Science Lab, Irish Style...

I am currently sitting in the girls' apartment downstairs, eating chocolate-covered Digestive Biscuits (i.e. shortbread cookies coated in Cadbury chocolate). Can't believe we don't have these in the States - super cheap and super delicious (and addictive...). Had my first "exam" in physiology today - I say that in quotes because it was an in-class essay, about the role of calcium in the neuro-muscular system. Never had an essay exam in a science class, but hey, that's Trinity.

Speaking of Irish academic differences, I got electrocuted in lab on Thursday. On purpose. For the second week in a row, we've been investigating muscle stimulation, by attaching electrodes to ourselves and watching our muscles twitch involuntarily. My achilles tendon is still a little sore from the shocks sent down my calf nerve to plantar-flex my foot.... Quality bonding time with the Irish physio kids, for sure. We even got to take a break halfway to have tea and biscuits (recall: shortbread cookies with jelly or chocolate. Yum.). I think this is our last shocking lab for a while, but not to worry - in the next few weeks, we're doing a lab on reaction time in which we divide up into three groups: the first group takes the test like normal, the second drinks a Red Bull, and the third drinks... you guessed it, a can of beer. At 9:00 in the morning. Oh Ireland...

Finally got around to seeing the Book of Kells today, in the Old Library on Trinity Campus (recall my first entry: the inspiration for the Jedi Temple from Star Wars). Very impressive. And free to Trinity students and one guest, for whoever wants to come visit. Anna, my friend downstairs, who not only shares my name but also has a twin (coincidentally), was was doing all sorts of touristy things with her (twin) brother who is visiting this weekend - we met up later for traditional fish n' chips at a little place called Leo Burdocks (est. 1913) - definitely a must-see in Dublin.

My photo cable finally came in, so pictures have been slowly returning to my Facebook newsfeed (see links at the end of this entry). Last Friday I got to visit the Kilmainhan Gaol, a historic jail that housed some of the most famous Irish political prisoners, including many leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising who were later executed on the site. It is now a museum, and has played host to everything from corporate dinners to art exhibits to the filming of "The Italian Job" in 1969.


Next on the weekend itinerary was the Dublin Zoo, though out of the three of us that went only Cate remembered to charge her camera battery... so if you want to see pictures of me riding a (fake) zebra, you'll have to check out her album. They had a neat African savannah area, but since you couldn't feed the giraffes, it still wasn't up to par with Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo, at least in that respect. Sunday, I managed to come camera-prepared for our day trip to Kilkenny, another quaint little Irish town ("little" relative to Dublin), full of cathedrals and one of the two competing counties in the All-Ireland Hurling Finals a few weeks ago - I still saw signs of yellow-and-black spirit (Kilkenny's county colors), even though they actually ended up losing to Co. Tipperary...


So glad the weekend is here, though the weeks seem to be going really fast now that school has gotten into the swing of things. Next weekend is the 3-day IES trip to Northern Ireland, as well as a 3-day weekend (bank holiday)! Until then, I hope all my lovely Wash U friends have a grand fall break, (a.k.a. 3-day weekend) of your own. Cheers!


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Dun Laoghaire: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070075&id=1304250202&l=dcbd164fec
Jail: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070315&id=1304250202&l=746899d523
Kilkenny: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070419&id=1304250202&l=97ff6ddc51