Half-Way!

I know I've been bad about updating and I'm sorry for that!  I've certainly gotten myself into a routine of school and such and things are going well.   I'm also pretty much at the half way point of my adventure here which is crazy, I can't believe how fast time is flying by.  Two weekends ago my friend Mari Walsh from high school came to visit and we had a great time!  We went back to had dinner at a nice Mexican place in cork (who knew!), went to the art museum, blarney castle and did a little shopping and adventuring through the city.  It was great to spend time with her and I am working on planning a trip down to Dublin to see her too!  I haven 't gotten out of the city in awhile but am really coming to love up on the little city that is Cork.  At first the place annoyed me, but now that I know my way around I have started to find some really awesome, cute and quirky shops and coffee places that I like to visit.  It is starting to get colder in Ireland, something I didn't quite expect, and I realize that I did not pack enough cold weather clothes.  Hopefully I can tough it out until my parents get here at Thanksgiving because everything is really expensive over here!  My classes are going well, although we are starting to have to do homework and such which is a bummer--aren't I on vacation?  The next half of my trip will surely fly:  This weekend is the jazz festival which is a huge event in cork, the following weekend in Halloween and two friends from home-Nori and Lauren- will be here!  The first weekend in November is my friend Alexa's birthday and my roommate from Denver, Allie, is coming to visit, then its off to Barcelona for a weekend, then my parents are here for two weekends and then it is December!  It is crazy to think about my time here in terms of weekends alone.

For my animal behavior class we are working on a project that takes place at Fota wildlife park which is a conservation park just outside the city.  Each student is given an animal to observe and we have to do a write up on their behavior.  I have the giraffe.  But the wild life park is an amazing place.  Most of the animals, besides the carnivores, are free to roam around in large enclosures with others species, making a more natural habitat.  Some species like birds, lemurs, wallabies and small rodent deer called mara, are just free to roam the park in general which is kinda neat.

I'm also still involved with the photography society and working on my techniques!  It's pretty exciting, but I have a lot to learn.  The choral society is working on A Ceremony of Carols to preform at our three night christmas concert in December, also pretty exciting!

Anyways I am excited for the jazz festival this weekend, and promise to take and post a bunch of photos, for now these will have to do!

Lemurs chillen in the grass

my giraffes!

view from the castle! So pretty

At the top of blarney castle!