Resignation

I worked every day this week, although most days were short so I know my paycheque will be pitiful again this week. I was disappointed to find that I had no bonus on my last cheque. When I asked about it I was told it was just a mistake, so I can at least look forward to finding out what that number will be next time. I thankfully have the next two days off because I traded my day off with Heather last Saturday so she could be with her family on their last day in Ireland, and in return she is taking my Thursday. This means I get to go for my six weeks’ follow-up appointment tomorrow and get some other things checked off my to-do list.

This past Thursday I covered some lunch breaks in the cocktail bar, which I had never done before. Mostly I was in the backroom as the barista, which was hectic since it was busy. They put me back in for a full shift on Monday and I spent the whole day thinking, if not singing, “I was working as a waitress in the cocktail bar…” in a much calmer environment. I didn’t like that I occasionally had to go behind the bar as well. I get overwhelmed when looking at all the bottles and trying to find the one I need. I just don’t know alcohol well enough to bartend. Plus the next step is figuring out how to make the drinks. But since it was quiet on Monday it wasn’t too big of a deal and the other girls were able to help me. Otherwise I enjoyed making the coffees behind the scenes.

That morning in the restaurant had not gone well because the manager came to eat while I was on my break, getting himself a coffee from the kitchen. This was a problem because only two others were scheduled to be working, and when a customer has a coffee it’s a signal that they have already been asked if they would like anything. Reading this signal, no one took care of him, which lead to the supervisor getting angry because the manager believed all customers were getting that kind of “poor” service. Naturally, she told us all off. And this was the supervisor I was planning on giving my resignation letter to after lunch. I wanted to give it directly to the Food and Beverage Manager, but she was scheduled to be out until Wednesday. In the end I stifled my nerves and went into the office before my lunch was up. She gasped when I affirmed that the letter was my resignation, but I quickly explained that it wouldn’t be until April 30th. She then motioned around herself and asked, “It isn’t because of this…?” And of course I said, “No, no, not at all!” and explained about wrapping up our travels and going home to Canada. She seemed to relax and put the unread letter into an envelope for our superior. I am relieved that it’s finally done; it’s been a long time coming. I thought the letter itself was nice, and even gave a second copy to be sent to HR. The supervisor also seemed perfectly patient with my cocktail bar training later, which was another relief. As I've said, she has been much better lately, barring that I did make a few mistakes this week. But I can’t wait for all that pressure to be officially off.

After work it started to pour down rain. Dale had only just gotten back from an hour and a half bike ride out to Dalkey to collect my insurance claim papers, so I decided to go over to Katie’s place to kill some time before Fitzgeralds. We grabbed a cab since the weather was miserable and got dropped off at a grocery store, where we drooled over the American products before going to her place. We chatted with her roommate, myself with a glass of white wine, Jessica nursing too many nights out, and Katie the same plus strep throat. Then they pointed me in the direction of O’Connell Street and I headed into the steady grey drizzle. The pub was full of new people apart from Sammy, so we got to know some new faces. I especially enjoyed how easily conversation flowed with two of the girls, who I invited to the party we’re planning on hosting this Friday. Since we’re too poor to buy each other anniversary gifts, Dale and I decided to throw a party instead!

It is also the last weekend in our place since we’re moving in with Heather on Monday. We’ve been packing and planning all week, which has been pretty stressful despite the fact that we don’t have many possessions. There are so many unknowns about the next few months that we need to get sorted out. With this in mind, after work today Heather and I walked into Rathmines where I met up with Dale; he and I went into the Social Welfare office with a confusing letter I had received the day before. The lady there told us that despite the fact that I’m as good as an Irish citizen, I won’t receive any money for my time out of work. To be eligible I needed to have been working in Ireland for longer than what I have. But we were at least tossed a bone when we went into Lenehan’s for some moving boxes on the way home and Dale’s old boss offered him a few days of work over two weeks in mid-April. In the meantime, on Heather’s recommendation, I finally started, “100 Happy Days.” I sent in my first picture of something that makes me happy yesterday. What better way to make sure I appreciate my last few months of travel? And since I have no other pictures for this week, here was my reason to be happy yesterday:

The sun has started coming up when I leave for work!

