Smurftastic's EuroTrip... We've Come To the End of the Road

Dublin Airport 11:04 am

Yeah, that’s right. I busted out a Boyz II Men song title. Don’t hate the player… hate the game (and check back to the BBCS and relive some memories). Anyway, really have come to the end of the road. I’m chillaxin’ in the beautiful Dublin airport, after a great 3 weeks in Galway. I highly recommend it as a vacation spot. Perhaps not for a full 3 weeks if you aren’t taking classes, but definitely for a while. There’s a lot to see and a lot to drink. Here are some things I’ve learned about Ireland.

Irish people LOVE to tell stories and/or just listen to themselves talk. Even me… Chatty McCathy… couldn’t get a word in edgewise the past few nights. I found a great little DOMB (Dirty Old Man Bar – Pia’s in Champaign… I’m lookin’ at you here), and these old Irish men love me… basically cause I’m the youngest female in the bar by at least 20 years. But pretty much they just like to tell me about random crap such as the last time they were in the Dublin airport and had to dump out their water bottle. Good times.

Irish accents are a lot harder to understand than I thought they would be. I felt very rude making people say stuff two or three times, but whatever. They mock me for my Chicago A’s, so they can say stuff more than once for me.

The American Dollar is awesome – stuff at home is going to be so cheap. If I had any money left in my life at all… I would look forward to shopping/eating/drinking in Manhattan.

I always get shafted when it comes to nicknames. I never end up with random awesome nicknames. This trip gave us such golden names for others as “Lilly” (for a boy), “Boo!yah”, “Stinky/Little Britches”, and “El Heffe.” What do I get? Gail. Seriously. Or BigGail. Even better. Makes me really appreciate some of the more original names I got in college (ahem…Smurf…ahem). Come on law school-ers… lets get creative.

Sheep in Ireland are speedy. Also, they do NOT appear to like being chased. Yeah they are everywhere, in the streets, running free, whatever. If you are going to make yourself available, I WILL chase you and try to take a picture giving you a hug. Don’t baaaaa at me. If you just waited for 10 seconds while I took a picture, maybe I wouldn’t need to chase you. Quit being so insensitive. And now I don’t have a sheep picture with me in it. Just of you running away.. A-holes.

Even in the rain, Ireland is still fabulous – some of our tours were completely water-logged, and while a lot of people on the trip hated it… whatever… its still Ireland and that’s better than pretty much anything the US has to offer. However, if you go to Galway ever, I would not recommend doing both the Aran Islands AND the Burren unless you have loads of time. One or the other is probably OK. Rocks and rock walls and rock forts by cliffs are basically the same anywhere.

Irish guys are hot – but I knew that already. Sometimes things just need to be reiterated.

Severe Mayo obsession alert – seriously. It’s on EVERYTHING. I mean I know I don’t like mayo anyway… but seriously… don’t you get sick of the stuff? Just like cream or butter is on everything. Are there no lactose intolerant people in Europe? Maybe there were, but they all were killed by milk and cheese… or run down by sheep trying to escape tourists (my bad).

Everyone in Ireland hates Dublin, except people from Dublin… it’s a lot like the way a lot of Americans feel about NYC or LA, or the way quite a few Canadians feel about Toronto… but it appears to be justified.

There is a lack of karaoke and cigars in Galway – all I wanted was a nice Cuban and to sing Johnny Cash… is that too much to ask?

White horse rumors are silly – our bus driver on the way into Galway told us that if you see 7 white horses while you are in Galway, you will end up marrying someone from Galway. Well … including the 2 white horses that lived on the grounds where our dorms were (do you think they were trying to tell me something?)… I saw 15 white horses without looking too hard… and I didn’t meet any guys from Galway, but met a Canadian. Hmmmm…

Anyway, it’s been real, all…but I need to head home to DJ Victorious. She misses our reality show blogs. And who wouldn’t. Here’s a creeptastic taste of the UK though… they have a real time live Big Brother. It’s seriously on EVERY TIME I turn on the TV. I think it has its own channel. Seriously? Do I need to watch them sleep? Apparently. Oh also, they still have Maury. Only here I watched it with breakfast, and it made me happy and was a great start to the day.

I’m heading to Rome for 3 days with the family (come on Grandma slipping me cash…) then back to the Jers for a super hott American summer. Keep those fingers crossed for good movies on the plane so you don’t have to read another super interesting rant about it.

Random thoughts about the goings on in the world.

Looking like its going to be another Federer-Nadal Wimbledon final. BORING. I mean I love Federer, but let’s have some new people. *cough* Andy “The Choker” Roddick *cough*. Also, there is only so much male Capri pant a girl can take, and spending a month in Europe already is not boding well for Nadal.
Also… Venus Williams’ tennis outfits are inappropriate. I have boy cut underwear that covers more of my ass than her shorts. This ain’t the US Open. Keep it classy. Also… I love Johnny Mac. Yes… I knew that already… but his Wimbledon BBC commentary is amazing. Also, I miss Andre Agassi.

