Northern Ireland?

Something I realize when I talk to other people about my study abroad experience is that a lot of people don’t know much at all about Northern Ireland. I can’t really blame them. I didn’t either before I was interested in going there for a semester.

Northern Ireland is a part of Ireland, the island, but it is a separate country from the southern part of the island, which is called the Republic of Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is its own independent country, while Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom. When I came into the country, I was entering through U.K, not Irish customs, which is why my study abroad program told people who weren't flying into Belfast (Northern Ireland's capital) that they should fly into London instead of Dublin (the Republic of Ireland's capital).

Peace Wall in Belfast

Identity is a very tricky issue in Northern Ireland. Are people in Northern Ireland British, or are they Irish? Are they simply Northern Irish? The choice of identification is usually indicative of political leanings. A Northern Irish person who considers themselves British might be a unionist, who is supportive of Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom, while a Northern Irish person who calls themselves Irish might be a nationalist, someone who wants Ireland to all be its own country. The contention between these different political factions, which often play out along religious lines (Protestants more often being unionists and Catholics more often being nationalists), has a violent history, in a time called the Troubles. This violence mostly ended after a Good Friday Agreement in 1998, but there are some smaller violent outburts to this day. Because of the gravity of such matters, and because it’s still a very divided country, foreigners need to treat the matter of identify delicately. While international students sometimes got careless when referring to local students with each other, it would be a big faux paus to call someone “British” or “Irish” who wouldn’t use that term for themselves.



Parliament building in Belfast

Towards the end of my semester in Northern Ireland, some violence did break out in the capital city, Belfast, after a vote about hanging the union flag outside of City Hall. The government voted to only fly the flag for certain days each year. Unionists protested this decision, and some of these protests turned violent. This was near Christmas-time, and I remember hearing that the violence was disruptive of a lot of Christmas shopping. In particular, it temporarily shut down the Belfast Christmas Market, which was right outside of City Hall. It was strange knowing that such uproar was happening just where I’d been shopping a week or two earlier.

It was really distressing to hear about this news, especially because I remembered how proud some of the tour guides in Belfast sounded about the progress the city had made. They had lived through the Troubles and times when Northern Ireland, Belfast especially, was only seen as a dangerous place. Now Belfast is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. Despite all that progress, the divide in Northern Ireland is still very much present.

I remember reading the Facebook statuses of a student from my university, and she seemed very frustrated and wearied by the conflict in her country; still, she was not particularly surprised by the turn of events, and no one else seemed to be.



Belfast city hall decorated for Christmas

Though Northern Ireland is a separate from the Republic of Ireland, there are no signs marking the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, like we have here between states. I thought this was curious and asked my study abroad program director about it. He said that this was part of an agreement to keep the peace in Ireland. Additionally, people in Northern Ireland are allowed both Irish and U.K. passports.

As a student who was only there for a semester, one of the most notable differences between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is currency. Northern Ireland uses pounds, like the rest of the U.K., while the Republic of Ireland uses Euros. Something interesting about paper notes in Northern Ireland is that the different banks in Northern Ireland all print different notes, unlike here, where all $1 bills are the same no matter what ATM you use. Though they were still pounds, I had to change my notes to Bank of England pounds when I visited London because many places in London won’t take notes from Northern Irish banks. Northern Ireland, however, accepts Bank of England notes. When I went to Scotland, they also took my Northern Irish pounds. A trip to Dublin also meant I was required to change my currency, but that was to euros; I had to keep in mind a whole different conversion rate. Language is another difference. In Northern Ireland, mostly everything is in English. Once you cross into the Republic of Ireland, though, all the road signs are in English and Irish. In the majority of places, though, both in the Republic and Northern Ireland, people speak English.

Northern Ireland, overall, is a really fascinating country, and I’m glad I learned more about the situation there because of my time abroad. It may be a divided society still, to some extent, and it surely has had a tough recent history. Nevertheless, it is also home to some very welcoming, friendly people and an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. I would recommend it to all travelers, though they should probably go in with a little bit of awareness about the country.

Stretching

I rarely think of myself as a leader. It’s not that I think I’m much of a follower. I’ve always had too much of an independent streak for that. There, I think, lies the reason why I don’t usually see myself as a leader—too much independence. I like and am pretty good at working alone.  A plus for a Creative Writing major like myself. When it comes to school group projects—well, I must admit I groan a little, and while I do sometimes take charge, I rarely think of that as anything more than doing what I have to do to get things done. My natural inclination isn't usually to go after a leadership role.   

This year, though, I have a chance to be an actual leader.

I am a member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, one of our Christian groups on campus, and I am now on our leadership board. I’m working with another student to organize our large group gatherings that happen every Thursday night. This involves a lot of planning, getting in contact with people, organizing, etc.