Well, Hello there, Bono: St. Patrick's Day in Dublin!

I have been sent home early almost every day this week. I think everyone is a little on edge with their money because the last two months have been the record slowest for the Conrad. I haven’t heard anything about Social Welfare, but I will find out what my bonus was tomorrow. However, I did receive a letter from work saying I would be getting a 2% raise, which means I now make twenty cents more per hour. I wasn’t expecting anything since I haven’t even been there a year yet.

Kilmainham Gaol cell

Kilmainham Gaol

Site of executions (including Connolly, who was tied
to a chair because he was injured, ultimately angering
 the Irish people further)

Dale and I spent one inexpensive day at Kilmainham Gaol, where we learned about the sixteen rebels, most of whom who were executed in the Victorian prison after the 1916 rebellion against the British. Afterwards we stopped in at the National Art Gallery, which was inside the same former hospital that I worked an event inside for Roisin. The art was far too weird for both of us. Then we wandered through the English Gardens before making our way into Phoenix Park, which was nice in the distance, but had a lot of garbage strewn around up close.

The English Gardens at the National Art Gallery

Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park

On Friday Levente and I decided to use our extra time off to go see “The Book Thief,” which I’ve been wanting to see for ages since reading the book. On the way we stopped for smoothies, then chocolate crepes with whipped cream, all of which Levente insisted on paying for in exchange for Booster Juice, Canadian pancakes, and a place to stay when he visits Canada some day. I was happy to agree, but I think it’s more likely that we’ll go see another movie sometime and it’ll be my turn to treat. Nevertheless,  the gesture was much appreciated! It was a decent temperature outside, so even the wandering from place to place in Dublin was enjoyable. The movie itself was both very tragic and heart-warming, and I think just about as good as the book, which is rare.

On Saturday Sydnee and her friend Dan arrived for St. Patrick’s Day from Wales via Belfast. I met up with them at the arch on St. Stephen’s Green after work, where they were lounging in the warm grass with their big backpacks. Despite their being hung-over, I took them into town for a wander. Dale met up with us for a pint in O’Neill’s, where we were watching the Wales versus Scotland rugby match. Then we made a short stop back home to drop off their belongings before walking to Coman’s, the pink and gold pub we went to with Orla and Michael last week. The final Six Nations match, Ireland versus France, had just begun. We cricked our necks under the TV for lack of a better spot, but it was worth it when the close game ended in a victory for Ireland and the pub erupted in fist pumps and hugs. We had dinner at AbraKebabra, then I had to go to bed since I worked early in the morning.

On Sunday I only worked three hours, which made me angry considering I had to walk to work, and then, because I had forgotten my phone, I had a hard time getting in touch with Dale, Sydnee, and Dan. It also turns out the buses weren’t running, so Nicc and I decided to go to MacDonald’s while I waited to meet up with them at O’Neill’s. The only good thing about my walk to work in the morning was that the sun was coming up, which makes it slightly less unpleasant to have to be up so early. Nicc and I had a great chat about ghosts and superstitions over lunch, then I went to O’Neill’s, where it turned out the others had already arrived via a different bus that actually was still running. We started to wander again, heading down Grafton where we bumped into Ally, Sammy, and Ally's guests, then going into the Temple Bar area and visiting a “Traditional Irish Candy Shop.” We crossed the Ha’Penny Bridge to walk along the Bachelor’s Walk, or the boardwalk by the River Liffey. We watched some buskers, went into a shopping centre where there was supposedly a free beer tasting that wasn’t free at all, then went to the fair on the R801 and enjoyed the “Dominator 360” in front of the Customs House. It was similar to the ride Dale and I enjoyed in Bray last summer, swinging us back and forth until it flipped over its own axis upside down. Now that was a view of Dublin I had never seen before!

A good-sport Guard!

