PMA - Positive Mental Attitude

Well this week was the first week of real classes. We had really interesting lectures about Irish Lit, most people were falling asleep which I can understand some times their voices just lull you into a daze, but I really enjoyed Yeats' Lake Isle of Innisfree.  The way he explained it was super interesting and engaging.  Now I want to go up toward Sligo and Donegal one weekend and see it, because now it will mean so much more. The problem is that it is still winter and seeing all of these things that I want to see is probably not the best idea right now because of the temperature. Also not many things are open in January in terms of museums and such. 

I haven't gotten my TD assignment yet, but that should start probably on Friday. We went to Leinster House yesterday to get a tour and a little bit of history. We got to see both chambers and even sit in the Seanad which is the senate. I will be working with the Dail. Which is pronounced Doyle. The houses of parliament were originally built for the Fitzgerald Family who had 19 children and were from County Kildare. The house was named Kildare house, but when Mr. Fitzgerald was named Earl of Leinster it became Leinster house and has remained. The fitzgerald's sold the house to the Royal Dublin Society and was turned over to the Irish government in 1963. In 1963 President Kennedy opened Parliament and gave the Irish Government a Flag that represented all the Irishmen that fought in the American Civil war and it still hangs underneath the Senate Chambers to this day. What surprised me the most was how small the Senate chambers are. It is where the Fitzgerald Family Ball Room was so it is extremely small, but beautiful, the ceiling was very Georgian and had the most intricate molding I have every seen I'll take pictures once I start working there. I guess it just goes to show that Ireland really is small. so small that it is the size of Maine. Everyone was really nice to us as we were walking around the houses. We got to go into a committee while it was in session and it looked like they were meeting to discuss a world strategy for nuclear defense, the room felt like it was underground and everyone sat in a circle with their names on LCD screens with a large flat screen TV in the background and a light above them that spanned the entire circle of desks. So it gave the feeling that it was a meeting of world leaders, when in fact it was only a meeting of TDs to discuss the effects of people buying cheaper cigarettes from other countries. The room was very modern/futuristic in other words. The building that it was in was built in 2000 and is called "the 2000 building." creative. 

Anyway that's about it for now, I think Sarah and I are going to wander around Dalkey for a little bit today. Then we'll see what's in store for tonight!