Tonight is the first large group meeting that I’ve had a part in planning, and I must admit I’m a little nervous. After a semester that was fairly care free when i was abroad (only three classes, little extracurricular responsibility, tons of free time), it’s a bit overwhelming to begin a new role with new responsibilities, especially since I feel very passionately about this group. I want to give them my best work.

Overall, though, I feel like my worries will be calmed once the event tonight happens. The first large group meeting may or may not run as smoothly as I hope it will, but it will happen, nonetheless. What needs to be done will get done, and I will know that can happen again, the next week and then all the week after that.  

And I will be stretched, just a bit, away from who I saw myself as when I entered college and towards the person who I can be. The leader that I may not have anticipated becoming back when I was in high school.

I suppose that’s one of the wonders of college: being stretched into someone that can offer a bit more than what you expected. In high school, I think a lot of people thought of me as a smart girl who writes a lot, and I thought of myself that way too. While I still hope that people think I’m smart, and while I do still love writing, college also seems like it’s been a time of expanding, both in terms of my identity and the possibilities that I see for myself.

Perhaps I'll really discover my inner-leader this semester at Susquehanna. Who knows what I may discover next?

University Life: Ulster vs. Susquehanna

University of Ulster-Coleraine campus

I thought it would be interesting to think of some of the differences between university life here at Susquehanna and university life at University of Ulster-Coleraine, where I spent last semester in Northern Ireland.

I think some of the biggest differences pertain to residence life. In Northern Ireland universities, almost everyone goes home every weekend. Though some people at Susquehanna may make some weekend trips home, the vast majority stick around. Staying for the weekend is a rarity in Northern Ireland.  On Friday afternoons, the university parking lots would clear out, and mostly the only people around campus were international students.

Because of this, social life and night life works much differently in Northern Ireland. People go out during the weekdays, since they go home on weekends, whereas here there’s definitely more happening on weekend nights. For instance, I had some friends at home express surprise when I was messaging them on a Wednesday night about getting ready to go out to a night club, but Wednesday was the big night for that club in terms of students attending. They even sent a free bus to the university that night to take students to and from the club.

It was a bit depressing to see campus so empty on the weekends, but this wasn’t too terrible of an adjustment to make—at least for one semester. My flat was all international students, so my flat-mates were still around. Plus, I was able to spend some weekends travelling or simply relaxing, so that was nice.

Despite the fact that students go home so much more, the living arrangements in Coleraine are much more independent than they are here. There were a few places on campus to eat, but only for lunch, and there was no meal plan to purchase. Students have to take care of themselves, in terms of food. Where I lived on campus, Maple Lodge, students also had to purchase their electricity and a lot of other things that are just part of the dormitory package here, like toilet paper and soap.

This was a bit more of an adjustment. My friends and I at Coleraine had weekly lunch dates, sometimes ate our separate dinners we made together, or a few times had group dinners where we shared food,  but eating at Susquehanna is much more of a social event. It’s a time built into my days to spend with friends, whether that’s grabbing lunch between classes in the cafeteria or meeting at Benny’s for dinner.

Plus, there was also that added responsibility of having to make my own food! I’m not much of a cook, and I spent most of the semester making some microwavable meals, some of which were, actually, surprisingly delicious.

In general, my Northern Irish university seemed to expect more independence and take care of less for its students. For example, there’s no free printing there, which is something we have at Susquehanna. Many athletic classes and other organized asked for fees which might be covered upfront by an activity fee here.  During my international student orientation, I remember discussing with one of my American friends how different this would be at an American university and how much more thoroughly we’d be walked through the processes of finding our way around campus, scheduling, etc.

There are also differences in the academics. I spent much less time in class in my university in Northern Ireland. There were also a lot less assignments throughout the semester. I only had to do midterm and final essays for my courses there, while here I have smaller assignments more frequently. For each class at the University of Ulster, I had a lecture once a week and a seminar once a week. The lecture was the entire class, and a seminar was a smaller group discussion, led by the professor. I know some U.S. schools organize their courses that way, but that’s not how I’m used to things at Susquehanna. Here, because of our small class sizes, there’s not as much of a need for smaller seminar groups, and professors often do a combination of lecturing and leading discussion. I also think discussions here are much more vibrant than some of those I participated in while abroad. During my orientation, a staff worker from my program, IFSA-Butler, told me that often American students find themselves talking a lot more than other students in their classes. I found this to be true. American students, in comparison, seem more willing to speak up and participate, and I did find myself talking a lot more than other students in one of my seminars about women writers.

