Homestay Madness and Fiddle Lessons

I felt so at home with my family, I woke them up Sunday morning to the sound of me getting sick! And I didn't even go out the night before... No worries, I'm fine now.

Ger and Jacqui didn't actually live in Carrrigaline, but between the towns of Carrigaline and Ballygarvan on farmland that Ger's father leases out to other farmers (meaning that the Spillanes live in the middle of whatever the other farmers choose to grow; this year: corn). I think I should also add that Ger and Jacqui are also very well off, seeing as Ger used to be a semi-professional footballer. (Translation: their house is huge.) Upon arrival to the Spillane's house, Lauren, Jules, and I were greeted by Lassie. Well, not Lassie per se, but Kipper, the Spillane's one year old collie. We loved Kipper, and boy, did Kipper ever love us.

After settling in to our rooms, Jacqui invited us to wait in the family room while she prepared tea. Half an hour later, she called us into the breakfast nook/dining room, where we sat down to personal-size pizzas, salad, coleslaw, 'chips', and a plate of white bread. Apparently, in the Spillane house, "tea" means "supper." We spent the rest of the evening chatting with Jacqui while Ger was out with the boys at a gaelic football match, finally heading to bed around 11 PM after watching Maid in Manahttan on TG3.

The next morning was unhurried and relaxed. After breakfast (served with even more white bread), Lauren, Jules and I pulled out some work, which we did at the table in the breakfast nook/dining room (once I get batteries for my camera, you'll see how this works). After numerous cups of tea and a plate of biscuts, Ger made lunch--turkey, salad, cole slaw, potato salad, white bread, white bread toast, and a whole wheat cracker with cream cheese on it. Oh, and there was yet another plate of white bread on the side.

Jacqui came back from her hair appointment that afternoon, and took us into Carrigaline to do some shopping and general walking around. While she was running errands, Lauren, Jules, and I walked around until we ran into some other students on their homestay. After some coffee, chocolates, and ice cream, we headed back with Jacqui to make "tea": chips, rashers, sausages, alphabettoes (what you would get if spaghettios and alphabet soup had a love child), and, you guessed it, a plate of white bread. Lauren and Jules went back into Carrigaline to go to the Corner House, Carrigaline's Pub, and I stayed in to chat with friends and family.

The next morning was a disaster--around 7 AM, i got up to go sit in the bathroom because I didn't feel well. Around 7:15, Ger returned from taking Ben (the youngest, 10) to meet up with his hurling team for a match outside of Dublin, promptly walking in on me, sitting on the floor with a towel around my shoulders (it was cold). 8 AM--I was sick, but nothing really came up. 8:10--walked down to ask Ger for some medication. Took said medication, but wasn't helping. In a panic, I called Mom and Dad. After some deliberation over the phone, I woke Jacqui up, who declared I had a "tummy bug." Around 8:45 AM, I officially fell asleep on the bathroom floor. I woke up at 9:15, and moved back to bed, where I stayed until 11 AM, after I began to feel much better. I pretty much stayed in bed until it was time to eat dinner, where I ate a little of the food (pork chops, boiled carrots, and potato). We packed, gave Jacqui and Ger their thank you gifts (which they loved, thank goodness), and boarded the bus for the ride back to DeansHall.

Needless to say, I didn't do much for the rest of the evening. No worries--as I said before, I'm not really having any problems now with that.

On a lighter and less gross note, I had my first fiddle lesson this morning, where I learned a Kerry Polka. I have the lesson recorded on my computer (albeit not very well--I need to buy a microphone for my iPod for better sound quality) and maybe, one day, I'll figure out how to put that stuff up here. It was a good lesson, despite the fact that I got elbowed in the face while trying to hold the door open for my professor as he carried more chairs in. I think we're even now--I had my embarrassing moment last week when I was afraid to play for him, and he had his this week when he elbowed me.

I also got a chance to talk to a lot of friends today, both over the internet and phone. It was good to hear how people are doing and what's going on at Northwestern. I miss it a bit, but I'm starting to really adjust (I thought I had been adjusted before, but I was only adjusted to the Early Start schedule).

Tonight, I have rehearsal with the Cork School of Music's Symphony Orchestra for the second time. In the meantime, I need to heat up dinner (leftovers from last week that I stuck in the freezer), warm up, and get a little work on my papers done.

Until then,