Hey now, hey now...

...don't dream it's over.

While watching 8/90's music videos in the Handlebar Bed and Breakfast in Cork, Ireland... this song said it all with just one line.

How did I get here from my last posting you ask?

That's a good question. Not surprisingly, I haven't been able to keep up with formal posts ever since the onset of my full-time unpaid internship at Curam Software. The people there are quite interesting, but they all lead very different lives from mine. It gets difficult to make connections considering that a large majority of them are married/college graduates/employed with salaries. Additionally, most of the people at the office are software engineers, which gently places them into a field not of my own. Common ground is hard to come by. Nevertheless, I've come to know a delightfully motley crew. Their lunch-break antics and vastly different backgrounds/personalities keep me quite entertained; they make lunch something to look forward to.

The office has me working on automated testing javascripts. Watij tests from many months ago now need adapting to current release software, and I'm the man to do it. Daunting doesn't begin to describe it. However, I am glad for the opportunity to engage in high-profile work, as opposed to managing generic office duties. It keeps me stimulated beyond my five daily cups of coffee. If only I didn't have to wake up at 6am, only to return at 6pm, working merely 8 hours in between. 1/3 of my time spent "at work" is more accurately described as spent "on the road." If only I had a nice EuroSpec '08 Mazda 6 to call my own. Brilliant design move (IMO) by Mazda, abandoning flat sedans and creating a vehicle with much more flair. Bring it stateside if you really want to dazzle some disheartened enthusiasts!

Side note: I can't get used to the snooker cue sticks here. They're so tiny. I don't know where the limits of applied english and force turn into misapplied miscues. (Miscues can be applied properly when money laundering is the objective.)

This past weekend, the ladies upstairs and I went to Cork, a seaside city straddling the River Lee. We traveled in staggered formation via Bus Eireann ("Bus of Ireland" - Ireland's Greyhound equivalent - they even have a dog as the logo). Stateside, we were briefed on the causes and effects of culture shock, a psychological phenomenon of non-integration with your environment. Strangely enough, it was on this bus where I first experienced culture shock. It was nothing more than a passing, half-asleep expectation that the next turn on the rural highway would bring me to Wollaston Beach, Quincy, MA.


No such luck however. Wollaston Beach is on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. I began my trip weary and uncertain, tired from my first week's worth of full time work.

We pulled into Cork, Ireland via a roadway that could only be described as rural, industrial, and urban at the same time. The atmosphere and ambiance in Cork was immediately compelling. I finally felt as though I was away from home. Granted that I haven't held permanent residence in over 3 years anywhere, it isn't surprising that my settling into Dublin was fast, and psychologically efficient. Dublin became a new Boston for me to learn and explore. Cork, however, was vacation, a place to be experienced, not lived.

Hostel. Hilarious horror movie, horribly hilarious sleeping arrangement. We checked into two pretty decent places. Mine was the Bru Bar and Hostel, with reception un-neatly tucked away in the back of the bar. First things first. The reception desk computer was logged into Facebook. We proceeded to rage throughout Cork city pubs. At some point I danced in a circle of older (30's) people, but only because the circle was really awkward with nobody in the middle of it. Quality fun night - the lack of worry about finding a way back to our walking distance hostel combined with the idea of being on vacation for the first time amplified my party stamina.

80's. I woke up to 80's music played by 5 German speaking roommates at the hostel. They got in line to shower, while I tried to sleep off a mild hangover. Their wide age ranges and vastly different personalities made me wonder how they could all possibly know each other. I still have no conclusion. But no matter. I collected my things and left to drop off at the Handlebar Bed and Breakfast.

At this point, the 20D came out and played a prominent role in filling Dublin '08 Part II and III Facebook albums (friends only).

The Handlebar B&B was quaint, comfortable, had an amazing shower with separate knobs for power and temperature, and had receptive receptionists. We showered up, watched a plethora of eclectic 80's and 90's music videos; hilarity ensued (esp w/ the LSD cell phone commercial as one of the first things we've seen on TV in a long while). Then we headed out to Iarnrod Eireann ("Railroad(?) of Ireland") and journeyed to Cobh (pronounced Cove). Cobh is a fantastically altitudinous town off the coast, home to the world's 3rd highest cathedral (hand built from top to bottom too!) and the world's 2nd largest natural harbor.

The power of place and structures never ceases to amaze me. Part of it is human instinctive programming to place importance on shelter providing locations. But the other part has to do with my unwittingly apparent passion for architecture. Realizing this as I'm writing, I seem to have pronounced affective connections with places beyond that of "this place is nice/fun/awesome." I go to a place, and I derive meaning for my own personal life. I leave powerful places with a newfound purpose that will drive me until my next encounter. The cathedral was fantastic, the deck of cards (see Dublin '08 Part II) was quite vivid (perhaps the steepest paved slope I've been on). The experience of Cobh will remain a pleasant one encased in my memories. (See Facebook albums for more intricate details.)

As we returned to Cork for the night, our trip continued to drive us towards self discovery. Self discovery isn't a wholly internal process. Oftentimes you discover more about yourself through your discovery of others. This trip is unique in that it brought together X number of students from all around the States that didn't know each other at all. Every passing day, night, each adventure shared with others is a collaboratively dichotomous discovery process, that of self and of others. It's a wonderful feeling to get to know people. Psych calls it intimate self disclosure, when you share information about yourself that most people do not know. It brings people closer, tightens bonds, and creates those really obnoxious yet endearing "study abroad groups" that I'm sure you've encountered. They always come back with stories, memories, inside jokes, new close friendships - never to be explained because the experience was so profound. It happened at Kairos XXXVI; it happened during EuroTrip '05 with the NHS; I can only hope it happens this time around too.

We watched plenty of epic but old music videos (think Spice Girls, Shaggy, Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over, Wonderwall by Oasis, etc). All of which were ironically too perfect for a time-pressed experience overseas. It sounds cheesy now, but wait till you see how cheesy it can get reading this post post-Dublin. (Yes, cheesiness can now be described audibly and visually.)

Breakfast was amazing the next morning. All I can say about Blarney Castle is that Jessica Burris is a Crazed American (rock climbing, spelunking, frolicking in fields, and dropping the most baller line I've heard, since I last spoke with Tiff, at the guy working the Ice Cream stand). The remainder of the Castle can be summed up via my Facebook albums. The trip was quite short, didn't do much other than the aforementioned.

Acquisitions this trip: I captured a piece of the Rock Close, a rock formation outside of the Blarney Castle. Should I end up with some horrible curse, remind me to return it, but keep your distance. I also found a pair of Timbaland aviator shades. They're nice, they don't fit as well as my lost Armani shades, but I'll take this peace offering from the concept of karma and rest easy. I also purchased a couple of Garda bikes, one for a gift, another for mysel... my brother, for my baby brother.

People: the people I am here with are always challenging me to become a better person, albeit indirectly and likely unintentionally. Each person in our little group has a very different personality with very different views on just about everything. It challenges me to rethink who I am, what I stand for, what I am too weak to accomplish. I'd list positive qualities for each one of them, but I'd have to stay up for many days on end to finish. You know who you are, pat yourself on the back for being you, but please, do it in the safety of your own homes. Back patting can be harmful to those around you, especially if done with lots of badditude.

...so much badditude. =)