there is something always fabulous about the start of a semester. i love it.
even this year when i'm taking the same classes and continuing my work from last semester.
but it has been a fabulous start to the semester :)
monday i'm at work, and after being highly productive, emailing mom, the berries, amy/jeanne/kaity and calling all 35 apartment complexes on our books to see when they will start taking bookings for 2008/2009 and answering the phones telling prospective first year parents about the booking procedures for whatever complex and i check my ucc email, i usually forget about it and check it maybe twice a week... when i see an email from donal, my general methods professor, saying that yes we do have class on tuesday, and that JJ Lee will be the first visiting lecturer for the semester and speaking to us on the historiography of the irish diaspora.
JJ LEE!!
i was giddy with joy, like it was christmas all over again.
he is one of my favourite historians, especially on ireland and the irish diaspora.
he wrote ireland 1912-1985, one of the best comprehensive histories on 20th century ireland and is now at nyu and is the head of their glucksman ireland house and their irish studies program. he edited with marion casey (also of nyu) my favourite book on irish america, making the irish american. and also taught at ucc in the 70s/80s. right now he is one of the leading historians on irish emigration and irish america.
so i was sooo excited for class on tuesday.
which turned out to be fabulous, his talk was really random, and all over the place, but he brought up some really good points, especially on the role of females in the US, especially domestics. i wanted to ask him a question, but he left too quickly, so i'm going to email him, because i was very interested on what he said about domestics. but it was so awesome to hear what he had to say and i felt like i was in the same room as a celebrity, because well to me he kinda is.
(ok, enough of my history dork has come out)
so monday, went climbing and then the pub with a few of the lads. it was great craic, my climbing isn't so hot right now.
today kara came back to ireland! YAY!!
she sent me a text at 8.30 letting me know she was in dublin and getting her flight to cork.
so she wasn't going to make it to class.
so today was our first diaspora class, and since andy is on sabitical, we were getting a visiting professor from the us. and i love her.
she is from william and mary, and teaches us history, with a focus on immigration and got her masters and phd from unc chapel hill.
walking into class today, totally made me laugh, because i could tell right off she was used to teaching in the states. its so funny, she was there when i walked into the room at 10am (i even tried to be early, because i knew she was american, usually the professor doesn't show up here until 10-15 after the hour) and when she started talking. its awesome though because she wants to be flexible and make the course more irish style wise, but still american. so i'm looking forward to that. i do miss some things about american style classes, but i do like the more research based system over here. so it will be nice to have both this term.
so i am very excited for my classes, i'm doing the thesis this term too. i'm starting my thesis chapter next week, i want to hand in the first chapter by the end of the month.
so after class i went over to kara's and it was sooooo fab to see her!!
we caught up and she is now my hero for bringing me peanut butter, reeses pieces and peanut butter cups!
we went into town and had lunch at tribes and fought our way home though the rain.
it is so disgusting out, lashing rain and windy.
welcome to winter in cork.
ohhh, kara and i are planning to do a half marathon in september. there is one in blarney and it will be good for us to do, especially with all the sitting with the thesis. i've always wanted to run a marathon, so a half one should be a good start and having someone to train with should be great. so yay!
yay for climbing and pub tonight too!
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