Roma!

On some famous bridge next to some famous castle in Rome. haha.
Inside the Pantheon. This was my favorite place I saw in Rome. I learned a lot about it in my art history class this semester and it was so cool to be able to actually see it!
The colosseum by the light of a full moon! Amazing.

So last weekend I got to go to Rome for five days and stay with my old friend Francesca. She is Italian and so I had a 'built in' tour guide and translator with me 24/7. It was really fun to be able to stay with someone that had grown up in Rome because I got to see and do things that most tourists don't get to do when they visit Rome. And we never got lost! haha

The food in Italy, mainly the food prepared by Francesca's parents, was SO GOOD! I ate soooo much wonderful pasta and this amazing pork called porchetta and wonderful fresh mozzarella and pizza and chocolate! I could go on and on for ages about the food :) I can't wait to go back!

I learned so Italian phrases... "Thank you for your hospitality" "Gratzie per avermi ospitata" and "Your cooking is good", "Cucini molto benne" Hopefully my Italian spelling is okay :) I also was taught some of the classic Roman hand gestures (Italians really do 'talk' with their hands!) I also learned that the "ch" in Italian is pronounced like the "k" sound in 'cat', and the "c" is pronounced like the "ch" sound in 'choose'. :)

CIAO!

Anyways, this Thursday, Dec. 2nd, is the last day of the semester! I have two finals that day, and a paper due the next day. UGH! Too much studying for me.

My day up North

Last Saturday, my roommate Paul and I took a day trip to Northern Ireland. Our tour was on the Paddywagon bus where the bus driver sang us Irish songs and even taught us one too!

We saw the Giants Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Larrybane, and Derry.

We went first to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (from the Scottish Gaelic Carraig-a-Rade) meaning 'rock in the road'. And now I'll copy what is on the brochure I saved :) "The road is the sea route for Atlantic salmon on their westward journey past Carrick Island. For over 350

years, fishermen have strung a rope bridge 30m above the sea to allow them to access the best places to catch the migrating salmon. Crossed regularly by local fishermen, the bridge now

presents a challenge to thousands of visitors each year who come to enjoy the same views and high thrills." The view from all around the place was so so so beautiful and you could see Scotland in the far off distance!

Scotland is the grey mass

behind the black mass, to the left...

Next stop was the Giant's Causeway, which was breathtaking! And again I will quote to you from the pamphlet I got. haha "The Giant's Causeway is an area of approximently 38,000 columns, the result of ancient volcanic activity 60 million years ago. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with 4, 5, 7, and 8 sides. The tallest are about 12 meters (36ft.) high. As well as columns, many of the rocks have been named due to their shapes and their connections to the Giant Finn MacCool. Legend tells the story of how Finn actually created the Causeway and the stones around it as a challenge to his Scottish rival Benandonner."

It was so fun to hop around on all the different shaped rocks. It was raining though which made them very slippery. I don't understand how volcanic activity shaped all those perfectly hexagonal rocks though....

Cap the reg fee, protect the grant, end the brain drain!

All the streets in the city center were filled with marching students in bright yellow. The cars and buses couldn't use the streets!

Her sign, and the back of mine, says 'I dont wanna be a stripper' haha

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/1104/1224282635235.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11689264

Yesterday, Nov 3rd, there was a huge student protest in the streets of the city center in Dublin. The Irish students (along with myself :D) were protesting the raise in fees and the 'brain drain'. The recession is really really bad in Irealnd and they are cutting jobs from the private and pubic sectors, so after people graduate from college there is no work for them so most of the new grads move to Australia or New Zealand.

It was crazy being apart of such a huge march, there was approximently 25,ooo students from all over Ireland. Now I know I'm not Irish so it doesn't affect me, but I know if a protest like this was happening in Cali I would want to be a part of it.

rain rain go away!

It has rained for the past 4 days.....I'm officially worried now......I mean, I knew it was coming, but I still don't like it!