Shamra vs. the Self Cleaning Bathroom

I feel bad about the lack of exciting things to write about lately, and the other day I was talking to a friend who reminded me of something that happened in Rome when we were there last year. Some of you might have heard about this, but I thought it was funny and bizarre enough to share!

So, we went to Rome as a part of our European Art History Study Abroad, and took the metro pretty much everywhere. One day, on the metro to the Colosseum, I had to go to the bathroom really bad. The group decided to go ahead, and I went to the metro toilets. First of all, I had to put euros in a slot to even get it to open, which was tricky because the door would seal itself when someone was inside, and it didn't say whether it was occupied or  not. So I finally got in, and it closed and sealed (with some finality) behind me. This freaked me out a little, since I am pretty claustrophobic, and the toilet was a dark little room. The floor was rubber and wasn't solid, it was like a grate. The walls were the same black rubber, which was kind of weird. So, I am finishing inside, and I hear these guys outside the toilet, trying to figure out how to get their money in, even though I was inside. I could hear the money going in, and all of the sudden, a red light starts flashing and a woman's voice starts shouting in Italian...something like "Lavaggio, lavaggio..." And I knew enough Italian to think, "Why is someone shouting 'WASH! WASH!"...and suddenly, water starts coming up from  the floor, the ceiling, even the walls. I panicked, and tried to get out, but the door was sealed (turns out when someone tries to get in, it triggers the seal so it can clean...stupid boys!!) So, brave soul that I am, immediately starting having a panic attack- crying, hyperventilating, the works. Meanwhile, I am getting completely drenched. Finally, the water stops and drains through the floor, and the door opens, and everything is completely normal- except the fact that I walked out of the toilet with red, swollen eyes, soaked from head to toe, with slightly asthmatic wheezing. The boys just started at me like I was absolutely insane. Granted, this whole thing (though it felt like hours) only lasted for less than three minutes. So I run outside, to my professor who had decided to wait for me- if any of you know MJ, he is stoic. Completely calm, very unemotional. The Professor Binns of BYU, if you will. Hilarious, and great, but a very, very dry sense of humor. He looked at me, blinked a few times, and then said, "The metro has self cleaning bathrooms." And I said, "Oh." And then he laughed, very briefly, and said, "Come on." And that was that. Me with my dripped wet hair, soggy clothes, tear streaked face with mascara all over my cheeks, following MJ to the Colosseum. It was pretty cool. But I don't think I will go back. And I will NEVER use the self-cleaning bathrooms at the metro again.

Hi peeps. So not a whole ton has happened since I blogged last- pretty much daily life. I got massively lost in Dublin the other day, so here are some pictures from that great adventure.

Sweet church

 Biggest used bookshop I've ever been to. Heavenly.

 

Mini middle east. Felt extremely female and extremely Caucasian when I walked down this street. And sort of unwelcome...

 

 We went to a prison (me, Giampaolo- my phone calls him Guampoalo so I still don't know the proper spelling of his name, Tim- known as Trim on my phone, and his friend Phillip who was visiting to Germany. Credit goes to Phillip for the pics due to my aversion of picture taking and lack of camera.) The prison was AWESOME. On the right is what I would call "gen pop" - if you watch Prison Break, this is where majority of prisoners are held. Unless you are Michael Scofield, in which case, no prison can hold you. On the right is where they would hang people on death row. Below is where they would shoot people. Too bad these folks didn't have a good DA- like Alex from Law and Order SVU, or Elliot Stabler to investigate their crimes. Or Michael Scofield to break them out of jail. Or that guy from the Count of Monte Cristo to tunnel them out with a spoon.

 The weirdos in the flesh. They put up with all my prison jokes so they're pretty cool.

 A few days ago I went to Dublin Bay (a ten minute walk from where I live). Really pretty, and actually a warm day, so naturally I wore my chacos. It's been a long winter without them.

 

 Me trying to be photogenic and failing. I still have pink in my hair. Don't ask how it's still there.

 

Waterloo! Part 2! Please watch video below if you haven't.

World's worst blogger, back in the house! So I moved this week from Arklow/Gorey back to Dublin. While I have SO enjoyed my time with the Blacks down on the beautiful coast, it was time for me to be closer to college, closer to friends, and as it turns out, closer to various embassies and the painter Francis Bacon's birthplace (hopefully it wasn't this area that inspired the creepiness of his art...). So I moved to Waterloo Road! It's really close to Dublin city center, and right around the corner is Baggot Street- probably one of the coolest streets ever.

Anyway, there it is. Another discovery: this area is where all the embassies are located, and apparently the police. I feel pretty safe, needless to say. Thus far I've found quite a few embassies, including Romanian, Brazilian and Israeli (which of course made me happy!) 