Of course, there are also bigger differences in education that didn’t have as much of an impact on me because I was only there for a semester, but I know that the Northern Ireland system is much more focused. Students come in with a course of study, and I think all (or almost all) of their courses pertain to that field of study. There’s no Central Curriculum or core requirements like we have at Susquehanna. I was talking to the director of my study abroad program, and he seemed to admire the American system because students could explore so much more. I’m really appreciative of the chances I’ve had to study different things here at Susquehanna. That’s how my Religion major came about, after all, and I’m so glad that I’m double majoring now. I can see, though, how the Northern Irish system might be more practical. Also, the typical degree program there finishes in three years, not four.

Something else I found out is that most students from Northern Ireland don’t end up going to Northern Irish universities. Most go elsewhere in the United Kingdom or to the Republic of Ireland for college. Northern Ireland itself only offers two universities—the University of Ulster, which has five campuses, and Queen’s University-Belfast.   It’s strange to think that while students who go to college in Northern Ireland go home every weekend, there are even more students from Northern Ireland who are spending their college years in a different country. It’s also weird to think about what the admissions process must be like. In America, there’s an overwhelming amount of universities to look at and apply to, while, if a Northern Irish student wants to stay in Northern Ireland, that seems much more simplified.

Overall, while I really enjoyed my time at University of Ulster, I'm inclined towards the Susquehanna way of life. Of course, a lot of that must have to do with it being what I'm used to experiencing. If I could wave a magic wand and change American universities to be more like European ones, I think the only thing I would change was giving us their startlingly low tuition prices!

A Weekend in London

In London!

Because I did such a terrible job keeping up with my blog while studying abroad, I’ve decided to include some reflections on my experience among my posts about this new semester.  One experience I think worth sharing is my weekend trip to London.

Though there are tons of cities I would’ve liked to visit in Europe, London was pretty high on my priority-list from the semester, since it was relatively close and my friend Lindsey, a fellow Susquehanna student, was studying for a semester in the city, at Regent’s College. Not having to pay to stay in a hostel—score!

I ended up traveling to London the weekend after Thanksgiving. This meant I spent my Thanksgiving Day traveling by myself. This was a bit sad, but since Thanksgiving Day is not at all celebrated in Northern Ireland, there weren’t  many reminders of what I was missing throughout the day. Still, I’ll always be able to say that I once had Burger King chicken nuggets by myself in an airport for Thanksgiving dinner.

Big Ben

After a short flight, I landed in an airport outside of London, called London-Luton. This airport was much bigger and much more confusing than the airport I had acclimated myself to in Belfast! Somehow this managed to surprise me, though it shouldn’t have, considering how much bigger London is.  With some help from someone who worked there, I managed to find the shuttle that took me to the train station. From there, I got an express train into London. It was sometime past 11 p.m. when I got to the station in central London where Lindsey picked me up.

The next day, we met with two other friends who were studying in England and came up to London for the weekend. While Lindsey was in class that Friday,   they took me to some of the notable tourist destinations. I saw the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye. I thought Big Ben might be underwhelming, as iconic things often are. Though it may not have been as huge as I imagined, it was actually more architecturally beautiful than I expected. Westminster Abbey was gorgeous from the outside, and I regret not going in.  We also walked around the National Art Gallery. I’m a big lover of museums,especially free ones, so that was very nice.

Westminster Abbey

After Lindsey met up with us, we got lunch and went shopping. I bought a pair of leather gloves at the Primark that came in handy for braving the cold the rest of the semester. Later that evening, there was a stressful miscommunication about where we were supposed to meet up with friends, but thankfully (after much worrying, on both sides, about where the others were) we found each other. We ended up trying to calm down over a McDonald’s dinner together before going out for a fun night of dancing.

The day after, we went to the British Library. This was probably one of the best places I visited all semester. It had  many old documents on display, such as old, illumined Bibles, important literary texts, handwritten lyrics of the Beatles, etc.  Not all of these items were British, either. They had plenty of things from all over the world. I probably could’ve stayed there for hours.

After the British library, we stopped at the nearby King’s Cross train station—yes, the King’s Cross station featured in the Harry Potter series! I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so I couldn’t resist taking a picture at Platform 9 and ¾. The station was much more modern than what’s depicted in the Harry Potter movies. The Platform 9 and ¾ tourist attraction—a sign that read “Platform 9 and ¾” slapped on a brick wall, with half of a metal cart attached to it (as if to look like the other half had made it through the barrier)—was certainly not the coolest sight I saw, especially since it wasn’t even among the actual train platforms. However, since it may have been my only London experience ever, I needed to get a photo! My friend and I waited in a long line of other tourists to have our pictures taken  there.

That night, we went out to a pub for dinner. We took a long time wandering around looking for a place to eat that was good and not completely crowded before we found it. It was worth the wait. It was probably the best meal I had all semester! I had glazed chicken, chips (what we’d call fries), and Rekorderlig Wild Berry Cider. Everything was delicious.