Afterwards we went to Cassidy’s for a pint and a game of Jenga. We had our free candy and even signed the graffiti-scrawled wall: St. Patrick’s Day 2014, Nicole, Syd the Kid, Dale, and Dan. Then we crossed O’Connell Bridge again, grabbed some Hot Wok, and ate it on the statue of Daniel O’Connell. Dan made a friend with a small boy who kept attacking him while the rest of us finished our meals. As it started to get dark we made our way to the Turk’s Head for another pint, which was the last pub we had visited on our 12 Pubs of Christmas night. The live music ended a little early, so someone pocketed a Guinness glass and we went to a corner store to buy some less expensive wine for the night. It turns out just about everyone in Dublin had the same idea, but the Guarda didn’t care in the slightest! When Sydnee took a picture in Temple Bar of all the liquor bottles and cans strewn all over the cobbles, one of the Guards came over to join her photo, perching his hat on top of her head! I was glad I had taken Syd and Dan through the area a few times before the party started because the population difference was amazing!

Having a blast

The Temple Bar area itself was packed with random groups of people singing, dancing in front of buskers, and drinking. I have never seen it so full of people, and the atmosphere was very fun. Syd did a little jig with a stranger and taught Dale a dance that made them both look high. It turned out Syd was not allowed in St. John Gogarty’s because of her age, and we accidentally went in another entrance looking for a toilet, so quickly found ourselves kicked out. We went into Sweeney’s instead. After a quick video to Mum wishing her a happy birthday, a stop at MacDonald’s and a gifted wrap for the MacDonald’s bouncer from Dan, we headed towards O’Neill’s in search of more live music. On the way Dale thought it would be a good idea to set the alarm off on a BMW, so he gave it a good boot—while the owner was sitting behind the steering wheel (on the right-side, of course). The guy got out of the car, slammed the door, and started stalking after us, none of which Dale noticed. The rest of us immediately started telling Dale off, with Dan apologizing to the guy and probably saving the situation. Dale contentedly continued walking down the street, completely oblivious. Needless to say, he had a pretty bad headache the next day. O’Neill’s was the highlight of the night. Upstairs was packed with people jumping to the live Irish and mixed music, and we quickly joined in and stayed past last-call. On the way home, naturally, we stopped at Zaytoons for garlic cheese fries.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade by the Spire

Spontaneous dancing!

The beamer slayer couldn’t even get up for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade the next day, and we had to leave him in misery while we caught a bus that was absolutely packed with people. It stopped short of our usual destination because the roads were blocked and we had to make our way along the street to O’Connell Bridge in single file! By the time we decided to stop we had reached the Spire and still had no where to view the parade. We ended up climbing onto a green electrical box and standing over the sea of green heads. Other people were climbing trees, street lights, or waving flags out of department store windows. The floats in the parade were the creepiest I have ever seen, and I suspect some of them were from Irish fairytales that I know nothing about. The weather barely misted us even if it was cold, which I hear is very rare and we were very lucky! When the parade ended all the people starting moving at once, and we waited like we were trapped on a deserted island and ate our packed sandwiches. It was totally worth it to see the streets I’ve walked so many times teeming with excited people. Some spontaneous dancing even broke out right in front of us (encouraged by Syd, naturally!).

When the crowds had cleared a little we went to the Morrison, where Katie’s roommate Jessica works. Jessica pours generous shots for her friends, plus Katie and I get a 50% discount as Hilton card-holders, so the drinks cost us next to nothing. Sammy eventually joined us, as well as Dale, who seemed mostly recovered, and then we headed to the Hardrock Café to meet Tony and Isaac from work. As soon as Katie and I got inside, Isaac pointed us to Bono, who was standing a few tables from us. We immediately jumped up and got a photo with him, Isaac taking the shot. We all had a drink while he indulged his fans with more photos, then Dale and Syd got their photo. Bono said, "Have a good St. Patrick's Day," to which Dale cleverly replied, "U2." Because Dan couldn’t get inside with the wine we had purchased, we regrettably had to head out. Syd and Dan actually ended up heading to the same chippy as Bono, watching while girls started screaming at the sight of him, and then stood in line right after him as they all ordered and ate their chips. I’ve been looking into it and I can’t find any evidence for it being an impersonator yet (and Bono has been known to busk on Grafton Street at Christmas time, after all!).

