The Spire & the Flag

Excitement levels were high as I entered the centre of Dublin, though my high expectations were not initially met. Getting off the bus and walking through the streets of Dublin, dragging my suitcase along busy roads, I finally reached my destination. I’m all for losing my way (it’s an adventure in itself), but getting lost on the way to my hostel isn’t the best thing to happen when you’re lugging 30kg behind you. Luckily, the Irish folk were more than happy to guide me to the right direction. I crossed the Spire on my slight detour, of course this was a Snapchat moment since the Irish flag was waving away up in the clouds! That’s when it hit me- I’m in Dublin. The heart of Ireland. More importantly, home for the next nine months.

A whirlwind of emotions took over. Did I make the right decision about my year abroad? Will I fit in? Am I ever going to get used to the Irish accent? A week in and I can confidently say, man was I wrong.

View through my kitchen window- Wicklow Mountains in the distance

I was the second out of five to move into my flat, also the second international student out of five internationals. So my flat mates consist of Germans, an Italian and a Japanese; very multicultural indeed, and I love it. The merging of all our cultures has resulted in me being granted the responsibility of arranging fish and chips as and when required… Because that’s all we Brits are good for (!). The craic is great. Craic meaning banter, good conversation, social enjoyment, and probably the second most commonly used word here, after ‘grand’. I’ve come to learn that grand is a perfect reply to almost every question, and i think I’m subconsciously starting to adopt this Irish lingo into my own vocabulary. It’s slowly creeping in, I can feel it. Anyway, I could not be happier with my flat- a windowed kitchen with a beautiful view of the Wicklow mountains. Having my breakfast facing this every morning is so uplifting.

I seem to be having a lot of burritos lately, there is literally some kind of burrito hut in ever corner, not that I’m complaining! A great one I encountered is Mama’s Revenge Burrito Hut, at a convenient two minute walk away from the university’s maths department I know I’ll be spending a lot of time in this nifty little place. Moreover, the wall of comments had this brilliant reminder…..

My new favourite quote!

MSA Eid Dinner

Fresher’s week has contained Eid this year, the Muslim religious festival and a day for family and close friends to get together. Although I was slightly apprehensive about spending this day away from home for the first time, it was a lovely experience for me to join the MSA (Muslim Student Association) here for a meal out at a buffet restaurant by the River Liffey- can’t go wrong with an ‘all you can eat’! (By this point, I assume you’ve realised I’m a big foodie.)

This past week has been packed with new experiences, from flying alone and staying in a hostel, to taking my first steps through the Front Gate of what is to be my educational institute for the next year. I can confirm that the Trinity College campus is as picturesque as Google Images shows, with its grey Georgian buildings and open courtyard, it’ll be worth getting up for my 9 a.m’s, and I feel strangely ready to combat another year of maths, alongside exploring a whole new place!

Oh, by the way, did you know Dublin has a Leprechaun Museum?! No, neither did I until today.

A Museum of Leprechauns?