Well, I'm finally here in Belfast! After the long journey from Chicago yesterday afternoon, I'm looking forward to actually sleeping in a bed tonight. Can't say it was a great flight because of the 'Voodoo' seat I seemed to have been placed in. The thing is, when I was trying to read, it would turn off, but when I was trying to sleep it would turn on! Oh brother, it was a long flight. but we made it to London no problem and my connection to Belfast was a smooth transition, where I think I caught about 30min of rest.
Upon arriving in Belfast, there was a group of students with backpacks and big bags so as we all seemed to have a magnetic field between us, the small group of about 8 of us eventually had introduced ourselves and began talking about what we were excited about for the semester. Representatives from Queens met us and took us to Queens where we checked into our accommodations and continued chatting. People from both the west coast, midwest, and east coast were individuals who I had met, but with Orientation beginning tomorrow, I'm sure there will be people from all over the world whom we will get to know.
I'm living in a campus house where I have my own room. The room is pretty tiny, but it looks right out onto the Malone Road so I get a good bit of sun and natural light. My bed is probably the worst part about my room currently because I don't have a mattress pad, pillow, or blanket (expect for the one I borrowed from my United Flight...). Hopefully I'll get that sorted out soon because sleeping on a towel and sweatshirts isn't the most comfortable thing.
After unpacking and letting people know that I was safe, I took a brief nap and woke up to hustle and bustle outside so I went for a walk through the Queens neighborhoods and got a better idea of where things were and where I was in perspective to everything. Although my first meal in Belfast consisted of peanut butter and apples and digestives crackers, I'm eagerly awaiting everything new that I will have the opportunity to experience through my semester here at Queens.
"Every moment in life is an act of faith" -Paulo Coelho
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
For the next six months...
For the next six months I will be studying at the Queens University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the United Kingdom. This will be my third trip to Belfast after traveling there twice before in 2005 and 2007-2008. After participating in the Ulster Project of Milwaukee in 2004, I formed some of the most valuable friendships based on understanding, trust, respect, and faith. After traveling to Belfast first in 2005, I knew that I wanted to return to the city and the people of Northern Ireland.
On January 26th, I will fly out of Chicago to make a stop in London, then take another flight from London to my final, Belfast! I will be living in the International Student House down the road from the main campus of Queens, where I'm not quite sure what to expect from my housemates, but I'm sure we'll get along just fine. I chose to study abroad at Queens, I determined that it would be at Queens and in Belfast that I could get the best academic education as well as look at life in a city like Belfast, where peace is finally emerging because of the doing of the people themselves.
After a long history of civil unrest, Northern Ireland is a state divided because of political opposition based deep in religious differences. The 'Troubles' refer to the three decades of violence between the two groups in Northern Ireland, the Catholic Nationalists and the Protestant Unionists. Hitting a peak of deaths in the late 1970s, Northern Ireland has had to face an ugly history since the beginning of the new millennium. The Belfast agreement peace process was signed in 1998 which has been slow-moving to reduce the sectarian animosity that still exists. The Democratic Unionist Party has since taken political control of Northern Ireland (2007), with its divided political system with Unionist leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness taking office as First Minister and deputy First Minister, respectively.
Yet it has been through the prejudice-reducing groups such as Corrymeela, the Ulster Project International, and so many more, that have given the community affected by the violence a voice.
Hope this gave you a short description of where I will be and what I will be doing. I'll be sure to update this as often as possible, but please know that I will be studying very very hard ;-). Have a blessed day, and best of luck to everyone in 2010!
Siochain
On January 26th, I will fly out of Chicago to make a stop in London, then take another flight from London to my final, Belfast! I will be living in the International Student House down the road from the main campus of Queens, where I'm not quite sure what to expect from my housemates, but I'm sure we'll get along just fine. I chose to study abroad at Queens, I determined that it would be at Queens and in Belfast that I could get the best academic education as well as look at life in a city like Belfast, where peace is finally emerging because of the doing of the people themselves.
After a long history of civil unrest, Northern Ireland is a state divided because of political opposition based deep in religious differences. The 'Troubles' refer to the three decades of violence between the two groups in Northern Ireland, the Catholic Nationalists and the Protestant Unionists. Hitting a peak of deaths in the late 1970s, Northern Ireland has had to face an ugly history since the beginning of the new millennium. The Belfast agreement peace process was signed in 1998 which has been slow-moving to reduce the sectarian animosity that still exists. The Democratic Unionist Party has since taken political control of Northern Ireland (2007), with its divided political system with Unionist leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness taking office as First Minister and deputy First Minister, respectively.
Yet it has been through the prejudice-reducing groups such as Corrymeela, the Ulster Project International, and so many more, that have given the community affected by the violence a voice.
Hope this gave you a short description of where I will be and what I will be doing. I'll be sure to update this as often as possible, but please know that I will be studying very very hard ;-). Have a blessed day, and best of luck to everyone in 2010!
Siochain
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