Bono!

Syd, Dan, and I leprechaunin' it up

After all this excitement we went to the Porterhouse, where Olly turned up with his German friends, then Heather with her family, we made friends with some Dubliners (who I couldn’t believe would actually stay in Dublin for the mess), followed by Dale’s friend Greg meeting up with us. Syd and Dan ducked out now and then to enjoy the atmosphere on Fleet Street, and Sammy and I soon ran into them when we stopped in at Di Fontaine’s pizza. I should have known Sydnee was in there because the little square shop was bursting with dancers and the chef was DJing with enthusiasm. Syd and Dan took credit for starting this hilariously weird club; Sammy and I immediately joined in.

As the night wore on the crowds thinned before even midnight. Along with Greg, we returned to O’Neill’s, trusting that it would be a good time. We saw a few people we had met the night before, who obviously had the same idea. Syd and I danced up by the band, ending the night predictably, and happily, with “Galway Girl.” We walked home again to save the cost of the cab ride, Dale snagging a felt St. Patrick’s Day top hat along the way. Able to sleep-in until 11:00 the next day, we all came out of the experience thrilled and maybe a little dehydrated. Syd and Dan left for Galway, and Dale and I dove into a couple movies: "Michael Collins" (starring the Kilmainham Gaol we just visited), "Pulp Fiction," and then some "Modern Family."

Today, after another shortened shift, Dale and I went for a walk in Heather’s neighbourhood, where daffodils were in bloom and ducks splashed playfully. I had to leave my jacket open the day was so nice; it is such a relief to me after being so cold for so long. I’m really looking forward to the warmth of Canada, but more and more I can see that it rains in British Columbia more than it does in Ireland! Nevertheless, I can’t help being in a better mood now that spring is officially in the air.

Meetings and Partings

I had my Teacher Education Program interview on Wednesday. I was thinking the call would come at six, but was basically ready at 5:00 in case we had mixed up on the time difference or our clocks were not quite at the same standard, which was a good thing because when I opened Skype on the tablet (Sydnee’s bright idea instead of using the poor-sounding laptop) I saw I had a missed call. They called again, but there was no image, so the two women said they’d try again in five minutes, at the actual time we had agreed to start. I ran around putting the last of my touches in place, then sat down for the interview with the tablet on my knee. I thought I did well. I definitely rambled nonsensically for the first question, but the other four felt alright and so did the hour-long essay. Now to wait for the beginning of April to find out if I will be starting school on July 28th!

Thursday was Dale’s last day of work at Lenehan’s Hardware. Dale brought in chocolates for his boss and some for his coworkers as a parting gift. After work, we met some of the coworkers for an enjoyable night at Roddy Bolan’s, a huge, dark pub that I would never have guessed was its size from the outside. Tom, his boss, had even given his son money to pay for a round of drinks. He told Dale he’d call him if he ever needed some shifts covered, which could be a big help for us. I also found out I might be getting a small bonus from work because we achieved the set targets at Christmas time. I've got my fingers crossed for any added money we might be able to bring in.

The rest of the week I worked short shifts and didn’t have to take the bike. This week will be different on Sunday, but Dale agreed to walk to work with me instead. We were planning on running, but it only occurred to me later that the jogging motion might hurt. It doesn’t seem like there’s been much improvement to my cheekbone or jaw in a while. I doubt I’ll ride the bike again while we’re here.

After work on Saturday Dale and I made our way to Coman’s, a pink and gold pub just around the corner from us to finally meet Orla and her boyfriend, Michael. We had dinner together as the Irish rugby team flattened Italy in the background. We had been trying to meet up with them since we first arrived, but only just managed it. Orla and Michael even treated us, and it has gotten so nice outside that it ended up being quite a pleasant afternoon!

