Once

The Oscar Winning song from Once.

I finally got to see Once tonight. My host family bought it yesterday, and I'm so glad I took the time to watch this beautiful film. It was a nice conclusion to my trip because almost all of the scenes where shot at places I've been: Grafton Street, Temple Bar, Killiney Road, Killiney Hill, Dun Laoghaire, etc. A wonderful movie set in a wonderful country.

Check out the Trailer Here.

Cheers!

iPhone 4G

Everyone in Ireland has an iPhone. Clearly, this means I must get one as soon as I get back to the States.

Just sayin'. Cheers!

A Weekend of Culture

Although I am sad to say that we officially experienced our last weekend in Dublin, we definitely went out in style...

We started Thursday night off with a trip to Bray, for some drinks and dancing. I must say, I definitely got into the groove. You would have all been proud.

Friday mostly consisted of last-minute shopping, making sure I got all my gifts for loved ones back home. We started our shopping marathon off right though, with a fabulous lunch at Cafe En Seine. Think Moulin Rouge meets Sherlock Holmes and you have the inside of this bar. I now know how I want to decorate my future apartment. 

After dinner, the group headed down to Dun Laoghaire to check out the famous Festival of World Cultures (I have never seen so many intoxicated people in my entire life... it put New Years in America to shame). We began at a club featuring latin music, and then concluded at a venue where I was able to purchase something called "Scott's Surprise." As you can imagine, Burger King immediately followed and so did coming home at 2 AM with a kid's crown.

(Smoked Salmon and Prawn Sandwich)

(My favorite restaurant in Dublin: Cafe En Seine)

Saturday was a slow start, considering how exhausting the night before was. I woke up a bit late, and then headed down to Dun Laoghaire to experience a more family-orientated festival (totally different than the night before). It was a lovely festival, very crowded, and it reminded me of all my favorite Summer Festivals back in Michigan. 

(10th Annual Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures)

(10th Annual Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures)

Saturday night was a bit of a hiccup. Since this was my first Saturday night in Dublin, my plan was to check out The George (the city's most famous gay dance club). However, for the first time in my life, we were turned away. Apparently, I was allowed in, but my heterosexual friends weren't... eff that. No bar is "too good" for my friends. We took our party elsewhere, and ended up dancing at The Dragon. It was the best bar in the world, not because of the venue, but because everyone I cared about was allowed in.

Elyse summed it up best in her blog: Somewhere in Between. We both agree that we have met some of the best people on this trip. I am going to miss them all very much. 

Sunday was a simple day. I spent the day sleeping, writing a paper for my Irish Cinema course, and went to our planned social event... IRISH STEP DANCING! I was a natural. 

(We're a hot mess after learning some Irish Step Dancing)

I can't believe that I am already in my last week here. This has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life, and I cannot even begin how grateful I am to be in Ireland. This trip has opened my eyes to so many things, and has created everlasting friendships. I am sad to see this end.

That's all for now. Cheers!

A Good Friend

Elyse and I went into town today, and we stopped in American Apparel. (Apparently, the one in Dublin is the largest store in the world). Anyway, AA just released a new line of their "legalize gay" shirts that now include the equality symbol! Of course, I bought one, and she decided to get one as well!

That's the sign of a true friend. I'm so thankful to have her support and love. 

Click here to buy one for yourself, and support a great cause.

That's all for today. Cheers!

A Weekend in London

Okay, so because Elyse finally got around to Blogging, I guess I have to also... Haha.

Basically, London was awesome. I have never been to a city where design was second nature. I'm not just talking bright colors and fun typography... but really smart, practical design solutions that not only makes the city beautiful, but stimulating and practical.

Secondly, London has so much culture! (Yes, I was surrounded by more tourists than actual Englishmen, but it didn't matter). Everywhere we looked there was a cute cafe, unique boutique, or beautiful statue. Also, every person we encountered was polite, witty, and extremely helpful! 

Pretty much, I loved London. I'm officially adding it to the list of potential job locations after graduation (along with New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Chicago... maybe even Dublin).

As far as sightseeing goes, we visited Big Ben, the Tower of London (saw the crown Jewels), the London Bridge, Buckingham Palace (saw the changing of the guards), the National Gallery Museum, the Tate Modern Museum (amazing surrealist exhibit), the London Movie Museum, Harrods (Europe's largest department store- mind blowing), and concluded our weekend with reservations at the Absolut Icebar! 

Cheers!

Watch this movie: 32 A

Another great movie, presented in my film class this morning. A typical coming-of-age theme, set in the 1970s Ireland. The trailer pretty much sums up the entire movie, so just check it out if you don't plan on renting it.

I also must point out the awesome cinematography of the movie. This is the second Irish movie I have watched where all the scenes are shot with a photographic feel. Very well done.

The opening title credits are also fantastic! I love the way the title of the movie plays out, but the actual hand-written typography used for the actor introductions (not seen in the tailer) where perfect for this film.

That's all for today. Check this movie out.

Cheers!

P.S. A London update is coming. I absolutely loved my time in that city.

London Calling

Elyse Flynn and I are taking an adventurous trip to London this weekend! We leave tomorrow and return on Sunday morning. It's only two days, but being so close to the city, we had to make some time to visit. I've always wanted to see London, especially since I need to check out all my options for after college.

