Minor Speed Bumps Along the Way

First, there were mechanical problems with the plane so it was delayed for a couple of hours.  Then... wait for it....the pilot and copilot literally locked themselves out of the cockpit! That took a long time to resolve as they informed the passengers that, "these doors are not easy to get into once locked." I was a little hesitant when i realized these were the men that would be flying me across an ocean... lol. Buuut I made it! The flight was very long and my neck was quite sore after, but on the plus side I started talking to the woman next to me on the plane and found out something very interesting.  She asked why I was going to Ireland and I told her for student teaching.  Turns out she was the principal of a school in Ontario, Canada :). 

What I learned: 

-standardized testing does not effect school budgets nearly as significantly as it does in the states. Little to none, unless you're in a bad area

-when a student decides to go to University, he/she is selected based solely on his/her performance senior year, regardless of performances other years.  

-schools select students based on the high schools they attended (better Universities are more likely to select students from better high schools)

-SATs do not exist in Canada

-everything/everyone is much more laid back!

Finally, I arrived in Ireland.  Cloudy skies, 0 degrees C. Had a little trouble getting through customs due to the length of my stay, but I finally got through and got my luggage.  Exited the building and bought my bus ticket.  When the bus came I was pleasantly surprised to see my bus driver wearing a Philadelphia Eagles cap :).  The drive through the city to the hotel where i was meeting my host family was so very pretty.  

Things I noticed:

-every other person in Ireland has 2 little dogs

-the street signs have both english and Gaelic on them

-the crosswalk signs for people have very detailed walking people on them to show when to go/slow down/stop

-there are an uncountable number of eateries and pubs

-every so often a palm tree adorns a small front yard

-the architecture is a mix of both modern and old beautiful buildings, very lovely

The rest of my day consisted of settling in, getting to know my host family, watching rugby games and going to a birthday party (very fun, great food, fun people).  Finally, at around 8pm we went to a night service for Lent.  It was very informal and a "new" service they were trying out.  It was only 30 minutes and was mostly songs, readings and stories.  After the service wedges and sausages were served (potatoes and sausage).  I was too full to eat anything, but it looked pretty good.  Thats all for now.  Busy day tomorrow at my new school. Will upload pics as soon as i get a card adaptor. ttfn!