The intact candelabra in Merchant's Arch

Monday, naturally, was Fitz night. Heather brought her mom, her dad, and her brother and his girlfriend. I remember how cool it was to show Sydnee the place where, to be over-frilly, "the friendships flourish and the pints flow." So I know Heather must have enjoyed it too. When we’d all finished eating, Dale, myself, and Heather’s gang went to Merchant’s Arch, where the old band from O’Neill’s, Hot Whiskey, was playing. Merchant’s Arch was originally built as a tailor’s guild in the 1700s and looks directly out over the Liffey and Ha’Penny Bridge, with the side entrance down a stone-tunnelled alley. We sat on the indoor balcony, so we could clearly see the ornate candelabra and ceiling shaking with the stomps of the enthusiastic Irish dancers on the floor above. In the middle of Hot Whiskey’s performance one of the small light fixtures broke off and stared swinging by a thread over a girl’s head. One of the employees got up on a stool, then a ladder to fix it while the band played a Jaws-sounding tune, and then we all cheered when he managed to screw it back in place.

Most of my week was also taken up with binge-reading “The Shining,” and now Veronica Roth’s “Divergent.” What with the sunlight, decent temperatures, short work schedules, and proper sleep on my days off, I’ve been trying to embrace relaxation. I know the next few weeks are going to fly by with St. Patrick’s day, Syd’s visit, moving, and a lot more planning! Today Dale and I are planning to tour Kilmainham Gaol.

Foot-loose in Scotland

This week I received a helping hand from my mum, who sent me some money to keep us going, suggesting hopefully that we could take another holiday down the line. This was such a relief that I nearly cried. Dale has been expressing the desire to go home for a while now, particularly mindful of our money, but there’s still so much to do and see. We hadn’t been getting anywhere in our discussions and it was incredibly frustrating. The money from Mum was a great relief. She gifted it with the uncertainty that she might get that money back in this year’s tax return, and I’m more grateful than she can imagine that I have her for a mother.

On Monday I went with Fionnuala to the local nurse and had my stitches removed. It was virtually painless and looked much nicer without the black, blood-clotted thread hanging in my hair. Then we played with Sennan a bit at the house before Vincent drove Dale and I back to the doctor to pick up some forms and then head home to Dublin. We had to pack our bags and make our way to USIT to print off our tickets to Edinburgh, then catch our bus and flight! The flight was so short it was almost a blink, and only cost us 40 euros each. We took the express bus to Edinburgh for half an hour and 4 euros each, and arrived at Budget Backpackers Hostel after a stop at another hostel along the cobbled streets to ask for directions. We saw Sydnee as soon as we walked in, and she told us we could hop on the hostel’s free pub crawl if we were quick to check-in!

Camille, Fanny, Aniol, Kata, and Lena had all come from Syd’s school in Wales, so we had a pretty large and fun group of friends to enjoy the pub crawl with. The pubs were pretty empty since it was Monday night, but the drinks were cheap and we had such a large group that it didn’t really matter. We chatted in the first pub, were dancing by the second (after a cider that tasted like cheese and a free Bloody Mary shot), watched metal karaoke in the third, then joined the club scene at the fourth. The night took a negative turn in between the last two stops because one of our number stepped hard on my heel twice in row, managing to rip the sole of my boot off right up to my arch. All he gave me was a cursory, “Pardonne,” before walking away (because all Canadians speak French). On the absolutely packed dance floor I was terrified to have my cheekbone hit, so I was on edge already while literally every second person spilled the drinks I was holding. I felt like I was in the ocean with waves crashing left and right. This was followed up by Dale pouring his cold and smelly beer all over the top of my head. Someone else did the same to Sydnee. I was ready to call it a night when we heard there was another section of the club playing ’90s music. On the way over Dale stood on my flapping sole and it wrenched right off my foot. It still makes me mad to think about. But when we turned the corner, sole in hand, we were met by “Footloose.” Syd pointed at me and burst out laughing. And thus, the night was saved.