Not only will we be able to visit the design capital of Europe, but some of our friends and faculty from Grand Valley State University are there right now (also on a study abroad trip)! We already have dinner plans and I couldn't be more excited!

Aside from that we are looking to visit:
Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the West End (Europe's Broadway), Kings Cross, Tate Modern Museum, and Kensington Palace.

We are also looking to go to the Absolut Icebar! We are only allowed a visit for 40 minutes, because the entire bar is made of ice! Check it out.

Any other suggestions? We're on a budget, but I'm sure we will have the time of our lives.

Cheers!

500 Miles

This past Tuesday, after seeing The Matchmaker, we ran across this wonderful duo in a pub! I've always loved this song, and it is a good reminder of the wonderful people I love that are back in the States waiting for me. Just wanted to share a good time with the rest of you all!

Cheers!

The Commitments

(The International Film Institute. Dublin, Ireland)

So today our program was lucky enough to have a private viewing of the famous Irish film, The Commitments. We went to the International Film Institute (a fabulous building) and got to watch the movie in a lovely theatre. 

I highly recommend this movie. As I've been describing it to others, it is an "Irish Blues Brothers." Check it out. 

Cheers!

The French...

Last weekend consisted of a 3 day trip to Galway, Conomara, and Cong. Although this was similar to the trip I went on the weekend before, I had a completely different experience...


Day 1, Friday
We take all morning driving to the hostel, which was literally located in the middle of no where. As you can imagine, my classmates and I were beginning to worry about keeping our sanity for the rest of the afternoon, due to the fact this looked like the location for any typical horror movie.


Rules of the hostel: "Blah, blah blah... no drinking or smoking in the front of the building...

no drinking in the bar... this is a family establishment... 

blah, blah, blah... no noise. Ever." 

Lisa's response: "WHERE ARE WE!?"


The icing on the cake? The hostel was run by the French... awesome. Needless to say the staff was rude.


We concluded the ridiculous evening with an adventurous hike around the countryside, where we all decided to have a drink for the sheep.


Day 2, Saturday
This was the actual day of our activities. We visited Kylemore Abbey, which I saw but didn't tour last weekend. It was beautiful. There was the actual Abbey (Nun School), the magnificent garden, and then the church. The entire establishment had this captivating magic to it, and all of us felt a rather emotional experience.


The next stop was a National Park, where I decided to go hiking up the mountain trail with a small group. Once again, I felt an overwhelming connection to the environment, and I was taken back by how beautiful Ireland is. I'm so glad I'm here.


The day concluded with a quick stop in Cong to see the filming locations for The Quiet Man.  Then we all headed back to the hostel to watch movies and relax. I finally saw both Jaws and Batman Begins! We also watched Clueless (classic).


To see all the pictures from the trip, visit my Facebook.


Cheers!

Dublin Castle

(The Famous Throne in Dublin Castle.)

I toured the Dublin Castle today. I was amazed by all the awesome architecture. I decided the castle is a little small for my liking, and I need to find a bigger apartment to live in when I take over the world. 

Also, that thrown will be mine one day. I'll add it to my collection.

In all seriousness though, it was a good day in the city. We did the Castle, then toured the National Museum (I got to see some real Bog Bodies) and then did some shopping. I got a great shirt on sale at Urban Outfitters, and then discovered a new store that I love- Top Man -I got a sweet tie.

Cheers!

Last Weekend's Adventures

(Playing a game of Rounders.)

(Ireland's Cliffs of Moher.)

(Kissing the Blarney Stone.)

This past weekend I went on a tour bus (The Paddy Wagon) around Southern, and Western Ireland. We visited numerous rural areas that took my breath away. Unfortunately, my camera died and I had to rely on Elyse to capture everything. She did rather well though.


The first major stop on this trip was the town of Cong- the filming location for the famous movie, The Quiet Man. It was so pretty. We then went on to watch reck havoc on the awesome town of Galway. I got to live it up in some bars and clubs, and let me just say that there was much dancing. Madonna came on at the end of the night, "Like a Prayer" and I was the happiest boy in Ireland.

The next day we visited the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland's most popular attraction. A beautiful set of cliffs on the South-Western bank. I became a little emotional, because it reminded me of my recently passed Great Grandma. Before she died this February, she told me how excited she was for me to go to Ireland. She has always wanted to visit- it is where her father was from. She told me to take "lots of pictures." I know she was there with me last weekend.

The trip ended with a visit to Blarney Castle. I definitely kissed the Blarney Stone, and now I have the "Gift of the Gab" for seven years. Go me!

*On the tour bus, we met two Australian boys in their mid-twenties who were touring Europe. They were awesome, and made the trip so much more fun than we ever expected.

Although last weekend was kind of expensive, it was worth every euro. I'm excited to see what the rest of this trip has in store.

Cheers.

A Movie in Dublin

This was recommended in Film Class. A group of us went out to Dublin tonight and saw it in the cinema, and it was just fantastic. 


A good start to my second week in Ireland.

Happy 4th of July from Ireland

Lunch Time

(My amazing Humus/Veggie Bagel & Cappuccino. I was in love.)

(She didn't want her picture taken. Silly girl, she's too pretty to cover that up.)

Elyse and I found a fabulous restaurant: ITSA Bagel. I had a delicious Veggie sandwich, and she had a fantastic Californian Club. I think we found our local favorite.