Travel Tips

When I first arrived, my room was institutional and cold. My first move was to hang up my sari from India as curtains, then bit by bit it is coming together. From the Maxfield Parrish pictures to the Leighton posters to the books and papers and photographs, finally the room looks lived in, and I love it.

I don't however, love the light and the noise the comes from being next to the building door facing the courtyard, but life isn't perfect, it's just life.

I'm really getting fond of my roommates.

Michael is from Germany. He is very considerate, polite and friendly. When he likes something it is 'quite nice' when he doesn't like something it is 'not too good'.

Nicholas is from France. He too is an excellent roommate, though smoking in his room is a bad habit, I can't find much to complain about.

Martin was the last of the six to arrive, but he has settled in well. A little too well, it is quite a temptation to sit and watch the tele with him when I should be studying.

Edel is also from Ireland, from Nenagh. She is extremely generous and always seems in a bit of a rush, except when she watches her Irish and English soaps, which I am slowly getting hooked on as well.

Kyla is the other American, from Boston I think. She is attempting to get Irish citizenship. We get on very well, when she is actually here, but being a social butterfly keeps her out almost every night.

All in all we're a great crew, and I am not looking forward to the end of the semester when we say goodbye to Nicholas and Michael. The rest of us are grad students and will stay here for the year.

We finally decided to sit down and have a real dinner. It was lovely, beef stroganoff, roasted garlic potatoes, salad, and ice cream for dessert.

Not only do we six live here in Birch House, but we have at least 2 honorary roommates. Erin is Kyla's good friend, and I think she spends more time with us than she does at her own place. Patrick is Michael's friend and he too fills a place on the couch more nights than not. Michael currently has friends from home visiting for the weekend, it's fun hearing the living room echo with the sounds of German and French.