Edinburgh

Dale had a nice hangover to enjoy the next day. I had slept on the top bunk in a room of 30 (15 on our level and 15 on a balcony upstairs that looked down on me), but my sleep was pretty sound with earplugs. He and I stopped over at Auld Jock’s Pie Shoppe for soft crescents that the girl behind the counter figured I could eat pretty easily. Then we met Sydnee and her classmates at the hostel for a free walking tour. Our guide said she was too hungover to take us out, but gave us directions when we said we didn’t mind. I limped my way in broken boots to our first stop, Greyfriars Cemetary, where thousands were burried in mass graves during the Plague, and where JK Rowling found the names “Tom Riddle” and “McGonagall.” The graveyard was strange with booth-like sections for families along the stone walls, but the day was gorgeous and made it picturesque.

The Elephant House, where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter

Edinburgh Castle from the hilltop

We took photos of Greyfriars Bobby nearby, a small terrier who is the most photographed statue in Scotland. Apparently the real Bobby sat by his owner’s grave for 14 years before he too died and was given a burial spot right beside him. Then Sydnee, Dale, and I stepped inside the Elephant House, a cute little red coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter books. There were pictures of the author hard at work in the shop, looking very young with long, wavy red hair. We continued to Edinburgh castle, which was in the centre of town and yet also perched on the edge of a cliff. We passed a kilt-clad bagpiper busking for money along the way. It was incredibly windy up there at the castle, but the views were stunning in the sunlight. I knew right away that Edinburgh was the most beautiful city I have ever visited. All the buildings looked so well preserved and cheerful! We went inside the courtyard for a closer look at the castle, but decided not to fork over the 16 pound student rate to go inside. From below the hill it really did look like Hogwarts.

Arthur's Seat

Sydnee and I overlooking Arthur's Seat

The gang

Next we stopped in the park below the castle to soak up the sun, followed by a visit to Penneys—well, Primark in Scotland and England—for a new pair of boots. Then we stopped for lunch in MacDonald’s, when it promptly turned cold and started snowing. It stopped as we left, and we journeyed up the nearby green hill to view the Nelson Monument and the Scotland Monument, not to mention the view of Arthur’s Seat. There was a great big rainbow as we looked out over the city and ocean. Sydnee and Dale even took my suggestion to roll down the hill like stupid logs, which was hilarious to watch.

Dale rolling

Syd rolling

Afterwards we visited a tourist information booth and sat in a nearby mall for hot chocolate while it poured and we tried to decide what ghost walking tour to do in the evening as well as what bus tour to take the next day. The rain stopped and the sun came out, so we bought our tours, then stopped at a Tesco Express to buy our meals for dinner and the next day. Dale also picked up "The Shining" from a nearby bookstore. Dale and I packed sandwich after sandwich back into the bread bag as Sydnee and the group made the pasta in the hostel’s kitchen. We ate and washed our dishes, then dressed as warmly as possible for the Mercat Ghosts and Ghouls tour, which cost us 12 pounds each. The tour gave us a demonstration of torture on poor Aniol and another guy, and then took us into the underground vaults below Edinburgh. The vaults were used to store such things as textiles and leather, and operated as work spaces until the water and human waste poured in and they were abandoned. For a while they housed the “seedy underworld,” but eventually were even abandoned by the poor. It was interesting to know we were so deep under the city considering the buildings used to rise 14 stories above ground! The ghost stories were fun to listen to, including; the one about the piper who soldiers sent into the secret passageway in the castle playing his way so that they could follow him above, only to disappear. The soldiers then hurried into the passage to help him only to find a brick wall, as if he never existed in the first place; another good story was the reason they only use candles in the vaults. The lights once went out while a troop of boy scouts were inside, all of whom were equipped with their own flashlights, none of which would work. The boys had to feel their way out, hearing stomping behind them all the way.

