It's Friday, Friday, Friday...

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

What a lovely week we have had here! The temperature has been in the mid sixties with nothing but sun on the sky. Talk about unusual for Dublin! It has been a lovely week and it seems that time has suddenly sped up and it sometimes seems like I am living in fast forward.

All boys schools are terrifying! They are respectful and all, but they do not respect women the same way they respect men. With male teachers they tend to be more quiet and ready to listen, I am unsure whether this is fear or respect. I am also a 'new' teacher so they often feel as if they can push boundaries with me and slide things past me.

Weird things that happen at Blackrock:

-Class begins at 8:45 (so late!)
-They have various class 'splits' so a student may attend two classes during any one period, thus they take somewhere around 11 classes per semester prior to junior certificate.
-The boys all stand up when a teacher enters the classroom, I suppose this is a sign of respect? It is very foreign to me.
-Everyone in the entire building takes an hour for lunch...at the same time...it is insane

Week two is over and I am quite excited to have the weekend in front of me. Tonight a big group of us from school are headed out for a night on the town, it should be great fun (or craic). There will certainly be a great deal of drinking as we are in Ireland and that is what people here do. Tomorrow I am so very excited because Marie and Joe are coming down to Dublin and they have invited me to see A Woman of No Importance, which is currently playing at the Gate Theater in city center. I am overjoyed to be headed to see a show because I feel as if I haven't seen any art since I have been here!

Sunday I will be hosting a fake "tailgate" at my apartment because my roommates and I are all feeling a little homesick and are dying for some buffalo chicken dip. We will all be asleep during the Steeler game and will, unfortunately, miss it. Therefore, if you are sitting in front of the TV and find yourself thinking of me please start a "here we go steelers" chant for me. It will be so very appreciated (In honor of the Irish, please pronounce the 'c' like it is an 's' i.e. appresiated).

Love for the Black and Yellow,
Jackie

P.S. Each day is a gift we are given and we must take the opportunity to stop and see the world around us...Ireland has taught me this.