am here and have to meet the group at 8am….goodnight!

A trip that started out bad, turned awesome!

2010-05-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

After a traffic-filled two hour drive to Philly, waiting to board the plane, feeling sick from the marina sauce (I should’ve known to stay away from it) on the pasta at dinner, a seven hour flight with the kids behind me screaming, “volcano!” and kicking my chair, I am glad to FINALLY be here! We arrived at 9 this morning Ireland time, which to my body was still 4am. (Ireland is 5 hours ahead of the U.S.) For once, my insomnia worked in my favor and kept me awake when I needed to be.

Today we did some sightseeing and light shopping near our apartment building and toured the Book of Kells at Trinity College, or as Bethany would call it, “four stories of Jesus.” To be totally honest, I wasn’t very interested. Those of you who know me well know religion isn’t something I identify with, but since blasphemy is illegal in Ireland, that’s as much as I’m going to say about that.

Then we went to the Dublin Castle, which started in the 1300s. If they are ever in need of residents, I will very gladly live there. The castle was gorgeous; at one point it housed Queen Victoria and her husband King Albert. It contained many fascinating rooms including my favorite, a room in which presidential inaugurations are held.

As much as I enjoyed being out today, I am very happy to finally be settled in our beautiful St. Augustine apartments. see our apartments! Four of us are staying in each apartment which have four beds, (2 people per bedroom) one bathroom, a kitchen fully equipped with a dishwasher, supplied utensils, cookware, and dishes, a stovetop and oven, microwave, fridge and freezer, plenty of cabinet space, and a common area that serves as both the living and dining room with a table and chairs, couch, tv & dvd combo, and a walk out patio.

Tonight: unpacking, showering, grocery shopping, a group dinner, and hopefully celebrating with a Guinness or two (or more?)
Love and miss my family, friends, and boyfriend.

Welcome

2010-03-20T12:44:00.001-07:00

Welcome everyone!

Right now I'm just getting this set up in preparation for our trip. Can you tell I'm excited?!

We leave May 8th... 49 days! :D I can't wait.

I greatly appreciate all of you who will read and keep up with me on here. For those of you who are close to me, it'll be much easier to keep in touch this way anyway. I'll be super busy in Ireland and won't be able to use my cell phone.

I look forward to hearing from all of you!