The Highlands in February

Afterwards we hurried back to the hostel because it was so cold and windy outside in the dark. We ended up going to bed because we had a tour to get to very early in the morning. Dale and I hung our blankets all around our beds so that I wouldn’t be stuck with the balcony people looking down on me while I slept. Even so, and I think this was because of my injury, I was unable to keep my eyes open on the bus. All I wanted to do was sleep. But then so did Sydnee. The driver took us into the Highlands, pointing out where they filmed “Skyfall” and a bit of “Harry Potter,” although we weren’t sure which movie exactly. We made it into the mountains after a stop at a gift shift where I found a silver necklace with a purple thistle on it that was really pretty. I saw it a few times that day in different gift shops, since that was what our bus tour mainly consisted of, but I resisted the urge to buy it. The mountains were stunning in snow, and it really felt like a breath of fresh air to see them. Neither Sydnee or myself realized how much mountains were missing from our lives. As we passed through snowy Glencoe, the driver also told us the sad story of the MacDonalds, a family who welcomed the Campbells into their home. Seven days later the Campbells received the order from the king to slaughter the entire family, and then did so.

Urquhart Castle

We stopped, and so did the rain, for a sunlit view of Urquhart Castle. The driver, who didn’t stop talking once on the twelve hour tour, except to play a song or two, came over to tell me a little about the history of the castle. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, albeit a little awkward at regular conversation. We were all very disappointed to find out it cost an extra 12 pounds to go on the boat tour, which we were under the impression was included in the 45 pound Timberbush tour. This meant we ended up at another gift/coffee shop with hot chocolates. There wasn’t even anywhere for us to walk along the lake, which was interestingly black as a pupil right from the shore. We amused ourselves throwing rocks into the lake to make it look like Nessie was emerging. On the drive home we passed Inverness, which looked very pretty and bright, and was described a surprising amount like home. In the dark we made a stop for dinner, in which Dale bought chips and gravy instead of eating our packed food, and led Sydnee to describe poutine to the server, which we then shared as well. If I have one thing to say about this bus tour and Scotland, it's that I have never seen so many brilliant rainbows in one day!

We spotted Nessie!

Edinburgh Castle at night

When we returned to the hostel and found Kata, who had stayed behind, we decided to find a pub with live music. There was one nearby, and the two singers inside were very enjoyable. I sipped some whiskey and ginger with lime, which I really enjoy, and Aniol joined the whiskey-train in a slightly more hard-core fashion. Lena, unfortunately, had to go back to the hostel for her ID, which the bar staff insisted on seeing even though she only wanted a tea. Apparently it’s the law in Scotland.

People's Palace and Winter Gardens

The next day we took the bus to Glasgow, where it rained almost all day. We found a mall to eat lunch in, Camille and Fanny (Camille's shoe broke!), and myself getting told off for having outside food. I had “take away” food from the café, while the other two girls were no longer laughing at our sandwich packing idea and were making their own. We didn’t leave until I was finished everything but my hot chocolate anyways, and that takes some time considering I can’t chew very well! The next step was to do some shopping. We split up, Sydnee, Dale, Camille, and I heading to Forever 21 and Primark. Dale and I didn’t buy anything. We later met up with the others across Glasgow Green inside the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens. The building was brick at the front and huge greenhouse at the back. We sat in the garden-section and watched hail start to pound down on the glass, then visited the free museum upstairs. Afterwards we headed back into the town and on a whim visited the art gallery. Inside was drywall with art hanging from it. In one segment we found the longest, circular movie about various soldiers coming home to their dysfunctional families (all of whom were the same people). It was the strangest thing to watch, and I wish the maker could have been there to explain it better. We walked out under lights strung across the buildings on either side like a ceiling. Sydnee, Dale, and I said goodbye to the Wales gang, and got on our bus to Manchester.

Playing scary dress-up!