Studio 60 is officially cancelled. I already bought the final episode on iTunes, but I’m saving it for a very special occasion where I can bitch /weep openly. I need a Chandler Bing fix… so let’s get him a new show ASAP. Maybe I should just hire him to live in my apartment and be funny. I bet he’d do it for free blue box mac & cheese and 15 bucks a month, right? Who wouldn’t.

Smurftastic's Eurotrip... Made it to Ireland and some social commentary

What up all!

Sorry its been so long since my last update. Nothing super exciting and/or hilarious has really happened since I've gotten to Galway. So I have dubbed this entry my "snobby American bitchy entry." I hate when people on vacation bitch about how things aren't like at home. No shit, you're on vacation. WTF did you expect? Anyway, there is a lot of bitch worthy things here, so I'm allowing myself to embrace them.

1) The place we are staying is pretty terrible. What was promised as free internet access is in fact 10 Euro a week. And crappy internet access at that. Similarly, the rooms are super moldy like 40 year old dorm rooms, and people (yours truly) are starting to get sick. For almost 50 Euro a night... clean the ventilation. In addition... Galway currently is under a boil water requirement for some bacteria or something, so I'm paying extra bank for bottled water and boiling like its my job. Whatevs... not a huge deal, cept we can't make ice in the apt or do dishes w/ out boiling first... BOO erns. Probably more bitching about this place could happen, but I ended up w/ a giant room, so whatever.

2) I hate the exchange rate. In Leuven, it was bad, but we were paying like 1 Euro 80 cents for a beer... fine. Here, we pay around 4 Euro. That shit is pricey!!!! Plus food costs a ton... so I have to cook for myself... BOO.

3) Galway bars close early except on Friday or Saturday. That's actually probably a good idea, so I shouldn't bitch about that.

4) The weather is terrible. Today was the first day in a week and a half it didn't rain. The high was a very warm 52 Fahrenheit. Get excited. I've had to buy even more random Ireland clothes than I intended just to keep warm.

5) Air Lingus sucks ass. I don't even want to go into the horrors of our 6 am Brussels airport experience. Just steer clear.

6) You can't call them Irish Carbombs. I generally frown on being socially appropriate, and don't know the other name for them, so this is an issue.

7) I have outside of class homework here. Although yesterday, my professor actually talked for a few minutes on the economics of the "bling market"...

*) In order to move on from my bitchy Americanness... here is what is awesome about here...
accents, Guinness, cute boys, beautiful views, the fact that it is not America, the fact that its not hot as balls, Fish and Chips, the fact that there is a show called "Badly Dubbed Porn", and its exactly what you think it would be and its amazingly hilarious, etc....

I am actually having a great time, and behaving myself WAY more than I would have expected... I think it's cause I'm with some great people who I can have fun with sober or not. However, being the only single chick in a city w/ really hot guys is awkward for three reasons... First, some people want to live vicariously through you, Second, lack of real wingmen, and Third, people watch you like a hawk at all times. Boo.

Anyway, that was boring... here are some of my thoughts on pop culture events of the past week or so.

1) Paris is out of jail. What the fuck ever.

2) Tank Johnson got dropped from the Bears for being an embarrassment. I see the rationale behind this, however I don't want him to bust a cap in Urlacher or Sexy Rexy's ass. We should be trying to be friends w/ the guy w/ all the weapons, not firing him. Also, I need a new thug to mock this football season. COME ON CHICAGO!

3) Theirry Henry has been transferred from Arsenal to Barcelona. Not that I blame him, but there are two reasons I am sad. First, I love Arsenal, they are the shit, and won't be as good w/out him. Second, I was just in Barcelona, and may have purchased some sort of Barca memorabilia if I had known that one of my favorite players was headed there. I don't know how I'll be able to watch Arsenal w/out Henry. It'll be like watching Man U without Beckham for the first time, except Arsenal is not one of the two anti-Christs of British soccer and I actually watch them and care about how they do.

4) Rumors (and pretty substantial ones) are saying that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is officially cancelled, and the last episode will air this Thursday. This is garbage. I hardly ever let myself watch new TV shows, and I absolutely fell in love with this one. To the point where when I'm abroad I bought the last 4 episodes on ITunes just to be able to see them. I hate the ratings and how stupid America is when a show is too smart to make it on the air. GOD FORBID. Anyway, ya'll should check out the DVDs of it when they inevitably come out, and/or reruns... I like that show for the same reasons poly sci majors hearted the West Wing... entertainment, smart, funny... It will be sorely missed.

5) Movies I cannot wait to see - LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD... we are probably going to go on the 4th of July in Ireland, whilst wearing shirts and singing "America, Fuck Yeah!"... Also... Harry Potter mania is setting in, but I'm trying to resist till I get home... GOOD LUCK.

More updates later, hopefully with some funny stories.... LATAZ.