So more pictures of the area, for your viewing pleasure, including my actual house. This kind of architecture is Georgian style- they are all individual houses, but stuck together. And HUGE. It may not look like it, but these houses are very old and massive. That just comes along with living in the old and wealthiest part of Dublin. Another note: me and Layna had a calendar of the "Doors of Dublin" which I always wondered where all the cool doors were exactly in Dublin. Turns out they are here!

The one above with the green door is mine, though I technically live on the ground floor and have a different entrance. Here are some pics of the inside! 

I really love it. Only downside: I STILL cannot figure out the water heating. You have to let it heat in advance or else you not only get a cold shower, it's FREEZING. Painfully so...people say love is a battlefield, well, my shower is a battlefield. A daily battlefield that leaves me with blue lips and shampoo congealed in my hair. Anyway, shout out to my friend who helped me find this place and my parents for being super cool with everything...you guys rock my socks. And here's a little more bloggage since it will probably be another two months before I blog again- 

We went into the city on Saturday to see the traditional music festival that was going on all week. Leprechauns were rampant in the city, as were bagpipers and...black midgets dressed as leprechauns. He was very graceful during my extremely awkward and slightly rude attempt to take a picture of him.

Thanks for reading everyone, miss ya tons.

Waterloo!

So I moved to Waterloo Road, in Dublin. And if you're anything like me, this video is immediately what your mind jumps to when you read "Waterloo". Because naturally Colin Firth in skin tight flaming bell-bottoms and platform shoes is in the very front of your mind.

Happy Christmas from Ireland

Okay. So you all know I'm a crappy blogger- so I am sorry for not updating recently, but you knew what you were in for!

Okay, I promise to expand on all of this later, but here are some snapshots of my doings for the past while.

I went to Belfast. And walked across this:









I presented at the Sibeal Feminist Conference at the University of Limerick- a paper I wrote for my 19th Century Art History class at BYU. My friends Shayna and Sam came with me, so it wasn't terrible! I was a lot younger than everyone there, and pretty intimidated... but I must say, no barfing (in public) and no passing out, it went very well.


School's shaping out okay. I am turning in what will basically be the first chapter of my dissertation in a few days. My thesis will be about Saint Brigit of Kildare (in Ireland) and the use of Marian apparitions and appropriation of pagan traditions by Christian missionaries- I even get to tie in a whole chapter about the Lady of Guadalupe, which I did my senior thesis on. In every nerdy way possible, I absolutely love it.

Christmas in Ireland is pretty magical, they are very religious and so they go all out for Christmas. I especially love Dublin...there are lights everywhere, they play Christmas music constantly, and there is just general holiday spirit in the air.





Very cool. However, I miss home and I will not be doing this again (by choice). I miss these weirdos way more than I ever have:

However, I will be gaining one weirdo for the Christmas break!!
So excited for this girl to come! We'll be going to Scotland two days after Christmas and spending New Year's there. It's going to be a blast!!

Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS friends and family and those unfortunate enough to be waiting around for me to post another blog entry. Hopefully I'll get a longer, more detailed blog post up in the next year or so. Just kidding- I will!! Miss you all and have a wonderful holiday season- Eat, drink, and be merry!! :)

Shamra vs. Street Performer

So I met up with some friends in the city tonight. I am walking down Grafton street, minding my own business, and BAM! out of nowhere a finger is stuck in my ear. The culprit was a street performer, spray painted gold and green, who apparently stands still all day on a mini stool, and then startles people by poking them. However, the plan of this "Gold Man" hideously backfired, as he knocked my earring right out of my ear onto the street. I panic, and get on all fours looking for it on the ground. Spotting it relatively quickly, I straighten up and BAM! again (this time much harder) my head collides with the Gold Man, who was crouching above me also looking for the wayward earring. I see spots for a bit, he also looks a bit stunned, and I go to leave when he points vigorously at my hair, gesturing at his face, where I can see a very large and obvious smudge- of missing paint. Which happened to rub off into my hair when the great collision occurred.

Annoyed with a headache, I go across the street to a McDonalds, where I enter the bathroom and stick my head over the sink, running water across the back of it and trying to get the paint out. Around the time the gold and green paint in the sink started to run clear, a very obnoxious woman appears behind me and informs me that (direct quote) "It is absolutely illegal to bathe in a public sink" and that I will need to "leave the premises immediately". I tried to explain to her what had happened, but this was quickly dismissed as the drunken ramblings of an ignorant American. I am then escorted off "the premises" aka, the bathroom, by a very tall security man.

What I am left with: wet, uncurled hair, paint on the hood of my coat, a

headache, and one extremely bizarre hour of my life...

...And one new goal: at some point in my life, take an actual real bath in the McDonalds sink on Grafton street.

Newgrange

Went to Newgrange. Freakin awesome. Interested? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newgrange

Went to Belfast for the weekend- super cool blogging to come on that topic. Maybe. had a great bday, thanks for all the well wishing and gifts ect. Ciao!