We couldn’t stay out too late that night since I had a plane to catch the next morning. Lindsey and I had to get up ridiculously early to get me to the train station that would take me to the London-Luton airport. Unfortunately, because of an inaccurate bus schedule, I ended up at the station later than I had intended. This led to my first experience of running through an airport in fear of missing my flight. This was made all the worse by temporarily losing my boarding pass when I went through security. Thankfully, someone who worked there had it and returned it, I rushed to my gate, and had a few minutes to spare before boarding the plane.

All in all, traveling to London wasn’t entirely stress-free. I think traveling, especially when some of  it is done alone, can be tiresome. I was relieved to return to my flat in Coleraine, a place that may not have been my home but sure gave a homey feeling after a weekend in London. I’m so glad that I had visited London, and it was worth all the stress. Still, something about that massive, bustling English city made me happy to be just where I was—the calm town of Coleraine, Northern Ireland, surrounded by beautiful Irish countryside.

Back to Susquehanna

I had a window seat on my flight from Belfast to America. As we were getting close to the Newark airport, I looked down at the landscape and thought how American it all looked, compared to the Irish landscape I'd grown accustomed to for the past three months. I was excited and ready to go home to spend Christmas break with my family.

And I was ready for another semester at Susquehanna.

Friday my parents and I packed my things into a van and headed to Selinsgrove. It felt, and still very much feels, like the beginning of a new academic year, and it's easy for me to forget that it is, in fact, Spring semester and that mostly everyone else was here in the fall.

I moved into my single room in one of the Sassafrass townhouses. It's definitely the nicest room I've lived in here at Susquehanna! I have so much more space than I've had before, and I even have a walk-in closet. It's nice, after a semester abroad where I could only bring a suitcase, to have a homier room, with my nice bedding, pillows, lamps, chair, etc. Still, I don't have quite enough posters to fill up all the empty wall space.

Yesterday was my first day of classes. In Northern Ireland, I only took three courses, and they were structured so that I only had essays due during mid-terms and at the end of the semester. It will certainly be an adjustment to go back to a schedule that requires more time in class, more classes, and more assignments throughout the semester.

Thankfully, all of my courses seem really interesting this semester and worth the work. I got to experience my Intermediate Poetry, Fiction of C.S. Lewis, and Music in Christian Rituals classes yesterday, and later on today I'll be going to Women in Biblical Tradition, which might be the class I'm most excited to attend. 

The best part of being back on campus, of course, is seeing so many of the friends I missed last semester! I am so grateful I was able to work out a housing arrangement that meant I would be moving into a house with many of my close friends. Now people who I had to Skype last semester are just a flight of stairs away!

Despite how exciting it is to be back at Susquehanna, it's still a bit surreal that my study abroad experience is over. 

Though the experience was great, there were times I felt homesick when studying abroad, and by the time I was flying home, I felt like I was ready to leave. Once I got back, though, it became real that I don't know when I'll next travel out of the country and that I may never go back to Ireland. In the grand scheme of things, it was such a short experience, and I can't believe it's already gone.

It's left its imprint, though. Before last semester, I had never flown on a plane or left the country. Now, obviously, I have done both. I have gained so much more travel experience than I had and feel more capable of doing things like traveling independently. I've traveled by bus, train, taxi, ferry, plane, and subway (during a weekend in London, on the London Underground). I've been to Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and England. I've lived with girls from Hong Kong and Belgium. I've gone to a Northern Irish night club with a friend from Germany. I've heard people sing "God Save the Queen" in a church service. I've watched seals in the wild, shopped at the Belfast Christmas Market, gone to museums in Dublin, stood on the distinctive rocks of the Causeway Coast, and walked to the beach on a frosty day in a coastal town called Portstewart. I've started liking tea, enjoyed cider, ate some delicious "chips," and managed to feed myself for a whole semester by buying groceries at Tesco, a big, British chain of grocery stores. I've stayed in a hostel in Edinburgh with some of my best friends. I've read my poetry aloud at a Poetry Society meeting at the University of Ulster and talked a lot in class discussion of love poetry and twentieth-century women writers. And I had some great conversations with great people. 

Though, over time, last semester will become more distant--just some far-off experience that I had, maybe--that won't change how big of a deal it was for me. I left my comfort zone and went off to a college across the ocean without any classmates from Susquehanna coming with me--without knowing a soul.  While I could analyze what I should've done to make more of the semester or feel regret over not getting to X or Y, I'm pleased looking back on my experience.

I certainly feel as if I made the right choice to go away for a semester and to go where I did--Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Now I just need to enjoy this semester here at Susquehanna University, a school that is one of my other best choices.