Betsy sweeping

Betsy sleeping

We split a 20 pound cab ride to Stockport, where we stayed at Ged and Sue’s. Annie was home, but Gabrielle was in Leeds for college, so there was just enough room in the house for three more of us. Our first day visiting had a nice lazy start, and then Sue dropped the three of us off at Staircase House, a type of museum dating back to 1460. It was really cool because it is essentially a house that was added to every few hundred years and we were able to tour it for 2 pounds each, walking through rooms that demonstrated different eras with nothing roped off. We sat on the chairs, dressed up in the clothes in the bedroom, and took so long writing in fancy old letters with quills and ink that an employee came by three times to check on us and then tell us we only had 15 minutes left. Dale then bought some badly needed shoes nearby and almost a complete new wardrobe at Primark, including another pair of shoes, two sweatshirts, a Game of Thrones t-shirt, and two thick sweaters all for 50 pounds. We walked home for a delicious pasta dinner with garlic bread. The family had to work in the evening, but Dale, Sydnee, and I went around the corner to The Nursery, the English pub our family has been going to for generations.

Betsy Writing

The dining room

"Our" pub

The next day Ged took us for a pleasant walk through the suburbs of Heaton Moor. He waved and greeted people as we went, stopping to treat us to coffee at a local shop. We sat outside enjoying the spring weather and were joined by Dollar, who we chatted and caught up with until we all finished our drinks. In the evening we piled into the car and Annie drove us to a Thai place where we sat with elbows touching and enjoyed our own wine. I struggled with the salad I ordered as a starter, my face burning red because it was so spicy. The wine did not help. Luckily next up was pad-thai, which took me a while to eat but was delicious. Returning home we started enjoying some drinks—Baileys for me—until we were joined for the evening by Mary, Mum’s pen pal since she left England at nine years old, and Siobhan and Ged, along with his parents who Dale and I had met in Sligo in the summer. It was a really good get-together, and I also enjoyed the company of their two dogs, Holly and Bella. Curly-haired Bella was curled up on little Mrs. Drugan, which was adorable.

In The Nursery

Relaxing in Stockport

That was the end of our vacation, as Annie drove Syd to the bus in the morning, and Sue took Dale and I to the airport for another very short and cheap—50 euro—flight to Dublin. I was pretty exhausted. The next day was my first day back at work after three weeks off. I was still nervous about the flying kitchen doors, but luckily wasn’t hurt. I received many well wishes throughout the day, and it was nice to see the friendly, sympathetic faces again. Plus it was a quiet day at work. I am only scheduled for four short days this week, late enough on Saturday for the bus, and not at all on Sunday. I’m fairly sure that was done on purpose, and I’m really thankful.






After work Heather and I went to Dublin Castle because Heather knew of a view I hadn’t seen before, and vice versa. It was a beautiful day, so it was worth the walk. Then we went to O’Neill’s for coffee and a visit to Anne, who got a job there. We walked home, then met up again at Fitz, where I had a soft vegetarian curry and an enjoyable night. KT, who is leaving with Becca for a Europe-trip and then Canada, donated her clothes to Heather and I. I’m excited to go through them tonight.

Dublin Castle

I still have many insurance forms to fill out and fax, but most of the information they need has to come from the hospital, so it will have to wait for my six week’s follow-up appointment, which they won’t cover the cost of since it isn’t an emergency. In the meantime other options and ideas have been falling into place. I chatted with Danielle online, and she agreed with me that Dale and I should give our notice for the flat, try living with friends for April, then do helpx.net stay for a month somewhere warm, followed by a Europe-trip of our own, and maybe home a little early. Dale seemed happy about this idea, so when our landlord knocked on our door mid-conversation, I explained about my accident and Dale’s maternity leave-cover ending this week, and we gave our notice! On top of that, Heather suggested we take a look at her attic to see if it’s liveable, so we may not have to camp outside or in her living room. Even further, Danielle offered us her old studio apartment in Abbotsford when we get back, at 200 dollars cheaper than it should be! I have my Teacher Education Program interview tomorrow night, which means all these plans may soon be settled upon. I finally felt immeasurably relieved that we had come to a decision, but the next day we realized Dale had thought this all meant we were going home in May because Danielle mentioned he could re-join her soccer team when we got back. Now everything feels unsettled and stressful again as Dale worries about money. I’ll have to try to focus on my TEP interview tomorrow instead of everything else!